Sample records for information processing perspective

  1. Information Technology Process Improvement Decision-Making: An Exploratory Study from the Perspective of Process Owners and Process Managers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lamp, Sandra A.

    2012-01-01

    There is information available in the literature that discusses information technology (IT) governance and investment decision making from an executive-level perception, yet there is little information available that offers the perspective of process owners and process managers pertaining to their role in IT process improvement and investment…

  2. An Information Processing Perspective on Divergence and Convergence in Collaborative Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jorczak, Robert L.

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents a model of collaborative learning that takes an information processing perspective of learning by social interaction. The collaborative information processing model provides a theoretical basis for understanding learning principles associated with social interaction and explains why peer-to-peer discussion is potentially more…

  3. Cooperative outcome interdependence, task reflexivity, and team effectiveness: a motivated information processing perspective.

    PubMed

    De Dreu, Carsten K W

    2007-05-01

    A motivated information processing perspective (C. K. W. De Dreu & P. J. D. Carnevale, 2003; see also V. B. Hinsz, R. S. Tindale, & D. A. Vollrath, 1997) was used to predict that perceived cooperative outcome interdependence interacts with team-level reflexivity to predict information sharing, learning, and team effectiveness. A cross-sectional field study involving management and cross-functional teams (N = 46) performing nonroutine, complex tasks corroborated predictions: The more team members perceived cooperative outcome interdependence, the better they shared information, the more they learned and the more effective they were, especially when task reflexivity was high. When task reflexivity was low, no significant relationship was found between cooperative outcome interdependence and team processes and performance. The author concludes that the motivated information processing perspective is valid outside the confines of the laboratory and can be extended toward teamwork in organizations. 2007 APA, all rights reserved

  4. The effect of time perspectives on mental health information processing and help-seeking attitudes and intentions in younger versus older adults.

    PubMed

    Erickson, Julie; Mackenzie, Corey S; Menec, Verena H; Bailis, Daniel S

    2017-03-01

    Socioemotional selectivity theory posits that changes in time perspective over the lifespan are associated with distinct goals and motivations. Time perspectives and their associated socioemotional motivations have been shown to influence information processing and memory, such that motivation-consistent information is more likely to be remembered and evaluated more positively. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of motivation-consistent mental health information on memory for and evaluations of this information, as well as help-seeking attitudes and intentions to seek mental health services. We randomly assigned an Internet-based sample of 160 younger (18-25) and 175 older (60-89) adults to read a mental health information pamphlet that emphasized time perspectives and motivations relevant to either young adulthood (future-focused) or late adulthood (present-focused). Participants completed measures assessing their time perspective, memory for and subjective evaluation of the pamphlet, and help-seeking attitudes and intentions. The time perspective manipulation had no effect on memory for pamphlet information or help-seeking attitudes and intentions. There was, however, a significant interaction between time perspective and pamphlet version on the rated liking of the pamphlet. Although motivation-consistent information only affected perceptions of that information for present-focused (mostly older) individuals, this finding has important implications for enhancing older adults' mental health literacy.

  5. The processing of linear perspective and binocular information for action and perception.

    PubMed

    Bruggeman, Hugo; Yonas, Albert; Konczak, Jürgen

    2007-04-08

    To investigate the processing of linear perspective and binocular information for action and for the perceptual judgment of depth, we presented viewers with an actual Ames trapezoidal window. The display, when presented perpendicular to the line of sight, provided perspective information for a rectangular window slanted in depth, while binocular information specified a planar surface in the fronto-parallel plane. We compared pointing towards the display-edges with perceptual judgment of their positions in depth as the display orientation was varied under monocular and binocular view. On monocular trials, pointing and depth judgment were based on the perspective information and failed to respond accurately to changes in display orientation because pictorial information did not vary sufficiently to specify the small differences in orientation. For binocular trials, pointing was based on binocular information and precisely matched the changes in display orientation whereas depth judgment was short of such adjustment and based upon both binocular and perspective-specified slant information. The finding, that on binocular trials pointing was considerably less responsive to the illusion than perceptual judgment, supports an account of two separate processing streams in the human visual system, a ventral pathway involved in object recognition and a dorsal pathway that produces visual information for the control of actions. Previously, similar differences between perception and action were explained by an alternate explanation, that is, viewers selectively attend to different parts of a display in the two tasks. The finding that under monocular view participants responded to perspective information in both the action and the perception task rules out the attention-based argument.

  6. A social information processing approach to job attitudes and task design.

    PubMed

    Salancik, G R; Pfeffer, J

    1978-06-01

    This article outlines a social information processing approach to explain job attitudes. In comparison with need-satisfaction and expectancy models to job attitudes and motivation, the social information processing perspective emphasizes the effects of context and the consequences of past choices, rather than individual predispositions and rational decision-making processes. When an individual develops statements about attitude or needs, he or she uses social information--information about past behavior and about what others think. The process of attributing attitudes or needs from behavior is itself affected by commitment processes, by the saliency and relevance of information, and by the need to develop socially acceptable and legitimate rationalizations for actions. Both attitudes and need statements, as well as characterizations of jobs, are affected by informational social influence. The implications of the social information processing perspective for organization development efforts and programs of job redesign are discussed.

  7. Health Information Economy: Literature Review.

    PubMed

    Ebrahimi, Kamal; Roudbari, Masoud; Sadoughi, Farahnaz

    2015-04-19

    Health Information Economy (HIE) is one of the broader, more complex, and challenging and yet important topics in the field of health science that requires the identification of its dimensions for planning and policy making. The aim of this study was to determine HIE concept dimensions. This paper presents a systematic methodology for analyzing the trends of HIE. For this purpose, the main keywords of this area were identified and searched in the databases and from among 4775 retrieved sources, 12 sources were studied in the field of HIE. Information Economy (IE) in the world has passed behind four paradigms that involve the information evaluation perspective, the information technology perspective, the asymmetric information perspective and information value perspective. In this research, the fourth perspective in the HIE was analyzed. The main findings of this research were categorized in three major groups, including the flow of information process in the field of health (production. collection, processing and dissemination), and information applications in the same field (education, research, health industry, policy, legislation, and decision-making) and the underlying fields. According to the findings, HIE has already developed a theoretical and conceptual gap that due to its importance in the next decade would be one of the research approaches to health science.

  8. Central Auditory Processing Disorders: Is It a Meaningful Construct or a Twentieth Century Unicorn?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kamhi, Alan G.; Beasley, Daniel S.

    1985-01-01

    The article demonstrates how professional and theoretical perspectives (including psycholinguistics, behaviorist, and information processing perspectives) significantly influence the manner in which central auditory processing is viewed, assessed, and remediated. (Author/CL)

  9. Information Processing Limitations as Revealed by Temporal Discrimination

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lavoie, Philippe; Grondin, Simon

    2004-01-01

    Information processing limit is a fundamental issue in cognitive psychology. One particular way of studying it is to adopt a temporal span perspective. In this experiment, Weber fractions based on thresholds for duration discrimination are used for adopting this perspective. The results showed that, contrary to the constant predicted by Weber's…

  10. Mental Rotation of Tactical Instruction Displays Affects Information Processing Demand and Execution Accuracy in Basketball.

    PubMed

    Koopmann, Till; Steggemann-Weinrich, Yvonne; Baumeister, Jochen; Krause, Daniel

    2017-09-01

    In sports games, coaches often use tactic boards to present tactical instructions during time-outs (e.g., 20 s to 60 s in basketball). Instructions should be presented in a way that enables fast and errorless information processing for the players. The aim of this study was to test the effect of different orientations of visual tactical displays on observation time and execution performance. High affordances in visual-spatial transformation (e.g., mental rotation processes) might impede information processing and might decrease execution performance with regard to the instructed playing patterns. In a within-subjects design with 1 factor, 10 novice students were instructed with visual tactical instructions of basketball playing patterns with different orientations either showing the playing pattern with low spatial disparity to the players' on-court perspective (basket on top) or upside down (basket on bottom). The self-chosen time for watching the pattern before execution was significantly shorter and spatial accuracy in pattern execution was significantly higher when the instructional perspective and the real perspective on the basketball court had a congruent orientation. The effects might be explained by interfering mental rotation processes that are necessary to transform the instructional perspective into the players' actual perspective while standing on the court or imagining themselves standing on the court. According to these results, coaches should align their tactic boards to their players' on-court viewing perspective.

  11. Health Information Economy: Literature Review

    PubMed Central

    Ebrahimi, Kamal; Roudbari, Masoud; Sadoughi, Farahnaz

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: Health Information Economy (HIE) is one of the broader, more complex, and challenging and yet important topics in the field of health science that requires the identification of its dimensions for planning and policy making. The aim of this study was to determine HIE concept dimensions. Methods: This paper presents a systematic methodology for analyzing the trends of HIE. For this purpose, the main keywords of this area were identified and searched in the databases and from among 4775 retrieved sources, 12 sources were studied in the field of HIE. Results: Information Economy (IE) in the world has passed behind four paradigms that involve the information evaluation perspective, the information technology perspective, the asymmetric information perspective and information value perspective. In this research, the fourth perspective in the HIE was analyzed. The main findings of this research were categorized in three major groups, including the flow of information process in the field of health (production. collection, processing and dissemination), and information applications in the same field (education, research, health industry, policy, legislation, and decision-making) and the underlying fields. Conclusion: According to the findings, HIE has already developed a theoretical and conceptual gap that due to its importance in the next decade would be one of the research approaches to health science. PMID:26153182

  12. An Information Processing View of Field Dependence-Independence.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, J. Kent; Cochran, Kathryn F.

    1989-01-01

    Discusses field dependence-independence from an information processing perspective. Topics discussed include field dependence theory, stages of information processing, developmental issues and implications, and future directions. The information reviewed indicates that field-independent individuals are more efficient than field-dependent…

  13. The Perceived Influence of Industry-Sponsored Credentials on the Recruitment Process in the Information Technology Industry: Employer and Employee Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bartlett, Kenneth R.; Horwitz, Sujin K.; Ipe, Minu; Liu, Yuwen

    2005-01-01

    The increase in the number of industry-sponsored credential programs raises many questions for career and technical education. This study investigated the perceived influence of industry-sponsored credentials on the recruitment process in the information technology (IT) field. Influence is examined from the perspective of Human Resource (HR)…

  14. Personality and self-regulation: trait and information-processing perspectives.

    PubMed

    Hoyle, Rick H

    2006-12-01

    This article introduces the special issue of Journal of Personality on personality and self-regulation. The goal of the issue is to illustrate and inspire research that integrates personality and process-oriented accounts of self-regulation. The article begins by discussing the trait perspective on self-regulation--distinguishing between temperament and personality accounts--and the information-processing perspective. Three approaches to integrating these perspectives are then presented. These range from methodological approaches, in which constructs representing the two perspectives are examined in integrated statistical models, to conceptual approaches, in which the two perspectives are unified in a holistic theoretical model of self-regulation. The article concludes with an overview of the special issue contributions, which are organized in four sections: broad, integrative models of personality and self-regulation; models that examine the developmental origins of self-regulation and self-regulatory styles; focused programs of research that concern specific aspects or applications of self-regulation; and strategies for increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of self-regulation.

  15. An Exploratory Investigation of Study-Abroad Online Information Cues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teng, Shasha; Khong, Kok Wei

    2015-01-01

    Despite numerous studies on the factors involved in the decision-making process on study abroad, little attention has been paid to the initial stage when students process information. This qualitative study aims to map out the cues involved when Chinese students process study-abroad information from an information-processing perspective. Findings…

  16. Enhanced Memory for both Threat and Neutral Information Under Conditions of Intergroup Threat

    PubMed Central

    Zhu, Yong; Zhao, Yufang; Ybarra, Oscar; Stephan, Walter G.; Yang, Qing

    2015-01-01

    Few studies have examined the effect of intergroup threat on cognitive outcomes such as memory. Different theoretical perspectives can inform how intergroup threat should affect memory for threat-relevant and neutral information, such as the mood-congruency approach, Yerkes–Dodson law, Easterbrook’s theory, and also evolutionary perspectives. To test among these, we conducted two experiments to examine how exposure to intergroup threats affected memory compared to control conditions. In study 1, we manipulated symbolic threat and examined participants’ memory for threat and neutral words. In study 2, memory performance was assessed following the induction of realistic threat. Across the studies, in the control condition participants showed better memory for threat-related than neutral information. However, participants under threat remembered neutral information as well as threat-related information. In addition, participants in the threat condition remembered threat-related information as well as participants in the control condition. The findings are discussed in terms of automatic vigilance processes but also the effects of threat on arousal and its effect on information processing. This latter perspective, suggests paradoxically, that under some circumstances involving an outgroup threat, non-threatening information about outgroups can be extensively processed. PMID:26635669

  17. Communicating Risks and Benefits in Informed Consent for Research: A Qualitative Study

    PubMed Central

    Nusbaum, Lika; Douglas, Brenda; Damus, Karla; Paasche-Orlow, Michael; Estrella-Luna, Neenah

    2017-01-01

    Multiple studies have documented major limitations in the informed consent process for the recruitment of clinical research participants. One challenging aspect of this process is successful communication of risks and benefits to potential research participants. This study explored the opinions and attitudes of informed consent experts about conveying risks and benefits to inform the development of a survey about the perspectives of research nurses who are responsible for obtaining informed consent for clinical trials. The major themes identified were strategies for risks and benefits communication, ensuring comprehension, and preparation for the role of the consent administrator. From the experts’ perspective, inadequate education and training of the research staff responsible for informed consent process contribute to deficiencies in the informed consent process and risks and benefits communication. Inconsistencies in experts’ opinions and critique of certain widely used communication practices require further consideration and additional research. PMID:28975139

  18. Is It Always Me First? Effects of Self-Tagging on Third-Person Perspective-Taking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mattan, Bradley; Quinn, Kimberly A.; Apperly, Ian A.; Sui, Jie; Rotshtein, Pia

    2015-01-01

    Self-relevant information is associated with facilitation of perceptual and memory processes. In 2 experiments, participants verified the number of dots within a virtual room that were visible to a given perspective, corresponding to participants' own first-person perspectives or the third-person perspectives for self- and other-associated…

  19. Assessing the Social Influence of Television: A Social Cognition Perspective on Cultivation Effects.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shrum, L. J.

    1995-01-01

    Uses an information-processing perspective to illustrate how television viewing may affect social judgements. Posits heuristic processing as a mechanism that can explain why heavier television viewing results in higher first-order cultivation judgments (those requiring estimates of set size). (SR)

  20. Guiding health promotion efforts with urban Inuit: a community-specific perspective on health information sources and dissemination strategies.

    PubMed

    McShane, Kelly E; Smylie, Janet K; Hastings, Paul D; Martin, Carmel M

    2006-01-01

    To develop a community-specific perspective of health information sources and dissemination strategies of urban Inuit to better guide health promotion efforts. Through a collaborative partnership with the Tungasuvvingat Inuit Family Resource Centre, a series of key informant interviews and focus groups were conducted to gather information on specific sources of health information, strategies of health information dissemination, and overall themes in health information processes. Distinct patterns of health information sources and dissemination strategies emerged from the data. Major themes included: the importance of visual learning, community Elders, and cultural interpreters; community cohesion; and the Inuit and non-Inuit distinction. The core sources of health information are family members and sources from within the Inuit community. The principal dissemination strategy for health information was direct communication, either through one-on-one interactions or in groups. This community-specific perspective of health information sources and dissemination strategies shows substantial differences from current mainstream models of health promotion and knowledge translation. Health promotion efforts need to acknowledge the distinct health information processes of this community, and should strive to integrate existing health information sources and strategies of dissemination with those of the community.

  1. Virtual HRD and National Culture: An Information Processing Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chung, Chih-Hung; Angnakoon, Putthachat; Li, Jessica; Allen, Jeff

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide researchers with a better understanding of the cultural impact on information processing in virtual learning environment. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a causal loop diagram to depict the cultural impact on information processing in the virtual human resource development (VHRD)…

  2. A Social Information Processing Approach to Job Attitudes and Task Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Salancik, Gerald R.; Pfeffer, Jeffrey

    1978-01-01

    In comparison with need-satisfaction and expectancy models of job attitudes and motivation, the social information processing perspective emphasizes the effects of context and the consequences of past choices, rather than individual predispositions and rational decision-making processes. (Author)

  3. BPMN as a Communication Language for the Process- and Event-Oriented Perspectives in Fact-Oriented Conceptual Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bollen, Peter

    In this paper we will show how the OMG specification of BPMN (Business Process Modeling Notation) can be used to model the process- and event-oriented perspectives of an application subject area. We will illustrate how the fact-oriented conceptual models for the information-, process- and event perspectives can be used in a 'bottom-up' approach for creating a BPMN model in combination with other approaches, e.g. the use of a textual description. We will use the common doctor's office example as a running example in this article.

  4. University Staff Perspectives on Change Management Strategies in Student Information System Adoption

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tsang-Kosma, Winnie W.

    2010-01-01

    The process of information technology adoption and use is critical to deriving benefits of information technology. Thus, one of the most challenging issues in information systems research is to understand how people have experienced the adoption process that may lead to insights to why they accept or reject the information technology (Davis,…

  5. Performance Assessment of IT Governance with Balanced Score Card and COBIT 4.1 of Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wijayanti, N. Y.; Setiawan, W.; Sukamto, R. A.

    2017-02-01

    Information technology’s application has become an important daily support for all sectors. Educational institutions, including Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI), enable information technology as the main asset to increase its qualities and global’s competitive power. By the importances of using information technology for almost every scope, measurement is needed to identify how optimal the IT governance is. Based on these facts, the purposes of this reaseacrh are identify the IT governance’s performance assessment indicators, discover the scores based on the indicators, and analyse IT governance’s performance in UPI. This research is using the combination of Balanced Score Card (BSC) and COBIT 4.1 as the framework to establish assessment indicators in questionnaire’s form. By combining both methods, the final scores of IT governance’s performance will represent UPI’s business goals and objectives in all sectors. This research used 26 COBIT’s processes as assessment indicator of IT performance from the maping 15 IT and business goals of COBIT, and 17 UPI’s strategic plans. The final score are 3.80 for financial perspective, 3.63 for customer perspective, 3.62 for internal business process perspective, and 3.72 for learning and growth perspective. With these scores, then the final result is each perspectives of Balanced Score Card’s current maturity levels are at level 4, which is IT process criticality is regularly defined with full support and agreement from the relevant business process owners.

  6. Feedback, Questions and Information Processing--Putting It All Together.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wager, Walter; Mory, Edna

    This review of research on the effectiveness of adding questions to text materials to improve learning and the research on feedback posits that there is a connection between the findings in these two areas that can be viewed from an information processing perspective. A model of information processing taken from Gagne is used to organize the…

  7. A new perspective on the perceptual selectivity of attention under load.

    PubMed

    Giesbrecht, Barry; Sy, Jocelyn; Bundesen, Claus; Kyllingsbaek, Søren

    2014-05-01

    The human attention system helps us cope with a complex environment by supporting the selective processing of information relevant to our current goals. Understanding the perceptual, cognitive, and neural mechanisms that mediate selective attention is a core issue in cognitive neuroscience. One prominent model of selective attention, known as load theory, offers an account of how task demands determine when information is selected and an account of the efficiency of the selection process. However, load theory has several critical weaknesses that suggest that it is time for a new perspective. Here we review the strengths and weaknesses of load theory and offer an alternative biologically plausible computational account that is based on the neural theory of visual attention. We argue that this new perspective provides a detailed computational account of how bottom-up and top-down information is integrated to provide efficient attentional selection and allocation of perceptual processing resources. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

  8. Chinese Scientific and Technical Information Institutions: Development and Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yanning, Zheng

    2011-01-01

    The collection, storage, processing, and dissemination of scientific and technical information make an important basis for economic and social development as well as for scientific development. A nation has to develop the right mechanisms and modalities to collect, store, process, and disseminate scientific and technical information tailored to…

  9. Changes in visual perspective influence brain activity patterns during cognitive perspective-taking of other people's pain.

    PubMed

    Vistoli, Damien; Achim, Amélie M; Lavoie, Marie-Audrey; Jackson, Philip L

    2016-05-01

    Empathy refers to our capacity to share and understand the emotional states of others. It relies on two main processes according to existing models: an effortless affective sharing process based on neural resonance and a more effortful cognitive perspective-taking process enabling the ability to imagine and understand how others feel in specific situations. Until now, studies have focused on factors influencing the affective sharing process but little is known about those influencing the cognitive perspective-taking process and the related brain activations during vicarious pain. In the present fMRI study, we used the well-known physical pain observation task to examine whether the visual perspective can influence, in a bottom-up way, the brain regions involved in taking others' cognitive perspective to attribute their level of pain. We used a pseudo-dynamic version of this classic task which features hands in painful or neutral daily life situations while orthogonally manipulating: (1) the visual perspective with which hands were presented (first-person versus third-person conditions) and (2) the explicit instructions to imagine oneself or an unknown person in those situations (Self versus Other conditions). The cognitive perspective-taking process was investigated by comparing Other and Self conditions. When examined across both visual perspectives, this comparison showed no supra-threshold activation. Instead, the Other versus Self comparison led to a specific recruitment of the bilateral temporo-parietal junction when hands were presented according to a first-person (but not third-person) visual perspective. The present findings identify the visual perspective as a factor that modulates the neural activations related to cognitive perspective-taking during vicarious pain and show that this complex cognitive process can be influenced by perceptual stages of information processing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Understanding Teacher Collaboration Processes from a Complexity Theory Perspective: A Case Study of a Chinese Secondary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yuan, Rui; Zhang, Jia; Yu, Shulin

    2018-01-01

    Although research on teacher collaboration has proliferated in the last few decades, scant attention has been paid to the development of teacher collaboration in school contexts. Informed by the perspective of complexity theory, this study investigates the complex process of teacher collaboration through qualitative interviews in an English…

  11. Information Technologies and Globalization: New Perspectives of Teaching Learning Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hussain, Irshad

    2008-01-01

    This article discusses how information technologies and globalization have opened new avenues and horizons for educators and learners. It discusses different experiences of using information and communication technologies (ICTs) in teaching learning process the world over in the age of globalization. It focuses on the ways these new trends have…

  12. Social Anxiety and Aggression in Early Adolescents: Examining the Moderating Roles of Empathic Concern and Perspective Taking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Batanova, Milena D.; Loukas, Alexandra

    2011-01-01

    Guided by a social information processing perspective, this study examined the unique and interactive contributions of social anxiety and two distinct components of empathy, empathic concern and perspective taking, to subsequent relational and overt aggression in early adolescents. Participants were 485 10- to 14-year old middle school students…

  13. 75 FR 46957 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB Research Plan for an Evaluation of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-04

    ... sponsor perspectives on the effectiveness of the DPG program in assisting Section 202 properties reach... perspectives of the marketing of the DPG program by HUD filed office staff, the DPG application process and the... sponsor perspectives on the effectiveness of the DPG program in assisting Section 202 properties reach...

  14. Teaching and Learning Information Technology Process: From a 25 Year Perspective--Math Regents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis Sanchez, Louise

    2007-01-01

    This paper will describe the Teaching and Learning Informational Technology Process (TLITP). Before present day strategies, teaching and learning relied on transformations based on quantification to measure performance. The process will be a non-linear three construct of teacher, student and community. Emphasizing old practices now is the…

  15. Perspectives of adolescents on decision making about participation in a biobank study: a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Grootens-Wiegers, Petronella; Visser, Eline G; van Rossum, Annemarie M C; van Waardhuizen, Claudia N; de Wildt, Saskia N; Sweep, Boudewijn; van den Broek, Jos M; de Vries, Martine C

    2017-01-01

    To be able to truly involve adolescents in decision making about clinical research participation, we need more insight in the perspective of adolescents themselves. To this end, adolescents in an ongoing biobank study were consulted to test a tentative decision assessment tool. The perspectives of adolescents (n=8) concerning participation in decision making for research participation were explored in interviews with a tentative tool, which covered six topics: information material usage, understanding, disease perceptions, anxiety, decision-making process and role sharing. All adolescents unequivocally expressed the desire to be involved in decision making, but also wanted advice from their parents. The extent of the preferred role of adolescent versus parents varied between individuals. In decision making, adolescents relied on parents for information. More than half hardly used the information material. Adolescents in our study preferred a shared decision-making process. The extent of sharing varied between individuals. The decision assessment tool was a fruitful starting point to discuss adolescents' perspectives and may aid in tailoring the situation to the individual to achieve optimal participation practices. Consulting adolescents about their preferences concerning decision making using the tool will facilitate tailoring of the shared decision-making process and optimising the developing autonomy of minors.

  16. Informed Consent and Genomic Incidental Findings: IRB Chair Perspectives

    PubMed Central

    Simon, Christian M.; Williams, Janet K.; Shinkunas, Laura; Brandt, Debra; Daack-Hirsch, Sandra; Driessnack, Martha

    2013-01-01

    It is unclear how genomic incidental finding (GIF) prospects should be addressed in informed consent processes. An exploratory study on this topic was conducted with 34 purposively sampled Chairs of institutional review boards (IRBs) at centers conducting genome-wide association studies. Most Chairs (96%) reported no knowledge of local IRB requirements regarding GIFs and informed consent. Chairs suggested consent processes should address the prospect of, and study disclosure policy on, GIFs; GIF management and follow-up; potential clinical significance of GIFs; potential risks of GIF disclosure; an opportunity for participants to opt out of GIF disclosure; and duration of the researcher's duty to disclose GIFs. Chairs were concerned about participant disclosure preferences changing over time; inherent limitations in determining the scope and accuracy of claims about GIFs; and making consent processes longer and more complex. IRB Chair and other stakeholder perspectives can help advance informed consent efforts to accommodate GIF prospects. PMID:22228060

  17. Informed consent and genomic incidental findings: IRB chair perspectives.

    PubMed

    Simon, Christian M; Williams, Janet K; Shinkunas, Laura; Brandt, Debra; Daack-Hirsch, Sandra; Driessnack, Martha

    2011-12-01

    It is unclear how genomic incidental finding (GIF) prospects should be addressed in informed consent processes. An exploratory study on this topic was conducted with 34 purposively sampled Chairs of institutional review boards (IRBs) at centers conducting genome-wide association studies. Most Chairs (96%) reported no knowledge of local IRB requirements regarding GIFs and informed consent. Chairs suggested consent processes should address the prospect of, and study disclosure policy on, GIFs; GIF management and follow-up; potential clinical significance of GIFs; potential risks of GIF disclosure; an opportunity for participants to opt out of GIF disclosure; and duration of the researcher's duty to disclose GIFs. Chairs were concerned about participant disclosure preferences changing over time; inherent limitations in determining the scope and accuracy of claims about GIFs; and making consent processes longer and more complex. IRB Chair and other stakeholder perspectives can help advance informed consent efforts to accommodate GIF prospects.

  18. Evoked fear and effects of appeals on attitudes to performing breast self-examination: an information-processing perspective.

    PubMed

    Ruiter, R A; Kok, G; Verplanken, B; Brug, J

    2001-06-01

    The effect of fear arousal on attitude toward participating in early detection activities [i.e. breast self-examination (BSE)] was studied from an information-processing perspective. It was hypothesized that fear arousal motivates respondents to more argument-based processing of fear-relevant persuasive information. Respondents first read information about breast cancer in which fear was manipulated. After measuring fear arousal, respondents read a persuasive message about performing BSE. Analyses with reported fear, but not manipulated fear, found support for the hypothesis. Respondents who reported mild fear of breast cancer based their attitude toward BSE more on the arguments provided than respondents who reported low fear of breast cancer. This finding suggests that the use of fear arousal may be an efficient tool in health education practice. However, alternative interpretations are provided, in addition to the suggestion to be careful with using fear arousal in health education messages.

  19. Generic Tasks for Knowledge-Based Problem Solving: Extension and New Directions

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-02-01

    Report. i 3] D. Brown and B. Chandrasekaran. Design: An information processing level analy- sis. In Design Problem Solving: Knowledge Structures and...generic information processing tasks. In Proceedings of the Internaoional Joint Conference on Artificial Inte!lzjence. IJCAI, 1987. [181 B...Chandrasekaran. What kind of information processing is intelligence? a perspective I on ai paradigms and a proposal. In D. Partridge and Y. Wilks, editors

  20. Conflicts in Language Processing: A New Perspective on the N400-P600 Distinction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frenzel, Sabine; Schlesewsky, Matthias; Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, Ina

    2011-01-01

    Conflicts in language processing often correlate with late positive event-related brain potentials (ERPs), particularly when they are induced by inconsistencies between different information types (e.g. syntactic and thematic/plausibility information). However, under certain circumstances, similar sentence-level interpretation conflicts (inanimate…

  1. Uncertainty in Reference and Information Service

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    VanScoy, Amy

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: Uncertainty is understood as an important component of the information seeking process, but it has not been explored as a component of reference and information service. Method: Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to examine the practitioner perspective of reference and information service for eight academic research…

  2. ON DEVELOPING TOOLS AND METHODS FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN PROCESSES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Two types of tools are generally needed for designing processes and products that are cleaner from environmental impact perspectives. The first kind is called process tools. Process tools are based on information obtained from experimental investigations in chemistry., material s...

  3. The Cognitive Unconscious.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kihlstrom, John F.

    1987-01-01

    Addresses implications drawn from contemporary research in cognitive psychology which deal with the impact of nonconscious mental structures and processes on an individual's experience, thought, and action. Discusses the information-processing perspective, automatic processes, subliminal perception, implicit memory, hypnotic alterations, and the…

  4. Cognition in Orienteering: Theoretical Perspectives and Methods of Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ottosson, Torgny

    1996-01-01

    Almost without exception, published studies on cognition in orienteering have adopted an information processing perspective involving dualism between objective and subjective worlds. An alternative, experiential framework focuses on the orienteer's conception of (or way of experiencing) the task to be accomplished, and on "affordances" (lines of…

  5. Emotion processing in words: a test of the neural re-use hypothesis using surface and intracranial EEG.

    PubMed

    Ponz, Aurélie; Montant, Marie; Liegeois-Chauvel, Catherine; Silva, Catarina; Braun, Mario; Jacobs, Arthur M; Ziegler, Johannes C

    2014-05-01

    This study investigates the spatiotemporal brain dynamics of emotional information processing during reading using a combination of surface and intracranial electroencephalography (EEG). Two different theoretical views were opposed. According to the standard psycholinguistic perspective, emotional responses to words are generated within the reading network itself subsequent to semantic activation. According to the neural re-use perspective, brain regions that are involved in processing emotional information contained in other stimuli (faces, pictures, smells) might be in charge of the processing of emotional information in words as well. We focused on a specific emotion-disgust-which has a clear locus in the brain, the anterior insula. Surface EEG showed differences between disgust and neutral words as early as 200 ms. Source localization suggested a cortical generator of the emotion effect in the left anterior insula. These findings were corroborated through the intracranial recordings of two epileptic patients with depth electrodes in insular and orbitofrontal areas. Both electrodes showed effects of disgust in reading as early as 200 ms. The early emotion effect in a brain region (insula) that responds to specific emotions in a variety of situations and stimuli clearly challenges classic sequential theories of reading in favor of the neural re-use perspective.

  6. The emerging conceptualization of groups as information processors.

    PubMed

    Hinsz, V B; Tindale, R S; Vollrath, D A

    1997-01-01

    A selective review of research highlights the emerging view of groups as information processors. In this review, the authors include research on processing objectives, attention, encoding, storage, retrieval, processing, response, feedback, and learning in small interacting task groups. The groups as information processors perspective underscores several characteristic dimensions of variability in group performance of cognitive tasks, namely, commonality-uniqueness of information, convergence-diversity of ideas, accentuation-attenuation of cognitive processes, and belongingness-distinctiveness of members. A combination of contributions framework provides an additional conceptualization of information processing in groups. The authors also address implications, caveats, and questions for future research and theory regarding groups as information processors.

  7. Clinical report writing: Process and perspective

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ewald, H. R.

    1981-01-01

    Clinical report writing in psychology and psychiatry is addressed. Audience/use analysis and the basic procedures of information gathering, diagnosis, and prognosis are described. Two interlinking processes are involved: the process of creation and the process of communication. Techniques for good report writing are presented.

  8. Immunization Information System and Informatics to Promote Immunizations: Perspective From Minnesota Immunization Information Connection.

    PubMed

    Muscoplat, Miriam Halstead; Rajamani, Sripriya

    2017-01-01

    The vision for management of immunization information is availability of real-time consolidated data and services for all ages, to clinical, public health, and other stakeholders. This is being executed through Immunization Information Systems (IISs), which are population-based and confidential computerized systems present in most US states and territories. Immunization Information Systems offer many functionalities, such as immunization assessment reports, client follow-up, reminder/recall feature, vaccine management tools, state-supplied vaccine ordering, comprehensive immunization history, clinical decision support/vaccine forecasting and recommendations, data processing, and data exchange. This perspective article will present various informatics tools in an IIS, in the context of the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection.

  9. Perspective-takers behave more stereotypically.

    PubMed

    Galinsky, Adam D; Wang, Cynthia S; Ku, Gillian

    2008-08-01

    Nine studies demonstrated that perspective-takers are particularly likely to adopt a target's positive and negative stereotypical traits and behaviors. Perspective-takers rated both positive and negative stereotypic traits of targets as more self-descriptive. As a result, taking the perspective of a professor led to improved performance on an analytic task, whereas taking the perspective of a cheerleader led to decreased performance, in line with the respective stereotypes of professors and cheerleaders. Similarly, perspective-takers of an elderly target competed less compared to perspective-takers of an African American target. Including the stereotype in the self (but not liking of the target) mediated the effects of perspective-taking on behavior, suggesting that cognitive and not affective processes drove the behavioral effects. These effects occurred using a measure and multiple manipulations of perspective-taking, as well as a panoply of stereotypes, establishing the robustness of the link between perspective-taking and stereotypical behavior. The findings support theorizing (A. D. Galinsky, G. Ku, & C. S. Wang, 2005) that perspective-takers utilize information, including stereotypes, to coordinate their behavior with others and provide key theoretical insights into the processes of both perspective-taking and behavioral priming. (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved

  10. (Social) Cognitive Skills and Social Information Processing in Children with Mild to Borderline Intellectual Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van Nieuwenhuijzen, M.; Vriens, A.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the unique contributions of (social) cognitive skills such as inhibition, working memory, perspective taking, facial emotion recognition, and interpretation of situations to the variance in social information processing in children with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities. Respondents were 79…

  11. Big Questions Facing Vocational Psychology: A Cognitive Information Processing Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reardon, Robert C.; Lenz, Janet G.; Sampson, James P., Jr.; Peterson, Gary W.

    2011-01-01

    This article draws upon the authors' experience in developing cognitive information processing theory in order to examine three important questions facing vocational psychology and assessment: (a) Where should new knowledge for vocational psychology come from? (b) How do career theories and research find their way into practice? and (c) What is…

  12. 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…

  13. Ideology and Critical Self-Reflection in Information Literacy Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Critten, Jessica

    2015-01-01

    Information literacy instruction traditionally focuses on evaluating a source for bias, relevance, and timeliness, and rightfully so; this critical perspective is vital to a well-formed research process. However, this process is incomplete without a similar focus on the potential biases that the student brings to his or her interactions with…

  14. A Literacy Task to Assist Reader Awareness in Children's Informational Writing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holliway, David

    2010-01-01

    That our writing can be misunderstood by our readers is a conceptual difficulty for developing writers. This paper outlines a perspective-taking process that assists elementary students in composing referentially detailed descriptions. Through a procedural sequence that includes drafting, feedback, readers' perspective task, revision and drafting…

  15. Scholarly Work in the Humanities and the Evolving Information Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brockman, William S.; Neumann, Laura; Palmer, Carole L.; Tidline, Tonyia J.

    This study explored the perspectives and information behaviors of scholars in the humanities. The following general questions were examined: How do humanities scholars think about, organize, and perform their research? How are information sources used throughout the research process? And, how do electronic information sources affect work…

  16. [The balanced scorecard used as a management tool in a clinical laboratory: internal business processes indicators].

    PubMed

    Salinas La Casta, Maria; Flores Pardo, Emilio; Uris Selles, Joaquín

    2009-01-01

    to propose a set of indicators as a management tool for a clinical laboratory, by using the balanced scorecard internal business processes perspective. indicators proposed are obtained from different sources; external proficiency testing of the Valencia Community Government, by means of internal surveys and laboratory information system registers. One year testing process proportion indicators results are showed. internal management indicators are proposed (process, appropriateness and proficiency testing). The process indicators results show gradual improvement since its establishment. after one years of using a conceptually solid Balanced Scorecard Internal business processes perspective indicators, the obtained results validate the usefulness as a laboratory management tool.

  17. Neural differences in the processing of true and false sentences: insights into the nature of 'truth' in language comprehension.

    PubMed

    Marques, J Frederico; Canessa, Nicola; Cappa, Stefano

    2009-06-01

    The inquiry on the nature of truth in language comprehension has a long history of opposite perspectives. These perspectives either consider that there are qualitative differences in the processing of true and false statements, or that these processes are fundamentally the same and only differ in quantitative terms. The present study evaluated the processing nature of true and false statements in terms of patterns of brain activity using event-related functional-Magnetic-Resonance-Imaging (fMRI). We show that when true and false concept-feature statements are controlled for relation strength/ambiguity, their processing is associated to qualitatively different processes. Verifying true statements activates the left inferior parietal cortex and the caudate nucleus, a neural correlate compatible with an extended search and matching process for particular stored information. In contrast, verifying false statements activates the fronto-polar cortex and is compatible with a reasoning process of finding and evaluating a contradiction between the sentence information and stored knowledge.

  18. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Adulthood: Concordance and Differences between Self- and Informant Perspectives on Symptoms and Functional Impairment.

    PubMed

    Mörstedt, Beatrice; Corbisiero, Salvatore; Bitto, Hannes; Stieglitz, Rolf-Dieter

    2015-01-01

    Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a severe mental illness, associated with major impairment and a high comorbidity rate. Particularly undiagnosed ADHD in adulthood has serious consequences. Thus, a valid diagnosis is important. In adulthood, the diagnostic process for ADHD is complicated: symptoms may overlap with comorbid disorders, and the onset and progression of the disorder must be reconstructed retrospectively. Guidelines for the diagnostic process recommend the inclusion of additional informant ratings. Research into the relation between self- and informant ratings shows extremely heterogeneous results. The levels of agreement range from low to high. The focus of this study is the concordance and differences between self- and informant ratings on ADHD symptoms and impairments. In this regard, two possible influencing factors (gender and relationship type) are also examined. 114 people participated in this study, 77 with an ADHD diagnosis and 37 without a diagnosis. For all participants, either parents or partners also rated ADHD symptoms and impairments. Small to moderate concordance was found between self- and informant ratings, with females being slightly more concordant than males, particularly for ratings of problems with self-concept. Examination of the consistency within a particular perspective showed that people with ADHD seemed to be unaware of the causal relation between ADHD symptoms and their impairments. A close investigation found almost no influence of gender and relationship type on differences within perspectives. Based on these results, the implications for the diagnostic process are that additional informant information is clearly necessary and helpful.

  19. Research Libraries--Automation and Cooperation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McDonald, David R.; Hurowitz, Robert

    1982-01-01

    Description of Research Libraries Information Network, an automated technical processing and information retrieval system, notes subsystems (acquisitions, cataloging, message, print, tables), functions, design, and benefits to participating libraries. (Request complimentary subscription on institution letterhead from Editor, "Perspectives in…

  20. The usability axiom of medical information systems.

    PubMed

    Pantazi, Stefan V; Kushniruk, Andre; Moehr, Jochen R

    2006-12-01

    In this article we begin by connecting the concept of simplicity of user interfaces of information systems with that of usability, and the concept of complexity of the problem-solving in information systems with the concept of usefulness. We continue by stating "the usability axiom" of medical information technology: information systems must be, at the same time, usable and useful. We then try to show why, given existing technology, the axiom is a paradox and we continue with analysing and reformulating it several times, from more fundamental information processing perspectives. We underline the importance of the concept of representation and demonstrate the need for context-dependent representations. By means of thought experiments and examples, we advocate the need for context-dependent information processing and argue for the relevance of algorithmic information theory and case-based reasoning in this context. Further, we introduce the notion of concept spaces and offer a pragmatic perspective on context-dependent representations. We conclude that the efficient management of concept spaces may help with the solution to the medical information technology paradox. Finally, we propose a view of informatics centred on the concepts of context-dependent information processing and management of concept spaces that aligns well with existing knowledge centric definitions of informatics in general and medical informatics in particular. In effect, our view extends M. Musen's proposal and proposes a definition of Medical Informatics as context-dependent medical information processing. The axiom that medical information systems must be, at the same time, useful and usable, is a paradox and its investigation by means of examples and thought experiments leads to the recognition of the crucial importance of context-dependent information processing. On the premise that context-dependent information processing equates to knowledge processing, this view defines Medical Informatics as a context-dependent medical information processing which aligns well with existing knowledge centric definitions of our field.

  1. Attentional bias for emotional information in older adults: the role of emotion and future time perspective.

    PubMed

    Demeyer, Ineke; De Raedt, Rudi

    2013-01-01

    Research suggests that older adults display a positivity bias at the level of information processing. However, because studies investigating attentional bias for emotional information in older adults have produced mixed findings, research identifying inter-individual differences that may explain these inconsistent results is necessary. Therefore, we investigated whether mood, symptoms of depression, symptoms of anxiety and future time perspective are related to attentional bias in older adults. Thirty-seven healthy older adults and 25 healthy middle-aged adults completed questionnaires to assess mood, symptoms of depression, symptoms of anxiety and future time perspective. Attentional bias towards happy, sad and neutral information was measured using a modified exogenous cueing paradigm with long cue presentations, to measure maintained attention versus avoidance of emotional stimuli. Older adults showed attentional avoidance for all emotional faces, whereas no attentional biases were found in the middle-aged group. Moreover, in the older adult group, avoidance for negative information was related to anxiety. Future time perspective was unrelated to attentional bias. These findings suggest that anxiety may lead to inter-individual differences in attentional bias in older adults, and that avoidance from negative information may be an emotion regulation strategy.

  2. Information processing in the primate visual system - An integrated systems perspective

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Van Essen, David C.; Anderson, Charles H.; Felleman, Daniel J.

    1992-01-01

    The primate visual system contains dozens of distinct areas in the cerebral cortex and several major subcortical structures. These subdivisions are extensively interconnected in a distributed hierarchical network that contains several intertwined processing streams. A number of strategies are used for efficient information processing within this hierarchy. These include linear and nonlinear filtering, passage through information bottlenecks, and coordinated use of multiple types of information. In addition, dynamic regulation of information flow within and between visual areas may provide the computational flexibility needed for the visual system to perform a broad spectrum of tasks accurately and at high resolution.

  3. Keeping pain in mind: a motivational account of attention to pain.

    PubMed

    Van Damme, Stefaan; Legrain, Valéry; Vogt, Julia; Crombez, Geert

    2010-02-01

    Attention is a key concept in many theories of pain perception. A clinically popular idea is that pain is more intense in persons who are hypervigilant for or bias their attention to pain information. So far, evidence for such bias in pain patients as compared to healthy persons is inconclusive. Furthermore, studies investigating the effects of distracting attention away from pain have shown contradictory results. In this review, we present a motivational perspective on attentional processing of pain that accounts for these inconclusive research findings. We argue that pain always has to be considered within a context of goal pursuit. From this perspective, two largely unexplored theoretical assumptions are introduced. First, when pain occurs during the pursuit of a certain goal, it may unintentionally capture attention although it is not relevant for the goal. Whether such unintentional attentional capture happens is not only dependent upon the characteristics of the pain but also on the characteristics of the focal goal. Second, attention to pain and pain-related information might be driven by a focal goal related to pain. Attentional processing of pain information will be particularly enhanced when the focal goal is related to pain management (e.g., attempting to gain control). Future research should systematically investigate the role of motivation and goal pursuit in the attentional processing of pain-related information. This motivational perspective offers a powerful framework to explain inter- and intra-individual differences in the deployment of attention to pain-related information.

  4. Encouraging Epistemological Exploration: Impacts on Undergraduates' Retention and Application of Course Material

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adler, Jonathan M.; Matthews, Elizabeth A.

    2009-01-01

    Students bring an intact, if unarticulated, epistemological perspective into the classroom that influences how they receive and process new information. In this study, students who explored a wider range of perspectives had significantly improved learning outcomes as measured in 3 domains: retention of specific content, retention of general…

  5. Discovery of Information Diffusion Process in Social Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Kwanho; Jung, Jae-Yoon; Park, Jonghun

    Information diffusion analysis in social networks is of significance since it enables us to deeply understand dynamic social interactions among users. In this paper, we introduce approaches to discovering information diffusion process in social networks based on process mining. Process mining techniques are applied from three perspectives: social network analysis, process discovery and community recognition. We then present experimental results by using a real-life social network data. The proposed techniques are expected to employ as new analytical tools in online social networks such as blog and wikis for company marketers, politicians, news reporters and online writers.

  6. Relational autonomy in informed consent (RAIC) as an ethics of care approach to the concept of informed consent.

    PubMed

    Osuji, Peter I

    2018-03-01

    The perspectives of the dominant Western ethical theories, have dominated the concepts of autonomy and informed consent for many years. Recently this dominant understanding has been challenged by ethics of care which, although, also emanates from the West presents a more nuanced concept: relational autonomy, which is more faithful to our human experience. By paying particular attention to relational autonomy, particularity and Process approach to ethical deliberations in ethics of care, this paper seeks to construct a concept of informed consent from the perspective of ethics of care which is here called relational autonomy-in-informed consent (RAIC). Thus, providing a broader theoretical basis for informed consent beyond the usual theoretical perspectives that are particularly Western. Care ethics provides such a broader basis because it appeals to a global perspective that encompasses lessons from other cultures, and this will help to enrich the current ideas of bioethics principles of autonomy and informed consent. This objective will be achieved by exploring the ethics of care emphasis on relationships based on a universal experience of caring; and by contrasting its concept of autonomy as relational with the understanding of autonomy in the approaches of the dominant moral theories that reflect rational, individualistic, and rights-oriented autonomy of the American liberalism.

  7. Racial and ethnic variation in partner perspectives about the breast cancer treatment decision-making experience.

    PubMed

    Lillie, Sarah E; Janz, Nancy K; Friese, Christopher R; Graff, John J; Schwartz, Kendra; Hamilton, Ann S; Gay, Brittany Bartol; Katz, Steven J; Hawley, Sarah T

    2014-01-01

    To characterize the perspectives of partners (husbands or significant others) of patients with breast cancer in the treatment decision-making process and to evaluate racial and ethnic differences in decision outcomes. A cross-sectional survey. Los Angeles, CA, and Detroit, MI. 517 partners of a population-based sample of patients with breast cancer four years post-treatment. A self-administered mailed questionnaire. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were used to assess associations between race and ethnicity and decision outcomes. Decision regret and three elements of the decision process: information received, actual involvement, and desired involvement. Most partners reported receiving sufficient information (77%), being involved in treatment decisions (74%), and having sufficient involvement (73%). Less-acculturated Hispanic partners were more likely than their Caucasian counterparts to report high decision regret (45% versus 14%, p<0.001). Factors significantly associated (p<0.05) with high decision regret were insufficient receipt of treatment information, low involvement in decision making, and a desire for more involvement. Partners were generally positive regarding their perspectives about participating in the breast cancer treatment decision-making process. However, less acculturated Hispanic partners were most vulnerable to decision regret. In addition, high decision regret was associated with modifiable elements of the decision-making process. Attention should be paid to ensuring racial and ethnic minority partners are sufficiently involved in breast cancer treatment decisions and receive decision support.

  8. Total Quality Management in a Knowledge Management Perspective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johannsen, Carl Gustav

    2000-01-01

    Presents theoretical considerations on both similarities and differences between information management and knowledge management and presents a conceptual model of basic knowledge management processes. Discusses total quality management and quality control in the context of information management. (Author/LRW)

  9. A multisensory perspective of working memory

    PubMed Central

    Quak, Michel; London, Raquel Elea; Talsma, Durk

    2015-01-01

    Although our sensory experience is mostly multisensory in nature, research on working memory representations has focused mainly on examining the senses in isolation. Results from the multisensory processing literature make it clear that the senses interact on a more intimate manner than previously assumed. These interactions raise questions regarding the manner in which multisensory information is maintained in working memory. We discuss the current status of research on multisensory processing and the implications of these findings on our theoretical understanding of working memory. To do so, we focus on reviewing working memory research conducted from a multisensory perspective, and discuss the relation between working memory, attention, and multisensory processing in the context of the predictive coding framework. We argue that a multisensory approach to the study of working memory is indispensable to achieve a realistic understanding of how working memory processes maintain and manipulate information. PMID:25954176

  10. Personnel References: Balancing Professional Responsibilities against Potential Legal Action.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hernandez, David E.; Bozeman, William C.

    1989-01-01

    Personnel references, comprising a major component in the employee screening and selection process, are viewed from three perspectives: types of information contributed, use of such information in decision-making, and legal implications of contributing the information. Advice is provided for reducing the probability of a successful suit. Includes…

  11. Consonance in Information System Projects: A Relationship Marketing Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Pei-Ying

    2010-01-01

    Different stakeholders in the information system project usually have different perceptions and expectations of the projects. There is seldom consistency in the stakeholders' evaluations of the project outcome. Thus the outcomes of information system projects are usually disappointing to one or more stakeholders. Consonance is a process that can…

  12. Improving Informed Consent with Minority Participants: Results from Researcher and Community Surveys

    PubMed Central

    Quinn, Sandra Crouse; Garza, Mary A.; Butler, James; Fryer, Craig S.; Casper, Erica T.; Thomas, Stephen B.; Barnard, David; Kim, Kevin H.

    2013-01-01

    Strengthening the informed consent process is one avenue for improving recruitment of minorities into research. This study examines that process from two different perspectives, that of researchers and that of African American and Latino community members. Through the use of two separate surveys, we compared strategies used by researchers with the preferences and attitudes of community members during the informed consent process. Our data suggest that researchers can improve the informed consent process by incorporating methods preferred by the community members along with methods shown in the literature for increasing comprehension. With this approach, the informed consent process may increase both participants’ comprehension of the material and overall satisfaction, fostering greater trust in research and openness to future research opportunities. PMID:23324203

  13. Customer-driven outcomes: a patient and family perspective.

    PubMed

    Weston, Marla J; Weston, Richard R

    2006-01-01

    Experiencing the healthcare system during an acute surgical event highlighted factors that contributed to customer-driven outcomes. Communicating intentions of and rationale for interventions increased the patient and family's confidence, and engaged the whole mind-body connection into the healing process. Utilizing the family as a repository of patient information incorporated their perspective, knowledge, and wisdom into the delivery and evaluation of patient care. Lastly, fostering the relationship between the nurse and the patient and family strengthened the therapeutic process, thus providing a foundation for customizing care.

  14. INFORMING THE POLICY PROCESS WITH COGNITIVE MAPPING. (R825791)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  15. Establishing Base Elements of Perspective in Order to Reconstruct Architectural Buildings from Photographs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dzwierzynska, Jolanta

    2017-12-01

    The use of perspective images, especially historical photographs for retrieving information about presented architectural environment is a fast developing field recently. The photography image is a perspective image with secure geometrical connection with reality, therefore it is possible to reverse this process. The aim of the herby study is establishing requirements which a photographic perspective representation should meet for a reconstruction purpose, as well as determination of base elements of perspective such as a horizon line and a circle of depth, which is a key issue in any reconstruction. The starting point in the reconstruction process is geometrical analysis of the photograph, especially determination of the kind of perspective projection applied, which is defined by the building location towards a projection plane. Next, proper constructions can be used. The paper addresses the problem of establishing base elements of perspective on the basis of the photograph image in the case when camera calibration is impossible to establish. It presents different geometric construction methods selected dependently on the starting assumptions. Therefore, the methods described in the paper seem to be universal. Moreover, they can be used even in the case of poor quality photographs with poor perspective geometry. Such constructions can be realized with computer aid when the photographs are in digital form as it is presented in the paper. The accuracy of the applied methods depends on the photography image accuracy, as well as drawing accuracy, however, it is sufficient for further reconstruction. Establishing base elements of perspective presented in the paper is especially useful in difficult cases of reconstruction, when one lacks information about reconstructed architectural form and it is necessary to lean on solid geometry.

  16. Words are not enough: how preschoolers' integration of perspective and emotion informs their referential understanding.

    PubMed

    Graham, Susan A; San Juan, Valerie; Khu, Melanie

    2017-05-01

    When linguistic information alone does not clarify a speaker's intended meaning, skilled communicators can draw on a variety of cues to infer communicative intent. In this paper, we review research examining the developmental emergence of preschoolers' sensitivity to a communicative partner's perspective. We focus particularly on preschoolers' tendency to use cues both within the communicative context (i.e. a speaker's visual access to information) and within the speech signal itself (i.e. emotional prosody) to make on-line inferences about communicative intent. Our review demonstrates that preschoolers' ability to use visual and emotional cues of perspective to guide language interpretation is not uniform across tasks, is sometimes related to theory of mind and executive function skills, and, at certain points of development, is only revealed by implicit measures of language processing.

  17. Precognition and the metascalar nature of information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cottam, Ron; Ranson, Willy; Vounckx, Roger

    2017-01-01

    We introduce the concept of scale into the derivation of information, through the device of a model hierarchy. This leads to a comparison of information with both Ivan Havel's perspectives of reality and Charles Peirce's semiotics. We conclude that the most valid formulation of information is always subjective, and that it depends in the first instance on precognitive processing.

  18. Examining the Reasoning of Conflicting Science Information from the Information Processing Perspective--An Eye Movement Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yang, Fang-Ying

    2017-01-01

    The main goal of this study was to investigate how readers' visual attention distribution during reading of conflicting science information is related to their scientific reasoning behavior. A total of 25 university students voluntarily participated in the study. They were given conflicting science information about earthquake predictions to read…

  19. Auditory Power-Law Activation Avalanches Exhibit a Fundamental Computational Ground State

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stoop, Ruedi; Gomez, Florian

    2016-07-01

    The cochlea provides a biological information-processing paradigm that we are only beginning to understand in its full complexity. Our work reveals an interacting network of strongly nonlinear dynamical nodes, on which even a simple sound input triggers subnetworks of activated elements that follow power-law size statistics ("avalanches"). From dynamical systems theory, power-law size distributions relate to a fundamental ground state of biological information processing. Learning destroys these power laws. These results strongly modify the models of mammalian sound processing and provide a novel methodological perspective for understanding how the brain processes information.

  20. Hierarchical process memory: memory as an integral component of information processing

    PubMed Central

    Hasson, Uri; Chen, Janice; Honey, Christopher J.

    2015-01-01

    Models of working memory commonly focus on how information is encoded into and retrieved from storage at specific moments. However, in the majority of real-life processes, past information is used continuously to process incoming information across multiple timescales. Considering single unit, electrocorticography, and functional imaging data, we argue that (i) virtually all cortical circuits can accumulate information over time, and (ii) the timescales of accumulation vary hierarchically, from early sensory areas with short processing timescales (tens to hundreds of milliseconds) to higher-order areas with long processing timescales (many seconds to minutes). In this hierarchical systems perspective, memory is not restricted to a few localized stores, but is intrinsic to information processing that unfolds throughout the brain on multiple timescales. “The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect was already in the cause.”Henri L Bergson PMID:25980649

  1. Annoyance or Delight? College Students' Perspectives on Looking for Information

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Denison, Denise R.; Montgomery, Diane

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the ways that students describe how they look for information for a research project. Sternberg's Triarchic Theory of Intelligence was used to theoretically choose the statements that were sorted by the participants to determine the perceptions of the information-seeking process. Using Q methodology as the research strategy,…

  2. New Teachers' Perspectives of Informal Mentoring: Quality of Mentoring and Contributors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Du, Fengning; Wang, Qi

    2017-01-01

    As an individual socialization initiative, informal mentoring has often been lauded as an effective tool to provide spontaneous and immediate social-emotional and career-related assistance to new teachers. Little is known about how informal mentoring is perpetuated in workplace. Through the conceptual lens of dynamic process theory of mentoring,…

  3. Speech Communication Behavior; Perspectives and Principles.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barker, Larry L., Ed.; Kibler, Robert J., Ed.

    Readings are included on seven topics: 1) theories and models of communication processes, 2) acquisition and performance of communication behaviors, 3) human information processing and diffusion, 4) persuasion and attitude change, 5) psychophysiological approaches to studying communication, 6) interpersonal communication within transracial…

  4. The Physical Microbe; An introduction to noise, control, and communication in the prokaryotic cell

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hagen, Stephen J.

    2017-10-01

    Physical biology is a fusion of biology and physics. This book narrows down the scope of physical biology by focusing on the microbial cell; exploring the physical phenomena of noise, feedback, and variability that arise in the cellular information-processing circuits used by bacteria. It looks at the microbe from a physics perspective, asking how the cell optimizes its function to live within the constraints of physics. It introduces a physical and information-based (as opposed to microbiological) perspective on communication and signalling between microbes.

  5. Finding the Return Path: Landmark Position Effects and the Influence of Perspective

    PubMed Central

    Karimpur, Harun; Röser, Florian; Hamburger, Kai

    2016-01-01

    Much research has been done on how people find their way from one place to another. Compared to that, there is less research available on how people find back from the destination to their origin. We first present theoretical approaches to perceptual and cognitive processes involved in finding a return path, including concepts, such as visibility, structural salience, and allocentric versus egocentric perspective, followed by a series of three experiments. In these experiments, we presented subjects intersections that contained landmark information on different positions. In order to investigate the processes involved, we used different measures, such as route-continuation (in learning direction and in opposite direction) and free-recall of route information. In summary, the results demonstrate the importance of landmark positions at intersections (structural salience in combination with perspective) and that finding the return path is more difficult than reproducing the same route from the learning condition. All findings will be discussed with respect to the current research literature on landmark-based wayfinding. PMID:28066283

  6. Information-Processing Theory and Perspectives on Development: A Look at Concepts and Methods--The View of a Developmental Ethologist.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jesness, Bradley

    This paper examines concepts in information-processing theory which are likely to be relevant to development and characterizes the methods and data upon which the concepts are based. Among the concepts examined are those which have slight empirical grounds. Other concepts examined are those which seem to have empirical bases but which are…

  7. Providing Enterprise Information Services for Multinational Interoperability - The EIM Approach

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-06-01

    Federated Search • Document Processing and Archiving • Workflow processing References 1. Perspective on Multinational Information Sharing, Cheryl...layer, with a primary focus on the Application Layers. App Layer Focus Areas Enterprise Content Mgt, Workflow, Business Processes, Federated ... Search Integration Layer – EAI Components Nation 1 Nation 2 Nation 3 … Nation N Silo 1 Silo 2 Silo 3 S ilo N Silo 1 Silo 1 Silo 2 Silo 2 Silo 3 Silo 3 S

  8. BIOMONIITORING RESEARCH WITHIN THE U.S. EPA'S OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

    EPA Science Inventory

    Current ORD exposure research is directed toward developing the processes, tools, and information to put biomonitoring data into perspective for the risk assessment process, to define the appropriate uses of specific biomarkers, and to integrate biomarker measurements with exposu...

  9. Patients' perspectives in health technology assessment: a route to robust evidence and fair deliberation.

    PubMed

    Facey, Karen; Boivin, Antoine; Gracia, Javier; Hansen, Helle Ploug; Lo Scalzo, Alessandra; Mossman, Jean; Single, Ann

    2010-07-01

    There is increasing emphasis on providing patient-focused health care and ensuring patient involvement in the design of health services. As health technology assessment (HTA) is meant to be a multidisciplinary, wide-ranging policy analysis that informs decision making, it would be expected that patients' views should be incorporated into the assessment. However, HTA is still driven by collection of quantitative evidence to determine the clinical and cost effectiveness of a health technology. Patients' perspectives about their illness and the technology are rarely included, perhaps because they are seen as anecdotal, biased views. There are two distinct but complementary ways in which HTAs can be strengthened by: (i) gathering robust evidence about the patients' perspectives, and (ii) ensuring effective engagement of patients in the HTA process from scoping, through evidence gathering, assessment of value, development of recommendations and dissemination of findings. Robust evidence eliciting patients' perspectives can be obtained through social science research that is well conducted, critically appraised and carefully reported, either through meta-synthesis of existing studies or new primary research. Engagement with patients can occur at several levels and we propose that HTA should seek to support effective patient participation to create a fair deliberative process. This should allow two-way flow of information, so that the views of patients are obtained in a supportive way and fed into decision-making processes in a transparent manner.

  10. The role of temporal structure in the investigation of sensory memory, auditory scene analysis, and speech perception: a healthy-aging perspective.

    PubMed

    Rimmele, Johanna Maria; Sussman, Elyse; Poeppel, David

    2015-02-01

    Listening situations with multiple talkers or background noise are common in everyday communication and are particularly demanding for older adults. Here we review current research on auditory perception in aging individuals in order to gain insights into the challenges of listening under noisy conditions. Informationally rich temporal structure in auditory signals--over a range of time scales from milliseconds to seconds--renders temporal processing central to perception in the auditory domain. We discuss the role of temporal structure in auditory processing, in particular from a perspective relevant for hearing in background noise, and focusing on sensory memory, auditory scene analysis, and speech perception. Interestingly, these auditory processes, usually studied in an independent manner, show considerable overlap of processing time scales, even though each has its own 'privileged' temporal regimes. By integrating perspectives on temporal structure processing in these three areas of investigation, we aim to highlight similarities typically not recognized. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. The role of temporal structure in the investigation of sensory memory, auditory scene analysis, and speech perception: A healthy-aging perspective

    PubMed Central

    Rimmele, Johanna Maria; Sussman, Elyse; Poeppel, David

    2014-01-01

    Listening situations with multiple talkers or background noise are common in everyday communication and are particularly demanding for older adults. Here we review current research on auditory perception in aging individuals in order to gain insights into the challenges of listening under noisy conditions. Informationally rich temporal structure in auditory signals - over a range of time scales from milliseconds to seconds - renders temporal processing central to perception in the auditory domain. We discuss the role of temporal structure in auditory processing, in particular from a perspective relevant for hearing in background noise, and focusing on sensory memory, auditory scene analysis, and speech perception. Interestingly, these auditory processes, usually studied in an independent manner, show considerable overlap of processing time scales, even though each has its own ‚privileged‘ temporal regimes. By integrating perspectives on temporal structure processing in these three areas of investigation, we aim to highlight similarities typically not recognized. PMID:24956028

  12. Performance measurement for information systems: Industry perspectives

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bishop, Peter C.; Yoes, Cissy; Hamilton, Kay

    1992-01-01

    Performance measurement has become a focal topic for information systems (IS) organizations. Historically, IS performance measures have dealt with the efficiency of the data processing function. Today, the function of most IS organizations goes beyond simple data processing. To understand how IS organizations have developed meaningful performance measures that reflect their objectives and activities, industry perspectives on IS performance measurement was studied. The objectives of the study were to understand the state of the practice in IS performance techniques for IS performance measurement; to gather approaches and measures of actual performance measures used in industry; and to report patterns, trends, and lessons learned about performance measurement to NASA/JSC. Examples of how some of the most forward looking companies are shaping their IS processes through measurement is provided. Thoughts on the presence of a life-cycle to performance measures development and a suggested taxonomy for performance measurements are included in the appendices.

  13. MARKETING WESTERN WATER: CAN A PROCESS BASED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM IMPROVE REALLOCATION DECISIONS? (R828070)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  14. Assessing and Synthesizing the Last Decade of Research on the Major Pools and Fluxes of the Carbon Cycle in the US and North America: An Interagency Governmental Perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cavallaro, N.; Shrestha, G.; Stover, D. B.; Zhu, Z.; Ombres, E. H.; Deangelo, B.

    2015-12-01

    The 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR-2) is focused on US and North American carbon stocks and fluxes in managed and unmanaged systems, including relevant carbon management science perspectives and tools for supporting and informing decisions. SOCCR-2 is inspired by the US Carbon Cycle Science Plan (2011) which emphasizes global scale research on long-lived, carbon-based greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and methane, and the major pools and fluxes of the global carbon cycle. Accordingly, the questions framing the Plan inform this report's topical roadmap, with a focus on US and North America in the global context: 1) How have natural processes and human actions affected the global carbon cycle on land, in the atmosphere, in the oceans and in the ecosystem interfaces (e.g. coastal, wetlands, urban-rural)? 2) How have socio-economic trends affected the levels of the primary carbon-containing gases, carbon dioxide and methane, in the atmosphere? 3) How have species, ecosystems, natural resources and human systems been impacted by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, the associated changes in climate, and by carbon management decisions and practices? To address these aspects, SOCCR-2 will encompass the following broad assessment framework: 1) Carbon Cycle at Scales (Global Perspective, North American Perspective, US Perspective, Regional Perspective); 2) Role of carbon in systems (Soils; Water, Oceans, Vegetation; Terrestrial-aquatic Interfaces); 3) Interactions/Disturbance/Impacts from/on the carbon cycle. 4) Carbon Management Science Perspective and Decision Support (measurements, observations and monitoring for research and policy relevant decision-support etc.). In this presentation, the Carbon Cycle Interagency Working Group and the U.S. Global Change Research Program's U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program Office will highlight the scientific context, strategy, structure, team and production process of the report, which is part of the USGCRP's Sustained National Climate Assessment process.

  15. Terahertz (THZ) Imaging

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-03-01

    work in image processing for CWD and other security-related imaging with visual, x - ray , infrared and millimeter wave imagery was seen as a jumping-off...advantage of the fact that, unlike x - rays which offer only magnitude information, THz offers phase information. as well. While the magnitude contains...perspective are analyzed, specially compared with X - ray process tomography system. 5. Gregory, I.S.; Tribe, W.R.; Cole, B.E.; Baker, C.; Evans, M.J

  16. Understanding age-based transition needs: Perspectives from adolescents and adults with congenital heart disease

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The purpose of this study was to explore the transition process in congenital heart disease (CHD) care through the perceived needs and concerns of adolescents (pretransition) and the experiential insight from adults (post-transition), in order to inform future transition initiatives and information ...

  17. Pop Music and Adolescent Socialization: An Information Perspective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gantz, Walter; Gartenberg, Howard M.

    A study to assess the information function of pop music in the adolescent socialization process involved approximately 500 students in junior and senior high schools and colleges in a large metropolitan area in the northeast and approximately 400 university undergraduates in an introductory sociology class. In-class, self-administered…

  18. Connecting Conscious and Unconscious Processing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cleeremans, Axel

    2014-01-01

    Consciousness remains a mystery--"a phenomenon that people do not know how to think about--yet" (Dennett, D. C., 1991, p. 21). Here, I consider how the connectionist perspective on information processing may help us progress toward the goal of understanding the computational principles through which conscious and unconscious processing…

  19. Adolescents and Music Lyrics: Implications of a Cognitive Perspective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Desmond, Roger Jon

    1987-01-01

    Addresses the relevance of cognitive research in memory processes and auditory information processing for the resolution of policy issues concerning the regulation of popular music. Offers several assumptions regarding music listening, and suggests appropriate research methods for resolving questions surrounding music listening and regulation.…

  20. Controversies in water management: Frames and mental models

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

    Kolkman, M.J.; Department of Civil Engineering and Management, Faculty of Engineering Technology; Veen, A. van der

    Controversies in decision and policy-making processes can be analysed using frame reflection and mental model mapping techniques. The purpose of the method presented in this paper is to improve the quality of the information and interpretations available to decision makers, by surfacing and juxtaposing the different frames of decision makers, experts, and special interests groups. The research provides a new method to analyse frames. It defines a frame to consist of perspectives and a mental model, which are in close interaction (through second order learning processes). The mental model acts like a 'filter' through which the problem situation is observed.more » Five major perspective types guide the construction of meaning out of the information delivered by the mental model, and determine what actors see as their interests. The perspective types are related to an actor's institutional and personal position in the decision making process. The method was applied to a case, in order to test its viability. The case concerns the decision making process and environmental impact assessment procedure for the improvement of dike ring 53 in the Netherlands, which was initiated by the Dutch 'Flood Defences Act 1996'. In this specific case the perspectives and mental models of stakeholders were elicited to explain controversies. The case was analysed with regard to the conflicts emerging between stakeholders, on an individual level. The influence of institutional embedding of individuals on the use of information and the construction of meaning, and the limits of a participatory approach were analysed within the details of controversies that emerged during the case analysis. Complicating factor appeared to be the interaction between national dike safety norms (short term) and local water management problems (long term). Revealed controversies mainly concerned disputes between an organisational and a technical perspective. But also disputes on distribution of responsibilities between different institutes, on legal and political liability, and on funding issues, involving persons of both perspectives, were found. The case reveals a lack of possibilities to search for an integrated solution which involves all levels of authority, and a lack of possibilities to discuss the additional problems that were raised by the integrated approach in the initial phase of the case project. The complex and unstructured nature of the problem situation caused the traditional substantive approach to fail to deliver a good solution. Legal, socio-economic and institutional factors ultimately dominated the decision making process.« less

  1. The Holistic Processing Account of Visual Expertise in Medical Image Perception: A Review

    PubMed Central

    Sheridan, Heather; Reingold, Eyal M.

    2017-01-01

    In the field of medical image perception, the holistic processing perspective contends that experts can rapidly extract global information about the image, which can be used to guide their subsequent search of the image (Swensson, 1980; Nodine and Kundel, 1987; Kundel et al., 2007). In this review, we discuss the empirical evidence supporting three different predictions that can be derived from the holistic processing perspective: Expertise in medical image perception is domain-specific, experts use parafoveal and/or peripheral vision to process large regions of the image in parallel, and experts benefit from a rapid initial glimpse of an image. In addition, we discuss a pivotal recent study (Litchfield and Donovan, 2016) that seems to contradict the assumption that experts benefit from a rapid initial glimpse of the image. To reconcile this finding with the existing literature, we suggest that global processing may serve multiple functions that extend beyond the initial glimpse of the image. Finally, we discuss future research directions, and we highlight the connections between the holistic processing account and similar theoretical perspectives and findings from other domains of visual expertise. PMID:29033865

  2. The Holistic Processing Account of Visual Expertise in Medical Image Perception: A Review.

    PubMed

    Sheridan, Heather; Reingold, Eyal M

    2017-01-01

    In the field of medical image perception, the holistic processing perspective contends that experts can rapidly extract global information about the image, which can be used to guide their subsequent search of the image (Swensson, 1980; Nodine and Kundel, 1987; Kundel et al., 2007). In this review, we discuss the empirical evidence supporting three different predictions that can be derived from the holistic processing perspective: Expertise in medical image perception is domain-specific, experts use parafoveal and/or peripheral vision to process large regions of the image in parallel, and experts benefit from a rapid initial glimpse of an image. In addition, we discuss a pivotal recent study (Litchfield and Donovan, 2016) that seems to contradict the assumption that experts benefit from a rapid initial glimpse of the image. To reconcile this finding with the existing literature, we suggest that global processing may serve multiple functions that extend beyond the initial glimpse of the image. Finally, we discuss future research directions, and we highlight the connections between the holistic processing account and similar theoretical perspectives and findings from other domains of visual expertise.

  3. Rule-Based Expert Systems in the Command Estimate: An Operational Perspective

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-06-01

    control measures. 5. Prepare COA statement(s) and sketch(es). The key inputs for developing courses of action are the DFD process of IPB, data stores...mission, or a change of information provides new direction to this process for that particular operation." Formal scientific analysis of the command...30 5. Delivery of outside news . This feature contributes to the commanders insatiable need for current information. Artificial intelligence ana rule

  4. Decoding the Charitable Brain: Empathy, Perspective Taking, and Attention Shifts Differentially Predict Altruistic Giving.

    PubMed

    Tusche, Anita; Böckler, Anne; Kanske, Philipp; Trautwein, Fynn-Mathis; Singer, Tania

    2016-04-27

    Altruistic behavior varies considerably across people and decision contexts. The relevant computational and motivational mechanisms that underlie its heterogeneity, however, are poorly understood. Using a charitable giving task together with multivariate decoding techniques, we identified three distinct psychological mechanisms underlying altruistic decision-making (empathy, perspective taking, and attentional reorienting) and linked them to dissociable neural computations. Neural responses in the anterior insula (AI) (but not temporoparietal junction [TPJ]) encoded trial-wise empathy for beneficiaries, whereas the TPJ (but not AI) predicted the degree of perspective taking. Importantly, the relative influence of both socio-cognitive processes differed across individuals: participants whose donation behavior was heavily influenced by affective empathy exhibited higher predictive accuracies for generosity in AI, whereas those who strongly relied on cognitive perspective taking showed improved predictions of generous donations in TPJ. Furthermore, subject-specific contributions of both processes for donations were reflected in participants' empathy and perspective taking responses in a separate fMRI task (EmpaToM), suggesting that process-specific inputs into altruistic choices may reflect participants' general propensity to either empathize or mentalize. Finally, using independent attention task data, we identified shared neural codes for attentional reorienting and generous donations in the posterior superior temporal sulcus, suggesting that domain-general attention shifts also contribute to generous behavior (but not in TPJ or AI). Overall, our findings demonstrate highly specific roles of AI for affective empathy and TPJ for cognitive perspective taking as precursors of prosocial behavior and suggest that these discrete routes of social cognition differentially drive intraindividual and interindividual differences in altruistic behavior. Human societies depend on the altruistic behavior of their members, but teasing apart its underlying motivations and neural mechanisms poses a serious challenge. Using multivariate decoding techniques, we delineated three distinct processes for altruistic decision-making (affective empathy, cognitive perspective taking, and domain-general attention shifts), linked them to dissociable neural computations, and identified their relative influence across individuals. Distinguishing process-specific computations both behaviorally and neurally is crucial for developing complete theoretical and neuroscientific accounts of altruistic behavior and more effective means of increasing it. Moreover, information on the relative influence of subprocesses across individuals and its link to people's more general propensity to engage empathy or perspective taking can inform training programs to increase prosociality, considering their "fit" with different individuals. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/364719-14$15.00/0.

  5. The Coordination Dynamics of Observational Learning: Relative Motion Direction and Relative Phase as Informational Content Linking Action-Perception to Action-Production.

    PubMed

    Buchanan, John J

    2016-01-01

    The primary goal of this chapter is to merge together the visual perception perspective of observational learning and the coordination dynamics theory of pattern formation in perception and action. Emphasis is placed on identifying movement features that constrain and inform action-perception and action-production processes. Two sources of visual information are examined, relative motion direction and relative phase. The visual perception perspective states that the topological features of relative motion between limbs and joints remains invariant across an actor's motion and therefore are available for pickup by an observer. Relative phase has been put forth as an informational variable that links perception to action within the coordination dynamics theory. A primary assumption of the coordination dynamics approach is that environmental information is meaningful only in terms of the behavior it modifies. Across a series of single limb tasks and bimanual tasks it is shown that the relative motion and relative phase between limbs and joints is picked up through visual processes and supports observational learning of motor skills. Moreover, internal estimations of motor skill proficiency and competency are linked to the informational content found in relative motion and relative phase. Thus, the chapter links action to perception and vice versa and also links cognitive evaluations to the coordination dynamics that support action-perception and action-production processes.

  6. Health Information System in Primary Health Care: The Challenges and Barriers from Local Providers’ Perspective of an Area in Iran

    PubMed Central

    Yazdi-Feyzabadi, Vahid; Emami, Mozhgan; Mehrolhassani, Mohammad Hossein

    2015-01-01

    Background: Health information system (HIS) has been utilized for collecting, processing, storing, and transferring the required information for planning and decision-making at different levels of health sector to provide quality services. In this study, in order to provide high-quality HIS, primary health care (PHC) providers’ perspective on current challenges and barriers were investigated. Methods: This study was carried out with a qualitative approach using semi-structured audiotaped focus group discussions (FGDs). One FGD was conducted with 13 Behvarz and health technicians as front-line workers and the other with 16 personnel including physicians, statisticians, and health professionals working in health centers of the PHC network in KUMS. The discussions were transcribed and then analyzed using the framework analysis method. Results: The identified organizational challenges were categorized into two groups: HIS structure and the current model of PHC in urban areas. Furthermore, the structural challenges were classified into HIS management structure (information systems resources, including human, supplies, and organizational rules) and information process. Conclusions: The HIS works effectively and efficiently when there are a consistency and integrity between the human, supplies, and process aspects. Hence, multifaceted interventions including strengthening the organizational culture to use the information in decisions, eliminating infrastructural obstacles, appointing qualified staff and more investment for service delivery at urban areas are the most fundamental requirements of high-quality HIS in PHC. PMID:26236444

  7. State of the States' Teacher Evaluation and Support Systems: A Perspective from Exemplary Teachers. Policy Information Report and ETS Research Report Series No. RR-17-30

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goe, Laura; Wylie, E. Caroline; Bosso, David; Olson, Derek

    2017-01-01

    As states reconsider their current evaluation systems, stakeholders are offering their views about what revisions should be made to existing measures and processes. This report offers a unique perspective to these conversations by capturing and synthesizing the views of some of America's exemplary teachers: State Teachers of the Year (STOYs) and…

  8. Balancing Automatic-Controlled Behaviors and Emotional-Salience States: A Dynamic Executive Functioning Hypothesis.

    PubMed

    Kluwe-Schiavon, Bruno; Viola, Thiago W; Sanvicente-Vieira, Breno; Malloy-Diniz, Leandro F; Grassi-Oliveira, Rodrigo

    2016-01-01

    Recently, there has been growing interest in understanding how executive functions are conceptualized in psychopathology. Since several models have been proposed, the major issue lies within the definition of executive functioning itself. Theoretical discussions have emerged, narrowing the boundaries between "hot" and "cold" executive functions or between self-regulation and cognitive control. Nevertheless, the definition of executive functions is far from a consensual proposition and it has been suggested that these models might be outdated. Current efforts indicate that human behavior and cognition are by-products of many brain systems operating and interacting at different levels, and therefore, it is very simplistic to assume a dualistic perspective of information processing. Based upon an adaptive perspective, we discuss how executive functions could emerge from the ability to solve immediate problems and to generalize successful strategies, as well as from the ability to synthesize and to classify environmental information in order to predict context and future. We present an executive functioning perspective that emerges from the dynamic balance between automatic-controlled behaviors and an emotional-salience state. According to our perspective, the adaptive role of executive functioning is to automatize efficient solutions simultaneously with cognitive demand, enabling individuals to engage such processes with increasingly complex problems. Understanding executive functioning as a mediator of stress and cognitive engagement not only fosters discussions concerning individual differences, but also offers an important paradigm to understand executive functioning as a continuum process rather than a categorical and multicomponent structure.

  9. Balancing Automatic-Controlled Behaviors and Emotional-Salience States: A Dynamic Executive Functioning Hypothesis

    PubMed Central

    Kluwe-Schiavon, Bruno; Viola, Thiago W.; Sanvicente-Vieira, Breno; Malloy-Diniz, Leandro F.; Grassi-Oliveira, Rodrigo

    2017-01-01

    Recently, there has been growing interest in understanding how executive functions are conceptualized in psychopathology. Since several models have been proposed, the major issue lies within the definition of executive functioning itself. Theoretical discussions have emerged, narrowing the boundaries between “hot” and “cold” executive functions or between self-regulation and cognitive control. Nevertheless, the definition of executive functions is far from a consensual proposition and it has been suggested that these models might be outdated. Current efforts indicate that human behavior and cognition are by-products of many brain systems operating and interacting at different levels, and therefore, it is very simplistic to assume a dualistic perspective of information processing. Based upon an adaptive perspective, we discuss how executive functions could emerge from the ability to solve immediate problems and to generalize successful strategies, as well as from the ability to synthesize and to classify environmental information in order to predict context and future. We present an executive functioning perspective that emerges from the dynamic balance between automatic-controlled behaviors and an emotional-salience state. According to our perspective, the adaptive role of executive functioning is to automatize efficient solutions simultaneously with cognitive demand, enabling individuals to engage such processes with increasingly complex problems. Understanding executive functioning as a mediator of stress and cognitive engagement not only fosters discussions concerning individual differences, but also offers an important paradigm to understand executive functioning as a continuum process rather than a categorical and multicomponent structure. PMID:28154541

  10. The Neurobiology of Self-knowledge in Depressed and Self-injurious Youth

    PubMed Central

    Quevedo, Karina; Martin, Jodi; Scott, Hannah; Smyda, Garry; Pfeifer, Jennifer H.

    2016-01-01

    There is limited information regarding the neurobiology underlying non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in clinically-referred youth. However, the salience of disturbed interpersonal relationships and disrupted self-processing associated with NSSI suggests the neural basis of social processes as a key area for additional study. Adolescent participants (N=123; M=14.75 years, SD=1.64) were divided into three groups: NSSI plus depression diagnosis (NSSI), depression only (DEP), healthy controls (HC). In the scanner, participants completed an Interpersonal Self-Processing task by taking direct (own) and indirect (mothers’, best friends’, or classmates’) perspectives regarding self-characteristics. Across all perspectives, NSSI showed higher BOLD activation in limbic areas, and anterior and posterior cortical midline structures versus DEP and HC, while HC showed greater activity in rostrolateral, frontal pole and occipital cortex than NSSI and DEP youth. Moreover, NSSI youth showed heightened responses in amygdala, hippocampus, parahippocampus, and fusiform when taking their mothers’ perspective, which were negatively correlated with self-reports of the mother’s support of adolescents’ emotional distress in the NSSI group. NSSI youth also yielded greater precuneus and posterior cingulate cortex activity during indirect self-processing from their classmates’ perspective. Findings suggest a role for disruptions in self- and emotion-processing, and conflicted social relationships in the neurobiology of NSSI among depressed adolescents. PMID:27442923

  11. Politics of change: the discourses that inform organizational change and their capacity to silence.

    PubMed

    McMillan, Kim

    2016-09-01

    Changes in healthcare organizations are inevitable and occurring at unprecedented rates. Such changes greatly impact nurses and their work, yet these experiences are rarely explored. Organizational change discourses remain grounded in perspectives that explore and explain systems, often not the people within them. Change processes in healthcare organizations informed by such organizational discourses validate only certain perspectives and forms of knowledge. This fosters exclusionary practices, limiting the capacity of certain individuals or groups of individuals to effectively contribute to change discourses and processes. The reliance on mainstream organizational discourses in healthcare organizations has left little room for the exploration of diverse perspectives on the subject of organizational change, particularly those of nurses. Michel Foucault's work challenges dominant discourse and suggest that strong reliance's on specific discourses effectively disqualify certain forms of knowledge. Foucault's writings on disqualified knowledge and parrhesia (truth telling and frank speech) facilitate the critical exploration of discourses that inform change in healthcare organizations and nurses capacities to contribute to organizational discourses. This paper explores the capacity of nurses to speak their truths within rapidly and continuously changing healthcare organizations when such changes are often driven by discourses not derived from nursing knowledge or experience. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Patient perspectives on whole-genome sequencing for undiagnosed diseases.

    PubMed

    Boeldt, Debra L; Cheung, Cynthia; Ariniello, Lauren; Darst, Burcu F; Topol, Sarah; Schork, Nicholas J; Philis-Tsimikas, Athena; Torkamani, Ali; Fortmann, Addie L; Bloss, Cinnamon S

    2017-01-01

    This study assessed perspectives on whole-genome sequencing (WGS) for rare disease diagnosis and the process of receiving genetic results. Semistructured interviews were conducted with adult patients and parents of minor patients affected by idiopathic diseases (n = 10 cases). Three main themes were identified through qualitative data analysis and interpretation: perceived benefits of WGS; perceived drawbacks of WGS; and perceptions of the return of results from WGS. Findings suggest that patients and their families have important perspectives on the use of WGS in diagnostic odyssey cases. These perspectives could inform clinical sequencing research study designs as well as the appropriate deployment of patient and family support services in the context of clinical genome sequencing.

  13. A framework for stakeholder identification in concept mapping and health research: a novel process and its application to older adult mobility and the built environment.

    PubMed

    Schiller, Claire; Winters, Meghan; Hanson, Heather M; Ashe, Maureen C

    2013-05-02

    Stakeholders, as originally defined in theory, are groups or individual who can affect or are affected by an issue. Stakeholders are an important source of information in health research, providing critical perspectives and new insights on the complex determinants of health. The intersection of built and social environments with older adult mobility is an area of research that is fundamentally interdisciplinary and would benefit from a better understanding of stakeholder perspectives. Although a rich body of literature surrounds stakeholder theory, a systematic process for identifying health stakeholders in practice does not exist. This paper presents a framework of stakeholders related to older adult mobility and the built environment, and further outlines a process for systematically identifying stakeholders that can be applied in other health contexts, with a particular emphasis on concept mapping research. Informed by gaps in the relevant literature we developed a framework for identifying and categorizing health stakeholders. The framework was created through a novel iterative process of stakeholder identification and categorization. The development entailed a literature search to identify stakeholder categories, representation of identified stakeholders in a visual chart, and correspondence with expert informants to obtain practice-based insight. The three-step, iterative creation process progressed from identifying stakeholder categories, to identifying specific stakeholder groups and soliciting feedback from expert informants. The result was a stakeholder framework comprised of seven categories with detailed sub-groups. The main categories of stakeholders were, (1) the Public, (2) Policy makers and governments, (3) Research community, (4) Practitioners and professionals, (5) Health and social service providers, (6) Civil society organizations, and (7) Private business. Stakeholders related to older adult mobility and the built environment span many disciplines and realms of practice. Researchers studying this issue may use the detailed stakeholder framework process we present to identify participants for future projects. Health researchers pursuing stakeholder-based projects in other contexts are encouraged to incorporate this process of stakeholder identification and categorization to ensure systematic consideration of relevant perspectives in their work.

  14. A framework for stakeholder identification in concept mapping and health research: a novel process and its application to older adult mobility and the built environment

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Stakeholders, as originally defined in theory, are groups or individual who can affect or are affected by an issue. Stakeholders are an important source of information in health research, providing critical perspectives and new insights on the complex determinants of health. The intersection of built and social environments with older adult mobility is an area of research that is fundamentally interdisciplinary and would benefit from a better understanding of stakeholder perspectives. Although a rich body of literature surrounds stakeholder theory, a systematic process for identifying health stakeholders in practice does not exist. This paper presents a framework of stakeholders related to older adult mobility and the built environment, and further outlines a process for systematically identifying stakeholders that can be applied in other health contexts, with a particular emphasis on concept mapping research. Methods Informed by gaps in the relevant literature we developed a framework for identifying and categorizing health stakeholders. The framework was created through a novel iterative process of stakeholder identification and categorization. The development entailed a literature search to identify stakeholder categories, representation of identified stakeholders in a visual chart, and correspondence with expert informants to obtain practice-based insight. Results The three-step, iterative creation process progressed from identifying stakeholder categories, to identifying specific stakeholder groups and soliciting feedback from expert informants. The result was a stakeholder framework comprised of seven categories with detailed sub-groups. The main categories of stakeholders were, (1) the Public, (2) Policy makers and governments, (3) Research community, (4) Practitioners and professionals, (5) Health and social service providers, (6) Civil society organizations, and (7) Private business. Conclusions Stakeholders related to older adult mobility and the built environment span many disciplines and realms of practice. Researchers studying this issue may use the detailed stakeholder framework process we present to identify participants for future projects. Health researchers pursuing stakeholder-based projects in other contexts are encouraged to incorporate this process of stakeholder identification and categorization to ensure systematic consideration of relevant perspectives in their work. PMID:23639179

  15. A Perspective on a Management Information Systems (MIS) Program Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yew, Bee K.

    2008-01-01

    This paper highlights relevant curriculum issues that were identified in a Management Information Systems (MIS) program review undertaken by a group of business faculty in a small regional university. The program review was initiated to improve job marketability of graduates and student enrollment. The review process is described as a collective…

  16. Internal Consistency and Cross-Informant Agreement of the Lithuanian-Translated Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sointu, Erkko T.; Geležiniene, Renata; Lambert, Matthew C.; Nordness, Philip D.

    2015-01-01

    Educational professionals need assessments that yield psychometrically sound scores to assess students' behavioral and emotional functioning in order to guide data-driven decision-making processes. Rating scales have been found to be effective and economical, and often multiple informant perspectives can be obtained. The agreement between multiple…

  17. Outcomes from Cochlear Implantation for Child and Family: Parental Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Archbold, Sue; Sach, Tracey; O'Neill, Ciaran; Lutman, Mark; Gregory, Susan

    2008-01-01

    While cochlear implantation is an increasingly routine provision for profoundly deaf children in many countries, parents still require information about the procedure and likely outcomes in order to make an informed decision. Other parents can provide them with the insights of those who have undergone the process themselves and observed outcomes…

  18. Developing a Teacher Identity: TAs' Perspectives about Learning to Teach Inquiry-Based Biology Labs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gormally, Cara

    2016-01-01

    Becoming a teacher involves a continual process of identity development and negotiation. Expectations and norms for particular pedagogies impact and inform this development. In inquiry based classes, instructors are expected to act as learning facilitators rather than information providers. For novice inquiry instructors, developing a teacher…

  19. Information and Communication Technology in the International Business Classroom: Comparing Faculty and Student Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Deusen, Cheryl A.; Jones, Gordon; Mueller, Carolyn B.; Ricks, David A.; Schlegelmilch, Bodo B.

    2004-01-01

    The use of information and communication technology (ICT) is revolutionizing traditional educational methods in university contexts and changing the process of how educators do their jobs. However, research offers conflicting views regarding the benefits of ICT in the classroom. To better understand the various advantages and disadvantages of…

  20. INFORMATION ASYMMETRIES, IMITATION, AND STRATEGIC FORESIGHT: A SIGNALING FRAMEWORK TO ANALYZE THE ADOPTION PROCESS OF AN INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT STANDARD. (R827918)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  1. Perspectives and methods of scaling

    Treesearch

    Jianguo Wu; Harbin Li

    2006-01-01

    Transferring information between or across scales or organizational levels is inevitable in both basic research and its applications, a process generally known as "scaling" (Wu and Li, Chapter 1). Scaling is the essence of prediction and understanding both of which require cross-scale translation of information, and is at the core of ecological theory and...

  2. Patients’ perceived purpose of clinical informed consent: Mill’s individual autonomy model is preferred

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Although informed consent is an integral part of clinical practice, its current doctrine remains mostly a matter of law and mainstream ethics rather than empirical research. There are scarce empirical data on patients’ perceived purpose of informed consent, which may include administrative routine/courtesy gesture, simple honest permission, informed permission, patient-clinician shared decision-making, and enabling patient’s self decision-making. Different purposes require different processes. Methods We surveyed 488 adults who were planning to undergo or had recently undergone written informed consent-requiring procedures. Perceptions of informed consent purpose (from norm and current practice perspectives) were explored by asking respondents to rank (1 = most reflective) 10 randomly-presented statements: “meaningless routine”, “courtesy gesture” “litigation protection”, “take away compensation rights”, “inform patient’, “make sure patient understand”, “document patient’s decision”, “discover patient’s preferences”, “have shared decision”, and “help patient decide”. Results Respondents’ mean (SD) age was 38.3 (12.5); 50.4% were males, 56.8% had ≥ college education, and 37.3% had undergone a procedure. From the norm perspective, the least reflective statement was “meaningless routine” (ranked 1–3 by 2.6% of respondents) and the most reflective statements were “help patient decide”, “make sure patient understand”, and “inform patient” (ranked 1–3 by 65%, 60%, and 48% of respondents with median [25%,75%] ranking scores of 2 [1,5], 3 [2,4], and 4 [2,5], respectively). Compared to their counterparts, males and pre-procedure respondents ranked “help patient decide” better, whereas females and post-procedure respondents ranked “inform patient” better (p = 0.007 to p < 0.001). Age was associated with better ranking of “help patient decide” and “make sure patient understand” statements (p < 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively), which were ranked 1–3 by only 46% and 42% of respondents from the current practice perspective (median ranking score 4 [2,6], p < 0.001 vs. norm perspective for both). Conclusions 1) the informed consent process is important to patients, however, patients vary in their views of its purpose with the dominant view being enabling patients’ self decision-making, 2) males, pre-procedure, and older patients more favor a self decision-making purpose, whereas females and post-procedure patients more favor an information disclosure purpose, and 3) more self decision-making and more effective information disclosure than is currently practiced are desired. An informed consent process consistent with Mill’s individual autonomy model may be suitable for most patients. PMID:24406020

  3. A systems engineering perspective on the human-centered design of health information systems.

    PubMed

    Samaras, George M; Horst, Richard L

    2005-02-01

    The discipline of systems engineering, over the past five decades, has used a structured systematic approach to managing the "cradle to grave" development of products and processes. While elements of this approach are typically used to guide the development of information systems that instantiate a significant user interface, it appears to be rare for the entire process to be implemented. In fact, a number of authors have put forth development lifecycle models that are subsets of the classical systems engineering method, but fail to include steps such as incremental hazard analysis and post-deployment corrective and preventative actions. In that most health information systems have safety implications, we argue that the design and development of such systems would benefit by implementing this systems engineering approach in full. Particularly with regard to bringing a human-centered perspective to the formulation of system requirements and the configuration of effective user interfaces, this classical systems engineering method provides an excellent framework for incorporating human factors (ergonomics) knowledge and integrating ergonomists in the interdisciplinary development of health information systems.

  4. Navigating Critical Theory and Postmodernism: Social Justice and Therapist Power in Family Therapy.

    PubMed

    D'Arrigo-Patrick, Justine; Hoff, Chris; Knudson-Martin, Carmen; Tuttle, Amy

    2017-09-01

    The family therapy field encourages commitment to diversity and social justice, but offers varying ideas about how to attentively consider these issues. Critical informed models advocate activism, whereas postmodern informed models encourage multiple perspectives. It is often not clear how activism and an emphasis on multiple perspectives connect, engendering the sense that critical and postmodern practices may be disparate. To understand how therapists negotiate these perspectives in practice, this qualitative grounded theory analysis drew on interviews with 11 therapists, each known for their work from both critical and postmodern perspectives. We found that these therapists generally engage in a set of shared constructionist practices while also demonstrating two distinct forms of activism: activism through countering and activism through collaborating. Ultimately, decisions made about how to navigate critical and postmodern influences were connected to how therapists viewed ethics and the ways they were comfortable using their therapeutic power. The findings illustrate practice strategies through which therapists apply each approach. © 2016 Family Process Institute.

  5. Oscillatory networks of high-level mental alignment: A perspective-taking MEG study.

    PubMed

    Seymour, R A; Wang, H; Rippon, G; Kessler, K

    2018-08-15

    Mentally imagining another's perspective is a high-level social process, reliant on manipulating internal representations of the self in an embodied manner. Recently Wang et al. (2016) showed that theta-band (3-7 Hz) brain oscillations within the right temporo-parietal junction (rTPJ) and brain regions coding for motor/body schema contribute to the process of perspective-taking. Using a similar paradigm, we set out to unravel the extended functional brain network in detail. Increasing the angle between self and other perspective was accompanied by longer reaction times and increases in theta power within rTPJ, right lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) and right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Using Granger-causality, we showed that lateral PFC and ACC exert top-down influence over rTPJ, indicative of executive control processes required for managing conflicts between self and other perspectives. Finally, we quantified patterns of whole-brain phase coupling in relation to the rTPJ. Results suggest that rTPJ increases its theta-band phase synchrony with brain regions involved in mentalizing and regions coding for motor/body schema; whilst decreasing synchrony to visual regions. Implications for neurocognitive models are discussed, and it is proposed that rTPJ acts as a 'hub' to route bottom-up visual information to internal representations of the self during perspective-taking, co-ordinated by theta-band oscillations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Patron Banning in the Nightlife Entertainment Districts: A Key Informant Perspective.

    PubMed

    Miller, Peter; Curtis, Ashlee; Palmer, Darren; Warren, Ian; McFarlane, Emma

    2016-07-01

    Alcohol-related harm in and around licensed venues is associated with substantial costs. Many interventions have been introduced in an effort to combat these harms, and one such intervention is known as patron banning. Patron banning involves prohibiting patrons who have been violent or disorderly in a licensed venue in an attempt to reduce alcohol-related harm. It can be implemented by the venue, by members of police, or by liquor accords. This study aimed to obtain key informant perspectives on the benefits of patron banning as well as on the effectiveness of patron banning in reducing alcohol-related harm. Thirty-six key informants provided perspectives on patron banning through in-depth interviews that were part of a larger study. Key informants were supportive of patron banning for reducing alcohol-related harm, noting that it had many benefits including increased venue safety, general risk management, and deterrence of antisocial behavior. Although processes for banning were not always consistent, identification scanners were generally recognized as a way to ensure that patron banning was enforced. Key informants viewed patron banning as an effective measure for increasing patron safety and reducing alcohol-related harms.

  7. Methods to identify, study and understand end-user participation in HIT development.

    PubMed

    Høstgaard, Anna Marie; Bertelsen, Pernille; Nøhr, Christian

    2011-09-28

    Experience has shown that for new health-information-technology (HIT) to be suc-cessful clinicians must obtain positive clinical benefits as a result of its implementation and joint-ownership of the decisions made during the development process. A prerequisite for achieving both success criteria is real end-user-participation. Experience has also shown that further research into developing improved methods to collect more detailed information on social groups participating in HIT development is needed in order to support, facilitate and improve real end-user participation. A case study of an EHR planning-process in a Danish county from October 2003 until April 2006 was conducted using process-analysis. Three social groups (physicians, IT-professionals and administrators) were identified and studied in the local, present perspective. In order to understand the interactions between the three groups, the national, historic perspective was included through a literature-study. Data were collected through observations, interviews, insight gathered from documents and relevant literature. In the local, present perspective, the administrator's strategy for the EHR planning process meant that there was no clinical workload-reduction. This was seen as one of the main barriers to the physicians to achieving real influence. In the national, historic perspective, physicians and administrators have had/have different perceptions of the purpose of the patient record and they have both struggled to influence this definition. To date, the administrators have won the battle. This explains the conditions made available for the physicians' participation in this case, which led to their role being reduced to that of clinical consultants--rather than real participants. In HIT-development the interests of and the balance of power between the different social groups involved are decisive in determining whether or not the end-users become real participants in the development process. Real end-user-participation is essential for the successful outcome of the process. By combining and developing existing theories and methods, this paper presents an improved method to collect more detailed information on social groups participating in HIT-development and their interaction during the development. This allows HIT management to explore new avenues during the HIT development process in order to support, facilitate and improve real end-user participation.

  8. Chaos in neurons and its application: perspective of chaos engineering.

    PubMed

    Hirata, Yoshito; Oku, Makito; Aihara, Kazuyuki

    2012-12-01

    We review our recent work on chaos in neurons and its application to neural networks from perspective of chaos engineering. Especially, we analyze a dataset of a squid giant axon by newly combining our previous work of identifying Devaney's chaos with surrogate data analysis, and show that an axon can behave chaotically. Based on this knowledge, we use a chaotic neuron model to investigate possible information processing in the brain.

  9. [Development and Evaluation of the Work-Related Intervention "Perspective Job" for the Oncological Rehabilitation].

    PubMed

    Kähnert, H; Exner, A-K; Brand, S; Leibbrand, B

    2016-06-01

    The knowledge about contents and arrangement of work-related measures in oncological rehabilitation is limited. The aim of the study was to develop a multimodal work-related module called Perspective Job for the oncological rehabilitation as well as to evaluate the process of development and the module itself. Perspective Job was developed within a rehabilitation team. For an examination of the process of development and of the module expert interviews with clinic employees and group interviews with patients were conducted. Group interviews were conducted before as well as after the implementation of Perspective Job to demonstrate changes in the rehabilitation from the patients point of view. Participants were oncological patients with substantial work-related problems. The module Perspective Job consists of work-related therapies as well as job trainings. The expert interviews illustrates: The process of development is valued as positive and meaningful by the rehabilitation team. Furthermore synergetic effects were used and the exchange of information and the communication within the team were promoted. The interviews with the patient emphasized that most perspective job therapies were classified as work-related and that an individual occupation-oriented care took place. The promoting exchanges of experience between the participants has been positively evaluated. In addition, they seemed to be well-prepared for the return to work. The development of a work-related module in the rehabilitation team is possible. The process was valued by the team members positively and promoted the multiprofessional cooperation. An occupationally oriented arrangement of the rehabilitation was solely perceived by the participants of Perspective Job, which felt better prepared to reintegrate into working life. The results emphasize the importance of teamwork for the development and implementation of work-related therapy modules for the oncological rehabilitation. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  10. Effects of Exposure to Microwaves: Problems and Perspectives*

    PubMed Central

    Michaelson, Sol M.

    1974-01-01

    During the last 25 years, there has been a remarkable development and increase in the number of processes and devices that utilize or emit microwaves. Such devices are used in all sectors of our society for military, industrial, telecommunications, and consumer applications. Although there is information on biologic effects and potential hazard to man from exposure to microwaves, considerable confusion and misinformation has permeated not only the public press but also some scientific and technical publications. The purpose of this review is to place the available information on biologic effects of microwaves in proper perspective and to suggest approaches to future studies. PMID:4620329

  11. Using Written Narratives in Public Health Practice: A Creative Writing Perspective

    PubMed Central

    Kreuter, Matthew W.

    2014-01-01

    Narratives have become an increasingly common health communication tool in recent years. Vivid, engaging writing can help audiences identify with storytellers and understand health messages, but few public health practitioners are trained to create such stories. A transdisciplinary perspective, informed by both creative writing advice and evidence-based public health practices, can help public health professionals use stories more effectively in their work. This article provides techniques for creating written narratives that communicate health information for chronic disease prevention. We guide public health professionals through the process of soliciting, writing, and revising such stories, and we discuss challenges and potential solutions. PMID:24901794

  12. A Perspective from the National Consortium for Secondary STEM Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bonds, Crystal

    2016-01-01

    This article addresses the role of National Consortium for Secondary STEM Schools in the process of data-informed decision-making for both improving and addressing achievement gaps in participatory specialized STEM high schools.

  13. "That Thing You Do!" Compositional Processes of a Rock Band

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Sharon G.

    2005-01-01

    Understanding how students make music in non-school settings can inform teaching practice in schools, making teaching more relevant to students' musical perspectives. This research study examined the musical processes of a three-member rock band, their roles within the group, and considered how they constructed musical meaning. The most salient…

  14. Electronic Publishing in Academia: An Economic Perspective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Getz, Malcolm

    The challenge to academia is to invest in services that will turn the abundance of electronic data into sound, useful, compelling information products. The process of filtering, labeling, refining, and packaging, that is, the process of editing and publishing, takes resources and will be shaped by the electronic world in significant ways. This…

  15. Perceived Parenting Dimensions and Identity Styles: Exploring the Socialization of Adolescents' Processing of Identity-Relevant Information

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smits, Ilse; Soenens, Bart; Luyckx, Koen; Duriez, Bart; Berzonsky, Michael; Goossens, Luc

    2008-01-01

    This study examined the relationships between crucial dimensions of perceived parenting (support, behavioral control, and psychological control) and the three identity styles defined by Berzonsky [Berzonsky, M. D. (1990). "Self-construction over the life span: A process perspective on identity formation." "Advances in Personal Construct…

  16. Problems and Issues Related to Legislative Process: The Federal Dimension.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Andringa, Robert C.

    The legislative process in the U. S. Congress is considered, and personal perspectives on federal/state roles in postsecondary education are offered. Members of the House Committee on Education and Labor are identified, and information is provided about the eight subcommittees. The comparable authorizing committee in the Senate is the Labor and…

  17. An Alternative Definition of Quality of Undergraduate College Education: Toward Usable Knowledge for Improvement.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nordvall, Robert C.; Braxton, John M.

    1996-01-01

    Traditional approaches to defining academic quality (reputational, resources, and outcomes or value-added) are criticized as not providing useful information. An alternative perspective is offered, focusing on fundamental course-level academic processes and defining the quality of such processes as the level of understanding of course content…

  18. Feminist Relational Advocacy: Processes and Outcomes from the Perspective of Low-Income Women with Depression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goodman, Lisa A.; Glenn, Catherine; Bohlig, Amanda; Banyard, Victoria; Borges, Angela

    2009-01-01

    This article describes a qualitative study of how low-income women who are struggling with symptoms of depression experience feminist relational advocacy, a new model that is informed by feminist, multicultural, and community psychology theories. Using qualitative content analysis of participant interviews, the authors describe the processes and…

  19. Learning Opportunities in PhD Supervisory Talks: A Social Constructionist Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tian, Wenwen; Singhasiri, Wareesiri

    2016-01-01

    Although PhD supervision has been recognised as an educative process and a complex pedagogy for decades, there is little research into on-site pedagogic processes. Informed by social constructionism and a Foucauldian approach, this qualitative case study explores how learning opportunities were created by analysing both a supervisor's verbal…

  20. The roles of chronological age and time perspective in memory positivity.

    PubMed

    Kan, Irene P; Garrison, Shaina L; Drummey, Anna B; Emmert, Brian E; Rogers, Leeland L

    2018-07-01

    The observation that older adults show enhanced cognition for emotionally positive information has been labeled the positivity effect (Reed, Chan, & Mikels, 2014). According to the Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST, Carstensen, 1991), a prominent lifespan development theory, cognition is strongly influenced by motivational goals, and these goals are impacted by subjective time perspective. Although the positivity effect is most commonly observed in older adults, as age usually co-varies with time perspective, the SST posits that time perspective, not age, is the key explanatory factor of positivity. We examined the effects of these predictors on positivity in an episodic memory task in younger and older adults and found that age, not time perspective, was a key predictor of memory positivity. Our results add to the growing literature that challenge the notion that time perspective is the driving force behind age-related differences in emotional processing and functioning.

  1. Finding common ground in large carnivore conservation: mapping contending perspectives

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mattson, D.J.; Byrd, K.L.; Rutherford, M.B.; Brown, S.R.; Clark, T.W.

    2006-01-01

    Reducing current conflict over large carnivore conservation and designing effective strategies that enjoy broad public support depend on a better understanding of the values, beliefs, and demands of those who are involved or affected. We conducted a workshop attended by diverse participants involved in conservation of large carnivores in the northern U.S. Rocky Mountains, and used Q methodology to elucidate participant perspectives regarding "problems" and "solutions". Q methodology employs qualitative and quantitative techniques to reveal the subjectivity in any situation. We identified four general perspectives for both problems and solutions, three of which (Carnivore Advocates, Devolution Advocates, and Process Reformers) were shared by participants across domains. Agency Empathizers (problems) and Economic Pragmatists (solutions) were not clearly linked. Carnivore and Devolution Advocates expressed diametrically opposed perspectives that legitimized different sources of policy-relevant information ("science" for Carnivore Advocates and "local knowledge" for Devolution Advocates). Despite differences, we identified potential common ground focused on respectful, persuasive, and creative processes that would build understanding and tolerance. ?? 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Science Center Public Forums: Engaging Lay-Publics in Resilience Deliberations Through Informal Science Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sittenfeld, D.; Choi, F.; Farooque, M.; Helmuth, B.

    2017-12-01

    Because climate hazards present a range of potential impacts and considerations for different kinds of stakeholders, community responses to increase resilience are best considered through the inclusion of diverse, informed perspectives. The Science Center Public Forums project has created multifaceted modules to engage diverse publics in substantive deliberations around four hazards: heat waves, drought, extreme precipitation, and sea level rise. Using a suite of background materials including visualization and narrative components, each of these daylong dialogues engage varied groups of lay-participants at eight US science centers in learning about hazard vulnerabilities and tradeoffs of proposed strategies for building resilience. Participants listen to and consider the priorities and perspectives of fellow residents and stakeholders, and work together to formulate detailed resilience plans reflecting both current science and informed public values. Deliverables for the project include visualizations of hazard vulnerabilities and strategies through immersive planetarium graphics and Google Earth, stakeholder perspective narratives, and detailed background materials for each project hazard. This session will: communicate the process for developing the hazard modules with input from subject matter experts, outline the process for iterative revisions based upon findings from formative focus groups, share results generated by participants of the project's first two pilot forums, and describe plans for broader implementation. These activities and outcomes could help to increase the capacity of informal science education institutions as trusted conveners for informed community dialogue by educating residents about vulnerabilities and engaging them in critical thinking about potential policy responses to critical climate hazards while sharing usable public values and priorities with civic planners.

  3. A Developmental Perspective of Attention in Youth Sport.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parker, Jane E.

    The concept of attention in sport is important because the inability to process the right kind and amount of information may lead to a mismatch in perception and consequent motor output. Research has shown that the ability to choose between relevant and irrelevant information increases dramatically at about 12 years of age. By giving up the…

  4. Teachers' Use of Information and Communications Technology in Education: Cameroon Secondary Schools Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haji, Shaibou Abdoulai; Moluayonge, Gracemary Eloheneke; Park, Innwoo

    2017-01-01

    Information and Communications Technology (ICT) offers innovative tools for restructuring teaching and learning processes in preparing students for the 21st Century skills. However, there is no sufficient and reliable data concerning how the use of ICT fit in different school cultures in Cameroon, and how teachers with varying pedagogical and…

  5. Student Satisfaction Process in Virtual Learning System: Considerations Based in Information and Service Quality from Brazil's Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Machado-Da-Silva, Fábio Nazareno; Meirelles, Fernando de Souza; Filenga, Douglas; Filho, Marino Brugnolo

    2014-01-01

    Distance learning has undergone great changes, especially since the advent of the Internet and communication and information technology. Questions have been asked following the growth of this mode of instructional activity. Researchers have investigated methods to assess the benefits of e-learning from a number of perspectives. This survey…

  6. Survivorship Care Plan Information Needs: Perspectives of Safety-Net Breast Cancer Patients.

    PubMed

    Burke, Nancy J; Napoles, Tessa M; Banks, Priscilla J; Orenstein, Fern S; Luce, Judith A; Joseph, Galen

    2016-01-01

    Despite the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) 2005 recommendation, few care organizations have instituted standard survivorship care plans (SCPs). Low health literacy and low English proficiency are important factors to consider in SCP development. Our study aimed to identify information needs and survivorship care plan preferences of low literacy, multi-lingual patients to support the transition from oncology to primary care and ongoing learning in survivorship. We conducted focus groups in five languages with African American, Latina, Russian, Filipina, White, and Chinese medically underserved breast cancer patients. Topics explored included the transition to primary care, access to information, knowledge of treatment history, and perspectives on SCPs. Analysis of focus group data identified three themes: 1) the need for information and education on the transition between "active treatment" and "survivorship"; 2) information needed (and often not obtained) from providers; and 3) perspectives on SCP content and delivery. Our data point to the need to develop a process as well as written information for medically underserved breast cancer patients. An SCP document will not replace direct communication with providers about treatment, symptom management and transition, a communication that is missing in participating safety-net patients' experiences of cancer care. Women turned to peer support and community-based organizations in the absence of information from providers. "Clear and effective" communication of survivorship care for safety-net patients requires dedicated staff trained to address wide-ranging information needs and uncertainties.

  7. Information fusion for the Gray Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fenstermacher, Laurie

    2016-05-01

    United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) recently published a white paper describing the "Gray Zone", security challenges characterized by "ambiguity about the nature of the conflict, opacity of the parties involved…competitive interactions among and within state and non-state actors that fall between the traditional war and peace duality."1 Ambiguity and related uncertainty about actors, situations, relationships, and intent require new approaches to information collection, processing and fusion. General Votel, the current SOCOM commander, during a recent speech on "Operating in the Gray Zone" emphasized that it would be important to get left of the next crises and stated emphatically, "to do that we must understand the Human Domain."2 This understanding of the human domain must come from making meaning based on different perspectives, including the "emic" or first person/participant and "etic" or third person/observer perspectives. Much of the information currently collected and processed is etic. Incorporation and fusion with the emic perspective enables forecasting of behaviors/events and provides context for etic information (e.g., video).3 Gray zone challenges are perspective-dependent; for example, the conflict in Ukraine is interpreted quite differently by Russia, the US and Ukraine. Russia views it as war, necessitating aggressive action, the US views it as a security issue best dealt with by economic sanctions and diplomacy and the Ukraine views it as a threat to its sovereignty.4 General Otto in the Air Force ISR 2023 vision document stated that Air Force ISR is needed to anticipate strategic surprise.5 Anticipatory analysis enabling getting left of a crisis inherently requires a greater focus on information sources that elucidate the human environment as well as new methods that elucidate not only the "who's" and "what's", but the "how's and "why's," extracting features and/or patterns and subtle cues useful for forecasting behaviors and events; for example discourse patterns related to social identity and integrative complexity.6 AFRL has been conducting research to enable analysts to understand the "emic" perspective based on discourse analysis methods and/or text analytics.7 Previous results demonstrated the value of fusion of emic and etic information in terms of improved accuracy (from 39% to 86%) in forecasting violent events.8 This paper will describe new work to extend this to anticipatory analysis in the gray zone.

  8. When to stop? Decision-making when children’s cancer treatment is no longer curative: a mixed-method systematic review

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Children with cancer, parents, and clinicians, face difficult decisions when cure is no longer possible. Little is known about decision-making processes, how agreement is reached, or perspectives of different actors. Professionals voice concerns about managing parental expectations and beliefs, which can be contrary to their own and may change over time. We conducted the first systematic review to determine what constitutes best medico-legal practice for children under 19 years as context to exploring the perspectives of actors who make judgements and decisions when cancer treatment is no longer curative. Methods Theory-informed mixed-method thematic systematic review with theory development. Results Eight legal/ethical guidelines and 18 studies were included. Whilst there were no unresolved dilemmas, actors had different perspectives and motives. In line with guidelines, the best interests of the individual child informed decisions, although how different actors conceptualized ‘best interests’ when treatment was no longer curative varied. Respect for autonomy was understood as following child/parent preferences, which varied from case to case. Doctors generally shared information so that parents alone could make an informed decision. When parents received reliable information, and personalized interest in their child, they were more likely to achieve shared trust and clearer transition to palliation. Although under-represented in research studies, young people’s perspectives showed some differences to those of parents and professionals. For example, young people preferred to be informed even when prognosis was poor, and they had an altruistic desire to help others by participating in research. Conclusion There needs to be fresh impetus to more effectively and universally implement the ethics of professionalism into daily clinical practice in order to reinforce humanitarian attitudes. Ethical guidelines and regulations attempt to bring professionals together by articulating shared values. While important, ethics training must be supported by institutions/organizations to assist doctors to maintain good professional standards. Findings will hopefully stimulate further normative and descriptive lines of research in this complex under-researched field. Future research needs to be undertaken through a more deliberative cultural lens that includes children’s and multi-disciplinary team members’ perspectives to more fully characterize and understand the dynamics of the decision-making process in this specific end-of life context. PMID:24884514

  9. Distributed Information System Development: Review of Some Management Issues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mishra, Deepti; Mishra, Alok

    Due to the proliferation of the Internet and globalization, distributed information system development is becoming popular. In this paper we have reviewed some significant management issues like process management, project management, requirements management and knowledge management issues which have received much attention in distributed development perspective. In this literature review we found that areas like quality and risk management issues could get only scant attention in distributed information system development.

  10. Health information technology in primary health care in developing countries: a literature review.

    PubMed Central

    Tomasi, Elaine; Facchini, Luiz Augusto; Maia, Maria de Fatima Santos

    2004-01-01

    This paper explores the debate and initiatives concerning the use of information technology (IT) in primary health care in developing countries. The literature from 1992-2002 was identified from searches of the MEDLINE, Latin American and Caribbean Health Science Literature Database (LILACS), Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases. The search identified 884 references, 350 of which were classified according to the scheme described by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). For the analysis of advantages, problems and perspectives of IT applications and systems, 52 articles were selected according to their potential contribution to the primary health-care processes in non-developed countries. These included: 10 on electronic patient registries (EPR), 22 on process and programmatic action evaluation and management systems (PPAEM) and 20 on clinical decision-support systems (CDS). The main advantages, limitations and perspectives are discussed. PMID:15640923

  11. Filamentary model in resistive switching materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jasmin, Alladin C.

    2017-12-01

    The need for next generation computer devices is increasing as the demand for efficient data processing increases. The amount of data generated every second also increases which requires large data storage devices. Oxide-based memory devices are being studied to explore new research frontiers thanks to modern advances in nanofabrication. Various oxide materials are studied as active layers for non-volatile memory. This technology has potential application in resistive random-access-memory (ReRAM) and can be easily integrated in CMOS technologies. The long term perspective of this research field is to develop devices which mimic how the brain processes information. To realize such application, a thorough understanding of the charge transport and switching mechanism is important. A new perspective in the multistate resistive switching based on current-induced filament dynamics will be discussed. A simple equivalent circuit of the device gives quantitative information about the nature of the conducting filament at different resistance states.

  12. The neuroscience of learning: beyond the Hebbian synapse.

    PubMed

    Gallistel, C R; Matzel, Louis D

    2013-01-01

    From the traditional perspective of associative learning theory, the hypothesis linking modifications of synaptic transmission to learning and memory is plausible. It is less so from an information-processing perspective, in which learning is mediated by computations that make implicit commitments to physical and mathematical principles governing the domains where domain-specific cognitive mechanisms operate. We compare the properties of associative learning and memory to the properties of long-term potentiation, concluding that the properties of the latter do not explain the fundamental properties of the former. We briefly review the neuroscience of reinforcement learning, emphasizing the representational implications of the neuroscientific findings. We then review more extensively findings that confirm the existence of complex computations in three information-processing domains: probabilistic inference, the representation of uncertainty, and the representation of space. We argue for a change in the conceptual framework within which neuroscientists approach the study of learning mechanisms in the brain.

  13. Local perspectives of the ability of HIA stakeholder engagement to capture and reflect factors that impact Alaska Native health.

    PubMed

    Jones, Jen; Nix, Nancy A; Snyder, Elizabeth Hodges

    2014-01-01

    Health impact assessment (HIA) is a process used to inform planning and decision making in a range of sectors by identifying potential positive and negative health effects of proposed projects, programs, or policies. Stakeholder engagement is an integral component of HIA and requires careful consideration of participant diversity and appropriate methodologies. Ensuring that the engagement process is able to capture and address Indigenous worldviews and definitions of health is important where Indigenous populations are impacted, particularly in northern regions experiencing increases in natural resource development activities on Indigenous lands. Investigate local participant perspectives of an HIA of a proposed Alaska coal mine, with a focus on the ability of the HIA process to capture, reflect, and address health concerns communicated by Alaska Native participants. A qualitative approach guided by semi-structured interviews with purposeful sampling to select key informants who participated in the coal mine HIA stakeholder engagement process. QUALITATIVE DATA IDENTIFIED THREE KEY THEMES AS IMPORTANT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ALASKA NATIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THE ALASKA COAL MINE HIA STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESS: (i) the inability of the engagement process to recognize an Indigenous way of sharing or gathering information; (ii) the lack of recognizing traditional knowledge and its use for identifying health impacts and status; and (iii) the inability of the engagement process to register the relationship Indigenous people have with the environment in which they live. Issues of trust in the HIA process and of the HIA findings were expressed within each theme. Recommendations derived from the research identify the need to acknowledge and incorporate the history of colonialism and assimilation policies in an HIA when assessing health impacts of resource development on or near Indigenous lands. These historical contexts must be included in baseline conditions to understand particular vulnerabilities and potential health risks and impacts. Further, HIA practitioners should recognize the range of definitions for "health" and demonstrate this recognition throughout the stakeholder engagement process, as well as in the HIA recommendations and suggested mitigations.

  14. Local perspectives of the ability of HIA stakeholder engagement to capture and reflect factors that impact Alaska Native health

    PubMed Central

    Jones, Jen; Nix, Nancy A.; Snyder, Elizabeth Hodges

    2014-01-01

    Background Health impact assessment (HIA) is a process used to inform planning and decision making in a range of sectors by identifying potential positive and negative health effects of proposed projects, programs, or policies. Stakeholder engagement is an integral component of HIA and requires careful consideration of participant diversity and appropriate methodologies. Ensuring that the engagement process is able to capture and address Indigenous worldviews and definitions of health is important where Indigenous populations are impacted, particularly in northern regions experiencing increases in natural resource development activities on Indigenous lands. Objective Investigate local participant perspectives of an HIA of a proposed Alaska coal mine, with a focus on the ability of the HIA process to capture, reflect, and address health concerns communicated by Alaska Native participants. Design A qualitative approach guided by semi-structured interviews with purposeful sampling to select key informants who participated in the coal mine HIA stakeholder engagement process. Results Qualitative data identified three key themes as important from the perspective of Alaska Native participants in the Alaska coal mine HIA stakeholder engagement process: (i) the inability of the engagement process to recognize an Indigenous way of sharing or gathering information; (ii) the lack of recognizing traditional knowledge and its use for identifying health impacts and status; and (iii) the inability of the engagement process to register the relationship Indigenous people have with the environment in which they live. Issues of trust in the HIA process and of the HIA findings were expressed within each theme. Conclusions Recommendations derived from the research identify the need to acknowledge and incorporate the history of colonialism and assimilation policies in an HIA when assessing health impacts of resource development on or near Indigenous lands. These historical contexts must be included in baseline conditions to understand particular vulnerabilities and potential health risks and impacts. Further, HIA practitioners should recognize the range of definitions for “health” and demonstrate this recognition throughout the stakeholder engagement process, as well as in the HIA recommendations and suggested mitigations. PMID:24936478

  15. An analytical approach to customer requirement information processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Zude; Xiao, Zheng; Liu, Quan; Ai, Qingsong

    2013-11-01

    'Customer requirements' (CRs) management is a key component of customer relationship management (CRM). By processing customer-focused information, CRs management plays an important role in enterprise systems (ESs). Although two main CRs analysis methods, quality function deployment (QFD) and Kano model, have been applied to many fields by many enterprises in the past several decades, the limitations such as complex processes and operations make them unsuitable for online businesses among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Currently, most SMEs do not have the resources to implement QFD or Kano model. In this article, we propose a method named customer requirement information (CRI), which provides a simpler and easier way for SMEs to run CRs analysis. The proposed method analyses CRs from the perspective of information and applies mathematical methods to the analysis process. A detailed description of CRI's acquisition, classification and processing is provided.

  16. Promoting quality: the health-care organization from a management perspective.

    PubMed

    Glickman, Seth W; Baggett, Kelvin A; Krubert, Christopher G; Peterson, Eric D; Schulman, Kevin A

    2007-12-01

    Although agreement about the need for quality improvement in health care is almost universal, the means of achieving effective improvement in overall care is not well understood. Avedis Donabedian developed the structure-process-outcome framework in which to think about quality-improvement efforts. There is now a robust evidence-base in the quality-improvement literature on process and outcomes, but structure has received considerably less attention. The health-care field would benefit from expanding the current interpretation of structure to include broader perspectives on organizational attributes as primary determinants of process change and quality improvement. We highlight and discuss the following key elements of organizational attributes from a management perspective: (i) executive management, including senior leadership and board responsibilities (ii) culture, (iii) organizational design, (iv) incentive structures and (v) information management and technology. We discuss the relevant contributions from the business and medical literature for each element, and provide this framework as a roadmap for future research in an effort to develop the optimal definition of 'structure' for transforming quality-improvement initiatives.

  17. Dissociating electrophysiological correlates of subjective, objective, and correct memory in investigating the emotion-induced recognition bias.

    PubMed

    Windmann, Sabine; Hill, Holger

    2014-10-01

    Performance on tasks requiring discrimination of at least two stimuli can be viewed either from an objective perspective (referring to actual stimulus differences), or from a subjective perspective (corresponding to participant's responses). Using event-related potentials recorded during an old/new recognition memory test involving emotionally laden and neutral words studied either blockwise or randomly intermixed, we show here how the objective perspective (old versus new items) yields late effects of blockwise emotional item presentation at parietal sites that the subjective perspective fails to find, whereas the subjective perspective ("old" versus "new" responses) is more sensitive to early effects of emotion at anterior sites than the objective perspective. Our results demonstrate the potential advantage of dissociating the subjective and the objective perspective onto task performance (in addition to analyzing trials with correct responses), especially for investigations of illusions and information processing biases, in behavioral and cognitive neuroscience studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Perspectives on Cybersecurity Information Sharing among Multiple Stakeholders Using a Decision-Theoretic Approach.

    PubMed

    He, Meilin; Devine, Laura; Zhuang, Jun

    2018-02-01

    The government, private sectors, and others users of the Internet are increasingly faced with the risk of cyber incidents. Damage to computer systems and theft of sensitive data caused by cyber attacks have the potential to result in lasting harm to entities under attack, or to society as a whole. The effects of cyber attacks are not always obvious, and detecting them is not a simple proposition. As the U.S. federal government believes that information sharing on cybersecurity issues among organizations is essential to safety, security, and resilience, the importance of trusted information exchange has been emphasized to support public and private decision making by encouraging the creation of the Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC). Through a decision-theoretic approach, this article provides new perspectives on ISAC, and the advent of the new Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations (ISAOs), which are intended to provide similar benefits to organizations that cannot fit easily into the ISAC structure. To help understand the processes of information sharing against cyber threats, this article illustrates 15 representative information sharing structures between ISAC, government, and other participating entities, and provide discussions on the strategic interactions between different stakeholders. This article also identifies the costs of information sharing and information security borne by different parties in this public-private partnership both before and after cyber attacks, as well as the two main benefits. This article provides perspectives on the mechanism of information sharing and some detailed cost-benefit analysis. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

  19. Information processing. [in human performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wickens, Christopher D.; Flach, John M.

    1988-01-01

    Theoretical models of sensory-information processing by the human brain are reviewed from a human-factors perspective, with a focus on their implications for aircraft and avionics design. The topics addressed include perception (signal detection and selection), linguistic factors in perception (context provision, logical reversals, absence of cues, and order reversals), mental models, and working and long-term memory. Particular attention is given to decision-making problems such as situation assessment, decision formulation, decision quality, selection of action, the speed-accuracy tradeoff, stimulus-response compatibility, stimulus sequencing, dual-task performance, task difficulty and structure, and factors affecting multiple task performance (processing modalities, codes, and stages).

  20. Impact of chronotype and time perspective on the processing of scripts.

    PubMed

    Nowack, Kati; van der Meer, Elke

    2014-05-01

    Little is known about the impact of temporal orientation (chronotype; time perspective) on cognitive performance. This study adopted a psychophysiological approach to explore how chronotype (morningness-eveningness) and time perspective (present; future) influence time succession as another aspect of psychological time that is entailed within script knowledge. In a temporal judgment task, participants decided which of the two presented sub-events (e.g., get new batteries-set right time on alarm clock) comes earlier (or later) within a given script (e.g., changing batteries in an alarm clock). Behavioral and pupillary data suggest a differential impact of chronotype and time perspective on script knowledge and cognitive performance. The impact of time perspective on the processing of temporal information entailed in script knowledge appears linked to match or mismatch conditions between a strong focus on future outcomes associated with future time perspective and the task of identifying either the later (future-oriented) or the earlier (past-oriented) sub-event. Concerning the chronotype, evening types process items in which chronological time succession is violated (i.e., reversely presented items) more accurately than morning types. Indexed by pupillary data, the impact of chronotype may relate to more general cognitive abilities. The psychophysiological data derived in this study suggests that evening types typically outperform morning types in various measures such working memory capacity and verbal intelligence simply because they invest more cognitive resources than morning types. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. The Utility of HEGIS Finance Data: A Researcher's Perspective. Working Paper Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCoy, Marilyn

    Factors that affect the utility of financial data collected through the Higher Education General Information Surveys (HEGIS) are examined. Attention is also directed to the process associated with the collection and use of that data; roles and responsibilities of various parties to that process, with a focus on researchers' roles; and possible…

  2. Temporal Context in Speech Processing and Attentional Stream Selection: A Behavioral and Neural Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Golumbic, Elana M. Zion; Poeppel, David; Schroeder, Charles E.

    2012-01-01

    The human capacity for processing speech is remarkable, especially given that information in speech unfolds over multiple time scales concurrently. Similarly notable is our ability to filter out of extraneous sounds and focus our attention on one conversation, epitomized by the "Cocktail Party" effect. Yet, the neural mechanisms underlying on-line…

  3. InfoSyll: A Syllabary Providing Statistical Information on Phonological and Orthographic Syllables

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chetail, Fabienne; Mathey, Stephanie

    2010-01-01

    There is now a growing body of evidence in various languages supporting the claim that syllables are functional units of visual word processing. In the perspective of modeling the processing of polysyllabic words and the activation of syllables, current studies investigate syllabic effects with subtle manipulations. We present here a syllabary of…

  4. Building Inclusive Education on Social and Emotional Learning: Challenges and Perspectives--A Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reicher, Hannelore

    2010-01-01

    This article focuses on conceptual and empirical issues related to the links between social and emotional learning (SEL) and inclusive education. SEL can be defined as the process of socialisation and education related to personal, interpersonal and problem-solving skills and competencies. This process takes place in formal and informal settings…

  5. Paying Attention to Attention Allocation in Second-Language Learning: Some Insights into the Nature of Linguistic Thresholds.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hawson, Anne

    1997-01-01

    Three threshold hypotheses proposed by Cummins (1976) and Diaz (1985) as explanations of data on the cognitive consequences of bilingualism are examined in depth and compared to one another. A neuroscientifically updated information-processing perspective on the interaction of second-language comprehension and visual-processing ability is…

  6. Badge Office Process Analysis

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

    Haurykiewicz, John Paul; Dinehart, Timothy Grant; Parker, Robert Young

    2016-05-12

    The purpose of this process analysis was to analyze the Badge Offices’ current processes from a systems perspective and consider ways of pursuing objectives set forth by SEC-PS, namely increased customer flow (throughput) and reduced customer wait times. Information for the analysis was gathered for the project primarily through Badge Office Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), and in-person observation of prevailing processes. Using the information gathered, a process simulation model was constructed to represent current operations and allow assessment of potential process changes relative to factors mentioned previously. The overall purpose of the analysis was to provide SEC-PS management with informationmore » and recommendations to serve as a basis for additional focused study and areas for potential process improvements in the future.« less

  7. A "Trans-Dyadic" Perspective on the Goldwater Rule.

    PubMed

    Plakun, Eric M

    2017-11-01

    The Goldwater Rule has been debated, redefined, and debated further since the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. This column offers a perspective on the Goldwater Rule that moves beyond psychiatry's current preoccupation with precision DSM-5 diagnosis of individuals, which ethically requires consent or other legal authorization for release of diagnostic information to others, and into the realm of leadership as seen through the "trans-dyadic" lens of psychoanalytic understanding of large group processes on a societal level. Concepts from large group psychology are introduced to illustrate "trans-dyadic" perspectives on leadership that do not challenge the Goldwater Rule.

  8. Social anxiety and information processing biases: An integrated theoretical perspective.

    PubMed

    Peschard, Virginie; Philippot, Pierre

    2016-01-01

    Models of anxiety disorders posit that information processing biases towards threat may result from an imbalance between top-down attentional control processes and bottom-up attentional processes, such that anxiety could reduce the influence of the former and increase the influence of the latter. However, researchers have recently pointed to limitations of the top-down/bottom-up terminology and outlined the additional contribution of memory processes to attention guidance. The goal of this paper is to provide bridges between recent findings from cognitive psychology and anxiety disorders research. We first provide an integrative overview of the processes influencing the content of working memory, including the availability of attentional control, and the strengths of task goals, stimulus salience, selection history and long-term memory. We then illustrate the interest of this formulation to the study of information processing biases in anxiety disorders, with a specific focus on social anxiety.

  9. Designing visual displays and system models for safe reactor operations based on the user`s perspective of the system

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

    Brown-VanHoozer, S.A.

    Most designers are not schooled in the area of human-interaction psychology and therefore tend to rely on the traditional ergonomic aspects of human factors when designing complex human-interactive workstations related to reactor operations. They do not take into account the differences in user information processing behavior and how these behaviors may affect individual and team performance when accessing visual displays or utilizing system models in process and control room areas. Unfortunately, by ignoring the importance of the integration of the user interface at the information process level, the result can be sub-optimization and inherently error- and failure-prone systems. Therefore, tomore » minimize or eliminate failures in human-interactive systems, it is essential that the designers understand how each user`s processing characteristics affects how the user gathers information, and how the user communicates the information to the designer and other users. A different type of approach in achieving this understanding is Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). The material presented in this paper is based on two studies involving the design of visual displays, NLP, and the user`s perspective model of a reactor system. The studies involve the methodology known as NLP, and its use in expanding design choices from the user`s ``model of the world,`` in the areas of virtual reality, workstation design, team structure, decision and learning style patterns, safety operations, pattern recognition, and much, much more.« less

  10. Roles, processes, and outcomes of interprofessional shared decision-making in a neonatal intensive care unit: A qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Dunn, Sandra I; Cragg, Betty; Graham, Ian D; Medves, Jennifer; Gaboury, Isabelle

    2018-05-01

    Shared decision-making provides an opportunity for the knowledge and skills of care providers to synergistically influence patient care. Little is known about interprofessional shared decision-making processes in critical care settings. The aim of this study was to explore interprofessional team members' perspectives about the nature of interprofessional shared decision-making in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and to determine if there are any differences in perspectives across professional groups. An exploratory qualitative approach was used consisting of semi-structured interviews with 22 members of an interprofessional team working in a tertiary care NICU in Canada. Participants identified four key roles involved in interprofessional shared decision-making: leader, clinical experts, parents, and synthesizer. Participants perceived that interprofessional shared decision-making happens through collaboration, sharing, and weighing the options, the evidence and the credibility of opinions put forward. The process of interprofessional shared decision-making leads to a well-informed decision and participants feeling valued. Findings from this study identified key concepts of interprofessional shared decision-making, increased awareness of differing professional perspectives about this process of shared decision-making, and clarified understanding of the different roles involved in the decision-making process in an NICU.

  11. Assessing Mission Impact of Cyberattacks: Report of the NATO IST-128 Workshop

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-12-01

    simulation) perspective. This would be natural, considering that the cybersecurity problem is highly adversarial in nature. Because it involves intelligent ...be formulated as a partial information game; artificial intelligence techniques might help here. Yet another style of problem formulation that...computational information processing for weapons, intelligence , communication, and logistics systems continues to increase the vulnerability of

  12. An Activity Theory Approach to Analyze Barriers to a Virtual Management Information Systems (MIS) Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jaradat, Suhair; Qablan, Ahmad; Barham, Areej

    2011-01-01

    This paper explains how the activity theory is used as a framework to analyze the barriers to a virtual Management Information Stream (MIS) Curriculum in Jordanian schools, from both the sociocultural and pedagogical perspectives. Taking the activity system as a unit of analysis, this study documents the processes by which activities shape and are…

  13. People-oriented Information Visualization Design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Zhiyong; Zhang, Bolun

    2018-04-01

    In the 21st century with rapid development, in the wake of the continuous progress of science and technology, human society enters the information era and the era of big data, and the lifestyle and aesthetic system also change accordingly, so the emerging field of information visualization is increasingly popular. Information visualization design is the process of visualizing all kinds of tedious information data, so as to quickly accept information and save time-cost. Along with the development of the process of information visualization, information design, also becomes hotter and hotter, and emotional design, people-oriented design is an indispensable part of in the design of information. This paper probes information visualization design through emotional analysis of information design based on the social context of people-oriented experience from the perspective of art design. Based on the three levels of emotional information design: instinct level, behavior level and reflective level research, to explore and discuss information visualization design.

  14. On the Role of Mentalizing Processes in Aesthetic Appreciation: An ERP Study.

    PubMed

    Beudt, Susan; Jacobsen, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    We used event-related brain potentials to explore the impact of mental perspective taking on processes of aesthetic appreciation of visual art. Participants (non-experts) were first presented with information about the life and attitudes of a fictitious artist. Subsequently, they were cued trial-wise to make an aesthetic judgment regarding an image depicting a piece of abstract art either from their own perspective or from the imagined perspective of the fictitious artist [i.e., theory of mind (ToM) condition]. Positive self-referential judgments were made more quickly and negative self-referential judgments were made more slowly than the corresponding judgments from the imagined perspective. Event-related potential analyses revealed significant differences between the two tasks both within the preparation period (i.e., during the cue-stimulus interval) and within the stimulus presentation period. For the ToM condition we observed a relative centro-parietal negativity during the preparation period (700-330 ms preceding picture onset) and a relative centro-parietal positivity during the stimulus presentation period (700-1100 ms after stimulus onset). These findings suggest that different subprocesses are involved in aesthetic appreciation and judgment of visual abstract art from one's own vs. from another person's perspective.

  15. Cognitive processes in spatial mapping: Evidence from a developmental spatial deficit.

    PubMed

    Hatfield, Miles; Reilhac, Caroline; Cowley, Hannah; Chang, Elizabeth; McCloskey, Michael

    2017-07-01

    We report a case study of an adolescent girl (N.K.Y.) with a developmental deficit affecting spatial processing. In a simple spatial mapping task, N.K.Y. shows a striking dissociation: She succeeds in one variant of the experiment in which the stimuli are objects, but struggles in a structurally identical task with people as stimuli. We present evidence that this dissociation stems from a tendency to automatically adopt the spatial perspective of other people, but not objects-a phenomenon also observed in neurotypical individuals. When adopting another person's perspective, N.K.Y. imagines herself in the other's position, representing the other's left and right as if it were her own. N.K.Y.'s deficit in relating left-right information to her own body then disrupts her performance. Our results shed light on the nature of N.K.Y.'s deficit as well as the cognitive operations involved in spatial perspective taking.

  16. Informal payments for health care--the phenomenon and its context.

    PubMed

    Cohen, Nissim

    2012-07-01

    This paper reviews current research and literature on the issue of informal payments for health care and its context and suggests a new perspective for a better understanding of this phenomenon. This perspective, based on political culture and behavior and on wider social processes, is already used to explain various phenomena from different fields of public policy. The paper explains the impact of a specific type of political culture, called 'alternative politics' (AP) in the Israeli literature, on healthcare policy and institutional healthcare settings. AP is based on a 'do-it-yourself' approach adopted by citizens to address their dissatisfaction with governmental services. When such a mode of political culture is diffused to all sectors and levels of society, all players, including bureaucrats and politicians, are guided by short-term considerations and apply unilateral strategies that bypass formal rules either through illegal activity or by marginalizing formal rules. Explaining informal payments by analyzing social processes and political culture and behavior has some disadvantages, but it provides us with a better understanding of the phenomenon while covering most of its characteristics and configurations.

  17. Impact of Participation in Decision Making on Job Satisfaction: An Organizational Communication Perspective.

    PubMed

    Xia, Ying; Zhang, Li; Zhao, Ning

    2016-09-20

    Participation in organizational decision-making has received considerable attention from scholars. Beyond the perspectives proposed in past studies, we offer a new account, based upon a communication perspective, to explain why and when participation in decision-making can influence job satisfaction. Drawing from social capital theory, we examine whether communication openness mediates the relationship between participation in decision-making and job satisfaction. We also investigate how information adequacy moderates this mediated process. Results from a sample of 184 employees in China showed that the four-factor model was the best fitting solution (CFI = .91, GFI = .90, RMSEA = .09). The analyses indicated that employees' participation in decision-making positively affected their job satisfaction (β = .32, p < .001), and the effect was mediated by communication openness (direct effect became non-significant when communication openness was included: β = .06, n.s.). Results also found that decision-making information adequacy positively moderated the relationship between participation in decision-making and communication openness (β = .13, p < .05). Thus, open communication and the free flow of information within organizations should be encouraged.

  18. Origins of Life; A cosmic perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Whittet, Douglas

    2017-11-01

    'Origins of Life: A Cosmic Perspective' presents an overview of the concepts, methods, and theories of astrobiology and origins of life research while presenting a summary of the latest findings. The book provides insight into the environments and processes that gave birth to life on our planet, which naturally informs our assessment of the probability that has arisen (or will arise) elsewhere. In addition, the book encourages readers to go beyond basic concepts, to explore topics in greater depth, and to engage in lively discussions.

  19. Physical models of biological information and adaptation.

    PubMed

    Stuart, C I

    1985-04-07

    The bio-informational equivalence asserts that biological processes reduce to processes of information transfer. In this paper, that equivalence is treated as a metaphor with deeply anthropomorphic content of a sort that resists constitutive-analytical definition, including formulation within mathematical theories of information. It is argued that continuance of the metaphor, as a quasi-theoretical perspective in biology, must entail a methodological dislocation between biological and physical science. It is proposed that a general class of functions, drawn from classical physics, can serve to eliminate the anthropomorphism. Further considerations indicate that the concept of biological adaptation is central to the general applicability of the informational idea in biology; a non-anthropomorphic treatment of adaptive phenomena is suggested in terms of variational principles.

  20. GREEN PROCESSING USING IONIC LIQUIDS AND CO2. (R824731)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  1. DEHALOGENATION OF XENOBIOTICS DURING THE HUMIFICATION PROCESS. (R823847)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  2. Perspectives.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bandy, Patricia, Ed.

    Designed to encourage informed and critical thinking on contemporary political issues and processes, the articles, case studies, and activities in this student handbook can be incorporated into secondary school social studies units on government or current events. Eight chapters cover the presidency, the federal bureaucracy, the Congress, the…

  3. CALCIUM TRANSPORT PROCESSES OF LOBSTER HEPATOPANCREATIC MITOCHONDRIA. (R823068)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  4. New perspectives on microbial community distortion after whole-genome amplification

    EPA Science Inventory

    Whole-genome amplification (WGA) has become an important tool to explore the genomic information of microorganisms in an environmental sample with limited biomass, however potential selective biases during the amplification processes are poorly understood. Here, we describe the e...

  5. Human factors guidelines for applications of 3D perspectives: a literature review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dixon, Sharon; Fitzhugh, Elisabeth; Aleva, Denise

    2009-05-01

    Once considered too processing-intense for general utility, application of the third dimension to convey complex information is facilitated by the recent proliferation of technological advancements in computer processing, 3D displays, and 3D perspective (2.5D) renderings within a 2D medium. The profusion of complex and rapidly-changing dynamic information being conveyed in operational environments has elevated interest in possible military applications of 3D technologies. 3D can be a powerful mechanism for clearer information portrayal, facilitating rapid and accurate identification of key elements essential to mission performance and operator safety. However, implementation of 3D within legacy systems can be costly, making integration prohibitive. Therefore, identifying which tasks may benefit from 3D or 2.5D versus simple 2D visualizations is critical. Unfortunately, there is no "bible" of human factors guidelines for usability optimization of 2D, 2.5D, or 3D visualizations nor for determining which display best serves a particular application. Establishing such guidelines would provide an invaluable tool for designers and operators. Defining issues common to each will enhance design effectiveness. This paper presents the results of an extensive review of open source literature addressing 3D information displays, with particular emphasis on comparison of true 3D with 2D and 2.5D representations and their utility for military tasks. Seventy-five papers are summarized, highlighting militarily relevant applications of 3D visualizations and 2.5D perspective renderings. Based on these findings, human factors guidelines for when and how to use these visualizations, along with recommendations for further research are discussed.

  6. The origins of pedagogy: developmental and evolutionary perspectives.

    PubMed

    Skerry, Amy E; Lambert, Enoch; Powell, Lindsey J; McAuliffe, Katherine

    2013-07-18

    The question of whether and how information is actively transferred from knowledgeable to ignorant individuals has received much attention in psychology and evolutionary biology. Research in these fields has proceeded largely independently, with studies of nonhuman animals focusing on knowledgeable individuals and whether or not they meet a functional definition of teaching, while studies of children focus on the learner's assumptions and inferences. We argue that a comprehensive theory of teaching will benefit from integrating perspectives and empirical phenomena from evolutionary and developmental disciplines. In this review, we identify cases of seemingly purposeful information transfer (i.e. teaching) in human and nonhuman animals, discuss what is known about the cognitive processes that support teaching in different species, and highlight ways in which each discipline might be informed by extant theories and empirical tools from the other.

  7. Qualitative Information in Annual Reports & the Detection of Corporate Fraud: A Natural Language Processing Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goel, Sunita

    2009-01-01

    High profile cases of fraudulent financial reporting such as those that occurred at Enron and WorldCom have shaken public confidence in the U.S. financial reporting process and have raised serious concerns about the roles of auditors, regulators, and analysts in financial reporting. In order to address these concerns and restore public confidence,…

  8. Intercultural Communication as Viewed from the Perspective of Cross-cultural Psychology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niikura, Ryoko

    The encounter with foreign nationals in everyday life calls for not only understanding of the other on the level of recognition but also the ability to cope with the whole spectrum of emotional reactions associated with direct experience of other cultures. Viewing the subject from the perspective of cross-cultural psychology, this paper outlines the course of human information processing that restricts cross-cultural personal acceptance and the psychological process involved in contact with other cultures. Building on this basis, it then discusses the significance of understanding other cultures and examines requirements for communication with people who have different cultural backgrounds. A particular focus is the approach to communication with international students in Japanese universities.

  9. Educational technology in medical education.

    PubMed

    Han, Heeyoung; Resch, David S; Kovach, Regina A

    2013-01-01

    This article aims to review the past practices of educational technology and envision future directions for medical education. The discussion starts with a historical review of definitions and perspectives of educational technology, in which the authors propose that educators adopt a broader process-oriented understanding of educational technology. Future directions of e-learning, simulation, and health information technology are discussed based on a systems view of the technological process. As new technologies continue to arise, this process-oriented understanding and outcome-based expectations of educational technology should be embraced. With this view, educational technology should be valued in terms of how well the technological process informs and facilitates learning, and the acquisition and maintenance of clinical expertise.

  10. The Role of Dysfunctional Myths in a Decision-Making Process under Bounded Rationality: A Complex Dynamical Systems Perspective.

    PubMed

    Stamovlasis, Dimitrios; Vaiopoulou, Julie

    2017-07-01

    The present study examines the factors influencing a decision-making process, with specific focus on the role of dysfunctional myths (DM). DM are thoughts or beliefs that are rather irrational, however influential to people's decisions. In this paper a decision-making process regarding the career choice of university students majoring in natural sciences and education (N=496) is examined by analyzing survey data taken via Career Decision Making Difficulties Questionnaire (CDDQ). The difficulty of making the choice and the certainty about one's decision were the state variables, while the independent variables were factors related to the lack of information or knowledge needed, which actually reflect a bounded rationality. Cusp catastrophe analysis, based on both least squares and maximum likelihood procedures, showed that the nonlinear models predicting the two state variables were superior to linear alternatives. Factors related to lack of knowledge about the steps involved in the process of career decision-making, lack of information about the various occupations, lack of information about self and lack of motivation acted as asymmetry, while dysfunctional myths acted as bifurcation factor for both state variables. The catastrophe model, grounded in empirical data, revealed a unique role for DM and a better interpretation within the context of complexity and the notion of bounded rationality. The analysis opens the nonlinear dynamical systems (NDS) perspective in studying decision-making processes. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

  11. CALCIUM TRANSPORT PROCESSES OF LOBSTER HEPATOPANCREATIC BRUSH BORDER MEMBRANE VESICLES. (R823068)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  12. SURFACE CHEMISTRY AND DISPERSION OF PIGMENT FOR A SOLVENTLESS PROCESS. (R826728)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  13. SURFACE CHEMISTRY AND DISPERSION OF PIGMENT FOR A SOLVENTLESS PROCESS. (R827121)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  14. ISOPRENE FORMS SECONDARY ORGANIC AEROSOL THROUGH CLOUD PROCESSING: MODEL SIMULATIONS (R831073)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  15. Command and Control for War and Peace

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-01-01

    segments of the information busi - ness, as well as organizations that are consumers of information. Competing industries and competitors within... business from a broad, conceptual viewpoint. Each of the practitioners tends to see the process from perspectives that vary widely and at the frequent...that must eventually emerge from schol- arly treatment of the business and take an enduring form for future and aspiring practitioners to study, Senior

  16. Integrating transition theory and bioecological theory: a theoretical perspective for nurses supporting the transition to adulthood for young people with medical complexity.

    PubMed

    Joly, Elizabeth

    2016-06-01

    To present a discussion of a theoretical perspective developed through integrating Meleis' Transition Theory and Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Theory of Human Development to inform nursing and advanced nursing practice supporting the transition to adulthood for young people with medical complexity. Theoretical perspectives to inform nursing practice in supporting successful transition are limited, yet nurses frequently encounter young people with medical complexity during the transition to adulthood. Discussion paper. A literature search of CINAHL and Medline was conducted in 2014 and included articles from 2003-2014; informal discussions with families; the author's experiences in a transition program. The integrated theoretical perspective described in this paper can inform nurses and advanced practice nurses on contextual influences, program and intervention development across spheres of influence and outcomes for the transition to adulthood for young people with medical complexity. Young people and their families require effective reciprocal interactions with individuals and services across sectors to successfully transition to adulthood and become situated in the adult world. Intervention must also extend beyond the young person to include providers, services and health and social policy. Nurses can take a leadership role in supporting the transition to adulthood for young people with medical complexity through direct care, case management, education and research. It is integral that nurses holistically consider developmental processes, complexity and contextual conditions that promote positive outcomes during and beyond the transition to adulthood. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Perspective image comprehension depends on both visual and proprioceptive information.

    PubMed

    Michel, Christian W; Ray, Devin G; Kaup, Barbara; Hesse, Friedrich W

    2014-11-01

    Proprioceptive information can supplement visual information in the comprehension of ambiguous perspective images. The importance of proprioceptive information in unambiguous perspective image comprehension is untested, however. We explored the role of proprioception in perspective image comprehension using three experiments in which participants took or imagined taking an upward- or downward-oriented posture and then made judgments about images viewed from below or viewed from above. Participants were faster and more accurate in their judgments when their actual or simulated posture was consistent with the posture implied by the perspective of the image they were judging. These results support a role for proprioception in the comprehension of unambiguous perspective images as well as ambiguous perspective images.

  18. Perspectives from space: NASA classroom information and activities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1992-01-01

    This booklet contains the information and classroom activities included on the backs of the eight poster series, 'Perspectives From Space'. The first series, Earth, An Integrated System, contains information on global ecology, remote sensing from space, data products, earth modeling, and international environmental treaties. The second series, Patterns Among Planets, contains information on the solar system, planetary processes, impacts and atmospheres, and a classroom activity on Jupiter's satellite system. The third series, Our Place In The Cosmos, contains information on the scale of the universe, origins of the universe, mission to the universe, and three classroom activities. The fourth series, Our Sun, The Nearest Star, contains information on the Sun. The fifth series, Oasis Of Life, contains information on the development of life, chemical and biological evolution on Earth and the search for other life in the universe. The sixth series, The Influence Of Gravity, contains information on Newton's Law of Gravity, space and microgravity, microgravity environment, and classroom activities on gravity. The seventh series, The Spirit Of Exploration, contains information on space exploration, the Apollo Program, future exploration activities, and two classroom activities. The eighth series, Global Cooperation, contains information on rocketry, the space race, and multi-nation exploration projects.

  19. Improving data collection processes for routine evaluation of treatment cost-effectiveness.

    PubMed

    Monto, Sari; Penttilä, Riku; Kärri, Timo; Puolakka, Kari; Valpas, Antti; Talonpoika, Anna-Maria

    2016-04-01

    The healthcare system in Finland has begun routine collection of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) information for patients in hospitals to support more systematic cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA). This article describes the systematic collection of HRQoL survey data, and addresses challenges in the implementation of patient surveys and acquisition of cost data in the case hospital. Challenges include problems with incomplete data and undefined management processes. In order to support CEA of hospital treatments, improvements are sought from the process management literature and in the observation of healthcare professionals. The article has been written from an information system and process management perspective, concluding that process ownership, automation of data collection and better staff training are keys to generating more reliable data.

  20. Mixture and odorant processing in the olfactory systems of insects: a comparative perspective.

    PubMed

    Clifford, Marie R; Riffell, Jeffrey A

    2013-11-01

    Natural olfactory stimuli are often complex mixtures of volatiles, of which the identities and ratios of constituents are important for odor-mediated behaviors. Despite this importance, the mechanism by which the olfactory system processes this complex information remains an area of active study. In this review, we describe recent progress in how odorants and mixtures are processed in the brain of insects. We use a comparative approach toward contrasting olfactory coding and the behavioral efficacy of mixtures in different insect species, and organize these topics around four sections: (1) Examples of the behavioral efficacy of odor mixtures and the olfactory environment; (2) mixture processing in the periphery; (3) mixture coding in the antennal lobe; and (4) evolutionary implications and adaptations for olfactory processing. We also include pertinent background information about the processing of individual odorants and comparative differences in wiring and anatomy, as these topics have been richly investigated and inform the processing of mixtures in the insect olfactory system. Finally, we describe exciting studies that have begun to elucidate the role of the processing of complex olfactory information in evolution and speciation.

  1. Negotiating Terms and Conditions: An Overview of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Hydropower Settlement Agreement Process

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

    Levine, Aaron L; Curtis, Taylor L; Shields, Laura

    The process for obtaining, transferring, or surrendering a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) hydropower license or exemption from licensing can be a series of complex negotiations. In many instances, the process may include stakeholders with different and/or competing perspectives or objectives related to the original license, new license (i.e., relicense), transfer of a license, or surrender of a license. Divergent perspectives and objectives can lead to disputes among project participants, which may impact the development of FERC license terms and conditions. One mechanism to resolve disputes between project participants involving a FERC authorization is informal and formal settlement agreement conferences,more » which often result in settlement agreements addressing the disputed issues. This report provides hydropower stakeholders with a better understanding of the FERC settlement agreement process, including information on: How to initiate a settlement agreement. The procedural steps associated with the settlement agreement process. The legal standards the Commission must adhere to when determining whether settlement agreement provisions can become lawful and enforceable terms or conditions of a FERC authorization. Examples of settlement agreement provisions included as license terms and conditions or in off-license agreements from a collection of settlement agreements and Commission orders.« less

  2. Cochlear implants in children implanted in Jordan: A parental overview.

    PubMed

    Alkhamra, Rana A

    2015-07-01

    Exploring the perspective of parents on the cochlear implant process in Jordan. Sixty parents of deaf children were surveyed on the information gathering process prior to cochlear implant surgery, and their implant outcome expectations post-surgery. Whether child or parent characteristics may impact parents' post-surgical expectations was explored. Although parents used a variety of information sources when considering a cochlear implant, the ear, nose and throat doctor comprised their major source of information (60%). Parents received a range of information prior to cochlear implant but agreed (93.3%) on the need for a multidisciplinary team approach. Post-surgically, parents' expected major developments in the areas of spoken language (97%), and auditory skills (100%). Receiving education in mainstream schools (92%) was expected too. Parents perceived the cochlear implant decision as the best decision they can make for their child (98.3%). A significant correlation was found between parents contentment with the cochlear implant decision and expecting developments in the area of reading and writing (r=0.7). Child's age at implantation and age at hearing loss diagnosis significantly affected parents' post-implant outcome expectations (p<0.05). Despite the general satisfaction from the information quantity and quality prior to cochlear implant, parents agree on the need for a comprehensive multidisciplinary team approach during the different stages of the cochlear implant process. Parents' education about cochlear implants prior to the surgery can affect their post-surgical outcome expectations. The parental perspective presented in this study can help professionals develop better understanding of parents' needs and expectations and henceforth improve their services and support during the different stages of the cochlear implant process. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  3. LIMITATION INTERACTIONS OF ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES WITH SPATIAL HETEROGENEITY: THE PUZZLE OF NITROGEN. (R827676)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  4. INTRA-ANNUAL AND INTERANNUAL VARIABILITY OF ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES IN SHORTGRASS STEPPE. (R824993)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  5. TRIBOELECTRIC CHARGING OF POLYMER POWDERS IN FLUIDIZATION AND TRANSPORT PROCESSES. (R827685E04)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  6. A Feminist Family Therapy Scale.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Black, Leora; Piercy, Fred P.

    1991-01-01

    Reports on development and psychometric properties of Feminist Family Therapy Scale (FFTS), a 17-item instrument intended to reflect degree to which family therapists conceptualize process of family therapy from feminist-informed perspective. Found that the instrument discriminated between self-identified feminists and nonfeminists, women and men,…

  7. A POISSON PROCESS APPROACH FOR RECURRENT EVENT DATA WITH ENVIRONMENTAL COVARIATES. (R825266)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  8. LAGRANGIAN PARTICLE DISPERSION MODELING OF THE FUMIGATION PROCESS USING LARGE-EDDY SIMULATION. (R828178)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  9. ASSESSING AND MANAGING MERCURY FROM HISTORIC AND CURRENT MINING ACTIVITIES (PROGRAM FLYER)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The conference is designed to achieve three primary goals:

    Convey public, non-profit and priva sector perspectives on the assessment and management of mercury associated with mining processes, residuals and environmental impacters

    Identify data gaps and information ...

  10. Perspectives. 1983 Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Close Up Foundation, Arlington, VA.

    Designed to encourage informed and critical thinking on contemporary political issues and processes, the articles, case studies, and activities in this student handbook can be incorporated into secondary school social studies units on government or current events. Seven chapters cover the executive branch of government, Congress, the judiciary,…

  11. A CONTINUOUS FLOW EVALUATION OF THE GALVANIC STRIPPING PROCESS. (R825549C055)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  12. 78 FR 10599 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-14

    ... Collaborative are designed to bring the intended users of the science into the research process so that their perspectives can inform problem definition, research design and implementation, and ultimately, application of...: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Title: National Estuarine Research Reserve System...

  13. VENTILATION OF INDUSTRIAL PROCESS DRAINS: MECHANISMS AND EFFECTS ON VOC EMISSIONS (R823335)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  14. a Comparitive Study Using Geometric and Vertical Profile Features Derived from Airborne LIDAR for Classifying Tree Genera

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ko, C.; Sohn, G.; Remmel, T. K.

    2012-07-01

    We present a comparative study between two different approaches for tree genera classification using descriptors derived from tree geometry and those derived from the vertical profile analysis of LiDAR point data. The different methods provide two perspectives for processing LiDAR point clouds for tree genera identification. The geometric perspective analyzes individual tree crowns in relation to valuable information related to characteristics of clusters and line segments derived within crowns and overall tree shapes to highlight the spatial distribution of LiDAR points within the crown. Conversely, analyzing vertical profiles retrieves information about the point distributions with respect to height percentiles; this perspective emphasizes of the importance that point distributions at specific heights express, accommodating for the decreased point density with respect to depth of canopy penetration by LiDAR pulses. The targeted species include white birch, maple, oak, poplar, white pine and jack pine at a study site northeast of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.

  15. Binocular disparities, motion parallax, and geometric perspective in Patrick Hughes's 'reverspectives': theoretical analysis and empirical findings.

    PubMed

    Rogers, Brian; Gyani, Alex

    2010-01-01

    Abstract. Patrick Hughes's 'reverspective' artworks provide a novel way of investigating the effectiveness of different sources of 3-D information for the human visual system. Our empirical findings show that the converging lines of simple linear perspective can be as effective as the rich array of 3-D cues present in natural scenes in determining what we see, even when these cues are in conflict with binocular disparities. Theoretical considerations reveal that, once the information provided by motion parallax transformations is correctly understood, there is no need to invoke higher-level processes or an interpretation based on familiarity or past experience in order to explain either the 'reversed' depth or the apparent, concomitant rotation of a reverspective artwork as the observer moves from side to side. What we see in reverspectives is the most likely real-world scenario (distal stimulus) that could have created the perspective and parallax transformations (proximal stimulus) that stimulate our visual systems.

  16. Introduction of Building Information Modeling (BIM) Technologies in Construction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Milyutina, M. A.

    2018-05-01

    The issues of introduction of building information modeling (BIM) in construction industry are considered in this work. The advantages of this approach and perspectives of the transition to new design technologies, construction process management, and operation in the near future are stated. The importance of development of pilot projects that should identify the ways and means of verification of the regulatory and technical base, as well as economic indicators in the transition to Building Information Technologies in the construction, is noted.

  17. Building shared experience to advance practical application of pathway-based toxicology: liver toxicity mode-of-action.

    PubMed

    Willett, Catherine; Caverly Rae, Jessica; Goyak, Katy O; Minsavage, Gary; Westmoreland, Carl; Andersen, Melvin; Avigan, Mark; Duché, Daniel; Harris, Georgina; Hartung, Thomas; Jaeschke, Hartmut; Kleensang, Andre; Landesmann, Brigitte; Martos, Suzanne; Matevia, Marilyn; Toole, Colleen; Rowan, Andrew; Schultz, Terry; Seed, Jennifer; Senior, John; Shah, Imran; Subramanian, Kalyanasundaram; Vinken, Mathieu; Watkins, Paul

    2014-01-01

    A workshop sponsored by the Human Toxicology Project Consortium (HTPC), "Building Shared Experience to Advance Practical Application of Pathway-Based Toxicology: Liver Toxicity Mode-of-Action" brought together experts from a wide range of perspectives to inform the process of pathway development and to advance two prototype pathways initially developed by the European Commission Joint Research Center (JRC): liver-specific fibrosis and steatosis. The first half of the workshop focused on the theory and practice of pathway development; the second on liver disease and the two prototype pathways. Participants agreed pathway development is extremely useful for organizing information and found that focusing the theoretical discussion on a specific AOP is extremely helpful. In addition, it is important to include several perspectives during pathway development, including information specialists, pathologists, human health and environmental risk assessors, and chemical and product manufacturers, to ensure the biology is well captured and end use is considered.

  18. On the Role of Mentalizing Processes in Aesthetic Appreciation: An ERP Study

    PubMed Central

    Beudt, Susan; Jacobsen, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    We used event-related brain potentials to explore the impact of mental perspective taking on processes of aesthetic appreciation of visual art. Participants (non-experts) were first presented with information about the life and attitudes of a fictitious artist. Subsequently, they were cued trial-wise to make an aesthetic judgment regarding an image depicting a piece of abstract art either from their own perspective or from the imagined perspective of the fictitious artist [i.e., theory of mind (ToM) condition]. Positive self-referential judgments were made more quickly and negative self-referential judgments were made more slowly than the corresponding judgments from the imagined perspective. Event-related potential analyses revealed significant differences between the two tasks both within the preparation period (i.e., during the cue-stimulus interval) and within the stimulus presentation period. For the ToM condition we observed a relative centro-parietal negativity during the preparation period (700–330 ms preceding picture onset) and a relative centro-parietal positivity during the stimulus presentation period (700–1100 ms after stimulus onset). These findings suggest that different subprocesses are involved in aesthetic appreciation and judgment of visual abstract art from one’s own vs. from another person’s perspective. PMID:26617506

  19. Educating Librarians and Information Resource Managers: Differing Management Perspectives?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bouthillier, France

    1993-01-01

    Examines differences between library management and information resource management (IRM). Highlights include a historical perspective of library management education and IRM; the organizational perspective of library management and the emphasis of information as a resource in IRM; library management and advances in information technology; and…

  20. Development of Multi-perspective Diagnostics and Analysis Algorithms with Applications to Subsonic and Supersonic Combustors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wickersham, Andrew Joseph

    There are two critical research needs for the study of hydrocarbon combustion in high speed flows: 1) combustion diagnostics with adequate temporal and spatial resolution, and 2) mathematical techniques that can extract key information from large datasets. The goal of this work is to address these needs, respectively, by the use of high speed and multi-perspective chemiluminescence and advanced mathematical algorithms. To obtain the measurements, this work explored the application of high speed chemiluminescence diagnostics and the use of fiber-based endoscopes (FBEs) for non-intrusive and multi-perspective chemiluminescence imaging up to 20 kHz. Non-intrusive and full-field imaging measurements provide a wealth of information for model validation and design optimization of propulsion systems. However, it is challenging to obtain such measurements due to various implementation difficulties such as optical access, thermal management, and equipment cost. This work therefore explores the application of FBEs for non-intrusive imaging to supersonic propulsion systems. The FBEs used in this work are demonstrated to overcome many of the aforementioned difficulties and provided datasets from multiple angular positions up to 20 kHz in a supersonic combustor. The combustor operated on ethylene fuel at Mach 2 with an inlet stagnation temperature and pressure of approximately 640 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 psia, respectively. The imaging measurements were obtained from eight perspectives simultaneously, providing full-field datasets under such flow conditions for the first time, allowing the possibility of inferring multi-dimensional measurements. Due to the high speed and multi-perspective nature, such new diagnostic capability generates a large volume of data and calls for analysis algorithms that can process the data and extract key physics effectively. To extract the key combustion dynamics from the measurements, three mathematical methods were investigated in this work: Fourier analysis, proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), and wavelet analysis (WA). These algorithms were first demonstrated and tested on imaging measurements obtained from one perspective in a sub-sonic combustor (up to Mach 0.2). The results show that these algorithms are effective in extracting the key physics from large datasets, including the characteristic frequencies of flow-flame interactions especially during transient processes such as lean blow off and ignition. After these relatively simple tests and demonstrations, these algorithms were applied to process the measurements obtained from multi-perspective in the supersonic combustor. compared to past analyses (which have been limited to data obtained from one perspective only), the availability of data at multiple perspective provide further insights into the flame and flow structures in high speed flows. In summary, this work shows that high speed chemiluminescence is a simple yet powerful combustion diagnostic. Especially when combined with FBEs and the analyses algorithms described in this work, such diagnostics provide full-field imaging at high repetition rate in challenging flows. Based on such measurements, a wealth of information can be obtained from proper analysis algorithms, including characteristic frequency, dominating flame modes, and even multi-dimensional flame and flow structures.

  1. A Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective on Intelligence.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meichenbaum, Donald

    1980-01-01

    The first purpose of this editorial is to indicate a parallel trend in two disparate areas of research: information processing and cognitive-behavior modification (CBM). The second purpose is to highlight the role that affect plays in intellectual functioning, noting implications following the assessment of intelligence. (Author/RD)

  2. CONFIRMATION OF CONJUGATION PROCESSES DURING TNT METABOLISM BY AXENIC PLANT ROOTS. (R825513C013)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  3. TRANSPORT PROCESSES OF TNT FROM FLOODED HIGHLY CONTAMINATED SURFACE SOIL BEDS. (R825513C013)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  4. The Charge of the Byte Brigade: Educators Lead the Fourth Revolution.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gardner, David Pierpont

    1986-01-01

    Opportunities provided by computer technologies are considered from two perspectives: what they are enabling teachers and researchers to do and implications for the future. Processing information, opening access to the library, and coordinating telecommunications are discussed, including the University of California MELVYL system. (MLW)

  5. INTRA-AND INTERANNUAL VARIABILITY OF ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES IN SHORTGRASS STEPPE: NEW MODEL, VERIFICATION, SIMULATIONS. (R824993)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  6. Autism and Digital Learning Environments: Processes of Interaction and Mediation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Passerino, Liliana M.; Santarosa, Lucila M. Costi

    2008-01-01

    Using a socio-historical perspective to explain social interaction and taking advantage of information and communication technologies (ICTs) currently available for creating digital learning environments (DLEs), this paper seeks to redress the absence of empirical data concerning technology-aided social interaction between autistic individuals. In…

  7. Educational Psychology: Learning, Instruction, Assessment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCormick, Christine B.; Pressley, Michael

    This textbook for undergraduates reflects advances in the understanding of effective teaching and learning and is organized around the theme of promoting good information processing. The first part of the book describes the foundations of good thinking, and the second part introduces different theoretical perspectives on the construction of…

  8. A Historical Perspective of Medical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balcioglu, Huseyin; Bilge, Ugur; Unluoglu, Ilhami

    2015-01-01

    Even though there are significant developments in recent years in medical education, physicians are still needed reform and innovation in order to prepare the information society. The spots in the forefront of medical education in recent years; holistic approach in all processes, including health education, evidence-based medicine and…

  9. Merchants of Death: Media Violence and American Empire.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trend, David

    2003-01-01

    Research has done little to advance understanding of who accesses the violent imagery in popular culture. The narrow perspective provided by mass-produced media violence must be broadened by critical viewpoints that provide information people need to participate in the democratic process. (Contains 85 reference notes.) (SK)

  10. UTILIZATION OF BIOREMEDIATION PROCESSES FOR THE TREATMENT OF PAH-CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS. (R825513C020)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  11. Functional food and nutraceutical registration processes in Japan and China: a diffusion of innovation perspective.

    PubMed

    Patel, Darshika; Dufour, Yvon; Domigan, Neil

    2008-01-01

    Purpose - This paper looks into the functional food and nutraceutical registration processes in Japan and China. The Japanese have developed the Foods for Specified Health Use (FOSHU) registration process whereas the Chinese have put into place the Health Food (HF) registration process. The aim of this paper is to compare the regulation processes between the two countries in search for answers to three core empirical questions: (1) how have the registration processes developed and changed? (2) What are the similarities and differences between the processes of registration in the two countries investigated? (3) Why are the registration processes similar/different? Method - The study was conducted using secondary sources. The literature surveyed covered academic journals, trade journals, magazine and newspaper articles, market reports, proceedings, books and web pages of relevant regulatory authorities and regulatory consultants. Information from the more recently published sources was used preferentially over older sources. As well as using the most recent sources, information was selected on the basis of which source it was from. Official regulations and SFDA and MHLW websites would contain accurate and up to date information and information from here would be taken as true over other sources of information. Results - The two diagrams of the registration processes respectively in Japan and China clearly show that there are similarities and differences. There are six categories under which these can be found: (1) the scientific evidence required; (2) the application process; (3) the evaluation process; (4) the law and the categories of products; (5) the labels and the types of claims; and finally (6) the cost and the time involved. Conclusions -The data analysis suggests that the process of diffusion of innovation played a role in the development of the regulations. Further it was found that while Japan was at the outset a pioneer innovator in nutraceutical registration processes, there are indications that in more recent years it too imitated other countries. NOVELTY STATEMENT: The assortment of regulatory regimes creates much uncertainty for the firms and the lack of familiarity and poor knowledge of the regulatory situation increases the risk of failure. The research presented in this paper provides highly valuable information to any biotech/pharmaceutical/nutraceutical companies developing their market entry strategy in Japan and China. There are few national and international studies of drug registration application processes but even fewer comparative studies of functional food and neutraceutical registration application processes such as this one and none using a diffusion of innovation perspective.

  12. The Difference between Uncertainty and Information, and Why This Matters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nearing, G. S.

    2016-12-01

    Earth science investigation and arbitration (for decision making) is very often organized around a concept of uncertainty. It seems relatively straightforward that the purpose of our science is to reduce uncertainty about how environmental systems will react and evolve under different conditions. I propose here that approaching a science of complex systems as a process of quantifying and reducing uncertainty is a mistake, and specifically a mistake that is rooted in certain rather hisoric logical errors. Instead I propose that we should be asking questions about information. I argue here that an information-based perspective facilitates almost trivial answers to environmental science questions that are either difficult or theoretically impossible to answer when posed as questions about uncertainty. In particular, I propose that an information-centric perspective leads to: Coherent and non-subjective hypothesis tests for complex system models. Process-level diagnostics for complex systems models. Methods for building complex systems models that allow for inductive inference without the need for a priori specification of likelihood functions or ad hoc error metrics. Asymptotically correct quantification of epistemic uncertainty. To put this in slightly more basic terms, I propose that an information-theoretic philosophy of science has the potential to resolve certain important aspects of the Demarcation Problem and the Duhem-Quine Problem, and that Hydrology and other Earth Systems Sciences can immediately capitalize on this to address some of our most difficult and persistent problems.

  13. A new perspective on the functioning of the brain and the mechanisms behind conscious processes

    PubMed Central

    Keppler, Joachim

    2013-01-01

    An essential prerequisite for the development of a theory of consciousness is the clarification of the fundamental mechanisms underlying conscious processes. In this article I present an approach that sheds new light on these mechanisms. This approach builds on stochastic electrodynamics (SED), a promising theoretical framework that provides a deeper understanding of quantum systems and reveals the origin of quantum phenomena. I outline the most important concepts and findings of SED and interpret the neurophysiological body of evidence in the context of these findings, indicating that the functioning of the brain rests upon exactly the same principles that are characteristic for quantum systems. On this basis, I construct a new hypothesis on the mechanisms behind conscious processes and discuss the new perspectives this hypothesis opens up for consciousness research. In particular, it offers the possibility of elucidating the relationship between brain and consciousness, of specifying the connection between consciousness and information, and of answering the question of what distinguishes conscious processes from unconscious processes. PMID:23641229

  14. Enhancing Public Participation to Improve Natural Resources Science and its Use in Decision Making

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glynn, P. D.; Shapiro, C. D.; Liu, S. B.

    2015-12-01

    The need for broader understanding and involvement in science coupled with social technology advances enabling crowdsourcing and citizen science have created greater opportunities for public participation in the gathering, interpretation, and use of geospatial information. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing guidance for USGS scientists, partners, and interested members of the public on when and how public participation can most effectively be used in the conduct of scientific activities. Public participation can provide important perspectives and knowledge that cannot be obtained through traditional scientific methods alone. Citizen engagement can also provide increased efficiencies to USGS science and additional benefits to society including enhanced understanding, appreciation, and interest in geospatial information and its use in decision making.The USGS guidance addresses several fundamental issues by:1. Developing an operational definition of citizen or participatory science.2. Identifying the circumstances under which citizen science is appropriate for use and when its use is not recommended. 3. Describing structured processes for effective use of citizen science. 4. Defining the successful application of citizen science and identifying useful success metrics.The guidance is coordinated by the USGS Science and Decisions Center and developed by a multidisciplinary team of USGS scientists and managers. External perspectives will also be incorporated, as appropriate to align with other efforts such as the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Citizen Science and Crowdsourcing Toolkit for the Federal government. The guidance will include the development of an economic framework to assess the benefits and costs of geospatial information developed through participatory processes. This economic framework considers tradeoffs between obtaining additional perspectives through enhanced participation with costs associated from obtaining geospatial information from multiple sources.

  15. Integrating manufacturing softwares for intelligent planning execution: a CIIMPLEX perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chu, Bei Tseng B.; Tolone, William J.; Wilhelm, Robert G.; Hegedus, M.; Fesko, J.; Finin, T.; Peng, Yun; Jones, Chris H.; Long, Junshen; Matthews, Mike; Mayfield, J.; Shimp, J.; Su, S.

    1997-01-01

    Recent developments have made it possible to interoperate complex business applications at much lower costs. Application interoperation, along with business process re- engineering can result in significant savings by eliminating work created by disconnected business processes due to isolated business applications. However, we believe much greater productivity benefits can be achieved by facilitating timely decision-making, utilizing information from multiple enterprise perspectives. The CIIMPLEX enterprise integration architecture is designed to enable such productivity gains by helping people to carry out integrated enterprise scenarios. An enterprise scenario is triggered typically by some external event. The goal of an enterprise scenario is to make the right decisions considering the full context of the problem. Enterprise scenarios are difficult for people to carry out because of the interdependencies among various actions. One can easily be overwhelmed by the large amount of information. We propose the use of software agents to help gathering relevant information and present them in the appropriate context of an enterprise scenario. The CIIMPLEX enterprise integration architecture is based on the FAIME methodology for application interoperation and plug-and-play. It also explores the use of software agents in application plug-and- play.

  16. Adapting another person's affective state modulates brain potentials to unpleasant pictures.

    PubMed

    Paul, Sandra; Endrass, Tanja; Kathmann, Norbert; Simon, Daniela

    2016-10-01

    Emotional processing is influenced by top-down processes such as reappraisal of emotion-inducing events. Besides one's own stimulus appraisal, information from the social environment can be used to modify the stimulus' meaning. This study investigated whether perspective taking changes participants' brain potentials to unpleasant pictures. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were measured while twenty-nine participants evaluated arousal of neutral or negative pictures. Subsequently, they received bogus feedback about another person's picture evaluation. Then, the same picture was presented again and participants were instructed to view the picture from the other person's perspective. Higher bogus- versus self-ratings of picture arousal increased P300 and late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes to unpleasant stimuli, whereas lower bogus- versus self-ratings did not influence ERPs. Thus, perspective taking only modulated ERPs when bogus ratings signaled potential underestimation of arousal. Resulting increases in responsiveness might constitute an adaptive mechanism preparing the organism against harm. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Questioning Mechanisms During Complex Learning

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-03-11

    1989; Kass & Finin, 1988). It is the "given" information from the perspective of the given-new contract in discourse processing theories (Clark 6...versus 43%. Graesser 15 Another way of cutting the pie is to segregate deep questions (i.e., why, why not, how, what-if) from shallow questions...regulate their own learning. As discussed earlier, however, it is widely acknowledged that students need some guidance in this process if deep knowledge

  18. Giftedness and Cultural Accumulation: An Information Processing Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woolcott, Geoff

    2013-01-01

    There appears to be differing approaches, in modern education, to the identification and development of gifted students, but researchers are beginning to find some cohesiveness through approaches that examine giftedness from within broad views of human cognition and behavior. This paper takes such an approach by considering learning and memory as…

  19. A Structured Decision Approach for Integrating and Analyzing Community Perspectives in Re-Use Planning of Vacant Properties in Cleveland, Ohio

    EPA Science Inventory

    An integrated GIS-based, multi-attribute decision model deployed in a web-based platform is presented enabling an iterative, spatially explicit and collaborative analysis of relevant and available information for repurposing vacant land. The process incorporated traditional and ...

  20. Emotion Discourse, Social Cognition, and Social Skills in Children with and without Developmental Delays

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fenning, Rachel M.; Baker, Bruce L.; Juvonen, Jaana

    2011-01-01

    This study examined parent-child emotion discourse, children's independent social information processing, and social skills outcomes in 146 families of 8-year-olds with and without developmental delays. Children's emergent social-cognitive understanding (internal state understanding, perspective taking, and causal reasoning and problem solving)…

  1. Students' Conceptions as Dynamically Emergent Structures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, David E.

    2014-01-01

    There is wide consensus that learning in science must be considered a process of conceptual change rather than simply information accrual. There are three perspectives on students' conceptions and conceptual change in science that have significant presence in the science education literature: students' ideas as misconceptions, as…

  2. OPTIMIZATION OF TWO STEP PROCESS FOR REMEDIATION OF SUCARNOOCHEE SOIL WITH PETROLEUM COKE. (R822721C655)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  3. GP3: GENEPIX POST-PROCESSING SCRIPT FOR THE AUTOMATED ANALYSIS OF RAW MICROARRAY IMAGE OUTPUT FILES. (R827402)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  4. REMOVAL AND DESTRUCTION OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN WATER USING ADSORPTION, STEAM REGENERATION, AND PHOTOCATALYTIC OXIDATION PROCESSES. (R825370)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  5. Saussurian Linguistics Revisited: Can It Inform Our Interpretation of Mathematical Activity?.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McNamara, O.

    1995-01-01

    Examines the basic notions of Ferdinand de Saussure and proposes that language is fundamental to the process of learning mathematics. Investigates possible mathematical perspectives upon Saussure's ideas and explores the contribution his work can offer to enhance and enrich the interpretive framework through which mathematical activity is observed…

  6. Web Page Design in Distance Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Isman, Aytekin; Dabaj, Fahme; Gumus, Agah; Altinay, Fahriye; Altinay, Zehra

    2004-01-01

    Distance education is contemporary process of the education. It facilitates fast, easy delivery of information with its concrete hardware and software tools. The development of high technology, internet and web-design delivering become impact of effective using as delivery system to the students. Within the global perspective, even the all work…

  7. Web Page Design in Distance Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Isman, Aytekin; Dabaj, Fahme; Gumus, Agah; Altinay, Fahriye; Altinay, Zehra

    2004-01-01

    Distance education is contemporary process of the education. It facilitates fast, easy delivery of information with its concrete hardware and software tools. The development of high technology, Internet and web-design delivering become impact of effective using as delivery system to the students. Within the global perspective, even the all work…

  8. PROCESSES CONTROLLING THE EPISODIC STREAMWATER TRANSPORT OF ATRAZINE AND OTHER AGROCHEMICALS IN AN AGRICULTURAL WATERSHED. (R824772)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  9. Children's Search Engines from an Information Search Process Perspective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Broch, Elana

    2000-01-01

    Describes cognitive and affective characteristics of children and teenagers that may affect their Web searching behavior. Reviews literature on children's searching in online public access catalogs (OPACs) and using digital libraries. Profiles two Web search engines. Discusses some of the difficulties children have searching the Web, in the…

  10. CHEMICAL HETEROGENEITY AMONG CLOUD DROP POPULATIONS AND ITS INFLUENCE ON AEROSOL PROCESSING IN WINTER CLOUDS. (R823979)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  11. THE INFLUENCE OF CHEMICAL HETEROGENEITY AMONG CLOUD DROP POPULATIONS ON AEROSOL PROCESSING IN WINTER CLOUDS. (R823979)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  12. THE INFLUENCE OF CHEMICAL HETEROGENEITY AMONG CLOUD DROP POPULATIONS ON AEROSOL PROCESSING IN WINTER CLOUDS. (U915364)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  13. Defining Audio/Video Redundancy from a Limited Capacity Information Processing Perspective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lang, Annie

    1995-01-01

    Investigates whether audio/video redundancy improves memory for television messages. Suggests a theoretical framework for classifying previous work and reinterpreting the results. Suggests general support for the notion that redundancy levels affect the capacity requirements of the message, which impact differentially on audio or visual…

  14. BIOGEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES CONTROLLING MIDDAY FERROUS IRON MAXIMA IN STREAM WATERS AFFECTED BY ACID ROCK DRAINAGE. (R829640)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  15. A MECHANISTIC MODEL FOR ESTIMATING VOC EMISSIONS FROM INDUSTRIAL PROCESS DRAINS. II: THE WATER SEAL. (R823335)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  16. Social Learning Theory and Developmental Psychology: The Legacies of Robert Sears and Albert Bandura.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grusec, Joan E.

    1992-01-01

    Social learning theory is evaluated from a historical perspective that goes up to the present. Sears and others melded psychoanalytic and stimulus-response learning theory into a comprehensive explanation of human behavior. Bandura emphasized cognitive and information-processing capacities that mediate social behavior. (LB)

  17. Technology and Adolescents: Perspectives on the Things to Come

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katz, Raul L.; Felix, Max; Gubernick, Madlen

    2014-01-01

    Assuming that, given the processes of technology diffusion, adolescent behavior forecasts future consumption of digital information, it would seem pertinent to study the characteristics of teenager technology use. This research asks: What are the key patterns regarding the use of technology platforms by teenagers? Is technology usage among…

  18. Appropriating the Actions of Another: Implications for Children's Memory and Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foley, Mary Ann; And Others

    1993-01-01

    Perspectives on reality monitoring and sociocultural learning were integrated in four studies of children's memory of contributions to the outcomes of collaborative exchanges. Findings suggested that reality-monitoring judgments reflect at least two cognitive processes, appropriation and attention to source of information, and may provide clues to…

  19. Self-Regulated Learning in the Digital Age: An EFL Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sahin Kizil, Aysel; Savran, Zehra

    2016-01-01

    Research on the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in language learning has ascertained heretofore various potentials ranging from metacognitive domain to skill-based practices. One area in which the potentials of ICT tools requires further exploration is self-regulated language learning, an active, constructive process in…

  20. THE INFLUENCE OF NITRATE ON MICROBIAL PROCESSES OCCURRING IN OIL INDUSTRY PRODUCTION WATERS. (R827015C008)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  1. Illness Cognition and Responses to AIDS.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bishop, George D.

    Along with the current epidemic of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has come what some have called an epidemic of fear. Two studies were conducted to explore lay responses to AIDS from the perspective of recent research on how lay people process illness information. The research examines the cognitive organization of disease information…

  2. LOCAL PROCESSES AND REGIONAL PATTERNS: APPROPRIATE SCALES FOR UNDERSTANDING VARIATION IN THE DIVERSITY OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS. (R825157)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  3. 65ZN AND 59FE UPTAKE BY LOBSTER HEPATOPANCREATIC EPITHELIAL CELLS OCCUR BY ELECTROGENIC, PROTON-DEPENDENT TRANSPORT PROCESSES. (R823068)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  4. Abstract processing and observer vantage perspective in dysphoria.

    PubMed

    Hart-Smith, Ly; Moulds, Michelle L

    2018-05-07

    processing and observer vantage perspective have been associated with negative consequences in depression. We investigated the relationship between mode of processing and vantage perspective bidirectionally in high and low dysphoric individuals, using abstract and concrete descriptions of experimenter-provided everyday actions. When vantage perspective was manipulated and processing mode was measured (Study 1a), participants who adopted a field perspective did not differ from those who adopted an observer perspective in their preference for abstract descriptions, irrespective of dysphoria status. When processing mode was manipulated and vantage perspective was measured (Study 1b), participants provided with abstract descriptions had a greater tendency to adopt an observer perspective than those provided with concrete descriptions, irrespective of dysphoria status. These results were replicated in larger online samples (Studies 2a and 2b). Together, they indicate a unidirectional causal relationship, whereby processing mode causally influences vantage perspective, in contrast to the bidirectional relationship previously reported in an unselected sample (Libby, Shaeffer, & Eibach, 2009). Further, these findings demonstrate that abstract processing increases the likelihood of adopting an observer perspective, and support targeting abstract processing in the treatment of depression to address the negative consequences associated with both abstract processing and recalling/imagining events from an observer perspective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  5. Perspectives of young Chinese Singaporean women on seeking and processing information to decide about vaccinating against human papillomavirus.

    PubMed

    Basnyat, Iccha; Lim, Cheryl

    2017-07-06

    Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake in Singapore is low among young women. Low uptake has been found to be linked to low awareness. Thus, this study aimed to understand active and passive vaccine information-seeking behavior. Furthermore, guided by the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), this study examined young women's (aged 21-26 years) processing of information they acquired in their decision to get vaccinated. ELM postulates that information processing could be through the central (i.e., logic-based) or peripheral (i.e., heuristic-based) route. Twenty-six in-depth interviews were conducted from January to March 2016. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Two meta-themes-information acquisition and vaccination decision-revealed the heuristic-based information processing was employed. These young women acquired information passively within their social network and actively in healthcare settings. However, they used heuristic cues, such as closeness and trust, to process the information. Similarly, vaccination decisions revealed that women relied on heuristic cues, such as sense of belonging and validation among peers and source credibility and likability in medical settings, in their decision to get vaccinated. The findings of this study highlight that intervention efforts should focus on strengthening social support among personal networks to increase the uptake of the vaccine.

  6. Differential involvement of the posterior temporal cortex in mentalizing but not perspective taking

    PubMed Central

    Aumann, Carolin; Santos, Natacha S.; Bewernick, Bettina H.; Eickhoff, Simon B.; Newen, Albert; Shah, N. Jon; Fink, Gereon R.; Vogeley, Kai

    2008-01-01

    Understanding and predicting other people's mental states and behavior are important prerequisites for social interactions. The capacity to attribute mental states such as desires, thoughts or intentions to oneself or others is referred to as mentalizing. The right posterior temporal cortex at the temporal–parietal junction has been associated with mentalizing but also with taking someone else's spatial perspective onto the world—possibly an important prerequisite for mentalizing. Here, we directly compared the neural correlates of mentalizing and perspective taking using the same stimulus material. We found significantly increased neural activity in the right posterior segment of the superior temporal sulcus only during mentalizing but not perspective taking. Our data further clarify the role of the posterior temporal cortex in social cognition by showing that it is involved in processing information from socially salient visual cues in situations that require the inference about other people's mental states. PMID:19015120

  7. Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment, SAGE III on ISS, An Earth Science Mission on the International Space Station, Schedule Risk Analysis, A Project Perspective

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bonine, Lauren

    2015-01-01

    The presentation provides insight into the schedule risk analysis process used by the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III on the International Space Station Project. The presentation focuses on the schedule risk analysis process highlighting the methods for identification of risk inputs, the inclusion of generic risks identified outside the traditional continuous risk management process, and the development of tailored analysis products used to improve risk informed decision making.

  8. The application and value of information sources in clinical practice: an examination of the perspective of naturopaths.

    PubMed

    Steel, Amie; Adams, Jon

    2011-06-01

    The approach of evidence-based medicine (EBM), providing a paradigm to validate information sources and a process for critiquing their value, is an important platform for guiding practice. Researchers have explored the application and value of information sources in clinical practice with regard to a range of health professions; however, naturopathic practice has been overlooked. An exploratory study of naturopaths' perspectives of the application and value of information sources has been undertaken. Semi-structured interviews with 12 naturopaths in current clinical practice, concerning the information sources used in clinical practice and their perceptions of these sources. Thematic analysis identified differences in the application of the variety of information sources used, depending upon the perceived validity. Internet databases were viewed as highly valid. Textbooks, formal education and interpersonal interactions were judged based upon a variety of factors, whilst validation of general internet sites and manufacturers information was required prior to use. The findings of this study will provide preliminary aid to those responsible for supporting naturopaths' information use and access. In particular, it may assist publishers, medical librarians and professional associations in developing strategies to expand the clinically useful information sources available to naturopaths. © 2011 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2011 Health Libraries Group.

  9. Information spread of emergency events: path searching on social networks.

    PubMed

    Dai, Weihui; Hu, Hongzhi; Wu, Tunan; Dai, Yonghui

    2014-01-01

    Emergency has attracted global attentions of government and the public, and it will easily trigger a series of serious social problems if it is not supervised effectively in the dissemination process. In the Internet world, people communicate with each other and form various virtual communities based on social networks, which lead to a complex and fast information spread pattern of emergency events. This paper collects Internet data based on data acquisition and topic detection technology, analyzes the process of information spread on social networks, describes the diffusions and impacts of that information from the perspective of random graph, and finally seeks the key paths through an improved IBF algorithm. Application cases have shown that this algorithm can search the shortest spread paths efficiently, which may help us to guide and control the information dissemination of emergency events on early warning.

  10. Elaborating on systems thinking in health promotion practice.

    PubMed

    Naaldenberg, Jenneken; Vaandrager, Lenneke; Koelen, Maria; Wagemakers, Anne-Marie; Saan, Hans; de Hoog, Kees

    2009-03-01

    Health and well-being are the result of a series of complex processes in which an individual interacts with other people and the environment. A systematic approach ensures incorporation of individual, ecological, social and political factors. However, interactions between these factors can be overlooked within a systematical approach. A systemic approach can provide additional information by incorporating interactions and communication. The opportunities of a systems thinking perspective for health promotion were investigated for this paper. Although others have also made attempts to explore systems thinking in the field of health promotion, the implications of systems thinking in practice need attention. Other fields such as agricultural extension studies, organizational studies and development studies provide useful experiences with the use of a systems thinking perspective in practice. Building on experiences from these fields, we give a theoretical background in which processes of social learning and innovation play an important role. From this background, we derive an overview of important concepts for the practical application of a systems thinking perspective. These concepts are the structure of the system, meanings attached to actions, and power relations between actors. To make these concepts more explicit and reduce the theoretical character of systems thinking, we use an illustration to elaborate on these concepts in practice. For this purpose, we describe a health promotion partnership in The Netherlands using the concepts structure, meaning and power relations. We show how a systems perspective increases insight in the functioning of a partnership and how this can facilitate processes of social learning and innovation. This article concludes by identifying future opportunities and challenges in adopting systems thinking for health promotion practice. A systems perspective towards health promotion can help projects reaching a more integral and sustainable approach in which the complex nature of health promotion processes is supported. Practical applications of systems thinking are necessary to adapt this perspective.

  11. Influencing Eating Choices: Biological Food Cues in Advertising and Packaging Alter Trajectories of Decision Making and Behavior.

    PubMed

    Bailey, Rachel L

    2017-10-01

    From an ecological perception perspective (Gibson, 1977), the availability of perceptual information alters what behaviors are more and less likely at different times. This study examines how perceptual information delivered in food advertisements and packaging alters the time course of information processing and decision making. Participants categorized images of food that varied in information delivered in terms of color, glossiness, and texture (e.g., food cues) before and after being exposed to a set of advertisements that also varied in this way. In general, items with more direct cues enhanced appetitive motivational processes, especially if they were also advertised with direct food cues. Individuals also chose to eat products that were packaged with more available direct food cues compared to opaque packaging.

  12. A Goal Congruity Model of Role Entry, Engagement, and Exit: Understanding Communal Goal Processes in STEM Gender Gaps.

    PubMed

    Diekman, Amanda B; Steinberg, Mia; Brown, Elizabeth R; Belanger, Aimee L; Clark, Emily K

    2017-05-01

    The goal congruity perspective provides a theoretical framework to understand how motivational processes influence and are influenced by social roles. In particular, we invoke this framework to understand communal goal processes as proximal motivators of decisions to engage in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). STEM fields are not perceived as affording communal opportunities to work with or help others, and understanding these perceived goal affordances can inform knowledge about differences between (a) STEM and other career pathways and (b) women's and men's choices. We review the patterning of gender disparities in STEM that leads to a focus on communal goal congruity (Part I), provide evidence for the foundational logic of the perspective (Part II), and explore the implications for research and policy (Part III). Understanding and transmitting the opportunities for communal goal pursuit within STEM can reap widespread benefits for broadening and deepening participation.

  13. TUNS/TCIS information model/process model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson, James

    1992-01-01

    An Information Model is comprised of graphical and textual notation suitable for describing and defining the problem domain - in our case, TUNS or TCIS. The model focuses on the real world under study. It identifies what is in the problem and organizes the data into a formal structure for documentation and communication purposes. The Information Model is composed of an Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) and a Data Dictionary component. The combination of these components provide an easy to understand methodology for expressing the entities in the problem space, the relationships between entities and the characteristics (attributes) of the entities. This approach is the first step in information system development. The Information Model identifies the complete set of data elements processed by TUNS. This representation provides a conceptual view of TUNS from the perspective of entities, data, and relationships. The Information Model reflects the business practices and real-world entities that users must deal with.

  14. The importance of ignoring: Alpha oscillations protect selectivity.

    PubMed

    Payne, Lisa; Sekuler, Robert

    2014-06-01

    Selective attention is often thought to entail an enhancement of some task-relevant stimulus or attribute. We discuss the perspective that ignoring irrelevant, distracting information plays a complementary role in information processing. Cortical oscillations within the alpha (8-14 Hz) frequency band have emerged as a marker of sensory suppression. This suppression is linked to selective attention for visual, auditory, somatic, and verbal stimuli. Inhibiting processing of irrelevant input makes responses more accurate and timely. It also helps protect material held in short-term memory against disruption. Furthermore, this selective process keeps irrelevant information from distorting the fidelity of memories. Memory is only as good as the perceptual representations on which it is based, and on whose maintenance it depends. Modulation of alpha oscillations can be exploited as an active, purposeful mechanism to help people pay attention and remember the things that matter.

  15. Mechanisms for Human Spatial Competence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gunzelmann, Glenn; Lyon, Don R.

    Research spanning decades has generated a long list of phenomena associated with human spatial information processing. Additionally, a number of theories have been proposed about the representation, organization and processing of spatial information by humans. This paper presents a broad account of human spatial competence, integrated with the ACT-R cognitive architecture. Using a cognitive architecture grounds the research in a validated theory of human cognition, enhancing the plausibility of the overall account. This work posits a close link of aspects of spatial information processing to vision and motor planning, and integrates theoretical perspectives that have been proposed over the history of research in this area. In addition, the account is supported by evidence from neuropsychological investigations of human spatial ability. The mechanisms provide a means of accounting for a broad range of phenomena described in the experimental literature.

  16. Unifying three perspectives on information processing in stochastic thermodynamics.

    PubMed

    Barato, A C; Seifert, U

    2014-03-07

    So far, feedback-driven systems have been discussed using (i) measurement and control, (ii) a tape interacting with a system, or (iii) by identifying an implicit Maxwell demon in steady-state transport. We derive the corresponding second laws from one master fluctuation theorem and discuss their relationship. In particular, we show that both the entropy production involving mutual information between system and controller and the one involving a Shannon entropy difference of an information reservoir like a tape carry an extra term different from the usual current times affinity. We, thus, generalize stochastic thermodynamics to the presence of an information reservoir.

  17. Adapting to and coping with the threat and impacts of climate change.

    PubMed

    Reser, Joseph P; Swim, Janet K

    2011-01-01

    This article addresses the nature and challenge of adaptation in the context of global climate change. The complexity of "climate change" as threat, environmental stressor, risk domain, and impacting process with dramatic environmental and human consequences requires a synthesis of perspectives and models from diverse areas of psychology to adequately communicate and explain how a more psychological framing of the human dimensions of global environmental change can greatly inform and enhance effective and collaborative climate change adaptation and mitigation policies and research. An integrative framework is provided that identifies and considers important mediating and moderating parameters and processes relating to climate change adaptation, with particular emphasis given to environmental stress and stress and coping perspectives. This psychological perspective on climate change adaptation highlights crucial aspects of adaptation that have been neglected in the arena of climate change science. Of particular importance are intra-individual and social "psychological adaptation" processes that powerfully mediate public risk perceptions and understandings, effective coping responses and resilience, overt behavioral adjustment and change, and psychological and social impacts. This psychological window on climate change adaptation is arguably indispensable to genuinely multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research and policy initiatives addressing the impacts of climate change.

  18. Views of Ethical Best Practices in Sharing Individual-Level Data From Medical and Public Health Research

    PubMed Central

    Roberts, Nia; Parker, Michael

    2015-01-01

    There is increasing support for sharing individual-level data generated by medical and public health research. This scoping review of empirical research and conceptual literature examined stakeholders’ perspectives of ethical best practices in data sharing, particularly in low- and middle-income settings. Sixty-nine empirical and conceptual articles were reviewed, of which, only five were empirical studies and eight were conceptual articles focusing on low- and middle-income settings. We conclude that support for sharing individual-level data is contingent on the development and implementation of international and local policies and processes to support ethical best practices. Further conceptual and empirical research is needed to ensure data sharing policies and processes in low- and middle-income settings are appropriately informed by stakeholders’ perspectives. PMID:26297745

  19. Situational awareness in the commercial aircraft cockpit - A cognitive perspective

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Adams, Marilyn J.; Pew, Richard W.

    1990-01-01

    A cognitive theory is presented that has relevance for the definition and assessment of situational awareness in the cockpit. The theory asserts that maintenance of situation awareness is a constructive process that demands mental resources in competition with ongoing task performance. Implications of this perspective for assessing and improving situational awareness are discussed. It is concluded that the goal of inserting advanced technology into any system is that it results in an increase in the effectiveness, timeliness, and safety with which the system's activities can be accomplished. The inherent difficulties of the multitask situation are very often compounded by the introduction of automation. To maximize situational awareness, the dynamics and capabilities of such technologies must be designed with thorough respect for the dynamics and capabilities of human information-processing.

  20. Information management for commercial aviation - A research perspective

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ricks, Wendell R.; Abbott, Kathy H.; Jonsson, Jon E.; Boucek, George; Rogers, William H.

    1991-01-01

    The problem of flight deck information management (IM), defined as processing, controlling, and directing information, for commercial flight decks, and a research effort underway to address this problem, are discussed. The premises provided are utilized to lay the groundwork required for such research by providing a framework to describe IM problems and an avenue to follow when investigating solution concepts. The research issues presented serve to identify specific questions necessary to achieve a better understanding of the IM problem, and to provide assessments of the relative merit of various solution concepts.

  1. Individual differences in the learning potential of human beings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stern, Elsbeth

    2017-01-01

    To the best of our knowledge, the genetic foundations that guide human brain development have not changed fundamentally during the past 50,000 years. However, because of their cognitive potential, humans have changed the world tremendously in the past centuries. They have invented technical devices, institutions that regulate cooperation and competition, and symbol systems, such as script and mathematics, that serve as reasoning tools. The exceptional learning ability of humans allows newborns to adapt to the world they are born into; however, there are tremendous individual differences in learning ability among humans that become obvious in school at the latest. Cognitive psychology has developed models of memory and information processing that attempt to explain how humans learn (general perspective), while the variation among individuals (differential perspective) has been the focus of psychometric intelligence research. Although both lines of research have been proceeding independently, they increasingly converge, as both investigate the concepts of working memory and knowledge construction. This review begins with presenting state-of-the-art research on human information processing and its potential in academic learning. Then, a brief overview of the history of psychometric intelligence research is combined with presenting recent work on the role of intelligence in modern societies and on the nature-nurture debate. Finally, promising approaches to integrating the general and differential perspective will be discussed in the conclusion of this review.

  2. The Evolution of Holistic Processing of Faces

    PubMed Central

    Burke, Darren; Sulikowski, Danielle

    2013-01-01

    In this paper we examine the holistic processing of faces from an evolutionary perspective, clarifying what such an approach entails, and evaluating the extent to which the evidence currently available permits any strong conclusions. While it seems clear that the holistic processing of faces depends on mechanisms evolved to perform that task, our review of the comparative literature reveals that there is currently insufficient evidence (or sometimes insufficiently compelling evidence) to decide when in our evolutionary past such processing may have arisen. It is also difficult to assess what kinds of selection pressures may have led to evolution of such a mechanism, or even what kinds of information holistic processing may have originally evolved to extract, given that many sources of socially relevant face-based information other than identity depend on integrating information across different regions of the face – judgments of expression, behavioral intent, attractiveness, sex, age, etc. We suggest some directions for future research that would help to answer these important questions. PMID:23382721

  3. In search of a metatheory for cognitive development (or, Piaget is dead and I don't feel so good myself).

    PubMed

    Bjorklund, D F

    1997-02-01

    With the waning of influence of Piaget's theory and the shortcomings of information-processing perspectives of cognitive growth, cognitive developmentalists lack a common set of broad, overarching principles and assumptions--a metatheory--to guide their research. Developmental biology is suggested as metatheory for cognitive development. Although it is important for developmentalists to understand proximal biological causes (e.g., brain development), most important for such a metatheory is an evolutionary perspective. Some basic principles of evolutionary psychology are introduced, and examples of contemporary research and theory consistent with these ideas are provided.

  4. Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Perspectives From Orthopedic Surgery.

    PubMed

    Campbell, Kevin J; Louie, Philip K; Khorsand, Derek A; Frisch, Nicholas B; Gerlinger, Tad L; Levine, Brett R

    2018-05-01

    Orthopedic surgeons are tasked with treating complex patients while employing critical surgical skills, clinical knowledge, and new technologies. The constant inundation of information, coupled with hours in the hospital setting, provides unique perspectives on various aspects of how health care is delivered, thereby creating a milieu ripe for innovation. The rigors of an orthopedic career make it challenging for physicians to translate an idea into a great product. Through the authors' experiences at a tertiary orthopedic practice, they review the process of taking an idea from concept to fruition. [Orthopedics. 2018; 41(3):135-140.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

  5. Two perspectives on the needs of individuals bereaved by suicide.

    PubMed

    Gall, Terry Lynn; Henneberry, Jesse; Eyre, Melissa

    2014-01-01

    To qualitatively explore the needs of suicidally bereaved individuals, researchers interviewed 11 suicide bereaved individuals and 4 mental health workers. Common themes of bereaved persons included the suicide grief experience, coping, interpersonal domain, struggle with meaning, self-reflection, and moving forward. Mental health workers emphasized the nature of the helping relationship, the need to emotionally process the grief, the centrality of meaning making, importance of support groups, and the role of individual counseling. These 2 perspectives informed "best practices" for postvention (e.g., understanding the need for meaning-making while recognizing when to move on).

  6. Causality, Measurement, and Elementary Interactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gillis, Edward J.

    2011-12-01

    Signal causality, the prohibition of superluminal information transmission, is the fundamental property shared by quantum measurement theory and relativity, and it is the key to understanding the connection between nonlocal measurement effects and elementary interactions. To prevent those effects from transmitting information between the generating and observing process, they must be induced by the kinds of entangling interactions that constitute measurements, as implied in the Projection Postulate. They must also be nondeterministic as reflected in the Born Probability Rule. The nondeterminism of entanglement-generating processes explains why the relevant types of information cannot be instantiated in elementary systems, and why the sequencing of nonlocal effects is, in principle, unobservable. This perspective suggests a simple hypothesis about nonlocal transfers of amplitude during entangling interactions, which yields straightforward experimental consequences.

  7. Motivation for health information seeking and processing about clinical trial enrollment.

    PubMed

    Yang, Z Janet; McComas, Katherine; Gay, Geri; Leonard, John P; Dannenberg, Andrew J; Dillon, Hildy

    2010-07-01

    Low patient accrual in clinical trials poses serious concerns for the advancement of medical science in the United States. Past research has identified health communication as a crucial step in overcoming barriers to enrollment. However, few communication scholars have studied this problem from a sociopsychological perspective to understand what motivates people to look for or pay attention to information about clinical trial enrollment. This study applies the model of Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) to this context of health decision making. By recognizing the uncertainties embedded in clinical trials, we view clinical trial enrollment as a case study of risk. With data from a random-digit-dial telephone survey of 500 adults living in the United States, we used structural equation modeling to test the central part of the RISP model. In particular, we examined the role of optimistic feelings, as a type of positive affect, in motivating information seeking and processing. Our results indicated that rather than exerting an indirect influence on information seeking through motivating a psychological need for more information, optimistic feelings have more direct relationships with information seeking and processing. Similarly, informational subjective norms also exhibit a more direct relationship with information seeking and processing. These results suggest merit in applying the RISP model to study health decision making related to clinical trial enrollment. Our findings also render practical implications on how to improve communication about clinical trial enrollment.

  8. A review of consumer involvement in evaluations of case management: consistency with a recovery paradigm.

    PubMed

    Marshall, Sarah L; Crowe, Trevor P; Oades, Lindsay G; Deane, Frank F; Kavanagh, David J

    2007-03-01

    This Open Forum examines research on case management that draws on consumer perspectives. It clarifies the extent of consumer involvement and whether evaluations were informed by recovery perspectives. Searches of three databases revealed 13 studies that sought to investigate consumer perspectives. Only one study asked consumers about experiences of recovery. Most evaluations did not adequately assess consumers' views, and active consumer participation in research was rare. Supporting an individual's recovery requires commitment to a recovery paradigm that incorporates traditional symptom reduction and improved functioning, with broader recovery principles, and a shift in focus from illness to well-being. It also requires greater involvement of consumers in the implementation of case management and ownership of their own recovery process, not just in research that evaluates the practice.

  9. What is epistemic value in free energy models of learning and acting? A bounded rationality perspective.

    PubMed

    Ortega, Pedro A; Braun, Daniel A

    2015-01-01

    Free energy models of learning and acting do not only care about utility or extrinsic value, but also about intrinsic value, that is, the information value stemming from probability distributions that represent beliefs or strategies. While these intrinsic values can be interpreted as epistemic values or exploration bonuses under certain conditions, the framework of bounded rationality offers a complementary interpretation in terms of information-processing costs that we discuss here.

  10. Ground-truthing electrical resistivity methods in support of submarine groundwater discharge studies: Examples from Hawaii, Washington, and California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, Cordell; Swarzenski, Peter W.; Richardson, Christina M.; Smith, Christopher G.; Kroeger, Kevin D.; Ganguli, Priya M.

    2015-01-01

    Rigorous ground-truthing at each field site showed that multi-channel electrcial resistivity techniques can reproduce the scales and dynamics of a seepage field when such data are correctly collected, and when the model inversions are tuned to field site characteristics. Such information can provide a unique perspective on the scales and dynamics of exchange processes within a coastal aquifer—information essential to scientists and resource managers alike.

  11. [Multi-criteria decision analysis for health technology resource allocation and assessment: so far and so near?

    PubMed

    Campolina, Alessandro Gonçalves; Soárez, Patrícia Coelho De; Amaral, Fábio Vieira do; Abe, Jair Minoro

    2017-10-26

    Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is an emerging tool that allows the integration of relevant factors for health technology assessment (HTA). This study aims to present a summary of the methodological characteristics of MCDA: definitions, approaches, applications, and implementation stages. A case study was conducted in the São Paulo State Cancer Institute (ICESP) in order to understand the perspectives of decision-makers in the process of drafting a recommendation for the incorporation of technology in the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS), through a report by the Brazilian National Commission for the Incorporation of Technologies in the SUS (CONITEC). Paraconsistent annotated evidential logic Eτ was the methodological approach adopted in the study, since it can serve as an underlying logic for constructs capable of synthesizing objective information (from the scientific literature) and subjective information (from experts' values and preferences in the area of knowledge). It also allows the incorporation of conflicting information (contradictions), as well as vague and even incomplete information in the valuation process, resulting from imperfection of the available scientific evidence. The method has the advantages of allowing explicit consideration of the criteria that influenced the decision, facilitating follow-up and visualization of process stages, allowing assessment of the contribution of each criterion separately, and in aggregate, to the decision's outcome, facilitating the discussion of diverging perspectives by different stakeholder groups, and increasing the understanding of the resulting recommendations. The use of an explicit MCDA approach should facilitate conflict mediation and optimize participation by different stakeholder groups.

  12. Moral Reasoning as a Process of Information Integration.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaplan, Martin F.

    Four experiments were conducted to explore issues in the development and modification of both moral choices and judgments of achievement using concepts and data from a social judgment perspective. In the first experiment, college students functioning at different reasoning levels indicated on a 20-point scale their strength of belief that an…

  13. A Qualitative Study of Juvenile Offenders, Student Engagement, and Interpersonal Relationships: Implications for Research Directions and Preventionist Approaches

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sander, Janay B.; Sharkey, Jill D.; Olivarri, Roger; Tanigawa, Diane A.; Mauseth, Tory

    2010-01-01

    Background factors that correlate with juvenile delinquency are consistent across the interdisciplinary literature base. Yet, information about the process of how risks relate to outcomes, especially within school settings, is limited. Researchers used qualitative methods to examine school and interpersonal experiences from the perspective of…

  14. Artificial Intelligence, Counseling, and Cognitive Psychology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brack, Greg; And Others

    With the exception of a few key writers, counselors largely ignore the benefits that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cognitive Psychology (CP) can bring to counseling. It is demonstrated that AI and CP can be integrated into the counseling literature. How AI and CP can offer new perspectives on information processing, cognition, and helping is…

  15. Designing Hypercontextualized Games: A Case Study with LieksaMyst

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sedano, Carolina Islas; Sutinen, Erkki; Vinni, Mikko; Laine, Teemu H.

    2012-01-01

    Digital technology empowers one to access vast amounts of on-line data. From a learning perspective, however, it is difficult to access meaningful on-site information within a given context. The Hypercontextualized Game (HCG) design model interweaves on-site resources, translated as content, and the digital game. As a local game design process,…

  16. Putting the Pieces Together and Asking the Hard Questions: Transfer Associate Degrees in Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wagoner, Richard L.; Kisker, Carrie B.

    2012-01-01

    The previous six chapters have focused on particular aspects of the processes involved in implementing transfer associate degrees in various states. In this chapter, the authors synthesize that information by presenting an ideal state-level organizational model for implementing these degrees and describing the various constituencies involved in…

  17. An Activity Theory Approach to Research of ICT Integration in Singapore Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lim, Cher Ping; Hang, David

    2003-01-01

    This paper explains how activity theory is used as a framework to study the information and communication technologies (ICT) integration processes in Singapore schools, both from the sociocultural and pedagogical perspectives. The research study addresses the pertinent question of "How has ICT been integrated in Singapore schools such that…

  18. Campaign 96: A Perspective on Cyberspace Political Communication.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glenn, Robert J., III

    In 1996 the Internet evolved into a key information source for voters interested in experiencing an unfiltered view of the political process through the lenses of political parties, news organizations, educational foundations, media outlets, and a host of specialized interest groups (e.g., Common Cause, Sierra Club). This access came in the form…

  19. Educational Design as Conversation: A Conversation Analytical Perspective on Teacher Dialogue

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van Kruiningen, Jacqueline F.

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this methodological paper is to expound on and demonstrate the value of conversation-analytical research in the area of (informal) teacher learning. The author discusses some methodological issues in current research on interaction in teacher learning and holds a plea for conversation-analytical research on interactional processes in…

  20. Talking It through: Two French Immersion Learners' Response to Reformulation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swain, Merrill; Lapkin, Sharon

    2002-01-01

    This article documents the importance of collaborative dialogue as part of the process of second language learning. The stimulus for the dialogue we discuss in this article was a reformulation of a story written collaboratively in French by Nina and Dara, two adolescent French immersion students. A sociocultural theoretical perspective informs the…

  1. The Micropolitics of Education: Mapping the Multiple Dimensions of Power Relations in School Politics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malen, Betty

    1994-01-01

    Micropolitical perspectives address the processes through which individuals and groups in an organization acquire and exercise power to promote and protect their interests. This chapter synthesizes major findings on actor roles and relationships in select formal and informal areas, concentrating on profession-patron and principal-teacher…

  2. Experimental Evidence of the Knowledge Gap: Message Arousal, Motivation, and Time Delay

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grabe, Maria Elizabeth; Yegiyan, Narine; Kamhawi, Rasha

    2008-01-01

    This study experimentally tested the knowledge gap from an information processing perspective. Specifically, knowledge acquisition was investigated under conditions of medium and low news message arousal, with time delay. Results show the persistence of a knowledge gap, particularly for low arousing messages. In fact, at low levels of message…

  3. "You Can't See for Lookin": How Southern Womanism Informs Perspectives of Work and Curriculum Theory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morton, Berlisha

    2016-01-01

    Southern womanism is the theory that evokes a self-reflexive process to challenge scholars, teachers, and activists to reconceptualise the agency of "workers." Southern womanism claims that theoretical knowledge resides within the histories of southern Black women workers which developed as they transitioned from enslavement to domestic…

  4. The Hidden Picture: Administrators' Perspectives on Least Restrictive Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garner, Gina Marlene

    2009-01-01

    This study looks to better understand how administrators make a decision about a least restrictive environment placement recommendation. What decision processes do they engage in when merging information of individual and environment to create a working plan of access that will benefit all involved? It also seeks the factors that are primary in…

  5. Teacher Perspectives on Technology Integration Professional Development: Formal, Informal, and Independent Learning Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Monty; Dexter, Sara

    2018-01-01

    This mixed-methods study examined the technology integration learning activities of four teachers throughout one year using weekly quantitative surveys and a series of three qualitative individual interviews. Through the teachers' own voices an illustration of their learning processes is presented, and the gap between what is supported by their…

  6. Podcast Pilots for Distance Planning, Programming, and Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cordes, Sean

    2005-01-01

    This paper examines podcasting as a library support for distance learning and information systems and services. The manuscript provides perspective on the knowledge base in the growing area of podcasting in libraries and academia. A walkthrough of the podcast creation and distribution process using basic computing skills and open source tools is…

  7. Democratic Dialogue as a Process to Inform Public Policy: Reconceptualizing a Supervisory Officer's Qualification Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Deirdre M.; Qua-Hiansen, Jessica

    2015-01-01

    An exploration of the collaborative reconceptualization of a provincial Supervisory Officer's Qualification Program (SOQP) through the use of dialogic approaches is the focus of this inquiry. The stories, perspectives, and lived experiences of supervisory officers, principals, teachers, parents, students, and members of the public in Ontario were…

  8. From a Semiotic Perspective: Inference Formation and the Critical Comprehension of Television Advertising.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Langrehr, Don

    2003-01-01

    Outlines a study in which television advertising supplied the text that college students were challenged to interpret. Explains that the language and images of this advertising posed a complex, cognitive challenge--even to these students at advanced levels of education. Concludes that information processing of television advertising presents a…

  9. A Framework for Mobile Apps in Colleges and Universities: Data Mining Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singh, Archana; Ranjan, Jayanthi

    2016-01-01

    The Enterprise mobility communication technology provides easy and quick accessibility to data and information integrated into one single touch point device. This device incorporates or integrates all the processes into small applications or App and thus increases the workforce capability of knowledge workers. "App" which is a small set…

  10. Meeting Technology and Manpower Needs through the Industry/University Interface. An Aerospace Industry Perspective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aerospace Industries Association of America, Inc., Washington, DC.

    The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) examined its member companies and their existing university relationships as an initial step in the process of strengthening these ties. Information drawn from background research, interviews (with company representatives and university, government, and private sector spokesmen), and a formal survey of…

  11. Critical Success Factors for E-Learning and Institutional Change--Some Organisational Perspectives on Campus-Wide E-Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Su

    2007-01-01

    Computer technology has been harnessed for education in UK universities ever since the first computers for research were installed at 10 selected sites in 1957. Subsequently, real costs have fallen dramatically. Processing power has increased; network and communications infrastructure has proliferated, and information has become unimaginably…

  12. Academic Literacy and Plagiarism: Conversations with International Graduate Students and Disciplinary Professors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abasi, Ali R.; Graves, Barbara

    2008-01-01

    In this study we examine how university plagiarism policies interact with international graduate students' academic writing in English as they develop identities as authors and students. The study is informed by the sociocultural theoretical perspective [Vygotsky, L. (1978). "Mind in society: The development of higher mental processes." Cambridge,…

  13. Case Studies on Location: Taking to the Field in Economics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Mark Griffin

    2007-01-01

    The author describes how to conceptualize and organize a successful, multi-day field trip organized around a case study problem. By doing so, the instructor exposes students to diverse perspectives and leads them through the process of policy analysis from collecting and organizing information to identifying the relevant economic concepts and…

  14. Foundations of Cognitive Theory: A Concise Review.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grider, Clint

    Cognitive-learning theories hold a unique place in history: they explore the depths of the mind from the perspective of process. This paper discusses the history of cognitive-learning theories and how they grew to shape the way one perceives, organizes, stores, and retrieves information. The paper, after providing a definition and synopsis of…

  15. Data Informed Decision Making--Perspectives of Oklahoma Superintendents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kettles, Thomas D.

    2017-01-01

    This descriptive, multiple case study was designed to convey a clear portrayal of the DIDM practice of six superintendents and to provide a description of what these superintendents employ during their decision making process. The ability of local education leaders to strategically influence the use of data for decision making has a large effect…

  16. Hazard recognition in mining: A psychological perspective. Information circular/1995

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

    Perdue, C.W.; Kowalski, K.M.; Barrett, E.A.

    1995-07-01

    This U.S. Bureau of Mines report considers, from a psychological perspective, the perceptual process by which miners recognize and respond to mining hazards. It proposes that if the hazard recognition skills of miners can be improved, mining accidents may be reduced to a significant degree. Prior studies of hazard perception in mining are considered, as are relevant studies from investigations of military target identification, pilot and gunnery officer training, transportation safety, automobile operator behavior, as well as research into sensory functioning and visual information processing. A general model of hazard perception is introduced, and selected concepts from the psychology ofmore » perception that are applicable to the detection of mining hazards are reviewed. Hazard recognition is discussed as a function of the perceptual cues available to the miner as well as the cognitive resources and strategies employed by the miner. The development of expertise in resonding to hazards is related to individual differences in the experience, aptitude, and personality of the worker. Potential applications to miner safety and training are presented.« less

  17. Synthetic environment employing a craft for providing user perspective reference

    DOEpatents

    Maples, Creve; Peterson, Craig A.

    1997-10-21

    A multi-dimensional user oriented synthetic environment system allows application programs to be programmed and accessed with input/output device independent, generic functional commands which are a distillation of the actual functions performed by any application program. A shared memory structure allows the translation of device specific commands to device independent, generic functional commands. Complete flexibility of the mapping of synthetic environment data to the user is thereby allowed. Accordingly, synthetic environment data may be provided to the user on parallel user information processing channels allowing the subcognitive mind to act as a filter, eliminating irrelevant information and allowing the processing of increase amounts of data by the user. The user is further provided with a craft surrounding the user within the synthetic environment, which craft, imparts important visual referential an motion parallax cues, enabling the user to better appreciate distances and directions within the synthetic environment. Display of this craft in close proximity to the user's point of perspective may be accomplished without substantially degrading the image resolution of the displayed portions of the synthetic environment.

  18. Constructing a philosophy of science of cognitive science.

    PubMed

    Bechtel, William

    2009-07-01

    Philosophy of science is positioned to make distinctive contributions to cognitive science by providing perspective on its conceptual foundations and by advancing normative recommendations. The philosophy of science I embrace is naturalistic in that it is grounded in the study of actual science. Focusing on explanation, I describe the recent development of a mechanistic philosophy of science from which I draw three normative consequences for cognitive science. First, insofar as cognitive mechanisms are information-processing mechanisms, cognitive science needs an account of how the representations invoked in cognitive mechanisms carry information about contents, and I suggest that control theory offers the needed perspective on the relation of representations to contents. Second, I argue that cognitive science requires, but is still in search of, a catalog of cognitive operations that researchers can draw upon in explaining cognitive mechanisms. Last, I provide a new perspective on the relation of cognitive science to brain sciences, one which embraces both reductive research on neural components that figure in cognitive mechanisms and a concern with recomposing higher-level mechanisms from their components and situating them in their environments. Copyright © 2009 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

  19. Perspective for special Gurdon issue for differentiation: can cell fusion inform nuclear reprogramming?

    PubMed

    Burns, David; Blau, Helen M

    2014-07-01

    Nuclear reprogramming was first shown to be possible by Sir John Gurdon over a half century ago. The process has been revolutionized by the production of induced pluripotent cells by overexpression of the four transcription factors discovered by Shinya Yamanaka, which now enables mammalian applications. Yet, reprogramming by a few transcription factors remains incomplete and inefficient, whether to pluripotent or differentiated cells. We propose that a better understanding of mechanistic insights based on developmental principles gained from heterokaryon studies may inform the process of directing cell fate, fundamentally and clinically. Copyright © 2014 International Society of Differentiation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Information Spread of Emergency Events: Path Searching on Social Networks

    PubMed Central

    Hu, Hongzhi; Wu, Tunan

    2014-01-01

    Emergency has attracted global attentions of government and the public, and it will easily trigger a series of serious social problems if it is not supervised effectively in the dissemination process. In the Internet world, people communicate with each other and form various virtual communities based on social networks, which lead to a complex and fast information spread pattern of emergency events. This paper collects Internet data based on data acquisition and topic detection technology, analyzes the process of information spread on social networks, describes the diffusions and impacts of that information from the perspective of random graph, and finally seeks the key paths through an improved IBF algorithm. Application cases have shown that this algorithm can search the shortest spread paths efficiently, which may help us to guide and control the information dissemination of emergency events on early warning. PMID:24600323

  1. Usability and Visual Communication for Southern California Tsunami Evacuation Information: The importance of information design in disaster risk management

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaenichen, C.; Schandler, S.; Wells, M.; Danielsen, T.

    2015-12-01

    Evacuation behavior, including participation and response, is rarely an individual and isolated process and the outcomes are usually systemic. Ineffective evacuation information can easily attribute to delayed evacuation response. Delays increase demands on already extended emergency personal, increase the likelihood of traffic congestion, and can cause harm to self and property. From an information design perspective, addressing issues in cognitive recall and emergency psychology, this case study examines evacuation messaging including written, audio, and visual presentation of information, and describes the application of design principles and role of visual communication for Southern California tsunami evacuation outreach. The niche of this project is the inclusion of cognitive processing as the driving influence when making formal design decisions and measurable data from a 4-year cognitive recall study to support the solution. Image included shows a tsunami evacaution map before and after the redesign.

  2. Trust metrics in information fusion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blasch, Erik

    2014-05-01

    Trust is an important concept for machine intelligence and is not consistent across many applications. In this paper, we seek to understand trust from a variety of factors: humans, sensors, communications, intelligence processing algorithms and human-machine displays of information. In modeling the various aspects of trust, we provide an example from machine intelligence that supports the various attributes of measuring trust such as sensor accuracy, communication timeliness, machine processing confidence, and display throughput to convey the various attributes that support user acceptance of machine intelligence results. The example used is fusing video and text whereby an analyst needs trust information in the identified imagery track. We use the proportional conflict redistribution rule as an information fusion technique that handles conflicting data from trusted and mistrusted sources. The discussion of the many forms of trust explored in the paper seeks to provide a systems-level design perspective for information fusion trust quantification.

  3. More than a face: a unified theoretical perspective on nonverbal social cue processing in social anxiety

    PubMed Central

    Gilboa-Schechtman, Eva; Shachar-Lavie, Iris

    2013-01-01

    Processing of nonverbal social cues (NVSCs) is essential to interpersonal functioning and is particularly relevant to models of social anxiety. This article provides a review of the literature on NVSC processing from the perspective of social rank and affiliation biobehavioral systems (ABSs), based on functional analysis of human sociality. We examine the potential of this framework for integrating cognitive, interpersonal, and evolutionary accounts of social anxiety. We argue that NVSCs are uniquely suited to rapid and effective conveyance of emotional, motivational, and trait information and that various channels are differentially effective in transmitting such information. First, we review studies on perception of NVSCs through face, voice, and body. We begin with studies that utilized information processing or imaging paradigms to assess NVSC perception. This research demonstrated that social anxiety is associated with biased attention to, and interpretation of, emotional facial expressions (EFEs) and emotional prosody. Findings regarding body and posture remain scarce. Next, we review studies on NVSC expression, which pinpointed links between social anxiety and disturbances in eye gaze, facial expressivity, and vocal properties of spontaneous and planned speech. Again, links between social anxiety and posture were understudied. Although cognitive, interpersonal, and evolutionary theories have described different pathways to social anxiety, all three models focus on interrelations among cognition, subjective experience, and social behavior. NVSC processing and production comprise the juncture where these theories intersect. In light of the conceptualizations emerging from the review, we highlight several directions for future research including focus on NVSCs as indexing reactions to changes in belongingness and social rank, the moderating role of gender, and the therapeutic opportunities offered by embodied cognition to treat social anxiety. PMID:24427129

  4. Parents' perspectives on the unforeseen finding of a fetal sex chromosomal aneuploidy.

    PubMed

    Pieters, J J P M; Kooper, A J A; Eggink, A J; Verhaak, C M; Otten, B J; Braat, D D M; Smits, A P T; van Leeuwen, E

    2011-03-01

    To investigate the parental perspectives of being confronted with an unforeseen fetal sex chromosomal aneuploidy (SCA), in light of the fact that this accidental finding is avoidable by rapid aneuploidy detection (RAD). Exploratory qualitative interview study. We conducted 16 semi-structured interviews with parents who decided to continue pregnancy after the unforeseen finding of a fetal SCA. The communication of the unforeseen finding of SCA; the informed decision-making process concerning the pregnancy follow-up and the child and its future were the extracted themes. Parents were not prepared to accidental findings in routine prenatal diagnostics. All started an unguided search on the Internet. It is not at all clear whether parents have preference for an RAD test with X and Y probes Parents were satisfied with the post-test professional information they received to make an informed decision, whereas after birth questions still remained to be answered. Parents' perspectives may serve as major contributors to research on the question whether or not the X and Y probes should be standard included for purposes of RAD. The fact that RAD has the possibility to avoid accidental findings of SCAs, brings up the question whether any benefits outweigh the potential harms. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Semantic transcoding of video based on regions of interest

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lim, Jeongyeon; Kim, Munchurl; Kim, Jong-Nam; Kim, Kyeongsoo

    2003-06-01

    Traditional transcoding on multimedia has been performed from the perspectives of user terminal capabilities such as display sizes and decoding processing power, and network resources such as available network bandwidth and quality of services (QoS) etc. The adaptation (or transcoding) of multimedia contents to given such constraints has been made by frame dropping and resizing of audiovisual, as well as reduction of SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) values by saving the resulting bitrates. Not only such traditional transcoding is performed from the perspective of user"s environment, but also we incorporate a method of semantic transcoding of audiovisual based on region of interest (ROI) from user"s perspective. Users can designate their interested parts in images or video so that the corresponding video contents can be adapted focused on the user"s ROI. We incorporate the MPEG-21 DIA (Digital Item Adaptation) framework in which such semantic information of the user"s ROI is represented and delivered to the content provider side as XDI (context digital item). Representation schema of our semantic information of the user"s ROI has been adopted in MPEG-21 DIA Adaptation Model. In this paper, we present the usage of semantic information of user"s ROI for transcoding and show our system implementation with experimental results.

  6. Building Shared Experience to Advance Practical Application of Pathway-Based Toxicology: Liver Toxicity Mode-of-Action

    PubMed Central

    Willett, Catherine; Rae, Jessica Caverly; Goyak, Katy O.; Minsavage, Gary; Westmoreland, Carl; Andersen, Melvin; Avigan, Mark; Duché, Daniel; Harris, Georgina; Hartung, Thomas; Jaeschke, Hartmut; Kleensang, Andre; Landesmann, Brigitte; Martos, Suzanne; Matevia, Marilyn; Toole, Colleen; Rowan, Andrew; Schultz, Terry; Seed, Jennifer; Senior, John; Shah, Imran; Subramanian, Kalyanasundaram; Vinken, Mathieu; Watkins, Paul

    2016-01-01

    Summary A workshop sponsored by the Human Toxicology Project Consortium (HTPC), “Building Shared Experience to Advance Practical Application of Pathway-Based Toxicology: Liver Toxicity Mode-of-Action” brought together experts from a wide range of perspectives to inform the process of pathway development and to advance two prototype pathways initially developed by the European Commission Joint Research Center (JRC): liver-specific fibrosis and steatosis. The first half of the workshop focused on the theory and practice of pathway development; the second on liver disease and the two prototype pathways. Participants agreed pathway development is extremely useful for organizing information and found that focusing the theoretical discussion on a specific AOP is helpful. It is important to include several perspectives during pathway development, including information specialists, pathologists, human health and environmental risk assessors, and chemical and product manufacturers, to ensure the biology is well captured and end use is considered. PMID:24535319

  7. Privacy, the individual and genetic information: a Buddhist perspective.

    PubMed

    Hongladarom, Soraj

    2009-09-01

    Bioinformatics is a new field of study whose ethical implications involve a combination of bioethics, computer ethics and information ethics. This paper is an attempt to view some of these implications from the perspective of Buddhism. Privacy is a central concern in both computer/information ethics and bioethics, and with information technology being increasingly utilized to process biological and genetic data, the issue has become even more pronounced. Traditionally, privacy presupposes the individual self but as Buddhism does away with the ultimate conception of an individual self, it has to find a way to analyse and justify privacy that does not presuppose such a self. It does this through a pragmatic conception that does not depend on a positing of the substantial self, which is then found to be unnecessary for an effective protection of privacy. As it may be possible one day to link genetic data to individuals, the Buddhist conception perhaps offers a more flexible approach, as what is considered to be integral to an individual person is not fixed in objectivity but depends on convention.

  8. Unleashing the power of human genetic variation knowledge: New Zealand stakeholder perspectives.

    PubMed

    Gu, Yulong; Warren, James Roy; Day, Karen Jean

    2011-01-01

    This study aimed to characterize the challenges in using genetic information in health care and to identify opportunities for improvement. Taking a grounded theory approach, semistructured interviews were conducted with 48 participants to collect multiple stakeholder perspectives on genetic services in New Zealand. Three themes emerged from the data: (1) four service delivery models were identified in operation, including both those expected models involving genetic counselors and variations that do not route through the formal genetic service program; (2) multiple barriers to sharing and using genetic information were perceived, including technological, organizational, institutional, legal, ethical, and social issues; and (3) impediments to wider use of genetic testing technology, including variable understanding of genetic test utilities among clinicians and the limited capacity of clinical genetic services. Targeting these problems, information technologies and knowledge management tools have the potential to support key tasks in genetic services delivery, improve knowledge processes, and enhance knowledge networks. Because of the effect of issues in genetic information and knowledge management, the potential of human genetic variation knowledge to enhance health care delivery has been put on a "leash."

  9. Method for modeling social care processes for national information exchange.

    PubMed

    Miettinen, Aki; Mykkänen, Juha; Laaksonen, Maarit

    2012-01-01

    Finnish social services include 21 service commissions of social welfare including Adoption counselling, Income support, Child welfare, Services for immigrants and Substance abuse care. This paper describes the method used for process modeling in the National project for IT in Social Services in Finland (Tikesos). The process modeling in the project aimed to support common national target state processes from the perspective of national electronic archive, increased interoperability between systems and electronic client documents. The process steps and other aspects of the method are presented. The method was developed, used and refined during the three years of process modeling in the national project.

  10. Visual representation of spatiotemporal structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schill, Kerstin; Zetzsche, Christoph; Brauer, Wilfried; Eisenkolb, A.; Musto, A.

    1998-07-01

    The processing and representation of motion information is addressed from an integrated perspective comprising low- level signal processing properties as well as higher-level cognitive aspects. For the low-level processing of motion information we argue that a fundamental requirement is the existence of a spatio-temporal memory. Its key feature, the provision of an orthogonal relation between external time and its internal representation, is achieved by a mapping of temporal structure into a locally distributed activity distribution accessible in parallel by higher-level processing stages. This leads to a reinterpretation of the classical concept of `iconic memory' and resolves inconsistencies on ultra-short-time processing and visual masking. The spatial-temporal memory is further investigated by experiments on the perception of spatio-temporal patterns. Results on the direction discrimination of motion paths provide evidence that information about direction and location are not processed and represented independent of each other. This suggests a unified representation on an early level, in the sense that motion information is internally available in form of a spatio-temporal compound. For the higher-level representation we have developed a formal framework for the qualitative description of courses of motion that may occur with moving objects.

  11. Metacognition and Perspective-Taking in Alzheimer's Disease: A Mini-Review.

    PubMed

    Bertrand, Elodie; Landeira-Fernandez, Jesus; Mograbi, Daniel C

    2016-01-01

    Metacognition refers to the monitoring and regulation of cognitive processes and its impairment can lead to a lack of self-awareness of deficits, or anosognosia. In the context of different neurological and psychiatric disorders (e.g., traumatic brain injury, dementia, and schizophrenia), studies have shown that patients who present impairments in metacognitive abilities may be able to recognize such difficulties in others and in themselves when exposed to material in a third-person perspective. Considering that metacognitive impairments are an important characteristic of dementia, especially in Alzheimer's Disease (AD), studies of the relationship between metacognition and perspective-taking may be relevant to improve the quality of life of people with dementia. The current paper first briefly addresses the theme of metacognition and the impact of metacognitive deficits in people with AD. The focus then turns to the relationship between metacognition and perspective-taking in different neurological and psychiatric disorders, particularly AD. This relationship is also discussed based on theoretical models, particularly the Cognitive Awareness Model (CAM). Specifically, the CAM suggests the existence of distinct memory systems for self- and other-information, an idea which is supported by neuroimaging findings. We suggest that the Default Mode Network, as it has been shown to be implicated in self vs. other processing and is affected early in AD, could explain the impact of perspective-taking on awareness of deficits in AD. Finally, we present possible clinical implications of the relationship between metacognition and perspective-taking in AD. Indeed, we considered the possibility of improving patient's awareness through the use of a third-person perspective, which, consequently, may decrease the negative impacts of anosognosia in AD.

  12. “The Birthing From Within Holistic Sphere”: A Conceptual Model for Childbirth Education

    PubMed Central

    England, Pam; Horowitz, Rob

    2000-01-01

    An expanded conceptual model of childbirth education is offered, proposing the benefits of balancing informative teaching processes with creative, experiential, introspective learning processes for parents. The application of these two teaching dimensions to exploring four different perspectives of birth (the mother's, the father's, the baby's, and the culture's) is discussed, along with examples from “Birthing From Within” classes. Implications for current practice and the evolving role of childbirth educator are noted. PMID:17273200

  13. Awareness and Perceptions of Food Safety Risks and Risk Management in Poultry Production and Slaughter: A Qualitative Study of Direct-Market Poultry Producers in Maryland.

    PubMed

    Baron, Patrick; Frattaroli, Shannon

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this study was to document and understand the perceptions and opinions of small-scale poultry producers who market directly to consumers about microbial food safety risks in the poultry supply chain. Between January and November 2014, we conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with a convenience sample of 16 owner-operators of Maryland direct-market commercial poultry farms. Three overarching thematic categories emerged from these interviews that describe: 1) characteristics of Maryland direct-market poultry production and processing; 2) microbial food safety risk awareness and risk management in small-scale poultry production, slaughter and processing; and 3) motivations for prioritizing food safety in the statewide direct-market poultry supply chain. Key informants provided valuable insights on many topics relevant to evaluating microbial food safety in the Maryland direct-market poultry supply chain, including: direct-market poultry production and processing practices and models, perspectives on issues related to food safety risk management, perspectives on direct-market agriculture economics and marketing strategies, and ideas for how to enhance food safety at the direct-market level of the Maryland poultry supply chain. The findings have policy implications and provide insights into food safety in small-scale commercial poultry production, processing, distribution and retail. In addition, the findings will inform future food safety research on the small-scale US poultry supply chain.

  14. Auditory processing theories of language disorders: past, present, and future.

    PubMed

    Miller, Carol A

    2011-07-01

    The purpose of this article is to provide information that will assist readers in understanding and interpreting research literature on the role of auditory processing in communication disorders. A narrative review was used to summarize and synthesize the literature on auditory processing deficits in children with auditory processing disorder (APD), specific language impairment (SLI), and dyslexia. The history of auditory processing theories of these 3 disorders is described, points of convergence and controversy within and among the different branches of research literature are considered, and the influence of research on practice is discussed. The theoretical and clinical contributions of neurophysiological methods are also reviewed, and suggested approaches for critical reading of the research literature are provided. Research on the role of auditory processing in communication disorders springs from a variety of theoretical perspectives and assumptions, and this variety, combined with controversies over the interpretation of research results, makes it difficult to draw clinical implications from the literature. Neurophysiological research methods are a promising route to better understanding of auditory processing. Progress in theory development and its clinical application is most likely to be made when researchers from different disciplines and theoretical perspectives communicate clearly and combine the strengths of their approaches.

  15. Cultural aspects related to informed consent in health research: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Halkoaho, Arja; Pietilä, Anna-Maija; Ebbesen, Mette; Karki, Suyen; Kangasniemi, Mari

    2016-09-01

    In order to protect the autonomy of human subjects, we need to take their culture into account when we are obtaining informed consent. This study describes the cultural aspects related to informed consent in health research and is based on electronic searches that were conducted using the Scopus, PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases published between 2000 and 2013. A total of 25 articles were selected. Our findings indicate that cultural perspectives relating to the informed consent process are essential during the whole research process and particularly crucial in the planning phase of a study. Our study indicates that appropriate communication between different stakeholders plays a vital role in cultural understanding. The researchers' awareness of cultural differences and their ability to work in a culturally sensitive way are key factors in improving study participation and retention in a multicultural context. Taking cultural aspects into account during the whole research process improves the quality of research. © The Author(s) 2015.

  16. Working memory and the design of health materials: a cognitive factors perspective.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Elizabeth A H; Wolf, Michael S

    2009-03-01

    Working memory and other supportive cognitive processes involved in learning are reviewed in the context of developing patient education materials. We specifically focus on the impact of certain design factors such as text format and syntax, the inclusion of images, and the choice of modality on individuals' ability to understand and remember health information. A selective review of relevant cognitive and learning theories is discussed with regard to their potential impact on the optimal design of health materials. Working memory is measured as an individual's capacity to hold and manipulate information in active consciousness. It is limited by necessity, and well-designed health materials can effectively minimize extraneous cognitive demands placed on individuals, making working memory resources more available to better process content-related information. Further research is needed to evaluate specific design principles and identify ideal uses of print versus video-based forms of communication for conveying information. The process of developing health materials should account for the cognitive demands that extrinsic factors such as modality place on patients.

  17. Patients' perspectives and experiences concerning barriers to accessing information about bilateral prophylactic mastectomy.

    PubMed

    Glassey, Rachael; O'Connor, Moira; Ives, Angela; Saunders, Christobel; kConFab Investigators; O'Sullivan, Sarah; Hardcastle, Sarah J

    2018-05-11

    To explore the barriers and experiences of accessing information for women who have received genetic risk assessment/testing results for breast cancer (BC) and are considering a bilateral prophylactic mastectomy (BPM) and, exploring participants' preferences concerning information and support needs. A qualitative retrospective study guided by interpretative phenomenological analysis was utilised. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with forty-six women who were either considering BPM or had already undergone the surgery. Three themes identified barriers to accessing information; difficulties accessing information, inconsistent information and clinical focus/medicalized information. A fourth theme - preferences of information and support needs, identified three subthemes; these were, psychological support, clearly defined processes and photos of mastectomies/reconstruction surgeries. Barriers to accessing information appeared to be widespread. A lack of integrated services contributed to inconsistent information, and medicalized terminology/clinical focus of consultations further complicated understanding. Preferences for information include clearly defined processes, so women know the pathways after confirmation of familial BC risk. Clinical implications include a multidisciplinary team approach, and a protocol that reflects current practice. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Performance evaluation of Al-Zahra academic medical center based on Iran balanced scorecard model.

    PubMed

    Raeisi, Ahmad Reza; Yarmohammadian, Mohammad Hossein; Bakhsh, Roghayeh Mohammadi; Gangi, Hamid

    2012-01-01

    Growth and development in any country's national health system, without an efficient evaluation system, lacks the basic concepts and tools necessary for fulfilling the system's goals. The balanced scorecard (BSC) is a technique widely used to measure the performance of an organization. The basic core of the BSC is guided by the organization's vision and strategies, which are the bases for the formation of four perspectives of BSC. The goal of this research is the performance evaluation of Al-Zahra Academic Medical Center in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, based on Iran BSC model. This is a combination (quantitative-qualitative) research which was done at Al-Zahra Academic Medical Center in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2011. The research populations were hospital managers at different levels. Sampling method was purposive sampling in which the key informed personnel participated in determining the performance indicators of hospital as the BSC team members in focused discussion groups. After determining the conceptual elements in focused discussion groups, the performance objectives (targets) and indicators of hospital were determined and sorted in perspectives by the group discussion participants. Following that, the performance indicators were calculated by the experts according to the predetermined objectives; then, the score of each indicator and the mean score of each perspective were calculated. Research findings included development of the organizational mission, vision, values, objectives, and strategies. The strategies agreed upon by the participants in the focus discussion group included five strategies, which were customer satisfaction, continuous quality improvement, development of human resources, supporting innovation, expansion of services and improving the productivity. Research participants also agreed upon four perspectives for the Al-Zahra hospital BSC. In the patients and community perspective (customer), two objectives and three indicators were agreed upon, with a mean score of 75.9%. In the internal process perspective, 4 objectives and 14 indicators were agreed upon, with a mean score of 79.37%. In the learning and growth perspective, four objectives and eight indicators were agreed upon, with a mean score of 81.11%. Finally, in the financial perspective, two objectives and five indicators were agreed upon, with a mean score of 67.15%. One way to create demand for hospital services is performance evaluation by paying close attention to all BSC perspectives, especially the non-financial perspectives such as customers and internal processes perspectives. In this study, the BSC showed the differences in performance level of the organization in different perspectives, which would assist the hospital managers improve their performance indicators. The learning and growth perspective obtained the highest score, and the financial perspective obtained the least score. Since the learning and growth perspective acts as a base for all other perspectives and they depend on it, hospitals must continuously improve the service processes and the quality of services by educating staff and updating their policies and procedures. This can increase customer satisfaction and productivity and finally improve the BSC in financial perspective.

  19. Embedding technology into inter-professional best practices in home safety evaluation.

    PubMed

    Burns, Suzanne Perea; Pickens, Noralyn Davel

    2017-08-01

    To explore inter-professional home evaluators' perspectives and needs for building useful and acceptable decision-support tools for the field of home modifications. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with a range of home modification professionals from different regions of the United States. The interview transcripts were analyzed with a qualitative, descriptive, perspective approach. Technology supports current best practice and has potential to inform decision making through features that could enhance home evaluation processes, quality, efficiency and inter-professional communication. Technological advances with app design have created numerous opportunities for the field of home modifications. Integrating technology and inter-professional best practices will improve home safety evaluation and intervention development to meet client-centred and societal needs. Implications for rehabilitation Understanding home evaluators technology needs for home safety evaluations contributes to the development of app-based assessments. Integrating inter-professional perspectives of best practice and technological needs in an app for home assessments improves processes. Novice and expert home evaluators would benefit from decision support systems embedded in app-based assessments. Adoption of app-based assessment would improve efficiency while remaining client-centred.

  20. Challenging convention: symbolic interactionism and grounded theory.

    PubMed

    Newman, Barbara

    2008-01-01

    Not very much is written in the literature about decisions made by researchers and the justifications on method as a result of a particular clinical problem, together with an appropriate and congruent theoretical perspective, particularly for Glaserian grounded theory. I contend the utilisation of symbolic interactionism as a theoretical perspective to inform and guide the evolving research process and analysis of data when using classic or Glaserian grounded theory (GT) method, is not always appropriate. Within this article I offer an analysis of the key issues to be addressed when contemplating the use of Glaserian GT and the utilisation of an appropriate theoretical perspective, rather than accepting convention of symbolic interactionism (SI). The analysis became imperative in a study I conducted that sought to explore the concerns, adaptive behaviours, psychosocial processes and relevant interactions over a 12-month period, among newly diagnosed persons with end stage renal disease, dependent on haemodialysis in the home environment for survival. The reality of perception was central to the end product in the study. Human ethics approval was granted by six committees within New South Wales Health Department and one from a university.

  1. Making sense of past climate changes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Masson-Delmotte, Valérie; Schulz, Michael

    2014-05-01

    This presentation will summarize the paleoclimate perspective in IPCC AR5, which combines information from natural archives, paleoclimate simulations using both the CMIP5 framework and other simulations, model-data comparisons for model evaluation at hemispheric to regional scales, detection - attribution, and process studies throughout timescales such as polar amplification, carbon cycle or sea level change. It will highlight new findings and coordinated efforts which, within the scientific community, have allowed new information to emerge on time for AR5. It will also stress the aspects which could not be covered or assessed as well as suggestions for further inclusion of paleoclimate information to inform projections.

  2. Tensor products of process matrices with indefinite causal structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jia, Ding; Sakharwade, Nitica

    2018-03-01

    Theories with indefinite causal structure have been studied from both the fundamental perspective of quantum gravity and the practical perspective of information processing. In this paper we point out a restriction in forming tensor products of objects with indefinite causal structure in certain models: there exist both classical and quantum objects the tensor products of which violate the normalization condition of probabilities, if all local operations are allowed. We obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for when such unrestricted tensor products of multipartite objects are (in)valid. This poses a challenge to extending communication theory to indefinite causal structures, as the tensor product is the fundamental ingredient in the asymptotic setting of communication theory. We discuss a few options to evade this issue. In particular, we show that the sequential asymptotic setting does not suffer the violation of normalization.

  3. Using High Performance Computing to Examine the Processes of Neurogenesis Underlying Pattern Separation and Completion of Episodic Information.

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

    Aimone, James Bradley; Bernard, Michael Lewis; Vineyard, Craig Michael

    2014-10-01

    Adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus region of the brain is a neurobiological process that is believed to contribute to the brain's advanced abilities in complex pattern recognition and cognition. Here, we describe how realistic scale simulations of the neurogenesis process can offer both a unique perspective on the biological relevance of this process and confer computational insights that are suggestive of novel machine learning techniques. First, supercomputer based scaling studies of the neurogenesis process demonstrate how a small fraction of adult-born neurons have a uniquely larger impact in biologically realistic scaled networks. Second, we describe a novel technical approach bymore » which the information content of ensembles of neurons can be estimated. Finally, we illustrate several examples of broader algorithmic impact of neurogenesis, including both extending existing machine learning approaches and novel approaches for intelligent sensing.« less

  4. Informing public health policy through deliberative public engagement: perceived impact on participants and citizen-government relations.

    PubMed

    Molster, Caron; Potts, Ayla; McNamara, Beverley; Youngs, Leanne; Maxwell, Susannah; Dawkins, Hugh; O'Leary, Peter

    2013-09-01

    Deliberative public engagement has been proposed for policy development, where issues are complex and there are diverse public perspectives and low awareness of competing issues. Scholars suggest a range of potential outcomes for citizens and government agencies from involvement in such processes. Few studies have examined outcomes from the perspective of citizen participants in deliberative processes. To examine participant perceptions of their involvement in and outcomes of a deliberative engagement exercise. A case study using semistructured interviews was conducted with participants following a deliberative forum on biobanking. From their involvement in the deliberative exercise, participants described transformations in their knowledge and beliefs about the policy issues. They reported being more informed to the extent of having confidence to educate others and effectively contribute to public policy development. They had developed greater trust in government policymakers who they believed would take reasonable account of their recommendations. We conclude that the participants were satisfied with the outcomes of the deliberative public engagement process and viewed it as an effective means of citizen involvement in public policy development. Particularly for citizens who participate in deliberative processes, such processes may promote active citizenship, empower citizens to undertake representative and educative roles, and improve relations between citizens and government agencies. Actions taken by policymakers subsequent to the deliberative exercise, whereby the majority of citizen recommendations were incorporated in the policy developed, may have contributed to participants holding sustained levels of trust in the commissioning government agency.

  5. What constitutes a good hand offs in the emergency department: a patient's perspective.

    PubMed

    Downey, La Vonne; Zun, Leslie; Burke, Trena

    2013-01-01

    The aim is to determine, from the patient's perspective, what constitutes a good hand-off procedure in the emergency department (ED). The secondary purpose is to evaluate what impact a formalized hand-off had on patient knowledge, throughput and customer service This study used a randomized controlled clinical trial involving two unique hand-off approaches and a convenience sample. The study alternated between the current hand-off process that documented the process but not specific elements (referred to as the informal process) to one using the IPASS the BATON process (considered the formal process). Consenting patients completed a 12-question validated questionnaire on how the process was perceived by patients and about their understanding why they waited in the ED. Statistical analysis using SPSS calculated descriptive frequencies and t-tests. In total 107 patients were enrolled: 50 in the informal and 57 in the formal group. Most patients had positive answers to the customer survey. There were significant differences between formal and informal groups: recalling the oncoming and outgoing physician coming to the patient's bed (p = 0.000), with more formal group recalling that than informal group patients; the oncoming physician introducing him/herself (p = 0.01), with more from the formal group answering yes and the physician discussing tests and implications with formal group patients (p = 0.02). This study was done at an urban inner city ED, a fact that may have skewed its results. A comparison of suburban and rural EDs would make the results stronger. It also reflected a very high level of customer satisfaction within the ED. This lack of variance may have meant that the correlation between customer service and handoffs was missed or underrepresented. There was no codified observation of either those using the IPASS the BATON script or those using informal procedures, so no comparison of level and types of information given between the two groups was done. There could have been a bias of those attending who had internalized the IPASS the BATON procedures and used them even when they were assigned to the informal group. A hand off from one physician to the next in the emergency department is best done using a formalized process. IPASS the BATON is a useful tool for hand off in the ED in part because it involved the patient in the process. The formal hand off increased communication between patient and doctor as its use increased the patient's opportunity to ask and respond to questions. The researchers evaluated an ED physician specific hand-off process and illustrate the value and impact of involving patients in the hand-off process.

  6. Minimized state complexity of quantum-encoded cryptic processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riechers, Paul M.; Mahoney, John R.; Aghamohammadi, Cina; Crutchfield, James P.

    2016-05-01

    The predictive information required for proper trajectory sampling of a stochastic process can be more efficiently transmitted via a quantum channel than a classical one. This recent discovery allows quantum information processing to drastically reduce the memory necessary to simulate complex classical stochastic processes. It also points to a new perspective on the intrinsic complexity that nature must employ in generating the processes we observe. The quantum advantage increases with codeword length: the length of process sequences used in constructing the quantum communication scheme. In analogy with the classical complexity measure, statistical complexity, we use this reduced communication cost as an entropic measure of state complexity in the quantum representation. Previously difficult to compute, the quantum advantage is expressed here in closed form using spectral decomposition. This allows for efficient numerical computation of the quantum-reduced state complexity at all encoding lengths, including infinite. Additionally, it makes clear how finite-codeword reduction in state complexity is controlled by the classical process's cryptic order, and it allows asymptotic analysis of infinite-cryptic-order processes.

  7. Medical Management: Process Analysis Study Report

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-10-28

    in Medical Management (care coordinator, case manager, PCM, clinic nurses , referral management shop, utilization management?, etc). The goal is to...Enterprise Nursing Procedure Manual, revealed that fact from the Navy’s perspective. An OASD(HA) TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) Senior...Requirements Analyst, Clinical Information Management (IM) and retired Army Colonel Nurse , Patricia Kinder, essentially told us no single application suite

  8. Performance-Based Budgeting for Continuing and Lifelong Education Services: The Thai Higher Education Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sangiumvibool, Payear; Chonglerttham, Supasith

    2017-01-01

    This study presents analyses of panel data from 2007 to 2011 from various authoritative sources of information on public universities in Thailand. The focus is on factors that influence the budgetary decision-making process in providing educational services to the general public under a recently implemented performance-based budgeting system.…

  9. The Micropolitics of School Principals' Decision Making in Nigeria: Principals' Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olayiwola, Shina; Alabi, Kingsley

    2015-01-01

    This study depicted a micropolitical analysis of school principals' decision making as regards the influence of formal and informal groups on school administrative processes from the point of view of principals. It was based on descriptive survey study of all 24 public secondary schools within Ile-Ife community, Osun State, Nigeria, out of which a…

  10. Mothers' Initial Discovery of Childhood Disability: Exploring Maternal Identification of Developmental Issues in Young Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Silbersack, Elionora W.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to expand the scarce information available on how mothers first observe their children's early development, assess potential problems, and then come to recognize their concerns. In-depth knowledge about mothers' perspectives on the discovery process can help social workers to promote identification of…

  11. Social Cognitive Perspectives on the Development of Body Image in Adult Women

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Petersen, Kristin Lee

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore women's perceptions of the sources of information that led to the development of their body image. The problem this study addressed was women receive messages that contribute to negative body image throughout their lifetimes. When these messages are processed passively, especially when cultivated over time,…

  12. Partnership between the US and Iraqi Air Forces: One Airman’s Perspective

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-01-01

    Prime Minster Nouri al-Maliki in 2008, virtually all US military members should have left Iraqi soil, as the United States makes good on its pledge...received information on the health of the T-6 fleet but also had opportunities to share lessons learned and take part in some of the processes involving

  13. Improving K-12 Online Learning: Information Literacy Skills for Teacher Candidates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ntuli, Esther; Kyei-Blankson, Lydia

    2016-01-01

    Research indicates the need for teachers to be able to locate, evaluate, and use Internet resources in their teaching and learning processes. In addition, the Common Core State Standards require that students are able to think critically and know how to search and use alternative views and perspectives in their assignments. These skills are…

  14. Teacher Learning: Reflective Practice as a Site of Engagement for Professional Identity Construction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hung, Hsiu-ting

    2008-01-01

    This paper reports a qualitative study in response to the growing research interest in teacher learning. Informed by a sociocultural perspective, teacher learning is considered as a process of identity construction in the paper. This paper taps into the development of teacher identity embedded in teacher learning and views reflection as a social…

  15. Teaching Social Justice Research to Undergraduate Students in Puerto Rico: Using Personal Experiences to Inform Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ginwright, Shawn A.; Cammarota, Julio

    2015-01-01

    This article explores the process of teaching undergraduate students to conduct social justice research. We were interested in understanding how to develop a social justice perspective among students while training them in conventional research methods. The following questions guided our research activities. How can the principles of social…

  16. Exploring Social Sexual Scripts Related to Oral Sex: A Profile of College Student Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dotson-Blake, Kylie P.; Knox, David; Zusman, Marty E.

    2012-01-01

    Despite growing attention to the subject, a dearth of information exists regarding college students' perceptions and process of meaning-making related to the act of oral sex. Such perspectives and allied social sexual scripts can have considerable consequences on the sexuality and sexual health of older teens and college-aged populations. The…

  17. Disclosure of Maternal HIV Status to Children: To Tell or Not to Tell... That Is the Question

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tompkins, Tanya L.

    2007-01-01

    HIV-infected mothers face the challenging decision of whether to disclose their serostatus to their children. From the perspective of both mother and child, we explored the process of disclosure, providing descriptive information and examining the relationships among disclosure, demographic variables, and child adjustment. Participants were 23…

  18. Science Education Journals as Hosts of Environmental Education Research: Perspectives and Trends in the 21st Century

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Korfiatis, Konstantinos

    2016-01-01

    Scholarly journals are not passive receptors of scientific information. On the contrary, they, within the process of filtrating the kind of research that will finally been published, contextualize a scientific field. In the present review I examine the Environmental Education related articles published in science education journals between the…

  19. From Family Deficit to Family Strength: Viewing Families' Contributions to Children's Learning from a Family Resilience Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amatea, Ellen S.; Smith-Adcock, Sondra; Villares, Elizabeth

    2006-01-01

    This article presents an overview of a research-informed family resilience framework, developed as a conceptual map to guide school counselors' preventive and interventive efforts with students and their families. Key processes that characterize children's and families' resilience are outlined along with recommendations for how school counselors…

  20. Users' Continuance Intention of Virtual Learning Community Services: The Moderating Role of Usage Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, Min; Liu, Yupei; Yan, Weiwei; Zhang, Yan

    2017-01-01

    Users' continuance intention plays a significant role in the process of information system (IS) service, especially virtual learning community (VLC) services. Following the IS success model and IS post-acceptance model, this study explores the determinants of users' intention to continue using VLCs' service from the perspective of quality,…

  1. HIDEN: A HYBRID INTELLIGENT SYSTEM FOR SYNTHESIZING HIGHLY CONTROLLABLE EXCHANGER NETWORKS: IMPLEMENTATION OF DISTRIBUTED STRATEGY FOR INTEGRATION OF PROCESS DESIGN AND CONTROL. (R825549C040)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  2. Selective Social Learning: New Perspectives on Learning from Others

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koenig, Melissa A.; Sabbagh, Mark A.

    2013-01-01

    This special issue was motivated by the recent, wide-ranging interest in the development of children's selective social learning. Human beings have a far-reaching dependence on others for information, and the focus of this issue is on the processes by which children selectively and intelligently learn from others. It showcases some of the finest…

  3. Toward a New Interpretation of Female Values in School and Community Sport.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lenskyj, Helen

    Given the findings that females and males of all ages approach sport from markedly different perspectives, sport sociologists have acknowledged sex differences in sport socialization factors and processes. (Sport is defined in its broadest sense to encompass a range of formal and informal sport, fitness, play, and leisure activities.) It has been…

  4. A Visual Information Tool for User Participation during the Lifecycle of School Building Design: BIM

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koutamanis, Alexander; Heuer, Jos; Könings, Karen D.

    2017-01-01

    User participation is a key element in decision processes concerning the accommodation of dynamic organisations such as schools. This article addresses the discrepancy between the perspectives of the architects and engineers, as the makers of school buildings, and school management, teachers and students, as the users of the buildings, and…

  5. Noise, Variability, and the Development of Children's Perceptual-Motor Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deutsch, K.M.; Newell, K.M.

    2005-01-01

    In this paper we examine two long-standing assumptions of the information processing perspective of perceptual-motor development, namely that: (1) the amount of noise in children's sensori-motor system decreases with increases in age up to adulthood; and (2) this age-related reduction in noise level leads to associated improvements in the accuracy…

  6. School-Age Care from the Perspective of Social Role Theory.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ollhoff, Jim; Ollhoff, Laurie

    Within the literature of social psychology, there exists a body of information that deals with role theory, defined as the expectations persons have at any given time and the norms that govern their behavior. This paper discusses role theory as it applies to school-age child caregivers and as part of the process of professionalism.…

  7. Empower Latino Youth (ELAYO): Leveraging Youth Voice to Inform the Public Debate on Pregnancy, Parenting and Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Villaseñor, Elodia; Alcalá, Miguel; Valladares, Ena Suseth; Torres, Miguel A.; Mercado, Vanessa; Gómez, Cynthia A.

    2013-01-01

    Youth perspectives are routinely absent from research and policy initiatives. This article presents a project that infuses youth participation, training and mentorship into the research process and teaches youth how to become policy advocates. Empower Latino Youth (ELAYO) studies the individual and systemic factors impacting sexuality and…

  8. Memory and Learning--A Study from Neurological Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fathima, M. Parimala; Sasikumar, N.; Roja, M. Panimalar

    2012-01-01

    Learning is the acquisition and storage of information as a consequence of experience. The human brain is designed in such a way that thousands bits of sensory data are processed each minute. The brain pays attention to what is relevant to daily life, always asking: "What's going on?" and "How is it important relevant to me?"…

  9. Defense ADP Acquisition Study.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-11-30

    Logistics ALS - Advanced Logistics System AMP - ADPS Master Plan ANSI - American National Standards Institute APR - Agency Procurement Request ASD(C...Computers IRM - Information Resources Management ISO - International Standards Organization L LCC - Life Cycle Costs LCM - Life Cycle Management LE...man- agement in the process * Lack of a mission orientation . Lack of systems management and life cycle perspectives * Lack of effective leadership

  10. Student Voices: Perspectives on Peer-to-Peer Sexual Health Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Layzer, Carolyn; Rosapep, Lauren; Barr, Sherry

    2017-01-01

    Background: This process study is a companion to a randomized evaluation of a school-based, peer-led comprehensive sexual health education program, Teen Prevention Education Program (Teen PEP), in which 11th- and 12th-grade students are trained by school health educators to conduct informative workshops with ninth-grade peers in schools in North…

  11. Using "You've Got Mail" to Teach Social Information Processing Theory and Hyperpersonal Perspective in Online Interactions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heinemann, Daria S.

    2011-01-01

    With the expansion of online interactions and exponential growth of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC), attention is brought to those theories in communication that address the implications of relationships developed within these contexts. In communication courses students learn about both face-to-face (FtF) and CMC relationships and have the…

  12. Analysis of the Demand for Distance Education at Eastern and Central European Higher Education Institutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vasilevska, Daina; Rivza, Baiba; Pivac, Tatjana; Alekneviciene, Vilija; Parlinska, Agnieszka

    2017-01-01

    Distance education as one of the new and perspective forms of completing higher education increases in popularity around the world. At the same time, the development of this model of education generates new problems: organization of the study process and information security. Distance learning allows solving a problem of accessibility of higher…

  13. Motor Skill Assessment of Children: Is There an Association between Performance-Based, Child-Report, and Parent-Report Measures of Children's Motor Skills?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kennedy, Johanna; Brown, Ted; Chien, Chi-Wen

    2012-01-01

    Client-centered practice requires therapists to actively seek the perspectives of children and families. Several assessment tools are available to facilitate this process. However, when evaluating motor skill performance, therapists typically concentrate on performance-based assessment. To improve understanding of the information provided by the…

  14. Information accountability and usability: are there any connections?

    PubMed

    Sahama, Tony; Kushniruk, Andre; Kuwata, Shigeki

    2013-01-01

    Availability of health information is rapidly increasing and the expansion and proliferation of health information is inevitable. The Electronic Healthcare Record, Electronic Medical Record and Personal Health Record are at the core of this trend and are required for appropriate and practicable exchange and sharing of health information. However, it is becoming increasingly recognized that it is essential to preserve patient privacy and information security when utilising sensitive information for clinical, management and administrative processes. Furthermore, the usability of emerging healthcare applications is also becoming a growing concern. This paper proposes a novel approach for integrating consideration of information accountability with a perspective from usability engineering that can be applied when developing healthcare information technology applications. A social networking user case in the healthcare information exchange will be presented in the context of our approach.

  15. Using Collaborative Engineering to Inform Collaboration Engineering

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cooper, Lynne P.

    2012-01-01

    Collaboration is a critical competency for modern organizations as they struggle to compete in an increasingly complex, global environment. A large body of research on collaboration in the workplace focuses both on teams, investigating how groups use teamwork to perform their task work, and on the use of information systems to support team processes ("collaboration engineering"). This research essay presents collaboration from an engineering perspective ("collaborative engineering"). It uses examples from professional and student engineering teams to illustrate key differences in collaborative versus collaboration engineering and investigates how challenges in the former can inform opportunities for the latter.

  16. Rotorcraft Conceptual Design Environment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, Wayne; Sinsay, Jeffrey

    2009-01-01

    Requirements for a rotorcraft conceptual design environment are discussed, from the perspective of a government laboratory. Rotorcraft design work in a government laboratory must support research, by producing technology impact assessments and defining the context for research and development; and must support the acquisition process, including capability assessments and quantitative evaluation of designs, concepts, and alternatives. An information manager that will enable increased fidelity of analysis early in the design effort is described. This manager will be a framework to organize information that describes the aircraft, and enable movement of that information to and from analyses. Finally, a recently developed rotorcraft system analysis tool is described.

  17. Rotorcraft Conceptual Design Environment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, Wayne; Sinsay, Jeffrey D.

    2010-01-01

    Requirements for a rotorcraft conceptual design environment are discussed, from the perspective of a government laboratory. Rotorcraft design work in a government laboratory must support research, by producing technology impact assessments and defining the context for research and development; and must support the acquisition process, including capability assessments and quantitative evaluation of designs, concepts, and alternatives. An information manager that will enable increased fidelity of analysis early in the design effort is described. This manager will be a framework to organize information that describes the aircraft, and enable movement of that information to and from analyses. Finally, a recently developed rotorcraft system analysis tool is described.

  18. ["Vocational perspective" - concept and acceptance of a group treatment for patients with extensive work-related problems].

    PubMed

    Dorn, M; Bönisch, A; Ehlebracht-König, I

    2011-02-01

    The treatment programme "Vocational Perspective" was developed for patients with health-related social problems, e. g. long-term sick leave, job loss due to disability, job insecurity and psychosocial disabilities. It intends the patient-oriented imparting of information referring to social system, legal rights, earning capacity and occupational reintegration as well as an early feedback of the sociomedical assessment by the physicians. Participants during in-patient rehabilitation are supported to deal with their occupational situation; motivation to stay employed is strengthened. The group programme contains five psychoeducative modules and an additional sociomedical "ward round". The aim of the study was to examine the acceptance of the newly developed sociomedical vocational therapy module. A total of 179 patients participated in 21 "vocational perspective" seminars within the scope of a controlled quasi-experimental trial. In the experimental group the data on acceptance of the treatment was assessed by questionnaire at the end of the intervention. Experiences with implementation of the programme are described in order to complete the patient-related perspective. The identification of a demand for work-related interventions in medical rehabilitation seemed successful: Sociodemographic and socioeconomical parameters of the sample proved high risk in view of the social-medical perspective (poor education, high unemployment rates and long-term sick leave). Self-estimations revealed high suffering of the participants, e. g. due to the occupational situation, anxiety and depression, and confirmed high interest in work-related issues. The patients showed quite high acceptance of the programme (regarding importance of seminar, comprehensibility, usefulness of information, atmosphere of the group, mode and extent of the programme). 82.7% of the participants would recommend the programme to other people with work-related problems. Altogether, the experiences during the implementation of the programme can be described as positive. Nevertheless, organizing took much effort and the treatment was very demanding for the therapists. Finally, it is also necessary that the physicians agree to realize high transparency in the process of sociomedical assessment. The sociomedical programme "Vocational Perspective" helps patients to deal with relevant information referring to social system and occupational reintegration. Problematical sociomedical issues can be handled in a therapeutic way during rehabilitation process. Therefore, the programme can be used as meaningful supplement in regular medical rehabilitation. For final conclusions, the results of short-term and follow-up evaluations described elsewhere have to be considered. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  19. Enhancing clinician provision of informed consent and counseling: some pedagogical strategies.

    PubMed

    Wear, S

    1999-02-01

    Although long touted as an ethical and legal requirement, some clinicians still seem to offer less than fully adequate informed consent processes; similarly the counseling of patients and families, particularly about post-intervention scenarios, is often perfunctory at best. Keyed to a narrative of a patient's experience with surgery for a deviated septum, this article reflects on why such less than adequate clinician behaviors tend to occur and what might be done about them. Certain legal misconceptions about informed consent are highlighted in this reflection, as well as why certain clinicians seem to take such a narrow view of their responsibilities to patients. Further reference in this regard is also made to a recently constructed module on informed consent for medical residents. In it, though legal requirements for informed consent are reviewed, the basic perspective taken regards informed consent as a clinical intervention that pursues certain basic goods and values, only one of which lies in determining when legal closure for such processes has occurred.

  20. An Ecosystem Perspective On Asset Management Information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Metso, Lasse; Kans, Mirka

    2017-09-01

    Big Data and Internet of Things will increase the amount of data on asset management exceedingly. Data sharing with an increased number of partners in the area of asset management is important when developing business opportunities and new ecosystems. An asset management ecosystem is a complex set of relationships between parties taking part in asset management actions. In this paper, the current barriers and benefits of data sharing are identified based on the results of an interview study. The main benefits are transparency, access to data and reuse of data. New services can be created by taking advantage of data sharing. The main barriers to sharing data are an unclear view of the data sharing process and difficulties to recognize the benefits of data sharing. For overcoming the barriers in data sharing, this paper applies the ecosystem perspective on asset management information. The approach is explained by using the Swedish railway industry as an example.

  1. Software Quality Evaluation Models Applicable in Health Information and Communications Technologies. A Review of the Literature.

    PubMed

    Villamor Ordozgoiti, Alberto; Delgado Hito, Pilar; Guix Comellas, Eva María; Fernandez Sanchez, Carlos Manuel; Garcia Hernandez, Milagros; Lluch Canut, Teresa

    2016-01-01

    Information and Communications Technologies in healthcare has increased the need to consider quality criteria through standardised processes. The aim of this study was to analyse the software quality evaluation models applicable to healthcare from the perspective of ICT-purchasers. Through a systematic literature review with the keywords software, product, quality, evaluation and health, we selected and analysed 20 original research papers published from 2005-2016 in health science and technology databases. The results showed four main topics: non-ISO models, software quality evaluation models based on ISO/IEC standards, studies analysing software quality evaluation models, and studies analysing ISO standards for software quality evaluation. The models provide cost-efficiency criteria for specific software, and improve use outcomes. The ISO/IEC25000 standard is shown as the most suitable for evaluating the quality of ICTs for healthcare use from the perspective of institutional acquisition.

  2. Insiders Views of the Valley of Death Behavioral and Institutional Perspectives

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

    Wolfe, Amy K; Bjornstad, David J; Shumpert, Barry L

    Valley of death describes the metaphorical depths to which promising science and technology too often plunge, never to emerge and reach their full potential. Behavioral and institutional perspectives help in understanding the implications of choices that inadvertently lead into rather than over the valley of death. A workshop conducted among a diverse set of scientists, managers, and technology transfer staff at a U.S. national laboratory is a point of departure for discussing behavioral and institutional elements that promote or impede the pathway from research toward use, and for suggesting actionable measures that can facilitate the flow of information and productsmore » from research toward use. In the complex systems that comprise research institutions, where competing pressures can create barriers to information or technology transfer, one recommendation is to re-frame the process as a more active ushering toward use.« less

  3. A systematic review of the care coordination measurement landscape

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Care coordination has increasingly been recognized as an important aspect of high-quality health care delivery. Robust measures of coordination processes will be essential tools to evaluate, guide and support efforts to understand and improve coordination, yet little agreement exists among stakeholders about how to best measure care coordination. We aimed to review and characterize existing measures of care coordination processes and identify areas of high and low density to guide future measure development. Methods We conducted a systematic review of measures published in MEDLINE through April 2012 and identified from additional key sources and informants. We characterized included measures with respect to the aspects of coordination measured (domain), measurement perspective (patient/family, health care professional, system representative), applicable settings and patient populations (by age and condition), and data used (survey, chart review, administrative claims). Results Among the 96 included measure instruments, most relied on survey methods (88%) and measured aspects of communication (93%), in particular the transfer of information (81%). Few measured changing coordination needs (11%). Nearly half (49%) of instruments mapped to the patient/family perspective; 29% to the system representative and 27% to the health care professionals perspective. Few instruments were applicable to settings other than primary care (58%), inpatient facilities (25%), and outpatient specialty care (22%). Conclusions New measures are needed that evaluate changing coordination needs, coordination as perceived by health care professionals, coordination in the home health setting, and for patients at the end of life. PMID:23537350

  4. Computer integrated manufacturing/processing in the HPI. [Hydrocarbon Processing Industry

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

    Yoshimura, J.S.

    1993-05-01

    Hydrocarbon Processing and Systemhouse Inc., developed a comprehensive survey on the status of computer integrated manufacturing/processing (CIM/CIP) targeted specifically to the unique requirements of the hydrocarbon processing industry. These types of surveys and other benchmarking techniques can be invaluable in assisting companies to maximize business benefits from technology investments. The survey was organized into 5 major areas: CIM/CIP planning, management perspective, functional applications, integration and technology infrastructure and trends. The CIM/CIP planning area dealt with the use and type of planning methods to plan, justify implement information technology projects. The management perspective section addressed management priorities, expenditure levels and implementationmore » barriers. The functional application area covered virtually all functional areas of organization and focused on the specific solutions and benefits in each of the functional areas. The integration section addressed the needs and integration status of the organization's functional areas. Finally, the technology infrastructure and trends section dealt with specific technologies in use as well as trends over the next three years. In February 1993, summary areas from preliminary results were presented at the 2nd International Conference on Productivity and Quality in the Hydrocarbon Processing Industry.« less

  5. Of blind men and elephants: suggesting SDM-MASS as a compound measure for shared decision making integrating patient, physician and observer views.

    PubMed

    Geiger, Friedemann; Kasper, Jürgen

    2012-01-01

    Shared decision making (SDM) between patient and physician is an interpersonal process. Most SDM measures use the view of one party (patient, physician or observer) as a proxy to capture this process although these views typically diverge. This study suggests the compound measure SDM(MASS) (SDM Meeting its concept's ASSumptions) integrating these three perspectives in one single index. SDM(MASS) was derived theoretically and compared empirically to unilateral perspectives of patients, physicians and observers by application to a data set of 10 physicians (40 consultations) receiving an SDM training. The constituting parts of SDM(MASS) were highly reliable (Cronbach's alpha .94; interrater reliability .74-.87). Unilateral appraisal of training effects was divergent. SDM(MASS) revealed no effect. SDM(MASS) combines noteworthy information about SDM processes from different viewpoints and thereby delivers plausible assessments. It could overcome immanent shortcomings of unilateral approaches. However, it is a complex measure needing further validation. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

  6. Case studies, cross-site comparisons, and the challenge of generalization: comparing agent-based models of land-use change in frontier regions

    PubMed Central

    Parker, Dawn C.; Entwisle, Barbara; Rindfuss, Ronald R.; Vanwey, Leah K.; Manson, Steven M.; Moran, Emilio; An, Li; Deadman, Peter; Evans, Tom P.; Linderman, Marc; Rizi, S. Mohammad Mussavi; Malanson, George

    2009-01-01

    Cross-site comparisons of case studies have been identified as an important priority by the land-use science community. From an empirical perspective, such comparisons potentially allow generalizations that may contribute to production of global-scale land-use and land-cover change projections. From a theoretical perspective, such comparisons can inform development of a theory of land-use science by identifying potential hypotheses and supporting or refuting evidence. This paper undertakes a structured comparison of four case studies of land-use change in frontier regions that follow an agent-based modeling approach. Our hypothesis is that each case study represents a particular manifestation of a common process. Given differences in initial conditions among sites and the time at which the process is observed, actual mechanisms and outcomes are anticipated to differ substantially between sites. Our goal is to reveal both commonalities and differences among research sites, model implementations, and ultimately, conclusions derived from the modeling process. PMID:19960107

  7. Case studies, cross-site comparisons, and the challenge of generalization: comparing agent-based models of land-use change in frontier regions.

    PubMed

    Parker, Dawn C; Entwisle, Barbara; Rindfuss, Ronald R; Vanwey, Leah K; Manson, Steven M; Moran, Emilio; An, Li; Deadman, Peter; Evans, Tom P; Linderman, Marc; Rizi, S Mohammad Mussavi; Malanson, George

    2008-01-01

    Cross-site comparisons of case studies have been identified as an important priority by the land-use science community. From an empirical perspective, such comparisons potentially allow generalizations that may contribute to production of global-scale land-use and land-cover change projections. From a theoretical perspective, such comparisons can inform development of a theory of land-use science by identifying potential hypotheses and supporting or refuting evidence. This paper undertakes a structured comparison of four case studies of land-use change in frontier regions that follow an agent-based modeling approach. Our hypothesis is that each case study represents a particular manifestation of a common process. Given differences in initial conditions among sites and the time at which the process is observed, actual mechanisms and outcomes are anticipated to differ substantially between sites. Our goal is to reveal both commonalities and differences among research sites, model implementations, and ultimately, conclusions derived from the modeling process.

  8. A user-centered, object-oriented methodology for developing Health Information Systems: a Clinical Information System (CIS) example.

    PubMed

    Konstantinidis, Georgios; Anastassopoulos, George C; Karakos, Alexandros S; Anagnostou, Emmanouil; Danielides, Vasileios

    2012-04-01

    The aim of this study is to present our perspectives on healthcare analysis and design and the lessons learned from our experience with the development of a distributed, object-oriented Clinical Information System (CIS). In order to overcome known issues regarding development, implementation and finally acceptance of a CIS by the physicians we decided to develop a novel object-oriented methodology by integrating usability principles and techniques in a simplified version of a well established software engineering process (SEP), the Unified Process (UP). A multilayer architecture has been defined and implemented with the use of a vendor application framework. Our first experiences from a pilot implementation of our CIS are positive. This approach allowed us to gain a socio-technical understanding of the domain and enabled us to identify all the important factors that define both the structure and the behavior of a Health Information System.

  9. Collective motion in animal groups from a neurobiological perspective: the adaptive benefits of dynamic sensory loads and selective attention.

    PubMed

    Lemasson, B H; Anderson, J J; Goodwin, R A

    2009-12-21

    We explore mechanisms associated with collective animal motion by drawing on the neurobiological bases of sensory information processing and decision-making. The model uses simplified retinal processes to translate neighbor movement patterns into information through spatial signal integration and threshold responses. The structure provides a mechanism by which individuals can vary their sets of influential neighbors, a measure of an individual's sensory load. Sensory loads are correlated with group order and density, and we discuss their adaptive values in an ecological context. The model also provides a mechanism by which group members can identify, and rapidly respond to, novel visual stimuli.

  10. Indo-Tibetan Philosophical and Medical Systems: Perspectives on the Biofield

    PubMed Central

    Daubenmier, Jennifer; Muehsam, David; Rapgay, Lopsang; Chopra, Deepak

    2015-01-01

    The word biofield is a term that Western scientists have used to describe various aspects of energy and information fields that guide health processes. Similar concepts and descriptions of energy and information patterns exist in various cultures and have guided whole systems of medicine such as Ayurveda and Tibetan medicine. This article describes Vedic, Jain, and Tibetan philosophical and medical systems' concepts of consciousness and subtle energy and their relationships to health processes in order to foster deeper crosscultural dialogue on the nature of the biofield. Similarities and differences within the 3 traditions are noted, and suggestions for considering these concepts to extend current biofield research are discussed. PMID:26665038

  11. Improving Treatment Response for Paediatric Anxiety Disorders: An Information-Processing Perspective.

    PubMed

    Ege, Sarah; Reinholdt-Dunne, Marie Louise

    2016-12-01

    Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is considered the treatment of choice for paediatric anxiety disorders, yet there remains substantial room for improvement in treatment outcomes. This paper examines whether theory and research into the role of information-processing in the underlying psychopathology of paediatric anxiety disorders indicate possibilities for improving treatment response. Using a critical review of recent theoretical, empirical and academic literature, the paper examines the role of information-processing biases in paediatric anxiety disorders, the extent to which CBT targets information-processing biases, and possibilities for improving treatment response. The literature reviewed indicates a role for attentional and interpretational biases in anxious psychopathology. While there is theoretical grounding and limited empirical evidence to indicate that CBT ameliorates interpretational biases, evidence regarding the effects of CBT on attentional biases is mixed. Novel treatment methods including attention bias modification training, attention feedback awareness and control training, and mindfulness-based therapy may hold potential in targeting attentional biases, and thereby in improving treatment response. The integration of novel interventions into an existing evidence-based protocol is a complex issue and faces important challenges with regard to determining the optimal treatment package. Novel interventions targeting information-processing biases may hold potential in improving response to CBT for paediatric anxiety disorders. Many important questions remain to be answered.

  12. Neural correlates of moral judgments in first- and third-person perspectives: implications for neuroethics and beyond

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background There appears to be an inconsistency in experimental paradigms used in fMRI research on moral judgments. As stimuli, moral dilemmas or moral statements/ pictures that induce emotional reactions are usually employed; a main difference between these stimuli is the perspective of the participants reflecting first-person (moral dilemmas) or third-person perspective (moral reactions). The present study employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in order to investigate the neural correlates of moral judgments in either first- or third-person perspective. Results Our results indicate that different neural mechanisms appear to be involved in these perspectives. Although conjunction analysis revealed common activation in the anterior medial prefrontal cortex, third person-perspective elicited unique activations in hippocampus and visual cortex. The common activation can be explained by the role the anterior medial prefrontal cortex may play in integrating different information types and also by its involvement in theory of mind. Our results also indicate that the so-called "actor-observer bias" affects moral evaluation in the third-person perspective, possibly due to the involvement of the hippocampus. We suggest two possible ways in which the hippocampus may support the process of moral judgment: by the engagement of episodic memory and its role in understanding the behaviors and emotions of others. Conclusion We posit that these findings demonstrate that first or third person perspectives in moral cognition involve distinct neural processes, that are important to different aspects of moral judgments. These  results are important to a deepened understanding of neural correlates of moral cognition—the so-called “first tradition” of neuroethics, with the caveat that any results must be interpreted and employed with prudence, so as to heed neuroethics “second tradition” that sustains the pragmatic evaluation of outcomes, capabilities and limitations of neuroscientific techniques and technologies. PMID:24742205

  13. Social vs. Clinical Perspectives on the Use of Information: Implications for School-based Information Systems. Systemic Evaluation Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sirotnik, Kenneth A.; And Others

    This paper presents a study of the contrast of social and clinical perspectives on the selection and use of information by school staff, including: (1) an outline of the context and activities of the study; (2) a definition and discussion of the basic distinction between social and clinical perspectives; (3) an examination of case material…

  14. Information Engineering and Workflow Design in a Clinical Decision Support System for Colorectal Cancer Screening in Iran.

    PubMed

    Maserat, Elham; Seied Farajollah, Seiede Sedigheh; Safdari, Reza; Ghazisaeedi, Marjan; Aghdaei, Hamid Asadzadeh; Zali, Mohammad Reza

    2015-01-01

    Colorectal cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Colorectal cancer screening is an optimal way for reducing of morbidity and mortality and a clinical decision support system (CDSS) plays an important role in predicting success of screening processes. DSS is a computer-based information system that improves the delivery of preventive care services. The aim of this article was to detail engineering of information requirements and work flow design of CDSS for a colorectal cancer screening program. In the first stage a screening minimum data set was determined. Developed and developing countries were analyzed for identifying this data set. Then information deficiencies and gaps were determined by check list. The second stage was a qualitative survey with a semi-structured interview as the study tool. A total of 15 users and stakeholders' perspectives about workflow of CDSS were studied. Finally workflow of DSS of control program was designed by standard clinical practice guidelines and perspectives. Screening minimum data set of national colorectal cancer screening program was defined in five sections, including colonoscopy data set, surgery, pathology, genetics and pedigree data set. Deficiencies and information gaps were analyzed. Then we designed a work process standard of screening. Finally workflow of DSS and entry stage were determined. A CDSS facilitates complex decision making for screening and has key roles in designing optimal interactions between colonoscopy, pathology and laboratory departments. Also workflow analysis is useful to identify data reconciliation strategies to address documentation gaps. Following recommendations of CDSS should improve quality of colorectal cancer screening.

  15. [Qualitative research methodology in health care].

    PubMed

    Bedregal, Paula; Besoain, Carolina; Reinoso, Alejandro; Zubarew, Tamara

    2017-03-01

    Health care research requires different methodological approaches such as qualitative and quantitative analyzes to understand the phenomena under study. Qualitative research is usually the least considered. Central elements of the qualitative method are that the object of study is constituted by perceptions, emotions and beliefs, non-random sampling by purpose, circular process of knowledge construction, and methodological rigor throughout the research process, from quality design to the consistency of results. The objective of this work is to contribute to the methodological knowledge about qualitative research in health services, based on the implementation of the study, “The transition process from pediatric to adult services: perspectives from adolescents with chronic diseases, caregivers and health professionals”. The information gathered through the qualitative methodology facilitated the understanding of critical points, barriers and facilitators of the transition process of adolescents with chronic diseases, considering the perspective of users and the health team. This study allowed the design of a transition services model from pediatric to adult health services based on the needs of adolescents with chronic diseases, their caregivers and the health team.

  16. The impact of concordant communication in outpatient care planning - nurses' perspective.

    PubMed

    Olsson, Maivor; Larsson, Lena G; Flensner, Gullvi; Bäck-Pettersson, Siv

    2012-09-01

    To elucidate registered nurses' experiences of coordinated care planning in outpatient care. Coordinated care planning has been studied from the perspectives of both patients and nurses in inpatient care, but it is deficient in outpatient care. Qualitative content analysis of interviews with 10 registered nurses participating in two focus groups. An overall theme was identified: creating concordant communication in relation to patient and health-care providers. The result is based on four categories and nine subcategories. Nurses need extraordinary communication skills to reach concordance in outpatient care planning. In addition to involving and supporting the patients and next of kin in the decision-making process, the outcome of the nursing process must be understood by colleagues and members of other professions and health-care providers (non-nursing). An effective outpatient care-planning process requires that care managers understand the impact of communicating, transferring information and reaching consensus with other health-care providers, actively supporting employees in the outpatient care-planning process and contributing to the development of common goals and policy documents across organisational boundaries. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  17. Automotive HMI design and participatory user involvement: review and perspectives.

    PubMed

    François, Mathilde; Osiurak, François; Fort, Alexandra; Crave, Philippe; Navarro, Jordan

    2017-04-01

    Automotive human-machine interface (HMI) design is facing new challenges due to the technological advances of the last decades. The design process has to be adapted in order to address human factors and road safety challenges. It is now widely accepted that user involvement in the HMI design process is valuable. However, the current form of user involvement in industry remains at the stages of concept assessment and usability tests. Moreover, the literature in other fields (e.g. information systems) promotes a broader user involvement with participatory design (i.e. the user is fully involved in the development process). This article reviews the established benefits of participatory design and reveals perspectives for automotive HMI quality improvement in a cognitive ergonomic framework. Practitioner Summary: Automotive HMI quality determines, in part, drivers' ability to perform primary driving tasks while using in-vehicle devices. User involvement in the design process is a key point to contribute to HMI quality. This article reports the potential benefits of a broad involvement from drivers to meet automotive HMI design challenges.

  18. Does an Oblique/Slanted Perspective during Virtual Navigation Engage Both Egocentric and Allocentric Brain Strategies?

    PubMed Central

    Barra, Julien; Laou, Laetitia; Poline, Jean-Baptiste; Lebihan, Denis; Berthoz, Alain

    2012-01-01

    Perspective (route or survey) during the encoding of spatial information can influence recall and navigation performance. In our experiment we investigated a third type of perspective, which is a slanted view. This slanted perspective is a compromise between route and survey perspectives, offering both information about landmarks as in route perspective and geometric information as in survey perspective. We hypothesized that the use of slanted perspective would allow the brain to use either egocentric or allocentric strategies during storage and recall. Twenty-six subjects were scanned (3-Tesla fMRI) during the encoding of a path (40-s navigation movie within a virtual city). They were given the task of encoding a segment of travel in the virtual city and of subsequent shortcut-finding for each perspective: route, slanted and survey. The analysis of the behavioral data revealed that perspective influenced response accuracy, with significantly more correct responses for slanted and survey perspectives than for route perspective. Comparisons of brain activation with route, slanted, and survey perspectives suggested that slanted and survey perspectives share common brain activity in the left lingual and fusiform gyri and lead to very similar behavioral performance. Slanted perspective was also associated with similar activation to route perspective during encoding in the right middle occipital gyrus. Furthermore, slanted perspective induced intermediate patterns of activation (in between route and survey) in some brain areas, such as the right lingual and fusiform gyri. Our results suggest that the slanted perspective may be considered as a hybrid perspective. This result offers the first empirical support for the choice to present the slanted perspective in many navigational aids. PMID:23209583

  19. Information fusion: telling the story (or threat narrative)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fenstermacher, Laurie

    2014-06-01

    Today's operators face a "double whammy" - the need to process increasing amounts of information, including "Twitter-INT"1 (social information such as Facebook, You-Tube videos, blogs, Twitter) as well as the need to discern threat signatures in new security environments, including those in which the airspace is contested. To do this will require the Air Force to "fuse and leverage its vast capabilities in new ways."2 For starters, the integration of quantitative and qualitative information must be done in a way that preserves important contextual information since the goal increasingly is to identify and mitigate violence before it occurs. To do so requires a more nuanced understanding of the environment being sensed, including the human environment, ideally from the "emic" perspective; that is, from the perspective of that individual or group. This requires not only data and information that informs the understanding of how the individuals and/or groups see themselves and others (social identity) but also information on how that identity filters information in their environment which, in turn, shapes their behaviors.3 The goal is to piece together the individual and/or collective narratives regarding threat, the threat narrative, from various sources of information. Is there a threat? If so, what is it? What is motivating the threat? What is the intent of those who pose the threat and what are their capabilities and their vulnerabilities?4 This paper will describe preliminary investigations regarding the application of prototype hybrid information fusion method based on the threat narrative framework.

  20. Futuragua: Fostering Cross-Scale Knowledge to Inform Social-Environmental Decision Processes for Building Drought Resilience in Highly Seasonal Environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McDaniels, T.; Steyn, D. G.; Johnson, M. S.; Small, M.; Leclerc, G.; Vignola, R.; Chan, K.; Grossmann, I.; Wong-Parodi, G.

    2014-12-01

    Improving resilience to drought in complex social-environmental systems (SES) is extraordinarily important, particularly for rural tropical locations where small changes in climate regimes can have dramatic SES impacts. Efforts to build drought resilience must necessarily be planned and implemented within SES governance systems that involve linkages in water and land use administration from local to national levels. These efforts require knowledge and understanding that links climate and weather forecasts to regional and local hydrology, to social-economic and environmental systems, and to governance processes. In order to provide structure for such complex choices and investments, we argue that a focus on structured decision processes that involve linkages among science, technological perspectives, and public values conducted with agencies and stakeholders will provide a crucial framework for comparing and building insight for pursuing alternative courses of action to build drought resilience. This paper focuses on a regional case study in the seasonally-dry northwest region of Costa Rica, in watersheds rated as most threatened in the country in terms of drought. We present the overall framework guiding the transdisciplinary efforts to link scientific and technical understanding to public values, in order to foster civil society actions that lead to improved drought resilience. Initial efforts to characterize hydrological and climate regimes will be reported along with our approach to linking natural science findings, social inventories in terms of perspectives on SES, and the psychology and patterns of reliance on forecast information that provide the basis for characterizing public understanding. The overall linkage of technical and value information is focused on creating and comparing alternative actions that can potentially build resilience in short and long time frames by building decision making processes involving stakeholders, agencies and interested parties.

  1. Intergroup visual perspective-taking: Shared group membership impairs self-perspective inhibition but may facilitate perspective calculation.

    PubMed

    Simpson, Austin J; Todd, Andrew R

    2017-09-01

    Reasoning about what other people see, know, and want is essential for navigating social life. Yet, even neurodevelopmentally healthy adults make perspective-taking errors. Here, we examined how the group membership of perspective-taking targets (ingroup vs. outgroup) affects processes underlying visual perspective-taking. In three experiments using two bases of group identity (university affiliation and minimal groups), interference from one's own differing perspective (i.e., egocentric intrusion) was stronger when responding from an ingroup versus an outgroup member's perspective. Spontaneous perspective calculation, as indexed by interference from another's visual perspective when reporting one's own (i.e., altercentric intrusion), did not differ across target group membership in any of our experiments. Process-dissociation analyses, which aim to isolate automatic processes underlying altercentric-intrusion effects, further revealed negligible effects of target group membership on perspective calculation. Meta-analytically, however, there was suggestive evidence that shared group membership facilitates responding from others' perspectives when self and other perspectives are aligned. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Increasing Our Insular World View: Interoception and Psychopathology for Psychotherapists.

    PubMed

    Duquette, Patrice

    2017-01-01

    Interoception has been determined to be an elemental aspect of the neural foundations of physiological homeostasis, subjective experience, and motivated behavior. This paper reviews current neuroscience research regarding interoception and forms of interoceptive dysfunction that may result in psychopathology, focusing on depression, and anxiety, in a manner conducive to psychotherapists engaging with it to consider clinical applications. Pertinent aspects of interoceptive system processes in relation to psychopathology are addressed: Functional interoceptive ability and the forms of its expression, the difficulty of accurate measurement of such within an individual or group, interoceptive inference processes and perturbations. Predictive coding, considered in this context as interoceptive inference, a process that integrates bottom-up and top down lines of neural information emerging from the multitude of bidirectional, anatomically hierarchical connections the insular cortex makes with other cortical, and subcortical structures, will be addressed regarding its place in psychopathological formulations. Clinical vignettes will elucidate how interoceptive disturbances might present in the therapeutic relationship, supporting the evaluation and application of scientific theory, and research findings by psychotherapists. The clinical implications of this neuroscientific research have received little attention in the psychotherapeutic setting. Increasing the knowledge base of psychotherapists and furthering awareness of the functional interactions of body and brain toward the creation of healthy and psychopathological experience benefits the patient. There is immediate need for the translational expression of scientific findings into the psychological evaluation of patients, therapeutic process, and treatment. While it may seem distant and unrelated to the affective processes that occur within the psychotherapeutic exchange, neuroscience adds a unique perspective from which to observe and live such experience for the therapist and patient. With the therapeutic relationship as the backdrop, a scientific perspective will support psychotherapists' comprehension of their patients' experience and the process of change, either through direct information, or the development of different perspectives from which to observe and interact with their patients. This paper will serve not only as a guide for psychotherapists concerning this expanding knowledge base, but also a source for neuroscience researchers intent on formulating research protocols that could produce clinical benefit.

  3. Increasing Our Insular World View: Interoception and Psychopathology for Psychotherapists

    PubMed Central

    Duquette, Patrice

    2017-01-01

    Interoception has been determined to be an elemental aspect of the neural foundations of physiological homeostasis, subjective experience, and motivated behavior. This paper reviews current neuroscience research regarding interoception and forms of interoceptive dysfunction that may result in psychopathology, focusing on depression, and anxiety, in a manner conducive to psychotherapists engaging with it to consider clinical applications. Pertinent aspects of interoceptive system processes in relation to psychopathology are addressed: Functional interoceptive ability and the forms of its expression, the difficulty of accurate measurement of such within an individual or group, interoceptive inference processes and perturbations. Predictive coding, considered in this context as interoceptive inference, a process that integrates bottom-up and top down lines of neural information emerging from the multitude of bidirectional, anatomically hierarchical connections the insular cortex makes with other cortical, and subcortical structures, will be addressed regarding its place in psychopathological formulations. Clinical vignettes will elucidate how interoceptive disturbances might present in the therapeutic relationship, supporting the evaluation and application of scientific theory, and research findings by psychotherapists. The clinical implications of this neuroscientific research have received little attention in the psychotherapeutic setting. Increasing the knowledge base of psychotherapists and furthering awareness of the functional interactions of body and brain toward the creation of healthy and psychopathological experience benefits the patient. There is immediate need for the translational expression of scientific findings into the psychological evaluation of patients, therapeutic process, and treatment. While it may seem distant and unrelated to the affective processes that occur within the psychotherapeutic exchange, neuroscience adds a unique perspective from which to observe and live such experience for the therapist and patient. With the therapeutic relationship as the backdrop, a scientific perspective will support psychotherapists' comprehension of their patients' experience and the process of change, either through direct information, or the development of different perspectives from which to observe and interact with their patients. This paper will serve not only as a guide for psychotherapists concerning this expanding knowledge base, but also a source for neuroscience researchers intent on formulating research protocols that could produce clinical benefit. PMID:28377690

  4. A study of general practitioners' perspectives on electronic medical records systems in NHSScotland.

    PubMed

    Bouamrane, Matt-Mouley; Mair, Frances S

    2013-05-21

    Primary care doctors in NHSScotland have been using electronic medical records within their practices routinely for many years. The Scottish Health Executive eHealth strategy (2008-2011) has recently brought radical changes to the primary care computing landscape in Scotland: an information system (GPASS) which was provided free-of-charge by NHSScotland to a majority of GP practices has now been replaced by systems provided by two approved commercial providers. The transition to new electronic medical records had to be completed nationally across all health-boards by March 2012. We carried out 25 in-depth semi-structured interviews with primary care doctors to elucidate GPs' perspectives on their practice information systems and collect more general information on management processes in the patient surgical pathway in NHSScotland. We undertook a thematic analysis of interviewees' responses, using Normalisation Process Theory as the underpinning conceptual framework. The majority of GPs' interviewed considered that electronic medical records are an integral and essential element of their work during the consultation, playing a key role in facilitating integrated and continuity of care for patients and making clinical information more accessible. However, GPs expressed a number of reservations about various system functionalities - for example: in relation to usability, system navigation and information visualisation. Our study highlights that while electronic information systems are perceived as having important benefits, there remains substantial scope to improve GPs' interaction and overall satisfaction with these systems. Iterative user-centred improvements combined with additional training in the use of technology would promote an increased understanding, familiarity and command of the range of functionalities of electronic medical records among primary care doctors.

  5. Theory and research in audiology education: understanding and representing complexity through informed methodological decisions.

    PubMed

    Ng, Stella L

    2013-05-01

    The discipline of audiology has the opportunity to embark on research in education from an informed perspective, learning from professions that began this journey decades ago. The goal of this article is to position our discipline as a new member in the academic field of health professional education (HPE), with much to learn and contribute. In this article, I discuss the need for theory in informing HPE research. I also stress the importance of balancing our research goals by selecting appropriate methodologies for relevant research questions, to ensure that we respect the complexity of social processes inherent in HPE. Examples of relevant research questions are used to illustrate the need to consider alternative methodologies and to rethink the traditional hierarchy of evidence. I also provide an example of the thought processes and decisions that informed the design of an educational research study using a constructivist grounded theory methodology. As audiology enters the scholarly field of HPE, we need to arm ourselves with some of the knowledge and perspective that informs the field. Thus, we need to broaden our conceptions of what we consider to be appropriate styles of academic writing, relevant research questions, and valid evidence. Also, if we are to embark on qualitative inquiry into audiology education (or other audiology topics), we need to ensure that we conduct this research with an adequate understanding of the theories and methodologies informing such approaches. We must strive to conduct high quality, rigorous qualitative research more often than uninformed, generic qualitative research. These goals are imperative to the advancement of the theoretical landscape of audiology education and evolving the place of audiology in the field of HPE. American Academy of Audiology.

  6. A study of general practitioners’ perspectives on electronic medical records systems in NHSScotland

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Primary care doctors in NHSScotland have been using electronic medical records within their practices routinely for many years. The Scottish Health Executive eHealth strategy (2008-2011) has recently brought radical changes to the primary care computing landscape in Scotland: an information system (GPASS) which was provided free-of-charge by NHSScotland to a majority of GP practices has now been replaced by systems provided by two approved commercial providers. The transition to new electronic medical records had to be completed nationally across all health-boards by March 2012. Methods We carried out 25 in-depth semi-structured interviews with primary care doctors to elucidate GPs’ perspectives on their practice information systems and collect more general information on management processes in the patient surgical pathway in NHSScotland. We undertook a thematic analysis of interviewees’ responses, using Normalisation Process Theory as the underpinning conceptual framework. Results The majority of GPs’ interviewed considered that electronic medical records are an integral and essential element of their work during the consultation, playing a key role in facilitating integrated and continuity of care for patients and making clinical information more accessible. However, GPs expressed a number of reservations about various system functionalities – for example: in relation to usability, system navigation and information visualisation. Conclusion Our study highlights that while electronic information systems are perceived as having important benefits, there remains substantial scope to improve GPs’ interaction and overall satisfaction with these systems. Iterative user-centred improvements combined with additional training in the use of technology would promote an increased understanding, familiarity and command of the range of functionalities of electronic medical records among primary care doctors. PMID:23688255

  7. Issues and challenges in resource management and its interaction with levels 2/3 fusion with applications to real-world problems: an annotated perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blasch, Erik; Kadar, Ivan; Hintz, Kenneth; Biermann, Joachim; Chong, Chee-Yee; Salerno, John; Das, Subrata

    2007-04-01

    Resource management (or process refinement) is critical for information fusion operations in that users, sensors, and platforms need to be informed, based on mission needs, on how to collect, process, and exploit data. To meet these growing concerns, a panel session was conducted at the International Society of Information Fusion Conference in 2006 to discuss the various issues surrounding the interaction of Resource Management with Level 2/3 Situation and Threat Assessment. This paper briefly consolidates the discussion of the invited panel panelists. The common themes include: (1) Addressing the user in system management, sensor control, and knowledge based information collection (2) Determining a standard set of fusion metrics for optimization and evaluation based on the application (3) Allowing dynamic and adaptive updating to deliver timely information needs and information rates (4) Optimizing the joint objective functions at all information fusion levels based on decision-theoretic analysis (5) Providing constraints from distributed resource mission planning and scheduling; and (6) Defining L2/3 situation entity definitions for knowledge discovery, modeling, and information projection

  8. Credit use: psychological perspectives on a multifaceted phenomenon.

    PubMed

    Kamleitner, Bernadette; Hoelzl, Erik; Kirchler, Erich

    2012-01-01

    Consumer borrowing is a highly topical and multifaceted phenomenon as well as a popular subject for study. We focus on consumer credit use and review the existing literature. To categorize what is known we identify four main psychological perspectives on the phenomenon: credit use as (1) a reflection of the situation, (2) a reflection of the person, (3) a cognitive process, and (4) a social process. On top of these perspectives we view credit use as a process that entails three distinct phases: (1) processes before credit acquisition, (2) processes at credit acquisition, and (3) processes after credit acquisition. We review the international literature along a two-tier structure that aligns the psychological perspectives with a process view of credit. This structure allows us to identify systematic concentrations as well as gaps in the existing research. We consolidate what is known within each perspective and identify what seems to be most urgently missing. Some of the most important gaps relate to research studying credit acquisition from the perspective of credit use as a reflection of the person or as a social process. In particular, research on credit use as a reflection of the person appears to focus exclusively on the first stage of the credit process. We conclude with a discussion that reaches across perspectives and identifies overarching gaps, trends, and open questions. We highlight a series of implicit linkages between perspectives and the geographical regions in which studies related to the perspectives were conducted. Beyond diagnosing a geographical imbalance of research, we argue for future research that systematically addresses interrelations between perspectives. We conclude with a set of global implications and research recommendations.

  9. The neuroscience of body memory: From the self through the space to the others.

    PubMed

    Riva, Giuseppe

    2017-07-25

    Our experience of the body is not direct; rather, it is mediated by perceptual information, influenced by internal information, and recalibrated through stored implicit and explicit body representation (body memory). This paper presents an overview of the current investigations related to body memory by bringing together recent studies from neuropsychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary and cognitive psychology. To do so, in the paper, I explore the origin of representations of human body to elucidate their developmental process and, in particular, their relationship with more explicit concepts of self. First, it is suggested that our bodily experience is constructed from early development through the continuous integration of sensory and cultural data from six different representations of the body, i.e., the Sentient Body (Minimal Selfhood), the Spatial Body (Self Location), the Active Body (Agency), the Personal Body (Whole Body Ownership - Me); the Objectified Body (Objectified Self - Mine), and the Social Body (Body Satisfaction - Ideal Me). Then, it is suggested that these six representations can be combined in a coherent supramodal representation, i.e. the "body matrix", through a predictive, multisensory processing activated by central, top-down, attentional processes. From an evolutionary perspective, the main goal of the body matrix is to allow the self to protect and extend its boundaries at both the homeostatic and psychological levels. From one perspective, the self extends its boundaries (peripersonal space) through the enactment and recognition of motor schemas. From another perspective, the body matrix, by defining the boundaries of the body, also defines where the self is present, i.e., in the body that is processed by the body matrix as the most likely to be its one, and in the space surrounding it. In the paper I also introduce and discuss the concept of "embodied medicine": the use of advanced technology for altering the body matrix with the goal of improving our health and well-being. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  10. Instantiating the multiple levels of analysis perspective in a program of study on externalizing behavior

    PubMed Central

    Beauchaine, Theodore P.; Gatzke-Kopp, Lisa M.

    2014-01-01

    During the last quarter century, developmental psychopathology has become increasingly inclusive and now spans disciplines ranging from psychiatric genetics to primary prevention. As a result, developmental psychopathologists have extended traditional diathesis–stress and transactional models to include causal processes at and across all relevant levels of analysis. Such research is embodied in what is known as the multiple levels of analysis perspective. We describe how multiple levels of analysis research has informed our current thinking about antisocial and borderline personality development among trait impulsive and therefore vulnerable individuals. Our approach extends the multiple levels of analysis perspective beyond simple Biology × Environment interactions by evaluating impulsivity across physiological systems (genetic, autonomic, hormonal, neural), psychological constructs (social, affective, motivational), developmental epochs (preschool, middle childhood, adolescence, adulthood), sexes (male, female), and methods of inquiry (self-report, informant report, treatment outcome, cardiovascular, electrophysiological, neuroimaging). By conducting our research using any and all available methods across these levels of analysis, we have arrived at a developmental model of trait impulsivity that we believe confers a greater understanding of this highly heritable trait and captures at least some heterogeneity in key behavioral outcomes, including delinquency and suicide. PMID:22781868

  11. Priority Determination for Higher Education Strategic Planning Using Balanced Scorecard, FAHP and TOPSIS (Case study: XYZ University)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yudatama, Uky; Sarno, Riyanarto

    2016-01-01

    The process of strategic planning is needed by a higher education in some cases, especially in preparing to face the challenges and competition. The results of strategic planning will help the higher education to provide a framework for achieving a competitive advantage as well as determine the direction of future policy in accordance with the desired objectives. In recent decades, the Balanced Scorecard has been applied in the field of information technology as a very popular tool and is used extensively, because it is a model that can explain between information technologies with "Business Objectives" in a comprehensive manner. This study uses 4 perspectives in the Balanced Scorecard and 7 standards in higher education quality assessment as sub-criteria. Fuzzy AHP and Fuzzy TOPSIS are used to determine the priority as making strategic policy recommendations in a higher education. The final result of this research shows the score of Customer Perspective 0.35365 is higher than other perspective, while the score in Research and Student Affairs gains significant score when compared with the others, namely 0.69753948 is also higher. This means that both of them get very serious attention as a strategic planning basis for policy making.

  12. 'In the eye of the beholder': perceptions of local impact in English Health Action Zones.

    PubMed

    Sullivan, Helen; Judge, Ken; Sewel, Kate

    2004-10-01

    Contemporary efforts to promote population health improvement and to reduce inequalities in the UK are characterised by their complexity as they engage with a multiplicity of agencies and sectors. Additionally, the emphasis on promoting evidence-based practice has challenged evaluators tasked with collecting and interpreting evidence of impact in complex local health economies. National policy makers, local implementers and other stakeholders will have varying perspectives on impact and the Labour Government's centralising tendencies have acted to 'crowd out' local voices from the policy process. Drawing on the national evaluation of Health Action Zones (HAZ) this article 'gives voice' to local stakeholders and their perceptions of impact. Informed by a Theories of Change perspective, we explore HAZ interventions to articulate the nature of impact and its limits. We analyse the claims made by local HAZs with reference to the evidence base and examine their significance in the context of overall HAZ objectives. We conclude that local implementer perspectives are no less sophisticated than those at the policy centre of central government, but that they are informed by three important factors: the local context, a need to be pragmatic and the limited potency of evidence in the public policy system.

  13. Mothers' Protection of Their Children after Discovering They Have Been Sexually Abused: An Information-Processing Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coohey, Carol; O'Leary, Patrick

    2008-01-01

    Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand why some non-offending mothers did not protect their children consistently after they knew they were sexually abused. Methods: The sample included 85 mothers who were involved with child protective services: 48 mothers who protected their children consistently were compared to 37 mothers who…

  14. Early Influences on Brain Architecture: An Interview with Neuroscientist Eric Knudsen. Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2006

    2006-01-01

    Early experience has a powerful and lasting influence on how the brain develops. The physical and chemical conditions that encourage the building of a strong, adaptive brain architecture are present early in life. As brains age, a number of changes lock in the ways information is processed, making it more difficult for the brain to change to other…

  15. Adult Literacy in the United States: A Compendium of Qualitative Data and Interpretive Comments. Research to Practice.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Armstrong, William B.; Sticht, Thomas G.

    Human cognitive system and information processing theories were used as the theoretical base that frames an interpretation of adult literacy research from World War I (WWI) through 1993. These theoretical perspectives are as follows: (1) literacy learning is grounded in a distinct developmental sequence; and (2) literacy learning is dependent on…

  16. Science Engagement at the Museum School: Teacher Perspectives on the Contribution of Museum Pedagogy to Science Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watermeyer, Richard

    2015-01-01

    This paper explores the accounts of science teachers working within the UK's only "museum school" and what they perceive as the benefits and shortcomings of "museum pedagogy" as a process of object-based teaching (and learning). Museum pedagogy is in this context considered for its potential in harmonising informal and formal…

  17. Studying Learners and Assessing Learning: A Process-Relational Perspective on the Learning Sciences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chee, Yam San

    2010-01-01

    The field of the learning sciences appears to favor cognitive and social approaches to the study of human learning. In this article, the author proposes that a deep cognizance of cultural influences on learning is vital if formal and informal learning are to make vital connections to learners' lives and their personal need for meaning making in…

  18. Issues of Identity and Knowledge in the Schooling of VET: A Case Study of Lifelong Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tennant, Mark; Yates, Lyn

    2005-01-01

    This article discusses two school-based case studies of vocational education and training in the areas of information technology and hospitality from the perspective of the agendas of "lifelong learning". Lifelong learning can be seen as both a policy goal leading to institutional and programme reforms and as a process which fosters in learners…

  19. Enhancing the Interdisciplinary Perspective in the Marketing Management Decision Process through an Applied, Integrated, Client Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Askim-Lovseth, Mary K.; O'Keefe, Timothy P.

    2012-01-01

    Businesses function within a cross-functional, integrative setting, and this necessitates providing a learning environment for students that is comparable to real-life work projects. Two upper-level university classes in marketing and information systems worked collaboratively with a snack food business to design and build a Web site based on a…

  20. Elevating the Role of Race in Ethnographic Research: Navigating Race Relations in the Field

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Keffrelyn D.

    2011-01-01

    Little work in the social sciences or in the field of education has fully explored the methodological issues related to the study of race and racism, yet qualitative researchers acknowledge that race plays (and should play) a role in the research process. Indeed, race frames and informs the context, practices and perspectives of everyday lived…

  1. A Philosophical Perspective on Construct Validation: Application of Inductive Logic to the Analysis of Experimental Episode Construct Validity.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rossi, Robert Joseph

    Methods drawn from four logical theories associated with studies of inductive processes are applied to the assessment and evaluation of experimental episode construct validity. It is shown that this application provides for estimates of episode informativeness with respect to the person examined in terms of the construct and to the construct…

  2. Perspectives on Academic Staff Involvement in the Acquisition and Implementation of Educational Technologies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Habib, Laurence; Johannesen, Monica

    2014-01-01

    This article presents the results of a study using both quantitative and qualitative data to uncover the extent and nature of the involvement of academic staff in the processes of acquisition and implementation of educational technologies. Actor-network theory (ANT) is used to inform the design of the study and the analysis of the data. Three main…

  3. Ways of Knowing Beyond Facts and Laws of Science: An Ethnographic Investigation of Student Engagement in Scientific Practices.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crawford, Teresa; Kelly, Gregory J.; Brown, Candice

    This study brings an anthropological perspective informed by sociolinguistic discourse analysis to examine how teachers, students, and scientists constructed ways of investigating and knowing science. The teaching and learning processes for a group of third grade students and how, in the following academic year, these same students drew upon their…

  4. Adapting Nielsen’s Design Heuristics to Dual Processing for Clinical Decision Support

    PubMed Central

    Taft, Teresa; Staes, Catherine; Slager, Stacey; Weir, Charlene

    2016-01-01

    The study objective was to improve the applicability of Nielson’s standard design heuristics for evaluating electronic health record (EHR) alerts and linked ordering support by integrating them with Dual Process theory. Through initial heuristic evaluation and a user study of 7 physicians, usability problems were identified. Through independent mapping of specific usability criteria to support for each of the Dual Cognitive processes (S1 and S2) and deliberation, agreement was reached on mapping criteria. Finally, usability errors from the heuristic and user study were mapped to S1 and S2. Adding a dual process perspective to specific heuristic analysis increases the applicability and relevance of computerized health information design evaluations. This mapping enables designers to measure that their systems are tailored to support attention allocation. System 1 will be supported by improving pattern recognition and saliency, and system 2 through efficiency and control of information access. PMID:28269915

  5. Adapting Nielsen's Design Heuristics to Dual Processing for Clinical Decision Support.

    PubMed

    Taft, Teresa; Staes, Catherine; Slager, Stacey; Weir, Charlene

    2016-01-01

    The study objective was to improve the applicability of Nielson's standard design heuristics for evaluating electronic health record (EHR) alerts and linked ordering support by integrating them with Dual Process theory. Through initial heuristic evaluation and a user study of 7 physicians, usability problems were identified. Through independent mapping of specific usability criteria to support for each of the Dual Cognitive processes (S1 and S2) and deliberation, agreement was reached on mapping criteria. Finally, usability errors from the heuristic and user study were mapped to S1 and S2. Adding a dual process perspective to specific heuristic analysis increases the applicability and relevance of computerized health information design evaluations. This mapping enables designers to measure that their systems are tailored to support attention allocation. System 1 will be supported by improving pattern recognition and saliency, and system 2 through efficiency and control of information access.

  6. Managing distrust-induced risk with deposit in supply chain contract decisions.

    PubMed

    Han, Guanghua; Dong, Ming; Sun, Qi

    2014-01-01

    This paper studies the trust issue in a two-echelon supply chain information sharing process. In a supply chain, the retailer reports the forecasted demand to the supplier. Traditionally, the supplier's trust in the retailer's reported information is based on the retailer's reputation. However, this paper considers that trust is random and is also affected by the reputation and the demand gap. The supplier and retailer have been shown to have different evaluations regarding the degree of trust. Furthermore, distrust is inherently linked to perceived risk. To mitigate perceived risk, a two-stage decision process with an unpayback deposit contract is proposed. At the first stage, the supplier and the retailer negotiate the deposit contract. At the second stage, a Stackelberg game is used to determine the retailer's reported demand and the supplier's production quantity. We show that the deposits from the retailer's and supplier's perspectives are different. When the retailer's reported demand is equal to the supplier's forecasted demand, the retailer's evaluation of the deposit is more than that of supplier's. When the retailer's reported demand is equal to the retailer's forecasted demand, the deposit from the retailer's perspective is at the lowest level.

  7. Introduction to Agent Mining Interaction and Integration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cao, Longbing

    In recent years, more and more researchers have been involved in research on both agent technology and data mining. A clear disciplinary effort has been activated toward removing the boundary between them, that is the interaction and integration between agent technology and data mining. We refer this to agent mining as a new area. The marriage of agents and data mining is driven by challenges faced by both communities, and the need of developing more advanced intelligence, information processing and systems. This chapter presents an overall picture of agent mining from the perspective of positioning it as an emerging area. We summarize the main driving forces, complementary essence, disciplinary framework, applications, case studies, and trends and directions, as well as brief observation on agent-driven data mining, data mining-driven agents, and mutual issues in agent mining. Arguably, we draw the following conclusions: (1) agent mining emerges as a new area in the scientific family, (2) both agent technology and data mining can greatly benefit from agent mining, (3) it is very promising to result in additional advancement in intelligent information processing and systems. However, as a new open area, there are many issues waiting for research and development from theoretical, technological and practical perspectives.

  8. Managing Distrust-Induced Risk with Deposit in Supply Chain Contract Decisions

    PubMed Central

    Han, Guanghua; Dong, Ming; Sun, Qi

    2014-01-01

    This paper studies the trust issue in a two-echelon supply chain information sharing process. In a supply chain, the retailer reports the forecasted demand to the supplier. Traditionally, the supplier's trust in the retailer's reported information is based on the retailer's reputation. However, this paper considers that trust is random and is also affected by the reputation and the demand gap. The supplier and retailer have been shown to have different evaluations regarding the degree of trust. Furthermore, distrust is inherently linked to perceived risk. To mitigate perceived risk, a two-stage decision process with an unpayback deposit contract is proposed. At the first stage, the supplier and the retailer negotiate the deposit contract. At the second stage, a Stackelberg game is used to determine the retailer's reported demand and the supplier's production quantity. We show that the deposits from the retailer's and supplier's perspectives are different. When the retailer's reported demand is equal to the supplier's forecasted demand, the retailer's evaluation of the deposit is more than that of supplier's. When the retailer's reported demand is equal to the retailer's forecasted demand, the deposit from the retailer's perspective is at the lowest level. PMID:25054190

  9. The patient's perspective in the Dutch National Technical Agreement on Telemedicine.

    PubMed

    Meijer, Wouter J

    2008-01-01

    In 2007, the Dutch National Technical Agreement (NTA) for Telemedicine was established. Telemedicine deals with care processes. The goals of Telemedicine were defined broadly, including quality of life in non-medical terms as seen from the patient's perspective: 1) independence, 2) self-reliance; 3) participation in society and social life and 4) self-determination (autonomy through freedom of choice) for the care consumer and his environment. Quality aspects were defined at three levels:1) patient level Telemedicine must be in line with his needs. 2) level of information provision, such as: patient's rights in information control were also defined in the NTA: the care consumer has ultimate control over his own data. The care consumer decides who, in which functional capacity within the care process, is entitled to access which data at which level (reading) and is entitled to process it in some way: making additions, changes or possibly deleting (writing). On request, the healthcare provider must allow the care consumer access to his own data as quickly as possible and/or provide a copy of (part of) the record.3) level of business processes, e.g.it is important that the care process is designed on the basis of statutory requirements for the allocation and registration of the roles, rights and obligations of all actors concerned. For quality assurance, the processes must be defined on the basis of the function that they perform in the achievement of the goals (intended outcome), from the starting situation (input). The intended outcome means that the needs or requirements of the involved parties are fulfilled. The quality of the Telemedicine service must be assured in a cyclical and ongoing process. This can best be done by developing a quality management system based on indicators and criteria for quality.

  10. Spreading dynamics on complex networks: a general stochastic approach.

    PubMed

    Noël, Pierre-André; Allard, Antoine; Hébert-Dufresne, Laurent; Marceau, Vincent; Dubé, Louis J

    2014-12-01

    Dynamics on networks is considered from the perspective of Markov stochastic processes. We partially describe the state of the system through network motifs and infer any missing data using the available information. This versatile approach is especially well adapted for modelling spreading processes and/or population dynamics. In particular, the generality of our framework and the fact that its assumptions are explicitly stated suggests that it could be used as a common ground for comparing existing epidemics models too complex for direct comparison, such as agent-based computer simulations. We provide many examples for the special cases of susceptible-infectious-susceptible and susceptible-infectious-removed dynamics (e.g., epidemics propagation) and we observe multiple situations where accurate results may be obtained at low computational cost. Our perspective reveals a subtle balance between the complex requirements of a realistic model and its basic assumptions.

  11. A Social Psychological Perspective on the Links between Close Relationships and Health.

    PubMed

    Slatcher, Richard B; Selcuk, Emre

    2017-02-01

    The association between the quality of people's close relationships and their physical health is well-established. But from a psychological perspective, how do close relationships impact physical health? This article summarizes recent work seeking to identify the relationship processes, psychological mediators and moderators of the links between close relationships and health, with an emphasis on studies of married and cohabitating couples. We begin with a brief review of a recent meta-analysis of the links between marital quality and health. We then describe our strength and strain model of marriage and health, homing in on one process- partner responsiveness -and one moderator- adult attachment style -to illustrate ways in which basic relationship science can inform our understanding of how relationships impact physical health. We conclude with a brief discussion of promising directions in the study of close relationships and health.

  12. Performance evaluation of Al-Zahra academic medical center based on Iran balanced scorecard model

    PubMed Central

    Raeisi, Ahmad Reza; Yarmohammadian, Mohammad Hossein; Bakhsh, Roghayeh Mohammadi; Gangi, Hamid

    2012-01-01

    Background: Growth and development in any country's national health system, without an efficient evaluation system, lacks the basic concepts and tools necessary for fulfilling the system's goals. The balanced scorecard (BSC) is a technique widely used to measure the performance of an organization. The basic core of the BSC is guided by the organization's vision and strategies, which are the bases for the formation of four perspectives of BSC. The goal of this research is the performance evaluation of Al-Zahra Academic Medical Center in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, based on Iran BSC model. Materials and Methods: This is a combination (quantitative–qualitative) research which was done at Al-Zahra Academic Medical Center in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2011. The research populations were hospital managers at different levels. Sampling method was purposive sampling in which the key informed personnel participated in determining the performance indicators of hospital as the BSC team members in focused discussion groups. After determining the conceptual elements in focused discussion groups, the performance objectives (targets) and indicators of hospital were determined and sorted in perspectives by the group discussion participants. Following that, the performance indicators were calculated by the experts according to the predetermined objectives; then, the score of each indicator and the mean score of each perspective were calculated. Results: Research findings included development of the organizational mission, vision, values, objectives, and strategies. The strategies agreed upon by the participants in the focus discussion group included five strategies, which were customer satisfaction, continuous quality improvement, development of human resources, supporting innovation, expansion of services and improving the productivity. Research participants also agreed upon four perspectives for the Al-Zahra hospital BSC. In the patients and community perspective (customer), two objectives and three indicators were agreed upon, with a mean score of 75.9%. In the internal process perspective, 4 objectives and 14 indicators were agreed upon, with a mean score of 79.37%. In the learning and growth perspective, four objectives and eight indicators were agreed upon, with a mean score of 81.11%. Finally, in the financial perspective, two objectives and five indicators were agreed upon, with a mean score of 67.15%. Conclusion: One way to create demand for hospital services is performance evaluation by paying close attention to all BSC perspectives, especially the non-financial perspectives such as customers and internal processes perspectives. In this study, the BSC showed the differences in performance level of the organization in different perspectives, which would assist the hospital managers improve their performance indicators. The learning and growth perspective obtained the highest score, and the financial perspective obtained the least score. Since the learning and growth perspective acts as a base for all other perspectives and they depend on it, hospitals must continuously improve the service processes and the quality of services by educating staff and updating their policies and procedures. This can increase customer satisfaction and productivity and finally improve the BSC in financial perspective. PMID:23555104

  13. Prostate Cancer Patient Perspectives on the Use of Information in Treatment Decision-Making: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Meta-synthesis

    PubMed Central

    Kandasamy, Sujane; Khalid, Ahmad Firas; Majid, Umair; Vanstone, Meredith

    2017-01-01

    Background Men with low- to intermediate-risk prostate cancer are typically asked to choose from a variety of treatment options, including active surveillance, radical prostatectomy, or brachytherapy. The Prolaris cell cycle progression test is intended to provide additional information on personal risk status to assist men with prostate cancer in their choice of treatment. To assist with assessing that new technology, this report synthesizes qualitative research on how men with prostate cancer use information to make decisions about treatment options. Methods We performed a systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis to retrieve and synthesize findings across primary qualitative studies that report on patient perspectives during prostate cancer treatment decision-making. Results Of 8,610 titles and abstracts reviewed, 29 studies are included in this report. Most men diagnosed with prostate cancer express that their information-seeking pathway extends beyond the medical information received from their health care provider. They access other social resources to attain additional medical information, lived-experience information, and medical administrative information to help support their final treatment decision. Men value privacy, trust, honesty, control, power, organization, and open communication during interactions with their health care providers. They also emphasize the importance of gaining comfort with their treatment choice, having a chance to confirm their health care provider's recommendations (validation of treatment plan), and exercising their preferred level of independence in the treatment decision-making process. Conclusions Although each prostate cancer patient is unique, studies suggest that most patients seek extensive information to help inform their treatment decisions. This may happen before, during, and after the treatment choice is made. Given the amount of information patients may access, it is important that they also establish the trustworthiness of the various types and sources of information. When information conflicts, patients may be unsure about how to proceed. Open collaboration between patients and their health care providers can help patients manage and navigate their concerns so that their values and perspectives are captured in their treatment choices. PMID:28572868

  14. A Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of the Outside World Perception Process

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wewerinke, P. H.

    1978-01-01

    The outside scene is often an important source of information for manual control tasks. Important examples of these are car driving and aircraft control. This paper deals with modelling this visual scene perception process on the basis of linear perspective geometry and the relative motion cues. Model predictions utilizing psychophysical threshold data from base-line experiments and literature of a variety of visual approach tasks are compared with experimental data. Both the performance and workload results illustrate that the model provides a meaningful description of the outside world perception process, with a useful predictive capability.

  15. Interactions and user-perceived helpfulness in diet information social questions & answers.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yin; Wang, Peilin

    2016-12-01

    Online health information seeking using social questions and answers (Social Q&A) sites has been increasingly popular in recent years. It calls for better understanding of health information seeking behaviour and interactions between information seekers and information providers. The study investigates how diet information seekers interact with information providers on WebMD Answers, which is a Social Q&A site devoted to health-related topics, and examines the factors that constitute a 'helpful' answer from an information seeker's perspective. Bales' interaction process analysis was applied as the framework to analyse 568 diet-related Q&As from WebMD Answers to identify interaction patterns. Most diet information seekers post questions anonymously and without any detailed description. Individual experts or health organisations provide most answers. Overall, answers are positively received and had a high satisfaction rating. It was also found that information seeker-perceived helpfulness does not depend on who answered the question but to how an information seeker posted the question. This study indicates that answers at WebMD Answers are helpful for diet information seekers. It sheds new light on the interactions during the Q&A process, preferred site functions and important factors that contribute to perceived helpful answers. © 2016 Health Libraries Group.

  16. Barriers and facilitators of medication reconciliation processes for recently discharged patients from community pharmacists’ perspectives

    PubMed Central

    Kennelty, Korey A.; Chewning, Betty; Wise, Meg; Kind, Amy; Roberts, Tonya; Kreling, David

    2015-01-01

    Background Community pharmacists play a vital part in reconciling medications for patients transitioning from hospital to community care, yet their roles have not been fully examined in the extant literature. Objectives The objectives of this study were to: 1) examine the barriers and facilitators community pharmacists face when reconciling medications for recently discharged patients; and 2) identify pharmacists’ preferred content and modes of information transfer regarding updated medication information for recently discharged patients. Methods Community pharmacists were purposively and conveniently sampled from the Wisconsin (U.S. state) pharmacist-based research network, Pharmacy Practice Enhancement and Action Research Link (PEARL Rx). Community pharmacists were interviewed face-to-face, and transcriptions from audio recordings were analyzed using directed content analysis. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) guided the development of questions for the semi-structured interviews. Results Interviewed community pharmacists (N = 10) described the medication reconciliation process to be difficult and time-consuming for recently discharged patients. In the context of the TPB, more barriers than facilitators of reconciling medications were revealed. Themes were categorized as organizational and individual-level themes. Major organizational-level factors affecting the medication reconciliation process included: pharmacy resources, discharge communication, and hospital resources. Major individual-level factors affecting the medication reconciliation process included: pharmacists’ perceived responsibility, relationships, patient perception of pharmacist, and patient characteristics. Interviewed pharmacists consistently responded that several pieces of information items would be helpful when reconciling medications for recently discharged patients, including the hospital medication discharge list and stop-orders for discontinued medications. Conclusions The TPB was useful for identifying barriers and facilitators of medication reconciliation for recently discharged patients from community pharmacists’ perspectives. The elucidation of these specific facilitators and barriers suggest promising avenues for future research interventions to improve exchange of medication information between the community pharmacy, hospitals, and patients. PMID:25586885

  17. Barriers and facilitators of medication reconciliation processes for recently discharged patients from community pharmacists' perspectives.

    PubMed

    Kennelty, Korey A; Chewning, Betty; Wise, Meg; Kind, Amy; Roberts, Tonya; Kreling, David

    2015-01-01

    Community pharmacists play a vital part in reconciling medications for patients transitioning from hospital to community care, yet their roles have not been fully examined in the extant literature. The objectives of this study were to: 1) examine the barriers and facilitators community pharmacists face when reconciling medications for recently discharged patients; and 2) identify pharmacists' preferred content and modes of information transfer regarding updated medication information for recently discharged patients. Community pharmacists were purposively and conveniently sampled from the Wisconsin (U.S. state) pharmacist-based research network, Pharmacy Practice Enhancement and Action Research Link (PEARL Rx). Community pharmacists were interviewed face-to-face, and transcriptions from audio recordings were analyzed using directed content analysis. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) guided the development of questions for the semi-structured interviews. Interviewed community pharmacists (N = 10) described the medication reconciliation process to be difficult and time-consuming for recently discharged patients. In the context of the TPB, more barriers than facilitators of reconciling medications were revealed. Themes were categorized as organizational and individual-level themes. Major organizational-level factors affecting the medication reconciliation process included: pharmacy resources, discharge communication, and hospital resources. Major individual-level factors affecting the medication reconciliation process included: pharmacists' perceived responsibility, relationships, patient perception of pharmacist, and patient characteristics. Interviewed pharmacists consistently responded that several pieces of information items would be helpful when reconciling medications for recently discharged patients, including the hospital medication discharge list and stop-orders for discontinued medications. The TPB was useful for identifying barriers and facilitators of medication reconciliation for recently discharged patients from community pharmacists' perspectives. The elucidation of these specific facilitators and barriers suggest promising avenues for future research interventions to improve exchange of medication information between the community pharmacy, hospitals, and patients. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  18. The brain network reflecting bodily self-consciousness: a functional connectivity study

    PubMed Central

    Ionta, Silvio; Martuzzi, Roberto; Salomon, Roy

    2014-01-01

    Several brain regions are important for processing self-location and first-person perspective, two important aspects of bodily self-consciousness. However, the interplay between these regions has not been clarified. In addition, while self-location and first-person perspective in healthy subjects are associated with bilateral activity in temporoparietal junction (TPJ), disturbed self-location and first-person perspective result from damage of only the right TPJ. Identifying the involved brain network and understanding the role of hemispheric specializations in encoding self-location and first-person perspective, will provide important information on system-level interactions neurally mediating bodily self-consciousness. Here, we used functional connectivity and showed that right and left TPJ are bilaterally connected to supplementary motor area, ventral premotor cortex, insula, intraparietal sulcus and occipitotemporal cortex. Furthermore, the functional connectivity between right TPJ and right insula had the highest selectivity for changes in self-location and first-person perspective. Finally, functional connectivity revealed hemispheric differences showing that self-location and first-person perspective modulated the connectivity between right TPJ, right posterior insula, and right supplementary motor area, and between left TPJ and right anterior insula. The present data extend previous evidence on healthy populations and clinical observations in neurological deficits, supporting a bilateral, but right-hemispheric dominant, network for bodily self-consciousness. PMID:24396007

  19. Extended experience benefits spatial mental model development with route but not survey descriptions.

    PubMed

    Brunyé, Tad T; Taylor, Holly A

    2008-02-01

    Spatial descriptions symbolically represent environmental information through language and are written in two primary perspectives: survey, analogous to viewing a map, and route, analogous to navigation. Readers of survey or route descriptions form abstracted perspective flexible representations of the described environment, or spatial mental models. The present two experiments investigated the maintenance of perspective in spatial mental models as a function of description perspective and experience (operationalized through repetition), and as reflected in self-paced reading times. Experiment 1 involved studying survey and route descriptions either once or three times, then completing map drawing and true/false statement verification. Results demonstrated that spatial mental models are readily formed with survey descriptions, but require relatively more experience with route descriptions; further, some limited evidence suggests perspective dependence in spatial mental models, even following extended experience. Experiment 2 measured self-paced reading during three successive description presentations. Average reading times over the three presentations reduced more for survey relative to route descriptions, and there was no evidence for perspective specificity in resulting spatial mental models. This supports Experiment 1 findings demonstrating the relatively time-consuming nature of acquiring spatial mental models from route, but not survey descriptions. Results are discussed with regard to developmental, discourse processing, and spatial mental model theory.

  20. [Information system of the national network of public health laboratories in Peru (Netlab)].

    PubMed

    Vargas-Herrera, Javier; Segovia-Juarez, José; Garro Nuñez, Gladys María

    2015-01-01

    Clinical laboratory information systems produce improvements in the quality of information, reduce service costs, and diminish wait times for results, among other things. In the construction process of this information system, the National Institute of Health (NIH) of Peru has developed and implemented a web-based application to communicate to health personnel (laboratory workers, epidemiologists, health strategy managers, physicians, etc.) the results of laboratory tests performed at the Peruvian NIH or in the laboratories of the National Network of Public Health Laboratories which is called NETLAB. This article presents the experience of implementing NETLAB, its current situation, perspectives of its use, and its contribution to the prevention and control of diseases in Peru.

  1. Organizational Factors that Affect the Implementation of Information Technology: Perspectives of Middle Managers in Iran.

    PubMed

    Barzekar, Hosein; Karami, Mahtab

    2014-10-01

    to examine the organizational factors affecting the application of information technology in hospitals. Since the organizational factors are one of the most important determinants of successful projects, by understanding their impact and identifying them it can help planning a systematic IT implementation. In this cross-sectional descriptive study 110 middle managers were chosen from teaching hospitals. Structured questionnaire was used for the data collection. There was a significant relationship between organization resource, organizational knowledge, process, management structure and values and goals with implementation of information technology. Findings showed that organizational factors had a considerable impact on implementation of information technology. Top managers must consider the important aspects of effective organizational factors.

  2. Knowledge mobilisation in healthcare: a critical review of health sector and generic management literature.

    PubMed

    Ferlie, Ewan; Crilly, Tessa; Jashapara, Ashok; Peckham, Anna

    2012-04-01

    The health policy domain has displayed increasing interest in questions of knowledge management and knowledge mobilisation within healthcare organisations. We analyse here the findings of a critical review of generic management and health-related literatures, covering the period 2000-2008. Using 29 pre-selected journals, supplemented by a search of selected electronic databases, we map twelve substantive domains classified into four broad groups: taxonomic and philosophical (e.g. different types of knowledge); theoretical discourse (e.g. critical organisational studies); disciplinary fields (e.g. organisational learning and Information Systems/Information Technology); and organisational processes and structures (e.g. organisational form). We explore cross-overs and gaps between these traditionally separate literature streams. We found that health sector literature has absorbed some generic concepts, notably Communities of Practice, but has not yet deployed the performance-oriented perspective of the Resource Based View (RBV) of the Firm. The generic literature uses healthcare sites to develop critical analyses of power and control in knowledge management, rooted in neo-Marxist/labour process and Foucauldian approaches. The review generates three theoretically grounded statements to inform future enquiry, by: (a) importing the RBV stream; (b) developing the critical organisational studies perspective further; and (c) exploring the theoretical argument that networks and other alternative organisational forms facilitate knowledge sharing. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. The struggling student: a thematic analysis from the self-regulated learning perspective.

    PubMed

    Patel, Rakesh; Tarrant, Carolyn; Bonas, Sheila; Yates, Janet; Sandars, John

    2015-04-01

    Students who engage in self-regulated learning (SRL) are more likely to achieve academic success compared with students who have deficits in SRL and tend to struggle with academic performance. Understanding how poor SRL affects the response to failure at assessment will inform the development of better remediation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 55 students who had failed the final re-sit assessment at two medical schools in the UK to explore their use of SRL processes. A thematic analysis approach was used to identify the factors, from an SRL perspective, that prevented students from appropriately and adaptively overcoming failure, and confined them to a cycle of recurrent failure. Struggling students did not utilise key SRL processes, which caused them to make inappropriate choices of learning strategies for written and clinical formats of assessment, and to use maladaptive strategies for coping with failure. Their normalisation of the experience and external attribution of failure represented barriers to their taking up of formal support and seeking informal help from peers. This study identified that struggling students had problems with SRL, which caused them to enter a cycle of failure as a result of their limited attempts to access formal and informal support. Implications for how medical schools can create a culture that supports the seeking of help and the development of SRL, and improves remediation for struggling students, are discussed. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Navigating the Complexities of Undergraduate Medical Curriculum Change: Change Leaders' Perspectives.

    PubMed

    Velthuis, Floor; Varpio, Lara; Helmich, Esther; Dekker, Hanke; Jaarsma, A Debbie C

    2018-02-06

    Changing an undergraduate medical curriculum is a recurring, high-stakes undertaking at medical schools. This study aimed to explore how people leading major curriculum changes conceived of the process of enacting change and the strategies they relied on to succeed in their efforts. The first author individually interviewed nine leaders who were leading or had led the most recent undergraduate curriculum change in one of the eight medical schools in the Netherlands. Interviews were between December 2015 and April 2016, using a semi-structured interview format. Data analysis occurred concurrently with data collection, with themes being constructed inductively from the data. Leaders conceived of curriculum change as a dynamic, complex process. They described three major challenges they had to deal with while navigating this process: the large number of stakeholders championing a multitude of perspectives, dealing with resistance, and steering the change process. Additionally, strategies for addressing these challenges were described. The authors identified an underlying principle informing the work of these leaders: being and remaining aware of emerging situations, and carefully constructing strategies for ensuring the intended outcomes were reached and contributed to the progress of the change process. This empirical, descriptive study enriches the understanding of how institutional leaders navigate the complexities of major medical curriculum changes. The insights serve as a foundation for training and coaching future change leaders. To broaden the understanding of curriculum change processes, future studies could investigate the processes through alternative stakeholder perspectives.Written work prepared by employees of the Federal Government as part of their official duties is, under the U.S. Copyright Act, a "work of the United States Government" for which copyright protection under Title 17 of the United States Code is not available. As such, copyright does not extend to the contributions of employees of the Federal Government.

  5. The development and evaluation of written medicines information for type 2 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Lee, D Y L; Armour, C; Krass, I

    2007-12-01

    Written Medicines Information (WMI) is regarded as a key component in diabetes consumer education. In Australia, there is a paucity of WMI that specifically tailors to the extensive array of medicines used for the lifelong management of Type 2 diabetes. This research project aimed to employ a novel framework, the 'Consumer Involvement Cycle', to investigate consumer perspectives and needs of medicines information for Type 2 diabetes and develop appropriate WMI for the Type 2 diabetes population. The Consumer Involvement Cycle involved people with Type 2 diabetes and health professionals (HPs) working in partnership to design a series of WMI, incorporating a range of consumer-conceived ideas and concepts with professional evaluation from an expert panel of reviewing HPs. A total of 12 leaflets were developed. The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Score for the leaflets was approximately 8.0, which is considered to be 'fairly easy', in other words easily understood by a large proportion of the general public. The Consumer Involvement Cycle was validated as a useful framework in developing and evaluating appropriate consumer information. Consumer perspectives should be sought and well incorporated throughout the process of designing and assessing educational materials intended for consumer use.

  6. Perceived Quality of Informed Refusal Process: A Cross-Sectional Study from Iranian Patients' Perspectives.

    PubMed

    Farzandipour, Mehrdad; Sheikhtaheri, Abbas; Sadeqi Jabali, Monireh

    2015-12-01

    Patients have the right to refuse their treatment; however, this refusal should be informed. We evaluated the quality of the informed refusal process in Iranian hospitals from patients' viewpoints. To this end, we developed a questionnaire that covered four key aspects of the informed refusal process including; information disclosure, voluntariness, comprehension, and provider-patient relationship. A total of 284 patients who refused their treatment from 12 teaching hospitals in the Isfahan Province, Iran, were recruited and surveyed to produce a convenience sample. Patients' perceptions about the informed refusal process were scored and the mean scores of the four components were calculated. The findings showed that the practice of information disclosure (9.6 ± 6.4 out of 22 points) was perceived to be moderate, however, comprehension (2.3 ± 1.4 out of 4 points), voluntariness (8.7 ± 1.5 out of 12 points) and provider-patient relationship (10.2 ± 5.2 out of 16 points) were perceived to be relatively good. We found that patients, who refused their care before any treatment had commenced, reported a lower quality of information disclosure and voluntariness. Patients informed by nurses and those who had not had a previous related admission, reported lower scores for comprehension and relationship. In conclusion, the process of obtaining informed refusal was relatively satisfactory except for levels of information disclosure. To improve current practices, Iranian patients need to be better informed about; different treatment options, consequences of treatment refusal, costs of not continuing treatment and follow-ups after refusal. Developing more informative refusal forms is needed. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Framework for Advancing the Reporting of Patient Engagement in Rheumatology Research Projects.

    PubMed

    Hamilton, Clayon B; Leese, Jenny C; Hoens, Alison M; Li, Linda C

    2017-07-01

    The term "patient engagement in research" refers to patients and their surrogates undertaking roles in the research process beyond those of study participants. This paper proposes a new framework for describing patient engagement in research, based on analysis of 30 publications related to patient engagement. Over the past 15 years, patients' perspectives have been instrumental in broadening the scope of rheumatology research and outcome measurement, such as evaluating fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis. Recent reviews, however, highlight low-quality reporting of patient engagement in research. Until we have more detailed information about patient engagement in rheumatology research, our understanding of how patients' perspectives are being integrated into research projects remains limited. When authors follow our guidance on the important components for describing patients' roles and function as "research partners," researchers and other knowledge users will better understand how patients' perspectives were integrated in their research projects.

  8. Inclusion of Children With Disabilities in Physical Education: A Systematic Review of Literature From 2009 to 2015.

    PubMed

    Wilhelmsen, Terese; Sørensen, Marit

    2017-07-01

    This systematic review examines research published from 2009 to 2015 on inclusion of children with disabilities in physical education according to the PRISMA guidelines. We have used a stakeholder approach as a framework for organizing and discussing the results. The searches yielded 535 studies, of which 112 were included. The systematic review outlines which stakeholder perspectives received the most attention, the main themes and findings, the methodological trends that governed the research contribution, and the country of data collection. The main findings indicated that perspectives of pre- and in-service teachers and studies of attitudes still dominate the research contributions. The strengths and limitations of the research conducted to date highlight that several other perspectives need to be discussed. Especially important is seeking information from children with disabilities themselves. Other barriers and facilitators perceived by those actively involved in the inclusion process need to be sought.

  9. A different perspective: introducing positive criminology.

    PubMed

    Ronel, Natti; Elisha, Ety

    2011-04-01

    Positive criminology is a new conceptual perspective of criminology, encompassing several theories and models. Positive criminology refers to a focus on individuals' encounters with forces and influences that are experienced as positive, which distance them from deviance and crime, whether by means of formal and informal therapy programs and interventions, such as self-help groups; through emphasis of positive social elements, such as exposure to goodness, social acceptance, and reintegrative shaming; or based on positive personal traits, such as resilience and coherence. The perspective of positive criminology broadens that of traditional criminology, which focuses mainly on understanding the factors and processes that lead individuals and groups to what is defined as deviant and criminal behavior. Positive criminology is implemented in treatment and rehabilitation of individuals and groups that have demonstrated deviant and criminal behavior, by emphasizing positive experiences that may potentially prevent or discourage continued criminal behavior. Positive criminology is also expressed in prevention based on a positive approach.

  10. Awareness and Perceptions of Food Safety Risks and Risk Management in Poultry Production and Slaughter: A Qualitative Study of Direct-Market Poultry Producers in Maryland

    PubMed Central

    Baron, Patrick; Frattaroli, Shannon

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this study was to document and understand the perceptions and opinions of small-scale poultry producers who market directly to consumers about microbial food safety risks in the poultry supply chain. Between January and November 2014, we conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with a convenience sample of 16 owner-operators of Maryland direct-market commercial poultry farms. Three overarching thematic categories emerged from these interviews that describe: 1) characteristics of Maryland direct-market poultry production and processing; 2) microbial food safety risk awareness and risk management in small-scale poultry production, slaughter and processing; and 3) motivations for prioritizing food safety in the statewide direct-market poultry supply chain. Key informants provided valuable insights on many topics relevant to evaluating microbial food safety in the Maryland direct-market poultry supply chain, including: direct-market poultry production and processing practices and models, perspectives on issues related to food safety risk management, perspectives on direct-market agriculture economics and marketing strategies, and ideas for how to enhance food safety at the direct-market level of the Maryland poultry supply chain. The findings have policy implications and provide insights into food safety in small-scale commercial poultry production, processing, distribution and retail. In addition, the findings will inform future food safety research on the small-scale US poultry supply chain. PMID:27341034

  11. Advances in downstream processing of biologics - Spectroscopy: An emerging process analytical technology.

    PubMed

    Rüdt, Matthias; Briskot, Till; Hubbuch, Jürgen

    2017-03-24

    Process analytical technologies (PAT) for the manufacturing of biologics have drawn increased interest in the last decade. Besides being encouraged by the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) PAT initiative, PAT promises to improve process understanding, reduce overall production costs and help to implement continuous manufacturing. This article focuses on spectroscopic tools for PAT in downstream processing (DSP). Recent advances and future perspectives will be reviewed. In order to exploit the full potential of gathered data, chemometric tools are widely used for the evaluation of complex spectroscopic information. Thus, an introduction into the field will be given. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Knowledge Management Enablers and Process in Hospital Organizations.

    PubMed

    Lee, Hyun-Sook

    2017-02-01

    This research aimed to investigate the effects of knowledge management enablers, such as organizational structure, leadership, learning, information technology systems, trust, and collaboration, on the knowledge management process of creation, storage, sharing, and application. Using data from self-administered questionnaires in four Korean tertiary hospitals, this survey investigated the main organizational factors affecting the knowledge management process in these organizations. A total of 779 questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 and AMOS 18.0. The results showed that organizational factors affect the knowledge management process differently in each hospital organization. From a managerial perspective, the implications of these factors for developing organizational strategies that encourage and foster the knowledge management process are discussed.

  13. The impact of the BP Baker report.

    PubMed

    Rodríguez, Jennifer M; Payne, Stephanie C; Bergman, Mindy E; Beus, Jeremy M

    2011-06-01

    This study examined the impact of the British Petroleum (BP) Baker Panel Report, reviewing the March 2005 BP-Texas City explosion, on the field of process safety. Three hundred eighty-four subscribers of a process safety listserv responded to a survey two years after the BP Baker Report was published. Results revealed respondents in the field of process safety are familiar with the BP Baker Report, feel it is important to the future safety of chemical processing, and believe that the findings are generalizable to other plants beyond BP-Texas City. Respondents indicated that few organizations have administered the publicly available BP Process Safety Culture Survey. Our results also showed that perceptions of contractors varied depending on whether respondents were part of processing organizations (internal perspective) or government or consulting agencies (external perspective). This research provides some insight into the beliefs of chemical processing personnel regarding the transportability and generalizability of lessons learned from one organization to another. This study has implications for both organizational scientists and engineers in that it reveals perceptions about the primary mechanism used to share lessons learned within one industry about one major catastrophe (i.e., investigation reports). This study provides preliminary information about the perceived impact of a report such as this one. Copyright © 2011 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Interfacing remote sensing and geographic information systems for global environmental change research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lee, Jae K.; Randolph, J. C.; Lulla, Kamlesh P.; Helfert, Michael R.

    1993-01-01

    Because changes in the Earth's environment have become major global issues, continuous, longterm scientific information is required to assess global problems such as deforestation, desertification, greenhouse effects and climate variations. Global change studies require understanding of interactions of complex processes regulating the Earth system. Space-based Earth observation is an essential element in global change research for documenting changes in Earth environment. It provides synoptic data for conceptual predictive modeling of future environmental change. This paper provides a brief overview of remote sensing technology from the perspective of global change research.

  15. Adult Age Differences in Dual Information Processes: Implications for the Role of Affective and Deliberative Processes in Older Adults' Decision Making.

    PubMed

    Peters, Ellen; Hess, Thomas M; Västfjäll, Daniel; Auman, Corinne

    2007-03-01

    Age differences in affective/experiential and deliberative processes have important theoretical implications for judgment and decision theory and important pragmatic implications for older-adult decision making. Age-related declines in the efficiency of deliberative processes predict poorer-quality decisions as we age. However, age-related adaptive processes, including motivated selectivity in the use of deliberative capacity, an increased focus on emotional goals, and greater experience, predict better or worse decisions for older adults depending on the situation. The aim of the current review is to examine adult age differences in affective and deliberative information processes in order to understand their potential impact on judgments and decisions. We review evidence for the role of these dual processes in judgment and decision making and then review two representative life-span perspectives (based on aging-related changes to cognitive or motivational processes) on the interplay between these processes. We present relevant predictions for older-adult decisions and make note of contradictions and gaps that currently exist in the literature. Finally, we review the sparse evidence about age differences in decision making and how theories and findings regarding dual processes could be applied to decision theory and decision aiding. In particular, we focus on prospect theory (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979) and how prospect theory and theories regarding age differences in information processing can inform one another. © 2007 Association for Psychological Science.

  16. Enhancing the incorporation of the patient's voice in drug development and evaluation.

    PubMed

    Chalasani, Meghana; Vaidya, Pujita; Mullin, Theresa

    2018-01-01

    People living with a condition are uniquely positioned to inform the understanding of the therapeutic context for drug development and evaluation. In 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established the Patient-Focused Drug Development (PFDD) initiative to more systematically obtain the patient perspective on specific diseases and their currently available treatments. PFDD meetings are unique among FDA public meetings, with a format designed to engage patients and elicit their perspectives on two topic areas: (1) the most significant symptoms of their condition and the impact of the condition on daily life; and, (2) their current approaches to treatment. FDA has conducted 24 disease-specific PFDD meetings to date. The lessons learned from PFDD meetings range from experiences common across rare diseases to more disease specific experiences that matter most to patients. FDA recognizes that FDA-led PFDD meetings alone cannot address the gaps in information on the patient perspective. Patient-focused drug development is an ongoing effort and FDA looks forward to the next steps in advancing the science and the utilization of patient input throughout drug development and evaluation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has multiple mechanisms for its regulators and staff to interact with patients -- but none quite like its novel Patient-Focused Drug Development (PFDD) initiative. FDA established the PFDD initiative to more systematically obtain the patient perspective on specific diseases and their currently available treatments. Since the initiative's inception in 2012, FDA has held 24 PFDD meetings, covering a range of disease areas and hearing directly from thousands of patients and caregivers. FDA's PFDD meetings have also provided key stakeholders, including patient advocates, researchers, drug developers, healthcare providers, and other government officials, an opportunity to hear the patient's voice. The lessons learned include but are not limited to specific experiences that matter most to patients, patient perspectives on meaningful treatment benefits and how patients want to be engaged in the drug development process. FDA recognizes that FDA-led PFDD meetings alone cannot address the gaps in information on the patient perspective. Further enhancing the incorporation of the patient's voice in drug development and evaluation continues to be a priority for FDA.

  17. Perspectives on Information Literacy: A Framework for Conceptual Understanding

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Addison, Colleen; Meyers, Eric

    2013-01-01

    Information literacy, 40 years since the term was coined, remains a conceptually contested aspect of library and information science research. This paper uses a review of the literature related to the concept of information literacy to identify three different perspectives, their historical origins, and connection to library and information…

  18. Using templates and linguistic patterns to define process performance indicators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    del-Río-Ortega, Adela; Resinas, Manuel; Durán, Amador; Ruiz-Cortés, Antonio

    2016-02-01

    Process performance management (PPM) aims at measuring, monitoring and analysing the performance of business processes (BPs), in order to check the achievement of strategic and operational goals and to support decision-making for their optimisation. PPM is based on process performance indicators (PPIs), so having an appropriate definition of them is crucial. One of the main problems of PPIs definition is to express them in an unambiguous, complete, understandable, traceable and verifiable manner. In practice, PPIs are defined informally - usually in ad hoc, natural language, with its well-known problems - or they are defined from an implementation perspective, hardly understandable to non-technical people. In order to solve this problem, in this article we propose a novel approach to improve the definition of PPIs using templates and linguistic patterns. This approach promotes reuse, reduces both ambiguities and missing information, is understandable to all stakeholders and maintains traceability with the process model. Furthermore, it enables the automated processing of PPI definitions by its straightforward translation into the PPINOT metamodel, allowing the gathering of the required information for their computation as well as the analysis of the relationships between them and with BP elements.

  19. Can developmental cognitive neuroscience inform intervention for social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD)?

    PubMed Central

    Frederickson, Norah; Jones, Alice P.; Warren, Laura; Deakes, Tara; Allen, Geoff

    2013-01-01

    An initial evaluation of the utility of designing an intervention to address neuroscience-based subtyping of children who have conduct problems was undertaken in this pilot study. Drawing on the literature on callous–unemotional traits, a novel intervention programme, ‘Let's Get Smart’, was implemented in a school for children with social emotional and behavioural difficulties. A mixed-methods design was used to investigate the perspectives of staff participant-observers in the change process, alongside standardised scores on measures of pupil performance and behaviour. Both qualitative and quantitative results showed reductions in externalising behaviour and improvements in measures of hypothesised underlying cognitive and affective processes. While externalising behaviour improved across subtypes, associated changes in underlying processes differed by subtype, supporting the potential value of neuroscience-informed contributions to intervention planning. PMID:26635493

  20. 3D Modeling as Method for Construction and Analysis of Graphic Objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kheyfets, A. L.; Vasilieva, V. N.

    2017-11-01

    The use of 3D modeling when constructing and analyzing perspective projections and shadows is considered. The creation of photorealistic image is shown. The perspective of the construction project and characterization of its image are given as an example. The authors consider the construction of a dynamic block as a means of graphical information storage and automation of geometric constructions. The example of the dynamic block construction at creating a truss node is demonstrated. The constructions are considered as applied to the Auto-CAD software. The paper is aimed at improving the graphic methods of architectural design and improving the educational process when training the Bachelor’s degree students majoring in construction.

  1. Regulatory perspective on remaining challenges for utilization of pharmacogenomics-guided drug developments.

    PubMed

    Otsubo, Yasuto; Ishiguro, Akihiro; Uyama, Yoshiaki

    2013-01-01

    Pharmacogenomics-guided drug development has been implemented in practice in the last decade, resulting in increased labeling of drugs with pharmacogenomic information. However, there are still many challenges remaining in utilizing this process. Here, we describe such remaining challenges from the regulatory perspective, specifically focusing on sample collection, biomarker qualification, ethnic factors, codevelopment of companion diagnostics and means to provide drugs for off-target patients. To improve the situation, it is important to strengthen international harmonization and collaboration among academia, industries and regulatory agencies, followed by the establishment of an international guideline on this topic. Communication with a regulatory agency from an early stage of drug development is also a key to success.

  2. Spectroscopic ellipsometry and polarimetry for materials and systems analysis at the nanometer scale: state-of-the-art, potential, and perspectives

    PubMed Central

    Bergmair, Michael; Bruno, Giovanni; Cattelan, Denis; Cobet, Christoph; de Martino, Antonello; Fleischer, Karsten; Dohcevic-Mitrovic, Zorana; Esser, Norbert; Galliet, Melanie; Gajic, Rados; Hemzal, Dušan; Hingerl, Kurt; Humlicek, Josef; Ossikovski, Razvigor; Popovic, Zoran V.; Saxl, Ottilia

    2009-01-01

    This paper discusses the fundamentals, applications, potential, limitations, and future perspectives of polarized light reflection techniques for the characterization of materials and related systems and devices at the nanoscale. These techniques include spectroscopic ellipsometry, polarimetry, and reflectance anisotropy. We give an overview of the various ellipsometry strategies for the measurement and analysis of nanometric films, metal nanoparticles and nanowires, semiconductor nanocrystals, and submicron periodic structures. We show that ellipsometry is capable of more than the determination of thickness and optical properties, and it can be exploited to gain information about process control, geometry factors, anisotropy, defects, and quantum confinement effects of nanostructures. PMID:21170135

  3. Dependency distance in language evolution. Comment on "Dependency distance: A new perspective on syntactic patterns in natural languages" by Haitao Liu et al.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Bingli; Chen, Xinying

    2017-07-01

    In the target article [1], Liu et al. provide an informative introduction to the dependency distance studies and proclaim that language syntactic patterns, that relate to the dependency distance, are associated with human cognitive mechanisms, such as limited working memory and syntax processing. Therefore, such syntactic patterns are probably 'human-driven' language universals. Sufficient evidence based on big data analysis is also given in the article for supporting this idea. The hypotheses generally seem very convincing yet still need further tests from various perspectives. Diachronic linguistic study based on authentic language data, on our opinion, can be one of those 'further tests'.

  4. Non-Markovianity and reservoir memory of quantum channels: a quantum information theory perspective

    PubMed Central

    Bylicka, B.; Chruściński, D.; Maniscalco, S.

    2014-01-01

    Quantum technologies rely on the ability to coherently transfer information encoded in quantum states along quantum channels. Decoherence induced by the environment sets limits on the efficiency of any quantum-enhanced protocol. Generally, the longer a quantum channel is the worse its capacity is. We show that for non-Markovian quantum channels this is not always true: surprisingly the capacity of a longer channel can be greater than of a shorter one. We introduce a general theoretical framework linking non-Markovianity to the capacities of quantum channels and demonstrate how harnessing non-Markovianity may improve the efficiency of quantum information processing and communication. PMID:25043763

  5. The perspectives of researchers on obtaining informed consent in developing countries.

    PubMed

    Newton, Sam K; Appiah-Poku, John

    2007-04-01

    The doctrine of informed consent (IC) exists to protect individuals from exploitation or harm. This study into IC was carried out to investigate how different researchers perceived the process whereby researchers obtained consent. It also examined researchers' perspectives on what constituted IC, and how different settings influenced the process. The study recorded in-depth interviews with 12 lecturers and five doctoral students, who had carried out research in developing countries, at a leading school of public health in the United Kingdom. A purposive, snowballing approach was used to identify interviewees. Although the concept and application of the doctrine of IC should have been the same, irrespective of where the research was carried out, the process of obtaining it had to be different. The setting had to be taken into consideration and the autonomy of the subject had to be respected at all times. In areas of high illiteracy, and where understanding of the subject was likely to be a problem, there was an added responsibility placed on the researcher to devise innovative ways of carrying out the study, taking into consideration the peculiarities of the environment. The ethical issues for IC were the same, irrespective of where the research was conducted. However, because the backgrounds, setting, and knowledge of populations differed, there was the need to be similarly sensitive in obtaining consent. The problems of obtaining genuine IC were not limited to developing countries.

  6. Value choices and considerations when limiting intensive care treatment: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Halvorsen, K; Førde, R; Nortvedt, P

    2009-01-01

    To shed light on the values and considerations that affect the decision-making processes and the decisions to limit intensive care treatment. Qualitative methodology with participant observation and in-depth interviews, with an emphasis on eliciting the underlying rationale of the clinicians' actions and choices when limiting treatment. Informants perceived over-treatment in intensive care medicine as a dilemma. One explanation was that the decision-making base was somewhat uncertain, complex and difficult. The informants claimed that those responsible for taking decisions from the admitting ward prolonged futile treatment because they may bear guilt or responsibility for something that had gone wrong during the course of treatment. The assessments of the patient's situation made by physicians from the admitting ward were often more organ-oriented and the expectations were less realistic than those of clinicians in the intensive care unit who frequently had a more balanced and overall perspective. Aspects such as the personality and the speciality of those involved, the culture of the unit and the degree of interdisciplinary cooperation were important issues in the decision-making processes. Under-communicated considerations jeopardise the principle of equal treatment. If intensive care patients are to be ensured equal treatment, strategies for interdisciplinary, transparent and appropriate decision-making processes must be developed in which open and hidden values are rendered visible, power structures disclosed, employees respected and the various perspectives of the treatment given their legitimate place.

  7. Spontaneous ultra-weak photon emission in correlation to inflammatory metabolism and oxidative stress in a mouse model of collagen-induced arthritis.

    PubMed

    He, Min; van Wijk, Eduard; van Wietmarschen, Herman; Wang, Mei; Sun, Mengmeng; Koval, Slavik; van Wijk, Roeland; Hankemeier, Thomas; van der Greef, Jan

    2017-03-01

    The increasing prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis has driven the development of new approaches and technologies for investigating the pathophysiology of this devastating, chronic disease. From the perspective of systems biology, combining comprehensive personal data such as metabolomics profiling with ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) data may provide key information regarding the complex pathophysiology underlying rheumatoid arthritis. In this article, we integrated UPE with metabolomics-based technologies in order to investigate collagen-induced arthritis, a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis, at the systems level, and we investigated the biological underpinnings of the complex dataset. Using correlation networks, we found that elevated inflammatory and ROS-mediated plasma metabolites are strongly correlated with a systematic reduction in amine metabolites, which is linked to muscle wasting in rheumatoid arthritis. We also found that increased UPE intensity is strongly linked to metabolic processes (with correlation co-efficiency |r| value >0.7), which may be associated with lipid oxidation that related to inflammatory and/or ROS-mediated processes. Together, these results indicate that UPE is correlated with metabolomics and may serve as a valuable tool for diagnosing chronic disease by integrating inflammatory signals at the systems level. Our correlation network analysis provides important and valuable information regarding the disease process from a system-wide perspective. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Quantum technologies with hybrid systems

    PubMed Central

    Kurizki, Gershon; Bertet, Patrice; Kubo, Yuimaru; Mølmer, Klaus; Petrosyan, David; Rabl, Peter; Schmiedmayer, Jörg

    2015-01-01

    An extensively pursued current direction of research in physics aims at the development of practical technologies that exploit the effects of quantum mechanics. As part of this ongoing effort, devices for quantum information processing, secure communication, and high-precision sensing are being implemented with diverse systems, ranging from photons, atoms, and spins to mesoscopic superconducting and nanomechanical structures. Their physical properties make some of these systems better suited than others for specific tasks; thus, photons are well suited for transmitting quantum information, weakly interacting spins can serve as long-lived quantum memories, and superconducting elements can rapidly process information encoded in their quantum states. A central goal of the envisaged quantum technologies is to develop devices that can simultaneously perform several of these tasks, namely, reliably store, process, and transmit quantum information. Hybrid quantum systems composed of different physical components with complementary functionalities may provide precisely such multitasking capabilities. This article reviews some of the driving theoretical ideas and first experimental realizations of hybrid quantum systems and the opportunities and challenges they present and offers a glance at the near- and long-term perspectives of this fascinating and rapidly expanding field. PMID:25737558

  9. Quantum technologies with hybrid systems.

    PubMed

    Kurizki, Gershon; Bertet, Patrice; Kubo, Yuimaru; Mølmer, Klaus; Petrosyan, David; Rabl, Peter; Schmiedmayer, Jörg

    2015-03-31

    An extensively pursued current direction of research in physics aims at the development of practical technologies that exploit the effects of quantum mechanics. As part of this ongoing effort, devices for quantum information processing, secure communication, and high-precision sensing are being implemented with diverse systems, ranging from photons, atoms, and spins to mesoscopic superconducting and nanomechanical structures. Their physical properties make some of these systems better suited than others for specific tasks; thus, photons are well suited for transmitting quantum information, weakly interacting spins can serve as long-lived quantum memories, and superconducting elements can rapidly process information encoded in their quantum states. A central goal of the envisaged quantum technologies is to develop devices that can simultaneously perform several of these tasks, namely, reliably store, process, and transmit quantum information. Hybrid quantum systems composed of different physical components with complementary functionalities may provide precisely such multitasking capabilities. This article reviews some of the driving theoretical ideas and first experimental realizations of hybrid quantum systems and the opportunities and challenges they present and offers a glance at the near- and long-term perspectives of this fascinating and rapidly expanding field.

  10. Quantum technologies with hybrid systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kurizki, Gershon; Bertet, Patrice; Kubo, Yuimaru; Mølmer, Klaus; Petrosyan, David; Rabl, Peter; Schmiedmayer, Jörg

    2015-03-01

    An extensively pursued current direction of research in physics aims at the development of practical technologies that exploit the effects of quantum mechanics. As part of this ongoing effort, devices for quantum information processing, secure communication, and high-precision sensing are being implemented with diverse systems, ranging from photons, atoms, and spins to mesoscopic superconducting and nanomechanical structures. Their physical properties make some of these systems better suited than others for specific tasks; thus, photons are well suited for transmitting quantum information, weakly interacting spins can serve as long-lived quantum memories, and superconducting elements can rapidly process information encoded in their quantum states. A central goal of the envisaged quantum technologies is to develop devices that can simultaneously perform several of these tasks, namely, reliably store, process, and transmit quantum information. Hybrid quantum systems composed of different physical components with complementary functionalities may provide precisely such multitasking capabilities. This article reviews some of the driving theoretical ideas and first experimental realizations of hybrid quantum systems and the opportunities and challenges they present and offers a glance at the near- and long-term perspectives of this fascinating and rapidly expanding field.

  11. Enhanced cardiac perception is associated with increased susceptibility to framing effects.

    PubMed

    Sütterlin, Stefan; Schulz, Stefan M; Stumpf, Theresa; Pauli, Paul; Vögele, Claus

    2013-07-01

    Previous studies suggest in line with dual process models that interoceptive skills affect controlled decisions via automatic or implicit processing. The "framing effect" is considered to capture implicit effects of task-irrelevant emotional stimuli on decision-making. We hypothesized that cardiac awareness, as a measure of interoceptive skills, is positively associated with susceptibility to the framing effect. Forty volunteers performed a risky-choice framing task in which the effect of loss versus gain frames on decisions based on identical information was assessed. The results show a positive association between cardiac awareness and the framing effect, accounting for 24% of the variance in the framing effect. These findings demonstrate that good interoceptive skills are linked to poorer performance in risky choices based on ambivalent information when implicit bias is induced by task-irrelevant emotional information. These findings support a dual process perspective on decision-making and suggest that interoceptive skills mediate effects of implicit bias on decisions. Copyright © 2013 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

  12. A 3-Component Mixture of Rayleigh Distributions: Properties and Estimation in Bayesian Framework

    PubMed Central

    Aslam, Muhammad; Tahir, Muhammad; Hussain, Zawar; Al-Zahrani, Bander

    2015-01-01

    To study lifetimes of certain engineering processes, a lifetime model which can accommodate the nature of such processes is desired. The mixture models of underlying lifetime distributions are intuitively more appropriate and appealing to model the heterogeneous nature of process as compared to simple models. This paper is about studying a 3-component mixture of the Rayleigh distributionsin Bayesian perspective. The censored sampling environment is considered due to its popularity in reliability theory and survival analysis. The expressions for the Bayes estimators and their posterior risks are derived under different scenarios. In case the case that no or little prior information is available, elicitation of hyperparameters is given. To examine, numerically, the performance of the Bayes estimators using non-informative and informative priors under different loss functions, we have simulated their statistical properties for different sample sizes and test termination times. In addition, to highlight the practical significance, an illustrative example based on a real-life engineering data is also given. PMID:25993475

  13. Perspectives on Networking.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levy, Sue

    1992-01-01

    Presents a library automation vendor's perspective on networking based on activities at Ameritech Information Systems. Topics discussed include the information explosion; information technology; user expectations and needs; remote access; the library of the future; systems integration; ownership versus access; copyright laws; and the role of the…

  14. The Impact of Time Perspective Latent Profiles on College Drinking: A Multidimensional Approach

    PubMed Central

    Braitman, Abby L.; Henson, James M.

    2015-01-01

    Background Zimbardo and Boyd’s1 time perspective, or the temporal framework individuals use to process information, has been shown to predict health behaviors such as alcohol use. Previous studies supported the predictive validity of individual dimensions of time perspective, with some dimensions acting as protective factors and others as risk factors. However, some studies produced findings contrary to the general body of literature. In addition, time perspective is a multidimensional construct, and the combination of perspectives may be more predictive than individual dimensions in isolation; consequently, multidimensional profiles are a more accurate measure of individual differences and more appropriate for predicting health behaviors. Objectives The current study identified naturally occurring profiles of time perspective and examined their association with risky alcohol use. Methods Data were collected from a college student sample (n = 431, mean age = 20.41 years) using an online survey. Time perspective profiles were identified using latent profile analysis. Results Bootstrapped regression models identified a protective class that engaged in significantly less overall drinking (β = −0.254) as well as engaging in significantly less episodic high risk drinking (β = −0.274). There was also emerging evidence of a high risk time perspective profile that was linked to more overall drinking (β = 0.198) and engaging in more high risk drinking (β = 0.245), though these differences were not significant. Conclusions/Importance These findings support examining time perspective in a multidimensional framework rather than individual dimensions in isolation. Implications include identifying students most in need of interventions, and tailoring interventions to target temporal framing in decision-making. PMID:25607806

  15. The impact of time perspective latent profiles on college drinking: a multidimensional approach.

    PubMed

    Braitman, Abby L; Henson, James M

    2015-04-01

    Zimbardo and Boyd's(1) time perspective, or the temporal framework individuals use to process information, has been shown to predict health behaviors such as alcohol use. Previous studies supported the predictive validity of individual dimensions of time perspective, with some dimensions acting as protective factors and others as risk factors. However, some studies produced findings contrary to the general body of literature. In addition, time perspective is a multidimensional construct, and the combination of perspectives may be more predictive than individual dimensions in isolation; consequently, multidimensional profiles are a more accurate measure of individual differences and more appropriate for predicting health behaviors. The current study identified naturally occurring profiles of time perspective and examined their association with risky alcohol use. Data were collected from a college student sample (n = 431, mean age = 20.41 years) using an online survey. Time perspective profiles were identified using latent profile analysis. Bootstrapped regression models identified a protective class that engaged in significantly less overall drinking (β = -0.254) as well as engaging in significantly less episodic high risk drinking (β = -0.274). There was also emerging evidence of a high risk time perspective profile that was linked to more overall drinking (β = 0.198) and engaging in more high risk drinking (β = 0.245), though these differences were not significant. CONCLUSIONS/IMPORTANCE: These findings support examining time perspective in a multidimensional framework rather than individual dimensions in isolation. Implications include identifying students most in need of interventions, and tailoring interventions to target temporal framing in decision-making.

  16. The Role of Mother in Informing Girls About Puberty: A Meta-Analysis Study

    PubMed Central

    Sooki, Zahra; Shariati, Mohammad; Chaman, Reza; Khosravi, Ahmad; Effatpanah, Mohammad; Keramat, Afsaneh

    2016-01-01

    Context Family, especially the mother, has the most important role in the education, transformation of information, and health behaviors of girls in order for them to have a healthy transition from the critical stage of puberty, but there are different views in this regard. Objectives Considering the various findings about the source of information about puberty, a meta-analysis study was conducted to investigate the extent of the mother’s role in informing girls about puberty. Data Sources This meta-analysis study was based on English articles published from 2000 to February 2015 in the Scopus, PubMed, and Science direct databases and on Persian articles in the SID, Magiran, and Iran Medex databases with determined key words and their MeSH equivalent. Study Selection Quantitative cross-sectional articles were extracted by two independent researchers and finally 46 articles were selected based on inclusion criteria. STROBE list were used for evaluation of studies. Data Extraction The percent of mothers as the current and preferred source of gaining information about the process of puberty, menarche, and menstruation from the perspective of adolescent girls was extracted from the articles. The results of studies were analyzed using meta-analysis (random effects model) and the studies’ heterogeneity was analyzed using the I2 calculation index. Variance between studies was analyzed using tau squared (Tau2) and review manager 5 software. Results The results showed that, from the perspective of teenage girls in Iran and other countries, in 56% of cases, the mother was the current source of information about the process of puberty, menarche, and menstruation. The preferred source of information about the process of puberty, menarche, and menstruation was the mother in all studies at 60% (Iran 57%, and other countries 66%). Conclusions According to the findings of this study, it is essential that health professionals and officials of the ministry of health train mothers about the time, trends, and factors affecting the start of puberty using a multi-dimensional approach that involves religious organizations, community groups, and peer groups. PMID:27331056

  17. Authentic research projects: Students' perspectives on the process, ownership, and benefits of doing research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bernard, Warren

    2005-11-01

    Authentic research projects are one type of inquiry activity as defined by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1993) and are a core component in science education reform movements. The purpose of this study was to examine high school students' perspectives of an authentic research project. The context for this study was a local Science and Engineering Fair (SEF) that involved students from a Metro-Atlanta public high school. This study provided information about this type of activity from the student's perspective, an emic viewpoint. In this qualitative study, demographic information was used for the purposeful selection of fourteen students making up the study sample. In this descriptive ethnography, data were collected via an open-ended survey, three individual interviews, a web log, and a group interview. Interviews were audio taped and conducted according to the protocol established by Lincoln and Guba (1998). Transcripts of the interviews, web logs, and survey responses were coded and analyzed by the constant comparative method as described by Glaser and Strauss (1965). Reliability and validity were achieved through member checks and triangulation. Using Gowin's Vee diagram (1981) as a theoretical framework for analysis, themes emerged describing the students' research experience. The themes included the students' initial reactions, difficulty getting started, accepting ownership of their project, growing interest, acknowledged benefits of the research experience, and a reflective look back at their experience. Overall, students described the authentic research experience as a worthwhile activity. The implications of the study are two-fold. At the practitioner level, teachers should engage students in research, but should do so in a manner that maximizes authenticity. Examples may include having students present a formal prospectus and work with a scientist mentor. For Science Educators in teacher preparation programs, there should be an experience with authentic research for pre-service teachers during the certification program. Future research may focus on the students' perspectives of ownership through the process of the authentic research and teachers' perspectives of the authentic research experience.

  18. Conflict of interest issues in informed consent for research on human subjects: a South Asian perspective.

    PubMed

    Jafarey, Aamir M

    2002-07-01

    Health research for progress in the control and conquest of disease afflicting man is unquestionable. Concerns arise when motives other than the advancement of scientific knowledge and benefit for individuals and society are the driving force behind clinical trials. These conflicts of interests become even more pronounced when dealing with populations rendered vulnerable by virtue of poverty and ignorance. South Asia with its teeming millions represents one such region. This essay examines the reasons that make this population vulnerable to exploitation. Informed consent in the process of research is an area where such conflicts are prone to arise. In order to ensure that conflicting interests of researchers and funding agencies are kept in check, the processes of informed consent and ethical review of research need to be strengthened. Suggestions are put forward to modify the consent process to match the needs of South Asia and to strengthen the ethical review process for safeguarding the rights of the study subjects. But perhaps the most important safeguard against exploitation is the virtuous researcher himself with noble intentions.

  19. The Role of Intuition in the Process of Objectification of Mathematical Phenomena from a Husserlian Perspective: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zagorianakos, Andonis; Shvarts, Anna

    2015-01-01

    The research is a study of the Husserlian approach to intuition, informed by Merleau-Ponty's theory of perception, in the case of a prospective teacher of mathematics. It explores the two major stages-categories of intuition, the essential relations between them, and their vital role in the emergence of empirical and abstract mathematical…

  20. Parenting Outside the Box, Part 2: Sorting through the Information and Navigating the Individualized Education Program Process | Poster

    Cancer.gov

    Editor’s note: This article is the second in a series describing one NCI at Frederick parent’s perspective on special needs parenting. Many people living and working in the Washington, D.C., metro area have learned to speak the special language of acronyms, whether they are referring to the federal government, political groups, or other organizations.

  1. An Analysis of Army Contract Administration With Regard to Contracting Officers Representatives

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-09-01

    education/ training , communication, staff levels, oversight, and leadership support by comparing and contrasting Army COR contract administration...processes from a CONUS and OCONUS perspective. The results inform Army Contracting leadership about differences and discrepancies that exist in the training ...five common COR issues that need to be addressed: education/ training , communication, staff Levels, oversight, and leadership support. We found that

  2. A View of the Tip of the Iceberg: Revisiting Conceptual Continuities and Their Implications for Science Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Bryan A.; Kloser, Matt

    2009-01-01

    We respond to Hwang and Kim and Yeo's critiques of the conceptual continuity framework in science education. First, we address the criticism that their analysis fails to recognize the situated perspective of learning by denying the dichotomy of the formal and informal knowledge as a starting point in the learning process. Second, we address the…

  3. Conceptualizing Multicultural Perspective Taking Skills

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-11-01

    form of cognitive processing. Leaders must be able to learn from experience, engage in continuous learning , and be adaptable ( Kolb , 1984; Renwick...information required for training this competency. The training system should include the best practices for adult learning (e.g., Kolb , 1984). Reported above...of schema on comprehension and memory. In G. H. Bower (Ed.), The psychology of learning and motivation: Advances in research and theory (Vol. 16, pp

  4. A Constraints-Led Perspective to Understanding Skill Acquisition and Game Play: A Basis for Integration of Motor Learning Theory and Physical Education Praxis?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Renshaw, Ian; Chow, Jia Yi; Davids, Keith; Hammond, John

    2010-01-01

    Background: In order to design appropriate environments for performance and learning of movement skills, physical educators need a sound theoretical model of the learner and of processes of learning. In physical education, this type of modelling informs the organisation of learning environments and effective and efficient use of practice time. An…

  5. Electronic Health Record Phenotypes for Precision Medicine: Perspectives and Caveats From Treatment of Breast Cancer at a Single Institution

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Hongfang; Maxwell, Kara N.; Pathak, Jyotishman; Zhang, Rui

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Precision medicine is at the forefront of biomedical research. Cancer registries provide rich perspectives and electronic health records (EHRs) are commonly utilized to gather additional clinical data elements needed for translational research. However, manual annotation is resource‐intense and not readily scalable. Informatics‐based phenotyping presents an ideal solution, but perspectives obtained can be impacted by both data source and algorithm selection. We derived breast cancer (BC) receptor status phenotypes from structured and unstructured EHR data using rule‐based algorithms, including natural language processing (NLP). Overall, the use of NLP increased BC receptor status coverage by 39.2% from 69.1% with structured medication information alone. Using all available EHR data, estrogen receptor‐positive BC cases were ascertained with high precision (P = 0.976) and recall (R = 0.987) compared with gold standard chart‐reviewed patients. However, status negation (R = 0.591) decreased 40.2% when relying on structured medications alone. Using multiple EHR data types (and thorough understanding of the perspectives offered) are necessary to derive robust EHR‐based precision medicine phenotypes. PMID:29084368

  6. Creative thinking as orchestrated by semantic processing vs. cognitive control brain networks.

    PubMed

    Abraham, Anna

    2014-01-01

    Creativity is primarily investigated within the neuroscientific perspective as a unitary construct. While such an approach is beneficial when trying to infer the general picture regarding creativity and brain function, it is insufficient if the objective is to uncover the information processing brain mechanisms by which creativity occurs. As creative thinking emerges through the dynamic interplay between several cognitive processes, assessing the neural correlates of these operations would enable the development and characterization of an information processing framework from which to better understand this complex ability. This article focuses on two aspects of creative cognition that are central to generating original ideas. "Conceptual expansion" refers to the ability to widen one's conceptual structures to include unusual or novel associations, while "overcoming knowledge constraints" refers to our ability to override the constraining influence imposed by salient or pertinent knowledge when trying to be creative. Neuroimaging and neuropsychological evidence is presented to illustrate how semantic processing and cognitive control networks in the brain differentially modulate these critical facets of creative cognition.

  7. Geochemistry and the understanding of ground-water systems

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Glynn, Pierre D.; Plummer, Niel

    2005-01-01

    Geochemistry has contributed significantly to the understanding of ground-water systems over the last 50 years. Historic advances include development of the hydrochemical facies concept, application of equilibrium theory, investigation of redox processes, and radiocarbon dating. Other hydrochemical concepts, tools, and techniques have helped elucidate mechanisms of flow and transport in ground-water systems, and have helped unlock an archive of paleoenvironmental information. Hydrochemical and isotopic information can be used to interpret the origin and mode of ground-water recharge, refine estimates of time scales of recharge and ground-water flow, decipher reactive processes, provide paleohydrological information, and calibrate ground-water flow models. Progress needs to be made in obtaining representative samples. Improvements are needed in the interpretation of the information obtained, and in the construction and interpretation of numerical models utilizing hydrochemical data. The best approach will ensure an optimized iterative process between field data collection and analysis, interpretation, and the application of forward, inverse, and statistical modeling tools. Advances are anticipated from microbiological investigations, the characterization of natural organics, isotopic fingerprinting, applications of dissolved gas measurements, and the fields of reaction kinetics and coupled processes. A thermodynamic perspective is offered that could facilitate the comparison and understanding of the multiple physical, chemical, and biological processes affecting ground-water systems.

  8. Software quality: Process or people

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Palmer, Regina; Labaugh, Modenna

    1993-01-01

    This paper will present data related to software development processes and personnel involvement from the perspective of software quality assurance. We examine eight years of data collected from six projects. Data collected varied by project but usually included defect and fault density with limited use of code metrics, schedule adherence, and budget growth information. The data are a blend of AFSCP 800-14 and suggested productivity measures in Software Metrics: A Practioner's Guide to Improved Product Development. A software quality assurance database tool, SQUID, was used to store and tabulate the data.

  9. A survey of Applied Psychological Services' models of the human operator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Siegel, A. I.; Wolf, J. J.

    1979-01-01

    A historical perspective is presented in terms of the major features and status of two families of computer simulation models in which the human operator plays the primary role. Both task oriented and message oriented models are included. Two other recent efforts are summarized which deal with visual information processing. They involve not whole model development but a family of subroutines customized to add the human aspects to existing models. A global diagram of the generalized model development/validation process is presented and related to 15 criteria for model evaluation.

  10. Auditory Scene Analysis: An Attention Perspective

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Purpose This review article provides a new perspective on the role of attention in auditory scene analysis. Method A framework for understanding how attention interacts with stimulus-driven processes to facilitate task goals is presented. Previously reported data obtained through behavioral and electrophysiological measures in adults with normal hearing are summarized to demonstrate attention effects on auditory perception—from passive processes that organize unattended input to attention effects that act at different levels of the system. Data will show that attention can sharpen stream organization toward behavioral goals, identify auditory events obscured by noise, and limit passive processing capacity. Conclusions A model of attention is provided that illustrates how the auditory system performs multilevel analyses that involve interactions between stimulus-driven input and top-down processes. Overall, these studies show that (a) stream segregation occurs automatically and sets the basis for auditory event formation; (b) attention interacts with automatic processing to facilitate task goals; and (c) information about unattended sounds is not lost when selecting one organization over another. Our results support a neural model that allows multiple sound organizations to be held in memory and accessed simultaneously through a balance of automatic and task-specific processes, allowing flexibility for navigating noisy environments with competing sound sources. Presentation Video http://cred.pubs.asha.org/article.aspx?articleid=2601618 PMID:29049599

  11. Integrated Healthcare Delivery: A Qualitative Research Approach to Identifying and Harmonizing Perspectives of Integrated Neglected Tropical Disease Programs

    PubMed Central

    Jacobson, Julie; Mosher, Aryc W.; Walson, Judd L.

    2016-01-01

    Background While some evidence supports the beneficial effects of integrating neglected tropical disease (NTD) programs to optimize coverage and reduce costs, there is minimal information regarding when or how to effectively operationalize program integration. The lack of systematic analyses of integration experiences and of integration processes may act as an impediment to achieving more effective NTD programming. We aimed to learn about the experiences of NTD stakeholders and their perceptions of integration. Methodology We evaluated differences in the definitions, roles, perceived effectiveness, and implementation experiences of integrated NTD programs among a variety of NTD stakeholder groups, including multilateral organizations, funding partners, implementation partners, national Ministry of Health (MOH) teams, district MOH teams, volunteer rural health workers, and community members participating in NTD campaigns. Semi-structured key informant interviews were conducted. Coding of themes involved a mix of applying in-vivo open coding and a priori thematic coding from a start list. Findings In total, 41 interviews were conducted. Salient themes varied by stakeholder, however dominant themes on integration included: significant variations in definitions, differential effectiveness of specific integrated NTD activities, community member perceptions of NTD programs, the influence of funders, perceived facilitators, perceived barriers, and the effects of integration on health system strength. In general, stakeholder groups provided unique perspectives, rather than contrarian points of view, on the same topics. The stakeholders identified more advantages to integration than disadvantages, however there are a number of both unique facilitators and challenges to integration from the perspective of each stakeholder group. Conclusions Qualitative data suggest several structural, process, and technical opportunities that could be addressed to promote more effective and efficient integrated NTD elimination programs. We highlight a set of ten recommendations that may address stakeholder concerns and perceptions regarding these key opportunities. For example, public health stakeholders should embrace a broader perspective of community-based health needs, including and beyond NTDs, and available platforms for addressing those needs. PMID:27776127

  12. Perspectives on use and protection of genetic information in work settings: results of a preliminary study.

    PubMed

    Roberts, Laura Weiss; Geppert, Cynthia M A; Warner, Teddy D; Green Hammond, Katherine A; Rogers, Melinda; Smrcka, Julienne; Roberts, Brian B

    2005-04-01

    The societal use of genetic information raises ethical concerns, and the views of working persons regarding genetic information have received little attention. We performed an empirical project to characterize perspectives of 63 employees at two sites who expressed strong interest in learning about and protecting their personal genetic information. Genetic data were seen as more sensitive than other health data, and disclosure of genetic susceptibility was perceived as having negative consequences. This study suggests the value of exploring the perspectives of key stakeholders most directly affected by genetic applications across diverse societal settings.

  13. Research on Quantum Authentication Methods for the Secure Access Control Among Three Elements of Cloud Computing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, Yumin; Xiao, Shufen; Ma, Hongyang; Chen, Libo

    2016-12-01

    Cloud computing and big data have become the developing engine of current information technology (IT) as a result of the rapid development of IT. However, security protection has become increasingly important for cloud computing and big data, and has become a problem that must be solved to develop cloud computing. The theft of identity authentication information remains a serious threat to the security of cloud computing. In this process, attackers intrude into cloud computing services through identity authentication information, thereby threatening the security of data from multiple perspectives. Therefore, this study proposes a model for cloud computing protection and management based on quantum authentication, introduces the principle of quantum authentication, and deduces the quantum authentication process. In theory, quantum authentication technology can be applied in cloud computing for security protection. This technology cannot be cloned; thus, it is more secure and reliable than classical methods.

  14. Knowledge environments representing molecular entities for the virtual physiological human.

    PubMed

    Hofmann-Apitius, Martin; Fluck, Juliane; Furlong, Laura; Fornes, Oriol; Kolárik, Corinna; Hanser, Susanne; Boeker, Martin; Schulz, Stefan; Sanz, Ferran; Klinger, Roman; Mevissen, Theo; Gattermayer, Tobias; Oliva, Baldo; Friedrich, Christoph M

    2008-09-13

    In essence, the virtual physiological human (VPH) is a multiscale representation of human physiology spanning from the molecular level via cellular processes and multicellular organization of tissues to complex organ function. The different scales of the VPH deal with different entities, relationships and processes, and in consequence the models used to describe and simulate biological functions vary significantly. Here, we describe methods and strategies to generate knowledge environments representing molecular entities that can be used for modelling the molecular scale of the VPH. Our strategy to generate knowledge environments representing molecular entities is based on the combination of information extraction from scientific text and the integration of information from biomolecular databases. We introduce @neuLink, a first prototype of an automatically generated, disease-specific knowledge environment combining biomolecular, chemical, genetic and medical information. Finally, we provide a perspective for the future implementation and use of knowledge environments representing molecular entities for the VPH.

  15. Transition to adult-oriented health care: perspectives of youth and adults with complex physical disabilities.

    PubMed

    Young, Nancy L; Barden, Wendy S; Mills, Wendy A; Burke, Tricia A; Law, Mary; Boydell, Katherine

    2009-01-01

    The transition to adulthood is extremely difficult for individuals with disabilities. We sought to explore the specific issue of transition to adult-oriented health care in a Canadian context. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 15 youth and 15 adults with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and acquired brain injuries of childhood, and their parents (n = 30). Respondents discussed their health care services, their experience with clinical transition, and contributing factors. We analyzed the transcripts using qualitative methods. All participants identified challenges in transition, including: lack of access to health care; lack of professionals' knowledge; lack of information and uncertainty regarding the transition process. Two solutions were identified: early provision of detailed information and more extensive support throughout the clinical transition process. The challenges of clinical transition were universal. More extensive information and support is needed during transition to ensure an efficient move to appropriate adult-oriented health care.

  16. Video Analysis and Remote Digital Ethnography: Approaches to understanding user perspectives and processes involving healthcare information technology.

    PubMed

    Kushniruk, Andre W; Borycki, Elizabeth M

    2015-01-01

    Innovations in healthcare information systems promise to revolutionize and streamline healthcare processes worldwide. However, the complexity of these systems and the need to better understand issues related to human-computer interaction have slowed progress in this area. In this chapter the authors describe their work in using methods adapted from usability engineering, video ethnography and analysis of digital log files for improving our understanding of complex real-world healthcare interactions between humans and technology. The approaches taken are cost-effective and practical and can provide detailed ethnographic data on issues health professionals and consumers encounter while using systems as well as potential safety problems. The work is important in that it can be used in techno-anthropology to characterize complex user interactions with technologies and also to provide feedback into redesign and optimization of improved healthcare information systems.

  17. User and stakeholder involvement for relevant, reliable and robust local-scale climate projections in Norway

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neby, Simon; Sobolowski, Stefan

    2017-04-01

    How can users and stakeholders be actively involved with providing input to and using output from local-scale climate projections? How can the scientific community better understand the needs of local actors? And how should communication and cooperation efforts be organized? These are critical questions we aim to answer in a climate services project funded by the Norwegian Research Council (R3: Relevant, Reliable and Robust local-scale climate projections for Norway). The project takes into consideration not only the scientific issues in establishing useful local-scale climate projections, but also addresses the "usability gap" between climate information and decision-making. The lack of effective communication between scientists and user communities often result in outputs and products that are not matched with decision-relevant climate information. In the R3 project, the scientific participants actively engage with a range of users that have quite different information needs: municipalities, infrastructure developers, agriculture, energy producers, insurance companies, and more. In this particular presentation, we present our experiences concerning three specific issues that relate to the stakeholder-science interface: 1) Preferences are not clear-cut and pre-defined. In practice, this means that stakeholders often do not have precise information about their needs, nor precise information about how, where and whether their needs can be voiced. Similarly, science communities tend to presuppose that stakeholders are interested and have well-articulated needs, which is hardly the case. Collectively, that means that there is a need for an approach that guides the articulation and prioritization of preferences in a manner that integrates both scientific and stakeholder perspectives and takes the integrity of both perspectives seriously. 2) Technologies are unclear. Although information may be produced and used, past experiences, trial and error processes and pragmatic considerations often dominate actual knowledge dissemination and application processes. Involved actors have very diverse interests, and equally varying modes of knowledge application and logics of action. Timeframes vary, as do the formats that climate information needs have, if it is to be applicable and relevant. Farmers' associations that formulate sector policies need information in a different form than municipalities engaged in urban planning. 3) Actor participation is fluid. All actors are marked by limitations in attention, engagement, resources, external demands and access to processes that are of (varying) relevance to them. Not all stakeholders (and not all scientists) can, will or wish to be equally active in co-production of knowledge. Similarly, the decision-making processes where information is put to use are subject to variation in engagement and participation.

  18. Manufacturing process design for multi commodities in agriculture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prasetyawan, Yudha; Santosa, Andrian Henry

    2017-06-01

    High-potential commodities within particular agricultural sectors should be accompanied by maximum benefit value that can be attained by both local farmers and business players. In several cases, the business players are small-medium enterprises (SMEs) which have limited resources to perform added value process of the local commodities into the potential products. The weaknesses of SMEs such as the manual production process with low productivity, limited capacity to maintain prices, and unattractive packaging due to conventional production. Agricultural commodity is commonly created into several products such as flour, chips, crackers, oil, juice, and other products. This research was initiated by collecting data by interview method particularly to obtain the perspectives of SMEs as the business players. Subsequently, the information was processed based on the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) to determine House of Quality from the first to fourth level. A proposed design as the result of QFD was produced and evaluated with Technology Assessment Model (TAM) and continued with a revised design. Finally, the revised design was analyzed with financial perspective to obtain the cost structure of investment, operational, maintenance, and workers. The machine that performs manufacturing process, as the result of revised design, was prototyped and tested to determined initial production process. The designed manufacturing process offers IDR 337,897, 651 of Net Present Value (NPV) in comparison with the existing process value of IDR 9,491,522 based on similar production input.

  19. Reviewing information support during the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster : From the perspective of a hospital library that received support

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Terasawa, Motoko

    The Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011 caused extensive damage over a widespread area. Our hospital library, which is located in the affected area, was no exception. A large collection of books was lost, and some web content was inaccessible due to damage to the network environment. This greatly hindered our efforts to continue providing post-disaster medical information services. Information support, such as free access to databases, journals, and other online content related to the disaster areas, helped us immensely during this time. We were fortunate to have the cooperation of various medical employees and library members via social networks, such as twitter, during the process of attaining this information support.

  20. Organizational Factors that Affect the Implementation of Information Technology: Perspectives of Middle Managers in Iran

    PubMed Central

    Barzekar, Hosein; Karami, Mahtab

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Objective: to examine the organizational factors affecting the application of information technology in hospitals. Since the organizational factors are one of the most important determinants of successful projects, by understanding their impact and identifying them it can help planning a systematic IT implementation. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study 110 middle managers were chosen from teaching hospitals. Structured questionnaire was used for the data collection. Results: There was a significant relationship between organization resource, organizational knowledge, process, management structure and values and goals with implementation of information technology. Conclusion: Findings showed that organizational factors had a considerable impact on implementation of information technology. Top managers must consider the important aspects of effective organizational factors. PMID:25568582

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