Discriminating Bio-aerosols from Non-Bio-aerosols in Real-Time by Pump-Probe Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sousa, Gustavo; Gaulier, Geoffrey; Bonacina, Luigi; Wolf, Jean-Pierre

2016-09-01

The optical identification of bioaerosols in the atmosphere and its discrimination against combustion related particles is a major issue for real-time, field compatible instruments. In the present paper, we show that by embedding advanced pump-probe depletion spectroscopy schemes in a portable instrument, it is possible to discriminate amino acid containing airborne particles (bacteria, humic particles, etc.) from poly-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon containing combustion particles (Diesel droplets, soot, vehicle exhausts) with high selectivity. Our real-time, multi-modal device provides, in addition to the pump-probe depletion information, fluorescence spectra (over 32 channels), fluorescence lifetime and Mie scattering patterns of each individually flowing particle in the probed air.

Discriminating Bio-aerosols from Non-Bio-aerosols in Real-Time by Pump-Probe Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Sousa, Gustavo; Gaulier, Geoffrey; Bonacina, Luigi; Wolf, Jean-Pierre

2016-09-13

The optical identification of bioaerosols in the atmosphere and its discrimination against combustion related particles is a major issue for real-time, field compatible instruments. In the present paper, we show that by embedding advanced pump-probe depletion spectroscopy schemes in a portable instrument, it is possible to discriminate amino acid containing airborne particles (bacteria, humic particles, etc.) from poly-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon containing combustion particles (Diesel droplets, soot, vehicle exhausts) with high selectivity. Our real-time, multi-modal device provides, in addition to the pump-probe depletion information, fluorescence spectra (over 32 channels), fluorescence lifetime and Mie scattering patterns of each individually flowing particle in the probed air.

Florida Journal of Communication Disorders, 1996.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langhans, Joseph J., Ed.

1996-01-01

This annual volume is a compilation of professional articles and proceedings from a conference addressing timely issues in speech-language pathology and audiology. Featured articles include: (1) "Glottal Airflow: Instrumentation and Interpretation" (Christine M. Sapienza); (2) "Clinical Implications of Motor Speech Disorders in…

Attitudes to Educational Issues: Development of an Instrument.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lemke, Jay L.; And Others

To obtain a test which could be used for the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data on teachers' attitudes toward contemporary educational issues, the Attitudes to Educational Issues instrument (AEI) was developed. Statements were written in five-choice Likert format to express attitudes toward these six educational issues: (1)…

26 CFR 1.1273-2 - Determination of issue price and issue date.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (a), money includes functional currency and, in certain circumstances, nonfunctional currency. See § 1.988-2(b)(2) for circumstances when nonfunctional currency is treated as money rather than as... debt instruments in the issue is sold for money. (b) Publicly traded debt instruments issued for...

A fully integrated standalone portable cavity ringdown breath acetone analyzer.

PubMed

Sun, Meixiu; Jiang, Chenyu; Gong, Zhiyong; Zhao, Xiaomeng; Chen, Zhuying; Wang, Zhennan; Kang, Meiling; Li, Yingxin; Wang, Chuji

2015-09-01

Breath analysis is a promising new technique for nonintrusive disease diagnosis and metabolic status monitoring. One challenging issue in using a breath biomarker for potential particular disease screening is to find a quantitative relationship between the concentration of the breath biomarker and clinical diagnostic parameters of the specific disease. In order to address this issue, we need a new instrument that is capable of conducting real-time, online breath analysis with high data throughput, so that a large scale of clinical test (more subjects) can be achieved in a short period of time. In this work, we report a fully integrated, standalone, portable analyzer based on the cavity ringdown spectroscopy technique for near-real time, online breath acetone measurements. The performance of the portable analyzer in measurements of breath acetone was interrogated and validated by using the certificated gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results show that this new analyzer is useful for reliable online (online introduction of a breath sample without pre-treatment) breath acetone analysis with high sensitivity (57 ppb) and high data throughput (one data per second). Subsequently, the validated breath analyzer was employed for acetone measurements in 119 human subjects under various situations. The instrument design, packaging, specifications, and future improvements were also described. From an optical ringdown cavity operated by the lab-set electronics reported previously to this fully integrated standalone new instrument, we have enabled a new scientific tool suited for large scales of breath acetone analysis and created an instrument platform that can even be adopted for study of other breath biomarkers by using different lasers and ringdown mirrors covering corresponding spectral fingerprints.

A fully integrated standalone portable cavity ringdown breath acetone analyzer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Meixiu; Jiang, Chenyu; Gong, Zhiyong; Zhao, Xiaomeng; Chen, Zhuying; Wang, Zhennan; Kang, Meiling; Li, Yingxin; Wang, Chuji

2015-09-01

Breath analysis is a promising new technique for nonintrusive disease diagnosis and metabolic status monitoring. One challenging issue in using a breath biomarker for potential particular disease screening is to find a quantitative relationship between the concentration of the breath biomarker and clinical diagnostic parameters of the specific disease. In order to address this issue, we need a new instrument that is capable of conducting real-time, online breath analysis with high data throughput, so that a large scale of clinical test (more subjects) can be achieved in a short period of time. In this work, we report a fully integrated, standalone, portable analyzer based on the cavity ringdown spectroscopy technique for near-real time, online breath acetone measurements. The performance of the portable analyzer in measurements of breath acetone was interrogated and validated by using the certificated gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results show that this new analyzer is useful for reliable online (online introduction of a breath sample without pre-treatment) breath acetone analysis with high sensitivity (57 ppb) and high data throughput (one data per second). Subsequently, the validated breath analyzer was employed for acetone measurements in 119 human subjects under various situations. The instrument design, packaging, specifications, and future improvements were also described. From an optical ringdown cavity operated by the lab-set electronics reported previously to this fully integrated standalone new instrument, we have enabled a new scientific tool suited for large scales of breath acetone analysis and created an instrument platform that can even be adopted for study of other breath biomarkers by using different lasers and ringdown mirrors covering corresponding spectral fingerprints.

Rapid Prototyping of Application Specific Signal Processors Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-10-09

EREQ Query optimizer generator from the University of Colorado. In the five year time frame , this trend toward convergence makes it a non- issue ...related issues . TI’s RASSP vision plans to leverage and support CALS as a baseline for addressing data formatting and handling. Previously stated CALS goals ...of the U.S. Gc;:zrnrenL Distibution Statement A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Prepared By: _-- Texas Instruments Integrated

The Socio-Scientific Reasoning Model: Instruments for Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheu, Janey; And Others

The Environmental Issues Test (EIT) is an instrument designed to assess moral and ethical reasoning within a scientific or technological context. It is comprised of five dilemma stories each of which highlights an environmental issue and the moral conflicts inherent in that issue. Following each dilemma story is a series of 12 issues statements,…

[Destruction of microsurgical devices by sterilisation].

PubMed

Berto, Raphaela; Strutz, Jürgen

2017-11-01

Hospital facilities issue numerous risk announcements on corrosion, deformation or premature wearout of medical devices every year. As there is yet little data on the impact of reprocessing on the quality and durability of microsurgical instruments, this paper aims at evaluating the effects of the reprocessing on microsurgical instruments. Material and Methods 22 brand new microsurgical instruments for stapes surgery were being reprocessed 30 times without being used for surgery or other purposes in the interim time. After each reprocessing the instruments were examined macroscopicly and microscopicly. The results were portrayed in a photo documentation and analysed on that basis. Results Almost all devices showed mechanical damage caused by the reprocessing procedure. The increasing deterioration was often associated with missing protective caps. Furthermore contaminations and stains were apparent in several cases. Conclusions The findings illustrate that careful handling of delicate surgical devices during reprocessing is vital. They also highlight problems of protective caps. As an alternative going forward it should be considered to store microsurgical instruments statically in special racks. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Key Cognitive Issues in the Design of Electronic Displays of Instrument Approach Procedure Charts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-11-01

This report provides a general introduction to the field of cognitive psychology and the application of well researched cognitive issues to the design of electronic instrument approach procedures (EIAP) displays. It presents 46 cognitive issues and 1...

77 FR 59456 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Form 8281

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-27

... 8281, Information Return for Publicity Offered Original Issue Discount Instructions. DATES: Written... Offered Original Issue Discount Instruments. OMB Number: 1545-0887. Form Number: 8281. Abstract: Internal... publicity offered debt instruments having original issue discount. Regulations section 1.1275- 3 prescribes...

Cultural adaptation: translatability assessment and linguistic validation of the patient-reported outcome instrument for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea

PubMed Central

Delgado-Herrera, Leticia; Lasch, Kathryn; Popielnicki, Ana; Nishida, Akito; Arbuckle, Rob; Banderas, Benjamin; Zentner, Susan; Gagainis, Ingrid; Zeiher, Bernhardt

2016-01-01

Background and objective Following a 2009 US Food and Drug Administration guidance, a new patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument was developed to support end points in multinational clinical trials assessing irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) symptom severity. Our objective was to assess the translatability of the IBS-D PRO instrument into ten languages, and subsequently perform a cultural adaptation/linguistic validation of the questionnaire into Japanese and US Spanish. Materials and methods Translatability assessments of the US English version of the IBS-D PRO were performed by experienced PRO translators who were native speakers of each target language and currently residing in target-language countries. Languages were Chinese (People’s Republic of China), Dutch (the Netherlands), French (Belgium), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Polish (Poland), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian (Russia), Spanish (Mexico), and Spanish (US). The project team assessed the instrument to identify potential linguistic and/or cultural adaptation issues. After the issues identified were resolved, the instrument was translated into Spanish (US) and Japanese through a process of two forward translations, one reconciled translation, and one backward translation. The project team reviewed the translated versions before the instruments were evaluated by cognitive debriefing interviews with samples of five Spanish (US) and five Japanese IBS-D patients. Results Linguistic and cultural adaptation concerns identified during the translatability assessment required minor revisions, mainly the presentation of dates/times and word structure. During the cognitive debriefing interviews, two of five Spanish respondents misunderstood the term “bowel movement” to mean only diarrhea in the Spanish version. Consequently, the term was changed from “movimiento intestinal” to “evacuaciones”. None of the Japanese respondents identified issues with the Japanese version. Conclusion The translatability of the IBS-D PRO instrument into ten target languages was confirmed, with only minor changes made to the translations of the instrument. The translation and linguistic validation into Spanish (US) and Japanese provide evidence that this instrument can be used in multinational trials and clinical settings. PMID:27382346

Ethical issues in palliative care for nursing homes: Development and testing of a survey instrument.

PubMed

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

2018-02-01

To develop and psychometrically assess a survey instrument identifying ethical issues during palliative care provision in nursing homes. Registered nurses and healthcare assistants have reported ethical issues in everyday palliative care provision. Identifying these issues provides evidence to inform practice development to support healthcare workers. Cross-sectional survey of Registered nurses and healthcare assistants in nursing homes in one region of the UK. A survey instrument, "Ethical issues in Palliative Care for Nursing homes", was developed through the findings of qualitative interviews with Registered nurses and healthcare assistants in nursing homes and a literature review. It was reviewed by an expert panel and piloted prior to implementation in a survey in 2015 with a convenience sample of 596 Registered nurses and healthcare assistants. Descriptive and exploratory factor analyses were used to assess the underlying structure of the Frequency and Distress Scales within the instrument. Analysis of 201 responses (response rate = 33.7%) revealed four factors for the Frequency Scale and five factors for the Distress Scale that comprise the Ethical issues in Palliative Care for Nursing homes. Factors common to both scales included "Processes of care," "Resident autonomy" and "Burdensome treatment." Additionally, the Frequency Scale included "Competency," and the Distress Scale included "Quality of care" and "Communication." The Ethical issues in Palliative Care for Nursing homes instrument has added to the palliative care knowledge base by considering the ethical issues experienced specifically by Registered nurses and healthcare assistants within the nursing home. This research offers preliminary evidence of the psychometric properties of the Ethical issues in Palliative Care for Nursing homes survey instrument. The two largest factors highlight the need to address the organisational aspects of caring and provide training in negotiating conflicting ethical principles. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Status Report on Efforts to Enhance Instrumentation to Support Advanced Test Reactor Irradiations

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

J. Rempe; D. Knudson; J. Daw

2014-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) designated the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) as a National Scientific User Facility (NSUF) in April 2007 to support the growth of nuclear science and technology in the United States (US). By attracting new research users - universities, laboratories, and industry - the ATR NSUF facilitates basic and applied nuclear research and development, further advancing the nation's energy security needs. A key component of the ATR NSUF effort at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is to design, develop, and deploy new in-pile instrumentation techniques that are capable of providing real-time measurements of key parameters during irradiation.more » To address this need, an assessment of instrumentation available and under-development at other test reactors was completed. Based on this initial review, recommendations were made with respect to what instrumentation is needed at the ATR, and a strategy was developed for obtaining these sensors. In 2009, a report was issued documenting this program’s strategy and initial progress toward accomplishing program objectives. Since 2009, annual reports have been issued to provide updates on the program strategy and the progress made on implementing the strategy. This report provides an update reflecting progress as of January 2014.« less

ERBE_S10N_WFOV_SF_ERBS_AreaAverageTimeSeries_Edition4

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2017-08-02

... NOTE : There is a data gap in 1993 and 1998 due to instrument issues (see section 1.3 in Data Quality Summary). These years have months of missing data, thus users need caution while using data from these years.   ...

Survey Research: Methods, Issues and the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brewer, Ernest W.; Torrisi-Steele, Geraldine; Wang, Victor C. X.

2015-01-01

Survey research is prevalent among many professional fields. Both cost effective and time efficient, this method of research is commonly used for the purposes of gaining insight into the attitudes, thoughts, and opinions of populations. Additionally, because there are several types of survey research designs and data collection instruments, the…

Financial Crisis: A New Measure for Risk of Pension Fund Portfolios

PubMed Central

Cadoni, Marinella; Melis, Roberta; Trudda, Alessandro

2015-01-01

It has been argued that pension funds should have limitations on their asset allocation, based on the risk profile of the different financial instruments available on the financial markets. This issue proves to be highly relevant at times of market crisis, when a regulation establishing limits to risk taking for pension funds could prevent defaults. In this paper we present a framework for evaluating the risk level of a single financial instrument or a portfolio. By assuming that the log asset returns can be described by a multifractional Brownian motion, we evaluate the risk using the time dependent Hurst parameter H(t) which models volatility. To provide a measure of the risk, we model the Hurst parameter with a random variable with mixture of beta distribution. We prove the efficacy of the methodology by implementing it on different risk level financial instruments and portfolios. PMID:26086529

Financial Crisis: A New Measure for Risk of Pension Fund Portfolios.

PubMed

Cadoni, Marinella; Melis, Roberta; Trudda, Alessandro

2015-01-01

It has been argued that pension funds should have limitations on their asset allocation, based on the risk profile of the different financial instruments available on the financial markets. This issue proves to be highly relevant at times of market crisis, when a regulation establishing limits to risk taking for pension funds could prevent defaults. In this paper we present a framework for evaluating the risk level of a single financial instrument or a portfolio. By assuming that the log asset returns can be described by a multifractional Brownian motion, we evaluate the risk using the time dependent Hurst parameter H(t) which models volatility. To provide a measure of the risk, we model the Hurst parameter with a random variable with mixture of beta distribution. We prove the efficacy of the methodology by implementing it on different risk level financial instruments and portfolios.

Calibration and operation of the Faint Object Spectrograph

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harms, R.; Beaver, E.; Burbidge, E.; Hier, R.; Allen, R.; Angel, R.; Bartko, F.; Bohlin, R.; Ford, H.; Davidson, A.

1984-01-01

The design and basic performance characteristics of the Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS), one of five instruments built for use on the Space Telescope observatory, is summarized briefly. The results of the recently completed instrument-level calibration are presented with special emphasis on issues affecting plans for FOS astronomical observations. Examples include such fundamental characteristics as: limiting magnitudes (system sensitivity and noise figures), spectral coverage and resolution, scattered light properties, and instrumental polarization and modulation efficiencies. Also gated toward intended users, a rather detailed description of FOS operating modes is given. The discussion begins with the difficulties anticipated during target acquisition and their hoped-for resolution. Both the 'normal' spectroscopic operating modes of the FOS and its 'exotic' features (e.g. spectropolarimetric, time-tagged, and time-resolved modes) are presented. The paper concludes with an overview of the activities to assure proper alignment and operation of the FOS within the entire Space Telescope system (orbital and ground-based).

Patient perspective workshop: moving towards OMERACT guidelines for choosing or developing instruments to measure patient-reported outcomes.

PubMed

Kirwan, John R; Fries, James F; Hewlett, Sarah E; Osborne, Richard H; Newman, Stanton; Ciciriello, Sabina; van de Laar, Mart A; Dures, Emma; Minnock, Patricia; Heiberg, Turid; Sanderson, Tessa C; Flurey, Caroline A; Leong, Amy L; Montie, Pamela; Richards, Pam

2011-08-01

The workshop Choosing or Developing Instruments held at the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) 10 meeting was designed to help participants think about the underlying methods of instrument development. Conference pre-reading material and 3 brief introductory presentations elaborated the issues, and participants broke into discussion groups before reconvening to share insights, engage in a more general discussion of the issues, and vote on recommendations. Tradeoffs between using current imperfect measures and the long and complex process of developing new instruments were considered, together with the need for rigor in patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument development. The main considerations for PRO instrument development were listed and a research agenda for action produced. As part of the agenda for action, it is recommended that researchers and patient partners work together to tackle these issues, and that OMERACT bring forward proposals for acceptable instrument development protocols that would meet an enhanced "Truth" statement in the OMERACT Filter.

26 CFR 1.1275-2 - Special rules relating to debt instruments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... debt instrument that is traded on an established market is its fair market value. The issue price of a distributed debt instrument that is not traded on an established market is determined under section 1274 or... an issue a substantial portion of which is traded on an established market within the meaning of § 1...

Toward Best Practices For Assessing Near Surface Sensor Fouling: Potential Correction Approaches Using Underway Ferry Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sastri, A. R.; Dewey, R. K.; Pawlowicz, R.; Krogh, J.

2016-02-01

Data from long term deployments of sensors on autonomous, mobile and cabled observation platforms suffer potential quality issues associated with bio-fouling. This issue is of particular concern for optical sensors, such as fluorescence and/or absorbance-based instruments for which light emitting/receiving surfaces are prone to fouling due constant contact with the marine environment. Here we examine signal quality for backscatter, chlorophyll and CDOM fluorescence from a single triplet instrument installed in a ferry box system (nominal depth of 3m) operated by Ocean Networks Canada. The time series consists of 22 months of 8-10 daily transits across the productive waters of the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada (Nanaimo on Vancouver Island and Vancouver on mainland BC). Instruments were cleaned every 2 weeks since all three instruments experienced significant signal attenuation during that period throughout the year. We experimented with a variety of pre- and post-cleaning measurements in an effort to develop `correction factors' with which to account for the effects of fouling. We found that CDOM fluorescence was especially sensitive to fouling and that correction factors derived from measurements of the fluorescence of standardized solutions successfully accounted for fouling. Similar results were found for chlorophyll fluorescence. Here we present results from our measurements and assess the efficacy of each of these approaches using comparisons against additional instruments less prone to signal attenuation over short periods.

Generic System for Remote Testing and Calibration of Measuring Instruments: Security Architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jurčević, M.; Hegeduš, H.; Golub, M.

2010-01-01

Testing and calibration of laboratory instruments and reference standards is a routine activity and is a resource and time consuming process. Since many of the modern instruments include some communication interfaces, it is possible to create a remote calibration system. This approach addresses a wide range of possible applications and permits to drive a number of different devices. On the other hand, remote calibration process involves a number of security issues due to recommendations specified in standard ISO/IEC 17025, since it is not under total control of the calibration laboratory personnel who will sign the calibration certificate. This approach implies that the traceability and integrity of the calibration process directly depends on the collected measurement data. The reliable and secure remote control and monitoring of instruments is a crucial aspect of internet-enabled calibration procedure.

The Revalidation of an Instrument to Measure Zones of Indifference of Teachers to Directives Issued by Administrators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkes, Sam T.; Blackbourn, Joe M.

This project attempts to refine the Zones of Indifference Instrument, (included in appendix) that measures zones of indifference of teachers to typical directives issued by administrators. As a result of the original validation study, a 78-item, two-factor instrument was developed. These two factors explained 52 percent of the variance. The…

VERITAS?: A time for VERIQAS™ and a new approach to training, education, and the quality assessment of CD4+ T lymphocyte counting (I).

PubMed

Barnett, David; Whitby, Liam; Wong, John; Louzao, Raul; Reilly, John T; Denny, Thomas N

2012-03-01

The aim of clinical laboratories is to produce accurate and reproducible results to enable effective and reliable clinical practice and patient management. The standard approach is to use both internal quality control (IQC) and external quality assessment (EQA). IQC serves, in many instances, as a "go, no go" tool to provide real time assurance that instruments and reagent or test systems are performing within defined specifications. EQA however, takes a snapshot at a specific point in time of the full testing process, results are compared to other laboratories performing similar testing but inevitably has some built in delay from sample issue to performance data review. In addition, if IQC or EQA identify areas of concern it can be difficult to determine the exact nature of the problem. In an attempt to address this problem, we have developed an instant QA panel that we have termed VERIQAS™, specifically for CD4(+) T lymphocyte counting, and have undertaken a "proof of principle" pilot study to examine how the use of VERIQAS™ could result in improvement of laboratory performance. In addition, we have examined how this approach could be used as a training and education tool (in a domestic/international setting) and potentially be of value in instrument validation/switch studies (a switch study being defined as a laboratory changing from one method/instrument to a new method/instrument with the VERIQAS™ panel being used as an adjunct to their standard switch study protocol). The basic panel consists of 20 stabilized samples, with predefined CD4(+) T lymphocyte counts, that span low clinically relevant to normal counts, including some blinded replicates (singlet up to quadruplicate combinations). The CD4(+) T lymphocyte target values for each specimen is defined as the trimmed mean ± 2 trimmed standard deviations, where the trimmed values are derived from the CD4(+) T lymphocyte counts reported by the participating centers (~780 laboratories) that receive each UK NEQAS for Leucocyte Immunophenotyping send out. Results for the VERIQAS™ panel were returned online, via a specially designed website, and the participant was provided with an immediate assessment (pass or fail). To date, the panel has been preliminary trialed by eight laboratories to (i) assess pre-EQA qualification (two laboratories); (ii) address performance issues (two laboratories); or (iii) validate new instruments or techniques (four laboratories). Interestingly, even in this pilot study, the panel has been instrumental in identifying specific technical problems in laboratories with EQA performance issues as well as confirming that implementation of new techniques or instruments have been successful. We report here a new and novel "proof of principle" pilot study to quality assessment, that we have termed VERIQAS™, designed to provide instant feedback on performance. Participating laboratories receive 20 "blinded" samples that are in singlet up to quadruplicate combinations. Once a centre reports its results via a website, immediate feedback is provided to both the participant and the EQA organizers, enabling, if required, the initiation of targeted remedial action. We have also shown that this approach has the potential to be used as a tool for prequalification, troubleshooting, training and instrument verification. Pilot phase field trials with VERIQAS™ have shown that the panel can highlight laboratory performance problems, such as suboptimal instrument set up, pipetting and gating strategies, in a rapid and efficient manner. VERIQAS™ will now be introduced, where appropriate, as a second phase study within UK NEQAS for Leucocyte Immunophenotyping to assist those laboratories that have performance issues and also made available to laboratories for training and education of staff and instrument validation studies. Copyright © 2011 International Clinical Cytometry Society.

26 CFR 1.163-12 - Deduction of original issue discount on instrument held by related foreign person.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... on which the amount is includible in income is determined with reference to the method of accounting... 26 Internal Revenue 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Deduction of original issue discount on... Deductions for Individuals and Corporations § 1.163-12 Deduction of original issue discount on instrument...

26 CFR 1.163-12 - Deduction of original issue discount on instrument held by related foreign person.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... on which the amount is includible in income is determined with reference to the method of accounting... 26 Internal Revenue 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Deduction of original issue discount on... Deductions for Individuals and Corporations § 1.163-12 Deduction of original issue discount on instrument...

26 CFR 1.163-12 - Deduction of original issue discount on instrument held by related foreign person.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... on which the amount is includible in income is determined with reference to the method of accounting... 26 Internal Revenue 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Deduction of original issue discount on... Deductions for Individuals and Corporations § 1.163-12 Deduction of original issue discount on instrument...

The development of PROQOL-HIV: an international instrument to assess the health-related quality of life of persons living with HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Duracinsky, Martin; Herrmann, Susan; Berzins, Baiba; Armstrong, Andrew R; Kohli, Rewa; Le Coeur, Sophie; Diouf, Assane; Fournier, Isabelle; Schechter, Mauro; Chassany, Olivier

2012-04-15

Health-related quality of life (HRQL) is an important outcome in HIV/AIDS infection and treatment. However, most existing HIV-HRQL instruments miss important issues (eg, sleeping problems, lipodystrophy). They were developed before highly active antiretroviral therapy (pre-HAART), and in a single language. We sought to develop a contemporary HIV-HRQL instrument (PROQOL-HIV) in multiple languages that accounts for HAART treatment and side effects. This article details the 3-stage content validation phase of PROQOL-HIV. In stage 1, we developed a conceptual model of HIV-HRQL and questionnaire item bank from thematic analysis of 152 patient interviews conducted simultaneously across 9 countries. In stage 2, pilot items were selected by an expert panel to form the pilot instrument. Stage 3 involved linguistic validation and harmonization of selected items to form an equivalent instrument in 9 target languages. Analysis of 3375 pages of interview text revealed 11 underlying themes: general health perception, social relationships, emotions, energy/fatigue, sleep, cognitive functioning, physical and daily activity, coping, future, symptoms, and treatment. Seven issues new to HIV-HRQL measurement were subsumed by these themes: infection fears, future concerns, satisfaction with care, self-esteem problems, sleep problems, work disruption, and treatment issues. Of the 442 theme-related items banked, 70 items met the retention criteria and formed the pilot PROQOL-HIV instrument. HIV patients across 11 countries attributed a wide range of physical, mental, and social issues to their condition, many of which were not measured by existing HIV-HRQL instruments. The pilot PROQOL-HIV instrument captures these issues, is sensitive to sociocultural context, disease stage, and HAART.

Empowering people to change occupational behaviours to address critical global issues.

PubMed

Ikiugu, Moses N; Westerfield, Madeline A; Lien, Jamie M; Theisen, Emily R; Cerny, Shana L; Nissen, Ranelle M

2015-06-01

The greatest threat to human well-being in this century is climate change and related global issues. We examined the effectiveness of the Modified Instrumentalism in Occupational Therapy model as a framework for facilitating occupational behaviour change to address climate change and related issues. Eleven individuals participated in this mixed-methods single-subject-design study. Data were gathered using the Modified Assessment and Intervention Instrument for Instrumentalism in Occupational Therapy and Daily Occupational Inventories. Quantitative data were analyzed using two- and three-standard deviation band methods. Qualitative data were analyzed using heuristic phenomenological procedures. Occupational performance changed for five participants. Participants' feelings shifted from frustration and helplessness to empowerment and a desire for action. They felt empowered to find occupation-based solutions to the global issues. Occupation-based interventions that increase personal awareness of the connection between occupational performance and global issues could empower people to be agents for action to ameliorate the issues.

Psychometric Issues in the Assessment of Clinical Competencies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scofield, Michael E.; Yoxtheimer, Linda L.

1983-01-01

Reviewed 149 studies which measured counselor or therapist competencies and examined them for evidence of the reliability and validity associated with the assessment instruments. Only 43 percent of the measurements included reliability data computed at the time they were used, and only 12 percent were accompanied by evidence of their validity.…

Cross-cultural adaptation and translation of a quality of life tool for new mothers: a methodological and experiential account from six countries.

PubMed

Symon, Andrew; Nagpal, Jitender; Maniecka-Bryła, Irena; Nowakowska-Głąb, Agata; Rashidian, Arash; Khabiri, Roghayeh; Mendes, Isabel; Pinheiro, Ana Karina Bezerra; de Oliveira, Mirna Fontenele; Wu, Liping

2013-04-01

To examine the challenges and solutions encountered in the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of an English language quality of life tool in India, China, Iran, Portugal, Brazil, and Poland. Those embarking on research involving translation and cross-cultural adaptation must address certain practical and conceptual issues. These include instrument choice, linguistic factors, and cultural or philosophical differences, which may render an instrument inappropriate, even when expertly translated. Publication bias arises when studies encountering difficulties do not admit to these, or are not published at all. As an educative guide to the potential pitfalls involved in the cross-cultural adaptation process, this article reports the conceptual, linguistic, and methodological experiences of researchers in six countries, who translated and adapted the Mother-Generated Index, a quality of life tool originally developed in English. Principal investigator experience from six stand-alone studies (two published) ranging from postgraduate research to citywide surveys. DISCUSSION/IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: This analysis of a series of stand-alone cross-cultural studies provides lessons about how conceptual issues, such as the uniqueness of perceived quality of life and the experience of new motherhood, can be addressed. This original international approach highlights practical lessons relating to instrument choice, and the resources available to researchers with different levels of experience. Although researchers may be confident of effective translation, conceptual and practical difficulties may be more problematic. Instrument choice is crucial. Researchers must negotiate adequate resources for cross-cultural research, including time, translation facilities, and expert advice about conceptual issues. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Field observations using an AOTF polarimetric imaging spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Li-Jen; Hamilton, Mike; Mahoney, Colin; Reyes, George

1993-01-01

This paper reports preliminary results of recent field observations using a prototype acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) polarimetric imaging spectrometer. The data illustrate application potentials for geoscience. The operation principle of this instrument is different from that of current airborne multispectral imaging instruments, such as AVIRIS. The AOTF instrument takes two orthogonally polarized images at a desired wavelength at one time, whereas AVIRIS takes a spectrum over a predetermined wavelength range at one pixel at a time and the image is constructed later. AVIRIS does not have any polarization measuring capability. The AOTF instrument could be a complement tool to AVIRIS. Polarization measurement is a desired capability for many applications in remote sensing. It is well know that natural light is often polarized due to various scattering phenomena in the atmosphere. Also, scattered light from canopies is reported to have a polarized component. To characterize objects of interest correctly requires a remote sensing imaging spectrometer capable of measuring object signal and background radiation in both intensity and polarization so that the characteristics of the object can be determined. The AORF instrument has the capability to do so. The AOTF instrument has other unique properties. For example, it can provide spectral images immediately after the observation. The instrument can also allow observations to be tailored in real time to perform the desired experiments and to collect only required data. Consequently, the performance in each mission can be increased with minimal resources. The prototype instrument was completed in the beginning of this year. A number of outdoor field experiments were performed with the objective to evaluate the capability of this new technology for remote sensing applications and to determine issues for further improvements.

Core Community Specifications for Electron Microprobe Operating Systems: Software, Quality Control, and Data Management Issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fournelle, John; Carpenter, Paul

2006-01-01

Modem electron microprobe systems have become increasingly sophisticated. These systems utilize either UNIX or PC computer systems for measurement, automation, and data reduction. These systems have undergone major improvements in processing, storage, display, and communications, due to increased capabilities of hardware and software. Instrument specifications are typically utilized at the time of purchase and concentrate on hardware performance. The microanalysis community includes analysts, researchers, software developers, and manufacturers, who could benefit from exchange of ideas and the ultimate development of core community specifications (CCS) for hardware and software components of microprobe instrumentation and operating systems.

The slant path atmospheric refraction calibrator - An instrument to measure the microwave propagation delays induced by atmospheric water vapor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walter, Steven J.; Bender, Peter L.

1992-01-01

The water vapor-induced propagation delay experienced by a radio signal traversing the atmosphere is characterized by the Slant Path Atmospheric Refraction Calibrator (SPARC), which measures the difference in the travel times between an optical and a microwave signal propagating along the same atmospheric path with an accuracy of 15 picosec or better. Attention is given to the theoretical and experimental issues involved in measuring the delay induced by water vapor; SPARC measurements conducted along a 13.35-km ground-based path are presented, illustrating the instrument's stability, precision, and accuracy.

Self-Tuning Fully-Connected PID Neural Network System for Distributed Temperature Sensing and Control of Instrument with Multi-Modules.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhen; Ma, Cheng; Zhu, Rong

2016-10-14

High integration of multi-functional instruments raises a critical issue in temperature control that is challenging due to its spatial-temporal complexity. This paper presents a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) self-tuning temperature sensing and control system for efficiently modulating the temperature environment within a multi-module instrument. The smart system ensures that the internal temperature of the instrument converges to a target without the need of a system model, thus making the control robust. The system consists of a fully-connected proportional-integral-derivative (PID) neural network (FCPIDNN) and an on-line self-tuning module. The experimental results show that the presented system can effectively control the internal temperature under various mission scenarios, in particular, it is able to self-reconfigure upon actuator failure. The system provides a new scheme for a complex and time-variant MIMO control system which can be widely applied for the distributed measurement and control of the environment in instruments, integration electronics, and house constructions.

Editorial Introduction: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Part II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petro, Noah E.; Keller, John W.; Gaddis, Lisa R.

2016-01-01

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission has shifted our understanding of the history of the Moon. The seven instruments on LRO each have contributed to creating new paradigms for the evolution of the Moon by providing unprecedented measurements of the surface, subsurface, and lunar environment. In this second volume of the LRO Special Issue, we present 21 papers from a broad range of the areas of investigation from LRO, from the volatile inventory, to the shape of the Moon's surface, to its rich volcanic history, and the interactions between the lunar surface and the space environment. These themes provide rich science for the instrument teams, as well as for the broader science com- munity who continue to use the LRO data in their research. Each paper uses publicly available data from one or more instruments on LRO, illustrating the value of a robust spacecraft. For example, the production of high-resolution topographic data products from the LRO Camera Narrow Angle Camera (Henriksen et al., pp. 122-137, this issue) rely on the accurate geodetic grid produced by the LOLA instrument (Mao et al., pp. 55-69, this issue; Smith et al., pp. 70-91, this issue). Additionally, analysis of LRO data coupled with other spacecraft data, such as LADEE (Hurley et al., pp. 31-37, this issue) and GRAIL (e.g., Jozwiak et al., pp. 224-231, this issue) illustrate the utility of merging not only data from multiple instruments, but also multiple orbital platforms. These synergistic studies show the value of the inter-team approach adopted by the LRO mission. This second volume represents the culmination of an extensive effort to highlight the high-quality science still being produced by the LRO instrument teams, even after more than seven years in orbit at the Moon.

Beyond Biopolitics. A Biopedagogical Perspective on Corporeal Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vlieghe, Joris

2013-01-01

In this article, I am concerned with the position and role of the human body in the realm of education--more precisely, in relation to the issues of social emancipation and equality. As a rule, educational research has not paid much attention to the body, typically dealing with corporeality in a merely instrumental way. In recent times, the body…

Instrument Drift Uncertainties and the Long-Term TOMS/SBUV Total Ozone Record

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solarski, Richard S.; Frith, Stacey

2005-01-01

Long-term climate records from satellites are often constructed from the measurements of a sequence of instruments launched at different times. Each of these instruments is calibrated prior to launch. After launch they are subjected to potential offsets and slow drifts in calibration. We illustrate these issues in the construction of a merged total ozone record from two TOMS and three SBUV instruments. This record extends from late 1978 through the present. The question is "How good are these records?". We have examined the uncertainty in determining the relative calibration of two instruments during an overlap period in their measurements. When comparing a TOMS instrument, such as that on Nimbus 7, with an SBUV instrument, also on Nimbus 7, we find systematic differences and random differences. We have combined these findings with estimates of individual instrument drift into a monte- carlo uncertainty propagation model. We estimate an instrument drift uncertainty of a little larger than 1 percent per decade over the 25-year history of the TOMS/SBUV measurements. We make an independent estimate of the drift uncertainty in the ground-based network of total ozone measurements and find it to be of similar, but slightly smaller magnitude. The implications of these uncertainties for trend and recovery determination will be discussed.

Real-time PCR machine system modeling and a systematic approach for the robust design of a real-time PCR-on-a-chip system.

PubMed

Lee, Da-Sheng

2010-01-01

Chip-based DNA quantification systems are widespread, and used in many point-of-care applications. However, instruments for such applications may not be maintained or calibrated regularly. Since machine reliability is a key issue for normal operation, this study presents a system model of the real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine to analyze the instrument design through numerical experiments. Based on model analysis, a systematic approach was developed to lower the variation of DNA quantification and achieve a robust design for a real-time PCR-on-a-chip system. Accelerated lift testing was adopted to evaluate the reliability of the chip prototype. According to the life test plan, this proposed real-time PCR-on-a-chip system was simulated to work continuously for over three years with similar reproducibility in DNA quantification. This not only shows the robustness of the lab-on-a-chip system, but also verifies the effectiveness of our systematic method for achieving a robust design.

78 FR 687 - Bond Premium Carryforward

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-04

... regulations provide guidance on the tax treatment of a taxable debt instrument with a bond premium... issue of the Federal Register, the IRS is issuing temporary regulations that provide guidance on the tax treatment of a debt instrument with a bond premium carryforward in the holder's final accrual period...

Qualitative adaptation of child behaviour problem instruments in a developing-country setting.

PubMed

Khan, B; Avan, B I

2014-07-08

A key barrier to epidemiological research on child behaviour problems in developing countries is the lack of culturally relevant, internationally recognized psychometric instruments. This paper proposes a model for the qualitative adaptation of psychometric instruments in developing-country settings and presents a case study of the adaptation of 3 internationally recognized instruments in Pakistan: the Child Behavior Checklist, the Youth Self-Report and the Teacher's Report Form. This model encompassed a systematic procedure with 6 distinct phases to minimize bias and ensure equivalence with the original instruments: selection, deliberation, alteration, feasibility, testing and formal approval. The process was conducted in collaboration with the instruments' developer. A multidisciplinary working group of experts identified equivalence issues and suggested modifications. Focus group discussions with informants highlighted comprehension issues. Subsequently modified instruments were thoroughly tested. Finally, the instruments' developer approval further validated the qualitative adaptation. The study proposes a rigorous and systematic model to effectively achieve cultural adaptation of psychometric instruments.

Barriers to Leisure-Time Physical Activities in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury.

PubMed

Hwang, Eric J; Groves, Mary D; Sanchez, Jacqueline N; Hudson, Cassandra E; Jao, Rachel G; Kroll, Meghan E

2016-07-01

This study investigated the personal, environmental, and activity barriers to leisure-time physical activities (LTPAs) among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). A survey instrument was administered to 85 participants with SCI. Personal barriers to LTPAs included issues involving motivation, pain, scheduling, and financial resources. Environmental barriers marked the issues regarding availability and accessibility to specialized programs, activities, and professional services. Activity barriers included limitations in equipment, training, and personal skills required by the selected activities. Significant negative correlations were found between these barriers and the levels of physical activity and satisfaction with physical activity. While working with clients with SCI, occupational therapists should identify those LTPA barriers and possible solutions in order to establish individualized action plans for enhancing participation in LTPAs.

Development of a Short-Form Version of the Physical Education Classroom Instrument: Measuring Secondary Pupils' Disruptive Behaviours

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krech, Paul R.; Kulinna, Pamela H.; Cothran, Donetta

2010-01-01

Background: Effective classroom management is the cornerstone of successful teaching. Behavioural issues affect the classroom climate as well as the time available for learning. Pupil misbehaviours can also contribute to teacher stress and burn out resulting in teachers leaving the profession. It is important for us to understand more about pupil…

Examining the Reliability and Validity of Clinician Ratings on the Five-Factor Model Score Sheet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Few, Lauren R.; Miller, Joshua D.; Morse, Jennifer Q.; Yaggi, Kirsten E.; Reynolds, Sarah K.; Pilkonis, Paul A.

2010-01-01

Despite substantial research use, measures of the five-factor model (FFM) are infrequently used in clinical settings due, in part, to issues related to administration time and a reluctance to use self-report instruments. The current study examines the reliability and validity of the Five-Factor Model Score Sheet (FFMSS), which is a 30-item…

A recent U.S. patent process for a musical instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baecker, James I.

2005-09-01

The ins and outs of going from a novel musical instrument concept to issuance of a U.S. patent. The technical work performed included the development of a musical instrument based on space-frame body construction and a definition of the instrument body's resonance characteristics. The result required a description of the invention and communication with the patent attorney and conveying a correct perception of the invention to the U.S. Patent Office. This presentation describes several technical, practical, legal, and commercial issues encountered during the patent process by the inventors and their business entity. On 7 September 2004, U.S. Patent No. 6,787,688 for a musical instrument was issued and assigned by the inventors to Harmos Music, Ltd.

Addendum report to atmospheric science facility pallet-only mode space transportation system payload feasibility study, volume 3, revision A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The feasibility of accomplishing selected atmospheric science mission using a pallet-only mode was studied. Certain unresolved issues were identified. The first issue was that of assuring that the on-board computer facility was adequate to process scientific data, control subsystems such as instrument pointing, provide mission operational program capability, and accomplish display and control. The second issue evolved from an investigation of the availability of existing substitute instruments that could be used instead of the prime instrumentation where the development tests and schedules are incompatible with the realistic budgets and shuttle vehicle schedules. Some effort was expended on identifying candidate substitute instruments, and the performance, cost, and development schedule trade-offs found during that effort were significant enough to warrant a follow-on investigation. This addendum documents the results of that follow-on effort, as it applies to the Atmospheric Sciences Facility.

Development of a Mass Spectrometer-based Instrument for Volcanic Gas Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McMurtry, G. M.; Hilton, D. R.; Fischer, T.; Sutton, A. J.; Elias, T.

2007-05-01

We have developed and field tested an instrument that is capable of acquiring multiple-species gas chemistry data at active volcanoes and hydrothermal systems. The current prototype consists of a quadrupole mass spectrometer, a series of pumps, valves and control/data logging electronics housed in a corrosion-resistant container. We tested the instrument at the summit of Kilauea volcano in March, 2006, collecting time-series data from a 96°C fumarole (Sulphur Banks) at 15 minute intervals for nearly 3 days. Two temperature probes were utilized, a thermocouple placed in the gas stream and a thermistor which recorded ambient air temperatures inside the instrument housing. Of these, the thermistor produced the more reliable trace, as the thermocouple pegged near 45°C shortly after reaching the fumarole gas composition. This composition was indicated by sharp drops in the instrument response for N2, O2, Ar, and water vapor, and increases in CO2 and SO2 at about 6.5 hours elapsed time. The two most obvious gas/temperature trends in this brief time-series are: (1) sharp discontinuities caused by two of the standard "Giggenbach" bottle sampling interludes (despite some care given not to vent the gas line to atmosphere); and (2) two distinct types of thermal events. The two sampling interruptions caused decreases in temperature, and caused the responses of CO2, N2, O2, Ar and water vapor and the ratio of CO2/He to rise sharply. This appears consistent with contamination by cooler ambient air enriched in CO2 relative to normal air (solfatara air). The two types of thermal events are similar in that both generally show enrichments of SO2 and He, and decreases in CO2/He, whereas the last, much hotter event displays increases in CO2, N2, O2, Ar, and water vapor, in contrast to decreases in these gases during the two former events. The last thermal event correlates with a brief dry period on 17 March, after a previous week of almost continuous rainfall. An interesting increase in the HD/H2 ratio suggests either HD-enriched H2 gas or water vapor was introduced during the last thermal event, which is consistent with a fumarole influenced by evaporated, boiling water and atmospheric gases at depth. During our tests we have discovered several problematic issues that need to be overcome if the instrument is to be deployed for extended periods of time (months to years) in harsh and remote locations of active volcanoes. One of the main obstacles is the large amount of water vapor in fumaroles and the need for keeping that water out of the mass spectrometer. We have successfully achieved this using a series of traps and a condenser that still allow the other species to enter the instrument. Related problems are loss of some of the reactive gases within the instrument and/or traps and the precipitation of elemental sulfur in the pre-mass spec inlet system. Another issue that we are currently addressing is the relatively high power consumption of the instrument and condenser.

Integrating laboratory robots with analytical instruments--must it really be so difficult?

PubMed

Kramer, G W

1990-09-01

Creating a reliable system from discrete laboratory instruments is often a task fraught with difficulties. While many modern analytical instruments are marvels of detection and data handling, attempts to create automated analytical systems incorporating such instruments are often frustrated by their human-oriented control structures and their egocentricity. The laboratory robot, while fully susceptible to these problems, extends such compatibility issues to the physical dimensions involving sample interchange, manipulation, and event timing. The workcell concept was conceived to describe the procedure and equipment necessary to carry out a single task during sample preparation. This notion can be extended to organize all operations in an automated system. Each workcell, no matter how complex its local repertoire of functions, must be minimally capable of accepting information (commands, data), returning information on demand (status, results), and being started, stopped, and reset by a higher level device. Even the system controller should have a mode where it can be directed by instructions from a higher level.

76 FR 72227 - Order Extending Temporary Conditional Exemption for Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-22

... interest: issuing or maintaining a credit rating for a security or money market instrument issued by an... the issuer, sponsor, or underwriter of the security or money market instrument. 17 CFR 240.17g-5(b)(9... represents the information provided to the hired NRSRO can be accessed by other NRSROs; Provide free and...

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

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-03-01

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

Guidelines for Successful Use and Communication of Instrument Heritage in Early Mission Development with a Focus on Spectrometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, Elizabeth E.

2012-01-01

Heritage is important for both cost and risk related issues and as such, it is heavily discussed in NASA proposal evaluations. If used and communicated efficiently, heritage can lower both the perception of risk and the associated costs. Definitions of heritage vary between engineering, cost, and scientific communities, but when applied appropriately, heritage provides a benefit to the proposed mission. By making an instrument at least once before, the cost of producing it again can be reduced. The time and effort needed to develop the instrument concept and test the product represent an expense that can be lowered through the use of a previously built and developed instrument. This same thought can be applied when using a flight spare or build-to-print model of the heritage instrument. The lowered perception of risk is a result of the confidence gained in the instrument through successful use in the target environment. This is extremely important in early mission development to the evaluation board. This analysis will use JPL-managed proposals from 2003 to 2011, including Discovery, New Frontiers, and Mars Scout missions. Through the examination of these proposals and their associated debriefs, a set of guidelines have been created for successful use and communication of instrument heritage in early mission development

Nuclear Power Plant Cyber Security Discrete Dynamic Event Tree Analysis (LDRD 17-0958) FY17 Report

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

Wheeler, Timothy A.; Denman, Matthew R.; Williams, R. A.

Instrumentation and control of nuclear power is transforming from analog to modern digital assets. These control systems perform key safety and security functions. This transformation is occurring in new plant designs as well as in the existing fleet of plants as the operation of those plants is extended to 60 years. This transformation introduces new and unknown issues involving both digital asset induced safety issues and security issues. Traditional nuclear power risk assessment tools and cyber security assessment methods have not been modified or developed to address the unique nature of cyber failure modes and of cyber security threat vulnerabilities.more » iii This Lab-Directed Research and Development project has developed a dynamic cyber-risk in- formed tool to facilitate the analysis of unique cyber failure modes and the time sequencing of cyber faults, both malicious and non-malicious, and impose those cyber exploits and cyber faults onto a nuclear power plant accident sequence simulator code to assess how cyber exploits and cyber faults could interact with a plants digital instrumentation and control (DI&C) system and defeat or circumvent a plants cyber security controls. This was achieved by coupling an existing Sandia National Laboratories nuclear accident dynamic simulator code with a cyber emulytics code to demonstrate real-time simulation of cyber exploits and their impact on automatic DI&C responses. Studying such potential time-sequenced cyber-attacks and their risks (i.e., the associated impact and the associated degree of difficulty to achieve the attack vector) on accident management establishes a technical risk informed framework for developing effective cyber security controls for nuclear power.« less

Introduction: Reengaging with instruments.

PubMed

Taub, Liba

2011-12-01

Over the past twenty years or so, historians of science have become increasingly sensitized to issues involved in studying and interpreting scientific and medical instruments. The contributors to this Focus section are historians of science who have worked closely with museum objects and collections, specifically instruments used in scientific and medical contexts. Such close engagement by historians of science is somewhat rare, provoking distinctive questions as to how we define and understand instruments, opening up issues regarding the value of broken or incomplete objects, and raising concerns about which scientific and medical artifacts are displayed and interpreted in museums and in what manner. It is hoped that these essays point historians of science in new directions for reengaging with scientific objects and collections.

Real-time PCR Machine System Modeling and a Systematic Approach for the Robust Design of a Real-time PCR-on-a-Chip System

PubMed Central

Lee, Da-Sheng

2010-01-01

Chip-based DNA quantification systems are widespread, and used in many point-of-care applications. However, instruments for such applications may not be maintained or calibrated regularly. Since machine reliability is a key issue for normal operation, this study presents a system model of the real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine to analyze the instrument design through numerical experiments. Based on model analysis, a systematic approach was developed to lower the variation of DNA quantification and achieve a robust design for a real-time PCR-on-a-chip system. Accelerated lift testing was adopted to evaluate the reliability of the chip prototype. According to the life test plan, this proposed real-time PCR-on-a-chip system was simulated to work continuously for over three years with similar reproducibility in DNA quantification. This not only shows the robustness of the lab-on-a-chip system, but also verifies the effectiveness of our systematic method for achieving a robust design. PMID:22315563

Ballistic imaging of the near field in a diesel spray

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linne, Mark; Paciaroni, Megan; Hall, Tyler; Parker, Terry

2006-06-01

We have developed an optical technique called ballistic imaging to view breakup of the near-field of an atomizing spray. In this paper, we describe the successful use of a time-gated ballistic imaging instrument to obtain single-shot images of core region breakup in a transient, single hole atomizing diesel fuel spray issuing into one atmosphere. We present a sequence of images taken at the nozzle for various times after start of injection, and a sequence taken at various positions downstream of the nozzle exit at a fixed time. These images contain signatures of periodic behavior, voids, and entrainment processes.

Psychometric evaluation of the Environmental Reality Shock-Related Issues and Concerns instrument for newly graduated nurses.

PubMed

Kim, Eun-Young; Yeo, Jung Hee; Park, Hyunjeong; Sin, Kyung Mi; Jones, Cheryl B

2018-02-01

Reality shock is a critical representation of the gap between nursing education and clinical practice and it is important to explore the level of reality shock among nurses. However, there is no relevant instrument to assess the level of reality shock in South Korea. The purpose of this is to determine the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Environmental Reality Shock-Related Issues and Concerns instrument. A cross-sectional study design was used in this study. The data collection was conducted in selected 15 hospitals in South Korea. A convenience sample of 216 newly graduated nurses participated in the study. The Korean version of the Environmental Reality Shock-Related Issues and Concerns instrument was developed through the forward-backward translation technique, and revision based on feedback from expert groups. The internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, and the construct validity was determined via exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The Korean version of the Environmental Reality Shock-Related Issues and Concerns has reliable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.91). Exploratory factor analysis revealed five factors including job, relationships, expectations, private life, and performance, which explained 61.92% of variance. The factor loadings ranged from 0.451 to 0.832. The five-factor structure was validated by confirmatory factor analysis (RMR<0.05, CFI>0.9). It was concluded that the Korean version of the Environmental Reality Shock-Related Issues and Concerns instrument has satisfactory construct validity and reliability to measure the reality shock of newly graduated nurses in South Korea. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Eighth International Workshop on Laser Ranging Instrumentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Degnan, John J. (Compiler)

1993-01-01

The Eighth International Workshop for Laser Ranging Instrumentation was held in Annapolis, Maryland in May 1992, and was sponsored by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The workshop is held once every 2 to 3 years under differing institutional sponsorship and provides a forum for participants to exchange information on the latest developments in satellite and lunar laser ranging hardware, software, science applications, and data analysis techniques. The satellite laser ranging (SLR) technique provides sub-centimeter precision range measurements to artificial satellites and the Moon. The data has application to a wide range of Earth and lunar science issues including precise orbit determination, terrestrial reference frames, geodesy, geodynamics, oceanography, time transfer, lunar dynamics, gravity and relativity.

Rotorcraft Master Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-09-01

2. Issued an Instrument Flight notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRK) proposing a method of reduction of approved instrument approach speed. A public...ventures (using 67% of the civil helicopters) with the remainder being engaged in corporate/executive and civilian Governent activities (Figure 2). There are...variety of national rotorcraft topics. The RWAF provides an effective means for open comunication and critique of national rotorcraft issues . Goals. The

75 FR 73137 - Order Extending Temporary Conditional Exemption for Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-29

...: issuing or maintaining a credit rating for a security or money market instrument issued by an asset pool... issuer, sponsor, or underwriter of the security or money market instrument. 17 CFR 240.17g-5(b)(9). \\11... information provided to the hired NRSRO can be accessed by other NRSROs; Provide free and unlimited access to...

Design, Development, and Characterization of an Inexpensive Portable Cyclic Voltammeter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mott, Jenna R.; Munson, Paul J.; Kreuter, Rodney A.; Chohan, Balwant S.; Sykes, Danny G.

2014-01-01

The teaching of instrumental analysis for many small colleges and high schools continues to be stymied by high-cost, complicated maintenance, high power requirements, and often the sheer bulk of the instrumentation. Such issues have led us to develop inexpensive instruments as part of a SMILE initiative (small, mobile instruments for laboratory…

In This Issue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1996-04-01

Advanced Instrumentation in the Educational Laboratory The instruments that chemists use in their research have changed dramatically in the past decades. The explosion in new techniques and their instrumental counterparts has been made possible by two significant advances. The rapid propagation of computer chips and circuitry provides opportunities to collect more specialized and refined data than ever before. Computer-controlled instruments can detect events that a human researcher would never perceive and can record hundreds of data points in the time that a person could only observe one or two. Coupled with these advances in technology are advances in theory that allow more sophisticated interpretation of data. A hundred years ago a sophisticated instrument was a balance that could weigh minute quantities. Today a sophisticated instrument is one that can identify the composition of that minute sample, determine its molecular weight, or reveal a great deal about its energy states and bonding. This bonanza of new instruments is wonderful for the research chemist but a curricular headache for the chemistry teacher. It takes more time to learn how to run an NMR than to use a balance, and more sophistication on the part of the student is needed to interpret the data. And yet many courses that only a generation ago sported an expensive analytical balance as its prize instrument now require students to understand and operate a whole panoply of complex tools. Teachers faced with accommodating these curricular changes will find several articles in this issue helpful--either providing information on new techniques or descriptions of how to incorporate them into the classroom. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry is one of the newest tools that has been added to the analytical arsenal. It is an extension of mass spectrometry that overcomes the old barrier that allowed only analysis of low molecular weight, volatile compounds. It is now possible to use MS for biomolecule and protein structure elucidation and it is becoming a routine biochemical tool. The explosive growth of this technique has stimulated the publishing of a three-part review in the Topics in Chemical Instrumentation feature. Part I, which covers instrumentation and spectral interpretation, is by Hofstadler, Bakhtiar, and Smith (page A82) and appears in this issue. They describe how the electrospray apparatus, which produces a fine aerosol of highly charged microdroplets, can be coupled with a mass spectrometer to analyze complex molecules. Next they show how the spectra achieved from this process can be interpreted using human hemoglobin as an example. This technique provides the ability to "weigh" large molecules in a manner unimaginable in the era of the two-pan balance and is thus a desirable addition to the curriculum. The appearance of so many new technologies in the curriculum poses a problem for many teachers. They want to teach not only the manipulations required to run the instruments but also provide an understanding of the ideas behind them. Paniagua and Moyano (page 310) tackle the problem of how to introduce the principles of pulsed NMR and answer the basic questions in ways that undergraduates will understand. They discuss these in terms of the classical model, the naive quantum model, and the density operator approach. Equally important to understanding the theory behind analytical instruments is understanding how they actually acquire and process data. Duffy and vanLoon (page 318) have designed an exercise to teach interfacing techniques in the instrumental analysis laboratory. Students use a relatively inexpensive interface unit and a PC to investigate the relationship among the signal generator, the detector, the signal modifier, and the output transducer in five real instrumental situations: temperature, light intensity, and potentiometric measurement; spectrophotometry; and redox titration. The ubiquitous use of instruments and computer acquisition of data has made these techniques desirable even at the high school level. Students who are used to surfing the Internet on their home computer are ready to collect information via PC in their school labs as well. Bindel (page 356) takes advantage of the Personal Science Laboratory, an affordable package of probes and software for PC interfacing, to provide an experiment using the eye-catching lightstick as its object. Students use two methods to determine the activation energy of the reaction that produces the luminescence and explore concepts of kinetics as well as learn about computer-interfaced experimentation. Addendum. The engaging photgraph of Linus Pauling on the cover of the January issue was taken by Joseph McNally and is copyright Joseph McNally Photography, 52 Villard Avenue, Hastings-on-Hudon, NY 10706.

Digital Sensor Technology

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

Thomas, Ken D.; Quinn, Edward L.; Mauck, Jerry L.

The nuclear industry has been slow to incorporate digital sensor technology into nuclear plant designs due to concerns with digital qualification issues. However, the benefits of digital sensor technology for nuclear plant instrumentation are substantial in terms of accuracy and reliability. This paper, which refers to a final report issued in 2013, demonstrates these benefits in direct comparisons of digital and analog sensor applications. Improved accuracy results from the superior operating characteristics of digital sensors. These include improvements in sensor accuracy and drift and other related parameters which reduce total loop uncertainty and thereby increase safety and operating margins. Anmore » example instrument loop uncertainty calculation for a pressure sensor application is presented to illustrate these improvements. This is a side-by-side comparison of the instrument loop uncertainty for both an analog and a digital sensor in the same pressure measurement application. Similarly, improved sensor reliability is illustrated with a sample calculation for determining the probability of failure on demand, an industry standard reliability measure. This looks at equivalent analog and digital temperature sensors to draw the comparison. The results confirm substantial reliability improvement with the digital sensor, due in large part to ability to continuously monitor the health of a digital sensor such that problems can be immediately identified and corrected. This greatly reduces the likelihood of a latent failure condition of the sensor at the time of a design basis event. Notwithstanding the benefits of digital sensors, there are certain qualification issues that are inherent with digital technology and these are described in the report. One major qualification impediment for digital sensor implementation is software common cause failure (SCCF).« less

An Ethical Issue Scale for Community Pharmacy Setting (EISP): Development and Validation.

PubMed

Crnjanski, Tatjana; Krajnovic, Dusanka; Tadic, Ivana; Stojkov, Svetlana; Savic, Mirko

2016-04-01

Many problems that arise when providing pharmacy services may contain some ethical components and the aims of this study were to develop and validate a scale that could assess difficulties of ethical issues, as well as the frequency of those occurrences in everyday practice of community pharmacists. Development and validation of the scale was conducted in three phases: (1) generating items for the initial survey instrument after qualitative analysis; (2) defining the design and format of the instrument; (3) validation of the instrument. The constructed Ethical Issue scale for community pharmacy setting has two parts containing the same 16 items for assessing the difficulty and frequency thereof. The results of the 171 completely filled out scales were analyzed (response rate 74.89%). The Cronbach's α value of the part of the instrument that examines difficulties of the ethical situations was 0.83 and for the part of the instrument that examined frequency of the ethical situations was 0.84. Test-retest reliability for both parts of the instrument was satisfactory with all Interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values above 0.6, (for the part that examines severity ICC = 0.809, for the part that examines frequency ICC = 0.929). The 16-item scale, as a self assessment tool, demonstrated a high degree of content, criterion, and construct validity and test-retest reliability. The results support its use as a research tool to asses difficulty and frequency of ethical issues in community pharmacy setting. The validated scale needs to be further employed on a larger sample of pharmacists.

Telescience testbed pilot program, volume 3: Experiment summaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leiner, Barry M.

1989-01-01

Space Station Freedom and its associated labs, coupled with the availability of new computing and communications technologies, have the potential for significantly enhancing scientific research. A Telescience Testbed Pilot Program (TTPP), aimed at developing the experience base to deal with issues in the design of the future information system of the Space Station era. The testbeds represented four scientific disciplines (astronomy and astrophysics, earth science, life sciences, and microgravity sciences) and studied issues in payload design, operation, and data analysis. This volume, of a 3 volume set, which all contain the results of the TTPP, presents summaries of the experiments. This experiment involves the evaluation of the current Internet for the use of file and image transfer between SIRTF instrument teams. The main issue addressed was current network response times.

An Automated Safe-to-Mate (ASTM) Tester

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Phuc; Scott, Michelle; Leung, Alan; Lin, Michael; Johnson, Thomas

2013-01-01

Safe-to-mate testing is a common hardware safety practice where impedance measurements are made on unpowered hardware to verify isolation, continuity, or impedance between pins of an interface connector. A computer-based instrumentation solution has been developed to resolve issues. The ASTM is connected to the circuit under test, and can then quickly, safely, and reliably safe-to-mate the entire connector, or even multiple connectors, at the same time.

Analysis models for the estimation of oceanic fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carter, E. F.; Robinson, A. R.

1987-01-01

A general model for statistically optimal estimates is presented for dealing with scalar, vector and multivariate datasets. The method deals with anisotropic fields and treats space and time dependence equivalently. Problems addressed include the analysis, or the production of synoptic time series of regularly gridded fields from irregular and gappy datasets, and the estimate of fields by compositing observations from several different instruments and sampling schemes. Technical issues are discussed, including the convergence of statistical estimates, the choice of representation of the correlations, the influential domain of an observation, and the efficiency of numerical computations.

Berkeley Lab - Materials Sciences Division

Science.gov Websites

Synthesis Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Scattering and Instrumentation Science Centers Center for Issue 3, March Issue 2, February Issue 1, January A U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory

NetQuakes - A new approach to urban strong-motion seismology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luetgert, J. H.; Evans, J. R.; Hamilton, J.; Hutt, C. R.; Jensen, E. G.; Oppenheimer, D. H.

2009-12-01

There is a recognized need for more densely sampled strong ground motion recordings in urban areas to provide more accurate ShakeMaps for post-earthquake disaster assessment and to provide data for structural engineers to improve design standards. Ideally, the San Francisco Bay area would have a strong ground motion recorder every 1-2 km to adequately sample the region’s varied geology and built environment. This would require the addition of thousands of instruments to the existing network. There are several fiscal and logistical constraints that prevent us from doing this with traditional strong motion instrumentation and telemetry. In addition to the initial expense of instruments and their installation, there are the continuing costs of telemetry and maintenance. To address these issues, the USGS implemented the NetQuakes project to deploy small, relatively inexpensive seismographs for installation in 1-2 story homes and businesses that utilize the host’s existing Internet connection. The recorder has 18 bit resolution with ±3g internal tri-axial MEMS accelerometers. Data is continuously recorded at 200 sps into a 1-2 week ringbuffer. When triggered, a miniSEED file is sent to USGS servers via the Internet. Data can also be recovered from the ringbuffer by a remote request through the servers. Following a power failure, the instrument can run for 36 hours using its internal battery. All client-server interactions are initiated by the instrument, so it safely resides behind a host’s firewall. Instrument and battery replacement can be performed by hosts to reduce maintenance costs. A connection to the host’s LAN, and thence to the public Internet, can be made using WiFi to minimize cabling. Although timing via a cable to an external GPS antenna is possible, it is simpler to use the Network Time Protocol (NTP) to synchronize the internal clock. NTP achieves timing accuracy generally better than a sample interval. Since February, 2009, we have installed more than 60 NetQuakes instruments in the San Francisco Bay Area and have successfully integrated their data into the near real time data stream of the Northern California Seismic System.

Energy taxation: an analysis of selected taxes

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

Not Available

1980-01-01

Taxation is a key instrument by which governments affect economic decision making and outcomes. Not surprisingly, energy taxation has received considerable attention in recent years with the mounting concern over national energy policy. As with other policy instruments, the taxation of energy production and use spans a wide array of topics. It also cuts across other instruments because it affects the entire spectrum of economic variables - prices, outputs, investments, uses, and so on. As a result, the subject of energy taxation constitutes a highly complex set of issues for public policy. This report examines the principal components of thatmore » set of issues. In the process, it points out the most-important interrelations among the various taxes and between taxation and other policy instruments.« less

Teen drivers' awareness of vehicle instrumentation in naturalistic research.

PubMed

Ehsani, J P; Haynie, D; Ouimet, M C; Zhu, C; Guillaume, C; Klauer, S G; Dingus, T; Simons-Morton, B G

2017-12-01

Naturalistic driving methods require the installation of instruments and cameras in vehicles to record driving behavior. A critical, yet unexamined issue in naturalistic driving research is the extent to which the vehicle instruments and cameras used for naturalistic methods change human behavior. We sought to describe the degree to which teenage participants' self-reported awareness of vehicle instrumentation changes over time, and whether that awareness was associated with driving behaviors. Forty-two newly-licensed teenage drivers participated in an 18-month naturalistic driving study. Data on driving behaviors including crash/near-crashes and elevated gravitational force (g-force) events rates were collected over the study period. At the end of the study, participants were asked to rate the extent to which they were aware of instruments in the vehicle at four time points. They were also asked to describe their own and their passengers' perceptions of the instrumentation in the vehicle during an in-depth interview. The number of critical event button presses was used as a secondary measure of camera awareness. The association between self-reported awareness of the instrumentation and objectively measured driving behaviors was tested using correlations and linear mixed models. Most participants' reported that their awareness of vehicle instrumentation declined across the duration of the 18-month study. Their awareness increased in response to their passengers' concerns about the cameras or if they were involved in a crash. The number of the critical event button presses was initially high and declined rapidly. There was no correlation between driver's awareness of instrumentation and their crash and near-crash rate or elevated g-force events rate. Awareness was not associated with crash and near-crash rates or elevated g-force event rates, consistent with having no effect on this measure of driving performance. Naturalistic driving studies are likely to yield valid measurements of driving behavior. Copyright © 2017 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teaching Students to Be Instrumental in Analysis: Peer-Led Team Learning in the Instrumental Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Jacob L.; Miller, Martin E.; Avitabile, Brianna C.; Burrow, Dillon L.; Schmittou, Allison N.; Mann, Meagan K.; Hiatt, Leslie A.

2017-01-01

Many instrumental analysis students develop limited skills as the course rushes through different instruments to ensure familiarity with as many methodologies as possible. This broad coverage comes at the expense of superficiality of learning and a lack of student confidence and engagement. To mitigate these issues, a peer-led team learning model…

An Exploratory Study of a Measure of Vocational Identity for Spanish-Speaking Persons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tosado, Luis Antonio, II

2012-01-01

Two overlapping issues have given rise to this study: the need for assessment instruments to use with Spanish-speaking Latinos and the need for normative data on current and future Spanish-language instruments. Numerous career assessment instruments exist for the English-speaking population. These instruments may be administered on computer-based…

NASA Aerosciences Perspective on Proposed De-Scope of Ares I-X Development Flight Instrumentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schuster, David M.

2009-01-01

This position paper is written as a result of a number of emails and a presentation that have recently been circulated concerning the potential reduction of Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI) to be included on the Ares I-X flight test vehicle. A reduction in instrumentation has been proposed presumably to reduce project costs and relieve project schedule pressures. This proposal has generated a significant amount of discussion on both sides of the issue, primarily from those within the project. The intention here is to provide a perspective on this issue from outside the mainline project.

Use of GIS Mapping as a Public Health Tool—From Cholera to Cancer

PubMed Central

Musa, George J.; Chiang, Po-Huang; Sylk, Tyler; Bavley, Rachel; Keating, William; Lakew, Bereketab; Tsou, Hui-Chen; Hoven, Christina W.

2013-01-01

The field of medical geographic information systems (Medical GIS) has become extremely useful in understanding the bigger picture of public health. The discipline holds a substantial capacity to understand not only differences, but also similarities in population health all over the world. The main goal of marrying the disciplines of medical geography, public health and informatics is to understand how countless health issues impact populations, and the trends by which these populations are affected. From the 1990s to today, this practical approach has become a valued and progressive system in analyzing medical and epidemiological phenomena ranging from cholera to cancer. The instruments supporting this field include geographic information systems (GIS), disease surveillance, big data, and analytical approaches like the Geographical Analysis Machine (GAM), Dynamic Continuous Area Space Time Analysis (DYCAST), cellular automata, agent-based modeling, spatial statistics and self-organizing maps. The positive effects on disease mapping have proven to be tremendous as these instruments continue to have a great impact on the mission to improve worldwide health care. While traditional uses of GIS in public health are static and lacking real-time components, implementing a space-time animation in these instruments will be monumental as technology and data continue to grow. PMID:25114567

Use of GIS Mapping as a Public Health Tool-From Cholera to Cancer.

PubMed

Musa, George J; Chiang, Po-Huang; Sylk, Tyler; Bavley, Rachel; Keating, William; Lakew, Bereketab; Tsou, Hui-Chen; Hoven, Christina W

2013-01-01

The field of medical geographic information systems (Medical GIS) has become extremely useful in understanding the bigger picture of public health. The discipline holds a substantial capacity to understand not only differences, but also similarities in population health all over the world. The main goal of marrying the disciplines of medical geography, public health and informatics is to understand how countless health issues impact populations, and the trends by which these populations are affected. From the 1990s to today, this practical approach has become a valued and progressive system in analyzing medical and epidemiological phenomena ranging from cholera to cancer. The instruments supporting this field include geographic information systems (GIS), disease surveillance, big data, and analytical approaches like the Geographical Analysis Machine (GAM), Dynamic Continuous Area Space Time Analysis (DYCAST), cellular automata, agent-based modeling, spatial statistics and self-organizing maps. The positive effects on disease mapping have proven to be tremendous as these instruments continue to have a great impact on the mission to improve worldwide health care. While traditional uses of GIS in public health are static and lacking real-time components, implementing a space-time animation in these instruments will be monumental as technology and data continue to grow.

78 FR 10002 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Regulation Project

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-12

...: FI-59-91. Abstract: This regulation relates to the tax treatment of debt instruments that provide for... debt instruments with original issue discount; contingent payments; anti-abuse rule. DATES: Written... Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20224. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Debt Instruments With Original...

Does your SEM really tell the truth? How would you know? Part 2.

PubMed

Postek, Michael T; Vladár, András E; Purushotham, Kavuri P

2014-01-01

The scanning electron microscope (SEM) has gone through a tremendous evolution to become indispensable for many and diverse scientific and industrial applications. The improvements have significantly enriched and augmented the overall SEM performance and have made the instrument far easier to operate. But, the ease of operation also might lead, through operator complacency, to poor results. In addition, the user friendliness has seemingly reduced the need for thorough operator training for using these complex instruments. One might then conclude that the SEM is just a very expensive digital camera or another peripheral device for a computer. Hence, a person using the instrument may be lulled into thinking that all of the potential pitfalls have been eliminated and they believe everything they see on the micrograph is always correct. But, this may not be the case. An earlier paper (Part 1), discussed some of the potential issues related to signal generation in the SEM, instrument calibration, electron beam interactions and the need for physics-based modeling to understand the actual image formation mechanisms. All these were summed together in a discussion of how these issues effect measurements made with the instrument. This second paper discusses another major issue confronting the microscopist: electron-beam-induced specimen contamination. Over the years, NIST has done a great deal of research into the issue of sample contamination and its removal and elimination and some of this work is reviewed and discussed here. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Use of a life-size three-dimensional-printed spine model for pedicle screw instrumentation training.

PubMed

Park, Hyun Jin; Wang, Chenyu; Choi, Kyung Ho; Kim, Hyong Nyun

2018-04-16

Training beginners of the pedicle screw instrumentation technique in the operating room is limited because of issues related to patient safety and surgical efficiency. Three-dimensional (3D) printing enables training or simulation surgery on a real-size replica of deformed spine, which is difficult to perform in the usual cadaver or surrogate plastic models. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the educational effect of using a real-size 3D-printed spine model for training beginners of the free-hand pedicle screw instrumentation technique. We asked whether the use of a 3D spine model can improve (1) screw instrumentation accuracy and (2) length of procedure. Twenty life-size 3D-printed lumbar spine models were made from 10 volunteers (two models for each volunteer). Two novice surgeons who had no experience of free-hand pedicle screw instrumentation technique were instructed by an experienced surgeon, and each surgeon inserted 10 pedicle screws for each lumbar spine model. Computed tomography scans of the spine models were obtained to evaluate screw instrumentation accuracy. The length of time in completing the procedure was recorded. The results of the latter 10 spine models were compared with those of the former 10 models to evaluate learning effect. A total of 37/200 screws (18.5%) perforated the pedicle cortex with a mean of 1.7 mm (range, 1.2-3.3 mm). However, the latter half of the models had significantly less violation than the former half (10/100 vs. 27/100, p < 0.001). The mean length of time to complete 10 pedicle screw instrumentations in a spine model was 42.8 ± 5.3 min for the former 10 spine models and 35.6 ± 2.9 min for the latter 10 spine models. The latter 10 spine models had significantly less time than the former 10 models (p < 0.001). A life-size 3D-printed spine model can be an excellent tool for training beginners of the free-hand pedicle screw instrumentation.

Demonstrating a Realistic IP Mission Prototype

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rash, James; Ferrer, Arturo B.; Goodman, Nancy; Ghazi-Tehrani, Samira; Polk, Joe; Johnson, Lorin; Menke, Greg; Miller, Bill; Criscuolo, Ed; Hogie, Keith

2003-01-01

Flight software and hardware and realistic space communications environments were elements of recent demonstrations of the Internet Protocol (IP) mission concept in the lab. The Operating Missions as Nodes on the Internet (OMNI) Project and the Flight Software Branch at NASA/GSFC collaborated to build the prototype of a representative space mission that employed unmodified off-the-shelf Internet protocols and technologies for end-to-end communications between the spacecraft/instruments and the ground system/users. The realistic elements used in the prototype included an RF communications link simulator and components of the TRIANA mission flight software and ground support system. A web-enabled camera connected to the spacecraft computer via an Ethernet LAN represented an on-board instrument creating image data. In addition to the protocols at the link layer (HDLC), transport layer (UDP, TCP), and network (IP) layer, a reliable file delivery protocol (MDP) at the application layer enabled reliable data delivery both to and from the spacecraft. The standard Network Time Protocol (NTP) performed on-board clock synchronization with a ground time standard. The demonstrations of the prototype mission illustrated some of the advantages of using Internet standards and technologies for space missions, but also helped identify issues that must be addressed. These issues include applicability to embedded real-time systems on flight-qualified hardware, range of applicability of TCP, and liability for and maintenance of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products. The NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) funded the collaboration to build and demonstrate the prototype IP mission.

Spacecraft applications of advanced global positioning system technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huth, Gaylord; Dodds, James; Udalov, Sergei; Austin, Richard; Loomis, Peter; Duboraw, I. Newton, III

1988-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate potential uses of Global Positioning System (GPS) in spacecraft applications in the following areas: attitude control and tracking; structural control; traffic control; and time base definition (synchronization). Each of these functions are addressed. Also addressed are the hardware related issues concerning the application of GPS technology and comparisons are provided with alternative instrumentation methods for specific functions required for an advanced low earth orbit spacecraft.

Reliability of instruments in a cooperative, multisite study: employment intervention demonstration program.

PubMed

Salyers, M P; McHugo, G J; Cook, J A; Razzano, L A; Drake, R E; Mueser, K T

2001-09-01

Reliability of well-known instruments was examined in 202 people with severe mental illness participating in a multisite vocational study. We examined interrater reliability of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the PANSS, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36), and the Quality of Life Interview. Most scales had good levels of reliability, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and coefficient alphas above .70. However, the SF-36 scales were generally less stable over time, particularly Social Functioning (ICC = .55). Test-retest reliability was lower among less educated respondents and among ethnic minorities. We recommend close monitoring of psychometric issues in future multisite studies.

ATIC Flight Data Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahn, H. S.; Whitaker, Ann F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The first flight of the Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC) experiment from McMurdo, Antarctica lasted for 16 days, starting in December, 2000. The ATIC instrument consists of a fully active 320-crystal, 960-channel Bismuth Germanate (BGO) calorimeter, 202 scintillator strips in 3 hodoscopes interleaved with a graphite target, and a 4480-pixel silicon matrix charge detector. We have developed an Object Oriented data processing package based on ROOT. In this paper, we will describe the data processing scheme used in handling the accumulated 45 GB of flight data. We will also discuss trigger issues by comparing the measured energy-dependent trigger efficiency with its simulation and calibration issues by considering the time-dependence of housekeeping information, etc.

The seismic project of the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oppenheimer, D.H.; Bittenbinder, A.N.; Bogaert, B.M.; Buland, R.P.; Dietz, L.D.; Hansen, R.A.; Malone, S.D.; McCreery, C.S.; Sokolowski, T.J.; Whitmore, P.M.; Weaver, C.S.

2005-01-01

In 1997, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the five western States of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington joined in a partnership called the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) to enhance the quality and quantity of seismic data provided to the NOAA tsunami warning centers in Alaska and Hawaii. The NTHMP funded a seismic project that now provides the warning centers with real-time seismic data over dedicated communication links and the Internet from regional seismic networks monitoring earthquakes in the five western states, the U.S. National Seismic Network in Colorado, and from domestic and global seismic stations operated by other agencies. The goal of the project is to reduce the time needed to issue a tsunami warning by providing the warning centers with high-dynamic range, broadband waveforms in near real time. An additional goal is to reduce the likelihood of issuing false tsunami warnings by rapidly providing to the warning centers parametric information on earthquakes that could indicate their tsunamigenic potential, such as hypocenters, magnitudes, moment tensors, and shake distribution maps. New or upgraded field instrumentation was installed over a 5-year period at 53 seismic stations in the five western states. Data from these instruments has been integrated into the seismic network utilizing Earthworm software. This network has significantly reduced the time needed to respond to teleseismic and regional earthquakes. Notably, the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center responded to the 28 February 2001 Mw 6.8 Nisqually earthquake beneath Olympia, Washington within 2 minutes compared to an average response time of over 10 minutes for the previous 18 years. ?? Springer 2005.

Instruments and Scoring Guide of the Experiential Education Evaluation Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conrad, Dan; Hedin, Diane

As a result of the Experiential Education Evaluation Project the publication identifies instruments used to measure and assess experiential learning programs. The following information is given for each instrument: rationale for its inclusion in the study; precise issues or outcomes designed to measure, validity and reliability data; and…

Reflections on John Monaghan's "Computer Algebra, Instrumentation, and the Anthropological Approach"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blume, Glen

2007-01-01

Reactions to John Monaghan's "Computer Algebra, Instrumentation and the Anthropological Approach" focus on a variety of issues related to the ergonomic approach (instrumentation) and anthropological approach to mathematical activity and practice. These include uses of the term technique; several possibilities for integration of the two approaches;…

Guidelines, Criteria, and Rules of Thumb for Evaluating Normed and Standardized Assessment Instruments in Psychology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cicchetti, Domenic V.

1994-01-01

In the context of developing assessment instruments in psychology, issues of standardization, norming procedures, and test reliability and validity are discussed. Criteria, guidelines, and rules of thumb are provided to help the clinician with instrument selection for a given psychological assessment. (SLD)

Promoting health: media advocacy opportunities in English- and Spanish-language masthead editorials.

PubMed

Lingas, Elena O

2013-01-01

This study examines two newspapers' editorial coverage of issues related to the Healthy People 2010 focus areas and compares the two newspapers. A qualitative study. Two Los Angeles, California, newspapers. The masthead editorials of the Los Angeles Times and La Opinión in the year following the release of Healthy People 2010. A structured data abstraction instrument was used for descriptive coding. Correspondence to 1 of the 28 Healthy People 2010 focus areas determined whether domestic editorials were about health. An ethnographic content analysis. There were 1075 editorials from the Los Angeles Times and 361 from La Opinión; 17% were focused on domestic health issues. Three Healthy People 2010 focus areas dominated: Environmental Health, Injury and Violence Prevention, and Access to Quality Health Services. Ten focus areas did not receive a single mention in the Los Angeles Times, and 19 focus areas lacked editorials in La Opinión. Editorial writers regularly tackled issues related to a Healthy People 2010 focus area. Public health practitioners can meet with their local newspaper editorial board and discuss the nation's health objectives as manifested by Healthy People 2020 and the National Prevention Strategy, thereby promoting policies that support individual and population health.

Science with ESO's Multi-conjugate Adaptive-optics Demonstrator - MAD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melnick, Jorge; Marchetti, Enrico; Amico, Paola

2012-07-01

ESO's Multi-conjugate Adaptive-optics Demonstrator (MAD) was a prototype designed and built to demonstrate wide-field adaptive optics science on large telescopes. The outstanding results obtained during commissioning and guaranteed time observations (GTO) prompted ESO to issue and open call to the community for 23 science demonstration (SD) observing nights distributed in three runs (in order to provide access to the summer an winter skies). Thus, in total MAD was used for science for 33 nights including the 10 nights of GTO time. date, 19 articles in refereed journals (including one in Nature) have been published based fully or partially o MAD data. To the best of our knowledge, these are not only the first, but also the only scientific publication from MCAO instruments world-wide to date (at least in Astronomy). The scientific impact of these publication, as measured by the h-index, is comparable to that of other AO instruments on the VLT, although over the years these instruments have been allocated many more nights than MAD. In this contribution we present an overview of the scientific results from MAD and a more detailed discussion of the most cited papers.

Close-range photogrammetry in underground mining ground control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benton, Donovan J.; Chambers, Amy J.; Raffaldi, Michael J.; Finley, Seth A.; Powers, Mark J.

2016-09-01

Monitoring underground mine deformation and support conditions has traditionally involved visual inspection and geotechnical instrumentation. Monitoring displacements with conventional instrumentation can be expensive and time-consuming, and the number of locations that can be effectively monitored is generally limited. Moreover, conventional methods typically produce vector rather than tensor descriptions of geometry changes. Tensor descriptions can provide greater insight into hazardous ground movements, particularly in recently excavated openings and in older workings that have been negatively impacted by high stress concentrations, time-dependent deformation, or corrosion of ground support elements. To address these issues, researchers with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Spokane Mining Research Division are developing and evaluating photogrammetric systems for ground control monitoring applications in underground mines. This research has demonstrated that photogrammetric systems can produce millimeter-level measurements that are comparable to conventional displacement-measuring instruments. This paper provides an overview of the beneficial use of close-range photogrammetry for the following three ground control applications in underground mines: monitoring the deformation of surface support, monitoring rock mass movement, and monitoring the corrosion of surface support. Preliminary field analyses, case studies, limitations, and best practices for these applications are also discussed.

Use of existing patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments and their modification: the ISPOR Good Research Practices for Evaluating and Documenting Content Validity for the Use of Existing Instruments and Their Modification PRO Task Force Report.

PubMed

Rothman, Margaret; Burke, Laurie; Erickson, Pennifer; Leidy, Nancy Kline; Patrick, Donald L; Petrie, Charles D

2009-01-01

Patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments are used to evaluate the effect of medical products on how patients feel or function. This article presents the results of an ISPOR task force convened to address good clinical research practices for the use of existing or modified PRO instruments to support medical product labeling claims. The focus of the article is on content validity, with specific reference to existing or modified PRO instruments, because of the importance of content validity in selecting or modifying an existing PRO instrument and the lack of consensus in the research community regarding best practices for establishing and documenting this measurement property. Topics addressed in the article include: definition and general description of content validity; PRO concept identification as the important first step in establishing content validity; instrument identification and the initial review process; key issues in qualitative methodology; and potential threats to content validity, with three case examples used to illustrate types of threats and how they might be resolved. A table of steps used to identify and evaluate an existing PRO instrument is provided, and figures are used to illustrate the meaning of content validity in relationship to instrument development and evaluation. RESULTS & RECOMMENDATIONS: Four important threats to content validity are identified: unclear conceptual match between the PRO instrument and the intended claim, lack of direct patient input into PRO item content from the target population in which the claim is desired, no evidence that the most relevant and important item content is contained in the instrument, and lack of documentation to support modifications to the PRO instrument. In some cases, careful review of the threats to content validity in a specific application may be reduced through additional well documented qualitative studies that specifically address the issue of concern. Published evidence of the content validity of a PRO instrument for an intended application is often limited. Such evidence is, however, important to evaluating the adequacy of a PRO instrument for the intended application. This article provides an overview of key issues involved in assessing and documenting content validity as it relates to using existing instruments in the drug approval process.

Entanglements of instruments and media in investigating organic life.

PubMed

Steigerwald, Joan

2016-06-01

The question what constitutes organic life might be answered variously. This special issue explores how the rendering of life throughout the history of biology has been shaped by various instruments and media. While acknowledging the significance of the theoretical and social scenes of inquiry in which specific tools and techniques develop, and which delimit epistemic possibilities for making sense of life, the issue draws attention to material practices and instrumental mediations in experimental studies of life. Although it might seem self-evident that biology takes as its object of inquiry living organisms, it is productive to regard its subject matter as organic media rather than discrete organisms. The papers gathered in this issue show the rich potential for the critical study of how organic life has been constituted through the tools used to mediate its study. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Precise Chemical Analyses of Planetary Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kring, David; Schweitzer, Jeffrey; Meyer, Charles; Trombka, Jacob; Freund, Friedemann; Economou, Thanasis; Yen, Albert; Kim, Soon Sam; Treiman, Allan H.; Blake, David;

Development of an instrument to measure self-efficacy in caregivers of people with advanced cancer.

PubMed

Ugalde, Anna; Krishnasamy, Meinir; Schofield, Penelope

2013-06-01

Informal caregivers of people with advanced cancer experience many negative impacts as a result of their role. There is a lack of suitable measures specifically designed to assess their experience. This study aimed to develop a new measure to assess self-efficacy in caregivers of people with advanced cancer. The development and testing of the new measure consisted of four separate, sequential phases: generation of issues, development of issues into items, pilot testing and field testing. In the generation of issues, 17 caregivers were interviewed to generate data. These data were analysed to generate codes, which were then systematically developed into items to construct the instrument. The instrument was pilot tested with 14 health professionals and five caregivers. It was then administered to a large sample for field testing to establish the psychometric properties, with established measures including the Brief Cope and the Family Appraisals for Caregiving Questionnaire for Palliative Care. Ninety-four caregivers completed the questionnaire booklet to establish the factor structure, reliability and validity. The factor analysis resulted in a 21-item, four-factor instrument, with the subscales being termed Resilience, Self-Maintenance, Emotional Connectivity and Instrumental Caregiving. The test-retest reliability and internal consistency were both excellent, ranging from 0.73 to 0.85 and 0.81 to 0.94, respectively. Six convergent and divergent hypotheses were made, and five were supported. This study has developed a new instrument to assess self-efficacy in caregivers of people with advanced cancer. The result is a four-factor, 21-item instrument with demonstrated reliability and validity. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development and validation of a survey instrument for assessing prescribers' perception of computerized drug-drug interaction alerts.

PubMed

Zheng, Kai; Fear, Kathleen; Chaffee, Bruce W; Zimmerman, Christopher R; Karls, Edward M; Gatwood, Justin D; Stevenson, James G; Pearlman, Mark D

2011-12-01

To develop a theoretically informed and empirically validated survey instrument for assessing prescribers' perception of computerized drug-drug interaction (DDI) alerts. The survey is grounded in the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and an adapted accident causation model. Development of the instrument was also informed by a review of the extant literature on prescribers' attitude toward computerized medication safety alerts and common prescriber-provided reasons for overriding. To refine and validate the survey, we conducted a two-stage empirical validation study consisting of a pretest with a panel of domain experts followed by a field test among all eligible prescribers at our institution. The resulting survey instrument contains 28 questionnaire items assessing six theoretical dimensions: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, perceived fatigue, and perceived use behavior. Satisfactory results were obtained from the field validation; however, a few potential issues were also identified. We analyzed these issues accordingly and the results led to the final survey instrument as well as usage recommendations. High override rates of computerized medication safety alerts have been a prevalent problem. They are usually caused by, or manifested in, issues of poor end user acceptance. However, standardized research tools for assessing and understanding end users' perception are currently lacking, which inhibits knowledge accumulation and consequently forgoes improvement opportunities. The survey instrument presented in this paper may help fill this methodological gap. We developed and empirically validated a survey instrument that may be useful for future research on DDI alerts and other types of computerized medication safety alerts more generally.

Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research: Reflections on the Research Approach Used to Understand the Complexity of Maternal Health Issues in South Sudan

PubMed Central

Elmusharaf, Khalifa; Byrne, Elaine; Manandhar, Mary; Hemmings, Joanne; O’Donovan, Diarmuid

2016-01-01

Many methodological approaches have been used to understand cultural dimensions to maternal health issues. Although a well-designed quantitative survey with a representative sample can provide essential information on trends in behavior, it does not necessarily establish a contextualized understanding of the complexity in which different behaviors occur. This article addresses how contextualized data can be collected in a short time and under conditions in which participants in conflict-affected zones might not have established, or time to establish, trust with the researchers. The solution, the Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research (PEER) approach, is illustrated through a study whereby South Sudanese marginalized women were trained to design research instruments, and collect and analyze qualitative data. PEER overcomes the problem that many ethnographic or participatory approaches face—the extensive time and resources required to develop trusting relationships with the community to understand the local context and the social networks they form. PMID:27811290

Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research: Reflections on the Research Approach Used to Understand the Complexity of Maternal Health Issues in South Sudan.

PubMed

Elmusharaf, Khalifa; Byrne, Elaine; Manandhar, Mary; Hemmings, Joanne; O'Donovan, Diarmuid

2017-07-01

Many methodological approaches have been used to understand cultural dimensions to maternal health issues. Although a well-designed quantitative survey with a representative sample can provide essential information on trends in behavior, it does not necessarily establish a contextualized understanding of the complexity in which different behaviors occur. This article addresses how contextualized data can be collected in a short time and under conditions in which participants in conflict-affected zones might not have established, or time to establish, trust with the researchers. The solution, the Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research (PEER) approach, is illustrated through a study whereby South Sudanese marginalized women were trained to design research instruments, and collect and analyze qualitative data. PEER overcomes the problem that many ethnographic or participatory approaches face-the extensive time and resources required to develop trusting relationships with the community to understand the local context and the social networks they form.

Data Quality Assurance and Control for AmeriFlux Network at CDIAC, ORNL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shem, W.; Boden, T.; Krassovski, M.; Yang, B.

2014-12-01

The Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) serves as the long-term data repository for the AmeriFlux network. Datasets currently available include hourly or half-hourly meteorological and flux observations, biological measurement records, and synthesis data products. Currently there is a lack of standardized nomenclature and specifically designed procedures for data quality assurance/control in processing and handling micrometeorological and ecological data at individual flux sites. CDIAC's has bridged this gap by providing efficient and accurate procedures for data quality control and standardization of the results for easier assimilation by the models used in climate science. In this presentation we highlight the procedures we have put in place to scrutinize continuous flux and meteorological data within Ameriflux network. We itemize some basic data quality issues that we have observed over the past years and include some examples of typical data quality issues. Such issues, e.g., incorrect time-stamping, poor calibration or maintenance of instruments, missing or incomplete metadata and others that are commonly over-looked by PI's, invariably impact the time-series observations.

Development of an Instrument to Measure Undergraduates' Nanotechnology Awareness, Exposure, Motivation, and Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyehouse, Melissa A.; Diefes-Dux, Heidi A.; Bennett, Deborah E.; Imbrie, P. K.

2008-01-01

There are many educational interventions being implemented to address workforce issues in the field of nanotechnology. However, there is no instrument to assess the impact of these interventions on student awareness of, exposure to, and motivation for nanotechnology. To address this need, the "Nanotechnology Awareness Instrument" was…

26 CFR 1.163-7 - Deduction for OID on certain debt instruments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... difference as an adjustment to the issuer's interest expense for the original and additional debt instruments... over the term of the instrument using constant yield principles. (2) Positive adjustment. If the difference is positive (that is, the holder pays more than the adjusted issue price of the original debt...

17 CFR 240.17g-5 - Conflicts of interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... section relating to issuing or maintaining a credit rating for a security or money market instrument... site a list of each such security or money market instrument for which it is currently in the process... or money market instrument, the name of the issuer, the date the rating process was initiated, and...

17 CFR 240.17g-5 - Conflicts of interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... section relating to issuing or maintaining a credit rating for a security or money market instrument... site a list of each such security or money market instrument for which it is currently in the process... or money market instrument, the name of the issuer, the date the rating process was initiated, and...

17 CFR 240.17g-5 - Conflicts of interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... section relating to issuing or maintaining a credit rating for a security or money market instrument... site a list of each such security or money market instrument for which it is currently in the process... or money market instrument, the name of the issuer, the date the rating process was initiated, and...

17 CFR 240.17g-5 - Conflicts of interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... section relating to issuing or maintaining a credit rating for a security or money market instrument... site a list of each such security or money market instrument for which it is currently in the process... or money market instrument, the name of the issuer, the date the rating process was initiated, and...

17 CFR 240.17g-5 - Conflicts of interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... section relating to issuing or maintaining a credit rating for a security or money market instrument... site a list of each such security or money market instrument for which it is currently in the process... or money market instrument, the name of the issuer, the date the rating process was initiated, and...

MathWorks Simulink and C++ integration with the new VLT PLC-based standard development platform for instrument control systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiekebusch, Mario J.; Di Lieto, Nicola; Sandrock, Stefan; Popovic, Dan; Chiozzi, Gianluca

2014-07-01

ESO is in the process of implementing a new development platform, based on PLCs, for upcoming VLT control systems (new instruments and refurbishing of existing systems to manage obsolescence issues). In this context, we have evaluated the integration and reuse of existing C++ libraries and Simulink models into the real-time environment of BECKHOFF Embedded PCs using the capabilities of the latest version of TwinCAT software and MathWorks Embedded Coder. While doing so the aim was to minimize the impact of the new platform by adopting fully tested solutions implemented in C++. This allows us to reuse the in house expertise, as well as extending the normal capabilities of the traditional PLC programming environments. We present the progress of this work and its application in two concrete cases: 1) field rotation compensation for instrument tracking devices like derotators, 2) the ESO standard axis controller (ESTAC), a generic model-based controller implemented in Simulink and used for the control of telescope main axes.

Evaluation of new laser spectrometer techniques for in-situ carbon monoxide measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zellweger, C.; Steinbacher, M.; Buchmann, B.

2012-10-01

Long-term time series of the atmospheric composition are essential for environmental research and thus require compatible, multi-decadal monitoring activities. The current data quality objectives of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for carbon monoxide (CO) in the atmosphere are very challenging to meet with the measurement techniques that have been used until recently. During the past few years, new spectroscopic techniques came to market with promising properties for trace gas analytics. The current study compares three instruments that have recently become commercially available (since 2011) with the best currently available technique (Vacuum UV Fluorescence) and provides a link to previous comparison studies. The instruments were investigated for their performance regarding repeatability, reproducibility, drift, temperature dependence, water vapour interference and linearity. Finally, all instruments were examined during a short measurement campaign to assess their applicability for long-term field measurements. It could be shown that the new techniques perform considerably better compared to previous techniques, although some issues, such as temperature influence and cross sensitivities, need further attention.

Normative Databases for Imaging Instrumentation.

PubMed

Realini, Tony; Zangwill, Linda M; Flanagan, John G; Garway-Heath, David; Patella, Vincent M; Johnson, Chris A; Artes, Paul H; Gaddie, Ian B; Fingeret, Murray

2015-08-01

To describe the process by which imaging devices undergo reference database development and regulatory clearance. The limitations and potential improvements of reference (normative) data sets for ophthalmic imaging devices will be discussed. A symposium was held in July 2013 in which a series of speakers discussed issues related to the development of reference databases for imaging devices. Automated imaging has become widely accepted and used in glaucoma management. The ability of such instruments to discriminate healthy from glaucomatous optic nerves, and to detect glaucomatous progression over time is limited by the quality of reference databases associated with the available commercial devices. In the absence of standardized rules governing the development of reference databases, each manufacturer's database differs in size, eligibility criteria, and ethnic make-up, among other key features. The process for development of imaging reference databases may be improved by standardizing eligibility requirements and data collection protocols. Such standardization may also improve the degree to which results may be compared between commercial instruments.

Normative Databases for Imaging Instrumentation

PubMed Central

Realini, Tony; Zangwill, Linda; Flanagan, John; Garway-Heath, David; Patella, Vincent Michael; Johnson, Chris; Artes, Paul; Ben Gaddie, I.; Fingeret, Murray

2015-01-01

Purpose To describe the process by which imaging devices undergo reference database development and regulatory clearance. The limitations and potential improvements of reference (normative) data sets for ophthalmic imaging devices will be discussed. Methods A symposium was held in July 2013 in which a series of speakers discussed issues related to the development of reference databases for imaging devices. Results Automated imaging has become widely accepted and used in glaucoma management. The ability of such instruments to discriminate healthy from glaucomatous optic nerves, and to detect glaucomatous progression over time is limited by the quality of reference databases associated with the available commercial devices. In the absence of standardized rules governing the development of reference databases, each manufacturer’s database differs in size, eligibility criteria, and ethnic make-up, among other key features. Conclusions The process for development of imaging reference databases may be improved by standardizing eligibility requirements and data collection protocols. Such standardization may also improve the degree to which results may be compared between commercial instruments. PMID:25265003

A new software for dimensional measurements in 3D endodontic root canal instrumentation.

PubMed

Sinibaldi, Raffaele; Pecci, Raffaella; Somma, Francesco; Della Penna, Stefania; Bedini, Rossella

2012-01-01

The main issue to be faced to get size estimates of 3D modification of the dental canal after endodontic treatment is the co-registration of the image stacks obtained through micro computed tomography (micro-CT) scans before and after treatment. Here quantitative analysis of micro-CT images have been performed by means of new dedicated software targeted to the analysis of root canal after endodontic instrumentation. This software analytically calculates the best superposition between the pre and post structures using the inertia tensor of the tooth. This strategy avoid minimization procedures, which can be user dependent, and time consuming. Once the co-registration have been achieved dimensional measurements have then been performed by contemporary evaluation of quantitative parameters over the two superimposed stacks of micro-CT images. The software automatically calculated the changes of volume, surface and symmetry axes in 3D occurring after the instrumentation. The calculation is based on direct comparison of the canal and canal branches selected by the user on the pre treatment image stack.

Component-Level Electronic-Assembly Repair (CLEAR) Synthetic Instrument Capabilities Assessment and Test Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oeftering, Richard C.; Bradish, Martin A.

2011-01-01

The role of synthetic instruments (SIs) for Component-Level Electronic-Assembly Repair (CLEAR) is to provide an external lower-level diagnostic and functional test capability beyond the built-in-test capabilities of spacecraft electronics. Built-in diagnostics can report faults and symptoms, but isolating the root cause and performing corrective action requires specialized instruments. Often a fault can be revealed by emulating the operation of external hardware. This implies complex hardware that is too massive to be accommodated in spacecraft. The SI strategy is aimed at minimizing complexity and mass by employing highly reconfigurable instruments that perform diagnostics and emulate external functions. In effect, SI can synthesize an instrument on demand. The SI architecture section of this document summarizes the result of a recent program diagnostic and test needs assessment based on the International Space Station. The SI architecture addresses operational issues such as minimizing crew time and crew skill level, and the SI data transactions between the crew and supporting ground engineering searching for the root cause and formulating corrective actions. SI technology is described within a teleoperations framework. The remaining sections describe a lab demonstration intended to show that a single SI circuit could synthesize an instrument in hardware and subsequently clear the hardware and synthesize a completely different instrument on demand. An analysis of the capabilities and limitations of commercially available SI hardware and programming tools is included. Future work in SI technology is also described.

Cross-cultural validation of instruments measuring health beliefs about colorectal cancer screening among Korean Americans.

PubMed

Lee, Shin-Young; Lee, Eunice E

2015-02-01

The purpose of this study was to report the instrument modification and validation processes to make existing health belief model scales culturally appropriate for Korean Americans (KAs) regarding colorectal cancer (CRC) screening utilization. Instrument translation, individual interviews using cognitive interviewing, and expert reviews were conducted during the instrument modification phase, and a pilot test and a cross-sectional survey were conducted during the instrument validation phase. Data analyses of the cross-sectional survey included internal consistency and construct validity using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The main issues identified during the instrument modification phase were (a) cultural and linguistic translation issues and (b) newly developed items reflecting Korean cultural barriers. Cross-sectional survey analyses during the instrument validation phase revealed that all scales demonstrate good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha=.72~.88). Exploratory factor analysis showed that susceptibility and severity loaded on the same factor, which may indicate a threat variable. Items with low factor loadings in the confirmatory factor analysis may relate to (a) lack of knowledge about fecal occult blood testing and (b) multiple dimensions of the subscales. Methodological, sequential processes of instrument modification and validation, including translation, individual interviews, expert reviews, pilot testing and a cross-sectional survey, were provided in this study. The findings indicate that existing instruments need to be examined for CRC screening research involving KAs.

European Space Agency lidar development programs for remote sensing of the atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armandillo, Errico

1992-12-01

Active laser remote sensing from space is considered an important step forward in the understanding of the processes which regulate weather and climate changes. The planned launching into polar orbit in the late 1990s of a series of dedicated Earth observation satellites offer new possibilities for flying lidar in space. Among the various lidar candidates, ESA has recognized in the backscattering lidar and Doppler wind lidar the instruments which can most contribute to the Earth observation program. To meet the schedule of the on-coming flight opportunities, ESA has been engaged over the past years in a preparatory program aimed to define the instruments and ensure timely availability of the critical components. This paper reviews the status of the ongoing developments and highlights the critical issues addressed.

MS-Based Analytical Techniques: Advances in Spray-Based Methods and EI-LC-MS Applications

PubMed Central

Medina, Isabel; Cappiello, Achille; Careri, Maria

2018-01-01

Mass spectrometry is the most powerful technique for the detection and identification of organic compounds. It can provide molecular weight information and a wealth of structural details that give a unique fingerprint for each analyte. Due to these characteristics, mass spectrometry-based analytical methods are showing an increasing interest in the scientific community, especially in food safety, environmental, and forensic investigation areas where the simultaneous detection of targeted and nontargeted compounds represents a key factor. In addition, safety risks can be identified at the early stage through online and real-time analytical methodologies. In this context, several efforts have been made to achieve analytical instrumentation able to perform real-time analysis in the native environment of samples and to generate highly informative spectra. This review article provides a survey of some instrumental innovations and their applications with particular attention to spray-based MS methods and food analysis issues. The survey will attempt to cover the state of the art from 2012 up to 2017. PMID:29850370

A Review of Methods and Instruments Used in State and Local School Readiness Evaluations. Issues & Answers. REL 2007-No. 004

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Glyn; Scott-Little, Catherine; Amwake, Lynn; Wynn, Lucy

2007-01-01

The report provides detailed information about the methods and instruments used to evaluate school readiness initiatives, discusses important considerations in selecting instruments, and provides resources and recommendations that may be helpful to those who are designing and implementing school readiness evaluations. Study results indicate that…

Bottom-up laboratory testing of the DKIST Visible Broadband Imager (VBI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferayorni, Andrew; Beard, Andrew; Cole, Wes; Gregory, Scott; Wöeger, Friedrich

2016-08-01

The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) is a 4-meter solar observatory under construction at Haleakala, Hawaii [1]. The Visible Broadband Imager (VBI) is a first light instrument that will record images at the highest possible spatial and temporal resolution of the DKIST at a number of scientifically important wavelengths [2]. The VBI is a pathfinder for DKIST instrumentation and a test bed for developing processes and procedures in the areas of unit, systems integration, and user acceptance testing. These test procedures have been developed and repeatedly executed during VBI construction in the lab as part of a "test early and test often" philosophy aimed at identifying and resolving issues early thus saving cost during integration test and commissioning on summit. The VBI team recently completed a bottom up end-to-end system test of the instrument in the lab that allowed the instrument's functionality, performance, and usability to be validated against documented system requirements. The bottom up testing approach includes four levels of testing, each introducing another layer in the control hierarchy that is tested before moving to the next level. First the instrument mechanisms are tested for positioning accuracy and repeatability using a laboratory position-sensing detector (PSD). Second the real-time motion controls are used to drive the mechanisms to verify speed and timing synchronization requirements are being met. Next the high-level software is introduced and the instrument is driven through a series of end-to-end tests that exercise the mechanisms, cameras, and simulated data processing. Finally, user acceptance testing is performed on operational and engineering use cases through the use of the instrument engineering graphical user interface (GUI). In this paper we present the VBI bottom up test plan, procedures, example test cases and tools used, as well as results from test execution in the laboratory. We will also discuss the benefits realized through completion of this testing, and share lessons learned from the bottoms up testing process.

Los Alamos National Laboratory Meteorology Monitoring Program: 2016 Data Completeness/ Quality Report

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

Bruggeman, David Alan

This report summarizes data completeness by tower and by instrument for 2016 and compares that data with the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 2015 standards. This report is designed to make data users aware of data completeness and any data quality issues. LANL meteorology monitoring goals include 95% completeness for all measurements. The ANSI 2015 standard requires 90% completeness for all measurements. This report documents instrument/tower issues as they impact data completeness.

76 FR 32237 - Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; Notice of Withdrawal of Application for Amendments to Renewed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-03

..., ``Reactor Trip System (RTS) Instrumentation'' and TS 3.3.2, ``Engineered Safety Feature Actuation System (ESFAS) Instrumentation.'' The Commission had previously issued a Notice of Consideration of Issuance of...

Energy taxation: An analysis of selected taxes: Energy policy study, Volume 14

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

Not Available

1980-09-05

Taxation is a key instrument by which governments affect economic decision making and outcomes. Not surprisingly, energy taxation has received considerable attention in recent years with the mounting concern over national energy policy. As with other policy instruments, the taxation of energy production and use spans a wide array of topics. It also cuts across other instruments because it affects the entire spectrum of economic variables/endash/prices, outputs, investments, uses, and so on. As a result, the subject of energy taxation constitutes a highly complex set of issues for public policy. This report examines the principal components of that set ofmore » issues. In the process, it points out the most important interrelations among the various taxes and between taxation and other policy instruments. Passing mention is made of areas that in the committee's opinion warrant further research. 61 refs., 15 tabs.« less

How the Russian Federation Uses the Informational Instrument of National Power to Influence the Republic of Moldovas Strategic Security Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-09

Power DoD Department of Defense EaP Eastern Partnership EaP CSF Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum EEU Eurasian Economic Union EU European...issues to consider when analyzing the context in which the propaganda occurs such as conflicts (past and present), the mood of the times, power struggles...development and sustainability of different NGOs as part of civil society .82 Joseph Nye refers to soft- power type resources as institutions, ideas

Assessing oral health-related quality of life in children and adolescents: a systematic review and standardized comparison of available instruments.

PubMed

Zaror, Carlos; Pardo, Yolanda; Espinoza-Espinoza, Gerardo; Pont, Àngels; Muñoz-Millán, Patricia; Martínez-Zapata, María José; Vilagut, Gemma; Forero, Carlos G; Garin, Olatz; Alonso, Jordi; Ferrer, Montse

2018-03-22

To obtain a systematic and standardized evaluation of the current evidence on development process, metric properties, and administration issues of oral health-related quality of life instruments available for children and adolescents. A systematic search until October 2016 was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Lilacs, SciELO, and Cochrane databases. Articles with information regarding the development process, metric properties, and administration issues of pediatric instruments measuring oral health-related quality of life were eligible for inclusion. Two researchers independently evaluated each instrument applying the Evaluating Measures of Patient-Reported Outcomes (EMPRO) tool. An overall and seven attribute-specific EMPRO scores were calculated (range 0-100, worst to best): measurement model, reliability, validity, responsiveness, interpretability, burden, and alternative forms. We identified 18 instruments evaluated in 132 articles. From five instruments designed for preschoolers, the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) obtained the highest overall EMPRO score (82.2). Of nine identified for schoolchildren and adolescents, the best rated instrument was the Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11-14 (82.1). Among the four instruments developed for any age, the Family Impact Scale (FIS) obtained the highest scores (80.3). The evidence supports the use of the ECOHIS for preschoolers, while the age is a key factor when choosing among the four recommended instruments for schoolchildren and adolescents. Instruments for specific conditions, symptoms, or treatments need further research on metric properties. Our results facilitate decision-making on the correct oral health-related quality of life instrument selection for any certain study purpose and population during the childhood and adolescence life cycle.

Second Quarter Report Environmental Biosciences Program

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

Lawrence C. Mohr, M.D.

2002-10-31

In May 2002, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) signed Assistance Instrument Number DE-FC09-02CH11109 with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) to support the Environmental Biosciences Program (EBP). This funding instrument replaces DOE Assistance Instrument Number DE-FC02-98CH10902. EBP is an integrated, multidisciplinary scientific program, employing a range of research initiatives to identify, study and resolve environmental health risk issues. These initiatives are consistent with the Medical University's role as a comprehensive state-supported health sciences institution and the nation's need for new and better approaches to the solution of a complex and expansive array of environment-related health problems. Themore » intrinsic capabilities of a comprehensive health sciences institution enable the Medical University to be a national resource for the scientific investigation of environmental health issues. EBP's success in convening worldwide scientific expertise is due in part to the inherent credibility the Medical University brings to the process of addressing these complex issues.« less

Environmental Biosciences Program Third Quarter Report

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

Lawrence C. Mohr, M.D.

2003-01-31

In May 2002, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) signed Assistance Instrument Number DE-FC09-02CH11109 with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) to support the Environmental Biosciences Program (EBP). This funding instrument replaces DOE Assistance Instrument Number DE-FC02-98CH10902. EBP is an integrated, multidisciplinary scientific program, employing a range of research initiatives to identify, study and resolve environmental health risk issues. These initiatives are consistent with the Medical University's role as a comprehensive state-supported health sciences institution and the nation's need for new and better approaches to the solution of a complex and expansive array of environment-related health problems. Themore » intrinsic capabilities of a comprehensive health sciences institution enable the Medical University to be a national resource for the scientific investigation of environmental health issues. EBP's success in convening worldwide scientific expertise is due in part to the inherent credibility the Medical University brings to the process of addressing these complex issues.« less

MUSC Environmental Biosciences Program First Quarter Report May - June, 2002

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

Lawrence C. Mohr

2002-07-31

In May 2002, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) signed Assistance Instrument Number DE-FC02-98CH11109 with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) to support the Environmental Biosciences Program (EBP). This funding instrument replaces DOE Assistance Instrument Number DE-FC02-98CH10902. EBP is an integrated, multidisciplinary scientific program, employing a range of research initiatives to identify, study and resolve environmental health risk issues. These initiatives are consistent with the Medical University's role as a comprehensive state-supported health sciences institution and the nation's need for new and better approaches to the solution of a complex and expansive array of environment-related health problems. Themore » intrinsic capabilities of a comprehensive health sciences institution enable the Medical University to be a national resource for the scientific investigation of environmental health issues. EBP's success in convening worldwide scientific expertise is due in part to the inherent credibility the Medical University brings to the process of addressing these complex issues.« less

Updating the OMERACT filter: implications of filter 2.0 to select outcome instruments through assessment of "truth": content, face, and construct validity.

PubMed

Tugwell, Peter; Boers, Maarten; D'Agostino, Maria-Antonietta; Beaton, Dorcas; Boonen, Annelies; Bingham, Clifton O; Choy, Ernest; Conaghan, Philip G; Dougados, Maxime; Duarte, Catia; Furst, Daniel E; Guillemin, Francis; Gossec, Laure; Heiberg, Turid; van der Heijde, Désirée M; Hewlett, Sarah; Kirwan, John R; Kvien, Tore K; Landewé, Robert B; Mease, Philip J; Østergaard, Mikkel; Simon, Lee; Singh, Jasvinder A; Strand, Vibeke; Wells, George

2014-05-01

The Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Filter provides guidelines for the development and validation of outcome measures for use in clinical research. The "Truth" section of the OMERACT Filter requires that criteria be met to demonstrate that the outcome instrument meets the criteria for content, face, and construct validity. Discussion groups critically reviewed a variety of ways in which case studies of current OMERACT Working Groups complied with the Truth component of the Filter and what issues remained to be resolved. The case studies showed that there is broad agreement on criteria for meeting the Truth criteria through demonstration of content, face, and construct validity; however, several issues were identified that the Filter Working Group will need to address. These issues will require resolution to reach consensus on how Truth will be assessed for the proposed Filter 2.0 framework, for instruments to be endorsed by OMERACT.

Measurement Issues: Screening and diagnostic instruments for autism spectrum disorders – lessons from research and practice

PubMed Central

Charman, Tony; Gotham, Katherine

2012-01-01

Background and Scope Significant progress has been made over the past two decades in the development of screening and diagnostic instruments for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This article reviews this progress, including recent innovations, focussing on those instruments for which the strongest research data on validity exists, and then turns to addressing issues arising from their use in clinical settings. Findings Research studies have evaluated the ability of screens to prospectively identify cases of ASD in population-based and clinically-referred samples, as well as the accuracy of diagnostic instruments to map onto ‘gold standard’ clinical best estimate diagnosis. However, extension of the findings to clinical services must be done with caution, with a full understanding that instrument properties are sample-specific. Furthermore, we are limited by the lack of a true test for ASD, which remains a behaviourally-defined disorder. In addition screening and diagnostic instruments help clinicians least in the cases where they are most in want of direction, since their accuracy will always be lower for marginal cases. Conclusion Instruments help clinicians to collect detailed, structured information and increase accuracy and reliability of referral for in-depth assessment and recommendations for support, but further research is needed to refine their effective use in clinical settings. PMID:23539140

Future science issues for Galactic very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torres, Diego F.

2008-12-01

This work intends to provide a brief summary of some of the Galactic science issues for the next generation of very high energy (VHE) instruments. The latter is here generically understood, as an instrument or set of instruments providing about one order of magnitude more sensitivity at its central energy (at about 1 TeV), but extending the observational window to have a real broadband capability (from a few tens of GeV up to tens of TeV) exceeding at low energies the current VHE threshold for observations set by MAGIC as well as the few-tens-of-GeV sensitivity set by Fermi. Science topics regarding populations of emitters, pulsars and their nebula, binaries, supernova remnants, stars, and their associations, are discussed.

Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment: From Theory to Practice in the Early Grades: The Effects of Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment on Mathematics Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Elise A.

2014-01-01

Following identification as the school district with the highest special education population in Midwest County, the Midwest School District took bold measures to address the issue. In partnership with the Midwest Intermediate School District, educators trained all kindergarten and first grade teachers in Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment (FIE)…

Modifying Defining Issues Test (DIT) as a Tool for Assessing Secondary Students' Social-Emotional Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ee, Jessie

2014-01-01

This paper discusses the use of an alternative instrument to assess the social-emotional competence (SEC) of secondary school students in Singapore. The instrument was used in a larger study to explore an approach to infuse social-emotional learning in the curriculum for children in school. The design of this research instrument is based on the…

Stable Imaging for Astronomy (SIA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaulieu, Mathilde; Ottogalli, Sebastien; Preis, Olivier; Bresson, Yves; Rivet, Jean-Pierre; Abe, Lyu; Vakili, Farrokh

2014-07-01

One of the most challenging fields of astronomical instrumentation is probably high-contrast imaging since it ultimately combines ultra-high sensitivity at low flux and the ability to cope with photon flux contrasts of several hundreds of millions or even more. These two aspects implicitly require that high-contrast instruments should be highly stable in the sense of the reproducibility of their measurements at different times, but also, continuously stable over time. In most high contrast instruments or experiments, their sensitivity is broken after at most tens of minutes of operation due to uncontrolled and unknown behaviour of the whole experiment regarding the environmental conditions. In this paper, we introduce a general approach of an exhaustive stability study for high-contrast imaging that has been initiated at Lagrange Laboratory, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur (OCA). On a practical ground, one of the fundamental issues of this study is the metrology, which is the basis of all reproducible measurements. We describe a small experiment designed to understand the behaviour of one of our ultra-precise metrology tools (a commercial sub-nanometric 3-way interferometer) and derive the conditions under which its operation delivers reliable results. The approach will apply to the high-contrast imaging test-bench SPEED, under development at OCA.

Retention Issues: A Study of Alabama Special Education Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plash, Shawn; Piotrowski, Chris

2006-01-01

This study investigated issues that impact attrition, migration and retention of special education teachers in Alabama. The sample comprised 70 teachers designated as "highly-qualified" who responded to a job satisfaction instrument, with a focus on retention issues, developed by Levine (2001). The results indicated that the major…

Screening and Identification in Pediatric Primary Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simonian, Susan J.

2006-01-01

This article reviews issues related to behavioral screening in pediatric primary care settings. Structural-organizational issues affecting the use of pediatric primary care screening are discussed. This study also reviewed selected screening instruments that have utility for use in the primary care setting. Clinical and research issues related to…

Seismic instrumentation of buildings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Çelebi, Mehmet

2000-01-01

The purpose of this report is to provide information on how and why we deploy seismic instruments in and around building structures. The recorded response data from buildings and other instrumented structures can be and are being primarily used to facilitate necessary studies to improve building codes and therefore reduce losses of life and property during damaging earthquakes. Other uses of such data can be in emergency response situations in large urban environments. The report discusses typical instrumentation schemes, existing instrumentation programs, the steps generally followed in instrumenting a structure, selection and type of instruments, installation and maintenance requirements and data retrieval and processing issues. In addition, a summary section on how recorded response data have been utilized is included. The benefits from instrumentation of structural systems are discussed.

Foreword to the special issue on intercalibration of satellite instruments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chander, Gyanesh; Hewison, T.J.; Fox, Nigel; Wu, Xiangqian; Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Blackwell, William J.

2013-01-01

This forty papers in this special issue focus on how intercalibration and comparison between sensors can provide an effective and convenient means of verifying their postlaunch performance and correcting their measurement differences.

PVDaCS - A prototype knowledge-based expert system for certification of spacecraft data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wharton, Cathleen; Shiroma, Patricia J.; Simmons, Karen E.

1989-01-01

On-line data management techniques to certify spacecraft information are mandated by increasing telemetry rates. Knowledge-based expert systems offer the ability to certify data electronically without the need for time-consuming human interaction. Issues of automatic certification are explored by designing a knowledge-based expert system to certify data from a scientific instrument, the Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer, on an operating NASA planetary spacecraft, Pioneer Venus. The resulting rule-based system, called PVDaCS (Pioneer Venus Data Certification System), is a functional prototype demonstrating the concepts of a larger system design. A key element of the system design is the representation of an expert's knowledge through the usage of well ordered sequences. PVDaCS produces a certification value derived from expert knowledge and an analysis of the instrument's operation. Results of system performance are presented.

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program climate research facility operations quarterly report April 1 - June 30, 2007.

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

Sisterson, D. L.

2007-07-26

Individual raw data streams from instrumentation at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program Climate Research Facility (ACRF) fixed and mobile sites are collected and sent to the Data Management Facility (DMF) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for processing in near real time. Raw and processed data are then sent daily to the ACRF Archive, where they are made available to users. For each instrument, we calculate the ratio of the actual number of data records received daily at the Archive to the expected number of data records. The results are tabulated by (1) individual data stream, site, and monthmore » for the current year and (2) site and fiscal year (FY) dating back to 1998. The U.S. Department of Energy requires national user facilities to report time-based operating data. The requirements concern the actual hours of operation (ACTUAL); the estimated maximum operation or uptime goal (OPSMAX), which accounts for planned downtime; and the VARIANCE [1 - (ACTUAL/OPSMAX)], which accounts for unplanned downtime. The OPSMAX time for the third quarter of FY 2007 for the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site is 2,074.8 hours (0.95 x 2,184 hours this quarter). The OPSMAX for the North Slope Alaska (NSA) locale is 1,965.6 hours (0.90 x 2,184), and that for the Tropical Western Pacific (TWP) locale is 1,856.4 hours (0.85 x 2,184). The OPSMAX time for the ARM Mobile Facility (AMF) is 2,074.8 hours (0.95 x 2,184). The differences in OPSMAX performance reflect the complexity of local logistics and the frequency of extreme weather events. It is impractical to measure OPSMAX for each instrument or data stream. Data availability reported here refers to the average of the individual, continuous data streams that have been received by the Archive. Data not at the Archive are caused by downtime (scheduled or unplanned) of the individual instruments. Therefore, data availability is directly related to individual instrument uptime. Thus, the average percent of data in the Archive represents the average percent of the time (24 hours per day, 91 days for this quarter) the instruments were operating this quarter. Table 1 shows the accumulated maximum operation time (planned uptime), the actual hours of operation, and the variance (unplanned downtime) for the period April 1 through June 30, 2007, for the fixed sites only. The AMF has been deployed to Germany and is operational this quarter. The third quarter comprises a total of 2,184 hours. Although the average exceeded our goal this quarter, there were cash flow issues resulting from Continuing Resolution early in the period that did not allow for timely instrument repairs that kept our statistics lower than past quarters at all sites. The low NSA numbers resulted from missing MFRSR data this spring that appears to be recoverable but not available at the Archive at the time of this report.« less

The Importance of Technology Readiness in NASA Earth Venture Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wells, James E.; Komar, George J.

2009-01-01

The first set of Venture-class investigations share the characteristic that the technology should be mature and all investigations must use mature technology that has been modeled or demonstrated in a relevant environment (Technology Readiness Level (TRL) >5). Technology Readiness Levels are a systematic metric/measurement system that supports assessments of the maturity of a particular technology and the consistent comparison of maturity between different types of technology. The TRL is used in NASA technology planning. A major step in the level of fidelity of the technology demonstration follows the completion of TRL 5. At TRL 6, a system or subsystem model or prototype must be demonstrated in a relevant environment (ground or space) representative model or prototype system or system, which would go well beyond ad hoc, "patch-cord," or discrete component level breadboarding. These TRL levels are chosen as target objectives for the Program. The challenge for offerors is that they must identify key aspects (uncertainty, multi subsystem complexity, etc) of the TRL estimate that should be properly explained in a submitted proposal. Risk minimization is a key component of the Earth Venture missions. Experiences of prior airborne missions will be shared. The discussion will address aspects of uncertainty and issues surrounding three areas of airborne earth science missions: (1) Aircraft or proposed flight platform -- Expressing the capability of the aircraft in terms of the supporting mission requirements. These issues include airplane performance characteristics (duration, range, altitude, among others) and multiship complexities. (2) Instruments -- Establishing that the instruments have been demonstrated in a relevant environment. Instruments with heritage in prior space missions meet this requirement, as do instruments tested on the ground. Evidence that the instruments have demonstrated the ability to collect data as advertised will be described. The complexity of the integration of multiple subsystems will also be addressed. Issues associated with tailoring the instrument to meet the specific Venture mission objectives must be thoroughly explained and justified. (3) Aircraft/Instrument Integration -- Explicitly defining what development may be required to harden the instrument and integrate the instrument. The challenges associated with this key aspect of major airborne earth science investigations will be presented.

Tonsillotomy: facts and fiction.

PubMed

Windfuhr, J P; Savva, K; Dahm, J D; Werner, J A

2015-04-01

In contrast to total or extracapsular tonsillectomy (TE), subtotal/intracapsular/partial tonsillectomy (SIPT) or tonsillotomy (TT) is associated with significant less postoperative morbidity. It has been stated that patients older than 8 years of age or with a history of tonsillitis should be excluded from SIPT/TT. Some health insurance companies mandate utilization of particular surgical instruments. Finally, it has been stated that the remaining tonsillar tissue may become a subject of recurrent tonsillitis or tonsillar regrowth, in both cases requiring revision surgery in terms of TE. This literature review was undertaken to clarify what has been validated in the literature concerning indications, surgical techniques, complications and outcome of SIPT/TT as reported since 1960. A Medline review was undertaken and all papers included that were published in English or German language until September 30, 2013. Exclusion criteria were: publication date 1960 and earlier, other languages, no relation to tonsil surgery, papers not available to the authors, uncommon surgical techniques, national surveys or studies without patients. The quality of the papers was classified according to "The Oxford 2011 Levels of Evidence". The surgical techniques were classified according to Windfuhr and Werner and extended to interstitial tonsil therapy. Other issues were: study period, hemorrhage, dehydration, intake of analgesics, return to normal diet, surgical instruments, operation time, number of surgeons involved, number of patients, age, indications, follow-up, rate of tonsillar regrowth, tonsillitis and secondary TE. A total of 379 different publications were retrieved, but only 86 studies found eligible for further analysis. There were 10,499 patients in the study groups and 10,448 patients in the control groups. Utilization of the microdebrider largely prevailed, followed by Coblation, CO2-LASER, surgical scissor, Radiofrequency, Interstitial ThermoTherapy with various instruments, Diode-LASER, and other instruments. Instruments were not specified for 1,815 patients. Data for operation time, intraoperative bleeding, return to normal diet, analgesic intake were in favor for SIPT/TT and ablation procedures. Regrowth and tonsillitis occurred in rates of <6 % on average. Secondary surgery became necessary in only every third patient of this subgroup. Studies of variable quality impede comparison of all aspects in the papers. At least every second study did not address issues like operation time, intraoperative bleeding, return to normal diet, analgesic intake, rates of tonsillar regrowth, postsurgical tonsillitis and secondary TE. There are insufficient data to show that a single surgical instrument is superior. A history of tonsillitis and an age >8 years are definitely not commonly accepted as contraindication for SIPT, TT or ablation procedures. There is a strong evidence that pain is less after SIPT, TT and tonsil ablation resulting in an earlier return to normal diet and activity. Large, well-designed randomized controlled trials with an adequate follow-up are necessary to determine whether the procedure is capable to replace TE to resolve upper airway obstruction resulting from tonsillar hypertrophy as well as recurrent episodes of tonsillitis in children and adults.

Measuring value sensitivity in medicine.

PubMed

Ineichen, Christian; Christen, Markus; Tanner, Carmen

2017-01-28

Value sensitivity - the ability to recognize value-related issues when they arise in practice - is an indispensable competence for medical practitioners to enter decision-making processes related to ethical questions. However, the psychological competence of value sensitivity is seldom an explicit subject in the training of medical professionals. In this contribution, we outline the traditional concept of moral sensitivity in medicine and its revised form conceptualized as value sensitivity and we propose an instrument that measures value sensitivity. We developed an instrument for assessing the sensitivity for three value groups (moral-related values, values related to the principles of biomedical ethics, strategy-related values) in a four step procedure: 1) value identification (n = 317); 2) value representation (n = 317); 3) vignette construction and quality evaluation (n = 37); and 4) instrument validation by comparing nursing professionals with hospital managers (n = 48). We find that nursing professionals recognize and ascribe importance to principle-related issues more than professionals from hospital management. The latter are more likely to recognize and ascribe importance to strategy-related issues. These hypothesis-driven results demonstrate the discriminatory power of our newly developed instrument, which makes it useful not only for health care professionals in practice but for students and people working in the clinical context as well.

Human Factors Design Principles for Instrument Approach Procedure Charts Volume I - Readability

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1992-08-01

This Handbook is the first of a series of handbooks which address thie issue of : Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) chart improvement in design, The intent is : twofold: to review relevant literature that might be applicable to improving the : pres...

NEET In-Pile Ultrasonic Sensor Enablement-FY 2012 Status Report

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

JE Daw; JL Rempe; BR Tittmann

2012-09-01

Several Department Of Energy-Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) programs, such as the Fuel Cycle Research and Development, Advanced Reactor Concepts, Light Water Reactor Sustainability, and Next Generation Nuclear Plant programs, are investigating new fuels and materials for advanced and existing reactors. A key objective of such programs is to understand the performance of these fuels and materials when irradiated. The Nuclear Energy Enabling Technology (NEET) Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation (ASI) in-pile instrumentation development activities are focused upon addressing cross-cutting needs for DOE-NE irradiation testing by providing higher fidelity, real-time data, with increased accuracy and resolution from smaller, compact sensors that are lessmore » intrusive. Ultrasonic technologies offer the potential to measure a range of parameters, including geometry changes, temperature, crack initiation and growth, gas pressure and composition, and microstructural changes, under harsh irradiation test conditions. There are two primary issues associated with in-pile deployment of ultrasonic sensors. The first is transducer survivability. The ability of ultrasonic transducer materials to maintain their useful properties during an irradiation must be demonstrated. The second issue is signal processing. Ultrasonic testing is typically performed in a lab or field environment, where the sensor and sample are accessible. Due to the harsh nature of in-pile testing, and the range of measurements that are desired, an enhanced signal processing capability is needed to make in-pile ultrasonic sensors viable. This project addresses these technology deployment issues.« less

An Evaluation of "Forests of the World," a Project Learning Tree Secondary Module

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghent, Cynthia; Parmer, Giavanna; Haines, Sarah

2013-01-01

This study sought to determine whether a secondary level curricular model based on enhancing knowledge and awareness of global forest issues would have an effect on students' self-perceived knowledge of forest issues, actual content knowledge of these issues, and pro-environmental attitudes. The study instrument is the secondary module…

A development of assistant surgical robot system based on surgical-operation-by-wire and hands-on-throttle-and-stick.

PubMed

Kim, Myungjoon; Lee, Chiwon; Park, Woo Jung; Suh, Yun Suhk; Yang, Han Kwang; Kim, H Jin; Kim, Sungwan

2016-05-20

Robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery offers several advantages compared with open surgery and conventional minimally invasive surgery. However, one issue that needs to be resolved is a collision between the robot arm and the assistant instrument. This is mostly caused by miscommunication between the surgeon and the assistant. To resolve this limitation, an assistant surgical robot system that can be simultaneously manipulated via a wireless controller is proposed to allow the surgeon to control the assistant instrument. The system comprises two novel master interfaces (NMIs), a surgical instrument with a gripper actuated by a micromotor, and 6-axis robot arm. Two NMIs are attached to master tool manipulators of da Vinci research kit (dVRK) to control the proposed system simultaneously with patient side manipulators of dVRK. The developments of the surgical instrument and NMI are based on surgical-operation-by-wire concept and hands-on-throttle-and-stick concept from the earlier research, respectively. Tests for checking the accuracy, latency, and power consumption of the NMI are performed. The gripping force, reaction time, and durability are assessed to validate the surgical instrument. The workspace is calculated for estimating the clinical applicability. A simple peg task using the fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery board and an in vitro test are executed with three novice volunteers. The NMI was operated for 185 min and reflected the surgeon's decision successfully with a mean latency of 132 ms. The gripping force of the surgical instrument was comparable to that of conventional systems and was consistent even after 1000 times of gripping motion. The reaction time was 0.4 s. The workspace was calculated to be 8397.4 cm(3). Recruited volunteers were able to execute the simple peg task within the cut-off time and successfully performed the in vitro test without any collision. Various experiments were conducted and it is verified that the proposed assistant surgical robot system enables collision-free and simultaneous operation of the dVRK's robot arm and the proposed assistant robot arm. The workspace is appropriate for the performance of various kinds of surgeries. Therefore, the proposed system is expected to provide higher safety and effectiveness for the current surgical robot system.

Gastroenterology-Urology Devices; Manual Gastroenterology-Urology Surgical Instruments and Accessories. Final rule; technical amendment.

PubMed

2017-03-01

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the identification of manual gastroenterology-urology surgical instruments and accessories to reflect that the device does not include specialized surgical instrumentation for use with urogyencologic surgical mesh specifically intended for use as an aid in the insertion, placement, fixation, or anchoring of surgical mesh during urogynecologic procedures ("specialized surgical instrumentation for use with urogynecologic surgical mesh"). These amendments are being made to reflect changes made in the recently issued final reclassification order for specialized surgical instrumentation for use with urogynecologic surgical mesh.

Word images as policy instruments: Lessons from the Yucca Mountain Controversey

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

Conary, J.S.; Soden, D.L.; Carns, D.E.

A study is described which explores word images which have developed about nuclear issues by Nevadans. The study is based on results of a survey conducted regarding issues related to the Yucca Mountain repository.

Post-analytical Issues in Hemostasis and Thrombosis Testing.

PubMed

Favaloro, Emmanuel J; Lippi, Giuseppe

2017-01-01

Analytical concerns within hemostasis and thrombosis testing are continuously decreasing. This is essentially attributable to modern instrumentation, improvements in test performance and reliability, as well as the application of appropriate internal quality control and external quality assurance measures. Pre-analytical issues are also being dealt with in some newer instrumentation, which are able to detect hemolysis, icteria and lipemia, and, in some cases, other issues related to sample collection such as tube under-filling. Post-analytical issues are generally related to appropriate reporting and interpretation of test results, and these are the focus of the current overview, which provides a brief description of these events, as well as guidance for their prevention or minimization. In particular, we propose several strategies for improved post-analytical reporting of hemostasis assays and advise that this may provide the final opportunity to prevent serious clinical errors in diagnosis.

Data Quality Control Tools Applied to Seismo-Acoustic Arrays in Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, J.; Hayward, C.; Stump, B. W.

2017-12-01

We assess data quality (data gap, seismometer orientation, timing error, noise level and coherence between co-located sensors) for seismic and infrasound data in South Korea using six seismo-acoustic arrays, BRDAR, CHNAR, KSGAR, KMPAR, TJIAR, and YPDAR, cooperatively operated by Southern Methodist University and Korea Institute for Geosciences and Mineral Resources. Timing errors associated with seismometers can be found based on estimated changes in instrument orientation calculated from RMS errors between the reference array and each array seismometer using waveforms filtered from 0.1 to 0.35 Hz. Noise levels of seismic and infrasound data are analyzed to investigate local environmental effects and seasonal noise variation. In order to examine the spectral properties of the noise, the waveform are analyzed using Welch's method (Welch, 1967) that produces a single power spectral estimate from an average of spectra taken at regular intervals over a specific time period. This analysis quantifies the range of noise conditions found at each of the arrays over the given time period. We take an advantage of the fact that infrasound sensors are co-located or closely located to one another, which allows for a direct comparison of sensors, following the method by Ringler et al. (2010). The power level differences between two sensors at the same array in the frequency band of interest are used to monitor temporal changes in data quality and instrument conditions. A data quality factor is assigned to stations based on the average values of temporal changes estimated in the frequency and time domains. These monitoring tools enable us to automatically assess technical issue related to the instruments and data quality at each seismo-acoustic array as well as to investigate local environmental effects and seasonal variations in both seismic and infrasound data.

REAL-TIME MONITORING OF DIOXINS AND OTHER ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This project is part of EPA's EMPACT program which was begun in 1998 and is jointly administered by EPA's Office of Research and Development, the National Center for Environmental Research and Quality Assurance (NCERQA), and the National Center for Environmental Assessment. The program was developed to provide understandable environmental information on various research initiatives to the public in a timely manner on various issues of importance. This particular project involves development of the application of an on-line, real time, trace organic air toxic monitor, with special emphasis on dioxin-related compounds. Research efforts demonstrate the utility and usefulness of the Resonance Enhanced Multi-Photon Ionization (REMPI) analytical method for trace organics control, monitoring, and compliance assurance. Project objectives will be to develop the REMPI instrumental method into a tool that will be used for assessment of potential dioxin sources, control and prevention of dioxin formation in known sources, and communication of facility performance. This will be accomplished through instrument development, laboratory verification, thermokinetic modelling, equilibrium modelling, statistical determinations, field validation, program publication and presentation, regulatory office support, and development of data communication/presentation procedures. For additional information on this EMPACT project, visit the website at http://www.epa.gov/appcdwww/crb/empa

ICESAT Laser Altimeter Pointing, Ranging and Timing Calibration from Integrated Residual Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luthcke, Scott B.; Rowlands, D. D.; Carabajal, C. C.; Harding, D. H.; Bufton, J. L.; Williams, T. A.

2003-01-01

On January 12, 2003 the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) was successfully placed into orbit. The ICESat mission carries the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS), which has a primary measurement of short-pulse laser- ranging to the Earth s surface at 1064nm wavelength at a rate of 40 pulses per second. The instrument has collected precise elevation measurements of the ice sheets, sea ice roughness and thickness, ocean and land surface elevations and surface reflectivity. The accurate geolocation of GLAS s surface returns, the spots from which the laser energy reflects on the Earth s surface, is a critical issue in the scientific application of these data. Pointing, ranging, timing and orbit errors must be compensated to accurately geolocate the laser altimeter surface returns. Towards this end, the laser range observations can be fully exploited in an integrated residual analysis to accurately calibrate these geolocation/instrument parameters. ICESat laser altimeter data have been simultaneously processed as direct altimetry from ocean sweeps along with dynamic crossovers in order to calibrate pointing, ranging and timing. The calibration methodology and current calibration results are discussed along with future efforts.

ICESat Laser Altimeter Pointing, Ranging and Timing Calibration from Integrated Residual Analysis: A Summary of Early Mission Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lutchke, Scott B.; Rowlands, David D.; Harding, David J.; Bufton, Jack L.; Carabajal, Claudia C.; Williams, Teresa A.

2003-01-01

On January 12, 2003 the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) was successfUlly placed into orbit. The ICESat mission carries the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS), which consists of three near-infrared lasers that operate at 40 short pulses per second. The instrument has collected precise elevation measurements of the ice sheets, sea ice roughness and thickness, ocean and land surface elevations and surface reflectivity. The accurate geolocation of GLAS's surface returns, the spots from which the laser energy reflects on the Earth's surface, is a critical issue in the scientific application of these data Pointing, ranging, timing and orbit errors must be compensated to accurately geolocate the laser altimeter surface returns. Towards this end, the laser range observations can be fully exploited in an integrated residual analysis to accurately calibrate these geolocation/instrument parameters. Early mission ICESat data have been simultaneously processed as direct altimetry from ocean sweeps along with dynamic crossovers resulting in a preliminary calibration of laser pointing, ranging and timing. The calibration methodology and early mission analysis results are summarized in this paper along with future calibration activities

The Forgiveness Reconciliation Inventory: An Instrument to Process through Issues of Forgiveness and Conflict

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balkin, Richard S.; Harris, Nephaterria A.; Freeman, Stephen J.; Huntington, Scott

2014-01-01

The Forgiveness Reconciliation Inventory is a theoretically derived instrument. Participants included individuals from clinical and nonclinical populations. Confirmatory factor analysis along with correlational designs and between-group comparisons indicate strong psychometric properties of the Forgiveness Reconciliation Inventory. The authors…

Development and validation of the Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist.

PubMed

Hogan, N S; Greenfield, D B; Schmidt, L A

2001-01-01

The purpose of this article is to provide data on a recently developed instrument to measure the multidimensional nature of the bereavement process. In contrast to widely used grief instruments that have been developed using rational methods of instrument construction, the Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist (HGRC) was developed empirically from data collected from bereaved adults who had experienced the death of a loved one. Factor analysis of the HGRC revealed 6 factors in the normal trajectory of the grieving process: Despair, Panic Behavior, Blame and Anger, Detachment, Disorganization, and Personal Growth. Additional data are provided that support reliability and validity of the HGRC as well as its ability to discriminate variability in the grieving process as a function of cause of death and time lapsed since death. Empirical support is also provided for Personal Growth as an integral component of the bereavement process. The article concludes by considering the substantive as well as psychometric findings of this research for such issues as traumatic grief, anticipatory grief, change in the bereaved person's self-schema, and spiritual and existential growth.

Evaluation of three new laser spectrometer techniques for in-situ carbon monoxide measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zellweger, C.; Steinbacher, M.; Buchmann, B.

2012-07-01

Long-term time series of the atmospheric composition are essential for environmental research and thus require compatible, multi-decadal monitoring activities. However, the current data quality objectives of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for carbon monoxide (CO) in the atmosphere are very challenging to meet with the measurement techniques that have been used until recently. During the past few years, new spectroscopic techniques came on the market with promising properties for trace gas analytics. The current study compares three instruments that are recently commercially available (since 2011) with the up to now best available technique (vacuum UV fluorescence) and provides a link to previous comparison studies. The instruments were investigated for their performance regarding repeatability, reproducibility, drift, temperature dependence, water vapour interference and linearity. Finally, all instruments were examined during a short measurement campaign to assess their applicability for long-term field measurements. It could be shown that the new techniques provide a considerably better performance compared to previous techniques, although some issues such as temperature influence and cross sensitivities need further attention.

Investigations of chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial compounds with proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry for a real-time threat monitoring scenario.

PubMed

Kassebacher, Thomas; Sulzer, Philipp; Jürschik, Simone; Hartungen, Eugen; Jordan, Alfons; Edtbauer, Achim; Feil, Stefan; Hanel, Gernot; Jaksch, Stefan; Märk, Lukas; Mayhew, Chris A; Märk, Tilmann D

2013-01-30

Security and protection against terrorist attacks are major issues in modern society. One especially challenging task is the monitoring and protection of air conditioning and heating systems of buildings against terrorist attacks with toxic chemicals. As existing technologies have low selectivity, long response times or insufficient sensitivity, there is a need for a novel approach such as we present here. We have analyzed various chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and/or toxic industrial compounds (TICs) and related compounds, namely phosgene, diphosgene, chloroacetone, chloroacetophenone, diisopropylaminoethanol, and triethyl phosphate, utilizing a high-resolution proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-TOFMS) instrument with the objective of finding key product ions and their intensities, which will allow a low-resolution quadrupole mass spectrometry based PTR-MS system to be used with high confidence in the assignment of threat agents in the atmosphere. We obtained high accuracy PTR-TOFMS mass spectra of the six compounds under study at two different values for the reduced electric field in the drift tube (E/N). From these data we have compiled a table containing product ions, and isotopic and E/N ratios for highly selective threat compound detection with a compact and cost-effective quadrupole-based PTR-MS instrument. Furthermore, using chloroacetophenone (tear gas), we demonstrated that this instrument's response is highly linear in the concentration range of typical Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGLs). On the basis of the presented results it is possible to develop a compact and cost-effective PTR-QMS instrument that monitors air supply systems and triggers an alarm as soon as the presence of a threat agent is detected. We hope that this real-time surveillance device will help to seriously improve safety and security in environments vulnerable to terrorist attacks with toxic chemicals. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Patient safety and patient assessment in pre-hospital care: a study protocol.

PubMed

Hagiwara, Magnus Andersson; Nilsson, Lena; Strömsöe, Anneli; Axelsson, Christer; Kängström, Anna; Herlitz, Johan

2016-02-12

Patient safety issues in pre-hospital care are poorly investigated. The aim of the planned study is to survey patient safety problems in pre-hospital care in Sweden. The study is a retro-perspective structured medical record review based on the use of 11 screening criteria. Two instruments for structured medical record review are used: a trigger tool instrument designed for pre-hospital care and a newly development instrument designed to compare the pre-hospital assessment with the final hospital assessment. Three different ambulance organisations are participating in the study. Every month, one rater in each organisation randomly collects 30 medical records for review. With guidance from the review instrument, he/she independently reviews the record. Every month, the review team meet for a discussion of problematic reviews. The results will be analysed with descriptive statistics and logistic regression. The findings will make an important contribution to knowledge about patient safety issues in pre-hospital care.

A Time Domain Impedance Probe For Ultra-Fast Measurements of Electron Parameters in the Ionosphere: Results From A NASA USIP Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, D. C.; Spencer, E. A.; Gollapalli, R.; Kerrigan, B.

2016-12-01

A plasma impedance probe is used to obtain plasma parameters in the ionosphere by measuring the magnitude, shape and location of resonances in the frequency spectrum when a probe structure is driven with RF excitation. We have designed and developed a new Time Domain Impedance Probe (TDIP) capable of making measurements of absolute electron density and electron neutral collision frequency at temporal and spatial resolutions not previously attained. A single measurement can be made in a time as short as 100 microseconds, which yields much higher spatial resolution than a frequency sweep method. This method essentially consists of applying a small amplitude time limited voltage signal into a probe and measuring the resulting current response. The frequency bandwidth of the voltage signal is selected in order that the electron plasma resonances are observable. A prototype of the new instrument was flown at 08:45 EST on March 1 2016 on a NASA Undergraduate Student Instrument Progam (USIP) sounding rocket launched out of Wallops Flight Facility (Flight time was around 20 minutes). Here we analyze the data from the sounding rocket experiment, using an adaptive system identification technique to compare the measured data with analytical formulas obtained from a theoretical consideration of the time domain response. The analytical formula is calibrated to a plasma fluid finite difference time domain (PFFDTD) numerical computation before using it to analyze the rocket data from 85 km to 170 km on both upleg and downleg. Our results show that the technique works as advertised, but several issues including payload charging and signal rectification remains to be resolved. A plasma impedance probe is used to obtain plasma parameters in the ionosphere by measuring the magnitude, shape and location of resonances in the frequency spectrum when a probe structure is driven with RF excitation. We have designed and developed a new Time Domain Impedance Probe (TDIP) capable of making measurements of absolute electron density and electron neutral collision frequency at temporal and spatial resolutions not previously attained. A single measurement can be made in a time as short as 100 microseconds, which yields much higher spatial resolution than a frequency sweep method. This method essentially consists of applying a small amplitude time limited voltage signal into a probe and measuring the resulting current response. The frequency bandwidth of the voltage signal is selected in order that the electron plasma resonances are observable. A prototype of the new instrument was flown at 08:45 EST on March 1 2016 on a NASA Undergraduate Student Instrument Progam (USIP) sounding rocket launched out of Wallops Flight Facility (Flight time was around 20 minutes). Here we analyze the data from the sounding rocket experiment, using an adaptive system identification technique to compare the measured data with analytical formulas obtained from a theoretical consideration of the time domain response. The analytical formula is calibrated to a plasma fluid finite difference time domain (PFFDTD) numerical computation before using it to analyze the rocket data from 85 km to 170 km on both upleg and downleg. Our results show that the technique works as advertised, but several issues including payload charging and signal rectification remains to be resolved.

Writing qualitative article: It is time to quality improvement.

PubMed

Sanjari, Mahnaz; Jafaraghayee, Fatemeh; Aalaa, Maryam; Mehrdad, Neda

2016-01-01

Précis: This debate article highlights some questions from critics of qualitative research. Planning for proper design, philosophical background, researcher as a research instrument in the study, trustworthiness and application of findings are main debates in this field. One of the issues that have been received little attention is report of qualitative inquiry. A qualified report can answer the critics. This requires that the qualitative articles cover all points about the selected method and rigourness of study conduct to convince policy makers, managers and all readers in different level.

Selecting Suicide Ideation Assessment Instruments: A Meta-Analytic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erford, Bradley T.; Jackson, Jessica; Bardhoshi, Gerta; Duncan, Kelly; Atalay, Zumra

2018-01-01

Psychometric meta-analyses and reviews were provided for four commonly used suicidal ideation instruments: the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, the Suicide Ideation Questionnaire, the Suicide Probability Scale, and Columbia--Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Practical and technical issues and best use recommendations for screening and outcome…

40 CFR 144.70 - Wording of the instruments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Wording of the instruments. 144.70 Section 144.70 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS... the draft is payable pursuant to regulations issued under authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act...

26 CFR 1.6049-2 - Interest and original issue discount subject to reporting in calendar years before 1983.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... interest is considered paid), and interest paid with respect to the proceeds of insurance policies left... the old instrument to the new holder or the issuance by the corporation of a new instrument to the new...

The hospital bond market and the AHERF bankruptcy.

PubMed

Carpenter, Caryl E; McCue, Michael J; Moon, Sun

2003-01-01

An analysis of hospital, tax-exempt bonds issued before and after the Allegheny Health, Education, and Research Foundation (AHERF) bankruptcy demonstrated that despite the decline in market rates for tax-exempt securities in the post period, bonds issued by hospitals and systems carried higher coupon rates than they did in the pre period. There was a significant decline in the proportion of hospital/system bonds that were insured from the pre to the post period. Bond insurance firms tightened their credit criteria after the bankruptcy, which may explain, in part, why the proportion of insured bonds declined. We conclude that hospital bonds are now viewed as riskier instruments than they were prior to the AHERF bankruptcy. This is reflected in higher coupon rates for both insured and uninsured bonds and fewer insured bond issues. This decline in hospital creditworthiness comes at a time when many hospitals need to replace aging assets and acquire new technologies in response to increased inpatient utilization.

On the Potential Uses of Static Offsets Derived From Low-Cost Community Instruments and Crowd-Sourcing for Earthquake Monitoring and Rapid Response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minson, S. E.; Brooks, B. A.; Murray, J. R.; Iannucci, R. A.

2013-12-01

We explore the efficacy of low-cost community instruments (LCCIs) and crowd-sourcing to produce rapid estimates of earthquake magnitude and rupture characteristics which can be used for earthquake loss reduction such as issuing tsunami warnings and guiding rapid response efforts. Real-time high-rate GPS data are just beginning to be incorporated into earthquake early warning (EEW) systems. These data are showing promising utility including producing moment magnitude estimates which do not saturate for the largest earthquakes and determining the geometry and slip distribution of the earthquake rupture in real-time. However, building a network of scientific-quality real-time high-rate GPS stations requires substantial infrastructure investment which is not practicable in many parts of the world. To expand the benefits of real-time geodetic monitoring globally, we consider the potential of pseudorange-based GPS locations such as the real-time positioning done onboard cell phones or on LCCIs that could be distributed in the same way accelerometers are distributed as part of the Quake Catcher Network (QCN). While location information from LCCIs often have large uncertainties, their low cost means that large numbers of instruments can be deployed. A monitoring network that includes smartphones could collect data from potentially millions of instruments. These observations could be averaged together to substantially decrease errors associated with estimated earthquake source parameters. While these data will be inferior to data recorded by scientific-grade seismometers and GPS instruments, there are features of community-based data collection (and possibly analysis) that are very attractive. This approach creates a system where every user can host an instrument or download an application to their smartphone that both provides them with earthquake and tsunami warnings while also providing the data on which the warning system operates. This symbiosis helps to encourage people to both become users of the warning system and to contribute data to the system. Further, there is some potential to take advantage of the LCCI hosts' computing and communications resources to do some of the analysis required for the warning system. We will present examples of the type of data which might be observed by pseudorange-based positioning for both actual earthquakes and laboratory tests as well as performance tests of potential earthquake source modeling derived from pseudorange data. A highlight of these performance tests is a case study of the 2011 Mw 9 Tohoku-oki earthquake.

Nineteenth Century Long-Term Instrumental Records, Examples From the Southeastern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mock, C. J.

2001-12-01

Early instrumental records in the United States, defined as those operating before 1892 which is regarded the period prior to the modern climate record, provide a longer perspective of climatic variability at decadal and interannual timescales. Such reconstructions also provide a means of verification for other proxy data. This paper provides a American perspective of historical climatic research, emphasizing the urgent need to properly evaluate data quality and provide necessary corrections to make them compatible with the modern record. Different fixed observation times, different practices of weather instrument exposures, and statistical methods for calibration are the main issues in applying corrections and conducting proper climatic interpretations. I illustrate several examples on methodologies of this historical climatic research, focusing on the following in the Southeastern United States: daily reconstructed temperature time-series centered on Charleston SC and Natchez MS back to the late eighteenth century, and precipitation frequency reconstructions during the antebellum period for the Gulf Coast and coastal Southeast Atlantic states. Results indicate several prominent extremes unprecedented as compared to the modern record, such as the widespread warm winter of 1827-28, and the severe cold winters of 1856 and 1857. The reconstructions also yield important information concerning responses to past ENSO events, the PNA, NAO, and the PDO, particularly when compared with instrumental data from other regions. A high potential also exists for applying the climate reconstructions to assess historical climatic impacts on society in the Southeast, such as to understand climatic linkages to famous case studies of Yellow Fever epidemics and severe drought.

US Participation in the GOME and SCIAMACHY Projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chance, K. V.; Geary, J. C.; Spurr, R. J. D.

1998-01-01

This report summarizes research done under NASA Grant NAGW-2541 through September 30, 1997. The research performed under this grant includes development and maintenance of scientific software for the GOME retrieval algorithms, consultation on operational software development for GOME, sensitivity and instrument studies to define GOME and SCIAMACHY instruments, consultation on optical and detector issues for both GOME and SCIAMACHY, consultation and development for SCIAMACHY near-real-time (NRT) and off-line (OL) data products, and development of infrared line-by-line atmospheric modeling and retrieval capability for SCIAMACHY. The European Space Agency selected the SAO to participate in GOME validation and science studies, part of the overall ERS AO. This provided access to all GOME data; The SAO activities that are carried out as a result of selection by ESA were funded by the present grant. The Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment was successfully launched on the ERS- 2 satellite on April 20, 1995, and remains working in normal fashion. SCIAMACHY is currently scheduled for launch in early 2000. The first two European ozone monitoring instruments (OMI), to fly on the q series of operational meteorological satellites being planned by Eumetsat, have been selected to be GOME-type instruments (the first, in fact, will be the refurbished GOME flight spare). K. Chance is the U.S. member of the OMI Users Advisory Group.

High-Frequency X-ray Variability Detection in A Black Hole Transient with USA.

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

Shabad, Gayane

2000-10-16

Studies of high-frequency variability (above {approx}100 Hz) in X-ray binaries provide a unique opportunity to explore the fundamental physics of spacetime and matter, since the orbital timescale on the order of several milliseconds is a timescale of the motion of matter through the region located in close proximity to a compact stellar object. The detection of weak high-frequency signals in X-ray binaries depends on how well we understand the level of Poisson noise due to the photon counting statistics, i.e. how well we can understand and model the detector deadtime and other instrumental systematic effects. We describe the preflight timingmore » calibration work performed on the Unconventional Stellar Aspect (USA) X-ray detector to study deadtime and timing issues. We developed a Monte Carlo deadtime model and deadtime correction methods for the USA experiment. The instrumental noise power spectrum can be estimated within {approx}0.1% accuracy in the case when no energy-dependent instrumental effect is present. We also developed correction techniques to account for an energy-dependent instrumental effect. The developed methods were successfully tested on USA Cas A and Cygnus X-1 data. This work allowed us to make a detection of a weak signal in a black hole candidate (BHC) transient.« less

An overview of MAP/GLOBUS NO(x)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pommereau, J. P.

1989-01-01

GLOBUS NO(x) is a combined observation of nitrogen compounds by more than 20 experiments, from satellites, remote and in situ instruments on board balloons and ground observatories, within a short time period. Held in September 1985 above Southern France, the field campaign has been a technical success. Most of the observations were achieved as anticipated. NO, NO2 and relevant species and physical parameters involved in their photochemistry, were measured between 5 and 40 km at several periods of the day. A first step of data interpretation which consists of instrumental intercomparisons, is now achieved. Several systematic biases between data of various origins which have appeared in the past, are now understood and reduced. A second step which deals with atmospheric photochemistry issues like diurnal cycles and budget, is now on its way. It will be the object of a close exchange between experimenters involved in the campaign and modelers.

Advocacy meets the scientific method.

PubMed

Bradford, J; Hilber, J A

2001-01-01

ABSTRACT Dr. Judith Bradford is a social science researcher who has been a key figure in the evolution of lesbian health research. With Caitlin Ryan, Judy was instrumental in creating the National Lesbian Health Care Survey (NLHCS) in the mid-1980s. After assuming the Directorship of the Survey and Evaluation Research Lab (SERL) at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), she became involved in the recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee process, which resulted in increased attention to lesbian health at the national level. The IOM Committee recommendations have been instrumental in lobbying efforts by Judy and others for inclusion of LBGT issues in Healthy People 2010, the United States Public Health Service blueprint used by PHS agencies nationwide. Judy's current activities include helping to develop the Lesbian Health Research Institute and serving as the part-time Director of Lesbian Health Research at Fenway Community Health in Boston.

Using Nondestructive Portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometers on Stone, Ceramics, Metals, and Other Materials in Museums: Advantages and Limitations.

PubMed

Tykot, Robert H

2016-01-01

Elemental analysis is a fundamental method of analysis on archaeological materials to address their overall composition or identify the source of their geological components, yet having access to instrumentation, its often destructive nature, and the time and cost of analyses have limited the number and/or size of archaeological artifacts tested. The development of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) instruments over the past decade, however, has allowed nondestructive analyses to be conducted in museums around the world, on virtually any size artifact, producing data for up to several hundred samples per day. Major issues have been raised, however, about the sensitivity, precision, and accuracy of these devices, and the limitation of performing surface analysis on potentially heterogeneous objects. The advantages and limitations of pXRF are discussed here regarding archaeological studies of obsidian, ceramics, metals, bone, and painted materials. © The Author(s) 2015.

Measurement and valuation of quality of life in economic appraisal of cancer treatment.

PubMed

Uyl-de Groot, C A; Rutten, F F; Bonsel, G J

1994-01-01

In the economic evaluation (EE) of technologies in cancer treatment at least three endpoints are relevant: costs, survival and quality of life (QoL). This article is focused on QoL. EE requires the use of generic and valuation QoL instruments at a disease non-specific level, but the inclusion of cancer-specific instruments may be advisable, particularly for reasons of explanation if changes in dimensions are small or conflicting. Given the pros and cons of the available questionnaires, we advocate the use of the Nottingham Health Profile, the EuroQol and the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist. In our experience the QoL issue in EE linked with cancer trials is associated with practical problems like questionnaire composition, follow-up time, interviewing schedule, patients' compliance and doctors' acceptance. These problems are discussed and some practical guidelines for the design of QoL measurement in cancer trials are given.

Macrofouling of deep-sea instrumentation after three years at 3690 m depth in the Charlie Gibbs fracture zone, mid-Atlantic ridge, with emphasis on hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanco, R.; Shields, M. A.; Jamieson, A. J.

2013-12-01

Macrofouling is a common problem when deploying underwater instrumentation for long periods of time. It is a problem which can effect scientific experiments and monitoring missions though the creation of artificial reefs (thus increasing local biological activity) and reduce the quality of scientific data. Macrofouling is an issue typically considered to be restricted to the photic zones and is absent or negligible in the deep sea. To the contrary, the recovery of an accidentally lost deep-sea lander after 3 years submergence at 3960 m on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (North Atlantic) revealed dense colonisation of macrofouling organisms. These organisms were found attached to all surfaces of the lander regardless of orientation and materials. The occurrence of such deep-sea macrofouling should be carefully investigated given the recent developments in long-term deep-sea observatory networks.

26 CFR 1.1275-1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... reopening and aggregation rules. (g) Debt instruments issued by a natural person. If an entity is a primary... natural person even if a natural person is a co-maker and is jointly liable for the debt instrument's... entity even if the partnership is composed entirely of natural persons. (h) Publicly offered debt...

Assessing Minimum Competencies of Beginning Teachers: Instrumentation, Measurement Issues, Legal Concerns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellett, Chad D.

An overview is presented of a performance-based assessment system, Teacher Performance Assessment Instruments (TPAI), developed by the Teacher Assessment Project at the University of Georgia to measure competencies of beginning teachers for initial professional certification. To clearly separate the preparation and certification functions within…

Beyond Guided Listening: Exploring World Musics with Classroom Instruments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartolome, Sarah J.

2011-01-01

This article explores issues of authenticity related to adapting world music examples for classroom instruments and suggests ways to engage students in active, participatory music-making activities derived from diverse musical cultures. Several lesson plan segments are provided to aid general music specialists in implementing "play along"…

Gender Differences in Measuring Adolescent Drug Abuse and Related Psychosocial Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Botzet, Andria, M.; Winters, Ken C.; Stinchfield, Randy

2006-01-01

Although gender issues have been addressed in clinical drug abuse literature, very little research has focused on gender differences in terms of the psychometric properties of assessment instruments. If boys and girls interpret instruments differently, the accuracy of clinical evaluation, referral, and treatment decisions based on these measures…

OD Technology for the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blake, Robert R.; Mouton, Jane Srygley

1979-01-01

The authors state that organizational development (OD) consultants are reluctant to rely upon instruments because this would diminish their sense of usefulness. They discuss 15 OD issues and conclude that OD instruments must be based on sound principles of behavior and sequenced in a planned way in order to implement organizational change and…

Structural Analysis of the Resident Assistant Cultural Diversity Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Vanessa D.; Kang, Young-Shin; Thompson, George F.

2011-01-01

This study investigated the five-factor structure of the Resident Assistant Cultural Diversity (RACD) instrument, which assesses resident assistant (RA) confidence in addressing issues of cultural diversity in college and university residence halls. The instrument has five components that explore RA confidence: (1) belief in the need for cultural…

Teacher Evaluations in Leisure Studies Programs: An Old Issue with a New Slant.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butts, Frank B.; Swearingen, Tommy

1994-01-01

This paper examines teacher evaluation practices in leisure studies programs, noting the perceived effectiveness of rating instruments. Surveys of leisure studies professors nationwide indicated many institutions used evaluation instruments and processes that were not statistically validated; key decisions were often made on the basis of these…

Measuring School Climate: Questions and Considerations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Bruce L.; McGrail, Janet

School climate is an elusive but powerful concept that has captured the attention of both researchers and practitioners, but choosing an instrument to assess climate can be very complicated. This monograph accordingly discusses four basic issues that should be considered prior to selecting an instrument to measure school climate: purpose, choice…

48 CFR 204.7003 - Basic PII number.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... procurement instrument is issued or awarded. (3) Position 9. Indicate the type of instrument by entering one...) Invitations for bids—B (iii) Contracts of all types except indefinite delivery contracts, sales contracts, and...—N (xv) Do not use—O (xvi) Purchase order—automated (assign V when numbering capacity of P is...

Rethinking policy perspectives on childhood stunting: time to formulate a structural and multifactorial strategy

PubMed Central

Mejía‐Guevara, Iván; Krishna, Aditi

2016-01-01

Abstract Stunting and chronic undernutrition among children in South Asia remain a major unresolved global health issue. There are compelling intrinsic and moral reasons to ensure that children attain their optimal growth potential facilitated via promotion of healthy living conditions. Investments in efforts to ensure that children's growth is not faltered also have substantial instrumental benefits in terms of cognitive and economic development. Using the case of India, we critique three prevailing approaches to reducing undernutrition among children: an over‐reliance on macroeconomic growth as a potent policy instrument, a disproportionate focus on interpreting undernutrition as a demand‐side problem and an over‐reliance on unintegrated single‐factorial (one at a time) approaches to policy and research. Using existing evidence, we develop a case for support‐led policy approach with a focus on integrated and structural factors to addressing the problem of undernutrition among children in India. Key messages Eliminating child undernutrition is important from an intrinsic perspective and offers considerable instrumental benefits to individual and society.Evidence suggests that an exclusive reliance on a growth‐mediated strategy to eliminate stunting needs to be reconsidered, suggesting the need for a substantial support‐led strategy.Interpreting and addressing undernutrition as a demand‐side problem with proximal single‐factorial interventions is futile.There is an urgent need to develop interventions that address the broader structural and upstream causes of child undernutrition. PMID:27187918

Me Time, or We Time? Age Differences in Motivation for Exercise.

PubMed

Steltenpohl, Crystal N; Shuster, Michael; Peist, Eric; Pham, Amber; Mikels, Joseph A

2018-04-23

Increasing exercise continues to be an important health issue for both older and younger adults. Researchers have suggested several methods for increasing exercise motivation. Socioemotional selectivity theory (SST) posits that people's motivation shift from future-oriented instrumental goals to present-oriented emotionally meaningful goals as we age, which provides insight into how people's motivations for exercise may differ for older versus younger adults. The aim of our study was to examine how exercise motivation differs for older versus younger adults. Older (greater than 59 years old) and younger (aged 18-26 years) adults participated in focus groups. They discussed exercise motivation (or lack thereof), motivators and barriers to exercise, and preferences about when, where, and with whom they exercise. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using direct content analysis and iterative categorization. Consistent with SST, younger adults generally preferred to exercise alone to achieve instrumental fitness goals, whereas older adults preferred to exercise with others. Additionally, older adults tend to consider peripheral others (e.g., strangers, acquaintances), as a positive rather than a negative influence. SST provides a framework for exploring age-related shifts in exercise motivation. Additionally, the positivity effect was reflected in how older adults evaluated the influence of peripheral others. Motivational messages could be tailored to increase health behavior changes by focusing on instrumental exercise goals for younger adults and exercise focused on meaningful relationships for older adults.

Instrumentation for accelerated life tests of concentrator solar cells.

PubMed

Núñez, N; Vázquez, M; González, J R; Jiménez, F J; Bautista, J

2011-02-01

Concentrator photovoltaic is an emergent technology that may be a good economical and efficient alternative for the generation of electricity at a competitive cost. However, the reliability of these new solar cells and systems is still an open issue due to the high-irradiation level they are subjected to as well as the electrical and thermal stresses that they are expected to endure. To evaluate the reliability in a short period of time, accelerated aging tests are essential. Thermal aging tests for concentrator photovoltaic solar cells and systems under illumination are not available because no technical solution to the problem of reaching the working concentration inside a climatic chamber has been available. This work presents an automatic instrumentation system that overcomes the aforementioned limitation. Working conditions have been simulated by forward biasing the solar cells to the current they would handle at the working concentration (in this case, 700 and 1050 times the irradiance at one standard sun). The instrumentation system has been deployed for more than 10 000 h in a thermal aging test for III-V concentrator solar cells, in which the generated power evolution at different temperatures has been monitored. As a result of this test, the acceleration factor has been calculated, thus allowing for the degradation evolution at any temperature in addition to normal working conditions to be obtained.

Quality evaluation of fish and other seafood by traditional and nondestructive instrumental methods: Advantages and limitations.

PubMed

Hassoun, Abdo; Karoui, Romdhane

2017-06-13

Although being one of the most vulnerable and perishable products, fish and other seafoods provide a wide range of health-promoting compounds. Recently, the growing interest of consumers in food quality and safety issues has contributed to the increasing demand for sensitive and rapid analytical technologies. Several traditional physicochemical, textural, sensory, and electrical methods have been used to evaluate freshness and authentication of fish and other seafood products. Despite the importance of these standard methods, they are expensive and time-consuming, and often susceptible to large sources of variation. Recently, spectroscopic methods and other emerging techniques have shown great potential due to speed of analysis, minimal sample preparation, high repeatability, low cost, and, most of all, the fact that these techniques are noninvasive and nondestructive and, therefore, could be applied to any online monitoring system. This review describes firstly and briefly the basic principles of multivariate data analysis, followed by the most commonly traditional methods used for the determination of the freshness and authenticity of fish and other seafood products. A special focus is put on the use of rapid and nondestructive techniques (spectroscopic techniques and instrumental sensors) to address several issues related to the quality of these products. Moreover, the advantages and limitations of each technique are reviewed and some perspectives are also given.

Post launch performance of the Meteor-3/TOMS instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaross, Glen; Ahmad, Zia; Cebula, Richard P.; Krueger, Arlin J.

1994-01-01

The Meteor-3/TOMS instrument is the second in a series of Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometers (TOMS) following the 1978 launch of Nimbus-7/TOMS. TOMS instruments are designed to measure total ozone amounts over the entire earth on a daily basis, and have been the cornerstone of ozone trend monitoring. Consequently, calibration is a critical issue, and is receiving much attention on both instruments. Performance and calibration data obtained by monitoring systems aboard the Meteor-3 instrument have been analyzed through the first full year of operation, and indicate that the instrument is performing quite well. A new system for monitoring instrument sensitivity employing multiple diffusers has been used successfully and is providing encouraging results. The 3-diffuser system has monitored changes in instrument sensitivity of a few percent despite decreases in diffuser reflectivity approaching 50 percent since launch.

A new approach for instrument software at Gemini

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillies, Kim; Nunez, Arturo; Dunn, Jennifer

2008-07-01

Gemini Observatory is now developing its next generation of astronomical instruments, the Aspen instruments. These new instruments are sophisticated and costly requiring large distributed, collaborative teams. Instrument software groups often include experienced team members with existing mature code. Gemini has taken its experience from the previous generation of instruments and current hardware and software technology to create an approach for developing instrument software that takes advantage of the strengths of our instrument builders and our own operations needs. This paper describes this new software approach that couples a lightweight infrastructure and software library with aspects of modern agile software development. The Gemini Planet Imager instrument project, which is currently approaching its critical design review, is used to demonstrate aspects of this approach. New facilities under development will face similar issues in the future, and the approach presented here can be applied to other projects.

WHO FCTC as a Pioneering and Learning Instrument Comment on "The Legal Strength of International Health Instruments - What It Brings to Global Health Governance?"

PubMed

Puska, Pekka

2017-05-23

The World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is a unique global health instrument, since it is in the health field the only instrument that is international law. After the 10 years of its existence an Independent Expert Group assessed the impact of the FCTC using all available data and visiting a number of countries interviewing different stakeholders. It is quite clear that the Treaty has acted as a strong catalyst and framework for national actions and that remarkable progress in global tobacco control can be seen. At the same time FCTC has moved tobacco control in countries from a pure health issue to a legal responsibility of the whole government, and on the international level created stronger interagency collaboration. The assessment also showed the many challenges. The spread of tobacco use, as well as of other risk lifestyles, is related to globalization. FCTC is a pioneering example of global action to counteract the negative social consequences of globalization. A convention is not an easy instrument, but the FCTC has undoubtedly sparked thinking and development of other stronger public health instruments and of needed governance structures. © 2018 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Aviation Safety Issues Database

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morello, Samuel A.; Ricks, Wendell R.

2009-01-01

The aviation safety issues database was instrumental in the refinement and substantiation of the National Aviation Safety Strategic Plan (NASSP). The issues database is a comprehensive set of issues from an extremely broad base of aviation functions, personnel, and vehicle categories, both nationally and internationally. Several aviation safety stakeholders such as the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) have already used the database. This broader interest was the genesis to making the database publically accessible and writing this report.

A laboratory assessment of the measurement accuracy of weighing type rainfall intensity gauges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colli, M.; Chan, P. W.; Lanza, L. G.; La Barbera, P.

2012-04-01

In recent years the WMO Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observation (CIMO) fostered noticeable advancements in the accuracy of precipitation measurement issue by providing recommendations on the standardization of equipment and exposure, instrument calibration and data correction as a consequence of various comparative campaigns involving manufacturers and national meteorological services from the participating countries (Lanza et al., 2005; Vuerich et al., 2009). Extreme events analysis is proven to be highly affected by the on-site RI measurement accuracy (see e.g. Molini et al., 2004) and the time resolution of the available RI series certainly constitutes another key-factor in constructing hyetographs that are representative of real rain events. The OTT Pluvio2 weighing gauge (WG) and the GEONOR T-200 vibrating-wire precipitation gauge demonstrated very good performance under previous constant flow rate calibration efforts (Lanza et al., 2005). Although WGs do provide better performance than more traditional Tipping Bucket Rain gauges (TBR) under continuous and constant reference intensity, dynamic effects seem to affect the accuracy of WG measurements under real world/time varying rainfall conditions (Vuerich et al., 2009). The most relevant is due to the response time of the acquisition system and the derived systematic delay of the instrument in assessing the exact weight of the bin containing cumulated precipitation. This delay assumes a relevant role in case high resolution rain intensity time series are sought from the instrument, as is the case of many hydrologic and meteo-climatic applications. This work reports the laboratory evaluation of Pluvio2 and T-200 rainfall intensity measurements accuracy. Tests are carried out by simulating different artificial precipitation events, namely non-stationary rainfall intensity, using a highly accurate dynamic rainfall generator. Time series measured by an Ogawa drop counter (DC) at a field test site located within the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) were aggregated at a 1-minute scale and used as reference for the artificial rain generation (Colli et al., 2012). The preliminary development and validation of the rainfall simulator for the generation of variable time steps reference intensities is also shown. The generator is characterized by a sufficiently short time response with respect to the expected weighing gauges behavior in order to ensure effective comparison of the measured/reference intensity at very high resolution in time.

Evaluation, Language, and Untranslatables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dahler-Larsen, Peter; Abma, Tineke; Bustelo, María; Irimia, Roxana; Kosunen, Sonja; Kravchuk, Iryna; Minina, Elena; Segerholm, Christina; Shiroma, Eneida; Stame, Nicoletta; Tshali, Charlie Kabanga

2017-01-01

The issue of translatability is pressing in international evaluation, in global transfer of evaluative instruments, in comparative performance management, and in culturally responsive evaluation. Terms that are never fully understood, digested, or accepted may continue to influence issues, problems, and social interactions in and around and after…

Photovoltaics radiometric issues and needs

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

Myers, D.R.

1995-11-01

This paper presents a summary of issues discussed at the photovoltaic radiometric measurements workshop. Topics included radiometric measurements guides, the need for well-defined goals, documentation, calibration checks, accreditation of testing laboratories and methods, the need for less expensive radiometric instrumentation, data correlations, and quality assurance.

Upwelling Measurement Issues at the CERES Ocean Validation Experiment (COVE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fabbri, B. E.; Schuster, G. L.; Denn, F. M.; Arduini, R. F.; Madigan, J. J.; Rutan, D. A.

2016-12-01

The Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) satellite measures both solar-reflected and Earth-emitted radiation from the Earth's surface to the top of the atmosphere. One surface validation site is located at Chesapeake Light Station, approximately 25 kilometers east of Virginia Beach, Virginia (coordinates: 36.90N, 75.71W). In 1999, the CERES Ocean Validation Experiment (COVE) was established at Chesapeake Light Station. COVE is in its 17th year collecting radiometric and meteorological data. Other measurements over this time period include aerosol optical depth, water leaving radiance, precipitable water vapor and more. The issues we are trying to resolve for the upwelling flux are two-fold. First, there is the "shadow effect". In the morning, the shadow of the tower appears on the water in the field of view underneath the shortwave (SW) and longwave (LW) upwelling instruments. An attempt to understand the shading effect is made by separating the data into "shaded" and "unshaded" time periods using the Solar Azimuth (SA) angle. SA < 180 degrees are considered shaded, and SA > 180 degrees are considered unshaded. Upwelling SW shaded and unshaded datasets differ by a maximum of 9.5 W/m2 and a minimum of -0.7 W/m2 with the delta mean resulting in 3.6 W/m2. Upwelling LW shaded and unshaded datasets differ by a maximum of 8.0 W/m2 and a minimum of 1.0 W/m2 with the delta mean resulting in 3.7 W/m2. The second issue is the "tower radiating effect" which is especially noticeable on clear, sunny days. During these days, the tower tends to heat up and radiate extra heat energy that is measured by the LW instrument. We compare Infrared Radiation Thermometer (IRT) measurements to Precision Infrared Radiometer (PIR) measurements and make a case for using IRT measurements as upwelling LW.

Age at Menarche and Time Spent in Education: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

PubMed

Gill, D; Del Greco M, F; Rawson, T M; Sivakumaran, P; Brown, A; Sheehan, N A; Minelli, C

2017-09-01

Menarche signifies the primary event in female puberty and is associated with changes in self-identity. It is not clear whether earlier puberty causes girls to spend less time in education. Observational studies on this topic are likely to be affected by confounding environmental factors. The Mendelian randomization (MR) approach addresses these issues by using genetic variants (such as single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs) as proxies for the risk factor of interest. We use this technique to explore whether there is a causal effect of age at menarche on time spent in education. Instruments and SNP-age at menarche estimates are identified from a Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) meta-analysis of 182,416 women of European descent. The effects of instruments on time spent in education are estimated using a GWAS meta-analysis of 118,443 women performed by the Social Science Genetic Association Consortium (SSGAC). In our main analysis, we demonstrate a small but statistically significant causal effect of age at menarche on time spent in education: a 1 year increase in age at menarche is associated with 0.14 years (53 days) increase in time spent in education (95% CI 0.10-0.21 years, p = 3.5 × 10 -8 ). The causal effect is confirmed in sensitivity analyses. In identifying this positive causal effect of age at menarche on time spent in education, we offer further insight into the social effects of puberty in girls.

Invited Review Article: Gas puff imaging diagnostics of edge plasma turbulence in magnetic fusion devices

DOE PAGES

Zweben, S. J.; Terry, J. L.; Stotler, D. P.; ...

2017-04-27

Gas puff imaging (GPI) is a diagnostic of plasma turbulence which uses a puff of neutral gas at the plasma edge to increase the local visible light emission for improved space-time resolution of plasma fluctuations. This paper reviews gas puff imaging diagnostics of edge plasma turbulence in magnetic fusion research, with a focus on the instrumentation, diagnostic cross-checks, and interpretation issues. The gas puff imaging hardware, optics, and detectors are described for about 10 GPI systems implemented over the past similar to 15 years. Comparison of GPI results with other edge turbulence diagnostic results is described, and many common featuresmore » are observed. Here, several issues in the interpretation of GPI measurements are discussed, and potential improvements in hardware and modeling are suggested.« less

Invited Review Article: Gas puff imaging diagnostics of edge plasma turbulence in magnetic fusion devices

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

Zweben, S. J.; Terry, J. L.; Stotler, D. P.

Gas puff imaging (GPI) is a diagnostic of plasma turbulence which uses a puff of neutral gas at the plasma edge to increase the local visible light emission for improved space-time resolution of plasma fluctuations. This paper reviews gas puff imaging diagnostics of edge plasma turbulence in magnetic fusion research, with a focus on the instrumentation, diagnostic cross-checks, and interpretation issues. The gas puff imaging hardware, optics, and detectors are described for about 10 GPI systems implemented over the past similar to 15 years. Comparison of GPI results with other edge turbulence diagnostic results is described, and many common featuresmore » are observed. Here, several issues in the interpretation of GPI measurements are discussed, and potential improvements in hardware and modeling are suggested.« less

Relationship between physical activity level and psychosocial and socioeconomic factors and issues in children and adolescents with asthma: a scoping review.

PubMed

Westergren, Thomas; Berntsen, Sveinung; Ludvigsen, Mette Spliid; Aagaard, Hanne; Hall, Elisabeth O C; Ommundsen, Yngvar; Uhrenfeldt, Lisbeth; Fegran, Liv

2017-08-01

Asthma is a heterogeneous chronic airway disease which may reduce capability for physical activity. In healthy peers, physical activity is influenced by psychosocial and socioeconomic factors. Knowledge about the role of these factors has not been mapped in children and adolescents with asthma. The main objective of this scoping review was to identify psychosocial and socioeconomic factors associated with physical activity level in children and adolescents with asthma in the literature. The specific objectives were to map the instruments used to measure these factors, report on the construction and validation of these instruments, map psychosocial and socioeconomic issues related to physical activity level reported in qualitative studies, and identify gaps in knowledge about the relationship between psychosocial and socioeconomic factors and physical activity level in children and adolescents with asthma. Children and adolescents with asthma aged six to 18 years. Psychosocial and socioeconomic factors related to physical activity level and participation. All physical activity contexts. Quantitative and qualitative primary studies in English, with no date limit. The databases searched included nine major databases for health and sports science, and five databases for unpublished studies. After screening and identification of studies, the reference lists of all identified reports were searched, and forward citation searches were conducted using four databases. The following data were extracted: (a) relevant study characteristics and assessment of physical activity level, (b) instruments used to assess psychosocial and socioeconomic factors, (c) association between physical activity level and these factors, (d) construction and validation of instruments, and (e) psychosocial and socioeconomic issues related to physical activity participation. Twenty-one quantitative and 13 qualitative studies were included. In cross-sectional studies, enjoyment, physical self-concept, self-efficacy, attitudes and beliefs about physical activity and health, psychological distress, health-related quality of life, and social support were more often reported as being correlated with physical activity level. In three studies, the construct validity was assessed by factor analysis and construct reliability tests for the study population. Qualitative studies reported 10 issues related to physical activity participation, and capability and being like peers were most commonly reported. There was no direct evidence that qualitative research informed the development or adjustment of instruments in quantitative studies. Seven psychosocial factors correlated with physical activity level; capability and being like peers were the most commonly reported issues. Reports of the construction and validation of instruments were sparse.

Characterisation of spectrophotometers used for spectral solar ultraviolet radiation measurements.

PubMed

Gröbner, J

2001-01-01

Spectrophotometers used for spectral measurements of the solar ultraviolet radiation need to be well characterised to provide accurate and reliable data. Since the characterisation and calibration are usually performed in the laboratory under conditions very different from those encountered during solar measurements, it is essential to address all issues concerned with the representativity of the laboratory characterisation with respect to the solar measurements. These include among others the instrument stability, the instrument linearity, the instrument responsivity, the wavelength accuracy, the spectral resolution, stray light rejection and the instrument dependence on ambient temperature fluctuations. These instrument parameters need to be determined often enough so that the instrument changes only marginally in the period between successive characterisations and therefore provides reliable data for the intervening period.

Social inclusion of the people with mental health issues: Compare international results.

PubMed

Santos, Jussara Carvalho Dos; Barros, Sônia; Huxley, Peter John

2018-06-01

Social inclusion of people with mental health issues is an aim of the World Health Organisation. Many countries have adopted that objective, including Brazil and the United Kingdom and both have focused treatment in the community. The aim of this article is to compare international results using the same inclusion instrument. The samples in this study were 225 people with mental health issues in community services in São Paulo, Brazil. Their results are compared to findings from 168 people with similar mental health issues in Hong Kong, China, and from the United Kingdom - a nationally representative sample of 212 people without mental health issues. The instrument used to measure a social inclusion called Social and Communities Opportunities Profile (SCOPE) has been validated for use in the United Kingdom, China and Brazil. The results are that people with mental health issues have worse social inclusion when compared to general population. Between the people with mental health issues, the sample of São Paulo has the lowest social inclusion index but, in relation to access to the Brazilian revised mental health services, that sample has a similarly high inclusion rating to the general population of the United Kingdom. Findings are important to understand mental health in the community context, as well as their adversities and potentialities.

Advancing Cell Biology Through Proteomics in Space and Time (PROSPECTS)*

PubMed Central

Lamond, Angus I.; Uhlen, Mathias; Horning, Stevan; Makarov, Alexander; Robinson, Carol V.; Serrano, Luis; Hartl, F. Ulrich; Baumeister, Wolfgang; Werenskiold, Anne Katrin; Andersen, Jens S.; Vorm, Ole; Linial, Michal; Aebersold, Ruedi; Mann, Matthias

2012-01-01

The term “proteomics” encompasses the large-scale detection and analysis of proteins and their post-translational modifications. Driven by major improvements in mass spectrometric instrumentation, methodology, and data analysis, the proteomics field has burgeoned in recent years. It now provides a range of sensitive and quantitative approaches for measuring protein structures and dynamics that promise to revolutionize our understanding of cell biology and molecular mechanisms in both human cells and model organisms. The Proteomics Specification in Time and Space (PROSPECTS) Network is a unique EU-funded project that brings together leading European research groups, spanning from instrumentation to biomedicine, in a collaborative five year initiative to develop new methods and applications for the functional analysis of cellular proteins. This special issue of Molecular and Cellular Proteomics presents 16 research papers reporting major recent progress by the PROSPECTS groups, including improvements to the resolution and sensitivity of the Orbitrap family of mass spectrometers, systematic detection of proteins using highly characterized antibody collections, and new methods for absolute as well as relative quantification of protein levels. Manuscripts in this issue exemplify approaches for performing quantitative measurements of cell proteomes and for studying their dynamic responses to perturbation, both during normal cellular responses and in disease mechanisms. Here we present a perspective on how the proteomics field is moving beyond simply identifying proteins with high sensitivity toward providing a powerful and versatile set of assay systems for characterizing proteome dynamics and thereby creating a new “third generation” proteomics strategy that offers an indispensible tool for cell biology and molecular medicine. PMID:22311636

Development of a Climate-Data Record (CDR) of the Surface Temperature of the Greenland Ice Sheet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Dorthy K.; Comiso, Josefino C.; Shuman, Christopher A.; DiGirolamo, Nicolo E.; Stock, Larry V.

2010-01-01

Regional "clear sky" surface temperature increases since the early 1980s in the Arctic, measured using Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) infrared data, range from 0.57+/-0.02 deg C to 72+/-0.10 deg C per decade. Arctic warming has important implications for ice-sheet mass balance because much of the periphery of the Greenland Ice Sheet is already near 0 deg C during the melt season, and is thus vulnerable to rapid melting if temperatures continue to increase. An increase in melting of the ice sheet would accelerate sea-level rise, an issue affecting potentially billions of people worldwide. To quantify the ice-surface temperature (IST) of the Greenland Ice Sheet, and to provide an IST dataset of Greenland for modelers that provides uncertainties, we are developing a climate-data record (CDR) of daily "clear-sky" IST of the Greenland Ice Sheet, from 1982 to the present using AVHRR (1982 - present) and Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data (2000 - present) at a resolution of approximately 5 km. Known issues being addressed in the production of the CDR are: time-series bias caused by cloud cover (surface temperatures can be different under clouds vs. clear areas) and cross-calibration in the overlap period between AVHRR instruments, and between AVHRR and MODIS instruments. Because of uncertainties, mainly due to clouds, time-series of satellite IST do not necessarily correspond with actual surface temperatures. The CDR will be validated by comparing results with automatic-weather station data and with satellite-derived surface-temperature products and biases will be calculated.

School-Based Methylphenidate Placebo Protocols: Methodological and Practical Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyman, Irwin A.; Wojtowicz, Alexandra; Lee, Kee Duk; Haffner, Mary Elizabeth; Fiorello, Catherine A.; And Others

1998-01-01

Focuses on methodological issues involved in choosing instruments to monitor behavior, once a comprehensive evaluation has suggested trials on Ritalin. Case examples illustrate problems of teacher compliance in filling out measures, supplying adequate placebos, and obtaining physical cooperation. Emerging school-based methodologies are discussed…

Issues in Quantitative Analysis of Ultraviolet Imager (UV) Data: Airglow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Germany, G. A.; Richards, P. G.; Spann, J. F.; Brittnacher, M. J.; Parks, G. K.

1999-01-01

The GGS Ultraviolet Imager (UVI) has proven to be especially valuable in correlative substorm, auroral morphology, and extended statistical studies of the auroral regions. Such studies are based on knowledge of the location, spatial, and temporal behavior of auroral emissions. More quantitative studies, based on absolute radiometric intensities from UVI images, require a more intimate knowledge of the instrument behavior and data processing requirements and are inherently more difficult than studies based on relative knowledge of the oval location. In this study, UVI airglow observations are analyzed and compared with model predictions to illustrate issues that arise in quantitative analysis of UVI images. These issues include instrument calibration, long term changes in sensitivity, and imager flat field response as well as proper background correction. Airglow emissions are chosen for this study because of their relatively straightforward modeling requirements and because of their implications for thermospheric compositional studies. The analysis issues discussed here, however, are identical to those faced in quantitative auroral studies.

Capturing Career Reflections: Construction of an Instrument to Explore Careers and Career Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Kimberly S.; Hite, Linda M.; Mansour-Cole, Dina

2006-01-01

This study describes the development and validation of an instrument to tap employee reflections on career interests, needs and career development opportunities. Item construction was based on issues identified in previous qualitative research and themes prevalent in recent HRD career development literature. Pilot data for an exploratory factor…

An Analysis and Validation of Vocational Special Needs Inservice Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, James M.; And Others

This report presents the results of a four-year effort to develop a valid and reliable inservice needs assessment instrument. (The instrument was designed to identify competencies that should be the focus of inservice training for vocational educators who teach or provide services to special needs learners.) Chapter I is an introduction. Chapter…

Gender and Musical Instrument Stereotypes in Middle School Children: Have Trends Changed?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wrape, Elizabeth R.; Dittloff, Alexandra L.; Callahan, Jennifer L.

2016-01-01

Previous studies have established that gender stereotypes are associated with children's choice of musical instrument. Though some have suggested that these gender stereotypes may be trending toward change, other studies have indicated that gender stereotypes are long-standing and still very much at issue. This descriptive study of middle school…

78 FR 666 - Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities Issued at a Premium; Bond Premium Carryforward

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-04

... regulations that provide guidance on the tax treatment of a debt instrument with a bond premium carryforward... contains final regulations that provide guidance on the tax treatment of Treasury Inflation-Protected... debt instruments. The text of the temporary regulations in this document also serves as the text of the...

41 CFR 102-38.290 - What types of payment may we accept?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... limited to, the following: (a) U.S. currency or any form of credit instrument made payable on demand in U.S. currency, e.g., cashier's check, money order. Promissory notes and postdated credit instruments are not acceptable. (b) Irrevocable commercial letters of credit issued by a United States bank...

The Development of Intercultural Competence in Saudi Academic Migrants: A Collective Instrumental Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagar, Trenton James

2016-01-01

In this collective instrumental case study, the focus was on understanding the issue of Intercultural Competence within Saudi academic migrants. The purpose of this study was to determine how Saudi academic migrants gain intercultural competence through the development of attitudes, knowledge, and skills, as defined by Deardorff's (2006) process…

Space Shuttle Orbiter Main Engine Ignition Acoustic Pressure Loads Issue: Recent Actions to Install Wireless Instrumentation on STS-129

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wells, Nathan; Studor, George

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the development and construction of the wireless acoustic instruments surrounding the space shuttle's main engines in preparation for STS-129. The presentation also includes information on end-of-life processing and the mounting procedure for the devices.

Instrumental Instruction in Community Bands from Bahia, Brazil

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbosa, Joel Luis

2010-01-01

Community bands play an important role in Brazilian music education. Often the only point of musical access, they provide free instrumental teaching for thousands of people who cannot afford to pay. One challenge that needs to be continually addressed is the issue of attrition, especially during the first stages of instruction. Considering this…

Formative Evaluation of the Early Development Instrument: Progress and Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keating, Daniel P.

2007-01-01

This article is a commentary for the special issue on the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a community tool to assess children's school readiness and developmental outcomes at a group level. The EDI is administered by kindergarten teachers, who assess their kindergarten students on 5 developmental domains: physical health and well-being, social…

Safety Signals as Instrumental Reinforcers during Free-Operant Avoidance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernando, Anushka B. P.; Urcelay, Gonzalo P.; Mar, Adam C.; Dickinson, Anthony; Robbins, Trevor W.

2014-01-01

Safety signals provide "relief" through predicting the absence of an aversive event. At issue is whether these signals also act as instrumental reinforcers. Four experiments were conducted using a free-operant lever-press avoidance paradigm in which each press avoided shock and was followed by the presentation of a 5-sec auditory safety…

Developing an Effective Instrument for Assessing the Performance of Public University Presidents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lester, Dennis

2010-01-01

Conducting a worthwhile assessment of the performance of senior leaders such as university presidents poses unique challenges for public institutions of higher education. One of the most difficult issues is determining the "content" and "format" of the assessment instrument. Due to the breadth and complexity of the job, the…

Measuring Principal Performance: How Rigorous Are Commonly Used Principal Performance Assessment Instruments? A Quality School Leadership Issue Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Condon, Christopher; Clifford, Matthew

2010-01-01

This brief reviews the publicly available principal assessments and points superintendents and policy makers toward strong instruments to measure principal performance. Specifically, the measures included in this review are expressly intended to evaluate principal performance and have varying degrees of publicly available evidence of psychometric…

The Fabrications and Travels of a Knowledge-Policy Instrument

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carvalho, Luis Miguel

2012-01-01

This article sets forth the main elements of the conceptual framework for the overall approach to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) taken in this special issue. PISA is here examined as a (knowledge for policy) regulatory instrument made by intertwined cognitive and social practices, and involving multidirectional flows of…

Higher Education as an Instrument of Social Integration in Tanzania: Challenges and Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mkude, Daniel

2011-01-01

In developing countries, higher education is a powerful instrument for social mobility and economic prosperity. An in-depth study of the relationship between higher education and certain equity issues has revealed that in Ghana and Tanzania there is inadequate effort to widen higher education participation to include traditionally disadvantaged…

Maintaining psychology's scientific and professional credibility and ethical responsibility to self-regulate: a comment on "validations" of mental health assessment instruments.

PubMed

Moras, Karla

2005-03-01

Recent growth of "managed" mental health care in the United States has spawned huge demand for products that draw on one of psychology's most well developed subdisciplines, tests and measurement. The commercial potential of mental health assessment instruments intended for widespread use, to meet what Kraus, Seligman, and Jordan (this volume) describe as "an industry-wide surge in outcome evaluations in naturalistic ... settings," necessarily raises conflict of interest dilemmas for those who develop and market them. The American Psychological Association has devoted intensive effort to the preceding issue as it pertains to other aspects of the science and practice of clinical psychology. Comparable attention has not been focused recently on the development and marketing of assessment instruments. This Comment highlights the issue and suggests types of self-regulatory actions that might be taken, e.g., requiring and publishing full disclosure statements of authors' relationships to companies that market instruments like the Treatment Outcome Package in psychometric articles in which they are evaluated. 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Relationships between school start time, sleep duration, and adolescent behaviors.

PubMed

Wahlstrom, Kyla L; Berger, Aaron T; Widome, Rachel

2017-06-01

The objectives were 2-fold: (1) to examine how high school start times relate to adolescent sleep duration, and (2) to test associations between sleep duration and mental health- and substance use-related issues and behaviors in teens. This study examines selected questions from survey data collected between 2010 and 2013 high school students. Respondents included more than 9000 students in grades 9 to 12 in 8 high schools in 5 school districts across the United States. The survey instrument is the 97-item Teen Sleep Habits Survey. Logistic regression models were used to calculate adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Because of clustering within schools and the use of repeated measures, generalized estimating equations were used to account for variance inflation. Greater sleep duration was associated with fewer reports of various mental health- and substance use-related issues and behaviors (all P values <.01). For instance, for each additional hour of sleep reported, there was a 28% reduction in the adjusted odds of a participant reporting that he or she felt "unhappy, sad, or depressed." Later wake-up times were associated with a reduction in risk for some, but not all factors. Later start times were significantly associated with greater sleep duration. Given that later start times allow for greater sleep duration and that adequate sleep duration is associated with more favorable mental health- and substance use-related issues and behaviors, it is important that school districts prioritize exploring and implementing policies, such as delayed start times, that may increase the amount of sleep of adolescent students, which is needed for their optimal development. Copyright © 2017 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ECLSS Integration Analysis: Advanced ECLSS Subsystem and Instrumentation Technology Study for the Space Exploration Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

In his July 1989 space policy speech, President Bush proposed a long range continuing commitment to space exploration and development. Included in his goals were the establishment of permanent lunar and Mars habitats and the development of extended duration space transportation. In both cases, a major issue is the availability of qualified sensor technologies for use in real-time monitoring and control of integrated physical/chemical/biological (p/c/b) Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS). The purpose of this study is to determine the most promising instrumentation technologies for future ECLSS applications. The study approach is as follows: 1. Precursor ECLSS Subsystem Technology Trade Study - A database of existing and advanced Atmosphere Revitalization (AR) and Water Recovery and Management (WRM) ECLSS subsystem technologies was created. A trade study was performed to recommend AR and WRM subsystem technologies for future lunar and Mars mission scenarios. The purpose of this trade study was to begin defining future ECLSS instrumentation requirements as a precursor to determining the instrumentation technologies that will be applicable to future ECLS systems. 2. Instrumentation Survey - An instrumentation database of Chemical, Microbial, Conductivity, Humidity, Flowrate, Pressure, and Temperature sensors was created. Each page of the sensor database report contains information for one type of sensor, including a description of the operating principles, specifications, and the reference(s) from which the information was obtained. This section includes a cursory look at the history of instrumentation on U.S. spacecraft. 3. Results and Recommendations - Instrumentation technologies were recommended for further research and optimization based on a consideration of both of the above sections. A sensor or monitor technology was recommended based on its applicability to future ECLS systems, as defined by the ECLSS Trade Study (1), and on whether its characteristics were considered favorable relative to similar instrumentation technologies (competitors), as determined from the Instrumentation Survey (2). The instrumentation technologies recommended by this study show considerable potential for development and promise significant returns if research efforts are invested.

Instruments to measure social support and related constructs in pregnant adolescents: a review.

PubMed

Perrin, K M; McDermott, R J

1997-01-01

This review examines some of the key issues related to measuring social support and identifies 28 instruments which have been used in research with pregnant adolescents. The major external and internal variables that affect social support for pregnant adolescents are defined. Relevant questions are offered to guide the researcher in the choice of a social support instrument, and the 28 social support instruments are described by author, availability, length and item type, psychometric properties, and selected references and notes. Although not an exhaustive list, these 28 instruments are representative of the broad spectrum of measurement tools available which were chosen because they have been used in a variety of social support research endeavors.

Cosmogonic Perceptions in the Armenian Traditional Musical Instrument-crafting Culture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pikichian, Hripsime

2015-07-01

Based on research data and materials recorded by folk musicians and craftsmen, the article presents the musical instrument-crafting in traditional culture, its contribution in to re-establishment of cosmic order. In this context, the several issues are reviewed in detail: individuality of craftsmen and musicians, the raw materials for the creation of instrument, the instrument structure, the manufacturing process, the ornaments and application. According to the traditional view, using the elements of nature and imitating the sounds of nature and human psychological states the master imitates God repeating the process of creation of the Universe. So, the Instrument is held capable to influence the society contributing to the eternity of life.

Instrument development and the measurement of unitary constructs.

PubMed

Carboni, J T

1992-01-01

This article initiates needed dialogue on the development of instruments to measure unitary constructs. The concept of measurement is explored and current measurement in Rogerian research is considered in light of the issues raised in the discussion. The human field - environmental field relationship is presented as the clinical practice area serving as the basis for the development of a unitary instrument that purports to measure field pattern. The instrument entitled Mutual Exploration of the Healing Human Field - Environmental Field Relationship is offered as a beginning effort in constructing an instrument that measures a unitary phenomenon. Rogerian scholars are provided with the challenge to continue the debate regarding the whole field of measurement and the development of unitary tools.

Key Issues for Navigation and Time Dissemination in NASA's Space Exploration Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, R. A.; Brodsky, B.; Oria, A. J.; Connolly, J. W.; Sands, O. S.; Welch, B. W.; Ely T.; Orr, R.; Schuchman, L.

2006-01-01

The renewed emphasis on robotic and human missions within NASA's space exploration program warrants a detailed consideration of how the positions of objects in space will be determined and tracked, whether they be spacecraft, human explorers, robots, surface vehicles, or science instrumentation. The Navigation Team within the NASA Space Communications Architecture Working Group (SCAWG) has addressed several key technical issues in this area and the principle findings are reported here. For navigation in the vicinity of the Moon, a variety of satellite constellations have been investigated that provide global or regional surface position determination and timely services analogous to those offered by GPS at Earth. In the vicinity of Mars, there are options for satellite constellations not available at the Moon due to the gravitational perturbations from Earth, such as two satellites in an aerostationary orbit. Alternate methods of radiometric navigation as considered, including one- and two-way signals, as well as autonomous navigation. The use of a software radio capable of receiving all available signal sources, such as GPS, pseudolites, and communication channels, is discussed. Methods of time transfer and dissemination are also considered in this paper.

Muscle dysmorphia: methodological issues, implications for research.

PubMed

Suffolk, Mark T; Dovey, Terence M; Goodwin, Huw; Meyer, Caroline

2013-01-01

Muscle dysmorphia is a male-dominated, body image-related psychological condition. Despite continued investigation, contention surrounds the nosological status of this disorder. The aim of this article was to review the literature on muscle dysmorphia to provide a qualitative account of methodological issues that may inhibit our understanding. Key areas relating to non-standardized participant groups, measuring instruments, and terminology were identified as potentially inhibiting symptom coherence and diagnostic reliability. New measuring instruments validated with clinical samples and carefully described participant groups, standardized terminology, and a greater emphasis on prospective longitudinal research with specific sub groups of the weight training community would be of interest to the field.

Beyond face validity - A comment on Nicholls, Licht, and Pearl. [gender-related personality traits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spence, Janet T.; Helmreich, Robert L.

1983-01-01

In their discussion of the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI; Bem, 1974) and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ; Spence and Helmrich, 1978), Nicholls, et al. (1982) blur two issues. The first concerns the legitimacy of equating the clusters of gender-related personality traits tapped by these instruments with the global constructs of masculinity and feminity. The second concerns item similarity between the PAQ and BSRI M scales and measures of self-esteem and the question of whether the several instruments measure the same or separable constructs. Decisions about each of these issues involve complex considerations that do not directly involve face validity.

The ESA Nanosatellite Beacons for Space Weather Monitoring Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hapgood, M.; Eckersley, S.; Lundin, R.; Kluge, M.

2008-09-01

This paper will present final results from this ESA-funded study that has investigated how current and emerging concepts for nanosats may be used to monitor space weather conditions and provide improved access to data needed for space weather services. The study has reviewed requirements developed in previous ESA space weather studies to establish a set of service and measurements requirements appropriate to nanosat solutions. The output is conveniently represented as a set of five distinct classes of nanosat constellations, each in different orbit locations and which can address a specific group of measurement requirements. One example driving requirement for several of the constellations was the need for real-time data reception. Given this background, the study then iterated a set of instrument and spacecraft solutions to address each of the nanosat constellations from the requirements. Indeed, iteration has proved to be a critical aspect of the study. The instrument solutions have driven a refinement of requirements through assessment of whether or not the physical parameters to be measured dictate instrument components too large for a nanosat. In addition, the study has also reviewed miniaturization trends for instruments relevant to space weather monitoring by nanosats, looking at the near, mid and far-term timescales. Within the spacecraft solutions the study reviewed key technology trends relevant to space weather monitoring by nanosats: (a) micro and nano-technology devices for spacecraft communications, navigation, propulsion and power, and (b) development and flight experience with nanosats for science and for engineering demonstration. These requirements and solutions were then subject to an iterative system and mission analysis including key mission design issues (e.g. launch/transfer, mission geometry, instrument accommodation, numbers of spacecraft, communications architectures, de-orbit, nanosat reliability and constellation robustness) and the impact of nanosat fundamental limitations (e.g. mass, volume/size, power, communications). As a result, top-level Strawman mission concepts were developed for each constellation, and ROM costs were derived for programme development, operation and maintenance over a ten-year period. Nanosat reliability and constellation robustness were shown to be a key driver in deriving mission costs. In parallel with the mission analysis the study results have been reviewed to identify key issues that determine the prospects for a space weather nanosat programme and to make recommendations on measures to enable implementation of such a programme. As a follow-on to this study, a student MSc project was initiated by Astrium at Cranfield University to analyse a potential space weather precursor demonstration mission in GTO (one of the recommendations from this ESA study), composing of a reduced constellation of nanosats, launched on ASAP or some other low cost method. The demonstration would include: 1/ Low cost multiple manufacture techniques for a fully industrial nanosat constellation programme 2/ Real time datalinks and fully operational mission for space weather 3/ Miniaturised payloads to fit in a nanosat for space weather monitoring: 4/ Other possible demonstrations of advanced technology The aim was to comply with ESA demonstration mission (i.e. PROBA-type) requirements, to be representative on issues such as cost and risk

Issues in the Evaluation of Educational Television Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aversa, Frances M.; Forman, David C.

1978-01-01

Seven issues raised during an evaluation study of televised instructional components are identified: selection and commitment of sample, environment of evaluation sessions, student and expert review, formulation of an explicit evaluation model, conflicting results from different instruments, standards and the interpretation of data, and style and…

Instrumentation at Paranal Observatory: maintaining the instrument suite of five large telescopes and its interferometer alive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillet, Gordon; Alvarez, José Luis; Beltrán, Juan; Bourget, Pierre; Castillo, Roberto; Diaz, Álvaro; Haddad, Nicolás; Leiva, Alfredo; Mardones, Pedro; O'Neal, Jared; Ribes, Mauricio; Riquelme, Miguel; Robert, Pascal; Rojas, Chester; Valenzuela, Javier

2010-07-01

This presentation provides interesting miscellaneous information regarding the instrumentation activities at Paranal Observatory. It introduces the suite of 23 instruments and auxiliary systems that are under the responsibility of the Paranal Instrumentation group, information on the type of instruments, their usage and downtime statistics. The data is based on comprehensive data recorded in the Paranal Night Log System and the Paranal Problem Reporting System whose principles are explained as well. The work organization of the 15 team members around the high number of instruments is laid out, which includes: - Maintaining older instruments with obsolete components - Receiving new instruments and supporting their integration and commissioning - Contributing to future instruments in their developing phase. The assignments of the Instrumentation staff to the actual instruments as well as auxiliary equipment (Laser Guide Star Facility, Mask Manufacturing Unit, Cloud Observation Tool) are explained with respect to responsibility and scheduling issues. The essential activities regarding hardware & software are presented, as well as the technical and organizational developments within the group towards its present and future challenges.

The Re-Analysis of Ozone Profile Data from a 41-Year Series of SBUV Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kramarova, Natalya; Frith, Stacey; Bhartia, Pawan K.; McPeters, Richard; Labow, Gordon; Taylor, Steven; Fisher, Bradford

2012-01-01

In this study we present the validation of ozone profiles from a number of Solar Back Scattered Ultra Violet (SBUV) and SBUV/2 instruments that were recently reprocessed using an updated (Version 8.6) algorithm. The SBUV dataset provides the longest available record of global ozone profiles, spanning a 41-year period from 1970 to 2011 (except a 5-year gap in the 1970s) and includes ozone profile records obtained from the Nimbus-4 BUV and Nimbus-7 SBUV instruments, and a series of SBUV(/2) instruments launched on NOAA operational satellites (NOAA 09, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19). Although modifications in instrument design were made in the evolution from the BUV instrument to the modern SBUV(/2) model, the basic principles of the measurement technique and retrieval algorithm remain the same. The long term SBUV data record allows us to create a consistent, calibrated dataset of ozone profiles that can be used for climate studies and trend analyses. In particular, we focus on estimating the various sources of error in the SBUV profile ozone retrievals using independent observations and analysis of the algorithm itself. For the first time we include in the metadata a quantitative estimate of the smoothing error, defined as the error due to profile variability that the SBUV observing system cannot inherently measure. The magnitude of the smoothing error varies with altitude, latitude, season and solar zenith angle. Between 10 and 1 hPa the smoothing errors for the SBUV monthly zonal mean retrievals are of the order of 1 %, but start to increase above and below this layer. The largest smoothing errors, as large as 15-20%, were detected in in the troposphere. The SBUV averaging kernels, provided with the ozone profiles in version 8.6, help to eliminate the smoothing effect when comparing the SBUV profiles with high vertical resolution measurements, and make it convenient to use the SBUV ozone profiles for data assimilation and model validation purposes. The smoothing error can also be minimized by combining layers of data, and we will discuss recommendations for this approach as well. The SBUV ozone profiles have been intensively validated against satellite profile measurements obtained from the Microwave Limb Sounders (MLS) (on board the UARS and AURA satellites), Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) and Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS). Also, we compare coincident and collocated SBUV ozone retrievals with observations made by ground-based instruments, such as microwave spectrometers, lidars, Umkehr instruments and balloon-borne ozonosondes. Finally, we compare the SBUV ozone profiles with output from the NASA GSFC GEOS-CCM model. In the stratosphere between 25 and 1 hPa the mean biases and standard deviations are within 5% for monthly mean ozone profiles. Above and below this layer the vertical resolution of the SBUV algorithm decreases and the effects of vertical smoothing should be taken into account. Though the SBUV algorithm has a coarser vertical resolution in the lower stratosphere and troposphere, it is capable of precisely estimating the integrated ozone column between the surface and 25 hPa. The time series of the tropospheric - lower stratospheric ozone column derived from SBUV agrees within 5% with the corresponding values observed by an ensemble of ozone sonde stations in North Hemisphere. Drift of the ozone time series obtained from each SBUV(/2) instrument relative to ground based and satellite measurements are evaluated and some features of individual SBUV(l2) instruments are discussed. In addition to evaluating individual instruments against independent observations, we also focus on the instrument to instrument consistency in the series. Overall, Version 8.6 ozone profiles obtained from two different SBUV(l2) instruments compare within a couple of percent during overlap periods and are consistently varying in time, with some exceptions. Some of the noted discrepancies might bssociated with ozone diurnal variations, since the difference in the local time of the observations for a pair of SBUV(l2) instruments could be several hours. Other issues include the potential short-term drift in measurements as the instrument orbit drifts, and measurements are obtained at high solar zenith angles (>85 ). Based on the results of the validation, a consistent, calibrated dataset of SBUV ozone profiles has been created based on internal calibration only.

Comparative assessment of laparoscopic single-site surgery instruments to conventional laparoscopic in laboratory setting.

PubMed

Stolzenburg, Jens-Uwe; Kallidonis, Panagiotis; Oh, Min-A; Ghulam, Nabi; Do, Minh; Haefner, Tim; Dietel, Anja; Till, Holger; Sakellaropoulos, George; Liatsikos, Evangelos N

2010-02-01

Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) represents the latest innovation in laparoscopic surgery. We compare in dry and animal laboratory the efficacy of recently introduced pre-bent instruments with conventional laparoscopic and flexible instruments in terms of time requirement, maneuverability, and ease of handling. Participants of varying laparoscopic experience were included in the study and divided in groups according to their experience. The participants performed predetermined tasks in dry laboratory using all sets of instruments. An experienced laparoscopic surgeon performed 24 nephrectomies in 12 pigs using all sets of instruments. Single port was used for all instrument sets except for the conventional instruments, which were inserted through three ports. The time required for the performance of dry laboratory tasks and the porcine nephrectomies was recorded. Errors in the performance of dry laboratory tasks of each instrument type were also recorded. Pre-bent instruments had a significant advantage over flexible instruments in terms of time requirement to accomplish tasks and procedures as well as maneuverability. Flexible instruments were more time consuming in comparison to the conventional laparoscopic instruments during the performance of the tasks. There were no significant differences in the time required for the accomplishment of dry laboratory tasks or steps of nephrectomy using conventional instruments through appropriate number of ports in comparison to pre-bent instruments through single port. Pre-bent instruments were less time consuming and with better maneuverability in comparison to flexible instruments in experimental single-port access surgery. Further clinical investigations would elucidate the efficacy of pre-bent instruments.

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

Va'Vra, J.

The publication of the ICFA Instrumentation Bulletin is an activity of the Panel on Future Innovation and Development of ICFA (International Committee for Future Accelerators). The Bulletin reports on research and progress in the field of instrumentation with emphasis on application in the field of high-energy physics. It encourages issues of generic instrumentation. This volume contains the following articles: (1) ''Gaseous Micropattern Detectors: High-Energy Physics and Beyond''; (2) ''DIRC Dreams Redux: Research Directions for the Next Generation of Internally Reflected Imaging Counters''; and (3) ''Corrosion of Glass Windows in DIRC PMTs''.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Nuclear Science Symposium, 18th, and Nuclear Power Systems Symposium, 3rd, San Francisco, Calif., November 3-5, 1971, Proceedings.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Potential advantages of fusion power reactors are discussed together with the protection of the public from radioactivity produced in nuclear power reactors, and the significance of tritium releases to the environment. Other subjects considered are biomedical instrumentation, radiation damage problems, low level environmental radionuclide analysis systems, nuclear techniques in environmental research, nuclear instrumentation, and space and plasma instrumentation. Individual items are abstracted in this issue.

Use of the total station for load testing of retrofitted bridges with limited access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merkle, Wesley J.; Myers, John J.

2004-07-01

As new technologies are increasingly applied to civil infrastructure, the need for structural monitoring systems becomes more critical. Serviceability, or deflection, is very important in monitoring the health of not only a structural system, but also in analyzing the affects of a new technology applied in the field. Traditionally, Linear Variable Displacement Transducers (LVDT"s) are used to measure deflection in many filed load tests. In the field, access can easily become an issue with this instrumentation system that is truly designed for laboratory use. LVDT instrumentation for load testing typically requires several labor intensive hours to prepare for a load test in the field; the system is accompanied by wiring and expensive electronics that may not only become a safety issue but is also very sensitive to the elements. Set up is especially difficult, if not impossible, on tall bridge spans and bridge spans over water. A recent research project required serviceability monitoring through a series of load tests for several retrofitted bridges in Missouri. For these tests, surveying equipment was employed in attempt to make serviceability measurement more practicable. Until recently, surveying equipment would not have produced the accuracy required for structural monitoring use; however, manufacturers of this equipment have developed new technologies to increase the accuracy of the instrumentation. The major component used, the total station, can measure deflection accurate to 0.2 millimeters (0.0079 in.). This monitoring system is much easier to set up and use, reducing labor and time requirements. The system has almost no site restrictions. This paper will compare and contrast the total station to traditional load testing monitoring equipment (LVDT).

Critical factors determining the quantification capability of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization– time-of-flight mass spectrometry

PubMed Central

Wang, Chia-Chen; Lai, Yin-Hung; Ou, Yu-Meng; Chang, Huan-Tsung; Wang, Yi-Sheng

2016-01-01

Quantitative analysis with mass spectrometry (MS) is important but challenging. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) coupled with time-of-flight (TOF) MS offers superior sensitivity, resolution and speed, but such techniques have numerous disadvantages that hinder quantitative analyses. This review summarizes essential obstacles to analyte quantification with MALDI-TOF MS, including the complex ionization mechanism of MALDI, sensitive characteristics of the applied electric fields and the mass-dependent detection efficiency of ion detectors. General quantitative ionization and desorption interpretations of ion production are described. Important instrument parameters and available methods of MALDI-TOF MS used for quantitative analysis are also reviewed. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Quantitative mass spectrometry’. PMID:27644968

Reconstructing the history of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation using high-resolution Mg/Ca paleothermometry from a Cariaco Basin core

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wurtzel, J. B.; Black, D. E.; Rahman, S.; Thunell, R.; Peterson, L. C.; Tappa, E.

2010-12-01

Instrumental and proxy-reconstructions show the existence of an approximately 70-year periodicity in Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST), known as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). The AMO is correlated with circum-tropical Atlantic climate phenomena such as Sahel and Nordeste rainfall, and Atlantic hurricane patterns. Though it has been suggested that the AMO is controlled by thermohaline circulation, much debate exists as to whether the SST fluctuations are a result of anthropogenic forcing or a natural climate mode, or even if the AMO is a true oscillation at all. Our ability to address this issue has been limited by instrumental SST records that rarely extend back more than 50-100 years and proxy reconstructions that are mostly terrestrial-based. Additionally, the modern instrumental variability likely contains an anthropogenic component that is not easily distinguished from the natural background of the system. From a marine sediment core taken in the Cariaco Basin, we have developed a high-resolution SST reconstruction for the past ca. 1500 years using Mg/Ca paleothermometry on seasonally-representative foraminifera, with the most recent data calibrated to the instrumental record. Previous studies have shown Cariaco Basin Mg/Ca-SSTs to be well-correlated to the Caribbean Sea and much of the western tropical Atlantic, which allows us to create a record that can be used to determine pre-anthropogenic rates and ranges of SST variability and observe how they change over time. Averaging the seasonal temperatures derived from the two foraminiferal species over the instrumental period yields a strong correlation to the AMO index from A. D. 1880 through 1970 (r = 0.44, p<0.0001). Wavelet analysis of the proxy average annual SST data indicates that modern AMO variability is not a consistent feature through time, and may be a function of warm-period climate.

Critical Design Decisions of The Planck LFI Level 1 Software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morisset, N.; Rohlfs, R.; Türler, M.; Meharga, M.; Binko, P.; Beck, M.; Frailis, M.; Zacchei, A.

2010-12-01

The PLANCK satellite with two on-board instruments, a Low Frequency Instrument (LFI) and a High Frequency Instrument (HFI) has been launched on May 14th with Ariane 5. The ISDC Data Centre for Astrophysics in Versoix, Switzerland has developed and maintains the Planck LFI Level 1 software for the Data Processing Centre (DPC) in Trieste, Italy. The main tasks of the Level 1 processing are to retrieve the daily available scientific and housekeeping (HK) data of the LFI instrument, the Sorption Cooler and the 4k Cooler data from Mission Operation Centre (MOC) in Darmstadt; to sort them by time and by type (detector, observing mode, etc...); to extract the spacecraft attitude information from auxiliary files; to flag the data according to several criteria; and to archive the resulting Time Ordered Information (TOI), which will then be used to produce maps of the sky in different spectral bands. The output of the Level 1 software are the TOI files in FITS format, later ingested into the Data Management Component (DMC) database. This software has been used during different phases of the LFI instrument development. We started to reuse some ISDC components for the LFI Qualification Model (QM) and we completely rework the software for the Flight Model (FM). This was motivated by critical design decisions taken jointly with the DPC. The main questions were: a) the choice of the data format: FITS or DMC? b) the design of the pipelines: use of the Planck Process Coordinator (ProC) or a simple Perl script? c) do we adapt the existing QM software or do we restart from scratch? The timeline and available manpower are also important issues to be taken into account. We present here the orientation of our choices and discuss their pertinence based on the experience of the final pre-launch tests and the start of real Planck LFI operations.

Improving the limits of detection of low background alpha emission measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNally, Brendan D.; Coleman, Stuart; Harris, Jack T.; Warburton, William K.

2018-01-01

Alpha particle emission - even at extremely low levels - is a significant issue in the search for rare events (e.g., double beta decay, dark matter detection). Traditional measurement techniques require long counting times to measure low sample rates in the presence of much larger instrumental backgrounds. To address this, a commercially available instrument developed by XIA uses pulse shape analysis to discriminate alpha emissions produced by the sample from those produced by other surfaces of the instrument itself. Experience with this system has uncovered two residual sources of background: cosmogenics and radon emanation from internal components. An R&D program is underway to enhance the system and extend the pulse shape analysis technique further, so that these residual sources can be identified and rejected as well. In this paper, we review the theory of operation and pulse shape analysis techniques used in XIA's alpha counter, and briefly explore data suggesting the origin of the residual background terms. We will then present our approach to enhance the system's ability to identify and reject these terms. Finally, we will describe a prototype system that incorporates our concepts and demonstrates their feasibility.

The 2 Pi Charged Particles Analyzer: All-Sky Camera Concept and Development for Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaisberg, O.; Berthellier, J.-J.; Moore, T.; Avanov, L.; Leblanc, F.; Leblanc, F.; Moiseev, P.; Moiseenko, D.; Becker, J.; Collier, M.;

What should we call instruments commonly known as payments for environmental services? A review of the literature and a proposal.

PubMed

Shelley, Barry G

2011-02-01

Researchers, policy makers, and practitioners have used various terms to describe instruments that reward the stewardship of ecosystem services that benefit "external" actors. Payments for environmental services, or PES, has been the predominant name. However, critics have challenged both the payments and environmental components of this nomenclature, most commonly proposing markets, compensation, or rewards as alternatives for the former, and ecosystem for the latter. Additional questions arise regarding what to call the agents directly involved in the transaction: sellers and buyers, or stewards and beneficiaries? For some, concerns about this terminology have emerged from so-called "pro-poor PES" debates that ask if actors could and should incorporate poverty alleviation goals into PES instruments. This review of the modulating use of terms and the arguments about which best fit theory and experience points to the key policy and ethical issues at stake as PES programs face critical and timely questions about the direction they will head. The author contends that the choices of terms will influence that direction and proposes a new alternative-rewards for ecosystem service stewardship (RESS)-that better encompasses pro-poor options. © 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.

James Webb Space Telescope Integrated Science Instrument Module Thermal Vacuum Thermal Balance Test Campaign at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glazer, Stuart; Comber, Brian (Inventor)

2016-01-01

The James Webb Space Telescope is a large infrared telescope with a 6.5-meter primary mirror, designed as a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope when launched in 2018. Three of the four science instruments contained within the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) are passively cooled to their operational temperature range of 36K to 40K with radiators, and the fourth instrument is actively cooled to its operational temperature of approximately 6K. Thermal-vacuum testing of the flight science instruments at the ISIM element level has taken place in three separate highly challenging and extremely complex thermal tests within a gaseous helium-cooled shroud inside Goddard Space Flight Centers Space Environment Simulator. Special data acquisition software was developed for these tests to monitor over 1700 flight and test sensor measurements, track over 50 gradients, component rates, and temperature limits in real time against defined constraints and limitations, and guide the complex transition from ambient to final cryogenic temperatures and back. This extremely flexible system has proven highly successful in safeguarding the nearly $2B science payload during the 3.5-month-long thermal tests. Heat flow measurement instrumentation, or Q-meters, were also specially developed for these tests. These devices provide thermal boundaries o the flight hardware while measuring instrument heat loads up to 600 mW with an estimated uncertainty of 2 mW in test, enabling accurate thermal model correlation, hardware design validation, and workmanship verification. The high accuracy heat load measurements provided first evidence of a potentially serious hardware design issue that was subsequently corrected. This paper provides an overview of the ISIM-level thermal-vacuum tests and thermal objectives; explains the thermal test configuration and thermal balances; describes special measurement instrumentation and monitoring and control software; presents key test thermal results; lists problems encountered during testing and lessons learned.

ATIC Flight Data Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahn, H. S.; Adams, James H., Jr.; Bashindzhagyan, G.; Ampe, J.; Case, G.; Whitaker, Ann F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The first flight of the Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC) experiment from McMurdo, Antarctica lasted for 16 days, starting on December 28, 2000. The ATIC instrument consists of a fully active 320-crystal, 960-channel Bismuth Germanate (BGO) calorimeter, 202 scintillator strips (808 channels) in 3 hodoscopes, interleaved with graphite target layers, and a 4480-pixel silicon matrix charge detector. We have developed an object-oriented data processing package based on ROOT. In this paper, we describe the data processing scheme used in handling the accumulated 45 GB of flight data. We discuss calibration issues, particularly the time-dependence of housekeeping information.

Rapid multispectral cw multiplexing technique for photon migration measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegel, Andrew M.; Boas, David A.

2001-06-01

A discussion of photon migration will introduce both some fundamental limitations and practical concerns which directly affect the design and construction of DOT instrumentation. The utility of four different multiplexing schemes will be discussed and then contrasted in light of these concerns. The relative merits of each scheme will be used to determine which measurements they are best suited for, given some of the realistic technical, legal, and practical issues common to the medical research community. Within this context, the unique advantages offered by a variant of time-division multiplexing; Pulse-TDM, will be introduced and explained.

Earthquake and volcano hazard notices: An economic evaluation of changes in risk perceptions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bernknopf, R.L.; Brookshire, D.S.; Thayer, M.A.

1990-01-01

Earthquake and volcano hazard notices were issued for the Mammoth Lakes, California area by the U.S. Geological Survey under the authority granted by the Disaster Relief Act of 1974. The effects on investment, recretion visitation, and risk perceptionsare explored. The hazard notices did not affect recreation visitation, although investment was affected. A perceived loss in the market value of homes was documented. Risk perceptions were altered for property owners. Communication of the probability of an event over time would enhance hazard notices as a policy instrument and would mitigate unnecessary market perturbations. ?? 1990.

Measurement of physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness in children: issues and concerns.

PubMed

Rice, M H; Howell, C C

2000-06-01

Data to support the type and level of physical activity that are necessary for health benefits in children and for later prevention of disease as adults are not available. This lack of information may be caused by inconsistency in terminology and by issues and concerns with available instruments to measure the concept. The purpose of this article is to address measurement issues related to physical activity/exercise or physical fitness in children. Implications of these issues for researchers and practitioners are discussed.

26 CFR 1.861-2 - Interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... authority, other than the government itself, issuing instruments intended to circulate as currency. Such a... payable in the currency of a foreign country. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 1.863-6, interest to... issue of which the debt obligation is a part, is actually traded on one or more foreign securities...

The Farm Crisis: Who's in Trouble, How to Respond. National Issues Forum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 1987

1987-01-01

Provides a synopsis of information about the current crises in American agriculture. Addresses national farm policy, political activities, surplus crops, subsidy programs, the loss of smaller family-operated farms, and farm markets. Includes an opinion instrument that invites the reader to respond to the issues. (TW)

Interpreting in Mental Health Settings: Issues and Concerns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vernon, McCay; Miller, Katrina

2001-01-01

This paper examines expectations and stresses placed on sign language interpreters in mental health settings within a framework of demand and control theory. Translations of some specific psychological screening instruments and issues related to the Code of Ethics of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf are considered relative to…

A First: NASA Spots Single Methane Leak from Space

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-06-14

Atmospheric methane is a potent greenhouse gas, but the percentage of it produced through human activities is still poorly understood. Future instruments on orbiting satellites can help address this issue by surveying human-produced methane emissions. Recent data from the Aliso Canyon event, a large accidental methane release near Porter Ranch, California, demonstrates this capability. The Hyperion imaging spectrometer onboard NASA's EO-1 satellite successfully detected this release event on three different overpasses during the winter of 2015-2016. This is the first time the methane plume from a single facility has been observed from space. The orbital observations were consistent with airborne measurements. This image pair shows a comparison of detected methane plumes over Aliso Canyon, California, acquired 11 days apart in Jan. 2016 by: (left) NASA's AVIRIS instrument on a NASA ER-2 aircraft at 4.1 miles (6.6 kilometers) altitude and (right) by the Hyperion instrument on NASA's Earth Observing-1 satellite in low-Earth orbit. The additional red streaks visible in the EO-1 Hyperion image result from measurement noise -- Hyperion was not specifically designed for methane sensing and is not as sensitive as AVIRIS-NG. Additionally, the EO-1 satellite's current orbit provided poor illumination conditions. Future instruments with much greater sensitivity on orbiting satellites can survey the biggest sources of human-produced methane around the world. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20716

Who Has the Final Say? Decisions on Adolescent Behaviour within the Family.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bosma, Harke A.; And Others

1996-01-01

Utilizes the Perspectives on Adolescent Decision-Making Questionnaire to study the transition to adolescence and the changes it involves for the family. The instrument examines 21 issues that can lead to conflict. The instrument was completed by 500 Italian adolescents ages 13 and 15. Sensitivity to age and sex differences was examined.…

The Early Development Instrument: Translating School Readiness Assessment into Community Actions and Policy Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guhn, Martin; Janus, Magdalena; Hertzman, Clyde

2007-01-01

This invited special issue of "Early Education and Development" presents research related to the Early Development Instrument (EDI; Janus & Offord, 2007), a community tool to assess children's school readiness at a population level. In this editorial introduction, we first sketch out recent trends in school readiness research that call for a…

Findings in Search of an Issue: Preliminary Development of a Student Questionnaire for Distance Education Contexts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Della-Piana, Connie Kubo; Della-Piana, Gabriel M.

Part of a larger line of inquiry on the socially constructed experience of the mediated classroom and student socialization in the university community, a study reports on the development of an instrument for tapping student experience in televised instruction classrooms. A theoretical framework underlies the instrument to illuminate reasons for…

Developing Evidence for Action on the Postgraduate Experience: An Effective Local Instrument to Move beyond Benchmarking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sampson, K. A.; Johnston, L.; Comer, K.; Brogt, E.

2016-01-01

Summative and benchmarking surveys to measure the postgraduate student research experience are well reported in the literature. While useful, we argue that local instruments that provide formative resources with an academic development focus are also required. If higher education institutions are to move beyond the identification of issues and…

Testing for Measurement and Structural Equivalence in Large-Scale Cross-Cultural Studies: Addressing the Issue of Nonequivalence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrne, Barbara M.; van de Vijver, Fons J. R.

2010-01-01

A critical assumption in cross-cultural comparative research is that the instrument measures the same construct(s) in exactly the same way across all groups (i.e., the instrument is measurement and structurally equivalent). Structural equation modeling (SEM) procedures are commonly used in testing these assumptions of multigroup equivalence.…

[Deformation evaluation of ProTaper nickel-titanium rotary instruments in curved canals instrumentation in vitro].

PubMed

Yan, Hong; Ren, Min; Yin, Xing-Zhe; Zhao, Shu-Yan; Zhang, Cheng-Fei

2008-04-01

To evaluate the deformation of ProTaper rotary instruments using in root canals of different curvature in vitro. Extracted first mandibular molars were divided into two experimental groups according to the curvature of mesial buccal canals: group A with moderate curvature and group B with severe curvature. Only the mesial buccal canals of all these teeth were prepared with 6 sets of new ProTaper rotary instruments individually. Additionally, the control group was established with a set of new ProTaper rotary instruments. After finishing each canal preparation, the instruments accompanied by control were examined under the stereomicroscope by an inspector without knowing the group. If distortion, unwinding, abrasion or fracture occurred within one set of instruments, then the whole set was disposed. The sets without problems were in use until 30 times. After 5, 10, 20 times canal preparation, S1, F1 files without deformation under stereomicroscope were examined under scanning electron microscope (SEM). Deformation of ProTaper rotary instruments happened after 12 times in group A and after 7 times in group B. In these two experimental groups, microcracks were found increasing with the times of use under SEM in the instruments without deformation under stereomicroscope. The microcracks on tip of instruments were deep in the early use and became smoother after 10 times. Similar changes happened on knife-edge of instruments, and the microcracks extended over the edge after 20 times use. Root canals with severe curvature tend to damage ProTaper rotary instruments more frequently than moderately curved canals. ProTaper rotary instruments are appropriate to treat less than 7 root canals with severe curvature or 12 root canals with moderate curvature. Stereomicroscope is recommended to detect early damages on Ni-Ti rotary instruments, for preventing instruments fracture in clinic.

Considerations in comparing the U.S. Geological Survey one‐year induced‐seismicity hazard models with “Did You Feel It?” and instrumental data

USGS Publications Warehouse

White, Isabel; Liu, Taojun; Luco, Nicolas; Liel, Abbie

2017-01-01

The recent steep increase in seismicity rates in Oklahoma, southern Kansas, and other parts of the central United States led the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to develop, for the first time, a probabilistic seismic hazard forecast for one year (2016) that incorporates induced seismicity. In this study, we explore a process to ground‐truth the hazard model by comparing it with two databases of observations: modified Mercalli intensity (MMI) data from the “Did You Feel It?” (DYFI) system and peak ground acceleration (PGA) values from instrumental data. Because the 2016 hazard model was heavily based on earthquake catalogs from 2014 to 2015, this initial comparison utilized observations from these years. Annualized exceedance rates were calculated with the DYFI and instrumental data for direct comparison with the model. These comparisons required assessment of the options for converting hazard model results and instrumental data from PGA to MMI for comparison with the DYFI data. In addition, to account for known differences that affect the comparisons, the instrumental PGA and DYFI data were declustered, and the hazard model was adjusted for local site conditions. With these adjustments, examples at sites with the most data show reasonable agreement in the exceedance rates. However, the comparisons were complicated by the spatial and temporal completeness of the instrumental and DYFI observations. Furthermore, most of the DYFI responses are in the MMI II–IV range, whereas the hazard model is oriented toward forecasts at higher ground‐motion intensities, usually above about MMI IV. Nevertheless, the study demonstrates some of the issues that arise in making these comparisons, thereby informing future efforts to ground‐truth and improve hazard modeling for induced‐seismicity applications.

The "What," "Why" and "How" of Job Order Contracting (JOC). IssueTrak: A CEFPI Brief on Educational Facility Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jayne, Ken

2004-01-01

This "IssueTrak" discusses how facility planners and managers need an assortment of instruments in their toolbox so that they are able to select the best and most appropriate device for each project. A relatively new tool that should be at the disposal of all educational facility managers and planners is the construction delivery system of Job…

Time Resolved Spectroscopy, High Sensitivity Power Spectrum & a Search for the X-Ray QPO in NGC 5548

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yaqoob, Tahir

1999-09-01

Controversy surrounds the EXOSAT discovery of a QPO (period ~500 s) in NGC 5548 due to the data being plagued by high background and instrumental systematics. If the NGC 5548 QPO is real, the implications for the physics of the X-ray emission mechanism and inner-most disk/black-hole system are enormous. AXAF provides the first opportunity to settle the issue, capable of yielding power spectra with unprecedented sensitivity, pushing the limit on finding new features. Using HETG/ACIS we will also perform time-resolved spectroscopy of the ionized absorption features and Fe-K emission line, search for energy-dependent time lags in the continuum, between the continuum and spectral features, and between the spectral features. These data will provide powerful constraints on models of AGN.

Methodological challenges when doing research that includes ethnic minorities: a scoping review.

PubMed

Morville, Anne-Le; Erlandsson, Lena-Karin

2016-11-01

There are challenging methodological issues in obtaining valid and reliable results on which to base occupational therapy interventions for ethnic minorities. The aim of this scoping review is to describe the methodological problems within occupational therapy research, when ethnic minorities are included. A thorough literature search yielded 21 articles obtained from the scientific databases PubMed, Cinahl, Web of Science and PsychInfo. Analysis followed Arksey and O'Malley's framework for scoping reviews, applying content analysis. The results showed methodological issues concerning the entire research process from defining and recruiting samples, the conceptual understanding, lack of appropriate instruments, data collection using interpreters to analyzing data. In order to avoid excluding the ethnic minorities from adequate occupational therapy research and interventions, development of methods for the entire research process is needed. It is a costly and time-consuming process, but the results will be valid and reliable, and therefore more applicable in clinical practice.

i-SAIRAS '90; Proceedings of the International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation in Space, Kobe, Japan, Nov. 18-20, 1990

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The present conference on artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and automation in space encompasses robot systems, lunar and planetary robots, advanced processing, expert systems, knowledge bases, issues of operation and management, manipulator control, and on-orbit service. Specific issues addressed include fundamental research in AI at NASA, the FTS dexterous telerobot, a target-capture experiment by a free-flying robot, the NASA Planetary Rover Program, the Katydid system for compiling KEE applications to Ada, and speech recognition for robots. Also addressed are a knowledge base for real-time diagnosis, a pilot-in-the-loop simulation of an orbital docking maneuver, intelligent perturbation algorithms for space scheduling optimization, a fuzzy control method for a space manipulator system, hyperredundant manipulator applications, robotic servicing of EOS instruments, and a summary of astronaut inputs on automation and robotics for the Space Station Freedom.

Advance Health Care Directives and “Public Guardian”: The Italian Supreme Court Requests the Status of Current and Not Future Inability

PubMed Central

Busardò, Francesco Paolo; Bello, Stefania; Gulino, Matteo; Zaami, Simona; Frati, Paola

2014-01-01

Advance health care decisions animate an intense debate in several European countries, which started more than 20 years ago in the USA and led to the adoption of different rules, based on the diverse legal, sociocultural and philosophical traditions of each society. In Italy, the controversial issue of advance directives and end of life's rights, in the absence of a clear and comprehensive legislation, has been over time a subject of interest of the Supreme Court. Since 2004 a law introduced the “Public Guardian,” aiming to provide an instrument of assistance to the person lacking in autonomy because of an illness or incapacity. Recently, this critical issue has once again been brought to the interest of the Supreme Court, which passed a judgment trying to clarify the legislative application of the appointment of the Guardian in the field of advance directives. PMID:24729977

Family of the Sun-and-Stars Time-Determining Instruments (Ilseong-jeongsi-ui) Invented During the Joseon Dynasty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Yong Sam; Kim, Sang Hyuk; Mihn, Byeong-Hee

2016-09-01

We analyze the design and specifications of the Sun-and-Stars Time-Determining group of instruments (Ilseong-jeongsi-ui, 日星定時儀) made during the Joseon dynasty. According to the records of the Sejong Sillok (Veritable Records of King Sejong), Sun-and-Stars Time-Determining Instruments measure the solar time of day and the sidereal time of night through three rings and an alidade. One such instrument, the Simplified Time-Determining Instrument (So-jeongsi-ui, 小定時儀), is made without the essential component for alignment with the celestial north pole. Among this group of instruments, only two bronze Hundred-Interval-Ring Sundials (Baekgak-hwan-Ilgu, 百刻環日晷) currently exist. A comparison of the functions of these two relics with two Time-Determining Instruments suggests that the Hundred-Interval-Ring Sundial is a Simplified Sundial (So-ilyeong, 小日影), as recorded in the Sejong Sillok and the Seongjong Sillok (Veritable Records of King Seongjong). Furthermore, the Simplified Sundial is a model derived from the Simplified Time-Determining Instrument. During the King Sejong reign, the Sun-and-Stars Time-Determining Instruments were used in military camps of the kingdom’s frontiers, in royal ancestral rituals, and in royal astronomical observatories.

Management Approach for Earth Venture Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hope, Diane L.; Dutta, Sanghamitra

2013-01-01

The Earth Venture Instrument (EVI) element of the Earth Venture Program calls for developing instruments for participation on a NASA-arranged spaceflight mission of opportunity to conduct innovative, integrated, hypothesis or scientific question-driven approaches to pressing Earth system science issues. This paper discusses the EVI element and the management approach being used to manage both an instrument development activity as well as the host accommodations activity. In particular the focus will be on the approach being used for the first EVI (EVI-1) selected instrument, Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO), which will be hosted on a commercial GEO satellite and some of the challenges encountered to date and corresponding mitigations that are associated with the management structure for the TEMPO Mission and the architecture of EVI.

Rethinking policy perspectives on childhood stunting: time to formulate a structural and multifactorial strategy.

PubMed

Subramanian, S V; Mejía-Guevara, Iván; Krishna, Aditi

2016-05-01

Stunting and chronic undernutrition among children in South Asia remain a major unresolved global health issue. There are compelling intrinsic and moral reasons to ensure that children attain their optimal growth potential facilitated via promotion of healthy living conditions. Investments in efforts to ensure that children's growth is not faltered also have substantial instrumental benefits in terms of cognitive and economic development. Using the case of India, we critique three prevailing approaches to reducing undernutrition among children: an over-reliance on macroeconomic growth as a potent policy instrument, a disproportionate focus on interpreting undernutrition as a demand-side problem and an over-reliance on unintegrated single-factorial (one at a time) approaches to policy and research. Using existing evidence, we develop a case for support-led policy approach with a focus on integrated and structural factors to addressing the problem of undernutrition among children in India. Key messages Eliminating child undernutrition is important from an intrinsic perspective and offers considerable instrumental benefits to individual and society. Evidence suggests that an exclusive reliance on a growth-mediated strategy to eliminate stunting needs to be reconsidered, suggesting the need for a substantial support-led strategy. Interpreting and addressing undernutrition as a demand-side problem with proximal single-factorial interventions is futile. There is an urgent need to develop interventions that address the broader structural and upstream causes of child undernutrition. © 2016 The Authors. Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Electromagnetic tracking for abdominal interventions in computer aided surgery

PubMed Central

Zhang, Hui; Banovac, Filip; Lin, Ralph; Glossop, Neil; Wood, Bradford J.; Lindisch, David; Levy, Elliot; Cleary, Kevin

2014-01-01

Electromagnetic tracking has great potential for assisting physicians in precision placement of instruments during minimally invasive interventions in the abdomen, since electromagnetic tracking is not limited by the line-of-sight restrictions of optical tracking. A new generation of electromagnetic tracking has recently become available, with sensors small enough to be included in the tips of instruments. To fully exploit the potential of this technology, our research group has been developing a computer aided, image-guided system that uses electromagnetic tracking for visualization of the internal anatomy during abdominal interventions. As registration is a critical component in developing an accurate image-guided system, we present three registration techniques: 1) enhanced paired-point registration (time-stamp match registration and dynamic registration); 2) orientation-based registration; and 3) needle shape-based registration. Respiration compensation is another important issue, particularly in the abdomen, where respiratory motion can make precise targeting difficult. To address this problem, we propose reference tracking and affine transformation methods. Finally, we present our prototype navigation system, which integrates the registration, segmentation, path-planning and navigation functions to provide real-time image guidance in the clinical environment. The methods presented here have been tested with a respiratory phantom specially designed by our group and in swine animal studies under approved protocols. Based on these tests, we conclude that our system can provide quick and accurate localization of tracked instruments in abdominal interventions, and that it offers a user friendly display for the physician. PMID:16829506

Pipeline Processing for VISTA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, J. R.; Irwin, M.; Bunclark, P.

2010-12-01

The VISTA telescope is a 4 metre instrument which has recently been commissioned at Paranal, Chile. Equipped with an infrared camera, 16 2Kx2K Raytheon detectors and a 1.7 square degree field of view, VISTA represents a huge leap in infrared survey capability in the southern hemisphere. Pipeline processing of IR data is far more technically challenging than for optical data. IR detectors are inherently more unstable, while the sky emission is over 100 times brighter than most objects of interest, and varies in a complex spatial and temporal manner. To compensate for this, exposure times are kept short, leading to high nightly data rates. VISTA is expected to generate an average of 250 GB of data per night over the next 5-10 years, which far exceeds the current total data rate of all 8m-class telescopes. In this presentation we discuss the pipelines that have been developed to deal with IR imaging data from VISTA and discuss the primary issues involved in an end-to-end system capable of: robustly removing instrument and night sky signatures; monitoring data quality and system integrity; providing astrometric and photometric calibration; and generating photon noise-limited images and science-ready astronomical catalogues.

A measured response: Koop on abortion.

PubMed

Koop, C E

1989-01-01

The available scientific literature on the health effects of abortion on women in the US neither supports nor refutes the premise that abortion contributes to psychological problems. The 250 studies that have considered the psychological aspects of abortion are all flawed methodologically. Needed to resolve this issue is a prospective study of a cohort of US women of childbearing age focused on the psychological effects of failure to conceive, as well as the physical and mental sequelae of pregnancy whether carried to delivery, miscarried, or terminated by abortion. The most desirable such study could be conducted for about US$100 million over a 5-year period; a less expensive yet satisfactory study could be conducted for $10 million over the same time frame. Before such a study can be undertaken, a survey instrument must be designed to eliminate the discrepancy between the number of abortions on record and the number of women who admit to having an abortion on survey. Another issue is that the health effects of abortion cannot easily be separated from the controversial social issues surrounding pregnancy termination.

On the possibility of real time air quality and toxicology assessment using multi-wavelength photoacoustic spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajtai, Tibor; Pinter, Mate; Utry, Noemi; Kiss-Albert, Gergely; Palagyi, Andrea; Manczinger, Laszlo; Vagvölgyi, Csaba; Szabo, Gabor; Bozoki, Zoltan

2016-04-01

In this study we present results of field measurement campaigns focusing on the in-situ characterization of absorption spectra and the health relevance of light absorbing carbonaceous (LAC) in the ambient. The absorption spectra is measured @ 266, 355, 532 and 1064 nm by our state-of-the-art four-wavelength photoacoustic instrument, while for health relevance the eco- cito and genotoxicity parameters were measured using standardized methodologies. We experimentally demonstrated a correlation between the toxicities and the measured absorption spectra quantified by its wavelength dependency. Based on this correlation, we present novel possibilities on real-time air quality monitoring. LAC is extensively studied not only because of its considerable climate effects but as a serious air pollutant too. Gradually increasing number of studies demonstrated experimentally that the health effect of LAC is more serious than it is expected based on its share in total atmospheric aerosol mass. Furthermore during many local pollution events LAC not only has dominancy but it is close to exclusivity. Altogether due to its climate and health effects many studies and proposed regulations focus on the physical, chemical and toxicological properties of LAC as well as on its source apportionment. Despites of its importance, there is not yet a widely accepted standard methodology for the real-time and selective identification of LAC. There are many different reasons of that: starting from its complex inherent physicochemical features including many unknown constituents, via masking effect of ambient on the inherent physicochemical properties taking place even in case of a short residence, ending with the lack of reliable instrumentation for its health or source relevant parameters. Therefore, the methodology and instrument development for selective and reliable identification of LAC is timely and important issues in climate and air quality researches. Recently, many studies demonstrated correlation between the chemical compositions and the absorption features of LAC which open up novel possibilities in real time source apportionment and in air quality monitoring.

Hydrologic research on instrumented watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leopold, Luna Bergere

1970-01-01

The successful research man is the one who asks himself the right question. Research must go on primarily in the mind and only secondarily in the physical and biological world. It is only too easy to confuse the choice of a proper tool and the choice of a proper question. Some tools are quite unsuited to certain questions and some questions cannot be answered without the appropriate tool.There has been in recent years a large amount of discussion about whether the high costs and the extensive time period required for experimental watershed* research is really worth the investment. Recent discussions of this matter have cited as major criticisms of the instrumented basin that they are expensive, they leak water, they are unrepresentative, they produce changes too small for detection, and it is difficult to transfer the results. (See Hewlett, Lull, and Reinhart, 1969.) These are all questions worth talking about, but in one sense they tend to obscure the main issue. The main issue is what do we want to learn? If we can decide what it is we want to know, then we can logically ask ourselves what is the best way of going about obtaining that knowledge. It is in this context that we are most likely to place the experimental watershed in a useful and logical position in a classification of research methods.

A survey of fiber-positioning technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Greg; Brzeski, Jurek; Miziarski, Stan; Gillingham, Peter R.; Moore, Anna; McGrath, Andrew

2004-09-01

A wide range of positioning technologies has been exploited to flexibly configure fiber ends on the focal surfaces of telescopes. The earliest instruments used manual plugging, or glued buttons on the focal plane. Later instruments have used robotic fisherman-round-the-pond probes and articulated armsto position fibres, each probe or arm operated by its own motors, or buttons on fiber ends moved by pick-and-place robotic positioners. A positioner using fiber spines incorporating individual actuators operating over limited patrol areas is currently being manufactured and a derivative proposed for future large telescopes. Other techniques, using independent agents carrying the fiber ends about the focal plane have been prototyped. We describe these various fiber positioning techniques and compare them, listing the issues associated with their implementation, and consider the factors which make each of them suitable for a given situation. Factors considered include: robot geometries; costs; inherent limits to the number of fibers; clustering of targets; serial and parallel positioning and reconfiguration times; adaptability to curved focal surfaces; the virtues of on-telescope versus off-telescope configuration of the field, and suitability for the various telescope foci. The design issues include selection of actuators and encoding systems, counterbalancing, configuration of fiber buttons and their associated grippers, interchanging field plates, and the need for fiber retractors. Finally we consider the competing technologies: fiber and reflective image slicer IFUs, multislit masks and reconfigurable slits.

Research Trend of Physical Skill Science --Towards Elucidation of Physical Skill--

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furukawa, Koichi; Ueno, Ken; Ozaki, Tomonobu; Kamisato, Shihoko; Kawamoto, Ryuji; Shibuya, Koji; Shiratori, Naruhiko; Suwa, Masaki; Soga, Masato; Taki, Hirokazu; Fujinami, Tsutomu; Hori, Satoshi; Motomura, Yoichi; Morita, Souhei

Physical skills and language skills are both fundamental intelligent abilities of human being. In this paper, we focus our attention to such sophisticated physical skills as playing sports and playing instruments and introduce research activities aiming at elucidating and verbalizing them. This research area has been launched recently. We introduce approaches from physical modeling, measurements and data analysis, cognitive science and human interface. We also discuss such issues as skill acquisition and its support systems. Furthermore, we consider a fundamental issue of individual differences occurring in every application of skill elucidation. Finally we introduce several attempts of skill elucidation in the fields of dancing, manufacturing, playing string instruments, sports science and medical care.

Low-Dimensional Feature Representation for Instrument Identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ihara, Mizuki; Maeda, Shin-Ichi; Ikeda, Kazushi; Ishii, Shin

For monophonic music instrument identification, various feature extraction and selection methods have been proposed. One of the issues toward instrument identification is that the same spectrum is not always observed even in the same instrument due to the difference of the recording condition. Therefore, it is important to find non-redundant instrument-specific features that maintain information essential for high-quality instrument identification to apply them to various instrumental music analyses. For such a dimensionality reduction method, the authors propose the utilization of linear projection methods: local Fisher discriminant analysis (LFDA) and LFDA combined with principal component analysis (PCA). After experimentally clarifying that raw power spectra are actually good for instrument classification, the authors reduced the feature dimensionality by LFDA or by PCA followed by LFDA (PCA-LFDA). The reduced features achieved reasonably high identification performance that was comparable or higher than those by the power spectra and those achieved by other existing studies. These results demonstrated that our LFDA and PCA-LFDA can successfully extract low-dimensional instrument features that maintain the characteristic information of the instruments.

Evaluation of Rock Powdering Methods to Obtain Fine-grained Samples for CHEMIN, a Combined XRD/XRF Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chipera, S. J.; Vaniman, D. T.; Bish, D. L.; Sarrazin, P.; Feldman, S.; Blake, D. F.; Bearman, G.; Bar-Cohen, Y.

2004-01-01

A miniature XRD/XRF (X-ray diffraction / X-ray fluorescence) instrument, CHEMIN, is currently being developed for definitive mineralogic analysis of soils and rocks on Mars. One of the technical issues that must be addressed to enable remote XRD analysis is how best to obtain a representative sample powder for analysis. For powder XRD analyses, it is beneficial to have a fine-grained sample to reduce preferred orientation effects and to provide a statistically significant number of crystallites to the X-ray beam. Although a two-dimensional detector as used in the CHEMIN instrument will produce good results even with poorly prepared powder, the quality of the data will improve and the time required for data collection will be reduced if the sample is fine-grained and randomly oriented. A variety of methods have been proposed for XRD sample preparation. Chipera et al. presented grain size distributions and XRD results from powders generated with an Ultrasonic/Sonic Driller/Corer (USDC) currently being developed at JPL. The USDC was shown to be an effective instrument for sampling rock to produce powder suitable for XRD. In this paper, we compare powder prepared using the USDC with powder obtained with a miniaturized rock crusher developed at JPL and with powder obtained with a rotary tungsten carbide bit to powders obtained from a laboratory bench-scale Retsch mill (provides benchmark mineralogical data). These comparisons will allow assessment of the suitability of these methods for analysis by an XRD/XRF instrument such as CHEMIN.

Peer Learning in Instrumental Practicing

PubMed Central

Nielsen, Siw G.; Johansen, Guro G.; Jørgensen, Harald

2018-01-01

In higher music education (HME), the notion of “private teaching, private learning” has a long tradition, where the learning part rests on the student's individual practicing between instrumental lessons. However, recent research suggests that collaborative learning among peers is beneficial in several aspects, such as sense of belonging, motivation and self-efficacy. This is consistent with the concept of vicarious learning. In this study, we conducted a survey among bachelor music students in church music, performance or music education programs enrolled in a music academy (N = 96), where parts of the questionnaire addressed peer learning and peer's influence on the students's instrumental practicing, and the degree of satisfaction with their practicing. These issues were seen in relation to gender, musical genre and study program. Overall, the students reported engaging in peer learning related to their instrumental practicing, to various degrees. This involved discussing practicing matters with peers, and practicing together with peers. However, student's reports of their views on peer learning, show that they perceive it more beneficial than the amount of time reported doing it would indicate. No significant gender differences were found, but students within improvised music/jazz engaged the most in peer learning, and church music students the least. Neither the degree of engaging in peer learning nor reported influence from peers correlated significantly with the degree of satisfaction. We discuss whether a general dissatisfaction is caused by being in a competitive learning environment combined with a privatized culture for learning. Finally, we suggest that collaborative forums for instrumental practicing within HME institutions can function as constructive and supportive arenas to enhance students learning and inner motivation. PMID:29599738

Examining the effects of technology-infused issue investigations on high school students' environmental and ocean literacies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plankis, Brian J.

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of technology-infused issue investigations on high school students' environmental and ocean literacies. This study explored the effects of a new educational enrichment program termed Connecting the Ocean, Reefs, Aquariums, Literacy, and Stewardship (CORALS) on high school science students. The study utilized a mixed methods approach combining a quantitative quasi-experimental pre-post test design with qualitative case studies. The CORALS program is a new educational program that combines materials based on the Investigating and Evaluating Environmental Issues and Actions (IEEIA) curriculum program with the digital storytelling process. Over an 18-week period four high school science teachers and their approximately 169 students investigated environmental issues impacting coral reefs through the IEEIA framework. An additional approximately 224 students, taught by the same teachers, were the control group exposed to standard curriculum. Students' environmental literacy was measured through the Secondary School Environmental Literacy Instrument (SSELI) and students' ocean literacy was measured through the Students' Ocean Literacy Viewpoints and Engagement (SOLVE) instrument. Two classrooms were selected as case studies and examined through classroom observations and student and teacher interviews. The results indicated the CORALS program increased the knowledge of ecological principles, knowledge of environmental problems/issues, and environmental attitudes components of environmental literacy for the experimental group students. For ocean literacy, the experimental group students' scores increased for knowledge of ocean literacy principles, ability to identify oceanic environmental problems, and attitudes concerning the ocean. The SSELI measure of Responsible Environmental Behaviors (REB) was found to be significant for the interaction of teacher and class type (experimental or control). The students for Teachers A and B reported a statistically significant increase in the self-reported REB subscales of ecomanagement and consumer/economic action. This indicates the students reported an increase in the REBs they could change within their lifestyles. This study provides baseline data in an area where few quality studies exist to date. Recommendations for practice and administration of the research study instruments are explored. Recommendations for further research include CORALS program modifications, revising the instruments utilized, and what areas of students' environmental and ocean literacies warrant further exploration.

A new InterRidge Working Group : Biogeochemical Interactions at Deep-sea Vents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Bris, N.; Boetius, A.; Tivey, M. K.; Luther, G. W.; German, C. R.; Wenzhoefer, F.; Charlou, J.; Seyfried, W. E.; Fortin, D.; Ferris, G.; Takai, K.; Baross, J. A.

2004-12-01

A new Working Group on `Biogeochemical Interactions at deep-sea vents' has been created at the initiative of the InterRidge programme. This interdisciplinary group comprises experts in chemistry, geochemistry, biogeochemistry, and microbial ecology addressing questions of biogeochemical interactions in different MOR and BAB environments. The past decade has raised major issues concerning the interactions between biotic and abiotic compartments of deep-sea hydrothermal environments and the role they play in the microbial turnover of C, S, N, Fe, fluxes from the geosphere to hydrosphere, the formation of biominerals, the functioning of vent ecosystems and life in extreme environments, the deep-biosphere, and the origin of life. Recent multidisciplinary studies have provided some new insights to these issues. Results of some of these studies will be presented here. They point out the variability and complexity of geobiological systems at vents in space and time and highlight the need for interactions across the fields of chemistry, geochemistry, biogeochemistry, and microbial ecology of hydrothermal environments. Limitation for advances in these fields include the availability of seafloor observation/experimentation time, and of underwater instrumentation allowing quantitative, in situ measurements of chemical and biological fluxes, as well as physical and chemical sensing and sampling along small scale gradients and repeated observation of study sites. The aim of this new Working Group is to strengthen the scientific exchange among chemists, geochemists, biogeochemists and microbial ecologists to favor collaboration in field studies including intercomparison of methods and planning of integrated experiments. The Biogeochemical Interactions working group will also foster development of underwater instrumentation for in situ biogeochemical measurements and microscale sampling, and promote exchange and collaboration with students and scientists of neighboring disciplines, particularly with vent biologists, ecologists and geologists .

Promoting the Role of the Personal Narrative in Teaching Controversial Socio-Scientific Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levinson, Ralph

2008-01-01

Citizens participating in contemporary socio-scientific issues (SSI) need to draw on local knowledge and personal experience. If curricular developments in the teaching of controversial SSI are to reflect contemporary notions of citizenship then the personal narrative is an indispensable instrument in bridging the gap between the local/personal…

Psychology of Sport. Issues & Insights.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, A. Craig, Ed.

This book is designed to provide instructors and students in sport psychology courses with a learning instrument that combines the continuity of a textbook with the range of opinion, in-depth treatment of selected issues, and insight into research methods of a book of readings. The subject is divided into four topical categories. Under the heading…

Chemical Fingerprinting of Materials Developed Due To Environmental Issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Doris A.; McCool, A. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

This paper presents viewgraphs on chemical fingerprinting of materials developed due to environmental issues. Some of the topics include: 1) Aerospace Materials; 2) Building Blocks of Capabilities; 3) Spectroscopic Techniques; 4) Chromatographic Techniques; 5) Factors that Determine Fingerprinting Approach; and 6) Fingerprinting: Combination of instrumental analysis methods that diagnostically characterize a material.

Issues in Feminist Therapy: The Work of a Women's Study Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radov, Carol G.; And Others

1977-01-01

Discusses attempts of study groups of women in mental health professions that was instrumental in developing thearetical formulations concerning feminist therapy. From experiences both in the group and with clients, concludes that the profession as a whole must increase its responsiveness to concerns of women and issues of feminist therapy.…

Athletics, Athletic Leadership, and Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeung, Ryan

2015-01-01

This study examines the relationship between athletics, athletic leadership, and academic achievement. This is likely to be a tricky issue as athletes and athletic leaders are not likely to be a random group of students. To address this issue I control for school fixed effects and instrument the endogenous variables with height. I find that…

The Faithless Employee: A Case Involving the Legal and Accounting Issues Associated with Employee Theft of Company Funds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gruber, Robert; Molloy, James

2005-01-01

This case explores the areas of public accounting/auditing and business law as they relate to the conduct of an employee who intentionally and unlawfully obtains, and, negotiates for his own benefit, his employer's negotiable instruments (checks). In particular, this case involves an accountant who unlawfully acquired negotiable instruments,…

26 CFR 1.988-6 - Nonfunctional currency contingent payment debt instruments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...) rather than § 1.1275-4(b)(1) (e.g., the instrument is issued for non-publicly traded property). (2... in § 1.988-2(b)(2)(iii)(A), or, at the taxpayer's election, at the appropriate spot rate, as... into the taxpayer's functional currency at the spot rate on the last day of the taxable year in which...

26 CFR 1.988-6 - Nonfunctional currency contingent payment debt instruments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...) rather than § 1.1275-4(b)(1) (e.g., the instrument is issued for non-publicly traded property). (2... in § 1.988-2(b)(2)(iii)(A), or, at the taxpayer's election, at the appropriate spot rate, as... into the taxpayer's functional currency at the spot rate on the last day of the taxable year in which...

26 CFR 1.988-6 - Nonfunctional currency contingent payment debt instruments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...) rather than § 1.1275-4(b)(1) (e.g., the instrument is issued for non-publicly traded property). (2... in § 1.988-2(b)(2)(iii)(A), or, at the taxpayer's election, at the appropriate spot rate, as... into the taxpayer's functional currency at the spot rate on the last day of the taxable year in which...

26 CFR 1.988-6 - Nonfunctional currency contingent payment debt instruments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) rather than § 1.1275-4(b)(1) (e.g., the instrument is issued for non-publicly traded property). (2... in § 1.988-2(b)(2)(iii)(A), or, at the taxpayer's election, at the appropriate spot rate, as... into the taxpayer's functional currency at the spot rate on the last day of the taxable year in which...

Web-based dynamic Delphi: a new survey instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, JingTao; Liu, Wei-Ning

2006-04-01

We present a mathematical model for a dynamic Delphi survey method which takes advantages of Web technology. A comparative study on the performance of the conventional Delphi method and the dynamic Delphi instrument is conducted. It is suggested that a dynamic Delphi survey may form a consensus quickly. However, the result may not be robust due to the judgement leaking issues.

Optimization and Design of an Absorbance Spectrometer Controlled Using a Raspberry Pi to Improve Analytical Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bougot-Robin, Kristelle; Paget, Jack; Atkins, Stephen C.; Edel, Joshua B.

2016-01-01

It is not uncommon for students to view laboratory instruments as black boxes. Unfortunately, this can often result in poor experimental results and interpretation. To tackle this issue, a laboratory course was designed to enable students not only to critically think about operating principles of the instrument but also to improve interpretation…

From CIRCUS to EL CIRCO: Issues in Instrument Development for Young Spanish-speaking Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardy, Roy

The CIRCO project is a large scale effort to design a series of diagnostic instruments, based on the CIRCUS tests, for Spanish-speaking children in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade classrooms in the United States. The goal is to develop measures with the following characteristics: (1) is suitable for use with Spanish-speaking children from…

26 CFR 1.1274-2 - Issue price of debt instruments to which section 1274 applies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...- borrower to the seller-lender that is designated as interest or points. See Example 2 of § 1.1273-2(g)(5... ignored. (f) Treatment of variable rate debt instruments—(1) Stated interest at a qualified floating rate... qualified floating rate (or rates) is determined by assuming that the instrument provides for a fixed rate...

The Development and Validation of the GMOAS, an Instrument Measuring Secondary School Students' Attitudes towards Genetically Modified Organisms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herodotou, Christothea; Kyza, Eleni A.; Nicolaidou, Iolie; Hadjichambis, Andreas; Kafouris, Dimitris; Terzian, Freda

2012-01-01

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is a rapidly evolving area of scientific innovation and an issue receiving global attention. Attempts to devise usable instruments that assess people's attitudes towards this innovation have been rare and non-systematic. The aim of this paper is to present the development and validation of the genetically…

Quantitative Analysis of Heavy Metals in Children's Toys and Jewelry: A Multi-Instrument, Multitechnique Exercise in Analytical Chemistry and Public Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finch, Lauren E.; Hillyer, Margot M.; Leopold, Michael C.

2015-01-01

For most chemistry curricula, laboratory-based activities in quantitative and instrumental analysis continue to be an important aspect of student development/training, one that can be more effective if conceptual understanding is delivered through an inquiry-based process relating the material to relevant issues of public interest and student…

The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer science instruments development - Lessons learned

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malina, Roger F.; Battel, S.

1991-01-01

The science instruments development project for the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) satellite is reviewed. Issues discussed include the philosophical basis of the program, the establishment of a tight development team, the approach to planning and phasing activities, the handling of the most difficult technical problems, and the assessment of the work done during the preimplemntation period of the project.

Home care nurses' attitudes toward computers. A confirmatory factor analysis of the Stronge and Brodt instrument.

PubMed

Stricklin, Mary Lou; Bierer, S Beth; Struk, Cynthia

2003-01-01

Point-of-care technology for home care use will be the final step in enterprise-wide healthcare electronic communications. Successful implementation of home care point-of-care technology hinges upon nurses' attitudes toward point-of-care technology and its use in clinical practice. This study addresses the factors associated with home care nurses' attitudes using Stronge and Brodt's Nurse Attitudes Toward Computers instrument. In this study, the Nurses Attitudes Toward Computers instrument was administered to a convenience sample of 138 nurses employed by a large midwestern home care agency, with an 88% response rate. Confirmatory factor analysis corroborated the Nurses Attitudes Toward Computers' 3-dimensional factor structure for practicing nurses, which was labeled as nurses' work, security issues, and perceived barriers. Results from the confirmatory factor analysis also suggest that these 3 factors are internally correlated and represent multiple dimensions of a higher order construct labeled as nurses' attitudes toward computers. Additionally, two of these factors, nurses' work and perceived barriers, each appears to explain more variance in nurses' attitudes toward computers than security issues. Instrument reliability was high for the sample (.90), with subscale reliabilities ranging from 86 to 70.

Progress Toward Achieving an IR Radiance Record for Decadal Climate Trending: Fundamental Questions, Challenges, and Assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revercomb, H. E.; Knuteson, R. O.; Tobin, D. C.; Best, F. A.; Taylor, J. K.; Martin, G.; Gero, P. J.; Adler, D.; Pettersen, C.; Mulligan, M.; Thielman, D.

2017-12-01

Infrared radiance spectra can be measured with very high accuracy (0.1 K 3-sigma brightness temperature at scene brightness temperature) and contain a high degree of information about the state of the Earth's climate, including temperature, water vapor, and trace gas profiles, lapse rates, plus cloud and surface properties. How best to make use of existing EOS-AIRS and Suomi NPP/JPSS-CrIS/IASI observations and how to move toward more extensive future observations is a fundamental question that the climate community and world's space agencies need to address. A major step toward achieving climate quality observations was realized through the successes of the operational sounders IASI-A & B on MetOp and the CrIS on Suomi NPP. Both instrument types are expected to continue as part of the Joint Polar Satellite system through at least 2040 (with upgrades to IASI and hopefully to CrIS as well). IASI covers the 0930 time slot and CrIS the 1330 slot for operational weather forecasting applications. This represents a major step toward the unbiased sampling needed for accurate climate trending products. However, there is still a hole at the 0530 dawn/dusk time slot that needs to be filled. The new Chinese hyperspectral sounder, HIRAS, is expected to fulfill this need when FY3E is launched in 2018. In addition to improved sampling, the system of operational Fourier transform sounding instruments offer other measurement accuracy advantages over earlier instruments. This talk will review some of these, including review of CrIS accuracy estimates, discussion of several specific error sources, and the fundamental ability of these instruments to produce well-defined, stable, and largely instrument independent Instrument Line Shape (ILS) functions. In this context, we will address EOS to Suomi NPP spectral radiance continuity issues. Finally, optimizing this system still requires an on-orbit 0.1 K 3-sigma calibration reference that is not susceptible to long-term drifts and that can be used to correct inconsistencies among the different sensors. The new technologies needed to provide this capability have been developed under NASA ESTO and the CLARREO program, and should be flown as soon as possible. For the infrared it is widely accepted that a Fourier transform instrument provides the best possible reference sensor.

Development and evaluation of the content validity, practicability and feasibility of the Innovative dementia-oriented Assessment system for challenging behaviour in residents with dementia.

PubMed

Halek, Margareta; Holle, Daniela; Bartholomeyczik, Sabine

2017-08-14

One of the most difficult issues for care staff is the manifestation of challenging behaviour among residents with dementia. The first step in managing this type of behaviour is analysing its triggers. A structured assessment instrument can facilitate this process and may improve carers' management of the situation. This paper describes the development of an instrument designed for this purpose and an evaluation of its content validity and its feasibility and practicability in nursing homes. The development process and evaluation of the content validity were based on Lynn's methodology (1998). A literature review (steps 1 + 2) provided the theoretical framework for the instrument and for item formation. Ten experts (step 3) evaluated the first version of the instrument (the Innovative dementia-oriented Assessment (IdA®)) regarding its relevance, clarity, meaningfulness and completeness; content validity indices at the scale-level (S-CVI) and item-level (I-CVI) were calculated. Health care workers (step 4) evaluated the second version in a workshop. Finally, the instrument was introduced to 17 units in 11 nursing homes in a field study (step 5), and 60 care staff members assessed its practicability and feasibility. The IdA® used the need-driven dementia-compromised behaviour (NDB) model as a theoretical framework. The literature review and expert-based panel supported the content validity of the IdA®. At the item level, 77% of the ratings had a CVI greater than or equal to 0.78. The majority of the question-ratings (84%, n = 154) and answer-ratings (69%, n = 122) showed valid results, with none below 0.50. The health care workers confirmed the understandability, completeness and plausibility of the IdA®. Steps 3 and 4 led to further item clarification. The carers in the study considered the instrument helpful for reflecting challenging behaviour and beneficial for the care of residents with dementia. Negative ratings referred to the time required and the lack of effect on residents´ behaviour. There was strong evidence supporting the content validity of the IdA®. Despite the substantial length and time requirement, the instrument was considered helpful for analysing challenging behaviour. Thus, further research on the psychometric qualities, implementation aspects and effectiveness of the IdA® in understanding challenging behaviour is needed.

Aiming Instruments On The Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Estus, Jay M.; Laskin, Robert; Lin, Yu-Hwan

1989-01-01

Report discusses capabilities and requirements for aiming scientific instruments carried aboard proposed Space Station. Addresses two issues: whether system envisioned for pointing instruments at celestial targets offers sufficiently low jitter, high accuracy, and high stability to meet scientific requirements; whether it can do so even in presence of many vibrations and other disturbances on Space Station. Salient conclusion of study, recommendation to develop pointing-actuator system including mechanical/fluid base isolator underneath reactionaless gimbal subsystem. This kind of system offers greatest promise of high performance, cost-effectiveness, and modularity for job at hand.

AGARD Flight Test Instrumentation Series. Volume 1, Issue 2. Basic Principles of Flight Test Instrumentation Engineering (Introduction Generale aux Principles de Base de l’Instrumentation des Essais en Vol)

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-03-01

evaluation of its anticipated value. If the program can be accomplished using conventional techniques , this should be seriously considered. Development or...the direct frequency generating principles such as, pulse tachos, turbine flowmeters, and encoders, also Doppler and laser techniques used for...CERAMIC BLOCK Figure 5.3. The basic concepts of the laser ring gyro (LRG). The principle depends upon the guidance of two beams of laser light around an

Ethical issues of cost effectiveness analysis and guideline setting in mental health care.

PubMed

Berghmans, R; Berg, M; van den Burg, M; ter Meulen, R

2004-04-01

This article discusses ethical issues which are raised as a result of the introduction of economic evidence in mental health care in order to rationalise clinical practice. Cost effectiveness studies and guidelines based on such studies are often seen as impartial, neutral instruments which try to reduce the influence of non-scientific factors. However, such rationalising instruments often hide normative assumptions about the goals of treatment, the selection of treatments, the role of the patient, and the just distribution of scarce resources. These issues are dealt with in the context of increased control over clinical practice by third parties. In particular, health insurers have a great interest in economic evidence in clinical care settings in order to control access to and quality of (mental) health care. The authors conclude that guideline setting and cost effectiveness analysis may be seen as important instruments for making choices in health care, including mental health care, but that such an approach should always go hand in hand with a social and political debate about the goals of medicine and (mental) health care. This article is partly based on the results of a research project on the normative aspects of guideline setting in psychiatry and cardiology which was conducted under the guidance of the Royal Dutch Medical Association.

Improving the primary school science learning unit about force and motion through lesson study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phaikhumnam, Wuttichai; Yuenyong, Chokchai

2018-01-01

The study aimed to develop primary school science lesson plan based on inquiry cycle (5Es) through lesson study. The study focused on the development of 4 primary school science lesson plans of force and motion for Grade 3 students in KKU Demonstration Primary School (Suksasart), first semester of 2015 academic year. The methodology is mixed method. The Inthaprasitha (2010) lesson study cycle was implemented in group of KKU Demonstration Primary School. Instruments of reflection of lesson plan developing included participant observation, meeting and reflection report, lesson plan and other document. The instruments of examining students' learning include classroom observation and achievement test. Data was categorized from these instruments to find the issues of changing and improving the good lesson plan of Thai primary school science learning. The findings revealed that teachers could develop the lesson plans through lesson study. The issues of changing and improving were disused by considering on engaging students related to societal issues, students' prior knowledge, scientific concepts for primary school students, and what they learned from their changing. It indicated that the Lesson Study allowed primary school science teachers to share ideas and develop ideas to improve the lesson. The study may have implications for Thai science teacher education through Lesson Study.

Scanning electron microscopy of bone: instrument, specimen, and issues.

PubMed

Boyde, A; Jones, S J

1996-02-01

There are many ways available now to maximise and analyse the information that can be obtained on the structure and constitution of bone using SEM. This paper considers a range of methods and the problems that arise relating to instrumentation and methodology as they apply to the use of SEM in the study of bone. In addition to the review content, some novel technical approaches to the SEM of bone are considered here for the first time; these include low kV imaging for the detection of new surface bone packets (and residual demineralized matrix after resorption), low kV BSE imaging of uncoated, embedded, and unembedded samples, environmental SEM for the study of wet tissue, low distortion, very low magnification imaging for the study of cancellous bone architecture, the use of multiple detectors for fast electrons in improving the imaging of porous samples, and high resolution, low voltage imaging for the study of collagen degradation during bone resorption.

Enhanced In-Pile Instrumentation at the Advanced Test Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rempe, Joy L.; Knudson, Darrell L.; Daw, Joshua E.; Unruh, Troy; Chase, Benjamin M.; Palmer, Joe; Condie, Keith G.; Davis, Kurt L.

2012-08-01

Many of the sensors deployed at materials and test reactors cannot withstand the high flux/high temperature test conditions often requested by users at U.S. test reactors, such as the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Laboratory. To address this issue, an instrumentation development effort was initiated as part of the ATR National Scientific User Facility in 2007 to support the development and deployment of enhanced in-pile sensors. This paper provides an update on this effort. Specifically, this paper identifies the types of sensors currently available to support in-pile irradiations and those sensors currently available to ATR users. Accomplishments from new sensor technology deployment efforts are highlighted by describing new temperature and thermal conductivity sensors now available to ATR users. Efforts to deploy enhanced in-pile sensors for detecting elongation and real-time flux detectors are also reported, and recently-initiated research to evaluate the viability of advanced technologies to provide enhanced accuracy for measuring key parameters during irradiation testing are noted.

Cryogenic thermal emittance measurements on small-diameter stainless steel tubing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jahromi, Amir E.; Tuttle, James G.; Canavan, Edgar R.

2017-12-01

The Mid Infrared Instrument aboard the James Webb Space Telescope includes a mechanical cryocooler which cools its detectors to their 6 K operating temperature. The refrigerant flows through several meters of ~2 mm diameter 304L stainless steel tubing, with some sections gold plated, and some not, which are exposed to their environment. An issue of water freezing onto the tube surfaces is mitigated by running a warm gas through the lines to sublimate the frozen water. To model the effect of this process on nearby instruments, an accurate measure of the tube emittance is needed. Previously we reported the absorptance of the gold plated stainless steel tubing as a function of source temperature (i.e. its environment). In this work the thermal emittance of the uncoated tubing is measured as a function of its temperature between 100 and 280 K. These values lead to an accurate prediction of the minimum length of time required to thermally recycle the system. We report the technique and present the results.

Intelligent Scheduling for Underground Mobile Mining Equipment.

PubMed

Song, Zhen; Schunnesson, Håkan; Rinne, Mikael; Sturgul, John

2015-01-01

Many studies have been carried out and many commercial software applications have been developed to improve the performances of surface mining operations, especially for the loader-trucks cycle of surface mining. However, there have been quite few studies aiming to improve the mining process of underground mines. In underground mines, mobile mining equipment is mostly scheduled instinctively, without theoretical support for these decisions. Furthermore, in case of unexpected events, it is hard for miners to rapidly find solutions to reschedule and to adapt the changes. This investigation first introduces the motivation, the technical background, and then the objective of the study. A decision support instrument (i.e. schedule optimizer for mobile mining equipment) is proposed and described to address this issue. The method and related algorithms which are used in this instrument are presented and discussed. The proposed method was tested by using a real case of Kittilä mine located in Finland. The result suggests that the proposed method can considerably improve the working efficiency and reduce the working time of the underground mine.

Cryogenic Thermal Emittance Measurements on Small-Diameter Stainless Steel Tubing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jahromi, Amir E.; Tuttle, James G.; Canavan, Edgar R.

2017-01-01

The Mid Infrared Instrument aboard the James Webb Space Telescope includes a mechanical cryocooler which cools its detectors to their 6 K operating temperature. The refrigerant flows through several meters of 2 mm diameter 304L stainless steel tubing, with some sections gold plated, and some not, which are exposed to their environment. An issue of water freezing onto the tube surfaces is mitigated by running a warm gas through the lines to sublimate the frozen water. To model the effect of this process on nearby instruments, an accurate measure of the tube emittance is needed. Previously we reported the absorptance of the gold plated stainless steel tubing as a function of source temperature (i.e. its environment). In this work the thermal emittance of the uncoated tubing is measured as a function of its temperature between 100 and 280 K. These values lead to an accurate prediction of the minimum length of time required to thermally recycle the system. We report the technique and present the results.

Physicians' decision process for drug prescription and the impact of pharmaceutical marketing mix instruments.

PubMed

Campo, Katia; De Staebel, Odette; Gijsbrechts, Els; van Waterschoot, Walter

2005-01-01

This paper provides an in-depth, qualitative analysis of the physicians' decision process for drug prescription. Drugs in the considered therapeutic classes are mainly prescribed by specialists, treating patients with obligatory medical insurance, for a prolonged period of time. The research approach is specifically designed to capture the full complexity and sensitive nature of the physician's choice behavior, which appears to be more hybrid and less rational in nature than is often assumed in quantitative, model-based analyses of prescription behavior. Several interesting findings emerge from the analysis: (i) non-compensatory decision rules seem to dominate the decision process, (ii) consideration sets are typically small and change-resistant, (iii) drug cost is not a major issue for most physicians, (iv) detailing remains one of the most powerful pharmaceutical marketing instruments and is highly appreciated as a valuable and quick source of information, and (v) certain types of non-medical marketing incentives (such as free conference participation) may in some situations also influence drug choices.

Cryogenic Thermal Emittance Measurements on Small-Diameter Stainless Steel Tubing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jahromi, A. E.; Tuttle, J. G.; Canavan, E. R.

2017-01-01

The Mid Infrared Instrument aboard the James Webb Space Telescoep includes a mechanical cryocooler which cools its detectors to their 6 K operating temperature. The refrigerant flows through several meters of approximately 2 mm diameter 304L stainless steel tubing, with some sections gold plated, and some not, which are exposed to their environment. An issue of water freezing onto the tube surfaces is mitigated by a running a warm gas through the lines to sublimate the water. To model the effect of this process on nearby instruments, an accurate measure of the tube emittance is needed. Previously we reported the abosprtance of the gold plated stainless steel tubing as a function of source temperature (i.e. its environment). In this work the thermal emittance of the uncoated tubing is measured as a function of its temperature between 100 and 300 K. This value leads to an accurate prediction of the minimum length of time required to thermally recycle the system. We report the technique and present the results.

Cognitive issues in head-up displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fischer, E.; Haines, R. F.

1980-01-01

The ability of pilots to recognize and act upon unexpected information, presented in either the outside world or in a head-up display (HUD), was evaluated. Eight commercial airline pilots flew 18 approaches with a flightpath-type HUD and 13 approaches with conventional instruments in a fixed-base 727 simulator. The approaches were flown under conditions of low visibility, turbulence, and wind shear. Vertical and lateral flight performance was measured for five cognitive variables: an unexpected obstacle on runway; vertical and lateral boresight-type offset of the HUD; lateral ILS beam bend-type offset; and no anomaly. Mean response time to the runway obstacle was longer with HUD than without it (4.13 vs 1.75 sec.), and two of the pilots did not see the obstacle at all with the HUD. None of the offsets caused any deterioration in lateral flight performance, but all caused some change in vertical tracking; all offsets seemed to magnify the environmental effects. In all conditions, both vertical and lateral tracking was better with the HUD than with the conventional instruments.

Clinical Evaluation of Quality of Obturation and Instrumentation Time using Two Modified Rotary File Systems with Manual Instrumentation in Primary Teeth.

PubMed

Govindaraju, Lavanya; Jeevanandan, Ganesh; Subramanian, Emg

2017-09-01

Pulp therapy in primary teeth has been performed using various instrumentation techniques. However, the conventional instrumentation technique used for root canal preparation in primary teeth is hand instrumentation. Various Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti) instruments are available to perform efficient root canal preparation in primary teeth. These Ni-Ti instruments has been designed to aid in better root canal preparation in permanent teeth but are rarely used in primary teeth. It is necessary to assess the feasibility of using these adult rotary files with a modified sequence in primary teeth. To compare the quality of obturation and instrumentation time during root canal preparation using hand files and modified rotary file systems in primary molars. Forty-five primary mandibular molars were randomly assigned to three experimental groups (n=15). Group I was instrumented using k-hand files, Group II with S2 ProTaper universal file and Group III with 0.25 tip 4% taper K3 rotary file. Standardized digital radiographs were taken before and after root canal instrumentation. Root canal preparation time was also recorded. Statistical analysis of the obtained data was done using SPSS Software version 17.0. An intergroup comparison of the instrumentation time and the quality of obturation was done using ANOVA and Chi-square test with the level of significance set at 0.05. No significant differences were noted with regard to the quality of obturation (p=0.791). However, a statistically significant difference was noted in the instrumentation time between the three groups (p<0.05). ProTaper rotary system had significantly lesser instrumentation time when compared to that of K3 rotary system and hand file system. The hand files, S2 ProTaper Universal and K3 0.25 tip 4% taper files systems performed similarly with respect to the quality of obturation. There was a significant difference in instrumentation time with manual instrumentation compared to the modified rotary file systems in primary teeth.

From theory to 'measurement' in complex interventions: methodological lessons from the development of an e-health normalisation instrument.

PubMed

Finch, Tracy L; Mair, Frances S; O'Donnell, Catherine; Murray, Elizabeth; May, Carl R

2012-05-17

Although empirical and theoretical understanding of processes of implementation in health care is advancing, translation of theory into structured measures that capture the complex interplay between interventions, individuals and context remain limited. This paper aimed to (1) describe the process and outcome of a project to develop a theory-based instrument for measuring implementation processes relating to e-health interventions; and (2) identify key issues and methodological challenges for advancing work in this field. A 30-item instrument (Technology Adoption Readiness Scale (TARS)) for measuring normalisation processes in the context of e-health service interventions was developed on the basis on Normalization Process Theory (NPT). NPT focuses on how new practices become routinely embedded within social contexts. The instrument was pre-tested in two health care settings in which e-health (electronic facilitation of healthcare decision-making and practice) was used by health care professionals. The developed instrument was pre-tested in two professional samples (N=46; N=231). Ratings of items representing normalisation 'processes' were significantly related to staff members' perceptions of whether or not e-health had become 'routine'. Key methodological challenges are discussed in relation to: translating multi-component theoretical constructs into simple questions; developing and choosing appropriate outcome measures; conducting multiple-stakeholder assessments; instrument and question framing; and more general issues for instrument development in practice contexts. To develop theory-derived measures of implementation process for progressing research in this field, four key recommendations are made relating to (1) greater attention to underlying theoretical assumptions and extent of translation work required; (2) the need for appropriate but flexible approaches to outcomes measurement; (3) representation of multiple perspectives and collaborative nature of work; and (4) emphasis on generic measurement approaches that can be flexibly tailored to particular contexts of study.

Identifying content for the glaucoma-specific item bank to measure quality-of-life parameters.

PubMed

Khadka, Jyoti; McAlinden, Colm; Craig, Jamie E; Fenwick, Eva K; Lamoureux, Ecosse L; Pesudovs, Konrad

2015-01-01

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have become essential clinical trial end points. However, a comprehensive, multidimensional, patient-relevant, and precise glaucoma-specific PRO instrument is not available. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify content for a new, glaucoma-specific, quality-of-life (QOL) item bank. Content identification was undertaken in 5 phases: (1) identification of extant items in glaucoma-specific instruments and the qualitative literature; (2) focus groups and interviews with glaucoma patients; (3) item classification and selection; (4) expert review and revision of items; and (5) cognitive interviews with patients. A total of 737 unique items (extant items from PRO instruments, 247; qualitative articles, 14 items; focus groups and semistructured interviews, 476 items) were identified. These items were classified into 10 QOL domains. Four criteria (item redundancy, item inconsistent with domain definition, item content too narrow to have wider applicability, and item clarity) were used to remove and refine the items. After the cognitive interviews, the final minimally representative item set had a total of 342 unique items belonging to 10 domains: activity limitation (88), mobility (20), visual symptoms (19), ocular surface symptoms (22), general symptoms (15), convenience (39), health concerns (45), emotional well-being (49), social issues (23), and economic issues (22). The systematic content identification process identified 10 QOL domains, which were important to patients with glaucoma. The majority of the items were identified from the patient-specific focus groups and semistructured interviews suggesting that the existing PRO instruments do not adequately address QOL issues relevant to individuals with glaucoma.

Developing a new instrument to assess the impact of cancer in young adult survivors of childhood cancer.

PubMed

Zebrack, Brad

2009-09-01

Thirty years of psychosocial oncology research have detailed issues having significant impact in both pediatric and adult populations; yet, few studies have captured the subtle and unique ways in which cancer impacts, disrupts and in some instances promotes the growth and development of adolescents and young adults with a cancer history. This paper reports the initiation of an effort to assess the impact of cancer in this young survivor population through the development of a new Impact of Cancer (IOC) instrument. 64 young adults aged 18-39 years and treated for a pediatric malignancy participated in face-to-face interviews and responded to questions prompting them to describe the impact of cancer on their physical, psychological, social and spiritual/existential well-being. Intent of analysis was to organize data into meaningful sub-categories from which to develop a set of candidate survey items that assess a range of problems, issues and changes that long-term survivors ascribe to their cancer experience. A total of 82 candidate survey items represented content across 11 topical domains including Body, Health and Body image, Treatment and Health Care, Having Children, Identity, Talking and Thinking About Cancer, Meaning of Cancer, Memory and Thinking, Finances, Family and Relationships, Socializing, and Life Goals. Assessing the instrument's psychometric properties in a large representative group of young cancer survivors is the next step for further development of such a measure. Once established, a valid and reliable Impact of Cancer instrument has the potential for identifying salient survivorship issues in a clinical setting.

Public trust in Dutch health care.

PubMed

Straten, G F M; Friele, R D; Groenewegen, P P

2002-07-01

This article describes the development of a valid and reliable instrument to measure different dimensions of public trust in health care in the Netherlands. This instrument is needed because the concept was not well developed, or operationalized in earlier research. The new instrument will be used in a research project to monitor trust and to predict behaviour of people such as consulting "alternative practitioners". The idea for the research was suggested by economic research into public trust. In the study, a phased design was used to overcome the operationalization problem. In the first phase, a qualitative study was conducted; and, in the second, a quantitative study. In the first phase, more than 100 people were interviewed to gain insight into the issues they associated with trust. Eight categories of issues that were derived from the interviews were assumed to be possible dimensions of trust. On the basis of these eight categories and the interviews, a questionnaire was developed that was used in the second phase. In this phase, the questionnaire was sent to 1500 members of a consumer panel; the response was 70 percent. The analysis reveals that six of the eight possible dimensions appear in factor analysis. These dimensions are trust in: the patient-focus of health care providers; macro policies level will have no consequences for patients; expertise of health care providers; quality of care; information supply and communication by care providers and the quality of cooperation. The reliability of most scales is higher than 0.8. The validity of the dimensions is assessed by determining the correlation between the scales on the one hand, and people's experience and a general mark they would assign on the other. We conclude that public trust is a multi-dimensional concept, including not only issues that relate to the patient-doctor relationship, but also issues that relate to health care institutions. The instrument appears to be reliable and valid.

PiCO QL: A software library for runtime interactive queries on program data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fragkoulis, Marios; Spinellis, Diomidis; Louridas, Panos

PiCO QL is an open source C/C++ software whose scientific scope is real-time interactive analysis of in-memory data through SQL queries. It exposes a relational view of a system's or application's data structures, which is queryable through SQL. While the application or system is executing, users can input queries through a web-based interface or issue web service requests. Queries execute on the live data structures through the respective relational views. PiCO QL makes a good candidate for ad-hoc data analysis in applications and for diagnostics in systems settings. Applications of PiCO QL include the Linux kernel, the Valgrind instrumentation framework, a GIS application, a virtual real-time observatory of stellar objects, and a source code analyser.

Development of a Real-Time Environmental Monitoring System, Life Cycle Assessment Systems, and Pollution Prevention Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kocher, Walter M.

2003-01-01

Pollution prevention (P2) opportunities and Greening the Government (GtG) activities, including the development of the Real-Time Environmental Monitoring System (RTEMS), are currently under development at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The RTEMS project entails the ongoing development of a monitoring system which includes sensors, instruments, computer hardware and software, plus a data telemetry system.Professor Kocher has been directing the RTEMS project for more than 3 years, and the implementation of the prototype system at GRC will be a major portion of his summer effort. This prototype will provide mulitmedia environmental monitoring and control capabilities, although water quality and air emissions will be the immediate issues addressed this summer. Applications beyond those currently identified for environmental purposes will also be explored.

Perceived overprotection, instrumental support and rehabilitation use in elders with vision loss: a longitudinal perspective.

PubMed

Cimarolli, Verena R; Boerner, Kathrin; Reinhardt, Joann P; Horowitz, Amy

2013-01-01

This study's purpose was to investigate changes in perceived overprotection - a problematic aspect of close relationships - over time in relationship to instrumental support receipt and vision rehabilitation service use in a sample of older adults with vision impairment. Participants were 584 older adults with chronic vision impairment who were interviewed three times over a 12-month period. Longitudinal data were analysed using a latent growth curve methodology to examine change over time in perceived overprotection and instrumental support in relation to vision rehabilitation service use. Self-reported levels of overprotection and receipt of instrumental support. Results. Over time perceived overprotection increased but not instrumental support. While perceived overprotection was positively associated with instrumental support initially, over time this relationship did not emerge. Perceived overprotection and instrumental support functioned as predictors of vision rehabilitation hours. However, over time vision rehabilitation service use did not influence these social supports. Perceived overprotection increases over time, yet this change is unaffected by rehabilitation service use and instrumental support. Both family members and elders need to be involved in the vision rehabilitation process and educated about how some level of independence can be regained.

Recent Developments in Instrumentation for Capillary Electrophoresis and Microchip-Capillary Electrophoresis

PubMed Central

Felhofer, Jessica L.; Blanes, Lucas; Garcia, Carlos D.

2010-01-01

Over the last years there has been an explosion in the number of developments and applications of capillary electrophoresis (CE) and microchip-CE. In part, this growth has been the direct consequence of recent developments in instrumentation associated with CE. This review, which is focused on contributions published in the last five years, is intended to complement the papers presented in this special issue dedicated to Instrumentation and to provide an overview on the general trend and some of the most remarkable developments published in the areas of high voltage power supplies, detectors, auxiliary components, and compact systems. It also includes few examples of alternative uses of and modifications to traditional CE instruments. PMID:20665910

Cost-effective design of economic instruments in nutrition policy.

PubMed

Jensen, Jørgen D; Smed, Sinne

2007-04-04

This paper addresses the potential for using economic regulation, e.g. taxes or subsidies, as instruments to combat the increasing problems of inappropriate diets, leading to health problems such as obesity, diabetes 2, cardiovascular diseases etc. in most countries. Such policy measures may be considered as alternatives or supplements to other regulation instruments, including information campaigns, bans or enhancement of technological solutions to the problems of obesity or related diseases. 7 different food tax and subsidy instruments or combinations of instruments are analysed quantitatively. The analyses demonstrate that the average cost-effectiveness with regard to changing the intake of selected nutritional variables can be improved by 10-30 per cent if taxes/subsidies are targeted against these nutrients, compared with targeting selected food categories. Finally, the paper raises a range of issues, which need to be investigated further, before firm conclusions about the suitability of economic instruments in nutrition policy can be drawn.

Flexible Rover Architecture for Science Instrument Integration and Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bualat, Maria G.; Kobayashi, Linda; Lee, Susan Y.; Park, Eric

2006-01-01

At NASA Ames Research Center, the Intelligent Robotics Group (IRG) fields the K9 and K10 class rovers. Both use a mobile robot hardware architecture designed for extensibility and reconfigurability that allows for rapid changes in instrumentation and provides a high degree of modularity. Over the past ssveral years, we have worked with instrument developers at NASA centers, universities, and national laboratories to integrate or partially integrate their instruments onboard the K9 and K10 rovers. Early efforts required considerable interaction to work through integration issues such as power, data protocol and mechanical mounting. These interactions informed the design of our current avionics architecture, and have simplified more recent integration projects. In this paper, we will describe the IRG extensible avionics and software architecture and the effect it has had on our recent instrument integration efforts, including integration of four Mars Instrument Development Program devices.

Cost-effective design of economic instruments in nutrition policy

PubMed Central

Jensen, Jørgen D; Smed, Sinne

2007-01-01

This paper addresses the potential for using economic regulation, e.g. taxes or subsidies, as instruments to combat the increasing problems of inappropriate diets, leading to health problems such as obesity, diabetes 2, cardiovascular diseases etc. in most countries. Such policy measures may be considered as alternatives or supplements to other regulation instruments, including information campaigns, bans or enhancement of technological solutions to the problems of obesity or related diseases. 7 different food tax and subsidy instruments or combinations of instruments are analysed quantitatively. The analyses demonstrate that the average cost-effectiveness with regard to changing the intake of selected nutritional variables can be improved by 10–30 per cent if taxes/subsidies are targeted against these nutrients, compared with targeting selected food categories. Finally, the paper raises a range of issues, which need to be investigated further, before firm conclusions about the suitability of economic instruments in nutrition policy can be drawn. PMID:17408494

Towards Reconfigurable, Separable and Hard Real-Time Hybrid Simulation and Test Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quartier, F.; Delatte, B.; Joubert, M.

2009-05-01

Formation flight needs several new technologies, new disciplines, new approaches and above all, more concurrent engineering by more players. One of the problems to be addressed are more complex simulation and test systems that are easy to re-configure to include parts of the target hardware and that can provide sufficient power to handle simulation cores that are requiring one to two orders of magnitude more processing power than the current technology provides. Critical technologies that are already addressed by CNES and Spacebel are study model reuse and simulator reconfigurability (Basiles), model portability (SMP2) and the federation of several simulators using HLA. Two more critical issues are addressed in ongoing R&D work by CNES and Spacebel and are covered by this paper and concern the time engineering and management. The first issue concerns separability (characterisation, identification and handling of separable subsystems) and the consequences on practical systems. Experiments on the Pleiades operational simulator have shown that adding precise simulation of instruments such as Doris and the Star Tracker can be added without significantly impacting overall performance. Improved time analysis leads to better system understanding and testability. The second issue concerns architectures for distributed hybrid simulators systems that provide hard real-time capabilities and can react with a relative time precision and jitter that is in the 10 to 50 µsecond range using mainstream PC's and mainstream Operating Systems. This opens a way to make smaller economic hardware test systems that can be reconfigured to make large hardware test systems without restarting development. Although such systems were considered next to impossible till now, distributed hard real-time systems are getting in reach when modern but mainstream electronics are used and when processor cores can be isolated and reserved for real-time cores. This requires a complete rethinking of the overall system, but needs very little overall changes. Automated identification of potential parallel simulation capability might become possible in a not so distant future.

Digest of Russian Space Life Sciences, issue 33

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Lydia Razran (Editor); Teeter, Ronald (Editor); Rowe, Joseph (Editor)

1993-01-01

This is the thirty-third issue of NASA's USSR Space Life Sciences Digest. It contains abstracts of 55 papers published in Russian journals. The abstracts in this issue have been identified as relevant to the following areas of space biology and medicine: biological rhythms, body fluids, botany, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, developmental biology, endocrinology, equipment and instrumentation, gastrointestinal system, genetics, hematology, human performance, metabolism, microbiology, musculoskeletal system, neurophysiology, nutrition, operational medicine, psychology, radiobiology, and reproductive system.

PISA for Development Technical Strand A: Enhancement of PISA Cognitive Instruments. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 126

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Ray; Cresswell, John

2016-01-01

The OECD is planning to enhance existing PISA assessment instruments in reading, mathematics and science so that they will be more suitable to the context of developing countries. The main purpose of this paper is to identify the main technical issues associated with this aim. The paper reports detailed analysis of the existing PISA item pool and…

Instrumentation, metrology, and standards: key elements for the future of nanomanufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Postek, Michael T.; Lyons, Kevin

2007-09-01

Nanomanufacturing is the essential bridge between the discoveries of nanoscience and real world nanotech products and is the vehicle by which the Nation and the World will realize the promise of major technological innovation across a spectrum of products that will affect virtually every industrial sector. For nanotech products to achieve the broad impacts envisioned, they must be manufactured in market-appropriate quantities in a reliable, repeatable, economical and commercially viable manner. In addition, they must be manufactured so that environmental and human health concerns are met, worker safety issues are appropriately assessed and handled, and liability issues are addressed. Critical to this realization of robust nanomanufacturing is the development of the necessary instrumentation, metrology, and standards. Integration of the instruments, their interoperability, and appropriate information management are also critical elements that must be considered for viable nanomanufacturing. Advanced instrumentation, metrology and standards will allow the physical dimensions, properties, functionality, and purity of the materials, processes, tools, systems, products, and emissions that will constitute nanomanufacturing to be measured and characterized. This will in turn enable production to be scaleable, controllable, predictable, and repeatable to meet market needs. If a nano-product cannot be measured it cannot be manufactured; additionally if that product cannot be made safely it should not be manufactured. This presentation introduces the Instrumentation, Metrology, and Standards for Nanomanufacturing Conference at the 2007 SPIE Optics and Photonics. This conference will become the leading forum for the exchange of foundational information and discussion of instrumentation, metrology and standards which are key elements for the success of nanomanufacturing.

Students' Socioscientific Reasoning and Decision-making on Energy-related Issues—Development of a measurement instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakschewski, Mark; Eggert, Sabina; Schneider, Susanne; Bögeholz, Susanne

2014-09-01

The concept of energy is one key component of science education curricula worldwide. While it is still being taught in many science classrooms from a mainly conceptual knowledge perspective, the need to frame the concept of energy as a socioscientific issue and implement it in the context of citizenship education and education for sustainable development, is getting more and more explicit. As we will be faced with limited fossil fuels and the consequences of global climate change in the future, students have to be supported in becoming literate citizens who are able to reach informed energy-related decisions. In this article, we focus on students' reasoning and decision-making processes about socioscientific energy-related issues. In more detail, we developed a paper-and-pencil measurement instrument to assess secondary school students' competencies in this domain. The functioning of the measurement instrument was analysed with a sample of 850 students from grades 6, 8, 10 and 12 using item response theory. Findings show that the measurement instrument functions in terms of reliability and validity. Concerning student ability, elaborate reasoning and decision-making was characterised by the use of trade-offs and the ability to weigh arguments and to reflect on the structure of reasoning and decision-making processes. The developed measurement instrument provides a complement for existing test instruments on conceptual knowledge about the concept of energy. It aims to contribute to a change in teaching about energy, especially in physics education in the sense of education for sustainable development.

The Uncompromised Curriculum: Videos of Teachers Teaching Social Justice Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sonu, Debbie

2011-01-01

Despite pressures to narrow the curriculum and focus only on testing, there are teachers who continue to work social justice issues into their elementary lessons through the subject of social studies. These teachers speak of education as an instrument for the public good. In this day and age, it can be hard to find teachers with such…

Measuring Fidelity of Implementation--Methodological and Conceptual Issues and Challenges. CRESST Report 811

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osmundson, Ellen; Herman, Joan; Ringstaff, Cathy; Dai, Yunyun; Timms, Mike

2012-01-01

A central challenge in efficacy studies centers on the issue of "fidelity of implementation," that is, the extent to which participants use the curriculum specified by curriculum developers. In this study, we describe and discuss a "fidelity of implementation" model using multiple methods and instruments to compare two versions of a science…

Visuals in Geography Textbooks: Categorization of Types and Assessment of Their Instructional Qualities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janko, Tomáš; Knecht, Petr

2013-01-01

The article focuses on the issue of visuals in geography textbooks and their assessment. The issue is explained from the perspective of educational and cognitive psychological theory and the theory of textbooks. The general purpose of the presented research is to develop a research instrument for categorising the types of visuals in geography…

Further Issues in Determining the Readability of Self-Report Items: Comment on McHugh and Behar (2009)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schinka, John A.

2012-01-01

Objective: Issues regarding the readability of self-report assessment instruments, methods for establishing the reading ability level of respondents, and guidelines for development of scales designed for marginal readers have been inconsistently addressed in the literature. A recent study by McHugh and Behar (2009) provided new findings relevant…

Issues in the Assessment of Social Phobia: A Review

PubMed Central

Letamendi, Andrea M.; Chavira, Denise A.; Stein, Murray B.

2010-01-01

Since the emergence of social phobia in DSM nomenclature, the mental health community has witnessed an expansion in standardized methods for the screening, diagnosis, and measurement of the disorder. This article reviews formal assessment methods for social phobia, including diagnostic interview, clinician-administered instruments, and self report questionnaires. Frequently used tools for assessing constructs related to social phobia, such as disability and quality of life, are also briefly presented. This review evaluates each method by highlighting the assessment features recommended in social phobia literature, including method of administration, item content, coverage, length of scale, type of scores generated, and time frame. PMID:19728569

Evaluation of the XSENS Force Shoe on ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanson, A. M.; Peters, B. T.; Newby, N.; Ploutz-Snyder, L

2014-01-01

The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) offers crewmembers a wide range of resistance exercises but does not provide any type of load monitoring; any load data received are based on crew self-report of dialed in load. This lack of real-time ARED load monitoring severely limits research analysis. To address this issue, portable load monitoring technologies are being evaluated to act as a surrogate to ARED's failed instrumentation. The XSENS ForceShoe"TM" is a commercial portable load monitoring tool, and performed well in ground tests. The ForceShoe "TM" was recently deployed on the International Space Station (ISS), and is being evaluated as a tool to monitor ARED loads.

Household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS).

PubMed

Salvador Castell, Gemma; Pérez Rodrigo, Carmen; Ngo de la Cruz, Joy; Aranceta Bartrina, Javier

2015-02-26

In 1996, the World Food Summit reaffirmed the inalienable right that each person across the globe has to access safe, adequate and nutritious food. At that time a goal was established to reduce by half the number of undernourished persons worldwide by 2015, in other words the year that we are now commencing. Different countries and organisations considered the necessity of reaching consensus and developing indicators for measuring household food insecurity. The availability of a simple but evidence-based measurement method to identify nutritionally at-risk population groups constitutes an essential instrument for implementing strategies that effectively address relevant key issues. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2015. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Exploring the quality of life issues in people with retinal diseases: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Prem Senthil, Mallika; Khadka, Jyoti; Gilhotra, Jagjit Singh; Simon, Sumu; Pesudovs, Konrad

2017-01-01

The lack of an appropriate retina-specific patient-reported outcome instrument restricts the understanding of the full impact of hereditary retinal diseases and other less common but potentially blinding acquired retinal diseases such as, vascular occlusions, epiretinal membrane, macular hole, central serous retinopathy and other vitreoretinopathies on quality of life. This study aims to explore the quality of life issues in people with hereditary retinal diseases and acquired retinal diseases to develop disease-specific patient-reported outcome instruments. A qualitative research methodology to understand the lived experiences of people with retinal diseases was carried out. Data were collected through semistructured interviews. The coding, aggregation and theme development was carried out using the NVivo -10 software. Seventy-nine interviews were conducted with participants with hereditary retinal diseases ( n  = 32; median age = 57 years) and acquired retinal diseases ( n  = 47; median age = 73 years). We identified nine quality of life themes (domains) relevant to people with retinal diseases. Difficulty in performing important day-to-day activities (activity limitation) was the most prominent quality of life issue in the hereditary retinal diseases group whereas concerns about health, disease outcome and personal safety (health concerns) was the most prominent quality of life issue in the acquired retinal diseases group. Participants with hereditary retinal diseases had more issues with social interaction (social well-being), problems with mobility and orientation (mobility), and effect on work and finance (economic) than participants with acquired retinal diseases. On the contrary, participants with acquired retinal diseases reported more inconveniences (conveniences) than participants with hereditary retinal diseases, which were mostly attributed to treatment. Participants with hereditary retinal diseases were coping better compared to participants with acquired retinal diseases. Our study found that participants with both hereditary and acquired retinal diseases are living with myriad of disease-specific quality of life issues. Many of these issues are completely different and unique to each disease group. Hence, these group of diseases would need separate patient-reported outcome instruments to capture the disease-specific quality of life impacts.

Solar Occultation Satellite Data and Derived Meteorological Products: Sampling Issues and Comparisons with Aura MLS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manney, Gloria; Daffer, William H.; Zawodny, Joseph M.; Bernath, Peter F.; Hoppel, Karl W.; Walker, Kaley A.; Knosp, Brian W.; Boone, Chris; Remsberg, Ellis E.; Santee, Michelle L.;

Estimating climate sensitivity from paleo-data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowley, T. J.; Hegerl, G. C.

2003-12-01

For twenty years estimates of climate sensitivity from the instrumental record have neen between about 1.5-4.5° C for a doubling of CO2. Various efforts, most notably by J. Hansen, and M. Hoffert and C. Covey. have been made to test this range against paleo-data for the ice age and Cretaceous, yielding approximately the same range with a "best guess" sensitivity of about 2.0-3.0° C. Here we re-examine this issue with new paleo-data and also include information for the time period 1000-present. For this latter interval formal pdfs can for the first time be calculated for paleo data. Regardless of the time interval examined we generally find that paleo-sensitivities still fall within the range of about 1.5-4.5° C. The primary impediments to more precise determinations involve not only uncertainties in forcings but also the paleo reconstructions. Barring a dramatic breakthrough in reconciliation of some long-standing differences in the magnitude of paleotemperature estimates for different proxies, the range of paleo-sensitivities will continue to have this uncertainty. This range can be considered either unsatisfactory or satisfactory. It is unsatisfactory because some may consider it insufficiently precise. It is satisfactory in the sense that the range is both robust and entirely consistent with the range independently estimated from the instrumental record.

Measurement differences between turbidity instruments, and their implications for suspended sediment concentration and load calculations: A sensor inter-comparison study.

PubMed

Rymszewicz, A; O'Sullivan, J J; Bruen, M; Turner, J N; Lawler, D M; Conroy, E; Kelly-Quinn, M

2017-09-01

The use of turbidity for indicating environmentally detrimental levels of suspended and colloidal matter in freshwater systems, and for defining acceptable water quality standards in national and European drinking water regulations, is well established. Turbidity is therefore frequently adopted as a surrogate for suspended sediment concentrations (SSC), or as a relative and objective measure of water clarity in monitoring programmes. Through systematic, controlled experimentation, we tested the response of 12 commercially available turbidity sensors, of various designs, to gauge their measurement consistency when benchmarked against pre-prepared sediment suspensions of known SSC. Results showed that despite calibration to a Formazin standard, sensor responses to identical SSC solutions (in the range of 20-1000 mg L -1 ) varied considerably. For a given SSC, up to five-fold differences in recorded turbidity were recorded across the tested instruments. Furthermore, inconsistent measurements were identified across instruments, regardless of whether they operated using backscatter or side-scatter optical principles. While the findings may have implications for compliance with turbidity-based water quality standards, they are less likely to be an issue when turbidity is being used as a surrogate for SSC, provided that instrument use remains constant and that instrument drift is not an issue. In this study, a field comparison of a subset of four study sensors showed that despite very different absolute turbidity readings for a given SSC, well correlated and reliable turbidity - SSC ratings were established (as evidenced by r 2 coefficients from 0.92 to 0.98). This led to reasonably consistent suspended sediment load estimates of between 64.7 and 70.8 tonnes for a rainfall event analysed. This study highlights the potential for issues to arise when interpreting water turbidity datasets that are often assumed to be comparable, in that measurement inconsistency of the type reported here may remain unknown to water resource decision-makers and practitioners. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conducting quality of life research in people with coronary artery disease in non-English-speaking countries: conceptual and operationalization issues.

PubMed

Saengsiri, Aem-orn; Hacker, Eileen Danaher

2015-01-01

Health-related quality of life is an important clinical outcome to measure in patients with cardiovascular disease. International nurse researchers with limited English skills and novice cardiovascular nurse researchers face numerous challenges when conducting quality of life research because of the conceptual ambiguity of the construct and subsequent operationalization issues as well as difficulty identifying conceptual models to guide their quality of life research. The overall purpose of this article was to provide guidance to cardiovascular nurse researchers (using Thailand as an example) who are interested in examining quality of life in their native country but lack access to quality of life conceptual models and instruments because of language barriers. This article will examine definitions of health-related quality of life, selection of a conceptual model to guide quality of life research, use of the conceptual model to guide selection and measurement of variables, and translation of instruments when reliable and valid instruments are not available in the native language. Ferrans' definition of quality of life and the Wilson and Cleary Revised Model of Patient Outcomes were selected to guide the research. Selection of variables/instruments flowed directly from the conceptualization of constructs identified in this model. Our study, "Examining HRQOL in Thai People With Coronary Artery Disease Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention," serves as an exemplar to illustrate the conceptual and operational challenges associated with conducting quality of life research in Thailand. The ultimate goal of cardiovascular nursing is to help patients achieve their optimal quality of life. Thai clinicians implementing quality of life assessment in clinical practice face similar conceptual and operationalization issues, especially when using instruments that are not well established or easily interpreted. Although quality of life assessment in clinical practice improves communication between patients and healthcare providers, clear guidelines for making changes to treatment strategies based on changes in quality of life must be established.

High-precision two-way optic-fiber time transfer using an improved time code.

PubMed

Wu, Guiling; Hu, Liang; Zhang, Hao; Chen, Jianping

2014-11-01

We present a novel high-precision two-way optic-fiber time transfer scheme. The Inter-Range Instrumentation Group (IRIG-B) time code is modified by increasing bit rate and defining new fields. The modified time code can be transmitted directly using commercial optical transceivers and is able to efficiently suppress the effect of the Rayleigh backscattering in the optical fiber. A dedicated codec (encoder and decoder) with low delay fluctuation is developed. The synchronization issue is addressed by adopting a mask technique and combinational logic circuit. Its delay fluctuation is less than 27 ps in terms of the standard deviation. The two-way optic-fiber time transfer using the improved codec scheme is verified experimentally over 2 m to100 km fiber links. The results show that the stability over 100 km fiber link is always less than 35 ps with the minimum value of about 2 ps at the averaging time around 1000 s. The uncertainty of time difference induced by the chromatic dispersion over 100 km is less than 22 ps.

Analysis of key technologies for virtual instruments metrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Guixiong; Xu, Qingui; Gao, Furong; Guan, Qiuju; Fang, Qiang

2008-12-01

Virtual instruments (VIs) require metrological verification when applied as measuring instruments. Owing to the software-centered architecture, metrological evaluation of VIs includes two aspects: measurement functions and software characteristics. Complexity of software imposes difficulties on metrological testing of VIs. Key approaches and technologies for metrology evaluation of virtual instruments are investigated and analyzed in this paper. The principal issue is evaluation of measurement uncertainty. The nature and regularity of measurement uncertainty caused by software and algorithms can be evaluated by modeling, simulation, analysis, testing and statistics with support of powerful computing capability of PC. Another concern is evaluation of software features like correctness, reliability, stability, security and real-time of VIs. Technologies from software engineering, software testing and computer security domain can be used for these purposes. For example, a variety of black-box testing, white-box testing and modeling approaches can be used to evaluate the reliability of modules, components, applications and the whole VI software. The security of a VI can be assessed by methods like vulnerability scanning and penetration analysis. In order to facilitate metrology institutions to perform metrological verification of VIs efficiently, an automatic metrological tool for the above validation is essential. Based on technologies of numerical simulation, software testing and system benchmarking, a framework for the automatic tool is proposed in this paper. Investigation on implementation of existing automatic tools that perform calculation of measurement uncertainty, software testing and security assessment demonstrates the feasibility of the automatic framework advanced.

Portable microfluidic platform for real-time, high sensitive detection and identification of trichloroethylene and other organochloride compounds

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

Jensen, Erik

In this successful SBIR Phase II effort, HJ Science & Technology, Inc. has designed and built a novel portable instrument capable of performing automated aqueous organochloride (chlorinated solvent) speciation analysis for environmental monitoring at DoE sites. Our technique employs performing organochloride conjugation, labeling the conjugate with an efficient fluorophore, and performing on-chip capillary electrophoresis separation with laser induced fluorescence detection. The key component of the portable instrument is a novel microfluidic chip capable of complete “end-to-end” automation of sample preparation, conjugation, labeling, and μCE separation and detection. In addition, the Phase II prototype includes key supporting instrumentation such as themore » optical module, pneumatic manifold, electronics, software, etc. As such, we have achieved all of the following 4 Phase II technical objectives: 1) Further refine and optimize the “on-chip” automation of the organochloride conjugation and labeling protocol, 2) Further improve the microfluidic chip fabrication process and the pneumatic manifold design in order to address issues related to performance consistency, product yield, performance reliability, and user friendliness, 3) Design and build the supporting components of the Phase II prototype including optical module, electronics, and software, and 4) Assemble the Phase II prototype hardware.« less

GOES-12 SXI Operational Calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pizzo, V. J.; Hill, S. M.; Balch, C.

2002-12-01

The prototype Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) was lofted into orbit aboard the NOAA GOES-12 spacecraft on 23 July 2001. The results of pre-launch ground-based optical tests have been combined with an extensive set of imagery taken during the post-launch checkout period from late August through mid December 2001 to establish an operational calibration for the full instrument performance. Although the nickel-coated mirror is a conventional Wolter-I grazing incidence optic, the detector consists of an MCP-enhanced CCD configuration not previously used for direct solar imaging. A full set of calibration data for each optical component (mirror, filters, detector) as well as for net system throughput have been derived and are available on the SXI website (http://sec.noaa.gov/sxi/ScienceUserGuide.html). In addition, a wide variety of information on instrument spatial resolution, point-spread function, dynamic range, photon statistics, and gain dependence (related to voltage settings for the MCP) have been derived. An improved background correction has been developed and applied to the recent release of the post-launch data now publicly available in FITS format. Special instrument topics including issues related to solar pointing and image timing aboard a geo-synchronous platform, CCD blooming properties, detector flat-field effects, and response to SEP events are also detailed.

Clinical Evaluation of Quality of Obturation and Instrumentation Time using Two Modified Rotary File Systems with Manual Instrumentation in Primary Teeth

PubMed Central

Govindaraju, Lavanya; Subramanian, EMG

2017-01-01

Introduction Pulp therapy in primary teeth has been performed using various instrumentation techniques. However, the conventional instrumentation technique used for root canal preparation in primary teeth is hand instrumentation. Various Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti) instruments are available to perform efficient root canal preparation in primary teeth. These Ni-Ti instruments has been designed to aid in better root canal preparation in permanent teeth but are rarely used in primary teeth. It is necessary to assess the feasibility of using these adult rotary files with a modified sequence in primary teeth. Aim To compare the quality of obturation and instrumentation time during root canal preparation using hand files and modified rotary file systems in primary molars. Materials and Methods Forty-five primary mandibular molars were randomly assigned to three experimental groups (n=15). Group I was instrumented using k-hand files, Group II with S2 ProTaper universal file and Group III with 0.25 tip 4% taper K3 rotary file. Standardized digital radiographs were taken before and after root canal instrumentation. Root canal preparation time was also recorded. Statistical analysis of the obtained data was done using SPSS Software version 17.0. An intergroup comparison of the instrumentation time and the quality of obturation was done using ANOVA and Chi-square test with the level of significance set at 0.05. Results No significant differences were noted with regard to the quality of obturation (p=0.791). However, a statistically significant difference was noted in the instrumentation time between the three groups (p<0.05). ProTaper rotary system had significantly lesser instrumentation time when compared to that of K3 rotary system and hand file system. Conclusion The hand files, S2 ProTaper Universal and K3 0.25 tip 4% taper files systems performed similarly with respect to the quality of obturation. There was a significant difference in instrumentation time with manual instrumentation compared to the modified rotary file systems in primary teeth. PMID:29207834

Comparison of quality of obturation and instrumentation time using hand files and two rotary file systems in primary molars: A single-blinded randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Govindaraju, Lavanya; Jeevanandan, Ganesh; Subramanian, E M G

2017-01-01

In permanent dentition, different rotary systems are used for canal cleaning and shaping. Rotary instrumentation in pediatric dentistry is an emerging concept. A very few studies have compared the efficiency of rotary instrumentation for canal preparation in primary teeth. Hence, this study was performed to compare the obturation quality and instrumentation time of two rotary files systems - Protaper, Mtwo with hand files in primary molars. Forty-five primary mandibular molars were randomly allotted to one of the three groups. Instrumentation was done using K-files in Group 1; Protaper in Group 2; and Mtwo in Group 3. Instrumentation time was recorded. The canal filling quality was assessed as underfill, optimal fill, and overfill. Statistical analysis was done using Chi-square, ANOVA, and post hoc Tukey test. No significant difference was observed in the quality of obturation among three groups. Intergroup comparison of the instrumentation time showed a statistically significant difference between the three groups. The use of rotary instrumentation in primary teeth results in marked reduction in the instrumentation time and improves the quality of obturation.

A 40 Year Time Series of SBUV Observations: the Version 8.6 Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McPeters, Richard; Bhartia, P. K.; Flynn, L.

2012-01-01

Under a NASA program to produce long term data records from instruments on multiple satellites (MEaSUREs), data from a series of eight SBUV and SBUV 12 instruments have been reprocessed to create a 40 year long ozone time series. Data from the Nimbus 4 BUV, Nimbus 7 SBUV, and SBUV/2 instruments on NOAA 9, 11, 14, 16, 17, and 18 were used covering the period 1970 to 1972 and 1979 to the present. In past analyses an ozone time series was created from these instruments by adjusting ozone itself, instrument by instrument, for consistency during overlap periods. In the version 8.6 processing adjustments were made to the radiance calibration of each instrument to maintain a consistent calibration over the entire time series. Data for all eight instruments were then reprocessed using the adjusted radiances. Reprocessing is necessary to produce an accurate latitude dependence. Other improvements incorporated in version 8.6 included the use of the ozone cross sections of Brion, Daumont, and Malicet, and the use of a cloud height climatology derived from Aura OMI measurements. The new cross sections have a more accurate temperature dependence than the cross sections previously used. The OMI-based cloud heights account for the penetration of UV into the upper layers of clouds. The consistency of the version 8.6 time series was evaluated by intra-instrument comparisons during overlap periods, comparisons with ground-based instruments, and comparisons with measurements made by instruments on other satellites such as SAGE II and UARS MLS. These comparisons show that for the instruments on NOAA 16, 17 and 18, the instrument calibrations were remarkably stable and consistent from instrument to instrument. The data record from the Nimbus 7 SBUV was also very stable, and SAGE and ground-based comparisons show that the' calibration was consistent with measurements made years laterby the NOAA 16 instrument. The calibrations of the SBUV/2 instruments on NOAA 9, 11, and 14 were more of a problem. The rapidly drifting orbits of these satellites resulted in relative time and altitude dependent differences that are significant. Despite these problems, total column ozone appears to be consistent to better than 1% over the entire time series, while the ozone vertical distribution is consistent to approximately 5%.

Guidance for industry: patient-reported outcome measures: use in medical product development to support labeling claims: draft guidance.

PubMed

2006-10-11

This guidance describes how the FDA evaluates patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments used as effectiveness endpoints in clinical trials. It also describes our current thinking on how sponsors can develop and use study results measured by PRO instruments to support claims in approved product labeling (see appendix point 1). It does not address the use of PRO instruments for purposes beyond evaluation of claims made about a drug or medical product in its labeling. By explicitly addressing the review issues identified in this guidance, sponsors can increase the efficiency of their endpoint discussions with the FDA during the product development process, streamline the FDA's review of PRO endpoint adequacy, and provide optimal information about the patient's perspective of treatment benefit at the time of product approval. A PRO is a measurement of any aspect of a patient's health status that comes directly from the patient (i.e., without the interpretation of the patient's responses by a physician or anyone else). In clinical trials, a PRO instrument can be used to measure the impact of an intervention on one or more aspects of patients' health status, hereafter referred to as PRO concepts, ranging from the purely symptomatic (response of a headache) to more complex concepts (e.g., ability to carry out activities of daily living), to extremely complex concepts such as quality of life, which is widely understood to be a multidomain concept with physical, psychological, and social components. Data generated by a PRO instrument can provide evidence of a treatment benefit from the patient perspective. For this data to be meaningful, however, there should be evidence that the PRO instrument effectively measures the particular concept that is studied. Generally, findings measured by PRO instruments may be used to support claims in approved product labeling if the claims are derived from adequate and well-controlled investigations that use PRO instruments that reliably and validly measure the specific concepts at issue. The glossary defines many of the terms used in this guidance. In particular, the term instrument refers to the actual questions or items contained in a questionnaire or interview schedule along with all the additional information and documentation that supports the use of these items in producing a PRO measure (e.g., interviewer training and instructions, scoring and interpretation manual). The term conceptual framework refers to how items are grouped according to subconcepts or domains (e.g., the item walking without help may be grouped with another item, walking with difficulty, within the domain of ambulation, and ambulation may be further grouped into the concept of physical ability). FDA's guidance documents, including this guidance, do not establish legally enforceable responsibilities. Instead, guidance documents describe the Agency's current thinking on a topic and should be viewed only as recommendations, unless specific regulatory or statutory requirements are cited. The use of the word should in Agency guidance documents means that something is suggested or recommended but not required. First publication of the Draft Guidance by the Food and Drug Administration--February 2006.

Guidance for industry: patient-reported outcome measures: use in medical product development to support labeling claims: draft guidance

PubMed Central

2006-01-01

This guidance describes how the FDA evaluates patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments used as effectiveness endpoints in clinical trials. It also describes our current thinking on how sponsors can develop and use study results measured by PRO instruments to support claims in approved product labeling (see appendix point 1). It does not address the use of PRO instruments for purposes beyond evaluation of claims made about a drug or medical product in its labeling. By explicitly addressing the review issues identified in this guidance, sponsors can increase the efficiency of their endpoint discussions with the FDA during the product development process, streamline the FDA's review of PRO endpoint adequacy, and provide optimal information about the patient's perspective of treatment benefit at the time of product approval. A PRO is a measurement of any aspect of a patient's health status that comes directly from the patient (i.e., without the interpretation of the patient's responses by a physician or anyone else). In clinical trials, a PRO instrument can be used to measure the impact of an intervention on one or more aspects of patients' health status, hereafter referred to as PRO concepts, ranging from the purely symptomatic (response of a headache) to more complex concepts (e.g., ability to carry out activities of daily living), to extremely complex concepts such as quality of life, which is widely understood to be a multidomain concept with physical, psychological, and social components. Data generated by a PRO instrument can provide evidence of a treatment benefit from the patient perspective. For this data to be meaningful, however, there should be evidence that the PRO instrument effectively measures the particular concept that is studied. Generally, findings measured by PRO instruments may be used to support claims in approved product labeling if the claims are derived from adequate and well-controlled investigations that use PRO instruments that reliably and validly measure the specific concepts at issue. The glossary defines many of the terms used in this guidance. In particular, the term instrument refers to the actual questions or items contained in a questionnaire or interview schedule along with all the additional information and documentation that supports the use of these items in producing a PRO measure (e.g., interviewer training and instructions, scoring and interpretation manual). The term conceptual framework refers to how items are grouped according to subconcepts or domains (e.g., the item walking without help may be grouped with another item, walking with difficulty, within the domain of ambulation, and ambulation may be further grouped into the concept of physical ability). FDA's guidance documents, including this guidance, do not establish legally enforceable responsibilities. Instead, guidance documents describe the Agency's current thinking on a topic and should be viewed only as recommendations, unless specific regulatory or statutory requirements are cited. The use of the word should in Agency guidance documents means that something is suggested or recommended but not required. First publication of the Draft Guidance by the Food and Drug Administration- February 2006. PMID:17034633

Nuclear Science Symposium, 23rd, Scintillation and Semiconductor Counter Symposium, 15th, and Nuclear Power Systems Symposium, 8th, New Orleans, La., October 20-22, 1976, Proceedings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagner, L. J.

1977-01-01

The volume includes papers on semiconductor radiation detectors of various types, components of radiation detection and dosimetric systems, digital and microprocessor equipment in nuclear industry and science, and a wide variety of applications of nuclear radiation detectors. Semiconductor detectors of X-rays, gamma radiation, heavy ions, neutrons, and other nuclear particles, plastic scintillator arrays, drift chambers, spark wire chambers, and radiation dosimeter systems are reported on. Digital and analog conversion systems, digital data and control systems, microprocessors, and their uses in scientific research and nuclear power plants are discussed. Large-area imaging and biomedical nucleonic instrumentation, nuclear power plant safeguards, reactor instrumentation, nuclear power plant instrumentation, space instrumentation, and environmental instrumentation are dealt with. Individual items are announced in this issue.

A passive low frequency instrument for radio wave sounding the subsurface oceans of the Jovian icy moons: An instrument concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartogh, P.; Ilyushin, Ya. A.

2016-10-01

Exploration of subsurface oceans on Jovian icy moons is a key issue of the icy moons' geology. Electromagnetic wave propagation is the only way to probe their icy mantles from the orbit. In the present paper, a principal concept of a passive interferometric instrument for deep sounding of the icy moons' crust is proposed. Its working principle is measuring and correlating Jupiter's radio wave emissions with reflections from the deep sub-surface of the icy moons. A number of the functional aspects of the proposed experiment are studied, in particular, impact of the wave scattering on the surface terrain on the instrument performance and digital sampling of the noisy signal. Results of the test of the laboratory prototype of the instrument are also presented in the paper.

Analysis of the ITER low field side reflectometer transmission line system.

PubMed

Hanson, G R; Wilgen, J B; Bigelow, T S; Diem, S J; Biewer, T M

2010-10-01

A critical issue in the design of the ITER low field side reflectometer is the transmission line (TL) system. A TL connects each launcher to a diagnostic instrument. Each TL will typically consist of ∼42 m of corrugated waveguide and up to ten miter bends. Important issues for the performance of the TL system are mode conversion and reflections. Minimizing these issues are critical to minimizing standing waves and phase errors. The performance of TL system is analyzed and recommendations are given.

Understanding current steam sterilization recommendations and guidelines.

PubMed

Spry, Cynthia

2008-10-01

Processing surgical instruments in preparation for surgery is a complex multistep practice. It is impractical to culture each and every item to determine sterility; therefore, the best assurance of a sterile product is careful execution of every step in the process coupled with an ongoing quality control program. Perioperative staff nurses and managers responsible for instrument processing, whether for a single instrument or multiple sets, must be knowledgeable with regard to cleaning; packaging; cycle selection; and the use of physical, chemical, and biological monitors. Nurses also should be able to resolve issues related to loaner sets, flash sterilization, and extended cycles.

Standard NIM Instrumentation System

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

Costrell, Louis; Lenkszus, Frank R.; Rudnick, Stanley J.

NIM is a standard modular instrumentation system that is in wide use throughout the world. As the NIM system developed and accommodations were made to a dynamic instrumentation field and a rapidly advancing technology, additions, revisions and clarifications were made. These were incorporated into the standard in the form of addenda and errata. This standard is a revision of the NIM document, AEC Report TID-20893 (Rev 4) dated July 1974. It includes all the addenda and errata items that were previously issued as well as numerous additional items to make the standard current with modern technology and manufacturing practice.

Optical instrumentation engineering in science, technology and society; Proceedings of the Sixteenth Annual Technical Meeting, San Mateo, Calif., October 16-18, 1972

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katz, Y. H.

1973-01-01

Visual tracking performance in instrumentation is discussed together with photographic pyrometry in an aeroballistic range, optical characteristics of spherical vapor bubbles in liquids, and the automatic detection and control of surface roughness by coherent diffraction patterns. Other subjects explored are related to instruments, sensors, systems, holography, and pattern recognition. Questions of data handling are also investigated, taking into account minicomputer image storage for holographic interferometry analysis, the design of a video amplifier for a 90 MHz bandwidth, and autostereoscopic screens. Individual items are announced in this issue.

Instrument control software requirement specification for Extremely Large Telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Peter J.; Kiekebusch, Mario J.; Chiozzi, Gianluca

2010-07-01

Engineers in several observatories are now designing the next generation of optical telescopes, the Extremely Large Telescopes (ELT). These are very complex machines that will host sophisticated astronomical instruments to be used for a wide range of scientific studies. In order to carry out scientific observations, a software infrastructure is required to orchestrate the control of the multiple subsystems and functions. This paper will focus on describing the considerations, strategies and main issues related to the definition and analysis of the software requirements for the ELT's Instrument Control System using modern development processes and modelling tools like SysML.

Sample acquisition and instrument deployment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boyd, Robert C.

1995-01-01

Progress is reported in developing the Sample Acquisition and Instrument Deployment (SAID) system, a robotic system for deploying science instruments and acquiring samples for analysis. The system is a conventional four degree of freedom manipulator 2 meters in length. A baseline design has been achieved through analysis and trade studies. The design considers environmental operating conditions on the surface of Mars, as well as volume constraints on proposed Mars landers. Control issues have also been studied, and simulations of joint and tip movements have been performed. The systems have been fabricated and tested in environmental chambers, as well as soil testing and robotic control testing.

A survey of international legal instruments to examine their effectiveness in improving global health and in realizing health rights.

PubMed

Wilson, Arthur; Daar, Abdallah S

2013-01-01

Many global health issues, almost by definition, do not recognize state borders and therefore require bi-lateral, or more often multi-lateral international solutions. These latter solutions are articulated in international instruments (declarations, conventions, treaties, constitutions of international bodies, etc). However, the gap between formal adoption of such instruments by signatory states and substantive implementation of the articulated solutions can be very wide. This paper surveys a selection of international legal instruments, including those where the sought after positive outcomes have been achieved, and those that have been ineffective, with little or no real progress being made. The paper looks for commonalities, both in the nature of the problems and the forms of the international legal instruments, to seek answers as to why some instruments ultimately succeeded where others failed. It also provides some guidance to law/ treaty makers to help ensure that they frame future instruments in such a way as to maximize the probability that those instruments will have a substantive positive impact on global health and health rights. © 2013 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

The virtual mission approach: Empowering earth and space science missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, Elaine

1993-08-01

Future Earth and Space Science missions will address increasingly broad and complex scientific issues. To accomplish this task, we will need to acquire and coordinate data sets from a number of different instrumetns, to make coordinated observations of a given phenomenon, and to coordinate the operation of the many individual instruments making these observations. These instruments will need to be used together as a single ``Virtual Mission.'' This coordinated approach is complicated in that these scientific instruments will generally be on different platforms, in different orbits, from different control centers, at different institutions, and report to different user groups. Before this Virtual Mission approach can be implemented, techniques need to be developed to enable separate instruments to work together harmoniously, to execute observing sequences in a synchronized manner, and to be managed by the Virtual Mission authority during times of these coordinated activities. Enabling technologies include object-oriented designed approaches, extended operations management concepts and distributed computing techniques. Once these technologies are developed and the Virtual Mission concept is available, we believe the concept will provide NASA's Science Program with a new, ``go-as-you-pay,'' flexible, and resilient way of accomplishing its science observing program. The concept will foster the use of smaller and lower cost satellites. It will enable the fleet of scientific satellites to evolve in directions that best meet prevailing science needs. It will empower scientists by enabling them to mix and match various combinations of in-space, ground, and suborbital instruments - combinations which can be called up quickly in response to new events or discoveries. And, it will enable small groups such as universities, Space Grant colleges, and small businesses to participate significantly in the program by developing small components of this evolving scientific fleet.

Excluding parental grief: A critical discourse analysis of bereavement accommodation in Canadian labour standards.

PubMed

Macdonald, Mary Ellen; Kennedy, Kimberly; Moll, Sandra; Pineda, Carolina; Mitchell, Lisa M; Stephenson, Peter H; Cadell, Susan

2015-01-01

Grief following child loss is profoundly destabilizing with serious long-term repercussions for bereaved parents. Employed parents may need time away from work to deal with this loss. The purpose of this study was to reflect upon the ways labour policies and practices respond to parental bereavement. Critical discourse analysis was used to examine labour policies and practices related to employment leave for bereaved parents in Canada. Results were compared to international labour standards. Universally, employment policies provide only for the practical issues of bereavement. Commonly, leave is three days, unpaid, and meant to enable ceremonial obligations. Policies do not acknowledge the long-term suffering caused by grief or the variable intensity of different kinds of loss. Managerial, moral, normative and neoliberal values embedded in these policies efface the intensely personal experience of grief, thereby leaving employees at risk for serious health and workplace safety issues. Bereavement leave currently understands grief as a generic, time-limited state with instrumental tasks and ceremonial obligations. In contrast, research characterizes responses to child loss as intense, highly personal experiences for which healing and recovery can take years. This disconnect is especially problematic when viewed through the lens of employee wellbeing, reintegration and workplace productivity.

Spatial Displays and Spatial Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellis, Stephen R. (Editor); Kaiser, Mary K. (Editor); Grunwald, Arthur J. (Editor)

1989-01-01

The conference proceedings topics are divided into two main areas: (1) issues of spatial and picture perception raised by graphical electronic displays of spatial information; and (2) design questions raised by the practical experience of designers actually defining new spatial instruments for use in new aircraft and spacecraft. Each topic is considered from both a theoretical and an applied direction. Emphasis is placed on discussion of phenomena and determination of design principles.

Science Data Preservation: Implementation and Why It Is Important

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kempler, Steven J.; Moses, John F.; Gerasimov, Irina V.; Johnson, James E.; Vollmer, Bruce E.; Theobald, Michael L.; Ostrenga, Dana M.; Ahmad, Suraiya; Ramapriyan, Hampapuram K.; Khayat, Mohammad G.

2013-01-01

Remote Sensing data generation by NASA to study Earth s geophysical processes was initiated in 1960 with the launch of the first Television Infrared Observation Satellite Program (TIROS), to develop a meteorological satellite information system. What would be deemed as a primitive data set by today s standards, early Earth science missions were the foundation upon which today s remote sensing instruments have built their scientific success, and tomorrow s instruments will yield science not yet imagined. NASA Scientific Data Stewardship requirements have been documented to ensure the long term preservation and usability of remote sensing science data. In recent years, the Federation of Earth Science Information Partners and NASA s Earth Science Data System Working Groups have organized committees that specifically examine standards, processes, and ontologies that can best be employed for the preservation of remote sensing data, supporting documentation, and data provenance information. This presentation describes the activities, issues, and implementations, guided by the NASA Earth Science Data Preservation Content Specification (423-SPEC-001), for preserving instrument characteristics, and data processing and science information generated for 20 Earth science instruments, spanning 40 years of geophysical measurements, at the NASA s Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC). In addition, unanticipated preservation/implementation questions and issues in the implementation process are presented.

The National Long Term Care Demonstration: operational issues encountered in developing the research design.

PubMed

Carcagno, G J; Kemper, P

1983-01-01

This paper describes the design of the National Long Term Care Demonstration and its evaluation and discusses a number of operational issues encountered in the design process: simultaneous design of research and operations, identification of the target population, randomization, collection of comparable data, development of an assessment instrument, potential changes in existing programs, and termination planning.

Students' Socioscientific Reasoning and Decision-Making on Energy-Related Issues--Development of a Measurement Instrument

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sakschewski, Mark; Eggert, Sabina; Schneider, Susanne; Bögeholz, Susanne

2014-01-01

The concept of energy is one key component of science education curricula worldwide. While it is still being taught in many science classrooms from a mainly conceptual knowledge perspective, the need to frame the concept of energy as a socioscientific issue and implement it in the context of citizenship education and education for sustainable…

The conversion of CESR to operate as the Test Accelerator, CesrTA. Part 3: Electron cloud diagnostics

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

Billing, M. G.; Conway, J. V.; Crittenden, J. A.

Cornell's electron/positron storage ring (CESR) was modified over a series of accelerator shutdowns beginning in May 2008, which substantially improves its capability for research and development for particle accelerators. CESR's energy span from 1.8 to 5.6 GeV with both electrons and positrons makes it ideal for the study of a wide spectrum of accelerator physics issues and instrumentation related to present light sources and future lepton damping rings. Additionally a number of these are also relevant for the beam physics of proton accelerators. This paper is the third in a series of four describing the conversion of CESR to themore » test accelerator, CESRTA. The first two papers discuss the overall plan for the conversion of the storage ring to an instrument capable of studying advanced accelerator physics issues [1] and the details of the vacuum system upgrades [2]. This paper focuses on the necessary development of new instrumentation, situated in four dedicated experimental regions, capable of studying such phenomena as electron clouds (ECs) and methods to mitigate EC effects. The fourth paper in this series describes the vacuum system modifications of the superconducting wigglers to accommodate the diagnostic instrumentation for the study of EC behavior within wigglers. Lastly, while the initial studies of CESRTA focused on questions related to the International Linear Collider damping ring design, CESRTA is a very versatile storage ring, capable of studying a wide range of accelerator physics and instrumentation questions.« less

The conversion of CESR to operate as the Test Accelerator, CesrTA. Part 3: Electron cloud diagnostics

DOE PAGES

Billing, M. G.; Conway, J. V.; Crittenden, J. A.; ...

2016-04-28

Cornell's electron/positron storage ring (CESR) was modified over a series of accelerator shutdowns beginning in May 2008, which substantially improves its capability for research and development for particle accelerators. CESR's energy span from 1.8 to 5.6 GeV with both electrons and positrons makes it ideal for the study of a wide spectrum of accelerator physics issues and instrumentation related to present light sources and future lepton damping rings. Additionally a number of these are also relevant for the beam physics of proton accelerators. This paper is the third in a series of four describing the conversion of CESR to themore » test accelerator, CESRTA. The first two papers discuss the overall plan for the conversion of the storage ring to an instrument capable of studying advanced accelerator physics issues [1] and the details of the vacuum system upgrades [2]. This paper focuses on the necessary development of new instrumentation, situated in four dedicated experimental regions, capable of studying such phenomena as electron clouds (ECs) and methods to mitigate EC effects. The fourth paper in this series describes the vacuum system modifications of the superconducting wigglers to accommodate the diagnostic instrumentation for the study of EC behavior within wigglers. Lastly, while the initial studies of CESRTA focused on questions related to the International Linear Collider damping ring design, CESRTA is a very versatile storage ring, capable of studying a wide range of accelerator physics and instrumentation questions.« less

Analysis of the contents of German magazines for tumor patients.

PubMed

Hübner, Jutta; Münstedt, Karsten; Senf, Bianca; Micke, Oliver

2013-01-01

Cancer patients have high information needs. Besides direct discussion with the physician, media provide important access to information. In the age of the internet, print media are still being used by many patients. In Germany, several magazines for cancer patients are distributed at no cost to cancer institutions for display. The aim of our study was to assess the content of these magazines. In a first step, a search of the literature concerning patient information needs and evaluation of patient information was done. This search revealed important criteria for evaluation. 2 instruments are recognized internationally as appropriate in evaluating and certifying patient information: HONcode and DISCERN. As we did not find an instrument for the evaluation of patient magazines, we combined the central items from both instruments. With this new instrument, we assessed the 2010 issues of all 5 magazines . The Krebsmagazin offers a vast range of different topics in cancer and thus aims at general patient education, irrespective of the level of knowledge. Befund Krebs offers a wider variety of topics in each issue. Understanding the articles requires basic knowledge. The same applies to Leben? Leben! which specifically addresses the topic of breast cancer. All 3 journals provide information in line with evidence-based medicine. K Journal - Mensch & Krebs provides information on conventional as well as alternative treatments, the latter not being evidence-based. Several issues contained both advertisements and articles by providers of alternative therapies. Signal only deals with alternative medicine in cancer care and does not provide scientifically proven data. As our analysis shows, content and evidence vary greatly in the magazines currently distributed in Germany. Physicians should familiarize themselves with the characteristics of the different journals before recommending them. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Resource-use measurement based on patient recall: issues and challenges for economic evaluation.

PubMed

Thorn, Joanna C; Coast, Joanna; Cohen, David; Hollingworth, William; Knapp, Martin; Noble, Sian M; Ridyard, Colin; Wordsworth, Sarah; Hughes, Dyfrig

2013-06-01

Accurate resource-use measurement is challenging within an economic evaluation, but is a fundamental requirement for estimating efficiency. Considerable research effort has been concentrated on the appropriate measurement of outcomes and the policy implications of economic evaluation, while methods for resource-use measurement have been relatively neglected. Recently, the Database of Instruments for Resource Use Measurement (DIRUM) was set up at http://www.dirum.org to provide a repository where researchers can share resource-use measures and methods. A workshop to discuss the issues was held at the University of Birmingham in October 2011. Based on material presented at the workshop, this article highlights the state of the art of UK instruments for resource-use data collection based on patient recall. We consider methodological issues in the design and analysis of resource-use instruments, and the challenges associated with designing new questionnaires. We suggest a method of developing a good practice guideline, and identify some areas for future research. Consensus amongst health economists has yet to be reached on many aspects of resource-use measurement. We argue that researchers should now afford costing methodologies the same attention as outcome measurement, and we hope that this Current Opinion article will stimulate a debate on methods of resource-use data collection and establish a research agenda to improve the precision and accuracy of resource-use estimates.

Natural Resources: There Is a Season

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andersen, Stephanie

2010-01-01

You'll gain plenty of weather resources from this month's issue (temperature concepts, weather instruments, the water cycle/evaporation). You can use that information with these outdoor seasonal connections.

Accelerated speckle imaging with the ATST visible broadband imager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wöger, Friedrich; Ferayorni, Andrew

2012-09-01

The Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST), a 4 meter class telescope for observations of the solar atmosphere currently in construction phase, will generate data at rates of the order of 10 TB/day with its state of the art instrumentation. The high-priority ATST Visible Broadband Imager (VBI) instrument alone will create two data streams with a bandwidth of 960 MB/s each. Because of the related data handling issues, these data will be post-processed with speckle interferometry algorithms in near-real time at the telescope using the cost-effective Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) technology that is supported by the ATST Data Handling System. In this contribution, we lay out the VBI-specific approach to its image processing pipeline, put this into the context of the underlying ATST Data Handling System infrastructure, and finally describe the details of how the algorithms were redesigned to exploit data parallelism in the speckle image reconstruction algorithms. An algorithm re-design is often required to efficiently speed up an application using GPU technology; we have chosen NVIDIA's CUDA language as basis for our implementation. We present our preliminary results of the algorithm performance using our test facilities, and base a conservative estimate on the requirements of a full system that could achieve near real-time performance at ATST on these results.

Astrophysics and Space Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mould, Jeremy; Brinks, Elias; Khanna, Ramon

2015-08-01

Astrophysics and Space Science publishes original contributions and invited reviews covering the entire range of astronomy, astrophysics, astrophysical cosmology, planetary and space science, and the astrophysical aspects of astrobiology. This includes both observational and theoretical research, the techniques of astronomical instrumentation and data analysis, and astronomical space instrumentation. We particularly welcome papers in the general fields of high-energy astrophysics, astrophysical and astrochemical studies of the interstellar medium including star formation, planetary astrophysics, the formation and evolution of galaxies and the evolution of large scale structure in the Universe. Papers in mathematical physics or in general relativity which do not establish clear astrophysical applications will not longer be considered.The journal also publishes topical collections consisting of invited reviews and original research papers selected special issues in research fields of particular scientific interest. These consist of both invited reviews and original research papers.Conference proceedings will not be considered. All papers published in the journal are subject to thorough and strict peer-reviewing.Astrophysics and Space Science has an Impact Factor of 2.4 and features short editorial turnaround times as well as short publication times after acceptance, and colour printing free of charge. Published by Springer the journal has a very wide online dissemination and can be accessed by researchers at a very large number of institutes worldwide.

State of the practice for pediatric surgery--career satisfaction and concerns. A report from the American Pediatric Surgical Association Task Force on Family Issues.

PubMed

Katz, Aviva; Mallory, Baird; Gilbert, James C; Bethel, Colin; Hayes-Jordan, Andrea A; Saito, Jacqueline M; Tomita, Sandra S; Walsh, Danielle S; Shin, Cathy E; Wesley, John R; Farmer, Diana

2010-10-01

There has been increasing interest and concern raised in the surgical literature regarding changes in the culture of surgical training and practice, and the impact these changes may have on surgeon stress and the appeal of a career in surgery. We surveyed pediatric surgeons and their partners to collect information on career satisfaction and work-family balance. The American Pediatric Surgical Association Task Force on Family Issues developed separate survey instruments for both pediatric surgeons and their partners that requested demographic data and information regarding the impact of surgical training and practice on the surgeon's opportunity to be involved with his/her family. We found that 96% of pediatric surgeons were satisfied with their career choice. Of concern was the lack of balance, with little time available for family, noted by both pediatric surgeons and their partners. The issues of work-family balance and its impact on surgeon stress and burnout should be addressed in both pediatric surgery training and practice. The American Pediatric Surgical Association is positioned to play a leading role in this effort. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pharmacists' Assessment of the Difficulty and Frequency of Ethical Issues Encountered in Community Pharmacy Settings.

PubMed

Crnjanski, Tatjana; Krajnovic, Dusanka; Savic, Mirko

2017-05-23

Researching ethical problems and their frequency could give us a complex picture and greater insight into the types of ethical issues that pharmacists face in providing health care. The overall aim of this study was to assess the pharmacist's perception of difficulty and frequency of selected ethical issues encountered by the community pharmacists in their everyday practice. A quantitative cross sectional multicenter study was performed using a validated survey instrument - Ethical Issue Scale for Community Pharmacy (EISP). The results of the analysis of 690 completely filled out instruments (response rate 78.49%) showed the difference between the ethical issues which always occurred ("A pharmacist is prevented from dispensing a medicine to the patient due to an administrative error in the prescription"), and the ones that pharmacists found most difficult ("A pharmacist dispenses a medicine he/she personally considers inadequate for the therapeutic treatment of the patient, in order to avoid any conflicts with the physician" and "A pharmacist is considering violating the rules and regulations in order to perform an act of humanity"). The majority of respondents (84.78%) were familiar with the Code of Ethics but the correlation between the familiarity and the perceived usefulness of the code in resolving problems in everyday practice was negative (ρ = -0.17, p < 0.001). Results showed that patients' well-being had a high influence on pharmacists' behavior. The results provided quantitative data by the examination of specific ethical issues and their occurrence. Further empirical research is recommended in order to systematically identify the ethical issues faced by community pharmacists.

Infrared calibration for climate: a perspective on present and future high-spectral resolution instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revercomb, Henry E.; Anderson, James G.; Best, Fred A.; Tobin, David C.; Knuteson, Robert O.; LaPorte, Daniel D.; Taylor, Joe K.

2006-12-01

The new era of high spectral resolution infrared instruments for atmospheric sounding offers great opportunities for climate change applications. A major issue with most of our existing IR observations from space is spectral sampling uncertainty and the lack of standardization in spectral sampling. The new ultra resolution observing capabilities from the AIRS grating spectrometer on the NASA Aqua platform and from new operational FTS instruments (IASI on Metop, CrIS for NPP/NPOESS, and the GIFTS for a GOES demonstration) will go a long way toward improving this situation. These new observations offer the following improvements: 1. Absolute accuracy, moving from issues of order 1 K to <0.2-0.4 K brightness temperature, 2. More complete spectral coverage, with Nyquist sampling for scale standardization, and 3. Capabilities for unifying IR calibration among different instruments and platforms. However, more needs to be done to meet the immediate needs for climate and to effectively leverage these new operational weather systems, including 1. Place special emphasis on making new instruments as accurate as they can be to realize the potential of technological investments already made, 2. Maintain a careful validation program for establishing the best possible direct radiance check of long-term accuracy--specifically, continuing to use aircraft-or balloon-borne instruments that are periodically checked directly with NIST, and 3. Commit to a simple, new IR mission that will provide an ongoing backbone for the climate observing system. The new mission would make use of Fourier Transform Spectrometer measurements to fill in spectral and diurnal sampling gaps of the operational systems and provide a benchmark with better than 0.1K 3-sigma accuracy based on standards that are verifiable in-flight.

Improved alignment and operating room efficiency with patient-specific instrumentation for TKA.

PubMed

Renson, Luc; Poilvache, Pascal; Van den Wyngaert, Hans

2014-12-01

Achieving accurate alignment in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains a concern. Patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) produced using preoperative 3D models was developed to offer surgeons a simplified, reliable, efficient and customised TKA procedure. In this prospective study, 60 patients underwent TKA with conventional instrumentation and 71 patients were operated on using PSI. The primary endpoint was surgical time. Secondary endpoints included operating room (OR) time, the number of instrument trays used and postoperative radiographic limb alignment. Compared to conventional instrumentation, PSI significantly reduced total surgical time by 8.9 ± 3.3 min (p=0.038), OR time by 8.6 ± 4.2 min (p=0.043), and the number of instrument trays by six trays (p<0.001). Mechanical axis malalignment of the lower limb of >3° was observed in 13% of PSI patients versus 29% with conventional instrumentation (p=0.043). PSI predicted the size of the femoral and tibial components actually used in 85.9% and 78.9% of cases, respectively. PSI improves alignment, surgical and OR time, reduces the number of instruments trays used compared to conventional instrumentation in patients undergoing TKA and results in fewer outliers in overall mechanical alignment in the coronal plane. Prospective comparative therapeutic study. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Personality Processes: Mechanisms by which Personality Traits “Get Outside the Skin”

PubMed Central

Hampson, Sarah E.

2011-01-01

It is time to better understand why personality traits predict consequential outcomes, which calls for a closer look at personality processes. Personality processes are mechanisms that unfold over time to produce the effects of personality traits. They include reactive and instrumental processes that moderate or mediate the association between traits and outcomes. These mechanisms are illustrated here by a selection of studies of traits representing the three broad domains of personality and temperament: negative emotionality, positive emotionality, and constraint. Personality processes are studied over the short-term, as in event-sampling studies, and over the long-term, as in lifespan research. Implications of findings from the study of processes are considered for resolving issues in models of personality structure, improving and extending methods of personality assessment, and identifying targets for personality interventions. PMID:21740225

Towards scar-free surgery: An analysis of the increasing complexity from laparoscopic surgery to NOTES

PubMed Central

Chellali, Amine; Schwaitzberg, Steven D.; Jones, Daniel B.; Romanelli, John; Miller, Amie; Rattner, David; Roberts, Kurt E.; Cao, Caroline G.L.

2014-01-01

Background NOTES is an emerging technique for performing surgical procedures, such as cholecystectomy. Debate about its real benefit over the traditional laparoscopic technique is on-going. There have been several clinical studies comparing NOTES to conventional laparoscopic surgery. However, no work has been done to compare these techniques from a Human Factors perspective. This study presents a systematic analysis describing and comparing different existing NOTES methods to laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods Videos of endoscopic/laparoscopic views from fifteen live cholecystectomies were analyzed to conduct a detailed task analysis of the NOTES technique. A hierarchical task analysis of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and several hybrid transvaginal NOTES cholecystectomies was performed and validated by expert surgeons. To identify similarities and differences between these techniques, their hierarchical decomposition trees were compared. Finally, a timeline analysis was conducted to compare the steps and substeps. Results At least three variations of the NOTES technique were used for cholecystectomy. Differences between the observed techniques at the substep level of hierarchy and on the instruments being used were found. The timeline analysis showed an increase in time to perform some surgical steps and substeps in NOTES compared to laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Conclusion As pure NOTES is extremely difficult given the current state of development in instrumentation design, most surgeons utilize different hybrid methods – combination of endoscopic and laparoscopic instruments/optics. Results of our hierarchical task analysis yielded an identification of three different hybrid methods to perform cholecystectomy with significant variability amongst them. The varying degrees to which laparoscopic instruments are utilized to assist in NOTES methods appear to introduce different technical issues and additional tasks leading to an increase in the surgical time. The NOTES continuum of invasiveness is proposed here as a classification scheme for these methods, which was used to construct a clear roadmap for training and technology development. PMID:24902811

Does job insecurity deteriorate health?

PubMed

Caroli, Eve; Godard, Mathilde

2016-02-01

This paper estimates the causal effect of perceived job insecurity - that is, the fear of involuntary job loss - on health in a sample of men from 22 European countries. We rely on an original instrumental variable approach on the basis of the idea that workers perceive greater job security in countries where employment is strongly protected by the law and more so if employed in industries where employment protection legislation is more binding; that is, in induastries with a higher natural rate of dismissals. Using cross-country data from the 2010 European Working Conditions Survey, we show that, when the potential endogeneity of job insecurity is not accounted for, the latter appears to deteriorate almost all health outcomes. When tackling the endogeneity issue by estimating an instrumental variable model and dealing with potential weak-instrument issues, the health-damaging effect of job insecurity is confirmed for a limited subgroup of health outcomes; namely, suffering from headaches or eyestrain and skin problems. As for other health variables, the impact of job insecurity appears to be insignificant at conventional levels. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Seeing the Invisible: Embedding Tests in Code That Cannot be Modified

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

O'Malley, Owen; Mansouri-Samani, Masoud; Mehlitz, Peter; Penix, John

2005-01-01

The difficulty of characterizing and observing valid software behavior during testing can be very difficult in flight systems. To address this issue, we evaluated several approaches to increasing test observability on the Shuttle Abort Flight Management (SAFM) system. To increase test observability, we added probes into the running system to evaluate the internal state and analyze test data. To minimize the impact of the instrumentation and reduce manual effort, we used Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP) tools to instrument the source code. We developed and elicited a spectrum of properties, from generic to application specific properties, to be monitored via the instrumentation. To evaluate additional approaches, SAFM was ported to Linux, enabling the use of gcov for measuring test coverage, Valgrind for looking for memory usage errors, and libraries for finding non-normal floating point values. An in-house C++ source code scanning tool was also used to identify violations of SAFM coding standards, and other potentially problematic C++ constructs. Using these approaches with the existing test data sets, we were able to verify several important properties, confirm several problems and identify some previously unidentified issues.

The VoiLA ocean bottom seismic array: First insights into the intermediate depth seismicity distribution in the Lesser Antilles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rietbrock, A.; Harmon, N.; Goes, S. D. B.; Krueger, F.; Bie, L.; Collier, J.; Rychert, C.; Hicks, S. P.; Kendall, J. M.; Henstock, T.

2017-12-01

Subduction zones are the most important regions for the exchange of water between the Oceans and the solid Earth. Hydrated oceanic lithosphere is subducted into the deeper Earth and its bound water content is continuously released in a heterogeneous process as temperature and pressure rises with depth. As only small amounts of water can significantly alter the physical properties of materials at depth, water is believed to play a major role in the seismogenesis for both, the shallow megathrust responsible for large destructive earthquakes and the occurrence of Wadati-Benioff zone seismicity at intermediate depth. Up to now most of our observations have been made around the Circum-Pacific subduction were predominantly oceanic lithosphere generated at fast-spreading ridges is being subducted. Contrary, observations of dehydration processes occurring in subducting oceanic lithosphere generated at slow spreading ridges are limited. The Lesser Antilles subduction zone therefore provides the unique opportunity to study the linkage between seismicity and de-hydration reaction for subductiong lithosphere generated at a slow-spreading ridge. Between March 2016 and May 2017 34 Ocean Bottom Broadband Seismometers were deployed along the Lesser Antilles margin in the area 12°-18° N and 63.5°-59.5° W. The network consisted out of 24 DEPAS instruments with 120s Trillium compact sensors provided by the instrument pool of AWI (Germany) and 10 OBSIP instruments with Trillium 240s sensors provided by Scripps Institute of Oceanography (US). All instruments were recovered and only 2 OBSIP instruments did not collect any usable data. The remaining 32 instruments did record continuously all components and no clock timing issues were identified. Preliminary screening of the data shows a low noise level and numerous local/regional earthquakes with M<3 have been detected. We will present the recorded seismicity distribution and earthquake locations based on a refined 1D/2D velocity model.

A call for change: clinical evaluation of student registered nurse anesthetists.

PubMed

Collins, Shawn; Callahan, Margaret Faut

2014-02-01

The ability to integrate theory with practice is integral to a student's success. A common reason for attrition from a nurse anesthesia program is clinical issues. To document clinical competence, students are evaluated using various tools. For use of a clinical evaluation tool as possible evidence for a student's dismissal, an important psychometric property to ensure is instrument validity. Clinical evaluation instruments of nurse anesthesia programs are not standardized among programs, which suggests a lack of instrument validity. The lack of established validity of the instruments used to evaluate students' clinical progress brings into question their ability to detect a student who is truly in jeopardy of attrition. Given this possibility, clinical instrument validity warrants research to be fair to students and improve attrition rates based on valid data. This ex post facto study evaluated a 17-item clinical instrument tool to demonstrate the need for validity of clinical evaluation tools. It also compared clinical scores with scores on the National Certification Examination.

Costa Rican environmental service payments: The use of a financial instrument in participatory forest management.

PubMed

Miranda, Miriam; Dieperink, Carel; Glasbergen, Pieter

2006-10-01

The core element of the Costa Rican forestry policy is a financial instrument called the environmental service payment. This instrument rewards forest owners for the environmental services (the mitigation of greenhouse gases, the protection of watersheds and scenic beauty, and the development of biodiversity) their forests provide. In this article, the experiences with this new instrument are analyzed by focusing on the way interests are represented and access is granted, the openness of information exchange, whether social learning occurred, and whether decision-making authority is shared. The analysis is based on a survey conducted in the Huetar Norte Region and on in-depth interviews with the major stakeholders. The Costa Rican case indicates that financial instruments can be used to share responsibilities and that stakeholders can successfully cooperate on forest issues. It also shows that such a participatory approach is only promising if certain cultural, economic, organizational, and political conditions are met.

Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) Instrument Calibration Summary. Version 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Kimberly Ennico; Colaprete, Anthony; Shirley, Mark H.; Wooden, Diane H.

2010-01-01

This document describes the calibration of the LCROSS instruments. It will be released to the public via the Planetary Data System. We need a quick review, if possible, because the data has been delivered to the PDS, and this document is needed to interpret the LCROSS impact data fully. [My mistake [shirley) in not realizing this needed to be treated as a normal publication.] The LCROSS instruments are commercially available units except for one designed and built at Ames. The commercially available instruments don't seem to me to present ITAR issues (Sony video camera, thermal camera from England, and so on.) Also, the internal design details of the instruments are not included in this report, only the process of calibrating them against standard targets. Only very high-level descriptions of the spacecraft are included, comparable to the level of detail included in the public web pages on nasa.gov.

Research into robotic automation of drilling equipment by the Institute of Mining, UB RAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regotunov, AS; Sukhov, RI

2018-03-01

The article discusses the issues connected with the development of instrumentation for the express-determination of strength characteristics of rocks during blasthole drilling in open pit mines. The trial results of the instrumentation are reported in terms of the drilling rate–energy content interrelation determined in the analyses of experimental drilling block data and by the digital model of rock distribution in depth versus drilling complexity index.

IOT Overview: Wide-Field Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selman, F. J.

The Wide Field Imager (WFI) instrument at La Silla has been the workhorse of wide-field imaging instruments at ESO for several years. In this contribution I will summarize the issues relating to its productivity for the community both in terms of the quality and quantity of data that has come out of it. Although only surveys of limited scope have been completed using WFI, it is ESO's stepping-stone to the new generation of survey telescopes.

14 CFR § 1300.13 - Guarantee amount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... AVIATION DISASTER RELIEF-AIR CARRIER GUARANTEE LOAN PROGRAM Minimum Requirements and Application Procedures... agreements to issue Federal credit instruments that, in the aggregate, do not exceed $10 billion. (b) The...

Physical inactivity as a policy problem: applying a concept from policy analysis to a public health issue.

PubMed

Rütten, Alfred; Abu-Omar, Karim; Gelius, Peter; Schow, Diana

2013-03-07

Despite the recent rapid development of policies to counteract physical inactivity (PI), only a small number of systematic analyses on the evolution of these policies exists. In this article we analyze how PI, as a public health issue, "translates" into a policy-making issue. First, we discuss why PI has become an increasingly important public health issue during the last two decades. We then follow Guy Peters and conceptualize PI as a "policy problem" that has the potential to be linked to policy instruments and policy impact. Analysis indicates that PI is a policy problem that i) is chronic in nature; ii) involves a high degree of political complexity; iii) can be disaggregated into smaller scales; iv) is addressed through interventions that can be difficult to "sell" to the public when their benefits are not highly divisible; v) cannot be solved by government spending alone; vi) must be addressed through a broad scope of activities; and vii) involves interdependencies among both multiple sectors and levels of government.We conclude that the new perspective on PI proposed in this article might be useful and important for i) describing and mapping policies to counteract PI in different contexts; ii) evaluating whether or not existing policy instruments are appropriate to the policy problem of PI, and iii) explaining the factors and processes that underlie policy development and implementation. More research is warranted in all these areas. In particular, we propose to focus on comparative analyses of how the problem of PI is defined and tackled in different contexts, and on the identification of truly effective policy instruments that are designed to "solve" the PI policy problem.

Students' Understandings of Nature of Science and Their Arguments in the Context of Four Socio-Scientific Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khishfe, Rola; Alshaya, Fahad S.; BouJaoude, Saouma; Mansour, Nasser; Alrudiyan, Khalid I.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine students understandings about nature of science (NOS) and their arguments in context of controversial socio-scientific issue (SSI). A total of 74 11th graders in six schools in Saudi Arabia participated in the study. The instrument used was a questionnaire consisting of four scenarios addressing SSI about…

FAA Rotorcraft Research, Engineering, and Development Bibliography, 1962-1988. Supplement

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-01

fires, the aircraft engine was the major fire origin for twin- and single- engine air - craft. Only in single- engine aircraft was the instrument panel a...Certification Issues. The topics of Operational Requirements, Procedures, Air - worthiness and Engineering Capabilities are discussed. Volume II presents the...Issues. The topics of Operational Requirements, Procedures, Air - worthiness and Engineering Capabilities are discussed. Volume II presents the operator

An Islamic Perspective on the Role of Education in Responding to Social Issues among Students in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosila Nik; Yaacob, Nik

2013-01-01

In meeting its economic, social, and political goals, Malaysia and many other countries are challenged with the rise of social problems among their citizens. Being an Islamic country, the question of the role of religion in shaping good behavior has been an issue of concern. In spite of religion, education is seen as a significant instrument to…

Issues in knowledge representation to support maintainability: A case study in scientific data preparation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chien, Steve; Kandt, R. Kirk; Roden, Joseph; Burleigh, Scott; King, Todd; Joy, Steve

1992-01-01

Scientific data preparation is the process of extracting usable scientific data from raw instrument data. This task involves noise detection (and subsequent noise classification and flagging or removal), extracting data from compressed forms, and construction of derivative or aggregate data (e.g. spectral densities or running averages). A software system called PIPE provides intelligent assistance to users developing scientific data preparation plans using a programming language called Master Plumber. PIPE provides this assistance capability by using a process description to create a dependency model of the scientific data preparation plan. This dependency model can then be used to verify syntactic and semantic constraints on processing steps to perform limited plan validation. PIPE also provides capabilities for using this model to assist in debugging faulty data preparation plans. In this case, the process model is used to focus the developer's attention upon those processing steps and data elements that were used in computing the faulty output values. Finally, the dependency model of a plan can be used to perform plan optimization and runtime estimation. These capabilities allow scientists to spend less time developing data preparation procedures and more time on scientific analysis tasks. Because the scientific data processing modules (called fittings) evolve to match scientists' needs, issues regarding maintainability are of prime importance in PIPE. This paper describes the PIPE system and describes how issues in maintainability affected the knowledge representation used in PIPE to capture knowledge about the behavior of fittings.

Time-dependent modeling of dust injection in semi-detached ITER divertor plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnov, Roman; Krasheninnikov, Sergei

2017-10-01

At present, it is generally understood that dust related issues will play important role in operation of the next step fusion devices, i.e. ITER, and in the development of future fusion reactors. Recent progress in research on dust in magnetic fusion devises has outlined several topics of particular concern: a) degradation of fusion plasma performance; b) impairment of in-vessel diagnostic instruments; and c) safety issues related to dust reactivity and tritium retention. In addition, observed dust events in fusion edge plasmas are highly irregular and require consideration of temporal evolution of both the dust and the fusion plasma. In order to address the dust-related fusion performance issues, we have coupled the dust transport code DUSTT and the edge plasma transport code UEDGE in time-dependent manner, allowing modeling of transient dust-induced phenomena in fusion edge plasmas. Using the coupled codes we simulate burst-like injection of tungsten dust into ITER divertor plasma in semi-detached regime, which is considered as preferable ITER divertor operational mode based on the plasma and heat load control restrictions. Analysis of transport of the dust and the dust-produced impurities, and of dynamics of the ITER divertor and edge plasma in response to the dust injection will be presented. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, under Award Number DE-FG02-06ER54852.

Evaluation of the Self-Adjusting File system (SAF) for the instrumentation of primary molar root canals: a micro-computed tomographic study.

PubMed

Kaya, E; Elbay, M; Yiğit, D

2017-06-01

The Self-Adjusting File (SAF) system has been recommended for use in permanent teeth since it offers more conservative and effective root-canal preparation when compared to traditional rotary systems. However, no study had evaluated the usage of SAF in primary teeth. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the use of SAF, K file (manual instrumentation) and Profile (traditional rotary instrumentation) systems for primary-tooth root-canal preparation in terms of instrumentation time and amounts of dentin removed using micro-computed tomography (μCT) technology. Study Design: The study was conducted with 60 human primary mandibular second molar teeth divided into 3 groups according to instrumentation technique: Group I: SAF (n=20); Group II: K file (n=20); Group III; Profile (n=20). Teeth were embedded in acrylic blocks and scanned with a μCT scanner prior to instrumentation. All distal root canals were prepared up to size 30 for K file,.04/30 for Profile and 2 mm thickness, size 25 for SAF; instrumentation time was recorded for each tooth, and a second μCT scan was performed after instrumentation was complete. Amounts of dentin removed were measured using the three-dimensional images by calculating the difference in root-canal volume before and after preparation. Data was statistically analysed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Manual instrumentation (K file) resulted in significantly more dentin removal when compared to rotary instrumentation (Profile and SAF), while the SAF system generated significantly less dentin removal than both manual instrumentation (K file) and traditional rotary instrumentation (Profile) (p<.05). Instrumentation time was significantly greater with manual instrumentation when compared to rotary instrumentation (p<.05), whereas instrumentation time did not differ significantly between the Profile and SAF systems. Within the experimental conditions of the present study, the SAF seems as a useful system for root-canal instrumentation in primary molars because it removed less dentin than other systems, which is especially important for the relatively thin-walled canals of primary teeth, and because it involves less clinical time, which is particularly important in the treatment of paediatric patients.

The equivalence of computerized and paper-and-pencil psychological instruments: implications for measures of negative affect.

PubMed

Schulenberg, S E; Yutrzenka, B A

1999-05-01

The use of computerized psychological assessment is a growing practice among contemporary mental health professionals. Many popular and frequently used paper-and-pencil instruments have been adapted into computerized versions. Although equivalence for many instruments has been evaluated and supported, this issue is far from resolved. This literature review deals with recent research findings that suggest that computer aversion negatively impacts computerized assessment, particularly as it relates to measures of negative affect. There is a dearth of equivalence studies that take into account computer aversion's potential impact on the measurement of negative affect. Recommendations are offered for future research in this area.

Quality of life assessment in children: a review of conceptual and methodological issues in multidimensional health status measures.

PubMed Central

Pal, D K

1996-01-01

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To clarify concepts and methodological problems in existing multidimensional health status measures for children. DESIGN: Thematic review of instruments found by computerised and manual searches, 1979-95. SUBJECTS: Nine health status instruments. MAIN RESULTS: Many instruments did not satisfy criteria of being child centered or family focussed; few had sufficient psychometric properties for research or clinical use; underlying conceptual assumptions were rarely explicit. CONCLUSIONS: Quality of life measures should be viewed cautiously. Interdisciplinary discussion is required, as well as discussion with children and parents, to establish constructs that are truly useful. PMID:8882220

Thirty-Meter Telescope: A Technical Study of the InfraRed Multiobject Spectrograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

U, Vivian; Dekany, R.; Mobasher, B.

2013-01-01

The InfraRed Multiobject Spectrograph (IRMS) is an adaptive optics (AO)-fed, reconfigurable near-infrared multi-object spectrograph and imager on the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). Its design is based on the MOSFIRE spectrograph currently operating on the Keck Observatory. As one of the first three first-light instruments on the TMT, IRMS is in a mini-conceptual design phase. Here we motivate the science goals of the instrument and present the anticipated sensitivity estimates based on the combination of MOSFIRE with the AO system NFIRAOS on TMT. An assessment of the IRMS on-instrument wavefront sensor performance and vignetting issue will also be discussed.

Methodological considerations when translating “burnout”☆

PubMed Central

Squires, Allison; Finlayson, Catherine; Gerchow, Lauren; Cimiotti, Jeannie P.; Matthews, Anne; Schwendimann, Rene; Griffiths, Peter; Busse, Reinhard; Heinen, Maude; Brzostek, Tomasz; Moreno-Casbas, Maria Teresa; Aiken, Linda H.; Sermeus, Walter

2014-01-01

No study has systematically examined how researchers address cross-cultural adaptation of burnout. We conducted an integrative review to examine how researchers had adapted the instruments to the different contexts. We reviewed the Content Validity Indexing scores for the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey from the 12-country comparative nursing workforce study, RN4CAST. In the integrative review, multiple issues related to translation were found in existing studies. In the cross-cultural instrument analysis, 7 out of 22 items on the instrument received an extremely low kappa score. Investigators may need to employ more rigorous cross-cultural adaptation methods when attempting to measure burnout. PMID:25343131

Impact of Lean on surgical instrument reduction: Less is more.

PubMed

Wannemuehler, Todd J; Elghouche, Alhasan N; Kokoska, Mimi S; Deig, Christopher R; Matt, Bruce H

2015-12-01

To determine whether instrument sets that are frequently used by multiple surgeons can be substantially reduced in size with consensus. Prospective quality improvement study using Lean Six Sigma for purposeful and consensual reduction of non-value-added instruments in adenotonsillectomy instrument sets. Value stream mapping was utilized to determine instrumentation usage and reprocessing workflow. Preintervention instrument utilization surveys allowed consensual and intelligent set reduction. Non-value-added instruments were targeted for waste elimination by placement in a supplemental set. Times for pre- and postintervention instrument assembly, Mayo setup, and surgery were collected for adenotonsillectomies. Postintervention satisfaction surveys of surgeons and staff were conducted. Adenotonsillectomy sets were reduced from 52 to 24 instruments. Median assembly times were significantly reduced from 8.4 to 4.7 minutes (P < .0001) with a set assembly cost reduction of 44%. Following natural log transformations, mean Mayo setup times were significantly reduced from 97.6 to 76.1 seconds (P < .0001), and mean operative times were not significantly affected (1,773 vs. 1,631 seconds, P > .05). The supplemental set was opened in only 3.6% of cases. Satisfaction was >90% regarding the intervention. Set build cost was reduced by $1,468.99 per set. Lean Six Sigma improves efficiency and reduces waste by empowering team members to improve their environment. Instrument set reduction is ideal for waste elimination because of tool accumulation over time and instrument obsolescence as newer technologies are adopted. Similar interventions could easily be applied to larger sinus, mastoidectomy, and spine sets. NA. © 2015 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Immersive training and mentoring for laparoscopic surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nistor, Vasile; Allen, Brian; Dutson, E.; Faloutsos, P.; Carman, G. P.

2007-04-01

We describe in this paper a training system for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) that creates an immersive training simulation by recording the pathways of the instruments from an expert surgeon while performing an actual training task. Instrument spatial pathway data is stored and later accessed at the training station in order to visualize the ergonomic experience of the expert surgeon and trainees. Our system is based on tracking the spatial position and orientation of the instruments on the console for both the expert surgeon and the trainee. The technology is the result of recent developments in miniaturized position sensors that can be integrated seamlessly into the MIS instruments without compromising functionality. In order to continuously monitor the positions of laparoscopic tool tips, DC magnetic tracking sensors are used. A hardware-software interface transforms the coordinate data points into instrument pathways, while an intuitive graphic user interface displays the instruments spatial position and orientation for the mentor/trainee, and endoscopic video information. These data are recorded and saved in a database for subsequent immersive training and training performance analysis. We use two 6 DOF DC magnetic trackers with a sensor diameter of just 1.3 mm - small enough for insertion into 4 French catheters, embedded in the shaft of a endoscopic grasper and a needle driver. One sensor is located at the distal end of the shaft while the second sensor is located at the proximal end of the shaft. The placement of these sensors does not impede the functionally of the instrument. Since the sensors are located inside the shaft there are no sealing issues between the valve of the trocar and the instrument. We devised a peg transfer training task in accordance to validated training procedures, and tested our system on its ability to differentiate between the expert surgeon and the novices, based on a set of performance metrics. These performance metrics: motion smoothness, total path length, and time to completion, are derived from the kinematics of the instrument. An affine combination of the above mentioned metrics is provided to give a general score for the training performance. Clear differentiation between the expert surgeons and the novice trainees is visible in the test results. Strictly kinematics based performance metrics can be used to evaluate the training progress of MIS trainees in the context of UCLA - LTS.

Gearbox Instrumentation for the Investigation of Bearing Axial Cracking

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

Keller, Jonathan A; Lambert, Scott R

Failures in gearbox bearings have been the primary source of reliability issues for wind turbine drivetrains, leading to costly downtime and unplanned maintenance. The most common failure mode is attributed to so-called axial cracks or white-etching cracks, which primarily affect the intermediate and high-speed-stage bearings. The high-speed-shaft and bearing loads and sliding will be measured with a specially instrumented gearbox installed in a 1.5-megawatt turbine at the National Wind Technology Center in an upcoming test campaign. Additional instrumentation will also measure the tribological environment of these bearings, including bearing temperatures, lubricant temperature and water content, air temperature and humidity, andmore » stray electrical current across the bearings. This paper fully describes the instrumentation package and summarizes initial results.« less

Actuarial risk assessment: commentary on Berlin et al.

PubMed

Hart, Stephen D

2003-10-01

F. S. Berlin, N. W. Galbreath, B. Geary, and G. McGlone (this issue) have raised some important questions regarding the use of acturial risk assessment instruments in sex offender civil commitment proceedings, also known as sexually violent predator or SVP proceedings. Their primary point is that interpreting the findings of existing actuarial risk assessment instruments is a tricky business because it is not certain whether the extent to which probability estimates derived from group data can be applied to individual cases. I agree completely with Berlin et al. on this point, but disagree with them concerning the extent to which probability estimates--and, therefore, actuarial instruments--are legally relevant in SVP proceedings. I outline some potential problems with respect to the legal admissibility of actuarial instruments, including their legal relevance.

The Use of IMMUs in a Water Environment: Instrument Validation and Application of 3D Multi-Body Kinematic Analysis in Medicine and Sport

PubMed Central

Mangia, Anna Lisa; Cortesi, Matteo; Fantozzi, Silvia; Giovanardi, Andrea; Borra, Davide; Gatta, Giorgio

2017-01-01

The aims of the present study were the instrumental validation of inertial-magnetic measurements units (IMMUs) in water, and the description of their use in clinical and sports aquatic applications applying customized 3D multi-body models. Firstly, several tests were performed to map the magnetic field in the swimming pool and to identify the best volume for experimental test acquisition with a mean dynamic orientation error lower than 5°. Successively, the gait and the swimming analyses were explored in terms of spatiotemporal and joint kinematics variables. The extraction of only spatiotemporal parameters highlighted several critical issues and the joint kinematic information has shown to be an added value for both rehabilitative and sport training purposes. Furthermore, 3D joint kinematics applied using the IMMUs provided similar quantitative information than that of more expensive and bulky systems but with a simpler and faster setup preparation, a lower time consuming processing phase, as well as the possibility to record and analyze a higher number of strides/strokes without limitations imposed by the cameras. PMID:28441739

Intelligent Scheduling for Underground Mobile Mining Equipment

PubMed Central

Song, Zhen; Schunnesson, Håkan; Rinne, Mikael; Sturgul, John

2015-01-01

Many studies have been carried out and many commercial software applications have been developed to improve the performances of surface mining operations, especially for the loader-trucks cycle of surface mining. However, there have been quite few studies aiming to improve the mining process of underground mines. In underground mines, mobile mining equipment is mostly scheduled instinctively, without theoretical support for these decisions. Furthermore, in case of unexpected events, it is hard for miners to rapidly find solutions to reschedule and to adapt the changes. This investigation first introduces the motivation, the technical background, and then the objective of the study. A decision support instrument (i.e. schedule optimizer for mobile mining equipment) is proposed and described to address this issue. The method and related algorithms which are used in this instrument are presented and discussed. The proposed method was tested by using a real case of Kittilä mine located in Finland. The result suggests that the proposed method can considerably improve the working efficiency and reduce the working time of the underground mine. PMID:26098934

The 1999 Leonid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign - An Early Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenniskens, Peter; Butow, Steven J.; Fonda, Mark

Two B707-type research aircraft of the 452^nd Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base were deployed to study the Leonid meteor storm of 1999 over the Mediterranean Sea on Nov. 18. The mission was sponsored by various science programs of NASA, and offered an international team of 35 researchers observing conditions free of clouds and low altitude extinction at a prime location for viewing the storm. This 1999 Leonid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign followed a similar effort in 1998, improving upon mission strategy and scope. As before, spectroscopic and imaging experiments targeted meteors and persistent trains, but also airglow, aurora, elves and sprites. The research aimed to address outstanding questions in astrobiology, planetary science, astronomy, and upper atmospheric research. In addition, USAF co-sponsored the mission to provide near real-time flux measurements for space weather awareness. First results are presented in these issues of Earth, Moon, and Planets in preparation for future missions that will target the exceptional Leonid returns of 2001 and 2002. An early review of the scientific achievements in the context of campaign objectives is given.

Religion, Spirituality and Speech-Language Pathology: A Viewpoint for Ensuring Patient-Centred Holistic Care.

PubMed

Mathisen, Bernice; Carey, Lindsay B; Carey-Sargeant, Christa L; Webb, Gwendalyn; Millar, CaraJane; Krikheli, Lilli

2015-12-01

This paper presents a viewpoint concerning the largely neglected clinical relevance of spirituality and religious belief in speech-language pathology (SLP) assessments, interventions and outcomes across the lifespan. An overview of the refereed SLP literature is presented with regard to religion and spirituality. It was found that while there is increasing research with regard to spirituality, health and well-being, there is very little specific to SLP. What is available and clinically relevant, generally relates to holistic care and/or cultural and linguistic diversity. Amidst the health care literature, however, there is a growing number of recommended instruments (for religious/spiritual screening) sensitive to intercultural and interfaith issues that are currently available to medical, nursing, allied health and chaplaincy practitioners. These instruments can also be of value to SLPs to ensure holistic assessments and interventions. It would seem timely for SLPs (and other allied health practitioners) to consider including spiritual screenings/assessments as part of their clinical practice so as to ensure appropriate holistic care. This would also mean undertaking research and including relevant education within tertiary institutions and professional development programs.

The Use of IMMUs in a Water Environment: Instrument Validation and Application of 3D Multi-Body Kinematic Analysis in Medicine and Sport.

PubMed

Mangia, Anna Lisa; Cortesi, Matteo; Fantozzi, Silvia; Giovanardi, Andrea; Borra, Davide; Gatta, Giorgio

2017-04-22

The aims of the present study were the instrumental validation of inertial-magnetic measurements units (IMMUs) in water, and the description of their use in clinical and sports aquatic applications applying customized 3D multi-body models. Firstly, several tests were performed to map the magnetic field in the swimming pool and to identify the best volume for experimental test acquisition with a mean dynamic orientation error lower than 5°. Successively, the gait and the swimming analyses were explored in terms of spatiotemporal and joint kinematics variables. The extraction of only spatiotemporal parameters highlighted several critical issues and the joint kinematic information has shown to be an added value for both rehabilitative and sport training purposes. Furthermore, 3D joint kinematics applied using the IMMUs provided similar quantitative information than that of more expensive and bulky systems but with a simpler and faster setup preparation, a lower time consuming processing phase, as well as the possibility to record and analyze a higher number of strides/strokes without limitations imposed by the cameras.

Innovative market-based policy instruments for waste management: A case study on shredder residues in Belgium.

PubMed

Dubois, Maarten; Hoogmartens, Rob; Van Passel, Steven; Van Acker, Karel; Vanderreydt, Ive

2015-10-01

In an increasingly complex waste market, market-based policy instruments, such as disposal taxes, can give incentives for sustainable progress while leaving flexibility for innovation. However, implementation of disposal taxes is often criticised by domestic waste handlers that fear to be outcompeted by competitors in other countries. The article discusses three innovative market-based instruments that limit the impact on international competitiveness: Tradable recycling credits, refunded disposal taxes and differentiated disposal taxes. All three instruments have already been implemented for distinct environmental policies in Europe. In order to illustrate how these instruments can be used for waste policy, the literature review is complemented with a case study on shredder residues from metal-containing waste streams in Belgium. The analysis shows that a conventional disposal tax remains the most efficient, simple and transparent instrument. However, if international competition is a significant issue or if political support is weak, refunded and differentiated disposal taxes can have an added value as second-best instruments. Tradable recycling credits are not an appropriate instrument for use in small waste markets with market power. In addition, refunded taxes create similar incentives, but induce lower transactions costs. © The Author(s) 2015.

Resource utilization in home health care: results of a prospective study.

PubMed

Trisolini, M G; Thomas, C P; Cashman, S B; Payne, S M

1994-01-01

Resource utilization in home health care has become an issue of concern due to rising costs and recent initiatives to develop prospective payment systems for home health care. A number of issues remain unresolved for the development of prospective reimbursement in this sector, including the types of variables to be included as payment variables and appropriate measures of resource use. This study supplements previous work on home health case-mix by analyzing the factors affecting one aspect of resource use for skilled nursing visits--visit length--and explores the usefulness of several specially collected variables which are not routinely available in administrative records. A data collection instrument was developed with a focus group of skilled nurses, identifying a range of variables hypothesized to affect visit length. Five categories of variables were studied using multiple regression analysis: provider-related; patient's socio-economic status; patient's clinical status; patient's support services; and visit-specific. The final regression model identifies 9 variables which significantly affect visit time. Five of the 9 are visit-specific variables, a significant finding since these are not routinely collected. Case-mix systems which include visit time as a measure of resource use will need to investigate visit-specific variables, as this study indicates they could have the largest influence on visit time. Two other types of resources used in home health care, supplies and security drivers, were also investigated in less detail.

Work on Planetary Atmospheres and Planetary Atmosphere Probes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seiff, Alvin; Lester, Peter

1999-01-01

A major objective of the grant was to complete the fabrication, test, and evaluation of the atmosphere structure experiment on the Galileo Probe, and to receive, analyze, and interpret data received from the spacecraft. The grantee was competitively selected to be Principal Investigator of Jupiter's atmosphere structure on the Galileo Probe. His primary motivation was to learn as much as possible about Jupiter's atmosphere by means of a successful atmosphere structure experiment, and to support the needs and schedule of the Galileo Project. After a number of launch delays, the Flight instrument was shipped to Kennedy Space Center 2 years after the start of this collaboration, on April 14, 1989, at which time it was determined from System level tests of the ASI on the Probe that the instrument was in good working order and ready for flight. The spacecraft was launched on October 18, 1989. Data analysis of test and calibration data taken over a period of years of instrument testing was continued in preparation for the encounter. The initial instrument checkout in space was performed on October 26, 1989. The data set received by telemetry was thoroughly analyzed, and a report of the findings was transmitted to the Probe Operations Office on Feb. 28, 1990. Key findings reported were that the accelerometer biases had shifted by less than 1 mg through launch and since calibration at Bell Aerospace in 1983; accelerometer scale factors, evaluated by means of calibration currents, fell on lines of variation with temperature established in laboratory calibrations; pressure sensor offsets, correlated as a function of temperature, fell generally within the limits of several years of ground test data; atmospheric and engineering temperature sensor data were internally consistent within a few tenths of a degree; and the instrument electronics performed all expected functions without any observable fault. Altogether, this checkout was highly encouraging of the prospects of instrument performance, although performed greater than 5 years prior to Jupiter encounter. Capability of decoding the science data from the Experiment Data Record to be provided at encounter was developed and exercised using the tape recording of the first Cruise Checkout data. A team effort was organized to program the selection and combination of data words defining pressure, temperature, acceleration, turbulence, and engineering quantities; to apply decalibration algorithms to convert readings from digital numbers to physical quantities; and to organize the data into a suitable printout. A paper on the Galileo Atmosphere Structure Instrument was written and submitted for publication in a special issue of Space Science Reviews. At the Journal editor's request, the grantee reviewed other Probe instrument papers submitted for this special issue. Calibration data were carefully taken for all experiment sensors and accumulated over a period of 10 years. The data were analyzed, fitted with algorithms, and summarized in a calibration report for use in analyzing and interpreting data returned from Jupiter's atmosphere. The sensors included were the primary science pressure, temperature, and acceleration sensors, and the supporting engineering temperature sensors. This report was distributed to experiment coinvestigators and the Probe Project Office.

Cyclic Fatigue Resistance of Mtwo Rotary Instruments with two Different Instrumentation Techniques.

PubMed

de Menezes, Sílvio Emanuel Acioly Conrado; Machado Batista, Shirley; Brandão de Magalhães, Diego Felipe; Diana Santana, de Albuquerque; de Melo Monteiro, Gabriela Queiroz

2018-01-01

The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate whether cervical preparation with Mtwo files in a crown-down technique influences instrumentation time and the cyclic fatigue resistance of these instruments. Two instrumentation techniques were evaluated (manufacturer and crown-down). Each group consisted of 10 kits containing four Mtwo instruments (10/0.04, 15/0.05, 20/0.06, and 25/0.06), which were used to prepare three standard simulated curved resin canals. The mean instrumentation time and the corresponding number of cycles for each instrumentation (NCI) were recorded. The instruments were rotated at a constant speed of 300 rpm in a stainless-steel canal (diameter of 1.5 mm) at a 90 ° angle of curvature and 5-mm radius. The center of the curvature was 5 mm from the tip of the instrument. The cyclic fatigue resistance of the files was determined by counting the number of cycles to failure (NCF). Data were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test. The mean instrumentation time and NCI of files 10/0.04 and 15/0.05 were significantly lower ( P <0.05) when the crown-down technique was used compared to the manufacturer's method for the same tip size/taper file. There was no significant difference in the mean NCF between the two techniques. The crown-down technique did not interfere with resistance to cyclic fatigue. However, the shorter instrumentation time of files 10/0.04 and 15/0.05 could reduce the fracture risk in the case of reuse of these instruments.

Cyclic Fatigue Resistance of Mtwo Rotary Instruments with two Different Instrumentation Techniques

PubMed Central

de Menezes, Sílvio Emanuel Acioly Conrado; Machado Batista, Shirley; Brandão de Magalhães, Diego Felipe; Diana Santana, de Albuquerque; de Melo Monteiro, Gabriela Queiroz

2018-01-01

Introduction: The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate whether cervical preparation with Mtwo files in a crown-down technique influences instrumentation time and the cyclic fatigue resistance of these instruments. Methods and Materials: Two instrumentation techniques were evaluated (manufacturer and crown-down). Each group consisted of 10 kits containing four Mtwo instruments (10/0.04, 15/0.05, 20/0.06, and 25/0.06), which were used to prepare three standard simulated curved resin canals. The mean instrumentation time and the corresponding number of cycles for each instrumentation (NCI) were recorded. The instruments were rotated at a constant speed of 300 rpm in a stainless-steel canal (diameter of 1.5 mm) at a 90° angle of curvature and 5-mm radius. The center of the curvature was 5 mm from the tip of the instrument. The cyclic fatigue resistance of the files was determined by counting the number of cycles to failure (NCF). Data were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test. Results: The mean instrumentation time and NCI of files 10/0.04 and 15/0.05 were significantly lower (P<0.05) when the crown-down technique was used compared to the manufacturer’s method for the same tip size/taper file. There was no significant difference in the mean NCF between the two techniques. Conclusion: The crown-down technique did not interfere with resistance to cyclic fatigue. However, the shorter instrumentation time of files 10/0.04 and 15/0.05 could reduce the fracture risk in the case of reuse of these instruments. PMID:29692846

Introduction of organic/hydro-organic matrices in inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and mass spectrometry: a tutorial review. Part II. Practical considerations.

PubMed

Leclercq, Amélie; Nonell, Anthony; Todolí Torró, José Luis; Bresson, Carole; Vio, Laurent; Vercouter, Thomas; Chartier, Frédéric

2015-07-23

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) are increasingly used to carry out analyses in organic/hydro-organic matrices. The introduction of such matrices into ICP sources is particularly challenging and can be the cause of numerous drawbacks. This tutorial review, divided in two parts, explores the rich literature related to the introduction of organic/hydro-organic matrices in ICP sources. Part I provided theoretical considerations associated with the physico-chemical properties of such matrices, in an attempt to understand the induced phenomena. Part II of this tutorial review is dedicated to more practical considerations on instrumentation, instrumental and operating parameters, as well as analytical strategies for elemental quantification in such matrices. Two important issues are addressed in this part: the first concerns the instrumentation and optimization of instrumental and operating parameters, pointing out (i) the description, benefits and drawbacks of different kinds of nebulization and desolvation devices and the impact of more specific instrumental parameters such as the injector characteristics and the material used for the cone; and, (ii) the optimization of operating parameters, for both ICP-OES and ICP-MS. Even if it is at the margin of this tutorial review, Electrothermal Vaporization and Laser Ablation will also be shortly described. The second issue is devoted to the analytical strategies for elemental quantification in such matrices, with particular insight into the isotope dilution technique, particularly used in speciation analysis by ICP-coupled separation techniques. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SMAP Instrument Mechanical System Engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slimko, Eric; French, Richard; Riggs, Benjamin

2013-01-01

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, scheduled for launch by the end of 2014, is being developed to measure the soil moisture and soil freeze/thaw state on a global scale over a three-year period. The accuracy, resolution, and global coverage of SMAP measurements are invaluable across many science and applications disciplines including hydrology, climate, carbon cycle, and the meteorological, environment, and ecology applications communities. The SMAP observatory is composed of a despun bus and a spinning instrument platform that includes both a deployable 6 meter aperture low structural frequency Astromesh reflector and a spin control system. The instrument section has engendered challenging mechanical system issues associated with the antenna deployment, flexible antenna pointing in the context of a multitude of disturbances, spun section mass properties, spin control system development, and overall integration with the flight system on both mechanical and control system levels. Moreover, the multitude of organizations involved, including two major vendors providing the spin subsystem and reflector boom assembly plus the flight system mechanical and guidance, navigation, and control teams, has led to several unique system engineering challenges. Capturing the key physics associated with the function of the flight system has been challenging due to the many different domains that are applicable. Key interfaces and operational concepts have led to complex negotiations because of the large number of organizations that integrate with the instrument mechanical system. Additionally, the verification and validation concerns associated with the mechanical system have had required far-reaching involvement from both the flight system and other subsystems. The SMAP instrument mechanical systems engineering issues and their solutions are described in this paper.

SMOS Instrument Performance and Calibration after 3 Years in Orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin-Neira, Manuel; Corbella, Ignasi; Torres, Francesc; Kainulainen, Juha; Oliva, Roger; Closa, Josep; Cabot, François; Castro, Rita; Barbosa, Jose; Gutierrez, Antonio; Anterrieu, Eric; Tenerelli, Joe; Martin-Porqueras, Fernando; Buenadicha, Guillermo; Delwart, Steven; Crapolicchio, Raffaele; Suess, Martin

2013-04-01

ESA's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission has been in orbit for already over 3 years which has allowed the calibration and data processing team consolidating both the calibration strategy and the Level-1 processor which transforms the raw visibility samples into polarimetric brightness temperature images. The payload on board SMOS, MIRAS, is quite unique in that it is the first microwave radiometer in space ever capable to generate wide field of view images at every snapshot measurement. This means that most of the calibration as well as image processing techniques are being developed for the first time with little heritage from any previous space mission. Issues intrinsically attached to its wide field of view such as spatial ripples across the snapshot images are particular to MIRAS and to no other earlier radiometer. Even the fundamental theory behind the instrument was put at test, first on ground inside an electromagnetic compatibility chamber, and now in orbit when imaging the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation of the cold sky. A groundbreaking effort is being carried out by the SMOS project team to understand and master all calibration and image reconstruction issues of this novel microwave interferometer payload. MIRAS in-orbit performance is driven by the amplitude of spatial ripples across the image and orbital and seasonal radiometer stability. Spatial ripples are unique to interferometric radiometers and are produced by (a) a limited knowledge of the antenna patterns and, in general, of the model of the instrument, (b) some fundamental limitations related to the inverse problem of image reconstruction in undetermined conditions and (c) subtle data processing inconsistencies which are discovered and corrected. To reduce the spatial ripples sea surface salinity retrievals are performed by first removing the brightness temperature spatial errors using a uniform region of the Pacific Ocean. However soil moisture retrievals cannot benefit of such well known target and suffer from residual undulations in the brightness temperature signatures along incidence angle. In addition, brightness temperatures tend to be negatively bias in the region around nadir, an artifact dependent of the processing technique and which is likely to be corrected in future processor versions. The 3 year long data set has enabled the computation of the drift of the instrument, at orbital, seasonal and yearly scales. Orbital and seasonal drifts are dominating the stability of the brightness temperature images while the yearly drift is lower but clearly measurable. An important question about these drifts, still under study, is how much of them is coming from the instrument itself and how much is due to other effects influencing the metrics, like the Sun tails or the reflected galaxy. The most recent efforts have therefore focused in the correction of the Sun tails from the images by acquiring the Sun response in orbit through external calibration maneuvers. In parallel new calibration techniques to reduce further any instrumental variation are being investigated as an improved thermal model for the NIR receivers of MIRAS or the so called ALL-LICEF mode. An overview of the good progress achieved in both calibration and image reconstruction issues in SMOS after these first 3 years in orbit, as described above, shall be presented in this contribution.

Linking community programs in environment to programs in population: towards sustainable communities that sustain sanctuaries.

PubMed

Cincotta, R P

1994-01-01

This article briefly reviews several nongovernmental organization (NGO) programs that address environmental and population issues. A framework is constructed that identifies how linked programs are supposed to work. The potential for sustainable communities is explored. It is concluded that sanctuaries in developing countries will not survive unless population in surrounding communities is stabilized and the economic and ecological relationships between the community and the sanctuary ecosystem are sustainable. In developed countries resource needs must be identified in regional planning in order for environmental protection to occur. The author finds that NGOs can be instrumental in securing community participation in environmental protection. NGOs operating in Chiapas, Mexico, provide management assistance and public health and family planning awareness to displaced indigenous farmers and conservative professionals. Another NGO outside the Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan, India, works to promote alternative fuel and grazing sources among local farmers. Near Chautara, in Nepal, farmers are aided by NGOs in laying sanitary water pipes, which reduces the amount of women's time required for fetching water and increases the amount of time women can spend gardening or getting involved in environmental projects. NGO efforts that reduce women's time absorbed by domestic burdens help women fulfill family planning desires and allow for greater investment in the education of children. Environmental sustainability will be dependent on family planning and other population-related processes and on the awareness that public health is an environmental issue. Opposition to integrated environment and population programs stems from donor opposition, opposition to investment in low-density areas, and a priority on biodiversity issues over development of public health services near sanctuaries. This paper was presented at an international forum at the George Washington University before the 1994 Cairo conference.

Acute Perioperative Comparison of Patient-Specific Instrumentation versus Conventional Instrumentation Utilization during Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty.

PubMed

Steimle, Jerrod A; Groover, Michael T; Webb, Brad A; Ceccarelli, Brian J

2018-01-01

Utilizing patient-specific instrumentation during total knee arthroplasty has gained popularity in recent years with theoretical advantages in blood loss, intraoperative time, length of stay, postoperative alignment, and functional outcome, amongst others. No study has compared acute perioperative measures between patient-specific instrumentation and conventional instrumentation in the bilateral total knee arthroplasty setting. We compared patient-specific instrumentation versus conventional instrumentation in the setting of bilateral total knee arthroplasty to determine any benefits in the immediate perioperative period including surgical time, blood loss, pain medication use, length of stay, and discharge disposition. A total of 49 patients with standard instrumentation and 31 patients with patient-specific instrumentation were retrospectively reviewed in a two-year period at one facility. At baseline, the groups were comparable with respect to age, ASA, BMI, and comorbid conditions. We analyzed data on operative time, blood loss, hemoglobin change, need for transfusion, pain medication use, length of stay, and discharge disposition. There was no statistically significant difference between groups in regards to these parameters. Patient-specific instrumentation in the setting of bilateral total knee arthroplasty did not provide any immediate perioperative benefit compared to conventional instrumentation.

Visualizing time: how linguistic metaphors are incorporated into displaying instruments in the process of interpreting time-varying signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Belmonte, Germà

2017-06-01

Spatial visualization is a well-established topic of education research that has allowed improving science and engineering students' skills on spatial relations. Connections have been established between visualization as a comprehension tool and instruction in several scientific fields. Learning about dynamic processes mainly relies upon static spatial representations or images. Visualization of time is inherently problematic because time can be conceptualized in terms of two opposite conceptual metaphors based on spatial relations as inferred from conventional linguistic patterns. The situation is particularly demanding when time-varying signals are recorded using displaying electronic instruments, and the image should be properly interpreted. This work deals with the interplay between linguistic metaphors, visual thinking and scientific instrument mediation in the process of interpreting time-varying signals displayed by electronic instruments. The analysis draws on a simplified version of a communication system as example of practical signal recording and image visualization in a physics and engineering laboratory experience. Instrumentation delivers meaningful signal representations because it is designed to incorporate a specific and culturally favored time view. It is suggested that difficulties in interpreting time-varying signals are linked with the existing dual perception of conflicting time metaphors. The activation of specific space-time conceptual mapping might allow for a proper signal interpretation. Instruments play then a central role as visualization mediators by yielding an image that matches specific perception abilities and practical purposes. Here I have identified two ways of understanding time as used in different trajectories through which students are located. Interestingly specific displaying instruments belonging to different cultural traditions incorporate contrasting time views. One of them sees time in terms of a dynamic metaphor consisting of a static observer looking at passing events. This is a general and widespread practice common in the contemporary mass culture, which lies behind the process of making sense to moving images usually visualized by means of movie shots. In contrast scientific culture favored another way of time conceptualization (static time metaphor) that historically fostered the construction of graphs and the incorporation of time-dependent functions, as represented on the Cartesian plane, into displaying instruments. Both types of cultures, scientific and mass, are considered highly technological in the sense that complex instruments, apparatus or machines participate in their visual practices.

The Development of a Comprehensive Instrument to Measure Symptoms and Symptom Distress in Women after Treatment for Breast Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-05-01

lopsided and uncomfortable with their image. Interestingly hair loss was NOT reported as an issue but as a “badge of courage”. Many women refused to...essential. Young women, who suddenly feel older because of menopausal symptoms sustained as a result of life-saving therapies, have the potential to...instruments measuring uncertainty (Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale), menopausal symptoms (Breast Cancer Prevention Trial Checklist), and symptom

Earth Resources: A continuing bibliography (issue 32)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

This bibliography list 580 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing and geophysical instrumentation in spacecraft and aircraft to survey and inventory natural resources and urban areas. Subject matter is grouped according to agriculture and forestry, environmental changes and cultural resources, geodesy and cartography, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water management, data processing and distribution systems, instrumentation and sensors, and economic analysis.

Pragmatics of policy: the compliance of dutch environmental policy instruments to European union standards.

PubMed

Kruitwagen, Sonja; Reudink, Melchert; Faber, Albert

2009-04-01

Despite a general decrease in Dutch environmental emission trends, it remains difficult to comply with European Union (EU) environmental policy targets. Furthermore, environmental issues have become increasingly complex and entangled with society. Therefore, Dutch environmental policy follows a pragmatic line by adopting a flexible approach for compliance, rather than aiming at further reduction at the source of emission. This may be politically useful in order to adequately reach EU targets, but restoration of environmental conditions may be delayed. However, due to the complexity of today's environmental issues, the restoration of environmental conditions might not be the only standard for a proper policy approach. Consequently this raises the question how the Dutch pragmatic approach to compliance qualifies in a broader policy assessment. In order to answer this question, we adapt a policy assessment framework, developed by Hemerijck and Hazeu (Bestuurskunde 13(2), 2004), based on the dimensions of legitimacy and policy logic. We apply this framework for three environmental policy assessments: flexible instruments in climate policy, fine-tuning of national and local measures to meet air quality standards, and derogation for the Nitrate Directive. We conclude with general assessment notes on the appliance of flexible instruments in environmental policy, showing that a broad and comprehensive perspective can help to understand the arguments to put such policy instruments into place and to identify trade-offs between assessment criteria.

77 FR 59735 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-01

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (air). Issued in Washington, DC, on...

78 FR 64168 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-28

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... Control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (air). Issued in Washington, DC, on...

Sensitivity of the breastfeeding motivational measurement scale: a known group analysis of first time mothers.

PubMed

Stockdale, Janine; Sinclair, Marlene; Kernohan, George; McCrum-Gardner, Evie; Keller, John

2013-01-01

Breastfeeding has immense public health value for mothers, babies, and society. But there is an undesirably large gap between the number of new mothers who undertake and persist in breastfeeding compared to what would be a preferred level of accomplishment. This gap is a reflection of the many obstacles, both physical and psychological, that confront new mothers. Previous research has illuminated many of these concerns, but research on this problem is limited in part by the unavailability of a research instrument that can measure the key differences between first-time mothers and experienced mothers, with regard to the challenges they face when breastfeeding and the instructional advice they require. An instrument was designed to measure motivational complexity associated with sustained breast feeding behaviour; the Breastfeeding Motivational Measurement Scale. It contains 51 self-report items (7 point Likert scale) that cluster into four categories related to perceived value of breast-feeding, confidence to succeed, factors that influence success or failure, and strength of intentions, or goal. However, this scale has not been validated in terms of its sensitivity to profile the motivation of new mothers and experienced mothers. This issue was investigated by having 202 breastfeeding mothers (100 first time mothers) fill out the scale. The analysis reported in this paper is a three factor solution consisting of value, midwife support, and expectancies for success that explained the characteristics of first time mothers as a known group. These results support the validity of the BMM scale as a diagnostic tool for research on first time mothers who are learning to breastfeed. Further research studies are required to further test the validity of the scale in additional subgroups.

Advanced Cosmic-ray Composition Experiment for Space Station: ISS accommodation study

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

Wefel, John P.

1999-01-22

ACCESS--Advanced Cosmic-ray Composition Experiment for Space Station--was selected as a new Mission Concept under NRA 96-OSS-03, with the goal of combining calorimeter and transition radiation techniques to provide measurements of cosmic rays from Hydrogen through Nickel up to energies approaching the 'knee' in the cosmic ray all particle spectrum, plus providing measurements of the Z>28 (Ultra-Heavy) nuclei at all energies. An instrument to perform such an investigation is undergoing an ISS/STS Accommodation Study at JSC. The instrument concept, the mission plan, and the accommodation issues for an ISS attached payload which include, in part, the carrier, ISS Site, thermal control,more » power, data and operations are described and the current status of these issues, for an ACCESS Mission, is summarized.« less

Observing with HST V: Improvements to the Scheduling of HST Parallel Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, D. K.; Vanorsow, D.; Lucks, M.; Henry, R.; Ratnatunga, K.; Patterson, A.

1994-12-01

Recent improvements to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ground system have significantly increased the frequency of pure parallel observations, i.e. the simultaneous use of multiple HST instruments by different observers. Opportunities for parallel observations are limited by a variety of timing, hardware, and scientific constraints. Formerly, such opportunities were heuristically predicted prior to the construction of the primary schedule (or calendar), and lack of complete information resulted in high rates of scheduling failures and missed opportunities. In the current process the search for parallel opportunities is delayed until the primary schedule is complete, at which point new software tools are employed to identify places where parallel observations are supported. The result has been a considerable increase in parallel throughput. A new technique, known as ``parallel crafting,'' is currently under development to streamline further the parallel scheduling process. This radically new method will replace the standard exposure logsheet with a set of abstract rules from which observation parameters will be constructed ``on the fly'' to best match the constraints of the parallel opportunity. Currently, parallel observers must specify a huge (and highly redundant) set of exposure types in order to cover all possible types of parallel opportunities. Crafting rules permit the observer to express timing, filter, and splitting preferences in a far more succinct manner. The issue of coordinated parallel observations (same PI using different instruments simultaneously), long a troublesome aspect of the ground system, is also being addressed. For Cycle 5, the Phase II Proposal Instructions now have an exposure-level PAR WITH special requirement. While only the primary's alignment will be scheduled on the calendar, new commanding will provide for parallel exposures with both instruments.

On-sky validation of an optimal LQG control with vibration mitigation: from the CANARY Multi-Object Adaptive Optics demonstrator to the Gemini Multi-Conjugated Adaptive Optics facility.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivo, Gaetano; Kulcsár, Caroline; Conan, Jean-Marc; Raynaud, Henri-François; Gendron, Éric; Basden, Alastair; Gratadour, Damien; Morris, Tim; Petit, Cyril; Meimon, Serge; Rousset, Gérard; Garrel, Vincent; Neichel, Benoit; van Dam, Marcos; Marin, Eduardo; Carrasco, Rodrigo; Schirmer, Mischa; Rambold, William; Moreno, Cristian; Montes, Vanessa; Hardie, Kayla; Trujillo, Chad

2015-01-01

Adaptive optics provides real time correction of wavefront perturbations on ground-based telescopes and allow to reach the diffraction limit performances. Optimizing control and performance is a key issue for ever more demanding instruments on ever larger telescopes affected not only by atmospheric turbulence, but also by vibrations, windshake and tracking errors. Linear Quadratic Gaussian control achieves optimal correction when provided with a temporal model of the disturbance. We present in this paper the first on-sky results of a Kalman filter based LQG control with vibration mitigation on the CANARY instrument at the Nasmyth platform of the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope (La Palma, Spain). The results demonstrate a clear improvement of performance for full LQG compared with standard integrator control, and assess the additional improvement brought by vibration filtering with a tip-tilt model identified from on-sky data (by 10 points of Strehl ratio), thus validating the strategy retained on the instrument SPHERE (eXtreme-AO system for extra-solar planets detection and characterization) at the VLT. The MOAO on-sky pathfinder CANARY features two AO configurations that have both been tested: single- conjugated AO and multi-object AO with NGS and NGS+ Rayleigh LGS, together with vibration mitigation on tip and tilt modes. We finally present the ongoing development done to commission such a control law on a regular Sodium laser Multi-Conjuagated Adaptive Optics (MCAO) system GeMS at the 8-m Gemini South Telescope. This implementation does not require new hardware and is already available in the real-time computer.

Expertise shapes domain-specific functional cerebral asymmetry during mental imagery: the case of culinary arts and music.

PubMed

Bensafi, Moustafa; Fournel, Arnaud; Joussain, Pauline; Poncelet, Johan; Przybylski, Lauranne; Rouby, Catherine; Tillmann, Barbara

2017-06-01

Mental imagery in experts has been documented in visual arts, music and dance. Here, we examined this issue in an understudied art domain, namely, culinary arts. Previous research investigating mental imagery in experts has reported either a stronger involvement of the right hemisphere or bilateral brain activation. The first aim of our study was to examine whether culinary arts also recruit such a hemispheric pattern specifically during odor mental imagery. In a second aim, we investigated whether expertise effects observed in a given sensory domain transfer to another modality. We combined psychophysics and neurophysiology to study mental imagery in cooks, musicians and controls. We collected response times and event-related potentials (ERP) while participants mentally compared the odor of fruits, the timbre of musical instruments and the size of fruits, musical instruments and manufactured objects. Cooks were faster in imagining fruit odors, and musicians were faster in imagining the timbre of musical instruments. These differences were not observed in control participants. This expertise effect was reflected in the ERP late positive complex (LPC): only experts showed symmetric bilateral activation, specifically when cooks imagined odors and when musicians imagined timbres. In contrast, the LPC was significantly greater in the left hemisphere than in the right hemisphere for non-expert participants in all conditions. These findings suggest that sensory expertise does not involve transfer of mental imagery ability across modalities and highlight for the first time that olfactory expertise in cooks induces a balance of activations between hemispheres as does musical expertise in musicians. © 2017 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Vertical profile of fog microphysics : a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burnet, Frédéric; Brilouet, Pierre-Etienne; Mazoyer, Marie; Bourrianne, Thierry; Etcheberry, Jean-Michel; Gaillard, Brigitte; Legain, Dominique; Tzanos, Diane; Barrié, Joel; Barrau, Sébastien; Defoy, Stephan

2016-04-01

The occurrence and development of fogs result from the non-linear interaction of competing radiative, thermodynamic, microphysical and dynamical processes and the forecasting of their life cycle still remains a challenging issue. Several field campaigns have been carried out at the SIRTA observatory in the Paris suburb area (France). These experiments have shown that fog events exhibit large differences of the microphysical properties and various evolutions during their life cycle. To better understand relationships between the different processes and to validate numerical simulations it is necessary however to document the vertical profile of the fog microphysics. A CDP (Cloud Droplet Spectrometer) from DMT (Droplet Measurement Technology, Boulder, CO) has been modified to allow measurements of the droplet size distribution in fog layers with a tethered balloon. This instrumental set-up has been used during a field campaign during the winter 2013-214 in the Landes area in the South West of France. To validate the vertical profiles provided by the modified CDP, a mast was equipped with microphysical instruments at 2 altitude levels with an another CDP at 24 m and a Fog Monitor FM100 at 42 m. The instrumental set-up deployed during this campaign is presented. Data collected during a fog event that occurred during the night of 5-6 March 2014 are analysed. We show that microphysical properties such as droplet number concentration, LWC and mean droplet size, exhibit different time evolution during the fog life cycle depending on the altitude level. Droplet size distribution measurements are also investigated. They reveal sharp variations along the vertical close to the top of the fog layer. In addition it is shown that the shape of the size distributions at the top follows a time evolution typical of a quasi-adiabatic droplet growth.

Toward a Continental-Scale Mesonet: USDA National Resources Conservation Service SCAN and SNOTEL System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaffer, G.; Marks, D.

2004-12-01

Since 1978 snow deposition and SWE in the inter-mountain western US have been monitored by the NRCS SNOTEL (SNOwpack TELemetry) system. This revolutionary network utilizes Meteorburst technology to telemeter data back to a central location in near real-time. With a pilot program starting in 1991, NRCS introduced SCAN (Soil Climate and Analysis Network) adding a focus on soil moisture and climate in regions outside the intermountain west. In the mid-1990's SNOTEL sites began to be augmented to match the full climate instrumentation (air temperature, humidity, solar radiation, wind, and soil moisture and temperature in addition to precipitation, snow depth and SWE) of the SCAN system. At present there are nearly 700 SNOTEL sites in 12 states in the western US and Alaska, and over 100 SCAN sites in 40 states, Puerto Rico, and several foreign countries. Though SNOTEL was originally a western snow-monitoring network, differences between SCAN and SNOTEL have largely disappeared. The combined SNOTEL/SCAN system provides a continental-scale mesonet to support river basin to continental scale hydro-climatic analysis. The system is flexible and based on off-the-shelf data recording technology, allowing instrumentation, sampling and averaging intervals to be specified by site conditions, issues, or scientific questions. Because of the NRCS data management structure, all sites have active telemetery and provide near real-time access to data through the internet. An ongoing research program is directed to improved instrumentation for measuring precipitation, snow depth and SWE, and soil moisture and temperature. Future directions include expansion of the network to be more comprehensive, and to develop focused monitoring efforts to more effectively observe elevational and regional gradients, and to capture high intensity hydro-climatic events such as potential flooding from convective storms and rain-on-snow.

Digital Sensor Technology

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

Ted Quinn; Jerry Mauck; Richard Bockhorst

The nuclear industry has been slow to incorporate digital sensor technology into nuclear plant designs due to concerns with digital qualification issues. However, the benefits of digital sensor technology for nuclear plant instrumentation are substantial in terms of accuracy, reliability, availability, and maintainability. This report demonstrates these benefits in direct comparisons of digital and analog sensor applications. It also addresses the qualification issues that must be addressed in the application of digital sensor technology.

Body image in Brazil: recent advances in the state of knowledge and methodological issues

PubMed Central

Laus, Maria Fernanda; Kakeshita, Idalina Shiraishi; Costa, Telma Maria Braga; Ferreira, Maria Elisa Caputo; Fortes, Leonardo de Sousa; Almeida, Sebastião Sousa

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE To analyze Brazilian literature on body image and the theoretical and methodological advances that have been made. METHODS A detailed review was undertaken of the Brazilian literature on body image, selecting published articles, dissertations and theses from the SciELO, SCOPUS, LILACS and PubMed databases and the CAPES thesis database. Google Scholar was also used. There was no start date for the search, which used the following search terms: “body image” AND “Brazil” AND “scale(s)”; “body image” AND “Brazil” AND “questionnaire(s)”; “body image” AND “Brazil” AND “instrument(s)”; “body image” limited to Brazil and “body image”. RESULTS The majority of measures available were intended to be used in college students, with half of them evaluating satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the body. Females and adolescents of both sexes were the most studied population. There has been a significant increase in the number of available instruments. Nevertheless, numerous published studies have used non-validated instruments, with much confusion in the use of the appropriate terms (e.g., perception, dissatisfaction, distortion). CONCLUSIONS Much more is needed to understand body image within the Brazilian population, especially in terms of evaluating different age groups and diversifying the components/dimensions assessed. However, interest in this theme is increasing, and important steps have been taken in a short space of time. PMID:24897056

Mechanical and electrostatic experiments with dust particles collected in the inner coma of comet 67P by COSIMA onboard Rosetta.

PubMed

Hilchenbach, Martin; Fischer, Henning; Langevin, Yves; Merouane, Sihane; Paquette, John; Rynö, Jouni; Stenzel, Oliver; Briois, Christelle; Kissel, Jochen; Koch, Andreas; Schulz, Rita; Silen, Johan; Altobelli, Nicolas; Baklouti, Donia; Bardyn, Anais; Cottin, Herve; Engrand, Cecile; Fray, Nicolas; Haerendel, Gerhard; Henkel, Hartmut; Höfner, Herwig; Hornung, Klaus; Lehto, Harry; Mellado, Eva Maria; Modica, Paola; Le Roy, Lena; Siljeström, Sandra; Steiger, Wolfgang; Thirkell, Laurent; Thomas, Roger; Torkar, Klaus; Varmuza, Kurt; Zaprudin, Boris

2017-07-13

The in situ cometary dust particle instrument COSIMA (COmetary Secondary Ion Mass Analyser) onboard ESA's Rosetta mission has collected about 31 000 dust particles in the inner coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko since August 2014. The particles are identified by optical microscope imaging and analysed by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. After dust particle collection by low speed impact on metal targets, the collected particle morphology points towards four families of cometary dust particles. COSIMA is an in situ laboratory that operates remotely controlled next to the comet nucleus. The particles can be further manipulated within the instrument by mechanical and electrostatic means after their collection by impact. The particles are stored above 0°C in the instrument and the experiments are carried out on the refractory, ice-free matter of the captured cometary dust particles. An interesting particle morphology class, the compact particles, is not fragmented on impact. One of these particles was mechanically pressed and thereby crushed into large fragments. The particles are good electrical insulators and transform into rubble pile agglomerates by the application of an energetic indium ion beam during the secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis.This article is part of the themed issue 'Cometary science after Rosetta'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Direct Monitoring of Trace Atmospheric Species via Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palmer, P. T.; Pearson, Richard; Saimonson, Jay D.; Wong, Carla M.; Lawless, James G. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

There is an ever-increasing emphasis on the part of government agencies, academia, and industry on enhancing our understanding of atmospheric processes and assessing the impact of human activities on these processes. While issues such as the ozone hole and rising levels of greenhouse gases have received major attention. relatively little is known about the types, concentrations, sources, and sinks of hydrocarbons in the troposphere and stratosphere. Such information would be of tremendous utility in assessing the roles of various anthropogenic and biogenic processes on global carbon cycles. An ion trap mass spectrometer has been developed for monitoring trace levels of hydrocarbons in the atmosphere on NASA's DC-8 "flying laboratory". This aircraft is used to provide measurements in support of a number of "Mission to Planet Earth" activities and tropospheric chemistry experiments. In past missions, specific compounds have been monitored via highly specialized instrumentation, fast GO, or collection of whole air samples for subsequent ground-based analysis. The ion trap has several features. including small size. excellent sensitivity, and broad applicability, which make it highly atttrat:ive for atmospheric monitoring. The design of this instrument, its air sampling interface. and the various complications associated with aircraft-deployment will be described. Data showing the sensitivity of the instrument for detecting hydrocarbons at mixing ratios below one part-per-billion, and the use of MS/MS for direct, on-line, real-time monitoring will be presented.

The problems and abuse of performance bond in the construction Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, A. A.; Adnan, H.

2018-02-01

Performance bond is a bank-origin system adopted in the construction industry to act as a tool to ensure project delivery. The bond is taken up by an obliging party with endorsement by a third party; normally a banking institution, which would warrants the release of an insured amount should the obliging party fails to complete the contracted work on time or as agreed. The nature of the instrument is said to be perplexed and abusive. The research aims to investigate this claim. Applied legal research using both doctrinal and non-doctrinal legal research is employed. With the application of deductive reasoning, the data is processed and summarized. It is found that the term bond and guarantee, which are used intermittently but equivocally by the parties, should be distinguished accordingly to its obligation values, or otherwise would trigger major disputes. Interpretation, drafting and liabilities issues caused by archaic language and dated recycled wordings in the contracts contributed nothing to the convenience and application of this instrument. The loopholes in the contract made it easy for suspected fraudulent calls to be made by the beneficiary, whom are normally, the client. With several trusted professional bodies discouraged the use of this instrument, the legal system is compelled to provide direction to ensure continuous utilization of this project delivery assurance mechanism. Standardized system and structure is vital in order to obtain uniformity in its application.

In-situ Rb-Sr geochronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, F. S.; Nowicki, K.; Whitaker, T.

This paper reports on the first rubidium-strontium (Rb-Sr) radiometric dates using a Laser Desorption Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry (LDRIMS) instrument capable of being miniaturized for flight to another planet. The LDRIMS instrument produces dates in under 24 hours, requires minimal sample preparation, and avoids the interference and mass resolution issues associated with other geochronology measurements. We have begun testing the bench-top prototype on the Boulder Creek Granite (BCG), from Colorado, comprised primarily of a gneissic quartz monzonite and granodiorite; whole rock Rb-Sr TIMS measurements result in dates of 1700± 40 Ma [1]. Data reduction of the LDRIMS Rb-Sr measurements on calibrated repeat runs result in a date for the BCG of 1.727± 0.087 Ga (n=288, MSWD=1). Most geochronology applications are willing to accept an MSWD up to ~2.7; at MSWD=2, the precision improves to ± 0.062 Ga. This technology is moving from lab prototype to field deployable instrument, and provides an opportunity to directly address the science goals of Mars Sample Return (MSR) within the bounds posed by current scientific, fiscal, and political pressures on the Mars program. Additionally, LDRIMS could potentially be flown to the Moon under the Discovery or New Frontiers program. We posit that in-situ geochronology missions to Mars to triage and validate samples for Mars Sample Return (MSR) are technically feasible in the 2018-2022 time frame.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission: Seven Years at the Moon - Accomplishments, Data, and Future Prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petro, Noah; Keller, John

2016-07-01

The LRO Spacecraft has been orbiting the Moon for over 7 years (~91 lunations), and in that time data from the seven instruments has contributed to a revolution in our understanding of the Moon. Since launch the mission goals and instruments science questions have evolved, from the initial characterization of the lunar surface and its environment to studying the variability of surface hydration and measuring the flux of new craters that have formed during LRO's time in lunar orbit. The growing LRO dataset in the PDS presents a unique archive that allows for an unprecedented opportunity to study how an airless body changes over time. The LRO instrument suite [1] is performing nominally, with no significant performance issues since the mission entered the current extended mission. The Mini-RF instrument team is investigating new methods for collecting bistatic data using an Earth-based X-band transmitter [2] during a possible upcoming extended mission starting in September 2016, pending NASA approval. The LRO spacecraft has been in an elliptical, polar orbit with a low perilune over the South Pole since December 2011. This orbit minimizes annual fuel consumption, enabling LRO to use fuel to maximize opportunities for obtaining unique science (e.g., lunar eclipse measurements from Diviner, measuring spacecraft impacts by GRAIL and LADEE). The LRO instrument teams deliver data to the PDS every three months, data that includes raw, calibrated, and gridded/map products [3]. As of January, over 681TB has been archived. These higher-level data products include a number of resources that are useful for mission planners, in addition to planetary scientists. A focus of the mission has been on the South Pole, therefore a number of special products (e.g., illumination maps, high resolution topography, hydration maps) are available. Beyond the poles, high-resolution (~1-2 m spatial resolution) topographic products are available for select areas, as well as maps of rock abundance and surface slopes. It is important to note that LRO data has also vastly improved our understanding of the location of surface features across the entire Moon, thus enabling the accurate geolocation of any spot on the Moon. LRO will participate in the Planetary Science Division Senior Review to propose for two years of operations (FY17-18). As part of the senior review process the LRO instrument teams and project are defining exciting new science questions and instrument modes. We are also evaluating new orbits for the spacecraft in order to maximize the science return, as well as put us in a position to leverage possible future opportunities (e.g., observe future landings by commercial/private/international missions, upcoming eclipses). [1] Vondrak, R., et al., (2010) Space Science Reviews, 150, 7-22. [2] Patterson, G. W., et al., (2016) LPSC. [3] LRO PDS Archive, (http://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/lro/).

A Demonstration of an Improved Filtering Technique for Analyzing Climate Records via Comparisons of Satellite MSU/AMSU Instrument Temperature Products from Three Research Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swanson, R. E.

2017-12-01

Climate data records typically exhibit considerable variation over short time scales both from natural variability and from instrumentation issues. The use of linear least squares regression can provide overall trend information from noisy data, however assessing intermediate time periods can also provide useful information unavailable from basic trend calculations. Extracting the short term information in these data for assessing changes to climate or for comparison of data series from different sources requires the application of filters to separate short period variations from longer period trends. A common method used to smooth data is the moving average, which is a simple digital filter that can distort the resulting series due to the aliasing of the sampling period into the output series. We utilized Hamming filters to compare MSU/AMSU satellite time series developed by three research groups (UAH, RSS and NOAA STAR), the results published in January 2017 [http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/JTECH-D-16-0121.1]. Since the last release date (July 2016) for the data analyzed in that paper, some of these groups have updated their analytical procedures and additional months of data are available to extend the series. An updated analysis of these data using the latest data releases available from each group is to be presented. Improved graphics will be employed to provide a clearer visualization of the differences between each group's results. As in the previous paper, the greatest difference between the UAH TMT series and those from the RSS and NOAA data appears during the early period of data from the MSU instruments before about 2003, as shown in the attached figure, and preliminary results indicate this pattern continues. Also to be presented are other findings regarding seasonal changes which were not included in the previous study.

GMT/local-time conversion chart

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Creveling, C. J.

1968-01-01

GMT/local-time conversion is made by a longitude pocket instrument that automatically indicates desired information by simply manipulating the moveable portion of the instrument in accordance with a set of simple instructions imprinted on the reverse side of the instrument.

Volumetric analysis of hand, reciprocating and rotary instrumentation techniques in primary molars using spiral computed tomography: An in vitro comparative study.

PubMed

Jeevanandan, Ganesh; Thomas, Eapen

2018-01-01

This present study was conducted to analyze the volumetric change in the root canal space and instrumentation time between hand files, hand files in reciprocating motion, and three rotary files in primary molars. One hundred primary mandibular molars were randomly allotted to one of the five groups. Instrumentation was done using Group I; nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) hand file, Group II; Ni-Ti hand files in reciprocating motion, Group III; Race rotary files, Group IV; prodesign pediatric rotary files, and Group V; ProTaper rotary files. The mean volumetric changes were assessed using pre- and post-operative spiral computed tomography scans. Instrumentation time was recorded. Statistical analysis to access intergroup comparison for mean canal volume and instrumentation time was done using Bonferroni-adjusted Mann-Whitney test and Mann-Whitney test, respectively. Intergroup comparison of mean canal volume showed statistically significant difference between Groups II versus IV, Groups III versus V, and Groups IV versus V. Intergroup comparison of mean instrumentation time showed statistically significant difference among all the groups except Groups IV versus V. Among the various instrumentation techniques available, rotary instrumentation is the considered to be the better instrumentation technique for canal preparation in primary teeth.

Planetary mapping—The datamodel's perspective and GIS framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Gasselt, S.; Nass, A.

2011-09-01

Demands for a broad range of integrated geospatial data-analysis tools and methods for planetary data organization have been growing considerably since the late 1990s when a plethora of missions equipped with new instruments entered planetary orbits or landed on the surface. They sent back terabytes of new data which soon became accessible for the scientific community and public and which needed to be organized. On the terrestrial side, issues of data access, organization and utilization for scientific and economic analyses are handled by using a range of well-established geographic information systems (GIS) that also found their way into the field of planetary sciences in the late 1990s. We here address key issues concerning the field of planetary mapping by making use of established GIS environments and discuss methods of addressing data organization and mapping requirements by using an easily integrable datamodel that is - for the time being - designed as file-geodatabase (FileGDB) environment in ESRI's ArcGIS. A major design-driving requirement for this datamodel is its extensibility and scalability for growing scientific as well as technical needs, e.g., the utilization of such a datamodel for surface mapping of different planetary objects as defined by their respective reference system and by using different instrument data. Furthermore, it is a major goal to construct a generic model which allows to perform combined geologic as well as geomorphologic mapping tasks making use of international standards without loss of information and by maintaining topologic integrity. An integration of such a datamodel within a geospatial DBMS context can practically be performed by individuals as well as groups without having to deal with the details of administrative tasks and data ingestion issues. Besides the actual mapping, key components of such a mapping datamodel deal with the organization and search for image-sensor data and previous mapping efforts, as well as the proper organization of cartographic representations and assignments of geologic/geomorphologic units within their stratigraphic context.

Academia Sinica, TW E-science to Assistant Seismic Observations for Earthquake Research, Monitor and Hazard Reduction Surrounding the South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Bor-Shouh; Liu, Chun-Chi; Yen, Eric; Liang, Wen-Tzong; Lin, Simon C.; Huang, Win-Gee; Lee, Shiann-Jong; Chen, Hsin-Yen

Experience from the 1994 giant Sumatra earthquake, seismic and tsunami hazard have been considered as important issues in the South China Sea and its surrounding region, and attracted many seismologist's interesting. Currently, more than 25 broadband seismic instruments are currently operated by Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica in northern Vietnam to study the geodynamic evolution of the Red river fracture zone and rearranged to distribute to southern Vietnam recently to study the geodynamic evolution and its deep structures of the South China Sea. Similar stations are planned to deploy in Philippines in near future. In planning, some high quality stations may be as permanent stations and added continuous GPS observations, and instruments to be maintained and operated by several cooperation institutes, for instance, Institute of Geophysics, Vietnamese Acadamy of Sciences and Technology in Vietnam and Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology in Philippines. Finally, those stations will be planed to upgrade as real time transmission stations for earthquake monitoring and tsunami warning. However, high speed data transfer within different agencies is always a critical issue for successful network operation. By taking advantage of both EGEE and EUAsiaGrid e-Infrastructure, Academia Sinica Grid Computing Centre coordinates researchers from various Asian countries to construct a platform to high performance data transfer for huge parallel computation. Efforts from this data service and a newly build earthquake data centre for data management may greatly improve seismic network performance. Implementation of Grid infrastructure and e-science issues in this region may assistant development of earthquake research, monitor and natural hazard reduction. In the near future, we will search for new cooperation continually from the surrounding countries of the South China Sea to install new seismic stations to construct a complete seismic network of the South China Sea and encourage studies for earthquake sciences and natural hazard reductions.

Flight control system design factors for applying automated testing techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sitz, Joel R.; Vernon, Todd H.

1990-01-01

The principal design features and operational experiences of the X-29 forward-swept-wing aircraft and F-18 high alpha research vehicle (HARV) automated test systems are discussed. It is noted that operational experiences in developing and using these automated testing techniques have highlighted the need for incorporating target system features to improve testability. Improved target system testability can be accomplished with the addition of nonreal-time and real-time features. Online access to target system implementation details, unobtrusive real-time access to internal user-selectable variables, and proper software instrumentation are all desirable features of the target system. Also, test system and target system design issues must be addressed during the early stages of the target system development. Processing speeds of up to 20 million instructions/s and the development of high-bandwidth reflective memory systems have improved the ability to integrate the target system and test system for the application of automated testing techniques. It is concluded that new methods of designing testability into the target systems are required.

Food security for infants and young children: an opportunity for breastfeeding policy?

PubMed

Salmon, Libby

2015-01-01

Increased global demand for imported breast milk substitutes (infant formula, follow-on formula and toddler milks) in Asia, particularly China, and food safety recalls have led to shortages of these products in high income countries. At the same time, commodification and trade of expressed breast milk have fuelled debate about its regulation, cost and distribution. In many economies suboptimal rates of breastfeeding continue to be perpetuated, at least partially, because of a failure to recognise the time, labour and opportunity costs of breast milk production. To date, these issues have not figured prominently in discussions of food security. Policy responses have been piecemeal and reveal conflicts between promotion and protection of breastfeeding and a deregulated trade environment that facilitates the marketing and consumption of breast milk substitutes. The elements of food security are the availability, accessibility, utilization and stability of supply of nutritionally appropriate and acceptable quantities of food. These concepts have been applied to food sources for infants and young children: breastfeeding, shared breast milk and breast milk substitutes, in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO)/United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) guidelines on infant feeding. A preliminary analysis indicates that a food security framework may be used to respond appropriately to the human rights, ethical, economic and environmental sustainability issues that affect the supply and affordability of different infant foods. Food security for infants and young children is not possible without high rates of breastfeeding. Existing international and national instruments to protect, promote and support breastfeeding have not been implemented on a wide scale globally. These instruments need review to take into account the emerging trade environment that includes use of the internet, breast milk markets and globalised supply chains for breast milk substitutes. New approaches are required to handle the long-standing policy conflicts that surround infant and young child feeding. Placing breastfeeding in a food security framework may achieve the political attention and policy co-ordination required to accelerate breastfeeding rates in a range of economies.

Identification and Inference for Econometric Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, Donald W. K.; Stock, James H.

2005-07-01

This volume contains the papers presented in honor of the lifelong achievements of Thomas J. Rothenberg on the occasion of his retirement. The authors of the chapters include many of the leading econometricians of our day, and the chapters address topics of current research significance in econometric theory. The chapters cover four themes: identification and efficient estimation in econometrics, asymptotic approximations to the distributions of econometric estimators and tests, inference involving potentially nonstationary time series, such as processes that might have a unit autoregressive root, and nonparametric and semiparametric inference. Several of the chapters provide overviews and treatments of basic conceptual issues, while others advance our understanding of the properties of existing econometric procedures and/or propose new ones. Specific topics include identification in nonlinear models, inference with weak instruments, tests for nonstationary in time series and panel data, generalized empirical likelihood estimation, and the bootstrap.

Towards on-chip time-resolved thermal mapping with micro-/nanosensor arrays

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

In recent years, thin-film thermocouple (TFTC) array emerged as a versatile candidate in micro-/nanoscale local temperature sensing for its high resolution, passive working mode, and easy fabrication. However, some key issues need to be taken into consideration before real instrumentation and industrial applications of TFTC array. In this work, we will demonstrate that TFTC array can be highly scalable from micrometers to nanometers and that there are potential applications of TFTC array in integrated circuits, including time-resolvable two-dimensional thermal mapping and tracing the heat source of a device. Some potential problems and relevant solutions from a view of industrial applications will be discussed in terms of material selection, multiplexer reading, pattern designing, and cold-junction compensation. We show that the TFTC array is a powerful tool for research fields such as chip thermal management, lab-on-a-chip, and other novel electrical, optical, or thermal devices. PMID:22931306

Outcome Measures in Myasthenia Gravis: Incorporation Into Clinical Practice.

PubMed

Muppidi, Srikanth

2017-03-01

The development of validated assessment tools for evaluating disease status and response to interventions in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) has been driven by clinical studies of emerging MG therapies. However, only a small proportion of MG-focused neurology practices have adopted these assessment tools for routine clinical use. This article reviews the suitability of 5 assessment instruments for incorporation into clinical practice, which should be driven by their ability to contribute to improved patient outcomes, and to be implemented within practice personnel and resource constraints. It is recommended that assessments based on both physician-evaluated and patient-reported outcomes be selected, to adequately evaluate both point-in-time symptom load and functional impact of MG symptoms over time. Provider resource allocation and reimbursement issues may be the most significant roadblocks to successful ongoing use of these tools; to that end, the addition of regular assessments to MG standards of care is recommended.

Real time software tools and methodologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christofferson, M. J.

1981-01-01

Real time systems are characterized by high speed processing and throughput as well as asynchronous event processing requirements. These requirements give rise to particular implementations of parallel or pipeline multitasking structures, of intertask or interprocess communications mechanisms, and finally of message (buffer) routing or switching mechanisms. These mechanisms or structures, along with the data structue, describe the essential character of the system. These common structural elements and mechanisms are identified, their implementation in the form of routines, tasks or macros - in other words, tools are formalized. The tools developed support or make available the following: reentrant task creation, generalized message routing techniques, generalized task structures/task families, standardized intertask communications mechanisms, and pipeline and parallel processing architectures in a multitasking environment. Tools development raise some interesting prospects in the areas of software instrumentation and software portability. These issues are discussed following the description of the tools themselves.

Exploratory study on a statistical method to analyse time resolved data obtained during nanomaterial exposure measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clerc, F.; Njiki-Menga, G.-H.; Witschger, O.

2013-04-01

Most of the measurement strategies that are suggested at the international level to assess workplace exposure to nanomaterials rely on devices measuring, in real time, airborne particles concentrations (according different metrics). Since none of the instruments to measure aerosols can distinguish a particle of interest to the background aerosol, the statistical analysis of time resolved data requires special attention. So far, very few approaches have been used for statistical analysis in the literature. This ranges from simple qualitative analysis of graphs to the implementation of more complex statistical models. To date, there is still no consensus on a particular approach and the current period is always looking for an appropriate and robust method. In this context, this exploratory study investigates a statistical method to analyse time resolved data based on a Bayesian probabilistic approach. To investigate and illustrate the use of the this statistical method, particle number concentration data from a workplace study that investigated the potential for exposure via inhalation from cleanout operations by sandpapering of a reactor producing nanocomposite thin films have been used. In this workplace study, the background issue has been addressed through the near-field and far-field approaches and several size integrated and time resolved devices have been used. The analysis of the results presented here focuses only on data obtained with two handheld condensation particle counters. While one was measuring at the source of the released particles, the other one was measuring in parallel far-field. The Bayesian probabilistic approach allows a probabilistic modelling of data series, and the observed task is modelled in the form of probability distributions. The probability distributions issuing from time resolved data obtained at the source can be compared with the probability distributions issuing from the time resolved data obtained far-field, leading in a quantitative estimation of the airborne particles released at the source when the task is performed. Beyond obtained results, this exploratory study indicates that the analysis of the results requires specific experience in statistics.

Advancement of High Power Quasi-CW Laser Diode Arrays For Space-based Laser Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amzajerdian, Farzin; Meadows, Byron L.; Baker, nathaniel R.; Baggott, Renee S.; Singh, Upendra N.; Kavaya, Michael J.

2004-01-01

Space-based laser and lidar instruments play an important role in NASA s plans for meeting its objectives in both Earth Science and Space Exploration areas. Almost all the lidar instrument concepts being considered by NASA scientist utilize moderate to high power diode-pumped solid state lasers as their transmitter source. Perhaps the most critical component of any solid state laser system is its pump laser diode array which essentially dictates instrument efficiency, reliability and lifetime. For this reason, premature failures and rapid degradation of high power laser diode arrays that have been experienced by laser system designers are of major concern to NASA. This work addresses these reliability and lifetime issues by attempting to eliminate the causes of failures and developing methods for screening laser diode arrays and qualifying them for operation in space.

78 FR 75456 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-12

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... Control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (Air). Issued in Washington, DC, on November...

77 FR 66536 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-06

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... Control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (Air). Issued in Washington, DC, on October...

78 FR 70491 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-26

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (air). Issued in Washington, DC, on November...

78 FR 68704 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

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2013-11-15

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... traffic control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (air). Issued in Washington, DC, on...

77 FR 59738 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-01

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (air). Dated: Issued in Washington, DC, on...

78 FR 68702 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-15

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (air). Issued in Washington, DC on October...

78 FR 28133 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-14

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... Control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (air). Issued in Washington, DC, on April 26...

76 FR 40598 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-11

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... Control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (Air). Issued in Washington, DC, on June 24...

78 FR 50326 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-19

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (Air). Issued in Washington, DC, on August 2...

78 FR 78714 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-27

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... Control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (Air). Issued in Washington, DC on December...

77 FR 18679 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-28

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (air). Issued in Washington, DC, on March 16...

78 FR 64172 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-28

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... Control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (Air). Issued in Washington, DC, on October...

78 FR 64170 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-28

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... Control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (air). Issued in Washington, DC, on October...

76 FR 47988 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-08

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... Control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (air). Issued in Washington, DC, on July 22...

78 FR 28135 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-14

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... Traffic Control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (Air). Issued in Washington, DC, on...

78 FR 78713 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-27

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... traffic control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (Air). Issued in Washington, DC, on...

77 FR 62427 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-15

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... Control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (Air). Issued in Washington, DC on September...

78 FR 50324 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-19

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... Control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (Air). Issued in Washington, DC, on August 2...

78 FR 25386 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-01

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... Control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (Air). Issued in Washington, DC, on April 12...

78 FR 64167 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-28

... navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed... Control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (Air). Issued in Washington, DC on September...

75 FR 5230 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-02

... facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide... control, Airports, Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (air). Issued in Washington, DC, on 22...

Topics in Chemical Instrumentation. Robots in the Laboratory--An Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strimaitis, Janet R.

1990-01-01

Discussed are applications of robotics in the chemistry laboratory. Highlighted are issues of precision, accuracy, and system integration. Emphasized are the potential benefits of the use of robots to automate laboratory procedures. (CW)

SOCIAL ASPECTS OF BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP CD

EPA Science Inventory

The objective of the workshop was to identify constraints, appropriate strategies and instruments to integrate social issues in urban brownfield revitalization projects oriented toward urban renewal, citizen participation and empowerment. Theoretical approaches to planning and ci...

Model or Myopia? Exploiting Water Markets to Address Population and Drought Risks in a Changing World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, P. M.

2012-12-01

Climate change, population demands, and evolving land-use represent strong risks to the sustainable development and stability of world-wide urban water supplies. There is a growing consensus that non-structural supply management instruments such as water markets have significant potential to reduce the risks and vulnerabilities in complex urban water systems. This paper asks a common question, what are the tradeoffs for a city using water market supply instruments?. This question emerges quickly in policy and management, but its answer is deceptively difficult to attain using traditional planning tools and management frameworks. This research demonstrates new frameworks that facilitate rapid evaluation of hypotheses on the reliability, resiliency, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness of urban water supply systems. This study considers a broader exploration of the issues of "nonstationarity" and "uncertainty" in urban water planning. As we invest in new information and prediction frameworks for the coupled human-natural systems that define our water, our problem definitions (i.e., objectives, constraints, preferences, and hypotheses) themselves evolve. From a formal mathematical perspective, this means that our management problems are structurally uncertain and nonstationary (i.e., the definition of optimality changes across regions, times, and stakeholders). This uncertainty and nonstationarity in our problem definitions needs to be more explicitly acknowledged in adaptive management and integrated water resources management. This study demonstrates the potential benefits of exploring these issues in the context of a city in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas, USA determining how to use its regional water market to manage population and drought risks.

Health care frames - from Virchow to Obama and beyond: the changing frames in health care and their implications for patient care.

PubMed

Sturmberg, Joachim P; O'Halloran, Di; Colagiuri, Ruth; Fernandez, Ana; Lukersmith, Sue; Torkfar, Ghazal; Salvador-Carulla, Luis

2014-12-01

Framing allows us to highlight some aspects of an issue, thereby bringing them to the forefront of our thinking, talking and acting. As a consequence, framing also distracts our attention away from other issues. Over time, health care has used various frames to explain its activities. This paper traces the emergence of various health care frames since the 1850s to better understand how we reached current ways of thinking and practicing. The succession of the most prominent frames can be summarized as: medicine as a social science; the germ theory of disease; health care as a battleground (or the war metaphor); managing health care resources (or the market metaphor); Health for All (the social justice model); evidence-based medicine; and Obama Care. The focus of these frames is causal, instrumental, political/economic or social in nature. All remain relevant; however, recycling individual past frames in response to current problems will not achieve the outcomes we seek. Placing the individual and his/her needs at the centre (the attractor for the health system) of our thinking, as emphasized by the World Health Organization's International Classification of Function framework and the European Society of Person Centered Health Care, may provide the frame to refocus health and health care as interdependent experiences across individual, community and societal domains. Shifting beyond the entrenched instrumental and economic thinking will be challenging but necessary for the sake of patients, health professionals, society and the economy. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cyclic fatigue of ProFile rotary instruments after prolonged clinical use.

PubMed

Gambarini, G

2001-07-01

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate resistance to cyclic fatigue of new and used ProFile Ni-Ti rotary instruments. Used instruments were operated in 10 clinical cases using passive instrumentation and a crown-down preparation technique. Cyclic fatigue testing of new and used engine-driven instruments was then performed with a specific device which allowed the instruments to rotate freely inside a stainless steel artificial canal, whilst maintaining conditions close to the clinical situation. Instruments were rotated until fracture occurred and time to fracture was visually recorded with a chronometer. A significant reduction of rotation time to breakage (life span) was noted between new and used instruments. In all sizes new instruments were significantly more resistant than used ones (two-sample t-test, P < 0.01). No instrument underwent intracanal failure during clinical use. Prolonged clinical use of Ni-Ti engine-driven instruments significantly reduced their cyclic fatigue resistance. Nevertheless, each rotary instrument was successfully operated in up to 10 clinical cases without any intracanal failure.

Dynamic and cyclic fatigue of engine-driven rotary nickel-titanium endodontic instruments.

PubMed

Haïkel, Y; Serfaty, R; Bateman, G; Senger, B; Allemann, C

1999-06-01

The absence of adequate testing standards for engine-driven nickel-titanium (NiTi) instruments necessitates further study of these instruments in all areas. This study examined three groups of engine-driven rotary NiTi endodontic instruments (Profile, Hero, and Quantec) and assessed the times for dynamic fracture in relation to the radius of curvature to which the instruments were subjected during preparation, with the instrument diameter determined by size and taper and the mode by which the fracture occurred. Ten instruments were randomly selected representing each size and taper for each group and for each radius of curvature: 600 in total. The instruments were rotated at 350 rpm and introduced into a tempered steel curve that simulated a canal. Two radii of curvature of canals were used: 5 and 10 mm. Time at fracture was noted for all files, and the fracture faces of each file were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy. Radius of curvature was found to be the most significant factor in determining the fatigue resistance of the files. As radius of curvature decreased, fracture time decreased. Taper of files was found to be significant in determining fracture time. As diameter increased, fracture time decreased. In all cases, fracture was found to be of a ductile nature, thus implicating cyclic fatigue as a major cause of failure and necessitating further analyses and setting of standards in this area.

Earth resources: A continuing bibliography with indexes (issue 55)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

This bibliography lists 368 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between July 1 and September 30, 1987. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing and geographical instrumentation in spacecraft and aircraft to survey and inventory natural resources and urban areas. Subject matter is grouped according to agriculture and forestry, environmental changes and cultural resources, geodesy and cartography, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water management, data processing and distribution systems, instrumentation and sensors, and economic analysis.

Earth resources: A continuing bibliography with indexes (issue 58)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

This bibliography lists 500 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between April 1 and June 30, 1988. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing and geophysical instrumentation in spacecraft and aircraft to survey and inventory natural resources and urban areas. Subject matter is grouped according to agriculture and forestry, environmental changes and cultural resources, geodesy and cartography, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water management, data processing and distribution systems, instrumentation and sensors, and economic analysis.

Earth resources: A continuing bibliography with indexes (issue 51)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

This bibliography lists 382 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between July 1 and September 30, 1986. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing and geophysical instrumentation in spacecraft and aircraft to survey and inventory natural resources and urban areas. Subject matter is grouped according to agriculture and forestry, environmental changes and cultural resources, geodesy and cartography, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water management, data processing and distribution systems, instrumentation and sensors, and economic analysis.

Earth Resources: A continuing bibliography, issue 28

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

This bibliography lists 436 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between October 1, 1980 and December 31, 1980. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing and geophysical instrumentation in spacecraft and aircraft to survey and inventory natural resources and urban areas. Subject matter is grouped according to agriculture and forestry, environmental changes and cultural resources, geodesy and cartography, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water management, data processing and distribution systems instrumentation and sensors, and economic analysis.

Earth Resources: A continuing bibliography with indexes, Issue 35

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

This bibliography list 587 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System between July 1, and September 30, 1982. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing and geophysical instrumentation in spacecraft and aircraft to survey and inventory natural resources and urban areas. Subject matter is grouped according to agriculture and forestry, environmental changes and cultural resources, geodesy and cartography, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water management, data processing and distribution systems, instrumentation and sensors, and economic analysis.

Earth resources: A continuing bibliography with indexes (issue 57)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

This bibliography lists 451 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between January 1 and March 31, 1988. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing and geophysical instrumentation in spacecraft and aircraft to survey and inventory natural resources and urban areas. Subject matter is grouped according to agriculture and forestry, environmental changes and cultural resources, geodesy and cartography, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water management, data processing and distribution systems, instrumentation and sensors, and economic analysis.

Earth resources: A continuing bibliography with indexes, issue 18

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

This bibliography lists 434 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between April 1 and June 30, 1978. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing and geophysical instrumentation in spacecraft and aircraft to survey and inventory natural resources and urban areas. Subject matter is grouped according to agriculture and forestry, environmental changes and cultural resources, geodesy and cartography, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water management, data processing and distribution systems, instrumentation and sensors, and economic analysis.

Earth resources: A continuing bibliography with indexes (issue 62)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

This bibliography lists 544 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between April 1 and June 30, 1989. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing and geophysical instrumentation in spacecraft and aircraft to survey and inventory natural resources and urban areas. Subject matter is grouped according to agriculture and forestry, environmental changes and cultural resources, geodesy and cartography, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water management, data processing and distribution systems, instrumentation and sensors, and economic analysis.