Professional Development for Online University Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, Janet; Salmon, Gilly

2013-01-01

Almost every higher education institution is challenged to develop increasing numbers of staff to teach online or blended modes of learning. The process needs to be rapid, cost-effective and lead directly to practical outcomes. From our experience, we had little time, opportunity or the need to start from scratch, and we chose to adopt and adapt a…

Alignment of leading-edge and peak-picking time of arrival methods to obtain accurate source locations

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

Roussel-Dupre, R.; Symbalisty, E.; Fox, C.

2009-08-01

The location of a radiating source can be determined by time-tagging the arrival of the radiated signal at a network of spatially distributed sensors. The accuracy of this approach depends strongly on the particular time-tagging algorithm employed at each of the sensors. If different techniques are used across the network, then the time tags must be referenced to a common fiducial for maximum location accuracy. In this report we derive the time corrections needed to temporally align leading-edge, time-tagging techniques with peak-picking algorithms. We focus on broadband radio frequency (RF) sources, an ionospheric propagation channel, and narrowband receivers, but themore » final results can be generalized to apply to any source, propagation environment, and sensor. Our analytic results are checked against numerical simulations for a number of representative cases and agree with the specific leading-edge algorithm studied independently by Kim and Eng (1995) and Pongratz (2005 and 2007).« less

High-temperature superconducting current leads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hull, J. R.

1992-07-01

The use of high-temperature superconductors (HTSs) for current leads to deliver power to devices at liquid helium temperature is near commercial realization. The use of HTSs in this application has the potential to reduce refrigeration requirements and helium boiloff to values significantly lower than the theoretical best achievable with conventional leads. Considerable advantage is achieved by operating these leads with an intermediate temperature heat sink. The HTS part of the lead can be made from pressed and sintered powder. Powder-in-tube fabrication is also possible, however, the normal metal part of the lead acts as a thermal short and cannot provide much stabilization without increasing the refrigeration required. Lead stability favors designs with low current density. Such leads can be manufactured with today's technology, and lower refrigeration results from the same allowable burnout time. Higher current densities result in lower boiloff for the same lead length, but bumout times can be very short. In comparing experiment to theory, the density of helium vapor needs to be accounted for in calculating the expected boiloff. For very low-loss leads, two-dimensional heat transfer and the state of the dewar near the leads may play a dominant role in lead performance.

Permanent epicardial pacing in pediatric patients: 12-year experience at a single center.

PubMed

Kwak, Jae Gun; Kim, Soo-Jin; Song, Jin Young; Choi, Eun Young; Lee, Sang Yoon; Shim, Woo Sup; Lee, Chang-Ha; Lee, Cheul; Park, Chun Soo

2012-02-01

Permanent cardiac pacing is not often done in children, and when done is usually accomplished through epicardial pacing. We reviewed a 12-year experience with the implantation of epicardial pacemakers by our clinical group. Fifty-three patients who underwent their first implantation of an epicardial pacemaker before the age of 18 years and between 1997 and 2009 were included in our study. The mean age of the patients at the time of first pacemaker implantation was 5.7±4.8 years. Indications for pacemaker implantation included postoperative or congenital atrioventricular block and sinus node dysfunction. The patients underwent 105 operations for the replacement of pacemaker pulse generators and 75 operations for the replacement of pacemaker leads. The most commonly used generator mode was the rate-responsive accelerometer-based (DDDR) mode, which was used in 40.9% of the patients. We used more non-steroid-eluting leads (70.1%) than steroid-eluting leads (29.1%). The overall duration of follow-up in the study was 8.0±4.5 years (range, 2.1 months to approximately 17.0 years). Freedom from the need for generator replacement was 98.0%, 60.7%, and 11.1% at 1, 5, and 8 years, respectively. A tendency toward early generator exhaustion was observed among younger patients (p=0.058). The generator mode used for pacing did not significantly affect generator longevity. Freedom from the need for lead replacement was 98.3%, 83.8%, and 63.6% at 1, 5, and 10 years, respectively. The mean longevity of the leads used in the study was 10.8±0.8 years. Neither patient age at the time of lead implantation nor type of lead significantly affected lead longevity. Lead longevity was sufficiently long and did not vary significantly according to type of lead. Generator longevity was not affected by lead type, generator mode, or patient age at the time of pacemaker implantation. Copyright © 2012 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Industrial Lead in the Global Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flegal, A. R.; Ericson, J. E.

2004-12-01

Although the rates of emission, fluxes and recycling of natural and industrial lead in biogeochemical systems are needed to quantify environmental lead pollution, those geochemical processes are rarely incorporated in either Earth Science or Environmental Health Science curriculum. The need for an understanding of the global lead cycle in those diverse fields is due to the omnipresence of industrial lead contamination that was initiated over five millennia ago, which has often exceeded natural emissions of lead by orders of magnitude. That contamination has been repeatedly demonstrated in environmental analyses ranging from the most remote polar regions and oceans of the Earth to urban and industrial regions. The latter include studies of soil lead in Baltimore, New Orleans, St. Paul-Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Tijuana, and Ottawa, which show that lead from past combustion of leaded gasoline remains in those cities and it is bioavailable. With the protracted residence time of that soil lead (102 - 103 years), it is estimated that generations of urban children will continue to be exposed to this toxicant, unless there is abatement. Moreover, many third world countries are still using leaded gasoline and other sources of industrial lead continue to be emitted into the environment, albeit at reduced levels. Consequently, the geochemical cycling of lead is and will continue to be a most appropriate and topical subject of study in the curriculum of earth science and environmental health science.

Where Now for University Lifelong Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Gary

2010-01-01

Not so long ago, alongside the splendid edifice of full-time university education, there was a thriving array of university degree-level programmes, offered part-time in local settings, which was world-leading in its availability and in its ambitions. One could access it as part of a career-change need, a professional accreditation or for the…

Sustaining Souls

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

effectiveness will contribute to stronger souls and ultimately strengthen the Army’s Soldiers and Families. According to the Chief of Staff of the Army...care for the religious and spiritual needs of Soldiers and Families. Attending to these needs with greater vitality and effectiveness will...spiritual lacking can also lead to lost training time because of excessive requirements for individual and Family counseling. Such negative effects

Conditional heteroscedasticity as a leading indicator of ecological regime shifts.

PubMed

Seekell, David A; Carpenter, Stephen R; Pace, Michael L

2011-10-01

Regime shifts are massive, often irreversible, rearrangements of nonlinear ecological processes that occur when systems pass critical transition points. Ecological regime shifts sometimes have severe consequences for human well-being, including eutrophication in lakes, desertification, and species extinctions. Theoretical and laboratory evidence suggests that statistical anomalies may be detectable leading indicators of regime shifts in ecological time series, making it possible to foresee and potentially avert incipient regime shifts. Conditional heteroscedasticity is persistent variance characteristic of time series with clustered volatility. Here, we analyze conditional heteroscedasticity as a potential leading indicator of regime shifts in ecological time series. We evaluate conditional heteroscedasticity by using ecological models with and without four types of critical transition. On approaching transition points, all time series contain significant conditional heteroscedasticity. This signal is detected hundreds of time steps in advance of the regime shift. Time series without regime shifts do not have significant conditional heteroscedasticity. Because probability values are easily associated with tests for conditional heteroscedasticity, detection of false positives in time series without regime shifts is minimized. This property reduces the need for a reference system to compare with the perturbed system.

Biocatalysis in the Pharmaceutical Industry: The Need for Speed

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The use of biocatalysis in the pharmaceutical industry continues to expand as a result of increased access to enzymes and the ability to engineer those enzymes to meet the demands of industrial processes. However, we are still just scratching the surface of potential biocatalytic applications. The time pressures present in pharmaceutical process development are incompatible with the long lead times required for engineering a suitable biocatalyst. Dramatic increases in the speed of protein engineering are needed to deliver on the ever increasing opportunities for industrial biocatalytic processes. PMID:28523096

Biocatalysis in the Pharmaceutical Industry: The Need for Speed.

PubMed

Truppo, Matthew D

2017-05-11

The use of biocatalysis in the pharmaceutical industry continues to expand as a result of increased access to enzymes and the ability to engineer those enzymes to meet the demands of industrial processes. However, we are still just scratching the surface of potential biocatalytic applications. The time pressures present in pharmaceutical process development are incompatible with the long lead times required for engineering a suitable biocatalyst. Dramatic increases in the speed of protein engineering are needed to deliver on the ever increasing opportunities for industrial biocatalytic processes.

A reciprocal effects model of the temporal ordering of basic psychological needs and motivation.

PubMed

Martinent, Guillaume; Guillet-Descas, Emma; Moiret, Sophie

2015-04-01

Using self-determination theory as the framework, we examined the temporal ordering between satisfaction and thwarting of basic psychological needs and motivation. We accomplished this goal by using a two-wave 7-month partial least squares path modeling approach (PLS-PM) among a sample of 94 adolescent athletes (Mage = 15.96) in an intensive training setting. The PLS-PM results showed significant paths leading: (a) from T1 satisfaction of basic psychological need for competence to T2 identified regulation, (b) from T1 external regulation to T2 thwarting and satisfaction of basic psychological need for competence, and (c) from T1 amotivation to T2 satisfaction of basic psychological need for relatedness. Overall, our results suggest that the relationship between basic psychological need and motivation varied depending on the type of basic need and motivation assessed. Basic psychological need for competence predicted identified regulation over time whereas amotivation and external regulation predicted basic psychological need for relatedness or competence over time.

Acquisition Program Lead Systems Integration/Lead Capabilities Integration Decision Support Methodology and Tool

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-30

from the MIT Sloan School that provide a relative complexity score for functions (Product and Context Complexity). The PMA assesses the complexity...collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources...gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or

Burden of higher lead exposure in African-Americans starts in utero and persists into childhood.

PubMed

Cassidy-Bushrow, Andrea E; Sitarik, Alexandra R; Havstad, Suzanne; Park, Sung Kyun; Bielak, Lawrence F; Austin, Christine; Johnson, Christine Cole; Arora, Manish

2017-11-01

Recent public health lead crises in urban areas emphasize the need to better understand exposure to environmental toxicants, particularly in higher risk groups. Although African-American children have the highest prevalence of elevated blood lead levels in the United States, little is known about when this trajectory of disproportionate burden of lead exposure first emerges. Using tooth-matrix biomarkers that directly measure fetal and early childhood metal levels, the primary goal of this study was to determine if there were racial disparities in lead levels during fetal development and early childhood. Manganese, an essential nutrient that modifies the neurotoxic effects of lead, was also measured. Pregnant women served by the Henry Ford Health System and living in a predefined geographic area in and around Detroit, Michigan, were recruited during the second trimester or later into the Wayne County Health, Environment, Allergy and Asthma Longitudinal Study (WHEALS), a population-based birth cohort. Offspring born between September 2003 and December 2007 were studied in childhood. Child race was parent-reported. Lead and manganese during the second and third trimesters, early postnatal life (birth through age 1year) and early childhood (age 1 through time of tooth shedding, which ranges from 6 to 12years) were measured via high-resolution microspatial mapping of dentin growth rings, a validated biomarker for prenatal and childhood metal exposure. African-American children (N=71) had 2.2 times higher lead levels in the second and third trimesters (both p<0.001) and 1.9 times higher lead levels postnatally in the first year of life (p=0.003) compared to white children (N=51). Lead levels in African-American children were also higher during childhood, but this effect was only marginally significant (p=0.066) and was attenuated after covariate adjustment. Additionally, we observed that African-American children had lower tooth‑manganese levels during the third trimester (p=0.063) and postnatally (p=0.043), however these differences were attenuated after covariate adjustment. The disproportionate burden of lead exposure is vertically transmitted (i.e., mother-to-child) to African-American children before they are born and persists into early childhood. Our results suggest that testing women for lead during pregnancy (or in pre-conception planning), may be needed to identify the risk to their future offspring, particularly for African-American women. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving Efficiency and Quality of the Children's ASD Diagnostic Pathway: Lessons Learned from Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutherford, Marion; Burns, Morag; Gray, Duncan; Bremner, Lynne; Clegg, Sarah; Russell, Lucy; Smith, Charlie; O'Hare, Anne

2018-01-01

The 'autism diagnosis crisis' and long waiting times for assessment are as yet unresolved, leading to undue stress and limiting access to effective support. There is therefore a significant need for evidence to support practitioners in the development of efficient services, delivering acceptable waiting times and effectively meeting guideline…

Who Stays and for How Long: Examining Attrition in Canadian Graduate Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeClou, Lindsay

2016-01-01

Attrition from Canadian graduate programs is a point of concern on a societal, institutional, and individual level. To improve retention in graduate school, a better understanding of what leads to withdrawal needs to be reached. This paper uses logistic regression and discrete-time survival analysis with time-varying covariates to analyze data…

The development of daily monitoring tool in a service part manufacturing company

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marpaung, Seamus Tadeo; Rosyidi, Cucuk Nur

2018-02-01

Production lead time is one of the key measures to assess whether a production system is running well or not. A short lead time will lead to higher customer satisfaction and will be a solid proof that a system is well-organized. To shorten the production lead time, a good production planning and control are required. There are many obstacles which can occur at any time, for instance shortage of material and worker, or poor production scheduling. Service Parts Planning Department works with many parties from the beginning of service parts production until it is delivered to the customer. This research was conducted to find an appropriate production monitoring tool for Service Parts Planning Department, which is a control method that make problems appears to the surface and can be overcome quickly so that the production process can run normally. The tool development started with a field study to find out the production flow from start to finish, a literature review and a interview with some employees who will later use the production control tool, and the creation of a daily control that went through several modifications until finally meet the needs of the department. In this research, a production monitoring tool which is developed can be used to monitor the entire order status, the production lead time, and also serves as the records and reports for presentation.

Ingestion of lead from ammunition and lead concentrations in white-tailed sea eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) in Sweden.

PubMed

Helander, B; Axelsson, J; Borg, H; Holm, K; Bignert, A

2009-10-15

In this study we show for the first time that lead poisoning from ammunition is a significant mortality factor for white-tailed sea eagle (WSE) (Haliaeetus albicilla) in Sweden. We analyzed 118 WSEs collected between 1981 and 2004 from which both liver and kidney samples could be taken. A total of 22% of all eagles examined had elevated (>6 microg/gd.w.) lead concentrations, indicating exposure to leaded ammunition, and 14% of the individuals had either liver or kidney lead concentrations diagnostic of lethal lead poisoning (>20 microg/gd.w.). Lead concentrations in liver and kidney were significantly correlated. In individuals with lead levels <6 microg/g, concentrations were significantly higher in kidney than in liver; in individuals with lead levels >20 microg/g, concentrations were significantly higher in liver. The lead isotope ratios indicate that the source of lead in individuals with lethal concentrations is different from that of individuals exhibiting background concentrations of lead (<6 microg/gd.w.) There were no significant sex or age differences in lead concentrations. A study from the Baltic reported in principle no biomagnification of lead, but background lead concentrations in WSE liver in this study were still four to >10 times higher than concentrations reported for Baltic fish from the same time period. In contrast to other biota there was no decrease in lead concentrations in WSE over the study period. The proportion of lead poisoned WSE remained unchanged over the study period, including two years after a partial ban of lead shot was enforced in 2002 for shallow wetlands. The use of lead in ammunition poses a threat to all raptors potentially feeding on shot game or offal. The removal of offal from shot game and alternatives to leaded ammunition needs to be implemented in order to prevent mortality from lead in raptors and scavengers.

Quality Assurance in School Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newell, Susan; Schoenike, Sumner L.; Lisko, Elaine A.

2003-01-01

School nurses need to become more influential administrators, managers, and entrepreneurs. They must learn to lead and collaborate effectively in designing, implementing, and evaluating coordinated school health programs. Quality assurance is an essential ingredient in this process that requires accurate, timely, and confidential incident…

2010 Defense Logistics Agency Enterprise Supplier Conference and Exhibition

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-25

into safety stock and if unfilled will cause safety stock depletion and UFOs . NOT CUSTOMER FOCUSED Processing/Reporting against Required Delivery...Date allows for full ALT and PLT, resulting in UFOs . WARFIGHTER FOCUSED, GLOBALLY RESPONSIVE SUPPLY CHAIN LEADERSHIP 5 ATP Overview • Definition of...Need Arrival Date – Limits impact to UFOs and SS depletion ATP Goal = Materiel receipt by the “Need Arrival Date” … period ADMINISTRATIVE LEAD TIME

Rights of Privacy and Research Needs: A Problem Whose Time Has Arrived.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayman, John L. Jr.

There is no more fundamental right in our system than the right of privacy--the right to be let alone. Current trends lead to a major assault on this right, and one of the great tests of the viability of our system is its ability to preserve this right in the face of increasing complexity and increasing needs for control. As part of the scientific…

An assessment of the government liquid hydrogen requirements for the 1995-2005 time frame

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bain, Addison

1990-01-01

The results of government study of long range liquid hydrogen (LH2) requirements for the time period of 1995 through the year 2005 are presented. To assure an adequate supply of LH2 is available in support of various programs, it is imperative a long range projection of LH2 requirements be developed and maintained. This information is vital in planning for necessary procurement actions and assuring adequate industry lead time to acquiring the necessary production and distribution capabilities. The Advanced Launch System and High-Altitude Long-Endurance programs may represent the predominant government needs for LH2 in the long range. The assembled data clearly indicates a need for KSC (Kennedy Space Center) constant program/project surveillance. Also clear is the need for KSC to monitor industry's plans for LH2 plant production and distribution expansion.

Root Wrapping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Lynda T.

2010-01-01

When it comes to making the right choices for children with disabilities, families are the experts. Family and friends want to help--but many times don't have the words, or don't know what to do. They need leading on what to do and say--especially if a person has been on his/her journey a long time. In this article, the author uses an analogy of…

Application of six sigma and AHP in analysis of variable lead time calibration process instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rimantho, Dino; Rahman, Tomy Abdul; Cahyadi, Bambang; Tina Hernawati, S.

2017-02-01

Calibration of instrumentation equipment in the pharmaceutical industry is an important activity to determine the true value of a measurement. Preliminary studies indicated that occur lead-time calibration resulted in disruption of production and laboratory activities. This study aimed to analyze the causes of lead-time calibration. Several methods used in this study such as, Six Sigma in order to determine the capability process of the calibration instrumentation of equipment. Furthermore, the method of brainstorming, Pareto diagrams, and Fishbone diagrams were used to identify and analyze the problems. Then, the method of Hierarchy Analytical Process (AHP) was used to create a hierarchical structure and prioritize problems. The results showed that the value of DPMO around 40769.23 which was equivalent to the level of sigma in calibration equipment approximately 3,24σ. This indicated the need for improvements in the calibration process. Furthermore, the determination of problem-solving strategies Lead Time Calibration such as, shortens the schedule preventive maintenance, increase the number of instrument Calibrators, and train personnel. Test results on the consistency of the whole matrix of pairwise comparisons and consistency test showed the value of hierarchy the CR below 0.1.

Implications of new data on lead toxicity for managing and preventing exposure.

PubMed Central

Silbergeld, E K

1990-01-01

Recent advances in research on low-level lead poisoning point to the need to increase efforts to prevent exposure. Current biomedical consensus accepts that blood lead levels as low as 5 to 15 mcg/dL are risky to fetuses, young children, and adults. Lead at low dose is associated with increased blood pressure in adults, and chronic exposure has been associated in cohort studies with kidney disease and cancer. Data on lead toxicokinetics also points to the hazards of low-level, chronic exposure, since the lead that is accumulated over time in bone can be released at a relatively rapid rate during pregnancy and menopause. Sources that contribute to current lead exposure of the general population include unabated lead-based paint and contaminated soils, as well as lower level but pervasive sources in drinking water, food, and consumer products. PMID:2088754

Implications of new data on lead toxicity for managing and preventing exposure

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

Silbergeld, E.K.

1990-11-01

Recent advances in research on low-level lead poisoning point to the need to increase efforts to prevent exposure. Current biomedical consensus accepts that blood lead levels as low as 5 to 15 mcg/dL are risky to fetuses, young children, and adults. Lead at low dose is associated with increased blood pressure in adults, and chronic exposure has been associated in cohort studies with kidney disease and cancer. Data on lead toxicokinetics also points to the hazards of low-level, chronic exposure, since the lead that is accumulated over time in bone can be released at a relatively rapid rate during pregnancymore » and menopause. Sources that contribute to current lead exposure of the general population include unabated lead-based paint and contaminated soils, as well as lower level but pervasive sources in drinking water, food, and consumer products.« less

Optimising seasonal streamflow forecast lead time for operational decision making in Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schepen, Andrew; Zhao, Tongtiegang; Wang, Q. J.; Zhou, Senlin; Feikema, Paul

2016-10-01

Statistical seasonal forecasts of 3-month streamflow totals are released in Australia by the Bureau of Meteorology and updated on a monthly basis. The forecasts are often released in the second week of the forecast period, due to the onerous forecast production process. The current service relies on models built using data for complete calendar months, meaning the forecast production process cannot begin until the first day of the forecast period. Somehow, the bureau needs to transition to a service that provides forecasts before the beginning of the forecast period; timelier forecast release will become critical as sub-seasonal (monthly) forecasts are developed. Increasing the forecast lead time to one month ahead is not considered a viable option for Australian catchments that typically lack any predictability associated with snowmelt. The bureau's forecasts are built around Bayesian joint probability models that have antecedent streamflow, rainfall and climate indices as predictors. In this study, we adapt the modelling approach so that forecasts have any number of days of lead time. Daily streamflow and sea surface temperatures are used to develop predictors based on 28-day sliding windows. Forecasts are produced for 23 forecast locations with 0-14- and 21-day lead time. The forecasts are assessed in terms of continuous ranked probability score (CRPS) skill score and reliability metrics. CRPS skill scores, on average, reduce monotonically with increase in days of lead time, although both positive and negative differences are observed. Considering only skilful forecast locations, CRPS skill scores at 7-day lead time are reduced on average by 4 percentage points, with differences largely contained within +5 to -15 percentage points. A flexible forecasting system that allows for any number of days of lead time could benefit Australian seasonal streamflow forecast users by allowing more time for forecasts to be disseminated, comprehended and made use of prior to the commencement of a forecast season. The system would allow for forecasts to be updated if necessary.

High-Intensity Targeted Screening for Elevated Blood Lead Levels Among Children in 2 Inner-City Chicago Communities

PubMed Central

Dignam, Timothy A.; Evens, Anne; Eduardo, Eduard; Ramirez, Shokufeh M.; Caldwell, Kathleen L.; Kilpatrick, Nikki; Noonan, Gary P.; Flanders, W. Dana; Meyer, Pamela A.; McGeehin, Michael A.

2004-01-01

Objectives. We assessed the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels (≥ 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood), risk factors, and previous blood lead testing among children in 2 high-risk Chicago, Ill, communities. Methods. Through high-intensity targeted screening, blood lead levels were tested and risks were assessed among a representative sample of children aged 1 to 5 years who were at risk for lead exposure. Results. Of the 539 children who were tested, 27% had elevated blood lead levels, and 61% had never been tested previously. Elevated blood lead levels were associated with chipped exterior house paint. Conclusions. Most of the children who lived in these communities—where the prevalence for elevated blood lead levels among children was 12 times higher than the national prevalence—were not tested for lead poisoning. Our findings highlight the need for targeted community outreach that includes testing blood lead levels in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations. PMID:15514235

RFID-Based Asset Management for Space Habitats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fink, Patrick W.

2013-01-01

Remote habitats are often densely packed - items necessary to sustain life - items necessary to conduct work center dot Inhabitant's time is often quite valuable, if not priceless. Resupply shipments can be infrequent and expensive. Inaccurate inventory knowledge can lead to unnecessary overstocking, which can lead to insufficient work and/or living volume. Not being able to find items when they are needed can present: - safety issues - morale issues. RFID technology has the potential solve a lot of these issues.

Short- and Long-Term Lead Release after Partial Lead Service Line Replacements in a Metropolitan Water Distribution System.

PubMed

Deshommes, Elise; Laroche, Laurent; Deveau, Dominique; Nour, Shokoufeh; Prévost, Michèle

2017-09-05

Thirty-three households were monitored in a full-scale water distribution system, to investigate the impact of recent (<2 yr) or old partial lead service line replacements (PLSLRs). Total and particulate lead concentrations were measured using repeat sampling over a period of 1-20 months. Point-of-entry filters were installed to capture sporadic release of particulate lead from the lead service lines (LSLs). Mean concentrations increased immediately after PLSLRs and erratic particulate lead spikes were observed over the 18 month post-PLSLR monitoring period. The mass of lead released during this time frame indicates the occurrence of galvanic corrosion and scale destabilization. System-wide, lead concentrations were however lower in households with PLSLRs as compared to those with no replacement, especially for old PLSLRs. Nonetheless, 61% of PLSLR samples still exceeded 10 μg/L, reflecting the importance of implementing full LSL replacement and efficient risk communication. Acute concentrations measured immediately after PLSLRs demonstrate the need for appropriate flushing procedures to prevent lead poisoning.

Developmental lead exposure has mixed effects on butterfly cognitive processes.

PubMed

Philips, Kinsey H; Kobiela, Megan E; Snell-Rood, Emilie C

2017-01-01

While the effects of lead pollution have been well studied in vertebrates, it is unclear to what extent lead may negatively affect insect cognition. Lead pollution in soils can elevate lead in plant tissues, suggesting it could negatively affect neural development of insect herbivores. We used the cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae) as a model system to study the effect of lead pollution on insect cognitive processes, which play an important role in how insects locate and handle resources. Cabbage white butterfly larvae were reared on a 4-ppm lead diet, a concentration representative of vegetation in polluted sites; we measured eye size and performance on a foraging assay in adults. Relative to controls, lead-reared butterflies did not differ in time or ability to search for a food reward associated with a less preferred color. Indeed, lead-treated butterflies were more likely to participate in the behavioral assay itself. Lead exposure did not negatively affect survival or body size, and it actually sped up development time. The effects of lead on relative eye size varied with sex: lead tended to reduce eye size in males, but increase eye size in females. These results suggest that low levels of lead pollution may have mixed effects on butterfly vision, but only minimal impacts on performance in foraging tasks, although follow-up work is needed to test whether this result is specific to cabbage whites, which are often associated with disturbed areas.

Increased lead levels in pregnancy among immigrant women.

PubMed

Alba, Amanda; Carleton, Lindsay; Dinkel, Laura; Ruppe, Rebekah

2012-01-01

Antepartum lead screening typically involves identification of current environmental or occupational risk and pica habits. However, for foreign-born women who have immigrated to the United States, distant exposure years prior may be a more significant factor contributing to elevated lead levels. Because lead can be stored in bone for decades and mobilized to the blood when calcium needs increase in pregnancy, women and their children can be at risk for lead-related complications like anemia, gestational hypertension, preterm labor, low birth weight, and developmental delays without any identifiable current exposure. Midwives and other women's health clinicians must carefully evaluate the history of every woman under their care, individualizing screening and treatment to identify risk and provide timely intervention. © 2012 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

Long-Term Follow-Up of Children with Heart Block Born from Mothers with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Retrospective Study from the Database Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease in University Hospitals Leuven.

PubMed

DE Caluwé, Eva; VAN DE Bruaene, Alexander; Willems, Rik; Troost, Els; Gewillig, Marc; Rega, Filip; Budts, Werner

2016-09-01

Children from mothers with systemic lupus erythematosus are frequently born with congenital heart block. This study aimed at evaluating long-term outcome because long-term data are scarce. In the database of pediatric and congenital heart disease (University Hospitals Leuven), 19 children from systemic lupus erythematosus mothers and who were born with or developed atrioventricular block were identified. All records were reviewed for disease course and outcome. Median follow-up time was 7 years (interquartile ranges [IQR] 4.5-13 years). One child had no heart block at birth and developed only a first-degree block during follow-up. One had a second-degree heart block and developed a complete heart block. Seventeen patients (89%) were born with a complete heart block. Seventeen patients (89%) needed a definitive pacemaker. In all, epicardial leads were used at first implantation. Eighty-two percent received their pacemaker in the first year of life. The first battery had a median lifetime of 5 years (IQR 3.5-5 years), the second 6 years (IQR 4.5-6.3 years), and the third 5 years (IQR 5-6 years). Note that 47% of patients needed a lead replacement due to lead problems. Only one pericardial tamponade after pacemaker implantation. No device or lead infections occurred. The left ventricular systolic function at latest follow-up was normal for all. No patients died. In children with heart block born from systemic lupus erythematosus mothers, an early need for pacemaker implantation was documented. The overall battery life was acceptable, but there was a high need for lead replacement. Complication rate was low. Late outcome was good. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Space Weather Forecasting Operational Needs: A view from NOAA/SWPC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biesecker, D. A.; Onsager, T. G.; Rutledge, R.

2017-12-01

The gaps in space weather forecasting are many. From long lead time forecasts, to accurate warnings with lead time to take action, there is plenty of room for improvement. Significant numbers of new observations would improve this picture, but it's also important to recognize the value of numerical modeling. The obvious interplanetary mission concepts that would be ideal would be 1) to measure the in-situ solar wind along the entire Sun-Earth line from as near to the Sun as possible all the way to Earth 2) a string of spacecraft in 1 AU heliocentric orbits making in-situ measurements as well as remote-sensing observations of the Sun, corona, and heliosphere. Even partially achieving these ideals would benefit space weather services, improving lead time and providing greater accuracy further into the future. The observations alone would improve forecasting. However, integrating these data into numerical models, as boundary conditions or via data assimilation, would provide the greatest improvements.

Leading in the Gray Zone: Command and Control of Special Operations in Phases 0-1

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-13

1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and...currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 1 . REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 13-05-2016 2. REPORT TYPE...5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Leading in the Gray Zone: Command and Control of Special Operations in Phases 0- 1 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM

Simulation of blast-induced, early-time intracranial wave physics leading to traumatic brain injury.

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

Taylor, Paul Allen; Ford, Corey C.

U.S. soldiers are surviving blast and impacts due to effective body armor, trauma evacuation and care. Blast injuries are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in military personnel returning from combat. Understanding of Primary Blast Injury may be needed to develop better means of blast mitigation strategies. The objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of blast direction and strength on the resulting mechanical stress and wave energy distributions generated in the brain.

Sustainability 101

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shi, David

2008-01-01

Sustainability is one of the leading issues of this time. Climate change is real, and widespread commitment and creativity are needed to combat its negative effects. Higher education is the seedbed of the sustainability movement. Much climate research and environmental science takes place on college and university campuses, which are, by their…

Towards real-time quantitative optical imaging for surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gioux, Sylvain

2017-07-01

There is a pressing clinical need to provide image guidance during surgery. Currently, assessment of tissue that needs to be resected or avoided is performed subjectively leading to a large number of failures, patient morbidity and increased healthcare cost. Because near-infrared (NIR) optical imaging is safe, does not require contact, and can provide relatively deep information (several mm), it offers unparalleled capabilities for providing image guidance during surgery. In this work, we introduce a novel concept that enables the quantitative imaging of endogenous molecular information over large fields-of-view. Because this concept can be implemented in real-time, it is amenable to provide video-rate endogenous information during surgery.

Simulation in shoulder surgery.

PubMed

Colaço, Henry B; Tennent, Duncan

2016-10-01

Simulation is a rapidly developing field in medical education. There is a growing need for trainee surgeons to acquire surgical skills in a cost-effective learning environment to improve patient safety and compensate for a reduction in training time and operative experience. Although simulation is not a replacement for traditional models of surgical training, and robust assessment metrics need to be validated before widespread use for accreditation, it is a useful adjunct that may ultimately lead to improving surgical outcomes for our patients.

Scheduling rules to achieve lead-time targets in outpatient appointment systems.

PubMed

Nguyen, Thu-Ba T; Sivakumar, Appa Iyer; Graves, Stephen C

2017-12-01

This paper considers how to schedule appointments for outpatients, for a clinic that is subject to appointment lead-time targets for both new and returning patients. We develop heuristic rules, which are the exact and relaxed appointment scheduling rules, to schedule each new patient appointment (only) in light of uncertainty about future arrivals. The scheduling rules entail two decisions. First, the rules need to determine whether or not a patient's request can be accepted; then, if the request is not rejected, the rules prescribe how to assign the patient to an available slot. The intent of the scheduling rules is to maximize the utilization of the planned resource (i.e., the physician staff), or equivalently to maximize the number of patients that are admitted, while maintaining the service targets on the median, the 95th percentile, and the maximum appointment lead-times. We test the proposed scheduling rules with numerical experiments using real data from the chosen clinic of Tan Tock Seng hospital in Singapore. The results show the efficiency and the efficacy of the scheduling rules, in terms of the service-target satisfaction and the resource utilization. From the sensitivity analysis, we find that the performance of the proposed scheduling rules is fairly robust to the specification of the established lead-time targets.

Continuing Education for Men and Women in Leisure Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bialeschki, M. Deborah; Henderson, Karla A.

A study was conducted to ascertain the continuing education needs of men and women leisure service professionals in Wisconsin and to identify differences caused by gender. (Leisure service professionals were defined as persons employed full-time in administering, directing, leading, organizing, and planning in leisure service organizations.) A…

Boards as Game Changers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacTaggart, Terry

2011-01-01

Many colleges and universities need to change, either to reverse a gentle glide into mediocrity or simply to survive intensifying competition. Trustees must better understand their institution's context and become more engaged in leading change, whatever form that change takes. By exerting the right pressures in the right ways at the right times,…

Managing Student Study Time.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudson, H. T.

1981-01-01

Large lecture sections of science staffed by a single instructor make it impossible to provide individual student attention and lead to high dropout and failure rates. Daily assignments are used to encourage students to identify areas that need remediation, maintain a steady study pace, receive positive reinforcement, and learn methods of solving…

Using SCADA Data, Field Studies, and Real-Time Modeling to Calibrate Flint's Hydraulic Model

EPA Science Inventory

EPA has been providing technical assistance to the City of Flint and the State of Michigan in response to the drinking water lead contamination incident. Responders quickly recognized the need for a water distribution system hydraulic model to provide insight on flow patterns an...

Finding Optimal Gains In Linear-Quadratic Control Problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milman, Mark H.; Scheid, Robert E., Jr.

1990-01-01

Analytical method based on Volterra factorization leads to new approximations for optimal control gains in finite-time linear-quadratic control problem of system having infinite number of dimensions. Circumvents need to analyze and solve Riccati equations and provides more transparent connection between dynamics of system and optimal gain.

A unified universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Codello, Alessandro; Jain, Rajeev Kumar

2018-05-01

We present a unified evolution of the universe from very early times until the present epoch by including both the leading local correction R^2 and the leading non-local term R1/\\square ^2R to the classical gravitational action. We find that the inflationary phase driven by R^2 term gracefully exits in a transitory regime characterized by coherent oscillations of the Hubble parameter. The universe then naturally enters into a radiation dominated epoch followed by a matter dominated era. At sufficiently late times after radiation-matter equality, the non-local term starts to dominate inducing an accelerated expansion of the universe at the present epoch. We further exhibit the fact that both the leading local and non-local terms can be obtained within the covariant effective field theory of gravity. This scenario thus provides a unified picture of inflation and dark energy in a single framework by means of a purely gravitational action without the usual need of a scalar field.

Effects of coupling between sample and electrode on the electrical resistivity measurements of conductive samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, T. J.; Lee, S. K.

2015-12-01

A resistivity measurement system for conductive core samples has been setup using a high resolution nano-voltmeter. Using the system, in this study, various coupling effects between electrodes and the samples are discussed including contact resistance, lead resistance, temperature dependence, and heat produced within the samples by applied current. The lead resistance was over 10 times higher than the resistance of the conductive samples such as graphite or nichrome, even though the electrodes and lead lines were made of silver. Furthermore, lead resistance itself showed very strong temperature dependence, so that it is essential to subtract the lead resistance from the measured values at corresponding temperature. Minimization of contact resistance is very important, so that the axial loads are needed as big as possible unless the deformation of sample occurs.

Traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Barlow, Karen Maria

2013-01-01

In childhood, traumatic brain injury (TBI) poses the unique challenges of an injury to a developing brain and the dynamic pattern of recovery over time, inflicted TBI and its medicolegal ramifications. The mechanisms of injury vary with age, as do the mechanisms that lead to the primary brain injury. As it is common, and is the leading cause of death and disability in the USA and Canada, prevention is the key, and we may need increased legislation to facilitate this. Despite its prevalence, there is an almost urgent need for research to help guide the optimal management and improve outcomes. Indeed, contrary to common belief, children with severe TBI have a worse outcome and many of the consequences present in teenage years or later. The treatment needs, therefore, to be multifaceted and starts at the scene of the injury and extends into the home and school. In order to do this, the care needs to be multidisciplinary from specialists with a specific interest in TBI and to involve the family, and will often span many decades. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Re-engineering Islet Cell Transplantation

PubMed Central

Fotino, Nicoletta; Fotino, Carmen; Pileggi, Antonello

2015-01-01

We are living exciting times in the field of beta cell replacement therapies for the treatment of diabetes. While steady progress has been recorded thus far in clinical islet transplantation, novel approaches are needed to make cell-based therapies more reproducible and leading to long-lasting success. The multiple facets of diabetes impose the need for a transdisciplinary approach to attain this goal, by targeting immunity, promoting engraftment and sustained functional potency. We discuss herein the emerging technologies applied to beta cell replacement therapies. PMID:25814189

Care needs after primary breast cancer treatment. Survivors' associated sociodemographic and medical characteristics.

PubMed

Pauwels, Evelyn E J; Charlier, Caroline; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Lechner, Lilian; Van Hoof, Elke

2013-01-01

This study examines the care needs of rehabilitating breast cancer survivors and determines what sociodemographic and medical characteristics are associated with these care needs. A large-scale cross-sectional study (n = 465, response rate = 65%) was conducted among survivors who had ended primary treatment less than 6 months previously. Questionnaires were completed regarding participants' care needs, how these needs were met and the time and manner preferred for receiving information and support. Care needs regarding seven specific rehabilitation topics were assessed separately: (1) physical functioning, (2) psychological functioning, (3) self and body image, (4) sexuality, (5) relationship with partner, (6) relationship with others, and (7) work, return to work and social security. High unmet needs were reported across all topics. The time preferred for receiving information and support across most topics was the period of breast cancer treatment. The most popular sources of information and support were informative brochures, consultation with a psychologist, information sessions and an informative website. Younger age and lower income were associated with care needs after treatment. A valuable contribution is made to the literature on post-treatment care needs by comprehensively mapping unmet needs and the preferred time and source for meeting those needs. This study leads to greater awareness of the struggle facing breast cancer survivors and should guide those developing post-treatment interventions. As optimal tailoring to the needs of the target group is a prerequisite for success, preparatory needs assessment should be essential to the development of supportive interventions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Solving the dynamic ambulance relocation and dispatching problem using approximate dynamic programming

PubMed Central

Schmid, Verena

2012-01-01

Emergency service providers are supposed to locate ambulances such that in case of emergency patients can be reached in a time-efficient manner. Two fundamental decisions and choices need to be made real-time. First of all immediately after a request emerges an appropriate vehicle needs to be dispatched and send to the requests’ site. After having served a request the vehicle needs to be relocated to its next waiting location. We are going to propose a model and solve the underlying optimization problem using approximate dynamic programming (ADP), an emerging and powerful tool for solving stochastic and dynamic problems typically arising in the field of operations research. Empirical tests based on real data from the city of Vienna indicate that by deviating from the classical dispatching rules the average response time can be decreased from 4.60 to 4.01 minutes, which corresponds to an improvement of 12.89%. Furthermore we are going to show that it is essential to consider time-dependent information such as travel times and changes with respect to the request volume explicitly. Ignoring the current time and its consequences thereafter during the stage of modeling and optimization leads to suboptimal decisions. PMID:25540476

Small V/STOL aircraft analysis, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, K. R., Jr.; Belina, F. W.

1974-01-01

A study has been made of the economic viability of advanced V/STOL aircraft concepts in performing general aviation missions. A survey of general aviation aircraft users, operators, and manufacturers indicated that personnel transport missions formulated around business executive needs, commuter air service, and offshore oil supply are the leading potential areas of application using VTOL aircraft. Advanced VTOL concepts potentially available in the late 1970 time period were evaluated as alternatives to privately owned contemporary aircraft and commercial airline service in satisfying these personnel transport needs. Economic analysis incorporating the traveler's value of time as the principle figure of merit were used to identify the relative merits of alternative VTOL air transportation concepts.

Balancing regulatory control, scientific knowledge, and public understanding.

PubMed

Kingsbury, D T

1988-01-01

In summary, I would like to emphasize the continued need for broad and vigorous basic research, with a balance between the fundamental work that may eventually lead to commercial products and the fundamental work that is necessary for an understanding of the interaction of many types of organisms within the environment. I would like also to reiterate the need for balance in the regulatory approach so that we do not repress innovation in research and development. Over-regulation has many side effects. In addition to repressing innovation and not taking advantage of our research base, over-regulation leads to reluctance by the capital markets to invest in the future of our new industries, thereby halting their development at an early stage. At the same time, under-regulation leads to lack of confidence by the public and paralysis of the industry based on public outcry and legal proceedings. It is my personal belief that the combination of a sound approach to regulatory practice, based on current scientific knowledge, combined with appropriate communication with the public regarding the new products, will lead to an exciting future for all sectors of industry that use the new biotechnology.

Healthcare Managers' Experiences of Leading the Implementation of Video Conferencing in Discharge Planning Sessions: An Interview Study.

PubMed

Hofflander, Malin; Nilsson, Lina; Eriksén, Sara; Borg, Christel

2016-03-01

This article describes healthcare managers' experiences of leading the implementation of video conferencing in discharge planning sessions as a new tool in everyday practice. Data collection took place through individual interviews and the interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach. The results indicate that managers identified two distinct leadership perspectives when they reflected on the implementation process. They described a desired way of leading the implementation and communicating about the upcoming change, understanding and securing support for decisions, as well as ensuring that sufficient time is available throughout the change process. They also, however, described how they perceived that the implementation process was actually taking place, highlighting the lack of planning and preparation as well as the need for support and to be supportive, and having the courage to adopt and lead the implementation. It is suggested that managers at all levels require more information and training in how to encourage staff to become involved in designing their everyday work and in the implementation process. Managers, too, need ongoing organizational support for good leadership throughout the implementation of video conferencing in discharge planning sessions, including planning, start-up, implementation, and evaluation.

Leading Part-Time Teaching Staff to Achieve Excellent Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kabouridis, Georgios

2011-01-01

The paper points out the significance of hourly-waged tutors to the quality of the teaching-learning procedure in Mechanical Engineering Department. Existing research shows that higher education faces many challenges in its attempt to keep pace with the needs of students' body for effective learning. The changing nature of higher education is…

Enhancing the Principal-School Counselor Relationship: Toolkit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

College Board Advocacy & Policy Center, 2011

2011-01-01

The College Board, NASSP and ASCA believe that the principal-counselor relationship is a dynamic and organic relationship that evolves over time in response to the ever-changing needs of a school. The goal of an effective principal-counselor relationship is to use the strength of the relationship to collaboratively lead school reform efforts to…

University ERP Implementation in Germany: Qualitative Exploratory Case Study of Administrative Staff Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thelen, Anja

2015-01-01

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementations are expensive, time-consuming, and often do not lead to the expected outcome of integrated IT systems. Many German universities are implementing ERP systems as Campus Management Systems (CMS) and a solution to any problem, need, or requirement the organization has. This exploratory case study…

Evaluation of fecal indicator and pathogenic bacteria originating from swine manure applied to agricultural lands using culture-based and quantitative real-time PCR methods.

EPA Science Inventory

Fecal bacteria, including those originating from concentrated animal feeding operations, are a leading contributor to water quality impairments in agricultural areas. Rapid and reliable methods are needed that can accurately characterize fecal pollution in agricultural settings....

Evaluation of Fecal Indicator and Pathogenic Bacteria Originating from Swine Manure Applied to Agricultural Lands Using Culture-Based and Quantitative Real-Time PCR Methods

EPA Science Inventory

Fecal bacteria, including those originating from concentrated animal feeding operations, are a leading contributor to water quality impairments in agricultural areas. Rapid and reliable methods are needed that can accurately characterize fecal pollution in agricultural settings....

Edcamps Are for Principals, Too

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linton, Jayme N.; Carpenter, Jeffrey P.; Weber, Steven

2017-01-01

School leaders pour time and energy into others all day, every day. To keep them energized and build their capacity to lead, principals need to connect with others and engage in conversation around effective practices. A new model of professional development known as Edcamp offers a place where school leaders can stay abreast of emerging practices…

Colorimetric Detection of Water Vapor Using Metal-Organic Framework Composites.

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

Allendorf, Mark D.

Purpose: Water vapor trapped in encapsulation materials or enclosed volumes leads to corrosion issues for critical NW components. Sandia National Laboratories has created a new diagnostic to indicate the presence of water in weapon systems. Impact: Component exposure to water now can be determined instantly, without need for costly, time-consuming analytical methods.

A pebble count procedure for assessing watershed cumulative effects

Treesearch

Gregory S. Bevenger; Rudy M. King

1995-01-01

Land mangement activities can result in the delivery of fine sediment to streams. Over time, such delivery can lead to cumulative impacts to the aquactic ecosystem. Because numerous laws require Federal land managers to analyze watershed cumulative effects, field personnel need simple monitoring procedures that can be used directly and consistently. One approach to...

Implementing Curriculum Evaluation: Case Study of a Generic Undergraduate Degree in Health Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Lynne; Driscoll, Peter; Lewis, Melinda; Matthews, Lynda; Russell, Cherry; Cumming, Steven

2010-01-01

This case study presents a longitudinal, evidence-based approach to health science curriculum reform and evaluation. Curriculum in higher education must meet the needs of diverse stakeholders and must respond to dynamic local, national and international contexts, and this creates challenges for evaluation. The long lead time prior to the…

Missouri Extension Provides Tax Assistance to Rural Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huston, Sandra J.; Procter, Brenda

2006-01-01

Financial education is one pathway to improving the human condition. Family financial educators in University Extension programs lead in their efforts to provide individuals and families with the skills they need to manage their financial resources effectively. Offering these opportunities at a time when families have money to manage is a key…

Leading Learning in Our Times

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trilling, Bernie

2010-01-01

Important tools that schools need to support a 21st century approach to teaching and learning include the usual suspects: the Internet, pen and paper, cell phones, educational games, tests and quizzes, good teachers, caring communities, educational funding, and loving parents. All of these items and more contribute to a 21st century education, but…

Reliability of windstorm predictions in the ECMWF ensemble prediction system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, Nico; Ulbrich, Uwe

2016-04-01

Windstorms caused by extratropical cyclones are one of the most dangerous natural hazards in the European region. Therefore, reliable predictions of such storm events are needed. Case studies have shown that ensemble prediction systems (EPS) are able to provide useful information about windstorms between two and five days prior to the event. In this work, ensemble predictions with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) EPS are evaluated in a four year period. Within the 50 ensemble members, which are initialized every 12 hours and are run for 10 days, windstorms are identified and tracked in time and space. By using a clustering approach, different predictions of the same storm are identified in the different ensemble members and compared to reanalysis data. The occurrence probability of the predicted storms is estimated by fitting a bivariate normal distribution to the storm track positions. Our results show, for example, that predicted storm clusters with occurrence probabilities of more than 50% have a matching observed storm in 80% of all cases at a lead time of two days. The predicted occurrence probabilities are reliable up to 3 days lead time. At longer lead times the occurrence probabilities are overestimated by the EPS.

77 FR 26566 - Federal Property Suitable as Facilities To Assist the Homeless

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-04

... Comments: off-site removal only; sf varies; housing; fair to poor conditions; asbestos and lead indentified....; office space; extremely poor conditions; extensive repairs needed; asbestos & lead identified....; vacant; poor conditions; need repairs; asbestos & lead; remediation needed; secured area; contact Army re...

Time and change in health care.

PubMed

Waterworth, Susan

2017-10-02

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the dimensions of temporality that are rarely considered in the literature on leading change. Design/methodology/approach The analysis is informed by Adams' (1995) social theory of time encompassing temporality, timing and tempo. This will illustrate the complexities of time as they relate to the individual, teams and organisation. Findings This paper demonstrates the multidimensional nature of time: temporality, timing and tempo, and how each of these can contribute to our understanding of the temporal nature and complexity of change within the health system. A framework to inform much-needed research in the area of time and change is presented. Practical implications Challenging assumptions that there is only one common time, that is clock time, can provide opportunities for further discussion and understanding of how various people view time and the influence this has on leading and participating in change in health care. Originality/value There is limited literature on the temporal dimensions of change at an organisational, team and individual level. The perspective offered in this paper presents the multidimensional nature of time and the influence this has on understanding the temporal nature of change and critically identifies some key areas for future research.

Electronic Warfare: Comprehensive Strategy Still Needed for Suppressing Enemy Air Defenses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2002-11-01

U.S. military aircraft are often at great risk from enemy air defenses, and the services use specialized aircraft to neutralize or destroy them. In January 2001, GAO reported that a gap existed between the services' suppression capabilities and their needs and recommended that a comprehensive strategy was needed to fix the situation. In response to GAO's report, DOD emphasized that a major study underway at the time would provide the basis for a Department-wide strategy and lead to a balanced set of acquisition programs between the services. This report updates our previous work and assesses actions that DOD has taken to improve its suppression capabilities.

The story of … a lead.

PubMed

Nisam, Seah; Reddy, Shantanu

2015-05-01

The totally transvenous implantable defibrillator lead, conceived by Mirowski and Mower 45 years ago, is irrevocably related to the wide acceptance of this therapy. It paved the way for the era for non-thoracotomy implantation. This paper covers the most important details of the evolution--over this 45-year period--of the original (ENDOTAK) transvenous ICD lead and subsequent iterations. Over that time period, there have been over 800 000 patients implanted with this family of leads. The 'story' addresses the multiple problems encountered, technological improvements in materials, design, and testing to overcome them. And, the need for continued close collaboration between physicians and industry focused on reliability and longevity of this critical component of these life-saving systems. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Schools Need Leaders--Not Managers: It's Time for a Paradigm Shift

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stein, Les

2016-01-01

In the world of public school education everything depends on good leadership. Sadly, many of our schools administrators can't differentiate the difference between leading and managing; far too many of them don't know the first thing about fundamental leadership principles. In short, they don't understand the fundamentals of Mission Oriented…

Are You Paying Too Much? Cutting Telephone System Costs by Tracking Expenses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sachnoff, Neil S.

1990-01-01

Personnel responsible for telecommunications systems need a way to ensure pursuit of the right technology at the right time does not lead them away from considerations of the right price. A three-step method of historical and monthly reviews offers a straightforward means of regaining control of expenditures and tracking costs. (MSE)

Is It Time for a Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Campaign? Community Stakeholders' Perceptions of SIDS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gollenberg, Audra; Fendley, Kim

2018-01-01

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) remains a leading cause of infant death in the United States, and in Virginia. We sought to gauge the perceptions among community-identified stakeholders regarding community resource needs to reduce SIDS. Snowball sampling identified important community stakeholders to be interviewed as key informants. A…

Perceived Effects of Courage to Teach Self-Reflective Practices on Teacher Stress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hofman, Laurene

2012-01-01

Teachers experience significant amounts of stress that can lead to burnout or attrition (Milhans, 2008). Creating time and space to engage in self-reflection helps teachers to reduce stress (Chang, 2009; Nollett, 2009). Courage to Teach was developed in 1994 by Parker Palmer and the Fetzer Institute in response to an identified need for developing…

Challenges and Solutions of Adopting Public Electronic Services for the Needs of Z Generation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabaityte, Jolanta; Davidavicius, Sigitas

2017-01-01

Today's society consists of individuals who belong to different generations. Natural change will lead to the fact that a new generation of individuals will take up most of the society's structure, at the same time raising questions about behaviour in virtual space changes. Assimilation of new technologies in society greatly depends on consumer…

Food Insecurity and Obesity: A Dual Challenge for Low-Income Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Lynn

2007-01-01

"Food insecurity," which is the lack of access to enough food to fully meet basic needs at all times because of economic constraints, afflicts 40.6% of low-income households with children. Research shows that living in a food-insecure household can lead to negative health and developmental consequences for young children, including obesity.…

Structural composite panel performance under long-term load

Treesearch

Theodore L. Laufenberg

1988-01-01

Information on the performance of wood-based structural composite panels under long-term load is currently needed to permit their use in engineered assemblies and systems. A broad assessment of the time-dependent properties of panels is critical for creating databases and models of the creep-rupture phenomenon that lead to reliability-based design procedures. This...

Effects of intensive forest management practices on insect infestation levels and loblolly pine growth

Treesearch

John T. Nowak; C. Wayne Berisford

2000-01-01

Intensive forest management practices have been shown to increase tree growth and shorten rotation time. However, they may also lead to an increased need for insect pest management because of higher infestation levels and lower action thresholds. To investigate the relationship between intensive management practices arid insect infestation, maximum growth potential...

Twitter weather warnings: Communicating risk in 140 characters-the impact of imperative and declarative message style on weather risk perception and behavioral intentions.

PubMed

Rainear, Adam M; Lachlan, Kenneth A; Spence, Patric R

Understanding how individuals utilize risk messages is important for protecting lives and gaining compliance toward safe behaviors. Recent advances in technology afford users with timeliness when needing to acquire information, and research investigating imperative and declarative message styles suggests utilizing both strategies is most effective. Similarly, the element of time can play a role when an individual engages in certain behaviors. This study employed an experimental design to better understand how imperative and declarative tweets, and time can contribute to risk perceptions and behavioral intentions. Results indicate the most negative affect is experienced after receiving an imperative-only tweet in a short-lead time condition, whereas a tweet utilizing both message styles in a long-lead time condition induces the most fear. Future research should investigate stylistic message elements on new media platforms to better understand how messages can be effectively sent and received by the intended audience within character-limited platforms.

Evaluating Oral Fluid as a Screening Tool for Lead Poisoning.

PubMed

Gardner, Sher Lynn; Geller, Robert J; Hannigan, Robyn; Sun, Yu; Mangla, Anil

2016-11-01

Screening for lead poisoning is necessary in young children, but obtaining the needed blood sample is unpleasant and sometimes very difficult. Use of an alternative screening method that is less unpleasant and less difficult would likely help to increase the percent of children receiving screening. To evaluate the correlation of oral fluid and blood lead in a clinical setting, and to ascertain the acceptability and feasibility of obtaining oral fluid from a young child in the clinical setting. Oral fluid samples were collected from a convenience sample of 431 children aged 6 months to 5 years already due to receive a blood lead test in a primary care clinic. Blood lead results obtained at the same time were available for 407 children. The results of the two tests were compared with the blood lead test considered to be the "gold standard". Data analysis used Pearson correlations, scatter plots, linear regression, ANOVA and Bland-Altman analysis. 431 patients had oral fluid samples available for analysis, and 407 patients had blood samples available. Patients who had both blood concentrations <5 µg/dL and oral fluid values below the screening cutoff value were 223, while eight had both blood concentrations ≥ 5 µg/dL and oral fluid values above the screening threshold. Elevated oral fluid but blood lead values less than the value recommended for further intervention occurred in 176; no patients had elevated blood lead values with below-intervention oral fluid values. The negative predictive value of an oral fluid lead below the screening cutoff value was 100%. The use of oral fluid to screen for elevated body burdens of lead instead of the usual blood lead sample is feasible with a negative predictive value of 100%, while eliminating the need for blood for lead screening in more than half of these children. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Lead/acid batteries in systems to improve power quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, P.; Butler, P.; Nerbun, W.

Increasing dependence on computer technology is driving needs for extremely high-quality power to prevent loss of information, material, and workers' time that represent billions of dollars annually. This cost has motivated commercial and Federal research and development of energy storage systems that detect and respond to power-quality failures in milliseconds. Electrochemical batteries are among the storage media under investigation for these systems. Battery energy storage systems that employ either flooded lead/acid or valve-regulated lead/acid battery technologies are becoming commercially available to capture a share of this emerging market. Cooperative research and development between the US Department of Energy and private industry have led to installations of lead/acid-based battery energy storage systems to improve power quality at utility and industrial sites and commercial development of fully integrated, modular battery energy storage system products for power quality. One such system by AC Battery Corporation, called the PQ2000, is installed at a test site at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (San Ramon, CA, USA) and at a customer site at Oglethorpe Power Corporation (Tucker, GA, USA). The PQ2000 employs off-the-shelf power electronics in an integrated methodology to control the factors that affect the performance and service life of production-model, low-maintenance, flooded lead/acid batteries. This system, and other members of this first generation of lead/acid-based energy storage systems, will need to compete vigorously for a share of an expanding, yet very aggressive, power quality market.

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

PubMed

Mori, Koji

2013-10-01

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

Paperless clinical trials: Myth or reality?

PubMed Central

Gupta, Sandeep K.

2015-01-01

There is an urgent need to expedite the time-to-market for new drugs and to make the approval process simpler. But clinical trials are a complex process and the increased complexity leads to decreased efficiency. Hence, pharmaceutical organizations want to move toward a more technology-driven clinical trial process for recording, analyzing, reporting, archiving, etc., In recent times, the progress has certainly been made in developing paperless systems that improve data capture and management. The adaptation of paperless processes may require major changes to existing procedures. But this is in the best interests of these organizations to remain competitive because a paperless clinical trial would lead to a consistent and streamlined framework. Moreover, all major regulatory authorities also advocate adoption of paperless trial. But challenges still remain toward implementation of paperless clinical trial process. PMID:26288464

NNLO splitting and coefficient functions with time-like kinematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitov, A.; Moch, S.; Vogt, A.

2006-10-01

We discuss recent results on the three-loop (next-to-next-to-leading order, NNLO) time-like splitting functions of QCD and the two-loop (NNLO) coefficient functions in one-particle inclusive e+e--annihilation. These results form the basis for extracting fragmentation functions for light and heavy flavors with NNLO accuracy that will be needed at the LHC and ILC. The two-loop calculations have been performed in Mellin space based on a new method, the main features of which we also describe briefly.

Flexible forecasts: a key to better customer service.

PubMed

Neuhaus, C A

1997-05-01

Good customer service requires companies to keep their fingers on their customers' pulse and develop intelligent forecasts with their needs built in. As even the smallest factories today are placing at least some emphasis on lead time reductions to improve flexibility and the speed of response to customer requirements, the role of the forecast, now more than ever, is to provide at all times the best, most recent, and most accurate picture of what exactly will be required and when.

Continuous-variable gate decomposition for the Bose-Hubbard model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalajdzievski, Timjan; Weedbrook, Christian; Rebentrost, Patrick

2018-06-01

In this work, we decompose the time evolution of the Bose-Hubbard model into a sequence of logic gates that can be implemented on a continuous-variable photonic quantum computer. We examine the structure of the circuit that represents this time evolution for one-dimensional and two-dimensional lattices. The elementary gates needed for the implementation are counted as a function of lattice size. We also include the contribution of the leading dipole interaction term which may be added to the Hamiltonian and its corresponding circuit.

A first determination of the unpolarized quark TMDs from a global analysis

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

Bacchetta, Alessandro; Delcarro, Filippo; Pisano, Cristian

Transverse momentum dependent distribution and fragmentation functions of unpolarized quarks inside unpolarized protons are extracted, for the first time, through a simultaneous analysis of semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering, Drell-Yan and Z boson hadroproduction processes. This study is performed at leading order in perturbative QCD, with energy scale evolution at the next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy. Moreover, some specific choices are made to deal with low scale evolution around 1 GeV2. Since only data in the low transverse momentum region are considered, no matching to fixed-order calculations at high transverse momentum is needed.

Prenatal Lead Exposure and Weight of 0- to 5-Year-Old Children in Mexico City

PubMed Central

Peterson, Karen E.; Sánchez, Brisa N.; Cantonwine, David; Lamadrid-Figueroa, Héctor; Schnaas, Lourdes; Ettinger, Adrienne S.; Hernández-Avila, Mauricio; Hu, Howard; Téllez-Rojo, Martha M.

2011-01-01

Background: Cumulative prenatal lead exposure, as measured by maternal bone lead burden, has been associated with smaller weight of offspring at birth and 1 month of age, but no study has examined whether this effect persists into early childhood. Objective: We investigated the association of perinatal maternal bone lead, a biomarker of cumulative prenatal lead exposure, with children’s attained weight over time from birth to 5 years of age. Methods: Children were weighed at birth and at several intervals up until 60 months. Maternal tibia and patella lead were measured at 1 month postpartum using in vivo K-shell X-ray fluorescence. We used varying coefficient models with random effects to assess the association of maternal bone lead with weight trajectories of 522 boys and 477 girls born between 1994 and 2005 in Mexico City. Results: After controlling for breast-feeding duration, maternal anthropometry, and sociodemographic characteristics, a 1-SD increase in maternal patella lead (micrograms per gram) was associated with a 130.9-g decrease in weight [95% confidence interval (CI), –227.4 to –34.4 g] among females and a 13.0-g nonsignificant increase in weight among males (95% CI, –73.7 to 99.9 g) at 5 years of age. These associations were similar after controlling for concurrent blood lead levels between birth and 5 years. Conclusions: Maternal bone lead was associated with lower weight over time among female but not male children up to 5 years of age. Given that the association was evident for patellar but not tibial lead levels, and was limited to females, results need to be confirmed in other studies. PMID:21715242

How five leading safety-net hospitals are preparing for the challenges and opportunities of health care reform.

PubMed

Coughlin, Teresa A; Long, Sharon K; Sheen, Edward; Tolbert, Jennifer

2012-08-01

Safety-net hospitals will continue to play a critical role in the US health care system, as they will need to care for the more than twenty-three million people who are estimated to remain uninsured after the Affordable Care Act is implemented. Yet such hospitals will probably have less federal and state support for uncompensated care. At the same time, safety-net hospitals will need to reposition themselves in the marketplace to compete effectively for newly insured people who will have a choice of providers. We examine how five leading safety-net hospitals have begun preparing for reform. Building upon strong organizational attributes such as health information technology and system integration, the study hospitals' preparations include improving the efficiency and quality of care delivery, retaining current and attracting new patients, and expanding the medical home model.

Psychometric validation of a new measurement instrument for time-oriented patient information in electronic medical records: A questionnaire survey of physicians.

PubMed

Shibuya, Akiko; Misawa, Jimpei; Maeda, Yukihiro; Ichikawa, Rie; Kamata, Michiyo; Inoue, Ryusuke; Morimoto, Tetsuji; Nakayama, Masaharu; Hishiki, Teruyoshi; Kondo, Yoshiaki

2017-12-01

Time is an important element in medical data. Physicians record and store information about patients' disease progress and treatment response in electronic medical records (EMRs). Because EMRs use timestamps, physicians can identify patterns over time regarding a patient's disease and treatment (eg, laboratory values and medications). However, analyses of physicians' use and satisfaction with EMRs have focused on functionality, storage, and system operation rather than the use of time-oriented information. This study aimed to understand physicians' needs regarding time-oriented patient information in EMRs in clinical practice. The reliability and validity of the items in the questionnaire were evaluated in 87 physicians at a national university hospital. Internal consistency was satisfactory (Cronbach alpha coefficient, 0.87). Four dimensions were identified in exploratory factor analysis. Correlations between the 4 dimensions supported the construct validity of the items. Scores of time-oriented patients' medical history in the 4 dimensions showed a significant association with physician age. Based on confirmatory factor analysis, associations were significant and positive (P < .001). In terms of the needs of physicians regarding time-oriented patient information in EMRs, both time-oriented treatment results followed by time-oriented team information had significant positive associations. Our study suggests that 4 specific time-oriented patient information factors in EMRs are needed by physicians. Exploring physicians' needs regarding patient-specific time-oriented information may provide a better understanding of the barriers facing the adoption and use of EMRs (eg, decision-making and practice safety concerns) and lead to better acceptance of EMRs in physicians' clinical practices. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The experiences and needs of Chinese-Canadian stroke survivors and family caregivers as they re-integrate into the community.

PubMed

Yeung, Emily H L; Szeto, Amy; Richardson, Denyse; Lai, Suk-han; Lim, Eva; Cameron, Jill I

2015-09-01

Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability and community re-integration is a priority for stroke rehabilitation. In North America, we have a growing population of individuals whose first language is not English. Little is known about the experiences of visible minorities living in North America as they re-integrate into the community post stroke or how these experiences change over time. Specifically, this research aimed to explore the experiences and needs of Chinese stroke survivors and family caregivers as they return to community living using the Timing it Right Framework as a conceptual guide. We recruited Cantonese-speaking stroke survivors and family caregivers from outpatient rehabilitation programmes. Using qualitative interviews conducted in Cantonese or English, we examined their experiences and needs as they return to community living and explored the influence of culture and time on their experiences. The interviews were transcribed and translated, and then analysed using framework analysis. Using framework analysis, we coded the data corresponding to the phases of the Timing it Right framework to determine the influence of time on the themes. We interviewed five Cantonese-speaking stroke survivors and 13 caregivers in 2009. We identified two main themes: (i) Participants' education and support needs change over time and (ii) Chinese resources are needed across care environments. These resources include access to care in their preferred language, traditional Chinese medicine, and Chinese food during their recovery and rehabilitation. To optimise Chinese stroke survivors' and caregivers' community re-integration, healthcare professionals should provide timely and accessible education and be aware of the role of Chinese diet and traditional medicine in stroke survivors' rehabilitation. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The use of contraception for patients after bariatric surgery.

PubMed

Ostrowska, Lucyna; Lech, Medard; Stefańska, Ewa; Jastrzębska-Mierzyńska, Marta; Smarkusz, Joanna

2016-01-01

Obesity in women of reproductive age is a serious concern regarding reproductive health. In many cases of infertility in obese women, reduction of body weight may lead to spontaneous pregnancy, without the need for more specific methods of treatment. Bariatric surgery is safe and is the most effective method for body weight reduction in obese and very obese patients. In practice there are two bariatric techniques; gastric banding, which leads to weight loss through intake restriction, and gastric bypass, leads to weight loss through food malabsorption. Gastric bypass surgery (the more frequently performed procedure), in most cases, leads to changes in eating habits and may result in vomiting, diarrhea and rapid body mass reduction. There are reliable data describing the continuous increase in the number of women who are trying to conceive, or are already pregnant, following bariatric surgery. Most medical specialists advise women to avoid pregnancy within 12-18 months after bariatric surgery. This allows for time to recover sufficiency from the decreased absorption of nutrients caused by the bariatric surgery. During this period there is a need for the use of reliable contraception. As there is a risk for malabsorption of hormones taken orally, the combined and progestogen-only pills are contraindicated, and displaced by non-oral hormonal contraception or non-hormonal methods, including intrauterine devices and condoms.

Corner smoothing of 2D milling toolpath using b-spline curve by optimizing the contour error and the feedrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Özcan, Abdullah; Rivière-Lorphèvre, Edouard; Ducobu, François

2018-05-01

In part manufacturing, efficient process should minimize the cycle time needed to reach the prescribed quality on the part. In order to optimize it, the machining time needs to be as low as possible and the quality needs to meet some requirements. For a 2D milling toolpath defined by sharp corners, the programmed feedrate is different from the reachable feedrate due to kinematic limits of the motor drives. This phenomena leads to a loss of productivity. Smoothing the toolpath allows to reduce significantly the machining time but the dimensional accuracy should not be neglected. Therefore, a way to address the problem of optimizing a toolpath in part manufacturing is to take into account the manufacturing time and the part quality. On one hand, maximizing the feedrate will minimize the manufacturing time and, on the other hand, the maximum of the contour error needs to be set under a threshold to meet the quality requirements. This paper presents a method to optimize sharp corner smoothing using b-spline curves by adjusting the control points defining the curve. The objective function used in the optimization process is based on the contour error and the difference between the programmed feedrate and an estimation of the reachable feedrate. The estimation of the reachable feedrate is based on geometrical information. Some simulation results are presented in the paper and the machining times are compared in each cases.

Online Conditional Outlier Detection in Nonstationary Time Series

PubMed Central

Liu, Siqi; Wright, Adam; Hauskrecht, Milos

2017-01-01

The objective of this work is to develop methods for detecting outliers in time series data. Such methods can become the key component of various monitoring and alerting systems, where an outlier may be equal to some adverse condition that needs human attention. However, real-world time series are often affected by various sources of variability present in the environment that may influence the quality of detection; they may (1) explain some of the changes in the signal that would otherwise lead to false positive detections, as well as, (2) reduce the sensitivity of the detection algorithm leading to increase in false negatives. To alleviate these problems, we propose a new two-layer outlier detection approach that first tries to model and account for the nonstationarity and periodic variation in the time series, and then tries to use other observable variables in the environment to explain any additional signal variation. Our experiments on several data sets in different domains show that our method provides more accurate modeling of the time series, and that it is able to significantly improve outlier detection performance. PMID:29644345

Online Conditional Outlier Detection in Nonstationary Time Series.

PubMed

Liu, Siqi; Wright, Adam; Hauskrecht, Milos

2017-05-01

The objective of this work is to develop methods for detecting outliers in time series data. Such methods can become the key component of various monitoring and alerting systems, where an outlier may be equal to some adverse condition that needs human attention. However, real-world time series are often affected by various sources of variability present in the environment that may influence the quality of detection; they may (1) explain some of the changes in the signal that would otherwise lead to false positive detections, as well as, (2) reduce the sensitivity of the detection algorithm leading to increase in false negatives. To alleviate these problems, we propose a new two-layer outlier detection approach that first tries to model and account for the nonstationarity and periodic variation in the time series, and then tries to use other observable variables in the environment to explain any additional signal variation. Our experiments on several data sets in different domains show that our method provides more accurate modeling of the time series, and that it is able to significantly improve outlier detection performance.

Evaluating RVUs as a measure of workload for use in assessing fatigue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krupinski, Elizabeth A.; MacKinnon, Lea; Hasselbach, Karl; Taljanovic, Mihra

2015-03-01

Physician work is not well defined and does not take into account all of the activities and tasks involved in interpreting cases. We observed 3 MSK radiologists reading 100 cases. We recorded types of cases, whether residents/fellows were present, total time per case, time spent teaching, and time for interruptions. There were residents/fellows present for 65% of the cases. On average, when residents/fellows were present it took significantly longer to read a case. Overall, prior studies were accessed for 25% of the cases, with radiographs and CT accessing them more than MRI and US. Time per case was significantly longer when prior studies were included. In terms of interruptions, 9.24% of the time was taken up by calls to/from other clinicians, talking to technologists, discussing case protocols, and technical problems. All interruptions occurred during a case review. We downloaded RVU data for the 3 radiologists and correlated them with the actual times per case. The overall correlation was 0.215. For a given RVU, the actual amount of time spent on the case varies. Radiologists spend more time per case than assigned RVUs account for. This underestimation contributes to expectations of increased workloads, leading potentially to more and more cases being read in shorter amounts of time leading to increased fatigue and stress that could lead to increases in error rates. In order to better address fatigue and stress in the radiology department we need to better understand the pressures radiologists face and possibly reevaluate the RVU system.

Drought and Heat Waves: The Role of SST and Land Surface Feedbacks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schubert, Siegfried

2011-01-01

Drought occurs on a wide range of time scales, and within a variety of different types of regional climates. At the shortest time scales it is often associated with heat waves that last only several weeks to a few months but nevertheless can have profound detrimental impacts on society (e.g., heat-related impacts on human health, desiccation of croplands, increased fire hazard), while at the longest time scales it can extend over decades and can lead to long term structural changes in many aspects of society (e.g., agriculture, water resources, wetlands, tourism, population shifts). There is now considerable evidence that sea surface temperatures (SSTs) play a leading role in the development of drought world-wide, especially at seasonal and longer time scales, though land-atmosphere feedbacks can also play an important role. At shorter (subseasonal) time scales, SSTs are less important, but land feedbacks can play a critical role in maintaining and amplifying the atmospheric conditions associated with heat waves and short-term droughts. This talk reviews our current understanding of the physical mechanisms that drive precipitation and temperature variations on subseasonal to centennial time scales. This includes an assessment of predictability, prediction skill, and user needs at all time scales.

Blood lead levels of wild Steller's eiders (Polysticta stelleri) and black scoters (Melanitta nigra) in Alaska using a portable blood lead analyzer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Corrine S.; Luebbert, Joanne; Mulcahy, Daniel M.; Schamber, Jason L.; Rosenberg, Daniel H.

2006-01-01

Sea duck populations are declining in Alaska. The reasons for the decline are not known; environmental lead exposure is one suspected cause. Thirty wild Steller's eider ducks (Polysticta stelleri) and 40 wild black scoter ducks (Melanitta nigra) were tested for blood lead levels using a portable blood lead analyzer (LeadCare; ESA, Inc., Chelmsford, Massachusetts 01824, USA). Sixty-seven and one-tenth percent of the sea ducks had undetectable blood lead levels, 30.0% had values indicating normal or background lead exposure, and 2.9% had values indicating lead exposure. None of the birds had values indicating lead toxicity, and no birds demonstrated clinical signs of toxicity. Birds in areas with higher human population density had higher blood lead levels than those in less densely populated areas. This is the first time a portable blood lead analyzer has been utilized with sea ducks in a field setting. Because it provides immediate results, it is valuable as a screening tool for investigators carrying out surgical procedures on birds in the field as well as establishing baseline blood lead data on sea ducks. Lead exposure does occur in wild sea ducks, and the study indicates that additional research is needed in order to determine the role environmental lead plays in declining sea duck populations.

Building Language Through Conflict Resolution: Discussing Problems Enriches Language While Leading to Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Church, Ellen Booth

2005-01-01

This brief article describes how classroom group time can be "talk central" for children to discuss problems, imagine solutions, even role-play hypothetical situations. It is often in the safety and support of the large group that children develop the tools they need to learn how to resolve the inevitable conflicts that arise throughout life.…

The Evaluation of a Clinical Development Unit Leadership Preparation Program by Focus Group Interviews--Part I: Positive Aspects. Part II: Negative Aspects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenwood, Jennifer; Parsons, Myra

2002-01-01

Focus group evaluations of a training program for nurses leading clinical development units focused on research-based practice found that leadership and strategic skills were developed. However, participants had insufficient time to assimilate knowledge or develop mentoring relationships and needed more help developing research-receptive culture…

Parents' Perceptions of the Referral Process for Special Education Services in a Large Florida School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierre-Okerson, Marie Judith

2014-01-01

The purpose of this research study was to explore how parents in a large school district in Florida perceive the referral process leading to their children placement in Special Education. Participants in the study were 12 parents of special needs students whose children were, at the time of the study, receiving Special Education related services…

Reprogramming the Metastatic Microenvironment to Combat Disease Recurrence

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this...lead to pathological bone loss, which can stimulate tumor cell outgrowth. In addition to contributing to morbidity, this ‘vicious cycle’ also...surveillance and antigen presentation affect metastatic relapse in the bone. In so doing, we discovered that inhibiting colony stimulating factor-1

Effects of a Leadership Development Program on Gifted and Non-Gifted Students' Leadership Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogurlu, Üzeyir; Serap, Emir

2014-01-01

Problem Statement: The presence of leaders who will lead societies to success is an important gain for a society. In the present time, leadership development has become a strategic requirement. Although there is a common agreement on the need for leadership education, there are few studies on the education process of leadership and the efficacy of…

Teaching Appropriate Play to Replace Stereotypy Using a Treatment Package with Students Having Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenberg, Jeremy H.; Lau, Wendy; Lau, Sandy

2016-01-01

Students with special education needs such as autism tend to have difficulty with appropriate play skills and leisure time skills. A lack of play may lead to inappropriate behaviors such as stereotypy or passivity. When students have a limited community of reinforcers it may be difficult for educators to find motivators that can be used to teach…

The Role of Effective Partnerships in an Australian Place-Based Intervention to Reduce Race-Based Discrimination

PubMed Central

Paradies, Yin; Kelaher, Margaret Anne

2013-01-01

Localities Embracing and Accepting Diversity (LEAD) is an ongoing place-based pilot program aimed at improving health outcomes among Aboriginal and migrant communities through increased social and economic participation. Specifically, LEAD works with mainstream organizations to prevent race-based discrimination from occurring. The partnership model of LEAD was designed to create a community intervention that was evidence-based, effective, and flexible enough to respond to local contexts and needs. LEAD's complex organizational and partnership model, in combination with an innovative approach to reducing race-based discrimination, has necessitated the use of new language and communication strategies to build genuinely collaborative partnerships. Allocating sufficient time to develop strategies aligned with this new way of doing business has been critical. However, preliminary data indicate that a varied set of partners has been integral to supporting the widespread influence of the emerging LEAD findings across partner networks in a number of different sectors. PMID:24179280

SU-E-P-20: Personnel Lead Apparel Integrity Inspection: Where We Are and What We Need?

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

Smith, S; Zhang, J; Anaskevich, L

Purpose: In recent years, tremendous efforts have been devoted to radiation dose reduction, especially for patients who are directly exposed to primary radiation or receive radiopharmaceuticals. Limited efforts have been focused on those personnel who are exposed to secondary radiation while fulfilling their work responsibilities associated with diagnostic imaging and image-guided interventions. Occupational exposure is compounded in daily practice and can lead to a significant radiation dose over time. Personnel lead apparel is a well-accepted engineering control to protect healthcare workers when radiation is inevitable. The question is, do we have a nationally established program to protect personnel? This studymore » is to investigate the lead apparel inspection programs among the USA. Methods: A series of surveys of state regulations, the University Health System Consortium, and federal regulations and regulations determined by accrediting bodies were conducted. The surveys were used to determine the current status of lead apparel programs regarding integrity inspections. Based on the survey results, a thorough program was proposed accordingly. Results: Of 50 states, seventeen states and Washington D.C. require lead apparel integrity inspections within their state regulations. Eleven of these states specify that the inspection is required on an annual basis. Two of these states require lead apron integrity checks to be performed semi-annually. Eleven out of the two hundred academic medical centers surveyed responded. The results show that the method (visually vs. fluoroscopy) used to conduct lead apparel integrity checks differ greatly amongst healthcare organizations. The FDA, EPA, CRCPD and NCRP require lead apparel integrity checks. However, the level of policies is different. A standard program is not well established and clearly there is a lack of standardization. Conclusion: A program led by legislative (state or federal government) and with specific frequency, methods, tracking and criteria is needed to ensure the integrity of personnel lead apparel.« less

GP experiences of partner and external peer appraisal: a qualitative study.

PubMed

McKinstry, Brian; Peacock, Heather; Shaw, Johnstone

2005-07-01

Appraisal is being adopted both in the UK and internationally as a means of aiding personal development for family doctors. However, it is not clear by whom they should be appraised. To explore attitudes of GPs towards being appraised by externally appointed GP colleagues and by their own partners. Semi-structured interviews of GPs who had experienced both forms of appraisal. Lothian, Scotland. Sixty-six GPs agreed to take part in a study of partner (n = 46) and external (n = 20) peer-based appraisal. Six months later this group was followed up by questionnaire to determine views of the process, in order to obtain a purposeful sample of 13 GPs who were interviewed in depth. We uncovered concern and a need for clarity about the linkage of appraisal to revalidation. Interviewees felt that the potentially charged nature of appraisal could lead to collusion between appraiser and appraisee, which may lead to a superficial engagement. Similarly, lack of local knowledge of an appraisee potentially enabled a strategy of avoidance. GPs opting for partner appraisal were less likely to undergo appraisal due to lack of protected time. There are reported advantages and disadvantages to having an external peer or partner appraisal. The relationship between revalidation and appraisal needs to be clarified as this leads to collusion and avoidance strategies by both appraisers and appraisees. Good training is required to both recognise and address these strategies. Protected time is essential for effective appraisal.

Number needed to treat is incorrect without proper time-related considerations.

PubMed

Suissa, Daniel; Brassard, Paul; Smiechowski, Brielan; Suissa, Samy

2012-01-01

The number needed to treat (NNT) is a simple measure of a treatment's impact, increasingly reported in randomized trials and observational studies. Its calculation in studies involving varying follow-up times or recurrent outcomes has been criticized. We discuss the NNT in these contexts, illustrating using several published studies. The computation of the NNT is founded on the cumulative incidence of the outcome. Instead, several published studies use simple proportions that do not account for varying follow-up times, or use incidence rates per person-time. We show that these approaches can lead to erroneous values of the NNT and misleading interpretations. For example, after converting the incidence rate to a cumulative incidence, we show that a trial reporting a NNT of 4 "to prevent one exacerbation in 1 year" should have reported a NNT of 9. A survey of all papers reporting NNT, published in four major medical journals in 2009, found that 6 out of all 10 papers involving varying follow-up times did not correctly estimate the NNT. As the "number needed to treat" becomes increasingly used in complex studies and in the comparative effectiveness of therapies, its accurate estimation and interpretation become crucial to avoid erroneous clinical and public health decisions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Elastic, silk-cardiac extracellular matrix hydrogels exhibit time-dependent stiffening that modulates cardiac fibroblast response

PubMed Central

Stoppel, Whitney L.; Gao, Albert E.; Greaney, Allison M.; Partlow, Benjamin P.; Bretherton, Ross C.; Kaplan, David L.; Black, Lauren D.

2018-01-01

Heart failure is the leading cause of death in the United States and rapidly becoming the leading cause of death worldwide. While pharmacological treatments can reduce progression to heart failure following myocardial infarction, there still exists a need for new therapies that promote better healing post injury for a more functional cardiac repair and methods to understand how the changes to tissue mechanical properties influence cell phenotype and function following injury. To address this need, we have optimized a silk-based hydrogel platform containing cardiac tissue-derived extracellular matrix (cECM). These silk-cECM hydrogels have tunable mechanical properties, as well as rate-controllable hydrogel stiffening over time. In vitro, silk-cECM scaffolds led to enhanced cardiac fibroblast (CF) cell growth and viability with culture time. cECM incorporation improved expression of integrin an focal adhesion proteins, suggesting that CFs were able to interact with the cECM in the hydrogel. Subcutaneous injection of silk hydrogels in rats demonstrated that addition of the cECM led to endogenous cell infiltration and promoted endothelial cell ingrowth after 4 weeks in vivo. This naturally derived silk fibroin platform is applicable to the development of more physiologically relevant constructs that replicate healthy and diseased tissue in vitro and has the potential to be used as an injectable therapeutic for cardiac repair. PMID:27480328

Electronic prototyping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hopcroft, J.

1987-01-01

The potential benefits of automation in space are significant. The science base needed to support this automation not only will help control costs and reduce lead-time in the earth-based design and construction of space stations, but also will advance the nation's capability for computer design, simulation, testing, and debugging of sophisticated objects electronically. Progress in automation will require the ability to electronically represent, reason about, and manipulate objects. Discussed here is the development of representations, languages, editors, and model-driven simulation systems to support electronic prototyping. In particular, it identifies areas where basic research is needed before further progress can be made.

Weight Gain Prevention among Midlife Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial to Address Needs Related to the Physical and Social Environment.

PubMed

Perry, Courtney D; Degeneffe, Dennis; Davey, Cynthia; Kollannoor-Samuel, Grace; Reicks, Marla

2016-05-25

Women tend to gain weight at midlife (40-60 years) increasing risk of obesity-related chronic diseases. Within specific eating occasions, needs related to the physical and social environment may result in less healthy eating behavior, which can lead to weight gain over time. The purpose of this study was to determine if a dietitian-delivered nutrition counseling intervention tailored to eating occasion needs could improve diet and prevent weight gain among midlife women over two years. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with healthy midlife women (n = 354) in one U.S. metropolitan area. The intervention group (n = 185) received ten hours of individual nutrition counseling from dietitians over six months, while women in a control group (n = 169) received no counseling. Measured height, weight and waist circumference, and dietary intakes were collected at baseline and every six months over two years. Mixed linear models were used to test for intervention effect on change in outcome variables over time. Dietary intakes of fruit, reduced/low-fat dairy foods and refined grains were significantly improved over time in the intervention compared to control group. However, the intervention had no effect on weight over time (p = 0.48). Nutrition counseling tailored to address eating occasion needs improved self-reported diet but did not significantly affect weight change.

Potential effects of elevated base flow and midsummer spike flow experiments on riparian vegetation along the Green River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friedman, Jonathan M.

2018-01-01

needs of other riverine resources. Use of high flows to remove unwanted vegetation is constrained by current operational guidance for Flaming Gorge Dam, which attempts to limit spills (i.e., flows greater than 8600 ft3 /s) that might contribute to cavitation and lead to dam safety concerns. Therefore, reversing vegetation encroachment is more likely to succeed if implemented while plants are still small. Annual monitoring of near-channel vegetation and topography would enable managers to prescribe a timely hydrologic response in case the proposed flow experiments lead to vegetation encroachment and habitat degradation.

Improving Injury Prevention Through Health Information Technology

PubMed Central

Haegerich, Tamara M.; Sugerman, David E.; Annest, Joseph L.; Klevens, Joanne; Baldwin, Grant T.

2015-01-01

Health information technology is an emerging area of focus in clinical medicine with the potential to improve injury and violence prevention practice. With injuries being the leading cause of death for Americans aged 1–44 years, greater implementation of evidence-based preventive services, referral to community resources, and real-time surveillance of emerging threats is needed. Through a review of the literature and capturing of current practice in the field, this paper showcases how health information technology applied to injury and violence prevention can lead to strengthened clinical preventive services, more rigorous measurement of clinical outcomes, and improved injury surveillance, potentially resulting in health improvement. PMID:25441230

Impact of SCBA size and firefighting work cycle on firefighter functional balance.

PubMed

Kesler, Richard M; Deetjen, Grace S; Bradley, Faith F; Angelini, Michael J; Petrucci, Matthew N; Rosengren, Karl S; Horn, Gavin P; Hsiao-Wecksler, Elizabeth T

2018-05-01

Slips, trips and falls are leading causes of fireground injuries. A functional balance test (FBT) was used to investigate the effects of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) size and design, plus firefighting work cycle. During the FBT, subjects walked along a narrow platform and turned in defined spaces, with and without an overhead obstacle. Thirty firefighters wore three varying-sized standard SCBAs and a low-profile prototype SCBA during three simulated firefighting work/rest cycles. Firefighters were tested pre- and post-firefighting activity (one bout, two bouts with a 5-min break, or back-to-back bouts with no break). Subjects committed more errors and required longer completion times with larger SCBAs. Use of the prototype SCBA lead to lower times and fewer errors. Performing a second bout of firefighting increased completion time. Firefighters need to consider how SCBA and amount of physical activity on the fireground may influence balance in order to reduce the risk of injury. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Voice Biometrics as a Way to Self-service Password Reset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hohgräfe, Bernd; Jacobi, Sebastian

Password resets are time consuming. Especially when urgent jobs need to be done, it is cumbersome to inform the user helpdesk, to identify oneself and then to wait for response. It is easy to enter a wrong password multiple times, which leads to the blocking of the application. Voice biometrics is an easy and secure way for individuals to reset their own password. Read more about how you can ease the burden of your user helpdesk and how voice biometric password resets benefit your expense situation without harming your security.

A Phenomenological Study of Nurse Administrators: Leading the Multigenerational Workforce of Registered Nurses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Desir, Johanna E.

2017-01-01

Nurse shortages and nurse turnover are major issues in the health care industry. As 4 generations of nurses are working side-by-side for the first time in history in the health care industry, nurse leaders need to understand the generational differences in order to bridge the gap on retaining the nurses in the workforce. The primary focus of this…

Factors Contributing to the Educational Success of Single-Mother Welfare Recipients at an Urban Southwestern Community College Case Studies of Six Success Stories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faul, Rhonda

2012-01-01

This study gave voice to the issues, needs, and concerns of economically disadvantaged single mothers and determined the motivational and institutional factors that helped lead them to their successful completion of a community college degree or certificate program while at the same time coping with the challenges of financially surviving on…

Private Industry Support to Defense Needs.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-04-19

especially private industry, must fully understand that defense procurement is changing drastically and it will no longer be looking for all its...products on the leading edge of technology. The price in time and money dictates this changed procure - ment strategy immediately. Private industry would...A process to stablize procurements and breakdown the barriers that are stopping new firms from entering into defense business; private industry

Achieving a Greater Impact: Developing the Skills of Teaching Artists to Lead Professional Development for Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duma, Amy L.; Silverstein, Lynne B.

2008-01-01

Teaching artists know that there are many more students who could benefit from learning in and through the arts, but school budgets as well as teaching artists' time and energy are limited. As years pass, teaching artists face the reality that they will reach only a fraction of the students in need. To extend their impact dramatically, some…

Cellular Therapy to Obtain Rapid Endochondral Bone Formation

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

biological information and involves the development of a novel biomaterial that can safely house the cells expressing the bone inductive factor to... produce the new bone at which time the material is then selectively eliminated. Ultimately this system has significant applicability. Often bone graft must...hypothesis will provide a safe and efficacious material for the production of bone leading to reliable fracture healing, circumventing the need for

Nurses "Fit for Purpose": Using a Task-Centred Group to Help Students Learn from Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Platt, Chris

2002-01-01

In a time of high demand for qualified nurses, mass education has become the norm. This is a necessary constraint within which we have to learn to function. However, the need to educate large numbers of nurses may lead to a one-sided unimaginative reliance on the traditional lecture method, creating a learning environment that inadvertently limits…

Economic Analysis of Waterfront Area Services at Naval Station, Long Beach

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-06-01

the Gradall for waterfront area services, would result in improved responsiveness and timely service. Customer satisfaction and overall customer ...overall cost. Hence, both quality and efficiency will improve leading to greater customer satisfaction . 58 VII. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION RECOMMENDATION 1...prompting the need for improved efficiency. To ensure adequate future support can be provided to its customers , Naval Station Long Beach (Navsta) is

In vitro comparison of nitroethane, 2-nitro-1-propanol, lauric acid, Lauricidin(R), and the Hawaiian marine algae, Chaetoceros, activity against anaerobically grown Staphylococcus aureus

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Mastitis is a common illness of dairy cattle and is very costly, economically, to the dairy farmer. Thus, there is a need to develop broad-spectrum therapies that are effective while not leading to unacceptably long antibiotic withdrawal times. The effects of the CH4-inhibitors nitroethane (2 mg/m...

Traveltime and longitudinal dispersion in Illinois streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graf, J.B.

1984-01-01

Twenty-seven measurements of traveltime and longitudinal dispersion in 10 Illinois streams provide data needed for estimating traveltime of peak concentration of a conservative solute, traveltime of the leading edge of a solute cloud, peak concentration resulting from a given quantity of solute, and passage time of solute past a given point on a stream for both measured and unmeasured streams. Traveltime of peak concentration and of the leading edge of the cloud are related to discharge at the downstream end of the reach, distance of travel, and the fraction of the time that discharge at a given location on the stream is equaled or exceeded. Peak concentration and passage time are best estimated from the relation of each to traveltime. In measured streams, dispersion efficiency is greater than that predicted by Fickian diffusion theory. The rate of decrease in peak concentration with traveltime is about equal to the rate of increase in passage time. Average velocity in a stream reach, given by the velocity of the center of solute mass in that reach, also can be estimated from an equation developed from measured values. (USGS)

77 FR 61014 - Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-05

...; asbestos & lead present; restricted area; contact AF for info. on accessibility/removal reqs. 38 Buildings.../renovations needed; asbestos & lead present; restricted area; contact AF for info. on accessibility/removal...; military housing; minor repairs/renovations needed; asbestos & lead present; restricted area; contact AF...

Factors in the intestinal absorption of oral cholecystopaques.

PubMed

Amberg, J R; Thompson, W M; Golberger, L; Williamson, S; Alexander, R; Bates, M

1980-01-01

Interest in the pharmacokinetics of cholecystopaques initially centered on transport from blood to bile. The data obtained in this effort have been valuable and have shown that the maximal iodine concentration achievable in the bile is quite similar for all of the currently available compounds. This concentration is, of course, dose dependent. the transport of contrast material from the bowel to the blood has been shown to be quite variable. Considerable progress was made in understanding this. The tremendous differences in absorption of iopanoic acid depending upon the pH of the administered solution was an initial revelation. The development of the concept that there is a water layer through which the cholecystopaque must pass before reaching the lipid membrane of the intestinal cell has added clarity to understanding the difference in absorption between water-soluble and water-insoluble cholecystopaques. A complete knowledge of what might enhance or inhibit absorption is not known. There is beginning to be an understanding of how intestinal dose relates to plasma levels. This should lead to an optimal dose-timing scheme for each cholecystopaque. The basic assumption is that the highest iodine concentration in the gallbladder leads to the most accurate cholecystography. If this is true, the gallbladder needs to be offered bile at the maximum concentrations during the period preceding filming. To accomplish this, the appropriate plasma level necessary for maximum excretion is needed. Experimental data suggest that our current clinical methods in regard to dose and dose timing need revision to optimize cholecystography. This revision needs to take place with a careful look at toxicity. Accepting the present premise that oral cholecystography can be improved, perhaps without a significant increase in morbidity, a fundamental question to be asked is: is it worth it?

Lead concentrations in bullfrog Rana catesbeiana and green frog R. clamitans tadpoles inhabiting highway drainages

USGS Publications Warehouse

Birdsall, C.W.; Grue, C.E.; Anderson, A.

1986-01-01

Lead concentrations were determined in sediment and tadpoles of bullfrogs Rana catesbeiana and green frogs R. clamitans from drainages along highways with different daily average traffic volumes (range, 4272 to I08,800 vehicles day-I) and from ponds >0.4 km from the nearest highway. Lead concentrations (mg kg--I dry weight) in sediment (7-8 to 940) were usually greater (4-5 times) than those in the tadpoles (bullfrog, 0,07 to 270; green frog, 0,90 to 240 mg kg-I). Lead concentrations in sediment (r =0.63) and in both species of tadpoles (bullfrog, r = 0.69; green frog, r = 0.57) were positively correlated with average daily traffic volume. Lead concentrations in both species of tadpoles (bullfrog, r = (). 76: green frog, r = 0.75) were also positively correlated with lead concentrations in sediment. At sites where both bullfrog and green frog tadpoles were collected. lead concentrations in the two species were closely related (r = 0.84). Lead concentrations in tadpoles living near highways may contribute to the elevated lead levels reported in wildlife that are potential tadpole predators. Dietary lead concentrations similar to those in our tadpoles have been associated with physiological and reproductive effects in some species of birds and mammals. However, additional data are needed to determine the hazards to predators of lead concentrations in tadpoles.

Automotive Lightweight Materials: the Roles of Nde in Bringing New Materials Into Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dasch, Cameron J.

2008-02-01

The automotive industry is in the midst of a time of tremendous change. There is an almost perfect storm of changing governmental and market requirements seeking much higher fuel economy, low or no carbon dioxide emissions, and much higher crash and safety performance. Moreover, this occurs in a globe-spanning market that has more low-cost manufacturers than ever before. This confluence of factors leads to new vehicles with many new types of powertrains having unprecedented power densities and highly-engineered body structures with many new materials and joining methods. These are being turned out with shorter lead times, higher quality requirements, and continuous cost pressures. This talk will review the role in NDE in bringing new materials and processes to market, some of the applications in production, and to highlight some of the current NDE needs driven by these forces on the automotive industry.

Using timed event sequential data in nursing research.

PubMed

Pecanac, Kristen E; Doherty-King, Barbara; Yoon, Ju Young; Brown, Roger; Schiefelbein, Tony

2015-01-01

Measuring behavior is important in nursing research, and innovative technologies are needed to capture the "real-life" complexity of behaviors and events. The purpose of this article is to describe the use of timed event sequential data in nursing research and to demonstrate the use of this data in a research study. Timed event sequencing allows the researcher to capture the frequency, duration, and sequence of behaviors as they occur in an observation period and to link the behaviors to contextual details. Timed event sequential data can easily be collected with handheld computers, loaded with a software program designed for capturing observations in real time. Timed event sequential data add considerable strength to analysis of any nursing behavior of interest, which can enhance understanding and lead to improvement in nursing practice.

A report on the Oregon Experiment: A grassroots approach to meaningful public involvement

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

Blazek, M.L.; Dunning, D.A.; Gentry, R.

In September and October 1995, the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) and the Oregon Hanford Waste Board (the Board) carried out an ambitious public involvement process. They set out to explore new ways to better involve the public in technical issues involving the US Department of Energy (USDOE). They selected the draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Storage and Disposition of Weapons-Usable Fissile Materials as the subject for the public involvement effort. They selected this EIS because of its high degree of technical complexity, its potential for impacting Hanford cleanup and Oregon, its broad reach of issues involvingmore » all USDOE sites and the long lead time it allowed for preparation. The traditional process used by USDOE for public involvement seldom allows external agencies sufficient lead time to develop good public involvement processes. For this EIS, USDOE began the public involvement process very early in the development of the EIS, which allowed them the lead time they needed. ODOE and the Board have a great deal of experience in working with the public on a wide range of nuclear issues. This project was larger and more complex than anything they had attempted before. They used several different forums and a common format. The public response was very positive and encouraging.« less

Models of Wake-Vortex Spreading Mechanisms and Their Estimated Uncertainties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rossow, Vernon J.; Hardy, Gordon H.; Meyn, Larry A.

2006-01-01

One of the primary constraints on the capacity of the nation's air transportation system is the landing capacity at its busiest airports. Many airports with nearly-simultaneous operations on closely-spaced parallel runways (i.e., as close as 750 ft (246m)) suffer a severe decrease in runway acceptance rate when weather conditions do not allow full utilization. The objective of a research program at NASA Ames Research Center is to develop the technologies needed for traffic management in the airport environment so that operations now allowed on closely-spaced parallel runways under Visual Meteorological Conditions can also be carried out under Instrument Meteorological Conditions. As part of this overall research objective, the study reported here has developed improved models for the various aerodynamic mechanisms that spread and transport wake vortices. The purpose of the study is to continue the development of relationships that increase the accuracy of estimates for the along-trail separation distances available before the vortex wake of a leading aircraft intrudes into the airspace of a following aircraft. Details of the models used and their uncertainties are presented in the appendices to the paper. Suggestions are made as to the theoretical and experimental research needed to increase the accuracy of and confidence level in the models presented and instrumentation required or more precise estimates of the motion and spread of vortex wakes. The improved wake models indicate that, if the following aircraft is upwind of the leading aircraft, the vortex wakes of the leading aircraft will not intrude into the airspace of the following aircraft for about 7s (based on pessimistic assumptions) for most atmospheric conditions. The wake-spreading models also indicate that longer time intervals before wake intrusion are available when atmospheric turbulence levels are mild or moderate. However, if the estimates for those time intervals are to be reliable, further study is necessary to develop the instrumentation and procedures needed to accurately define when the more benign atmospheric conditions exist.

Computational Tracking of Mental Health in Youth: Latin American Contributions to a Low-Cost and Effective Solution for Early Psychiatric Diagnosis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mota, Natália Bezerra; Copelli, Mauro; Ribeiro, Sidarta

2016-01-01

The early onset of mental disorders can lead to serious cognitive damage, and timely interventions are needed in order to prevent them. In patients of low socioeconomic status, as is common in Latin America, it can be hard to identify children at risk. Here, we briefly introduce the problem by reviewing the scarce epidemiological data from Latin…

Joint Force Quarterly. Issue 55, 4th Quarter 2009

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources , gathering and maintaining the data needed...to critique systems theory from some of its source documents, he could have accessed the many works of scientists and philosophers such as Russell...numerous sources , including writings of some leading systems theorists. It is simply false to claim, as Professor Czarnecki does (and many systems

An Analysis of the Marine Corps Selection Process: Does Increased Competition Lead to Increased Quality

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-01

collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources...gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or...any other aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate

Vascular surgery trainees still need to learn how to sew: importance of learning surgical techniques in the era of endovascular surgery.

PubMed

Aziz, Faisal

2015-01-01

Vascular surgery represents one of the most rapidly evolving specialties in the field of surgery. It was merely 100 years ago when Dr. Alexis Carrel described vascular anastomosis. Over the course of next several decades, vascular surgeons distinguished themselves from general surgeons by horning the techniques of vascular surgery operations. In the era of minimally invasive interventions, the number of endovascular interventions performed by vascular surgeons has increased exponentially. Vascular surgery trainees in the current times spend considerable time in mastering the techniques of endovascular operations. Unfortunately, the reduction in number of open surgical operations has lead to concerns in regards to adequacy of learning open surgical techniques. In future, majority of vascular interventions will be done with minimally invasive techniques. Combination of poor training in open operations and increasing complexity of open surgical operations may lead to poor surgical outcomes. It is the need of the hour for vascular surgery trainees to realize the importance of learning and mastering open surgical techniques. One of the most distinguishing features of contemporary vascular surgeons is their ability to perform both endovascular and open vascular surgery operations, and we should strive to maintain our excellence in both of these arenas.

News Education: Physics Education Networks meeting has global scale Competition: Competition seeks the next Brian Cox Experiment: New measurement of neutrino time-of-flight consistent with the speed of light Event: A day for all those who teach physics Conference: Students attend first Anglo-Japanese international science conference Celebration: Will 2015 be the 'Year of Light'? Teachers: Challenging our intuition in spectacular fashion: the fascinating world of quantum physics awaits Research: Science sharpens up sport Learning: Kittinger and Baumgartner: on a mission to the edge of space International: London International Youth Science Forum calls for leading young scientists Competition: Physics paralympian challenge needs inquisitive, analytical, artistic and eloquent pupils Forthcoming events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2012-05-01

Education: Physics Education Networks meeting has global scale Competition: Competition seeks the next Brian Cox Experiment: New measurement of neutrino time-of-flight consistent with the speed of light Event: A day for all those who teach physics Conference: Students attend first Anglo-Japanese international science conference Celebration: Will 2015 be the 'Year of Light'? Teachers: Challenging our intuition in spectacular fashion: the fascinating world of quantum physics awaits Research: Science sharpens up sport Learning: Kittinger and Baumgartner: on a mission to the edge of space International: London International Youth Science Forum calls for leading young scientists Competition: Physics paralympian challenge needs inquisitive, analytical, artistic and eloquent pupils Forthcoming events

Percutaneous pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead removal in an attempt to improve symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation.

PubMed

Nazmul, Mohammed N; Cha, Yong-Mei; Lin, Grace; Asirvatham, Samuel J; Powell, Brian D

2013-03-01

Pacemaker and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) leads can cause tricuspid valve regurgitation (TR). Few data are available on the best management of significant TR that develops after pacemaker or ICD implantation and regarding any benefits of right ventricular (RV) lead extraction. We sought to determine the impact of RV lead removal on lead-induced TR. We reviewed all patients between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2010 at the tertiary care hospital who had a preoperative indication of TR and underwent percutaneous extraction of an RV lead with the intent of trying to correct moderate or severe TR. Pre- and post-procedure echoes and clinical data were retrospectively reviewed. In the four patients identified, the RV lead was removed and placed in the coronary sinus to try to improve moderate or severe TR due to lead impingement. There was no significant improvement in the degree of TR except one patient where TR improved slightly from moderate to mild-moderate. All patients had a dilated tricuspid valve annulus by the time of lead extraction. Tricuspid annulus dilatation appeared to account for the persistent TR after RV lead removal. A greater degree of tricuspid valve annulus dilatation may be a marker and mechanism for irreversible lead-induced TR. Further studies are needed to determine whether surgical tricuspid valve repair or replacement combined with RV lead extraction would result in better outcomes than a percutaneous lead extraction approach.

Shuttle Wing Leading Edge Root Cause NDE Team Findings and Implementation of Quantitative Flash Infrared Thermography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burke, Eric R.

2009-01-01

Comparison metrics can be established to reliably and repeatedly establish the health of the joggle region of the Orbiter Wing Leading Edge reinforced carbon carbon (RCC) panels. Using these metrics can greatly reduced the man hours needed to perform, wing leading edge scanning for service induced damage. These time savings have allowed for more thorough inspections to be preformed in the necessary areas with out affecting orbiter flow schedule. Using specialized local inspections allows for a larger margin of safety by allowing for more complete characterizations of panel defects. The presence of the t-seal during thermographic inspection can have adverse masking affects on ability properly characterize defects that exist in the joggle region of the RCC panels. This masking affect dictates the final specialized inspection should be preformed with the t-seal removed. Removal of the t-seal and use of the higher magnification optics has lead to the most effective and repeatable inspection method for characterizing and tracking defects in the wing leading edge. Through this study some inadequacies in the main health monitoring system for the orbiter wing leading edge have been identified and corrected. The use of metrics and local specialized inspection have lead to a greatly increased reliability and repeatable inspection of the shuttle wing leading edge.

Improving real-time inflow forecasting into hydropower reservoirs through a complementary modelling framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gragne, A. S.; Sharma, A.; Mehrotra, R.; Alfredsen, K.

2015-08-01

Accuracy of reservoir inflow forecasts is instrumental for maximizing the value of water resources and benefits gained through hydropower generation. Improving hourly reservoir inflow forecasts over a 24 h lead time is considered within the day-ahead (Elspot) market of the Nordic exchange market. A complementary modelling framework presents an approach for improving real-time forecasting without needing to modify the pre-existing forecasting model, but instead formulating an independent additive or complementary model that captures the structure the existing operational model may be missing. We present here the application of this principle for issuing improved hourly inflow forecasts into hydropower reservoirs over extended lead times, and the parameter estimation procedure reformulated to deal with bias, persistence and heteroscedasticity. The procedure presented comprises an error model added on top of an unalterable constant parameter conceptual model. This procedure is applied in the 207 km2 Krinsvatn catchment in central Norway. The structure of the error model is established based on attributes of the residual time series from the conceptual model. Besides improving forecast skills of operational models, the approach estimates the uncertainty in the complementary model structure and produces probabilistic inflow forecasts that entrain suitable information for reducing uncertainty in the decision-making processes in hydropower systems operation. Deterministic and probabilistic evaluations revealed an overall significant improvement in forecast accuracy for lead times up to 17 h. Evaluation of the percentage of observations bracketed in the forecasted 95 % confidence interval indicated that the degree of success in containing 95 % of the observations varies across seasons and hydrologic years.

Enabling Broadband as Commodity within Access Networks: A QoS Recipe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Areizaga, Enrique; Foglar, Andreas; Elizondo, Antonio J.; Geilhardt, Frank

This paper describes the QoS features that will transform the access networks landscape in order to bring “Broadband” as a commodity while setting up the pillars of the “Future Media Internet”. Quality of Experience is obviously key for emerging and future services. Broadcasting services will first need to equal the QoE of their counterparts in the Open-air market (for IP-TV examples would be artifact-free, no picture freezing, fast zapping times) and offer new features often using interactivity (Time-shifted TV, access to more content, 3DTV with feeling of presence). The huge variety of communications alternatives will lead to different requirements per customer, whose needs will also be dependent on parameters like where the connection is made, the time of the day/day of the week/period of the year or even his/her mood. Today’s networks, designed for providing just Broadband connectivity, will not be enough to satisfy customer’s needs and will necessarily support the introduction of new and innovative services. The Networks of the future should learn from the way the users are communicating, what services they are using, where, when, and how, and adapt accordingly.

The effect of lead-based paint hazard remediation on blood lead levels of lead poisoned children in New York City.

PubMed

Leighton, Jessica; Klitzman, Susan; Sedlar, Slavenka; Matte, Thomas; Cohen, Neal L

2003-07-01

Despite the widespread use of lead paint hazard control for children with lead poisoning, few controlled studies that estimate the effect of such control on children's blood lead levels have been published. This retrospective follow-up study examined the effects of lead hazard remediation and its timing on the blood lead levels of lead-poisoned children. From the New York City child blood lead registry, 221 children were selected who had an initial blood lead level of 20-44 micro g/dL between 1 July 1994 and 31 December 1996; were 6 months to 6 years of age; had a report of a follow-up blood lead test between 10 and 14 months after the initial test; had a lead-based paint hazard identified in the primary dwelling unit prior to the 10- to 14-month follow-up blood lead test; had resided or spent time at only one address with an identified lead-based paint hazard; and were not chelated. The decline in geometric mean blood lead levels from baseline to 10-14 months later was compared for children whose homes were remediated and whose homes were not remediated during the follow-up period. Regardless of remediation, geometric mean blood lead levels declined significantly from 24.3 micro g/dL at the initial diagnosis to 12.3 micro g/dL at the 10- to 14-month follow-up blood lead test (P<0.01). Among the 146 children whose homes were remediated the geometric mean blood lead levels declined 53% compared to 41% among the 75 children whose homes were not remediated by the follow-up blood lead test, a remediation effect of approximately 20% (P<0.01). After adjusting for potential confounders, the remediation effect was 11%, although it was no longer significant. Race was the only factor that appeared to confound the relationship: Black children had higher follow-up blood lead levels even after controlling for other factors, including the natural logarithm of the initial blood lead level. The effect of remediation appeared to be stronger for younger (10 to <36 months old) than for older (36 to 72 months old) children (P=0.06). While children in homes with earlier remediation (within less than 3 months) appeared to have greater declines in blood lead levels at the follow-up test than children in homes with later remediation (after 3 or more months), this trend was not significant when controlling for confounding factors. The findings of this study suggest that early identification of lead-poisoned children and timely investigation and abatement of hazards contribute to reducing blood lead levels. However, the apparent effect is modest and further research is needed to systematically test and improve the effectiveness of lead hazard controls.

FPGA cluster for high-performance AO real-time control system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geng, Deli; Goodsell, Stephen J.; Basden, Alastair G.; Dipper, Nigel A.; Myers, Richard M.; Saunter, Chris D.

2006-06-01

Whilst the high throughput and low latency requirements for the next generation AO real-time control systems have posed a significant challenge to von Neumann architecture processor systems, the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) has emerged as a long term solution with high performance on throughput and excellent predictability on latency. Moreover, FPGA devices have highly capable programmable interfacing, which lead to more highly integrated system. Nevertheless, a single FPGA is still not enough: multiple FPGA devices need to be clustered to perform the required subaperture processing and the reconstruction computation. In an AO real-time control system, the memory bandwidth is often the bottleneck of the system, simply because a vast amount of supporting data, e.g. pixel calibration maps and the reconstruction matrix, need to be accessed within a short period. The cluster, as a general computing architecture, has excellent scalability in processing throughput, memory bandwidth, memory capacity, and communication bandwidth. Problems, such as task distribution, node communication, system verification, are discussed.

Effective Leadership in the 21st Century.

PubMed

Jones, Jacqueline

2015-01-01

Leaders know how to achieve goals and inspire people along the way. While the terms and definitions may change with the times, it is important to understand the skills and abilities needed to lead in the 21st century. Most effective leaders have one element in common, and that is they are able to keep their teams engaged. If team members are not engaged, they may very well leave the organization. With four generations in the workplace, leaders must adapt and modify their leadership style in order to maintain employee engagement. The ability to lead effectively is based on a number of skills, including communication, motivation, vision, modeling, demonstrating empathy, confidence, persistence, and integrity.

Beyond using composite measures to analyze the effect of unmet supportive care needs on caregivers' anxiety and depression.

PubMed

Lambert, Sylvie D; Hulbert-Williams, Nicholas; Belzile, Eric; Ciampi, Antonio; Girgis, Afaf

2018-06-01

Caregiver research has relied on composite measures (eg, count) of unmet supportive care needs to determine relationships with anxiety and depression. Such composite measures assume that all unmet needs have a similar impact on outcomes. The purpose of this study is to identify individual unmet needs most associated with caregivers' anxiety and depression. Two hundred nineteen caregivers completed the 44-item Supportive Care Needs Survey and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (minimal clinically important difference = 1.5) at 6 to 8 months and 1, 2, 3.5, and 5 years following the patients' cancer diagnosis. The list of needs was reduced using partial least square regression, and those with a variance importance in projection >1 were analyzed using Bayesian model averaging. Across time, 8 items remained in the top 10 based on prevalence and were labelled "core." Three additional ones were labelled "frequent," as they remained in the top 10 from 1 year onwards. Bayesian model averaging identified a maximum of 3 significant unmet needs per time point-all leading to a difference greater than the minimal clinically important difference. For depression, none of the core unmet needs were significant, rather significance was noted for frequent needs and needs that were not prevalent. For anxiety, 3/8 core and 3/3 frequent unmet needs were significant. Those unmet needs that are most prevalent are not necessarily the most significant ones, and findings provide an evidence-based framework to guide the development of caregiver interventions. A broader contribution is proposing a different approach to identify significant unmet needs. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Access to hospitals in the wake of terrorism: challenges and needs for maintaining public confidence.

PubMed

May, Thomas; Aulisio, Mark P

2006-01-01

The problem of surge capacity in the wake of a terror-related emergency has lead to a number of interesting proposals designed to mitigate the effects of crowds as well as deficiencies in patient care capacities. The most controversial of these is a proposal to close hospital doors in the wake of a mass casualty terror event. However, several specific challenges posed by mass casualty events make closing hospitals doors undesirable. These include the need for efficient movement of resources, maintenance of social order, and providing the moral reassurance needed by the general public in times of crisis. Importantly, these challenges are related to features of terrorist events that distinguish such events from circumstances of "normal" surge that might result in, for example, closure of emergency rooms.

Shot Ingestion by Wintering Female Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) in the Texas Coastal Plain, 2012-14.

PubMed

Huck, Nathaniel R; Ballard, Bart M; Fedynich, Alan M; Kraai, Kevin J; Castro, Mauro E

2016-01-01

Historically, lead poisoning through lead shot ingestion was one of the largest health issues affecting waterfowl in North America. Lead shot was banned for use in waterfowl hunting in the US in 1991 and was banned in Canada in 1997. However, biologists need to understand how, and if, lead shot remaining in the environment will continue to impact waterfowl. Our goal was to estimate lead and nontoxic shot consumption by female Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) wintering along the Texas coast. We found shot or metal fragments (or both) in the gizzards of 39 (17%) of 227 female Northern Pintails collected along the Texas coast. Of these, lead shot was found in seven gizzards, steel shot was found in 24 gizzards, and other metal and fragments were found in 20 gizzards. Some females consumed multiple shot types. Overall, shot (lead and nontoxic combined) ingestion rates were similar to those found prior to the lead shot ban in Texas (14%) and Louisiana (17%); however, lead shot ingestion rates were considerably lower, suggesting that it is becoming less available over time. All Northern Pintails that had lead shot in their gizzards were collected from coastal habitats. While it seems that lead shot ingestion by Northern Pintails has decreased since the ban was put in place, monitoring lead shot ingestion rates from different regions will provide insight into its availability in different habitats and under various environmental conditions.

Physicians' perceptions of physician-nurse interactions and information needs in China.

PubMed

Wen, Dong; Guan, Pengcheng; Zhang, Xingting; Lei, Jianbo

2018-01-01

Good communication between physicians and nurses is important for the understanding of disease status and treatment feedback; however, certain issues in Chinese hospitals could lead to suboptimal physician-nurse communication in clinical work. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants. Questionnaires were sent to clinical physicians in three top tertiary Grade-A teaching hospitals in China and six hundred and seventeen physicians participated in the survey. (1) Common physician-nurse interactions were shift-change reports and provisional reports when needed, and interactions expected by physicians included face-to-face reports and communication via a phone or mobile device. (2) Most respondents believed that the need for information in physician-nurse interactions was high, information was moderately accurate and timely, and feedback regarding interaction time and satisfaction indicated that they were only average and required improvement. (3) Information needs in physician-nurse interactions differed significantly according to hospital category, role, workplace, and educational background (p < .05). There was a considerable need for information within physician-nurse interactions, and the level of satisfaction with the information obtained was average; requirements for the improvement of communication differed between physicians and nurses because of differences in their characteristics. Currently, the use of information technology in physician-nurse communication was less common but was highly expected by physicians.

[What women want: a qualitative study about postnatal midwifery care at home].

PubMed

Blöchlinger, Patricia; Kurth, Elisabeth; Kammerer, Martin; Frei, Irena Anna

2014-04-01

In Switzerland, decreases in regular hospital treatment after birth are leading increasingly to mother and child being cared for at home by independent midwives. The research herein was carried out in order to understand the needs of mothers in their home once they leave the hospital and what this midwife provided care consists of. In 2008, eight women from central Switzerland were interviewed on two separate occasions after the birth of their child, and the interviews were analysed using content analysing techniques. Mothers explained that they wanted their baby and themselves to be well cared for. They needed rest and support for recuperation and wished to spend quality time with their new family. The midwifes assisted the mothers to fulfil their needs by counselling, by instructing and by giving information, but they rarely encouraged them to be together as a family. The relationship between midwife and mother turned out to be an important support. Mothers were satisfied if mutual trust was built and if the midwife perceived their needs, respected their autonomy and took the time to be with them. Midwives contribute to the basic well-being of families and support women with medical expertise and ongoing care. Furthermore families need support in general household issues so that new mothers can recover sufficiently.

A simple technique of laparoscopic port closure allowing wound extension.

PubMed

Christey, G R; Poole, G

2002-04-01

Reliable and safe access to the abdominal cavity and efficient removal of the resected gallbladder are essential to laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The unpredictable size of the cholecystectomy specimen can sometimes lead to frustration at the time of removal. A simple technique has been developed that allows for tissue extraction and easy fascial closure regardless of the size of the specimen. This is achieved by using a four bite "U-shaped" purse string at the time of Hasson insertion, with cephalad advancement of the proximal two bites. This allows for variable wound extension and secure closure, without the need for additional sutures.

Road map to adaptive optimal control. [jet engine control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boyer, R.

1980-01-01

A building block control structure leading toward adaptive, optimal control for jet engines is developed. This approach simplifies the addition of new features and allows for easier checkout of the control by providing a baseline system for comparison. Also, it is possible to eliminate certain features that do not have payoff by being selective in the addition of new building blocks to be added to the baseline system. The minimum risk approach specifically addresses the need for active identification of the plant to be controlled in real time and real time optimization of the control for the identified plant.

Cosmological BCS mechanism and the big bang singularity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, Stephon; Biswas, Tirthabir

2009-07-01

We provide a novel mechanism that resolves the big bang singularity present in Friedman-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker space-times without the need for ghost fields. Building on the fact that a four-fermion interaction arises in general relativity when fermions are covariantly coupled, we show that at early times the decrease in scale factor enhances the correlation between pairs of fermions. This enhancement leads to a BCS-like condensation of the fermions and opens a gap dynamically driving the Hubble parameter H to zero and results in a nonsingular bounce, at least in some special cases.

High-Need Schools in Australia: The Leadership of Two Principals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gurr, David; Drysdale, Lawrie; Clarke, Simon; Wildy, Helen

2014-01-01

In this article, we report on our initial work with the International School Leadership Development Network. In doing so, we present two cases of principals leading high-need schools, and conclude with some key observations in relation to what is distinctive about leading these schools. The first case features a principal leading a suburban school…

Human resources needed to perform antimicrobial stewardship teams' activities in French hospitals.

PubMed

Le Coz, P; Carlet, J; Roblot, F; Pulcini, C

2016-06-01

In January 2015, the French ministry of Health set up a task force on antibiotic resistance. Members of the task force's "antimicrobial stewardship" group conducted a study to evaluate the human resources needed to implement all the required activities of the multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship teams (AST - antibiotic/infectious disease lead supervisors, microbiologists, and pharmacists) in French healthcare facilities. We conducted an online cross-sectional nationwide survey. The questionnaire was designed based on regulatory texts and experts' consensus. The survey took place between March and May 2015. We used the mailing list of the French Infectious Diseases Society (SPILF) to send out questionnaires. A total of 65 healthcare facilities completed the questionnaire. The human resources needed to implement all AST's activities were estimated at 3.6 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions/1000 acute care beds for antibiotic/infectious disease lead supervisors, at 2.5 FTE/1000 beds for pharmacists, and at 0.6 FTE/1000 beds for microbiologists. This almost amounts to a total of 2000 FTE positions for all healthcare facilities (public and private) in France and to an annual cost of 200 million euros. Dedicated and sustainable funding for AST is urgently needed to implement comprehensive and functional AST programs in all healthcare facilities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Some Strategic Considerations Related to the Potential Use of Water Resource Deposits on Mars by Future Human Explorers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beaty, D.W.; Mueller, R.P.; Bussey, D.B.; Davis, R.M.; Hays, L.E.; Hoffman, S.J.

2016-01-01

A long-term base on Mars, at the center of an "Exploration Zone", would require substantial quantities of in-situ resources. Although water is not the only resource on Mars of potential interest, it stands out as the one that most dominates long-lead strategic planning. It is needed for multiple purposes for various human activities (including our own survival!), and in significant quantities. The absence of viable deposits could make a surface "field station" logistically unsustainable. Therefore, identification of deposits, and development of the technology needed to make use of these deposits, are an important priority in the period leading up to a human mission to Mars. Given our present understanding of Mars, ice and hydrated minerals appear to be the best potential sources for the quantity of water expected to be needed. The methods for their extraction would be different for these two classes of deposits, and at the present time it is unknown which would ultimately be an optimal solution. The deposits themselves would also ultimately have to be judged by certain economics that take into account information about geologic and engineering attributes and the "cost" of obtaining this information. Ultimately much of this information would need to come from precursor missions, which would be essential if utilization of martian is situ water resources is to become a part of human exploration of Mars.

Financial Time-series Analysis: a Brief Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborti, A.; Patriarca, M.; Santhanam, M. S.

Prices of commodities or assets produce what is called time-series. Different kinds of financial time-series have been recorded and studied for decades. Nowadays, all transactions on a financial market are recorded, leading to a huge amount of data available, either for free in the Internet or commercially. Financial time-series analysis is of great interest to practitioners as well as to theoreticians, for making inferences and predictions. Furthermore, the stochastic uncertainties inherent in financial time-series and the theory needed to deal with them make the subject especially interesting not only to economists, but also to statisticians and physicists [1]. While it would be a formidable task to make an exhaustive review on the topic, with this review we try to give a flavor of some of its aspects.

The lead time tradeoff: the case of health states better than dead.

PubMed

Pinto-Prades, José Luis; Rodríguez-Míguez, Eva

2015-04-01

Lead time tradeoff (L-TTO) is a variant of the time tradeoff (TTO). L-TTO introduces a lead period in full health before illness onset, avoiding the need to use 2 different procedures for states better and worse than dead. To estimate utilities, additive separability is assumed. We tested to what extent violations of this assumption can bias utilities estimated with L-TTO. A sample of 500 members of the Spanish general population evaluated 24 health states, using face-to-face interviews. A total of 188 subjects were interviewed with L-TTO and the rest with TTO. Both samples evaluated the same set of 24 health states, divided into 4 groups with 6 health states per set. Each subject evaluated 1 of the sets. A random effects regression model was fitted to our data. Only health states better than dead were included in the regression since it is in this subset where additive separability can be tested clearly. Utilities were higher in L-TTO in relation to TTO (on average L-TTO adds about 0.2 points to the utility of health states), suggesting that additive separability is violated. The difference between methods increased with the severity of the health state. Thus, L-TTO adds about 0.14 points to the average utility of the less severe states, 0.23 to the intermediate states, and 0.28 points to the more severe estates. L-TTO produced higher utilities than TTO. Health problems are perceived as less severe if a lead period in full health is added upfront, implying that there are interactions between disjointed time periods. The advantages of this method have to be compared with the cost of modeling the interaction between periods. © The Author(s) 2014.

A systematic approach to evaluating public health training: the obesity prevention in public health course.

PubMed

Mainor, Avia; Leeman, Jennifer; Sommers, Janice; Heiser, Claire; Gonzales, Cecilia; Farris, Rosanne P; Ammerman, Alice

2014-01-01

Public health practitioners require new knowledge and skills to address the multilevel factors contributing to obesity. This article presents the systematic approach the Center of Excellence for Training and Research Translation (Center TRT) used both to assess practitioners' competencies to lead public health obesity prevention initiatives and to evaluate its annual, competency-based obesity prevention course. In 2006, Center TRT identified priority public health competencies for obesity prevention and then planned 7 annual courses to address the priority competencies progressively over time. Each year, a longitudinal evaluation based on Kirkpatrick's training evaluation framework was administered to course participants (n = 243) to assess perceptions of the course (daily), changes in self-reported competency (immediately pre- and postcourse), and course impact on practice over time (at 6 months). Participants rated the course highly for quality and relevance. Although many participants reported low levels of confidence prior to the course, following the course, at least 70% reported feeling confident to perform almost all competencies. At 6-month follow-up, the majority of participants reported completing at least 1 activity identified during course action planning. We identified practitioners' high-priority competency needs and then designed 7 annual courses to progressively address those needs and new needs as they arose. This approach resulted in trainings valued by practitioners and effective in increasing their sense of competence to lead public health obesity prevention initiatives. The course's continuing impact was evidenced by participants' high level of completion of their action plans at 6-month follow-up. Competency-based training is important to develop a skilled public health workforce.

Evaluation of model-based seasonal streamflow and water allocation forecasts for the Elqui Valley, Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delorit, Justin; Cristian Gonzalez Ortuya, Edmundo; Block, Paul

2017-09-01

In many semi-arid regions, multisectoral demands often stress available water supplies. Such is the case in the Elqui River valley of northern Chile, which draws on a limited-capacity reservoir to allocate 25 000 water rights. Delayed infrastructure investment forces water managers to address demand-based allocation strategies, particularly in dry years, which are realized through reductions in the volume associated with each water right. Skillful season-ahead streamflow forecasts have the potential to inform managers with an indication of future conditions to guide reservoir allocations. This work evaluates season-ahead statistical prediction models of October-January (growing season) streamflow at multiple lead times associated with manager and user decision points, and links predictions with a reservoir allocation tool. Skillful results (streamflow forecasts outperform climatology) are produced for short lead times (1 September: ranked probability skill score (RPSS) of 0.31, categorical hit skill score of 61 %). At longer lead times, climatological skill exceeds forecast skill due to fewer observations of precipitation. However, coupling the 1 September statistical forecast model with a sea surface temperature phase and strength statistical model allows for equally skillful categorical streamflow forecasts to be produced for a 1 May lead, triggered for 60 % of years (1950-2015), suggesting forecasts need not be strictly deterministic to be useful for water rights holders. An early (1 May) categorical indication of expected conditions is reinforced with a deterministic forecast (1 September) as more observations of local variables become available. The reservoir allocation model is skillful at the 1 September lead (categorical hit skill score of 53 %); skill improves to 79 % when categorical allocation prediction certainty exceeds 80 %. This result implies that allocation efficiency may improve when forecasts are integrated into reservoir decision frameworks. The methods applied here advance the understanding of the mechanisms and timing responsible for moisture transport to the Elqui Valley and provide a unique application of streamflow forecasting in the prediction of water right allocations.

A Framework for Widespread Replication of a Highly Spatially Resolved Childhood Lead Exposure Risk Model

PubMed Central

Kim, Dohyeong; Galeano, M. Alicia Overstreet; Hull, Andrew; Miranda, Marie Lynn

2008-01-01

Background Preventive approaches to childhood lead poisoning are critical for addressing this longstanding environmental health concern. Moreover, increasing evidence of cognitive effects of blood lead levels < 10 μg/dL highlights the need for improved exposure prevention interventions. Objectives Geographic information system–based childhood lead exposure risk models, especially if executed at highly resolved spatial scales, can help identify children most at risk of lead exposure, as well as prioritize and direct housing and health-protective intervention programs. However, developing highly resolved spatial data requires labor-and time-intensive geocoding and analytical processes. In this study we evaluated the benefit of increased effort spent geocoding in terms of improved performance of lead exposure risk models. Methods We constructed three childhood lead exposure risk models based on established methods but using different levels of geocoded data from blood lead surveillance, county tax assessors, and the 2000 U.S. Census for 18 counties in North Carolina. We used the results to predict lead exposure risk levels mapped at the individual tax parcel unit. Results The models performed well enough to identify high-risk areas for targeted intervention, even with a relatively low level of effort on geocoding. Conclusions This study demonstrates the feasibility of widespread replication of highly spatially resolved childhood lead exposure risk models. The models guide resource-constrained local health and housing departments and community-based organizations on how best to expend their efforts in preventing and mitigating lead exposure risk in their communities. PMID:19079729

The necessity of measurement.

PubMed

Dudden, Rosalind Farnam

2008-01-01

Measurement of library systems and services is a multidimensional management task. New paradigms of library service and the context in which libraries operate have made it necessary for librarians to find new measures while at the same time keeping the old. Factors that can be measured, such as needs, inputs, quality processes, outputs, quality of service, outcomes, and impacts, are described. This bibliographic essay covers the current trends while leading readers to resources where they can learn more.

Leading Change: Military Leadership in Civilian Organizations

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-19

measured by one person; the military leader. Change is a bad word. “ Walt Disney is credited with saying that “change is inevitable, growth is...their careers . Once there, they may see a need for change or are directed to make change in these organizations. They assume that they can apply all...Military leaders are often assigned to largely civilian organizations, for the first time, late in their careers . Once there, they may see a

An Artificial Neural Network-Based Decision-Support System for Integrated Network Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

group that they need to know in order to make team-based decisions in real-time environments, (c) Employ secure cloud computing services to host mobile...THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate School of Engineering and Management Air Force...out-of-the-loop syndrome and create complexity creep. As a result, full automation efforts can lead to inappropriate decision-making despite a

Online Distributed Learning Over Networks in RKH Spaces Using Random Fourier Features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouboulis, Pantelis; Chouvardas, Symeon; Theodoridis, Sergios

2018-04-01

We present a novel diffusion scheme for online kernel-based learning over networks. So far, a major drawback of any online learning algorithm, operating in a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS), is the need for updating a growing number of parameters as time iterations evolve. Besides complexity, this leads to an increased need of communication resources, in a distributed setting. In contrast, the proposed method approximates the solution as a fixed-size vector (of larger dimension than the input space) using Random Fourier Features. This paves the way to use standard linear combine-then-adapt techniques. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a complete protocol for distributed online learning in RKHS is presented. Conditions for asymptotic convergence and boundness of the networkwise regret are also provided. The simulated tests illustrate the performance of the proposed scheme.

A High-Order, Linear Time-Invariant Model for Application to Higher Harmonic Control and Flight Control System Interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Rendy P.; Tischler, Mark B.; Celi, Roberto

2006-01-01

This research describes a new methodology for the extraction of a high-order, linear time invariant model, which allows the periodicity of the helicopter response to be accurately captured. This model provides the needed level of dynamic fidelity to permit an analysis and optimization of the AFCS and HHC algorithms. The key results of this study indicate that the closed-loop HHC system has little influence on the AFCS or on the vehicle handling qualities, which indicates that the AFCS does not need modification to work with the HHC system. However, the results show that the vibration response to maneuvers must be considered during the HHC design process, and this leads to much higher required HHC loop crossover frequencies. This research also demonstrates that the transient vibration responses during maneuvers can be reduced by optimizing the closed-loop higher harmonic control algorithm using conventional control system analyses.

Super Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

What time will you be able to view the Super Moon Eclipse? The images below show times to view it for Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), Central Daylight Time (CDT), Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) and Pacific Daylight Time (PDT). All of South America and most of North and Central America will see the entire eclipse, while those west of roughly 120°W will see it in progress at moonrise. You won’t need special equipment to see it. Just go outside and look up! NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Resin Flow Behavior Simulation of Grooved Foam Sandwich Composites with the Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion (VARI) Molding Process

PubMed Central

Zhao, Chenhui; Zhang, Guangcheng; Wu, Yibo

2012-01-01

The resin flow behavior in the vacuum assisted resin infusion molding process (VARI) of foam sandwich composites was studied by both visualization flow experiments and computer simulation. Both experimental and simulation results show that: the distribution medium (DM) leads to a shorter molding filling time in grooved foam sandwich composites via the VARI process, and the mold filling time is linearly reduced with the increase of the ratio of DM/Preform. Patterns of the resin sources have a significant influence on the resin filling time. The filling time of center source is shorter than that of edge pattern. Point pattern results in longer filling time than of linear source. Short edge/center patterns need a longer time to fill the mould compared with Long edge/center sources.

Quality Service Analysis and Improvement of Pharmacy Unit of XYZ Hospital Using Value Stream Analysis Methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jonny; Nasution, Januar

2013-06-01

Value stream mapping is a tool which is needed to let the business leader of XYZ Hospital to see what is actually happening in its business process that have caused longer lead time for self-produced medicines in its pharmacy unit. This problem has triggered many complaints filed by patients. After deploying this tool, the team has come up with the fact that in processing the medicine, pharmacy unit does not have any storage and capsule packing tool and this condition has caused many wasting times in its process. Therefore, the team has proposed to the business leader to procure the required tools in order to shorten its process. This research has resulted in shortened lead time from 45 minutes to 30 minutes as required by the government through Indonesian health ministry with increased %VA (valued added activity) or Process Cycle Efficiency (PCE) from 66% to 68% (considered lean because it is upper than required 30%). This result has proved that the process effectiveness has been increase by the improvement.

Monitoring magnetar outbursts .

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Israel, G. L.

We report on recent results concerning the timing properties of two transient sources, namely SGR 0418+5729 and Swift J1822.3-1606, for which dedicated monitoring programs have been carried out in the latest years. The timing analysis allowed us to obtain the first measurement of the first period derivative of SGR 0418+5729, dot {P}=4(1)×1015ss-1, significant at a ˜3.5sigma confidence level. This leads to a surface dipolar magnetic field of Bdip˜6×1012 Gauss, confirming SGR 0418+5729 as the lowest magnetic field magnetar. The X-ray timing analysis of Swift J1822.3-1606 showed that a second period derivative is needed in order to fit well the pulsation phases. The period derivative of dot {P}=1.1(4)×10-13s s-1leads to an estimate of the dipolar surface magnetic field of Bdip=3×1013 G. This measurement makes Swift J1822.3-1606, the second magnetar with a dipolar magnetic field lower than the electron critical field (after SGR 0418+5729; \\citealt{rea10}).

Dynamics of Pure Shape, Relativity, and the Problem of Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbour, Julian

A new approach to the dynamics of the universe based on work by Ó Murchadha, Foster, Anderson and the author is presented. The only kinematics presupposed is the spatial geometry needed to define configuration spaces in purely relational terms. A new formulation of the relativity principle based on Poincarés analysis of the problem of absolute and relative motion (Machs principle) is given. The entire dynamics is based on shape and nothing else. It leads to much stronger predictions than standard Newtonian theory. For the dynamics of Riemannian 3-geometries on which matter fields also evolve, implementation of the new relativity principle establishes unexpected links between special relativity, general relativity and the gauge principle. They all emerge together as a self-consistent complex from a unified and completely relational approach to dynamics. A connection between time and scale invariance is established. In particular, the representation of general relativity as evolution of the shape of space leads to a unique dynamical definition of simultaneity. This opens up the prospect of a solution of the problem of time in quantum gravity on the basis of a fundamental dynamical principle.

Strategic targeting of advance care planning interventions: the Goldilocks phenomenon.

PubMed

Billings, J Andrew; Bernacki, Rachelle

2014-04-01

Strategically selecting patients for discussions and documentation about limiting life-sustaining treatments-choosing the right time along the end-of-life trajectory for such an intervention and identifying patients at high risk of facing end-of-life decisions-can have a profound impact on the value of advance care planning (ACP) efforts. Timing is important because the completion of an advance directive (AD) too far from or too close to the time of death can lead to end-of-life decisions that do not optimally reflect the patient's values, goals, and preferences: a poorly chosen target patient population that is unlikely to need an AD in the near future may lead to patients making unrealistic, hypothetical choices, while assessing preferences in the emergency department or hospital in the face of a calamity is notoriously inadequate. Because much of the currently studied ACP efforts have led to a disappointingly small proportion of patients eventually benefitting from an AD, careful targeting of the intervention should also improve the efficacy of such projects. A key to optimal timing and strategic selection of target patients for an ACP program is prognostication, and we briefly highlight prognostication tools and studies that may point us toward high-value AD interventions.

Improving seasonal forecast through the state of large-scale climate signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samale, Chiara; Zimmerman, Brian; Giuliani, Matteo; Castelletti, Andrea; Block, Paul

2017-04-01

Increasingly uncertain hydrologic regimes are challenging water systems management worldwide, emphasizing the need of accurate medium- to long-term predictions to timely prompt anticipatory operations. In fact, forecasts are usually skillful over short lead time (from hours to days), but predictability tends to decrease on longer lead times. The forecast lead time might be extended by using climate teleconnection, such as El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Despite the ENSO teleconnection is well defined in some locations such as Western USA and Australia, there is no consensus on how it can be detected and used in other river basins, particularly in Europe, Africa, and Asia. In this work, we propose the use of the Nino Index Phase Analysis for capturing the state of multiple large-scale climate signals (i.e., ENSO, North Atlantic Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, Dipole Mode Index). This climate state information is used for distinguishing the different phases of the climate signals and for identifying relevant teleconnections between the observations of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) that mostly influence the local hydrologic conditions. The framework is applied to the Lake Como system, a regulated lake in northern Italy which is mainly operated for flood control and irrigation supply. Preliminary results show high correlations between SST and three to six months ahead precipitation in the Lake Como basin. This forecast represents a valuable information to partially anticipate the summer water availability, ultimately supporting the improvement of the Lake Como operations.

Improving inflow forecasting into hydropower reservoirs through a complementary modelling framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gragne, A. S.; Sharma, A.; Mehrotra, R.; Alfredsen, K.

2014-10-01

Accuracy of reservoir inflow forecasts is instrumental for maximizing the value of water resources and benefits gained through hydropower generation. Improving hourly reservoir inflow forecasts over a 24 h lead-time is considered within the day-ahead (Elspot) market of the Nordic exchange market. We present here a new approach for issuing hourly reservoir inflow forecasts that aims to improve on existing forecasting models that are in place operationally, without needing to modify the pre-existing approach, but instead formulating an additive or complementary model that is independent and captures the structure the existing model may be missing. Besides improving forecast skills of operational models, the approach estimates the uncertainty in the complementary model structure and produces probabilistic inflow forecasts that entrain suitable information for reducing uncertainty in the decision-making processes in hydropower systems operation. The procedure presented comprises an error model added on top of an un-alterable constant parameter conceptual model, the models being demonstrated with reference to the 207 km2 Krinsvatn catchment in central Norway. The structure of the error model is established based on attributes of the residual time series from the conceptual model. Deterministic and probabilistic evaluations revealed an overall significant improvement in forecast accuracy for lead-times up to 17 h. Season based evaluations indicated that the improvement in inflow forecasts varies across seasons and inflow forecasts in autumn and spring are less successful with the 95% prediction interval bracketing less than 95% of the observations for lead-times beyond 17 h.

Implementing an organization-wide quality improvement initiative: insights from project leads, managers, and frontline nurses.

PubMed

Jeffs, Lianne P; Lo, Joyce; Beswick, Susan; Campbell, Heather

2013-01-01

With the movement to advance quality care and improve health care outcomes, organizations have increasingly implemented quality improvement (QI) initiatives to meet these requirements. Key to implementation success is the multilevel involvement of frontline clinicians and leadership. To explore the perceptions and experiences of frontline nurses, project leads, and managers associated with an organization-wide initiative aimed at engaging nurses in quality improvement work. To address the aims of this study, a qualitative research approach was used. Two focus groups were conducted with a total of 13 nurse participants, and individual interviews were done with 10 managers and 6 project leads. Emergent themes from the interview data included the following: improving care in a networked approach; driving QI and having a sense of pride; and overcoming challenges. Specifically, our findings elucidate the value of communities of practice and ongoing mentorship for nurses as key strategies to acquire and apply QI knowledge to a QI project on their respective units. Key challenges emerged including workload and time constraints, as well as resistance to change from staff. Our study findings suggest that leaders need to provide learning opportunities and protected time for frontline nurses to participate in QI projects.

The "neuro-mapping locator" software. A real-time intraoperative objective paraesthesia mapping tool to evaluate paraesthesia coverage of the painful zone in patients undergoing spinal cord stimulation lead implantation.

PubMed

Guetarni, F; Rigoard, P

2015-03-01

Conventional spinal cord stimulation (SCS) generates paraesthesia, as the efficacy of this technique is based on the relationship between the paraesthesia provided by SCS on the painful zone and an analgesic effect on the stimulated zone. Although this basic postulate is based on clinical evidence, it is clear that this relationship has never been formally demonstrated by scientific studies. There is a need for objective evaluation tools ("transducers") to transpose electrical signals to clinical effects and to guide therapeutic choices. We have developed a software at Poitiers University hospital allowing real-time objective mapping of the paraesthesia generated by SCS lead placement and programming during the implantation procedure itself, on a touch screen interface. The purpose of this article is to describe this intraoperative mapping software, in terms of its concept and technical aspects. The Neuro-Mapping Locator (NML) software is dedicated to patients with failed back surgery syndrome, candidates for SCS lead implantation, to actively participate in the implantation procedure. Real-time geographical localization of the paraesthesia generated by percutaneous or multicolumn surgical SCS lead implanted under awake anaesthesia allows intraoperative lead programming and possibly lead positioning to be modified with the patient's cooperation. Software updates should enable us to refine objectives related to the use of this tool and minimize observational biases. The ultimate goals of NML software should not be limited to optimize one specific device implantation in a patient but also allow to compare instantaneously various stimulation strategies, by characterizing new technical parameters as "coverage efficacy" and "device specificity" on selected subgroups of patients. Another longer-term objective would be to organize these predictive factors into computer science ontologies, which could constitute robust and helpful data for device selection and programming of tomorrow's neurostimulators. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Transition from paediatric to adult healthcare for young people with cystic fibrosis: Parents' information needs.

PubMed

Coyne, Imelda; Malone, Helen; Chubb, Emma; While, Alison E

2018-01-01

Parents of young people with cystic fibrosis (YPWCF) play an important role during the transition from paediatric to adult health services. There is limited evidence on parental information needs and the extent to which they are met. An online survey was conducted targeting a finite population of 190 parents of YPWCF in Ireland. Fifty-nine parents responded (31% response rate). Parents reported the need for more general preparation and timing of the transfer, more information regarding the differences between adult and child health services and how their child will self-manage his/her illness in the future. Most parents received information on the timing of transfer and new healthcare providers but reported being insufficiently informed about their legal status relating to medical confidentiality for their adult child and community resources available for their child after transition to adult health services. The findings highlight the importance of information and preparation for caregivers as well as young people to promote successful transition to adult healthcare. Providing parents with clear information and anticipatory guidance are simple changes in practice that may lead to improvements in transition experiences.

Novel handheld x-ray fluorescence spectrometer for routine testing for the presence of lead

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rensing, Noa M.; Tiernan, Timothy C.; Squillante, Michael R.

2011-06-01

RMD is developing a safe, inexpensive, and easy to operate lead detector for retailers and consumers that can reliably detect dangerous levels of lead in toys and other household products. Lead and its compounds have been rated as top chemicals that pose a great threat to human health. However, widespread testing for environmental lead is rarely undertaken until lead poisoning has already been diagnosed. The problem is not due to the accuracy or sensitivity of existing lead detection technology, but rather to the high expense, safety and licensing barriers of available test equipment. An inexpensive and easy to use lead detector would enable the identification of highly contaminated objects and areas and allow for timely and cost effective remediation. The military has similar needs for testing for lead and other heavy elements such as mercury, primarily in the decontamination of former military properties prior to their return to civilian use. RMD's research and development efforts are abased on advanced solid-state detectors combined with recently patented lead detection techniques to develop a consumer oriented lead detector that will be widely available and easy and inexpensive to use. These efforts will result in an instrument that offers: (1) high sensitivity, to identify objects containing dangerous amounts of lead, (2) low cost to encourage widespread testing by consumers and other end users and (3) convenient operation requiring no training or licensing. In contrast, current handheld x-ray fluorescence spectrometers either use a radioactive source requiring licensing and operating training, or use an electronic x-ray source that limits their sensitivity to surface lead.

Generator replacement is associated with an increased rate of ICD lead alerts.

PubMed

Lovelock, Joshua D; Cruz, Cesar; Hoskins, Michael H; Jones, Paul; El-Chami, Mikhael F; Lloyd, Michael S; Leon, Angel; DeLurgio, David B; Langberg, Jonathan J

2014-10-01

Lead malfunction is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). We have shown that the failure of recalled high-voltage leads significantly increases after ICD generator replacement. However, generator replacement has not been recognized as a predictor of lead failure in general. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of ICD generator exchange on the rate of ICD lead alerts. A time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze a database of remotely monitored ICDs. The model assessed the impact of generator exchange on the rate of lead alerts after ICD generator replacement. The analysis included 60,219 patients followed for 37 ± 19 months. The 5-year lead survival was 99.3% (95% confidence interval 99.2%-99.4%). Of 60,219 patients, 7458 patients (12.9%) underwent ICD generator exchange without lead replacement. After generator replacement, the rate of lead alerts was more than 5-fold higher than in controls with leads of the same age without generator replacement (hazard ratio 5.19; 95% confidence interval 3.45-7.84). A large number of lead alerted within 3 months of generator replacement. Lead alerts were more common in patients with single- vs dual-chamber ICDs and in younger patients. Sex was not associated with lead alerts. Routine generator replacement is associated with a 5-fold higher risk of lead alert compared to age-matched leads without generator replacement. This suggests the need for intense surveillance after generator replacement and the development of techniques to minimize the risk of lead damage during generator replacement. Copyright © 2014 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sources of lead exposure in Mexico City.

PubMed Central

Romieu, I; Palazuelos, E; Hernandez Avila, M; Rios, C; Muñoz, I; Jimenez, C; Cahero, G

1994-01-01

Many countries, including Mexico, are facing a largely unrecognized epidemic of low-level lead poisoning. Mexico is the sixth largest lead-producing country in the world, and 40% of its production is used locally in different industrial processes that cause lead contamination of the environment. The major sources and pathways of lead exposure among the Mexican population are gasoline emissions, lead-glazed ceramics, leaded paint, and lead in canned foods and beverages. In this paper we present evidence for the presence of lead in different environmental media and its impact on blood lead levels of the Mexican population. Although during the last few years important measures have been implemented to decrease lead exposure, our findings suggest that lead poisoning is still an important problem in Mexico. There is an urgent need for regulatory policies that implement stricter control to protect the Mexican population. There is also a need to develop adequate programs to reduce the lead burden and the associated health effects in the population that has been chronically exposed. Images Figure 1. PMID:7523102

Sources of lead exposure in Mexico City.

PubMed

Romieu, I; Palazuelos, E; Hernandez Avila, M; Rios, C; Muñoz, I; Jimenez, C; Cahero, G

1994-04-01

Many countries, including Mexico, are facing a largely unrecognized epidemic of low-level lead poisoning. Mexico is the sixth largest lead-producing country in the world, and 40% of its production is used locally in different industrial processes that cause lead contamination of the environment. The major sources and pathways of lead exposure among the Mexican population are gasoline emissions, lead-glazed ceramics, leaded paint, and lead in canned foods and beverages. In this paper we present evidence for the presence of lead in different environmental media and its impact on blood lead levels of the Mexican population. Although during the last few years important measures have been implemented to decrease lead exposure, our findings suggest that lead poisoning is still an important problem in Mexico. There is an urgent need for regulatory policies that implement stricter control to protect the Mexican population. There is also a need to develop adequate programs to reduce the lead burden and the associated health effects in the population that has been chronically exposed.

Yield of atrial fibrillation detection with Textile Wearable Holter from the acute phase of stroke: Pilot study of Crypto-AF registry.

PubMed

Pagola, Jorge; Juega, Jesus; Francisco-Pascual, Jaume; Moya, Angel; Sanchis, Mireia; Bustamante, Alejandro; Penalba, Anna; Usero, Maria; Cortijo, Elisa; Arenillas, Juan F; Calleja, Ana I; Sandin-Fuentes, Maria; Rubio, Jeronimo; Mancha, Fernando; Escudero-Martinez, Irene; Moniche, Francisco; de Torres, Reyes; Pérez-Sánchez, Soledad; González-Matos, Carlos E; Vega, Ángela; Pedrote, Alonso A; Arana-Rueda, Eduardo; Montaner, Joan; Molina, Carlos A

2018-01-15

We describe the feasibility of monitoring with a Textile Wearable Holter (TWH) in patients included in Crypto AF registry. We monitored cryptogenic stroke patients from stroke onset (<3days) continuously during 28days. We employed a TWH composed by a garment and a recorder. We compared two garments (Lead and Vest) to assess rate of undiagnosed Atrial Fibrillation (AF) detection, monitoring compliance, comfortability (1 to 5 points), skin lesions, and time analyzed. We describe the timing of AF detection in three periods (0-3, 4-15 and 16-28days). The rate of undiagnosed AF detection with TWH was 21.9% (32 out of 146 patients who completed the monitoring). Global time compliance was 90% of the time expected (583/644h). The level of comfortability was 4 points (IQR 3-5). We detected reversible skin lesions in 5.47% (8/146). The comfortability was similar but time compliance (in hours) was longer in Vest group 591 (IQR [521-639]) vs. Lead 566 (IQR [397-620]) (p=0.025). Also, time analyzed was more prolonged in Vest group 497 (IQR [419-557]) vs. Lead (336h (IQR [140-520]) (p=0.001)). The incidence of AF increases from 5.6% (at 3days) to 17.5% (at 15th day) and up to 20.9% (at 28th day). The percentage of AF episodes detected only in each period was 12.5% (0-3days); 21.7% (4-15days) and 19% (16-28days). 28days Holter monitoring from the acute phase of the stroke was feasible with TWH. Following our protocol, only five patients were needed to screen to detected one case of AF. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Is it Time for a Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Campaign? Community Stakeholders' Perceptions of SIDS.

PubMed

Gollenberg, Audra; Fendley, Kim

2018-01-01

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) remains a leading cause of infant death in the United States and in Virginia, the SIDS rate is higher than the national average. We sought to gauge the perceptions among community-identified stakeholders as to community resource needs to reduce SIDS. We used snowball sampling to identify important community stakeholders to be interviewed as key informants. A semi-structured interview lasting 45 min-2 hours was delivered to determine resource needs to reduce SIDS, and whether high-risk community members were aware of SIDS risk factors among stakeholders representing a variety of disciplines. Interviews were conducted in two geographic areas with higher than average rates of infant mortality, an urban district, Winchester City, VA and a rural district, Page County, VA. A total of 74 interviews were completed with stakeholders in healthcare, health departments, social services, law enforcement, education/childcare, faith-based institutions, non-profit agencies and non-affiliated community members. The majority of respondents perceive that high-risk community members are not aware of factors that can lead to SIDS (50%). Participants suggested that more "education" is needed to further reduce the rates of SIDS in their communities (73%). Respondents detailed that more pervasive, strategic, and multi-channeled education is necessary to reduce cases of SIDS. Community leaders perceive that high-risk community members are not fully aware of risk factors that can lead to SIDS. Maternal/child health stakeholders in these Virginia locales suggested more community-based education as a potential solution to SIDS.

An Alternative Approach to Human Servicing of Crewed Earth Orbiting Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mularski, John R.; Alpert, Brian K.

2017-01-01

As crewed spacecraft have grown larger and more complex, they have come to rely on spacewalks, or Extravehicular Activities (EVA), for mission success and crew safety. Typically, these spacecraft maintain all of the hardware and trained personnel needed to perform an EVA on-board at all times. Maintaining this capability requires volume and up-mass for storage of EVA hardware, crew time for ground and on-orbit training, and on-orbit maintenance of EVA hardware. This paper proposes an alternative methodology, utilizing launch on-need hardware and crew to provide EVA capability for space stations in Earth orbit after assembly complete, in the same way that one would call a repairman to fix something at their home. This approach would reduce ground training requirements, save Intravehicular Activity (IVA) crew time in the form of EVA hardware maintenance and on-orbit training, and lead to more efficient EVAs because they would be performed by specialists with detailed knowledge and training stemming from their direct involvement in the development of the EVA. The on-orbit crew would then be available to focus on the immediate response to the failure as well as the day-to-day operations of the spacecraft and payloads. This paper will look at how current unplanned EVAs are conducted, including the time required for preparation, and offer alternatives for future spacecraft. As this methodology relies on the on-time and on-need launch of spacecraft, any space station that utilized this approach would need a robust transportation system including more than one launch vehicle capable of carrying crew. In addition, the fault tolerance of the space station would be an important consideration in how much time was available for EVA preparation after the failure. Each future program would have to weigh the risk of on-time launch against the increase in available crew time for the main objective of the spacecraft.

An Alternative Approach to Human Servicing of Manned Earth Orbiting Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mularski, John; Alpert, Brian

2011-01-01

As manned spacecraft have grown larger and more complex, they have come to rely on spacewalks or Extravehicular Activities (EVA) for both mission success and crew safety. Typically these spacecraft maintain all of the hardware and trained personnel needed to perform an EVA on-board at all times. Maintaining this capability requires volume and up-mass for storage of EVA hardware, crew time for ground and on-orbit training, and on-orbit maintenance of EVA hardware . This paper proposes an alternative methodology to utilize launch-on-need hardware and crew to provide EVA capability for space stations in Earth orbit after assembly complete, in the same way that most people would call a repairman to fix something at their home. This approach would not only reduce ground training requirements and save Intravehicular Activity (IVA) crew time in the form of EVA hardware maintenance and on-orbit training, but would also lead to more efficient EVAs because they would be performed by specialists with detailed knowledge and training stemming from their direct involvement in the development of the EVA. The on-orbit crew would then be available to focus on the immediate response to the failure as well as the day-to-day operations of the spacecraft and payloads. This paper will look at how current ISS unplanned EVAs are conducted, including the time required for preparation, and offer alternatives for future spacecraft utilizing lessons learned from ISS. As this methodology relies entirely on the on-time and on-need launch of spacecraft, any space station that utilized this approach would need a robust transportation system including more than one launch vehicle capable of carrying crew. In addition the fault tolerance of the space station would be an important consideration in how much time was available for EVA preparation after the failure. Each future program would have to weigh the risk of on-time launch against the increase in available crew time for the main objective of the spacecraft.

Visual analytics techniques for large multi-attribute time series data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Ming C.; Dayal, Umeshwar; Keim, Daniel A.

2008-01-01

Time series data commonly occur when variables are monitored over time. Many real-world applications involve the comparison of long time series across multiple variables (multi-attributes). Often business people want to compare this year's monthly sales with last year's sales to make decisions. Data warehouse administrators (DBAs) want to know their daily data loading job performance. DBAs need to detect the outliers early enough to act upon them. In this paper, two new visual analytic techniques are introduced: The color cell-based Visual Time Series Line Charts and Maps highlight significant changes over time in a long time series data and the new Visual Content Query facilitates finding the contents and histories of interesting patterns and anomalies, which leads to root cause identification. We have applied both methods to two real-world applications to mine enterprise data warehouse and customer credit card fraud data to illustrate the wide applicability and usefulness of these techniques.

Further exploration of dissemination bias in qualitative research required to facilitate assessment within qualitative evidence syntheses.

PubMed

Toews, Ingrid; Booth, Andrew; Berg, Rigmor C; Lewin, Simon; Glenton, Claire; Munthe-Kaas, Heather M; Noyes, Jane; Schroter, Sara; Meerpohl, Joerg J

2017-08-01

To conceptualise and discuss dissemination bias in qualitative research. It is likely that the mechanisms leading to dissemination bias in quantitative research, including time lag, language, gray literature, and truncation bias also contribute to dissemination bias in qualitative research. These conceptual considerations have informed the development of a research agenda. Further exploration of dissemination bias in qualitative research is needed, including the extent of non-dissemination and related dissemination bias, and how to assess dissemination bias within qualitative evidence syntheses. We also need to consider the mechanisms through which dissemination bias in qualitative research could occur to explore approaches for reducing it. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials in children with lead exposure.

PubMed

Alvarenga, Katia de Freitas; Morata, Thais Catalani; Lopes, Andrea Cintra; Feniman, Mariza Ribeiro; Corteletti, Lilian Cassia Bornia Jacob

2015-01-01

Earlier studies have demonstrated an auditory effect of lead exposure in children, but information on the effects of low chronic exposures needs to be further elucidated. To investigate the effect of low chronic exposures of the auditory system in children with a history of low blood lead levels, using an auditory electrophysiological test. Contemporary cross-sectional cohort. Study participants underwent tympanometry, pure tone and speech audiometry, transient evoked otoacoustic emissions, and brainstem auditory evoked potentials, with blood lead monitoring over a period of 35.5 months. The study included 130 children, with ages ranging from 18 months to 14 years, 5 months (mean age 6 years, 8 months ± 3 years, 2 months). The mean time-integrated cumulative blood lead index was 12 μg/dL (SD ± 5.7, range: 2.433). All participants had hearing thresholds equal to or below 20 dBHL and normal amplitudes of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions. No association was found between the absolute latencies of waves I, III, and V, the interpeak latencies I-III, III-V, and I-V, and the cumulative lead values. No evidence of toxic effects from chronic low lead exposures was observed on the auditory function of children living in a lead contaminated area. Copyright © 2014 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

The importance of physical function to people with osteoporosis.

PubMed

Kerr, C; Bottomley, C; Shingler, S; Giangregorio, L; de Freitas, H M; Patel, C; Randall, S; Gold, D T

2017-05-01

There is increasing need to understand patient outcomes in osteoporosis. This article discusses that fracture in osteoporosis can lead to a cycle of impairment, driven by complex psychosocial factors, having a profound impact on physical function/activity which accumulates over time. More information is required on how treatments impact physical function. There is increasing need to understand patient-centred outcomes in osteoporosis (OP) clinical research and management. This multi-method paper provides insight on the effect of OP on patients' physical function and everyday activity. Data were collected from three sources: (1) targeted literature review on OP and physical function, conducted in MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO; (2) secondary thematic analysis of transcripts from patient interviews, conducted to develop a patient-reported outcome instrument. Transcripts were re-coded to focus on OP impact on daily activities and physical function for those with and without fracture history; and (3) discussions of the literature review and secondary qualitative analysis results with three clinical experts to review and interpret the importance and implications of the findings. Results suggest that OP, particularly with fracture, can have profound impacts on physical function/activity. These impacts accumulate over time through a cycle of impairment, as fracture leads to longer term detriments in physical function, including loss of muscle, activity avoidance and reduced physical capacity, which in turn leads to greater risk of fracture and potential for further physical restrictions. The cycle of impairment is complex, as other physical, psychosocial and treatment-related factors, such as comorbidities, fears and beliefs about physical activity and fracture risk influence physical function and everyday activity. More information on how treatments impact physical function would benefit healthcare professionals and persons with OP in making treatment decisions and improving treatment compliance/persistence, as these impacts may be more salient to patients than fracture incidence.

Benchmarking Ensemble Streamflow Prediction Skill in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrigan, Shaun; Smith, Katie; Parry, Simon; Tanguy, Maliko; Prudhomme, Christel

2017-04-01

Skilful hydrological forecasts at weekly to seasonal lead times would be extremely beneficial for decision-making in operational water management, especially during drought conditions. Hydro-meteorological ensemble forecasting systems are an attractive approach as they use two sources of streamflow predictability: (i) initial hydrologic conditions (IHCs), where soil moisture, groundwater and snow storage states can provide an estimate of future streamflow situations, and (ii) atmospheric predictability, where skilful forecasts of weather and climate variables can be used to force hydrological models. In the UK, prediction of rainfall at long lead times and for summer months in particular is notoriously difficult given the large degree of natural climate variability in ocean influenced mid-latitude regions, but recent research has uncovered exciting prospects for improved rainfall skill at seasonal lead times due to improved prediction of the North Atlantic Oscillation. However, before we fully understand what this improved atmospheric predictability might mean in terms of improved hydrological forecasts, we must first evaluate how much skill can be gained from IHCs alone. Ensemble Streamflow Prediction (ESP) is a well-established method for generating an ensemble of streamflow forecasts in the absence of skilful future meteorological predictions. The aim of this study is therefore to benchmark when (lead time/forecast initialisation month) and where (spatial pattern/catchment characteristics) ESP is skilful across a diverse set of catchments in the UK. Forecast skill was evaluated seamlessly from lead times of 1-day to 12-months and forecasts were initialised at the first of each month over the 1965-2015 hindcast period. This ESP output also provides a robust benchmark against which to assess how much improvement in skill can be achieved when meteorological forecasts are incorporated (next steps). To provide a 'tough to beat' benchmark, several variants of ESP with increasing complexity were produced, including better model representation of hydrological processes and sub-sampling of historic climate sequences (e.g. NAO+/NAO- years). This work is part of the Improving Predictions of Drought for User Decision Making (IMPETUS) project and provides insight to where advancements in atmospheric predictability is most needed in the UK in the context of water management.

Failure rates of leads, pulse generators, and programmers have not diminished over the last 20 years: formal monitoring of performance is still needed. BILITCH Registry and STIMAREC.

PubMed

Kawanishi, D T; Song, S; Furman, S; Parsonnet, V; Pioger, G; Petitot, J C; Godin, J F

1996-11-01

Formal Monitoring of Performance is Still Needed. In order to detect trends in the number of device or component failures that have occurred among permanent pacemaker systems since the 1970s, we reviewed the data of the five largest pacemaker manufacturers from the Bilitch Registry of permanent pacemaker pulse generators, the Stimarec failure registry, the general accounting office summaries of the United States Veterans Administration (VA) Registry of Pacemaker Leads, and the Implantable Lead Registry, from the Cleveland Clinic Lead registry, and the recalls and safety alerts issued by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the last 20 years. The definition of failure followed the criterion, or criteria, developed within each registry and differed significantly between the registries. The 20-year period between 1976 and 1995 was divided into 5-year quartiles (QT): QT 1 = 1976-1980; QT2 = 1981-1985; QT3 = 1986-1990; and QT4 = 1991-1995. For pulse generators, the number of models with failures in each quartile in the Bilitch Registry were: QT 1 = 9; QT 2 = 11; QT3 = 17; QT4 = 13. In Stimarec, the number of units reported as having reached a dangerous condition were: QT1 = 710; QT2 = 212; QT3 = 114; QT4 = 310. From the FDA reports, the number of units included in recalls or safety alerts were: QT3 = 6,085; QT4 = 135,766. For permanent pacemaker leads, the numbers of failed or dangerous leads recorded in Stimarec were: QT3 = 16; QT4 = 32. In the VA Registry, the number of models having a below average survival was 2/92 (2.7%). In the Implantable Lead Registry, the number of models having a below average survival was 3/21 (14%). In the Cleveland Clinic series, 6/13 (46%) of lead models were recognized to have some failure involving the conductor, insulation, or connector. In the FDA reports, the number of leads involved in either recall or safety alert were: QT3 = 20,354; QT4 = 332,105. For programmers, the number of units involved either in a recall or safety alert were: QT3 = 11,124; QT4 = 3,528. In all of these series, each of the five largest manufacturers had some models or units involved in each time period. This review of programs has revealed: 1. The incidence of failures, recalls, or safety alerts did not decline over time; and 2. Despite changes in technology, formal monitoring of pacemaker systems is still warranted.

An Adaptive Multi-Purpose Inventory Management System for Military Aircraft Maintenance: A Case Study of Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Khawaldeh, Ihsan Naji

Inventory management is a vital tool for any organization to survive the competency and reduce the operating cost. In the field of aviation its importance is more provident as the spares are more on the move. Apart from the aspects related to inventory management like quantity, quality, price, lead time...etc., inventory in aviation caters for those items, where to store them and how and when to circulate them. On other hand, safety which is a prominent crucial factor in aviation field makes it more and more demanding to have an inventory management as an integral part of both aviation maintenance management and quality assurance program. Just-in Time (JIT) inventory management systems that worked well in reducing the waste and increasing the profit might not work well in aviation field both civil and military. Hence, a need for an adaptive management system that takes care of cost reduction along with high readiness is of a vital need. The Inventory Management System (IMS) in aviation and especially in military is seen to follow a mix of the different inventory management methods. In other word, it is a combination of Fixed-Order Quantity (Q-Model), and Fixed-Time Period Reordering (P-model) to cope with the dynamics of aviation maintenance needs. The uniqueness feature of aviation inventory, where a shortage of trivial spares like nuts, bolts may at some point be considered as critical, grounding a complete fleet especially one that matters a flight safety issue. Different Platforms, operating locations, aging and many others influence the need for an adaptive inventory system. Using Access software for a simple programming and using it as inventory management system that will help in defining the rate of usage of spares, and consumables, and on the other hand may give an insight in material deficiency, that will lead for engineering design improvement and modification. The main aim of this (IMS) is reduction of both A.O.G chances, and inventory cost related to effective usage of needed items based on the maintenance requirements. The key to success lies in the perseverance to use the software and develop its capabilities continuously, through a qualified workforce.

Demystifying pediculosis: school nurses taking the lead.

PubMed

Pontius, Deborah J

2014-01-01

The treatment of Pediculosis capitis, or head lice, is fraught with misinformation, myths, and mismanagement. Common myths include the need to exclude children from school, the need to remove all visible nits ("no-nit" policies), the need for massive environmental cleaning, that head lice live for long periods of time, and that schools are a common location for lice transmission. Head lice are a common childhood nuisance, causing embarrassment and emotional trauma in both children and families. This article explores and challenges the commonly held beliefs about the identification, management, and treatment of Pediculosis by presenting current recommended evidence-based practice. It also challenges pediatric nurses, and school nurses in particular, in alignment with the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) Position Statement on Pediculosis Management in the School Setting, to act as change agents for reasonable and effective school policies and practices.

Cadmium, lead, mercury and arsenic in animal feed and feed materials - trend analysis of monitoring results.

PubMed

Adamse, Paulien; Van der Fels-Klerx, H J Ine; de Jong, Jacob

2017-08-01

This study aimed to obtain insights into the presence of cadmium, lead, mercury and arsenic in feed materials and feed over time for the purpose of guiding national monitoring. Data from the Dutch feed monitoring programme and from representatives of the feed industry during the period 2007-13 were used. Data covered a variety of feed materials and compound feeds in the Netherlands. Trends in the percentage of samples that exceeded the maximum limit (ML) set by the European Commission, and trends in average, median and 90th percentile concentrations of each of these elements were investigated. Based on the results, monitoring should focus on feed material of mineral origin, feed material of marine origin, especially fish meal, seaweed and algae, as well as feed additives belonging to the functional groups of (1) trace elements (notably cupric sulphate, zinc oxide and manganese oxide for arsenic) and (2) binders and anti-caking agents. Mycotoxin binders are a new group of feed additives that also need attention. For complementary feed it is important to make a proper distinction between mineral and non-mineral feed (lower ML). Forage crops in general do not need high priority in monitoring programmes, although for arsenic grass meal still needs attention.

Retrospective Cost Adaptive Control with Concurrent Closed-Loop Identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobolic, Frantisek M.

Retrospective cost adaptive control (RCAC) is a discrete-time direct adaptive control algorithm for stabilization, command following, and disturbance rejection. RCAC is known to work on systems given minimal modeling information which is the leading numerator coefficient and any nonminimum-phase (NMP) zeros of the plant transfer function. This information is normally needed a priori and is key in the development of the filter, also known as the target model, within the retrospective performance variable. A novel approach to alleviate the need for prior modeling of both the leading coefficient of the plant transfer function as well as any NMP zeros is developed. The extension to the RCAC algorithm is the use of concurrent optimization of both the target model and the controller coefficients. Concurrent optimization of the target model and controller coefficients is a quadratic optimization problem in the target model and controller coefficients separately. However, this optimization problem is not convex as a joint function of both variables, and therefore nonconvex optimization methods are needed. Finally, insights within RCAC that include intercalated injection between the controller numerator and the denominator, unveil the workings of RCAC fitting a specific closed-loop transfer function to the target model. We exploit this interpretation by investigating several closed-loop identification architectures in order to extract this information for use in the target model.

Densification of a-IGZO with low-temperature annealing for flexible electronics applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troughton, J. G.; Downs, P.; Price, R.; Atkinson, D.

2017-01-01

Amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors are a leading contender for active channel materials in next generation flat panel displays and flexible electronics. Improved electronic functionality has been linked to the increased density of a-IGZO, and while much work has looked at high-temperature processes, studies at temperatures compatible with flexible substrates are needed. Here, compositional and structural analyses show that short term, low-temperature annealing (<6 h) can increase the density of sputtered a-IGZO by up to 5.6% for temperatures below 300 °C, which is expected to improve the transistor performance, while annealing for longer times leads to a subsequent decrease in density due to oxygen absorption.

Future climate risk from compound events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zscheischler, Jakob; Westra, Seth; van den Hurk, Bart J. J. M.; Seneviratne, Sonia I.; Ward, Philip J.; Pitman, Andy; AghaKouchak, Amir; Bresch, David N.; Leonard, Michael; Wahl, Thomas; Zhang, Xuebin

2018-06-01

Floods, wildfires, heatwaves and droughts often result from a combination of interacting physical processes across multiple spatial and temporal scales. The combination of processes (climate drivers and hazards) leading to a significant impact is referred to as a `compound event'. Traditional risk assessment methods typically only consider one driver and/or hazard at a time, potentially leading to underestimation of risk, as the processes that cause extreme events often interact and are spatially and/or temporally dependent. Here we show how a better understanding of compound events may improve projections of potential high-impact events, and can provide a bridge between climate scientists, engineers, social scientists, impact modellers and decision-makers, who need to work closely together to understand these complex events.

Terrorists and Sponsors. An Inquiry into Trust and Double-Crossing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCormick, Gordon H.; Owen, Guillermo

We consider the conditions that lead to the dissolution of state-terrorist coalitions. While such coalitions have well known advantages, they also have structural weaknesses that are largely ignored in the literature on the state sponsorship of terrorism. Each player in the coalition has interests that are only partially shared and, in some cases, at odds with those of its partner. Long term cooperation must be based on mutual advantage and mutual trust, both of which are subject to change over time.We examine the conditions that are needed to begin and maintain a cooperative strategy and the circumstances that lead a state and a terrorist group to leave the coalition and double-cross its partner. Equilibrium strategies for both players are defined and interpreted.

Evaluating the effectiveness of state specific lead-based paint hazard risk reduction laws in preventing recurring incidences of lead poisoning in children.

PubMed

Kennedy, Chinaro; Lordo, Robert; Sucosky, Marissa Scalia; Boehm, Rona; Brown, Mary Jean

2016-01-01

Despite significant progress made in recent decades in preventing childhood lead poisoning in the United States through the control or elimination of lead sources in the environment, it continues to be an issue in many communities, primarily in low-income communities with a large percentage of deteriorating housing built before the elimination of lead in residential paint. The purpose of this study is to determine whether state laws aimed at preventing childhood lead poisoning are also effective in preventing recurring lead poisoning among children previously poisoned. An evaluation was conducted to determine whether laws in two representative states, Massachusetts and Ohio, have been effective in preventing recurrent lead poisoning among children less than 72 months of age previously poisoned, compared to a representative state (Mississippi) which at the time of the study had yet to develop legislation to prevent childhood lead poisoning. Compared to no legislation, unadjusted estimates showed children less than 72 months old, living in Massachusetts, previously identified as being lead poisoned, were 73% less likely to develop recurrent lead poisoning. However, this statistically significant association did not remain after controlling for other confounding variables. We did not find such a significant association when analyzing data from Ohio. While findings from unadjusted estimates indicated that state lead laws such as those in Massachusetts may be effective at preventing recurrent lead poisoning among young children, small numbers may have attenuated the power to obtain statistical significance during multivariate analysis. Our findings did not provide evidence that state lead laws, such as those in Ohio, were effective in preventing recurrent lead poisoning among young children. Further studies may be needed to confirm these findings. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Evaluating the effectiveness of state specific lead-based paint hazard risk reduction laws in preventing recurring incidences of lead poisoning in children☆

PubMed Central

Kennedy, Chinaro; Lordo, Robert; Sucosky, Marissa Scalia; Boehm, Rona; Brown, Mary Jean

2016-01-01

Background Despite significant progress made in recent decades in preventing childhood lead poisoning in the United States through the control or elimination of lead sources in the environment, it continues to be an issue in many communities, primarily in low-income communities with a large percentage of deteriorating housing built before the elimination of lead in residential paint. The purpose of this study is to determine whether state laws aimed at preventing childhood lead poisoning are also effective in preventing recurring lead poisoning among children previously poisoned. Methods An evaluation was conducted to determine whether laws in two representative states, Massachusetts and Ohio, have been effective in preventing recurrent lead poisoning among children less than 72 months of age previously poisoned, compared to a representative state (Mississippi) which at the time of the study had yet to develop legislation to prevent childhood lead poisoning. Results Compared to no legislation, unadjusted estimates showed children less than 72 months old, living in Massachusetts, previously identified as being lead poisoned, were 73% less likely to develop recurrent lead poisoning. However, this statistically significant association did not remain after controlling for other confounding variables. We did not find such a significant association when analyzing data from Ohio. Conclusions While findings from unadjusted estimates indicated that state lead laws such as those in Massachusetts may be effective at preventing recurrent lead poisoning among young children, small numbers may have attenuated the power to obtain statistical significance during multivariate analysis. Our findings did not provide evidence that state lead laws, such as those in Ohio, were effective in preventing recurrent lead poisoning among young children. Further studies may be needed to confirm these findings. PMID:26472219

Differences in nutrient requirements imply a non-linear emergence of leaders in animal groups.

PubMed

Sueur, Cédric; Deneubourg, Jean-Louis; Petit, Odile; Couzin, Iain D

2010-09-02

Collective decision making and especially leadership in groups are among the most studied topics in natural, social, and political sciences. Previous studies have shown that some individuals are more likely to be leaders because of their social power or the pertinent information they possess. One challenge for all group members, however, is to satisfy their needs. In many situations, we do not yet know how individuals within groups distribute leadership decisions between themselves in order to satisfy time-varying individual requirements. To gain insight into this problem, we build a dynamic model where group members have to satisfy different needs but are not aware of each other's needs. Data about needs of animals come from real data observed in macaques. Several studies showed that a collective movement may be initiated by a single individual. This individual may be the dominant one, the oldest one, but also the one having the highest physiological needs. In our model, the individual with the lowest reserve initiates movements and decides for all its conspecifics. This simple rule leads to a viable decision-making system where all individuals may lead the group at one moment and thus suit their requirements. However, a single individual becomes the leader in 38% to 95% of cases and the leadership is unequally (according to an exponential law) distributed according to the heterogeneity of needs in the group. The results showed that this non-linearity emerges when one group member reaches physiological requirements, mainly the nutrient ones - protein, energy and water depending on weight - superior to those of its conspecifics. This amplification may explain why some leaders could appear in animal groups without any despotism, complex signalling, or developed cognitive ability.

Cancer treatment decision-making processes for older patients with complex needs: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Bridges, Jackie; Hughes, Jane; Farrington, Naomi; Richardson, Alison

2015-12-14

Although older people can experience complex health and social care needs alongside a primary cancer diagnosis, little is understood about how cancer treatment decisions are made for this population. This study aimed to investigate how cancer treatment decisions are formulated for older people with complex health and social care needs and the factors that shape these processes. Qualitative study involving semistructured interviews and non-participant observations. Framework approach used for data analysis. Breast and colorectal cancer services in five English NHS hospital trusts. Interviews: purposive sample of 22 clinicians directly involved in a face-to-face clinical role with patients regarding cancer treatment and care, maximising variation across clinical roles, tumour types and trusts. purposive sample of five cancer multidisciplinary meetings, maximising variation across location, team size and tumour type. The initial stages of cancer treatment decision-making are team-based, medically dominated and focused on the cancer. For patients with complex health and social care needs that extend beyond cancer pathology, later and less visible stages in the decision-making process are more haphazard and may result in less effective and workable treatment plans, as individual clinicians struggle to devise and deliver these plans without breaching time-based targets. Service targets that focus resources solely on the presenting disease can disadvantage older patients with complex health and social care needs that extend beyond this primary diagnosis. Care should be taken to ensure time-based targets do not disincentivise thorough and timely assessment that can lead to the formulation of treatment plans tailored to individual needs and circumstances. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Time in Science: Reversibility vs. Irreversibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pomeau, Yves

To discuss properly the question of irreversibility one needs to make a careful distinction between reversibility of the equations of motion and the choice of the initial conditions. This is also relevant for the rather confuse philosophy of the wave packet reduction in quantum mechanics. The explanation of this reduction requires also to make precise assumptions on what initial data are accessible in our world. Finally I discuss how a given (and long) time record can be shown in an objective way to record an irreversible or reversible process. Or: can a direction of time be derived from its analysis? This leads quite naturally to examine if there is a possible spontaneous breaking of the time reversal symmetry in many body systems, a symmetry breaking that would be put in evidence objectively by looking at certain specific time correlations.

Navy Ohio Replacement (SSBN[X]) Ballistic Missile Submarine Program: Background and Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-22

time needed for at-sea training operations, restocking SSBNs with food and other consumables, performing maintenance and repair work on the SSBNs, and...during that period will be encumbered by lengthy maintenance actions. The Navy in May 2013 estimated the procurement cost of the lead ship in the...funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base. This report focuses on the Ohio replacement program as a Navy shipbuilding program

Empathetic Leadership in Critical Situations: How Can Leaders Lead with Empathy in Times of Trauma

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

success (Sellnow & Vidollof, 2009). These concepts are not just an improvement methodology, such as Six Sigma, which aims to improve the quality of...process outputs by eliminating the causes of defects (Noreen, 2008). Instead, they are concepts through which a leader improves the way of thinking...Weick & Sutcliffe, 2001). The ways in which they do this should serve as a template for all organizations that need to improve their reliability

The US Response to China’s ASAT Test: An International Security Space Alliance for the Future (Drew Paper Number 8, August 2009)

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-08-01

per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources , gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing...Mastalir examines both that reevalu- ation and those intentions, relying on open- source material, particularly from Chinese strategic and military...identify the leading assumptions necessary to bound the problem. A forensic re- view of open- source Chinese literature—including the spoken and

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality and beyond: the need to improve real-time feedback and physiologic monitoring.

PubMed

Lin, Steve; Scales, Damon C

2016-06-28

High-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has been shown to improve survival outcomes after cardiac arrest. The current standard in studies evaluating CPR quality is to measure CPR process measures-for example, chest compression rate, depth, and fraction. Published studies evaluating CPR feedback devices have yielded mixed results. Newer approaches that seek to optimize CPR by measuring physiological endpoints during the resuscitation may lead to individualized patient care and improved patient outcomes.

Design of an automatic production monitoring system on job shop manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasetyo, Hoedi; Sugiarto, Yohanes; Rosyidi, Cucuk Nur

2018-02-01

Every production process requires monitoring system, so the desired efficiency and productivity can be monitored at any time. This system is also needed in the job shop type of manufacturing which is mainly influenced by the manufacturing lead time. Processing time is one of the factors that affect the manufacturing lead time. In a conventional company, the recording of processing time is done manually by the operator on a sheet of paper. This method is prone to errors. This paper aims to overcome this problem by creating a system which is able to record and monitor the processing time automatically. The solution is realized by utilizing electric current sensor, barcode, RFID, wireless network and windows-based application. An automatic monitoring device is attached to the production machine. It is equipped with a touch screen-LCD so that the operator can use it easily. Operator identity is recorded through RFID which is embedded in his ID card. The workpiece data are collected from the database by scanning the barcode listed on its monitoring sheet. A sensor is mounted on the machine to measure the actual machining time. The system's outputs are actual processing time and machine's capacity information. This system is connected wirelessly to a workshop planning application belongs to the firm. Test results indicated that all functions of the system can run properly. This system successfully enables supervisors, PPIC or higher level management staffs to monitor the processing time quickly with a better accuracy.

Changes of oral sensibility in subjects with partial anterior open bite and the incorrect position of the tongue.

PubMed

Koczorowski, Maciej; Gedrange, Tomasz; Koczorowski, Ryszard

2012-03-20

Neuromuscular disorders lead to an imbalance in the position of the jaw. The aim of this study has been to analyse gnostic sensibility in subjects with partial anterior open bite and the incorrect position of the tongue. The study involved 20 subjects with partial anterior open bite and an incorrect tongue position. The control group consisted of 20 individuals with correct occlusion and tongue position. The basic study method was a stereognostic examination using 4 silicon shapes - a square, triangle, circle and semicircle. The accuracy of shape identification and the time that the subjects needed to identify the shapes were analysed before and after the tip of the tongue was anaesthetized. Results showed that correct identification of the shapes was 7.4% worse in the study group than in the control group and that the difference was greatest when the tip of the tongue was anaesthetized - 28.8%. The time needed to identify the shapes was shorter in the study group than in the control group. The results indicate that people with partial anterior open bite and incorrect tongue position exhibit impaired gnostic sensibility, especially at the tip of the tongue. Impaired gnostic sensibility, which is a symptom of the disturbed sensomotoric correlation of the tongue, leads to the tongue's incorrect position in the process of swallowing and speaking. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

High-throughput screening of hybridoma supernatants using multiplexed fluorescent cell barcoding on live cells.

PubMed

Lu, Mei; Chan, Brian M; Schow, Peter W; Chang, Wesley S; King, Chadwick T

2017-12-01

With current available assay formats using either immobilized protein (ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) or immunostaining of fixed cells for primary monoclonal antibody (mAb) screening, researchers often fail to identify and characterize antibodies that recognize the native conformation of cell-surface antigens. Therefore, screening using live cells has become an integral and important step contributing to the successful identification of therapeutic antibody candidates. Thus the need for developing high-throughput screening (HTS) technologies using live cells has become a major priority for therapeutic mAb discovery and development. We have developed a novel technique called Multiplexed Fluorescent Cell Barcoding (MFCB), a flow cytometry-based method based upon the Fluorescent Cell Barcoding (FCB) technique and the Luminex fluorescent bead array system, but is applicable to high-through mAb screens on live cells. Using this technique in our system, we can simultaneously identify or characterize the antibody-antigen binding of up to nine unique fluorescent labeled cell populations in the time that it would normally take to process a single population. This has significantly reduced the amount of time needed for the identification of potential lead candidates. This new technology enables investigators to conduct large-scale primary hybridoma screens using flow cytometry. This in turn has allowed us to screen antibodies more efficiently than before and streamline identification and characterization of lead molecules. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On long-time instabilities in staggered finite difference simulations of the seismic acoustic wave equations on discontinuous grids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Longfei; Ketcheson, David; Keyes, David

2018-02-01

We consider the long-time instability issue associated with finite difference simulation of seismic acoustic wave equations on discontinuous grids. This issue is exhibited by a prototype algebraic problem abstracted from practical application settings. Analysis of this algebraic problem leads to better understanding of the cause of the instability and provides guidance for its treatment. Specifically, we use the concept of discrete energy to derive the proper solution transfer operators and design an effective way to damp the unstable solution modes. Our investigation shows that the interpolation operators need to be matched with their companion restriction operators in order to properly couple the coarse and fine grids. Moreover, to provide effective damping, specially designed diffusive terms are introduced to the equations at designated locations and discretized with specially designed schemes. These techniques are applied to simulations in practical settings and are shown to lead to superior results in terms of both stability and accuracy.

Fast and Efficient Fragment-Based Lead Generation by Fully Automated Processing and Analysis of Ligand-Observed NMR Binding Data.

PubMed

Peng, Chen; Frommlet, Alexandra; Perez, Manuel; Cobas, Carlos; Blechschmidt, Anke; Dominguez, Santiago; Lingel, Andreas

2016-04-14

NMR binding assays are routinely applied in hit finding and validation during early stages of drug discovery, particularly for fragment-based lead generation. To this end, compound libraries are screened by ligand-observed NMR experiments such as STD, T1ρ, and CPMG to identify molecules interacting with a target. The analysis of a high number of complex spectra is performed largely manually and therefore represents a limiting step in hit generation campaigns. Here we report a novel integrated computational procedure that processes and analyzes ligand-observed proton and fluorine NMR binding data in a fully automated fashion. A performance evaluation comparing automated and manual analysis results on (19)F- and (1)H-detected data sets shows that the program delivers robust, high-confidence hit lists in a fraction of the time needed for manual analysis and greatly facilitates visual inspection of the associated NMR spectra. These features enable considerably higher throughput, the assessment of larger libraries, and shorter turn-around times.

Whispering gallery mode resonators for rapid label-free biosensing in small volume droplets.

PubMed

Wildgen, Sarah M; Dunn, Robert C

2015-03-23

Rapid biosensing requires fast mass transport of the analyte to the surface of the sensing element. To optimize analysis times, both mass transport in solution and the geometry and size of the sensing element need to be considered. Small dielectric spheres, tens of microns in diameter, can act as label-free biosensors using whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonances. WGM resonances are sensitive to the effective refractive index, which changes upon analyte binding to recognition sites on functionalized resonators. The spherical geometry and tens of microns diameter of these resonators provides an efficient target for sensing while their compact size enables detection in limited volumes. Here, we explore conditions leading to rapid analyte detection using WGM resonators as label-free sensors in 10 μL sample droplets. Droplet evaporation leads to potentially useful convective mixing, but also limits the time over which analysis can be completed. We show that active droplet mixing combined with initial binding rate measurements is required for accurate nanomolar protein quantification within the first minute following injection.

Flash flood forecasting using simplified hydrological models, radar rainfall forecasts and data assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, P. J.; Beven, K.; Panziera, L.

2012-04-01

The issuing of timely flood alerts may be dependant upon the ability to predict future values of water level or discharge at locations where observations are available. Catchments at risk of flash flooding often have a rapid natural response time, typically less then the forecast lead time desired for issuing alerts. This work focuses on the provision of short-range (up to 6 hours lead time) predictions of discharge in small catchments based on utilising radar forecasts to drive a hydrological model. An example analysis based upon the Verzasca catchment (Ticino, Switzerland) is presented. Parsimonious time series models with a mechanistic interpretation (so called Data-Based Mechanistic model) have been shown to provide reliable accurate forecasts in many hydrological situations. In this study such a model is developed to predict the discharge at an observed location from observed precipitation data. The model is shown to capture the snow melt response at this site. Observed discharge data is assimilated to improve the forecasts, of up to two hours lead time, that can be generated from observed precipitation. To generate forecasts with greater lead time ensemble precipitation forecasts are utilised. In this study the Nowcasting ORographic precipitation in the Alps (NORA) product outlined in more detail elsewhere (Panziera et al. Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc. 2011; DOI:10.1002/qj.878) is utilised. NORA precipitation forecasts are derived from historical analogues based on the radar field and upper atmospheric conditions. As such, they avoid the need to explicitly model the evolution of the rainfall field through for example Lagrangian diffusion. The uncertainty in the forecasts is represented by characterisation of the joint distribution of the observed discharge, the discharge forecast using the (in operational conditions unknown) future observed precipitation and that forecast utilising the NORA ensembles. Constructing the joint distribution in this way allows the full historic record of data at the site to inform the predictive distribution. It is shown that, in part due to the limited availability of forecasts, the uncertainty in the relationship between the NORA based forecasts and other variates dominated the resulting predictive uncertainty.

Uncertainties in radiation effect predictions for the natural radiation environments of space.

PubMed

McNulty, P J; Stassinopoulos, E G

1994-10-01

Future manned missions beyond low earth orbit require accurate predictions of the risk to astronauts and to critical systems from exposure to ionizing radiation. For low-level exposures, the hazards are dominated by rare single-event phenomena where individual cosmic-ray particles or spallation reactions result in potentially catastrophic changes in critical components. Examples might be a biological lesion leading to cancer in an astronaut or a memory upset leading to an undesired rocket firing. The risks of such events appears to depend on the amount of energy deposited within critical sensitive volumes of biological cells and microelectronic components. The critical environmental information needed to estimate the risks posed by the natural space environments, including solar flares, is the number of times more than a threshold amount of energy for an event will be deposited in the critical microvolumes. These predictions are complicated by uncertainties in the natural environments, particularly the composition of flares, and by the effects of shielding. Microdosimetric data for large numbers of orbits are needed to improve the environmental models and to test the transport codes used to predict event rates.

Cross-Section Measurements in the Fast Neutron Energy Range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plompen, Arjan

2006-04-01

Generation IV focuses research for advanced nuclear reactors on six concepts. Three of these concepts, the lead, gas and sodium fast reactors (LFR, GFR and SFR) have fast neutron spectra, whereas a fourth, the super-critical water reactor (SCWR), can be configured to have a fast spectrum. Such fast neutron spectra are essential to meet the sustainability objective of GenIV. Nuclear data requirements for GenIV concepts will therefore emphasize the energy region from about 1 keV to 10 MeV. Here, the potential is illustrated of the GELINA neutron time-of-flight facility and the Van de Graaff laboratory at IRMM to measure the relevant nuclear data in this energy range: the total, capture, fission and inelastic-scattering cross sections. In particular, measurement results will be shown for lead and bismuth inelastic scattering for which the need was recently expressed in a quantitative way by Aliberti et al. for Accelerator Driven Systems. Even without completion of the quantitative assessment of the data needs for GenIV concepts at ANL it is clear that this particular effort is of relevance to LFR system studies.

Uncertainties in radiation effect predictions for the natural radiation environments of space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcnulty, P. J.; Stassinopoulos, E. G.

1994-01-01

Future manned missions beyond low earth orbit require accurate predictions of the risk to astronauts and to critical systems from exposure to ionizing radiation. For low-level exposures, the hazards are dominated by rare single-event phenomena where individual cosmic-ray particles or spallation reactions result in potentially catastrophic changes in critical components. Examples might be a biological lesion leading to cancer in an astronaut or a memory upset leading to an undesired rocket firing. The risks of such events appears to depend on the amount of energy deposited within critical sensitive volumes of biological cells and microelectronic components. The critical environmental information needed to estimate the risks posed by the natural space environments, including solar flares, is the number of times more than a threshold amount of energy for an event will be deposited in the critical microvolumes. These predictions are complicated by uncertainties in the natural environments, particularly the composition of flares, and by the effects of shielding. Microdosimetric data for large numbers of orbits are needed to improve the environmental models and to test the transport codes used to predict event rates.

High Burden of Subclinical Lead Toxicity after Phase Out of Lead from Petroleum in Pakistan.

PubMed

Majid, Hafsa; Khan, Aysha Habib; Khan, Nadeem Ullah; Siddiqui, Imran; Ghani, Farooq; Jafri, Lena

2017-12-01

To evaluate the frequency of subclinical lead toxicity. Cross-sectional study. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from January 2011 to December 2014. Analysis of laboratory data for blood lead levels (BLL) was performed. Lead was tested by atomic absorption spectrometer. For all subjects, only initial test results were included while the results of repeated testing were excluded. Exemption was sought from institutional ethical review committee. BLL of 2-10 ug/dl and 10-70 ug/dl in children and adults, respectively were taken as subclinical lead toxicity. Amongst the total number of subjects tested (n=524), 26.5% (n=139) were children (<16 years) while rest were adults. Overall median BLLs was 6.4 ug/dl (20.9-3.1). The median BLL was 4 ug/dl (6.7-2.6) in children and 8.3 ug/dl (27.9-3.4) in adults, respectively. The BLL increased with age; higher levels were observed in age range 21-30 years of subjects [median lead level 16.9 ug/dl (36.1-4)] and lower level [4.2 ug/dl (6.8-2.6)] in children with <10 years of age. Only 16% (n=22) children had desirable lead levels while most had either subclinical (76%, n=106) or toxic lead levels (8%, n=11). In adults, (55%, n=212) subjects had desired lead levels, and 40% (n=154) and 4.99% (n=19) had subclinical and toxic lead levels. Presence of subclinical lead poisoning even after phasing out of lead petroleum in Pakistanis is alarming, especially in children. A national population-based study to determine the lead status and targeted intervention to identify potential sources is need of the time.

Economics to make policy by

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

Not Available

1978-01-01

There are 12 members on the Brookings Panel on Economic Activity. The panel convenes three times per year, at which time pertinent economic subjects are discussed and ideas exchanged. The searching debates are part of a unique process that generates the nation's leading journal of applied macroeconomics, Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. With this publication, it is felt that years are cut from the loop that links scholars to the government and industry leaders that need their output. The process, the timeliness of the information, and its impacts are discussed. The journal ''fills a gap between economic research and policymore » activity,'' Courtenay Slater says. (MCW)« less

An exploratory study of temporal integration in the peripheral retina of myopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macedo, Antonio F.; Encarnação, Tito J.; Vilarinho, Daniel; Baptista, António M. G.

2017-08-01

The visual system takes time to respond to visual stimuli, neurons need to accumulate information over a time span in order to fire. Visual information perceived by the peripheral retina might be impaired by imperfect peripheral optics leading to myopia development. This study explored the effect of eccentricity, moderate myopia and peripheral refraction in temporal visual integration. Myopes and emmetropes showed similar performance at detecting briefly flashed stimuli in different retinal locations. Our results show evidence that moderate myopes have normal visual integration when refractive errors are corrected with contact lens; however, the tendency to increased temporal integration thresholds observed in myopes deserves further investigation.

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

Zhou, Quanlin; Oldenburg, Curtis M.; Spangler, Lee H.

Analytical solutions with infinite exponential series are available to calculate the rate of diffusive transfer between low-permeability blocks and high-permeability zones in the subsurface. Truncation of these series is often employed by neglecting the early-time regime. Here in this paper, we present unified-form approximate solutions in which the early-time and the late-time solutions are continuous at a switchover time. The early-time solutions are based on three-term polynomial functions in terms of square root of dimensionless time, with the first coefficient dependent only on the dimensionless area-to-volume ratio. The last two coefficients are either determined analytically for isotropic blocks (e.g., spheresmore » and slabs) or obtained by fitting the exact solutions, and they solely depend on the aspect ratios for rectangular columns and parallelepipeds. For the late-time solutions, only the leading exponential term is needed for isotropic blocks, while a few additional exponential terms are needed for highly anisotropic rectangular blocks. The optimal switchover time is between 0.157 and 0.229, with highest relative approximation error less than 0.2%. The solutions are used to demonstrate the storage of dissolved CO 2 in fractured reservoirs with low-permeability matrix blocks of single and multiple shapes and sizes. These approximate solutions are building blocks for development of analytical and numerical tools for hydraulic, solute, and thermal diffusion processes in low-permeability matrix blocks.« less

Sources of lead exposure in Mexico City

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

Romieu, I.; Palazuelos, E.; Cahero, G.

Many countries, including Mexico, are facing a largely unrecognized epidemic of low-level lead poisoning. Mexico is the sixth largest lead-producing country in the world, and 40% of its production is used locally in different industrial processes that cause lead contamination of the environment. The major sources and pathways of lead exposure among the Mexican population are gasoline emissions, lead-glazed ceramics, leaded paint, and lead in canned foods and beverages. In this paper we present evidence for the presence of lead in different environmental media and its impact on blood lead levels of the Mexican population. Although during the last fewmore » years important measures have been implemented problem in Mexico. There is an urgent need for regulatory policies that implement stricter control to protect the Mexican Population. There is also a need to develop adequate programs to reduce the lead burden and the associated health effects in the population that has been chronically exposed. 37 refs., 1 fig., 8 tabs.« less

Green supply chain: Simulating road traffic congestion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jalal, Muhammad Zulqarnain Hakim Abd; Nawawi, Mohd Kamal Mohd; Laailatul Hanim Mat Desa, Wan; Khalid, Ruzelan; Khalid Abduljabbar, Waleed; Ramli, Razamin

2017-09-01

With the increasing awareness of the consumers about environmental issues, businesses, households and governments increasingly want use green products and services which lead to green supply chain. This paper discusses a simulation study of a selected road traffic system that will contribute to the air pollution if in the congestion state. Road traffic congestion (RTC) can be caused by a temporary obstruction, a permanent capacity bottleneck in the network itself, and stochastic fluctuation in demand within a particular sector of the network, leading to spillback and queue propagation. A discrete-event simulation model is developed to represent the real traffic light control (TLC) system condition during peak hours. Certain performance measures such as average waiting time and queue length were measured using the simulation model. Existing system uses pre-set cycle time to control the light changes which is fixed time cycle. In this research, we test several other combination of pre-set cycle time with the objective to find the best system. In addition, we plan to use a combination of the pre-set cycle time and a proximity sensor which have the authority to manipulate the cycle time of the lights. The sensors work in such situation when the street seems to have less occupied vehicles, obviously it may not need a normal cycle for green light, and automatically change the cycle to street where vehicle is present.

Pelagic habitat visualization: the need for a third (and fourth) dimension: HabitatSpace

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beegle-Krause, C; Vance, Tiffany; Reusser, Debbie; Stuebe, David; Howlett, Eoin

2009-01-01

Habitat in open water is not simply a 2-D to 2.5-D surface such as the ocean bottom or the air-water interface. Rather, pelagic habitat is a 3-D volume of water that can change over time, leading us to the term habitat space. Visualization and analysis in 2-D is well supported with GIS tools, but a new tool was needed for visualization and analysis in four dimensions. Observational data (cruise profiles (x_o, y_o, z, t_o)), numerical circulation model fields (x,y,z,t), and trajectories (larval fish, 4-D line) need to be merged together in a meaningful way for visualization and analysis. As a first step toward this new framework, UNIDATA’s Integrated Data Viewer (IDV) has been used to create a set of tools for habitat analysis in 4-D. IDV was designed for 3-D+time geospatial data in the meteorological community. NetCDF Java^TM libraries allow the tool to read many file formats including remotely located data (e.g. data available via OPeNDAP ). With this project, IDV has been adapted for use in delineating habitat space for multiple fish species in the ocean. The ability to define and visualize boundaries of a water mass, which meets specific biologically relevant criteria (e.g., volume, connectedness, and inter-annual variability) based on model results and observational data, will allow managers to investigate the survival of individual year classes of commercially important fisheries. Better understanding of the survival of these year classes will lead to improved forecasting of fisheries recruitment.

Under the influence with a child in the car: implications for child safety and caregiver intervention.

PubMed

Lawson, Karla A; Yuma-Guerrero, Paula J; von Sternberg, Kirk; Duzinski, Sarah V; Garcia, Nilda M; Brown, Carlos V; Wakefield, Sarah M; Crawford, Natalie M; Velasquez, Mary M; Maxson, R Todd

2011-11-01

Injury is the leading cause of death for those aged 1 year to 44 years in the United States, with motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) the leading cause of injury-related deaths. Little data exist on the relationship between caregiver alcohol and drug use at the time of MVC and child passenger outcomes. We examined the relationship between caregiver substance use in MVCs and a number of demographic, crash severity, and medical outcomes for caregivers and children. We identified family groups treated in the emergency department of a regional Level II trauma center after an MVC in a 1-year period from July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006. The distribution and means of characteristics for substance and nonsubstance users were compared using χ analysis and Student's t tests, respectively. One in 10 vehicles contained an intoxicated caregiver at the time of MVC. In 363 identified caregivers, intoxication was associated with being male (p < 0.001), lack of safety device use (p = 0.003), rollover (p = 0.008), and ejection (p = 0.016). In the 278 family groups, intoxicated caregivers were related to child ejection (p = 0.009), the need for child hospital admission (p < 0.001), and driver intoxication was related to child lack of restraint (p = 0.045). These findings suggest a substantial number of child MVC victims arrive at the emergency room after riding with an intoxicated caregiver. Findings support the need for prevention programs focusing on substance use and driving for male caregivers, and further investigation on the need for screening and intervention for caregivers' risky alcohol and drug use after a child's MVC.

Grid generation and surface modeling for CFD

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connell, Stuart D.; Sober, Janet S.; Lamson, Scott H.

1995-01-01

When computing the flow around complex three dimensional configurations, the generation of the mesh is the most time consuming part of any calculation. With some meshing technologies this can take of the order of a man month or more. The requirement for a number of design iterations coupled with ever decreasing time allocated for design leads to the need for a significant acceleration of this process. Of the two competing approaches, block-structured and unstructured, only the unstructured approach will allow fully automatic mesh generation directly from a CAD model. Using this approach coupled with the techniques described in this paper, it is possible to reduce the mesh generation time from man months to a few hours on a workstation. The desire to closely couple a CFD code with a design or optimization algorithm requires that the changes to the geometry be performed quickly and in a smooth manner. This need for smoothness necessitates the use of Bezier polynomials in place of the more usual NURBS or cubic splines. A two dimensional Bezier polynomial based design system is described.

A High-Order, Time Invariant, Linearized Model for Application to HHCIAFCS Interaction Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Rendy P.; Tischler, Mark B.; Celi, Roberto

2003-01-01

This paper describes a methodology for the extraction of a linear time invariant model from a nonlinear helicopter model, and followed by an examination of the interactions of the Higher Harmonic Control (HHC) and the Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS). This new method includes an embedded harmonic analyzer inside a linear time invariant model, which allows the periodicity of the helicopter response to be captured. The: coupled high-order model provides the needed level of dynamic fidelity to permit an analysis and optimization of the AFCS and HHC loops. Results of this study indicate that the closed-loop HHC system has little influence on the AFCS or on the vehicle handling qualities, which indicates that the AFCS does not need modification to work with the HHC system. The results also show that the vibration response to maneuvers must be considered during the HHC design process, which leads to much higher required HHC loop crossover frequencies. This research also demonstrates that the transient vibration response during maneuvers can be reduced by optimizing the closed-loop higher harmonic control laws using conventional control system analyses.

Steps Toward Optimal Competitive Scheduling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, Jeremy; Crawford, James; Khatib, Lina; Brafman, Ronen

2006-01-01

This paper is concerned with the problem of allocating a unit capacity resource to multiple users within a pre-defined time period. The resource is indivisible, so that at most one user can use it at each time instance. However, different users may use it at different times. The users have independent, se@sh preferences for when and for how long they are allocated this resource. Thus, they value different resource access durations differently, and they value different time slots differently. We seek an optimal allocation schedule for this resource. This problem arises in many institutional settings where, e.g., different departments, agencies, or personal, compete for a single resource. We are particularly motivated by the problem of scheduling NASA's Deep Space Satellite Network (DSN) among different users within NASA. Access to DSN is needed for transmitting data from various space missions to Earth. Each mission has different needs for DSN time, depending on satellite and planetary orbits. Typically, the DSN is over-subscribed, in that not all missions will be allocated as much time as they want. This leads to various inefficiencies - missions spend much time and resource lobbying for their time, often exaggerating their needs. NASA, on the other hand, would like to make optimal use of this resource, ensuring that the good for NASA is maximized. This raises the thorny problem of how to measure the utility to NASA of each allocation. In the typical case, it is difficult for the central agency, NASA in our case, to assess the value of each interval to each user - this is really only known to the users who understand their needs. Thus, our problem is more precisely formulated as follows: find an allocation schedule for the resource that maximizes the sum of users preferences, when the preference values are private information of the users. We bypass this problem by making the assumptions that one can assign money to customers. This assumption is reasonable; a committee is usually in charge of deciding the priority of each mission competing for access to the DSN within a time period while scheduling. Instead, we can assume that the committee assigns a budget to each mission.This paper is concerned with the problem of allocating a unit capacity resource to multiple users within a pre-defined time period. The resource is indivisible, so that at most one user can use it at each time instance. However, different users may use it at different times. The users have independent, se@sh preferences for when and for how long they are allocated this resource. Thus, they value different resource access durations differently, and they value different time slots differently. We seek an optimal allocation schedule for this resource. This problem arises in many institutional settings where, e.g., different departments, agencies, or personal, compete for a single resource. We are particularly motivated by the problem of scheduling NASA's Deep Space Satellite Network (DSN) among different users within NASA. Access to DSN is needed for transmitting data from various space missions to Earth. Each mission has different needs for DSN time, depending on satellite and planetary orbits. Typically, the DSN is over-subscribed, in that not all missions will be allocated as much time as they want. This leads to various inefficiencies - missions spend much time and resource lobbying for their time, often exaggerating their needs. NASA, on the other hand, would like to make optimal use of this resource, ensuring that the good for NASA is maximized. This raises the thorny problem of how to measure the utility to NASA of each allocation. In the typical case, it is difficult for the central agency, NASA in our case, to assess the value of each interval to each user - this is really only known to the users who understand their needs. Thus, our problem is more precisely formulated as follows: find an allocation schedule for the resource that maximizes the sum ofsers preferences, when the preference values are private information of the users. We bypass this problem by making the assumptions that one can assign money to customers. This assumption is reasonable; a committee is usually in charge of deciding the priority of each mission competing for access to the DSN within a time period while scheduling. Instead, we can assume that the committee assigns a budget to each mission.

Cycle time and cost reduction in large-size optics production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallock, Bob; Shorey, Aric; Courtney, Tom

2005-09-01

Optical fabrication process steps have remained largely unchanged for decades. Raw glass blanks have been rough-machined, generated to near net shape, loose abrasive or fine bound diamond ground and then polished. This set of processes is sequential and each subsequent operation removes the damage and micro cracking induced by the prior operational step. One of the long-lead aspects of this process has been the glass polishing. Primarily, this has been driven by the need to remove relatively large volumes of glass material compared to the polishing removal rate to ensure complete damage removal. The secondary time driver has been poor convergence to final figure and the corresponding polish-metrology cycles. The overall cycle time and resultant cost due to labor, equipment utilization and shop efficiency is increased, often significantly, when the optical prescription is aspheric. In addition to the long polishing cycle times, the duration of the polishing time is often very difficult to predict given that current polishing processes are not deterministic processes. This paper will describe a novel approach to large optics finishing, relying on several innovative technologies to be presented and illustrated through a variety of examples. The cycle time reductions enabled by this approach promises to result in significant cost and lead-time reductions for large size optics. In addition, corresponding increases in throughput will provide for less capital expenditure per square meter of optic produced. This process, comparative cycles time estimates and preliminary results will be discussed.

Computational needs survey of NASA automation and robotics missions. Volume 1: Survey and results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Gloria J.

1991-01-01

NASA's operational use of advanced processor technology in space systems lags behind its commercial development by more than eight years. One of the factors contributing to this is that mission computing requirements are frequently unknown, unstated, misrepresented, or simply not available in a timely manner. NASA must provide clear common requirements to make better use of available technology, to cut development lead time on deployable architectures, and to increase the utilization of new technology. A preliminary set of advanced mission computational processing requirements of automation and robotics (A&R) systems are provided for use by NASA, industry, and academic communities. These results were obtained in an assessment of the computational needs of current projects throughout NASA. The high percent of responses indicated a general need for enhanced computational capabilities beyond the currently available 80386 and 68020 processor technology. Because of the need for faster processors and more memory, 90 percent of the polled automation projects have reduced or will reduce the scope of their implementation capabilities. The requirements are presented with respect to their targeted environment, identifying the applications required, system performance levels necessary to support them, and the degree to which they are met with typical programmatic constraints. Volume one includes the survey and results. Volume two contains the appendixes.

Computational needs survey of NASA automation and robotics missions. Volume 2: Appendixes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Gloria J.

1991-01-01

NASA's operational use of advanced processor technology in space systems lags behind its commercial development by more than eight years. One of the factors contributing to this is the fact that mission computing requirements are frequency unknown, unstated, misrepresented, or simply not available in a timely manner. NASA must provide clear common requirements to make better use of available technology, to cut development lead time on deployable architectures, and to increase the utilization of new technology. Here, NASA, industry and academic communities are provided with a preliminary set of advanced mission computational processing requirements of automation and robotics (A and R) systems. The results were obtained in an assessment of the computational needs of current projects throughout NASA. The high percent of responses indicated a general need for enhanced computational capabilities beyond the currently available 80386 and 68020 processor technology. Because of the need for faster processors and more memory, 90 percent of the polled automation projects have reduced or will reduce the scope of their implemented capabilities. The requirements are presented with respect to their targeted environment, identifying the applications required, system performance levels necessary to support them, and the degree to which they are met with typical programmatic constraints. Here, appendixes are provided.

Wholesale electricity market design with increasing levels of renewable generation: Revenue sufficiency and long-term reliability

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

Milligan, Michael; Frew, Bethany A.; Bloom, Aaron

This paper discusses challenges that relate to assessing and properly incentivizing the resources necessary to ensure a reliable electricity system with growing penetrations of variable generation (VG). The output of VG (primarily wind and solar generation) varies over time and cannot be predicted precisely. Therefore, the energy from VG is not always guaranteed to be available at times when it is most needed. This means that its contribution towards resource adequacy can be significantly less than the contribution from traditional resources. Variable renewable resources also have near-zero variable costs, and with production-based subsidies they may even have negative offer costs.more » Because variable costs drive the spot price of energy, this can lead to reduced prices, sales, and therefore revenue for all resources within the energy market. The characteristics of VG can also result in increased price volatility as well as the need for more flexibility in the resource fleet in order to maintain system reliability. We explore both traditional and evolving electricity market designs in the United States that aim to ensure resource adequacy and sufficient revenues to recover costs when those resources are needed for longterm reliability. We also investigate how reliability needs may be evolving and discuss how VG may affect future electricity market designs« less

Community Coordinated Modeling Center: Addressing Needs of Operational Space Weather Forecasting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuznetsova, M.; Maddox, M.; Pulkkinen, A.; Hesse, M.; Rastaetter, L.; Macneice, P.; Taktakishvili, A.; Berrios, D.; Chulaki, A.; Zheng, Y.;

Estimating adolescent sleep need using dose-response modeling.

PubMed

Short, Michelle A; Weber, Nathan; Reynolds, Chelsea; Coussens, Scott; Carskadon, Mary A

2018-04-01

This study will (1) estimate the nightly sleep need of human adolescents, (2) determine the time course and severity of sleep-related deficits when sleep is reduced below this optimal quantity, and (3) determine whether sleep restriction perturbs the circadian system as well as the sleep homeostat. Thirty-four adolescents aged 15 to 17 years spent 10 days and nine nights in the sleep laboratory. Between two baseline nights and two recovery nights with 10 hours' time in bed (TIB) per night, participants experienced either severe sleep restriction (5-hour TIB), moderate sleep restriction (7.5-hour TIB), or no sleep restriction (10-hour TIB) for five nights. A 10-minute psychomotor vigilance task (PVT; lapse = response after 500 ms) and the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale were administered every 3 hours during wake. Salivary dim-light melatonin onset was calculated at baseline and after four nights of each sleep dose to estimate circadian phase. Dose-dependent deficits to sleep duration, circadian phase timing, lapses of attention, and subjective sleepiness occurred. Less TIB resulted in less sleep, more lapses of attention, greater subjective sleepiness, and larger circadian phase delays. Sleep need estimated from 10-hour TIB sleep opportunities was approximately 9 hours, while modeling PVT lapse data suggested that 9.35 hours of sleep is needed to maintain optimal sustained attention performance. Sleep restriction perturbs homeostatic and circadian systems, leading to dose-dependent deficits to sustained attention and sleepiness. Adolescents require more sleep for optimal functioning than typically obtained.

Feasibility of the Dutch ICF Activity Inventory: a pilot study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Demographic ageing will lead to increasing pressure on visual rehabilitation services, which need to be efficiently organised in the near future. The Dutch ICF Activity Inventory (D-AI) was developed to assess the rehabilitation needs of visually impaired persons. This pilot study tests the feasibility of the D-AI using a computer-assisted telephone interview. Methods In addition to the regular intake, the first version of the D-AI was assessed in 20 patients. Subsequently, patients and intake assessors were asked to fill in an evaluation form. Based on these evaluations, a new version of the D-AI was developed. Results Mean administration time of the D-AI was 88.8 (± 41.0) minutes. Overall, patients and assessors were positive about the D-AI assessment. However, professionals and 60% of the patients found the administration time to be too long. All included items were considered relevant and only minor adjustments were recommended. Conclusion The systematic character of the revised D-AI will prevent topics from being overlooked and indicate which needs have the highest priority from a patient-centred perspective. Moreover, ongoing assessment of the D-AI will enhance evaluation of the rehabilitation process. To decrease administration time, in the revised D-AI only the top priority goals will be fully assessed. Using the D-AI, a rehabilitation plan based on individual needs can be developed for each patient. Moreover, it enables better evaluation of the effects of rehabilitation. A larger validation study is planned. PMID:21110871

Lumenless pacing leads: performance and extraction in pediatrics and congenital heart disease.

PubMed

Garnreiter, Jason; Whitaker, Patricia; Pilcher, Thomas; Etheridge, Susan; Saarel, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Pediatric and congenital heart disease (CHD) patients requiring permanent pacing present unique challenges, including need for long duration of implant, small size, and structural abnormalities. We report 6 years of experience with a novel 4.1-Fr lumenless pacing lead (model 3830, Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) in this population. Retrospective review of M3830 leads implanted at a pediatric center from 2005 to 2011. Data were compared to a population with a conventional pacing lead (model 1488, St. Jude Medical Inc., St. Paul, MN, USA). A total of 193 patients with 198 model 3830 leads (125 atrial, 73 ventricular) were enrolled. CHD was present in 121 (63%). Age and weight at implant were 16.6 ± 8.5 years and 51.7 ± 23.5 kg, respectively. Length of follow-up was 26 ± 19 months (range 0-73). At implant, mean sensing and capture thresholds were good and remained stable over time. There were no significant differences in electrical performance compared to 101 leads in the comparison group. Implant complications were rare. Follow-up complications occurred in 4% of the M3830 leads and 16% of M1488 leads. Eleven M3830 leads required extraction. All were extracted without complications using only manual traction. There were three deaths in each group. One death in the M1488 group occurred during lead extraction. No other deaths were lead related. During up to 6 years of use in pediatric and CHD patients, the M3830 lead has demonstrated excellent efficacy, a low rate of complications, and straightforward extractability relative to traditional pacing leads. ©2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The magnetic lead field theorem in the quasi-static approximation and its use for magnetoencephalography forward calculation in realistic volume conductors.

PubMed

Nolte, Guido

2003-11-21

The equation for the magnetic lead field for a given magnetoencephalography (MEG) channel is well known for arbitrary frequencies omega but is not directly applicable to MEG in the quasi-static approximation. In this paper we derive an equation for omega = 0 starting from the very definition of the lead field instead of using Helmholtz's reciprocity theorems. The results are (a) the transpose of the conductivity times the lead field is divergence-free, and (b) the lead field differs from the one in any other volume conductor by a gradient of a scalar function. Consequently, for a piecewise homogeneous and isotropic volume conductor, the lead field is always tangential at the outermost surface. Based on this theoretical result, we formulated a simple and fast method for the MEG forward calculation for one shell of arbitrary shape: we correct the corresponding lead field for a spherical volume conductor by a superposition of basis functions, gradients of harmonic functions constructed here from spherical harmonics, with coefficients fitted to the boundary conditions. The algorithm was tested for a prolate spheroid of realistic shape for which the analytical solution is known. For high order in the expansion, we found the solutions to be essentially exact and for reasonable accuracies much fewer multiplications are needed than in typical implementations of the boundary element methods. The generalization to more shells is straightforward.

Post-processing of global model output to forecast point rainfall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hewson, Tim; Pillosu, Fatima

2016-04-01

ECMWF (the European Centre for Medium range Weather Forecasts) has recently embarked upon a new project to post-process gridbox rainfall forecasts from its ensemble prediction system, to provide probabilistic forecasts of point rainfall. The new post-processing strategy relies on understanding how different rainfall generation mechanisms lead to different degrees of sub-grid variability in rainfall totals. We use a number of simple global model parameters, such as the convective rainfall fraction, to anticipate the sub-grid variability, and then post-process each ensemble forecast into a pdf (probability density function) for a point-rainfall total. The final forecast will comprise the sum of the different pdfs from all ensemble members. The post-processing is essentially a re-calibration exercise, which needs only rainfall totals from standard global reporting stations (and forecasts) to train it. High density observations are not needed. This presentation will describe results from the initial 'proof of concept' study, which has been remarkably successful. Reference will also be made to other useful outcomes of the work, such as gaining insights into systematic model biases in different synoptic settings. The special case of orographic rainfall will also be discussed. Work ongoing this year will also be described. This involves further investigations of which model parameters can provide predictive skill, and will then move on to development of an operational system for predicting point rainfall across the globe. The main practical benefit of this system will be a greatly improved capacity to predict extreme point rainfall, and thereby provide early warnings, for the whole world, of flash flood potential for lead times that extend beyond day 5. This will be incorporated into the suite of products output by GLOFAS (the GLObal Flood Awareness System) which is hosted at ECMWF. As such this work offers a very cost-effective approach to satisfying user needs right around the world. This field has hitherto relied on using very expensive high-resolution ensembles; by their very nature these can only run over small regions, and only for lead times up to about 2 days.

Improving seasonal forecasts of hydroclimatic variables through the state of multiple large-scale climate signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castelletti, A.; Giuliani, M.; Block, P. J.

2017-12-01

Increasingly uncertain hydrologic regimes combined with more frequent and intense extreme events are challenging water systems management worldwide, emphasizing the need of accurate medium- to long-term predictions to timely prompt anticipatory operations. Despite modern forecasts are skillful over short lead time (from hours to days), predictability generally tends to decrease on longer lead times. Global climate teleconnection, such as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), may contribute in extending forecast lead times. However, ENSO teleconnection is well defined in some locations, such as Western USA and Australia, while there is no consensus on how it can be detected and used in other regions, particularly in Europe, Africa, and Asia. In this work, we generalize the Niño Index Phase Analysis (NIPA) framework by contributing the Multi Variate Niño Index Phase Analysis (MV-NIPA), which allows capturing the state of multiple large-scale climate signals (i.e. ENSO, North Atlantic Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation, Indian Ocean Dipole) to forecast hydroclimatic variables on a seasonal time scale. Specifically, our approach distinguishes the different phases of the considered climate signals and, for each phase, identifies relevant anomalies in Sea Surface Temperature (SST) that influence the local hydrologic conditions. The potential of the MV-NIPA framework is demonstrated through an application to the Lake Como system, a regulated lake in northern Italy which is mainly operated for flood control and irrigation supply. Numerical results show high correlations between seasonal SST values and one season-ahead precipitation in the Lake Como basin. The skill of the resulting MV-NIPA forecast outperforms the one of ECMWF products. This information represents a valuable contribution to partially anticipate the summer water availability, especially during drought events, ultimately supporting the improvement of the Lake Como operations.

Ultra-Low Heat-Leak, High-Temperature Superconducting Current Leads for Space Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rey, Christopher M.

2013-01-01

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has a need for current leads used in an adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) for space applications. These leads must comply with stringent requirements such as a heat leak of approximately 100 W or less while conducting up to 10 A of electric current, from more than 90 K down to 10 K. Additionally, a length constraint of < 300 mm length and < 50 mm diameter is to be maintained. The need for these current leads was addressed by developing a superconducting hybrid lead. This hybrid lead comprises two different high-temperature superconducting (HTS) conductors bonded together at a thermally and electrically determined optimum point along the length of the current lead. By taking advantage of material properties of each conductor type, employing advanced fabrication techniques, and taking advantage of novel insulation materials, the company was able to develop and fabricate the lightweight, low heat-leak leads currently to NASA's specs.

Influence of dispatching rules on average production lead time for multi-stage production systems.

PubMed

Hübl, Alexander; Jodlbauer, Herbert; Altendorfer, Klaus

2013-08-01

In this paper the influence of different dispatching rules on the average production lead time is investigated. Two theorems based on covariance between processing time and production lead time are formulated and proved theoretically. Theorem 1 links the average production lead time to the "processing time weighted production lead time" for the multi-stage production systems analytically. The influence of different dispatching rules on average lead time, which is well known from simulation and empirical studies, can be proved theoretically in Theorem 2 for a single stage production system. A simulation study is conducted to gain more insight into the influence of dispatching rules on average production lead time in a multi-stage production system. We find that the "processing time weighted average production lead time" for a multi-stage production system is not invariant of the applied dispatching rule and can be used as a dispatching rule independent indicator for single-stage production systems.

Mask CD relationship to temperature at the time backscatter is received

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zable, Harold; Kronmiller, Tom; Pearman, Ryan; Guthrie, Bill; Shirali, Nagesh; Masuda, Yukihiro; Kamikubo, Takashi; Nakayamada, Noriaki; Fujimura, Aki

2017-07-01

Mask writers need to be able to write sub-50nm features accurately. Nano-imprint lithography (NIL) masters need to create sub-20nm line and space (L:S) patterns reliably. Increasingly slower resists are deployed, but mask write times need to remain reasonable. The leading edge EBM-9500 offers 1200A/cm2 current density to shoot variable shaped beam (VSB) to write the masks. Last year, thermal effect correction (TEC) was introduced by NuFlare in the EBM-95001. It is a GPU-accelerated inline correction for the effect that the temperature of the resist has on CD. For example, a 100nm CD may print at 102nm where that area was at a comparably high temperature at the time of the shot. Since thermal effect is a temporal effect, the simulated temperature of the surface of the mask is dynamically updated for the effect of each shot in order to accurately predict the cumulative effect that is the temperature at the location of the shot at the time of the shot and therefore its impact on CD. The shot dose is changed to reverse the effects of the temperature change. This paper for the first time reveals an enhancement to this thermal model and a simulator for it. It turns out that the temperature at the time each location receives backscatter from other shots also make a difference to the CD. The effect is secondary, but still measurable for some resists and substrates. Results of a test-chip study will be presented. The computation required for the backscatter effect is substantial. It has been demonstrated that this calculation can be performed fast enough to be inline with the EBM-9500 with a reasonable-sized computing platform. Run-time results and the computing architecture will be presented.

Enhanced Precision Time Synchronization for Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Cho, Hyuntae; Kim, Jongdeok; Baek, Yunju

2011-01-01

Time synchronization in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is a fundamental issue for the coordination of distributed entities and events. Nondeterministic latency, which may decrease the accuracy and precision of time synchronization can occur at any point in the network layers. Specially, random back-off by channel contention leads to a large uncertainty. In order to reduce the large nondeterministic uncertainty from channel contention, we propose an enhanced precision time synchronization protocol in this paper. The proposed method reduces the traffic needed for the synchronization procedure by selectively forwarding the packet. Furthermore, the time difference between sensor nodes increases as time advances because of the use of a clock source with a cheap crystal oscillator. In addition, we provide a means to maintain accurate time by adopting hardware-assisted time stamp and drift correction. Experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method, for which sensor nodes are designed and implemented. According to the evaluation results, the performance of the proposed method is better than that of a traditional time synchronization protocol. PMID:22164035

Enhanced precision time synchronization for wireless sensor networks.

PubMed

Cho, Hyuntae; Kim, Jongdeok; Baek, Yunju

2011-01-01

Time synchronization in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is a fundamental issue for the coordination of distributed entities and events. Nondeterministic latency, which may decrease the accuracy and precision of time synchronization can occur at any point in the network layers. Specially, random back-off by channel contention leads to a large uncertainty. In order to reduce the large nondeterministic uncertainty from channel contention, we propose an enhanced precision time synchronization protocol in this paper. The proposed method reduces the traffic needed for the synchronization procedure by selectively forwarding the packet. Furthermore, the time difference between sensor nodes increases as time advances because of the use of a clock source with a cheap crystal oscillator. In addition, we provide a means to maintain accurate time by adopting hardware-assisted time stamp and drift correction. Experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method, for which sensor nodes are designed and implemented. According to the evaluation results, the performance of the proposed method is better than that of a traditional time synchronization protocol.

Wisconsin Technical College Presidential Perspectives on Leading Organizational Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borowicz, Laurie S.

2012-01-01

This qualitative study examines leadership perceptions of attributes needed for effectively leading organizations within and through change. Current change forces substantiate the need for higher educational institutions to change in order to fulfill their missions. Creating a culture of organizational change presents a leadership challenge. The…

Exploration Life Support Overview and Benefits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chambliss, Joe P.

2007-01-01

NASA s Exploration Life Support (ELS) Project is providing technology development to address air, water and waste product handling for future exploration vehicles. Existing life support technology and processes need to improve to enable exploration vehicles to meet mission goals. The weight, volume, power and thermal control required, reliability, crew time and life cycle cost are the primary targets for ELS technology development improvements. An overview of the ELS technologies being developed leads into an evaluation of the benefits the ELS technology developments offer.

Healthcare knowledge management through building and operationalising healthcare enterprise memory.

PubMed

Cheah, Y N; Abidi, S S

1999-01-01

In this paper we suggest that the healthcare enterprise needs to be more conscious of its vast knowledge resources vis-à-vis the exploitation of knowledge management techniques to efficiently manage its knowledge. The development of healthcare enterprise memory is suggested as a solution, together with a novel approach advocating the operationalisation of healthcare enterprise memories leading to the modelling of healthcare processes for strategic planning. As an example, we present a simulation of Service Delivery Time in a hospital's OPD.

Advancements in medicine from aerospace research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wooten, F. T.

1971-01-01

NASA has taken the lead in implementing the concept of technology utilization, and the Technology Utilization Program is the first vital step in the goal of a technological society to insure maximum benefit from the costs of technology. Experience has shown that the active approach to technology transfer is unique and is well received in the medical profession when appropriate problems are tackled. The problem solving approach is a useful one at the precise time when medicine is recognizing the need for new technology.

An unusual case of isolated sixth cranial nerve palsy in leprosy.

PubMed

Vaishampayan, Sanjeev; Borde, Priyanka

2012-08-15

Cranial nerve involvement is not common in leprosy. The fifth and seventh cranial nerves are the most commonly affected in leprosy. Herein we present a patient with Hansen disease (BL) with type I reaction who developed isolated involvement of the sixth cranial nerve leading to lateral rectus muscle palsy. He responded to timely anti-reactional therapy and it produced a good response. Careful observation of patients with lepra reaction is needed to avoid damage to important organs.

Angular-contact ball-bearing internal load estimation algorithm using runtime adaptive relaxation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medina, H.; Mutu, R.

2017-07-01

An algorithm to estimate internal loads for single-row angular contact ball bearings due to externally applied thrust loads and high-operating speeds is presented. A new runtime adaptive relaxation procedure and blending function is proposed which ensures algorithm stability whilst also reducing the number of iterations needed to reach convergence, leading to an average reduction in computation time in excess of approximately 80%. The model is validated based on a 218 angular contact bearing and shows excellent agreement compared to published results.

The next generation Internet and health care: a civics lesson for the informatics community.

PubMed

Shortliffe, E H

1998-01-01

The Internet provides one of the most compelling examples of the way in which government research investments can, in time, lead to innovations of broad social and economic impact. This paper reviews the history of the Internet's evolution, emphasizing in particular its relationship to medical informatics and to the nation's health-care system. Current national research programs are summarized and the need for more involvement by the informatics community and by federal health-care agencies is emphasized.

Principles and the search for moral certainty.

PubMed

Churchill, L R; Simán, J J

1986-01-01

In medical ethics, principles have an important but frequently overextended role. The need for exact answers and moral formulae sometimes leads to the misuse of principles, such that they usurp the central place of persons and become ends in themselves. The Baby Jane Doe case is discussed as a prominent instance of both the proper uses and abuses of principles. A more fitting role for principles is described and illustrated, stressing the use of principles as tools of moral discernment and the time-laden character of moral judgments.

Do you know who's who in your EHR?

PubMed

Just, Beth Haenke; Proffitt, Karen

2009-08-01

Overlay and duplicate records pose a particularly insidious problem today for healthcare organizations--and pediatric hospitals in particular--that are introducing new information systems or upgrading their existing systems. Such erroneous records can be costly and time-consuming to identify and correct, and can lead to lost reimbursement and compromised quality of care. To address the problem, senior financial leaders need to recognize the critical importance of data integrity and take steps to ensure that the people and processes are in place to establish and maintain it.

Mass defect effects in atomic clocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yudin, Valeriy; Taichenachev, Alexey

2018-03-01

We consider some implications of the mass defect on the frequency of atomic transitions. We have found that some well-known frequency shifts (the gravitational shift and motion-induced shifts such as quadratic Doppler and micromotion shifts) can be interpreted as consequences of the mass defect in quantum atomic physics, i.e. without the need for the concept of time dilation used in special and general relativity theories. Moreover, we show that the inclusion of the mass defect leads to previously unknown shifts for clocks based on trapped ions.

Periodontology in the age of inflammation: a changing landscape.

PubMed

Cochran, David

2009-01-01

It has been known for some time that relationships exist between periodontal disease and other medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Recent research is demonstrating that periodontal disease is the result of host inflammatory reaction to bacterial infection. This conceptual paradigm shift has lead to renewed need to educate patients about the importance of oral health and to collaborations with medical colleagues through consensus conferences where the results of emerging research are translated into practice guidelines.

The next generation Internet and health care: a civics lesson for the informatics community.

PubMed Central

Shortliffe, E. H.

1998-01-01

The Internet provides one of the most compelling examples of the way in which government research investments can, in time, lead to innovations of broad social and economic impact. This paper reviews the history of the Internet's evolution, emphasizing in particular its relationship to medical informatics and to the nation's health-care system. Current national research programs are summarized and the need for more involvement by the informatics community and by federal health-care agencies is emphasized. PMID:9929176

An autonomous organic reaction search engine for chemical reactivity.

PubMed

Dragone, Vincenza; Sans, Victor; Henson, Alon B; Granda, Jaroslaw M; Cronin, Leroy

2017-06-09

The exploration of chemical space for new reactivity, reactions and molecules is limited by the need for separate work-up-separation steps searching for molecules rather than reactivity. Herein we present a system that can autonomously evaluate chemical reactivity within a network of 64 possible reaction combinations and aims for new reactivity, rather than a predefined set of targets. The robotic system combines chemical handling, in-line spectroscopy and real-time feedback and analysis with an algorithm that is able to distinguish and select the most reactive pathways, generating a reaction selection index (RSI) without need for separate work-up or purification steps. This allows the automatic navigation of a chemical network, leading to previously unreported molecules while needing only to do a fraction of the total possible reactions without any prior knowledge of the chemistry. We show the RSI correlates with reactivity and is able to search chemical space using the most reactive pathways.

Safety and governance issues for neonatal transport services.

PubMed

Ratnavel, Nandiran

2009-08-01

Neonatal transport is a subspecialty within the field of neonatology. Transport services are developing rapidly in the United Kingdom (UK) with network demographics and funding patterns leading to a broad spectrum of service provision. Applying principles of clinical governance and safety to such a diverse landscape of transport services is challenging but finally receiving much needed attention. To understand issues of risk management associated with this branch of retrieval medicine one needs to look at the infrastructure of transport teams, arrangements for governance, risk identification, incident reporting, feedback and learning from experience. One also needs to look at audit processes, training, communication and ways of team working. Adherence to current recommendations for equipment and vehicle design are vital. The national picture for neonatal transport is evolving. This is an excellent time to start benchmarking and sharing best practice with a view to optimising safety and reducing risk.

An autonomous organic reaction search engine for chemical reactivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dragone, Vincenza; Sans, Victor; Henson, Alon B.; Granda, Jaroslaw M.; Cronin, Leroy

2017-06-01

The exploration of chemical space for new reactivity, reactions and molecules is limited by the need for separate work-up-separation steps searching for molecules rather than reactivity. Herein we present a system that can autonomously evaluate chemical reactivity within a network of 64 possible reaction combinations and aims for new reactivity, rather than a predefined set of targets. The robotic system combines chemical handling, in-line spectroscopy and real-time feedback and analysis with an algorithm that is able to distinguish and select the most reactive pathways, generating a reaction selection index (RSI) without need for separate work-up or purification steps. This allows the automatic navigation of a chemical network, leading to previously unreported molecules while needing only to do a fraction of the total possible reactions without any prior knowledge of the chemistry. We show the RSI correlates with reactivity and is able to search chemical space using the most reactive pathways.

What Preparatory Science is Needed in Coronal Structure and Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antiochos, S. K.

2011-01-01

Solar Orbiter and Solar Probe Plus will launch in six short years! Before then, we need to accomplish a great deal of science in order to be able to maximize the return of these missions. Preparatory science is especially important for exploratory missions such as SO and SPP, because they truly will be going "where no mission has gone before". Such preparatory science may include all types of research: theory, modeling, data exploitation, and supporting observations. This meeting provides an opportunity for the community to define and begin this critical preparatory work. In this talk I will provide an overview of our state of knowledge in coronal structure and activity, describe what I believe are the most promising opportunities for advances by SO and SPP, and lead a discussion on what programs need to be implemented now in order to achieve these science advances by the time SO and SPP launch.

An autonomous organic reaction search engine for chemical reactivity

PubMed Central

Dragone, Vincenza; Sans, Victor; Henson, Alon B.; Granda, Jaroslaw M.; Cronin, Leroy

2017-01-01

The exploration of chemical space for new reactivity, reactions and molecules is limited by the need for separate work-up-separation steps searching for molecules rather than reactivity. Herein we present a system that can autonomously evaluate chemical reactivity within a network of 64 possible reaction combinations and aims for new reactivity, rather than a predefined set of targets. The robotic system combines chemical handling, in-line spectroscopy and real-time feedback and analysis with an algorithm that is able to distinguish and select the most reactive pathways, generating a reaction selection index (RSI) without need for separate work-up or purification steps. This allows the automatic navigation of a chemical network, leading to previously unreported molecules while needing only to do a fraction of the total possible reactions without any prior knowledge of the chemistry. We show the RSI correlates with reactivity and is able to search chemical space using the most reactive pathways. PMID:28598440

Atomic Data for Stellar Astrophysics: from the UV to the IR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wahlgren, Glenn M.

2011-01-01

The study of stars and stellar evolution relies heavily on the analysis of stellar spectra. The need for atomic line data from the ultraviolet (UV) to the infrared (lR) regions is greater now than ever. In the past twenty years, the time since the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, great progress has been made in acquiring atomic data for UV transitions. The optical wavelength region, now expanded by progress in detector technology, continues to provide motivation for new atomic data. In addition, investments in new instrumentation for ground-based and space observatories has lead to the availability of high-quality spectra at IR wavelengths, where the need for atomic data is most critical. In this review, examples are provided of the progress made in generating atomic data for stellar studies, with a look to the future for addressing the accuracy and completeness of atomic data for anticipated needs.

Magnetic resonance-transcranial ultrasound fusion imaging: A novel tool for brain electrode location.

PubMed

Walter, Uwe; Müller, Jan-Uwe; Rösche, Johannes; Kirsch, Michael; Grossmann, Annette; Benecke, Reiner; Wittstock, Matthias; Wolters, Alexander

2016-03-01

A combination of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with real-time transcranial ultrasound, known as fusion imaging, may improve postoperative control of deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrode location. Fusion imaging, however, employs a weak magnetic field for tracking the position of the ultrasound transducer and the patient's head. Here we assessed its feasibility, safety, and clinical relevance in patients with DBS. Eighteen imaging sessions were conducted in 15 patients (7 women; aged 52.4 ± 14.4 y) with DBS of subthalamic nucleus (n = 6), globus pallidus interna (n = 5), ventro-intermediate (n = 3), or anterior (n = 1) thalamic nucleus and clinically suspected lead displacement. Minimum distance between DBS generator and magnetic field transmitter was kept at 65 cm. The pre-implantation MRI dataset was loaded into the ultrasound system for the fusion imaging examination. The DBS lead position was rated using validated criteria. Generator DBS parameters and neurological state of patients were monitored. Magnetic resonance-ultrasound fusion imaging and volume navigation were feasible in all cases and provided with real-time imaging capabilities of DBS lead and its location within the superimposed magnetic resonance images. Of 35 assessed lead locations, 30 were rated optimal, three suboptimal, and two displaced. In two cases, electrodes were re-implanted after confirming their inappropriate location on computed tomography (CT) scan. No influence of fusion imaging on clinical state of patients, or on DBS implantable pulse generator function, was found. Magnetic resonance-ultrasound real-time fusion imaging of DBS electrodes is safe with distinct precautions and improves assessment of electrode location. It may lower the need for repeated CT or MRI scans in DBS patients. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Age-associated changes in obstacle negotiation strategies: Does size and timing matter?

PubMed

Maidan, I; Eyal, S; Kurz, I; Geffen, N; Gazit, E; Ravid, L; Giladi, N; Mirelman, A; Hausdorff, J M

2018-01-01

Tripping over an obstacle is one of the most common causes of falls among older adults. However, the effects of aging, obstacle height and anticipation time on negotiation strategies have not been systematically evaluated. Twenty older adults (ages: 77.7±3.4years; 50% women) and twenty young adults (age: 29.3±3.8years; 50% women) walked through an obstacle course while negotiating anticipated and unanticipated obstacles at heights of 25mm and 75mm. Kinect cameras captured the: (1) distance of the subject's trailing foot before the obstacles, (2) distance of the leading foot after the obstacles, (3) clearance of the leading foot above the obstacles, and (4) clearance of the trailing foot above the obstacles. Linear-mix models assessed changes between groups and conditions. Older adults placed their leading foot closer to the obstacle after landing, compared to young adults (p<0.001). This pattern was enhanced in high obstacles (group*height interaction, p=0.033). Older adults had lower clearance over the obstacles, compared to young adults (p=0.007). This was more pronounced during unanticipated obstacles (group*ART interaction, p=0.003). The distance of the leading foot and clearance of the trailing foot after the obstacles were correlated with motor, cognitive, and functional abilities. These findings suggest that there are age-related changes in obstacle crossing strategies that are dependent on the specific characteristics of the obstacle. The results have important implications for clinical practice, suggesting that functional exercise should include obstacle negotiation training with variable practice of height and available response times. Further studies are needed to better understand the effects of motor and cognitive abilities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Using Lean methodologies to streamline processing of requests for durable medical equipment and supplies for children with complex conditions.

PubMed

Fields, Elise; Neogi, Smriti; Schoettker, Pamela J; Lail, Jennifer

2017-12-12

An improvement team from the Complex Care Center at our large pediatric medical center participated in a 60-day initiative to use Lean methodologies to standardize their processes, eliminate waste and improve the timely and reliable provision of durable medical equipment and supplies. The team used value stream mapping to identify processes needing improvement. Improvement activities addressed the initial processing of a request, provider signature on the form, returning the form to the sender, and uploading the completed documents to the electronic medical record. Data on lead time (time between receiving a request and sending the completed request to the Health Information Management department) and process time (amount of time the staff worked on the request) were collected via manual pre- and post-time studies. Following implementation of interventions, the median lead time for processing durable medical equipment and supply requests decreased from 50 days to 3 days (p < 0.0001). Median processing time decreased from 14min to 9min (p < 0.0001). The decrease in processing time realized annual cost savings of approximately $11,000. Collaborative leadership and multidisciplinary training in Lean methods allowed the CCC staff to incorporate common sense, standardize practices, and adapt their work environment to improve the timely and reliable provision of equipment and supplies that are essential for their patients. The application of Lean methodologies to processing requests for DME and supplies could also result in a natural spread to other paperwork and requests, thus avoiding delays and potential risk for clinical instability or deterioration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Complete exchange on the iPSC-860

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bokhari, Shahid H.

1991-01-01

The implementation of complete exchange on the circuit switched Intel iPSC-860 hypercube is described. This pattern, also known as all-to-all personalized communication, is the densest requirement that can be imposed on a network. On the iPSC-860, care needs to be taken to avoid edge contention, which can have a disastrous impact on communication time. There are basically two classes of algorithms that achieve contention-free complete exchange. The first contains the classical standard exchange algorithm that is generally useful for small message sizes. The second includes a number of optimal or near-optimal algorithms that are best for large messages. Measurement of communication overhead on the iPSC-860 are given and a notation for analyzing communication link usage is developed. It is shown that for the two classes of algorithms, there is substantial variation in performance with synchronization technique and choice of message protocol. Timings of six implementations are given; each of these is useful over a particular range of message size and cube dimension. Since the complete exchange is a superset of communication patterns, these timings represent upper bounds on the time required by an arbitrary communication requirement. These results indicate that the programmer needs to evaluate several possibilities before finalizing an implementation - a careful choice can lead to very significant savings in time.

Numerical Issues Associated with Compensating and Competing Processes in Climate Models: an Example from ECHAM-HAM

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

Wan, Hui; Rasch, Philip J.; Zhang, Kai

2013-06-26

The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the need for appropriate numerical techniques to represent process interactions in climate models. In two versions of the ECHAM-HAM model, different time integration methods are used to solve the sulfuric acid (H2SO4) gas evolution equation, which lead to substantially different results in the H2SO4 gas concentration and the aerosol nucleation rate. Using convergence tests and sensitivity simulations performed with various time stepping schemes, it is confirmed that numerical errors in the second model version are significantly smaller than those in version one. The use of sequential operator splitting in combinationmore » with long time step is identified as the main reason for the large systematic biases in the old model. The remaining errors in version two in the nucleation rate, related to the competition between condensation and nucleation, have a clear impact on the simulated concentration of cloud condensation nuclei in the lower troposphere. These errors can be significantly reduced by employing an implicit solver that handles production, condensation and nucleation at the same time. Lessons learned in this work underline the need for more caution when treating multi-time-scale problems involving compensating and competing processes, a common occurrence in current climate models.« less

The need for higher-order averaging in the stability analysis of hovering, flapping-wing flight.

PubMed

Taha, Haithem E; Tahmasian, Sevak; Woolsey, Craig A; Nayfeh, Ali H; Hajj, Muhammad R

2015-01-05

Because of the relatively high flapping frequency associated with hovering insects and flapping wing micro-air vehicles (FWMAVs), dynamic stability analysis typically involves direct averaging of the time-periodic dynamics over a flapping cycle. However, direct application of the averaging theorem may lead to false conclusions about the dynamics and stability of hovering insects and FWMAVs. Higher-order averaging techniques may be needed to understand the dynamics of flapping wing flight and to analyze its stability. We use second-order averaging to analyze the hovering dynamics of five insects in response to high-amplitude, high-frequency, periodic wing motion. We discuss the applicability of direct averaging versus second-order averaging for these insects.

How mentors can influence the values, behaviours and attitudes of nursing staff through positive professional socialisation.

PubMed

Norman, Kay

2015-12-01

This article explores the concept and processes involved in professional socialisation and how mentors and nurse managers can help to foster positive aspects of this in their practice. Positive professional socialisation needs champions to instil fundamental professional values and behaviours in nursing staff, and managers need to support mentors to influence and lead the way in promoting standards of excellence in the nursing profession to assure public trust and confidence, and ultimately patient safety. The time out activities will ask you to consider and develop possible strategies to help support mentors and staff, and aim to encourage you to explore the potential benefits of positive professional socialisation for your team in delivering high quality patient care.

EU ambition to build the world's leading bioeconomy-Uncertain times demand innovative and sustainable solutions.

PubMed

Bell, John; Paula, Lino; Dodd, Thomas; Németh, Szilvia; Nanou, Christina; Mega, Voula; Campos, Paula

2018-01-25

This article outlines the current context and the development of the European Bioeconomy Strategy. It analyses the current situation, challenges and needs for EU action and concludes with the next steps that the European Commission will undertake to review and update the Bioeconomy Strategy. Bioeconomy offers great opportunities to realising a competitive, circular and sustainable economy with a sound industrial base that is less dependent on fossil carbon. A sustainable bioeconomy also contributes to climate change mitigation, with oceans, forests and soils being major carbon sinks and fostering negative CO 2 emissions. The EU has invested significantly in research and innovation in this field and the European Commission is committed to lead on European bioeconomy strategy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lymphogranuloma venereum: "a clinical and histopathological chameleon?".

PubMed

Tchernev, Georgi; Salaro, Cristina; Costa, Mariana Carvalho; Patterson, James W; Nenoff, Pietro

2010-01-01

Lymphogranuloma venereum is an infection caused by a variety of the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Both genital and extragenital manifestations of the disease can cause serious differential diagnostic difficulties, indirectly leading to progression and dissemination of the infection. This work describes cases of patients with lymphogranuloma venereum showing atypical clinical and/or histopathological findings. It also focuses on alternative therapeutic approaches, such as surgical excision at stage 1, that may lead to a positive outcome. It is not completely clear whether histopathological findings of lymphogranuloma venereum can reveal progression or changes in the course of the disease over time, as is the case in other diseases. We conclude that both clinical and histopathological observations in a larger number of patients are needed in order to further evaluate the findings presented in this article.

Formally biorthogonal polynomials and a look-ahead Levinson algorithm for general Toeplitz systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freund, Roland W.; Zha, Hongyuan

1992-01-01

Systems of linear equations with Toeplitz coefficient matrices arise in many important applications. The classical Levinson algorithm computes solutions of Toeplitz systems with only O(n(sub 2)) arithmetic operations, as compared to O(n(sub 3)) operations that are needed for solving general linear systems. However, the Levinson algorithm in its original form requires that all leading principal submatrices are nonsingular. An extension of the Levinson algorithm to general Toeplitz systems is presented. The algorithm uses look-ahead to skip over exactly singular, as well as ill-conditioned leading submatrices, and, at the same time, it still fully exploits the Toeplitz structure. In our derivation of this algorithm, we make use of the intimate connection of Toeplitz matrices with formally biorthogonal polynomials.

Generalizations of the Toda molecule

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Velthoven, W. P. G.; Bais, F. A.

1986-12-01

Finite-energy monopole solutions are constructed for the self-dual equations with spherical symmetry in an arbitrary integer graded Lie algebra. The constraint of spherical symmetry in a complex noncoordinate basis leads to a dimensional reduction. The resulting two-dimensional ( r, t) equations are of second order and furnish new generalizations of the Toda molecule equations. These are then solved by a technique which is due to Leznov and Saveliev. For time-independent solutions a further reduction is made, leading to an ansatz for all SU(2) embeddings of the Lie algebra. The regularity condition at the origin for the solutions, needed to ensure finite energy, is also solved for a special class of nonmaximal embeddings. Explicit solutions are given for the groups SU(2), SO(4), Sp(4) and SU(4).

Effects of annealing process on magnetic properties and structures of Nd-Pr-Ce-Fe-B melt-spun powders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pei, Kun; Lin, Min; Yan, Aru; Zhang, Xing

2016-05-01

The effects of annealing process on magnetic properties and structures of Nd-Pr-Ce-Fe-B melt-spun powders have been investigated. The magnetic properties improve a lot when the annealing temperature is 590-650 °C and the annealing time exceeds 1 min. The magnetic properties is stable when the annealing time is 590-650 °C. The powders contains obvious grains when the annealing time is only 1 min, while the grains grow up obviously, leading to the decrease of Br and (BH)max, when the annealing time is more than 9 min. The Hcj changes little for different annealing time. The cooling rate also affects the magnetic properties of powders with different Ce-content. Faster cooling rate is favorable to improve magnetic properties with low Ce-content powders, while high Ce-content powders need slower cooling rate.

78 FR 11429 - Federal Property Suitable as Facilities To Assist the Homeless

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-15

... Status: Unutilized Comments: off-site removal only; sf varies; office/school/barracks; fair conditions....; current use: office; fair condition; asbestos and lead based paint identified NORTH CAROLINA LAND 0.14...; fair to poor conditions; asbestos and lead; need repairs; need prior approval to access property B...

Risk of Sprint Fidelis defibrillator lead failure is highly dependent on age.

PubMed

Girerd, Nicolas; Nonin, Emilie; Pinot, Julien; Morel, Elodie; Flys, Carine; Scridon, Alina; Chevalier, Philippe

2011-01-01

In 2007, Medtronic Sprint Fidelis defibrillator leads were taken off the market due to a high rate of lead failure. Current data do not allow for risk stratification of patients with regard to lead failure. We sought to determine predictors of Sprint Fidelis lead failure. Between 2004 and 2007, 269 Sprint Fidelis leads were implanted in 258 patients in our centre. Variables associated with lead failure were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method and a Cox survival model. During a median follow-up of 2.80 years (maximum 5.32), we observed 33 (12.3%) Sprint Fidelis lead failures (5-year survival, 65.6% ± 7.5%). In univariate analysis, age was the only predictor of lead failure (hazard ratio [HR] for 1-year increase 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.95-0.99; p=0.009). Patients aged<62.5 years (median) had a significantly increased risk of lead failure compared with patients aged>62.5 years (HR 2.80; CI 1.30-6.02; p=0.009). Survival without Sprint Fidelis lead failure was 55.6% ± 10.4%) in patients aged<62.5 years (24/134 leads) vs 78.6% ± 8.8% in patients aged>62.5 years (9/135 leads). The annual incidence of lead failure in patients aged<62.5 years was 11.6% ± 4.9% during the fourth year after implantation and 22.9% ± 13.2% during the fifth year. Overall, we found a higher rate of Sprint Fidelis lead dysfunction than previously described. Lead failure was much more frequent in younger patients. Our results emphasize the need for close follow-up of younger patients with Sprint Fidelis leads and suggest that, in these patients, the implantation of a new implantable cardioverter defibrillator lead at the time of generator replacement might be reasonable. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Pleural effusion leading to right atrial collapse.

PubMed

Khouzam, Rami N; Yusuf, Jawwad

2014-01-01

Rapid accumulation of pericardial fluid can lead to tamponade, resulting in cardiac chambers' collapse, which can lead to hemodynamic and clinical instability, potentially needing emergent pericardiocentesis. Pleural effusion should also be considered as a potential, if rare, cause of cardiac chambers' collapse and possibly cardiac tamponade. This phenomenon has clinical implications because hemodynamically unstable patients with moderate to large pleural effusion may actually need thoracentesis instead of massive volume resuscitation, inotropic agents, or pericardiocentesis. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Public Health Approach to Addressing Lead

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Describes EPA’s achievements in reducing childhood lead exposures and emphasizes the need to continue actions to further reduce lead exposures, especially in those communities where exposures remain high.

3D printed facial laser scans for the production of localised radiotherapy treatment masks - A case study.

PubMed

Briggs, Matthew; Clements, Helen; Wynne, Neil; Rennie, Allan; Kellett, Darren

This study investigates the use of 3D printing for patients that require localised radiotherapy treatment to the face. The current process involves producing a lead mask in order to protect the healthy tissue from the effects of the radiotherapy. The mask is produced by applying a thermoplastic sheet to the patient's face and allowing to set hard. This can then be used as a mould to create a plaster impression of the patient's face. A sheet of lead is then hammered on to the plaster to create a bespoke fitted face mask. This process can be distressing for patients and can be problematic when the patient is required to remain motionless for a prolonged time while the thermoplastic sets. In this study, a 1:1 scale 3D print of a patient's face was generated using a laser scanner. The lead was hammered directly on to the surface of the 3D print in order to create a bespoke fitted treatment mask. This eliminated the thermoplastic moulding stage and significantly reduced the time needed for the patient to be in clinic. The higher definition impression of the the face resulted in a more accurate, better fitting treatment mask.

A New Approach to Extract Forest Water Use Efficiency from Eddy Covariance Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scanlon, T. M.; Sulman, B. N.

2016-12-01

Determination of forest water use efficiency (WUE) from eddy covariance data typically involves the following steps: (a) estimating gross primary productivity (GPP) from direct measurements of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) by extrapolating nighttime ecosystem respiration (ER) to daytime conditions, and (b) assuming direct evaporation (E) is minimal several days after rainfall, meaning that direct measurements of evapotranspiration (ET) are identical to transpiration (T). Both of these steps could lead to errors in the estimation of forest WUE. Here, we present a theoretical approach for estimating WUE through the analysis of standard eddy covariance data, which circumvents these steps. Only five statistics are needed from the high-frequency time series to extract WUE: CO2 flux, water vapor flux, standard deviation in CO2 concentration, standard deviation in water vapor concentration, and the correlation coefficient between CO2 and water vapor concentration for each half-hour period. The approach is based on the assumption that stomatal fluxes (i.e. photosynthesis and transpiration) lead to perfectly negative correlations and non-stomatal fluxes (i.e. ecosystem respiration and direct evaporation) lead to perfectly positive correlations within the CO2 and water vapor high frequency time series measured above forest canopies. A mathematical framework is presented, followed by a proof of concept using eddy covariance data and leaf-level measurements of WUE.

Lead Poisoning: A Need for Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lipnickey, Susan Cross

1981-01-01

Each year approximately 200 children die of lead poisoning. Especially vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead poisoning are the nervous system, kidneys, and the bones. Physiological effects of lead on the school-age child, screening processes, and roles of school personnel in dealing with suspected victims of lead poisoning are discussed. (JN)

Exploring the use of I/O nodes for computation in a MIMD multiprocessor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kotz, David; Cai, Ting

1995-01-01

As parallel systems move into the production scientific-computing world, the emphasis will be on cost-effective solutions that provide high throughput for a mix of applications. Cost effective solutions demand that a system make effective use of all of its resources. Many MIMD multiprocessors today, however, distinguish between 'compute' and 'I/O' nodes, the latter having attached disks and being dedicated to running the file-system server. This static division of responsibilities simplifies system management but does not necessarily lead to the best performance in workloads that need a different balance of computation and I/O. Of course, computational processes sharing a node with a file-system service may receive less CPU time, network bandwidth, and memory bandwidth than they would on a computation-only node. In this paper we begin to examine this issue experimentally. We found that high performance I/O does not necessarily require substantial CPU time, leaving plenty of time for application computation. There were some complex file-system requests, however, which left little CPU time available to the application. (The impact on network and memory bandwidth still needs to be determined.) For applications (or users) that cannot tolerate an occasional interruption, we recommend that they continue to use only compute nodes. For tolerant applications needing more cycles than those provided by the compute nodes, we recommend that they take full advantage of both compute and I/O nodes for computation, and that operating systems should make this possible.

Assessment of seasonal soil moisture forecasts over Southern South America with emphasis on dry and wet events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spennemann, Pablo; Rivera, Juan Antonio; Osman, Marisol; Saulo, Celeste; Penalba, Olga

2017-04-01

The importance of forecasting extreme wet and dry conditions from weeks to months in advance relies on the need to prevent considerable socio-economic losses, mainly in regions of large populations and where agriculture is a key value for the economies, like Southern South America (SSA). Therefore, to improve the understanding of the performance and uncertainties of seasonal soil moisture and precipitation forecasts over SSA, this study aims to: 1) perform a general assessment of the Climate Forecast System version-2 (CFSv2) soil moisture and precipitation forecasts; and 2) evaluate the CFSv2 ability to represent an extreme drought event merging observations with forecasted Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Standardized Soil Moisture Anomalies (SSMA) based on GLDAS-2.0 simulations. Results show that both SPI and SSMA forecast skill are regionally and seasonally dependent. In general a fast degradation of the forecasts skill is observed as the lead time increases with no significant metrics for forecast lead times longer than 2 months. Based on the assessment of the 2008-2009 extreme drought event it is evident that the CFSv2 forecasts have limitations regarding the identification of drought onset, duration, severity and demise, considering both meteorological (SPI) and agricultural (SSMA) drought conditions. These results have some implications upon the use of seasonal forecasts to assist agricultural practices in SSA, given that forecast skill is still too low to be useful for lead times longer than 2 months.

Using Geographical Information Systems to Identify Populations in Need of Improved Accessibility to Antivenom Treatment for Snakebite Envenoming in Costa Rica

PubMed Central

Hansson, Erik; Sasa, Mahmood; Mattisson, Kristoffer; Robles, Arodys; Gutiérrez, José María

2013-01-01

Introduction Snakebite accidents are an important health problem in rural areas of tropical countries worldwide, including Costa Rica, where most bites are caused by the pit-viper Bothrops asper. The treatment of these potentially fatal accidents is based on the timely administration of specific antivenom. In many regions of the world, insufficient health care systems and lack of antivenom in remote and poor areas where snakebites are common, means that efficient treatment is unavailable for many snakebite victims, leading to unnecessary mortality and morbidity. In this study, geographical information systems (GIS) were used to identify populations in Costa Rica with a need of improved access to antivenom treatment: those living in areas with a high risk of snakebites and long time to reach antivenom treatment. Method/Principal Findings Populations living in areas with high risk of snakebites were identified using two approaches: one based on the district-level reported incidence, and another based on mapping environmental factors favoring B. asper presence. Time to reach treatment using ambulance was estimated using cost surface analysis, thereby enabling adjustment of transportation speed by road availability and quality, topography and land use. By mapping populations in high risk of snakebites and the estimated time to treatment, populations with need of improved treatment access were identified. Conclusion/Significance This study demonstrates the usefulness of GIS for improving treatment of snakebites. By mapping reported incidence, risk factors, location of existing treatment resources, and the time estimated to reach these for at-risk populations, rational allocation of treatment resources is facilitated. PMID:23383352

Using geographical information systems to identify populations in need of improved accessibility to antivenom treatment for snakebite envenoming in Costa Rica.

PubMed

Hansson, Erik; Sasa, Mahmood; Mattisson, Kristoffer; Robles, Arodys; Gutiérrez, José María

2013-01-01

Snakebite accidents are an important health problem in rural areas of tropical countries worldwide, including Costa Rica, where most bites are caused by the pit-viper Bothrops asper. The treatment of these potentially fatal accidents is based on the timely administration of specific antivenom. In many regions of the world, insufficient health care systems and lack of antivenom in remote and poor areas where snakebites are common, means that efficient treatment is unavailable for many snakebite victims, leading to unnecessary mortality and morbidity. In this study, geographical information systems (GIS) were used to identify populations in Costa Rica with a need of improved access to antivenom treatment: those living in areas with a high risk of snakebites and long time to reach antivenom treatment. Populations living in areas with high risk of snakebites were identified using two approaches: one based on the district-level reported incidence, and another based on mapping environmental factors favoring B. asper presence. Time to reach treatment using ambulance was estimated using cost surface analysis, thereby enabling adjustment of transportation speed by road availability and quality, topography and land use. By mapping populations in high risk of snakebites and the estimated time to treatment, populations with need of improved treatment access were identified. This study demonstrates the usefulness of GIS for improving treatment of snakebites. By mapping reported incidence, risk factors, location of existing treatment resources, and the time estimated to reach these for at-risk populations, rational allocation of treatment resources is facilitated.

Socioieconomic outcomes of restricted access to abortion.

PubMed

Muller, C

1971-06-01

Such questions as the extent to which greater accessibility to abortion services affects poverty and its problems are analyzed, and proposals for identifying the socioeconomic impact of liberalized abortion laws and accessible services are developed. The number of unwanted children born is directly affected by the barriers to legal abortion. In countries that have improved access to legal abortion, the demand for the service has risen among all socioeconomic groups. Long-time family earning potential is severely effected by the defects in the timing and spacing of the birth of children, which often leads to young men and pregnant teen-agers leaving school because of the burdens of pregnancy and child support. Large family size was found in 35% of families in 1965 where the head of the household was a fully employed worker. Children born and living as psychologically rejected or unwanted children risk impaired learning and development which in turn limits future economic achievments. Research into the access of and financing of abortion services should deal with the financial needs of patient groups. The effects of nonhospital service programs, manpower needs, and the surveillance of gaps and coverage of the service needs should be prime research targets.

Supply chain planning classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hvolby, Hans-Henrik; Trienekens, Jacques; Bonde, Hans

2001-10-01

Industry experience a need to shift in focus from internal production planning towards planning in the supply network. In this respect customer oriented thinking becomes almost a common good amongst companies in the supply network. An increase in the use of information technology is needed to enable companies to better tune their production planning with customers and suppliers. Information technology opportunities and supply chain planning systems facilitate companies to monitor and control their supplier network. In spite if these developments, most links in today's supply chains make individual plans, because the real demand information is not available throughout the chain. The current systems and processes of the supply chains are not designed to meet the requirements now placed upon them. For long term relationships with suppliers and customers, an integrated decision-making process is needed in order to obtain a satisfactory result for all parties. Especially when customized production and short lead-time is in focus. An effective value chain makes inventory available and visible among the value chain members, minimizes response time and optimizes total inventory value held throughout the chain. In this paper a supply chain planning classification grid is presented based current manufacturing classifications and supply chain planning initiatives.

A Solar Energy Powered Autonomous Wireless Actuator Node for Irrigation Systems

PubMed Central

Lajara, Rafael; Alberola, Jorge; Pelegrí-Sebastiá, José

2011-01-01

The design of a fully autonomous and wireless actuator node (“wEcoValve mote”) based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard is presented. The system allows remote control (open/close) of a 3-lead magnetic latch solenoid, commonly used in drip irrigation systems in applications such as agricultural areas, greenhouses, gardens, etc. The very low power consumption of the system in conjunction with the low power consumption of the valve, only when switching positions, allows the system to be solar powered, thus eliminating the need of wires and facilitating its deployment. By using supercapacitors recharged from a specifically designed solar power module, the need to replace batteries is also eliminated and the system is completely autonomous and maintenance free. The “wEcoValve mote” firmware is based on a synchronous protocol that allows a bidirectional communication with a latency optimized for real-time work, with a synchronization time between nodes of 4 s, thus achieving a power consumption average of 2.9 mW. PMID:22346580

A solar energy powered autonomous wireless actuator node for irrigation systems.

PubMed

Lajara, Rafael; Alberola, Jorge; Pelegrí-Sebastiá, José

2011-01-01

The design of a fully autonomous and wireless actuator node ("wEcoValve mote") based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard is presented. The system allows remote control (open/close) of a 3-lead magnetic latch solenoid, commonly used in drip irrigation systems in applications such as agricultural areas, greenhouses, gardens, etc. The very low power consumption of the system in conjunction with the low power consumption of the valve, only when switching positions, allows the system to be solar powered, thus eliminating the need of wires and facilitating its deployment. By using supercapacitors recharged from a specifically designed solar power module, the need to replace batteries is also eliminated and the system is completely autonomous and maintenance free. The "wEcoValve mote" firmware is based on a synchronous protocol that allows a bidirectional communication with a latency optimized for real-time work, with a synchronization time between nodes of 4 s, thus achieving a power consumption average of 2.9 mW.

GPUs in a computational physics course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adler, Joan; Nissim, Gal; Kiswani, Ahmad

2017-10-01

In an introductory computational physics class of the type that many of us give, time constraints lead to hard choices on topics. Everyone likes to include their own research in such a class but an overview of many areas is paramount. Parallel programming algorithms using MPI is one important topic. Both the principle and the need to break the “fear barrier” of using a large machine with a queuing system via ssh must be sucessfully passed on. Due to the plateau in chip development and to power considerations future HPC hardware choices will include heavy use of GPUs. Thus the need to introduce these at the level of an introductory course has arisen. Just as for parallel coding, explanation of the benefits and simple examples to guide the hesitant first time user should be selected. Several student projects using GPUs that include how-to pages were proposed at the Technion. Two of the more successful ones were lattice Boltzmann and a finite element code, and we present these in detail.

Rib fractures in trauma patients: does operative fixation improve outcome?

PubMed

Majak, Peter; Næss, Pål A

2016-12-01

Renewed interest in surgical fixation of rib fractures has emerged. However, conservative treatment is still preferred at most surgical departments. We wanted to evaluate whether operative treatment of rib fractures may benefit severely injured patients. Several studies report a reduction in mechanical ventilation time, ICU length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, pneumonia, need for tracheostomy, pain and costs in operatively treated patients with multiple rib fractures compared with patients treated nonoperatively. Although patient selection and timing of the operation seem crucial for successful outcome, no consensus exists. Mortality reduction has only been shown in a few studies. Most studies are retrospective cohort and case-control studies. Only four randomized control trials exist. Conservative treatment, consisting of respiratory assistance and pain control, is still the treatment of choice in the vast majority of patients with multiple rib fractures. In selected patients, operative fixation of fractured ribs within 72 h postinjury may lead to better outcome. More randomized control trials are needed to further determine who benefits from surgical fixation of rib fractures.

Quantifying Scheduling Challenges for Exascale System Software

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

Mondragon, Oscar; Bridges, Patrick G.; Jones, Terry R

2015-01-01

The move towards high-performance computing (HPC) ap- plications comprised of coupled codes and the need to dra- matically reduce data movement is leading to a reexami- nation of time-sharing vs. space-sharing in HPC systems. In this paper, we discuss and begin to quantify the perfor- mance impact of a move away from strict space-sharing of nodes for HPC applications. Specifically, we examine the po- tential performance cost of time-sharing nodes between ap- plication components, we determine whether a simple coor- dinated scheduling mechanism can address these problems, and we research how suitable simple constraint-based opti- mization techniques are for solvingmore » scheduling challenges in this regime. Our results demonstrate that current general- purpose HPC system software scheduling and resource al- location systems are subject to significant performance de- ciencies which we quantify for six representative applica- tions. Based on these results, we discuss areas in which ad- ditional research is needed to meet the scheduling challenges of next-generation HPC systems.« less

Probabilistic postprocessing models for flow forecasts for a system of catchments and several lead times

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engeland, Kolbjorn; Steinsland, Ingelin

2014-05-01

This study introduces a methodology for the construction of probabilistic inflow forecasts for multiple catchments and lead times, and investigates criterions for evaluation of multi-variate forecasts. A post-processing approach is used, and a Gaussian model is applied for transformed variables. The post processing model has two main components, the mean model and the dependency model. The mean model is used to estimate the marginal distributions for forecasted inflow for each catchment and lead time, whereas the dependency models was used to estimate the full multivariate distribution of forecasts, i.e. co-variances between catchments and lead times. In operational situations, it is a straightforward task to use the models to sample inflow ensembles which inherit the dependencies between catchments and lead times. The methodology was tested and demonstrated in the river systems linked to the Ulla-Førre hydropower complex in southern Norway, where simultaneous probabilistic forecasts for five catchments and ten lead times were constructed. The methodology exhibits sufficient flexibility to utilize deterministic flow forecasts from a numerical hydrological model as well as statistical forecasts such as persistent forecasts and sliding window climatology forecasts. It also deals with variation in the relative weights of these forecasts with both catchment and lead time. When evaluating predictive performance in original space using cross validation, the case study found that it is important to include the persistent forecast for the initial lead times and the hydrological forecast for medium-term lead times. Sliding window climatology forecasts become more important for the latest lead times. Furthermore, operationally important features in this case study such as heteroscedasticity, lead time varying between lead time dependency and lead time varying between catchment dependency are captured. Two criterions were used for evaluating the added value of the dependency model. The first one was the Energy score (ES) that is a multi-dimensional generalization of continuous rank probability score (CRPS). ES was calculated for all lead-times and catchments together, for each catchment across all lead times and for each lead time across all catchments. The second criterion was to use CRPS for forecasted inflows accumulated over several lead times and catchments. The results showed that ES was not very sensitive to correct covariance structure, whereas CRPS for accumulated flows where more suitable for evaluating the dependency model. This indicates that it is more appropriate to evaluate relevant univariate variables that depends on the dependency structure then to evaluate the multivariate forecast directly.

Extra-Articular Retained Missiles; Is Surveillance of Lead Levels Needed?

PubMed

Nickel, Walter N; Steelman, Theodore J; Sabath, Zena R; Potter, Benjamin K

2018-03-01

Although gunshot wounds are relatively common, lead toxicity associated with extra-articular retained missiles (EARMs) is an uncommon, yet potentially devastating, complication. Although the risk of lead toxicity with intra-articular retained missiles is well known, EARMs are routinely left in situ or only removed in selected circumstances secondary to the relatively rare occurrence of complications. We first describe a patient with systemic lead poisoning associated with retained lead fragments after a gunshot-induced left femoral shaft fracture. We then performed a systematic review of the literature to answer the following questions: (1) In the setting of retained extra-articular bullets and/or bullet fragments, is regular monitoring and/or surveillance of lead levels in the blood routinely indicated? and, if so, (2) what are the selected factors that portend an increased risk for elevations in blood lead levels in the setting of retained extra-articular bullets and/or bullet fragments? The systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) reporting guidelines, of the English language literature utilizing Medline (PubMed), EMBASE, Cochrane, and CINAHL on the topic of lead poisoning, retained bullet, and gunshot wound, and then searched for additional references by manually searching of bibliographies of the included references. Studies were included if they provided clinical data on one or both of our study questions; included studies were evaluated using the accepted levels of evidence. Routine monitoring or surveillance of lead levels in blood is recommended in all cases of EARM at the time of hospital admission and again at discharge, followed by monthly intervals until 3 mo post-injury and then again at 1 yr post-injury. The studies identified demonstrated significant risk factors for elevated blood lead levels in the setting of EARM, which included the number of retained missiles and concomitant fracture. Recommendations for routine monitoring and surveillance of blood lead levels in all cases of EARM are conflicting, but such monitoring appears to be warranted given that the potential risks and morbidity associated with systemic lead poisoning are outweighed by any potential harm of short-term, blood lead level monitoring. Outside of concomitant fracture, the evidence for making further clinical recommendations regarding selected risk factors that portend an increased risk for elevated blood lead levels after gunshot injury is weak. Larger level II and III studies are needed to determine the indications for and frequency of lead toxicity screening after retained EARM. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2018. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

A basic decision-making approach to common ethical issues in consultation-liaison psychiatry.

PubMed

Wright, Mark T; Roberts, Laura Weiss

2009-06-01

Ethical dilemmas are found throughout the daily work of C-L psychiatrists. Unfortunately, most psychiatrists have no more training in ethics than their nonpsychiatric colleagues. Psychiatric consults spurred by ethical dilemmas can provoke anxiety in psychiatrists and leave anxious colleagues without the clear recommendations they seek. C-L psychiatrists, and probably all psychiatrists, need more training in clinical ethics. C-L psychiatrists do not need to become clinical ethicists, but competence in handling the ethical issues most commonly seen in C-L work is needed. The 2008 ABPN guidelines for specialists in psychosomatic medicine mention specific ethics topics important in C-L work, and ways of attaining competence in these areas have been discussed in the C-L literature. The four cases discussed here illustrate the high level of complexity often seen in situations in which ethical dilemmas arise in C-L psychiatry. Given the sometimes furious pace of hospital work, it can be easy for C-L psychiatrists to be seduced by the idea of the quick, focused consult that simply responds to a simple question with a simple answer. Because cases involving ethical dilemmas often involve multiple stakeholders, each with his or her own set of concerns, a brief consult focused only on the patient often leads to errors of omission. A wider approach, such as that suggested by the Four Topics Method, is needed to successfully negotiate ethical dilemmas. Busy C-L psychiatry services may struggle at first to find the time to do the type of global evaluations discussed here, but increasing familiarity with approaches such as the Four Topics Method should lead to quicker ways of gathering and processing the needed information.

Strategies to control costs and quality: a focus on outcomes research for disease management.

PubMed

Villagra, Victor

2004-04-01

Rapid adoption of disease management has outpaced systematic evaluation of its net value in improving health outcomes and mitigating healthcare cost. This article identifies areas in which outcomes research in disease management is needed to demonstrate its value or to enhance its performance. Patient identification for disease management relies on administrative database queries but the trade-offs in sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of alternative queries are not well known. Large-scale deployment, rapid patient engagement, and repeated interactions between patients and nurses could be important attributes for attaining measurable improvements in quality and cost reduction over short periods of time, but these hypothesis need to be tested. There is a trend toward integration of multiple chronic disease management programs onto a single platform. To support this trend, there is a need for a corresponding set of integrated clinical guidelines or "meta-guidelines" that combine the contents of individual practice guidelines. The relative contribution of various disease management interventions in improving clinical results, lowering costs, and their respective ease of implementation is not known. Research leading to a better understanding of tradeoffs could lead to more rational resource allocation and better overall outcomes. Coordination between disease management programs and physician practices is lacking. Research aimed at defining operational and technical interfaces and cultural and behavioral professional adjustments necessary to achieve integration and coordination is needed. The lack of a consistent analytical framework for evaluating clinical and financial outcomes has made comparisons of reported results impossible and has rendered many reports unreliable. Theoretical work on a standard methodology that integrates clinical and financial outcomes and empiric validation is needed.

Iron Metabolism Genes, Low-Level Lead Exposure, and QT Interval

PubMed Central

Park, Sung Kyun; Hu, Howard; Wright, Robert O.; Schwartz, Joel; Cheng, Yawen; Sparrow, David; Vokonas, Pantel S.; Weisskopf, Marc G.

2009-01-01

Background Cumulative exposure to lead has been shown to be associated with depression of electrocardiographic conduction, such as QT interval (time from start of the Q wave to end of the T wave). Because iron can enhance the oxidative effects of lead, we examined whether polymorphisms in iron metabolism genes [hemochromatosis (HFE), transferrin (TF) C2, and heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX-1)] increase susceptibility to the effects of lead on QT interval in 613 community-dwelling older men. Methods We used standard 12-lead electrocardiograms, K-shell X-ray fluorescence, and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry to measure QT interval, bone lead, and blood lead levels, respectively. Results A one-interquartile-range increase in tibia lead level (13 μg/g) was associated with a 11.35-msec [95% confidence interval (CI), 4.05–18.65 msec] and a 6.81-msec (95% CI, 1.67–11.95 msec) increase in the heart-rate–corrected QT interval among persons carrying long HMOX-1 alleles and at least one copy of an HFE variant, respectively, but had no effect in persons with short and middle HMOX-1 alleles and the wild-type HFE genotype. The lengthening of the heart-rate–corrected QT interval with higher tibia lead and blood lead became more pronounced as the total number (0 vs. 1 vs. ≥2) of gene variants increased (tibia, p-trend = 0.01; blood, p-trend = 0.04). This synergy seems to be driven by a joint effect between HFE variant and HMOX-1 L alleles. Conclusion We found evidence that gene variants related to iron metabolism increase the impacts of low-level lead exposure on the prolonged QT interval. This is the first such report, so these results should be interpreted cautiously and need to be independently verified. PMID:19165391

Test and Analysis Correlation of High Speed Impacts of Ice Cylinders

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fasanella, Edwin L.; Boitnott, Richard L.; Kellas, Sotiris

2006-01-01

During the space shuttle return-to-flight preparations following the Columbia accident, finite element models were needed that could predict the threshold of critical damage to the orbiter s wing leading edge from ice debris impacts. Hence, an experimental program was initiated to provide crushing data from impacted ice for use in dynamic finite element material models. A high-speed drop tower was configured to capture force time-histories of ice cylinders for impacts up to approximately 100 ft/s. At low velocity, the force-time history depended heavily on the internal crystalline structure of the ice. However, for velocities of 100 ft/s and above, the ice fractured on impact, behaved more like a fluid, and the subsequent force-time history curves were much less dependent on the internal crystalline structure.

Dynamic Crush Characterization of Ice

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fasanella, Edwin L.; Boitnott, Richard L.; Kellas, Sotiris

2006-01-01

During the space shuttle return-to-flight preparations following the Columbia accident, finite element models were needed that could predict the threshold of critical damage to the orbiter's wing leading edge from ice debris impacts. Hence, an experimental program was initiated to provide crushing data from impacted ice for use in dynamic finite element material models. A high-speed drop tower was configured to capture force time histories of ice cylinders for impacts up to approximately 100 ft/s. At low velocity, the force-time history depended heavily on the internal crystalline structure of the ice. However, for velocities of 100 ft/s and above, the ice fractured on impact, behaved more like a fluid, and the subsequent force-time history curves were much less dependent on the internal crystalline structure.

Fast and predictable video compression in software design and implementation of an H.261 codec

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geske, Dagmar; Hess, Robert

1998-09-01

The use of software codecs for video compression becomes commonplace in several videoconferencing applications. In order to reduce conflicts with other applications used at the same time, mechanisms for resource reservation on endsystems need to determine an upper bound for computing time used by the codec. This leads to the demand for predictable execution times of compression/decompression. Since compression schemes as H.261 inherently depend on the motion contained in the video, an adaptive admission control is required. This paper presents a data driven approach based on dynamical reduction of the number of processed macroblocks in peak situations. Besides the absolute speed is a point of interest. The question, whether and how software compression of high quality video is feasible on today's desktop computers, is examined.

Machine Learning for Slow but Steady Interplanetary Construction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agogino, Adrian

2017-01-01

For prolonged manned missions to destinations such as the moon and Mars, there is a need for significant infrastructure construction ahead of time, such as habitats and landing pads. Unfortunately we have little experience in remote construction and using conventional methods is likely to be expensive, cumbersome and unreliable. Fortunately these challenges may be overcome by taking advantage of the long lead time for such missions and using teams of small and slow construction robots. We propose using teams of simple autonomous robots for this purpose that would perform continuous construction over a period of many years or even decades. While individual robot reliability will be low over such long time frames, system reliability will be maintained by using machine learning over simulations to achieve coordination and reconfigurations in the event of lost robots.

Dynamic Stall Characteristics of Drooped Leading Edge Airfoils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sankar, Lakshmi N.; Sahin, Mehmet; Gopal, Naveen

2000-01-01

Helicopters in high-speed forward flight usually experience large regions of dynamic stall over the retreating side of the rotor disk. The rapid variations in the lift and pitching moments associated with the stall process can result in vibratory loads, and can cause fatigue and failure of pitch links. In some instances, the large time lag between the aerodynamic forces and the blade motion can trigger stall flutter. A number of techniques for the alleviation of dynamic stall have been proposed and studied by researchers. Passive and active control techniques have both been explored. Passive techniques include the use of high solidity rotors that reduce the lift coefficients of individual blades, leading edge slots and leading edge slats. Active control techniques include steady and unsteady blowing, and dynamically deformable leading edge (DDLE) airfoils. Considerable amount of experimental and numerical data has been collected on the effectiveness of these concepts. One concept that has not received as much attention is the drooped-leading edge airfoil idea. It has been observed in wind tunnel studies and flight tests that drooped leading edge airfoils can have a milder dynamic stall, with a significantly milder load hysteresis. Drooped leading edge airfoils may not, however, be suitable at other conditions, e.g. in hover, or in transonic flow. Work needs to be done on the analysis and design of drooped leading edge airfoils for efficient operation in a variety of flight regimes (hover, dynamic stall, and transonic flow). One concept that is worthy of investigation is the dynamically drooping airfoil, where the leading edge shape is changed roughly once-per-rev to mitigate the dynamic stall.

Connecting to Thermocouples with Fewer Lead Wires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldsby, Jon C.

2003-01-01

A simple technique has been devised to reduce the number of lead wires needed to connect an array of thermocouples to the instruments (e.g., voltmeters) used to read their output voltages. Because thermocouple wires are usually made of expensive metal alloys, reducing the number of lead wires can effect a considerable reduction in the cost of such an array. Reducing the number of wires also reduces the number of terminals and the amount of space needed to accommodate the wires.

Precision of computer-assisted core decompression drilling of the femoral head.

PubMed

Beckmann, J; Goetz, J; Baethis, H; Kalteis, T; Grifka, J; Perlick, L

2006-08-01

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is a local destructive disease with progression into devastating stages. Left untreated it mostly leads to severe secondary osteoarthrosis and early endoprosthetic joint replacement. Core decompression by exact drilling into the ischemic areas can be performed in early stages according to Ficat or ARCO. Computer-aided surgery might enhance the precision of the drilling and lower the radiation exposure time of both staff and patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the precision of the fluoroscopically based VectorVision navigation system in an in vitro model. Thirty sawbones were prepared with a defect filled up with a radiopaque gypsum sphere mimicking the osteonecrosis. Twenty sawbones were drilled by guidance of an intraoperative navigation system VectorVision (BrainLAB, Munich, Germany) and 10 sawbones by fluoroscopic control only. No gypsum sphere was missed. There was a statistically significant difference regarding the three-dimensional deviation (Euclidian norm) as well as maximum deviation in x-, y- or z-direction (maximum norm) to the desired mid-point of the lesion, with a mean of 0.51 and 0.4 mm in the navigated group and 1.1 and 0.88 mm in the control group, respectively. Furthermore, significant difference was found in the number of drilling corrections as well as the radiation time needed: no second drilling or correction of drilling direction was necessary in the navigated group compared to 1.4 in the control group. The radiation time needed was less than 1 s compared to 3.1 s, respectively. The fluoroscopy-based VectorVision navigation system shows a high feasibility of computer-guided drilling with a clear reduction of radiation exposure time and can therefore be integrated into clinical routine. The additional time needed is acceptable regarding the simultaneous reduction of radiation time.

Terahertz pulse induced intervalley scattering in photoexcited GaAs.

PubMed

Su, F H; Blanchard, F; Sharma, G; Razzari, L; Ayesheshim, A; Cocker, T L; Titova, L V; Ozaki, T; Kieffer, J-C; Morandotti, R; Reid, M; Hegmann, F A

2009-06-08

Nonlinear transient absorption bleaching of intense few-cycle terahertz (THz) pulses is observed in photoexcited GaAs using opticalpump--THz-probe techniques. A simple model of the electron transport dynamics shows that the observed nonlinear response is due to THz-electric- field-induced intervalley scattering over sub-picosecond time scales as well as an increase in the intravalley scattering rate attributed to carrier heating. Furthermore, the nonlinear nature of the THz pulse transmission at high peak fields leads to a measured terahertz conductivity in the photoexcited GaAs that deviates significantly from the Drude behavior observed at low THz fields, emphasizing the need to explore nonlinear THz pulse interactions with materials in the time domain.

Control Beliefs and Cognition Over a 10-year Period: Findings from the ACTIVE Trial

PubMed Central

Parisi, Jeanine M.; Gross, Alden L.; Marsiske, Michael; Willis, Sherry L.; Rebok, George W.

2017-01-01

We examined two facets of control beliefs and cognition over ten-years within the ACTIVE cognitive training program. Intellectual Self-efficacy decreased (β = −0.32 units/year; SE = 0.03) and Concern about Intellectual Aging increased (β = 0.26 units/year; SE = 0.02) over time, with older age being the only predictor of increases in Concern about Intellectual Aging. Although baseline cognitive performance was related to control beliefs over time, the reverse was not supported. Findings were not altered by participation in the ACTIVE training programs, suggesting the need for including intervention components that lead to long-term maintenance or improvements in such beliefs. PMID:28182498

Development and Preparation of Lead-Containing Paint Films and Diagnostic Test Materials

EPA Science Inventory

Lead in paint continues to be a threat to children’s health in cities across the United States, which means there is an ongoing need for testing and analysis of paint. This ongoing analytical effort and especially development of new methods continue to drive the need for diagnost...

Acute-on-chronic Liver Failure.

PubMed

Sarin, Shiv Kumar; Choudhury, Ashok

2016-12-01

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a distinct entity that differs from acute liver failure and decompensated cirrhosis in timing, presence of treatable acute precipitant, and course of disease, with a potential for self-recovery. The core concept is acute deterioration of existing liver function in a patient of chronic liver disease with or without cirrhosis in response to an acute insult. The insult should be a hepatic one and presentation in the form of liver failure (jaundice, encephalopathy, coagulopathy, ascites) with or without extrahepatic organ failure in a defined time frame. ACLF is characterized by a state of deregulated inflammation. Initial cytokine burst presenting as SIRS, progression to CARS and associated immunoparalysis leads to sepsis and multi-organ failure. Early identification of the acute insult and mitigation of the same, use of nucleoside analogue in HBV-ACLF, steroid in severe alcoholic hepatitis, steroid in severe autoimmune hepatitis and/or bridging therapy lead to recovery, with a 90-day transplant-free survival rate of up to 50 %. First-week presentation is crucial concerning SIRS/sepsis, development, multiorgan failure and consideration of transplant. A protocol-based multi-disciplinary approach including critical care hepatology, early liver transplant before multi-organ involvement, or priority for organ allocation may improve the outcome. Presentation with extrahepatic organ involvement or inclusion of sepsis as an acute insult in definition restricts the therapy, i.e., liver transplant or bridging therapy, and needs serious consideration. Augmentation of regeneration, cell-based therapy, immunotherapy, and gut microbiota modulation are the emerging areas and need further research.

Application of lean thinking to health care: issues and observations

PubMed Central

Joosten, Tom; Bongers, Inge; Janssen, Richard

2009-01-01

Background Incidents and quality problems are a prime cause why health care leaders are calling to redesign health care delivery. One of the concepts used is lean thinking. Yet, lean often leads to resistance. Also, there is a lack of high quality evidence supporting lean premises. In this paper, we present an overview of lean thinking and its application to health care. Development, theory and application of lean thinking to health care Lean thinking evolved from a tool designed to improve operational shop-floor performance at an automotive manufacturer to a management approach with both operational and sociotechnical aspects. Sociotechnical dynamics have until recently not received much attention. At the same time a balanced approach might lead to a situation where operational and sociotechnial improvements are mutually reinforcing. Application to health care has been limited and focussed mainly on operational aspects using original lean tools. A more integrative approach would be to pay more attention to sociotechnical dynamics of lean implementation efforts. Also, the need to use the original lean tools may be limited, because health care may have different instruments and tools already in use that are in line with lean thinking principles. Discussion We believe lean thinking has the potential to improve health care delivery. At the same time, there are methodological and practical considerations that need to be taken into account. Otherwise, lean implementation will be superficial and fail, adding to existing resistance and making it more difficult to improve health care in the long term. PMID:19696048

Small-scale (flash) flood early warning in the light of operational requirements: opportunities and limits with regard to user demands, driving data, and hydrologic modeling techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philipp, Andy; Kerl, Florian; Büttner, Uwe; Metzkes, Christine; Singer, Thomas; Wagner, Michael; Schütze, Niels

2016-05-01

In recent years, the Free State of Saxony (Eastern Germany) was repeatedly hit by both extensive riverine flooding, as well as flash flood events, emerging foremost from convective heavy rainfall. Especially after a couple of small-scale, yet disastrous events in 2010, preconditions, drivers, and methods for deriving flash flood related early warning products are investigated. This is to clarify the feasibility and the limits of envisaged early warning procedures for small catchments, hit by flashy heavy rain events. Early warning about potentially flash flood prone situations (i.e., with a suitable lead time with regard to required reaction-time needs of the stakeholders involved in flood risk management) needs to take into account not only hydrological, but also meteorological, as well as communication issues. Therefore, we propose a threefold methodology to identify potential benefits and limitations in a real-world warning/reaction context. First, the user demands (with respect to desired/required warning products, preparation times, etc.) are investigated. Second, focusing on small catchments of some hundred square kilometers, two quantitative precipitation forecasts are verified. Third, considering the user needs, as well as the input parameter uncertainty (i.e., foremost emerging from an uncertain QPF), a feasible, yet robust hydrological modeling approach is proposed on the basis of pilot studies, employing deterministic, data-driven, and simple scoring methods.

Water-resources programs and hydrologic-information needs, Marion County, Indiana, 1987

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duwelius, R.F.

1990-01-01

Water resources are abundant in Marion County, Indiana, and have been developed for public and industrial supply, energy generation, irrigation, and recreation. The largest water withdrawals are from surface water, and the two largest water uses are public supply and cooling water for electrical-generating plants. Water-resources programs in the county are carried out by Federal, State and local agencies to address issues of surface and groundwater availability and quality. The programs of each agency are related to the functions and goals of the agency. Although each agency has specific information needs to fulfill its functions, sometimes these needs overlap, and there are times when the same hydrologic information benefits all. Overlapping information needs and activities create opportunities for interagency coordination and cooperation. Such cooperation could lead to a savings of dollars spent on water-resources programs and could assure an improved understanding of the water resources of the county. Representatives from four agencies-- the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the Indianapolis Department of Public Works, and the U.S. Geological Survey--met four times in 1987 to describe their own water-resources programs, to identify hydrologic-information needs, and to contact other agencies with related programs. This report presents the interagency findings and is intended to further communication among water resource agencies by identifying current programs and common needs for hydrologic information. Hydrologic information needs identified by the agency representatives include more precise methods for determining the volume of water withdrawals and for determining the volume of industrial and municipal discharges to surface water. Maps of flood-prone areas need to be updated as more of the county is developed. Improved aquifer maps of the inter-till aquifers are needed, and additional observation wells are needed in the inter-till and bedrock aquifers. Finally, immediate access to instantaneous precipitation data is needed to assess flooding potential. (USGS)

Single photon detection and timing in the Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poultney, S. K.

1972-01-01

The goals of the Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment lead to the need for the measurement of a 2.5 sec time interval to an accuracy of a nanosecond or better. The systems analysis which included practical retroreflector arrays, available laser systems, and large telescopes led to the necessity of single photon detection. Operation under all background illumination conditions required auxiliary range gates and extremely narrow spectral and spatial filters in addition to the effective gate provided by the time resolution. Nanosecond timing precision at relatively high detection efficiency was obtained using the RCA C31000F photomultiplier and Ortec 270 constant fraction of pulse-height timing discriminator. The timing accuracy over the 2.5 sec interval was obtained using a digital interval with analog vernier ends. Both precision and accuracy are currently checked internally using a triggerable, nanosecond light pulser. Future measurements using sub-nanosecond laser pulses will be limited by the time resolution of single photon detectors.

Approximate solutions for diffusive fracture-matrix transfer: Application to storage of dissolved CO 2 in fractured rocks

DOE PAGES

Zhou, Quanlin; Oldenburg, Curtis M.; Spangler, Lee H.; ...

2017-01-05

Analytical solutions with infinite exponential series are available to calculate the rate of diffusive transfer between low-permeability blocks and high-permeability zones in the subsurface. Truncation of these series is often employed by neglecting the early-time regime. Here in this paper, we present unified-form approximate solutions in which the early-time and the late-time solutions are continuous at a switchover time. The early-time solutions are based on three-term polynomial functions in terms of square root of dimensionless time, with the first coefficient dependent only on the dimensionless area-to-volume ratio. The last two coefficients are either determined analytically for isotropic blocks (e.g., spheresmore » and slabs) or obtained by fitting the exact solutions, and they solely depend on the aspect ratios for rectangular columns and parallelepipeds. For the late-time solutions, only the leading exponential term is needed for isotropic blocks, while a few additional exponential terms are needed for highly anisotropic rectangular blocks. The optimal switchover time is between 0.157 and 0.229, with highest relative approximation error less than 0.2%. The solutions are used to demonstrate the storage of dissolved CO 2 in fractured reservoirs with low-permeability matrix blocks of single and multiple shapes and sizes. These approximate solutions are building blocks for development of analytical and numerical tools for hydraulic, solute, and thermal diffusion processes in low-permeability matrix blocks.« less

Deterministic Ethernet for Space Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fidi, C.; Wolff, B.

2015-09-01

Typical spacecraft systems are distributed to be able to achieve the required reliability and availability targets of the mission. However the requirements on these systems are different for launchers, satellites, human space flight and exploration missions. Launchers require typically high reliability with very short mission times whereas satellites or space exploration missions require very high availability at very long mission times. Comparing a distributed system of launchers with satellites it shows very fast reaction times in launchers versus much slower once in satellite applications. Human space flight missions are maybe most challenging concerning reliability and availability since human lives are involved and the mission times can be very long e.g. ISS. Also the reaction times of these vehicles can get challenging during mission scenarios like landing or re-entry leading to very fast control loops. In these different applications more and more autonomous functions are required to fulfil the needs of current and future missions. This autonomously leads to new requirements with respect to increase performance, determinism, reliability and availability. On the other hand side the pressure on reducing costs of electronic components in space applications is increasing, leading to the use of more and more COTS components especially for launchers and LEO satellites. This requires a technology which is able to provide a cost competitive solution for both the high reliable and available deep-space as well as the low cost “new space” markets. Future spacecraft communication standards therefore have to be much more flexible, scalable and modular to be able to deal with these upcoming challenges. The only way to fulfill these requirements is, if they are based on open standards which are used cross industry leading to a reduction of the lifecycle costs and an increase in performance. The use of a communication network that fulfills these requirements will be essential for such spacecraft’s to allow the use in launcher, satellite, human space flight and exploration missions. Using one technology and the related infrastructure for these different applications will lead to a significant reduction of complexity and would moreover lead to significant savings in size weight and power while increasing the performance of the overall system. The paper focuses on the use of the TTEthernet technology for launchers, satellites and human spaceflight and will demonstrate the scalability of the technology for the different applications. The data used is derived from the ESA TRP 7594 on “Reliable High-Speed Data Bus/Network for Safety-Oriented Missions”.

The American Board of Thoracic Surgery Congenital Fellowship: Have We Lost Our International Heritage?

PubMed

Starnes, Vaughn A; Sullivan, Maura E

2017-01-01

Since 2005 there have been very few (if any) individuals trained outside of the United States in congenital surgery. Confining congenital training to only programs in the US has with it some unintended consequences. First, we need to recognize that progress is made around the world and not only in the US. Second, we decrease our opportunity to establish international peers, which leads to less opportunity for multi-institutional and multi-national studies and intellectual isolation. Third, we are in a new age of globalization. Advances in technology, E-learning platforms, transportation, Internet, and other means of telecommunication have all expedited our capabilities to transmit knowledge and have created for us a "global village." I believe that it is time for us to reorganize and extend our programs beyond our own borders. To do this, we must think about creating Exchange Programs within our congenital fellowships. International fellowships will expose our trainees to new practice environments and help to open our minds to new ways of thinking. To be successful, our current board requirements will need to reflect these changes. The programs will need oversight, coordination, time and resources. In addition, and most importantly, we must make sure that it is a good learning experience. It will not be enough to "just send fellows abroad"; the programs must be guided by specific goals and objectives that need to be continually monitored and revised as needed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding how prevocational training on care farms can lead to functioning, motivation and well-being.

PubMed

Ellingsen-Dalskau, Lina H; Berget, Bente; Pedersen, Ingeborg; Tellnes, Gunnar; Ihlebæk, Camilla

2016-12-01

Prevocational training aims to improve basic vocational and social skills, supporting return to work for people who have been out of work for a long time. Care farms provide prevocational training; the aim of the study was to use the self-determination theory to gain an understanding of how these programmes can lead to healthy functioning and motivation for clients. A total of 194 participants in prevocational training on care farms answered questions about demographic information, their perception of being a colleague, the social community on the farm, experiencing nature and animals and need satisfaction. A cross-sectional design resulting in a structural equation model was used to understand how elements of the care farm context influence satisfaction of three psychological needs. The results showed that a feeling of being a useful colleague led to competence, experiencing a sense of group belonging led to relatedness and autonomy, while receiving social support from the farmer led to satisfaction of all three needs for the participants. The results explain how prevocational training can stimulate participants' functionality, motivation and well-being. This understanding enables initiators and managers of prevocational training to understand and further strengthen the need-supportive elements of such programmes. Implications for Rehabilitation Prevocational training on care farms can facilitate motivation, functioning and well-being for clients. Making clients feel like useful colleagues that belong to a client group will strengthen the positive qualities of these programmes. Support, understanding and acknowledgement from the farmer are the most important elements for a positive development for the clients.

Effect of Ankle Joint Contact Angle and Ground Contact Time on Depth Jump Performance.

PubMed

Phillips, Joshua H; Flanagan, Sean P

2015-11-01

Athletes often need to both jump high and get off the ground quickly, but getting off the ground quickly can decrease the vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) impulse, impeding jump height. Energy stored in the muscle-tendon complex during the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) may mitigate the effects of short ground contact times (GCTs). To take advantage of the SSC, several coaches recommend "attacking" the ground with the foot in a dorsiflexed (DF) position at contact. However, the efficacy of this technique has not been tested. This investigation tested the hypotheses that shorter GCTs would lead to smaller vertical depth jump heights (VDJH), and that this difference could be mitigated by instructing the athletes to land in a DF as opposed to a plantar flexed (PF) foot position. Eighteen healthy junior college athletes performed depth jumps from a 45-cm box onto force platforms under instruction to achieve one of the 2 objectives (maximum jump height [hmax] or minimal GCT [tmin]), with one of the 2 foot conditions (DF or PF). These variations created 4 distinct jump conditions: DF-hmax, DF-tmin, PF-hmax, and PF-tmin. For all variables examined, there were no significant interactions. For all 4 conditions, the ankle was PF during landing, but the DF condition was 28.87% less PF than the PF condition. The tmin conditions had a 23.48% shorter GCT than hmax. There were no significant main effects for jump height. The peak impact force for tmin was 22.14% greater than hmax and 19.11% greater for DF compared with PF conditions. A shorter GCT did not necessitate a smaller jump height, and a less PF foot did not lead to improvements in jump height or contact time during a depth jump from a 45-cm box. The same jump height was attained in less PF and shorter GCT conditions by larger impact forces. To decrease contact time while maintaining jump height, athletes should be instructed to "get off the ground as fast as possible." This cue seems to be more important than foot position. However, it should be acknowledged that this technique leads to larger impact forces, which should be considered when prescribing the number of foot contacts in a plyometrics program. The ability of athletes to truly land in a DF position during depth jumps is questioned and needs further investigation.

Experience of implementing a National pre-hospital Code Red bleeding protocol in Scotland.

PubMed

Reed, Matthew J; Glover, Alison; Byrne, Lauren; Donald, Michael; McMahon, Niall; Hughes, Neil; Littlewood, Nicola K; Garrett, Justin; Innes, Catherine; McGarvey, Margaret; Hazra, Eleanor; Rawlinson, P Sam M

2017-01-01

The Scottish Transfusion and Laboratory Support in Trauma Group (TLSTG) have introduced a unified National pre-hospital Code Red protocol. This paper reports the results of a study aiming to establish whether current pre-hospital Code Red activation criteria for trauma patients successfully predict need for in hospital transfusion or haemorrhagic death, the current admission coagulation profile and Concentrated Red Cell (CRC): Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) ratio being used, and whether use of the protocol leads to increased blood component discards? Prospective cohort study. Clinical and transfusion leads for each of Scotland's pre-hospital services and their receiving hospitals agreed to enter data into the study for all trauma patients for whom a pre-hospital Code Red was activated. Outcome data collected included survival 24h after Code Red activation, survival to hospital discharge, death in the Emergency Department and death in hospital. Between June 1st 2013 and October 31st 2015 there were 53 pre-hospital Code Red activations. Median Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 24 (IQR 14-37) and mortality 38%. 16 patients received pre-hospital blood. The pre-hospital Code Red protocol was sensitive for predicting transfusion or haemorrhagic death (89%). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the pre-hospital SBP <90mmHg component were 63%, 33%, 86% and 12%. 19% had an admission prothrombin time >14s and 27% had a fibrinogen <1.5g/L. CRC: FFP ratios did not drop to below 2:1 until 150min after arrival in the ED. 16 red cell units, 33 FFP and 6 platelets were discarded. This was not significantly increased compared to historical data. A National pre-hospital Code Red protocol is sensitive for predicting transfusion requirement in bleeding trauma patients and does not lead to increased blood component discards. A significant number of patients are coagulopathic and there is a need to improve CRC: FFP ratios and time to transfusion support especially FFP provision. Training clinicians to activate pre-hospital Code Red earlier during the pre-hospital phase may give blood bank more time to thaw and prepare FFP and may improve FFP administration times and ratios so long as components are used upon their availability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Persistent threat of lead: medical and sociological issues

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

Needleman, H.L.

1988-12-01

Lead exposure is an ancient malady. Its history serves as a useful paradigm through which to understand many other pollutants that our technological society has inserted into the human environment and may guide preventive steps for other agents. Lead poisoning was first recognized in workers exposed to high doses. The discovery of childhood toxicity occurred a century ago in Australia, when children with striking symptoms of paralysis, ophthalmoplegia, or meningitis were found to be highly lead exposed. Encephalopathy generally occurs at blood lead levels of 80 micrograms/dL or more, but unequivocal brain damage has been demonstrated at doses well belowmore » this level. At lower doses, the neurocognitive effects of lead are expressed as diminished psychometric intelligence, attention deficits, conduct problems, alterations in the electroencephalogram, school failure, and increased referral rates for special needs. Careful epidemiologic studies, which have controlled for the important confounders, have set the effect level at 10-15 micrograms/dL. Elegant animal studies in which confounding is not an issue have confirmed these findings. Although blood lead levels in the population have dropped over time for a number of reasons, there are some 3-4 million American children with blood lead levels of more than 15 micrograms/dL. Biochemical and functional changes have been demonstrated in the heme biosynthetic pathway and in the renal, cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, and nervous systems. The threshold for effect depends on the sensitivity of the methods used. A no-effect level has not been found. Further, this is not a disease of the poor alone. But the poor are exposed to much more lead than are the more economically favored. Deficiencies in body calcium, zinc, iron, and protein stores are associated with increased uptake. Optimizing nutrition enhances the resistance to lead. 110 references.« less

COMPLIANCE STATUS DOES NOT EFFECT CHANGES IN CHILDREN'S BLOOD LEAD LEVELS

EPA Science Inventory

BACKGROUND: Childhood lead poisoning is a well-recognized health concern. Lead-based paint in homes poses a particular risk for children, and protecting children from lead hazards remains an urgent public health need. This study sought to examine the housing factors affecting lon...

Early Reading Proficiency. Leading Indicator Spotlight

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Musen, Lindsey

2010-01-01

In "Beyond Test Scores: Leading Indicators for Education," Foley and colleagues (2008) define leading indicators as those that "provide early signals of progress toward academic achievement" (p. 1) and stress that educators "need leading indicators to help them see the direction their efforts are going in and to take…

Arsenomics: omics of arsenic metabolism in plants

PubMed Central

Tripathi, Rudra Deo; Tripathi, Preeti; Dwivedi, Sanjay; Dubey, Sonali; Chatterjee, Sandipan; Chakrabarty, Debasis; Trivedi, Prabodh K.

2012-01-01

Arsenic (As) contamination of drinking water and groundwater used for irrigation can lead to contamination of the food chain and poses serious health risk to people worldwide. To reduce As intake through the consumption of contaminated food, identification of the mechanisms for As accumulation and detoxification in plant is a prerequisite to develop efficient phytoremediation methods and safer crops with reduced As levels. Transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome analysis of any organism reflects the total biological activities at any given time which are responsible for the adaptation of the organism to the surrounding environmental conditions. As these approaches are very important in analyzing plant As transport and accumulation, we termed “Arsenomics” as approach which deals transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome alterations during As exposure. Although, various studies have been performed to understand modulation in transcriptome in response to As, many important questions need to be addressed regarding the translated proteins of plants at proteomic and metabolomic level, resulting in various ecophysiological responses. In this review, the comprehensive knowledge generated in this area has been compiled and analyzed. There is a need to strengthen Arsenomics which will lead to build up tools to develop As-free plants for safe consumption. PMID:22934029

A perspective of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty.

PubMed

Stanson, A W

1983-01-01

PTA is a relatively new procedure which is still evolving. More technical improvements are needed. Stiffer balloon plastics and devices to measure arterial wall compliance during balloon inflation are predicted to lead to better long-term success rates. Increasing case numbers provide greater expertise and subsequent refinements in performance and case selection. These factors will lead to improved statistics. Other features of overall patient care must be considered also. The procedure is easy for patients to tolerate, and they can return to activities and work in three or four days. The overall cost is much cheaper than surgery, even at a conservative success rate of 65 percent. There is minimal risk and morbidity, and virtually no mortality. PTA can be repeated if the lesion recurs. Severe complications are rare and almost always surgically treatable. If PTA fails to achieve success, a traditional surgical procedure can be performed. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty is an important therapeutic alternative to traditional medical and surgical treatment for occlusive arterial disease. It can save legs, veins, time, and money. We need to refine and accurately record the use of this procedure. Total cooperation among clinicians, surgeons, and radiologists is essential for proper utilization of PTA.

Low-Speed Investigation of Upper-Surface Leading-Edge Blowing on a High-Speed Civil Transport Configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Daniel W.; Laflin, Brenda E. Gile; Kemmerly, Guy T.; Campbell, Bryan A.

1999-01-01

The paper identifies speed, agility, human interface, generation of sensitivity information, task decomposition, and data transmission (including storage) as important attributes for a computer environment to have in order to support engineering design effectively. It is argued that when examined in terms of these attributes the presently available environment can be shown to be inadequate. A radical improvement is needed, and it may be achieved by combining new methods that have recently emerged from multidisciplinary design optimisation (MDO) with massively parallel processing computer technology. The caveat is that, for successful use of that technology in engineering computing, new paradigms for computing will have to be developed - specifically, innovative algorithms that are intrinsically parallel so that their performance scales up linearly with the number of processors. It may be speculated that the idea of simulating a complex behaviour by interaction of a large number of very simple models may be an inspiration for the above algorithms; the cellular automata are an example. Because of the long lead time needed to develop and mature new paradigms, development should begin now, even though the widespread availability of massively parallel processing is still a few years away.

Leading change: 1--identifying the issue.

PubMed

Kerridge, Joanna

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

Addressing Unmet Basic Resource Needs as Part of Chronic Cardiometabolic Disease Management.

PubMed

Berkowitz, Seth A; Hulberg, Amy Catherine; Standish, Sara; Reznor, Gally; Atlas, Steven J

2017-02-01

It is unclear if helping patients meet resource needs, such as difficulty affording food, housing, or medications, improves clinical outcomes. To determine the effectiveness of the Health Leads program on improvement in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP, respectively), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level. A difference-in-difference evaluation of the Health Leads program was conducted from October 1, 2012, through September 30, 2015, at 3 academic primary care practices. Health Leads consists of screening for unmet needs at clinic visits, and offering those who screen positive to meet with an advocate to help obtain resources, or receive brief information provision. Changes in SBP, DBP, LDL-C level, and HbA1c level. We compared those who screened positive for unmet basic needs (Health Leads group) with those who screened negative, using intention-to-treat, and, secondarily, between those who did and did not enroll in Health Leads, using linear mixed modeling, examining the period before and after screening. A total of 5125 people were screened, using a standardized form, for unmet basic resource needs; 3351 screened negative and 1774 screened positive. For those who screened positive, the mean age was 57.6 years and 1811 (56%) were women. For those who screened negative, the mean age was 56.7 years and 909 (57%) were women. Of 5125 people screened, 1774 (35%) reported at least 1 unmet need, and 1021 (58%) of those enrolled in Health Leads. Median follow-up for those who screened positive and negative was 34 and 32 months, respectively. In unadjusted intention-to-treat analyses of 1998 participants with hypertension, the Health Leads group experienced greater reduction in SBP (differential change, -1.2; 95% CI, -2.1 to -0.4) and DBP (differential change, -1.0; 95% CI, -1.5 to -0.5). For 2281 individuals with an indication for LDL-C level lowering, results also favored the Health Leads group (differential change, -3.7; 95% CI -6.7 to -0.6). For 774 individuals with diabetes, the Health Leads group did not show HbA1c level improvement (differential change, -0.04%; 95% CI, -0.17% to 0.10%). Results adjusted for baseline demographic and clinical differences were not qualitatively different. Among those who enrolled in Health Leads program, there were greater BP and LDL-C level improvements than for those who declined (SBP differential change -2.6; 95% CI,-3.5 to -1.7; SBP differential change, -1.4; 95% CI, -1.9 to -0.9; LDL-C level differential change, -6.3; 95% CI, -9.7 to -2.8). Screening for and attempting to address unmet basic resource needs in primary care was associated with modest improvements in blood pressure and lipid, but not blood glucose, levels.

Wholesale electricity market design with increasing levels of renewable generation: Revenue sufficiency and long-term reliability

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

Milligan, Michael; Frew, Bethany A.; Bloom, Aaron

This paper discusses challenges that relate to assessing and properly incentivizing the resources necessary to ensure a reliable electricity system with growing penetrations of variable generation (VG). The output of VG (primarily wind and solar generation) varies over time and cannot be predicted precisely. Therefore, the energy from VG is not always guaranteed to be available at times when it is most needed. This means that its contribution towards resource adequacy can be significantly less than the contribution from traditional resources. Variable renewable resources also have near-zero variable costs, and with production-based subsidies they may even have negative offer costs.more » Because variable costs drive the spot price of energy, this can lead to reduced prices, sales, and therefore revenue for all resources within the energy market. The characteristics of VG can also result in increased price volatility as well as the need for more flexibility in the resource fleet in order to maintain system reliability. Furthermore, we explore both traditional and evolving electricity market designs in the United States that aim to ensure resource adequacy and sufficient revenues to recover costs when those resources are needed for long-term reliability. We also investigate how reliability needs may be evolving and discuss how VG may affect future electricity market designs.« less

Wholesale electricity market design with increasing levels of renewable generation: Revenue sufficiency and long-term reliability

DOE PAGES

Milligan, Michael; Frew, Bethany A.; Bloom, Aaron; ...

2016-03-22

This paper discusses challenges that relate to assessing and properly incentivizing the resources necessary to ensure a reliable electricity system with growing penetrations of variable generation (VG). The output of VG (primarily wind and solar generation) varies over time and cannot be predicted precisely. Therefore, the energy from VG is not always guaranteed to be available at times when it is most needed. This means that its contribution towards resource adequacy can be significantly less than the contribution from traditional resources. Variable renewable resources also have near-zero variable costs, and with production-based subsidies they may even have negative offer costs.more » Because variable costs drive the spot price of energy, this can lead to reduced prices, sales, and therefore revenue for all resources within the energy market. The characteristics of VG can also result in increased price volatility as well as the need for more flexibility in the resource fleet in order to maintain system reliability. Furthermore, we explore both traditional and evolving electricity market designs in the United States that aim to ensure resource adequacy and sufficient revenues to recover costs when those resources are needed for long-term reliability. We also investigate how reliability needs may be evolving and discuss how VG may affect future electricity market designs.« less

Point-of-Care-Testing in Acute Stroke Management: An Unmet Need Ripe for Technological Harvest

PubMed Central

Eltzov, Evgeni; Seet, Raymond C. S.; Marks, Robert S.; Tok, Alfred I. Y.

2017-01-01

Stroke, the second highest leading cause of death, is caused by an abrupt interruption of blood to the brain. Supply of blood needs to be promptly restored to salvage brain tissues from irreversible neuronal death. Existing assessment of stroke patients is based largely on detailed clinical evaluation that is complemented by neuroimaging methods. However, emerging data point to the potential use of blood-derived biomarkers in aiding clinical decision-making especially in the diagnosis of ischemic stroke, triaging patients for acute reperfusion therapies, and in informing stroke mechanisms and prognosis. The demand for newer techniques to deliver individualized information on-site for incorporation into a time-sensitive work-flow has become greater. In this review, we examine the roles of a portable and easy to use point-of-care-test (POCT) in shortening the time-to-treatment, classifying stroke subtypes and improving patient’s outcome. We first examine the conventional stroke management workflow, then highlight situations where a bedside biomarker assessment might aid clinical decision-making. A novel stroke POCT approach is presented, which combines the use of quantitative and multiplex POCT platforms for the detection of specific stroke biomarkers, as well as data-mining tools to drive analytical processes. Further work is needed in the development of POCTs to fulfill an unmet need in acute stroke management. PMID:28771209

The implementation of two stages clustering (k-means clustering and adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system) for prediction of medicine need based on medical data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husein, A. M.; Harahap, M.; Aisyah, S.; Purba, W.; Muhazir, A.

2018-03-01

Medication planning aim to get types, amount of medicine according to needs, and avoid the emptiness medicine based on patterns of disease. In making the medicine planning is still rely on ability and leadership experience, this is due to take a long time, skill, difficult to obtain a definite disease data, need a good record keeping and reporting, and the dependence of the budget resulted in planning is not going well, and lead to frequent lack and excess of medicines. In this research, we propose Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) method to predict medication needs in 2016 and 2017 based on medical data in 2015 and 2016 from two source of hospital. The framework of analysis using two approaches. The first phase is implementing ANFIS to a data source, while the second approach we keep using ANFIS, but after the process of clustering from K-Means algorithm, both approaches are calculated values of Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) for training and testing. From the testing result, the proposed method with better prediction rates based on the evaluation analysis of quantitative and qualitative compared with existing systems, however the implementation of K-Means Algorithm against ANFIS have an effect on the timing of the training process and provide a classification accuracy significantly better without clustering.

Identification of Visual Cues and Quantification of Drivers' Perception of Proximity Risk to the Lead Vehicle in Car-Following Situations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kondoh, Takayuki; Yamamura, Tomohiro; Kitazaki, Satoshi; Kuge, Nobuyuki; Boer, Erwin Roeland

Longitudinal vehicle control and/or warning technologies that operate in accordance with drivers' subjective perception of risk need to be developed for driver-support systems, if such systems are to be used fully to achieve safer, more comfortable driving. In order to accomplish this goal, it is necessary to identify the visual cues utilized by drivers in their perception of risk when closing on the vehicle ahead in a car-following situation. It is also necessary to quantify the relation between the physical parameters defining the spatial relationship to the vehicle ahead and psychological metrics with regard to the risk perceived by the driver. This paper presents the results of an empirical study on quantification and formulization of drivers' subjective perception of risk based on experiments performed with a fixed-base driving simulator at the Nissan Research Center. Experiments were carried out to investigate the subjective perception of risk relative to the headway distance and closing velocity to the vehicle ahead using the magnitude estimation method. The experimental results showed that drivers' perception of risk was strongly affected by two variables: time headway, i.e., the distance to the lead vehicle divided by the following vehicle's velocity, and time to collision, i.e., the distance to the lead vehicle divided by relative velocity. It was also found that an equation for estimating drivers' perception of risk can be formulated as the summation of the time headway inverse and the time to collision inverse and that this expression can be applied to various approaching situations. Furthermore, the validity of this equation was examined based on real-world driver behavior data measured with an instrumented vehicle.

Skilful seasonal forecasts of streamflow over Europe?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnal, Louise; Cloke, Hannah L.; Stephens, Elisabeth; Wetterhall, Fredrik; Prudhomme, Christel; Neumann, Jessica; Krzeminski, Blazej; Pappenberger, Florian

2018-04-01

This paper considers whether there is any added value in using seasonal climate forecasts instead of historical meteorological observations for forecasting streamflow on seasonal timescales over Europe. A Europe-wide analysis of the skill of the newly operational EFAS (European Flood Awareness System) seasonal streamflow forecasts (produced by forcing the Lisflood model with the ECMWF System 4 seasonal climate forecasts), benchmarked against the ensemble streamflow prediction (ESP) forecasting approach (produced by forcing the Lisflood model with historical meteorological observations), is undertaken. The results suggest that, on average, the System 4 seasonal climate forecasts improve the streamflow predictability over historical meteorological observations for the first month of lead time only (in terms of hindcast accuracy, sharpness and overall performance). However, the predictability varies in space and time and is greater in winter and autumn. Parts of Europe additionally exhibit a longer predictability, up to 7 months of lead time, for certain months within a season. In terms of hindcast reliability, the EFAS seasonal streamflow hindcasts are on average less skilful than the ESP for all lead times. The results also highlight the potential usefulness of the EFAS seasonal streamflow forecasts for decision-making (measured in terms of the hindcast discrimination for the lower and upper terciles of the simulated streamflow). Although the ESP is the most potentially useful forecasting approach in Europe, the EFAS seasonal streamflow forecasts appear more potentially useful than the ESP in some regions and for certain seasons, especially in winter for almost 40 % of Europe. Patterns in the EFAS seasonal streamflow hindcast skill are however not mirrored in the System 4 seasonal climate hindcasts, hinting at the need for a better understanding of the link between hydrological and meteorological variables on seasonal timescales, with the aim of improving climate-model-based seasonal streamflow forecasting.

Bulk viscous quintessential inflation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haro, Jaume; Pan, Supriya

In a spatially-flat Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker universe, the incorporation of bulk viscous process in general relativity leads to an appearance of a nonsingular background of the universe that both at early and late times depicts an accelerated universe. These early and late scenarios of the universe can be analytically calculated and mimicked, in the context of general relativity, by a single scalar field whose potential could also be obtained analytically where the early inflationary phase is described by a one-dimensional Higgs potential and the current acceleration is realized by an exponential potential. We show that the early inflationary universe leads to a power spectrum of the cosmological perturbations which match with current observational data, and after leaving the inflationary phase, the universe suffers a phase transition needed to explain the reheating of the universe via gravitational particle production. Furthermore, we find that at late times, the universe enters into the de Sitter phase that can explain the current cosmic acceleration. Finally, we also find that such bulk viscous-dominated universe attains the thermodynamical equilibrium, but in an asymptotic manner.

Whispering Gallery Mode Resonators for Rapid Label-Free Biosensing in Small Volume Droplets

PubMed Central

Wildgen, Sarah M.; Dunn, Robert C.

2015-01-01

Rapid biosensing requires fast mass transport of the analyte to the surface of the sensing element. To optimize analysis times, both mass transport in solution and the geometry and size of the sensing element need to be considered. Small dielectric spheres, tens of microns in diameter, can act as label-free biosensors using whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonances. WGM resonances are sensitive to the effective refractive index, which changes upon analyte binding to recognition sites on functionalized resonators. The spherical geometry and tens of microns diameter of these resonators provides an efficient target for sensing while their compact size enables detection in limited volumes. Here, we explore conditions leading to rapid analyte detection using WGM resonators as label-free sensors in 10 μL sample droplets. Droplet evaporation leads to potentially useful convective mixing, but also limits the time over which analysis can be completed. We show that active droplet mixing combined with initial binding rate measurements is required for accurate nanomolar protein quantification within the first minute following injection. PMID:25806835

The effectiveness of a mail reminder system for depot medroxyprogesterone injections.

PubMed

Madlon-Kay, D J

1996-04-01

To determine if a mail reminder system leads to an increase in the percentage of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera) injections administered on time, the charts of 184 women were reviewed. The reminder postcard included the due dates of both the next medroxyprogesterone injection and the next Papanicolaou test. Timeliness of injections improved with the reminder system from 64% administered on time to 76% (P < .02). Injections given late despite the reminders were late a mean of 8 days. Injections given late before the reminder system began were late a mean of 20 days (P < .05). If injections given during the injection's 14-day "grace" period are included, the on-time rate improved from 87% to 96% with the reminder system (P < .005). The reminder system was not effective in ensuring annual Papanicolaou testing. Vigilance is needed to ensure that women receiving medroxyprogesterone injections also receive timely Papanicolaou testing.

Unformulated experience, dissociation, and Nachträglichkeit.

PubMed

Stern, Donnel B

2017-09-01

The paper is divided into two parts. The first part is an interpersonal/relational psychoanalytic account of some relationships between dissociation, time, and unformulated experience. Trauma, and the dissociation to which trauma leads, freezes time, which makes it impossible to formulate certain kinds of new experience. Instead, potential new meanings remain unformulated. The route of clinical access to frozen time is the interpersonal field: to thaw time and allow new experience, the ways in which the interpersonal field is itself frozen need to be addressed. A clinical illustration of these ideas is offered. The second part of the paper presents and explores a point of confluence between the views in Part 1 and certain aspects of French psychoanalysis, with particular reference to the concept of Nachträglichkeit in the work of Jean Laplanche and Haydée Faimberg. © 2017, The Society of Analytical Psychology.

Dying in the Hospital: Perspectives of family members.

PubMed

Dose, Ann Marie; Carey, Elise C; Rhudy, Lori M; Chiu, Yichen; Frimannsdottir, Katrin; Ottenberg, Abigale L; Koenig, Barbara A

2015-01-01

Although most patients express a preference to die at home, many (over 30 percent) still die in hospital. This study's purpose was to explore the experience of hospital death from the perspective of patients' family members. interviews were conducted with family members of patients who had died at hospitals affiliated with a large tertiary referral centre in the United States. Content analysis was used to analyze findings. We interviewed 30 family members by phone. Themes were arranged by time frame: before death, time of death, and after death. Families do not interpret clinical cues leading up to death in the same way healthcare providers do; families need clear and direct explanations from providers. Clinicians should assess patient and family understandings of prognosis and communicate clearly and directly. Family members value being with their loved one at the time of death, and they value spending time with the body after death; this should be facilitated in clinical practice.

[Invested time in private care: estimated by people in need of help and care and their private caregivers].

PubMed

Heinemann-Knoch, M; Knoch, T; Korte, E

2006-12-01

The amount of time that ought to be invested for private care is regulated by the German Care Assurance (SGB XI). Whether this reflects the actual amount of help given to the people cornered is not certain. In our qualitative study, which was part of the project "Potentials and Limits of Independent Living in Private Households in Germany" [1] funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, we had the chance to document the amount of time people themselves think they spend or vice versa receive for help and care with a timetable. Even if the amount of time alone does not yet lead to a conclusion about the quality of the given effort, it is one indicator for an adequate care that allows living at home as long as possible.

When Clock Time Governs Interaction: How Time Influences Health Professionals' Intersectoral Collaboration.

PubMed

Bendix Andersen, Anne; Beedholm, Kirsten; Kolbæk, Raymond; Frederiksen, Kirsten

2018-06-01

When setting up patient pathways that cross health care sectors, professionals in emergency units strive to fulfill system requirements by creating efficient patient pathways that comply with standards for length of stay. We conducted an ethnographic field study, focusing on health professionals' collaboration, of 10 elderly patients with chronic illnesses, following them from discharge to their home or other places where they received health care services. We found that clock time not only governed the professionals' ways of collaborating, but acceleration of patient pathways also became an overall goal in health care delivery. Professionals' efforts to save time came to represent a "monetary value," leading to speedier planning of patient pathways and consequent risks of disregarding important issues when treating and caring for elderly patients. We suggest that such issues are significant to the future planning and improvement of patient pathways that involve elderly citizens who are in need of intersectoral health care delivery.

Optimization of Time-Dependent Particle Tracing Using Tetrahedral Decomposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenwright, David; Lane, David

1995-01-01

An efficient algorithm is presented for computing particle paths, streak lines and time lines in time-dependent flows with moving curvilinear grids. The integration, velocity interpolation and step-size control are all performed in physical space which avoids the need to transform the velocity field into computational space. This leads to higher accuracy because there are no Jacobian matrix approximations or expensive matrix inversions. Integration accuracy is maintained using an adaptive step-size control scheme which is regulated by the path line curvature. The problem of cell-searching, point location and interpolation in physical space is simplified by decomposing hexahedral cells into tetrahedral cells. This enables the point location to be done analytically and substantially faster than with a Newton-Raphson iterative method. Results presented show this algorithm is up to six times faster than particle tracers which operate on hexahedral cells yet produces almost identical particle trajectories.

Effects of lead time of verbal collision warning messages on driving behavior in connected vehicle settings.

PubMed

Wan, Jingyan; Wu, Changxu; Zhang, Yiqi

2016-09-01

Under the connected vehicle environment, vehicles will be able to exchange traffic information with roadway infrastructure and other vehicles. With such information, collision warning systems (CWSs) will be able to warn drivers with potentially hazardous situations within or out of sight and reduce collision accidents. The lead time of warning messages is a crucial factor in determining the effectiveness of CWSs in the prevention of traffic accidents. Accordingly, it is necessary to understand the effects of lead time on driving behaviors and explore the optimal lead time in various collision scenarios. The present driving simulator experiment studied the effects of controlled lead time at 16 levels (predetermined time headway from the subject vehicle to the collision location when the warning message broadcasted to a driver) on driving behaviors in various collision scenarios. Maximum effectiveness of warning messages was achieved when the controlled lead time was within the range of 5s to 8s. Specifically, the controlled lead time ranging from 4s to 8s led to the optimal safety benefit; and the controlled lead time ranging from 5s to 8s led to more gradual braking and shorter reaction time. Furthermore, a trapezoidal distribution of warning effectiveness was found by building a statistic model using curve estimation considering lead time, lifetime driving experience, and driving speed. The results indicated that the controlled lead time significantly affected driver performance. The findings have implications for the design of collision warning systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved.

On the Origin of Quantum Diffusion Coefficient and Quantum Potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Aseem

2016-03-01

Synchronizability of space and time experiences between different inhabitants of a spacetime is abstracted as a fundamental premise of Classical physics. Absence thereof i.e. desynchronization between space and time experiences of a system under study and the observer is then studied for a single dimension single particle system. Desynchronization fundamentally makes probability concepts enter physics ab-initio and not as secondary tools to deal with situations wherein incomplete information in situation following perfectly deterministic dynamics demands its introduction. Desynchronization model based on Poisson distribution of events vis-à-vis an observer, leads to expectation of particle's motion as a Brownian motion deriving Nelson's quantum diffusion coefficient naturally, without needing to postulate it. This model also incorporates physical effects akin to those of Bohm's Quantum Potential, again without needing any sub-quantum medium. Schrodinger's equation is shown to be derivable incorporating desynchronization only of space while Quantum Field Theory is shown to model desynchronization of time as well. Fundamental suggestion of the study is that it is desynchronization that is at the root of quantum phenomena rather than sub-micro scales of spacetime. Absence of possibility of synchronization between system's space and time and those of observer is studied. Mathematical modeling of desynchronized evolution explains some intriguing aspects of Quantum Mechanical theory.

Tele-autonomous systems: New methods for projecting and coordinating intelligent action at a distance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conway, Lynn; Volz, Richard; Walker, Michael W.

1989-01-01

There is a growing need for humans to perform complex remote operations and to extend the intelligence and experience of experts to distant applications. It is asserted that a blending of human intelligence, modern information technology, remote control, and intelligent autonomous systems is required, and have coined the term tele-autonomous technology, or tele-automation, for methods producing intelligent action at a distance. Tele-automation goes beyond autonomous control by blending in human intelligence. It goes beyond tele-operation by incorporating as much autonomy as possible and/or reasonable. A new approach is discussed for solving one of the fundamental problems facing tele-autonomous systems: The need to overcome time delays due to telemetry and signal propagation. New concepts are introduced called time and position clutches, that allow the time and position frames between the local user control and the remote device being controlled, to be desynchronized respectively. The design and implementation of these mechanisms are described in detail. It is demonstrated that these mechanisms lead to substantial telemanipulation performance improvements, including the result of improvements even in the absence of time delays. The new controls also yield a simple protocol for control handoffs of manipulation tasks between local operators and remote systems.

Numerical simulation of transonic compressor under circumferential inlet distortion and rotor/stator interference using harmonic balance method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ziwei; Jiang, Xiong; Chen, Ti; Hao, Yan; Qiu, Min

2018-05-01

Simulating the unsteady flow of compressor under circumferential inlet distortion and rotor/stator interference would need full-annulus grid with a dual time method. This process is time consuming and needs a large amount of computational resources. Harmonic balance method simulates the unsteady flow in compressor on single passage grid with a series of steady simulations. This will largely increase the computational efficiency in comparison with the dual time method. However, most simulations with harmonic balance method are conducted on the flow under either circumferential inlet distortion or rotor/stator interference. Based on an in-house CFD code, the harmonic balance method is applied in the simulation of flow in the NASA Stage 35 under both circumferential inlet distortion and rotor/stator interference. As the unsteady flow is influenced by two different unsteady disturbances, it leads to the computational instability. The instability can be avoided by coupling the harmonic balance method with an optimizing algorithm. The computational result of harmonic balance method is compared with the result of full-annulus simulation. It denotes that, the harmonic balance method simulates the flow under circumferential inlet distortion and rotor/stator interference as precise as the full-annulus simulation with a speed-up of about 8 times.

Rapid Analysis, Self-Calibrating Array for Air Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Homer, Margie L.; Shevade, Abhijit V.; Lara, Liana; Huerta, Ramon; Vergara, Alexander; Muezzinoglua, Mehmet K.

2012-01-01

Human space missions have critical needs for monitoring and control for life support systems. These systems have monitoring needs that include feedback for closed loop processes and quality control for environmental factors. Sensors and monitoring technologies assure that the air environment and water supply for the astronaut crew habitat fall within acceptable limits, and that the life support system is functioning properly and efficiently. The longer the flight duration and the more distant the destination, the more critical it becomes to have carefully monitored and automated control systems for life support. Past experiments with the JPL ENose have demonstrated a lifetime of the sensor array, with the software, of around 18 months. The lifetime of the calibration, for some analytes, was as long as 24 months. We are working on a sensor array and new algorithms that will include sensor response time in the analysis. The preliminary array analysis for two analytes shows that the analysis time, of an event, can be dropped from 45 minutes to less than10 minutes and array training time can be cut substantially. We will describe the lifetime testing of an array and show lifetime data on individual sensors. This progress will lead to more rapid identification of analytes, and faster training time of the array.

Right line, right patient, right time: every choice matters.

PubMed

Jackson, Tim; Hallam, Carole; Corner, Tracey; Hill, Steve

The field of vascular access has developed significantly over recent decades. It has been adapted to provide a range of techniques for a range of patients much faster than a full appreciation of the risks involved has developed. Improved governance of vascular access procedures in the UK is needed. This is driven by a deeper understanding of risks such as infectious and thrombotic complications, repeated failures of peripheral intravenous (IV) access leading to poor patient experience and treatment inadequacy, and the increasing emphasis on avoiding healthcare-associated infections. The Vessel Health and Preservation (VHP) protocol, which is used to standardise vascular access practice in the US is being evaluated for adoption in the UK. A comprehensive and inclusive approach should be taken to the vascular access needs of all patients.

Improving the Discipline of Cost Estimation and Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Piland, William M.; Pine, David J.; Wilson, Delano M.

2000-01-01

The need to improve the quality and accuracy of cost estimates of proposed new aerospace systems has been widely recognized. The industry has done the best job of maintaining related capability with improvements in estimation methods and giving appropriate priority to the hiring and training of qualified analysts. Some parts of Government, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in particular, continue to need major improvements in this area. Recently, NASA recognized that its cost estimation and analysis capabilities had eroded to the point that the ability to provide timely, reliable estimates was impacting the confidence in planning man), program activities. As a result, this year the Agency established a lead role for cost estimation and analysis. The Independent Program Assessment Office located at the Langley Research Center was given this responsibility.

Advanced composites wing study program, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harvey, S. T.; Michaelson, G. L.

1978-01-01

The study on utilization of advanced composites in commercial aircraft wing structures was conducted as a part of the NASA Aircraft Energy Efficiency Program to establish, by the mid-1980s, the technology for the design of a subsonic commercial transport aircraft leading to a 40% fuel savings. The study objective was to develop a plan to define the effort needed to support a production commitment for the extensive use of composite materials in wings of new generation aircraft that will enter service in the 1985-1990 time period. Identification and analysis of what was needed to meet the above plan requirements resulted in a program plan consisting of three key development areas: (1) technology development; (2) production capability development; and (3) integration and validation by designing, building, and testing major development hardware.

Gamification of Clinical Routine: The Dr. Fill Approach.

PubMed

Bukowski, Mark; Kühn, Martin; Zhao, Xiaoqing; Bettermann, Ralf; Jonas, Stephan

2016-01-01

Gamification is used in clinical context in the health care education. Furthermore, it has shown great promises to improve the performance of the health care staff in their daily routine. In this work we focus on the medication sorting task, which is performed manually in hospitals. This task is very error prone and needs to be performed daily. Nevertheless, errors in the medication are crucial and lead to serious complications. In this work we present a real world gamification approach of the medication sorting task in a patient's daily pill organizer. The player of the game needs to sort the correct medication into the correct dispenser slots and is rewarded or punished in real time. At the end of the game, a score is given and the user can register in a leaderboard.

Advanced analytical electron microscopy for alkali-ion batteries

DOE PAGES

Qian, Danna; Ma, Cheng; Meng, Ying Shirley; ...

2015-06-26

Lithium-ion batteries are a leading candidate for electric vehicle and smart grid applications. However, further optimizations of the energy/power density, coulombic efficiency and cycle life are still needed, and this requires a thorough understanding of the dynamic evolution of each component and their synergistic behaviors during battery operation. With the capability of resolving the structure and chemistry at an atomic resolution, advanced analytical transmission electron microscopy (AEM) is an ideal technique for this task. The present review paper focuses on recent contributions of this important technique to the fundamental understanding of the electrochemical processes of battery materials. A detailed reviewmore » of both static (ex situ) and real-time (in situ) studies will be given, and issues that still need to be addressed will be discussed.« less

Managing motherhood: strategies used by new mothers to maintain perceptions of wellness.

PubMed

Currie, Janet

2009-07-01

The first year or so of motherhood can represent a transitional lifestyle change; however, experiences are not well understood from the mother's own perspective. In a series of interviews, nine mothers related their beliefs and ideas about strategies utilized to maintain a perceived sense of wellness. The mothers used three main strategies: (a) obtaining help, (b) having a plan, and (c) taking time-out. Discovery of a successful strategy lead to a mother feeling greater confidence in the efficacy of her selected method, calmer, and in greater control. In order to achieve a true sense of increasing control over her own health, however, it is recommended a mother prioritize strategies to meet her own personal needs in addition to meeting the needs of others.

Airborne electromagnetic bathymetry investigations in Port Lincoln, South Australia - comparison with an equivalent floating transient electromagnetic system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vrbancich, Julian

2011-09-01

Helicopter time-domain airborne electromagnetic (AEM) methodology is being investigated as a reconnaissance technique for bathymetric mapping in shallow coastal waters, especially in areas affected by water turbidity where light detection and ranging (LIDAR) and hyperspectral techniques may be limited. Previous studies in Port Lincoln, South Australia, used a floating AEM time-domain system to provide an upper limit to the expected bathymetric accuracy based on current technology for AEM systems. The survey lines traced by the towed floating system were also flown with an airborne system using the same transmitter and receiver electronic instrumentation, on two separate occasions. On the second occasion, significant improvements had been made to the instrumentation to reduce the system self-response at early times. A comparison of the interpreted water depths obtained from the airborne and floating systems is presented, showing the degradation in bathymetric accuracy obtained from the airborne data. An empirical data correction method based on modelled and observed EM responses over deep seawater (i.e. a quasi half-space response) at varying survey altitudes, combined with known seawater conductivity measured during the survey, can lead to significant improvements in interpreted water depths and serves as a useful method for checking system calibration. Another empirical data correction method based on observed and modelled EM responses in shallow water was shown to lead to similar improvements in interpreted water depths; however, this procedure is notably inferior to the quasi half-space response because more parameters need to be assumed in order to compute the modelled EM response. A comparison between the results of the two airborne surveys in Port Lincoln shows that uncorrected data obtained from the second airborne survey gives good agreement with known water depths without the need to apply any empirical corrections to the data. This result significantly decreases the data-processing time thereby enabling the AEM method to serve as a rapid reconnaissance technique for bathymetric mapping.

["Is there a doctor on board?" - legal aspects of medical care in emergency situations during spare time].

PubMed

Lindner, Christina; Lindner, Gregor; Exadaktylos, Aristomenis K

2013-12-11

Medical emergencies on international flights are not uncommon. In these situations the question often arises whether physicians are obliged to render first aid and whether omission leads to legal consequences. The general obligation to aid those in need applies to everyone, not only to physicians. Evading this duty makes liable to prosecution for omittance of defence of a third person in line with Art. 128 of the Swiss Penal Code, punishable by custodial sentence up to three years or an equivalent punitive fine. Vocational and professional law extend the duty to aid for physicians to urgent cases. Although resulting from the performance of a legal obligation, malpractice occurred in the course of first aid can lead to claims for compensation - even from foreign patients, and that according to their own domestic law.

Weak light emission of soft tissues induced by heating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spinelli, Antonello E.; Durando, Giovanni; Boschi, Federico

2018-04-01

The main goal of this work is to show that soft tissue interaction with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) or direct heating leads to a weak light emission detectable using a small animal optical imaging system. Our results show that the luminescence signal is detectable after 30 min of heating, resembling the time scale of delayed luminescence. The imaging of a soft tissue after heating it using an HIFU field shows that the luminescence pattern closely matches the shape of the cone typical of the HIFU beam. We conclude that heating a soft tissue using two different sources leads to the emission of a weak luminescence signal from the heated region with a decay half-life of a few minutes (4 to 6 min). The origin of such light emission needs to be further investigated.

Women's Sexual Health: Talking about Your Sexual Needs

MedlinePlus

... sexual enjoyment. Many people think that your body's physical desire for sex motivates sexual activity, which leads to sexual arousal and then ... Your intimacy needs. Intimacy is more than just sexual needs. Intimacy also ... physical and recreational needs. If your emotional intimacy needs ...

Efficient multidimensional regularization for Volterra series estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birpoutsoukis, Georgios; Csurcsia, Péter Zoltán; Schoukens, Johan

2018-05-01

This paper presents an efficient nonparametric time domain nonlinear system identification method. It is shown how truncated Volterra series models can be efficiently estimated without the need of long, transient-free measurements. The method is a novel extension of the regularization methods that have been developed for impulse response estimates of linear time invariant systems. To avoid the excessive memory needs in case of long measurements or large number of estimated parameters, a practical gradient-based estimation method is also provided, leading to the same numerical results as the proposed Volterra estimation method. Moreover, the transient effects in the simulated output are removed by a special regularization method based on the novel ideas of transient removal for Linear Time-Varying (LTV) systems. Combining the proposed methodologies, the nonparametric Volterra models of the cascaded water tanks benchmark are presented in this paper. The results for different scenarios varying from a simple Finite Impulse Response (FIR) model to a 3rd degree Volterra series with and without transient removal are compared and studied. It is clear that the obtained models capture the system dynamics when tested on a validation dataset, and their performance is comparable with the white-box (physical) models.

Computational Electrocardiography: Revisiting Holter ECG Monitoring.

PubMed

Deserno, Thomas M; Marx, Nikolaus

2016-08-05

Since 1942, when Goldberger introduced the 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG), this diagnostic method has not been changed. After 70 years of technologic developments, we revisit Holter ECG from recording to understanding. A fundamental change is fore-seen towards "computational ECG" (CECG), where continuous monitoring is producing big data volumes that are impossible to be inspected conventionally but require efficient computational methods. We draw parallels between CECG and computational biology, in particular with respect to computed tomography, computed radiology, and computed photography. From that, we identify technology and methodology needed for CECG. Real-time transfer of raw data into meaningful parameters that are tracked over time will allow prediction of serious events, such as sudden cardiac death. Evolved from Holter's technology, portable smartphones with Bluetooth-connected textile-embedded sensors will capture noisy raw data (recording), process meaningful parameters over time (analysis), and transfer them to cloud services for sharing (handling), predicting serious events, and alarming (understanding). To make this happen, the following fields need more research: i) signal processing, ii) cycle decomposition; iii) cycle normalization, iv) cycle modeling, v) clinical parameter computation, vi) physiological modeling, and vii) event prediction. We shall start immediately developing methodology for CECG analysis and understanding.

Effect of perioperative inefficiency on neurosurgical theatre efficacy: A 15-year analysis.

PubMed

Kamat, Ameya S; Parker, Andrew

2015-01-01

Effective utilisation of operating theatre time is an important issue in neurosurgery. There is a commonly held belief amongst surgeons that throughput of theatre is decreasing secondary to worsening perioperative delays. The aim of this paper is to explore some of the factors that lead to delays in the perioperative period by determining whether there has been a trend in the increasing length of case time over a fifteen-year period. Case notes of all elective patients who consented for surgery between January 1998 and the end of 2012 were reviewed. Only patients who underwent elective surgery were included. Variables recorded included transit time from the ward to theatre, anaesthetic time, surgical time and time spent in recovery. These were compared over the 15-year period to look for apparent trends. The total number of patients who consented for elective surgery at our institution between January 1998 and December 2012 was 6760. The mean anaesthetic time considering all operations performed was 43 mins each over the 15-year period. Anaesthetic time was deemed to be trending upwards from 1998 where the mean time was 27 -60 mins in December 2012, thus reflecting an increase of 33 mins. The mean surgical times over the 15-year period were 131 mins. However in 1998, mean surgical time was 127 mins compared with 133 mins in 2012. For the operations analysed, anaesthetic time seems to be increasing and has effectively doubled over a 15-year period. Surgical time and non-clinical time are shown to be virtually constant. This delays the overall theatre list and increases the cancellation rate. For compensating this, changes need to be made when allocating resources to both elective and emergency theatres. Staff recruitment needs to be assessed and internal audits need to be conducted within institutions to analyse ways to optimise the throughput of an operation theatre. If these principles are not adhered to, it will have a negative impact as our populations, and hence our case loads increase to instrumental levels. This will in turn have a negative impact on health workers and patients alike.

Sharp Refractory Composite Leading Edges on Hypersonic Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, Sandra P.; Sullivan, Brian J.

2003-01-01

On-going research of advanced sharp refractory composite leading edges for use on hypersonic air-breathing vehicles is presented in this paper. Intense magnitudes of heating and of heating gradients on the leading edge lead to thermal stresses that challenge the survivability of current material systems. A fundamental understanding of the problem is needed to further design development. Methodology for furthering the technology along with the use of advanced fiber architectures to improve the thermal-structural response is explored in the current work. Thermal and structural finite element analyses are conducted for several advanced fiber architectures of interest. A tailored thermal shock parameter for sharp orthotropic leading edges is identified for evaluating composite material systems. The use of the tailored thermal shock parameter has the potential to eliminate the need for detailed thermal-structural finite element analyses for initial screening of material systems being considered for a leading edge component.

Combined exposure to protons and 56Fe leads to overexpression of Il13 and reactivation of repetitive elements in the mouse lung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nzabarushimana, Etienne; Prior, Sara; Miousse, Isabelle R.; Pathak, Rupak; Allen, Antiño R.; Latendresse, John; Olsen, Reid H. J.; Raber, Jacob; Hauer-Jensen, Martin; Nelson, Gregory A.; Koturbash, Igor

2015-11-01

Interest in deep space exploration underlines the needs to investigate the effects of exposure to combined sources of space radiation. The lung is a target organ for radiation, and exposure to protons and heavy ions as radiation sources may lead to the development of degenerative disease and cancer. In this study, we evaluated the pro-fibrotic and epigenetic effects of exposure to protons (150 MeV/nucleon, 0.1 Gy) and heavy iron ions (56Fe, 600 MeV/nucleon, 0.5 Gy) alone or in combination (protons on Day 1 and 56Fe on Day 2) in C57BL/6 male mice 4 weeks after irradiation. Exposure to 56Fe, proton or in combination, did not result in histopathological changes in the murine lung. At the same time, combined exposure to protons and 56Fe resulted in pronounced molecular alterations in comparison with either source of radiation alone. Specifically, we observed a substantial increase in the expression of cytokine Il13, loss of expression of DNA methyltransferase Dnmt1, and reactivation of LINE-1, SINE B1 retrotransposons, and major and minor satellites. Given the deleterious potential of the observed effects that may lead to development of chronic lung injury, pulmonary fibrosis, and cancer, future studies devoted to the investigation of the long-term effects of combined exposures to proton and heavy ions are clearly needed.

Combined exposure to protons and 56Fe leads to overexpression of Il13 and reactivation of repetitive elements in the mouse lung

PubMed Central

Nzabarushimana, Etienne; Prior, Sara; Miousse, Isabelle R.; Pathak, Rupak; Allen, Antino R.; Latendresse, John; Olsen, Reid H.J.; Raber, Jacob; Hauer-Jensen, Martin; Nelson, Gregory A.; Koturbash, Igor

2015-01-01

Interest in deep space exploration underlines the needs to investigate the effects of exposure to combined sources of space radiation. The lung is a target organ for radiation, and exposure to protons and heavy ions as radiation sources may lead to the development of degenerative disease and cancer. In this study, we evaluated the pro-fibrotic and epigenetic effects of exposure to protons (150 MeV/nucleon, 0.1 Gy) and heavy iron ions (56Fe, 600 MeV/nucleon, 0.5 Gy) alone or in combination (protons on Day 1 and 56Fe on Day 2) in C57BL/6 male mice 4 weeks after irradiation). Exposure to 56Fe, proton or in combination, did not result in histopathological changes in the murine lung. At the same time, combined exposure to protons and 56Fe resulted in pronounced molecular alterations in comparison with either source of radiation alone. Specifically, we observed a substantial increase in the expression of cytokine Il13, loss of expression of DNA methyltransferase Dnmt1, and reactivation of LINE-1, SINE B1 retrotransposons, and major and minor satellites. Given the deleterious potential of the observed effects that may lead to development of chronic lung injury, pulmonary fibrosis, and cancer, future studies devoted to the investigation of the long-term effects of combined exposures to proton and heavy ions are clearly needed. PMID:26553631

Virtue ethics and nursing: on what grounds?

PubMed

Newham, Roger A

2015-01-01

Within the nursing ethics literature, there has for some time now been a focus on the role and importance of character for nursing. An overarching rationale for this is the need to examine the sort of person one must be if one is to nurse well or be a good nurse. How one should be to live well or live a/the good life and to nurse well or be a good nurse seems to necessitate a focus on an agent's character as well as actions because character is (for the most part) expressed in action (e.g. see Laird). This paper will give an overview of the reasons for the role and importance of character in nursing practice and explain its relation to nursing's frequent use of virtue ethics in order to recommend caution. While the paper agrees that the role of character is important in nursing caution is needed in both how much moral and thus normative, emphasis is being placed on the psychology of character and on the drift to virtue ethics. The psychological which may be explanatory needs to be linked with the normative, and a justification for the normative is needed. A justification as virtue ethics is contested, and nursing practice does not need to take on this explanatory and justificatory burden. A tentative proposal raised but not discussed in depth in this paper is that when an ultimate explanation or explanatory ground is needed, nursing practice leads quite naturally to a form of consequentialism as well as a realist metaethic. On this account, there are two levels of moral thinking, and nursing practice entails the virtues at one level and leads quite naturally to moral thinking at another more critical level of the criterion of what makes something right and good independently of character. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reply to comment by Ma and Zhang on "Rescaling the complementary relationship for land surface evaporation"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crago, Richard; Qualls, Russell; Szilagyi, Jozsef; Huntington, Justin

2017-07-01

Ma and Zhang (2017) note a concern they have with our rescaled Complementary Relationship (CR) for land surface evaporation when daily average wind speeds are very low (perhaps less than 1 m/s). We discuss conditions and specific formulations that lead to this concern, but ultimately argue that under these conditions, a key assumption behind the CR itself may not be satisfied at the daily time scale. Thus, careful consideration of the reliability of the CR is needed when wind speeds are very low.

First detection of oqxAB in Salmonella spp. isolated from food.

PubMed

Wong, Marcus Ho Yin; Chen, Sheng

2013-01-01

Food-borne salmonellosis is an important public health problem worldwide and the second leading cause of food-borne illnesses in Hong Kong. In this study, the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella in meat products in Hong Kong were determined. Interestingly, a plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) gene combination, oqxAB, which mediates resistance to nalidixic acid, chloramphenicol, and olaquindox, was for the first time detectable on the chromosomes of two Salmonella enterica serovar Derby isolates. Further surveillance of oqxAB in Salmonella will be needed.

[Integral treatment for bedridden patients].

PubMed

García-Verdugo, M Fernanda Arroyo; Garrido Hernández, M Teresa; Rosell Palomo, Ricardo

2007-05-01

Spinal cord injuries are one of the traumatic injuries which produce the greatest number of patients who are bedridden or incapacitated. Physical effects acquire such importance that one can not forget to attend to aspects as basic as hygiene, correct posture during their bedridden stay or the daily task to transfer patients to the various support elements they need to utilize. Nursing care for patients suffering spinal cord injuries comprise the fundamental axis on which a correct recuperation rotates. At the same time, proper treatment care will lead to a future improvement in a patient's quality of life.

VST: VLT Survey Telescope.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnaboldi, M.; Capaccioli, M.; Mancini, D.; Rafanelli, P.; Scaramella, R.; Sedmak, G.; Vettolani, G. P.

1998-09-01

The VLT era is rapidly approaching: the first instruments, ISAAC and FORS at UT1, will be available by the year 1999. Indeed, the beginning of the new millennium will witness fierce competition among quite a few 8-m telescopes, operated by different groups. As a consequence, there is a strong need to prepare, in a timely manner, suitable targetlists for the VLT, in order for it to play the leading role in ground-based optical and IR astronomy in the next decade. Preparation is one of the keys to success for the VLT observations.

A European Flagship Programme on Extreme Computing and Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palmer, Tim

2017-04-01

In 2016, an outline proposal co-authored by a number of leading climate modelling scientists from around Europe for a (c. 1 billion euro) flagship project on exascale computing and high-resolution global climate modelling was sent to the EU via its Future and Emerging Flagship Technologies Programme. The project is formally entitled "A Flagship European Programme on Extreme Computing and Climate (EPECC)"? In this talk I will outline the reasons why I believe such a project is needed and describe the current status of the project. I will leave time for some discussion.

Mobilität in der Tübinger Altstadt. Herausforderungen im Dreiklang von Verkehr, Bewohnerbelangen und Stadtentwicklung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schenk, Tilman

2017-09-01

Like many German cities, Tübingen has medieval historic origins. The narrow streets of the old town with its historic buildings are part of the city's specific character that is often used for its tourism marketing. The special scenery makes the centre of Tübingen an attractive place to spend free time, for shopping, and for living. But it also poses specific challenges leading to conflicting objectives when coping with traffic, the needs of its local inhabitants, and the future development of the city.

Interior Secretary Highlights Key Trends, Including Climate Change and Fiscal Constraint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2014-06-01

Climate change is "the defining issue of our time," Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Sally Jewell said during her 18 June keynote addess at the AGU Science Policy Conference in Washington, D. C. The United States has to "lead by example. We can't be the largest economy in the world and the second largest producer of carbon in the world"—after China—"and not take care of our own problems first to demonstrate to the world what needs to be done," she said.

Near-Real-Time Analysis of Publicly Communicated Disaster Response Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girard, Trevor

2015-04-01

During a disaster situation the public will need to make critical actions regarding what to do, where to go, how to get there, and so on. The more informed the public is, the better actions they are able to make, resulting in reduced disaster impacts. The criteria for what information to provide the public needs to change depending on the specific needs of the disaster affected population. The method of dissemination also needs to match the communication channels that the public typically uses in disaster situations. This research project investigates the dynamic information needs of disaster affected populations and how information leads to actions. The purpose of the research project is to identify key indicators for measuring how well informed the public is during disasters. The indicators are limited to those which can be observed as communication is happening (i.e., in near-real-time). By doing so, the indicators can be analyzed as disaster situations unfold, deficiencies can be identified, and recommendations can be made to potentially improve communication while the response is still underway. The end goal of the research is to improve the ability of communicators to inform disaster affected communities. A classification scheme has been developed to categorize the information provided to the public during disasters. Under each category is a set of typical questions that the information should answer. These questions are the result of a best observed practice review of the information available during 11 disasters. For example, under the category 'Life Saving Response', the questions which should be answered are who is doing what (Evacuation, SAR), where and when, and the amount of the affected communities' needs being covered by these actions. Review of what questions remain unanswered acts as the first indicator, referred to as an 'Information Gap Analysis'. Comparative analysis of the information within categories, between categories, and between similar disasters allows for further indicators to be observed in near-real-time. Other indicators include: timing of information provision; appropriate emphasis on most critical information; appropriate terminology; appropriate information medium; appropriate comparison to past events, and; guidance regarding what to do.

Message sidedness in advertising: the moderating roles of need for cognition and time pressure in persuasion.

PubMed

Kao, Danny Tengti

2011-08-01

Persuasion has been extensively researched for decades. Much of this research has focused on different message tactics and their effects on persuasion (e.g., Chang & Chou, 2008; Lafferty, 1999). This research aims to assess whether the persuasion of a specific type of message is influenced by need for cognition (NFC) and time pressure. The 336 undergraduates participated in a 2 (message sidedness: one-sided/two-sided) × 3 (time pressure: low/moderate/high) between-subjects design. Results indicate that two-sided messages tend to elicit more favorable ad attitudes than one-sided messages. As compared with low-NFC individuals, high-NFC individuals are likely to express more favorable ad attitudes, brand attitudes and purchase intention. Moderate time pressure tends to lead to more favorable ad attitudes than low time pressure and high time pressure. In addition, moderate time pressure is likely to elicit more favorable brand attitudes and purchase intentions than high time pressure, but does not elicit more favorable brand attitudes and purchase intentions than low time pressure. Furthermore, when high-NFC individuals are under low or moderate time pressure, two-sided messages are more persuasive than one-sided messages; however, message sidedness does not differentially affect the persuasion when high-NFC individuals are pressed for time. In contrast, one-sided messages are more persuasive than two-sided messages when low-NFC individuals are under low or high time pressure, and two-sided messages are more persuasive than one-sided messages when low-NFC individuals are under moderate time pressure. © 2011 The Author. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2011 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

Lung cancer care trajectory at a Canadian centre: an evaluation of how wait times affect clinical outcomes.

PubMed

Kasymjanova, G; Small, D; Cohen, V; Jagoe, R T; Batist, G; Sateren, W; Ernst, P; Pepe, C; Sakr, L; Agulnik, J

2017-10-01

Lung cancer continues to be one of the most common cancers in Canada, with approximately 28,400 new cases diagnosed each year. Although timely care can contribute substantially to quality of life for patients, it remains unclear whether it also improves patient outcomes. In this work, we used a set of quality indicators that aim to describe the quality of care in lung cancer patients. We assessed adherence with existing guidelines for timeliness of lung cancer care and concordance with existing standards of treatment, and we examined the association between timeliness of care and lung cancer survival. Patients with lung cancer diagnosed between 2010 and 2015 were identified from the Pulmonary Division Lung Cancer Registry at our centre. We demonstrated that the interdisciplinary pulmonary oncology service successfully treated most of its patients within the recommended wait times. However, there is still work to be done to decrease variation in wait time. Our results demonstrate a significant association between wait time and survival, supporting the need for clinicians to optimize the patient care trajectory. It would be helpful for Canadian clinicians treating patients with lung cancer to have wait time guidelines for all treatment modalities, together with standard definitions for all time intervals. Any reductions in wait times should be balanced against the need for thorough investigation before initiating treatment. We believe that our unique model of care leads to an acceleration of diagnostic steps. Avoiding any delay associated with referral to a medical oncologist for treatment could be an acceptable strategy with respect to reducing wait time.

Entrenched time delays versus accelerating opinion dynamics: are advanced democracies inherently unstable?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gros, Claudius

2017-11-01

Modern societies face the challenge that the time scale of opinion formation is continuously accelerating in contrast to the time scale of political decision making. With the latter remaining of the order of the election cycle we examine here the case that the political state of a society is determined by the continuously evolving values of the electorate. Given this assumption we show that the time lags inherent in the election cycle will inevitable lead to political instabilities for advanced democracies characterized both by an accelerating pace of opinion dynamics and by high sensibilities (political correctness) to deviations from mainstream values. Our result is based on the observation that dynamical systems become generically unstable whenever time delays become comparable to the time it takes to adapt to the steady state. The time needed to recover from external shocks grows in addition dramatically close to the transition. Our estimates for the order of magnitude of the involved time scales indicate that socio-political instabilities may develop once the aggregate time scale for the evolution of the political values of the electorate falls below 7-15 months.

Composable Analytic Systems for next-generation intelligence analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DiBona, Phil; Llinas, James; Barry, Kevin

2015-05-01

Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories (LM ATL) is collaborating with Professor James Llinas, Ph.D., of the Center for Multisource Information Fusion at the University at Buffalo (State of NY), researching concepts for a mixed-initiative associate system for intelligence analysts to facilitate reduced analysis and decision times while proactively discovering and presenting relevant information based on the analyst's needs, current tasks and cognitive state. Today's exploitation and analysis systems have largely been designed for a specific sensor, data type, and operational context, leading to difficulty in directly supporting the analyst's evolving tasking and work product development preferences across complex Operational Environments. Our interactions with analysts illuminate the need to impact the information fusion, exploitation, and analysis capabilities in a variety of ways, including understanding data options, algorithm composition, hypothesis validation, and work product development. Composable Analytic Systems, an analyst-driven system that increases flexibility and capability to effectively utilize Multi-INT fusion and analytics tailored to the analyst's mission needs, holds promise to addresses the current and future intelligence analysis needs, as US forces engage threats in contested and denied environments.

Timing the Mode Switch in a Sequential Mixed-Mode Survey: An Experimental Evaluation of the Impact on Final Response Rates, Key Estimates, and Costs

PubMed Central

Wagner, James; Schroeder, Heather M.; Piskorowski, Andrew; Ursano, Robert J.; Stein, Murray B.; Heeringa, Steven G.; Colpe, Lisa J.

2017-01-01

Mixed-mode surveys need to determine a number of design parameters that may have a strong influence on costs and errors. In a sequential mixed-mode design with web followed by telephone, one of these decisions is when to switch modes. The web mode is relatively inexpensive but produces lower response rates. The telephone mode complements the web mode in that it is relatively expensive but produces higher response rates. Among the potential negative consequences, delaying the switch from web to telephone may lead to lower response rates if the effectiveness of the prenotification contact materials is reduced by longer time lags, or if the additional e-mail reminders to complete the web survey annoy the sampled person. On the positive side, delaying the switch may decrease the costs of the survey. We evaluate these costs and errors by experimentally testing four different timings (1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks) for the mode switch in a web–telephone survey. This experiment was conducted on the fourth wave of a longitudinal study of the mental health of soldiers in the U.S. Army. We find that the different timings of the switch in the range of 1–4 weeks do not produce differences in final response rates or key estimates but longer delays before switching do lead to lower costs. PMID:28943717

Determination of protection zones for Dutch groundwater wells against virus contamination--uncertainty and sensitivity analysis.

PubMed

Schijven, J F; Mülschlegel, J H C; Hassanizadeh, S M; Teunis, P F M; de Roda Husman, A M

2006-09-01

Protection zones of shallow unconfined aquifers in The Netherlands were calculated that allow protection against virus contamination to the level that the infection risk of 10(-4) per person per year is not exceeded with a 95% certainty. An uncertainty and a sensitivity analysis of the calculated protection zones were included. It was concluded that protection zones of 1 to 2 years travel time (206-418 m) are needed (6 to 12 times the currently applied travel time of 60 days). This will lead to enlargement of protection zones, encompassing 110 unconfined groundwater well systems that produce 3 x 10(8) m3 y(-1) of drinking water (38% of total Dutch production from groundwater). A smaller protection zone is possible if it can be shown that an aquifer has properties that lead to greater reduction of virus contamination, like more attachment. Deeper aquifers beneath aquitards of at least 2 years of vertical travel time are adequately protected because vertical flow in the aquitards is only 0.7 m per year. The most sensitive parameters are virus attachment and inactivation. The next most sensitive parameters are grain size of the sand, abstraction rate of groundwater, virus concentrations in raw sewage and consumption of unboiled drinking water. Research is recommended on additional protection by attachment and under unsaturated conditions.

Moments of greatness: entering the fundamental state of leadership.

PubMed

Quinn, Robert E

2005-01-01

When we do our best work as leaders, we don't imitate others. Rather, we draw on our own values and capabilities. We enter what author Robert Quinn calls the fundamental state of leadership. This is a frame of mind we tend to adopt when facing a significant challenge: a promotion opportunity, the risk of professional failure, a serious illness, a divorce, the death of a loved one, or any other major life jolt. Crisis calls, and we rise to the occasion. But we don't need to spend time in the dark night of the soul to reach this fundamental state. We can make the shift at any time by asking ourselves-and honestly answering--four transformative questions: Am I results centered? (Am I willing to leave my comfort zone to make things happen?) Am I internally directed? (Am I behaving according to my values rather than bending to social or political pressures?) Am I other focused? (Am I putting the collective good above my own needs?) Am I externally open? (Am I receptive to outside stimuli that may signal the need for change?) When we can answer these questions in the affirmative, we're prepared to lead in the truest sense. Of course, we can't sustain the fundamental state of leadership indefinitely. Fatigue and external resistance pull us out of it. But each time we reach it, we then return to our everyday selves a bit more capable, and we usually boost the performance of the people around us. Over time, we create a high-performance culture--and that can be sustained.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and the individual with chronic vestibular dysfunction.

PubMed

Haybach, P J

1994-01-01

Individuals with chronic vestibular dysfunction may have unmet physiological or safety needs on a chronic basis. Their inability to fulfill the basic needs and progress to higher needs can lead to a patient population with many psychosocial problems. Very often such problems are ignored or unrecognized or are misdiagnosed, and treated inappropriately. This disruption in the individual's life can lead to an inability to progress as a human being. Nursing assessment and appropriate interventions should be developed to treat psychosocial problems in this patient population. The nursing profession should serve patients with vestibular dysfunction through direct care, teaching, counseling, support group facilitation, and research into appropriate interventions.

Restoration process of the need for autonomy: the early alarm stage.

PubMed

Radel, Rémi; Pelletier, Luc G; Sarrazin, Philippe; Milyavskaya, Marina

2011-11-01

Autonomy is described by self-determination theory as a basic psychological need, essential for individuals' well-being. While basic needs are generally thought to induce a restorative response when thwarted, evidence for such a process is lacking for autonomy. To date, most evidence indicates that autonomy deprivation leads to disaffection of this need in favor of other motives. A temporal model based on the general adaptation syndrome was adapted to reconcile this seeming contradiction. Specifically, it is hypothesized that an early alarm response aimed at restoring the satisfaction of the need for autonomy should precede the later relinquishment and compensation of this need that would result from a prolonged deprivation. Three studies provide support for this model by showing the existence of the immediate autonomy restorative response. Using a controlling situation to manipulate autonomy deprivation, the authors demonstrate in Experiments 1 and 2 that a controlling context leads to enhanced accessibility and an approach bias for autonomy-related stimuli. Experiment 3 indicates that the urge to restore autonomy can also affect personal judgment, leading individuals to make more independent judgments, exercising a nonreactive form of autonomy. Integration of this model within self-determination theory is discussed.

Joint estimation of 2D-DOA and frequency based on space-time matrix and conformal array.

PubMed

Wan, Liang-Tian; Liu, Lu-Tao; Si, Wei-Jian; Tian, Zuo-Xi

2013-01-01

Each element in the conformal array has a different pattern, which leads to the performance deterioration of the conventional high resolution direction-of-arrival (DOA) algorithms. In this paper, a joint frequency and two-dimension DOA (2D-DOA) estimation algorithm for conformal array are proposed. The delay correlation function is used to suppress noise. Both spatial and time sampling are utilized to construct the spatial-time matrix. The frequency and 2D-DOA estimation are accomplished based on parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis without spectral peak searching and parameter pairing. The proposed algorithm needs only four guiding elements with precise positions to estimate frequency and 2D-DOA. Other instrumental elements can be arranged flexibly on the surface of the carrier. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Inferring Time-Varying Network Topologies from Gene Expression Data

PubMed Central

2007-01-01

Most current methods for gene regulatory network identification lead to the inference of steady-state networks, that is, networks prevalent over all times, a hypothesis which has been challenged. There has been a need to infer and represent networks in a dynamic, that is, time-varying fashion, in order to account for different cellular states affecting the interactions amongst genes. In this work, we present an approach, regime-SSM, to understand gene regulatory networks within such a dynamic setting. The approach uses a clustering method based on these underlying dynamics, followed by system identification using a state-space model for each learnt cluster—to infer a network adjacency matrix. We finally indicate our results on the mouse embryonic kidney dataset as well as the T-cell activation-based expression dataset and demonstrate conformity with reported experimental evidence. PMID:18309363

Inferring time-varying network topologies from gene expression data.

PubMed

Rao, Arvind; Hero, Alfred O; States, David J; Engel, James Douglas

2007-01-01

Most current methods for gene regulatory network identification lead to the inference of steady-state networks, that is, networks prevalent over all times, a hypothesis which has been challenged. There has been a need to infer and represent networks in a dynamic, that is, time-varying fashion, in order to account for different cellular states affecting the interactions amongst genes. In this work, we present an approach, regime-SSM, to understand gene regulatory networks within such a dynamic setting. The approach uses a clustering method based on these underlying dynamics, followed by system identification using a state-space model for each learnt cluster--to infer a network adjacency matrix. We finally indicate our results on the mouse embryonic kidney dataset as well as the T-cell activation-based expression dataset and demonstrate conformity with reported experimental evidence.

Behavioral effects in room evacuation models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dossetti, V.; Bouzat, S.; Kuperman, M. N.

2017-08-01

In this work we study a model for the evacuation of pedestrians from an enclosure considering a continuous space substrate and discrete time. We analyze the influence of behavioral features that affect the use of the empty space, that can be linked to the attitudes or characters of the pedestrians. We study how the interaction of different behavioral profiles affects the needed time to evacuate completely a room and the occurrence of clogging. We find that neither fully egotistic nor fully cooperative attitudes are optimal from the point of view of the crowd. In contrast, intermediate behaviors provide lower evacuation times. This leads us to identify some phenomena closely analogous to the faster-is-slower effect. The proposed model allows for distinguishing between the role of the attitudes in the search for empty space and the attitudes in the conflicts.

The Relationship of Housing and Population Health: A 30-Year Retrospective Analysis

PubMed Central

Jacobs, David E.; Wilson, Jonathan; Dixon, Sherry L.; Smith, Janet; Evens, Anne

2009-01-01

Objective We analyzed the relationship between health status and housing quality over time. Methods We combined data from two nationally representative longitudinal surveys of the U.S. population and its housing, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the American Housing Survey, respectively. We identified housing and health trends from approximately 1970 to 2000, after excluding those trends for which data were missing or where we found no plausible association or change in trend. Results Changes in housing include construction type, proportion of rental versus home ownership, age, density, size, moisture, pests, broken windows, ventilation and air conditioning, and water leaks. Changes in health measures include asthma, respiratory illness, obesity and diabetes, and lead poisoning, among others. The results suggest ecologic trends in childhood lead poisoning follow housing age, water leaks, and ventilation; asthma follows ventilation, windows, and age; overweight trends follow ventilation; blood pressure trends follow community measures; and health disparities have not changed greatly. Conclusions Housing trends are consistent with certain health trends over time. Future national longitudinal surveys should include health, housing, and community metrics within a single integrated design, instead of separate surveys, in order to develop reliable indicators of how housing changes affect population health and how to best target resources. Little progress has been made in reducing the health and housing disparities of disadvantaged groups, with the notable exception of childhood lead poisoning caused by exposure to lead-based paint hazards. Use of these and other data sets to create reliable integrated indicators of health and housing quality are needed. PMID:19440499

Mississippi Valley-type lead-zinc deposits through geological time: Implications from recent age-dating research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leach, D.L.; Bradley, D.; Lewchuk, Michael T.; Symons, David T. A.; De Marsily, G.; Brannon, J.

2001-01-01

Remarkable advances in age dating Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) lead-zinc deposits provide a new opportunity to understand how and where these deposits form in the Earth's crust. These dates are summarized and examined in a framework of global tectonics, paleogeography, fluid migration, and paleoclimate. Nineteen districts have been dated by paleomagnetic and/or radiometric methods. Of the districts that have both paleomagnetic and radiometric dates, only the Pine Point and East Tennessee districts have significant disagreements. This broad agreement between paleomagnetic and radiometric dates provides added confidence in the dating techniques used. The new dates confirm the direct connection between the genesis of MVT lead-zinc ores with global-scale tectonic events. The dates show that MVT deposits formed mainly during large contractional tectonic events at restricted times in the history of the Earth. Only the deposits in the Lennard Shelf of Australia and Nanisivik in Canada have dates that correspond to extensional tectonic events. The most important period for MVT genesis was the Devonian to Permian time, which corresponds to a series of intense tectonic events during the assimilation of Pangea. The second most important period for MVT genesis was Cretaceous to Tertiary time when microplate assimilation affected the western margin of North America and Africa-Eurasia. There is a notable paucity of MVT lead-zinc ore formation following the breakup of Rodinia and Pangea. Of the five MVT deposits hosted in Proterozoic rocks, only the Nanisivik deposit has been dated as Proterozoic. The contrast in abundance between SEDEX and MVT lead-zinc deposits in the Proterozoic questions the frequently suggested notion that the two types of ores share similar genetic paths. The ages of MVT deposits, when viewed with respect to the orogenic cycle in the adjacent orogen suggest that no single hydrologic model can be universally applied to the migration of the ore fluids. However, topographically driven models best explain most MVT districts. The migration of MVT ore fluids is not a natural consequence of basin evolution; rather, MVT districts formed mainly where platform carbonates had some hydrological connection to orogenic belts. There may be a connection between paleoclimate and the formation of some MVT deposits. This possible relationship is suggested by the dominance of evaporated seawater in fluid inclusions in MVT ores, by hydrological considerations that include the need for multiple-basin volumes of ore fluid to form most MVT districts, and the need for adequate precipitation to provide sufficient topographic head for topographically-driven fluid migration. Paleoclimatic conditions that lead to formation of evaporite conditions but yet have adequate precipitation to form large hydrological systems are most commonly present in low latitudes. For the MVT deposits and districts that have been dated, more than 75% of the combined metal produced are from deposits that have dates that correspond to assembly of Pangea in Devonian through Permian time. The exceptional endowment of Pangea and especially, North America with MVT lead-zinc deposits may be explained by the following: (1) Laurentia, which formed the core of North America, stayed in low latitudes during the Paleozoic, which allowed the development of vast carbonate platforms; (2) intense orogenic activity during the assembly of Pangea created ground preparation for many MVT districts through far-field deformation of the craton; (3) uplifted orogenic belts along Pangean suture zones established large-scale migration of basin fluids; and (4) the location of Pangea in low latitudes with paleoclimates with high evaporation rates led to the formation of brines by the evaporation of seawater and infiltration of these brines into deep basin aquifers during Pangean orogenic events.

Assessing the professional development needs of experienced nurse executive leaders.

PubMed

Leach, Linda Searle; McFarland, Patricia

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to identify the professional development topics that senior nurse leaders believe are important to their advancement and success. Senior/experienced nurse leaders at the executive level are able to influence the work environment of nurses and institutional and health policy. Their development needs are likely to reflect this and other contemporary healthcare issues and may be different from middle and frontline managers. A systematic way of assessing professional development needs for these nurse leaders is needed. A descriptive study using an online survey was distributed to a convenience sample of nurse leaders who were members of the Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL) or have participated in an ACNL program. Visionary leadership, leading complexity, and effective teams were the highest ranked leadership topics. Leading change, advancing health: The future of nursing, healthy work environments, and healthcare reform were also highly ranked topics. Executive-level nurse leaders are important to nurse retention, effective work environments, and leading change. Regular assessment and attention to the distinct professional development needs of executive-level nurse leaders are a valuable human capital investment.

Prospective Evaluation of Operating Room Inefficiency.

PubMed

Madni, Tarik D; Imran, Jonathan B; Clark, Audra T; Cunningham, Holly B; Taveras, Luis; Arnoldo, Brett D; Phelan, Herb A; Wolf, Steven E

2018-04-06

Previously, we identified that 60% of our facility's total operative time is nonoperative. We performed a review of our operating room to determine where inefficiencies exist in nonoperative time. Live video of operations performed in a burn operating room from 6/23/17 to 8/16/17 were prospectively reviewed. Preparation (end of induction to procedure start) and turnover (patient out of room to next patient in room) were divided into the following activities: 1) Preparation: remove dressing, position patient, clean patient, drape patient, and 2) Turnover: clean operating room, scrub tray set-up, anesthesia set-up. Ideal preparation time was calculated as the sum of time needed to perform preparation activities consecutively. Ideal turnover time was calculated as the sum of time needed to clean the operating room and to set up either the scrub tray or anesthesia (the larger of the two times as these can be done in parallel). We reviewed 101 consecutive operations. An average of 2.4±0.8 cases/day were performed. Ideal preparation and turnover time were 16.6 and 30.1 minutes, a 38.3% and 32.5% reduction compared to actual times. Attending surgeon presence in the operating room within 10 minutes of a patient's arrival was found to significantly decrease time to incision by 33% (52.7±14.3 minutes down to 35.7±20.4, p<0.0001). A reduction in preparation and turnover time could save $1.02 million and generate $1.76 million in additional revenue annually. Reducing preparation and turnover to ideal times could increase caseload to 4/day, leading to millions of dollars of savings annually.

Cross-recurrence quantification analysis of categorical and continuous time series: an R package

PubMed Central

Coco, Moreno I.; Dale, Rick

2014-01-01

This paper describes the R package crqa to perform cross-recurrence quantification analysis of two time series of either a categorical or continuous nature. Streams of behavioral information, from eye movements to linguistic elements, unfold over time. When two people interact, such as in conversation, they often adapt to each other, leading these behavioral levels to exhibit recurrent states. In dialog, for example, interlocutors adapt to each other by exchanging interactive cues: smiles, nods, gestures, choice of words, and so on. In order for us to capture closely the goings-on of dynamic interaction, and uncover the extent of coupling between two individuals, we need to quantify how much recurrence is taking place at these levels. Methods available in crqa would allow researchers in cognitive science to pose such questions as how much are two people recurrent at some level of analysis, what is the characteristic lag time for one person to maximally match another, or whether one person is leading another. First, we set the theoretical ground to understand the difference between “correlation” and “co-visitation” when comparing two time series, using an aggregative or cross-recurrence approach. Then, we describe more formally the principles of cross-recurrence, and show with the current package how to carry out analyses applying them. We end the paper by comparing computational efficiency, and results’ consistency, of crqa R package, with the benchmark MATLAB toolbox crptoolbox (Marwan, 2013). We show perfect comparability between the two libraries on both levels. PMID:25018736

Using College Admission Test Scores to Clarify High School Placement. Leading Indicator Spotlight

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flug, Susanna

2010-01-01

In "Beyond Test Scores: Leading Indicators for Education," Foley and colleagues (2008) define leading indicators as those that "provide early signals of progress toward academic achievement" (p. 1) and stress that educators "need leading indicators to help them see the direction their efforts are going in and to take…

A sequence analysis of patterns in self-harm in young people with and without experience of being looked after in care.

PubMed

Wadman, Ruth; Clarke, David; Sayal, Kapil; Armstrong, Marie; Harroe, Caroline; Majumder, Pallab; Vostanis, Panos; Townsend, Ellen

2017-11-01

Young people in the public care system ('looked-after' young people) have high levels of self-harm. This paper reports the first detailed study of factors leading to self-harm over time in looked-after young people in England, using sequence analyses of the Card Sort Task for Self-harm (CaTS). Young people in care (looked-after group: n = 24; 14-21 years) and young people who had never been in care (contrast group: n = 21; 13-21 years) completed the CaTS, describing sequences of factors leading to their first and most recent episodes of self-harm. Lag sequential analysis determined patterns of significant transitions between factors (thoughts, feelings, behaviours, events) leading to self-harm across 6 months. Young people in care reported feeling better immediately following their first episode of self-harm. However, fearlessness of death, impulsivity, and access to means were reported most proximal to recent self-harm. Although difficult negative emotions were salient to self-harm sequences in both groups, young people with no experience of being in care reported a greater range of negative emotions and transitions between them. For the contrast group, feelings of depression and sadness were a significant starting point of the self-harm sequence 6 months prior to most recent self-harm. Sequences of factors leading to self-harm can change and evolve over time, so regular monitoring and assessment of each self-harm episode are needed. Support around easing and dealing with emotional distress is required. Restricting access to means to carry out potentially fatal self-harm attempts, particularly for the young persons with experience of being in care, is recommended. Self-harm (and factors associated with self-harm) can change and evolve over time; assessments need to reflect this. Looked-after young people reported feeling better after first self-harm; fearlessness of death, access to means, and impulsivity were reported as key in recent self-harm. Underlying emotional distress, particularly depression and self-hatred were important in both first and most recent self-harm. Looked-after young people should undergo regular monitoring and assessment of each self-harm episode and access to potentially fatal means should be restricted. The CaTS would have clinical utility as an assessment tool Recruiting participants can be a significant challenge in studies with looked-after children and young people. Future research with larger clinical samples would be valuable. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Insights into the disparate action of osmolytes and macromolecular crowders on amyloid formation

PubMed Central

Sukenik, Shahar

2012-01-01

It is widely recognized that amyloid formation sensitively responds to conditions set by myriad cellular solutes. These cosolutes include two important classes: macromolecular crowders and compatible osmolytes. We have recently found that addition of macromolecular PEG only slightly affects fibril formation of a model peptide in vitro. Polyol osmolytes, in contrast, lengthen the lag time for aggregation, and lead to larger fibril mass at equilibrium. To further hypothesize on the molecular underpinnings of the disparate effect of the two cosolute classes, we have further analyzed the experiments using an available kinetic mechanism describing fibril aggregation. Model calculations suggest that all cosolutes similarly lengthen the time required for nucleation, possibly due to their excluded volume effect. However, PEGs may in addition promote fibril fragmentation, leading to lag times that are overall almost unvaried. Moreover, polyols effectively slow the monomer-fibril detachment rates, thereby favoring additional fibril formation. Our analysis provides first hints that cosolutes act not only by changing association or dissociation rates, but potentially also by directing the formation of fibrils of varied morphologies with different mechanical properties. Although additional experiments are needed to unambiguously resolve the action of excluded cosolutes on amyloid formation, it is becoming clear that these compounds are important to consider in the search for ways to modulate fibril formation. PMID:22453174

Forecasting of indirect consumables for a Job Shop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shakeel, M.; Khan, S.; Khan, W. A.

2016-08-01

A job shop has an arrangement where similar machines (Direct consumables) are grouped together and use indirect consumables to produce a product. The indirect consumables include hack saw blades, emery paper, painting brush etc. The job shop is serving various orders at a particular time for the optimal operation of job shop. Forecasting is required to predict the demand of direct and indirect consumables in a job shop. Forecasting is also needed to manage lead time, optimize inventory cost and stock outs. The objective of this research is to obtain the forecast for indirect consumables. The paper shows how job shop can manage their indirect consumables more accurately by establishing a new technique of forecasting. This results in profitable use of job shop by multiple users.

An Aircraft Vortex Spacing System (AVOSS) for Dynamical Wake Vortex Spacing Criteria

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinton, D. A.

1996-01-01

A concept is presented for the development and implementation of a prototype Aircraft Vortex Spacing System (AVOSS). The purpose of the AVOSS is to use current and short-term predictions of the atmospheric state in approach and departure corridors to provide, to ATC facilities, dynamical weather dependent separation criteria with adequate stability and lead time for use in establishing arrival scheduling. The AVOSS will accomplish this task through a combination of wake vortex transport and decay predictions, weather state knowledge, defined aircraft operational procedures and corridors, and wake vortex safety sensors. Work is currently underway to address the critical disciplines and knowledge needs so as to implement and demonstrate a prototype AVOSS in the 1999/2000 time frame.

Launch Vehicle Abort Analysis for Failures Leading to Loss of Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanson, John M.; Hill, Ashley D.; Beard, Bernard B.

2013-01-01

Launch vehicle ascent is a time of high risk for an onboard crew. There is a large fraction of possible failures for which time is of the essence and a successful abort is possible if the detection and action happens quickly enough. This paper focuses on abort determination based on data already available from the Guidance, Navigation, and Control system. This work is the result of failure analysis efforts performed during the Ares I launch vehicle development program. The two primary areas of focus are the derivation of abort triggers to ensure that abort occurs as quickly as possible when needed, but that false aborts are avoided, and evaluation of success in aborting off the failing launch vehicle.

Fault detection for discrete-time LPV systems using interval observers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhi-Hui; Yang, Guang-Hong

2017-10-01

This paper is concerned with the fault detection (FD) problem for discrete-time linear parameter-varying systems subject to bounded disturbances. A parameter-dependent FD interval observer is designed based on parameter-dependent Lyapunov and slack matrices. The design method is presented by translating the parameter-dependent linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) into finite ones. In contrast to the existing results based on parameter-independent and diagonal Lyapunov matrices, the derived disturbance attenuation, fault sensitivity and nonnegative conditions lead to less conservative LMI characterisations. Furthermore, without the need to design the residual evaluation functions and thresholds, the residual intervals generated by the interval observers are used directly for FD decision. Finally, simulation results are presented for showing the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.

Risk of Performance Decrements and Adverse Health Outcomes Resulting from Sleep Loss, Circadian Desynchronization, and Work Overload

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flynn-Evans, Erin; Gregory, Kevin; Arsintescu, Lucia; Whitmire, Alexandra

2016-01-01

Sleep loss, circadian desynchronization, and work overload occur to some extent for ground and flight crews, prior to and during spaceflight missions. Ground evidence indicates that such risk factors may lead to performance decrements and adverse health outcomes, which could potentially compromise mission objectives. Efforts are needed to identify the environmental and mission conditions that interfere with sleep and circadian alignment, as well as individual differences in vulnerability and resiliency to sleep loss and circadian desynchronization. Specifically, this report highlights a collection of new evidence to better characterize the risk and reveals new gaps in this risk as follows: Sleep loss is apparent during spaceflight. Astronauts consistently average less sleep during spaceflight relative to on the ground. The causes of this sleep loss remain unknown, however ground-based evidence suggests that the sleep duration of astronauts is likely to lead to performance impairment and short and long-term health consequences. Further research is needed in this area in order to develop screening tools to assess individual astronaut sleep need in order to quantify the magnitude of sleep loss during spaceflight; current and planned efforts in BHP's research portfolio address this need. In addition, it is still unclear whether the conditions of spaceflight environment lead to sleep loss or whether other factors, such as work overload lead to the reduced sleep duration. Future data mining efforts and continued data collection on the ISS will help to further characterize factors contributing to sleep loss. Sleep inertia has not been evaluated during spaceflight. Ground-based studies confirm that it takes two to four hours to achieve optimal performance after waking from a sleep episode. Sleep inertia has been associated with increased accidents and reduced performance in operational environments. Sleep inertia poses considerable risk during spaceflight when emergency situations necessitate that crewmembers wake from sleep and make quick decisions. A recently completed BHP investigation assesses the effects of sleep inertia upon abrupt awakening, with and without hypnotics currently used in spaceflight; results from this investigation will help to inform strategies relative to sleep inertia effects on performance. Circadian desynchrony has been observed during spaceflight. Circadian desynchrony during spaceflight develops due to schedule constraints requiring non-24 operations or 'slam-shifts' and due to insufficient or mis-timed light exposure. In addition, circadian misalignment has been associated with reduced sleep duration and increased medication use. In ground-based studies, circadian desynchrony has been associated with significant performance impairment and increased risk of accidents when operations coincide with the circadian nadir. There is a great deal of information available on how to manage circadian misalignment, however, there are currently no easily collected biomarkers that can be used during spaceflight to determine circadian phase. Current research efforts are addressing this gap. Work overload has been documented during current spaceflight operations. NASA has established work hour guidelines that limit shift duration, however, schedule creep, where duty requirements necessitate working beyond scheduled work hours, has been reported. This observation warrants the documentation of actual work hours in order to improve planning and in order to ensure that astronauts receive adequate down time. In addition to concerns about work overload, ground based evidence suggests that work underload may be a concern during deep space missions, where torpor may develop and physically demanding workload will be exchanged for monitoring of autonomous systems. Given that increased automation is anticipated for exploration vehicles, fatigue effects in the context of such systems needs to be further understood. Performance metrics are needed to evaluate fitness-for-duty during spaceflight. Although ground-based evidence supports the notion that sleep loss, circadian desynchronization and work overload lead to performance impairment, inconsistency in the measures used to evaluate performance during spaceflight make it difficult to evaluate the magnitude of performance impairment during spaceflight. Work is underway to standardize measures of performance evaluation during spaceflight. Once established, such performance indicators need to be correlated with operational performance. Individual differences in sleep need and circadian preference, phase shifting ability and period have been documented in ground-based studies. Individual differences in response to sleep loss and circadian misalignment have also been documented and are presumed to be associated with genetic polymorphisms. No studies have systematically reported individual differences in sleep or circadian-related outcomes during spaceflight. More work is needed in this area in order to identify genetic or phenotypic biomarkers that predict resilience or vulnerability to sleep loss in order to personalize countermeasure strategies and mitigate performance impairment during spaceflight. Two laboratory and field investigations specific to this topic are currently ongoing; additional efforts, including an effort to mine existing biological data from spaceflight relative to sleep and circadian outcomes, are planned. Sex differences in sleep need and circadian period and phase have been reported in ground-based studies. The impact of these sex differences on performance is unclear. Sex differences in sleep need and circadian rhythms have not been systematically studied during spaceflight, presumably due to the small number of women that have flown in space. More research is needed in this area to evaluate whether any of the observed sex differences in physiology lead to altered performance in spaceflight and on the ground.

An Insoluble Titanium-Lead Anode for Sulfate Electrolytes

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

Ferdman, Alla

2005-05-11

The project is devoted to the development of novel insoluble anodes for copper electrowinning and electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) production. The anodes are made of titanium-lead composite material produced by techniques of powder metallurgy, compaction of titanium powder, sintering and subsequent lead infiltration. The titanium-lead anode combines beneficial electrochemical behavior of a lead anode with high mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of a titanium anode. In the titanium-lead anode, the titanium stabilizes the lead, preventing it from spalling, and the lead sheathes the titanium, protecting it from passivation. Interconnections between manufacturing process, structure, composition and properties of the titanium-lead compositemore » material were investigated. The material containing 20-30 vol.% of lead had optimal combination of mechanical and electrochemical properties. Optimal process parameters to manufacture the anodes were identified. Prototypes having optimized composition and structure were produced for testing in operating conditions of copper electrowinning and EMD production. Bench-scale, mini-pilot scale and pilot scale tests were performed. The test anodes were of both a plate design and a flow-through cylindrical design. The cylindrical anodes were composed of cylinders containing titanium inner rods and fitting over titanium-lead bushings. The cylindrical design allows the electrolyte to flow through the anode, which enhances diffusion of the electrolyte reactants. The cylindrical anodes demonstrate higher mass transport capabilities and increased electrical efficiency compared to the plate anodes. Copper electrowinning represents the primary target market for the titanium-lead anode. A full-size cylindrical anode performance in copper electrowinning conditions was monitored over a year. The test anode to cathode voltage was stable in the 1.8 to 2.0 volt range. Copper cathode morphology was very smooth and uniform. There was no measurable anode weight loss during this time period. Quantitative chemical analysis of the anode surface showed that the lead content after testing remained at its initial level. No lead dissolution or transfer from the anode to the product occurred.A key benefit of the titanium-lead anode design is that cobalt additions to copper electrolyte should be eliminated. Cobalt is added to the electrolyte to help stabilize the lead oxide surface of conventional lead anodes. The presence of the titanium intimately mixed with the lead should eliminate the need for cobalt stabilization of the lead surface. The anode should last twice as long as the conventional lead anode. Energy savings should be achieved due to minimizing and stabilizing the anode-cathode distance in the electrowinning cells. The anode is easily substitutable into existing tankhouses without a rectifier change.The copper electrowinning test data indicate that the titanium-lead anode is a good candidate for further testing as a possible replacement for a conventional lead anode. A key consideration is the cost. Titanium costs have increased. One of the ways to get the anode cost down is manufacturing the anodes with fewer cylinders. Additional prototypes having different number of cylinders were constructed for a long-term commercial testing in a circuit without cobalt. The objective of the testing is to evaluate the need for cobalt, investigate the effect of decreasing the number of cylinders on the anode performance, and to optimize further the anode design in order to meet the operating requirements, minimize the voltage, maximize the life of the anode, and to balance this against a reasonable cost for the anode. It is anticipated that after testing of the additional prototypes, a whole cell commercial test will be conducted to complete evaluation of the titanium-lead anode costs/benefits.« less

Contraceptive needs after age 40.

PubMed

Blaney, C L

1997-01-01

Men and women are fertile and sexually active beyond age 40 years, with up to 50% of women able to conceive well into their 50s. However, the pregnancy-related risks among women over age 40 are up to 50 times greater than for women in their 20s. An unexpected pregnancy late in life is an unwelcome event for many women, leading many to abort their fetus. In 1992, more than a third of pregnant US women aged 40-44 years chose induced abortion, a higher rate than any other age group except for pregnant women 19 years old and younger. Women over age 40 therefore still need effective contraception and providers should be prepared to help those women choose methods which suit their circumstances and needs. Men can also play an important role by supporting their partners when choosing options or in practicing contraception themselves. Providers must carefully screen for health conditions which may increase the risk of using a contraceptive method. Methods for older couples, the IUD, barrier methods, and hormonal methods are discussed.

Task network models in the prediction of workload imposed by extravehicular activities during the Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diaz, Manuel F.; Takamoto, Neal; Woolford, Barbara

1994-01-01

In a joint effort with Brooks AFB, Texas, the Flight Crew Support Division at JSC has begun a computer simulation and performance modeling program directed at establishing the predictive validity of software tools for modeling human performance during spaceflight. This paper addresses the utility of task network modeling for predicting the workload that astronauts are likely to encounter in extravehicular activities (EVA) during the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) repair mission. The intent of the study was to determine whether two EVA crewmembers and one intravehicular activity (IVA) crewmember could reasonably be expected to complete HST Wide Field/Planetary Camera (WFPC) replacement in the allotted time. Ultimately, examination of the points during HST servicing that may result in excessive workload will lead to recommendations to the HST Flight Systems and Servicing Project concerning (1) expectation of degraded performance, (2) the need to change task allocation across crewmembers, (3) the need to expand the timeline, and (4) the need to increase the number of EVA's.

Marital satisfaction through the lens of Iranian women: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Tavakol, Zeinab; Moghadam, Zahra Behboodi; Nasrabadi, Alireza Nikbakht; Iesazadeh, Nikzad; Esmaeili, Maryam

2016-01-01

One of the common concepts to show the happiness and stability of marriage is the concept of marital satisfaction. Marital satisfaction plays an important role in the stability of marriage. This study was conducted to explain the perception of marital satisfaction among Iranian women. This study was conducted between March and September 2015 by common qualitative content analysis approach through semi-structured interviews and 19 participants were selected by purposive sampling. With the analysis of data two themes: (maturity of personality) which included a sub-theme of blossoming of feelings, and (romantic interaction) consisted of three sub-themes of; mutual support, sense of peace and joyful dependence emerged. Marital life can lead to the development of people and lovely interaction between them. Surely it needs to passing of time and self-knowing and couple-knowing of each other. Family consultants need the perception of how couple's interaction is, also they need to understand about couples who can communicate well to each other so they can overcome many life's other deficiencies.

Simulation of TRMM Microwave Imager Brightness Temperature using Precipitation Radar Reflectivity for Convective and Stratiform Rain Areas over Land

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prabhakara, C.; Iacovazzi, R., Jr.; Yoo, J.-M.; Lau, William K. M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Rain is highly variable in space and time. In order to measure rainfall over global land with satellites, we need observations with very high spatial resolution and frequency in time. On board the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, the Precipitation Radar (PR) and Microwave Imager (TMI) are flown together for the purpose of estimating rain rate. The basic method to estimate rain from PR has been developed over the past several decades. On the other hand, the TMI method of rain estimation is still in the state development, particularly over land. The objective of this technical memorandum is to develop a theoretical framework that helps relate the observations made by these two instruments. The principle result of this study is that in order to match the PR observations with the TMI observations in convective rain areas, a mixed layer of graupel and supercooled water drops above the freezing level is needed. On the other hand, to match these observations in the stratiform region, a layer of snowflakes with appropriate densities above the freezing level, and a melting layer below the freezing level, are needed. This understanding can lead to a robust rainfall estimation technique from the microwave radiometer observations.

The Danish oral health care service for children: an international appraisal.

PubMed

Davies, G N; Downer, M C; Holloway, P J

1983-09-01

The Danish children's oral health care service has been so successful in achieving its objectives that it will need to change and adapt in order to survive. It is suggested that the service should gradually become community-based rather than child-based. This process can be commenced by introducing treatment for the elderly, the handicapped and the indigent, converting the school clinics to municipal oral health units. Although it is important that private practice is maintained, private dentists should be encouraged to work in the system part-time, leading teams of supporting auxiliary personnel trained within an integrated system. Eventually, the facilities could form the basis of primary health care centres. The lessons to be learnt from the Danish experience have a wider application to other countries. In developing countries it is obvious that they should first place limited dental resources into public health prevention and only invest in expensive treatment clinics as funds become more available. Manpower planning should ensure that personnel are not overtrained for the needs of the community. In developed countries, increasingly more resources will need to be channelled into adult dental care, and dental education must lead the profession into this new era. Difficult though these changes will be, the stable relationships that have developed between the various arms of the service under the guidance of the Danish Dental Association, will ensure that the profession will survive and flourish for the benefit of the Danish people.

Parental perception on the efficacy of a physical activity program for preschoolers.

PubMed

Bellows, Laura; Silvernail, Sara; Caldwell, Lisa; Bryant, Angela; Kennedy, Cathy; Davies, Patricia; Anderson, Jennifer

2011-04-01

Childhood obesity is among the leading health concerns in the United States. The relationship between unmet physical activity needs in young children is of particular interest as the trend in childhood obesity continues to rise and unmet physical activity needs are identified. The preschool years are an influential time in promoting healthful lifestyle habits and early childhood interventions may help establish lifelong healthful behaviors which could help prevent obesity later in life. The Food Friends®: Get Movin' with Mighty Moves® is a preschool physical activity program which aims to improve children's gross motor skills and physical activity levels. The home environment and parental modeling are critical factors related to child physical activity in this population. The parent component, Mighty Moves®: Fun Ways to Keep Families Active and Healthy, was designed to address barriers in the home environment that lead to unmet physical activity needs in preschoolers and their families. The program and materials were designed based on Social Marketing tenets and Social Learning Theory principles. Four Colorado Head Start centers were assigned to an experimental group as part of the Mighty Moves® group randomized trial. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods were used to determine what messages and materials reached and motivated the target audience to increase physical activity levels. Results of the study indicated the program's materials helped families and children to be more physically active. Additionally, materials and material dissemination were revised to enhance program goals.

Strategies for a successful organizational transition. Identifying staff roles and fulfilling their needs during changing times.

PubMed

Herbst, D S; Dimmick, J E

1995-01-01

For a successful reorganization of the laboratory, there is a role for each staff member to play during the transition. The role of those in laboratory administration is that of leading change agent. Corporate support staff, such as those in a human resources department, can advise the laboratory director in their areas of expertise. The role of the medical and technical supervisory staff is that of chief implementers of the plan. General laboratory staff has a confusing dual role--not only must they continue to provide laboratory services during the transition, but they also may have to change what they are doing and how they are doing it. Success also depends on meeting the individual personal needs of staff. Laboratory directors and administrators want to make a meaningful contribution to health care. Corporate support staff need to feel that they are a part of the change process. Supervisors' needs vary--coping with the loss of identity, position, or territory will be difficult for some; others will want to be involved in all stages of planning and implementation. The major need of the general laboratory staff is stability. Strategies are listed for each staff grouping to help the laboratory director coordinate staff roles and satisfy staff needs during the transition period.

An Assessment of CFD Effectiveness for Vortex Flow Simulation to Meet Preliminary Design Needs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raj, P.; Ghaffari, F.; Finley, D. B.

2003-01-01

The low-speed flight and transonic maneuvering characteristics of combat air vehicles designed for efficient supersonic flight are significantly affected by the presence of free vortices. At moderate-to-high angles of attack, the flow invariably separates from the leading edges of the swept slender wings, as well as from the forebodies of the air vehicles, and rolls up to form free vortices. The design of military vehicles is heavily driven by the need to simultaneously improve performance and affordability.1 In order to meet this need, increasing emphasis is being placed on using Modeling & Simulation environments employing the Integrated Product & Process Development (IPPD) concept. The primary focus is on expeditiously providing design teams with high-fidelity data needed to make more informed decisions in the preliminary design stage. Extensive aerodynamic data are needed to support combat air vehicle design. Force and moment data are used to evaluate performance and handling qualities; surface pressures provide inputs for structural design; and flow-field data facilitate system integration. Continuing advances in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) provide an attractive means of generating the desired data in a manner that is responsive to the needs of the preliminary design efforts. The responsiveness is readily characterized as timely delivery of quality data at low cost.

SU-E-P-09: Radiation Transmission Measurements and Evaluation of Diagnostic Lead-Based and Lead-Free Aprons

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

Syh, J

2014-06-01

Purpose: This study was conducted to ensure that various lead shield apron manufacturers provided accurate attenuation factors regardless of whether the apron was made of lead-based or lead-free equivalent material. Methods: A calibrated ionization survey meter was placed at chest height and 36 cm horizontally away from a solid water phantom on a simulator couch. Measurements were done with or without apron. Radiation field was set to 24cmx24cm with the phantom at 100cm source-to-surface distance. Irradiation time was set for 1 minute at voltages of 60, 80, 100 and 120 kVp. Current was set at 6mA. Results: Between 60 kVpmore » and 120 kVp, the transmission through 0.50 mm of lead-based apron was between 1.0% and 6.5% with a mean value of 3.2% and a standard deviation (s.d.) of 1.4%. The transmissions through the 0.50 mm lead-free aprons were 1.0 % to 12.0% with a mean value of 6.1% and s.d. of 2.6%. At 120 kVp, the transmission value was 6.5% for 0.50 mm lead-based apron and 11.1% to 12.0% for 0.50 mm lead-free aprons. The radiation transmissions at 80 kVp, measured in two different 0.5 mm lead-free aprons, were 4.3% each. However, only 1.4% transmission was found through the lead-based apron. Overall, the radiation transmitted through the lead-based apron was 1/3 transmission of lead-free at 80kVp, and half value of lead-free aprons at 100 and 120 kVp. Conclusion: Even though lead-based and lead-free aprons all claimed to have the same lead equivalent thickness, the transmission might not be the same. The precaution was needed to exercise diligence in quality assurance program to assure adequate protection to staff who wear it during diagnostic procedures. The requirement for aprons not only should be in certain thickness to meet state regulation but also to keep reasonably achievable low exposure with the accurate labeling from manufacturers.« less

Influences on students' assistive technology use at school: the views of classroom teachers, allied health professionals, students with cerebral palsy and their parents.

PubMed

Karlsson, Petra; Johnston, Christine; Barker, Katrina

2017-09-07

This study explored how classroom teachers, allied health professionals, students with cerebral palsy, and their parents view high-tech assistive technology service delivery in the classroom. Semi-structured interviews with six classroom teachers and six parents and their children were conducted. Additionally, two focus groups comprising 10 occupational therapists and six speech pathologists were carried out. Ethical and confidentiality considerations meant that the groups were not matched. Results revealed that it is often untrained staff member who determine students' educational needs. The participants' experiences suggested that, particularly in mainstream settings, there is a need for support and guidance from a professional with knowledge of assistive technology who can also take a lead and guide classroom teachers in how to meet students' needs. Students' motivation to use the technology was also found to be critical for its successful uptake. The study points to the need for classroom teachers to be given sufficient time and skill development opportunities to enable them to work effectively with assistive technology in the classroom. The participants' experiences suggest that such opportunities are not generally forthcoming. Only in this way can it be ensured that students with disabilities receive the education that is their right. Implications for Rehabilitation Classroom teachers, allied health professionals, students, parents need ongoing support and opportunities to practise operational, strategic and linguistic skills with the assistive technology equipment. System barriers to the uptake of assistive technology need to be addressed. To address the lack of time available for training, programing and other support activities around assistive technology, dedicated administrative support is crucial. Professional development around the use of the quality low cost ICF-CY checklist is recommended for both school and allied health staff.

Pelvic inflammatory disease and sepsis.

PubMed

Dulin, Judy D; Akers, Mary C

2003-03-01

Pelvic inflammatory disease affects approximately 1 million women per year in the United States alone and has a variety of causative organisms. Because the diagnosis of PID is based on clinical judgment, health care providers need to be guided by the CDC recommendations for diagnosing and treating PID. Because presenting symptoms are often vague, the health care provider should assess female patients for risky behaviors that may lead to PID and should use screening data when making clinical judgments and differential diagnoses. Whenever possible, female patients with PID should be treated as outpatients. If diagnosis and treatment are not performed in a timely manner, PID may cause sepsis, septic shock, and even death. Even if they survive, as many as 15% to 20% of these women experience long-term sequelae of PID, such as ectopic pregnancy, tubo-ovarian abscess, infertility, dyspareunia, and chronic pelvic pain. The best treatments for PID are interventions that lead to prevention and early detection. The critical care nurse has an important role in recognizing the variables that may lead to PID-related sepsis and in encouraging health-seeking and health-maintenance behaviors among women with these diagnoses.

CFD transient simulation of an isolator shock train in a scramjet engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoeger, Troy Christopher

For hypersonic flight, the scramjet engine uses an isolator to contain the pre-combustion shock train formed by the pressure difference between the inlet and the combustion chamber. If this shock train were to reach the inlet, it would cause an engine unstart, disrupting the flow through the engine and leading to a loss of thrust and potential loss of the vehicle. Prior to this work, a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation of the isolator was needed for simulating and characterizing the isolator flow and for finding the relationship between back pressure and changes in the location of the leading edge of the shock train. In this work, the VULCAN code was employed with back pressure as an input to obtain the time history of the shock train leading location. Results were obtained for both transient and steady-state conditions. The simulation showed a relationship between back-to-inlet pressure ratios and final locations of the shock train. For the 2-D runs, locations were within one isolator duct height of experimental results while for 3-D runs, the results were within two isolator duct heights.

The European Lead Factory: A Blueprint for Public-Private Partnerships in Early Drug Discovery.

PubMed

Karawajczyk, Anna; Orrling, Kristina M; de Vlieger, Jon S B; Rijnders, Ton; Tzalis, Dimitrios

2016-01-01

The European Lead Factory (ELF) is a public-private partnership (PPP) that provides researchers in Europe with a unique platform for translation of innovative biology and chemistry into high-quality starting points for drug discovery. It combines an exceptional collection of small molecules, high-throughput screening (HTS) infrastructure, and hit follow-up capabilities to advance research projects from both private companies and publicly funded researchers. By active interactions with the wider European life science community, ELF connects and unites bright ideas, talent, and experience from several disciplines. As a result, ELF is a unique, collaborative lead generation engine that has so far resulted in >4,500 hit compounds with a defined biological activity from 83 successfully completed HTS and hit evaluation campaigns. The PPP has also produced more than 120,000 novel innovative library compounds that complement the 327,000 compounds contributed by the participating pharmaceutical companies. Intrinsic to its setup, ELF enables breakthroughs in areas with unmet medical and societal needs, where no individual entity would be able to create a comparable impact in such a short time.

The European Lead Factory: A Blueprint for Public–Private Partnerships in Early Drug Discovery

PubMed Central

Karawajczyk, Anna; Orrling, Kristina M.; de Vlieger, Jon S. B.; Rijnders, Ton; Tzalis, Dimitrios

2017-01-01

The European Lead Factory (ELF) is a public–private partnership (PPP) that provides researchers in Europe with a unique platform for translation of innovative biology and chemistry into high-quality starting points for drug discovery. It combines an exceptional collection of small molecules, high-throughput screening (HTS) infrastructure, and hit follow-up capabilities to advance research projects from both private companies and publicly funded researchers. By active interactions with the wider European life science community, ELF connects and unites bright ideas, talent, and experience from several disciplines. As a result, ELF is a unique, collaborative lead generation engine that has so far resulted in >4,500 hit compounds with a defined biological activity from 83 successfully completed HTS and hit evaluation campaigns. The PPP has also produced more than 120,000 novel innovative library compounds that complement the 327,000 compounds contributed by the participating pharmaceutical companies. Intrinsic to its setup, ELF enables breakthroughs in areas with unmet medical and societal needs, where no individual entity would be able to create a comparable impact in such a short time. PMID:28154815

Memory Maintenance in Synapses with Calcium-Based Plasticity in the Presence of Background Activity

PubMed Central

Higgins, David; Graupner, Michael; Brunel, Nicolas

2014-01-01

Most models of learning and memory assume that memories are maintained in neuronal circuits by persistent synaptic modifications induced by specific patterns of pre- and postsynaptic activity. For this scenario to be viable, synaptic modifications must survive the ubiquitous ongoing activity present in neural circuits in vivo. In this paper, we investigate the time scales of memory maintenance in a calcium-based synaptic plasticity model that has been shown recently to be able to fit different experimental data-sets from hippocampal and neocortical preparations. We find that in the presence of background activity on the order of 1 Hz parameters that fit pyramidal layer 5 neocortical data lead to a very fast decay of synaptic efficacy, with time scales of minutes. We then identify two ways in which this memory time scale can be extended: (i) the extracellular calcium concentration in the experiments used to fit the model are larger than estimated concentrations in vivo. Lowering extracellular calcium concentration to in vivo levels leads to an increase in memory time scales of several orders of magnitude; (ii) adding a bistability mechanism so that each synapse has two stable states at sufficiently low background activity leads to a further boost in memory time scale, since memory decay is no longer described by an exponential decay from an initial state, but by an escape from a potential well. We argue that both features are expected to be present in synapses in vivo. These results are obtained first in a single synapse connecting two independent Poisson neurons, and then in simulations of a large network of excitatory and inhibitory integrate-and-fire neurons. Our results emphasise the need for studying plasticity at physiological extracellular calcium concentration, and highlight the role of synaptic bi- or multistability in the stability of learned synaptic structures. PMID:25275319

Mitochondrial DNA as a non-invasive biomarker: Accurate quantification using real time quantitative PCR without co-amplification of pseudogenes and dilution bias

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

Malik, Afshan N., E-mail: afshan.malik@kcl.ac.uk; Shahni, Rojeen; Rodriguez-de-Ledesma, Ana

2011-08-19

Highlights: {yields} Mitochondrial dysfunction is central to many diseases of oxidative stress. {yields} 95% of the mitochondrial genome is duplicated in the nuclear genome. {yields} Dilution of untreated genomic DNA leads to dilution bias. {yields} Unique primers and template pretreatment are needed to accurately measure mitochondrial DNA content. -- Abstract: Circulating mitochondrial DNA (MtDNA) is a potential non-invasive biomarker of cellular mitochondrial dysfunction, the latter known to be central to a wide range of human diseases. Changes in MtDNA are usually determined by quantification of MtDNA relative to nuclear DNA (Mt/N) using real time quantitative PCR. We propose that themore » methodology for measuring Mt/N needs to be improved and we have identified that current methods have at least one of the following three problems: (1) As much of the mitochondrial genome is duplicated in the nuclear genome, many commonly used MtDNA primers co-amplify homologous pseudogenes found in the nuclear genome; (2) use of regions from genes such as {beta}-actin and 18S rRNA which are repetitive and/or highly variable for qPCR of the nuclear genome leads to errors; and (3) the size difference of mitochondrial and nuclear genomes cause a 'dilution bias' when template DNA is diluted. We describe a PCR-based method using unique regions in the human mitochondrial genome not duplicated in the nuclear genome; unique single copy region in the nuclear genome and template treatment to remove dilution bias, to accurately quantify MtDNA from human samples.« less

Subtraction method of computing QCD jet cross sections at NNLO accuracy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trócsányi, Zoltán; Somogyi, Gábor

2008-10-01

We present a general subtraction method for computing radiative corrections to QCD jet cross sections at next-to-next-to-leading order accuracy. The steps needed to set up this subtraction scheme are the same as those used in next-to-leading order computations. However, all steps need non-trivial modifications, which we implement such that that those can be defined at any order in perturbation theory. We give a status report of the implementation of the method to computing jet cross sections in electron-positron annihilation at the next-to-next-to-leading order accuracy.

A comparison of alternative variants of the lead and lag time TTO.

PubMed

Devlin, Nancy; Buckingham, Ken; Shah, Koonal; Tsuchiya, Aki; Tilling, Carl; Wilkinson, Grahame; van Hout, Ben

2013-05-01

'Lead Time' TTO improves upon conventional TTO by providing a uniform method for eliciting positive and negative values. This research investigates (i) the values generated from different combinations of time in poor health and in full health; and the order in which these appear (lead vs. lag); (ii) whether values concur with participants' views about states; (iii) methods for handling extreme preferences. n = 208 participants valued five EQ-5D states, using two of four variants. Combinations of lead time and health state duration were: 10 years and 20 years; 5 years and 1 year; 5 years and 10 years; and a health state duration of 5 years with a lag time of 10 years. Longer lead times capture more preferences, but may involve a framing effect. Lag time results in less non-trading for mild states, and less time being traded for severe states. Negative values broadly agree with participants' stated opinion that the state is worse than dead. The values are sensitive to the ratio of lead time to duration of poor health, and the order in which these appear (lead vs. lag). It is feasible to handle extreme preferences though challenges remain. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A vision-based approach for the direct measurement of displacements in vibrating systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazen Wahbeh, A.; Caffrey, John P.; Masri, Sami F.

2003-10-01

This paper reports the results of an analytical and experimental study to develop, calibrate, implement and evaluate the feasibility of a novel vision-based approach for obtaining direct measurements of the absolute displacement time history at selectable locations of dispersed civil infrastructure systems such as long-span bridges. The measurements were obtained using a highly accurate camera in conjunction with a laser tracking reference. Calibration of the vision system was conducted in the lab to establish performance envelopes and data processing algorithms to extract the needed information from the captured vision scene. Subsequently, the monitoring apparatus was installed in the vicinity of the Vincent Thomas Bridge in the metropolitan Los Angeles region. This allowed the deployment of the instrumentation system under realistic conditions so as to determine field implementation issues that need to be addressed. It is shown that the proposed approach has the potential of leading to an economical and robust system for obtaining direct, simultaneous, measurements at several locations of the displacement time histories of realistic infrastructure systems undergoing complex three-dimensional deformations.

Development of sulfanegen for mass cyanide casualties

PubMed Central

Patterson, Steven E.; Moeller, Bryant; Nagasawa, Herbert T.; Vince, Robert; Crankshaw, Daune L.; Briggs, Jacquie; Stutelberg, Michael W.; Vinnakota, Chakravarthy V.; Logue, Brian A.

2016-01-01

Cyanide is a metabolic poison that inhibits the utilization of oxygen to form ATP. The consequences of acute cyanide exposure are severe, and result in loss of consciousness, cardiac and respiratory failure, hypoxic brain injury, and dose-dependent death within minutes to hours. In a mass-casualty scenario, such as an industrial accident or terrorist attack, currently available cyanide antidotes would leave many victims untreated in the short time available for successful administration of a medical countermeasure. This restricted therapeutic window reflects the rate-limiting step of intravenous administration, which requires both time and trained medical personnel. Therefore, there is a need for rapidly acting antidotes that can be quickly administered to large numbers of people. To meet this need, our lab is developing sulfanegen, a potential antidote for cyanide poisoning with a novel mechanism based on 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3-MST) for the detoxification of cyanide. Additionally, sulfanegen can be rapidly administered by intramuscular injection and has shown efficacy in many species of animal models. The following summarizes the journey from concept to clinical leads for this promising antidote. PMID:27308865

Contrasting watershed-scale trends in runoff and sediment yield complicate rangeland water resources planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berg, Matthew D.; Marcantonio, Franco; Allison, Mead A.; McAlister, Jason; Wilcox, Bradford P.; Fox, William E.

2016-06-01

Rangelands cover a large portion of the earth's land surface and are undergoing dramatic landscape changes. At the same time, these ecosystems face increasing expectations to meet growing water supply needs. To address major gaps in our understanding of rangeland hydrologic function, we investigated historical watershed-scale runoff and sediment yield in a dynamic landscape in central Texas, USA. We quantified the relationship between precipitation and runoff and analyzed reservoir sediment cores dated using cesium-137 and lead-210 radioisotopes. Local rainfall and streamflow showed no directional trend over a period of 85 years, resulting in a rainfall-runoff ratio that has been resilient to watershed changes. Reservoir sedimentation rates generally were higher before 1963, but have been much lower and very stable since that time. Our findings suggest that (1) rangeland water yields may be stable over long periods despite dramatic landscape changes while (2) these same landscape changes influence sediment yields that impact downstream reservoir storage. Relying on rangelands to meet water needs demands an understanding of how these dynamic landscapes function and a quantification of the physical processes at work.

Development of sulfanegen for mass cyanide casualties.

PubMed

Patterson, Steven E; Moeller, Bryant; Nagasawa, Herbert T; Vince, Robert; Crankshaw, Daune L; Briggs, Jacquie; Stutelberg, Michael W; Vinnakota, Chakravarthy V; Logue, Brian A

2016-06-01

Cyanide is a metabolic poison that inhibits the utilization of oxygen to form ATP. The consequences of acute cyanide exposure are severe; exposure results in loss of consciousness, cardiac and respiratory failure, hypoxic brain injury, and dose-dependent death within minutes to hours. In a mass-casualty scenario, such as an industrial accident or terrorist attack, currently available cyanide antidotes would leave many victims untreated in the short time available for successful administration of a medical countermeasure. This restricted therapeutic window reflects the rate-limiting step of intravenous administration, which requires both time and trained medical personnel. Therefore, there is a need for rapidly acting antidotes that can be quickly administered to large numbers of people. To meet this need, our laboratory is developing sulfanegen, a potential antidote for cyanide poisoning with a novel mechanism based on 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3-MST) for the detoxification of cyanide. Additionally, sulfanegen can be rapidly administered by intramuscular injection and has shown efficacy in many species of animal models. This article summarizes the journey from concept to clinical leads for this promising cyanide antidote. © 2016 New York Academy of Sciences.

Towards a richer evolutionary game theory

PubMed Central

McNamara, John M.

2013-01-01

Most examples of the application of evolutionary game theory to problems in biology involve highly simplified models. I contend that it is time to move on and include much more richness in models. In particular, more thought needs to be given to the importance of (i) between-individual variation; (ii) the interaction between individuals, and hence the process by which decisions are reached; (iii) the ecological and life-history context of the situation; (iv) the traits that are under selection, and (v) the underlying psychological mechanisms that lead to behaviour. I give examples where including variation between individuals fundamentally changes predicted outcomes of a game. Variation also selects for real-time responses, again resulting in changed outcomes. Variation can select for other traits, such as choosiness and social sensitivity. More generally, many problems involve coevolution of more than one trait. I identify situations where a reductionist approach, in which a game is isolated from is ecological setting, can be misleading. I also highlight the need to consider flexibility of behaviour, mental states and other issues concerned with the evolution of mechanism. PMID:23966616

"Find the Strength in Every Teacher": Urban Middle School Teachers' Perceptions of Effective Change Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Timothy Clancy

2013-01-01

Urban middle schools face many accountability measures which often create the need for school improvement. Leading urban middle schools through the change process is extremely challenging for principals. The combination of leading change, leading urban schools, and leading middle schools is an uphill climb. Teachers' perceptions of leadership…

Management of central venous gradient using excimer laser lead extraction of chronic indwelling pacemaker leads in the setting of ipsilateral arteriovenous fistula.

PubMed

Ramirez, Alexies; Gentlesk, Philip J; Peele, Mark E; Eckart, Robert E

2012-07-01

Device therapy is becoming common in those patients with renal insufficiency. Coexisting need for arteriovenous (AV) fistula placement is often contemplated relative to device placement. We describe the excimer laser lead extraction of a malfunctioning chronic atrial pacemaker lead ipsilateral to an AV fistula.

Effects of distance and depth on total and bioaccessible lead in soils from two farmhouses in Beltsville, Maryland

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Renewed interests in home gardening heighten the concern of human lead exposure. Negative effects of lead on human health are well known. Horizontal and vertical movement of lead (Pb) around houses has been studied, but Pb bioaccessiblity as a function of distance and depth from the house needs to...

Pre-Algebra and Algebra Enrollment and Achievement. Leading Indicator Spotlight

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Musen, Lindsey

2010-01-01

In "Beyond Test Scores: Leading Indicators for Education," Foley and colleagues (2008) define "leading indicators" as those that "provide early signals of progress toward academic achievement" (p. 1) and stress that educators "need leading indicators to help them see the direction their efforts are going in and to take corrective action as soon as…

The Concept of Educational Need: An Economic Interpretation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soofi, Abdollah S.

Monette divides the definitions of needs into four categories. Basic needs are caused by a deficiency and lead to gratification-seeking behavior. Felt needs are self-defined wants or desires which, when expressed, suggest an unmet need and a means of gratification or imply ultimate goals. A normative need refers to a deficiency between the present…

Life in the fast lane: high-throughput chemistry for lead generation and optimisation.

PubMed

Hunter, D

2001-01-01

The pharmaceutical industry has come under increasing pressure due to regulatory restrictions on the marketing and pricing of drugs, competition, and the escalating costs of developing new drugs. These forces can be addressed by the identification of novel targets, reductions in the development time of new drugs, and increased productivity. Emphasis has been placed on identifying and validating new targets and on lead generation: the response from industry has been very evident in genomics and high throughput screening, where new technologies have been applied, usually coupled with a high degree of automation. The combination of numerous new potential biological targets and the ability to screen large numbers of compounds against many of these targets has generated the need for large diverse compound collections. To address this requirement, high-throughput chemistry has become an integral part of the drug discovery process. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The Effect of Conditioned Reinforcement Rate on Choice: A Review

PubMed Central

Fantino, Edmund; Romanowich, Paul

2007-01-01

We review the nature of conditioned reinforcement, including evidence that conditioned reinforcers maintain choice behavior in concurrent schedules and that they elevate responding in the terminal links of concurrent-chains schedules. A question has resurfaced recently: Do theories of choice in concurrent-chains schedules need to include a term reflecting greater preference for higher rates of conditioned reinforcement? The review of several studies addressing this point suggests that such a term is inappropriate. Elevated rates of conditioned reinforcement (and responding) in the terminal links of concurrent-chains schedules do not lead to greater preference in the initial link leading to the higher rate of conditioned reinforcement. If anything, the opposite preference is likely to occur. This result is not surprising, since the additional putative conditioned reinforcers in the terminal link are not correlated with a reduction in time to primary reinforcement nor with an increase in value. PMID:17575906

Home Area Networks and the Smart Grid

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

Clements, Samuel L.; Carroll, Thomas E.; Hadley, Mark D.

2011-04-01

With the wide array of home area network (HAN) options being presented as solutions to smart grid challenges for the home, it is time to compare and contrast their strengths and weaknesses. This white paper examines leading and emerging HAN technologies. The emergence of the smart grid is bringing more networking players into the field. The need for low consistent bandwidth usage differs enough from the traditional information technology world to open the door to new technologies. The predominant players currently consist of a blend of the old and new. Within the wired world Ethernet and HomePlug Green PHY aremore » leading the way with an advantage to HomePlug because it doesn't require installing new wires. In the wireless the realm there are many more competitors but WiFi and ZigBee seem to have the most momentum.« less

Lymphoedema management in breast cancer-related lymphoedema.

PubMed

Jones, Joanne

2013-04-01

Due to developments in diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, survival rates are rising. This leads to a population of mainly women, who also experience breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL). Long after the cancer has been treated, lymphoedema persists at a time when individuals have returned to work. Large limb volumes can present a problem to these individuals and innovative treatments are needed, in order to retain as much normality as possible and reduce excessive limb volumes that patients can experience with lymphoedema long after treatment. It is also important that these treatments do not disrupt daily living and, for some, work-life balance. With the introduction of wrap around compression systems and collaborative working with the patient, it is possible to achieve an acceptable outcome to those patients with these issues. This approach leads to patient satisfaction and stabilisation of limb volume to within acceptable limits for these patients, in conjunction with the therapist.

National Trends in Trace Metals Concentrations in Ambient Particulate Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCarthy, M. C.; Hafner, H. R.; Charrier, J. G.

2007-12-01

Ambient measurements of trace metals identified as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs, air toxics) collected in the United States from 1990 to 2006 were analyzed for long-term trends. Trace metals analyzed include lead, manganese, arsenic, chromium, nickel, cadmium, and selenium. Visual and statistical analyses were used to identify and quantify temporal variations in air toxics at national and regional levels. Trend periods were required to be at least five years. Lead particles decreased in concentration at most monitoring sites, but trends in other metals were not consistent over time or spatially. In addition, routine ambient monitoring methods had method detection limits (MDLs) too high to adequately measure concentrations for trends analysis. Differences between measurement methods at urban and rural sites also confound trends analyses. Improvements in MDLs, and a better understanding of comparability between networks, are needed to better quantify trends in trace metal concentrations in the future.

Oxidative stress in severe pulmonary trauma in critical ill patients. Antioxidant therapy in patients with multiple trauma--a review.

PubMed

Bedreag, Ovidiu Horea; Rogobete, Alexandru Florin; Sarandan, Mirela; Cradigati, Alina Carmen; Papurica, Marius; Dumbuleu, Maria Corina; Chira, Alexandru Mihai; Rosu, Oana Maria; Sandesc, Dorel

2015-01-01

Multiple trauma patients require extremely good management and thus, the trauma team needs to be prepared and to be up to date with the new standards of intensive therapy. Oxidative stress and free radicals represent an extremely aggressive factor to cells, having a direct consequence upon the severity of lung inflammation. Pulmonary tissue is damaged by oxidative stress, leading to biosynthesis of mediators that exacerbate inflammation modulators. The subsequent inflammation spreads throughout the body, leading most of the time to multiple organ dysfunction and death. In this paper, we briefly present an update of biochemical effects of oxidative stress and free radical damage to the pulmonary tissue in patients in critical condition in the intensive care unit. Also, we would like to present a series of active substances that substantially reduce the aggressiveness of free radicals, increasing the chances of survival.

Cyclodialysis: an update.

PubMed

González-Martín-Moro, Julio; Contreras-Martín, Inés; Muñoz-Negrete, Francisco José; Gómez-Sanz, Fernando; Zarallo-Gallardo, Jesús

2017-04-01

Cyclodialysis is the result of the separation of the longitudinal ciliary muscle fibers from the scleral spur, which creates an abnormal pathway for aqueous humor drainage that may lead to ocular hypotony. For many years cyclodialysis was considered a treatment option for glaucoma. However, today it usually occurs as a complication of blunt trauma or more rarely as a complication of anterior segment ocular surgery. Ocular hypotony can lead to cataract development, optic disk swelling, refractive changes, and several retinal complications, making accurate identification and timely intervention of the cleft mandatory. Traditionally gonioscopy was the only available technique to diagnose and localize the cleft. However, other tests such as optical coherence tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, transillumination, and specially ultrasound biomicroscopy are now available for the diagnosis of cyclodialysis. Multiple treatment options are also available for this condition. Although medical treatment can be effective to close small clefts, surgery is needed in most patients to restore ocular pressure.

How we perceive our own retina.

PubMed

Kirschfeld, Kuno

2017-10-25

Ever since the days of René Descartes, in the seventeenth century, the search for the relationship between subjective perception and neural activity has been an ongoing challenge. In neuroscience, an approach to the problem via the visual system has produced a paradigm using perceptual suppression, changing with time. Cortical areas in which the neural activity was modulated in temporal correlation with this percept could be traced. Although these areas may lead directly to perception, such temporal correlation of neural activity does not suffice as ultimate proof that they actually do so. In this article, I will use a different method to show that, for the perception of our own retina, any brain area leading directly to this perception also needs to represent the retina without distortion. Furthermore, I will demonstrate that the phenomenon of size constancy must be realized in this area. © 2017 The Authors.

Attrition and carbon formation on iron catalysts

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

Kohler, S.D.; Harrington, M.S.; Jackson, N.B.

1994-08-01

A serious engineering problem that needs to be addressed in the scale-up of slurry-phase, Fischer-Tropsch reactors is attrition of the precipitated iron catalyst. Attrition, which can break down the catalyst into particles too small to filter, results from both mechanical and chemical forces. This study examines the chemical causes of attrition in iron catalysts. A bench-scale, slurry-phase CSTR is used to simulate operating conditions that lead to attrition of the catalyst. The average particle size and size distribution of the catalyst samples are used to determine the effect of slurry temperature, reducing gas, gas flow rate and time upon attritionmore » of the catalyst. Carbon deposition, a possible contributing factor to attrition, has been examined using gravimetric analysis and TEM. Conditions affecting the rate of carbon deposition have been compared to those leading to attrition of the precipitated iron catalyst.« less

Cleaning of printed circuit assemblies with surface-mounted components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arzigian, J. S.

The need for ever-increasing miniaturization of airborne instrumentation through the use of surface mounted components closely placed on printed circuit boards highlights problems with traditional board cleaning methods. The reliability of assemblies which have been cleaned with vapor degreasing and spray cleaning can be seriously compromised by residual contaminants leading to solder joint failure, board corrosion, and even electrical failure of the mounted parts. In addition, recent government actions to eliminate fully halogenated chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and chlorinated hydrocarbons from the industrial environment require the development of new cleaning materials and techniques. This paper discusses alternative cleaning materials and techniques and results that can be expected with them. Particular emphasis is placed on problems related to surface-mounted parts. These new techniques may lead to improved circuit reliability and, at the same time, be less expensive and less environmentally hazardous than the traditional systems.

Latest trends in craniomaxillofacial surgical instrumentation.

PubMed

Yim, Michael; Demke, Joshua

2012-08-01

To review the past year's literature regarding recent innovations in surgical instrumentation for craniomaxillofacial surgery. Current advances in surgical instrumentation have led to many improvements in the field, allowing greater visualization and precision both before and during procedures. One of the common goals is to achieve excellent outcomes with minimal complications, while at the same time minimizing invasiveness of surgery. Highlighted innovations include greater capacities for acquisition of data, leading to improved imaging modalities and expansion of computer-assisted surgical techniques; continued developments in biomaterials used in various reconstructions; and novel uses of bone cutting and bone fixation instrumentation. Technology in the field of craniomaxillofacial surgery is developing rapidly, leading to novel instrumentation being utilized across a broad spectrum of areas. Published data have been encouraging to date, indicating an ever increasing adaptation of these innovations in clinical practice. Future efforts need to focus on cost-benefit analysis and constructing larger-scale studies to better understand effectiveness and patient outcomes.

A longitudinal study on the information needs and preferences of patients after an acute coronary syndrome.

PubMed

Greco, Andrea; Cappelletti, Erika Rosa; Monzani, Dario; Pancani, Luca; D'Addario, Marco; Magrin, Maria Elena; Miglioretti, Massimo; Sarini, Marcello; Scrignaro, Marta; Vecchio, Luca; Fattirolli, Francesco; Steca, Patrizia

2016-09-20

Research has shown that the provision of pertinent health information to patients with cardiovascular disease is associated with better adherence to medical prescriptions, behavioral changes, and enhanced perception of control over the disease. Yet there is no clear knowledge on how to improve information pertinence. Identifying and meeting the information needs of patients and their preferences for sources of information is pivotal to developing patient-led services. This prospective, observational study was aimed at exploring the information needs and perceived relevance of different information sources for patients during the twenty-four months following an acute coronary syndrome. Two hundred and seventeen newly diagnosed patients with acute coronary syndrome were enrolled in the study. The patients were primarily men (83.41 %) with a mean age of 57.28 years (range 35-75; SD = 7.98). Patients' needs for information and the perceived relevance of information sources were evaluated between 2 and 8 weeks after hospitalization (baseline) and during three follow-ups at 6, 12 and 24 months after baseline. Repeated measures ANOVA, Bonferroni post hoc tests and Cochran's Q Test were performed to test differences in variables of interest over time. Results showed a reduction in information needs, but this decrease was significant only for topics related to daily activities, behavioral habits, risk and complication. At baseline, the primary sources of information were specialists and general practitioners, followed by family members and information leaflets given by physicians. Relevance of other sources changed differently over time. The present longitudinal study is an original contribution to the investigation of changes in information needs and preferences for sources of information among patients who are diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome. One of the main results of this study is that information on self-disease management is perceived as a minor theme for patients even two years after the event. Knowledge on how patients' information needs and perceived relevance of information sources change over time could enhance the quality of chronic disease management, leading health-care systems to move toward more patient-tailored care.

Male and female residents in postgraduate medical education - A gender comparative analysis of differences in career perspectives and their conditions in Germany.

PubMed

Ziegler, Stine; Zimmermann, Thomas; Krause-Solberg, Lea; Scherer, Martin; van den Bussche, Hendrik

2017-01-01

Aim: This article focuses on the gender-specific career differences of residents in their postgraduate medical education in Germany. In particular the structural obstacles female physicians have to overcome during residency are investigated. Moreover, the study examines the position preferences of male and female physicians in the hospital and in how far occupational self-efficacy corresponds to the interest in a hospital leading position. Methods: The KarMed-Study's database consists of annual postal surveys throughout the entire residency of medical students, who were in their "Practical Year" in 2008/2009. Descriptive statistics and regression models were used in the analysis. Results: Male and female physicians differ in terms of their preferred work place (hospital, ambulatory care, others), hospital position and working hours. Female physicians prefer part-time work and rarely assume leading positions compared to male physicians. In addition, female physicians, especially those with children, need more time to complete their postgraduate training. Female physicians with children are burdened and disadvantaged more often than their female colleagues without children as well as male physicians in general (e.g. belated start and completion of residency, lower rate of doctorate titles, higher quota of part-time contracts, short-term employment contracts, and higher rates of residency interruption or termination). Besides gender and doctorate title, the occupational self-efficacy expectation has an influence on the preference of leading positions in hospitals. Respondents with a low occupational self-efficacy score are less likely to strive for leading positions with more responsibilities than those with a high score. Conclusion: The results demonstrate clear gender disparities in postgraduate training. Female physicians, especially those with children, are disadvantaged in various areas when compared with their male colleagues. In particular, the low rate of doctorate titles and the low score of self-efficacy expectation are associated negatively with the willingness to aim at leading positions in hospitals. Special measures and programmes should be developed for female physicians to counteract these differences.

National Facilities Study. Volume 1: Facilities Inventory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

The inventory activity was initiated to solve the critical need for a single source of site specific descriptive and parametric data on major public and privately held aeronautics and aerospace related facilities. This a challenging undertaking due to the scope of the effort and the short lead time in which to assemble the inventory and have it available to support the task group study needs. The inventory remains dynamic as sites are being added and the data is accessed and refined as the study progresses. The inventory activity also included the design and implementation of a computer database and analytical tools to simplify access to the data. This volume describes the steps which were taken to define the data requirements, select sites, and solicit and acquire data from them. A discussion of the inventory structure and analytical tools is also provided.

Context sensitivity and ambiguity in component-based systems design

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

Bespalko, S.J.; Sindt, A.

1997-10-01

Designers of components-based, real-time systems need to guarantee to correctness of soft-ware and its output. Complexity of a system, and thus the propensity for error, is best characterized by the number of states a component can encounter. In many cases, large numbers of states arise where the processing is highly dependent on context. In these cases, states are often missed, leading to errors. The following are proposals for compactly specifying system states which allow the factoring of complex components into a control module and a semantic processing module. Further, the need for methods that allow for the explicit representation ofmore » ambiguity and uncertainty in the design of components is discussed. Presented herein are examples of real-world problems which are highly context-sensitive or are inherently ambiguous.« less

Long-range forecasts for the energy market - a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyvärinen, Otto; Mäkelä, Antti; Kämäräinen, Matti; Gregow, Hilppa

2017-04-01

We examined the feasibility of long-range forecasts of temperature for needs of the energy sector in Helsinki, Finland. The work was done jointly by Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) and Helen Ltd, the main Helsinki metropolitan area energy provider, and especially provider of district heating and cooling. Because temperatures govern the need of heating and cooling and, therefore, the energy demand, better long-range forecasts of temperature would be highly useful for Helen Ltd. Heating degree day (HDD) is a parameter that indicates the demand of energy to heat a building. We examined the forecasted monthly HDD values for Helsinki using UK Met Office seasonal forecasts with the lead time up to two months. The long-range forecasts of monthly HDD showed some skill in Helsinki in winter 2015-2016, especially if the very cold January is excluded.

Injury prevention in Australian Indigenous communities.

PubMed

Ivers, Rebecca; Clapham, Kathleen; Senserrick, Teresa; Lyford, Marilyn; Stevenson, Mark

2008-12-01

Injury prevention in Indigenous communities in Australia is a continuing national challenge, with Indigenous fatality rates due to injury three times higher than the general population. Suicide and transport are the leading causes of injury mortality, and assault, transport and falls the primary causes of injury morbidity. Addressing the complex range of injury problems in disadvantaged Indigenous communities requires considerable work in building or enhancing existing capacity of communities to address local safety issues. Poor data, lack of funding and absence of targeted programs are some of the issues that impede injury prevention activities. Traditional approaches to injury prevention can be used to highlight key areas of need, however adaptations are needed in keeping with Indigenous peoples' holistic approach to health, linked to land and linked to community in order to address the complex spiritual, emotional and social determinants of Indigenous injury.

Scheduling Anesthesia Time Reduces Case Cancellations and Improves Operating Room Workflow in a University Hospital Setting.

PubMed

van Veen-Berkx, Elizabeth; van Dijk, Menno V; Cornelisse, Diederich C; Kazemier, Geert; Mokken, Fleur C

2016-08-01

A new method of scheduling anesthesia-controlled time (ACT) was implemented on July 1, 2012 in an academic inpatient operating room (OR) department. This study examined the relationship between this new scheduling method and OR performance. The new method comprised the development of predetermined time frames per anesthetic technique based on historical data of the actual time needed for anesthesia induction and emergence. Seven "anesthesia scheduling packages" (0 to 6) were established. Several options based on the quantity of anesthesia monitoring and the complexity of the patient were differentiated in time within each package. This was a quasi-experimental time-series design. Relevant data were divided into 4 equal periods of time. These time periods were compared with ANOVA with contrast analysis: an intervention, pre-intervention, and post-intervention contrast were tested. All emergency cases were excluded. A total of 34,976 inpatient elective cases performed from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2014 were included for statistical analyses. The intervention contrast showed a significant decrease (p < 0.001) of 4.5% in the prediction error. The total number of cancellations decreased to 19.9%. The ANOVA with contrast analyses showed no significant differences with respect to under- and over-used OR time and raw use. Unanticipated results derived from this study, allowing for a smoother workflow: eg anesthesia nurses know exactly which medical equipment and devices need to be assembled and tested beforehand, based on the scheduled anesthesia package. Scheduling the 2 major components of a procedure (anesthesia- and surgeon-controlled time) more accurately leads to fewer case cancellations, lower prediction errors, and smoother OR workflow in a university hospital setting. Copyright © 2016 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thyroid Dose During Neurointerventional Procedures: Does Lead Shielding Reduce the Dose?

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

Shortt, C. P.; Fanning, N. F.; Malone, L.

2007-09-15

Purpose. To assess radiation dose to the thyroid in patients undergoing neurointerventional procedures and to evaluate dose reduction to the thyroid by lead shielding. Methods and Materials. A randomized patient study was undertaken to evaluate the dose reduction by thyroid lead shields and assess their practicality in a clinical setting. Sixty-five patients attending for endovascular treatment of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and aneurysms were randomized into one of 2 groups a) No Thyroid Shield and b) Thyroid Lead Shield. Two thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were placed over the thyroid gland (1 on each side) at constant positions on each patient in bothmore » groups. A thyroid lead shield (Pb eq. 0.5 mm) was placed around the neck of patients in the thyroid lead shield group after the neurointerventional radiologist had obtained satisfactory working access above the neck. The total dose-area-product (DAP) value, number and type of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) runs and fluoroscopy time were recorded for all patients. Results. Of the 72 patients who initially attended for neurointerventional procedures, 7 were excluded due to failure to consent or because of procedures involving access to the external carotid circulation. Of the remaining 65 who were randomized, a further 9 were excluded due to; procedureabandonment, unfeasible shield placement or shield interference with the procedure. Patient demographics included mean age of 47.9 yrs (15-74), F:M=1.4:1. Mean fluoroscopy time was 25.9 min. Mean DAP value was 13,134.8 cGy.cm{sup 2} and mean number of DSA runs was 13.4. The mean relative thyroid doses were significantly different (p< 0.001) between the unshielded (7.23 mSv/cGy2 x 105) and shielded groups (3.77 mSv/cGy2 x 105). A mean thyroid dose reduction of 48% was seen in the shielded group versus the unshielded group. Conclusion. Considerable doses to the thyroid are incurred during neurointerventional procedures, highlighting the need for increased awareness of patient radiation protection. Thyroid lead shielding yields significant radiation protection, is inexpensive and when not obscuring the field of view, should be used routinely.« less

Design of Warped Stretch Transform

PubMed Central

Mahjoubfar, Ata; Chen, Claire Lifan; Jalali, Bahram

2015-01-01

Time stretch dispersive Fourier transform enables real-time spectroscopy at the repetition rate of million scans per second. High-speed real-time instruments ranging from analog-to-digital converters to cameras and single-shot rare-phenomena capture equipment with record performance have been empowered by it. Its warped stretch variant, realized with nonlinear group delay dispersion, offers variable-rate spectral domain sampling, as well as the ability to engineer the time-bandwidth product of the signal’s envelope to match that of the data acquisition systems. To be able to reconstruct the signal with low loss, the spectrotemporal distribution of the signal spectrum needs to be sparse. Here, for the first time, we show how to design the kernel of the transform and specifically, the nonlinear group delay profile dictated by the signal sparsity. Such a kernel leads to smart stretching with nonuniform spectral resolution, having direct utility in improvement of data acquisition rate, real-time data compression, and enhancement of ultrafast data capture accuracy. We also discuss the application of warped stretch transform in spectrotemporal analysis of continuous-time signals. PMID:26602458

Characterizing Golden Eagle risk to lead and anticoagulant rodenticide exposure: A review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herring, Garth; Eagles-Smith, Collin A.; Buck, Jeremy A.

2017-01-01

Contaminant exposure is among the many threats to Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) populations throughout North America, particularly lead poisoning and anticoagulant rodenticides (AR). These threats may act in concert with others (e.g., lead poisoning and trauma associated with striking objects) to exacerbate risk. Golden Eagles are skilled hunters but also exploit scavenging opportunities, making them particularly susceptible to contaminant exposure from ingesting tissues of poisoned or shot animals. Lead poisoning has long been recognized as an important source of mortality for Golden Eagles throughout North America. More recently, ARs have been associated with both sublethal and lethal effects in raptor species worldwide. In this review, we examine the current state of knowledge for lead and AR exposure in Golden Eagles, drawing from the broader raptor contaminant ecology literature. We examine lead and AR sources within Golden Eagle habitats, exposure routes and toxicity, effects on individuals and populations, synergistic effects, and data and information needs. Continued research addressing data needs and information gaps will help with Golden Eagle conservation planning.

Lead-based paint in children's toys sold on China's major online shopping platforms.

PubMed

Shen, Zhengtao; Hou, Deyi; Zhang, Ping; Wang, Yinan; Zhang, Yunhui; Shi, Peili; O'Connor, David

2018-05-26

Lead in paint is a major public health concern and has drawn much attention from international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). However, there is limited research on lead-based paint, especially its use in toys, which poses an explicit health risk to vulnerable children. The present study sampled 100 different toys purchased from the three largest online shopping platforms in China: JD, Taobao (TB) and Tmall (TM). These selected toys have been sold nearly 3 million times in total, suggesting that they may have reached the dwellings of millions of children. It was found that the toys sold by JD and TM, which are considered organized sellers, had average lead concentrations of 25 mg/kg and 32 mg/kg, respectively, much lower than that of toys sold by unorganized sellers on the TB platform, at 219 mg/kg. Approximately 12% of the toys purchased from TB contained paint with total lead concentrations exceeding China's regulatory standard for paints in toy manufacturing, and nearly 36% of the toys purchased from TB exceeded the equivalent US regulatory standard and EU standard. These results suggest that further action is needed to verify the health and safety standards of toys sold by such unorganized sellers. Moreover, this study found that China's regulatory standard (90 mg/kg) based on soluble lead may underestimate the risk posed by lead in paints, and it is suggested that future regulatory thresholds for lead levels in paints for toy manufacture be based on total rather than soluble lead concentrations. The present study also explored various influencing factors on lead concentration, and found that lead concentrations were related to toy price, age group, color, and sales volume. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Leading order relativistic chiral nucleon-nucleon interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Xiu-Lei; Li, Kai-Wen; Geng, Li-Sheng; Long, Bingwei; Ring, Peter; Meng, Jie

2018-01-01

Motivated by the successes of relativistic theories in studies of atomic/molecular and nuclear systems and the need for a relativistic chiral force in relativistic nuclear structure studies, we explore a new relativistic scheme to construct the nucleon-nucleon interaction in the framework of covariant chiral effective field theory. The chiral interaction is formulated up to leading order with covariant power counting and a Lorentz invariant chiral Lagrangian. We find that the relativistic scheme induces all six spin operators needed to describe the nuclear force. A detailed investigation of the partial wave potentials shows a better description of the {}1S0 and {}3P0 phase shifts than the leading order Weinberg approach, and similar to that of the next-to-leading order Weinberg approach. For the other partial waves with angular momenta J≥slant 1, the relativistic results are almost the same as their leading order non-relativistic counterparts. )

The US Forest Service Framework for Climate Adaptation (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cleaves, D.

2013-12-01

Public lands are changing in response to climate change and related stressors such that resilience-based management plans that integrate climate-smart adaptation are needed. The goal of these plans is to facilitate land managers' consideration of a range of potential futures while simplifying the complex array of choices and assumptions in a rigorous, defensible manner. The foundation for climate response has been built into recent Forest Service policies, guidance, and strategies like the climate change Roadmap and Scorecard; 2012 Planning Rule; Cohesive Wildland Fire Management strategy; and Inventory, Monitoring & Assessment strategy. This has driven the need for information that is relevant, timely, and accessible to support vulnerability assessments and risk management to aid in designing and choosing alternatives and ranking actions. Managers must also consider carbon and greenhouse gas implications as well as understand the nature and level of uncertainties. The major adjustments that need to be made involve: improving risk-based decision making and working with predictive models and information; evaluating underlying assumptions against new realities and possibilities being revealed by climate science; integrating carbon cycle science and a new ethic of carbon stewardship into management practices; and preparing systems for inevitable changes to ameliorate negative effects, capture opportunities, or accept different and perhaps novel ecosystem configurations. We need to avoid waiting for complete science that never arrives and take actions that blend science and experience to boost learning, reduce costs and irreversible losses, and buy lead time.

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

Bragg-Sitton, Shannon; Boardman, Richard; Ruth, Mark

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognizes the need to transform the energy infrastructure of the U.S. and elsewhere to systems that can drastically reduce environmental impacts in an efficient and economically viable manner while utilizing both hydrocarbon resources and clean energy generation sources. Thus, DOE is supporting research and development that could lead to more efficient utilization of clean energy generation sources, including renewable and nuclear options. A concept being advanced by the DOE Offices of Nuclear Energy (NE) and Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is tighter coupling of nuclear and renewable energy sources in a manner thatmore » produces new energy currency for the combined electricity grid, industrial manufacturing, and the transportation energy sectors. This integration concept has been referred to as a “hybrid system” that is capable of providing the right type of energy, at the right time, in the right place. At the direction of DOE-NE and DOE-EERE leadership, project leads at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have identified and engaged stakeholders in discussing integrated energy systems that would optimize renewable and nuclear energy integration on a region-by-region basis. Subsequent work will entail conduct of technical, economic, environmental and socio-political evaluations of the leading integrated system options based on a set of criteria established with stakeholder input. The Foundational Workshop for Integrated Nuclear – Renewable Energy Systems was organized around the following objectives: 1. Identify and refine priority region-specific opportunities for integrated nuclear-renewable energy systems in the U.S.; 2. Select Figures of Merit (FOM) to rank and prioritize candidate systems; 3. Discuss enabling technology development needs; 4. Identify analysis requirements, capabilities and gaps to estimate FOM for integrated system options; 5. Identify experimental needs to develop and demonstrate nuclear-renewable energy systems.« less

A Dual-Line Detection Rayleigh Scattering Diagnostic Technique for the Combustion of Hydrocarbon Fuels and Filtered UV Rayleigh Scattering for Gas Velocity Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otugen, M. Volkan

1997-01-01

Non-intrusive techniques for the dynamic measurement of gas flow properties such as density, temperature and velocity, are needed in the research leading to the development of new generation high-speed aircraft. Accurate velocity, temperature and density data obtained in ground testing and in-flight measurements can help understand the flow physics leading to transition and turbulence in supersonic, high-altitude flight. Such non-intrusive measurement techniques can also be used to study combustion processes of hydrocarbon fuels in aircraft engines. Reliable, time and space resolved temperature measurements in various combustor configurations can lead to a better understanding of high temperature chemical reaction dynamics thus leading to improved modeling and better prediction of such flows. In view of this, a research program was initiated at Polytechnic University's Aerodynamics Laboratory with support from NASA Lewis Research Center through grants NAG3-1301 and NAG3-1690. The overall objective of this program has been to develop laser-based, non-contact, space- and time-resolved temperature and velocity measurement techniques. In the initial phase of the program a ND:YAG laser-based dual-line Rayleigh scattering technique was developed and tested for the accurate measurement of gas temperature in the presence of background laser glare. Effort was next directed towards the development of a filtered, spectrally-resolved Rayleigh/Mie scattering technique with the objective of developing an interferometric method for time-frozen velocity measurements in high-speed flows utilizing the uv line of an ND:YAG laser and an appropriate molecular absorption filter. This effort included both a search for an appropriate filter material for the 266 nm laser line and the development and testing of several image processing techniques for the fast processing of Fabry-Perot images for velocity and temperature information. Finally, work was also carried out for the development of a new laser-based strain-rate and vorticity technique for the time-resolved measurement of vorticity and strain-rates in turbulent flows.

The "perfect storm" in compensation: convergence of events leads to a greater need to review compensation strategies.

PubMed

Jones, Robert B

2004-01-01

The recent unprecedented convergence of significant strategic events in the compensation arena has created the need for ongoing and extensive compensation planning. This article reviews the events leading to this point, describes the implications of the results from a recent Aon study with WorldatWork, and suggests what employers can do to successfully navigate the "perfect storm" in compensation.

The relationship between basic need satisfaction and emotional eating.

PubMed

Timmerman, G M; Acton, G J

2001-01-01

Eating in response to emotions may lead to the consumption of excessive calories which typically leads to weight gain. This study examined the relationship between basic need satisfaction as identified by Maslow's hierarchy and emotional eating. According to Modeling and Role-Modeling theory, when lack of basic need satisfaction functions as a stressor, individuals may be more likely to engage in emotional eating as a substitute for fulfilling their needs in order to maintain homeostasis. The Basic Need Satisfaction Inventory (BNSI) had a strong, negative correlation (r = -.49; p < .001) to the Emotional Eating Scale (EES) indicating that the lower the level of basic need satisfaction, the more likely one engaged in emotional eating. In predicting EES score, 27.7% of the variance was explained by the self-esteem subscale of BNSI. This study supports looking at underlying issues contributing to weight gain in order to develop effective interventions for weight management.

A GIS-based methodology for improving needle exchange service delivery

PubMed Central

Davidson, Peter J.; Scholar, Shoshanna; Howe, Mary

2010-01-01

Background A variety of legal, social and logistical factors can prevent individuals from accessing formal needle exchange programs. One common solution to this problem is satellite exchange, which involves collaborating with people who already use an exchange to deliver needles and other supplies to those unable to access the exchange. While this approach can be very successful, one potential problem is that those most willing to deliver needles to their peers are often members of social networks that are already well connected with the needle exchange, leading to duplication of effort. In this paper we describe a simple and novel method for identifying groups of people who are demonstrably in need of improved access to needles, and for re-targeting efforts to meet the needs of those people. The method described was piloted at the Homeless Youth Alliance, San Francisco, USA, and further refined at Clean Needles Now, Los Angeles, USA. Methods People accessing needle exchange sites were asked to participate in a survey with two questions: “where were you and what time was it last time someone borrowed a needle from you?” and “where were you and what time was it last time you had to borrow a needle from someone else?” Responses were geocoded, and maps produced showing ‘hotspots’ where people were frequently finding themselves without needles. Results Satellite needle exchange was refined from an ad-hoc activity into one which focused on delivering needles to those with empirically demonstrable need. Maps produced in the process also proved valuable in discussions with local officials and other agencies about funding, as well as needle provision policy and practices. Conclusion We describe a method for rapidly assessing, describing, and responding to unmet and under-met need among injecting drug users. The method is particularly well-suited to organizations with extremely limited resources. PMID:21112757

A Study on Electric Power Smoothing System for Lead-Acid Battery of Stand-Alone Natural Energy Power System Using EDLC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Yan; Shibata, Ryosuke; Yamamura, Naoki; Ishida, Muneaki

To resolve energy shortage and global warming problem, renewable natural resource and its power system has been gradually generalizing. However, the power fluctuation suppressing in short period and the balance control of consumption and supply in long period are two of main problems that need to be resolved urgently in natural energy power system. In Stand-alone Natural Energy Power System (SNEPS) with power energy storage devices, power fluctuation in short period is one of the main reasons that recharge cycle times increase and lead-acid battery early failure. Hence, to prolong the service life of lead-acid battery and improve power quality through suppressing the power fluctuation, we proposed a method of electric power smoothing for lead-acid battery of SNEPS using bi-directional Buck/Boost converter and Electric Double Layer Capacitor (EDLC) in this paper. According to the test data of existing SNEPS, a power fluctuation condition is selected and as an example to analyze the validity of the proposed method. The analysis of frequency characteristics indicates the power fluctuation is suppressed a desired range in the target frequency region. The experimental results of confirmed the feasibility of the proposed system and the results well satisfy the requirement of system design.

Physicochemical Profiles of the Marketed Agrochemicals and Clues for Agrochemical Lead Discovery and Screening Library Development.

PubMed

Rao, Hanbing; Huangfu, Changxin; Wang, Yanying; Wang, Xianxiang; Tang, Tiansheng; Zeng, Xianyin; Li, Zerong; Chen, Yuzong

2015-05-01

Combinatorial chemistry, high-throughput and virtual screening technologies have been extensively used for discovering agrochemical leads from chemical libraries. The knowledge of the physicochemical properties of the marketed agrochemicals is useful for guiding the design and selection of such libraries. Since the earlier profiling of marketed agrochemicals, the number and types of marketed agrochemicals have significantly increased. Recent studies have shown the change of some physicochemical properties of oral drugs with time. There is a need to also profile the physicochemical properties of the marketed agrochemicals. In this work, we analyzed the key physicochemical properties of 1751 marketed agrochemicals in comparison with the previously-analyzed herbicides and insecticides, 106 391 natural products and 57 548 diverse synthetic libraries compounds. Our study revealed the distribution profiles and evolution trend of different types of agrochemicals that in many respects are broadly similar to the reported profiles for oral drugs, with the most marked difference being that agrochemicals have a lower number of hydrogen bond donors. The derived distribution patterns provided the rule of thumb guidelines for selecting potential agrochemical leads and also provided clues for further improving the libraries for agrochemical lead discovery. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Calibration of decadal ensemble predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasternack, Alexander; Rust, Henning W.; Bhend, Jonas; Liniger, Mark; Grieger, Jens; Müller, Wolfgang; Ulbrich, Uwe

2017-04-01

Decadal climate predictions are of great socio-economic interest due to the corresponding planning horizons of several political and economic decisions. Due to uncertainties of weather and climate, forecasts (e.g. due to initial condition uncertainty), they are issued in a probabilistic way. One issue frequently observed for probabilistic forecasts is that they tend to be not reliable, i.e. the forecasted probabilities are not consistent with the relative frequency of the associated observed events. Thus, these kind of forecasts need to be re-calibrated. While re-calibration methods for seasonal time scales are available and frequently applied, these methods still have to be adapted for decadal time scales and its characteristic problems like climate trend and lead time dependent bias. Regarding this, we propose a method to re-calibrate decadal ensemble predictions that takes the above mentioned characteristics into account. Finally, this method will be applied and validated to decadal forecasts from the MiKlip system (Germany's initiative for decadal prediction).

Historical Mass, Power, Schedule, and Cost Growth for NASA Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayhurst, Marc R.; Bitten, Robert E.; Shinn, Stephen A.; Judnick, Daniel C.; Hallgrimson, Ingrid E.; Youngs, Megan A.

2016-01-01

Although spacecraft developers have been moving towards standardized product lines as the aerospace industry has matured, NASA's continual need to push the cutting edge of science to accomplish unique, challenging missions can still lead to spacecraft resource growth over time. This paper assesses historical mass, power, cost, and schedule growth for multiple NASA spacecraft from the last twenty years and compares to industry reserve guidelines to understand where the guidelines may fall short. Growth is assessed from project start to launch, from the time of the preliminary design review (PDR) to launch and from the time of the critical design review (CDR) to launch. Data is also assessed not just at the spacecraft bus level, but also at the subsystem level wherever possible, to help obtain further insight into possible drivers of growth. Potential recommendations to minimize spacecraft mass, power, cost, and schedule growth for future missions are also discussed.

Dynamical tuning for MPC using population games: A water supply network application.

PubMed

Barreiro-Gomez, Julian; Ocampo-Martinez, Carlos; Quijano, Nicanor

2017-07-01

Model predictive control (MPC) is a suitable strategy for the control of large-scale systems that have multiple design requirements, e.g., multiple physical and operational constraints. Besides, an MPC controller is able to deal with multiple control objectives considering them within the cost function, which implies to determine a proper prioritization for each of the objectives. Furthermore, when the system has time-varying parameters and/or disturbances, the appropriate prioritization might vary along the time as well. This situation leads to the need of a dynamical tuning methodology. This paper addresses the dynamical tuning issue by using evolutionary game theory. The advantages of the proposed method are highlighted and tested over a large-scale water supply network with periodic time-varying disturbances. Finally, results are analyzed with respect to a multi-objective MPC controller that uses static tuning. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Virtual water trade and time scales for loss of water sustainability: a comparative regional analysis.

PubMed

Goswami, Prashant; Nishad, Shiv Narayan

2015-03-20

Assessment and policy design for sustainability in primary resources like arable land and water need to adopt long-term perspective; even small but persistent effects like net export of water may influence sustainability through irreversible losses. With growing consumption, this virtual water trade has become an important element in the water sustainability of a nation. We estimate and contrast the virtual (embedded) water trades of two populous nations, India and China, to present certain quantitative measures and time scales. Estimates show that export of embedded water alone can lead to loss of water sustainability. With the current rate of net export of water (embedded) in the end products, India is poised to lose its entire available water in less than 1000 years; much shorter time scales are implied in terms of water for production. The two cases contrast and exemplify sustainable and non-sustainable virtual water trade in long term perspective.

Virtual water trade and time scales for loss of water sustainability: A comparative regional analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goswami, Prashant; Nishad, Shiv Narayan

2015-03-01

Assessment and policy design for sustainability in primary resources like arable land and water need to adopt long-term perspective; even small but persistent effects like net export of water may influence sustainability through irreversible losses. With growing consumption, this virtual water trade has become an important element in the water sustainability of a nation. We estimate and contrast the virtual (embedded) water trades of two populous nations, India and China, to present certain quantitative measures and time scales. Estimates show that export of embedded water alone can lead to loss of water sustainability. With the current rate of net export of water (embedded) in the end products, India is poised to lose its entire available water in less than 1000 years; much shorter time scales are implied in terms of water for production. The two cases contrast and exemplify sustainable and non-sustainable virtual water trade in long term perspective.

Classification of human pathogen bacteria for early screening using electronic nose

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zulkifli, Syahida Amani; Mohamad, Che Wan Syarifah Robiah; Abdullah, Abu Hassan

2017-10-01

This paper present human pathogen bacteria for early screening using electronic nose. Electronic nose (E-nose) known as gas sensor array is a device that analyze the odor measurement give the fast response and less time consuming for clinical diagnosis. Many bacterial pathogens could lead to life threatening infections. Accurate and rapid diagnosis is crucial for the successful management of these infections disease. The conventional method need more time to detect the growth of bacterial. Alternatively, the bacteria are Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Shigella cultured on different media agar can be detected and classifies according to the volatile compound in shorter time using electronic nose (E-nose). Then, the data from electronic nose (E-nose) is processed using statistical method which is principal component analysis (PCA). The study shows the capability of electronic nose (E-nose) for early screening for bacterial infection in human stomach.

Simulating Chemical Kinetics Without Differential Equations: A Quantitative Theory Based on Chemical Pathways.

PubMed

Bai, Shirong; Skodje, Rex T

2017-08-17

A new approach is presented for simulating the time-evolution of chemically reactive systems. This method provides an alternative to conventional modeling of mass-action kinetics that involves solving differential equations for the species concentrations. The method presented here avoids the need to solve the rate equations by switching to a representation based on chemical pathways. In the Sum Over Histories Representation (or SOHR) method, any time-dependent kinetic observable, such as concentration, is written as a linear combination of probabilities for chemical pathways leading to a desired outcome. In this work, an iterative method is introduced that allows the time-dependent pathway probabilities to be generated from a knowledge of the elementary rate coefficients, thus avoiding the pitfalls involved in solving the differential equations of kinetics. The method is successfully applied to the model Lotka-Volterra system and to a realistic H 2 combustion model.

Analyzing time-ordered event data with missed observations.

PubMed

Dokter, Adriaan M; van Loon, E Emiel; Fokkema, Wimke; Lameris, Thomas K; Nolet, Bart A; van der Jeugd, Henk P

2017-09-01

A common problem with observational datasets is that not all events of interest may be detected. For example, observing animals in the wild can difficult when animals move, hide, or cannot be closely approached. We consider time series of events recorded in conditions where events are occasionally missed by observers or observational devices. These time series are not restricted to behavioral protocols, but can be any cyclic or recurring process where discrete outcomes are observed. Undetected events cause biased inferences on the process of interest, and statistical analyses are needed that can identify and correct the compromised detection processes. Missed observations in time series lead to observed time intervals between events at multiples of the true inter-event time, which conveys information on their detection probability. We derive the theoretical probability density function for observed intervals between events that includes a probability of missed detection. Methodology and software tools are provided for analysis of event data with potential observation bias and its removal. The methodology was applied to simulation data and a case study of defecation rate estimation in geese, which is commonly used to estimate their digestive throughput and energetic uptake, or to calculate goose usage of a feeding site from dropping density. Simulations indicate that at a moderate chance to miss arrival events ( p  = 0.3), uncorrected arrival intervals were biased upward by up to a factor 3, while parameter values corrected for missed observations were within 1% of their true simulated value. A field case study shows that not accounting for missed observations leads to substantial underestimates of the true defecation rate in geese, and spurious rate differences between sites, which are introduced by differences in observational conditions. These results show that the derived methodology can be used to effectively remove observational biases in time-ordered event data.

Time pressured deprioritization of COPD in primary care: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Sandelowsky, Hanna; Hylander, Ingrid; Krakau, Ingvar; Modin, Sonja; Ställberg, Björn; Nager, Anna

2016-01-01

To identify factors that hinder discussions regarding chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) between primary care physicians (PCPs) and their patients in Sweden. Primary health care centres (PHCCs) in Stockholm, Sweden. A total of 59 PCPs. Semi-structured individual and focus-group interviews between 2012 and 2014. Data were analysed inspired by grounded theory methods (GTM). Time-pressured patient-doctor consultations lead to deprioritization of COPD. During unscheduled visits, deprioritization resulted from focusing only on acute health concerns, while during routine care visits, COPD was deprioritized in multi-morbid patients. The reasons PCPs gave for deprioritizing COPD are: "Not becoming aware of COPD", "Not becoming concerned due to clinical features", "Insufficient local routines for COPD care", "Negative personal attitudes and views about COPD", "Managing diagnoses one at a time", and "Perceiving a patient's motivation as low''. De-prioritization of COPD was discovered during PCP consultations and several factors were identified associated with time constraints and multi-morbidity. A holistic consultation approach is suggested, plus extended consultation time for multi-morbid patients, and better documentation and local routines. Under-diagnosis and insufficient management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are common in primary health care. A patient-doctor consultation offers a key opportunity to identify and provide COPD care. Time pressure, due to either high number of patients or multi-morbidity, leads to omission or deprioritization of COPD during consultation. Deprioritization occurs due to lack of awareness, concern, and local routines, negative personal views, non-holistic consultation approach, and low patient motivation. Better local routines, extended consultation time, and a holistic approach are needed when managing multi-morbid patients with COPD.

USEPA LEAD AND COPPER CORROSION DS RESEARCH AND LCR REGULATORY UPDATE (AWWA WQTC 2006)

EPA Science Inventory

The USEPA is actively addressing lead and copper research needs which continue to develop. The objective of the presentation is to summarize current EPA lead and copper research efforts. Discussion includes project descriptions, a summary of relevant current findings, and discuss...

Meat Intake and the Dose of Vitamin B3 – Nicotinamide: Cause of the Causes of Disease Transitions, Health Divides, and Health Futures?

PubMed Central

Hill, Lisa J; Williams, Adrian C

2017-01-01

Meat and vitamin B3 – nicotinamide – intake was high during hunter-gatherer times. Intake then fell and variances increased during and after the Neolithic agricultural revolution. Health, height, and IQ deteriorated. Low dietary doses are buffered by ‘welcoming’ gut symbionts and tuberculosis that can supply nicotinamide, but this co-evolved homeostatic metagenomic strategy risks dysbioses and impaired resistance to pathogens. Vitamin B3 deficiency may now be common among the poor billions on a low-meat diet. Disease transitions to non-communicable inflammatory disorders (but longer lives) may be driven by positive ‘meat transitions’. High doses of nicotinamide lead to reduced regulatory T cells and immune intolerance. Loss of no longer needed symbiotic ‘old friends’ compounds immunological over-reactivity to cause allergic and auto-immune diseases. Inhibition of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide consumers and loss of methyl groups or production of toxins may cause cancers, metabolic toxicity, or neurodegeneration. An optimal dosage of vitamin B3 could lead to better health, but such a preventive approach needs more equitable meat distribution. Some people may require personalised doses depending on genetic make-up or, temporarily, when under stress. PMID:28579801

First-Principles Monte Carlo Simulations of Reaction Equilibria in Compressed Vapors

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Predictive modeling of reaction equilibria presents one of the grand challenges in the field of molecular simulation. Difficulties in the study of such systems arise from the need (i) to accurately model both strong, short-ranged interactions leading to the formation of chemical bonds and weak interactions arising from the environment, and (ii) to sample the range of time scales involving frequent molecular collisions, slow diffusion, and infrequent reactive events. Here we present a novel reactive first-principles Monte Carlo (RxFPMC) approach that allows for investigation of reaction equilibria without the need to prespecify a set of chemical reactions and their ideal-gas equilibrium constants. We apply RxFPMC to investigate a nitrogen/oxygen mixture at T = 3000 K and p = 30 GPa, i.e., conditions that are present in atmospheric lightning strikes and explosions. The RxFPMC simulations show that the solvation environment leads to a significantly enhanced NO concentration that reaches a maximum when oxygen is present in slight excess. In addition, the RxFPMC simulations indicate the formation of NO2 and N2O in mole fractions approaching 1%, whereas N3 and O3 are not observed. The equilibrium distributions obtained from the RxFPMC simulations agree well with those from a thermochemical computer code parametrized to experimental data. PMID:27413785

Role of phosphate fertilizers in heavy metal uptake and detoxification of toxic metals.

PubMed

Gupta, D K; Chatterjee, S; Datta, S; Veer, V; Walther, C

2014-08-01

As a nonrenewable resource, phosphorus (P) is the second most important macronutrient for plant growth and nutrition. Demand of phosphorus application in the agricultural production is increasing fast throughout the globe. The bioavailability of phosphorus is distinctively low due to its slow diffusion and high fixation in soils which make phosphorus a key limiting factor for crop production. Applications of phosphorus-based fertilizers improve the soil fertility and agriculture yield but at the same time concerns over a number of factors that lead to environmental damage need to be addressed properly. Phosphate rock mining leads to reallocation and exposure of several heavy metals and radionuclides in crop fields and water bodies throughout the world. Proper management of phosphorus along with its fertilizers is required that may help the maximum utilization by plants and minimum run-off and wastage. Phosphorus solubilizing bacteria along with the root rhizosphere of plant integrated with root morphological and physiological adaptive strategies need to be explored further for utilization of this extremely valuable nonrenewable resource judiciously. The main objective of this review is to assess the role of phosphorus in fertilizers, their uptake along with other elements and signaling during P starvation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adding Value to Total Joint Arthroplasty Care in an Academic Environment: The Utah Experience.

PubMed

Pelt, Christopher E; Anderson, Mike B; Erickson, Jill A; Gililland, Jeremy M; Peters, Christopher L

2018-06-01

Adding value in a university-based academic health care system provides unique challenges when compared to other health care delivery models. Herein, we describe our experience in adding value to joint arthroplasty care at the University of Utah, where the concept of value-based health care reform has become an embraced and driving force. To improve the value, new resources were needed for care redesign, physician leadership, and engagement in alternative payment models. The changes that occurred at our institution are described. Real-time data and knowledgeable personnel working behind the scenes, while physicians provide clinical care, help move clinical pathway redesigns. Engaged physicians are essential to the successful implementation of value creation and care pathway redesign that can lead to improvements in value. An investment of money and resources toward added infrastructure and personnel is often needed to realize large-scale improvements. Alignment of providers, payers, and hospital administration, including by means of gainsharing programs, can lead to improvements. Although significant care pathway redesign efforts may realize substantial initial cost savings, savings may be asymptotic in nature, which calls into question the likely sustainability of programs that incentivize or penalize payments based on historical targets. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-Performance Reactive Particle Tracking with Adaptive Representation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, M.; Benson, D. A.; Pankavich, S.

2017-12-01

Lagrangian particle tracking algorithms have been shown to be effective tools for modeling chemical reactions in imperfectly-mixed media. One disadvantage of these algorithms is the possible need to employ large numbers of particles in simulations, depending on the concentration covariance structure, and these large particle numbers can lead to long computation times. Two distinct approaches have recently arisen to overcome this. One method employs spatial kernels that are related to a specified, reduced particle number; however, over-wide kernels, dictated by a very low particle number, lead to an excess of reaction calculations and cause a reduction in performance. Another formulation involves hybrid particles that carry multiple species of reactant, wherein each particle is treated as its own well-mixed volume, obviating the need for large numbers of particles for each species but still requiring a fixed number of hybrid particles. Here, we combine these two approaches and demonstrate an improved method for simulating a given system in a computationally efficient manner. Additionally, the independent nature of transport and reaction calculations in this approach allows for significant gains via parallelization in an MPI or OpenMP context. For benchmarking, we choose a CO2 injection simulation with dissolution and precipitation of calcite and dolomite, allowing us to derive the proper treatment of interaction between solid and aqueous phases.

The Obesity Learning Centre (OLC) – a website supporting those working towards a healthy weight and reducing obesity levels

PubMed Central

Korjonen, Helena

2011-01-01

Objectives: Develop a website, the OLC, which supports those people who work on promoting a healthy weight and tackling obesity. Research shows that original networks where sharing of information and peer interaction take place create solutions to current public health challenges. Methods: Considerations that are relevant when building a new information service as well as the technical set up and information needs of users were taken into account prior to building the OLC and during continuous development and maintenance. Results: The OLC provides global news, resources and tools and link out to other networks, websites and organisations providing similar useful information. The OLC also uses social networking tools to highlight new and important information. Discussion: Networks contribute to a stronger community that can respond to emerging challenges in public health. The OLC improves connections of people and services from different backgrounds and organisations. Some challenges exist in the technical set up and also because of other aspects, e.g. public health information and differing information needs. Conclusion: Public health work programmes should include networking opportunities where public policy can be disseminated. The provision of necessary tools and resources can lead to better decision-making, save time and money and lead to improved public health outcomes. PMID:23569599

Deep remission: a new concept?

PubMed

Colombel, Jean-Frédéric; Louis, Edouard; Peyrin-Biroulet, Laurent; Sandborn, William J; Panaccione, Remo

2012-01-01

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by periods of clinical remission alternating with periods of relapse defined by recurrent clinical symptoms. Persistent inflammation is believed to lead to progressive bowel damage over time, which manifests with the development of strictures, fistulae and abscesses. These disease complications frequently lead to a need for surgical resection, which in turn leads to disability. So CD can be characterized as a chronic, progressive, destructive and disabling disease. In rheumatoid arthritis, treatment paradigms have evolved beyond partial symptom control alone toward the induction and maintenance of sustained biological remission, also known as a 'treat to target' strategy, with the goal of improving long-term disease outcomes. In CD, there is currently no accepted, well-defined, comprehensive treatment goal that entails the treatment of both clinical symptoms and biologic inflammation. It is important that such a treatment concept begins to evolve for CD. A treatment strategy that delays or halts the progression of CD to increasing damage and disability is a priority. As a starting point, a working definition of sustained deep remission (that includes long-term biological remission and symptom control) with defined patient outcomes (including no disease progression) has been proposed. The concept of sustained deep remission represents a goal for CD management that may still evolve. It is not clear if the concept also applies to ulcerative colitis. Clinical trials are needed to evaluate whether treatment algorithms that tailor therapy to achieve deep remission in patients with CD can prevent disease progression and disability. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Combined exposure to protons and (56)Fe leads to overexpression of Il13 and reactivation of repetitive elements in the mouse lung.

PubMed

Nzabarushimana, Etienne; Prior, Sara; Miousse, Isabelle R; Pathak, Rupak; Allen, Antiño R; Latendresse, John; Olsen, Reid H J; Raber, Jacob; Hauer-Jensen, Martin; Nelson, Gregory A; Koturbash, Igor

2015-11-01

Interest in deep space exploration underlines the needs to investigate the effects of exposure to combined sources of space radiation. The lung is a target organ for radiation, and exposure to protons and heavy ions as radiation sources may lead to the development of degenerative disease and cancer. In this study, we evaluated the pro-fibrotic and epigenetic effects of exposure to protons (150 MeV/nucleon, 0.1 Gy) and heavy iron ions ((56)Fe, 600 MeV/nucleon, 0.5 Gy) alone or in combination (protons on Day 1 and (56)Fe on Day 2) in C57BL/6 male mice 4 weeks after irradiation. Exposure to (56)Fe, proton or in combination, did not result in histopathological changes in the murine lung. At the same time, combined exposure to protons and (56)Fe resulted in pronounced molecular alterations in comparison with either source of radiation alone. Specifically, we observed a substantial increase in the expression of cytokine Il13, loss of expression of DNA methyltransferase Dnmt1, and reactivation of LINE-1, SINE B1 retrotransposons, and major and minor satellites. Given the deleterious potential of the observed effects that may lead to development of chronic lung injury, pulmonary fibrosis, and cancer, future studies devoted to the investigation of the long-term effects of combined exposures to proton and heavy ions are clearly needed. Copyright © 2015 The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring Health Care Providers' Views About Initiating End-of-Life Care Communication.

PubMed

Nedjat-Haiem, Frances R; Carrion, Iraida V; Gonzalez, Krystana; Ell, Kathleen; Thompson, Beti; Mishra, Shiraz I

2017-05-01

Numerous factors impede effective and timely end-of-life (EOL) care communication. These factors include delays in communication until patients are seriously ill and/or close to death. Gaps in patient-provider communication negatively affect advance care planning and limit referrals to palliative and hospice care. Confusion about the roles of various health care providers also limits communication, especially when providers do not coordinate care with other health care providers in various disciplines. Although providers receive education regarding EOL communication and care coordination, little is known about the roles of all health care providers, including nonphysician support staff working with physicians to discuss the possibility of dying and help patients prepare for death. This study explores the perspectives of physicians, nurses, social workers, and chaplains on engaging seriously ill patients and families in EOL care communication. Qualitative data were from 79 (medical and nonmedical) providers practicing at 2 medical centers in Central Los Angeles. Three themes that describe providers' perceptions of their roles and responsibility in talking with seriously ill patients emerged: (1) providers' roles for engaging in EOL discussions, (2) responsibility of physicians for initiating and leading discussions, and (3) need for team co-management patient care. Providers highlighted the importance of beginning discussions early by having physicians lead them, specifically due to their medical training and need to clarify medical information regarding patients' prognosis. Although physicians are a vital part of leading EOL communication, and are at the center of communication of medical information, an interdisciplinary approach that involves nurses, social workers, and chaplains could significantly improve patient care.

Role of non-invasive ventilation in difficult-to-wean children with acute neuromuscular disease.

PubMed

Reddy, V G; Nair, M P; Bataclan, F

2004-05-01

Weaning from mechanical ventilation in children could be time-consuming and on many occasions, leads to reintubation with its associate complications. We report two children with acute neuromuscular disease, in whom bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) as a mode of non-invasive ventilation was successfully used to wean the child from ventilators and prevented the need for tracheostomy. Despite the limited number of studies published in the literature suggesting BiPAP as a mode of weaning from mechanical ventilation, the technique when applied correctly seems to be safe and effective in weaning and avoiding tracheostomy.

Enlarging the scope: grasping brain complexity

PubMed Central

Tognoli, Emmanuelle; Kelso, J. A. Scott

2014-01-01

To further advance our understanding of the brain, new concepts and theories are needed. In particular, the ability of the brain to create information flows must be reconciled with its propensity for synchronization and mass action. The theoretical and empirical framework of Coordination Dynamics, a key aspect of which is metastability, are presented as a starting point to study the interplay of integrative and segregative tendencies that are expressed in space and time during the normal course of brain and behavioral function. Some recent shifts in perspective are emphasized, that may ultimately lead to a better understanding of brain complexity. PMID:25009476

Suggestions for prospecting

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1989-01-01

Prospectors have contributed much to the development of this Nation's mineral resources. Since the time of the earliest settlement, the need for iron for tools and guns, lead for bullets, and copper for utensils has prompted a search for sources of these metals. The lure of gold and silver provided the impetus for much of the development in the West between 1850 and 1910. Later, prospectors carried out successful ventures to fulfill the country's expanding industrial demands for other metals such as zinc, molybdenum, tungsten, chromium, vanadium, and many others. Even America's uninhabited rugged mountains or barren deserts have been prospected although perhaps only at a reconnaissance scale.

“Reality Surgery” — A Research Ethics Perspective on the Live Broadcast of Surgical Procedures

PubMed Central

Williams, Judson B.; Mathews, Robin; D'Amico, Thomas A.

2013-01-01

In recent years, the live broadcasting of medical and surgical procedures has gained worldwide popularity. While the practice has appropriately been met with concerns for patient safety and privacy, many physicians tout the merits of real time viewing as a form of investigation, accelerating the process leading to adoption or abolition of newer techniques or technologies. This view introduces a new series of ethical considerations that need to be addressed. As such, this article considers, from a research ethics perspective, the use of live surgical procedure broadcast for investigative purposes. PMID:21292217

Stress hysteresis as the cause of persistent holes in particulate suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deegan, Robert D.

2010-03-01

Concentrated particulate suspensions under vibrations can support stable, localized, vertically oriented free surfaces. The most robust of these structures are persistent holes: deep and stable depressions of the interface. Using a reduced model of the hydrodynamics we show that a rheology with hysteresis can lead to motion opposite to the time-averaged applied force. Moreover, we show experimentally that particulate suspensions of cornstarch in water exhibits hysteresis in the shear-rate response to an applied sinusoidal stress. The results of our model and our experiments suggest that hysteresis accounts for the outward force needed to support persistent holes.

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

Pachuilo, Andrew R; Ragan, Eric; Goodall, John R

Visualization tools can take advantage of multiple coordinated views to support analysis of large, multidimensional data sets. Effective design of such views and layouts can be challenging, but understanding users analysis strategies can inform design improvements. We outline an approach for intelligent design configuration of visualization tools with multiple coordinated views, and we discuss a proposed software framework to support the approach. The proposed software framework could capture and learn from user interaction data to automate new compositions of views and widgets. Such a framework could reduce the time needed for meta analysis of the visualization use and lead tomore » more effective visualization design.« less

CompuLung: a multimedia CBL on pulmonary auscultation.

PubMed Central

Mangione, S.; Dennis, S.

1992-01-01

Cardio-pulmonary auscultation, a time honored art, is suffering a declining interest caused by competing diagnostic technology and inadequate training of physicians. Overreliance on diagnostic technology is expensive, not cost-effective and bound to lead to loss of our clinical heritage. We need novel methods to teach and revive this art. Computer-Based Learning (CBL), particularly multimedia supporting graphics plus sound-and-motion pictures, appears to be ideally suited for teaching and sharpening this skill. We present in this paper a multimedia CBL ("CompuLung"), that provides the user with a comprehensive and interactive tutorial on pulmonary auscultation. PMID:1482999

Coupling of Mechanical Behavior of Lithium Ion Cells to Electrochemical-Thermal (ECT) Models for Battery Crush

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

Zhang, Chao; Santhanagopalan, Shriram; Pesaran, Ahmad

Vehicle crashes can lead to crushing of the battery, damaging lithium ion battery cells and causing local shorts, heat generation, and thermal runaway. Simulating all the physics and geometries at the same time is challenging and takes a lot of effort; thus, simplifications are needed. We developed a material model for simultaneously modeling the mechanical-electrochemical-thermal behavior, which predicted the electrical short, voltage drop, and thermal runaway behaviors followed by a mechanical abuse-induced short. The effect of short resistance on the battery cell performance was studied.