Sample records for objectives description justification

  1. Ultimate justification: Wittgenstein and medical ethics.

    PubMed

    Hughes, J

    1995-02-01

    Decisions must be justified. In medical ethics various grounds are given to justify decisions, but ultimate justification seems illusory and little considered. The philosopher Wittgenstein discusses the problem of ultimate justification in the context of general philosophy. His comments, nevertheless, are pertinent to ethics. From a discussion of Wittgensteinian notions, such as 'bedrock', the idea that 'ultimate' justification is grounded in human nature as such is derived. This discussion is relevant to medical ethics in at least five ways: it shows generally what type of certainty there is in practical ethics; it seems to imply some objective foundation to our ethical judgements; it squares with our experience of making ethical decisions; it shows something of the nature of moral arguments; and, finally, it has implications for teaching medicine and ethics.

  2. Ultimate justification: Wittgenstein and medical ethics.

    PubMed Central

    Hughes, J

    1995-01-01

    Decisions must be justified. In medical ethics various grounds are given to justify decisions, but ultimate justification seems illusory and little considered. The philosopher Wittgenstein discusses the problem of ultimate justification in the context of general philosophy. His comments, nevertheless, are pertinent to ethics. From a discussion of Wittgensteinian notions, such as 'bedrock', the idea that 'ultimate' justification is grounded in human nature as such is derived. This discussion is relevant to medical ethics in at least five ways: it shows generally what type of certainty there is in practical ethics; it seems to imply some objective foundation to our ethical judgements; it squares with our experience of making ethical decisions; it shows something of the nature of moral arguments; and, finally, it has implications for teaching medicine and ethics. PMID:7776343

  3. 49 CFR 611.303 - Small Starts project justification criteria.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... and assign ratings for project justification, FTA will evaluate information developed locally through the planning, NEPA and project development processes. (1) The method used by FTA to evaluate and rate... ratings for each of the criteria in § 611.303(b)(1) through (6) will be expressed in terms of descriptive...

  4. 49 CFR 611.203 - New Starts project justification criteria.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... project justification, FTA will evaluate information developed locally through the planning and NEPA processes. (1) The method used by FTA to evaluate and rate projects will be a multiple measure approach by... each of the criteria in § 611.203(b)(1) through (6) will be expressed in terms of descriptive...

  5. 49 CFR 611.303 - Small Starts project justification criteria.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... and assign ratings for project justification, FTA will evaluate information developed locally through the planning, NEPA and project development processes. (1) The method used by FTA to evaluate and rate... ratings for each of the criteria in § 611.303(b)(1) through (6) will be expressed in terms of descriptive...

  6. 49 CFR 611.203 - New Starts project justification criteria.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... project justification, FTA will evaluate information developed locally through the planning and NEPA processes. (1) The method used by FTA to evaluate and rate projects will be a multiple measure approach by... each of the criteria in § 611.203(b)(1) through (6) will be expressed in terms of descriptive...

  7. Solution Strategies, Modes of Representation and Justifications of Primary Five Pupils in Solving Pre Algebra Problems: An Experience of Using Task-Based Interview and Verbal Protocol Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ling, Gan We; Ghazali, Munirah

    2007-01-01

    This descriptive study was aimed at looking into how Primary 5 pupils solve pre-algebra problems concerning patterns and unknown quantities. Specifically, objectives of this study were to describe Primary 5 pupils' solution strategies, modes of representations and justifications in: (a) discovering, describing and using numerical and geometrical…

  8. Preservice Elementary Teachers Increase Descriptive Science Vocabulary by Making Descriptive Adjective Object Boxes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rule, Audrey C.; Crisafulli, Sherry; DeCare, Heather; DeLeo, Tonya; Eastman, Keri; Farrell, Liz; Geblein, Jennifer; Gioia, Chelsea; Joyce, Ashley; Killian, Kali; Knoop, Kelly; LaRocca, Alison; Meyer, Katie; Miller, Julianne; Roth, Vicki; Throo, Julie; Van Arsdale, Jim; Walker, Malissa

    2007-01-01

    Descriptive vocabulary is needed for communication and mental processing of science observations. Elementary preservice teachers in a science methods class at a mid-sized public college in central New York State increased their descriptive vocabularies through a course assignment of making a descriptive adjective object box. This teaching material…

  9. A Fuzzy Description Logic with Automatic Object Membership Measurement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cai, Yi; Leung, Ho-Fung

    In this paper, we propose a fuzzy description logic named f om -DL by combining the classical view in cognitive psychology and fuzzy set theory. A formal mechanism used to determine object memberships automatically in concepts is also proposed, which is lacked in previous work fuzzy description logics. In this mechanism, object membership is based on the defining properties of concept definition and properties in object description. Moreover, while previous works cannot express the qualitative measurements of an object possessing a property, we introduce two kinds of properties named N-property and L-property, which are quantitative measurements and qualitative measurements of an object possessing a property respectively. The subsumption and implication of concepts and properties are also explored in our work. We believe that it is useful to the Semantic Web community for reasoning the fuzzy membership of objects for concepts in fuzzy ontologies.

  10. 49 CFR 611.9 - Project justification criteria for grants and loans for fixed guideway systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... evaluations and assign ratings for project justification, FTA will evaluate information developed locally... of the criteria will be expressed in terms of descriptive indicators, as follows: “high,” “medium...

  11. 49 CFR 611.9 - Project justification criteria for grants and loans for fixed guideway systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... evaluations and assign ratings for project justification, FTA will evaluate information developed locally... of the criteria will be expressed in terms of descriptive indicators, as follows: “high,” “medium...

  12. 49 CFR 611.9 - Project justification criteria for grants and loans for fixed guideway systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... evaluations and assign ratings for project justification, FTA will evaluate information developed locally... of the criteria will be expressed in terms of descriptive indicators, as follows: “high,” “medium...

  13. On sanction-goal justifications: How and why deterrence justifications undermine rule compliance.

    PubMed

    Mooijman, Marlon; van Dijk, Wilco W; van Dijk, Eric; Ellemers, Naomi

    2017-04-01

    Authorities frequently justify their sanctions as attempts to deter people from rule breaking. Although providing a sanction justification seems appealing and harmless, we propose that a deterrence justification decreases the extent to which sanctions are effective in promoting rule compliance. We develop a theoretical model that specifies how and why this occurs. Consistent with our model, 5 experiments demonstrated that-compared with sanctions provided without a justification or sanctions provided with a just-deserts justification-sanction effectiveness decreased when sanctions were justified as attempts to deter people from rule breaking. This effect was mediated by people feeling distrusted by the authority. We further demonstrated that (a) the degree to which deterrence fostered distrust was attenuated when the sanction was targeted at others (instead of the participant) and (b) the degree to which distrust undermined rule compliance was attenuated when the authority was perceived as legitimate. We discuss the practical implications for authorities tasked with promoting rule compliance, and the theoretical implications for the literature on sanctions, distrust, and rule compliance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  14. An object-oriented description method of EPMM process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Zuo; Yang, Fan

    2017-06-01

    In order to use the object-oriented mature tools and language in software process model, make the software process model more accord with the industrial standard, it’s necessary to study the object-oriented modelling of software process. Based on the formal process definition in EPMM, considering the characteristics that Petri net is mainly formal modelling tool and combining the Petri net modelling with the object-oriented modelling idea, this paper provides this implementation method to convert EPMM based on Petri net into object models based on object-oriented description.

  15. 13 CFR 130.460 - Budget justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Budget justification. 130.460... CENTERS § 130.460 Budget justification. The SBDC Director, as a part of the renewal application, or the... submit to the SBA Project Officer the budget justification for the upcoming budget period. The budget...

  16. Characteristics of Qualitative Descriptive Studies: A Systematic Review

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Hyejin; Sefcik, Justine S.; Bradway, Christine

    2016-01-01

    Qualitative description (QD) is a term that is widely used to describe qualitative studies of health care and nursing-related phenomena. However, limited discussions regarding QD are found in the existing literature. In this systematic review, we identified characteristics of methods and findings reported in research articles published in 2014 whose authors identified the work as QD. After searching and screening, data were extracted from the sample of 55 QD articles and examined to characterize research objectives, design justification, theoretical/philosophical frameworks, sampling and sample size, data collection and sources, data analysis, and presentation of findings. In this review, three primary findings were identified. First, despite inconsistencies, most articles included characteristics consistent with limited, available QD definitions and descriptions. Next, flexibility or variability of methods was common and desirable for obtaining rich data and achieving understanding of a phenomenon. Finally, justification for how a QD approach was chosen and why it would be an appropriate fit for a particular study was limited in the sample and, therefore, in need of increased attention. Based on these findings, recommendations include encouragement to researchers to provide as many details as possible regarding the methods of their QD study so that readers can determine whether the methods used were reasonable and effective in producing useful findings. PMID:27686751

  17. Students' Problem Solving and Justification

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glass, Barbara; Maher, Carolyn A.

    2004-01-01

    This paper reports on methods of students' justifications of their solution to a problem in the area of combinatorics. From the analysis of the problem solving of 150 students in a variety of settings from high-school to graduate study, four major forms of reasoning evolved: (1) Justification by Cases, (2) Inductive Argument, (3) Elimination…

  18. Justification of radiographic examinations: What are the key issues?

    PubMed

    Vom, Jason; Williams, Imelda

    2017-09-01

    Justification of radiographic examinations is the practice of evaluating requested radiological examinations to assess for clinical merit and appropriateness based on clinical notes and patient information. This implies that justification in radiography requires the evaluation of requested examinations, the justification of exposures being applied and determining whether patients fit the recommended criteria for the procedure. Medico-legal requirements by the professional registration body, the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia (MRPBA), identify justification as an advocated and obligatory practice for radiographers. Yet, justification remains an inconsistent practice implemented amongst Australian radiographers. This review aims to identify associated barriers inhibiting the consistent practice of justification and the hesitance by radiographers in practicing justification responsibilities. It also recommends a change in workplace culture which encourages radiographers to accept a more autonomous role that cultivates critical thinking, reflection and research-informed decision making as justification will ultimately benefit patients. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy and New Zealand Institute of Medical Radiation Technology.

  19. 48 CFR 2406.304 - Approval of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Approval of the justification. 2406.304 Section 2406.304 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN... 2406.304 Approval of the justification. (c) A class justification for other than full and open...

  20. Characteristics of Qualitative Descriptive Studies: A Systematic Review.

    PubMed

    Kim, Hyejin; Sefcik, Justine S; Bradway, Christine

    2017-02-01

    Qualitative description (QD) is a term that is widely used to describe qualitative studies of health care and nursing-related phenomena. However, limited discussions regarding QD are found in the existing literature. In this systematic review, we identified characteristics of methods and findings reported in research articles published in 2014 whose authors identified the work as QD. After searching and screening, data were extracted from the sample of 55 QD articles and examined to characterize research objectives, design justification, theoretical/philosophical frameworks, sampling and sample size, data collection and sources, data analysis, and presentation of findings. In this review, three primary findings were identified. First, although there were some inconsistencies, most articles included characteristics consistent with the limited available QD definitions and descriptions. Next, flexibility or variability of methods was common and effective for obtaining rich data and achieving understanding of a phenomenon. Finally, justification for how a QD approach was chosen and why it would be an appropriate fit for a particular study was limited in the sample and, therefore, in need of increased attention. Based on these findings, recommendations include encouragement to researchers to provide as many details as possible regarding the methods of their QD studies so that readers can determine whether the methods used were reasonable and effective in producing useful findings. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Doing the Math: Supporting Student Justifications

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    James, Carolyn; Philiben, Lyn; Knievel, Molly

    2016-01-01

    Teachers have found that engaging students in justification can help students deepen and retain mathematical knowledge, gain a greater sense of ownership over the material, and improve communication and representation skills (Staples, Bartlo, and Thanheiser 2012). Student engagement in a justification activity can also lead to more equitable…

  2. 16 CFR 240.15 - Cost justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Cost justification. 240.15 Section 240.15 Commercial Practices FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION GUIDES AND TRADE PRACTICE RULES GUIDES FOR ADVERTISING ALLOWANCES AND OTHER MERCHANDISING PAYMENTS AND SERVICES § 240.15 Cost justification. It is no defense to a...

  3. Do ethnicity and polygyny contribute to justification of men beating women in Ghana?

    PubMed

    Amo-Adjei, Joshua; Tuoyire, Derek Anamaale

    2016-01-01

    Violence against intimate partners threatens public health and social cohesion, and its prevalence could increase with an attitude of justification of such violence. The objective of this article was to use religion and ethnicity as proxies for culture to examine Ghanaian women's acceptance of being beaten. We employed descriptive and binary logistic regression statistics applied to Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey data collected in 2011 in Ghana. With a weighted sample of 10,627 women, the findings revealed that more than half (59.83%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 57.41%, 62.2%) of the respondents justified at least one form of intimate partner violence (IPV) or another and being a Mole-Dagbani (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.41; 95%; CI = 1.05, 1.90) and/or in a polygamous marriage/union (AOR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.04, 1.420) were significant risk factors for justifying IPV. Activism in promoting IPV-free communities has to be group-specific to reach those in need of interventions.

  4. An Approach to Object Recognition: Aligning Pictorial Descriptions.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-12-01

    PERFORMING 0RGANIZATION NAMIE ANDORS IS551. PROGRAM ELEMENT. PROJECT. TASK Artificial Inteligence Laboratory AREKA A WORK UNIT NUMBERS ( 545 Technology... ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LABORATORY A.I. Memo No. 931 December, 1986 AN APPROACH TO OBJECT RECOGNITION: ALIGNING PICTORIAL DESCRIPTIONS Shimon Ullman...within the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Support for the A.I. Laboratory’s artificial intelligence

  5. Characteristics and Implications of Diagnostic Justification Scores Based on the New Patient Note Format of the USMLE Step 2 CS Exam.

    PubMed

    Yudkowsky, Rachel; Park, Yoon Soo; Hyderi, Abbas; Bordage, Georges

    2015-11-01

    To determine the psychometric characteristics of diagnostic justification scores based on the patient note format of the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 Clinical Skills exam, which requires students to document history and physical findings, differential diagnoses, diagnostic justification, and plan for immediate workup. End-of-third-year medical students at one institution wrote notes for five standardized patient cases in May 2013 (n = 180) and 2014 (n = 177). Each case was scored using a four-point rubric to rate each of the four note components. Descriptive statistics and item analyses were computed and a generalizability study done. Across cases, 10% to 48% provided no diagnostic justification or had several missing or incorrect links between history and physical findings and diagnoses. The average intercase correlation for justification scores ranged from 0.06 to 0.16; internal consistency reliability of justification scores (coefficient alpha across cases) was 0.38. Overall, justification scores had the highest mean item discrimination across cases. The generalizability study showed that person-case interaction (12%) and task-case interaction (13%) had the largest variance components, indicating substantial case specificity. The diagnostic justification task provides unique information about student achievement and curricular gaps. Students struggled to correctly justify their diagnoses; performance was highly case specific. Diagnostic justification was the most discriminating element of the patient note and had the greatest variability in student performance across cases. The curriculum should provide a wide range of clinical cases and emphasize recognition and interpretation of clinically discriminating findings to promote the development of clinical reasoning skills.

  6. Improved object optimal synthetic description, modeling, learning, and discrimination by GEOGINE computational kernel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fiorini, Rodolfo A.; Dacquino, Gianfranco

    2005-03-01

    GEOGINE (GEOmetrical enGINE), a state-of-the-art OMG (Ontological Model Generator) based on n-D Tensor Invariants for n-Dimensional shape/texture optimal synthetic representation, description and learning, was presented in previous conferences elsewhere recently. Improved computational algorithms based on the computational invariant theory of finite groups in Euclidean space and a demo application is presented. Progressive model automatic generation is discussed. GEOGINE can be used as an efficient computational kernel for fast reliable application development and delivery in advanced biomedical engineering, biometric, intelligent computing, target recognition, content image retrieval, data mining technological areas mainly. Ontology can be regarded as a logical theory accounting for the intended meaning of a formal dictionary, i.e., its ontological commitment to a particular conceptualization of the world object. According to this approach, "n-D Tensor Calculus" can be considered a "Formal Language" to reliably compute optimized "n-Dimensional Tensor Invariants" as specific object "invariant parameter and attribute words" for automated n-Dimensional shape/texture optimal synthetic object description by incremental model generation. The class of those "invariant parameter and attribute words" can be thought as a specific "Formal Vocabulary" learned from a "Generalized Formal Dictionary" of the "Computational Tensor Invariants" language. Even object chromatic attributes can be effectively and reliably computed from object geometric parameters into robust colour shape invariant characteristics. As a matter of fact, any highly sophisticated application needing effective, robust object geometric/colour invariant attribute capture and parameterization features, for reliable automated object learning and discrimination can deeply benefit from GEOGINE progressive automated model generation computational kernel performance. Main operational advantages over previous

  7. Important issues in the justification of a control treatment in paediatric drug trials.

    PubMed

    Kelly, Lauren E; Davies, Elin Haf; Saint-Raymond, Agnes; Tomasi, Paolo; Offringa, Martin

    2016-10-01

    The value of comparative effectiveness trials in informing clinical and policy decisions depends heavily on the choice of control arm (comparator). Our objective is to identify challenges in comparator reasoning and to determine justification criteria for selecting a control arm in paediatric clinical trials. A literature search was completed to identify existing sources of guidance on comparator selection. Subsequently, we reviewed a randomly selected sample of comparators selected for paediatric investigation plans (PIPs) adopted by the Paediatric Committee of the European Medicines Agency in 2013. We gathered descriptive information and evaluated their review process to identify challenges and compromises between regulators and sponsors with regard to the selection of the comparator. A tool to help investigators justify the selection of active controls and placebo arms was developed using the existing literature and empirical data. Justifying comparator selection was a challenge in 28% of PIPs. The following challenging paediatric issues in the decision-making process were identified: use of off-label medications as comparators, ethical and safe use of placebo, duration of placebo use, an undefined optimal dosing strategy, lack of age-appropriate safety and efficacy data, and drug dosing not supported by extrapolation of safety/efficacy evidence from other populations. In order to generate trials that will inform clinical decision-making and support marketing authorisations, researchers must systemically and transparently justify their selection of the comparator arm for their study. This report highlights key areas for justification in the choice of comparator in paediatric clinical trials. 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/

  8. Parameterized hardware description as object oriented hardware model implementation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Drabik, Pawel K.

    2010-09-01

    The paper introduces novel model for design, visualization and management of complex, highly adaptive hardware systems. The model settles component oriented environment for both hardware modules and software application. It is developed on parameterized hardware description research. Establishment of stable link between hardware and software, as a purpose of designed and realized work, is presented. Novel programming framework model for the environment, named Graphic-Functional-Components is presented. The purpose of the paper is to present object oriented hardware modeling with mentioned features. Possible model implementation in FPGA chips and its management by object oriented software in Java is described.

  9. The Development of Justifications for Moral Judgements.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Langford, Peter E.; Claydon, Leslie F.

    This document reports on two studies that used a novel approach to categorize justifications for moral judgments made by Australian subjects from 7 to 15 and from 7 to 21 years of age. The coding categories consisted of levels of abstraction and reflection. Level of abstraction was determined by the reference group used in justifications. Levels…

  10. Wide reflective equilibrium as a method of justification in bioethics.

    PubMed

    Nichols, Peter

    2012-10-01

    Carson Strong has recently argued that wide reflective equilibrium (WRE) is an unacceptable method of justification in bioethics. In its place, Strong recommends a methodology in which certain foundational moral judgments play a central role in the justification of moral beliefs, and coherence plays a limited justificatory role in that the rest of our judgments are made to cohere with these foundational judgments. In this paper, I argue that Strong's chief criticisms of WRE are unsuccessful and that his proposed alternative is in fact just another version of WRE. In the course of doing so, I specify which theses are central to WRE and which are not, and thus, provide a response to an additional objection, advanced by Peter Singer, that WRE is vacuous. I conclude by arguing that there may be better prospects for advancing the debate regarding methodology in bioethics if we focus on restricted epistemic and methodological theses rather than broad approaches, such as WRE, that come in many different varieties.

  11. Historical Perspectives in Marketing Education: Justification and Implementation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Petkus, Ed, Jr.

    2010-01-01

    This article provides a justification and an implementation plan for the establishment of a historical orientation across the undergraduate marketing curriculum. The justification for the historical perspective addresses three areas: tapping into the extensive body of knowledge in marketing history, practical implications, and critical thinking.…

  12. 48 CFR 806.304 - Approval of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... justification. 806.304 Section 806.304 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS COMPETITION AND ACQUISITION PLANNING COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Other Than Full and Open Competition 806.304....304(c), Table 806.304-1 provides the authorities who may approve a justification: Table 806.304.1...

  13. 48 CFR 2806.304 - Approval of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... justification. 2806.304 Section 2806.304 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Competition and Acquisition Planning COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Other Than Full and Open Competition 2806.304...) Pursuant to FAR 6.304(c), a class justification for other than full and open competition shall be approved...

  14. Justification and radiology: some ethical considerations.

    PubMed

    Sia, Santiago

    2009-07-01

    This paper, which seeks to address the issue of justification in radiology, intends firstly to comment on the current discussion of the ethical foundation of radiological practice that focuses on the move from utilitarianism to the rights-centred criterion. Secondly, and this constitutes the bulk of the paper, it aims to offer a philosophical perspective, which is hoped will lead to a consideration of certain specific areas in ethical decision-making in the attempts here to deal with the main issue of justification in radiology.

  15. The SEM description of interaction of a transient electromagnetic wave with an object

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pearson, L. W.; Wilton, D. R.

    1980-01-01

    The singularity expansion method (SEM), proposed as a means for determining and representing the transient surface current density induced on a scatterer by a transient electromagnetic wave is described. The resulting mathematical description of the transient surface current on the object is discussed. The data required to represent the electromagnetic scattering properties of a given object are examined. Experimental methods which were developed for the determination of the SEM description are discussed. The feasibility of characterizing the surface current induced on aircraft flying in proximity to a lightning stroke by way of SEM is examined.

  16. 48 CFR 1306.303-70 - Documentation and legal review of justifications.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Documentation and legal review of justifications. 1306.303-70 Section 1306.303-70 Federal Acquisition Regulations System... Competition 1306.303-70 Documentation and legal review of justifications. The justification for providing for...

  17. The Importance and Justifications for Astronomy Teaching: A Look at the Researches on the Area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soler, D. R.; Leite, C.

    2013-08-01

    Many researchers in Astronomy Teaching often refer to Astronomy as an object of great curiosity. In this paper, we will present a survey concerning the importance and justifications researchers have given to Astronomy Teaching. In a universe of 180 papers about Astronomy Teaching, found in periodicals from the areas of Science, Physics and Astronomy Teaching in the last decade, in 29 of them, discussions about the importance or justifications to Astronomy Teaching were found. As the main result of this work, all the elements related to the importance and the justification for the Astronomy Teaching were organized and grouped in four categories of analysis, which indicate the nature of the justifications presented by the authors: Awakening of feelings and curiosities; Socio-historic-cultural relevance; World view and awareness expansion and Interdisciplinarity. In each category, related elements were grouped. By doing so, we could produce an articulation among the elements taken from different papers, matching them in a way that enabled us to obtain new inferences not individually present in any of the papers. Furthermore, when all the research was analyzed, it was also revealed that there were no papers that aimed at the investigation of the importance and justifications for Astronomy Teaching. It was still noticed that, in general, when researchers invoke the interdisciplinary character of Astronomy, they make it superficially. Since the researches do not show how they get the idea presented to the justifications for teaching Astronomy, some questions could have surfaced, such as: would it be possible to exist a kind of “common sense” for teaching and disseminating Astronomy that would make researchers understand Astronomy as a differential science? Would the "born interest" in Astronomy - pointed by some people - be something real? Does Astronomy really differ from other sciences?

  18. R. S. Peters' "The Justification of Education" Revisited

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cuypers, Stefaan E.

    2012-01-01

    In his 1973 paper "The Justification of Education" R. S. Peters aspired to give a non-instrumental justification of education. Ever since, his so-called "transcendental argument" has been under attack and most critics conclude that it does not work. They have, however, thrown the baby away with the bathwater, when they furthermore concluded that…

  19. The Effects of General System Justification on Corruption Perception and Intent

    PubMed Central

    Tan, Xuyun; Liu, Li; Huang, Zhenwei; Zheng, Wenwen; Liang, Yuan

    2016-01-01

    Previous research stresses that system justifying belief can weaken corruption perception, by this possibly fostering unjust behaviors. However, general results of the effect of general system justification on corruption are ambiguous, indicating also a lessening impact. We conducted a line of studies trying to elucidate these circumstances by testing the effect of general system justification on corruption perception and intention. In addition, we explored institutional trust as a possible mediator in this process. For this purpose, we conducted three studies. The first two studies examined the association between general system justification and corruption. In Study 1, a correlational design was run using questionnaires to assess the relation between general system justification and corruption perception as well as corruption intention. In Study 2, an experimental design was conducted manipulating general system justification via exposure to high or low system threat condition, then measuring its effect on corruption perception and corrupt intention. In Study 3, two sub-studies using correlational and experimental designs were run to explore the mediating role of institutional trust, respectively. Results replicated former studies showing that general system justification is negatively associated with corruption perception. However, they also showed a negative correlation with corrupt intention. Furthermore, they showed that institutional trust mediated the relation between general system justification and corruption. We suggest to consider these findings to further elucidate the psychological basis underlying different effects of general system justification on human behaviors. PMID:27507954

  20. The Effects of General System Justification on Corruption Perception and Intent.

    PubMed

    Tan, Xuyun; Liu, Li; Huang, Zhenwei; Zheng, Wenwen; Liang, Yuan

    2016-01-01

    Previous research stresses that system justifying belief can weaken corruption perception, by this possibly fostering unjust behaviors. However, general results of the effect of general system justification on corruption are ambiguous, indicating also a lessening impact. We conducted a line of studies trying to elucidate these circumstances by testing the effect of general system justification on corruption perception and intention. In addition, we explored institutional trust as a possible mediator in this process. For this purpose, we conducted three studies. The first two studies examined the association between general system justification and corruption. In Study 1, a correlational design was run using questionnaires to assess the relation between general system justification and corruption perception as well as corruption intention. In Study 2, an experimental design was conducted manipulating general system justification via exposure to high or low system threat condition, then measuring its effect on corruption perception and corrupt intention. In Study 3, two sub-studies using correlational and experimental designs were run to explore the mediating role of institutional trust, respectively. Results replicated former studies showing that general system justification is negatively associated with corruption perception. However, they also showed a negative correlation with corrupt intention. Furthermore, they showed that institutional trust mediated the relation between general system justification and corruption. We suggest to consider these findings to further elucidate the psychological basis underlying different effects of general system justification on human behaviors.

  1. System Justification, Mental Health, and Behavior Among Disadvantaged Mothers and Their Children

    PubMed Central

    Godfrey, Erin B.

    2014-01-01

    Integrating social psychological research with work in child development, this study explored relationships between system justification (Jost & Banaji, 1994), maternal mental health and child externalizing behavior among low-income immigrants and racial/ethnic minorities. Dominican, Mexican and African-American families (N = 239) were assessed when children were 14-, 24- and 36-months old. SEM was used to explore longitudinal relationships between maternal system justification and mental health and associations with child behavior. Earlier mental health was negatively related to later system justification and system justification was negatively related to children’s externalizing behavior. Implications for system justification theory, child development and immigration are discussed. PMID:25035527

  2. Men's response to their wives' participation in microfinance: perpetration and justification of intimate partner violence in Bangladesh.

    PubMed

    Murshid, N S

    2016-12-01

    The present study adds to extant literature on the association between microfinance participation and intimate partner violence (IPV) by assessing a national sample of men married to microfinance participants. The key objective was to assess whether there was a positive association between wives' microfinance participation and men's perpetration and justification of IPV in urban areas of Bangladesh. This study is based on a population-based secondary data analysis. In this cross-sectional study, data from a national sample of men from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey were analysed using logistic regression analyses. IPV perpetration was measured using a modified Conflict Tactics Scale and justification of IPV was measured based on 'justification of wife beating' statements with which men agreed or disagreed. Men married to microfinance participants were not significantly different from men married to non-participants of microfinance in terms of IPV perpetration in both urban and rural areas. However, the interaction effect of wives' microfinance participation and urban living on men's justification of IPV revealed a significant and positive beta coefficient. Specifically, wives' participation in microfinance was positively associated with men's justification of IPV in urban areas (β = 0.51, P < 0.05). Microfinance organizations in urban areas should bundle microfinancial services with IPV screening and intervention geared toward men and women. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. A grid to facilitate physics staffing justification.

    PubMed

    Klein, Eric E

    2009-12-03

    Justification of clinical physics staffing levels is difficult due to the lack of direction as how to equate clinical needs with the staffing levels and competency required. When a physicist negotiates staffing requests to administration, she/he often refers to American College of Radiology staffing level suggestions, and resources such as the Abt studies. This approach is often met with questions as to how to fairly derive the time it takes to perform tasks. The result is often insufficient and/or inexperienced staff handling complex and cumbersome tasks. We undertook development of a staffing justification grid to equate the clinical needs to the quantity and quality of staffing required. The first step is using the Abt study, customized to the clinical setting, to derive time per task multiplied by the anticipated number of such tasks. Inclusion of vacation, meeting, and developmental time may be incorporated along with allocated time for education and administration. This is followed by mapping the tasks to the level of competency/experience needed. For example, in an academic setting the faculty appointment levels correlate with experience. Non-staff personnel, such as IMRT QA technicians or clerical staff, should also be part of the equation. By using the staffing justification grid, we derived strong documentation to justify a substantial budget increase. The grid also proved useful when our clinical demands changed. Justification for physics staffing can be significantly strengthened with a properly developed data-based time and work analysis. A staffing grid is presented, along with a development methodology that facilitated our justification. Though our grid is for a large academic facility, the methodology can be extended to a non-academic setting, and to a smaller scale. This grid method not only equates the clinical needs with the quantity of staffing, but can also help generate the personnel budget, based on the type of staff and personnel required

  4. Justifications for caregiving in white, Asian American, and native Hawaiian grandparents raising grandchildren.

    PubMed

    Yancura, Loriena A

    2013-01-01

    Race has been found to predict justifications for caregiving in family caregivers for older adults. However, little is known about this relationship in another type of family caregiver, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG). This study examined relationships between race and justifications for caregiving in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and White GRG. A sample of 259 GRG registered as students' primary caregivers with a public school system completed a modified version of the 10-item Cultural Justifications for Caregiving (CJCG) scale. CJCG items did not load onto a single analytic factor. Two factors, custom and responsibility, emerged. Race was predictive of custom, with Native Hawaiian GRG having significantly higher scores than White or Asian American GRG. Native Hawaiian GRG also scored higher than Asian American, but not White, GRG on responsibility. Justifications for raising grandchildren appear to differ among groups based on racial identification. Findings elucidate cultural justification for caregiving in understudied GRG populations and suggest that justifications for caregiving are configured differently in GRG and family caregivers for older adults. Future studies should examine justifications for caregiving in GRG of other races.

  5. Justification of diagnostic medical exposures: some practical issues. Report of an International Atomic Energy Agency Consultation

    PubMed Central

    Malone, J; Guleria, R; Craven, C; Horton, P; Järvinen, H; Mayo, J; O’reilly, G; Picano, E; Remedios, D; Le Heron, J; Rehani, M; Holmberg, O; Czarwinski, R

    2012-01-01

    Objectives The Radiation Protection of Patients Unit of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is concerned about the effectiveness of justification of diagnostic medical exposures. Recent published work and the report of an initial IAEA consultation in the area gave grounds for such concerns. There is a significant level of inappropriate usage, and, in some cases, a poor level of awareness of dose and risk among some key groups involved. This article aims to address this. Methods The IAEA convened a second group of experts in November 2008 to review practical and achievable actions that might lead to more effective justification. Results This report summarises the matters that this group considered and the outcome of their deliberations. There is a need for improved communication, both within professions and between professionals on one hand, and between professionals and the patients/public on the other. Coupled with this, the issue of consent to imaging procedures was revisited. The need for good evidence-based referral guidelines or criteria of acceptability was emphasised, as was the need for their global adaptation and dissemination. Conclusion Clinical audit was regarded as a key tool in ensuring that justification becomes an effective, transparent and accountable part of normal radiological practice. In summary, justification would be facilitated by the “3 As”: awareness, appropriateness and audit. PMID:21343316

  6. Epistemic Beliefs about Justification Employed by Physics Students and Faculty in Two Different Problem Contexts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Çağlayan Mercan, Fatih

    2012-06-01

    This study examines the epistemic beliefs about justification employed by physics undergraduate and graduate students and faculty in the context of solving a standard classical physics problem and a frontier physics problem. Data were collected by a think-aloud problem solving session followed by a semi-structured interview conducted with 50 participants, 10 participants at freshmen, seniors, masters, PhD, and faculty levels. Seven modes of justification were identified and used for exploring the relationships between each justification mode and problem context, and expertise level. The data showed that justification modes were not mutually exclusive and many respondents combined different modes in their responses in both problem contexts. Success on solving the standard classical physics problem was not related to any of the justification modes and was independent of expertise level. The strength of the association across the problem contexts for the authoritative, rational, and empirical justification modes fell in the medium range and for the modeling justification mode fell in the large range of practical significance. Expertise level was not related with the empirical and religious justification modes. The strength of the association between the expertise level and the authoritative, rational, experiential, and relativistic justification modes fell in the medium range, and the modeling justification mode fell in the large range of practical significance. The results provide support for the importance of context for the epistemic beliefs about justification and are discussed in terms of the implications for teaching and learning science.

  7. College Students; Justification for Digital Piracy: A Mixed Methods Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yu, Szde

    2012-01-01

    A mixed methods project was devoted to understanding college students' justification for digital piracy. The project consisted of two studies, a qualitative one and a quantitative one. Qualitative interviews were conducted to identify main themes in students' justification for digital piracy, and then the findings were tested in a quantitative…

  8. Justification of Paternalism in Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nordenbo, Sven Erik

    1986-01-01

    A systematic presentation is given of the theories of justification normally applied to paternalistic acts: (1) pseudo-paternalism, (2) consequentialism, and (3) consent-based theories. The validity of four common arguments for educational paternalism is discussed: education is necessary, children are ignorant, children are unable to choose, and…

  9. The Learning Society: Two Justifications

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Su, Ya-hui

    2010-01-01

    This article examines the view that has long been fashionable in related policies and literature that the establishment of the learning society is a necessary response to changing times. This article suggests that the association between the learning society and current change may be defensible but is limited. The justification of the learning…

  10. Undergraduate Students' Justifications for Source Selection in a Digital Academic Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    List, Alexandra; Grossnickle, Emily M.; Alexander, Patricia A.

    2016-01-01

    To complete any academic tasks using information from the Internet, undergraduate students first have to select the appropriate sources. However, the types of justifications that undergraduates provide for source selection and how these justifications may be impacted by task characteristics have been underexamined. This study explored…

  11. 48 CFR 2406.304-70 - Approval of the justification-field procurements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Other Than Full and Open Competition 2406.304-70 Approval of the justification—field procurements. (a) The justification for other than full and open competition for field procurements shall be approved in... justification-field procurements. 2406.304-70 Section 2406.304-70 Federal Acquisition Regulations System...

  12. Ideology and gender: observers' system justification and targets' gender as interactive predictors of citizenship expectations.

    PubMed

    Chiaburu, Dan S; Harris, T Brad; Smith, Troy A

    2014-01-01

    We integrate system justification and social role theory to explain how observers' system justification and target employees' gender interact to predict observers' expectations of targets' sportsmanship citizenship behaviors. In contrast with social role theory predictions, observers did not expect greater levels of sportsmanship from women compared to men. Yet observers expected more sportsmanship from women (a) when observers were ideologically motivated by gender-specific beliefs (gender-specific system justification; Study 1) and (b) when system justification was cued experimentally (Study 2). A heretofore-unexamined aspect, observers' ideology, modifies their expectations of sportsmanship citizenship across target genders. This has implications for system justification, social role, and organizational citizenship theoretical perspectives.

  13. Student Perceptions of Justification in Two Disparate Domains: Education and Biology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dawson, Christi L.; Hennessey, Maeghan N.; Higley, Kelli

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the perceptions of epistemic justification of students in two disparate domains of study to determine if any similarities and differences in their methods of justification exist. Two samples of students, or a total of 513 undergraduates from educational psychology (n = 193) and biology (n = 320) courses, completed a…

  14. Complementary and alternative medicine: the challenges of ethical justification. A philosophical analysis and evaluation of ethical reasons for the offer, use and promotion of complementary and alternative medicine.

    PubMed

    Mertz, Marcel

    2007-09-01

    With the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) increasing in western societies, questions of the ethical justification of these alternative health care approaches and practices have to be addressed. In order to evaluate philosophical reasoning on this subject, it is of paramount importance to identify and analyse possible arguments for the ethical justification of CAM considering contemporary biomedical ethics as well as more fundamental philosophical aspects. Moreover, it is vital to provide adequate analytical instruments for this task, such as separating 'CAM as belief system' and 'CAM as practice'. Findings show that beneficence and non-maleficence are central issues for an ethical justification of CAM as practice, while freedom of thought and religion are central to CAM as belief system. Many justification strategies have limitations and qualifications that have to be taken into account. Singularly descriptive premises in an argument often prove to be more problematic than universal ethical principles. Thus, non-ethical issues related to a general philosophical underpinning--e.g. epistemology, semantics, and ontology--are highly relevant for determining a justification strategy, especially when strong metaphysical assumptions are involved. Even if some values are shared with traditional biomedicine, axiological differences have to be considered as well. Further research should be done about specific CAM positions. These could be combined with applied qualitative social research methods.

  15. Justification and authority in institutional review board decision letters.

    PubMed

    Clapp, Justin T; Gleason, Katharine A; Joffe, Steven

    2017-12-01

    While ethnographic study has described the discussions that occur during human subjects research ethics review, investigators have minimal access to the interactions of ethics oversight committees. They instead receive letters stipulating changes to their proposed studies. Ethics committee letters are central to the practice of research ethics: they change the nature of research, alter the knowledge it produces, and in doing so construct what ethical research is and how it is pursued. However, these letters have rarely been objects of analysis. Accordingly, we conducted a qualitative analysis of letters written by American institutional review boards (IRBs) overseeing biomedical and health behavioral research. We sought to clarify how IRBs exercise their authority by assessing the frequency with which they provided reasons for their stipulations as well as the nature of these reasons. We found that IRBs frequently do not justify their stipulations; rather, they often leave ethical or regulatory concerns implicit or frame their comments as boilerplate language replacements, procedural instructions, or demands for missing information. When they do provide justifications, their rationales exhibit substantial variability in explicitness and clarity. These rhetorical tendencies indicate that the authority of IRBs is grounded primarily in their role as bureaucratic gatekeepers. We conclude by suggesting that greater attention to justification could help shift the basis of the IRB-researcher relationship from compliance to mutual accountability. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  16. Expanding Preschoolers' Use of Object Descriptions and Comparisons by Teaching "Category-Descriptor" Statements.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weisberg, Paul

    2003-01-01

    Six preschool children, mostly from poverty-level backgrounds, were taught to make descriptive statements about objects. The category-descriptor statements were organized and sequenced into four clusters. As sets of new statements were successively taught and evaluated, the number and diversity of probed category and descriptor terms steadily and…

  17. Effective description of a 3D object for photon transportation in Monte Carlo simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suganuma, R.; Ogawa, K.

    2000-06-01

    Photon transport simulation by means of the Monte Carlo method is an indispensable technique for examining scatter and absorption correction methods in SPECT and PET. The authors have developed a method for object description with maximum size regions (maximum rectangular regions: MRRs) to speed up photon transport simulation, and compared the computation time with that for conventional object description methods, a voxel-based (VB) method and an octree method, in the simulations of two kinds of phantoms. The simulation results showed that the computation time with the proposed method became about 50% of that with the VD method and about 70% of that with the octree method for a high resolution MCAT phantom. Here, details of the expansion of the MRR method to three dimensions are given. Moreover, the effectiveness of the proposed method was compared with the VB and octree methods.

  18. 13 CFR 130.460 - Budget justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Budget justification. 130.460 Section 130.460 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT... in the normal course of Program administration, and conform to the written travel policies of the...

  19. Performing Arts Program, Badger High School: Justification, Proposal, Implementation, Stage One Implementation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holmes, Dan

    This document presents a justification, proposal, and implementation plan for a comprehensive theatre arts program at Badger High School, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin that would offer a full schedule of amateur and professional arts programs involving the students and the community. The brief Justification section notes that every elementary and…

  20. Working class conservatism: a system justification perspective.

    PubMed

    Jost, John T

    2017-12-01

    Working class conservatism is a perennial issue in social science, but researchers have struggled to provide an adequate characterization. In social psychology, the question has too often been framed in 'either/or' terms of whether the disadvantaged are more or less likely to support the status quo than the advantaged. This is a crude rendering of the issue obscuring the fact that even if most working class voters are not conservative, millions are-and conservatives could not win elections without their support. System justification theory highlights epistemic, existential, and relational needs to reduce uncertainty, threat, and social discord that are shared by everyone-and that promote conservative attitudes. I summarize qualitative and quantitative evidence of system justification among the disadvantaged and consider prospects for more constructive political activity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Stripped of illusions? Exploring system justification processes in capitalist and post-Communist societies.

    PubMed

    Cichocka, Aleksandra; Jost, John T

    2014-02-01

    Sociologists and political scientists have often observed that citizens of Central and Eastern Europe express high levels of disillusionment with their social, economic and political systems, in comparison with citizens of Western capitalist societies. In this review, we analyze system legitimation and delegitimation in post-Communist societies from a social psychological perspective. We draw on system justification theory, which seeks to understand how, when and why people do (and do not) defend, bolster and justify existing social systems. We review some of the major tenets and findings of the theory and compare research on system-justifying beliefs and ideologies in traditionally Capitalist and post-Communist countries to determine: (1) whether there are robust differences in the degree of system justification in post-Communist and Capitalist societies, and (2) the extent to which hypotheses derived from system justification theory receive support in the post-Communist context. To this end, we summarize research findings from over 20 countries and cite previously unpublished data from a public opinion survey conducted in Poland. Our analysis confirms that there are lower levels of system justification in post-Communist countries. At the same time, we find that system justification possesses similar social and psychological antecedents, manifestations and consequences in the two types of societies. We offer potential explanations for these somewhat complicated patterns of results and conclude by addressing implications for theory and research on system justification and system change (or transition). © 2013 International Union of Psychological Science.

  2. Competency criteria and the class inclusion task: modeling judgments and justifications.

    PubMed

    Thomas, H; Horton, J J

    1997-11-01

    Preschool age children's class inclusion task responses were modeled as mixtures of different probability distributions. The main idea: Different response strategies are equivalent to different probability distributions. A child displays cognitive strategy s if P (child uses strategy s, given the child's observed score X = x) = p(s) is the most probable strategy. The general approach is widely applicable to many settings. Both judgment and justification questions were asked. Judgment response strategies identified were subclass comparison, guessing, and inclusion logic. Children's justifications lagged their judgments in development. Although justification responses may be useful, C. J. Brainerd was largely correct: If a single response variable is to be selected, a judgments variable is likely the preferable one. But the process must be modeled to identify cognitive strategies, as B. Hodkin has demonstrated.

  3. Validating justifications in preschool girls' and boys' friendship group talk: implications for linguistic and socio-cognitive development.

    PubMed

    Kyratzis, Amy; Ross, Tamara Shuqum; Koymen, S Bahar

    2010-01-01

    Children are believed to construct their causal theories through talk and interaction, but with the exception of a few studies, little or nothing is known about how young children justify and build theories of the world together with same-age peers through naturally occurring interaction, Children's sensitivity to when a pair or group of interlocutors who interact frequently together feel that a justification is needed, is an index of developing pragmatic competence (Goetz & Shatz, 1999) and may be influenced by interactive goals and gender identity positioning. Studies suggest that salient contexts for justifications for young children are disagreement and control (e.g. Veneziano & Sinclair, 1995) but researchers have been less recognizant of 'situations in which partners verbally assist in the construction of justifications as a means to maintain contact or create solidarity' (Goetz & Shatz, 1999: 722) as contexts for justifications. The present study examined the spontaneously produced justification constructions in the naturally occurring free play of five friendship groups of preschool-aged children (aged from 3 ; 6 to 5 ; 4), in terms of the motivating context of the justification, marking of the causal relationship with a connective, and causal theories accessed in the talk. Partner expansion (validating justifications) was a salient motivating context for justifications, especially in the talk of friendship groups of girls, and seemed to privilege greater marking of the causal relationship with a connective and less arbitrary reasoning. One group of girls varied their use of validating justifications depending on the theme of play. Results are discussed in terms of the implications of use of validating justifications for children's causal theory building with peers, linguistic development, and pragmatic development.

  4. The Effects of Familism and Cultural Justification on the Mental and Physical Health of Family Caregivers

    PubMed Central

    Knight, Bob G.

    2011-01-01

    Objectives. We aimed to examine the effects of 2 factors of familism (Familial Obligations and Expected Support from the Family) and Cultural Justification on caregivers’ mental and physical health as mediated by coping style. Methods. We used a probability sample of 95 African American and 65 White family caregivers for people with dementia to test hypotheses based on the updated sociocultural stress and coping model using path analysis. Main outcome measures included depressive symptomatology, various psychological symptoms, and subjective physical health. Results. Both Familial Obligations and Cultural Justification had an indirect effect on poor mental health and subjective physical health via avoidant coping. Expected Support from the Family had no effect on caregivers’ health outcomes. Discussion. These findings suggest that feelings of obligation may be accounting for a significant proportion of the negative effects of familism on caregivers’ mental and subjective physical health. Expectations of familial social support may be relatively inconsequential in this process. PMID:20797972

  5. 28 CFR 570.32 - Justification for furlough.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Justification for furlough. 570.32 Section 570.32 Judicial Administration BUREAU OF PRISONS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND... plans; (3) To reestablish family and community ties; (4) To participate in selected educational, social...

  6. Medically Inappropriate or Futile Treatment: Deliberation and Justification 1

    PubMed Central

    Misak, Cheryl J.; White, Douglas B.; Truog, Robert D.

    2016-01-01

    This paper reframes the futility debate, moving away from the question “Who decides when to end what is considered to be a medically inappropriate or futile treatment?” and toward the question “How can society make policy that will best account for the multitude of values and conflicts involved in such decision-making?” It offers a pragmatist moral epistemology that provides us with (1) a clear justification of why it is important to take best standards, norms, and physician judgment seriously and (2) a clear justification of why ample opportunity must be made for patients, families, and society to challenge those standards and norms. PMID:26681796

  7. Appealing to the crowd: ethical justifications in Canadian medical crowdfunding campaigns

    PubMed Central

    Snyder, Jeremy; Crooks, Valorie A; Mathers, Annalise; Chow-White, Peter

    2017-01-01

    Medical crowdfunding is growing in terms of the number of active campaigns, amount of funding raised and public visibility. Little is known about how campaigners appeal to potential donors outside of anecdotal evidence collected in news reports on specific medical crowdfunding campaigns. This paper offers a first step towards addressing this knowledge gap by examining medical crowdfunding campaigns for Canadian recipients. Using 80 medical crowdfunding campaigns for Canadian recipients, we analyse how Canadians justify to others that they ought to contribute to funding their health needs. We find the justifications campaigners tend to fall into three themes: personal connections, depth of need and giving back. We further discuss how these appeals can understood in terms of ethical justifications for giving and how these justifications should be assessed in light of the academic literature on ethical concerns raised by medical crowdfunding. PMID:28137998

  8. Investigating the Development of Chinese Oral Explanation and Justification in Singapore Primary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yan, Jing

    2016-01-01

    Explanation and justification require cognitive ability which selects and organises relevant information in a logical way, and linguistic ability which enables speakers to encode the information with linguistic knowledge. This study aims to investigate the development of Chinese oral explanation and justification in Singapore primary students. The…

  9. On Engster's care-justification of the specialness thesis about healthcare.

    PubMed

    Rumbold, Benedict

    2017-08-01

    To say health is 'special' is to say that it has a moral significance that differentiates it from other goods (cars, say or radios) and, as a matter of justice, warrants distributing it separately. In this essay, I critique a new justification for the specialness thesis about healthcare (STHC) recently put forth by Engster. I argue that, regrettably, Engster's justification of STHC ultimately fails and fails on much the same grounds as have previous justifications of STHC. However, I also argue that Engster's argument still adds something valuable to the debate around STHC insofar as it reminds us that the moral significance of healthcare may be wider than simply its effect on the incidence of disability and disease: one further reason we may think healthcare is morally significant is because it concerns the treatment and care of those who are already unwell. 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/.

  10. [Justification of violence as a mediator between exposure to violence and aggressive behavior in children].

    PubMed

    Orue, Izaskun; Calvete, Esther

    2012-02-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the mediating role of the justification of violence schema in the relationship between exposure to violence and reactive and proactive aggressive behavior. We differentiated between direct and indirect exposure in four contexts: home, neighborhood, school and TV. A total of 675 children, aged between 8 and 12 years, participated in the study. They answered questionnaires about exposure to violence, justification of violence, and proactive and reactive aggressive behavior in two waves six months apart. The results showed that witnessing violence at home and on TV predicted aggressive behavior, and this relationship was mediated by the justification of violence. Victimization in all contexts predicted aggressive behavior and this relationship was generally mediated by the justification of violence.

  11. Objections still fail: a response to Faria.

    PubMed

    Arnason, Gardar

    2018-05-01

    In her reply to my critical assessment of objections to the Weatherall report's justification of non-human primate (NHP) research, Catia Faria focuses on three objections which she entitles 'the disanalogy', 'the utilitarian calculus' and 'species overlap'. Faria finds my assessment unconvincing, butI argue that the objections still fail. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  12. Justification bias in self-reported disability: New evidence from panel data.

    PubMed

    Black, Nicole; Johnston, David W; Suziedelyte, Agne

    2017-07-01

    The relationship between health and work is frequently investigated using self-assessments of disability from social surveys. The complication is that respondents may overstate their level of disability to justify non-employment and welfare receipt. This study provides new evidence on the existence and magnitude of justification bias by exploiting a novel feature of a large longitudinal survey: each wave respondents are asked identical disability questions twice; near the beginning and end of the face-to-face interview. Prior to answering the second disability question, respondents are asked a series of questions that increase the salience of their employment and welfare circumstances. Justification bias is identified by comparing the variation between the two measures within-individuals over time, with the variation in employment status over time. Results indicate substantial and statistically significant justification bias; especially for men and women who receive disability pensions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. From mirror self-recognition to the looking-glass self: exploring the Justification Hypothesis.

    PubMed

    Shaffer, Leigh S

    2005-01-01

    In his Tree of Knowledge (ToK) System, Henriques (2003) posits that the human ego or "self" has evolved because human beings are the only animals that have had to justify their behavior to others. This essay provides evidence for this Justification Hypothesis (JH) from everyday life sociology, starting with the work of George Herbert Mead and Charles Horton Cooley, and focuses on research related to the concept of the "looking-glass self." Special emphasis is given to the pragmatics of speech acts, the presentation of self in interaction rituals, the accounts given by actors in justification of their actions, and the role of social norms and conformity in the large-scale justification systems commonly called "culture."

  14. 48 CFR 606.304 - Approval of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Approval of the justification. 606.304 Section 606.304 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF STATE COMPETITION AND ACQUISITION PLANNING COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Other Than Full and Open Competition 606.304...

  15. 16 CFR 1702.7 - Justification for the exemption.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Justification for the exemption. 1702.7 Section 1702.7 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION POISON PREVENTION PACKAGING ACT OF 1970 REGULATIONS PETITIONS FOR EXEMPTIONS FROM POISON PREVENTION PACKAGING ACT REQUIREMENTS; PETITION...

  16. 16 CFR 1702.7 - Justification for the exemption.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Justification for the exemption. 1702.7 Section 1702.7 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION POISON PREVENTION PACKAGING ACT OF 1970 REGULATIONS PETITIONS FOR EXEMPTIONS FROM POISON PREVENTION PACKAGING ACT REQUIREMENTS; PETITION...

  17. 16 CFR 1702.7 - Justification for the exemption.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Justification for the exemption. 1702.7 Section 1702.7 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION POISON PREVENTION PACKAGING ACT OF 1970 REGULATIONS PETITIONS FOR EXEMPTIONS FROM POISON PREVENTION PACKAGING ACT REQUIREMENTS; PETITION...

  18. 16 CFR 1702.7 - Justification for the exemption.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Justification for the exemption. 1702.7 Section 1702.7 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION POISON PREVENTION PACKAGING ACT OF 1970 REGULATIONS PETITIONS FOR EXEMPTIONS FROM POISON PREVENTION PACKAGING ACT REQUIREMENTS; PETITION...

  19. 48 CFR 6.305 - Availability of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... ACQUISITION PLANNING COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Other Than Full and Open Competition 6.305 Availability of the... contractor proprietary data and remove all such data, and such references and citations as are necessary to protect the proprietary data, before making the justifications available for public inspection...

  20. 48 CFR 6.305 - Availability of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... ACQUISITION PLANNING COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Other Than Full and Open Competition 6.305 Availability of the... contractor proprietary data and remove all such data, and such references and citations as are necessary to protect the proprietary data, before making the justifications available for public inspection...

  1. 48 CFR 6.305 - Availability of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... ACQUISITION PLANNING COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Other Than Full and Open Competition 6.305 Availability of the... contractor proprietary data and remove all such data, and such references and citations as are necessary to protect the proprietary data, before making the justifications available for public inspection...

  2. 48 CFR 6.305 - Availability of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... ACQUISITION PLANNING COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Other Than Full and Open Competition 6.305 Availability of the... contractor proprietary data and remove all such data, and such references and citations as are necessary to protect the proprietary data, before making the justifications available for public inspection...

  3. 48 CFR 6.305 - Availability of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... ACQUISITION PLANNING COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Other Than Full and Open Competition 6.305 Availability of the... contractor proprietary data and remove all such data, and such references and citations as are necessary to protect the proprietary data, before making the justifications available for public inspection...

  4. 48 CFR 6.304 - Approval of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Approval of the justification. 6.304 Section 6.304 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION ACQUISITION PLANNING COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Other Than Full and Open Competition 6.304 Approval of the...

  5. 48 CFR 1306.304 - Approval of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... justification. 1306.304 Section 1306.304 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE COMPETITION AND ACQUISITION PLANNING COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Other Than Full and Open Competition 1306.304... open competition at the dollar thresholds in FAR 6.304 is set forth in CAM 1301.70. ...

  6. 48 CFR 1406.304 - Approval of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Approval of the justification. 1406.304 Section 1406.304 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR COMPETITION AND ACQUISITION PLANNING COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Other Than Full and Open Competition 1406.304...

  7. 48 CFR 906.304 - Approval of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Approval of the justification. 906.304 Section 906.304 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY COMPETITION ACQUISITION PLANNING COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Other Than Full and Open Competition 906.304 Approval of the...

  8. [How are the hypothesis and the objectives established in a Radiology research project?].

    PubMed

    Alústiza Echeverría, J M; Salvador Pardo, E; Castiella Eguzkiza, A

    2012-01-01

    Research is a systematic process designed to answer a question. This is the starting point of the whole project and specifically formulates a problem observed in the analysis of the reality. The answer to this attempts to clarify an uncertainty in our knowledge. The conceptual hypothesis is the theoretical answer to the question set out. The operational hypothesis is the particular form that which sets out to demonstrate the conceptual hypothesis. The objectives are the justification for conducting the research. They help to define what it attempts to obtain, and what answers it will give to the formulated questions. It must show a clear and consistent relationship with the description of the problem and, specifically, with the questions and/or hypothesis that are to be resolved. Copyright © 2011 SERAM. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  9. The implementation, interpretation, and justification of likelihoods in cosmology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCoy, C. D.

    2018-05-01

    I discuss the formal implementation, interpretation, and justification of likelihood attributions in cosmology. I show that likelihood arguments in cosmology suffer from significant conceptual and formal problems that undermine their applicability in this context.

  10. 30 CFR 203.85 - What is in an economic viability and relief justification report?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false What is in an economic viability and relief... Sulfur General § 203.85 What is in an economic viability and relief justification report? This report... economic viability and relief justification report must contain the following items for an oil and gas...

  11. 30 CFR 203.85 - What is in an economic viability and relief justification report?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false What is in an economic viability and relief... Sulfur General § 203.85 What is in an economic viability and relief justification report? This report... economic viability and relief justification report must contain the following items for an oil and gas...

  12. 30 CFR 203.85 - What is in an economic viability and relief justification report?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What is in an economic viability and relief... Sulfur General § 203.85 What is in an economic viability and relief justification report? This report... economic viability and relief justification report must contain the following items for an oil and gas...

  13. 30 CFR 203.85 - What is in an economic viability and relief justification report?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What is in an economic viability and relief... Required Reports § 203.85 What is in an economic viability and relief justification report? This report... economic viability and relief justification report must contain the following items for an oil and gas...

  14. Identification of Justification Types and Discourse Markers in Turkish Language Teacher Candidates' Argumentative Texts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tiryaki, Esra Nur

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this research is to identify discourse markers used in justification types in Turkish language teacher candidates' argumentative texts. Survey model was used since it was aimed to determine the categories into which support and refutation justifications are split and to identify the discourse markers which express these categories.…

  15. Appealing to the crowd: ethical justifications in Canadian medical crowdfunding campaigns.

    PubMed

    Snyder, Jeremy; Crooks, Valorie A; Mathers, Annalise; Chow-White, Peter

    2017-06-01

    Medical crowdfunding is growing in terms of the number of active campaigns, amount of funding raised and public visibility. Little is known about how campaigners appeal to potential donors outside of anecdotal evidence collected in news reports on specific medical crowdfunding campaigns. This paper offers a first step towards addressing this knowledge gap by examining medical crowdfunding campaigns for Canadian recipients. Using 80 medical crowdfunding campaigns for Canadian recipients, we analyse how Canadians justify to others that they ought to contribute to funding their health needs. We find the justifications campaigners tend to fall into three themes: personal connections, depth of need and giving back. We further discuss how these appeals can understood in terms of ethical justifications for giving and how these justifications should be assessed in light of the academic literature on ethical concerns raised by medical crowdfunding. 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/.

  16. Justification beliefs of violence, myths about love and cyber dating abuse.

    PubMed

    Borrajo, Erika; Gámez-Guadix, Manuel; Calvete, Esther

    2015-01-01

    Distorted beliefs about violence and love are often associated with the presence of violence in dating relationships. This study analyzes the relationship between beliefs that justify violence and myths about love in two types of cyber dating abuse (control and direct aggression). The sample consisted of 656 young people between the ages of 18 and 30 years (79.5% women). Regression analysis showed that justification of cyber dating abuse was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of direct aggression in online dating relationships. Myths about love were associated with a greater likelihood of control in online dating relationships. Furthermore, the relationship between justification of cyber dating abuse and perpetration of direct aggression was stronger in women. The relationship between myths about love and perpetration of online control was stronger among the youngest individuals. The justification of abuse and myths about love are important aspects in the development of different kinds of online abuse among young couples. This finding has important implications for the prevention of and intervention in these behaviors.

  17. Kierkegaard, Justification and the Integrity of Christian Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wright, Andrew W.

    2015-01-01

    The doctrine of justification is frequently interpreted in a manner that excludes our active involvement in the drama of salvation. This reading has a detrimental effect on Christian education concerned to enable the learner's attentive, reasonable and responsible understanding of the Gospel. Taking its lead from Kierkegaard's account of…

  18. 45 CFR 154.230 - Submission and posting of Final Justifications for unreasonable rate increases.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... information available to the public on its Web site for at least three years. (d) CMS will post all Final Justifications on the CMS Web site. This information will remain available to the public on the CMS Web site for... submitted in the Preliminary Justification supporting the rate increase; and (2) Prominently post on its Web...

  19. "Should We Kill the Grey Squirrels?" A Study Exploring Students' Justifications and Decision-Making

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evagorou, Maria; Jimenez-Aleixandre, Maria Pilar; Osborne, Jonathan

    2012-01-01

    A problem that is still unexplored in the field of socioscientific issues (SSI) and that was explored in this study is how different students decide upon a SSI they are discussing, how their justifications change during the instruction and how they use (or not) the evidence from the learning environment to support their justifications. For the…

  20. Common Object Library Description

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-08-01

    Information Modeling ( BIM ) technology to be successful, it must be consistently applied across many projects, by many teams. The National Building Information ...distribution is unlimited. 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT For Building Information Modeling ( BIM ) technology to be successful, it must be... BIM standards and for future research projects. 15. SUBJECT TERMS building information modeling ( BIM ), object

  1. 48 CFR 306.304 - Approval of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... justification. 306.304 Section 306.304 Federal Acquisition Regulations System HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMPETITION AND ACQUISITION PLANNING COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Other Than Full and Open Competition 306.304... acquisitions in the dollar amount cited in FAR 6.304(a)(2) through (a)(4), the CCO, if applicable, and the HCA...

  2. Adaptation of object descriptions to a partner under increasing communicative demands: a comparison of children with and without autism.

    PubMed

    Nadig, Aparna; Vivanti, Giacomo; Ozonoff, Sally

    2009-12-01

    This study compared the object descriptions of school-age children with high-functioning autism (HFA) with those of a matched group of typically developing children. Descriptions were elicited in a referential communication task where shared information was manipulated, and in a guessing game where clues had to be provided about the identity of an object that was hidden from the addressee. Across these tasks, increasingly complex levels of audience design were assessed: (1) the ability to give adequate descriptions from one's own perspective, (2) the ability to adjust descriptions to an addressee's perspective when this differs from one's own, and (3) the ability to provide indirect yet identifying descriptions in a situation where explicit labeling is inappropriate. Results showed that there were group differences in all three cases, with the HFA group giving less efficient descriptions with respect to the relevant context than the comparison group. More revealing was the identification of distinct adaptation profiles among the HFA participants: those who had difficulty with all three levels, those who displayed Level 1 audience design but poor Level 2 and Level 3 design, and those demonstrated all three levels of audience design, like the majority of the comparison group. Higher structural language ability, rather than symptom severity or social skills, differentiated those HFA participants with typical adaptation profiles from those who displayed deficient audience design, consistent with previous reports of language use in autism.

  3. Justifications and comparisons in the division of household labor: the relevance of gender ideology.

    PubMed

    Martínez, Carmen; Paterna, Consuelo; Yago, Carmen

    2010-05-01

    This study tests the direct relevance of justifications and social comparisons (predictors of perceptions of fairness) on different types of household labour distribution, and the importance of masculinity ideology and neosexism on these variables. The participants were heterosexual dual-earner couples. Our results showed that both men and women use more justifications when their housework distribution is not equal, but only women use social comparisons associated with the ways of distributing domestic work. In addition, we observe that, in both men and women, justifications are related to a traditional masculine ideology, but a different model appears in relation to comparisons which are associated with neosexism in men and with traditional masculine ideology in women. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

  4. Inoculating against Pro-Plagiarism Justifications: Rational and Affective Strategies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Compton, Josh; Pfau, Michael

    2008-01-01

    Student plagiarism continues to threaten academic integrity. This investigation assessed whether an inoculation message strategy could combat university plagiarism by protecting student attitudes against pro-plagiarism justification arguments. Additionally, we sought theoretical confirmation of previous findings on involvement and accessibility in…

  5. Academic Freedom: In Justification of a Universal Ideal

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karran, Terence

    2009-01-01

    This article examines the justification for, and benefits of, academic freedom to academics, students, universities and the world at large. It surveys the development of the concept of academic freedom within Europe, more especially the impact of the reforms at the University of Berlin instigated by Wilhelm von Humboldt. Following from this, the…

  6. A Comparison of Social Dominance Theory and System Justification: The Role of Social Status in 19 Nations.

    PubMed

    Vargas-Salfate, Salvador; Paez, Dario; Liu, James H; Pratto, Felicia; Gil de Zúñiga, Homero

    2018-07-01

    This study tests specific competing hypotheses from social dominance theory/realistic conflict theory (RCT) versus system justification theory about the role of social status. In particular, it examines whether system justification belief and effects are stronger among people with low socioeconomic status, and in less socially developed and unequal nations than among better-off people and countries. A cross-national survey was carried out in 19 nations from the Americas, Western and Eastern Europe, Asia, and Oceania using representative online samples ( N = 14,936, 50.15% women, M age = 41.61 years). At the individual level, system justification beliefs, right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, national identification, sociopolitical conservatism, sex, age, and social status were measured. At the national level, the human development index and the Gini index were used. Multilevel analyses performed indicated that results fit better with the social dominance/RCT approach, as system justification was higher in high-status and developed nations; further, associations between legitimizing ideologies and system justification were stronger among high-status people.

  7. The Close-Up Imager Onboard the ESA ExoMars Rover: Objectives, Description, Operations, and Science Validation Activities.

    PubMed

    Josset, Jean-Luc; Westall, Frances; Hofmann, Beda A; Spray, John; Cockell, Charles; Kempe, Stephan; Griffiths, Andrew D; De Sanctis, Maria Cristina; Colangeli, Luigi; Koschny, Detlef; Föllmi, Karl; Verrecchia, Eric; Diamond, Larryn; Josset, Marie; Javaux, Emmanuelle J; Esposito, Francesca; Gunn, Matthew; Souchon-Leitner, Audrey L; Bontognali, Tomaso R R; Korablev, Oleg; Erkman, Suren; Paar, Gerhard; Ulamec, Stephan; Foucher, Frédéric; Martin, Philippe; Verhaeghe, Antoine; Tanevski, Mitko; Vago, Jorge L

    The Close-Up Imager (CLUPI) onboard the ESA ExoMars Rover is a powerful high-resolution color camera specifically designed for close-up observations. Its accommodation on the movable drill allows multiple positioning. The science objectives of the instrument are geological characterization of rocks in terms of texture, structure, and color and the search for potential morphological biosignatures. We present the CLUPI science objectives, performance, and technical description, followed by a description of the instrument's planned operations strategy during the mission on Mars. CLUPI will contribute to the rover mission by surveying the geological environment, acquiring close-up images of outcrops, observing the drilling area, inspecting the top portion of the drill borehole (and deposited fines), monitoring drilling operations, and imaging samples collected by the drill. A status of the current development and planned science validation activities is also given. Key Words: Mars-Biosignatures-Planetary Instrumentation. Astrobiology 17, 595-611.

  8. Description Of Scoliotic Deformity Pattern By Harmonic Functions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Drerup, Burkhard; Hierholzer, Eberhard

    1989-04-01

    Frontal radiographs of scoliotic deformity of the spine reveal a characteristic pattern of lateral deviation, lateral tilt and axial rotation of vertebrae. In order to study interrelations between deformation parameters 478 radiographs of idiopathic scolioses, 23 of scolioses after Wilms-tumor treatment and 18 of scolioses following poliomyelitis were digitized. From these the curves of lateral deviation, tilt and rotation are calculated and fitted by Fourier series. By restriction to the first harmonic, analysis reduces to the analysis of a single phase and amplitude for each curve. Justification of this simplification will be discussed. Results provide a general geometric description of scoliotic deformity.

  9. 41 CFR 109-26.501-52 - Justification for purchase.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Justification for purchase. 109-26.501-52 Section 109-26.501-52 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property Management Regulations System (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY PROPERTY MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS SUPPLY AND...

  10. 48 CFR 306.304 - Approval of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... where the individual designated as the CA does not meet the requirements of FAR 6.304 (a)(3)(ii). This... acquisitions in the dollar amount cited in FAR 6.304(a)(2) through (a)(4), the CCO, if applicable, and the HCA shall indicate their review of, and concurrence with, the justification by signing the JOFOC. (a) The...

  11. 48 CFR 306.304 - Approval of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... where the individual designated as the CA does not meet the requirements of FAR 6.304 (a)(3)(ii). This... acquisitions in the dollar amount cited in FAR 6.304(a)(2) through (a)(4), the CCO, if applicable, and the HCA shall indicate their review of, and concurrence with, the justification by signing the JOFOC. (a) The...

  12. 48 CFR 306.304 - Approval of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... where the individual designated as the CA does not meet the requirements of FAR 6.304 (a)(3)(ii). This... acquisitions in the dollar amount cited in FAR 6.304(a)(2) through (a)(4), the CCO, if applicable, and the HCA shall indicate their review of, and concurrence with, the justification by signing the JOFOC. (a) The...

  13. 48 CFR 306.304 - Approval of the justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... where the individual designated as the CA does not meet the requirements of FAR 6.304 (a)(3)(ii). This... acquisitions in the dollar amount cited in FAR 6.304(a)(2) through (a)(4), the CCO, if applicable, and the HCA shall indicate their review of, and concurrence with, the justification by signing the JOFOC. (a) The...

  14. 16 CFR § 1702.7 - Justification for the exemption.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Justification for the exemption. § 1702.7 Section § 1702.7 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION POISON PREVENTION PACKAGING ACT OF 1970 REGULATIONS PETITIONS FOR EXEMPTIONS FROM POISON PREVENTION PACKAGING ACT REQUIREMENTS...

  15. Justification of CT scans using referral guidelines for imaging.

    PubMed

    Stanescu, G; Rosca-Fartat, G; Stanescu, D

    2015-07-01

    This study analyses the efficiency of the justification of individual computed tomography (CT) procedures using the good practice guide. The conformity of the CT scans with guide's recommendations was retrospectively analysed in a paediatric emergency hospital in Romania. The involved patient doses were estimated. The results show that around one-third of the examinations were not prescribed in conformity with the guide's recommendations, but these results are affected by unclear guide provisions, discussed here. The implications of the provisions of the revised International Atomic Energy Agency's Basic Safety Standards and of the Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM were analysed. The education and training courses for medical doctors disseminating the provisions of the good practice guide should be considered as the main support for the justification of the CT scans at the individual level. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. An examination of domestic partner violence and its justification in the Republic of Georgia

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Little research on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and social perceptions toward this behavior has been disseminated from Eastern Europe. This study explores the prevalence and risk factors of IPV and the justification of this behavior among women in the Republic of Georgia. It seeks to better understand how IPV and IPV justification relate and how social justification of IPV differs across socio-economic measures among this population of women. Methods This study utilizes a national sample of ever-married women from the Republic of Georgia (N = 4,302). We describe the factors that predict IPV justification among these women and the relationship between of the acceptability of IPV and victimization overall and across socio-demographic factors. Results While the overall lifetime prevalence of IPV in this sample was relatively low (4%), these women were two to four times more likely to justify IPV, Just under one-quarter of the sample agreed that IPV was justified in at least one scenario, namely when the wife was unfaithful, compared with women who had no experience being abused by a partner. Georgian women who were poor, from a rural community, had lower education, were not working and who experienced child abuse or IPV among their parents were more likely to justify this behavior. Conclusions These findings begin to fill a gap in our understanding of IPV experienced by women in Eastern Europe. In addition, these findings emphasize the need for researchers, practitioners and policy makers to contextualize IPV in terms of the justification of this behavior among the population being considered as this can play an important role in perpetration, victimization and response. PMID:24180483

  17. Justification as a Teaching and Learning Practice: Its (Potential) Multifacted Role in Middle Grades Mathematics Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Staples, Megan E.; Bartlo, Joanna; Thanheiser, Eva

    2012-01-01

    Justification is a core mathematics practice. Although the purposes of justification in the mathematician community have been studied extensively, we know relatively little about its role in K-12 classrooms. This paper documents the range of purposes identified by 12 middle grades teachers who were working actively to incorporate justification…

  18. Self-Justification as a Determinant of Performance-Style Effectiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKenna, Ralph J.

    1971-01-01

    This study examined experimentally the effect of justification on role playing, attempting a more complete verification of the performance style type. Also of concern was whether scores on the Performance Style Test were generalizable to overt behavior on the part of females. Results supported both concerns. (Author/CG)

  19. ICT Student Teachers' Judgments and Justifications about Ethical Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alakurt, Turgay; Bardakci, Salih; Keser, Hafize

    2012-01-01

    In this study, Turkish ICT student teachers' judgments and justifications in four scenarios involving ICT-related ethical problems were investigated. Scenarios were designed based on Mason's (1986) four ethical issues: privacy, accuracy, property and accessibility. The study was carried out in the fall of 2010. We used the critical incidents…

  20. 41 CFR 109-28.5004 - Justification and review procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... PROCUREMENT 28-STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION 28.50-Management of Equipment Held for Future Projects § 109-28.5004... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Justification and review procedures. 109-28.5004 Section 109-28.5004 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property...

  1. Lower Pay for Women's Coaches: Refuting Some Common Justifications.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Joseph P.

    1995-01-01

    The two standard justifications for different salaries paid to male and female coaches under 1963 and 1964 civil rights/equal pay legislation must fail under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which independently prohibits gender discrimination in employment and mandates equal athletic opportunity for female students. Some suggestions…

  2. System justification, the denial of global warming, and the possibility of "system-sanctioned change".

    PubMed

    Feygina, Irina; Jost, John T; Goldsmith, Rachel E

    2010-03-01

    Despite extensive evidence of climate change and environmental destruction, polls continue to reveal widespread denial and resistance to helping the environment. It is posited here that these responses are linked to the motivational tendency to defend and justify the societal status quo in the face of the threat posed by environmental problems. The present research finds that system justification tendencies are associated with greater denial of environmental realities and less commitment to pro-environmental action. Moreover, the effects of political conservatism, national identification, and gender on denial of environmental problems are explained by variability in system justification tendencies. However, this research finds that it is possible to eliminate the negative effect of system justification on environmentalism by encouraging people to regard pro-environmental change as patriotic and consistent with protecting the status quo (i.e., as a case of "system-sanctioned change"). Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

  3. Dewey's Ethical Justification for Public Deliberation Democracy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shook, John

    2013-01-01

    Interpretations of John Dewey's political theory grasp his respect for public deliberation, but typically overlook his ethical justification for democracy. Dewey gave two primary reasons why democracy is superior to other forms of government. First, a public educated in the tools of social intelligence can be more effective at managing their…

  4. Parachuting from fixed objects: descriptive study of 106 fatal events in BASE jumping 1981-2006.

    PubMed

    Westman, A; Rosén, M; Berggren, P; Björnstig, U

    2008-06-01

    To analyse the characteristics of fatal incidents in fixed object sport parachuting (building, antenna, span, earth (BASE) jumping) and create a basis for prevention. Descriptive epidemiological study. Data on reported fatal injury events (n = 106) worldwide in 1981-2006 retrieved from the BASE fatality list. Human, equipment and environmental factors. Identification of typical fatal incident and injury mechanisms for each of the four fixed object types of BASE jumping (building, antenna, span, earth). Human factors included parachutist free fall instability (loss of body control before parachute deployment), free fall acrobatics and deployment failure by the parachutist. Equipment factors included pilot chute malfunction and parachute malfunction. In cliff jumping (BASE object type E), parachute opening towards the object jumped was the most frequent equipment factor. Environmental factors included poor visibility, strong or turbulent winds, cold and water. The overall annual fatality risk for all object types during the year 2002 was estimated at about one fatality per 60 participants. Participants in BASE jumping should target risk factors with training and technical interventions. The mechanisms described in this study should be used by rescue units to improve the management of incidents.

  5. Sexual Assault Perpetrators’ Justifications for Their Actions: Relationships to Rape Supportive Attitudes, Incident Characteristics, and Future Perpetration

    PubMed Central

    Wegner, Rhiana; Abbey, Antonia; Pierce, Jennifer; Pegram, Sheri E.; Woerner, Jacqueline

    2015-01-01

    Perpetrators use rape supportive attitudes and sexual assault incident characteristics to justify forcing sex on their victims. Perpetrators who can justify their behaviors are at increased risk for future perpetration. This study examined the relationships between rape supportive attitudes, sexual assault incident characteristics, and the post-assault justifications of 183 men sampled from the community who self-reported committing at least one act of sexual aggression. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that rape supportive attitudes, expectations for having sex, misperceptions of sexual intent, victims’ alcohol consumption, attempts to be alone with her, and the number of consensual sexual activities prior to the unwanted sex were significant predictors of perpetrators’ post-assault use of justifications. Greater use of justifications was a significant predictor of sexual aggression over a 1-year follow-up interval. These findings demonstrate the need for further research exploring when and why perpetrators use post-assault justifications and whether they are amenable to change. PMID:26056162

  6. Sexual Assault Perpetrators' Justifications for Their Actions: Relationships to Rape Supportive Attitudes, Incident Characteristics, and Future Perpetration.

    PubMed

    Wegner, Rhiana; Abbey, Antonia; Pierce, Jennifer; Pegram, Sheri E; Woerner, Jacqueline

    2015-08-01

    Perpetrators use rape supportive attitudes and sexual assault incident characteristics to justify forcing sex on their victims. Perpetrators who can justify their behaviors are at increased risk for future perpetration. This study examined the relationships between rape supportive attitudes, sexual assault incident characteristics, and the post-assault justifications of 183 men sampled from the community who self-reported committing at least one act of sexual aggression. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that rape supportive attitudes, expectations for having sex, misperceptions of sexual intent, victims' alcohol consumption, attempts to be alone with her, and the number of consensual sexual activities prior to the unwanted sex were significant predictors of perpetrators' post-assault use of justifications. Greater use of justifications was a significant predictor of sexual aggression over a 1-year follow-up interval. These findings demonstrate the need for further research exploring when and why perpetrators use post-assault justifications and whether they are amenable to change. © The Author(s) 2015.

  7. Conscientious objection in medicine.

    PubMed

    Wicclair, Mark R

    2000-07-01

    Recognition of conscientious objection seems reasonable in relation to controversial and contentious issues, such as physician assisted suicide and abortion. However, physicians also advance conscience-based objections to actions and practices that are sanctioned by established norms of medical ethics, and an account of their moral force can be more elusive in such contexts. Several possible ethical justifications for recognizing appeals to conscience in medicine are examined, and it is argued that the most promising one is respect for moral integrity. It is also argued that an appeal to conscience has significant moral weight only if the core ethical values on which it is based correspond to one or more core values in medicine. Finally, several guidelines pertaining to appeals to conscience and their ethical evaluation are presented.

  8. Exploring ethical justification for self-demand amputation.

    PubMed

    Tomasini, Floris

    2006-01-01

    Self-demand amputees are persons who need to have one or more healthy limbs or digits amputated to fit the way they see themselves. They want to rid themselves of a limb that they believe does not belong to their body-identity. The obsessive desire to have appendages surgically removed to fit an alternative body-image is medically and ethically controversial. My purpose in this paper is to provide a number of normative and professional ethical perspectives on whether or not it is possible to justify surgery for self-demand amputees. In doing so I proceed dialogically, moving between empirical context and normative theory, revealing the taken for granted normative assumptions (what I call the natural attitude--a technical term borrowed from phenomenology) that provide ethical limits to justifying the treatment of self-demand amputees. While I critically examine both Kantian responses against as well as Utilitarian responses for amputation on demand, I conclude that neither normative tradition can fully incorporate an understanding of what it is like to be a self-demand amputee. Since neither theory can justify the apparent non-rational desire of amputation on demand, ethical justification, I argue, falls short of the recognition that there may be a problem. To end, I introduce a meta-ethical idea, "the struggle for recognition," opening up the theoretical possibility of a hermeneutics of recognition before ethical justification that may be more sensitive to the problem of radical embodied difference exemplified by self-demand amputees.

  9. Developmental Changes in Children’s Processing of Redundant Modifiers in Definite Object Descriptions

    PubMed Central

    Koolen, Ruud; Krahmer, Emiel; Swerts, Marc

    2016-01-01

    This paper investigates developmental changes in children’s processing of redundant information in definite object descriptions. In two experiments, children of two age groups (6 or 7, and 9 or 10 years old) were presented with pictures of sweets. In the first experiment (pairwise comparison), two identical sweets were shown, and one of these was described with a redundant modifier. After the description, the children had to indicate the sweet they preferred most in a forced-choice task. In the second experiment (graded rating), only one sweet was shown, which was described with a redundant color modifier in half of the cases (e.g., “the blue sweet”) and in the other half of the cases simply as “the sweet.” This time, the children were asked to indicate on a 5-point rating scale to what extent they liked the sweets. In both experiments, the results showed that the younger children had a preference for the sweets described with redundant information, while redundant information did not have an effect on the preferences for the older children. These results imply that children are learning to distinguish between situations in which redundant information carries an implicature and situations in which this is not the case. PMID:27994569

  10. Justification of violence beliefs and social problem-solving as mediators between maltreatment and behavior problems in adolescents.

    PubMed

    Calvete, Esther

    2007-05-01

    This study examined whether justification of violence beliefs and social problem solving mediated between maltreatment experiences and aggressive and delinquent behavior in adolescents. Data were collected on 191 maltreated and 546 nonmaltreated adolescents (ages 14 to 17 years), who completed measures of justification of violence beliefs, social problem-solving dimensions (problem orientation, and impulsivity/carelessness style), and psychological problems. Findings indicated that maltreated adolescents' higher levels of delinquent and aggressive behavior were partially accounted for by justification of violence beliefs, and that their higher levels of depressive symptoms were partially mediated by a more negative orientation to social problem-solving. Comparisons between boys and girls indicated that the model linking maltreatment, cognitive variables, and psychological problems was invariant.

  11. Cyber Attacks and the Legal Justification for an Armed Response

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-05-25

    conflict between military forces of any origin.ൟ The definition above applies only to Title 18, Chapter 113B “ Terrorism ,” and is not applicable...beyond the context of terrorism . Applying this definition to cyber attacks outside the context of terrorism will not provide legal justification for

  12. 14 CFR 221.205 - Justification and explanation for certain fares.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... fares. 221.205 Section 221.205 Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF... Justification and explanation for certain fares. Any carrier or its agent must provide, as to any new or increased bundled or unbundled (whichever is lower) on-demand economy fare in a direct-service market, a...

  13. From Discovery to Justification: Outline of an Ideal Research Program in Empirical Psychology

    PubMed Central

    Witte, Erich H.; Zenker, Frank

    2017-01-01

    The gold standard for an empirical science is the replicability of its research results. But the estimated average replicability rate of key-effects that top-tier psychology journals report falls between 36 and 39% (objective vs. subjective rate; Open Science Collaboration, 2015). So the standard mode of applying null-hypothesis significance testing (NHST) fails to adequately separate stable from random effects. Therefore, NHST does not fully convince as a statistical inference strategy. We argue that the replicability crisis is “home-made” because more sophisticated strategies can deliver results the successful replication of which is sufficiently probable. Thus, we can overcome the replicability crisis by integrating empirical results into genuine research programs. Instead of continuing to narrowly evaluate only the stability of data against random fluctuations (discovery context), such programs evaluate rival hypotheses against stable data (justification context). PMID:29163256

  14. Physics 3204. Course Description.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Newfoundland and Labrador Dept. of Education.

    A description of the physics 3204 course in Newfoundland and Labrador is provided. The description includes: (1) statement of purpose, including general objectives of science education; (2) a list of six course objectives; (3) course content for units on sound, light, optical instruments, electrostatics, current electricity, Michael Faraday and…

  15. Justification of diagnostic medical exposures: some practical issues. Report of an International Atomic Energy Agency Consultation.

    PubMed

    Malone, J; Guleria, R; Craven, C; Horton, P; Järvinen, H; Mayo, J; O'reilly, G; Picano, E; Remedios, D; Le Heron, J; Rehani, M; Holmberg, O; Czarwinski, R

    2012-05-01

    The Radiation Protection of Patients Unit of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is concerned about the effectiveness of justification of diagnostic medical exposures. Recent published work and the report of an initial IAEA consultation in the area gave grounds for such concerns. There is a significant level of inappropriate usage, and, in some cases, a poor level of awareness of dose and risk among some key groups involved. This article aims to address this. The IAEA convened a second group of experts in November 2008 to review practical and achievable actions that might lead to more effective justification. This report summarises the matters that this group considered and the outcome of their deliberations. There is a need for improved communication, both within professions and between professionals on one hand, and between professionals and the patients/public on the other. Coupled with this, the issue of consent to imaging procedures was revisited. The need for good evidence-based referral guidelines or criteria of acceptability was emphasised, as was the need for their global adaptation and dissemination. Clinical audit was regarded as a key tool in ensuring that justification becomes an effective, transparent and accountable part of normal radiological practice. In summary, justification would be facilitated by the "3 As": awareness, appropriateness and audit.

  16. Extricating Justification Scheme Theory in Middle School Mathematical Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Matteson, Shirley; Capraro, Mary Margaret; Capraro, Robert M.; Lincoln, Yvonna S.

    2012-01-01

    Twenty middle grades students were interviewed to gain insights into their reasoning about problem-solving strategies using a Problem Solving Justification Scheme as our theoretical lens and the basis for our analysis. The scheme was modified from the work of Harel and Sowder (1998) making it more broadly applicable and accounting for research…

  17. When and Why Is Religious Attendance Associated With Antigay Bias and Gay Rights Opposition? A Justification-Suppression Model Approach.

    PubMed

    Hoffarth, Mark Romeo; Hodson, Gordon; Molnar, Danielle S

    2017-04-24

    Even in relatively tolerant countries, antigay bias remains socially divisive, despite being widely viewed as violating social norms of tolerance. From a Justification-Suppression Model (JSM) framework, social norms may generally suppress antigay bias in tolerant countries, yet be "released" by religious justifications among those who resist gay rights progress. Across large, nationally representative US samples (Study 1) and international samples (Study 2, representing a total of 97 different countries), over 215,000 participants, and various indicators of antigay bias (e.g., dislike, moral condemnation, opposing gay rights), individual differences in religious attendance was uniquely associated with greater antigay bias, over and above religious fundamentalism, political ideology, and religious denomination. Moreover, in 4 of 6 multilevel models, religious attendance was associated with antigay bias in countries with greater gay rights recognition, but was unrelated to antigay bias in countries with lower gay rights recognition (Study 2). In Study 3, Google searches for a religious justification ("love the sinner hate the sin") coincided temporally with gay-rights relevant searches. In U.S. (Study 4) and Canadian (Study 5) samples, much of the association between religious attendance and antigay bias was explained by "sinner-sin" religious justification, with religious attendance not associated with antigay bias when respondents reported relatively low familiarity with this justification (Study 5). These findings suggest that social divisions on homosexuality in relatively tolerant social contexts may be in large part due to religious justifications for antigay bias (consistent with the JSM), with important implications for decreasing bias. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  18. Multimedia content description framework

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bergman, Lawrence David (Inventor); Mohan, Rakesh (Inventor); Li, Chung-Sheng (Inventor); Smith, John Richard (Inventor); Kim, Michelle Yoonk Yung (Inventor)

    2003-01-01

    A framework is provided for describing multimedia content and a system in which a plurality of multimedia storage devices employing the content description methods of the present invention can interoperate. In accordance with one form of the present invention, the content description framework is a description scheme (DS) for describing streams or aggregations of multimedia objects, which may comprise audio, images, video, text, time series, and various other modalities. This description scheme can accommodate an essentially limitless number of descriptors in terms of features, semantics or metadata, and facilitate content-based search, index, and retrieval, among other capabilities, for both streamed or aggregated multimedia objects.

  19. What We Talk About When We Talk About Morality: Deontological, Consequentialist, and Emotive Language Use in Justifications Across Foundation-Specific Moral Violations.

    PubMed

    Wheeler, Melissa A; Laham, Simon M

    2016-09-01

    Morality is inherently social, yet much extant work in moral psychology ignores the central role of social processes in moral phenomena. To partly address this, this article examined the content of persuasive moral communication-the way people justify their moral attitudes in persuasive contexts. Across two studies, we explored variation in justification content (deontological, consequentialist, or emotive) as a function of moral foundations. Using justification selection techniques (Study 1) and open-ended justification production (Study 2), results demonstrate a preference (a) for deontological appeals in justifications for the sanctity foundation, (b) for consequentialist appeals for the individualizing foundations (care and fairness), and (c) for emotive appeals in justifications for the binding foundations (loyalty, authority and sanctity). The present research questions the generality of inferences about the primacy of emotions/intuition in moral psychology research and highlights the important role of reasons in persuasive moral communication. © 2016 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

  20. 41 CFR 102-37.220 - Are there special types of surplus property that require written justification when submitting a...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Are there special types of surplus property that require written justification when submitting a transfer request? 102-37.220... types of surplus property that require written justification when submitting a transfer request? Yes, a...

  1. 41 CFR 102-37.220 - Are there special types of surplus property that require written justification when submitting a...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Are there special types of surplus property that require written justification when submitting a transfer request? 102-37.220... types of surplus property that require written justification when submitting a transfer request? Yes, a...

  2. 41 CFR 102-37.220 - Are there special types of surplus property that require written justification when submitting a...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Are there special types of surplus property that require written justification when submitting a transfer request? 102-37.220... types of surplus property that require written justification when submitting a transfer request? Yes, a...

  3. 41 CFR 102-37.220 - Are there special types of surplus property that require written justification when submitting a...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Are there special types of surplus property that require written justification when submitting a transfer request? 102-37.220... types of surplus property that require written justification when submitting a transfer request? Yes, a...

  4. 41 CFR 102-37.220 - Are there special types of surplus property that require written justification when submitting a...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Are there special types of surplus property that require written justification when submitting a transfer request? 102-37.220... types of surplus property that require written justification when submitting a transfer request? Yes, a...

  5. 41 CFR 102-5.95 - Is the comfort and/or convenience of an employee considered sufficient justification to authorize...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... convenience of an employee considered sufficient justification to authorize home-to-work transportation? 102-5...-to-Work Transportation § 102-5.95 Is the comfort and/or convenience of an employee considered sufficient justification to authorize home-to-work transportation? No, the comfort and/or convenience of an...

  6. Data systems and computer science space data systems: Onboard networking and testbeds

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dalton, Dan

    1991-01-01

    The technical objectives are to develop high-performance, space-qualifiable, onboard computing, storage, and networking technologies. The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: justification; technology challenges; program description; and state-of-the-art assessment.

  7. The pathway to RCTs: how many roads are there? Examining the homogeneity of RCT justification.

    PubMed

    Chow, Jeffrey Tin Yu; Lam, Kevin; Naeem, Abdul; Akanda, Zarique Z; Si, Francie Fengqin; Hodge, William

    2017-02-02

    Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) form the foundational background of modern medical practice. They are considered the highest quality of evidence, and their results help inform decisions concerning drug development and use, preventive therapies, and screening programs. However, the inputs that justify an RCT to be conducted have not been studied. We reviewed the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases across six specialties (Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology (ENT), General Surgery, Psychiatry, Obstetrics-Gynecology (OB-GYN), and Internal Medicine) and randomly chose 25 RCTs from each specialty except for Otorhinolaryngology (20 studies) and Internal Medicine (28 studies). For each RCT, we recorded information relating to the justification for conducting RCTs such as average study size cited, number of studies cited, and types of studies cited. The justification varied widely both within and between specialties. For Ophthalmology and OB-GYN, the average study sizes cited were around 1100 patients, whereas they were around 500 patients for Psychiatry and General Surgery. Between specialties, the average number of studies cited ranged from around 4.5 for ENT to around 10 for Ophthalmology, but the standard deviations were large, indicating that there was even more discrepancy within each specialty. When standardizing by the sample size of the RCT, some of the discrepancies between and within specialties can be explained, but not all. On average, Ophthalmology papers cited review articles the most (2.96 studies per RCT) compared to less than 1.5 studies per RCT for all other specialties. The justifications for RCTs vary widely both within and between specialties, and the justification for conducting RCTs is not standardized.

  8. Conscientious objection and abortion: rights and duties of public sector physicians.

    PubMed

    Diniz, Debora

    2011-10-01

    The paper analyzes conscientious objection by physicians, through the concrete situation of legal abortion in Brazil. It reviews the two main ethical frameworks about conscientious objection in public health, the incompatibility thesis and the integrity thesis, to analyze the reality of legal abortion services in the referral services of the Brazilian public health care system. From these two perspectives, a third perspective is proposed - the justification thesis, to manage the right to conscientious objection among physicians in referral services. This analysis may contribute to the organization of services for legal abortion and to the education of future physicians working in emergency obstetric care.

  9. Seclusion as a necessary intervention: the relationship between burnout, job satisfaction and therapeutic optimism and justification for the use of seclusion.

    PubMed

    Happell, Brenda; Koehn, Stefan

    2011-06-01

    This paper is a report of the study of nurses' attitudes to the use of seclusion. More specifically, the aim was to address the relationship between burnout, job satisfaction and therapeutic optimism and justification of the use of seclusion. Research findings demonstrate that nurses continue to view seclusion as a necessary intervention. Factors that might be associated with attitudes have not been examined. Questionnaires were distributed to nurses employed in inpatient units across eight mental health services in Queensland in 2008. Heyman Attitudes to Seclusion Survey, Elsom Therapeutic Optimism Scale, Maslach's Burnout Inventory and Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaires were completed (N = 123). Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients. Most participants considered certain behaviours particularly those involving harm to self, others or to property as appropriate reasons for the use of seclusion and were consistent with their perceptions of the likely practice on their unit. An association was found between therapeutic optimism and emotional exhaustion (burnout) and justifications for the use of seclusion. Participants with higher optimism scores and lower scores for emotional exhaustion were significantly less likely to support the use of seclusion in specific situations. The relationship between therapeutic optimism and emotional exhaustion gives new information that might influence strategies and approaches taken with the aim of reducing seclusion use. Further research is warranted to explore these relationships and their implications. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  10. Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Request. Summary Justification

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-05-01

    FISCAL YEAR 2010 BUDGET REQUEST S U M M A R Y J U S T I F I C A T I O N • M A Y 2 0 0 9 U N I T E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F D...E F E N S E Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average...Justification 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR( S ) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7

  11. Exposure to benevolent sexism and complementary gender stereotypes: consequences for specific and diffuse forms of system justification.

    PubMed

    Jost, John T; Kay, Aaron C

    2005-03-01

    Many have suggested that complementary gender stereotypes of men as agentic (but not communal) and women as communal (but not agentic) serve to increase system justification, but direct experimental support has been lacking. The authors exposed people to specific types of gender-related beliefs and subsequently asked them to complete measures of gender-specific or diffuse system justification. In Studies 1 and 2, activating (a) communal or complementary (communal + agentic) gender stereotypes or (b) benevolent or complementary (benevolent + hostile) sexist items increased support for the status quo among women. In Study 3, activating stereotypes of men as agentic also increased system justification among men and women, but only when women's characteristics were associated with higher status. Results suggest that complementary stereotypes psychologically offset the one-sided advantage of any single group and contribute to an image of society in which everyone benefits through a balanced dispersion of benefits. ((c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved).

  12. Verification or Proof: Justification of Pythagoras' Theorem in Chinese Mathematics Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Rongjin

    2005-01-01

    This paper presents key findings of my research on the approaches to justification by investigating how a sample of teachers in Hong Kong and Shanghai taught the topic Pythagoras theorem. In this study, 8 Hong Kong videos taken from TIMSS 1999 Video Study and 11 Shanghai videos videotaped by the researcher comprised the database. It was found that…

  13. A system justification view of sexual violence: legitimizing gender inequality and reduced moral outrage are connected to greater rape myth acceptance.

    PubMed

    Chapleau, Kristine M; Oswald, Debra L

    2014-01-01

    Rape is a pervasive social problem that causes serious physical and psychological repercussions. Rape victims' recovery is often complicated by the public's failure to believe the victim and restore justice. This study applied system justification theory to examine whether the justification of gender inequality is related to moral outrage (an emotional precursor to corrective action) and rape myth acceptance; we also examined whether rape myth acceptance is associated with moral outrage at injustice. Results showed that gender-specific system justification correlated with less moral outrage at human suffering as well as greater rape myth acceptance. The relationships between these variables were similar for men and for women, a finding that suggests that rape myths are system justifying for women. When we controlled for gender-specific system justification, rape myth acceptance correlated with less moral outrage. Results are discussed in the context of how legitimizing ideologies reduce moral outrage at injustice and perpetuate a system of sexual violence.

  14. The Relationship between Young Children's Drawings and Verbal Descriptions of a Common Object.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shapiro, Lauren R.; Strommen, Erik F.

    A study compared the content of children's drawings and verbal descriptions of a house. Drawing and verbal descriptions were collected in two sessions separated by a 1-week interval Participants were 16 children of 5 and 6 years of age who were in day care. Comparison of defining features in verbal and graphic descriptions revealed a distinction…

  15. Motivation, justification, normalization: talk strategies used by Canadian medical tourists regarding their choices to go abroad for hip and knee surgeries.

    PubMed

    Cameron, Keri; Crooks, Valorie A; Chouinard, Vera; Snyder, Jeremy; Johnston, Rory; Casey, Victoria

    2014-04-01

    Contributing to health geography scholarship on the topic, the objective of this paper is to reveal Canadian medical tourists' perspectives regarding their choices to seek knee replacement or hip replacement or resurfacing (KRHRR) at medical tourism facilities abroad rather than domestically. We address this objective by examining the 'talk strategies' used by these patients in discussing their choices and the ways in which such talk is co-constructed by others. Fourteen interviews were conducted with Canadians aged 42-77 who had gone abroad for KRHRR. Three types of talk strategies emerged through thematic analysis of their narratives: motivation, justification, and normalization talk. Motivation talk referenced participants' desires to maintain or resume physical activity, employment, and participation in daily life. Justification talk emerged when participants described how limitations in the domestic system drove them abroad. Finally, being a medical tourist was talked about as being normal on several bases. Among other findings, the use of these three talk strategies in patients' narratives surrounding medical tourism for KRHRR offers new insight into the language-health-place interconnection. Specifically, they reveal the complex ways in which medical tourists use talk strategies to assert the soundness of their choice to shift the site of their own medical care on a global scale while also anticipating, if not even guarding against, criticism of what ultimately is their own patient mobility. These talk strategies provide valuable insight into why international patients are opting to engage in the spatially explicit practice of medical tourism and who and what are informing their choices. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Female Participation in Household Decision Making and the Justification of Wife Beating in Bangladesh.

    PubMed

    Alam, Md Shahin; Tareque, Md Ismail; Peet, Evan D; Rahman, Md Mosfequr; Mahmud, Tanvir

    2018-04-01

    We examined female participation in household decision making and its association with the justification of wife beating in Bangladesh. We used nationally representative data from the 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Our sample consisted of currently married women of age 15 to 49 years ( n = 16,463). Chi-square tests and multilevel logistic regression models were performed. Approximately 84% of women in the survey were participants in at least one household decision, and 72% reported that wife beating is not justified in any circumstance. Women who reported their participation in at least one type of household decision less frequently reported that wife beating could be justified than those who did not participate in any household decisions (adjusted odds ratio = 1.49; 95% confidence interval = [1.25, 1.78]). In addition to participation in household decision making, other factors including age at first marriage, females' and their husbands' education, religion, parity, contraceptive use, and socioeconomic status were associated with the justification of wife beating. The results indicate that female participation in household decision making is significantly associated with the justification of wife beating in Bangladesh. Further study is needed, but the results suggest that policy makers should consider interventions proven to empower women and lead to increased participation in decision making as methods that may reduce domestic violence against women.

  17. Chinese Children's Justifications for Sharing Resources: Why Do We Have to Share?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wong, Mun

    2011-01-01

    Gilligan argued that Kohlberg's justice-based stage theory of morality reflects only one type of morality and does not consider people's tendency to use care-based moral judgements. This study examines Chinese children's tendency to use justice-based and care-based justifications for moral reasoning. Children's attitudes to conforming to the…

  18. The Illusion of Argument Justification

    PubMed Central

    Fisher, Matthew; Keil, Frank

    2013-01-01

    Argumentation is an important way to reach new understanding. Strongly caring about an issue, which is often evident when dealing with controversial issues, has been shown to lead to biases in argumentation. We suggest that people are not well calibrated in assessing their ability to justify a position through argumentation, an effect we call the illusion of argument justification. Furthermore we find that caring about the issue further clouds this introspection. We first show this illusion by measuring the difference between ratings before and after producing an argument for one’s own position. The strength of the illusion is predicted by the strength of care for a given issue (Study 1). The tacit influences of framing and priming do not override the effects of emotional investment in a topic (Study 2). However, explicitly considering counterarguments removes the effect of care when initially assessing the ability to justify a position (Study 3). Finally, we consider our findings in light of other recent research and discuss the potential benefits of group reasoning. PMID:23506085

  19. Young Children's Ideas about the Nature, Causes, Justification, and Alleviation of Poverty

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chafel, Judith A.; Neitzel, Carin

    2005-01-01

    Sixty-four 8-year-old boys and girls from urban and rural settings and representing different races and socioeconomic status backgrounds responded to questions about the nature, causes, justification, and alleviation of poverty. Much of what the children said indicated that they had not yet internalized prevailing adult norms and values about the…

  20. Inducing Attitude Change toward Online Gaming among Adolescent Players Based on Dissonance Theory: The Role of Threats and Justification of Effort

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wan, Chin-Sheng; Chiou, Wen-Bin

    2010-01-01

    The negative impact of online gaming on adolescents has received much attention. The question of how to reduce their pathological use of online gaming is a critical issue. Based on the concept of external justification in dissonance theory, this experimental study aimed to examine whether severity of threat and justification of effort would impact…

  1. Foreign Object Debris: FOD Prevention QS210LSK-REV

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Randolph, Sherry; Seaman, John

    2004-01-01

    Housekeeping in the space industry? You may think the idea isn't technical enough for the shuttle program. Yet, eliminating Foreign Object Debris or FOD is an important goal for USA and NASA. The justification for this effort is based on data from the aeronautics industry. Experience has shown that if debris is not controlled, it may later cause a variety of in-flight issues. FOD can result in material damage, or make systems and equipment inoperable unsafe, or less efficient

  2. Business Education Course Descriptions. Course Descriptions for the Improvement of Business Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oklahoma State Dept. of Education, Oklahoma City.

    Course descriptions are provided for 22 courses in the area of business education. Each description contains the following information: purpose, course objectives, outline of course content, list of optional topics, recommended types of evaluation, prerequisites, areas of interest, and curriculum sequence (grade level at which it should be…

  3. Contrast and the justification of effort.

    PubMed

    Klein, Emily D; Bhatt, Ramesh S; Zentall, Thomas R

    2005-04-01

    When humans are asked to evaluate rewards or outcomes that follow unpleasant (e.g., high-effort) events, they often assign higher value to that reward. This phenomenon has been referred to as cognitive dissonance or justification of effort. There is now evidence that a similar phenomenon can be found in nonhuman animals. When demonstrated in animals, however, it has been attributed to contrast between the unpleasant high effort and the conditioned stimulus for food. In the present experiment, we asked whether an analogous effect could be found in humans under conditions similar to those found in animals. Adult humans were trained to discriminate between shapes that followed a high-effort versus a low-effort response. In test, participants were found to prefer shapes that followed the high-effort response in training. These results suggest the possibility that contrast effects of the sort extensively studied in animals may play a role in cognitive dissonance and other related phenomena in humans.

  4. System justification and the defense of committed relationship ideology.

    PubMed

    Day, Martin V; Kay, Aaron C; Holmes, John G; Napier, Jaime L

    2011-08-01

    A consequential ideology in Western society is the uncontested belief that a committed relationship is the most important adult relationship and that almost all people want to marry or seriously couple (DePaulo & Morris, 2005). In the present article, we investigated the extent to which the system justification motive may contribute to the adoption of this ideology. In Studies 1 and 2, we examined whether a heightened motive to maintain the status quo would increase defense of committed relationship values. In Study 3, we examined the reverse association, that is, whether a threat to committed relationship ideology would also affect sociopolitical system endorsement. As past research has found that the justification of political systems depends upon how much these systems are perceived as controlling, in Study 4 we tested whether the defense of the system of committed relationships would also increase when framed as controlling. Results from Studies 1-4 were consistent with our hypotheses, but only for men. In Study 5, using cross-cultural data, we sought to replicate these findings correlationally and probe for a cause of the gender effect. Results from more than 33,000 respondents indicated a relationship (for men) between defense of the sociopolitical system and defense of marriage in countries where the traditional advantages of men over women were most threatened. In Studies 6 and 7, we investigated when this gender difference disappears. Results revealed that when we measured (Study 6) or manipulated (Study 7) personal relationship identity rather than relationship ideology, effects also emerge for women.

  5. The Labours of Hercules: Ethical Embodiment and an Erasmian Justification for Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Barros, Eric L.

    2014-01-01

    In the early 1990s, a popular American dorm-room poster luminously asserted crass materialism as "JUSTIFICATION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION". Self-consciously premised on the paradoxical success of my failure or failure of my success as a professor of Renaissance literature and culture, this essay draws on Erasmus's educational theory of…

  6. Developing an Understanding of Children's Justifications for the Circle Area Formula

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Dell, Jenna R.; Rupnow, Theodore J.; Cullen, Craig J.; Barrett, Jeffrey E.; Clements, Douglas H.; Sarama, Julie; Van Dine, Douglas W.

    2016-01-01

    In this study we investigated eighth grade students' informal justification for the circle area formula to expand accounts of the measurement knowledge for middle-school age students. Data were collected during three paired interviews of a three-year teaching experiment. Here we describe schemes students exhibited as they operated on measurement…

  7. Referral criteria and clinical decision support: radiological protection aspects for justification.

    PubMed

    Pérez, M del Rosario

    2015-06-01

    Advanced imaging technology has opened new horizons for medical diagnostics and improved patient care. However, many procedures are unjustified and do not provide a net benefit. An area of particular concern is the unnecessary use of radiation when clinical evaluation or other imaging modalities could provide an accurate diagnosis. Referral criteria for medical imaging are consensus statements based on the best-available evidence to assist the decision-making process when choosing the best imaging procedure for a given patient. Although they are advisory rather than compulsory, physicians should have good reasons for deviation from these criteria. Voluntary use of referral criteria has shown limited success compared with integration into clinical decision support systems. These systems support good medical practice, can improve health service delivery, and foster safer, more efficient, fair, cost-effective care, thus contributing to the strengthening of health systems. Justification of procedures and optimisation of protection, the two pillars of radiological protection in health care, are implicit in the notion of good medical practice. However, some health professionals are not familiar with these principles, and have low awareness of radiological protection aspects of justification. A stronger collaboration between radiation protection and healthcare communities could contribute to improve the radiation protection culture in medical practice. © The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers 2014.

  8. Justification of system of assessment of ecological safety degree of housing construction objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kankhva, Vadim

    2017-10-01

    In article characteristics and properties of competitiveness of housing construction objects are investigated, criteria and points of national systems of ecological building’s standardization are structured, the compliance assessment form on stages of life cycle of a capital construction project is developed. The main indicators of level of ecological safety considering requirements of the international ISO standards 9000 and ISO 14000 and which are based on the basic principles of general quality management (TQM) are presented.

  9. A scalable parallel algorithm for multiple objective linear programs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wiecek, Malgorzata M.; Zhang, Hong

    1994-01-01

    This paper presents an ADBASE-based parallel algorithm for solving multiple objective linear programs (MOLP's). Job balance, speedup and scalability are of primary interest in evaluating efficiency of the new algorithm. Implementation results on Intel iPSC/2 and Paragon multiprocessors show that the algorithm significantly speeds up the process of solving MOLP's, which is understood as generating all or some efficient extreme points and unbounded efficient edges. The algorithm gives specially good results for large and very large problems. Motivation and justification for solving such large MOLP's are also included.

  10. Progress in Modeling Nonlinear Dendritic Evolution in Two and Three Dimensions, and Its Mathematical Justification

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tanveer, S.; Foster, M. R.

    2002-01-01

    We report progress in three areas of investigation related to dendritic crystal growth. Those items include: 1. Selection of tip features dendritic crystal growth; 2) Investigation of nonlinear evolution for two-sided model; and 3) Rigorous mathematical justification.

  11. Effects of the Multiple Solutions and Question Prompts on Generalization and Justification for Non-Routine Mathematical Problem Solving in a Computer Game Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Chun-Yi; Chen, Ming-Jang; Chang, Wen-Long

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of solution methods and question prompts on generalization and justification of non-routine problem solving for Grade 9 students. The learning activities are based on the context of the frog jumping game. In addition, related computer tools were used to support generalization and justification of…

  12. Health Care Professionals' Attitudes About Physician-Assisted Death: An Analysis of Their Justifications and the Roles of Terminology and Patient Competency.

    PubMed

    Braverman, Derek W; Marcus, Brian S; Wakim, Paul G; Mercurio, Mark R; Kopf, Gary S

    2017-10-01

    Health care professionals (HCPs) are crucial to physician-assisted death (PAD) provision. To quantitatively assess the favorability of justifications for or against PAD legalization among HCPs, the effect of the terms "suicide" and "euthanasia" on their views and their support for three forms of PAD. Our questionnaire presented three cases: physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia for a competent patient, and euthanasia for an incompetent patient with an advance directive for euthanasia. Respondents judged whether each case was ethical and should be legal and selected their justifications from commonly cited reasons. The sample included physician clinicians, researchers, nonphysician clinicians, and other nonclinical staff at a major academic medical center. Of 221 HCPs, the majority thought that each case was ethical and should be legal. In order of declining favorability, justifications supporting PAD legalization were relief of suffering, right to die, mercy, acceptance of death, nonabandonment, and saving money for the health care system; opposing justifications were the slippery slope argument, unnecessary due to palliative care, killing patients is wrong, religious views, and suicide is wrong. The use of suicide and euthanasia terminology did not affect responses. Participants preferred physician-assisted suicide to euthanasia for a competent patient (P < 0.0001) and euthanasia for an incompetent patient to euthanasia for a competent patient (P < 0.005). HCPs endorsed patient-centered justifications over other reasons, including role-specific duties. Suicide and euthanasia language did not bias HCPs against PAD, challenging claims that such value-laden terms hinder dialogue. More research is required to understand the significance of competency in shaping attitudes toward PAD. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  13. Authority and Moral Reasons: Parenting Style and Children's Perceptions of Adult Rule Justifications

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leman, Patrick J.

    2005-01-01

    The style of parenting of 100 children (mean age 11 years, 5 months) was established according to Baumrind's typology. Children were asked to indicate what they thought an adult would say to justify a moral rule in five different scenarios. Results indicated that parenting style did not relate to the number of justifications that children thought…

  14. The use of nonhuman animals in biomedical research: necessity and justification.

    PubMed

    Francione, Gary L

    2007-01-01

    Discourse about the use of animals in biomedical research usually focuses on two issues: its empirical and moral use. The empirical issue asks whether the use of nonhumans in experiments is required in order to get data. The moral issue asks whether the use of nonhumans can be defended as matter of ethical theory. Although the use of animals in research may involve a plausible necessity claim, no moral justification exists for using nonhumans in situations in which we would not use humans.

  15. 30 CFR 203.84 - What is in a net revenue and relief justification report?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... justification report? This report presents cash flow data for 12 qualifying months, using the format specified... having some production. (a) The cash flow table you submit must include historical data for: (1) Lease... allowable costs; and (5) Transportation and processing costs. (b) Do not include in your cash flow table the...

  16. Beyond Competence and Performance: Children's Class Inclusion Strategies, Superordinate Class Cues, and Verbal Justifications.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chapman, Michael; McBride, Michelle L.

    1992-01-01

    Children of 4 to 10 years of age were given 2 class inclusion tasks. Younger children's performance was inflated by guessing. Scores were higher in the marked task than in the unmarked task as a result of differing rates of inclusion logic. Children's verbal justifications closely approximated estimates of their true competence. (GLR)

  17. 30 CFR 203.85 - What is in an economic viability and relief justification report?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What is in an economic viability and relief... Oil, Gas, and Sulfur General Required Reports § 203.85 What is in an economic viability and relief... your own model and results. The economic viability and relief justification report must contain the...

  18. Presentation on Instructional Objectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naz, Bibi Asia

    2009-01-01

    "Learning can be defined as change in a student's capacity for performance as a result of experience" (Kenneth D. Moore). The intended changes should be specified in instructional objectives. Viewed in this context, an objective can be defined as a clear and unambiguous description of your instructional intent. An objective is not a…

  19. Home Care Nursing via Computer Networks: Justification and Design Specifications

    PubMed Central

    Brennan, Patricia Flatley

    1988-01-01

    High-tech home care includes the use of information technologies, such as computer networks, to provide direct care to patients in the home. This paper presents the justification and design of a project using a free, public access computer network to deliver home care nursing. The intervention attempts to reduce isolation and improve problem solving among home care patients and their informal caregivers. Three modules comprise the intervention: a decision module, a communications module, and an information data base. This paper describes the experimental evaluation of the project, and discusses issues in the delivery of nursing care via computers.

  20. Investigating Music Information Objects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weissenberger, Lynnsey K.

    2016-01-01

    This dissertation, titled "Investigating Music Information Objects," is a study of the nature, description, representations, and ideas related to music information objects (MIOs). This research study investigates how music practitioners from various traditions describe and conceptualize MIOs, using a theoretical framework to classify…

  1. Univers: The construction of an internet-wide descriptive naming system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bowman, C. Mic

    1990-01-01

    Descriptive naming systems allow clients to identify a set of objects by description. Described here is the construction of a descriptive naming system, called Univers, based on a model in which clients provide both an object description and some meta-information. The meta-information describes beliefs about the query and the naming system. Specifically, it is an ordering on a set of perfect world approximations, and it describes the preferred methods for accommodating imperfect information. The description is then resolved in a way that respects the preferred approximations.

  2. Horizons of description: Black holes and complementarity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bokulich, Peter Joshua Martin

    Niels Bohr famously argued that a consistent understanding of quantum mechanics requires a new epistemic framework, which he named complementarity . This position asserts that even in the context of quantum theory, classical concepts must be used to understand and communicate measurement results. The apparent conflict between certain classical descriptions is avoided by recognizing that their application now crucially depends on the measurement context. Recently it has been argued that a new form of complementarity can provide a solution to the so-called information loss paradox. Stephen Hawking argues that the evolution of black holes cannot be described by standard unitary quantum evolution, because such evolution always preserves information, while the evaporation of a black hole will imply that any information that fell into it is irrevocably lost---hence a "paradox." Some researchers in quantum gravity have argued that this paradox can be resolved if one interprets certain seemingly incompatible descriptions of events around black holes as instead being complementary. In this dissertation I assess the extent to which this black hole complementarity can be undergirded by Bohr's account of the limitations of classical concepts. I begin by offering an interpretation of Bohr's complementarity and the role that it plays in his philosophy of quantum theory. After clarifying the nature of classical concepts, I offer an account of the limitations these concepts face, and argue that Bohr's appeal to disturbance is best understood as referring to these conceptual limits. Following preparatory chapters on issues in quantum field theory and black hole mechanics, I offer an analysis of the information loss paradox and various responses to it. I consider the three most prominent accounts of black hole complementarity and argue that they fail to offer sufficient justification for the proposed incompatibility between descriptions. The lesson that emerges from this

  3. 77 FR 35624 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Justification and Approval of Sole-Source 8(a) Contracts: Correction

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-14

    ... 2] RIN 9000-AL55 Federal Acquisition Regulation; Justification and Approval of Sole-Source 8(a... removes language indicating that the applicable section of the National Defense Authorization Act for...: June 8, 2012. Laura Auletta, Director, Office of Governmentwide Acquisition Policy, Office of...

  4. The effects of familism and cultural justification on the mental and physical health of family caregivers.

    PubMed

    Sayegh, Philip; Knight, Bob G

    2011-01-01

    We aimed to examine the effects of 2 factors of familism (Familial Obligations and Expected Support from the Family) and Cultural Justification on caregivers' mental and physical health as mediated by coping style. We used a probability sample of 95 African American and 65 White family caregivers for people with dementia to test hypotheses based on the updated sociocultural stress and coping model using path analysis. Main outcome measures included depressive symptomatology, various psychological symptoms, and subjective physical health. Both Familial Obligations and Cultural Justification had an indirect effect on poor mental health and subjective physical health via avoidant coping. Expected Support from the Family had no effect on caregivers' health outcomes. These findings suggest that feelings of obligation may be accounting for a significant proportion of the negative effects of familism on caregivers' mental and subjective physical health. Expectations of familial social support may be relatively inconsequential in this process.

  5. A Reply on Behalf of the Relativist to Mark Mason's Justification of Universal Ethical Principles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MacKenzie, Jim

    2007-01-01

    Mark Mason, in his "A Justification, After the Postmodern Turn, of Universal Ethical Principles and Educational Ideals" Educational Philosophy and Theory, 37 (2005), attempts to justify transcultural multiculturalism. In this paper I argue that he fails to refute moral relativism, and that multiculturalism as he interprets it is not morally…

  6. Fiscal Year (FY) 2001 Budget Estimates. Army National Guard. Military Construction Program FY 2001. Justification Data Submission to Congress. Department of the Army.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2000-02-01

    CONSIDERATIONS ix-xx FUTURE YEARS DEFENSE PLAN AUDIT TRAIL xxi-xxiii PROJECT JUSTIFICATION DOCUMENTS 1-149 PLANNING & DESIGN JUSTIFICATION DOCUMENT 15 0...OUTSTANDING POLUTION AND SAFETY DEFICIENCIES: DDl°™1390s2 MAY 78 1. COMPONENT FY 2001 GUARD AND RESERVE 2. DATE ARNG MILITARY CONSTRUCTION FEB00 3...TOTAL 36 286 13 MAJOR EQUIPMENT AND AIRCRAFT TYPE AUTHORIZED ASSIGNED 14. OUTSTANDING POLUTION AND SAFETY DEFICIENCIES: DD:A O™1390S2 1

  7. Epistemic Beliefs about Justification Employed by Physics Students and Faculty in Two Different Problem Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mercan, Fatih Caglayan

    2012-01-01

    This study examines the epistemic beliefs about justification employed by physics undergraduate and graduate students and faculty in the context of solving a standard classical physics problem and a frontier physics problem. Data were collected by a think-aloud problem solving session followed by a semi-structured interview conducted with 50…

  8. Can the NICE "end-of-life premium" be given a coherent ethical justification?

    PubMed

    Cookson, Richard

    2013-12-01

    In 2009 the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) announced that its health technology appraisal committees would henceforth give special additional weight to health gains from life-extending end-of-life treatments. This was a response to mounting concern from NICE's stakeholders that effective new drugs for end-stage cancer often fail NICE's standard test of cost effectiveness. This change of policy may be justifiable on procedural grounds as the result of a democratic political process responding to stakeholder concerns. However, according to the "accountability for reasonableness" framework proposed by the philosopher Norman Daniels and endorsed by NICE, there also needs to be transparency about the substantive ethical grounds for public health care resource allocation decisions. In that spirit, I analyze eleven potentially relevant justifications for the NICE "end-of-life premium," drawn from the economics and philosophy literature: (1) rule of rescue, (2) fair chances, (3) ex post willingness to pay, (4) caring externality, (5) financial protection, (6) symbolic value, (7) diminishing marginal value of future life years, (8) concentration of benefits, (9) dread, (10) time to set your affairs in order, and (11) severity of illness. I conclude that none of them yields a coherent ethical justification for the NICE end-of-life premium.

  9. Assessment model for the justification of intrusive lifestyle interventions: literature study, reasoning and empirical testing.

    PubMed

    Wesseling, Michiel; Wigersma, Lode; van der Wal, Gerrit

    2016-02-19

    In many countries health insurers, employers and especially governments are increasingly using pressure and coercion to enhance healthier lifestyles. For example by ever higher taxes on cigarettes and alcoholic beverages, and ever stricter smoke-free policies. Such interventions can enhance healthier behaviour, but when they become too intrusive, an unfree society can emerge. Which lifestyle interventions that use pressure or coercion are justifiable and which are not? We tried to develop an assessment model that can be used for answering this question, on a generally acceptable way, for all sorts of lifestyle interventions. The intended assessment model was developed in three phases. In the first phase the model was theoretically developed on the basis of literature study and reasoning. In the second phase the model was empirically tested by assessing two detailed cases from everyday practice using the model. The model was improved again and again. In the third phase (publication phase) the 10(th) version of the model was developed while writing this article. An assessment model for the justification of intrusive lifestyle interventions. It comprises three components: (1) 12 assessment criteria (necessity, causality, responsibility, appropriate design, effectiveness, intrusiveness, burdens-benefits-ratio, fairness, support, complementary policies, verifiability, implementation capacity); (2) an assessment structure with three filters (design logic, effects and side effects, implementation); (3) a way of assessing (based on reasonableness and transparency). We have developed an assessment model for the justification of lifestyle interventions that use pressure or coercion to promote health. The correctness, completeness and practicality of the model are likely. Important principles for the justification are the logic and completeness of the underlying argumentation and the proper use of the available scientific information. Parties for and against a particular

  10. The Ego-Defensive Role of Legitimacy: How Threat-Based Justifications Protect the Self-Esteem of Discriminators.

    PubMed

    Pereira, Cicero Roberto; Álvaro, José Luis; Vala, Jorge

    2018-05-01

    This article analyzes the ego-defensive role played by legitimation, by examining the hypothesis that threat-based justifications attenuate the negative effect on an individual's self-esteem caused by his or her becoming aware of his or her own discriminatory behavior. Across three studies (including a pilot experiment), participants who were led to believe that they had acted in a discriminatory way experienced a decrease in their self-esteem. In Study 1 ( N = 116), this effect was nullified when discrimination was justified by either symbolic or realistic threat perceptions. Study 2 ( N = 250) replicated this pattern of results and went further by showing that discrimination affects self-esteem only in more egalitarian individuals, whereas for those less egalitarian, it affects their social image. According to the ego-defensive role of legitimation, a meta-analytical integration of the results confirmed that the influence of discrimination in depressing self-esteem is moderated by threat-based justifications.

  11. Very high temperature chemistry: Science justification for containerless experimentation in space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hofmeister, William H.; Nordine, Paul

    1990-01-01

    A summary is presented of the justification for application of containerless processing in space to high temperature science. Low earth orbit offers a gravitational environment that allows samples to be positioned in an experimental apparatus by very small forces. Well controlled experiments become possible on reactive materials at high temperatures in a reasonably quiescent state and without container contamination. This provides an opportunity to advance the science of high temperature chemistry that can only be realized with a commitment by NASA to provide advanced facilities for in-space containerless study of materials at very high temperature.

  12. Theoretical integration in motivational science: System justification as one of many "autonomous motivational structures".

    PubMed

    Kay, Aaron C; Jost, John T

    2014-04-01

    Recognizing that there is a multiplicity of motives - and that the accessibility and strength of each one varies chronically and temporarily - is essential if motivational scientists are to achieve genuine theoretical and empirical integration. We agree that system justification is a case of nonconscious goal pursuit and discuss implications of the fact that it conflicts with many other psychological goals.

  13. Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR): Science objectives and mission description

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hubbard, G. Scott; Wercinski, Paul F.; Sarver, George L.; Hanel, Robert P.; Ramos, Ruben

    1992-01-01

    In-situ observations and measurements of Mars are objectives of a feasibility study beginning at the Ames Research Center for a mission called the Mars Environmental SURvey (MESUR). The purpose of the MESUR mission is to emplace a pole-to-pole global distribution of landers on the Martian surface to make both short- and long-term observations of the atmosphere and surface. The basic concept is to deploy probes which would directly enter the Mars atmosphere, provide measurements of the upper atmospheric structure, image the local terrain before landing, and survive landing to perform meteorology, seismology, surface imaging, and soil chemistry measurements. MESUR is intended to be a relatively low-cost mission to advance both Mars science and human presence objectives. Mission philosophy is to: (1) 'grow' a network over a period of years using a series of launch opportunities, thereby minimizing the peak annual costs; (2) develop a level-of-effort which is flexible and responsive to a broad set of objectives; (3) focus on science while providing a solid basis for human exploration; and (4) minimize project cost and complexity wherever possible. In order to meet the diverse scientific objectives, each MESUR lander will carry the following strawman instrument payload consisting of: (1) Atmospheric structure experiment, (2) Descent and surface imagers, (3) Meteorology package, (4) Elemental composition instrument, (5) 3-axis seismometer, and (6) Thermal analyzer/evolved gas analyzer. The feasibility study is primarily to show a practical way to design an early capability for characterizing Mars' surface and atmospheric environment on a global scale. The goals are to answer some of the most urgent questions to advance significantly our scientific knowledge about Mars, and for planning eventual exploration of the planet by robots and humans.

  14. Gender stereotype-consistent memories: How system justification motivation distorts the recollection of information related to the self.

    PubMed

    Bonnot, Virginie; Krauth-Gruber, Silvia

    2018-01-01

    Research based on system justification theory has shown that women's self-perceptions may be altered by the motivation to justify the system and its inequalities. Self-perceptions being built on past experiences, the present study aimed to explore how system justification motivation induced through a system dependency manipulation may alter both women's recall of autobiographical memories and their behavior. Women who were led to feel highly dependent on the social system perceived themselves as more competent and recalled memories of higher competence in the verbal domain compared with the negatively stereotyped scientific domain. Women's behavioral choices (between doing a verbal or a math exercise) also revealed a higher preference for the gender stereotype-consistent verbal exercise in the high-system dependency condition, as compared with the low-system dependency condition. These results suggest that gender stereotypes may not only satisfy self- or group-serving motivation but also the need to perceive the system in a positive light.

  15. Space station systems analysis study. Part 3: Documentation. Volume 4: Supporting research and technology report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1977-01-01

    A brief description of recommended supporting research and technology items resulting from the space station analysis study is provided. Descriptions include the title; the status with respect to the state of the art; the justification; the technical plan including objectives and technical approach; resource requirements categorized by manpower, specialized facilities, and funding in 1977 dollars; and also the target schedule. The goal is to provide high confidence in the solutions for the various functional system development problems, and to do so within a time period compatible with the overall evolutionary space construction base schedule.

  16. A Domain Description Language for Data Processing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Golden, Keith

    2003-01-01

    We discuss an application of planning to data processing, a planning problem which poses unique challenges for domain description languages. We discuss these challenges and why the current PDDL standard does not meet them. We discuss DPADL (Data Processing Action Description Language), a language for describing planning domains that involve data processing. DPADL is a declarative, object-oriented language that supports constraints and embedded Java code, object creation and copying, explicit inputs and outputs for actions, and metadata descriptions of existing and desired data. DPADL is supported by the IMAGEbot system, which we are using to provide automation for an ecological forecasting application. We compare DPADL to PDDL and discuss changes that could be made to PDDL to make it more suitable for representing planning domains that involve data processing actions.

  17. Education as a Public Good: Justification and Avenues of Values Integration into Management of Ugandan School Discipline

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sekiwu, Denis; Botha, M. M.

    2014-01-01

    This qualitative study employs grounded theory and the Wilsonian concept analysis, as interpretative paradigms, to examine participants' voices on the justification and avenues of values integration into management of school discipline in Uganda. By using John Dewey's educational philosophy [pragmatism] as the theoretical lens for the study, we…

  18. Clinical application of 'Justification' and 'Optimization' principle of ALARA in pediatric CT imaging: "How many children can be protected from unnecessary radiation?".

    PubMed

    Sodhi, Kushaljit S; Krishna, Satheesh; Saxena, Akshay K; Sinha, Anindita; Khandelwal, Niranjan; Lee, Edward Y

    2015-09-01

    Practice of ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principle in the developed world is currently well established. However, there is striking lack of published data regarding such experience in the developing countries. Therefore, the goal of this study is to prospectively evaluate CT request forms to assess how many children could be protected from harmful radiation exposure if 'Justification' and 'Optimization' principles of ALARA are applied before obtaining CT imaging in a developing country. This can save children from potential radiation risks including development of brain cancer and leukemia. Consecutive CT request forms over a six month study period (May 16, 2013 to November 15, 2013) in a tertiary pediatric children's hospital in India were prospectively reviewed by two pediatric radiologists before obtaining CT imaging. First, 'Justification' of CT was evaluated and then 'Optimization' was applied for evaluation of appropriateness of the requested CT studies. The number (and percentage) of CT studies avoided by applying 'Justification' and 'Optimization' principle of ALARA were calculated. The difference in number of declined and optimized CT requests between CT requests from inpatient and outpatient departments was compared using Chi-Square test. A total of 1302 consecutive CT request forms were received during the study period. Some of the request forms (n=86; 6.61%) had requests for more than one (multiple) anatomical regions, hence, a total of 1392 different anatomical CT requests were received. Based on evaluation of the CT request forms for 'Justification' and 'Optimization' principle of ALARA by pediatric radiology reviewers, 111 individual anatomic part CT requests from 105 pediatric patients were avoided. Therefore, 8.06% (105 out of 1302 pediatric patients) were protected from unnecessary or additional radiation exposure.The rates of declined or optimized CT requests from inpatient department was significantly higher than that from outpatient

  19. Accurate color synthesis of three-dimensional objects in an image

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xin, John H.; Shen, Hui-Liang

    2004-05-01

    Our study deals with color synthesis of a three-dimensional object in an image; i.e., given a single image, a target color can be accurately mapped onto the object such that the color appearance of the synthesized object closely resembles that of the actual one. As it is almost impossible to acquire the complete geometric description of the surfaces of an object in an image, this study attempted to recover the implicit description of geometry for the color synthesis. The description was obtained from either a series of spectral reflectances or the RGB signals at different surface positions on the basis of the dichromatic reflection model. The experimental results showed that this implicit image-based representation is related to the object geometry and is sufficient for accurate color synthesis of three-dimensional objects in an image. The method established is applicable to the color synthesis of both rigid and deformable objects and should contribute to color fidelity in virtual design, manufacturing, and retailing.

  20. 7 CFR 2903.7 - Project objectives.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... AGRICULTURE BIODIESEL FUEL EDUCATION PROGRAM Program Description § 2903.7 Project objectives. (a) Successful... following objectives: (1) Enhance current efforts to collect and disseminate biodiesel information; (2) Coordinate with other biodiesel educational or promotional programs, and with Federal, State and local...

  1. 7 CFR 2903.7 - Project objectives.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... AGRICULTURE BIODIESEL FUEL EDUCATION PROGRAM Program Description § 2903.7 Project objectives. (a) Successful... following objectives: (1) Enhance current efforts to collect and disseminate biodiesel information; (2) Coordinate with other biodiesel educational or promotional programs, and with Federal, State and local...

  2. 7 CFR 2903.7 - Project objectives.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... AGRICULTURE BIODIESEL FUEL EDUCATION PROGRAM Program Description § 2903.7 Project objectives. (a) Successful... following objectives: (1) Enhance current efforts to collect and disseminate biodiesel information; (2) Coordinate with other biodiesel educational or promotional programs, and with Federal, State and local...

  3. 7 CFR 2903.7 - Project objectives.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... AGRICULTURE BIODIESEL FUEL EDUCATION PROGRAM Program Description § 2903.7 Project objectives. (a) Successful... following objectives: (1) Enhance current efforts to collect and disseminate biodiesel information; (2) Coordinate with other biodiesel educational or promotional programs, and with Federal, State and local...

  4. 7 CFR 2903.7 - Project objectives.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... AGRICULTURE BIODIESEL FUEL EDUCATION PROGRAM Program Description § 2903.7 Project objectives. (a) Successful... following objectives: (1) Enhance current efforts to collect and disseminate biodiesel information; (2) Coordinate with other biodiesel educational or promotional programs, and with Federal, State and local...

  5. Public health ethics. Public justification and public trust.

    PubMed

    Childress, J F; Bernheim, R Gaare

    2008-02-01

    Viewing public health as a political and social undertaking as well as a goal of this activity, the authors develop some key elements in a framework for public health ethics, with particular attention to the formation of public health policies and to decisions by public health officials that are not fully determined by established public policies. They concentrate on ways to approach ethical conflicts about public health interventions. These conflicts arise because, in addition to the value of public health, societies have a wide range of other values that sometimes constrain the selection of means to achieve public health goals. The authors analyze three approaches for resolving these conflicts (absolutist, contextualist, and presumptivist), argue for the superiority of the presumptivist approach, and briefly explicate five conditions for rebutting presumptions in a process of public justification. In a liberal, pluralistic, democratic society, a presumptivist approach that engages the public in the context of a variety of relationships can provide a foundation for public trust, which is essential to public health as a political and social practice as well as to achieving public health goals.

  6. Applying U.S. EOP Analytical Justification Experience for VVER Plants in the Ukraine

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

    Linn, Paul A.; Julian, Harold V.; Chapman, James R.

    2002-07-01

    The foundation for new Emergency Operating Instructions (EOIs) being developed at several plants in the Ukraine is the Westinghouse Owners Group (WOG) Emergency Response Guidelines (ERGs) developed in the U.S. The ERGs were chosen as a base for the new EOIs for several reasons. First the overall structure and format was adaptable to VVER Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) designs. Second, the ERGs have served as a base for many plant EOIs in both the U.S. and internationally. Third, key information supporting the ERGs was available. This paper describes the method used at one of the Ukrainian plants to provide anmore » analytical justification for their EOIs. The method being employed by a second plant is very similar, differing only slightly in how it is implemented. The WOG ERG development program, which started shortly after the accident at Three Mile Island Unit 2, used many sources of technical information on plant and system transient response, which were available in support of the plant design and licensing efforts. In addition, operating experience from many operating PWR plants in the U.S. and around the world was used. For example, design basis accident (DBA) analyses, documented in a plant's Safety Analysis Report (SAR) and other design documents, had been performed by Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS) vendors, utilities, or the Architect/Engineer. All relevant sources were considered in the development of the ERGs. Limited Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) analyses were available during that time period. When a technical basis for a recovery strategy and associated operator actions was not available, an analysis was defined and performed. In general, these analyses were performed on a generic basis, and addressed the different categories of design (e.g., number of reactor coolant loops and/or low/high pressure safety injection system design). U.S. Nuclear Power plants that were in the WOG program were responsible for implementing the generic ERGs

  7. Everyday uses of standardized test information in a geriatric setting: a qualitative study exploring occupational therapist and physiotherapist test administrators' justifications.

    PubMed

    Krohne, Kariann; Torres, Sandra; Slettebø, Åshild; Bergland, Astrid

    2014-02-17

    Health professionals are required to collect data from standardized tests when assessing older patients' functional ability. Such data provide quantifiable documentation on health outcomes. Little is known, however, about how physiotherapists and occupational therapists who administer standardized tests use test information in their daily clinical work. This article aims to investigate how test administrators in a geriatric setting justify the everyday use of standardized test information. Qualitative study of physiotherapists and occupational therapists on two geriatric hospital wards in Norway that routinely tested their patients with standardized tests. Data draw on seven months of fieldwork, semi-structured interviews with eight physiotherapists and six occupational therapists (12 female, two male), as well as observations of 26 test situations. Data were analyzed using Systematic Text Condensation. We identified two test information components in everyday use among physiotherapist and occupational therapist test administrators. While the primary component drew on the test administrators' subjective observations during testing, the secondary component encompassed the communication of objective test results and test performance. The results of this study illustrate the overlap between objective and subjective data in everyday practice. In clinical practice, by way of the clinicians' gaze on how the patient functions, the subjective and objective components of test information are merged, allowing individual characteristics to be noticed and made relevant as test performance justifications and as rationales in the overall communication of patient needs.

  8. Objective assessment of symptomatic vitreous floaters using optical coherence tomography: a case report.

    PubMed

    Kennelly, Kevin Patrick; Morgan, James Plunkett; Keegan, David Jude; Connell, Paul Patrick

    2015-03-08

    Vitrectomy for symptomatic vitreous floaters carries significant risks. Justification of surgery is difficult, particularly in healthy eyes with normal visual acuity and without a posterior vitreous detachment. This is the first reported case of optical coherence tomography being utilized to objectively assess the impact of a vitreous opacity on the macula. A 37-year-old Caucasian female complained of the sudden onset of a ring-like floater in the central visual field of her left eye. Visual acuity was 20/20, there was no intraocular inflammation and the posterior vitreous was not detached. Complete blood count with differential, serology screen (including cysticercosis and echinococcus), chest x-ray and abdominal ultrasound found no evidence of systemic infective or cystic disease. A color photograph and B-scan ultrasound confirmed a 4.31 mm free-floating semi-translucent vitreous cyst with a hyperechogenic, pigmented surface and faint internal strands suspended in the mid-vitreous cavity, in the visual axis. The cyst moved with ocular movements, but only within the vitreous lacuna it resided in. Humphrey and Goldmann visual fields were normal. However, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) demonstrated shadowing on either side of the fovea, consistent with the ring-like scotoma described by the patient. Removing the retinal layers from the 3D-reconstructed macular cube OCT revealed a circular shadow on the macula. The patient elected for conservative management and at 3-month follow-up her symptoms had almost fully resolved as the cyst migrated to the inferior vitreous cavity, no longer casting a shadow on the macula. To our knowledge, this is the first description of using OCT as an objective, qualitative assessment of symptoms caused by large vitreous opacities and may provide a simple yet useful adjunctive tool in evaluating the risk-benefit ratio of vitrectomy in patients with large symptomatic vitreous floaters.

  9. The justification of studies in genetic epidemiology - political scaling in China Medical City.

    PubMed

    Sleeboom-Faulkner, Margaret

    2018-04-01

    Genetic epidemiology examines the role of genetic factors in determining health and disease in families and in populations to help addressing health problems in a responsible manner. This paper uses a case study of genetic epidemiology in Taizhou, China, to explore ways in which anthropology can contribute to the validation of studies in genetic epidemiology. It does so, first, by identifying potential overgeneralizations of data, often due to mismatching scale and, second, by examining it's embedding in political, historical and local contexts. The example of the longitudinal cohort study in Taizhou illustrates dimensions of such 'political scaling'. Political scaling is a notion used here to refer to the effects of scaling biases in relation to the justification of research in terms of relevance, reach and research ethics. The justification of a project on genetic epidemiology involves presenting a maximum of benefits and a minimum of burden for the population. To facilitate the delineation of political scaling, an analytical distinction between donating and benefiting communities was made using the notions of 'scaling of relevance', 'scaling of reach' and 'scaling of ethics'. Political scaling results at least partly from factors external to research. By situating political scaling in the context of historical, political and local discourses, anthropologists can play a complementary role in genetic epidemiology.

  10. Microfinance Participation, Control Over Resources, and Justification of IPV: Results From a Nationally Representative Sample of Women.

    PubMed

    Murshid, Nadine Shaanta

    2016-04-13

    A high percentage of men and women are purported to justify intimate partner violence (IPV) in countries that are steeped in patriarchy even in the presence of programs such as microfinance that aim to address gender equity. This article examines two assertions that emerge from the literature on microfinance and its potential for positive outcomes for women who participate in it: (a) Microfinance participation is associated with reduced justification of IPV, and (b) microfinance participants with control over their own resources are less likely to justify IPV when compared with microfinance participants who do not have control over their resources. Couples data from a nationally representative survey, the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, were used in the present study. Propensity score matching and logistic regression analyses were conducted to reveal that (a) microfinance participation was not associated with justification of IPV and that (b) women who participated in microfinance were less likely to justify IPV when they had no control over their resources. Implications for practitioners and policymakers are discussed. © The Author(s) 2016.

  11. Justification of Estimates for Fiscal Year 1984 Submitted to Congress January 1983: Missile Procurement.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-01-01

    for procurement of the first operational SRAM/ Altair /MV. (RDTE PE 64406F, 1 245JF) Space Suttle - Tne Space Shuttle is a NASA development program to...ACQUISITION IA.. R STUART IINCIASSIFIED JAN 83 RO.J- AC-64- FIG 5/ 1 NL IIIIIIIIIIIIIu IIIIIIIIIIIIIl IIIIIIIIIIIIIhl IIIhhhhmh ii1w 1112., 0 1111Ŗ--5, I i...MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANARS - 963 -A ’!/ 1 JA 12 5955 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE JUSTIFICATION OF E&IMATES FOR FISCAL YEAR

  12. Cognitive dissonance in children: justification of effort or contrast?

    PubMed

    Alessandri, Jérôme; Darcheville, Jean-Claude; Zentall, Thomas R

    2008-06-01

    Justification of effort is a form of cognitive dissonance in which the subjective value of an outcome is directly related to the effort that went into obtaining it. However, it is likely that in social contexts (such as the requirements for joining a group) an inference can be made (perhaps incorrectly) that an outcome that requires greater effort to obtain in fact has greater value. Here we present evidence that a cognitive dissonance effect can be found in children under conditions that offer better control for the social value of the outcome. This effect is quite similar to contrast effects that recently have been studied in animals. We suggest that contrast between the effort required to obtain the outcome and the outcome itself provides a more parsimonious account of this phenomenon and perhaps other related cognitive dissonance phenomena as well. Research will be needed to identify cognitive dissonance processes that are different from contrast effects of this kind.

  13. Physical Justification for Negative Remanent Magnetization in Homogeneous Nanoparticles

    PubMed Central

    Gu, Shuo; He, Weidong; Zhang, Ming; Zhuang, Taisen; Jin, Yi; ElBidweihy, Hatem; Mao, Yiwu; Dickerson, James H.; Wagner, Michael J.; Torre, Edward Della; Bennett, Lawrence H.

    2014-01-01

    The phenomenon of negative remanent magnetization (NRM) has been observed experimentally in a number of heterogeneous magnetic systems and has been considered anomalous. The existence of NRM in homogenous magnetic materials is still in debate, mainly due to the lack of compelling support from experimental data and a convincing theoretical explanation for its thermodynamic validation. Here we resolve the long-existing controversy by presenting experimental evidence and physical justification that NRM is real in a prototype homogeneous ferromagnetic nanoparticle, an europium sulfide nanoparticle. We provide novel insights into major and minor hysteresis behavior that illuminate the true nature of the observed inverted hysteresis and validate its thermodynamic permissibility and, for the first time, present counterintuitive magnetic aftereffect behavior that is consistent with the mechanism of magnetization reversal, possessing unique capability to identify NRM. The origin and conditions of NRM are explained quantitatively via a wasp-waist model, in combination of energy calculations. PMID:25183061

  14. Model-based object classification using unification grammars and abstract representations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liburdy, Kathleen A.; Schalkoff, Robert J.

    1993-04-01

    The design and implementation of a high level computer vision system which performs object classification is described. General object labelling and functional analysis require models of classes which display a wide range of geometric variations. A large representational gap exists between abstract criteria such as `graspable' and current geometric image descriptions. The vision system developed and described in this work addresses this problem and implements solutions based on a fusion of semantics, unification, and formal language theory. Object models are represented using unification grammars, which provide a framework for the integration of structure and semantics. A methodology for the derivation of symbolic image descriptions capable of interacting with the grammar-based models is described and implemented. A unification-based parser developed for this system achieves object classification by determining if the symbolic image description can be unified with the abstract criteria of an object model. Future research directions are indicated.

  15. The Future Justification to Adopt Governance System at the Jordan Universities from the Perspective of Educational Experts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abu-Nair, Natheer Sihan

    2015-01-01

    The aim of the study was to reveal the future justification to adopt governance system at the Jordanian Universities from the perspective of educational experts. The study society was the academic staff in the field of education at Al-Balqa Applied University and Jordan University, at the first semester of the academic year 2013-2014. The study…

  16. Justification and Persuasion about Cloning: Arguments in Hwang's Paper and Journalistic Reported Versions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiménez-Aleixandre, María Pilar; Federico-Agraso, Marta

    2009-05-01

    We examine the argumentative structure of Hwang et al.’s (2004) paper about human somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT, or ‘therapeutic cloning’), contrasted with four Journalistic Reported Versions (JRV) of it, and with students’ summaries of one JRV. As the evaluation of evidence is one of the critical features of argumentation (Jiménez-Aleixandre 2008), the analysis focuses on the use of evidence, drawing from instruments to analyze written argumentation (Kelly et al. 2008) and from studies about the structure of empirical research reports (Swales 2001). The objectives are: 1) To examine the use of evidence and the argumentative structure of Hwang et al.’s Science, 303: 1669-1674 (2004) original paper in terms of the criteria: a) pertinence of the evidence presented to the claims; b) sufficiency of the evidence for the purpose of supporting the claims; and c) coordination of the evidence across epistemic levels. 2) To explore how the structure of Hwang’s paper translates into the JRV and into university students’ perceptions about the evidence supporting the claims. The argumentative structure of Hwang’s paper is such that its apparently ostensible main claim about NT constitutes a justification for a second claim about its therapeutic applications, for which no evidence is offered. However, this second claim receives prominent treatment in the JRV and in the students’ summaries. Implications for promoting critical reading in the classroom are discussed.

  17. Object-oriented requirements analysis: A quick tour

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Berard, Edward V.

    1990-01-01

    Of all the approaches to software development, an object-oriented approach appears to be both the most beneficial and the most popular. The description of the object-oriented approach is presented in the form of the view graphs.

  18. Individuation of objects and events: a developmental study.

    PubMed

    Wagner, Laura; Carey, Susan

    2003-12-01

    This study investigates children's ability to use language to guide their choice of individuation criterion in the domains of objects and events. Previous work (Shipley, E. F., & Shepperson, B. (1990). Countable entities: developmental changes. Cognition, 34, 109-136.) has shown that children have a strong bias to use a spatio-temporal individuation strategy when counting objects and that children will ignore a conflicting linguistic description in favor of this spatio-temporal bias. Experiment 1 asked children (3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds) and adults to count objects and events under different linguistic descriptions. In the object task, subjects counted pictures of familiar objects split into multiple pieces (as in Shipley, E. F., & Shepperson, B. (1990). Countable entities: developmental changes. Cognition, 34, 109-136.) and described either using an appropriate kind label (e.g. "car") or the general term "thing". In the event task, subjects watched short animated movies consisting of a goal-oriented event achieved via multiple, temporally separated steps. The events were described either with an appropriate telic predicate targeting the goal (e.g. "paint a flower") or with an atelic predicate targeting the steps in the process (e.g. "paint") and the subjects' task was to count the events. Relative to adults, children preferred a spatio-temporal counting strategy in both tasks; there was no difference among the three groups of children. However, children were able to significantly change their counting strategy to follow the linguistic description in the event but not the object task. Experiment 2 extended the object task to include counting of other types of non-spatio-temporal units such as sub-parts of objects and collections. Results showed that children could use the linguistic descriptions to guide their counting strategy for these new items, though they continued to show a bias for a spatio-temporal individuation strategy with the collections. We suggest

  19. Where are we in the justification of research involving chimpanzees?

    PubMed

    Beauchamp, Tom L; Ferdowsian, Hope R; Gluck, John P

    2012-09-01

    On December 15, 2011, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on the Use of Chimpanzees in Biomedical and Behavioral Research issued a final report commissioned by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It changed the landscape of discussion about the necessity of using chimpanzees in research. The Committee advanced three principles of scientifically warranted research on chimpanzees, but NIH's statement of task provided inadequate opportunity for the Committee to investigate moral problems and their implications for public policy. The IOM Committee's report is a landmark document, but it has weaknesses in its justificatory framework, largely resulting from the Committee's narrow remit from NIH and IOM. We analyze cases mentioned in the report and argue that numerous central ethical issues are neglected, especially ones of justification. Additionally, we consider whether the principles offered by the Committee could be used as criteria governing the use of other animals in biomedical and behavioral research.

  20. Frequency band justifications for passive sensors 10.0 to 385 GHz, chapter 2. [for monitoring earth resources and the environment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1976-01-01

    Sensitivity requirements of the various measurements obtained by microwave sensors, and radiometry techniques are described. Analytical techniques applied to detailed sharing analyses are discussed. A bibliography of publications pertinent to the scientific justification of frequency requirements for passive microwave remote sensing is included.

  1. Types of Adolescent Male Dating Violence Against Women, Self-Esteem, and Justification of Dominance and Aggression.

    PubMed

    Diaz-Aguado, Maria Jose; Martinez, Rosario

    2015-09-01

    The recognition of the seriousness of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the need to prevent it has led to the study of its inception in relationships established in adolescence. This study uses latent class analysis to establish a typology of male adolescents based on self-reports of violence against a girl in dating relationships. The participants were 4,147 boys in Spain aged 14 to 18 years from a probabilistic sample. Four discrete, identifiable groups were derived based on 12 indicators of emotional abuse, intimidation, coercion, threats, physical violence, and violence transmitted via communication technologies. The first group consists of non-violent adolescent boys. A second group comprises those boys who isolate and control their partners. Boys who exert only medium-level emotional abuse form the third group, whereas the fourth is formed by teenage boys who frequently engage in all types of violence. Compared with the non-violent adolescents in a multinomial logistic regression, the other groups show lower self-esteem and display a greater justification of male dominance and IPV against women; greater justification of aggression in conflict resolution; they have also received more dominance and violence messages from adults in their family environment; and they perceive IPV behaviors against women as abuse of lesser importance. © The Author(s) 2014.

  2. Objective analysis of observational data from the FGGE observing systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baker, W.; Edelmann, D.; Iredell, M.; Han, D.; Jakkempudi, S.

    1981-01-01

    An objective analysis procedure for updating the GLAS second and fourth order general atmospheric circulation models using observational data from the first GARP global experiment is described. The objective analysis procedure is based on a successive corrections method and the model is updated in a data assimilation cycle. Preparation of the observational data for analysis and the objective analysis scheme are described. The organization of the program and description of the required data sets are presented. The program logic and detailed descriptions of each subroutine are given.

  3. Is the Non-rivalrousness of Intellectual Objects a Problem for the Moral Justification of Economic Rights to Intellectual Property?

    PubMed

    Varelius, Jukka

    2015-08-01

    It is often argued that the fact that intellectual objects-objects like ideas, inventions, concepts, and melodies-can be used by several people simultaneously makes intellectual property rights impossible or particularly difficult to morally justify. In this article, I assess the line of criticism of intellectual ownership in connection with a central category of intellectual property rights, economic rights to intellectual property. I maintain that it is unconvincing.

  4. Object Orientation Affects Spatial Language Comprehension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burigo, Michele; Sacchi, Simona

    2013-01-01

    Typical spatial descriptions, such as "The car is in front of the house," describe the position of a located object (LO; e.g., the car) in space relative to a reference object (RO) whose location is known (e.g., the house). The orientation of the RO affects spatial language comprehension via the reference frame selection process.…

  5. Modeling Of Object- And Scene-Prototypes With Hierarchically Structured Classes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, Z.; Jensch, P.; Ameling, W.

    1989-03-01

    The success of knowledge-based image analysis methodology and implementation tools depends largely on an appropriately and efficiently built model wherein the domain-specific context information about and the inherent structure of the observed image scene have been encoded. For identifying an object in an application environment a computer vision system needs to know firstly the description of the object to be found in an image or in an image sequence, secondly the corresponding relationships between object descriptions within the image sequence. This paper presents models of image objects scenes by means of hierarchically structured classes. Using the topovisual formalism of graph and higraph, we are currently studying principally the relational aspect and data abstraction of the modeling in order to visualize the structural nature resident in image objects and scenes, and to formalize. their descriptions. The goal is to expose the structure of image scene and the correspondence of image objects in the low level image interpretation. process. The object-based system design approach has been applied to build the model base. We utilize the object-oriented programming language C + + for designing, testing and implementing the abstracted entity classes and the operation structures which have been modeled topovisually. The reference images used for modeling prototypes of objects and scenes are from industrial environments as'well as medical applications.

  6. 48 CFR Appendix I to Chapter 15 - Environmental Protection Agency; Class Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition in...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Environmental Protection... Regulations System ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Ch. 15, App. I Appendix I to Chapter 15—Environmental Protection Agency; Class Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition in Acquisitions From the...

  7. Soft Biometrics; Human Identification Using Comparative Descriptions.

    PubMed

    Reid, Daniel A; Nixon, Mark S; Stevenage, Sarah V

    2014-06-01

    Soft biometrics are a new form of biometric identification which use physical or behavioral traits that can be naturally described by humans. Unlike other biometric approaches, this allows identification based solely on verbal descriptions, bridging the semantic gap between biometrics and human description. To permit soft biometric identification the description must be accurate, yet conventional human descriptions comprising of absolute labels and estimations are often unreliable. A novel method of obtaining human descriptions will be introduced which utilizes comparative categorical labels to describe differences between subjects. This innovative approach has been shown to address many problems associated with absolute categorical labels-most critically, the descriptions contain more objective information and have increased discriminatory capabilities. Relative measurements of the subjects' traits can be inferred from comparative human descriptions using the Elo rating system. The resulting soft biometric signatures have been demonstrated to be robust and allow accurate recognition of subjects. Relative measurements can also be obtained from other forms of human representation. This is demonstrated using a support vector machine to determine relative measurements from gait biometric signatures-allowing retrieval of subjects from video footage by using human comparisons, bridging the semantic gap.

  8. Sidney Blatt's Object Relations Inventory: Contributions and Future Directions.

    PubMed

    Huprich, Steven K; Auerbach, John S; Porcerelli, John H; Bupp, Lindsey L

    2016-01-01

    In this article, we provide a historical overview of the Object Relations Inventory (ORI) and related methods for the assessment of object relations constructed by Sidney Blatt and colleagues (e.g., Blatt, Bers, & Schaffer, 1992 ; Blatt, Wein, Chevron, & Quinlan, 1979 ; Diamond, Kaslow, Coonerty, & Blatt, 1990 ). We clarify terminology that has been used inconsistently in the literature, especially by way of differentiating the methods used to collect descriptions of significant figures, such as the ORI and its predecessor, the Parental Description (PD) task, and the rating scales that Blatt and colleagues constructed to rate those descriptions. We provide a tabular summary of empirical studies of the measure and offer a critical review of those aspects of the instrument that require further empirical investigation and methodological rigor.

  9. AutoBD: Automated Bi-Level Description for Scalable Fine-Grained Visual Categorization.

    PubMed

    Yao, Hantao; Zhang, Shiliang; Yan, Chenggang; Zhang, Yongdong; Li, Jintao; Tian, Qi

    Compared with traditional image classification, fine-grained visual categorization is a more challenging task, because it targets to classify objects belonging to the same species, e.g. , classify hundreds of birds or cars. In the past several years, researchers have made many achievements on this topic. However, most of them are heavily dependent on the artificial annotations, e.g., bounding boxes, part annotations, and so on . The requirement of artificial annotations largely hinders the scalability and application. Motivated to release such dependence, this paper proposes a robust and discriminative visual description named Automated Bi-level Description (AutoBD). "Bi-level" denotes two complementary part-level and object-level visual descriptions, respectively. AutoBD is "automated," because it only requires the image-level labels of training images and does not need any annotations for testing images. Compared with the part annotations labeled by the human, the image-level labels can be easily acquired, which thus makes AutoBD suitable for large-scale visual categorization. Specifically, the part-level description is extracted by identifying the local region saliently representing the visual distinctiveness. The object-level description is extracted from object bounding boxes generated with a co-localization algorithm. Although only using the image-level labels, AutoBD outperforms the recent studies on two public benchmark, i.e. , classification accuracy achieves 81.6% on CUB-200-2011 and 88.9% on Car-196, respectively. On the large-scale Birdsnap data set, AutoBD achieves the accuracy of 68%, which is currently the best performance to the best of our knowledge.Compared with traditional image classification, fine-grained visual categorization is a more challenging task, because it targets to classify objects belonging to the same species, e.g. , classify hundreds of birds or cars. In the past several years, researchers have made many achievements on this topic

  10. Bias effects in the possible/impossible object decision test with matching objects.

    PubMed

    Soldan, Anja; Hilton, H John; Stern, Yaakov

    2009-03-01

    In the possible/impossible object decision test, priming has consistently been found for structurally possible, but not impossible, objects, leading Schacter, Cooper, and Delaney (1990) to suggest that priming relies on a system that represents the global 3-D structure of objects. Using a modified design with matching objects to control for the influence of episodic memory, Ratcliff and McKoon (1995) and Williams and Tarr (1997) found negative priming for impossible objects (i.e., lower performance for old than for new items). Both teams argued that priming derives from (1) episodic memory for object features and (2) bias to respond "possible" to encoded objects or their possible parts. The present study applied the matched-objects design to the original Schacter and Cooper stimuli-same possible objects and matching impossible figures-with minimal procedural variation. The data from Experiment 1 only partially supported the bias models and suggested that priming was mediated by both local and global structural descriptions. Experiment 2 showed that negative priming for impossible objects derived from the structural properties of these objects, not from the influence of episodic memory on task performance. Supplemental materials for this study may be downloaded from mc.psychonomic-journals.org/content/supplemental.

  11. A Neural Dynamic Model Generates Descriptions of Object-Oriented Actions.

    PubMed

    Richter, Mathis; Lins, Jonas; Schöner, Gregor

    2017-01-01

    Describing actions entails that relations between objects are discovered. A pervasively neural account of this process requires that fundamental problems are solved: the neural pointer problem, the binding problem, and the problem of generating discrete processing steps from time-continuous neural processes. We present a prototypical solution to these problems in a neural dynamic model that comprises dynamic neural fields holding representations close to sensorimotor surfaces as well as dynamic neural nodes holding discrete, language-like representations. Making the connection between these two types of representations enables the model to describe actions as well as to perceptually ground movement phrases-all based on real visual input. We demonstrate how the dynamic neural processes autonomously generate the processing steps required to describe or ground object-oriented actions. By solving the fundamental problems of neural pointing, binding, and emergent discrete processing, the model may be a first but critical step toward a systematic neural processing account of higher cognition. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Topics in Cognitive Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Cognitive Science Society.

  12. Forms Of Memory For Representation Of Visual Objects

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-02-14

    description system that functions independently of the episodic memory system that is damaged in amnesia and supports explicit remembering. Miscellaneous...well as semantic and functional information about an object, are preserved in the episodic system. 4. Priming and recognition of depth-cued, 3D objects A...requirement should serve to enhance an object’s distinctiveness in episodic memory . We also predicted robust priming for symmetric objects; this is because

  13. Feedback produces divergence from prospect theory in descriptive choice.

    PubMed

    Jessup, Ryan K; Bishara, Anthony J; Busemeyer, Jerome R

    2008-10-01

    A recent study demonstrated that individuals making experience-based choices underweight small probabilities, in contrast to the overweighting observed in a typical descriptive paradigm. We tested whether trial-by-trial feedback in a repeated descriptive paradigm would engender choices more correspondent with experiential or descriptive paradigms. The results of a repeated gambling task indicated that individuals receiving feedback underweighted small probabilities, relative to their no-feedback counterparts. These results implicate feedback as a critical component during the decision-making process, even in the presence of fully specified descriptive information. A model comparison at the individual-subject level suggested that feedback drove individuals' decision weights toward objective probability weighting.

  14. Object links in the repository

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Beck, Jon; Eichmann, David

    1991-01-01

    Some of the architectural ramifications of extending the Eichmann/Atkins lattice-based classification scheme to encompass the assets of the full life-cycle of software development are explored. In particular, we wish to consider a model which provides explicit links between objects in addition to the edges connecting classification vertices in the standard lattice. The model we consider uses object-oriented terminology. Thus, the lattice is viewed as a data structure which contains class objects which exhibit inheritance. A description of the types of objects in the repository is presented, followed by a discussion of how they interrelate. We discuss features of the object-oriented model which support these objects and their links, and consider behavior which an implementation of the model should exhibit. Finally, we indicate some thoughts on implementing a prototype of this repository architecture.

  15. Generating Three-Dimensional Surface Models of Solid Objects from Multiple Projections.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-10-01

    volume descriptions. The surface models are composed of curved, topologically rectangular, parametric patches. The data required to define these patches...geometry directly from image data .__ This method generates 3D surface descriptions of only those parts of the object that are illuminated by the pro- jected...objects. Generation of such models inherently requires the acquisition and analysis of 3D surface data . In this context, acquisition refers to the

  16. Using cognitive dissonance to induce adolescents' escaping from the claw of online gaming: the roles of personal responsibility and justification of cost.

    PubMed

    Chiou, Wen-Bin; Wan, Chin-Sheng

    2007-10-01

    The negative impact of the Internet on adolescents has received much attention. How to reduce their pathological use of online gaming is also a critical issue. Based on cognitive dissonance theory, two experiments were conducted to examine whether personal responsibility and justification of cost may play crucial factors in impacting adolescent players' attitude change and their willingness to engage in attitude-discrepant behavior. The results of Experiment 1 revealed that adolescent players who felt a strong sense of responsibility appeared to exhibit greater attitude change. In Experiment 2, the findings indicated that players tended to employ justification of cost in order to reduce or eliminate the dissonance between their attitude toward online gaming and invested cost. Adolescent players who perceived a higher cost in online gaming were less willing to engage in attitude-discrepant behavior. Reducing adolescents ' overuse of online gaming can be appreciated through the perspective of cognitive dissonance.

  17. Experiment Definition Using the Space Laboratory, Long Duration Exposure Facility, and Space Transportation System Shuttle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sheppard, Albert P.; Wood, Joan M.

    1976-01-01

    Candidate experiments designed for the space shuttle transportation system and the long duration exposure facility are summarized. The data format covers: experiment title, Experimenter, technical abstract, benefits/justification, technical discussion of experiment approach and objectives, related work and experience, experiment facts space properties used, environmental constraints, shielding requirements, if any, physical description, and sketch of major elements. Information was also included on experiment hardware, research required to develop experiment, special requirements, cost estimate, safety considerations, and interactions with spacecraft and other experiments.

  18. Doses to organs and tissues from concomitant imaging in radiotherapy: a suggested framework for clinical justification.

    PubMed

    Harrison, R M

    2008-12-01

    The increasing use of imaging for localization and verification in radiotherapy has raised issues concerning the justifiable doses to critical organs and tissues from concomitant exposures, particularly when extensive image-guided radiotherapy is indicated. Doses at positions remote from the target volume include components from high-energy leakage and scatter, as well as from concomitant imaging. In this paper, simulated prostate, breast and larynx treatments are used to compare doses from both high-energy and concomitant exposures as a function of distance from the target volume. It is suggested that the fraction, R, of the total dose at any point within the patient that is attributable to concomitant exposures may be a useful aid in their justification. R is small within the target volume and at large distances from it. However, there is a critical region immediately adjacent to the planning target volume where the dose from concomitant imaging combines with leakage and scatter to give values of R that approach 0.5 in the examples given here. This is noteworthy because the regions just outside the target volume will receive total doses in the order of 1 Gy, where commensurately high risk factors may not be substantially reduced because of cell kill. Other studies have identified these regions as sites of second cancers. The justification of an imaging regimen might therefore usefully take into account the maximum value of R encountered from the combination of imaging and radiotherapy for particular treatment sites.

  19. Conscientious objection to referrals for abortion: pragmatic solution or threat to women’s rights?

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Conscientious objection has spurred impassioned debate in many Western countries. Some Norwegian general practitioners (GPs) refuse to refer for abortion. Little is know about how the GPs carry out their refusals in practice, how they perceive their refusal to fit with their role as professionals, and how refusals impact patients. Empirical data can inform subsequent normative analysis. Methods Qualitative research interviews were conducted with seven GPs, all Christians. Transcripts were analysed using systematic text condensation. Results Informants displayed a marked ambivalence towards their own refusal practices. Five main topics emerged in the interviews: 1) carrying out conscientious objection in practice, 2) justification for conscientious objection, 3) challenges when relating to colleagues, 4) ambivalence and consistency, 5) effects on the doctor-patient relationship. Conclusions Norwegian GP conscientious objectors were given to consider both pros and cons when evaluating their refusal practices. They had settled on a practical compromise, the precise form of which would vary, and which was deemed an acceptable middle way between competing interests. PMID:24571955

  20. A novel binary shape context for 3D local surface description

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, Zhen; Yang, Bisheng; Liu, Yuan; Liang, Fuxun; Li, Bijun; Zang, Yufu

    2017-08-01

    3D local surface description is now at the core of many computer vision technologies, such as 3D object recognition, intelligent driving, and 3D model reconstruction. However, most of the existing 3D feature descriptors still suffer from low descriptiveness, weak robustness, and inefficiency in both time and memory. To overcome these challenges, this paper presents a robust and descriptive 3D Binary Shape Context (BSC) descriptor with high efficiency in both time and memory. First, a novel BSC descriptor is generated for 3D local surface description, and the performance of the BSC descriptor under different settings of its parameters is analyzed. Next, the descriptiveness, robustness, and efficiency in both time and memory of the BSC descriptor are evaluated and compared to those of several state-of-the-art 3D feature descriptors. Finally, the performance of the BSC descriptor for 3D object recognition is also evaluated on a number of popular benchmark datasets, and an urban-scene dataset is collected by a terrestrial laser scanner system. Comprehensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed BSC descriptor obtained high descriptiveness, strong robustness, and high efficiency in both time and memory and achieved high recognition rates of 94.8%, 94.1% and 82.1% on the considered UWA, Queen, and WHU datasets, respectively.

  1. Generating descriptive visual words and visual phrases for large-scale image applications.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Shiliang; Tian, Qi; Hua, Gang; Huang, Qingming; Gao, Wen

    2011-09-01

    Bag-of-visual Words (BoWs) representation has been applied for various problems in the fields of multimedia and computer vision. The basic idea is to represent images as visual documents composed of repeatable and distinctive visual elements, which are comparable to the text words. Notwithstanding its great success and wide adoption, visual vocabulary created from single-image local descriptors is often shown to be not as effective as desired. In this paper, descriptive visual words (DVWs) and descriptive visual phrases (DVPs) are proposed as the visual correspondences to text words and phrases, where visual phrases refer to the frequently co-occurring visual word pairs. Since images are the carriers of visual objects and scenes, a descriptive visual element set can be composed by the visual words and their combinations which are effective in representing certain visual objects or scenes. Based on this idea, a general framework is proposed for generating DVWs and DVPs for image applications. In a large-scale image database containing 1506 object and scene categories, the visual words and visual word pairs descriptive to certain objects or scenes are identified and collected as the DVWs and DVPs. Experiments show that the DVWs and DVPs are informative and descriptive and, thus, are more comparable with the text words than the classic visual words. We apply the identified DVWs and DVPs in several applications including large-scale near-duplicated image retrieval, image search re-ranking, and object recognition. The combination of DVW and DVP performs better than the state of the art in large-scale near-duplicated image retrieval in terms of accuracy, efficiency and memory consumption. The proposed image search re-ranking algorithm: DWPRank outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithm by 12.4% in mean average precision and about 11 times faster in efficiency.

  2. Florida Course Descriptions: Exceptional Student Education, Grades 9-12, 1999 Revisions. Suggested Course Performance Objectives.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Bureau of Instructional Support and Community Services.

    This document presents the full revised course descriptions for Florida exceptional student education in grades 9-12. Courses incorporate the Florida standards for a special diploma. Requirements include a list of related benchmarks from the state standards for each level of functioning: independent, supported, and participatory. Introductory…

  3. Plasma Diagnostics: Use and Justification in an Industrial Environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loewenhardt, Peter

    1998-10-01

    The usefulness and importance of plasma diagnostics have played a major role in the development of plasma processing tools in the semiconductor industry. As can be seen through marketing materials from semiconductor equipment manufacturers, results from plasma diagnostic equipment can be a powerful tool in selling the technological leadership of tool design. Some diagnostics have long been used for simple process control such as optical emission for endpoint determination, but in recent years more sophisticated and involved diagnostic tools have been utilized in chamber and plasma source development and optimization. It is now common to find an assortment of tools at semiconductor equipment companies such as Langmuir probes, mass spectrometers, spatial optical emission probes, impedance, ion energy and ion flux probes. An outline of how the importance of plasma diagnostics has grown at an equipment manufacturer over the last decade will be given, with examples of significant and useful results obtained. Examples will include the development and optimization of an inductive plasma source, trends and hardware effects on ion energy distributions, mass spectrometry influences on process development and investigations of plasma-wall interactions. Plasma diagnostic focus, in-house development and proliferation in an environment where financial justification requirements are both strong and necessary will be discussed.

  4. Justification of CT for Individual Health Assessment of Asymptomatic Persons: A World Health Organization Consultation.

    PubMed

    Malone, Jim; Del Rosario Perez, Maria; Friberg, Eva Godske; Prokop, Mathias; Jung, Seung Eun; Griebel, Jurgen; Ebdon-Jackson, Steve

    2016-12-01

    An international expert consultation was convened by the World Health Organization (WHO). The purpose of the meeting was to review the use of CT in examining asymptomatic people. This is often referred to as individual health assessment (IHA). IHA was identified as a global phenomenon unenthusiastically tolerated, and not actively promoted, structured, or regulated in most countries. This paper identifies the state of the art for IHA and some considerations in relation to its justification, in different regions of the world. The outcomes reached include the following: questions around terminology and culture of IHA practice; review of IHA in some countries, regions, and international bodies; dilemmas for participants in IHA; risk communication, education, and training for professions and public; the desirability of guidelines and clinical audit; social, ethical, public health, and resource considerations; and a framework for IHA and regulatory considerations. Three subcategories of examination for asymptomatic individuals were identified: formal screening programs; examinations for which the evidence base or risk profile is incomplete; and opportunistic examinations with little or no evidence or risk profile to suggest they have any merit. The latter challenges the justification principle of radiation protection. In addition, the issue of the costs, direct and indirect, associated with false positives and/or equivocal/incidental findings were highlighted. These and other considerations make it difficult to view some IHA as a bona fide medical activity. To allow it to be viewed as such requires that it be conducted within a robust clinical governance framework that includes regulatory dimensions. Copyright © 2016 The World Health Organization. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Young Children's Moral Judgments, Justifications, and Emotion Attributions in Peer Relationship Contexts.

    PubMed

    Smetana, Judith G; Ball, Courtney L

    2017-06-06

    Children (n = 160, 4- to 9-year-olds; M age  = 6.23 years, SD = 1.46) judged, justified, attributed emotions, and rated intent for hypothetical physical harm, psychological harm, and resource distribution transgressions against close friends, acquaintances, disliked peers, or bullies. Transgressions against bullies were judged more acceptable than against friends and disliked peers and less deserving of punishment than against acquaintances and disliked peers. Transgressions against friends were judged least intended and resulting in more negative emotions for transgressors; actors transgressing against disliked peers, as compared to bullies or acquaintances, were happy victimizers. Across relationships, children viewed moral transgressions as wrong independent of rules and authority, based primarily on welfare and fairness justifications. Peer context colors but does not fundamentally change moral evaluations. © 2017 The Authors. Child Development © 2017 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

  6. Objective Measurement of Emerging Affective Traits in Preschool Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adkins, Dorothy C.

    An objective measure of motivation to achieve for preschool children called Gumpgookies is described. It is an objective-projective technique that requires choice between two alternate types of behavior portrayed in pictures and accompanying verbal descriptions. Gumpgookies are amoeba-like creatures who behave in ways intended to show differences…

  7. Goals & Objectives Statements. SPEC Kit 15.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Association of Research Libraries, Washington, DC. Office of Management Studies.

    This collection of statements of goals and objectives from member libraries of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) contains: (1) sections from management review and analysis program reports from the University of Washington Libraries and the University of Rochester Library; (2) a detailed organization description from the Columbia…

  8. Measuring cultural justifications for caregiving in African American and White caregivers.

    PubMed

    Powers, Sara M; Whitlatch, Carol J

    2016-07-01

    This report will elucidate the psychometric properties of the Cultural Justifications for Caregiving Scale (CJCS) and evaluate the differences in cultural values and demographic variables among a group of African American and White caregivers. The CJCS measures the cultural reasons for and expectations about providing care to an older relative. CJCS data were collected from 202 adults caring for an older relative with memory loss. The factor structure of the CJCS was analyzed for reliability and its correlation with other measures pertaining to the caregiving experience. Exploratory factor analyses suggested two underlying factors relating to Duty and Reciprocity with high levels of reliability. The two factors showed different correlational patterns with other measures associated with the caregiving experience (CG demographics and well-being). Findings provide further evidence that the CJCS is a reliable measure for use with African American and White caregivers. Moreover, cultural motivations to provide care may differ for ethnically diverse CGs based on religious backgrounds and beliefs about family expectations surrounding the care of loved ones. The application of the CJCS is also discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

  9. Consolidated Development Objectives Document (CDOD) For MB-60

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Greene, William D.

    2013-01-01

    This document defines the objectives related to liquid rocket engine system development to be undertaken by JAXA in support of the Space Launch System (SLS) Program managed out of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). These objectives include furnishing the necessary management, labor, facilities, tools, equipment, and materials required to execute the specified activities. 1.1 Project Scope: The scope of this effort is to develop a rocket engine and associated products per the objectives and technical requirements established in this document. This engine, minus the engine controller, designated here as MB ]60, is to be developed through to a prequalification point of maturity. It is assumed that should JCNE ]1 development proceed beyond this maturity point towards actual flight qualification, the engine controller will be supplied and integrated by NASA. 1.2 Document Structure: The structure of this Consolidated Development Objectives Document (CDOD) includes a traditional description of objectives in a SOO, plus the associated Data Products Document (DPD) in an attached appendix, and then Engine Requirements Document (ERD) as another attached appendix. It is the intent that this document, in conjunction with the cited applicable documents, should constitute a complete programmatic and technical description of the development effort to be pursued.

  10. Descriptive and Functional Classifications of Drug Abusers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carlin, Albert S.; Stauss, Fred F.

    1977-01-01

    Polydrug (non-opiate-drug) abusers have previously been classified by a variety of typologies that can be characterized as either descriptive, functional, or a combination of both. This investigation proposes two objective scoring systems that classify polydrug users on a streetwise/straight dimension and on a self-medication/recreational-use…

  11. Mariner 10 Venus encounter. [scientific objectives and instruments for flyby observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dunne, J. A.

    1974-01-01

    Review of the scientific objectives of the Mariner 10 mission with regard to observations of Venus during a flyby, and description of the equipment installed on the spacecraft to fulfill these objectives. A detailed description is given of the hardware modifications made to the payload specifically for the Venus sequence. In discussing the encounter operations, two spacecraft problems which significantly affected the Venus encounter sequence are cited - namely, a failure of the television optic heaters to come on shortly after launch, and the occurrence of a roll gyro oscillation.

  12. Conscientious objection or fear of social stigma and unawareness of ethical obligations.

    PubMed

    Faúndes, Anibal; Duarte, Graciana Alves; Osis, Maria José Duarte

    2013-12-01

    Conscientious objection is a legitimate right of physicians to reject the practice of actions that violate their ethical or moral principles. The application of that principle is being used in many countries as a justification to deny safe abortion care to women who have the legal right to have access to safe termination of pregnancy. The problem is that, often, this concept is abused by physicians who camouflage under the guise of conscientious objection their fear of experiencing discrimination and social stigma if they perform legal abortions. These colleagues seem to ignore the ethical principle that the primary conscientious duty of OB/GYNs is-at all times-to treat, or provide benefit and prevent harm to, the patients for whose care they are responsible. Any conscientious objection to treating a patient is secondary to this primary duty. One of the jobs of the FIGO Working Group for the Prevention of Unsafe Abortion is to change this paradigm and make our colleagues proud of providing legal abortion services that protect women's life and health, and concerned about disrespecting the human rights of women and professional ethical principles. Copyright © 2013 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Justifications for Non-Consensual Medical Intervention: From Infectious Disease Control to Criminal Rehabilitation

    PubMed Central

    Pugh, Jonathan; Douglas, Thomas

    2016-01-01

    A central tenet of medical ethics holds that it is permissible to perform a medical intervention on a competent individual only if that individual has given informed consent to the intervention. Yet it occasionally seems morally permissible to carry out non-consensual medical interventions on competent individuals for the purpose of infectious disease control (IDC). We describe two different moral frameworks that have been invoked in support of non-consensual IDC interventions and identify five desiderata that might be used to guide assessments of the moral permissibility of such interventions on either kind of fundamental justification. We then consider what these desiderata imply for the justifiability of carrying out non-consensual medical interventions that are designed to facilitate rehabilitation amongst serious criminal offenders. We argue that these desiderata suggest that a plausible case can be made in favor of such interventions. PMID:28260832

  14. Generating description with multi-feature fusion and saliency maps of image

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Lisha; Ding, Yuxuan; Tian, Chunna; Yuan, Bo

    2018-04-01

    Generating description for an image can be regard as visual understanding. It is across artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing and many other areas. In this paper, we present a model that generates description for images based on RNN (recurrent neural network) with object attention and multi-feature of images. The deep recurrent neural networks have excellent performance in machine translation, so we use it to generate natural sentence description for images. The proposed method uses single CNN (convolution neural network) that is trained on ImageNet to extract image features. But we think it can not adequately contain the content in images, it may only focus on the object area of image. So we add scene information to image feature using CNN which is trained on Places205. Experiments show that model with multi-feature extracted by two CNNs perform better than which with a single feature. In addition, we make saliency weights on images to emphasize the salient objects in images. We evaluate our model on MSCOCO based on public metrics, and the results show that our model performs better than several state-of-the-art methods.

  15. Integrating planning perception and action for informed object search.

    PubMed

    Manso, Luis J; Gutierrez, Marco A; Bustos, Pablo; Bachiller, Pilar

    2018-05-01

    This paper presents a method to reduce the time spent by a robot with cognitive abilities when looking for objects in unknown locations. It describes how machine learning techniques can be used to decide which places should be inspected first, based on images that the robot acquires passively. The proposal is composed of two concurrent processes. The first one uses the aforementioned images to generate a description of the types of objects found in each object container seen by the robot. This is done passively, regardless of the task being performed. The containers can be tables, boxes, shelves or any other kind of container of known shape whose contents can be seen from a distance. The second process uses the previously computed estimation of the contents of the containers to decide which is the most likely container having the object to be found. This second process is deliberative and takes place only when the robot needs to find an object, whether because it is explicitly asked to locate one or because it is needed as a step to fulfil the mission of the robot. Upon failure to guess the right container, the robot can continue making guesses until the object is found. Guesses are made based on the semantic distance between the object to find and the description of the types of the objects found in each object container. The paper provides quantitative results comparing the efficiency of the proposed method and two base approaches.

  16. On the perpetuation of ignorance: system dependence, system justification, and the motivated avoidance of sociopolitical information.

    PubMed

    Shepherd, Steven; Kay, Aaron C

    2012-02-01

    How do people cope when they feel uninformed or unable to understand important social issues, such as the environment, energy concerns, or the economy? Do they seek out information, or do they simply ignore the threatening issue at hand? One would intuitively expect that a lack of knowledge would motivate an increased, unbiased search for information, thereby facilitating participation and engagement in these issues-especially when they are consequential, pressing, and self-relevant. However, there appears to be a discrepancy between the importance/self-relevance of social issues and people's willingness to engage with and learn about them. Leveraging the literature on system justification theory (Jost & Banaji, 1994), the authors hypothesized that, rather than motivating an increased search for information, a lack of knowledge about a specific sociopolitical issue will (a) foster feelings of dependence on the government, which will (b) increase system justification and government trust, which will (c) increase desires to avoid learning about the relevant issue when information is negative or when information valence is unknown. In other words, the authors suggest that ignorance-as a function of the system justifying tendencies it may activate-may, ironically, breed more ignorance. In the contexts of energy, environmental, and economic issues, the authors present 5 studies that (a) provide evidence for this specific psychological chain (i.e., ignorance about an issue → dependence → government trust → avoidance of information about that issue); (b) shed light on the role of threat and motivation in driving the second and third links in this chain; and (c) illustrate the unfortunate consequences of this process for individual action in those contexts that may need it most.

  17. How Children's Justifications of the "Best Thing to Do" in Peer Conflicts Relate to Their Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Early Elementary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leadbeater, Bonnie J.; Ohan, Jeneva L.; Hoglund, Wendy L.

    2006-01-01

    In this three-year longitudinal study, children were asked to choose the "best" strategy for dealing with hypothetical peer provocations and to justify "why" that was their choice at the end of first, second, and third grades. Teachers and parents also rated children's emotional and behavioral problems. Children's justifications were subjected to…

  18. Langley Atmospheric Information Retrieval System (LAIRS): System description and user's guide

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Boland, D. E., Jr.; Lee, T.

    1982-01-01

    This document presents the user's guide, system description, and mathematical specifications for the Langley Atmospheric Information Retrieval System (LAIRS). It also includes a description of an optimal procedure for operational use of LAIRS. The primary objective of the LAIRS Program is to make it possible to obtain accurate estimates of atmospheric pressure, density, temperature, and winds along Shuttle reentry trajectories for use in postflight data reduction.

  19. The model and moral justification for organ procurement in Japan.

    PubMed

    Bagheri, Alireza; Shoji, Shin'ichi

    2005-01-01

    Organ replacement therapy is a part of medical practice in today's world and many countries have adopted the required guidelines and regulations. Establishing the basis on which organs can be removed, is still one of the most controversial issues of health policy making in the debate. The critical disparity between supply and demand in organ replacement therapy, even with the existence of social acceptance and organ transplantation law, turns attention towards the importance of an appropriate model of organ procurement. This model should be able to expand the donor pool and increase the organ retrieval rate by converting potential donors to actual ones. In Japan the organ transplantation law which was enacted in 1997 allows organ procurement from brain death as well as non-heart beating cadavers according to restricted conditions. One such condition includes the necessity of both the donor's and the family's written consent. Under current organ procurement policy, organs from only 29 brain death cases have been so far procured. In this paper after examining the current organ procurement system in Japan and the moral justifications behind different organ procurement models we conclude that the Japanese system does not clearly fall into one of the popular organ procurement models.

  20. Job Analysis, Job Descriptions, and Performance Appraisal Systems.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sims, Johnnie M.; Foxley, Cecelia H.

    1980-01-01

    Job analysis, job descriptions, and performance appraisal can benefit student services administration in many ways. Involving staff members in the development and implementation of these techniques can increase commitment to and understanding of the overall objectives of the office, as well as communication and cooperation among colleagues.…

  1. Viewpoint-Specific Representations in Three-Dimensional Object Recognition

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-08-01

    for useful suggestions and illuminating discuc- sions, and Ellen Hildreth for her comments on a draft of this repcrt. References [1] 1. Biederman ...1982. [24] I. Rock and J. DiVita. A case of viewer-centered object perception. Cognitive Psychology, 19:280-293, 1987 . [25] I. Rock, D. Wheeler, and...Raleigh, NC, 1987 . [30] S. Ullman. Aligning pictorial descriptions: an approach to object recognition. Cognition, 32:193-254, 1989. [31] S. UUman and R

  2. A knowledge-based object recognition system for applications in the space station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dhawan, Atam P.

    1988-01-01

    A knowledge-based three-dimensional (3D) object recognition system is being developed. The system uses primitive-based hierarchical relational and structural matching for the recognition of 3D objects in the two-dimensional (2D) image for interpretation of the 3D scene. At present, the pre-processing, low-level preliminary segmentation, rule-based segmentation, and the feature extraction are completed. The data structure of the primitive viewing knowledge-base (PVKB) is also completed. Algorithms and programs based on attribute-trees matching for decomposing the segmented data into valid primitives were developed. The frame-based structural and relational descriptions of some objects were created and stored in a knowledge-base. This knowledge-base of the frame-based descriptions were developed on the MICROVAX-AI microcomputer in LISP environment. The simulated 3D scene of simple non-overlapping objects as well as real camera data of images of 3D objects of low-complexity have been successfully interpreted.

  3. General practitioners’ justifications for therapeutic inertia in cardiovascular prevention: an empirically grounded typology

    PubMed Central

    Lebeau, Jean-Pierre; Cadwallader, Jean-Sébastien; Vaillant-Roussel, Hélène; Pouchain, Denis; Yaouanc, Virginie; Aubin-Auger, Isabelle; Mercier, Alain; Rusch, Emmanuel; Remmen, Roy; Vermeire, Etienne; Hendrickx, Kristin

    2016-01-01

    Objective To construct a typology of general practitioners’ (GPs) responses regarding their justification of therapeutic inertia in cardiovascular primary prevention for high-risk patients with hypertension. Design Empirically grounded construction of typology. Types were defined by attributes derived from the qualitative analysis of GPs’ reported reasons for inaction. Participants 256 GPs randomised in the intervention group of a cluster randomised controlled trial. Setting GPs members of 23 French Regional Colleges of Teachers in General Practice, included in the EffectS of a multifaceted intervention on CArdiovascular risk factors in high-risk hyPErtensive patients (ESCAPE) trial. Data collection and analysis The database consisted of 2638 written responses given by the GPs to an open-ended question asking for the reasons why drug treatment was not changed as suggested by the national guidelines. All answers were coded using constant comparison analysis. A matrix analysis of codes per GP allowed the construction of a response typology, where types were defined by codes as attributes. Initial coding and definition of types were performed independently by two teams. Results Initial coding resulted in a list of 69 codes in the final codebook, representing 4764 coded references in the question responses. A typology including seven types was constructed. 100 GPs were allocated to one and only one of these types, while 25 GPs did not provide enough data to allow classification. Types (numbers of GPs allocated) were: ‘optimists’ (28), ‘negotiators’ (20), ‘checkers’ (15), ‘contextualisers’ (13), ‘cautious’ (11), ‘rounders’ (8) and ‘scientists’ (5). For the 36 GPs that provided 50 or more coded references, analysis of the code evolution over time and across patients showed a consistent belonging to the initial type for any given GP. Conclusion This typology could provide GPs with some insight into their general ways of considering changes

  4. Descriptive Cataloging Education in Library Schools, Using the University of Washington as a Specific Example.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Soper, Mary Ellen

    1987-01-01

    This discussion of the inclusion of descriptive cataloging as part of library education describes the descriptive cataloging segment of the curriculum at the University of Washington, including the sequence of courses and the content and objectives of each course. (CLB)

  5. Evaluating models of object-decision priming: evidence from event-related potential repetition effects.

    PubMed

    Soldan, Anja; Mangels, Jennifer A; Cooper, Lynn A

    2006-03-01

    This study was designed to differentiate between structural description and bias accounts of performance in the possible/impossible object-decision test. Two event-related potential (ERP) studies examined how the visual system processes structurally possible and impossible objects. Specifically, the authors investigated the effects of object repetition on a series of early posterior components during structural (Experiment 1) and functional (Experiment 2) encoding and the relationship of these effects to behavioral measures of priming. In both experiments, the authors found repetition enhancement of the posterior N1 and N2 for possible objects only. In addition, the magnitude of the N1 repetition effect for possible objects was correlated with priming for possible objects. Although the behavioral results were more ambiguous, these ERP results fail to support bias models that hold that both possible and impossible objects are processed similarly in the visual system. Instead, they support the view that priming is supported by a structural description system that encodes the global 3-dimensional structure of an object.

  6. Optical polarimetry and photometry of X-ray selected BL Lacertae objects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jannuzi, Buell T.; Smith, Paul S.; Elston, Richard

    1993-01-01

    We present the data from 3 years of monitoring the optical polarization and apparent brightness of 37 X-ray-selected BL Lacertae objects. The monitored objects include a complete sample drawn from the Einstein Extended Medium Sensitivity Survey. We confirm the BL Lac identifications for 15 of these 22 objects. We include descriptions of the objects and samples in our monitoring program and of the existing complete samples of BL Lac objects, highly polarized quasars, optically violent variable quasars, and blazars.

  7. SER-LARS, Volume 4. Learning Objective History III. 1975-76 Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Montgomery County Intermediate Unit 23, Blue Bell, PA.

    The fourth volume in the SER-LARS (Special Education Resources Location Analysis and Retrieval System) series, a diagnostic-prescriptive instructional data bank for teachers of handicapped children, presents a continuation of learning objectives organized by content descriptions. Entrees give a history of the use of each objective along with…

  8. Initial estimate of NOAA-9 SBUV/2 total ozone drift: Based on comparison with re-calibrated TOMS measurements and pair justification of SBUV/2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wellemeyer, C. G.; Taylor, S. L.; Gu, X. U.; Mcpeters, Richard D.; Hudson, R. D.

    1990-01-01

    Newly recalibrated version 6 Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) data are used as a reference measurement in a comparison of monthly means of total ozone in 10 degree latitude zones from SBUV/2 and the nadir measurements from TOMS. These comparisons indicate a roughly linear long-term drift in SBUV/2 total ozone relative to TOMS of about 2.5 Dobson units per year at the equator over the first three years of SBUV/2. The pari justification technique is also applied to the SBUV/2 measurements in a manner similar to that used for SBUV and TOMS. The higher solar zenith angles associated with the afternoon orbit of NOAA-9 and the large changes in solar zenith angle associated with its changing equator crossing time degrade the accuracy of the pair justification method relative to its application to SBUV and TOMS, but the results are consistent with the SBUV/2-TOMS comparisons, and show a roughly linear drift in SBUV/2 of 2.5 to 4.5 Dobson units per year in equatorial ozone.

  9. The Emergence of Objects from Mathematical Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Font, Vicenc; Godino, Juan D.; Gallardo, Jesus

    2013-01-01

    The nature of mathematical objects, their various types, the way in which they are formed, and how they participate in mathematical activity are all questions of interest for philosophy and mathematics education. Teaching in schools is usually based, implicitly or explicitly, on a descriptive/realist view of mathematics, an approach which is not…

  10. Effective description of domain wall strings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodrigues, Davi R.; Abanov, Ar.; Sinova, J.; Everschor-Sitte, K.

    2018-04-01

    The analysis of domain wall dynamics is often simplified to one-dimensional physics. For domain walls in thin films, more realistic approaches require the description as two-dimensional objects. This includes the study of vortices and curvatures along the domain walls as well as the influence of boundary effects. Here we provide a theory in terms of soft modes that allows us to analytically study the physics of extended domain walls and their stability. By considering irregularly shaped skyrmions as closed domain walls, we analyze their plasticity and compare their dynamics with those of circular skyrmions. Our theory directly provides an analytical description of the excitation modes of magnetic skyrmions, previously accessible only through sophisticated micromagnetic numerical calculations and spectral analysis. These analytical expressions provide the scaling behavior of the different physics on parameters that experiments can test.

  11. Justification of disintegration testing beyond current FDA criteria using in vitro and in silico models.

    PubMed

    Uebbing, Lukas; Klumpp, Lukas; Webster, Gregory K; Löbenberg, Raimar

    2017-01-01

    Drug product performance testing is an important part of quality-by-design approaches, but this process often lacks the underlying mechanistic understanding of the complex interactions between the disintegration and dissolution processes involved. Whereas a recent draft guideline by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed the replacement of dissolution testing with disintegration testing, the mentioned criteria are not globally accepted. This study provides scientific justification for using disintegration testing rather than dissolution testing as a quality control method for certain immediate release (IR) formulations. A mechanistic approach, which is beyond the current FDA criteria, is presented. Dissolution testing via United States Pharmacopeial Convention Apparatus II at various paddle speeds was performed for immediate and extended release formulations of metronidazole. Dissolution profile fitting via DDSolver and dissolution profile predictions via DDDPlus™ were performed. The results showed that Fickian diffusion and drug particle properties (DPP) were responsible for the dissolution of the IR tablets, and that formulation factors (eg, coning) impacted dissolution only at lower rotation speeds. Dissolution was completely formulation controlled if extended release tablets were tested and DPP were not important. To demonstrate that disintegration is the most important dosage form attribute when dissolution is DPP controlled, disintegration, intrinsic dissolution and dissolution testing were performed in conventional and disintegration impacting media (DIM). Tablet disintegration was affected by DIM and model fitting to the Korsmeyer-Peppas equation showed a growing effect of the formulation in DIM. DDDPlus was able to predict tablet dissolution and the intrinsic dissolution profiles in conventional media and DIM. The study showed that disintegration has to occur before DPP-dependent dissolution can happen. The study suggests that

  12. Justification of disintegration testing beyond current FDA criteria using in vitro and in silico models

    PubMed Central

    Uebbing, Lukas; Klumpp, Lukas; Webster, Gregory K; Löbenberg, Raimar

    2017-01-01

    Drug product performance testing is an important part of quality-by-design approaches, but this process often lacks the underlying mechanistic understanding of the complex interactions between the disintegration and dissolution processes involved. Whereas a recent draft guideline by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed the replacement of dissolution testing with disintegration testing, the mentioned criteria are not globally accepted. This study provides scientific justification for using disintegration testing rather than dissolution testing as a quality control method for certain immediate release (IR) formulations. A mechanistic approach, which is beyond the current FDA criteria, is presented. Dissolution testing via United States Pharmacopeial Convention Apparatus II at various paddle speeds was performed for immediate and extended release formulations of metronidazole. Dissolution profile fitting via DDSolver and dissolution profile predictions via DDDPlus™ were performed. The results showed that Fickian diffusion and drug particle properties (DPP) were responsible for the dissolution of the IR tablets, and that formulation factors (eg, coning) impacted dissolution only at lower rotation speeds. Dissolution was completely formulation controlled if extended release tablets were tested and DPP were not important. To demonstrate that disintegration is the most important dosage form attribute when dissolution is DPP controlled, disintegration, intrinsic dissolution and dissolution testing were performed in conventional and disintegration impacting media (DIM). Tablet disintegration was affected by DIM and model fitting to the Korsmeyer–Peppas equation showed a growing effect of the formulation in DIM. DDDPlus was able to predict tablet dissolution and the intrinsic dissolution profiles in conventional media and DIM. The study showed that disintegration has to occur before DPP-dependent dissolution can happen. The study suggests that

  13. Quality assurance in digital dental radiography--justification and dose reduction in dental and maxillofacial radiology.

    PubMed

    Hellstern, F; Geibel, M-A

    2012-01-01

    To evaluate the implementation of quality assurance requirements for digital dental radiography in routine clinical practice. The results should be discussed by radiation protection authorities in the context of the relevant legal requirements and current debates on radiation protection. Two hundred digital dental radiographs were randomly selected from the digital database of the Department of Dentistry's Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic, Ulm University, and evaluated for various aspects of image quality and compliance with radiographic documentation requirements. The dental films were prepared by different radiology assistants (RAs) using one of two digital intraoral radiographic systems: Sirona Heliodent DS, 60 kV, focal spot size: 0.7 mm (group A) or KaVo Gendex 765 DC, 65 kV, focal spot size: 0.4 mm (group B). Radiographic justification was documented in 70.5% of cases, and the radiographic findings in 76.5%. Both variables were documented in the patient records as well as in the software in 14% of cases. Clinical documentation of the required information (name of the responsible dentist and radiology assistant, date, patient name, department, tube voltage, tube current, exposure time, type of radiograph, film size, department and serial number of the dental radiograph) was 100% complete in all cases. Moreover, the department certified according to DIN ISO 9001:2008 specifications demonstrated complete clinical documentation of radiographic justifications and radiographic findings. The entire dentition was visible on 83% of the digital films. The visible area corresponded to the target region on 85.7% of the digital dental radiographs. Seven to 8.5% of the images were classified as "hypometric" or "hypermetric". This study indicates that improvements in radiology training and continuing education fordentists and dental staff performing x-ray examinations are needed to ensure consistent high quality of digital dental radiography. Implementation of

  14. Examining the Accuracy and Justification of Geometric Constructions Made by Pre-Service Teachers with Dynamic Geometry Software and the Awareness They Gained throughout the Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bozkurt, Ali

    2018-01-01

    This study examined pre-service teachers' accuracy for geometric constructions with dynamic geometry software, their justification for the accuracy of geometric figures, and their awareness they gained throughout the process. The data come from a sample of 71 elementary grade pre-service teachers activity form completed as a part of geometry…

  15. Representing metabolic pathway information: an object-oriented approach.

    PubMed

    Ellis, L B; Speedie, S M; McLeish, R

    1998-01-01

    The University of Minnesota Biocatalysis/Biodegradation Database (UM-BBD) is a website providing information and dynamic links for microbial metabolic pathways, enzyme reactions, and their substrates and products. The Compound, Organism, Reaction and Enzyme (CORE) object-oriented database management system was developed to contain and serve this information. CORE was developed using Java, an object-oriented programming language, and PSE persistent object classes from Object Design, Inc. CORE dynamically generates descriptive web pages for reactions, compounds and enzymes, and reconstructs ad hoc pathway maps starting from any UM-BBD reaction. CORE code is available from the authors upon request. CORE is accessible through the UM-BBD at: http://www. labmed.umn.edu/umbbd/index.html.

  16. SER-LARS, Volume 3. Learning Objective History II. 1975-76 Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Montgomery County Intermediate Unit 23, Blue Bell, PA.

    The third of nine volumes in the SER-LARS (Special Education Resources Location Analysis and Retrieval System) series, a diagnostic-prescriptive instructional data bank for teachers of handicapped children, presents learning objectives organized by content descriptions. Entries give a history of the use of each objective along with information on…

  17. An objective and reproducible landform and topography description approach based on digital terrain analysis used for soil profile site characteristics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gruber, Fabian E.; Baruck, Jasmin; Hastik, Richard; Geitner, Clemens

    2015-04-01

    All major soil description and classification systems, including the World Reference Base (WRB) and the German Soil description guidelines (KA5), require the characterization of landform and topography for soil profile sites. This is commonly done at more than one scale, for instance at macro-, meso- and micro scale. However, inherent when humans perform such a task, different surveyors will reach different conclusions due to their subjective perception of landscape structure, based on their individual mind-model of soil-landscape structure, emphasizing different aspects and scales of the landscape. In this study we apply a work-flow using the GRASS GIS extension module r.geomorphon to make use of high resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) to characterize the landform elements and topography of soil profile sites at different scales, and compare the results with a large number of soil profile site descriptions performed during the course of forestry surveys in South and North Tyrol (Italy and Austria, respectively). The r.geomorphon extension module for the open source geographic information system GRASS GIS applies a pattern recognition algorithm to delineate landform elements based on an input DEM. For each raster cell it computes and characterizes the visible neighborhood using line-of-sight calculations and then applies a lookup-table to classify the raster cell into one of ten landform elements (flat, peak, ridge, shoulder, slope, spur, hollow, footslope, valley and pit). The input parameter search radius (L) represents the maximum number of pixels for line-of-sight calculation, resulting in landforms larger than L to be split into landform components. The use of these visibility calculations makes this landform delineation approach suitable for comparison with the landform descriptions of soil surveyors, as their spatial perception of the landscape surrounding a soil profile site certainly influences their classification of the landform on which the

  18. Children’s sedentary behaviour: descriptive epidemiology and associations with objectively-measured sedentary time

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Little is known regarding the patterning and socio-demographic distribution of multiple sedentary behaviours in children. The aims of this study were to: 1) describe the leisure-time sedentary behaviour of 9–10 year old British children, and 2) establish associations with objectively-measured sedentary time. Methods Cross-sectional analysis in the SPEEDY study (Sport, Physical activity and Eating behaviour: Environmental Determinants in Young people) (N=1513, 44.3% boys). Twelve leisure-time sedentary behaviours were assessed by questionnaire. Objectively-measured leisure-time sedentary time (Actigraph GT1M, <100 counts/minute) was assessed over 7 days. Differences by sex and socioeconomic status (SES) in self-reported sedentary behaviours were tested using Kruskal-Wallis tests. The association between objectively-measured sedentary time and the separate sedentary behaviours (continuous (minutes) and categorised into 'none’ 'low’ or 'high’ participation) was assessed using multi-level linear regression. Results Sex differences were observed for time spent in most sedentary behaviours (all p ≤ 0.02), except computer use. Girls spent more time in combined non-screen sedentary behaviour (median, interquartile range: girls: 770.0 minutes, 390.0-1230.0; boys: 725.0, 365.0 - 1182.5; p = 0.003), whereas boys spent more time in screen-based behaviours (girls: 540.0, 273.0 - 1050.0; boys: 885.0, 502.5 - 1665.0; p < 0.001). Time spent in five non-screen behaviours differed by SES, with higher values in those of higher SES (all p ≤ 0.001). Regression analyses with continuous exposures indicated that reading (β = 0.1, p < 0.001) and watching television (β = 0.04, p < 0.01) were positively associated with objectively-measured sedentary time, whilst playing board games (β = -0.12, p < 0.05) was negatively associated. Analysed in categorical form, sitting and talking (vs. none: 'low’ β = 26.1,ns

  19. Longitudinal Relationship Between Drinking with Peers, Descriptive Norms, and Adolescent Alcohol Use

    PubMed Central

    Brooks-Russell, Ashley; Simons-Morton, Bruce; Haynie, Denise; Farhat, Tilda; Wang, Jing

    2014-01-01

    Descriptive norms are consistently found to predict adolescent alcohol use but less is known about the factors that predict descriptive norms. The objective of this study is to test if drinking with peers predicts later alcohol consumption and if this relationship is mediated by a change in the descriptive norms of peer alcohol use. Data are from a nationally representative cohort of high school students surveyed in the 10th and 11th grade (N=2,162). Structural equation modeling was used to test a mediation model of the relationship between drinking with peers (T1) on later alcohol use (T2) and mediation of the relationship by descriptive norms (T2). Descriptive norms significantly mediated the relationship between drinking with peers and alcohol use for both males and females with a somewhat larger effect for males compared to females. These results support a continued focus on the development and evaluation of interventions to alter descriptive norms of alcohol use. PMID:23564529

  20. Longitudinal relationship between drinking with peers, descriptive norms, and adolescent alcohol use.

    PubMed

    Brooks-Russell, Ashley; Simons-Morton, Bruce; Haynie, Denise; Farhat, Tilda; Wang, Jing

    2014-08-01

    Descriptive norms are consistently found to predict adolescent alcohol use but less is known about the factors that predict descriptive norms. The objective of this study is to test if drinking with peers predicts later alcohol consumption and if this relationship is mediated by a change in the descriptive norms of peer alcohol use. Data are from a nationally representative cohort of high school students surveyed in the 10th and 11th grade (N = 2,162). Structural equation modeling was used to test a mediation model of the relationship between drinking with peers (T1) on later alcohol use (T2) and mediation of the relationship by descriptive norms (T2). Descriptive norms significantly mediated the relationship between drinking with peers and alcohol use for both males and females with a somewhat larger effect for males compared to females. These results support a continued focus on the development and evaluation of interventions to alter descriptive norms of alcohol use.

  1. A Self-Determination Model of Childhood Exposure, Perceived Prevalence, Justification, and Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence.

    PubMed

    Neighbors, Clayton; Walker, Denise D; Mbilinyi, Lyungai F; Zegree, Joan; Foster, Dawn W; Roffman, Roger A

    2013-02-01

    The present research was designed to evaluate self-determination theory as a framework for integrating factors associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. The proposed model suggests that childhood exposure to parental violence may influence global motivational orientations which, in turn result in greater cognitive biases (overestimating the prevalence of IPV and justification of IPV) which, in turn, contribute to an individual's decision to use abusive behavior. Participants included 124 men who had engaged in abusive behavior toward an intimate partner. Results provided reasonable support for the proposed model and stronger support for a revised model suggesting that controlled orientation, rather than autonomy orientation, appears to play a stronger role in the association between childhood exposure to parental violence and cognitive biases associated with abusive behavior.

  2. 42 CFR 457.710 - State plan requirements: Strategic objectives and performance goals.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ...) ALLOTMENTS AND GRANTS TO STATES Strategic Planning, Reporting, and Evaluation § 457.710 State plan requirements: Strategic objectives and performance goals. (a) Plan description. A State plan must include a... 42 Public Health 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false State plan requirements: Strategic objectives and...

  3. The High Energy Solar Physics mission (HESP): Scientific objectives and technical description

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crannell, Carol; Dennis, Brian; Davis, John; Emslie, Gordon; Haerendel, Gerhard; Hudson, High; Hurford, Gordon; Lin, Robert; Ling, James; Pick, Monique

    1991-01-01

    The High Energy Solar Physics mission offers the opportunity for major breakthroughs in the understanding of the fundamental energy release and particle acceleration processes at the core of the solar flare problem. The following subject areas are covered: the scientific objectives of HESP; what we can expect from the HESP observations; the high energy imaging spectrometer (HEISPEC); the HESP spacecraft; and budget and schedule.

  4. Model-based occluded object recognition using Petri nets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Chuan; Hura, Gurdeep S.

    1998-09-01

    This paper discusses the use of Petri nets to model the process of the object matching between an image and a model under different 2D geometric transformations. This transformation finds its applications in sensor-based robot control, flexible manufacturing system and industrial inspection, etc. A description approach for object structure is presented by its topological structure relation called Point-Line Relation Structure (PLRS). It has been shown how Petri nets can be used to model the matching process, and an optimal or near optimal matching can be obtained by tracking the reachability graph of the net. The experiment result shows that object can be successfully identified and located under 2D transformation such as translations, rotations, scale changes and distortions due to object occluded partially.

  5. Teaching Descriptive Writing through Visualization and the Five Senses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carter, Katherine

    2015-01-01

    The descriptive paragraph and subsequent essay are usually among the first assignments students must complete in composition classes. Typically, students are told to describe their childhood home, a person of importance, a special object, or a summer vacation. Most students, especially learners of English as a foreign language (EFL), have…

  6. Object-oriented biomedical system modelling--the language.

    PubMed

    Hakman, M; Groth, T

    1999-11-01

    The paper describes a new object-oriented biomedical continuous system modelling language (OOBSML). It is fully object-oriented and supports model inheritance, encapsulation, and model component instantiation and behaviour polymorphism. Besides the traditional differential and algebraic equation expressions the language includes also formal expressions for documenting models and defining model quantity types and quantity units. It supports explicit definition of model input-, output- and state quantities, model components and component connections. The OOBSML model compiler produces self-contained, independent, executable model components that can be instantiated and used within other OOBSML models and/or stored within model and model component libraries. In this way complex models can be structured as multilevel, multi-component model hierarchies. Technically the model components produced by the OOBSML compiler are executable computer code objects based on distributed object and object request broker technology. This paper includes both the language tutorial and the formal language syntax and semantic description.

  7. A Foreign Object Damage Event Detector Data Fusion System for Turbofan Engines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Turso, James A.; Litt, Jonathan S.

    2004-01-01

    A Data Fusion System designed to provide a reliable assessment of the occurrence of Foreign Object Damage (FOD) in a turbofan engine is presented. The FOD-event feature level fusion scheme combines knowledge of shifts in engine gas path performance obtained using a Kalman filter, with bearing accelerometer signal features extracted via wavelet analysis, to positively identify a FOD event. A fuzzy inference system provides basic probability assignments (bpa) based on features extracted from the gas path analysis and bearing accelerometers to a fusion algorithm based on the Dempster-Shafer-Yager Theory of Evidence. Details are provided on the wavelet transforms used to extract the foreign object strike features from the noisy data and on the Kalman filter-based gas path analysis. The system is demonstrated using a turbofan engine combined-effects model (CEM), providing both gas path and rotor dynamic structural response, and is suitable for rapid-prototyping of control and diagnostic systems. The fusion of the disparate data can provide significantly more reliable detection of a FOD event than the use of either method alone. The use of fuzzy inference techniques combined with Dempster-Shafer-Yager Theory of Evidence provides a theoretical justification for drawing conclusions based on imprecise or incomplete data.

  8. 45 CFR 154.215 - Submission of rate filing justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ...) Historical and projected claims experience. (2) Trend projections related to utilization, and service or unit... increases reported in the rate increase summary. (2) Brief description of the overall experience of the...

  9. 45 CFR 154.215 - Submission of rate filing justification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ...) Historical and projected claims experience. (2) Trend projections related to utilization, and service or unit... increases reported in the rate increase summary. (2) Brief description of the overall experience of the...

  10. Analysis of the Paternalistic Justification of an Agenda Setting Public Health Policy: The Case of Tobacco Plain Packaging

    PubMed Central

    Anker, Thomas Boysen

    2016-01-01

    This article analyses the paternalistic justification of the world’s first mandatory tobacco plain packaging policy, which came into force in Australia in 2012. The policy is setting international precedence, with a range of developed and developing countries planning and implementing similar policies. Understanding the paternalistic dimension of the policy is therefore of imminent international importance. The policy meets important ethical benchmarks such as respect for citizens’ self-interests and protection of others against harm. However, plain packaging faces a number of ethical challenges: the policy is a controversial type of paternalism; it runs partially against the harm principle; and it fails to meet key operational criteria. PMID:27551306

  11. A microscopic description of black hole evaporation via holography

    DOE PAGES

    Berkowitz, Evan; Hanada, Masanori; Maltz, Jonathan

    2016-07-19

    Here, we propose a description of how a large, cold black hole (black zero-brane) in type IIA superstring theory evaporates into freely propagating D0-branes, by solving the dual gauge theory quantitatively. The energy spectrum of emitted D0-branes is parametrically close to thermal when the black hole is large. The black hole, while initially cold, gradually becomes an extremely hot and stringy object as it evaporates. As it emits D0-branes, its emission rate speeds up and it evaporates completely without leaving any remnant. Hence this system provides us with a concrete holographic description of black hole evaporation without information loss.

  12. A microscopic description of black hole evaporation via holography

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

    Berkowitz, Evan; Hanada, Masanori; Maltz, Jonathan

    Here, we propose a description of how a large, cold black hole (black zero-brane) in type IIA superstring theory evaporates into freely propagating D0-branes, by solving the dual gauge theory quantitatively. The energy spectrum of emitted D0-branes is parametrically close to thermal when the black hole is large. The black hole, while initially cold, gradually becomes an extremely hot and stringy object as it evaporates. As it emits D0-branes, its emission rate speeds up and it evaporates completely without leaving any remnant. Hence this system provides us with a concrete holographic description of black hole evaporation without information loss.

  13. Fiscal Year 1986 Technical Objective Document (TOD).

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-03-01

    abilties superior to other IR and manual turrets. - START DATE: FY 88 END DATE: FY 90" PROJECT TITLE: COMPOSITE METAL FIRES EE 62:06 JON: 2673XXXX...TECHNOLOGY: FIRE ELEMENT: INTERACTION DESCRIPTION (TECHNICAL OBJECTIVE) Evaluate a new series of agents "BORALONS" capable of extinguishing metal fires and...PROJECT TITLE: COMPOSITE METAL FIRES PE: 63723 JON: 2104XXXX

  14. A dependency-based modelling mechanism for problem solving

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    London, P.

    1978-01-01

    The paper develops a technique of dependency net modeling which relies on an explicit representation of justifications for beliefs held by the problem solver. Using these justifications, the modeling mechanism is able to determine the relevant lines of inference to pursue during problem solving. Three particular problem-solving difficulties which may be handled by the dependency-based technique are discussed: (1) subgoal violation detection, (2) description binding, and (3) maintaining a consistent world model.

  15. Circular polarimetry of fifteen interesting objects.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kemp, J. C.; Wolstencroft, R. D.; Swedlund, J. B.

    1972-01-01

    The results of a search are presented for circular polarization of visible light in 15 objects, including two eclipsing binaries, six magnetic Ap stars, three planetary nebulae, Hubble's Nebula, M87, Sirius, and the Orion A region. On the whole, the results were null, down to typical upper limits for q of 0.01 per cent. A complete description of the used photoelastic polarimeter is given, with special attention to the incidental linear-circular conversion.

  16. A Self-Determination Model of Childhood Exposure, Perceived Prevalence, Justification, and Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence

    PubMed Central

    Neighbors, Clayton; Walker, Denise D.; Mbilinyi, Lyungai F.; Zegree, Joan; Foster, Dawn W.; Roffman, Roger A.

    2012-01-01

    The present research was designed to evaluate self-determination theory as a framework for integrating factors associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. The proposed model suggests that childhood exposure to parental violence may influence global motivational orientations which, in turn result in greater cognitive biases (overestimating the prevalence of IPV and justification of IPV) which, in turn, contribute to an individual’s decision to use abusive behavior. Participants included 124 men who had engaged in abusive behavior toward an intimate partner. Results provided reasonable support for the proposed model and stronger support for a revised model suggesting that controlled orientation, rather than autonomy orientation, appears to play a stronger role in the association between childhood exposure to parental violence and cognitive biases associated with abusive behavior. PMID:23526064

  17. How Far Is "Near"? Inferring Distance from Spatial Descriptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carlson, Laura A.; Covey, Eric S.

    2005-01-01

    A word may mean different things in different contexts. The current study explored the changing denotations of spatial terms, focusing on how the distance inferred from a spatial description varied as a function of the size of the objects being spatially related. We examined both terms that explicitly convey distance (i.e., topological terms such…

  18. Distinguishing Features and Similarities Between Descriptive Phenomenological and Qualitative Description Research.

    PubMed

    Willis, Danny G; Sullivan-Bolyai, Susan; Knafl, Kathleen; Cohen, Marlene Z

    2016-09-01

    Scholars who research phenomena of concern to the discipline of nursing are challenged with making wise choices about different qualitative research approaches. Ultimately, they want to choose an approach that is best suited to answer their research questions. Such choices are predicated on having made distinctions between qualitative methodology, methods, and analytic frames. In this article, we distinguish two qualitative research approaches widely used for descriptive studies: descriptive phenomenological and qualitative description. Providing a clear basis that highlights the distinguishing features and similarities between descriptive phenomenological and qualitative description research will help students and researchers make more informed choices in deciding upon the most appropriate methodology in qualitative research. We orient the reader to distinguishing features and similarities associated with each approach and the kinds of research questions descriptive phenomenological and qualitative description research address. © The Author(s) 2016.

  19. The acceptability of conducting data linkage research without obtaining consent: lay people's views and justifications.

    PubMed

    Xafis, Vicki

    2015-11-17

    A key ethical issue arising in data linkage research relates to consent requirements. Patients' consent preferences in the context of health research have been explored but their consent preferences regarding data linkage specifically have been under-explored. In addition, the views on data linkage are often those of patient groups. As a result, little is known about lay people's views and their preferences about consent requirements in the context of data linkage. This study explores lay people's views and justifications regarding the acceptability of conducting data linkage research without obtaining consent. A qualitative study explored lay people's views regarding consent requirements in data linkage via four hypothetical data linkage scenarios of increasing complexity. Prior to considering the scenarios, participants were provided with information regarding best practice data linkage processes via discussion and a diagrammatic representation of the process. Lay people were able to understand the intricate processes involved in data linkage and the key protections afforded within a short amount of time. They were supportive of data linkage research and, on the whole, believed it should be conducted without consent provided a data linkage organization de-identifies the data used so that researchers do not handle identifiable data. Many thought that de-identified data holds a different status to identifiable data and should be used without specific consent in research that aims to benefit society. In weighing up conflicting values and interests, participants shifted consent preferences before arriving at their final consent preference for each scenario and provided justifications for their choices. They considered the protection of people's information, societal benefits, and the nature and constraints of research and recognized that these need to be balanced. With some exposure to the features of data linkage, lay people have the capacity to understand the

  20. Hartung's Astronomical Objects for Southern Telescopes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malin, David; Frew, David J.

    1995-10-01

    Many of the most spectacular astronomical objects are found in the southern skies. With this up-to-date, superbly illustrated handbook, both the amateur with binoculars and the expert with a telescope can make discoveries about new and interesting objects. Professor E. J. Hartung first produced his comprehensive and highly respected guide in 1968. Now the book has been greatly expanded and thoroughly revised, enhancing its character as an indispensable information source. With over 150 illustrations, new material is included on constellations and celestial coordinate systems as well as more modern descriptions of stars, nebulae and galaxies. The authors have included a new "southern Messier" list of objects. The authors' passion for their subject make this a unique and inspirational book. Many of the beautiful photographs were taken by David Malin, the world's leading astronomical photographer. The result will fascinate active and armchair astronomers alike.

  1. Justification of Structural and Technological Solutions on Junction Perfecting on Permyakova and Shirotnaya Streets Intersection in Tyumen

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sannikov, S. P.; Timohovetz, V. D.; Kuzuek, A. Y.

    2017-11-01

    This article presents the justification of structurally-technological decisions on a junction perfecting on the intersection of Permyakova and Shirotnaya Streets in Tyumen. The authors made a comparative analysis of typical road junctions. Based on the comparison, the engineering decisions were made for an individual type of transport junctions. Several options of individual design were proposed and analyzed and three most suitable types for the road junctions were offered. On the basis of a multilateral studying and evaluation of the developed transport the article further proposed a transport junction with change-side traffic. The use of this type of intersection will increase the road junction capacity, reduce the number of accidents due to conflicting flows reduction which, in its turn, will increase the speed of cars.

  2. Stereo Orthogonal Axonometric Perspective for the Teaching of Descriptive Geometry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Méxas, José Geraldo Franco; Bastos Guedes, Karla; da Silva Tavares, Ronaldo

    2014-01-01

    The representation of figures in mongean projection (double system planned orthographic projection used in the studies of Descriptive Geometry), specially when placed in a particular situation in relation to the projection plans, possesses the quality that, through them, the actual dimensions of represented spatial objects can be found directly…

  3. Description of the Large-Gap Magnetic Suspension System (LGMSS) ground based experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Groom, Nelson J.

    1991-01-01

    An overview of the Large Gap Magnetic Suspension System (LGMSS) ground-based experiment is provided. A description of the experiment, as originally defined, and the experiment objectives and potential applications of the technology resulting from the experiment are presented. Also, the results of two studies which were conducted to investigate the feasibility of implementing the experiment are presented and discussed. Finally, a description of the configuration which was selected for the experiment is described, and a summary of the paper is presented.

  4. Efficient Skeletonization of Volumetric Objects.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Yong; Toga, Arthur W

    1999-07-01

    Skeletonization promises to become a powerful tool for compact shape description, path planning, and other applications. However, current techniques can seldom efficiently process real, complicated 3D data sets, such as MRI and CT data of human organs. In this paper, we present an efficient voxel-coding based algorithm for Skeletonization of 3D voxelized objects. The skeletons are interpreted as connected centerlines. consisting of sequences of medial points of consecutive clusters. These centerlines are initially extracted as paths of voxels, followed by medial point replacement, refinement, smoothness, and connection operations. The voxel-coding techniques have been proposed for each of these operations in a uniform and systematic fashion. In addition to preserving basic connectivity and centeredness, the algorithm is characterized by straightforward computation, no sensitivity to object boundary complexity, explicit extraction of ready-to-parameterize and branch-controlled skeletons, and efficient object hole detection. These issues are rarely discussed in traditional methods. A range of 3D medical MRI and CT data sets were used for testing the algorithm, demonstrating its utility.

  5. The effects of implicit gender role theories on gender system justification: Fixed beliefs strengthen masculinity to preserve the status quo.

    PubMed

    Kray, Laura J; Howland, Laura; Russell, Alexandra G; Jackman, Lauren M

    2017-01-01

    Four studies (n = 1199) tested support for the idea that implicit theories about the fixedness versus malleability of gender roles (entity vs. incremental theories) predict differences in the degree of gender system justification, that is, support for the status quo in relations between women and men in society. Relative to an incremental theory, the holding of an entity theory correlated with more system-justifying attitudes and self-perceptions (Study 1) for men and women alike. We also found that strength of identification with one's gender in-group was a stronger predictor of system justification for men than it was for women, suggesting men's defense of the status quo may be motivated by their membership in a high status group in the social hierarchy. In 3 experiments, we then tested whether exposure to a fixed gender role theory would lead men to identify more with masculine characteristics and their male gender group, thus increasing their defense of the gender system as fair and just. We did not expect a fixed gender role theory to trigger these identity-motivated responses in women. Overall, we found that, by increasing the degree of psychological investment in their masculine identity, adopting a fixed gender role theory increased men's rationalization of the gender status quo compared with when gender roles were perceived to be changeable. This suggests that, when men are motivated to align with their masculine identity, they are more likely to endorse the persistence of gender inequality as a way of affirming their status as "real men." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  6. 40 CFR 160.120 - Protocol.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... system. (8) A description of the experimental design, including methods for the control of bias. (9... being conducted. (4) The proposed experimental start and termination dates. (5) Justification for...

  7. 40 CFR 160.120 - Protocol.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... system. (8) A description of the experimental design, including methods for the control of bias. (9... being conducted. (4) The proposed experimental start and termination dates. (5) Justification for...

  8. 40 CFR 160.120 - Protocol.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... system. (8) A description of the experimental design, including methods for the control of bias. (9... being conducted. (4) The proposed experimental start and termination dates. (5) Justification for...

  9. 40 CFR 160.120 - Protocol.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... system. (8) A description of the experimental design, including methods for the control of bias. (9... being conducted. (4) The proposed experimental start and termination dates. (5) Justification for...

  10. 40 CFR 160.120 - Protocol.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... system. (8) A description of the experimental design, including methods for the control of bias. (9... being conducted. (4) The proposed experimental start and termination dates. (5) Justification for...

  11. Object orientation affects spatial language comprehension.

    PubMed

    Burigo, Michele; Sacchi, Simona

    2013-01-01

    Typical spatial descriptions, such as "The car is in front of the house," describe the position of a located object (LO; e.g., the car) in space relative to a reference object (RO) whose location is known (e.g., the house). The orientation of the RO affects spatial language comprehension via the reference frame selection process. However, the effects of the LO's orientation on spatial language have not received great attention. This study explores whether the pure geometric information of the LO (e.g., its orientation) affects spatial language comprehension using placing and production tasks. Our results suggest that the orientation of the LO influences spatial language comprehension even in the absence of functional relationships. Copyright © 2013 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

  12. Department of the Air Force Justification of Estimates for Fiscal Year 1986 Submitted to Congress February 1985. Aircraft Procurement, Air Force

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-02-01

    air-to-grurod cruise missile planned for use c-i the bomber force. IAs one of the zany i,,eapons iu the manned tmorer’s arsenal, t.L AO’ stresses the...29.4 78.4 SPX Cuminication Replacent 8.9 - - tIL OIR PRO•XUJfIN C&X4 ES 1413.3 1877.4 2683.7 3382.3 i ," / Justification for the various line items is...COntROL SYSTEMS DJE TO THE STRESS CORROSION CRACKING TiAT DEVELOPS. THI$ MODIFICATION REPLACES ThE MAGNESIUM COMPONENTS IN THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM WITH

  13. Life science research objectives and representative experiments for the space station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, Catherine C. (Editor); Arno, Roger D. (Editor); Mains, Richard (Editor)

    1989-01-01

    A workshop was convened to develop hypothetical experiments to be used as a baseline for space station designer and equipment specifiers to ensure responsiveness to the users, the life science community. Sixty-five intra- and extramural scientists were asked to describe scientific rationales, science objectives, and give brief representative experiment descriptions compatible with expected space station accommodations, capabilities, and performance envelopes. Experiment descriptions include hypothesis, subject types, approach, equipment requirements, and space station support requirements. The 171 experiments are divided into 14 disciplines.

  14. A Framework for the Flexible Content Packaging of Learning Objects and Learning Designs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lukasiak, Jason; Agostinho, Shirley; Burnett, Ian; Drury, Gerrard; Goodes, Jason; Bennett, Sue; Lockyer, Lori; Harper, Barry

    2004-01-01

    This paper presents a platform-independent method for packaging learning objects and learning designs. The method, entitled a Smart Learning Design Framework, is based on the MPEG-21 standard, and uses IEEE Learning Object Metadata (LOM) to provide bibliographic, technical, and pedagogical descriptors for the retrieval and description of learning…

  15. Strategies for human-driven robot comprehension of spatial descriptions by older adults in a robot fetch task.

    PubMed

    Carlson, Laura; Skubic, Marjorie; Miller, Jared; Huo, Zhiyu; Alexenko, Tatiana

    2014-07-01

    This contribution presents a corpus of spatial descriptions and describes the development of a human-driven spatial language robot system for their comprehension. The domain of application is an eldercare setting in which an assistive robot is asked to "fetch" an object for an elderly resident based on a natural language spatial description given by the resident. In Part One, we describe a corpus of naturally occurring descriptions elicited from a group of older adults within a virtual 3D home that simulates the eldercare setting. We contrast descriptions elicited when participants offered descriptions to a human versus robot avatar, and under instructions to tell the addressee how to find the target versus where the target is. We summarize the key features of the spatial descriptions, including their dynamic versus static nature and the perspective adopted by the speaker. In Part Two, we discuss critical cognitive and perceptual processing capabilities necessary for the robot to establish a common ground with the human user and perform the "fetch" task. Based on the collected corpus, we focus here on resolving the perspective ambiguity and recognizing furniture items used as landmarks in the descriptions. Taken together, the work presented here offers the key building blocks of a robust system that takes as input natural spatial language descriptions and produces commands that drive the robot to successfully fetch objects within our eldercare scenario. Copyright © 2014 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

  16. Aggression in adolescent dating relationships: prevalence, justification, and health consequences.

    PubMed

    Muñoz-Rivas, Marina J; Graña, Jose Luis; O'Leary, K Daniel; González, M Pilar

    2007-04-01

    To assess the prevalence of verbally and physically aggressive behaviors in dating relationships in a sample of Spanish adolescents. Cross-sectional self-report data were obtained with The Modified Conflict Tactics Scale (MCTS) from a representative sample of 2416 adolescents and young adults of both genders, between ages of 16 and 20 years. The results showed that a significantly higher percentage of women engaged in verbal aggression (95.3% vs. 92.8%), whereas the males engaged in more severe physical aggression (4.6% vs. 2.0%) and produced worse consequences for their female partners' health (especially slight cuts/slight bruises, broken nose, black eye, broken bone and requiring medical treatment/hospitalization). Justification for aggression also revealed differential results. Whereas women said they attacked their partners while under the influence of emotional states of intense anger (22.4% vs. 13.9%), the males said they did so in response to aggression received (13.0% vs. 6.6%). The analysis of the group differences as a function of age showed that verbal aggression was very high and was not different across the age groups. In contrast, physical aggression decreased significantly across the age groups, but health consequences became more severe with age (e.g., broken nose, black eye, broken bone, went from 1% at 16 years to 4.5% at 20 years of age). These differential tendencies of aggression typology for men and women help clinicians to develop preventive interventions for every age, with the aim of diminishing their continuity in future relationships.

  17. Fast large-scale object retrieval with binary quantization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Shifu; Zeng, Dan; Shen, Wei; Zhang, Zhijiang; Tian, Qi

    2015-11-01

    The objective of large-scale object retrieval systems is to search for images that contain the target object in an image database. Where state-of-the-art approaches rely on global image representations to conduct searches, we consider many boxes per image as candidates to search locally in a picture. In this paper, a feature quantization algorithm called binary quantization is proposed. In binary quantization, a scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) feature is quantized into a descriptive and discriminative bit-vector, which allows itself to adapt to the classic inverted file structure for box indexing. The inverted file, which stores the bit-vector and box ID where the SIFT feature is located inside, is compact and can be loaded into the main memory for efficient box indexing. We evaluate our approach on available object retrieval datasets. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach is fast and achieves excellent search quality. Therefore, the proposed approach is an improvement over state-of-the-art approaches for object retrieval.

  18. Use of the Job Model Concept to Guide Job Description Procedures for Army Officers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitmore, Paul G.

    The objective of Work Unit SKYGUARD has been to facilitate the development of an improved Air Defense Officers Advanced Course (C-22) by the U.S. Army Air Defense School. Focus is on techniques for improving the completeness and relevance of the instructional objectives with respect to future job requirements. The job description procedures…

  19. Justification of Fuzzy Declustering Vector Quantization Modeling in Classification of Genotype-Image Phenotypes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ng, Theam Foo; Pham, Tuan D.; Zhou, Xiaobo

    2010-01-01

    With the fast development of multi-dimensional data compression and pattern classification techniques, vector quantization (VQ) has become a system that allows large reduction of data storage and computational effort. One of the most recent VQ techniques that handle the poor estimation of vector centroids due to biased data from undersampling is to use fuzzy declustering-based vector quantization (FDVQ) technique. Therefore, in this paper, we are motivated to propose a justification of FDVQ based hidden Markov model (HMM) for investigating its effectiveness and efficiency in classification of genotype-image phenotypes. The performance evaluation and comparison of the recognition accuracy between a proposed FDVQ based HMM (FDVQ-HMM) and a well-known LBG (Linde, Buzo, Gray) vector quantization based HMM (LBG-HMM) will be carried out. The experimental results show that the performances of both FDVQ-HMM and LBG-HMM are almost similar. Finally, we have justified the competitiveness of FDVQ-HMM in classification of cellular phenotype image database by using hypotheses t-test. As a result, we have validated that the FDVQ algorithm is a robust and an efficient classification technique in the application of RNAi genome-wide screening image data.

  20. System and method for representing and manipulating three-dimensional objects on massively parallel architectures

    DOEpatents

    Karasick, M.S.; Strip, D.R.

    1996-01-30

    A parallel computing system is described that comprises a plurality of uniquely labeled, parallel processors, each processor capable of modeling a three-dimensional object that includes a plurality of vertices, faces and edges. The system comprises a front-end processor for issuing a modeling command to the parallel processors, relating to a three-dimensional object. Each parallel processor, in response to the command and through the use of its own unique label, creates a directed-edge (d-edge) data structure that uniquely relates an edge of the three-dimensional object to one face of the object. Each d-edge data structure at least includes vertex descriptions of the edge and a description of the one face. As a result, each processor, in response to the modeling command, operates upon a small component of the model and generates results, in parallel with all other processors, without the need for processor-to-processor intercommunication. 8 figs.

  1. System and method for representing and manipulating three-dimensional objects on massively parallel architectures

    DOEpatents

    Karasick, Michael S.; Strip, David R.

    1996-01-01

    A parallel computing system is described that comprises a plurality of uniquely labeled, parallel processors, each processor capable of modelling a three-dimensional object that includes a plurality of vertices, faces and edges. The system comprises a front-end processor for issuing a modelling command to the parallel processors, relating to a three-dimensional object. Each parallel processor, in response to the command and through the use of its own unique label, creates a directed-edge (d-edge) data structure that uniquely relates an edge of the three-dimensional object to one face of the object. Each d-edge data structure at least includes vertex descriptions of the edge and a description of the one face. As a result, each processor, in response to the modelling command, operates upon a small component of the model and generates results, in parallel with all other processors, without the need for processor-to-processor intercommunication.

  2. Mortality Salience, System Justification, and Candidate Evaluations in the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election

    PubMed Central

    Sterling, Joanna; Jost, John T.; Shrout, Patrick E.

    2016-01-01

    Experiments conducted during the 2004 and 2008 U.S. presidential elections suggested that mortality salience primes increased support for President George W. Bush and Senator John McCain, respectively. Some interpreted these results as reflecting “conservative shift” following exposure to threat, whereas others emphasized preferences for “charismatic” leadership following exposure to death primes. To assess both hypotheses in the context of a new election cycle featuring a liberal incumbent who was considered to be charismatic, we conducted four experiments shortly before the 2012 election involving President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney. Contrary to earlier studies, there was little evidence that mortality salience, either by itself or in interaction with political orientation, affected overall candidate ratings or voting intentions. However, a significant interaction between mortality salience and system justification in some studies indicated a more circumscribed effect. The failure to “replicate” previous results in the context of this election may be attributable to disagreement among participants as to which of the candidates better represented the societal status quo. PMID:26982197

  3. Mortality Salience, System Justification, and Candidate Evaluations in the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election.

    PubMed

    Sterling, Joanna; Jost, John T; Shrout, Patrick E

    2016-01-01

    Experiments conducted during the 2004 and 2008 U.S. presidential elections suggested that mortality salience primes increased support for President George W. Bush and Senator John McCain, respectively. Some interpreted these results as reflecting "conservative shift" following exposure to threat, whereas others emphasized preferences for "charismatic" leadership following exposure to death primes. To assess both hypotheses in the context of a new election cycle featuring a liberal incumbent who was considered to be charismatic, we conducted four experiments shortly before the 2012 election involving President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney. Contrary to earlier studies, there was little evidence that mortality salience, either by itself or in interaction with political orientation, affected overall candidate ratings or voting intentions. However, a significant interaction between mortality salience and system justification in some studies indicated a more circumscribed effect. The failure to "replicate" previous results in the context of this election may be attributable to disagreement among participants as to which of the candidates better represented the societal status quo.

  4. How directions of route descriptions influence orientation specificity: the contribution of spatial abilities.

    PubMed

    Meneghetti, Chiara; Muffato, Veronica; Varotto, Diego; De Beni, Rossana

    2017-03-01

    Previous studies found mental representations of route descriptions north-up oriented when egocentric experience (given by the protagonist's initial view) was congruent with the global reference system. This study examines: (a) the development and maintenance of representations derived from descriptions when the egocentric and global reference systems are congruent or incongruent; and (b) how spatial abilities modulate these representations. Sixty participants (in two groups of 30) heard route descriptions of a protagonist's moves starting from the bottom of a layout and headed mainly northwards (SN description) in one group, and headed south from the top (NS description, the egocentric view facing in the opposite direction to the canonical north) in the other. Description recall was tested with map drawing (after hearing the description a first and second time; i.e. Time 1 and 2) and South-North (SN) or North-South (NS) pointing tasks; and spatial objective tasks were administered. The results showed that: (a) the drawings were more rotated in NS than in SN descriptions, and performed better at Time 2 than at Time 1 for both types of description; SN pointing was more accurate than NS pointing for the SN description, while SN and NS pointing accuracy did not differ for the NS description; (b) spatial (rotation) abilities were related to recall accuracy for both types of description, but were more so for the NS ones. Overall, our results showed that the way in which spatial information is conveyed (with/without congruence between the egocentric and global reference systems) and spatial abilities influence the development and maintenance of mental representations.

  5. Accurate estimation of object location in an image sequence using helicopter flight data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tang, Yuan-Liang; Kasturi, Rangachar

    1994-01-01

    In autonomous navigation, it is essential to obtain a three-dimensional (3D) description of the static environment in which the vehicle is traveling. For a rotorcraft conducting low-latitude flight, this description is particularly useful for obstacle detection and avoidance. In this paper, we address the problem of 3D position estimation for static objects from a monocular sequence of images captured from a low-latitude flying helicopter. Since the environment is static, it is well known that the optical flow in the image will produce a radiating pattern from the focus of expansion. We propose a motion analysis system which utilizes the epipolar constraint to accurately estimate 3D positions of scene objects in a real world image sequence taken from a low-altitude flying helicopter. Results show that this approach gives good estimates of object positions near the rotorcraft's intended flight-path.

  6. Descriptive quantitative analysis of hallux abductovalgus transverse plane radiographic parameters.

    PubMed

    Meyr, Andrew J; Myers, Adam; Pontious, Jane

    2014-01-01

    Although the transverse plane radiographic parameters of the first intermetatarsal angle (IMA), hallux abductus angle (HAA), and the metatarsal-sesamoid position (MSP) form the basis of preoperative procedure selection and postoperative surgical evaluation of the hallux abductovalgus deformity, the so-called normal values of these measurements have not been well established. The objectives of the present study were to (1) evaluate the descriptive statistics of the first IMA, HAA, and MSP from a large patient population and (2) to determine an objective basis for defining "normal" versus "abnormal" measurements. Anteroposterior foot radiographs from 373 consecutive patients without a history of previous foot and ankle surgery and/or trauma were evaluated for the measurements of the first IMA, HAA, and MSP. The results revealed a mean measurement of 9.93°, 17.59°, and position 3.63 for the first IMA, HAA, and MSP, respectively. An advanced descriptive analysis demonstrated data characteristics of both parametric and nonparametric distributions. Furthermore, clear differentiations in deformity progression were appreciated when the variables were graphically depicted against each other. This could represent a quantitative basis for defining "normal" versus "abnormal" values. From the results of the present study, we have concluded that these radiographic parameters can be more conservatively reported and analyzed using nonparametric descriptive and comparative statistics within medical studies and that the combination of a first IMA, HAA, and MSP at or greater than approximately 10°, 18°, and position 4, respectively, appears to be an objective "tipping point" in terms of deformity progression and might represent an upper limit of acceptable in terms of surgical deformity correction. Copyright © 2014 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Seriously ill patients as living unspecified kidney donors: rationale and justification.

    PubMed

    Rakké, Yannick S; Zuidema, Willij C; Hilhorst, Medard T; Erdman, Ruud A M; Massey, Emma K; Betjes, Michiel G H; Dor, Frank J M F; IJzermans, Jan N M; Weimar, Willem

    2015-01-01

    Between 2000 and December 2013, 106 live donor nephrectomies from anonymous living-donors were performed at the Erasmus MC Rotterdam; five of the donors (5.4%) had a life-threatening disease. The aim of the present report is to give the rational and justification for this procedure. All five donors underwent the national standard living-donor screening procedure. Additionally, motivation to donate and psychologic stability were assessed by a psychologist using in-depth interview techniques and a psychologic complaints questionnaire. Post-donor nephrectomy follow-up consisted of standard questionnaires and clinical check-ups. One patient had cerebral and caudal ependymomas, one had severe and progressive emphysema, two had Huntington's disease and one had a grade 2 oligodendroglioma. The psychologic screening revealed genuine motivation, adequate risk perception, and normal sense of reality. No contraindications for donation were found. The five donor nephrectomies made nine kidney transplantations possible. All donors were satisfied with the donation procedure. Three donors died during follow-up (0.6-4.9 years) as a result of their disease. In the absence of apparent additional health risks, medical, and psychologic contraindications, we consider it ethically justified to accept an offer from a cognitively competent patient with a life-threatening disease in view of their self-reported satisfaction during follow-up. Although based on a limited number of patients, we conclude that a stricter psychologic screening for seriously ill donors compared to healthy unspecified anonymous donors to unspecified patients is not necessary.

  8. Object linking in repositories

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eichmann, David (Editor); Beck, Jon; Atkins, John; Bailey, Bill

    1992-01-01

    This topic is covered in three sections. The first section explores some of the architectural ramifications of extending the Eichmann/Atkins lattice-based classification scheme to encompass the assets of the full life cycle of software development. A model is considered that provides explicit links between objects in addition to the edges connecting classification vertices in the standard lattice. The second section gives a description of the efforts to implement the repository architecture using a commercially available object-oriented database management system. Some of the features of this implementation are described, and some of the next steps to be taken to produce a working prototype of the repository are pointed out. In the final section, it is argued that design and instantiation of reusable components have competing criteria (design-for-reuse strives for generality, design-with-reuse strives for specificity) and that providing mechanisms for each can be complementary rather than antagonistic. In particular, it is demonstrated how program slicing techniques can be applied to customization of reusable components.

  9. Taxonomy based analysis of force exchanges during object grasping and manipulation

    PubMed Central

    Martin-Brevet, Sandra; Jarrassé, Nathanaël; Burdet, Etienne

    2017-01-01

    The flexibility of the human hand in object manipulation is essential for daily life activities, but remains relatively little explored with quantitative methods. On the one hand, recent taxonomies describe qualitatively the classes of hand postures for object grasping and manipulation. On the other hand, the quantitative analysis of hand function has been generally restricted to precision grip (with thumb and index opposition) during lifting tasks. The aim of the present study is to fill the gap between these two kinds of descriptions, by investigating quantitatively the forces exerted by the hand on an instrumented object in a set of representative manipulation tasks. The object was a parallelepiped object able to measure the force exerted on the six faces and its acceleration. The grasping force was estimated from the lateral force and the unloading force from the bottom force. The protocol included eleven tasks with complementary constraints inspired by recent taxonomies: four tasks corresponding to lifting and holding the object with different grasp configurations, and seven to manipulating the object (rotation around each of its axis and translation). The grasping and unloading forces and object rotations were measured during the five phases of the actions: unloading, lifting, holding or manipulation, preparation to deposit, and deposit. The results confirm the tight regulation between grasping and unloading forces during lifting, and extend this to the deposit phase. In addition, they provide a precise description of the regulation of force exchanges during various manipulation tasks spanning representative actions of daily life. The timing of manipulation showed both sequential and overlapping organization of the different sub-actions, and micro-errors could be detected. This phenomenological study confirms the feasibility of using an instrumented object to investigate complex manipulative behavior in humans. This protocol will be used in the future to

  10. Description and status update on GELLO: a proposed standardized object-oriented expression language for clinical decision support.

    PubMed

    Sordo, Margarita; Boxwala, Aziz A; Ogunyemi, Omolola; Greenes, Robert A

    2004-01-01

    A major obstacle to sharing computable clinical knowledge is the lack of a common language for specifying expressions and criteria. Such a language could be used to specify decision criteria, formulae, and constraints on data and action. Al-though the Arden Syntax addresses this problem for clinical rules, its generalization to HL7's object-oriented data model is limited. The GELLO Expression language is an object-oriented language used for expressing logical conditions and computations in the GLIF3 (GuideLine Interchange Format, v. 3) guideline modeling language. It has been further developed under the auspices of the HL7 Clinical Decision Support Technical Committee, as a proposed HL7 standard., GELLO is based on the Object Constraint Language (OCL), because it is vendor-independent, object-oriented, and side-effect-free. GELLO expects an object-oriented data model. Although choice of model is arbitrary, standardization is facilitated by ensuring that the data model is compatible with the HL7 Reference Information Model (RIM).

  11. Young Chinese Children's Justifications of Plants as Living Things

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tao, Ying

    2016-01-01

    Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to explore how Chinese preschool children categorize plants into either living or nonliving things. The research was framed within the interpretive paradigm and was designed as a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Participants were children 4 to 6 years of age from 3 kindergartens in Jiangsu…

  12. RuleML-Based Learning Object Interoperability on the Semantic Web

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biletskiy, Yevgen; Boley, Harold; Ranganathan, Girish R.

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: The present paper aims to describe an approach for building the Semantic Web rules for interoperation between heterogeneous learning objects, namely course outlines from different universities, and one of the rule uses: identifying (in)compatibilities between course descriptions. Design/methodology/approach: As proof of concept, a rule…

  13. [The justification of the level of public financing of health care to enhance health of population of the Russian Federation].

    PubMed

    Ulumbekova, G Z

    2013-01-01

    The article discusses the justification of management of public financing of health care in Russia. The technique of comparative analysis and evaluation of dependences between public health care financing and indicators of population health has been applied. It is demonstrated that to achieve the values of 75.6 years of life expectancy at birth and 11 of total mortality as target indicators of population health up to 2018 the amount of public health care financing is to be increased up to 1.5 times or up to 6% of GDP per year in prices of 2011. The sources of additional health care financing are proposed.

  14. Pharmacogenetic study of second-generation antipsychotic long-term treatment metabolic side effects (the SLiM Study): rationale, objectives, design and sample description.

    PubMed

    Pina-Camacho, Laura; Díaz-Caneja, Covadonga M; Saiz, Pilar A; Bobes, Julio; Corripio, Iluminada; Grasa, Eva; Rodriguez-Jimenez, Roberto; Fernández, Miryam; Sanjuán, Julio; García-López, Aurelio; Tapia-Casellas, Cecilia; Álvarez-Blázquez, María; Fraguas, David; Mitjans, Marina; Arias, Bárbara; Arango, Celso

    2014-01-01

    Weight gain is an important and common side effect of second generation antipsychotics (SGAs). Furthermore, these drugs can induce other side effects associated with higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, such as insulin resistance, diabetes or metabolic syndrome. Preliminary studies show that inter-individual genetic differences produce varying degrees of vulnerability to the different SGA-induced side effects. The Second-generation antipsychotic Long-term treatment Metabolic side effects (SLiM) study aims to identify clinical, environmental and genetic factors that explain inter-individual differences in weight gain and metabolic changes in drug-naïve patients after six months of treatment with SGAs. The SLIM study is a multicenter, observational, six-month pharmacogenetic study where a cohort of 307 drug-naïve paediatric and adult patients (age range 8.8-90.1 years) and a cohort of 150 age- and sex- matched healthy controls (7.8-73.2 years) were recruited. This paper describes the rationale, objectives and design of the study and provides a description of the sample at baseline. Results from the SLiM study will provide a better understanding of the clinical, environmental, and genetic factors involved in weight gain and metabolic disturbances associated with SGA treatment. Copyright © 2014 SEP y SEPB. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  15. [On the problems of the evolutionary optimization of life history. II. To justification of optimization criterion for nonlinear Leslie model].

    PubMed

    Pasekov, V P

    2013-03-01

    The paper considers the problems in the adaptive evolution of life-history traits for individuals in the nonlinear Leslie model of age-structured population. The possibility to predict adaptation results as the values of organism's traits (properties) that provide for the maximum of a certain function of traits (optimization criterion) is studied. An ideal criterion of this type is Darwinian fitness as a characteristic of success of an individual's life history. Criticism of the optimization approach is associated with the fact that it does not take into account the changes in the environmental conditions (in a broad sense) caused by evolution, thereby leading to losses in the adequacy of the criterion. In addition, the justification for this criterion under stationary conditions is not usually rigorous. It has been suggested to overcome these objections in terms of the adaptive dynamics theory using the concept of invasive fitness. The reasons are given that favor the application of the average number of offspring for an individual, R(L), as an optimization criterion in the nonlinear Leslie model. According to the theory of quantitative genetics, the selection for fertility (that is, for a set of correlated quantitative traits determined by both multiple loci and the environment) leads to an increase in R(L). In terms of adaptive dynamics, the maximum R(L) corresponds to the evolutionary stability and, in certain cases, convergent stability of the values for traits. The search for evolutionarily stable values on the background of limited resources for reproduction is a problem of linear programming.

  16. Object-oriented code SUR for plasma kinetic simulation

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

    Levchenko, V.D.; Sigov, Y.S.

    1995-12-31

    We have developed a self-consistent simulation code based on object-oriented model of plasma (OOMP) for solving the Vlasov/Poisson (V/P), Vlasov/Maxwell (V/M), Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK) as well as Fokker-Planck (FP) kinetic equations. The application of an object-oriented approach (OOA) to simulation of plasmas and plasma-like media by means of splitting methods permits to uniformly describe and solve the wide circle of plasma kinetics problems, including those being very complicated: many-dimensional, relativistic, with regard for collisions, specific boundary conditions etc. This paper gives the brief description of possibilities of the SUR code, as a concrete realization of OOMP.

  17. Object-Based Epistemology at a Creationist Museum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wendel, Paul J.

    2011-01-01

    In a regional young-earth creationist museum, objects are presented as if they speak for themselves, purportedly embodying proof that the earth is less than 10,000 years old, that humans have lived on earth throughout its history, and that dinosaurs and humans lived simultaneously. In public lectures, tours, and displays, museum associates emphasize direct observation over inference or theory. These emphases resonate closely with the "object-based epistemology" of the late nineteenth century described in Steven Conn's Museums and American Intellectual Life, 1876- 1926. In Conn's description, museum objects, artfully arranged and displayed, were intended to speak for themselves, and observation and categorization were valued over experiment and theory. The regional young-earth creationist museum is observed to partly succeed and partly fail in implementing an object-based epistemology. Although object-based epistemology represents a nineteenth-century approach to knowledge and museum display, it is compatible with an inductive approach to biblical interpretation and it confers various rhetorical advantages to creationist arguments. It is concluded that a focus on the theory-laden nature of data would likely strengthen nature-of-science education efforts to increase public acceptance of evolution.

  18. Use of data description languages in the interchange of data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pignede, M.; Real-Planells, B.; Smith, S. R.

    1994-01-01

    The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) is developing Standards for the interchange of information between systems, including those operating under different environments. The objective is to perform the interchange automatically, i.e. in a computer interpretable manner. One aspect of the concept developed by CCSDS is the use of a separate data description to specify the data being transferred. Using the description, data can then be automatically parsed by the receiving computer. With a suitably expressive Data Description Language (DDL), data formats of arbitrary complexity can be handled. The advantages of this approach are: (1) that the description need only be written and distributed once to all users, and (2) new software does not need to be written for each new format, provided generic tools are available to support writing and interpretation of descriptions and the associated data instances. Consequently, the effort of 'hard coding' each new format is avoided and problems of integrating multiple implementations of a given format by different users are avoided. The approach is applicable in any context where computer parsable description of data could enhance efficiency (e.g. within a spacecraft control system, a data delivery system or an archive). The CCSDS have identified several candidate DDL's: EAST (Extended Ada Subset), TSDN (Transfer Syntax Data Notation) and MADEL (Modified ASN.1 as a Data Description Language -- a DDL based on the Abstract Syntax Notation One - ASN.1 - specified in the ISO/IEC 8824). This paper concentrates on ESA's development of MADEL. ESA have also developed a 'proof of concept' prototype of the required support tools, implemented on a PC under MS-DOS, which has successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the approach, including the capability within an application of retrieving and displaying particular data elements, given its MADEL description (i.e. a data description written in MADEL). This paper outlines

  19. [Clinical justification of medico-psychological care to the victims of technogenic accidents and catastrophes with prevalence of anxious and depressive symptoms of non-psychotic register].

    PubMed

    Volobuev, V V

    2014-01-01

    In the article the clinical justification of medico-psychological care to the victims of technogenic accidents and catastrophes with prevalence of anxious and depressive symptoms of non-psychotic register is described. The necessity of differentiated approach is analyzed in accomplishing of psychotherapy of this contingent of patients taking into account the high level of anxiety, emotional stress, decreased mood, low levels of the quality of life in the remote period of strong stressful factor's action.

  20. Launch Vehicle Design Process Description and Training Formulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Atherton, James; Morris, Charles; Settle, Gray; Teal, Marion; Schuerer, Paul; Blair, James; Ryan, Robert; Schutzenhofer, Luke

    1999-01-01

    A primary NASA priority is to reduce the cost and improve the effectiveness of launching payloads into space. As a consequence, significant improvements are being sought in the effectiveness, cost, and schedule of the launch vehicle design process. In order to provide a basis for understanding and improving the current design process, a model has been developed for this complex, interactive process, as reported in the references. This model requires further expansion in some specific design functions. Also, a training course for less-experienced engineers is needed to provide understanding of the process, to provide guidance for its effective implementation, and to provide a basis for major improvements in launch vehicle design process technology. The objective of this activity is to expand the description of the design process to include all pertinent design functions, and to develop a detailed outline of a training course on the design process for launch vehicles for use in educating engineers whose experience with the process has been minimal. Building on a previously-developed partial design process description, parallel sections have been written for the Avionics Design Function, the Materials Design Function, and the Manufacturing Design Function. Upon inclusion of these results, the total process description will be released as a NASA TP. The design function sections herein include descriptions of the design function responsibilities, interfaces, interactive processes, decisions (gates), and tasks. Associated figures include design function planes, gates, and tasks, along with other pertinent graphics. Also included is an expanded discussion of how the design process is divided, or compartmentalized, into manageable parts to achieve efficient and effective design. A detailed outline for an intensive two-day course on the launch vehicle design process has been developed herein, and is available for further expansion. The course is in an interactive lecture

  1. Space Research and Technology Program: Program and specific objectives, document approval

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1982-01-01

    A detailed view of the Space Research and Technology program work breakdown structure is provided down to the specific objective level. Goals or objectives at each of these levels are set forth. The specific objective narratives are structured into several parts. First, a short paragraph statement of the specific objective is given. This is followed by a list of subobjectives. A list of targets is then provided for those areas of the specific objective that are amenable to a quantitative description of technical accomplishment and schedule. Fluid and thermal physics, materials and structures, computer science and electronics, space energy conversion, multidisciplinary research, controls and human factors, chemical propulsion, spacecraft systems, transportation systems, platform systems, and spacecraft systems technology comprise the principal research programs.

  2. The challenge of recreation planning: methodology and factors to consider

    Treesearch

    Ronald B. Uleck

    1971-01-01

    The proposed methodology of planning is a description, explanation, and justification of the methods or techniques that a planner should use in preparing outdoor recreation development plans. The sequence of steps required is described

  3. Catalog of Performance Objectives and Performance Guides for Physical Therapy Occupations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reneau, Fred; Hahn, Dave

    This catalog provides a worker-based description of duties, tasks, performance objectives and guides, and related data for physical therapy occupations. Duties covered include the following: (1) performing administrative/clerical functions; (2) communicating information; (3) providing patient care services; (4) performing support service; (5)…

  4. The International VEGA "Venus-Halley" (1984-1986) Experiment: Description and Scientific Objectives

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1985-01-01

    The Venus-Halley (Vega) project will provide a unique opportunity to combine a mission over Venus with a transfer flight to Halley's comet. This project is based on three research goals: (1) to study the surface of Venus; (2) to study the air circulation on Venus and its meteorological parameters; and (3) to study Halley's comet. The objective of the study of Halley's comet is to: determine the physical characteristics of its nucleus; define the structure and dynamics of the coma around the nucleus; define the gas composition near the nucleus; investigate the dust particle distribution as a function of mass at various distances from the nucleus; and investigate the solar wind interaction with the atmosphere and ionosphere of the comet.

  5. A framework for developing objective and measurable recovery criteria for threatened and endangered species.

    PubMed

    Himes Boor, Gina K

    2014-02-01

    For species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service are tasked with writing recovery plans that include "objective, measurable criteria" that define when a species is no longer at risk of extinction, but neither the act itself nor agency guidelines provide an explicit definition of objective, measurable criteria. Past reviews of recovery plans, including one published in 2012, show that many criteria lack quantitative metrics with clear biological rationale and are not meeting the measureable and objective mandate. I reviewed how objective, measureable criteria have been defined implicitly and explicitly in peer-reviewed literature, the ESA, other U.S. statutes, and legal decisions. Based on a synthesis of these sources, I propose the following 6 standards be used as minimum requirements for objective, measurable criteria: contain a quantitative threshold with calculable units, stipulate a timeframe over which they must be met, explicitly define the spatial extent or population to which they apply, specify a sampling procedure that includes sample size, specify a statistical significance level, and include justification by providing scientific evidence that the criteria define a species whose extinction risk has been reduced to the desired level. To meet these 6 standards, I suggest that recovery plans be explicitly guided by and organized around a population viability modeling framework even if data or agency resources are too limited to complete a viability model. When data and resources are available, recovery criteria can be developed from the population viability model results, but when data and resources are insufficient for model implementation, extinction risk thresholds can be used as criteria. A recovery-planning approach centered on viability modeling will also yield appropriately focused data-acquisition and monitoring plans and will facilitate a seamless transition

  6. Anesthetics and analgesics in experimental traumatic brain injury: Selection based on experimental objectives

    PubMed Central

    Rowe, Rachel K.; Harrison, Jordan L.; Thomas, Theresa C.; Pauly, James R.; Adelson, P. David; Lifshitz, Jonathan

    2013-01-01

    The use of animal modeling in traumatic brain injury (TBI) research is justified by the lack of sufficiently comprehensive in vitro and computer modeling that incorporates all components of the neurovascular unit. Valid animal modeling of TBI requires accurate replication of both the mechanical forces and secondary injury conditions observed in human patients. Regulatory requirements for animal modeling emphasize the administration of appropriate anesthetics and analgesics unless withholding these drugs is scientifically justified. The objective of this review is to present scientific justification for standardizing the use of anesthetics and analgesics, within a study, when modeling TBI in order to preserve study validity. Evidence for the interference of anesthetics and analgesics in the natural course of brain injury calls for consistent consideration of pain management regimens when conducting TBI research. Anesthetics administered at the time of or shortly after induction of brain injury can alter cognitive, motor, and histological outcomes following TBI. A consistent anesthesia protocol based on experimental objectives within each individual study is imperative when conducting TBI studies to control for the confounding effects of anesthesia on outcome parameters. Experimental studies that replicate the clinical condition are essential to gain further understanding and evaluate possible treatments for TBI. However, with animal models of TBI it is essential that investigators assure a uniform drug delivery protocol that minimizes confounding variables, while minimizing pain and suffering. PMID:23877609

  7. Solar Effects of Low-Earth Orbit objects in ORDEM 3.0

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vavrin, A. B.; Anz-Meador, P.; Kelley, R. L.

    2014-01-01

    Variances in atmospheric density are directly related to the variances in solar flux intensity between 11- year solar cycles. The Orbital Debris Engineering Model (ORDEM 3.0) uses a solar flux table as input for calculating orbital lifetime of intact and debris objects in Low-Earth Orbit. Long term projections in solar flux activity developed by the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) extend the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Environment Center (NOAA/SEC) daily historical flux values with a 5-year projection. For purposes of programmatic scheduling, the Q2 2009 solar flux table was chosen for ORDEM 3.0. Current solar flux activity shows that the current solar cycle has entered a period of lower solar flux intensity than previously forecasted in 2009. This results in a deviation of the true orbital debris environment propagation in ORDEM 3.0. In this paper, we present updated orbital debris populations in LEO using the latest solar flux values. We discuss the effects on recent breakup events such as the FY-1C anti-satellite test and the Iridium 33 / Cosmos 2251 accidental collision. Justifications for chosen solar flux tables are discussed.

  8. MODeLeR: A Virtual Constructivist Learning Environment and Methodology for Object-Oriented Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coffey, John W.; Koonce, Robert

    2008-01-01

    This article contains a description of the organization and method of use of an active learning environment named MODeLeR, (Multimedia Object Design Learning Resource), a tool designed to facilitate the learning of concepts pertaining to object modeling with the Unified Modeling Language (UML). MODeLeR was created to provide an authentic,…

  9. Alcohol evaluations and acceptability: Examining descriptive and injunctive norms among heavy drinkers

    PubMed Central

    Foster, Dawn W.; Neighbors, Clayton; Krieger, Heather

    2015-01-01

    Objectives This study assessed descriptive and injunctive norms, evaluations of alcohol consequences, and acceptability of drinking. Methods Participants were 248 heavy-drinking undergraduates (81.05% female; Mage = 23.45). Results Stronger perceptions of descriptive and injunctive norms for drinking and more positive evaluations of alcohol consequences were positively associated with drinking and the number of drinks considered acceptable. Descriptive and injunctive norms interacted, indicating that injunctive norms were linked with number of acceptable drinks among those with higher descriptive norms. Descriptive norms and evaluations of consequences interacted, indicating that descriptive norms were positively linked with number of acceptable drinks among those with negative evaluations of consequences; however, among those with positive evaluations of consequences, descriptive norms were negatively associated with number of acceptable drinks. Injunctive norms and evaluations of consequences interacted, indicating that injunctive norms were positively associated with number of acceptable drinks, particularly among those with positive evaluations of consequences. A three-way interaction emerged between injunctive and descriptive norms and evaluations of consequences, suggesting that injunctive norms and the number of acceptable drinks were positively associated more strongly among those with negative versus positive evaluations of consequences. Those with higher acceptable drinks also had positive evaluations of consequences and were high in injunctive norms. Conclusions Findings supported hypotheses that norms and evaluations of alcohol consequences would interact with respect to drinking and acceptance of drinking. These examinations have practical utility and may inform development and implementation of interventions and programs targeting alcohol misuse among heavy drinking undergraduates. PMID:25437265

  10. A Comparison of Object and Animal Hoarding

    PubMed Central

    Frost, Randy O.; Patronek, Gary; Rosenfield, Elizabeth

    2011-01-01

    Recent research has highlighted the prevalence and harmful consequences of hoarding,[1] and investigators have proposed inclusion of hoarding disorder in DSM-5.[2] An unanswered question about the proposed disorder is whether people who hoard animals would meet diagnostic criteria for it. This paper discusses the similarities and differences between object and animal hoarding. People who hoard animals appear to meet the basic diagnostic criteria for hoarding disorder. Their homes are cluttered, disorganized, and dysfunctional. They have great difficulty relinquishing animals to people who can more adequately care for them, and they form intense attachments (urges to save) that result in significant impairment. However, they differ from people who hoard objects in several ways. These differences are significant enough to warrant comment in the text description accompanying the diagnostic criteria and consideration as a subtype of hoarding disorder. More research is necessary to determine the exact relationship between object and animal hoarding. PMID:21608085

  11. A Comparison of Descriptive Tagging Practices by Library, Archive and Museum Professionals Using an Inter-Indexing Consistency Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Angel, Christine Marie

    2012-01-01

    This study is a comparison of the descriptive tagging practices among library, archive, and museum professionals using an inter-indexing consistency approach. The first purpose of this study was to determine the extent of the similarities and differences among professional groups when assigning descriptive tags to a wide variety of objects that…

  12. Designing concept maps for a precise and objective description of pharmaceutical innovations

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background When a new drug is launched onto the market, information about the new manufactured product is contained in its monograph and evaluation report published by national drug agencies. Health professionals need to be able to determine rapidly and easily whether the new manufactured product is potentially useful for their practice. There is therefore a need to identify the best way to group together and visualize the main items of information describing the nature and potential impact of the new drug. The objective of this study was to identify these items of information and to bring them together in a model that could serve as the standard for presenting the main features of new manufactured product. Methods We developed a preliminary conceptual model of pharmaceutical innovations, based on the knowledge of the authors. We then refined this model, using a random sample of 40 new manufactured drugs recently approved by the national drug regulatory authorities in France and covering a broad spectrum of innovations and therapeutic areas. Finally, we used another sample of 20 new manufactured drugs to determine whether the model was sufficiently comprehensive. Results The results of our modeling led to three sub models described as conceptual maps representingi) the medical context for use of the new drug (indications, type of effect, therapeutical arsenal for the same indications), ii) the nature of the novelty of the new drug (new molecule, new mechanism of action, new combination, new dosage, etc.), and iii) the impact of the drug in terms of efficacy, safety and ease of use, compared with other drugs with the same indications. Conclusions Our model can help to standardize information about new drugs released onto the market. It is potentially useful to the pharmaceutical industry, medical journals, editors of drug databases and medical software, and national or international drug regulation agencies, as a means of describing the main properties of new

  13. Cellular automata with object-oriented features for parallel molecular network modeling.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Hao; Wu, Yinghui; Huang, Sui; Sun, Yan; Dhar, Pawan

    2005-06-01

    Cellular automata are an important modeling paradigm for studying the dynamics of large, parallel systems composed of multiple, interacting components. However, to model biological systems, cellular automata need to be extended beyond the large-scale parallelism and intensive communication in order to capture two fundamental properties characteristic of complex biological systems: hierarchy and heterogeneity. This paper proposes extensions to a cellular automata language, Cellang, to meet this purpose. The extended language, with object-oriented features, can be used to describe the structure and activity of parallel molecular networks within cells. Capabilities of this new programming language include object structure to define molecular programs within a cell, floating-point data type and mathematical functions to perform quantitative computation, message passing capability to describe molecular interactions, as well as new operators, statements, and built-in functions. We discuss relevant programming issues of these features, including the object-oriented description of molecular interactions with molecule encapsulation, message passing, and the description of heterogeneity and anisotropy at the cell and molecule levels. By enabling the integration of modeling at the molecular level with system behavior at cell, tissue, organ, or even organism levels, the program will help improve our understanding of how complex and dynamic biological activities are generated and controlled by parallel functioning of molecular networks. Index Terms-Cellular automata, modeling, molecular network, object-oriented.

  14. The Development of Shared Liking of Representational but not Abstract Art in Primary School Children and Their Justifications for Liking

    PubMed Central

    Rodway, Paul; Kirkham, Julie; Schepman, Astrid; Lambert, Jordana; Locke, Anastasia

    2016-01-01

    Understanding how aesthetic preferences are shared among individuals, and its developmental time course, is a fundamental question in aesthetics. It has been shown that semantic associations, in response to representational artworks, overlap more strongly among individuals than those generated by abstract artworks and that the emotional valence of the associations also overlaps more for representational artworks. This valence response may be a key driver in aesthetic appreciation. The current study tested predictions derived from the semantic association account in a developmental context. Twenty 4-, 6-, 8- and 10-year-old children (n = 80) were shown 20 artworks (10 representational, 10 abstract) and were asked to rate each artwork and to explain their decision. Cross-observer agreement in aesthetic preferences increased with age from 4–8 years for both abstract and representational art. However, after age 6 the level of shared appreciation for representational and abstract artworks diverged, with significantly higher levels of agreement for representational than abstract artworks at age 8 and 10. The most common justifications for representational artworks involved subject matter, while for abstract artworks formal artistic properties and color were the most commonly used justifications. Representational artwork also showed a significantly higher proportion of associations and emotional responses than abstract artworks. In line with predictions from developmental cognitive neuroscience, references to the artist as an agent increased between ages 4 and 6 and again between ages 6 and 8, following the development of Theory of Mind. The findings support the view that increased experience with representational content during the life span reduces inter-individual variation in aesthetic appreciation and increases shared preferences. In addition, brain and cognitive development appear to impact on art appreciation at milestone ages. PMID:26903834

  15. The Development of Shared Liking of Representational but not Abstract Art in Primary School Children and Their Justifications for Liking.

    PubMed

    Rodway, Paul; Kirkham, Julie; Schepman, Astrid; Lambert, Jordana; Locke, Anastasia

    2016-01-01

    Understanding how aesthetic preferences are shared among individuals, and its developmental time course, is a fundamental question in aesthetics. It has been shown that semantic associations, in response to representational artworks, overlap more strongly among individuals than those generated by abstract artworks and that the emotional valence of the associations also overlaps more for representational artworks. This valence response may be a key driver in aesthetic appreciation. The current study tested predictions derived from the semantic association account in a developmental context. Twenty 4-, 6-, 8- and 10-year-old children (n = 80) were shown 20 artworks (10 representational, 10 abstract) and were asked to rate each artwork and to explain their decision. Cross-observer agreement in aesthetic preferences increased with age from 4-8 years for both abstract and representational art. However, after age 6 the level of shared appreciation for representational and abstract artworks diverged, with significantly higher levels of agreement for representational than abstract artworks at age 8 and 10. The most common justifications for representational artworks involved subject matter, while for abstract artworks formal artistic properties and color were the most commonly used justifications. Representational artwork also showed a significantly higher proportion of associations and emotional responses than abstract artworks. In line with predictions from developmental cognitive neuroscience, references to the artist as an agent increased between ages 4 and 6 and again between ages 6 and 8, following the development of Theory of Mind. The findings support the view that increased experience with representational content during the life span reduces inter-individual variation in aesthetic appreciation and increases shared preferences. In addition, brain and cognitive development appear to impact on art appreciation at milestone ages.

  16. Hardware description languages

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tucker, Jerry H.

    1994-01-01

    Hardware description languages are special purpose programming languages. They are primarily used to specify the behavior of digital systems and are rapidly replacing traditional digital system design techniques. This is because they allow the designer to concentrate on how the system should operate rather than on implementation details. Hardware description languages allow a digital system to be described with a wide range of abstraction, and they support top down design techniques. A key feature of any hardware description language environment is its ability to simulate the modeled system. The two most important hardware description languages are Verilog and VHDL. Verilog has been the dominant language for the design of application specific integrated circuits (ASIC's). However, VHDL is rapidly gaining in popularity.

  17. The artist's advantage: Better integration of object information across eye movements

    PubMed Central

    Perdreau, Florian; Cavanagh, Patrick

    2013-01-01

    Over their careers, figurative artists spend thousands of hours analyzing objects and scene layout. We examined what impact this extensive training has on the ability to encode complex scenes, comparing participants with a wide range of training and drawing skills on a possible versus impossible objects task. We used a gaze-contingent display to control the amount of information the participants could sample on each fixation either from central or peripheral visual field. Test objects were displayed and participants reported, as quickly as possible, whether the object was structurally possible or not. Our results show that when viewing the image through a small central window, performance improved with the years of training, and to a lesser extent with the level of skill. This suggests that the extensive training itself confers an advantage for integrating object structure into more robust object descriptions. PMID:24349697

  18. Quality of Austrian and Dutch Falls-Prevention Information: A Comparative Descriptive Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schoberer, Daniela; Mijnarends, Donja M.; Fliedner, Monica; Halfens, Ruud J. G.; Lohrmann, Christa

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the quality of written patient information material available in Austrian and Dutch hospitals and nursing homes pertaining to falls prevention. Design: Comparative descriptive study design Setting: Hospitals and nursing homes in Austria and the Netherlands. Method: Written patient…

  19. Application of Resource Description Framework to Personalise Learning: Systematic Review and Methodology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jevsikova, Tatjana; Berniukevicius, Andrius; Kurilovas, Eugenijus

    2017-01-01

    The paper is aimed to present a methodology of learning personalisation based on applying Resource Description Framework (RDF) standard model. Research results are two-fold: first, the results of systematic literature review on Linked Data, RDF "subject-predicate-object" triples, and Web Ontology Language (OWL) application in education…

  20. The "Is-Ought-Is" Problem of the Objective in Adult Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mattimore-Knudson, Russell S.

    1982-01-01

    Shows that adult education objectives must be evaluative propositions rather than descriptive propositions; as evaluative propositions they cannot be used as "evidence" to defend the cancellation or repetition of programs. Presents a possible solution to the "is-ought-is" dichotomy as it relates to the use of evaluative…

  1. Detailed 3D representations for object recognition and modeling.

    PubMed

    Zia, M Zeeshan; Stark, Michael; Schiele, Bernt; Schindler, Konrad

    2013-11-01

    Geometric 3D reasoning at the level of objects has received renewed attention recently in the context of visual scene understanding. The level of geometric detail, however, is typically limited to qualitative representations or coarse boxes. This is linked to the fact that today's object class detectors are tuned toward robust 2D matching rather than accurate 3D geometry, encouraged by bounding-box-based benchmarks such as Pascal VOC. In this paper, we revisit ideas from the early days of computer vision, namely, detailed, 3D geometric object class representations for recognition. These representations can recover geometrically far more accurate object hypotheses than just bounding boxes, including continuous estimates of object pose and 3D wireframes with relative 3D positions of object parts. In combination with robust techniques for shape description and inference, we outperform state-of-the-art results in monocular 3D pose estimation. In a series of experiments, we analyze our approach in detail and demonstrate novel applications enabled by such an object class representation, such as fine-grained categorization of cars and bicycles, according to their 3D geometry, and ultrawide baseline matching.

  2. Department of the Army Justification of Estimates for Fiscal Year 1986. Procurement Appropriations-Construction Program Submitted to Congress February 1985. Part 1. DD Forms 1391.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-02-01

    CATALOG NUMBER 4. TITLE (and Subtitle)(in 6 parts) Department of the Army S. TYPE OF REPORT & PERIOD COVERED Justification of Estimates for Fiscal Year... 6 - PERFORMING ORG. REPORT NUMBER Veh., Ammunition, Other Procurement & Constr Proer ms 7. AUTHOR(a) 8. CONTRACT OR GRANT NUMBER(&) 5 Department of...I ry 19e 6 MILITAP. Y CONSTRUCTION PRO3[CT DATA I-.-1 005 I .. . . .. . .LL .... _ I . a,.-ta13st an and toction I A.. Project Title St rttford Arcy

  3. South Florida freight advanced traveler information system : architecture and implementation as built documentation report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-05-01

    The primary purpose of the As Built Documentation is to provide a description of any modifications made to the original architecture along with justification as to why the architecture was changed. In addition, this documentation provides the followi...

  4. The Effect of Descriptive Norms on Pregaming Frequency: Tests of Five Moderators

    PubMed Central

    Merrill, Jennifer E.; Kenney, Shannon R.; Carey, Kate B.

    2016-01-01

    Background Pregaming is highly prevalent on college campuses and associated with heightened levels of intoxication and risk of alcohol consequences. However, research examining the correlates of pregaming behavior is limited. Descriptive norms (i.e., perceptions about the prevalence or frequency of a behavior) are reliable and comparatively strong predictors of general drinking behavior, with recent evidence indicating that they are also associated with pregaming. Objectives We tested the hypothesis that higher descriptive norms for pregaming frequency would be associated with personal pregaming frequency. We also tested whether this effect would be stronger in the context of several theory-based moderators: female gender, higher injunctive norms (i.e., perceptions of others' attitudes toward a particular behavior), a more positive attitude toward pregaming, a stronger sense of identification with the drinking habits of other students, and stronger social comparison tendencies. Methods College student drinkers (N=198, 63% female) participated in an online survey assessing frequency of pregaming, descriptive norms, and hypothesized moderators. Results A multiple regression model revealed that higher descriptive norms, a more positive attitude toward pregaming, and stronger peer identification were significantly associated with greater pregaming frequency among drinkers. However, no moderators of the association between descriptive norms and pregaming frequency were observed. Conclusions/Importance Descriptive norms are robust predictors of pregaming behavior, for both genders and across levels of several potential moderators. Future research seeking to understand pregaming behavior should consider descriptive norms, as well as personal attitudes and identification with student peers, as targets of interventions designed to reduce pregaming. PMID:27070494

  5. Descriptive statistics.

    PubMed

    Nick, Todd G

    2007-01-01

    Statistics is defined by the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) thesaurus as the science and art of collecting, summarizing, and analyzing data that are subject to random variation. The two broad categories of summarizing and analyzing data are referred to as descriptive and inferential statistics. This chapter considers the science and art of summarizing data where descriptive statistics and graphics are used to display data. In this chapter, we discuss the fundamentals of descriptive statistics, including describing qualitative and quantitative variables. For describing quantitative variables, measures of location and spread, for example the standard deviation, are presented along with graphical presentations. We also discuss distributions of statistics, for example the variance, as well as the use of transformations. The concepts in this chapter are useful for uncovering patterns within the data and for effectively presenting the results of a project.

  6. Escalation of Commitment in the Surgical ICU.

    PubMed

    Braxton, Carla C; Robinson, Celia N; Awad, Samir S

    2017-04-01

    Escalation of commitment is a business term that describes the continued investment of resources into a project even after there is objective evidence of the project's impending failure. Escalation of commitment may be a contributor to high healthcare costs associated with critically ill patients as it has been shown that, despite almost certain futility, most ICU costs are incurred in the last week of life. Our objective was to determine if escalation of commitment occurs in healthcare settings, specifically in the surgical ICU. We hypothesize that factors previously identified in business and organizational psychology literature including self-justification, accountability, sunk costs, and cognitive dissonance result in escalation of commitment behavior in the surgical ICU setting resulting in increased utilization of resources and cost. A descriptive case study that illustrates common ICU narratives in which escalation of commitment can occur. In addition, we describe factors that are thought to contribute to escalation of commitment behaviors. Escalation of commitment behavior was observed with self-justification, accountability, and cognitive dissonance accounting for the majority of the behavior. Unlike in business decisions, sunk costs was not as evident. In addition, modulating factors such as personality, individual experience, culture, and gender were identified as contributors to escalation of commitment. Escalation of commitment occurs in the surgical ICU, resulting in significant expenditure of resources despite a predicted and often known poor outcome. Recognition of this phenomenon may lead to actions aimed at more rational decision making and may contribute to lowering healthcare costs. Investigation of objective measures that can help aid decision making in the surgical ICU is warranted.

  7. The Culture of Faith and Hope: Patients’ Justifications for Their High Estimations of Expected Therapeutic Benefit When Enrolling in Early-Phase Oncology Trials

    PubMed Central

    Sulmasy, Daniel P.; Astrow, Alan B.; He, M. Kai; Seils, Damon M.; Meropol, Neal J.; Micco, Ellyn; Weinfurt, Kevin P.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose Patients’ estimates of their chances of therapeutic benefit from participation in early-phase trials greatly exceed historical data. Ethicists worry that this “therapeutic misestimation” undermines the validity of informed consent. Patients and Methods We interviewed 45 patients enrolled in phase I or II oncology trials about their expectations of therapeutic benefit and their reasons for those expectations. We employed a phenomenological, qualitative approach with one primary coder to identify emergent themes, verified by 2 independent coders. Results Median expectations of therapeutic benefit varied from 50% to 80%, depending on how the question was asked. Justifications universally invoked hope and optimism, and 27/45 participants used one of these words. Three major themes emerged: (1) optimism as performative, that is, the notion that positive thoughts and expressions improve chances of benefit; (2) fighting cancer as a battle; and (3) faith in God, science, or both. Many participants described a culture in which optimism was encouraged and expected, such that trial enrollment became a way of reflecting this expectation. Many reported they had been told few patients would benefit and appeared to understand the uncertainties of clinical research, yet expressed high expected personal therapeutic benefit. More distressed participants were less likely to invoke performative justifications for their expectations (50% vs 84%; P = .04). Conclusion Expressions of high expected therapeutic benefit had little to do with reporting knowledge and more to do with expressing optimism. These results have implications for understanding how to obtain valid consent from participants in early-phase clinical trials. PMID:20564120

  8. A rudimentary database for three-dimensional objects using structural representation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sowers, James P.

    1987-01-01

    A database which enables users to store and share the description of three-dimensional objects in a research environment is presented. The main objective of the design is to make it a compact structure that holds sufficient information to reconstruct the object. The database design is based on an object representation scheme which is information preserving, reasonably efficient, and yet economical in terms of the storage requirement. The determination of the needed data for the reconstruction process is guided by the belief that it is faster to do simple computations to generate needed data/information for construction than to retrieve everything from memory. Some recent techniques of three-dimensional representation that influenced the design of the database are discussed. The schema for the database and the structural definition used to define an object are given. The user manual for the software developed to create and maintain the contents of the database is included.

  9. Airborne Intelligent Display (AID) Phase I Software Description,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-10-24

    Board Computer Characteristics 10 3.0 SOFTWARE GENERAL DESCRIPTION 13 3.1 Overview 13 3.2 System Software 14 3.2.1 System Startup 14 3.2.1.1 Initial...3 A-2 Task States A-4 A-3 Task Program Structure A-6 A-4 Task States and State Change Mechanisms A-7 A-5 Computing Return Addresses: RUNADR, SLPADR A...techniques. 2.2 Design Approach The stated objectives were met by: 1. distributing the processing load among multiple Z80 single-board computers (SBC’s). This

  10. User's Manual for the Object User Interface (OUI): An Environmental Resource Modeling Framework

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Markstrom, Steven L.; Koczot, Kathryn M.

    2008-01-01

    The Object User Interface is a computer application that provides a framework for coupling environmental-resource models and for managing associated temporal and spatial data. The Object User Interface is designed to be easily extensible to incorporate models and data interfaces defined by the user. Additionally, the Object User Interface is highly configurable through the use of a user-modifiable, text-based control file that is written in the eXtensible Markup Language. The Object User Interface user's manual provides (1) installation instructions, (2) an overview of the graphical user interface, (3) a description of the software tools, (4) a project example, and (5) specifications for user configuration and extension.

  11. The Sensor Test for Orion RelNav Risk Mitigation Development Test Objective

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Christian, John A.; Hinkel, Heather; Maguire, Sean

    2011-01-01

    The Sensor Test for Orion Relative-Navigation Risk Mitigation (STORRM) Development Test Objective (DTO) ew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-134, and was designed to characterize the performance of the ash LIDAR being developed for the Orion. This ash LIDAR, called the Vision Navigation Sensor (VNS), will be the primary navigation instrument used by the Orion vehicle during rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking. This paper provides an overview of the STORRM test objectives and the concept of operations. It continues with a description of the STORRM's major hardware compo nents, which include the VNS and the docking camera. Next, an overview of crew and analyst training activities will describe how the STORRM team prepared for flight. Then an overview of how insight data collection and analysis actually went is presented. Key ndings and results from this project are summarized, including a description of "truth" data. Finally, the paper concludes with lessons learned from the STORRM DTO.

  12. 76 FR 51060 - Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and Integrity of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-17

    ... Science Foundation specify that the agency ``may reject claims made in bad faith, or without justification... communication or representation of facts or data in any medium or form including textual, numerical... individuals or persons. Press releases, fact sheets, press conferences, or similar communications in any...

  13. Young Children Are Sensitive to How an Object Was Created when Deciding What To Name It.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gelman, Susan A.; Bloom, Paul

    2000-01-01

    Examined how 3- and 5-year-olds and adults extend names for human-made artifacts. Found that even 3-year-olds were more likely to provide artifact names (e.g., "knife") when they believed objects were intentionally created and to provide material-based descriptions (e.g., "plastic") when they believed objects were accidentally…

  14. Al-rich objects in ordinary chondrites - Related origin of carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites and their constituents

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bischoff, A.; Keil, K.

    1984-01-01

    A description is given of 169 Al-rich objects (arbitrarily defined as having 10 wt pct or more of Al2O3) from 24 ordinary chondrites of types 3 and 4, five regolith breccias containing unequilibrated material, the unique meteorite Kakangari, and a few ordinary chondrites of types 5 and 6. On the basis of shape and texture, the Al-rich objects are divided into chondrules (round, with igneous textures), irregularly shaped inclusions (similar to type F and spinel-rich complex Ca-Al-rich inclusions), and fragments (probably fragments of Al-rich chondrules and inclusions). For descriptive purposes, the Al-rich chondrules are further subdivided into compositional subgroups, although they are entirely transitional.

  15. Recommended procedures and methodology of coal description

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Chao, E.C.; Minkin, J.A.; Thompson, C.L.

    1983-01-01

    This document is the result of a workshop on coal description held for the Branch of Coal Resources of the U.S. Geological Survey in March 1982. It has been prepared to aid and encourage the field-oriented coal scientist to participate directly in petrographic coal-description activities. The objectives and past and current practices of coal description vary widely. These are briefly reviewed and illustrated with examples. Sampling approaches and techniques for collecting columnar samples of fresh coal are also discussed. The recommended procedures and methodology emphasize the fact that obtaining a good megascopic description of a coal bed is much better done in the laboratory with a binocular microscope and under good lighting conditions after the samples have been cut and quickly prepared. For better observation and cross-checking using a petrographic microscope for identification purposes, an in-place polishing procedure (requiring less than 2 min) is routinely used. Methods for using both the petrographic microscope and an automated image analysis system are also included for geologists who have access to such instruments. To describe the material characteristics of a coal bed in terms of microlithotypes or lithotypes, a new nomenclature of (V), (E), (1), (M). (S). (X1). (X2) and so on is used. The microscopic description of the modal composition of a megascopically observed lithologic type is expressed in terms of (VEIM); subscripts are used to denote the volume percentage of each constituent present. To describe a coal-bed profile, semiquantitative data (without microscopic study) and quantitative data (with microscopic study) are presented in ready-to-understand form. The average total composition of any thickness interval or of the entire coal bed can be plotted on a triangular diagram having V, E, and I+ M +S as the apices. The modal composition of any mixed lithologies such as (X1), (X2), and so on can also be plotted on such a triangular ternary diagram

  16. A descriptive study of chiropractors' opinions and practices regarding office-based health product sales.

    PubMed

    Page, Stacey A; Grod, Jaroslaw P; McMorland, D Gordon

    2012-04-05

    Although the sale of non-prescription health products is ubiquitous, the views of health professionals, such as chiropractors, regarding the sale of such products are not well known. Practitioner opinion is important to understand and inform professional practice. The purpose of this study was to describe chiropractors' perspectives and practices on the sale of health care products from practitioners' offices. Chiropractors were invited to provide written comments about health product sales at the end of a fixed choice, mailed survey. Respondents' comments were analyzed using qualitative description. Ethics approval was received from the Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board at the University of Calgary. One hundred seven of the 265 respondents (response rate of 51%) provided written comments. Approximately 30 pages of double-spaced, typed text were gathered. Respondents did not consistently endorse or condemn health product sales, and engaged in the practice to greater and lesser extents. While some were opposed to health products sales, some accepted the practice with a degree of ambivalence whereas others clearly embraced it. Some respondents acknowledged a professional conflict of interest in such sales and marketing, and described strategies used to mitigate it. Others provided a range of justifications for the practice. Personal integrity and professional standards were discussed and a need for monitoring identified. A wide range of opinions and practices were described and this is consistent with resulting variation in practice. In light of this, standards that facilitate consistency in practice may benefit professionals and the public alike.

  17. Detecting objects in radiographs for homeland security

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prasad, Lakshman; Snyder, Hans

    2005-05-01

    We present a general scheme for segmenting a radiographic image into polygons that correspond to visual features. This decomposition provides a vectorized representation that is a high-level description of the image. The polygons correspond to objects or object parts present in the image. This characterization of radiographs allows the direct application of several shape recognition algorithms to identify objects. In this paper we describe the use of constrained Delaunay triangulations as a uniform foundational tool to achieve multiple visual tasks, namely image segmentation, shape decomposition, and parts-based shape matching. Shape decomposition yields parts that serve as tokens representing local shape characteristics. Parts-based shape matching enables the recognition of objects in the presence of occlusions, which commonly occur in radiographs. The polygonal representation of image features affords the efficient design and application of sophisticated geometric filtering methods to detect large-scale structural properties of objects in images. Finally, the representation of radiographs via polygons results in significant reduction of image file sizes and permits the scalable graphical representation of images, along with annotations of detected objects, in the SVG (scalable vector graphics) format that is proposed by the world wide web consortium (W3C). This is a textual representation that can be compressed and encrypted for efficient and secure transmission of information over wireless channels and on the Internet. In particular, our methods described here provide an algorithmic framework for developing image analysis tools for screening cargo at ports of entry for homeland security.

  18. Toxicity of Atorvastatin on Pancreas Mitochondria: A Justification for Increased Risk of Diabetes Mellitus.

    PubMed

    Sadighara, Melina; Amirsheardost, Zahra; Minaiyan, Mohsen; Hajhashemi, Valiollah; Naserzadeh, Parvaneh; Salimi, Ahmad; Seydi, Enayatollah; Pourahmad, Jalal

    2017-02-01

    Statins (including atorvastatin) are a widely used class of drugs, and like all medications, they have a potential for adverse effects. Recently, it has been shown that statins also exert side effects on the pancreas. In vitro studies have suggested that this class of drugs induced a reduction in insulin secretion. Also, the use of statins is associated with a raised risk of diabetes mellitus (DM), but the mechanisms underlying statin-induced diabetes are poorly known. Literature data indicate that several statins are able to induce apoptosis signalling. This study was designed to examine the mechanism of atorvastatin on mitochondria obtained from rat pancreas. In our study, mitochondria were obtained from the pancreas and then exposed to atorvastatin and vehicle to investigate probable toxic effects. The results showed that atorvastatin (25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 μM) increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial swelling, collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential and cytochrome c release, the orchestrating factor for mitochondria-mediated apoptosis signalling. Atorvastatin also reduced the ATP levels. These results propose that the toxicity of atorvastatin on pancreas mitochondria is a key point for drug-induced apoptotic cell loss in the pancreas and therefore a justification for increased risk of DM. © 2016 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).

  19. Humanity and Justice in Global Health: Problems with Venkatapuram's Justification of the Global Health Duty.

    PubMed

    Kollar, Eszter; Laukötter, Sebastian; Buyx, Alena

    2016-01-01

    One of the most ambitious and sophisticated recent approaches to provide a theory of global health justice is Sridhar Venkatapuram's recent work. In this commentary, we first outline the core idea of Venkatapuram's approach to global health justice. We then argue that one of the most important elements of the account, Venkatapuram's basis of global health duties, is either too weak or assumed implicitly without a robust justification. The more explicit grounding of the duty to protect and promote health capabilities is based on Martha Nussbaum's version of the capability approach. We argue that this foundation gives rise to humanitarian duties rather than duties of justice proper. Venkatapuram's second argument from the social determinants of health thesis is instead a stronger candidate for grounding duties of justice. However, as a justificatory argument, it is only alluded to and has not yet been spelled out sufficiently. We offer plausible justificatory steps to fill this gap and draw some implications for global health action. We believe this both strengthens Venkatapuram's approach and serves to broaden the basis for future action in the area of global health. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Stokes-correlometry of polarization-inhomogeneous objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ushenko, O. G.; Dubolazov, A.; Bodnar, G. B.; Bachynskiy, V. T.; Vanchulyak, O.

    2018-01-01

    The paper consists of two parts. The first part presents short theoretical basics of the method of Stokes-correlometry description of optical anisotropy of biological tissues. It was provided experimentally measured coordinate distributions of modulus (MSV) and phase (PhSV) of complex Stokes vector of skeletal muscle tissue. It was defined the values and ranges of changes of statistic moments of the 1st-4th orders, which characterize the distributions of values of MSV and PhSV. The second part presents the data of statistic analysis of the distributions of modulus MSV and PhSV. It was defined the objective criteria of differentiation of samples with urinary incontinence.

  1. Using Java to generate globally unique identifiers for DICOM objects.

    PubMed

    Kamauu, Aaron W C; Duvall, Scott L; Avrin, David E

    2009-03-01

    Digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) specifies that all DICOM objects have globally unique identifiers (UIDs). Creating these UIDs can be a difficult task due to the variety of techniques in use and the requirement to ensure global uniqueness. We present a simple technique of combining a root organization identifier, assigned descriptive identifiers, and JAVA generated unique identifiers to construct DICOM compliant UIDs.

  2. Articulated Instruction Objectives Guide for Drafting. Final Document for Articulation of Drafting.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henderson, Wm. Edward, Jr.

    Intended for use in competency-based and criterion-referenced vocational programs, this articulated, performance-based instruction objectives guide for Drafting I is designed for reference use in the articulation of drafting programs at the secondary and postsecondary levels. It consists of a description of the development of the guide, 14…

  3. Discourse Factors Influencing Spatial Descriptions in English and German

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vorwerg, Constanze; Tenbrink, Thora

    The ways in which objects are referred to by using spatial language depend on many factors, including the spatial configuration and the discourse context. We present the results of a web experiment in which speakers were asked to either describe where a specified item was located in a picture containing several items, or which item was specified. Furthermore, conditions differed as to whether the first six configurations were specifically simple or specifically complex. Results show that speakers' spatial descriptions are more detailed if the question is where rather than which, mirroring the fact that contrasting the target item from the others in which tasks may not always require an equally detailed spatial description as in where tasks. Furthermore, speakers are influenced by the complexity of initial configurations in intricate ways: on the one hand, individual speakers tend to self-align with respect to their earlier linguistic strategies; however, also a contrast effect could be identified with respect to the usage of combined projective terms.

  4. Neurocomputational bases of object and face recognition.

    PubMed Central

    Biederman, I; Kalocsai, P

    1997-01-01

    A number of behavioural phenomena distinguish the recognition of faces and objects, even when members of a set of objects are highly similar. Because faces have the same parts in approximately the same relations, individuation of faces typically requires specification of the metric variation in a holistic and integral representation of the facial surface. The direct mapping of a hypercolumn-like pattern of activation onto a representation layer that preserves relative spatial filter values in a two-dimensional (2D) coordinate space, as proposed by C. von der Malsburg and his associates, may account for many of the phenomena associated with face recognition. An additional refinement, in which each column of filters (termed a 'jet') is centred on a particular facial feature (or fiducial point), allows selectivity of the input into the holistic representation to avoid incorporation of occluding or nearby surfaces. The initial hypercolumn representation also characterizes the first stage of object perception, but the image variation for objects at a given location in a 2D coordinate space may be too great to yield sufficient predictability directly from the output of spatial kernels. Consequently, objects can be represented by a structural description specifying qualitative (typically, non-accidental) characterizations of an object's parts, the attributes of the parts, and the relations among the parts, largely based on orientation and depth discontinuities (as shown by Hummel & Biederman). A series of experiments on the name priming or physical matching of complementary images (in the Fourier domain) of objects and faces documents that whereas face recognition is strongly dependent on the original spatial filter values, evidence from object recognition indicates strong invariance to these values, even when distinguishing among objects that are as similar as faces. PMID:9304687

  5. Toward Self-Referential Autonomous Learning of Object and Situation Models.

    PubMed

    Damerow, Florian; Knoblauch, Andreas; Körner, Ursula; Eggert, Julian; Körner, Edgar

    2016-01-01

    Most current approaches to scene understanding lack the capability to adapt object and situation models to behavioral needs not anticipated by the human system designer. Here, we give a detailed description of a system architecture for self-referential autonomous learning which enables the refinement of object and situation models during operation in order to optimize behavior. This includes structural learning of hierarchical models for situations and behaviors that is triggered by a mismatch between expected and actual action outcome. Besides proposing architectural concepts, we also describe a first implementation of our system within a simulated traffic scenario to demonstrate the feasibility of our approach.

  6. Who is entitled to double effect?

    PubMed

    Boyle, J

    1991-10-01

    The doctrine of double effect continues to be an important tool in bioethical casuistry. Its role within the Catholic moral tradition continues, and there is considerable interest in it by contemporary moral philosophers. But problems of justification and correct application remain. I argue that if the traditional Catholic conviction that there are exceptionless norms prohibiting inflicting some kinds of harms on people is correct, then double effect is justified and necessary. The objection that double effect is superfluous is a rejection of that normative conviction, not a refutation of double effect itself. This justification suggests the correct way of applying double effect to controversial cases. But versions of double effect which dispense with the absolutism of the Catholic tradition lack justification and fall to the objection that double effect is an unnecessary complication.

  7. Spectral types for objects in the Kiso survey. IV - Data for 81 stars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wegner, Gary; Mcmahan, Robert K.

    1988-01-01

    Spectroscopy and spectral types for 81 ultraviolet-excess objects found in the Kiso Schmidt-camera survey are reported. The data were secured with the McGraw-Hill 1.3 m telescope at 8-A resolution covering the wavelength interval 4000 -7200 A using the Mark II spectrograph. Descriptions of the spectra of some of the more peculiar objects found in this sample are given and include 14 sub-dwarfs, 23 definite DA white dwarfs, including a magnetic one, and one DQ whie dwarf, eight quasars and emission-line objects, and a new composite DA + dM system. More spectroscopy of the new cataclysmic variable KUV 01584-0939 and a possibly related object is also described.

  8. Virtual learning object and environment: a concept analysis.

    PubMed

    Salvador, Pétala Tuani Candido de Oliveira; Bezerril, Manacés Dos Santos; Mariz, Camila Maria Santos; Fernandes, Maria Isabel Domingues; Martins, José Carlos Amado; Santos, Viviane Euzébia Pereira

    2017-01-01

    To analyze the concept of virtual learning object and environment according to Rodgers' evolutionary perspective. Descriptive study with a mixed approach, based on the stages proposed by Rodgers in his concept analysis method. Data collection occurred in August 2015 with the search of dissertations and theses in the Bank of Theses of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel. Quantitative data were analyzed based on simple descriptive statistics and the concepts through lexicographic analysis with support of the IRAMUTEQ software. The sample was made up of 161 studies. The concept of "virtual learning environment" was presented in 99 (61.5%) studies, whereas the concept of "virtual learning object" was presented in only 15 (9.3%) studies. A virtual learning environment includes several and different types of virtual learning objects in a common pedagogical context. Analisar o conceito de objeto e de ambiente virtual de aprendizagem na perspectiva evolucionária de Rodgers. Estudo descritivo, de abordagem mista, realizado a partir das etapas propostas por Rodgers em seu modelo de análise conceitual. A coleta de dados ocorreu em agosto de 2015 com a busca de dissertações e teses no Banco de Teses e Dissertações da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior. Os dados quantitativos foram analisados a partir de estatística descritiva simples e os conceitos pela análise lexicográfica com suporte do IRAMUTEQ. A amostra é constituída de 161 estudos. O conceito de "ambiente virtual de aprendizagem" foi apresentado em 99 (61,5%) estudos, enquanto o de "objeto virtual de aprendizagem" em apenas 15 (9,3%). Concluiu-se que um ambiente virtual de aprendizagem reúne vários e diferentes tipos de objetos virtuais de aprendizagem em um contexto pedagógico comum.

  9. [Bio-objects and biological methods of space radiation effects evaluation].

    PubMed

    Kaminskaia, E V; Nevzgodina, L V; Platova, N G

    2009-01-01

    The unique conditions of space experiments place austere requirements to bio-objects and biological methods of radiation effects evaluation. The paper discusses suitability of a number of bio-objects varying in stage of evolution and metabolism for space researches aimed to state common patterns of the radiation damage caused by heavy ions (HI), and character of HI-cell interaction. Physical detectors in space experiments of the BIOBLOCK series make it possible to identify bio-objects hit by space HI and to set correlation between HI track topography and biological effect. The paper provides an all-round description of the bio-objects chosen for two BIOBLOCK experiments (population of hydrophyte Wolffia arrhiza (fam. duckweed) and Lactuca sativa seeds) and the method of evaluating effects from single space radiation HI. Direct effects of heavy ions on cells can be determined by the criteria of chromosomal aberrations and delayed morphologic abnormalities. The evaluation results are compared with the data about human blood lymphocytes. Consideration is being given to the procedures of test-objects' treatment and investigation.

  10. Queen Christina's moral claim on the living: justification of a tenacious moral intuition.

    PubMed

    Masterton, Malin; Helgesson, Gert; Höglund, Anna T; Hansson, Mats G

    2007-09-01

    In the long-running debate on the interest of the dead, Joan C. Callahan argues against such interests and although Søren Holm for practical reasons is prepared to consider posthumous interests, he does not see any moral basis to support such interests. He argues that the whole question is irresolvable, yet finds privacy interests where Tutankhamen is concerned. Callahan argues that there can be reasons to hold on to the fiction that there are posthumous interests, namely if it is comforting for the living and instrumental for society. Thus, despite arguing against the position that the dead have any interests or for any moral basis for such interests, these "interests" are still taken into consideration in the end. This shows the unsatisfactory basis of their positions and indicates the tenacity of the moral intuition that the dead can have moral claims on the living. One example of a posthumous interest is the interest in one's good name. Here we argue that it is an interest of moral significance. This implies that if individuals restrict use of their sample when they are still alive, those restrictions apply after their death. Further, it implies that one should be concerned with the reputation of historic persons. Research that defeats these interests calls for justification. We have suggested two lines of thinking along which such a discussion could go: investigating the truth-value of the good name and the relevance of bringing it into possible disrepute.

  11. The role of drop velocity in statistical spray description

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Groeneweg, J. F.; El-Wakil, M. M.; Myers, P. S.; Uyehara, O. A.

    1978-01-01

    The justification for describing a spray by treating drop velocity as a random variable on an equal statistical basis with drop size was studied experimentally. A double exposure technique using fluorescent drop photography was used to make size and velocity measurements at selected locations in a steady ethanol spray formed by a swirl atomizer. The size velocity data were categorized to construct bivariate spray density functions to describe the spray immediately after formation and during downstream propagation. Bimodal density functions were formed by environmental interaction during downstream propagation. Large differences were also found between spatial mass density and mass flux size distribution at the same location.

  12. Integration of the Gene Ontology into an object-oriented architecture.

    PubMed

    Shegogue, Daniel; Zheng, W Jim

    2005-05-10

    To standardize gene product descriptions, a formal vocabulary defined as the Gene Ontology (GO) has been developed. GO terms have been categorized into biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular components. However, there is no single representation that integrates all the terms into one cohesive model. Furthermore, GO definitions have little information explaining the underlying architecture that forms these terms, such as the dynamic and static events occurring in a process. In contrast, object-oriented models have been developed to show dynamic and static events. A portion of the TGF-beta signaling pathway, which is involved in numerous cellular events including cancer, differentiation and development, was used to demonstrate the feasibility of integrating the Gene Ontology into an object-oriented model. Using object-oriented models we have captured the static and dynamic events that occur during a representative GO process, "transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) receptor complex assembly" (GO:0007181). We demonstrate that the utility of GO terms can be enhanced by object-oriented technology, and that the GO terms can be integrated into an object-oriented model by serving as a basis for the generation of object functions and attributes.

  13. Integration of the Gene Ontology into an object-oriented architecture

    PubMed Central

    Shegogue, Daniel; Zheng, W Jim

    2005-01-01

    Background To standardize gene product descriptions, a formal vocabulary defined as the Gene Ontology (GO) has been developed. GO terms have been categorized into biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular components. However, there is no single representation that integrates all the terms into one cohesive model. Furthermore, GO definitions have little information explaining the underlying architecture that forms these terms, such as the dynamic and static events occurring in a process. In contrast, object-oriented models have been developed to show dynamic and static events. A portion of the TGF-beta signaling pathway, which is involved in numerous cellular events including cancer, differentiation and development, was used to demonstrate the feasibility of integrating the Gene Ontology into an object-oriented model. Results Using object-oriented models we have captured the static and dynamic events that occur during a representative GO process, "transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) receptor complex assembly" (GO:0007181). Conclusion We demonstrate that the utility of GO terms can be enhanced by object-oriented technology, and that the GO terms can be integrated into an object-oriented model by serving as a basis for the generation of object functions and attributes. PMID:15885145

  14. Fundamental Fermions (e.g. Neutrinos) as Topological Objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fitzpatrick, Gerald L.

    1999-05-01

    A new internal ``macroscopic'' description of fundamental fermions based on a matrix-generalization (F) of the scalar fermion-number f, predicts that only three families of quarks and leptons, and their associated neutrinos (ν_e, ν_μ and ν_τ), exist [1]. Moreover, this description places important phtopological constraints on neutrino mixtures [2]. With respect to F, the topology of the νe (ν_μ or ν_τ) is that of a cylinder (Möbius strip). Assuming that topology-changing neutrino-neutrino transitions are suppressed (e.g., one cannot continuously deform a donut into a sphere), while topology-maintaining transitions are relatively enhanced, one may have an explanation for short-distance observations of (nearly) maximal ν_μ-ν_τ mixing [3]. To test this idea, simple topological arguments were used to deduce a matrix describing long-distance neutrino mixtures, which is phidentical to that proposed by Georgi and Glashow on different grounds [4]. Experimental confirmation of this prediction would support the new description, which requires the νe and (ν_μ or ν_τ) to start ``life'' as topologically-distinct quantum objects.l [1] http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0965569500, [2] G. L. Fitzpatrick, aps1999feb12\\underbar001 at http://publish.aps.org/eprint/, [3] hep-ex/981001, [4] hep-ph/9808293, p. 5, Eq. 20.

  15. Object Oriented Learning Objects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Ed

    2005-01-01

    We apply the object oriented software engineering (OOSE) design methodology for software objects (SOs) to learning objects (LOs). OOSE extends and refines design principles for authoring dynamic reusable LOs. Our learning object class (LOC) is a template from which individualised LOs can be dynamically created for, or by, students. The properties…

  16. Cataclysmic variables and related objects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hack, Margherita; Ladous, Constanze; Jordan, Stuart D. (Editor); Thomas, Richard N. (Editor); Goldberg, Leo; Pecker, Jean-Claude

    1993-01-01

    This volume begins with an introductory chapter on general properties of cataclysmic variables. Chapters 2 through 5 of Part 1 are devoted to observations and interpretation of dwarf novae and nova-like stars. Chapters 6 through 10, Part 2, discuss the general observational properties of classical and recurrent novae, the theoretical models, and the characteristics and models for some well observed classical novae and recurrent novae. Chapters 11 through 14 of Part 3 are devoted to an overview of the observations of symbiotic stars, to a description of the various models proposed for explaining the symbiotic phenomenon, and to a discussion of a few selected objects, respectively. Chapter 15 briefly examines the many unsolved problems posed by the observations of the different classes of cataclysmic variables and symbiotic stars.

  17. Star Watch: The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to Finding, Observing, and Learning about Over 125 Celestial Objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harrington, Philip S.

    2003-07-01

    Your Passport to the Universe The night sky is alive with many wonders--distant planets, vast star clusters, glowing nebulae, and expansive galaxies, all waiting to be explored. Let respected astronomy writer Philip Harrington introduce you to the universe in Star Watch, a complete beginner's guide to locating, observing, and understanding these celestial objects. You'll start by identifying the surface features of the Moon, the banded cloud tops of Jupiter, the stunning rings of Saturn, and other members of our solar system. Then you'll venture out beyond our solar system, where you'll learn tips and tricks for finding outstanding deep-sky objects from stars to galaxies, including the entire Messier catalog--a primary goal of every serious beginner. Star Watch features a detailed physical description of each target, including size, distance, and structure, as well as concise directions for locating the objects, handy finder charts, hints on the best times to view each object, and descriptions of what you'll really see through a small telescope or binoculars and with the naked eye. Star Watch will transport you to the farthest depths of space--and return you as a well-traveled, experienced stargazer.

  18. Longitudinal Relationships Among Perceived Injunctive and Descriptive Norms and Marijuana Use

    PubMed Central

    Napper, Lucy E.; Kenney, Shannon R.; Hummer, Justin F.; Fiorot, Sara; LaBrie, Joseph W.

    2016-01-01

    Objective: The current study uses longitudinal data to examine the relative influence of perceived descriptive and injunctive norms for proximal and distal referents on marijuana use. Method: Participants were 740 undergraduate students (67% female) who completed web-based surveys at two time points 12 months apart. Time 1 measures included reports of marijuana use, approval, perceived descriptive norms, and perceived injunctive norms for the typical student, close friends, and parents. At Time 2, students reported on their marijuana use. Results: Results of a path analysis suggest that, after we controlled for Time 1 marijuana use, greater perceived friend approval indirectly predicted Time 2 marijuana use as mediated by personal approval. Greater perceived parental approval was both indirectly and directly associated with greater marijuana use at follow-up. Perceived typical-student descriptive norms were neither directly nor indirectly related to Time 2 marijuana use. Conclusions: The findings support the role of proximal injunctive norms in predicting college student marijuana use up to 12 months later. The results indicate the potential importance of developing normative interventions that incorporate the social influences of proximal referents. PMID:27172578

  19. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods used in burns research.

    PubMed

    Al-Benna, Sammy; Al-Ajam, Yazan; Way, Benjamin; Steinstraesser, Lars

    2010-05-01

    Burns research articles utilise a variety of descriptive and inferential methods to present and analyse data. The aim of this study was to determine the descriptive methods (e.g. mean, median, SD, range, etc.) and survey the use of inferential methods (statistical tests) used in articles in the journal Burns. This study defined its population as all original articles published in the journal Burns in 2007. Letters to the editor, brief reports, reviews, and case reports were excluded. Study characteristics, use of descriptive statistics and the number and types of statistical methods employed were evaluated. Of the 51 articles analysed, 11(22%) were randomised controlled trials, 18(35%) were cohort studies, 11(22%) were case control studies and 11(22%) were case series. The study design and objectives were defined in all articles. All articles made use of continuous and descriptive data. Inferential statistics were used in 49(96%) articles. Data dispersion was calculated by standard deviation in 30(59%). Standard error of the mean was quoted in 19(37%). The statistical software product was named in 33(65%). Of the 49 articles that used inferential statistics, the tests were named in 47(96%). The 6 most common tests used (Student's t-test (53%), analysis of variance/co-variance (33%), chi(2) test (27%), Wilcoxon & Mann-Whitney tests (22%), Fisher's exact test (12%)) accounted for the majority (72%) of statistical methods employed. A specified significance level was named in 43(88%) and the exact significance levels were reported in 28(57%). Descriptive analysis and basic statistical techniques account for most of the statistical tests reported. This information should prove useful in deciding which tests should be emphasised in educating burn care professionals. These results highlight the need for burn care professionals to have a sound understanding of basic statistics, which is crucial in interpreting and reporting data. Advice should be sought from professionals

  20. Descriptive Metadata: Emerging Standards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ahronheim, Judith R.

    1998-01-01

    Discusses metadata, digital resources, cross-disciplinary activity, and standards. Highlights include Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML); Extensible Markup Language (XML); Dublin Core; Resource Description Framework (RDF); Text Encoding Initiative (TEI); Encoded Archival Description (EAD); art and cultural-heritage metadata initiatives;…

  1. Driver Education Task Analysis. Volume I: Task Descriptions. Final Report (August 1969-July 1970).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKnight, A. James; Adams, Bert B.

    This resource guide is the first of a 4-volume report dealing with the development of driver education objectives through an analysis of the driver's task. Included are a detailed description of the behaviors required of passenger car drivers, rated criticalities of these behaviors, and items of supporting information relating to driver…

  2. Digital learning objects in nursing consultation: technology assessment by undergraduate students.

    PubMed

    Silveira, DeniseTolfo; Catalan, Vanessa Menezes; Neutzling, Agnes Ludwig; Martinato, Luísa Helena Machado

    2010-01-01

    This study followed the teaching-learning process about the nursing consultation, based on digital learning objects developed through the active Problem Based Learning method. The goals were to evaluate the digital learning objects about nursing consultation, develop cognitive skills on the subject using problem based learning and identify the students' opinions on the use of technology. This is an exploratory and descriptive study with a quantitative approach. The sample consisted of 71 students in the sixth period of the nursing program at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. The data was collected through a questionnaire to evaluate the learning objects. The results showed positive agreement (58%) on the content, usability and didactics of the proposed computer-mediated activity regarding the nursing consultation. The application of materials to the students is considered positive.

  3. A thematic analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of manufacturers' submissions to the NICE Single Technology Assessment (STA) process.

    PubMed

    Carroll, Christopher; Kaltenthaler, Eva; FitzGerald, Patrick; Boland, Angela; Dickson, Rumona

    2011-10-01

    The NICE Single Technology Appraisal (STA) process in the UK has been underway for five years. Evidence Review Groups (ERGs) critically appraise submissions from manufacturers on the clinical and cost effectiveness of new technologies. This study analysed the ERGs' assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of 30 manufacturers' submissions to the STA process. Thematic analysis was performed on the textual descriptions of the strengths and weakness of manufacturer submissions, as outlined by the ERGs in their reports. Various themes emerged from the data. These themes related to the processes applied in the submissions; the content of the submission (e.g. the amount and quality of evidence); the reporting of the submissions' review and analysis processes; the reliability and validity of the submissions' findings; and how far the submission had satisfied the STA process objectives. STA submissions could be improved if attention were paid to transparency in the reporting, conduct and justification of review and modelling processes and analyses, as well as greater robustness in the choice of data and closer adherence to the scope or decision problem. Where this adherence is not possible, more detailed justification of the choice of evidence or data is required. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Rotorcraft digital advanced avionics system (RODAAS) functional description

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Peterson, E. M.; Bailey, J.; Mcmanus, T. J.

    1985-01-01

    A functional design of a rotorcraft digital advanced avionics system (RODAAS) to transfer the technology developed for general aviation in the Demonstration Advanced Avionics System (DAAS) program to rotorcraft operation was undertaken. The objective was to develop an integrated avionics system design that enhances rotorcraft single pilot IFR operations without increasing the required pilot training/experience by exploiting advanced technology in computers, busing, displays and integrated systems design. A key element of the avionics system is the functionally distributed architecture that has the potential for high reliability with low weight, power and cost. A functional description of the RODAAS hardware and software functions is presented.

  5. On deriving the Maxwell stress tensor method for calculating the optical force and torque on an object in harmonic electromagnetic fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Qian; Lin, Haoze

    2017-07-01

    Though extensively used in calculating optical force and torque acting on a material object illuminated by laser, the Maxwell stress tensor (MST) method follows the electromagnetic linear and angular momentum balance that is usually derived in most textbooks for a continuous volume charge distribution in free space, if not resorting to the application of Noether’s theorem in electrodynamics. To cast the conservation laws into a physically appealing form involving the current densities of linear and angular momentum, on which the MST method is based, the divergence theorem is employed to transform a volume integral into a surface integral. When a material object of finite volume is put into the field, it brings about a discontinuity of field across its surface, due to the presence of induced surface charge and surface current. Ambiguity arises among students in whether the divergence theorem can still be directly used without any justification. By taking into account the effect of the induced surface charge and current, we present a simple pedagogical derivation for the MST method for calculating the optical force and torque on an object immersed in monochromatic optical field, without resorting to Noether’s theorem. Although the results turn out to be identical to those given in the standard textbooks, our derivation avoids the direct use of the divergence theorem on a discontinuous function.

  6. Phoretic self-propulsion: a mesoscopic description of reaction dynamics that powers motion.

    PubMed

    de Buyl, Pierre; Kapral, Raymond

    2013-02-21

    The fabrication of synthetic self-propelled particles and the experimental investigations of their dynamics have stimulated interest in self-generated phoretic effects that propel nano- and micron-scale objects. Theoretical modeling of these phenomena is often based on a continuum description of the solvent for different phoretic propulsion mechanisms, including, self-electrophoresis, self-diffusiophoresis and self-thermophoresis. The work in this paper considers various types of catalytic chemical reaction at the motor surface and in the bulk fluid that come into play in mesoscopic descriptions of the dynamics. The formulation is illustrated by developing the mesoscopic reaction dynamics for exothermic and dissociation reactions that are used to power motor motion. The results of simulations of the self-propelled dynamics of composite Janus particles by these mechanisms are presented.

  7. Object as a model of intelligent robot in the virtual workspace

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Foit, K.; Gwiazda, A.; Banas, W.; Sekala, A.; Hryniewicz, P.

    2015-11-01

    The contemporary industry requires that every element of a production line will fit into the global schema, which is connected with the global structure of business. There is the need to find the practical and effective ways of the design and management of the production process. The term “effective” should be understood in a manner that there exists a method, which allows building a system of nodes and relations in order to describe the role of the particular machine in the production process. Among all the machines involved in the manufacturing process, industrial robots are the most complex ones. This complexity is reflected in the realization of elaborated tasks, involving handling, transporting or orienting the objects in a work space, and even performing simple machining processes, such as deburring, grinding, painting, applying adhesives and sealants etc. The robot also performs some activities connected with automatic tool changing and operating the equipment mounted on the wrist of the robot. Because of having the programmable control system, the robot also performs additional activities connected with sensors, vision systems, operating the storages of manipulated objects, tools or grippers, measuring stands, etc. For this reason the description of the robot as a part of production system should take into account the specific nature of this machine: the robot is a substitute of a worker, who performs his tasks in a particular environment. In this case, the model should be able to characterize the essence of "employment" in the sufficient way. One of the possible approaches to this problem is to treat the robot as an object, in the sense often used in computer science. This allows both: to describe certain operations performed on the object, as well as describing the operations performed by the object. This paper focuses mainly on the definition of the object as the model of the robot. This model is confronted with the other possible descriptions. The

  8. Fast and efficient indexing approach for object recognition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hefnawy, Alaa; Mashali, Samia A.; Rashwan, Mohsen; Fikri, Magdi

    1999-08-01

    This paper introduces a fast and efficient indexing approach for both 2D and 3D model-based object recognition in the presence of rotation, translation, and scale variations of objects. The indexing entries are computed after preprocessing the data by Haar wavelet decomposition. The scheme is based on a unified image feature detection approach based on Zernike moments. A set of low level features, e.g. high precision edges, gray level corners, are estimated by a set of orthogonal Zernike moments, calculated locally around every image point. A high dimensional, highly descriptive indexing entries are then calculated based on the correlation of these local features and employed for fast access to the model database to generate hypotheses. A list of the most candidate models is then presented by evaluating the hypotheses. Experimental results are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed indexing approach.

  9. Developing a national role description for medical directors in long-term care

    PubMed Central

    Rahim-Jamal, Sherin; Quail, Patrick; Bhaloo, Tajudaullah

    2010-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To develop a national role description for medical directors in long-term care (LTC) based on role functions drawn from the literature and the LTC industry. DESIGN A questionnaire about the role functions identified from the literature was mailed or e-mailed to randomly selected medical directors, directors of care or nursing (DOCs), and administrators in LTC facilities. SETTING Long-term care facilities in Canada randomly selected from regional clusters. PARTICIPANTS Medical directors, DOCs, and administrators in LTC facilities; a national advisory group of medical directors from the Long Term Care Medical Directors Association of Canada; and a volunteer group of medical directors. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Respondents were asked to indicate, from the list of identified functions, 1) whether medical directors spent any time on each activity; 2) whether medical directors should spend time on each activity; and 3) if medical directors should spend time on an activity, whether the activity was “essential” or “desirable.” RESULTS An overall response rate of 37% was obtained. At least 80% of the respondents from all 3 groups (medical directors, DOCs, and administrators) highlighted 24 functions they deemed to be “essential” or “desirable,” which were then included in the role description. In addition, the advisory group expanded the role description to include 5 additional responsibilities from the remaining 18 functions originally identified. A volunteer group of medical directors confirmed the resulting role description. CONCLUSION The role description developed as a result of this study brings clarity to the medical director’s role in Canadian LTC facilities; the functions outlined are considered important for medical directors to undertake. The role description could be a useful tool in negotiations pertaining to time commitment and expectations of a medical director and fair compensation for services rendered. PMID:20090058

  10. Mental Layouts of Concealed Objects as a Function of Bizarre Imagery and Retention Interval.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iaccino, James; And Others

    To determine whether concealed imagery was an effective mnemonic aid in the recall of paired objects, two studies were conducted with explicitly worded instructions to conceal targets and with variable image formation periods. In each study, 40 subjects were presented with counterbalanced verbal descriptions of Concealed, Pictorial, and Separate…

  11. Isolation, gratification, justification: offenders' explanations of child molesting.

    PubMed

    Lawson, Louanne

    2003-01-01

    Child sexual abusers' descriptions of their thoughts, behaviors, and relationships were identified by reviewing qualitative research studies published between 1982 and 2001. Offenders used cognitive distortions to meet personal needs, protect themselves from aversive self-awareness, and overcome internal inhibitions against engaging children in sexual activity. Offenders carefully groomed their victims by systematically separating them from their families and peers and socializing them into sexual relationships. Specific cognitive and behavioral processes were used to translate sexual arousal into offending behavior. Offenders justified the abuse by making excuses and redefining their actions as love and mutuality. Throughout the process, offenders exploited the power imbalance inherent in all adult-child relationships. The participants in these studies provided a unique perspective on child sexual abuse that can be used to help victims cope, guide treatment development and evaluation, and suggest new questions for future research.

  12. 12 CFR 390.395 - Description of business.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Description of business. 390.395 Section 390... Associations § 390.395 Description of business. (a) This section applies to the description-of-business portion... 10-K (item 7) (17 CFR 249.310). (b) The description of business should conform to the description of...

  13. Objects and mappings: incompatible principles of display design - a critique of Marino and Mahan.

    PubMed

    Bennett, Kevin B

    2005-01-01

    Representation aiding (and similar approaches that share the general orientation) has a great deal of utility, predictive ability, and explanatory power. Marino and Mahan (2005) discuss principles that are critical to the RA approach (configurality, emergent features, and mappings) in a reasonable fashion. However, the application of these principles is far from reasonable. The authors explicitly realize the potential for interactions between nutrients: "The nutritional quality of a food product is a multidimensional concept, and higher order interactions between nutrients may exist" (p. 126). However, they made no effort to discover the nature of these interactions: "No attempt was made to identify contingent interactions between nutrients" (p. 126). Despite not knowing the nature of the interactions between nutrients, they purposely chose a highly configural display that produced numerous emergent features dependent upon these interactions: "A radial spoke display was selected because of the strong configural properties of such display formats (Bennett & Flach, 1992)" (p. 124). Finally, the authors show apparent disdain for the specific mappings among domain, agent, and display that are fundamental to the RA approach: "[O]ther configural display formats could have been used" (p. 124). It is impossible to reconcile these statements and the RA approach to display design. However, these statements make perfect sense if a perceptual object is a guiding principle in one's approach to display design. Marino and Mahan (2005) draw heavily upon the principle of a perceptual object in their design justifications, experimental predictions, and interpretations of results. As we have indicated here and elsewhere (Bennett & Flach, 1992), we believe that these two sets of organizing principles for display design (i.e., objects and mappings) are incompatible. Display design will never be an exact science; there will always be elements of art and creativity. However, the guiding

  14. 48 CFR 6.303-2 - Content.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... full and open competition, such as: (i) Explanation of why technical data packages, specifications... COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Other Than Full and Open Competition 6.303-2 Content. (a) Each justification shall... than full and open competition.” (2) Nature and/or description of the action being approved. (3) A...

  15. Curriculum Development for Life Management.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morse, Betty R.; And Others

    Developed by several colleges in California, this guide contains a curriculum for a course in Life Management (usually taught in the home economics area). The introductory sections of the guide contain the following information: recommendations from the pilot test teachers, rationale, course description, goals, justification for including the…

  16. Exploring Characterizations of Learning Object Repositories Using Data Mining Techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Segura, Alejandra; Vidal, Christian; Menendez, Victor; Zapata, Alfredo; Prieto, Manuel

    Learning object repositories provide a platform for the sharing of Web-based educational resources. As these repositories evolve independently, it is difficult for users to have a clear picture of the kind of contents they give access to. Metadata can be used to automatically extract a characterization of these resources by using machine learning techniques. This paper presents an exploratory study carried out in the contents of four public repositories that uses clustering and association rule mining algorithms to extract characterizations of repository contents. The results of the analysis include potential relationships between different attributes of learning objects that may be useful to gain an understanding of the kind of resources available and eventually develop search mechanisms that consider repository descriptions as a criteria in federated search.

  17. Corrective Action Decision Document/Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 571: Area 9 Yucca Flat Plutonium Dispersion Sites, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, Revision 0

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

    Matthews, Patrick

    2014-08-01

    The purpose of this CADD/CR is to provide documentation and justification that no further corrective action is needed for the closure of CAU 571 based on the implementation of corrective actions. This includes a description of investigation activities, an evaluation of the data, and a description of corrective actions that were performed. The CAIP provides information relating to the scope and planning of the investigation. Therefore, that information will not be repeated in this document.

  18. Mandatory influenza vaccination for all healthcare personnel: a review on justification, implementation and effectiveness.

    PubMed

    Wang, Tiffany L; Jing, Ling; Bocchini, Joseph A

    2017-10-01

    As healthcare-associated influenza is a serious public health concern, this review examines legal and ethical arguments supporting mandatory influenza vaccination policies for healthcare personnel, implementation issues and evidence of effectiveness. Spread of influenza from healthcare personnel to patients can result in severe harm or death. Although most healthcare personnel believe that they should be vaccinated against seasonal influenza, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that only 79% of personnel were vaccinated during the 2015-2016 season. Vaccination rates were as low as 44.9% in institutions that did not promote or offer the vaccine, compared with rates of more than 90% in institutions with mandatory vaccination policies. Policies that mandate influenza vaccination for healthcare personnel have legal and ethical justifications. Implementing such policies require multipronged approaches that include education efforts, easy access to vaccines, vaccine promotion, leadership support and consistent communication emphasizing patient safety. Mandatory influenza vaccination for healthcare personnel is a necessary step in protecting patients. Patients who interact with healthcare personnel are often at an elevated risk of complications from influenza. Vaccination is the best available strategy for protecting against influenza and evidence shows that institutional policies and state laws can effectively increase healthcare personnel vaccination rates, decreasing the risk of transmission in healthcare settings. There are legal and ethical precedents for institutional mandatory influenza policies and state laws, although successful implementation requires addressing both administrative and attitudinal barriers.

  19. An official American Thoracic Society policy statement: managing conscientious objections in intensive care medicine.

    PubMed

    Lewis-Newby, Mithya; Wicclair, Mark; Pope, Thaddeus; Rushton, Cynda; Curlin, Farr; Diekema, Douglas; Durrer, Debbie; Ehlenbach, William; Gibson-Scipio, Wanda; Glavan, Bradford; Langer, Rabbi Levi; Manthous, Constantine; Rose, Cecile; Scardella, Anthony; Shanawani, Hasan; Siegel, Mark D; Halpern, Scott D; Truog, Robert D; White, Douglas B

    2015-01-15

    Intensive care unit (ICU) clinicians sometimes have a conscientious objection (CO) to providing or disclosing information about a legal, professionally accepted, and otherwise available medical service. There is little guidance about how to manage COs in ICUs. To provide clinicians, hospital administrators, and policymakers with recommendations for managing COs in the critical care setting. This policy statement was developed by a multidisciplinary expert committee using an iterative process with a diverse working group representing adult medicine, pediatrics, nursing, patient advocacy, bioethics, philosophy, and law. The policy recommendations are based on the dual goals of protecting patients' access to medical services and protecting the moral integrity of clinicians. Conceptually, accommodating COs should be considered a "shield" to protect individual clinicians' moral integrity rather than as a "sword" to impose clinicians' judgments on patients. The committee recommends that: (1) COs in ICUs be managed through institutional mechanisms, (2) institutions accommodate COs, provided doing so will not impede a patient's or surrogate's timely access to medical services or information or create excessive hardships for other clinicians or the institution, (3) a clinician's CO to providing potentially inappropriate or futile medical services should not be considered sufficient justification to forgo the treatment against the objections of the patient or surrogate, and (4) institutions promote open moral dialogue and foster a culture that respects diverse values in the critical care setting. This American Thoracic Society statement provides guidance for clinicians, hospital administrators, and policymakers to address clinicians' COs in the critical care setting.

  20. Identifying Principal and Teacher Descriptions of the Continuation High School Teacher's "Special Fitness to Perform"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vargas, Nestor Albert

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this study was to generate principal and teacher descriptions of what constitutes a teacher's "special fitness to perform" in a public urban continuation high school with a concentration of at-risk students. The sample included 6 continuation principals and 15 continuation teachers from a large urban school district in…

  1. Descriptive Quantitative Analysis of Rearfoot Alignment Radiographic Parameters.

    PubMed

    Meyr, Andrew J; Wagoner, Matthew R

    2015-01-01

    Although the radiographic parameters of the transverse talocalcaneal angle (tTCA), calcaneocuboid angle (CCA), talar head uncovering (THU), calcaneal inclination angle (CIA), talar declination angle (TDA), lateral talar-first metatarsal angle (lTFA), and lateral talocalcaneal angle (lTCA) form the basis of the preoperative evaluation and procedure selection for pes planovalgus deformity, the so-called normal values of these measurements are not well-established. The objectives of the present study were to retrospectively evaluate the descriptive statistics of these radiographic parameters (tTCA, CCA, THU, CIA, TDA, lTFA, and lTCA) in a large population, and, second, to determine an objective basis for defining "normal" versus "abnormal" measurements. As a secondary outcome, the relationship of these variables to the body mass index was assessed. Anteroposterior and lateral foot radiographs from 250 consecutive patients without a history of previous foot and ankle surgery and/or trauma were evaluated. The results revealed a mean measurement of 24.12°, 13.20°, 74.32%, 16.41°, 26.64°, 8.37°, and 43.41° for the tTCA, CCA, THU, CIA, TDA, lTFA, and lTCA, respectively. These were generally in line with the reported historical normal values. Descriptive statistical analysis demonstrated that the tTCA, THU, and TDA met the standards to be considered normally distributed but that the CCA, CIA, lTFA, and lTCA demonstrated data characteristics of both parametric and nonparametric distributions. Furthermore, only the CIA (R = -0.2428) and lTCA (R = -0.2449) demonstrated substantial correlation with the body mass index. No differentiations in deformity progression were observed when the radiographic parameters were plotted against each other to lead to a quantitative basis for defining "normal" versus "abnormal" measurements. Copyright © 2015 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. The Skylab Student Project. [high school winners selection and experiments description

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Floyd, H. B.

    1973-01-01

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Science Teachers' Association (NSTA) undertook in 1971 a cooperative effort which brought high school students of the Nation into the mainstream of Skylab research through the Skylab Student Project. This paper presents the background, objectives and scope of the project, experiment selection procedures, as well as experiment descriptions and status. The paper includes observations on student caliber and inclinations and implications of some developments for the benefit of future researchers.

  3. Department of the Navy Justification of Estimates for Fiscal Year 1983 Submitted to Congress February 1982. Procurement, Book 1. Aircraft Procurement, Navy; Weapons Procurement, Navy

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-02-01

    m• OSI ? 1-78 ?roje-t Financial rlan: FY 1971 FY 19S0 FY 1981 18 2ý cost 2ty Cost 9r- Coat aty- cost * APN-5 CO0 $4~,200 16 $1,748 ýf I $2,T30 41...nd No.: Improvement of Fuel Q .antity Gaging System ( OSI " ,)-𔃼) Models o: Airc.-aft Affeted: A-7C/E and TA-7C leseriptlon/Justification: A The 3M...t 1-159 .TV N 7 •ODIFICATION OF AIRCRAFT FISCAL YEAR 1983 Appropriation: APN - Activity 5 Modification Title and K.. : A-?E FLIR ( OSI • 23-•9) Models

  4. Assessing Program Learning Objectives to Improve Undergraduate Physics Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Menke, Carrie

    2014-03-01

    Our physics undergraduate program has five program learning objectives (PLOs) focusing on (1) physical principles, (2) mathematical expertise, (3) experimental technique, (4) communication and teamwork, and (5) research proficiency. One PLO is assessed each year, with the results guiding modifications in our curriculum and future assessment practices; we have just completed our first cycle of assessing all PLOs. Our approach strives to maximize the ease and applicability of our assessment practices while maintaining faculty's flexibility in course design and delivery. Objectives are mapped onto our core curriculum with identified coursework collected as direct evidence. We've utilized mostly descriptive rubrics, applying them at the course and program levels as well as sharing them with the students. This has resulted in more efficient assessment that is also applicable to reaccreditation efforts, higher inter-rater reliability than with other rubric types, and higher quality capstone projects. We've also found that the varied quality of student writing can interfere with our assessment of other objectives. This poster outlines our processes, resources, and how we have used PLO assessment to strengthen our undergraduate program.

  5. Planning and setting objectives in field studies: Chapter 2

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fisher, Robert N.; Dodd, C. Kenneth

    2016-01-01

    This chapter enumerates the steps required in designing and planning field studies on the ecology and conservation of reptiles, as these involve a high level of uncertainty and risk. To this end, the chapter differentiates between goals (descriptions of what one intends to accomplish) and objectives (the measurable steps required to achieve the established goals). Thus, meeting a specific goal may require many objectives. It may not be possible to define some of them until certain experiments have been conducted; often evaluations of sampling protocols are needed to increase certainty in the biological results. And if sampling locations are fixed and sampling events are repeated over time, then both study-specific covariates and sampling-specific covariates should exist. Additionally, other critical design considerations for field study include obtaining permits, as well as researching ethics and biosecurity issues.

  6. Topological BF field theory description of topological insulators

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

    Cho, Gil Young; Moore, Joel E., E-mail: jemoore@berkeley.edu; Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720

    2011-06-15

    Research Highlights: > We show that a BF theory is the effective theory of 2D and 3D topological insulators. > The non-gauge-invariance of the bulk theory yields surface terms for a bosonized Dirac fermion. > The 'axion' term in electromagnetism is correctly obtained from gapped surfaces. > Generalizations to possible fractional phases are discussed in closing. - Abstract: Topological phases of matter are described universally by topological field theories in the same way that symmetry-breaking phases of matter are described by Landau-Ginzburg field theories. We propose that topological insulators in two and three dimensions are described by a version ofmore » abelian BF theory. For the two-dimensional topological insulator or quantum spin Hall state, this description is essentially equivalent to a pair of Chern-Simons theories, consistent with the realization of this phase as paired integer quantum Hall effect states. The BF description can be motivated from the local excitations produced when a {pi} flux is threaded through this state. For the three-dimensional topological insulator, the BF description is less obvious but quite versatile: it contains a gapless surface Dirac fermion when time-reversal-symmetry is preserved and yields 'axion electrodynamics', i.e., an electromagnetic E . B term, when time-reversal symmetry is broken and the surfaces are gapped. Just as changing the coefficients and charges of 2D Chern-Simons theory allows one to obtain fractional quantum Hall states starting from integer states, BF theory could also describe (at a macroscopic level) fractional 3D topological insulators with fractional statistics of point-like and line-like objects.« less

  7. Objects of temporary contraception: an exploratory study of women's perspectives in Karachi, Pakistan

    PubMed Central

    Marvi, Kamyla; Howard, Natasha

    2013-01-01

    Objectives To explore perspectives of three modern contraceptive objects, using an emic approach, among women in a low-income community in Karachi, Pakistan. Design A qualitative interview study design was employed, using qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach and manual thematic coding. Setting Shah Faisal Colony, Karachi. Participants 20 women, potential contraceptive users of reproductive age and living within a health centre catchment, were purposively selected to provide a similar number of non-users (n=5), contraceptive injection users (n=7), pill users (n=4), and intrauterine device users (n=4). One interview was excluded because it was not recorded. No other exclusion criteria were used. Primary and secondary outcome measures The primary outcome was interpretation of potency and effects of selected family planning objects. Secondary outcome measures were knowledge of family planning and description of therapeutic approaches used and preferred. Results Awareness of family planning was high. Women described different therapeutic approaches, stating they generally preferred modern medicine for contraception as it was fastest and most powerful. They reported that fear of some contraceptive objects, particularly injections and intrauterine contraceptive devices, influenced their choices. Women explained their perceptions of how the heating effects of contraceptives could cause unwanted side effects including menstrual irregularities, weight gain and weakness, leading to disease. Conclusions Most women wanted family planning, but remained dissatisfied with the available contraceptives and their effects. While women reported that they relied on modern medicine for contraception, their descriptions of how contraceptives affected their health relied on the hot–cold explanatory idiom of traditional medicine. PMID:23906959

  8. 42 CFR 23.4 - How must an entity apply for assignment?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... applicant's overall organizational structure; (2) A justification of the request for the assignment of personnel based upon the needs of the health manpower shortage area; (3) A description of the applicant's..., equipment and supplies; (4) A list of the proposed fees and discounted fees to be charged for the provision...

  9. 48 CFR 52.214-21 - Descriptive Literature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Descriptive Literature. 52....214-21 Descriptive Literature. As prescribed in 14.201-6(p)(1), insert the following provision: Descriptive Literature (APR 2002) (a) Descriptive literature, as used in this provision, means information...

  10. 48 CFR 52.214-21 - Descriptive Literature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Descriptive Literature. 52....214-21 Descriptive Literature. As prescribed in 14.201-6(p)(1), insert the following provision: Descriptive Literature (APR 2002) (a) Descriptive literature, as used in this provision, means information...

  11. 48 CFR 52.214-21 - Descriptive Literature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Descriptive Literature. 52....214-21 Descriptive Literature. As prescribed in 14.201-6(p)(1), insert the following provision: Descriptive Literature (APR 2002) (a) Descriptive literature, as used in this provision, means information...

  12. 48 CFR 52.214-21 - Descriptive Literature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Descriptive Literature. 52....214-21 Descriptive Literature. As prescribed in 14.201-6(p)(1), insert the following provision: Descriptive Literature (APR 2002) (a) Descriptive literature, as used in this provision, means information...

  13. 48 CFR 52.214-21 - Descriptive Literature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Descriptive Literature. 52....214-21 Descriptive Literature. As prescribed in 14.201-6(p)(1), insert the following provision: Descriptive Literature (APR 2002) (a) Descriptive literature, as used in this provision, means information...

  14. Performance on a stage IV object-permanence task with standard and nonstandard covers.

    PubMed

    Rader, N; Spiro, D J; Firestone, P B

    1979-09-01

    Piaget's description of object concept development is based on success in performing a series of search tasks. However, failure to perform successfully may result from undeveloped aspects of the cognitive or motor system unrelated to a concept of objects. This study examined the role of perceptual-motor development in a typical Stage IV task by comparing performance given a standard cloth cover or a small card cover. Subjects were 10 infants 147--187 days old (median age = 160 days). A pass was defined as the retrieval of the toy within 30 sec on 2 out of 3 trials. The difference in performance between the 2 cover conditions was significant (p = .032). These results advise caution in interpreting Stage IV performance in terms of a developing object concept.

  15. The Effects of Discipline on the Application of Learning Object Metadata in UK Higher Education: The Case of the Jorum Repository

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balatsoukas, Panos; O'Brien, Ann; Morris, Anne

    2011-01-01

    Introduction: This paper reports on the findings of a study investigating the potential effects of discipline (sciences and engineering versus humanities and social sciences) on the application of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers learning object metadata elements for the description of learning objects in the Jorum learning…

  16. Statistical analysis and interpretation of prenatal diagnostic imaging studies, Part 2: descriptive and inferential statistical methods.

    PubMed

    Tuuli, Methodius G; Odibo, Anthony O

    2011-08-01

    The objective of this article is to discuss the rationale for common statistical tests used for the analysis and interpretation of prenatal diagnostic imaging studies. Examples from the literature are used to illustrate descriptive and inferential statistics. The uses and limitations of linear and logistic regression analyses are discussed in detail.

  17. A Thousand Frames in Just a Few Words: Lingual Description of Videos through Latent Topics and Sparse Object Stitching (Open Access)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-10-03

    the Stanford NLP Suite∗ to create an- notated dictionaries based on word morphologies ; the human descriptions provide the input. The predicted...keywords from the low level topic models are labeled through these dictionaries. For more than two POS for the same morphology , we prefer verbs, but other...redundancy particularly retaining subjects like “man,” “woman” etc. and verb morphologies (which otherwise stem to the same prefix) as proxies for ten

  18. Objectives Stated for the Use of Literature at School: An Empirical Analysis, Part I.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klingberg, Gote; Agren, Bengt

    This report presents a theoretical basis for literary education through goal analyses. The object of the analyses is to obtain clearer formulations of the subgoals of instruction with the help of literature, and to arrange them in logical sequence. Using 79 sources from 12 countries, an empirical study was made, and goal descriptions were…

  19. Short Descriptions of Selected Distance-Education Institutions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doerfert, F., Ed.; And Others

    This report contains short descriptions of about 200 selected distance education institutions throughout the world. Most of the descriptions are based on questionnaires completed by members of the institutions as well as on corrections of and comments on a preliminary version of the descriptions. Descriptions contain some or all of the following…

  20. Attribute-based classification for zero-shot visual object categorization.

    PubMed

    Lampert, Christoph H; Nickisch, Hannes; Harmeling, Stefan

    2014-03-01

    We study the problem of object recognition for categories for which we have no training examples, a task also called zero--data or zero-shot learning. This situation has hardly been studied in computer vision research, even though it occurs frequently; the world contains tens of thousands of different object classes, and image collections have been formed and suitably annotated for only a few of them. To tackle the problem, we introduce attribute-based classification: Objects are identified based on a high-level description that is phrased in terms of semantic attributes, such as the object's color or shape. Because the identification of each such property transcends the specific learning task at hand, the attribute classifiers can be prelearned independently, for example, from existing image data sets unrelated to the current task. Afterward, new classes can be detected based on their attribute representation, without the need for a new training phase. In this paper, we also introduce a new data set, Animals with Attributes, of over 30,000 images of 50 animal classes, annotated with 85 semantic attributes. Extensive experiments on this and two more data sets show that attribute-based classification indeed is able to categorize images without access to any training images of the target classes.

  1. Extraction of object skeletons in multispectral imagery by the orthogonal regression fitting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palenichka, Roman M.; Zaremba, Marek B.

    2003-03-01

    Accurate and automatic extraction of skeletal shape of objects of interest from satellite images provides an efficient solution to such image analysis tasks as object detection, object identification, and shape description. The problem of skeletal shape extraction can be effectively solved in three basic steps: intensity clustering (i.e. segmentation) of objects, extraction of a structural graph of the object shape, and refinement of structural graph by the orthogonal regression fitting. The objects of interest are segmented from the background by a clustering transformation of primary features (spectral components) with respect to each pixel. The structural graph is composed of connected skeleton vertices and represents the topology of the skeleton. In the general case, it is a quite rough piecewise-linear representation of object skeletons. The positions of skeleton vertices on the image plane are adjusted by means of the orthogonal regression fitting. It consists of changing positions of existing vertices according to the minimum of the mean orthogonal distances and, eventually, adding new vertices in-between if a given accuracy if not yet satisfied. Vertices of initial piecewise-linear skeletons are extracted by using a multi-scale image relevance function. The relevance function is an image local operator that has local maximums at the centers of the objects of interest.

  2. Locator-Checker-Scaler Object Tracking Using Spatially Ordered and Weighted Patch Descriptor.

    PubMed

    Kim, Han-Ul; Kim, Chang-Su

    2017-08-01

    In this paper, we propose a simple yet effective object descriptor and a novel tracking algorithm to track a target object accurately. For the object description, we divide the bounding box of a target object into multiple patches and describe them with color and gradient histograms. Then, we determine the foreground weight of each patch to alleviate the impacts of background information in the bounding box. To this end, we perform random walk with restart (RWR) simulation. We then concatenate the weighted patch descriptors to yield the spatially ordered and weighted patch (SOWP) descriptor. For the object tracking, we incorporate the proposed SOWP descriptor into a novel tracking algorithm, which has three components: locator, checker, and scaler (LCS). The locator and the scaler estimate the center location and the size of a target, respectively. The checker determines whether it is safe to adjust the target scale in a current frame. These three components cooperate with one another to achieve robust tracking. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed LCS tracker achieves excellent performance on recent benchmarks.

  3. Integration of object-oriented knowledge representation with the CLIPS rule based system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Logie, David S.; Kamil, Hasan

    1990-01-01

    The paper describes a portion of the work aimed at developing an integrated, knowledge based environment for the development of engineering-oriented applications. An Object Representation Language (ORL) was implemented in C++ which is used to build and modify an object-oriented knowledge base. The ORL was designed in such a way so as to be easily integrated with other representation schemes that could effectively reason with the object base. Specifically, the integration of the ORL with the rule based system C Language Production Systems (CLIPS), developed at the NASA Johnson Space Center, will be discussed. The object-oriented knowledge representation provides a natural means of representing problem data as a collection of related objects. Objects are comprised of descriptive properties and interrelationships. The object-oriented model promotes efficient handling of the problem data by allowing knowledge to be encapsulated in objects. Data is inherited through an object network via the relationship links. Together, the two schemes complement each other in that the object-oriented approach efficiently handles problem data while the rule based knowledge is used to simulate the reasoning process. Alone, the object based knowledge is little more than an object-oriented data storage scheme; however, the CLIPS inference engine adds the mechanism to directly and automatically reason with that knowledge. In this hybrid scheme, the expert system dynamically queries for data and can modify the object base with complete access to all the functionality of the ORL from rules.

  4. Descriptive Drinking Norms: For Whom Does Reference Group Matter?*

    PubMed Central

    Larimer, Mary E.; Neighbors, Clayton; LaBrie, Joseph W.; Atkins, David C.; Lewis, Melissa A.; Lee, Christine M.; Kilmer, Jason R.; Kaysen, Debra L.; Pedersen, Eric r.; Montoya, Heidi; Hodge, Kimberley; Desai, Sruti; Hummer, Justin F.; Walter, Theresa

    2011-01-01

    Objective: Perceived descriptive drinking norms often differ from actual norms and are positively related to personal consumption. However, it is not clear how normative perceptions vary with specificity of the reference group. Are drinking norms more accurate and more closely related to drinking behavior as reference group specificity increases? Do these relationships vary as a function of participant demographics? The present study examined the relationship between perceived descriptive norms and drinking behavior by ethnicity (Asian or White), sex, and fraternity/sorority status. Method: Participants were 2,699 (58% female) White (75%) or Asian (25%) undergraduates from two universities who reported their own alcohol use and perceived descriptive norms for eight reference groups: "typical student"; same sex, ethnicity, or fraternity/sorority status; and all combinations of these three factors. Results: Participants generally reported the highest perceived norms for the most distal reference group (typical student), with perceptions becoming more accurate as individuals' similarity to the reference group increased. Despite increased accuracy, participants perceived that all reference groups drank more than was actually the case. Across specific subgroups (fraternity/sorority members and men) different patterns emerged. Fraternity/sorority members reliably reported higher estimates of drinking for reference groups that included fraternity/ sorority status, and, to a lesser extent, men reported higher estimates for reference groups that included men. Conclusions: The results suggest that interventions targeting normative misperceptions may need to provide feedback based on participant demography or group membership. Although reference group-specific feedback may be important for some subgroups, typical student feedback provides the largest normative discrepancy for the majority of students. PMID:21906510

  5. Target-object integration, attention distribution, and object orientation interactively modulate object-based selection.

    PubMed

    Al-Janabi, Shahd; Greenberg, Adam S

    2016-10-01

    The representational basis of attentional selection can be object-based. Various studies have suggested, however, that object-based selection is less robust than spatial selection across experimental paradigms. We sought to examine the manner by which the following factors might explain this variation: Target-Object Integration (targets 'on' vs. part 'of' an object), Attention Distribution (narrow vs. wide), and Object Orientation (horizontal vs. vertical). In Experiment 1, participants discriminated between two targets presented 'on' an object in one session, or presented as a change 'of' an object in another session. There was no spatial cue-thus, attention was initially focused widely-and the objects were horizontal or vertical. We found evidence of object-based selection only when targets constituted a change 'of' an object. Additionally, object orientation modulated the sign of object-based selection: We observed a same-object advantage for horizontal objects, but a same-object cost for vertical objects. In Experiment 2, an informative cue preceded a single target presented 'on' an object or as a change 'of' an object (thus, attention was initially focused narrowly). Unlike in Experiment 1, we found evidence of object-based selection independent of target-object integration. We again found that the sign of selection was modulated by the objects' orientation. This result may reflect a meridian effect, which emerged due to anisotropies in the cortical representations when attention is oriented endogenously. Experiment 3 revealed that object orientation did not modulate object-based selection when attention was oriented exogenously. Our findings suggest that target-object integration, attention distribution, and object orientation modulate object-based selection, but only in combination.

  6. Identification of core objectives for teaching sustainable healthcare education.

    PubMed

    Teherani, Arianne; Nishimura, Holly; Apatira, Latifat; Newman, Thomas; Ryan, Susan

    2017-01-01

    Physicians will be called upon to care for patients who bear the burden of disease from the impact of climate change and ecologically irresponsible practices which harm ecosystems and contribute to climate change. However, physicians must recognize the connection between the climate, ecosystems, sustainability, and health and their responsibility and capacity in changing the status quo. Sustainable healthcare education (SHE), defined as education about the impact of climate change and ecosystem alterations on health and the impact of the healthcare industry on the aforementioned, is vital to prevention of adverse health outcomes due to the changing climate and environment. To systematically determine which and when a set of SHE objectives should be included in the medical education continuum. Fifty-two SHE experts participated in a two-part modified-Delphi study. A survey was developed based on 21 SHE objectives. Respondents rated the importance of each objective and when each objective should be taught. Descriptive statistics and an item-level content validity index (CVI) were used to analyze data. Fifteen of the objectives achieved a content validity index of 78% or greater. The remaining objectives had content validity indices between 58% and 77%. The preclinical years of medical school were rated as the optimal time for introducing 13 and the clinical years for introducing six of the objectives. Respondents noted the definition of environmental sustainability should be learned prior to medical school and identifying ways to improve the environmental sustainability of health systems in post-graduate training. This study proposes SHE objectives for the continuum of medical education. These objectives ensure the identity of the physician includes the requisite awareness and competence to care for patients who experience the impact of climate and environment on health and advocate for sustainability of the health systems in which they work. CVI: Content validity

  7. Object-oriented sequence analysis: SCL--a C++ class library.

    PubMed

    Vahrson, W; Hermann, K; Kleffe, J; Wittig, B

    1996-04-01

    SCL (Sequence Class Library) is a class library written in the C++ programming language. Designed using object-oriented programming principles, SCL consists of classes of objects performing tasks typically needed for analyzing DNA or protein sequences. Among them are very flexible sequence classes, classes accessing databases in various formats, classes managing collections of sequences, as well as classes performing higher-level tasks like calculating a pairwise sequence alignment. SCL also includes classes that provide general programming support, like a dynamically growing array, sets, matrices, strings, classes performing file input/output, and utilities for error handling. By providing these components, SCL fosters an explorative programming style: experimenting with algorithms and alternative implementations is encouraged rather than punished. A description of SCL's overall structure as well as an overview of its classes is given. Important aspects of the work with SCL are discussed in the context of a sample program.

  8. 41 CFR 101-29.503 - Agency product descriptions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Agency product... PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS 29.5-Use of and Optional Use of Federal Product Descriptions and Agency Product Descriptions § 101-29.503 Agency product descriptions. When a Federal product description is not available...

  9. Workplace interventions for workers with musculoskeletal disabilities: a descriptive review of content.

    PubMed

    Durand, M J; Vézina, N; Loisel, P; Baril, R; Richard, M C; Diallo, B

    2007-03-01

    Despite the convergence of scientific data to the effect that interventions in the workplace promote a healthy return to work, the interventions carried out in the real work environment appear to be very heterogeneous and ill-defined. The goal of this review is to identify the different objectives pursued through the workplace interventions carried out in the context of a rehabilitation program, and to describe the activities involved. A descriptive review of the literature, including various research designs, was carried out. This review reveals great heterogeneity in the content of interventions offered in the workplace to workers with musculoskeletal disabilities. The objectives of workplace interventions may range from gathering information in order to reproduce work demands in a clinical setting, to gradually exposing workers to the demands of the real work environment, or permanently reducing the demands of the work situation. A descriptive analysis of the literature also brings to light the diversity of actions carried out, human resources used, and workplace environments involved, while highlighting the few documented process outcome evaluations that have been done of workplace interventions. It is recommended that in future research in this area, efforts be made to better describe the components of the interventions, to develop process outcomes representing the multidimensional results obtained in the workplace, and to differentiate between temporary and permanent modifications made to the work situation.

  10. Is there an agreement among the items of the Korean physical therapist licensing examination, learning objectives of class subjects, and physical therapists’ job descriptions?

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the agreement among the items of the Korean physical therapist licensing examination, learning objectives of class subjects, and physical therapists’ job descriptions. Methods: The main tasks of physical therapists were classified, and university courses related to the main tasks were also classified. Frequency analysis was used to determine the proportions of credits for the classified courses out of the total credits of major subjects, exam items related to the classified courses out of the total number of exam items, and universities that offer courses related to the Korean physical therapist licensing examination among the surveyed universities. Results: The proportions of credits for clinical decision making and physical therapy diagnosis-related courses out of the total number credits for major subjects at universities were relatively low (2.06% and 2.58%, respectively). Although the main tasks of physical therapists are related to diagnosis and evaluation, the proportion of physiotherapy intervention-related items (35%) was higher than that of examination and evaluation-related items (25%) on the Korean physical therapist licensing examination. The percentages of universities that offer physical therapy diagnosis and clinical decision making-related courses were 58.62% and 68.97%, respectively. Conclusion: Both the proportion of physiotherapy diagnosis and evaluation-related items on the Korean physical therapist licensing examination, and the number of subjects related to clinical decision making and physical therapy diagnosis in the physical therapy curriculum, should be increased to ensure that the examination items and physical therapy curriculum reflect the practical tasks of physical therapists. PMID:26767720

  11. Is there an agreement among the items of the Korean physical therapist licensing examination, learning objectives of class subjects, and physical therapists' job descriptions?

    PubMed

    Kang, Min-Hyeok; Kwon, Oh-Yun; Kim, Yong-Wook; Kim, Ji-Won; Kim, Tae-Ho; Oh, Tae-Young; Weon, Jong-Hyuk; Lee, Tae-Sik; Oh, Jae-Seop

    2016-01-01

    To determine the agreement among the items of the Korean physical therapist licensing examination, learning objectives of class subjects, and physical therapists' job descriptions. The main tasks of physical therapists were classified, and university courses related to the main tasks were also classified. Frequency analysis was used to determine the proportions of credits for the classified courses out of the total credits of major subjects, exam items related to the classified courses out of the total number of exam items, and universities that offer courses related to the Korean physical therapist licensing examination among the surveyed universities. The proportions of credits for clinical decision making and physical therapy diagnosis-related courses out of the total number credits for major subjects at universities were relatively low (2.06% and 2.58%, respectively). Although the main tasks of physical therapists are related to diagnosis and evaluation, the proportion of physiotherapy intervention-related items (35%) was higher than that of examination and evaluation-related items (25%) on the Korean physical therapist licensing examination. The percentages of universities that offer physical therapy diagnosis and clinical decision making-related courses were 58.62% and 68.97%, respectively. Both the proportion of physiotherapy diagnosis and evaluation-related items on the Korean physical therapist licensing examination, and the number of subjects related to clinical decision making and physical therapy diagnosis in the physical therapy curriculum, should be increased to ensure that the examination items and physical therapy curriculum reflect the practical tasks of physical therapists.

  12. Individual schooling and women's community-level media exposure: a multilevel analysis of normative influences associated with women's justification of wife beating in Bangladesh.

    PubMed

    Krause, Kathleen H; Haardörfer, Regine; Yount, Kathryn M

    2017-02-01

    Our objective was to examine the multilevel correlates of women's justification of wife beating in Bangladesh, a form of intimate partner violence (IPV). We focus on individual-level schooling, community-level media exposure among women and their interaction. A cross-sectional study using data from the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Our sample included 17 749 ever-married women 15-49 years in 600 communities. We fit 6 multilevel logistic regression models to examine factors associated with justifying IPV; focusing on a woman's completed grades of schooling; frequent (at least once weekly) community-level media exposure among women via newspaper/magazine, television and radio; and their cross-level interaction. At the individual level, completing more grades of schooling than the community average was negatively associated with justifying IPV (0.95, 95% CI 0.94 to 0.97). The main effects of women's community-level media exposure were not significant, but suggested that frequent exposure to newspaper/magazine or television was negatively associated with justifying IPV, while exposure to radio was positively associated. In cross-level interactions, a woman's completed grades of schooling above the community average was protective against justifying IPV, even in communities where women's exposure to radio would otherwise increase the odds of justifying IPV. Different forms of media likely send different messages about gender and IPV. Girls' schooling should remain a priority, given its protective effect against justifying wife beating. Targeting girls and women who do not receive any schooling for intervention may yield the most benefit in terms of normative change regarding IPV against women. 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/.

  13. Robust visual object tracking with interleaved segmentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abel, Peter; Kieritz, Hilke; Becker, Stefan; Arens, Michael

    2017-10-01

    In this paper we present a new approach for tracking non-rigid, deformable objects by means of merging an on-line boosting-based tracker and a fast foreground background segmentation. We extend an on-line boosting- based tracker, which uses axes-aligned bounding boxes with fixed aspect-ratio as tracking states. By constructing a confidence map from the on-line boosting-based tracker and unifying this map with a confidence map, which is obtained from a foreground background segmentation algorithm, we build a superior confidence map. For constructing a rough confidence map of a new frame based on on-line boosting, we employ the responses of the strong classifier as well as the single weak classifier responses that were built before during the updating step. This confidence map provides a rough estimation of the object's position and dimension. In order to refine this confidence map, we build a fine, pixel-wisely segmented confidence map and merge both maps together. Our segmentation method is color-histogram-based and provides a fine and fast image segmentation. By means of back-projection and the Bayes' rule, we obtain a confidence value for every pixel. The rough and the fine confidence maps are merged together by building an adaptively weighted sum of both maps. The weights are obtained by utilizing the variances of both confidence maps. Further, we apply morphological operators in the merged confidence map in order to reduce the noise. In the resulting map we estimate the object localization and dimension via continuous adaptive mean shift. Our approach provides a rotated rectangle as tracking states, which enables a more precise description of non-rigid, deformable objects than axes-aligned bounding boxes. We evaluate our tracker on the visual object tracking (VOT) benchmark dataset 2016.

  14. Connectomes as constitutively epistemic objects: Critical perspectives on modeling in current neuroanatomy.

    PubMed

    Haueis, Philipp; Slaby, Jan

    2017-01-01

    The term "connectome" is commonly taken to describe a complete map of neural connections in a nervous system of a given species. This chapter provides a critical perspective on the role of connectomes in neuroscientific practice and asks how the connectomic approach fits into a larger context in which network thinking permeates technology, infrastructure, social life, and the economy. In the first part of this chapter, we argue that, seen from the perspective of ongoing research, the notion of connectomes as "complete descriptions" is misguided. Our argument combines Rachel Ankeny's analysis of neuroanatomical wiring diagrams as "descriptive models" with Hans-Jörg Rheinberger's notion of "epistemic objects," i.e., targets of research that are still partially unknown. Combining these aspects we conclude that connectomes are constitutively epistemic objects: there just is no way to turn them into permanent and complete technical standards because the possibilities to map connection properties under different modeling assumptions are potentially inexhaustible. In the second part of the chapter, we use this understanding of connectomes as constitutively epistemic objects in order to critically assess the historical and political dimensions of current neuroscientific research. We argue that connectomics shows how the notion of the "brain as a network" has become the dominant metaphor of contemporary brain research. We further point out that this metaphor shares (potentially problematic) affinities to the form of contemporary "network societies." We close by pointing out how the relation between connectomes and networks in society could be used in a more fruitful manner. © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Preclinical Justification of pbi-shRNA EWS/FLI1 Lipoplex (LPX) Treatment for Ewing's Sarcoma.

    PubMed

    Rao, Donald D; Jay, Christopher; Wang, Zhaohui; Luo, Xiuquan; Kumar, Padmasini; Eysenbach, Hilary; Ghisoli, Maurizio; Senzer, Neil; Nemunaitis, John

    2016-08-01

    The EWS/FLI1 fusion gene is well characterized as a driver of Ewing's sarcoma. Bi-shRNA EWS/FLI1 is a functional plasmid DNA construct that transcribes both siRNA and miRNA-like effectors each of which targets the identical type 1 translocation junction region of the EWS/FLI1 transcribed mRNA sequence. Previous preclinical and clinical studies confirm the safety of this RNA interference platform technology and consistently demonstrate designated mRNA and protein target knockdown at greater than 90% efficiency. We initiated development of pbi-shRNA EWS/FLI1 lipoplex (LPX) for the treatment of type 1 Ewing's sarcoma. Clinical-grade plasmid was manufactured and both sequence and activity verified. Target protein and RNA knockdown of 85-92% was demonstrated in vitro in type 1 human Ewing's sarcoma tumor cell lines with the optimal bi-shRNA EWS/FLI1 plasmid. This functional plasmid was placed in a clinically tested, liposomal (LP) delivery vehicle followed by in vivo verification of activity. Type 1 Ewing's sarcoma xenograft modeling confirmed dose related safety and tumor response to pbi-shRNA EWS/FLI1 LPX. Toxicology studies in mini-pigs with doses comparable to the demonstrated in vivo efficacy dose resulted in transient fever, occasional limited hypertension at low- and high-dose assessment and transient liver enzyme elevation at high dose. These results provide the justification to initiate clinical testing.

  16. Preclinical Justification of pbi-shRNA EWS/FLI1 Lipoplex (LPX) Treatment for Ewing's Sarcoma

    PubMed Central

    Rao, Donald D.; Jay, Christopher; Wang, Zhaohui; Luo, Xiuquan; Kumar, Padmasini; Eysenbach, Hilary; Ghisoli, Maurizio; Senzer, Neil; Nemunaitis, John

    2016-01-01

    The EWS/FLI1 fusion gene is well characterized as a driver of Ewing's sarcoma. Bi-shRNA EWS/FLI1 is a functional plasmid DNA construct that transcribes both siRNA and miRNA-like effectors each of which targets the identical type 1 translocation junction region of the EWS/FLI1 transcribed mRNA sequence. Previous preclinical and clinical studies confirm the safety of this RNA interference platform technology and consistently demonstrate designated mRNA and protein target knockdown at greater than 90% efficiency. We initiated development of pbi-shRNA EWS/FLI1 lipoplex (LPX) for the treatment of type 1 Ewing's sarcoma. Clinical-grade plasmid was manufactured and both sequence and activity verified. Target protein and RNA knockdown of 85–92% was demonstrated in vitro in type 1 human Ewing's sarcoma tumor cell lines with the optimal bi-shRNA EWS/FLI1 plasmid. This functional plasmid was placed in a clinically tested, liposomal (LP) delivery vehicle followed by in vivo verification of activity. Type 1 Ewing's sarcoma xenograft modeling confirmed dose related safety and tumor response to pbi-shRNA EWS/FLI1 LPX. Toxicology studies in mini-pigs with doses comparable to the demonstrated in vivo efficacy dose resulted in transient fever, occasional limited hypertension at low- and high-dose assessment and transient liver enzyme elevation at high dose. These results provide the justification to initiate clinical testing. PMID:27166877

  17. Descriptive approaches to landscape analysis

    Treesearch

    R. Burton Litton Jr.

    1979-01-01

    Descriptive landscape analyses include various procedures used to document visual/scenic resources. Historic and regional examples of landscape description represent desirable insight for contemporary professional inventory work. Routed and areal landscape inventories are discussed as basic tools. From them, qualitative and quantitative evaluations can be developed...

  18. A taste of science: Making the subjective objective in the California wine world.

    PubMed

    Shapin, Steven

    2016-06-01

    This article is about the relationship between the categories of the subjective and the objective in the late 20th-century California wine world, about attempts to transform 'soft' subjective judgments into 'hard' objective descriptions and evaluations, and about the role of both sensory science and chemistry in such attempts. It focuses on research done at the University of California, Davis, from about the 1950s to the 1980s by the enologist Maynard Amerine, his co-workers, and successors. It suggests ways in which these materials might prompt attention to the role of subjective judgment and the marketplace in other forms of late modern science.

  19. Object-based benefits without object-based representations.

    PubMed

    Fougnie, Daryl; Cormiea, Sarah M; Alvarez, George A

    2013-08-01

    Influential theories of visual working memory have proposed that the basic units of memory are integrated object representations. Key support for this proposal is provided by the same object benefit: It is easier to remember multiple features of a single object than the same set of features distributed across multiple objects. Here, we replicate the object benefit but demonstrate that features are not stored as single, integrated representations. Specifically, participants could remember 10 features better when arranged in 5 objects compared to 10 objects, yet memory for one object feature was largely independent of memory for the other object feature. These results rule out the possibility that integrated representations drive the object benefit and require a revision of the concept of object-based memory representations. We propose that working memory is object-based in regard to the factors that enhance performance but feature based in regard to the level of representational failure. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

  20. Who Attends Summer Credit Recovery Classes, and Who Benefits from Doing So?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pareja, Amber Stitziel; Stachel, Suzanne

    2013-01-01

    This current paper uses data collected as part of an efficacy trial funded by a grant from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) National Center for Education Research (NCER) (See Symposium Justification and Paper #1 for a more complete description of the focus of the broader study). Since participation in the study was voluntary, students…

  1. Hospital protocols for targeted glycemic control: Development, implementation, and models for cost justification.

    PubMed

    Magee, Michelle F

    2007-05-15

    Evolving elements of best practices for providing targeted glycemic control in the hospital setting, clinical performance measurement, basal-bolus plus correction-dose insulin regimens, components of standardized subcutaneous (s.c.) insulin order sets, and strategies for implementation and cost justification of glycemic control initiatives are discussed. Best practices for targeted glycemic control should address accurate documentation of hyperglycemia, initial patient assessment, management plan, target blood glucose range, blood glucose monitoring frequency, maintenance of glycemic control, criteria for glucose management consultations, and standardized insulin order sets and protocols. Establishing clinical performance measures, including desirable processes and outcomes, can help ensure the success of targeted hospital glycemic control initiatives. The basal-bolus plus correction-dose regimen for insulin administration will be used to mimic the normal physiologic pattern of endogenous insulin secretion. Standardized insulin order sets and protocols are being used to minimize the risk of error in insulin therapy. Components of standardized s.c. insulin order sets include specification of the hyperglycemia diagnosis, finger stick blood glucose monitoring frequency and timing, target blood glucose concentration range, cutoff values for excessively high or low blood glucose concentrations that warrant alerting the physician, basal and prandial or nutritional (i.e., bolus) insulin, correction doses, hypoglycemia treatment, and perioperative or procedural dosage adjustments. The endorsement of hospital administrators and key physician and nursing leaders is needed for glycemic control initiatives. Initiatives may be cost justified on the basis of the billings for clinical diabetes management services and/or the return- on-investment accrued to reductions in hospital length of stay, readmissions, and accurate documentation and coding of unrecognized or uncontrolled

  2. Investigation of Prognostic Ability of Novel Imaging Markers for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-10-01

    testing None of the above Psychological / Sociological ID: VIEW4514342955C00Name: Type of Research View: Lay Summary 1 * Provide a summary of the...best describe the current clinical status of the patient and which markers best predict a patient’s outcome status. ID: VIEW475E142D4E000Name: Lay ... Summary View: Justification, Objective, & Research Design 1 * Provide context, justification, and scientific/scholarly rationale for the study: Currently

  3. Validation of rapid descriptive sensory methods against conventional descriptive analyses: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Aguiar, Lorena Andrade de; Melo, Lauro; de Lacerda de Oliveira, Lívia

    2018-04-03

    A major drawback of conventional descriptive profile (CDP) in sensory evaluation is the long time spent in panel training. Rapid descriptive methods (RDM) have increased significantly. Some of them have been compared with CDP for validation. In Health Sciences, systematic reviews (SR) are performed to evaluate validation of diagnostic tests in relation to a gold standard method. SR present a well-defined protocol to summarize research evidence and to evaluate the quality of the studies with determined criteria. We adapted SR protocol to evaluate the validation of RDM against CDP as satisfactory procedures to obtain food characterization. We used "Population Intervention Comparison Outcome Study - PICOS" framework to design the research in which "Population" was food/ beverages; "intervention" were RDM, "Comparison" was CDP as gold standard, "Outcome" was the ability of RDM to generate similar descriptive profiles in comparison with CDP and "Studies" was sensory descriptive analyses. The proportion of studies concluding for similarity of the RDM with CDP ranged from 0% to 100%. Low and moderate risk of bias were reached by 87% and 13% of the studies, respectively, supporting the conclusions of SR. RDM with semi-trained assessors and evaluation of individual attributes presented higher percentages of concordance with CDP.

  4. 14 CFR 1259.300 - Description.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Description. 1259.300 Section 1259.300 Aeronautics and Space NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION NATIONAL SPACE GRANT COLLEGE AND FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM National Needs Grants § 1259.300 Description. National needs awards may be awarded by the...

  5. Relevance of Trust Marks and CE Labels in German-Language Store Descriptions of Health Apps: Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Hillebrand, Uta; von Jan, Ute

    2018-01-01

    Background In addition to mandatory CE marking (“CE” representing Conformité Européenne, with the CE marking being a symbol of free marketability in the European Economic Area) for medical devices, there are various seals, initiatives, action groups, etc, in the health app context. However, whether manufacturers use them to distinguish their apps and attach relevance to them is unclear. Objective The objective was to take a snapshot of quality seals, regulatory marks, and other orientation aids available on the German app market and to determine whether manufacturers deem such labels relevant enough to apply them to their apps, namely as reflected by mentions in app description texts in a typical app store (ie, Apple’s App Store). Methods A full survey of the metadata of 103,046 apps from Apple’s German App Store in the Medicine and Health & Fitness categories was carried out. For apps with German-language store descriptions (N=8767), these were automatically searched for the occurrence of relevant keywords and validated manually (N=41). In addition, the websites of various app seal providers were checked for assigned seals. Results Few manufacturers referenced seals in the descriptions (5/41), although this would have been expected more often based on the seals we were able to identify from the seal providers’ Web pages, and there were 34 of 41 that mentioned CE status in the descriptions. Two apps referenced an app directory curated by experts; however, this is not an alternative to CE marks and seals of approval. Conclusions Currently, quality seals seem to be irrelevant for manufacturers. In line with regulatory requirements, mentions of medical device status are more frequent; however, neither characteristic is effective for identifying high-quality apps. To improve this situation, a possibly legally obligatory, standardized reporting system should be implemented. PMID:29695374

  6. Objects of attention, objects of perception.

    PubMed

    Avrahami, J

    1999-11-01

    Four experiments were conducted, to explore the notion of objects in perception. Taking as a starting point the effects of display content on rapid attention transfer and manipulating curvature, closure, and processing time, a link between objects of attention and objects of perception is proposed. In Experiment 1, a number of parallel, equally spaced, straight lines facilitated attention transfer along the lines, relative to transfer across the lines. In Experiment 2, with curved, closed-contour shapes, no "same-object" facilitation was observed. However, when a longer time interval was provided, in Experiment 3, a same-object advantage started to emerge. In Experiment 4, using the same curved shapes but in a non-speeded distance estimation task, a strong effect of objects was observed. It is argued that attention transfer is facilitated by line tracing but that line tracing is encouraged by objects.

  7. NASA JPL Distributed Systems Technology (DST) Object-Oriented Component Approach for Software Inter-Operability and Reuse

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hall, Laverne; Hung, Chaw-Kwei; Lin, Imin

    2000-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to provide a description of NASA JPL Distributed Systems Technology (DST) Section's object-oriented component approach to open inter-operable systems software development and software reuse. It will address what is meant by the terminology object component software, give an overview of the component-based development approach and how it relates to infrastructure support of software architectures and promotes reuse, enumerate on the benefits of this approach, and give examples of application prototypes demonstrating its usage and advantages. Utilization of the object-oriented component technology approach for system development and software reuse will apply to several areas within JPL, and possibly across other NASA Centers.

  8. Anaphoric Descriptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beller, Charley

    2013-01-01

    The study of definite descriptions has been a central part of research in linguistics and philosophy of language since Russell's seminal work "On Denoting" (Russell 1905). In that work Russell quickly dispatches analyses of denoting expressions with forms like "no man," "some man," "a man," and "every…

  9. Non-inferiority trials: are they inferior? A systematic review of reporting in major medical journals

    PubMed Central

    Morris, Tim P; Fielding, Katherine; Carpenter, James R; Phillips, Patrick P J

    2016-01-01

    Objective To assess the adequacy of reporting of non-inferiority trials alongside the consistency and utility of current recommended analyses and guidelines. Design Review of randomised clinical trials that used a non-inferiority design published between January 2010 and May 2015 in medical journals that had an impact factor >10 (JAMA Internal Medicine, Archives Internal Medicine, PLOS Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, BMJ, JAMA, Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine). Data sources Ovid (MEDLINE). Methods We searched for non-inferiority trials and assessed the following: choice of non-inferiority margin and justification of margin; power and significance level for sample size; patient population used and how this was defined; any missing data methods used and assumptions declared and any sensitivity analyses used. Results A total of 168 trial publications were included. Most trials concluded non-inferiority (132; 79%). The non-inferiority margin was reported for 98% (164), but less than half reported any justification for the margin (77; 46%). While most chose two different analyses (91; 54%) the most common being intention-to-treat (ITT) or modified ITT and per-protocol, a large number of articles only chose to conduct and report one analysis (65; 39%), most commonly the ITT analysis. There was lack of clarity or inconsistency between the type I error rate and corresponding CIs for 73 (43%) articles. Missing data were rarely considered with (99; 59%) not declaring whether imputation techniques were used. Conclusions Reporting and conduct of non-inferiority trials is inconsistent and does not follow the recommendations in available statistical guidelines, which are not wholly consistent themselves. Authors should clearly describe the methods used and provide clear descriptions of and justifications for their design and primary analysis. Failure to do this risks misleading conclusions being drawn, with consequent effects on clinical practice. PMID:27855102

  10. 4 CFR 202.1 - Description.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 4 Accounts 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Description. 202.1 Section 202.1 Accounts RECOVERY ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY BOARD OFFICIAL SEAL § 202.1 Description. (a) The official seal of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board (Board) is described as follows: The American Eagle, right facing, with...

  11. Describing Nanomaterials: A Uniform Description System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rumble, John; Freiman, Steve; Teague, Clayton

    2014-03-01

    Products involving nanomaterials are growing rapidly and nanoparticles also occur naturally. Materials, scientists, engineers, health officials, and regulators have realized they need a common description system. Led by CODATA and VAMAS, a Uniform Description System (UDS) for nanomaterials is being developed to meet the requirements of a broad range of scientific and technical disciplines and different user communities. The goal of the CODATA/VAMAS effort is the creation of a complete set of descriptors that can be used by all communities, e.g., materials, physics, chemistry, agricultural, medical, etc., interested in nanomaterials. The description system must be relevant to researchers, manufacturers of nanomaterials, materials selectors, and regulators. The purpose of the UDS for materials on the nanoscale is twofold: Uniqueness and Equivalency. The first step in the development of the UDS has been the creation of a Framework that will be used by the different communities to guide in the selection of descriptors relevant to their needs. This talk is a brief description of the draft of such a Framework, and how the framework will be translated into a robust description system with input from many scientific communities including physics. A contribution from the CODATA/VAMAS Working Group on the Description of Nanomaterials.

  12. Mathematical Description of the Uptake of Hydrocarbons in Jet Fuel into the Stratum Corneum of Human Volunteers

    PubMed Central

    Kim, David; Farthing, Matthew W.; Miller, Cass T.; Nylander-French, Leena A.

    2008-01-01

    The objective of this research was to develop a mathematical description of uptake of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons into the stratum corneum of human skin in vivo. A simple description based on Fick’s Laws of diffusion was used to predict the spatiotemporal variation of naphthalene, 1- and 2-methylnaphthalene, undecane, and dodecane in the stratum corneum of human volunteers. The estimated values of the diffusion coefficients for each chemical were comparable to values predicted using in vitro skin systems and biomonitoring studies. These results demonstrate the value of measuring dermal exposure using the tape-strip technique and the importance of quantifying of dermal uptake. PMID:18423910

  13. Object and subject relations in adulthood--towards an integrative model of interpersonal relationships.

    PubMed

    Zvelc, Gregor

    2010-12-01

    In the article the author presents a model of interpersonal relationships based on integration of object relations theory and theory of attachment. He proposes three main bipolar dimensions of interpersonal relationships: Independence - Dependence, Connectedness - Alienation and Reciprocity - Self-absorption. The author also proposes that it is important to distinguish between two main types of adult interpersonal relationships: object and subject relations. Object relations describe relationships in which the other person is perceived as an object that serves the satisfaction of the first person's needs. Object relations are a manifestation of the right pole of the three main dimensions of interpersonal relationships (Dependence, Alienation and Self-absorption). Subject relations are a counter-pole to the concept of object relations. They describe relationships with other people who are experienced as subjects with their own wishes, interests and needs. Subject relations are a manifestation of the left pole of the main dimensions (Independence, Connectedness and Reciprocity). In this article the author specifically focuses on definitions of object relations in adulthood through a description of six sub-dimensions of object relations: Symbiotic Merging, Separation Anxiety, Social Isolation, Fear of Engulfment, Egocentrism and Narcissism. Every sub-dimension is described in connection to adaptive and pathological functioning. Further research is needed to test the clinical and scientific validity of the model.

  14. Object width modulates object-based attentional selection.

    PubMed

    Nah, Joseph C; Neppi-Modona, Marco; Strother, Lars; Behrmann, Marlene; Shomstein, Sarah

    2018-04-24

    Visual input typically includes a myriad of objects, some of which are selected for further processing. While these objects vary in shape and size, most evidence supporting object-based guidance of attention is drawn from paradigms employing two identical objects. Importantly, object size is a readily perceived stimulus dimension, and whether it modulates the distribution of attention remains an open question. Across four experiments, the size of the objects in the display was manipulated in a modified version of the two-rectangle paradigm. In Experiment 1, two identical parallel rectangles of two sizes (thin or thick) were presented. Experiments 2-4 employed identical trapezoids (each having a thin and thick end), inverted in orientation. In the experiments, one end of an object was cued and participants performed either a T/L discrimination or a simple target-detection task. Combined results show that, in addition to the standard object-based attentional advantage, there was a further attentional benefit for processing information contained in the thick versus thin end of objects. Additionally, eye-tracking measures demonstrated increased saccade precision towards thick object ends, suggesting that Fitts's Law may play a role in object-based attentional shifts. Taken together, these results suggest that object-based attentional selection is modulated by object width.

  15. n-D shape/texture optimal synthetic description and modeling by GEOGINE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fiorini, Rodolfo A.; Dacquino, Gianfranco F.

    2004-12-01

    GEOGINE(GEOmetrical enGINE), a state-of-the-art OMG (Ontological Model Generator) based on n-D Tensor Invariants for multidimensional shape/texture optimal synthetic description and learning, is presented. Usually elementary geometric shape robust characterization, subjected to geometric transformation, on a rigorous mathematical level is a key problem in many computer applications in different interest areas. The past four decades have seen solutions almost based on the use of n-Dimensional Moment and Fourier descriptor invariants. The present paper introduces a new approach for automatic model generation based on n -Dimensional Tensor Invariants as formal dictionary. An ontological model is the kernel used for specifying ontologies so that how close an ontology can be from the real world depends on the possibilities offered by the ontological model. By this approach even chromatic information content can be easily and reliably decoupled from target geometric information and computed into robus colour shape parameter attributes. Main GEOGINEoperational advantages over previous approaches are: 1) Automated Model Generation, 2) Invariant Minimal Complete Set for computational efficiency, 3) Arbitrary Model Precision for robust object description.

  16. 48 CFR 14.202-5 - Descriptive literature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Descriptive literature. 14... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES SEALED BIDDING Solicitation of Bids 14.202-5 Descriptive literature. (a) Policy. Contracting officers must not require bidders to furnish descriptive literature unless it is...

  17. 48 CFR 514.202-5 - Descriptive literature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Descriptive literature... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES SEALED BIDDING Solicitation of Bids 514.202-5 Descriptive literature... FAR 52.211-6 satisfies the requirement for descriptive literature. [74 FR 47739, Sept. 17, 2009] ...

  18. 48 CFR 14.202-5 - Descriptive literature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Descriptive literature. 14... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES SEALED BIDDING Solicitation of Bids 14.202-5 Descriptive literature. (a) Policy. Contracting officers must not require bidders to furnish descriptive literature unless it is...

  19. 48 CFR 514.202-5 - Descriptive literature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Descriptive literature... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES SEALED BIDDING Solicitation of Bids 514.202-5 Descriptive literature... FAR 52.211-6 satisfies the requirement for descriptive literature. [74 FR 47739, Sept. 17, 2009] ...

  20. 48 CFR 514.202-5 - Descriptive literature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Descriptive literature... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES SEALED BIDDING Solicitation of Bids 514.202-5 Descriptive literature... FAR 52.211-6 satisfies the requirement for descriptive literature. [74 FR 47739, Sept. 17, 2009] ...

  1. 48 CFR 14.202-5 - Descriptive literature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Descriptive literature. 14... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES SEALED BIDDING Solicitation of Bids 14.202-5 Descriptive literature. (a) Policy. Contracting officers must not require bidders to furnish descriptive literature unless it is...

  2. 48 CFR 14.202-5 - Descriptive literature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Descriptive literature. 14... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES SEALED BIDDING Solicitation of Bids 14.202-5 Descriptive literature. (a) Policy. Contracting officers must not require bidders to furnish descriptive literature unless it is...

  3. 48 CFR 514.202-5 - Descriptive literature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Descriptive literature... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES SEALED BIDDING Solicitation of Bids 514.202-5 Descriptive literature... FAR 52.211-6 satisfies the requirement for descriptive literature. [74 FR 47739, Sept. 17, 2009] ...

  4. 48 CFR 514.202-5 - Descriptive literature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Descriptive literature... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES SEALED BIDDING Solicitation of Bids 514.202-5 Descriptive literature... FAR 52.211-6 satisfies the requirement for descriptive literature. [74 FR 47739, Sept. 17, 2009] ...

  5. 48 CFR 14.202-5 - Descriptive literature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Descriptive literature. 14... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES SEALED BIDDING Solicitation of Bids 14.202-5 Descriptive literature. (a) Policy. Contracting officers must not require bidders to furnish descriptive literature unless it is...

  6. Descriptive Writing: A Thematic Unit.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Joanna J.

    This thematic unit for teaching descriptive writing is organized around 10 days of lesson plans. The unit begins by asking key questions about descriptive writing and providing information on grade level, ability level, number of lessons and length of classes, and prior knowledge students should have. It also offers a unit rationale and key…

  7. [Nurses' knowledge about Nursing Care Systematization: from theory to practice].

    PubMed

    Silva, Elisama Gomes Correia; de Oliveira, Viviane Carla; Neves, Giselda Bezerra Correia; Guimarães, Tânia Maria Rocha

    2011-12-01

    The objective of this study is to analyze the knowledge that nurses from a large hospital in Recife, Pernambuco, have about Nursing Care Systematization (NCS). This is a descriptive, exploratory, quantitative study. The study population consisted of 107 clinical nurses, with a sample of 73 (68%). Data collection was performed in June 2008, using a semi-structured questionnaire that was filled out by the subjects. We found that 50 (69%) nurses had no knowledge about NCS, especially about nursing diagnoses. We identified the absence of forms in most hospitalization units. The nurses gave several justifications for their not working with NCS, including work overload and the scarcity of forms. We concluded that there is a need for more incentives by the institution and through policies, so as to permit nurses a greater autonomy in their practice.

  8. 27 CFR 19.168 - Description of plant.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Description of plant. 19..., DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS DISTILLED SPIRITS PLANTS Qualification of Distilled Spirits Plants § 19.168 Description of plant. (a) The application for registration shall include a description of each...

  9. CONTRIBUTORS TO FATIGUE IN PATIENTS RECEIVING MECHANICAL VENTILATORY SUPPORT: A DESCRIPTIVE CORRELATIONAL STUDY

    PubMed Central

    Chlan, Linda L.; Savik, Kay

    2015-01-01

    Objectives To describe levels of fatigue and explore clinical factors that might contribute to fatigue in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Research Methodology/Design Descriptive, correlational design. Sample was a sub-set of patients enrolled in a randomized clinical trial testing patient-directed music for anxiety self-management. Clinical factors included age, gender, length of ICU stay, length of ventilatory support, illness severity (APACHE III), and sedative exposure (sedation intensity and frequency). Descriptive statistics and mixed models were used to address the study objectives. Setting Medical and surgical intensive care units in the Midwestern U.S.A. Main Outcome Measures Fatigue was measured daily via a 100-mm Visual Analog Scale, up to 25 days. Results A sample of 80 patients (50% female) receiving ventilatory support for a median 7.9 days (range 1-46) with a mean age of 61.2 years (SD 14.8) provided daily fatigue ratings. ICU admission APACHE III was 61.5 (SD 19.8). Baseline mean fatigue ratings were 60.7 (SD 27.9), with fluctuations over time indicating a general trend upward. Mixed models analysis implicated illness severity (β(se(β)) = .27(.12)) and sedation frequency (β(se(β)) = 1.2(.52)) as significant contributors to fatigue ratings. Conclusion Illness severity and more frequent sedative administration were related to higher fatigue ratings in these mechanically ventilated patients. PMID:26005034

  10. Use of Self-to-Object and Object-to-Object Spatial Relations in Locomotion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Xiao, Chengli; Mou, Weimin; McNamara, Timothy P.

    2009-01-01

    In 8 experiments, the authors examined the use of representations of self-to-object or object-to-object spatial relations during locomotion. Participants learned geometrically regular or irregular layouts of objects while standing at the edge or in the middle and then pointed to objects while blindfolded in 3 conditions: before turning (baseline),…

  11. Tokunaga self-similarity arises naturally from time invariance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kovchegov, Yevgeniy; Zaliapin, Ilya

    2018-04-01

    The Tokunaga condition is an algebraic rule that provides a detailed description of the branching structure in a self-similar tree. Despite a solid empirical validation and practical convenience, the Tokunaga condition lacks a theoretical justification. Such a justification is suggested in this work. We define a geometric branching process G (s ) that generates self-similar rooted trees. The main result establishes the equivalence between the invariance of G (s ) with respect to a time shift and a one-parametric version of the Tokunaga condition. In the parameter region where the process satisfies the Tokunaga condition (and hence is time invariant), G (s ) enjoys many of the symmetries observed in a critical binary Galton-Watson branching process and reproduces the latter for a particular parameter value.

  12. Andrew integrated reservoir description

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

    Todd, S.P.

    1996-12-31

    The Andrew field is an oil and gas accumulation in Palaeocene deep marine sands in the Central North Sea. It is currently being developed with mainly horizontal oil producers. Because of the field`s relatively small reserves (mean 118 mmbbls), the performance of each of the 10 or so horizontal wells is highly important. Reservoir description work at sanction time concentrated on supporting the case that the field could be developed commercially with the minimum number of wells. The present Integrated Reservoir Description (IRD) is focussed on delivering the next level of detail that will impact the understanding of the localmore » reservoir architecture and dynamic performance of each well. Highlights of Andrew IRD Include: (1) Use of a Reservoir Uncertainty Statement (RUS) developed at sanction time to focus the descriptive effort of both asset, support and contract petrotechnical staff, (2) High resolution biostratigraphic correlation to support confident zonation of the reservoir, (3) Detailed sedimentological analysis of the core including the use of dipmeter to interpret channel/sheet architecture to provide new insights into reservoir heterogeneity; (4) Integrated petrographical and petrophysical investigation of the controls on Sw-Height and relative permeability of water; (5) Fluids description using oil geochemistry and Residual Salt Analysis Sr isotope studies. Andrew IRD has highlighted several important risks to well performance, including the influence of more heterolithic intervals on gas breakthrough and the controls on water coning exerted by suppressed water relative permeability in the transition zone.« less

  13. Andrew integrated reservoir description

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

    Todd, S.P.

    1996-01-01

    The Andrew field is an oil and gas accumulation in Palaeocene deep marine sands in the Central North Sea. It is currently being developed with mainly horizontal oil producers. Because of the field's relatively small reserves (mean 118 mmbbls), the performance of each of the 10 or so horizontal wells is highly important. Reservoir description work at sanction time concentrated on supporting the case that the field could be developed commercially with the minimum number of wells. The present Integrated Reservoir Description (IRD) is focussed on delivering the next level of detail that will impact the understanding of the localmore » reservoir architecture and dynamic performance of each well. Highlights of Andrew IRD Include: (1) Use of a Reservoir Uncertainty Statement (RUS) developed at sanction time to focus the descriptive effort of both asset, support and contract petrotechnical staff, (2) High resolution biostratigraphic correlation to support confident zonation of the reservoir, (3) Detailed sedimentological analysis of the core including the use of dipmeter to interpret channel/sheet architecture to provide new insights into reservoir heterogeneity; (4) Integrated petrographical and petrophysical investigation of the controls on Sw-Height and relative permeability of water; (5) Fluids description using oil geochemistry and Residual Salt Analysis Sr isotope studies. Andrew IRD has highlighted several important risks to well performance, including the influence of more heterolithic intervals on gas breakthrough and the controls on water coning exerted by suppressed water relative permeability in the transition zone.« less

  14. Amended FY 1988/1989 Biennial Budget Justification of Estimates Submitted to Congress

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-02-01

    will be installed in order to provide privacy for network data traffic. - Distributed systems technology will continue to be explored, including...techniques and geophysical and satellite data bases to make relevant information rapidly available to the ".fi /./ P ... . C / AMENDED FY 1988/1989...semantic model of available functions and data , %. AMENDED FV 1988/1989 BIENNIAL BUDGET RDT&E DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY Program Element: fQ1Q0j, Title

  15. 12 CFR 194.802 - Description of business.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Description of business. 194.802 Section 194... SAVINGS ASSOCIATIONS Interpretations § 194.802 Description of business. (a) This section applies to the description-of-business portion of: (1) Registration statements filed on Form 10 (item 1) (17 CFR 249.210), (2...

  16. Functional Description of Air Traffic Control

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1971-04-01

    The document contains a description of air traffic control in terms of generic operational functions. The functions are grouped by flight phase and by major system function (navigation, surveillance, control and communication). More detailed descript...

  17. The Concert system - Compiler and runtime technology for efficient concurrent object-oriented programming

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chien, Andrew A.; Karamcheti, Vijay; Plevyak, John; Sahrawat, Deepak

    1993-01-01

    Concurrent object-oriented languages, particularly fine-grained approaches, reduce the difficulty of large scale concurrent programming by providing modularity through encapsulation while exposing large degrees of concurrency. Despite these programmability advantages, such languages have historically suffered from poor efficiency. This paper describes the Concert project whose goal is to develop portable, efficient implementations of fine-grained concurrent object-oriented languages. Our approach incorporates aggressive program analysis and program transformation with careful information management at every stage from the compiler to the runtime system. The paper discusses the basic elements of the Concert approach along with a description of the potential payoffs. Initial performance results and specific plans for system development are also detailed.

  18. AOIPS 3 user's guide. Volume 2: Program descriptions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schotz, Steve S.; Piper, Thomas S.; Negri, Andrew J.

    1990-01-01

    The Atmospheric and Oceanographic Information Processing System (AOIPS) 3 is the version of the AOIPS software as of April 1989. The AOIPS software was developed jointly by the Goddard Space Flight Center and General Sciences Corporation. A detailed description of very AOIPS program is presented. It is intended to serve as a reference for such items as program functionality, program operational instructions, and input/output variable descriptions. Program descriptions are derived from the on-line help information. Each program description is divided into two sections. The functional description section describes the purpose of the program and contains any pertinent operational information. The program description sections lists the program variables as they appear on-line, and describes them in detail.

  19. CRAC2 model description

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

    Ritchie, L.T.; Alpert, D.J.; Burke, R.P.

    1984-03-01

    The CRAC2 computer code is a revised version of CRAC (Calculation of Reactor Accident Consequences) which was developed for the Reactor Safety Study. This document provides an overview of the CRAC2 code and a description of each of the models used. Significant improvements incorporated into CRAC2 include an improved weather sequence sampling technique, a new evacuation model, and new output capabilities. In addition, refinements have been made to the atmospheric transport and deposition model. Details of the modeling differences between CRAC2 and CRAC are emphasized in the model descriptions.

  20. Qualitative Descriptive Methods in Health Science Research.

    PubMed

    Colorafi, Karen Jiggins; Evans, Bronwynne

    2016-07-01

    The purpose of this methodology paper is to describe an approach to qualitative design known as qualitative descriptive that is well suited to junior health sciences researchers because it can be used with a variety of theoretical approaches, sampling techniques, and data collection strategies. It is often difficult for junior qualitative researchers to pull together the tools and resources they need to embark on a high-quality qualitative research study and to manage the volumes of data they collect during qualitative studies. This paper seeks to pull together much needed resources and provide an overview of methods. A step-by-step guide to planning a qualitative descriptive study and analyzing the data is provided, utilizing exemplars from the authors' research. This paper presents steps to conducting a qualitative descriptive study under the following headings: describing the qualitative descriptive approach, designing a qualitative descriptive study, steps to data analysis, and ensuring rigor of findings. The qualitative descriptive approach results in a summary in everyday, factual language that facilitates understanding of a selected phenomenon across disciplines of health science researchers. © The Author(s) 2016.