Systems and methods for maintaining multiple objects within a camera field-of-view

DOEpatents

Gans, Nicholas R.; Dixon, Warren

2016-03-15

In one embodiment, a system and method for maintaining objects within a camera field of view include identifying constraints to be enforced, each constraint relating to an attribute of the viewed objects, identifying a priority rank for the constraints such that more important constraints have a higher priority that less important constraints, and determining the set of solutions that satisfy the constraints relative to the order of their priority rank such that solutions that satisfy lower ranking constraints are only considered viable if they also satisfy any higher ranking constraints, each solution providing an indication as to how to control the camera to maintain the objects within the camera field of view.

Mission objectives and trajectories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The present state of the knowledge of asteroids was assessed to identify mission and target priorities for planning asteroidal flights in the 1980's and beyond. Mission objectives, mission analysis, trajectory studies, and cost analysis are discussed. A bibliography of reports and technical memoranda is included.

X-ray detection of ingested non-metallic foreign bodies.

PubMed

Saps, Miguel; Rosen, John M; Ecanow, Jacob

2014-05-08

To determine the utility of X-ray in identifying non-metallic foreign body (FB) and assess inter-radiologist agreement in identifying non-metal FB. Focus groups of nurses, fellows, and attending physicians were conducted to determine commonly ingested objects suitable for inclusion. Twelve potentially ingested objects (clay, plastic bead, crayon, plastic ring, plastic army figure, glass bead, paperclip, drywall anchor, eraser, Lego™, plastic triangle toy, and barrette) were embedded in a gelatin slab placed on top of a water-equivalent phantom to simulate density of a child's abdomen. The items were selected due to wide availability and appropriate size for accidental pediatric ingestion. Plain radiography of the embedded FBs was obtained. Five experienced radiologists blinded to number and types of objects were asked to identify the FBs. The radiologist was first asked to count the number of items that were visible then to identify the shape of each item and describe it to a study investigator who recorded all responses. Overall inter-rater reliability was analyzed using percent agreement and κ coefficient. We calculated P value to assess the probability of error involved in accepting the κ value. Fourteen objects were radiographed including 12 original objects and 2 duplicates. The model's validity was supported by clear identification of a radiolucent paperclip as a positive control, and lack of identification of plastic beads (negative control) despite repeated inclusion. Each radiologist identified 7-9 of the 14 objects (mean 8, 67%). Six unique objects (50%) were identified by all radiologists and four unique objects (33%) were not identified by any radiologist (plastic bead, Lego™, plastic triangle toy, and barrette). Identification of objects that were not present, false-positives, occurred 1-2 times per radiologist (mean 1.4). An additional 17% of unique objects were identified by less than half of the radiologists. Agreement between radiologists was considered almost perfect (kappa 0.86 ± 0.08, P < 0.0001). We demonstrate potential non-identification of commonly ingested non-metal FBs in children. A registry for radiographic visibility of ingested objects should be created to improve clinical decision-making.

X-ray detection of ingested non-metallic foreign bodies

PubMed Central

Saps, Miguel; Rosen, John M; Ecanow, Jacob

2014-01-01

AIM: To determine the utility of X-ray in identifying non-metallic foreign body (FB) and assess inter-radiologist agreement in identifying non-metal FB. METHODS: Focus groups of nurses, fellows, and attending physicians were conducted to determine commonly ingested objects suitable for inclusion. Twelve potentially ingested objects (clay, plastic bead, crayon, plastic ring, plastic army figure, glass bead, paperclip, drywall anchor, eraser, Lego™, plastic triangle toy, and barrette) were embedded in a gelatin slab placed on top of a water-equivalent phantom to simulate density of a child’s abdomen. The items were selected due to wide availability and appropriate size for accidental pediatric ingestion. Plain radiography of the embedded FBs was obtained. Five experienced radiologists blinded to number and types of objects were asked to identify the FBs. The radiologist was first asked to count the number of items that were visible then to identify the shape of each item and describe it to a study investigator who recorded all responses. Overall inter-rater reliability was analyzed using percent agreement and κ coefficient. We calculated P value to assess the probability of error involved in accepting the κ value. RESULTS: Fourteen objects were radiographed including 12 original objects and 2 duplicates. The model’s validity was supported by clear identification of a radiolucent paperclip as a positive control, and lack of identification of plastic beads (negative control) despite repeated inclusion. Each radiologist identified 7-9 of the 14 objects (mean 8, 67%). Six unique objects (50%) were identified by all radiologists and four unique objects (33%) were not identified by any radiologist (plastic bead, Lego™, plastic triangle toy, and barrette). Identification of objects that were not present, false-positives, occurred 1-2 times per radiologist (mean 1.4). An additional 17% of unique objects were identified by less than half of the radiologists. Agreement between radiologists was considered almost perfect (kappa 0.86 ± 0.08, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: We demonstrate potential non-identification of commonly ingested non-metal FBs in children. A registry for radiographic visibility of ingested objects should be created to improve clinical decision-making. PMID:25254180

Report of the Technical Committee for Marketing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oregon State Dept. of Education, Salem. Div. of Vocational Education.

This committee report identifies the skills and knowledge required by employees in the marketing occupational area. It also provides performance objectives from which competencies and instructional objectives may be developed. Introductory materials include a list of committee members, statement of the marketing committee, information on marketing…

Out of Sorts? Some Remedies for Theories of Object Concepts: A Reply to Rhemtulla and Xu (2007)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blok, Sergey V.; Newman, George E.; Rips, Lance J.

2007-01-01

Responds to comments made by Rhemtulla and Xu on the current authors' original paper Concepts of individual objects (e.g., a favorite chair or pet) include knowledge that allows people to identify these objects, sometimes after long stretches of time. In an earlier article, the authors set out experimental findings and mathematical modeling to…

Remote sensing using MIMO systems

DOEpatents

Bikhazi, Nicolas; Young, William F; Nguyen, Hung D

2015-04-28

A technique for sensing a moving object within a physical environment using a MIMO communication link includes generating a channel matrix based upon channel state information of the MIMO communication link. The physical environment operates as a communication medium through which communication signals of the MIMO communication link propagate between a transmitter and a receiver. A spatial information variable is generated for the MIMO communication link based on the channel matrix. The spatial information variable includes spatial information about the moving object within the physical environment. A signature for the moving object is generated based on values of the spatial information variable accumulated over time. The moving object is identified based upon the signature.

Embedding Sustainability Instruction across Content Areas: best Classroom Practices from Informal Environmental Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clary, R. M.; Walker, R. M.; Wissehr, C.

2017-12-01

Environmental education (EE) facilitates students' scientific and environmental literacy, and addresses content areas including sustainability, ecology, and civic responsibility. However, U.S. science content compartmentalization and EE's interdisciplinary nature historically made it a fragmented curriculum within U.S. schools. To gain a better understanding of effective EE instruction that can be transferred to traditional K-12 classrooms, we researched the interactions between a recognized environmental residential camp and students and teachers from six participating schools using grounded theory methodology. Our research identified the residential learning center's objectives, methods of instruction, and objectives' alignment to the delivered curricula. Data generated included lesson plans, survey responses, and interviews. Students (n = 215) identified wilderness and geology activities as the activities they wanted to experience more; they also identified developing curiosity and a sense of discovery as the most meaningful. Whereas most student-identified meaningful experiences aligned with the center's curricular objectives within the optional units, categories emerged that were not explicitly targeted in the unit activities but were embedded throughout the curriculum in sustainable practices, data collection, and reflections. We propose that embedded activities and implicit instruction can be included across content areas within K-12 classrooms. Teacher modeling and implicit instruction will require minimal classroom time, and facilitate students' scientific and environmental literacy in topics such as sustainability and citizen responsibility.

A Catalog of Performance Objectives and Performance Guides for Laser Systems Technician for the Job Titles of Laser Technician D.O.T. 019.181-010, Laser Systems Technician D.O.T.-N/A.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania State Dept. of Education, Harrisburg. Bureau of Vocational and Technical Education.

This catalog lists and describes the tasks performed by a laser technician and standards for their performance. Each duty contains performance objectives for related tasks. Included in the objectives are standards that must be met and conditions for performance of the tasks. Performance guides provided for each objective identify the conditions…

The DOI Is Coming.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scharf, Davida

2002-01-01

Discussion of improving accessibility to copyrighted electronic content focuses on the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) and the Open URL standard and linking software. Highlights include work of the World Wide Web consortium; URI (Uniform Resource Identifier); URL (Uniform Resource Locator); URN (Uniform Resource Name); OCLC's (Online Computer…

The Good, the Bad and the Dead! Using Encyclopedias.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Annette

1998-01-01

Presents a lesson plan in which students use an encyclopedia to research a famous person. Identifies library media skills objectives, curriculum (subject area objectives), grade levels (4 and 5), resources, instructional roles, activity and procedures for completion, evaluation guidelines, and follow-up activities. Includes a sample worksheet.…

Learning Objects, Repositories, Sharing and Reusability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koppi, Tony; Bogle, Lisa; Bogle, Mike

2005-01-01

The online Learning Resource Catalogue (LRC) Project has been part of an international consortium for several years and currently includes 25 institutions worldwide. The LRC Project has evolved for several pragmatic reasons into an academic network whereby members can identify and share reusable learning objects as well as collaborate in a number…

Discovering Differences in the Nature of Verbal and Visual Messages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adler, Barbara Laughlin

2006-01-01

Objective: Students will identify several unique characteristics of verbal vs. visual messages, including the superior ability of language to communicate objective, factual, philosophical content in past, present, and future terms; and the superior ability of visual images to communicate social-emotional meaning and concrete information limited in…

Learning-Based Object Identification and Segmentation Using Dual-Energy CT Images for Security.

PubMed

Martin, Limor; Tuysuzoglu, Ahmet; Karl, W Clem; Ishwar, Prakash

2015-11-01

In recent years, baggage screening at airports has included the use of dual-energy X-ray computed tomography (DECT), an advanced technology for nondestructive evaluation. The main challenge remains to reliably find and identify threat objects in the bag from DECT data. This task is particularly hard due to the wide variety of objects, the high clutter, and the presence of metal, which causes streaks and shading in the scanner images. Image noise and artifacts are generally much more severe than in medical CT and can lead to splitting of objects and inaccurate object labeling. The conventional approach performs object segmentation and material identification in two decoupled processes. Dual-energy information is typically not used for the segmentation, and object localization is not explicitly used to stabilize the material parameter estimates. We propose a novel learning-based framework for joint segmentation and identification of objects directly from volumetric DECT images, which is robust to streaks, noise and variability due to clutter. We focus on segmenting and identifying a small set of objects of interest with characteristics that are learned from training images, and consider everything else as background. We include data weighting to mitigate metal artifacts and incorporate an object boundary field to reduce object splitting. The overall formulation is posed as a multilabel discrete optimization problem and solved using an efficient graph-cut algorithm. We test the method on real data and show its potential for producing accurate labels of the objects of interest without splits in the presence of metal and clutter.

Structured decision making for managing pneumonia epizootics in bighorn sheep

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sells, Sarah N.; Mitchell, Michael S.; Edwards, Victoria L.; Gude, Justin A.; Anderson, Neil J.

2016-01-01

Good decision-making is essential to conserving wildlife populations. Although there may be multiple ways to address a problem, perfect solutions rarely exist. Managers are therefore tasked with identifying decisions that will best achieve desired outcomes. Structured decision making (SDM) is a method of decision analysis used to identify the most effective, efficient, and realistic decisions while accounting for values and priorities of the decision maker. The stepwise process includes identifying the management problem, defining objectives for solving the problem, developing alternative approaches to achieve the objectives, and formally evaluating which alternative is most likely to accomplish the objectives. The SDM process can be more effective than informal decision-making because it provides a transparent way to quantitatively evaluate decisions for addressing multiple management objectives while incorporating science, uncertainty, and risk tolerance. To illustrate the application of this process to a management need, we present an SDM-based decision tool developed to identify optimal decisions for proactively managing risk of pneumonia epizootics in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in Montana. Pneumonia epizootics are a major challenge for managers due to long-term impacts to herds, epistemic uncertainty in timing and location of future epizootics, and consequent difficulty knowing how or when to manage risk. The decision tool facilitates analysis of alternative decisions for how to manage herds based on predictions from a risk model, herd-specific objectives, and predicted costs and benefits of each alternative. Decision analyses for 2 example herds revealed that meeting management objectives necessitates specific approaches unique to each herd. The analyses showed how and under what circumstances the alternatives are optimal compared to other approaches and current management. Managers can be confident that these decisions are effective, efficient, and realistic because they explicitly account for important considerations managers implicitly weigh when making decisions, including competing management objectives, uncertainty in potential outcomes, and risk tolerance.

Tire Crumb Research Study Literature Review / Gap ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

In order to more fully understand data gaps in human exposure and toxicity to tire crumb materials, ATSDR, CPSC and EPA undertook a collaborative effort in the form of a scientific literature review and subsequent gaps analysis. The first objective of the Literature Review and Gap Analysis (LRGA) collaboration was to identify the existing body of literature related specifically to human exposure to tire crumb materials through the use of synthetic turf athletic fields and playgrounds. The second objective was to characterize and summarize the relevant data from the scientific literature. The final objective was to review the summary information and identify data gaps to build on the current understanding of the state-of-the-science and inform the development of specific research efforts that would be most impactful in the near-term. Because of the need for additional information, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) launched a multi-agency action plan to study key environmental human health questions. The Federal Research Action Plan includes numerous activities, including research studies (U.S. EPA, 2016). A key objective of the Action Plan is to identify key knowledge gaps.

The Near-Earth Object Human Space Flight Accessible Targets Study (NHATS) List of Near-Earth Asteroids: Identifying Potential Targets for Future Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abell, Paul A.; Barbee, B. W.; Mink, R. G.; Alberding, C. M.; Adamo, D. R.; Mazanek, D. D.; Johnson, L. N.; Yeomans, D. K.; Chodas, P. W.; Chamberlin, A. B.;

Identification of simple objects in image sequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geiselmann, Christoph; Hahn, Michael

1994-08-01

We present an investigation in the identification and location of simple objects in color image sequences. As an example the identification of traffic signs is discussed. Three aspects are of special interest. First regions have to be detected which may contain the object. The separation of those regions from the background can be based on color, motion, and contours. In the experiments all three possibilities are investigated. The second aspect focuses on the extraction of suitable features for the identification of the objects. For that purpose the border line of the region of interest is used. For planar objects a sufficient approximation of perspective projection is affine mapping. In consequence, it is near at hand to extract affine-invariant features from the border line. The investigation includes invariant features based on Fourier descriptors and moments. Finally, the object is identified by maximum likelihood classification. In the experiments all three basic object types are correctly identified. The probabilities for misclassification have been found to be below 1%

Leadership Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutchison, Cathleen; And Others

1988-01-01

Lists skills identified by the Leadership Development Task Force as being critical skills for a leader. Discussion focuses on information managing skills, including problem solving, decision making, setting goals and objectives; project management; and people managing skills, including interpersonal communications, conflict management, motivation,…

Bottlenose dolphins perceive object features through echolocation.

PubMed

Harley, Heidi E; Putman, Erika A; Roitblat, Herbert L

2003-08-07

How organisms (including people) recognize distant objects is a fundamental question. The correspondence between object characteristics (distal stimuli), like visual shape, and sensory characteristics (proximal stimuli), like retinal projection, is ambiguous. The view that sensory systems are 'designed' to 'pick up' ecologically useful information is vague about how such mechanisms might work. In echolocating dolphins, which are studied as models for object recognition sonar systems, the correspondence between echo characteristics and object characteristics is less clear. Many cognitive scientists assume that object characteristics are extracted from proximal stimuli, but evidence for this remains ambiguous. For example, a dolphin may store 'sound templates' in its brain and identify whole objects by listening for a particular sound. Alternatively, a dolphin's brain may contain algorithms, derived through natural endowments or experience or both, which allow it to identify object characteristics based on sounds. The standard method used to address this question in many species is indirect and has led to equivocal results with dolphins. Here we outline an appropriate method and test it to show that dolphins extract object characteristics directly from echoes.

Representing Value as Digital Object: A Discussion of Transferability and Anonymity; Digital Library Initiatives of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft; CrossRef Turns One; Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahn, Robert E.; Lyons, Patrice A.; Brahms, Ewald; Brand, Amy; van den Bergen, Mieke

2001-01-01

Includes four articles that discuss the use of digital objects to represent value in a network environment; digital library initiatives at the central public funding organization for academic research in Germany; an application of the Digital Object Identifier System; and the Web site of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. (LRW)

Kaizen newspaper

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shearer, Scott C. (Inventor); Proferes, John Nicholas (Inventor); Baker, Sr., Mitchell D. (Inventor); Reilly, Kenneth B. (Inventor); Tiwari, Vijai K. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

Systems, computer program products, and methods are disclosed for tracking an improvement event. An embodiment includes an event interface configured to receive a plurality of entries related to each of a plurality of improvement events. The plurality of entries includes a project identifier for the improvement event, a creation date, an objective, an action related to reaching the objective, and a first deadline related to the improvement event. A database interface is configured to store the plurality of entries in an event database.

Career Education Resource Units: Grade 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newark School District, DE.

The units contained in this guide are intended primarily as resource materials to assist grade 3 teachers in identifying units into which career awareness concepts can be infused and also in identifying instructional activities that correlate basic skills and career education objectives. Introductory information includes a definition of career…

Career Education Resource Units: Grades 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newark School District, DE.

The units contained in this guide are intended primarily as resource materials to assist grade 4 teachers in identifying units into which career awareness concepts can be infused and also in identifying instructional activities that correlate basic skills and career education objectives. Introductory information includes a definition of career…

Neuromuscular Control Deficits and the Risk of Subsequent Injury after a Concussion: A Scoping Review.

PubMed

Howell, David R; Lynall, Robert C; Buckley, Thomas A; Herman, Daniel C

2018-05-01

An emerging area of research has identified that an increased risk of musculoskeletal injury may exist upon returning to sports after a sport-related concussion. The mechanisms underlying this recently discovered phenomenon, however, remain unknown. One theorized reason for this increased injury risk includes residual neuromuscular control deficits that remain impaired despite clinical recovery. Thus, the objectives of this review were: (1) to summarize the literature examining the relationship between concussion and risk of subsequent injury and (2) to summarize the literature for one mechanism with a theorized association with this increased injury risk, i.e., neuromuscular control deficits observed during gait after concussion under dual-task conditions. Two separate reviews were conducted consistent with both specified objectives. Studies published before 9 December, 2016 were identified using PubMed, Web of Science, and Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost). Inclusion for the objective 1 search included dependent variables of quantitative measurements of musculoskeletal injury after concussion. Inclusion criteria for the objective 2 search included dependent variables pertaining to gait, dynamic balance control, and dual-task function. A total of 32 studies were included in the two reviews (objective 1 n = 10, objective 2 n = 22). According to a variety of study designs, athletes appear to have an increased risk of sustaining a musculoskeletal injury following a concussion. Furthermore, dual-task neuromuscular control deficits may continue to exist after patients report resolution of concussion symptoms, or perform normally on other clinical concussion tests. Therefore, musculoskeletal injury risk appears to increase following a concussion and persistent motor system and attentional deficits also seem to exist after a concussion. While not yet experimentally tested, these motor system and attentional deficits may contribute to the risk of sustaining a musculoskeletal injury upon returning to full athletic participation.

Strong and healthy in Primary School Klasse2000 Program, Germany: a Program Impact Pathways (PIP) analysis.

PubMed

Dokter, Andrea; Horst, Brigitte

2014-09-01

Developing a Program Impact Pathways (PIP) diagram helps identify and clarify the key objectives, processes, activities, and evaluation indicators of school-based nutrition programs. The Mondelēz International Foundation has recently supported the development of PIP analyses for programs in seven countries around the world. The results were shared with other project organizers at a Healthy Lifestyles Program Evaluation Workshop held in Granada, Spain, 13-14 September 2013, under the auspices of the Mondelēz International Foundation. The objectives were to develop the PIP assessment of the Strong and Healthy in Primary School Klasse2000 Program in order to refine the primary, secondary, and tertiary objectives of the program; identify Critical Quality Control Points (CCPs); and identify core indicators of the program's impact on healthy lifestyles. The PIP report was developed based on detailed instructions provided prior to the workshop, taking into account the Klasse2000 Program evaluation reports. The following CCPs were identified: monitoring the qualifications and motivation of teaching staff (external health promoters and schoolteachers); assessing involvement of the students' environmental influences, including families, schools, and sponsors; and assessing the children's healthy lifestyle knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors before and after program exposure. The healthy lifestyle indicators identified were children's knowledge of healthy diets and health-enhancing physical activities; the availability of healthy breakfast and snacks; the frequency of consumption of fruits, vegetables, sweetened and unsweetened drinks,fast food, and sweets, as well as attitudes toward physical activity; and the frequency and extent of physical activity in school and during free time. Body mass index (BMI) was identified as the final outcome indicator. Developing a PIP report helped to focus the objectives of the program. Identifying CCPs helped draw attention to the processes linking critical program activities. As a result, plans for the upcoming school year include conducting a PIP-informed survey of participating parents and children to gauge their satisfaction with the program.

Teacher Stress: Perceived and Objective Sources, and Quality of Life.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mykletun, Reidar J.

1984-01-01

A study of 912 Norwegian comprehensive school teachers, using a 74-item job stress rating scale to identify stressors in teachers' work and the General Health Questionnaire as an index of quality of life, identified nine stress factors, including work overload, pupils' misbehavior, change, organizational climate/staff relations. (MH)

Discrimination and sleep: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Slopen, Natalie; Lewis, Tené T.; Williams, David R.

2015-01-01

An increasing body of literature indicates that discrimination has a negative impact on health; poor sleep may be an underlying mechanism. The primary objective of this review was to examine existing studies on the relationship between discrimination and sleep to clarify (a) the potential role of discrimination in shaping population patterns of sleep and sleep disparities, and (b) research needed to develop interventions at individual and institutional levels. We identified articles from English-language publications in Pubmed and Ebsco databases from inception through July 2014. We employed a broad definition of discrimination to include any form of unfair treatment and all self-reported and objectively-assessed sleep outcomes, including duration, difficulties, and sleep architecture. Seventeen studies were identified: four prospective, twelve cross-sectional, and one that utilized a daily-diary design. Fifteen of the 17 studies evaluated interpersonal discrimination as the exposure and the majority of studies included self-reported sleep as the outcome. Only four studies incorporated objective sleep assessments. All 17 studies identified at least one association between discrimination and a measure of poorer sleep, although studies with more detailed consideration of either discrimination or sleep architecture revealed some inconsistencies. Taken together, existing studies demonstrate consistent evidence that discrimination is associated with poorer sleep outcomes. This evidence base can be strengthened with additional prospective studies that incorporate objectively-measured aspects of sleep. We outline important extensions for this field of inquiry that can inform the development of interventions to improve sleep outcomes, and consequently promote wellbeing and reduce health inequities across the life course. PMID:25770043

Discrimination and sleep: a systematic review.

PubMed

Slopen, Natalie; Lewis, Tené T; Williams, David R

2016-02-01

An increasing body of literature indicates that discrimination has a negative impact on health; poor sleep may be an underlying mechanism. The primary objective of this review was to examine existing studies on the relationship between discrimination and sleep to clarify (a) the potential role of discrimination in shaping population patterns of sleep and sleep disparities, and (b) the research needed to develop interventions at individual and institutional levels. We identified articles from English-language publications in PubMed and EBSCO databases from inception through July 2014. We employed a broad definition of discrimination to include any form of unfair treatment and all self-reported and objectively assessed sleep outcomes, including duration, difficulties, and sleep architecture. Seventeen studies were identified: four prospective, 12 cross-sectional, and one that utilized a daily-diary design. Fifteen of the 17 studies evaluated interpersonal discrimination as the exposure and the majority of studies included self-reported sleep as the outcome. Only four studies incorporated objective sleep assessments. All 17 studies identified at least one association between discrimination and a measure of poorer sleep, although studies with more detailed consideration of either discrimination or sleep architecture revealed some inconsistencies. Taken together, existing studies demonstrate consistent evidence that discrimination is associated with poorer sleep outcomes. This evidence base can be strengthened with additional prospective studies that incorporate objectively measured aspects of sleep. We outline important extensions for this field of inquiry that can inform the development of interventions to improve sleep outcomes, and consequently promote well-being and reduce health inequities across the life course. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Department of Defense Precise Time and Time Interval program improvement plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowser, J. R.

1981-01-01

The United States Naval Observatory is responsible for ensuring uniformity in precise time and time interval operations including measurements, the establishment of overall DOD requirements for time and time interval, and the accomplishment of objectives requiring precise time and time interval with minimum cost. An overview of the objectives, the approach to the problem, the schedule, and a status report, including significant findings relative to organizational relationships, current directives, principal PTTI users, and future requirements as currently identified by the users are presented.

On Multi-Objective Based Constitutive Modelling Methodology and Numerical Validation in Small-Hole Drilling of Al6063/SiCp Composites

PubMed Central

Xiang, Junfeng; Xie, Lijing; Gao, Feinong; Zhang, Yu; Yi, Jie; Wang, Tao; Pang, Siqin; Wang, Xibin

2018-01-01

Discrepancies in capturing material behavior of some materials, such as Particulate Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites, by using conventional ad hoc strategy make the applicability of Johnson-Cook constitutive model challenged. Despites applicable efforts, its extended formalism with more fitting parameters would increase the difficulty in identifying constitutive parameters. A weighted multi-objective strategy for identifying any constitutive formalism is developed to predict mechanical behavior in static and dynamic loading conditions equally well. These varying weighting is based on the Gaussian-distributed noise evaluation of experimentally obtained stress-strain data in quasi-static or dynamic mode. This universal method can be used to determine fast and directly whether the constitutive formalism is suitable to describe the material constitutive behavior by measuring goodness-of-fit. A quantitative comparison of different fitting strategies on identifying Al6063/SiCp’s material parameters is made in terms of performance evaluation including noise elimination, correlation, and reliability. Eventually, a three-dimensional (3D) FE model in small-hole drilling of Al6063/SiCp composites, using multi-objective identified constitutive formalism, is developed. Comparison with the experimental observations in thrust force, torque, and chip morphology provides valid evidence on the applicability of the developed multi-objective identification strategy in identifying constitutive parameters. PMID:29324688

Automatic pole-like object modeling via 3D part-based analysis of point cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Liu; Yang, Haoxiang; Huang, Yuchun

2016-10-01

Pole-like objects, including trees, lampposts and traffic signs, are indispensable part of urban infrastructure. With the advance of vehicle-based laser scanning (VLS), massive point cloud of roadside urban areas becomes applied in 3D digital city modeling. Based on the property that different pole-like objects have various canopy parts and similar trunk parts, this paper proposed the 3D part-based shape analysis to robustly extract, identify and model the pole-like objects. The proposed method includes: 3D clustering and recognition of trunks, voxel growing and part-based 3D modeling. After preprocessing, the trunk center is identified as the point that has local density peak and the largest minimum inter-cluster distance. Starting from the trunk centers, the remaining points are iteratively clustered to the same centers of their nearest point with higher density. To eliminate the noisy points, cluster border is refined by trimming boundary outliers. Then, candidate trunks are extracted based on the clustering results in three orthogonal planes by shape analysis. Voxel growing obtains the completed pole-like objects regardless of overlaying. Finally, entire trunk, branch and crown part are analyzed to obtain seven feature parameters. These parameters are utilized to model three parts respectively and get signal part-assembled 3D model. The proposed method is tested using the VLS-based point cloud of Wuhan University, China. The point cloud includes many kinds of trees, lampposts and other pole-like posters under different occlusions and overlaying. Experimental results show that the proposed method can extract the exact attributes and model the roadside pole-like objects efficiently.

Systematic Review of Physical Activity Objectives in Extension Strategic Plans: Findings and Implications for Improved Public Health Impact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harden, Samantha M.; Lindsay, Anne; Everette, Alicia; Gunter, Katherine B.

2016-01-01

Extension programming that incorporates both physical activity and dietary behaviors is necessary for the prevention of certain chronic diseases, including obesity. The purpose of the study presented here was to systematically identify the presence of physical activity objectives in the strategic plan for each Extension system in the United…

Wood used in industrial markets in the United States--2000

Treesearch

Chris Gaston

2002-01-01

The main objective of this study was to gather information on the volume of wood products used by industrial manufacturers across the United States (U.S.). Specific objectives included the following: 1. To identify and categorize the main industrial manufacturing industries in the U.S. that are likely to use wood products (using the North American Industrial...

Using multi-objective robust decision making to support seasonal water management in the Chao Phraya River basin, Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riegels, Niels; Jessen, Oluf; Madsen, Henrik

2016-04-01

A multi-objective robust decision making approach is demonstrated that supports seasonal water management in the Chao Phraya River basin in Thailand. The approach uses multi-objective optimization to identify a Pareto-optimal set of management alternatives. Ensemble simulation is used to evaluate how each member of the Pareto set performs under a range of uncertain future conditions, and a robustness criterion is used to select a preferred alternative. Data mining tools are then used to identify ranges of uncertain factor values that lead to unacceptable performance for the preferred alternative. The approach is compared to a multi-criteria scenario analysis approach to estimate whether the introduction of additional complexity has the potential to improve decision making. Dry season irrigation in Thailand is managed through non-binding recommendations about the maximum extent of rice cultivation along with incentives for less water-intensive crops. Management authorities lack authority to prevent river withdrawals for irrigation when rice cultivation exceeds recommendations. In practice, this means that water must be provided to irrigate the actual planted area because of downstream municipal water supply requirements and water quality constraints. This results in dry season reservoir withdrawals that exceed planned withdrawals, reducing carryover storage to hedge against insufficient wet season runoff. The dry season planning problem in Thailand can therefore be framed in terms of decisions, objectives, constraints, and uncertainties. Decisions include recommendations about the maximum extent of rice cultivation and incentives for growing less water-intensive crops. Objectives are to maximize benefits to farmers, minimize the risk of inadequate carryover storage, and minimize incentives. Constraints include downstream municipal demands and water quality requirements. Uncertainties include the actual extent of rice cultivation, dry season precipitation, and precipitation in the following wet season. The multi-objective robust decision making approach is implemented as follows. First, three baseline simulation models are developed, including a crop water demand model, a river basin simulation model, and model of the impact of incentives on cropping patterns. The crop water demand model estimates irrigation water demands; the river basin simulation model estimates reservoir drawdown required to meet demands given forecasts of precipitation, evaporation, and runoff; the model of incentive impacts estimates the cost of incentives as function of marginal changes in rice yields. Optimization is used to find a set of non-dominated alternatives as a function of rice area and incentive decisions. An ensemble of uncertain model inputs is generated to represent uncertain hydrological and crop area forecasts. An ensemble of indicator values is then generated for each of the decision objectives: farmer benefits, end-of-wet-season reservoir storage, and the cost of incentives. A single alternative is selected from the Pareto set using a robustness criterion. Threshold values are defined for each of the objectives to identify ensemble members for which objective values are unacceptable, and the PRIM data mining algorithm is then used to identify input values associated with unacceptable model outcomes.

Historic Properties Report: Kansas Army Ammunition Plant, Parsons, Kansas

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-11-01

methodology; Chapter 2 presents an architectural, historical, and technological overview of the installation and its properties; and Chapter 3 identifies ...historic properties were identified by this source. Army records used for the field inventory included current Real Property Inventory (RPI) printouts that...text as appropriate. The objectives of the overview were to i) establish the periods of major construction at the installation, 2) identify important

Technology Transfer and the Civil Space Program. Volume 2: Workshop proceedings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The objectives were to (1) provide a top-level review of the Integrated Technology Plan (ITP) and current civil space technology plans, including planning processes and technologies; (2) discuss and assess technology transfer (TT) experiences across a wide range of participants; (3) identify alternate categories/strategies for TT and define the objectives of transfer processes in each case; (4) identify the roles of various government 'stakeholders', aerospace industry, industries at large, and universities in civil space technology research, development, demonstration, and transfer; (5) identify potential barriers and/or opportunities to successful civil space TT; (6) identify specific needs for innovations in policy, programs, and/or procedures to facilitate TT; and (7) develop a plan of attack for the development of a workshop report. Papers from the workshop are presented.

Identifying Barriers to Promoting Healthy Nutrition in New Zealand Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walton, Mat; Waiti, Jordan; Signal, Louise; Thomson, George

2010-01-01

Background: Schools are often identified as a site for intervention to improve the diets of students, and help prevent excess weight gain and obesity. Rates of overweight and obesity amongst school children have risen in much of the world, including New Zealand, with unequal distribution by ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Objective: To…

Resource Manual for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Education in Emergency Medicine.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Coll. of Emergency Physicians, Dallas, TX.

The curriculum guide and bibliography identifies the minimum skills, knowledge, and attitudes that emergency physicians should have relative to drug and alcohol abuse and identifies appropriate educational materials and strategies for medical schools to include in their training programs. Objectives were based on 73 survey responses from medical…

Outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Infections After Petting Zoo Visits, North Carolina State Fair, October-November 2004

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Objectives: To identify cases, describe the outbreak, implement control measures, and identify factors associated with infection or protection from infection, including contact with animals and hand hygiene practices. Design: Case finding, a case-control study of 45 cases and 188 controls, enviro...

A Scoping Review of Treatments for Older Adults with Substance Use Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mowbray, Orion; Quinn, Adam

2016-01-01

Objectives: To identify effective treatment services for older, substance-using adults, an examination of the evidence associated with interventions for this group is presented. Methods: Using explicit, validated criteria to identify effective interventions, 22 publications were included in a review and were subject to a critical appraisal of…

Development and Application of a Stepwise Assessment Process for Rational Redesign of Sequential Skills-Based Courses.

PubMed

Gallimore, Casey E; Porter, Andrea L; Barnett, Susanne G

2016-10-25

Objective. To develop and apply a stepwise process to assess achievement of course learning objectives related to advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) preparedness and inform redesign of sequential skills-based courses. Design. Four steps comprised the assessment and redesign process: (1) identify skills critical for APPE preparedness; (2) utilize focus groups and course evaluations to determine student competence in skill performance; (3) apply course mapping to identify course deficits contributing to suboptimal skill performance; and (4) initiate course redesign to target exposed deficits. Assessment. Focus group participants perceived students were least prepared for skills within the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education's pre-APPE core domains of Identification and Assessment of Drug-related Problems and General Communication Abilities. Course mapping identified gaps in instruction, performance, and assessment of skills within aforementioned domains. Conclusions. A stepwise process that identified strengths and weaknesses of a course, was used to facilitate structured course redesign. Strengths of the process included input and corroboration from both preceptors and students. Limitations included feedback from a small number of pharmacy preceptors and increased workload on course coordinators.

Use of individualized learning plans among fourth-year sub-interns in pediatrics and internal medicine.

PubMed

Shepard, Michelle E; Sastre, Elizabeth A; Davidson, Mario A; Fleming, Amy E

2012-01-01

Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) are an effective tool for promoting self-directed learning among residents. However, no literature details ILP use among medical students. Fifty fourth-year sub-interns in pediatrics and internal medicine created ILPs, including a self-assessment of strengths and weaknesses based on ACGME core competencies and the setting of learning objectives. During weekly follow-up meetings with faculty mentors and peers, students discussed challenges and revised goals. Upon completion of the rotation, students completed a survey of Likert-scale questions addressing satisfaction with and perceived utility of ILP components. Students most often self-identified strengths in the areas of Professionalism and Interpersonal and Communication Skills and weaknesses in Patient Care and Systems-Based Practice. Eighty-two percent set at least one learning objective in an identified area of weakness. Students expressed high confidence in their abilities to create achievable learning objectives and to generate strategies to meet those objectives. Students agreed that discussions during group meetings were meaningful, and they identified the setting learning objectives and weekly meetings as the most important elements of the exercise. Fourth-year sub-interns reported that ILPs helped them to accomplish rotation goals, with the setting of learning objectives and weekly discussions being the most useful elements.

Search systems and computer-implemented search methods

DOEpatents

Payne, Deborah A.; Burtner, Edwin R.; Hampton, Shawn D.; Gillen, David S.; Henry, Michael J.

2017-03-07

Search systems and computer-implemented search methods are described. In one aspect, a search system includes a communications interface configured to access a plurality of data items of a collection, wherein the data items include a plurality of image objects individually comprising image data utilized to generate an image of the respective data item. The search system may include processing circuitry coupled with the communications interface and configured to process the image data of the data items of the collection to identify a plurality of image content facets which are indicative of image content contained within the images and to associate the image objects with the image content facets and a display coupled with the processing circuitry and configured to depict the image objects associated with the image content facets.

Search systems and computer-implemented search methods

DOEpatents

Payne, Deborah A.; Burtner, Edwin R.; Bohn, Shawn J.; Hampton, Shawn D.; Gillen, David S.; Henry, Michael J.

2015-12-22

Search systems and computer-implemented search methods are described. In one aspect, a search system includes a communications interface configured to access a plurality of data items of a collection, wherein the data items include a plurality of image objects individually comprising image data utilized to generate an image of the respective data item. The search system may include processing circuitry coupled with the communications interface and configured to process the image data of the data items of the collection to identify a plurality of image content facets which are indicative of image content contained within the images and to associate the image objects with the image content facets and a display coupled with the processing circuitry and configured to depict the image objects associated with the image content facets.

Neural basis for dynamic updating of object representation in visual working memory.

PubMed

Takahama, Sachiko; Miyauchi, Satoru; Saiki, Jun

2010-02-15

In real world, objects have multiple features and change dynamically. Thus, object representations must satisfy dynamic updating and feature binding. Previous studies have investigated the neural activity of dynamic updating or feature binding alone, but not both simultaneously. We investigated the neural basis of feature-bound object representation in a dynamically updating situation by conducting a multiple object permanence tracking task, which required observers to simultaneously process both the maintenance and dynamic updating of feature-bound objects. Using an event-related design, we separated activities during memory maintenance and change detection. In the search for regions showing selective activation in dynamic updating of feature-bound objects, we identified a network during memory maintenance that was comprised of the inferior precentral sulcus, superior parietal lobule, and middle frontal gyrus. In the change detection period, various prefrontal regions, including the anterior prefrontal cortex, were activated. In updating object representation of dynamically moving objects, the inferior precentral sulcus closely cooperates with a so-called "frontoparietal network", and subregions of the frontoparietal network can be decomposed into those sensitive to spatial updating and feature binding. The anterior prefrontal cortex identifies changes in object representation by comparing memory and perceptual representations rather than maintaining object representations per se, as previously suggested. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A simulation study of detection of weapon of mass destruction based on radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharifahmadian, E.; Choi, Y.; Latifi, S.

2013-05-01

Typical systems used for detection of Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD) are based on sensing objects using gamma rays or neutrons. Nonetheless, depending on environmental conditions, current methods for detecting fissile materials have limited distance of effectiveness. Moreover, radiation related to gamma- rays can be easily shielded. Here, detecting concealed WMD from a distance is simulated and studied based on radar, especially WideBand (WB) technology. The WB-based method capitalizes on the fact that electromagnetic waves penetrate through different materials at different rates. While low-frequency waves can pass through objects more easily, high-frequency waves have a higher rate of absorption by objects, making the object recognition easier. Measuring the penetration depth allows one to identify the sensed material. During simulation, radar waves and propagation area including free space, and objects in the scene are modeled. In fact, each material is modeled as a layer with a certain thickness. At start of simulation, a modeled radar wave is radiated toward the layers. At the receiver side, based on the received signals from every layer, each layer can be identified. When an electromagnetic wave passes through an object, the wave's power will be subject to a certain level of attenuation depending of the object's characteristics. Simulation is performed using radar signals with different frequencies (ranges MHz-GHz) and powers to identify different layers.

Tammy and Tommy Toy: Toy Safety Capsule. Parents' Capsule [and] Kindergarten Student Capsule.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMillin, Sarah M.

This unit instructs kindergarten students and their parents to recognize safe and unsafe toys and games. Objectives for parents are to identify sources of information which help consumers make wise decisions regarding toys and games and analyze factors that make a toy safe or unsafe. Objectives for students include choosing a safe toy/game from a…

Life sciences payload definition and integration study. Volume 1: Management summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The objectives of a study program to determine the life sciences payloads required for conducting biomedical experiments during space missions are presented. The objectives are defined as: (1) to identify the research functions which must be performed aboard life sciences spacecraft laboratories and the equipment needed to support these functions and (2) to develop layouts and preliminary conceptual designs of several potential baseline payloads for the accomplishment of life research in space. Payload configurations and subsystems are described and illustrated. Tables of data are included to identify the material requirements for the space missions.

Effectiveness of technology use for engaging community dwelling adults with chronic disease in self-care behavior management in health care: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Swartwout, Ellen; Deyo, Patsy; El-Zein, Ashley

2016-05-01

The quantitative objective is to identify the effectiveness of technology use for self-care behavior management and the patient engagement levels in health care.More specifically, the objectives are to identify: 1) the effectiveness of technology use (includes mobile health applications, text messages, telemedicine/video conferences between providers and people with chronic disease, remote monitoring and websites) in health care for engaging community-dwelling adults with chronic disease in self-care management, and 2) the patient engagement levels in health care.

Application of a single-objective, hybrid genetic algorithm approach to pharmacokinetic model building.

PubMed

Sherer, Eric A; Sale, Mark E; Pollock, Bruce G; Belani, Chandra P; Egorin, Merrill J; Ivy, Percy S; Lieberman, Jeffrey A; Manuck, Stephen B; Marder, Stephen R; Muldoon, Matthew F; Scher, Howard I; Solit, David B; Bies, Robert R

2012-08-01

A limitation in traditional stepwise population pharmacokinetic model building is the difficulty in handling interactions between model components. To address this issue, a method was previously introduced which couples NONMEM parameter estimation and model fitness evaluation to a single-objective, hybrid genetic algorithm for global optimization of the model structure. In this study, the generalizability of this approach for pharmacokinetic model building is evaluated by comparing (1) correct and spurious covariate relationships in a simulated dataset resulting from automated stepwise covariate modeling, Lasso methods, and single-objective hybrid genetic algorithm approaches to covariate identification and (2) information criteria values, model structures, convergence, and model parameter values resulting from manual stepwise versus single-objective, hybrid genetic algorithm approaches to model building for seven compounds. Both manual stepwise and single-objective, hybrid genetic algorithm approaches to model building were applied, blinded to the results of the other approach, for selection of the compartment structure as well as inclusion and model form of inter-individual and inter-occasion variability, residual error, and covariates from a common set of model options. For the simulated dataset, stepwise covariate modeling identified three of four true covariates and two spurious covariates; Lasso identified two of four true and 0 spurious covariates; and the single-objective, hybrid genetic algorithm identified three of four true covariates and one spurious covariate. For the clinical datasets, the Akaike information criterion was a median of 22.3 points lower (range of 470.5 point decrease to 0.1 point decrease) for the best single-objective hybrid genetic-algorithm candidate model versus the final manual stepwise model: the Akaike information criterion was lower by greater than 10 points for four compounds and differed by less than 10 points for three compounds. The root mean squared error and absolute mean prediction error of the best single-objective hybrid genetic algorithm candidates were a median of 0.2 points higher (range of 38.9 point decrease to 27.3 point increase) and 0.02 points lower (range of 0.98 point decrease to 0.74 point increase), respectively, than that of the final stepwise models. In addition, the best single-objective, hybrid genetic algorithm candidate models had successful convergence and covariance steps for each compound, used the same compartment structure as the manual stepwise approach for 6 of 7 (86 %) compounds, and identified 54 % (7 of 13) of covariates included by the manual stepwise approach and 16 covariate relationships not included by manual stepwise models. The model parameter values between the final manual stepwise and best single-objective, hybrid genetic algorithm models differed by a median of 26.7 % (q₁ = 4.9 % and q₃ = 57.1 %). Finally, the single-objective, hybrid genetic algorithm approach was able to identify models capable of estimating absorption rate parameters for four compounds that the manual stepwise approach did not identify. The single-objective, hybrid genetic algorithm represents a general pharmacokinetic model building methodology whose ability to rapidly search the feasible solution space leads to nearly equivalent or superior model fits to pharmacokinetic data.

The Delphi Technique in Identifying Learning Objectives for the Development of Science, Technology and Society Modules for Palestinian Ninth Grade Science Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abualrob, Marwan M. A.; Gnanamalar Sarojini Daniel, Esther

2013-10-01

This article outlines how learning objectives based upon science, technology and society (STS) elements for Palestinian ninth grade science textbooks were identified, which was part of a bigger study to establish an STS foundation in the ninth grade science curriculum in Palestine. First, an initial list of STS elements was determined. Second, using this list, ninth grade science textbooks and curriculum document contents were analyzed. Third, based on this content analysis, a possible list of 71 learning objectives for the integration of STS elements was prepared. This list of learning objectives was refined by using a two-round Delphi technique. The Delphi study was used to rate and to determine the consensus regarding which items (i.e. learning objectives for STS in the ninth grade science textbooks in Palestine) are to be accepted for inclusion. The results revealed that of the initial 71 objectives in round one, 59 objectives within round two had a mean score of 5.683 or higher, which indicated that the learning objectives could be included in the development of STS modules for ninth grade science in Palestine.

DIETFITS study (diet intervention examining the factors interacting with treatment success) - Study design and methods.

PubMed

Stanton, Michael V; Robinson, Jennifer L; Kirkpatrick, Susan M; Farzinkhou, Sarah; Avery, Erin C; Rigdon, Joseph; Offringa, Lisa C; Trepanowski, John F; Hauser, Michelle E; Hartle, Jennifer C; Cherin, Rise J; King, Abby C; Ioannidis, John P A; Desai, Manisha; Gardner, Christopher D

2017-02-01

Numerous studies have attempted to identify successful dietary strategies for weight loss, and many have focused on Low-Fat vs. Low-Carbohydrate comparisons. Despite relatively small between-group differences in weight loss found in most previous studies, researchers have consistently observed relatively large between-subject differences in weight loss within any given diet group (e.g., ~25kg weight loss to ~5kg weight gain). The primary objective of this study was to identify predisposing individual factors at baseline that help explain differential weight loss achieved by individuals assigned to the same diet, particularly a pre-determined multi-locus genotype pattern and insulin resistance status. Secondary objectives included discovery strategies for further identifying potential genetic risk scores. Exploratory objectives included investigation of an extensive set of physiological, psychosocial, dietary, and behavioral variables as moderating and/or mediating variables and/or secondary outcomes. The target population was generally healthy, free-living adults with BMI 28-40kg/m 2 (n=600). The intervention consisted of a 12-month protocol of 22 one-hour evening instructional sessions led by registered dietitians, with ~15-20 participants/class. Key objectives of dietary instruction included focusing on maximizing the dietary quality of both Low-Fat and Low-Carbohydrate diets (i.e., Healthy Low-Fat vs. Healthy Low-Carbohydrate), and maximally differentiating the two diets from one another. Rather than seeking to determine if one dietary approach was better than the other for the general population, this study sought to examine whether greater overall weight loss success could be achieved by matching different people to different diets. Here we present the design and methods of the study. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DIETFITS Study (Diet Intervention Examining The Factors Interacting with Treatment Success) – Study Design and Methods

PubMed Central

Stanton, Michael; Robinson, Jennifer; Kirkpatrick, Susan; Farzinkhou, Sarah; Avery, Erin; Rigdon, Joseph; Offringa, Lisa; Trepanowski, John; Hauser, Michelle; Hartle, Jennifer; Cherin, Rise; King, Abby C.; Ioannidis, John P.A.; Desai, Manisha; Gardner, Christopher D.

2017-01-01

Numerous studies have attempted to identify successful dietary strategies for weight loss, and many have focused on Low-Fat vs. Low-Carbohydrate comparisons. Despite relatively small between-group differences in weight loss found in most previous studies, researchers have consistently observed relatively large between-subject differences in weight loss within any given diet group (e.g., ~25 kg weight loss to ~5 kg weight gain). The primary objective of this study was to identify predisposing individual factors at baseline that help explain differential weight loss achieved by individuals assigned to the same diet, particularly a pre-determined multi-locus genotype pattern and insulin resistance status. Secondary objectives included discovery strategies for further identifying potential genetic risk scores. Exploratory objectives included investigation of an extensive set of physiological, psychosocial, dietary, and behavioral variables as moderating and/or mediating variables and/or secondary outcomes. The target population was generally healthy, free-living adults with BMI 28-40 kg/m2 (n=600). The intervention consisted of a 12-month protocol of 22 one-hour evening instructional sessions led by registered dietitians, with ~15-20 participants/class. Key objectives of dietary instruction included focusing on maximizing the dietary quality of both Low-Fat and Low-Carbohydrate diets (i.e., Healthy Low-Fat vs. Healthy Low-Carbohydrate), and maximally differentiating the two diets from one another. Rather than seeking to determine if one dietary approach was better than the other for the general population, this study sought to examine whether greater overall weight loss success could be achieved by matching different people to different diets. Here we present the design and methods of the study. PMID:28027950

Geometry in Nature: Patterns. Environmental Module for Use in a Mathematics Laboratory Setting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trojan, Arthur; And Others

This module, designed to help students find and identify various geometric shapes and solids, contains 26 worksheets. Topics covered by these worksheets include: identification and grouping of objects with particular patterns, work with pentagons, hexagons, spirals, and symmetry. Teaching suggestions are included. (MK)

Stakeholder-led science: engaging resource managers to identify science needs for long-term management of floodplain conservation lands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bouska, Kristin L.; Lindner, Garth; Paukert, Craig P.; Jacobson, Robert B.

2016-01-01

Floodplains pose challenges to managers of conservation lands because of constantly changing interactions with their rivers. Although scientific knowledge and understanding of the dynamics and drivers of river-floodplain systems can provide guidance to floodplain managers, the scientific process often occurs in isolation from management. Further, communication barriers between scientists and managers can be obstacles to appropriate application of scientific knowledge. With the coproduction of science in mind, our objectives were the following: (1) to document management priorities of floodplain conservation lands, and (2) identify science needs required to better manage the identified management priorities under nonstationary conditions, i.e., climate change, through stakeholder queries and interactions. We conducted an online survey with 80 resource managers of floodplain conservation lands along the Upper and Middle Mississippi River and Lower Missouri River, USA, to evaluate management priority, management intensity, and available scientific information for management objectives and conservation targets. Management objectives with the least information available relative to priority included controlling invasive species, maintaining respectful relationships with neighbors, and managing native, nongame species. Conservation targets with the least information available to manage relative to management priority included pollinators, marsh birds, reptiles, and shore birds. A follow-up workshop and survey focused on clarifying science needs to achieve management objectives under nonstationary conditions. Managers agreed that metrics of inundation, including depth and extent of inundation, and frequency, duration, and timing of inundation would be the most useful metrics for management of floodplain conservation lands with multiple objectives. This assessment provides guidance for developing relevant and accessible science products to inform management of highly dynamic floodplain environments. Although the problems facing managers of these lands are complex, products focused on a small suite of inundation metrics were determined to be the most useful to guide the decision making process.

Exposure of Children to Sexual Content on the Internet in Croatia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flander, Gordana Buljan; Cosic, Ivana; Profaca, Bruna

2009-01-01

Objective: To determine the prevalence of children and youth exposure to sexual content and inappropriate sexual questions on the Internet; and to identify emotional and behavioral reactions of children after such exposures. Methods: Sample of the study included 2,880 of children and youth aged 10-16 who identified themselves as Internet users.…

Preferred Instructional Design Strategies for Preparation of Pre-Service Teachers of Integrated STEM Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Amanda Shackleford

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the preferred instructional design strategies for the preparation of pre-service teachers who will deliver integrated STEM lessons. The research objectives were threefold and included identifying a preferred definition of integrated STEM education, developing its purpose statement, and creating a list of…

Functional SNP associated with birth weight in independent populations identified with a permutation step added to GBLUP-GWAS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study was conducted as an initial assessment of a newly available genotyping assay containing about 34,000 common SNP included on previous SNP chips, and 199,000 sequence variants predicted to affect gene function. Objectives were to identify functional variants associated with birth weight in...

Does object view influence the scene consistency effect?

PubMed

Sastyin, Gergo; Niimi, Ryosuke; Yokosawa, Kazuhiko

2015-04-01

Traditional research on the scene consistency effect only used clearly recognizable object stimuli to show mutually interactive context effects for both the object and background components on scene perception (Davenport & Potter in Psychological Science, 15, 559-564, 2004). However, in real environments, objects are viewed from multiple viewpoints, including an accidental, hard-to-recognize one. When the observers named target objects in scenes (Experiments 1a and 1b, object recognition task), we replicated the scene consistency effect (i.e., there was higher accuracy for the objects with consistent backgrounds). However, there was a significant interaction effect between consistency and object viewpoint, which indicated that the scene consistency effect was more important for identifying objects in the accidental view condition than in the canonical view condition. Therefore, the object recognition system may rely more on the scene context when the object is difficult to recognize. In Experiment 2, the observers identified the background (background recognition task) while the scene consistency and object views were manipulated. The results showed that object viewpoint had no effect, while the scene consistency effect was observed. More specifically, the canonical and accidental views both equally provided contextual information for scene perception. These findings suggested that the mechanism for conscious recognition of objects could be dissociated from the mechanism for visual analysis of object images that were part of a scene. The "context" that the object images provided may have been derived from its view-invariant, relatively low-level visual features (e.g., color), rather than its semantic information.

In-Space Cryogenic Propellant Depot (ISCPD) Architecture Definitions and Systems Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fikes, John C.; Howell, Joe T.; Henley, Mark

2006-01-01

The objectives of the ISCPD Architecture Definitions and Systems Studies were to determine high leverage propellant depot architecture concepts, system configuration trades, and related technologies to enable more ambitious and affordable human and robotic exploration of the Earth Neighborhood and beyond. This activity identified architectures and concepts that preposition and store propellants in space for exploration and commercial space activities, consistent with Exploration Systems Research and Technology (ESR&T) objectives. Commonalities across mission scenarios for these architecture definitions, depot concepts, technologies, and operations were identified that also best satisfy the Vision of Space Exploration. Trade studies were conducted, technology development needs identified and assessments performed to drive out the roadmap for obtaining an in-space cryogenic propellant depot capability. The Boeing Company supported the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) by conducting this Depot System Architecture Development Study. The primary objectives of this depot architecture study were: (1) determine high leverage propellant depot concepts and related technologies; (2) identify commonalities across mission scenarios of depot concepts, technologies, and operations; (3) determine the best depot concepts and key technology requirements and (4) identify technology development needs including definition of ground and space test article requirements.

Travel Survey Manual: Appendices

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-02-01

The primary objectives of this chapter are to provide information on the current physical and operating characteristics of all border crossings, including approaches and egresses, and to identify problems, both physical and operational, that affect t...

Synthesis of work-zone performance measures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-09-01

The main objective of this synthesis was to identify and summarize how agencies collect, analyze, and report different work-zone : traffic-performance measures, which include exposure, mobility, and safety measures. The researchers also examined comm...

40 CFR 255.10 - Criteria for identifying regions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... volume of waste to support the goals and objectives of the State plan, including materials or energy... designated in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, and with air quality planning agencies designated...

40 CFR 255.10 - Criteria for identifying regions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... volume of waste to support the goals and objectives of the State plan, including materials or energy... designated in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, and with air quality planning agencies designated...

40 CFR 255.10 - Criteria for identifying regions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... volume of waste to support the goals and objectives of the State plan, including materials or energy... designated in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, and with air quality planning agencies designated...

A longitudinal interprofessional simulation curriculum for critical care teams: Exploring successes and challenges.

PubMed

Leclair, Laurie W; Dawson, Mary; Howe, Alison; Hale, Sue; Zelman, Eric; Clouser, Ryan; Garrison, Garth; Allen, Gilman

2018-05-01

Interprofessional care teams are the backbone of intensive care units (ICUs) where severity of illness is high and care requires varied skills and experience. Despite this care model, longitudinal educational programmes for such workplace teams rarely include all professions. In this article, we report findings on the initial assessment and evaluation of an ongoing, longitudinal simulation-based curriculum for interprofessional workplace critical care teams. The study had two independent components, quantitative learner assessment and qualitative curricular evaluation. To assess curriculum effectiveness at meeting learning objectives, participant-reported key learning points identified using a self-assessment tool administered immediately following curricular participation were mapped to session learning objectives. To evaluate the curriculum, we conducted a qualitative study using a phenomenology approach involving purposeful sampling of nine curricular participants undergoing recorded semi-structured interviews. Verbatim transcripts were reviewed by two independent readers to derive themes further subdivided into successes and barriers. Learner self-assessment demonstrated that the majority of learners, across all professions, achieved at least one intended learning objective with senior learners more likely to report team-based objectives and junior learners more likely to report knowledge/practice objectives. Successes identified by curricular evaluation included authentic critical care curricular content, safe learning environment, and team comradery from shared experience. Barriers included unfamiliarity with the simulation environment and clinical coverage for curricular participation. This study suggests that a sustainable interprofessional curriculum for workplace ICU critical care teams can achieve the desired educational impact and effectively deliver authentic simulated work experiences if barriers to educational engagement and participation can be overcome.

DICOM-compatible format for analytical cytology data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leif, Robert C.; Leif, Suzanne B.

1998-04-01

The addition of a list mode data type to the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine standard, DICOM will enhance the storage and transmission of digital microscopy data and extend DICOM to include flow cytometry data. This would permit the present International Society for analytical Cytology Flow Cytometry Standard to be retired. DICOM includes: image graphics objects, specifications for describing: studies, reports, the acquisition of the data, work list management, and the individuals involved (physician, patient, etc.) The glossary of terms (objects) suitable for use with DICOM has been extended to include the collaborative effort of Logical Observation Identifier Names and Codes (LOINC) and Systematized Nomenclature of Human and Veterinary Medicine (SNOMED) to create a consistent, unambiguous clinical reference terminology. It also appears that DICOM will be a significant part of the Common Object Request Broker Architecture, CORBA.

Clinical predictors of vestibulo-ocular dysfunction in pediatric sports-related concussion.

PubMed

Ellis, Michael J; Cordingley, Dean M; Vis, Sara; Reimer, Karen M; Leiter, Jeff; Russell, Kelly

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE There were 2 objectives of this study. The first objective was to identify clinical variables associated with vestibulo-ocular dysfunction (VOD) detected at initial consultation among pediatric patients with acute sports-related concussion (SRC) and postconcussion syndrome (PCS). The second objective was to reexamine the prevalence of VOD in this clinical cohort and evaluate the effect of VOD on length of recovery and the development of PCS. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted for all patients with acute SRC and PCS who were evaluated at a pediatric multidisciplinary concussion program from September 2013 to May 2015. Acute SRS was defined as presenting < 30 days postinjury, and PCS was defined according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision criteria and included being symptomatic 30 days or longer postinjury. The initial assessment included clinical history and physical examination performed by 1 neurosurgeon. Patients were assessed for VOD, defined as the presence of more than 1 subjective vestibular and oculomotor complaint (dizziness, diplopia, blurred vision, etc.) and more than 1 objective physical examination finding (abnormal near point of convergence, smooth pursuits, saccades, or vestibulo-ocular reflex testing). Poisson regression analysis was used to identify factors that increased the risk of VOD at initial presentation and the development of PCS. RESULTS Three hundred ninety-nine children, including 306 patients with acute SRC and 93 with PCS, were included. Of these patients, 30.1% of those with acute SRC (65.0% male, mean age 13.9 years) and 43.0% of those with PCS (41.9% male, mean age 15.4 years) met the criteria for VOD at initial consultation. Independent predictors of VOD at initial consultation included female sex, preinjury history of depression, posttraumatic amnesia, and presence of dizziness, blurred vision, or difficulty focusing at the time of injury. Independent predictors of PCS among patients with acute SRC included the presence of VOD at initial consultation, preinjury history of depression, and posttraumatic amnesia at the time of injury. CONCLUSIONS This study identified important potential risk factors for the development of VOD following pediatric SRC. These results provide confirmatory evidence that VOD at initial consultation is associated with prolonged recovery and is an independent predictor for the development of PCS. Future studies examining clinical prediction rules in pediatric concussion should include VOD. Additional research is needed to elucidate the natural history of VOD following SRC and establish evidence-based indications for targeted vestibular rehabilitation.

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

Scibelli, Samantha; Newberg, Heidi Jo; Carlin, Jeffrey L.

We present a census of the 12,060 spectra of blue objects ((g – r){sub 0} < –0.25) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 8 (DR8). As part of the data release, all of the spectra were cross-correlated with 48 template spectra of stars, galaxies, and QSOs to determine the best match. We compared the blue spectra by eye to the templates assigned in SDSS DR8. 10,856 of the objects matched their assigned template, 170 could not be classified due to low signal-to-noise ratio, and 1034 were given new classifications. We identify 7458 DA white dwarfs, 1145 DBmore » white dwarfs, 273 rarer white dwarfs (including carbon, DZ, DQ, and magnetic), 294 subdwarf O stars, 648 subdwarf B stars, 679 blue horizontal branch stars, 1026 blue stragglers, 13 cataclysmic variables, 129 white dwarf-M dwarf binaries, 36 objects with spectra similar to DO white dwarfs, 179, quasi-stellar objects (QSOs), and 10 galaxies. We provide two tables of these objects, sample spectra that match the templates, figures showing all of the spectra that were grouped by eye, and diagnostic plots that show the positions, colors, apparent magnitudes, proper motions, etc., for each classification. Future surveys will be able to use templates similar to stars in each of the classes we identify to automatically classify blue stars, including rare types.« less

A metadata schema for data objects in clinical research.

PubMed

Canham, Steve; Ohmann, Christian

2016-11-24

A large number of stakeholders have accepted the need for greater transparency in clinical research and, in the context of various initiatives and systems, have developed a diverse and expanding number of repositories for storing the data and documents created by clinical studies (collectively known as data objects). To make the best use of such resources, we assert that it is also necessary for stakeholders to agree and deploy a simple, consistent metadata scheme. The relevant data objects and their likely storage are described, and the requirements for metadata to support data sharing in clinical research are identified. Issues concerning persistent identifiers, for both studies and data objects, are explored. A scheme is proposed that is based on the DataCite standard, with extensions to cover the needs of clinical researchers, specifically to provide (a) study identification data, including links to clinical trial registries; (b) data object characteristics and identifiers; and (c) data covering location, ownership and access to the data object. The components of the metadata scheme are described. The metadata schema is proposed as a natural extension of a widely agreed standard to fill a gap not tackled by other standards related to clinical research (e.g., Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium, Biomedical Research Integrated Domain Group). The proposal could be integrated with, but is not dependent on, other moves to better structure data in clinical research.

Identification of Essential Food Skills for Skill-Based Healthful Eating Programs in Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fordyce-Voorham, Sandra

2011-01-01

Objective: To identify the food skills deemed essential to include in skill-based healthful eating programs in secondary schools. Methods: Fifty-one food experts including home economics educators, chefs, nutritionists and dietitians, community educators, homemakers, and young people were recruited by invitation, mail, and advertising. Data were…

Acoustic detection and monitoring for transportation infrastructure security.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-09-01

Acoustical methods have been extensively used to locate, identify, and track objects underwater. Some of these applications include detecting and tracking submarines, marine mammal detection and identification, detection of mines and ship wrecks and ...

Evaluating stakeholder participation in water management: intermediary outcomes as potential indicators for future resource management outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, Gemma; Bloeschl, Guenter; Loucks, Daniel Pete

2013-04-01

Evaluation of participation programmes, projects and activities is essential to identify whether stakeholder involvement has been successful in achieving its aims. Aims may include an improvement in water resource management such as enhanced ecological functioning, an improvement in human wellbeing and economic conditions, or overcoming a conflict between interest groups. Evaluating against "interest-based" resource management criteria requires that a desirable outcome can be identified, agreed upon and be measured at the time of evaluation. In many water management situations where collaborative approaches are applied, multiple interests and objectives are present, or stakeholders have not yet identified their own positions and priorities. Even if a resource management objective has been identified and strategy agreed upon, resource management changes tend to emerge over longer timescales and evaluation frequently takes place before they can be recognised. Evaluating against resource management criteria may lead evaluators to conclude that a programme has failed because it has not achieved a resource management objective at the time of evaluation. This presents a critical challenge to researchers assessing the effectiveness of stakeholder participation programmes. One strategy to overcome this is to conduct "goal-free" evaluation to identify what the programme is actually achieving. An evaluation framework that includes intermediary outcomes that are both tangible achievements such as innovation, creation of new organisations, and shared information and knowledge, as well as intangible achievements such as trust and network development can be applied to more broadly assess a programme's success. Analysis of case-studies in the published literature for which a resource management outcome has been achieved shows that intermediary outcomes frequently precede resource management outcomes. They seem to emerge over shorter timescales than resource management outcomes. Furthermore, failure to achieve intermediary outcomes correlates to failure to achieve resource management outcomes. Evaluating intermediary outcomes leads to both a broader assessment of a programme's achievements at the time of evaluation, and can indicate whether a programme will go on to achieve resource management objectives in the future.

Identification of drug interactions in hospitals--computerized screening vs. bedside recording.

PubMed

Blix, H S; Viktil, K K; Moger, T A; Reikvam, A

2008-04-01

Managing drug interactions in hospitalized patients is important and challenging. The objective of the study was to compare two methods for identification of drug interactions (DDIs)--computerized screening and prospective bedside recording--with regard to capability of identifying DDIs. Patient characteristics were recorded for patients admitted to five hospitals. By bedside evaluation drug-related problems, including DDIs, were prospectively recorded by pharmacists and discussed in multidisciplinary teams. A computer screening programme was used to identify DDIs retrospectively--dividing DDIs into four classes: A, avoid; B, avoid/take precautions; C, take precautions; D, no action needed. Among 827 patients, computer screening identified DDIs in 544 patients (66%); 351 had DDIs introduced in hospital. The 1513 computer-identified DDIs had the following distribution: type A 78; type B 915; type C 38; type D 482. By bedside evaluation, 99 DDIs were identified in 73 patients (9%). The proportions of computer recorded DDIs which were also identified at the bedside were: 5%, 8%, 8%, 2% DDIs of types A, B, C and D respectively. In 10 patients, DDIs not registered by computer screening were identified by bedside evaluation. The drugs most frequently involved in DDIs, identified by computerized screening were acetylsalicylic acid, warfarin, furosemide and digitoxin compared with warfarin, simvastatin, theophylline and carbamazepine, by bedside evaluation. Despite an active prospective bedside search for DDIs, this approach identified less than one in 10 of the DDIs recorded by computer screening, including those regarded as hazardous. However, computer screening overestimates considerably when the objective is to identify clinically relevant DDIs.

The impact of Life Science Identifier on informatics data.

PubMed

Martin, Sean; Hohman, Moses M; Liefeld, Ted

2005-11-15

Since the Life Science Identifier (LSID) data identification and access standard made its official debut in late 2004, several organizations have begun to use LSIDs to simplify the methods used to uniquely name, reference and retrieve distributed data objects and concepts. In this review, the authors build on introductory work that describes the LSID standard by documenting how five early adopters have incorporated the standard into their technology infrastructure and by outlining several common misconceptions and difficulties related to LSID use, including the impact of the byte identity requirement for LSID-identified objects and the opacity recommendation for use of the LSID syntax. The review describes several shortcomings of the LSID standard, such as the lack of a specific metadata standard, along with solutions that could be addressed in future revisions of the specification.

Integrating ergonomics into engineering design: the role of objects.

PubMed

Hall-Andersen, Lene Bjerg; Broberg, Ole

2014-05-01

The objective of this study was to explore the role of objects in integrating ergonomic knowledge in engineering design processes. An engineering design case was analyzed using the theoretical concepts of boundary objects and intermediary objects: Boundary objects facilitate collaboration between different knowledge domains, while the aim of an intermediary object is to circulate knowledge and thus produce a distant effect. Adjustable layout drawings served as boundary objects and had a positive impact on the dialog between an ergonomist and designers. An ergonomic guideline document was identified as an intermediary object. However, when the ergonomic guidelines were circulated in the design process, only some of the guidelines were transferred to the design of the sterile processing plant. Based on these findings, recommendations for working with objects in design processes are included. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Student generated learning objectives: extent of congruence with faculty set objectives and factors influencing their generation.

PubMed

Abdul Ghaffar Al-Shaibani, Tarik A; Sachs-Robertson, Annette; Al Shazali, Hafiz O; Sequeira, Reginald P; Hamdy, Hosam; Al-Roomi, Khaldoon

2003-07-01

A problem-based learning strategy is used for curriculum planning and implementation at the Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain. Problems are constructed in a way that faculty-set objectives are expected to be identified by students during tutorials. Students in small groups, along with a tutor functioning as a facilitator, identify learning issues and define their learning objectives. We compared objectives identified by student groups with faculty-set objectives to determine extent of congruence, and identified factors that influenced students' ability at identifying faculty-set objectives. Male and female students were segregated and randomly grouped. A faculty tutor was allocated for each group. This study was based on 13 problems given to entry-level medical students. Pooled objectives of these problems were classified into four categories: structural, functional, clinical and psychosocial. Univariate analysis of variance was used for comparison, and a p > 0.05 was considered significant. The mean of overall objectives generated by the students was 54.2%, for each problem. Students identified psychosocial learning objectives more readily than structural ones. Female students identified more psychosocial objectives, whereas male students identified more of structural objectives. Tutor characteristics such as medical/non-medical background, and the years of teaching were correlated with categories of learning issues identified. Students identify part of the faculty-set learning objectives during tutorials with a faculty tutor acting as a facilitator. Students' gender influences types of learning issues identified. Content expertise of tutors does not influence identification of learning needs by students.

Setting objectives for managing Key deer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Diefenbach, Duane R.; Wagner, Tyler; Stauffer, Glenn E.

2014-01-01

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is responsible for the protection and management of Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium) because the species is listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The purpose of the ESA is to protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. There are a host of actions that could possibly be undertaken to recover the Key deer population, but without a clearly defined problem and stated objectives it can be difficult to compare and evaluate alternative actions. In addition, management goals and the acceptability of alternative management actions are inherently linked to stakeholders, who should be engaged throughout the process of developing a decision framework. The purpose of this project was to engage a representative group of stakeholders to develop a problem statement that captured the management problem the FWS must address with Key deer and identify objectives that, if met, would help solve the problem. In addition, the objectives were organized in a hierarchical manner (i.e., an objectives network) to show how they are linked, and measurable attributes were identified for each objective. We organized a group of people who represented stakeholders interested in and potentially affected by the management of Key deer. These stakeholders included individuals who represented local, state, and federal governments, non-governmental organizations, the general public, and local businesses. This stakeholder group met five full days over the course of an eight-week period to identify objectives that would address the following problem:“As recovery and removal from the Endangered Species list is the purpose of the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service needs a management approach that will ensure a sustainable, viable, and healthy Key deer population. Urbanization has affected the behavior and population dynamics of the Key deer and the amount and characteristics of available habitat. The identified management approach must balance relevant social and economic concerns, Federal (e.g., Endangered Species Act, Wilderness Act, Refuge Act) and state regulations, and the conservation of biodiversity (e.g., Endangered/Threatened species, native habitat) in the Lower Keys.”The stakeholder group identified four fundamental objectives that are essential to addressing the problem: 1) Maximize a sustainable, viable, and healthy Key deer population, 2) Maximize value of Key deer to the People, 3) Minimize deer-related negative impacts to biodiversity, and 4) Minimize costs. In addition, the group identified 25 additional objectives that, if met, would help meet the fundamental objectives. The objectives network and measurable attributes identified by the stakeholder group can be used in the future to develop and evaluate potential management alternatives.

Challenges in Requirements Engineering: A Research Agenda for Conceptual Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

March, Salvatore T.; Allen, Gove N.

Domains for which information systems are developed deal primarily with social constructions—conceptual objects and attributes created by human intentions and for human purposes. Information systems play an active role in these domains. They document the creation of new conceptual objects, record and ascribe values to their attributes, initiate actions within the domain, track activities performed, and infer conclusions based on the application of rules that govern how the domain is affected when socially-defined and identified causal events occur. Emerging applications of information technologies evaluate such business rules, learn from experience, and adapt to changes in the domain. Conceptual modeling grammars aimed at representing their system requirements must include conceptual objects, socially-defined events, and the rules pertaining to them. We identify challenges to conceptual modeling research and pose an ontology of the artificial as a step toward meeting them.

Locomotive crashworthiness research : locomotive crew egress evaluation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-05-01

The objectives of this study include the identification of aspects of locomotive design and operation related to crew egress or access by rescuers in accidents, with the goal of improving crew survivability. This work identifies the considerations an...

JFK airport ground control recommendations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1971-11-01

The object of this effort was to generate a detailed recommendation on what to do about the JFK Airport Ground Traffic Control Problem, including a review of STRACS, a Surface Traffic Control System. Problem areas were identified by direct observatio...

Step-by-Step Guide to Producing a Comprehensive Academic Advising Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Jerry; Ford, Sheila Stoma

1993-01-01

Procedures for creating a guide to academic advising are outlined, including obtaining administrative commitment; clarifying responsibilities and chain of command; identifying general and specific objectives; developing content; organizing content; entering production; and revising. (MSE)

Political Communication and Women: A Course Proposal.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trent, Judith S.

1981-01-01

Presents a course proposal for an undergraduate course entitled "Political Communication and Women." Includes six units with instructional objectives, bibliographies, and student activities. The course is designed to identify the special needs of women in elective politics. (JMF)

Airborne Dioxins, Furans and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Exposure to Military Personnel in Iraq

PubMed Central

Masiol, Mauro; Mallon, Timothy; Haines, Kevin M.; Utell, Mark J.; Hopke, Philip K.

2016-01-01

Objectives The objective was to use ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) concentrations measured at Joint Base Balad in Iraq in 2007 to identify the sources of these species and their spatial patterns. Methods The ratios of the measured species were compared to literature data for likely emission sources. Using the multiple site measurements on specific days, contour maps have been drawn using inverse distance weighting (IDW). Results These analyses suggest multiple sources including the burn pit (primarily a source of PCDD/PCDFs), the transportation field (primarily as source of PAHs) and other sources of PAHs that include aircraft, space heating, and diesel power generation. Conclusions The nature and locations of the sources were identified. PCDD/PCDFs were emitted by the burn pit. Multiple PAH sources exist across the base. PMID:27501100

Method and apparatus for ultra-high-sensitivity, incremental and absolute optical encoding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leviton, Douglas B. (Inventor)

1999-01-01

An absolute optical linear or rotary encoder which encodes the motion of an object (3) with increased resolution and encoding range and decreased sensitivity to damage to the scale includes a scale (5), which moves with the object and is illuminated by a light source (11). The scale carries a pattern (9) which is imaged by a microscope optical system (13) on a CCD array (17) in a camera head (15). The pattern includes both fiducial markings (31) which are identical for each period of the pattern and code areas (33) which include binary codings of numbers identifying the individual periods of the pattern. The image of the pattern formed on the CCD array is analyzed by an image processor (23) to locate the fiducial marking, decode the information encoded in the code area, and thereby determine the position of the object.

Report of sampling and analysis results, Addison Army housing units, Addison, Illinois. Final report

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

Not Available

1990-09-01

The objectives of this sampling and analysis effort include further characterization of environmental contamination identified in an enhanced preliminary assessment carried out in 1989. The specific activities performed at this site were identification, evaluation of the condition, and collection of samples from specific suspected asbestos-containing materials, including floor tiles, pipe run and pipe fitting insulation, dust in the ductwork, and exterior siding, where present. These evaluation were necessary to clarify potential environmental issues identified in the earlier report, prior to the sale or realignment of the property.

77 FR 40901 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Gregg County Historical Museum, Longview, TX

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-11

... adult, one adult of unknown sex, and one juvenile of unknown sex. The human remains from Burial 6 include an occipital cranial bone fragment of one adult of unknown sex. The human remains from Burial 7 include one adult of unknown sex. No known individuals were identified. The 11 associated funerary objects...

77 FR 21993 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Availability of a Technical/Agency Draft...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-12

... encompassed all major rivers in the Mobile Basin, including the Alabama, Tombigbee, and Cahaba River systems... plans. Recovery Plan Components The objective of this plan is to provide a framework for the recovery of... Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in...

Linking objects in the process of mourning for sons disappeared in war: Croatia 2001.

PubMed

Jurcević, Slavica; Urlić, Ivan

2002-04-01

Mothers use linking object to externalize the complex aspects of their relationship to the loss of their child. We analyzed the linking objects that mothers kept in memory of their sons who disappeared in the 1991-1995 war in Croatia or whose remains were uncovered and identified long time after they had gone missing. The case study of disturbed mourning included 26 mothers of Croatian soldiers from Croatian Osijek-Baranja County who went missing in war or whose remains were recovered and identified long after they had gone missing. The mothers were selected independently by the president of the Association of Families of Missing and Detained Croatian Soldiers and agreed to participate in the study in 2001. They were interviewed in their homes, their testimonies were recorded, and photographs of the linking objects taken. Linking objects were classified according to the Volkan's four-group classification. Out of four Volkan's groups of linking objects, we identified the objects belonging to the first three. Those were 1) objects that had been worn by the deceased (clothes, wrist-watch, ring, or glasses), (6/26); 2) objects that could be viewed in the psychoanalytic sense as an extension of the body of the disappeared or dead person, such as a camera (4/26); and 3) objects with realistic or symbolic resemblance to the deceased, usually a photograph (8/26). None of the examined objects belonged to the fourth Volkan's group (objects at hand when the news of the death came or objects present at the funeral, things that could be considered last-minute objects, ie, related to the moment when the deceased was last seen alive). However, 8/26 objects formed a new hitherto undescribed group. Mothers used such objects to create a memorial shrine to their sons. A photograph of the missing person or person whose remains were identified long after he had gone missing occupied a central place at the shrine, and was surrounded by other symbols of the Catholic iconography (Virgin Mary, crucifix), flowers, and candles. The memorial shrine to the beloved son who disappeared was always located in the room where the family spent most of their time and/or where guests were received (living room or kitchen). We found three out of four original (Volkan's) groups of linking objects, but also an additional one, hitherto undescribed, comprising objects used for designing a memorial shrine to the deceased. This could be viewed as an expression typical of Christian, mid-European Croatian culture and tradition.

Identification of metallic items that caused nickel dermatitis in Danish patients.

PubMed

Thyssen, Jacob P; Menné, Torkil; Johansen, Jeanne D

2010-09-01

Nickel allergy is prevalent as assessed by epidemiological studies. In an attempt to further identify and characterize sources that may result in nickel allergy and dermatitis, we analysed items identified by nickel-allergic dermatitis patients as causative of nickel dermatitis by using the dimethylglyoxime (DMG) test. Dermatitis patients with nickel allergy of current relevance were identified over a 2-year period in a tertiary referral patch test centre. When possible, their work tools and personal items were examined with the DMG test. Among 95 nickel-allergic dermatitis patients, 70 (73.7%) had metallic items investigated for nickel release. A total of 151 items were investigated, and 66 (43.7%) gave positive DMG test reactions. Objects were nearly all purchased or acquired after the introduction of the EU Nickel Directive. Only one object had been inherited, and only two objects had been purchased outside of Denmark. DMG testing is valuable as a screening test for nickel release and should be used to identify relevant exposures in nickel-allergic patients. Mainly consumer items, but also work tools used in an occupational setting, released nickel in dermatitis patients. This study confirmed 'risk items' from previous studies, including mobile phones.

A Meaty Project. A Learning Activity Capsule in Consumer Operations Survival Training. Teacher's Guide [and] Student Material.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Virginia

The unit introduces junior high school students to the different kinds of ground beef available to consumers. Objectives are to identify sources of meat for ground beef and evaluate the different types to determine how each can best be used by the consumer. Activities include identifying types of meat from an illustrated worksheet, buying at least…

A Comprehensive List of Items to be Included on a Pediatric Drug Monograph

PubMed Central

Ito, Shinya; Woods, David; Nunn, Anthony J.; Taketomo, Carol; de Hoog, Matthijs; Offringa, Martin

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVES Children require special considerations for drug prescribing. Drug information summarized in a formulary containing drug monographs is essential for safe and effective prescribing. Currently, little is known about the information needs of those who prescribe and administer medicines to children. Our primary objective was to identify a list of important and relevant items to be included in a pediatric drug monograph. METHODS Following the establishment of an expert steering committee and an environmental scan of adult and pediatric formulary monograph items, 46 participants from 25 countries were invited to complete a 2-round Delphi survey. Questions regarding source of prescribing information and importance of items were recorded. An international consensus meeting to vote on and finalize the items list with the steering committee followed. RESULTS Pediatric formularies are most commonly the first resource consulted for information on medication used in children by 31 Delphi participants. After the Delphi rounds, 116 items were identified to be included in a comprehensive pediatric drug monograph, including general information, adverse drug reactions, dosages, precautions, drug-drug interactions, formulation, and drug properties. CONCLUSIONS Health care providers identified 116 monograph items as important for prescribing medicines for children by an international consensus-based process. This information will assist in setting standards for the creation of new pediatric drug monographs for international application and for those involved in pediatric formulary development. PMID:28337081

The development and test of urban and rural pedestrian safety messages

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1985-01-01

The objective of this project was to identify, develop and produce public education messages for pedestrian safety. Pedestrian accident types and situations which had not been previously addressed through public education were selected. These include...

Launch Vehicle Design Process Characterization Enables Design/Project Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blair, J. C.; Ryan, R. S.; Schutzenhofer, L. A.; Robinson, Nancy (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The objectives of the project described in this viewgraph presentation included the following: (1) Provide an overview characterization of the launch vehicle design process; and (2) Delineate design/project tool to identify, document, and track pertinent data.

Streamlining ITS planning : identifying common ITS needs : national ITS architecture

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-01-01

This brochure gives an overview of the National Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Architecture. The objects of the program include: to aid in the purchase of compatible equipment and services; to guide multilevel efforts in implementing compat...

Proverbs: Worldly Wisdom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meixner, Linda L.

1990-01-01

Offers a two-day lesson plan for secondary literature classes, using biblical proverbs from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Benjamin Franklin's "Poor Richard's Almanac," and anonymous adages. Identifies objectives, materials, procedure, evaluation, and suggests student projects. Includes proverbs for discussion and…

Use of LiDAR to Assist in Delineating Waters of the United States, Including Wetlands

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

investigator’s objective. For example, if the sole objective is to identify geomorphic breaks in slope associated with the OHWM, points representing vegetation... geomorphic position. During the data-gathering stage of wetland delinea- tions, measurements made using LiDAR data should be considered esti- mates...field. Field validation of LiDAR topographic data is essential before using them as evidence of a secondary hydrology indicator, such as geomorphic

Releases of whooping cranes to the Florida nonmigratory flock: a structured decision-making approach: report to the International Whooping Crane Recovery Team, September 22, 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, Clinton T.; Converse, Sarah J.; Folk, Martin J.; Boughton, Robin; Brooks, Bill; French, John B.; O'Meara, Timothy; Putnam, Michael; Rodgers, James; Spalding, Marilyn

2008-01-01

We used a structured decision-making approach to inform the decision of whether the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission should request of the International Whooping Crane Recovery Team that additional whooping crane chicks be released into the Florida Non-Migratory Population (FNMP). Structured decision-making is an application of decision science that strives to produce transparent, replicable, and defensible decisions that recognize the appropriate roles of management policy and science in decision-making. We present a multi-objective decision framework, where management objectives include successful establishment of a whooping crane population in Florida, minimization of costs, positive public relations, information gain, and providing a supply of captive-reared birds to alternative crane release projects, such as the Eastern Migratory Population. We developed models to predict the outcome relative to each of these objectives under 29 different scenarios of the release methodology used from 1993 to 2004, including options of no further releases and variable numbers of releases per year over the next 5-30 years. In particular, we developed a detailed set of population projection models, which make substantially different predictions about the probability of successful establishment of the FNMP. We used expert elicitation to develop prior model weights (measures of confidence in population model predictions); the results of the population model weighting and modelaveraging exercise indicated that the probability of successful establishment of the FNMP ranged from 9% if no additional releases are made, to as high as 41% with additional releases. We also used expert elicitation to develop weights (relative values) on the set of identified objectives, and we then used a formal optimization technique for identifying the optimal decision, which considers the tradeoffs between objectives. The optimal decision was identified as release of 3 cohorts (24 birds) per year over the next 10 years. However, any decision that involved release of 1-3 cohorts (8-24 birds) per year over the next 5 to 20 years, as well as decisions that involve skipping releases in every other year, performed better in our analysis than the alternative of no further releases. These results were driven by the relatively high objective weights that experts placed on the population objective (i.e., successful establishment of the FNMP) and the information gain objective (where releases are expected to accelerate learning on what was identified as a primary uncertainty: the demographic performance of wild-hatched birds). Additional considerations that were not formally integrated into the analysis are also discussed.

Generic decoding of seen and imagined objects using hierarchical visual features.

PubMed

Horikawa, Tomoyasu; Kamitani, Yukiyasu

2017-05-22

Object recognition is a key function in both human and machine vision. While brain decoding of seen and imagined objects has been achieved, the prediction is limited to training examples. We present a decoding approach for arbitrary objects using the machine vision principle that an object category is represented by a set of features rendered invariant through hierarchical processing. We show that visual features, including those derived from a deep convolutional neural network, can be predicted from fMRI patterns, and that greater accuracy is achieved for low-/high-level features with lower-/higher-level visual areas, respectively. Predicted features are used to identify seen/imagined object categories (extending beyond decoder training) from a set of computed features for numerous object images. Furthermore, decoding of imagined objects reveals progressive recruitment of higher-to-lower visual representations. Our results demonstrate a homology between human and machine vision and its utility for brain-based information retrieval.

Barriers to Remote Health Interventions for Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Proposed Classification Scheme

PubMed Central

Kum, Hye-Chung; Gonzalez Coronado, Karla; Foster, Margaret J; Ortega, Pearl; Lawley, Mark A

2017-01-01

Background Diabetes self-management involves adherence to healthy daily habits typically involving blood glucose monitoring, medication, exercise, and diet. To support self-management, some providers have begun testing remote interventions for monitoring and assisting patients between clinic visits. Although some studies have shown success, there are barriers to widespread adoption. Objective The objective of our study was to identify and classify barriers to adoption of remote health for management of type 2 diabetes. Methods The following 6 electronic databases were searched for articles published from 2010 to 2015: MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL, Cochrane Central, Northern Light Life Sciences Conference Abstracts, and Scopus (Elsevier). The search identified studies involving remote technologies for type 2 diabetes self-management. Reviewers worked in teams of 2 to review and extract data from identified papers. Information collected included study characteristics, outcomes, dropout rates, technologies used, and barriers identified. Results A total of 53 publications on 41 studies met the specified criteria. Lack of data accuracy due to input bias (32%, 13/41), limitations on scalability (24%, 10/41), and technology illiteracy (24%, 10/41) were the most commonly cited barriers. Technology illiteracy was most prominent in low-income populations, whereas limitations on scalability were more prominent in mid-income populations. Barriers identified were applied to a conceptual model of successful remote health, which includes patient engagement, patient technology accessibility, quality of care, system technology cost, and provider productivity. In total, 40.5% (60/148) of identified barrier instances impeded patient engagement, which is manifest in the large dropout rates cited (up to 57%). Conclusions The barriers identified represent major challenges in the design of remote health interventions for diabetes. Breakthrough technologies and systems are needed to alleviate the barriers identified so far, particularly those associated with patient engagement. Monitoring devices that provide objective and reliable data streams on medication, exercise, diet, and glucose monitoring will be essential for widespread effectiveness. Additional work is needed to understand root causes of high dropout rates, and new interventions are needed to identify and assist those at the greatest risk of dropout. Finally, future studies must quantify costs and benefits to determine financial sustainability. PMID:28193598

Enhanced detection and visualization of anomalies in spectral imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basener, William F.; Messinger, David W.

2009-05-01

Anomaly detection algorithms applied to hyperspectral imagery are able to reliably identify man-made objects from a natural environment based on statistical/geometric likelyhood. The process is more robust than target identification, which requires precise prior knowledge of the object of interest, but has an inherently higher false alarm rate. Standard anomaly detection algorithms measure deviation of pixel spectra from a parametric model (either statistical or linear mixing) estimating the image background. The topological anomaly detector (TAD) creates a fully non-parametric, graph theory-based, topological model of the image background and measures deviation from this background using codensity. In this paper we present a large-scale comparative test of TAD against 80+ targets in four full HYDICE images using the entire canonical target set for generation of ROC curves. TAD will be compared against several statistics-based detectors including local RX and subspace RX. Even a perfect anomaly detection algorithm would have a high practical false alarm rate in most scenes simply because the user/analyst is not interested in every anomalous object. To assist the analyst in identifying and sorting objects of interest, we investigate coloring of the anomalies with principle components projections using statistics computed from the anomalies. This gives a very useful colorization of anomalies in which objects of similar material tend to have the same color, enabling an analyst to quickly sort and identify anomalies of highest interest.

Cochrane Systematic Reviews of Chinese Herbal Medicines: An Overview

PubMed Central

Hu, Jing; Zhang, Junhua; Zhao, Wei; Zhang, Yongling; Zhang, Li; Shang, Hongcai

2011-01-01

Objectives Our study had two objectives: a) to systematically identify all existing systematic reviews of Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) published in Cochrane Library; b) to assess the methodological quality of included reviews. Methodology/Principal Findings We performed a systematic search of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR, Issue 5, 2010) to identify all reviews of CHM. A total of fifty-eight reviews were eligible for our study. Twenty-one of the included reviews had at least one Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner as its co-author. 7 reviews didn't include any primary study, the remaining reviews (n = 51) included a median of 9 studies and 936 participants. 50% of reviews were last assessed as up-to-date prior to 2008. The questions addressed by 39 reviews were broad in scope, in which 9 reviews combined studies with different herbal medicines. For OQAQ, the mean of overall quality score (item 10) was 5.05 (95% CI; 4.58-5.52). All reviews assessed the methodological quality of primary studies, 16% of included primary studies used adequate sequence generation and 7% used adequate allocation concealment. Of the 51 nonempty reviews, 23 reviews were reported as being inconclusive, while 27 concluded that there might be benefit of CHM, which was limited by the poor quality or inadequate quantity of included studies. 58 reviews reported searching a median of seven electronic databases, while 10 reviews did not search any Chinese database. Conclusions Now CDSR has included large numbers of CHM reviews, our study identified some areas which could be improved, such as almost half of included reviews did not have the participation of TCM practitioners and were not up-to-date according to Cochrane criteria, some reviews pooled the results of different herbal medicines and ignored the searching of Chinese databases. PMID:22174870

Management and monitoring of the endangered Shenandoah salamander under climate change: Workshop report 10-12 April 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grant, Evan H. Campbell; Wofford, John E.B.; Smith, D.R.; Dennis, J.; Hawkins-Hoffman, C.; Schaberl, J.; Foley, M.; Bogle, M.

2014-01-01

Here we report on a structured decision making (SDM) process to identify management strategies to ensure persistence of the federally endangered Shenandoah salamander (Plethodon shenandoah), given that it may be at increased extinction risk under projected climate change. The focus of this report is the second of two SDM workshops; in the first workshop, participants developed a prototype of the decision, including problem frame, management objectives and a suite of potential management strategies, predictive models to inform the decision and link alternatives with the objectives to identify potential solutions, and identified data needs to reduce key uncertainties in the decision. Participants in this second workshop included experts in National Park Service policy at multiple administrative levels, who refined objectives, further evaluated the initial management alternatives, and discussed policy constraints on implementing active management for the species and its high-elevation habitat. The conclusion of the second workshop was similar to that of the first: the current state of information and objectives suggest that there is some value in considering active management to reduce the long-term extinction risk for the species, though there are institutional conservative policies to implementing active management at range-wide scales. The workshop participants also emphasized a conservative NPS management philosophy, including caution in implementing management actions that may ultimately harm the system, a stated assumption that ecosystem changes were “natural” unless demonstrated otherwise (therefore not warranting active management to mitigate), and a need to demonstrate that extinction risk is tied to anthropogenic influence prior to taking active management to mitigate specific anthropogenic influences. Even within a protected area having minimal human disturbance, intertwined environmental variables and interspecific relationships that drive population trends challenge our ability to demonstrate direct links with (anthropogenically influenced) climate change and the decline of a species. Thus while this policy may reduce the potential for injurious management, it may also necessitate extraordinary resources to reduce uncertainty regarding fundamental drivers of species decline prior to taking action.

A Pan-Carina Young Stellar Object Catalog: Intermediate-mass Young Stellar Objects in the Carina Nebula Identified Via Mid-infrared Excess Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Povich, Matthew S.; Smith, Nathan; Majewski, Steven R.; Getman, Konstantin V.; Townsley, Leisa K.; Babler, Brian L.; Broos, Patrick S.; Indebetouw, Rémy; Meade, Marilyn R.; Robitaille, Thomas P.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Whitney, Barbara A.; Yonekura, Yoshinori; Fukui, Yasuo

2011-05-01

We present a catalog of 1439 young stellar objects (YSOs) spanning the 1.42 deg2 field surveyed by the Chandra Carina Complex Project (CCCP), which includes the major ionizing clusters and the most active sites of ongoing star formation within the Great Nebula in Carina. Candidate YSOs were identified via infrared (IR) excess emission from dusty circumstellar disks and envelopes, using data from the Spitzer Space Telescope (the Vela-Carina survey) and the Two-Micron All Sky Survey. We model the 1-24 μm IR spectral energy distributions of the YSOs to constrain physical properties. Our Pan-Carina YSO Catalog (PCYC) is dominated by intermediate-mass (2 M sun < m <~ 10 M sun) objects with disks, including Herbig Ae/Be stars and their less evolved progenitors. The PCYC provides a valuable complementary data set to the CCCP X-ray source catalogs, identifying 1029 YSOs in Carina with no X-ray detection. We also catalog 410 YSOs with X-ray counterparts, including 62 candidate protostars. Candidate protostars with X-ray detections tend to be more evolved than those without. In most cases, X-ray emission apparently originating from intermediate-mass, disk-dominated YSOs is consistent with the presence of low-mass companions, but we also find that X-ray emission correlates with cooler stellar photospheres and higher disk masses. We suggest that intermediate-mass YSOs produce X-rays during their early pre-main-sequence evolution, perhaps driven by magnetic dynamo activity during the convective atmosphere phase, but this emission dies off as the stars approach the main sequence. Extrapolating over the stellar initial mass function scaled to the PCYC population, we predict a total population of >2 × 104 YSOs and a present-day star formation rate (SFR) of >0.008 M sun yr-1. The global SFR in the Carina Nebula, averaged over the past ~5 Myr, has been approximately constant.

Identifying mangrove species and their surrounding land use and land cover classes using object-oriented approach with a lacunarity spatial measure

USGS Publications Warehouse

Myint, S.W.; Giri, C.P.; Wang, L.; Zhu, Z.; Gillete, S.C.

2008-01-01

Accurate and reliable information on the spatial distribution of mangrove species is needed for a wide variety of applications, including sustainable management of mangrove forests, conservation and reserve planning, ecological and biogeographical studies, and invasive species management. Remotely sensed data have been used for such purposes with mixed results. Our study employed an object-oriented approach with the use of a lacunarity technique to identify different mangrove species and their surrounding land use and land cover classes in a tsunami-affected area of Thailand using Landsat satellite data. Our results showed that the object-oriented approach with lacunarity-transformed bands is more accurate (over-all accuracy 94.2%; kappa coefficient = 0.91) than traditional per-pixel classifiers (overall accuracy 62.8%; and kappa coefficient = 0.57). Copyright ?? 2008 by Bellwether Publishing, Ltd. All rights reserved.

Independent Community Pharmacists' Perspectives on Compounding in Contemporary Pharmacy Education

PubMed Central

McPherson, Timothy B.; Fontane, Patrick E.; Berry, Tricia; Chereson, Rasma; Bilger, Rhonda

2009-01-01

Objectives To identify compounding practices of independent community pharmacy practitioners in order to make recommendations for the development of curricular objectives for doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) programs. Methods Independent community practitioners were asked about compounding regarding their motivations, common activities, educational exposures, and recommendations for PharmD education. Results Most respondents (69%) accepted compounding as a component of pharmaceutical care and compounded dermatological preparations for local effects, oral solutions, and suspensions at least once a week. Ninety-five percent were exposed to compounding in required pharmacy school courses and most (98%) who identified compounding as a professional service offered in their pharmacy sought additional postgraduate compounding education. Regardless of the extent of compounding emphasis in the practices surveyed, 84% stated that PharmD curricula should include compounding. Conclusions Pharmacy schools should define compounding curricular objectives and develop compounding abilities in a required laboratory course to prepare graduates for pharmaceutical care practice. PMID:19564997

Energy efficiency and reliability solutions for rail operations and facilities.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-11-01

The objectives of the study included examining energy consumption of : the facilities comprising the three major rail yards on the New Haven Rail Line as : well as platform stations and identifying energy efficiency and cost savings : opportunities f...

Innovation and International Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edmonds, Edward L.

Objectives and realities of education for international understanding, cooperation, and peace are examined. Information is presented in six major sections. In Section I, various meanings of international education are explored. In addition, central concerns of international education are identified, including respect for human rights and…

Community impact assessment and environmental justice for transit agencies

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-01-01

The objectives of the re-search included identifying information and materials on issues and resources related to environmental justice, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, social equity, and the use of community impact assessment techniques (C...

An Analysis of fatal traffic crashes in Kentucky and recommended countermeasures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-11-01

The objective of this study were analyze fatal traffic crashes in Kentucky to identify patterns and causes of these crashes and to recommend potential countermeasures. The study included the following areas of analysis: 1) trends in fatal collisions,...

On the effect of model parameters on forecast objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marzban, Caren; Jones, Corinne; Li, Ning; Sandgathe, Scott

2018-04-01

Many physics-based numerical models produce a gridded, spatial field of forecasts, e.g., a temperature map. The field for some quantities generally consists of spatially coherent and disconnected objects. Such objects arise in many problems, including precipitation forecasts in atmospheric models, eddy currents in ocean models, and models of forest fires. Certain features of these objects (e.g., location, size, intensity, and shape) are generally of interest. Here, a methodology is developed for assessing the impact of model parameters on the features of forecast objects. The main ingredients of the methodology include the use of (1) Latin hypercube sampling for varying the values of the model parameters, (2) statistical clustering algorithms for identifying objects, (3) multivariate multiple regression for assessing the impact of multiple model parameters on the distribution (across the forecast domain) of object features, and (4) methods for reducing the number of hypothesis tests and controlling the resulting errors. The final output of the methodology is a series of box plots and confidence intervals that visually display the sensitivities. The methodology is demonstrated on precipitation forecasts from a mesoscale numerical weather prediction model.

Automated Reporting of Trainee Metrics Using Electronic Clinical Systems.

PubMed

Levin, Jonathan C; Hron, Jonathan

2017-06-01

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has called for increased emphasis on reporting objective performance measures to trainees and programs. However, reporting of objective measures, including clinical volume, is largely omitted from training programs. To use automated electronic medical systems at a tertiary pediatric care hospital to create a dashboard that reports objective trainee and program metrics, including clinical volume and diagnoses in a pediatrics residency. We queried an enterprise data warehouse that aggregates data daily from multiple hospital systems to identify patient encounters during which senior pediatrics residents at Boston Children's Hospital had entered documentation over a 9-month period. From this query, we created a filterable dashboard to display clinical volume and diagnosis data by individual resident and in aggregate. A total of 44 of 45 senior residents (98%) in the program were included in analysis. We identified 12 198 patient encounters during which a senior pediatrics resident had entered documentation; these included a median of 332 inpatient encounters per resident, 122 emergency department encounters, and 84 outpatient encounters. The most common diagnoses stratified by clinical site were: inpatient - dehydration (median = 61); emergency department - long-term/current drug therapy (median = 16); and outpatient - encounter for immunization (median = 48). We used electronic health record systems to generate performance dashboards for trainees in a pediatrics residency across different sites of care with reported volume by diagnosis. Our dashboards provide feedback to program leadership regarding individual and aggregate trainee experience and allow individual trainees to compare their clinical exposure to peers.

A Survey of Health Management User Objectives Related to Diagnostic and Prognostic Metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, Kevin R.; Kurtoglu, Tolga; Poll, Scott D.

2010-01-01

One of the most prominent technical challenges to effective deployment of health management systems is the vast difference in user objectives with respect to engineering development. In this paper, a detailed survey on the objectives of different users of health management systems is presented. These user objectives are then mapped to the metrics typically encountered in the development and testing of two main systems health management functions: diagnosis and prognosis. Using this mapping, the gaps between user goals and the metrics associated with diagnostics and prognostics are identified and presented with a collection of lessons learned from previous studies that include both industrial and military aerospace applications.

CrossTalk. The Journal of Defense Software Engineering. Volume 25, Number 3

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

OMG) standard Business Process Modeling and Nota- tion ( BPMN ) [6] graphical notation. I will address each of these: identify and document steps...to a value stream map using BPMN and textual process narratives. The resulting process narratives or process metadata includes key information...objectives. Once the processes are identified we can graphically document them capturing the process using BPMN (see Figure 1). The BPMN models

VizieR Online Data Catalog: SWASP catalogue of RR Lyrae stars (Greer+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greer, P. A.; Payne, S. G.; Norton, A. J.; Maxted, P. F. L.; Smalley, B.; West, P. J.; Wheatley, R. G.; Kolb, U. C.

2017-07-01

The SuperWASP RR Lyrae catalogue contains 4963 RRab type RR Lyrae objects from the SuperWASP archive. Each entry includes the unique SWASP identifier, pulsation period in days, pulsation amplitude in mags, median light curve amplitude in mags, the corresponding GCVS name, and corresponding SSS/CRTS names, where known. The SWASP blazhko candidate catalogue contains 1324 rows of Blazhko periods for 983 unique objects from the SWASP RRab catalogue. (2 data files).

A scoping review about conference objectives and evaluative practices: how do we get more out of them?

PubMed

Neves, Justin; Lavis, John N; Ranson, M Kent

2012-08-02

Large multi-day conferences have often been criticized as ineffective ways to improve social outcomes and to influence policy or practice. Unfortunately, many conference evaluations have also been inadequate in determining the impact of a conference on its associated social sector, with little evidence gathered or analyzed to substantiate or refute these criticisms. The aim of this scoping review is to investigate and report stakeholders' objectives for planning or participating in large multi-day conferences and how these objectives are being evaluated. We conducted a scoping review supplemented by a small number of key informant interviews. Eight bibliographic databases were systematically searched to identify papers describing conference objectives and/or evaluations. We developed a conference evaluation framework based on theoretical models and empirical findings, which structured the descriptive synthesis of the data. We identified 3,073 potential papers for review, of which 44 were included in this study. Our evaluation framework connects five key elements in planning a conference and its evaluation (number in brackets refers to number of themes identified): conference objectives (8), purpose of evaluation (7), evaluation methods (5), indicators of success (9) and theories/models (8). Further analysis of indicators of success identified three categories of indicators with differing scopes (i.e. immediate, prospective or follow-up) as well as empirical links between the purpose of evaluations and these indicators. Conference objectives and evaluations were largely correlated with the type of conference (i.e. academic, political/governmental or business) but diverse overall. While much can be done to improve the quality and usefulness of conference evaluations, there are innovative assessments that are currently being utilized by some conferences and warrant further investigation. This review provides conference evaluators and organizers a simple resource to improve their own assessments by highlighting and categorizing potential objectives and evaluation strategies.

A scoping review about conference objectives and evaluative practices: how do we get more out of them?

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Large multi-day conferences have often been criticized as ineffective ways to improve social outcomes and to influence policy or practice. Unfortunately, many conference evaluations have also been inadequate in determining the impact of a conference on its associated social sector, with little evidence gathered or analyzed to substantiate or refute these criticisms. The aim of this scoping review is to investigate and report stakeholders’ objectives for planning or participating in large multi-day conferences and how these objectives are being evaluated. We conducted a scoping review supplemented by a small number of key informant interviews. Eight bibliographic databases were systematically searched to identify papers describing conference objectives and/or evaluations. We developed a conference evaluation framework based on theoretical models and empirical findings, which structured the descriptive synthesis of the data. We identified 3,073 potential papers for review, of which 44 were included in this study. Our evaluation framework connects five key elements in planning a conference and its evaluation (number in brackets refers to number of themes identified): conference objectives (8), purpose of evaluation (7), evaluation methods (5), indicators of success (9) and theories/models (8). Further analysis of indicators of success identified three categories of indicators with differing scopes (i.e. immediate, prospective or follow-up) as well as empirical links between the purpose of evaluations and these indicators. Conference objectives and evaluations were largely correlated with the type of conference (i.e. academic, political/governmental or business) but diverse overall. While much can be done to improve the quality and usefulness of conference evaluations, there are innovative assessments that are currently being utilized by some conferences and warrant further investigation. This review provides conference evaluators and organizers a simple resource to improve their own assessments by highlighting and categorizing potential objectives and evaluation strategies. PMID:22857399

Secondary school biology teaching, 1983--2004: Objectives as stated in periodical literature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, James W., Sr.

Purpose of the study. The major purpose of this study was to identify and to classify objectives for teaching biology in secondary school in the United States during the period 1983-2004. These objectives were identified by objective statements in articles from selected professional periodicals. Procedure. The 1983-2004 period was divided into four subperiods on the basis of major historical events. Selected professional periodicals were searched for statements of objectives of secondary school biology teaching. These statements were catalogued into Knowledge, Process, Product, Attitude and Interest, or Cultural Awareness categories. The resulting data were classified within and across the four subperiods according to frequency of occurrence, category, authorship, and year. Findings. The major findings of this investigation included the following: (1) Authorships in Higher Education produced the most articles and the most statements in each subperiod. Miscellaneous authors produced the least articles and statements. (2) Statements in the Attitude and Interest category were the most frequent in the four subperiods. (3) The "most important" objectives for secondary school biology teaching were Presents major facts, principles, or fundamentals (from the Knowledge category), Expresses scientific attitudes and appreciation, Identifies the nature of science and scientists, and Identifies scientific interest and career development (from the Attitude and Interest category), and Develops scientific method of thinking (from the Process category). Conclusions. Based on the findings of this investigation, the following conclusions were made: (1) The objectives for teaching secondary school biology were influenced by historical events, especially the publication of A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform in 1983, America 2000 in 1988, Goals 2000 in 1994, No Child Left Behind in 2000. The rapid growth and expansion of technology and the World Wide Web during the time span of the study also influenced the number of objectives. (2) Authors in Higher Education wrote more articles about the objectives for the teaching of secondary school biology than those in Secondary Education or other categories. This was probably a reflection of the "publish or perish" environment in many colleges and universities.

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

Scibelli, Samantha; Newberg, Heidi Jo; Carlin, Jeffrey L.

In this work, we present a census of the 12,060 spectra of blue objects (more » $$(g-r)_0<-0.25$$) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 8 (DR8). As part of the data release, all of the spectra were cross-correlated with 48 template spectra of stars, galaxies and QSOs to determine the best match. We compared the blue spectra by eye to the templates assigned in SDSS DR8. 10,856 of the objects matched their assigned template, 170 could not be classified due to low signal-to-noise (S/N), and 1034 were given new classifications. We identify 7458 DA white dwarfs, 1145 DB white dwarfs, 273 rarer white dwarfs (including carbon, DZ, DQ, and magnetic), 294 subdwarf O stars, 648 subdwarf B stars, 679 blue horizontal branch stars, 1026 blue stragglers, 13 cataclysmic variables, 129 white dwarf - M dwarf binaries, 36 objects with spectra similar to DO white dwarfs, 179 QSOs, and 10 galaxies. We provide two tables of these objects, sample spectra that match the templates, figures showing all of the spectra that were grouped by eye, and diagnostic plots that show the positions, colors, apparent magnitudes, proper motions, etc. for each classification. In conclusion, future surveys will be able to use templates similar to stars in each of the classes we identify to classify blue stars, including rare types, automatically.« less

CENSUS OF BLUE STARS IN SDSS DR8

DOE PAGES

Scibelli, Samantha; Newberg, Heidi Jo; Carlin, Jeffrey L.; ...

2014-12-02

In this work, we present a census of the 12,060 spectra of blue objects (more » $$(g-r)_0<-0.25$$) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 8 (DR8). As part of the data release, all of the spectra were cross-correlated with 48 template spectra of stars, galaxies and QSOs to determine the best match. We compared the blue spectra by eye to the templates assigned in SDSS DR8. 10,856 of the objects matched their assigned template, 170 could not be classified due to low signal-to-noise (S/N), and 1034 were given new classifications. We identify 7458 DA white dwarfs, 1145 DB white dwarfs, 273 rarer white dwarfs (including carbon, DZ, DQ, and magnetic), 294 subdwarf O stars, 648 subdwarf B stars, 679 blue horizontal branch stars, 1026 blue stragglers, 13 cataclysmic variables, 129 white dwarf - M dwarf binaries, 36 objects with spectra similar to DO white dwarfs, 179 QSOs, and 10 galaxies. We provide two tables of these objects, sample spectra that match the templates, figures showing all of the spectra that were grouped by eye, and diagnostic plots that show the positions, colors, apparent magnitudes, proper motions, etc. for each classification. In conclusion, future surveys will be able to use templates similar to stars in each of the classes we identify to classify blue stars, including rare types, automatically.« less

Interoperability, Scaling, and the Digital Libraries Research Agenda.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Clifford; Garcia-Molina, Hector

1996-01-01

Summarizes reports and activities at the Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications workshop on digital libraries (Reston, Virginia, August 22, 1995). Defines digital library roles and identifies areas of needed research, including: interoperability; protocols for digital objects; collection management; interface design; human-computer…

Association analysis for oxalate concentration in spinach

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Screening and breeding low-oxalate germplasm is a major objective in spinach breeding. This research aims to conduct association analysis and identify SNP markers associated with oxalate concentration in spinach germplasm. A total of 310 spinach genotypes including 300 USDA germplasm accessions and ...

Knowledge Mapping: A Multipurpose Task Analysis Tool.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Esque, Timm J.

1988-01-01

Describes knowledge mapping, a tool developed to increase the objectivity and accuracy of task difficulty ratings for job design. Application in a semiconductor manufacturing environment is discussed, including identifying prerequisite knowledge for a given task; establishing training development priorities; defining knowledge levels; identifying…

Educational Objectives of International Medical Electives – a narrative literature review

PubMed Central

Cherniak, William A.; Drain, Paul K.; Brewer, Timothy F.

2014-01-01

Purpose Most medical schools and residency programs offer international medical electives [IMEs], but there is little guidance on educational objectives for these rotations. We reviewed the literature to compile and categorize a comprehensive set of educational objectives for IMEs. Methods We conducted a narrative literature review with specified search criteria using SciVerse Scopus online, which includes Embase and Medline databases. From manuscripts that met inclusion criteria, we extracted data on educational objectives and sorted them into pre-elective, intra-elective, and post-elective categories. Results We identified and reviewed 255 articles, of which 11 (4%) manuscripts described 22 unique educational objectives. Among those, 5 (23%), 15 (68%), and 2 (9%) objectives were categorized in the pre-elective, intra-elective, and post-elective periods, respectively. Among pre-elective objectives, only cultural awareness was listed by more than two articles (3/11, 27%). Among intra-elective objectives, the most commonly defined objectives for students were enhancing clinical skills and understanding different health care systems (9/11, 82%). Learning to manage diseases rarely seen at home and increasing cultural awareness were described by nearly half (5/11, 46%) of all papers. Among post-elective objectives, reflecting on experiences through a written project was most common (9/11, 82%). Conclusions We identified 22 unique educational objectives for IMEs in the published literature, some of which were consistent. These consistencies can be used as a framework upon which institutions can build their own IME curriculums, ultimately helping to ensure that their students have a meaningful learning experience while abroad. PMID:24072105

The public cancer radiology imaging collections of The Cancer Imaging Archive.

PubMed

Prior, Fred; Smith, Kirk; Sharma, Ashish; Kirby, Justin; Tarbox, Lawrence; Clark, Ken; Bennett, William; Nolan, Tracy; Freymann, John

2017-09-19

The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) is the U.S. National Cancer Institute's repository for cancer imaging and related information. TCIA contains 30.9 million radiology images representing data collected from approximately 37,568 subjects. This data is organized into collections by tumor-type with many collections also including analytic results or clinical data. TCIA staff carefully de-identify and curate all incoming collections prior to making the information available via web browser or programmatic interfaces. Each published collection within TCIA is assigned a Digital Object Identifier that references the collection. Additionally, researchers who use TCIA data may publish the subset of information used in their analysis by requesting a TCIA generated Digital Object Identifier. This data descriptor is a review of a selected subset of existing publicly available TCIA collections. It outlines the curation and publication methods employed by TCIA and makes available 15 collections of cancer imaging data.

Health promotion: challenges revealed in successful practices

PubMed Central

Silva, Kênia Lara; de Sena, Roseni Rosângela; Belga, Stephanie Marques Moura Franco; Silva, Paloma Morais; Rodrigues, Andreza Trevenzoli

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE To examine successful practices of health promotion in health, education, culture, welfare and sport, leisure, identifying the elements of success and challenges in the field. METHODS A qualitative study with data obtained from in-depth analysis that included participant observation, interviews with managers, coordinators, professionals and participants from 29 practices reported as successful for promoting health in six municipalities of the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, MG, Southeastern Brazil, in 2011. The variables of the study were concept, dimension, dissemination and ease of access, identified in practices guided by content analysis. RESULTS The results indicate a conceptual and methodological uncertainty about health promotion as evidenced by conflicting objects and contradictory purposes. The practices differ in size, coverage and ease of access, determined by inter-sector coordination and political and financial investment. CONCLUSIONS We identified challenges to health promotion focusing on vulnerable populations, limits to financing and intersectoral partnerships. PMID:24789640

Processing Satellite Imagery To Detect Waste Tire Piles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skiles, Joseph; Schmidt, Cynthia; Wuinlan, Becky; Huybrechts, Catherine

2007-01-01

A methodology for processing commercially available satellite spectral imagery has been developed to enable identification and mapping of waste tire piles in California. The California Integrated Waste Management Board initiated the project and provided funding for the method s development. The methodology includes the use of a combination of previously commercially available image-processing and georeferencing software used to develop a model that specifically distinguishes between tire piles and other objects. The methodology reduces the time that must be spent to initially survey a region for tire sites, thereby increasing inspectors and managers time available for remediation of the sites. Remediation is needed because millions of used tires are discarded every year, waste tire piles pose fire hazards, and mosquitoes often breed in water trapped in tires. It should be possible to adapt the methodology to regions outside California by modifying some of the algorithms implemented in the software to account for geographic differences in spectral characteristics associated with terrain and climate. The task of identifying tire piles in satellite imagery is uniquely challenging because of their low reflectance levels: Tires tend to be spectrally confused with shadows and deep water, both of which reflect little light to satellite-borne imaging systems. In this methodology, the challenge is met, in part, by use of software that implements the Tire Identification from Reflectance (TIRe) model. The development of the TIRe model included incorporation of lessons learned in previous research on the detection and mapping of tire piles by use of manual/ visual and/or computational analysis of aerial and satellite imagery. The TIRe model is a computational model for identifying tire piles and discriminating between tire piles and other objects. The input to the TIRe model is the georeferenced but otherwise raw satellite spectral images of a geographic region to be surveyed. The TIRe model identifies the darkest objects in the images and, on the basis of spatial and spectral image characteristics, discriminates against other dark objects, which can include vegetation, some bodies of water, and dark soils. The TIRe model can identify piles of as few as 100 tires. The output of the TIRe model is a binary mask showing areas containing suspected tire piles and spectrally similar features. This mask is overlaid on the original satellite imagery and examined by a trained image analyst, who strives to further discriminate against non-tire objects that the TIRe model tentatively identified as tire piles. After the analyst has made adjustments, the mask is used to create a synoptic, geographically accurate tire-pile survey map, which can be overlaid with a road map and/or any other map or set of georeferenced data, according to a customer s preferences.

Interventions for improving adherence to iron chelation therapy in people with sickle cell disease or thalassaemia

PubMed Central

Fortin, Patricia M; Madgwick, Karen V; Trivella, Marialena; Hopewell, Sally; Doree, Carolyn; Estcourt, Lise J

2016-01-01

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To identify and assess the effectiveness of interventions to improve adherence to iron chelation therapy compared to standard care in people with SCD or thalassaemia including: identifying and assessing the effectiveness of different types of interventions (psychological and psychosocial, educational, medication interventions, or multi-component interventions);identifying and assessing the effectiveness of interventions specific to different age groups (children, adolescents, adults). PMID:27713668

FY04 Advanced Life Support Architecture and Technology Studies: Mid-Year Presentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lange, Kevin; Anderson, Molly; Duffield, Bruce; Hanford, Tony; Jeng, Frank

2004-01-01

Long-Term Objective: Identify optimal advanced life support system designs that meet existing and projected requirements for future human spaceflight missions. a) Include failure-tolerance, reliability, and safe-haven requirements. b) Compare designs based on multiple criteria including equivalent system mass (ESM), technology readiness level (TRL), simplicity, commonality, etc. c) Develop and evaluate new, more optimal, architecture concepts and technology applications.

Application of Thioether for Vapor Phase Lubrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graham, E. Earl

1997-01-01

The objective of these studies was to identify the optimal conditions for vapor phase lubrication using Thioether for both sliding and rolling wear. The important variable include; (1) The component materials including M50 steel, monel and silicon nitride. (2) The vapor concentration and flow rate. (3) The temperature in the range of 600 F to 1500 F. (4) The loads and rolling and/or sliding speeds.

Digital Object Identifiers (DOI's) usage and adoption in U.S Geological Survey (USGS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frame, M. T.; Palanisamy, G.

2013-12-01

Addressing grand environmental science challenges requires unprecedented access to easily understood data that cross the breadth of temporal, spatial, and thematic scales. From a scientist's perspective, the big challenges lie in discovering the relevant data, dealing with extreme data heterogeneity, large data volumes, and converting data to information and knowledge. Historical linkages between derived products, i.e. Publications, and associated datasets has not existed in the earth science community. The USGS Core Science Analytics and Synthesis, in collaboration with DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Mercury Consortium (funded by NASA, USGS and DOE), established a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) service for USGS data, metadata, and other media. This service is offered in partnership through the University of California Digital Library EZID service. USGS scientists, data managers, and other professionals can generate globally unique, persistent and resolvable identifiers for any kind of digital objects. Additional efforts to assign DOIs to historical data and publications have also been underway. These DOI identifiers are being used to cite data in journal articles, web-accessible datasets, and other media for distribution, integration, and in support of improved data management practices. The session will discuss the current DOI efforts within USGS, including a discussion on adoption, challenges, and future efforts necessary to improve access, reuse, sharing, and discoverability of USGS data and information.

Cabrillo College Master Plan, 2001-2004.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cabrillo Coll., Aptos, CA. Office of Institutional Research.

This document presents Cabrillo College's (California) master plan for 2001 to 2004. Major steps in compiling the master plan included: conducting environmental scanning, making planning assumptions, establishing goals, identifying objectives, developing strategies, and evaluating the plan. The plan is based on six broad goals: (1) to enable…

Faculty Salary Equity: Issues and Options.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snyder, Julie K.; And Others

1994-01-01

An approach to identifying and correcting college faculty salary inequities based on gender is presented. Steps include determining whether a problem exists using an objective, legally sound procedure; developing feasible adjustment strategies; and implementing correction and a monitoring process consistent with institutional culture and values.…

Evaluating the use of tow plows in Michigan.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-09-30

The main objective of this project is to identify the cost-benefit of Tow Plow usage on different : routes in order to determine where Tow Plows can be included in the snow maintenance fleet in a : safe and economical manner. : During this study, sta...

Promoting Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Trainees Addressing Siloed Medical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitts, Robert Li; Christodoulou, Joanna; Goldman, Stuart

2011-01-01

Objective: Professional siloing within medical institutions has been identified as a problem in medical education, including resident training. The authors discuss how trainees from different disciplines can collaborate to address this problem. Method: A group of trainees from psychiatry, developmental medicine, neurology, and education came…

Evaluating the use of tow plows in Michigan.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-09-30

The main objective of this project is to identify the cost-benefit of Tow Plow usage on different routes in order to determine where Tow Plows can be included in the snow maintenance fleet in a safe and economical manner. During this study, state-of-...

A Problem Solving Active-Learning Course in Pharmacotherapy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delafuente, Jeffrey C.; And Others

1994-01-01

A third-year pharmacology course in a doctoral pharmacy program that is case based and intended for a large class is described. Aspects discussed include learning objectives, course organization, classroom activities, case selection and design, faculty involvement, grading, and areas identified for improvement. (MSE)

25 CFR 26.23 - What is an Individual Self-Sufficiency Plan (ISP)?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Section 26.23 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HUMAN SERVICES JOB PLACEMENT... includes needed finances, special clothing, transportation, and support services necessary for employment; (3) Identifies all financial resources and defines the employment or training objective and...

Young Children Learn to Restructure Personal Ideas about Growth in Trees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sunal, Dennis W.; Sunal, Cynthia S.

1991-01-01

Three activities in which students identify and demonstrate similarities and differences in plants and in plant growth are presented. The activities include background information, objectives for the tree ring activities, a list of needed materials, procedures, evaluation procedures, and a glossary. (KR)

Taking the Mystery Out of Marketing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuller, Donald A.

1982-01-01

Seeks to clarify the marketing process in the promotion of a school's educational offerings and the school's image within the community. Divides activities into advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, and publicity. Includes a sample promotional plan which identifies objectives and tasks required for development and implementation. (DMM)

Multiple Discipline science assessment. [considering astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, gravitation and geophysics when planning planetary missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wells, W. C.

1978-01-01

Various science disciplines were examined to determine where and when it is appropriate to include their objectives in the planning of planetary missions. The disciplines considered are solar astronomy, stellar and galactic astronomy, solar physics, cosmology and gravitational physics, the geosciences and the applied sciences. For each discipline, science objectives are identified which could provide a multiple discipline opportunity utilizing either a single spacecraft or two spacecraft delivered by a single launch vehicle. Opportunities using a common engineering system are also considered. The most promising opportunities identified include observations of solar images and relativistic effects using the Mercury orbiter; collection of samples exposed to solar radiation using the Mars surface sample return; studies of interstellar neutral H and He, magnetic fields, cosmic rays, and solar physics during Pluto or Neptune flybys; using the Mars orbiter to obtain solar images from 0.2 AU synchronous or from 90 deg orbit; and the study of the structure and composition of the atmosphere using atmospheric probes and remotely piloted vehicles.

Data Acquisition from tcpdump: Recovering and Reconstituting Clickstream Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-02

Analytics. The questions she seeks to answer include: • Can we identify individuals from their web browsing behavior given past browsing history ? Why or...why not? • Can we distinguish between two web browsing histories as belonging to the same person or to different persons? The objective of the...behind one IP address . Heuristics exists to get around those problems. We have identified in this project a third problem: disambiguation between

Environmental stressors afflicting tailwater stream reaches across the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miranda, Leandro E.; Krogman, R. M.

2014-01-01

The tailwater is the reach of a stream immediately below an impoundment that is hydrologically, physicochemically and biologically altered by the presence and operation of a dam. The overall goal of this study was to gain a nationwide awareness of the issues afflicting tailwater reaches in the United States. Specific objectives included the following: (i) estimate the percentage of reservoirs that support tailwater reaches with environmental conditions suitable for fish assemblages throughout the year, (ii) identify and quantify major sources of environmental stress in those tailwaters that do support fish assemblages and (iii) identify environmental features of tailwater reaches that determine prevalence of key fish taxa. Data were collected through an online survey of fishery managers. Relative to objective 1, 42% of the 1306 reservoirs included in this study had tailwater reaches with sufficient flow to support a fish assemblage throughout the year. The surface area of the reservoir and catchment most strongly delineated reservoirs maintaining tailwater reaches with or without sufficient flow to support a fish assemblage throughout the year. Relative to objective 2, major sources of environmental stress generally reflected flow variables, followed by water quality variables. Relative to objective 3, zoogeography was the primary factor discriminating fish taxa in tailwaters, followed by a wide range of flow and water quality variables. Results for objectives 1–3 varied greatly among nine geographic regions distributed throughout the continental United States. Our results provide a large-scale view of the effects of reservoirs on tailwater reaches and may help guide research and management needs.

Smartphone-Based Monitoring of Objective and Subjective Data in Affective Disorders: Where Are We and Where Are We Going? Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Dogan, Ezgi; Wagner, Xenija; Hegerl, Ulrich; Kohls, Elisabeth

2017-01-01

Background Electronic mental health interventions for mood disorders have increased rapidly over the past decade, most recently in the form of various systems and apps that are delivered via smartphones. Objective We aim to provide an overview of studies on smartphone-based systems that combine subjective ratings with objectively measured data for longitudinal monitoring of patients with affective disorders. Specifically, we aim to examine current knowledge on: (1) the feasibility of, and adherence to, such systems; (2) the association of monitored data with mood status; and (3) the effects of monitoring on clinical outcomes. Methods We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for relevant articles published in the last ten years (2007-2017) by applying Boolean search operators with an iterative combination of search terms, which was conducted in February 2017. Additional articles were identified via pearling, author correspondence, selected reference lists, and trial protocols. Results A total of 3463 unique records were identified. Twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The majority of articles represented feasibility studies (n=27); two articles reported results from one randomized controlled trial (RCT). In total, six different self-monitoring systems for affective disorders that used subjective mood ratings and objective measurements were included. These objective parameters included physiological data (heart rate variability), behavioral data (phone usage, physical activity, voice features), and context/environmental information (light exposure and location). The included articles contained results regarding feasibility of such systems in affective disorders, showed reasonable accuracy in predicting mood status and mood fluctuations based on the objectively monitored data, and reported observations about the impact of monitoring on clinical state and adherence of patients to the system usage. Conclusions The included observational studies and RCT substantiate the value of smartphone-based approaches for gathering long-term objective data (aside from self-ratings to monitor clinical symptoms) to predict changes in clinical states, and to investigate causal inferences about state changes in patients with affective disorders. Although promising, a much larger evidence-base is necessary to fully assess the potential and the risks of these approaches. Methodological limitations of the available studies (eg, small sample sizes, variations in the number of observations or monitoring duration, lack of RCT, and heterogeneity of methods) restrict the interpretability of the results. However, a number of study protocols stated ambitions to expand and intensify research in this emerging and promising field. PMID:28739561

Using a binaural biomimetic array to identify bottom objects ensonified by echolocating dolphins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heiweg, D.A.; Moore, P.W.; Martin, S.W.; Dankiewicz, L.A.

2006-01-01

The development of a unique dolphin biomimetic sonar produced data that were used to study signal processing methods for object identification. Echoes from four metallic objects proud on the bottom, and a substrate-only condition, were generated by bottlenose dolphins trained to ensonify the targets in very shallow water. Using the two-element ('binaural') receive array, object echo spectra were collected and submitted for identification to four neural network architectures. Identification accuracy was evaluated over two receive array configurations, and five signal processing schemes. The four neural networks included backpropagation, learning vector quantization, genetic learning and probabilistic network architectures. The processing schemes included four methods that capitalized on the binaural data, plus a monaural benchmark process. All the schemes resulted in above-chance identification accuracy when applied to learning vector quantization and backpropagation. Beam-forming or concatenation of spectra from both receive elements outperformed the monaural benchmark, with higher sensitivity and lower bias. Ultimately, best object identification performance was achieved by the learning vector quantization network supplied with beam-formed data. The advantages of multi-element signal processing for object identification are clearly demonstrated in this development of a first-ever dolphin biomimetic sonar. ?? 2006 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Biomarkers in Prodromal Parkinson Disease: a Qualitative Review.

PubMed

Cooper, Christine A; Chahine, Lama M

2016-11-01

Over the past several years, the concept of prodromal Parkinson disease (PD) has been increasingly recognized. This term refers to individuals who do not fulfill motor diagnostic criteria for PD, but who have clinical, genetic, or biomarker characteristics suggesting risk of developing PD in the future. Clinical diagnosis of prodromal PD has low specificity, prompting the need for objective biomarkers with higher specificity. In this qualitative review, we discuss objectively defined putative biomarkers for PD and prodromal PD. We searched Pubmed and Embase for articles pertaining to objective biomarkers for PD and their application in prodromal cohorts. Articles were selected based on relevance and methodology. Objective biomarkers of demonstrated utility in prodromal PD include ligand-based imaging and transcranial sonography. Development of serum, cerebrospinal fluid, and tissue-based biomarkers is underway, but their application in prodromal PD has yet to meaningfully occur. Combining objective biomarkers with clinical or genetic prodromal features increases the sensitivity and specificity for identifying prodromal PD. Several objective biomarkers for prodromal PD show promise but require further study, including their application to and validation in prodromal cohorts followed longitudinally. Accurate identification of prodromal PD will likely require a multimodal approach. (JINS, 2016, 22, 956-967).

Global agenda, local health: including concepts of health security in preparedness programs at the jurisdictional level.

PubMed

Eby, Chas

2014-01-01

The Global Health Security Agenda's objectives contain components that could help health departments address emerging public health challenges that threaten the population. As part of the agenda, partner countries with advanced public health systems will support the development of infrastructure in stakeholder health departments. To facilitate this process and augment local programs, state and local health departments may want to include concepts of health security in their public health preparedness offices in order to simultaneously build capacity. Health security programs developed by public health departments should complete projects that are closely aligned with the objectives outlined in the global agenda and that facilitate the completion of current preparedness grant requirements. This article identifies objectives and proposes tactical local projects that run parallel to the 9 primary objectives of the Global Health Security Agenda. Executing concurrent projects at the international and local levels in preparedness offices will accelerate the completion of these objectives and help prevent disease epidemics, detect health threats, and respond to public health emergencies. Additionally, future funding tied or related to health security may become more accessible to state and local health departments that have achieved these objectives.

Identification of breeding objectives for Begait goat in western Tigray, North Ethiopia.

PubMed

Abraham, Hagos; Gizaw, Solomon; Urge, Mengistu

2018-06-21

A sound breeding objective is the basis for genetic improvement in overall economic merit of farm animals. Begait goat is one of the identified breeds in Ethiopia, which is a multipurpose breed as it serves as source of cash income and source of food (meat and milk). Despite its importance, no formal breeding objectives exist for Begait goat. The objective of the present study was to identify breeding objectives for the breed through two approaches: using own-flock ranking experiment and developing deterministic bio-economic models as a preliminary step towards designing sustainable breeding programs for the breed. In the own-flock ranking experiment, a total of 45 households were visited at their homesteads and were asked to select, with reasons, the first best, second best, third best, and the most inferior does from their own flock. Age, previous reproduction, and production information of the identified animals were inquired; live body weight and some linear body measurements were taken. The bio-economic model included performance traits (weights, daily weight gain, kidding interval, litter size, milk yield, kid mortality, pregnancy, and replacement rates) and economic (revenue and costs) parameters. It was observed that there was close agreement between the farmers' ranking and bio-economic model results. In general, the results of the present study indicated that Begait goat owners could improve performance of their goats and profitability of their farms by selecting for 6-month weight, litter size, pre-weaning kid survival rate, and milk yield.

A catalog of slow-moving objects extracted from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: Compilation and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puckett, Andrew W.

2007-08-01

I have compiled the Slow-Moving Object Catalog of Known minor planets and comets ("the SMOCK") by comparing the predicted positions of known bodies with those of sources detected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) that lack positional counterparts at other survey epochs. For the ~50% of the SDSS footprint that has been imaged only once, I have used the Astrophysical Research Consortium's 3.5-meter telescope to obtain reference images for confirmation of Solar System membership. The SMOCK search effort includes all known objects with orbital semimajor axes a > 4.7 AU, as well as a comparison sample of inherently bright Main Belt asteroids. In fact, objects of all proper motions are included, resulting in substantial overlap with the SDSS Moving Object Catalog (MOC) and providing an important check on the inclusion criteria of both catalogs. The MOC does not contain any correctly-identified known objects with a > 12 AU, and also excludes a number of detections of Main Belt and Trojan asteroids that happen to be moving slowly as they enter or leave retrograde motion. The SMOCK catalog is a publicly-available product of this investigation. Having created this new database, I demonstrate some of its applications. The broad dispersion of color indices for transneptunian objects (TNOs) and Centaurs is confirmed, and their tight correlation in ( g - r ) vs ( r - i ) is explored. Repeat observations for more than 30 of these objects allow me to reject the collisional resurfacing scenario as the primary explanation for this broad variety of colors. Trojans with large orbital inclinations are found to have systematically redder colors than their low-inclination counterparts, but an excess of reddish low-inclination objects at L5 is identified. Next, I confirm that non-Plutino TNOs are redder with increasing perihelion distance, and that this effect is even more pronounced among the Classical TNOs. Finally, I take advantage of the byproducts of my search technique and attempt to recover objects with poorly-known orbits. I have drastically improved the current and future ephemeris uncertainties of 3 Trojan asteroids, and have increased by 20%-450% the observed arcs of 10 additional bodies.

Robust statistical reconstruction for charged particle tomography

DOEpatents

Schultz, Larry Joe; Klimenko, Alexei Vasilievich; Fraser, Andrew Mcleod; Morris, Christopher; Orum, John Christopher; Borozdin, Konstantin N; Sossong, Michael James; Hengartner, Nicolas W

2013-10-08

Systems and methods for charged particle detection including statistical reconstruction of object volume scattering density profiles from charged particle tomographic data to determine the probability distribution of charged particle scattering using a statistical multiple scattering model and determine a substantially maximum likelihood estimate of object volume scattering density using expectation maximization (ML/EM) algorithm to reconstruct the object volume scattering density. The presence of and/or type of object occupying the volume of interest can be identified from the reconstructed volume scattering density profile. The charged particle tomographic data can be cosmic ray muon tomographic data from a muon tracker for scanning packages, containers, vehicles or cargo. The method can be implemented using a computer program which is executable on a computer.

Research Priorities in the Field of Posttraumatic Pain and Disability: Results of a Transdisciplinary Consensus-Generating Workshop

PubMed Central

Elliott, James M.; Lee, Joshua; Loh, Eldon; Schabrun, Siobhan; Siqueira, Walter L.; Corneil, Brian D.; Aal, Bill; Birmingham, Trevor; Brown, Amy; Dickey, James P.; Dixon, S. Jeffrey; Fraser, Douglas D.; Gati, Joseph S.; Gloor, Gregory B.; Good, Gordon; Holdsworth, David; McLean, Samuel A.; Millard, Wanda; Miller, Jordan; Sadi, Jackie; Seminowicz, David A.; Shoemaker, J. Kevin; Siegmund, Gunter P.; Vertseegh, Theodore; Wideman, Timothy H.

2016-01-01

Background. Chronic or persistent pain and disability following noncatastrophic “musculoskeletal” (MSK) trauma is a pervasive public health problem. Recent intervention trials have provided little evidence of benefit from several specific treatments for preventing chronic problems. Such findings may appear to argue against formal targeted intervention for MSK traumas. However, these negative findings may reflect a lack of understanding of the causal mechanisms underlying the transition from acute to chronic pain, rendering informed and objective treatment decisions difficult. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) has recently identified better understanding of causal mechanisms as one of three priority foci of their most recent strategic plan. Objectives. A 2-day invitation-only active participation workshop was held in March 2015 that included 30 academics, clinicians, and consumers with the purpose of identifying consensus research priorities in the field of trauma-related MSK pain and disability, prediction, and prevention. Methods. Conversations were recorded, explored thematically, and member-checked for accuracy. Results. From the discussions, 13 themes were generated that ranged from a focus on identifying causal mechanisms and models to challenges with funding and patient engagement. Discussion. Novel priorities included the inclusion of consumer groups in research from the early conceptualization and design stages and interdisciplinary longitudinal studies that include evaluation of integrated phenotypes and mechanisms. PMID:27445598

Railway obstacle detection algorithm using neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Mingyang; Yang, Peng; Wei, Sen

2018-05-01

Aiming at the difficulty of detection of obstacle in outdoor railway scene, a data-oriented method based on neural network to obtain image objects is proposed. First, we mark objects of images(such as people, trains, animals) acquired on the Internet. and then use the residual learning units to build Fast R-CNN framework. Then, the neural network is trained to get the target image characteristics by using stochastic gradient descent algorithm. Finally, a well-trained model is used to identify an outdoor railway image. if it includes trains and other objects, it will issue an alert. Experiments show that the correct rate of warning reached 94.85%.

Therapies for Cognitive Deficits Associated With Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of Objective Outcomes.

PubMed

Morean, Diane F; O'Dwyer, Linda; Cherney, Leora R

2015-10-01

To systematically review evidence of treatments for cognitive impairments experienced by at least 20% of all women who undergo chemotherapy for breast cancer. Searches of 5 databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, PsycINFO, CINAHL), with no date or language restrictions, identified 1701 unique results. Search terms included breast cancer, chemotherapy, chemobrain, chemofog, and terms on cognition and language deficits. Included only peer-reviewed journal articles that described therapies for cognitive dysfunction in women undergoing (or who had undergone) chemotherapy for breast cancer and provided objective measurements of cognition or language. Data were extracted according to Cochrane recommendations, including characteristics of participants, interventions, outcomes, and studies. Quality assessment of all 12 eligible studies was performed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale and treatment fidelity criteria. Screening, data extraction, and quality assessment reliability were performed. Six articles described interventions for cognition that took place during cancer treatment; 6, afterward. Five interventions were medical (including a strength-training program), 2 were restorative, and 5 were cognitive. Medicinal treatments were ineffective; restorative and exercise treatments had mixed results; cognitive therapy had success in varying cognitive domains. The domains most tested and most successfully treated were verbal memory, attention, and processing speed. Cognitive therapy protocols delivered after chemotherapy and aimed at improving verbal memory, attention, and processing speed hold the most promise. Future research is needed to clarify whether computerized cognitive training can be effective in treating this population, and to identify objective assessment tools that are sensitive to this disorder. Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scientists' Prioritization of Communication Objectives for Public Engagement.

PubMed

Dudo, Anthony; Besley, John C

2016-01-01

Amid calls from scientific leaders for their colleagues to become more effective public communicators, this study examines the objectives that scientists' report drive their public engagement behaviors. We explore how scientists evaluate five specific communication objectives, which include informing the public about science, exciting the public about science, strengthening the public's trust in science, tailoring messages about science, and defending science from misinformation. We use insights from extant research, the theory of planned behavior, and procedural justice theory to identify likely predictors of scientists' views about these communication objectives. Results show that scientists most prioritize communication designed to defend science from misinformation and educate the public about science, and least prioritize communication that seeks to build trust and establish resonance with the public. Regression analyses reveal factors associated with scientists who prioritize each of the five specific communication objectives. Our findings highlight the need for communication trainers to help scientists select specific communication objectives for particular contexts and audiences.

Secure Objectives for School Security

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalton-Noblitt, April

2012-01-01

In a study conducted among more than 980 American four-year and two-year colleges and universities, including institutions such as the University of Michigan, MIT, UCLA and Columbia, security staff and other administrators identified the five leading goals for their security systems: (1) Preventing unauthorized people from entering their…

Parent-Reported Predictors of Adolescent Panic Attacks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayward, Chris; Wilson, Kimberly A.; Lagle, Kristy; Killen, Joel D.; Taylor, C. Barr

2004-01-01

Objective: To identify parent-reported risk factors for adolescent panic attacks. Method: Structured diagnostic interviews were obtained from 770 parents of participants in a school-based risk factor study for adolescent panic. Parent-reported risk factors assessed included characteristics of the child (negative affect, separation anxiety disorder…

Music: Instrumental Techniques, Conducting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grozan, Carl

A course in introduction to the conducting of music groups of voices or instruments is presented. The approach used is a laboratory approach in which pupils will develop skills in score reading, physical gestures, rehearsal techniques, transpositions, voice and instrument ranges. Course objectives include: (1) The pupil will identify all…

A Lesson on Climate Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Jim

This cooperative learning activity, for grades 7-12, promotes critical thinking skills within the context of learning about the causes and effects of climate change. Objectives include: (1) understanding factors that reduce greenhouse gases; (2) understanding the role of trees in reducing greenhouse gases; (3) identifying foods that produce…

29 CFR 95.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade secrets... privacy, such as information that could be used to identify a particular person in a research study. (ii... Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings...

29 CFR 95.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade secrets... privacy, such as information that could be used to identify a particular person in a research study. (ii... Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings...

29 CFR 95.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade secrets... privacy, such as information that could be used to identify a particular person in a research study. (ii... Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings...

29 CFR 95.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade secrets... privacy, such as information that could be used to identify a particular person in a research study. (ii... Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings...

29 CFR 95.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade secrets... privacy, such as information that could be used to identify a particular person in a research study. (ii... Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings...

Vision and operational concept for enabling advanced traveler information services : market readiness assessment (EnableATIS).

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-05-01

The purpose of this market readiness assessment is to identify next steps for USDOT to research, demonstrate and advance the objectives of EnableATIS. This will include demonstrating those key concepts that will be within the USDOT and agency sphere ...

Twitter Conversation Patterns Related to Research Papers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelhans, Gustaf; Lorentzen, David Gunnarsson

2016-01-01

Introduction: This paper deals with what academic texts and datasets are referred to and discussed on Twitter. We used document object identifiers as references to these items. Method: We streamed tweets from the Twitter application programming interface including the strings "dx" and "doi" while simultaneously streaming tweets…

Abstract numerical discrimination learning in rats.

PubMed

Taniuchi, Tohru; Sugihara, Junko; Wakashima, Mariko; Kamijo, Makiko

2016-06-01

In this study, we examined rats' discrimination learning of the numerical ordering positions of objects. In Experiments 1 and 2, five out of seven rats successfully learned to respond to the third of six identical objects in a row and showed reliable transfer of this discrimination to novel stimuli after being trained with three different training stimuli. In Experiment 3, the three rats from Experiment 2 continued to be trained to respond to the third object in an object array, which included an odd object that needed to be excluded when identifying the target third object. All three rats acquired this selective-counting task of specific stimuli, and two rats showed reliable transfer of this selective-counting performance to test sets of novel stimuli. In Experiment 4, the three rats from Experiment 3 quickly learned to respond to the third stimulus in object rows consisting of either six identical or six different objects. These results offer strong evidence for abstract numerical discrimination learning in rats.

Impact of feature saliency on visual category learning.

PubMed

Hammer, Rubi

2015-01-01

People have to sort numerous objects into a large number of meaningful categories while operating in varying contexts. This requires identifying the visual features that best predict the 'essence' of objects (e.g., edibility), rather than categorizing objects based on the most salient features in a given context. To gain this capacity, visual category learning (VCL) relies on multiple cognitive processes. These may include unsupervised statistical learning, that requires observing multiple objects for learning the statistics of their features. Other learning processes enable incorporating different sources of supervisory information, alongside the visual features of the categorized objects, from which the categorical relations between few objects can be deduced. These deductions enable inferring that objects from the same category may differ from one another in some high-saliency feature dimensions, whereas lower-saliency feature dimensions can best differentiate objects from distinct categories. Here I illustrate how feature saliency affects VCL, by also discussing kinds of supervisory information enabling reflective categorization. Arguably, principles debated here are often being ignored in categorization studies.

Impact of feature saliency on visual category learning

PubMed Central

Hammer, Rubi

2015-01-01

People have to sort numerous objects into a large number of meaningful categories while operating in varying contexts. This requires identifying the visual features that best predict the ‘essence’ of objects (e.g., edibility), rather than categorizing objects based on the most salient features in a given context. To gain this capacity, visual category learning (VCL) relies on multiple cognitive processes. These may include unsupervised statistical learning, that requires observing multiple objects for learning the statistics of their features. Other learning processes enable incorporating different sources of supervisory information, alongside the visual features of the categorized objects, from which the categorical relations between few objects can be deduced. These deductions enable inferring that objects from the same category may differ from one another in some high-saliency feature dimensions, whereas lower-saliency feature dimensions can best differentiate objects from distinct categories. Here I illustrate how feature saliency affects VCL, by also discussing kinds of supervisory information enabling reflective categorization. Arguably, principles debated here are often being ignored in categorization studies. PMID:25954220

A systematic review of adverse drug events associated with administration of common asthma medications in children

PubMed Central

Johnson, David W.; Sperou, Arissa J.; Crotts, Jennifer; Saude, Erik; Hartling, Lisa; Stang, Antonia

2017-01-01

Objective To systematically review the literature and determine frequencies of adverse drug events (ADE) associated with pediatric asthma medications. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched six bibliographic databases between January 1991 and January 2017. Study eligibility, data extraction and quality assessment were independently completed and verified by two reviewers. We included randomized control trials (RCT), case-control, cohort, or quasi-experimental studies where the primary objective was identifying ADE in children 1 month– 18 years old exposed to commercial asthma medications. The primary outcome was ADE frequency. Findings Our search identified 14,540 citations. 46 studies were included: 24 RCT, 15 cohort, 4 RCT pooled analyses, 1 case-control, 1 open-label trial and 1 quasi-experimental study. Studies examined the following drug classes: inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) (n = 24), short-acting beta-agonists (n = 10), long-acting beta-agonists (LABA) (n = 3), ICS + LABA (n = 3), Leukotriene Receptor Antagonists (n = 3) and others (n = 3). 29 studies occurred in North America, and 29 were industry funded. We report a detailed index of 406 ADE descriptions and frequencies organized by drug class. The majority of data focuses on ICS, with 174 ADE affecting 13 organ systems including adrenal and growth suppression. We observed serious ADE, although they were rare, with frequency ranging between 0.9–6% per drug. There were no confirmed deaths, except for 13 potential deaths in a LABA study including combined adult and pediatric participants. We identified substantial methodological concerns, particularly with identifying ADE and determining severity. No studies utilized available standardized causality, severity or preventability assessments. Conclusion The majority of studies focus on ICS, with adrenal and growth suppression described. Serious ADE are relatively uncommon, with no confirmed pediatric deaths. We identify substantial methodological concerns, highlighting need for standardization with future research examining pediatric asthma medication safety. PMID:28793336

An Infrared Search for Young Stellar Objects in IC 1396

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Chelen H.; Linahan, Marcella; Gibbs, John; Rebull, Luisa M.; Archibald, Andrew R.; Dickmann, Samantha Rose; Hart, Erica A.; Hedlund, Audrey R.; Hilfer, Shannon L.; Lacher, Thomas; McKernan, John T.; Medeiros, Emma M.; Nelson, Samantha Brooks; O'Leary, Harrison; Peña, Nicholas D.; Peterson, Alexis; Reader, Livia K.; Ropinski, Brandi Lucia; Scarpa, Gabriella; Sundeen, Kiera A.; Takara, Amber L.; Thiel, Theresa

2017-01-01

About 700 parsecs away from Earth, IC1396 lies along the galactic plane, in the direction of the constellation Cepheus, and includes many dark nebulae, including the Elephant’s Trunk Nebula. IC 1396A has been examined with a variety of telescopes, including Spitzer, 2MASS, IPHAS, Chandra, and WISE. The YSOVAR project (Rebull et al. 2014) also has Spitzer monitoring data in this region at 3.6 and 4.5 microns. Our team has merged these catalogs and identified candidate YSOs using IR color selection, X-ray detection, and variability metrics. In order to interpret the YSOVAR light curves, it is critical to understand which of the 700+ YSO candidates in this region are likely YSOs, and which are foreground/background stars or are extragalactic objects. As a first attempt to confirm these candidate YSOs, we have created spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for wavelengths from IPHAS r band to 24 microns, which we use, coupled with image inspection, to confirm (or refute) YSO candidates from this list of identified YSO candidates. We will then compare our vetted list of YSO candidates to the lists of YSO candidates already identified in the literature in this region. The goal of this study is to identify candidate YSO sources, as well as support the greater understanding of the variety, evolution and variability of young stars. This project is a collaborative effort of high school students from three states. They analyzed data individually and later collaborated online to compare results. This project is the result of many years of work with the NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program (NITARP).

Objective Classification of Radar Profile Types, and Their Relationship to Lightning Occurrence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boccippio, Dennis

2003-01-01

A cluster analysis technique is used to identify 16 "archetypal" vertical radar profile types from a large, globally representative sample of profiles from the TRMM Precipitation Radar. These include nine convective types (7 of these deep convective) and seven stratiform types (5 of these clearly glaciated). Radar profile classification provides an alternative to conventional deep convective storm metrics, such as 30 dBZ echo height, maximum reflectivity or VIL. As expected, the global frequency of occurrence of deep convective profile types matches satellite-observed total lightning production, including to very small scall local features. Each location's "mix" of profile types provides an objective description of the local convective spectrum, and in turn, is a first step in objectively classifying convective regimes. These classifiers are tested as inputs to a neural network which attempts to predict lightning occurrence based on radar-only storm observations, and performance is compared with networks using traditional radar metrics as inputs.

Implementation Issues for Departure Planning Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansman, R. John; Feron, Eric; Clarke, John-Paul; Odoni, Amedeo

1999-01-01

The objective of the proposed effort is to investigate issues associated with the design and implementation of decision aiding tools to assist in improving the departure process at congested airports. This effort follows a preliminary investigation of potential Departure Planning approaches and strategies, which identified potential benefits in departure efficiency, and also in reducing the environmental impact of aircraft in the departure queue. The preliminary study bas based, in large part, on observations and analysis of departure processes at Boston, Logan airport. The objective of this follow-on effort is to address key implementation issues and to expand the observational base to include airports with different constraints and traffic demand. Specifically, the objectives of this research are to: (1) Expand the observational base to include airports with different underlying operational dynamics. (2) Develop prototype decision aiding algorithms/approaches and assess potential benefits. and (3) Investigate Human Machine Integration (HMI) issues associated with decision aids in tower environments.

What is the impact of professional learning on physical activity interventions among preschool children? A systematic review.

PubMed

Peden, M E; Okely, A D; Eady, M J; Jones, R A

2018-05-31

The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate professional learning models (length, mode, content) offered as part of objectively measured physical childcare-based interventions. A systematic review of eight electronic databases was conducted to June 2017. Only English, peer-reviewed studies that evaluated childcare-based physical activity interventions, incorporated professional learning and reported objectively measured physical activity were included. Study designs included randomized controlled trails, cluster randomized trials, experimental or pilot studies. The search identified 11 studies. Ten studies objectively measured physical activity using accelerometers; five studies used both accelerometer and direct observation tools and one study measured physical activity using direct observation only. Seven of these studies reported statistically significant intervention effects. Only six studies described all components of professional learning, but only two studies reported specific professional learning outcomes and physical activity outcomes. No patterns were identified between the length, mode and content of professional learning and children's physical activity outcomes in childcare settings. Educators play a critical role in modifying children's levels of physical activity in childcare settings. The findings of this review suggest that professional learning offered as part of a physical activity intervention that potentially impacts on children's physical activity outcomes remains under-reported. © 2018 World Obesity Federation.

Developing a Mind-Body Exercise Programme for Stressed Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Claudia; Seo, Dong-Chul; Geib, Roy W

2017-01-01

Objective: To describe the process of developing a Health Qigong programme for stressed children using a formative evaluation approach. Methods: A multi-step formative evaluation method was utilised. These steps included (1) identifying programme content and drafting the curriculum, (2) synthesising effective and age-appropriate pedagogies, (3)…

Confrontation and Support in Group Therapy in the Residential Treatment of Severely Disturbed Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siegel, Leonard Israel

1987-01-01

Focuses on various forms of group therapy for severely emotionally and behaviorally disturbed adolescents. Discusses eclectic theoretical frame of reference including elements of psychodynamic, object relations, and structural and strategic family therapy theory. Identifies precedents for confrontational-supportive approach to be encounter group…

Anhedonia Predicts Poorer Recovery among Youth with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Treatment-Resistant Depression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMakin, Dana L.; Olino, Thomas M.; Porta, Giovanna; Dietz, Laura J.; Emslie, Graham; Clarke, Gregory; Wagner, Karen Dineen; Asarnow, Joan R.; Ryan, Neal D.; Birmaher, Boris; Shamseddeen, Wael; Mayes, Taryn; Kennard, Betsy; Spirito, Anthony; Keller, Martin; Lynch, Frances L.; Dickerson, John F.; Brent, David A.

2012-01-01

Objective: To identify symptom dimensions of depression that predict recovery among selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment-resistant adolescents undergoing second-step treatment. Method: The Treatment of Resistant Depression in Adolescents (TORDIA) trial included 334 SSRI treatment-resistant youth randomized to a medication…

Man's Search: English, Mythology. 5112.22.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gundersheimer, Lenore C.

A course which is an exploration of man's eternal search to understand himself and his world through the study of the mythology of the world is presented. Performance objectives include: (1) Students will recognize the content of the myths studied; (2) Students will identify the specific characteristics of the civilization studied; (3) Students…

"Madame Bovary": Illusion and Reality. [Lesson Plan].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carangelo, Audrey

Based on Gustave Flaubert's novel "Madame Bovary," this lesson plan presents activities designed to help students explore the theme of "illusion versus reality" in the novel; identify and list alternate themes in the novel; and cite specific examples of illusion versus reality from the novel. It includes objectives, materials, procedures,…

Acute Stress Symptoms in Children: Results From an International Data Archive

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kassam-Adams, Nancy; Palmieri, Patrick A.; Rork, Kristine; Delahanty, Douglas L.; Kenardy, Justin; Kohser, Kristen L.; Landolt, Markus A.; Le Brocque, Robyne; Marsac, Meghan L.; Meiser-Stedman, Richard; Nixon, Reginald D.V.; Bui, Eric; McGrath, Caitlin

2012-01-01

Objective: To describe the prevalence of acute stress disorder (ASD) symptoms and to examine proposed "DSM-5" symptom criteria in relation to concurrent functional impairment in children and adolescents. Method: From an international archive, datasets were identified that included assessment of acute traumatic stress reactions and…

Teaching Strategy: Using the Civil Law Poster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Update on Law-Related Education, 1997

1997-01-01

Presents a series of instructional activities to be used in conjunction with a poster that identifies types of cases and processes associated with civil law. Includes procedures for the instructional activities, objectives, a poster, and student handouts using tables and graphs to illustrate current facts about tort law. (MJP)

Measurement of Emotional/Psychological Child Maltreatment: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tonmyr, Lil; Draca, Jasminka; Crain, Jennifer; MacMillan, Harriet L.

2011-01-01

Background: Emotional/psychological child maltreatment (ECM) is a major public health problem with serious consequences including emotional and behavioral problems. Nevertheless, ECM is an understudied area. Objectives: The aims of this review are to identify measures of ECM and to evaluate their psychometric properties and utilities. We provide a…

Analysis of University Management of Emerging Technologies and Recommendations for Developing Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Villa Enciso, Eliana María; Picón Jácome, Edgar; Valencia-Arias, Alejandro; Jiménez Hernández, Claudia Nelcy

2017-01-01

University management seeks to achieve the objectives established by higher education's institutions, including their third mission, which corresponds to the transfer of research results into the industry; in this regard, emerging technologies play an important role to solve problems identified in the industry. Emerging technologies are those…

The Product as Change Agent: The Process of Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bank, Adrianne

Instructional product development--the purpose of which has been to create materials which produce in an identified population of users demonstrable changes in behavior, in accordance with prespecified and specific objectives--generally adheres to a pattern which includes planning, formulating, prototyping measures and materials, field testing,…

Using Restaurant Reviews to Teach How to Write Literature Reviews

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Kelli Jean K.; Ferris, Sharmila Pixy

2017-01-01

Courses: Any communication course requiring a literature review, including, but is not limited to, Communication Research Methods and Communication Theory. Objectives: After completing this activity, students should be able to write better literature reviews by (1) locating a range of resources; (2) identifying a variety of relevant information…

Mariner Venus-Mercury 1973 Project. Volume 1: Venus and Mercury 1 Encounters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The primary mission report includes the Venus encounter and the first Mercury encounter. Plans and activities undertaken to successfully achieve the mission objectives are described. Operational activities are identified by mission operation system functions, providing a brief summary of each discipline. Spacecraft performance is summarized by subsystems.

Wildland fire and fuel management: principles for effective communication

Treesearch

Eric Toman; Bruce Shindler

2006-01-01

In this paper we discuss four principles identified through recent research for effective citizen-agency communication and examine their use in accomplishing fire management objectives. Principles include the following: (1) effective communication is a product of effective planning; (2) both unidirectional (one-way) and interactive approaches are part of successful...

Instruction Design System of Allama Iqbal Open University: A Vehicle for Improvement or Mere a Salogon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashfaq, Muhammad; Chaudry, Muhammad Ajmal; Iqbal, Muhammad Javed

2016-01-01

The main objective of this study was to ensure instructional quality, effectiveness, efficiency and enjoyment. Instructional design maximizes the value of the instructions for the learners. Instructional design include identifying instructional out-comes, developing instructional contents and established how instructional effectiveness will be…

Planning Curriculum Development: With Examples from Projects for the Mentally Retarded.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, William V., Ed.

Presented are guidelines based on five federally funded projects for planning and developing curriculum for the mentally retarded. Discussed are the initial steps of identifying the target population, needs, and objectives. Examples of curriculum design, including the rationale and conceptual framework, are provided. Considered are elements of…

Changing Problem Behavior Using Solution Parenting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schatz, Mona Struhsaker; Zimmerman, Toni Schindler; Watson, Catherine

Solution parenting is designed to provide both foster parents and caseworkers a new kind of parenting for difficult children and youth in placement. The specialized training program is for those who will teach solution parenting. Objectives for trainees include: (1) identify small, positive behavioral changes; (2) recognize and use pre-existing…

22 CFR 226.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade secrets... privacy, such as information that could be used to identify a particular person in a research study. (ii...) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an award that were used...

22 CFR 226.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade secrets... privacy, such as information that could be used to identify a particular person in a research study. (ii...) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an award that were used...

22 CFR 226.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade secrets... privacy, such as information that could be used to identify a particular person in a research study. (ii...) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an award that were used...

22 CFR 226.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade secrets... privacy, such as information that could be used to identify a particular person in a research study. (ii...) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an award that were used...

Smoking and Membership in a Fraternity or Sorority: A Systematic Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheney, Marshall K.; Harris, LaNita W.; Gowin, Mary J.; Huber, Jamie

2014-01-01

Objective: Fraternity and sorority members have higher rates of smoking than other college students. This systematic review examines studies that included fraternity/sorority membership in their investigation of smoking behaviors. Participants/Methods: Studies identified in MEDLINE, PsychInfo, JSTOR, CINAHL, ERIC, and Google Scholar published…

Use of Genomics in Economically Important Traits in Ovine Populations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this review is to summarize relevant results from the use of genomics in sheep. Genomics has been used to identify genes associated with production, reproduction, carcass traits, and disease-related traits in sheep. A brief discussion on the concept of genomics is included. Genome-w...

Introduction to Natural Resources. Teacher Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hehn, Darold; Newport, Bob

This color-coded teacher's guide contains curriculum materials designed to help students develop an awareness of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources and to identify occupations in the area of natural resources. The guide contains nine units, each of which includes some or all of the following basic components: objective sheet, suggested…

How to Develop Written School Board Policies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, T. Susan

The speaker presents the steps to be followed in creating a systematized and up-to-date district manual of board policies and administrative rules. The process was developed by the National School Boards Association's Educational Policies Service. Included are the eight performance objectives identified as stepping stones to the manual, the five…

Genome wide association of changes in feeding behavior due to heat stress in pigs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Heat stress negatively impacts pork production, losses include decreased growth, reduced feed intake, and mortality. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify genetic markers associated with changes in feeding behavior due to heat stress in grow-finish pigs. Data were collected on grow-...

Alcohol Consumption and Academic Retention in First-Year College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liguori, Gary; Lonbaken, Barb

2015-01-01

Objectives: This study attempted to identify relationships between alcohol consumption and first-to-second-year student retention among college students. Methods: 820 students in general education courses completed an online wellness assessment at four separate time points, including questions related to alcohol consumption. Data were analyzed…

Promoting Repeating Patterns with Young Children--More than Just Alternating Colours!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papic, Marina

2007-01-01

Patterning is an essential skill in early mathematics learning, particularly in the development of spatial awareness, sequencing and ordering, comparison, and classification. This includes the ability to identify and describe attributes of objects and similarities and differences between them. Patterning is also integral to the development of…

Separation and IR Analysis of a Mixture of Organic Compounds.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Evan M.; Almy, John

1982-01-01

Presents an experiment which includes fractional distillation with gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) and infrared analysis. Objectives are to introduce students to fractional distillation and analysis of each fraction by GLC, to induce them to decide if each fraction is sufficient for infrared analysis, and to identify unknowns. (Author/JN)

75 FR 57053 - Camas National Wildlife Refuge, Jefferson County, ID; Comprehensive Conservation Plan and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-17

... habitats, CCPs identify wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities available to the public, including... and objectives that will insure the best possible approach to wildlife, plant, and habitat... historically comprised of a diverse mosaic of wetland and wet meadow habitats, surrounded by an expansive sea...

X-ray observations of Galactic H.E.S.S. sources: an update

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puehlhofer, G.; Eger, P.; Sasaki, M.; Gottschall, D.; Capasso, M.; H. E. S. S. Collaboration

2016-06-01

X-ray diagnostics of TeV sources continues to be an important tool to identify the nature of newly detected sources as well as to pinpoint the physics processes that are at work in these highly energetic objects. The contribution aims at giving a review of recent studies that we have performed on TeV sources with H.E.S.S. and XMM-Newton and also other X-ray facilities. Here, we will mainly focus on Galactic objects such as gamma-ray binaries, pulsar wind nebulae, and supernova remnants (SNRs). Particular emphasis will be given to SNR studies, including recently identified SNRs such as HESS J1731-347 and HESS J1534-571 as well as a revisit of RX J1713.7-3946.

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

Dillon, C.

Over the past few years, numerous Accreditation Bodies, Regulatory Agencies, and State Regulations have implemented requirements for Radiation Safety Surveys following installation or modification to x-ray rooms. The objective of this session is to review best practices in performing radiation safety surveys for both Therapy and Diagnostic installations, as well as a review of appropriate survey instruments. This session will be appropriate for both therapy and imaging physicists who are looking to increase their working knowledge of radiation safety surveys. Learning Objectives: Identify Appropriate Survey Meters for Radiation Safety Surveys Develop best practices for Radiation Safety Surveys for Therapy unitsmore » that include common areas of concern. Develop best practices for Radiation Safety Surveys of Diagnostic and Nuclear Medicine rooms. Identify acceptable dose levels and the factors that affect the calculations associated with performing Radiation Safety Surveys.« less

An evaluation of object-oriented image analysis techniques to identify motorized vehicle effects in semi-arid to arid ecosystems of the American West

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mladinich, C.

2010-01-01

Human disturbance is a leading ecosystem stressor. Human-induced modifications include transportation networks, areal disturbances due to resource extraction, and recreation activities. High-resolution imagery and object-oriented classification rather than pixel-based techniques have successfully identified roads, buildings, and other anthropogenic features. Three commercial, automated feature-extraction software packages (Visual Learning Systems' Feature Analyst, ENVI Feature Extraction, and Definiens Developer) were evaluated by comparing their ability to effectively detect the disturbed surface patterns from motorized vehicle traffic. Each package achieved overall accuracies in the 70% range, demonstrating the potential to map the surface patterns. The Definiens classification was more consistent and statistically valid. Copyright ?? 2010 by Bellwether Publishing, Ltd. All rights reserved.

How much is enough? The recurrent problem of setting measurable objectives in conservation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tear, T.H.; Kareiva, P.; Angermeier, P.L.; Comer, P.; Czech, B.; Kautz, R.; Landon, L.; Mehlman, D.; Murphy, K.; Ruckelshaus, M.; Scott, J.M.; Wilhere, G.

2005-01-01

International agreements, environmental laws, resource management agencies, and environmental nongovernmental organizations all establish objectives that define what they hope to accomplish. Unfortunately, quantitative objectives in conservation are typically set without consistency and scientific rigor. As a result, conservationists are failing to provide credible answers to the question "How much is enough?" This is a serious problem because objectives profoundly shape where and how limited conservation resources are spent, and help to create a shared vision for the future. In this article we develop guidelines to help steer conservation biologists and practitioners through the process of objective setting. We provide three case studies to highlight the practical challenges of objective setting in different social, political, and legal contexts. We also identify crucial gaps in our science, including limited knowledge of species distributions and of large-scale, long-term ecosystem dynamics, that must be filled if we hope to do better than setting conservation objectives through intuition and best guesses. ?? 2005 American Institute of Biological Sciences.

ELROI Extremely Low Resource Optical Identifier. A license plate for your satellite, and more.

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

Palmer, David

ELROI (Extremely Low Resource Optical Identifier) is a license plate for your satellite; a small tag that flashes an optical identification code that can be read by a small telescope on the ground. The final version of the tag will be the size of a thick postage stamp and fully autonomous: you can attach it to everything that goes into space, including small cubesats and inert debris like rocket stages, and it will keep blinking even after the satellite is shut down, reliably identifying the object from launch until re-entry.

Application of systematic review methodology to the field of nutrition.

PubMed

Lichtenstein, Alice H; Yetley, Elizabeth A; Lau, Joseph

2008-12-01

Systematic reviews represent a rigorous and transparent approach to synthesizing scientific evidence that minimizes bias. They evolved within the medical community to support development of clinical and public health practice guidelines, set research agendas, and formulate scientific consensus statements. The use of systematic reviews for nutrition-related topics is more recent. Systematic reviews provide independently conducted comprehensive and objective assessments of available information addressing precise questions. This approach to summarizing available data is a useful tool for identifying the state of science including knowledge gaps and associated research needs, supporting development of science-based recommendations and guidelines, and serving as the foundation for updates as new data emerge. Our objective is to describe the steps for performing systematic reviews and highlight areas unique to the discipline of nutrition that are important to consider in data assessment. The steps involved in generating systematic reviews include identifying staffing and planning for outside expert input, forming a research team, developing an analytic framework, developing and refining research questions, defining eligibility criteria, identifying search terms, screening abstracts according to eligibility criteria, retrieving articles for evaluation, constructing evidence and summary tables, assessing methodological quality and applicability, and synthesizing results including performing meta-analysis, if appropriate. Unique and at times challenging, nutrition-related considerations include baseline nutrient exposure, nutrient status, bioequivalence of bioactive compounds, bioavailability, multiple and interrelated biological functions, undefined nature of some interventions, and uncertainties in intake assessment. Systematic reviews are a valuable and independent component of decision-making processes by groups responsible for developing science-based recommendations and policies.

SigVox - A 3D feature matching algorithm for automatic street object recognition in mobile laser scanning point clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jinhu; Lindenbergh, Roderik; Menenti, Massimo

2017-06-01

Urban road environments contain a variety of objects including different types of lamp poles and traffic signs. Its monitoring is traditionally conducted by visual inspection, which is time consuming and expensive. Mobile laser scanning (MLS) systems sample the road environment efficiently by acquiring large and accurate point clouds. This work proposes a methodology for urban road object recognition from MLS point clouds. The proposed method uses, for the first time, shape descriptors of complete objects to match repetitive objects in large point clouds. To do so, a novel 3D multi-scale shape descriptor is introduced, that is embedded in a workflow that efficiently and automatically identifies different types of lamp poles and traffic signs. The workflow starts by tiling the raw point clouds along the scanning trajectory and by identifying non-ground points. After voxelization of the non-ground points, connected voxels are clustered to form candidate objects. For automatic recognition of lamp poles and street signs, a 3D significant eigenvector based shape descriptor using voxels (SigVox) is introduced. The 3D SigVox descriptor is constructed by first subdividing the points with an octree into several levels. Next, significant eigenvectors of the points in each voxel are determined by principal component analysis (PCA) and mapped onto the appropriate triangle of a sphere approximating icosahedron. This step is repeated for different scales. By determining the similarity of 3D SigVox descriptors between candidate point clusters and training objects, street furniture is automatically identified. The feasibility and quality of the proposed method is verified on two point clouds obtained in opposite direction of a stretch of road of 4 km. 6 types of lamp pole and 4 types of road sign were selected as objects of interest. Ground truth validation showed that the overall accuracy of the ∼170 automatically recognized objects is approximately 95%. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is able to recognize street furniture in a practical scenario. Remaining difficult cases are touching objects, like a lamp pole close to a tree.

Augmented reality three-dimensional object visualization and recognition with axially distributed sensing.

PubMed

Markman, Adam; Shen, Xin; Hua, Hong; Javidi, Bahram

2016-01-15

An augmented reality (AR) smartglass display combines real-world scenes with digital information enabling the rapid growth of AR-based applications. We present an augmented reality-based approach for three-dimensional (3D) optical visualization and object recognition using axially distributed sensing (ADS). For object recognition, the 3D scene is reconstructed, and feature extraction is performed by calculating the histogram of oriented gradients (HOG) of a sliding window. A support vector machine (SVM) is then used for classification. Once an object has been identified, the 3D reconstructed scene with the detected object is optically displayed in the smartglasses allowing the user to see the object, remove partial occlusions of the object, and provide critical information about the object such as 3D coordinates, which are not possible with conventional AR devices. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on combining axially distributed sensing with 3D object visualization and recognition for applications to augmented reality. The proposed approach can have benefits for many applications, including medical, military, transportation, and manufacturing.

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.

See it with feeling: affective predictions during object perception

PubMed Central

Barrett, L.F.; Bar, Moshe

2009-01-01

People see with feeling. We ‘gaze’, ‘behold’, ‘stare’, ‘gape’ and ‘glare’. In this paper, we develop the hypothesis that the brain's ability to see in the present incorporates a representation of the affective impact of those visual sensations in the past. This representation makes up part of the brain's prediction of what the visual sensations stand for in the present, including how to act on them in the near future. The affective prediction hypothesis implies that responses signalling an object's salience, relevance or value do not occur as a separate step after the object is identified. Instead, affective responses support vision from the very moment that visual stimulation begins. PMID:19528014

Detecting multiple moving objects in crowded environments with coherent motion regions

DOEpatents

Cheriyadat, Anil M.; Radke, Richard J.

2013-06-11

Coherent motion regions extend in time as well as space, enforcing consistency in detected objects over long time periods and making the algorithm robust to noisy or short point tracks. As a result of enforcing the constraint that selected coherent motion regions contain disjoint sets of tracks defined in a three-dimensional space including a time dimension. An algorithm operates directly on raw, unconditioned low-level feature point tracks, and minimizes a global measure of the coherent motion regions. At least one discrete moving object is identified in a time series of video images based on the trajectory similarity factors, which is a measure of a maximum distance between a pair of feature point tracks.

Optimizing spacecraft design - optimization engine development : progress and plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cornford, Steven L.; Feather, Martin S.; Dunphy, Julia R; Salcedo, Jose; Menzies, Tim

2003-01-01

At JPL and NASA, a process has been developed to perform life cycle risk management. This process requires users to identify: goals and objectives to be achieved (and their relative priorities), the various risks to achieving those goals and objectives, and options for risk mitigation (prevention, detection ahead of time, and alleviation). Risks are broadly defined to include the risk of failing to design a system with adequate performance, compatibility and robustness in addition to more traditional implementation and operational risks. The options for mitigating these different kinds of risks can include architectural and design choices, technology plans and technology back-up options, test-bed and simulation options, engineering models and hardware/software development techniques and other more traditional risk reduction techniques.

Measuring pain in the context of homelessness

PubMed Central

Matter, Rebecca; Kline, Susan; Cook, Karon F.; Amtmann, Dagmar

2009-01-01

Purpose The primary objective of this study was to inform the development of measures of pain impact appropriate for all respondents, including homeless individuals, so that they can be used in clinical research and practice. The secondary objective was to increase understanding about the unique experience of homeless people with pain. Methods Seventeen homeless individuals with chronic health conditions (often associated with pain) participated in cognitive interviews to test the functioning of 56 pain measurement items and provided information about their experience living with and accessing treatment for pain. Results The most common problems identified with items were that they lacked clarity or were irrelevant in the context of homelessness. Items that were unclear, irrelevant and/or had other identified problems made it difficult for participants to respond. Participants also described multiple ways in which their pain was exacerbated by conditions of homelessness and identified barriers to accessing appropriate treatment. Conclusions Results suggested that the majority of items were problematic for the homeless and require substantial modifications to make the pain impact bank relevant to this population. Additional recommendations include involving homeless in future item bank development, conducting research on the topic of pain and homelessness, and using cognitive interviewing in other types of health disparities research. PMID:19582592

Design of an air traffic computer simulation system to support investigation of civil tiltrotor aircraft operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, Ralph V.

1993-01-01

The TATSS Project's goal was to develop a design for computer software that would support the attainment of the following objectives for the air traffic simulation model: (1) Full freedom of movement for each aircraft object in the simulation model. Each aircraft object may follow any designated flight plan or flight path necessary as required by the experiment under consideration. (2) Object position precision up to +/- 3 meters vertically and +/- 15 meters horizontally. (3) Aircraft maneuvering in three space with the object position precision identified above. (4) Air traffic control operations and procedures. (5) Radar, communication, navaid, and landing aid performance. (6) Weather. (7) Ground obstructions and terrain. (8) Detection and recording of separation violations. (9) Measures of performance including deviations from flight plans, air space violations, air traffic control messages per aircraft, and traditional temporal based measures.

A Snapshot Survey of AGNS/QSOS for Intergalactic Medium Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sonneborn, George (Technical Monitor); Sembach, George

2005-01-01

This spectroscopic program with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) program was designed to identify ultraviolet-bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) for follow-up spectroscopy with FUSE and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). All of the FUSE spectra obtained for this snapshot program (FUSE identifier D808) have been examined for data quality and flux levels. As expected, only a small number of objects observed (4/19) have flux levels suitable for follow-up spectroscopy. A portion of our effort in this program was devoted to comparing the spectra obtained in these snapshot exposures to others to determine if the spectra could be used for detailed scientific analyses. The resulting effort demonstrated that some of the brighter sources are relatively stable (non- variable), as determined through comparisons of the spectra at multiple epochs. For these brighter sources, the exposure times are simply too short to perform meaningful detailed analyses. Comparisons of the absorption lines in these spectra with those of higher signal-to-noise spectra, like those of PG1116+215 and H1821+643, showed that many of the lines of interest could not be characterized adequately at the S/N levels reached in the short snapshot exposures. As a result, the FUSE D808 observations are suitable only for their original purpose - flux determination. Several bright objects identified as part of this program include: HE0153-4520, flux >2x10E-14 erg cm^-2s^-1 at 1000 Angstroms IRASF04250-5718, flux >4x10E-14 erg cm^-2s^-1 A^-1 at 1000 Angstroms RXJ2154.1-4414, flux > 1.6x10E-14 erg cm^-2s^-1 A^-1 at 1000 Angstroms S50716+714, flux >2.5x10E-14 erg cm^-2s^-1 A^-1 at 1000 Angstroms. All of these objects have been incorporated into the primary target lists for the HST Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. Identifying such objects for follow-up observations with HST/COS was the primary goal of this program, so the program wa successful. In addition, some of the objects were included in proposed target lists for future FUSE observations. Given that the state of the FUSE observatory is uncertain at this time, it is unknown whether anyjof htese objects will be re-observed with FUSE. The results of this program have been communicated to the astronomical community via email and by word of mouth since the resuts in and of themselves do not warrant publication in an astronomical journal. However, these lists will be maintained for future observers. The data are archived in the Multi-Mission Archive at the Space Telescioe Science INstitute.

Determination of land use in Minnesota by automatic interpretation of ERTS MSS data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zirkle, R. E.; Pile, D. R.

1973-01-01

This program aims to determine the feasibility of identifying land use in Minnesota by automatic interpretation of ERTS-MSS data. Ultimate objectives include establishment of land use delineation and quantification by computer processing with a minimum of human operator interaction. This implies not only that reflectivity as a function of calendar time can be catalogued effectively, but also that the effects of uncontrolled variables can be identified and compensated. Clouds are the major uncontrollable data pollutant, so part of the initial effort is devoted to determining their effect and the construction of a model to help correct or justifiably ignore affected data. Other short range objectives are to identify and verify measurements giving results of importance to land managers. Lake-counting is a prominent example. Open water is easily detected in band 7 data with some support from either band 4 or band 5 to remove ambiguities. Land managers and conservationists commission studies periodically to measure water bodies and total water count within specified areas.

Ultracool Dwarfs in the Ukirt Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burningham, Ben; Pinfield, D.; Leggett, S. K.; Lodieu, N.; Warren, S. J.; Lucas, P. W.; Tamura, M.; Mortlock, D.; Kendall, T. R.; Jones, H. R.; Jameson, R. F.; Richard, M.; Martin, E. L.; UKIDSS Cool Dwarf Science Working Group

2007-05-01

The UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Large Area Survey (LAS) presents an unparallelled resource for the study of field brown dwarfs. The UKIDSS Cool Dwarf Science Working Group (CDSWG) is carrying out a search for the lowest temperature brown dwarfs ever discovered, with the possibility of identifying a new spectral class of ultracool dwarf: the Y dwarf. CDSWG members identified 10 new T dwarfs in the early and first data releases of the LAS, including 2 objects with spectral types later than T7.5. One of these is thought to be the coolest T dwarf ever found with a spectral type of T8.5, and an estimated temperature of 650K. Data release 2 (DR2) took place on 1st March 2007, and already the most promising objects have been selected and followed-up photometrically and spectroscopically. In this contribution I will discuss the capabilities of UKIDSS for identifying ultracool dwarfs and summarise our latest results.

Barriers to the Uptake of Eye Care Services in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review of Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdullah, Khadija Nowaira; Al-Sharqi, Omar Zayan; Abdullah, Muhammad Tanweer

2013-01-01

Objective: This research identifies effective and ineffective interventions for reducing barriers to the uptake of eye care services in developing countries. Design: Systematic literature review. Setting: Only research studies done in developing countries were included. Method: The review is restricted to English-language articles published…

Relationship among Food-Safety Knowledge, Beliefs, and Risk-Reduction Behavior in University Students in Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takeda, Sayaka; Akamatsu, Rie; Horiguchi, Itsuko; Marui, Eiji

2011-01-01

Objective: To identify whether university students who have both food-safety knowledge and beliefs perform risk-reduction behaviors. Design: Cross-sectional research using a questionnaire that included food-safety knowledge, perceptions, risk-reduction behavior, stages for the selection of safer food based on the Transtheoretical Model, and…

Disabilities and Degrees: Identifying Health Impairments That Predict Lower Chances of College Enrollment and Graduation in a Nationally Representative Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenbaum, Janet E.

2018-01-01

Objective: Colleges have increased postsecondary educational access for youth, including individuals with disabilities, but completion rates remain low. This study tests the hypothesis that health conditions that reduce social integration predict lower educational attainment among college students. Method: The sample from the nationally…

Tapping Community Resources to Enrich Your Schooling: Partners-in-Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Charles R.

The Lancaster (PA) school district is working with the Chamber of Commerce and industry to bring resource persons into classrooms and to provide staff for adult career retraining. Program objectives include identifying areas for school/community interaction and mutual gain. Partnership benefits are shared among business, community and schools: to…

Improving the Quality of Home Visitation: An Exploratory Study of Difficult Situations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LeCroy, Craig Winston; Whitaker, Kate

2005-01-01

Objective: The primary purpose of this study was to use an ecological assessment model to obtain a better understanding of difficult situations that home visitors confront when implementing home visitation services. Method: A mixed method study was used which included conducting focus groups to identify specific situations faced by home visitors…

Competencies Needed by Full-Time Employees to Enter the Apple Production Industry. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, George W.

A study identified the competencies needed by full-time employees entering the apple production industry. Other objectives of the study included: (1) identification of differences among competency areas needed for employees working for large, medium, and small growers (based on acreage); and (2) identification of differences among competency areas…

Planned Change in Future Models of Project Follow Through: A Concept Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simpkins, Edward; Brown, Asa

The three chapters included in this paper establish a basis for organizing future implementations of Project Follow Through. Specifically, chapter 1 identifies four planning objectives for coordinating such programs. Emphasis is given to the need to focus on one fundamental, pervasive variable possibly accounting for program success: time…

Vocational Education Distance Learning Delivery System. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardy, Darcy Walsh

A project was conducted to identify criteria and procedures for using a distance learning delivery system at the University of Texas TeleLearning Center to teach Health Occupations II to high school seniors. Another objective was expanding the current distance learning program for health occupations to include between 15 and 20 school districts.…

International Dimensions in American Education: Evaluative Criteria for Precollegiate Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slouka, Z. J.; Slouka, O.

The purposes of the project described in this document are to identify and evaluate factors which encourage a global perspective in students in grades K-12. The document is presented in three major sections. Section one introduces the scope of the study, discusses objectives, and describes evaluation methods, including reviewing written materials,…

Perpetual Motion: Creative Movement Exercises for Dance and Dramatic Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pomer, Janice

This book explores the moving world, introducing more than 100 movement experiences organized around the themes of rules, recipes, props, poetry and prose, objects and images, and integrated arts. It is intended to help the teacher develop an eye as choreographer. The book includes six chapters. Each chapter identifies a theme, specific learning…

Contingent Capability of a Conceived Child: Civil Law Aspect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirillova, Elena A.; Suslikov, Vladimir N.; Blinkova, Elena V.; Blinkov, Oleg E.; Staroseltseva, Marina M.

2016-01-01

This paper covers on contingent legal capability of a conceived child. To protect the capability of conceived children and legal rights, including property, emerging on that basis, it is imperative to strictly identify the moment of emergence and termination of legal capability. The objective of this research is to analyze the provisions on civil…

Results of the 1974 NACUBO Comparative Performance Study and Investment Questionnaire.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of College and University Business Officers, Washington, DC.

The 1974 Comparative Performance Study includes 150 endowment pools representing 136 institutions. The market value of the pools which provided information as of June 30, 1974, was 6.9 billion dollars. The study identifies endowment pools by code and indicates each pool's investment objective, approximate market value, the percentage in cash and…

Strategic Planning for Information Systems: The Evidence from a Successful Implementation in an Academic Setting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Richard B.; And Others

1991-01-01

Demonstrates how an information systems plan can be successfully developed and implemented within an academic setting. Six guidelines for information systems planning are provided; problems are identified and recommendations to address the problems are suggested; and information systems objectives are discussed, including business communications,…

75 FR 52369 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Wisconsin Historical Society, Museum Division, Madison, WI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-25

... individual. The textile fragment, beads, nails, and metal fragments were enveloped inside the soil matrix... identified. The one associated funerary object is a soil matrix, which includes within it a textile fragment, trade beads, nail fragments, and metal fragments. In 2008, staff at the Madeline Island Museum located a...

Parental Views of Food-Safety Education in a Japanese Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horikawa, Haruka; Akamatsu, Rie; Horiguchi, Itsuko; Marui, Eiji

2013-01-01

Objective: This study examined Japanese mothers' satisfaction with food-safety education in primary schools, compared the characteristics of mothers who were not satisfied, and identified topics that should be included in food-safety education, according to mothers. Design: An online survey was conducted in March 2011 in Japan. The questionnaire…

Advanced English as a Second Language for Manufacturing. P.R.I.D.E. People Retraining for Industry Excellence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewandowski, Carol

This workplace skills training course in English as a Second Language (ESL) identifies English problems for nonnative speakers and encourages students to practice speaking, writing, listening, and reading skills using company literature. Introductory material includes course description, objectives, topical outline, and evaluation. The course…

Age of Menarche and Psychosocial Outcomes in a New Zealand Birth Cohort

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boden, Joseph M.; Fergusson, David M.; Horwood, L. John

2011-01-01

Objective: This study examined associations between age of menarche and psychosocial outcomes in early adulthood, including sexual behavior, mental health, criminal behavior, and education/employment, to identify the possible causal role of earlier age of menarche in increasing risks of adverse outcomes. Method: Data were gathered from 497 female…

Impedance in School Screening Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robarts, John T.

1985-01-01

This paper examines the controversy over use of impedance screening in public schools to identify students with hearing problems, including otitis media, a common ear condition in infants and young children. It cites research that questions the value of pure tone screening as a single test and raises critics' objections to the use of impedance,…

Mystery Powders. [Modified Primary]. Revised. Anchorage School District Elementary Science Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anchorage School District, AK.

This publication provides information and activities for identifying objects using the five senses and process skills including observing, classifying, collecting and interpreting data, inferring, and predicting. Lessons 1 through 3 deal with the identification of an unknown substance and the physical properties of powders. Lessons 4 through 6 are…

Identification of genomic regions associated with resistance to clinical mastitis in US Holstein cattle

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this research was to identify genomic regions associated with clinical mastitis (MAST) in US Holsteins using producer-reported data. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were performed on deregressed PTA using GEMMA v. 0.94. Genotypes included 60,671 SNP for all predictor bulls (n...

Double-deckers and towers: emerald ash borer traps in 2007

Treesearch

Deborah G. McCullough; Therese M. Poland; Andrea C. Anulewicz; David L. Cappaert

2008-01-01

Effective and efficient methods to detect and monitor emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, have been a high priority for scientists since this invasive pest was identified in 2002. In 2006, our objectives included development of a practical trap design suitable for operational programs and evaluation of lures. In 2007, we continued...

Sleep Patterns of College Students at a Public University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forquer, LeAnne M.; Camden, Adrian E.; Gabriau, Krista M.; Johnson, C. Merle

2008-01-01

Objective: The authors' purpose in this study was to determine the sleep patterns of college students to identify problem areas and potential solutions. Participants: A total of 313 students returned completed surveys. Methods: A sleep survey was e-mailed to a random sample of students at a North Central university. Questions included individual…

A Meta-Analysis of Predictors of Offender Treatment Attrition and Its Relationship to Recidivism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olver, Mark E.; Stockdale, Keira C.; Wormith, J. Stephen

2011-01-01

Objective: The failure of offenders to complete psychological treatment can pose significant concerns, including increased risk for recidivism. Although a large literature identifying predictors of offender treatment attrition has accumulated, there has yet to be a comprehensive quantitative review. Method: A meta-analysis of the offender…

Frailty measurements and dysphagia in the outpatient setting.

PubMed

Hathaway, Bridget; Vaezi, Alec; Egloff, Ann Marie; Smith, Libby; Wasserman-Wincko, Tamara; Johnson, Jonas T

2014-09-01

Deconditioning and frailty may contribute to dysphagia and aspiration. Early identification of patients at risk of aspiration is important. Aspiration prevention would lead to reduced morbidity and health care costs. We therefore wondered whether objective measurements of frailty could help identify patients at risk for dysphagia and aspiration. Consecutive patients (n = 183) were enrolled. Patient characteristics and objective measures of frailty were recorded prospectively. Variables tested included age, body mass index, grip strength, and 5 meter walk pace. Statistical analysis tested for association between these parameters and dysphagia or aspiration, diagnosed by instrumental swallowing examination. Of variables tested for association with grip strength, only age category (P = .003) and ambulatory status (P < .001) were significantly associated with grip strength in linear regression models. Whereas walk speed was not associated with dysphagia or aspiration, ambulatory status was significantly associated with dysphagia and aspiration in multivariable model building. Nonambulatory status is a predictor of aspiration and should be included in risk assessments for dysphagia. The relationship between frailty and dysphagia deserves further investigation. Frailty assessments may help identify those at risk for complications of dysphagia. © The Author(s) 2014.

Selection and application of microbial source tracking tools for water-quality investigations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stoeckel, Donald M.

2005-01-01

Microbial source tracking (MST) is a complex process that includes many decision-making steps. Once a contamination problem has been defined, the potential user of MST tools must thoroughly consider study objectives before deciding upon a source identifier, a detection method, and an analytical approach to apply to the problem. Regardless of which MST protocol is chosen, underlying assumptions can affect the results and interpretation. It is crucial to incorporate tests of those assumptions in the study quality-control plan to help validate results and facilitate interpretation. Detailed descriptions of MST objectives, protocols, and assumptions are provided in this report to assist in selection and application of MST tools for water-quality investigations. Several case studies illustrate real-world applications of MST protocols over a range of settings, spatial scales, and types of contamination. Technical details of many available source identifiers and detection methods are included as appendixes. By use of this information, researchers should be able to formulate realistic expectations for the information that MST tools can provide and, where possible, successfully execute investigations to characterize sources of fecal contamination to resource waters.

Maturity Models of Healthcare Information Systems and Technologies: a Literature Review.

PubMed

Carvalho, João Vidal; Rocha, Álvaro; Abreu, António

2016-06-01

The maturity models are instruments to facilitate organizational management, including the management of its information systems function. These instruments are used also in hospitals. The objective of this article is to identify and compare the maturity models for management of information systems and technologies (IST) in healthcare. For each maturity model, it is identified the methodology of development and validation, as well as the scope, stages and their characteristics by dimensions or influence factors. This study resulted in the need to develop a maturity model based on a holistic approach. It will include a comprehensive set of influencing factors to reach all areas and subsystems of health care organizations.

Remote sensing based on hyperspectral data analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharifahmadian, Ershad

In remote sensing, accurate identification of far objects, especially concealed objects is difficult. In this study, to improve object detection from a distance, the hyperspecral imaging and wideband technology are employed with the emphasis on wideband radar. As the wideband data includes a broad range of frequencies, it can reveal information about both the surface of the object and its content. Two main contributions are made in this study: 1) Developing concept of return loss for target detection: Unlike typical radar detection methods which uses radar cross section to detect an object, it is possible to enhance the process of detection and identification of concealed targets using the wideband radar based on the electromagnetic characteristics --conductivity, permeability, permittivity, and return loss-- of materials. During the identification process, collected wideband data is evaluated with information from wideband signature library which has already been built. In fact, several classes (e.g. metal, wood, etc.) and subclasses (ex. metals with high conductivity) have been defined based on their electromagnetic characteristics. Materials in a scene are then classified based on these classes. As an example, materials with high electrical conductivity can be conveniently detected. In fact, increasing relative conductivity leads to a reduction in the return loss. Therefore, metals with high conductivity (ex. copper) shows stronger radar reflections compared with metals with low conductivity (ex. stainless steel). Thus, it is possible to appropriately discriminate copper from stainless steel. 2) Target recognition techniques: To detect and identify targets, several techniques have been proposed, in particular the Multi-Spectral Wideband Radar Image (MSWRI) which is able to localize and identify concealed targets. The MSWRI is based on the theory of robust capon beamformer. During identification process, information from wideband signature library is utilized. The WB signature library includes such parameters as conductivity, permeability, permittivity, and return loss at different frequencies for possible materials related to a target. In the MSWRI approach, identification procedure is performed by calculating the RLs at different selected frequencies. Based on similarity of the calculated RLs and RL from WB signature library, targets are detected and identified. Based on the simulation and experimental results, it is concluded that the MSWRI technique is a promising approach for standoff target detection.

Risk Assessment for CPAP Nonadherence in Adults with Newly-diagnosed Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Preliminary Testing of the Index for Nonadherence to PAP (I-NAP)

PubMed Central

Sawyer, Amy M.; King, Tonya S.; Hanlon, Alexandra; Richards, Kathy C.; Sweer, Leon; Rizzo, Albert; Weaver, Terri E.

2014-01-01

Purpose Identification of risk for CPAP nonadherence prior to home treatment is an opportunity to deliver targeted, adherence interventions. Study objectives included (1) test a risk screening questionnaire to prospectively identify CPAP nonadherence risk among adults with newly-diagnosed OSA; (2) reduce the questionnaire to a minimum item set that effectively identifies 1-month CPAP nonadherence; and (3) examine the diagnostic utility of the screening index. Methods A prospective, longitudinal study at two clinical sleep centers in the U.S. included adults with newly diagnosed OSA (n=97; AHI ≥ 5 events/hr) by polysomnogram (PSG) consecutively recruited to participate. After baseline participant and OSA characteristics were collected, a risk screening questionnaire was administered immediately following CPAP titration polysomnogram. One-month objective CPAP use was collected. Results Predominantly white (87%) males (55%) and females (45%) with obesity (BMI 38.3 kg/m2; SD 9.3) and severe OSA (AHI 36.8; SD 19.7) were included. One-month CPAP use was 4.25hrs/night (SD 2.35). Nineteen questionnaire items (I-NAP) reliably identified nonadherers defined at <4hr/night CPAP use (Wald X2[8] =34.67, p<0.0001) with ROC AUC 0.83 (95% CI 0.74-0.91). Optimal score cut-point for the INAP screening questionnaire were determined to maximize sensitivity (87%) while maintaining specificity >60% (63%). Conclusion A risk screening questionnaire employed immediately after titration PSG may reliably identify CPAP nonadherers and permit the delivery of targeted interventions to prevent or reduce nonadherence. This novel approach may enhance cost-effectiveness of care and permit appropriate allocation of resources for CPAP adherence. PMID:24595715

Using a statewide survey methodology to prioritize pediatric cardiology core content.

PubMed

Neal, Ashley E; Lehto, Elizabeth; Miller, Karen Hughes; Ziegler, Craig; Davis, Erin

2018-01-01

Although pediatrician-reported relevance of Canadian cardiology-specific objectives has been studied, similar data are not available for the 2016 American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) cardiology-specific objectives. This study asked Kentucky trainees, pediatricians, and pediatric cardiologists to identify "most important" content within these objectives. This cross-sectional study used an original, online survey instrument based on the 2016 ABP cardiology-specific objectives. We collected quantitative data (numerical indications of importance) and qualitative data (open-ended replies regarding missing content and difficulty in teaching and learning). Respondents indicated the top two choices of most important items within eight content areas. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and chi-square analysis were calculated. Content within categories was organized using naturally occurring "clusters" and "gaps" in scores. Common themes among open-ended qualitative responses were identified using Pandit's version of Glaser and Strauss Grounded theory (constant comparison). Of the 136 respondents, 23 (17%) were residents, 15 (11%) fellows, 85 (62%) pediatricians, and 13 (10%) pediatric cardiologists. Of attendings, 80% reported faculty/gratis faculty status. Naturally occurring clusters in respondent-designated importance resulted in ≤3 "most selected" objectives per content area. Objectives in "most selected" content pertained to initial diagnosis (recognition of abnormality/disease) (n = 16), possible emergent/urgent intervention required (n = 14), building a differential (n = 8), and planning a workup (n = 4). Conversely, themes for "least selected" content included comanagement with subspecialist (n = 15), knowledge useful in patient-family communication (n = 9), knowledge that can be referenced (as needed) (n = 7), and longitudinal/follow-up concerns (n = 5). This study demonstrated the utility of an online survey methodology to identify pediatric cardiology content perceived most important. Learners and faculty generally provided concordant responses regarding most important content within the cardiology-specific ABP objectives. Medical educators could apply this methodology to inform curriculum revision. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Finding High Quality Young Star Candidates in Ceph C using X-ray, Optical, and IR data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orr, Laura; Rebull, Luisa M.; Johnson, Milton; Miller, Alexandra; Aragon Orozco, Anthony; Bakhaj, Benjamin; Bakshian, Jacquelyn; Chiffelle, Elizabeth; DeLint, Arie; Gerber, Stefan; Mader, Jared; Marengo, Amelia; McAdams, Jesse; Montufar, Cassandra; Orr, Quinton; San Emeterio, Lis; Stern, Eliyah; Weisserman, Drew

2017-01-01

We looked for new candidate young stars within the star forming region of Ceph OB3, more specifically in a region of this molecular cloud called Ceph C. While this region lies in the galactic plane and is included in several large surveys, Ceph C has not been well studied in the past and few young stellar objects (YSOs) have been identified there. The YSOVAR team (Rebull et al. 2014) has time-series monitoring data of this region, and in order to understand the diversity of the light curves, it is crucial to understand which objects in the field of view are likely YSOs, and which are foreground/background objects. The goal of our study is to identify candidate YSO sources as well as support the greater understanding of the variety, evolution, and variability of young stars. Our search for young stars includes data in X-ray, optical, and IR. Data points used are from Chandra, SDSS, IPHAS, 2MASS, Spitzer IRAC and MIPS, and WISE, giving us data over many orders of magnitude, 0.001 to 25 microns (0.36 to 25 microns without the X-rays). The catalogs were merged across all available wavelengths. Each source was inspected in all available images to insure good matches and quality of data across wavelengths and to eliminate poor candidates, those with contamination or confusion, and non-YSO objects. Spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for each candidate YSO were constructed and compared to images for greater assessment and reliable YSO identification. Color-color and color-magnitude diagrams have been created for the sources in this region and are used in conjunction with images, SEDs, X-ray, IR excess, and variability properties to identify candidate YSOs. Support provided for this work by the NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program (NITARP), which receives funding from the NASA ADP program.

Scalable persistent identifier systems for dynamic datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golodoniuc, P.; Cox, S. J. D.; Klump, J. F.

2016-12-01

Reliable and persistent identification of objects, whether tangible or not, is essential in information management. Many Internet-based systems have been developed to identify digital data objects, e.g., PURL, LSID, Handle, ARK. These were largely designed for identification of static digital objects. The amount of data made available online has grown exponentially over the last two decades and fine-grained identification of dynamically generated data objects within large datasets using conventional systems (e.g., PURL) has become impractical. We have compared capabilities of various technological solutions to enable resolvability of data objects in dynamic datasets, and developed a dataset-centric approach to resolution of identifiers. This is particularly important in Semantic Linked Data environments where dynamic frequently changing data is delivered live via web services, so registration of individual data objects to obtain identifiers is impractical. We use identifier patterns and pattern hierarchies for identification of data objects, which allows relationships between identifiers to be expressed, and also provides means for resolving a single identifier into multiple forms (i.e. views or representations of an object). The latter can be implemented through (a) HTTP content negotiation, or (b) use of URI querystring parameters. The pattern and hierarchy approach has been implemented in the Linked Data API supporting the United Nations Spatial Data Infrastructure (UNSDI) initiative and later in the implementation of geoscientific data delivery for the Capricorn Distal Footprints project using International Geo Sample Numbers (IGSN). This enables flexible resolution of multi-view persistent identifiers and provides a scalable solution for large heterogeneous datasets.

An overview of water disinfection in developing countries and the potential for solar thermal water pasteurization

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

Burch, J.; Thomas, K.E.

This study originated within the Solar Buildings Program at the U.S. Department of Energy. Its goal is to assess the potential for solar thermal water disinfection in developing countries. In order to assess solar thermal potential, the alternatives must be clearly understood and compared. The objectives of the study are to: (a) characterize the developing world disinfection needs and market; (b) identify competing technologies, both traditional and emerging; (c) analyze and characterize solar thermal pasteurization; (d) compare technologies on cost-effectiveness and appropriateness; and (e) identify research opportunities. Natural consequences of the study beyond these objectives include a broad knowledge ofmore » water disinfection problems and technologies, introduction of solar thermal pasteurization technologies to a broad audience, and general identification of disinfection opportunities for renewable technologies.« less

Strategies for Investigating Early Mars Using Returned Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carrier, B. L.; Beaty, D. W.; McSween, H. Y.; Czaja, A. D.; Goreva, Y. S.; Hausrath, E. M.; Herd, C. D. K.; Humayun, M.; McCubbin, F. M.; McLennan, S. M.;

Overview of Faculty Development Programs for Interprofessional Education.

PubMed

Ratka, Anna; Zorek, Joseph A; Meyer, Susan M

2017-06-01

Objectives. To describe characteristics of faculty development programs designed to facilitate interprofessional education, and to compile recommendations for development, delivery, and assessment of such faculty development programs. Methods. MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, and Web of Science databases were searched using three keywords: faculty development, interprofessional education, and health professions. Articles meeting inclusion criteria were analyzed for emergent themes, including program design, delivery, participants, resources, and assessment. Results. Seventeen articles were identified for inclusion, yielding five characteristics of a successful program: institutional support; objectives and outcomes based on interprofessional competencies; focus on consensus-building and group facilitation skills; flexibility based on institution- and participant-specific characteristics; and incorporation of an assessment strategy. Conclusion. The themes and characteristics identified in this literature overview may support development of faculty development programs for interprofessional education. An advanced evidence base for interprofessional education faculty development programs is needed.

Technical support for creating an artificial intelligence system for feature extraction and experimental design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glick, B. J.

1985-01-01

Techniques for classifying objects into groups or clases go under many different names including, most commonly, cluster analysis. Mathematically, the general problem is to find a best mapping of objects into an index set consisting of class identifiers. When an a priori grouping of objects exists, the process of deriving the classification rules from samples of classified objects is known as discrimination. When such rules are applied to objects of unknown class, the process is denoted classification. The specific problem addressed involves the group classification of a set of objects that are each associated with a series of measurements (ratio, interval, ordinal, or nominal levels of measurement). Each measurement produces one variable in a multidimensional variable space. Cluster analysis techniques are reviewed and methods for incuding geographic location, distance measures, and spatial pattern (distribution) as parameters in clustering are examined. For the case of patterning, measures of spatial autocorrelation are discussed in terms of the kind of data (nominal, ordinal, or interval scaled) to which they may be applied.

Scientists’ Prioritization of Communication Objectives for Public Engagement

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Amid calls from scientific leaders for their colleagues to become more effective public communicators, this study examines the objectives that scientists’ report drive their public engagement behaviors. We explore how scientists evaluate five specific communication objectives, which include informing the public about science, exciting the public about science, strengthening the public’s trust in science, tailoring messages about science, and defending science from misinformation. We use insights from extant research, the theory of planned behavior, and procedural justice theory to identify likely predictors of scientists' views about these communication objectives. Results show that scientists most prioritize communication designed to defend science from misinformation and educate the public about science, and least prioritize communication that seeks to build trust and establish resonance with the public. Regression analyses reveal factors associated with scientists who prioritize each of the five specific communication objectives. Our findings highlight the need for communication trainers to help scientists select specific communication objectives for particular contexts and audiences. PMID:26913869

A Spectroscopic Study of the Rich Supernova Remnant Population in M83

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winkler, P. Frank; Blair, William P.; Long, Knox S.

2017-04-01

We report the results from a spectrophotometric study sampling the ≳ 300 candidate supernova remnants (SNRs) in M83 identified through optical imaging with Magellan/IMACS and Hubble Space Telescope/WFC3. Of the 118 candidates identified based on a high [S II] λλ 6716, 6731 to Hα emission ratio, 117 show spectroscopic signatures of shock-heated gas, confirming them as SNRs—the largest uniform set of SNR spectra for any galaxy. Spectra of 22 objects with a high [O III] λ5007 to Hα emission ratio, selected in an attempt to identify young ejecta-dominated SNRs like Cas A, reveal only one (previously reported) object with the broad (≳ 1000 {km} {{{s}}}-1) emission lines characteristic of ejecta-dominated SNRs, beyond the known SN1957D remnant. The other 20 [O III]-selected candidates include planetary nebulae, compact H II regions, and one background QSO. Although our spectroscopic sample includes 22 SNRs smaller than 11 pc, none of the other objects show broad emission lines; instead their spectra stem from relatively slow (˜ 200 {km} {{{s}}}-1) radiative shocks propagating into the metal-rich interstellar medium of M83. With six SNe in the past century, one might expect more of M83's small-diameter SNRs to show evidence of ejecta; this appears not to be the case. We attribute their absence to several factors, including that SNRs expanding into a dense medium evolve quickly to the ISM-dominated phase, and that SNRs expanding into regions already evacuated by earlier SNe are probably very faint. Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva (Argentina), and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brazil).

The Large UV/Optical/Infrared Surveyor (LUVOIR): Decadal Mission concept design update

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolcar, Matthew R.; Aloezos, Steve; Bly, Vincent T.; Collins, Christine; Crooke, Julie; Dressing, Courtney D.; Fantano, Lou; Feinberg, Lee D.; France, Kevin; Gochar, Gene; Gong, Qian; Hylan, Jason E.; Jones, Andrew; Linares, Irving; Postman, Marc; Pueyo, Laurent; Roberge, Aki; Sacks, Lia; Tompkins, Steven; West, Garrett

2017-09-01

In preparation for the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey, NASA has commissioned the study of four large mission concepts, including the Large Ultraviolet / Optical / Infrared (LUVOIR) Surveyor. The LUVOIR Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT) has identified a broad range of science objectives including the direct imaging and spectral characterization of habitable exoplanets around sun-like stars, the study of galaxy formation and evolution, the epoch of reionization, star and planet formation, and the remote sensing of Solar System bodies. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is providing the design and engineering support to develop executable and feasible mission concepts that are capable of the identified science objectives. We present an update on the first of two architectures being studied: a 15- meter-diameter segmented-aperture telescope with a suite of serviceable instruments operating over a range of wavelengths between 100 nm to 2.5 μm. Four instruments are being developed for this architecture: an optical / near-infrared coronagraph capable of 10-10 contrast at inner working angles as small as 2 λ/D the LUVOIR UV Multi-object Spectrograph (LUMOS), which will provide low- and medium-resolution UV (100 - 400 nm) multi-object imaging spectroscopy in addition to far-UV imaging; the High Definition Imager (HDI), a high-resolution wide-field-of-view NUV-Optical-IR imager; and a UV spectro-polarimeter being contributed by Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). A fifth instrument, a multi-resolution optical-NIR spectrograph, is planned as part of a second architecture to be studied in late 2017.

Objectives and methodology of BIOBADASER phase iii.

PubMed

Sanchez-Piedra, Carlos; Hernández Miguel, M Victoria; Manero, Javier; Roselló, Rosa; Sánchez-Costa, Jesús Tomás; Rodríguez-Lozano, Carlos; Campos, Cristina; Cuende, Eduardo; Fernández-Lopez, Jesús Carlos; Bustabad, Sagrario; Martín Domenech, Raquel; Pérez-Pampín, Eva; Del Pino-Montes, Javier; Millan-Arcineas, Ana Milena; Díaz-González, Federico; Gómez-Reino, Juan Jesús

2017-09-18

Describe the objectives, methods and results of the first year of the new version of the Spanish registry of adverse events involving biological therapies and synthetic drugs with an identifiable target in rheumatic diseases (BIOBADASER III). Multicenter prospective registry of patients with rheumatic inflammatory diseases being treated with biological drugs or synthetic drugs with an identifiable target in rheumatology departments in Spain. The main objective of BIOBADASER Phase III is the registry and analysis of adverse events; moreover, a secondary objective was added consisting of assessing the effectiveness by means of the registry of activity indexes. Patients in the registry are evaluated at least once every year and whenever they experience an adverse event or a change in treatment. The collection of data for phase iii began on 17 December 2015. During the first year, 35 centers participated. The number of patients included in this new phase in December 2016 was 2,664. The mean age was 53.7 years and the median duration of treatment was 8.1 years. In all, 40.4% of the patients were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. The most frequent adverse events were infections and infestations. BIOBADASER Phase III has been launched to adapt to a changing pharmacological environment, with the introduction of biosimilars and small molecules in the treatment of rheumatic diseases. This new stage is adapted to the changes in the reporting of adverse events and now includes information related to activity scores. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

3-D Object Recognition from Point Cloud Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, W.; Walker, A. S.; Zhang, B.

2011-09-01

The market for real-time 3-D mapping includes not only traditional geospatial applications but also navigation of unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAVs). Massively parallel processes such as graphics processing unit (GPU) computing make real-time 3-D object recognition and mapping achievable. Geospatial technologies such as digital photogrammetry and GIS offer advanced capabilities to produce 2-D and 3-D static maps using UAV data. The goal is to develop real-time UAV navigation through increased automation. It is challenging for a computer to identify a 3-D object such as a car, a tree or a house, yet automatic 3-D object recognition is essential to increasing the productivity of geospatial data such as 3-D city site models. In the past three decades, researchers have used radiometric properties to identify objects in digital imagery with limited success, because these properties vary considerably from image to image. Consequently, our team has developed software that recognizes certain types of 3-D objects within 3-D point clouds. Although our software is developed for modeling, simulation and visualization, it has the potential to be valuable in robotics and UAV applications. The locations and shapes of 3-D objects such as buildings and trees are easily recognizable by a human from a brief glance at a representation of a point cloud such as terrain-shaded relief. The algorithms to extract these objects have been developed and require only the point cloud and minimal human inputs such as a set of limits on building size and a request to turn on a squaring option. The algorithms use both digital surface model (DSM) and digital elevation model (DEM), so software has also been developed to derive the latter from the former. The process continues through the following steps: identify and group 3-D object points into regions; separate buildings and houses from trees; trace region boundaries; regularize and simplify boundary polygons; construct complex roofs. Several case studies have been conducted using a variety of point densities, terrain types and building densities. The results have been encouraging. More work is required for better processing of, for example, forested areas, buildings with sides that are not at right angles or are not straight, and single trees that impinge on buildings. Further work may also be required to ensure that the buildings extracted are of fully cartographic quality. A first version will be included in production software later in 2011. In addition to the standard geospatial applications and the UAV navigation, the results have a further advantage: since LiDAR data tends to be accurately georeferenced, the building models extracted can be used to refine image metadata whenever the same buildings appear in imagery for which the GPS/IMU values are poorer than those for the LiDAR.

Children’s Safety Initiative: A National Assessment of Pediatric Educational Needs amongEmergency Medical Services Providers

PubMed Central

Hansen, Matthew; Meckler, Garth; Dickinson, Caitlyn; Dickenson, Kathryn; Jui, Jonathan; Lambert, William; Guise, Jeanne-Marie

2014-01-01

Objective Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers may have critical knowledge gaps in pediatric care due to lack of exposure and training. There is currently little evidence to guide educators to the knowledge gaps most likely to improve patient safety. The objective of this study was to identify educational needs of EMS providers related to pediatric care in various domains in order to inform development of curricula. Methods The Children’s Safety Initiative-EMS performed a three-phase Delphi survey on patient safety in pediatric emergencies among providers and content experts in pediatric emergency care including physicians, nurses and pre-hospital providers of all levels. Each round included questions related to educational needs of providers or the effect of training on patient safety events. We identified knowledge gaps in the following domains: case exposure, competency and knowledge, assessment and decision making, and critical thinking and proficiency. Individual knowledge gaps were ranked by portion of respondents who ranked them “highly likely” (likert-type score 7–10 out of 10) to contribute to safety events. Results There were 737 respondents who were included in analysis of the first phase of the survey. Paramedics were 50.8% of respondents; EMT-Basics/first responders were 22% and physicians 11.4%. The top educational priorities identified in the final round of the survey include: pediatric airway management, responder anxiety when working with children, and general pediatric skills among providers. The top three needs in decision-making include knowing when to alter plans mid-course, knowing when to perform and advanced airway, and assessing pain in children. The top 3 technical or procedural skills needs were pediatric advanced airway, neonatal resuscitation, and intravenous/intraosseos access. For neonates, specific educational needs identified included knowing appropriate vital signs and preventing hypothermia. Conclusions This is the first large-scale Delphi survey related to pediatric pre-hospital education. Our results provide foundational information related to the educational needs of pre-hospital providers. Medical directors and educators can use the results to shape future curricular development. PMID:25296191

A Systematic Review of Assessment Tools Measuring Interprofessional Education Outcomes Relevant to Pharmacy Education.

PubMed

Shrader, Sarah; Farland, Michelle Z; Danielson, Jennifer; Sicat, Brigitte; Umland, Elena M

2017-08-01

Objective. To identify and describe the available quantitative tools that assess interprofessional education (IPE) relevant to pharmacy education. Methods. A systematic approach was used to identify quantitative IPE assessment tools relevant to pharmacy education. The search strategy included the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education Resource Exchange (Nexus) website, a systematic search of the literature, and a manual search of journals deemed likely to include relevant tools. Results. The search identified a total of 44 tools from the Nexus website, 158 abstracts from the systematic literature search, and 570 abstracts from the manual search. A total of 36 assessment tools met the criteria to be included in the summary, and their application to IPE relevant to pharmacy education was discussed. Conclusion. Each of the tools has advantages and disadvantages. No single comprehensive tool exists to fulfill assessment needs. However, numerous tools are available that can be mapped to IPE-related accreditation standards for pharmacy education.

Military Sexual Trauma Among US Servicewomen During Deployment: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Grindlay, Kate; Holt, Kelsey; Manski, Ruth; Grossman, Daniel

2014-01-01

Objectives. We explored qualitatively US servicewomen’s experiences with and perceptions of military sexual trauma (MST), reporting, and related services. Methods. From May 2011 to January 2012, we conducted 22 telephone interviews with US servicewomen deployed overseas between 2002 and 2011. We analyzed data thematically with modified grounded theory methods. Results. Factors identified as contributing to MST included deployment dynamics, military culture, and lack of consequences for perpetrators. Participants attributed low MST reporting to negative reactions and blame from peers and supervisors, concerns about confidentiality, and stigma. Unit cohesion was cited as both a facilitator and a barrier to reporting. Availability and awareness of MST services during deployment varied. Barriers to care seeking were similar to reporting barriers and included confidentiality concerns and stigma. We identified several avenues to address MST, including strengthening consequences for perpetrators. Conclusions. We identified barriers to MST reporting and services. Better understanding of these issues will allow policymakers to improve MST prevention and services. PMID:24328617

Manual of Documentation Practices Applicable to Defence-Aerospace Scientific and Technical Information. Volume 1. Section 1 - Acquisition and Sources. Section 2 - Descriptive Cataloguing. Section 3 - Abstracting and Subject Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-08-01

weeding I I ORGANISATION & MANAGEMENT Aims and objectives, staffing, promotional activities, identifying u;ers 12 NETWORKS & EXTERNAL SOURCES OF...Acquisition Clerks with typing capability are required for meticulous recordkeeping. Typing capability of 50 words per minute and a working knowledge ...81 Adminhistration and Management Includes management planning and research. 64 Numerical Analysis Includes iteration, difference equations, and 82

Challenges in Physical Characterization of Dim Space Objects: What Can We Learn from NEOs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, V.; Sanchez, J.; Thirouin, A.; Rivera-Valentin, E.; Ryan, W.; Ryan, E.; Mokovitz, N.; Tegler, S.

2016-09-01

Physical characterization of dim space objects in cis-lunar space can be a challenging task. Of particular interest to both natural and artificial space object behavior scientists are the properties beyond orbital parameters that can uniquely identify them. These properties include rotational state, size, shape, density and composition. A wide range of observational and non-observational factors affect our ability to characterize dim objects in cis-lunar space. For example, phase angle (angle between Sun-Target-Observer), temperature, rotational variations, temperature, and particle size (for natural dim objects). Over the last two decades, space object behavior scientists studying natural dim objects have attempted to quantify and correct for a majority of these factors to enhance our situational awareness. These efforts have been primarily focused on developing laboratory spectral calibrations in a space-like environment. Calibrations developed correcting spectral observations of natural dim objects could be applied to characterizing artificial objects, as the underlying physics is the same. The paper will summarize our current understanding of these observational and non-observational factors and present a case study showcasing the state of the art in characterization of natural dim objects.

Dopamine D1 receptor activation leads to object recognition memory in a coral reef fish.

PubMed

Hamilton, Trevor J; Tresguerres, Martin; Kline, David I

2017-07-01

Object recognition memory is the ability to identify previously seen objects and is an adaptive mechanism that increases survival for many species throughout the animal kingdom. Previously believed to be possessed by only the highest order mammals, it is now becoming clear that fish are also capable of this type of memory formation. Similar to the mammalian hippocampus, the dorsolateral pallium regulates distinct memory processes and is modulated by neurotransmitters such as dopamine. Caribbean bicolour damselfish ( Stegastes partitus ) live in complex environments dominated by coral reef structures and thus likely possess many types of complex memory abilities including object recognition. This study used a novel object recognition test in which fish were first presented two identical objects, then after a retention interval of 10 min with no objects, the fish were presented with a novel object and one of the objects they had previously encountered in the first trial. We demonstrate that the dopamine D 1 -receptor agonist (SKF 38393) induces the formation of object recognition memories in these fish. Thus, our results suggest that dopamine-receptor mediated enhancement of spatial memory formation in fish represents an evolutionarily conserved mechanism in vertebrates. © 2017 The Author(s).

Can CanMEDS competencies be developed in medical school anatomy laboratories? A literature review

PubMed Central

Ramnanan, Christopher J.

2017-01-01

Objectives The purpose of this literature review was to identify potential ways in which undergraduate medical anatomy education may be relevant to the CanMEDS Roles, a competency-based framework used throughout Canadian medical training. Methods A scoping review of medical education literature was conducted in March 2017 for English language publications that included key words related to anatomy education and to key competencies formally described for each of the Roles in the CanMEDS 2015 framework. Indicated benefits were then collated, characterized, and synthesized for each CanMEDS Role. Results There were 71 studies identified describing original findings. Perceived benefits of anatomy education were most often identified for competencies related to the Medical Expert Role. Multiple studies also cited benefits related to the Scholar, Professional and Collaborator Roles. There was a lack of literature related to the Health Advocate, Communicator, and Leader Roles. The majority of benefits defined in the literature were limited to student perceptions rather than objectively measured outcomes. Conclusions There is some evidence to suggest that anatomy education can facilitate the development of core competencies related to several CanMEDS Roles, outside of simply developing medical knowledge in the Medical Expert Role. Future studies need to develop methods to objectively assess outcomes related to these competencies. PMID:28650843

Student nurses' learning on community-based education in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Salmon, Karen; Keneni, Gutema

2004-07-01

At Jimma University educational goals are to apply the concept of community-oriented education through community-based education (CBE) of health students. This study examined the experiences of student nurses on CBE. The aims of the study were to identify factors that students considered had helped or hindered their learning on CBE and to ascertain if the stated learning objectives were met. A quantitative, descriptive, survey design was adopted, using a single, anonymous questionnaire. Some qualitative data were gained using open questions. A convenience sample of 95 students participated in the research. Participants represented 90% of all students who had completed their CBE placements. Participation, mentors' willingness to answer questions and the relevance of the placement were factors that facilitated learning. Factors reported by students that hindered learning were difficulties of self-expression in a group, mentors emphasising mistakes and weakness and the short time-frame due to ongoing lectures during placement. Students said learning objectives most met were socio-demographic assessment, identifying health problems and action planning. Objectives reported to be least met were identifying environmental health problems, planning preventive health interventions and implementing health interventions. These include the need to develop students' group skills, prepare mentors to facilitate learning, organise CBE in spiral phases, avoid concurrent lectures and improve study facilities.

Meeting Indigenous peoples' objectives in environmental flow assessments: Case studies from an Australian multi-jurisdictional water sharing initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Sue; Pollino, Carmel; Maclean, Kirsten; Bark, Rosalind; Moggridge, Bradley

2015-03-01

The multi-dimensional relationships that Indigenous peoples have with water are only recently gaining recognition in water policy and management activities. Although Australian water policy stipulates that the native title interests of Indigenous peoples and their social, cultural and spiritual objectives be included in water plans, improved rates of Indigenous access to water have been slow to eventuate, particularly in those regions where the water resource is fully developed or allocated. Experimentation in techniques and approaches to both identify and determine Indigenous water requirements will be needed if environmental assessment processes and water sharing plans are to explicitly account for Indigenous water values. Drawing on two multidisciplinary case studies conducted in Australia's Murray-Darling Basin, we engage Indigenous communities to (i) understand their values and explore the application of methods to derive water requirements to meet those values; (ii) assess the impact of alternative water planning scenarios designed to address over-allocation to irrigation; and (iii) define additional volumes of water and potential works needed to meet identified Indigenous requirements. We provide a framework where Indigenous values can be identified and certain water needs quantified and advance a methodology to integrate Indigenous social, cultural and environmental objectives into environmental flow assessments.

Best Possible Medication History for Hemodialysis Patients Obtained by a Pharmacy Technician

PubMed Central

Leung, Marianna; Jung, Joanne; Lau, Wynnie; Kiaii, Mercedeh; Jung, Beverly

2009-01-01

Background: Outpatients undergoing hemodialysis are at high risk for adverse drug events. Limited resources make it challenging for pharmacists to routinely obtain a best possible medication history (BPMH). Objectives: The primary objective was to determine whether, for patients undergoing hemodialysis, a pharmacy technician has the skills to obtain a BPMH that would allow a pharmacist to identify drug-related problems. The secondary objectives were to determine the number and types of medication discrepancies and drug-related problems identified and the time required by the technician to complete the BPMH. Methods: All patients treated in the hemodialysis unit during the study period were included, except for those who required an interpreter or were unable to participate in an in-person interview. A single technician was taught how to interview patients according to a structured format. For each patient, the technician’s BMPH was verified by a pharmacist. The agreement rate between technician and pharmacists was determined, along with the number and types of discrepancies and drug-related problems identified. Results: The technician interviewed 99 patients. Of the 1334 medication orders reviewed, the technician and pharmacists agreed on all but 15 (agreement rate 98.9%). A total of 358 medication discrepancies were noted for 93 patients (3.8 discrepancies per patient). Of these, 210 (59%) were undocumented intentional discrepancies, and 148 (41%) were unintentional discrepancies (most commonly errors of commission). Of the 135 drug-related problems identified, the majority involved dosing problems or nonadherence. The technician required an average of 17 min for each interview. Conclusion: An adequately trained technician was capable of interviewing patients to create a BPMH. A variety of medication discrepancies and drug-related problems were identified. Generation of a BPMH by a technician is a useful approach allowing pharmacists to identify drug-related problems. PMID:22478921

Patient-specific optimisation of administered activity and acquisition times for 18F-FDG PET imaging.

PubMed

Wickham, Fred; McMeekin, Helena; Burniston, Maria; McCool, Daniel; Pencharz, Deborah; Skillen, Annah; Wagner, Thomas

2017-12-01

The purpose of this study is to identify a method for optimising the administered activity and acquisition time for 18 F-FDG PET imaging, yielding images of consistent quality for patients with varying body sizes and compositions, while limiting radiation doses to patients and staff. Patients referred for FDG scans had bioimpedance measurements. They were injected with 3 MBq/kg of 18 F up to 370 MBq and scanned on a Siemens Biograph mCT at 3 or 4 min per bed position. Data were rebinned to simulate 2- and 1-min acquisitions. Subjective assessments of image quality made by an experienced physician were compared with objective measurements based on signal-to-noise ratio and noise equivalent counts (NEC). A target objective measure of image quality was identified. The activity and acquisition time required to achieve this were calculated for each subject. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify expressions for the activity and acquisition time required in terms of easily measurable patient characteristics. One hundred and eleven patients were recruited, and subjective and objective assessments of image quality were compared for 321 full and reduced time scans. NEC-per-metre was identified as the objective measure which best correlated with the subjective assessment (Spearman rank correlation coefficient 0.77) and the best discriminator for images with a subjective assessment of "definitely adequate" (area under the ROC curve 0.94). A target of 37 Mcount/m was identified. Expressions were identified in terms of patient sex, height and weight for the activity and acquisition time required to achieve this target. Including measurements of body composition in these expressions was not useful. Using these expressions would reduce the mean activity administered to this patient group by 66 MBq compared to the current protocol. Expressions have been identified for the activity and acquisition times required to achieve consistent image quality in FDG imaging with reduced patient and staff doses. These expressions might need to be adapted for other systems and reconstruction protocols.

Citation analysis in journal rankings: medical informatics in the library and information science literature.

PubMed Central

Vishwanatham, R

1998-01-01

Medical informatics is an interdisciplinary field. Medical informatics articles will be found in the literature of various disciplines including library and information science publications. The purpose of this study was to provide an objectively ranked list of journals that publish medical informatics articles relevant to library and information science. Library Literature, Library and Information Science Abstracts, and Social Science Citation Index were used to identify articles published on the topic of medical informatics and to identify a ranked list of journals. This study also used citation analysis to identify the most frequently cited journals relevant to library and information science. PMID:9803294

Thematic mapper studies of Andean volcanoes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Francis, P. W.

1986-01-01

The primary objective was to identify all the active volcanoes in the Andean region of Bolivia. Morphological features of the Tata Sabaya volcano, Bolivia, were studied with the thematic mapper. Details include marginal levees on lava and pyroclastic flows, and summit crater structure. Valley glacier moraine deposits, not easily identified on the multispectral band scanner, were also unambiguous, and provide useful marker horizons on large volcanic edifices which were built up in preglacial times but which were active subsequently. With such high resolution imagery, it is not only possible to identify potentially active volcanoes, but also to use standard photogeological interpretation to outline the history of individual volcanoes.

Hydrology Applications of the GRACE missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srinivasan, M. M.; Ivins, E. R.; Jasinski, M. F.

2014-12-01

NASA and their German space agency partners have a rich history of global gravity observations beginning with the launch of the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) in 2002. The science goals of the mission include providing monthly maps of variations in the gravity field, where the major time-varying signal is due to water motion in the Earth system. GRACE has a unique ability to observe the mass flux of water movement at monthly time scales. The hydrology applications of the GRACE mission include measurements of seasonal storage of surface and subsurface water and evapotranspiration at the land-ocean-atmosphere boundary. These variables are invaluable for improved modeling and prediction of Earth system processes. Other mission-critical science objectives include measurements that are a key component of NASA's ongoing climate measuring capabilities. Successful strategies to enhance science and practical applications of the proposed GRACE-Follow On (GRACE-FO) mission, scheduled to launch in 2017, will require engaging with and facilitating between representatives in the science, societal applications, and mission planning communities. NASA's Applied Sciences Program is supporting collaboration on an applied approach to identifying communities of potential and of practice in order to identify and promote the societal benefits of these and future gravity missions. The objective is to engage applications-oriented users and organizations and enable them to envision possible applications and end-user needs as a way to increase the benefits of these missions to the nations. The focus of activities for this applications program include; engaging the science community in order to identify applications and current and potential data users, developing a written Applications Plan, conducting workshops and user tutorials, providing ready access to information via web pages, developing databases of key and interested users/scientists, creating printed materials (posters, brochures) that identify key capabilities and applications of the missions and data, and participation in key science meetings and decision support processes.

Measuring emotion regulation and emotional expression in breast cancer patients: A systematic review.

PubMed

Brandão, Tânia; Tavares, Rita; Schulz, Marc S; Matos, Paula Mena

2016-02-01

The important role of emotion regulation and expression in adaptation to breast cancer is now widely recognized. Studies have shown that optimal emotion regulation strategies, including less constrained emotional expression, are associated with better adaptation. Our objective was to systematically review measures used to assess the way women with breast cancer regulate their emotions. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Nine different databases were searched. Data were independently extracted and assessed by two researchers. English-language articles that used at least one instrument to measure strategies to regulate emotions in women with breast cancer were included. Of 679 abstracts identified 59 studies were deemed eligible for inclusion. Studies were coded regarding their objectives, methods, and results. We identified 16 instruments used to measure strategies of emotion regulation and expression. The most frequently employed instrument was the Courtauld Emotional Control Scale. Few psychometric proprieties other than internal consistency were reported for most instruments. Many studies did not include important information regarding descriptive characteristics and psychometric properties of the instruments used. The instruments used tap different aspects of emotion regulation. Specific instruments should be explored further with regard to content, validity, and reliability in the context of breast cancer. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Persistent Identifiers for Data Products: Adoption, Enhancement, and Use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Downs, R. R.; Schumacher, J.; Scialdone, J.; Hansen, M.

2016-12-01

Persistent identifiers offer value for science and for various science community stakeholders, such as data producers, data distributers, science article authors, scientific journal publishers, research sponsors, libraries, and affiliated institutions. However, to attain the benefits of persistent identifiers, they should be assigned to disseminated data products and included within the references reported in publications that describe the studies in which the data were used. Scientific data centers, archives, digital repositories, and other data publishers also need to determine the level of aggregation, or granularity, of data products to be assigned persistent identifiers as well as the elements to be included in the landing pages to which persistent identifiers will resolve. Similarly, policies and procedures should be clear on decisions about maintenance issues, including versioning of data products and how persistent identifiers to previous versions and new locations will be maintained. With some persistent identifiers, such as Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), which provide capabilities to link to related identifiers of other works, decisions on the establishment of links also must be clear, including links between early versions of data products and subsequent versions, links between data products and associated documentation, and links between data products and other publications that describe the data. We describe decisions for enabling the adoption and assignment of DOIs as persistent identifiers for data products disseminated by the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) along with considerations for policy decisions, testing, implementation, and enhancement. The prevalence of the adoption of DOIs for citing the use of Earth science data disseminated by SEDAC also is described to provide insight into how interdisciplinary data users have engaged in the use of DOIs within their publications along with the implications of such use.

A SmallSat Approach for Global Imaging Spectroscopy of the Earth SYSTEM Enabled by Advanced Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, R. O.; Asner, G. P.; Thompson, D. R.; Mouroulis, P.; Eastwood, M. L.; Chien, S.

2017-12-01

Global coverage imaging spectroscopy in the solar reflected energy portion of the spectrum has been identified by the Earth Decadal Survey as an important measurement that enables a diverse set of new and time critical science objectives/targets for the Earth system. These science objectives include biodiversity; ecosystem function; ecosystem biogeochemistry; initialization and constraint of global ecosystem models; fire fuel, combustion, burn severity, and recovery; surface mineralogy, geochemistry, geologic processes, soils, and hazards; global mineral dust source composition; cryospheric albedo, energy balance, and melting; coastal and inland water habitats; coral reefs; point source gas emission; cloud thermodynamic phase; urban system properties; and more. Traceability of these science objectives to spectroscopic measurement in the visible to short wavelength infrared portion of the spectrum is summarized. New approaches, including satellite constellations, to acquire these global imaging spectroscopy measurements is presented drawing from recent advances in optical design, detector technology, instrument architecture, thermal control, on-board processing, data storage, and downlink.

Evaluating the Impact of the U.S. National Toxicology Program: A Case Study on Hexavalent Chromium

PubMed Central

Xie, Yun; Holmgren, Stephanie; Andrews, Danica M. K.; Wolfe, Mary S.

2016-01-01

Background: Evaluating the impact of federally funded research with a broad, methodical, and objective approach is important to ensure that public funds advance the mission of federal agencies. Objectives: We aimed to develop a methodical approach that would yield a broad assessment of National Toxicology Program’s (NTP’s) effectiveness across multiple sectors and demonstrate the utility of the approach through a case study. Methods: A conceptual model was developed with defined activities, outputs (products), and outcomes (proximal, intermediate, distal) and applied retrospectively to NTP’s research on hexavalent chromium (CrVI). Proximal outcomes were measured by counting views of and requests for NTP’s products by external stakeholders. Intermediate outcomes were measured by bibliometric analysis. Distal outcomes were assessed through Web and LexisNexis searches for documents related to legislation or regulation changes. Results: The approach identified awareness of NTP’s work on CrVI by external stakeholders (proximal outcome) and citations of NTP’s research in scientific publications, reports, congressional testimonies, and legal and policy documents (intermediate outcome). NTP’s research was key to the nation’s first-ever drinking water standard for CrVI adopted by California in 2014 (distal outcome). By applying this approach to a case study, the utility and limitations of the approach were identified, including challenges to evaluating the outcomes of a research program. Conclusions: This study identified a broad and objective approach for assessing NTP’s effectiveness, including methodological needs for more thorough and efficient impact assessments in the future. Citation: Xie Y, Holmgren S, Andrews DMK, Wolfe MS. 2017. Evaluating the impact of the U.S. National Toxicology Program: a case study on hexavalent chromium. Environ Health Perspect 125:181–188; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP21 PMID:27483499

Comparing image quality of print-on-demand books and photobooks from web-based vendors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Jonathan; Bajorski, Peter; Burns, Peter; Fredericks, Erin; Rosen, Mitchell

2010-01-01

Because of the emergence of e-commerce and developments in print engines designed for economical output of very short runs, there are increased business opportunities and consumer options for print-on-demand books and photobooks. The current state of these printing modes allows for direct uploading of book files via the web, printing on nonoffset printers, and distributing by standard parcel or mail delivery services. The goal of this research is to assess the image quality of print-on-demand books and photobooks produced by various Web-based vendors and to identify correlations between psychophysical results and objective metrics. Six vendors were identified for one-off (single-copy) print-on-demand books, and seven vendors were identified for photobooks. Participants rank ordered overall quality of a subset of individual pages from each book, where the pages included text, photographs, or a combination of the two. Observers also reported overall quality ratings and price estimates for the bound books. Objective metrics of color gamut, color accuracy, accuracy of International Color Consortium profile usage, eye-weighted root mean square L*, and cascaded modulation transfer acutance were obtained and compared to the observer responses. We introduce some new methods for normalizing data as well as for strengthening the statistical significance of the results. Our approach includes the use of latent mixed-effect models. We found statistically significant correlation with overall image quality and some of the spatial metrics, but correlations between psychophysical results and other objective metrics were weak or nonexistent. Strong correlation was found between psychophysical results of overall quality assessment and estimated price associated with quality. The photobook set of vendors reached higher image-quality ratings than the set of print-on-demand vendors. However, the photobook set had higher image-quality variability.

Extremely red quasars from SDSS, BOSS and WISE: classification of optical spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, Nicholas P.; Hamann, Fred; Zakamska, Nadia L.; Richards, Gordon T.; Villforth, Carolin; Strauss, Michael A.; Greene, Jenny E.; Alexandroff, Rachael; Brandt, W. Niel; Liu, Guilin; Myers, Adam D.; Pâris, Isabelle; Schneider, Donald P.

2015-11-01

Quasars with extremely red infrared-to-optical colours are an interesting population that can test ideas about quasar evolution as well as orientation, obscuration and geometric effects in the so-called AGN unified model. To identify such a population, we match the quasar catalogues of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) to the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) to identify quasars with extremely high infrared-to-optical ratios. We identify 65 objects with rAB - W4Vega > 14 mag (i.e. Fν(22 μm)/Fν(r) ≳ 1000). This sample spans a redshift range of 0.28 < z < 4.36 and has a bimodal distribution, with peaks at z ˜ 0.8 and z ˜ 2.5. It includes three z > 2.6 objects that are detected in the W4 band but not W1 or W2 (i.e. `W1W2 dropouts'). The SDSS/BOSS spectra show that the majority of the objects are reddened type 1 quasars, type 2 quasars (both at low and high redshift) or objects with deep low-ionization broad absorption lines (BALs) that suppress the observed r-band flux. In addition, we identify a class of type 1 permitted broad emission-line objects at z ≃ 2-3 which are characterized by emission line rest-frame equivalent widths (REWs) of ≳150 Å, much larger than those of typical quasars. In particular, 55 per cent (45 per cent) of the non-BAL type 1s with measurable C IV in our sample have REW(C IV) > 100 (150) Å, compared to only 5.8 per cent (1.3 per cent) for non-BAL quasars in BOSS. These objects often also have unusual line ratios, such as very high N V/Ly α ratios. These large REWs might be caused by suppressed continuum emission analogous to type 2 quasars; however, there is no obvious mechanism in standard unified models to suppress the continuum without also obscuring the broad emission lines.

Long Duration Exposure Facility Mini-Data Base User`s Guide: Macintosh version. (Diskette)

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

Bohnhoff-Hlavacek, G.; Pippin, H.G.; Dursch, H.W.

1995-04-01

One of the objectives of the LDEF Special Investigation Group (SIG) was to develop a LDEF data base that identifies the experiment objectives and hardware flown, summarizes results and conclusions, and provides a system analysis overview, including spacecraft design guidelines and space environmental effects. Compiling the information into an easily accessible data base format, and making it available to the space community was a major task accomplished by the System and Materials SIG effort beginning in 1981. Included in this document is a short user`s manual for the LDEF Mini-Data Bases. The user`s manual contains pertinent examples from the datamore » base on specifically how to access and work with the LDEF information. Accompanying this document are the mini-data bases on disk.« less

Comparison of Remote Sensing Image Processing Techniques to Identify Tornado Damage Areas from Landsat TM Data

PubMed Central

Myint, Soe W.; Yuan, May; Cerveny, Randall S.; Giri, Chandra P.

2008-01-01

Remote sensing techniques have been shown effective for large-scale damage surveys after a hazardous event in both near real-time or post-event analyses. The paper aims to compare accuracy of common imaging processing techniques to detect tornado damage tracks from Landsat TM data. We employed the direct change detection approach using two sets of images acquired before and after the tornado event to produce a principal component composite images and a set of image difference bands. Techniques in the comparison include supervised classification, unsupervised classification, and object-oriented classification approach with a nearest neighbor classifier. Accuracy assessment is based on Kappa coefficient calculated from error matrices which cross tabulate correctly identified cells on the TM image and commission and omission errors in the result. Overall, the Object-oriented Approach exhibits the highest degree of accuracy in tornado damage detection. PCA and Image Differencing methods show comparable outcomes. While selected PCs can improve detection accuracy 5 to 10%, the Object-oriented Approach performs significantly better with 15-20% higher accuracy than the other two techniques. PMID:27879757

Screening Parents during Child Evaluations: Exploring Parent and Child Psychopathology in the Same Clinic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vidair, Hilary B.; Reyes, Jazmin A.; Shen, Sa; Parrilla-Escobar, Maria A.; Heleniak, Charlotte M.; Hollin, Ilene L.; Woodruff, Scott; Turner, J. Blake; Rynn, Moira A.

2011-01-01

Objective: Children of depressed and/or anxious parents are at increased risk for developing psychiatric disorders. Little research has focused on screening parents bringing their children for psychiatric evaluation, and few studies have included fathers or Hispanic children. This study had the following aims: 1) to identify current symptom rates…

The Emergence and Evolution of School Psychology Literature: A Scientometric Analysis from 1907 through 2014

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Shuyan; Oakland, Thomas

2016-01-01

The objective of this current study is to identify the growth and development of scholarly literature that specifically references the term "school psychology" in the Science Citation Index from 1907 through 2014. Documents from Web of Science were accessed and analyzed through the use of scientometric analyses, including HistCite and…

Social Studies. Standards of Learning Objectives for Virginia Public Schools: Revised 1989.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Virginia State Dept. of Education, Richmond.

The standards in this document resulted from a statewide effort to identify a scope and sequence of content, concepts, skills, and attitudes in social studies from kindergarten through grade twelve. The goals embodied in the standards include: (1) providing experiences that enable students to participate in society effectively and responsibly; (2)…

Proceedings of a Workshop on Applications of Tethers in Space, Executive Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

The objectives were to identify potential applications for tethers in space; develop a first order assessment of the feasibility and benefits of tether applications; recommend future actions necessary to enable tether applications, including required technology advancements; and stimulate industry and government planners to consider the unique properties of tethers in designs for future missions.

Instrumental Techniques: Guitar, Course Number: Music: 5631.3-3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennitt, Barth; Thum, Marie-Jo

A course which is an introduction to music emphasizing modes and forms is outlined. Objectives include: (1) The student will select the title of a familiar melody from a list provided; (2) The student will identify by ear the performing medium from the following choices: violin, voice, piano, guitar, clarinet, trombone, organ, string bass,…

An Evaluation of Behavioral Health Compliance and Microbial Risk Factors on Student Populations within a High-Density Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Decker, Jody F.; Slawson, Robin M.

2012-01-01

Objective: The aim of this Canadian study was to assess student behavioral response to disease transmission risk, while identifying high microbial deposition/transmission sites. Participants: A student survey was conducted during October 2009. Methods: The methods included a survey of students to assess use of health services, vaccination…

The Role of Self-Efficacy and Friend Support on Adolescent Vigorous Physical Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Kyra; Warner, Lisa M.; Schwarzer, Ralf

2017-01-01

Objectives: Physical activity, including some form of vigorous activity, is a key component of a healthy lifestyle in young people. Self-efficacy and social support have been identified as key determinants of physical activity; however, the mechanism that reflects the interplay of these two factors is not well understood. The aim of the current…

Occupational Stress, Mental Health Status and Stress Management Behaviors among Secondary School Teachers in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leung, Sharron S. K.; Mak, Yim Wah; Chui, Ying Yu; Chiang, Vico C. L.; Lee, Angel C. K.

2009-01-01

Objective: This study aimed to examine occupational stress and mental health among secondary school teachers in Hong Kong, and to identify the differences between those actively engaged in stress management behaviors and those who were not. Design: Survey design was adopted using validated instruments including Occupational Stress Inventory…

Determinants of Length of Stay in Stroke Patients: A Geriatric Rehabilitation Unit Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atalay, Ayce; Turhan, Nur

2009-01-01

The objective was to identify the predictors of length of stay--the impact of age, comorbidity, and stroke subtype--on the outcome of geriatric stroke patients. One hundred and seventy stroke patients (129 first-ever ischemic, 25 hemorrhagic, and 16 ischemic second strokes) were included in the study. The Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project…

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…

78 FR 17632 - Caribou-Targhee National Forest; Idaho and Wyoming; Amendment to the Targhee Revised Forest Plan...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-22

...; Amendment to the Targhee Revised Forest Plan--Canada Lynx Habitat AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION... Forest proposes to amend the Targhee Revised Forest Plan (1997) to include a map identifying specific... Administrative Review Process: The decision on this proposed plan amendment will be subject to the objection...

Design of an Assessment of Caregivers' Impulsive Feelings to Commit Elder Abuse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Minhong; Kolomer, Stacey

2007-01-01

Objective: This study aims to identify the psychometric properties of the Impulsive Feelings to Commit Elder Abuse (IFCEA) scale. Method: The sample included 387 South Korean family caregivers for their older family members with disabilities. Results: The internal consistency of the IFCEA was very good, and claims for the construct validity were…

Attributes of Instances of Student Mathematical Thinking That Are Worth Building on in Whole-Class Discussion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Zoest, Laura R.; Stockero, Shari L.; Leatham, Keith R.; Peterson, Blake E.; Atanga, Napthalin A.; Ochieng, Mary A.

2017-01-01

This study investigated attributes of 278 instances of student mathematical thinking during whole-class interactions that were identified as having high potential, if made the object of discussion, to foster learners' understanding of important mathematical ideas. Attributes included the form of the thinking (e.g., question vs. declarative…

The Association between Financial Aid Availability and the College Dropout Rates in Colombia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melguizo, Tatiana; Torres, Fabio Sanchez; Jaime, Haider

2011-01-01

The main objective of this study is to estimate the association between financial aid and college dropout rates of postsecondary students in Colombia. We use a unique dataset from the Colombian Ministry of Education that includes all enrolled college students in the country between 1998 and 2008. Logistic regression is used to identify the…

Examination of Trends and Evidence-Based Elements in State Physical Education Legislation: A Content Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eyler, Amy A.; Brownson, Ross C.; Aytur, Semra A.; Cradock, Angie L.; Doescher, Mark; Evenson, Kelly R.; Kerr, Jacqueline; Maddock, Jay; Pluto, Delores L.; Steinman, Lesley; Tompkins, Nancy O'Hara; Troped, Philip; Schmid, Thomas L.

2010-01-01

Objectives: To develop a comprehensive inventory of state physical education (PE) legislation, examine trends in bill introduction, and compare bill factors. Methods: State PE legislation from January 2001 to July 2007 was identified using a legislative database. Analysis included components of evidence-based school PE from the Community Guide and…

Hubble Space Telescope Deep Field Lesson Package. Teacher's Guide, Grades 6-8. Amazing Space: Education On-Line from the Hubble Space Telescope.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

This lesson guide accompanies the Hubble Deep Field set of 10 lithographs and introduces 4 astronomy lesson plans for middle school students. Lessons include: (1) "How Many Objects Are There?"; (2) "Classifying and Identifying"; (3) "Estimating Distances in Space"; and (4) "Review and Assessment." Appendices…

Characterization of the Theta to Beta Ratio in ADHD: Identifying Potential Sources of Heterogeneity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loo, Sandra K.; Cho, Alexander; Hale, T. Sigi; McGough, James; McCracken, James; Smalley, Susan L.

2013-01-01

Objective: The goal of this study is to characterize the theta to beta ratio (THBR) obtained from electroencephalogram (EEG) measures, in a large sample of community and clinical participants with regard to (a) ADHD diagnosis and subtypes, (b) common psychiatric comorbidities, and (c) cognitive correlates. Method: The sample includes 871…

Variables Affecting Secondary School Students' Willingness to Eat Genetically Modified Food Crops

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maes, Jasmien; Bourgonjon, Jeroen; Gheysen, Godelieve; Valcke, Martin

2018-01-01

A large-scale cross-sectional study (N = 4002) was set up to determine Flemish secondary school students' willingness to eat genetically modified food (WTE) and to link students' WTE to previously identified key variables from research on the acceptance of genetic modification (GM). These variables include subjective and objective knowledge about…

43 CFR 2.70 - What definitions apply to subparts A through I of this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (1) Trade secrets... privacy, such as information that could be used to identify a particular person in a research study... means any school that operates a program of scholarly research. In order to fall within this category...

43 CFR 2.70 - What definitions apply to subparts A through I of this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (1) Trade secrets... privacy, such as information that could be used to identify a particular person in a research study... means any school that operates a program of scholarly research. In order to fall within this category...

NASA Langley WINN System Operational Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jonsson, Jon

2003-01-01

An operational assessment of the NASA Langley Weather Information Network (WINN) System is presented. The objectives of this program include: 1) Determine if near real-time weather information presented on the flight deck improves pilot situational awareness of weather; and 2) Identify pilot interface issues related to the use of WINN system during test flights. This paper is in viewgraph form.

Comparison of Behavioral Intervention and Sensory-Integration Therapy in the Treatment of Challenging Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devlin, Sarah; Healy, Olive; Leader, Geraldine; Hughes, Brian M.

2011-01-01

The objective of the current study was to compare the effects of sensory-integration therapy (SIT) and a behavioral intervention on rates of challenging behavior (including self-injurious behavior) in four children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. For each of the participants a functional assessment was conducted to identify the variables…

Fringe Benefits and the Value of Summer Leisure for Public School Teachers in the Southeast.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mabry, Rodney H.; And Others

This report focuses on the fringe benefit element of total compensation for teachers in the Southeast. Study objectives include the following: (1) identifying teachers' fringe benefits in 12 Southeastern States; (2) examining the variation in fringe benefits within the region; (3) examining whether summer free time is a benefit or detriment; and…

Programming and Training for Small Farm Grain Storage. Appropriate Technologies for Development. Manual No. M-2B.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindblad, Carl

This handbook for Peace Corps agricultural programmers, trainers, and volunteers is designed to aid them in identifying storage problems and devising solutions to them. Part 1 covers grain storage project programming. Information provided for the volunteers involved in grain storage projects includes project goals and objectives as well as methods…

High resolution low dose transmission electron microscopy real-time imaging and manipulation of nano-scale objects in the electron beam

DOEpatents

Brown, Jr., R. Malcolm; Barnes, Zack [Austin, TX; Sawatari, Chie [Shizuoka, JP; Kondo, Tetsuo [Kukuoka, JP

2008-02-26

The present invention includes a method, apparatus and system for nanofabrication in which one or more target molecules are identified for manipulation with an electron beam and the one or more target molecules are manipulated with the electron beam to produce new useful materials.

Federal Student Aid (FSA) Five-Year Strategic Plan. FY 2004-2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2004

2004-01-01

The FSA Five-Year Strategic Plan is a roadmap for FY 2004-2008 that identifies five long-range strategic objectives, tactical short-term goals, and performance management initiatives. In working toward the goals outlined in the plan, FSA will address a number of key challenges, including legacy system migration, business process re-engineering,…

Building bridges with clinicians.

PubMed

Brady, Timothy S; Hankins, Robert W

2003-06-01

Clinical and ancillary staff need and welcome the opportunity to be involved in healthcare financial management. To provide them with the financial tools they need, a group of clinical and nonclinical professionals identified the key components of a curriculum that addressed financial, managerial, and cost accounting, along with training objectives that include understanding cost allocation, trend analysis, and variance analysis.

Strategies for public health research in European Union countries.

PubMed

Grimaud, Olivier; McCarthy, Mark; Conceição, Claudia

2013-11-01

'Health' is an identifiable theme within the European Union multi-annual research programmes. Public Health Innovation and Research in Europe (PHIRE), led by the European Public Health Association, sought to identify public health research strategies in EU member states. Within PHIRE, national public health associations reviewed structures for health research, held stakeholder workshops and produced reports. This information, supplemented by further web searches, including using assisted translation, was analysed for national research strategies and health research strategies. All countries described general research strategies, outlining organizational and capacity objectives. Thematic fields, including health, are mentioned in some strategies. A health research strategy was identified for 15 EU countries and not for 12. Ministries of health led research strategies for nine countries. Public health research was identified in only three strategies. National research strategies did not refer to the European Union's health research programme. Public health research strategies of European countries need to be developed by ministries of health, working with the research community to achieve the European Research Area.

Visual object recognition and tracking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, Chu-Yin (Inventor); English, James D. (Inventor); Tardella, Neil M. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

This invention describes a method for identifying and tracking an object from two-dimensional data pictorially representing said object by an object-tracking system through processing said two-dimensional data using at least one tracker-identifier belonging to the object-tracking system for providing an output signal containing: a) a type of the object, and/or b) a position or an orientation of the object in three-dimensions, and/or c) an articulation or a shape change of said object in said three dimensions.

Designing a multi-objective, multi-support accuracy assessment of the 2001 National Land Cover Data (NLCD 2001) of the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stehman, S.V.; Wickham, J.D.; Wade, T.G.; Smith, J.H.

2008-01-01

The database design and diverse application of NLCD 2001 pose significant challenges for accuracy assessment because numerous objectives are of interest, including accuracy of land-cover, percent urban imperviousness, percent tree canopy, land-cover composition, and net change. A multi-support approach is needed because these objectives require spatial units of different sizes for reference data collection and analysis. Determining a sampling design that meets the full suite of desirable objectives for the NLCD 2001 accuracy assessment requires reconciling potentially conflicting design features that arise from targeting the different objectives. Multi-stage cluster sampling provides the general structure to achieve a multi-support assessment, and the flexibility to target different objectives at different stages of the design. We describe the implementation of two-stage cluster sampling for the initial phase of the NLCD 2001 assessment, and identify gaps in existing knowledge where research is needed to allow full implementation of a multi-objective, multi-support assessment. ?? 2008 American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.

Objective speech quality assessment and the RPE-LTP coding algorithm in different noise and language conditions.

PubMed

Hansen, J H; Nandkumar, S

1995-01-01

The formulation of reliable signal processing algorithms for speech coding and synthesis require the selection of a prior criterion of performance. Though coding efficiency (bits/second) or computational requirements can be used, a final performance measure must always include speech quality. In this paper, three objective speech quality measures are considered with respect to quality assessment for American English, noisy American English, and noise-free versions of seven languages. The purpose is to determine whether objective quality measures can be used to quantify changes in quality for a given voice coding method, with a known subjective performance level, as background noise or language conditions are changed. The speech coding algorithm chosen is regular-pulse excitation with long-term prediction (RPE-LTP), which has been chosen as the standard voice compression algorithm for the European Digital Mobile Radio system. Three areas are considered for objective quality assessment which include: (i) vocoder performance for American English in a noise-free environment, (ii) speech quality variation for three additive background noise sources, and (iii) noise-free performance for seven languages which include English, Japanese, Finnish, German, Hindi, Spanish, and French. It is suggested that although existing objective quality measures will never replace subjective testing, they can be a useful means of assessing changes in performance, identifying areas for improvement in algorithm design, and augmenting subjective quality tests for voice coding/compression algorithms in noise-free, noisy, and/or non-English applications.

Sexual Health Curricula in U.S. Medical Schools: Current Educational Objectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galletly, Carol; Lechuga, Julia; Layde, Joseph B.; Pinkerton, Steven

2010-01-01

Objective: The authors identify the explicit and implicit objectives that shape decisions about what medical schools teach regarding human sexuality. Methods: The authors reviewed relevant articles in journals, physician licensing examinations, and publications by professional organizations to identify learning objectives for human sexuality in…

Phase B: Final definition and preliminary design study for the initial Atmospheric Cloud Physics Laboratory (ACPL), a spacelab mission payload

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

A preliminary identification of the Supporting Research and Technology (SR&T) necessary during the planned evolution of atmospheric cloud physics is discussed. All requirements are for subsequent flights over its expected ten year lifetime. Those components identified as requiring some SR&T work prior to inclusion are listed. A data sheet is included for each item, briefly justifying the need, giving general objectives for the proposed development effort and identifying approximate schedule requirements on the program.

The first eclipsing binary catalogue from the MOA-II data base

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, M. C. A.; Rattenbury, N. J.; Bond, I. A.; Sumi, T.; Bennett, D. P.; Koshimoto, N.; Abe, F.; Asakura, Y.; Barry, R.; Bhattacharya, A.; Donachie, M.; Evans, P.; Freeman, M.; Fukui, A.; Hirao, Y.; Itow, Y.; Ling, C. H.; Masuda, K.; Matsubara, Y.; Muraki, Y.; Nagakane, M.; Ohnishi, K.; Saito, To.; Sharan, A.; Sullivan, D. J.; Suzuki, D.; Tristram, P. J.; Yonehara, A.

2017-09-01

We present the first catalogue of eclipsing binaries in two MOA (Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics) fields towards the Galactic bulge, in which over 8000 candidates, mostly contact and semidetached binaries of periods <1 d, were identified. In this paper, the light curves of a small number of interesting candidates, including eccentric binaries, binaries with noteworthy phase modulations and eclipsing RS Canum Venaticorum type stars, are shown as examples. In addition, we identified three triple object candidates by detecting the light-travel-time effect in their eclipse time variation curves.

Interactions of Memory and Perception in Amnesia: The Figure–Ground Perspective

PubMed Central

Ngo, Joan K. W.; Hung, Lily H. T.; Peterson, Mary A.

2012-01-01

The medial temporal lobes (MTLs) have been thought to function exclusively in service of declarative memory. Recent research shows that damage to the perirhinal cortex (PRC) of the MTL impairs the discrimination of objects sharing many similar parts/features, leading to the hypothesis that the PRC contributes to the perception when the feature configurations, rather than the individual features, are required to solve the task. It remains uncertain, however, whether the previous research demands a slight extension of PRC function to include working memory or a more dramatic extension to include perception. We present 2 experiments assessing the implicit effects of familiar configuration on figure assignment, an early and fundamental perceptual outcome. Unlike controls, PRC-damaged individuals failed to perceive the regions portraying familiar configurations, as figure more often, than the regions comprising the same parts rearranged into novel configurations. They were also impaired in identifying the familiar objects. In a third experiment, PRC-damaged individuals performed poorly when asked to choose a familiar object from pairs of familiar and novel objects comprising the same parts. Our results demonstrate that the PRC is involved in both implicit and explicit perceptual discriminations of novel and familiar configurations. These results reveal that complex object representations in the PRC subserve both perception and memory. PMID:22172579

Interactions of memory and perception in amnesia: the figure-ground perspective.

PubMed

Barense, Morgan D; Ngo, Joan K W; Hung, Lily H T; Peterson, Mary A

2012-11-01

The medial temporal lobes (MTLs) have been thought to function exclusively in service of declarative memory. Recent research shows that damage to the perirhinal cortex (PRC) of the MTL impairs the discrimination of objects sharing many similar parts/features, leading to the hypothesis that the PRC contributes to the perception when the feature configurations, rather than the individual features, are required to solve the task. It remains uncertain, however, whether the previous research demands a slight extension of PRC function to include working memory or a more dramatic extension to include perception. We present 2 experiments assessing the implicit effects of familiar configuration on figure assignment, an early and fundamental perceptual outcome. Unlike controls, PRC-damaged individuals failed to perceive the regions portraying familiar configurations, as figure more often, than the regions comprising the same parts rearranged into novel configurations. They were also impaired in identifying the familiar objects. In a third experiment, PRC-damaged individuals performed poorly when asked to choose a familiar object from pairs of familiar and novel objects comprising the same parts. Our results demonstrate that the PRC is involved in both implicit and explicit perceptual discriminations of novel and familiar configurations. These results reveal that complex object representations in the PRC subserve both perception and memory.

Intervention mapping protocol for developing a theory-based diabetes self-management education program.

PubMed

Song, Misoon; Choi, Suyoung; Kim, Se-An; Seo, Kyoungsan; Lee, Soo Jin

2015-01-01

Development of behavior theory-based health promotion programs is encouraged with the paradigm shift from contents to behavior outcomes. This article describes the development process of the diabetes self-management program for older Koreans (DSME-OK) using intervention mapping (IM) protocol. The IM protocol includes needs assessment, defining goals and objectives, identifying theory and determinants, developing a matrix to form change objectives, selecting strategies and methods, structuring the program, and planning for evaluation and pilot testing. The DSME-OK adopted seven behavior objectives developed by the American Association of Diabetes Educators as behavioral outcomes. The program applied an information-motivation-behavioral skills model, and interventions were targeted to 3 determinants to change health behaviors. Specific methods were selected to achieve each objective guided by IM protocol. As the final step, program evaluation was planned including a pilot test. The DSME-OK was structured as the 3 determinants of the IMB model were intervened to achieve behavior objectives in each session. The program has 12 weekly 90-min sessions tailored for older adults. Using the IM protocol in developing a theory-based self-management program was beneficial in terms of providing a systematic guide to developing theory-based and behavior outcome-focused health education programs.

From Phenomena to Objects: Segmentation of Fuzzy Objects and its Application to Oceanic Eddies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qingling

A challenging image analysis problem that has received limited attention to date is the isolation of fuzzy objects---i.e. those with inherently indeterminate boundaries---from continuous field data. This dissertation seeks to bridge the gap between, on the one hand, the recognized need for Object-Based Image Analysis of fuzzy remotely sensed features, and on the other, the optimization of existing image segmentation techniques for the extraction of more discretely bounded features. Using mesoscale oceanic eddies as a case study of a fuzzy object class evident in Sea Surface Height Anomaly (SSHA) imagery, the dissertation demonstrates firstly, that the widely used region-growing and watershed segmentation techniques can be optimized and made comparable in the absence of ground truth data using the principle of parsimony. However, they both have significant shortcomings, with the region growing procedure creating contour polygons that do not follow the shape of eddies while the watershed technique frequently subdivides eddies or groups together separate eddy objects. Secondly, it was determined that these problems can be remedied by using a novel Non-Euclidian Voronoi (NEV) tessellation technique. NEV is effective in isolating the extrema associated with eddies in SSHA data while using a non-Euclidian cost-distance based procedure (based on cumulative gradients in ocean height) to define the boundaries between fuzzy objects. Using this procedure as the first stage in isolating candidate eddy objects, a novel "region-shrinking" multicriteria eddy identification algorithm was developed that includes consideration of shape and vorticity. Eddies identified by this region-shrinking technique compare favorably with those identified by existing techniques, while simplifying and improving existing automated eddy detection algorithms. However, it also tends to find a larger number of eddies as a result of its ability to separate what other techniques identify as connected eddies. The research presented here is of significance not only to eddy research in oceanography, but also to other areas of Earth System Science for which the automated detection of features lacking rigid boundary definitions is of importance.

Cost intensity of identifying contraindications to driving a company car through psychological tests on the basis of real-world data in Poland.

PubMed

Juszczyk, Grzegorz; Czerw, Aleksandra; Tatara, Tomasz; Duda-Zalewska, Aneta; Walusiak-Skorupa, Joanna; Słoniewski, Robert; Staniszewska, Anna; Olejniczak, Dominik; Religioni, Urszula

2017-12-01

The study objective was to determine the cost intensity of identifying contraindications to fleet car driving in preventive care. The objective of a psychological examination is to identify impaired psychomotor function as well as any intellectual, cognitive or emotional incapacities, which may seriously impede safety. Real-world data were collected from the healthcare provider in Poland. A total of 8111 anonymous records from psychomotor tests performed between January 1 and December 31, 2012 were analysed. The number needed to screen to identify one person with contraindications to driving was 737. An individual examination costs PLN 150, thus the estimated cost of identifying one case was PLN 110,550 (EUR 25,000). The average number of tests in a small enterprise with 20-50 fleet cars was estimated at 5-25 in a 5-year period and their cost at PLN 3750 (PLN 750 annually). Health check-ups include ophthalmological and neurological consultations; therefore, psychological examination of fleet car drivers may be considered excessive due to cost and limited preventive value. High costs may be burdensome mainly to larger companies. A final decision regarding necessity of psychological testing should be preceded by medical assessment of the risk of work accidents.

Persistent Identifiers for Field Expeditions: A Next Step for the US Oceanographic Research Fleet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arko, Robert; Carbotte, Suzanne; Chandler, Cynthia; Smith, Shawn; Stocks, Karen

2016-04-01

Oceanographic research cruises are complex affairs, typically requiring an extensive effort to secure the funding, plan the experiment, and mobilize the field party. Yet cruises are not typically published online as first-class digital objects with persistent, citable identifiers linked to the scientific literature. The Rolling Deck to Repository (R2R; info@rvdata.us) program maintains a master catalog of oceanographic cruises for the United States research fleet, currently documenting over 6,000 expeditions on 37 active and retired vessels. In 2015, R2R started routinely publishing a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for each completed cruise. Cruise DOIs, in turn, are linked to related persistent identifiers where available including the Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) for members of the science party, the International Geo Sample Number (IGSN) for physical specimens collected during the cruise, the Open Funder Registry (FundRef) codes that supported the experiment, and additional DOIs for datasets, journal articles, and other products resulting from the cruise. Publishing a persistent identifier for each field expedition will facilitate interoperability between the many different repositories that hold research products from cruises; will provide credit to the investigators who secured the funding and carried out the experiment; and will facilitate the gathering of fleet-wide altmetrics that demonstrate the broad impact of oceanographic research.

Overcoming Barriers to Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care Services

PubMed Central

Grazier, Kyle L.; Smiley, Mary L.; Bondalapati, Kirsten S.

2016-01-01

Objective: Despite barriers, organizations with varying characteristics have achieved full integration of primary care services with providers and services that identify, treat, and manage those with mental health and substance use disorders. What are the key factors and common themes in stories of this success? Methods: A systematic literature review and snowball sampling technique was used to identify organizations. Site visits and key informant interviews were conducted with 6 organizations that had over time integrated behavioral health and primary care services. Case studies of each organization were independently coded to identify traits common to multiple organizations. Results: Common characteristics include prioritized vulnerable populations, extensive community collaboration, team approaches that included the patient and family, diversified funding streams, and data-driven approaches and practices. Conclusions: While significant barriers to integrating behavioral health and primary care services exist, case studies of organizations that have successfully overcome these barriers share certain common factors. PMID:27380923

Somali Perspectives on Physical Activity: Photovoice to Address Barriers and Resources in San Diego

PubMed Central

Murray, Kate; Mohamed, Amina Sheik; Dawson, Darius B.; Syme, Maggie; Abdi, Sahra; Barnack-Tavlaris, Jessica

2015-01-01

Background Though many immigrants enter the U.S. with a healthy body weight, this health advantage disappears the longer they reside in the U.S. To better understand the complexities of obesity change within a cultural framework, a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, Photovoice, was utilized focusing on physical activity among Muslim Somali women. Objectives The CBPR partnership was formed to identify barriers and resources to engaging in physical activity with goals of advocacy and program development. Methods Muslim Somali women (n = 8) were recruited to participate, trained and provided cameras, and engaged in group discussions about the scenes they photographed. Results Participants identified several barriers, including safety concerns, minimal culturally appropriate resources, and financial constraints. Strengths included public resources and a community support system. The CBPR process identified opportunities and challenges to collaboration and dissemination processes. Conclusions The findings laid the framework for subsequent program development and community engagement. PMID:25981428

Introduction to the problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramohalli, Kumar

1989-01-01

Solid propellant rockets were used extensively in space missions ranging from large boosters to orbit-raising upper stages. The smaller motors find exclusive use in various earth-based applications. The advantage of the solids include simplicity, readiness, volumetric efficiency, and storability. Important recent progress in related fields (combustion, rheology, micro-instrumentation/diagnostics, and chaos theory) can be applied to solid rockets to derive maximum advantage and avoid waste. Main objectives of research in solid propellants include: to identify critical parameters, to establish specification rules, and to develop quantitative criteria.

Advanced space power requirements and techniques. Task 1: Mission projections and requirements. Volume 1: Technical report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolfe, M. G.

1978-01-01

The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop projections of the NASA, DoD, and civil space power requirements for the 1980-1995 time period; (2) identify specific areas of application and space power subsystem type needs for each prospective user; (3) document the supporting and historical base, including relevant cost related measures of performance; and (4) quantify the benefits of specific technology projection advancements. The initial scope of the study included: (1) construction of likely models for NASA, DoD, and civil space systems; (2) generation of a number of future scenarios; (3) extraction of time phased technology requirements based on the scenarios; and (4) cost/benefit analyses of some of the technologies identified.

Visual Priming of Inverted and Rotated Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knowlton, Barbara J.; McAuliffe, Sean P.; Coelho, Chase J.; Hummel, John E.

2009-01-01

Object images are identified more efficiently after prior exposure. Here, the authors investigated shape representations supporting object priming. The dependent measure in all experiments was the minimum exposure duration required to correctly identify an object image in a rapid serial visual presentation stream. Priming was defined as the change…

Qualitative Analysis of Round-Table Discussions on the Business Case and Procurement Challenges for Hospital Electronic Prescribing Systems

PubMed Central

Cresswell, Kathrin M.; Slee, Ann; Coleman, Jamie; Williams, Robin; Bates, David W.; Sheikh, Aziz

2013-01-01

Objectives There is a pressing need to understand the challenges surrounding procurement of and business case development for hospital electronic prescribing systems, and to identify possible strategies to enhance the efficiency of these processes in order to assist strategic decision making. Materials and Methods We organized eight multi-disciplinary round-table discussions in the United Kingdom. Participants included policy makers, representatives from hospitals, system developers, academics, and patients. Each discussion was digitally audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and, together with accompanying field notes, analyzed thematically with NVivo9. Results We drew on data from 17 participants (approximately eight per roundtable), six hours of discussion, and 15 pages of field notes. Key challenges included silo planning with systems not being considered as part of an integrated organizational information technology strategy, lack of opportunity for interactions between customers and potential suppliers, lack of support for hospitals in choosing appropriate systems, difficulty of balancing structured planning with flexibility, and the on-going challenge of distinguishing “wants” and aspirations from organizational “needs”. Discussion and conclusions Development of business cases for major investments in information technology does not take place in an organizational vacuum. Building on previously identified potentially transferable dimensions to the development and execution of business cases surrounding measurements of costs/benefits and risk management, we have identified additional components relevant to ePrescribing systems. These include: considerations surrounding strategic context, case for change and objectives, future service requirements and options appraisal, capital and revenue implications, timescale and deliverability, and risk analysis and management. PMID:24260213

Patterns of Weight Control Behavior among 15 year old Girls

PubMed Central

Balantekin, Katherine N.; Birch, Leann L.; Savage, Jennifer S.

2015-01-01

Objective The objectives were to identify and predict patterns of weight control behavior in 15 year old (yo) girls and to examine weight control group differences in energy intake. Method Subjects included 166 girls assessed every 2 years (ys) from age 5 to 15. Latent class analysis was used to identify patterns of weight control behaviors. Antecedent variables (e.g. inhibitory control at 7ys), and concurrent variables (e.g. BMI and dietary intake at 15ys) were included as predictors. Assessments were a combination of survey, interview, and laboratory measures. Results LCA identified four classes of weight control behaviors, Non-dieters (26%), and three dieting groups: Lifestyle (16%), Dieters (43%), and Extreme Dieters (17%). Levels of restraint, weight concerns, and dieting frequency increased across groups, from Non-dieters to Extreme Dieters. BMI at 5ys and inhibitory control at 7ys predicted weight control group at 15ys; e.g. with every one-point decrease in inhibitory control, girls were twice as likely to be Extreme Dieters than Non-dieters. Girls in the Extreme Dieters group were mostly classified as under-reporters, and had the lowest self-reported intake, but ate significantly more in the laboratory. Discussion Among 15yo girls, “dieting” includes a range of both healthy and unhealthy behaviors. Risk factors for membership in a weight control groups are present as early as 5ys. Patterns of intake in the laboratory support the view that lower reported energy intake by Extreme Dieters is likely due under-reporting as an intent to decrease intake, not actual decreased intake. PMID:26284953

Culturally Adaptive Walking Intervention for Korean-Chinese Female Migrant Workers.

PubMed

Cho, Sunghye; Lee, Hyeonkyeong; Kim, Jung Hee; Lee, Meenhye; Lee, Young-Me

2017-05-01

Although the literature has commonly cited that development of culturally adaptive interventions is key to improving the health outcomes of culturally and linguistically diverse populations, there have been limited culturally adaptive walking interventions specific to Korean-Chinese (KC) migrants. The objective of this study is to describe the process in development of culturally adaptive walking interventions for KC female migrant workers, using the intervention mapping (IM) method. The culturally adaptive walking intervention was developed using the IM method, which is a stepwise theory and evidence-based approach for planning interventions. The IM method process has six steps, including needs assessment, formulation of change objectives, selection of theory-based methods and practical strategies, development of an intervention program, development of an adoption and implementation plan, and development of an evaluation design. The determinants of walking behavior, including knowledge, self-efficacy, social support, and acculturation, were identified through an extensive literature review, community leader interviews, and a survey of female KC migrant workers. Appropriate intervention methods and strategies were identified based on relevant theories. Acculturation was a determinant of exercise behavior, and various methods to improve cultural adaptation were identified in the context of the lifestyles and working environments of the target population. The IM method provided a foundation for creating a health intervention for KC female migrant workers. This method could easily be useful for health care providers working with other groups.

Examining why ethics is taught to veterinary students: a qualitative study of veterinary educators' perspectives.

PubMed

Magalhães-Sant'Ana, Manuel; Lassen, Jesper; Millar, Kate M; Sandøe, Peter; Olsson, I Anna S

2014-01-01

Although it is widely agreed that veterinary students need to be introduced to ethics, there is limited empirical research investigating the reasons why veterinary ethics is being taught. This study presents the first extensive investigation into the reasons for teaching veterinary ethics and reports data collected in semi-structured interviews with educators involved in teaching undergraduate veterinary ethics at three European schools: the University of Copenhagen, the University of Nottingham, and the Technical University of Lisbon (curricular year 2010-2011). The content of the interview transcripts were analyzed using Toulmin's argumentative model. Ten objectives in teaching veterinary ethics were identified, which can be grouped into four overarching themes: ethical awareness, ethical knowledge, ethical skills, and individual and professional qualities. These objectives include recognizing values and ethical viewpoints, identifying norms and regulations, developing skills of communication and decision making, and contributing to a professional identity. Whereas many of the objectives complement each other, there is tension between the view that ethics teaching should promote knowledge of professional rules and the view that ethics teaching should emphasize critical reasoning skills. The wide range of objectives and the possible tensions between them highlight the challenges faced by educators as they attempt to prioritize among these goals of ethics teaching within a crowded veterinary curriculum.

Extraction of Multilayered Social Networks from Activity Data

PubMed Central

Bródka, Piotr; Kazienko, Przemysław; Gaworecki, Jarosław

2014-01-01

The data gathered in all kinds of web-based systems, which enable users to interact with each other, provides an opportunity to extract social networks that consist of people and relationships between them. The emerging structures are very complex due to the number and type of discovered connections. In web-based systems, the characteristic element of each interaction between users is that there is always an object that serves as a communication medium. This can be, for example, an e-mail sent from one user to another or post at the forum authored by one user and commented on by others. Based on these objects and activities that users perform towards them, different kinds of relationships can be identified and extracted. Additional challenge arises from the fact that hierarchies can exist between objects; for example, a forum consists of one or more groups of topics, and each of them contains topics that finally include posts. In this paper, we propose a new method for creation of multilayered social network based on the data about users activities towards different types of objects between which the hierarchy exists. Due to the flattening, preprocessing procedure of new layers and new relationships in the multilayered social network can be identified and analysed. PMID:25105159

Soluble Mediators and Clinical Features Discern Risk of Transitioning to Classified Disease in Relatives of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients

PubMed Central

Munroe, Melissa E.; Young, Kendra A.; Kamen, Diane L.; Guthridge, Joel M.; Niewold, Timothy B.; Costenbader, Karen H.; Weisman, Michael H.; Ishimori, Mariko L.; Wallace, Daniel J.; Gilkeson, Gary S.; Karp, David R.; Harley, John B.; Norris, Jill M.; James, Judith A.

2016-01-01

Objective Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune diseases cause significant morbidity. Identifying populations at risk of developing SLE is essential to curtail irreversible inflammatory damage. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with transition to classified disease that inform SLE risk. Methods Previously identified lupus patient blood relatives with < 4 American College of Rheumatology SLE classification criteria at baseline (n=409) were enrolled in this follow-up study. Participants provided detailed family, demographic, and clinical information, including the SLE-specific portion of the Connective Tissue Disease Screening Questionnaire (SLE-CSQ). Plasma samples were tested for the presence of lupus-associated autoantibodies and 52 soluble mediators. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were applied to identify factors anticipating disease transition. Results Forty-five relatives (11%) transitioned to classified SLE during follow-up (mean time=6.4 years). Relatives who transitioned displayed more lupus-associated autoantibody specificities and higher SLE-CSQ scores (p<0.0001) at baseline than non-transitioned relatives. Importantly, they also had elevated baseline plasma levels of inflammatory mediators, including B-lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS), stem cell factor (SCF), and interferon-associated chemokines (p≤0.02), with concurrent decreases in levels of regulatory mediators, tumor growth factor (TGF)-β and interleukin (IL)-10 (p≤0.03). GEE revealed that baseline SLE-CSQ or ACR scores and plasma levels of SCF and TGF-β (p≤0.03), but not autoantibodies, were significant and independent predictors of SLE transition. Conclusions Altered levels of soluble mediators anticipate transition to classified disease in lupus relatives. Thus, immune perturbations precede SLE classification and can help identify high-risk relatives for rheumatology referral and potential enrollment in prevention trials. PMID:27863174

Oral microbiota species in acute apical endodontic abscesses

PubMed Central

George, Noelle; Flamiatos, Erin; Kawasaki, Kellie; Kim, Namgu; Carriere, Charles; Phan, Brian; Joseph, Raphael; Strauss, Shay; Kohli, Richie; Choi, Dongseok; Craig Baumgartner, J.; Sedgley, Christine; Maier, Tom; Machida, Curtis A.

2016-01-01

Background and objectives Acute apical abscesses are serious endodontic diseases resulting from pulpal infection with opportunistic oral microorganisms. The objective of this study was to identify and compare the oral microbiota in patients (N=18) exhibiting acute apical abscesses, originating from the demographic region in Portland, Oregon. The study hypothesis is that abscesses obtained from this demographic region may contain unique microorganisms not identified in specimens from other regions. Design Endodontic abscesses were sampled from patients at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Dentistry. DNA from abscess specimens was subjected to polymerase chain reaction amplification using 16S rRNA gene-specific primers and Cy3-dCTP labeling. Labeled DNA was then applied to microbial microarrays (280 species) generated by the Human Oral Microbial Identification Microarray Laboratory (Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA). Results The most prevalent microorganisms, found across multiple abscess specimens, include Fusobacterium nucleatum, Parvimonas micra, Megasphaera species clone CS025, Prevotella multisaccharivorax, Atopobium rimae, and Porphyromonas endodontalis. The most abundant microorganisms, found in highest numbers within individual abscesses, include F. nucleatum, P. micra, Streptococcus Cluster III, Solobacterium moorei, Streptococcus constellatus, and Porphyromonas endodontalis. Strong bacterial associations were identified between Prevotella multisaccharivorax, Acidaminococcaceae species clone DM071, Megasphaera species clone CS025, Actinomyces species clone EP053, and Streptococcus cristatus (all with Spearman coefficients >0.9). Conclusions Cultivable and uncultivable bacterial species have been identified in endodontic abscesses obtained from the Portland, Oregon demographic region, and taxa identifications correlated well with other published studies, with the exception of Treponema and Streptococcus cristae, which were not commonly identified in endodontic abscesses between the demographic region in Portland, Oregon and other regions. PMID:26983837

Towards Web 3.0: taxonomies and ontologies for medical education -- a systematic review.

PubMed

Blaum, Wolf E; Jarczweski, Anne; Balzer, Felix; Stötzner, Philip; Ahlers, Olaf

2013-01-01

Both for curricular development and mapping, as well as for orientation within the mounting supply of learning resources in medical education, the Semantic Web ("Web 3.0") poses a low-threshold, effective tool that enables identification of content related items across system boundaries. Replacement of the currently required manual with an automatically generated link, which is based on content and semantics, requires the use of a suitably structured vocabulary for a machine-readable description of object content. Aim of this study is to compile the existing taxonomies and ontologies used for the annotation of medical content and learning resources, to compare those using selected criteria, and to verify their suitability in the context described above. Based on a systematic literature search, existing taxonomies and ontologies for the description of medical learning resources were identified. Through web searches and/or direct contact with the respective editors, each of the structured vocabularies thus identified were examined in regards to topic, structure, language, scope, maintenance, and technology of the taxonomy/ontology. In addition, suitability for use in the Semantic Web was verified. Among 20 identified publications, 14 structured vocabularies were identified, which differed rather strongly in regards to language, scope, currency, and maintenance. None of the identified vocabularies fulfilled the necessary criteria for content description of medical curricula and learning resources in the German-speaking world. While moving towards Web 3.0, a significant problem lies in the selection and use of an appropriate German vocabulary for the machine-readable description of object content. Possible solutions include development, translation and/or combination of existing vocabularies, possibly including partial translations of English vocabularies.

Motion Imagery and Robotics Application (MIRA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martinez, Lindolfo; Rich, Thomas

2011-01-01

Objectives include: I. Prototype a camera service leveraging the CCSDS Integrated protocol stack (MIRA/SM&C/AMS/DTN): a) CCSDS MIRA Service (New). b) Spacecraft Monitor and Control (SM&C). c) Asynchronous Messaging Service (AMS). d) Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN). II. Additional MIRA Objectives: a) Demo of Camera Control through ISS using CCSDS protocol stack (Berlin, May 2011). b) Verify that the CCSDS standards stack can provide end-to-end space camera services across ground and space environments. c) Test interoperability of various CCSDS protocol standards. d) Identify overlaps in the design and implementations of the CCSDS protocol standards. e) Identify software incompatibilities in the CCSDS stack interfaces. f) Provide redlines to the SM&C, AMS, and DTN working groups. d) Enable the CCSDS MIRA service for potential use in ISS Kibo camera commanding. e) Assist in long-term evolution of this entire group of CCSDS standards to TRL 6 or greater.

Overview of Faculty Development Programs for Interprofessional Education

PubMed Central

Zorek, Joseph A.; Meyer, Susan M.

2017-01-01

Objectives. To describe characteristics of faculty development programs designed to facilitate interprofessional education, and to compile recommendations for development, delivery, and assessment of such faculty development programs. Methods. MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, and Web of Science databases were searched using three keywords: faculty development, interprofessional education, and health professions. Articles meeting inclusion criteria were analyzed for emergent themes, including program design, delivery, participants, resources, and assessment. Results. Seventeen articles were identified for inclusion, yielding five characteristics of a successful program: institutional support; objectives and outcomes based on interprofessional competencies; focus on consensus-building and group facilitation skills; flexibility based on institution- and participant-specific characteristics; and incorporation of an assessment strategy. Conclusion. The themes and characteristics identified in this literature overview may support development of faculty development programs for interprofessional education. An advanced evidence base for interprofessional education faculty development programs is needed. PMID:28720924

WE-F-209-02: Radiation Safety Surveys of Linear Accelerators

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

Martin, M.

2016-06-15

Over the past few years, numerous Accreditation Bodies, Regulatory Agencies, and State Regulations have implemented requirements for Radiation Safety Surveys following installation or modification to x-ray rooms. The objective of this session is to review best practices in performing radiation safety surveys for both Therapy and Diagnostic installations, as well as a review of appropriate survey instruments. This session will be appropriate for both therapy and imaging physicists who are looking to increase their working knowledge of radiation safety surveys. Learning Objectives: Identify Appropriate Survey Meters for Radiation Safety Surveys Develop best practices for Radiation Safety Surveys for Therapy unitsmore » that include common areas of concern. Develop best practices for Radiation Safety Surveys of Diagnostic and Nuclear Medicine rooms. Identify acceptable dose levels and the factors that affect the calculations associated with performing Radiation Safety Surveys.« less

Technology Needs to Support Future Mars Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nilsen, Erik N.; Baker, John; Lillard, Randolph P.

2013-01-01

The Mars Program Planning Group (MPPG) under the direction of Dr. Orlando Figueroa, was chartered to develop options for a program-level architecture for robotic exploration of Mars consistent with the objective to send humans to Mars in the 2030's. Scientific pathways were defined for future exploration, and multiple architectural options were developed that meet current science goals and support the future human exploration objectives. Integral to the process was the identification of critical technologies which enable the future scientific and human exploration goals. This paper describes the process for technology capabilities identification and examines the critical capability needs identified in the MPPG process. Several critical enabling technologies that have been identified to support the robotic exploration goals and with potential feedforward application to human exploration goals. Potential roadmaps for the development and validation of these technologies are discussed, including options for subscale technology demonstrations of future human exploration technologies on robotic missions.

Balancing habitat delivery for breeding marsh birds and nonbreeding waterfowl: An integrated waterbird management and monitoring approach at Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge, Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Loges, Brian W.; Lyons, James E.; Tavernia, Brian G.

2017-08-23

The Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge (CCNWR) in the Mississippi River flood plain of eastern Missouri provides high quality emergent marsh and moist-soil habitat benefitting both nesting marsh birds and migrating waterfowl. Staff of CCNWR manipulate water levels and vegetation in the 17 units of the CCNWR to provide conditions favorable to these two important guilds. Although both guilds include focal species at multiple planning levels and complement objectives to provide a diversity of wetland community types and water regimes, additional decision support is needed for choosing how much emergent marsh and moist-soil habitat should be provided through annual management actions.To develop decision guidance for balanced delivery of high-energy waterfowl habitat and breeding marsh bird habitat, two measureable management objectives were identified: nonbreeding Anas Linnaeus (dabbling duck) use-days and Rallus elegans (king rail) occupancy of managed units. Three different composite management actions were identified to achieve these objectives. Each composite management action is a unique combination of growing season water regime and soil disturbance. The three composite management actions are intense moist-soil management (moist-soil), intermediate moist-soil (intermediate), and perennial management, which idles soils disturbance (perennial). The two management objectives and three management options were used in a multi-criteria decision analysis to indicate resource allocations and inform annual decision making. Outcomes of the composite management actions were predicted in two ways and multi-criteria decision analysis was used with each set of predictions. First, outcomes were predicted using expert-elicitation techniques and a panel of subject matter experts. Second, empirical data from the Integrated Waterbird Management and Monitoring Initiative collected between 2010 and 2013 were used; where data were lacking, expert judgment was used. Also, a Bayesian decision model was developed that can be updated with monitoring data in an adaptive management framework.Optimal resource allocations were identified in the form of portfolios of composite management actions for the 17 units in the framework. A constrained optimization (linear programming) was used to maximize an objective function that was based on the sum of dabbling duck and king rail utility. The constraints, which included management costs and a minimum energetic carrying capacity (total moist-soil acres), were applied to balance habitat delivery for dabbling ducks and king rails. Also, the framework was constrained in some cases to apply certain management actions of interest to certain management units; these constraints allowed for a variety of hypothetical Habitat Management Plans, including one based on output from a hydrogeomorphic study of the refuge. The decision analysis thus created numerous refuge-wide scenarios, each representing a unique mix of options (one for each of 17 units) and associated benefits (i.e., outcomes with respect to two management objectives).Prepared in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the decision framework presented here is designed as a decision-aiding tool for CCNWR managers who ultimately make difficult decisions each year with multiple objectives, multiple management units, and the complexity of natural systems. The framework also provides a way to document hypotheses about how the managed system functions. Furthermore, the framework identifies specific monitoring needs and illustrates precisely how monitoring data will be used for decision-aiding and adaptive management.

Smartphone-Based Monitoring of Objective and Subjective Data in Affective Disorders: Where Are We and Where Are We Going? Systematic Review.

PubMed

Dogan, Ezgi; Sander, Christian; Wagner, Xenija; Hegerl, Ulrich; Kohls, Elisabeth

2017-07-24

Electronic mental health interventions for mood disorders have increased rapidly over the past decade, most recently in the form of various systems and apps that are delivered via smartphones. We aim to provide an overview of studies on smartphone-based systems that combine subjective ratings with objectively measured data for longitudinal monitoring of patients with affective disorders. Specifically, we aim to examine current knowledge on: (1) the feasibility of, and adherence to, such systems; (2) the association of monitored data with mood status; and (3) the effects of monitoring on clinical outcomes. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for relevant articles published in the last ten years (2007-2017) by applying Boolean search operators with an iterative combination of search terms, which was conducted in February 2017. Additional articles were identified via pearling, author correspondence, selected reference lists, and trial protocols. A total of 3463 unique records were identified. Twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The majority of articles represented feasibility studies (n=27); two articles reported results from one randomized controlled trial (RCT). In total, six different self-monitoring systems for affective disorders that used subjective mood ratings and objective measurements were included. These objective parameters included physiological data (heart rate variability), behavioral data (phone usage, physical activity, voice features), and context/environmental information (light exposure and location). The included articles contained results regarding feasibility of such systems in affective disorders, showed reasonable accuracy in predicting mood status and mood fluctuations based on the objectively monitored data, and reported observations about the impact of monitoring on clinical state and adherence of patients to the system usage. The included observational studies and RCT substantiate the value of smartphone-based approaches for gathering long-term objective data (aside from self-ratings to monitor clinical symptoms) to predict changes in clinical states, and to investigate causal inferences about state changes in patients with affective disorders. Although promising, a much larger evidence-base is necessary to fully assess the potential and the risks of these approaches. Methodological limitations of the available studies (eg, small sample sizes, variations in the number of observations or monitoring duration, lack of RCT, and heterogeneity of methods) restrict the interpretability of the results. However, a number of study protocols stated ambitions to expand and intensify research in this emerging and promising field. ©Ezgi Dogan, Christian Sander, Xenija Wagner, Ulrich Hegerl, Elisabeth Kohls. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 24.07.2017.

An experimental comparison of online object-tracking algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qing; Chen, Feng; Xu, Wenli; Yang, Ming-Hsuan

2011-09-01

This paper reviews and evaluates several state-of-the-art online object tracking algorithms. Notwithstanding decades of efforts, object tracking remains a challenging problem due to factors such as illumination, pose, scale, deformation, motion blur, noise, and occlusion. To account for appearance change, most recent tracking algorithms focus on robust object representations and effective state prediction. In this paper, we analyze the components of each tracking method and identify their key roles in dealing with specific challenges, thereby shedding light on how to choose and design algorithms for different situations. We compare state-of-the-art online tracking methods including the IVT,1 VRT,2 FragT,3 BoostT,4 SemiT,5 BeSemiT,6 L1T,7 MILT,8 VTD9 and TLD10 algorithms on numerous challenging sequences, and evaluate them with different performance metrics. The qualitative and quantitative comparative results demonstrate the strength and weakness of these algorithms.

Intrinsic and contextual features in object recognition.

PubMed

Schlangen, Derrick; Barenholtz, Elan

2015-01-28

The context in which an object is found can facilitate its recognition. Yet, it is not known how effective this contextual information is relative to the object's intrinsic visual features, such as color and shape. To address this, we performed four experiments using rendered scenes with novel objects. In each experiment, participants first performed a visual search task, searching for a uniquely shaped target object whose color and location within the scene was experimentally manipulated. We then tested participants' tendency to use their knowledge of the location and color information in an identification task when the objects' images were degraded due to blurring, thus eliminating the shape information. In Experiment 1, we found that, in the absence of any diagnostic intrinsic features, participants identified objects based purely on their locations within the scene. In Experiment 2, we found that participants combined an intrinsic feature, color, with contextual location in order to uniquely specify an object. In Experiment 3, we found that when an object's color and location information were in conflict, participants identified the object using both sources of information equally. Finally, in Experiment 4, we found that participants used whichever source of information-either color or location-was more statistically reliable in order to identify the target object. Overall, these experiments show that the context in which objects are found can play as important a role as intrinsic features in identifying the objects. © 2015 ARVO.

Network of TAMCNS: Identifying Influence Regions Within the GCSS-MC Database

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

relationships between objects and provides tools to quantitatively determine objects whose influence impacts other objects or the system as a whole. This... methodology identifies the most important TAMCN and provides a list of TAMCNs in order of importance. We also analyze the community and core structure of...relationships between objects and provides tools to quantitatively determine objects whose influence impacts other objects or the system as a whole. This

Collections and user tools for utilization of persistent identifiers in cyberinfrastructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weigel, T.

2014-12-01

The main use of persistent identifiers (PIDs) for data objects has so far been for formal publication and citation purposes with a focus on long-term availability and trust. This core use case has now evolved and broadened to include basic data management tasks as identifiers are increasingly seen as a possible anchor element in the deluge of data for purposes of large-scale automation of tasks. The European Data Infrastructure (EUDAT) for instance uses PIDs in their back-end services and distinctly so for entities where the identifier may be more persistent than a resource with limited lifetime. Despite breaking with the traditional metaphor, this offers new opportunities for data management and end-user tools, but also requires a clear demonstrated benefit of value-added services because en masse identifier assignment does not come at zero costs. There are several obstacles to overcome when establishing identifiers at large scale. The administration of large numbers of identifiers can be cumbersome if they are treated in an isolated manner. Here, identifier collections can enable automated mass operations on groups of associated objects. Several use cases rely on base information that is rapidly available from the identifier systems without the need to retrieve objects, yet they will not work efficiently if the information is not consistently typed. Tools that span cyberinfrastructures and address scientific end-users unaware of the varying back-ends must overcome such obstacles. The Working Group on PID Information Types of the Research Data Alliance (RDA) has developed an interface specification and prototype to access and manipulate typed base information. Concrete prototypes for identifier collections exist as well. We will present some first data and provenance tracking tools that make extensive use of these recent developments and address different user needs that span from administrative tasks to individual end-user services with particular focus on data available from the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF). We will compare the tools along their respective use cases with existing approaches and discuss benefits and limitations.

Mapping Robots to Therapy and Educational Objectives for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Huijnen, Claire A G J; Lexis, Monique A S; Jansens, Rianne; de Witte, Luc P

2016-06-01

The aim of this study was to increase knowledge on therapy and educational objectives professionals work on with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to identify corresponding state of the art robots. Focus group sessions (n = 9) with ASD professionals (n = 53) from nine organisations were carried out to create an objectives overview, followed by a systematic literature study to identify state of the art robots matching these objectives. Professionals identified many ASD objectives (n = 74) in 9 different domains. State of the art robots addressed 24 of these objectives in 8 domains. Robots can potentially be applied to a large scope of objectives for children with ASD. This objectives overview functions as a base to guide development of robot interventions for these children.

A Cross-site Qualitative Study of Physician Order Entry

PubMed Central

Ash, Joan S.; Gorman, Paul N.; Lavelle, Mary; Payne, Thomas H.; Massaro, Thomas A.; Frantz, Gerri L.; Lyman, Jason A.

2003-01-01

Objective: To describe the perceptions of diverse professionals involved in computerized physician order entry (POE) at sites where POE has been successfully implemented and to identify differences between teaching and nonteaching hospitals. Design: A multidisciplinary team used observation, focus groups, and interviews with clinical, administrative, and information technology staff to gather data at three sites. Field notes and transcripts were coded using an inductive approach to identify patterns and themes in the data. Measurements: Patterns and themes concerning perceptions of POE were identified. Results: Four high-level themes were identified: (1) organizational issues such as collaboration, pride, culture, power, politics, and control; (2) clinical and professional issues involving adaptation to local practices, preferences, and policies; (3) technical/implementation issues, including usability, time, training and support; and (4) issues related to the organization of information and knowledge, such as system rigidity and integration. Relevant differences between teaching and nonteaching hospitals include extent of collaboration, staff longevity, and organizational missions. Conclusion: An organizational culture characterized by collaboration and trust and an ongoing process that includes active clinician engagement in adaptation of the technology were important elements in successful implementation of physician order entry at the institutions that we studied. PMID:12595408

Barriers to Care-Seeking for Children’s Oral Health Among Low-Income Caregivers

PubMed Central

Kelly, Susan E.; Binkley, Catherine J.; Neace, William P.; Gale, Bruce S.

2005-01-01

Objectives. We identified psychosocial, structural, and cultural barriers to seeking dental care among nonutilizing caregivers of Medicaid-enrolled children. Methods. We used Medicaid utilization records to identify utilizing and nonutilizing African American and White caregivers of Medicaid-enrolled children in Jefferson County, Kentucky. We conducted 8 focus groups (N=76) with a stratified random sample of responding caregivers; transcripts were qualitatively analyzed. Results. Psychosocial factors associated with utilization included oral health beliefs, norms of caregiver responsibility, and positive caregiver dental experiences. Utilizing groups reported higher education; health beliefs included identifying oral health with overall health and professional preventive dental care with caregiver responsibility for children’s overall health. These beliefs may mediate shared structural barriers, including transportation, school absence policies, discriminatory treatment, and difficulty locating providers who accept Medicaid. Expectation of poor oral health among some low-income caregivers was among factors identified with nonutilization. Conclusions. Disadvantaged caregivers reported multiple barriers to accessing dental care for their children. Providers, Medicaid administrators, and schools must coordinate steps to encourage caregiver-controlled dental care, build trust, and link professional preventive dental care with caregiver responsibility for children’s overall health. PMID:16043666

Pearson-Readhead Survey Sources. II. The Long-Term Centimeter-Band Total Flux and Linear Polarization Properties of a Complete Radio Sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aller, M. F.; Aller, H. D.; Hughes, P. A.

2003-03-01

Using UMRAO centimeter-band total flux density and linear polarization monitoring observations of the complete Pearson-Readhead extragalactic source sample obtained between 1984 August and 2001 March, we identify the range of variability in extragalactic objects as functions of optical and radio morphological classification and relate total flux density variations to structural changes in published coeval VLBI maps in selected objects. As expected, variability is common in flat- or inverted-spectrum (α<=0.5) core-dominated QSOs and BL Lac objects. Unexpectedly, we find flux variations in several steep-spectrum sample members, including the commonly adopted flux standard 3C 147. Such variations are characteristically several-year rises or declines or infrequent outbursts, requiring long-term observations for detection: we attribute them to the brightening of weak core components, a change that is suppressed by contributions from extended structure in all but the strongest events, and identify a wavelength dependence for the amplitude of this variability consistent with the presence of opacity in some portions of the jet flow. One morphological class of steep-spectrum objects, the compact symmetric objects (CSOs), characteristically shows only low-level variability. We examine the statistical relation between fractional polarization and radio class based on the data at 14.5 and 4.8 GHz. The blazars typically exhibit flat-to-inverted polarization spectra, a behavior attributed to opacity effects. Among the steep-spectrum objects, the lobe-dominated FR I galaxies have steep fractional polarization spectra, while the FR II galaxies exhibit fractional polarization spectra ranging from inverted to steep, with no identifiable common property that accounts for the range in behavior. For the CSO/gigahertz-peaked spectrum sources, we verify that the fractional polarizations at 4.8 GHz are only of the order of a few tenths of a percent, but at 14.5 GHz we find significantly higher polarizations, ranging from 1% to 3%; this frequency dependence supports a scenario invoking Faraday depolarization by a circumnuclear torus. We have identified preferred orientations of the electric vector of the polarized emission (EVPA) at 14.5 and 4.8 GHz in roughly half of the objects and compared these with orientations of the flow direction indicated by VLBI morphology. When comparing the distributions of the orientation offsets for the BL Lac objects and the QSOs, we find differences in both range and mean value, in support of intrinsic class differences. In the shock-in-jet scenario, we attribute this to the allowed range of obliquities of shocks developing in the flow relative to the flow direction: in the BL Lac objects the shocks are nearly transverse to the flow direction, while in the QSOs they include a broader range of obliquities and can be at large angles to it. The fact that we find long-term stability in EVPA over many events implies that a dominant magnetic field orientation persists; in the core-dominated objects, with small contribution from the underlying quiescent jet, this plausibly suggests that the magnetic field has a long-term memory, with subsequent shock events exhibiting similar EVPA orientation, or, alternatively, the presence of a standing shock in the core. We have looked for systematic, monotonic changes in EVPA, which might be expected in the emission from a precessing jet, a model currently invoked for some AGNs; none were identified. Further, we carried out a Scargle periodogram analysis of the total flux density observations, but found no strong evidence for periodicity in any of the sample sources. The only well-established case in support of both jet precession and periodic variability remains the non-sample member OJ 287.

A biological hierarchical model based underwater moving object detection.

PubMed

Shen, Jie; Fan, Tanghuai; Tang, Min; Zhang, Qian; Sun, Zhen; Huang, Fengchen

2014-01-01

Underwater moving object detection is the key for many underwater computer vision tasks, such as object recognizing, locating, and tracking. Considering the super ability in visual sensing of the underwater habitats, the visual mechanism of aquatic animals is generally regarded as the cue for establishing bionic models which are more adaptive to the underwater environments. However, the low accuracy rate and the absence of the prior knowledge learning limit their adaptation in underwater applications. Aiming to solve the problems originated from the inhomogeneous lumination and the unstable background, the mechanism of the visual information sensing and processing pattern from the eye of frogs are imitated to produce a hierarchical background model for detecting underwater objects. Firstly, the image is segmented into several subblocks. The intensity information is extracted for establishing background model which could roughly identify the object and the background regions. The texture feature of each pixel in the rough object region is further analyzed to generate the object contour precisely. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method gives a better performance. Compared to the traditional Gaussian background model, the completeness of the object detection is 97.92% with only 0.94% of the background region that is included in the detection results.

A Biological Hierarchical Model Based Underwater Moving Object Detection

PubMed Central

Shen, Jie; Fan, Tanghuai; Tang, Min; Zhang, Qian; Sun, Zhen; Huang, Fengchen

2014-01-01

Underwater moving object detection is the key for many underwater computer vision tasks, such as object recognizing, locating, and tracking. Considering the super ability in visual sensing of the underwater habitats, the visual mechanism of aquatic animals is generally regarded as the cue for establishing bionic models which are more adaptive to the underwater environments. However, the low accuracy rate and the absence of the prior knowledge learning limit their adaptation in underwater applications. Aiming to solve the problems originated from the inhomogeneous lumination and the unstable background, the mechanism of the visual information sensing and processing pattern from the eye of frogs are imitated to produce a hierarchical background model for detecting underwater objects. Firstly, the image is segmented into several subblocks. The intensity information is extracted for establishing background model which could roughly identify the object and the background regions. The texture feature of each pixel in the rough object region is further analyzed to generate the object contour precisely. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method gives a better performance. Compared to the traditional Gaussian background model, the completeness of the object detection is 97.92% with only 0.94% of the background region that is included in the detection results. PMID:25140194

An Integrated Knowledge Framework to Characterize and Scaffold Size and Scale Cognition (FS2C)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magana, Alejandra J.; Brophy, Sean P.; Bryan, Lynn A.

2012-09-01

Size and scale cognition is a critical ability associated with reasoning with concepts in different disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. As such, researchers and educators have identified the need for young learners and their educators to become scale-literate. Informed by developmental psychology literature and recent findings in nanoscale science and engineering education, we propose an integrated knowledge framework for characterizing and scaffolding size and scale cognition called the FS2C framework. Five ad hoc assessment tasks were designed informed by the FS2C framework with the goal of identifying participants' understandings of size and scale. Findings identified participants' difficulties to discern different sizes of microscale and nanoscale objects and a low level of sophistication on identifying scale worlds among participants. Results also identified that as bigger the difference between the sizes of the objects is, the more difficult was for participants to identify how many times an object is bigger or smaller than another one. Similarly, participants showed difficulties to estimate approximate sizes of sub-macroscopic objects as well as a difficulty for participants to estimate the size of very large objects. Participants' accurate location of objects on a logarithmic scale was also challenging.

Certainty grids for mobile robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moravec, H. P.

1987-01-01

A numerical representation of uncertain and incomplete sensor knowledge called Certainty Grids has been used successfully in several mobile robot control programs, and has proven itself to be a powerful and efficient unifying solution for sensor fusion, motion planning, landmark identification, and many other central problems. Researchers propose to build a software framework running on processors onboard the new Uranus mobile robot that will maintain a probabilistic, geometric map of the robot's surroundings as it moves. The certainty grid representation will allow this map to be incrementally updated in a uniform way from various sources including sonar, stereo vision, proximity and contact sensors. The approach can correctly model the fuzziness of each reading, while at the same time combining multiple measurements to produce sharper map features, and it can deal correctly with uncertainties in the robot's motion. The map will be used by planning programs to choose clear paths, identify locations (by correlating maps), identify well-known and insufficiently sensed terrain, and perhaps identify objects by shape. The certainty grid representation can be extended in the same dimension and used to detect and track moving objects.

Strengthening links between waterfowl research and management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roberts, Anthony J.; Eadie, John M.; Howerter, David; Johnson, Fred A.; Nichols, James; Runge, Michael C.; Vrtiska, Mark; Williams, Byron K.

2018-01-01

Waterfowl monitoring, research, regulation, and adaptive planning are leading the way in supporting science-informed wildlife management. However, increasing societal demands on natural resources have created a greater need for adaptable and successful linkages between waterfowl science and management. We presented a special session at the 2016 North American Duck Symposium, Annapolis, Maryland, USA on the successes and challenges of linking research and management in waterfowl conservation, and we summarize those thoughts in this commentary. North American waterfowl management includes a diversity of actions including management of harvest and habitat. Decisions for waterfowl management are structured using decision analysis by incorporating stakeholder values into formal objectives, identifying research relevant to objectives, integrating scientific knowledge, and choosing an optimal strategy with respect to objectives. Recently, the consideration of the value of information has been proposed as a means to evaluate the utility of research designed to meet objectives. Despite these advances, the ability to conduct waterfowl research with direct management application may be increasingly difficult in research institutions for several reasons including reduced funding for applied research and the lower perceived value of applied versus theoretical research by some university academics. In addition, coordination between researchers and managers may be logistically constrained, and communication may be ineffective between the 2 groups. Strengthening these links would help develop stronger and more coordinated approaches for the conservation of waterfowl and the wetlands upon which they depend.

Auditory Outcomes with Hearing Rehabilitation in Children with Unilateral Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Appachi, Swathi; Specht, Jessica L; Raol, Nikhila; Lieu, Judith E C; Cohen, Michael S; Dedhia, Kavita; Anne, Samantha

2017-10-01

Objective Options for management of unilateral hearing loss (UHL) in children include conventional hearing aids, bone-conduction hearing devices, contralateral routing of signal (CROS) aids, and frequency-modulating (FM) systems. The objective of this study was to systematically review the current literature to characterize auditory outcomes of hearing rehabilitation options in UHL. Data Sources PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to January 2016. Manual searches of bibliographies were also performed. Review Methods Studies analyzing auditory outcomes of hearing amplification in children with UHL were included. Outcome measures included functional and objective auditory results. Two independent reviewers evaluated each abstract and article. Results Of the 249 articles identified, 12 met inclusion criteria. Seven articles solely focused on outcomes with bone-conduction hearing devices. Outcomes favored improved pure-tone averages, speech recognition thresholds, and sound localization in implanted patients. Five studies focused on FM systems, conventional hearing aids, or CROS hearing aids. Limited data are available but suggest a trend toward improvement in speech perception with hearing aids. FM systems were shown to have the most benefit for speech recognition in noise. Studies evaluating CROS hearing aids demonstrated variable outcomes. Conclusions Data evaluating functional and objective auditory measures following hearing amplification in children with UHL are limited. Most studies do suggest improvement in speech perception, speech recognition in noise, and sound localization with a hearing rehabilitation device.

Enhancing the fathead minnow fish embryo toxicity test: Optimizing embryo production and assessing the utility of additional test endpoints.

PubMed

Roush, Kyle S; Krzykwa, Julie C; Malmquist, Jacob A; Stephens, Dane A; Sellin Jeffries, Marlo K

2018-05-30

The fathead minnow fish embryo toxicity (FET) test has been identified as a potential alternative to toxicity test methods that utilize older fish. However, several challenges have been identified with the fathead minnow FET test, including: 1) difficulties in obtaining appropriately-staged embryos for FET test initiation, 2) a paucity of data comparing fathead minnow FET test performance to the fathead minnow larval growth and survival (LGS) test and 3) a lack of sublethal endpoints that could be used to estimate chronic toxicity and/or predict adverse effects. These challenges were addressed through three study objectives. The first objective was to optimize embryo production by assessing the effect of breeding group composition (number of males and females) on egg production. Results showed that groups containing one male and four females produced the largest clutches, enhancing the likelihood of procuring sufficient numbers of embryos for FET test initiation. The second study objective was to compare the performance of the FET test to that of the fathead minnow LGS test using three reference toxicants. The FET and LGS tests were similar in their ability to predict the acute toxicity of sodium chloride and ethanol, but the FET test was found to be more sensitive than the LGS test for sodium dodecyl sulfate. The last objective of the study was to evaluate the utility and practicality of several sublethal metrics (i.e., growth, developmental abnormalities and growth- and stress-related gene expression) as FET test endpoints. Developmental abnormalities, including pericardial edema and hatch success, were found to offer the most promise as additional FET test endpoints, given their responsiveness, potential for predicting adverse effects, ease of assessment and low cost of measurement. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Randomized controlled trials in pediatric complementary and alternative medicine: Where can they be found?

PubMed Central

Sampson, Margaret; Campbell, Kaitryn; Ajiferuke, Isola; Moher, David

2003-01-01

Background The safety and effectiveness of CAM interventions are of great relevance to pediatric health care providers. The objective of this study is to identify sources of reported randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the field of pediatric complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Methods Reports of RCTs were identified by searching Medline and 12 additional bibliographic databases and by reviewing the reference lists of previously identified pediatric CAM systematic reviews. Results We identified 908 reports of RCTs that included children under 18 and investigated a CAM therapy. Since 1965, there has been a steady growth in the number of these trials that are being published. The four journals that published the most reported RCTs are The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Pediatrics, Journal of Pediatrics, and Lancet. Medline, CAB Health, and Embase were the best database sources for identifying these studies; they indexed 93.2%, 58.4% and 42.2 % respectively of the journals publishing reports of pediatric CAM RCTs. Conclusions Those working or interested in the field of pediatric CAM should routinely search Medline, CAB Health and Embase for literature in the field. The four core journals identified above should be included in their collection. PMID:12589711

Adult Education in Industrial and Urban Community. Proceedings of ASPBAE Region 3 Conference (Daegu, Korea, September 9-15, 1979).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hwang, Jong-Gon, Ed.

The impact of urbanization and industrialization on adult education in East and Southeast Asia was the subject of a conference attended by thirty-five East Asian adult educators and scholars. Conference objectives included the following: to identify the impact of industrial development in urban and rural communities and the related problems of…

Pathways Explaining the Reduction of Adult Criminal Behaviour by a Randomized Preventive Intervention for Disruptive Kindergarten Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vitaro, Frank; Barker, Edward D.; Brendgen, Mara; Tremblay, Richard E.

2012-01-01

Objective: This study aimed to identify the pathways through which a preventive intervention targeting young low-SES disruptive boys could result in lower crime involvement during adulthood. Method: The preventive intervention was implemented when the children were between 7 and 9 years and included three components (i.e. social skills, parental…

Proceedings of Workshop on Priority Great Lakes Environmental Research Initiatives (Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Ann Arbor, Michigan, October 10-11, 1974).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinsak, Arthur P., Ed.

This publication contains the proceedings of a workshop held in Ann Arbor, Michigan to identify the priority Great Lakes environmental research initiatives. The five major objectives of the workshop include the determination of research initiatives, opportunities for university research communities to discuss and recommend future research…

Assessment of Electrical Safety in Afghanistan

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-07-24

effectiveness of command efforts to ensure the electrical safety of Department of Defense occupied and constructed facilities in Afghanistan. We...March 31, 2009, we announced the Assessment of Electrical Safety in Afghanistan. The objective of this assessment was to review the effectiveness of...used contractors to review and identify electrical deficiencies to include life, health , and safety issues at FOBs. According to TF POWER

Substance Abuse and Behavioral Correlates of Sexual Assault among South African Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Gary; Flisher, Alan, J.; Noubary, Farzad.; Reece, Robert; Marais, Adele; Lombard, Carl

2004-01-01

Objective: The aim of this article is twofold: first, to examine the prevalence of being the victim of actual and attempted rape among a large representative sample of Cape Town high school students; and second, to identify the correlates of sexual assault for both boys and girls, including alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, behavioral problems,…

The Impact of Experiential Exercises on Communication and Relational Skills in a Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper-Training Program for College Resident Advisors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pasco, Susan; Wallack, Cory; Sartin, Robert M.; Dayton, Rebecca

2012-01-01

Objective: In an effort to identify students at risk for suicide, many colleges are implementing suicide prevention training for campus gatekeepers. This study evaluated the efficacy of a 3-hour, experiential-based gatekeeper training that included an emphasis on enhancing communication skills and relational connection in addition to the didactic…

An effectiveness monitoring program for the northwest forest plan: new approaches to common monitoring problems

Treesearch

Craig Palmer; Barry Mulder; Barry Noon

2000-01-01

The Northwest Forest Plan is a large-scale ecosystem management plan for federal lands in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. An effectiveness monitoring program has been developed to determine the extent to which the goals and objectives of this Plan are being achieved. Priority resources identified for ecological monitoring include late-successional and old-...

Estimation of median lethal concentration of three isolates of Beauveria bassiana for control of Megacopta cribraria (Heteroptera: Plataspidae) bioassayed on solid Lugys Spp. Diet²

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana is a potential candidate for biological control of a variety of pests. The objectives of this study were isolate and identify the fungus from Kudzu bugs and determine its infectivity comparing with two highly pathogenic isolates including the Mississipp...

Plant diversity at Box-Death Hollow Wilderness Area, Garfield County, Utah

Treesearch

Wendy Rosler; Janet G. Cooper; Renee Van Buren; Kimball T. Harper

2001-01-01

"The Box" is a canyon located in the western portion of Box-Death Hollow Wilderness Area, Garfield County, southern Utah. The objectives of this study included: (1) collect, identify and make a checklist of the species of vascular plants found in "The Box," (2) search for threatened and endangered species within the area, (3) provide an opportunity...

Selection of Instructional Methods and Techniques: The Basic Consideration of Teachers at Secondary School Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmad, Saira Ijaz; Malik, Samina; Irum, Jamila; Zahid, Rabia

2011-01-01

The main objective of the study was to identify the instructional methods and techniques used by the secondary school teachers to transfer the instructions to the students and to explore the basic considerations of the teachers about the selection of these instructional methods and techniques. Participants of the study included were 442 teachers…

ERTS-B (Earth Resources Technology Satellite). [spacecraft design remote sensor description, and technology utilization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Mission plans and objectives of the ERTS 2 Satellite are presented. ERTS 2 follow-on investigations in various scientific disciplines including agriculture, meteorology, land-use, geology, water resources, oceanography, and environment are discussed. Spacecraft design and its sensors are described along with the Delta launch vehicle and launch operations. Applications identified from ERTS 1 investigations are summarized.

The role of metadata in managing large environmental science datasets. Proceedings

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

Melton, R.B.; DeVaney, D.M.; French, J. C.

1995-06-01

The purpose of this workshop was to bring together computer science researchers and environmental sciences data management practitioners to consider the role of metadata in managing large environmental sciences datasets. The objectives included: establishing a common definition of metadata; identifying categories of metadata; defining problems in managing metadata; and defining problems related to linking metadata with primary data.

Summary of Tiger Team Assessment and Technical Safety Appraisal recurring concerns in the Maintenance Area

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

Not Available

1993-01-01

Tiger Team Assessments and Technical Safety Appraisals (TSA) were reviewed and evaluated for concerns in the Maintenance Area (MA). Two hundred and thirty one (231) maintenance concerns were identified by the Tiger Team Assessments and TSA reports. These recurring concerns appear below. A summary of the Noteworthy Practices that were identified and a compilation of the maintenance concerns for each performance objective that were not considered as recurring are also included. Where the Tiger Team Assessment and TSA identified the operating contractor or facility by name, the concern has been modified to remove the name while retaining the intent ofmore » the comment.« less

Public participation GIS: a method for identifying ecosystems services

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Greg; Montag, Jessica; Lyon, Katie

2012-01-01

This study evaluated the use of an Internet-based public participation geographic information system (PPGIS) to identify ecosystem services in Grand County, Colorado. Specific research objectives were to examine the distribution of ecosystem services, identify the characteristics of participants in the study, explore potential relationships between ecosystem services and land use and land cover (LULC) classifications, and assess the methodological strengths and weakness of the PPGIS approach for identifying ecosystem services. Key findings include: (1) Cultural ecosystem service opportunities were easiest to identify while supporting and regulatory services most challenging, (2) participants were highly educated, knowledgeable about nature and science, and have a strong connection to the outdoors, (3) some LULC classifications were logically and spatially associated with ecosystem services, and (4) despite limitations, the PPGIS method demonstrates potential for identifying ecosystem services to augment expert judgment and to inform public or environmental policy decisions regarding land use trade-offs.

Another Milestone Day in AGU's History

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enderlein, Cheryl

2010-09-01

The AGU Board of Directors held its first board meeting on 20-21 September 2010 in Washington, D. C. The meeting, chaired by President Michael McPhaden, marked another step forward in implementing AGU's new governance structure and strategic direction. The agenda included ongoing organizational business, high-level strategic discussions, and opportunities for Board development. In the new governance structure, the Board is responsible for governing the business aspects of AGU, while the Council is responsible for governing scientific affairs. The strategic plan guides both governing groups, staff, and other membership groups by providing clear goals and objectives. Of the 28 objectives in the AGU strategic plan, the volunteer and staff leadership identified eight as priorities. The priority objectives are listed in the diagram to the right, which is also posted on the AGU Web site.

Central station market development strategies for photovoltaics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Federal market development strategies designed to accelerate the market penetration of central station applications of photovoltaic energy system are analyzed. Since no specific goals were set for the commercialization of central station applications, strategic principles are explored which, when coupled with specific objectives for central stations, can produce a market development implementation plan. The study includes (1) background information on the National Photovoltaic Program, photovoltaic technology, and central stations; (2) a brief market assessment; (3) a discussion of the viewpoints of the electric utility industry with respect to solar energy; (4) a discussion of commercialization issues; and (5) strategy principles. It is recommended that a set of specific goals and objectives be defined for the photovoltaic central station program, and that these goals and objectives evolve into an implementation plan that identifies the appropriate federal role.

Central station market development strategies for photovoltaics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1980-11-01

Federal market development strategies designed to accelerate the market penetration of central station applications of photovoltaic energy system are analyzed. Since no specific goals were set for the commercialization of central station applications, strategic principles are explored which, when coupled with specific objectives for central stations, can produce a market development implementation plan. The study includes (1) background information on the National Photovoltaic Program, photovoltaic technology, and central stations; (2) a brief market assessment; (3) a discussion of the viewpoints of the electric utility industry with respect to solar energy; (4) a discussion of commercialization issues; and (5) strategy principles. It is recommended that a set of specific goals and objectives be defined for the photovoltaic central station program, and that these goals and objectives evolve into an implementation plan that identifies the appropriate federal role.

Methods for measuring utilization of mental health services in two epidemiologic studies

PubMed Central

NOVINS, DOUGLAS K.; BEALS, JANETTE; CROY, CALVIN; MANSON, SPERO M.

2015-01-01

Objectives of Study Psychiatric epidemiologic studies often include two or more sets of questions regarding service utilization, but the agreement across these different questions and the factors associated with their endorsement have not been examined. The objectives of this study were to describe the agreement of different sets of mental health service utilization questions that were included in the American Indian Service Utilization Psychiatric Epidemiology Risk and Protective Factors Project (AI-SUPERPFP), and compare the results to similar questions included in the baseline National Comorbidity Survey (NCS). Methods Responses to service utilization questions by 2878 AI-SUPERPFP and 5877 NCS participants were examined by calculating estimates of service use and agreement (κ) across the different sets of questions. Logistic regression models were developed to identify factors associated with endorsement of specific sets of questions. Results In both studies, estimates of mental health service utilization varied across the different sets of questions. Agreement across the different question sets was marginal to good (κ = 0.27–0.69). Characteristics of identified service users varied across the question sets. Limitations Neither survey included data to examine the validity of participant responses to service utilization questions. Recommendations for Further Research Question wording and placement appear to impact estimates of service utilization in psychiatric epidemiologic studies. Given the importance of these estimates for policy-making, further research into the validity of survey responses as well as impacts of question wording and context on rates of service utilization is warranted. PMID:18767205

Teaching Medical Ethics in Graduate and Undergraduate Medical Education: A Systematic Review of Effectiveness.

PubMed

de la Garza, Santiago; Phuoc, Vania; Throneberry, Steven; Blumenthal-Barby, Jennifer; McCullough, Laurence; Coverdale, John

2017-08-01

One objective was to identify and review studies on teaching medical ethics to psychiatry residents. In order to gain insights from other disciplines that have published research in this area, a second objective was to identify and review studies on teaching medical ethics to residents across all other specialties of training and on teaching medical students. PubMed, EMBASE, and PsycINFO were searched for controlled trials on teaching medical ethics with quantitative outcomes. Search terms included ethics, bioethics, medical ethics, medical students, residents/registrars, teaching, education, outcomes, and controlled trials. Nine studies were found that met inclusion criteria, including five randomized controlled trails and four controlled non-randomized trials. Subjects included medical students (5 studies), surgical residents (2 studies), internal medicine house officers (1 study), and family medicine preceptors and their medical students (1 study). Teaching methods, course content, and outcome measures varied considerably across studies. Common methodological issues included a lack of concealment of allocation, a lack of blinding, and generally low numbers of subjects as learners. One randomized controlled trial which taught surgical residents using a standardized patient was judged to be especially methodologically rigorous. None of the trials incorporated psychiatry residents. Ethics educators should undertake additional rigorously controlled trials in order to secure a strong evidence base for the design of medical ethics curricula. Psychiatry ethics educators can also benefit from the findings of trials in other disciplines and in undergraduate medical education.

Understanding Interdependencies between Heterogeneous Earth Observation Systems When Applied to Federal Objectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallo, J.; Sylak-Glassman, E.

2017-12-01

We will present a method for assessing interdependencies between heterogeneous Earth observation (EO) systems when applied to key Federal objectives. Using data from the National Earth Observation Assessment (EOA), we present a case study that examines the frequency that measurements from each of the Landsat 8 sensors are used in conjunction with heterogeneous measurements from other Earth observation sensors to develop data and information products. This EOA data allows us to map the most frequent interactions between Landsat measurements and measurements from other sensors, identify high-impact data and information products where these interdependencies occur, and identify where these combined measurements contribute most to meeting a key Federal objective within one of the 13 Societal Benefit Areas used in the EOA study. Using a value-tree framework to trace the application of data from EO systems to weighted key Federal objectives within the EOA study, we are able to estimate relative contribution of individual EO systems to meeting those objectives, as well as the interdependencies between measurements from all EO systems within the EOA study. The analysis relies on a modified Delphi method to elicit relative levels of reliance on individual measurements from EO systems, including combinations of measurements, from subject matter experts. This results in the identification of a representative portfolio of all EO systems used to meet key Federal objectives. Understanding the interdependencies among a heterogeneous set of measurements that modify the impact of any one individual measurement on meeting a key Federal objective, especially if the measurements originate from multiple agencies or state/local/tribal, international, academic, and commercial sources, can impact agency decision-making regarding mission requirements and inform understanding of user needs.

Significance of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations to Plastic Surgery Residency Training.

PubMed

Simmons, Brian J; Zoghbi, Yasmina; Askari, Morad; Birnbach, David J; Shekhter, Ilya; Thaller, Seth R

2017-09-01

Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) have proven to be a powerful tool. They possess more than a 30-year track record in assessing the competency of medical students, residents, and fellows. Objective structured clinical examinations have been used successfully in a variety of medical specialties, including surgery. They have recently found their way into the subspecialty of plastic surgery. This article uses a systematic review of the available literature on OSCEs and their recent use in plastic surgery. It incorporates survey results assessing program directors' views on the use of OSCEs. Approximately 40% of programs surveyed use OSCEs to assess the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies. We found that 40% use OSCEs to evaluate specific plastic surgery milestones. Objective structured clinical examinations are usually performed annually. They cost anywhere between $100 and more than $1000 per resident. Four milestones giving residents the most difficulties on OSCEs were congenital anomalies, noncancer breast surgery, breast reconstruction, and practice-based learning and improvement. It was determined that challenges with milestones were due to lack of adequate general knowledge and surgical ward patient care, as well as deficits in professionalism and system-based problems. Programs were able to remediate weakness found by OSCEs using a variety of methods. Objective structured clinical examinations offer a unique tool to objectively assess the proficiency of residents in key areas of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies. In addition, they can be used to assess the specific milestones that plastic surgery residents must meet. This allows programs to identify and improve identified areas of weakness.

Comparative analysis of imaging configurations and objectives for Fourier microscopy.

PubMed

Kurvits, Jonathan A; Jiang, Mingming; Zia, Rashid

2015-11-01

Fourier microscopy is becoming an increasingly important tool for the analysis of optical nanostructures and quantum emitters. However, achieving quantitative Fourier space measurements requires a thorough understanding of the impact of aberrations introduced by optical microscopes that have been optimized for conventional real-space imaging. Here we present a detailed framework for analyzing the performance of microscope objectives for several common Fourier imaging configurations. To this end, we model objectives from Nikon, Olympus, and Zeiss using parameters that were inferred from patent literature and confirmed, where possible, by physical disassembly. We then examine the aberrations most relevant to Fourier microscopy, including the alignment tolerances of apodization factors for different objective classes, the effect of magnification on the modulation transfer function, and vignetting-induced reductions of the effective numerical aperture for wide-field measurements. Based on this analysis, we identify an optimal objective class and imaging configuration for Fourier microscopy. In addition, the Zemax files for the objectives and setups used in this analysis have been made publicly available as a resource for future studies.

Real-time detection of moving objects from moving vehicles using dense stereo and optical flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Talukder, Ashit; Matthies, Larry

2004-01-01

Dynamic scene perception is very important for autonomous vehicles operating around other moving vehicles and humans. Most work on real-time object tracking from moving platforms has used sparse features or assumed flat scene structures. We have recently extended a real-time, dense stereo system to include realtime, dense optical flow, enabling more comprehensive dynamic scene analysis. We describe algorithms to robustly estimate 6-DOF robot egomotion in the presence of moving objects using dense flow and dense stereo. We then use dense stereo and egomotion estimates to identify & other moving objects while the robot itself is moving. We present results showing accurate egomotion estimation and detection of moving people and vehicles under general 6-DOF motion of the robot and independently moving objects. The system runs at 18.3 Hz on a 1.4 GHz Pentium M laptop, computing 160x120 disparity maps and optical flow fields, egomotion, and moving object segmentation. We believe this is a significant step toward general unconstrained dynamic scene analysis for mobile robots, as well as for improved position estimation where GPS is unavailable.

Real-time Detection of Moving Objects from Moving Vehicles Using Dense Stereo and Optical Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Talukder, Ashit; Matthies, Larry

2004-01-01

Dynamic scene perception is very important for autonomous vehicles operating around other moving vehicles and humans. Most work on real-time object tracking from moving platforms has used sparse features or assumed flat scene structures. We have recently extended a real-time. dense stereo system to include realtime. dense optical flow, enabling more comprehensive dynamic scene analysis. We describe algorithms to robustly estimate 6-DOF robot egomotion in the presence of moving objects using dense flow and dense stereo. We then use dense stereo and egomotion estimates to identify other moving objects while the robot itself is moving. We present results showing accurate egomotion estimation and detection of moving people and vehicles under general 6DOF motion of the robot and independently moving objects. The system runs at 18.3 Hz on a 1.4 GHz Pentium M laptop. computing 160x120 disparity maps and optical flow fields, egomotion, and moving object segmentation. We believe this is a significant step toward general unconstrained dynamic scene analysis for mobile robots, as well as for improved position estimation where GPS is unavailable.

Mastery motivation in children with complex communication needs: longitudinal data analysis.

PubMed

Medeiros, Kara F; Cress, Cynthia J; Lambert, Matthew C

2016-09-01

This study compared longitudinal changes in mastery motivation during parent-child free play for 37 children with complex communication needs. Mastery motivation manifests as a willingness to work hard at tasks that are challenging, which is an important quality to overcoming the challenges involved in successful expressive communication using AAC. Unprompted parent-child play episodes were identified in three assessment sessions over an 18-month period and coded for nine categories of mastery motivation in social and object play. All of the object-oriented mastery motivation categories and one social mastery motivation category showed an influence of motor skills after controlling for receptive language. Object play elicited significantly more of all of the object-focused mastery motivation categories than social play, and social play elicited more of one type of social-focused mastery motivation behavior than object play. Mastery motivation variables did not differ significantly over time for children. Potential physical and interpersonal influences on mastery motivation for parents and children with complex communication needs are discussed, including broadening the procedures and definitions of mastery motivation beyond object-oriented measurements for children with complex communication needs.

Preliminary Results from NEOWISE: An Enhancement to the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer for Solar System Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mainzer, A.; Bauer, J.; Grav, T.; Masiero, J.; Cutri, R. M.; Dailey, J.; Eisenhardt, P.; McMillan, R. S.; Wright, E.; Walker, R.; Jedicke, R.; Spahr, T.; Tholen, D.; Alles, R.; Beck, R.; Brandenburg, H.; Conrow, T.; Evans, T.; Fowler, J.; Jarrett, T.; Marsh, K.; Masci, F.; McCallon, H.; Wheelock, S.; Wittman, M.; Wyatt, P.; DeBaun, E.; Elliott, G.; Elsbury, D.; Gautier, T., IV; Gomillion, S.; Leisawitz, D.; Maleszewski, C.; Micheli, M.; Wilkins, A.

2011-04-01

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has surveyed the entire sky at four infrared wavelengths with greatly improved sensitivity and spatial resolution compared to its predecessors, the Infrared Astronomical Satellite and the Cosmic Background Explorer. NASA's Planetary Science Division has funded an enhancement to the WISE data processing system called "NEOWISE" that allows detection and archiving of moving objects found in the WISE data. NEOWISE has mined the WISE images for a wide array of small bodies in our solar system, including near-Earth objects (NEOs), Main Belt asteroids, comets, Trojans, and Centaurs. By the end of survey operations in 2011 February, NEOWISE identified over 157,000 asteroids, including more than 500 NEOs and ~120 comets. The NEOWISE data set will enable a panoply of new scientific investigations.

Long Duration Exposure Facility mini-data base user`s guide: IBM-compatible PC computer version. (Diskette)

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

Bohnhoff-Hlavacek, G.; Pippin, G.; Dursch, H.

1995-04-01

One of the objectives of the LDEF Special Investigation Group (SIG) was to develop a LDEF data base that identifies the experiment objectives and hardware flown, summarizes results and conclusions, and provides a system analysis overview which would include spacecraft design guidelines and space environmental effects. Compiling this information into an easily accessible data base format and making it available to the space community was a major task accomplished by the System and Materials SIG effort beginning in 1991. Included in this document is a short user`s manual for the LDEF Mini-Data Bases. The user`s manual contains pertinent examples frommore » the data base on specifically how to access and work with the LDEF information. Accompanying this document are the mini-data bases on disk.« less

Identifying Novel Phenotypes of Vulnerability and Resistance to Activity-Based Anorexia in Adolescent Female Rats

PubMed Central

Barbarich-Marsteller, Nicole C.; Underwood, Mark D.; Foltin, Richard W.; Myers, Michael M.; Walsh, B. Timothy; Barrett, Jeffrey S.; Marsteller, Douglas A.

2018-01-01

Objective Activity-based anorexia is a translational rodent model that results in severe weight loss, hyperactivity, and voluntary self-starvation. The goal of our investigation was to identify vulnerable and resistant phenotypes of activity-based anorexia in adolescent female rats. Method Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained under conditions of restricted access to food (N = 64; or unlimited access, N = 16) until experimental exit, predefined as a target weight loss of 30–35% or meeting predefined criteria for animal health. Nonlinear mixed effects statistical modeling was used to describe wheel running behavior, time to event analysis was used to assess experimental exit, and a regressive partitioning algorithm was used to classify phenotypes. Results Objective criteria were identified for distinguishing novel phenotypes of activity-based anorexia, including a vulnerable phenotype that conferred maximal hyperactivity, minimal food intake, and the shortest time to experimental exit, and a resistant phenotype that conferred minimal activity and the longest time to experimental exit. Discussion The identification of objective criteria for defining vulnerable and resistant phenotypes of activity-based anorexia in adolescent female rats provides an important framework for studying the neural mechanisms that promote vulnerability to or protection against the development of self-starvation and hyperactivity during adolescence. Ultimately, future studies using these novel phenotypes may provide important translational insights into the mechanisms that promote these maladaptive behaviors characteristic of anorexia nervosa. PMID:23853140

Uncovering the identities of compact objects in high-mass X-ray binaries and gamma-ray binaries by astrometric measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaguchi, M. S.; Yano, T.; Gouda, N.

2018-03-01

We develop a method for identifying a compact object in binary systems with astrometric measurements and apply it to some binaries. Compact objects in some high-mass X-ray binaries and gamma-ray binaries are unknown, which is responsible for the fact that emission mechanisms in such systems have not yet confirmed. The accurate estimate of the mass of the compact object allows us to identify the compact object in such systems. Astrometric measurements are expected to enable us to estimate the masses of the compact objects in the binary systems via a determination of a binary orbit. We aim to evaluate the possibility of the identification of the compact objects for some binary systems. We then calculate probabilities that the compact object is correctly identified with astrometric observation (= confidence level) by taking into account a dependence of the orbital shape on orbital parameters and distributions of masses of white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes. We find that the astrometric measurements with the precision of 70 μas for γ Cas allow us to identify the compact object at 99 per cent confidence level if the compact object is a white dwarf with 0.6 M⊙. In addition, we can identify the compact object with the precision of 10 μas at 97 per cent or larger confidence level for LS I +61° 303 and 99 per cent or larger for HESS J0632+057. These results imply that the astrometric measurements with the 10 μas precision level can realize the identification of compact objects for γ Cas, LS I +61° 303, and HESS J0632+057.

The effect of colour congruency on shape discriminations of novel objects.

PubMed

Nicholson, Karen G; Humphrey, G Keith

2004-01-01

Although visual object recognition is primarily shape driven, colour assists the recognition of some objects. It is unclear, however, just how colour information is coded with respect to shape in long-term memory and how the availability of colour in the visual image facilitates object recognition. We examined the role of colour in the recognition of novel, 3-D objects by manipulating the congruency of object colour across the study and test phases, using an old/new shape-identification task. In experiment 1, we found that participants were faster at correctly identifying old objects on the basis of shape information when these objects were presented in their original colour, rather than in a different colour. In experiments 2 and 3, we found that participants were faster at correctly identifying old objects on the basis of shape information when these objects were presented with their original part-colour conjunctions, rather than in different or in reversed part-colour conjunctions. In experiment 4, we found that participants were quite poor at the verbal recall of part-colour conjunctions for correctly identified old objects, presented as grey-scale images at test. In experiment 5, we found that participants were significantly slower at correctly identifying old objects when object colour was incongruent across study and test, than when background colour was incongruent across study and test. The results of these experiments suggest that both shape and colour information are stored as part of the long-term representation of these novel objects. Results are discussed in terms of how colour might be coded with respect to shape in stored object representations.

Revisiting the reported signal of acute pancreatitis with rasburicase: an object lesson in pharmacovigilance

PubMed Central

Hauben, Manfred; Hung, Eric Y.

2016-01-01

Introduction: There is an interest in methodologies to expeditiously detect credible signals of drug-induced pancreatitis. An example is the reported signal of pancreatitis with rasburicase emerging from a study [the ‘index publication’ (IP)] combining quantitative signal detection findings from a spontaneous reporting system (SRS) and electronic health records (EHRs). The signal was reportedly supported by a clinical review with a case series manuscript in progress. The reported signal is noteworthy, being initially classified as a false-positive finding for the chosen reference standard, but reclassified as a ‘clinically supported’ signal. Objective: This paper has dual objectives: to revisit the signal of rasburicase and acute pancreatitis and extend the original analysis via reexamination of its findings, in light of more contemporary data; and to motivate discussions on key issues in signal detection and evaluation, including recent findings from a major international pharmacovigilance research initiative. Methodology: We used the same methodology as the IP, including the same disproportionality analysis software/dataset for calculating observed to expected reporting frequencies (O/Es), Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities Preferred Term, and O/E metric/threshold combination defining a signal of disproportionate reporting. Baseline analysis results prompted supplementary analyses using alternative analytical choices. We performed a comprehensive literature search to identify additional published case reports of rasburicase and pancreatitis. Results: We could not replicate positive findings (e.g. a signal or statistic of disproportionate reporting) from the SRS data using the same algorithm, software, dataset and vendor specified in the IP. The reporting association was statistically highlighted in default and supplemental analysis when more sensitive forms of disproportionality analysis were used. Two of three reports in the FAERS database were assessed as likely duplicate reports. We did not identify any additional reports in the FAERS corresponding to the three cases identified in the IP using EHRs. We did not identify additional published reports of pancreatitis associated with rasburicase. Discussion: Our exercise stimulated interesting discussions of key points in signal detection and evaluation, including causality assessment, signal detection algorithm performance, pharmacovigilance terminology, duplicate reporting, mechanisms for communicating signals, the structure of the FAERs database, and recent results from a major international pharmacovigilance research initiative. PMID:27298720

The Intriguing Case of the (Almost) Dark Galaxy AGC 229385

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salzer, John

2015-10-01

The ALFALFA blind HI survey has catalogued tens of thousands of HI sources over 7000 square degrees of high Galactic latitude sky. While the vast majority of the sources in ALFALFA have optical counterparts in existing wide-field surveys like SDSS, a class of objects has been identified that have no obvious optical counterparts in existing catalogs. Dubbed almost dark galaxies, these objects represent an extreme in the continuum of galaxy properties, with the highest HI mass-to-optical light ratios ever measured. We propose to use HST to observe AGC 229385, an almost dark object found in deep WIYN imaging to have an ultra-low surface brightness stellar component with extremely blue colors. AGC 229385 falls well off of all galaxy scaling relationships, including the Baryonic Tully-Fisher relation. Ground-based optical and HI data have been able to identify this object as extreme, but are insufficient to constrain the properties of its stellar component or its distance - for this, we need HST. Our science goals are twofold: to better constrain the distance to AGC 229385, and to investigate the stellar population(s) in this mysterious object. The requested observations will not only provide crucial insight into the properties and evolution of this specific system but will also help us understand this important class of ultra low surface brightness, gas-rich galaxies. The proposed observations are designed to be exploratory, yet they promise to pay rich dividends for a modest investment in observing time.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Analysis: Lessons Learned from Stationary Power Generation Final Report

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

Scott E. Grasman; John W. Sheffield; Fatih Dogan

2010-04-30

This study considered opportunities for hydrogen in stationary applications in order to make recommendations related to RD&D strategies that incorporate lessons learned and best practices from relevant national and international stationary power efforts, as well as cost and environmental modeling of pathways. The study analyzed the different strategies utilized in power generation systems and identified the different challenges and opportunities for producing and using hydrogen as an energy carrier. Specific objectives included both a synopsis/critical analysis of lessons learned from previous stationary power programs and recommendations for a strategy for hydrogen infrastructure deployment. This strategy incorporates all hydrogen pathways andmore » a combination of distributed power generating stations, and provides an overview of stationary power markets, benefits of hydrogen-based stationary power systems, and competitive and technological challenges. The motivation for this project was to identify the lessons learned from prior stationary power programs, including the most significant obstacles, how these obstacles have been approached, outcomes of the programs, and how this information can be used by the Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Infrastructure Technologies Program to meet program objectives primarily related to hydrogen pathway technologies (production, storage, and delivery) and implementation of fuel cell technologies for distributed stationary power. In addition, the lessons learned address environmental and safety concerns, including codes and standards, and education of key stakeholders.« less

A perception and manipulation system for collecting rock samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, T.; Delingette, H.; Deluise, M.; Hsin, Y.; Hebert, M.; Ikeuchi, Katsushi

1991-01-01

An important part of a planetary exploration mission is to collect and analyze surface samples. As part of the Carnegie Mellon University Ambler Project, researchers are investigating techniques for collecting samples using a robot arm and a range sensor. The aim of this work is to make the sample collection operation fully autonomous. Described here are the components of the experimental system, including a perception module that extracts objects of interest from range images and produces models of their shapes, and a manipulation module that enables the system to pick up the objects identified by the perception module. The system was tested on a small testbed using natural terrain.

Crew behavior and performance in space analog environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kanki, Barbara G.

1992-01-01

The objectives and the current status of the Crew Factors research program conducted at NASA-Ames Research Center are reviewed. The principal objectives of the program are to determine the effects of a broad class of input variables on crew performance and to provide guidance with respect to the design and management of crews assigned to future space missions. A wide range of research environments are utilized, including controlled experimental settings, high fidelity full mission simulator facilities, and fully operational field environments. Key group processes are identified, and preliminary data are presented on the effect of crew size, type, and structure on team performance.

Social pediatrics: weaving horizontal and vertical threads through pediatric residency.

PubMed

van den Heuvel, Meta; Martimianakis, Maria Athina Tina; Levy, Rebecca; Atkinson, Adelle; Ford-Jones, Elizabeth; Shouldice, Michelle

2017-01-13

Social pediatrics teaches pediatric residents how to understand disease within their patients' social, environmental and political contexts. It's an essential component of pediatric residency training; however there is very little literature that addresses how such a broad-ranging topic can be taught effectively. The aim of this study was to determine and characterize social pediatric education in our pediatric residency training in order to identify strengths and gaps. A social pediatrics curriculum map was developed, attending to 3 different dimensions: (1) the intended curriculum as prescribed by the Objectives of Training for Pediatrics of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), (2) the formal curriculum defined by rotation-specific learning objectives, and (3) the informal/hidden curriculum as reflected in resident and teacher experiences and perceptions. Forty-one social pediatric learning objectives were extracted from the RCPSC Objectives of Training for Pediatrics, most were listed in the Medical Expert (51%) and Health Advocate competencies (24%). Almost all RCPSC social pediatric learning objectives were identified in more than one rotation and/or seminar. Adolescent Medicine (29.2%), Pediatric Ambulatory Medicine (26.2%) and Developmental Pediatrics (25%) listed the highest proportion of social pediatric learning objectives. Four (10%) RCPSC social pediatric objectives were not explicitly named within learning objectives of the formal curriculum. The informal curriculum revealed that both teachers and residents viewed social pediatrics as integral to all clinical encounters. Perceived barriers to teaching and learning of social pediatrics included time constraints, particularly in a tertiary care environment, and the value of social pediatrics relative to medical expert knowledge. Despite the lack of an explicit thematic presentation of social pediatric learning objectives by the Royal College and residency training program, social pediatric topics are integrated, taught and learned throughout the entire curriculum. Special attention needs to be given to the hidden curriculum and system barriers that may impede social pediatric education.

Salient Object Detection via Structured Matrix Decomposition.

PubMed

Peng, Houwen; Li, Bing; Ling, Haibin; Hu, Weiming; Xiong, Weihua; Maybank, Stephen J

2016-05-04

Low-rank recovery models have shown potential for salient object detection, where a matrix is decomposed into a low-rank matrix representing image background and a sparse matrix identifying salient objects. Two deficiencies, however, still exist. First, previous work typically assumes the elements in the sparse matrix are mutually independent, ignoring the spatial and pattern relations of image regions. Second, when the low-rank and sparse matrices are relatively coherent, e.g., when there are similarities between the salient objects and background or when the background is complicated, it is difficult for previous models to disentangle them. To address these problems, we propose a novel structured matrix decomposition model with two structural regularizations: (1) a tree-structured sparsity-inducing regularization that captures the image structure and enforces patches from the same object to have similar saliency values, and (2) a Laplacian regularization that enlarges the gaps between salient objects and the background in feature space. Furthermore, high-level priors are integrated to guide the matrix decomposition and boost the detection. We evaluate our model for salient object detection on five challenging datasets including single object, multiple objects and complex scene images, and show competitive results as compared with 24 state-of-the-art methods in terms of seven performance metrics.

A scoping review of malaria forecasting: past work and future directions

PubMed Central

Zinszer, Kate; Verma, Aman D; Charland, Katia; Brewer, Timothy F; Brownstein, John S; Sun, Zhuoyu; Buckeridge, David L

2012-01-01

Objectives There is a growing body of literature on malaria forecasting methods and the objective of our review is to identify and assess methods, including predictors, used to forecast malaria. Design Scoping review. Two independent reviewers searched information sources, assessed studies for inclusion and extracted data from each study. Information sources Search strategies were developed and the following databases were searched: CAB Abstracts, EMBASE, Global Health, MEDLINE, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses and Web of Science. Key journals and websites were also manually searched. Eligibility criteria for included studies We included studies that forecasted incidence, prevalence or epidemics of malaria over time. A description of the forecasting model and an assessment of the forecast accuracy of the model were requirements for inclusion. Studies were restricted to human populations and to autochthonous transmission settings. Results We identified 29 different studies that met our inclusion criteria for this review. The forecasting approaches included statistical modelling, mathematical modelling and machine learning methods. Climate-related predictors were used consistently in forecasting models, with the most common predictors being rainfall, relative humidity, temperature and the normalised difference vegetation index. Model evaluation was typically based on a reserved portion of data and accuracy was measured in a variety of ways including mean-squared error and correlation coefficients. We could not compare the forecast accuracy of models from the different studies as the evaluation measures differed across the studies. Conclusions Applying different forecasting methods to the same data, exploring the predictive ability of non-environmental variables, including transmission reducing interventions and using common forecast accuracy measures will allow malaria researchers to compare and improve models and methods, which should improve the quality of malaria forecasting. PMID:23180505

An investigation on fatality of drivers in vehicle-fixed object accidents on expressways in China: Using multinomial logistic regression model.

PubMed

Peng, Yong; Peng, Shuangling; Wang, Xinghua; Tan, Shiyang

2018-06-01

This study aims to identify the effects of characteristics of vehicle, roadway, driver, and environment on fatality of drivers in vehicle-fixed object accidents on expressways in Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan district of Hunan province in China by developing multinomial logistic regression models. For this purpose, 121 vehicle-fixed object accidents from 2011-2017 are included in the modeling process. First, descriptive statistical analysis is made to understand the main characteristics of the vehicle-fixed object crashes. Then, 19 explanatory variables are selected, and correlation analysis of each two variables is conducted to choose the variables to be concluded. Finally, five multinomial logistic regression models including different independent variables are compared, and the model with best fitting and prediction capability is chosen as the final model. The results showed that the turning direction in avoiding fixed objects raised the possibility that drivers would die. About 64% of drivers died in the accident were found being ejected out of the car, of which 50% did not use a seatbelt before the fatal accidents. Drivers are likely to die when they encounter bad weather on the expressway. Drivers with less than 10 years of driving experience are more likely to die in these accidents. Fatigue or distracted driving is also a significant factor in fatality of drivers. Findings from this research provide an insight into reducing fatality of drivers in vehicle-fixed object accidents.

Computer and mobile technology interventions to promote medication adherence and disease management in people with thalassemia

PubMed Central

Badawy, Sherif M; Morrone, Kerry; Thompson, Alexis; Palermo, Tonya M

2018-01-01

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To identify and assess the effects of computer and mobile technology interventions designed to facilitate medication adherence and disease management in individuals with thalassemia, including: evaluating the effects of using computer and mobile technology interventions for medication adherence and disease management on health and behavioural outcomes;identifying and assessing the effects of computer and mobile technology interventions specific to different age groups (children, adolescents and adults) and type of modality (e.g. cell phone, the Internet). PMID:29861660

Workshop report: US-China workshop on smart structures and smart systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomizuka, Masayoshi

2006-03-01

A Joint U.S.-China workshop on the topic of Integrated Sensing Systems, Mechatronics and Smart Structures Technologies was held in Jinan, China in October 2005 to evaluate the current status of research and education in the topic areas in the United States and China, to identify critical and strategic research and educational issues of mutual interest, and to identify joint research projects and potential research teams for collaborative research activities. The workshop included a series of presentations by leading researchers and educators from the United States and China and group discussions on the workshop objectives.

USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program, 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buxton, Herbert T.

2010-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Toxic Substances Hydrology Program adapts research priorities to address the most important contamination issues facing the Nation and to identify new threats to environmental health. The Program investigates two major types of contamination problems: * Subsurface Point-Source Contamination, and * Watershed and Regional Contamination. Research objectives include developing remediation methods that use natural processes, characterizing and remediating contaminant plumes in fractured-rock aquifers, identifying new environmental contaminants, characterizing new and understudied pesticides in common pesticide-use settings, explaining mercury methylation and bioaccumulation, and developing approaches for remediating watersheds affected by active and historic mining.

Thresholds for conservation and management: structured decision making as a conceptual framework

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nichols, James D.; Eaton, Mitchell J.; Martin, Julien; Edited by Guntenspergen, Glenn R.

2014-01-01

changes in system dynamics. They are frequently incorporated into ecological models used to project system responses to management actions. Utility thresholds are components of management objectives and are values of state or performance variables at which small changes yield substantial changes in the value of the management outcome. Decision thresholds are values of system state variables at which small changes prompt changes in management actions in order to reach specified management objectives. Decision thresholds are derived from the other components of the decision process.We advocate a structured decision making (SDM) approach within which the following components are identified: objectives (possibly including utility thresholds), potential actions, models (possibly including ecological thresholds), monitoring program, and a solution algorithm (which produces decision thresholds). Adaptive resource management (ARM) is described as a special case of SDM developed for recurrent decision problems that are characterized by uncertainty. We believe that SDM, in general, and ARM, in particular, provide good approaches to conservation and management. Use of SDM and ARM also clarifies the distinct roles of ecological thresholds, utility thresholds, and decision thresholds in informed decision processes.

Human brain regions involved in recognizing environmental sounds.

PubMed

Lewis, James W; Wightman, Frederic L; Brefczynski, Julie A; Phinney, Raymond E; Binder, Jeffrey R; DeYoe, Edgar A

2004-09-01

To identify the brain regions preferentially involved in environmental sound recognition (comprising portions of a putative auditory 'what' pathway), we collected functional imaging data while listeners attended to a wide range of sounds, including those produced by tools, animals, liquids and dropped objects. These recognizable sounds, in contrast to unrecognizable, temporally reversed control sounds, evoked activity in a distributed network of brain regions previously associated with semantic processing, located predominantly in the left hemisphere, but also included strong bilateral activity in posterior portions of the middle temporal gyri (pMTG). Comparisons with earlier studies suggest that these bilateral pMTG foci partially overlap cortex implicated in high-level visual processing of complex biological motion and recognition of tools and other artifacts. We propose that the pMTG foci process multimodal (or supramodal) information about objects and object-associated motion, and that this may represent 'action' knowledge that can be recruited for purposes of recognition of familiar environmental sound-sources. These data also provide a functional and anatomical explanation for the symptoms of pure auditory agnosia for environmental sounds reported in human lesion studies.

Process Mining-Based Method of Designing and Optimizing the Layouts of Emergency Departments in Hospitals.

PubMed

Rismanchian, Farhood; Lee, Young Hoon

2017-07-01

This article proposes an approach to help designers analyze complex care processes and identify the optimal layout of an emergency department (ED) considering several objectives simultaneously. These objectives include minimizing the distances traveled by patients, maximizing design preferences, and minimizing the relocation costs. Rising demand for healthcare services leads to increasing demand for new hospital buildings as well as renovating existing ones. Operations management techniques have been successfully applied in both manufacturing and service industries to design more efficient layouts. However, high complexity of healthcare processes makes it challenging to apply these techniques in healthcare environments. Process mining techniques were applied to address the problem of complexity and to enhance healthcare process analysis. Process-related information, such as information about the clinical pathways, was extracted from the information system of an ED. A goal programming approach was then employed to find a single layout that would simultaneously satisfy several objectives. The layout identified using the proposed method improved the distances traveled by noncritical and critical patients by 42.2% and 47.6%, respectively, and minimized the relocation costs. This study has shown that an efficient placement of the clinical units yields remarkable improvements in the distances traveled by patients.

Development of Matched (migratory Analytical Time Change Easy Detection) Method for Satellite-Tracked Migratory Birds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doko, Tomoko; Chen, Wenbo; Higuchi, Hiroyoshi

2016-06-01

Satellite tracking technology has been used to reveal the migration patterns and flyways of migratory birds. In general, bird migration can be classified according to migration status. These statuses include the wintering period, spring migration, breeding period, and autumn migration. To determine the migration status, periods of these statuses should be individually determined, but there is no objective method to define 'a threshold date' for when an individual bird changes its status. The research objective is to develop an effective and objective method to determine threshold dates of migration status based on satellite-tracked data. The developed method was named the "MATCHED (Migratory Analytical Time Change Easy Detection) method". In order to demonstrate the method, data acquired from satellite-tracked Tundra Swans were used. MATCHED method is composed by six steps: 1) dataset preparation, 2) time frame creation, 3) automatic identification, 4) visualization of change points, 5) interpretation, and 6) manual correction. Accuracy was tested. In general, MATCHED method was proved powerful to identify the change points between migration status as well as stopovers. Nevertheless, identifying "exact" threshold dates is still challenging. Limitation and application of this method was discussed.

Empowering communities of research and practice by conducting research for change and including participant voice in reflection on research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basu, Sreyashi Jhumki

2008-12-01

In this paper, in response to Ajay Sharma's paper titled "Portrait of a science teacher as a bricoleur: A case study from India" and associated reviews, I address the value of bridging two narrative styles for describing teacher development, discuss questions of over-essentializing an Indian school context, propose that teacher and student participants should be included in this type of writing series, and identify institutional barriers to researchers acting as agents-of-change. [InlineMediaObject not available: see fulltext.

Residential clothes dryer market assessment. Topical report, February 1995-November 1996

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

Paul, D.D.; Ide, B.E.

1996-02-01

The objective of this project was to provide a technology assessment of the residential clothes dryer market with the intent of identifying the most competitive gas technology for future market condition scenarios. This study included a review of both foreign and domestic clothes drying technologies employing either gas or electric heating elements. A review of microwave and heat pump drying technologies was also included in the analysis. This report examines the potential future opportunities and threats for the gas industry with regard to residential clothes drying.

Development and Validation of a Porcine (Sus scrofa) Sepsis Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-01

last IACUC approval, have any methods been identified to reduce the number of live animals used in this protocol? None 10. PUBLICATIONS...SUMMARY: (Please provide, in "ABSTRACT" format, a summary of the protocol objectives, materials and methods , results - include tables/figures, and...Materials and methods : Animals were anesthetized and instrumented for cardiovascular monitoring. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS, a large molecule present on the

Learning Collaborations between ACE and Vocational Education and Training Providers: Good Practice Partnerships. A National Vocational Education and Training Research and Evaluation Program Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gelade, Sue; Stehlik, Tom; Willis, Peter

2006-01-01

This project developed in response to the national research priority of the role of vocational education and training (VET) in building economic and social capital in regions and communities. Several key streams of work have been identified in relation to this objective, including regional segmentation, indicators and performance measures, and…

Strategic business planning linking strategy with financial reality.

PubMed

Bachrodt, Andrew K; Smyth, J Patrick

2004-11-01

To succeed in today's complex and often adverse business environment, a healthcare organization's strategic direction must be calculated, focused, and financially sustainable. Strategic business planning is an essential tool to help organizations focus strategic choices within the financial realities of their environment. An effective strategic business planning cycle includes conducting an assessment, identifying business objectives, developing strategy, conducting an impact analysis, and developing an implementation plan.

Report of On-Site Inspection Workshop-19

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

Sweeney, J. J.

2011-07-12

The objective of this workshop was to carry out discussions on the OSI Equipment List for the initial period techniques and to provide further contribution to the development of the OSI Equipment List. The report of the 36th session of WGB included guidance to develop corresponding concepts of operations for the equipment, identify logistics and infrastructure requirements, and to address software issues related to the equipment.

Patient perspectives on disparities in healthcare from African-American, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American samples including a secondary analysis of the Institute of Medicine focus group data.

PubMed

Gaston-Johansson, Fannie; Hill-Briggs, Felicia; Oguntomilade, Lola; Bradley, Vanessa; Mason, Phyllis

2007-12-01

The existence of racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare in the United States is well recognized. However, often overlooked in the planning and design of initiatives to address those disparities are the patient perspectives regarding the issues of racial and ethnic disparities that directly affect them. The objective of this study was to identify the patient priorities and to provide recommendations for action to improve minority health-care quality. A secondary objective was the qualitative analysis of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) focus group data. Six focus groups were conducted with nine participants in each. These included an African-American focus group in Washington, D.C., an African-American focus group in Los Angeles, an Asian focus group in Los Angeles, an Hispanic focus group in Washington, D.C., an Hispanic focus group in Los Angeles, and a Native American focus group in Albuquerque, NM. The barriers and priorities for action included difficulty in making informed choices when identifying and selecting providers, poor service delivery from medical office staff, the inefficiency of medical visits, provider communication and cultural competence barriers, and stressful treatment settings. Patient recommendations targeted provision of tools to empower patients throughout the process of care, provider and staff training in communication and cultural competence, alternate models of service delivery, and accessible mechanisms for evaluation and oversight. This study concluded that patient-identified priorities and recommendations warranted modification of current explanatory models for minority health-care quality and the provision of greater clarity regarding directions for policy and behavioral initiatives and criteria for performance evaluation be advanced.

Physical activity in relation to development and progression of myopia - a systematic review.

PubMed

Suhr Thykjaer, Anne; Lundberg, Kristian; Grauslund, Jakob

2017-11-01

On a global scale, myopia is one of the most common causes of visual impairment. Given the increasing prevalence of myopia, it is vital to understand the pathogenesis and to identify potential interventions. Some studies have described physical activity as a potential correlation for myopia. The objective of this study was to make a systematic review regarding the correlation between physical activity and myopia. A total of 263 papers were identified in a systematic database search of PubMed/Medline and Embase. Five steps of screening removed studies of a low evidence quality and animal studies. Studies included had refractive error and physical activity (as measured by questionnaires, accelerometers and cycle ergometers) as separate, well-defined outcomes. Nine studies (six cross-sectional, two cohorts and one case-control study) with a total of 17 634 subjects were included. Six studies demonstrated a reverse association between physical activity and myopia. Three studies supported this, but also attributed the results to time spent outdoors and not physical activity per se. One cross-sectional study found no relation. We could not identify trends among the papers regarding the type of studies, population sizes, ethnicity or age of study subjects. A consistent relationship between more physical activity and less myopia was observed. No evidence of physical activity as an independent risk factor for myopia was seen. Evidence suggests that time outdoors remain the most important factor. Future studies should include objective measurements of physical activity to determine a potential independent effect. Distinction between physical activity and outdoor exposure remains important. © 2016 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Internet of Scientific Research Things

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandler, Cynthia; Shepherd, Adam; Arko, Robert; Leadbetter, Adam; Groman, Robert; Kinkade, Danie; Rauch, Shannon; Allison, Molly; Copley, Nancy; Gegg, Stephen; Wiebe, Peter; Glover, David

2016-04-01

The sum of the parts is greater than the whole, but for scientific research how do we identify the parts when they are curated at distributed locations? Results from environmental research represent an enormous investment and constitute essential knowledge required to understand our planet in this time of rapid change. The Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO) curates data from US NSF Ocean Sciences funded research awards, but BCO-DMO is only one repository in a landscape that includes many other sites that carefully curate results of scientific research. Recent efforts to use persistent identifiers (PIDs), most notably Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCiD) for person, Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for publications including data sets, and Open Funder Registry (FundRef) codes for research grants and awards are realizing success in unambiguously identifying the pieces that represent results of environmental research. This presentation uses BCO-DMO as a test case for adding PIDs to the locally-curated information published out as standards compliant metadata records. We present a summary of progress made thus far; what has worked and why, and thoughts on logical next steps.

Tailored interventions to overcome identified barriers to change: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes

PubMed Central

Baker, Richard; Camosso-Stefinovic, Janette; Gillies, Clare; Shaw, Elizabeth J; Cheater, Francine; Flottorp, Signe; Robertson, Noelle

2014-01-01

Background In the previous version of this review, the effectiveness of interventions tailored to barriers to change was found to be uncertain. Objectives To assess the effectiveness of interventions tailored to address identified barriers to change on professional practice or patient outcomes. Search methods For this update, in addition to the EPOC Register and pending files, we searched the following databases without language restrictions, from inception until August 2007: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, BNI and HMIC. We searched the National Research Register to November 2007. We undertook further searches to October 2009 to identify potentially eligible published or ongoing trials. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions tailored to address prospectively identified barriers to change that reported objectively measured professional practice or healthcare outcomes in which at least one group received an intervention designed to address prospectively identified barriers to change. Data collection and analysis Two reviewers independently assessed quality and extracted data. We undertook quantitative and qualitative analyses. The quantitative analyses had two elements. We carried out a meta-regression to compare interventions tailored to address identified barriers to change with either no interventions or an intervention(s) not tailored to the barriers.We carried out heterogeneity analyses to investigate sources of differences in the effectiveness of interventions. These included the effects of: risk of bias, concealment of allocation, rigour of barrier analysis, use of theory, complexity of interventions, and the reported presence of administrative constraints. Main results We included 26 studies comparing an intervention tailored to address identified barriers to change to no intervention or an intervention(s) not tailored to the barriers. The effect sizes of these studies varied both across and within studies. Twelve studies provided enough data to be included in the quantitative analysis. A meta-regression model was fitted adjusting for baseline odds by fitting it as a covariate, to obtain the pooled odds ratio of 1.54 (95% CI, 1.16 to 2.01) from Bayesian analysis and 1.52 (95% CI, 1.27 to 1.82, P < 0.001) from classical analysis. The heterogeneity analyses found that no study attributes investigated were significantly associated with effectiveness of the interventions. Authors’ conclusions Interventions tailored to prospectively identified barriers are more likely to improve professional practice than no intervention or dissemination of guidelines. However, the methods used to identify barriers and tailor interventions to address them need further development. Research is required to determine the effectiveness of tailored interventions in comparison with other interventions. PMID:20238340

Identification of uncommon objects in containers

DOEpatents

Bremer, Peer-Timo; Kim, Hyojin; Thiagarajan, Jayaraman J.

2017-09-12

A system for identifying in an image an object that is commonly found in a collection of images and for identifying a portion of an image that represents an object based on a consensus analysis of segmentations of the image. The system collects images of containers that contain objects for generating a collection of common objects within the containers. To process the images, the system generates a segmentation of each image. The image analysis system may also generate multiple segmentations for each image by introducing variations in the selection of voxels to be merged into a segment. The system then generates clusters of the segments based on similarity among the segments. Each cluster represents a common object found in the containers. Once the clustering is complete, the system may be used to identify common objects in images of new containers based on similarity between segments of images and the clusters.

The Near-Earth Object Human Space Flight Accessible Targets Study (NHATS) List of Near-Earth Asteroids: Identifying Potential Targets for Future Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abell, Paul; Barbee, B. W.; Mink, R. G.; Adamo, D. R.; Alberding, C. M.; Mazanek, D. D.; Johnson, L. N.; Yeomans, D. K.; Chodas, P. W.; Chamberlin, A. B.; Benner, L. A. M.; Drake, B. G.; Friedensen, V. P.

2012-10-01

Introduction: Much attention has recently been focused on human exploration of near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). Detailed planning for deep space exploration and identification of potential NEA targets for human space flight requires selecting objects from the growing list of known NEAs. NASA therefore initiated the Near-Earth Object Human Space Flight Accessible Target Study (NHATS), which uses dynamical trajectory performance constraints to identify potentially accessible NEAs. Accessibility Criteria: Future NASA human space flight capability is being defined while the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and Space Launch System are under development. Velocity change and mission duration are two of the most critical factors in any human spaceflight endeavor, so the most accessible NEAs tend to be those with orbits similar to Earth’s. To be classified as NHATS-compliant, a NEA must offer at least one round-trip trajectory solution satisfying purposely inclusive constraints, including total mission change in velocity ≤ 12 km/s, mission duration ≤ 450 days (with at least 8 days at the NEA), Earth departure between Jan 1, 2015 and Dec 31, 2040, Earth departure C3 ≤ 60 km2/s2, and Earth return atmospheric entry speed ≤ 12 km/s. Monitoring and Updates: The NHATS list of potentially accessible targets is continuously updated as NEAs are discovered and orbit solutions for known NEAs are improved. The current list of accessible NEAs identified as potentially viable for future human exploration under the NHATS criteria is available to the international community via a website maintained by NASA’s NEO Program Office (http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/nhats/). This website also lists predicted optical and radar observing opportunities for each NHATS-compliant NEA to facilitate acquisition of follow-up observations. Conclusions: This list of NEAs will be useful for analyzing robotic mission opportunities, identifying optimal round trip human space flight trajectories, and highlighting attractive objects of interest for future ground-based observation opportunities.

Identification and topographic localization of metallic foreign bodies by metal detector.

PubMed

Muensterer, Oliver J; Joppich, Ingolf

2004-08-01

Exact localization of ingested metal objects is necessary to guide therapy. This study prospectively evaluates the accuracy of foreign body (FB) identification and localization by metal detector (MTD) in a systematic topographic fashion. Patients who presented after an alleged or witnessed metal FB ingestion were scanned with an MTD. In case of a positive signal, the location was recorded in a topographic diagram, and radiographs were obtained. The diagnostic accuracy of the MTD scan for FB identification and topographic localization was determined by chi(2) analysis, and concordance was calculated by the McNemar test and expressed as kappa. A total of 70 MTD examinations were performed on 65 patients (age 6 months to 16 years); 5 patients were scanned twice on different days. The majority had swallowed coins and button batteries (n = 41). Of these, 29 items were correctly identified, and 11 of 12 were correctly ruled out (coins and button batteries: sensitivity, 100% [95% Confidence Interval 95% to 100%]; specificity, 91.7% [95% CI 76% to 100%], kappa = 0.94). When all metallic objects were included, 41 of 46 were correctly identified, and 22 of 24 were correctly ruled out (sensitivity, 89.1% [95% CI 80% to 98%]; specificity, 91.7% [95% CI 81% to 100%], kappa = 0.78). Five miscellaneous objects were not identified (sensitivity for items other than coins and button batteries 71% [95% CI 49% to 92%], kappa = 0.56). Localization by MTD was correct in 30 of 41 identified objects (73%). The error rates of junior and senior pediatric surgery residents did not differ significantly (P =.82). Ingested coins and button batteries can be safely and accurately found by metal detector. For these indications, the MTD is a radiation-free diagnostic alternative to conventional radiographs. Other items, however, cannot be ruled out reliably by MTD. In these cases, radiographic imaging is still indicated.

Spectroscopic identification of type 2 quasars at z < 1 in SDSS-III/BOSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Sihan; Strauss, Michael A.; Zakamska, Nadia L.

2016-10-01

The physics and demographics of type 2 quasars remain poorly understood, and new samples of such objects selected in a variety of ways can give insight into their physical properties, evolution, and relationship to their host galaxies. We present a sample of 2758 type 2 quasars at z ≲ 1 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-III (SDSS-III)/Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) spectroscopic data base, selected on the basis of their emission-line properties. We probe the luminous end of the population by requiring the rest-frame equivalent width of [O III] to be >100 Å. We distinguish our objects from star-forming galaxies and type 1 quasars using line widths, standard emission line ratio diagnostic diagrams at z < 0.52 and detection of [Ne V]λ3426 Å at z > 0.52. The majority of our objects have [O III] luminosities in the range 1.2 × 1042-3.8 × 1043 erg s-1 and redshifts between 0.4 and 0.65. Our sample includes over 400 type 2 quasars with incorrectly measured redshifts in the BOSS data base; such objects often show kinematic substructure or outflows in the [O III] line. The majority of the sample has counterparts in the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer survey, with median infrared luminosity νLν[12 μm] = 4.2 × 1044 erg s- 1. Only 34 per cent of the newly identified type 2 quasars would be selected by infrared colour cuts designed to identify obscured active nuclei, highlighting the difficulty of identifying complete samples of type 2 quasars. We make public the multi-Gaussian decompositions of all [O III] profiles for the new sample and for 568 type 2 quasars from SDSS I/II, together with non-parametric measures of the [O III] line profile shapes. We also identify over 600 candidate double-peaked [O III] profiles.

Common Allergens Identified Based on Patch Test Results in Patients with Suspected Contact Dermatitis of the Scalp

PubMed Central

Aleid, Nouf M.; Fertig, Raymond; Maddy, Austin; Tosti, Antonella

2017-01-01

Background Contact dermatitis of the scalp is common and might be caused by many chemicals including metals, ingredients of shampoos and conditioners, dyes, or other hair treatments. Eliciting a careful history and patch tests are necessary to identify the responsible allergen and prevent relapses. Objectives To identify allergens that may cause contact dermatitis of the scalp by reviewing patch test results. Methods We reviewed the records of 1,015 patients referred for patch testing at the Dermatology Department of the University of Miami. A total of 226 patients (205 females and 21 males) with suspected scalp contact dermatitis were identified, and the patch test results and clinical data for those patients were analyzed. Most patients were referred for patch testing from a specialized hair clinic at our institution. Results The most common allergens in our study population were nickel (23.8%), cobalt (21.0%), balsam of Peru (18.2%), fragrance mix (14.4%), carba mix (11.6%), and propylene glycol (PG) (8.8%). The majority of patients were females aged 40–59 years, and scalp itching or burning were reported as the most common symptom. Conclusion Frequent sources of allergens for metals include hair clasps, pins, and brushes, while frequent sources of allergens for preservatives, fragrance mix, and balsam of Peru include shampoos, conditioners, and hair gels. Frequent sources of allergens for PG include topical medications. PMID:28611994

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.

Biotechnology System Facility: Risk Mitigation on Mir

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonda, Steve R., III; Galloway, Steve R.

2003-01-01

NASA is working with its international partners to develop space vehicles and facilities that will give researchers the opportunity to conduct scientific investigations in space. As part of this activity, NASA's Biotechnology Cell Science Program (BCSP) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) is developing a world-class biotechnology laboratory facility for the International Space Station (ISS). This report describes the BCSP, including the role of the BTS. We identify the purpose and objectives of the BTS and a detailed description of BTS facility design and operational concept, BTS facility and experiment-specific hardware, and scientific investigations conducted in the facility. We identify the objectives, methods, and results of risk mitigation investigations of the effects of microgravity and cosmic radiation on the BTS data acquisition and control system. These results may apply to many other space experiments that use commercial, terrestrial-based data acquisition technology. Another focal point is a description of the end-to-end process of integrating and operating biotechnology experiments on a variety of space vehicles. The identification of lessons learned that can be applied to future biotechnology experiments is an overall theme of the report. We include a brief summary of the science results, but this is not the focus of the report. The report provides some discussion on the successful 130-day tissue engineering experiment performed in BTS on Mir and describes a seminal gene array investigation that identified a set of unique genes that are activated in space.

Smart-Glasses: Exposing and Elucidating the Ethical Issues.

PubMed

Hofmann, Bjørn; Haustein, Dušan; Landeweerd, Laurens

2017-06-01

The objective of this study is to provide an overview over the ethical issues relevant to the assessment, implementation, and use of smart-glasses. The purpose of the overview is to facilitate deliberation, decision making, and the formation of knowledge and norms for this emerging technology. An axiological question-based method for human cognitive enhancement including an extensive literature search on smart-glasses is used to identify relevant ethical issues. The search is supplemented with relevant ethical issues identified in the literature on human cognitive enhancement (in general) and in the study of the technical aspects of smart-glasses. Identified papers were subject to traditional content analysis: 739 references were identified of which 247 were regarded as relevant for full text examinations, and 155 were included in the study. A wide variety of ethical issues with smart-glasses have been identified, such as issues related to privacy, safety, justice, change in human agency, accountability, responsibility, social interaction, power and ideology. Smart-glasses are envisioned to change individual human identity and behavior as well as social interaction. Taking these issues into account appears to be relevant when developing, deliberating, deciding on, implementing, and using smart-glasses.

Identification, Nomenclature, and Evolutionary Relationships of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) Genes in Soybean

PubMed Central

Neupane, Achal; Nepal, Madhav P.; Piya, Sarbottam; Subramanian, Senthil; Rohila, Jai S.; Reese, R. Neil; Benson, Benjamin V.

2013-01-01

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) genes in eukaryotes regulate various developmental and physiological processes including those associated with biotic and abiotic stresses. Although MAPKs in some plant species including Arabidopsis have been identified, they are yet to be identified in soybean. Major objectives of this study were to identify GmMAPKs, assess their evolutionary relationships, and analyze their functional divergence. We identified a total of 38 MAPKs, eleven MAPKKs, and 150 MAPKKKs in soybean. Within the GmMAPK family, we also identified a new clade of six genes: four genes with TEY and two genes with TQY motifs requiring further investigation into possible legume-specific functions. The results indicated the expansion of the GmMAPK families attributable to the ancestral polyploidy events followed by chromosomal rearrangements. The GmMAPK and GmMAPKKK families were substantially larger than those in other plant species. The duplicated GmMAPK members presented complex evolutionary relationships and functional divergence when compared to their counterparts in Arabidopsis. We also highlighted existing nomenclatural issues, stressing the need for nomenclatural consistency. GmMAPK identification is vital to soybean crop improvement, and novel insights into the evolutionary relationships will enhance our understanding about plant genome evolution. PMID:24137047

Impact of a pharmacy technician-centered medication reconciliation program on medication discrepancies and implementation of recommendations

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of a pharmacy-technician centered medication reconciliation (PTMR) program by identifying and quantifying medication discrepancies and outcomes of pharmacist medication reconciliation recommendations. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on two-hundred patients admitted to the internal medicine teaching services at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, NJ. Patients were selected using a stratified systematic sample approach and were included if they received a pharmacy technician medication history and a pharmacist medication reconciliation at any point during their hospital admission. Pharmacist identified medication discrepancies were analyzed using descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses. Potential risk factors were identified using multivariate analyses, such as logistic regression and CART. The priority level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: Three-hundred and sixty-five medication discrepancies were identified out of the 200 included patients. The four most common discrepancies were omission (64.7%), non-formulary omission (16.2%), dose discrepancy (10.1%), and frequency discrepancy (4.1%). Twenty-two percent of pharmacist recommendations were implemented by the prescriber within 72 hours. Conclusion: A PTMR program with dedicated pharmacy technicians and pharmacists identifies many medication discrepancies at admission and provides opportunities for pharmacist reconciliation recommendations. PMID:28690691

Parameter Estimation of Computationally Expensive Watershed Models Through Efficient Multi-objective Optimization and Interactive Decision Analytics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhtar, Taimoor; Shoemaker, Christine

2016-04-01

Watershed model calibration is inherently a multi-criteria problem. Conflicting trade-offs exist between different quantifiable calibration criterions indicating the non-existence of a single optimal parameterization. Hence, many experts prefer a manual approach to calibration where the inherent multi-objective nature of the calibration problem is addressed through an interactive, subjective, time-intensive and complex decision making process. Multi-objective optimization can be used to efficiently identify multiple plausible calibration alternatives and assist calibration experts during the parameter estimation process. However, there are key challenges to the use of multi objective optimization in the parameter estimation process which include: 1) multi-objective optimization usually requires many model simulations, which is difficult for complex simulation models that are computationally expensive; and 2) selection of one from numerous calibration alternatives provided by multi-objective optimization is non-trivial. This study proposes a "Hybrid Automatic Manual Strategy" (HAMS) for watershed model calibration to specifically address the above-mentioned challenges. HAMS employs a 3-stage framework for parameter estimation. Stage 1 incorporates the use of an efficient surrogate multi-objective algorithm, GOMORS, for identification of numerous calibration alternatives within a limited simulation evaluation budget. The novelty of HAMS is embedded in Stages 2 and 3 where an interactive visual and metric based analytics framework is available as a decision support tool to choose a single calibration from the numerous alternatives identified in Stage 1. Stage 2 of HAMS provides a goodness-of-fit measure / metric based interactive framework for identification of a small subset (typically less than 10) of meaningful and diverse set of calibration alternatives from the numerous alternatives obtained in Stage 1. Stage 3 incorporates the use of an interactive visual analytics framework for decision support in selection of one parameter combination from the alternatives identified in Stage 2. HAMS is applied for calibration of flow parameters of a SWAT model, (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) designed to simulate flow in the Cannonsville watershed in upstate New York. Results from the application of HAMS to Cannonsville indicate that efficient multi-objective optimization and interactive visual and metric based analytics can bridge the gap between the effective use of both automatic and manual strategies for parameter estimation of computationally expensive watershed models.

The Professional Culture of Community Pharmacy and the Provision of MTM Services.

PubMed

Rosenthal, Meagen M; Holmes, Erin R

2018-03-21

The integration of advanced pharmacy services into community pharmacy practice is not complete. According to implementation research understanding professional culture, as a part of context, may provide insights for accelerating this process. There are three objectives in this study. The first objective of this study was to validate an adapted version of an organizational culture measure in a sample of United States' (US) community pharmacists. The second objective was to examine potential relationships between the cultural factors identified using the validated instrument and a number of socialization and education variables. The third objective was to examine any relationships between the scores on the identified cultural factors and the provision of MTM services. This study was a cross-sectional online survey for community pharmacists in the southeastern US. The survey contained questions on socialization/education, respondents' self-reported provision of medication therapy management (MTM) services, and the organizational culture profile (OCP). Analyses included descriptive statistics, a principle components analysis (PCA), independent samples t-test, and multivariate ordinal regression. A total of 303 surveys were completed. The PCA revealed a six-factor structure: social responsibility, innovation, people orientation, competitiveness, attention to detail, and reward orientation. Further analysis revealed significant relationships between social responsibility and years in practice, and people orientation and attention to detail and pharmacists' training and practice setting. Significant positive relationships were observed between social responsibility, innovation, and competitiveness and the increased provision of MTM services. The significant relationships identified between the OCP factors and community pharmacist respondents' provision of MTM services provides an important starting point for developing interventions to improve the uptake of practice change opportunities.

Mining the Kilo-Degree Survey for solar system objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahlke, M.; Bouy, H.; Altieri, B.; Verdoes Kleijn, G.; Carry, B.; Bertin, E.; de Jong, J. T. A.; Kuijken, K.; McFarland, J.; Valentijn, E.

2018-02-01

Context. The search for minor bodies in the solar system promises insights into its formation history. Wide imaging surveys offer the opportunity to serendipitously discover and identify these traces of planetary formation and evolution. Aim. We aim to present a method to acquire position, photometry, and proper motion measurements of solar system objects (SSOs) in surveys using dithered image sequences. The application of this method on the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS) is demonstrated. Methods: Optical images of 346 deg2 fields of the sky are searched in up to four filters using the AstrOmatic software suite to reduce the pixel to catalog data. The SSOs within the acquired sources are selected based on a set of criteria depending on their number of observation, motion, and size. The Virtual Observatory SkyBoT tool is used to identify known objects. Results: We observed 20 221 SSO candidates, with an estimated false-positive content of less than 0.05%. Of these SSO candidates, 53.4% are identified by SkyBoT. KiDS can detect previously unknown SSOs because of its depth and coverage at high ecliptic latitude, including parts of the Southern Hemisphere. Thus we expect the large fraction of the 46.6% of unidentified objects to be truly new SSOs. Conclusions: Our method is applicable to a variety of dithered surveys such as DES, LSST, and Euclid. It offers a quick and easy-to-implement search for SSOs. SkyBoT can then be used to estimate the completeness of the recovered sample. The tables of raw data are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/610/A21

One Thousand New Dwarf Novae from the OGLE Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mróz, P.; Udalski, A.; Poleski, R.; Pietrukowicz, P.; Szymański, M. K.; Soszyński, I.; Wyrzykowski, Ł.; Ulaczyk, K.; Kozłowski, S.; Skowron, J.

2015-12-01

We present one of the largest collections of dwarf novae (DNe) containing 1091 objects that have been discovered in the long-term photometric data from the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) survey. They were found in the OGLE fields toward the Galactic bulge and the Magellanic Clouds. We analyze basic photometric properties of all systems and tentatively find a population of DNe from the Galactic bulge. We identify several dozen of WZ Sge-type DN candidates, including two with superhump periods longer than 0.09 d. Other interesting objects include SU UMa-type stars with "early" precursor outbursts or a Z Cam-type star showing outbursts during standstills. We also provide a list of DNe which will be observed during the K2 Campaign 9 microlensing experiment in 2016. Finally, we present the new OGLE-IV real-time data analysis system: CVOM, which has been designed to provide continuous real time photometric monitoring of selected CVs.

Economic Evaluation of Occupational Safety and Health Interventions From the Employer Perspective

PubMed Central

Grimani, Aikaterini; Bergström, Gunnar; Casallas, Martha Isabel Riaño; Aboagye, Emmanuel; Jensen, Irene; Lohela-Karlsson, Malin

2018-01-01

Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of occupational safety and health interventions from the employer perspective. Methods: A comprehensive literature search (2005 to 2016) in five electronic databases was conducted. Pre-2005 studies were identified from the reference lists of previous studies and systematic reviews, which have similar objective to those of this search. Results: A total of 19 randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies were included, targeting diverse health problems in a number of settings. Few studies included organizational-level interventions. When viewed in relation to the methodological quality and the sufficiency of economic evidence, five of 11 cost-effective occupational safety and health (OSH) interventions appear to be promising. Conclusion: The present systematic review highlights the need for high-quality economic evidence to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of OSH interventions, especially at organizational-level, in all areas of worker health. PMID:29112631

Summary of Aqua, Aura, and Terra High Interest Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, Lauri

2015-01-01

Single-obs tracking Sparsely tracked objects are an unfortunate reality of CARA operations Terra vs. 32081: new track with bad data was included in OD solution for secondary object and risk became high CARA and JSpOC discussed tracking and OSAs threw out the bad data. Event no longer presented high risk based on new OD Improvement: CARA now sends JSpOC a flag indicating when a single obs is included, so OSAs can evaluate if manual update to OD is required. Missing ASW OCMsAura vs. 87178, TCA: 317 at 08:04 UTC. Post-maneuver risk (conjunction was identified in OO results)CARA confirmed with JSpOC that ASW OCMs should have been received in addition to OO OCMsJSpOC corrected the manual error in their script that prevented the data from being delivered to CARAJSpOC QAd their other scripts to ensure this error did not exist in other places.

Does Vesta Have Moons?: Dawn's Search for Satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McFadden, L. A.; Sykes, M. V.; Tricarico, P.; Carsenty, U.; Gutierrez-Marques, P.; Jacobson, R. A.; Joy, S.; Keller, H. U.; Li, J.-Y.; McLean, B.;

Multi-objects recognition for distributed intelligent sensor networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Haibo; Chen, Sheng; Cao, Yuan; Desai, Sachi; Hohil, Myron E.

2008-04-01

This paper proposes an innovative approach for multi-objects recognition for homeland security and defense based intelligent sensor networks. Unlike the conventional way of information analysis, data mining in such networks is typically characterized with high information ambiguity/uncertainty, data redundancy, high dimensionality and real-time constrains. Furthermore, since a typical military based network normally includes multiple mobile sensor platforms, ground forces, fortified tanks, combat flights, and other resources, it is critical to develop intelligent data mining approaches to fuse different information resources to understand dynamic environments, to support decision making processes, and finally to achieve the goals. This paper aims to address these issues with a focus on multi-objects recognition. Instead of classifying a single object as in the traditional image classification problems, the proposed method can automatically learn multiple objectives simultaneously. Image segmentation techniques are used to identify the interesting regions in the field, which correspond to multiple objects such as soldiers or tanks. Since different objects will come with different feature sizes, we propose a feature scaling method to represent each object in the same number of dimensions. This is achieved by linear/nonlinear scaling and sampling techniques. Finally, support vector machine (SVM) based learning algorithms are developed to learn and build the associations for different objects, and such knowledge will be adaptively accumulated for objects recognition in the testing stage. We test the effectiveness of proposed method in different simulated military environments.

Practical Strategies for Integrating Final Ecosystem Goods and ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The concept of Final Ecosystem Goods and Services (FEGS) explicitly connects ecosystem services to the people that benefit from them. This report presents a number of practical strategies for incorporating FEGS, and more broadly ecosystem services, into the decision-making process. Whether a decision process is in early or late stages, or whether a process includes informal or formal decision analysis, there are multiple points where ecosystem services concepts can be integrated. This report uses Structured Decision Making (SDM) as an organizing framework to illustrate the role ecosystem services can play in a values-focused decision-process, including: • Clarifying the decision context: Ecosystem services can help clarify the potential impacts of an issue on natural resources together with their spatial and temporal extent based on supply and delivery of those services, and help identify beneficiaries for inclusion as stakeholders in the deliberative process. • Defining objectives and performance measures: Ecosystem services may directly represent stakeholder objectives, or may be means toward achieving other objectives. • Creating alternatives: Ecosystem services can bring to light creative alternatives for achieving other social, economic, health, or general well-being objectives. • Estimating consequences: Ecosystem services assessments can implement ecological production functions (EPFs) and ecological benefits functions (EBFs) to link decision alt

The role of temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) in global Gestalt perception.

PubMed

Huberle, Elisabeth; Karnath, Hans-Otto

2012-07-01

Grouping processes enable the coherent perception of our environment. A number of brain areas has been suggested to be involved in the integration of elements into objects including early and higher visual areas along the ventral visual pathway as well as motion-processing areas of the dorsal visual pathway. However, integration not only is required for the cortical representation of individual objects, but is also essential for the perception of more complex visual scenes consisting of several different objects and/or shapes. The present fMRI experiments aimed to address such integration processes. We investigated the neural correlates underlying the global Gestalt perception of hierarchically organized stimuli that allowed parametrical degrading of the object at the global level. The comparison of intact versus disturbed perception of the global Gestalt revealed a network of cortical areas including the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), anterior cingulate cortex and the precuneus. The TPJ location corresponds well with the areas known to be typically lesioned in stroke patients with simultanagnosia following bilateral brain damage. These patients typically show a deficit in identifying the global Gestalt of a visual scene. Further, we found the closest relation between behavioral performance and fMRI activation for the TPJ. Our data thus argue for a significant role of the TPJ in human global Gestalt perception.

Development and alignment of undergraduate medical curricula in a web-based, dynamic Learning Opportunities, Objectives and Outcome Platform (LOOOP).

PubMed

Balzer, Felix; Hautz, Wolf E; Spies, Claudia; Bietenbeck, Andreas; Dittmar, Martin; Sugiharto, Firman; Lehmann, Lars; Eisenmann, Dorothea; Bubser, Florian; Stieg, Markus; Hanfler, Sven; Georg, Waltraud; Tekian, Ara; Ahlers, Olaf

2016-01-01

This study presents a web-based method and its interface ensuring alignment of all parts of a curriculum map including competencies, objectives, teaching and assessment methods, workload and patient availability. Needs, acceptance and effectiveness are shown through a nine-year study. After a comprehensive needs assessment, the curriculum map and a web-based interface "Learning Opportunities, Objectives and Outcome Platform" (LOOOP) were developed according to Harden's conceptual framework of 10-steps for curriculum mapping. The outcome was measured by surveys and results of interdisciplinary MCQ-assessments. The usage rates and functionalities were analysed. The implementation of LOOOP was significantly associated with improved perception of the curriculum structure by teachers and students, quality of defined objectives and their alignment with teaching and assessment, usage by students to prepare examinations and their scores in interdisciplinary MCQ-assessment. Additionally, LOOOP improved the curriculum coordination by faculty, and assisted departments for identifying patient availability for clinical training. LOOOP is well accepted among students and teachers, has positive effect on curriculum development, facilitates effective utilisation of educational resources and improves student's outcomes. Currently, LOOOP is used in five undergraduate medical curricula including 85,000 mapped learning opportunities (lectures, seminars), 5000 registered users (students, teachers) and 380,000 yearly page-visits.

Gulf War illness: a view from Australia

PubMed Central

Sim, Malcolm; Kelsall, Helen

2006-01-01

Australia sent a small, mostly naval, deployment to the 1991 Gulf War. When papers and media concerns arose about unexplained Gulf War illnesses in Gulf War troops from other countries, Australia decided to undertake its own study of Australian veterans. Undertaking a later study, more than 10 years after the Gulf War, allowed us to incorporate some methodological improvements on previous research, such as the inclusion of a face-to-face health assessment where more objective health data could be collected in addition to using a postal questionnaire. Despite the different Gulf War experience for the mostly naval Australian group, there were remarkable consistencies in the patterns of multiple symptom reporting found in overseas studies, including the fact that no unique symptom clusters were identified. In general, this excess symptom reporting was not found to occur with excesses in more objective measures of physical health. These objective physical measures included a wide range of haematological, biochemical and serological markers, a physical examination, spirometry and a step test of fatigability. In contrast, several psychological disorders, including anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and substance abuse, were found to occur in excess in the Australian Gulf War group and were associated with Gulf War psychological stressors. These findings have helped raise awareness in Australia of psychological health problems in deployed military personnel. PMID:16687266

Systems and Methods for Imaging of Falling Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fallgatter, Cale (Inventor); Garrett, Tim (Inventor)

2014-01-01

Imaging of falling objects is described. Multiple images of a falling object can be captured substantially simultaneously using multiple cameras located at multiple angles around the falling object. An epipolar geometry of the captured images can be determined. The images can be rectified to parallelize epipolar lines of the epipolar geometry. Correspondence points between the images can be identified. At least a portion of the falling object can be digitally reconstructed using the identified correspondence points to create a digital reconstruction.

Identifying the perceptive users for online social systems

PubMed Central

Liu, Xiao-Lu; Guo, Qiang; Han, Jing-Ti

2017-01-01

In this paper, the perceptive user, who could identify the high-quality objects in their initial lifespan, is presented. By tracking the ratings given to the rewarded objects, we present a method to identify the user perceptibility, which is defined as the capability that a user can identify these objects at their early lifespan. Moreover, we investigate the behavior patterns of the perceptive users from three dimensions: User activity, correlation characteristics of user rating series and user reputation. The experimental results for the empirical networks indicate that high perceptibility users show significantly different behavior patterns with the others: Having larger degree, stronger correlation of rating series and higher reputation. Furthermore, in view of the hysteresis in finding the rewarded objects, we present a general framework for identifying the high perceptibility users based on user behavior patterns. The experimental results show that this work is helpful for deeply understanding the collective behavior patterns for online users. PMID:28704382

Identifying the perceptive users for online social systems.

PubMed

Liu, Jian-Guo; Liu, Xiao-Lu; Guo, Qiang; Han, Jing-Ti

2017-01-01

In this paper, the perceptive user, who could identify the high-quality objects in their initial lifespan, is presented. By tracking the ratings given to the rewarded objects, we present a method to identify the user perceptibility, which is defined as the capability that a user can identify these objects at their early lifespan. Moreover, we investigate the behavior patterns of the perceptive users from three dimensions: User activity, correlation characteristics of user rating series and user reputation. The experimental results for the empirical networks indicate that high perceptibility users show significantly different behavior patterns with the others: Having larger degree, stronger correlation of rating series and higher reputation. Furthermore, in view of the hysteresis in finding the rewarded objects, we present a general framework for identifying the high perceptibility users based on user behavior patterns. The experimental results show that this work is helpful for deeply understanding the collective behavior patterns for online users.

Consensus of recommendations guiding comparative effectiveness research methods.

PubMed

Morton, Jacob B; McConeghy, Robert; Heinrich, Kirstin; Gatto, Nicolle M; Caffrey, Aisling R

2016-12-01

Because of an increasing demand for quality comparative effectiveness research (CER), methods guidance documents have been published, such as those from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Our objective was to identify CER methods guidance documents and compare them to produce a summary of important recommendations which could serve as a consensus of CER method recommendations. We conducted a systematic literature review to identify CER methods guidance documents published through 2014. Identified documents were analyzed for methods guidance recommendations. Individual recommendations were categorized to determine the degree of overlap. We identified nine methods guidance documents, which contained a total of 312 recommendations, 97% of which were present in two or more documents. All nine documents recommended transparency and adaptation for relevant stakeholders in the interpretation and dissemination of results. Other frequently shared CER methods recommendations included: study design and operational definitions should be developed a priori and allow for replication (n = 8 documents); focus on areas with gaps in current clinical knowledge that are relevant to decision-makers (n = 7); validity of measures, instruments, and data should be assessed and discussed (n = 7); outcomes, including benefits and harms, should be clinically meaningful, and objectively measured (n = 7). Assessment for and strategies to minimize bias (n = 6 documents), confounding (n = 6), and heterogeneity (n = 4) were also commonly shared recommendations between documents. We offer a field-consensus guide based on nine CER methods guidance documents that will aid researchers in designing CER studies and applying CER methods. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Novel Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism Disorder Associated with Variants in the Centrosomal Protein Ninein

PubMed Central

LaFranchi, Stephen H.; Maliga, Zoltan; Lui, Julian C.; Moon, Jennifer E.; McDeed, Cailin; Henke, Katrin; Zonana, Jonathan; Kingman, Garrett A.; Pers, Tune H.; Baron, Jeffrey; Rosenfeld, Ron G.; Hirschhorn, Joel N.; Harris, Matthew P.; Hwa, Vivian

2012-01-01

Context: Microcephalic primordial dwarfism (MPD) is a rare, severe form of human growth failure in which growth restriction is evident in utero and continues into postnatal life. Single causative gene defects have been identified in a number of patients with MPD, and all involve genes fundamental to cellular processes including centrosome functions. Objective: The objective of the study was to find the genetic etiology of a novel presentation of MPD. Design: The design of the study was whole-exome sequencing performed on two affected sisters in a single family. Molecular and functional studies of a candidate gene were performed using patient-derived primary fibroblasts and a zebrafish morpholino oligonucleotides knockdown model. Patients: Two sisters presented with a novel subtype of MPD, including severe intellectual disabilities. Main Outcome Measures: NIN, encoding Ninein, a centrosomal protein critically involved in asymmetric cell division, was identified as a candidate gene, and functional impacts in fibroblasts and zebrafish were studied. Results: From 34,606 genomic variants, two very rare missense variants in NIN were identified. Both probands were compound heterozygotes. In the zebrafish, ninein knockdown led to specific and novel defects in the specification and morphogenesis of the anterior neuroectoderm, resulting in a deformity of the developing cranium with a small, squared skull highly reminiscent of the human phenotype. Conclusion: We identified a novel clinical subtype of MPD in two sisters who have rare variants in NIN. We show, for the first time, that reduction of ninein function in the developing zebrafish leads to specific deficiencies of brain and skull development, offering a developmental basis for the myriad phenotypes in our patients. PMID:22933543

Archetypal TRMM Radar Profiles Identified Through Cluster Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boccippio, Dennis J.

2003-01-01

It is widely held that identifiable 'convective regimes' exist in nature, although precise definitions of these are elusive. Examples include land / Ocean distinctions, break / monsoon beahvior, seasonal differences in the Amazon (SON vs DJF), etc. These regimes are often described by differences in the realized local convective spectra, and measured by various metrics of convective intensity, depth, areal coverage and rainfall amount. Objective regime identification may be valuable in several ways: regimes may serve as natural 'branch points' in satellite retrieval algorithms or data assimilation efforts; one example might be objective identification of regions that 'should' share a similar 2-R relationship. Similarly, objectively defined regimes may provide guidance on optimal siting of ground validation efforts. Objectively defined regimes could also serve as natural (rather than arbitrary geographic) domain 'controls' in studies of convective response to environmental forcing. Quantification of convective vertical structure has traditionally involved parametric study of prescribed quantities thought to be important to convective dynamics: maximum radar reflectivity, cloud top height, 30-35 dBZ echo top height, rain rate, etc. Individually, these parameters are somewhat deficient as their interpretation is often nonunique (the same metric value may signify different physics in different storm realizations). Individual metrics also fail to capture the coherence and interrelationships between vertical levels available in full 3-D radar datasets. An alternative approach is discovery of natural partitions of vertical structure in a globally representative dataset, or 'archetypal' reflectivity profiles. In this study, this is accomplished through cluster analysis of a very large sample (0[107) of TRMM-PR reflectivity columns. Once achieved, the rainconditional and unconditional 'mix' of archetypal profile types in a given location and/or season provides a description of the local convective spectrum which retains vertical structure information. A further cluster analysis of these 'mixes' can identify recurrent convective spectra. These are a first step towards objective identification of convective regimes, and towards answering the question: 'What are the most convectively similar locations in the world?'

The Medical Complications Associated with Purging

PubMed Central

Forney, K. Jean; Buchman-Schmitt, Jennifer M.; Keel, Pamela K.; Frank, Guido K.W.

2015-01-01

Objective Purging behaviors, including self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, and diuretic abuse, are present across many of the eating disorders. Here we review the major medical complications of these behaviors. Method Although we identified over 100 scholarly articles describing medical complications associated with purging, most papers involved case studies or small, uncontrolled samples. Given the limited evidence base, we conducted a qualitative (rather than systematic) review to identify medical complications that have been attributed to purging behaviors. Results Medical conditions affecting the teeth, esophagus, gastrointestinal system, kidneys, skin, cardiovascular system, and musculoskeletal system were identified, with self-induced vomiting causing the most medical complications. Conclusions Purging behavior can be associated with severe medical complications across all body systems. Mental health professionals should refer patients with purging behaviors to medical providers for screening and treatment as needed. The medical work-up for individuals with eating disorders should include a comprehensive metabolic panel, complete blood count, and a full body exam including the teeth to prevent severe complications. Medical providers should screen patients for purging behaviors and associated medical complications, even in the absence of an eating disorder diagnosis, to increase the detection of eating disorders. Recognizing the link between purging and medical complications can aid in identifying potential eating disorders, particularly those that often elude detection such as purging disorder. PMID:26876429

Examining Guidelines for School-Based Breakfast Programs in Canada: A Systematic Review of the Grey Literature.

PubMed

Godin, Katelyn M; Kirkpatrick, Sharon I; Hanning, Rhona M; Stapleton, Jackie; Leatherdale, Scott T

2017-06-01

School breakfast programs are widespread and serve varying objectives regarding youth health promotion. Evidence-based guidelines for breakfast programs may be important in maximizing their effectiveness related to student outcomes, yet it is unclear what is available in Canada. A systematic review was conducted to identify and compare Canadian guidelines related to breakfast programs. Data sources included grey literature databases, customized search engines, targeted websites, and content expert consultations. Eligible guidelines met the following criteria: government and nongovernment sources at the federal and provincial/territorial levels, current version, and intended for program coordinators. Recommendations for program delivery were extracted, categorized, and mapped onto the 4 environments outlined in the ANGELO framework, and they were classified as "common" or "inconsistent" across guidelines. Fifteen sets of guidelines were included. No guidelines were available from federal or territorial governments and 4 provincial governments. There were few references to peer-reviewed literature within the guidelines and despite many common recommendations for program delivery, conflicting recommendations were also identified. Potential barriers to program participation, including a lack of consideration of allergies and other dietary restrictions, were identified. Future research should identify how guidelines are implemented and evaluate what effect their implementation has on program delivery and student outcomes.

Non-Invasive Imaging of Reactor Cores Using Cosmic Ray Muons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milner, Edward

2011-10-01

Cosmic ray muons penetrate deeply in material, with some passing completely through very thick objects. This penetrating quality is the basis of two distinct, but related imaging techniques. The first measures the number of cosmic ray muons transmitted through parts of an object. Relatively fewer muons are absorbed along paths in which they encounter less material, compared to higher density paths, so the relative density of material is measured. This technique is called muon transmission imaging, and has been used to infer the density and structure of a variety of large masses, including mine overburden, volcanoes, pyramids, and buildings. In a second, more recently developed technique, the angular deflection of muons is measured by trajectory-tracking detectors placed on two opposing sides of an object. Muons are deflected more strongly by heavy nuclei, since multiple Coulomb scattering angle is approximately proportional to the nuclear charge. Therefore, a map showing regions of large deflection will identify the location of uranium in contrast to lighter nuclei. This technique is termed muon scattering tomography (MST) and has been developed to screen shipping containers for the presence of concealed nuclear material. Both techniques are a good way of non-invasively inspecting objects. A previously unexplored topic was applying MST to imaging large objects. Here we demonstrate extending the MST technique to the task of identifying relatively thick objects inside very thick shielding. We measured cosmic ray muons passing through a physical arrangement of material similar to a nuclear reactor, with thick concrete shielding and a heavy metal core. Newly developed algorithms were used to reconstruct an image of the ``mock reactor core,'' with resolution of approximately 30 cm.

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

Gagné, Jonathan; Lafrenière, David; Doyon, René

We present Bayesian Analysis for Nearby Young AssociatioNs II (BANYAN II), a modified Bayesian analysis for assessing the membership of later-than-M5 objects to any of several Nearby Young Associations (NYAs). In addition to using kinematic information (from sky position and proper motion), this analysis exploits 2MASS-WISE color-magnitude diagrams in which old and young objects follow distinct sequences. As an improvement over our earlier work, the spatial and kinematic distributions for each association are now modeled as ellipsoids whose axes need not be aligned with the Galactic coordinate axes, and we use prior probabilities matching the expected populations of the NYAsmore » considered versus field stars. We present an extensive contamination analysis to characterize the performance of our new method. We find that Bayesian probabilities are generally representative of contamination rates, except when a parallax measurement is considered. In this case contamination rates become significantly smaller and hence Bayesian probabilities for NYA memberships are pessimistic. We apply this new algorithm to a sample of 158 objects from the literature that are either known to display spectroscopic signs of youth or have unusually red near-infrared colors for their spectral type. Based on our analysis, we identify 25 objects as new highly probable candidates to NYAs, including a new M7.5 bona fide member to Tucana-Horologium, making it the latest-type member. In addition, we reveal that a known L2γ dwarf is co-moving with a bright M5 dwarf, and we show for the first time that two of the currently known ultra red L dwarfs are strong candidates to the AB Doradus moving group. Several objects identified here as highly probable members to NYAs could be free-floating planetary-mass objects if their membership is confirmed.« less

Workshop on Two-Phase Fluid Behavior in a Space Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swanson, Theodore D. (Editor); Juhasz, AL (Editor); Long, W. Russ (Editor); Ottenstein, Laura (Editor)

1989-01-01

The Workshop was successful in achieving its main objective of identifying a large number of technical issues relating to the design of two-phase systems for space applications. The principal concern expressed was the need for verified analytical tools that will allow an engineer to confidently design a system to a known degree of accuracy. New and improved materials, for such applications as thermal storage and as heat transfer fluids, were also identified as major needs. In addition to these research efforts, a number of specific hardware needs were identified which will require development. These include heat pumps, low weight radiators, advanced heat pipes, stability enhancement devices, high heat flux evaporators, and liquid/vapor separators. Also identified was the need for a centralized source of reliable, up-to-date information on two-phase flow in a space environment.

Physical Characterization of Warm Spitzer-observed Near-Earth Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, Cristina A.; Emery, Joshua P.; Trilling, David E.; Delbo, Marco; Hora, Joseph L.; Mueller, Michael

2014-01-01

Near-infrared spectroscopy of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) connects diagnostic spectral features to specific surface mineralogies. The combination of spectroscopy with albedos and diameters derived from thermal infrared observations can increase the scientific return beyond that of the individual datasets. For instance, some taxonomic classes can be separated into distinct compositional groupings with albedo and different mineralogies with similar albedos can be distinguished with spectroscopy. To that end, we have completed a spectroscopic observing campaign to complement the ExploreNEOs Warm Spitzer program that obtained albedos and diameters of nearly 600 NEOs (Trilling et al., 2010). The spectroscopy campaign included visible and near-infrared observations of ExploreNEOs targets from various observatories. Here we present the results of observations using the low-resolution prism mode (approx. 0.7-2.5 microns) of the SpeX instrument on the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF). We also include near-infrared observations of Explore-NEOs targets from the MIT-UH-IRTF Joint Campaign for Spectral Reconnaissance. Our dataset includes near-infrared spectra of 187 ExploreNEOs targets (125 observations of 92 objects from our survey and 213 observations of 154 objects from the MIT survey). We identify a taxonomic class for each spectrum and use band parameter analysis to investigate the mineralogies for the S-, Q-, and V-complex objects. Our analysis suggests that for spectra that contain near-infrared data but lack the visible wavelength region, the Bus-DeMeo system misidentifies some S-types as Q-types. We find no correlation between spectral band parameters and ExploreNEOs albedos and diameters. We investigate the correlations of phase angle with band area ratio and near-infrared spectral slope. We find slightly negative Band Area Ratio (BAR) correlations with phase angle for Eros and Ivar, but a positive BAR correlation with phase angle for Ganymed.The results of our phase angle study are consistent with those of (Sanchez et al., 2012). We find evidence for spectral phase reddening for Eros, Ganymed, and Ivar. We identify the likely ordinary chondrite type analog for an appropriate subset of our sample. Our resulting proportions of H, L, and LL ordinary chondrites differ from those calculated for meteorite falls and in previous studies of ordinary chondrite-like NEOs.

A guide to multi-objective optimization for ecological problems with an application to cackling goose management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Perry J.; Kendall, William L.

2017-01-01

Choices in ecological research and management are the result of balancing multiple, often competing, objectives. Multi-objective optimization (MOO) is a formal decision-theoretic framework for solving multiple objective problems. MOO is used extensively in other fields including engineering, economics, and operations research. However, its application for solving ecological problems has been sparse, perhaps due to a lack of widespread understanding. Thus, our objective was to provide an accessible primer on MOO, including a review of methods common in other fields, a review of their application in ecology, and a demonstration to an applied resource management problem.A large class of methods for solving MOO problems can be separated into two strategies: modelling preferences pre-optimization (the a priori strategy), or modelling preferences post-optimization (the a posteriori strategy). The a priori strategy requires describing preferences among objectives without knowledge of how preferences affect the resulting decision. In the a posteriori strategy, the decision maker simultaneously considers a set of solutions (the Pareto optimal set) and makes a choice based on the trade-offs observed in the set. We describe several methods for modelling preferences pre-optimization, including: the bounded objective function method, the lexicographic method, and the weighted-sum method. We discuss modelling preferences post-optimization through examination of the Pareto optimal set. We applied each MOO strategy to the natural resource management problem of selecting a population target for cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii minima) abundance. Cackling geese provide food security to Native Alaskan subsistence hunters in the goose's nesting area, but depredate crops on private agricultural fields in wintering areas. We developed objective functions to represent the competing objectives related to the cackling goose population target and identified an optimal solution first using the a priori strategy, and then by examining trade-offs in the Pareto set using the a posteriori strategy. We used four approaches for selecting a final solution within the a posteriori strategy; the most common optimal solution, the most robust optimal solution, and two solutions based on maximizing a restricted portion of the Pareto set. We discuss MOO with respect to natural resource management, but MOO is sufficiently general to cover any ecological problem that contains multiple competing objectives that can be quantified using objective functions.

Gamma watermarking

DOEpatents

Ishikawa, Muriel Y.; Wood, Lowell L.; Lougheed, Ronald W.; Moody, Kenton J.; Wang, Tzu-Fang

2004-05-25

A covert, gamma-ray "signature" is used as a "watermark" for property identification. This new watermarking technology is based on a unique steganographic or "hidden writing" digital signature, implemented in tiny quantities of gamma-ray-emitting radioisotopic material combinations, generally covertly emplaced on or within an object. This digital signature may be readily recovered at distant future times, by placing a sensitive, high energy-resolution gamma-ray detecting instrument reasonably precisely over the location of the watermark, which location may be known only to the object's owner; however, the signature is concealed from all ordinary detection means because its exceedingly low level of activity is obscured by the natural radiation background (including the gamma radiation naturally emanating from the object itself, from cosmic radiation and material surroundings, from human bodies, etc.). The "watermark" is used in object-tagging for establishing object identity, history or ownership. It thus may serve as an aid to law enforcement officials in identifying stolen property and prosecuting theft thereof. Highly effective, potentially very low cost identification-on demand of items of most all types is thus made possible.

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 index; SHE: Sustainable healthcare education.

Proposal for fulfilling strategic objectives of the U.S. Roadmap for national action on clinical decision support through a service-oriented architecture leveraging HL7 services.

PubMed

Kawamoto, Kensaku; Lobach, David F

2007-01-01

Despite their demonstrated effectiveness, clinical decision support (CDS) systems are not widely used within the U.S. The Roadmap for National Action on Clinical Decision Support, published in June 2006 by the American Medical Informatics Association, identifies six strategic objectives for achieving widespread adoption of effective CDS capabilities. In this manuscript, we propose a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) for CDS that facilitates achievement of these six objectives. Within the proposed framework, CDS capabilities are implemented through the orchestration of independent software services whose interfaces are being standardized by Health Level 7 and the Object Management Group through their joint Healthcare Services Specification Project (HSSP). Core services within this framework include the HSSP Decision Support Service, the HSSP Common Terminology Service, and the HSSP Retrieve, Locate, and Update Service. Our experiences, and those of others, indicate that the proposed SOA approach to CDS could enable the widespread adoption of effective CDS within the U.S. health care system.

Digital implementation of a neural network for imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Richard; McGlashan, Alex; Yatulis, Jay; Mascher, Peter; Bruce, Ian

2012-10-01

This paper outlines the design and testing of a digital imaging system that utilizes an artificial neural network with unsupervised and supervised learning to convert streaming input (real time) image space into parameter space. The primary objective of this work is to investigate the effectiveness of using a neural network to significantly reduce the information density of streaming images so that objects can be readily identified by a limited set of primary parameters and act as an enhanced human machine interface (HMI). Many applications are envisioned including use in biomedical imaging, anomaly detection and as an assistive device for the visually impaired. A digital circuit was designed and tested using a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and an off the shelf digital camera. Our results indicate that the networks can be readily trained when subject to limited sets of objects such as the alphabet. We can also separate limited object sets with rotational and positional invariance. The results also show that limited visual fields form with only local connectivity.

[An object-based information extraction technology for dominant tree species group types].

PubMed

Tian, Tian; Fan, Wen-yi; Lu, Wei; Xiao, Xiang

2015-06-01

Information extraction for dominant tree group types is difficult in remote sensing image classification, howevers, the object-oriented classification method using high spatial resolution remote sensing data is a new method to realize the accurate type information extraction. In this paper, taking the Jiangle Forest Farm in Fujian Province as the research area, based on the Quickbird image data in 2013, the object-oriented method was adopted to identify the farmland, shrub-herbaceous plant, young afforested land, Pinus massoniana, Cunninghamia lanceolata and broad-leave tree types. Three types of classification factors including spectral, texture, and different vegetation indices were used to establish a class hierarchy. According to the different levels, membership functions and the decision tree classification rules were adopted. The results showed that the method based on the object-oriented method by using texture, spectrum and the vegetation indices achieved the classification accuracy of 91.3%, which was increased by 5.7% compared with that by only using the texture and spectrum.

Debiasing the Distant Solar System Populations Using Pan-STARRS1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lilly Schunova, Eva; Weryk, Robert J.; Chastel, Serge; Denneau, Larry; Jedicke, Robert; Wainscoat, Richard J.; Chambers, Kenneth C.

2017-10-01

We discuss our on-going effort to identify Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) in the Pan-STARRS1 dataset, and to debias the size-frequency distributions (SFD) of detected TNO sub-populations in order to estimate their true population sizes. To measure our detection efficiency we used the model of Grav et al. (2011)[1], which includes Kuiper belt Objects (KBOs), Scattered Disc Objects (SDOs), and Centaurs. Our debiasing method accounts for the per-chip CCD sensitivity as well as CCD cell gaps. The search method for finding distant Solar System objects, which was developed for our initial work (Weryk et al., 2016)[2], led to discovery of 29 Centaurs, 243 KBOs and 61 SDOs from Pan-STARRS data spanning years 2010-2015. Our work is extended using more recent PS1 data.[1] Grav, T., et al. (2011), Publications of the Astronomical Society of Pacific, Volume 123, Issue 902, pp. 423.[2] Weryk, R.J., et al. (2016), eprint arXiv:1607.04895.

Questionnaire surveys of dentists on radiology

PubMed Central

Shelley, AM; Brunton, P; Horner, K

2012-01-01

Objectives Survey by questionnaire is a widely used research method in dental radiology. A major concern in reviews of questionnaires is non-response. The objectives of this study were to review questionnaire studies in dental radiology with regard to potential survey errors and to develop recommendations to assist future researchers. Methods A literature search with the software search package PubMed was used to obtain internet-based access to Medline through the website www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed. A search of the English language peer-reviewed literature was conducted of all published studies, with no restriction on date. The search strategy found articles with dates from 1983 to 2010. The medical subject heading terms used were “questionnaire”, “dental radiology” and “dental radiography”. The reference sections of articles retrieved by this method were hand-searched in order to identify further relevant papers. Reviews, commentaries and relevant studies from the wider literature were also included. Results 53 questionnaire studies were identified in the dental literature that concerned dental radiography and included a report of response rate. These were all published between 1983 and 2010. In total, 87 articles are referred to in this review, including the 53 dental radiology studies. Other cited articles include reviews, commentaries and examples of studies outside dental radiology where they are germane to the arguments presented. Conclusions Non-response is only one of four broad areas of error to which questionnaire surveys are subject. This review considers coverage, sampling and measurement, as well as non-response. Recommendations are made to assist future research that uses questionnaire surveys. PMID:22517994

An analysis of characteristics of post-authorisation studies registered on the ENCePP EU PAS Register

PubMed Central

Carroll, Robert; Ramagopalan, Sreeram V.; Cid-Ruzafa, Javier; Lambrelli, Dimitra; McDonald, Laura

2017-01-01

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the study design characteristics of Post-Authorisation Studies (PAS) requested by the European Medicines Agency which were recorded on the European Union (EU) PAS Register held by the European Network of Centres for Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance (ENCePP). Methods: We undertook a cross-sectional descriptive analysis of all studies registered on the EU PAS Register as of 18 th October 2016. Results: We identified a total of 314 studies on the EU PAS Register, including 81 (26%) finalised, 160 (51%) ongoing and 73 (23%) planned. Of those studies identified, 205 (65%) included risk assessment in their scope, 133 (42%) included drug utilisation and 94 (30%) included effectiveness evaluation. Just over half of the studies (175; 56%) used primary data capture, 135 (43%) used secondary data and 4 (1%) used a hybrid design combining both approaches. Risk assessment and effectiveness studies were more likely to use primary data capture (60% and 85% respectively as compared to 39% and 14% respectively for secondary). The converse was true for drug utilisation studies where 59% were secondary vs. 39% for primary. For type 2 diabetes mellitus, database studies were more commonly used (80% vs 3% chart review, 3% hybrid and 13% primary data capture study designs) whereas for studies in oncology, primary data capture were more likely to be used (85% vs 4% chart review, and 11% database study designs). Conclusions: Results of this analysis show that PAS design varies according to study objectives and therapeutic area. PMID:29188016

Designing and visualizing the water-energy-food nexus system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Endo, A.; Kumazawa, T.; Yamada, M.; Kato, T.

2017-12-01

The objective of this study is to design and visualize a water-energy-food nexus system to identify the interrelationships between water-energy-food (WEF) resources and to understand the subsequent complexity of WEF nexus systems holistically, taking an interdisciplinary approach. Object-oriented concepts and ontology engineering methods were applied according to the hypothesis that the chains of changes in linkages between water, energy, and food resources holistically affect the water-energy-food nexus system, including natural and social systems, both temporally and spatially. The water-energy-food nexus system that is developed is significant because it allows us to: 1) visualize linkages between water, energy, and food resources in social and natural systems; 2) identify tradeoffs between these resources; 3) find a way of using resources efficiently or enhancing the synergy between the utilization of different resources; and 4) aid scenario planning using economic tools. The paper also discusses future challenges for applying the developed water-energy-food nexus system in other areas.

How galectin-3 changes acute heart failure decision making in the emergency department.

PubMed

Peacock, W Frank

2014-10-01

When considering the appropriate disposition plan in a patient presenting to the emergency department (ED) with acute heart failure (HF), the range of options includes discharge home to intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Unfortunately, there are few objective measures to insure optimal choices, and the currently available science is scant at best. The consequences of a lack of a standardized approach are nowhere more evident than as demonstrated by the worldwide 90-day heart failure rehospitalization rate that exceeds 25%. New strategies to address this important gap in clinical care are sorely needed. The measurement of galectin-3 may represent a new alternative to the historical standard of gestalt-based clinical disposition decisions. Elevated galectin-3 can identify patients at very high risk for short-term adverse outcomes, while low levels identify a population with essentially no 90-day revisits. This prospective objective measure of illness severity may aid in clinical decision making and thus represent a future where rehospitalization after HF is an unusual event.

Advanced Platform Systems Technology study. Volume 2: Trade study and technology selection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

Three primary tasks were identified which include task 1-trade studies, task 2-trade study comparison and technology selection, and task 3-technology definition. Task 1 general objectives were to identify candidate technology trade areas, determine which areas have the highest potential payoff, define specific trades within the high payoff areas, and perform the trade studies. In order to satisfy these objectives, a structured, organized approach was employed. Candidate technology areas and specific trades were screened using consistent selection criteria and considering possible interrelationships. A data base comprising both manned and unmanned space platform documentation was used as a source of system and subsystem requirements. When requirements were not stated in the data base documentation, assumptions were made and recorded where necessary to characterize a particular spacecraft system. The requirements and assumptions were used together with the selection criteria to establish technology advancement goals and select trade studies. While both manned and unmanned platform data were used, the study was focused on the concept of an early manned space station.

A Process for Curricular Improvement Based on Evaluation of Student Performance on Milestone Examinations

PubMed Central

Hylton, Ann C.; Justice, Michael

2016-01-01

Objective. To identify and address areas for curricular improvement by evaluating student achievement of expected learning outcomes and competencies on annual milestone examinations. Design. Students were tested each professional year with a comprehensive milestone examination designed to evaluate student achievement of learning outcomes and professional competencies using a combination of multiple-choice questions, standardized patient assessments (SPAs), and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) questions. Assessment. Based on student performance on milestone examinations, curricular changes were instituted, including an increased emphasis on graded comprehensive cases, OSCE skills days, and use of patient simulation in lecture and laboratory courses. After making these changes, significant improvements were observed in second and third-year pharmacy students’ grades for the therapeutic case and physician interaction/errors and omissions components of the milestone examinations. Conclusion. Results from milestone examinations can be used to identify specific areas in which curricular improvements are needed to foster student achievement of learning outcomes and professional competencies. PMID:28090108

Exploring local regularities for 3D object recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Huaiwen; Qin, Shengfeng

2016-11-01

In order to find better simplicity measurements for 3D object recognition, a new set of local regularities is developed and tested in a stepwise 3D reconstruction method, including localized minimizing standard deviation of angles(L-MSDA), localized minimizing standard deviation of segment magnitudes(L-MSDSM), localized minimum standard deviation of areas of child faces (L-MSDAF), localized minimum sum of segment magnitudes of common edges (L-MSSM), and localized minimum sum of areas of child face (L-MSAF). Based on their effectiveness measurements in terms of form and size distortions, it is found that when two local regularities: L-MSDA and L-MSDSM are combined together, they can produce better performance. In addition, the best weightings for them to work together are identified as 10% for L-MSDSM and 90% for L-MSDA. The test results show that the combined usage of L-MSDA and L-MSDSM with identified weightings has a potential to be applied in other optimization based 3D recognition methods to improve their efficacy and robustness.

Final Report - Enhanced LAW Glass Property - Composition Models - Phase 1 VSL-13R2940-1, Rev. 0, dated 9/27/2013

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

Kruger, Albert A.; Muller, I.; Gilbo, K.

2013-11-13

The objectives of this work are aimed at the development of enhanced LAW propertycomposition models that expand the composition region covered by the models. The models of interest include PCT, VHT, viscosity and electrical conductivity. This is planned as a multi-year effort that will be performed in phases with the objectives listed below for the current phase.  Incorporate property- composition data from the new glasses into the database.  Assess the database and identify composition spaces in the database that need augmentation.  Develop statistically-designed composition matrices to cover the composition regions identified in the above analysis.  Preparemore » crucible melts of glass compositions from the statistically-designed composition matrix and measure the properties of interest.  Incorporate the above property-composition data into the database.  Assess existing models against the complete dataset and, as necessary, start development of new models.« less

Using the SCERTS model assessment tool to identify music therapy goals for clients with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Walworth, Darcy D; Register, Dena; Engel, Judy Nguyen

2009-01-01

The purposes of this paper were to identify and compare goals and objectives addressed by music therapists that are contained in the SCERTS Model, for use with children at risk or diagnosed with a communication impartment including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). A video analysis of music therapists working with clients at risk or diagnosed with ASD (N = 33) was conducted to: (a) identify the areas of the SCERTS assessment model that music therapists are currently addressing within their sessions for clients with ASD, and (b) compare the frequency of SCERTS domains and goals addressed by music therapists within sessions. Results of the analysis revealed that all three domains of social communication, emotional regulation, and transactional support were addressed within music therapy sessions. Within each domain both broad goals were all addressed including joint attention and symbol use for social communication, self-regulation and mutual regulation for emotional regulation, and interpersonal support and learning support for transactional support. Overall, music therapists addressed transactional support goals and subgoals more often than social communication and emotional regulation goals and subgoals. The highest frequency goal area addressed was interpersonal support (73.96%) and the lowest goal area addressed was joint attention (35.96%). For the social partner and language partner language stages, 58 of the 320 possible subgoals were addressed with 90% frequency or higher, while 13 of the same subgoals were never addressed. The SCERTS Model is designed for use by a multidisciplinary team of professionals and family members throughout a client's treatment and contains an ongoing assessment tool with resulting goals and objectives. This analysis indicates that many SCERTS goals and objectives can be addressed in music therapy interventions. Additionally, goals and subgoals not previously recognized in music therapy treatment can be generated by the use of the SCERTS Model.

Fruit and vegetable consumption: benefits and barriers.

PubMed

Maclellan, Debbie L; Gottschall-Pass, Katherine; Larsen, Roberta

2004-01-01

Few people on Prince Edward Island meet the goal of consuming five or more servings of vegetables and fruit a day. The main objective of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of the nutritional benefits and barriers to vegetable and fruit intake among adult women in Prince Edward Island. Participants were 40 women aged 20-49, with or without children at home, who were or were not currently meeting the objective of eating five or more fruit and vegetable servings a day. In-home, one-on-one interviews were used for data collection. Thematic analysis was conducted on the transcribed interviews. Data were examined for trustworthiness in the context of credibility, transferability, and dependability. Most participants identified one or more benefits of eating fruit and vegetables; however, comments tended to be non-specific. The main barriers that participants identified were effort, lack of knowledge, sociopsychological and socioenvironmental factors, and availability. Internal influences, life events, and food rules were identified as encouraging women to include vegetables and fruit in their diets. Given the challenges of effecting meaningful dietary change, dietitians must look for broader dietary behavioural interventions that are sensitive to women's perceptions of benefits and barriers to fruit and vegetable intake.

Cybersecurity in healthcare: A systematic review of modern threats and trends.

PubMed

Kruse, Clemens Scott; Frederick, Benjamin; Jacobson, Taylor; Monticone, D Kyle

2017-01-01

The adoption of healthcare technology is arduous, and it requires planning and implementation time. Healthcare organizations are vulnerable to modern trends and threats because it has not kept up with threats. The objective of this systematic review is to identify cybersecurity trends, including ransomware, and identify possible solutions by querying academic literature. The reviewers conducted three separate searches through the CINAHL and PubMed (MEDLINE) and the Nursing and Allied Health Source via ProQuest databases. Using key words with Boolean operators, database filters, and hand screening, we identified 31 articles that met the objective of the review. The analysis of 31 articles showed the healthcare industry lags behind in security. Like other industries, healthcare should clearly define cybersecurity duties, establish clear procedures for upgrading software and handling a data breach, use VLANs and deauthentication and cloud-based computing, and to train their users not to open suspicious code. The healthcare industry is a prime target for medical information theft as it lags behind other leading industries in securing vital data. It is imperative that time and funding is invested in maintaining and ensuring the protection of healthcare technology and the confidentially of patient information from unauthorized access.

European Society of Cardiology - Acute Cardiovascular Care Association position paper on safe discharge of acute heart failure patients from the emergency department.

PubMed

Miró, Òscar; Peacock, Frank W; McMurray, John J; Bueno, Héctor; Christ, Michael; Maisel, Alan S; Cullen, Louise; Cowie, Martin R; Di Somma, Salvatore; Martín Sánchez, Francisco J; Platz, Elke; Masip, Josep; Zeymer, Uwe; Vrints, Christiaan; Price, Susanna; Mebazaa, Alexander; Mueller, Christian

2017-06-01

Heart failure is a global public health challenge frequently presenting to the emergency department. After initial stabilization and management, one of the most important decisions is to determine which patients can be safely discharged and which require hospitalization. This is a complex decision that depends on numerous subjective factors, including both the severity of the patient's underlying condition and an estimate of the acuity of the presentation. An emergency department observation period may help select the correct option. Ideally, during an observation period, risk stratification should be carried out using parameters specifically designed for use in the emergency department. Unfortunately, there is little objective literature to guide this disposition decision. An objective and reliable definition of low-risk characteristics to identify early discharge candidates is needed. Benchmarking outcomes in patients discharged from the emergency department without hospitalization could aid this process. Biomarker determinations, although undoubtedly useful in establishing diagnosis and predicting longer-term prognosis, require prospective validation for emergency department disposition guidance. The challenge of identifying emergency department acute heart failure discharge candidates will only be overcome by future multidisciplinary research defining the current knowledge gaps and identifying potential solutions.

Student perceptions of independent versus facilitated small group learning approaches to compressed medical anatomy education.

PubMed

Whelan, Alexander; Leddy, John J; Mindra, Sean; Matthew Hughes, J D; El-Bialy, Safaa; Ramnanan, Christopher J

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare student perceptions regarding two, small group learning approaches to compressed (46.5 prosection-based laboratory hours), integrated anatomy education at the University of Ottawa medical program. In the facilitated active learning (FAL) approach, tutors engage students and are expected to enable and balance both active learning and progression through laboratory objectives. In contrast, the emphasized independent learning (EIL) approach stresses elements from the "flipped classroom" educational model: prelaboratory preparation, independent laboratory learning, and limited tutor involvement. Quantitative (Likert-style questions) and qualitative data (independent thematic analysis of open-ended commentary) from a survey of students who had completed the preclerkship curriculum identified strengths from the EIL (promoting student collaboration and communication) and FAL (successful progression through objectives) approaches. However, EIL led to student frustration related to a lack of direction and impaired completion of objectives, whereas active learning opportunities in FAL were highly variable and dependent on tutor teaching style. A "hidden curriculum" was also identified, where students (particularly EIL and clerkship students) commonly compared their compressed anatomy education or their anatomy learning environment with other approaches. Finally, while both groups highly regarded the efficiency of prosection-based learning and expressed value for cadaveric-based learning, student commentary noted that the lack of grade value dedicated to anatomy assessment limited student accountability. This study revealed critical insights into small group learning in compressed anatomy education, including the need to balance student active learning opportunities with appropriate direction and feedback (including assessment). © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

Individual performance review in hospital practice: the development of a framework and evaluation of doctors' attitudes to its value and implementation.

PubMed

Trebble, T M; Cruickshank, L; Hockey, P M; Heyworth, N; Powell, T; Clarke, N

2013-11-01

Appraisal, or independent performance review (IPR) is used in human resources management in the commercial and public sectors to evaluate the performance of an employee against agreed local organisational expectations and objectives, and to identify their requirements for development and effective management. IPR for NHS consultants may provide essential information for job planning, contribute towards medical appraisal for revalidation, and facilitate productivity and quality improvement. To develop a framework for IPR for consultants, and to determine attitudes on its value, process and content. Information from commercial, public and voluntary sector models and published and other literature sources were used to develop an IPR framework. This was assessed through a three-cycle action research methodology involving qualitative interviews with 22 consultants (predominantly with medical management roles). The domains of the IPR framework included: (1) performance against objectives; (2) behaviour and leadership; (3) talent management; (4) agreed future objectives. A number of themes were identified from the consultant interviews including: ineffective current appraisal systems reflecting a lack of valid performance data and allotted time; a lack of empowerment of medical managers to address performance issues; IPR as a more explicit system, offering value in evaluating doctors performance; and the dependence of successful implementation on the engagement of the Trust executive. IPR may have value for performance evaluation of consultants, contributing toward job planning and complementing medical appraisal. Support by their employing organisation and engagement with medical managers in design and implementation is likely to be essential.

A review of couple-centred interventions in dementia: Exploring the what and why - Part A.

PubMed

Bielsten, Therése; Hellström, Ingrid

2017-01-01

Introduction Symptoms of dementia bring about challenges to couples' relationships. Relationship-focused support has been highlighted to be of significant importance for sustained relationship quality and to reduce the negative impact of dementia on the dyadic relationship. This review aimed to explore the 'what' and 'why' of interventions aimed at couples where one partner has a diagnosis of dementia and in which the couple jointly participate. Method Searches were performed in Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science from January 2000 to August 2017. Results Six studies were included. Objectives for the person with dementia was related to cognitive function and for the care partner the objectives were related to well-being. The majority of the outcomes were mirrored by the objectives and focused on cognitive function for people with dementia and depression and relationship quality for care partners. Our findings indicate that people with dementia should be included in the assessment of the relationship in order to gain an overall picture of relationship dynamics and to increase tailored support in couple-centred interventions. Conclusions The findings of this review indicate that joint interventions for people with dementia and care partners are lacking a genuine dyadic approach where both partners' views of their relationship are valued. In order to identify targets for support and to use the appropriate outcome measures, the quality of the relationship should be recognised and taken into account. Moreover, there is a lack of a salutogenic approach in couple-centred interventions in which couples' strengths and resources can be identified and supported.

Learning Objects as Tools for Teaching Information Literacy Online: A Survey of Librarian Usage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mestre, Lori S.; Baures, Lisa; Niedbala, Mona; Bishop, Corinne; Cantrell, Sarah; Perez, Alice; Silfen, Kate

2011-01-01

Based on information gathered from two discussion sessions moderated by members of the Education and Behavioral Sciences Section's Online Learning Research Committee a survey was conducted to identify how librarians use course/learning management systems and learning objects to deliver instruction. Objectives of the study were to identify the…

RAPTOR-scan: Identifying and Tracking Objects Through Thousands of Sky Images

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

Davidoff, Sherri; Wozniak, Przemyslaw

2004-09-28

The RAPTOR-scan system mines data for optical transients associated with gamma-ray bursts and is used to create a catalog for the RAPTOR telescope system. RAPTOR-scan can detect and track individual astronomical objects across data sets containing millions of observed points.Accurately identifying a real object over many optical images (clustering the individual appearances) is necessary in order to analyze object light curves. To achieve this, RAPTOR telescope observations are sent in real time to a database. Each morning, a program based on the DBSCAN algorithm clusters the observations and labels each one with an object identifier. Once clustering is complete, themore » analysis program may be used to query the database and produce light curves, maps of the sky field, or other informative displays.Although RAPTOR-scan was designed for the RAPTOR optical telescope system, it is a general tool designed to identify objects in a collection of astronomical data and facilitate quick data analysis. RAPTOR-scan will be released as free software under the GNU General Public License.« less

Breastfeeding trends and updated national health objectives for exclusive breastfeeding--United States, birth years 2000-2004.

PubMed

2007-08-03

Breastfeeding is associated with decreased risk for many early-life diseases and conditions, including otitis media, respiratory tract infections, atopic dermatitis, gastroenteritis, type 2 diabetes, sudden infant death syndrome, and obesity. Breastfeeding also is associated with health benefits to women, including decreased risk for type 2 diabetes, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer. Exclusive breastfeeding is defined as an infant receiving only breast milk and no other liquids or solids except for drops or syrups consisting of vitamins, minerals, or medicines. In 2007, Healthy People 2010 (HP2010) objectives for breastfeeding initiation and duration were updated to include two new objectives on exclusive breastfeeding (i.e., to increase the proportion of mothers who exclusively breastfeed their infants through age 3 months to 60% and through age 6 months to 25% [objectives 16-19d and 16-19e]). To monitor progress toward achieving HP2010 breastfeeding objectives, CDC analyzed data from the National Immunization Survey (NIS). This report describes the results of that analysis, which indicated that rates for breastfeeding initiation and duration increased among infants born during 2000-2004. Rates for exclusive breastfeeding through ages 3 months and 6 months among infants born in 2004 were 30.5% and 11.3%, respectively, below targets set by HP2010. Rates of exclusive breastfeeding were significantly lower among black infants (compared with white infants) and infants born to unmarried mothers (compared with married mothers). Additionally, older age, urban residence, higher education, and higher income of mothers all were positively associated with exclusive breastfeeding. Further research is needed to identify successful programs and policies to support exclusive breastfeeding, especially among subgroups with the lowest rates.

Perceived barriers to effective implementation of public reporting of hospital performance data in Australia: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Canaway, Rachel; Bismark, Marie; Dunt, David; Kelaher, Margaret

2017-06-07

Public reporting of government funded (public) hospital performance data was mandated in Australia in 2011. Studies suggest some benefit associated with such public reporting, but also considerable scope to improve reporting systems. In 2015, a purposive sample of 41 expert informants were interviewed, representing consumer, provider and purchasers perspectives across Australia's public and private health sectors, to ascertain expert opinion on the utility and impact of public reporting of health service performance. Qualitative data was thematically analysed with a focus on reporting perceived strengths and barriers to public reporting of hospital performance data (PR). Many more weaknesses and barriers to PR were identified than strengths. Barriers were: conceptual (unclear objective, audience and reporting framework); systems-level (including lack of consumer choice, lack of consumer and clinician involvement, jurisdictional barriers, lack of mandate for private sector reporting); technical and resource related (including data complexity, lack of data relevance consistency, rigour); and socio-cultural (including provider resistance to public reporting, poor consumer health literacy, lack of consumer empowerment). Perceptions of the Australian experience of PR highlight important issues in its implementation that can provide lessons for Australia and elsewhere. A considerable weakness of PR in Australia is that the public are often not considered its major audience, resulting in information ineffectually framed to meet the objective of PR informing consumer decision-making about treatment options. Greater alignment is needed between the primary objective of PR, its audience and audience needs; more than one system of PR might be necessary to meet different audience needs and objectives. Further research is required to assess objectively the potency of the barriers to PR suggested by our panel of informants.

Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2010-01-01

The United States spends approximately four million dollars each year searching for near-Earth objects (NEOs). The objective is to detect those that may collide with Earth. The majority of this funding supports the operation of several observatories that scan the sky searching for NEOs. This, however, is insufficient in detecting the majority of NEOs that may present a tangible threat to humanity. A significantly smaller amount of funding supports ways to protect the Earth from such a potential collision or "mitigation." In 2005, a Congressional mandate called for NASA to detect 90 percent of NEOs with diameters of 140 meters of greater by 2020. Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies identifies the need for detection of objects as small as 30 to 50 meters as these can be highly destructive. The book explores four main types of mitigation including civil defense, "slow push" or "pull" methods, kinetic impactors and nuclear explosions. It also asserts that responding effectively to hazards posed by NEOs requires national and international cooperation. Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies is a useful guide for scientists, astronomers, policy makers and engineers.

Cross-identification of large surveys for finding interstellar extinction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpov, S. V.; Malkov, O. Yu.; Mironov, A. V.

2012-01-01

The publication of large photometric surveys and the tools for the cross-identification of their objects open up a possibility for obtaining multicolor photometry of hundreds of millions of objects. This, in turn, makes it possible not only to classify the objects and determine their parameters, but also to measure the interstellar extinction towards them and produce an extinction map for the Milky Way. The aim of this study is to develop a tool for the cross identification of objects in the most well-known surveys and test it in several sky areas. To this end, we implemented an algorithm of fast positional matching of large astronomical catalogs in small (up to one degree) sized areas with filtering of false identification. As a result, we drew in seven 0.1-degree radius areas samples of objects from the DENIS, 2MASS, SDSS, GALEX, and UKIDSS surveys, and performed the cross-identification of these surveys. We compiled the corresponding subcatalogs in the VO Table format. The tool developed as a result of this work can be used to cross-identify objects in arbitrary sky areas for the further classification and determination of stellar parameters, including the measurement of the amount of interstellar extinction.

Improving Diagnosis of Sepsis After Burn Injury Using a Portable Sepsis Alert System

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

application listed milestones/target dates for important activities or phases of the project, identify these dates and show actual completion dates or the... activities ; 2) specific objectives; 3) significant results or key outcomes, including major findings, developments, or conclusions (both positive and...progresses to completion, the emphasis in reporting in this section should shift from reporting activities to reporting accomplishments. Task 1. Test the

Aspects of job scheduling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, K.

1976-01-01

A mathematical model for job scheduling in a specified context is presented. The model uses both linear programming and combinatorial methods. While designed with a view toward optimization of scheduling of facility and plant operations at the Deep Space Communications Complex, the context is sufficiently general to be widely applicable. The general scheduling problem including options for scheduling objectives is discussed and fundamental parameters identified. Mathematical algorithms for partitioning problems germane to scheduling are presented.

Magician Simulator: A Realistic Simulator for Heterogenous Teams of Autonomous Robots. MAGIC 2010 Challenge

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-07

Sensor UGVs (SUGV) or Disruptor UGVs, depending on their payload. The SUGVs included vision, GPS/IMU, and LIDAR systems for identifying and tracking...employed by all the MAGICian research groups. Objects of interest were tracked using standard LIDAR and Computer Vision template-based feature...tracking approaches. Mapping was solved through Multi-Agent particle-filter based Simultaneous Locali- zation and Mapping ( SLAM ). Our system contains

Identifying best practice principles of audit in health care.

PubMed

Patel, S

Audit is recognised as a crucial component of improving the quality of patient care. Examples include giving patients safe, reliable and dignified care, enhancing their experiences and satisfaction by encouraging them to self-direct their recovery, and reducing the length of stay in hospital, readmission rates and delayed discharge. This article describes clinical audit, the stages involved in the process and the support required to achieve strategic objectives.

US DOE International energy policy on Russia

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

Gale, B.G.

1996-04-01

This report describes the importance of the United States Department of Energy`s (US DOE) International Energy Policy to Russia. Key objectives identified include the support of the transition to democracy and a market based economy. The U.S.interests at stake, importance of energy to Russia, key institutional mechanism, energy-policy committee, joint energy activities, and the key to the success of other U.S. policy are discussed.