Two- vs. Three-Dimensional Presentation of Mental Rotation Tasks: Sex Differences and Effects of Training on Performance and Brain Activation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neubauer, Aljoscha C.; Bergner, Sabine; Schatz, Martina

2010-01-01

The well-documented sex difference in mental rotation favoring males has been shown to emerge only for 2-dimensional presentations of 3-dimensional objects, but not with actual 3-dimensional objects or with virtual reality presentations of 3-dimensional objects. Training studies using computer games with mental rotation-related content have…

Application of new type of distributed multimedia databases to networked electronic museum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuroda, Kazuhide; Komatsu, Naohisa; Komiya, Kazumi; Ikeda, Hiroaki

1999-01-01

Recently, various kinds of multimedia application systems have actively been developed based on the achievement of advanced high sped communication networks, computer processing technologies, and digital contents-handling technologies. Under this background, this paper proposed a new distributed multimedia database system which can effectively perform a new function of cooperative retrieval among distributed databases. The proposed system introduces a new concept of 'Retrieval manager' which functions as an intelligent controller so that the user can recognize a set of distributed databases as one logical database. The logical database dynamically generates and performs a preferred combination of retrieving parameters on the basis of both directory data and the system environment. Moreover, a concept of 'domain' is defined in the system as a managing unit of retrieval. The retrieval can effectively be performed by cooperation of processing among multiple domains. Communication language and protocols are also defined in the system. These are used in every action for communications in the system. A language interpreter in each machine translates a communication language into an internal language used in each machine. Using the language interpreter, internal processing, such internal modules as DBMS and user interface modules can freely be selected. A concept of 'content-set' is also introduced. A content-set is defined as a package of contents. Contents in the content-set are related to each other. The system handles a content-set as one object. The user terminal can effectively control the displaying of retrieved contents, referring to data indicating the relation of the contents in the content- set. In order to verify the function of the proposed system, a networked electronic museum was experimentally built. The results of this experiment indicate that the proposed system can effectively retrieve the objective contents under the control to a number of distributed domains. The result also indicate that the system can effectively work even if the system becomes large.

Model Curriculum for Commercial Driving Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale. Safety Center.

Eight units of study, each divided into three or four episodes, make up this Illinois driver's education curriculum for commercial schools. Each unit contains behavioral objectives for the unit and for the individual episodes, each of which is broken down into sub-objectives with corresponding content information or tasks to be performed. The…

Lernen Wir Deutsch: Part I, German.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dade County Public Schools, Miami, FL.

Instructional objectives of the Dade County Public Schools Quinmester Program in German for use with "Lernen Wir Deutsch: Part 1" focus on the development of basic skills through the use of short dialogues and structured exercises. The contents of this guide focus on: (1) course description, (2) broad goals and performance objectives,…

Farm Business Management. Volume I. Vocational Agriculture Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodgens, Jim; Meyers, Leland

This curriculum guide provides a basic core of instruction for the first year of a three-year adult program in farm business management. It contains 12 units of instruction. Each unit consists of seven basic components: performance objectives, teacher activities, information sheets (content essential for meeting the cognitive objectives),…

Optimisation of Ferrochrome Addition Using Multi-Objective Evolutionary and Genetic Algorithms for Stainless Steel Making via AOD Converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behera, Kishore Kumar; Pal, Snehanshu

2018-03-01

This paper describes a new approach towards optimum utilisation of ferrochrome added during stainless steel making in AOD converter. The objective of optimisation is to enhance end blow chromium content of steel and reduce the ferrochrome addition during refining. By developing a thermodynamic based mathematical model, a study has been conducted to compute the optimum trade-off between ferrochrome addition and end blow chromium content of stainless steel using a predator prey genetic algorithm through training of 100 dataset considering different input and output variables such as oxygen, argon, nitrogen blowing rate, duration of blowing, initial bath temperature, chromium and carbon content, weight of ferrochrome added during refining. Optimisation is performed within constrained imposed on the input parameters whose values fall within certain ranges. The analysis of pareto fronts is observed to generate a set of feasible optimal solution between the two conflicting objectives that provides an effective guideline for better ferrochrome utilisation. It is found out that after a certain critical range, further addition of ferrochrome does not affect the chromium percentage of steel. Single variable response analysis is performed to study the variation and interaction of all individual input parameters on output variables.

Welding, V-TECS Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Charles G.; And Others

This guide provides job-related tasks, performance objectives, performance guides, resources, teaching activities, evaluation standards, and criterion-referenced measures in three units of a welding course. Through the curriculum content of the welding course, the guide helps teachers lead students through the learning process, including the…

Evaluation of Content-Matched Range Monitoring Queries over Moving Objects in Mobile Computing Environments

PubMed Central

Jung, HaRim; Song, MoonBae; Youn, Hee Yong; Kim, Ung Mo

2015-01-01

A content-matched (CM) range monitoring query over moving objects continually retrieves the moving objects (i) whose non-spatial attribute values are matched to given non-spatial query values; and (ii) that are currently located within a given spatial query range. In this paper, we propose a new query indexing structure, called the group-aware query region tree (GQR-tree) for efficient evaluation of CM range monitoring queries. The primary role of the GQR-tree is to help the server leverage the computational capabilities of moving objects in order to improve the system performance in terms of the wireless communication cost and server workload. Through a series of comprehensive simulations, we verify the superiority of the GQR-tree method over the existing methods. PMID:26393613

Occupational Education for Students with Special Needs: Master Table of Contents for 17-Volume Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nassau County Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Westbury, NY.

This master table of contents provides a comprehensive overview of all seventeen books included in a series of curriculum resource guides for occupational teachers who work with special needs students. Each includes performance objectives and suggested instructional activities for job behaviors and attitudes common to all employment as well as to…

Performance Objectives, Task Analysis, Learning Content, Content Limits, and Domain Referenced Tests for the Agricultural Chemicals Catalog. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, William; And Others

This document contains Indiana agricultural chemicals curriculum materials based on the Vocational-Technical Education Consortium of States (VTECS) Agricultural Chemicals Catalog. It is intended to improve preparation of high school and adult students for handling and using agricultural chemicals and for jobs as chemical salespersons or chemical…

Active retrieval facilitates across-episode binding by modulating the content of memory

PubMed Central

Bridge, Donna J.; Voss, Joel L.

2014-01-01

The contents of memory can be updated when information from the current episode is bound with content retrieved from previous episodes. Little is known regarding factors that determine the memory content that is subject to this across-episode binding. We tested whether across-episode binding preferentially occurs for memory content that is currently “active” and identified relevant neural correlates. After studying objects at specific locations on scene backgrounds, subjects performed one of two retrieval tasks for the objects on different scene backgrounds. In an active condition, subjects recalled object locations, whereas subjects merely dragged objects to predetermined locations in a passive condition. Immediately following each object-location retrieval event, a novel face appeared on a blank screen. We hypothesized that the original episode content would be active in memory during face encoding in the active condition, but not in the passive condition (despite seeing the same content in both conditions). A ramification of the active condition would thus be preferential binding of original episode content to novel faces, with no such across-episode binding in the passive condition. Indeed, memory for faces was better when tested on the original background scenes in the active relative to passive condition, indicating that original episode content was bound with the active condition faces, whereas this occurred to a lesser extent for the passive condition faces. Likewise, early-onset negative ERP effects reflected binding of the face to the original episode content in the active but not the passive condition. In contrast, binding in the passive condition occurred only when faces were physically displayed on the original scenes during recognition testing, and a very similar early-onset negative ERP effect signaled binding in this condition. ERP correlates of binding were thus similar for across-episode and within-episode binding (and were distinct from other encoding and retrieval ERP signals in both cases), indicating that active retrieval modulated when binding occurred, not the nature of the binding process per se. These results suggest that active retrieval promotes binding of new information with contents of memory, whereas without active retrieval, these unrelated pieces of information might be bound only when they are physically paired. PMID:25173711

Human Development Student Modules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Carolina State Dept. of Education, Columbia. Office of Vocational Education.

This set of 61 student learning modules deals with various topics pertaining to human development. The modules, which are designed for use in performance-based vocational education programs, each contain the following components: an introduction for the student, a performance objective, a variety of learning activities, content information, a…

20 CFR 404.1519j - Objections to the medical source designated to perform the consultative examination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Determining Disability and Blindness Standards for the Type of Referral and for Report Content § 404.1519j Objections to the... we will consider include: The presence of a language barrier, the medical source's office location (e...

Development of a Multilevel Intervention to Increase HIV Clinical Trial Participation among Rural Minorities

PubMed Central

Corbie-Smith, Giselle; Odeneye, Ebun; Banks, Bahby; Miles, Margaret Shandor; Isler, Malika Roman

2013-01-01

Minorities are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS in the rural Southeast; therefore, it is important to develop targeted, culturally appropriate interventions to support rural minority participation in HIV/AIDS research. Using Intervention Mapping, we developed a comprehensive multilevel intervention for service providers (SPs) and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). We collected data from both groups through 11 focus groups and 35 individual interviews. Resultant data were used to develop matrices of behavioral outcomes, performance objectives and learning objectives. Each performance objective was mapped with changeable, theory-based determinants to inform components of the intervention. Behavioral outcomes for the intervention included: (a) Eligible PLWHA will enroll in clinical trials; and (b) SPs will refer eligible PLWHA to clinical trials. The ensuing intervention consists of four SPs and six PLWHA educational sessions. Its contents, methods and strategies were grounded in the theory of reasoned action, social cognitive theory, and the concept of social support. All materials were pretested and refined for content appropriateness and effectiveness. PMID:22991051

An Automatic and Dynamic Approach for Personalized Recommendation of Learning Objects Considering Students Learning Styles: An Experimental Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorça, Fabiano A.; Araújo, Rafael D.; de Carvalho, Vitor C.; Resende, Daniel T.; Cattelan, Renan G.

2016-01-01

Content personalization in educational systems is an increasing research area. Studies show that students tend to have better performances when the content is customized according to his/her preferences. One important aspect of students particularities is how they prefer to learn. In this context, students learning styles should be considered, due…

Electric Motors. An Instructional Unit for High School Teachers of Vocational Agriculture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalton, Delmer; Carpenter, Bruce

Designed as a 3-week course of study in the agricultural mechanics curriculum to be taught at the junior or senior high school level, this unit on electric motors is divided into 11 major performance objectives. Each objective is subdivided into the areas of content, suggested teaching and learning activities, resources, and evaluation. Topics for…

20 CFR 416.919j - Objections to the medical source designated to perform the consultative examination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Disability and Blindness Standards for the Type of Referral and for Report Content § 416.919j Objections to... we will consider include: The presence of a language barrier, the medical source's office location (e... connection with a previous disability determination or decision that was unfavorable to you. If your...

Evaluating the Impact of Curriculum Infusion on US College Students' Alcohol Use and Academic Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samuolis, Jessica; Lazowski, Andrew; Kessler, Janice

2016-01-01

Objectives: This paper explores the extent to which curriculum infusion (CI) impacted undergraduate students' alcohol use, perceived peer alcohol use, use of protective behavioural strategies, academic performance and course engagement. Design: Two faculty members infused content on norms and protective behavioural strategies into selected…

False Belief Understanding in Cantonese-Speaking Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tardif, Twila; Wellman, Henry M.; Cheung, Kar Man

2004-01-01

The present study investigates the performance of 96 Cantonese-speaking three- to five-year-old preschoolers on three false belief tasks--a deceptive object, a change of location, and an unexpected contents task encompassing a variety of task factors. Most importantly, the research examines the possibility that false belief performance depends on…

Sugar content of popular sweetened beverages based on objective laboratory analysis: focus on fructose content.

PubMed

Ventura, Emily E; Davis, Jaimie N; Goran, Michael I

2011-04-01

The consumption of fructose, largely in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), has risen over the past several decades and is thought to contribute negatively to metabolic health. However, the fructose content of foods and beverages produced with HFCS is not disclosed and estimates of fructose content are based on the common assumption that the HFCS used contains 55% fructose. The objective of this study was to conduct an objective laboratory analysis of the sugar content and composition in popular sugar-sweetened beverages with a particular focus on fructose content. Twenty-three sugar-sweetened beverages along with four standard solutions were analyzed for sugar profiles using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in an independent, certified laboratory. Total sugar content was calculated as well as percent fructose in the beverages that use HFCS as the sole source of fructose. Results showed that the total sugar content of the beverages ranged from 85 to 128% of what was listed on the food label. The mean fructose content in the HFCS used was 59% (range 47-65%) and several major brands appear to be produced with HFCS that is 65% fructose. Finally, the sugar profile analyses detected forms of sugar that were inconsistent with what was listed on the food labels. This analysis revealed significant deviations in sugar amount and composition relative to disclosures from producers. In addition, the tendency for use of HFCS that is higher in fructose could be contributing to higher fructose consumption than would otherwise be assumed.

[Biochemical protective mechanisms in the accumulation of heavy metals in organisms].

PubMed

Petukhov, A S; Petukhova, G A

At present due to the environmental contamination by heavy metals there is a great interest to investigate the processes of their both accumulation in plants and toxic effect on biochemical indices. Therefore the objective of this research was the analysis of the alteration of the system of antioxidant protection ofplants in conditions of soil contamination by copper and zinc. Research object were germinants of oat in amount of300 plants in each variant of the experiment. For the performance of the experiment, the sand was equally contaminated by sulfates of Cu and Zn in concentration of 2 MPC on its gross content in soil. The experiment lastedfor 2 weeks. For the implementation of the objective of research there was analyzed the contentof both Cu and Zn in plants exposed to soil contamination. Additionally there was performed an analysis of as the content of lipids peroxidation products, phenols and flavonoids; as well the activity ofperoxidase, catalase and photosynthetic system. Under the soil contamination by copper and zinc corresponding to 2 MPC the accumulation of heavy metals was established to be happening in plants. If compared copper accumulation was higher than zinc accumulation that can be explained by the high migration capability of zinc. Under combined impact of two metals there was revealed their antagonistic interaction. There was established an elevated content of lipids peroxidation products in cells as a sequence of the accumulation of heavy metals in plants. As a result of the elevation of the content of lipids peroxidation products there was revealed a raised activity ofphotosynthetic apparatus and antioxidant system (carotenoids, catalase and peroxidase) in the cell. The decrease of the content ofphenols and flavonoids is related with the usage of this system of antioxidant protection for the neutralization of lipids peroxidation processes.

Students’ Attitudes, Academic Performance and Preferences for Content Delivery in a Very Large Self-Care Course Redesign

PubMed Central

Mistry, Amee; Schnee, David; Tataronis, Gary; Taglieri, Catherine; Zaiken, Kathy; Patel, Dhiren; Nigro, Stefanie; Jacobson, Susan; Goldman, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Objective. To evaluate students’ performance/attitudes toward a flipped team-based learning (TBL) format in a “very large” self-care course based on student content delivery preference. Design. Third-year students enrolled in the course were surveyed regarding elements of redesign and homework completion. Additionally, their performance and incoming grade point average were evaluated. Assessment. A survey was completed by 286 of 305 students. Nineteen percent of respondents preferred traditional content delivery, whereas 30% preferred flipped TBL, 48% preferred a mixed format, and 3% had no preference. The grades achieved in the course were: A (49%), B (48%), C (3%) and D (0%). The majority completed “all” or “most” of the homework, appreciated attributes of course redesign, felt home preparation and in-class activities engaged them, and reported improved communication/evaluation skills. Content delivery preference significantly affected attitudes. Conclusion. Students positively received a flipped team-based learning classroom format, especially those who preferred flipped TBL or mixed content delivery. A minority with preference for traditional teaching style did not enjoy the new format; however, their academic performance did not differ significantly from those who did. PMID:27293234

Active retrieval facilitates across-episode binding by modulating the content of memory.

PubMed

Bridge, Donna J; Voss, Joel L

2014-10-01

The contents of memory can be updated when information from the current episode is bound with content retrieved from previous episodes. Little is known regarding factors that determine the memory content that is subject to this across-episode binding. We tested whether across-episode binding preferentially occurs for memory content that is currently "active" and identified relevant neural correlates. After studying objects at specific locations on scene backgrounds, subjects performed one of two retrieval tasks for the objects on different scene backgrounds. In an active condition, subjects recalled object locations, whereas subjects merely dragged objects to predetermined locations in a passive condition. Immediately following each object-location retrieval event, a novel face appeared on a blank screen. We hypothesized that the original episode content would be active in memory during face encoding in the active condition, but not in the passive condition (despite seeing the same content in both conditions). A ramification of the active condition would thus be preferential binding of original episode content to novel faces, with no such across-episode binding in the passive condition. Indeed, memory for faces was better when tested on the original background scenes in the active relative to passive condition, indicating that original episode content was bound with the active condition faces, whereas this occurred to a lesser extent for the passive condition faces. Likewise, early-onset negative ERP effects reflected binding of the face to the original episode content in the active but not the passive condition. In contrast, binding in the passive condition occurred only when faces were physically displayed on the original scenes during recognition testing, and a very similar early-onset negative ERP effect signaled binding in this condition. ERP correlates of binding were thus similar for across-episode and within-episode binding (and were distinct from other encoding and retrieval ERP signals in both cases), indicating that active retrieval modulated when binding occurred, not the nature of the binding process per se. These results suggest that active retrieval promotes binding of new information with contents of memory, whereas without active retrieval, these unrelated pieces of information might be bound only when they are physically paired. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Constructing Wood Agricultural Buildings. An Instructional Unit for High School Teachers of Vocational Agriculture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Paul; Carpenter, Bruce

This 5-week unit on constructing wood agricultural buildings is designed for the junior or senior year of the regular agribusiness course of study or as part of the agricultural mechanics program. In outline form, the unit is divided into eight major performance objectives. Each objective is subdivided into the areas of content, suggested…

The Impact of Blended Learning on Student Performance in a Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy Course

PubMed Central

McLaughlin, Jacqueline E.; Gharkholonarehe, Nastaran; Khanova, Julia; Deyo, Zach M.

2015-01-01

Objective. To examine student engagement with, perception of, and performance resulting from blended learning for venous thromboembolism in a required cardiovascular pharmacotherapy course for second-year students. Design. In 2013, key foundational content was packaged into an interactive online module for students to access prior to coming to class; class time was dedicated to active-learning exercises. Assessment. Students who accessed all online module segments participated in more in class clicker questions (p=0.043) and performed better on the examination (p=0.023). There was no difference in clicker participation or examination performance based on time of module access (prior to or after class). The majority of participants agreed or strongly agreed that foundational content learned prior to class, applied activities during class, and content-related questions in the online module greatly enhanced learning. Conclusion. This study highlights the importance of integrating online modules with classroom learning and the role of blended learning in improving academic performance. PMID:25861105

Perception, memory and aesthetics of indeterminate art.

PubMed

Ishai, Alumit; Fairhall, Scott L; Pepperell, Robert

2007-07-12

Indeterminate art, in which familiar objects are only suggestive, invokes a perceptual conundrum as apparently detailed and vivid images resist identification. We hypothesized that compared with paintings that depict meaningful content, object recognition in indeterminate images would be delayed, and tested whether aesthetic affect depends on meaningful content. Subjects performed object recognition and judgment of aesthetic affect tasks. Response latencies were significantly longer for indeterminate images and subjects perceived recognizable objects in 24% of these paintings. Although the aesthetic affect rating of all paintings was similar, judgement latencies for the indeterminate paintings were significantly longer. A surprise memory test revealed that more representational than indeterminate paintings were remembered and that affective strength increased the probability of subsequent recall. Our results suggest that perception and memory of art depend on semantic aspects, whereas, aesthetic affect depends on formal visual features. The longer latencies associated with indeterminate paintings reflect the underlying cognitive processes that mediate object resolution. Indeterminate art works therefore comprise a rich set of stimuli with which the neural correlates of visual perception can be investigated.

Guidelines for Graduate Medical Education in Geriatrics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robbins, Alan S.; Beck, John C.

1982-01-01

Performance objectives, core content, training experiences, and clinical exposure and program evaluations are described for geriatric fellows and house staff members in internal medicine, family practice, neurology, and psychiatry. A modified Delphi study was used. (Author/MLW)

The durability of concrete containing a high-level of fly ash or a ternary blend of supplementary cementing materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilbert, Christine M.

The research for this study was conducted in two distinct phases as follows: Phase 1: The objective was to determine the effect of fly ash on the carbonation of concrete. The specimens made for this phase of the study were larger in size than those normally used in carbonation studies and were are meant to more accurately reflect real field conditions. The results from early age carbonation testing indicate that the larger size specimens do not have a measured depth of carbonation as great as that of the smaller specimens typically used in carbonation studies at the same age and under the same conditions. Phase 2: The objective was to evaluate the performance of ternary concrete mixes containing a ternary cement blend consisting of Portland cement, slag and Type C fly ash. It was found that concrete mixtures containing the fly ash with the lower calcium (CaO) content (in binary or ternary blends) provided superior durability performance and resistance to ASR compared to that of the fly ash with the higher CaO content. Ternary blends (regardless of the CaO content of the fly ash) provided better overall durability performance than binary blends of cementing materials or the control.

Consumer Education: Consumer Education I and Consumer Education II. Course Objectives, Content Analysis, Supporting Objectives and Content Generalizations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crow, Karen, Comp.; Martin, Joan, Ed.

Consumer education course objectives, content analysis, supporting objectives, and content generalizations are presented in this teacher's guide for Consumer Education 1 and 2 for the San Diego Unified School District. Course objectives are aimed at several areas of consumer and family studies: consumer education, cultural awareness, human…

Predicting objectively assessed physical activity from the content and regulation of exercise goals: evidence for a mediational model.

PubMed

Sebire, Simon J; Standage, Martyn; Vansteenkiste, Maarten

2011-04-01

Grounded in self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), the purpose of this work was to examine effects of the content and motivation of adults' exercise goals on objectively assessed moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). After reporting the content and motivation of their exercise goals, 101 adult participants (Mage = 38.79 years; SD = 11.5) wore an ActiGraph (GT1M) accelerometer for seven days. Accelerometer data were analyzed to provide estimates of engagement in MVPA and bouts of physical activity. Goal content did not directly predict behavioral engagement; however, mediation analysis revealed that goal content predicted behavior via autonomous exercise motivation. Specifically, intrinsic versus extrinsic goals for exercise had a positive indirect effect on average daily MVPA, average daily MVPA accumulated in 10-min bouts and the number of days on which participants performed 30 or more minutes of MVPA through autonomous motivation. These results support a motivational sequence in which intrinsic versus extrinsic exercise goals influence physical activity behavior because such goals are associated with more autonomous forms of exercise motivation.

Metadata and Buckets in the Smart Object, Dumb Archive (SODA) Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Michael L.; Maly, Kurt; Croom, Delwin R., Jr.; Robbins, Steven W.

2004-01-01

We present the Smart Object, Dumb Archive (SODA) model for digital libraries (DLs), and discuss the role of metadata in SODA. The premise of the SODA model is to "push down" many of the functionalities generally associated with archives into the data objects themselves. Thus the data objects become "smarter", and the archives "dumber". In the SODA model, archives become primarily set managers, and the objects themselves negotiate and handle presentation, enforce terms and conditions, and perform data content management. Buckets are our implementation of smart objects, and da is our reference implementation for dumb archives. We also present our approach to metadata translation for buckets.

Hearing sounds, understanding actions: action representation in mirror neurons.

PubMed

Kohler, Evelyne; Keysers, Christian; Umiltà, M Alessandra; Fogassi, Leonardo; Gallese, Vittorio; Rizzolatti, Giacomo

2002-08-02

Many object-related actions can be recognized by their sound. We found neurons in monkey premotor cortex that discharge when the animal performs a specific action and when it hears the related sound. Most of the neurons also discharge when the monkey observes the same action. These audiovisual mirror neurons code actions independently of whether these actions are performed, heard, or seen. This discovery in the monkey homolog of Broca's area might shed light on the origin of language: audiovisual mirror neurons code abstract contents-the meaning of actions-and have the auditory access typical of human language to these contents.

A Case Study on the Relationships between Participation in Online Discussion and Achievement of Project Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Chi-Cheng

2008-01-01

The objective of the study is to discuss about the correlation between each group's performances of participation in online discussion and their achievements of project-based works. Performances of online discussion consist of content, frequency, and frequency of participation in discussion after each login into the Web community system. Research…

Item Specifications, Science Grade 8. Blue Prints for Testing Minimum Performance Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arkansas State Dept. of Education, Little Rock.

These item specifications were developed as a part of the Arkansas "Minimum Performance Testing Program" (MPT). There is one item specification for each instructional objective included in the MPT. The purpose of an item specification is to provide an overview of the general content and format of test items used to measure an…

Item Specifications, Science Grade 6. Blue Prints for Testing Minimum Performance Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arkansas State Dept. of Education, Little Rock.

These item specifications were developed as a part of the Arkansas "Minimum Performance Testing Program" (MPT). There is one item specification for each instructional objective included in the MPT. The purpose of an item specification is to provide an overview of the general content and format of test items used to measure an…

Medial temporal lobe reinstatement of content-specific details predicts source memory

PubMed Central

Liang, Jackson C.; Preston, Alison R.

2016-01-01

Leading theories propose that when remembering past events, medial temporal lobe (MTL) structures reinstate the neural patterns that were active when those events were initially encoded. Accurate reinstatement is hypothesized to support detailed recollection of memories, including their source. While several studies have linked cortical reinstatement to successful retrieval, indexing reinstatement within the MTL network and its relationship to memory performance has proved challenging. Here, we addressed this gap in knowledge by having participants perform an incidental encoding task, during which they visualized people, places, and objects in response to adjective cues. During a surprise memory test, participants saw studied and novel adjectives and indicated the imagery task they performed for each adjective. A multivariate pattern classifier was trained to discriminate the imagery tasks based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) responses from hippocampus and MTL cortex at encoding. The classifier was then tested on MTL patterns during the source memory task. We found that MTL encoding patterns were reinstated during successful source retrieval. Moreover, when participants made source misattributions, errors were predicted by reinstatement of incorrect source content in MTL cortex. We further observed a gradient of content-specific reinstatement along the anterior-posterior axis of hippocampus and MTL cortex. Within anterior hippocampus, we found that reinstatement of person content was related to source memory accuracy, whereas reinstatement of place information across the entire hippocampal axis predicted correct source judgments. Content-specific reinstatement was also graded across MTL cortex, with PRc patterns evincing reactivation of people and more posterior regions, including PHc, showing evidence for reinstatement of places and objects. Collectively, these findings provide key evidence that source recollection relies on reinstatement of past experience within the MTL network. PMID:28029355

Medial temporal lobe reinstatement of content-specific details predicts source memory.

PubMed

Liang, Jackson C; Preston, Alison R

2017-06-01

Leading theories propose that when remembering past events, medial temporal lobe (MTL) structures reinstate the neural patterns that were active when those events were initially encoded. Accurate reinstatement is hypothesized to support detailed recollection of memories, including their source. While several studies have linked cortical reinstatement to successful retrieval, indexing reinstatement within the MTL network and its relationship to memory performance has proved challenging. Here, we addressed this gap in knowledge by having participants perform an incidental encoding task, during which they visualized people, places, and objects in response to adjective cues. During a surprise memory test, participants saw studied and novel adjectives and indicated the imagery task they performed for each adjective. A multivariate pattern classifier was trained to discriminate the imagery tasks based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) responses from hippocampus and MTL cortex at encoding. The classifier was then tested on MTL patterns during the source memory task. We found that MTL encoding patterns were reinstated during successful source retrieval. Moreover, when participants made source misattributions, errors were predicted by reinstatement of incorrect source content in MTL cortex. We further observed a gradient of content-specific reinstatement along the anterior-posterior axis of hippocampus and MTL cortex. Within anterior hippocampus, we found that reinstatement of person content was related to source memory accuracy, whereas reinstatement of place information across the entire hippocampal axis predicted correct source judgments. Content-specific reinstatement was also graded across MTL cortex, with PRc patterns evincing reactivation of people and more posterior regions, including PHc, showing evidence for reinstatement of places and objects. Collectively, these findings provide key evidence that source recollection relies on reinstatement of past experience within the MTL network. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Achievement Goal Orientation and Situational Motivation for a Low-Stakes Test of Content Knowledge

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Objective. To determine the extent of the relationship between students’ inherent motivation to achieve in a doctor of pharmacy program and their motivation to achieve on a single low-stakes test of content knowledge. Method. The Attitude Toward Learning Questionnaire (ATL) was administered to 66 third-year pharmacy students at the beginning of the spring 2011 semester, and the Student Opinion Scale (SOS) was administered to the same group immediately following completion of the Pharmacy Curricular Outcomes Assessment (PCOA). Results. Significant differences were found in performance approach and work avoidance based on situational motivation scores. Situational motivation was also found to be directly correlated with performance and mastery approaches and inversely correlated with work avoidance. Criteria were met for predicting importance and effort from performance and mastery approaches and work avoidance scores of pharmacy students. Conclusions. The ability to predict pharmacy students’ motivation to perform on a low-stakes standardized test of content knowledge increases the test’s usefulness as a measure of curricular effectiveness. PMID:22611274

Operative reports: form and function.

PubMed

Stewart, Lygia; Hunter, John G; Wetter, Alberto; Chin, Brian; Way, Lawrence W

2010-09-01

Little is known about how closely operative reports reflect what was actually performed during an operation, nor has the construction of operative reports been adequately studied with the aims of clarifying the objectives of those reports and improving their efficacy. We hypothesized that if more attention is paid to the objectives of operative reports, their content will more predictably contain the most relevant information, which might channel thinking in beneficial directions during performance of the operation. Multivariate analysis of 250 laparoscopic cholecystectomy operative reports (125 uncomplicated and 125 with bile duct injury). Academic research. University (105 cases) and community (145 cases) hospitals. Variations in content and design of operative reports. Cognitive task analysis of laparoscopic cholecystectomy was conducted, and a model operative report was generated and compared with the actual operative reports. Descriptions of key elements in adequate dissection of the Calot triangle were present in 24.8% and 0.0% of operative reports from uncomplicated and bile duct injury cases, respectively. Thorough dissection of the Calot triangle, identification of the cystic duct-infundibulum junction, and lateral retraction of the infundibulum correlated with uncomplicated cases, while irregular cues (eg, perceived anatomic or other deviations) correlated with bile duct injury cases. Current practice generates operative reports that vary widely in content and too often omit important elements. This research suggests that the construction of operative reports should be constrained such that the reports routinely include the fundamental goals of the operation and what was performed to meet them. Cognitive task analysis is based on the ways the mind controls the performance of tasks; it is an excellent method for determining the extra content needed in operative reports. The resulting designs should also serve as mental guidelines to facilitate learning and to enhance the safety of the operation.

Residential Carpentry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendrix, Laborn J.

This curriculum guide provides instructional materials for a course to train carpenters who will make careers in construction. It includes 6 sections and 21 instructional units. Each unit of instruction consists of eight basic components: performance objectives, teacher activities, information sheets (content essential for meeting the cognitive…

Advanced Competitive Forensics, Speech: 5115.130

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Harriett P.

An advanced speech course, structured around individual needs of students with some experience in interscholastic competition is outlined. Individual interests and skills development in interpretative speaking, original oratory, extemporaneous speaking, and legislative debate are pursued. Presented are: Performance Objectives; Course Content;…

True-3D Accentuating of Grids and Streets in Urban Topographic Maps Enhances Human Object Location Memory

PubMed Central

Edler, Dennis; Bestgen, Anne-Kathrin; Kuchinke, Lars; Dickmann, Frank

2015-01-01

Cognitive representations of learned map information are subject to systematic distortion errors. Map elements that divide a map surface into regions, such as content-related linear symbols (e.g. streets, rivers, railway systems) or additional artificial layers (coordinate grids), provide an orientation pattern that can help users to reduce distortions in their mental representations. In recent years, the television industry has started to establish True-3D (autostereoscopic) displays as mass media. These modern displays make it possible to watch dynamic and static images including depth illusions without additional devices, such as 3D glasses. In these images, visual details can be distributed over different positions along the depth axis. Some empirical studies of vision research provided first evidence that 3D stereoscopic content attracts higher attention and is processed faster. So far, the impact of True-3D accentuating has not yet been explored concerning spatial memory tasks and cartography. This paper reports the results of two empirical studies that focus on investigations whether True-3D accentuating of artificial, regular overlaying line features (i.e. grids) and content-related, irregular line features (i.e. highways and main streets) in official urban topographic maps (scale 1/10,000) further improves human object location memory performance. The memory performance is measured as both the percentage of correctly recalled object locations (hit rate) and the mean distances of correctly recalled objects (spatial accuracy). It is shown that the True-3D accentuating of grids (depth offset: 5 cm) significantly enhances the spatial accuracy of recalled map object locations, whereas the True-3D emphasis of streets significantly improves the hit rate of recalled map object locations. These results show the potential of True-3D displays for an improvement of the cognitive representation of learned cartographic information. PMID:25679208

Religion, Public Education, and Gender: A Feminist Critical Analysis of Policies Implemented for Objections to Music in Mixed-Gender Elementary Education Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thiele, Margaret

2012-01-01

In 2008 the Michigan State Board of Education adopted new certification standards for teacher preparation institutions training elementary classroom teachers. Eight content areas were identified, one of which was visual and performing arts. Standard 1.5, Visual and Performing Arts states candidates are to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in…

An optimized content-aware image retargeting method: toward expanding the perceived visual field of the high-density retinal prosthesis recipients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Heng; Zeng, Yajie; Lu, Zhuofan; Cao, Xiaofei; Su, Xiaofan; Sui, Xiaohong; Wang, Jing; Chai, Xinyu

2018-04-01

Objective. Retinal prosthesis devices have shown great value in restoring some sight for individuals with profoundly impaired vision, but the visual acuity and visual field provided by prostheses greatly limit recipients’ visual experience. In this paper, we employ computer vision approaches to seek to expand the perceptible visual field in patients implanted potentially with a high-density retinal prosthesis while maintaining visual acuity as much as possible. Approach. We propose an optimized content-aware image retargeting method, by introducing salient object detection based on color and intensity-difference contrast, aiming to remap important information of a scene into a small visual field and preserve their original scale as much as possible. It may improve prosthetic recipients’ perceived visual field and aid in performing some visual tasks (e.g. object detection and object recognition). To verify our method, psychophysical experiments, detecting object number and recognizing objects, are conducted under simulated prosthetic vision. As control, we use three other image retargeting techniques, including Cropping, Scaling, and seam-assisted shrinkability. Main results. Results show that our method outperforms in preserving more key features and has significantly higher recognition accuracy in comparison with other three image retargeting methods under the condition of small visual field and low-resolution. Significance. The proposed method is beneficial to expand the perceived visual field of prosthesis recipients and improve their object detection and recognition performance. It suggests that our method may provide an effective option for image processing module in future high-density retinal implants.

Influence of rare earth content on Mm-based AB 5 metal hydride alloys for Ni-MH batteries-An X-ray fluorescence study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ananth, M. V.; Raju, M.; Manimaran, K.; Balachandran, G.; Nair, Lekshmi M.

AB 5-type MH alloys with Mm (Misch metal) as the A part (with varied rare earth contents in Mm) were investigated for rare earth by XRF analysis and battery performance by life cycle tests with an objective of understanding the influence of rare earth content on electrochemical hydrogen storage. The La/Ce ratio was found to vary from 0.51 to 18.73. The capacity output varied between 179 and 266 mAh g -1. The results show that the La/Ce ratio has a strong influence on the performance, with the best performance realized with samples having an La/Ce ratio of around 12. La enhancement facilitates easy activation due to refinement in grain size and interstitial dimensions. Also, an orderly influence on crystalline structure could be seen. The study demonstrates that the rare earth content is an essential factor in determining the maximum capacity output because of its influence on crystal orientation as well as an increase in the radius of the interstitials, lattice constants and cell volumes.

Spectral contents readout of birefringent sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Redner, Alex S.

1989-01-01

The technical objective of this research program was to develop a birefringent sensor, capable of measuring strain/stress up to 2000 F and a readout system based on Spectral Contents analysis. As a result of the research work, a data acquisition system was developed, capable of measuring strain birefringence in a sensor at 2000 F, with multi-point static and dynamic capabilities. The system uses a dedicated spectral analyzer for evaluation of stress-birefringence and a PC-based readout. Several sensor methods were evaluated. Fused silica was found most satisfactory. In the final evaluation, measurements were performed up to 2000 F and the system performance exceeded expectations.

Analysis of Training Plans in Basketball: Gender and Formation Stage Differences

PubMed Central

Cañadas, María; Gómez, Miguel-Ángel; García-Rubio, Javier; Ibáñez, Sergio J.

2018-01-01

Abstract Scientific literature has stated the presence of various stages in athletes sportive development, with different objectives in each one of them. This should lead coaches to different training plans according to the athlete’s formation stage. The aim of this study was to analyse training plans and identify differences in basketball objectives according to formative stages (U’12 and U’14) in boys and girls. A total of 1,976 training tasks were collected and analysed, for a total of four teams (girls and boys of U’12 and U’14 categories) during an entire season. Pedagogical variables, game phases, game situations, training means and content were studied. The results showed significant differences between genders. Girls’ teams performed more tasks on offense and technical skills. By contrast, boys’ teams performed more defensive tasks and tactical contents. The 1-on-0 and 1-on-1 were the most repeated game situations in all teams. Coaches used different training tasks according to gender and age. In male U’12 teams, drills predominated, whereas in the other categories, games predominated. For boys’ teams, the contents were tactical oriented, and for girls’ teams, the contents were oriented toward skill acquisition. Studying the pedagogical variables of the training process allowed for identification of the utility of training, assessment, and modification of this process. PMID:29922384

25 CFR 36.42 - Standard XV-Counseling services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... objective assessment of student academic performance. Required formal tests shall be administered annually... standards, schools may use the state mandated academic achievement tests and accompanying requirements. These formal tests and their subtest contents, as well as the test-related procedures, shall include...

25 CFR 36.42 - Standard XV-Counseling services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... objective assessment of student academic performance. Required formal tests shall be administered annually... standards, schools may use the state mandated academic achievement tests and accompanying requirements. These formal tests and their subtest contents, as well as the test-related procedures, shall include...

25 CFR 36.42 - Standard XV-Counseling services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... objective assessment of student academic performance. Required formal tests shall be administered annually... standards, schools may use the state mandated academic achievement tests and accompanying requirements. These formal tests and their subtest contents, as well as the test-related procedures, shall include...

25 CFR 36.42 - Standard XV-Counseling services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... objective assessment of student academic performance. Required formal tests shall be administered annually... standards, schools may use the state mandated academic achievement tests and accompanying requirements. These formal tests and their subtest contents, as well as the test-related procedures, shall include...

25 CFR 36.42 - Standard XV-Counseling services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... objective assessment of student academic performance. Required formal tests shall be administered annually... standards, schools may use the state mandated academic achievement tests and accompanying requirements. These formal tests and their subtest contents, as well as the test-related procedures, shall include...

Moisture-dependent color characteristics of walnuts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Characterizing the shell color of walnuts based on their moisture content (MC) at harvest can provide valuable information for performing walnut sorting before drying. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the color characteristics of the shell of walnuts and their...

Competency-Based Recordkeeping. Bulletin 1781.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicholls State Univ., Thibodaux, LA.

This model instructional unit was developed to aid business teachers in Louisiana to prepare students in grades 10-12 for business and office employment, further educational experiences, and responsible consumer activity. It provides guidance on model performance objectives, current technology content, sources, and supplemental materials.…

Stellar Populations in BL Lac type Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serote Roos, Margarida

The relationship between an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) and its host galaxy is a crucial question in the study of galaxy evolution. We present an estimate of the stellar contribution in a sample of low luminosity BL Lac type objects. We have performed stellar population synthesis for a sample of 19 objects selected from Marchã et al. (1996, MNRAS 281, 425). The stellar content is quantified using the equivalent widths of all absorption features available throughout the spectrum. The synthesis is done by a variant of the GPG method (Pelat: 1997, MNRAS 284, 365).

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

PubMed

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

2009-03-01

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

Student Performance along Axes of Scenario Novelty and Complexity in Introductory Biology: Lessons from a Unique Factorial Approach to Assessment.

PubMed

Deane-Coe, Kirsten K; Sarvary, Mark A; Owens, Thomas G

2017-01-01

In an undergraduate introductory biology laboratory course, we used a summative assessment to directly test the learning objective that students will be able to apply course material to increasingly novel and complex situations. Using a factorial framework, we developed multiple true-false questions to fall along axes of novelty and complexity, which resulted in four categories of questions: familiar content and low complexity (category A); novel content and low complexity (category B); familiar content and high complexity (category C); and novel content and high complexity (category D). On average, students scored more than 70% on all questions, indicating that the course largely met this learning objective. However, students scored highest on questions in category A, likely because they were most similar to course content, and lowest on questions in categories C and D. While we anticipated students would score equally on questions for which either novelty or complexity was altered (but not both), we observed that student scores in category C were lower than in category B. Furthermore, students performed equally poorly on all questions for which complexity was higher (categories C and D), even those containing familiar content, suggesting that application of course material to increasingly complex situations is particularly challenging to students. © 2017 K. K. Deane-Coe et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2017 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Music: Chorus, Junior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owen, Joan; And Others

A music course of instruction in junior chorus, to develop students' performance skills individually and in ensemble, is described. A prerequisite for pupils is the ability to read music. Outlined are: the course description; enrollment guidelines; study objectives; course content; procedures; resources for pupils and teachers; and the assessment.…

Algebra 1r, Mathematics (Experimental): 5215.13.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strachan, Florence

This third of six guidebooks on minimum course content for first-year algebra includes work with laws of exponents; multiplication, division, and factoring of polynomials; and fundamental operations with rational algebraic expressions. Course goals are stated, performance objectives listed, a course outline provided, testbook references specified…

Electric Calculators; Business Education: 7718.06.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McShane, Jane

The course was developed to instruct students in the use of mechanical and/or electronic printing calculators, electronic display calculators, and rotary calculators to solve special business problems with occupational proficiency. Included in the document are a list of performance objectives, a course content outline, suggested learning…

What Are Health-Related Users Tweeting? A Qualitative Content Analysis of Health-Related Users and Their Messages on Twitter

PubMed Central

DeCamp, Matthew; Dredze, Mark; Chisolm, Margaret S; Berger, Zackary D

2014-01-01

Background Twitter is home to many health professionals who send messages about a variety of health-related topics. Amid concerns about physicians posting inappropriate content online, more in-depth knowledge about these messages is needed to understand health professionals’ behavior on Twitter. Objective Our goal was to characterize the content of Twitter messages, specifically focusing on health professionals and their tweets relating to health. Methods We performed an in-depth content analysis of 700 tweets. Qualitative content analysis was conducted on tweets by health users on Twitter. The primary objective was to describe the general type of content (ie, health-related versus non-health related) on Twitter authored by health professionals and further to describe health-related tweets on the basis of the type of statement made. Specific attention was given to whether a tweet was personal (as opposed to professional) or made a claim that users would expect to be supported by some level of medical evidence (ie, a “testable” claim). A secondary objective was to compare content types among different users, including patients, physicians, nurses, health care organizations, and others. Results Health-related users are posting a wide range of content on Twitter. Among health-related tweets, 53.2% (184/346) contained a testable claim. Of health-related tweets by providers, 17.6% (61/346) were personal in nature; 61% (59/96) made testable statements. While organizations and businesses use Twitter to promote their services and products, patient advocates are using this tool to share their personal experiences with health. Conclusions Twitter users in health-related fields tweet about both testable claims and personal experiences. Future work should assess the relationship between testable tweets and the actual level of evidence supporting them, including how Twitter users—especially patients—interpret the content of tweets posted by health providers. PMID:25591063

On the performance of metrics to predict quality in point cloud representations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexiou, Evangelos; Ebrahimi, Touradj

2017-09-01

Point clouds are a promising alternative for immersive representation of visual contents. Recently, an increased interest has been observed in the acquisition, processing and rendering of this modality. Although subjective and objective evaluations are critical in order to assess the visual quality of media content, they still remain open problems for point cloud representation. In this paper we focus our efforts on subjective quality assessment of point cloud geometry, subject to typical types of impairments such as noise corruption and compression-like distortions. In particular, we propose a subjective methodology that is closer to real-life scenarios of point cloud visualization. The performance of the state-of-the-art objective metrics is assessed by considering the subjective scores as the ground truth. Moreover, we investigate the impact of adopting different test methodologies by comparing them. Advantages and drawbacks of every approach are reported, based on statistical analysis. The results and conclusions of this work provide useful insights that could be considered in future experimentation.

Comparison of the Core Primary Curriculum in England to Those of Other High Performing Countries. Research Report DCSF-RW048

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruddock, Graham; Sainsbury, Marian

2008-01-01

This study looks at the curricula for mathematics, science and literacy, comparing England's curricula with those of other countries based on performance in international comparative surveys. The main objective was to answer the question: How does the content of the Primary Curriculum in England at Key stage 2 compare in literacy, math and science…

Content dependent selection of image enhancement parameters for mobile displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Yoon-Gyoo; Kang, Yoo-Jin; Kim, Han-Eol; Kim, Ka-Hee; Kim, Choon-Woo

2011-01-01

Mobile devices such as cellular phones and portable multimedia player with capability of playing terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasting (T-DMB) contents have been introduced into consumer market. In this paper, content dependent image quality enhancement method for sharpness and colorfulness and noise reduction is presented to improve perceived image quality on mobile displays. Human visual experiments are performed to analyze viewers' preference. Relationship between the objective measures and the optimal values of image control parameters are modeled by simple lookup tables based on the results of human visual experiments. Content dependent values of image control parameters are determined based on the calculated measures and predetermined lookup tables. Experimental results indicate that dynamic selection of image control parameters yields better image quality.

Landsat-4 MSS and Thematic Mapper data quality and information content analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anuta, P. E.; Bartolucci, L. A.; Dean, M. E.; Lozano, D. F.; Malaret, E.; Mcgillem, C. D.; Valdes, J. A.; Valenzuela, C. R.

1984-01-01

Landsat-4 Thematic Mapper and Multispectral Scanner data were analyzed to obtain information on data quality and information content. Geometric evaluations were performed to test band-to-band registration accuracy. Thematic Mapper overall system resolution was evaluated using scene objects which demonstrated sharp high contrast edge responses. Radiometric evaluation included detector relative calibration, effects of resampling, and coherent noise effects. Information content evaluation was carried out using clustering, principal components, transformed divergence separability measure, and numerous supervised classifiers on data from Iowa and Illinois. A detailed spectral class analysis (multispectral classification) was carried out on data from the Des Moines, IA area to compare the information content of the MSS and TM for a large number of scene classes.

Comparison of global optimization approaches for robust calibration of hydrologic model parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, I. W.

2015-12-01

Robustness of the calibrated parameters of hydrologic models is necessary to provide a reliable prediction of future performance of watershed behavior under varying climate conditions. This study investigated calibration performances according to the length of calibration period, objective functions, hydrologic model structures and optimization methods. To do this, the combination of three global optimization methods (i.e. SCE-UA, Micro-GA, and DREAM) and four hydrologic models (i.e. SAC-SMA, GR4J, HBV, and PRMS) was tested with different calibration periods and objective functions. Our results showed that three global optimization methods provided close calibration performances under different calibration periods, objective functions, and hydrologic models. However, using the agreement of index, normalized root mean square error, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency as the objective function showed better performance than using correlation coefficient and percent bias. Calibration performances according to different calibration periods from one year to seven years were hard to generalize because four hydrologic models have different levels of complexity and different years have different information content of hydrological observation. Acknowledgements This research was supported by a grant (14AWMP-B082564-01) from Advanced Water Management Research Program funded by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Korean government.

Closing the Reference Interview: Implications for Policy and Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nolan, Christopher W.

1992-01-01

Discusses reasons why patrons or librarians terminate the reference interview, including the content of the interview, interpersonal dynamics, and institutional or policy factors. Goals and objectives of the person terminating the interview are considered, and guidelines for policy development and performance improvement are offered. (30…

Rapid test methods for the evaluation of concrete properties.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-01-01

The objective of the project was to place a CERL/Kelly-Vail testing unit and a microwave oven in the field to perform tests of plastic concrete on construction projects. : The CERL/K-V tests were to determine water and cement content of the concrete ...

Maintaining the Database for Information Object Analysis, Intent, Dissemination and Enhancement (IOAIDE) and the US Army Research Laboratory Campus Sensor Network (ARL CSN)

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-01

CII-B 2800 Powder Mill Road Adelphi, MD 20783-1138 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER ARL-TR-7921 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S...server database, structured query language, information objects, instructions, maintenance , cursor on target events, unattended ground sensors...unlimited. iii Contents List of Figures iv 1. Introduction 1 2. Computer and Software Development Tools Requirements 1 3. Database Maintenance 2 3.1

Introductory Guidelines on How to Develop Learning Objectives that are Clear and Interesting Course Outcomes and How to Develop Performance Based Curricula that are Relevant and Cost Effective Professional Competencies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alvir, Howard P.

Addressed to allied health educators who are currently developing curriculum, the document summarizes the agenda, contents, conclusions, and implications of a workshop attempt to develop career paths in the area of allied health occupations and professions. Four problems in developing performance-based curricula are attacked: too much data, too…

Optimizing Libraries’ Content Findability Using Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) With Multi-Tier Architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahinta, A.; Haris, I.; Abdillah, T.

2017-03-01

The aim of this paper is to describe a developed application of Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) as a model for improving libraries’ digital content findability on the library web. The study applies XML text-based protocol tools in the collection of data about libraries’ visibility performance in the search results of the book. Model from the integrated Web Service Document Language (WSDL) and Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) are applied to analyse SOAP as element within the system. The results showed that the developed application of SOAP with multi-tier architecture can help people simply access the website in the library server Gorontalo Province and support access to digital collections, subscription databases, and library catalogs in each library in Regency or City in Gorontalo Province.

An objective method for a video quality evaluation in a 3DTV service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilczewski, Grzegorz

2015-09-01

The following article describes proposed objective method for a 3DTV video quality evaluation, a Compressed Average Image Intensity (CAII) method. Identification of the 3DTV service's content chain nodes enables to design a versatile, objective video quality metric. It is based on an advanced approach to the stereoscopic videostream analysis. Insights towards designed metric mechanisms, as well as the evaluation of performance of the designed video quality metric, in the face of the simulated environmental conditions are herein discussed. As a result, created CAII metric might be effectively used in a variety of service quality assessment applications.

The Validation of a Case-Based, Cumulative Assessment and Progressions Examination

PubMed Central

Coker, Adeola O.; Copeland, Jeffrey T.; Gottlieb, Helmut B.; Horlen, Cheryl; Smith, Helen E.; Urteaga, Elizabeth M.; Ramsinghani, Sushma; Zertuche, Alejandra; Maize, David

2016-01-01

Objective. To assess content and criterion validity, as well as reliability of an internally developed, case-based, cumulative, high-stakes third-year Annual Student Assessment and Progression Examination (P3 ASAP Exam). Methods. Content validity was assessed through the writing-reviewing process. Criterion validity was assessed by comparing student scores on the P3 ASAP Exam with the nationally validated Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA). Reliability was assessed with psychometric analysis comparing student performance over four years. Results. The P3 ASAP Exam showed content validity through representation of didactic courses and professional outcomes. Similar scores on the P3 ASAP Exam and PCOA with Pearson correlation coefficient established criterion validity. Consistent student performance using Kuder-Richardson coefficient (KR-20) since 2012 reflected reliability of the examination. Conclusion. Pharmacy schools can implement internally developed, high-stakes, cumulative progression examinations that are valid and reliable using a robust writing-reviewing process and psychometric analyses. PMID:26941435

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…

Energy: Machines, Science (Experimental): 5311.03.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castaldi, June P.

This unit of instruction was designed as an introductory course in energy involving six simple machines, electricity, magnetism, and motion. The booklet lists the relevant state-adopted texts and states the performance objectives for the unit. It provides an outline of the course content and suggests experiments, demonstrations, field trips, and…

Identification of Tasks in Photo-Offset Lithography Occupations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iowa State Dept. of Public Instruction, Des Moines. Div. of Career Education.

The research project was designed to provide data pertaining to performance tasks in specific occupations in various areas of vocational/technical education. The data presented in the document is intended to be used to develop appropriate objectives and curricular content to assist in the preparation of individuals entering the specific…

The Genius of Shakespeare: A Case History in Content Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Derks, Peter

Shakespeare's genius as a creative playwright can be judged both subjectively and objectively. Cognitive psychology uses specific behavioral measures to assess performance. A product is marked by latency, quantity, and quality. When college students engage in tests of originality, these measures support many theories of creativity. A similar…

Banking Services, Business Education: 7713.15.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffee, Alice

This course in banking intends to give students an insight into the personal and business services that banks provide. It includes instruction on savings and checking accounts, loans, trusts, and safety deposit facilities. Also included are the performance objectives, five pages of an outline on course content, suggested teaching and learning…

Geomorphology, Science (Experimental): 5343.09.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dade County Public Schools, Miami, FL.

Performance objectives are stated for this secondary school instructional unit concerned with aspects of earth science with emphases on the internal and external forces that bring about changes in the earth's crust. Lists of films and state-adopted and other texts are presented. Included are a course outline summarizing the unit content; numerous…

Evaluation of hard red spring wheat quality using four different roller mills

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Domestic and overseas buyers pay premium price for hard red spring (HRS) wheat due to high protein content and excellent milling and baking performances. For efficient quality identification of wheat samples, a wheat quality laboratory needs an objective and simple experimental milling procedure and...

Advanced Electricity. Microprocessors and Robotics. Curriculum Development. Bulletin 1803.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southeastern Louisiana Univ., Hammond.

This model instructional unit was developed to aid industrial arts/technology education teachers in Louisiana to teach a course on microprocessors and robotics in grades 11 and 12. It provides guidance on model performance objectives, current technology content, sources, and supplemental materials. Following a course description, rationale, and…

Incorporating Calculators into the Accounting Curriculum. Accounting I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clayton, John

This document is a guide to aid teachers in incorporating the use of calculators in the high school Accounting Curriculum. The guide contains four learning modules. Each module consists of an introductory explanation, student performance objectives, content of the module, and teaching suggestions for using calculators in each application of course…

Lernen Wir Deutsch! Part 10, German: 7535.02.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dade County Public Schools, Miami, FL.

This course in German prescribes broad goals and performance objectives for the development of cultural awareness, student attitudes, and listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. The content of the course, based on Units 21 and 22 of "A-LM German: Level 2" and "Reading for Meaning," requires mastery of selected…

Incorporating Calculators into the Recordkeeping Curriculum. Recordkeeping II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcellino, Sal

This document is a guide to aid teachers in incorporating the use of calculators in the high school Recordkeeping II curriculum. The guide contains nine learning modules. Each module consists of an introductory explanation, student performance objectives, content of the module, and teaching suggestions for using calculators in each application of…

Mineralogy, Science (Experimental): 5343.02.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gato, Jeannette

This unit of instruction deals with the examination of minerals in the earth's crust and their formation into rocks. No prerequisites are required for enrollment in the course. The booklet lists the relevant state-adopted texts and states the performance objectives for the unit. It provides an outline of the course content and suggests…

Incorporating Calculators into the Accounting Curriculum. Accounting II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clayton, John

This document is a guide to aid teachers in incorporating the use of calculators in the high school Accounting II curriculum. The guide contains 16 learning modules. Each module consists of an introductory explanation, student performance objectives, content of the module, and teaching suggestions for using calculators in each application of…

Consumer-Homemaking I Curriculum Guide. Bulletin 1810.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicholls State Univ., Thibodaux, LA.

This model instructional unit was developed to aid home economics teachers in Louisiana to teach a course in consumer and homemaking education in grades 9-10. The guide is designed for a full-year comprehensive home economics course. It provides guidance on model performance objectives, current technology content, sources, and supplemental…

Using measures of information content and complexity of time series as hydrologic metrics

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The information theory has been previously used to develop metrics that allowed to characterize temporal patterns in soil moisture dynamics, and to evaluate and to compare performance of soil water flow models. The objective of this study was to apply information and complexity measures to characte...

Event Boundaries in Perception Affect Memory Encoding and Updating

PubMed Central

Swallow, Khena M.; Zacks, Jeffrey M.; Abrams, Richard A.

2010-01-01

Memory for naturalistic events over short delays is important for visual scene processing, reading comprehension, and social interaction. The research presented here examined relations between how an ongoing activity is perceptually segmented into events and how those events are remembered a few seconds later. In several studies participants watched movie clips that presented objects in the context of goal-directed activities. Five seconds after an object was presented, the clip paused for a recognition test. Performance on the recognition test depended on the occurrence of perceptual event boundaries. Objects that were present when an event boundary occurred were better recognized than other objects, suggesting that event boundaries structure the contents of memory. This effect was strongest when an object’s type was tested, but was also observed for objects’ perceptual features. Memory also depended on whether an event boundary occurred between presentation and test; this variable produced complex interactive effects that suggested that the contents of memory are updated at event boundaries. These data indicate that perceptual event boundaries have immediate consequences for what, when, and how easily information can be remembered. PMID:19397382

Design and architecture of retailapp: an application to support conventional retailers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaya, I.; Tarigan, J. T.; Hardi, S. M.; Nasution, M. K. M.

2018-03-01

Over the last few years, the preference on shopping over internet application, usually called online shopping or e-shopping, has increased significantly. One of the major advantage of online shopping is the capability to use digital content to support the marketing process. Prospective buyers can conveniently browse and look to a certain object and find the information needed with a few clicks. Moreover, the use of multimedia (such as images, sound, and movies) may help prospective buyers to make a decision faster than conventional shopping at retailers. However, shoppers still consider that conventional shopping is the best way to perform shopping due to the ability to make a physical contact to the object. Our objective is to merge these experiences by enabling user to find digital content that relate to nearby retailers. In this research, we built a mobile application that collects data from nearby retailers and shows it to its user. By using this application, it will be easier to users to find the location of the object and to find nearby promotion.

Understanding women's experience of memory over the menopausal transition: subjective and objective memory in pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal women.

PubMed

Unkenstein, Anne E; Bryant, Christina A; Judd, Fiona K; Ong, Ben; Kinsella, Glynda J

2016-12-01

Many women complain of forgetfulness during the menopausal transition. This study aimed to examine women's subjective perception of memory and their objective memory performance across the menopausal transition. One hundred thirty women, aged 40 to 60 years were recruited from outpatient Menopause and Gynaecological clinics at the Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne. Women were divided into menopausal stage groups according to the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop criteria based on menstrual patterns. All women completed self-report measures of depressive, anxiety, vasomotor, and sleep symptoms; attitude to menopause; and various aspects of memory, including memory contentment, frequency of forgetting, sense of control over memory, and use of memory strategies. Women also completed a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation assessing memory and executive function. Comprehensive neuropsychological assessment showed no difference between premenopausal (n = 36), perimenopausal (n = 54), and postmenopausal (n = 40) groups in performance on memory and executive tasks. Perimenopausal women, however, reported significantly more frequent forgetting (η = 0.09, P < 0.01) and less contentment with their memory (η = 0.08, P < 0.01) than pre- and postmenopausal women. Although no impairment was observed in neuropsychological performance, when compared with pre- and postmenopausal women, perimenopausal women were more likely to be dissatisfied with their memory. During the menopausal transition women with a more negative attitude to menopause and more intense depressive, anxiety, vasomotor, and sleep symptoms are more vulnerable to feeling less content with their memory.

Inside-the-wall detection of objects with low metal content using the GPR sensor: effects of different wall structures on the detection performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dogan, Mesut; Yesilyurt, Omer; Turhan-Sayan, Gonul

2018-04-01

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is an ultra-wideband electromagnetic sensor used not only for subsurface sensing but also for the detection of objects which may be hidden behind a wall or inserted within the wall. Such applications of the GPR technology are used in both military and civilian operations such as mine or IED (improvised explosive device) detection, rescue missions after earthquakes and investigation of archeological sites. Detection of concealed objects with low metal content is known to be a challenging problem in general. Use of A-scan, B-scan and C-scan GPR data in combination provides valuable information for target recognition in such applications. In this paper, we study the problem of target detection for potentially explosive objects embedded inside a wall. GPR data is numerically simulated by using an FDTD-based numerical computation tool when dielectric targets and targets with low metal content are inserted into different types of walls. A small size plastic bottle filled with trinitrotoluene (TNT) is used as the target with and without a metal fuse in it. The targets are buried into two different types of wall; a homogeneous brick wall and an inhomogeneous wall constructed by bricks having periodically located air holes in it. Effects of using an inhomogeneous wall structure with internal boundaries are investigated as a challenging scenario, paying special attention to preprocessing.

The Development, Field Testing and Evaluation of Three Hierarchies of Behaviorally Stated Objectives for the Chemistry Content of a Course of Instruction in Physical Science for Pre-Service Nursing Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, Robert Alden

The purpose of this research was to develop hierarchies of behavioral objectives for the chemistry content of a one-semester course in physical science for preservice associate degree nursing students. Each of three content objectives was expressed by a series of behaviorally stated objectives which included a terminal objective for a unit of…

Integrating planning perception and action for informed object search.

PubMed

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

2018-05-01

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

FINAL REPORT DM1200 TESTS WITH AZ 101 HLW SIMULANTS VSL-03R3800-4 REV 0 2/17/04

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

KRUGER AA; MATLACK KS; BARDAKCI T

2011-12-29

This report documents melter and off-gas performance results obtained on the DM 1200 HLW Pilot Melter during processing of simulated HLW AZ-101 feed. The principal objectives of the DM1200 melter testing were to determine the achievable glass production rates for simulated HLW AZ-101 feed; determine the effect of bubbling rate and feed solids content on production rate; characterize melter off-gas emissions; characterize the performance of the prototypical off-gas system components as well as their integrated performance; characterize the feed, glass product, and off-gas effluents; and to perform pre- and post-test inspections of system components. The test objectives (including test successmore » criteria), along with how they were met, are outlined in a table.« less

Selective attention during scene perception: evidence from negative priming.

PubMed

Gordon, Robert D

2006-10-01

In two experiments, we examined the role of semantic scene content in guiding attention during scene viewing. In each experiment, performance on a lexical decision task was measured following the brief presentation of a scene. The lexical decision stimulus named an object that was either present or not present in the scene. The results of Experiment 1 revealed no priming from inconsistent objects (whose identities conflicted with the scene in which they appeared), but negative priming from consistent objects. The results of Experiment 2 indicated that negative priming from consistent objects occurs only when inconsistent objects are present in the scenes. Together, the results suggest that observers are likely to attend to inconsistent objects, and that representations of consistent objects are suppressed in the presence of an inconsistent object. Furthermore, the data suggest that inconsistent objects draw attention because they are relatively difficult to identify in an inappropriate context.

Visual performance for trip hazard detection when using incandescent and led miner cap lamps.

PubMed

Sammarco, John J; Gallagher, Sean; Reyes, Miguel

2010-04-01

Accident data for 2003-2007 indicate that slip, trip, and falls (STFs) are the second leading accident class (17.8%, n=2,441) of lost-time injuries in underground mining. Proper lighting plays a critical role in enabling miners to detect STF hazards in this environment. Often, the only lighting available to the miner is from a cap lamp worn on the miner's helmet. The focus of this research was to determine if the spectral content of light from light-emitting diode (LED) cap lamps enabled visual performance improvements for the detection of tripping hazards as compared to incandescent cap lamps that are traditionally used in underground mining. A secondary objective was to determine the effects of aging on visual performance. The visual performance of 30 subjects was quantified by measuring each subject's speed and accuracy in detecting objects positioned on the floor both in the near field, at 1.83 meters, and far field, at 3.66 meters. Near field objects were positioned at 0 degrees and +/-20 degrees off axis, while far field objects were positioned at 0 degrees and +/-10 degrees off axis. Three age groups were designated: group A consisted of subjects 18 to 25 years old, group B consisted of subjects 40 to 50 years old, and group C consisted of subjects 51 years and older. Results of the visual performance comparison for a commercially available LED, a prototype LED, and an incandescent cap lamp indicate that the location of objects on the floor, the type of cap lamp used, and subject age all had significant influences on the time required to identify potential trip hazards. The LED-based cap lamps enabled detection times that were an average of 0.96 seconds faster compared to the incandescent cap lamp. Use of the LED cap lamps resulted in average detection times that were about 13.6% faster than those recorded for the incandescent cap lamp. The visual performance differences between the commercially available LED and prototype LED cap lamp were not statistically significant. It can be inferred from this data that the spectral content from LED-based cap lamps could enable significant visual performance improvements for miners in the detection of trip hazards. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Experimental Study on Shear Strength of Unsaturated Loess Based on Different Water Content in Xining Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

guibo, Bao; hui, Li; yu, Zhang; wuyu, Zhang; ningshan, Jiang

2018-05-01

Today, the study of shear strength of unsaturated soils has become a hot topic in unsaturated soil mechanics research. There are any number of factors affecting the strength of unsaturated soils. Among these factors, the moisture content has the most significant effect on the shear strength. In this paper, unsaturated loess in Xining is taken as the research object, the triaxial test without consolidation and undrain is used to determine the shear strength and its parameters under the condition of different water content, then the relationship between unsaturated loess’ water content and shear strength parameters is explored, and curve fitting is performed. The relevantily approximate mathematics formulas are obtained. The study can provide strength parameter for slope stability and foundation pit support in Xining.

Learning Objects Update: Review and Critical Approach to Content Aggregation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balatsoukas, Panos; Morris, Anne; O'Brien, Ann

2008-01-01

The structure and composite nature of a learning object is still open to interpretation. Although several theoretical studies advocate integrated approaches to the structure and aggregation level of learning objects, in practice, many content specifications, such as SCORM, IMS Content Packaging, and course authoring tools, do not explicitly state…

Evaluating the (Mis)Alignment of the Intended to the Assessed Curriculum for the U.S.: Implications for the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shivraj, Pooja

2017-01-01

The Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) has been administered to 15-year- olds every three years since 2000. Since then, the U.S. has performed below average in mathematics, with no significant changes in performance. The objective of this study was to examine the alignment of the content students in the U.S. are assessed on in…

Content-based intermedia synchronization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Dong-Young; Sampath-Kumar, Srihari; Rangan, P. Venkat

1995-03-01

Inter-media synchronization methods developed until now have been based on syntactic timestamping of video frames and audio samples. These methods are not fully appropriate for the synchronization of multimedia objects which may have to be accessed individually by their contents, e.g. content-base data retrieval. We propose a content-based multimedia synchronization scheme in which a media stream is viewed as hierarchial composition of smaller objects which are logically structured based on the contents, and the synchronization is achieved by deriving temporal relations among logical units of media object. content-based synchronization offers several advantages such as, elimination of the need for time stamping, freedom from limitations of jitter, synchronization of independently captured media objects in video editing, and compensation for inherent asynchronies in capture times of video and audio.

Construction of a web-based questionnaire for longitudinal investigation of work exposure, musculoskeletal pain and performance impairments in high-performance marine craft populations

PubMed Central

de Alwis, Manudul Pahansen; Äng, Björn Olov; Garme, Karl

2017-01-01

Objective High-performance marine craft personnel (HPMCP) are regularly exposed to vibration and repeated shock (VRS) levels exceeding maximum limitations stated by international legislation. Whereas such exposure reportedly is detrimental to health and performance, the epidemiological data necessary to link these adverse effects causally to VRS are not available in the scientific literature, and no suitable tools for acquiring such data exist. This study therefore constructed a questionnaire for longitudinal investigations in HPMCP. Methods A consensus panel defined content domains, identified relevant items and outlined a questionnaire. The relevance and simplicity of the questionnaire’s content were then systematically assessed by expert raters in three consecutive stages, each followed by revisions. An item-level content validity index (I-CVI) was computed as the proportion of experts rating an item as relevant and simple, and a scale-level content validity index (S-CVI/Ave) as the average I-CVI across items. The thresholds for acceptable content validity were 0.78 and 0.90, respectively. Finally, a dynamic web version of the questionnaire was constructed and pilot tested over a 1-month period during a marine exercise in a study population sample of eight subjects, while accelerometers simultaneously quantified VRS exposure. Results Content domains were defined as work exposure, musculoskeletal pain and human performance, and items were selected to reflect these constructs. Ratings from nine experts yielded S-CVI/Ave of 0.97 and 1.00 for relevance and simplicity, respectively, and the pilot test suggested that responses were sensitive to change in acceleration and that the questionnaire, following some adjustments, was feasible for its intended purpose. Conclusions A dynamic web-based questionnaire for longitudinal survey of key variables in HPMCP was constructed. Expert ratings supported that the questionnaire content is relevant, simple and sufficiently comprehensive, and the pilot test suggested that the questionnaire is feasible for longitudinal measurements in the study population. PMID:28729320

Suspensions as a Valuable Alternative to Extemporaneously Compounded Capsules.

PubMed

Dijkers, Eli; Nanhekhan, Valerie; Thorissen, Astrid; Polonini, Hudson

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine the variation in content of 74 different active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and compare it with what is known in the literature for the content uniformity of extemporaneous prepared capsules. Active pharmaceutical ingredients quantification was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography, via a stability-indicating method. Samples for all active pharmaceutical ingredients were taken throughout a 90-day period and the content was determined. In total, 5,190 different samples were analyzed for 74 different active pharmaceutical ingredients at room (15°C to 25°C) or controlled refrigerated temperature (2°C to 8°C). Each of these datasets was analyzed according to the United States Pharmacopeia Content Uniformity monograph, corrected for the sample number. The mean acceptance values were well within specifications. In addition, all suspensions complied with the criteria defined by the British Pharmacopoeia monograph for Content Uniformity of Liquid Dispersions for both room and controlled refrigerated temperature. In previous studies, it was found that a routine weight variation check is often not sufficient for quality assurance of extemporaneous prepared capsules. Compounded oral liquids show little variation in content for 74 different active pharmaceutical ingredients; therefore, compounded oral liquids are a suitable alternative when compounding individualized medications for patients. Copyright© by International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding, Inc.

Typewriting for Business Education Departments in Pennsylvania's Public Schools. Final Report. Bulletin 275 (Revised).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leffingwell, Elsie L.; McKune, Mary B.

The purposes of this guidebook for secondary typewriting teachers are to provide information about common typewriting problems, to suggest alternative teaching strategies, and to explore new areas of concern. Contents include suggested performance objectives for the first and second year of typewriting instruction at the secondary level;…

The molecular-genetic analysis of Clostridium perfringens strains isolated from broilers on farms in Central Russia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of the research was to perform phenotypic and molecular-genetic typing of Clostridium perfringens strains commonly spread on poultry farms in Central Russia. Samples of homogenized iliac and cecal contents from 760 broilers were assayed and 325 C. perfringens strains (42.8 %) were isol...

Classical Civilization, English, Social Studies: 5114.67.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hankins, Gretchen C.

This course will include the study of Greek mythology, philosophy, and drama and analyze their influence on modern man and his ideas. The course outline consists of: I. Performance Objectives; II. Range of Subject Matter; III. Course Content; IV. Teaching Strategies and Learning Activities; V. Student Resources -- a list of books relevant to Greek…

LO + EPSS = Just-in-Time Reuse of Content to Support Employee Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Frank; Hanzel, Matthew

2007-01-01

Those involved in training know that creating instructional materials can become a tedious, repetitive process. They also know that business conditions often require training interventions to be delivered in ways that are not ideally structured or timed. This article examines the notion that learning objects can be reused and adapted for…

Agricultural Biology, Science (Experimental): 5314.09.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basnett, Fred D.

This unit of instruction was designed as a laboratory study of soils, plants, crop improvements and pesticides, and gives consideration to fish farming, tropical fish, and careers in agriculture. The booklet lists the relevant state-adopted texts and states the performance objectives for the unit. It provides an outline of the course content and…

How Principals and Teachers Respond to States' Accountability Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Hyemi

2013-01-01

Since the 1990s, many states have started implementing standards-based reforms and developed their own accountability systems. Each state established academic content and performance standards, implemented test for all the students in grades 3 through 8 annually, and set up annual measurable objectives in reading and mathematics for districts,…

What Would Make Them Read More? Insights from Western Australian Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merga, Margaret Kristin

2016-01-01

The link between recreational book reading and improved literacy performance is consistently supported by educational research. Increasing engagement in recreational book reading remains imperative for English teachers, though how to best facilitate this in a secondary context is an object of contention, with limited research in this field. The…

Extraction of composite visual objects from audiovisual materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durand, Gwenael; Thienot, Cedric; Faudemay, Pascal

1999-08-01

An effective analysis of Visual Objects appearing in still images and video frames is required in order to offer fine grain access to multimedia and audiovisual contents. In previous papers, we showed how our method for segmenting still images into visual objects could improve content-based image retrieval and video analysis methods. Visual Objects are used in particular for extracting semantic knowledge about the contents. However, low-level segmentation methods for still images are not likely to extract a complex object as a whole but instead as a set of several sub-objects. For example, a person would be segmented into three visual objects: a face, hair, and a body. In this paper, we introduce the concept of Composite Visual Object. Such an object is hierarchically composed of sub-objects called Component Objects.

Content-based fused off-axis object illumination direct-to-digital holography

DOEpatents

Price, Jeffery R.

2006-05-02

Systems and methods are described for content-based fused off-axis illumination direct-to-digital holography. A method includes calculating an illumination angle with respect to an optical axis defined by a focusing lens as a function of data representing a Fourier analyzed spatially heterodyne hologram; reflecting a reference beam from a reference mirror at a non-normal angle; reflecting an object beam from an object the object beam incident upon the object at the illumination angle; focusing the reference beam and the object beam at a focal plane of a digital recorder to from the content-based off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis; and digitally recording the content based off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis.

Quality and Content of Individualized Habilitation Plan Objectives in Residential Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stancliffe, Roger J.; Hayden, Mary F.; Lakin, K. Charlie

2000-01-01

The quality, number, and content of residential Individualized Habilitation Plans (IHP) objectives were evaluated for 155 adult institution and community residents. Over 90 percent of objectives were functional and age appropriate. Community residents had significantly more IHP objectives and also had objectives from a wider variety of content…

Nicotine quantity and packaging disclosure in smoked and smokeless tobacco products in India.

PubMed

Sharma, Priyamvada; Murthy, Pratima; Shivhare, Parul

2015-01-01

A variety of smoked and smokeless tobacco products with varying nicotine content are accessible in India. Nicotine quantity in tobacco products has direct bearing on tobacco dependence. Our objective was to estimate nicotine content in various types of smoked and smokeless products. Disclosure for essential health warning was also checked. Liquid-liquid extraction was used for nicotine extraction and high-performance thin layer chromatography technique was applied for quantification of nicotine in seventy-one smoked and smokeless tobacco products. Significant variation in nicotine content was observed across products. In smoked tobacco, nicotine content varied from 1.01 to 13.0 mg/rod, while in smokeless tobacco products it ranged from 0.8 mg/g to 50.0 mg/g. Moisture content varied from 9% to 21%. This work lists a range of smoked and smokeless tobacco products available in this region. We report a wide variability in nicotine quantity across smoked and smokeless tobacco products. Such variation in nicotine content may have important implications for tobacco cessation interventions and policies.

An analysis of aircrew communication patterns and content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oser, Randall L.; Prince, Carolyn; Morgan, Ben B., Jr.; Simpson, Steven S.

1991-09-01

The findings reported here represent a detailed analysis of tactical rotary-wing aircrew communication patterns and content. This research is part of an extensive effort to investigate the nature of tactical aircrew coordination and to develop effective mission-oriented aircrew coordination training. The primary objectives of this research were to answer the following questions: (1) What specific communication patterns and content are demonstrated by different helicopter crewmembers (i.e., Helicopter Aircraft Commander - HAC and Helicopter 2nd Pilot - H2P)? (2) Do tactical aircrew communication patterns and content vary as a function of the performance demands and requirements of different flight conditions (i.e., routine and non-routine)? (3) Are the communication patterns and content of more effective aircrews different from those of less effective aircrews? (4) What similarities exist between the communication patterns and content of military rotary-wing aircrews and commercial fixed-wing aircrews? and (5) Can the results of the communication analyses have an impact on aircrew coordination training?

Do the Contents of Visual Working Memory Automatically Influence Attentional Selection During Visual Search?

PubMed Central

Woodman, Geoffrey F.; Luck, Steven J.

2007-01-01

In many theories of cognition, researchers propose that working memory and perception operate interactively. For example, in previous studies researchers have suggested that sensory inputs matching the contents of working memory will have an automatic advantage in the competition for processing resources. The authors tested this hypothesis by requiring observers to perform a visual search task while concurrently maintaining object representations in visual working memory. The hypothesis that working memory activation produces a simple but uncontrollable bias signal leads to the prediction that items matching the contents of working memory will automatically capture attention. However, no evidence for automatic attentional capture was obtained; instead, the participants avoided attending to these items. Thus, the contents of working memory can be used in a flexible manner for facilitation or inhibition of processing. PMID:17469973

Do the contents of visual working memory automatically influence attentional selection during visual search?

PubMed

Woodman, Geoffrey F; Luck, Steven J

2007-04-01

In many theories of cognition, researchers propose that working memory and perception operate interactively. For example, in previous studies researchers have suggested that sensory inputs matching the contents of working memory will have an automatic advantage in the competition for processing resources. The authors tested this hypothesis by requiring observers to perform a visual search task while concurrently maintaining object representations in visual working memory. The hypothesis that working memory activation produces a simple but uncontrollable bias signal leads to the prediction that items matching the contents of working memory will automatically capture attention. However, no evidence for automatic attentional capture was obtained; instead, the participants avoided attending to these items. Thus, the contents of working memory can be used in a flexible manner for facilitation or inhibition of processing.

Weekly active-learning activities in a drug information and literature evaluation course.

PubMed

Timpe, Erin M; Motl, Susannah E; Eichner, Samantha F

2006-06-15

To incorporate learning activities into the weekly 2-hour Drug Information and Literature Evaluation class sessions to improve student ability and confidence in performing course objectives, as well as to assess student perception of the value of these activities. In-class activities that emphasized content and skills taught within class periods were created and implemented. Three different surveys assessing student ability and confidence in completing drug information and literature retrieval and evaluation tasks were administered prior to and following the appropriate class sessions. At the completion of the course, an additional evaluation was administered to assess the students' impressions of the value of the learning activities. Students reported increased ability and confidence in all course objectives. The teaching activities were also stated to be useful in students' learning of the material. Incorporation of weekly learning activities resulted in an improvement in student ability and confidence to perform course objectives. Students considered these activities to be beneficial and to contribute to the completion of course objectives.

Varieties of virtualization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellis, Stephen R.

1991-01-01

Natural environments have a content, i.e., the objects in them; a geometry, i.e., a pattern of rules for positioning and displacing the objects; and a dynamics, i.e., a system of rules describing the effects of forces acting on the objects. Human interaction with most common natural environments has been optimized by centuries of evolution. Virtual environments created through the human-computer interface similarly have a content, geometry, and dynamics, but the arbitrary character of the computer simulation creating them does not insure that human interaction with these virtual environments will be natural. The interaction, indeed, could be supernatural but it also could be impossible. An important determinant of the comprehensibility of a virtual environment is the correspondence between the environmental frames of reference and those associated with the control of environmental objects. The effects of rotation and displacement of control frames of reference with respect to corresponding environmental references differ depending upon whether perceptual judgement or manual tracking performance is measured. The perceptual effects of frame of reference displacement may be analyzed in terms of distortions in the process of virtualizing the synthetic environment space. The effects of frame of reference displacement and rotation have been studied by asking subjects to estimate exocentric direction in a virtual space.

Validation of virtual learning object to support the teaching of nursing care systematization.

PubMed

Salvador, Pétala Tuani Candido de Oliveira; Mariz, Camila Maria Dos Santos; Vítor, Allyne Fortes; Ferreira Júnior, Marcos Antônio; Fernandes, Maria Isabel Domingues; Martins, José Carlos Amado; Santos, Viviane Euzébia Pereira

2018-01-01

to describe the content validation process of a Virtual Learning Object to support the teaching of nursing care systematization to nursing professionals. methodological study, with quantitative approach, developed according to the methodological reference of Pasquali's psychometry and conducted from March to July 2016, from two-stage Delphi procedure. in the Delphi 1 stage, eight judges evaluated the Virtual Object; in Delphi 2 stage, seven judges evaluated it. The seven screens of the Virtual Object were analyzed as to the suitability of its contents. The Virtual Learning Object to support the teaching of nursing care systematization was considered valid in its content, with a Total Content Validity Coefficient of 0.96. it is expected that the Virtual Object can support the teaching of nursing care systematization in light of appropriate and effective pedagogical approaches.

A reduction in hippocampal GABAA receptor alpha5 subunits disrupts the memory for location of objects in mice.

PubMed

Prut, L; Prenosil, G; Willadt, S; Vogt, K; Fritschy, J-M; Crestani, F

2010-07-01

The memory for location of objects, which binds information about objects to discrete positions or spatial contexts of occurrence, is a form of episodic memory particularly sensitive to hippocampal damage. Its early decline is symptomatic for elderly dementia. Substances that selectively reduce alpha5-GABA(A) receptor function are currently developed as potential cognition enhancers for Alzheimer's syndrome and other dementia, consistent with genetic studies implicating these receptors that are highly expressed in hippocampus in learning performance. Here we explored the consequences of reduced GABA(A)alpha5-subunit contents, as occurring in alpha5(H105R) knock-in mice, on the memory for location of objects. This required the behavioral characterization of alpha5(H105R) and wild-type animals in various tasks examining learning and memory retrieval strategies for objects, locations, contexts and their combinations. In mutants, decreased amounts of alpha5-subunits and retained long-term potentiation in hippocampus were confirmed. They exhibited hyperactivity with conserved circadian rhythm in familiar actimeters, and normal exploration and emotional reactivity in novel places, allocentric spatial guidance, and motor pattern learning acquisition, inhibition and flexibility in T- and eight-arm mazes. Processing of object, position and context memories and object-guided response learning were spared. Genotype difference in object-in-place memory retrieval and in encoding and response learning strategies for object-location combinations manifested as a bias favoring object-based recognition and guidance strategies over spatial processing of objects in the mutants. These findings identify in alpha5(H105R) mice a behavioral-cognitive phenotype affecting basal locomotion and the memory for location of objects indicative of hippocampal dysfunction resulting from moderately decreased alpha5-subunit contents.

[The occurance lead and cadmium in hip joint in aspect of exposure on tobacco smoke].

PubMed

Bogunia, Mariusz; Brodziak-Dopierała, Barbara; Kwapuliński, Jerzy; Ahnert, Bozena; Kowol, Jolanta; Nogaj, Ewa

2008-01-01

The objective of this study was qualification of content cadmium and lead in selected elements of the hip joint in aspect of tobacco smoking. The material for the research were 5 elements of hip joint (articular cartilage, trabecular bone and cortical bone femur head, fragment articular capsule and fragment trabecular bone from region intertrochanteric femoral bone), obtained intraoperatively during endoprothesoplastic surgeries. The samples come from habitants of Upper Silesian Region. Determination of trace elements contents were performed by ASA method (Pye Unicam SP-9) in acetylene-oxygen flame. Higher contents of lead were observed for smoking people, however in case of cadmium the differences of this element were not statistical essential between smokers and non-smokers.

Energy: Light, Sound, and Heat, Science (Experimental): 5311.04.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castaldi, June P.

This unit of instruction was designed as a basic course involving the study of light, sound, and heat at the junior high school level. The booklet lists the relevant state-adopted texts and states the performance objectives for the unit. It provides an outline of the course content and suggests experiments, demonstrations, field trips, and topics…

School Nurses' Descriptions of Concerns Arising during Pupils' Health Check-Ups: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poutiainen, Hannele; Holopainen, Arja; Hakulinen-Viitanen, Tuovi; Laatikainen, Tiina

2015-01-01

Objective: To describe the concerns and modes of action of Finnish school nurses during pupils' health check-ups. Methods: Focus group interviews with 17 school nurses were performed in 2011 and again in 2013. Data were analysed using inductive content analysis. Results: School nurses' concerns were mostly associated with the psychosocial…

Curriculum Development, Refinement and Testing of Performance Indicators for Selected Vocational Programs. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stella, Carolyn Rose

Curriculum materials are provided for 15 vocational programs. Each course is divided into units, for which a lesson plan is provided. The lesson plans vary slightly by course but generally contain these components: unit title, goal and/or objective, content outline, rationale, procedures, a list of required materials, recommended form of…

Applying Augmented Reality to Enhance Learning: A Study of Different Teaching Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hung, Y.-H.; Chen, C.-H.; Huang, S.-W.

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine the usefulness of augmented reality (AR) in teaching. An experiment was conducted to examine children's learning performances, which included the number of errors they made, their ability to remember the content of what they had read and their satisfaction with the three types of teaching materials,…

Development of Objective Standard Setting Using Rasch Measurement Model in Malaysian Institution of Higher Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khatimin, Nuraini; Aziz, Azrilah Abdul; Zaharim, Azami; Yasin, Siti Hanani Mat

2013-01-01

Measurement and evaluation of students' achievement are an important aspect to make sure that students really understand the course content and monitor students' achievement level. Performance is not only reflected from the numbers of high achievers of the students, but also on quality of the grade obtained; does the grade "A" truly…

Spatial Abilities of Medical Graduates and Choice of Residency Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langlois, Jean; Wells, George A.; Lecourtois, Marc; Bergeron, Germain; Yetisir, Elizabeth; Martin, Marcel

2015-01-01

Spatial abilities have been related in previous studies to three-dimensional (3D) anatomy knowledge and the performance in technical skills. The objective of this study was to relate spatial abilities to residency programs with different levels of content of 3D anatomy knowledge and technical skills. The hypothesis was that the choice of residency…

Feeding rumen-protected methionine pre- and postpartum increases milk protein content and yield in early lactation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Objectives were to evaluate the effects of feeding rumen-protected methionine (MET) from 23 d (±12) before calving until 98 days in milk (DIM) on lactation performance, dry matter intake (DMI), body condition score (BCS) and body weight (BW) change of dairy cows. Multiparous Holstein cows (n = 223) ...

Survey of Wastewater Discharge, Eielson AFB, Alaska, EHL(K) 73-24

DTIC Science & Technology

1973-12-01

the Department of Defense. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page I. SUMMARY .................................................. 1 II. INTRODUCTION ...II. INTRODUCTION A. Purpose And Objectives The USAF Environmental Health Laboratories were requested to provide assistance in improving existing water...equivalent to best practicable control technology currently available as shall be defined for each industrial waste. 3. Proposed Performance Specifications

Prediction of olive quality using FT-NIR spectroscopy in reflectance and transmittance modes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this research was to use FT-NIR spectroscopy to predict the firmness, oil content and color of two olive (Olea europaea L) varieties (‘Ayvalik’ and ‘Gemlik’). Spectral measurements were performed on the intact olives for the wavelengths of 780-2500 nm in reflectance and for 800-1725...

Lipid-Encapsulated Echium Oil (Echium plantagineum) Increases the Content of Stearidonic Acid in Plasma Lipid Fractions and Milk Fat of Dairy Cows.

PubMed

Bainbridge, Melissa L; Lock, Adam L; Kraft, Jana

2015-05-20

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of feeding lipid-encapsulated echium oil (EEO) on animal performance and milk fatty acid profile. Twelve Holstein dairy cows were used in a 3 × 3 Latin Square design with 14 day periods. Treatments were a control diet (no supplemental fat), 1.5% dry matter (DM) as EEO and 3.0% DM as EEO. Treatments had no negative effect on animal performance (dry matter intake, milk yield, and fat yield). The milk fat content of total n-3 fatty acids and stearidonic acid (SDA) increased with EEO supplementation (P < 0.001). The proportion of SDA increased in all plasma lipid fractions with EEO supplementation (P < 0.001). Transfer of SDA from EEO into milk fat was 3.4 and 3.2% for the 1.5 and 3% EEO treatments, respectively. In conclusion, EEO increases the content of n-3 fatty acids in milk fat; however, the apparent transfer efficiency was low.

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.

Lightweight Expression of Granular Objects (LEGO) Content Modeling Using the SNOMED CT Observables Model to Represent Nursing Assessment Data.

PubMed

Johnson, Christie

2016-01-01

This poster presentation presents a content modeling strategy using the SNOMED CT Observable Model to represent large amounts of detailed clinical data in a consistent and computable manner that can support multiple use cases. Lightweight Expression of Granular Objects (LEGOs) represent question/answer pairs on clinical data collection forms, where a question is modeled by a (usually) post-coordinated SNOMED CT expression. LEGOs transform electronic patient data into a normalized consumable, which means that the expressions can be treated as extensions of the SNOMED CT hierarchies for the purpose of performing subsumption queries and other analytics. Utilizing the LEGO approach for modeling clinical data obtained from a nursing admission assessment provides a foundation for data exchange across disparate information systems and software applications. Clinical data exchange of computable LEGO patient information enables the development of more refined data analytics, data storage and clinical decision support.

Furthering the Validity of a Tool to Assess Simulated Pregnancy Options Counseling Skills.

PubMed

Lupi, Carla; Ward-Peterson, Melissa; Coxe, Stefany; Minor, Suzanne; Eliacin, Irmanie; Obeso, Vivian

2016-10-01

To further the validity of a tool to assess nondirective pregnancy options counseling skills. Using a cross-sectional design, we explored four sources of construct validity evidence for an objective structured clinical examination for training and assessment of nondirective pregnancy options counseling: content, response process, internal structure, and relations to other variables. Content of the previously developed tool was enhanced through input from five family medicine educators. The objective structured clinical examination was implemented in a family medicine clerkship with third-year medical students from 2014 to 2015 using trained raters. Response process was addressed after a pilot round. Three new raters evaluated videotapes of 46 performances. Cronbach's alpha, intraclass correlation coefficients, and Spearman's rho were estimated with 95% confidence intervals. The content validity was affirmed. Cronbach's alpha was 0.71. According to Landis and Koch's criteria, all but two items unique to the clinical situation of pregnancy options counseling generated substantial to perfect agreement (0.62-1.00). Relations to other variables within the checklist were strong, ranging from 0.66 to 0.87. This tool for assessing pregnancy options counseling skills has excellent content and strong internal structure. Further work to improve the Global Rating Scale may be necessary for summative use.

Design, Development, and Validation of Learning Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nugent, Gwen; Soh, Leen-Kiat; Samal, Ashok

2006-01-01

A learning object is a small, stand-alone, mediated content resource that can be reused in multiple instructional contexts. In this article, we describe our approach to design, develop, and validate Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) compliant learning objects for undergraduate computer science education. We discuss the advantages of…

Alignment of learning objectives and assessments in therapeutics courses to foster higher-order thinking.

PubMed

FitzPatrick, Beverly; Hawboldt, John; Doyle, Daniel; Genge, Terri

2015-02-17

To determine whether national educational outcomes, course objectives, and classroom assessments for 2 therapeutics courses were aligned for curricular content and cognitive processes, and if they included higher-order thinking. Document analysis and student focus groups were used. Outcomes, objectives, and assessment tasks were matched for specific therapeutics content and cognitive processes. Anderson and Krathwohl's Taxonomy was used to define higher-order thinking. Students discussed whether assessments tested objectives and described their thinking when responding to assessments. There were 7 outcomes, 31 objectives, and 412 assessment tasks. The alignment for content and cognitive processes was not satisfactory. Twelve students participated in the focus groups. Students thought more short-answer questions than multiple choice questions matched the objectives for content and required higher-order thinking. The alignment analysis provided data that could be used to reveal and strengthen the enacted curriculum and improve student learning.

Groups of adjacent contour segments for object detection.

PubMed

Ferrari, V; Fevrier, L; Jurie, F; Schmid, C

2008-01-01

We present a family of scale-invariant local shape features formed by chains of k connected, roughly straight contour segments (kAS), and their use for object class detection. kAS are able to cleanly encode pure fragments of an object boundary, without including nearby clutter. Moreover, they offer an attractive compromise between information content and repeatability, and encompass a wide variety of local shape structures. We also define a translation and scale invariant descriptor encoding the geometric configuration of the segments within a kAS, making kAS easy to reuse in other frameworks, for example as a replacement or addition to interest points. Software for detecting and describing kAS is released on lear.inrialpes.fr/software. We demonstrate the high performance of kAS within a simple but powerful sliding-window object detection scheme. Through extensive evaluations, involving eight diverse object classes and more than 1400 images, we 1) study the evolution of performance as the degree of feature complexity k varies and determine the best degree; 2) show that kAS substantially outperform interest points for detecting shape-based classes; 3) compare our object detector to the recent, state-of-the-art system by Dalal and Triggs [4].

[Bayesian geostatistical prediction of soil organic carbon contents of solonchak soils in nor-thern Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, China.

PubMed

Wu, Wei Mo; Wang, Jia Qiang; Cao, Qi; Wu, Jia Ping

2017-02-01

Accurate prediction of soil organic carbon (SOC) distribution is crucial for soil resources utilization and conservation, climate change adaptation, and ecosystem health. In this study, we selected a 1300 m×1700 m solonchak sampling area in northern Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, China, and collected a total of 144 soil samples (5-10 cm). The objectives of this study were to build a Baye-sian geostatistical model to predict SOC content, and to assess the performance of the Bayesian model for the prediction of SOC content by comparing with other three geostatistical approaches [ordinary kriging (OK), sequential Gaussian simulation (SGS), and inverse distance weighting (IDW)]. In the study area, soil organic carbon contents ranged from 1.59 to 9.30 g·kg -1 with a mean of 4.36 g·kg -1 and a standard deviation of 1.62 g·kg -1 . Sample semivariogram was best fitted by an exponential model with the ratio of nugget to sill being 0.57. By using the Bayesian geostatistical approach, we generated the SOC content map, and obtained the prediction variance, upper 95% and lower 95% of SOC contents, which were then used to evaluate the prediction uncertainty. Bayesian geostatistical approach performed better than that of the OK, SGS and IDW, demonstrating the advantages of Bayesian approach in SOC prediction.

Indexing and retrieval of multimedia objects at different levels of granularity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faudemay, Pascal; Durand, Gwenael; Seyrat, Claude; Tondre, Nicolas

1998-10-01

Intelligent access to multimedia databases for `naive user' should probably be based on queries formulation by `intelligent agents'. These agents should `understand' the semantics of the contents, learn user preferences and deliver to the user a subset of the source contents, for further navigation. The goal of such systems should be to enable `zero-command' access to the contents, while keeping the freedom of choice of the user. Such systems should interpret multimedia contents in terms of multiple audiovisual objects (from video to visual or audio object), and on actions and scenarios.

Issue of data acquisition and processing using short range photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning for educational portals and virtual museums based on Wawel cathedral. (Polish Title: Problematyka pozyskiwania i przetwarzania danych fotogrametrycznych i z naziemnego skaningu laserowego na potrzeby tworzenia portali edukacyjnych i wirtualnych muzeów na przykładzie Katedry Wawelskiej)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitka, B.; Szelest, P.

2013-12-01

This paper presents the issues related to the acquisition and processing of terrestrial photogrammetry and laser scanning for building educational portals and virtual museums. Discusses the specific requirements of measurement technology and data processing for all kinds of objects, ranging from architecture through sculpture and architectural detail on the fabric and individual museum exhibits. Educational portals and virtual museums require a modern, high-quality visuals (3D models, virtual tours, animations, etc.) supplemented by descriptive content or audio commentary. Source for obtaining such materials are mostly terrestrial laser scanning and photogrammetry as technologies that provide complete information about the presented geometric objects. However, the performance requirements of web services impose severe restrictions on the presented content. It is necessary to use optimalization geometry process to streamline the way of its presentation. Equally important problem concerns the selection of appropriate technology and process measurement data processing presented for each type of objects. Only skillful selection of measuring equipment and data processing tools effectively ensure the achievement of a satisfactory end result. Both terrestrial laser scanning technology and digital close range photogrammetry has its strengths which should be used but also the limitations that must be taken into account in this kind of work. The key is choosing the right scanner for both the measured object and terrain such as pixel size in the performance of his photos.

Accurate and simple method for quantification of hepatic fat content using magnetic resonance imaging: a prospective study in biopsy-proven nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

PubMed

Hatta, Tomoko; Fujinaga, Yasunari; Kadoya, Masumi; Ueda, Hitoshi; Murayama, Hiroaki; Kurozumi, Masahiro; Ueda, Kazuhiko; Komatsu, Michiharu; Nagaya, Tadanobu; Joshita, Satoru; Kodama, Ryo; Tanaka, Eiji; Uehara, Tsuyoshi; Sano, Kenji; Tanaka, Naoki

2010-12-01

To assess the degree of hepatic fat content, simple and noninvasive methods with high objectivity and reproducibility are required. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one such candidate, although its accuracy remains unclear. We aimed to validate an MRI method for quantifying hepatic fat content by calibrating MRI reading with a phantom and comparing MRI measurements in human subjects with estimates of liver fat content in liver biopsy specimens. The MRI method was performed by a combination of MRI calibration using a phantom and double-echo chemical shift gradient-echo sequence (double-echo fast low-angle shot sequence) that has been widely used on a 1.5-T scanner. Liver fat content in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, n = 26) was derived from a calibration curve generated by scanning the phantom. Liver fat was also estimated by optical image analysis. The correlation between the MRI measurements and liver histology findings was examined prospectively. Magnetic resonance imaging measurements showed a strong correlation with liver fat content estimated from the results of light microscopic examination (correlation coefficient 0.91, P < 0.001) regardless of the degree of hepatic steatosis. Moreover, the severity of lobular inflammation or fibrosis did not influence the MRI measurements. This MRI method is simple and noninvasive, has excellent ability to quantify hepatic fat content even in NAFLD patients with mild steatosis or advanced fibrosis, and can be performed easily without special devices.

Genetic parameters for growth performance, fillet traits, and fat percentage of male Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

PubMed

Garcia, André Luiz Seccatto; de Oliveira, Carlos Antonio Lopes; Karim, Hanner Mahmud; Sary, César; Todesco, Humberto; Ribeiro, Ricardo Pereira

2017-11-01

Improvement of fillet traits and flesh quality attributes are of great interest in farmed tilapia and other aquaculture species. The main objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for fillet traits (fillet weight and fillet yield) and the fat content of fillets from 1136 males combined with 2585 data records on growth traits (body weight at 290 days, weight at slaughter, and daily weight gain) of 1485 males and 1100 females from a third generation of the Aquaamerica tilapia strain. Different models were tested for each trait, and the best models were used to estimate genetic parameters for the fat content, fillet, and growth traits. Genetic and phenotypic correlations were estimated using two-trait animal models. The heritability estimates were moderate for the fat content of fillets and fillet yield (0.2-0.32) and slightly higher for body weight at slaughter (0.41). The genetic correlation between fillet yield and fat was significant (0.6), but the genetic correlations were not significant between body weight and fillet yield, body weight and fat content, daily weight gain and fillet yield, and daily weight gain and fat content (- 0.032, - 0.1, - 0.09, and - 0.4, respectively). Based on the genetic correlation estimates, it is unlikely that changes in fillet yield and fat content will occur when using growth performance as a selection criterion, but indirect changes may be expected in fat content if selecting for higher fillet yield.

LANDSAT-4 MSS and Thematic Mapper data quality and information content analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anuta, P.; Bartolucci, L.; Dean, E.; Lozano, F.; Malaret, E.; Mcgillem, C. D.; Valdes, J.; Valenzuela, C.

1984-01-01

LANDSAT-4 thematic mapper (TM) and multispectral scanner (MSS) data were analyzed to obtain information on data quality and information content. Geometric evaluations were performed to test band-to-band registration accuracy. Thematic mapper overall system resolution was evaluated using scene objects which demonstrated sharp high contrast edge responses. Radiometric evaluation included detector relative calibration, effects of resampling, and coherent noise effects. Information content evaluation was carried out using clustering, principal components, transformed divergence separability measure, and supervised classifiers on test data. A detailed spectral class analysis (multispectral classification) was carried out to compare the information content of the MSS and TM for a large number of scene classes. A temperature-mapping experiment was carried out for a cooling pond to test the quality of thermal-band calibration. Overall TM data quality is very good. The MSS data are noisier than previous LANDSAT results.

Compression performance of HEVC and its format range and screen content coding extensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Bin; Xu, Jizheng; Sullivan, Gary J.

2015-09-01

This paper presents a comparison-based test of the objective compression performance of the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, its format range extensions (RExt), and its draft screen content coding extensions (SCC). The current dominant standard, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, is used as an anchor reference in the comparison. The conditions used for the comparison tests were designed to reflect relevant application scenarios and to enable a fair comparison to the maximum extent feasible - i.e., using comparable quantization settings, reference frame buffering, intra refresh periods, rate-distortion optimization decision processing, etc. It is noted that such PSNR-based objective comparisons generally provide more conservative estimates of HEVC benefit than are found in subjective studies. The experimental results show that, when compared with H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, HEVC version 1 provides a bit rate savings for equal PSNR of about 23% for all-intra coding, 34% for random access coding, and 38% for low-delay coding. This is consistent with prior studies and the general characterization that HEVC can provide about a bit rate savings of about 50% for equal subjective quality for most applications. The HEVC format range extensions provide a similar bit rate savings of about 13-25% for all-intra coding, 28-33% for random access coding, and 32-38% for low-delay coding at different bit rate ranges. For lossy coding of screen content, the HEVC screen content coding extensions achieve a bit rate savings of about 66%, 63%, and 61% for all-intra coding, random access coding, and low-delay coding, respectively. For lossless coding, the corresponding bit rate savings are about 40%, 33%, and 32%, respectively.

A Linked and Open Dataset from a Network of Learning Repositories on Organic Agriculture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rajabi, Enayat; Sanchez-Alonso, Salvador; Sicilia, Miguel-Angel; Manouselis, Nikos

2017-01-01

Exposing eLearning objects on the Web of Data leads to sharing and reusing of educational resources and improves the interoperability of data on the Web. Furthermore, it enriches e-learning content, as it is connected to other valuable resources using the Linked Data principles. This paper describes a study performed on the Organic.Edunet…

Child Pornography in Peer-to-Peer Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steel, Chad M. S.

2009-01-01

Objective: The presence of child pornography in peer-to-peer networks is not disputed, but there has been little effort done to quantify and analyze the distribution and nature of that content to-date. By performing an analysis of queries and query hits on the largest peer-to-peer network, we are able to both quantify and describe the nature of…

Bio-composites made from pine straw

Treesearch

Cheng Piao; Todd F. Shupe; Chung Y. Hse; Jamie Tang

2004-01-01

Pine straw is renewable natural resource that is under-utilized. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical and mechanical performances of pine straw composites. Three panel density levels (0.8, 0.9, 1.0 g/cm2) and two resin content levels (1% pMDI + 4% UF, 2% pMDI + 4% UF) were selected as treatments. For the pine-straw-bamboo-...

Evacuation performance evaluation tool.

PubMed

Farra, Sharon; Miller, Elaine T; Gneuhs, Matthew; Timm, Nathan; Li, Gengxin; Simon, Ashley; Brady, Whittney

2016-01-01

Hospitals conduct evacuation exercises to improve performance during emergency events. An essential aspect in this process is the creation of reliable and valid evaluation tools. The objective of this article is to describe the development and implications of a disaster evacuation performance tool that measures one portion of the very complex process of evacuation. Through the application of the Delphi technique and DeVellis's framework, disaster and neonatal experts provided input in developing this performance evaluation tool. Following development, content validity and reliability of this tool were assessed. Large pediatric hospital and medical center in the Midwest. The tool was pilot tested with an administrative, medical, and nursing leadership group and then implemented with a group of 68 healthcare workers during a disaster exercise of a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The tool has demonstrated high content validity with a scale validity index of 0.979 and inter-rater reliability G coefficient (0.984, 95% CI: 0.948-0.9952). The Delphi process based on the conceptual framework of DeVellis yielded a psychometrically sound evacuation performance evaluation tool for a NICU.

Multi-school collaboration to develop and test nutrition computer modules for pediatric residents.

PubMed

Roche, Patricia L; Ciccarelli, Mary R; Gupta, Sandeep K; Hayes, Barbara M; Molleston, Jean P

2007-09-01

The provision of essential nutrition-related content in US medical education has been deficient, despite efforts of the federal government and multiple professional organizations. Novel and efficient approaches are needed. A multi-department project was developed to create and pilot a computer-based compact disc instructional program covering the nutrition topics of oral rehydration therapy, calcium, and vitamins. Funded by an internal medical school grant, the content of the modules was written by Department of Pediatrics faculty. The modules were built by School of Informatics faculty and students, and were tested on a convenience sampling of 38 pediatric residents in a randomized controlled trial performed by a registered dietitian/School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Master's degree candidate. The modules were reviewed for content by the pediatric faculty principal investigator and the registered dietitian/School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences graduate student. Residents completed a pretest of nutrition knowledge and attitude toward nutrition and Web-based instruction. Half the group was given three programs (oral rehydration therapy, calcium, and vitamins) on compact disc for study over 6 weeks. Both study and control groups completed a posttest. Pre- and postintervention objective test results in study vs control groups and attitudinal survey results before and after intervention in the study group were compared. The experimental group demonstrated significantly better posttrial objective test performance compared to the control group (P=0.0005). The study group tended toward improvement, whereas the control group performance declined substantially between pre- and posttests. Study group resident attitudes toward computer-based instruction improved. Use of these computer modules prompted almost half of the residents in the study group to independently pursue relevant nutrition-related information. This inexpensive, collaborative, multi-department effort to design a computer-based nutrition curriculum positively impacted both resident knowledge and attitudes.

Electrophysiological evidence for attentional guidance by the contents of working memory.

PubMed

Kumar, Sanjay; Soto, David; Humphreys, Glyn W

2009-07-01

The deployment of visual attention can be strongly modulated by stimuli matching the contents of working memory (WM), even when WM contents are detrimental to performance and salient bottom-up cues define the critical target [D. Soto et al. (2006)Vision Research, 46, 1010-1018]. Here we investigated the electrophysiological correlates of this early guidance of attention by WM in humans. Observers were presented with a prime to either identify or hold in memory. Subsequently, they had to search for a target line amongst different distractor lines. Each line was embedded within one of four objects and one of the distractor objects could match the stimulus held in WM. Behavioural data showed that performance was more strongly affected by the prime when it was held in memory than when it was merely identified. An electrophysiological measure of the efficiency of target selection (the N2pc) was also affected by the match between the item in WM and the location of the target in the search task. The N2pc was enhanced when the target fell in the same visual field as the re-presented (invalid) prime, compared with when the prime did not reappear in the search display (on neutral trials) and when the prime was contralateral to the target. Merely identifying the prime produced no effect on the N2pc component. The evidence suggests that WM modulates competitive interactions between the items in the visual field to determine the efficiency of target selection.

The design and performance characteristics of a cellular logic 3-D image classification processor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ankeney, L. A.

1981-04-01

The introduction of high resolution scanning laser radar systems which are capable of collecting range and reflectivity images, is predicted to significantly influence the development of processors capable of performing autonomous target classification tasks. Actively sensed range images are shown to be superior to passively collected infrared images in both image stability and information content. An illustrated tutorial introduces cellular logic (neighborhood) transformations and two and three dimensional erosion and dilation operations which are used for noise filters and geometric shape measurement. A unique 'cookbook' approach to selecting a sequence of neighborhood transformations suitable for object measurement is developed and related to false alarm rate and algorithm effectiveness measures. The cookbook design approach is used to develop an algorithm to classify objects based upon their 3-D geometrical features. A Monte Carlo performance analysis is used to demonstrate the utility of the design approach by characterizing the ability of the algorithm to classify randomly positioned three dimensional objects in the presence of additive noise, scale variations, and other forms of image distortion.

Authoring of Learning Objects in Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Specht, Marcus; Kravcik, Milos

2006-01-01

Learning objects and content interchange standards provide new possibilities for e-learning. Nevertheless the content often lacks context data to find appropriate use for adaptive learning on demand and personalized learning experiences. In the Remotely Accessible Field Trips (RAFT) project mobile authoring of learning content in context has shown…

Relation between body composition and bone mineral density in young undregraduate students with different nutritional status

PubMed Central

Rodrigues, Edil de Albuquerque; dos Santos, Marcos André Moura; da Silva, Amanda Tabosa Pereira; Farah, Breno Quintella; Costa, Manoel da Cunha; Campos, Florisbela de Arruda Camara e Siqueira; Falcão, Ana Patrícia Siqueira Tavares

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate the relationship between total and segmental body fat, bone mineral density and bone mineral content in undergraduate students stratified according to nutritional status. Methods The study included 45 male undergraduate students aged between 20 and 30 years. Total and segmental body composition, bone mineral density and bone mineral content assessments were performed using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Subjects were allocated into three groups (eutrophic, overweight and obese). Results With the exception of upper limb bone mineral content, significantly higher (p<0.05) mean bone mineral density, bone mineral content, and relative body fat values were documented in the obese group. Total body and segmental relative body fat (lower limbs and trunk) were positively correlated (p<0.05) with bone mineral density in the overweight group. Upper limb fat was negatively correlated (p<0.05) with bone mineral content in the normal and eutrophic groups. Conclusion Total body and segmental body fat were correlated with bone mineral density and bone mineral content in male undergraduate students, particularly in overweight individuals. PMID:27074228

Twitter Activity Associated With U.S. News and World Report Reputation Scores for Urology Departments.

PubMed

Ciprut, Shannon; Curnyn, Caitlin; Davuluri, Meena; Sternberg, Kevan; Loeb, Stacy

2017-10-01

To analyze the association between US urology department Twitter presence and U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) reputation scores, to examine the content, informational value, and intended audience of these platforms, and to identify objectives for Twitter use. We identified Twitter accounts for urology departments scored in the 2016-2017 USNWR. Correlation coefficients were calculated between Twitter metrics (number of followers, following, tweets, and Klout influence scores) with USNWR reputation scores. We also performed a detailed content analysis of urology department tweets during a 6-month period to characterize the content. Finally, we distributed a survey to the urology department accounts via Twitter, inquiring who administers the content, and their objectives for Twitter use. Among 42 scored urology departments with Twitter accounts, the median number of followers, following, and tweets were 337, 193, and 115, respectively. All of these Twitter metrics had a statistically significant positive correlation with reputation scores (P <.05). Content analyses revealed that most tweets were about conferences, education, and publications, targeting the general public or urologic community. Survey results revealed that the primary reason for twitter use among urology departments was visibility and reputation, and urologists are considered the most important target audience. There is statistically significant correlation between Twitter activity and USNWR reputation scores for urology departments. Our results suggest that Twitter provides a novel mechanism for urology departments to communicate about academic and educational topics, and social media engagement can enhance reputation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Conceptual Foundation for Measures of Physical Function and Behavioral Health Function for Social Security Work Disability Evaluation

PubMed Central

Marfeo, Elizabeth E.; Haley, Stephen M.; Jette, Alan M.; Eisen, Susan V.; Ni, Pengsheng; Bogusz, Kara; Meterko, Mark; McDonough, Christine M.; Chan, Leighton; Brandt, Diane E.; Rasch, Elizabeth K.

2014-01-01

Physical and mental impairments represent the two largest health condition categories for which workers receive Social Security disability benefits. Comprehensive assessment of physical and mental impairments should include aspects beyond medical conditions such as a person’s underlying capabilities as well as activity demands relevant to the context of work. The objective of this paper is to describe the initial conceptual stages of developing new measurement instruments of behavioral health and physical functioning relevant for Social Security work disability evaluation purposes. To outline a clear conceptualization of the constructs to be measured, two content models were developed using structured and informal qualitative approaches. We performed a structured literature review focusing on work disability and incorporating aspects of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) as a unifying taxonomy for framework development. Expert interviews provided advice and consultation to enhance face validity of the resulting content models. The content model for work-related behavioral health function identifies five major domains (1) Behavior Control, (2) Basic Interactions, (3) Temperament and Personality, (4) Adaptability, and (5) Workplace Behaviors. The content model describing physical functioning includes three domains (1) Changing and Maintaining Body Position, (2) Whole Body Mobility, and (3) Carrying, Moving and Handling Objects. These content models informed subsequent measurement properties including item development, measurement scale construction, and provided conceptual coherence guiding future empirical inquiry. The proposed measurement approaches show promise to comprehensively and systematically assess physical and behavioral health functioning relevant to work. PMID:23548543

Depressive symptoms and web user experience

PubMed Central

Thielsch, Carolin

2018-01-01

Background Depression, as one of the most prevalent mental disorders, is expected to become a leading cause of disability. While evidence-based treatments are not always easily accessible, Internet-based information and self-help appears as a promising approach to improve the strained supply situation by avoiding barriers of traditional offline treatment. User experience in the domain of mental problems therefore emerges as an important research topic. The aim of our study is to investigate the impact of depressive symptoms on subjective and objective measures of web user experience. Method In this two-part online study (Ntotal = 721) we investigate the relationship between depressive symptoms of web users and basic website characteristics (i.e., content, subjective and objective usability, aesthetics). Participants completed search and memory tasks on different fully-functional websites. In addition, they were asked to evaluate the given websites with standardized measures and were screened for symptoms of depression using the PHQ-9. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to determine whether depression severity affects users’ perception of and performance in using information websites. Results We found significant associations between depressive symptoms and subjective user experience, specifically of website content, usability, and aesthetics, as well as an effect of content perception on the overall appraisal of a website in terms of the intention to visit it again. Small yet significant negative effects of depression severity on all named subjective website evaluations were revealed, leading to an indirect negative effect on the intention to revisit a website via impaired content perceptions. However, objective task performance was not influenced by depressiveness of users. Discussion Depression emerges as capable of altering the subjective perception of a website to some extend with respect to the main features content, usability, and aesthetics. The user experience of a website is crucial, especially as it facilitates revisiting a website and thus might be relevant in avoiding drop-out in online interventions. Thus, the biased impression of persons affected by symptoms of depression and resulting needs of those users should be considered when designing and evaluating E-(Mental)-Health-platforms. The high prevalence of some mental disorders such as depression in the general population stresses the need for further investigations of the found effects. PMID:29507832

Development of lithium diffused radiation resistant solar cells, part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Payne, P. R.; Somberg, H.

1971-01-01

The work performed to investigate the effect of various process parameters on the performance of lithium doped P/N solar cells is described. Effort was concentrated in four main areas: (1) the starting material, (2) the boron diffusion, (3) the lithium diffusion, and (4) the contact system. Investigation of starting material primarily involved comparison of crucible grown silicon (high oxygen content) and Lopex silicon (low oxygen content). In addition, the effect of varying growing parameters of crucible grown silicon on lithium cell output was also examined. The objective of the boron diffusion studies was to obtain a diffusion process which produced high efficiency cells with minimal silicon stressing and could be scaled up to process 100 or more cells per diffusion. Contact studies included investigating sintering of the TiAg contacts and evaluation of the contact integrity.

Analysis of visual quality improvements provided by known tools for HDR content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jaehwan; Alshina, Elena; Lee, JongSeok; Park, Youngo; Choi, Kwang Pyo

2016-09-01

In this paper, the visual quality of different solutions for high dynamic range (HDR) compression using MPEG test contents is analyzed. We also simulate the method for an efficient HDR compression which is based on statistical property of the signal. The method is compliant with HEVC specification and also easily compatible with other alternative methods which might require HEVC specification changes. It was subjectively tested on commercial TVs and compared with alternative solutions for HDR coding. Subjective visual quality tests were performed using SUHD TVs model which is SAMSUNG JS9500 with maximum luminance up to 1000nit in test. The solution that is based on statistical property shows not only improvement of objective performance but improvement of visual quality compared to other HDR solutions, while it is compatible with HEVC specification.

Validation of the three web quality dimensions of a minimally invasive surgery e-learning platform.

PubMed

Ortega-Morán, Juan Francisco; Pagador, J Blas; Sánchez-Peralta, Luisa Fernanda; Sánchez-González, Patricia; Noguera, José; Burgos, Daniel; Gómez, Enrique J; Sánchez-Margallo, Francisco M

2017-11-01

E-learning web environments, including the new TELMA platform, are increasingly being used to provide cognitive training in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) to surgeons. A complete validation of this MIS e-learning platform has been performed to determine whether it complies with the three web quality dimensions: usability, content and functionality. 21 Surgeons participated in the validation trials. They performed a set of tasks in the TELMA platform, where an e-MIS validity approach was followed. Subjective (questionnaires and checklists) and objective (web analytics) metrics were analysed to achieve the complete validation of usability, content and functionality. The TELMA platform allowed access to didactic content with easy and intuitive navigation. Surgeons performed all tasks with a close-to-ideal number of clicks and amount of time. They considered the design of the website to be consistent (95.24%), organised (90.48%) and attractive (85.71%). Moreover, they gave the content a high score (4.06 out of 5) and considered it adequate for teaching purposes. The surgeons scored the professional language and content (4.35), logo (4.24) and recommendations (4.20) the highest. Regarding functionality, the TELMA platform received an acceptance of 95.24% for navigation and 90.48% for interactivity. According to the study, it seems that TELMA had an attractive design, innovative content and interactive navigation, which are three key features of an e-learning platform. TELMA successfully met the three criteria necessary for consideration as a website of quality by achieving more than 70% of agreements regarding all usability, content and functionality items validated; this constitutes a preliminary requirement for an effective e-learning platform. However, the content completeness, authoring tool and registration process required improvement. Finally, the e-MIS validity methodology used to measure the three dimensions of web quality in this work can be applied to other clinical areas or training fields. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Role of Long-Term Memory in a Test of Visual Working Memory: Proactive Facilitation but no Proactive Interference

PubMed Central

Oberauer, Klaus; Awh, Edward; Sutterer, David W.

2016-01-01

We report four experiments examining whether associations in visual working memory are subject to proactive interference from long term memory (LTM). Following a long-term learning phase in which participants learned the colors of 120 unique objects, a working memory (WM) test was administered in which participants recalled the precise colors of three concrete objects in an array. Each array in the WM test consisted of one old (previously learned) object with a new color (old-mismatch), one old object with its old color (old-match), and one new object. Experiments 1 to 3 showed that WM performance was better in the old-match condition than in the new condition, reflecting a beneficial contribution from long term memory. In the old mismatch condition, participants sometimes reported colors associated with the relevant shape in LTM, but the probability of successful recall was equivalent to that in the new condition. Thus, information from LTM only intruded in the absence of reportable information in WM. Experiment 4 tested for, and failed to find, proactive interference from the preceding trial in the WM test: Performance in the old-mismatch condition, presenting an object from the preceding trial with a new color, was equal to performance with new objects. Experiment 5 showed that long-term memory for object-color associations is subject to proactive interference. We conclude that the exchange of information between LTM and WM appears to be controlled by a gating mechanism that protects the contents of WM from proactive interference but admits LTM information when it is useful. PMID:27685018

Social Media as an Engagement Tool for Schools and Colleges of Pharmacy.

PubMed

Chen, Emily; DiVall, Margarita

2018-05-01

Objective. To describe the importance of and potential approaches to social media strategy development for schools and colleges of pharmacy. Findings. In recent years, pharmacy educators have begun exploring the benefits of social media. Effectively utilizing social media as a tool to fulfill marketing, recruitment, and student engagement initiatives is contingent on having a fully developed social media strategy that is well-positioned for success. Developing a sustainable social media strategy involves the following important components: establishing goals and objectives, identifying target audiences, performing competitive and channel analyses, developing content strategy, activities planning, identifying roles, budget and resources planning, and analyzing ongoing performance. Summary. This paper provides relevant information and guidance for colleges and schools of pharmacy that wish to enhance their social media presence.

Social Media as an Engagement Tool for Schools and Colleges of Pharmacy

PubMed Central

Chen, Emily

2018-01-01

Objective. To describe the importance of and potential approaches to social media strategy development for schools and colleges of pharmacy. Findings. In recent years, pharmacy educators have begun exploring the benefits of social media. Effectively utilizing social media as a tool to fulfill marketing, recruitment, and student engagement initiatives is contingent on having a fully developed social media strategy that is well-positioned for success. Developing a sustainable social media strategy involves the following important components: establishing goals and objectives, identifying target audiences, performing competitive and channel analyses, developing content strategy, activities planning, identifying roles, budget and resources planning, and analyzing ongoing performance. Summary. This paper provides relevant information and guidance for colleges and schools of pharmacy that wish to enhance their social media presence. PMID:29867244

What are health-related users tweeting? A qualitative content analysis of health-related users and their messages on twitter.

PubMed

Lee, Joy L; DeCamp, Matthew; Dredze, Mark; Chisolm, Margaret S; Berger, Zackary D

2014-10-15

Twitter is home to many health professionals who send messages about a variety of health-related topics. Amid concerns about physicians posting inappropriate content online, more in-depth knowledge about these messages is needed to understand health professionals' behavior on Twitter. Our goal was to characterize the content of Twitter messages, specifically focusing on health professionals and their tweets relating to health. We performed an in-depth content analysis of 700 tweets. Qualitative content analysis was conducted on tweets by health users on Twitter. The primary objective was to describe the general type of content (ie, health-related versus non-health related) on Twitter authored by health professionals and further to describe health-related tweets on the basis of the type of statement made. Specific attention was given to whether a tweet was personal (as opposed to professional) or made a claim that users would expect to be supported by some level of medical evidence (ie, a "testable" claim). A secondary objective was to compare content types among different users, including patients, physicians, nurses, health care organizations, and others. Health-related users are posting a wide range of content on Twitter. Among health-related tweets, 53.2% (184/346) contained a testable claim. Of health-related tweets by providers, 17.6% (61/346) were personal in nature; 61% (59/96) made testable statements. While organizations and businesses use Twitter to promote their services and products, patient advocates are using this tool to share their personal experiences with health. Twitter users in health-related fields tweet about both testable claims and personal experiences. Future work should assess the relationship between testable tweets and the actual level of evidence supporting them, including how Twitter users-especially patients-interpret the content of tweets posted by health providers.

Preparation and characterization of sorghum flour with increased resistant starch content

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The primary objective of this research was to develop an effective process to increase the resistant starch content of sorghum flour. A secondary objective was to investigate the role of the sorghum proteins on starch digestibility. Samples of white sorghum flour (28.9% amylose content) with differe...

An efficient fully unsupervised video object segmentation scheme using an adaptive neural-network classifier architecture.

PubMed

Doulamis, A; Doulamis, N; Ntalianis, K; Kollias, S

2003-01-01

In this paper, an unsupervised video object (VO) segmentation and tracking algorithm is proposed based on an adaptable neural-network architecture. The proposed scheme comprises: 1) a VO tracking module and 2) an initial VO estimation module. Object tracking is handled as a classification problem and implemented through an adaptive network classifier, which provides better results compared to conventional motion-based tracking algorithms. Network adaptation is accomplished through an efficient and cost effective weight updating algorithm, providing a minimum degradation of the previous network knowledge and taking into account the current content conditions. A retraining set is constructed and used for this purpose based on initial VO estimation results. Two different scenarios are investigated. The first concerns extraction of human entities in video conferencing applications, while the second exploits depth information to identify generic VOs in stereoscopic video sequences. Human face/ body detection based on Gaussian distributions is accomplished in the first scenario, while segmentation fusion is obtained using color and depth information in the second scenario. A decision mechanism is also incorporated to detect time instances for weight updating. Experimental results and comparisons indicate the good performance of the proposed scheme even in sequences with complicated content (object bending, occlusion).

Affective and contextual values modulate spatial frequency use in object recognition

PubMed Central

Caplette, Laurent; West, Gregory; Gomot, Marie; Gosselin, Frédéric; Wicker, Bruno

2014-01-01

Visual object recognition is of fundamental importance in our everyday interaction with the environment. Recent models of visual perception emphasize the role of top-down predictions facilitating object recognition via initial guesses that limit the number of object representations that need to be considered. Several results suggest that this rapid and efficient object processing relies on the early extraction and processing of low spatial frequencies (LSF). The present study aimed to investigate the SF content of visual object representations and its modulation by contextual and affective values of the perceived object during a picture-name verification task. Stimuli consisted of pictures of objects equalized in SF content and categorized as having low or high affective and contextual values. To access the SF content of stored visual representations of objects, SFs of each image were then randomly sampled on a trial-by-trial basis. Results reveal that intermediate SFs between 14 and 24 cycles per object (2.3–4 cycles per degree) are correlated with fast and accurate identification for all categories of objects. Moreover, there was a significant interaction between affective and contextual values over the SFs correlating with fast recognition. These results suggest that affective and contextual values of a visual object modulate the SF content of its internal representation, thus highlighting the flexibility of the visual recognition system. PMID:24904514

Using a behaviour change techniques taxonomy to identify active ingredients within trials of implementation interventions for diabetes care.

PubMed

Presseau, Justin; Ivers, Noah M; Newham, James J; Knittle, Keegan; Danko, Kristin J; Grimshaw, Jeremy M

2015-04-23

Methodological guidelines for intervention reporting emphasise describing intervention content in detail. Despite this, systematic reviews of quality improvement (QI) implementation interventions continue to be limited by a lack of clarity and detail regarding the intervention content being evaluated. We aimed to apply the recently developed Behaviour Change Techniques Taxonomy version 1 (BCTTv1) to trials of implementation interventions for managing diabetes to assess the capacity and utility of this taxonomy for characterising active ingredients. Three psychologists independently coded a random sample of 23 trials of healthcare system, provider- and/or patient-focused implementation interventions from a systematic review that included 142 such studies. Intervention content was coded using the BCTTv1, which describes 93 behaviour change techniques (BCTs) grouped within 16 categories. We supplemented the generic coding instructions within the BCTTv1 with decision rules and examples from this literature. Less than a quarter of possible BCTs within the BCTTv1 were identified. For implementation interventions targeting providers, the most commonly identified BCTs included the following: adding objects to the environment, prompts/cues, instruction on how to perform the behaviour, credible source, goal setting (outcome), feedback on outcome of behaviour, and social support (practical). For implementation interventions also targeting patients, the most commonly identified BCTs included the following: prompts/cues, instruction on how to perform the behaviour, information about health consequences, restructuring the social environment, adding objects to the environment, social support (practical), and goal setting (behaviour). The BCTTv1 mapped well onto implementation interventions directly targeting clinicians and patients and could also be used to examine the impact of system-level interventions on clinician and patient behaviour. The BCTTv1 can be used to characterise the active ingredients in trials of implementation interventions and provides specificity of content beyond what is given by broader intervention labels. Identification of BCTs may provide a more helpful means of accumulating knowledge on the content used in trials of implementation interventions, which may help to better inform replication efforts. In addition, prospective use of a behaviour change techniques taxonomy for developing and reporting intervention content would further aid in building a cumulative science of effective implementation interventions.

Extended Relation Metadata for SCORM-Based Learning Content Management Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Eric Jui-Lin; Horng, Gwoboa; Yu, Chia-Ssu; Chou, Ling-Ying

2010-01-01

To increase the interoperability and reusability of learning objects, Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative developed a model called Content Aggregation Model (CAM) to describe learning objects and express relationships between learning objects. However, the suggested relations defined in the CAM can only describe structure-oriented…

Concurrency Attacks and Defenses

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-04

Enter name(s) of person(s) responsible for writing the report, performing the research, or credited with the content of the report. The form of...Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10027-7003 Tel.: 212-939-7012 Fax: 212-666-0140 Email : junfeng@cs.columbia.edu 2. Research Objectives...Multithreaded programs are getting increasingly pervasive and critical. Unfortunately, they remain extremely difficult to write . This difficulty has led to

tDCS over the motor cortex improves lexical retrieval of action words in poststroke aphasia.

PubMed

Branscheidt, Meret; Hoppe, Julia; Zwitserlood, Pienie; Liuzzi, Gianpiero

2018-02-01

One-third of stroke survivors worldwide suffer from aphasia. Speech and language therapy (SLT) is considered effective in treating aphasia, but because of time constraints, improvements are often limited. Noninvasive brain stimulation is a promising adjuvant strategy to facilitate SLT. However, stroke might render "classical" language regions ineffective as stimulation sites. Recent work showed the effectiveness of motor cortex stimulation together with intensive naming therapy to improve outcomes in aphasia (Meinzer et al. 2016). Although that study highlights the involvement of the motor cortex, the functional aspects by which it influences language remain unclear. In the present study, we focus on the role of motor cortex in language, investigating its functional involvement in access to specific lexico-semantic (object vs. action relatedness) information in poststroke aphasia. To this end, we tested effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the left motor cortex on lexical retrieval in 16 patients with poststroke aphasia in a sham-controlled, double-blind study design. Critical stimuli were action and object words, and pseudowords. Participants performed a lexical decision task, deciding whether stimuli were words or pseudowords. Anodal tDCS improved accuracy in lexical decision, especially for words with action-related content and for pseudowords with an "action-like" ending ( t 15  = 2.65, P = 0.036), but not for words with object-related content and pseudowords with "object-like" characteristics. We show as a proof-of-principle that the motor cortex may play a specific role in access to lexico-semantic content. Thus motor-cortex stimulation may strengthen content-specific word-to-semantic concept associations during language treatment in poststroke aphasia. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The role of motor cortex (MC) in language processing has been debated in both health and disease. Recent work has suggested that MC stimulation together with speech and language therapy enhances outcomes in aphasia. We show that MC stimulation has a differential effect on object- and action-word processing in poststroke aphasia. We propose that MC stimulation may specifically strengthen word-to-semantic concept association in aphasia. Our results potentially provide a way to tailor therapies for language rehabilitation.

The ANKLe Score: An Audit of Otolaryngology Emergency Clinic Record Keeping

PubMed Central

Dexter, Sara C; Hayashi, Daichi; Tysome, James R

2008-01-01

INTRODUCTION Accurate and legible medical records are essential to good quality patient care. Guidelines from The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSE) state the content required to form a complete medical record, but do not address legibility. An audit of otolaryngology emergency clinic record keeping was performed using a new scoring system. PATIENTS AND METHODS The Adjusted Note Keeping and Legibility (ANKLe) score was developed as an objective and quantitative method to assess both the content and legibility of case notes, incorporating the RCSE guidelines. Twenty consecutive otolaryngology emergency clinic case notes from each of 7 senior house officers were audited against standards for legibility and content using the ANKLe score. A proforma was introduced to improve documentation and handwriting advice was given. A further set of 140 notes (20 notes for each of the 7 doctors) was audited in the same way to provide feedback. RESULTS The introduction of a proforma and advice on handwriting significantly increased the quality of case note entries in terms of content, legibility and overall ANKLe score. CONCLUSIONS Accurate note keeping can be improved by the use of a proforma. The legibility of handwriting can be improved using simple advice. The ANKLe score is an objective assessment tool of the overall quality of medical note documentation which can be adapted for use in other specialties. PMID:18430339

Objectives and Contents of the Educational Activity Oriented Toward the Small Child.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walczyna, Jadwiga

This paper emphasizes the importance of educational activities for small children and discusses the issues and problems associated with choice of educational objectives and activity content. Three factors which influence the formation of educational objectives are identified: (1) tradition, (2) specific character of socio-economic conditions in…

Content Validation and Evaluation of an Endovascular Teamwork Assessment Tool.

PubMed

Hull, L; Bicknell, C; Patel, K; Vyas, R; Van Herzeele, I; Sevdalis, N; Rudarakanchana, N

2016-07-01

To modify, content validate, and evaluate a teamwork assessment tool for use in endovascular surgery. A multistage, multimethod study was conducted. Stage 1 included expert review and modification of the existing Observational Teamwork Assessment for Surgery (OTAS) tool. Stage 2 included identification of additional exemplar behaviours contributing to effective teamwork and enhanced patient safety in endovascular surgery (using real-time observation, focus groups, and semistructured interviews of multidisciplinary teams). Stage 3 included content validation of exemplar behaviours using expert consensus according to established psychometric recommendations and evaluation of structure, content, feasibility, and usability of the Endovascular Observational Teamwork Assessment Tool (Endo-OTAS) by an expert multidisciplinary panel. Stage 4 included final team expert review of exemplars. OTAS core team behaviours were maintained (communication, coordination, cooperation, leadership team monitoring). Of the 114 OTAS behavioural exemplars, 19 were modified, four removed, and 39 additional endovascular-specific behaviours identified. Content validation of these 153 exemplar behaviours showed that 113/153 (73.9%) reached the predetermined Item-Content Validity Index rating for teamwork and/or patient safety. After expert team review, 140/153 (91.5%) exemplars were deemed to warrant inclusion in the tool. More than 90% of the expert panel agreed that Endo-OTAS is an appropriate teamwork assessment tool with observable behaviours. Some concerns were noted about the time required to conduct observations and provide performance feedback. Endo-OTAS is a novel teamwork assessment tool, with evidence for content validity and relevance to endovascular teams. Endo-OTAS enables systematic objective assessment of the quality of team performance during endovascular procedures. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Multi-class geospatial object detection and geographic image classification based on collection of part detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Gong; Han, Junwei; Zhou, Peicheng; Guo, Lei

2014-12-01

The rapid development of remote sensing technology has facilitated us the acquisition of remote sensing images with higher and higher spatial resolution, but how to automatically understand the image contents is still a big challenge. In this paper, we develop a practical and rotation-invariant framework for multi-class geospatial object detection and geographic image classification based on collection of part detectors (COPD). The COPD is composed of a set of representative and discriminative part detectors, where each part detector is a linear support vector machine (SVM) classifier used for the detection of objects or recurring spatial patterns within a certain range of orientation. Specifically, when performing multi-class geospatial object detection, we learn a set of seed-based part detectors where each part detector corresponds to a particular viewpoint of an object class, so the collection of them provides a solution for rotation-invariant detection of multi-class objects. When performing geographic image classification, we utilize a large number of pre-trained part detectors to discovery distinctive visual parts from images and use them as attributes to represent the images. Comprehensive evaluations on two remote sensing image databases and comparisons with some state-of-the-art approaches demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the developed framework.

Fire danger index efficiency as a function of fuel moisture and fire behavior.

PubMed

Torres, Fillipe Tamiozzo Pereira; Romeiro, Joyce Machado Nunes; Santos, Ana Carolina de Albuquerque; de Oliveira Neto, Ricardo Rodrigues; Lima, Gumercindo Souza; Zanuncio, José Cola

2018-08-01

Assessment of the performance of forest fire hazard indices is important for prevention and management strategies, such as planning prescribed burnings, public notifications and firefighting resource allocation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of fire hazard indices considering fire behavior variables and susceptibility expressed by the moisture of combustible material. Controlled burns were carried out at different times and information related to meteorological conditions, characteristics of combustible material and fire behavior variables were recorded. All variables analyzed (fire behavior and fuel moisture content) can be explained by the prediction indices. The Brazilian EVAP/P showed the best performance, both at predicting moisture content of the fuel material and fire behavior variables, and the Canadian system showed the best performance to predicting the rate of spread. The coherence of the correlations between the indices and the variables analyzed makes the methodology, which can be applied anywhere, important for decision-making in regions with no records or with only unreliable forest fire data. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multiple Types of Memory and Everyday Functional Assessment in Older Adults

PubMed Central

Beaver, Jenna

2017-01-01

Abstract Objective Current proxy measures for assessing everyday functioning (e.g., questionnaires, performance-based measures, and direct observation) show discrepancies in their rating of functional status. The present study investigated the relationship between multiple proxy measures of functional status and content memory (i.e., memory for information), temporal order memory, and prospective memory in an older adult sample. Method A total of 197 community-dwelling older adults who did (n = 45) or did not meet (n = 152) criteria for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), completed six different assessments of functional status (two questionnaires, two performance-based tasks, and two direct observation tasks) as well as experimental measures of content memory, prospective memory, and temporal order memory. Results After controlling for demographics and content memory, the temporal order and prospective memory measures explained a significant amount of variance in all proxy functional status measures. When all variables were entered into the regression analyses, content memory and prospective memory were found to be significant predictors of all measures of functional status, whereas temporal order memory was a significant predictor for the questionnaire and direct observation measures, but not performance-based measures. Conclusion The results suggest that direct observation and questionnaire measures may be able to capture components of everyday functioning that require context and temporal sequencing abilities, such as multi-tasking, that are not as well captured in many current laboratory performance-based measures of functional status. Future research should aim to inform the development and use of maximally effective and valid proxy measures of functional ability. PMID:28334170

Analysis of word number and content in discourse of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease

PubMed Central

de Lira, Juliana Onofre; Minett, Thaís Soares Cianciarullo; Bertolucci, Paulo Henrique Ferreira; Ortiz, Karin Zazo

2014-01-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by impairments in memory and other cognitive functions such as language, which can be affected in all aspects including discourse. A picture description task is considered an effective way of obtaining a discourse sample whose key feature is the ability to retrieve appropriate lexical items. There is no consensus on findings showing that performance in content processing of spoken discourse deteriorates from the mildest phase of AD. Objective To compare the quantity and quality of discourse among patients with mild to moderate AD and controls. Methods A cross-sectional study was designed. Subjects aged 50 years and older of both sexes, with one year or more of education, were divided into three groups: control (CG), mild AD (ADG1) and moderate AD (ADG2). Participants were asked to describe the "cookie theft" picture. The total number of complete words spoken and information units (IU) were included in the analysis. Results There was no significant difference among groups in terms of age, schooling and sex. For number of words spoken, the CG performed significantly better than both the ADG 1 and ADG2, but no difference between the two latter groups was found. CG produced almost twice as many information units as the ADG1 and more than double that of the ADG2. Moreover, ADG2 patients had worse performance on IUs compared to the ADG1. Conclusion Decreased performance in quantity and content of discourse was evident in patients with AD from the mildest phase, but only content (IU) continued to worsen with disease progression. PMID:29213912

Performance comparison of AV1, HEVC, and JVET video codecs on 360 (spherical) video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Topiwala, Pankaj; Dai, Wei; Krishnan, Madhu; Abbas, Adeel; Doshi, Sandeep; Newman, David

2017-09-01

This paper compares the coding efficiency performance on 360 videos, of three software codecs: (a) AV1 video codec from the Alliance for Open Media (AOM); (b) the HEVC Reference Software HM; and (c) the JVET JEM Reference SW. Note that 360 video is especially challenging content, in that one codes full res globally, but typically looks locally (in a viewport), which magnifies errors. These are tested in two different projection formats ERP and RSP, to check consistency. Performance is tabulated for 1-pass encoding on two fronts: (1) objective performance based on end-to-end (E2E) metrics such as SPSNR-NN, and WS-PSNR, currently developed in the JVET committee; and (2) informal subjective assessment of static viewports. Constant quality encoding is performed with all the three codecs for an unbiased comparison of the core coding tools. Our general conclusion is that under constant quality coding, AV1 underperforms HEVC, which underperforms JVET. We also test with rate control, where AV1 currently underperforms the open source X265 HEVC codec. Objective and visual evidence is provided.

Contour sensitive saliency and depth application in image retargeting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Hongju; Yue, Pengfei; Zhao, Yanhui; Liu, Rui; Fu, Yuanbin; Zheng, Yuanjie; Cui, Jia

2018-04-01

Image retargeting technique requires important information preservation and less edge distortion during increasing/decreasing image size. The major existed content-aware methods perform well. However, there are two problems should be improved: the slight distortion appeared at the object edges and the structure distortion in the nonsalient area. According to psychological theories, people evaluate image quality based on multi-level judgments and comparison between different areas, both image content and image structure. The paper proposes a new standard: the structure preserving in non-salient area. After observation and image analysis, blur (slight blur) is generally existed at the edge of objects. The blur feature is used to estimate the depth cue, named blur depth descriptor. It can be used in the process of saliency computation for balanced image retargeting result. In order to keep the structure information in nonsalient area, the salient edge map is presented in Seam Carving process, instead of field-based saliency computation. The derivative saliency from x- and y-direction can avoid the redundant energy seam around salient objects causing structure distortion. After the comparison experiments between classical approaches and ours, the feasibility of our algorithm is proved.

Automatic selection of irrelevant object features through working memory: evidence for top-down attentional capture.

PubMed

Soto, David; Humphreys, Glyn W

2009-01-01

Recent research has shown that the contents of working memory (WM) can guide the early deployment of attention in visual search. Here, we assessed whether this guidance occurred for all attributes of items held in WM, or whether effects are based on just the attributes relevant for the memory task. We asked observers to hold in memory just the shape of a coloured object and to subsequently search for a target line amongst distractor lines, each embedded within a different object. On some trials, one of the objects in the search display could match the shape, the colour or both dimensions of the cue, but this object never contained the relevant target line. Relative to a neutral baseline, where there was no match between the memory and the search displays, search performance was impaired when a distractor object matched both the colour and the shape of the memory cue. The implications for the understanding of the interaction between WM and selection are discussed.

Space Station Engineering and Technology Development. Proceedings of the Panel on Program Performance and Onboard Mission Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

An ad-hoc committee was asked to review the following questions relevant to the space station program: (1) onboard maintainability and repair; (2) in-space research and technology program and facility plans; (3) solar thermodynamic research and technology development program planning; (4) program performance (cost estimating, management, and cost avoidance); (5) onboard versus ground-based mission control; and (6) technology development road maps from IOC to the growth station. The objective of these new assignments is to provide NASA with advice on ways and means for improving the content, performance, and/or effectiveness of these elements of the space station program.

Obscenity detection using haar-like features and Gentle Adaboost classifier.

PubMed

Mustafa, Rashed; Min, Yang; Zhu, Dingju

2014-01-01

Large exposure of skin area of an image is considered obscene. This only fact may lead to many false images having skin-like objects and may not detect those images which have partially exposed skin area but have exposed erotogenic human body parts. This paper presents a novel method for detecting nipples from pornographic image contents. Nipple is considered as an erotogenic organ to identify pornographic contents from images. In this research Gentle Adaboost (GAB) haar-cascade classifier and haar-like features used for ensuring detection accuracy. Skin filter prior to detection made the system more robust. The experiment showed that, considering accuracy, haar-cascade classifier performs well, but in order to satisfy detection time, train-cascade classifier is suitable. To validate the results, we used 1198 positive samples containing nipple objects and 1995 negative images. The detection rates for haar-cascade and train-cascade classifiers are 0.9875 and 0.8429, respectively. The detection time for haar-cascade is 0.162 seconds and is 0.127 seconds for train-cascade classifier.

Concept indexing and expansion for social multimedia websites based on semantic processing and graph analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Po-Chuan; Chen, Bo-Wei; Chang, Hangbae

2016-07-01

This study presents a human-centric technique for social video expansion based on semantic processing and graph analysis. The objective is to increase metadata of an online video and to explore related information, thereby facilitating user browsing activities. To analyze the semantic meaning of a video, shots and scenes are firstly extracted from the video on the server side. Subsequently, this study uses annotations along with ConceptNet to establish the underlying framework. Detailed metadata, including visual objects and audio events among the predefined categories, are indexed by using the proposed method. Furthermore, relevant online media associated with each category are also analyzed to enrich the existing content. With the above-mentioned information, users can easily browse and search the content according to the link analysis and its complementary knowledge. Experiments on a video dataset are conducted for evaluation. The results show that our system can achieve satisfactory performance, thereby demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed idea.

Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide and Rifampicin Content Variation in Split Fixed-Dose Combination Tablets

PubMed Central

Pouplin, Thomas; Phuong, Pham Nguyen; Toi, Pham Van; Nguyen Pouplin, Julie; Farrar, Jeremy

2014-01-01

Setting In most developing countries, paediatric tuberculosis is treated with split tablets leading to potential inaccuracy in the dose delivery and drug exposure. There is no data on the quality of first-line drugs content in split fixed-dose combination tablets. Objective To determine Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide and Rifampicin content uniformity in split FDC tablets used in the treatment of childhood tuberculosis. Design Drug contents of 15 whole tablets, 30 half tablets and 36 third tablets were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography. The content uniformity was assessed by comparing drug content measured in split portions with their expected amounts and the quality of split portions was assessed applying qualitative specifications for whole tablets. Results All whole tablets measurements fell into the USP proxy for the three drugs. But a significant number of half and third portions was found outside the tolerated variation range and the split formulation failed the requirements for content uniformity. To correct for the inaccuracy of splitting the tablets into equal portions, a weight-adjustment strategy was used but this did not improve the findings. Conclusion In split tablets the content of the three drugs is non-uniform and exceeded the USP recommendations. There is an absolute need to make child-friendly formulations available for the treatment of childhood tuberculosis. PMID:25004128

Secure content objects

DOEpatents

Evans, William D [Cupertino, CA

2009-02-24

A secure content object protects electronic documents from unauthorized use. The secure content object includes an encrypted electronic document, a multi-key encryption table having at least one multi-key component, an encrypted header and a user interface device. The encrypted document is encrypted using a document encryption key associated with a multi-key encryption method. The encrypted header includes an encryption marker formed by a random number followed by a derivable variation of the same random number. The user interface device enables a user to input a user authorization. The user authorization is combined with each of the multi-key components in the multi-key encryption key table and used to try to decrypt the encrypted header. If the encryption marker is successfully decrypted, the electronic document may be decrypted. Multiple electronic documents or a document and annotations may be protected by the secure content object.

The compressed average image intensity metric for stereoscopic video quality assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilczewski, Grzegorz

2016-09-01

The following article depicts insights towards design, creation and testing of a genuine metric designed for a 3DTV video quality evaluation. The Compressed Average Image Intensity (CAII) mechanism is based upon stereoscopic video content analysis, setting its core feature and functionality to serve as a versatile tool for an effective 3DTV service quality assessment. Being an objective type of quality metric it may be utilized as a reliable source of information about the actual performance of a given 3DTV system, under strict providers evaluation. Concerning testing and the overall performance analysis of the CAII metric, the following paper presents comprehensive study of results gathered across several testing routines among selected set of samples of stereoscopic video content. As a result, the designed method for stereoscopic video quality evaluation is investigated across the range of synthetic visual impairments injected into the original video stream.

Impact of a Required Pharmaceutical Calculations Course on Mathematics Ability and Knowledge Retention

PubMed Central

Buring, Shauna M.; Papas, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

Objective. To assess doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students’ mathematics ability by content area before and after completing a required pharmaceutical calculations course and to analyze changes in scores. Methods. A mathematics skills assessment was administered to 2 cohorts of pharmacy students (class of 2013 and 2014) before and after completing a pharmaceutical calculations course. The posttest was administered to the second cohort 6 months after completing the course to assess knowledge retention. Results. Both cohorts performed significantly better on the posttest (cohort 1, 13% higher scores; cohort 2, 15.9% higher scores). Significant improvement on posttest scores was observed in 6 of the 10 content areas for cohorts 1 and 2. Both cohorts scored lower in percentage calculations on the posttest than on the pretest. Conclusions. A required, 1-credit-hour pharmaceutical calculations course improved PharmD students’ overall ability to perform fundamental and application-based calculations. PMID:23966727

Integrating the Epistemic and Ontological Aspects of Content Knowledge in Science Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papadouris, Nicos; Constantinou, Constantinos P.

2017-01-01

Promoting facility with content knowledge is one of the most important objectives of science teaching. Conventionally, the focus for this objective is placed on the substantive side of content knowledge (e.g. science concepts/laws), whereas its epistemic or ontological aspects (e.g. why do we construct concepts?) rarely receive explicit attention.…

Learning Objects and Learning Content Management Systems in Engineering Education: Implications of New Trends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sjoer, Ellen; Dopper, Sofia

2006-01-01

Learning objects and learning content management systems are considered to be "the next wave in engineering education". The results of experiments with these new trends in ICT in engineering education are described in this paper. The prospects were examined and the concepts of reusability of content for teachers and for personalized…

Semantic Overlays in Educational Content Networks--The hylOs Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engelhardt, Michael; Hildebrand, Arne; Lange, Dagmar; Schmidt, Thomas C.

2006-01-01

Purpose: The paper aims to introduce an educational content management system, Hypermedia Learning Objects System (hylOs), which is fully compliant to the IEEE LOM eLearning object metadata standard. Enabled through an advanced authoring toolset, hylOs allows the definition of instructional overlays of a given eLearning object mesh.…

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Method for Monitoring Water Content in Epoxy Resins and Fiber-Reinforced Composites

PubMed Central

Gagani, Abedin I.; Echtermeyer, Andreas T.

2018-01-01

Monitoring water content and predicting the water-induced drop in strength of fiber-reinforced composites are of great importance for the oil and gas and marine industries. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic methods are broadly available and often used for process and quality control in industrial applications. A benefit of using such spectroscopic methods over the conventional gravimetric analysis is the possibility to deduce the mass of an absolutely dry material and subsequently the true water content, which is an important indicator of water content-dependent properties. The objective of this study is to develop an efficient and detailed method for estimating the water content in epoxy resins and fiber-reinforced composites. In this study, Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy was applied to measure the water content of amine-epoxy neat resin. The method was developed and successfully extended to glass fiber-reinforced composite materials. Based on extensive measurements of neat resin and composite samples of varying water content and thickness, regression was performed, and the quantitative absorbance dependence on water content in the material was established. The mass of an absolutely dry resin was identified, and the true water content was obtained. The method was related to the Beer–Lambert law and explained in such terms. A detailed spectroscopic method for measuring water content in resins and fiber-reinforced composites was developed and described. PMID:29641451

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Method for Monitoring Water Content in Epoxy Resins and Fiber-Reinforced Composites.

PubMed

Krauklis, Andrey E; Gagani, Abedin I; Echtermeyer, Andreas T

2018-04-11

Monitoring water content and predicting the water-induced drop in strength of fiber-reinforced composites are of great importance for the oil and gas and marine industries. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic methods are broadly available and often used for process and quality control in industrial applications. A benefit of using such spectroscopic methods over the conventional gravimetric analysis is the possibility to deduce the mass of an absolutely dry material and subsequently the true water content, which is an important indicator of water content-dependent properties. The objective of this study is to develop an efficient and detailed method for estimating the water content in epoxy resins and fiber-reinforced composites. In this study, Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy was applied to measure the water content of amine-epoxy neat resin. The method was developed and successfully extended to glass fiber-reinforced composite materials. Based on extensive measurements of neat resin and composite samples of varying water content and thickness, regression was performed, and the quantitative absorbance dependence on water content in the material was established. The mass of an absolutely dry resin was identified, and the true water content was obtained. The method was related to the Beer-Lambert law and explained in such terms. A detailed spectroscopic method for measuring water content in resins and fiber-reinforced composites was developed and described.

Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Activities of Salvia fruticosa: An HPLC Determination of Phenolic Contents

PubMed Central

Boukhary, Rima; Ghoneim, Asser I.; Aboul-Ela, Maha; El-Lakany, Abdalla

2016-01-01

Objectives. Salvia fruticosa Mill. (S. fruticosa) is widely used in folk medicine. Accordingly, the present study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of S. fruticosa, and to determine the phenolic constituents of its extracts. Methods. The antioxidant activity was determined using 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl assay. Total phenolic contents were estimated using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, and high-performance liquid chromatography was performed to identify phenolic constituents. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity, carrageenan-induced mouse paw edema was determined plethysmographically. Key Findings. Different plant extracts demonstrated strong radical scavenging activity, where the ethyl acetate extract had the highest value in the roots and the lowest in the aerial parts. This antioxidant activity was correlated to the total phenolic content of different extracts, where rutin and luteolin were the most abundant constituents. Interestingly, both the roots and aerial parts revealed a significant anti-inflammatory activity comparable to diclofenac. Conclusions. This study is the first to demonstrate pharmacologic evidence of the potential anti-inflammatory activity of S. fruticosa. This activity may partly be due to the radical scavenging effects of its polyphenolic contents. These findings warrant the popular use of the East Mediterranean sage and highlight the potential of its active constituents in the development of new anti-inflammatory drugs. PMID:26881007

The Rise and Fall of Priming: How Visual Exposure Shapes Cortical Representations of Objects

PubMed Central

Zago, Laure; Fenske, Mark J.; Aminoff, Elissa; Bar, Moshe

2006-01-01

How does the amount of time for which we see an object influence the nature and content of its cortical representation? To address this question, we varied the duration of initial exposure to visual objects and then measured functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signal and behavioral performance during a subsequent repeated presentation of these objects. We report a novel ‘rise-and-fall’ pattern relating exposure duration and the corresponding magnitude of fMRI cortical signal. Compared with novel objects, repeated objects elicited maximal cortical response reduction when initially presented for 250 ms. Counter-intuitively, initially seeing an object for a longer duration significantly reduced the magnitude of this effect. This ‘rise-and-fall’ pattern was also evident for the corresponding behavioral priming. To account for these findings, we propose that the earlier interval of an exposure to a visual stimulus results in a fine-tuning of the cortical response, while additional exposure promotes selection of a subset of key features for continued representation. These two independent mechanisms complement each other in shaping object representations with experience. PMID:15716471

Objects predict fixations better than early saliency.

PubMed

Einhäuser, Wolfgang; Spain, Merrielle; Perona, Pietro

2008-11-20

Humans move their eyes while looking at scenes and pictures. Eye movements correlate with shifts in attention and are thought to be a consequence of optimal resource allocation for high-level tasks such as visual recognition. Models of attention, such as "saliency maps," are often built on the assumption that "early" features (color, contrast, orientation, motion, and so forth) drive attention directly. We explore an alternative hypothesis: Observers attend to "interesting" objects. To test this hypothesis, we measure the eye position of human observers while they inspect photographs of common natural scenes. Our observers perform different tasks: artistic evaluation, analysis of content, and search. Immediately after each presentation, our observers are asked to name objects they saw. Weighted with recall frequency, these objects predict fixations in individual images better than early saliency, irrespective of task. Also, saliency combined with object positions predicts which objects are frequently named. This suggests that early saliency has only an indirect effect on attention, acting through recognized objects. Consequently, rather than treating attention as mere preprocessing step for object recognition, models of both need to be integrated.

The role of long-term memory in a test of visual working memory: Proactive facilitation but no proactive interference.

PubMed

Oberauer, Klaus; Awh, Edward; Sutterer, David W

2017-01-01

We report 4 experiments examining whether associations in visual working memory are subject to proactive interference from long-term memory (LTM). Following a long-term learning phase in which participants learned the colors of 120 unique objects, a working memory (WM) test was administered in which participants recalled the precise colors of 3 concrete objects in an array. Each array in the WM test consisted of 1 old (previously learned) object with a new color (old-mismatch), 1 old object with its old color (old-match), and 1 new object. Experiments 1 to 3 showed that WM performance was better in the old-match condition than in the new condition, reflecting a beneficial contribution from LTM. In the old-mismatch condition, participants sometimes reported colors associated with the relevant shape in LTM, but the probability of successful recall was equivalent to that in the new condition. Thus, information from LTM only intruded in the absence of reportable information in WM. Experiment 4 tested for, and failed to find, proactive interference from the preceding trial in the WM test: Performance in the old-mismatch condition, presenting an object from the preceding trial with a new color, was equal to performance with new objects. Experiment 5 showed that long-term memory for object-color associations is subject to proactive interference. We conclude that the exchange of information between LTM and WM appears to be controlled by a gating mechanism that protects the contents of WM from proactive interference but admits LTM information when it is useful. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

3D shape representation with spatial probabilistic distribution of intrinsic shape keypoints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghorpade, Vijaya K.; Checchin, Paul; Malaterre, Laurent; Trassoudaine, Laurent

2017-12-01

The accelerated advancement in modeling, digitizing, and visualizing techniques for 3D shapes has led to an increasing amount of 3D models creation and usage, thanks to the 3D sensors which are readily available and easy to utilize. As a result, determining the similarity between 3D shapes has become consequential and is a fundamental task in shape-based recognition, retrieval, clustering, and classification. Several decades of research in Content-Based Information Retrieval (CBIR) has resulted in diverse techniques for 2D and 3D shape or object classification/retrieval and many benchmark data sets. In this article, a novel technique for 3D shape representation and object classification has been proposed based on analyses of spatial, geometric distributions of 3D keypoints. These distributions capture the intrinsic geometric structure of 3D objects. The result of the approach is a probability distribution function (PDF) produced from spatial disposition of 3D keypoints, keypoints which are stable on object surface and invariant to pose changes. Each class/instance of an object can be uniquely represented by a PDF. This shape representation is robust yet with a simple idea, easy to implement but fast enough to compute. Both Euclidean and topological space on object's surface are considered to build the PDFs. Topology-based geodesic distances between keypoints exploit the non-planar surface properties of the object. The performance of the novel shape signature is tested with object classification accuracy. The classification efficacy of the new shape analysis method is evaluated on a new dataset acquired with a Time-of-Flight camera, and also, a comparative evaluation on a standard benchmark dataset with state-of-the-art methods is performed. Experimental results demonstrate superior classification performance of the new approach on RGB-D dataset and depth data.

Conceptual foundation for measures of physical function and behavioral health function for Social Security work disability evaluation.

PubMed

Marfeo, Elizabeth E; Haley, Stephen M; Jette, Alan M; Eisen, Susan V; Ni, Pengsheng; Bogusz, Kara; Meterko, Mark; McDonough, Christine M; Chan, Leighton; Brandt, Diane E; Rasch, Elizabeth K

2013-09-01

Physical and mental impairments represent the 2 largest health condition categories for which workers receive Social Security disability benefits. Comprehensive assessment of physical and mental impairments should include aspects beyond medical conditions such as a person's underlying capabilities as well as activity demands relevant to the context of work. The objective of this article is to describe the initial conceptual stages of developing new measurement instruments of behavioral health and physical functioning relevant for Social Security work disability evaluation purposes. To outline a clear conceptualization of the constructs to be measured, 2 content models were developed using structured and informal qualitative approaches. We performed a structured literature review focusing on work disability and incorporating aspects of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as a unifying taxonomy for framework development. Expert interviews provided advice and consultation to enhance face validity of the resulting content models. The content model for work-related behavioral health function identifies 5 major domains: (1) behavior control, (2) basic interactions, (3) temperament and personality, (4) adaptability, and (5) workplace behaviors. The content model describing physical functioning includes 3 domains: (1) changing and maintaining body position, (2) whole-body mobility, and (3) carrying, moving, and handling objects. These content models informed subsequent measurement properties including item development and measurement scale construction, and provided conceptual coherence guiding future empirical inquiry. The proposed measurement approaches show promise to comprehensively and systematically assess physical and behavioral health functioning relevant to work. Copyright © 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Search Filter Precision Can Be Improved By NOTing Out Irrelevant Content

PubMed Central

Wilczynski, Nancy L.; McKibbon, K. Ann; Haynes, R. Brian

2011-01-01

Background: Most methodologic search filters developed for use in large electronic databases such as MEDLINE have low precision. One method that has been proposed but not tested for improving precision is NOTing out irrelevant content. Objective: To determine if search filter precision can be improved by NOTing out the text words and index terms assigned to those articles that are retrieved but are off-target. Design: Analytic survey. Methods: NOTing out unique terms in off-target articles and testing search filter performance in the Clinical Hedges Database. Main Outcome Measures: Sensitivity, specificity, precision and number needed to read (NNR). Results: For all purpose categories (diagnosis, prognosis and etiology) except treatment and for all databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO), constructing search filters that NOTed out irrelevant content resulted in substantive improvements in NNR (over four-fold for some purpose categories and databases). Conclusion: Search filter precision can be improved by NOTing out irrelevant content. PMID:22195215

Development of diagnostic test instruments to reveal level student conception in kinematic and dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handhika, J.; Cari, C.; Suparmi, A.; Sunarno, W.; Purwandari, P.

2018-03-01

The purpose of this research was to develop a diagnostic test instrument to reveal students' conceptions in kinematics and dynamics. The diagnostic test was developed based on the content indicator the concept of (1) displacement and distance, (2) instantaneous and average velocity, (3) zero and constant acceleration, (4) gravitational acceleration (5) Newton's first Law, (6) and Newton's third Law. The diagnostic test development model includes: Diagnostic test requirement analysis, formulating test-making objectives, developing tests, checking the validity of the content and the performance of reliability, and application of tests. The Content Validation Index (CVI) results in the category are highly relevant, with a value of 0.85. Three questions get negative Content Validation Ratio CVR) (-0.6), after revised distractors and clarify visual presentation; the CVR become 1 (highly relevant). This test was applied, obtained 16 valid test items, with Cronbach Alpha value of 0.80. It can conclude that diagnostic test can be used to reveal the level of students conception in kinematics and dynamics.

Correlation Between Active-Learning Coursework and Student Retention of Core Content During Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences

PubMed Central

Testman, Julie A.; Hoyland, Marcella N.; Kimble, Angel M.; Euler, Mary L.

2013-01-01

Objective. To implement an active-learning approach in a pharmacotherapy course sequence in the second year (P2) and third (P3) year of a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program and determine whether the pedagogical changes correlated with retention of core content in the fourth year (P4). Design. Class sessions were transitioned from slides-based lectures to discussion-based active-learning pedagogy. Assessment. A comprehensive examination was created and administered to assess student retention of therapeutic topics taught. Students demonstrated significantly improved overall scores on questions derived from the active-learning pedagogy used in Pharmacotherapy II and III compared to those derived from Pharmacotherapy I in which content was delivered by lecture. Conclusion. The use of active-learning strategies over lecture-based methods in pharmacotherapy courses resulted in higher retention of core content. Students’ performance in areas taught using the discussion-based methodology was superior to that which was taught using lecture-based slide presentations. PMID:24159212

A Developmental Study of the Components of Written Language in Children with and without Learning Difficulties.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meltzer, Lynn J.; And Others

A study was conducted to examine the associations among the processes, skills, and content of the writing of children aged 9 through 14 years. A further objective was to explore the impact of developmetal changes by comparing the performance of children at the 9-10, 11-12, and 13-14 year age-levels. Subjects were 340 average students and 268…

[Development of key indicators for nurses performance evaluation and estimation of their weights for management by objectives].

PubMed

Lee, Eun Hwa; Ahn, Sung Hee

2010-02-01

This methodological research was designed to develop performance evaluation key indicators (PEKIs) for management by objectives (MBO) and to estimate their weights for hospital nurses. The PEKIs were developed by selecting preliminary indicators from a literature review, examining content validity and identifying their level of importance. Data were collected from November 14, 2007 to February 18, 2008. Data set for importance of indicators was obtained from 464 nurses and weights of PEKIs domain was from 453 nurses, who worked for at least 2 yr in one of three hospitals. Data were analyzed using X(2)-test, factor analysis, and the Analytical Hierarchy Process. Based upon Content Validity Index of .8 or above, 61 indicators were selected from the 100 preliminary indicators. Finally, 40 PEKIs were developed from the 61 indicators, and categorized into 10 domains. The highest weight of the 10 domains was customer satisfaction, which was followed by patient education, direct nursing care, profit increase, safety management, improvement of nursing quality, completeness of nursing records, enhancing competence of nurses, indirect nursing care, and cost reduction, in that order. PEKIs and their weights can be utilized for impartial evaluation and MBO for hospital nurses. Further research to verify PEKIs would lead to successful implementation of MBO.

Hierarchical classification method and its application in shape representation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ireton, M. A.; Oakley, John P.; Xydeas, Costas S.

1992-04-01

In this paper we describe a technique for performing shaped-based content retrieval of images from a large database. In order to be able to formulate such user-generated queries about visual objects, we have developed an hierarchical classification technique. This hierarchical classification technique enables similarity matching between objects, with the position in the hierarchy signifying the level of generality to be used in the query. The classification technique is unsupervised, robust, and general; it can be applied to any suitable parameter set. To establish the potential of this classifier for aiding visual querying, we have applied it to the classification of the 2-D outlines of leaves.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-04-01

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

Webizing mobile augmented reality content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahn, Sangchul; Ko, Heedong; Yoo, Byounghyun

2014-01-01

This paper presents a content structure for building mobile augmented reality (AR) applications in HTML5 to achieve a clean separation of the mobile AR content and the application logic for scaling as on the Web. We propose that the content structure contains the physical world as well as virtual assets for mobile AR applications as document object model (DOM) elements and that their behaviour and user interactions are controlled through DOM events by representing objects and places with a uniform resource identifier. Our content structure enables mobile AR applications to be seamlessly developed as normal HTML documents under the current Web eco-system.

Multimedia content description framework

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2003-01-01

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

[Development and Application of a Performance Prediction Model for Home Care Nursing Based on a Balanced Scorecard using the Bayesian Belief Network].

PubMed

Noh, Wonjung; Seomun, Gyeongae

2015-06-01

This study was conducted to develop key performance indicators (KPIs) for home care nursing (HCN) based on a balanced scorecard, and to construct a performance prediction model of strategic objectives using the Bayesian Belief Network (BBN). This methodological study included four steps: establishment of KPIs, performance prediction modeling, development of a performance prediction model using BBN, and simulation of a suggested nursing management strategy. An HCN expert group and a staff group participated. The content validity index was analyzed using STATA 13.0, and BBN was analyzed using HUGIN 8.0. We generated a list of KPIs composed of 4 perspectives, 10 strategic objectives, and 31 KPIs. In the validity test of the performance prediction model, the factor with the greatest variance for increasing profit was maximum cost reduction of HCN services. The factor with the smallest variance for increasing profit was a minimum image improvement for HCN. During sensitivity analysis, the probability of the expert group did not affect the sensitivity. Furthermore, simulation of a 10% image improvement predicted the most effective way to increase profit. KPIs of HCN can estimate financial and non-financial performance. The performance prediction model for HCN will be useful to improve performance.

Plant leaf chlorophyll content retrieval based on a field imaging spectroscopy system.

PubMed

Liu, Bo; Yue, Yue-Min; Li, Ru; Shen, Wen-Jing; Wang, Ke-Lin

2014-10-23

A field imaging spectrometer system (FISS; 380-870 nm and 344 bands) was designed for agriculture applications. In this study, FISS was used to gather spectral information from soybean leaves. The chlorophyll content was retrieved using a multiple linear regression (MLR), partial least squares (PLS) regression and support vector machine (SVM) regression. Our objective was to verify the performance of FISS in a quantitative spectral analysis through the estimation of chlorophyll content and to determine a proper quantitative spectral analysis method for processing FISS data. The results revealed that the derivative reflectance was a more sensitive indicator of chlorophyll content and could extract content information more efficiently than the spectral reflectance, which is more significant for FISS data compared to ASD (analytical spectral devices) data, reducing the corresponding RMSE (root mean squared error) by 3.3%-35.6%. Compared with the spectral features, the regression methods had smaller effects on the retrieval accuracy. A multivariate linear model could be the ideal model to retrieve chlorophyll information with a small number of significant wavelengths used. The smallest RMSE of the chlorophyll content retrieved using FISS data was 0.201 mg/g, a relative reduction of more than 30% compared with the RMSE based on a non-imaging ASD spectrometer, which represents a high estimation accuracy compared with the mean chlorophyll content of the sampled leaves (4.05 mg/g). Our study indicates that FISS could obtain both spectral and spatial detailed information of high quality. Its image-spectrum-in-one merit promotes the good performance of FISS in quantitative spectral analyses, and it can potentially be widely used in the agricultural sector.

Plant Leaf Chlorophyll Content Retrieval Based on a Field Imaging Spectroscopy System

PubMed Central

Liu, Bo; Yue, Yue-Min; Li, Ru; Shen, Wen-Jing; Wang, Ke-Lin

2014-01-01

A field imaging spectrometer system (FISS; 380–870 nm and 344 bands) was designed for agriculture applications. In this study, FISS was used to gather spectral information from soybean leaves. The chlorophyll content was retrieved using a multiple linear regression (MLR), partial least squares (PLS) regression and support vector machine (SVM) regression. Our objective was to verify the performance of FISS in a quantitative spectral analysis through the estimation of chlorophyll content and to determine a proper quantitative spectral analysis method for processing FISS data. The results revealed that the derivative reflectance was a more sensitive indicator of chlorophyll content and could extract content information more efficiently than the spectral reflectance, which is more significant for FISS data compared to ASD (analytical spectral devices) data, reducing the corresponding RMSE (root mean squared error) by 3.3%–35.6%. Compared with the spectral features, the regression methods had smaller effects on the retrieval accuracy. A multivariate linear model could be the ideal model to retrieve chlorophyll information with a small number of significant wavelengths used. The smallest RMSE of the chlorophyll content retrieved using FISS data was 0.201 mg/g, a relative reduction of more than 30% compared with the RMSE based on a non-imaging ASD spectrometer, which represents a high estimation accuracy compared with the mean chlorophyll content of the sampled leaves (4.05 mg/g). Our study indicates that FISS could obtain both spectral and spatial detailed information of high quality. Its image-spectrum-in-one merit promotes the good performance of FISS in quantitative spectral analyses, and it can potentially be widely used in the agricultural sector. PMID:25341439

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

Napper, P.R.; Carpenter, W.R.; Garner, R.W.

By DOE-ID Order 5481.1A, a five year currency review is required of the Safety Analysis Reports of all ID or ID contractor operations having hazards of a type and magnitude not routinely encountered and/or accepted by the public. In keeping with this order, a currency review has been performed of the Advanced Test Reactor Critical Facility (ADTRC) Safety Analysis Report (SAR), Issue 003, 1990. The objectives of this currency review were to: evaluate the content, completeness, clarity of presentation and compliance with NRC Regulatory Guides and DOE Orders, etc., and evaluate the technical content of the SAR, particularly the Technicalmore » Specifications, and to evaluate the safety of continued operation of the ATRC. The reviewers concluded that although improvements may be needed in the overall content, clarity, and demonstration of compliance with current orders and regulations, the safety of the ATRC is in no way compromised and no unreviewed safety questions were identified. 6 figs., 3 tabs.« less

A text zero-watermarking method based on keyword dense interval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Fan; Zhu, Yuesheng; Jiang, Yifeng; Qing, Yin

2017-07-01

Digital watermarking has been recognized as a useful technology for the copyright protection and authentication of digital information. However, rarely did the former methods focus on the key content of digital carrier. The idea based on the protection of key content is more targeted and can be considered in different digital information, including text, image and video. In this paper, we use text as research object and a text zero-watermarking method which uses keyword dense interval (KDI) as the key content is proposed. First, we construct zero-watermarking model by introducing the concept of KDI and giving the method of KDI extraction. Second, we design detection model which includes secondary generation of zero-watermark and the similarity computing method of keyword distribution. Besides, experiments are carried out, and the results show that the proposed method gives better performance than other available methods especially in the attacks of sentence transformation and synonyms substitution.

A return to the genetic heritage of durum wheat to cope with drought heightened by climate change.

PubMed

Slama, Amor; Mallek-Maalej, Elhem; Ben Mohamed, Hatem; Rhim, Thouraya; Radhouane, Leila

2018-01-01

The objective of this work was to perform a comparative analysis of the physiological, biochemical and agronomical parameters of recent and heritage durum wheat cultivars (Triticum durum Desf.) under water-deficit conditions. Five cultivars were grown under irrigated (control) and rainfall (stressed) conditions. Different agro-physiological and biochemical parameters were studied: electrolyte leakage, relative water content, chlorophyll fluorescence, proline, soluble sugars, specific peroxidase activity, yield and drought stress indices. It was revealed that a water deficit increased proline content, electrolyte leakage, soluble sugars and specific peroxidase activity and decreased relative water content, fluorescence and grain yield. According to these parameters and drought stress indices, our investigation indicated that old cultivars are the best-adapted to local conditions and showed characteristics of drought tolerance, while recent cultivars showed more drought susceptibility. Therefore, local cultivars of each country should be kept by farmers and plant breeders to preserve their genetic heritage.

Investigation of visually induced motion sickness in dynamic 3D contents based on subjective judgment, heart rate variability, and depth gaze behavior.

PubMed

Wibirama, Sunu; Hamamoto, Kazuhiko

2014-01-01

Visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) is an important safety issue in stereoscopic 3D technology. Accompanying subjective judgment of VIMS with objective measurement is useful to identify not only biomedical effects of dynamic 3D contents, but also provoking scenes that induce VIMS, duration of VIMS, and user behavior during VIMS. Heart rate variability and depth gaze behavior are appropriate physiological indicators for such objective observation. However, there is no information about relationship between subjective judgment of VIMS, heart rate variability, and depth gaze behavior. In this paper, we present a novel investigation of VIMS based on simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ), electrocardiography (ECG), and 3D gaze tracking. Statistical analysis on SSQ data shows that nausea and disorientation symptoms increase as amount of dynamic motions increases (nausea: p<;0.005; disorientation: p<;0.05). To reduce VIMS, SSQ and ECG data suggest that user should perform voluntary gaze fixation at one point when experiencing vertical motion (up or down) and horizontal motion (turn left and right) in dynamic 3D contents. Observation of 3D gaze tracking data reveals that users who experienced VIMS tended to have unstable depth gaze than ones who did not experience VIMS.

Verification testing of the compression performance of the HEVC screen content coding extensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, Gary J.; Baroncini, Vittorio A.; Yu, Haoping; Joshi, Rajan L.; Liu, Shan; Xiu, Xiaoyu; Xu, Jizheng

2017-09-01

This paper reports on verification testing of the coding performance of the screen content coding (SCC) extensions of the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard (Rec. ITU-T H.265 | ISO/IEC 23008-2 MPEG-H Part 2). The coding performance of HEVC screen content model (SCM) reference software is compared with that of the HEVC test model (HM) without the SCC extensions, as well as with the Advanced Video Coding (AVC) joint model (JM) reference software, for both lossy and mathematically lossless compression using All-Intra (AI), Random Access (RA), and Lowdelay B (LB) encoding structures and using similar encoding techniques. Video test sequences in 1920×1080 RGB 4:4:4, YCbCr 4:4:4, and YCbCr 4:2:0 colour sampling formats with 8 bits per sample are tested in two categories: "text and graphics with motion" (TGM) and "mixed" content. For lossless coding, the encodings are evaluated in terms of relative bit-rate savings. For lossy compression, subjective testing was conducted at 4 quality levels for each coding case, and the test results are presented through mean opinion score (MOS) curves. The relative coding performance is also evaluated in terms of Bjøntegaard-delta (BD) bit-rate savings for equal PSNR quality. The perceptual tests and objective metric measurements show a very substantial benefit in coding efficiency for the SCC extensions, and provided consistent results with a high degree of confidence. For TGM video, the estimated bit-rate savings ranged from 60-90% relative to the JM and 40-80% relative to the HM, depending on the AI/RA/LB configuration category and colour sampling format.

A spatiotemporal decomposition strategy for personal home video management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Haoran; Kozintsev, Igor; Polito, Marzia; Wu, Yi; Bouguet, Jean-Yves; Nefian, Ara; Dulong, Carole

2007-01-01

With the advent and proliferation of low cost and high performance digital video recorder devices, an increasing number of personal home video clips are recorded and stored by the consumers. Compared to image data, video data is lager in size and richer in multimedia content. Efficient access to video content is expected to be more challenging than image mining. Previously, we have developed a content-based image retrieval system and the benchmarking framework for personal images. In this paper, we extend our personal image retrieval system to include personal home video clips. A possible initial solution to video mining is to represent video clips by a set of key frames extracted from them thus converting the problem into an image search one. Here we report that a careful selection of key frames may improve the retrieval accuracy. However, because video also has temporal dimension, its key frame representation is inherently limited. The use of temporal information can give us better representation for video content at semantic object and concept levels than image-only based representation. In this paper we propose a bottom-up framework to combine interest point tracking, image segmentation and motion-shape factorization to decompose the video into spatiotemporal regions. We show an example application of activity concept detection using the trajectories extracted from the spatio-temporal regions. The proposed approach shows good potential for concise representation and indexing of objects and their motion in real-life consumer video.

Perceived crosstalk assessment on patterned retarder 3D display

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Bochao; Liu, Yue; Huang, Yi; Wang, Yongtian

2014-03-01

CONTEXT: Nowadays, almost all stereoscopic displays suffer from crosstalk, which is one of the most dominant degradation factors of image quality and visual comfort for 3D display devices. To deal with such problems, it is worthy to quantify the amount of perceived crosstalk OBJECTIVE: Crosstalk measurements are usually based on some certain test patterns, but scene content effects are ignored. To evaluate the perceived crosstalk level for various scenes, subjective test may bring a more correct evaluation. However, it is a time consuming approach and is unsuitable for real­ time applications. Therefore, an objective metric that can reliably predict the perceived crosstalk is needed. A correct objective assessment of crosstalk for different scene contents would be beneficial to the development of crosstalk minimization and cancellation algorithms which could be used to bring a good quality of experience to viewers. METHOD: A patterned retarder 3D display is used to present 3D images in our experiment. By considering the mechanism of this kind of devices, an appropriate simulation of crosstalk is realized by image processing techniques to assign different values of crosstalk to each other between image pairs. It can be seen from the literature that the structures of scenes have a significant impact on the perceived crosstalk, so we first extract the differences of the structural information between original and distorted image pairs through Structural SIMilarity (SSIM) algorithm, which could directly evaluate the structural changes between two complex-structured signals. Then the structural changes of left view and right view are computed respectively and combined to an overall distortion map. Under 3D viewing condition, because of the added value of depth, the crosstalk of pop-out objects may be more perceptible. To model this effect, the depth map of a stereo pair is generated and the depth information is filtered by the distortion map. Moreover, human attention is one of important factors for crosstalk assessment due to the fact that when viewing 3D contents, perceptual salient regions are highly likely to be a major contributor to determining the quality of experience of 3D contents. To take this into account, perceptual significant regions are extracted, and a spatial pooling technique is used to combine structural distortion map, depth map and visual salience map together to predict the perceived crosstalk more precisely. To verify the performance of the proposed crosstalk assessment metric, subjective experiments are conducted with 24 participants viewing and rating 60 simuli (5 scenes * 4 crosstalk levels * 3 camera distances). After an outliers removal and statistical process, the correlation with subjective test is examined using Pearson and Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient. Furthermore, the proposed method is also compared with two traditional 2D metrics, PSNR and SSIM. The objective score is mapped to subjective scale using a nonlinear fitting function to directly evaluate the performance of the metric. RESULIS: After the above-mentioned processes, the evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed metric is highly correlated with the subjective score when compared with the existing approaches. Because the Pearson coefficient of the proposed metric is 90.3%, it is promising for objective evaluation of the perceived crosstalk. NOVELTY: The main goal of our paper is to introduce an objective metric for stereo crosstalk assessment. The novelty contributions are twofold. First, an appropriate simulation of crosstalk by considering the characteristics of patterned retarder 3D display is developed. Second, an objective crosstalk metric based on visual attention model is introduced.

Feature-based memory-driven attentional capture: visual working memory content affects visual attention.

PubMed

Olivers, Christian N L; Meijer, Frank; Theeuwes, Jan

2006-10-01

In 7 experiments, the authors explored whether visual attention (the ability to select relevant visual information) and visual working memory (the ability to retain relevant visual information) share the same content representations. The presence of singleton distractors interfered more strongly with a visual search task when it was accompanied by an additional memory task. Singleton distractors interfered even more when they were identical or related to the object held in memory, but only when it was difficult to verbalize the memory content. Furthermore, this content-specific interaction occurred for features that were relevant to the memory task but not for irrelevant features of the same object or for once-remembered objects that could be forgotten. Finally, memory-related distractors attracted more eye movements but did not result in longer fixations. The results demonstrate memory-driven attentional capture on the basis of content-specific representations. Copyright 2006 APA.

Linkage of additional contents to moving objects and video shots in a generic media framework for interactive television

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez, Alejandro; Noe, Miquel; Fernandez, Gabriel

2004-10-01

The GMF4iTV project (Generic Media Framework for Interactive Television) is an IST European project that consists of an end-to-end broadcasting platform providing interactivity on heterogeneous multimedia devices such as Set-Top-Boxes and PCs according to the Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) standard from DVB. This platform allows the content providers to create enhanced audiovisual contents with a degree of interactivity at moving object level or shot change from a video. The end user is then able to interact with moving objects from the video or individual shots allowing the enjoyment of additional contents associated to them (MHP applications, HTML pages, JPEG, MPEG4 files...). This paper focus the attention to the issues related to metadata and content transmission, synchronization, signaling and bitrate allocation of the GMF4iTV project.

Incremental concept learning with few training examples and hierarchical classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouma, Henri; Eendebak, Pieter T.; Schutte, Klamer; Azzopardi, George; Burghouts, Gertjan J.

2015-10-01

Object recognition and localization are important to automatically interpret video and allow better querying on its content. We propose a method for object localization that learns incrementally and addresses four key aspects. Firstly, we show that for certain applications, recognition is feasible with only a few training samples. Secondly, we show that novel objects can be added incrementally without retraining existing objects, which is important for fast interaction. Thirdly, we show that an unbalanced number of positive training samples leads to biased classifier scores that can be corrected by modifying weights. Fourthly, we show that the detector performance can deteriorate due to hard-negative mining for similar or closely related classes (e.g., for Barbie and dress, because the doll is wearing a dress). This can be solved by our hierarchical classification. We introduce a new dataset, which we call TOSO, and use it to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for the localization and recognition of multiple objects in images.

Kinesiology taping and the world wide web: a quality and content analysis of internet-based information.

PubMed

Beutel, Bryan G; Cardone, Dennis A

2014-10-01

Due to limited regulation of websites, the quality and content of online health-related information has been questioned as prior studies have shown that websites often misrepresent orthopaedic conditions and treatments. Kinesio tape has gained popularity among athletes and the general public despite limited evidence supporting its efficacy. The primary objective of this study was to assess the quality and content of Internet-based information on Kinesio taping. An Internet search using the terms "Kinesio tape" and "kinesiology tape" was performed using the Google search engine. Websites returned within the first two pages of results, as well as hyperlinks embedded within these sites, were included in the study. These sites were subsequently classified by type. The quality of the website was determined by the Health On the Net (HON) score, an objective metric based upon recommendations from the United Nations for the ethical representation of health information. A content analysis was performed by noting specific misleading versus balanced features in each website. A total of 31 unique websites were identified. The majority of the websites (71%) were commercial. Out of a total possible 16 points, the mean HON score among the websites was 8.9 points (SD 2.2 points). The number of misleading features was significantly higher than the balanced features (p < 0.001). Fifty-eight percent of sites used anecdotal testimonials to promote the product. Only small percentages of websites discussed complications, alternatives, or provided accurate medical outcomes. Overall, commercial sites had a greater number of misleading features compared to non-commercial sites (p = 0.01). Websites discussing Kinesio tape are predominantly of poor quality and present misleading, imbalanced information. It is of ever-increasing importance that healthcare providers work to ensure that reliable, balanced, and accurate information be available to Internet users. IV.

Group Centric Networking: Addressing Information Sharing Requirements at the Tactical Edge

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-10

gateways are typically used to translate information from one network to another. The challenge with gateways is to understand what information...should be relayed from one network to another (with different message formats and technologies) and what platform should perform the gateway function such...information centric paradigm in that GCN does not specify what constitutes a group ID. Group IDs can be mapped to named data objects, content identifiers

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.

Fostering significant learning in graduate nursing education.

PubMed

Marrocco, Geraldine F

2014-03-01

Faculty who want to energize graduate students with creative classes that lead to long-lasting learning will benefit by designing course objectives, learning activities, and assessment tools using Fink's taxonomy of significant learning and Wiggins's insights on performance-based or educative assessments. Research shows that course designs relying on content-driven lectures and written examinations do not promote significant learning among adult learners. This article reviews six types of significant learning using Fink's taxonomy and examines Wiggins's "backward" approach to designing courses using performance-based assessments that gauge true learning and learning that promotes a lasting change. When designing courses, educators should ask: "What do I really want students to get out of this course?" The answers will direct the design of objectives, learning activities, and assessment tools. Designing graduate courses using Fink's taxonomy and Wiggins's backward approach can lead to significant learning to better prepare nurse practitioners for the future of health care. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

Validation of a novel basic virtual reality simulator, the LAP-X, for training basic laparoscopic skills.

PubMed

Kawaguchi, Koji; Egi, Hiroyuki; Hattori, Minoru; Sawada, Hiroyuki; Suzuki, Takahisa; Ohdan, Hideki

2014-10-01

Virtual reality surgical simulators are becoming popular as a means of providing trainees with an opportunity to practice laparoscopic skills. The Lap-X (Epona Medical, Rotterdam, the Netherlands) is a novel VR simulator for training basic skills in laparoscopic surgery. The objective of this study was to validate the LAP-X laparoscopic virtual reality simulator by assessing the face and construct validity in order to determine whether the simulator is adequate for basic skills training. The face and content validity were evaluated using a structured questionnaire. To assess the construct validity, the participants, nine expert surgeons (median age: 40 (32-45)) (>100 laparoscopic procedures) and 11 novices performed three basic laparoscopic tasks using the Lap-X. The participants reported a high level of content validity. No significant differences were found between the expert surgeons and the novices (Ps > 0.246). The performance of the expert surgeons on the three tasks was significantly better than that of the novices in all parameters (Ps < 0.05). This study demonstrated the face, content and construct validity of the Lap-X. The Lap-X holds real potential as a home and hospital training device.

Translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the Diabetes Attitudes Scale - third version into Brazilian Portuguese 1

PubMed Central

Vieira, Gisele de Lacerda Chaves; Pagano, Adriana Silvino; Reis, Ilka Afonso; Rodrigues, Júlia Santos Nunes; Torres, Heloísa de Carvalho

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: to perform the translation, adaptation and validation of the Diabetes Attitudes Scale - third version instrument into Brazilian Portuguese. Methods: methodological study carried out in six stages: initial translation, synthesis of the initial translation, back-translation, evaluation of the translated version by the Committee of Judges (27 Linguists and 29 health professionals), pre-test and validation. The pre-test and validation (test-retest) steps included 22 and 120 health professionals, respectively. The Content Validity Index, the analyses of internal consistency and reproducibility were performed using the R statistical program. Results: in the content validation, the instrument presented good acceptance among the Judges with a mean Content Validity Index of 0.94. The scale presented acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.60), while the correlation of the total score at the test and retest moments was considered high (Polychoric Correlation Coefficient = 0.86). The Intra-class Correlation Coefficient, for the total score, presented a value of 0.65. Conclusion: the Brazilian version of the instrument (Escala de Atitudes dos Profissionais em relação ao Diabetes Mellitus) was considered valid and reliable for application by health professionals in Brazil. PMID:29319739

Display device-adapted video quality-of-experience assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rehman, Abdul; Zeng, Kai; Wang, Zhou

2015-03-01

Today's viewers consume video content from a variety of connected devices, including smart phones, tablets, notebooks, TVs, and PCs. This imposes significant challenges for managing video traffic efficiently to ensure an acceptable quality-of-experience (QoE) for the end users as the perceptual quality of video content strongly depends on the properties of the display device and the viewing conditions. State-of-the-art full-reference objective video quality assessment algorithms do not take into account the combined impact of display device properties, viewing conditions, and video resolution while performing video quality assessment. We performed a subjective study in order to understand the impact of aforementioned factors on perceptual video QoE. We also propose a full reference video QoE measure, named SSIMplus, that provides real-time prediction of the perceptual quality of a video based on human visual system behaviors, video content characteristics (such as spatial and temporal complexity, and video resolution), display device properties (such as screen size, resolution, and brightness), and viewing conditions (such as viewing distance and angle). Experimental results have shown that the proposed algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art video quality measures in terms of accuracy and speed.

The optimum content of rubber ash in concrete: flexural strength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senin, M. S.; Shahidan, S.; Shamsuddin, S. M.; Ariffin, S. F. A.; Othman, N. H.; Rahman, R.; Khalid, F. S.; Nazri, F. M.

2017-11-01

Discarded scrap tyres have become one of the major environmental problems nowadays. Several studies have been carried out to reuse waste tires as an additive or sand replacement in concrete with appropriate percentages of tire rubber, called as rubberized concrete to solve this problem. The main objectives of this study are to investigate the flexural strength performance of concrete when adding the rubber ash and also to analyse the optimum content of rubber ash in concrete prisms. The performance total of 30 number of concrete prisms in size of 100mm x 100mm x 500 mm were investigated, by partially replacement of rubber ash with percentage of 0%, 3%, 5%, 7% and 9% from the volume of the sand. The flexural strength is increased when percentage of rubber ash is added 3% from control concrete prism, RA 0 for both concrete prism age, 7 days and 28 days with value 1.21% and 0.976% respectively. However, for RA 5, RA 7 and RA 9, the flexural strength was decreased compared to the control for both age, 7 days and 28 days. In conclusion, 3% is the optimum content of rubber ash in concrete prism for both concrete age

Determination of shell content by activation analysis : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-08-01

The objective of this study is to determine if neutron activation analysis technique, developed under Research Project 70-1ST, can be used to determine the shell content of a sand-shell mixture. : In order to accomplish this objective, samples of san...

The highs and lows of object impossibility: effects of spatial frequency on holistic processing of impossible objects.

PubMed

Freud, Erez; Avidan, Galia; Ganel, Tzvi

2015-02-01

Holistic processing, the decoding of a stimulus as a unified whole, is a basic characteristic of object perception. Recent research using Garner's speeded classification task has shown that this processing style is utilized even for impossible objects that contain an inherent spatial ambiguity. In particular, similar Garner interference effects were found for possible and impossible objects, indicating similar holistic processing styles for the two object categories. In the present study, we further investigated the perceptual mechanisms that mediate such holistic representation of impossible objects. We relied on the notion that, whereas information embedded in the high-spatial-frequency (HSF) content supports fine-detailed processing of object features, the information conveyed by low spatial frequencies (LSF) is more crucial for the emergence of a holistic shape representation. To test the effects of image frequency on the holistic processing of impossible objects, participants performed the Garner speeded classification task on images of possible and impossible cubes filtered for their LSF and HSF information. For images containing only LSF, similar interference effects were observed for possible and impossible objects, indicating that the two object categories were processed in a holistic manner. In contrast, for the HSF images, Garner interference was obtained only for possible, but not for impossible objects. Importantly, we provided evidence to show that this effect could not be attributed to a lack of sensitivity to object possibility in the LSF images. Particularly, even for full-spectrum images, Garner interference was still observed for both possible and impossible objects. Additionally, performance in an object classification task revealed high sensitivity to object possibility, even for LSF images. Taken together, these findings suggest that the visual system can tolerate the spatial ambiguity typical to impossible objects by relying on information embedded in LSF, whereas HSF information may underlie the visual system's susceptibility to distortions in objects' spatial layouts.

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.

Psychotomimetic effects of different doses of MK-801 and the underlying mechanisms in a selective memory impairment model.

PubMed

Liu, Weiqing; Wang, Dong; Hong, Wenjuan; Yu, Yi; Tang, Jinsong; Wang, Jicai; Liu, Fang; Xu, Xiufeng; Tan, Liwen; Chen, Xiaogang

2017-03-01

Although N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonists-induced hypoglutamate rodent models are the most well-established models for preclinical studies of schizophrenia-related deficits, they also evoke a wide spectrum of psychotomimetic side effects. It is significant to increase the specificity of hypoglutamate rodent models. In this study, the recognition memory was evaluated in rats by object recognition test (ORT), sensorimotor gating was evaluated by prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex (PPI), and locomotor activity was measured using open field test. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to measure neurotransmitters content in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and thalamus (THA). Total Akt and phospho-Akt protein was measured by Western blots. Results showed that 0.3mg/kg of MK-801 was most effective in inducing locomotion. 0.3mg/kg of MK-801 was most effective in decreasing PPI. 0.03mg/kg of MK-801 was most effective in decreasing object memory while not affecting exploration manners in the training session. 0.03mg/kg of MK-801 significantly increased HVA and Glu content in the mPFC. 0.1mg/kg of MK-801 significantly decreased GABA content in the THA. 0.03mg/kg of MK-801 significantly decreased Akt phosphorylation in the mPFC, which was related to the ORT index. In conclusion, a dose of 0.03mg/kg MK-801 can establish a "pure" memory impairment model without contaminations of sensorimotor gating and locomotor activity. MK-801-induced cognitive deficits is associated with increased DA metabolites and glutamate content in the mPFC and decreased GABA content in the THA as well as decrease in Akt phosphorylation in the mPFC. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Development of a quantitative morphological assessment of toxicant-treated zebrafish larvae using brightfield imaging and high-content analysis.

PubMed

Deal, Samantha; Wambaugh, John; Judson, Richard; Mosher, Shad; Radio, Nick; Houck, Keith; Padilla, Stephanie

2016-09-01

One of the rate-limiting procedures in a developmental zebrafish screen is the morphological assessment of each larva. Most researchers opt for a time-consuming, structured visual assessment by trained human observer(s). The present studies were designed to develop a more objective, accurate and rapid method for screening zebrafish for dysmorphology. Instead of the very detailed human assessment, we have developed the computational malformation index, which combines the use of high-content imaging with a very brief human visual assessment. Each larva was quickly assessed by a human observer (basic visual assessment), killed, fixed and assessed for dysmorphology with the Zebratox V4 BioApplication using the Cellomics® ArrayScan® V(TI) high-content image analysis platform. The basic visual assessment adds in-life parameters, and the high-content analysis assesses each individual larva for various features (total area, width, spine length, head-tail length, length-width ratio, perimeter-area ratio). In developing the computational malformation index, a training set of hundreds of embryos treated with hundreds of chemicals were visually assessed using the basic or detailed method. In the second phase, we assessed both the stability of these high-content measurements and its performance using a test set of zebrafish treated with a dose range of two reference chemicals (trans-retinoic acid or cadmium). We found the measures were stable for at least 1 week and comparison of these automated measures to detailed visual inspection of the larvae showed excellent congruence. Our computational malformation index provides an objective manner for rapid phenotypic brightfield assessment of individual larva in a developmental zebrafish assay. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mining Very High Resolution INSAR Data Based On Complex-GMRF Cues And Relevance Feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Jagmal; Popescu, Anca; Soccorsi, Matteo; Datcu, Mihai

2012-01-01

With the increase in number of remote sensing satellites, the number of image-data scenes in our repositories is also increasing and a large quantity of these scenes are never received and used. Thus automatic retrieval of de- sired image-data using query by image content to fully utilize the huge repository volume is becoming of great interest. Generally different users are interested in scenes containing different kind of objects and structures. So its important to analyze all the image information mining (IIM) methods so that its easier for user to select a method depending upon his/her requirement. We concentrate our study only on high-resolution SAR images and we propose to use InSAR observations instead of only one single look complex (SLC) images for mining scenes containing coherent objects such as high-rise buildings. However in case of objects with less coherence like areas with vegetation cover, SLC images exhibits better performance. We demonstrate IIM performance comparison using complex-Gauss Markov Random Fields as texture descriptor for image patches and SVM relevance- feedback.

The Effect of Fermentation Time with Probiotic Bacteria on Organic Fertilizer as Daphnia magna Cultured Medium towards Nutrient Quality, Biomass Production and Growth Performance Enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Endar Herawati, Vivi; Agung Nugroho, Ristiawan; Pinandoyo; Darmanto, YS; Hutabarat, Johannes

2018-02-01

The nutrient quality and growth performance of D. magna are highly depend on the organic fertilizer which is used in its culture medium. The objective of this study was to identify the best fermentation time by using probiotic bacteria on organic fertilizer as mass culture medium to improve its nutrient quality, biomass production, and growth performance. This study was conducted using completely randomized experimental design with five treatments and three repetitions. Organic fertilizers used cultured medium with chicken manure, rejected bread and tofu waste fermented by probiotic bacteria then cultured for 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. The results showed that medium which used 25% chicken manure, 25% tofu waste and 50% rejected bread cultured for 28 days created the highest biomass production, population density and nutrient content of D. magna those are 233,980 ind/L for population density; 134.60 grams for biomass production, 0.574% specific growth rate; 68.06% protein content and 6.91% fat. The highest fatty acid profile is 4.83% linoleic and 3.54% linolenic acid. The highest essential amino acid is 53.94 ppm lysine. In general, the content of ammonia, DO, temperature, and pH during the study were in the good range of D. magna life. The conclusion of this research is medium which used 25% chicken manure, 25% tofu waste and 50% rejected bread cultured for 28 days created the highest biomass production, population and nutrient content of D. magna.

#Frailty: A snapshot Twitter report on frailty knowledge translation.

PubMed

Jha, Sunita R; McDonagh, Julee; Prichard, Ros; Newton, Phillip J; Hickman, Louise D; Fung, Erik; Macdonald, Peter S; Ferguson, Caleb

2018-05-07

The objectives of this short report are to: (i) explore #Frailty Twitter activity over a six-month period; and (ii) provide a snapshot Twitter content analysis of #Frailty usage. A mixed-method study was conducted to explore Twitter data related to frailty. The primary search term was #Frailty. Objective 1: data were collected using Symplur analytics, including variables for total number of tweets, unique tweeters (users) and total number of impressions. Objective 2: a retrospectively conducted snapshot content analysis of 1500 #Frailty tweets was performed using TweetReach ™ . Over a six-month period (1 January 2017-31 June 2017), there was a total of 6545 #Frailty tweets, generating 14.8 million impressions across 3986 participants. Of the 1500 tweets (814 retweets; 202 replies; 484 original tweets), 56% were relevant to clinical frailty. The main contributors ('who') were as follows: the public (29%), researchers (25%), doctors (21%), organisations (18%) and other allied health professionals (7%). Tweet main message intention ('what') was public health/advocacy (41%), social communication (28%), research-based evidence/professional education (24%), professional opinion/case studies (15%) and general news/events (7%). Twitter is increasingly being used to communicate about frailty. It is important that thought leaders contribute to the conversation. There is potential to leverage Twitter to promote and disseminate frailty-related knowledge and research. © 2018 AJA Inc.

[E-Learning in radiology; the practical use of the content management system ILIAS].

PubMed

Schütze, B; Mildenberger, P; Kämmerer, M

2006-05-01

Due to the possibility of using different kinds of visualization, e-learning has the advantage of allowing individualized learning. A check should be performed to determine whether the use of the web-based content management system ILIAS simplifies the writing and production of electronic learning modules in radiology. Internet-based e-learning provides access to existing learning modules regardless of time and location, since fast Internet connections are readily available. Web Content Management Systems (WCMS) are suitable platforms for imparting radiology-related information (visual abilities like the recognition of patterns as well as interdisciplinary specialized knowledge). The open source product ILIAS is a free WCMS. It is used by many universities and is accepted by both students and lecturers. Its modular and object-oriented software architecture makes it easy to adapt and enlarge the platform. The employment of e-learning standards such as LOM and SCORM within ILIAS makes it possible to reuse contents, even if the platform has to be changed. ILIAS renders it possible to provide students with texts, images, or files of any other kind within a learning context which is defined by the lecturer. Students can check their acquired knowledge via online testing and receive direct performance feedback. The significant interest that students have shown in ILIAS proves that e-learning can be a useful addition to conventional learning methods.

Ornamental Horticulture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Occupational and Career Curriculum Development.

Each of the 32 curriculum modules in this packet for ornamental horticulture instruction contains a brief description of the module content, a list of the major division or units, the overall objectives, objectives by units, content outline and suggested teaching methods, student application activities, and evaluation procedures. A listing of…

Depth-aware image seam carving.

PubMed

Shen, Jianbing; Wang, Dapeng; Li, Xuelong

2013-10-01

Image seam carving algorithm should preserve important and salient objects as much as possible when changing the image size, while not removing the secondary objects in the scene. However, it is still difficult to determine the important and salient objects that avoid the distortion of these objects after resizing the input image. In this paper, we develop a novel depth-aware single image seam carving approach by taking advantage of the modern depth cameras such as the Kinect sensor, which captures the RGB color image and its corresponding depth map simultaneously. By considering both the depth information and the just noticeable difference (JND) model, we develop an efficient JND-based significant computation approach using the multiscale graph cut based energy optimization. Our method achieves the better seam carving performance by cutting the near objects less seams while removing distant objects more seams. To the best of our knowledge, our algorithm is the first work to use the true depth map captured by Kinect depth camera for single image seam carving. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach produces better seam carving results than previous content-aware seam carving methods.

Sentence processing in anterior superior temporal cortex shows a social-emotional bias.

PubMed

Mellem, Monika S; Jasmin, Kyle M; Peng, Cynthia; Martin, Alex

2016-08-01

The anterior region of the left superior temporal gyrus/superior temporal sulcus (aSTG/STS) has been implicated in two very different cognitive functions: sentence processing and social-emotional processing. However, the vast majority of the sentence stimuli in previous reports have been of a social or social-emotional nature suggesting that sentence processing may be confounded with semantic content. To evaluate this possibility we had subjects read word lists that differed in phrase/constituent size (single words, 3-word phrases, 6-word sentences) and semantic content (social-emotional, social, and inanimate objects) while scanned in a 7T environment. This allowed us to investigate if the aSTG/STS responded to increasing constituent structure (with increased activity as a function of constituent size) with or without regard to a specific domain of concepts, i.e., social and/or social-emotional content. Activity in the left aSTG/STS was found to increase with constituent size. This region was also modulated by content, however, such that social-emotional concepts were preferred over social and object stimuli. Reading also induced content type effects in domain-specific semantic regions. Those preferring social-emotional content included aSTG/STS, inferior frontal gyrus, posterior STS, lateral fusiform, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and amygdala, regions included in the "social brain", while those preferring object content included parahippocampal gyrus, retrosplenial cortex, and caudate, regions involved in object processing. These results suggest that semantic content affects higher-level linguistic processing and should be taken into account in future studies. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Evaluation of medical command and control using performance indicators in a full-scale, major aircraft accident exercise.

PubMed

Gryth, Dan; Rådestad, Monica; Nilsson, Heléne; Nerf, Ola; Svensson, Leif; Castrén, Maaret; Rüter, Anders

2010-01-01

Large, functional, disaster exercises are expensive to plan and execute, and often are difficult to evaluate objectively. Command and control in disaster medicine organizations can benefit from objective results from disaster exercises to identify areas that must be improved. The objective of this pilot study was to examine if it is possible to use performance indicators for documentation and evaluation of medical command and control in a full-scale major incident exercise at two levels: (1) local level (scene of the incident and hospital); and (2) strategic level of command and control. Staff procedure skills also were evaluated. Trained observers were placed in each of the three command and control locations. These observers recorded and scored the performance of command and control using templates of performance indicators. The observers scored the level of performance by awarding 2, 1, or 0 points according to the template and evaluated content and timing of decisions. Results from 11 performance indicators were recorded at each template and scores greater than 11 were considered as acceptable. Prehospital command and control had the lowest score. This also was expressed by problems at the scene of the incident. The scores in management and staff skills were at the strategic level 15 and 17, respectively; and at the hospital level, 17 and 21, respectively. It is possible to use performance indicators in a full-scale, major incident exercise for evaluation of medical command and control. The results could be used to compare similar exercises and evaluate real incidents in the future.

Techniques for Programming Visual Demonstrations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gropper, George L.

Visual demonstrations may be used as part of programs to deliver both content objectives and process objectives. Research has shown that learning of concepts is easier, more accurate, and more broadly applied when it is accompanied by visual examples. The visual examples supporting content learning should emphasize both discrimination and…

Obscenity Detection Using Haar-Like Features and Gentle Adaboost Classifier

PubMed Central

Min, Yang; Zhu, Dingju

2014-01-01

Large exposure of skin area of an image is considered obscene. This only fact may lead to many false images having skin-like objects and may not detect those images which have partially exposed skin area but have exposed erotogenic human body parts. This paper presents a novel method for detecting nipples from pornographic image contents. Nipple is considered as an erotogenic organ to identify pornographic contents from images. In this research Gentle Adaboost (GAB) haar-cascade classifier and haar-like features used for ensuring detection accuracy. Skin filter prior to detection made the system more robust. The experiment showed that, considering accuracy, haar-cascade classifier performs well, but in order to satisfy detection time, train-cascade classifier is suitable. To validate the results, we used 1198 positive samples containing nipple objects and 1995 negative images. The detection rates for haar-cascade and train-cascade classifiers are 0.9875 and 0.8429, respectively. The detection time for haar-cascade is 0.162 seconds and is 0.127 seconds for train-cascade classifier. PMID:25003153

Investigating the Link Between Radiologists Gaze, Diagnostic Decision, and Image Content

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

Tourassi, Georgia; Voisin, Sophie; Paquit, Vincent C

2013-01-01

Objective: To investigate machine learning for linking image content, human perception, cognition, and error in the diagnostic interpretation of mammograms. Methods: Gaze data and diagnostic decisions were collected from six radiologists who reviewed 20 screening mammograms while wearing a head-mounted eye-tracker. Texture analysis was performed in mammographic regions that attracted radiologists attention and in all abnormal regions. Machine learning algorithms were investigated to develop predictive models that link: (i) image content with gaze, (ii) image content and gaze with cognition, and (iii) image content, gaze, and cognition with diagnostic error. Both group-based and individualized models were explored. Results: By poolingmore » the data from all radiologists machine learning produced highly accurate predictive models linking image content, gaze, cognition, and error. Merging radiologists gaze metrics and cognitive opinions with computer-extracted image features identified 59% of the radiologists diagnostic errors while confirming 96.2% of their correct diagnoses. The radiologists individual errors could be adequately predicted by modeling the behavior of their peers. However, personalized tuning appears to be beneficial in many cases to capture more accurately individual behavior. Conclusions: Machine learning algorithms combining image features with radiologists gaze data and diagnostic decisions can be effectively developed to recognize cognitive and perceptual errors associated with the diagnostic interpretation of mammograms.« less

The evaluation of zinc and copper content in tooth enamel without any pathological changes - an in vitro study.

PubMed

Klimuszko, Elzbieta; Orywal, Karolina; Sierpinska, Teresa; Sidun, Jarosław; Golebiewska, Maria

2018-01-01

The objectives of the study were to evaluate the content of copper and zinc in individual layers of tooth enamel and to analyze the relationships between the study minerals in individual layers of tooth enamel. Fifteen human permanent teeth were cut off every 150 μm alongside the labial surface. Acid biopsy of each layer was performed. The zinc content was determined using the air-acetylene flame method. The copper content was determined using the electrothermal technique with argon. The mean zinc concentrations increased significantly starting from the outer enamel surface, with the maximum concentration in the 150-300 μm layer. The mean copper concentrations increased substantially from the outer enamel surface to a depth of 150 μm, and then a slight downward trend of this mineral levels was seen, down to a depth of 450 μm. Strong positive correlation was found between the zinc and copper concentrations at depths of 150-300, 450-600 and 600-750 μm. The levels of zinc and copper in the outer enamel layers may have an effect on the increased content of unipolar minerals at deeper enamel layers. The content of the study elements determined may reflect the process of mineralization and maturation of enamel in the pre-eruption period.

Mobile object retrieval in server-based image databases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manger, D.; Pagel, F.; Widak, H.

2013-05-01

The increasing number of mobile phones equipped with powerful cameras leads to huge collections of user-generated images. To utilize the information of the images on site, image retrieval systems are becoming more and more popular to search for similar objects in an own image database. As the computational performance and the memory capacity of mobile devices are constantly increasing, this search can often be performed on the device itself. This is feasible, for example, if the images are represented with global image features or if the search is done using EXIF or textual metadata. However, for larger image databases, if multiple users are meant to contribute to a growing image database or if powerful content-based image retrieval methods with local features are required, a server-based image retrieval backend is needed. In this work, we present a content-based image retrieval system with a client server architecture working with local features. On the server side, the scalability to large image databases is addressed with the popular bag-of-word model with state-of-the-art extensions. The client end of the system focuses on a lightweight user interface presenting the most similar images of the database highlighting the visual information which is common with the query image. Additionally, new images can be added to the database making it a powerful and interactive tool for mobile contentbased image retrieval.

Visual Stability of Objects and Environments Viewed through Head-Mounted Displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellis, Stephen R.; Adelstein, Bernard D.

2015-01-01

Virtual Environments (aka Virtual Reality) is again catching the public imagination and a number of startups (e.g. Oculus) and even not-so-startup companies (e.g. Microsoft) are trying to develop display systems to capitalize on this renewed interest. All acknowledge that this time they will get it right by providing the required dynamic fidelity, visual quality, and interesting content for the concept of VR to take off and change the world in ways it failed to do so in past incarnations. Some of the surprisingly long historical background of the technology that the form of direct simulation that underlies virtual environment and augmented reality displays will be briefly reviewed. An example of a mid 1990's augmented reality display system with good dynamic performance from our lab will be used to illustrate some of the underlying phenomena and technology concerning visual stability of virtual environments and objects during movement. In conclusion some idealized performance characteristics for a reference system will be proposed. Interestingly, many systems more or less on the market now may actually meet many of these proposed technical requirements. This observation leads to the conclusion that the current success of the IT firms trying to commercialize the technology will depend on the hidden costs of using the systems as well as the development of interesting and compelling content.

Relationship of biomedical science content acquisition performance to students' level of PBL group interaction: are students learning during PBL group?

PubMed

Romito, Laura M; Eckert, George J

2011-05-01

This study assessed biomedical science content acquisition from problem-based learning (PBL) and its relationship to students' level of group interaction. We hypothesized that learning in preparation for exams results primarily from individual study of post-case learning objectives and that outcomes would be unrelated to students' group involvement. During dental curricular years 1 and 2, student-generated biomedical learning issues (LIs) were identified from six randomly chosen PBL cases. Knowledge and application of case concepts were assessed with quizzes based on the identified LIs prior to dissemination of the learning objectives. Students and facilitators were surveyed on students' level of group involvement for the assessed LI topics. Year 1 students had significantly higher assessment scores (p=0.0001). For both student classes, means were significantly higher for the recall item (Q1) than for the application item (Q2). Q1 scores increased along with the student's reported role for Year 1 (p=0.04). However, there was no relationship between the student's reported role and Q1 for Year 2 (p=0.20). There was no relationship between the student's reported role and Q2 for Year 1 (p=0.09) or Year 2 (p=0.19). This suggests that students' level of group involvement on the biomedical learning issues did not significantly impact students' assessment performance.

Examining Curricular Integration Strategies To Optimize Learning Of The Anatomical Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lisk, Kristina Adriana Ayako

Background: Integration of basic and clinical science knowledge is essential to clinical practice. Although the importance of these two knowledge domains is well-recognized, successfully supporting the development of learners' integrated basic and clinical science knowledge, remains an educational challenge. In this dissertation, I examine curricular integration strategies to optimize learning of the anatomical sciences. Objectives: The studies were designed to achieve the following research aims: 1) to objectively identify clinically relevant content for an integrated musculoskeletal anatomy curriculum; 2) to examine the value of integrated anatomy and clinical science instruction compared to clinical science instruction alone on novices' diagnostic accuracy and diagnostic reasoning process; 3) to compare the effect of integrating and segregating anatomy and clinical science instruction along with a learning strategy (self-explanation) on novices' diagnostic accuracy. Methods: A modified Delphi was used to objectively select clinically relevant content for an integrated musculoskeletal anatomy curriculum. Two experimental studies were created to compare different instructional strategies to optimize learning of the curricular content. In both of these studies, novice learners were taught the clinical features of musculoskeletal pathologies using different learning approaches. Diagnostic performance was measured immediately after instruction and one-week later. Results: The results show that the Delphi method is an effective strategy to select clinically relevant content for integrated anatomy curricula. The findings also demonstrate that novices who were explicitly taught the clinical features of musculoskeletal diseases using causal basic science descriptions had superior diagnostic accuracy and a better understanding of the relative importance of key clinical features for disease categories. Conclusions: This research demonstrates how integration strategies can be applied at multiple levels of the curriculum. Further, this work shows the value of cognitive integration of anatomy and clinical science and it emphasizes the importance of purposefully linking the anatomical and clinical sciences in day-to-day teaching.

Study of archaeological iron objects by PGAA, Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, F. E.; Gebhard, R.; Häusler, W.; Wagner, U.; Albert, P.; Hess, H.; Révay, Z.; Kudejová, P.; Kleszcz, K.

2016-12-01

Archaeological iron objects often corrode rapidly after their excavation, even though they have survived long times of burial in the ground. Chlorine that accumulates during burial is thought to play a major role in this destructive post-excavation corrosion. It is therefore important for the conservation of such objects to determine the chlorine content in a non-destructive manner and, if necessary, to remove the chlorine from the artefacts by appropriate methods. Such methods are leaching in alkaline solutions or heating in a reducing atmosphere at temperatures up to 800 ∘C. We have studied the efficiency of the heating method using prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) for monitoring the Cl content and Mössbauer spectroscopy at room temperature (RT) and 4.2 K as well as X-ray diffraction to study the mineralogical transformations of the rust layers. The heat treatments were performed a N2/H2 (90/10) mixture at temperatures up to 750 ∘C. As test specimens sections of iron rods from the Celtic oppidum of Manching (Bavaria) were used. The initial Cl contents of the pieces varied in the range of several hundred ppm, referring to the iron mass. Annealing for 24 h at 350, 550 and 750 ∘C was found to reduce the Cl contents of the specimens, to about 70, 30 and 15 % of the original values, respectively. The rust consists mainly of goethite with admixtures of magnetite, lepidocrocite and akaganeite, which is thought to be a major carrier of chlorine, probably together with iron chlorides. Much of the goethite is so fine-grained that it does not split magnetically at RT. Annealing converts the rust mainly to maghemite at 350 ∘C, to magnetite at 550 ∘C and to wüstite plus magnetite and metallic iron at 750 ∘C. Pure akaganeite behaves in nearly the same manner.

Mobilizing social media users to become advertisers: Corporate hashtag campaigns as a public health concern

PubMed Central

Laestadius, Linnea I; Wahl, Megan M

2017-01-01

Objective With the growing popularity of social media, corporate marketers are increasingly launching hashtag campaigns to encourage consumers to create branded user-generated content on their behalves. If successful, these campaigns may expand the reach of harmful marketing messages and capitalize on peer-effects among adolescents. To shed light on these novel corporate campaigns, we performed a case study of the user-generated Instagram content created in response to a hashtag campaign promoting the quick-service restaurant Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). Methods We performed a content analysis of one week’s worth of user-generated Instagram posts created with the hashtag #HowDoYouKFC between 24 April 2015–1 May 2015. Posts were coded to discern: (a) relevance to KFC as a brand and/or food; (b) themes in the post, (c) the content of images/videos, and (d) overall sentiment toward KFC. Posts that were deleted or made private during the study period were removed. Descriptive statistics were calculated to discern trends in post content. Results Instagram users created 196 posts with #HowDoYouKFC during the study period. After removing irrelevant and deleted/private posts, analysis of the 128 remaining user-generated posts revealed that 45% of posts were explicitly positive toward KFC and 39% lacked a specific stance or emotion related to KFC. Of the posts, 55% depicted KFC chicken and 65% included depictions of the brand hashtag on food packaging. Conclusions Findings indicate that corporations are successfully converting individual social media users into positive advertisers for harmful products. Novel efforts are needed to counter corporate user-generated content campaigns. PMID:29942600

The effects of LED illumination spectra and intensity on carotenoid content in Brassicaceae microgreens.

PubMed

Brazaitytė, Aušra; Sakalauskienė, Sandra; Samuolienė, Giedrė; Jankauskienė, Julė; Viršilė, Akvilė; Novičkovas, Algirdas; Sirtautas, Ramūnas; Miliauskienė, Jurga; Vaštakaitė, Viktorija; Dabašinskas, Laurynas; Duchovskis, Pavelas

2015-04-15

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of irradiance levels and spectra produced by solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on carotenoid content and composition changes in Brassicaceae microgreens. A system of five high-power, solid-state lighting modules with standard 447-, 638-, 665-, and 731-nm LEDs was used in the experiments. Two experiments were performed: (1) evaluation of LED irradiance levels of 545, 440, 330, 220, and 110 μmol m(-2) s(-1) photosynthetically active flux density (PPFD) and (2) evaluation of the effects of 520-, 595-, and 622-nm LEDs supplemental to the standard set of LEDs. Concentrations of various carotenoids in red pak choi and tatsoi were higher under illumination of 330-440 μmol m(-2) s(-1) and at 110-220 μmol m(-2) s(-1) in mustard. All supplemental wavelengths increased total carotenoid content in mustard but decreased it in red pak choi. Carotenoid content increased in tatsoi under supplemental yellow light. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Cynodon dactylon on Stress-Induced Infertility in Male Rats

PubMed Central

Chidrawar, VR; Chitme, HR; Patel, KN; Patel, NJ; Racharla, VR; Dhoraji, NC; Vadalia, KR

2011-01-01

Cynodon dactylon (Family: Poaceae) is known to be a tackler in Indian mythology and is offered to Lord Ganesha. It is found everywhere, even on waste land, road side, dry places, and spreads vigorously on cultivated ground. This study was carried out with an objective to test if the constituents of this plant are useful in coping stress-induced sexual In this study, we considered immobilization stress to induce male infertility and the effect of C. dactylon in restoration of the dysfunction was evaluated by considering sexual behavioral observations, sexual performance, fructose content of the seminal vesicles, epididymal sperm concentration and histopathological examinations as parameters. Treatment of rats under stress with methanolic extract of C. dactylon has shown a promising effect in overcoming stress-induced sexual dysfunction, sexual performance, fructose content, sperm concentration and its effect on accessory sexual organs and body weight. We conclude that active constituents of C. dactylon present in methanolic extract have a potent aphrodisiac and male fertility activity. PMID:21607051

Religious teachings and sexuality of women living in Rafsanjan: A qualiattive inquiry

PubMed Central

Ghorashi, Zohreh; Najafi, Mohammad; Merghati Khoei, Effat

2017-01-01

Background: Islamic doctrine and related teachings play a seminal role in constructing the sexual performance of followers, women in particular. Objective: The aim was to explore women’s understandings of Islamic Shiite principles related to their sexuality. Materials and Methods: In a qualitative content analysis approach, four individual interviews and seven focus groups conducted in Rafsanjan, a big city in Kerman province in Iran. Content analysis was used to extract meanings and themes. Results: Three major themes were emerged describing the sexual concepts and religious-related teachings concerning women's sexual understandings and performances: “unconditional sexual submission” (Tamkin), “paradox between virtue and unconditional sexual submission” and “misconceptions”. Conclusion: Religious teachings have a basic and comprehensive role in sexuality construction and sexual health of women. However, occasional inconsistency between beliefs, learning and sexual expectations, practices, and situations would lead to jeopardize the psychological and somatic health of women. Religious-related misconceptions have essential role in creating sexual problems. PMID:29492474

Cross-Layer Algorithms for QoS Enhancement in Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saxena, Navrati; Roy, Abhishek; Shin, Jitae

A lot of emerging applications like advanced telemedicine and surveillance systems, demand sensors to deliver multimedia content with precise level of QoS enhancement. Minimizing energy in sensor networks has been a much explored research area but guaranteeing QoS over sensor networks still remains an open issue. In this letter we propose a cross-layer approach combining Network and MAC layers, for QoS enhancement in wireless multimedia sensor networks. In the network layer a statistical estimate of sensory QoS parameters is performed and a nearoptimal genetic algorithmic solution is proposed to solve the NP-complete QoS-routing problem. On the other hand the objective of the proposed MAC algorithm is to perform the QoS-based packet classification and automatic adaptation of the contention window. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed protocol is capable of providing lower delay and better throughput, at the cost of reasonable energy consumption, in comparison with other existing sensory QoS protocols.

Improved fracture toughness corrosion-resistant bearing material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bamberger, E. N.; Nahm, A. H.

1986-01-01

A development program was performed to establish whether a corrosion-resistant bearing material, such as a 14Cr steel, could be modified to allow carburization, thereby providing the excellent fracture toughness characteristics feasible with this process. The alloy selected for investigation was AMS 5749. Several modifications were made including the addition of a small amount of nickel for austenite stabilization. While some promising results were achieved, the primary objective of an acceptable combination of case hardness and microstructure was not attained. Because the high chromium content presents a serious problem in achieving a viable carburizing cycle, a number of experimental steels having lower chromium contents (8 to 12%) were produced in laboratory quantities and evaluated. The results were basically the same as those initially obtained with the modified AMS 5749. Corrosion tests were performed on AMS 5749, AISI M50, and 52100 bearing steels as well as some of the lower chromium steels. These tests showed that a reduced chromium level (10 to 12%) provided essentially the same corrosion protection as the 14Cr steels.

Lateral organization and aesthetic preference: the importance of peripheral visual asymmetries.

PubMed

Beaumont, J G

1985-01-01

The observation that right-handers prefer pictures with the important content to the right was examined. In the first experiment, subjects manipulated the two elements of the composition. They showed a bias to place the principal object to the right and, with a central principal object, the secondary object was placed to the left. In a further experiment, eye movements were recorded while subjects scanned the pictures used in the first experiment and a rightward lateral bias in gaze direction was observed. It is argued that lateral asymmetry in preferred picture arrangements is not the result of a counterbalancing of content against perceptual bias, but a consequence of gaze being directed to informative content on the right, leaving more of the secondary content within the left visual field and associated with attentional bias or processes of the right hemisphere.

Development and validation of surgical training tool: cystectomy assessment and surgical evaluation (CASE) for robot-assisted radical cystectomy for men.

PubMed

Hussein, Ahmed A; Sexton, Kevin J; May, Paul R; Meng, Maxwell V; Hosseini, Abolfazl; Eun, Daniel D; Daneshmand, Siamak; Bochner, Bernard H; Peabody, James O; Abaza, Ronney; Skinner, Eila C; Hautmann, Richard E; Guru, Khurshid A

2018-04-13

We aimed to develop a structured scoring tool: cystectomy assessment and surgical evaluation (CASE) that objectively measures and quantifies performance during robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) for men. A multinational 10-surgeon expert panel collaborated towards development and validation of CASE. The critical steps of RARC in men were deconstructed into nine key domains, each assessed by five anchors. Content validation was done utilizing the Delphi methodology. Each anchor was assessed in terms of context, score concordance, and clarity. The content validity index (CVI) was calculated for each aspect. A CVI ≥ 0.75 represented consensus, and this statement was removed from the next round. This process was repeated until consensus was achieved for all statements. CASE was used to assess de-identified videos of RARC to determine reliability and construct validity. Linearly weighted percent agreement was used to assess inter-rater reliability (IRR). A logit model for odds ratio (OR) was used to assess construct validation. The expert panel reached consensus on CASE after four rounds. The final eight domains of the CASE included: pelvic lymph node dissection, development of the peri-ureteral space, lateral pelvic space, anterior rectal space, control of the vascular pedicle, anterior vesical space, control of the dorsal venous complex, and apical dissection. IRR > 0.6 was achieved for all eight domains. Experts outperformed trainees across all domains. We developed and validated a reliable structured, procedure-specific tool for objective evaluation of surgical performance during RARC. CASE may help differentiate novice from expert performances.

How to build a course in mathematical-biological modeling: content and processes for knowledge and skill.

PubMed

Hoskinson, Anne-Marie

2010-01-01

Biological problems in the twenty-first century are complex and require mathematical insight, often resulting in mathematical models of biological systems. Building mathematical-biological models requires cooperation among biologists and mathematicians, and mastery of building models. A new course in mathematical modeling presented the opportunity to build both content and process learning of mathematical models, the modeling process, and the cooperative process. There was little guidance from the literature on how to build such a course. Here, I describe the iterative process of developing such a course, beginning with objectives and choosing content and process competencies to fulfill the objectives. I include some inductive heuristics for instructors seeking guidance in planning and developing their own courses, and I illustrate with a description of one instructional model cycle. Students completing this class reported gains in learning of modeling content, the modeling process, and cooperative skills. Student content and process mastery increased, as assessed on several objective-driven metrics in many types of assessments.

How to Build a Course in Mathematical–Biological Modeling: Content and Processes for Knowledge and Skill

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Biological problems in the twenty-first century are complex and require mathematical insight, often resulting in mathematical models of biological systems. Building mathematical–biological models requires cooperation among biologists and mathematicians, and mastery of building models. A new course in mathematical modeling presented the opportunity to build both content and process learning of mathematical models, the modeling process, and the cooperative process. There was little guidance from the literature on how to build such a course. Here, I describe the iterative process of developing such a course, beginning with objectives and choosing content and process competencies to fulfill the objectives. I include some inductive heuristics for instructors seeking guidance in planning and developing their own courses, and I illustrate with a description of one instructional model cycle. Students completing this class reported gains in learning of modeling content, the modeling process, and cooperative skills. Student content and process mastery increased, as assessed on several objective-driven metrics in many types of assessments. PMID:20810966

Evidence Report: Risk of Performance Errors Due to Training Deficiencies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barshi, Immanuel

2012-01-01

The Risk of Performance Errors Due to Training Deficiencies is identified by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Research Program (HRP) as a recognized risk to human health and performance in space. The HRP Program Requirements Document (PRD) defines these risks. This Evidence Report provides a summary of the evidence that has been used to identify and characterize this risk. Given that training content, timing, intervals, and delivery methods must support crew task performance, and given that training paradigms will be different for long-duration missions with increased crew autonomy, there is a risk that operators will lack the skills or knowledge necessary to complete critical tasks, resulting in flight and ground crew errors and inefficiencies, failed mission and program objectives, and an increase in crew injuries.

Information fusion performance evaluation for motion imagery data using mutual information: initial study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grieggs, Samuel M.; McLaughlin, Michael J.; Ezekiel, Soundararajan; Blasch, Erik

2015-06-01

As technology and internet use grows at an exponential rate, video and imagery data is becoming increasingly important. Various techniques such as Wide Area Motion imagery (WAMI), Full Motion Video (FMV), and Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) are used to collect motion data and extract relevant information. Detecting and identifying a particular object in imagery data is an important step in understanding visual imagery, such as content-based image retrieval (CBIR). Imagery data is segmented and automatically analyzed and stored in dynamic and robust database. In our system, we seek utilize image fusion methods which require quality metrics. Many Image Fusion (IF) algorithms have been proposed based on different, but only a few metrics, used to evaluate the performance of these algorithms. In this paper, we seek a robust, objective metric to evaluate the performance of IF algorithms which compares the outcome of a given algorithm to ground truth and reports several types of errors. Given the ground truth of a motion imagery data, it will compute detection failure, false alarm, precision and recall metrics, background and foreground regions statistics, as well as split and merge of foreground regions. Using the Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), Mutual Information (MI), and entropy metrics; experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology for object detection, activity exploitation, and CBIR.

Writing Useful Instructional Objectives in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Shawna

2016-01-01

Within a physical education curriculum, and presented in individual lesson plans, instructional objectives serve several important purposes: they provide a direct link between the curriculum content and procedures for students to master that content; they provide a clear path for assessment--a way to determine whether students have indeed learned…

Modules in Agricultural Education for Forestry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Occupational and Career Curriculum Development.

Each of the seven curriculum modules in this packet for forestry instruction contains a brief description of the module content, a list of the major divisions or units, the overall objectives, objectives by unit, content outline and suggested teaching methods, student application activities, and evaluation procedures. Module titles are Forest Fire…

Modules in Agricultural Education for Agricultural Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Occupational and Career Curriculum Development.

Each of the 31 curriculum modules in this packet for agricultural resources instruction contains a brief description of the module content, a list of the major division or units, the overall objective, objectives by units, content outline and suggested teaching methods, student application activities, and evaluation procedures. A list of resource…

An Intelligent Semantic E-Learning Framework Using Context-Aware Semantic Web Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Weihong; Webster, David; Wood, Dawn; Ishaya, Tanko

2006-01-01

Recent developments of e-learning specifications such as Learning Object Metadata (LOM), Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM), Learning Design and other pedagogy research in semantic e-learning have shown a trend of applying innovative computational techniques, especially Semantic Web technologies, to promote existing content-focused…

Modules in Agricultural Education for Agricultural Mechanics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Occupational and Career Curriculum Development.

Each of the 38 curriculum modules in this packet for agricultural mechanics instruction contains a brief description of the module content, a list of the major divisions or units, the overall objectives, objectives by unit, content outline and suggested teaching methods, student application activities, and evaluation procedures. A listing of…

Prescription Drug Abuse Information in D.A.R.E.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Melissa C.; Cline, Rebecca J. Welch; Weiler, Robert M.; Broadway, S. Camille

2006-01-01

This investigation was designed to examine prescription drug-related content and learning objectives in Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) for upper elementary and middle schools. Specific prescription-drug topics and context associated with content and objectives were coded. The coding system for topics included 126 topics organized…

Species classification and bioactive ingredients accumulation of BaiJiangCao based on characteristic inorganic elements analysis by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and multivariate analysis

PubMed Central

Wen-Lan, Li; Xue, Zhang; Xin-Xin, Yang; Shuai, Wang; Lin, Zhao; Huan-Jun, Zhao; Yong-Rui, Bao; Chen-Feng, Ji; Ning, Chen; Zheng, Xiang

2015-01-01

Background: Patrinia scabiosaefolia Fisch and Patrinia villosa (Thunb.) Juss., two species herbs with the same Chinese name “BaiJiangCao”, are important ancient herbal medicines widely used for more than 2000 years. The clinical application of two species herb is confused due to the difficult identification. Objective: The objective was to authenticate the species of BaiJiangCao and analyze the accumulation of bioactive ingredients based on characteristic inorganic elements analysis. Materials and Methods: Content of 32 inorganic elements in BaiJiangCao from different habitats were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and the characteristic inorganic elements were picked to distinguish the species of the herb by principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Contents of two bioactive ingredients, luteoloside, and oleanolic acid, in the samples, were also analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography method. Relationship between accumulation of bioactive ingredients and content of macroelements in BaiJiangCao was established by statistics. Results: A 4 macroelements (Na, Mg, K, Fe) in 32 determined inorganic elements were picked for characteristic inorganic elements. Content of Na, Mg, K and Fe showed positive correlations with that of luteoloside, content of Na, Mg showed positive correlations with that of oleanolic acid, but content of K and Fe showed negative correlations with that of oleanolic acid. Conclusion: It is for the first time to utilize the characteristic inorganic elements as an index to classify the herb species by the method of ICP-MS and multivariate analysis. And it is also the first report to investigate the influence of inorganic elements in herb on the accumulation of bioactive components which could affect the pharmacological efficacy of the herb medicine. And this method could also be utilized in research of corresponding aspects. PMID:26600721

Method and apparatus for determining the content and distribution of a thermal neutron absorbing material in an object

DOEpatents

Crane, Thomas W.

1986-01-01

The disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method for determining the content and distribution of a thermal neutron absorbing material within an object. Neutrons having an energy higher than thermal neutrons are generated and thermalized. The thermal neutrons are detected and counted. The object is placed between the neutron generator and the neutron detector. The reduction in the neutron flux corresponds to the amount of thermal neutron absorbing material in the object. The object is advanced past the neutron generator and neutron detector to obtain neutron flux data for each segment of the object. The object may comprise a space reactor heat pipe and the thermal neutron absorbing material may comprise lithium.

Method and apparatus for determining the content and distribution of a thermal neutron absorbing material in an object

DOEpatents

Crane, T.W.

1983-12-21

The disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method for determining the content and distribution of a thermal neutron absorbing material within an object. Neutrons having an energy higher than thermal neutrons are generated and thermalized. The thermal neutrons are detected and counted. The object is placed between the neutron generator and the neutron detector. The reduction in the neutron flux corresponds to the amount of thermal neutron absorbing material in the object. The object is advanced past the neutron generator and neutron detector to obtain neutron flux data for each segment of the object. The object may comprise a space reactor heat pipe and the thermal neutron absorbing material may comprise lithium.

Compression performance comparison in low delay real-time video for mobile applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bivolarski, Lazar

2012-10-01

This article compares the performance of several current video coding standards in the conditions of low-delay real-time in a resource constrained environment. The comparison is performed using the same content and the metrics and mix of objective and perceptual quality metrics. The metrics results in different coding schemes are analyzed from a point of view of user perception and quality of service. Multiple standards are compared MPEG-2, MPEG4 and MPEG-AVC and well and H.263. The metrics used in the comparison include SSIM, VQM and DVQ. Subjective evaluation and quality of service are discussed from a point of view of perceptual metrics and their incorporation in the coding scheme development process. The performance and the correlation of results are presented as a predictor of the performance of video compression schemes.

Treatment of Bartholin gland cyst with CO2 laser

PubMed Central

Speck, Neila Maria de Góis; Boechat, Karol Pereira Ruela; dos Santos, Georgia Mouzinho Lima; Ribalta, Julisa Chamorro Lascasas

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective To describe the results of treatment with CO2 laser for Bartholin gland cysts. Methods Thirty-one women with Bartholin gland cysts were treated with CO2 laser at an outpatient´s setting. Skin incision was performed with focused laser beam, the capsule was opened to drain mucoid content, followed by internal vaporization of impaired capsule. Results There were no complications. Five patients had recurrence of the cyst and were submitted to a second and successful session. Conclusion CO2 laser surgery was effective to treat Bartholin gland cysts with minimal or no complications, and can be performed at an outpatient´s setting. PMID:27074230

Assessment of Ca and P content variation in enamel during an eight-week bleaching protocol using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorozini, M.; Dos Santos, R. S.; Silva, E. M.; Dos Anjos, M. J.; Perez, C. R.

2017-05-01

Tooth bleaching is a simple technique performed with gels based on hydrogen peroxide molecules responsible for removing the tooth structure's pigmentation. The effects of the overuse of these agents on the tooth structure are not well established. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) can be employed to analyze objects of biological origin as bone and tooth. It is very suitable analytical technique to detect demineralization processes in these tissues. The objective of this study was to use x-ray fluorescence to evaluate the effects on mineral content of enamel submitted to eight-week protocols of home bleaching gels (10% carbamide peroxide and 9.5% hydrogen peroxide), as well as bleaching strips. Four enamel fragments obtained from five teeth were subjected to bleaching for 8 weeks: Group 1- artificial saliva; Group 2-10% carbamide peroxide gel, 6 h daily; Group 3-9.5% hydrogen peroxide gel, two 30-minute applications; and Group 4-bleaching strips, twice daily for 30 min. The change in mineral content was assessed weekly using X-ray fluorescence (Artax 200). Differences were basically found in Group 4 for the concentrations of Ca and P after treatment with bleaching strips containing 10% hydrogen peroxide. For the Ca/P ratio, the differences were found in Group 2-15% carbamide peroxide (p < 0.05). X-ray fluorescence proved to be a suitable method for the evaluation of the mineral content, presenting the advantage of being able to evaluate the same area at different stages of the methodology.

Investigation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content in fly ash and bottom ash of biomass incineration plants in relation to the operating temperature and unburned carbon content.

PubMed

Košnář, Zdeněk; Mercl, Filip; Perná, Ivana; Tlustoš, Pavel

2016-09-01

The use of biomass fuels in incineration power plants is increasing worldwide. The produced ashes may pose a serious threat to the environment due to the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), because some PAHs are potent carcinogens, mutagens and teratogens. The objective of this study was to investigate the content of total and individual PAHs in fly and bottom ash derived from incineration of phytomass and dendromass, because the data on PAH content in biomass ashes is limited. Various operating temperatures of incineration were examined and the relationship between total PAH content and unburned carbon in ashes was also considered. The analysis of PAHs was carried out in fly and bottom ash samples collected from various biomass incineration plants. PAH determination was performed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The correlations between the low, medium and high molecular weight PAHs and each other in ashes were conducted. The relationship between PAH content and unburned carbon, determined as a loss on ignition (L.O.I.) in biomass ashes, was performed using regression analysis. The PAH content in biomass ashes varied from 41.1±1.8 to 53,800.9±13,818.4ng/g dw. This variation may be explained by the differences in boiler operating conditions and biomass fuel composition. The correlation coefficients for PAHs in ash ranged from 0.8025 to 0.9790. The regression models were designed and the coefficients of determination varied from 0.908 to 0.980. The PAH content in ash varied widely with fuel type and the effect of operating temperature on PAH content in ash was evident. Fly ashes contained higher amounts of PAHs than bottom ashes. The low molecular weight PAHs prevailed in tested ashes. The exponential relationship between the PAH content and L.O.I. for fly ashes and the linear for bottom ashes was observed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PHOSPHORUS CONTAINING FOOD ADDITIVES AND THE ACCURACY OF NUTRIENT DATABASES: IMPLICATIONS FOR RENAL PATIENTS

PubMed Central

Sullivan, Catherine M.; Leon, Janeen B.; Sehgal, Ashwini R.

2007-01-01

Objective Phosphorus containing additives are increasingly added to food products. We sought to determine the potential impact of these additives. We focused on chicken products as an example. Methods We purchased a variety of chicken products, prepared them according to package directions, and performed laboratory analyses to determine their actual phosphorus content. We used ESHA Food Processor SQL Software to determine the expected phosphorus content of each product. Results Of 38 chicken products, 35 (92%) had phosphorus containing additives listed among their ingredients. For every category of chicken products containing additives, the actual phosphorus content was greater than the content expected from nutrient database. For example, actual phosphorus content exceeded expected phosphorus content by an average of 84 mg/100g for breaded breast strips. There was also a great deal of variation within each category. For example, the difference between actual and expected phosphorus content ranged from 59 to 165 mg/100g for breast patties. Two 100 g servings of additive containing products contain an average of 440 mg of phosphorus, or about half the total daily recommended intake for dialysis patients. Conclusion Phosphorus containing additives significantly increase the amount of phosphorus in chicken products. Available nutrient databases do not reflect this higher phosphorus content, and the variation between similar products makes it impossible for patients and dietitians to accurately estimate phosphorus content. We recommend that dialysis patients limit their intake of additive containing products and that the phosphorus content of food products be included on nutrition facts labels. PMID:17720105

Structural encoding processes contribute to individual differences in face and object cognition: Inferences from psychometric test performance and event-related brain potentials.

PubMed

Nowparast Rostami, Hadiseh; Sommer, Werner; Zhou, Changsong; Wilhelm, Oliver; Hildebrandt, Andrea

2017-10-01

The enhanced N1 component in event-related potentials (ERP) to face stimuli, termed N170, is considered to indicate the structural encoding of faces. Previously, individual differences in the latency of the N170 have been related to face and object cognition abilities. By orthogonally manipulating content domain (faces vs objects) and task demands (easy/speed vs difficult/accuracy) in both psychometric and EEG tasks, we investigated the uniqueness of the processes underlying face cognition as compared with object cognition and the extent to which the N1/N170 component can explain individual differences in face and object cognition abilities. Data were recorded from N = 198 healthy young adults. Structural equation modeling (SEM) confirmed that the accuracies of face perception (FP) and memory are specific abilities above general object cognition; in contrast, the speed of face processing was not differentiable from the speed of object cognition. Although there was considerable domain-general variance in the N170 shared with the N1, there was significant face-specific variance in the N170. The brain-behavior relationship showed that faster face-specific processes for structural encoding of faces are associated with higher accuracy in both perceiving and memorizing faces. Moreover, in difficult task conditions, qualitatively different processes are additionally needed for recognizing face and object stimuli as compared with easy tasks. The difficulty-dependent variance components in the N170 amplitude were related with both face and object memory (OM) performance. We discuss implications for understanding individual differences in face cognition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Approaching Academic Digital Content Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acker, Stephen R.

2002-01-01

Discusses digital content management in higher education. Highlights include learning objects that make content more modular so it can be used in other courses or by other institutions; and a system at Ohio State University for content management that includes the creation of learner profiles. (LRW)

Performance evaluation of objective quality metrics for HDR image compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valenzise, Giuseppe; De Simone, Francesca; Lauga, Paul; Dufaux, Frederic

2014-09-01

Due to the much larger luminance and contrast characteristics of high dynamic range (HDR) images, well-known objective quality metrics, widely used for the assessment of low dynamic range (LDR) content, cannot be directly applied to HDR images in order to predict their perceptual fidelity. To overcome this limitation, advanced fidelity metrics, such as the HDR-VDP, have been proposed to accurately predict visually significant differences. However, their complex calibration may make them difficult to use in practice. A simpler approach consists in computing arithmetic or structural fidelity metrics, such as PSNR and SSIM, on perceptually encoded luminance values but the performance of quality prediction in this case has not been clearly studied. In this paper, we aim at providing a better comprehension of the limits and the potentialities of this approach, by means of a subjective study. We compare the performance of HDR-VDP to that of PSNR and SSIM computed on perceptually encoded luminance values, when considering compressed HDR images. Our results show that these simpler metrics can be effectively employed to assess image fidelity for applications such as HDR image compression.

Non-linear learning in online tutorial to enhance students’ knowledge on normal distribution application topic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kartono; Suryadi, D.; Herman, T.

2018-01-01

This study aimed to analyze the enhancement of non-linear learning (NLL) in the online tutorial (OT) content to students’ knowledge of normal distribution application (KONDA). KONDA is a competence expected to be achieved after students studied the topic of normal distribution application in the course named Education Statistics. The analysis was performed by quasi-experiment study design. The subject of the study was divided into an experimental class that was given OT content in NLL model and a control class which was given OT content in conventional learning (CL) model. Data used in this study were the results of online objective tests to measure students’ statistical prior knowledge (SPK) and students’ pre- and post-test of KONDA. The statistical analysis test of a gain score of KONDA of students who had low and moderate SPK’s scores showed students’ KONDA who learn OT content with NLL model was better than students’ KONDA who learn OT content with CL model. Meanwhile, for students who had high SPK’s scores, the gain score of students who learn OT content with NLL model had relatively similar with the gain score of students who learn OT content with CL model. Based on those findings it could be concluded that the NLL model applied to OT content could enhance KONDA of students in low and moderate SPK’s levels. Extra and more challenging didactical situation was needed for students in high SPK’s level to achieve the significant gain score.

Monitoring and optimizing the co-composting of dewatered sludge: a mixture experimental design approach.

PubMed

Komilis, Dimitrios; Evangelou, Alexandros; Voudrias, Evangelos

2011-09-01

The management of dewatered wastewater sludge is a major issue worldwide. Sludge disposal to landfills is not sustainable and thus alternative treatment techniques are being sought. The objective of this work was to determine optimal mixing ratios of dewatered sludge with other organic amendments in order to maximize the degradability of the mixtures during composting. This objective was achieved using mixture experimental design principles. An additional objective was to study the impact of the initial C/N ratio and moisture contents on the co-composting process of dewatered sludge. The composting process was monitored through measurements of O(2) uptake rates, CO(2) evolution, temperature profile and solids reduction. Eight (8) runs were performed in 100 L insulated air-tight bioreactors under a dynamic air flow regime. The initial mixtures were prepared using dewatered wastewater sludge, mixed paper wastes, food wastes, tree branches and sawdust at various initial C/N ratios and moisture contents. According to empirical modeling, mixtures of sludge and food waste mixtures at 1:1 ratio (ww, wet weight) maximize degradability. Structural amendments should be maintained below 30% to reach thermophilic temperatures. The initial C/N ratio and initial moisture content of the mixture were not found to influence the decomposition process. The bio C/bio N ratio started from around 10, for all runs, decreased during the middle of the process and increased to up to 20 at the end of the process. The solid carbon reduction of the mixtures without the branches ranged from 28% to 62%, whilst solid N reductions ranged from 30% to 63%. Respiratory quotients had a decreasing trend throughout the composting process. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Problematizing the concept of the "borderline" group in performance assessments.

PubMed

Homer, Matt; Pell, Godfrey; Fuller, Richard

2017-05-01

Many standard setting procedures focus on the performance of the "borderline" group, defined through expert judgments by assessors. In performance assessments such as Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), these judgments usually apply at the station level. Using largely descriptive approaches, we analyze the assessment profile of OSCE candidates at the end of a five year undergraduate medical degree program to investigate the consistency of the borderline group across stations. We look specifically at those candidates who are borderline in individual stations, and in the overall assessment. While the borderline group can be clearly defined at the individual station level, our key finding is that the membership of this group varies considerably across stations. These findings pose challenges for some standard setting methods, particularly the borderline group and objective borderline methods. They also suggest that institutions should ensure appropriate conjunctive rules to limit compensation in performance between stations to maximize "diagnostic accuracy". In addition, this work highlights a key benefit of sequential testing formats in OSCEs. In comparison with a traditional, single-test format, sequential models allow assessment of "borderline" candidates across a wider range of content areas with concomitant improvements in pass/fail decision-making.

Modules in Agricultural Education for Agricultural Production.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Occupational and Career Curriculum Development.

Each of the 61 modules in this packet contains a brief description of the module contents, a list of the major division of units, the overall objectives, objectives by units, content outline, and suggested teaching method, student application activities, and evaluation procedures. A list of resource materials is also included for each. Some of the…

The Madison Project-A Brief Introduction to Materials and Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Robert B.

This pamphlet gives a brief introduction into the objectives, assumptions, content, activities, and materials of the Madison Project. Reported are the objectives of the program for the student and for the teacher. The mathematical content is listed under 22 topics. It is indicated that the availability of the materials may vary extensively from…

An Analysis of Learning Objectives and Content Coverage in Introductory Psychology Syllabi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Homa, Natalie; Hackathorn, Jana; Brown, Carrie M.; Garczynski, Amy; Solomon, Erin D.; Tennial, Rachel; Sanborn, Ursula A.; Gurung, Regan A. R.

2013-01-01

Introductory psychology is one of the most popular undergraduate courses and often serves as the gateway to choosing psychology as an academic major. However, little research has examined the typical structure of introductory psychology courses. The current study examined student learning objectives (SLOs) and course content in introductory…

Modules in Agricultural Education for Agricultural Supplies and Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Occupational and Career Curriculum Development.

Each of the 22 curriculum modules in this packet for instruction in agricultural supplies and services contains a brief description of the module content, a list of the major division or units, the overall objectives, objectives by units, content outline, and suggested teaching methods, student application activities, and evaluation procedures. A…

The Challenge of Content Creation to Facilitate Personalized E-Learning Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turker, Ali; Gorgun, Ilhami; Conlan, Owen

2006-01-01

The runtime creation of pedagogically coherent learning content for an individual learner's needs and preferences is a considerable challenge. By selecting and combining appropriate learning assets into a new learning object such needs and preferences may be accounted for. However, to assure coherence, these objects should be consumed within…

Ontology-Based Annotation of Learning Object Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gasevic, Dragan; Jovanovic, Jelena; Devedzic, Vladan

2007-01-01

The paper proposes a framework for building ontology-aware learning object (LO) content. Previously ontologies were exclusively employed for enriching LOs' metadata. Although such an approach is useful, as it improves retrieval of relevant LOs from LO repositories, it does not enable one to reuse components of a LO, nor to incorporate an explicit…

Basic Course in Highway Traffic Records. Instructor's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (DOT), Washington, DC.

The scope and content of this traffic records course are outlined in a chart (Course Structure) and tabulation (Overview of Course Content). General course objectives follow the overview. These define for the instructor the broad objectives, module by module, which the course is designed to reach. The last part of this section gives a detailed…

Comparing Different Versions of Road to Mental Readiness to Determine Optimal Content: Testing Instruction Type, Homework, and Intelligence Effects at Two Timepoints

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

R2MR concepts, especially stress management (and Cognitive Restructuring) skills. A secondary objective was to examine the effects of providing...meilleure assimilation et mise en pratique des concepts du cours RVPM, notamment les compétences de gestion du stress (et de restructuration cognitive...and poor mental health), 2) to teach recruits stress management skills they can use to reduce psychological distress and improve performance, and

Effects of ergot alkaloids in feed on performance and liver function of piglets as evaluated by the ¹³C-methacetin breath test.

PubMed

Dänicke, Sven; Diers, Sonja

2013-02-01

Ergot alkaloids (the sum of individual alkaloids is termed as total alkaloids, TA) are mycotoxins of the fungus Claviceps purpurea and might adversely affect the performance and aspects of liver physiology of pigs. The objective of the study was to assess the effect of feeding ergot alkaloids to piglets on performance and liver function by using the ¹³C-methacetin breath test. Two ergot batches were mixed into piglet diets resulting in 5 and 6 mg (Ergot 17-low and -high) and 9 and 21 mg TA/kg (Ergot 19-low and -high) and compared to an ergot free Control group. Feed intake and live weight gain decreased significantly with the TA content (p = 0.006). The time of the maximum ¹³CO₂-exhalation (t (max)) occurred significantly earlier in Control piglets (8.9 min) compared to the groups Ergot 17-high and Ergot 19-high (24.7 and 23.6 min, respectively, p = 0.014) whilst the elimination half-life remained uninfluenced by dietary treatments (55-64 min). The cumulative ¹³CO₂-recovery (cPDR) was significantly reduced in piglets fed the Ergot 19-high diet (7.6%) compared to the groups Control and Ergot 17-high (13.1% and 10.8%, respectively, p = 0.011). In conclusion, the TA content of the diets is closer related to the adverse effects of ergot on piglet performance than the dietary ergot content itself. The mechanisms by which TA affects porcine liver function need to be studied further.

Improved Learning Outcomes After Flipping a Therapeutics Module: Results of a Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Lockman, Kashelle; Haines, Stuart T; McPherson, Mary Lynn

2017-12-01

To evaluate the impact on learning outcomes of flipping a pain management module in a doctor of pharmacy curriculum. In a required first-professional-year pharmacology and therapeutics course at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, the pain therapeutics content of the pain management module was flipped. This redesign transformed the module from a largely lecture-based, instructor-centered model to a learner-centered model that included a variety of preclass activities and in-class active learning exercises. In spring 2015, the module was taught using the traditional model; in spring 2016, it was taught using the flipped model. The same end-of-module objective structured clinical exam (OSCE) and multiple-choice exam were administered in 2015 to the traditional cohort (TC; n = 156) and in 2016 to the flipped cohort (FC; n = 162). Cohort performance was compared. Learning outcomes improved significantly in the FC: The mean OSCE score improved by 12.33/100 points (P < .0001; 95% CI 10.28-14.38; effect size 1.33), and performance on the multiple-choice exam's therapeutics content improved by 5.07 percentage points (P < .0001; 95% CI 2.56-7.59; effect size 0.45). Student performance on exam items assessing higher cognitive levels significantly improved under the flipped model. Grade distribution on both exams shifted, with significantly more FC students earning an A or B and significantly fewer earning a D or F compared with TC students. Student performance on knowledge- and skill-based assessments improved significantly after flipping the therapeutics content of a pain management module.

Buried nonmetallic object detection using bistatic ground penetrating radar with variable antenna elevation angle and height

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yu; Orfeo, Dan; Burns, Dylan; Miller, Jonathan; Huston, Dryver; Xia, Tian

2017-04-01

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) has been shown to be an effective device for detecting buried objects that have little or no metal content, such as plastic, ceramic, and concrete pipes. In this paper, buried non-metallic object detection is evaluated for different antenna elevation angles and heights using a bistatic air-launched GPR. Due to the large standoff distance between antennas and the ground surface, the air-launched GPR has larger spreading loss than the hand-held GPR and vehicle-mounted GPR. Moreover, nonmetallic objects may have similar dielectric property to the buried medium, which results in further difficulty for accurate detection using air-launched GPR. To study such effects, both GPR simulations and GPR laboratory experiments are performed with various setups where antennas are placed at different heights and angles. In the experiments, the test surface areas are configured with and without rocks in order to examine surface clutter effect. The experimental results evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of bistatic air-launched GPR for detecting buried nonmetallic objects, which provide valuable insights for subsurface scanning with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mounted GPR.

Navigating from Publications to Astronomical Databases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ochsenbein, François; Bertout, Claude; Lequeux, James; Genova, Françoise

The implementation of journals on the Web has opened new possibilities for the scientific usage of published results because it is now possible to link published articles to other types of information. The availability of published information in electronic form also allows for new types of content validation, complementary to the referee's validation, and to the layout performed by the publisher. For several years now, authors publishing in A&A are offered the possibility of quoting the astronomical objects they are studying directly in their latex manuscript (via the object macro). Since April 2001, this macro is being translated into an actual link from the article to the SIMBAD database. This experiment is still a prototype, and its various aspects are presented here.

Augmented reality glass-free three-dimensional display with the stereo camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, Bo; Sang, Xinzhu; Chen, Duo; Xing, Shujun; Yu, Xunbo; Yan, Binbin; Wang, Kuiru; Yu, Chongxiu

2017-10-01

An improved method for Augmented Reality (AR) glass-free three-dimensional (3D) display based on stereo camera used for presenting parallax contents from different angle with lenticular lens array is proposed. Compared with the previous implementation method of AR techniques based on two-dimensional (2D) panel display with only one viewpoint, the proposed method can realize glass-free 3D display of virtual objects and real scene with 32 virtual viewpoints. Accordingly, viewers can get abundant 3D stereo information from different viewing angles based on binocular parallax. Experimental results show that this improved method based on stereo camera can realize AR glass-free 3D display, and both of virtual objects and real scene have realistic and obvious stereo performance.

Pharmacokinetics of Chlorin e6-Cobalt Bis(Dicarbollide) Conjugate in Balb/c Mice with Engrafted Carcinoma

PubMed Central

Volovetsky, Arthur B.; Balalaeva, Irina V.; Dudenkova, Varvara V.; Shilyagina, Natalia Yu.; Feofanov, Аlexey V.; Efremenko, Anastasija V.; Grin, Mikhail A.; Mironov, Andrey F.; Bregadze, Vladimir I.; Maslennikova, Anna V.

2017-01-01

The necessary precondition for efficient boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is control over the content of isotope 10B in the tumor and normal tissues. In the case of boron-containing porphyrins, the fluorescent part of molecule can be used for quantitative assessment of the boron content. Study Objective: We performed a study of the biodistribution of the chlorin e6-Cobalt bis(dicarbollide) conjugate in carcinoma-bearing Balb/c mice using ex vivo fluorescence imaging, and developed a mathematical model describing boron accumulation and release based on the obtained experimental data. Materials and Methods: The study was performed on Balb/c tumor-bearing mice (CT-26 tumor model). A solution of the chlorin e6-Cobalt bis(dicarbollide) conjugate (CCDC) was injected into the blood at a dose of 10 mg/kg of the animal’s weight. Analysis of the fluorescence signal intensity was performed at several time points by spectrofluorimetry in blood and by laser scanning microscopy in muscle, liver, and tumor tissues. The boron content in the same samples was determined by mass spectroscopy with inductively coupled plasma. Results: Analysis of a linear approximation between the fluorescence intensity and boron content in the tissues demonstrated a satisfactory value of approximation reliability with a Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient of r = 0.938, p < 0.01. The dynamics of the boron concentration change in various organs, calculated on the basis of the fluorescence intensity, enabled the development of a model describing the accumulation of the studied compound and its distribution in tissues. The obtained results reveal a high level of correspondence between the model and experimental data. PMID:29182594

Pharmacokinetics of Chlorin e₆-Cobalt Bis(Dicarbollide) Conjugate in Balb/c Mice with Engrafted Carcinoma.

PubMed

Volovetsky, Arthur B; Sukhov, Vladimir S; Balalaeva, Irina V; Dudenkova, Varvara V; Shilyagina, Natalia Yu; Feofanov, Аlexey V; Efremenko, Anastasija V; Grin, Mikhail A; Mironov, Andrey F; Sivaev, Igor B; Bregadze, Vladimir I; Maslennikova, Anna V

2017-11-28

The necessary precondition for efficient boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is control over the content of isotope 10 B in the tumor and normal tissues. In the case of boron-containing porphyrins, the fluorescent part of molecule can be used for quantitative assessment of the boron content. Study Objective: We performed a study of the biodistribution of the chlorin e ₆-Cobalt bis(dicarbollide) conjugate in carcinoma-bearing Balb/c mice using ex vivo fluorescence imaging, and developed a mathematical model describing boron accumulation and release based on the obtained experimental data. Materials and Methods: The study was performed on Balb/c tumor-bearing mice (CT-26 tumor model). A solution of the chlorin e ₆-Cobalt bis(dicarbollide) conjugate (CCDC) was injected into the blood at a dose of 10 mg/kg of the animal's weight. Analysis of the fluorescence signal intensity was performed at several time points by spectrofluorimetry in blood and by laser scanning microscopy in muscle, liver, and tumor tissues. The boron content in the same samples was determined by mass spectroscopy with inductively coupled plasma. Results: Analysis of a linear approximation between the fluorescence intensity and boron content in the tissues demonstrated a satisfactory value of approximation reliability with a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of r = 0.938, p < 0.01. The dynamics of the boron concentration change in various organs, calculated on the basis of the fluorescence intensity, enabled the development of a model describing the accumulation of the studied compound and its distribution in tissues. The obtained results reveal a high level of correspondence between the model and experimental data.

Audio-based queries for video retrieval over Java enabled mobile devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, Iftikhar; Cheikh, Faouzi Alaya; Kiranyaz, Serkan; Gabbouj, Moncef

2006-02-01

In this paper we propose a generic framework for efficient retrieval of audiovisual media based on its audio content. This framework is implemented in a client-server architecture where the client application is developed in Java to be platform independent whereas the server application is implemented for the PC platform. The client application adapts to the characteristics of the mobile device where it runs such as screen size and commands. The entire framework is designed to take advantage of the high-level segmentation and classification of audio content to improve speed and accuracy of audio-based media retrieval. Therefore, the primary objective of this framework is to provide an adaptive basis for performing efficient video retrieval operations based on the audio content and types (i.e. speech, music, fuzzy and silence). Experimental results approve that such an audio based video retrieval scheme can be used from mobile devices to search and retrieve video clips efficiently over wireless networks.

Modeling Information Content Via Dirichlet-Multinomial Regression Analysis.

PubMed

Ferrari, Alberto

2017-01-01

Shannon entropy is being increasingly used in biomedical research as an index of complexity and information content in sequences of symbols, e.g. languages, amino acid sequences, DNA methylation patterns and animal vocalizations. Yet, distributional properties of information entropy as a random variable have seldom been the object of study, leading to researchers mainly using linear models or simulation-based analytical approach to assess differences in information content, when entropy is measured repeatedly in different experimental conditions. Here a method to perform inference on entropy in such conditions is proposed. Building on results coming from studies in the field of Bayesian entropy estimation, a symmetric Dirichlet-multinomial regression model, able to deal efficiently with the issue of mean entropy estimation, is formulated. Through a simulation study the model is shown to outperform linear modeling in a vast range of scenarios and to have promising statistical properties. As a practical example, the method is applied to a data set coming from a real experiment on animal communication.

Effect of Isopropyl Myristate on Transdermal Permeation of Testosterone From Carbopol Gel.

PubMed

Zidan, Ahmed S; Kamal, Nahid; Alayoubi, Alaadin; Seggel, Mark; Ibrahim, Sarah; Rahman, Ziyaur; Cruz, Celia N; Ashraf, Muhammad

2017-07-01

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of isopropyl myristate (IPM) on the in vitro permeation of testosterone through human cadaver skin from carbopol gels. Six testosterone gel formulations were prepared using different IPM contents of 0%, 0.4%, 0.7%, 1%, 2%, and 3%. The gels were characterized for drug permeation, matrix morphology, pH, kinetics of ethanol evaporation, and viscosity. Mass balance studies were performed to estimate testosterone distribution among the compartments of diffusion cells. All formulations exhibited pH values of 5.1 and viscosities of 1.25-1.75 Pa.s depending on IPM contents. Under occlusive condition, testosterone flux was found to increase significantly (p < 0.05) by increasing IPM content. Gels containing 2% IPM exhibited 11-fold increase in flux compared with formulation devoid of IPM. Ethanol was found to have a synergistic effect with IPM in enhancing testosterone flux. Mass balance analysis showed that testosterone was in a saturated state in the skin. Conducting permeation experiments under nonocclusive condition was nondiscriminating because of the evaporation of alcohol and consequent precipitation of drugs. Based on demonstrated effect of IPM on product performance, the final IPM concentration should be controlled with minimal variation during manufacturing and shelf life of drug product. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Evaluation of mechanical properties and durability performance of HDPE-wood composites

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

Tazi, M.; Erchiqui, F.; Kaddami, H.

The objective of this work is to evaluate the mechanical properties and durability performance of bio-composite materials made from sawdust and thermoplastic polymer (HDPE). For the preparation of the composites, sawdust in different proportions with Maleic Anhydride grafted Polyethylene (MAPE) as the coupling agent was used. The thermal and mechanical properties were successively characterized. The results indicate that adding wood fillers to a polymer matrix increases the degree of crystallinity and improves the tensile strength and ductility of composites. On the contrary, resistance to water absorption decreases as a function of the wood fillers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was usedmore » to analyze morphological structure alteration when exposed to intense weathering. The biodegradability of bio-composites up to 97 days was also investigated; the results indicate that, by increasing the filler content, the amount of weight loss increased as well. In other words, even though the addition of sawdust to thermoplastic polymer improves the mechanical performance of a composite material, it also accelerates the biodegradation rate of the composite. An optimum amount of filler content might compromise the effect of biodegradation and mechanical properties of composite materials.« less

A Content Standard for Computational Models; Digital Rights Management (DRM) Architectures; A Digital Object Approach to Interoperable Rights Management: Finely-Grained Policy Enforcement Enabled by a Digital Object Infrastructure; LOCKSS: A Permanent Web Publishing and Access System; Tapestry of Time and Terrain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Linda L.; Crosier, Scott J.; Smith, Terrence R.; Goodchild, Michael; Iannella, Renato; Erickson, John S.; Reich, Vicky; Rosenthal, David S. H.

2001-01-01

Includes five articles. Topics include requirements for a content standard to describe computational models; architectures for digital rights management systems; access control for digital information objects; LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) that allows libraries to run Web caches for specific journals; and a Web site from the U.S.…

[The determination of the natural content of chemical elements in human biological objects (liver, kidney, stomach) by mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma].

PubMed

Luzanova, I S; Svetlolobov, D Iu; Zorin, Iu V

2014-01-01

The objective of the present work was to continue the studies of the sites of concentration of the chemical elements corresponding to normal homeostasis in human biological objects by mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma. The study yielded the data on the natural content of 27 elements in the cadaveric liver, kidney, and stomach. It is recommended to use these findings as the reference parameters corresponding to normal homeostasis.

Effects of alfalfa meal on carcase quality and fat metabolism of Muscovy ducks.

PubMed

Jiang, J F; Song, X M; Huang, X; Wu, J L; Zhou, W D; Zheng, H C; Jiang, Y Q

2012-01-01

1. The effects of alfalfa meal on carcase quality and fat metabolism of Muscovy duck were evaluated. The objective of this research was to establish whether alfalfa meal can reduce fat content and improve carcase quality of Muscovy duck. Animal products with a high fat content present a risk factor for many diseases. Reducing fat content in poultry products is an important goal for the poultry industry. 2. A total of 240 14-d-old white Muscovy ducks were selected and randomly allocated to 1 of 4 dietary treatments containing 0, 3, 6, and 9% of alfalfa meal for 5 weeks. Growth performances were recorded and carcase characteristics and lipid parameters were analysed. 3. Results showed that 3, 6, and 9% alfalfa meal in diet had no significant effects on growth performance of Muscovy ducks from 14 to 49 d of age. Ducks given 3, 6, and 9% alfalfa meal had significantly higher dressing percentage and lower abdominal fat percentage compared with those given no alfalfa meal. Ducks given 9% alfalfa meal had higher breast meat percentage compared with those given no alfalfa meal. The concentrations of triglyceride, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and free fatty acid in serum of ducks fed on alfalfa meal decreased. Alfalfa meal in the diet decreased abdominal fat percentage and improved carcase traits of Muscovy duck. 4. The study showed that dietary alfalfa meal decreased abdominal fat percentage and improved carcase traits, without an adverse effect on performance.

Examining the Alignment of Subject Learning Outcomes and Course Curricula through Curriculum Mapping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lam, Bick-Har; Tsui, Kwok-Tung

2013-01-01

Content analysis has been used to conduct curriculum mapping to map the course objectives, course content, and the assessment tasks of 14 compulsory courses, onto the five Subject Learning Objective (SLO) factors of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (DC&I) in a teacher education institution in Hong Kong. The results show that the…

Resolving model parameter values from carbon and nitrogen stock measurements in a wide range of tropical mature forests using nonlinear inversion and regression trees

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liu, S.; Anderson, P.; Zhou, G.; Kauffman, B.; Hughes, F.; Schimel, D.; Watson, Vicente; Tosi, Joseph

2008-01-01

Objectively assessing the performance of a model and deriving model parameter values from observations are critical and challenging in landscape to regional modeling. In this paper, we applied a nonlinear inversion technique to calibrate the ecosystem model CENTURY against carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stock measurements collected from 39 mature tropical forest sites in seven life zones in Costa Rica. Net primary productivity from the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), C and N stocks in aboveground live biomass, litter, coarse woody debris (CWD), and in soils were used to calibrate the model. To investigate the resolution of available observations on the number of adjustable parameters, inversion was performed using nine setups of adjustable parameters. Statistics including observation sensitivity, parameter correlation coefficient, parameter sensitivity, and parameter confidence limits were used to evaluate the information content of observations, resolution of model parameters, and overall model performance. Results indicated that soil organic carbon content, soil nitrogen content, and total aboveground biomass carbon had the highest information contents, while measurements of carbon in litter and nitrogen in CWD contributed little to the parameter estimation processes. The available information could resolve the values of 2-4 parameters. Adjusting just one parameter resulted in under-fitting and unacceptable model performance, while adjusting five parameters simultaneously led to over-fitting. Results further indicated that the MODIS NPP values were compressed as compared with the spatial variability of net primary production (NPP) values inferred from inverse modeling. Using inverse modeling to infer NPP and other sensitive model parameters from C and N stock observations provides an opportunity to utilize data collected by national to regional forest inventory systems to reduce the uncertainties in the carbon cycle and generate valuable databases to validate and improve MODIS NPP algorithms.

Utilization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in bituminous mixture for improved performance of roads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, A. F.; Razali, A. R.; Razelan, I. S. M.; Jalil, S. S. A.; Noh, M. S. M.; Idris, A. A.

2017-05-01

Plastic bottle for recycling can be found from the household waste stream, and most of them are made from Polyethylene Terephthalate. In this research, PET is utilized to explore the potential prospects to upgrade asphalt mixture properties. The objectives include deciding the best measure of PET to be used. For experimental, Marshall mix design was utilized to determine the ideal bitumen binder content and to test the modified mixture properties. The samples were created per the requirement for aggregate course wearing (ACW14) using the Standard Specification of Road Work (SSRW) in Malaysia. 20 samples were utilized to determine the binder content, and 30 samples were used to research the impact of modifying asphalt mixtures. 2%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of PET by weight of the optimum binder content (4.8%) were tested. Optimum PET content is 10%, and the result shows a good stability with 16.824kN, 2.32g/cm3 bulk density, void filled with bitumen (VFB) with 71.35%, flow with 3.2248mm, air void (AV) with 4.53%, and void of mineral aggregate (VMA) with 15.15%. The outcomes showed that PET modifier gives better engineering properties. Therefore, 10% of PET by the weight of binder content was suggested as the best amount of the modifier.

Development of national standardized all-hazard disaster core competencies for acute care physicians, nurses, and EMS professionals.

PubMed

Schultz, Carl H; Koenig, Kristi L; Whiteside, Mary; Murray, Rick

2012-03-01

The training of medical personnel to provide care for disaster victims is a priority for the physician community, the federal government, and society as a whole. Course development for such training guided by well-accepted standardized core competencies is lacking, however. This project identified a set of core competencies and performance objectives based on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required by the specific target audience (emergency department nurses, emergency physicians, and out-of-hospital emergency medical services personnel) to ensure they can treat the injuries and illnesses experienced by victims of disasters regardless of cause. The core competencies provide a blueprint for the development or refinement of disaster training courses. This expert consensus project, supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, incorporated an all-hazard, comprehensive emergency management approach addressing every type of disaster to minimize the effect on the public's health. An instructional systems design process was used to guide the development of audience-appropriate competencies and performance objectives. Participants, representing multiple academic and provider organizations, used a modified Delphi approach to achieve consensus on recommendations. A framework of 19 content categories (domains), 19 core competencies, and more than 90 performance objectives was developed for acute medical care personnel to address the requirements of effective all-hazards disaster response. Creating disaster curricula and training based on the core competencies and performance objectives identified in this article will ensure that acute medical care personnel are prepared to treat patients and address associated ramifications/consequences during any catastrophic event. Copyright © 2012 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Correlations between iron content in knee joint tissues and chosen indices of peripheral blood morphology.

PubMed

Brodziak-Dopierała, Barbara; Roczniak, Wojciech; Jakóbik-Kolon, Agata; Kluczka, Joanna; Koczy, Bogdan; Kwapuliński, Jerzy; Babuśka-Roczniak, Magdalena

2017-10-01

Iron as a cofactor of enzymes takes part in the synthesis of the bone matrix. Severe deficiency of iron reduces the strength and mineral density of bones, whereas its excess may increase oxidative stress. In this context, it is essential to determine the iron content in knee joint tissues. The study objective was to determine the level of iron in the tissues of the knee joint, i.e., in the femoral bone, tibia and meniscus. Material for analysis was obtained during endoprosthetic surgery of the knee joint. Within the knee joint, the tibia, femur and meniscus were analyzed. Samples were collected from 50 patients, including 36 women and 14 men. The determination of iron content was performed with the ICP-AES method, using Varian 710-ES. The lowest iron content was in the tibia (27.04 μg/g), then in the meniscus (38.68 μg/g) and the highest in the femur (41.93 μg/g). Statistically significant differences were noted in the content of iron in knee joint tissues. In patients who underwent endoprosthesoplasty of the knee joint, statistically significant differences were found in the levels of iron in various components of the knee joint. The highest iron content was found in the femoral bone of the knee joint and then in the meniscus, the lowest in the tibia. The differences in iron content in the knee joint between women and men were not statistically significant.

Structured academic discussions through an online education-specific platform to improve Pharm.D. students learning outcomes.

PubMed

Kolluru, Srikanth; Varughese, James T

To facilitate active academic discussions using an online, education-centered platform and reinforce concepts, in order to improve overall course outcomes. A third year integrated pharmacotherapy course was enrolled on an online searchable platform, Piazza®, to facilitate academic discussions. Students could ask, answer, and explore content, and build on submitted answers in wiki style in collaboration. Instructor posted learning objectives, endorsed student responses with correct answers and led follow-up discussions. Review sessions were conducted on this platform before all major exams. A student t-test was used to compare class performance with those of previous years. In a post-activity qualitative survey, most students appreciated the less stressful, online interaction with peers and faculty. For 15 medicinal chemistry course hours, there were 83 posts on Piazza® with 303 total contributions, 107 student responses, and 546min of group discussion time. 94% of questions received student responses and 89% of those were endorsed by the instructor. Students enjoyed pre-exam discussions, organization of the page, and reinforcing material on complex learning objectives. This discussion forum fostered personal exploration of content by the students, which led to better performance on examinations. Involving the use of an online, education-centered platform for student discussions was an effective means of increasing class engagement with the course material. Student performance on exams was significantly improved in both cohorts that utilized active learning compared to the cohort without active learning (p=0.001 and p= 0.002 respectively). Piazza® can be utilized for any course and across disciplines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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.

A Receptor-Grounded Approach to Teaching Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drug Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationships

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Objective To describe a receptor-based approach to promote learning about nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) chemistry, structure-activity relationships, and therapeutic decision-making. Design Three lessons on cyclooxygenase (COX) and NSAID chemistry, and NSAID therapeutic utility, were developed using text-based resources and primary medicinal chemistry and pharmacy practice literature. Learning tools were developed to assist students in content mastery. Assessment Student learning was evaluated via performance on quizzes and examinations that measured understanding of COX and NSAID chemistry, and the application of that knowledge to therapeutic problem solving. Conclusion Student performance on NSAID-focused quizzes and examinations documented the success of this approach. PMID:20221336

Internal structural changes in keratin fibres resulting from combined hair waving and stress relaxation treatments: a Raman spectroscopic investigation.

PubMed

Kuzuhara, A

2016-04-01

The objective of our research was to investigate the influence of chemical treatments (reduction, stress relaxation and oxidation) on hair keratin fibres. The structure of cross-sections at various depths of virgin white human hair resulting from permanent waving treatments with stress relaxation process was directly analysed at a molecular level using Raman spectroscopy. In particular, the three disulphide (-SS-) conformations in human hair were compared by S-S band analysis. The gauche-gauche-gauche (GGG) and gauche-gauche-trans (GGT) contents of -SS- groups remarkably decreased, while the trans-gauche-trans (TGT) content was not changed by performing the reduction process with thioglycolic acid. In addition, the high-temperature stress relaxation process after reduction accelerated the disconnection of -SS- (GGG and GGT) groups in the human hair, while the low-temperature stress relaxation process after reduction accelerated the reconnection of -SS- (GGG and GGT) groups. Moreover, the S-O band intensity at 1042 cm(-1) , assigned to cysteic acid, existing in the cuticle region and the surface of the cortex region increased, while the GGG content significantly decreased by performing the oxidation process after the reduction and the high-temperature stress relaxation processes. The author concluded that the high-temperature relaxation process after reduction accelerated the disconnection of -SS- (GGG and GGT) groups, thereby leading to the remarkable local molecular disorganization (an increase in the cysteic acid content and a decrease in the GGG content) on the cuticle and cortex cells during the oxidation process. © 2015 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

Content Validity Index and Intra- and Inter-Rater Reliability of a New Muscle Strength/Endurance Test Battery for Swedish Soldiers

PubMed Central

Larsson, Helena; Tegern, Matthias; Monnier, Andreas; Skoglund, Jörgen; Helander, Charlotte; Persson, Emelie; Malm, Christer; Broman, Lisbet; Aasa, Ulrika

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the content validity of commonly used muscle performance tests in military personnel and to investigate the reliability of a proposed test battery. For the content validity investigation, thirty selected tests were those described in the literature and/or commonly used in the Nordic and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries. Nine selected experts rated, on a four-point Likert scale, the relevance of these tests in relation to five different work tasks: lifting, carrying equipment on the body or in the hands, climbing, and digging. Thereafter, a content validity index (CVI) was calculated for each work task. The result showed excellent CVI (≥0.78) for sixteen tests, which comprised of one or more of the military work tasks. Three of the tests; the functional lower-limb loading test (the Ranger test), dead-lift with kettlebells, and back extension, showed excellent content validity for four of the work tasks. For the development of a new muscle strength/endurance test battery, these three tests were further supplemented with two other tests, namely, the chins and side-bridge test. The inter-rater reliability was high (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC2,1 0.99) for all five tests. The intra-rater reliability was good to high (ICC3,1 0.82–0.96) with an acceptable standard error of mean (SEM), except for the side-bridge test (SEM%>15). Thus, the final suggested test battery for a valid and reliable evaluation of soldiers’ muscle performance comprised the following four tests; the Ranger test, dead-lift with kettlebells, chins, and back extension test. The criterion-related validity of the test battery should be further evaluated for soldiers exposed to varying physical workload. PMID:26177030

The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal: Usability Evaluation of a Unique Evidence-Based Health Information Website

PubMed Central

Dobbins, Maureen; Haynes, R. Brian; Iorio, Alfonso; Lavis, John N; Raina, Parminder

2016-01-01

Background Increasingly, older adults and their informal caregivers are using the Internet to search for health-related information. There is a proliferation of health information online, but the quality of this information varies, often based on exaggerated or dramatic findings, and not easily comprehended by consumers. The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (Portal) was developed to provide Internet users with high-quality evidence about aging and address some of these current limitations of health information posted online. The Portal includes content for health professionals coming from three best-in-class resources (MacPLUS, Health Evidence, and Health Systems Evidence) and four types of content specifically prepared for the general public (Evidence Summaries, Web Resource Ratings, Blog Posts, and Twitter messages). Objective Our objectives were to share the findings of the usability evaluation of the Portal with particular focus on the content features for the general public and to inform designers of health information websites and online resources for older adults about key usability themes. Methods Data analysis included task performance during usability testing and qualitative content analyses of both the usability sessions and interviews to identify core themes. Results A total of 37 participants took part in 33 usability testing sessions and 21 focused interviews. Qualitative analysis revealed common themes regarding the Portal’s strengths and challenges to usability. The strengths of the website were related to credibility, applicability, browsing function, design, and accessibility. The usability challenges included reluctance to register, process of registering, searching, terminology, and technical features. Conclusions The study reinforced the importance of including end users during the development of this unique, dynamic, evidence-based health information website. The feedback was applied to iteratively improve website usability. Our findings can be applied by designers of health-related websites. PMID:27170443

Addressing the NASM health and safety standard through curricular changes in a brass methods course: an outcome study.

PubMed

Laursen, Amy; Chesky, Kris

2014-09-01

The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) recently ratified a new health and safety standard requiring schools of music to inform students about health concerns related to music. While organizations such as the Performing Arts Medicine Association have developed advisories, the exact implementation is the prerogative of the institution. One possible approach is to embed health education activities into existing methods courses that are routinely offered to music education majors. This may influence student awareness, knowledge, and the perception of competency and responsibility for addressing health risks associated with learning and performing musical instruments. Unfortunately, there are no known lesson plans or curriculum guides for supporting such activities. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to (1) develop course objectives and content that can be applied to a preexisting brass methods course, (2) implement course objectives into a semester-long brass methods course, and (3) test the effectiveness of this intervention on students' awareness, knowledge, perception of competency, and responsibly of health risks that are related to learning and performing brass instruments. Results showcase the potential for modifying methods courses without compromising the other objectives of the course. Additionally, students' awareness, knowledge, perception of competency, and responsibility were positively influenced as measured by changes in pre to post responses to survey group questions.

Using FT-NIR spectroscopy technique to determine arginine content in fermented Cordyceps sinensis mycelium.

PubMed

Xie, Chuanqi; Xu, Ning; Shao, Yongni; He, Yong

2015-01-01

This research investigated the feasibility of using Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectral technique for determining arginine content in fermented Cordyceps sinensis (C. sinensis) mycelium. Three different models were carried out to predict the arginine content. Wavenumber selection methods such as competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) and successive projections algorithm (SPA) were used to identify the most important wavenumbers and reduce the high dimensionality of the raw spectral data. Only a few wavenumbers were selected by CARS and CARS-SPA as the optimal wavenumbers, respectively. Among the prediction models, CARS-least squares-support vector machine (CARS-LS-SVM) model performed best with the highest values of the coefficient of determination of prediction (Rp(2)=0.8370) and residual predictive deviation (RPD=2.4741), the lowest value of root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP=0.0841). Moreover, the number of the input variables was forty-five, which only accounts for 2.04% of that of the full wavenumbers. The results showed that FT-NIR spectral technique has the potential to be an objective and non-destructive method to detect arginine content in fermented C. sinensis mycelium. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Analysis of the Content and Questions of the Physics Textbooks of the Basic Education Level (Ages 13-15) in Libya.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khoja, Suleiman; Ventura, Frank

1997-01-01

Determines the extent physics textbooks contribute to physics teaching objectives and knowledge acquisition in Libya. Analysis of seventh- through ninth-grade physics textbooks and cognitive demand shows a limited effect of textbook content on knowledge acquisition and educational objectives. Suggestions are made for promoting the acquisition of…

Consumer Support for Policies to Reduce the Sodium Content in School Cafeterias

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patel, Sheena M.; Gunn, Janelle P.; Merlo, Caitlin L.; Tong, Xin; Cogswell, Mary E.

2014-01-01

Purpose/Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess consumer support for policies lowering the sodium content of cafeteria foods in schools. Methods: Data were used from 9,634 adults aged >18 years who responded to questions about sodium in general and in school foods in a 2010 national mail panel survey. Prevalence of consumer…

An Analysis of Implementation Issues for the Searchable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) in Navy Education and Training

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-09-01

content objects to be used and reused within civilian and military education and training Learning Management Systems (LMS) across the World Wide Web...to be used and reused within civilian and military education and training Learning Management Systems (LMS) across the World Wide Web. vi...1998, SUBJECT: ENHANCING LEARNING AND EDUCATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

Perceptual salience affects the contents of working memory during free-recollection of objects from natural scenes

PubMed Central

Pedale, Tiziana; Santangelo, Valerio

2015-01-01

One of the most important issues in the study of cognition is to understand which are the factors determining internal representation of the external world. Previous literature has started to highlight the impact of low-level sensory features (indexed by saliency-maps) in driving attention selection, hence increasing the probability for objects presented in complex and natural scenes to be successfully encoded into working memory (WM) and then correctly remembered. Here we asked whether the probability of retrieving high-saliency objects modulates the overall contents of WM, by decreasing the probability of retrieving other, lower-saliency objects. We presented pictures of natural scenes for 4 s. After a retention period of 8 s, we asked participants to verbally report as many objects/details as possible of the previous scenes. We then computed how many times the objects located at either the peak of maximal or minimal saliency in the scene (as indexed by a saliency-map; Itti et al., 1998) were recollected by participants. Results showed that maximal-saliency objects were recollected more often and earlier in the stream of successfully reported items than minimal-saliency objects. This indicates that bottom-up sensory salience increases the recollection probability and facilitates the access to memory representation at retrieval, respectively. Moreover, recollection of the maximal- (but not the minimal-) saliency objects predicted the overall amount of successfully recollected objects: The higher the probability of having successfully reported the most-salient object in the scene, the lower the amount of recollected objects. These findings highlight that bottom-up sensory saliency modulates the current contents of WM during recollection of objects from natural scenes, most likely by reducing available resources to encode and then retrieve other (lower saliency) objects. PMID:25741266

Genethics: project accountability via evaluation of teacher and student growth.

PubMed

Hendrix, J R; Mertens, T R

1992-10-01

Accountability through demonstrated learning is increasingly being demanded by agencies funding science education projects. For example, the National Science Foundation requires evidence of the educational impact of programs designed to increase the scientific understanding and competencies of teachers and their students. The purpose of this paper is to share our human genetics educational experiences and accountability model with colleagues interested in serving the genetics educational needs of in-service secondary school science teachers and their students. Our accountability model is facilitated through (1) identifying the educational needs of the population of teachers to be served, (2) articulating goals and measurable objectives to meet these needs, and (3) then designing and implementing pretest/posttest questions to measure whether the objectives have been achieved. Comparison of entry and exit levels of performance on a 50-item test showed that teacher-participants learned a statistically significant amount of genetics content in our NSF-funded workshops. Teachers, in turn, administered a 25-item pretest/posttest to their secondary school students, and collective data from 121 classrooms across the United States revealed statistically significant increases in student knowledge of genetics content. Methods describing our attempts to evaluate teachers' use of pedagogical techniques and bioethical decision-making skills are briefly addressed.

Development of an instrument to measure the use of behaviors taught in the American Physical Therapy Association Clinical Instructor Education and Credentialing Program (APTA CIECP): a pilot study.

PubMed

Bridges, Patricia H; Carter, Vincent; Rehm, Stephanie; Tintl, Sara Bowers; Halperin, Rebecca; Kniesly, Elizabeth; Pelino, Soni

2013-01-01

Conduct a pilot study to establish the reliability and validity of a survey instrument that directly measures the objectives and content of the APTA CIECP; and measure the self-reported frequency of use of the behaviors taught in the APTA CIECP. Eighteen (18) APTA credentialed CIs. Develop a web-based survey consisting of 58 items representative of the behaviors taught in the APTA CIECP and 8 demographic characteristics. Establish the content validity and reliability of the survey instrument. Conduct a descriptive analysis of the frequency of self-reported use of the behaviors. The APTA Clinical Instructor Education Board (CIEB) reviewed the items and determined that the items matched the objectives and content of the APTA CIECP, thereby establishing content validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.79-0.90 confirmed the reliability. The overall mean for all items on a 1-6 scale was 4.81. The content validity and reliability of the survey instrument were established. The outcomes of this pilot study suggest that when measured by a valid and reliable instrument that is representative of the objectives and content of the CIECP, the behaviors taught in the CIECP are being applied in the clinical setting by APTA credentialed clinical instructors.

Quality Issues and Standards of E-Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nachimuthu, K.; Vijayakumari, G.

2007-01-01

The objectives of the e-content development by the UGC are; (a) Generation of e-content, in all subjects, (b) Development of teachers and experts resources in e-journal creation; (c) Distribution of the e-content to teachers and students from formal and non-formal; educational modes, for supplementing and complementing professional teaching and…

Energy-Efficient Hosting Rich Content from Mobile Platforms with Relative Proximity Sensing.

PubMed

Park, Ki-Woong; Lee, Younho; Baek, Sung Hoon

2017-08-08

In this paper, we present a tiny networked mobile platform, termed Tiny-Web-Thing ( T-Wing ), which allows the sharing of data-intensive content among objects in cyber physical systems. The object includes mobile platforms like a smartphone, and Internet of Things (IoT) platforms for Human-to-Human (H2H), Human-to-Machine (H2M), Machine-to-Human (M2H), and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications. T-Wing makes it possible to host rich web content directly on their objects, which nearby objects can access instantaneously. Using a new mechanism that allows the Wi-Fi interface of the object to be turned on purely on-demand, T-Wing achieves very high energy efficiency. We have implemented T-Wing on an embedded board, and present evaluation results from our testbed. From the evaluation result of T-Wing , we compare our system against alternative approaches to implement this functionality using only the cellular or Wi-Fi (but not both), and show that in typical usage, T-Wing consumes less than 15× the energy and is faster by an order of magnitude.

Medical Content Searching, Retrieving, and Sharing Over the Internet: Lessons Learned From the mEducator Through a Scenario-Based Evaluation

PubMed Central

Spachos, Dimitris; Mylläri, Jarkko; Giordano, Daniela; Dafli, Eleni; Mitsopoulou, Evangelia; Schizas, Christos N; Pattichis, Constantinos; Nikolaidou, Maria

2015-01-01

Background The mEducator Best Practice Network (BPN) implemented and extended standards and reference models in e-learning to develop innovative frameworks as well as solutions that enable specialized state-of-the-art medical educational content to be discovered, retrieved, shared, and re-purposed across European Institutions, targeting medical students, doctors, educators and health care professionals. Scenario-based evaluation for usability testing, complemented with data from online questionnaires and field notes of users’ performance, was designed and utilized for the evaluation of these solutions. Objective The objective of this work is twofold: (1) to describe one instantiation of the mEducator BPN solutions (mEducator3.0 - “MEdical Education LINnked Arena” MELINA+) with a focus on the metadata schema used, as well as on other aspects of the system that pertain to usability and acceptance, and (2) to present evaluation results on the suitability of the proposed metadata schema for searching, retrieving, and sharing of medical content and with respect to the overall usability and acceptance of the system from the target users. Methods A comprehensive evaluation methodology framework was developed and applied to four case studies, which were conducted in four different countries (ie, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania), with a total of 126 participants. In these case studies, scenarios referring to creating, sharing, and retrieving medical educational content using mEducator3.0 were used. The data were collected through two online questionnaires, consisting of 36 closed-ended questions and two open-ended questions that referred to mEducator 3.0 and through the use of field notes during scenario-based evaluations. Results The main findings of the study showed that even though the informational needs of the mEducator target groups were addressed to a satisfactory extent and the metadata schema supported content creation, sharing, and retrieval from an end-user perspective, users faced difficulties in achieving a shared understanding of the meaning of some metadata fields and in correctly managing the intellectual property rights of repurposed content. Conclusions The results of this evaluation impact researchers, medical professionals, and designers interested in using similar systems for educational content sharing in medical and other domains. Recommendations on how to improve the search, retrieval, identification, and obtaining of medical resources are provided, by addressing issues of content description metadata, content description procedures, and intellectual property rights for re-purposed content. PMID:26453250

Exploring Characterizations of Learning Object Repositories Using Data Mining Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Segura, Alejandra; Vidal, Christian; Menendez, Victor; Zapata, Alfredo; Prieto, Manuel

Learning object repositories provide a platform for the sharing of Web-based educational resources. As these repositories evolve independently, it is difficult for users to have a clear picture of the kind of contents they give access to. Metadata can be used to automatically extract a characterization of these resources by using machine learning techniques. This paper presents an exploratory study carried out in the contents of four public repositories that uses clustering and association rule mining algorithms to extract characterizations of repository contents. The results of the analysis include potential relationships between different attributes of learning objects that may be useful to gain an understanding of the kind of resources available and eventually develop search mechanisms that consider repository descriptions as a criteria in federated search.

Performing masculinity, influencing health: a qualitative mixed-methods study of young Spanish men

PubMed Central

Marcos, Jorge Marcos; Avilés, Nuria Romo; Lozano, María del Río; Cuadros, Juan Palomares; Calvente, María del Mar García

2013-01-01

Background The literature shows how gender mandates contribute to differences in exposure and vulnerability to certain health risk factors. This paper presents the results of a study developed in the south of Spain, where research aimed at understanding men from a gender perspective is still limited. Objective The aim of this paper is to explore the lay perceptions and meanings ascribed to the idea of masculinity, identifying ways in which gender displays are related to health. Design The study is based on a mixed-methods data collection strategy typical of qualitative research. We performed a qualitative content analysis focused on manifest and latent content. Results Our analysis showed that the relationship between masculinity and health was mainly defined with regard to behavioural explanations with an evident performative meaning. With regard to issues such as driving, the use of recreational drugs, aggressive behaviour, sexuality, and body image, important connections were established between manhood acts and health outcomes. Different ways of understanding and performing the male identity also emerged from the results. The findings revealed the implications of these aspects in the processes of change in the identity codes of men and women. Conclusions The study provides insights into how the category ‘man’ is highly dependent on collective practices and performative acts. Consideration of how males perform manhood acts might be required in guidance on the development of programmes and policies aimed at addressing gender inequalities in health in a particular local context. PMID:24044583

Relationship of resident characteristics, attitudes, prior training and clinical knowledge to communication skills performance.

PubMed

Laidlaw, Toni Suzuki; Kaufman, David M; MacLeod, Heather; van Zanten, Sander; Simpson, David; Wrixon, William

2006-01-01

A substantial body of literature demonstrates that communication skills in medicine can be taught and retained through teaching and practice. Considerable evidence also reveals that characteristics such as gender, age, language and attitudes affect communication skills performance. Our study examined the characteristics, attitudes and prior communication skills training of residents to determine the relationship of each to patient-doctor communication. The relationship between communication skills proficiency and clinical knowledge application (biomedical and ethical) was also examined through the use of doctor-developed clinical content checklists, as very little research has been conducted in this area. A total of 78 first- and second-year residents across all departments at Dalhousie Medical School participated in a videotaped 4-station objective structured clinical examination presenting a range of communication and clinical knowledge challenges. A variety of instruments were used to gather information and assess performance. Two expert raters evaluated the videotapes. Significant relationships were observed between resident characteristics, prior communication skills training, clinical knowledge and communication skills performance. Females, younger residents and residents with English as first language scored significantly higher, as did residents with prior communication skills training. A significant positive relationship was found between the clinical content checklist and communication performance. Gender was the only characteristic related significantly to attitudes. Gender, age, language and prior communication skills training are related to communication skills performance and have implications for resident education. The positive relationship between communication skills proficiency and clinical knowledge application is important and should be explored further.

Adapting the ISO 20462 softcopy ruler method for online image quality studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burns, Peter D.; Phillips, Jonathan B.; Williams, Don

2013-01-01

In this paper we address the problem of Image Quality Assessment of no reference metrics, focusing on JPEG corrupted images. In general no reference metrics are not able to measure with the same performance the distortions within their possible range and with respect to different image contents. The crosstalk between content and distortion signals influences the human perception. We here propose two strategies to improve the correlation between subjective and objective quality data. The first strategy is based on grouping the images according to their spatial complexity. The second one is based on a frequency analysis. Both the strategies are tested on two databases available in the literature. The results show an improvement in the correlations between no reference metrics and psycho-visual data, evaluated in terms of the Pearson Correlation Coefficient.

Development, implementation, and evaluation of an energy and power unit of instruction for junior high school industrial arts/technology education programs

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

Litowitz, L.S.

The unit of instruction was developed and refined in three stages. In the first stage, potential objectives for the unit of instruction were identified from appropriate literature. The objectives were mailed to a group primarily consisting of IA/TE state supervisors for critiquing. Upon receiving responses from the critique group, a revised list of objectives was created. From this revised list a content framework was developed. The content framework was then submitted for critiquing to a second group primarily consisting of energy and power curriculum developers. The responses from the second critique group were summarized, and a refined content framework wasmore » produced. A series of twelve hand-on learning activities for junior high school students were then developed to fulfill the unit objectives and concepts identified in the content framework. These activities were critiqued by a final group of experts representing in-service junior high school IA/TE teachers. Revisions to the unit of instruction were made based on feedback from the final critique group. The unit of instruction was then implemented in a junior high school setting as a final means of obtaining formative evaluation. Results of the formative evaluation indicated that the students who participated in the field test had met many of the unit objectives. Recommendations as to the use of the unit of instruction were made.« less

Qualitation and quantification of specific polysaccharides from Panax species using GC-MS, saccharide mapping and HPSEC-RID-MALLS.

PubMed

Cheong, Kit-Leong; Wu, Ding-Tao; Deng, Yong; Leong, Fong; Zhao, Jing; Zhang, Wen-Jie; Li, Shao-Ping

2016-11-20

The objective of this study was to qualify and quantify the specific polysaccharides in Panax spp. The analyses of specific polysaccharides were performed by using GC-MS, saccharide mapping and high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) coupled with multi angle laser light scattering (MALLS) and refractive index detector (RID). Results showed that compositional monosaccharides were the same in different species of Panax and composed of rhamnose, arabinose, galacturonic acid, mannose, glucose, and galactose. Saccharide mapping results showed that glycosides linkages, which existed in specific polysaccharides from Panax spp., were similar. Additionally, the content of specific polysaccharides of P. ginseng, P. notoginseng and P. quinquefolium were 17.9-20.5mg/g, 11.9-15.0mg/g, and 9.9-13.3mg/g, respectively. P. ginseng, P. notoginseng, and P. quinquefolium could be clustered into three groups using both hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The results possessed great potential in characterization and content determination of specific polysaccharides in Panax spp. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of Polyphosphoric Acid on the Consistency and Composition of Formulated Bitumen: Standard Characterization and NMR Insights

PubMed Central

Varanda, Catarina; Ribeiro, Jorge

2016-01-01

Over the recent years, bitumen modification with polymers, acids, or mineral fillers has gained relevance to adjust its performance properties. This work reports the use of polyphosphoric acid (PPA) for the modification of formulated bitumen. With this objective, an in-depth literature review on PPA modification was firstly performed. Subsequently, five individual refinery components were selected for the preparation of bitumen blends, namely, asphaltic residue, vacuum residue, and three lube oils extracts. Seven binary/ternary bitumen blends were prepared and then treated with PPA. Afterwards, the five components and the unmodified and PPA-modified bitumen were characterized by standard methods (penetration, softening point, and penetration index), SARA analysis, elemental analysis, and 31P and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The results evidenced higher asphaltenes and lower saturates/resins contents in PPA-modified bitumen. The NMR data suggest that the paraffinic chains became longer, the content of condensed aromatics increased, more substituted aromatic structures appeared, and α-hydrogen in aromatic structures diminished. These findings disclosed the improved consistency and oxidation stability of PPA-modified bitumen blends. PMID:27579214

Quantifying Narrative Ability in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Computational Linguistic Analysis of Narrative Coherence

PubMed Central

Losh, Molly; Gordon, Peter C.

2014-01-01

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties with social communication and functioning, and ritualistic/repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). While substantial heterogeneity exists in symptom expression, impairments in language discourse skills, including narrative, are universally observed (Tager-Flusberg, Paul, & Lord, 2005). This study applied a computational linguistic tool, Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA), to objectively characterize narrative performance in ASD across two narrative contexts differing in interpersonal and cognitive demands. Results indicated that individuals with ASD produced narratives comparable in semantic content to those from controls when narrating from a picture book, but produced narratives diminished in semantic quality in a more demanding narrative recall task. Results are discussed in terms of the utility of LSA as a quantitative, objective, and efficient measure of narrative ability. PMID:24915929

Importance of strategy in social media: getting the most out of your post

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohon, W.; Sumy, D. F.

2016-12-01

Social media is playing an ever-increasing role in informal science education due to its broad and ubiquitous reach, low overhead costs and versatility. However, to fully capitalize on the educational potential and dissemination capabilities of social media platforms, science organizations with a social media presence must move forward with an effective strategy that clearly outlines their audience, goals, messaging, content and growth objectives. It is also imperative that organizations perform a regular, rigorous evaluation of social media platform performance and conduct user engagement surveys and that they utilize this information to improve online performance and engagement. Here, we examine the IRIS EPO Facebook and Twitter platforms before and after the adoption of a more formal and detailed social media strategy. Some of the most effective growth tools thus far have been the content posting schedule, content media type guidelines and periodic platform performance evaluation. We also examine the results of a user survey assessing the efficacy of the IRIS social media presence. In the 8 months since the implementation of the new, more rigorous social media strategy the IRIS Facebook page following has grown by more than 90% and the Twitter page following has increased by almost 75%. This is a significant increase in growth as compared to the preceding years, which corresponds to significant increase in reach (Figure 1). By implementing a defined strategy with clear goals, scientific organizations can fully harness the educational potential offered by social media networks. [Figure 1: Facebook provided metrics showing the reach of the IRIS EPO Facebook page between 7/21/2014 and 7/22/2016. Although there are spikes in post reach in 2015 corresponding to newsworthy earthquake events, a significant increase in sustained reach occurred beginning in Dec of 2105 when the IRIS social media strategy was implemented.

A Neural Network Architecture For Rapid Model Indexing In Computer Vision Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawlicki, Ted

1988-03-01

Models of objects stored in memory have been shown to be useful for guiding the processing of computer vision systems. A major consideration in such systems, however, is how stored models are initially accessed and indexed by the system. As the number of stored models increases, the time required to search memory for the correct model becomes high. Parallel distributed, connectionist, neural networks' have been shown to have appealing content addressable memory properties. This paper discusses an architecture for efficient storage and reference of model memories stored as stable patterns of activity in a parallel, distributed, connectionist, neural network. The emergent properties of content addressability and resistance to noise are exploited to perform indexing of the appropriate object centered model from image centered primitives. The system consists of three network modules each of which represent information relative to a different frame of reference. The model memory network is a large state space vector where fields in the vector correspond to ordered component objects and relative, object based spatial relationships between the component objects. The component assertion network represents evidence about the existence of object primitives in the input image. It establishes local frames of reference for object primitives relative to the image based frame of reference. The spatial relationship constraint network is an intermediate representation which enables the association between the object based and the image based frames of reference. This intermediate level represents information about possible object orderings and establishes relative spatial relationships from the image based information in the component assertion network below. It is also constrained by the lawful object orderings in the model memory network above. The system design is consistent with current psychological theories of recognition by component. It also seems to support Marr's notions of hierarchical indexing. (i.e. the specificity, adjunct, and parent indices) It supports the notion that multiple canonical views of an object may have to be stored in memory to enable its efficient identification. The use of variable fields in the state space vectors appears to keep the number of required nodes in the network down to a tractable number while imposing a semantic value on different areas of the state space. This semantic imposition supports an interface between the analogical aspects of neural networks and the propositional paradigms of symbolic processing.

Effects of whole-plant corn silage hybrid type on intake, digestion, ruminal fermentation, and lactation performance by dairy cows through a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Ferraretto, L F; Shaver, R D

2015-04-01

Understanding the effect of whole-plant corn silage (WPCS) hybrids in dairy cattle diets may allow for better decisions on hybrid selection by dairy producers, as well as indicate potential strategies for the seed corn industry with regard to WPCS hybrids. Therefore, the objective of this study was to perform a meta-analysis using literature data on the effects of WPCS hybrid type on intake, digestibility, rumen fermentation, and lactation performance by dairy cows. The meta-analysis was performed using a data set of 162 treatment means from 48 peer-reviewed articles published between 1995 and 2014. Hybrids were divided into 3 categories before analysis. Comparative analysis of WPCS hybrid types differing in stalk characteristics were in 4 categories: conventional, dual-purpose, isogenic, or low-normal fiber digestibility (CONS), brown midrib (BMR), hybrids with greater NDF but lower lignin (%NDF) contents or high in vitro NDF digestibility (HFD), and leafy (LFY). Hybrid types differing in kernel characteristics were in 4 categories: conventional or yellow dent (CONG), NutriDense (ND), high oil (HO), and waxy. Genetically modified (GM) hybrids were compared with their genetically similar non-biotech counterpart (ISO). Except for lower lignin content for BMR and lower starch content for HFD than CONS and LFY, silage nutrient composition was similar among hybrids of different stalk types. A 1.1 kg/d greater intake of DM and 1.5 and 0.05 kg/d greater milk and protein yields, respectively, were observed for BMR compared with CONS and LFY. Likewise, DMI and milk yield were greater for HFD than CONS, but the magnitude of the difference was smaller. Total-tract NDF digestibility was greater, but starch digestibility was reduced, for BMR and HFD compared with CONS or LFY. Silage nutrient composition was similar for hybrids of varied kernel characteristics, except for lower CP and EE content for CONG than ND and HO. Feeding HO WPCS to dairy cows decreased milk fat content and yield and protein content compared with the other kernel-type hybrids. Hybrids varying in kernel characteristics did not affect intake, milk production, or total-tract nutrient digestibilities by lactating dairy cows. Nutrient composition and lactation performance were similar between GM and ISO. Positive effects of BMR and HFD on intake and milk yield were observed for lactating dairy cows, but the reduced total-tract starch digestibility for these hybrids merits further study. Except for negative effects of HO on milk components, differences were minimal among corn silage hybrids differing in kernel type. Feeding GM WPCS did not affect lactation performance by dairy cows. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Arts Education in Grades 6 through 9: A National Survey of Arts Teachers and Supervisors. Research Report 84.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crane, Valerie

A national survey of 1,320 arts teachers and 165 supervisors was undertaken to assist in identifying content areas and developing content objectives for an instructional television series on visual art, music, drama, and dance for students in grades 6 through 9. The objectives of the survey were to assess teaching practices in arts education in…

An Objective Method of Measuring Psychological States Associated With Changes in Neural Function: Content Analysis of Verbal Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottschalk, Louis A.

This paper examines the use of content analysis of speech in the objective recording and measurement of changes in emotional and cognitive function of humans in whom natural or experimental changes in neural status have occurred. A brief description of the data gathering process, details of numerous physiological effects, an anxiety scale, and a…

The present status of geography education in boys' intermediate schools of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Gahtany, Abdulrahman Mohammed

The purpose of this study was to describe the present status of geography education in boys' intermediate schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as perceived by geography teachers and supervisors; that is, to investigate the objectives, content, methods of teaching, tools and resources that are available and used in classrooms, evaluation techniques, and problems encountered in the teaching of geography. To collect data from this representative sample population, a questionnaire was developed by the researcher specifically for this study. Questionnaire data was collected from 19 social studies supervisors and 213 geography teachers. Percentages, frequencies, means, and standard deviations were computed for each questionnaire item. Chi Square tests were applied to determine if any significant differences could be identified between the observed and expected responses of supervisors and teachers. Major findings of the study indicated that both supervisors and teachers tend to strongly support the identified geography objectives. Most teachers and supervisors also indicated that the current geography curriculum contains enough information about Saudi Arabia, the Arabic world, and the Islamic world. In addition, the also indicated that geography content promotes a sense of patriotism and cultural pride. Responses indicated that educators see deficiencies in the content: it does not focus sufficiently on current events nor on developing student skills such as research and technical skills like drawing maps. Lecture and discussion are the most commonly used strategies in the teaching of geography. Field trips, role-playing, scientific competitions, scientific games, solving problems, and individual learning are less commonly used. Teaching tools most commonly used are wall maps and earth globes, whereas the use of geographical transparencies, models, and instruments is not common. Most of the teachers do lot use computers in their teaching. Evaluation techniques depend completely on traditional examinations to evaluate the performance of the students. Chi-square test shows that there are significant differences in observed and expected frequencies between teachers and supervisors with respect to geography learning objectives, geography content, methods of teaching, tools and resources, and the problems that geography teachers encounter in their teaching.

[Research on fast detecting tomato seedlings nitrogen content based on NIR characteristic spectrum selection].

PubMed

Wu, Jing-zhu; Wang, Feng-zhu; Wang, Li-li; Zhang, Xiao-chao; Mao, Wen-hua

2015-01-01

In order to improve the accuracy and robustness of detecting tomato seedlings nitrogen content based on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR), 4 kinds of characteristic spectrum selecting methods were studied in the present paper, i. e. competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), Monte Carlo uninformative variables elimination (MCUVE), backward interval partial least squares (BiPLS) and synergy interval partial least squares (SiPLS). There were totally 60 tomato seedlings cultivated at 10 different nitrogen-treatment levels (urea concentration from 0 to 120 mg . L-1), with 6 samples at each nitrogen-treatment level. They are in different degrees of over nitrogen, moderate nitrogen, lack of nitrogen and no nitrogen status. Each sample leaves were collected to scan near-infrared spectroscopy from 12 500 to 3 600 cm-1. The quantitative models based on the above 4 methods were established. According to the experimental result, the calibration model based on CARS and MCUVE selecting methods show better performance than those based on BiPLS and SiPLS selecting methods, but their prediction ability is much lower than that of the latter. Among them, the model built by BiPLS has the best prediction performance. The correlation coefficient (r), root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and ratio of performance to standard derivate (RPD) is 0. 952 7, 0. 118 3 and 3. 291, respectively. Therefore, NIR technology combined with characteristic spectrum selecting methods can improve the model performance. But the characteristic spectrum selecting methods are not universal. For the built model based or single wavelength variables selection is more sensitive, it is more suitable for the uniform object. While the anti-interference ability of the model built based on wavelength interval selection is much stronger, it is more suitable for the uneven and poor reproducibility object. Therefore, the characteristic spectrum selection will only play a better role in building model, combined with the consideration of sample state and the model indexes.

mHealth App for iOS to Help in Diagnostic Decision in Ophthalmology to Primary Care Physicians.

PubMed

López, Marta Manovel; López, Miguel Maldonado; de la Torre Díez, Isabel; Jimeno, José Carlos Pastor; López-Coronado, Miguel

2017-05-01

Decision support systems (DSS) are increasingly demanded due that diagnosis is one of the main activities that physicians accomplish every day. This fact seems critical when primary care physicians deal with uncommon problems belonging to specialized areas. The main objective of this paper is the development and user evaluation of a mobile DSS for iOS named OphthalDSS. This app has as purpose helping in anterior segment ocular diseases' diagnosis, besides offering educative content about ophthalmic diseases to users. For the deployment of this work, firstly it has been used the Apple IDE, Xcode, to develop the OphthalDSS mobile application using Objective-C as programming language. The core of the decision support system implemented by OphthalDSS is a decision tree developed by expert ophthalmologists. In order to evaluate the Quality of Experience (QoE) of primary care physicians after having tried the OphthalDSS app, a written inquiry based on the Likert scale was used. A total of 50 physicians answered to it, after trying the app during 1 month in their medical consultation. OphthalDSS is capable of helping to make diagnoses of diseases related to the anterior segment of the eye. Other features of OphthalDSS are a guide of each disease and an educational section. A 70% of the physicians answered in the survey that OphthalDSS performs in the way that they expected, and a 95% assures their trust in the reliability of the clinical information. Moreover, a 75% of them think that the decision system has a proper performance. Most of the primary care physicians agree with that OphthalDSS does the function that they expected, it is a user-friendly and the contents and structure are adequate. We can conclude that OphthalDSS is a practical tool but physicians require extra content that makes it a really useful one.

Recent Experimental Results Related to Ejector Mode Studies of Rocket-Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cramer, J. M.; Pal, S.; Marshall, W. M.; Santoro, R. J.

2003-01-01

Contents include the folloving: 1. Motivation. Support NASA's 3d generation launch vehicle technology program. RBCC is promising candidate for 3d generation propulsion system. 2. Approach. Focus on ejector mode p3erformance (Mach 0-3). Perform testing on established flowpath geometry. Use conventional propulsion measurement techniques. Use advanced optical diagnostic techniques to measure local combustion gas properties. 3. Objectives. Gain physical understanding of detailing mixing and combustion phenomena. Establish an experimental data set for CFD code development and validation.

Music and physics: a cultural, interdisciplinary history.

PubMed

Jackson, Myles W

2008-06-01

This essay investigates the triangular exchange among physicists, musicians, and instrument makers in nineteenth-century Germany by proffering a material, cultural, and interdisciplinary history. It does so by analyzing four concrete examples of such exchanges: the relationship between musical automata and virtuosi, the reed pipe as an object of music and scientific measurement, the history of standardizing performance pitch, and the attempts to measure musical virtuosity. The goal of the essay is to suggest ways in which interdisciplinary cultural histories, which take the scientific content seriously, can be an improvement upon purely disciplinary histories.

Conservation of strategic metals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephens, J. R.

1982-01-01

A long-range program in support of the aerospace industry aimed at reducing the use of strategic materials in gas turbine engines is discussed. The program, which is called COSAM (Conservation of Strategic Aerospace Materials), has three general objectives. The first objective is to contribute basic scientific understanding to the turbine engine technology bank so that our national security is not jeopardized if our strategic material supply lines are disrupted. The second objective is to help reduce the dependence of United States military and civilian gas turbine engines on worldwide supply and price fluctuations in regard to strategic materials. The third objective is, through research, to contribute to the United States position of preeminence in the world gas turbine engine markets by minimizing the acquisition costs and optimizing the performance of gas turbine engines. Three major research thrusts are planned: strategic element substitution; advanced processing concepts; and alternate material identification. Results from research and any required supporting technology will give industry the materials technology options it needs to make tradeoffs in material properties for critical components against the cost and availability impacts related to their strategic metal content.

A Distributed Cache Update Deployment Strategy in CDN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

E, Xinhua; Zhu, Binjie

2018-04-01

The CDN management system distributes content objects to the edge of the internet to achieve the user's near access. Cache strategy is an important problem in network content distribution. A cache strategy was designed in which the content effective diffusion in the cache group, so more content was storage in the cache, and it improved the group hit rate.

Understanding Malaysian Pre-Service Teachers Mathematical Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leong, Kwan Eu; Meng, Chew Cheng; Rahim, Suzieleez Syrene Abdul

2015-01-01

This article seeks to present findings from the analysis of the TEDS-M reports on the mathematical content knowledge (MCK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of the pre-service teachers in Malaysia. The main objective of this study was to investigate the level of teaching knowledge attained by the Malaysian pre-service primary and secondary…

Strontium-90 adsorption-desorption properties and sediment characterization at the 100 N-Area

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

Serne, R.J.; LeGore, V.L.

1996-01-01

Strontium-90 ({sup 90}Sr) has been seeping into the Columbia River since the early 1980s. The likely source is subsurface migration of {sup 90}Sr from once-through cooling water from the Hanford N Reactor disposed into the two disposal crib/trench facilities. Background information has been provided on the operational history of the two liquid waste disposal facilities and some of the regulatory drivers that have lead to the various characterization activities and remediation demonstrations being performed to help choose future full-scale remediation alternatives. The work presented in this topical report had two main objectives. First, we obtained numerous borehole samples from newlymore » installed wells/borings and performed physical and chemical characterization that,included particle size analysis, moisture content, and Strontium-90, Tritium and gamma activity analyses to help improve the conceptual model of where the contaminants currently reside in the sediments. The second objective was to perform laboratory adsorption-desorption tests using both batch and flow- through column techniques to gather data for use in contaminant transport conceptual models and to aid in specific pump-and-treat calculations needed to interpret a field demonstration.« less

Direct measurement of crosslinks, pyridinoline, deoxypyridinoline, and pentosidine, in the hydrolysate of tissues using high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Takahashi, M; Hoshino, H; Kushida, K; Inoue, T

1995-12-10

Pyridinoline (Pyr) and deoxypyridinoline (Dpyr) are mature crosslinks which maintain the structure of the collagen fibril. Pentosidine (Pen) is a senescent crosslink and one of the advanced glycation end products. We developed a direct and one-injection method to measure Pyr, Dpyr, and Pen in the hydrolysate of tissues using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Using a linear gradient of acetonitrile and a cleaning step, the objective crosslinks were well separated and continuously and automatically assayed. Recovery rates of Pyr, Dpyr, and Pen were 95-116, 94-110, and 92-120%, respectively (n = 5). The intraassay coefficients of variation for Pyr, Dpyr, and Pen were 5.3, 5.8, and 4.3%, respectively (n = 5), and the interassay coefficients of variation for Pyr, Dpyr, and Pen were 3.5, 4.6, and 5.7%, respectively (n = 5). Linear regression analysis showed the linearity (r = 0.999) of calibration line for each Pyr, Dpyr, and Pen. We measured the content of these crosslinks in the tissues from the young and old subjects. There was no difference in the content of Pyr and Dpyr between the young and the old group. On the other hand, the content of Pen in the old group was extremely higher than that in the young group. We demonstrated the direct method for measuring two kinds of major crosslinks which have different characters and believe that this method will be useful in determining the content of these crosslinks in tissues under various conditions.

Object migration and authentication. [in computer operating systems design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gligor, V. D.; Lindsay, B. G.

1979-01-01

The paper presents a mechanism permitting a type manager to fabricate a migrated object representation which can be entrusted to other subsystems or transmitted outside of the control of a local computer system. The migrated object representation is signed by the type manager in such a way that the type manager's signature cannot be forged and the manager is able to authenticate its own signature. Subsequently, the type manager can retrieve the migrated representation and validate its contents before reconstructing the object in its original representation. This facility allows type managers to authenticate the contents of off-line or network storage and solves problems stemming from the hierarchical structure of the system itself.

Effect of stachyose supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and caecal fermentation characteristics in broilers.

PubMed

Jiang, H Q; Gong, L M; Ma, Y X; He, Y H; Li, D F; Zhai, H X

2006-08-01

1. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the oligosaccharide stachyose enhances gastrointestinal tract health by fermentation and proliferation of desirable bacteria species and thus affects growth performance and nutrient digestibility in broilers. 2. A total of 432 1-d-old male Arbor Acres (AA) broilers were randomly allocated to one of 6 treatments, with 12 replicate pens per treatment and 6 birds per pen. Chicks were fed a maize-hamlet protein 300 (HP300) basal diet with 0, 4.0, 8.0, 12.0 or 16.0 g/kg stachyose. A sixth diet contained no HP300 but soybean meal (SBM) and provided 8.7 g/kg stachyose and 3.1 g/kg raffinose. The duration of the study was 42 d. 3. Stachyose contents above 12.0 g/kg depressed group body weights, average daily gain and feed/gain but not feed intake during the whole experimental period. Broiler growth decreased linearly and quadratically with increasing stachyose content. No differences were detected between diets supplemented with 12.0 g/kg stachyose and SBM. 4. Nutrient digestibility tended to decrease but not significantly with increasing stachyose. 5. Stachyose content had no significant positive effects on caecal pH, microflora population and the resulting short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) metabolites during the 42 d experiment, with only butyrate differing significantly in the initial period.

Experiments in MPEG-4 content authoring, browsing, and streaming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puri, Atul; Schmidt, Robert L.; Basso, Andrea; Civanlar, Mehmet R.

2000-12-01

In this paper, within the context of the MPEG-4 standard we report on preliminary experiments in three areas -- authoring of MPEG-4 content, a player/browser for MPEG-4 content, and streaming of MPEG-4 content. MPEG-4 is a new standard for coding of audiovisual objects; the core of MPEG-4 standard is complete while amendments are in various stages of completion. MPEG-4 addresses compression of audio and visual objects, their integration by scene description, and interactivity of users with such objects. MPEG-4 scene description is based on VRML like language for 3D scenes, extended to 2D scenes, and supports integration of 2D and 3D scenes. This scene description language is called BIFS. First, we introduce the basic concepts behind BIFS and then show with an example, textual authoring of different components needed to describe an audiovisual scene in BIFS; the textual BIFS is then saved as compressed binary file/s for storage or transmission. Then, we discuss a high level design of an MPEG-4 player/browser that uses the main components from authoring such as encoded BIFS stream, media files it refers to, and multiplexed object descriptor stream to play an MPEG-4 scene. We also discuss our extensions to such a player/browser. Finally, we present our work in streaming of MPEG-4 -- the payload format, modification to client MPEG-4 player/browser, server-side infrastructure and example content used in our MPEG-4 streaming experiments.

Early stages of development of a peer specialist fidelity measure

PubMed Central

Chinman, Matthew; McCarthy, Sharon; Mitchell-Miland, Chantele; Daniels, Karin; Youk, Ada; Edelen, Maria

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE Research on peer specialists (individuals with serious mental illness supporting others with serious mental illness in clinical and other settings), has not yet included the measurement of fidelity. Without measuring fidelity, it’s unclear if the absence of impact in some studies is attributable to ineffective peer specialist services or because the services were not true to the intended role. This paper describes the initial development of a peer specialist fidelity measure for two content areas: services provided by peer specialists and factors that either support or hamper the performance of those services. METHODS A literature search identified 40 domains; an expert panel narrowed the number of domains and helped generate and then review survey items to operationalize those domains. Twelve peer specialists, individuals with whom they work, and their supervisors participated in a pilot test and cognitive interviews regarding item content. RESULTS Peer specialists tended to rate themselves as having engaged in various peer service activities more than supervisors and individuals with whom they work. A subset of items tapping peer specialist services “core” to the role regardless of setting had higher ratings. Participants stated the measure was clear, appropriate, and could be useful in performance improvement. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Although preliminary, findings were consistent with organizational research on performance ratings of supervisors and employees made in the workplace. Several changes in survey content and administration were identified. With continued work, the measure could crystalize the role of peer specialists and aid in research and clinical administration. PMID:27618462

Approach for Configuring a Standardized Vessel for Processing Radioactive Waste Slurries

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

Bamberger, Judith A.; Enderlin, Carl W.; Minette, Michael J.

2015-09-10

A standardized vessel design is being considered at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) that is under construction at Hanford, Washington. The standardized vessel design will be used for storing, blending, and chemical processing of slurries that exhibit a variable process feed including Newtonian to non-Newtonian rheologies over a range of solids loadings. Developing a standardized vessel is advantageous and reduces the testing required to evaluate the performance of the design. The objectives of this paper are to: 1) present a design strategy for developing a standard vessel mixing system design for the pretreatment portion of the waste treatmentmore » plant that must process rheologically and physically challenging process streams, 2) identify performance criteria that the design for the standard vessel must satisfy, 3) present parameters that are to be used for assessing the performance criteria, and 4) describe operation of the selected technology. Vessel design performance will be assessed for both Newtonian and non-Newtonian simulants which represent a range of waste types expected during operation. Desired conditions for the vessel operations are the ability to shear the slurry so that flammable gas does not accumulate within the vessel, that settled solids will be mobilized, that contents can be blended, and that contents can be transferred from the vessel. A strategy is presented for adjusting the vessel configuration to ensure that all these conditions are met.« less

A Framework for Realistic Modeling and Display of Object Surface Appearance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darling, Benjamin A.

With advances in screen and video hardware technology, the type of content presented on computers has progressed from text and simple shapes to high-resolution photographs, photorealistic renderings, and high-definition video. At the same time, there have been significant advances in the area of content capture, with the development of devices and methods for creating rich digital representations of real-world objects. Unlike photo or video capture, which provide a fixed record of the light in a scene, these new technologies provide information on the underlying properties of the objects, allowing their appearance to be simulated for novel lighting and viewing conditions. These capabilities provide an opportunity to continue the computer display progression, from high-fidelity image presentations to digital surrogates that recreate the experience of directly viewing objects in the real world. In this dissertation, a framework was developed for representing objects with complex color, gloss, and texture properties and displaying them onscreen to appear as if they are part of the real-world environment. At its core, there is a conceptual shift from a traditional image-based display workflow to an object-based one. Instead of presenting the stored patterns of light from a scene, the objective is to reproduce the appearance attributes of a stored object by simulating its dynamic patterns of light for the real viewing and lighting geometry. This is accomplished using a computational approach where the physical light sources are modeled and the observer and display screen are actively tracked. Surface colors are calculated for the real spectral composition of the illumination with a custom multispectral rendering pipeline. In a set of experiments, the accuracy of color and gloss reproduction was evaluated by measuring the screen directly with a spectroradiometer. Gloss reproduction was assessed by comparing gonio measurements of the screen output to measurements of the real samples in the same measurement configuration. A chromatic adaptation experiment was performed to evaluate color appearance in the framework and explore the factors that contribute to differences when viewing self-luminous displays as opposed to reflective objects. A set of sample applications was developed to demonstrate the potential utility of the object display technology for digital proofing, psychophysical testing, and artwork display.

Interoperability Gap Challenges for Learning Object Repositories & Learning Management Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Robert T.

2011-01-01

An interoperability gap exists between Learning Management Systems (LMSs) and Learning Object Repositories (LORs). Learning Objects (LOs) and the associated Learning Object Metadata (LOM) that is stored within LORs adhere to a variety of LOM standards. A common LOM standard found in LORs is the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM)…

Current approaches and future role of high content imaging in safety sciences and drug discovery.

PubMed

van Vliet, Erwin; Daneshian, Mardas; Beilmann, Mario; Davies, Anthony; Fava, Eugenio; Fleck, Roland; Julé, Yvon; Kansy, Manfred; Kustermann, Stefan; Macko, Peter; Mundy, William R; Roth, Adrian; Shah, Imran; Uteng, Marianne; van de Water, Bob; Hartung, Thomas; Leist, Marcel

2014-01-01

High content imaging combines automated microscopy with image analysis approaches to simultaneously quantify multiple phenotypic and/or functional parameters in biological systems. The technology has become an important tool in the fields of safety sciences and drug discovery, because it can be used for mode-of-action identification, determination of hazard potency and the discovery of toxicity targets and biomarkers. In contrast to conventional biochemical endpoints, high content imaging provides insight into the spatial distribution and dynamics of responses in biological systems. This allows the identification of signaling pathways underlying cell defense, adaptation, toxicity and death. Therefore, high content imaging is considered a promising technology to address the challenges for the "Toxicity testing in the 21st century" approach. Currently, high content imaging technologies are frequently applied in academia for mechanistic toxicity studies and in pharmaceutical industry for the ranking and selection of lead drug compounds or to identify/confirm mechanisms underlying effects observed in vivo. A recent workshop gathered scientists working on high content imaging in academia, pharmaceutical industry and regulatory bodies with the objective to compile the state-of-the-art of the technology in the different institutions. Together they defined technical and methodological gaps, proposed quality control measures and performance standards, highlighted cell sources and new readouts and discussed future requirements for regulatory implementation. This review summarizes the discussion, proposed solutions and recommendations of the specialists contributing to the workshop.

Polyamines in foods: development of a food database

PubMed Central

Ali, Mohamed Atiya; Poortvliet, Eric; Strömberg, Roger; Yngve, Agneta

2011-01-01

Background Knowing the levels of polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) in different foods is of interest due to the association of these bioactive nutrients to health and diseases. There is a lack of relevant information on their contents in foods. Objective To develop a food polyamine database from published data by which polyamine intake and food contribution to this intake can be estimated, and to determine the levels of polyamines in Swedish dairy products. Design Extensive literature search and laboratory analysis of selected Swedish dairy products. Polyamine contents in foods were collected using an extensive literature search of databases. Polyamines in different types of Swedish dairy products (milk with different fat percentages, yogurt, cheeses, and sour milk) were determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with a UV detector. Results Fruits and cheese were the highest sources of putrescine, while vegetables and meat products were found to be rich in spermidine and spermine, respectively. The content of polyamines in cheese varied considerably between studies. In analyzed Swedish dairy products, matured cheese had the highest total polyamine contents with values of 52.3, 1.2, and 2.6 mg/kg for putrescine, spermidine, and spermine, respectively. Low fat milk had higher putrescine and spermidine, 1.2 and 1.0 mg/kg, respectively, than the other types of milk. Conclusions The database aids other researchers in their quest for information regarding polyamine intake from foods. Connecting the polyamine contents in food with the Swedish Food Database allows for estimation of polyamine contents per portion. PMID:21249159

Retrieval of various aspirated foreign bodies by flexible cryoprobe: in vitro feasibility study.

PubMed

Fruchter, Oren; Kramer, Mordechai R

2015-04-01

Retrieval of aspirated foreign bodies (FB) by flexible bronchoscopy is challenging. Many types of ancillary equipment, including forceps, grasping claws, snares, balloon-tipped catheters and magnets, have been developed to allow FB extraction using flexible bronchoscopes. The ability to remove a FB by flexible cryoprobe (cryoextraction) depends on the cryoadhesive properties of the retrieved object, which in turn depends on its physical properties. Our aim was to explore ex vivo on a lung model the cryoadhesive properties of various commonly aspirated objects. The tested FB compromised of nine organic and nine inorganic commonly aspirated objects. An attempt was made to retrieve each object from a lung model by flexible cryoprobe at 5 and 10 s application time and following rinsing by normal saline. Whereas most organic objects (for example chicken and fish bones) were retrievable by cryoprobe, most inorganic objects (for example safety pin and paper clip) are not retrievable by cryoadhesion. On the other hand, several inorganic objects (for example dental cup) despite their low water content were cryoadhesive. FB retrieval by cryoprobe is feasible for many organic and inorganic aspirated objects. However, the cryoadhesive properties of most inorganic FB and several organic objects is unpredictable, hence, if the nature of the FB is known, an identical object should be used to practice the technique of retrieval in vitro, prior to attempting to perform the procedure in the patient. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Light Water Breeder Reactor fuel rod design and performance characteristics (LWBR Development Program)

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

Campbell, W.R.; Giovengo, J.F.

1987-10-01

Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) fuel rods were designed to provide a reliable fuel system utilizing thorium/uranium-233 mixed-oxide fuel while simultaneously minimizing structural material to enhance fuel breeding. The fuel system was designed to be capable of operating successfully under both load follow and base load conditions. The breeding objective required thin-walled, low hafnium content Zircaloy cladding, tightly spaced fuel rods with a minimum number of support grid levels, and movable fuel rod bundles to supplant control rods. Specific fuel rod design considerations and their effects on performance capability are described. Successful completion of power operations to over 160 percentmore » of design lifetime including over 200 daily load follow cycles has proven the performance capability of the fuel system. 68 refs., 19 figs., 44 tabs.« less

Image/text automatic indexing and retrieval system using context vector approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qing, Kent P.; Caid, William R.; Ren, Clara Z.; McCabe, Patrick

1995-11-01

Thousands of documents and images are generated daily both on and off line on the information superhighway and other media. Storage technology has improved rapidly to handle these data but indexing this information is becoming very costly. HNC Software Inc. has developed a technology for automatic indexing and retrieval of free text and images. This technique is demonstrated and is based on the concept of `context vectors' which encode a succinct representation of the associated text and features of sub-image. In this paper, we will describe the Automated Librarian System which was designed for free text indexing and the Image Content Addressable Retrieval System (ICARS) which extends the technique from the text domain into the image domain. Both systems have the ability to automatically assign indices for a new document and/or image based on the content similarities in the database. ICARS also has the capability to retrieve images based on similarity of content using index terms, text description, and user-generated images as a query without performing segmentation or object recognition.

Expert searcher, teacher, content manager, and patient advocate: an exploratory study of clinical librarian roles

PubMed Central

Tan, Maria C.; Maggio, Lauren A.

2013-01-01

Objective: The research explored the roles of practicing clinical librarians embedded in a patient care team. Methods: Six clinical librarians from Canada and one from the United States were interviewed to elicit detailed descriptions of their clinical roles and responsibilities and the context in which these were performed. Results: Participants were embedded in a wide range of clinical service areas, working with a diverse complement of health professionals. As clinical librarians, participants wore many hats, including expert searcher, teacher, content manager, and patient advocate. Unique aspects of how these roles played out included a sense of urgency surrounding searching activities, the broad dissemination of responses to clinical questions, and leverage of the roles of expert searcher, teacher, and content manager to advocate for patients. Conclusions: Detailed role descriptions of clinical librarians embedded in patient care teams suggest possible new practices for existing clinical librarians, provide direction for training new librarians working in patient care environments, and raise awareness of the clinical librarian specialty among current and budding health information professionals. PMID:23405048

Face, content, and construct validity of human placenta as a haptic training tool in neurointerventional surgery.

PubMed

Ribeiro de Oliveira, Marcelo Magaldi; Nicolato, Arthur; Santos, Marcilea; Godinho, Joao Victor; Brito, Rafael; Alvarenga, Alexandre; Martins, Ana Luiza Valle; Prosdocimi, André; Trivelato, Felipe Padovani; Sabbagh, Abdulrahman J; Reis, Augusto Barbosa; Maestro, Rolando Del

2016-05-01

OBJECT The development of neurointerventional treatments of central nervous system disorders has resulted in the need for adequate training environments for novice interventionalists. Virtual simulators offer anatomical definition but lack adequate tactile feedback. Animal models, which provide more lifelike training, require an appropriate infrastructure base. The authors describe a training model for neurointerventional procedures using the human placenta (HP), which affords haptic training with significantly fewer resource requirements, and discuss its validation. METHODS Twelve HPs were prepared for simulated endovascular procedures. Training exercises performed by interventional neuroradiologists and novice fellows were placental angiography, stent placement, aneurysm coiling, and intravascular liquid embolic agent injection. RESULTS The endovascular training exercises proposed can be easily reproduced in the HP. Face, content, and construct validity were assessed by 6 neurointerventional radiologists and 6 novice fellows in interventional radiology. CONCLUSIONS The use of HP provides an inexpensive training model for the training of neurointerventionalists. Preliminary validation results show that this simulation model has face and content validity and has demonstrated construct validity for the interventions assessed in this study.

Study of Electron Gas on a Neutron-Rich Nuclear Pasta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramirez-Homs, Enrique

This study used a classical molecular dynamics model to observe the role of electron gas on the formation of nuclear structures at subsaturation densities (rho < 0.015 fm-3) and low temperatures (T < 1MeV ). The simulations were performed by varying the Coulomb interaction strength on systems of isospin symmetric and asymmetric matter with periodic boundary conditions. The effect was quantified on the fragment size multiplicity, the inter-particle distance, the isospin content of the clusters, the nucleon mobility and cluster persistence, and on the nuclear structure shapes. The existence of the nuclear pasta structures was observed even with the absence of the Coulomb interaction but with a modication of the shapes formed. It was found that the presence of the electron gas tends to distribute matter more evenly, forms less compact objects, decreases the isospin content of clusters, modies the nucleon mobility, reduces the persistence and the fragment size multiplicity, but does not alter the inter-particle distance in clusters. The degree of these effects also varied on the nuclear structures and depended on their isospin content, temperature, and density.

Application of content-based image compression to telepathology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varga, Margaret J.; Ducksbury, Paul G.; Callagy, Grace

2002-05-01

Telepathology is a means of practicing pathology at a distance, viewing images on a computer display rather than directly through a microscope. Without compression, images take too long to transmit to a remote location and are very expensive to store for future examination. However, to date the use of compressed images in pathology remains controversial. This is because commercial image compression algorithms such as JPEG achieve data compression without knowledge of the diagnostic content. Often images are lossily compressed at the expense of corrupting informative content. None of the currently available lossy compression techniques are concerned with what information has been preserved and what data has been discarded. Their sole objective is to compress and transmit the images as fast as possible. By contrast, this paper presents a novel image compression technique, which exploits knowledge of the slide diagnostic content. This 'content based' approach combines visually lossless and lossy compression techniques, judiciously applying each in the appropriate context across an image so as to maintain 'diagnostic' information while still maximising the possible compression. Standard compression algorithms, e.g. wavelets, can still be used, but their use in a context sensitive manner can offer high compression ratios and preservation of diagnostically important information. When compared with lossless compression the novel content-based approach can potentially provide the same degree of information with a smaller amount of data. When compared with lossy compression it can provide more information for a given amount of compression. The precise gain in the compression performance depends on the application (e.g. database archive or second opinion consultation) and the diagnostic content of the images.

Adolescent Health Behavior, Contentment in School, and Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kristjansson, Alfgeir Logi; Sigfusdottir, Inga Dora; Allegrante, John P.; Helgason, Asgeir R.

2009-01-01

Objectives: To examine the association between health behavior indicators, school contentment, and academic achievement. Methods: Structural equation modeling with 5810 adolescents. Results: Our model explained 36% of the variance in academic achievement and 24% in school contentment. BMI and sedentary lifestyle were negatively related to school…

Preschool children's proto-episodic memory assessed by deferred imitation.

PubMed

Burns, Patrick; Russell, Charlotte; Russell, James

2015-01-01

In two experiments, both employing deferred imitation, we studied the developmental origins of episodic memory in two- to three-year-old children by adopting a "minimalist" view of episodic memory based on its What-When-Where ("WWW": spatiotemporal plus semantic) content. We argued that the temporal element within spatiotemporal should be the order/simultaneity of the event elements, but that it is not clear whether the spatial content should be egocentric or allocentric. We also argued that episodic recollection should be configural (tending towards all-or-nothing recall of the WWW elements). Our first deferred imitation experiment, using a two-dimensional (2D) display, produced superior-to-chance performance after 2.5 years but no evidence of configural memory. Moreover, performance did not differ from that on a What-What-What control task. Our second deferred imitation study required the children to reproduce actions on an object in a room, thereby affording layout-based spatial cues. In this case, not only was there superior-to-chance performance after 2.5 years but memory was also configural at both ages. We discuss the importance of allocentric spatial cues in episodic recall in early proto-episodic memory and reflect on the possible role of hippocampal development in this process.

Effects of moisture content and initial pH in composting process on heavy metal removal characteristics of grass clipping compost used for stormwater filtration.

PubMed

Khan, Eakalak; Khaodhir, Sutha; Ruangrote, Darin

2009-10-01

Heavy metals are common contaminants in stormwater runoff. One of the devices that can be used to effectively and economically remove heavy metals from runoff is a yard waste compost stormwater filter. The primary goal of composting is to reduce waste volume rather than to produce stormwater filter media. Moisture content (MC) and initial pH, the two important parameters in composting, were studied for their effects on yard waste volume reduction and heavy metal adsorption performances of the compost. The main objective of this investigation was to examine whether the conditions that provided high yard waste volume reduction would also result in compost with good heavy metal removal performances. Manila grass was composted at different initial pHs (5-9) and MCs (30-70%) and the composts were used to adsorb cadmium, copper, lead and zinc from water. Results indicated that MC is more critical than initial pH for both volume reduction and production of compost with high metal adsorption performances. The most optimal conditions for the two attributes were not exactly the same but lower MCs of 30-40% and pH 7 or higher tended to satisfy both high volume reduction and effective metal adsorption.

The alteration of components in the fermented Hwangryunhaedok-tang and its neuroprotective activity

PubMed Central

Yang, Hye Jin; Weon, Jin Bae; Lee, Bohyoung; Ma, Choong Je

2011-01-01

Background: Hwangryunhaedok-tang is a traditional herbal prescription that has sedative activity, hypotensive and anti-bacterial effects. Objective: In this study, we investigated the alteration of contents of components in Hwangryunhaedok-tang, antioxidant activity and neuroprotective activity by fermentation with Lactobacillus acidophilus KFRI 128. Materials and Methods: Contents of three marker compounds (geniposide, berberine and palmatine) and unknown compounds in the Hwangryunhaedok-tang (HR) and the fermented Hwangryunhaedok-tang (FHR) were measured and compared using the established high-performance liqued chromatograph coupled with a photodiode (HPLC-DAD) method. The antioxidant activity of HR and FHR were determined by DPPH free radical and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging assay. Also, the neuroprotective activities of HR and FHR against glutamate-induced oxidative stress in a mouse hippocampal cell line (HT22) were evaluated by MTT assay. Results: The contents of geniposide and palmatine were decreased but the content of berberine was increased in the FHR. And the contents of unknown compounds (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) in the HR were altered by fermentation. Electron donating activity (EDA, %) value of FHR was higher than HR for DPPH radical scavenging activity and H2O2 scavenging activity, respectively. In the MTT assay, FHR showed more potent neuroprotective activity than HR by 513.90%. Conclusion: The FHR using microorganism could convert compounds in HR and enhance the antioxidant and neuroprotective activity. PMID:21969791

Tendon and ligament as novel cell sources for engineering the knee meniscus

PubMed Central

Hadidi, Pasha; Paschos, Nikolaos K.; Huang, Brian J.; Aryaei, Ashkan; Hu, Jerry C.; Athanasiou, Kyriacos A.

2016-01-01

Objective The application of cell-based therapies in regenerative medicine is hindered by the difficulty of acquiring adequate numbers of competent cells. For the knee meniscus in particular, this may be solved by harvesting tissue from neighboring tendons and ligaments. In this study, we have investigated the potential of cells from tendon and ligament, as compared to meniscus cells, to engineer scaffold-free self-assembling fibrocartilage. Method Self-assembling meniscus-shaped constructs engineered from a co-culture of articular chondrocytes and either meniscus, tendon, or ligament cells were cultured for 4 weeks with TGF-β1 in serum-free media. After culture, constructs were assessed for their mechanical properties, histological staining, gross appearance, and biochemical composition including cross-link content. Correlations were performed to evaluate relationships between biochemical content and mechanical properties. Results In terms of mechanical properties as well as biochemical content, constructs engineered using tenocytes and ligament fibrocytes were found to be equivalent or superior to constructs engineered using meniscus cells. Furthermore, cross-link content was found to be correlated with engineered tissue tensile properties. Conclusion Tenocytes and ligament fibrocytes represent viable cell sources for engineering meniscus fibrocartilage using the self-assembling process. Due to greater cross-link content, fibrocartilage engineered with tenocytes and ligament fibrocytes may maintain greater tensile properties than fibrocartilage engineered with meniscus cells. PMID:27473559

Setting Priorities Among Educational Objectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutjipto, Sudijarto; And Others

This publication is intended to aid educational planners in developing nations in translating national goals and aspirations into educational objectives and in establishing and quantifying priorities among educational objectives. Much of the content is based on a model for setting educational objectives that was developed in Indonesia in 1972. The…

Content-based image exploitation for situational awareness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gains, David

2008-04-01

Image exploitation is of increasing importance to the enterprise of building situational awareness from multi-source data. It involves image acquisition, identification of objects of interest in imagery, storage, search and retrieval of imagery, and the distribution of imagery over possibly bandwidth limited networks. This paper describes an image exploitation application that uses image content alone to detect objects of interest, and that automatically establishes and preserves spatial and temporal relationships between images, cameras and objects. The application features an intuitive user interface that exposes all images and information generated by the system to an operator thus facilitating the formation of situational awareness.

Energy-Efficient Hosting Rich Content from Mobile Platforms with Relative Proximity Sensing

PubMed Central

Baek, Sung Hoon

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present a tiny networked mobile platform, termed Tiny-Web-Thing (T-Wing), which allows the sharing of data-intensive content among objects in cyber physical systems. The object includes mobile platforms like a smartphone, and Internet of Things (IoT) platforms for Human-to-Human (H2H), Human-to-Machine (H2M), Machine-to-Human (M2H), and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications. T-Wing makes it possible to host rich web content directly on their objects, which nearby objects can access instantaneously. Using a new mechanism that allows the Wi-Fi interface of the object to be turned on purely on-demand, T-Wing achieves very high energy efficiency. We have implemented T-Wing on an embedded board, and present evaluation results from our testbed. From the evaluation result of T-Wing, we compare our system against alternative approaches to implement this functionality using only the cellular or Wi-Fi (but not both), and show that in typical usage, T-Wing consumes less than 15× the energy and is faster by an order of magnitude. PMID:28786942

The impact of intonation and valence on objective and subjective attention capture by auditory alarms.

PubMed

Ljungberg, Jessica K; Parmentier, Fabrice

2012-10-01

The objective was to study the involuntary capture of attention by spoken words varying in intonation and valence. In studies of verbal alarms, the propensity of alarms to capture attention has been primarily assessed with the use of subjective ratings of their perceived urgency. Past studies suggest that such ratings vary with the alarms' spoken urgency and content. We measured attention capture by spoken words varying in valence (negative vs. neutral) and intonation (urgently vs. nonurgently spoken) through subjective ratings and behavioral measures. The key behavioral measure was the response latency to visual stimuli in the presence of spoken words breaking away from the periodical repetition of a tone. The results showed that all words captured attention relative to a baseline standard tone but that this effect was partly counteracted by a relative speeding of responses for urgently compared with nonurgently spoken words. Word valence did not affect behavioral performance. Rating data showed that both intonation and valence increased significantly perceived urgency and attention grabbing without any interaction. The data suggest a congruency between subjective ratings and behavioral performance with respect to spoken intonation but not valence. This study demonstrates the usefulness and feasibility of objective measures of attention capture to help design efficient alarm systems.

5 CFR 293.403 - Contents of employee performance files.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... REGULATIONS PERSONNEL RECORDS Employee Performance File System Records § 293.403 Contents of employee performance files. (a) A decision on what constitutes a performance-related document within the meaning of... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Contents of employee performance files...

5 CFR 293.403 - Contents of employee performance files.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... REGULATIONS PERSONNEL RECORDS Employee Performance File System Records § 293.403 Contents of employee performance files. (a) A decision on what constitutes a performance-related document within the meaning of... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Contents of employee performance files...

5 CFR 293.403 - Contents of employee performance files.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... REGULATIONS PERSONNEL RECORDS Employee Performance File System Records § 293.403 Contents of employee performance files. (a) A decision on what constitutes a performance-related document within the meaning of... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Contents of employee performance files...

5 CFR 293.403 - Contents of employee performance files.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... REGULATIONS PERSONNEL RECORDS Employee Performance File System Records § 293.403 Contents of employee performance files. (a) A decision on what constitutes a performance-related document within the meaning of... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Contents of employee performance files...

Layered Plant-Growth Media for Optimizing Gaseous, Liquid and Nutrient Requirements: Modeling, Design and Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinse, R.; Jones, S. B.; Bingham, G.; Bugbee, B.

2006-12-01

Rigorous management of restricted root zones utilizing coarse-textured porous media greatly benefits from optimizing the gas-water balance within plant-growth media. Geophysical techniques can help to quantify root- zone parameters like water content, air-filled porosity, temperature and nutrient concentration to better address the root systems performance. The efficiency of plant growth amid high root densities and limited volumes is critically linked to maintaining a favorable water content/air-filled porosity balance while considering adequate fluxes to replenish water at decreasing hydraulic conductivities during uptake. Volumes adjacent to roots also need to be optimized to provide adequate nutrients throughout the plant's life cycle while avoiding excessive salt concentrations. Our objectives were to (1) design and model an optimized root zone system using optimized porous media layers, (2) verify our design by monitoring the water content distribution and tracking nutrient release and transport, and (3) mimic water and nutrient uptake using plants or wicks to draw water from the root system. We developed a unique root-zone system using layered Ottawa sands promoting vertically uniform water contents and air-filled porosities. Watering was achieved by maintaining a shallow saturated layer at the bottom of the column and allowing capillarity to draw water upward, where coarser particle sizes formed the bottom layers with finer particles sizes forming the layers above. The depth of each layer was designed to optimize water content based on measurements and modeling of the wetting water retention curves. Layer boundaries were chosen to retain saturation between 50 and 85 percent. The saturation distribution was verified by dual-probe heat-pulse water-content sensors. The nutrient experiment involved embedding slow release fertilizer in the porous media in order to detect variations in electrical resistivity versus time during the release, diffusion and uptake of nutrients. The experiment required a specific geometry for the acquisition of ERT data using the heat-pulse water-content sensor's steel needles as electrodes. ERT data were analyzed using the sensed water contents and deriving pore-water resistivities using Archie's law. This design should provide a more optimal root-zone environment by maintaining a more uniform water content and on-demand supply of water than designs with one particle size at all column heights. The monitoring capability offers an effective means to describe the relationship between root-system performance and plant growth.

Tank 241-AY-101 Privatization Push Mode Core Sampling and Analysis Plan

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

TEMPLETON, A.M.

2000-01-12

This sampling and analysis plan (SAP) identifies characterization objectives pertaining to sample collection, laboratory analytical evaluation, and reporting requirements for samples obtained from tank 241-AY-101. The purpose of this sampling event is to obtain information about the characteristics of the contents of 241-AY-101 required to satisfy Data Quality Objectives For RPP Privatization Phase I: Confirm Tank T Is An Appropriate Feed Source For High-Level Waste Feed Batch X(HLW DQO) (Nguyen 1999a), Data Quality Objectives For TWRS Privatization Phase I : Confirm Tank T Is An Appropriate Feed Source For Low-Activity Waste Feed Batch X (LAW DQO) (Nguyen 1999b), Low Activitymore » Waste and High-Level Waste Feed Data Quality Objectives (L and H DQO) (Patello et al. 1999), and Characterization Data Needs for Development, Design, and Operation of Retrieval Equipment Developed through the Data Quality Objective Process (Equipment DQO) (Bloom 1996). Special instructions regarding support to the LAW and HLW DQOs are provided by Baldwin (1999). Push mode core samples will be obtained from risers 15G and 150 to provide sufficient material for the chemical analyses and tests required to satisfy these data quality objectives. The 222-S Laboratory will extrude core samples; composite the liquids and solids; perform chemical analyses on composite and segment samples; archive half-segment samples; and provide subsamples to the Process Chemistry Laboratory. The Process Chemistry Laboratory will prepare test plans and perform process tests to evaluate the behavior of the 241-AY-101 waste undergoing the retrieval and treatment scenarios defined in the applicable DQOs. Requirements for analyses of samples originating in the process tests will be documented in the corresponding test plans and are not within the scope of this SAP.« less

Tank 241-AY-101 Privatization Push Mode Core Sampling and Analysis Plan

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

TEMPLETON, A.M.

2000-05-19

This sampling and analysis plan (SAP) identifies characterization objectives pertaining to sample collection, laboratory analytical evaluation, and reporting requirements for samples obtained from tank 241-AY-101. The purpose of this sampling event is to obtain information about the characteristics of the contents of 241-AY-101 required to satisfy ''Data Quality Objectives For RPP Privatization Phase I: Confirm Tank T Is An Appropriate Feed Source For High-Level Waste Feed Batch X(HLW DQO)' (Nguyen 1999a), ''Data Quality Objectives For TWRS Privatization Phase I: Confirm Tank T Is An Appropriate Feed Source For Low-Activity Waste Feed Butch X (LAW DQO) (Nguyen 1999b)'', ''Low Activity Wastemore » and High-Level Waste Feed Data Quality Objectives (L&H DQO)'' (Patello et al. 1999), and ''Characterization Data Needs for Development, Design, and Operation of Retrieval Equipment Developed through the Data Quality Objective Process (Equipment DQO)'' (Bloom 1996). Special instructions regarding support to the LAW and HLW DQOs are provided by Baldwin (1999). Push mode core samples will be obtained from risers 15G and 150 to provide sufficient material for the chemical analyses and tests required to satisfy these data quality objectives. The 222-S Laboratory will extrude core samples; composite the liquids and solids; perform chemical analyses on composite and segment samples; archive half-segment samples; and provide sub-samples to the Process Chemistry Laboratory. The Process Chemistry Laboratory will prepare test plans and perform process tests to evaluate the behavior of the 241-AY-101 waste undergoing the retrieval and treatment scenarios defined in the applicable DQOs. Requirements for analyses of samples originating in the process tests will be documented in the corresponding test plans and are not within the scope of this SAP.« less

Visual body recognition in a prosopagnosic patient.

PubMed

Moro, V; Pernigo, S; Avesani, R; Bulgarelli, C; Urgesi, C; Candidi, M; Aglioti, S M

2012-01-01

Conspicuous deficits in face recognition characterize prosopagnosia. Information on whether agnosic deficits may extend to non-facial body parts is lacking. Here we report the neuropsychological description of FM, a patient affected by a complete deficit in face recognition in the presence of mild clinical signs of visual object agnosia. His deficit involves both overt and covert recognition of faces (i.e. recognition of familiar faces, but also categorization of faces for gender or age) as well as the visual mental imagery of faces. By means of a series of matching-to-sample tasks we investigated: (i) a possible association between prosopagnosia and disorders in visual body perception; (ii) the effect of the emotional content of stimuli on the visual discrimination of faces, bodies and objects; (iii) the existence of a dissociation between identity recognition and the emotional discrimination of faces and bodies. Our results document, for the first time, the co-occurrence of body agnosia, i.e. the visual inability to discriminate body forms and body actions, and prosopagnosia. Moreover, the results show better performance in the discrimination of emotional face and body expressions with respect to body identity and neutral actions. Since FM's lesions involve bilateral fusiform areas, it is unlikely that the amygdala-temporal projections explain the relative sparing of emotion discrimination performance. Indeed, the emotional content of the stimuli did not improve the discrimination of their identity. The results hint at the existence of two segregated brain networks involved in identity and emotional discrimination that are at least partially shared by face and body processing. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"Knowing What You Don't Know": Language Insight in Semantic Dementia.

PubMed

Savage, Sharon A; Piguet, Olivier; Hodges, John R

2015-01-01

Reduced insight commonly occurs in dementia and can be specific to one area of functioning. Despite recent models identifying a role for semantic memory, little investigation of insight has been conducted in semantic dementia (SD), with patients often described as being aware of their language problems. This study aims to investigate language insight in SD. Twenty-two SD (n = 11 severe, n = 11 mild-moderate) and 9 nonfluent primary progressive aphasic patients completed three experimental language tasks to assess knowledge and awareness of certain words. Skills in evaluating language were tested by comparing performance ratings on the Cookie Theft task with objective scoring. Awareness regarding the existence and previous use of certain words was tested using two additional tasks. While SD patients were as accurate as nonfluent patients in rating their own performance on the Cookie Theft immediately following the task, they were significantly poorer at evaluating the same content re-recorded, or other examples of poor language. Compared to nonfluent patients, severe SD patients also made more errors identifying previously known low frequency words. Lastly, when tested on labels for specific aspects of an object, only SD patients made errors regarding the existence, or their past knowledge, of certain words. SD patients show a general awareness of their language impairments, but have difficulty evaluating language content. These difficulties adversely affect the ability to reflect upon current and past language skills producing an under-awareness of language deficits. This mild, secondary form of anosognosia appears to increase with greater levels of semantic impairment.

Matrix-mini-tablets of lornoxicam for targeting early morning peak symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

PubMed Central

Mohd, Abdul Hadi; Raghavendra Rao, Nidagurthi Guggilla; Avanapu, Srinivasa Rao

2014-01-01

Objective(s): The aim of present research was to develop matrix-mini-tablets of lornoxicam filled in capsule for targeting early morning peak symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Materials and Methods: Matrix-mini-tablets of lornoxicam were prepared by direct compression method using microsomal enzyme dependent and pH-sensitive polymers which were further filled into an empty HPMC capsule. To assess the compatibility, FT-IR and DSC studies for pure drug, polymers and their physical mixture were performed. The formulated batches were subjected to physicochemical studies, estimation of drug content, in vitro drug release, drug release kinetics, and stability studies. Results: When FTIR and DSC studies were performed it was found that there was no interaction between lornoxicam and polymers which used. All the physicochemical properties of prepared matrix-mini-tablets were found to be in normal limits. The percentage of drug content was found to be 99.60±0.07%. Our optimized matrix mini-tablets-filled-capsule formulation F30 released lornoxicam after a lag time of 5.02±0.92 hr, 95.48±0.65 % at the end of 8 hr and 99.90±0.83 % at the end of 12 hr. Stability was also found for this formulation as per the guidelines of International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use. Conclusion: A novel colon targeted delivery system of lornoxicam was successfully developed by filling matrix-mini-tablets into an empty HPMC capsule shell for targeting early morning peak symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. PMID:24967065

An investigation of visual selection priority of objects with texture and crossed and uncrossed disparities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khaustova, Dar'ya; Fournier, Jérôme; Wyckens, Emmanuel; Le Meur, Olivier

2014-02-01

The aim of this research is to understand the difference in visual attention to 2D and 3D content depending on texture and amount of depth. Two experiments were conducted using an eye-tracker and a 3DTV display. Collected fixation data were used to build saliency maps and to analyze the differences between 2D and 3D conditions. In the first experiment 51 observers participated in the test. Using scenes that contained objects with crossed disparity, it was discovered that such objects are the most salient, even if observers experience discomfort due to the high level of disparity. The goal of the second experiment is to decide whether depth is a determinative factor for visual attention. During the experiment, 28 observers watched the scenes that contained objects with crossed and uncrossed disparities. We evaluated features influencing the saliency of the objects in stereoscopic conditions by using contents with low-level visual features. With univariate tests of significance (MANOVA), it was detected that texture is more important than depth for selection of objects. Objects with crossed disparity are significantly more important for selection processes when compared to 2D. However, objects with uncrossed disparity have the same influence on visual attention as 2D objects. Analysis of eyemovements indicated that there is no difference in saccade length. Fixation durations were significantly higher in stereoscopic conditions for low-level stimuli than in 2D. We believe that these experiments can help to refine existing models of visual attention for 3D content.

Optimization of mold wheat bread fortified with soy flour, pea flour and whey protein concentrate.

PubMed

Erben, Melina; Osella, Carlos A

2017-07-01

The objective of this work was to study the effect of replacing a selected wheat flour for defatted soy flour, pea flour and whey protein concentrate on both dough rheological characteristics and the performance and nutritional quality of bread. A mixture design was used to analyze the combination of the ingredients. The optimization process suggested that a mixture containing 88.8% of wheat flour, 8.2% of defatted soy flour, 0.0% of pea flour and 3.0% of whey protein concentrate could be a good combination to achieve the best fortified-bread nutritional quality. The fortified bread resulted in high protein concentration, with an increase in dietary fiber content and higher calcium levels compared with those of control (wheat flour 100%). Regarding protein quality, available lysine content was significantly higher, thus contributing with the essential amino acid requirement.

White constancy method for mobile displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yum, Ji Young; Park, Hyun Hee; Jang, Seul Ki; Lee, Jae Hyang; Kim, Jong Ho; Yi, Ji Young; Lee, Min Woo

2014-03-01

In these days, consumer's needs for image quality of mobile devices are increasing as smartphone is widely used. For example, colors may be perceived differently when displayed contents under different illuminants. Displayed white in incandescent lamp is perceived as bluish, while same content in LED light is perceived as yellowish. When changed in perceived white under illuminant environment, image quality would be degraded. Objective of the proposed white constancy method is restricted to maintain consistent output colors regardless of the illuminants utilized. Human visual experiments are performed to analyze viewers'perceptual constancy. Participants are asked to choose the displayed white in a variety of illuminants. Relationship between the illuminants and the selected colors with white are modeled by mapping function based on the results of human visual experiments. White constancy values for image control are determined on the predesigned functions. Experimental results indicate that propsed method yields better image quality by keeping the display white.

Study on loading coefficient in steam explosion process of corn stalk.

PubMed

Sui, Wenjie; Chen, Hongzhang

2015-03-01

The object of this work was to evaluate the effect of loading coefficient on steam explosion process and efficacy of corn stalk. Loading coefficient's relation with loading pattern and material property was first revealed, then its effect on transfer process and pretreatment efficacy of steam explosion was assessed by established models and enzymatic hydrolysis tests, respectively, in order to propose its optimization strategy for improving the process economy. Results showed that loading coefficient was mainly determined by loading pattern, moisture content and chip size. Both compact loading pattern and low moisture content improved the energy efficiency of steam explosion pretreatment and overall sugar yield of pretreated materials, indicating that they are desirable to improve the process economy. Pretreatment of small chip size showed opposite effects in pretreatment energy efficiency and enzymatic hydrolysis performance, thus its optimization should be balanced in investigated aspects according to further techno-economical evaluation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Content and Knowledge Management in a Digital Library and Museum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeh, Jian-Hua; Chang, Jia-Yang; Oyang, Yen-Jen

2000-01-01

Discusses the design of the National Taiwan University Digital Library and Museum that addresses both content and knowledge management. Describes a two-tier repository architecture that facilitates content management, includes an object-oriented model to facilitate the management of temporal information, and eliminates the need to manually…

Supporting Content Learning for English Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bauer, Eurydice B.; Manyak, Patrick C.; Cook, Crystal

2010-01-01

In this column, the three authors address the teaching of ELs within the content areas. Specifically, they highlight the difference between having language and content objectives, utilizing small-group work to maximize involvement, and inclusion of beginning English speakers into the learning process. Currently there is a gap of 36 points between…

Teaching Consumer Education. Delta Pi Epsilon Rapid Reader No. 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graf, David

This teaching guide provides secondary business teachers with ideas for teaching consumer education and assistance in strengthening the course content and methodology. Content is presented in four parts. Part 1 provides an overview of consumer education and covers the teacher, course objectives, content areas, and teaching-learning strategies…

From Content to Practice: Sharing Educational Practice in Edu-Sharing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klebl, Michael; Kramer, Bernd J.; Zobel, Annett

2010-01-01

For technology-enhanced learning, the idea of "learning objects" transfers the technologies of content management, methods of software engineering and principles of open access to educational resources. This paper reports on CampusContent, a research project and competence centre for e-learning at FernUniversitat in Hagen that designed…

Responses of inulin content and inulin yield of Jerusalem artichoke genotypes to seasonal environments

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Seasonal variation (e.g. temperature and photoperiod) between growing seasons might affect inulin content and inulin yield of Jerusalem artichoke. However, there is limited information on genotypic response to seasons for inulin content and inulin yield. The objective of this study was to investig...

34 CFR 34.17 - Content of decision.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Content of decision. 34.17 Section 34.17 Education Office of the Secretary, Department of Education ADMINISTRATIVE WAGE GARNISHMENT § 34.17 Content of... findings, analysis, and conclusions regarding objections raised to the existence or amount of the debt; (3...

Intelligent Discovery for Learning Objects Using Semantic Web Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, I-Ching

2012-01-01

The concept of learning objects has been applied in the e-learning field to promote the accessibility, reusability, and interoperability of learning content. Learning Object Metadata (LOM) was developed to achieve these goals by describing learning objects in order to provide meaningful metadata. Unfortunately, the conventional LOM lacks the…

The Effect of General Objectives Defined by Behavioral Objectives on Achievement in a College Zoology Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rushin, John W.; Baller, William

1981-01-01

Tests the effect of developmental level objectives on student achievement and efficiency in a zoology course. These objectives were found to have no significant effect on achievement, but they did significantly increase student efficiency in learning the content material of the module. (Author)

Developing Learning Objectives for Accounting Ethics Using Bloom's Taxonomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kidwell, Linda A.; Fisher, Dann G.; Braun, Robert L.; Swanson, Diane L.

2013-01-01

The purpose of our article is to offer a set of core knowledge learning objectives for accounting ethics education. Using Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives, we develop learning objectives in six content areas: codes of ethical conduct, corporate governance, the accounting profession, moral development, classical ethics theories, and…

An Analysis of Content Knowledge and Cognitive Abilities as Factors That Are Associated with Algebra Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLean, Tamika Ann

2017-01-01

The current study investigated college students' content knowledge and cognitive abilities as factors associated with their algebra performance, and examined how combinations of content knowledge and cognitive abilities related to their algebra performance. Specifically, the investigation examined the content knowledge factors of computational…

Rewarding safe behavior: strategies for change.

PubMed

Fell-Carlson, Deborah

2004-12-01

Effective, sustainable safety incentives are integrated into a performance management system designed to encourage long term behavior change. Effective incentive program design integrates the fundamental considerations of compensation (i.e., valence, instrumentality, expectancy, equity) with behavior change theory in the context of a strong merit based performance management system. Clear expectations are established and communicated from the time applicants apply for the position. Feedback and social recognition are leveraged and used as rewards, in addition to financial incentives built into the compensation system and offered periodically as short term incentives. Rewards are tied to specific objectives intended to influence specific behaviors. Objectives are designed to challenge employees, providing opportunities to grow and enhance their sense of belonging. Safety contests and other awareness activities are most effective when used to focus safety improvement efforts on specific behaviors or processes, for a predetermined period of time, in the context of a comprehensive safety system. Safety incentive programs designed around injury outcomes can result in unintended, and undesirable, consequences. Safety performance can be leveraged by integrating safety into corporate cultural indicators. Symbols of safety remind employees of corporate safety goals and objectives (e.g., posted safety goals and integrating safety into corporate mission and vision). Rites and ceremonies provide opportunities for social recognition and feedback and demonstrate safety is a corporate value. Feedback opportunities, rewards, and social recognition all provide content for corporate legends, those stories embellished over time, that punctuate the overall system of organizational norms, and provide examples of the organizational safety culture in action.

[Industrial nursing. Functions within the basic health unit].

PubMed

Aguilera, Antonio Javier Cortés

2005-02-01

The Law of Prevention of Risks at Work marked an important point of flexion in the tie sanitary professions the field of the labor health. This work will mark the objective to locate to the Industrial Nursing (a company nursing assistant) in a context near the reality. For it, it will be equipped with legal content, and those articles of the Law of Prevention of Risks at Work will be mentioned and of the Regulations for Prevention Services, that establishes the guidelines of performance of the professionals of the Basic Unit of Health (Industrial Medicina and the company nursing assistant) Also will mention the objectives of the First draft of Law of the Reformation of Normative Marco of the Law of Prevention of Risks at Work, consequence of the alarming data of sinisterness and labor accidental.

Biologically inspired computation and learning in Sensorimotor Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Daniel D.; Seung, H. S.

2001-11-01

Networking systems presently lack the ability to intelligently process the rich multimedia content of the data traffic they carry. Endowing artificial systems with the ability to adapt to changing conditions requires algorithms that can rapidly learn from examples. We demonstrate the application of such learning algorithms on an inexpensive quadruped robot constructed to perform simple sensorimotor tasks. The robot learns to track a particular object by discovering the salient visual and auditory cues unique to that object. The system uses a convolutional neural network that automatically combines color, luminance, motion, and auditory information. The weights of the networks are adjusted using feedback from a teacher to reflect the reliability of the various input channels in the surrounding environment. Additionally, the robot is able to compensate for its own motion by adapting the parameters of a vestibular ocular reflex system.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: KiDS Survey for solar system objects mining (Mahlke+, 2018)

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.

2017-10-01

Provided are the observations of the 28,290 SSO candidates recovered from the KiDS survey. The candidates are split up into two subsamples; the first contains 20,221 candidates with an estimated false-positive content of less than 0.05%. The second sample contains 8,069 candidates with only three observations each or close to bright stars, with an estimated false-positive content of approximately 24%. Provided are the recovered positions in right ascension and declination, the observation epochs, the calculated proper motions, the magnitudes, the observation bands, and the object name and expected visual magnitude if the object was matched to a SkyBoT object (entries are empty if no match was found). (2 data files).

Pharmacy Students' Test-Taking Motivation-Effort on a Low-Stakes Standardized Test

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Objective To measure third-year pharmacy students' level of motivation while completing the Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA) administered as a low-stakes test to better understand use of the PCOA as a measure of student content knowledge. Methods Student motivation was manipulated through an incentive (ie, personal letter from the dean) and a process of statistical motivation filtering. Data were analyzed to determine any differences between the experimental and control groups in PCOA test performance, motivation to perform well, and test performance after filtering for low motivation-effort. Results Incentivizing students diminished the need for filtering PCOA scores for low effort. Where filtering was used, performance scores improved, providing a more realistic measure of aggregate student performance. Conclusions To ensure that PCOA scores are an accurate reflection of student knowledge, incentivizing and/or filtering for low motivation-effort among pharmacy students should be considered fundamental best practice when the PCOA is administered as a low-stakes test PMID:21655395

[Study on Tritium Content in Soil at Sites of Nuclear Explosions on the Territory of Semipalatinsk Test Site].

PubMed

Timonova, L V; Lyakhova, O N; Lukashenko, S N; Aidarkhanov, A O

2015-01-01

As a result of investigations carried out on the territory of Semipalatinsk Test Site, tritium was found in different environmental objects--surface and ground waters, vegetation, air environment, and snow cover. The analysis of the data obtained has shown that contamination of environmental objects at the Semipalatinsk Test Site with tritium is associated with the places where underground nuclear tests were performed. Since tritium can originate from an activation reaction and be trapped by pock particles during a test, it was decided to examine the soil in the sites where surface and excavation tests took place. It was found that the concentration of tritium in soil correlates with the concentration of europium. Probably, the concentration of tritium in the soil depends on the character and yield of the tests performed. Findings of the study have revealed that tritium can be found in soil in significant amounts not only in sites where underground nuclear tests took place but also in sites where surface and excavation nuclear tests were carried out.

Validation of the da Vinci Surgical Skill Simulator across three surgical disciplines: A pilot study

PubMed Central

Alzahrani, Tarek; Haddad, Richard; Alkhayal, Abdullah; Delisle, Josée; Drudi, Laura; Gotlieb, Walter; Fraser, Shannon; Bergman, Simon; Bladou, Frank; Andonian, Sero; Anidjar, Maurice

2013-01-01

Objective: In this paper, we evaluate face, content and construct validity of the da Vinci Surgical Skills Simulator (dVSSS) across 3 surgical disciplines. Methods: In total, 48 participants from urology, gynecology and general surgery participated in the study as novices (0 robotic cases performed), intermediates (1–74) or experts (≥75). Each participant completed 9 tasks (Peg board level 2, match board level 2, needle targeting, ring and rail level 2, dots and needles level 1, suture sponge level 2, energy dissection level 1, ring walk level 3 and tubes). The Mimic Technologies software scored each task from 0 (worst) to 100 (best) using several predetermined metrics. Face and content validity were evaluated by a questionnaire administered after task completion. Wilcoxon test was used to perform pair wise comparisons. Results: The expert group comprised of 6 attending surgeons. The intermediate group included 4 attending surgeons, 3 fellows and 5 residents. The novices included 1 attending surgeon, 1 fellow, 13 residents, 13 medical students and 2 research assistants. The median number of robotic cases performed by experts and intermediates were 250 and 9, respectively. The median overall realistic score (face validity) was 8/10. Experts rated the usefulness of the simulator as a training tool for residents (content validity) as 8.5/10. For construct validity, experts outperformed novices in all 9 tasks (p < 0.05). Intermediates outperformed novices in 7 of 9 tasks (p < 0.05); there were no significant differences in the energy dissection and ring walk tasks. Finally, experts scored significantly better than intermediates in only 3 of 9 tasks (matchboard, dots and needles and energy dissection) (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study confirms the face, content and construct validities of the dVSSS across urology, gynecology and general surgery. Larger sample size and more complex tasks are needed to further differentiate intermediates from experts. PMID:23914275

A new user-assisted segmentation and tracking technique for an object-based video editing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Hong Y.; Hong, Sung-Hoon; Lee, Mike M.; Choi, Jae-Gark

2004-03-01

This paper presents a semi-automatic segmentation method which can be used to generate video object plane (VOP) for object based coding scheme and multimedia authoring environment. Semi-automatic segmentation can be considered as a user-assisted segmentation technique. A user can initially mark objects of interest around the object boundaries and then the user-guided and selected objects are continuously separated from the unselected areas through time evolution in the image sequences. The proposed segmentation method consists of two processing steps: partially manual intra-frame segmentation and fully automatic inter-frame segmentation. The intra-frame segmentation incorporates user-assistance to define the meaningful complete visual object of interest to be segmentation and decides precise object boundary. The inter-frame segmentation involves boundary and region tracking to obtain temporal coherence of moving object based on the object boundary information of previous frame. The proposed method shows stable efficient results that could be suitable for many digital video applications such as multimedia contents authoring, content based coding and indexing. Based on these results, we have developed objects based video editing system with several convenient editing functions.

Mnemonic strategy training improves memory for object location associations in both healthy elderly and patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment: a randomized, single-blind study

PubMed Central

Hampstead, Benjamin M.; Sathian, K.; Phillips, Pamela A.; Amaraneni, Akshay; Delaune, William R.; Stringer, Anthony Y.

2012-01-01

Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of mnemonic strategy training versus a matched-exposure control condition and also to examine the relationship between training-related gains, neuropsychological abilities, and medial temporal lobe volumetrics in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and age-matched healthy controls. Methods Twenty-three of 45 screened healthy controls and 29 of 42 screened aMCI were randomized to mnemonic strategy or matched-exposure groups. Groups were run in parallel, with participants blind to the other intervention. All participants completed five sessions within two weeks. Memory testing for object-location associations was performed during sessions one and five and at a one-month follow-up. During sessions 2–4, participants received either mnemonic strategy training or a matched number of exposures with corrective feedback for a total of 45 object-location associations. Structural MRI was performed in most participants and medial temporal lobe volumetrics were acquired. Results Twenty-one healthy controls and 28 aMCI patients were included in data analysis. Mnemonic strategy training was significantly more beneficial than matched-exposure immediately after training, p =.006, pη2 = .16, and at one month, p<.001, pη2 = .35, regardless of diagnostic group (healthy controls or aMCI). Although aMCI patients demonstrated gains comparable to the healthy control groups, their overall performance generally remained reduced. Mnemonic strategy-related improvement was positively correlated with baseline memory and executive functioning and negatively with inferior lateral ventricle volume in aMCI patients; no significant relationships were evident in matched-exposure patients. Conclusions Mnemonic strategies effectively improve memory for specific content for at least one month in aMCI. PMID:22409311

Applications of the balanced scorecard for strategic management and performance measurement in the health sector.

PubMed

Behrouzi, Farshad; Shaharoun, Awaluddin Mohamed; Ma'aram, Azanizawati

2014-05-01

In order to attain a useful balanced scorecard (BSC), appropriate performance perspectives and indicators are crucial to reflect all strategies of the organisation. The objectives of this survey were to give an insight regarding the situation of the BSC in the health sector over the past decade, and to afford a generic approach of the BSC development for health settings with specific focus on performance perspectives, performance indicators and BSC generation. After an extensive search based on publication date and research content, 29 articles published since 2002 were identified, categorised and analysed. Four critical attributes of each article were analysed, including BSC generation, performance perspectives, performance indicators and auxiliary tools. The results showed that 'internal business process' was the most notable BSC perspective as it was included in all reviewed articles. After investigating the literature, it was concluded that its comprehensiveness is the reason for the importance and high usage of this perspective. The findings showed that 12 cases out of 29 reviewed articles (41%) exceeded the maximum number of key performance indicators (KPI) suggested in a previous study. It was found that all 12 cases were large organisations with numerous departments (e.g. national health organisations). Such organisations require numerous KPI to cover all of their strategic objectives. It was recommended to utilise the cascaded BSC within such organisations to avoid complexity and difficulty in gathering, analysing and interpreting performance data. Meanwhile it requires more medical staff to contribute in BSC development, which will result in greater reliability of the BSC.

Assessing Electronic Cigarette-Related Tweets for Sentiment and Content Using Supervised Machine Learning

PubMed Central

Cole-Lewis, Heather; Varghese, Arun; Sanders, Amy; Schwarz, Mary; Pugatch, Jillian

2015-01-01

Background Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) continue to be a growing topic among social media users, especially on Twitter. The ability to analyze conversations about e-cigarettes in real-time can provide important insight into trends in the public’s knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs surrounding e-cigarettes, and subsequently guide public health interventions. Objective Our aim was to establish a supervised machine learning algorithm to build predictive classification models that assess Twitter data for a range of factors related to e-cigarettes. Methods Manual content analysis was conducted for 17,098 tweets. These tweets were coded for five categories: e-cigarette relevance, sentiment, user description, genre, and theme. Machine learning classification models were then built for each of these five categories, and word groupings (n-grams) were used to define the feature space for each classifier. Results Predictive performance scores for classification models indicated that the models correctly labeled the tweets with the appropriate variables between 68.40% and 99.34% of the time, and the percentage of maximum possible improvement over a random baseline that was achieved by the classification models ranged from 41.59% to 80.62%. Classifiers with the highest performance scores that also achieved the highest percentage of the maximum possible improvement over a random baseline were Policy/Government (performance: 0.94; % improvement: 80.62%), Relevance (performance: 0.94; % improvement: 75.26%), Ad or Promotion (performance: 0.89; % improvement: 72.69%), and Marketing (performance: 0.91; % improvement: 72.56%). The most appropriate word-grouping unit (n-gram) was 1 for the majority of classifiers. Performance continued to marginally increase with the size of the training dataset of manually annotated data, but eventually leveled off. Even at low dataset sizes of 4000 observations, performance characteristics were fairly sound. Conclusions Social media outlets like Twitter can uncover real-time snapshots of personal sentiment, knowledge, attitudes, and behavior that are not as accessible, at this scale, through any other offline platform. Using the vast data available through social media presents an opportunity for social science and public health methodologies to utilize computational methodologies to enhance and extend research and practice. This study was successful in automating a complex five-category manual content analysis of e-cigarette-related content on Twitter using machine learning techniques. The study details machine learning model specifications that provided the best accuracy for data related to e-cigarettes, as well as a replicable methodology to allow extension of these methods to additional topics. PMID:26307512

Allied restorative functions training in Minnesota: a case study.

PubMed

Cooper, Brigette R; Monson, Angela L

2007-03-01

In 2003, the Minnesota Dental Practice Act was modified to allow dental hygienists and assistants to place amalgam, composite, glass ionomer, and stainless steel crowns. The concept of utilizing allied professionals to perform expanded functions has been suggested as a way to increase access to care and productivity. A continuing education course was offered to provide required certification for interested dental practitioners (N=12). The objectives of this study were to examine confidence levels and effectiveness of the continuing education program. Pre- and post-course restorative content knowledge, along with confidence levels in knowledge, technical skills, and the ability to implement skills were measured. A matched pairs t-test found a significant increase in participants' restorative content knowledge (p<.001). Wilcoxen signed rank tests revealed an increase in confidence in all content knowledge (p<.01) and technical skill (p<.05) categories. Participants did not significantly increase in confidence to implement restorative functions skills into practice (p<.7). Interview data revealed that participants remain unclear about ways to incorporate restorative functions into the schedule. Findings in this case study suggest that content knowledge and confidence levels increase following completion of a restorative functions course. To improve education and training, research is needed to identify why participants' confidence in implementation did not increase.

Energy potential of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula)

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

Maxwell, B.D.; Wiatr, S.M.; Fay, P.K.

1985-01-01

Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) is a noxious, perennial weed that infests pastures, range land and waste areas in the northern Great Plains. The objective of this study was to determine the productive potential of this species when grown under optimum agronomic conditions. Plants were fertilized and irrigated. Oil, hydrocarbon, total protein, and dry-weight production were measured on 3 harvest dates. Calorimetric analyses were performed to determine the potential of leafy spurge as a fuel crop. The hydrocarbon content of 12 strains of leafy spurge was determined to measure genetic variability for this trait. The addition of fertilizer doubled dry-weight productionmore » but did not affect percent oil or hydrocarbon content. Oil and hydrocarbon production averaged 6.8 and 0.6% on a plant dry-weight basis. Maximum production of plant biomass, protein, and hydrocarbon was obtained from a mid-July harvest. Oil content increased later in the growing season. The total protein content of leafy spurge averaged 12%. Whole-plant biomass had a caloric value of 4407 cal/g while the oils contained 10,019 cal/g. Leafy spurge hay can produce 4 times more energy per year than wheat straw; therefore, the immediate potential of leafy spurge whole-plant biomass as a locally grown fuel crop for home-heating purposes is suggested.« less

Validation of a Survey Questionnaire on Organ Donation: An Arabic World Scenario

PubMed Central

Agarwal, Tulika Mehta; Al-Thani, Hassan; Al Maslamani, Yousuf

2018-01-01

Objective To validate a questionnaire for measuring factors influencing organ donation and transplant. Methods The constructed questionnaire was based on the theory of planned behavior by Ajzen Icek and had 45 questions including general inquiry and demographic information. Four experts on the topic, Arabic culture, and the Arabic and English languages established content validity through review. It was quantified by content validity index (CVI). Construct validity was established by principal component analysis (PCA), whereas internal consistency was checked by Cronbach's Alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 22.0 statistical package. Results Content validity in the form of S-CVI/Average and S-CVI/UA was 0.95 and 0.82, respectively, suggesting adequate relevance content of the questionnaire. Factor analysis indicated that the construct validity for each domain (knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and intention) was 65%, 71%, 77%, and 70%, respectively. Cronbach's Alpha and ICC coefficients were 0.90, 0.67, 0.75, and 0.74 and 0.82, 0.58, 0.61, and 0.74, respectively, for the domains. Conclusion The questionnaire consists of 39 items on knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and intention domains which is valid and reliable tool to use for organ donation and transplant survey. PMID:29593894

The accuracy and promise of personal breathalysers for research: Steps toward a cost-effective reliable measure of alcohol intoxication?

PubMed

Riordan, Benjamin C; Scarf, Damian; Moradi, Saleh; Flett, Jayde A M; Carey, Kate B; Conner, Tamlin S

2017-01-01

Technology is continuing to shape the way we collect health data, including data on alcohol use. A number of technologies are being developed to objectively measure intoxication 'in the wild' without relying on self-report; the most immediate solution may be the use of personal breathalysers. In this study, we aimed to determine whether a cost-effective personal breathalyser would perform in a similar manner to a device used for roadside breath testing. We intercepted young adults ( n  = 337; 45% men) outside three concerts, administered 5-min interviews, and asked for breath samples on two devices (a personal breathalyser and a police-grade breathalyser). Participants reported having consumed an average of 7.3 standard drinks before the interview and had a mean Blood Alcohol Content of 0.077 g/dl on the police-grade device and 0.085 g/dl on the personal device. Difference scores suggested the personal breathalyser was more likely to over report Blood Alcohol Content (bias = 0.008 g/dl). Although the personal device was more likely to over report Blood Alcohol Content compared with the police-grade device, the results suggest that personal devices could be used as a measure of Blood Alcohol Content when collecting data outside of the lab.

The Feasibility and Functional Performance of Ternary Borate-Filled Hydrophilic Bone Cements: Targeting Therapeutic Release Thresholds for Strontium

PubMed Central

MacDonald, Kathleen; Price, Richard B.; Boyd, Daniel

2017-01-01

We examine the feasibility and functionality of hydrophilic modifications to a borate glass reinforced resin composite; with the objective of meeting and maintaining therapeutic thresholds for Sr release over time, as a potential method of incorporating antiosteoporotic therapy into a vertebroplasty material. Fifteen composites were formulated with the hydrophilic agent hydroxyl ethyl methacrylate (HEMA, 15, 22.5, 30, 37.5 or 45 wt% of resin phase) and filled with a borate glass (55, 60 or 65 wt% of total cement) with known Sr release characteristics. Cements were examined with respect to degree of cure, water sorption, Sr release, and biaxial flexural strength over 60 days of incubation in phosphate buffered saline. While water sorption and glass degradation increased with increasing HEMA content, Sr release peaked with the 30% HEMA compositions, scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging confirmed the surface precipitation of a Sr phosphate compound. Biaxial flexural strengths ranged between 16 and 44 MPa, decreasing with increased HEMA content. Degree of cure increased with HEMA content (42 to 81%), while no significant effect was seen on setting times (209 to 263 s). High HEMA content may provide a method of increasing monomer conversion without effect on setting reaction, providing sustained mechanical strength over 60 days. PMID:28708123

The Feasibility and Functional Performance of Ternary Borate-Filled Hydrophilic Bone Cements: Targeting Therapeutic Release Thresholds for Strontium.

PubMed

MacDonald, Kathleen; Price, Richard B; Boyd, Daniel

2017-07-14

We examine the feasibility and functionality of hydrophilic modifications to a borate glass reinforced resin composite; with the objective of meeting and maintaining therapeutic thresholds for Sr release over time, as a potential method of incorporating antiosteoporotic therapy into a vertebroplasty material. Fifteen composites were formulated with the hydrophilic agent hydroxyl ethyl methacrylate (HEMA, 15, 22.5, 30, 37.5 or 45 wt% of resin phase) and filled with a borate glass (55, 60 or 65 wt% of total cement) with known Sr release characteristics. Cements were examined with respect to degree of cure, water sorption, Sr release, and biaxial flexural strength over 60 days of incubation in phosphate buffered saline. While water sorption and glass degradation increased with increasing HEMA content, Sr release peaked with the 30% HEMA compositions, scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging confirmed the surface precipitation of a Sr phosphate compound. Biaxial flexural strengths ranged between 16 and 44 MPa, decreasing with increased HEMA content. Degree of cure increased with HEMA content (42 to 81%), while no significant effect was seen on setting times (209 to 263 s). High HEMA content may provide a method of increasing monomer conversion without effect on setting reaction, providing sustained mechanical strength over 60 days.

Content-Based Personalization Services Integrating Folksonomies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musto, Cataldo; Narducci, Fedelucio; Lops, Pasquale; de Gemmis, Marco; Semeraro, Giovanni

Basic content-based personalization consists in matching up the attributes of a user profile, in which preferences and interests are stored, with the attributes of a content object. The Web 2.0 (r)evolution has changed the game for personalization, from ‘elitary’ Web 1.0, written by few and read by many, to web content generated by everyone (user-generated content - UGC), since the role of people has evolved from passive consumers of information to that of active contributors.

Mobile visual object identification: from SIFT-BoF-RANSAC to Sketchprint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voloshynovskiy, Sviatoslav; Diephuis, Maurits; Holotyak, Taras

2015-03-01

Mobile object identification based on its visual features find many applications in the interaction with physical objects and security. Discriminative and robust content representation plays a central role in object and content identification. Complex post-processing methods are used to compress descriptors and their geometrical information, aggregate them into more compact and discriminative representations and finally re-rank the results based on the similarity geometries of descriptors. Unfortunately, most of the existing descriptors are not very robust and discriminative once applied to the various contend such as real images, text or noise-like microstructures next to requiring at least 500-1'000 descriptors per image for reliable identification. At the same time, the geometric re-ranking procedures are still too complex to be applied to the numerous candidates obtained from the feature similarity based search only. This restricts that list of candidates to be less than 1'000 which obviously causes a higher probability of miss. In addition, the security and privacy of content representation has become a hot research topic in multimedia and security communities. In this paper, we introduce a new framework for non- local content representation based on SketchPrint descriptors. It extends the properties of local descriptors to a more informative and discriminative, yet geometrically invariant content representation. In particular it allows images to be compactly represented by 100 SketchPrint descriptors without being fully dependent on re-ranking methods. We consider several use cases, applying SketchPrint descriptors to natural images, text documents, packages and micro-structures and compare them with the traditional local descriptors.

A Practical Guide To Developing Effective Web-based Learning

PubMed Central

Cook, David A; Dupras, Denise M

2004-01-01

OBJECTIVE Online learning has changed medical education, but many “educational” websites do not employ principles of effective learning. This article will assist readers in developing effective educational websites by integrating principles of active learning with the unique features of the Web. DESIGN Narrative review. RESULTS The key steps in developing an effective educational website are: Perform a needs analysis and specify goals and objectives; determine technical resources and needs; evaluate preexisting software and use it if it fully meets your needs; secure commitment from all participants and identify and address potential barriers to implementation; develop content in close coordination with website design (appropriately use multimedia, hyperlinks, and online communication) and follow a timeline; encourage active learning (self-assessment, reflection, self-directed learning, problem-based learning, learner interaction, and feedback); facilitate and plan to encourage use by the learner (make website accessible and user-friendly, provide time for learning, and motivate learners); evaluate learners and course; pilot the website before full implementation; and plan to monitor online communication and maintain the site by resolving technical problems, periodically verifying hyperlinks, and regularly updating content. CONCLUSION Teaching on the Web involves more than putting together a colorful webpage. By consistently employing principles of effective learning, educators will unlock the full potential of Web-based medical education. PMID:15209610

Exclusion Performance in Dwarf Goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) and Sheep (Ovis orientalis aries)

PubMed Central

Nawroth, Christian; von Borell, Eberhard; Langbein, Jan

2014-01-01

Using a comparative approach, we investigated the ability of dwarf goats and sheep to use direct and indirect information about the location of a food reward in an object-choice task. Subjects had to choose between two cups with only one covering a reward. Before making a choice, subjects received information about the baited (direct information) or non-baited cup (indirect information). Both goats and sheep were able to use direct information (presence of food) in the object choice task. After controlling for local enhancement, we found that goats rather than sheep were able to use indirect information (i.e., the absence of food) to find a reward. The actual test setup could not clarify whether individual goats were able to inferentially reason about the content of the baited cup when only shown the content of the non-baited cup or if they simply avoided the empty cup in that situation. As browsing species, feral and wild goats exhibit highly selective feeding behaviour compared to the rather unselective grazing sheep. The potential influence of this species-specific foraging flexibility of goats and sheep for using direct and indirect information to find a food reward is discussed in relation to a higher aversion to losses in food acquisition in goats compared to sheep. PMID:24695781

Curricular Guidelines in Gross Anatomy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horn, Stanton D.; And Others

1981-01-01

An outline of AADS curricular guidelines for gross anatomy in dental education includes primary educational goals, prerequisites, core content, specific course objectives for each section of content, sequencing, faculty requirements, and facility and equipment needs. (MSE)

Teaching Content Material through Reader's Theater

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forney, Melissa

2013-01-01

When it comes to content area material, much of what students read and learn is predicated on information they have read before and are supposed to remember. Teachers often use silent reading and round robin reading as preferred reading methods to help students learn content area material. The objective of this study was to test reader's theater…

The Content and Interactivity of Health Support Group Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Sandra; Barlow, Julie; Williams, Gareth

2007-01-01

Objective: To assess the online contents and interactivity provided by health support group (HSG) websites representing a range of chronic diseases. Design: Survey of 80 HSG websites. Method: A checklist of website content was developed rating the level of information and advice, interactivity and online support provided by each HSG website. Each…

Preliminary assestment of lint cotton water content in gin-drying temperature studies

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Prior studies to measure total water (free and bound) in lint cotton by Karl Fischer Titration showed the method is more accurate and precise than moisture content by standard oven drying. The objective of the current study was to compare the moisture and total water contents from five cultivars de...

A SCORM Compliant Courseware Authoring Tool for Supporting Pervasive Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Te-Hua; Chang, Flora Chia-I

2007-01-01

The sharable content object reference model (SCORM) includes a representation of distance learning contents and a behavior definition of how users should interact with the contents. Generally, SCORMcompliant systems were based on multimedia and Web technologies on PCs. We further build a pervasive learning environment, which allows users to read…

Moving Toward SCORM Compliant Content Production at Educational Software Company: Technical and Administrative Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kultur, Can; Oytun, Erden; Cagiltay, Kursat; Ozden, M. Yasar; Kucuk, Mehmet Emin

2004-01-01

The Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) aims to standardize electronic course content, its packaging and delivery. Instructional designers and e-learning material producer organizations accept SCORM?s significant impact on instructional design/delivery process, however not much known about how such standards will be implemented to…

Evaluation of the effect of synthetic fibers and non-woven geotextile reinforcement on the stability of heavy clay embankments : technical summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-07-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of soil density, moisture content, fiber content, and confining pressure on the shear strength of the clayey-fiber matrix, and of soil moisture content and confining pressure on the interface ...

Influence of planting date and temperature on inulin content in Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lower temperatures during the dry season in tropical regions might affect inulin content and inulin yield of Jerusalem artichoke. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of planting dates during low temperature on inulin yield and content of Jerusalem artichoke. Two pot experiments...

Depth enhancement of S3D content and the psychological effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirahara, Masahiro; Shiraishi, Saki; Kawai, Takashi

2012-03-01

Stereoscopic 3D (S3D) imaging technologies are widely used recently to create content for movies, TV programs, games, etc. Although S3D content differs from 2D content by the use of binocular parallax to induce depth sensation, the relationship between depth control and the user experience remains unclear. In this study, the user experience was subjectively and objectively evaluated in order to determine the effectiveness of depth control, such as an expansion or reduction or a forward or backward shift in the range of maximum parallactic angles in the cross and uncross directions (depth bracket). Four types of S3D content were used in the subjective and objective evaluations. The depth brackets of comparison stimuli were modified in order to enhance the depth sensation corresponding to the content. Interpretation Based Quality (IBQ) methodology was used for the subjective evaluation and the heart rate was measured to evaluate the physiological effect. The results of the evaluations suggest the following two points. (1) Expansion/reduction of the depth bracket affects preference and enhances positive emotions to the S3D content. (2) Expansion/reduction of the depth bracket produces above-mentioned effects more notable than shifting the cross/uncross directions.

Creating Usage Context-Based Object Similarities to Boost Recommender Systems in Technology Enhanced Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niemann, Katja; Wolpers, Martin

2015-01-01

In this paper, we introduce a new way of detecting semantic similarities between learning objects by analysing their usage in web portals. Our approach relies on the usage-based relations between the objects themselves rather then on the content of the learning objects or on the relations between users and learning objects. We then take this new…

Moisture Sensitivity of Crumb Rubber Modified Modifier Warm Mix Asphalt Additive for Two Different Compaction Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilema, Munder A.; Aman, Mohamad Y.; Hassan, Norhidayah A.; Ahmad, Kabiru A.; Elghatas, Hamza M.; Radwan, Ashraf A.; Shyaa, Ahmed S.

2018-04-01

Crumb rubber obtained from scrap tires has been incorporated with asphalt binder to improve the performance of asphalt mixtures in the past decades. Pavements containing crumb-rubber modified (CRM) binders present one major drawback: larger amounts of greenhouse gas emissions are produced as there is rise in the energy consumption at the asphalt plant due to the higher viscosity of these type of binders compared with a conventional mixture. The objective of this paper is to calculate the optimum bitumen content for each percentage and evaluate the moisture sensitivity of crumb rubber modified asphalt at two different compacting temperatures. In this study, crumb rubber modified percentages was 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% from the binder weight, with adding 1.5% warm mix asphalt additive (Sasobit) and crush granite aggregate of 9.5mm Nominal maximum size was used after assessing its properties. Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) used by 2% from fine aggregate. The wet method was using to mix the CRM with bitumen, the CRM conducted at 177°C for 30 min with 700rpm and Sasobit conducted at 120°C for 10 min with 1000rpm. As a result, from this study the optimum bitumen content (OBC) was increased with increased crumb rubber content. For performance test, it was conducted using the AASHTO T283 (2007): Resistance of Compacted Bituminous Mixture to Moisture-Induced Damage. The result was as expected and it was within the specification of the test, the result show that the moisture damage increased with increased the crumb rubber content but it is not exceeding the limit of specification 80% for indirect tension strength ratio (ITSR). For the temperature was with lowing the temperature the moisture damage increased.

A biomechanical evaluation of resistance: fundamental concepts for training and sports performance.

PubMed

Frost, David M; Cronin, John; Newton, Robert U

2010-04-01

Newton's second law of motion describes the acceleration of an object as being directly proportional to the magnitude of the net force, in the same direction as the net force and inversely proportional to its mass (a = F/m). With respect to linear motion, mass is also a numerical representation of an object's inertia, or its resistance to change in its state of motion and directly proportional to the magnitude of an object's momentum at any given velocity. To change an object's momentum, thereby increasing or decreasing its velocity, a proportional impulse must be generated. All motion is governed by these relationships, independent of the exercise being performed or the movement type being used; however, the degree to which this governance affects the associated kinematics, kinetics and muscle activity is dependent on the resistance type. Researchers have suggested that to facilitate the greatest improvements to athletic performance, the resistance-training programme employed by an athlete must be adapted to meet the specific demands of their sport. Therefore, it is conceivable that one mechanical stimulus, or resistance type, may not be appropriate for all applications. Although an excellent means of increasing maximal strength and the rate of force development, free-weight or mass-based training may not be the most conducive means to elicit velocity-specific adaptations. Attempts have been made to combat the inherent flaws of free weights, via accommodating and variable resistance-training devices; however, such approaches are not without problems that are specific to their mechanics. More recently, pneumatic-resistance devices (variable) have been introduced as a mechanical stimulus whereby the body mass of the athlete represents the only inertia that must be overcome to initiate movement, thus potentially affording the opportunity to develop velocity-specific power. However, there is no empirical evidence to support such a contention. Future research should place further emphasis on understanding the mechanical advantages/disadvantages inherent to the resistance types being used during training, so as to elicit the greatest improvements in athletic performance.

Computational methods in the development of a knowledge-based system for the prediction of solid catalyst performance.

PubMed

Procelewska, Joanna; Galilea, Javier Llamas; Clerc, Frederic; Farrusseng, David; Schüth, Ferdi

2007-01-01

The objective of this work is the construction of a correlation between characteristics of heterogeneous catalysts, encoded in a descriptor vector, and their experimentally measured performances in the propene oxidation reaction. In this paper the key issue in the modeling process, namely the selection of adequate input variables, is explored. Several data-driven feature selection strategies were applied in order to obtain an estimate of the differences in variance and information content of various attributes, furthermore to compare their relative importance. Quantitative property activity relationship techniques using probabilistic neural networks have been used for the creation of various semi-empirical models. Finally, a robust classification model, assigning selected attributes of solid compounds as input to an appropriate performance class in the model reaction was obtained. It has been evident that the mathematical support for the primary attributes set proposed by chemists can be highly desirable.

Multi-Response Parameter Interval Sensitivity and Optimization for the Composite Tape Winding Process.

PubMed

Deng, Bo; Shi, Yaoyao; Yu, Tao; Kang, Chao; Zhao, Pan

2018-01-31

The composite tape winding process, which utilizes a tape winding machine and prepreg tapes, provides a promising way to improve the quality of composite products. Nevertheless, the process parameters of composite tape winding have crucial effects on the tensile strength and void content, which are closely related to the performances of the winding products. In this article, two different object values of winding products, including mechanical performance (tensile strength) and a physical property (void content), were respectively calculated. Thereafter, the paper presents an integrated methodology by combining multi-parameter relative sensitivity analysis and single-parameter sensitivity analysis to obtain the optimal intervals of the composite tape winding process. First, the global multi-parameter sensitivity analysis method was applied to investigate the sensitivity of each parameter in the tape winding processing. Then, the local single-parameter sensitivity analysis method was employed to calculate the sensitivity of a single parameter within the corresponding range. Finally, the stability and instability ranges of each parameter were distinguished. Meanwhile, the authors optimized the process parameter ranges and provided comprehensive optimized intervals of the winding parameters. The verification test validated that the optimized intervals of the process parameters were reliable and stable for winding products manufacturing.

Multi-Response Parameter Interval Sensitivity and Optimization for the Composite Tape Winding Process

PubMed Central

Yu, Tao; Kang, Chao; Zhao, Pan

2018-01-01

The composite tape winding process, which utilizes a tape winding machine and prepreg tapes, provides a promising way to improve the quality of composite products. Nevertheless, the process parameters of composite tape winding have crucial effects on the tensile strength and void content, which are closely related to the performances of the winding products. In this article, two different object values of winding products, including mechanical performance (tensile strength) and a physical property (void content), were respectively calculated. Thereafter, the paper presents an integrated methodology by combining multi-parameter relative sensitivity analysis and single-parameter sensitivity analysis to obtain the optimal intervals of the composite tape winding process. First, the global multi-parameter sensitivity analysis method was applied to investigate the sensitivity of each parameter in the tape winding processing. Then, the local single-parameter sensitivity analysis method was employed to calculate the sensitivity of a single parameter within the corresponding range. Finally, the stability and instability ranges of each parameter were distinguished. Meanwhile, the authors optimized the process parameter ranges and provided comprehensive optimized intervals of the winding parameters. The verification test validated that the optimized intervals of the process parameters were reliable and stable for winding products manufacturing. PMID:29385048

Rapid detection and identification of pedestrian impacts using a distributed sensor network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Andrew C.; Chang, Fu-Kuo

2005-05-01

Pedestrian fatalities from automobile accidents often occur as a result of head injuries suffered from impacts with an automobile front end. Active pedestrian protection systems with proper pedestrian recognition algorithms can protect pedestrians from such head trauma. An investigation was conducted to assess the feasibility of using a network of piezoelectric sensors mounted on the front bumper beam of an automobile to discriminate between impacts with "pedestrian" and "non-pedestrian" objects. This information would be used to activate a safety device (e.g., external airbag or pop-up hood) to provide protection for the vulnerable pedestrian. An analytical foundation for the object-bumper impact problem will be presented, as well as the classical beam impact theory. The mechanical waves that propagate in the structure from an external impact contain a wealth of information about the specifics of a particular impact -- object mass, size, impact speed, etc. -- but most notably the object stiffness, which identifies the impacted object. Using the frequency content of the sensor signals, it can be shown that impacts with a "pedestrian" object of varying size, weight, and speed can be easily differentiated from impacts with other "non-pedestrian" objects. Simulation results will illustrate this phenomenon, and experimental tests will verify the results. A comprehensive series of impact tests were performed for validation, using both a stationary front bumper with a drop-pendulum impactor and a moving car with stationary impact objects. Results from both tests will be presented.

Changes in animal performance and profitability of Holstein dairy operations after introduction of crossbreeding with Montbéliarde, Normande, and Scandinavian Red.

PubMed

Dezetter, C; Bareille, N; Billon, D; Côrtes, C; Lechartier, C; Seegers, H

2017-10-01

An individual-based mechanistic, stochastic, and dynamic simulation model was developed to assess economic effects resulting from changes in performance for milk yield and solid contents, reproduction, health, and replacement, induced by the introduction of crossbreeding in Holstein dairy operations. Three crossbreeding schemes, Holstein × Montbéliarde, Holstein × Montbéliarde × Normande, and Holstein × Montbéliarde × Scandinavian Red, were implemented in Holstein dairy operations and compared with Holstein pure breeding. Sires were selected based on their estimated breeding value for milk. Two initial operations were simulated according to the prevalence (average or high) of reproductive and health disorders in the lactating herd. Evolution of operations was simulated during 15 yr under 2 alternative managerial goals (constant number of cows or constant volume of milk sold). After 15 yr, breed percentages reached equilibrium for the 2-breed but not for the 3-breed schemes. After 5 yr of simulation, all 3 crossbreeding schemes reduced average milk yield per cow-year compared with the pure Holstein scheme. Changes in other animal performance (milk solid contents, reproduction, udder health, and longevity) were always in favor of crossbreeding schemes. Under an objective of constant number of cows, margin over variable costs in average discounted value over the 15 yr of simulation was slightly increased by crossbreeding schemes, with an average prevalence of disorders up to €32/cow-year. In operations with a high prevalence of disorders, crossbreeding schemes increased the margin over variable costs up to €91/cow-year. Under an objective of constant volume of milk sold, crossbreeding schemes improved margin over variable costs up to €10/1,000L (corresponding to around €96/cow-year) for average prevalence of disorders, and up to €13/1,000L (corresponding to around €117/cow-year) for high prevalence of disorders. Under an objective of constant number of cows, an unfavorable pricing context (milk price vs. concentrates price) increased slightly crossbreeding positive effects on margin over variable costs. Under an objective of constant volume of milk, only very limited changes in differences of margins were found between the breeding schemes. Our results, obtained conditionally to the parameterization values used here, suggest that dairy crossbreeding should be considered as a relevant option for Holstein dairy operations with a production level until 9,000 kg/cow-year in France, and possibly in other countries. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MediaNet: a multimedia information network for knowledge representation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benitez, Ana B.; Smith, John R.; Chang, Shih-Fu

2000-10-01

In this paper, we present MediaNet, which is a knowledge representation framework that uses multimedia content for representing semantic and perceptual information. The main components of MediaNet include conceptual entities, which correspond to real world objects, and relationships among concepts. MediaNet allows the concepts and relationships to be defined or exemplified by multimedia content such as images, video, audio, graphics, and text. MediaNet models the traditional relationship types such as generalization and aggregation but adds additional functionality by modeling perceptual relationships based on feature similarity. For example, MediaNet allows a concept such as car to be defined as a type of a transportation vehicle, but which is further defined and illustrated through example images, videos and sounds of cars. In constructing the MediaNet framework, we have built on the basic principles of semiotics and semantic networks in addition to utilizing the audio-visual content description framework being developed as part of the MPEG-7 multimedia content description standard. By integrating both conceptual and perceptual representations of knowledge, MediaNet has potential to impact a broad range of applications that deal with multimedia content at the semantic and perceptual levels. In particular, we have found that MediaNet can improve the performance of multimedia retrieval applications by using query expansion, refinement and translation across multiple content modalities. In this paper, we report on experiments that use MediaNet in searching for images. We construct the MediaNet knowledge base using both WordNet and an image network built from multiple example images and extracted color and texture descriptors. Initial experimental results demonstrate improved retrieval effectiveness using MediaNet in a content-based retrieval system.

Impact of ultra-processed foods on micronutrient content in the Brazilian diet.

PubMed

Louzada, Maria Laura da Costa; Martins, Ana Paula Bortoletto; Canella, Daniela Silva; Baraldi, Larissa Galastri; Levy, Renata Bertazzi; Claro, Rafael Moreira; Moubarac, Jean-Claude; Cannon, Geoffrey; Monteiro, Carlos Augusto

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of consuming ultra-processed foods on the micronutrient content of the Brazilian population's diet. METHODS This cross-sectional study was performed using data on individual food consumption from a module of the 2008-2009 Brazilian Household Budget Survey. A representative sample of the Brazilian population aged 10 years or over was assessed (n = 32,898). Food consumption data were collected through two 24-hour food records. Linear regression models were used to assess the association between the nutrient content of the diet and the quintiles of ultra-processed food consumption - crude and adjusted for family income per capita. RESULTS Mean daily energy intake per capita was 1,866 kcal, with 69.5% coming from natural or minimally processed foods, 9.0% from processed foods and 21.5% from ultra-processed foods. For sixteen out of the seventeen evaluated micronutrients, their content was lower in the fraction of the diet composed of ultra-processed foods compared with the fraction of the diet composed of natural or minimally processed foods. The content of 10 micronutrients in ultra-processed foods did not reach half the content level observed in the natural or minimally processed foods. The higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was inversely and significantly associated with the content of vitamins B12, vitamin D, vitamin E, niacin, pyridoxine, copper, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium and zinc. The reverse situation was only observed for calcium, thiamin and riboflavin. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study highlight that reducing the consumption of ultra-processed foods is a natural way to promote healthy eating in Brazil and, therefore, is in line with the recommendations made by the Guia Alimentar para a População Brasileira (Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population) to avoid these foods.

Impact of ultra-processed foods on micronutrient content in the Brazilian diet

PubMed Central

Louzada, Maria Laura da Costa; Martins, Ana Paula Bortoletto; Canella, Daniela Silva; Baraldi, Larissa Galastri; Levy, Renata Bertazzi; Claro, Rafael Moreira; Moubarac, Jean-Claude; Cannon, Geoffrey; Monteiro, Carlos Augusto

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of consuming ultra-processed foods on the micronutrient content of the Brazilian population’s diet. METHODS This cross-sectional study was performed using data on individual food consumption from a module of the 2008-2009 Brazilian Household Budget Survey. A representative sample of the Brazilian population aged 10 years or over was assessed (n = 32,898). Food consumption data were collected through two 24-hour food records. Linear regression models were used to assess the association between the nutrient content of the diet and the quintiles of ultra-processed food consumption – crude and adjusted for family income per capita. RESULTS Mean daily energy intake per capita was 1,866 kcal, with 69.5% coming from natural or minimally processed foods, 9.0% from processed foods and 21.5% from ultra-processed foods. For sixteen out of the seventeen evaluated micronutrients, their content was lower in the fraction of the diet composed of ultra-processed foods compared with the fraction of the diet composed of natural or minimally processed foods. The content of 10 micronutrients in ultra-processed foods did not reach half the content level observed in the natural or minimally processed foods. The higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was inversely and significantly associated with the content of vitamins B12, vitamin D, vitamin E, niacin, pyridoxine, copper, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium and zinc. The reverse situation was only observed for calcium, thiamin and riboflavin. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study highlight that reducing the consumption of ultra-processed foods is a natural way to promote healthy eating in Brazil and, therefore, is in line with the recommendations made by the Guia Alimentar para a População Brasileira (Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population) to avoid these foods. PMID:26270019

A Content Analysis of E-mail Communication between Patients and Their Providers: Patients Get the Message

PubMed Central

White, Casey B.; Moyer, Cheryl A.; Stern, David T.; Katz, Steven J.

2004-01-01

Objective: E-mail use in the clinical setting has been slow to diffuse for several reasons, including providers' concerns about patients' inappropriate and inefficient use of the technology. This study examined the content of a random sample of patient–physician e-mail messages to determine the validity of those concerns. Design: A qualitative analysis of patient–physician e-mail messages was performed. Measurements: A total of 3,007 patient–physician e-mail messages were collected over 11 months as part of a randomized, controlled trial of a triage-based e-mail system in two primary care centers (including 98 physicians); 10% of messages were randomly selected for review. Messages were coded across such domains as message type, number of requests per e-mail, inclusion of sensitive content, necessity of a physician response, and message tone. Results: The majority (82.8%) of messages addressed a single issue. The most common message types included information updates to the physicians (41.4%), prescription renewals (24.2%), health questions (13.2%), questions about test results (10.9%), referrals (8.8%), “other” (including thank yous, apologies) (8.8%), appointments (5.4%), requests for non-health-related information (4.8%), and billing questions (0.3%). Overall, messages were concise, formal, and medically relevant. Very few (5.1%) included sensitive content, and none included urgent messages. Less than half (43.2%) required a physician response. Conclusion: A triage-based e-mail system promoted e-mail exchanges appropriate for primary care. Most patients adhered to guidelines aimed at focusing content, limiting the number of requests per message, and avoiding urgent requests or highly sensitive content. Thus, physicians' concerns about the content of patients' e-mails may be unwarranted. PMID:15064295

Content Validity of Patient-Reported Outcome Instruments used with Pediatric Patients with Facial Differences: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Wickert, Natasha M; Wong Riff, Karen W Y; Mansour, Mark; Forrest, Christopher R; Goodacre, Timothy E E; Pusic, Andrea L; Klassen, Anne F

2018-01-01

Objective The aim of this systematic review was to identify patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments used in research with children/youth with conditions associated with facial differences to identify the health concepts measured. Design MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched from 2004 to 2016 to identify PRO instruments used in acne vulgaris, birthmarks, burns, ear anomalies, facial asymmetries, and facial paralysis patients. We performed a content analysis whereby the items were coded to identify concepts and categorized as positive or negative content or phrasing. Results A total of 7,835 articles were screened; 6 generic and 11 condition-specific PRO instruments were used in 96 publications. Condition-specific instruments were for acne (four), oral health (two), dermatology (one), facial asymmetries (two), microtia (one), and burns (one). The PRO instruments provided 554 items (295 generic; 259 condition specific) that were sorted into 4 domains, 11 subdomains, and 91 health concepts. The most common domain was psychological (n = 224 items). Of the identified items, 76% had negative content or phrasing (e.g., "Because of the way my face looks I wish I had never been born"). Given the small number of items measuring facial appearance (n = 19) and function (n = 22), the PRO instruments reviewed lacked content validity for patients whose condition impacted facial function and/or appearance. Conclusions Treatments can change facial appearance and function. This review draws attention to a problem with content validity in existing PRO instruments. Our team is now developing a new PRO instrument called FACE-Q Kids to address this problem.

Stability of fruit quality traits in diverse watermelon cultivars tested in multiple environments

PubMed Central

Dia, Mahendra; Wehner, Todd C; Perkins-Veazie, Penelope; Hassell, Richard; Price, Daniel S; Boyhan, George E; Olson, Stephen M; King, Stephen R; Davis, Angela R; Tolla, Gregory E; Bernier, Jerome; Juarez, Benito

2016-01-01

Lycopene is a naturally occurring red carotenoid compound that is found in watermelon. Lycopene has antioxidant properties. Lycopene content, sugar content and hollowheart resistance are subject to significant genotype×environment interaction (G×E), which makes breeding for these fruit quality traits difficult. The objectives of this study were to (i) evaluate the influence of years and locations on lycopene content, sugar content and hollowheart resistance for a set of watermelon genotypes, and (ii) identify genotypes with high stability for lycopene, sugar, and hollowheart resistance. A diverse set of 40 genotypes was tested over 3 years and 8 locations across the southern United States in replicated, multi-harvest trials. Lycopene was tested in a subset of 10 genotypes. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate stability statistics (BLUP-GGE biplot) using SASGxE and RGxE programs. There were strong effects of environment as well as G×E interaction on watermelon quality traits. On the basis of stability measures, genotypes were classified as stable or unstable for each quality trait. 'Crimson Sweet' is an inbred line with high quality trait performance as well as trait stability. 'Stone Mountain', 'Tom Watson', 'Crimson Sweet' and 'Minilee' were among the best genotypes for lycopene content, sugar content and hollowheart resistance. We developed a stability chart based on marketable yield and average ranking generated from different stability measures for yield attributes and quality traits. The chart will assist in choosing parents for improvement of watermelon cultivars. See http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cucurbit/wmelon/wmelonmain.html. PMID:28066557

An evaluation of accessibility and content of microsurgery fellowship websites

PubMed Central

Hu, Jiayi; Zhen, Meng; Olteanu, Cristina; Avram, Ronen

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND Websites for residency and fellowship programs serve as effective educational and recruitment tools. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the accessibility and content of fellowship websites that are commonly used by microsurgery applicants for career development. METHODS A list of one-year microsurgery fellowship websites (MFWs) was compiled by visiting the centralized American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM) website, followed by performing an extensive ‘Google’ search in October 2015. Accessibility of MFWs was assessed. Website content regarding key recruitment and education variables was also comprehensively reviewed. Website content was correlated with program characteristics using t tests and ANOVA (two-tailed; P<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant). RESULTS A list of 53 eligible programs was compiled. Only 15 of 51 (29%) ASRM program links were functional. On average, the combined content from ASRM website and individual MFWs had 2.91 of 6 recruitment variables and 1.32 of 6 education variables, respectively. The majority of programs listed ‘eligibility criteria’ (87%) and ‘general information’ (87%). ‘Evaluation criteria’ were most poorly reported (4%). Recruitment score was higher for United States programs compared with international counterparts (51% versus 33%, respectively; P=0.02). It was also higher in programs that focus on ‘extremity’ versus ‘breast’ (58% versus 37%; P=0.0028). Education scores did not differ according to location, program size, subspecialty of focus or participation in the Microsurgery Match process. CONCLUSION Information regarding recruitment and education on most MFWs is scarce. Academic institutions should keep website content up to date and comprehensive to better assist candidates in the application process. PMID:28439508

Quality Analysis of Chlorogenic Acid and Hyperoside in Crataegi fructus

PubMed Central

Weon, Jin Bae; Jung, Youn Sik; Ma, Choong Je

2016-01-01

Background: Crataegi fructus is a herbal medicine for strong stomach, sterilization, and alcohol detoxification. Chlorogenic acid and hyperoside are the major compounds in Crataegi fructus. Objective: In this study, we established novel high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-diode array detection analysis method of chlorogenic acid and hyperoside for quality control of Crataegi fructus. Materials and Methods: HPLC analysis was achieved on a reverse-phase C18 column (5 μm, 4.6 mm × 250 mm) using water and acetonitrile as mobile phase with gradient system. The method was validated for linearity, precision, and accuracy. About 31 batches of Crataegi fructus samples collected from Korea and China were analyzed by using HPLC fingerprint of developed HPLC method. Then, the contents of chlorogenic acid and hyperoside were compared for quality evaluation of Crataegi fructus. Results: The results have shown that the average contents (w/w %) of chlorogenic acid and hyperoside in Crataegi fructus collected from Korea were 0.0438% and 0.0416%, respectively, and the average contents (w/w %) of 0.0399% and 0.0325%, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, established HPLC analysis method was stable and could provide efficient quality evaluation for monitoring of commercial Crataegi fructus. SUMMARY Quantitative analysis method of chlorogenic acid and hyperoside in Crataegi fructus is developed by high.performance liquid chromatography.(HPLC).diode array detectionEstablished HPLC analysis method is validated with linearity, precision, and accuracyThe developed method was successfully applied for quantitative analysis of Crataegi fructus sample collected from Korea and China. Abbreviations used: HPLC: High-performance liquid chromatography, GC: Gas chromatography, MS: Mass spectrometer, LOD: Limits of detection, LOQ: Limits of quantification, RSD: Relative standard deviation, RRT: Relative retention time, RPA: Relation peak area. PMID:27076744

Multicomponent Musculoskeletal Movement Assessment Tools: A Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal of Their Development and Applicability to Professional Practice.

PubMed

Bennett, Hunter; Davison, Kade; Arnold, John; Slattery, Flynn; Martin, Max; Norton, Kevin

2017-10-01

Multicomponent movement assessment tools have become commonplace to measure movement quality, proposing to indicate injury risk and performance capabilities. Despite popular use, there has been no attempt to compare the components of each tool reported in the literature, the processes in which they were developed, or the underpinning rationale for their included content. As such, the objective of this systematic review was to provide a comprehensive summary of current movement assessment tools and appraise the evidence supporting their development. A systematic literature search was performed using PRISMA guidelines to identify multicomponent movement assessment tools. Commonalities between tools and the evidence provided to support the content of each tool was identified. Each tool underwent critical appraisal to identify the rigor in which it was developed, and its applicability to professional practice. Eleven tools were identified, of which 5 provided evidence to support their content as assessments of movement quality. One assessment tool (Soccer Injury Movement Screen [SIMS]) received an overall score of above 65% on critical appraisal, with a further 2 tools (Movement Competency Screen [MCS] and modified 4 movement screen [M4-MS]) scoring above 60%. Only the MCS provided clear justification for its developmental process. The remaining 8 tools scored between 40 and 60%. On appraisal, the MCS, M4-MS, and SIMS seem to provide the most practical value for assessing movement quality as they provide the strongest reports of developmental rigor and an identifiable evidence base. In addition, considering the evidence provided, these tools may have the strongest potential for identifying performance capabilities and guiding exercise prescription in athletic and sport-specific populations.

Effects of dietary yeast autolysate (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on performance, egg traits, egg cholesterol content, egg yolk fatty acid composition and humoral immune response of laying hens.

PubMed

Yalçin, Sakine; Yalçin, Suzan; Cakin, Kemal; Eltan, Onder; Dağaşan, Levent

2010-08-15

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dietary yeast autolysate on performance, egg traits, egg cholesterol content, egg yolk fatty acid composition, lipid oxidation of egg yolk, some blood parameters and humoral immune response of laying hens during a 16 week period. A total of 225 Hyline Brown laying hens, 22 weeks of age, were allocated equally to one control group and four treatment groups. Yeast autolysate (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, InteWall) was used at levels of 1, 2, 3 and 4 g kg(-1) in the diets of the first, second, third and fourth treatment groups respectively. Dietary treatments did not significantly affect body weight, feed intake and egg traits. Yeast autolysate supplementation increased egg production (P < 0.001) and egg weight (P < 0.001) and improved feed efficiency (P < 0.05). Yeast autolysate at levels of 2, 3 and 4 g kg(-1) decreased egg yolk cholesterol level as mg g(-1) yolk (P < 0.01) and blood serum levels of cholesterol and triglyceride (P < 0.05) and increased antibody titres to sheep red blood cells (P < 0.01). Total saturated fatty acids and the ratio of saturated/unsaturated fatty acids increased (P < 0.01) and total monounsaturated fatty acids (P < 0.001) decreased with yeast autolysate supplementation. Dietary yeast autolysate at levels of 2, 3 and 4 g kg(-1) had beneficial effects on performance, egg cholesterol content and humoral immune response. It is concluded that 2 g kg(-1) yeast autolysate will be enough to have beneficial effects in laying hens. Copyright (c) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of the Dialysis Fluid Buffer on Peritoneal Membrane Function in Children

PubMed Central

Nau, Barbara; Gemulla, Gita; Bonzel, Klaus E.; Hölttä, Tuula; Testa, Sara; Fischbach, Michel; John, Ulrike; Kemper, Markus J.; Sander, Anja; Arbeiter, Klaus; Schaefer, Franz

2013-01-01

Summary Background and objectives Double-chamber peritoneal dialysis fluids exert less toxicity by their neutral pH and reduced glucose degradation product content. The role of the buffer compound (lactate and bicarbonate) has not been defined in humans. Design, setting, participants, & measurements A multicenter randomized controlled trial in 37 children on automated peritoneal dialysis was performed. After a 2-month run-in period with conventional peritoneal dialysis fluids, patients were randomized to neutral-pH, low-glucose degradation product peritoneal dialysis fluids with 35 mM lactate or 34 mM bicarbonate content. Clinical and biochemical monitoring was performed monthly, and peritoneal equilibration tests and 24-hour clearance studies were performed at 0, 3, 6, and 10 months. Results No statistically significant difference in capillary blood pH, serum bicarbonate, or oral buffer supplementation emerged during the study. At baseline, peritoneal solute equilibration and clearance rates were similar. During the study, 4-hour dialysis to plasma ratio of creatinine tended to increase, and 24-hour dialytic creatinine and phosphate clearance increased with lactate peritoneal dialysis fluid but not with bicarbonate peritoneal dialysis fluid. Daily net ultrafiltration, which was similar at baseline (lactate fluid=5.4±2.6 ml/g glucose exposure, bicarbonate fluid=4.9±1.9 ml/g glucose exposure), decreased to 4.6±1.0 ml/g glucose exposure in the lactate peritoneal dialysis fluid group, whereas it increased to 5.1±1.7 ml/g glucose exposure in the bicarbonate content peritoneal dialysis fluid group (P=0.006 for interaction). Conclusions When using biocompatible peritoneal dialysis fluids, equally good acidosis control is achieved with lactate and bicarbonate buffers. Improved long-term preservation of peritoneal membrane function may, however, be achieved with bicarbonate-based peritoneal dialysis fluids. PMID:23124784

[Development of an analyzing system for soil parameters based on NIR spectroscopy].

PubMed

Zheng, Li-Hua; Li, Min-Zan; Sun, Hong

2009-10-01

A rapid estimation system for soil parameters based on spectral analysis was developed by using object-oriented (OO) technology. A class of SOIL was designed. The instance of the SOIL class is the object of the soil samples with the particular type, specific physical properties and spectral characteristics. Through extracting the effective information from the modeling spectral data of soil object, a map model was established between the soil parameters and its spectral data, while it was possible to save the mapping model parameters in the database of the model. When forecasting the content of any soil parameter, the corresponding prediction model of this parameter can be selected with the same soil type and the similar soil physical properties of objects. And after the object of target soil samples was carried into the prediction model and processed by the system, the accurate forecasting content of the target soil samples could be obtained. The system includes modules such as file operations, spectra pretreatment, sample analysis, calibrating and validating, and samples content forecasting. The system was designed to run out of equipment. The parameters and spectral data files (*.xls) of the known soil samples can be input into the system. Due to various data pretreatment being selected according to the concrete conditions, the results of predicting content will appear in the terminal and the forecasting model can be stored in the model database. The system reads the predicting models and their parameters are saved in the model database from the module interface, and then the data of the tested samples are transferred into the selected model. Finally the content of soil parameters can be predicted by the developed system. The system was programmed with Visual C++6.0 and Matlab 7.0. And the Access XP was used to create and manage the model database.

Long-term Science Data Curation Using a Digital Object Model and Open-Source Frameworks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, J.; Lenhardt, W.; Wilson, B. E.; Palanisamy, G.; Cook, R. B.

2010-12-01

Scientific digital content, including Earth Science observations and model output, has become more heterogeneous in format and more distributed across the Internet. In addition, data and metadata are becoming necessarily linked internally and externally on the Web. As a result, such content has become more difficult for providers to manage and preserve and for users to locate, understand, and consume. Specifically, it is increasingly harder to deliver relevant metadata and data processing lineage information along with the actual content consistently. Readme files, data quality information, production provenance, and other descriptive metadata are often separated in the storage level as well as in the data search and retrieval interfaces available to a user. Critical archival metadata, such as auditing trails and integrity checks, are often even more difficult for users to access, if they exist at all. We investigate the use of several open-source software frameworks to address these challenges. We use Fedora Commons Framework and its digital object abstraction as the repository, Drupal CMS as the user-interface, and the Islandora module as the connector from Drupal to Fedora Repository. With the digital object model, metadata of data description and data provenance can be associated with data content in a formal manner, so are external references and other arbitrary auxiliary information. Changes are formally audited on an object, and digital contents are versioned and have checksums automatically computed. Further, relationships among objects are formally expressed with RDF triples. Data replication, recovery, metadata export are supported with standard protocols, such as OAI-PMH. We provide a tentative comparative analysis of the chosen software stack with the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) reference model, along with our initial results with the existing terrestrial ecology data collections at NASA’s ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center for Biogeochemical Dynamics (ORNL DAAC).

Implementing Infrastructures for Managing Learning Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klemke, Roland; Ternier, Stefaan; Kalz, Marco; Specht, Marcus

2010-01-01

Making learning objects available is critical to reuse learning resources. Making content transparently available and providing added value to different stakeholders is among the goals of the European Commission's eContentplus programme. This paper analyses standards and protocols relevant for making learning objects accessible in distributed data…

A Correlational Study of Seven Projective Spatial Structures with Regard to the Phases of the MOON^

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wellner, Karen Linette

1995-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between projective spatial structures and the ability to construct a scientific model. In addition, gender-related performance and the influence of prior astronomy experience on task success were evaluated. Sixty-one college science undergraduates were individually administered Piagetian tasks to assess for projective spatial structures and the ability to set up a phases of the moon model. The spatial tasks included: (a) Mountains task (coordination of perspectives); (b) Railroad task (size and intervals of objects with increasing distance); (c) Telephone Poles task (masking and ordering objects); and (d) Shadows task (spatial relationships between an object and its shadow, dependent upon the object's orientation). Cramer coefficient analyses indicated that significant relationships existed between Moon task and spatial task success. In particular, the Shadows task, requiring subjects to draw shadows of objects in different orientations, proved most difficult and was most strongly associated with with a subject's understanding of lunar phases. Chi-square tests for two independent samples were used to analyze gender performance differences on each of the Ave tasks. Males performed significantly better at a.05 significance level in regard to the Shadows task and the Moon task. Chi-square tests for two independent samples showed no significant difference in Moon task performance between subjects with astronomy or Earth science coursework, and those without such science classroom experience. Overall, only six subjects passed all seven projective spatial structure tasks. Piaget (1967) contends that concrete -operational spatial structures must be established before an individual is able to develop formal-operational patterns of thinking. The results of this study indicate that 90% of the interviewed science majors are still operating at the concrete-operational level. Several educational implications were drawn from this study: (1) The teaching of spatially dependent content to students without prerequisite spatial structures results in understanding no further beyond that which can be memorized; (2) assessment for projective spatial structures should precede science lessons dealing with time-space relationships, and (3) a student's level of spatial ability may directly impact upon interpretation of three-dimensional models.

Item and source memory for emotional associates is mediated by different retrieval processes.

PubMed

Ventura-Bort, Carlos; Dolcos, Florin; Wendt, Julia; Wirkner, Janine; Hamm, Alfons O; Weymar, Mathias

2017-12-12

Recent event-related potential (ERP) data showed that neutral objects encoded in emotional background pictures were better remembered than objects encoded in neutral contexts, when recognition memory was tested one week later. In the present study, we investigated whether this long-term memory advantage for items is also associated with correct memory for contextual source details. Furthermore, we were interested in the possibly dissociable contribution of familiarity and recollection processes (using a Remember/Know procedure). The results revealed that item memory performance was mainly driven by the subjective experience of familiarity, irrespective of whether the objects were previously encoded in emotional or neutral contexts. Correct source memory for the associated background picture, however, was driven by recollection and enhanced when the content was emotional. In ERPs, correctly recognized old objects evoked frontal ERP Old/New effects (300-500ms), irrespective of context category. As in our previous study (Ventura-Bort et al., 2016b), retrieval for objects from emotional contexts was associated with larger parietal Old/New differences (600-800ms), indicating stronger involvement of recollection. Thus, the results suggest a stronger contribution of recollection-based retrieval to item and contextual background source memory for neutral information associated with an emotional event. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of proactive interference on non-verbal working memory.

PubMed

Cyr, Marilyn; Nee, Derek E; Nelson, Eric; Senger, Thea; Jonides, John; Malapani, Chara

2017-02-01

Working memory (WM) is a cognitive system responsible for actively maintaining and processing relevant information and is central to successful cognition. A process critical to WM is the resolution of proactive interference (PI), which involves suppressing memory intrusions from prior memories that are no longer relevant. Most studies that have examined resistance to PI in a process-pure fashion used verbal material. By contrast, studies using non-verbal material are scarce, and it remains unclear whether the effect of PI is domain-general or whether it applies solely to the verbal domain. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of PI in visual WM using both objects with high and low nameability. Using a Directed-Forgetting paradigm, we varied discriminability between WM items on two dimensions, one verbal (high-nameability vs. low-nameability objects) and one perceptual (colored vs. gray objects). As in previous studies using verbal material, effects of PI were found with object stimuli, even after controlling for verbal labels being used (i.e., low-nameability condition). We also found that the addition of distinctive features (color, verbal label) increased performance in rejecting intrusion probes, most likely through an increase in discriminability between content-context bindings in WM.

Pharmacy Student Self-Testing as a Predictor of Examination Performance

PubMed Central

Panus, Peter; Hagemeier, Nicholas; Thigpen, Jim; Brooks, Lauren

2014-01-01

Objectives. To determine if student self-testing improves performance during a doctor of pharmacy course. Methods. Students were given access to online quizzes with a large pool of randomly selected questions specific to upcoming examination content. Quizzes were electronically scored immediately upon completion and students were provided corrective feedback. Results. Examination scores following implementation of the practice quizzes were significantly higher in all but the last testing period. The upper fiftieth percentile of students scored higher on both the practice quizzes and subsequent examinations in all but the fourth testing period. Conclusions. Providing pharmacy students with self-testing opportunities could increase their retention of course material and provide feedback to both students and educators regarding learning, as well as provide students with a measure of their metacognition. PMID:24672065

False belief understanding in Cantonese-speaking children.

PubMed

Tardif, Twila; Wellman, Henry M; Cheung, Kar Man

2004-11-01

The present study investigates the performance of 96 Cantonese-speaking three- to five-year-old preschoolers on three false belief tasks - a deceptive object, a change of location, and an unexpected contents task encompassing a variety of task factors. Most importantly, the research examines the possibility that false belief performance depends on specific linguistic factors such as the type of verb used in the test question--an explicitly false vs. a neutral belief verb. Cantonese was chosen as particularly useful for examining this question because it explicitly codes belief status as either neutral (nam5) or false (ji5wai4), and because it offers additional linguistic and cultural contrasts to research conducted on false belief with children learning English and other Indo-European languages. As expected, a strong age effect was found, as well as a significant advantage for children who received the explicit false belief (ji5wai4) wording and for those who were asked to explain rather than predict the protagonist's actions. Interestingly, there was also a strong task difference with children performing better on the deceptive object task than on the other two false belief tasks. We argue that these results point both to universal trajectories in theory of mind development and to interesting, but localized, effects of language and culture on children's false belief understanding.

Need for certification of household water treatment products: examples from Haiti

PubMed Central

Murray, Anna; Pierre-Louis, Jocelyne; Joseph, Flaurine; Sylvain, Ginelove; Patrick, Molly; Lantagne, Daniele

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE To evaluate four household water treatment (HWT) products currently seeking approval for distribution in Haiti, through the application of a recently-developed national HWT product certification process. METHODS Four chemical treatment products were evaluated against the certification process validation stage by verifying international product certifications confirming treatment efficacy and reviewing laboratory efficacy data against WHO HWT microbiological performance targets; and against the approval stage by confirming product composition, evaluating treated water chemical content against national and international drinking water quality guidelines and reviewing packaging for dosing ability and usage directions in Creole. RESULTS None of the four evaluated products fulfilled validation or approval stage requirements. None was certified by an international agency as efficacious for drinking water treatment, and none had data demonstrating its ability to meet WHO HWT performance targets. All product sample compositions differed from labelled composition by >20%, and no packaging included complete usage directions in Creole. CONCLUSIONS Product manufacturers provided information that was inapplicable, did not demonstrate product efficacy, and was insufficient to ensure safe product use. Capacity building is needed with country regulatory agencies to objectively evaluate HWT products. Products should be internationally assessed against WHO performance targets and also locally approved, considering language, culture and usability, to ensure effective HWT. PMID:25441711

Retinol, α-tocopherol, and selected minerals in breast milk of lactating women with full-term infants in South Korea

PubMed Central

Kim, Hyesook; Jung, Byung-Mun; Lee, Bum-Noh; Kim, Yun-Je

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES This study was performed to measure fat-soluble vitamins and minerals in breast milk of Korean lactating mothers who exclusively breastfed their babies. SUBJECTS/METHODS Breast milk samples were collected from 334 mothers. Concentrations of retinol and α-tocopherol were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography ultraviolet spectrometry while concentrations of minerals were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. RESULTS Retinol and α-tocopherol contents of breast milk were 39.58 ± 19.64 µg/dL and 0.23 ± 0.13 mg/dL, respectively. Average sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium levels in breast milk were 11.11 ± 5.16, 38.56 ± 9.01, 27.87 ± 6.10, 13.56 ± 3.30, and 3.05 ± 0.65 mg/dL, respectively. Contents of trace elements such as iron, zinc, copper, and manganese were 40.26 ± 46.21, 98.40 ± 62.47, 24.09 ± 9.03, and 0.90 ± 1.63 µg/dL, respectively. Fat-soluble vitamin concentration was positively correlated with total fat in milk samples, but no significant differences were observed in levels of retinol, α-tocopherol, or minerals based on whether or not lactating women were taking dietary supplements. CONCLUSIONS Micronutrient contents of breast milk samples from Korean lactating women were comparable to those of other nations. Retinol and α-tocopherol levels were correlated and also with total fat in breast milk. PMID:28194267

Gender role biases on Indian television.

PubMed

Behera, S K

1989-01-01

Gender role biases in Indian television have served to reinforce and even enhance the degradation of women in the broader society. A content analysis of 20 news programs, 20 fictionalized serials, and 100 commercials conducted over a 3-week period in 1988 indicated that women are portrayed as victims, caretakers, and sex objects while men are presented as masters, doers, and intellectuals. Of the 400 hours of news programs studied, men newsmakers accounted for 71% of the content while women were featured in only 10% of the segments. Even then, women's portrayal in the news tended to center on their roles as beneficiaries of welfare schemes, victims of accidents, or as the wives of male dignitaries. Fictionalized dramas reinforced the sex role stereotypes of men as decisive, assertive, dominant, and career- oriented, and of women as emotionally dependent, eager to please, sentimental, and primarily concerned with family relationships. Female characters in these series were most often housewives, secretaries, teachers, or nurses. Women were featured more often (56% of content) than men in Indian commercials, yet were shown performing stereotyped female activities such as shopping, preparing meals, and dressing to obtain the sexual approval of men. This sex role stereotyping in the media is seriously impeding the struggles of women in India to achieve economic and political autonomy. To promote more positive role modeling and change women's self-image, Indian television must move immediately to portray women achieving self-realization through their careers and social participation and to depict cooperation between men and women in performing household chores.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Assay of Key Quality-Indicative Ingredients of Tongkang Tablets.

PubMed

Pan, Wenjie; Ma, Jinfang; Xiao, Xue; Huang, Zhengwei; Zhou, Huanbin; Ge, Fahuan; Pan, Xin

2017-04-01

The objective of this paper is to develop an easy and fast near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) assay for the four key quality-indicative active ingredients of Tongkang tablets by comparing the true content of the active ingredients measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the NIRS data. The HPLC values for the active ingredients content of Cimicifuga glycoside, calycosin glucoside, 5-O-methylvisamminol and hesperidin in Tongkang tablets were set as reference values. The NIRS raw spectra of Tongkang tablets were processed using first-order convolution method. The iterative optimization method was chosen to optimize the band for Cimicifuga glycoside and 5-O-methylvisamminol, and correlation coefficient method was used to determine the optimal band of calycosin glucoside and hesperidin. A near-infrared quantitative calibration model was established for each quality-indicative ingredient by partial least-squares method on the basis of the contents detected by HPLC and the obtained NIRS spectra. The correlation coefficient R 2 values of the four models of Cimicifuga glycoside, calycosin glucoside, 5-O-methylvisamminol and hesperidin were 0.9025, 0.8582, 0.9250, and 0.9325, respectively. It was demonstrated that the accuracy of the validation values was approximately 90% by comparison of the predicted results from NIRS models and the HPLC true values, which suggested that NIRS assay was successfully established and validated. It was expected that the quantitative analysis models of the four indicative ingredients could be used to rapidly perform quality control in industrial production of Tongkang tablets.

A content analysis of Health Technology Assessment programs in Latin America.

PubMed

Arellano, Luis E; Reza, Mercedes; Blasco, Juan Antonio; Andradas, Elena

2009-10-01

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is a relatively new concept in Latin America (LA). The objectives of this exploratory study were to identify HTA programs in LA, review HTA documents produced by those programs, and assess the extent to which HTA aims are being achieved. An electronic search through two databases was performed to identify HTA programs in LA. A content analysis was performed on HTA documents (n = 236) produced by six programs between January 2000 and March 2007. Results were analyzed by comparing document content with the main goals of HTA. The number of HTA documents increased incrementally during the study period. The documents produced were mostly short HTA documents (82 percent) that assessed technologies such as drugs (31 percent), diagnostic and/or screening technologies (18 percent), or medical procedures (18 percent). Two-thirds (66 percent) of all HTA documents addressed issues related to clinical effectiveness and economic evaluations. Ethical, social, and/or legal issues were rarely addressed (<1 percent). The two groups most often targeted for dissemination of HTA information were third-party payers (55 percent) or government policy makers (41 percent). This study showed that while HTA programs in LA have attempted to address the main goals of HTA, they have done so through the production of short documents that focus on practical high-technology areas of importance to two specific target groups. Clinical and economic considerations still take precedence over ethical, social, and/or legal issues. Thus, an integrated conceptual framework in LA is wanting.

Soil water content evaluation considering time-invariant spatial pattern and space-variant temporal change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, W.; Si, B. C.

2013-10-01

Soil water content (SWC) varies in space and time. The objective of this study was to evaluate soil water content distribution using a statistical model. The model divides spatial SWC series into time-invariant spatial patterns, space-invariant temporal changes, and space- and time-dependent redistribution terms. The redistribution term is responsible for the temporal changes in spatial patterns of SWC. An empirical orthogonal function was used to separate the total variations of redistribution terms into the sum of the product of spatial structures (EOFs) and temporally-varying coefficients (ECs). Model performance was evaluated using SWC data of near-surface (0-0.2 m) and root-zone (0-1.0 m) from a Canadian Prairie landscape. Three significant EOFs were identified for redistribution term for both soil layers. EOF1 dominated the variations of redistribution terms and it resulted in more changes (recharge or discharge) in SWC at wetter locations. Depth to CaCO3 layer and organic carbon were the two most important controlling factors of EOF1, and together, they explained over 80% of the variations in EOF1. Weak correlation existed between either EOF2 or EOF3 and the observed factors. A reasonable prediction of SWC distribution was obtained with this model using cross validation. The model performed better in the root zone than in the near surface, and it outperformed conventional EOF method in case soil moisture deviated from the average conditions.

Asynchronous Video Streaming vs. Synchronous Videoconferencing for Teaching a Pharmacogenetic Pharmacotherapy Course

PubMed Central

2007-01-01

Objectives To compare students' performance and course evaluations for a pharmacogenetic pharmacotherapy course taught by synchronous videoconferencing method via the Internet and for the same course taught via asynchronous video streaming via the Internet. Methods In spring 2005, a pharmacogenetic therapy course was taught to 73 students located on Amarillo, Lubbock, and Dallas campuses using synchronous videoconferencing, and in spring 2006, to 78 students located on the same 3 campuses using asynchronous video streaming. A course evaluation was administered to each group at the end of the courses. Results Students in the asynchronous setting had final course grades of 89% ± 7% compared to the mean final course grade of 87% ± 7% in the synchronous group (p = 0.05). Regardless of which technology was used, average course grades did not differ significantly among the 3 campus sites. Significantly more of the students in the asynchronous setting agreed (57%) with the statement that they could read the lecture notes and absorb the content on their own without attending the class than students in the synchronous class (23%; chi-square test; p < 0.001). Conclusions Students in both asynchronous and synchronous settings performed well. However, students taught using asynchronous videotaped lectures had lower satisfaction with the method of content delivery, and preferred live interactive sessions or a mix of interactive sessions and asynchronous videos over delivery of content using the synchronous or asynchronous method alone. PMID:17429516

Social media in communicating health information: an analysis of Facebook groups related to hypertension.

PubMed

Al Mamun, Mohammad; Ibrahim, Hamza M; Turin, Tanvir Chowdhury

2015-01-29

We studied Facebook groups related to hypertension to characterize their objectives, subject matter, member sizes, geographical boundaries, level of activity, and user-generated content. We performed a systematic search among open Facebook groups using the keywords "hypertension," "high blood pressure," "raised blood pressure," and "blood pressure." We extracted relevant data from each group's content and developed a coding and categorizing scheme for the whole data set. Stepwise logistic regression was used to explore factors independently associated with each group's level of activity. We found 187 hypertension-related Facebook groups containing 8,966 members. The main objective of most (59.9%) Facebook groups was to create hypertension awareness, and 11.2% were created primarily to support patients and caregivers. Among the top-displayed, most recent posts (n = 164), 21.3% were focused on product or service promotion, whereas one-fifth of posts were related to hypertension-awareness information. Each Facebook group's level of activity was independently associated with group size (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.03), presence of "likes" on the most recent wall post (AOR, 3.55, 95% CI, 1.41-8.92), and presence of attached files on the group wall (AOR, 5.01, 95% CI, 1.25-20.1). The primary objective of most of the hypertension-related Facebook groups observed in this study was awareness creation. Compared with the whole Facebook community, the total number of hypertension-related Facebook groups and their users was small and the groups were less active.

Study of Temporal Effects on Subjective Video Quality of Experience.

PubMed

Bampis, Christos George; Zhi Li; Moorthy, Anush Krishna; Katsavounidis, Ioannis; Aaron, Anne; Bovik, Alan Conrad

2017-11-01

HTTP adaptive streaming is being increasingly deployed by network content providers, such as Netflix and YouTube. By dividing video content into data chunks encoded at different bitrates, a client is able to request the appropriate bitrate for the segment to be played next based on the estimated network conditions. However, this can introduce a number of impairments, including compression artifacts and rebuffering events, which can severely impact an end-user's quality of experience (QoE). We have recently created a new video quality database, which simulates a typical video streaming application, using long video sequences and interesting Netflix content. Going beyond previous efforts, the new database contains highly diverse and contemporary content, and it includes the subjective opinions of a sizable number of human subjects regarding the effects on QoE of both rebuffering and compression distortions. We observed that rebuffering is always obvious and unpleasant to subjects, while bitrate changes may be less obvious due to content-related dependencies. Transient bitrate drops were preferable over rebuffering only on low complexity video content, while consistently low bitrates were poorly tolerated. We evaluated different objective video quality assessment algorithms on our database and found that objective video quality models are unreliable for QoE prediction on videos suffering from both rebuffering events and bitrate changes. This implies the need for more general QoE models that take into account objective quality models, rebuffering-aware information, and memory. The publicly available video content as well as metadata for all of the videos in the new database can be found at http://live.ece.utexas.edu/research/LIVE_NFLXStudy/nflx_index.html.

5 CFR 293.403 - Contents of employee performance files.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Contents of employee performance files. 293.403 Section 293.403 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PERSONNEL RECORDS Employee Performance File System Records § 293.403 Contents of employee performance files. (a) A decision on what constitutes ...

Radioisotope Power Systems Reference Book for Mission Designers and Planners

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Young; Bairstow, Brian

2015-01-01

The RPS Program's Program Planning and Assessment (PPA) Office commissioned the Mission Analysis team to develop the Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Reference Book for Mission Planners and Designers to define a baseline of RPS technology capabilities with specific emphasis on performance parameters and technology readiness. The main objective of this book is to provide RPS technology information that could be utilized by future mission concept studies and concurrent engineering practices. A progress summary from the major branches of RPS technology research provides mission analysis teams with a vital tool for assessing the RPS trade space, and provides concurrent engineering centers with a consistent set of guidelines for RPS performance characteristics. This book will be iterated when substantial new information becomes available to ensure continued relevance, serving as one of the cornerstone products of the RPS PPA Office. This book updates the original 2011 internal document, using data from the relevant publicly released RPS technology references and consultations with RPS technologists. Each performance parameter and RPS product subsection has been reviewed and cleared by at least one subject matter representative. A virtual workshop was held to reach consensus on the scope and contents of the book, and the definitions and assumptions that should be used. The subject matter experts then reviewed and updated the appropriate sections of the book. The RPS Mission Analysis Team then performed further updates and crosschecked the book for consistency. Finally, a second virtual workshop was held to ensure all subject matter experts and stakeholders concurred on the contents.

Quantitative Analysis and Comparison of Four Major Flavonol Glycosides in the Leaves of Toona sinensis (A. Juss.) Roemer (Chinese Toon) from Various Origins by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Diode Array Detector and Hierarchical Clustering Analysis

PubMed Central

Sun, Xiaoxiang; Zhang, Liting; Cao, Yaqi; Gu, Qinying; Yang, Huan; Tam, James P.

2016-01-01

Background: Toona sinensis (A. Juss.) Roemer is an endemic species of Toona genus native to Asian area. Its dried leaves are applied in the treatment of many diseases; however, few investigations have been reported for the quantitative analysis and comparison of major bioactive flavonol glycosides in the leaves harvested from various origins. Objective: To quantitatively analyze four major flavonol glycosides including rutinoside, quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside, and kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside in the leaves from different production sites and classify them according to the content of these glycosides. Materials and Methods: A high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) method for their simultaneous determination was developed and validated for linearity, precision, accuracy, stability, and repeatability. Moreover, the method established was then employed to explore the difference in the content of these four glycosides in raw materials. Finally, a hierarchical clustering analysis was performed to classify 11 voucher specimens. Results: The separation was performed on a Waters XBridge Shield RP18 column (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 3.5 μm) kept at 35°C, and acetonitrile and H2O containing 0.30% trifluoroacetic acid as mobile phase was driven at 1.0 mL/min during the analysis. Ten microliters of solution were injected and 254 nm was selected to monitor the separation. A strong linear relationship between the peak area and concentration of four analytes was observed. And, the method was also validated to be repeatable, stable, precise, and accurate. Conclusion: An efficient and reliable HPLC-DAD method was established and applied in the assays for the samples from 11 origins successfully. Moreover, the content of those flavonol glycosides varied much among different batches, and the flavonoids could be considered as biomarkers to control the quality of Chinese Toon. SUMMARY Four major flavonol glycosides in the leaves of Toona sinensis were determined by HPLC-DAD and their contents were compared among various origins by HCA. Abbreviations used: HPLC-DAD: High-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector, HCA: Hierarchical clustering analysis, MS: Mass spectrometry, RSD: Relative standard deviation. PMID:27279719

Individual reactions to stress predict performance during a critical aviation incident.

PubMed

Vine, Samuel J; Uiga, Liis; Lavric, Aureliu; Moore, Lee J; Tsaneva-Atanasova, Krasimira; Wilson, Mark R

2015-01-01

Understanding the influence of stress on human performance is of theoretical and practical importance. An individual's reaction to stress predicts their subsequent performance; with a "challenge" response to stress leading to better performance than a "threat" response. However, this contention has not been tested in truly stressful environments with highly skilled individuals. Furthermore, the effect of challenge and threat responses on attentional control during visuomotor tasks is poorly understood. Thus, this study aimed to examine individual reactions to stress and their influence on attentional control, among a cohort of commercial pilots performing a stressful flight assessment. Sixteen pilots performed an "engine failure on take-off" scenario, in a high-fidelity flight simulator. Reactions to stress were indexed via self-report; performance was assessed subjectively (flight instructor assessment) and objectively (simulator metrics); gaze behavior data were captured using a mobile eye tracker, and measures of attentional control were subsequently calculated (search rate, stimulus driven attention, and entropy). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that a threat response was associated with poorer performance and disrupted attentional control. The findings add to previous research showing that individual reactions to stress influence performance and shed light on the processes through which stress influences performance.

Teaching "Cross-Cultural Communication" through Content Based Instruction: Curriculum Design and Learning Outcome from EFL Learners' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tseng, Chia-Ti Heather

2017-01-01

This study aims to investigate EFL learners' perspectives for the effectiveness of content-based instruction in a cross-cultural communication course. The main objectives of this study are three-folds: (1) to examine students' perspectives regarding the effectiveness of content learning; (2) to examine students' perspectives regarding the…

Effect on E-Content Learning Package in Mathematics Education for the Prospective Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joan, D. R. Robert

2013-01-01

E-content learning package will progress the learning process of students in formal or informal setting. It allows us to sort out the information to analyse and make meaning for conceptualization and applications which is suitable for individual learners. The objectives of the study was to measure the effectiveness of the E-content learning…

Information Technology and the Evolution of the Library

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

Resource Commons/ Repository/ Federated Search ILS (GLADIS/Pathfinder - Millenium)/ Catalog/ Circulation/ Acquisitions/ Digital Object Content...content management services to help centralize and distribute digi- tal content from across the institution, software to allow for seamless federated ... search - ing across multiple databases, and imaging software to allow for daily reimaging of ter- minals to reduce security concerns that otherwise

An Ensemble Approach in Converging Contents of LMS and KMS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabitha, A. Sai; Mehrotra, Deepti; Bansal, Abhay

2017-01-01

Currently the challenges in e-Learning are converging the learning content from various sources and managing them within e-learning practices. Data mining learning algorithms can be used and the contents can be converged based on the Metadata of the objects. Ensemble methods use multiple learning algorithms and it can be used to converge the…

Moral Dilemmas/Value Sheets: Writing for Content-Centered Social Studies Classrooms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stahl, Robert J.; And Others

The purpose of the paper is to stress the development of content-centered classroom activities useful for attaining values clarification and/or moral development goals. The objective is to help teachers understand the formulation of content-centered learning activities so that they will be able to plan and produce their own value sheets or moral…

Climate Change Discourse in Mass Media: Application of Computer-Assisted Content Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirilenko, Andrei P.; Stepchenkova, Svetlana O.

2012-01-01

Content analysis of mass media publications has become a major scientific method used to analyze public discourse on climate change. We propose a computer-assisted content analysis method to extract prevalent themes and analyze discourse changes over an extended period in an objective and quantifiable manner. The method includes the following: (1)…

Microstructural characterization of multiphase chocolate using X-ray microtomography.

PubMed

Frisullo, Pierangelo; Licciardello, Fabio; Muratore, Giuseppe; Del Nobile, Matteo Alessandro

2010-09-01

In this study, X-ray microtomography (μCT) was used for the image analysis of the microstructure of 12 types of Italian aerated chocolate chosen to exhibit variability in terms of cocoa mass content. Appropriate quantitative 3-dimensional parameters describing the microstructure were calculated, for example, the structure thickness (ST), object structure volume ratio (OSVR), and the percentage object volume (POV). Chemical analysis was also performed to correlate the microstructural data to the chemical composition of the samples. Correlation between the μCT parameters acquired for the pore microstructure evaluation and the chemical analysis revealed that the sugar crystals content does not influence the pore structure and content. On the other hand, it revealed that there is a strong correlation between the POV and the sugar content obtained by chemical analysis. The results from this study show that μCT is a suitable technique for the microstructural analysis of confectionary products such as chocolates and not only does it provide an accurate analysis of the pores and microstructure but the data obtained could also be used to aid in the assessment of its composition and consistency with label specifications. X-ray microtomography (μCT) is a noninvasive and nondestructive 3-D imaging technique that has several advantages over other methods, including the ability to image low-moisture materials. Given the enormous success of μCT in medical applications, material science, chemical engineering, geology, and biology, it is not surprising that in recent years much attention has been focused on extending this imaging technique to food science as a useful technique to aid in the study of food microstructure. X-ray microtomography provides in-depth information on the microstructure of the food product being tested; therefore, a better understanding of the physical structure of the product and from an engineering perspective, knowledge about the microstructure of foods can be used to identify the important processing parameters that affect the quality of a product.

Objective evaluation of choroidal melanin contents with polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miura, Masahiro; Makita, Shuichi; Yasuno, Yoshiaki; Ikuno, Yasushi; Uematsu, Sato; Iwasaki, Takuya; Goto, Hiroshi

2018-02-01

We non-invasively evaluated choroidal melanin contents in human eyes with PS-OCT. We calculated the percentage area of low DOPU in the choroidal interstitial stroma for Vogt-Koyanagi- Harada disease with sunset glow fundus, without sunset glow fundus, control group and tessellated fundus with high myopia. The mean percentage area of low DOPU in the sunset group was significantly lower than the other groups. PS-OCT provides an in vivo objective evaluation of choroidal melanin loss in vivo human eyes.

Crowdsourced Curriculum Development for Online Medical Education.

PubMed

Shappell, Eric; Chan, Teresa M; Thoma, Brent; Trueger, N Seth; Stuntz, Bob; Cooney, Robert; Ahn, James

2017-12-08

In recent years online educational content, efforts at quality appraisal, and integration of online material into institutional teaching initiatives have increased. However, medical education has yet to develop large-scale online learning centers. Crowd-sourced curriculum development may expedite the realization of this potential while providing opportunities for innovation and scholarship. This article describes the current landscape, best practices, and future directions for crowdsourced curriculum development using Kern's framework for curriculum development and the example topic of core content in emergency medicine. A scoping review of online educational content was performed by a panel of subject area experts for each step in Kern's framework. Best practices and recommendations for future development for each step were established by the same panel using a modified nominal group consensus process. The most prevalent curriculum design steps were (1) educational content and (2) needs assessments. Identified areas of potential innovation within these steps included targeting gaps in specific content areas and developing underrepresented instructional methods. Steps in curriculum development without significant representation included (1) articulation of goals and objectives and (2) tools for curricular evaluation. By leveraging the power of the community, crowd-sourced curriculum development offers a mechanism to diffuse the burden associated with creating comprehensive online learning centers. There is fertile ground for innovation and scholarship in each step along the continuum of curriculum development. Realization of this paradigm's full potential will require individual developers to strongly consider how their contributions will align with the work of others.

Crowdsourced Curriculum Development for Online Medical Education

PubMed Central

Chan, Teresa M; Thoma, Brent; Trueger, N Seth; Stuntz, Bob; Cooney, Robert; Ahn, James

2017-01-01

In recent years online educational content, efforts at quality appraisal, and integration of online material into institutional teaching initiatives have increased. However, medical education has yet to develop large-scale online learning centers. Crowd-sourced curriculum development may expedite the realization of this potential while providing opportunities for innovation and scholarship. This article describes the current landscape, best practices, and future directions for crowdsourced curriculum development using Kern’s framework for curriculum development and the example topic of core content in emergency medicine. A scoping review of online educational content was performed by a panel of subject area experts for each step in Kern’s framework. Best practices and recommendations for future development for each step were established by the same panel using a modified nominal group consensus process. The most prevalent curriculum design steps were (1) educational content and (2) needs assessments. Identified areas of potential innovation within these steps included targeting gaps in specific content areas and developing underrepresented instructional methods. Steps in curriculum development without significant representation included (1) articulation of goals and objectives and (2) tools for curricular evaluation. By leveraging the power of the community, crowd-sourced curriculum development offers a mechanism to diffuse the burden associated with creating comprehensive online learning centers. There is fertile ground for innovation and scholarship in each step along the continuum of curriculum development. Realization of this paradigm’s full potential will require individual developers to strongly consider how their contributions will align with the work of others. PMID:29464134