A Pilot Project to Identify Sex Role Factors Affecting the Employment of Vocational Students in Selected Occupational Areas. Final Report, February 1, 1980-June 30, 1980.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wichowski, Chester P.; DuMond, Doreen C.

A pilot study was conducted to identify sex role factors which could affect the search for employment and the adjustment to employment for vocational graduates in selected occupational areas. Target employment areas were identified through a review of occupations with a disproportionate composition by one sex or the other. These included…

Pilot-Reported Beta-Blockers Identified by Forensic Toxicology Analysis of Postmortem Specimens

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-01

This study compared beta-blockers reported by pilots with the medications found by postmortem toxicology analysis of specimens received from fatal aviation accidents between 1999 and 2015. Several studies have compared drugs using the standard approa...

Answering Fixed Response Items in Chemistry: A Pilot Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hateley, R. J.

1979-01-01

Presents a pilot study on student thinking in chemistry. Verbal comments of a group of six college students were recorded and analyzed to identify how each student arrives at the correct answer in fixed response items in chemisty. (HM)

Pilot Comments From the Boeing High Speed Research Aircraft, Cycle 3, Simulation Study of the Effects of Aeroservoelasticity (LaRC.3)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, Melvin L. (Editor)

2000-01-01

This is a compilation of pilot comments from the Boeing High Speed Research Aircraft, Cycle 3, simulation study (LaRC.3) of the effects of aeroservoelasticity, conducted from October to December 1997 at NASA Langley Research Center. This simulation study was conducted using the Visual Motion Simulator. The comments are from direct tape transcriptions and have been edited for spelling only. These comments were made on tape following the completion of each flight card, immediately after the pilot was satisfied with his practice and data recording runs. Six pilots were used in the evaluation and they are identified as pilots A through F.

Defining Feasibility and Pilot Studies in Preparation for Randomised Controlled Trials: Development of a Conceptual Framework

PubMed Central

Eldridge, Sandra M.; Lancaster, Gillian A.; Campbell, Michael J.; Thabane, Lehana; Hopewell, Sally; Coleman, Claire L.; Bond, Christine M.

2016-01-01

We describe a framework for defining pilot and feasibility studies focusing on studies conducted in preparation for a randomised controlled trial. To develop the framework, we undertook a Delphi survey; ran an open meeting at a trial methodology conference; conducted a review of definitions outside the health research context; consulted experts at an international consensus meeting; and reviewed 27 empirical pilot or feasibility studies. We initially adopted mutually exclusive definitions of pilot and feasibility studies. However, some Delphi survey respondents and the majority of open meeting attendees disagreed with the idea of mutually exclusive definitions. Their viewpoint was supported by definitions outside the health research context, the use of the terms ‘pilot’ and ‘feasibility’ in the literature, and participants at the international consensus meeting. In our framework, pilot studies are a subset of feasibility studies, rather than the two being mutually exclusive. A feasibility study asks whether something can be done, should we proceed with it, and if so, how. A pilot study asks the same questions but also has a specific design feature: in a pilot study a future study, or part of a future study, is conducted on a smaller scale. We suggest that to facilitate their identification, these studies should be clearly identified using the terms ‘feasibility’ or ‘pilot’ as appropriate. This should include feasibility studies that are largely qualitative; we found these difficult to identify in electronic searches because researchers rarely used the term ‘feasibility’ in the title or abstract of such studies. Investigators should also report appropriate objectives and methods related to feasibility; and give clear confirmation that their study is in preparation for a future randomised controlled trial designed to assess the effect of an intervention. PMID:26978655

Consumer Feedback to Steer the Future of Assistive Technology Research and Development: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Kelleher, Annmarie; Dicianno, Brad E.; Eckstein, Stacy; Schein, Richard; Pearlman, Jonathan

2017-01-01

Objective: The overall objective of this project was to identify consumers' opinions of their needs and wants related to assistive technology (AT) in a systematic and quantitative manner via a questionnaire that can be used to validate existing and establish new research priorities. Methods: This pilot study describes questionnaire development, online implementation, and revisions considered to the questionnaire in preparation for conducting a nationwide survey. Data from a sample (N = 112) are presented. The pilot study was critical to refine the questions and ensure that meaningful information was being collected. Results: It was identified that revisions were warranted to provide more structure and allow for consumers to prioritize AT research efforts. Conclusion: The questionnaire results, although positively in favor of many of the technologies presented, are inconclusive to identify generalizable research priorities, thus expansion to a nationwide population is warranted. PMID:29339885

Flight Instructor-Student Pilot Perceptive Similarity and Its Effect on Flight Training Time.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kreienkamp, Ronald A.

This study attempts to identify factors that may contribute to the learning process of the student pilot in order to lower flight costs while maintaining or increasing safety factors. Specifically, it tests the hypothesis that a significant relationship exists between the similarity of flight instructor and student pilot perceptive styles and the…

A safety study of the operational relationship between ship masters/watchkeeping officers and marine pilots

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-01-01

Of the 273 occurrences involving vessels in Canadian pilotage waters between 1981 and 1992, 200 involved human factors. A high percentage of those 200 occurrences were identified as being associated with pilots. This study examines the operational re...

Pilot Alcohol Violations Reported in U.S. Newspapers, 1990–2006

PubMed Central

Kraus, Chadd K.; Li, Guohua

2009-01-01

Introduction Alcohol violations by airline pilots are rare yet remain a public concern. Such incidents often generate widespread news coverage. This study examines the frequency and characteristics of alcohol violation incidents involving airline pilots reported in U.S. newspapers. Methods The database of Lexis-Nexis™, which contains full-text articles for over 350 newspapers, was searched to identify alcohol violation incidents involving airline pilots in the U.S. between January 1990 and June 2006. Information pertaining to the pilot, flight, blood alcohol concentration (BAC), and consequence was ascertained for each incident based on the newspaper coverage. Results During the study period, newspapers reported on a total of 13 incidents of alcohol violations involving 17 pilots. All but two of the incidents occurred during January 2002 through June 2006. The majority (85%) of the incidents were first identified by airport personnel, such as security screeners, based on suspicion of alcohol use by the pilot. Subsequent alcohol testing revealed a mean BAC of 90 mg/dL (ranging from 10 mg · dL−1 to 182 mg · dL−1). Of the 17 pilots, 6 were known to be prosecuted criminally, including 5 who were sentenced to jail terms. Discussion Incidents of alcohol violations by airline pilots reported in U.S. newspapers have increased in recent years. This increase is likely due in part to increased detection resulting from enhanced aviation security and enforcement following the September 2001 terrorist attacks. PMID:17183928

Structural Differences in Gray Matter between Glider Pilots and Non-Pilots. A Voxel-Based Morphometry Study

PubMed Central

Ahamed, Tosif; Kawanabe, Motoaki; Ishii, Shin; Callan, Daniel E.

2014-01-01

Glider flying is a unique skill that requires pilots to control an aircraft at high speeds in three dimensions and amidst frequent full-body rotations. In the present study, we investigated the neural correlates of flying a glider using voxel-based morphometry. The comparison between gray matter densities of 15 glider pilots and a control group of 15 non-pilots exhibited significant gray matter density increases in left ventral premotor cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and the supplementary eye field. We posit that the identified regions might be associated with cognitive and motor processes related to flying, such as joystick control, visuo-vestibular interaction, and oculomotor control. PMID:25506339

Structural Differences in Gray Matter between Glider Pilots and Non-Pilots. A Voxel-Based Morphometry Study.

PubMed

Ahamed, Tosif; Kawanabe, Motoaki; Ishii, Shin; Callan, Daniel E

2014-01-01

Glider flying is a unique skill that requires pilots to control an aircraft at high speeds in three dimensions and amidst frequent full-body rotations. In the present study, we investigated the neural correlates of flying a glider using voxel-based morphometry. The comparison between gray matter densities of 15 glider pilots and a control group of 15 non-pilots exhibited significant gray matter density increases in left ventral premotor cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and the supplementary eye field. We posit that the identified regions might be associated with cognitive and motor processes related to flying, such as joystick control, visuo-vestibular interaction, and oculomotor control.

Experimental evaluation of candidate graphical microburst alert displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wanke, Craig R.; Hansman, R. John

1992-01-01

A piloted flight simulator experiment was conducted to evaluate issues related to the display of microburst alerts on electronic cockpit instrumentation. Issues addressed include display clarity, usefulness of multilevel microburst intensity information, and whether information from multiple sensors should be presented separately or 'fused' into combined alerts. Nine active airline pilots of 'glass cockpit' aircraft participated in the study. Microburst alerts presented on a moving map display were found to be visually clear and useful to pilots. Also, multilevel intensity information coded by colors or patterns was found to be important for decision making purposes. Pilot opinion was mixed on whether to 'fuse' data from multiple sensors, and some resulting design tradeoffs were identified. The positional information included in the graphical alert presentation was found useful by the pilots for planning lateral missed approach maneuvers, but may result in deviations which could interfere with normal airport operations. A number of flight crew training issues were also identified.

Student Perceptions of International Education and Study Abroad: A Pilot Study at York University, Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trilokekar, Roopa Desai; Rasmi, Sarah

2011-01-01

International student mobility has been identified as a key strategy for the internationalization of higher education. Although an institutional priority, Canada has among the lowest levels of international student mobility, with only 2% of full-time university students participating in study-abroad programs. This pilot study, conducted at a large…

Transportation infrastructure and quality of life for disadvantage populations: a pilot study of El Cenizo Colonia in Texas.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-09-01

This research is a pilot study aimed to identify environmental characteristics in colonias that are : related to infrastructure and safety, access to goods and services, and quality of life. A secondary objective : consisted of evaluating a variety o...

Controller and pilot error in airport operations : a review of previous research and analysis of safety data

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine controller and pilot errors in airport operations to identify potential tower remedies. The : first part of the report contains a review of the literature of studies conducted of tower operationsand of efforts...

Feasibility Testing and Refinement of a Supportive Educational Intervention for Carers of Patients with High-Grade Glioma - a Pilot Study.

PubMed

Halkett, Georgia K B; Lobb, Elizabeth A; Miller, Lisa; Shaw, Thérèse; Moorin, Rachael; Long, Anne; King, Anne; Clarke, Jenny; Fewster, Stephanie; Nowak, Anna K

2017-02-11

The aim of this pilot study was to test the feasibility and acceptability of a family carer intervention for carers of patients with high-grade glioma (HGG). The intervention consisted of: (1) an initial telephone assessment of carer needs; (2) a personalised tabbed resource file; (3) nurse-led home visit; and (4) ongoing telephone support. Two consumer representatives reviewed the intervention resources. The intervention was then piloted with participants who were the primary carer for patients undergoing treatment for HGG in Western Australia. Two consumers provided feedback on the resource, and 10 carers participated in the pilot. Positive feedback was received about the resource manual and intervention. Suggestions were also made for changes which were implemented into the trial. The surveys were shortened based on feedback. Participants identified a large range of issues during nursing assessments which would not otherwise be identified or addressed for carers receiving routine care. As a result of providing the intervention, the nurse was able to make referrals to address needs that were identified. This pilot study enabled us to refine and test the Care-IS intervention and test the feasibility and acceptability of proposed survey instruments. We were also able to estimate recruitment and retention and the overall study timeline required for the randomised controlled trial we are now conducting. It has also demonstrated the role of the nurse who delivered the intervention and allowed us to refine communication and referral pathways.

Information Literacy: Instrument Development to Measure Competencies and Knowledge Among Nursing Educators, Nursing Administrators, and Nursing Clinicians: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Pierce, Susan; Pravikoff, Diane; Tanner, Annelle

2003-01-01

This poster describes a pilot study conducted to establish validity and reliability of an instrument that will be used in a nationwide needs assessment, implemented to identify gaps in Information Literacy skills, competencies, and knowledge among key nursing groups nationally. Data and information gathered using the tool will guide the profession in developing appropriate education and continuing education programs to close identified gaps and enhance nurses’ readiness for Evidence-Based Practice (EBP). PMID:14728475

Numerical and flight simulator test of the flight deterioration concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccarthy, J.; Norviel, V.

1982-01-01

Manned flight simulator response to theoretical wind shear profiles was studied in an effort to calibrate fixed-stick and pilot-in-the-loop numerical models of jet transport aircraft on approach to landing. Results of the study indicate that both fixed-stick and pilot-in-the-loop models overpredict the deleterious effects of aircraft approaches when compared to pilot performance in the manned simulator. Although the pilot-in-the-loop model does a better job than does the fixed-stick model, the study suggests that the pilot-in-the-loop model is suitable for use in meteorological predictions of adverse low-level wind shear along approach and departure courses to identify situations in which pilots may find difficulty. The model should not be used to predict the success or failure of a specific aircraft. It is suggested that the pilot model be used as part of a ground-based Doppler radar low-level wind shear detection and warning system.

The value of a pilot study in breast-feeding research.

PubMed

Carfoot, Sue; Williamson, Paula R; Dickson, Rumona

2004-06-01

To test the integrity of a protocol for a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to examine the effectiveness of skin-to-skin care compared to routine care on the initiation and duration of breast feeding and to provide data to be used in the power calculation for a proposed trial. Randomised pilot study. Warrington Hospital, Cheshire, UK. Women at 36 weeks' gestation with healthy singleton pregnancies, who intended to breast feed, who had 'booked' for care at Warrington Hospital and had given informed consent to participate. Twenty-eight women were randomised in the pilot study. Women were randomly allocated to receive either routine or skin-to-skin care following birth. The first breast feed was assessed using the Breast-feeding Assessment Tool (BAT). Mothers were followed up at discharge from hospital and again at four months to provide details of duration of breast feeding. 66 women were approached to participate in the trial and 44 consented (67% consent rate). Twenty-eight women were randomised in the study and 26 breast feeds were observed (93%). The pilot study identified procedural changes that were required in the design of the main study, provided an estimate of recruitment rates and confirmed the previously calculated sample size. The pilot study demonstrated that a large RCT of skin-to-skin versus routine care was feasible. This is an example of how a pilot study has the ability to identify unforeseen challenges in the conduct of the trial as well as allowing necessary changes to be made to the design that will increase the quality of the subsequent research.

Successful Indicators Study (SIS) Methodology Report: Deviant Case Analysis Pilot.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Jerry; Hafner, Anne

A deviant case analysis pilot study analyzed California local education agency data to determine the usefulness of regression analysis in predicting change in achievement from 1984 to 1989 and identified outliers or districts that show greater achievement changes than would be expected given changed demographic conditions. This report on the…

Identifying unintended consequences of quality indicators: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Lester, Helen E; Hannon, Kerin L; Campbell, Stephen M

2011-12-01

For the first 5 years of the UK primary care pay for performance scheme, the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), quality indicators were introduced without piloting. However, in 2009, potential new indicators were piloted in a nationally representative sample of practices. This paper describes an in-depth exploration of family physician, nurse and other primary-care practice staff views of the value of piloting with a particular focus on unintended consequences of 13 potential new QOF indicators. Fifty-seven family-practice professionals were interviewed in 24 representative practices across England. Almost all interviewees emphasised the value of piloting in terms of an opportunity to identify unintended consequences of potential QOF indicators in 'real world' settings with staff who deliver day-to-day care to patients. Four particular types of unintended consequences were identified: measure fixation, tunnel vision, misinterpretation and potential gaming. 'Measure fixation,' an inappropriate attention on isolated aspects of care, appeared to be the key unintended consequence. In particular, if the palliative care indicator had been introduced without piloting, this might have incentivised poorer care in a minority of practices with potential harm to vulnerable patients. It is important to identify concerns and experiences about unintended consequences of indicators at an early stage when there is time to remove or adapt problem indicators. Since the UK government currently spends over £1 billion each year on QOF, the £150,000 spent on each piloting cohort (0.0005% of the total QOF budget) appears to be good value for money.

Identification of Human Factors in Unmanned Aviation Via Pilot Incident Reports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hobbs, Alan; Cardoza, Colleen; Null, Cynthia

2015-01-01

There is a need for incident data relevant to the operation of civilian unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the National Air Space (NAS). Currently, very limited incident and accident data are available from military sources, and the tightly-restricted civilian UAS industry has produced very few incident reports that could shed light on design issues relevant to human factors. An exploratory study is being conducted to examine the feasibility of collecting voluntary critical incident reports from UAS pilots, and using the information to identify areas where human factors guidelines will be of assistance. Experienced UAS pilots are participating in small focus groups in which they are prompted to describe critical incidents that either reveal a system flaw, or highlight a case where the human operator contributed to system resilience or mission success. The de-identified incidents are being analyzed to identify contributing factors, with a focus on design issues that either hindered or assisted the pilot in dealing with the incident. Preliminary findings will be described.

Development and Early Piloting of a CanMEDS Competency-Based Feedback Tool for Surgical Grand Rounds.

PubMed

Fahim, Christine; Bhandari, Mohit; Yang, Ilun; Sonnadara, Ranil

2016-01-01

Grand rounds offer an excellent opportunity for the evaluation of medical expertise, and other competencies, such as communication and professionalism. The purpose of this study was to develop a tool that would facilitate the provision of formative feedback for grand rounds to improve learning. The resulting CanMEDS-based evaluation tool was piloted in an academic surgical department. This study employed the use of a 3-phase, qualitatively-focused, embedded mixed methods approach. In Phase 1, an intrinsic case study was conducted to identify preliminary themes. These findings were crystallized using a quantitative survey. Following interpretation of these data, a grand rounds evaluation tool was developed in Phase 2. The tool was piloted in the Phase 3 focus group. This study was piloted at an academic surgical center among members of the Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada. Purposive sampling was used for this study. A total of n = 7 individuals participated in the Phase 1 interviews, and n = 24 participants completed the Phase 1 survey. Participants included a representative sample of medical students, residents, fellows, and staff. The tool was piloted among n = 19 participants. The proposed evaluation tool contains 13 Likert-scale questions and 2 open-ended questions. The tool outlines specific questions to assess grand rounds presenters within the structure of the 7 CanMEDS competency domains. "Evaluation fatigue" was identified as a major barrier in the willingness to provide effective feedback. Further, a number of factors regarding the preferred content, structure, and format of surgical grand rounds were identified. This pilot study presents a CanMEDS-specific evaluation tool that can be applied to surgical grand rounds. With the increasing adoption of competency-based medical education, comprehensive evaluation of surgical activities is required. This form provides a template for the development of competency-based evaluation tools for medical and surgical learning activities. Copyright © 2016 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A pilot data collecting exercise on stress and nursing students.

PubMed

Por, Jitna

This article discusses the lessons learned from a small pilot study exploring the link between the working environment and occupational stress among groups of nursing students. A comparative descriptive design was adopted to examine, describe and compare the two variables (sources and frequency) in three groups of nursing students. The sample comprised 90 students from one large inner-city school of nursing in London. The Expanded Nursing Stress Scale questionnaires were used to collect the data. The main findings suggest that the adult, child and mental health branch students were similar with respect to overall frequency of occupational stress. Areas of commonality and variability in the sources of stress perceived by the three groups of students were identified. A pilot study is a crucial element of a good study design. Areas of concern, lessons learned and suggested refinements were identified.

Using a course pilot in the development of an online problem-based learning (PBL) therapeutics course in a post-professional PharmD program.

PubMed

Nagge, Jeff J; Killeen, Rosemary; Jennings, Brad

2018-02-01

To assess whether the traditional problem-based learning (PBL) process can be replicated in an online environment, and to identify any barriers and facilitators to learning using a course pilot. Eight alumni and one experienced tutor participated in a two-week simulated PBL course comprised of two three-hour synchronous online tutorials. Blackboard Collaborate ® software was used to permit audio and visual interaction. The PBL tutorials were recorded and observed by the researchers. Participants completed satisfaction surveys after the pilot, and were invited to take part in a focus group to debrief about their experience. Once the steep learning curve with the technology was overcome, the quality of the PBL process was similar in the online course as it was in the face-to-face course. Several key factors for success were identified through analysis of the videotaped sessions, and interviews with the participants in the course pilot. Conducting a course pilot study demonstrated that an online PBL course is feasible, and identified some considerations to facilitate success. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Emerging Literacy in Spanish among Hispanic Heritage Language University Students in the USA: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fairclough, Marta; Belpoliti, Flavia

2016-01-01

This pilot study identifies some lexical aspects of the emerging writing skills in Spanish among receptive English/Spanish bilingual students with little or no exposure to formal study of the home language upon entering a Spanish Heritage Language Program at a large public university in the Southwestern United States. The 200+ essays analyzed in…

Pilot-controller communication errors : an analysis of Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) reports

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-08-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that contribute to pilot-controller communication errors. Resports submitted to the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) offer detailed accounts of specific types of errors and a great deal of ...

Preliminary Engineering Report for the Use of Peracetic Acid at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Sewage Treatment Plant

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

Taylor, Paul Allen

2017-02-01

The purpose of this report is to identify other disinfection methods to replace the current ozone system and propose a small pilot-scale test. Based on a review of the literature and disinfectants used by other wastewater plants in Tennessee, peracetic acid (PAA) was identified as a leading candidate. This report provides the basis for requesting approval for a pilot-scale study using PAA.

Behavioral Criteria in Research and the Study of Racism: Performing the Jackal Function (Part II).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilliard, Asa G.; Jenkins, Yolanda L.

This document describes the methodology and results of a pilot study and outlines the hypotheses and procedures of a final study to identify and measure racist behaviors and attitudes in adults. The impact of a slide presentation on racial attitudes was also examined. The context of the pilot study was a workshop on race relations designed to…

Cleveland Clinic Rehabilitation Research Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

risks have been identified that would require a new risk analysis. The study is now registered as a pilot clinical trial. Use of tDCS , TMS and structural...using behavioral recording and electroencephalographic ( EEG ) recording and results were published. Study 2: The motor cortex (M1) and the...four pilot projects. Study 1: Magnetic stimulation and epilepsy In this study, transcranial magnetic stimulation ( TMS ) will be tested for its

Predicting Pilot Performance in Off-Nominal Conditions: A Meta-Analysis and Model Validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wickens, C.D.; Hooey, B.L.; Gore, B.F.; Sebok, A.; Koenecke, C.; Salud, E.

2009-01-01

Pilot response to off-nominal (very rare) events represents a critical component to understanding the safety of next generation airspace technology and procedures. We describe a meta-analysis designed to integrate the existing data regarding pilot accuracy of detecting rare, unexpected events such as runway incursions in realistic flight simulations. Thirty-five studies were identified and pilot responses were categorized by expectancy, event location, and whether the pilot was flying with a highway-in-the-sky display. All three dichotomies produced large, significant effects on event miss rate. A model of human attention and noticing, N-SEEV, was then used to predict event noticing performance as a function of event salience and expectancy, and retinal eccentricity. Eccentricity is predicted from steady state scanning by the SEEV model of attention allocation. The model was used to predict miss rates for the expectancy, location and highway-in-the-sky (HITS) effects identified in the meta-analysis. The correlation between model-predicted results and data from the meta-analysis was 0.72.

Self-Insurance: A Solution for Faculty and Staff Health Promotion? Pilot Study Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giebert, Megan C. H.; Wilson, Kelly L.; Ward, Susan E.

2014-01-01

Faculty and staff health promotion is a cost-saving component of coordinated school health, but little is known about the comprehensiveness of these programs. Self-insured school districts require employees to contribute directly to the district's health insurance pool. The purpose of this pilot study was to identify the prevalence of…

A Pilot Study Applying Social Cognitive Theory to Predict HPV Vaccination Intentions of Unvaccinated College Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Catalano, Hannah Priest; Knowlden, Adam P.; Sharma, Manoj; Franzidis, Alexia

2016-01-01

Although college-aged women are at high risk for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, many college women remain unvaccinated against HPV. Testing health behavior theory can assist sexuality educators in identifying behavioral antecedents to promote behavior change within an intervention. The purpose of this pilot study was to utilize social…

Pilot identification of symbols and an exploration of symbol design issues for electronic displays of aeronautical charting information

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-06-01

This report describes a study designed to address four research questions about symbology for electronic displays of charting information. The main research question was whether pilots could identify a set of test symbols. Three other research questi...

A study of ASRS reports involving general aviation and weather encounters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rockwell, T. H.; Roach, D. E.; Griffin, W. C.

1981-01-01

Consideration is given to the nature and characteristics of problems involving dissemination of weather information, use of this information by pilots, its adequacy for the purpose intended, the ability of the air traffic control system to cope with weather related incidents, and the various aspects of pilot behavior, aircraft equipment, and NAVAIDS affecting flights in which weather figures. It is concluded from the study that skill and training deficiencies of general aviation pilots are not major factors in weather related occurrences, nor is lack of aircraft equipment. Major problem causes are identified with timely and easily interpreted weather information, judgement and attitude factors of pilots, and the functioning of the air traffic control system.

Quality of reporting of pilot and feasibility cluster randomised trials: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Chan, Claire L; Leyrat, Clémence; Eldridge, Sandra M

2017-01-01

Objectives To systematically review the quality of reporting of pilot and feasibility of cluster randomised trials (CRTs). In particular, to assess (1) the number of pilot CRTs conducted between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2014, (2) whether objectives and methods are appropriate and (3) reporting quality. Methods We searched PubMed (2011–2014) for CRTs with ‘pilot’ or ‘feasibility’ in the title or abstract; that were assessing some element of feasibility and showing evidence the study was in preparation for a main effectiveness/efficacy trial. Quality assessment criteria were based on the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) extensions for pilot trials and CRTs. Results Eighteen pilot CRTs were identified. Forty-four per cent did not have feasibility as their primary objective, and many (50%) performed formal hypothesis testing for effectiveness/efficacy despite being underpowered. Most (83%) included ‘pilot’ or ‘feasibility’ in the title, and discussed implications for progression from the pilot to the future definitive trial (89%), but fewer reported reasons for the randomised pilot trial (39%), sample size rationale (44%) or progression criteria (17%). Most defined the cluster (100%), and number of clusters randomised (94%), but few reported how the cluster design affected sample size (17%), whether consent was sought from clusters (11%), or who enrolled clusters (17%). Conclusions That only 18 pilot CRTs were identified necessitates increased awareness of the importance of conducting and publishing pilot CRTs and improved reporting. Pilot CRTs should primarily be assessing feasibility, avoiding formal hypothesis testing for effectiveness/efficacy and reporting reasons for the pilot, sample size rationale and progression criteria, as well as enrolment of clusters, and how the cluster design affects design aspects. We recommend adherence to the CONSORT extensions for pilot trials and CRTs. PMID:29122791

Investigation of technology needs for avoiding helicopter pilot error related accidents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chais, R. I.; Simpson, W. E.

1985-01-01

Pilot error which is cited as a cause or related factor in most rotorcraft accidents was examined. Pilot error related accidents in helicopters to identify areas in which new technology could reduce or eliminate the underlying causes of these human errors were investigated. The aircraft accident data base at the U.S. Army Safety Center was studied as the source of data on helicopter accidents. A randomly selected sample of 110 aircraft records were analyzed on a case-by-case basis to assess the nature of problems which need to be resolved and applicable technology implications. Six technology areas in which there appears to be a need for new or increased emphasis are identified.

Gulf War Illness Inflammation Reduction Trial

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

study comparing blood samples from Gulf War veterans with and without multiple symptoms of pain, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction. The goal of the...pilot study was to identify a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of GWI. Examination to the peripheral blood revealed the biomarker...understood. Therefore, we performed a pilot study comparing blood samples from Gulf War veterans who very GWI- with blood 6 from veterans who were

Developing and Sustaining Partnerships: Lessons Learned.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wills, Joan L.; Kaufmann, Barbara A.

This paper reports on a study that examined skill standards pilot programs to identify lessons learned in the selection and involvement of representatives from the various stakeholder communities and the potential for sustaining the efforts of the pilot programs. Data were gathered through structured conversations with staff and committee members…

Evaluative Priming in the Pronunciation Task.

PubMed

Klauer, Karl Christoph; Becker, Manuel; Spruyt, Adriaan

2016-01-01

We replicated and extended a study by Spruyt and Hermans (2008) in which picture primes engendered an evaluative-priming effect on the pronunciation of target words. As preliminary steps, we assessed data reproducibility of the original study, conducted Pilot Study I to identify highly semantically related prime-target pairs, reanalyzed the original data excluding such pairs, conducted Pilot Study II to demonstrate that we can replicate traditional associative priming effects in the pronunciation task, and conducted Pilot Study III to generate relatively unrelated sets of prime pictures and target words. The main study comprised three between-participants conditions: (1) a close replication of the original study, (2) the same condition excluding highly related prime-target pairs, and (3) a condition based on the relatively unrelated sets of prime pictures and target words developed in Pilot Study III. There was little evidence for an evaluative priming effect independent of semantic relatedness.

Improving Homework Compliance in Career Counseling with a Behavioral Activation Functional Assessment Procedure: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baruch, David E.; Kanter, Jonathan W.; Bowe, William M.; Pfennig, Sherri L.

2011-01-01

Behavioral activation has emerged as a widely used treatment for depression in a number of health care settings due to its concrete, straightforward emphasis on out-of-session client homework, but it lacks explicit guidelines for identifying and overcoming barriers that interfere with homework completion. The purpose of this pilot study was to…

Modeling human pilot cue utilization with applications to simulator fidelity assessment.

PubMed

Zeyada, Y; Hess, R A

2000-01-01

An analytical investigation to model the manner in which pilots perceive and utilize visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular cues in a ground-based flight simulator was undertaken. Data from a NASA Ames Research Center vertical motion simulator study of a simple, single-degree-of-freedom rotorcraft bob-up/down maneuver were employed in the investigation. The study was part of a larger research effort that has the creation of a methodology for determining flight simulator fidelity requirements as its ultimate goal. The study utilized a closed-loop feedback structure of the pilot/simulator system that included the pilot, the cockpit inceptor, the dynamics of the simulated vehicle, and the motion system. With the exception of time delays that accrued in visual scene production in the simulator, visual scene effects were not included in this study. Pilot/vehicle analysis and fuzzy-inference identification were employed to study the changes in fidelity that occurred as the characteristics of the motion system were varied over five configurations. The data from three of the five pilots who participated in the experimental study were analyzed in the fuzzy-inference identification. Results indicate that both the analytical pilot/vehicle analysis and the fuzzy-inference identification can be used to identify changes in simulator fidelity for the task examined.

OTEC riser cable system, Phase II: conceptual design

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

Not Available

1980-10-01

Studies are summarized of conceptual designs of riser cable systems for OTEC pilot plants of both the spar and plantship configurations located at sites off the southeast coast of Puerto Rico. The studies utilize a baseline pilot plant riser cable, the design of which has been developed and reported on in other reports. Baseline riser cable systems for OTEC pilot plants are identified, system hardware consistent with these designs are conceptualized, and comparisons of the various system concepts are provided. It is concluded that there are three riser cable systems feasible for a spar pilot plant platform at the Puntamore » Yeguas site, and two riser cable systems feasible at the plantship pilot plant at the Punta Tuna site. Recommendations for further investigations in the areas of materials, hardware design and pre-installation site surveys are also addressed.« less

PRACA Enhancement Pilot Study Report: Engineering for Complex Systems Program (formerly Design for Safety), DFS-IC-0006

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korsmeyer, David; Schreiner, John

2002-01-01

This technology evaluation report documents the findings and recommendations of the Engineering for Complex Systems Program (formerly Design for Safety) PRACA Enhancement Pilot Study of the Space Shuttle Program's (SSP's) Problem Reporting and Corrective Action (PRACA) System. A team at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) performed this Study. This Study was initiated as a follow-on to the NASA chartered Shuttle Independent Assessment Team (SIAT) review (performed in the Fall of 1999) which identified deficiencies in the current PRACA implementation. The Pilot Study was launched with an initial qualitative assessment and technical review performed during January 2000 with the quantitative formal Study (the subject of this report) started in March 2000. The goal of the PRACA Enhancement Pilot Study is to evaluate and quantify the technical aspects of the SSP PRACA systems and recommend enhancements to address deficiencies and in preparation for future system upgrades.

Land use mapping in Erie County, Pennsylvania: A pilot study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcmurtry, G. J.; Petersen, G. W. (Principal Investigator); May, G. A.

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. A pilot study was conducted to determine the feasibility of mapping land use in the Great Lakes Basin area utilizing ERTS-1 data. Small streams were clearly defined by the presence of trees along their length in predominantly agricultural country. Field patterns were easily differentiated from forested areas; dairy and beef farms were differentiated from other farmlands, but no attempt was made to identify crops. Large railroad lines and major highway systems were identified. The city of Erie and several smaller towns were identified, as well as residential areas between these towns, and docks along the shoreline in Erie. Marshes, forests, and beaches within Presque Isle State Park were correctly identified, using the DCLUS program. Bay water was differentiated from lake water, with a small amount of misclassification.

Human factors in aviation crashes involving older pilots.

PubMed

Li, Guohua; Baker, Susan P; Lamb, Margaret W; Grabowski, Jurek G; Rebok, George W

2002-02-01

Pilot errors are recognized as a contributing factor in as many as 80% of aviation crashes. Experimental studies using flight simulators indicate that due to decreased working memory capacity, older pilots are outperformed by their younger counterparts in communication tasks and flight summary scores. This study examines age-related differences in crash circumstances and pilot errors in a sample of pilots who flew commuter aircraft or air taxis and who were involved in airplane or helicopter crashes. A historical cohort of 3306 pilots who in 1987 flew commuter aircraft or air taxis and were 45-54 yr of age was constructed using the Federal Aviation Administration's airmen information system. Crash records of the study subjects for the years 1983-1997 were obtained from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) by matching name and date of birth. NTSB's investigation reports were reviewed to identify pilot errors and other contributing factors. Comparisons of crash circumstances and human factors were made between pilots aged 40-49 yr and pilots aged 50-63 yr. A total of 165 crash records were studied, with 52% of these crashes involving pilots aged 50-63 yr. Crash circumstances, such as time and location of crash, type and phase of flight, and weather conditions, were similar between the two age groups. Pilot error was a contributing factor in 73% of the crashes involving younger pilots and in 69% of the crashes involving older pilots (p = 0.50). Age-related differences in the pattern of pilot errors were statistically insignificant. Overall, 23% of pilot errors were attributable to inattentiveness, 20% to flawed decisions, 18% to mishandled aircraft kinetics, and 18% to mishandled wind/runway conditions. Neither crash circumstances nor the prevalence and patterns of pilot errors appear to change significantly as age increases from the 40s to the 50s and early 60s.

Family Planning for Inner-City Adolescent Males: Pilot Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reis, Janet; And Others

1987-01-01

Describes a pilot family planning program in an inner-city pediatric practice. Male adolescents were more likely to accept contraceptives if the provider first raised the topic of birth control to them. Identified a desire for anonymity/confidentiality and embarrassment or discomfort as the key reasons for not seeking contraceptives. Emphasizes…

Pilot testing model to uncover industrial symbiosis in Brazilian industrial clusters.

PubMed

Saraceni, Adriana Valélia; Resende, Luis Mauricio; de Andrade Júnior, Pedro Paulo; Pontes, Joseane

2017-04-01

The main objective of this study was to create a pilot model to uncover industrial symbiosis practices in Brazilian industrial clusters. For this purpose, a systematic revision was conducted in journals selected from two categories of the ISI Web of Knowledge: Engineering, Environmental and Engineering, Industrial. After an in-depth revision of literature, results allowed the creation of an analysis structure. A methodology based on fuzzy logic was applied and used to attribute the weights of industrial symbiosis variables. It was thus possible to extract the intensity indicators of the interrelations required to analyse the development level of each correlation between the variables. Determination of variables and their weights initially resulted in a framework for the theory of industrial symbiosis assessments. Research results allowed the creation of a pilot model that could precisely identify the loopholes or development levels in each sphere. Ontology charts for data analysis were also generated. This study contributes to science by presenting the foundations for building an instrument that enables application and compilation of the pilot model, in order to identify opportunity to symbiotic development, which derives from "uncovering" existing symbioses.

Identifying Issues and Concerns with the Use of Interval-Based Systems in Single Case Research Using a Pilot Simulation Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ledford, Jennifer R.; Ayres, Kevin M.; Lane, Justin D.; Lam, Man Fung

2015-01-01

Momentary time sampling (MTS), whole interval recording (WIR), and partial interval recording (PIR) are commonly used in applied research. We discuss potential difficulties with analyzing data when these systems are used and present results from a pilot simulation study designed to determine the extent to which these issues are likely to be…

Psychiatric Residents' Attitudes toward and Experiences with the Clinical-Skills Verification Process: A Pilot Study on U.S. and International Medical Graduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rao, Nyapati R.; Kodali, Rahul; Mian, Ayesha; Ramtekkar, Ujjwal; Kamarajan, Chella; Jibson, Michael D.

2012-01-01

Objective: The authors report on a pilot study of the experiences and perceptions of foreign international medical graduate (F-IMG), United States international medical graduate (US-IMG), and United States medical graduate (USMG) psychiatric residents with the newly mandated Clinical Skills Verification (CSV) process. The goal was to identify and…

Building Tier 3 Intervention for Long-Term Slow Growers in Grades 3-4: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchez, Victoria M.; O'Connor, Rollanda E.

2015-01-01

Tier 3 interventions are necessary for improving the reading performance of students who fail to respond adequately to Tier 1 general education instruction and Tier 2 supplemental reading intervention. In this pilot study, we identified 8 students in 3rd and 4th grade who had demonstrated slow response to Tier 2 reading interventions for three…

Identifying problems and generating recommendations for enhancing complex systems: applying the abstraction hierarchy framework as an analytical tool.

PubMed

Xu, Wei

2007-12-01

This study adopts J. Rasmussen's (1985) abstraction hierarchy (AH) framework as an analytical tool to identify problems and pinpoint opportunities to enhance complex systems. The process of identifying problems and generating recommendations for complex systems using conventional methods is usually conducted based on incompletely defined work requirements. As the complexity of systems rises, the sheer mass of data generated from these methods becomes unwieldy to manage in a coherent, systematic form for analysis. There is little known work on adopting a broader perspective to fill these gaps. AH was used to analyze an aircraft-automation system in order to further identify breakdowns in pilot-automation interactions. Four steps follow: developing an AH model for the system, mapping the data generated by various methods onto the AH, identifying problems based on the mapped data, and presenting recommendations. The breakdowns lay primarily with automation operations that were more goal directed. Identified root causes include incomplete knowledge content and ineffective knowledge structure in pilots' mental models, lack of effective higher-order functional domain information displayed in the interface, and lack of sufficient automation procedures for pilots to effectively cope with unfamiliar situations. The AH is a valuable analytical tool to systematically identify problems and suggest opportunities for enhancing complex systems. It helps further examine the automation awareness problems and identify improvement areas from a work domain perspective. Applications include the identification of problems and generation of recommendations for complex systems as well as specific recommendations regarding pilot training, flight deck interfaces, and automation procedures.

Reviewing and piloting methods for decreasing discount rates; someone, somewhere in time.

PubMed

Parouty, Mehraj B Y; Krooshof, Daan G M; Westra, Tjalke A; Pechlivanoglou, Petros; Postma, Maarten J

2013-08-01

There has been substantial debate on the need for decreasing discounting for monetary and health gains in economic evaluations. Next to the discussion on differential discounting, a way to identify the need for such discounting strategies is through eliciting the time preferences for monetary and health outcomes. In this article, the authors investigate the perceived time preference for money and health gains through a pilot survey on Dutch university students using methods on functional forms previously suggested. Formal objectives of the study were to review such existing methods and to pilot them on a convenience sample using a questionnaire designed for this specific purpose. Indeed, a negative relation between the time of delay and the variance of the discounting rate for all models was observed. This study was intended as a pilot for a large-scale population-based investigation using the findings from this pilot on wording of the questionnaire, interpretation, scope and analytic framework.

Impact of a daily 10-minute strength and flexibility program in a manufacturing plant.

PubMed

Pronk, S J; Pronk, N P; Sisco, A; Ingalls, D S; Ochoa, C

1995-01-01

In summary, employees' flexibility and mood showed modest improvements following the implementation of a plant-wide, 10-minute, daily flexibility and strength program. The initial six-week pilot study, administered prior to the plant-wide program implementation, successfully assessed program feasibility, assessed the efficiency of program implementation, identified administrative and logistical concerns, and generated pilot data needed to secure managerial support. Despite the noted significant increases in grip strength in the pilot study, no increases were observed following the six months of plant-wide implementation. This may be related to the differences in low average pretest grip strength for the pilot study compared to the higher scores for the main study population. The pilot study subjects may have received a sufficient exercise stimulus to increase grip strength over the course of six weeks. In contrast, this may not have been the case for the main study subjects due to their higher initial mean grip strength. An increased number of exercises designed to directly impact grip strength may be needed to improve this parameter.

The Effect of Shared Information on Pilot/Controller Situation Awareness and Re-Route Negotiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farley, Todd C.; Hansman, R. John; Endsley, Mica R.; Amonlirdviman, Keith; Vigeant-Langlois, Laurence

1998-01-01

The effect of shared information is assessed in terms of pilot/controller negotiation and shared situation awareness. Pilot goals and situation awareness requirements are developed and compared against those of air traffic controllers to identify areas of common and competing interest. A part-task simulator experiment is described which probes pilot/controller interaction in areas where common information has the potential to lead to contention, as identified in the comparative analysis. Preliminary results are presented which suggest that shared information can effect more collaborative interaction between pilots and air traffic controllers.

Study of occupational stress among railway engine pilots

PubMed Central

Kumar, Devesh; Singh, Jai Vir; Kharwar, Poonam S.

2011-01-01

Background: Traffic volume and speed is going to be increased in Indian Railways successively, leading to higher stress in staff connected with train operations. The jobs of railway engine pilots come under the category of high-strain jobs, necessitating a need to conduct multicentric study to unfold the factors associated with occupational stress and organizational strategies. Materials and Methods: Present study covered 185 railway engine pilots and office clerks working in various railway zones by incidental method. Occupational Stress Index (OSI) test developed by Srivastva and Singh, questionnaire of specific stressors constructed by authors and laboratory test battery for psychological screening of high-speed train pilots were used as tools. Results: Means of OSI and all the 12 occupational stressors of railway engine pilots were found significantly higher to that of office clerks. Means of OSI and occupational stressors of goods train pilots were significantly higher in comparison to high-speed train pilots and passenger train pilots. Study revealed positive correlation of speed perception and complex reaction time tests and negative correlation of other constituent tests of laboratory test battery to OSI test. Highest subgroup of stressor observedwas role overload followed by role conflict. Conclusions: These findings provide a prima facie evidence of higher occupational stress among railway engine pilots because of identified specific stressors prevalent in their job and explore the possible intervention strategies for its reduction. Significant correlation is noticed between OSI and laboratory test results, indicating its relevant utility in preliminary psychological screening. PMID:21808497

The effect of visual-motion time-delays on pilot performance in a simulated pursuit tracking task

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, G. K., Jr.; Riley, D. R.

1977-01-01

An experimental study was made to determine the effect on pilot performance of time delays in the visual and motion feedback loops of a simulated pursuit tracking task. Three major interrelated factors were identified: task difficulty either in the form of airplane handling qualities or target frequency, the amount and type of motion cues, and time delay itself. In general, the greater the task difficulty, the smaller the time delay that could exist without degrading pilot performance. Conversely, the greater the motion fidelity, the greater the time delay that could be tolerated. The effect of motion was, however, pilot dependent.

ATC/pilot voice communications: A survey of the literature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prinzo, O. Veronika; Britton, Thomas W.

1993-11-01

The first radio-equipped control tower in the United States opened at the Cleveland Municipal Airport in 1930. From that time to the present, voice radio communications have played a primary role in air safety. Verbal communications in air traffic control (ATC) operations have been frequently cited as causal factors in operational errors and pilot deviations in the FAA Operational Error and Deviation System, the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS), and reports derived from government sponsored research projects. Collectively, the data provided by these programs indicate that communications constitute a significant problem for pilots and controllers. Although the communications problem was well known the research literature was fragmented, making it difficult to appreciate the various types of verbal communications problems that existed and their unique influence on the quality of ATC/pilot communications. This is a survey of the voice radio communications literature. The 43 reports in the review represent survey data, field studies, laboratory studies, narrative reports, and reviews. The survey topics pertain to communications taxonomies, acoustical correlates and cognitive/psycholinguistic perspectives. Communications taxonomies were used to identify the frequency and types of information that constitute routine communications, as well as those communications involved in operational errors, pilot deviations, and other safety-related events. Acoustical correlate methodologies identified some qualities of a speaker's voice, such as loudness, pitch, and speech rate, which might be used potentially to monitor stress, mental workload, and other forms of psychological or physiological factors that affect performance. Cognitive/psycho-linguistic research offered an information processing perspective for understanding how pilots' and controllers' memory and language comprehension processes affect their ability to communicate effectively with one another. This analysis of the ATC/pilot voice radio communications literature was performed to provide an organized summary for the systematic study of interactive communications between controllers and pilots. Recommendations are given for new research initiatives, communications-based instructional materials, and human factors applications for new communications systems.

Simulation Evaluation of Pilot Inputs for Real Time Modeling During Commercial Flight Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martos, Borja; Ranaudo, Richard; Oltman, Ryan; Myhre, Nick

2017-01-01

Aircraft dynamics characteristics can only be identified from flight data when the aircraft dynamics are excited sufficiently. A preliminary study was conducted into what types and levels of manual piloted control excitation would be required for accurate Real-Time Parameter IDentification (RTPID) results by commercial airline pilots. This includes assessing the practicality for the pilot to provide this excitation when cued, and to further understand if pilot inputs during various phases of flight provide sufficient excitation naturally. An operationally representative task was evaluated by 5 commercial airline pilots using the NASA Ice Contamination Effects Flight Training Device (ICEFTD). Results showed that it is practical to use manual pilot inputs only as a means of achieving good RTPID in all phases of flight and in flight turbulence conditions. All pilots were effective in satisfying excitation requirements when cued. Much of the time, cueing was not even necessary, as just performing the required task provided enough excitation for accurate RTPID estimation. Pilot opinion surveys reported that the additional control inputs required when prompted by the excitation cueing were easy to make, quickly mastered, and required minimal training.

Human Capital: DOD Should Fully Develop Its Civilian Strategic Workforce Plan to Aid Decision Makers

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

Series (0185) Medical Officer Series (0602) Nurse Series (0610) Pharmacist Series (0660) Social Science N/Ab Financial Management Financial...contractor support. The pilot study involved three high-risk mission-critical occupations— Nursing , Fire Protection and Prevention, and Contracting...initial pilot study was limited to the three mission-critical occupation series that DOD has identified as high risk ( Nurse , Fire Protection and

Comparative Effectiveness of Alternative Administrative Structures. Final Report on a Pilot Investigation. Programme on Institutional Management in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rivett, B. H. P.; And Others

Initial objectives of this pilot study were to: define the effectiveness and structure of administration in institutions of higher education; explore and identify measures of administrative effectiveness and structure; test the practicability of such definitions and measures against on-going processes at Sussex University; direct, coordinate, and…

The Resource Identification Initiative: a cultural shift in publishing.

PubMed

Bandrowski, Anita; Brush, Matthew; Grethe, Jeffery S; Haendel, Melissa A; Kennedy, David N; Hill, Sean; Hof, Patrick R; Martone, Maryann E; Pols, Maaike; Tan, Serena C; Washington, Nicole; Zudilova-Seinstra, Elena; Vasilevsky, Nicole

2016-01-01

A central tenet in support of research reproducibility is the ability to uniquely identify research resources, that is, reagents, tools, and materials that are used to perform experiments. However, current reporting practices for research resources are insufficient to identify the exact resources that are reported or to answer basic questions such as "How did other studies use resource X?" To address this issue, the Resource Identification Initiative was launched as a pilot project to improve the reporting standards for research resources in the methods sections of papers and thereby improve identifiability and scientific reproducibility. The pilot engaged over 25 biomedical journal editors from most major publishers, as well as scientists and funding officials. Authors were asked to include Research Resource Identifiers (RRIDs) in their manuscripts prior to publication for three resource types: antibodies, model organisms, and tools (i.e., software and databases). RRIDs are assigned by an authoritative database, for example, a model organism database for each type of resource. To make it easier for authors to obtain RRIDs, resources were aggregated from the appropriate databases and their RRIDs made available in a central web portal ( http://scicrunch.org/resources). RRIDs meet three key criteria: they are machine readable, free to generate and access, and are consistent across publishers and journals. The pilot was launched in February of 2014 and over 300 papers have appeared that report RRIDs. The number of journals participating has expanded from the original 25 to more than 40 with RRIDs appearing in 62 different journals to date. Here, we present an overview of the pilot project and its outcomes to date. We show that authors are able to identify resources and are supportive of the goals of the project. Identifiability of the resources post-pilot showed a dramatic improvement for all three resource types, suggesting that the project has had a significant impact on identifiability of research resources.

The Resource Identification Initiative: A Cultural Shift in Publishing.

PubMed

Bandrowski, Anita; Brush, Matthew; Grethe, Jeffery S; Haendel, Melissa A; Kennedy, David N; Hill, Sean; Hof, Patrick R; Martone, Maryann E; Pols, Maaike; Tan, Serena C; Washington, Nicole; Zudilova-Seinstra, Elena; Vasilevsky, Nicole

2016-01-01

A central tenet in support of research reproducibility is the ability to uniquely identify research resources, i.e., reagents, tools, and materials that are used to perform experiments. However, current reporting practices for research resources are insufficient to identify the exact resources that are reported or to answer basic questions such as "How did other studies use resource X?" To address this issue, the Resource Identification Initiative was launched as a pilot project to improve the reporting standards for research resources in the Methods sections of articles and thereby improve identifiability and scientific reproducibility. The pilot engaged over 25 biomedical journal editors from most major publishers, as well as scientists and funding officials. Authors were asked to include Research Resource Identifiers (RRIDs) in their articles prior to publication for three resource types: antibodies, model organisms, and tools (i.e., software and databases). RRIDs are assigned by an authoritative database, for example, a model organism database for each type of resource. To make it easier for authors to obtain RRIDs, resources were aggregated from the appropriate databases and their RRIDs made available in a central Web portal (http://scicrunch.org/resources). RRIDs meet three key criteria: they are machine-readable, free to generate and access, and are consistent across publishers and journals. The pilot was launched in February of 2014 and over 300 articles have appeared that report RRIDs. The number of journals participating has expanded from the original 25 to more than 40, with RRIDs appearing in 62 different journals to date. Here we present an overview of the pilot project and its outcomes to date. We show that authors are able to identify resources and are supportive of the goals of the project. Identifiability of the resources post-pilot showed a dramatic improvement for all three resource types, suggesting that the project has had a significant impact on identifiability of research resources. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Resource Identification Initiative: A cultural shift in publishing

PubMed Central

Bandrowski, Anita; Brush, Matthew; Grethe, Jeffery S; Haendel, Melissa A; Kennedy, David N; Hill, Sean; Hof, Patrick R; Martone, Maryann E; Pols, Maaike; Tan, Serena S; Washington, Nicole; Zudilova-Seinstra, Elena; Vasilevsky, Nicole

2016-01-01

A central tenet in support of research reproducibility is the ability to uniquely identify research resources, i.e., reagents, tools, and materials that are used to perform experiments. However, current reporting practices for research resources are insufficient to identify the exact resources that are reported or to answer basic questions such as “How did other studies use resource X?” To address this issue, the Resource Identification Initiative was launched as a pilot project to improve the reporting standards for research resources in the methods sections of papers and thereby improve identifiability and scientific reproducibility. The pilot engaged over 25 biomedical journal editors from most major publishers, as well as scientists and funding officials. Authors were asked to include Research Resource Identifiers (RRIDs) in their manuscripts prior to publication for three resource types: antibodies, model organisms, and tools (i.e. software and databases). RRIDs are assigned by an authoritative database, for example a model organism database, for each type of resource. To make it easier for authors to obtain RRIDs, resources were aggregated from the appropriate databases and their RRIDs made available in a central web portal (http://scicrunch.org/resources). RRIDs meet three key criteria: they are machine readable, free to generate and access, and are consistent across publishers and journals. The pilot was launched in February of 2014 and over 300 papers have appeared that report RRIDs. The number of journals participating has expanded from the original 25 to more than 40 with RRIDs appearing in 62 different journals to date. Here, we present an overview of the pilot project and its outcomes to date. We show that authors are able to identify resources and are supportive of the goals of the project. Identifiability of the resources post-pilot showed a dramatic improvement for all three resource types, suggesting that the project has had a significant impact on identifiability of research resources. PMID:26589523

The Resource Identification Initiative: A Cultural Shift in Publishing.

PubMed

Bandrowski, Anita; Brush, Matthew; Grethe, Jeffery S; Haendel, Melissa A; Kennedy, David N; Hill, Sean; Hof, Patrick R; Martone, Maryann E; Pols, Maaike; Tan, Serena S; Washington, Nicole; Zudilova-Seinstra, Elena; Vasilevsky, Nicole

2016-04-01

A central tenet in support of research reproducibility is the ability to uniquely identify research resources, i.e., reagents, tools, and materials that are used to perform experiments. However, current reporting practices for research resources are insufficient to identify the exact resources that are reported or to answer basic questions such as "How did other studies use resource X?" To address this issue, the Resource Identification Initiative was launched as a pilot project to improve the reporting standards for research resources in the methods sections of papers and thereby improve identifiability and scientific reproducibility. The pilot engaged over 25 biomedical journal editors from most major publishers, as well as scientists and funding officials. Authors were asked to include Research Resource Identifiers (RRIDs) in their manuscripts prior to publication for three resource types: antibodies, model organisms, and tools (i.e., software and databases). RRIDs are assigned by an authoritative database, for example a model organism database, for each type of resource. To make it easier for authors to obtain RRIDs, resources were aggregated from the appropriate databases and their RRIDs made available in a central web portal ( http://scicrunch.org/resources ). RRIDs meet three key criteria: they are machine readable, free to generate and access, and are consistent across publishers and journals. The pilot was launched in February of 2014 and over 300 papers have appeared that report RRIDs. The number of journals participating has expanded from the original 25 to more than 40 with RRIDs appearing in 62 different journals to date. Here, we present an overview of the pilot project and its outcomes to date. We show that authors are able to identify resources and are supportive of the goals of the project. Identifiability of the resources post-pilot showed a dramatic improvement for all three resource types, suggesting that the project has had a significant impact on identifiability of research resources.

Pilot Critical Incident Reports as a Means to Identify Human Factors of Remotely Piloted Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hobbs, Alan; Cardoza, Colleen; Null, Cynthia

2016-01-01

It has been estimated that aviation accidents are typically preceded by numerous minor incidents arising from the same causal factors that ultimately produced the accident. Accident databases provide in-depth information on a relatively small number of occurrences, however incident databases have the potential to provide insights into the human factors of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) operations based on a larger volume of less-detailed reports. Currently, there is a lack of incident data dealing with the human factors of unmanned aircraft systems. An exploratory study is being conducted to examine the feasibility of collecting voluntary critical incident reports from RPAS pilots. Twenty-three experienced RPAS pilots volunteered to participate in focus groups in which they described critical incidents from their own experience. Participants were asked to recall (1) incidents that revealed a system flaw, or (2) highlighted a case where the human operator contributed to system resilience or mission success. Participants were asked to only report incidents that could be included in a public document. During each focus group session, a note taker produced a de-identified written record of the incident narratives. At the end of the session, participants reviewed each written incident report, and made edits and corrections as necessary. The incidents were later analyzed to identify contributing factors, with a focus on design issues that either hindered or assisted the pilot during the events. A total of 90 incidents were reported. Human factor issues included the impact of reduced sensory cues, traffic separation in the absence of an out-the-window view, control latencies, vigilance during monotonous and ultra-long endurance flights, control station design considerations, transfer of control between control stations, the management of lost link procedures, and decision-making during emergencies. Pilots participated willingly and enthusiastically in the study, and generally had little difficulty recalling critical incidents. The results suggest that pilot interviews can be a productive method of gathering information on incidents that might not otherwise be reported. Some of the issues described in the reports have received significant attention in the literature, or are analogous to human factors of manned aircraft. In other cases, incident reports involved human factors that are poorly understood, and have not yet been the subject of extensive study. Although many of the reported incidents were related to pilot error, the participants also provided examples of the positive contribution that humans make to the operation of highly-automated systems.

Identifying Students Difficulties in Understanding Concepts Pertaining to Cell Water Relations: An Exploratory Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedler, Y.; And Others

This study identified students' conceptual difficulties in understanding concepts and processes associated with cell water relationships (osmosis), determined possible reasons for these difficulties, and pilot-tested instruments and research strategies for a large scale comprehensive study. Research strategies used included content analysis of…

Les annees de transition: une epoque de changement. Reveu et analyse des projets pilotes sur les questions relatives aux annees de Transition. Volume 1: Resume (Year of Transition: Times for Change. A Review and Analysis of Pilot Projects Investigating Issues in the Transition Years. Volume 1: Summary).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hargreaves, Andy; And Others

In 1990, the Ontario (Canada) Ministry of Education implemented the Transition Years project, an initiative for restructuring middle-grades education. This French-language document presents findings of a study that identified effective policies and practices used by the pilot schools. Data were derived from: (1) surveys completed by staffs in…

The influence of ATC message length and timing on pilot communication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrow, Daniel; Rodvold, Michelle

1993-01-01

Pilot-controller communication is critical to safe and efficient flight. It is often a challenging component of piloting, which is reflected in the number of incidents and accidents involving miscommunication. Our previous field study identified communication problems that disrupt routine communication between pilots and controllers. The present part-task simulation study followed up the field results with a more controlled investigation of communication problems. Pilots flew a simulation in which they were frequently vectored by Air Traffic Control (ATC), requiring intensive communication with the controller. While flying, pilots also performed a secondary visual monitoring task. We examined the influence of message length (one message with four commands vs. two messages with two commands each) and noncommunication workload on communication accuracy and length. Longer ATC messages appeared to overload pilot working memory, resulting in more incorrect or partial readbacks, as well as more requests to repeat the message. The timing between the two short messages also influenced communication. The second message interfered with memory for or response to the first short message when it was delivered too soon after the first message. Performing the secondary monitoring task did not influence communication. Instead, communication reduced monitoring accuracy.

High-resolution climate monitoring on a mountain island: the Saguaro National Park pilot study

Treesearch

Michael A. Crimmins

2005-01-01

A pilot project to identify climate monitoring needs within Saguaro National Park began in fall 2003. Nine weather stations were deployed across the complex topography of the park to provide insight into the spatial and temporal patterns of climate within the park management unit. This project will provide a valuable baseline for park management and may highlight...

Assessing Knowledge of Professional Burnout in College Students Entering Helping Professions: A Pilot Study Addressing the Need for Inclusion of Burnout Information in Undergraduate Curricula.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Lesley A.; Attaway, Tracey L.; Staik, Irene M.; Harwell, Brad D.; Burling, John W.; Gilbert, D. Kristen.

Many Web sites and professional journal articles address professional burnout in helping professions. Professional organizations in social work, psychology, and medicine have identified stressors and developed effective coping strategies, allowing helping professionals to alleviate stress and burnout via a reactive approach. This pilot study…

Classification and prediction of pilot weather encounters: A discriminant function analysis.

PubMed

O'Hare, David; Hunter, David R; Martinussen, Monica; Wiggins, Mark

2011-05-01

Flight into adverse weather continues to be a significant hazard for General Aviation (GA) pilots. Weather-related crashes have a significantly higher fatality rate than other GA crashes. Previous research has identified lack of situational awareness, risk perception, and risk tolerance as possible explanations for why pilots would continue into adverse weather. However, very little is known about the nature of these encounters or the differences between pilots who avoid adverse weather and those who do not. Visitors to a web site described an experience with adverse weather and completed a range of measures of personal characteristics. The resulting data from 364 pilots were carefully screened and subject to a discriminant function analysis. Two significant functions were found. The first, accounting for 69% of the variance, reflected measures of risk awareness and pilot judgment while the second differentiated pilots in terms of their experience levels. The variables measured in this study enabled us to correctly discriminate between the three groups of pilots considerably better (53% correct classifications) than would have been possible by chance (33% correct classifications). The implications of these findings for targeting safety interventions are discussed.

Development of the 7-Item Binge-Eating Disorder Screener (BEDS-7)

PubMed Central

Deal, Linda S.; DiBenedetti, Dana B.; Nelson, Lauren; Fehnel, Sheri E.; Brown, T. Michelle

2016-01-01

Objective Develop a brief, patient-reported screening tool designed to identify individuals with probable binge-eating disorder (BED) for further evaluation or referral to specialists. Methods Items were developed on the basis of the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, existing tools, and input from 3 clinical experts (January 2014). Items were then refined in cognitive debriefing interviews with participants self-reporting BED characteristics (March 2014) and piloted in a multisite, cross-sectional, prospective, noninterventional study consisting of a semistructured diagnostic interview (to diagnose BED) and administration of the pilot Binge-Eating Disorder Screener (BEDS), Binge Eating Scale (BES), and RAND 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (RAND-36) (June 2014–July 2014). The sensitivity and specificity of classification algorithms (formed from the pilot BEDS item-level responses) in predicting BED diagnosis were evaluated. The final algorithm was selected to minimize false negatives and false positives, while utilizing the fewest number of BEDS items. Results Starting with the initial BEDS item pool (20 items), the 13-item pilot BEDS resulted from the cognitive debriefing interviews (n = 13). Of the 97 participants in the noninterventional study, 16 were diagnosed with BED (10/62 female, 16%; 6/35 male, 17%). Seven BEDS items (BEDS-7) yielded 100% sensitivity and 38.7% specificity. Participants correctly identified (true positives) had poorer BES scores and RAND-36 scores than participants identified as true negatives. Conclusions Implementation of the brief, patient-reported BEDS-7 in real-world clinical practice is expected to promote better understanding of BED characteristics and help physicians identify patients who may have BED. PMID:27486542

Development of the 7-Item Binge-Eating Disorder Screener (BEDS-7).

PubMed

Herman, Barry K; Deal, Linda S; DiBenedetti, Dana B; Nelson, Lauren; Fehnel, Sheri E; Brown, T Michelle

2016-01-01

Develop a brief, patient-reported screening tool designed to identify individuals with probable binge-eating disorder (BED) for further evaluation or referral to specialists. Items were developed on the basis of the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, existing tools, and input from 3 clinical experts (January 2014). Items were then refined in cognitive debriefing interviews with participants self-reporting BED characteristics (March 2014) and piloted in a multisite, cross-sectional, prospective, noninterventional study consisting of a semistructured diagnostic interview (to diagnose BED) and administration of the pilot Binge-Eating Disorder Screener (BEDS), Binge Eating Scale (BES), and RAND 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (RAND-36) (June 2014-July 2014). The sensitivity and specificity of classification algorithms (formed from the pilot BEDS item-level responses) in predicting BED diagnosis were evaluated. The final algorithm was selected to minimize false negatives and false positives, while utilizing the fewest number of BEDS items. Starting with the initial BEDS item pool (20 items), the 13-item pilot BEDS resulted from the cognitive debriefing interviews (n = 13). Of the 97 participants in the noninterventional study, 16 were diagnosed with BED (10/62 female, 16%; 6/35 male, 17%). Seven BEDS items (BEDS-7) yielded 100% sensitivity and 38.7% specificity. Participants correctly identified (true positives) had poorer BES scores and RAND-36 scores than participants identified as true negatives. Implementation of the brief, patient-reported BEDS-7 in real-world clinical practice is expected to promote better understanding of BED characteristics and help physicians identify patients who may have BED.

Developing a Continuous Quality Improvement Assessment Using a Patient-Centered Approach in Optimizing Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Control.

PubMed

Updyke, Katelyn Mariko; Urso, Brittany; Beg, Shazia; Solomon, James

2017-10-09

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-organ, autoimmune disease in which patients lose self-tolerance and develop immune complexes which deposit systemically causing multi-organ damage and inflammation. Patients often experience unpredictable flares of symptoms with poorly identified triggers. Literature suggests exogenous exposures may contribute to flares in symptoms. An online pilot survey was marketed globally through social media to self-reported SLE patients with the goal to identify specific subpopulations who are susceptible to disease state changes based on analyzed exogenous factors. The pilot survey was promoted for two weeks, 80 respondents fully completed the survey and were included in statistical analysis. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on de-identified patient surveys and compared to previous literature studies reporting known or theorized triggers in the SLE disease state. The pilot survey identified similar exogenous triggers compared to previous literature, including antibiotics, increasing beef intake, and metal implants. The goal of the pilot survey is to utilize similar questions to develop a detailed internet-based patient interactive form that can be edited and time stamped as a method to promote continuous quality improvement assessments. The ultimate objective of the platform is to interact with SLE patients from across the globe longitudinally to optimize disease control and improve quality of care by allowing them to avoid harmful triggers.

Developing a Continuous Quality Improvement Assessment Using a Patient-Centered Approach in Optimizing Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Control

PubMed Central

Urso, Brittany; Beg, Shazia; Solomon, James

2017-01-01

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-organ, autoimmune disease in which patients lose self-tolerance and develop immune complexes which deposit systemically causing multi-organ damage and inflammation. Patients often experience unpredictable flares of symptoms with poorly identified triggers. Literature suggests exogenous exposures may contribute to flares in symptoms. An online pilot survey was marketed globally through social media to self-reported SLE patients with the goal to identify specific subpopulations who are susceptible to disease state changes based on analyzed exogenous factors. The pilot survey was promoted for two weeks, 80 respondents fully completed the survey and were included in statistical analysis. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on de-identified patient surveys and compared to previous literature studies reporting known or theorized triggers in the SLE disease state. The pilot survey identified similar exogenous triggers compared to previous literature, including antibiotics, increasing beef intake, and metal implants. The goal of the pilot survey is to utilize similar questions to develop a detailed internet-based patient interactive form that can be edited and time stamped as a method to promote continuous quality improvement assessments. The ultimate objective of the platform is to interact with SLE patients from across the globe longitudinally to optimize disease control and improve quality of care by allowing them to avoid harmful triggers. PMID:29226052

The Resource Identification Initiative: A cultural shift in publishing.

PubMed

Bandrowski, Anita; Brush, Matthew; Grethe, Jeffery S; Haendel, Melissa A; Kennedy, David N; Hill, Sean; Hof, Patrick R; Martone, Maryann E; Pols, Maaike; Tan, Serena; Washington, Nicole; Zudilova-Seinstra, Elena; Vasilevsky, Nicole

2015-01-01

A central tenet in support of research reproducibility is the ability to uniquely identify research resources, i.e., reagents, tools, and materials that are used to perform experiments. However, current reporting practices for research resources are insufficient to allow humans and algorithms to identify the exact resources that are reported or answer basic questions such as "What other studies used resource X?" To address this issue, the Resource Identification Initiative was launched as a pilot project to improve the reporting standards for research resources in the methods sections of papers and thereby improve identifiability and reproducibility. The pilot engaged over 25 biomedical journal editors from most major publishers, as well as scientists and funding officials. Authors were asked to include Research Resource Identifiers (RRIDs) in their manuscripts prior to publication for three resource types: antibodies, model organisms, and tools (including software and databases). RRIDs represent accession numbers assigned by an authoritative database, e.g., the model organism databases, for each type of resource. To make it easier for authors to obtain RRIDs, resources were aggregated from the appropriate databases and their RRIDs made available in a central web portal ( www.scicrunch.org/resources). RRIDs meet three key criteria: they are machine readable, free to generate and access, and are consistent across publishers and journals. The pilot was launched in February of 2014 and over 300 papers have appeared that report RRIDs. The number of journals participating has expanded from the original 25 to more than 40. Here, we present an overview of the pilot project and its outcomes to date. We show that authors are generally accurate in performing the task of identifying resources and supportive of the goals of the project. We also show that identifiability of the resources pre- and post-pilot showed a dramatic improvement for all three resource types, suggesting that the project has had a significant impact on reproducibility relating to research resources.

The Resource Identification Initiative: A cultural shift in publishing

DOE PAGES

Bandrowski, Anita; Brush, Matthew; Grethe, Jeffery S.; ...

2015-05-29

A central tenet in support of research reproducibility is the ability to uniquely identify research resources, i.e., reagents, tools, and materials that are used to perform experiments. However, current reporting practices for research resources are insufficient to allow humans and algorithms to identify the exact resources that are reported or answer basic questions such as “What other studies used resource X?” To address this issue, the Resource Identification Initiative was launched as a pilot project to improve the reporting standards for research resources in the methods sections of papers and thereby improve identifiability and reproducibility. The pilot engaged over 25more » biomedical journal editors from most major publishers, as well as scientists and funding officials. Authors were asked to include Research Resource Identifiers (RRIDs) in their manuscripts prior to publication for three resource types: antibodies, model organisms, and tools (including software and databases). RRIDs represent accession numbers assigned by an authoritative database, e.g., the model organism databases, for each type of resource. To make it easier for authors to obtain RRIDs, resources were aggregated from the appropriate databases and their RRIDs made available in a central web portal (www.scicrunch.org/resources). RRIDs meet three key criteria: they are machine readable, free to generate and access, and are consistent across publishers and journals. The pilot was launched in February of 2014 and over 300 papers have appeared that report RRIDs. The number of journals participating has expanded from the original 25 to more than 40. Here, we present an overview of the pilot project and its outcomes to date. We show that authors are generally accurate in performing the task of identifying resources and supportive of the goals of the project. We also show that identifiability of the resources pre- and post-pilot showed a dramatic improvement for all three resource types, suggesting that the project has had a significant impact on reproducibility relating to research resources.« less

The Resource Identification Initiative: A cultural shift in publishing

PubMed Central

Bandrowski, Anita; Brush, Matthew; Grethe, Jeffery S.; Haendel, Melissa A.; Kennedy, David N.; Hill, Sean; Hof, Patrick R.; Martone, Maryann E.; Pols, Maaike; Tan, Serena; Washington, Nicole; Zudilova-Seinstra, Elena; Vasilevsky, Nicole

2015-01-01

A central tenet in support of research reproducibility is the ability to uniquely identify research resources, i.e., reagents, tools, and materials that are used to perform experiments. However, current reporting practices for research resources are insufficient to allow humans and algorithms to identify the exact resources that are reported or answer basic questions such as “What other studies used resource X?” To address this issue, the Resource Identification Initiative was launched as a pilot project to improve the reporting standards for research resources in the methods sections of papers and thereby improve identifiability and reproducibility. The pilot engaged over 25 biomedical journal editors from most major publishers, as well as scientists and funding officials. Authors were asked to include Research Resource Identifiers (RRIDs) in their manuscripts prior to publication for three resource types: antibodies, model organisms, and tools (including software and databases). RRIDs represent accession numbers assigned by an authoritative database, e.g., the model organism databases, for each type of resource. To make it easier for authors to obtain RRIDs, resources were aggregated from the appropriate databases and their RRIDs made available in a central web portal ( www.scicrunch.org/resources). RRIDs meet three key criteria: they are machine readable, free to generate and access, and are consistent across publishers and journals. The pilot was launched in February of 2014 and over 300 papers have appeared that report RRIDs. The number of journals participating has expanded from the original 25 to more than 40. Here, we present an overview of the pilot project and its outcomes to date. We show that authors are generally accurate in performing the task of identifying resources and supportive of the goals of the project. We also show that identifiability of the resources pre- and post-pilot showed a dramatic improvement for all three resource types, suggesting that the project has had a significant impact on reproducibility relating to research resources. PMID:26594330

The Resource Identification Initiative: A cultural shift in publishing

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

Bandrowski, Anita; Brush, Matthew; Grethe, Jeffery S.

A central tenet in support of research reproducibility is the ability to uniquely identify research resources, i.e., reagents, tools, and materials that are used to perform experiments. However, current reporting practices for research resources are insufficient to allow humans and algorithms to identify the exact resources that are reported or answer basic questions such as “What other studies used resource X?” To address this issue, the Resource Identification Initiative was launched as a pilot project to improve the reporting standards for research resources in the methods sections of papers and thereby improve identifiability and reproducibility. The pilot engaged over 25more » biomedical journal editors from most major publishers, as well as scientists and funding officials. Authors were asked to include Research Resource Identifiers (RRIDs) in their manuscripts prior to publication for three resource types: antibodies, model organisms, and tools (including software and databases). RRIDs represent accession numbers assigned by an authoritative database, e.g., the model organism databases, for each type of resource. To make it easier for authors to obtain RRIDs, resources were aggregated from the appropriate databases and their RRIDs made available in a central web portal (www.scicrunch.org/resources). RRIDs meet three key criteria: they are machine readable, free to generate and access, and are consistent across publishers and journals. The pilot was launched in February of 2014 and over 300 papers have appeared that report RRIDs. The number of journals participating has expanded from the original 25 to more than 40. Here, we present an overview of the pilot project and its outcomes to date. We show that authors are generally accurate in performing the task of identifying resources and supportive of the goals of the project. We also show that identifiability of the resources pre- and post-pilot showed a dramatic improvement for all three resource types, suggesting that the project has had a significant impact on reproducibility relating to research resources.« less

23 years of toxicology testing fatally injured pilots: Implications for aviation and other modes of transportation.

PubMed

McKay, Mary Pat; Groff, Loren

2016-05-01

Use of over-the-counter, prescription, and illicit drugs is increasing in the United States (US). Many of these drugs are psychoactive and can affect the user's ability to safely operate a vehicle. However, data about drug use by vehicle operators is typically limited to a small proportion of operators and a short list of drugs. For instance, required testing for commercial vehicle operators following most accidents is limited to a urine test for 11 drugs. By comparison, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), routinely tests fatally injured pilots' blood and tissues for hundreds of compounds. This study used the results from these tests to assess drug use in aviation. Using matched data from the FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute toxicology database and the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB's) aviation accident database, this study examined trends in the prevalence of over-the-counter, prescription, and illicit drugs identified in toxicology tests of fatally injured pilots between 1990 and 2012. Cases that failed to match or where toxicology testing had not been performed were excluded. Pilots identified by the NTSB investigation as being the "flying pilot" at the time of the accident and results from blood or tissues were included. Toxicology results for ethanol and other alcohols were not included. Positive test results were categorized by drug type and potential for causing impairment. Analysis used SPSS Version 19.1 to perform linear by linear chi-squared statistics. The study included 6677 pilots or 87% of the eligible subjects. The large majority were male (98%) and flying general aviation operations (96%) at the time of their fatal accident. There were increasing trends in pilots' use of all drugs, potentially impairing drugs, drugs used to treat potentially impairing conditions, drugs designated as controlled substances, and illicit drugs. The most common potentially impairing drug pilots had used was diphenhydramine, a sedating antihistamine that is an active ingredient in many over-the-counter allergy formulations, cold medicines, and sleep aids in the US. Although evidence of illicit drug use was found only in a small number of cases, the percentage of pilots testing positive for marijuana use increased during the study period, mostly in the last 10 years. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Pilot Domain Task Experience in Night Fatal Helicopter Emergency Medical Service Accidents.

PubMed

Aherne, Bryan B; Zhang, Chrystal; Newman, David G

2016-06-01

In the United States, accident and fatality rates in helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) operations increase significantly under nighttime environmentally hazardous operational conditions. Other studies have found pilots' total flight hours unrelated to HEMS accident outcomes. Many factors affect pilots' decision making, including their experience. This study seeks to investigate whether pilot domain task experience (DTE) in HEMS plays a role against likelihood of accidents at night when hazardous operational conditions are entered. There were 32 flights with single pilot nighttime fatal HEMS accidents between 1995 and 2013 with findings of controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and loss of control (LCTRL) due to spatial disorientation (SD) identified. The HEMS DTE of the pilots were compared with industry survey data. Of the pilots, 56% had ≤2 yr of HEMS experience and 9% had >10 yr of HEMS experience. There were 21 (66%) accidents that occurred in non-visual flight rules (VFR) conditions despite all flights being required to be conducted under VFR. There was a statistically significant increase in accident rates in pilots with <2 and <4 yr HEMS DTE and a statistically significant decrease in accident rates in pilots with >10 yr HEMS DTE. HEMS DTE plays a preventive role against the likelihood of a night operational accident. Pilots with limited HEMS DTE are more likely to make a poor assessment of hazardous conditions at night, and this will place HEMS flight crew at high risk in the VFR night domain.

Telecommunications Technology and Education. A Study Identifying Appropriate Telecommunications Systems for Program Improvement in Postsecondary Vocational Education in Georgia. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgia Univ., Athens. Div. of Vocational Education.

A study examined teleconferencing applications that can assist educators in meeting Georgia's postsecondary vocational education needs. Three forms of teleconferencing were studied--audio conferencing, computer conferencing, and video conferencing. The study included a literature review, two pilot studies, and a survey to identify the ways in…

A process for Decision-making after Pilot and feasibility Trials (ADePT): development following a feasibility study of a complex intervention for pelvic organ prolapse

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Current Medical Research Council (MRC) guidance on complex interventions advocates pilot trials and feasibility studies as part of a phased approach to the development, testing, and evaluation of healthcare interventions. In this paper we discuss the results of a recent feasibility study and pilot trial for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of pelvic floor muscle training for prolapse (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01136889). The ways in which researchers decide to respond to the results of feasibility work may have significant repercussions for both the nature and degree of tension between internal and external validity in a definitive trial. Methods We used methodological issues to classify and analyze the problems that arose in the feasibility study. Four centers participated with the aim of randomizing 50 women. Women were eligible if they had prolapse of any type, of stage I to IV, and had a pessary successfully fitted. Postal questionnaires were administered at baseline, 6 months, and 7 months post-randomization. After identifying problems arising within the pilot study we then sought to locate potential solutions that might minimize the trade-off between a subsequent explanatory versus pragmatic trial. Results The feasibility study pointed to significant potential problems in relation to participant recruitment, features of the intervention, acceptability of the intervention to participants, and outcome measurement. Finding minimal evidence to support our decision-making regarding the transition from feasibility work to a trial, we developed a systematic process (A process for Decision-making after Pilot and feasibility Trials (ADePT)) which we subsequently used as a guide. The process sought to: 1) encourage the systematic identification and appraisal of problems and potential solutions; 2) improve the transparency of decision-making processes; and 3) reveal the tensions that exist between pragmatic and explanatory choices. Conclusions We have developed a process that may aid researchers in their attempt to identify the most appropriate solutions to problems identified within future pilot and feasibility RCTs. The process includes three key steps: a decision about the type of problem, the identification of all solutions (whether addressed within the intervention, trial design or clinical context), and a systematic appraisal of these solutions. PMID:24160371

Development and piloting of the Fiji Injury Surveillance in Hospitals System (TRIP Project-1).

PubMed

Wainiqolo, I; Kafoa, B; McCaig, E; Kool, B; McIntyre, R; Ameratunga, S

2013-01-01

Whilst more than 90% of injury related deaths are estimated to occur in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), the epidemiology of fatal and hospitalised injuries in Pacific Island Countries has received scant attention. This study describes the development and piloting of a population-based trauma registry in Fiji to address this gap in knowledge. The Fiji Injury Surveillance in Hospitals (FISH) system was an active surveillance system designed to identify injuries resulting in death or a hospital admission in Viti Levu, Fiji. During the pilot conducted over five months in 2005, Accident and Emergency registers, admission folders and morgue registers from 8 of Viti Levu's 12 hospitals, and an additional 3 hospitals in other parts of the country were reviewed by hospital staff and medical students to identify cases and extract a minimum data set that included demographic factors; the mechanism, nature and context of injury; substance use; and discharge outcomes. The system was audited to identify and redress difficulties with data quality in a manner that also supported local capacity development and training in injury surveillance and data management. This pilot study demonstrated the potential to collect high quality data on injuries that can pose a significant threat to life in Fiji using a mechanism that also increased the capability of health professionals to recognise the significance of injury as a public health issue. The injury surveillance system piloted provides the opportunity to inform national injury control strategies in Fiji and increase the capacity for injury prevention and more focused research addressing risk factors in the local context. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and piloting of the Fiji Injury Surveillance in Hospitals System (TRIP Project-1)

PubMed Central

Wainiqolo, I.; Kafoa, B.; McCaig, E.; Kool, B.; McIntyre, R.; Ameratunga, S.

2013-01-01

Introduction Whilst more than 90% of injury related deaths are estimated to occur in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), the epidemiology of fatal and hospitalised injuries in Pacific Island Countries has received scant attention. This study describes the development and piloting of a population-based trauma registry in Fiji to address this gap in knowledge. Methods The Fiji Injury Surveillance in Hospitals (FISH) system was an active surveillance system designed to identify injuries resulting in death or a hospital admission in Viti Levu, Fiji. During the pilot conducted over five months in 2005, Accident and Emergency registers, admission folders and morgue registers from 8 of Viti Levu's 12 hospitals, and an additional 3 hospitals in other parts of the country were reviewed by hospital staff and medical students to identify cases and extract a minimum data set that included demographic factors; the mechanism, nature and context of injury; substance use; and discharge outcomes. The system was audited to identify and redress difficulties with data quality in a manner that also supported local capacity development and training in injury surveillance and data management. Results This pilot study demonstrated the potential to collect high quality data on injuries that can pose a significant threat to life in Fiji using a mechanism that also increased the capability of health professionals to recognise the significance of injury as a public health issue. Conclusion The injury surveillance system piloted provides the opportunity to inform national injury control strategies in Fiji and increase the capacity for injury prevention and more focused research addressing risk factors in the local context. PMID:22098715

Effect of lift-to-drag ratio in pilot rating of the HL-20 landing task

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, E. B.; Rivers, Robert A.; Bailey, Melvin L.

1993-01-01

A man-in-the-loop simulation study of the handling qualities of the HL-20 lifting-body vehicle was made in a fixed-base simulation cockpit at NASA Langley Research Center. The purpose of the study was to identify and substantiate opportunities for improving the original design of the vehicle from a handling qualities and landing performance perspective. Using preliminary wind-tunnel data, a subsonic aerodynamic model of the HL-20 was developed. This model was adequate to simulate the last 75-90 s of the approach and landing. A simple flight-control system was designed and implemented. Using this aerodynamic model as a baseline, visual approaches and landings were made at several vehicle lift-to-drag ratios. Pilots rated the handling characteristics of each configuration using a conventional numerical pilot-rating scale. Results from the study showed a high degree of correlation between the lift-to-drag ratio and pilot rating. Level 1 pilot ratings were obtained when the L/D ratio was approximately 3.8 or higher.

Effect of lift-to-drag ratio in pilot rating of the HL-20 landing task

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, E. B.; Rivers, Robert A.; Bailey, Melvin L.

1993-10-01

A man-in-the-loop simulation study of the handling qualities of the HL-20 lifting-body vehicle was made in a fixed-base simulation cockpit at NASA Langley Research Center. The purpose of the study was to identify and substantiate opportunities for improving the original design of the vehicle from a handling qualities and landing performance perspective. Using preliminary wind-tunnel data, a subsonic aerodynamic model of the HL-20 was developed. This model was adequate to simulate the last 75-90 s of the approach and landing. A simple flight-control system was designed and implemented. Using this aerodynamic model as a baseline, visual approaches and landings were made at several vehicle lift-to-drag ratios. Pilots rated the handling characteristics of each configuration using a conventional numerical pilot-rating scale. Results from the study showed a high degree of correlation between the lift-to-drag ratio and pilot rating. Level 1 pilot ratings were obtained when the L/D ratio was approximately 3.8 or higher.

The Introduction of New Cockpit Technology: A Human Factors Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curry, R. E.

1985-01-01

A joint Airline/NASA field study of B-767 training and operations was conducted during the period this aircraft was being introduced into line service. The objectives of the study were: (1) to identify any adverse reactions to the new technology; (2) to provide a clearing house of information for the airlines and pilots during the introductory period; (3) to provide feedback on airline training programs for the new aircraft; and (4) to provide field data to NASA and other researchers to help them develop principles of human interaction with automated systems. It is concluded that: (1) a large majority of pilots enjoy flying the B-767 more than the older aircraft; (2) pilots accept new cockpit technology and find it useful; (3) pilots are aware of the potential loss of flying skills because of automation, and take steps to prevent this from happening; (4) autopilot/autothrottle interactions and FMS operations were sometimes confusing or surprising to pilots, and they desired more training in this area; and (5) highly automated cockpits can result in a loss of effective monitoring performance.

Paramedic and midwifery student exposure to workplace violence during clinical placements in Australia – A pilot study

PubMed Central

McKenna, Lisa

2016-01-01

Objectives The objective of this pilot study was to identify the type of workplace violence experienced by undergraduate paramedic and midwifery students. Methods The study used a cross-sectional methodology with the self-administered paper-based Paramedic Workplace Violence Exposure Questionnaire to elicit undergraduate paramedic and midwife responses to workplace violence whilst on clinical placements. There were 393 students eligible for inclusion in the study. A convenience sample was used. The anonymous questionnaire took 10 to 20 minutes to complete. Descriptive statistics are used to summarise the data with a two-tailed t-test used to compare groups. Results The main form of workplace violence was verbal abuse 18% and intimidation 17%. There was a statistically significant difference between midwifery and paramedic students for intimidation (t(134)=-3.143, CI: -0.367 to -0.082, p=0.002) and between females and males for sexual harassment (t(134)=2.029, CI: 0.001 to 0.074, p=0.045), all other results were not statistically different. Conclusions This pilot study is the first of its kind in Australia and internationally to identify exposure rates of workplace violence by undergraduate paramedic students during clinical placements and one of very few to identify midwifery students’ exposure rates of workplace violence. The study identified that students were exposed to a range of workplace violence acts from verbal abuse through to sexual harassment. These findings highlight a need for investigation of workplace violence exposure of medical, nursing and allied health students during the clinical phase of their studies. PMID:27941182

Paramedic and midwifery student exposure to workplace violence during clinical placements in Australia - A pilot study.

PubMed

Boyle, Malcolm; McKenna, Lisa

2016-12-11

  The objective of this pilot study was to identify the type of workplace violence experienced by undergraduate paramedic and midwifery students. The study used a cross-sectional methodology with the self-administered paper-based Paramedic Workplace Violence Exposure Questionnaire to elicit undergraduate paramedic and midwife responses to workplace violence whilst on clinical placements. There were 393 students eligible for inclusion in the study. A convenience sample was used. The anonymous questionnaire took 10 to 20 minutes to complete. Descriptive statistics are used to summarise the data with a two-tailed t-test used to compare groups. The main form of workplace violence was verbal abuse 18% and intimidation 17%.  There was a statistically significant difference between midwifery and paramedic students for intimidation (t (134) =-3.143, CI: -0.367 to -0.082, p=0.002) and between females and males for sexual harassment (t (134) =2.029, CI: 0.001 to 0.074, p=0.045), all other results were not statistically different. This pilot study is the first of its kind in Australia and internationally to identify exposure rates of workplace violence by undergraduate paramedic students during clinical placements and one of very few to identify midwifery students' exposure rates of workplace violence. The study identified that students were exposed to a range of workplace violence acts from verbal abuse through to sexual harassment. These findings highlight a need for investigation of workplace violence exposure of medical, nursing and allied health students during the clinical phase of their studies.

Can Collaboration between Education and Health Professionals Improve the Identification and Referral of Young People with Eating Disorders in Schools? A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rees, Liz; Clark-Stone, Sam

2006-01-01

In this pilot study, a number of different methods of identifying young people with eating disorders in schools were compared. Pupils aged 16-18 years from 3 schools in the South West of the UK participated (389 boys and 374 girls in total). A self-report questionnaire (EDE-Q) was found to be the most effective method of case identification.…

A Pilot Study to Examine Exposure to Residential Radon in Under-Sampled Census Tracts of DeKalb County, Georgia, in 2015.

PubMed

Stauber, Christine E; Dai, Dajun; Chan, Sydney R; Diem, Jeremy E; Weaver, Scott R; Rothenberg, Richard

2017-03-22

While DeKalb County, Georgia, offers free radon screening for all eligible residents, portions of the county remain relatively under-sampled. This pilot study focused on 10% of the census tracts in the county with the lowest proportion of radon testing; most were in southern DeKalb County. In total, 217 households were recruited and homes were tested for indoor radon concentrations on the lowest livable floor over an eight-week period from March-May 2015. Tract-level characteristics were examined to understand the differences in socio-demographic and economic factors between the pilot study area and the rest of the county. The pilot study tracts had a higher proportion of African Americans compared to the rest of DeKalb County (82% versus 47%). Radon was detected above 11.1 Bq/m³ (0.3 pCi/L) in 73% of the indoor samples and 4% of samples were above 148 Bq/m³ (4 pCi/L). Having a basement was the strongest predictive factor for detectable and hazardous levels of radon. Radon screening can identify problems and spur homeowners to remediate but more research should be done to identify why screening rates vary across the county and how that varies with radon levels in homes to reduce radon exposure.

A Pilot Study to Examine Exposure to Residential Radon in Under-Sampled Census Tracts of DeKalb County, Georgia, in 2015

PubMed Central

Stauber, Christine E.; Dai, Dajun; Chan, Sydney R.; Diem, Jeremy E.; Weaver, Scott R.; Rothenberg, Richard

2017-01-01

While DeKalb County, Georgia, offers free radon screening for all eligible residents, portions of the county remain relatively under-sampled. This pilot study focused on 10% of the census tracts in the county with the lowest proportion of radon testing; most were in southern DeKalb County. In total, 217 households were recruited and homes were tested for indoor radon concentrations on the lowest livable floor over an eight-week period from March–May 2015. Tract-level characteristics were examined to understand the differences in socio-demographic and economic factors between the pilot study area and the rest of the county. The pilot study tracts had a higher proportion of African Americans compared to the rest of DeKalb County (82% versus 47%). Radon was detected above 11.1 Bq/m3 (0.3 pCi/L) in 73% of the indoor samples and 4% of samples were above 148 Bq/m3 (4 pCi/L). Having a basement was the strongest predictive factor for detectable and hazardous levels of radon. Radon screening can identify problems and spur homeowners to remediate but more research should be done to identify why screening rates vary across the county and how that varies with radon levels in homes to reduce radon exposure. PMID:28327511

Piloting a programme tool to evaluate malaria case investigation and reactive case detection activities: results from 3 settings in the Asia Pacific.

PubMed

Cotter, Chris; Sudathip, Prayuth; Herdiana, Herdiana; Cao, Yuanyuan; Liu, Yaobao; Luo, Alex; Ranasinghe, Neil; Bennett, Adam; Cao, Jun; Gosling, Roly D

2017-08-22

Case investigation and reactive case detection (RACD) activities are widely-used in low transmission settings to determine the suspected origin of infection and identify and treat malaria infections nearby to the index patient household. Case investigation and RACD activities are time and resource intensive, include methodologies that vary across eliminating settings, and have no standardized metrics or tools available to monitor and evaluate them. In response to this gap, a simple programme tool was developed for monitoring and evaluating (M&E) RACD activities and piloted by national malaria programmes. During the development phase, four modules of the RACD M&E tool were created to assess and evaluate key case investigation and RACD activities and costs. A pilot phase was then carried out by programme implementers between 2013 and 2015, during which malaria surveillance teams in three different settings (China, Indonesia, Thailand) piloted the tool over a period of 3 months each. This study describes summary results of the pilots and feasibility and impact of the tool on programmes. All three study areas implemented the RACD M&E tool modules, and pilot users reported the tool and evaluation process were helpful to identify gaps in RACD programme activities. In the 45 health facilities evaluated, 71.8% (97/135; min 35.3-max 100.0%) of the proper notification and reporting forms and 20.0% (27/135; min 0.0-max 100.0%) of standard operating procedures (SOPs) were available to support malaria elimination activities. The tool highlighted gaps in reporting key data indicators on the completeness for malaria case reporting (98.8%; min 93.3-max 100.0%), case investigations (65.6%; min 61.8-max 78.4%) and RACD activities (70.0%; min 64.7-max 100.0%). Evaluation of the SOPs showed that knowledge and practices of malaria personnel varied within and between study areas. Average monthly costs for conducting case investigation and RACD activities showed variation between study areas (min USD $844.80-max USD $2038.00) for the malaria personnel, commodities, services and other costs required to carry out the activities. The RACD M&E tool was implemented in the three pilot areas, identifying key gaps that led to impacts on programme decision making. Study findings support the need for routine M&E of malaria case reporting, case investigation and RACD activities. Scale-up of the RACD M&E tool in malaria-eliminating settings will contribute to improved programme performance to the high level that is required to reach elimination.

Flight operations payload training for crew and support personnel. Task 3: Inflight operations and training for payloads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beardslee, R. F.

1976-01-01

Various degrees of Commander/Pilot involvement in on-orbit operation of payloads are examined. Constraints and limitations resulting from their participation or affecting their ability to participate are identified. Four options, each representing a different set of involvement depths and concepts are analyzed. Options identified are boundaries around extremes in Commander/Pilot payload involvement. Real world choices may fall somewhere in between, but for the purposes of this study the options as represented provide a matrix from which logical and practical decisions can be made about crew participation in payload operations.

Piloted Simulation Study of Rudder Pedal Force/Feel Characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hess, Ronald A.

2007-01-01

A piloted, fixed-base simulation was conducted in 2006 to determine optimum rudder pedal force/feel characteristics for transport aircraft. As part of this research, an evaluation of four metrics for assessing rudder pedal characteristics previously presented in the literature was conducted. This evaluation was based upon the numerical handling qualities ratings assigned to a variety of pedal force/feel systems used in the simulation study. It is shown that, with the inclusion of a fifth metric, most of the rudder pedal force/feel system designs that were rated poorly by the evaluation pilots could be identified. It is suggested that these metrics form the basis of a certification requirement for transport aircraft.

Journal Quality in the Asian Region: Results of a Pilot Study for the IFLA Round Table of Library and Information Science Journals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorman, G. E.; Calvert, Philip J.

This paper reports on a pilot project in Asia sponsored by the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and institutions) Round Table of Library and Information Science Journals that had the following objectives: to identify the most commonly accepted criteria for evaluating LIS (Library and Information Science) journals; to evaluate…

Examining the sustainability potential of a multisite pilot to integrate alcohol screening and brief intervention within three primary care systems.

PubMed

King, D K; Gonzalez, S J; Hartje, J A; Hanson, B L; Edney, C; Snell, H; Zoorob, R J; Roget, N A

2018-01-23

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that clinicians adopt universal alcohol screening and brief intervention as a routine preventive service for adults, and efforts are underway to support its widespread dissemination. The likelihood that healthcare systems will sustain this change, once implemented, is under-reported in the literature. This article identifies factors that were important to postimplementation sustainability of an evidence-based practice change to address alcohol misuse that was piloted within three diverse primary care organizations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded three academic teams to pilot and evaluate implementation of alcohol screening and brief intervention within multiclinic healthcare systems in their respective regions. Following the completion of the pilots, teams used the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool to retrospectively describe and compare differences across eight sustainability domains, identify strengths and potential threats to sustainability, and make recommendations for improvement. Health systems varied across all domains, with greatest differences noted for Program Evaluation, Strategic Planning, and Funding Stability. Lack of funding to sustain practice change, or data monitoring to promote fit and fidelity, was an indication of diminished Organizational Capacity in systems that discontinued the service after the pilot. Early assessment of sustainability factors may identify potential threats that could be addressed prior to, or during implementation to enhance Organizational Capacity. Although this study provides a retrospective assessment conducted by external academic teams, it identifies factors that may be relevant for translating evidence-based behavioral interventions in a way that assures that they are sustained within healthcare systems. © The Society of Behavioral Medicine 2018. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Occupational cosmic radiation exposure in Portuguese airline pilots: study of a possible correlation with oxidative biological markers.

PubMed

Silva, Rodrigo; Folgosa, Filipe; Soares, Paulo; Pereira, Alice S; Garcia, Raquel; Gestal-Otero, Juan Jesus; Tavares, Pedro; Gomes da Silva, Marco D R

2013-05-01

Several studies have sought to understand the health effects of occupational exposure to cosmic radiation. However, only few biologic markers or associations with disease outcomes have so far been identified. In the present study, 22 long- and 26 medium-haul male Portuguese airline pilots and 36 factory workers who did not fly regularly were investigated. The two groups were comparable in age and diet, were non-smokers, never treated with ionizing radiation and other factors. Cosmic radiation exposure in pilots was quantified based on direct monitoring of 51 flights within Europe, and from Europe to North and South America, and to Africa. Indirect dose estimates in pilots were performed based on the SIEVERT (Système informatisé d'évaluation par vol de l'exposition au rayonnement cosmique dans les transports aériens) software for 6,039 medium- and 1,366 long-haul flights. Medium-haul pilots had a higher cosmic radiation dose rate than long-haul pilots, that is, 3.3 ± 0.2 μSv/h and 2.7 ± 0.3 μSv/h, respectively. Biological tests for oxidative stress on blood and urine, as appropriate, at two time periods separated by 1 year, included measurements of antioxidant capacity, total protein, ferritin, hemoglobin, creatinine and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG). Principal components analysis was used to discriminate between the exposed and unexposed groups based on all the biological tests. According to this analysis, creatinine and 8OHdG levels were different for the pilots and the unexposed group, but no distinctions could be made among the medium- and the long-haul pilots. While hemoglobin levels seem to be comparable between the studied groups, they were directly correlated with ferritin values, which were lower for the airline pilots.

The effect of visual-motion time delays on pilot performance in a pursuit tracking task

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, G. K., Jr.; Riley, D. R.

1976-01-01

A study has been made to determine the effect of visual-motion time delays on pilot performance of a simulated pursuit tracking task. Three interrelated major effects have been identified: task difficulty, motion cues, and time delays. As task difficulty, as determined by airplane handling qualities or target frequency, increases, the amount of acceptable time delay decreases. However, when relatively complete motion cues are included in the simulation, the pilot can maintain his performance for considerably longer time delays. In addition, the number of degrees of freedom of motion employed is a significant factor.

Usability Evaluation Survey for Identifying Design Issues in Civil Flight Deck

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozve Aminian, Negin; Izzuddin Romli, Fairuz; Wiriadidjaja, Surjatin

2016-02-01

Ergonomics assessment for cockpit in civil aircraft is important as the pilots spend most of their time during flight on the seating posture imposed by its design. The improper seat design can cause discomfort and pain, which will disturb the pilot's concentration in flight. From a conducted survey, it is found that there are some issues regarding the current cockpit design. This study aims to highlight potential mismatches between the current cockpit design and the ergonomic design recommendations for anthropometric dimensions and seat design, which could be the roots of the problems faced by the pilots in the cockpit.

Exploring rear-end roadway crashes from the driver's perspective

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-10-01

This pilot study examined rear-end crashes from the driver's perspective to identify self-reported reasons and causes of such crashes, to identify commonalities in the self-reported causes and locations and circumstances of these crashes, and to expl...

Digestive functional symptoms among commercial pilots in relation to diet, insomnia, and lifestyle factors.

PubMed

Lindgren, Torsten; Runeson, Roma; Wahlstedt, Kurt; Wieslander, Gunilla; Dammström, Bo-Göran; Norbäck, Dan

2012-09-01

The aim of our study was to identify associations between digestive symptoms among pilots and diet, insomnia, and lifestyle factors. A standardized questionnaire was mailed to all Stockholm pilots on duty in a Swedish airline company: 354 pilots and 564 office workers from the same company participated. Associations were analyzed by multiple logistic regressions with mutual adjustment. Of the pilots, 9.9% reported poor appetite, 15.2% heartburn, 12.4% diarrhea, 62.1% bloating, 9.3% constipation, and 14.4% epigastralgia. Pilots reported more bloating and poor appetite compared with office workers. The prevalence of insomnia was 70.6% among pilots and 63.1% among office workers. Among pilots, insomnia was related to poor appetite, heartburn, diarrhea, bloating, constipation, and epigastralgia. There were no associations between insomnia and digestive symptoms among office workers. Among pilots, higher body mass index (BMI) was related to heartburn and smokers more often suffered from constipation. Frequent milk consumption was associated with heartburn and less constipation; female pilots suffered from more constipation. The number of years as an active pilot was negatively associated with epigastralgia and bloating. Insomnia and some digestive symptoms were more common among pilots than office workers. In addition to insomnia, BMI, smoking, female gender, and milk consumption were associated with some digestive symptoms. The strong association between insomnia and digestive symptoms among pilots, but not among office workers, suggests a stress component related to this occupation.

An assessment of predominant causal factors of pilot deviations that contribute to runway incursions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Denado M.

The aim of this study was to identify predominant causal factors of pilot deviations in runway incursions over a two-year period. Runway incursion reports were obtained from NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS), and a qualitative method was used by classifying and coding each report to a specific causal factor(s). The causal factors that were used were substantiated by research from the Aircraft Owner's and Pilot's Association that found that these causal factors were the most common in runway incursion incidents and accidents. An additional causal factor was also utilized to determine the significance of pilot training in relation to runway incursions. From the reports examined, it was found that miscommunication and situational awareness have the greatest impact on pilots and are most often the major causes of runway incursions. This data can be used to assist airports, airlines, and the FAA to understand trends in pilot deviations, and to find solutions for specific problem areas in runway incursion incidents.

Toward identifying specification requirements for digital bone-anchored prosthesis design incorporating substructure fabrication: a pilot study.

PubMed

Eggbeer, Dominic; Bibb, Richard; Evans, Peter

2006-01-01

This paper is the first in a series that aims to identify the specification requirements for advanced digital technologies that may be used to design and fabricate complex, soft tissue facial prostheses. Following a review of previously reported techniques, appropriate and currently available technologies were selected and applied in a pilot study. This study uses a range of optical surface scanning, computerized tomography, computer-aided design, and rapid prototyping technologies to capture, design, and fabricate a bone-anchored auricular prosthesis, including the retentive components. The techniques are assessed in terms of their effectiveness, and the results are used to identify future research and specification requirements to direct developments. The case study identifies that while digital technologies may be used to design implant-retained facial prostheses, many limitations need to be addressed to make the techniques clinically viable. It also identifies the need to develop a more robust specification that covers areas such as resolution, accuracy, materials, and design, against which potential technologies may be assessed. There is a need to develop a specification against which potential technologies may be assessed for their suitability in soft tissue facial prosthetics. The specification will be developed using further experimental research studies.

The Resource Identification Initiative: A cultural shift in publishing

PubMed Central

Brush, Matthew; Grethe, Jeffery S.; Haendel, Melissa A; Kennedy, David N.; Hill, Sean; Hof, Patrick R.; Martone, Maryann E.; Pols, Maaike; Tan, Serena C.; Washington, Nicole; Zudilova‐Seinstra, Elena; Vasilevsky, Nicole

2016-01-01

A central tenet in support of research reproducibility is the ability to uniquely identify research resources, i.e., reagents, tools, and materials that are used to perform experiments. However, current reporting practices for research resources are insufficient to identify the exact resources that are reported or to answer basic questions such as “How did other studies use resource X?” To address this issue, the Resource Identification Initiative was launched as a pilot project to improve the reporting standards for research resources in the Methods sections of articles and thereby improve identifiability and scientific reproducibility. The pilot engaged over 25 biomedical journal editors from most major publishers, as well as scientists and funding officials. Authors were asked to include Research Resource Identifiers (RRIDs) in their articles prior to publication for three resource types: antibodies, model organisms, and tools (i.e., software and databases). RRIDs are assigned by an authoritative database, for example, a model organism database for each type of resource. To make it easier for authors to obtain RRIDs, resources were aggregated from the appropriate databases and their RRIDs made available in a central Web portal (http://scicrunch.org/resources). RRIDs meet three key criteria: they are machine‐readable, free to generate and access, and are consistent across publishers and journals. The pilot was launched in February of 2014 and over 300 articles have appeared that report RRIDs. The number of journals participating has expanded from the original 25 to more than 40, with RRIDs appearing in 62 different journals to date. Here we present an overview of the pilot project and its outcomes to date. We show that authors are able to identify resources and are supportive of the goals of the project. Identifiability of the resources post‐pilot showed a dramatic improvement for all three resource types, suggesting that the project has had a significant impact on identifiability of research resources. J. Comp. Neurol. 524:8–22, 2016. © 2015 The Authors The Journal of Comparative Neurology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:26599696

Driving, navigation, and vehicular technology: experiences of older drivers and their co-pilots.

PubMed

Vrkljan, Brenda H; Polgar, Janice Miller

2007-12-01

The objective of this article is to explore relationship between older drivers and their passengers (co-pilots) and potential implications of in-vehicle navigation technology on their driving safety. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 44 healthy, community-dwelling older adults (aged 60-83) or 22 married couples. Males identified themselves as drivers and females identified themselves as passengers (i.e., co-pilot). Findings indicate that operating a motor vehicle in older adulthood is a shared activity between drivers and passengers. Older drivers and co-pilots reported their level of interaction depended on their familiarity with their route. Navigating unfamiliar areas, particularly large urban centers, was identified as the most challenging driving situation. Participants identified their level of collaboration would increase with the advent of in-vehicle navigation technology. Safety concerns related to the use of this technology, included distraction of both drivers and passengers. Differences amongst couples in their perceptions of using this technology were linked to their level of experience with using other forms of technology. Older drivers and passengers identified working closely together when operating a motor vehicle. Further investigation into the effects of in-vehicle navigation technology on the driving safety of older drivers and their co-pilots is warranted.

Manned Versus Unmanned Risk and Complexity Considerations for Future Midsized X-Planes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lechniak, Jason A.; Melton, John E.

2017-01-01

The objective of this work was to identify and estimate complexity and risks associated with the development and testing of new low-cost medium-scale X-plane aircraft primarily focused on air transport operations. Piloting modes that were evaluated for this task were manned, remotely piloted, and unmanned flight research programs. This analysis was conducted early in the data collection period for X-plane concept vehicles before preliminary designs were complete. Over 50 different aircraft and system topics were used to evaluate the three piloting control modes. Expert group evaluations from a diverse set of pilots, engineers, and other experts at Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate centers within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration provided qualitative reasoning on the many issues surrounding the decisions regarding piloting modes. The group evaluations were numerically rated to evaluate each topic quantitatively and were used to provide independent criteria for vehicle complexity and risk. An Edwards Air Force Base instruction document was identified that emerged as a source of the effects found in our qualitative and quantitative data. The study showed that a manned aircraft was the best choice to align with test activities for transport aircraft flight research from a low-complexity and low-risk perspective. The study concluded that a manned aircraft option would minimize the risk and complexity to improve flight-test efficiency and bound the cost of the flight-test portion of the program. Several key findings and discriminators between the three modes are discussed in detail.

Terminal Area Procedures for Paired Runways

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lozito, Sandra; Verma, Savita Arora

2011-01-01

Parallel runway operations have been found to increase capacity within the National Airspace but poor visibility conditions reduce the use of these operations. The NextGen and SESAR Programs have identified the capacity benefits from increased use of closely-space parallel runway. Previous research examined the concepts and procedures related to parallel runways however, there has been no investigation of the procedures associated with the strategic and tactical pairing of aircraft for these operations. This simulation study developed and examined the pilot and controller procedures and information requirements for creating aircraft pairs for parallel runway operations. The goal was to achieve aircraft pairing with a temporal separation of 15s (+/- 10s error) at a coupling point that was about 12 nmi from the runway threshold. Two variables were explored for the pilot participants: two levels of flight deck automation (current-day flight deck automation and auto speed control future automation) as well as two flight deck displays that assisted in pilot conformance monitoring. The controllers were also provided with automation to help create and maintain aircraft pairs. Results show the operations in this study were acceptable and safe. Subjective workload, when using the pairing procedures and tools, was generally low for both controllers and pilots, and situation awareness was typically moderate to high. Pilot workload was influenced by display type and automation condition. Further research on pairing and off-nominal conditions is required however, this investigation identified promising findings about the feasibility of closely-spaced parallel runway operations.

Life and Microgravity Sciences Spacelab Mission: Human Research Pilot Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnaud, Sara B. (Editor); Walker, Karen R. (Editor); Hargens, Alan (Editor)

1996-01-01

The Life Sciences, Microgravity Science and Spacelab Mission contains a number of human experiments directed toward identifying the functional, metabolic and neurological characteristics of muscle weakness and atrophy during space flight. To ensure the successful completion of the flight experiments, a ground-based pilot study, designed to mimic the flight protocols as closely as possible, was carried out in the head-down tilt bed rest model. This report records the rationales, procedures, preliminary results and estimated value of the pilot study, the first of its kind, for 12 of the 13 planned experiments in human research. The bed rest study was conducted in the Human Research Facility at Ames Research Center from July 11 - August 28, 1995. Eight healthy male volunteers performed the experiments before, during and after 17 days bed rest. The immediate purposes of this simulation were to integrate the experiments, provide data in a large enough sample for publication of results, enable investigators to review individual experiments in the framework of a multi-disciplinary study and relay the experience of the pilot study to the mission specialists prior to launch.

An Assessment of Reduced Crew and Single Pilot Operations in Commercial Transport Aircraft Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, Randall E.; Kramer, Lynda J.; Kennedy, Kellie D.; Stephens, Chad L.; Etherington, Timothy J.

2017-01-01

Future reduced crew operations or even single pilot operations for commercial airline and on-demand mobility applications are an active area of research. These changes would reduce the human element and thus, threaten the precept that "a well-trained and well-qualified pilot is the critical center point of aircraft systems safety and an integral safety component of the entire commercial aviation system." NASA recently completed a pilot-in-the-loop high fidelity motion simulation study in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) attempting to quantify the pilot's contribution to flight safety during normal flight and in response to aircraft system failures. Crew complement was used as the experiment independent variable in a between-subjects design. These data show significant increases in workload for single pilot operations, compared to two-crew, with subjective assessments of safety and performance being significantly degraded as well. Nonetheless, in all cases, the pilots were able to overcome the failure mode effects in all crew configurations. These data reflect current-day flight deck equipage and help identify the technologies that may improve two-crew operations and/or possibly enable future reduced crew and/or single pilot operations.

Cleaning Products Pilot Project

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This 1997 case study documents a three-year effort to identify and compare environmentally preferable commercial cleaning products and to implement the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program (EPP).

Vocational Education and Training Against Social Exclusion: Albania. Country Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haxhiymeri, Edlira; Shala, Zef; Muca, Mirela

The main causes of social exclusion in Albania were studied along with ways in which vocational education and training could help combat it. The study identified target groups, analyzed existing policies and the role of education and training for target groups, and pilot tested projects to support the identified groups. The following policy…

"Party Line" Information Use Studies and Implications for ATC Datalink Communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansman, R. John; Pritchett, Amy; Midkiff, Alan

1995-01-01

The perceived importance and utilization of 'party line' information by air carrier flight crews was investigated through pilot surveys and a flight simulation study. The importance, availability, and accuracy of party line information elements were explored through surveys of pilots of several operational types. The survey identified numerous traffic and weather party line information elements which were considered important. These elements were scripted into a full-mission flight simulation which examined the utilization of party line information by studying subject responses to specific information element stimuli. The awareness of the different Party Line elements varied, and awareness was also affected by pilot workload. In addition, pilots were aware of some traffic information elements, but were reluctant to act on Party Line Information alone. Finally, the results of both the survey and the simulation indicated that the importance of party line information appeared to be greatest for operations near or on the airport. This indicates that caution should be exercised when implementing datalink communications in tower and close-in terminal control sectors.

'Party Line' Information Use Studies and Implications for ATV Datalink Communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pritchett, Amy; Hansman, R. John; Midkiff, Alan

1995-01-01

The perceived importance and utilization of 'party line' information by air carrier flight crews was investigated through pilot surveys and a flight simulation study. The Importance, Availability, and Accuracy of party line information elements were explored through surveys of pilots of several operational types. The survey identified numerous traffic and weather party line information elements which were considered important. These elements were scripted into a full-mission flight simulation which examined the utilization of party line information by studying subject responses to specific information element stimuli. The awareness of the different Party Line elements varied, and awareness was also affected by pilot workload. In addition, pilots were aware of some traffic information elements, but were reluctant to act on Party Line Information alone. Finally, the importance of party line information appears to be greatest for operations near or on the airport. This indicates that caution should be exercised when implementing datalink communications in tower and close-in terminal control sectors.

Musculoskeletal impairment survey in Rwanda: Design of survey tool, survey methodology, and results of the pilot study (a cross sectional survey)

PubMed Central

Atijosan, Oluwarantimi; Kuper, Hannah; Rischewski, Dorothea; Simms, Victoria; Lavy, Christopher

2007-01-01

Background Musculoskeletal impairment (MSI) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in developing countries. Prevalence studies for MSI in the developing world have used varying methodologies and are seldom directly comparable. This study aimed to develop a new tool to screen for and diagnose MSI and to pilot test the methodology for a national survey in Rwanda. Methods A 7 question screening tool to identify cases of MSI was developed through literature review and discussions with healthcare professionals. To validate the tool, trained rehabilitation technicians screened 93 previously identified gold standard 'cases' and 86 'non cases'. Sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value were calculated. A standardised examination protocol was developed to determine the aetiology and diagnosis of MSI for those who fail the screening test. For the national survey in Rwanda, multistage cluster random sampling, with probability proportional to size procedures will be used for selection of a cross-sectional, nationally representative sample of the population. Households to be surveyed will be chosen through compact segment sampling and all individuals within chosen households will be screened. A pilot survey of 680 individuals was conducted using the protocol. Results: The screening tool demonstrated 99% sensitivity and 97% specificity for MSI, and a positive predictive value of 98%. During the pilot study 468 out of 680 eligible subjects (69%) were screened. 45 diagnoses were identified in 38 persons who were cases of MSI. The subjects were grouped into categories based on diagnostic subgroups of congenital (1), traumatic (17), infective (2) neurological (6) and other acquired(19). They were also separated into mild (42.1%), moderate (42.1%) and severe (15.8%) cases, using an operational definition derived from the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Conclusion: The screening tool had good sensitivity and specificity and was appropriate for use in a national survey. The pilot study showed that the survey protocol was appropriate for measuring the prevalence of MSI in Rwanda. This survey is an important step to building a sound epidemiological understanding of MSI, to enable appropriate health service planning. PMID:17391509

Review of performance, medical, and operational data on pilot aging issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoklosa, J. H.

1992-01-01

An extensive review of the literature and studies relating to performance, medical, operational, and legal data regarding pilot aging issues was performed in order to determine what evidence there is, if any, to support mandatory pilot retirement. Popular misconceptions about aging, including the failure to distinguish between the normal aging process and disease processes that occur more frequently in older individuals, continue to contribute to much of the misunderstanding and controversy that surround this issue. Results: Review of medical data related to the pilot aging issue indicate that recent improvement in medical diagnostics and treatment technology have made it possible to identify to a high degree individuals who are at risk for developing sudden incapacitating illness and for treating those with disqualifying medical conditions. Performance studies revealed that after controlling for the presence of disease states, older pilots are able to perform as well as younger pilots on many performance tasks. Review of accident data showed that older, healthy pilots do not have higher accident rates than younger pilots, and indeeed, evidence suggests that older pilots have an advantage in the cockpit due to higher experience levels. The Man-Machine-Mission-Environment interface of factors can be managed through structured, supervised, and enhanced operations, maintenance, flight reviews, and safety procedures in order to ensure safe and productive operations by reducing the margin of error and by increasing the margin of safety. Conclusions: There is no evidence indicating any specific age as an arbitrary cut-off point for pilots to perform their fight duties. A combination of regular medical screening, performance evaluation, enhanced operational maintenance, and safety procedures can most effectively ensure a safe pilot population than can a mandatory retirement policy based on arbitrary age restrictions.

Pilot study on use of home telephoning to identify and recruit high-risk individuals for lung cancer screening.

PubMed

Veronesi, Giulia; Colombo, Paolo; Novellis, Pierluigi; Crepaldi, Alessandro; Lutman, Romano Fabio; Dieci, Elisa; Profili, Manuel; Siracusano, Licia; Alloisio, Marco

2017-03-01

Widespread lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography is urgently needed in Europe to identify lung cancers early and reduce lung cancer deaths. The most effective method of identifying high-risk individuals and recruiting them for screening has not been determined. In the present pilot study we investigated direct telephoning to families as a way of identifying high risk individuals and recruiting them to a screening/smoking cessation program, that avoided the selection bias of voluntary screening. Families in the province of Milan, Italy, were contacted by telephone at their homes and asked about family members over 50 years who were heavy smokers (30 or more pack-years). Persons meeting these criteria were contacted and asked to participate in the program. Those who agreed were given an appointment to undergo screening and receive smoking cessation counseling. Among the 1000 contacted families, involving 2300 persons, 44 (1.9%) were eligible for LDCT screening, and 12 (27%) of these participated in the program. The cost of this recruitment strategy pilot study was around 150 euro per screened subject. We obtained useful information on the proportion of the general population eligible for lung cancer screening and the proportion of those who responded. However the cost of home telephone calling is probably too high to be practicable as a method of recruiting high risk persons for screening. Alternative recruitment methods, possibly involving family physicians practitioners, need to be investigated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Airplane pilot mental health and suicidal thoughts: a cross-sectional descriptive study via anonymous web-based survey.

PubMed

Wu, Alexander C; Donnelly-McLay, Deborah; Weisskopf, Marc G; McNeely, Eileen; Betancourt, Theresa S; Allen, Joseph G

2016-12-15

The Germanwings Flight 9525 crash has brought the sensitive subject of airline pilot mental health to the forefront in aviation. Globally, 350 million people suffer from depression-a common mental disorder. This study provides further information on this important topic regarding mental health especially among female airline pilots. This is the first study to describe airline pilot mental health-with a focus on depression and suicidal thoughts-outside of the information derived from aircraft accident investigations, regulated health examinations, or identifiable self-reports, which are records protected by civil aviation authorities and airline companies. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study via an anonymous web-based survey administered between April and December 2015. Pilots were recruited from unions, airline companies, and airports via convenience sampling. Data analysis included calculating absolute number and prevalence of health characteristics and depression scores. One thousand eight hundred thirty seven (52.7%) of the 3485 surveyed pilots completed the survey, with 1866 (53.5%) completing at least half of the survey. 233 (12.6%) of 1848 airline pilots responding to the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), and 193 (13.5%) of 1430 pilots who reported working as an airline pilot in the last seven days at time of survey, met depression threshold-PHQ-9 total score ≥ 10. Seventy-five participants (4.1%) reported having suicidal thoughts within the past two weeks. We found a significant trend in proportions of depression at higher levels of use of sleep-aid medication (trend test z = 6.74, p < 0.001) and among those experiencing sexual harassment (z = 3.18, p = 0.001) or verbal harassment (z = 6.13, p < 0.001). Hundreds of pilots currently flying are managing depressive symptoms perhaps without the possibility of treatment due to the fear of negative career impacts. This study found 233 (12.6%) airline pilots meeting depression threshold and 75 (4.1%) pilots reporting having suicidal thoughts. Although results have limited generalizability, there are a significant number of active pilots suffering from depressive symptoms. We recommend airline organizations increase support for preventative mental health treatment. Future research will evaluate additional risk factors of depression such as sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances.

[Exercise-referral to a specialist in adapted physical activity (APA) : a pilot project].

PubMed

Brugnerotto, Adeline; Cardinaux, Regula; Ueltschi, Yan; Bauwens, Marine; Nanchen, David; Cornuz, Jacques; Bize, Raphaël; Auer, Reto

2016-11-02

Family physicians have a key role in the promotion of physical activity, in particular in identifying and counseling persons who have a sedentary lifestyle. Some patients could benefit from intensive individual counseling. Physicians are often not aware of all physical activity promotion activities in the community that they could recommend their patients. In a pilot study, we have tested and adapted the referral of patients from family physicians to specialists in adapted physical activity (APAs). APAs are trained to assess and guide persons towards physical activities adapted to their needs and pathologies and thus towards an increase in physical activity. Pilot data suggest that, while few patients were oriented to the APAs in the pilot project, family physicians appreciate the possibility of collaborating with the APAs.

Quantitative corpus-based analysis of the chiropractic literature – a pilot study

PubMed Central

Millar, Neil; Budgell, Brian S.; Kwong, Alice

2011-01-01

In this pilot study, a collection of peer-reviewed articles from the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association was analyzed by computer to identify the more commonly occurring words and phrases. The results were compared to a reference collection of general English in order to identify the vocabulary which is distinctive of chiropractic. From texts with a combined word count in excess of 280,000, it was possible to identify almost 2,500 words which were over-represented in the chiropractic literature and therefore likely to hold special importance within this domain. Additionally, readability statistics were calculated and suggest that the peer-reviewed chiropractic literature is approximately as challenging to read as that of nursing, public health and midwifery. Certain words widely considered to be of importance to the profession, for example “subluxation and adjustment,” were not particularly prevalent in the literature surveyed. PMID:21403783

The overall program effects of California's 3-Tier Assessment System pilot on crashes and mobility among senior drivers.

PubMed

Camp, Bayliss J

2013-12-01

In 2007, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) undertook a pilot study of the 3-Tier Assessment System, the purpose of which was to examine, in a large-scale real-time public agency setting, the effectiveness of this method for both reducing the crash risk of individual drivers and for extending the safe driving years of Californian drivers of all ages. The 3-Tier Assessment System consisted of tiered series of screening tools incorporated into the in-office driver's license renewal process. These screening tools identified drivers with various kinds of functional limitations (physical, visual, and cognitive/perceptual), that might impact safe driving. Paired with the screening tools were educational materials designed to improve drivers' knowledge of their own limitations, including compensating techniques. The present study is a population-based evaluation of the effects of the pilot on subsequent crash risk and mobility outcomes (including delicensure) of participating drivers age 70 and older. Pilot participants were compared with two control groups processed according to standard California DMV license renewal procedures. Because the 3-Tier Assessment System was designed to identify limitations normally associated with aging, the present analyses focus on drivers age 70 and older. However, it should be emphasized that during the 3-Tier pilot the screening tools were applied to drivers of all ages. There were two main findings. First, there were no consistent, statistically significant differences between the pilot and control groups in crash risk in the two years following screening. Second, pilot participants experienced statistically significant effects on mobility. These effects included delays in time to complete their license renewal, an increase in the number of assigned license restrictions, and an increase in the number of customers failing to renew their driving privilege. Based on these findings, suggestions for further research are made. None. © 2013.

An examination of the disparity between self-identified versus legally identified rape victimization: A pilot study.

PubMed

Marsil, Dorothy F; McNamara, Corinne

2016-07-01

Researchers compared rape victimization based on self-identification to the current federal legal definition in a pilot study of college students. The sample was comprised of 1,648 (69.8% female; 30.2% male) college students who completed the Sexual Experiences Survey-Short Form Victimization (SES-SFV) online. Based on the current legal definition of rape, 9.4% (11.1% female; 5.2% male) of students had been raped since being enrolled, but only 2.9% of students self-identified as being raped. Moreover, 15.1% of students reported ever being raped, with females acknowledging higher rates (19.7%) than males (4.3%). Rape continues to be a major issue for colleges and universities. A serious concern is the disparity between the number of those who met the behavioral criteria for rape victimization based on the current legal definition, but who did not self-identify as a victim. Universities must address this disparity by using multiple measures to assess the prevalence of sexual violence on campus.

Are pilot trials useful for predicting randomisation and attrition rates in definitive studies: A review of publicly funded trials.

PubMed

Cooper, Cindy L; Whitehead, Amy; Pottrill, Edward; Julious, Steven A; Walters, Stephen J

2018-04-01

External pilot trials are recommended for testing the feasibility of main or confirmatory trials. However, there is little evidence that progress in external pilot trials actually predicts randomisation and attrition rates in the main trial. To assess the use of external pilot trials in trial design, we compared randomisation and attrition rates in publicly funded randomised controlled trials with rates in their pilots. Randomised controlled trials for which there was an external pilot trial were identified from reports published between 2004 and 2013 in the Health Technology Assessment Journal. Data were extracted from published papers, protocols and reports. Bland-Altman plots and descriptive statistics were used to investigate the agreement of randomisation and attrition rates between the full and external pilot trials. Of 561 reports, 41 were randomised controlled trials with pilot trials and 16 met criteria for a pilot trial with sufficient data. Mean attrition and randomisation rates were 21.1% and 50.4%, respectively, in the pilot trials and 16.8% and 65.2% in the main. There was minimal bias in the pilot trial when predicting the main trial attrition and randomisation rate. However, the variation was large: the mean difference in the attrition rate between the pilot and main trial was -4.4% with limits of agreement of -37.1% to 28.2%. Limits of agreement for randomisation rates were -47.8% to 77.5%. Results from external pilot trials to estimate randomisation and attrition rates should be used with caution as comparison of the difference in the rates between pilots and their associated full trial demonstrates high variability. We suggest using internal pilot trials wherever appropriate.

Are pilot trials useful for predicting randomisation and attrition rates in definitive studies: A review of publicly funded trials

PubMed Central

Whitehead, Amy; Pottrill, Edward; Julious, Steven A; Walters, Stephen J

2018-01-01

Background/aims: External pilot trials are recommended for testing the feasibility of main or confirmatory trials. However, there is little evidence that progress in external pilot trials actually predicts randomisation and attrition rates in the main trial. To assess the use of external pilot trials in trial design, we compared randomisation and attrition rates in publicly funded randomised controlled trials with rates in their pilots. Methods: Randomised controlled trials for which there was an external pilot trial were identified from reports published between 2004 and 2013 in the Health Technology Assessment Journal. Data were extracted from published papers, protocols and reports. Bland–Altman plots and descriptive statistics were used to investigate the agreement of randomisation and attrition rates between the full and external pilot trials. Results: Of 561 reports, 41 were randomised controlled trials with pilot trials and 16 met criteria for a pilot trial with sufficient data. Mean attrition and randomisation rates were 21.1% and 50.4%, respectively, in the pilot trials and 16.8% and 65.2% in the main. There was minimal bias in the pilot trial when predicting the main trial attrition and randomisation rate. However, the variation was large: the mean difference in the attrition rate between the pilot and main trial was −4.4% with limits of agreement of −37.1% to 28.2%. Limits of agreement for randomisation rates were −47.8% to 77.5%. Conclusion: Results from external pilot trials to estimate randomisation and attrition rates should be used with caution as comparison of the difference in the rates between pilots and their associated full trial demonstrates high variability. We suggest using internal pilot trials wherever appropriate. PMID:29361833

Development and validation of Aviation Causal Contributors for Error Reporting Systems (ACCERS).

PubMed

Baker, David P; Krokos, Kelley J

2007-04-01

This investigation sought to develop a reliable and valid classification system for identifying and classifying the underlying causes of pilot errors reported under the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP). ASAP is a voluntary safety program that air carriers may establish to study pilot and crew performance on the line. In ASAP programs, similar to the Aviation Safety Reporting System, pilots self-report incidents by filing a short text description of the event. The identification of contributors to errors is critical if organizations are to improve human performance, yet it is difficult for analysts to extract this information from text narratives. A taxonomy was needed that could be used by pilots to classify the causes of errors. After completing a thorough literature review, pilot interviews and a card-sorting task were conducted in Studies 1 and 2 to develop the initial structure of the Aviation Causal Contributors for Event Reporting Systems (ACCERS) taxonomy. The reliability and utility of ACCERS was then tested in studies 3a and 3b by having pilots independently classify the primary and secondary causes of ASAP reports. The results provided initial evidence for the internal and external validity of ACCERS. Pilots were found to demonstrate adequate levels of agreement with respect to their category classifications. ACCERS appears to be a useful system for studying human error captured under pilot ASAP reports. Future work should focus on how ACCERS is organized and whether it can be used or modified to classify human error in ASAP programs for other aviation-related job categories such as dispatchers. Potential applications of this research include systems in which individuals self-report errors and that attempt to extract and classify the causes of those events.

A summary and integration of research concerning single pilot IFR operational problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapman, G. C.

1983-01-01

A review of seven research studies pertaining to Single Pilot IFR (SPIFR) operations was performed. Two studies were based on questionnaire surveys; two based on National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports; two were based on Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) incident reports, and one report used event analysis and statistics to forecast problems. The results obtained in each study were extracted and integrated. Results were synthesized and key issues pertaining to SPIFR operations problems were identified. The research that was recommended by the studies and that addressed the key issues is catalogued for each key issue.

Pilot study on identification of incidents in healthcare transitions and concordance between medical records and patient interview data

PubMed Central

van Melle, Marije A; Erkelens, Daphne C A; van Stel, Henk F; de Wit, Niek J; Zwart, Dorien L M

2016-01-01

Objective To investigate whether transitional incidents can be identified from the medical records of the general practitioners and the hospital and to assess the concordance of transitional incidents between medical records and patient interviews. Design A pilot study. Setting The study was conducted in 2 regions in the Netherlands: a rural and an urban region. Participants A purposeful sample of patients who experienced a transitional incident or are at high risk of experiencing transitional incidents. Main outcome measures Transitional incidents were identified from both the interviews with patients and medical records and concordance was assessed. We also classified the transitional incidents according to type, severity, estimated cause and preventability. Results We identified 28 transitional incidents within 78 transitions of which 3 could not be found in the medical records and another 5 could have been missed without the patient as information source. To summarise, 8 (29%) incidents could have been missed using solely medical records, and 7 (25%) using the patients’ information exclusively. Concordance in transitional incidents between patient interviews and medical records was 64% (18/28). The majority of the transitional incidents were unsafe situations; however, 43% (12/28) of the incidents reached the patient and 18% (5/28) caused temporary patient harm. Over half of the incidents were potentially preventable. Conclusions This pilot study suggests that the majority of transitional incidents can be identified from medical records of the general practitioner and hospital. With this information, we aim to develop a measurement tool for transitional incidents in the medical record of general practitioner and hospital. PMID:27543588

Survey of piloting factors in V/STOL aircraft with implications for flight control system design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ringland, R. F.; Craig, S. J.

1977-01-01

Flight control system design factors involved for pilot workload relief are identified. Major contributors to pilot workload include configuration management and control and aircraft stability and response qualities. A digital fly by wire stability augmentation, configuration management, and configuration control system is suggested for reduction of pilot workload during takeoff, hovering, and approach.

Neuromuscular orthotics in the treatment of craniomandibular dysfunction and the effects on patients with multiple sclerosis: a pilot study.

PubMed

Heit, Tammarie

2011-01-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to identify, measure and document an effect on the subjective multiple sclerosis symptoms and compare it to any objective data changes in the neuromuscular system of the head and neck, following the correction of the jaw position using a neuromuscular orthotic. The hope is to provide clinical evidence of improvement in the disease long-term without relying on the subjective evidence of remissions and exacerbations reported by the patient. The evidence found in the current pilot study measured improvement of head position, jaw position, jaw function, and airway in the neuromuscular bite position, which correlated with the improvement of subjective symptoms of craniomandibular dysfunction and multiple sclerosis. Studies show that the bite affects blood flow in the brain, which may explain the improvement of the patients in the current study.

Identifying the support needs of fathers affected by post-partum depression: a pilot study.

PubMed

Letourneau, N; Duffett-Leger, L; Dennis, C-L; Stewart, M; Tryphonopoulos, P D

2011-02-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to describe the experiences, support needs, resources, and barriers to support for fathers whose partners had post-partum depression (PPD) in preparation for a larger study. Qualitative methods and community-based research approaches were used in this exploratory/descriptive multi-site study, conducted in New Brunswick and Alberta. Telephone interviews were conducted with a total of 11 fathers in New Brunswick (n= 7) and Alberta (n= 4). Fathers experienced a number of depressive symptoms including: anxiety, lack of time and energy, irritability, feeling sad or down, changes in appetite, and thoughts of harm to self or baby. The most common barriers for fathers were lack of information regarding PPD resources and difficulty seeking support. This pilot study establishes the feasibility of the larger-scale exploration of fathers' experiences in supporting their spouses affected by PPD. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing.

An experimental study of the effect of a pilot flame on technically pre-mixed, self-excited combustion instabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Meara, Bridget C.

Combustion instabilities are a problem facing the gas turbine industry in the operation of lean, pre-mixed combustors. Secondary flames known as "pilot flames" are a common passive control strategy for eliminating combustion instabilities in industrial gas turbines, but the underlying mechanisms responsible for the pilot flame's stabilizing effect are not well understood. This dissertation presents an experimental study of a pilot flame in a single-nozzle, swirl-stabilized, variable length atmospheric combustion test facility and the effect of the pilot on combustion instabilities. A variable length combustor tuned the acoustics of the system to excite instabilities over a range of operating conditions without a pilot flame. The inlet velocity was varied from 25 -- 50 m/s and the equivalence ratio was varied from 0.525 -- 0.65. This range of operating conditions was determined by the operating range of the combustion test facility. Stability at each operating condition and combustor length was characterized by measurements of pressure oscillations in the combustor. The effect of the pilot flame on the magnitude and frequency of combustor stability was then investigated. The mechanisms responsible for the pilot flame effect were studied using chemiluminescence flame images of both stable and unstable flames. Stable flame structure was investigated using stable flame images of CH* chemiluminescence emission. The effect of the pilot on stable flame metrics such as flame length, flame angle, and flame width was investigated. In addition, a new flame metric, flame base distance, was defined to characterize the effect of the pilot flame on stable flame anchoring of the flame base to the centerbody. The effect of the pilot flame on flame base anchoring was investigated because the improved stability with a pilot flame is usually attributed to improved flame anchoring through the recirculation of hot products from the pilot to the main flame base. Chemiluminescence images of unstable flames were used to identify several instability mechanisms and infer how these mechanisms are affected by the pilot flame. Flame images of cases in which the pilot flame did not eliminate the instability were investigated to understand why the pilot flame is not effective in certain cases. The phase of unstable pilot flame oscillations was investigated to determine how the phase of pilot flame oscillations may affect its ability to interfere with instability mechanisms in the main flame. A forced flame response study was conducted to determine the effect of inlet velocity oscillation amplitude on the pilot flame. The flame response was characterized by measurements of velocity oscillations in the injector and chemiluminescence intensity oscillations determined from flame images. As the forcing amplitude increases, the pilot flame's effect on the flame transfer function magnitude becomes weaker. Flame images show that as the forcing amplitude increases, the pilot flame oscillations increase, leading to an ineffective pilot. The results of the flame response portion of this study highlight the effect of instability amplitude on the ability of a pilot flame to eliminate a combustion instability.

Designing Algebraic Tasks for 7-Year-Old Students--A Pilot Project Inspired by Davydov's "Learning Activity" Concept

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eriksson, Inger; Jansson, Anders

2017-01-01

The issue of this article is to identify and discuss what conditions may be necessary to build into tasks to make it likely for students to be involved in an algebraic Learning Activity inspired by Davydov. Data from a pilot study was used in which a group of students (N = 28) in grade 1 (7-year-olds) were invited to participate in discussions and…

Summer School Pilot Program: Final Study Report as Reported by the State Board of Education. Submitted to the Governor, Lt. Governor and the Sixty-Ninth Legislature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Board of Education, Austin.

Twenty-three Texas school districts conducted state-funded pilot projects in 1982 and 1983 to determine whether summer school programs could successfully remediate the needs of students who were retained in grade or had failed a required course, who were functioning greatly below their peers in skill attainment, or who were identified as having…

Statistical analysis plan of the head position in acute ischemic stroke trial pilot (HEADPOST pilot).

PubMed

Olavarría, Verónica V; Arima, Hisatomi; Anderson, Craig S; Brunser, Alejandro; Muñoz-Venturelli, Paula; Billot, Laurent; Lavados, Pablo M

2017-02-01

Background The HEADPOST Pilot is a proof-of-concept, open, prospective, multicenter, international, cluster randomized, phase IIb controlled trial, with masked outcome assessment. The trial will test if lying flat head position initiated in patients within 12 h of onset of acute ischemic stroke involving the anterior circulation increases cerebral blood flow in the middle cerebral arteries, as measured by transcranial Doppler. The study will also assess the safety and feasibility of patients lying flat for ≥24 h. The trial was conducted in centers in three countries, with ability to perform early transcranial Doppler. A feature of this trial was that patients were randomized to a certain position according to the month of admission to hospital. Objective To outline in detail the predetermined statistical analysis plan for HEADPOST Pilot study. Methods All data collected by participating researchers will be reviewed and formally assessed. Information pertaining to the baseline characteristics of patients, their process of care, and the delivery of treatments will be classified, and for each item, appropriate descriptive statistical analyses are planned with comparisons made between randomized groups. For the outcomes, statistical comparisons to be made between groups are planned and described. Results This statistical analysis plan was developed for the analysis of the results of the HEADPOST Pilot study to be transparent, available, verifiable, and predetermined before data lock. Conclusions We have developed a statistical analysis plan for the HEADPOST Pilot study which is to be followed to avoid analysis bias arising from prior knowledge of the study findings. Trial registration The study is registered under HEADPOST-Pilot, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01706094.

A new computer-based counselling system for the promotion of physical activity in patients with chronic diseases--results from a pilot study.

PubMed

Becker, Annette; Herzberg, Dominikus; Marsden, Nicola; Thomanek, Sabine; Jung, Hartmut; Leonhardt, Corinna

2011-05-01

To develop a computer-based counselling system (CBCS) for the improvement of attitudes towards physical activity in chronically ill patients and to pilot its efficacy and acceptance in primary care. The system is tailored to patients' disease and motivational stage. During a pilot study in five German general practices, patients answered questions before, directly and 6 weeks after using the CBCS. Outcome criteria were attitudes and self-efficacy. Qualitative interviews were performed to identify acceptance indicators. Seventy-nine patients participated (mean age: 64.5 years, 53% males; 38% without previous computer experience). Patients' affective and cognitive attitudes changed significantly, self-efficacy showed only minor changes. Patients mentioned no difficulties in interacting with the CBCS. However, perception of the system's usefulness was inconsistent. Computer-based counselling for physical activity related attitudes in patients with chronic diseases is feasible, but the circumstances of use with respect to the target group and its integration into the management process have to be clarified in future studies. This study adds to the understanding of computer-based counselling in primary health care. Acceptance indicators identified in this study will be validated as part of a questionnaire on technology acceptability in a subsequent study. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design and pilot results of a single blind randomized controlled trial of systematic demand-led home visits by nurses to frail elderly persons in primary care [ISRCTN05358495].

PubMed

van Hout, Hein P J; Nijpels, Giel; van Marwijk, Harm W J; Jansen, Aaltje P D; Van't Veer, Petronella J; Tybout, Willemijn; Stalman, Wim A B

2005-09-08

The objective of this article is to describe the design of an evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of systematic home visits by nurses to frail elderly primary care patients. Pilot objectives were: 1. To determine the feasibility of postal multidimensional frailty screening instruments; 2. to identify the need for home visits to elderly. Main study: The main study concerns a randomized controlled in primary care practices (PCP) with 18 months follow-up and blinded PCPs. Frail persons aged 75 years or older and living at home but neither terminally ill nor demented from 33 PCPs were eligible. Trained community nurses (1) visit patients at home and assess the care needs with the Resident Assessment Instrument-Home Care, a multidimensional computerized geriatric assessment instrument, enabling direct identification of problem areas; (2) determine the care priorities together with the patient; (3) design and execute interventions according to protocols; (4) and visit patients at least five times during a year in order to execute and monitor the care-plan. Controls receive usual care. Outcome measures are Quality of life, and Quality Adjusted Life Years; time to nursing home admission; mortality; hospital admissions; health care utilization. Pilot 1: Three brief postal multidimensional screening measures to identify frail health among elderly persons were tested on percentage complete item response (selected after a literature search): 1) Vulnerable Elders Screen, 2) Strawbridge's frailty screen, and 3) COOP-WONCA charts. Pilot 2: Three nurses visited elderly frail patients as identified by PCPs in a health center of 5400 patients and used an assessment protocol to identify psychosocial and medical problems. The needs and experiences of all participants were gathered by semi-structured interviews. The design holds several unique elements such as early identification of frail persons combined with case-management by nurses. From two pilots we learned that of three potential postal frailty measures, the COOP-WONCA charts were completed best by elderly and that preventive home visits by nurses were positively evaluated to have potential for quality of care improvement.

Connected vehicle pilot deployment program phase 1, deployment outreach plan -- New York City.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-07-19

This document is a high level plan that describes the Outreach Plan for the New York City Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment. The plan defines the communications strategy for the CV Pilot Deployment; identifies roles and responsibilities of persons t...

Managing Approach Plate Information Study (MAPLIST): An Information Requirements Analysis of Approach Chart Use

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ricks, Wendell R.; Jonnson, Jon E.; Barry, John S.

1996-01-01

Adequately presenting all necessary information on an approach chart represents a challenge for cartographers. Since many tasks associated with using approach charts are cognitive (e.g., planning the approach and monitoring its progress), and since the characteristic of a successful interface is one that conforms to the users' mental models, understanding pilots' underlying models of approach chart information would greatly assist cartographers. To provide such information, a new methodology was developed for this study that enhances traditional information requirements analyses by combining psychometric scaling techniques with a simulation task to provide quantifiable links between pilots' cognitive representations of approach information and their use of approach information. Results of this study should augment previous information requirements analyses by identifying what information is acquired, when it is acquired, and what presentation concepts might facilitate its efficient use by better matching the pilots' cognitive model of the information. The primary finding in this study indicated that pilots mentally organize approach chart information into ten primary categories: communications, geography, validation, obstructions, navigation, missed approach, final items, other runways, visibility requirement, and navigation aids. These similarity categories were found to underlie the pilots' information acquisitions, other mental models, and higher level cognitive processes that are used to accomplish their approach and landing tasks.

What defines an effective anti-tobacco TV advertisement? A pilot study among Greek adolescents.

PubMed

Vardavas, Constantine I; Symvoulakis, Emmanouil K; Connolly, Gregory N; Patelarou, Evridiki; Lionis, Christos

2010-01-01

As the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) calls for public health awareness on tobacco use, mass media campaigns should be appropriately designed so as to maximize their effectiveness. In this methodological pilot study, 95 Greek adolescents (mean age 15 +/- 1.8 years), were shown seven different anti tobacco ads, and asked to rate the ad theme, message and emotional context on a 1-7 Likert scale. Health related ads were rated the highest, and as identified through the logistic regression analysis, adolescents who perceived an ad to be emotional or to have a clear message that was relevant to them, were more likely to rate the ad as more effective. The strong agreement between the above findings and the existing literature indicates the applicability of this pilot study's methodological approach.

Management of post traumatic stress disorder after childbirth: a review.

PubMed

Lapp, Leann K; Agbokou, Catherine; Peretti, Charles-Siegfried; Ferreri, Florian

2010-09-01

Prevalence and risk factors for the development of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth is well described in the literature. However, its management and treatment has only begun to be investigated. The aim of this article is to describe the studies that examine the effects of interventions on PTSD after childbirth. MedLine, PILOTS, CINAHL and ISI Web of Science databases were systematically searched for randomised controlled trials, pilot studies and case studies using key words related to PTSD, childbirth, treatment and intervention. The reference lists of the retrieved articles were also used to supplement the search. A total of nine studies were retrieved. Seven studies that examined debriefing or counselling were identified; six randomised controlled trials and one pilot study. Also found were one case report describing the effects of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) on two women, and one pilot study of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR). Overall, there is limited evidence concerning the management of women with PTSD after childbirth. The results agree with the findings from the non-childbirth related literature: debriefing and counselling are inconclusively effective while CBT and EMDR may improve PTSD status but require investigation in controlled trials before conclusions could be drawn.

Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies | Solar Research | NREL

Science.gov Websites

industry-wide studies that use data-driven and evidence-based methods to identify characteristics developed models of U.S. household PV adoption. The project also conducted two market pilots to test methods

Summary Findings of Pilot Studies Conducted by the Interagency Coastal Wetlands Workgroup

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The ICWWG conducted studies in coastal watersheds to better understand coastal wetland loss. Identified drivers, such as development pressure, drainage practices, and insufficient restore wetland acres to offset acres lost. Provides some recommendations.

[Pilot-experience in home care: bedridden aged patients of a basic health unit, Porto Alegre, Brazil].

PubMed

Marques, Giselda Quintana; Freitas, Ivani Bueno de Almeida

2009-12-01

The objectives of this study were to describe the development of a pilot-project in home care to bedridden aged patients at a Basic Health Unit, and identify demographic, social and health aspects of these patients, as well as relevant aspects reported by the health team that implemented the home care. The study had descriptive and evaluative characteristics. The patients' enrollment forms and health records and the project's records were analyzed. The pilot-experience permitted to develop the team's skills, in addition to being enriching and of great responsibility for the professionals and caregivers involved. The results indicated the need for continuous home care and adjustments in its organization with the purpose of increasing the areas for health care and improving the population's quality of life.

Pilot Study of Instrumentation to Collect Behavioral Data to Identify On-Road Rider Behaviors

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-04-01

Motorcycle-related research questions of interest to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) were reviewed. Instrumentation techniques and study procedures that have been used for light- and heavy-vehicle studies were adapted for u...

Validating Computational Human Behavior Models: Consistency and Accuracy Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-01

includes a discussion of SME demographics, content, and organization of the datasets . This research generalizes data from two pilot studies and two base...meet requirements for validating the varied and complex behavioral models. Through a series of empirical studies , this research identifies subject...meet requirements for validating the varied and complex behavioral models. Through a series of empirical studies , this research identifies subject

Improving maternity care in the Dominican Republic: a pilot study of a community-based participatory research action plan by an international healthcare team.

PubMed

Foster, Jennifer; Gossett, Sarah; Burgos, Rosa; Cáceres, Ramona; Tejada, Carmen; Dominguez García, Luis; Ambrosio Rosario, Angel; Almonte, Asela; Perez, Lydia J

2015-05-01

This article is a report of the process and results of a feasibility pilot study to improve the quality of maternity care in a sample of 31 women and their newborns delivering in a public, tertiary hospital in the Dominican Republic. The pilot study was the first "action step" taken as a result of a formative, community-based participatory research (CBPR) study conducted between 2008 and 2010 by an interdisciplinary, international partnership of U.S. academic researchers, Dominican medical/nursing personnel, and Dominican community health workers. Health personnel and community health workers separately identified indicators most important to measure quality of antepartum maternity care: laboratory and diagnostic studies and respectful, interpersonal communication. At the midpoint and the completion of data collection, the CBPR team evaluated the change in quality indicators to assess improvement in care. The pilot study supports the idea that joint engagement of community health workers, health personnel, and academic researchers with data creation and patient monitoring is motivating for all to continue to improve services in the cultural context of the Dominican Republic. © The Author(s) 2014.

Development and pilot testing of a patient-participatory pressure ulcer prevention care bundle.

PubMed

Gillespie, Brigid M; Chaboyer, Wendy; Sykes, Mark; O'Brien, Jennifer; Brandis, Susan

2014-01-01

This study developed and piloted a patient-centered pressure ulcer prevention care bundle for adult hospitalized patients to promote patient participation in prevention. The care bundle had 3 core messages: (1) keep moving, (2) care for your skin, and (3) ensure a good diet. A brief video, combined brochure/checklist, and poster were developed as training resources. Patient evaluation identified benefits of the care bundle; however, the combined checklist/brochure was rarely used.

Models of Pilot Behavior and Their Use to Evaluate the State of Pilot Training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jirgl, Miroslav; Jalovecky, Rudolf; Bradac, Zdenek

2016-07-01

This article discusses the possibilities of obtaining new information related to human behavior, namely the changes or progressive development of pilots' abilities during training. The main assumption is that a pilot's ability can be evaluated based on a corresponding behavioral model whose parameters are estimated using mathematical identification procedures. The mean values of the identified parameters are obtained via statistical methods. These parameters are then monitored and their changes evaluated. In this context, the paper introduces and examines relevant mathematical models of human (pilot) behavior, the pilot-aircraft interaction, and an example of the mathematical analysis.

Greenbelt Homes Pilot Program: Summary of Building Envelope Retrofits, Planned HVAC Equipment Upgrades, and Energy Savings

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

Wiehagen, J.; Del Bianco, M.; Mallay, D.

2015-05-01

In the fall of 2010, a multiyear pilot energy efficiency retrofit project was undertaken by Greenbelt Homes, Inc, (GHI) a 1,566 home cooperative of circa 1930 and 1940 homes in Greenbelt, Maryland. GHI established this pilot project to serve as a basis for decision making for the rollout of a decade-long community-wide upgrade program that will incorporate energy efficiency improvements to the building envelope and mechanical equipment. It presents a unique opportunity to evaluate and prioritize the wide-range of benefits of high-performance retrofits based on member experience with and acceptance of the retrofit measures implemented during the pilot project. Addressingmore » the complex interactions between benefits, trade-offs, construction methods, project management implications, realistic upfront costs, financing, and other considerations, serves as a case study for energy retrofit projects to include high-performance technologies based on the long-term value to the homeowner. The pilot project focused on identifying the added costs and energy savings benefits of improvements.« less

Is laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA) the new kid on the block in systemic sclerosis? A systematic literature review and pilot study to evaluate reliability of LASCA to measure peripheral blood perfusion in scleroderma patients.

PubMed

Cutolo, Maurizio; Vanhaecke, Amber; Ruaro, Barbara; Deschepper, Ellen; Ickinger, Claudia; Melsens, Karin; Piette, Yves; Trombetta, Amelia Chiara; De Keyser, Filip; Smith, Vanessa

2018-06-06

A reliable tool to evaluate flow is paramount in systemic sclerosis (SSc). We describe herein on the one hand a systematic literature review on the reliability of laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA) to measure the peripheral blood perfusion (PBP) in SSc and perform an additional pilot study, investigating the intra- and inter-rater reliability of LASCA. A systematic search was performed in 3 electronic databases, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. In the pilot study, 30 SSc patients and 30 healthy subjects (HS) underwent LASCA assessment. Intra-rater reliability was assessed by having a first anchor rater performing the measurements at 2 time-points and inter-rater reliability by having the anchor rater and a team of second raters performing the measurements in 15 SSc and 30 HS. The measurements were repeated with a second anchor rater in the other 15 SSc patients, as external validation. Only 1 of the 14 records of interest identified through the systematic search was included in the final analysis. In the additional pilot study: intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) for intra-rater reliability of the first anchor rater was 0.95 in SSc and 0.93 in HS, the ICC for inter-rater reliability was 0.97 in SSc and 0.93 in HS. Intra- and inter-rater reliability of the second anchor rater was 0.78 and 0.87. The identified literature regarding the reliability of LASCA measurements reports good to excellent inter-rater agreement. This very pilot study could confirm the reliability of LASCA measurements with good to excellent inter-rater agreement and found additionally good to excellent intra-rater reliability. Furthermore, similar results were found in the external validation. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Active Job Monitoring in Pilots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuehn, Eileen; Fischer, Max; Giffels, Manuel; Jung, Christopher; Petzold, Andreas

2015-12-01

Recent developments in high energy physics (HEP) including multi-core jobs and multi-core pilots require data centres to gain a deep understanding of the system to monitor, design, and upgrade computing clusters. Networking is a critical component. Especially the increased usage of data federations, for example in diskless computing centres or as a fallback solution, relies on WAN connectivity and availability. The specific demands of different experiments and communities, but also the need for identification of misbehaving batch jobs, requires an active monitoring. Existing monitoring tools are not capable of measuring fine-grained information at batch job level. This complicates network-aware scheduling and optimisations. In addition, pilots add another layer of abstraction. They behave like batch systems themselves by managing and executing payloads of jobs internally. The number of real jobs being executed is unknown, as the original batch system has no access to internal information about the scheduling process inside the pilots. Therefore, the comparability of jobs and pilots for predicting run-time behaviour or network performance cannot be ensured. Hence, identifying the actual payload is important. At the GridKa Tier 1 centre a specific tool is in use that allows the monitoring of network traffic information at batch job level. This contribution presents the current monitoring approach and discusses recent efforts and importance to identify pilots and their substructures inside the batch system. It will also show how to determine monitoring data of specific jobs from identified pilots. Finally, the approach is evaluated.

C2-Related Incidents Reported by UAS Pilots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hobbs, Alan; Cardoza, Colleen; Null, Cynthia

2016-01-01

It has been estimated that aviation accidents are typically preceded by numerous minor incidents arising from the same causal factors that ultimately produced the accident. Accident databases provide in-depth information on a relatively small number of occurrences, however incident databases have the potential to provide insights into the human factors of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) operations based on a larger volume of less-detailed reports. Currently, there is a lack of incident data dealing with the human factors of unmanned aircraft systems. An exploratory study is being conducted to examine the feasibility of collecting voluntary critical incident reports from RPAS pilots. Twenty-three experienced RPAS pilots volunteered to participate in focus groups in which they described critical incidents from their own experience. Participants were asked to recall (1) incidents that revealed a system flaw, or (2) highlighted a case where the human operator contributed to system resilience or mission success. Participants were asked to only report incidents that could be included in a public document. During each focus group session, a note taker produced a de-identified written record of the incident narratives. At the end of the session, participants reviewed each written incident report, and made edits and corrections as necessary. The incidents were later analyzed to identify contributing factors, with a focus on design issues that either hindered or assisted the pilot during the events. A total of 90 incidents were reported. This presentation focuses on incidents that involved the management of the command and control (C2) link. The identified issues include loss of link, interference from undesired transmissions, voice latency, accidental control transfer, and the use of the lost link timer, or lost link OK features.

A Pilot Study on the Ability of Young Children and Adults to Identify and Reproduce Novel Speech Sounds.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeni-Komshian, Grace; And Others

This study was designed to compare children and adults on their initial ability to identify and reproduce novel speech sounds and to evaluate their performance after receiving several training sessions in producing these sounds. The novel speech sounds used were two voiceless fricatives which are consonant phonemes in Arabic but which are…

Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program Phase 1, Participant Training and Stakeholder Education Plan– New York City.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-07-22

High level plan that describes the Training and Stakeholder Education plan for the New York City Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment. The purpose of the training and education plan is to identify the roles that participants will take during the pilot ...

Flight Simulator and Training Human Factors Validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaser, Scott T.; Leland, Richard

2009-01-01

Loss of control has been identified as the leading cause of aircraft accidents in recent years. Efforts have been made to better equip pilots to deal with these types of events, commonly referred to as upsets. A major challenge in these endeavors has been recreating the motion environments found in flight as the majority of upsets take place well beyond the normal operating envelope of large aircraft. The Environmental Tectonics Corporation has developed a simulator motion base, called GYROLAB, that is capable of recreating the sustained accelerations, or G-forces, and motions of flight. A two part research study was accomplished that coupled NASA's Generic Transport Model with a GYROLAB device. The goal of the study was to characterize physiological effects of the upset environment and to demonstrate that a sustained motion based simulator can be an effective means for upset recovery training. Two groups of 25 Air Transport Pilots participated in the study. The results showed reliable signs of pilot arousal at specific stages of similar upsets. Further validation also demonstrated that sustained motion technology was successful in improving pilot performance during recovery following an extensive training program using GYROLAB technology.

Development of a bespoke human factors taxonomy for gliding accident analysis and its revelations about highly inexperienced UK glider pilots.

PubMed

Jarvis, Steve; Harris, Don

2010-02-01

Low-hours solo glider pilots have a high risk of accidents compared to more experienced pilots. Numerous taxonomies for causal accident analysis have been produced for powered aviation but none of these is suitable for gliding, so a new taxonomy was required. A human factors taxonomy specifically for glider operations was developed and used to analyse all UK gliding accidents from 2002 to 2006 for their overall causes as well as factors specific to low hours pilots. Fifty-nine categories of pilot-related accident causation emerged, which were formed into progressively larger categories until four overall human factors groups were arrived at: 'judgement'; 'handling'; 'strategy'; 'attention'. 'Handling' accounted for a significantly higher proportion of injuries than other categories. Inexperienced pilots had considerably more accidents in all categories except 'strategy'. Approach control (path judgement, airbrake and speed handling) as well as landing flare misjudgement were chiefly responsible for the high accident rate in early solo glider pilots. Statement of Relevance: This paper uses extant accident data to produce a taxonomy of underlying human factors causes to analyse gliding accidents and identify the specific causes associated with low hours pilots. From this specific, well-targeted remedial measures can be identified.

Telehealth Utilization for Chronic Illness and Depression Among Home Health Agencies: A Pilot Survey.

PubMed

Kim, Eunhae; Gellis, Zvi D; Hoak, Vicki

2015-01-01

This pilot survey study explores current telehealth use among home health care agencies for chronic illness and depression care, and identifies factors associated with agencies' perception and intention to use telehealth. Between June and August 2014, 73 directors and 13 staff nurses (N = 86) from the Pennsylvania Homecare Association member agencies participated in an online survey. Eighty-five percent of telehealth provider agencies reported utilizing telehealth for monitoring health status while only 7.7% reported use for depression care. Telehealth technology was more positively perceived for chronic illness care (90.7%) than for depression care (53%) services. Factors associated with positive perceptions of telehealth were identified, including: (a) intention to use or continuing to use telehealth, (b) the size of the agency, (c) the participant's agency role, and (d) existence of depression services. These pilot findings have been used to inform the theoretical framework and the survey instrument for our U.S. national survey.

Prospective Assessment of Cannabis Withdrawal in Adolescents with Cannabis Dependence: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milin, Robert; Manion, Ian; Dare, Glenda; Walker, Selena

2008-01-01

A study to identify and assess the withdrawal symptoms in adolescents afflicted with cannabis dependence is conducted. Results conclude that withdrawal symptoms of cannabis were present in adolescents seeking treatment for this substance abuse.

Use of 99mTc-Tilmanocept as a Single Agent for Sentinel Lymph Node Identification in Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Pilot Study.

PubMed

Unkart, Jonathan T; Wallace, Anne M

2017-09-01

99m Tc-tilmanocept received recent Food and Drug Administration approval for lymphatic mapping in 2013. However, to our knowledge, no prior studies have evaluated the use of 99m Tc-tilmanocept as a single agent in sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in breast cancer. Methods: We executed this retrospective pilot study to assess the ability of 99m Tc-tilmanocept to identify sentinel nodes as a single agent in clinically node-negative breast cancer patients. Patients received a single intradermal injection overlying the tumor of either 18.5 MBq (0.5 mCi) of 99m Tc-tilmanocept on the day of surgery or 74.0 MBq (2.0 mCi) on the day before surgery by a radiologist. Immediate 3-view lymphoscintigraphy was performed. Intraoperatively, SLNs were identified with a portable γ-probe. A node was classified as hot if the count (per second) of the node was more than 3 times the background count. Descriptive statistics are reported. Results: Nineteen patients underwent SLN biopsy with single-agent 99m Tc-tilmanocept. Immediate lymphoscintigraphy identified at least 1 sentinel node in 13 of 17 patients (76.5%). Intraoperatively, at least 1 (mean, 1.7 ± 0.8; range, 1-3) hot node was identified in all patients. Three patients (15.8%) had 1 disease-positive SLN. Conclusion: In this small, retrospective pilot study, 99m Tc-tilmanocept performed well as a single agent for intraoperative sentinel node identification in breast cancer. A larger, randomized clinical trial is warranted to compare 99m Tc-tilmanocept as a single agent with other radiopharmaceuticals for sentinel node identification in breast cancer. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Quality Management Framework for Total Diet Study centres in Europe.

PubMed

Pité, Marina; Pinchen, Hannah; Castanheira, Isabel; Oliveira, Luisa; Roe, Mark; Ruprich, Jiri; Rehurkova, Irena; Sirot, Veronique; Papadopoulos, Alexandra; Gunnlaugsdóttir, Helga; Reykdal, Ólafur; Lindtner, Oliver; Ritvanen, Tiina; Finglas, Paul

2018-02-01

A Quality Management Framework to improve quality and harmonization of Total Diet Study practices in Europe was developed within the TDS-Exposure Project. Seventeen processes were identified and hazards, Critical Control Points and associated preventive and corrective measures described. The Total Diet Study process was summarized in a flowchart divided into planning and practical (sample collection, preparation and analysis; risk assessment analysis and publication) phases. Standard Operating Procedures were developed and implemented in pilot studies in five organizations. The flowchart was used to develop a quality framework for Total Diet Studies that could be included in formal quality management systems. Pilot studies operated by four project partners were visited by project assessors who reviewed implementation of the proposed framework and identified areas that could be improved. The quality framework developed can be the starting point for any Total Diet Study centre and can be used within existing formal quality management approaches. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Beyond 'Inop': Logbook Communication Between Airline Mechanics and Pilots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Munro, Pamela A.; Kanki, Barbara G.; Jordan, Kevin

2008-01-01

When mechanical discrepancies occur on aircraft, effective communication between pilots and mechanics can facilitate identification of the problem. A survey of pilots and mechanics was conducted to determine how often they were able to discuss discrepancies directly and to identify factors that influenced the detail they provided about discrepancies in the aircraft logbook. Logistical factors such as short turn times between flights and crew schedules appeared to present barriers to face-to-face meetings between pilots and mechanics. Guidelines for pilot logbook entries. Pilots reported receiving significantly less training on writing logbook entries and spent significantly less time making individual entries than mechanics. Mechanics indicated greater concern about the Federal Aviation Administration reading their entries than pilots. Mechanics indicated they had little opportunity to follow up with pilots to clarify a logbook entry once pilots departed the aircraft.

Type 2 diabetes risk screening in dental practice settings: a pilot study.

PubMed

Wright, D; Muirhead, V; Weston-Price, S; Fortune, F

2014-04-01

Dental surgeries are highlighted in the 2012 NICE guidance Preventing type 2 diabetes: risk identification and interventions for individuals at high risk as a suitable setting in which to encourage people to have a type 2 diabetes risk assessment. To assess the feasibility of implementing a type 2 diabetes risk screening pathway in dental settings using the NICE guidance tool. The study was carried out over two weeks in June 2013. The validated tool in the NICE guidance was used to determine risk. This included a questionnaire and BMI measurement used to determine a risk score. Patients were rated low, increased, moderate or high risk. All patients were given written advice on healthy lifestyle. Patients who were moderate or high risk were referred to their general medical practitioners for further investigation. Participating dental teams were asked to nominate a member who would be responsible for overseeing the screening and training the other team members. A total of 166 patients took part in the pilot (58% male, 75% aged 49 years or younger and 77% were from BME groups). Twenty-six low risk patients (15.7%), 61 increased risk patients (36.7%), 49 moderate-risk patients (29.5%) and 30 high-risk patients (18.1%) were identified during the pilot. Fifteen of the 49 patients (30.6%) identified as moderate-risk and 6 of the 30 high-risk patients (20%) had visited their GP to discuss their type 2 diabetes risk in response to the screening. The pilot suggests that people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes could be identified in primary, community and secondary dental care settings. The main challenges facing dental staff were time constraints, limited manpower and the low number of patients who visited their GP for further advice.

Connected Vehicle Infrastructure : Deployment and Funding Overview

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-01-01

This report reviews existing and proposed legislation relevant to connected vehicle infrastructure (CVI) implementation, identifies existing funding mechanisms for CVI implementation, reviews CVI pilot programs and case studies, and provides an overv...

Lessons learned: a pilot study on occupational therapy effectiveness for children with sensory modulation disorder.

PubMed

Miller, Lucy Jane; Schoen, Sarah A; James, Katherine; Schaaf, Roseann C

2007-01-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to prepare for a randomized controlled study of the effectiveness of occupational therapy using a sensory integration approach (OT-SI) with children who have sensory processing disorders (SPD). A one-group pretest, posttest design with 30 children was completed with a subset of children with SPD, those with sensory modulation disorder. Lessons learned relate to (a) identifying a homogeneous sample with quantifiable inclusion criteria, (b) developing an intervention manual for study replication and a fidelity to treatment measure, (c) determining which outcomes are sensitive to change and relate to parents' priorities, and (d) clarifying rigorous methodologies (e.g., blinded examiners, randomization, power). A comprehensive program of research is needed, including multiple pilot studies to develop enough knowledge that high-quality effectiveness research in occupational therapy can be completed. Previous effectiveness studies in OT-SI have been single projects not based on a unified long-term program of research.

Operator selection for unmanned aerial systems: comparing video game players and pilots.

PubMed

McKinley, R Andy; McIntire, Lindsey K; Funke, Margaret A

2011-06-01

Popular unmanned aerial system (UAS) platforms such as the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper have experienced accelerated operations tempos that have outpaced current operator training regimens, leading to a shortage of qualified UAS operators. To find a surrogate to replace pilots of manned aircraft as UAS operators, this study evaluated video game players (VGPs), pilots, and a control group on a set of UAS operation relevant cognitive tasks. There were 30 participants who volunteered for this study and were divided into 3 groups: experienced pilots (P), experienced VGPs, and a control group (C). Each was trained on eight cognitive performance tasks relevant to unmanned flight tasks. The results indicated that pilots significantly outperform the VGP and control groups on multi-attribute cognitive tasks (Tank mean: VGP = 465 +/- 1.046 vs. P = 203 +/- 0.237 vs. C = 351 +/- 0.601). However, the VGPs outperformed pilots on cognitive tests related to visually acquiring, identifying, and tracking targets (final score: VGP = 594.28 +/- 8.708 vs. P = 563.33 +/- 8.787 vs. C = 568.21 +/- 8.224). Likewise, both VGPs and pilots performed similarly on the UAS landing task, but outperformed the control group (glide slope: VGP = 40.982 +/- 3.244 vs. P = 30.461 +/- 2.251 vs. C = 57.060 +/- 4.407). Cognitive skills learned in video game play may transfer to novel environments and improve performance in UAS tasks over individuals with no video game experience.

Physicians' accounts of frontline tensions when implementing pilot projects to improve primary care.

PubMed

Mansfield, Elizabeth; Bhattacharyya, Onil; Christian, Jennifer; Naglie, Gary; Steriopoulos, Vicky; Webster, Fiona

2018-03-19

Purpose Canada's primary care system has been described as "a culture of pilot projects" with little evidence of converting successful initiatives into funded, permanent programs or sharing project outcomes and insights across jurisdictions. Health services pilot projects are advocated as an effective strategy for identifying promising models of care and building integrated care partnerships in local settings. In the qualitative study reported here, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the strengths and challenges of this approach. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 primary care physicians who discussed their experiences as pilot project leads. Following thematic analysis methods, broad system issues were captured as well as individual project information. Findings While participants often portrayed themselves as advocates for vulnerable patients, mobilizing healthcare organizations and providers to support new models of care was discussed as challenging. Competition between local healthcare providers and initiatives could impact pilot project success. Participants also reported tensions between their clinical, project management and research roles with additional time demands and skill requirements interfering with the work of implementing and evaluating service innovations. Originality/value Study findings highlight the complexity of pilot project implementation, which encompasses physician commitment to addressing care for vulnerable populations through to the need for additional skill set requirements and the impact of local project environments. The current pilot project approach could be strengthened by including more multidisciplinary collaboration and providing infrastructure supports to enhance the design, implementation and evaluation of health services improvement initiatives.

The incidence of urolithiasis among commercial aviation pilots.

PubMed

Hyams, Elias S; Nelms, David; Silberman, Warren S; Feng, Zhaoyong; Matlaga, Brian R

2011-09-01

A kidney stone event in a commercial aviation pilot has significant vocational implications since the Federal Aviation Administration specifically prohibits medical certification in the setting of recent or recurrent stone disease. Given these serious concerns, an understanding of the burden of stone disease on the commercial aviation community is important. Thus, we performed a study in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration to better characterize the epidemiology of this condition. We reviewed the Federal Aviation Administration Aerospace Medical Certification database for 2000 through 2007. Pilots with a class I certificate (scheduled commercial aviation) were selected for further review. All medical certificates submitted with a pathology code of 573 (urolithiasis) were identified for analysis. From 2000 through 2007 between 3.7% and 4.6% of scheduled commercial aviation pilots were diagnosed with urolithiasis. However, during the study period there was a significant decrease in the proportion of pilots diagnosed with urolithiasis. A meaningful number of commercial aviation pilots are affected by urolithiasis each year. Our analysis detected a significant decrease in the proportion of affected pilots, although the reason for this trend is not well understood. It may be that changes in the occupational environment that could affect risk factors for stone formation are responsible. Further efforts to characterize stone risk in this unique population are welcome, given the larger vocational and societal consequences of a stone event in the setting of airline transport. Copyright © 2011 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analyzing AQP Data to Improve Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) Operations and Training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seamster, Thomas L.; Kanki, Barbara

2010-01-01

Key points include: Initiate data collection and analysis early in the implementation process. Use data to identify procedural and training refinements. Use a de-identified system to analyze longitudinal data. Use longitudinal I/E data to improve their standardization. Identify above average pilots and crews and use their performance to specify best practices. Analyze below average crew performance data to isolate problems with the training, evaluator standardization and pilot proficiency.

Cognitive representations of flight-deck information attributes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ricks, Wendell R.; Jonsson, Jon E.; Rogers, William H.

1993-01-01

The experiment described in this paper had two ojectives. The first objective was to empirically identify how pilots organize flight-deck information attributes. Such an organization should provide a useful nomenclature for classifying Information Management (IM) issues and problems. The second objective of this study was to empirically assess pilots' estimate of the relative importance of each attribute on managing information. Results from addressing this latter objective were intended to suggest areas on which flight-deck researchers and designers will want to focus their attention.

Recommendations and Privacy Requirements for a Bring-Your-Own-Device User Policy and Agreement

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

manipulate data from non-traditional workplaces to support mission requirements. The United States Marine Corps (USMC) has started a pilot BYOD program, but...contrasted to obtain a starting point to develop a user agreement for the USMC. The security controls identified within these case studies were also...participating in a BYOD program. A. MARINE CORPS PILOT PROGRAM Starting in January 2015 and at the behest of the USMC, the Marine Corps Network Operations and

Characteristics of difficult-to-place youth in state custody: a profile of the Exceptional Care Pilot Project population.

PubMed

Armour, Marilyn P; Schwab, James

2007-01-01

This study examines the characteristics of Texas youth designated as 'most difficult to place' recipients of service under the "Exceptional Care Pilot Project" (N = 46). Findings include, among others, high levels of comorbid psychiatric disturbance (> 3 diagnostic groupings), physical (78.3%) and sexual (88%) maltreatment, and placement breakdowns (m = 4.8 therapeutic placements). This initial profile of the population provides a base for helping other states identify and plan for the needs of their most troubled youth.

Control/display trade-off study for single-pilot instrument flight rule operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoh, R.

1983-01-01

The objectives were to determine minimum autopilot functions and displays required to keep pilot workload at an acceptable level; to determine what constitutes an acceptable level of workload; to identify critical tasks; and to suggest specific experiments required to refine conclusions. It was determined that workload relief is derived from basic stability augmentation; that complex autopilots can lead to serious blunders; and that displays need to enhance positional awareness and minimize the likelihood of false hypothesis.

School Asthma Screening and Case Management: Attendance and Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moricca, Michelle L.; Grasska, Merry A.; BMarthaler, Marcia; Morphew, Tricia; Weismuller, Penny C.; Galant, Stanley P.

2013-01-01

Asthma is related to school absenteeism and underperformance in elementary students. This pilot study assessed whether school nurse case management (CM) in children identified with asthma impacts academic performance and school absenteeism in one school. A validated questionnaire was used to identify children at risk for asthma and CM was provided…

Petri net-based modelling of human-automation conflicts in aviation.

PubMed

Pizziol, Sergio; Tessier, Catherine; Dehais, Frédéric

2014-01-01

Analyses of aviation safety reports reveal that human-machine conflicts induced by poor automation design are remarkable precursors of accidents. A review of different crew-automation conflicting scenarios shows that they have a common denominator: the autopilot behaviour interferes with the pilot's goal regarding the flight guidance via 'hidden' mode transitions. Considering both the human operator and the machine (i.e. the autopilot or the decision functions) as agents, we propose a Petri net model of those conflicting interactions, which allows them to be detected as deadlocks in the Petri net. In order to test our Petri net model, we designed an autoflight system that was formally analysed to detect conflicting situations. We identified three conflicting situations that were integrated in an experimental scenario in a flight simulator with 10 general aviation pilots. The results showed that the conflicts that we had a-priori identified as critical had impacted the pilots' performance. Indeed, the first conflict remained unnoticed by eight participants and led to a potential collision with another aircraft. The second conflict was detected by all the participants but three of them did not manage the situation correctly. The last conflict was also detected by all the participants but provoked typical automation surprise situation as only one declared that he had understood the autopilot behaviour. These behavioural results are discussed in terms of workload and number of fired 'hidden' transitions. Eventually, this study reveals that both formal and experimental approaches are complementary to identify and assess the criticality of human-automation conflicts. Practitioner Summary: We propose a Petri net model of human-automation conflicts. An experiment was conducted with general aviation pilots performing a scenario involving three conflicting situations to test the soundness of our formal approach. This study reveals that both formal and experimental approaches are complementary to identify and assess the criticality conflicts.

Mining Clinicians' Electronic Documentation to Identify Heart Failure Patients with Ineffective Self-Management: A Pilot Text-Mining Study.

PubMed

Topaz, Maxim; Radhakrishnan, Kavita; Lei, Victor; Zhou, Li

2016-01-01

Effective self-management can decrease up to 50% of heart failure hospitalizations. Unfortunately, self-management by patients with heart failure remains poor. This pilot study aimed to explore the use of text-mining to identify heart failure patients with ineffective self-management. We first built a comprehensive self-management vocabulary based on the literature and clinical notes review. We then randomly selected 545 heart failure patients treated within Partners Healthcare hospitals (Boston, MA, USA) and conducted a regular expression search with the compiled vocabulary within 43,107 interdisciplinary clinical notes of these patients. We found that 38.2% (n = 208) patients had documentation of ineffective heart failure self-management in the domains of poor diet adherence (28.4%), missed medical encounters (26.4%) poor medication adherence (20.2%) and non-specified self-management issues (e.g., "compliance issues", 34.6%). We showed the feasibility of using text-mining to identify patients with ineffective self-management. More natural language processing algorithms are needed to help busy clinicians identify these patients.

77 FR 37055 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-20

... Request; Secure Supply Chain Pilot Program AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice... identified with the title Secure Supply Chain Pilot Program. Also include the FDA docket number found in... following proposed collection of information to OMB for review and clearance: ``Secure Supply Chain Pilot...

Motion cue effects on human pilot dynamics in manual control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Washizu, K.; Tanaka, K.; Endo, S.; Itoko, T.

1977-01-01

Two experiments were conducted to study the motion cue effects on human pilots during tracking tasks. The moving-base simulator of National Aerospace Laboratory was employed as the motion cue device, and the attitude director indicator or the projected visual field was employed as the visual cue device. The chosen controlled elements were second-order unstable systems. It was confirmed that with the aid of motion cues the pilot workload was lessened and consequently the human controllability limits were enlarged. In order to clarify the mechanism of these effects, the describing functions of the human pilots were identified by making use of the spectral and the time domain analyses. The results of these analyses suggest that the sensory system of the motion cues can yield the differential informations of the signal effectively, which coincides with the existing knowledges in the physiological area.

Mortality from circulatory diseases, especially ischaemic heart disease in sea pilots and boatmen in Sweden 1951-84: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed Central

Nyström, L; Kolmodin-Hedman, B; Jönsson, E; Thomasson, L

1990-01-01

A cohort of 1455 sea pilots and boatmen employed after 1921 was established. Those identified and alive in 1951 (n = 1323) were linked to the Swedish cause of death register 1951-84. In 21 352 person-years 383 deaths were observed among sea pilots compared with 379.3 expected (SMR = 101;95% CI between 99 and 112) and in 12,127 person-years the observed number of deaths among boatmen was 136, expected 135.9 (SMR = 100) when Swedish men were used as a reference population. For ischaemic heart disease (IHD) (ICD-8: 410-414) the SMR was equal to 96 (obs = 131, exp = 137.2) for sea pilots and 91 (obs = 44, exp = 48.4) for boatmen. No trend over time or geographical differences could be observed. A healthy worker effect could not explain why there was no excess mortality from IHD. PMID:2310716

Working hours associated with unintentional sleep at work among airline pilots

PubMed Central

Marqueze, Elaine Cristina; Nicola, Ana Carolina B; Diniz, Dag Hammarskjoeld M D; Fischer, Frida Marina

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Tto identify factors associated with unintentional sleep at work of airline pilots. METHODS This is a cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted with 1,235 Brazilian airline pilots, who work national or international flights. Data collection has been performed online. We carried out a bivariate and multiple logistic regression analysis, having as dependent variable unintentional sleep at work. The independent variables were related to biodemographic data, characteristics of the work, lifestyle, and aspects of sleep. RESULTS The prevalence of unintentional sleep while flying the airplane was 57.8%. The factors associated with unintentional sleep at work were: flying for more than 65 hours a month, frequent technical delays, greater need for recovery after work, work ability below optimal, insufficient sleep, and excessive sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS The occurrence of unintentional sleep at work of airline pilots is associated with factors related to the organization of the work and health. PMID:28678902

Piloting a Deceased Subject Integrated Data Repository and Protecting Privacy of Relatives

PubMed Central

Huser, Vojtech; Kayaalp, Mehmet; Dodd, Zeyno A.; Cimino, James J.

2014-01-01

Use of deceased subject Electronic Health Records can be an important piloting platform for informatics or biomedical research. Existing legal framework allows such research under less strict de-identification criteria; however, privacy of non-decedent must be protected. We report on creation of the decease subject Integrated Data Repository (dsIDR) at National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center and a pilot methodology to remove secondary protected health information or identifiable information (secondary PxI; information about persons other than the primary patient). We characterize available structured coded data in dsIDR and report the estimated frequencies of secondary PxI, ranging from 12.9% (sensitive token presence) to 1.1% (using stricter criteria). Federating decedent EHR data from multiple institutions can address sample size limitations and our pilot study provides lessons learned and methodology that can be adopted by other institutions. PMID:25954378

Piloting a deceased subject integrated data repository and protecting privacy of relatives.

PubMed

Huser, Vojtech; Kayaalp, Mehmet; Dodd, Zeyno A; Cimino, James J

2014-01-01

Use of deceased subject Electronic Health Records can be an important piloting platform for informatics or biomedical research. Existing legal framework allows such research under less strict de-identification criteria; however, privacy of non-decedent must be protected. We report on creation of the decease subject Integrated Data Repository (dsIDR) at National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center and a pilot methodology to remove secondary protected health information or identifiable information (secondary PxI; information about persons other than the primary patient). We characterize available structured coded data in dsIDR and report the estimated frequencies of secondary PxI, ranging from 12.9% (sensitive token presence) to 1.1% (using stricter criteria). Federating decedent EHR data from multiple institutions can address sample size limitations and our pilot study provides lessons learned and methodology that can be adopted by other institutions.

Real-Time Onboard Global Nonlinear Aerodynamic Modeling from Flight Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandon, Jay M.; Morelli, Eugene A.

2014-01-01

Flight test and modeling techniques were developed to accurately identify global nonlinear aerodynamic models onboard an aircraft. The techniques were developed and demonstrated during piloted flight testing of an Aermacchi MB-326M Impala jet aircraft. Advanced piloting techniques and nonlinear modeling techniques based on fuzzy logic and multivariate orthogonal function methods were implemented with efficient onboard calculations and flight operations to achieve real-time maneuver monitoring and analysis, and near-real-time global nonlinear aerodynamic modeling and prediction validation testing in flight. Results demonstrated that global nonlinear aerodynamic models for a large portion of the flight envelope were identified rapidly and accurately using piloted flight test maneuvers during a single flight, with the final identified and validated models available before the aircraft landed.

Analysis of routine communication in the air traffic control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, Herbert H.; Morrow, Daniel; Rodvoid, Michelle

1990-01-01

The present project has three related goals. The first is to describe the organization of routine controller-pilot communication. This includes identifying the basic units of communication and how they are organized into discourse, how controllers and pilots use language to achieve their goals, and what topics they discuss. The second goal is to identify the type and frequency of problems that interrupt routine information transfer and prompt pilots and controllers to focus on the communication itself. The authors analyze the costs of these problems in terms of communication efficiency, and the techniques used to resolve these problems. Third, the authors hope to identify factors associated with communication problems, such as deviations from conventional air traffic control procedures.

Assessing the Balance Capabilities of People with Profound Intellectual Disabilities Who Have Experienced a Fall

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hale, L.; Bray, A.; Littmann, A.

2007-01-01

Background: Although it is common for people with intellectual disability (ID) to fall, the reasons for this have not yet been identified. This pilot study aimed to explore the balance capabilities of a sample of adults with profound ID who had experienced a fall, in order to identify possible reasons for falling and to identify potential tests…

Cognitive load, emotion, and performance in high-fidelity simulation among beginning nursing students: a pilot study.

PubMed

Schlairet, Maura C; Schlairet, Timothy James; Sauls, Denise H; Bellflowers, Lois

2015-03-01

Establishing the impact of the high-fidelity simulation environment on student performance, as well as identifying factors that could predict learning, would refine simulation outcome expectations among educators. The purpose of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to explore the impact of simulation on emotion and cognitive load among beginning nursing students. Forty baccalaureate nursing students participated in teaching simulations, rated their emotional state and cognitive load, and completed evaluation simulations. Two principal components of emotion were identified representing the pleasant activation and pleasant deactivation components of affect. Mean rating of cognitive load following simulation was high. Linear regression identiffed slight but statistically nonsignificant positive associations between principal components of emotion and cognitive load. Logistic regression identified a negative but statistically nonsignificant effect of cognitive load on assessment performance. Among lower ability students, a more pronounced effect of cognitive load on assessment performance was observed; this also was statistically non-significant. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

RADIOLOGY EDUCATION: A PILOT STUDY TO ASSESS KNOWLEDGE OF MEDICAL STUDENTS REGARDING IMAGING IN TRAUMA.

PubMed

Siddiqui, Saad; Saeed, Muhammad Anwar; Shah, Noreen; Nadeem, Naila

2015-01-01

Trauma remains one of the most frequent presentations in emergency departments. Imaging has established role in setting of acute trauma with ability to identify potentially fatal conditions. Adequate knowledge of health professionals regarding trauma imaging is vital for improved healthcare. In this work we try to assess knowledge of medical students regarding imaging in trauma as well as identify most effective way of imparting radiology education. This cross-sectional pilot study was conducted at Aga Khan University Medical College & Khyber Girls Medical College, to assess knowledge of medical students regarding imaging protocols practiced in initial management of trauma patients. Only 40 & 20% respectively were able to identify radiographs included in trauma series. Very few had knowledge of correct indication for Focused abdominal sonography in trauma. Clinical radiology rotation was reported as best way of learning radiology. Change in curricula & restructuring of clinical radiology rotation structure is needed to improve knowledge regarding Trauma imaging.

Report: Science to Support Rulemaking

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #2003-P-00003, November 15, 2002. The rules included in the pilot study were not a representative statistical sample of EPA rules, and we did not identify all ofthe critical science inputs for every rule.

Use of a Teacher Nomination Strategy to Screen for Autism Spectrum Disorders in General Education Classrooms: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Hepburn, Susan L.; DiGuiseppi, Carolyn; Rosenberg, Steven; Kaparich, Kristina; Robinson, Cordelia; Miller, Lisa

2015-01-01

Given a rising prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), this project aimed to develop and pilot test various teacher nomination strategies to identify children at risk for ASD in a timely, reliable, cost-effective manner. Sixty participating elementary school teachers evaluated 1323 children in total. Each teacher nominated students who most fit a description of ASD-associated characteristics, and completed the Autism Syndrome Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) on every child in the classroom. The proportion of overall agreement between teacher nomination and ASSQ was 93–95%, depending upon the nomination parameters. Nomination required 15 min per class versus 3.5–5.5 h per class for the ASSQ. These results support the need for further study of teacher nomination strategies to identify children at risk for ASD. PMID:17661165

Pilot study for ambient toxicity testing in Chesapeake bay. Year two report

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

Hall, L.W.; Ziegenfuss, M.C.; Fischer, S.A.

1992-11-01

The primary goal of the ambient toxicity testing pilot study was to identify toxic areas in living resource habitats of the Chesapeake Bay watershed by using a battery of standardized, directly modified or recently developed water column, sediment and suborganismal toxicity tests. Tests were conducted twice at the following stations: Potomac River-Morgantown, Potomac River-Dahlgren, Patapsco River and Wye River. A suite of inorganic and organic contaminants was evaluated in the water column and sediment during these tests. Standard water quality conditions were also evaluated in water and sediment from all stations.

TRAINING - GEMINI-TITAN (GT)-5 - TX

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-06-18

S65-35563 (18 June 1965) --- Astronauts L. Gordon Cooper Jr. (left), command pilot; and Charles Conrad Jr., pilot, the prime crew of the Gemini-5 spaceflight, prepare their cameras while aboard a C-130 aircraft flying near Laredo, Texas. The two astronauts are taking part in a series of visual acuity experiments to aid them in learning to identify known terrestrial features under controlled conditions. Knowledge gained from these experiments will have later application for space pilots identifying terrestrial features from space. Dr. John Billingham, chief, Environmental Physiology Branch, Crew Systems Division, is in charge of the Visual Acuity Experiments.

Recall of Fertility Discussion by Adolescent Female Cancer Patients: A Survey-Based Pilot Study.

PubMed

Zarnegar, Sara; Gosiengfiao, Yasmin; Rademaker, Alfred; Casey, Robert; Albritton, Karen H

2018-04-01

Many adolescent female cancer patients will survive into their reproductive years. Pediatric oncologists are advised to discuss oncofertility during treatment planning. In this pilot study, 19 adolescent females completed a retrospective survey assessing recall of a fertility discussion, satisfaction with fertility knowledge, and multiple factors that may influence recall, including parental involvement in decision-making. Eleven respondents (58%) remembered a discussion about infertility risk and 9 (47%) about fertility preservation. Most who recalled a discussion were satisfied with their fertility knowledge (10/11, 90.9%). In this study, we validated the feasibility of survey administration and identified trends in oncofertility counseling at our center.

Early language screening in city and Hackney: the concurrent validity of a measure designed for use with 2 1/2-year-olds.

PubMed

Law, J

1994-01-01

This paper reports data relating to the development of a screening test for language impairment in 2 1/2-year-old children. The screening test itself has previously been described. The results of a pilot study and a larger community study are reported. In all, 34 children were included in the pilot study and 1015 in the community study. The reference test selected was the Reynell Developmental Language Scales and the cut-off adopted 1.5 standard deviations below the mean for either the expressive or the receptive scale of the test concerned. The pass mark on the screening test was ascertained using receiver operating characteristics (ROC). The validity is reported given the cut-off identified. The specificity, sensitivity and both positive and negative predictive abilities are reported for both the pilot and the subsequent study. The application of the test is discussed in the context of the current debate about early identification.

Pilot study on the use of data mining to identify cochlear implant candidates.

PubMed

Grisel, Jedidiah J; Schafer, Erin; Lam, Anne; Griffin, Terry

2018-05-01

The goal of this pilot study was to determine the clinical utility of data-mining software that screens for cochlear implant (CI) candidacy. The Auditory Implant Initiative developed a software module that screens for CI candidates via integration with a software system (Noah 4) that serves as a depository for hearing test data. To identify candidates, patient audiograms from one practice were exported into the screening module. Candidates were tracked to determine if any eventually underwent implantation. After loading 4836 audiograms from the Noah 4 system, the screening module identified 558 potential CI candidates. After reviewing the data for the potential candidates, 117 were targeted and invited to an educational event. Following the event, a total of six candidates were evaluated, and two were implanted. This objective approach to identifying candidates has the potential to address the gross underutilization of CIs by removing any bias or lack of knowledge regarding the management of severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss with CIs. The screening module was an effective tool for identifying potential CI candidates at one ENT practice. On a larger scale, the screening module has the potential to impact thousands of CI candidates worldwide.

The UAE healthy future study: a pilot for a prospective cohort study of 20,000 United Arab Emirates nationals.

PubMed

Abdulle, Abdishakur; Alnaeemi, Abdullah; Aljunaibi, Abdullah; Al Ali, Abdulrahman; Al Saedi, Khaled; Al Zaabi, Eiman; Oumeziane, Naima; Al Bastaki, Marina; Al-Houqani, Mohammed; Al Maskari, Fatma; Al Dhaheri, Ayesha; Shah, Syed M; Loney, Tom; El-Sadig, Mohamed; Oulhaj, Abderrahim; Wareth, Leila Abdel; Al Mahmeed, Wael; Alsafar, Habiba; Hirsch, Benjamin; Al Anouti, Fatme; Yaaqoub, Jamila; Inman, Claire K; Al Hamiz, Aisha; Al Hosani, Ayesha; Haji, Muna; Alsharid, Teeb; Al Zaabi, Thekra; Al Maisary, Fatima; Galani, Divya; Sprosen, Tim; El Shahawy, Omar; Ahn, Jiyoung; Kirchhoff, Tomas; Ramasamy, Ravichandran; Schmidt, Ann Marie; Hayes, Richard; Sherman, Scott; Ali, Raghib

2018-01-05

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is faced with a rapidly increasing burden of non-communicable diseases including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The UAE Healthy Future study is a prospective cohort designed to identify associations between risk factors and these diseases amongst Emiratis. The study will enroll 20,000 UAE nationals aged ≥18 years. Environmental and genetic risk factors will be characterized and participants will be followed for future disease events. As this was the first time a prospective cohort study was being planned in the UAE, a pilot study was conducted in 2015 with the primary aim of establishing the feasibility of conducting the study. Other objectives were to evaluate the implementation of the main study protocols, and to build adequate capacity to conduct advanced clinical laboratory analyses. Seven hundred sixty nine UAE nationals aged ≥18 years were invited to participate voluntarily in the pilot study. Participants signed an informed consent, completed a detailed questionnaire, provided random blood, urine, and mouthwash samples and were assessed for a series of clinical measures. All specimens were transported to the New York University Abu Dhabi laboratories where samples were processed and analyzed for routine chemistry and hematology. Plasma, serum, and a small whole blood sample for DNA extraction were aliquoted and stored at -80 °C for future analyses. Overall, 517 Emirati men and women agreed to participate (68% response rate). Of the total participants, 495 (95.0%), 430 (82.2%), and 492 (94.4%), completed the questionnaire, physical measurements, and provided biological samples, respectively. The pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of recruitment and completion of the study protocols for the first large-scale cohort study designed to identify emerging risk factors for the major non-communicable diseases in the region.

Correlates of pilot fatality in general aviation crashes.

PubMed

Li, G; Baker, S P

1999-04-01

General aviation accounts for the majority of aviation crashes and casualties in the United States, and general aviation safety has not improved in the past decade. This study identifies factors associated with pilot fatality in general aviation crashes. We analyzed the National Transportation Safety Board's Factual Reports for all airplane and helicopter crashes of general aviation flights that occurred in North Carolina and Maryland during 1985 through 1994. Surviving pilots were compared with fatally injured pilots in relation to crash circumstances, and pilot and aircraft characteristics, at bivariate level and multivariate level. A total of 667 crashes resulted in 276 deaths and 368 injuries during the 10-yr period in the two states. Of the pilots-in-command involved in these crashes, 146 (22%) died. The case fatality rate for pilots was significantly higher in crashes that occurred between 6 p.m. and 5 a.m. (34%), away from airports (36%), with aircraft fire (69%), or in instrument meteorological weather conditions (IMC) (71%). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that the significant correlates of pilot fatality were aircraft fire [odds ratio (OR) 13.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 6.9-27.2], off-airport location (OR 9.9, 95% CI 5.0-19.6), IMC (OR 9.1, 95% CI 4.3-19.6), nighttime (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.3-3.7), and pilot age > or = 50 yr (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.0-3.0). Pilot gender, flight experience, principal profession, and type of aircraft (airplane vs. helicopter) were not significantly associated with the likelihood of survival. The most important correlates of pilot fatality are variables likely related to increased impact forces. Better occupant protection equipment, such as air bag and crashworthy fuel system, are needed for general aviation aircraft.

Development of a subjective cognitive decline questionnaire using item response theory: a pilot study.

PubMed

Gifford, Katherine A; Liu, Dandan; Romano, Raymond; Jones, Richard N; Jefferson, Angela L

2015-12-01

Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) may indicate unhealthy cognitive changes, but no standardized SCD measurement exists. This pilot study aims to identify reliable SCD questions. 112 cognitively normal (NC, 76±8 years, 63% female), 43 mild cognitive impairment (MCI; 77±7 years, 51% female), and 33 diagnostically ambiguous participants (79±9 years, 58% female) were recruited from a research registry and completed 57 self-report SCD questions. Psychometric methods were used for item-reduction. Factor analytic models assessed unidimensionality of the latent trait (SCD); 19 items were removed with extreme response distribution or trait-fit. Item response theory (IRT) provided information about question utility; 17 items with low information were dropped. Post-hoc simulation using computerized adaptive test (CAT) modeling selected the most commonly used items (n=9 of 21 items) that represented the latent trait well (r=0.94) and differentiated NC from MCI participants (F(1,146)=8.9, p=0.003). Item response theory and computerized adaptive test modeling identified nine reliable SCD items. This pilot study is a first step toward refining SCD assessment in older adults. Replication of these findings and validation with Alzheimer's disease biomarkers will be an important next step for the creation of a SCD screener.

Factors Associated With Burnout Among US Hospital Clinical Pharmacy Practitioners: Results of a Nationwide Pilot Survey.

PubMed

Jones, G Morgan; Roe, Neil A; Louden, Les; Tubbs, Crystal R

2017-12-01

Background: In health care, burnout has been defined as a psychological process whereby human service professionals attempting to positively impact the lives of others become overwhelmed and frustrated by unforeseen job stressors. Burnout among various physician groups who primarily practice in the hospital setting has been extensively studied; however, no evidence exists regarding burnout among hospital clinical pharmacists. Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize the level of and identify factors independently associated with burnout among clinical pharmacists practicing in an inpatient hospital setting within the United States. Methods: We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional pilot study utilizing an online, Qualtrics survey. Univariate analysis related to burnout was conducted, with multivariable logistic regression analysis used to identify factors independently associated with the burnout. Results: A total of 974 responses were analyzed (11.4% response rate). The majority were females who had practiced pharmacy for a median of 8 years. The burnout rate was high (61.2%) and largely driven by high emotional exhaustion. On multivariable analysis, we identified several subjective factors as being predictors of burnout, including inadequate administrative and teaching time, uncertainty of health care reform, too many nonclinical duties, difficult pharmacist colleagues, and feeling that contributions are underappreciated. Conclusions: The burnout rate of hospital clinical pharmacy providers was very high in this pilot survey. However, the overall response rate was low at 11.4%. The negative effects of burnout require further study and intervention to determine the influence of burnout on the lives of clinical pharmacists and on other health care-related outcomes.

A pilot study of research utilization practices and critical thinking dispositions of Alberta dental hygienists.

PubMed

Cobban, S J; Profetto-McGrath, J

2008-08-01

In order to test interventions for increasing uptake of research findings into dental hygiene practice, we must first identify factors that influence research use. There has been little work on this topic in dental hygiene, but much in other disciplines that can provide exemplars of how others have approached the study of this phenomenon. A pilot study was conducted to determine if protocols used to study research utilization (RU) behaviours and critical thinking dispositions (CTD) in nursing could also be applied to dental hygiene. A cross-sectional survey design was used with a random sample of 640 practicing dental hygienists in Alberta, Canada. Three questionnaires were included: one to capture measures of RU including direct, indirect and symbolic RU; the California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CCTDI) and a demographics questionnaire. Mean responses for the three types of RU were highest for indirect at 3.52 (SD 0.720), followed by direct at 3.13 (SD 0.903) and symbolic 2.86 (SD 0.959). The majority (74.8%) scored between 280 and 350 on the CCTDI (maximum 420). Cronbach's alpha reliability for the RU measures and four of the seven sub-scales were over .7, indicating internal consistency reliability. The instruments proved reliable for this population, but other challenges, including a low response rate, were identified during the process of using the RU questionnaire in the context of dental hygiene practice. Pilot testing identified the need for improvements to the presentation of scales to reduce cognitive load and improve the response rate.

Preliminary Hydrogeologic Characterization Results from the Wallula Basalt Pilot Study

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

B.P. McGrail; E. C. Sullivan; F. A. Spane

2009-12-01

The DOE's Big Sky Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership has completed drilling the first continental flood basalt sequestration pilot borehole to a total depth (TD) of 4,110 feet on the Boise White Paper Mill property at Wallula, Washington. Site suitability was assessed prior to drilling by the 2007-2008 acquisition, processing and analysis of a four-mile, five-line three component seismic swath, which was processed as a single data-dense line. Analysis of the seismic survey data indicated a composite basalt formation thickness of {approx}8,000 feet and absence of major geologic structures (i.e., faults) along the line imaged by the seismic swath. Drilling ofmore » Wallula pilot borehole was initiated on January 13, 2009 and reached TD on April 6, 2009. Based on characterization results obtained during drilling, three basalt breccia zones were identified between the depth interval of 2,716 and 2,910 feet, as being suitable injection reservoir for a subsequent CO2 injection pilot study. The targeted injection reservoir lies stratigraphically below the massive Umtanum Member of the Grande Ronde Basalt, whose flow-interior section possesses regionally recognized low-permeability characteristics. The identified composite injection zone reservoir provides a unique and attractive opportunity to scientifically study the reservoir behavior of three inter-connected reservoir intervals below primary and secondary caprock confining zones. Drill cuttings, wireline geophysical logs, and 31one-inch diameter rotary sidewall cores provided geologic data for characterization of rock properties. XRF analyses of selected rock samples provided geochemical characterizations of the rocks and stratigraphic control for the basalt flows encountered by the Wallula pilot borehole. Based on the geochemical results, the pilot borehole was terminated in the Wapshilla Ridge 1 flow of the Grande Ronde Basalt Formation. Detailed hydrologic test characterizations of 12 basalt interflow reservoir zones and 3 flow-interior/caprock intervals were performed during drilling and immediately following reaching the final borehole drilling depth (i.e., 4,110 ft). In addition, six of the 12 basalt interflow zones were selected for detailed hydrochemical characterization. Results from the detailed hydrologic test characterization program provided the primary information on basalt interflow zone transmissivity/injectivity, and caprock permeability characteristics.« less

Effectiveness of a Pilot Partner Notification Program for New HIV Cases in Barcelona, Spain

PubMed Central

Garcia de Olalla, Patricia; Molas, Ema; Barberà, María Jesús; Martín, Silvia; Arellano, Encarnació; Gosch, Mercè; Saladie, Pilar; Carbonell, Teresa; Knobel, Hernando; Diez, Elia; Caylà, Joan A

2015-01-01

Background An estimated 30% of HIV cases in the European Union are not aware of their serological status. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a pilot HIV partner notification program. Methods HIV cases diagnosed between January 2012 and June 2013 at two healthcare settings in Barcelona were invited to participate in a prospective survey. We identified process and outcome measures to evaluate this partner notification program, including the number of partners identified per interviewed index case, the proportion of partners tested for HIV as a result of the partner notification, and the proportion of new HIV diagnoses among their sex or needle-sharing partners. Results Of the 125 index cases contacted, 108 (86.4%) agreed to provide information about partners. A total of 199 sexual partners were identified (1.8 partners per interviewed index case). HIV outcome was already known for 58 partners (70.7% were known to be HIV-positive), 141 partners were tested as result of partner notification, and 26 were newly diagnosed with HIV. The case-finding effectiveness of the program was 18.4%. Conclusion This pilot program provides evidence of the effectiveness of a partner notification program implemented in healthcare settings. This active partner notification program was feasible, acceptable to the user, and identified a high proportion of HIV-infected patients previously unaware of their status. PMID:25849451

Effectiveness of a pilot partner notification program for new HIV cases in Barcelona, Spain.

PubMed

Garcia de Olalla, Patricia; Molas, Ema; Barberà, María Jesús; Martín, Silvia; Arellano, Encarnació; Gosch, Mercè; Saladie, Pilar; Carbonell, Teresa; Knobel, Hernando; Diez, Elia; Caylà, Joan A

2015-01-01

An estimated 30% of HIV cases in the European Union are not aware of their serological status. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a pilot HIV partner notification program. HIV cases diagnosed between January 2012 and June 2013 at two healthcare settings in Barcelona were invited to participate in a prospective survey. We identified process and outcome measures to evaluate this partner notification program, including the number of partners identified per interviewed index case, the proportion of partners tested for HIV as a result of the partner notification, and the proportion of new HIV diagnoses among their sex or needle-sharing partners. Of the 125 index cases contacted, 108 (86.4%) agreed to provide information about partners. A total of 199 sexual partners were identified (1.8 partners per interviewed index case). HIV outcome was already known for 58 partners (70.7% were known to be HIV-positive), 141 partners were tested as result of partner notification, and 26 were newly diagnosed with HIV. The case-finding effectiveness of the program was 18.4%. This pilot program provides evidence of the effectiveness of a partner notification program implemented in healthcare settings. This active partner notification program was feasible, acceptable to the user, and identified a high proportion of HIV-infected patients previously unaware of their status.

Misoprostol for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage during home births in rural Lao PDR: establishing a pilot program for community distribution.

PubMed

Durham, Jo; Phengsavanh, Alongkone; Sychareun, Vanphanom; Hose, Isaac; Vongxay, Viengnakhone; Xaysomphou, Douangphachanh; Rickart, Keith

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to gather the necessary data to support the design and implementation of a pilot program for women who are unable to deliver in a healthcare facility in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR), by using community distribution of misoprostol to prevent postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). The study builds on an earlier research that demonstrated both support and need for community-based distribution of misoprostol in Lao PDR. This qualitative study identified acceptability of misoprostol and healthcare system needs at varying levels to effectively distribute misoprostol to women with limited access to facility-based birthing. Interviews (n=25) were undertaken with stakeholders at the central, provincial, and district levels and with community members in five rural communities in Oudomxay, a province with high rates of maternal mortality. Focus group discussions (n=5) were undertaken in each community. Respondents agreed that PPH was the major cause of preventable maternal mortality with community distribution of misoprostol an acceptable and feasible interim preventative solution. Strong leadership, training, and community mobilization were identified as critical success factors. While several participants preferred midwives to distribute misoprostol, given the limited availability of midwives, there was a general agreement that village health workers or other lower level workers could safely administer misoprostol. Many key stakeholders, including women themselves, considered that these community-level staff may be able to provide misoprostol to women for self-administration, as long as appropriate education on its use was included. The collected data also helped identify appropriate educational messages and key indicators for monitoring and evaluation for a pilot program. The findings strengthen the case for a pilot program of community distribution of misoprostol to prevent PPH in remote communities where women have limited access to a health facility and highlight the key areas of consideration in developing such a program.

Misoprostol for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage during home births in rural Lao PDR: establishing a pilot program for community distribution

PubMed Central

Durham, Jo; Phengsavanh, Alongkone; Sychareun, Vanphanom; Hose, Isaac; Vongxay, Viengnakhone; Xaysomphou, Douangphachanh; Rickart, Keith

2018-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to gather the necessary data to support the design and implementation of a pilot program for women who are unable to deliver in a healthcare facility in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), by using community distribution of misoprostol to prevent postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). The study builds on an earlier research that demonstrated both support and need for community-based distribution of misoprostol in Lao PDR. Methods This qualitative study identified acceptability of misoprostol and healthcare system needs at varying levels to effectively distribute misoprostol to women with limited access to facility-based birthing. Interviews (n=25) were undertaken with stakeholders at the central, provincial, and district levels and with community members in five rural communities in Oudomxay, a province with high rates of maternal mortality. Focus group discussions (n=5) were undertaken in each community. Results Respondents agreed that PPH was the major cause of preventable maternal mortality with community distribution of misoprostol an acceptable and feasible interim preventative solution. Strong leadership, training, and community mobilization were identified as critical success factors. While several participants preferred midwives to distribute misoprostol, given the limited availability of midwives, there was a general agreement that village health workers or other lower level workers could safely administer misoprostol. Many key stakeholders, including women themselves, considered that these community-level staff may be able to provide misoprostol to women for self-administration, as long as appropriate education on its use was included. The collected data also helped identify appropriate educational messages and key indicators for monitoring and evaluation for a pilot program. Conclusion The findings strengthen the case for a pilot program of community distribution of misoprostol to prevent PPH in remote communities where women have limited access to a health facility and highlight the key areas of consideration in developing such a program. PMID:29785142

Implementation methods of medical image sharing for collaborative health care based on IHE XDS-I profile

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jianguo; Zhang, Kai; Yang, Yuanyuan; Sun, Jianyong; Ling, Tonghui; Wang, Mingqing; Bak, Peter

2015-01-01

Abstract. IHE XDS-I profile proposes an architecture model for cross-enterprise medical image sharing, but there are only a few clinical implementations reported. Here, we investigate three pilot studies based on the IHE XDS-I profile to see whether we can use this architecture as a foundation for image sharing solutions in a variety of health-care settings. The first pilot study was image sharing for cross-enterprise health care with federated integration, which was implemented in Huadong Hospital and Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital within the Shanghai Shen-Kang Hospital Management Center; the second pilot study was XDS-I–based patient-controlled image sharing solution, which was implemented by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) team in the USA; and the third pilot study was collaborative imaging diagnosis with electronic health-care record integration in regional health care, which was implemented in two districts in Shanghai. In order to support these pilot studies, we designed and developed new image access methods, components, and data models such as RAD-69/WADO hybrid image retrieval, RSNA clearinghouse, and extension of metadata definitions in both the submission set and the cross-enterprise document sharing (XDS) registry. We identified several key issues that impact the implementation of XDS-I in practical applications, and conclude that the IHE XDS-I profile is a theoretically good architecture and a useful foundation for medical image sharing solutions across multiple regional health-care providers. PMID:26835497

Implementation methods of medical image sharing for collaborative health care based on IHE XDS-I profile.

PubMed

Zhang, Jianguo; Zhang, Kai; Yang, Yuanyuan; Sun, Jianyong; Ling, Tonghui; Wang, Mingqing; Bak, Peter

2015-10-01

IHE XDS-I profile proposes an architecture model for cross-enterprise medical image sharing, but there are only a few clinical implementations reported. Here, we investigate three pilot studies based on the IHE XDS-I profile to see whether we can use this architecture as a foundation for image sharing solutions in a variety of health-care settings. The first pilot study was image sharing for cross-enterprise health care with federated integration, which was implemented in Huadong Hospital and Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital within the Shanghai Shen-Kang Hospital Management Center; the second pilot study was XDS-I-based patient-controlled image sharing solution, which was implemented by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) team in the USA; and the third pilot study was collaborative imaging diagnosis with electronic health-care record integration in regional health care, which was implemented in two districts in Shanghai. In order to support these pilot studies, we designed and developed new image access methods, components, and data models such as RAD-69/WADO hybrid image retrieval, RSNA clearinghouse, and extension of metadata definitions in both the submission set and the cross-enterprise document sharing (XDS) registry. We identified several key issues that impact the implementation of XDS-I in practical applications, and conclude that the IHE XDS-I profile is a theoretically good architecture and a useful foundation for medical image sharing solutions across multiple regional health-care providers.

Early Identification of Student Performance and Effort Using an Online Homework System: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perdian, David C.

2013-01-01

Two distinct student groups, in terms of academic performance, were identified early in the semester as either being under-performing students or over-performing students using an online homework system. The students who are identified as under-performing received, on average, lower grades than their fellow students but spent more time completing…

Autism Treatment in the First Year of Life: A Pilot Study of Infant Start, a Parent-Implemented Intervention for Symptomatic Infants

PubMed Central

Vismara, L.; Wagner, A. L.; McCormick, C.; Young, G.; Ozonoff, S.

2016-01-01

The goal of early autism screening is earlier treatment. We pilot-tested a 12-week, low-intensity treatment with seven symptomatic infants ages 7–15 months. Parents mastered the intervention and maintained skills after treatment ended. Four comparison groups were matched from a study of infant siblings. The treated group of infants was significantly more symptomatic than most of the comparison groups at 9 months of age but was significantly less symptomatic than the two most affected groups between 18 and 36 months. At 36 months, the treated group had much lower rates of both ASD and DQs under 70 than a similarly symptomatic group who did not enroll in the treatment study. It appears feasible to identify and enroll symptomatic infants in parent-implemented intervention before 12 months, and the pilot study outcomes are promising, but testing the treatment’s efficacy awaits a randomized trial. PMID:25212413

Uncertainties that flight crews and dispatchers must consider when calculating the fuel needed for a flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trujillo, Anna C.

1996-01-01

In 1993, fuel accounted for approximately 15 percent of an airline's expenses. Fuel consumption increases as fuel reserves increase because of the added weight to the aircraft. Calculating fuel reserves is a function of Federal Aviation Regulations, airline company policy, and factors that impact or are impacted by fuel usage enroute. This research studied how pilots and dispatchers determined the fuel needed for a flight and identified areas where improvements in methods may yield measurable fuel savings by (1) listing the uncertainties that contribute to adding contingency fuel, (2) obtaining the pilots' and dispatchers' perspective on how often each uncertainty occurred, and (3) obtaining pilots' and dispatchers' perspective on the fuel used for each occurrence. This study found that for the majority of the time, pilots felt that dispatchers included enough fuel. As for the uncertainties that flight crews and dispatchers account for, air traffic control accounts for 28% and weather uncertainties account for 58 percent. If improvements can be made in these two areas, a great potential exists to decrease the reserve required, and therefore, fuel usage without jeopardizing safety.

Integration of midwives into the Quebec health care system. L'Equipe d'Evaluation des Projets-Pilotes Sages-Femmes.

PubMed

Collin, J; Blais, R; White, D; Demers, A; Desbiens, F

2000-01-01

This paper reports on one aspect of the evaluation of the midwifery pilot projects in Quebec: the identification of the professional and organizational factors, as well as the mode of integrating midwives into the maternity care system, that would promote the best outcomes and the autonomy of midwives. The research strategy involved a multiple-case study, in which each midwifery pilot project represented a case. Based on a qualitative approach, the study employed various sources of data: individual interviews and focus groups with key informants, site observations and analyses of written documents. Results show that midwives were poorly integrated into the health care system during the evaluation. Four main reasons were identified: lack of knowledge about the practice of midwifery on the part of other health care providers; deficiencies in the legal and organizational structure of the pilot projects; competition over professional territories; and gaps between the midwives' and other providers' professional cultures. Recommendations are provided to facilitate the integration of midwives into the health care system.

Pilot/Controller Coordinated Decision Making in the Next Generation Air Transportation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bearman, Chris; Miller, Ronald c.; Orasanu, Judith M.

2011-01-01

Introduction: NextGen technologies promise to provide considerable benefits in terms of enhancing operations and improving safety. However, there needs to be a thorough human factors evaluation of the way these systems will change the way in which pilot and controllers share information. The likely impact of these new technologies on pilot/controller coordinated decision making is considered in this paper using the "operational, informational and evaluative disconnect" framework. Method: Five participant focus groups were held. Participants were four experts in human factors, between x and x research students and a technical expert. The participant focus group evaluated five key NextGen technologies to identify issues that made different disconnects more or less likely. Results: Issues that were identified were: Decision Making will not necessarily improve because pilots and controllers possess the same information; Having a common information source does not mean pilots and controllers are looking at the same information; High levels of automation may lead to disconnects between the technology and pilots/controllers; Common information sources may become the definitive source for information; Overconfidence in the automation may lead to situations where appropriate breakdowns are not initiated. Discussion: The issues that were identified lead to recommendations that need to be considered in the development of NextGen technologies. The current state of development of these technologies provides a good opportunity to utilize recommendations at an early stage so that NextGen technologies do not lead to difficulties in resolving breakdowns in coordinated decision making.

Evaluating off-campus student housing preferences: A pilot survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johari, Noraini; Mohd, Thuraiya; Abdullah, Lizawati; Ahmad@Mohamed, Nurulanis; Sani, Suwaibatul Islamiah Abdullah

2017-10-01

In recent decades, the term student housing has been highlighted as a body of knowledge in housing studies. In providing better quality of life, student housing evolved into a critical agenda in developing higher education learning. This research paper aims to discuss on a pilot study examining student housing preferences among university and college students should they reside off-campus. The research aims at identifying the attributes of off-campus student housing preferences to give a significant input for the development of an off-campus student housing preferences conceptual framework. This research is a cross-sectional study in which survey participants are currently-enrolled students throughout the period of survey. During this pilot study, questionnaires were distributed among university students in Shah Alam, Selangor in Malaysia. A total of 86 survey questionnaires were collected, consisting of questions reflecting students' background, Likert scale questions to specify their preferences, and open-ended questions. This preliminary pilot result shows that the 46 variables student housing preferences have a good reliability and validity. The outcomes from this research provide insight into students' preferences on how off-campus housing should be developed. Since Selangor is divided into various districts with a plethora of different local contexts including different university campuses, there is a need for further study to avoid generalization.

Neuropsychological assessment of decision making in alcohol-dependent commercial pilots.

PubMed

Georgemiller, Randy; Machizawa, Sayaka; Young, Kathleen M; Martin, Cynthia N

2013-09-01

The aim of this exploratory archival study was to discern the utility of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) in identifying adaptive decision-making capacities among pilots with a history of alcohol dependence both with and without Cluster B personality features. Participants included 18 male airmen at the rank of captain with a history of receiving alcohol dependence treatment and subsequent referral for a fitness-for-duty evaluation. Data from prior comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations conducted in a private practice setting at the mandate of the FAA utilizing criteria outlined in the HIMS program was used. ANOVA was conducted to compare pilots with (N = 4) and without Cluster B personality features (N = 14) on measures of decisionmaking capacities, intelligence, and executive functioning. Pilots with Cluster B personality features were found to have a significantly lower Total Net T-Score on IGT (M = 35.00, SD = 9.27) than pilots without features of Cluster B (M = 56.36, SD = 9.55). Furthermore, with the exception of the first 20 cards (i.e., Net 1); the groups significantly differed in their Net scores. No statistically significant difference was found on airmen's intelligence and executive functioning. The present study found that alcohol-dependent airmen with Cluster B personality features evidenced significantly poorer decisionmaking capacities as measured by the ICT in comparison to alcohol dependent airman without Cluster B personality features. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.

Airflow Hazard Visualization for Helicopter Pilots: Flight Simulation Study Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aragon, Cecilia R.; Long, Kurtis R.

2005-01-01

Airflow hazards such as vortices or low level wind shear have been identified as a primary contributing factor in many helicopter accidents. US Navy ships generate airwakes over their decks, creating potentially hazardous conditions for shipboard rotorcraft launch and recovery. Recent sensor developments may enable the delivery of airwake data to the cockpit, where visualizing the hazard data may improve safety and possibly extend ship/helicopter operational envelopes. A prototype flight-deck airflow hazard visualization system was implemented on a high-fidelity rotorcraft flight dynamics simulator. Experienced helicopter pilots, including pilots from all five branches of the military, participated in a usability study of the system. Data was collected both objectively from the simulator and subjectively from post-test questionnaires. Results of the data analysis are presented, demonstrating a reduction in crash rate and other trends that illustrate the potential of airflow hazard visualization to improve flight safety.

Effect of hypercapnia on respiratory and peripheral skeletal muscle loss during critical illness - A pilot study.

PubMed

Twose, Paul; Jones, Una; Wise, Matt P

2018-06-01

Critical illness has profound effects on muscle strength and long-term physical morbidity. However, there remains a paucity of evidence for the aetiology of critical illness related weakness. Recent animal model research identified that hypercapnia may reduce the rate of muscle loss. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of hypercapnia on respiratory and peripheral skeletal muscle in patients with critical illness. A pilot observational study of mechanically ventilated critically ill patients at a tertiary critical care unit who were retrospectively categorised as: 1) Respiratory failure with normocapnia; 2) Respiratory failure with hypercapnia; and 3) brain injury. Diaphragm thickness and quadriceps rectus femoris cross-sectional area (RFCSA) were measured using ultrasound imaging at baseline and at days 3, 5, 7 and 10 of mechanical ventilation. Significant reductions in RFCSA muscle loss were observed for all time-points when compared to baseline [day 10: -14.9%±8.2 p< 0.001], and in diaphragm thickness between baseline and day 7 [day 7: -5.8%±9.5 p=0.029). No correlation was identified between the rate of muscle mass loss in the diaphragm and RFCSA. In this pilot study, peripheral skeletal muscle weakness occurred early and rapidly within the critical care population, irrespective of carbon dioxide levels. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Participation of Asian-American women in cancer treatment research: a pilot study.

PubMed

Nguyen, Tung T; Somkin, Carol P; Ma, Yifei; Fung, Lei-Chun; Nguyen, Thoa

2005-01-01

Few Asian-American women participate in cancer treatment trials. In a pilot study to assess barriers to participation, we mailed surveys to 132 oncologists and interviewed 19 Asian-American women with cancer from Northern California. Forty-four oncologists responded. They reported as barriers language problems, lack of culturally relevant cancer information, and complex protocols. Most stated that they informed Asian-American women about treatment trials. Only four women interviewed knew about trials. Other patient-identified barriers were fear of side effects, language problems, competing needs, and fear of experimentation. Family decision making was a barrier for both oncologists and patients. Compared to non-Asian oncologists, more Asian oncologists have referred Asian-American women to industry trials and identified barriers similar to patients' reports. Our findings indicate that Asian-American women need to be informed about cancer treatment trials, linguistic barriers should be addressed, and future research should evaluate cultural barriers such as family decision making.

Estimating the incidence of malignant mesothelioma in Vietnam: a pilot descriptive cancer registration study

PubMed Central

Soeberg, Matthew J.; Luong, Mai Anh; Tran, Van Thuan; Tran, Anh Thanh; Nguyen, Thị Thu Huyen; Bui, Dieu; Nguyen, Thi Hoai Nga; Takahashi, Ken; van Zandwijk, Nico

2016-01-01

Introduction Global asbestos consumption has shifted toward lower income countries, particularly in the Asian region including Vietnam where asbestos and asbestos-containing products have been imported since the late 1960s. Methods This pilot descriptive epidemiological study aimed to provide contemporary estimates of malignant mesothelioma incidence (histological subtype M9050/3; ICD-O-3) by gender and age group as recorded across nine cancer registries in Vietnam. Results We identified 148 incident cases of malignant mesothelioma during 1987–2013. The majority of cases were recorded in the Hanoi region (n = 93) and were aged 55 years or older (n = 96). Discussion By carefully reviewing existing cancer registry records in Vietnam, we identified a larger number of malignant mesothelioma cases than previously estimated. We recommend the use of cancer registry data in tracking future asbestos-related disease in Vietnam. PMID:27388204

Estimating the incidence of malignant mesothelioma in Vietnam: a pilot descriptive cancer registration study.

PubMed

Soeberg, Matthew J; Luong, Mai Anh; Tran, Van Thuan; Tran, Anh Thanh; Nguyen, Thị Thu Huyen; Bui, Dieu; Nguyen, Thi Hoai Nga; Takahashi, Ken; van Zandwijk, Nico

2016-04-01

Global asbestos consumption has shifted toward lower income countries, particularly in the Asian region including Vietnam where asbestos and asbestos-containing products have been imported since the late 1960s. This pilot descriptive epidemiological study aimed to provide contemporary estimates of malignant mesothelioma incidence (histological subtype M9050/3; ICD-O-3) by gender and age group as recorded across nine cancer registries in Vietnam. We identified 148 incident cases of malignant mesothelioma during 1987-2013. The majority of cases were recorded in the Hanoi region (n = 93) and were aged 55 years or older (n = 96). By carefully reviewing existing cancer registry records in Vietnam, we identified a larger number of malignant mesothelioma cases than previously estimated. We recommend the use of cancer registry data in tracking future asbestos-related disease in Vietnam.

A Pilot Study Investigating the Effects of Advanced Nuclear Power Plant Control Room Technologies: Methods and Qualitative Results

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

BLanc, Katya Le; Powers, David; Joe, Jeffrey

2015-08-01

Control room modernization is an important part of life extension for the existing light water reactor fleet. None of the 99 currently operating commercial nuclear power plants in the U.S. has completed a full-scale control room modernization to date. Nuclear power plant main control rooms for the existing commercial reactor fleet remain significantly analog, with only limited digital modernizations. Upgrades in the U.S. do not achieve the full potential of newer technologies that might otherwise enhance plant and operator performance. The goal of the control room upgrade benefits research is to identify previously overlooked benefits of modernization, identify candidate technologiesmore » that may facilitate such benefits, and demonstrate these technologies through human factors research. This report describes a pilot study to test upgrades to the Human Systems Simulation Laboratory at INL.« less

Factors associated with malaria microscopy diagnostic performance following a pilot quality-assurance programme in health facilities in malaria low-transmission areas of Kenya, 2014.

PubMed

Odhiambo, Fredrick; Buff, Ann M; Moranga, Collins; Moseti, Caroline M; Wesongah, Jesca Okwara; Lowther, Sara A; Arvelo, Wences; Galgalo, Tura; Achia, Thomas O; Roka, Zeinab G; Boru, Waqo; Chepkurui, Lily; Ogutu, Bernhards; Wanja, Elizabeth

2017-09-13

Malaria accounts for ~21% of outpatient visits annually in Kenya; prompt and accurate malaria diagnosis is critical to ensure proper treatment. In 2013, formal malaria microscopy refresher training for microscopists and a pilot quality-assurance (QA) programme for malaria diagnostics were independently implemented to improve malaria microscopy diagnosis in malaria low-transmission areas of Kenya. A study was conducted to identify factors associated with malaria microscopy performance in the same areas. From March to April 2014, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in 42 public health facilities; 21 were QA-pilot facilities. In each facility, 18 malaria thick blood slides archived during January-February 2014 were selected by simple random sampling. Each malaria slide was re-examined by two expert microscopists masked to health-facility results. Expert results were used as the reference for microscopy performance measures. Logistic regression with specific random effects modelling was performed to identify factors associated with accurate malaria microscopy diagnosis. Of 756 malaria slides collected, 204 (27%) were read as positive by health-facility microscopists and 103 (14%) as positive by experts. Overall, 93% of slide results from QA-pilot facilities were concordant with expert reference compared to 77% in non-QA pilot facilities (p < 0.001). Recently trained microscopists in QA-pilot facilities performed better on microscopy performance measures with 97% sensitivity and 100% specificity compared to those in non-QA pilot facilities (69% sensitivity; 93% specificity; p < 0.01). The overall inter-reader agreement between QA-pilot facilities and experts was κ = 0.80 (95% CI 0.74-0.88) compared to κ = 0.35 (95% CI 0.24-0.46) between non-QA pilot facilities and experts (p < 0.001). In adjusted multivariable logistic regression analysis, recent microscopy refresher training (prevalence ratio [PR] = 13.8; 95% CI 4.6-41.4), ≥5 years of work experience (PR = 3.8; 95% CI 1.5-9.9), and pilot QA programme participation (PR = 4.3; 95% CI 1.0-11.0) were significantly associated with accurate malaria diagnosis. Microscopists who had recently completed refresher training and worked in a QA-pilot facility performed the best overall. The QA programme and formal microscopy refresher training should be systematically implemented together to improve parasitological diagnosis of malaria by microscopy in Kenya.

Major- and Trace-Element Concentrations in Soils from Northern California: Results from the Geochemical Landscapes Project Pilot Study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morrison, Jean M.; Goldhaber, Martin B.; Holloway, JoAnn M.; Smith, David B.

2008-01-01

In 2004, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), and the Mexican Geological Survey (Servicio Geologico Mexicano, or SGM) initiated pilot studies in preparation for a soil geochemical survey of North America called the Geochemical Landscapes Project. The purpose of this project is to provide a better understanding of the variability in chemical composition of soils in North America. The data produced by this survey will be used to construct baseline geochemical maps for regions within the continent. Two initial pilot studies were conducted: (1) a continental-scale study involving a north-south and east-west transect across North America and (2) a regional-scale study. The pilot studies were intended to test and refine sample design, sampling protocols, and field logistics for the full continental soils geochemical survey. Smith and others (2005) reported the results from the continental-scale pilot study. The regional-scale California study was designed to represent more detailed, higher resolution geochemical investigations in a region of particular interest that was identified from the low-sample-density continental-scale survey. A 20,000-km2 area of northern California (fig. 1), representing a wide variety of topography, climate, and ecoregions, was chosen for the regional-scale pilot study. This study area also contains diverse geology and soil types and supports a wide range of land uses including agriculture in the Sacramento Valley, forested areas in portions of the Sierra Nevada, and urban/suburban centers such as Sacramento, Davis, and Stockton. Also of interest are potential effects on soil geochemistry from historical hard rock and placer gold mining in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, historical mercury mining in the Coast Range, and mining of base-metal sulfide deposits in the Klamath Mountains to the north. This report presents the major- and trace-element concentrations from the regional-scale soil geochemical survey in northern California.

Surviving Sudden Cardiac Arrest: A Pilot Qualitative Survey Study of Survivors.

PubMed

Sawyer, Kelly N; Brown, Frances; Christensen, Roxanne; Damino, Colleen; Newman, Mary M; Kurz, Michael C

2016-06-01

Research describing survivors of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) has centered on quantifying functional ability, perceived quality of life, and neurocognitive assessment. Many gaps remain, however, regarding survivors' psychosocial perceptions of life in the aftermath of cardiac arrest. An important influence upon those perceptions is the presence of support and its role in a survivor's life. An Internet-based pilot survey study was conducted to gather data from SCA survivors and friends and/or family members (FFMs) representing their support system. The survey was distributed to members of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation (SCAF) via the Internet by SCAF leadership. Questions included both discrete multiple-choice and open-ended formats. Inductive thematic analyses were completed by three independent researchers trained in qualitative research methodology to identify primary themes consistent among study participants until thematic saturation was achieved. No statistical inferences were made. A total of 205 surveys were returned over the 5-month study period (July to November 2013); nine were received blank, leaving 196 surveys available for review. Major themes identified for survivors (N = 157) include the significance of and desire to share experiences with others; subculture identification (unique experience from those suffering a heart attack); and the need to seek a new normal, both personally and inter-personally. Major themes identified for FFMs (N = 39) include recognition of loved one's memory loss; a lack of information at discharge, including expectations after discharge; and concern for the patient experiencing another cardiac arrest. This pilot, qualitative survey study suggests several common themes important to survivors, and FFMs, of cardiac arrest. These themes may serve as a basis for future patient-centered focus groups and the development of patient-centered guidelines for patients and support persons of those surviving cardiac arrest.

Impact of exercise programs among helicopter pilots with transient LBP.

PubMed

Andersen, Knut; Baardsen, Roald; Dalen, Ingvild; Larsen, Jan Petter

2017-06-20

Flight related low back pain (LBP) among helicopter pilots is frequent and may influence flight performance. Prolonged confined sitting during flights seems to weaken lumbar trunk (LT) muscles with associated secondary transient pain. Aim of the study was to investigate if structured training could improve muscular function and thus improve LBP related to flying. 39 helicopter pilots (35 men and 4 women), who reported flying related LBP on at least 1 of 3 missions last month, were allocated to two training programs over a 3-month period. Program A consisted of 10 exercises recommended for general LBP. Program B consisted of 4 exercises designed specifically to improve LT muscular endurance. The pilots were examined before and after the training using questionnaires for pain, function, quality of health and tests of LT muscular endurance as well as ultrasound measurements of the contractility of the lumbar multifidus muscle (LMM). Approximately half of the participants performed the training per-protocol. Participants in this subset group had comparable baseline characteristics as the total study sample. Pre and post analysis of all pilots included, showed participants had marked improvement in endurance and contractility of the LMM following training. Similarly, participants had improvement in function and quality of health. Participants in program B had significant improvement in pain, function and quality of health. This study indicates that participants who performed a three months exercise program had improved muscle endurance at the end of the program. The helicopter pilots also experienced improved function and quality of health. Identifier: NCT01788111 Registration date; February 5th, 2013, verified April 2016.

Analyses of shuttle orbiter approach and landing conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teper, G. L.; Dimarco, R. J.; Ashkenas, I. L.; Hoh, R. H.

1981-01-01

A study of one shuttle orbiter approach and landing conditions are summarized. Causes of observed PIO like flight deficiencies are identified and potential cures are examined. Closed loop pilot/vehicle analyses are described and path/attitude stability boundaries defined. The latter novel technique proved of great value in delineating and illustrating the basic causes of this multiloop pilot control problem. The analytical results are shown to be consistent with flight test and fixed base simulation. Conclusions are drawn relating to possible improvements of the shuttle orbiter/digital flight control system.

Brownfields Langdale Mill Project: Technical Memo on Creating Inventory of Materials that can be Reused or Recycled

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This technical memorandum presents the sustainability pilot activities, a summary of inventory results, and other observations and recommendations for sustainable redevelopment identified during the pilot activities.

Brain biomarkers based assessment of cognitive workload in pilots under various task demands.

PubMed

Gentili, Rodolphe J; Rietschel, Jeremy C; Jaquess, Kyle J; Lo, Li-Chuan; Prevost, Michael; Miller, Matt W; Mohler, Jessica M; Oh, Hyuk; Tan, Ying Ying; Hatfield, Bradley D

2014-01-01

Cognitive workload is an important element of cognitive-motor performance such as that exhibited during the piloting of an aircraft. Namely, an increase in task demands on the pilot can elevate cognitive information processing and, thus, the risk of human error. As such, there is a need to develop methods that reliably assess mental workload in pilots within operational settings. The present study contributes to this research goal by identifying physiological and brain biomarkers of cognitive workload and attentional reserve during a simulated aircraft piloting task under three progressive levels of challenge. A newly developed experimental method was employed by which electroencephalography (EEG) was acquired via a dry (i.e., gel-free sensors) system using few scalp sites. Self-reported responses to surveys and piloting performance indicators were analyzed. The findings revealed that as the challenge (task demands) increased, the perceived mental load increased, attentional reserve was attenuated, and task performance decreased. Such an increase in task demands was also reflected by changes in heart rate variability (HRV), as well as in the amplitude of the P300 component of event-related potentials to auditory probes, and in the spectral power of specific EEG frequency bands. This work provides a first step towards a long-term goal to develop a composite system of biomarkers for real-time cognitive workload assessment and state assessment of pilots in operational settings.

What is the job satisfaction and active participation of medical staff in public hospital reform: a study in Hubei province of China.

PubMed

Fang, Pengqian; Luo, Zhenni; Fang, Zi

2015-05-16

In China, public hospital reform has been underway for almost 5 years, and 311 pilot county hospitals are the current focus. This study aimed to assess the job satisfaction and active participation of medical staff in the reform. A total of 2268 medical staff members in pilot and non-pilot county hospitals in Hubei, China, were surveyed. Questionnaires were used to collect data. The Pearson chi-square statistical method was used to assess the differences between pilot and non-pilot county hospitals and identify the factors related to job satisfaction as well as the understanding and perception of the reform. Binary logistic regression was performed to determine the significant factors that influence the job satisfaction of medical staff in pilot county hospitals. Medical staff members in pilot county hospitals expressed higher satisfaction on current working situation, performance appraisal system, concern showed by leaders, hospital management, and compensation packages (P < 0.05). They were exposed to work-related stress at a higher extent (P < 0.05) and half of them worked overtime. Within pilot county hospitals, less than half of the medical staff members were satisfied with current job and they have evidently less satisfaction on compensation packages and learning and training opportunities. The working hours and work stress were negatively related to the job satisfaction (P < 0.05). Satisfaction on the performance appraisal system, hospital management, compensation packages, and learning and training opportunities were positively related to job satisfaction (P < 0.05). Medical staff in pilot county hospitals exhibited better understanding of and more positive attitude towards the reform (P < 0.05). Pilot county hospitals have implemented some measures through the reform, but there still are deficiencies. The government officials and hospital administrators should pay attention to influencing factors of job satisfaction and focus on the reasonable demands of medical staff. In addition, the medical staff in pilot county hospitals exhibited a better understanding of the public hospital reform programme and showed more firm confidence, but there still were some medical staff members who hold negative attitude. The publicity and education of the public hospital reform still need improvement.

Teledermatology via a social networking web site: a pilot study between a general hospital and a rural clinic.

PubMed

Garcia-Romero, Maria Teresa; Prado, Fernanda; Dominguez-Cherit, Judith; Hojyo-Tomomka, Maria Teresa; Arenas, Roberto

2011-10-01

Teledermatology via a free public social networking Web site is a practical tool to provide attention to patients who do not have access to dermatologic care. In this pilot study, a general practitioner sent consults to a dermatology department at a general hospital via Facebook(®). Forty-four patients were seen and treatment was installed. We identified both simple-to-treat, common skin diseases and rare congenital diseases that require genetic counseling and more complex treatment. The majority of patients (75%) benefited with the diagnoses and treatments offered, thus avoiding unnecessary expenses or transportation to urban areas.

E-assessment of prior learning: a pilot study of interactive assessment of staff with no formal education who are working in Swedish elderly care

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The current paper presents a pilot study of interactive assessment using information and communication technology (ICT) to evaluate the knowledge, skills and abilities of staff with no formal education who are working in Swedish elderly care. Methods Theoretical and practical assessment methods were developed and used with simulated patients and computer-based tests to identify strengths and areas for personal development among staff with no formal education. Results Of the 157 staff with no formal education, 87 began the practical and/or theoretical assessments, and 63 completed both assessments. Several of the staff passed the practical assessments, except the morning hygiene assessment, where several failed. Other areas for staff development, i.e. where several failed (>50%), were the theoretical assessment of the learning objectives: Health, Oral care, Ergonomics, hygiene, esthetic, environmental, Rehabilitation, Assistive technology, Basic healthcare and Laws and organization. None of the staff passed all assessments. Number of years working in elderly care and staff age were not statistically significantly related to the total score of grades on the various learning objectives. Conclusion The interactive assessments were useful in assessing staff members’ practical and theoretical knowledge, skills, and abilities and in identifying areas in need of development. It is important that personnel who lack formal qualifications be clearly identified and given a chance to develop their competence through training, both theoretical and practical. The interactive e-assessment approach analyzed in the present pilot study could serve as a starting point. PMID:24742168

Analytical methodology for determination of helicopter IFR precision approach requirements. [pilot workload and acceptance level

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phatak, A. V.

1980-01-01

A systematic analytical approach to the determination of helicopter IFR precision approach requirements is formulated. The approach is based upon the hypothesis that pilot acceptance level or opinion rating of a given system is inversely related to the degree of pilot involvement in the control task. A nonlinear simulation of the helicopter approach to landing task incorporating appropriate models for UH-1H aircraft, the environmental disturbances and the human pilot was developed as a tool for evaluating the pilot acceptance hypothesis. The simulated pilot model is generic in nature and includes analytical representation of the human information acquisition, processing, and control strategies. Simulation analyses in the flight director mode indicate that the pilot model used is reasonable. Results of the simulation are used to identify candidate pilot workload metrics and to test the well known performance-work-load relationship. A pilot acceptance analytical methodology is formulated as a basis for further investigation, development and validation.

Testing the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Chaplaincy Intervention to Improving Treatment Attitudes and Self-Efficacy of Adolescents With Cystic Fibrosis: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Cheng, Joy; Purcell, Hillary N.; Dimitriou, Sophia M.; Grossoehme, Daniel H.

2015-01-01

Religious factors are known to contribute to treatment adherence in different patient populations, and religious coping has been found to be particularly important to adolescents dealing with chronic diseases. Adherence to prescribed treatments slows disease progression and contributes to desirable outcomes in most patients, and, therefore, adherence-promoting interventions provided by chaplains could be beneficial to various patient populations. The current article describes a pilot study to test the feasibility of a theoretically and empirically based chaplain intervention to promote treatment adherence for adolescents with CF. Cognitive interviews were conducted 24 with adolescents with CF, and content analysis was used to identify themes, which informed revision of the intervention protocol. The authors thought that presenting the methods and results of this pilot study would be helpful for chaplains who want to conduct intervention research. The results indicated that the proposed intervention was acceptable and feasible to deliver in hard copy or an electronic platform. PMID:25793423

Assessing College Student Perceptions of Instructor Customer Service via the Quality of Instructor Service to Students (QISS) Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emanuel, Richard; Adams, J. N.

2006-01-01

This study presents the results of a three-step project designed to: (1) identify what students perceive to be quality service as offered by instructors, (2) relate the dimensions identified to an appropriate survey instrument (the QISS) and pilot-test the instrument, and (3) survey a stratified representative sample of the undergraduate…

Illinois Higher Education in the 21st Century. Identifying and Responding to the Educational Needs in Lake County: A Committee Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Board of Higher Education, Springfield.

This report presents the findings of a pilot study conducted in Lake County (Illinois) that was designed to identify higher educational needs and to develop recommendations to respond to those needs. Several methodologies were employed: public hearings; market research; analyses of census, labor, economic, and educational data; consultations with…

Perceptions of Adolescents With Cancer Related to a Pain Management App and Its Evaluation: Qualitative Study Nested Within a Multicenter Pilot Feasibility Study

PubMed Central

Stevens, Bonnie J; Nathan, Paul C; Seto, Emily; Cafazzo, Joseph A; Johnston, Donna L; Hum, Vanessa; Stinson, Jennifer N

2018-01-01

Background Pain in adolescents with cancer is common and negatively impacts health-related quality of life. The Pain Squad+ smartphone app, capable of providing adolescents with real-time pain management support, was developed to enhance pain management using a phased approach (ie, systematic review, consensus conference and vetting, iterative usability testing cycles). A 28-day Pain Squad+ pilot was conducted with 40 adolescents with cancer to evaluate the feasibility of implementing the app in a future clinical trial and to obtain estimates of treatment effect. Objective The objective of our nested qualitative study was to elucidate the perceptions of adolescents with cancer to determine the acceptability and perceived helpfulness of Pain Squad+, suggestions for app improvement, and satisfaction with the pilot study protocol. Methods Post pilot study participation, telephone-based, semistructured, and audio-recorded exit interviews were conducted with 20 adolescents with cancer (12-18 years). All interviews were transcribed and independently coded by 2 study team members. Content analysis was conducted to identify data categories and overarching themes. Results Five major themes comprising multiple categories and codes emerged. These themes focused on the acceptability of the intervention, acceptability of the study, the perceived active ingredients of the intervention, the suitability of the intervention to adolescents’ lives, and recommendations for intervention improvement. Conclusions Overall, Pain Squad+ and the pilot study protocol were acceptable to adolescents with cancer. Suggestions for intervention and study improvements will be incorporated into the design of a future randomized clinical trial (RCT) aimed at assessing the effectiveness of Pain Squad+ on adolescents with cancer health outcomes. PMID:29625951

Development and testing of study tools and methods to examine ethnic bias and clinical decision-making among medical students in New Zealand: The Bias and Decision-Making in Medicine (BDMM) study.

PubMed

Harris, Ricci; Cormack, Donna; Curtis, Elana; Jones, Rhys; Stanley, James; Lacey, Cameron

2016-07-11

Health provider racial/ethnic bias and its relationship to clinical decision-making is an emerging area of research focus in understanding and addressing ethnic health inequities. Examining potential racial/ethnic bias among medical students may provide important information to inform medical education and training. This paper describes the development, pretesting and piloting of study content, tools and processes for an online study of racial/ethnic bias (comparing Māori and New Zealand European) and clinical decision-making among final year medical students in New Zealand (NZ). The study was developed, pretested and piloted using a staged process (eight stages within five phases). Phase 1 included three stages: 1) scoping and conceptual framework development; 2) literature review and identification of potential measures and items; and, 3) development and adaptation of study content. Three main components were identified to assess different aspects of racial/ethnic bias: (1) implicit racial/ethnic bias using NZ-specific Implicit Association Tests (IATs); (2) explicit racial/ethnic bias using direct questions; and, (3) clinical decision-making, using chronic disease vignettes. Phase 2 (stage 4) comprised expert review and refinement. Formal pretesting (Phase 3) included construct testing using sorting and rating tasks (stage 5) and cognitive interviewing (stage 6). Phase 4 (stage 7) involved content revision and building of the web-based study, followed by pilot testing in Phase 5 (stage 8). Materials identified for potential inclusion performed well in construct testing among six participants. This assisted in the prioritisation and selection of measures that worked best in the New Zealand context and aligned with constructs of interest. Findings from the cognitive interviewing (nine participants) on the clarity, meaning, and acceptability of measures led to changes in the final wording of items and ordering of questions. Piloting (18 participants) confirmed the overall functionality of the web-based questionnaire, with a few minor revisions made to the final study. Robust processes are required in the development of study content to assess racial/ethnic bias in order to optimise the validity of specific measures, ensure acceptability and minimise potential problems. This paper has utility for other researchers in this area by informing potential development approaches and identifying possible measurement tools.

Loss of controller-pilot voice communications in domestic en route airspace

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-02-10

With the planned implementation of ControllerPilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) in en route airspace, information on voice communication performance in this airspace can help to predict specific benefits associated with CPDLC, identify adjustm...

Eye Tracking Metrics for Workload Estimation in Flight Deck Operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellis, Kyle; Schnell, Thomas

2010-01-01

Flight decks of the future are being enhanced through improved avionics that adapt to both aircraft and operator state. Eye tracking allows for non-invasive analysis of pilot eye movements, from which a set of metrics can be derived to effectively and reliably characterize workload. This research identifies eye tracking metrics that correlate to aircraft automation conditions, and identifies the correlation of pilot workload to the same automation conditions. Saccade length was used as an indirect index of pilot workload: Pilots in the fully automated condition were observed to have on average, larger saccadic movements in contrast to the guidance and manual flight conditions. The data set itself also provides a general model of human eye movement behavior and so ostensibly visual attention distribution in the cockpit for approach to land tasks with various levels of automation, by means of the same metrics used for workload algorithm development.

Disseminating relevant health information to underserved audiences: implications of the Digital Divide Pilot Projects*

PubMed Central

Kreps, Gary L.

2005-01-01

Objective: This paper examines the influence of the digital divide on disparities in health outcomes for vulnerable populations, identifying implications for medical and public libraries. Method: The paper describes the results of the Digital Divide Pilot Projects demonstration research programs funded by the National Cancer Institute to test new strategies for disseminating relevant health information to underserved and at-risk audiences. Results: The Digital Divide Pilot Projects field-tested innovative systemic strategies for helping underserved populations access and utilize relevant health information to make informed health-related decisions about seeking appropriate health care and support, resisting avoidable and significant health risks, and promoting their own health. Implications: The paper builds on the Digital Divide Pilot Projects by identifying implications for developing health communication strategies that libraries can adopt to provide digital health information to vulnerable populations. PMID:16239960

Longitudinal Outcomes of U.S. Air Force Pilot Applicants With Waivered Astigmatism.

PubMed

Andrus, David E; Haynes, Jared T; Wright, Steven T

2017-03-01

Current U.S. Air Force medical standards allow applicants to enter pilot training with up to 1.50 D of astigmatism. However, waivers are considered for individuals with up to 3.00 D of astigmatism. Although typically a benign finding, higher levels of astigmatism may be progressive and can be associated with corneal ectasia (e.g., keratoconus or pellucid marginal degeneration) leading to reduced visual acuity with spectacles and/or soft contact lenses. The goal of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of pilot applicants waivered into training with astigmatism exceeding the aeromedical standard. Subjects were identified on the basis of their enrollment in the Excessive Astigmatism Management Group maintained by the Aeromedical Consultation Service, Ophthalmology branch at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Metrics evaluated included refractive status, visual acuity, aeromedical waiver status, safety data, and the development of corneal ectasia. Seventy-six subjects were tracked for up to 10 years, with an average follow-up period of 5.5 years. Mean astigmatism at initial examination was 1.91 D, although mean astigmatism on the basis of the most recent examination was 2.19 D. Subjects with excessive astigmatism who were waivered into pilot training showed an average increase in astigmatism of slightly less than 0.05 D annually, which equates to a total increase in astigmatism of approximately 0.25 D for the duration of the study. No subjects developed ectasia or were disqualified from flying for vision or refractive reasons. No mishaps were identified with vision being a causative or contributing factor. This study supports continuation of current Air Force waiver policy, although a longer follow-up period is required to consider modifying the aeromedical standard for astigmatism. Reprint & Copyright © 2017 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Preliminary juvenile Lost River and shortnose sucker investigations in Clear Lake, California--2011 pilot study summary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burdick, Summer M.; Rasmussen, Josh

2012-01-01

Poor recruitment appears to limit the recovery of Lost River and shortnose sucker populations in Clear Lake Reservoir, California, but the cause is unknown. Adult suckers migrate up Willow Creek and its tributaries to spawn in some years, but low flow in Willow Creek may inhibit spawning migrations in other years. It is unclear whether spawning is successful, larvae survive, or juveniles persist to adulthood. Environmental variables associated with successful spawning or young-of-year survival have not been identified and early life history for these populations is poorly understood. The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Ruby Pipeline L.L.C. Corporation (El Paso, Tex.) initiated a study in 2011 to better understand juvenile sucker life history in Clear Lake Reservoir, and to identify constraints in the early life history that may limit recruitment to the adult spawning populations. This is a report on the 2011 pilot study for this project.

Patterns of clinical response to PSA elevation in American Indian/Alaska Native men: a multi-center pilot study.

PubMed

Tilburt, Jon C; Koller, Kathryn; Tiesinga, James J; Wilson, Robin T; Trinh, Anne C; Hill, Kristin; Hall, Ingrid J; Smith, Judith Lee; Ekwueme, Donatus U; Petersen, Wesley O

2013-11-01

To assess clinical treatment patterns and response times among American Indian/Alaska Native men with a newly elevated PSA. We retrospectively identified men ages 50-80 receiving care in one of three tribally-operated clinics in Northern Minnesota, one medical center in Alaska, and who had an incident PSA elevation (> 4 ng/ml) in a specified time period. A clinical response was considered timely if it was documented as occurring within 90 days of the incident PSA elevation. Among 82 AI/AN men identified from medical records with an incident PSA elevation, 49 (60%) received a timely clinical response, while 18 (22%) had no documented clinical response. One in five AI/AN men in our study had no documented clinical action following an incident PSA elevation. Although a pilot study, these findings suggest the need to improve the documentation, notification, and care following an elevated PSA at clinics serving AI/AN men.

Pilots' Information Needs and Strategies for Operating in Icing Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vigeant-Langlois, Laurence N.; Hansman, R. John

2003-01-01

Pilot current use of icing information, pilot encounters and strategies for dealing with in-flight aircraft structural icing situations, and desired attributes of new icing information systems were investigated through a survey of pilots of several operational categories. The survey identified important information elements and fiequently used information paths for obtaining icing-related information. Free- response questions solicited descriptions of significant , icing encounters, and probed key icing-related decision and information criteria. Results indicated the information needs for the horizontal and vertical location of icing conditions and the identification of icing-free zones.

Drug Taking Beliefs of Australian Adolescents: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skrzypiec, Grace; Owens, Laurence

2013-01-01

In this study adolescents offered their insights and perspectives of factors associated with adolescent illicit drug taking intentions. The factors explored were identified using a cross-disciplinary approach involving the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and criminological theories, and these formed the framework for data analysis. Interviews…

The Psychopathology in Autism Checklist (PAC): A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helverschou, Sissel Berge; Bakken, Trine Lise; Martinsen, Harald

2009-01-01

Adults with autism and intellectual disability (ID) are assumed to have high vulnerability for developing psychiatric disorders, but instruments or criteria for identifying those who may be in need of psychiatric services have been lacking. This study presents a new carer-completed screening checklist designed for this purpose. Differentiation…

Reasons for Avoidance of Vocational Education in Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Saaideh, Mon'im A.

2016-01-01

The study aimed to identify the factors that lead students to avoid joining Vocational Education (VE) in Jordan. A pilot study was conducted, then a 39-item questionnaire was developed, and its validity and reliability were ensured. The reasons included were divided into personal, social, economic, educational and vocational domains. The…

INACTIVATION KINETICS OF MONOCHLORAMINE ON MONODISPERSED HEPATITIS A VIRUS AND MS2

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this study was to further characterize the disinfecting capabilities of preformed monochloramine using hepatitis A virus and the model coliphage MS2. he EPA has identified the latter virus as a model organism in developing CT values and conducting pilot plant studi...

Geothermal pilot study final report: creating an international geothermal energy community

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

Bresee, J.C.; Yen, W.W.S.; Metzler, J.E.

The Geothermal Pilot Study under the auspices of the Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society (CCMS) was established in 1973 to apply an action-oriented approach to international geothermal research and development, taking advantage of the established channels of governmental communication provided by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Pilot Study was composed of five substudies. They included: computer-based information systems; direct application of geothermal energy; reservoir assessment; small geothermal power plants; and hot dry rock concepts. The most significant overall result of the CCMS Geothermal Pilot Study, which is now complete, is the establishment of an identifiable communitymore » of geothermal experts in a dozen or more countries active in development programs. Specific accomplishments include the creation of an international computer file of technical information on geothermal wells and fields, the development of studies and reports on direct applications, geothermal fluid injection and small power plants, and the operation of the visiting scientist program. In the United States, the computer file has aready proven useful in the development of reservoir models and of chemical geothermometers. The state-of-the-art report on direct uses of geothermal energy is proving to be a valuable resource document for laypersons and experts in an area of increasing interest to many countries. Geothermal fluid injection studies in El Salvador, New Zealand, and the United States have been assisted by the Reservoir Assessment Substudy and have led to long-range reservoir engineering studies in Mexico. At least seven small geothermal power plants are in use or have been planned for construction around the world since the Small Power Plant Substudy was instituted--at least partial credit for this increased application can be assigned to the CCMS Geothermal Pilot Study. (JGB)« less

Flight display dynamics and compensatory head movements in pilots.

PubMed

Beer, Jeremy; Freeman, David

2007-06-01

Experiments measured the optokinetic cervical reflex (OKCR), wherein the banking pilot aligns the head with the horizon. In a synthetic cockpit, the flight display was manipulated to test whether changing the visual reference frame would alter OKCR. Eight subjects (five rated pilots) flew a route in simulated visual meteorological conditions that required them to bank the aircraft frequently. Pilots' head tilt was characterized using both the conventional method of regressing against simultaneous aircraft bank, and also an event-based analysis, which identified head movements before, during, and after each turn. Three display configurations were compared to determine whether pilots' orientation would ever migrate from the horizon to the aircraft symbol. The first was a conventional "Inside-Out" condition. A "Frequency-Separated" condition combined Inside-Out horizon geometry with Outside-In dynamics for the aircraft symbol, which depicted joystick bank inputs. In the "Outside-In" condition, the aircraft symbol rolled against a static horizon. Regressions identified an interaction (p < 0.001) between display condition and aircraft bank: head tilt followed horizon tilt in Inside-Out and Frequency-Separated conditions, while remaining mostly level in the Outside-In condition. The event-based analysis identified anticipatory head movements in Inside-Out and Frequency-Separated conditions: 95% CI indicated that before each turn, head tilt favored the direction of the imminent bank. While the conventional analysis confirmed that the horizon comprises a primary spatial reference, the finer-grained event-based analysis indicated that pilots' reference can migrate at least temporarily to the vehicle, and that OKCR can be preceded by anticipatory head movements in the opposite direction.

Improving the Discharge Process to Optimize Patient Throughput in an Academic Teaching Hospital and Level I Trauma Center

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-02-22

order to minimize Emergency Center overcrowding and ambulance diversions. The purpose of this study was to identify impeding systematic delays in the...turnaround times. A pilot study was conducted on two medicine and two surgery inpatient nursing units to analyze bed turnaround times and discharge times of...to the BTGH executive leadership who identified a need for this study : Mr. George Masi, Associate Administrator; Ms. Beth De Guzman, Chief Nursing

Work zone performance measures pilot test.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-04-01

Currently, a well-defined and validated set of metrics to use in monitoring work zone performance do not : exist. This pilot test was conducted to assist state DOTs in identifying what work zone performance : measures can and should be targeted, what...

Patient and nurse preferences for nurse handover—using preferences to inform policy: a discrete choice experiment protocol

PubMed Central

Spinks, Jean; Chaboyer, Wendy; Bucknall, Tracey; Tobiano, Georgia; Whitty, Jennifer A

2015-01-01

Introduction Nursing bedside handover in hospital has been identified as an opportunity to involve patients and promote patient-centred care. It is important to consider the preferences of both patients and nurses when implementing bedside handover to maximise the successful uptake of this policy. We outline a study which aims to (1) identify, compare and contrast the preferences for various aspects of handover common to nurses and patients while accounting for other factors, such as the time constraints of nurses that may influence these preferences.; (2) identify opportunities for nurses to better involve patients in bedside handover and (3) identify patient and nurse preferences that may challenge the full implementation of bedside handover in the acute medical setting. Methods and analysis We outline the protocol for a discrete choice experiment (DCE) which uses a survey design common to both patients and nurses. We describe the qualitative and pilot work undertaken to design the DCE. We use a D-efficient design which is informed by prior coefficients collected during the pilot phase. We also discuss the face-to-face administration of this survey in a population of acutely unwell, hospitalised patients and describe how data collection challenges have been informed by our pilot phase. Mixed multinomial logit regression analysis will be used to estimate the final results. Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by a university ethics committee as well as two participating hospital ethics committees. Results will be used within a knowledge translation framework to inform any strategies that can be used by nursing staff to improve the uptake of bedside handover. Results will also be disseminated via peer-reviewed journal articles and will be presented at national and international conferences. PMID:26560060

A pilot study on the randomization of inferior vena cava filter placement for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in high-risk trauma patients.

PubMed

Rajasekhar, Anita; Lottenberg, Lawrence; Lottenberg, Richard; Feezor, Robert J; Armen, Scott B; Liu, Huazhi; Efron, Philip A; Crowther, Mark; Ang, Darwin

2011-08-01

Placement of prophylactic inferior vena cava filters (pIVCFs) for the prevention of pulmonary embolism (PE) in high-risk trauma patients (HRTPs) are widely practiced despite the lack of Level I data supporting this use. We report the 2-year interim analysis of the Filters in Trauma pilot study. This is a single institution, prospective randomized controlled pilot feasibility study in a Level I trauma center. HRTPs were identified for pIVCF placement by the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma guidelines. From November 2008 to November 2010, HRTPs were enrolled and randomized to either pIVCF or no pIVCF. All patients received pharmacologic prophylaxis when safe. Primary outcomes included feasibility objectives and secondary outcomes were incidence of PE, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and death. Thirty-four of 38 enrolled patients were eligible for analysis. The baseline sociodemographic characteristics were balanced between the both groups. Results of the feasibility objectives included: time from admission to enrollment (mean, 47.4 hours ± 22.0 hours), time from enrollment to randomization (mean, 4.8 hours ± 9.1 hours), time from randomization to IVCF placement (mean, 16.9 hours ± 9.2 hours), adherence to weekly compression ultrasound within first month (IVCF group = 44.4%; non-IVCF group = 62.5%), and 1-month clinical follow-up (IVCF group = 83.3%; non-IVCF group = 100%). At 6-month follow-up, one PE in the nonfilter group and one DVT in the filter group had occurred. One non-PE-related death occurred in the filter group. Barriers to enrollment included inability to obtain informed consent due to patient refusal or no next of kin identified and delayed notification of eligibility status. Our pilot study demonstrates for the first time that a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of pIVCFs in trauma patients is feasible. This pilot data will be used to inform the design of a multicenter randomized controlled trial to determine the incidence of PE and DVT in HRTPs receiving pIVCFs versus no pIVCF.

Student Satisfaction with Asynchronous Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dziuban, Charles; Moskal, Patsy; Brophy, Jay; Shea, Peter

2007-01-01

The authors discuss elements that potentially impact student satisfaction with asynchronous learning: the media culture, digital, personal and mobile technologies, student learning preferences, pedagogy, complexities of measurement, and the digital generation. They describe a pilot study to identify the underlying dimensions of student…

75 FR 62008 - Safety Management System for Certificated Airports

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-07

.... The majority of pilot study airports indicated an existing organizational structure to manage safety... organizational structure; Identifies the lines of safety responsibility and accountability; Establishes and... understands that airport operations and organizational structures vary widely. Accordingly, the FAA would not...

Model-Based Systems Engineering Pilot Program at NASA Langley

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vipavetz, Kevin G.; Murphy, Douglas G.; Infeld, Samatha I.

2012-01-01

NASA Langley Research Center conducted a pilot program to evaluate the benefits of using a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approach during the early phase of the Materials International Space Station Experiment-X (MISSE-X) project. The goal of the pilot was to leverage MBSE tools and methods, including the Systems Modeling Language (SysML), to understand the net gain of utilizing this approach on a moderate size flight project. The System Requirements Review (SRR) success criteria were used to guide the work products desired from the pilot. This paper discusses the pilot project implementation, provides SysML model examples, identifies lessons learned, and describes plans for further use on MBSE on MISSE-X.

Alternative Perspectives on Risk: Individual Differences in Problem Structuring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orasanu, Judith; Fischer, Ute; Connors, Mary M. (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

Team decision making involves contributions of multiple players toward a common goal. While much has been written about the importance of developing shared mental models in order for teams to work together effectively, little has been done to determine the value of alternative perspectives on problem solving and decision making. Early studies of expertise contrasted experts with novices and noted that the two groups differ in the way they structure problems and in their selection of information as salient. Little attention has been given to differences among experts who differ in their specializations. A series of experiments was conducted to determine: (1) what dimensions of flight-related problem situations pilots judge to be most important when making flight-relevant decisions; and (2) whether pilots in different crew positions differ in the way they interpret problems relating to flight decisions. A sorting task was used to identify underlying dimensions judged as salient to individual pilots. Captains, first officers, and flight engineers from two major carriers participated in the study. Twenty-two flight scenarios were developed based on ASRS reports. Pilots were required to make judgments about how they would respond in each case and to sort the scenarios on the basis of similarity of decision factors. They were also asked to provide a verbal label that described each of their sorted categories. A second study required a different group of pilots (also captains, first officers and flight engineers) to sort on predetermined bases.

Helmet-Mounted Display Design Guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, Richard L.; Greeley, Kevin W.

1997-01-01

Helmet Mounted Displays (HMDs) present flight, navigation, and weapon information in the pilot's line of sight. The HMD was developed to allow the pilot to retain aircraft and weapon information while looking off boresight. This document reviews current state of the art in HMDs and presents a design guide for the HMD engineer in identifying several critical HMD issues: symbol stabilization, inadequate definitions, undefined symbol drive laws, helmet considerations, and Field Of View (FOV) vs. resolution tradeoff requirements. In particular, display latency is a key issue for HMDs. In addition to requiring further experimental studies, it impacts the definition and control law issues. Symbol stabilization is also critical. In the case of the Apache helicopter, the lack of compensation for pilot head motion creates excessive workload during hovering and Nap Of the Earth (NOE) flight. This translates into excessive training requirements. There is no agreed upon set of definitions or descriptions for how HMD symbols are driven to compensate for pilot head motion. A set of definitions is proposed to address this. There are several specific areas where simulation and flight experiments are needed: development of hover and NOE symbologies which compensate for pilot head movement; display latency and sampling, and the tradeoff between FOV, sensor resolution and symbology.

A Review of the Pilot Backache Problem in the CH113 Labrador Helicopter

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-01

and increasing the kyphosis may not, by itself, cause a higher incidence of backache. Based on the numerous reports of back pain and observa- tions...regular exer- cise Based on the symptoms identified in the questionnaire and the causes identified by other investigators, design principles for an...helicopter pilots and, the causes of helicopter induced backache. While the prevelnnce of backache is difficult to establish at any given time, consid

Office of Space Terrestrial Applications (OSTA)/Applications Data Service (ADS) data systems standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walton, B. A. (Editor)

1981-01-01

Standards needed to interconnect applications data service pilots for data sharing were identified. Current pilot methodologies are assessed. Recommendations for future work are made. A preliminary set of requirements for guidelines and standards for catalogues, directories, and dictionaries was identified. The user was considered to be a scientist at a terminal. Existing and emerging national and international telecommunication standards were adopted where possible in view of new and unproven standards.

Piloted Simulation Assessment of the Impact of Flexible Structures on Handling Qualities of Generic Supersonic Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stringer, Mary T.; Cowen, Brandon; Hoffler, Keith D.; Couch, Jesse C.; Ogburn, Marilyn E.; Diebler, Corey G.

2013-01-01

The NASA Langley Research Center Cockpit Motion Facility (CMF) was used to conduct a piloted simulation assessment of the impact of flexible structures on flying qualities. The CMF was used because of its relatively high bandwidth, six degree-of-freedom motion capability. Previous studies assessed and attempted to mitigate the effects of multiple dynamic aeroservoelastic modes (DASE). Those results indicated problems existed, but the specific cause and effect was difficult to ascertain. The goal of this study was to identify specific DASE frequencies, damping ratios, and gains that cause degradation in handling qualities. A generic aircraft simulation was developed and designed to have Cooper-Harper Level 1 handling qualities when flown without DASE models. A test matrix of thirty-six DASE modes was implemented. The modes had frequencies ranging from 1 to 3.5 Hz and were applied to each axis independently. Each mode consisted of a single axis, frequency, damping, and gain, and was evaluated individually by six subject pilots with test pilot backgrounds. Analysis completed to date suggests that a number of the DASE models evaluated degrade the handling qualities of this class of aircraft to an uncontrollable condition.

Evaluation of the midwifery pilot projects in Quebec: an overview. L'Equipe d'Evaluation des Projets-Pilotes Sages-Femmes.

PubMed

Blais, R; Joubert, P

2000-01-01

In 1990, the province of Quebec adopted a law authorizing the evaluation of the practice of midwifery through eight pilot projects. The projects, which took the form of birth centres outside hospitals, started operating in 1994. The objectives of the evaluation were 1) to compare midwives' services to current physician services with regard to maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity, the use of obstetrical intervention, individualization and continuity of care as perceived by clients, and cost; and 2) to identify the professional and organizational factors associated with the integration of midwives into the health care system. A mixed evaluative design was used: a multiple case study with each pilot project representing a case and a cohort study where 1,000 women followed by midwives in the birth centres were matched with 1,000 women followed by physicians in the usual hospital-based services. Various quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments were used. Overall, many results were favourable to midwifery practice, while some were favourable to medical care. Following the evaluation, the Government of Quebec decided to legalize the practice of midwifery.

Brownfields Allen-Morrison Project: Technical Memorandum on Creating Inventory of Materials that can be Reused or Recycled through Deconstruction

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This technical memorandum presents sustainability pilot activities, a summary of inventory results, and other observations and recommendations for sustainable redevelopment identified during the pilot activities at the brownfields projects.

NYC CV Pilot Deployment : Safety Management Plan : New York City.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-04-22

This safety management plan identifies preliminary safety hazards associated with the New York City Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment project. Each of the hazards is rated, and a plan for managing the risks through detailed design and deployment is ...

General Aviation: A Stepping Stone to a World Career in Aviation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hulley, Bruce J.

1999-01-01

A survey of 27 countries identified private pilot flight-hour requirements, pilot training costs, youth aviation programs, and career information about aviation occupations. The information can be used to motivate young people to enter aviation careers. (JOW)

Identifying Influential Young People to Undertake Effective Peer-Led Health Promotion: the example of A Stop Smoking In Schools Trial (ASSIST)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starkey, Fenella; Audrey, Suzanne; Holliday, Jo; Moore, Laurence; Campbell, Rona

2009-01-01

The objective of the study was to develop and evaluate an effective whole-community approach to identifying a diverse group of influential young people to effectively diffuse health promotion messages among their peers. A peer nomination questionnaire, developed through extensive piloting work, was completed by 10 730 Year 8 students (aged 12-13…

A Tool to Identify Older Adults Who Are Candidates for Action Planning to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freedman, Marjorie R.; Wood, Helen

2011-01-01

This pilot study developed and tested a tool in a group of multiethnic seniors (n = 24). The tool enabled these older adults to self-assess their stage of change regarding fruit and vegetable intake, and identified those in the preparation stage who were most likely to participate in follow-up action planning classes. (Contains 1 figure.)

Using terrestrial ecosystem survey data to identify potential habitat for the Mexican spotted owl on National Forest System lands: a pilot study

Treesearch

Joseph L. Ganey; Mary Ann Benoit

2002-01-01

We assessed the usefulness of Terrestrial Ecosystem Survey (TES) data as a means of identifying habitat for the Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) in three National Forests in Arizona. This spatial data set incorporates information on soils, vegetation, and climatic conditions in defining a set of ecological "map units" showing potential...

The usefulness of school-based syndromic surveillance for detecting malaria epidemics: experiences from a pilot project in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Ashton, Ruth A; Kefyalew, Takele; Batisso, Esey; Awano, Tessema; Kebede, Zelalem; Tesfaye, Gezahegn; Mesele, Tamiru; Chibsa, Sheleme; Reithinger, Richard; Brooker, Simon J

2016-01-09

Syndromic surveillance is a supplementary approach to routine surveillance, using pre-diagnostic and non-clinical surrogate data to identify possible infectious disease outbreaks. To date, syndromic surveillance has primarily been used in high-income countries for diseases such as influenza--however, the approach may also be relevant to resource-poor settings. This study investigated the potential for monitoring school absenteeism and febrile illness, as part of a school-based surveillance system to identify localised malaria epidemics in Ethiopia. Repeated cross-sectional school- and community-based surveys were conducted in six epidemic-prone districts in southern Ethiopia during the 2012 minor malaria transmission season to characterise prospective surrogate and syndromic indicators of malaria burden. Changes in these indicators over the transmission season were compared to standard indicators of malaria (clinical and confirmed cases) at proximal health facilities. Subsequently, two pilot surveillance systems were implemented, each at ten sites throughout the peak transmission season. Indicators piloted were school attendance recorded by teachers, or child-reported recent absenteeism from school and reported febrile illness. Lack of seasonal increase in malaria burden limited the ability to evaluate sensitivity of the piloted syndromic surveillance systems compared to existing surveillance at health facilities. Weekly absenteeism was easily calculated by school staff using existing attendance registers, while syndromic indicators were more challenging to collect weekly from schoolchildren. In this setting, enrolment of school-aged children was found to be low, at 54%. Non-enrolment was associated with low household wealth, lack of parental education, household size, and distance from school. School absenteeism is a plausible simple indicator of unusual health events within a community, such as malaria epidemics, but the sensitivity of an absenteeism-based surveillance system to detect epidemics could not be rigorously evaluated in this study. Further piloting during a demonstrated increase in malaria transmission within a community is recommended.

Australian seafood compositional profiles: A pilot study. Vitamin D and mercury content.

PubMed

Padula, David; Greenfield, Heather; Cunningham, Judy; Kiermeier, Andreas; McLeod, Catherine

2016-02-15

Given the scarcity of comprehensive nutritional data for Australia's >400 commercially produced seafood species a pilot study was undertaken to collect and analyse 22 species of wild and aquaculture seafood in order to develop a model for future comprehensive surveys. The species analysed were: Atlantic salmon, Australian sardine, prawn (six species), barramundi, abalone (three species), blue sprat, burrowing blackfish, gummy shark, oyster (four species), ocean trout and yellowtail kingfish. The analyses undertaken in this pilot study were: moisture, protein, total fat, cholesterol, fatty acids, vitamin C, vitamins A and D, and 21 mineral elements (including total mercury and methyl mercury). The data reported here are for vitamin D and mercury only. Comprehensive data have already been published elsewhere. Issues identified that should be addressed prior to undertaking a more extensive and representative study of the remaining major edible commercial Australian seafood species include: choice of samples and nutrients for analysis, facilities for sample handling and storage, data management and scrutiny, and laboratory quality control. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pilot testing a predoctoral dental public health curriculum: reporting process and outcomes.

PubMed

Bhoopathi, Vinodh; Atchison, Kathryn Ann

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to pilot test the predoctoral dental public health (DPH) curriculum developed by the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD) in various US dental schools and dental hygiene programs. Following the Lewy's theoretical framework, we used all three curriculum tryout methods (laboratory tryout, pilot tryout, and field tryout) for the pilot testing process. Open-ended questions on the structure, presentation, and content of the curriculum were sent to faculty pilot testing the DPH curriculum to obtain critical feedback and comments. Between Summer 2013 and Spring 2015, the curriculum was pilot tested in nine dental schools and seven dental hygiene programs with over 1,300 students. The majority of the comments from the faculty were favorable. Positive comments about the structure of the curriculum focused on the well-organized nature of the curriculum, the value of the instructor guide and speaker notes, rubrics, and the flow of the presentations. In terms of the content, faculty commented on the wide range of public health issues covered and the clarity of course and lecture objectives. Negative comments dealt with the level of detail, some confusing assignments, and outdated data. Problems identified in pilot testing were corrected in the final DPH curriculum. The curriculum was successfully utilized in varied formats and well received. Through AAPHD, this standardized DPH core curriculum is now available for widespread use at dental schools and dental hygiene programs. © 2015 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

First clinical pilot study with intravascular polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villiger, Martin; Karanasos, Antonios; Ren, Jian; Lippok, Norman; Shishkov, Milen; Daemen, Joost; Van Mieghem, Nicolas; Diletti, Roberto; Valgimigli, Marco; van Geuns, Robert-Jan; de Jaegere, Peter; Zijlstra, Felix; van Soest, Gijs; Nadkarni, Seemantini; Regar, Evelyn; Bouma, Brett E.

2016-02-01

Polarization sensitive (PS) OCT measures the polarization states of the light backscattered by tissue and provides measures of tissue birefringence and depolarization in addition to the structural OCT signal. Ex vivo studies have demonstrated that birefringence is increased in tissue rich in collagen and with elevated smooth muscle cell content. Preliminary data further suggests that depolarization can identify regions of macrophage infiltration, lipid, and irregularly arranged collagen fibers. These are important aspects of the mechanical integrity and vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaques. To evaluate the potential of PS-OCT in the clinical setting, we combined our custom PS-OCT system with commercially available OCT catheters (Fastview, Terumo Corporation) and performed a pilot study in 30 patients, scheduled to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on the grounds of stable or unstable angina. A total of 82 pullbacks in 39 vessels were performed, either in the native coronary arteries or post procedure. Comparing consecutive pullbacks of the same coronary artery, we found excellent agreement between the polarization features in the repeat pullbacks, validating the repeatability and robustness of PS-OCT in the clinical in vivo setting. In addition we observed that the birefringence and depolarization features vary significantly across lesions with identical structural OCT appearance, suggesting morphological subtypes. This first human pilot study proved the feasibility and robustness of intravascular PS-OCT. PS-OCT achieves improved tissue characterization and may help in identifying high-risk plaques, with the potential to ultimately improve risk stratification and help guiding PCI.

Pilot study for the registry of complications in rheumatic diseases from the German Society of Surgery (DGORh): evaluation of methods and data from the first 1000 patients

PubMed Central

Kostuj, Tanja; Rehart, Stefan; Matta-Hurtado, Ronald; Biehl, Christoph; Willburger, Roland E; Schmidt, Klaus

2017-01-01

Objective Most patients suffering with rheumatic diseases who undergo surgical treatment are receiving immune-modulating therapy. To determine whether these medications affect their outcomes a national registry was established in Germany by the German Society of Surgery (DGORh). Data from the first 1000 patients were used in a pilot study to identify relevant corisk factors and to determine whether such a registry is suitable for developing accurate and relevant recommendations. Design and participants Data were collected from patients undergoing surgical treatments with their written consent. A second consent form was used, if complications occurred. During this pilot study, in order to obtain a quicker overview, risk factors were considered only in patients with complications. Only descriptive statistical analysis was employed in this pilot study due to limited number of observed complications and inhomogeneous data regarding the surgery and the medications the patients received. Analytical statistics will be performed to confirm the results in a future outcome study. Results Complications occurred in 26 patients and were distributed equally among the different types of surgeries. Twenty one of these patients were receiving immune-modulating therapy at the time, while five were not. Infections were observed in 2.3% of patients receiving and in 5.1% not receiving immunosuppression. Conclusions Due to the low number of cases, inhomogeneity in the diseases and the treatments received by the patients in this pilot study, it is not possible to develop standardised best-practice recommendations to optimise their care. Based on this observation we conclude that in order to be suitable to develop accurate and relevant recommendations a national registry must include the most important and relevant variables that impact the care and outcomes of these patients. PMID:29018066

Jello shot consumption among older adolescents: a pilot study of a newly identified public health problem.

PubMed

Binakonsky, Jane; Giga, Noreen; Ross, Craig; Siegel, Michael

2011-01-01

We investigated the extent of jello shot consumption among underage youths. We conducted a pilot study among a nonrandom national sample of 108 drinkers, aged 16-20 years, recruited from the Knowledge Networks Internet panel in 2010 by using consecutive sampling. The prevalence of past 30-day jello shot consumption among the 108 drinkers, aged 16-20 years, in our sample was 21.4%, and among those who consumed jello shots, the percentage of alcohol consumption attributable to jello shots averaged 14.5%. We concluded that jello shot use is prevalent among youths, representing a substantial proportion of their alcohol intake. Surveillance of youth alcohol use should include jello shot consumption.

Reasonable Suspicion: A Pilot Study of Pediatric Residents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levi, Benjamin H.; Brown, Georgia; Erb, Chris

2006-01-01

Objectives: To identify pediatric residents' understanding and interpretation of "reasonable suspicion," in the context of mandated reporting of suspected child abuse. Method: A survey was administered to pediatrics and combined medicine/pediatrics residents. An open-ended question plus three operational frameworks for interpreting…

Implementation of a novel occupational and environmental medicine specialty teleconsultation service: the VHA experience.

PubMed

Eaton, Jennifer L; Mohr, David C; Mohammad, Amir; Kirkhorn, Steven; Gerstel-Santucci, Christina; McPhaul, Kathleen; Hodgson, Michael J

2015-02-01

Occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) physician specialty practices continue to grow in scope and intensity across the Veterans Health Administration. This study characterizes the implementation of a novel, nationwide telemedicine program that provides OEM specialty consultation to providers across the Veterans Health Administration. We examined provider requests and specialist responses for a 6-month pilot from May to October 2013. Characteristics of consult users, determinants of case complexity, and specific applications of OEM specialty expertise were identified. Over a 6-month period, employee occupational health providers consulted the OEM telemedicine pilot a total of 65 times. Employee occupational health providers without formal training repeatedly identified complex cases related to work and disability. The program has created a new system management solution to deliver expert, in-depth consultation and real-time provider education in OEM.

Selective Attention in Web Forms: An Exploratory Case Study with Older People

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sayago, Sergio; Guijarro, Jose-Maria; Blat, Josep

2012-01-01

This article reports on an exploratory study aimed to identify which ways of marking required and optional fields help older people fill in web forms correctly. Drawing on a pilot study and selective attention research in ageing, modified versions of widely used forms were created, in which standard asterisks were replaced with one of three…

Data Sources for Administrators Attempting Local Reforms: A Preliminary Study of the Power Structure of a Selected Community in East Tennessee.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Charlie Joe

Using techniques of the reputational method to study community power structure, this report identifies components of power structure in a Tennessee school district, demonstrates that proven methodologies can facilitate educational leaders' reform efforts, and serves as a pilot study for further investigation. Researchers investigated the district…

Professional pilots' views of alcohol use in aviation and the effectiveness of employee-assistance programs.

PubMed

Ross, S M; Ross, L E

1995-01-01

Pilots holding the Airline Transport Pilot certificate were surveyed about the seriousness of the alcohol problem in various areas of aviation and about the importance of a number of possible reasons why a pilot might drink and fly. They also rated a number of actions in terms of their potential effectiveness for reducing inappropriate alcohol use, and they evaluated a number of characteristics of employee-assistance programs. Respondents judged employee-assistance programs to be the best way to reduce problem drinking. They also identified areas in which currently available employee-assistance programs could be improved.

Crew workload-management strategies - A critical factor in system performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hart, Sandra G.

1989-01-01

This paper reviews the philosophy and goals of the NASA/USAF Strategic Behavior/Workload Management Program. The philosophical foundation of the program is based on the assumption that an improved understanding of pilot strategies will clarify the complex and inconsistent relationships observed among objective task demands and measures of system performance and pilot workload. The goals are to: (1) develop operationally relevant figures of merit for performance, (2) quantify the effects of strategic behaviors on system performance and pilot workload, (3) identify evaluation criteria for workload measures, and (4) develop methods of improving pilots' abilities to manage workload extremes.

Individual, work-, and flight-related issues in F-16 pilots reporting neck pain.

PubMed

De Loose, Veerle; Van den Oord, Marieke; Burnotte, Frédéric; Van Tiggelen, Damien; Stevens, Veerle; Cagnie, Barbara; Witvrouw, Erik; Danneels, Lieven

2008-08-01

Neck pain is a common problem in F-16 pilots. A cross-sectional survey was used to determine the self-reported 1-yr prevalence of neck pain and to compare individual, work-related, and flight-related characteristics in F-16 pilots with and without neck pain. There were 90 male F-16 pilots of the Belgian Air Force and The Royal Netherlands Air Force who voluntarily completed an anonymous survey. The 1-yr prevalence of neck pain was 18.9%. Pilots were divided into two groups: healthy (HG) and neck pain group (NPG). This study could not identify individual or specific flight-related differences between these two groups. High force demands, often sitting for a long time, frequently holding the neck in a forward bent posture, and being physically tired were all physical work-related factors that were reported significantly more often in the NPG. The NPG also reported significantly more psychosocial factors, such as being mentally tired at the end of the day and being annoyed by others at the workplace. Since the specific flight-related factors were not significantly different between the HG and the NPG, physical and psychosocial factors could have been important factors in the development or maintenance of neck pain in F-16 pilots. The results of this study highlight for the first time that, in addition to flight-related issues, other aspects must be considered in analyzing neck pain. These other aspects stress the importance of a broader approach when considering neck pain, even in this population that is exposed to very high loads during flight.

Development and Feasibility of a Structured Goals of Care Communication Guide.

PubMed

Bekelman, David B; Johnson-Koenke, Rachel; Ahluwalia, Sangeeta C; Walling, Anne M; Peterson, Jamie; Sudore, Rebecca L

2017-09-01

Discussing goals of care and advance care planning is beneficial, yet how to best integrate goals of care communication into clinical care remains unclear. To develop and determine the feasibility of a structured goals of care communication guide for nurses and social workers. Developmental study with providers in an academic and Veterans Affairs (VA) health system (n = 42) and subsequent pilot testing with patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or heart failure (n = 15) and informal caregivers (n = 4) in a VA health system. During pilot testing, the communication guide was administered, followed by semistructured, open-ended questions about the content and process of communication. Changes to the guide were made iteratively, and subsequent piloting occurred until no additional changes emerged. Provider and patient feedback to the communication guide. Iterative input resulted in the goals of care communication guide. The guide included questions to elicit patient understanding of and attitudes toward the future of illness, clarify values and goals, identify end-of-life preferences, and agree on a follow-up plan. Revisions to guide content and phrasing continued during development and pilot testing. In pilot testing, patients validated the importance of the topic; none said the goals of care discussion should not be conducted. Patients and informal caregivers liked the final guide length (∼30 minutes), felt it flowed well, and was clear. In this developmental and pilot study, a structured goals of care communication guide was iteratively designed, implemented by nurses and social workers, and was feasible based on administration time and acceptability by patients and providers.

USDOT guidance summary for connected vehicle pilot site deployments: security operational concept : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-07-01

This document provides guidance material in regards to security for the CV Pilots Deployment Concept Development Phase. An approach for developing the security operational concept is presented based on identifying the impacts of security breaches reg...

LAFLA public transportation public participation pilot program : final technical report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-12-01

This report documents and presents the results of a pilot project conducted by the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA). LAFLA identified that there is a perception among those living in and providing services to low-income communities that tr...

ANALYSIS OF FACTORS AFFECTING METHANE GAS RECOVERY FROM SIX LANDFILLS

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of a pilot study of six U.S. landfills that have methane (CH4) gas recovery systems. NOTE: The study was a first step in developing a field testing program to gather data to identify key variables that affect CH4 generation and to develop an empirical mod...

Basics of the "Learning Organization" at Jordanian Schools: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawamdeh, Basem; Jaradat, Mohammed H.

2012-01-01

The study aims at identifying the extent to which the basics of the "learning organization" (LO) principles are available at Jordanian schools (Pilot TQA schools in Jersah); to this effect, a specially customized questionnaire was developed--it was made of 19 items across three areas: a leadership that supports learning, an environment…

ASSESSING HUMAN EXPOSURE AND GENOTOXIC EFFECTS IN HUMAN EXFOLIATED EPITHELIA FROM INDIVDUALS IVING IN AN ENDEMIC REGION IN INNER MONGOLAI

EPA Science Inventory

A pilot study was conducted to characterize arsenic exposure and genotoxic effects in Ba Men located in West Central Inner Mongolia in an attempt to identify biomarkers useful for assessing health risk resulting from chronic arsenic exposure. The study subjects included 19 high ...

Activity in the Lifestyles of Adolescent Girls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fry, Joan

This study was conducted to determine the significance of physical activity in the lifestyles of a selected group of female adolescents. Two groups of girls in their mid-teens, identified through a pilot study, were operationally defined as activity seekers (N=14) and non-activity seekers (N=14). In order to determine the characteristics of both…

A follow-up study of heroin addicts (VEdeTTE2): study design and protocol

PubMed Central

Vigna-Taglianti, Federica D; Mathis, Federica; Diecidue, Roberto; Burroni, Paola; Iannaccone, Antonio; Lampis, Fabio; Zuccaro, Piergiorgio; Pacifici, Roberta; Versino, Elisabetta; Davoli, Marina; Faggiano, Fabrizio

2007-01-01

Background In Italy, a large cohort study (VEdeTTE1) was conducted between 1998–2001 to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments in reducing mortality and increasing treatment retention among heroin addicts. The follow-up of this cohort (VEdeTTE2) was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments on long-term outcomes, such as rehabilitation and social re-integration. The purpose of this paper is to describe the protocol of the VEdeTTE2 study, and to present the results of the pilot study carried out to assess the feasibility of the study and to improve study procedures. Methods The source population for the VEdeTTE2 study was the VEdeTTE1 cohort, from which a sample of 2,200 patients, traced two or more years after enrolment in the cohort, were asked to participate. An interview investigates drug use; overdose; family and social re-integration. Illegal activity are investigated separately in a questionnaire completed by the patient. Patients are also asked to provide a hair sample to test for heroin and cocaine use. Information on treatments and HIV, HBV and HCV morbidity are obtained from clinical records. A pilot phase was planned and carried out on 60 patients. Results The results of the pilot phase pointed out the validity of the procedures designed to limit attrition: the number of traced subjects was satisfactory (88%). Moreover, the pilot phase was very useful in identifying possible causes of delays and attrition, and flaws in the instruments. Improvements to the procedures and the instruments were subsequently implemented. Sensitivity of the biological test was quite good for heroin (78%) but lower for cocaine (42.3%), highlighting the need to obtain a hair sample from all patients. Conclusion In drug addiction research, studies investigating health status and social re-integration of subjects at long-term follow-up are lacking. The VEdeTTE2 study aims to investigate these outcomes at long-term follow-up. Results of the pilot phase underline the importance of the pilot phase when planning a follow-up study. PMID:17362515

The identification in primary care of patients who have been repeatedly referred to hospital for medically unexplained symptoms: a pilot study.

PubMed

Smith, Benjamin J; McGorm, Kelly J; Weller, David; Burton, Christopher; Sharpe, Michael

2009-09-01

The study aimed (a) to test a method of identifying patients who have been repeatedly referred (RR) from primary care to medical outpatient clinics where they have received multiple diagnoses of medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) and (b) to describe the prevalence and characteristics of these patients. RR patients with MUS (RRMUS) were arbitrarily defined as those with (a) five or more referrals in a 5-year period and (b) a specialist final diagnosis of MUS for at least three of these referrals. A two-stage method of identifying these patients was piloted in one primary care practice: Stage 1 used computerized health service data to identify RR; Stage 2 used manual case note review to identify referrals that ended with specialist diagnoses of MUS. The RRMUS patients identified were asked to complete a questionnaire, a psychiatric diagnostic interview, and their GPs were asked to rate how "difficult to manage" they were. The process was feasible and reasonably accurate. From 6770 registered patients aged 18 to 65 years, 23 (0.3%) were identified as RRMUS. They accounted for 157 referrals over the 5-year period. Sixteen agreed to further assessment, and 8 (50%) had a current anxiety or depressive disorder. GPs rated only 8 (50%) as "difficult to manage." This two-stage procedure offers a practical method of identifying RRMUS patients in primary care as a first step in achieving more cost-effective care. These patients have substantial psychiatric morbidity.

Development and Piloting of a Food Safety Audit Tool for the Domestic Environment.

PubMed

Borrusso, Patricia; Quinlan, Jennifer J

2013-12-04

Research suggests that consumers often mishandle food in the home based on survey and observation studies. There is a need for a standardized tool for researchers to objectively evaluate the prevalence and identify the nature of food safety risks in the domestic environment. An audit tool was developed to measure compliance with recommended sanitation, refrigeration and food storage conditions in the domestic kitchen. The tool was piloted by four researchers who independently completed the inspection in 22 homes. Audit tool questions were evaluated for reliability using the κ statistic. Questions that were not sufficiently reliable (κ < 0.5) or did not provide direct evidence of risk were revised or eliminated from the final tool. Piloting the audit tool found good reliability among 18 questions, 6 questions were revised and 28 eliminated, resulting in a final 24 question tool. The audit tool was able to identify potential food safety risks, including evidence of pest infestation (27%), incorrect refrigeration temperature (73%), and lack of hot water (>43 °C, 32%). The audit tool developed here provides an objective measure for researchers to observe and record the most prevalent food safety risks in consumer's kitchens and potentially compare risks among consumers of different demographics.

Medical educators working abroad: a pilot study of educators' experiences in the Middle East.

PubMed

McLean, Michelle; McKimm, Judy; Major, Stella

2014-09-01

Medical education is now a global enterprise, with many medical educators working internationally, either for short or longer periods or even permanently. In parallel, many medical schools are now involved in collaborations and partnerships with schools in other countries. With this in mind, we set out to explore what motivates, supports and inhibits medical educators who wish to or might work outside their "home country". This article reports on the pilot stage (in specific organizational contexts in Middle East) of a longitudinal project aimed at canvassing medical educators on a broader global scale, using reflective accounts and a questionnaire survey. The findings from this pilot study raise interesting issues about the lived experience of medical educators who have chosen to work in a different culture from their own. Respondents identify many advantages around skills, personal and professional development. Three main issues emerged in terms of educators' experiences: the academic environment, medical practice in a different cultural context and personal matters. Adapting to the local culture, gender segregation and the impact on learning and teaching was an overarching factor. We introduce an explanatory framework to explain the development of international educator identity, a cyclical process in which, through experiences and reflection, individual world views and perspectives are continually modified and developed. This pilot study tested the methodologies and developed a new conceptual model that will be used in a wider study across different cultures.

Variations in "Party Line" Information Importance Between Pilots of Difference Characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pritchett, Amy R.; Hansman, R. John

1995-01-01

The introduction of digital datalink communications into the air traffic control (ATC) system may cause a reduction of the situation awareness of flight crews due to the reduction of 'Party Line' Information (PLI) that can be overheard on the shared voice frequencies. A survey was distributed to determine current PLI use by pilots from different geographic regions, operational groups, experience levels, and aircraft equipage. Pilots indicated highest perceived importance for PLI during the phases of flight nearest the airport and lowest importance during cruise. Several specific traffic and weather information elements were identified as particularly important; traffic and weather information was also cited by pilots as information required for global situation awareness. Some variations in responses were found between pilots from different operational types.

Stall Recovery Guidance Algorithms Based on Constrained Control Approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stepanyan, Vahram; Krishnakumar, Kalmanje; Kaneshige, John; Acosta, Diana

2016-01-01

Aircraft loss-of-control, in particular approach to stall or fully developed stall, is a major factor contributing to aircraft safety risks, which emphasizes the need to develop algorithms that are capable of assisting the pilots to identify the problem and providing guidance to recover the aircraft. In this paper we present several stall recovery guidance algorithms, which are implemented in the background without interfering with flight control system and altering the pilot's actions. They are using input and state constrained control methods to generate guidance signals, which are provided to the pilot in the form of visual cues. It is the pilot's decision to follow these signals. The algorithms are validated in the pilot-in-the loop medium fidelity simulation experiment.

Effects of dental magnification lenses on indirect vision: a pilot study.

PubMed

Hoerler, Sarah B; Branson, Bonnie G; High, Anne M; Mitchell, Tanya Villalpando

2012-01-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of magnification lenses on the indirect vision skills of dental hygiene students. This pilot study examined the accuracy and efficiency of dental hygiene students' indirect vision skills while using traditional safety lenses and magnification lenses. The sample was comprised of 14 students in their final semester of a dental hygiene program. A crossover study approach was utilized, with each participant randomly assigned to a specific order of eyewear. The study included evaluation of each participant taking part in 2 separate clinical sessions. During the first session, each participant completed a clinical exercise on a dental manikin marked with 15 dots throughout the oral cavity while wearing the randomly as signed eyewear, and then completed a similar exercise on a differently marked dental manikin while wearing the randomly assigned eyewear. This procedure was repeated at a second clinical session, however, the dental manikin and eyewear pairings were reversed. Accuracy was measured on the number of correctly identified dots and efficiency was measured by the time it took to identify the dots. Perceptions of the participants' use of magnification lenses and the participants' opinion of the use of magnification lenses in a dental hygiene curriculum were evaluated using a questionnaire. Comparing the mean of the efficiency scores, students are more efficient at identifying indirect vision points with the use of magnification lenses (3 minutes, 36 seconds) than with traditional safety lenses (3 minutes, 56 seconds). Comparing the measurement of accuracy, students are more accurate at identifying indirect vision points with traditional safety lenses (84%) as com pared to magnification lenses (79%). Overall, the students report ed an increased quality of dental hygiene treatment provided in the clinical setting and an improved clinical posture while treating patients with the use of magnification lenses. This study did not produce statistically significant data to support the use of magnification lenses to enhance indirect vision skills among dental hygiene students, however, students perceived that their indirect vision skills were enhanced by the use of magnification lenses.

Expertise and age differences in pilot decision making.

PubMed

Morrow, Daniel G; Miller, Lisa M Soederberg; Ridolfo, Heather E; Magnor, Clifford; Fischer, Ute M; Kokayeff, Nina K; Stine-Morrow, Elizabeth A L

2009-01-01

We examined the influence of age and expertise on pilot decision making. Older and younger expert and novice pilots read at their own pace scenarios describing simpler or more complex flight situations. Then in a standard interview they discussed the scenario problem and how they would respond. Protocols were coded for identification of problem and solutions to this problem, and frequency of elaborations on problem and solution. Scenario comprehension was measured as differential reading time allocation to problem-critical information and scenario memory by the accuracy of answering questions about the scenarios after the interview. All groups accurately identified the problems, but experts elaborated problem descriptions more than novices did. Experts also spent more time reading critical information in the complex scenarios, which may reflect time needed to develop elaborate situation models of the problems. Expertise comprehension benefits were similar for older and younger pilots. Older experts were especially likely to elaborate the problem compared to younger experts, while older novices were less likely to elaborate the problem and to identify appropriate solutions compared to their younger counterparts. The findings suggest age invariance in knowledge-based comprehension relevant to pilot decision making.

Connected vehicle pilot deployment program phase 2 : data privacy plan – New York City.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-12-27

This document represents a data privacy plan for ensuring the data privacy and security of those participating in the New York City connected vehicle pilot. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Sensitive PII (SPII) will be collected from var...

Efficacy of aquatic therapy for multiple sclerosis: a systematic review.

PubMed

Corvillo, Iluminada; Varela, Enrique; Armijo, Francisco; Alvarez-Badillo, Antonio; Armijo, Onica; Maraver, Francisco

2017-12-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory, progressive, disabling autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system. Symptoms and signs of MS vary widely and patients may lose their ability to walk. To date the benefits of aquatic therapy often used for rehabilitation in MS patients have not been reviewed. The aim of this study was to systematically review the current state of aquatic treatment for persons with MS (hydrotherapy, aquatic therapy, aquatic exercises, spa therapy) and to evaluate the scientific evidence supporting the benefits of this therapeutic option. The databases PubMed, Scopus, WoS and PEDro were searched to identify relevant reports published from January 1, 2011 to April 30, 2016. Of 306 articles identified, only 10 fulfilled the inclusion criteria: 5 randomized controlled, 2 simple randomized quasi-experimental, 1 semi-experimental, 1 blind controlled pilot and 1 pilot. Evidence that aquatic treatment improves quality of life in affected patients was very good in two studies, good in four, fair in two and weak in two.

Participation of Asian-American Women in Cancer Treatment Research: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Tung T.; Somkin, Carol P.; Ma, Yifei; Fung, Lei-Chun; Nguyen, Thoa

2006-01-01

Few Asian-American women participate in cancer treatment trials. In a pilot study to assess barriers to participation, we mailed surveys to 132 oncologists and interviewed 19 Asian-American women with cancer from Northern California. Forty-four oncologists responded. They reported as barriers language problems, lack of culturally relevant cancer information, and complex protocols. Most stated that they informed Asian-American women about treatment trials. Only four women interviewed knew about trials. Other patient-identified barriers were fear of side effects, language problems, competing needs, and fear of experimentation. Family decision making was a barrier for both oncologists and patients. Compared to non-Asian oncologists, more Asian oncologists have referred Asian-American women to industry trials and identified barriers similar to patients’ reports. Our findings indicate that Asian-American women need to be informed about cancer treatment trials, linguistic barriers should be addressed, and future research should evaluate cultural barriers such as family decision making. PMID:16287894

Partnering to provide simulated learning to address Interprofessional Education Collaborative core competencies.

PubMed

Murphy, Judy I; Nimmagadda, Jayashree

2015-05-01

Learning to effectively communicate and work with other professionals requires skill, yet interprofessional education is often not included in the undergraduate healthcare provider curriculum. Simulation is an effective pedagogy to bring students from multiple professions together for learning. This article describes a pilot study where nursing and social work students learned together in a simulated learning activity, which was evaluated to by the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). The RIPLS was used before and after the simulated activity to determine if this form of education impacted students' perceptions of readiness to learn together. Students from both professions improved in their RIPLS scores. Students were also asked to identify their interprofessional strengths and challenges before and after the simulation. Changes were identified in qualitative data where reports of strengths and challenges indicated learning and growth had occurred. In conclusion, this pilot study suggests that interprofessional simulation can be an effective method to integrate Interprofessional Education Collaborative core competencies into the curriculum.

Development and initial validation of an Aviation Safety Climate Scale.

PubMed

Evans, Bronwyn; Glendon, A Ian; Creed, Peter A

2007-01-01

A need was identified for a consistent set of safety climate factors to provide a basis for aviation industry benchmarking. Six broad safety climate themes were identified from the literature and consultations with industry safety experts. Items representing each of the themes were prepared and administered to 940 Australian commercial pilots. Data from half of the sample (N=468) were used in an exploratory factor analysis that produced a 3-factor model of Management commitment and communication, Safety training and equipment, and Maintenance. A confirmatory factor analysis on the remaining half of the sample showed the 3-factor model to be an adequate fit to the data. The results of this study have produced a scale of safety climate for aviation that is both reliable and valid. This study developed a tool to assess the level of perceived safety climate, specifically of pilots, but may also, with minor modifications, be used to assess other groups' perceptions of safety climate.

Pilot Non-Conformance to Alerting System Commands During Closely Spaced Parallel Approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pritchett, Amy Ruth; Hansman, R. John; Corker, Kevin (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

Cockpit alerting systems monitor potentially hazardous situations, both inside and outside the aircraft. When a hazard is projected to occur, the alerting system displays alerts and/or command decisions to the pilot. However, pilots have been observed to not conform to alerting system commands by delaying their response or by not following the automatic commands exactly. This non-conformance to the automatic alerting system can reduce its benefit. Therefore, a need exists to understand the causes and effects of pilot non-conformance in order to develop automatic alerting systems whose commands the pilots are more likely to follow. These considerations were examined through flight simulator evaluations of the collision avoidance task during closely spaced parallel approaches. This task provided a useful case-study because the effects of non-conformance can be significant, given the time-critical nature of the task. A preliminary evaluation of alerting systems identified non-conformance in over 40% of the cases and a corresponding drop in collision avoidance performance. A follow-on experiment found subjects' alerting and maneuver selection criteria were consistent with different strategies than those used by automatic systems, indicating the pilot may potentially disagree with the alerting system if the pilot attempts to verify automatic alerts and commanded avoidance maneuvers. A final experiment found supporting automatic alerts with the explicit display of its underlying criteria resulted in more consistent subject reactions. In light of these experimental results, a general discussion of pilot non-conformance is provided. Contributing factors in pilot non-conformance include a lack of confidence in the automatic system and mismatches between the alerting system's commands and the pilots' own decisions based on the information available to them. The effects of non-conformance on system performance are discussed. Possible methods of reconciling mismatches are given, and design considerations for alerting systems which alleviate the problem of non-conformance are provided.

Developing leadership capacity for guideline use: a pilot cluster randomized control trial.

PubMed

Gifford, Wendy A; Davies, Barbara L; Graham, Ian D; Tourangeau, Ann; Woodend, A Kirsten; Lefebre, Nancy

2013-02-01

The importance of leadership to influence nurses' use of clinical guidelines has been well documented. However, little is known about how to develop and evaluate leadership interventions for guideline use. The purpose of this study was to pilot a leadership intervention designed to influence nurses' use of guideline recommendations when caring for patients with diabetic foot ulcers in home care nursing. This paper reports on the feasibility of implementing the study protocol, the trial findings related to nursing process outcomes, and leadership behaviors. A mixed methods pilot study was conducted with a post-only cluster randomized controlled trial and descriptive qualitative interviews. Four units were randomized to control or experimental groups. Clinical and management leadership teams participated in a 12-week leadership intervention (workshop, teleconferences). Participants received summarized chart audit data, identified goals for change, and created a team leadership action. Criteria to assess feasibility of the protocol included: design, intervention, measures, and data collection procedures. For the trial, chart audits compared differences in nursing process outcomes. 8-item nursing assessments score. Secondary outcome: 5-item score of nursing care based on goals for change identified by intervention participants. Qualitative interviews described leadership behaviors that influenced guideline use. Conducting this pilot showed some aspects of the study protocol were feasible, while others require further development. Trial findings observed no significant difference in the primary outcome. A significant increase was observed in the 5-item score chosen by intervention participants (p = 0.02). In the experimental group more relations-oriented leadership behaviors, audit and feedback and reminders were described as leadership strategies. Findings suggest that a leadership intervention has the potential to influence nurses' use of guideline recommendations, but further work is required to refine the intervention and outcome measures. A taxonomy of leadership behaviors is proposed to inform future research. © 2012 The authors. World Views on Evidence-Based Nursing © Sigma Theta Tau International.

Testing the reliability and efficiency of the pilot Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) for systematic mixed studies review.

PubMed

Pace, Romina; Pluye, Pierre; Bartlett, Gillian; Macaulay, Ann C; Salsberg, Jon; Jagosh, Justin; Seller, Robbyn

2012-01-01

Systematic literature reviews identify, select, appraise, and synthesize relevant literature on a particular topic. Typically, these reviews examine primary studies based on similar methods, e.g., experimental trials. In contrast, interest in a new form of review, known as mixed studies review (MSR), which includes qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies, is growing. In MSRs, reviewers appraise studies that use different methods allowing them to obtain in-depth answers to complex research questions. However, appraising the quality of studies with different methods remains challenging. To facilitate systematic MSRs, a pilot Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) has been developed at McGill University (a checklist and a tutorial), which can be used to concurrently appraise the methodological quality of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies. The purpose of the present study is to test the reliability and efficiency of a pilot version of the MMAT. The Center for Participatory Research at McGill conducted a systematic MSR on the benefits of Participatory Research (PR). Thirty-two PR evaluation studies were appraised by two independent reviewers using the pilot MMAT. Among these, 11 (34%) involved nurses as researchers or research partners. Appraisal time was measured to assess efficiency. Inter-rater reliability was assessed by calculating a kappa statistic based on dichotomized responses for each criterion. An appraisal score was determined for each study, which allowed the calculation of an overall intra-class correlation. On average, it took 14 min to appraise a study (excluding the initial reading of articles). Agreement between reviewers was moderate to perfect with regards to MMAT criteria, and substantial with respect to the overall quality score of appraised studies. The MMAT is unique, thus the reliability of the pilot MMAT is promising, and encourages further development. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and pilot test of a process to identify research needs from a systematic review.

PubMed

Saldanha, Ian J; Wilson, Lisa M; Bennett, Wendy L; Nicholson, Wanda K; Robinson, Karen A

2013-05-01

To ensure appropriate allocation of research funds, we need methods for identifying high-priority research needs. We developed and pilot tested a process to identify needs for primary clinical research using a systematic review in gestational diabetes mellitus. We conducted eight steps: abstract research gaps from a systematic review using the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, and Settings (PICOS) framework; solicit feedback from the review authors; translate gaps into researchable questions using the PICOS framework; solicit feedback from multidisciplinary stakeholders at our institution; establish consensus among multidisciplinary external stakeholders on the importance of the research questions using the Delphi method; prioritize outcomes; develop conceptual models to highlight research needs; and evaluate the process. We identified 19 research questions. During the Delphi method, external stakeholders established consensus for 16 of these 19 questions (15 with "high" and 1 with "medium" clinical benefit/importance). We pilot tested an eight-step process to identify clinically important research needs. Before wider application of this process, it should be tested using systematic reviews of other diseases. Further evaluation should include assessment of the usefulness of the research needs generated using this process for primary researchers and funders. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perspectives of Patients, Caregivers and Researchers on Research Priorities in Donation and Transplantation in Canada: A Pilot Workshop.

PubMed

Allard, Julie; Durand, Céline; Anthony, Samantha J; Dumez, Vincent; Hartell, David; Hébert, Marie-Josée; West, Lori J; Wright, Linda; Fortin, Marie-Chantal

2017-02-01

It is vitally important to seek input from key stakeholders to increase the quality and relevance of health-related research and accelerate its adoption into practice. Patients and caregivers have rarely been involved in setting research priorities in the transplantation and donation field. The objectives of this explorative study are: (i) to discuss research priorities within the Canadian National Transplant Research Program during a priority-setting exercise with patients, caregivers, organ donors and researchers and (ii) to compare the identified priorities with research published in 2 prestigious transplantation journals. A pilot workshop attended by 10 patients and caregivers and 5 researchers was held in Montréal (Quebec, Canada) in August 2014 to identify research priorities. Priorities were identified using a thematic analysis of the workshop transcription conducted by multiple coders. These priorities were compared with the topics of research articles published in 2 major transplantation journals between 2012 and 2014. The themes of the 10 research priorities identified by study participants were related to different research domains: social, cultural, and environmental health factors (4); biomedical or clinical (4); and research about health systems and services (2). 26.7% of the research articles published were related to the identified priorities. Thirteen percent looked at ways to improve graft survival and 8.5% looked at the development of tolerance, 2 priorities identified by participants. Fewer than 5% examined the other 8 research priorities identified as important by workshop participants. This is the first study reporting patients' and researchers' priorities in the field of transplantation and donation in Canada. There is a discrepancy between topics that key stakeholders find important and research published in 2 major transplantation journals. The research priorities identified during our initial workshop will be validated through a national survey and workshop.

Identification of a single nucleotide polymorphism indicative of high risk in acute myocardial infarction

PubMed Central

Shalia, Kavita; Saranath, Dhananjaya; Rayar, Jaipreet; Shah, Vinod K.; Mashru, Manoj R.; Soneji, Surendra L.

2017-01-01

Background & objectives: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a major health concern in India. The aim of the study was to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with AMI in patients using dedicated chip and validating the identified SNPs on custom-designed chips using high-throughput microarray analysis. Methods: In pilot phase, 48 AMI patients and 48 healthy controls were screened for SNPs using human CVD55K BeadChip with 48,472 SNP probes on Illumina high-throughput microarray platform. The identified SNPs were validated by genotyping additional 160 patients and 179 controls using custom-made Illumina VeraCode GoldenGate Genotyping Assay. Analysis was carried out using PLINK software. Results: From the pilot phase, 98 SNPs present on 94 genes were identified with increased risk of AMI (odds ratio of 1.84-8.85, P=0.04861-0.003337). Five of these SNPs demonstrated association with AMI in the validation phase (P<0.05). Among these, one SNP rs9978223 on interferon gamma receptor 2 [IFNGR2, interferon (IFN)-gamma transducer 1] gene showed a significant association (P=0.00021) with AMI below Bonferroni corrected P value (P=0.00061). IFNGR2 is the second subunit of the receptor for IFN-gamma, an important cytokine in inflammatory reactions. Interpretation & conclusions: The study identified an SNP rs9978223 on IFNGR2 gene, associated with increased risk in AMI patient from India. PMID:29434065

STS pilot user development program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcdowell, J. R.

1977-01-01

Full exploitation of the STS capabilities will be not only dependent on the extensive use of the STS for known space applications and research, but also on new, innovative ideas of use originating with both current and new users. In recognition of this, NASA has been engaged in a User Development Program for the STS. The program began with four small studies. Each study addressed a separate sector of potential new users to identify techniques and methodologies for user development. The collective results established that a user development function was not only feasible, but necessary for NASA to realize the full potential of the STS. This final report begins with a description of the overall pilot program plan, which involved five specific tasks defined in the contract Statement of Work. Each task is then discussed separately; but two subjects, the development of principal investigators and space processing users, are discussed separately for improved continuity of thought. These discussions are followed by a summary of the primary results and conclusions of the Pilot User Development Program. Specific recommendations of the study are given.

Engaging Overweight Adolescents in a Health and Fitness Program Using Wearable Activity Trackers.

PubMed

Wilson, Marian; Ramsay, Samantha; Young, Kimberly J

Our objectives were to (a) examine feasibility and receptivity of overweight adolescents joining a community-based group fitness program and (b) test preliminary efficacy of a 12-week pilot intervention designed to promote health, fitness, and self-efficacy for the identified teens. The 12-week fitness program for overweight adolescents was developed and included planned physical activities, nutrition classes, and goal-setting sessions. A one-group pre-/posttest study design evaluated 20 participants from grades 10 through 12 who enrolled in the program pilot study. Participants were given a wearable activity tracker that captured data using an Internet-based platform. Outcome measures included body mass index, screen time, fitness, and cardiovascular measures. A community fitness program for overweight adolescents was successfully implemented. High school students were receptive to the intervention and reported high program satisfaction. Positive effects included measurements of strength, systolic blood pressure, weight, and screen time behaviors. This study provides evidence to support the feasibility, acceptance, and preliminary effects of the pilot program with overweight adolescents. Copyright © 2017 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patient-led training on patient safety: a pilot study to test the feasibility and acceptability of an educational intervention.

PubMed

Jha, V; Winterbottom, A; Symons, J; Thompson, Z; Quinton, N; Corrado, O J; Melville, C; Watt, I; Torgerson, D; Wright, J

2013-09-01

Training in patient safety is an important element of medical education. Most educational interventions on patient safety training adopt a 'health-professional lens' with limited consideration on the impact of safety lapses on the patient and their families and little or no involvement of patients in the design or delivery of the training. This paper describes a pilot study to test the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a patient-led educational intervention to facilitate safety training amongst newly qualified doctors. Patients and/or carers who had experienced harm during their care shared narratives of their stories with trainees; this was followed by a focused discussion on patient safety issues exploring the causes and consequences of safety incidents and lessons to be learned from these. The intervention, which will be further tested in an NIHR-funded randomised controlled trial (RCT), was successfully implemented into an existing training programme and found acceptance amongst the patients and trainees. The pilot study proved to be a useful step in refining the intervention for the RCT including identifying appropriate outcome measures and highlighting organisational issues.

Data Quality and Interoperability Challenges for eHealth Exchange Participants: Observations from the Department of Veterans Affairs' Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record Health Pilot Phase.

PubMed

Botts, Nathan; Bouhaddou, Omar; Bennett, Jamie; Pan, Eric; Byrne, Colene; Mercincavage, Lauren; Olinger, Lois; Hunolt, Elaine; Cullen, Theresa

2014-01-01

Authors studied the United States (U.S.) Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) Health pilot phase relative to two attributes of data quality - the adoption of eHealth Exchange data standards, and clinical content exchanged. The VLER Health pilot was an early effort in testing implementation of eHealth Exchange standards and technology. Testing included evaluation of exchange data from the VLER Health pilot sites partners: VA, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and private sector health care organizations. Domains assessed data quality and interoperability as it relates to: 1) conformance with data standards related to the underlying structure of C32 Summary Documents (C32) produced by eHealth Exchange partners; and 2) the types of C32 clinical content exchanged. This analysis identified several standards non-conformance issues in sample C32 files and informed further discourse on the methods needed to effectively monitor Health Information Exchange (HIE) data content and standards conformance.

Provision of contraception after emergency contraception from the pharmacy: evaluating the acceptability of pharmacy for providing sexual and reproductive health services.

PubMed

Michie, L; Cameron, S T; Glasier, A; Chen, Z E; Milne, D; Wilson, S

2016-06-01

Community pharmacies in the United Kingdom (UK) provide sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services such as emergency contraception (EC), although there is scope for provision of additional services. We conducted a pilot study of pharmacy based interventions for initiating effective contraception after EC. By determining the views of participating women and pharmacists we aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to providing interventions from pharmacies routinely. In the pilot study, women presenting for levonorgestrel EC to community pharmacies, were provided with either standard care or one of two interventions: one packet of progestogen-only pills (POPs); or an invitation to present the empty EC packet to a local family planning clinic for contraception. A sample of women participating were asked to undergo a further interview. Operational difficulties with research in the community pharmacy were also documented by the research team. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 women, four from each arm of the pilot study, using a standardised topic guide. Pre- and post-study interviews were conducted with the pharmacists involved. All women welcomed the interventions indicating the benefit of having different options available. They also identified possible advantages and disadvantages of each intervention. All pharmacists were positive about their involvement in the study. Methodological problems included difficulty in retention of participating pharmacists, slow recruitment and failure to accurately complete study paperwork. Women welcomed the interventions offered. Pharmacists viewed their participation in the study positively. The problems encountered provide valuable feedback to inform the development larger scale studies of such interventions. Copyright © 2015 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ASTP Visual Observation Debriefing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

This document is the transcription of the post-flight experiments debriefing conducted by the ASTP (Apollo Soyuz Test Project) crew at the Lunar Science Institute on August 12, 1975. The companion document to this transcription is the Experiments Debriefing. Where possible, questioners have been identified by their last names. However, the attendees and questioners are too numerous to identify or list here. The astronaut participants are as follows: Thomas P. Stafford, Commander; Vance D. Brand, Command Module Pilot; Donald K. Slayton, Docking Module Pilot.

Piloting Changes to Changing Aircraft Dynamics: What Do Pilots Need to Know?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trujillo, Anna C.; Gregory, Irene M.

2011-01-01

An experiment was conducted to quantify the effects of changing dynamics on a subject s ability to track a signal in order to eventually model a pilot adapting to changing aircraft dynamics. The data will be used to identify primary aircraft dynamics variables that influence changes in pilot s response and produce a simplified pilot model that incorporates this relationship. Each run incorporated a different set of second-order aircraft dynamics representing short period transfer function pitch attitude response: damping ratio, frequency, gain, zero location, and time delay. The subject s ability to conduct the tracking task was the greatest source of root mean square error tracking variability. As for the aircraft dynamics, the factors that affected the subjects ability to conduct the tracking were the time delay, frequency, and zero location. In addition to creating a simplified pilot model, the results of the experiment can be utilized in an advisory capacity. A situation awareness/prediction aid based on the pilot behavior and aircraft dynamics may help tailor pilot s inputs more quickly so that PIO or an upset condition can be avoided.

Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm--a pilot study in six medical schemes.

PubMed

Rothberg, Alan D; McLeod, Heather; Walters, Laubi; Veller, Martin

2007-01-01

A pilot study to assess the feasibility and affordability of a targeted screening programme for abdominal aortic aneurysms in a group of employer-based medical schemes. Administrative database review and data extraction. Member enrolment by mail. Analysis using simple descriptive statistics. Review of international experience. Screening uptake and findings, type and cost of interventions recommended by providers. Database review identified 2187 age-eligible subjects (males between 60 and 65 years) who were advised to consult with their doctor/s if they had a history of smoking/and or cardiovascular disease. Two hundred and seven were referred for abdominal ultrasound screening, and aneurysms > or = 3.0 cm were found in 11 (5.3%). Only 1 subject had an aneurysm of sufficient size to justify early surgical intervention, and which resulted in the patient's death. Total cost of this pilot study approached R1 million. Analysis indicated that the sampling rate would have to be increased if such a programme were to be introduced as a routine medical benefit. International experience has been that screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms reduces morbidity and mortality but at a significant cost. Opinion of the researchers and trustees of the participating medical schemes was that this cost would be beyond the means of schemes at this time. Screening programmes, particularly those that increase health care costs in the early phases by identifying subjects for costly interventions, are unlikely to enjoy support as long as the health funding environment maintains its focus on short-term costs and benefits.

Chronic care coordination by integrating care through a team-based, population-driven approach: a case study.

PubMed

van Eeghen, Constance O; Littenberg, Benjamin; Kessler, Rodger

2018-05-23

Patients with chronic conditions frequently experience behavioral comorbidities to which primary care cannot easily respond. This study observed a Vermont family medicine practice with integrated medical and behavioral health services that use a structured approach to implement a chronic care management system with Lean. The practice chose to pilot a population-based approach to improve outcomes for patients with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes using a stepped-care model with an interprofessional team including a community health nurse. This case study observed the team's use of Lean, with which it designed and piloted a clinical algorithm composed of patient self-assessment, endorsement of behavioral goals, shared documentation of goals and plans, and follow-up. The team redesigned workflows and measured reach (patients who engaged to the end of the pilot), outcomes (HbA1c results), and process (days between HbA1c tests). The researchers evaluated practice member self-reports about the use of Lean and facilitators and barriers to move from pilot to larger scale applications. Of 20 eligible patients recruited over 3 months, 10 agreed to participate and 9 engaged fully (45%); 106 patients were controls. Relative to controls, outcomes and process measures improved but lacked significance. Practice members identified barriers that prevented implementation of all changes needed but were in agreement that the pilot produced useful outcomes. A systematized, population-based, chronic care management service is feasible in a busy primary care practice. To test at scale, practice leadership will need to allocate staffing, invest in shared documentation, and standardize workflows to streamline office practice responsibilities.

Assessment of Services for Retired and Senior Citizens in Labette County (A Pilot Study).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Usera, John J.; Martin, Jack W.

In November 1988, a study was conducted to identify factors contributing to the quality of life of retired persons in southeast Kansas. A random sample of 366 Labette County residents over 59 years of age was surveyed by mail regarding their social life, housing, income, health, and the social and economic environment in Kansas. Study findings,…

Exploring strategies to promote middle school student participation in the school breakfast program

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Providing a school breakfast to students may be a practical intervention that improves energy balance, nutrient intake, and school academic achievement variables. The purpose of this pilot study was to identify the ecological factors influencing middle school student school breakfast participation a...

Preliminary Exploration of Adaptive State Predictor Based Human Operator Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trujillo, Anna C.; Gregory, Irene M.

2012-01-01

Control-theoretic modeling of the human operator dynamic behavior in manual control tasks has a long and rich history. In the last two decades, there has been a renewed interest in modeling the human operator. There has also been significant work on techniques used to identify the pilot model of a given structure. The purpose of this research is to attempt to go beyond pilot identification based on collected experimental data and to develop a predictor of pilot behavior. An experiment was conducted to quantify the effects of changing aircraft dynamics on an operator s ability to track a signal in order to eventually model a pilot adapting to changing aircraft dynamics. A gradient descent estimator and a least squares estimator with exponential forgetting used these data to predict pilot stick input. The results indicate that individual pilot characteristics and vehicle dynamics did not affect the accuracy of either estimator method to estimate pilot stick input. These methods also were able to predict pilot stick input during changing aircraft dynamics and they may have the capability to detect a change in a subject due to workload, engagement, etc., or the effects of changes in vehicle dynamics on the pilot.

Assessment of allowance mechanism China's carbon trading pilots

DOE PAGES

Xiong, Ling; Shen, Bo; Qi, Shaozhou; ...

2015-08-28

The allowance mechanism is one of the core and sensitive aspects in design of a carbon trading scheme and affects the compliance cost for each company covered under the scheme. By examining China's allowance mechanism from two aspects including allowance allocation and allowance distribution, this paper compares China's carbon trading pilots with the EU Emissions Trading System and California Cap-and-Trade Program, and through the comparison identify issues that affect the efficiency of the pilots. The paper also recommends course of actions to strengthen China's existing pilots and build valuable experiences for the establishment of the national cap-and-trade system in China.

Flight deck crew coordination indices of workload and situation awareness in terminal operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellis, Kyle Kent Edward

Crew coordination in the context of aviation is a specifically choreographed set of tasks performed by each pilot, defined for each phase of flight. Based on the constructs of effective Crew Resource Management and SOPs for each phase of flight, a shared understanding of crew workload and task responsibility is considered representative of well-coordinated crews. Nominal behavior is therefore defined by SOPs and CRM theory, detectable through pilot eye-scan. This research investigates the relationship between the eye-scan exhibited by each pilot and the level of coordination between crewmembers. Crew coordination was evaluated based on each pilot's understanding of the other crewmember's workload. By contrasting each pilot's workload-understanding, crew coordination was measured as the summed absolute difference of each pilot's understanding of the other crewmember's reported workload, resulting in a crew coordination index. The crew coordination index rates crew coordination on a scale ranging across Excellent, Good, Fair and Poor. Eye-scan behavior metrics were found to reliably identify a reduction in crew coordination. Additionally, crew coordination was successfully characterized by eye-scan behavior data using machine learning classification methods. Identifying eye-scan behaviors on the flight deck indicative of reduced crew coordination can be used to inform training programs and design enhanced avionics that improve the overall coordination between the crewmembers and the flight deck interface. Additionally, characterization of crew coordination can be used to develop methods to increase shared situation awareness and crew coordination to reduce operational and flight technical errors. Ultimately, the ability to reduce operational and flight technical errors made by pilot crews improves the safety of aviation.

Vestibular rehabilitation using video gaming in adults with dizziness: a pilot study.

PubMed

Phillips, J S; Fitzgerald, J; Phillis, D; Underwood, A; Nunney, I; Bath, A

2018-03-01

To determine the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation using the Wii Fit balance platform, in adults with dizziness. A single-site prospective clinical trial was conducted in a university hospital in the UK. Forty patients with dizziness, who would normally be candidates for vestibular rehabilitation, were identified and considered as potential participants. Participants were randomised into either the treatment group (the Wii Fit group) or the control group (standard customised vestibular rehabilitation protocol). Participants were assessed over a 16-week period using several balance and quality of life questionnaires. Both exercise regimes resulted in a reduction of dizziness and an improvement in quality of life scores over time, but no statistically significant difference between the two interventions was identified. This pilot study demonstrated that use of the Wii Fit balance platform resulted in a statistically significant improvement in balance function and quality of life. Furthermore, outcomes were comparable to a similar group of individuals following a standard customised vestibular rehabilitation protocol. The study provides useful information to inform the design and execution of a larger clinical trial.

Ergonomics, safety, and resilience in the helicopter offshore transportation system of Campos Basin.

PubMed

Gomes, José Orlando; Huber, Gilbert J; Borges, Marcos R S; de Carvalho, Paulo Victor R

2015-01-01

Air transportation of personnel to offshore oil platforms is one of the major hazards of this kind of endeavor. Pilot performance is a key factor in the safety of the transportation system. This study seeks to identify the ergonomic factors present in pilots' activities that may in some way compromise or enhance their performance, the constraints and affordances which they are subject to; and where possible to link these to their associated risk factors. Methodology adopted in this project studies work in its context. It is a merging of Activity Analysis (Guerin et al. 2001) of European tradition with Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA - www.ctaresource.com) articulated with the recent approaches to cognitive systems engineering developed by Professors David Woods and Erik Hollnagel. Fifty-five hours of field interviews provided the input for analysis. Sixteen ergonomic constraints were identified, some cognitive, some physical, all considered relevant by the research subjects and expert advisers. Although the safety record of the personnel transportation system studied is considered acceptable, there is low hanging fruit to be picked which can help improve the system's safety.

A Pilot Study to Examine the Relationship Between Napping and Fatigue in Nurses Practicing on the Night Shift.

PubMed

Neville, Kathleen; Velmer, Gillian; Brown, Shari; Robol, Nancy

2017-11-01

The aim of this study is to explore the relationship of night-shift napping on fatigue. Nurses' fatigue, especially at night, interferes with quality of life and job performance and impacts safety and health. Night-shift nurses completed the Brief Fatigue Inventory and a demographic information sheet to determine differences in fatigue between nurses who napped during their night shift as compared with nurses who did not nap. No statistically significant differences in global fatigue were found; differences in rotating shift, age, and, gender were identified. Rotating shifts, a 2nd job, and caring for family predicted fatigue. Based on this pilot study, further investigations of fatigue among night-shift nurses are needed as well as evidence-based support to promote sleep.

Parent Perception of Two Eye-Gaze Control Technology Systems in Young Children with Cerebral Palsy: Pilot Study.

PubMed

Karlsson, Petra; Wallen, Margaret

2017-01-01

Eye-gaze control technology enables people with significant physical disability to access computers for communication, play, learning and environmental control. This pilot study used a multiple case study design with repeated baseline assessment and parents' evaluations to compare two eye-gaze control technology systems to identify any differences in factors such as ease of use and impact of the systems for their young children. Five children, aged 3 to 5 years, with dyskinetic cerebral palsy, and their families participated. Overall, families were satisfied with both the Tobii PCEye Go and myGaze® eye tracker, found them easy to position and use, and children learned to operate them quickly. This technology provides young children with important opportunities for learning, play, leisure, and developing communication.

Aviation spatial orientation in relationship to head position, altitude interpretation, and control.

PubMed

Smith, D R; Cacioppo, A J; Hinman, G E

1997-06-01

Recently, a visually driven neck reflex was identified as causing head tilt toward the horizon during VMC flight. If this is the case, then pilots orient about a fixed rather than moving horizon, implying current attitude instruments inaccurately present spatial information. The purpose of this study was to determine if the opto-kinetic cervical neck reflex has an effect dependent on passive (autopilot) or active control of the aircraft. Further, findings could help determine if the opto-kinetic cervical reflex is characteristic of other flight crewmembers. There were 16 military pilots who flew two 13-min VMC low-level routes in a large dome flight simulator. Head position in relation to aircraft bank angle was recorded by a head tracker device. During one low-level route, the pilot had a supervisory role as the autopilot flew the aircraft (passive). The other route was flow manually by the pilot (active). Pilots consistently tilted the head to maintain alignment with the horizon. Similar head tilt angles were found in both the active and passive flight phases. However, head tilt had a faster onset rate in the passive condition. Results indicate the opto-kinetic cervical reflex affects pilots while actively flying or in a supervisory role as the autopilot flies. The consistent head tilt angles in both conditions should be considered in attitude indicator, HUD, and HMD designs. Further, results seem to indicate that non-pilot flight crewmembers are affected by the opto-kinetic cervical reflex which should be considered in spatial disorientation and airsickness discussions.

Studies on Training Ground Observers to Estimate Range to Aerial Targets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCluskey, Michael R.; And Others

Six pilot studies were conducted to determine the effects of training on range estimation performance for aerial targets, and to identify some of the relevant variables. Observers were trained to estimate ranges of 350, 400, 800, 1,500, or 2,500 meters. Several variations of range estimation training methods were used, including immediate…

Enhancing Digital Access to Learning Materials for Canadians with Perceptual Disabilities: A Pilot Study. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lockerby, Christina; Breau, Rachel; Zuvela, Biljana

2006-01-01

By exploring the experiences of participants with DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) Talking Books, the study reported in this article not only discovered how people who are blind, visually impaired, and/or print-disabled read DAISY books, but also identified participants' perceptions of DAISY as being particularly useful in their…

Dropout! An Evaluation of A Pilot Dropout Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dye, Robert P.; And Others

This report evaluated a project designed to identify, locate, and assist high school dropouts in Oahu, Hawaii. The study group consisted of 105 males and 145 females. Former dropouts were used as outreach aides to: (1) contact potential dropouts in the schools, and (2) to assist the student in resolving his difficulty. The study revealed that most…

Development of a Health Literacy Assessment for Young Adult College Students: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harper, Raquel

2014-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop a comprehensive health literacy assessment tool for young adult college students. Participants: Participants were 144 undergraduate students. Methods: Two hundred and twenty-nine questions were developed, which were based on concepts identified by the US Department of Health and Human Services,…

The Big Picture: Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of "Expert" Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKinnon, Merryn; Perara, Sean

2015-01-01

This study adapted the Draw-A-Science-Teacher Test to compare 22 pre-service teachers' perceptions of their own strengths as science teachers against their perceived strengths of expert science teachers. The drawings identified a disconnection between theory and practice that we revisit in the literature. Our findings from this pilot study are…

A Pilot Study Related to Identification, Placement, and Curriculum Development for Academically Underprepared Students in Florida Junior Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Task Force on Testing.

This study investigated the limitation of using only achievement test batteries to identify and place academically underprepared students, and suggests curriculum innovations to deal more adequately with the problem. Ninety students at Daytona Beach and Santa Fe junior colleges provided data by completing a series of physical, psychological, and…

Barriers and Supports for Continuing in Mathematics and Science: Gender and Educational Level Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fouad, Nadya A.; Hackett, Gail; Smith, Philip L.; Kantamneni, Neeta; Fitzpatrick, Mary; Haag, Susan; Spencer, Dee

2010-01-01

This article presents three studies that provide an in-depth examination of STEM-related supports and barriers. These studies constructed an instrument to identify male and female perceptions of the barriers and supports for pursuing coursework and/or careers in mathematics and sciences domains; to pilot test and refine that instrument; and then…

Liaison Roles in the Communication Structure of a Formal Organization: A Pilot Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwartz, Donald F.

The purpose of this study was first to map the functional communication structure of a 142-member formal organization, then to analyze that structure to identify work groups (Cliques) and interlinking liaison role persons, and finally to describe certain differences between liaison persons and nonliaison members of the work groups as perceived by…

Biological Conversion of Sugars to Hydrocarbons Technology Pathway

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

Davis, Ryan; Biddy, Mary J.; Tan, Eric

2013-03-31

In support of the Bioenergy Technologies Office, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are undertaking studies of biomass conversion technologies to identify barriers and target research toward reducing conversion costs. Process designs and preliminary economic estimates for each of these pathway cases were developed using rigorous modeling tools (Aspen Plus and Chemcad). These analyses incorporated the best information available at the time of development, including data from recent pilot and bench-scale demonstrations, collaborative industrial and academic partners, and published literature and patents. This technology pathway case investigates the biological conversion of biomass derivedmore » sugars to hydrocarbon biofuels, utilizing data from recent literature references and information consistent with recent pilot scale demonstrations at NREL. Technical barriers and key research needs have been identified that should be pursued for the pathway to become competitive with petroleum-derived gasoline, diesel and jet range hydrocarbon blendstocks.« less

Civil mini-RPA's for the 1980's: Avionics design considerations. [remotely piloted vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karmarkar, J. S.

1975-01-01

A number of remote sensing or surveillance tasks (e.g., fire fighting, crop monitoring) in the civilian sector of our society may be performed in a cost effective manner by use of small remotely piloted aircraft (RPA). This study was conducted to determine equipment (and the associated technology) that is available, and that could be applied to the mini-RPA and to examine the potential applications of the mini-RPA with special emphasis on the wild fire surveillance mission. The operational considerations of using the mini-RPA as affected by government regulatory agencies were investigated. These led to equipment requirements (e.g., infra-red sensors) over and above those for the performance of the mission. A computer technology survey and forecast was performed. Key subsystems were identified, and a distributed microcomputer configuration, that was functionally modular, was recommended. Areas for further NASA research and development activity were also identified.

Gender effects on mental rotation in pilots vs. nonpilots.

PubMed

Verde, Paola; Piccardi, Laura; Bianchini, Filippo; Trivelloni, Pierandrea; Guariglia, Cecilia; Tomao, Enrico

2013-07-01

Mental rotation ability has an important role in human navigation and, together with other cognitive abilities such as processing speed, working memory, and attention, is crucial for aircraft navigation. In the human performance literature, mental rotation tasks have consistently yielded reports of gender differences favoring men. The aim of this study was to compare the gender difference measured in a specialized population of aviators vs. a matched population of nonpilots. : Studied were 41 pilots (20 men and 21 women) and 38 nonpilots (20 men and 18 women) matched for age and education. Pilots were stratified for flying hours. Participants performed a mental rotation task (MRT) in which accuracy and response time were recorded, and also completed sense-of-direction (SOD) and spatial cognitive styles self-evaluation scales. Men had significantly smaller response time in the MRT (men 279.6 +/- 147.0 s, women 401.6 +/- 361.3) and greater SOD (men's score 49.1 +/- 8.6, women's score 46.6 +/- 7.8), but these differences were absent among pilots. A positive relationship was also identified between pilots' response times and their flight hours. These data suggest that the effect of gender on the speed of cognitive spatial processing is absent in a population with aviation experience. Gender effects may be associated with a low spatial cognitive style, whereas in groups such as aviators, who are expected to have high spatial cognitive style, other factors such as experience may come into play.

Mars 2020 Model Based Systems Engineering Pilot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dukes, Alexandra Marie

2017-01-01

The pilot study is led by the Integration Engineering group in NASA's Launch Services Program (LSP). The Integration Engineering (IE) group is responsible for managing the interfaces between the spacecraft and launch vehicle. This pilot investigates the utility of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) with respect to managing and verifying interface requirements. The main objectives of the pilot are to model several key aspects of the Mars 2020 integrated operations and interface requirements based on the design and verification artifacts from Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) and to demonstrate how MBSE could be used by LSP to gain further insight on the interface between the spacecraft and launch vehicle as well as to enhance how LSP manages the launch service. The method used to accomplish this pilot started through familiarization of SysML, MagicDraw, and the Mars 2020 and MSL systems through books, tutorials, and NASA documentation. MSL was chosen as the focus of the model since its processes and verifications translate easily to the Mars 2020 mission. The study was further focused by modeling specialized systems and processes within MSL in order to demonstrate the utility of MBSE for the rest of the mission. The systems chosen were the In-Flight Disconnect (IFD) system and the Mass Properties process. The IFD was chosen as a system of focus since it is an interface between the spacecraft and launch vehicle which can demonstrate the usefulness of MBSE from a system perspective. The Mass Properties process was chosen as a process of focus since the verifications for mass properties occur throughout the lifecycle and can demonstrate the usefulness of MBSE from a multi-discipline perspective. Several iterations of both perspectives have been modeled and evaluated. While the pilot study will continue for another 2 weeks, pros and cons of using MBSE for LSP IE have been identified. A pro of using MBSE includes an integrated view of the disciplines, requirements, and verifications leading up to launch. The model allows IE to understand the relationships between disciplines throughout test activities and verifications. Additionally, the relationships between disciplines and integration tasks are generally consistent. The model allows for the generic relationships and tasks to be captured and used throughout multiple mission models should LSP further pursue MBSE. A con of MBSE is the amount of time it takes upfront to understand MBSE and create a useful model. The upfront time it takes to create a useful model is heavily discussed in MBSE literature and is a consistent con throughout the known applications of MBSE. The need to understand SysML and the software chosen also poses the possibility of a "bottleneck" or one person being the sole MBSE user for the working group. The utility of MBSE will continue to be evaluated through the remainder of the study. In conclusion, the original objectives of the pilot study were to use artifacts from MSL to model key aspects of Mars 2020 and demonstrate how MBSE could be used by LSP to gain insight into the spacecraft and launch vehicle interfaces. Progress has been made in modeling and identifying the utility of MBSE to LSP IE and will continue to be made until the pilot study's conclusion in mid-August. The results of this study will produce initial models, modeling instructions and examples, and a summary of MBSE's utility for future use by LSP.

Jello Shot Consumption among Older Adolescents: A Pilot Study of a Newly Identified Public Health Problem

PubMed Central

Binakonsky, Jane; Giga, Noreen; Ross, Craig; Siegel, Michael

2011-01-01

We investigated the extent of jello shot consumption among underage youth. We conducted a pilot study among a non-random national sample of 108 drinkers, ages 16-20 years, recruited from the Knowledge Networks internet panel in 2010 using consecutive sampling. The prevalence of past 30-day jello shot consumption among the 108 16-20 year-old drinkers in our sample was 21.4% and among those who consumed jello shots, the percentage of alcohol consumption attributable to jello shots averaged 14.5%. We conclude that jello shot use is prevalent among youth, representing a substantial proportion of their alcohol intake. Surveillance of youth alcohol use should include jello shot consumption. PMID:21174500

The Effects of Shared Information on Pilot-Controller Situation Awareness And Re-Route Negotiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farley, Todd C.; Hansman, R. John; Endsley, Mica R.; Amonlirdviman, Keith

1999-01-01

The effect of shared information is assessed in terms of pilot-controller negotiating behavior and shared situation awareness. Pilot goals and situation awareness requirements are developed and compared against those of air traffic controllers to identify areas of common and competing interest. An exploratory, part-task simulator experiment is described which evaluates the extent to which shared information may lead pilots and controllers to cooperate or compete when negotiating route amendments. Results are presented which indicate that shared information enhances situation awareness and can engender more collaborative interaction between pilots and air traffic controllers. Furthermore, the value of providing controllers with a good-quality weather overlay on their plan view displays is demonstrated. Observed improvements in situation awareness and separation assurance are discussed.

Intelligent Weather Agent

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spirkovska, Liljana (Inventor)

2006-01-01

Method and system for automatically displaying, visually and/or audibly and/or by an audible alarm signal, relevant weather data for an identified aircraft pilot, when each of a selected subset of measured or estimated aviation situation parameters, corresponding to a given aviation situation, has a value lying in a selected range. Each range for a particular pilot may be a default range, may be entered by the pilot and/or may be automatically determined from experience and may be subsequently edited by the pilot to change a range and to add or delete parameters describing a situation for which a display should be provided. The pilot can also verbally activate an audible display or visual display of selected information by verbal entry of a first command or a second command, respectively, that specifies the information required.

38 CFR 64.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... THE RURAL VETERANS COORDINATION PILOT (RVCP) § 64.2 Definitions. For the purpose of this part and any... health care means residing in an area identified by the Health Resources and Services Administration of... area classified as “rural” by the U.S. Census Bureau. Rural Veterans Coordination Pilot (RVCP) refers...

38 CFR 64.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... THE RURAL VETERANS COORDINATION PILOT (RVCP) § 64.2 Definitions. For the purpose of this part and any... health care means residing in an area identified by the Health Resources and Services Administration of... area classified as “rural” by the U.S. Census Bureau. Rural Veterans Coordination Pilot (RVCP) refers...

75 FR 30908 - Notice of Funds Availability for FY 2010

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-02

... for the FY 2010 funding round of the Financial Education and Counseling (FEC) Pilot Program... Counseling Services to Prospective Homebuyers. The goals of grants that are awarded through the FEC Pilot Program are to identify successful methods of Financial Education and Counseling Services that result in...

76 FR 47614 - Post Office Closing

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-05

... POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. A2011-35; Order No. 786] Post Office Closing AGENCY... the closing of the Pilot Grove, Iowa post office has been filed. It identifies preliminary steps and... determination to close the post office in Pilot Grove, Iowa. The first petition was filed by Sylvan J. Nichting...

An Open Learner Model for Trainee Pilots

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gakhal, Inderdip; Bull, Susan

2008-01-01

This paper investigates the potential for simple open learner models for highly motivated, independent learners, using the example of trainee pilots. In particular we consider whether such users access their learner model to help them identify their current knowledge level, areas of difficulty and specific misconceptions, to help them plan their…

Development and Implementation of High-Throughput SNP Genotyping in Barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Approximately 22,000 SNPs were identified from barley ESTs and sequenced amplicons; 4,596 of them were tested for performance in three pilot phase Illumina GoldenGate assays. Pilot phase data from three barley doubled haploid mapping populations supported the production of an initial consensus map, ...

Barriers to School Restructuring.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheane, Kim; Bierlein, Louann

In 1990, the Arizona legislature initiated the Arizona School Restructuring Pilot Project. This report identifies local- and state-level barriers encountered in the first 2 years. Outcomes are presented for the 15 pilot schools--11 elementary and 4 high schools--that were selected in a competitive grant process. Data were collected through school…

Proceedings of the Workshop on Flight Testing to Identify Pilot Workload and Pilot Dynamics Held at the Edwards AFB, California on 19-21 January 1982

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-05-01

precognitive stages or, in other words, a *Adaptation changes strategy and performance in a new environment, whereas learning or skill development changes...expect the pursuit level of operation to have a lower PML than the compen- satory stage.. 3. Final stage ( precognitive control). At this level of skill...in degraded system performance, if not failure. The compensatory-pursuit- precognitive pathways structure is suitable to represent not only a pilot or

A standardized curriculum to introduce novice health professional students to practice-based learning and improvement: a multi-institutional pilot study.

PubMed

Huntington, Jonathan T; Dycus, Paula; Hix, Carolyn; West, Rita; McKeon, Leslie; Coleman, Mary T; Hathaway, Donna; McCurren, Cynthia; Ogrinc, Greg

2009-01-01

Practice-based learning and improvement (PBLI) combines the science of continuous quality improvement with the pragmatics of day-to-day clinical care delivery. PBLI is a core-learning domain in nursing and medical education. We developed a workbook-based, project-focused curriculum to teach PBLI to novice health professional students. Evaluate the efficacy of a standardized curriculum to teach PBLI. Nonrandomized, controlled trial with medical and nursing students from 3 institutions. Faculty used the workbook to facilitate completion of an improvement project with 16 participants. Both participants and controls (N = 15) completed instruments to measure PBLI knowledge and self-efficacy. Participants also completed a satisfaction survey and presented project posters at a national conference. There was no significant difference in PBLI knowledge between groups. Self-efficacy of participants was higher than that of controls in identifying best practice, identifying measures, identifying successful local improvement work, implementing a structured change plan, and using Plan-Do-Study-Act methodology. Participant satisfaction with the curriculum was high. Although PBLI knowledge was similar between groups, participants had higher self-efficacy and confidently disseminated their findings via formal poster presentation. This pilot study suggests that using a workbook-based, project-focused approach may be effective in teaching PBLI to novice health professional students.

A Pilot Proteogenomic Study with Data Integration Identifies MCT1 and GLUT1 as Prognostic Markers in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Stewart, Paul A; Parapatics, Katja; Welsh, Eric A; Müller, André C; Cao, Haoyun; Fang, Bin; Koomen, John M; Eschrich, Steven A; Bennett, Keiryn L; Haura, Eric B

2015-01-01

We performed a pilot proteogenomic study to compare lung adenocarcinoma to lung squamous cell carcinoma using quantitative proteomics (6-plex TMT) combined with a customized Affymetrix GeneChip. Using MaxQuant software, we identified 51,001 unique peptides that mapped to 7,241 unique proteins and from these identified 6,373 genes with matching protein expression for further analysis. We found a minor correlation between gene expression and protein expression; both datasets were able to independently recapitulate known differences between the adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma subtypes. We found 565 proteins and 629 genes to be differentially expressed between adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, with 113 of these consistently differentially expressed at both the gene and protein levels. We then compared our results to published adenocarcinoma versus squamous cell carcinoma proteomic data that we also processed with MaxQuant. We selected two proteins consistently overexpressed in squamous cell carcinoma in all studies, MCT1 (SLC16A1) and GLUT1 (SLC2A1), for further investigation. We found differential expression of these same proteins at the gene level in our study as well as in other public gene expression datasets. These findings combined with survival analysis of public datasets suggest that MCT1 and GLUT1 may be potential prognostic markers in adenocarcinoma and druggable targets in squamous cell carcinoma. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD002622.

Pilot Performance With Predictive System Status Information

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trujillo, Anna C.

1997-01-01

Research has shown a strong pilot preference for predictive information of aircraft system status in the flight deck. However, the benefits of predictive information have not been quantitatively demonstrated. The study described here attempted to identify and quantify these benefits if they existed. In this simulator experiment, three types of predictive information (none, whether a parameter was changing abnormally, and the time for a parameter to reach an alert range) and four initial times to an alert (1 minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes, and ETA+ 45 minutes) were found to affect when subjects accomplished certain actions, such as accessing pertinent checklists, declaring emergencies, diverting, and calling the flight attendant and dispatch.

[Surveillance of work-related suicide in France: An exploratory study].

PubMed

Bossard, C; Santin, G; Lopez, V; Imbernon, E; Cohidon, C

2016-06-01

Despite a large media coverage of the phenomenon, the number of work-related suicides is currently unknown in France. There are nevertheless some data available to document this important issue. The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of an epidemiological surveillance system for work-related suicides designed to quantify and describe work-related suicides mainly according to economic sectors and occupational categories. Existing data sources in France were identified and evaluated for their relevance and their potential use in a multi-sources surveillance system. A regional pilot study was performed using the main relevant sources identified to investigate different aspects of the system design. Four major data sources were identified to be used to describe work-related suicides: death certificates, social insurance funds, data collected by the officers of the labor inspectorate and data collected from autopsy reports in forensic departments. The regional pilot study gave an estimate of 28 cases of work-related suicide in two years. The findings point out the difficulties involved and the criteria for successful implement of such a system. The study provides some solutions for carrying out this system, the achievement of which will depend upon particular resources and partners' agreements. Recommendations for the next steps have been made based on this work, including possible collaboration with forensic departments, which collect essential data for surveillance. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Effect of Aromatherapy Massage on Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathic Pain and Fatigue in Patients Receiving Oxaliplatin: An Open Label Quasi-Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

PubMed

Izgu, Nur; Ozdemir, Leyla; Bugdayci Basal, Fatma

2017-12-02

Patients receiving oxaliplatin may experience peripheral neuropathic pain and fatigue. Aromatherapy massage, a nonpharmacological method, may help to control these symptoms. The aim of this open-label, parallel-group, quasi-randomized controlled pilot study was to investigate the effect of aromatherapy massage on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathic pain and fatigue in patients receiving oxaliplatin. Stratified randomization was used to allocate 46 patients to 2 groups: intervention (n = 22) and control (n = 24). Between week 1 and week 6, participants in the intervention group (IG) received aromatherapy massage 3 times a week. There was no intervention in weeks 7 and 8. The control group (CG) received routine care. Neuropathic pain was identified using the Douleur Neuropathique 4 Questions; severity of painful paresthesia was assessed with the numerical rating scale; fatigue severity was identified with the Piper Fatigue Scale. At week 6, the rate of neuropathic pain was significantly lower in the IG, when compared with the CG. The severity of painful paresthesia based on numerical rating scale in the IG was significantly lower than that in the CG at weeks 2, 4, and 6. At week 8, fatigue severity in the IG was significantly lower when compared with CG (P < .05). Aromatherapy massage may be useful in the management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathic pain and fatigue. This pilot study suggests that aromatherapy massage may be useful to relieve neuropathic pain and fatigue. However, there is a need for further clinical trials to validate the results of this study.

Single-cell genomic profiling of acute myeloid leukemia for clinical use: A pilot study

PubMed Central

Yan, Benedict; Hu, Yongli; Ban, Kenneth H.K.; Tiang, Zenia; Ng, Christopher; Lee, Joanne; Tan, Wilson; Chiu, Lily; Tan, Tin Wee; Seah, Elaine; Ng, Chin Hin; Chng, Wee-Joo; Foo, Roger

2017-01-01

Although bulk high-throughput genomic profiling studies have led to a significant increase in the understanding of cancer biology, there is increasing awareness that bulk profiling approaches do not completely elucidate tumor heterogeneity. Single-cell genomic profiling enables the distinction of tumor heterogeneity, and may improve clinical diagnosis through the identification and characterization of putative subclonal populations. In the present study, the challenges associated with a single-cell genomics profiling workflow for clinical diagnostics were investigated. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on 20 cells from an acute myeloid leukemia bone marrow sample. Putative blasts were identified based on their gene expression profiles and principal component analysis was performed to identify outlier cells. Variant calling was performed on the single-cell RNA-seq data. The present pilot study demonstrates a proof of concept for clinical single-cell genomic profiling. The recognized limitations include significant stochastic RNA loss and the relatively low throughput of the current proposed platform. Although the results of the present study are promising, further technological advances and protocol optimization are necessary for single-cell genomic profiling to be clinically viable. PMID:28454300

Analysis of Complexity Evolution Management and Human Performance Issues in Commercial Aircraft Automation Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vakil, Sanjay S.; Hansman, R. John

2000-01-01

Autoflight systems in the current generation of aircraft have been implicated in several recent incidents and accidents. A contributory aspect to these incidents may be the manner in which aircraft transition between differing behaviours or 'modes.' The current state of aircraft automation was investigated and the incremental development of the autoflight system was tracked through a set of aircraft to gain insight into how these systems developed. This process appears to have resulted in a system without a consistent global representation. In order to evaluate and examine autoflight systems, a 'Hybrid Automation Representation' (HAR) was developed. This representation was used to examine several specific problems known to exist in aircraft systems. Cyclomatic complexity is an analysis tool from computer science which counts the number of linearly independent paths through a program graph. This approach was extended to examine autoflight mode transitions modelled with the HAR. A survey was conducted of pilots to identify those autoflight mode transitions which airline pilots find difficult. The transitions identified in this survey were analyzed using cyclomatic complexity to gain insight into the apparent complexity of the autoflight system from the perspective of the pilot. Mode transitions which had been identified as complex by pilots were found to have a high cyclomatic complexity. Further examination was made into a set of specific problems identified in aircraft: the lack of a consistent representation of automation, concern regarding appropriate feedback from the automation, and the implications of physical limitations on the autoflight systems. Mode transitions involved in changing to and leveling at a new altitude were identified across multiple aircraft by numerous pilots. Where possible, evaluation and verification of the behaviour of these autoflight mode transitions was investigated via aircraft-specific high fidelity simulators. Three solution approaches to concerns regarding autoflight systems, and mode transitions in particular, are presented in this thesis. The first is to use training to modify pilot behaviours, or procedures to work around known problems. The second approach is to mitigate problems by enhancing feedback. The third approach is to modify the process by which automation is designed. The Operator Directed Process forces the consideration and creation of an automation model early in the design process for use as the basis of the software specification and training.

Comparison of Modeled Results for Kansas City Middle Blue River Green Infrastructure Pilot Project

EPA Science Inventory

The Water Services Department (WSD) in Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO) has conducted extensive modeling and economic studies of its combined sewer system (CSS) over the last several years. A number of green infrastructure (GI) solutions were identified and constructed to reduce dis...

Dynamic Assessment of Children with Language Impairments: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hasson, Natalie; Botting, Nicola

2010-01-01

This article describes the construction of a procedure for dynamic assessment of the expressive grammar of children already identified with language impairments. Few instruments exist for the dynamic assessment of language, and those that have been developed have been largely used to successfully differentiate language impaired from culturally…

Virtual Classroom: Reflections of Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michael, Kathy

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify student and staff experiences with online learning at higher education (HE) using the software Elluminate Live! Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopts a qualitative approach, focusing on the reflections of participants (student and teacher) collated over a 12 month period of piloting online…

Utilization of Superheroes Social Skills to Reduce Disruptive and Aggressive Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Handley, Roderick D.; Radley, Keith C.; Cavell, Hannah J.

2016-01-01

The current pilot study investigated the effectiveness of the Superheroes Social Skills program in decreasing disruptive and aggressive behavior of elementary-age students with high-incidence disabilities. Six students in a self-contained classroom, identified as displaying high rates of disruptive and aggressive behavior toward peers, were…

Handicapped Students and the SAT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ragosta, Marjorie

A pilot study of handicapped students and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was designed to assess the concerns of handicapped students about the SAT, to identify problems specific to certain disabilities or common across disabilities, to alert the College Board and Educational Testing Service (ETS) about the findings, and to make recommendations…

Rapid detection of exotic Lymantriids and Scolytids pilot study

Treesearch

Mary Ellen Dix

2003-01-01

Exotic invasive species, inadvertently introduced into North America through importation and travel, are threatening the integrity of North American forest ecosystems. The National Invasive Species Council in their 2001 Strategic Plan identified a collaborative program for early detection, diagnosis and response to high-risk, exotic, invasive insects, pathogens and...

Elimination of quinine in two subjects after ingestion of tonic water : an exploratory study.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-08-01

Biological specimens from 8 fatal aviation accidents out of 775 fatal aviation accidents analyzed in 1991 and 1992 were found to contain quinine. In one case, the investigators sought to identify the source of quinine found in the pilot. It was sugge...

The Air Sensor Citizen Science Toolbox: A Collaboration in Community Air Quality Monitoring and Mapping?

EPA Science Inventory

Project GoalDevelop tools Citizen Scientists can use to assist them in conducting environmental monitoringResearch PlanIdentify a citizen science project as a potential pilot study locationEstablish their pollutant monitoring interestsDevelop a sensor package to meet their needs ...

Development and pilot evaluation of a clinic-based mHealth app referral service to support adult cancer survivors increase their participation in physical activity using publicly available mobile apps.

PubMed

Short, Camille E; Finlay, Amy; Sanders, Ilea; Maher, Carol

2018-01-16

Participation in regular physical activity holds key benefits for cancer survivors, yet few cancer survivors meet physical activity recommendations. This study aimed to develop and pilot test a mHealth app referral service aimed at assisting cancer survivors to increase their physical activity. In particular, the study sought to examine feasibility and acceptability of the service and determine preliminary efficacy for physical activity behaviour change. A systematic search identified potentially appropriate Apple (iOS) and Android mHealth apps. The apps were audited regarding the type of physical activity encouraged, evidence-based behavioural strategies and other characteristics, to help match apps to users' preferences and characteristics. A structured service was devised to deliver the apps and counselling, comprising two face-to-face appointments with a mid-week phone or email check-up. The mHealth app referral service was piloted using a pre-post design among 12 cancer survivors. Participants' feedback regarding the service's feasibility and acceptability was sought via purpose-designed questionnaire, and analysed using inductive thematic analysis and descriptive statistics. Change in physical activity was assessed using a valid and reliable self-report tool and analysed using paired t-tests. In line with recommendations for pilot studies, confidence intervals and effect sizes were reported to aid interpretation of clinical significance, with an alpha of 0.2 used to denote statistical significance. Of 374 mHealth apps identified during the systematic search, 54 progressed to the audit (iOS = 27, Android = 27). The apps consistently scored well for aesthetics, engagement and functionality, and inconsistently for gamification, social and behaviour change features. Ten participants completed the pilot evaluation and provided positive feedback regarding the service's acceptability and feasibility. On average, participants increased their moderate-vigorous physical activity by 236 min per week (d = 0.73; 95% CI = -49 to 522; p = 0.09). This study offered initial evidence that a mHealth app referral service for cancer survivors is feasible and acceptable and may increase physical activity levels. The large increase in physical activity is promising, but should be interpreted with caution given the small sample size and lack of control group. Further research is warranted on a larger scale to investigate generalisability, long-term compliance and application in clinical settings.

The ESA Space Weather Applications Pilot Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glover, A.; Hilgers, A.; Daly, E.

Following the completion in 2001 of two parallel studies to consider the feasibility of a European Space Weather Programme ESA embarked upon a space weather pilot study with the goal of prototyping European space weather services and assessing the overall market for such within Europe This pilot project centred on a number of targeted service development activities supported by a common infrastructure and making use of only existing space weather assets Each service activity included clear participation from at least one identified service user who was requested to provide initial requirements and regular feedback during the operational phase of the service These service activities are now reaching the end of their 2-year development and testing phase and are now accessible each with an element of the service in the public domain see http www esa-spaceweathet net swenet An additional crucial element of the study was the inclusion of a comprehensive and independent analysis of the benefits both economic and strategic of embarking on a programme which would include the deployment of an infrastructure with space-based elements The results of this study will be reported together with their implication for future coordinated European activities in this field

Using video feedback to improve early father-infant interaction: a pilot study.

PubMed

Lawrence, Peter J; Davies, Beverley; Ramchandani, Paul G

2013-01-01

Preventive interventions with parents of infants have tended to focus on mothers. Recent research focused on fathers suggests that their involvement in interventions might enhance effectiveness. One effective approach with mothers is the brief, home-based Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting (VIPP). This paper is a report of a pilot study of VIPP with fathers to assess its feasibility. Five fathers were recruited from an existing longitudinal study of parents. The primary outcome was acceptability, assessed using a semi-structured questionnaire after completion of the intervention. All fathers completed all sessions of the intervention. Fathers rated the intervention as having had a significant impact on their understanding of their child's thoughts and feelings, and as having improved their communication and relationship with their baby. Fathers' feedback was generally positive. The flexibility to conduct sessions at home (or at fathers' places of work) and the flexible timing of sessions were identified as fundamental to successful delivery. The results of this pilot study are encouraging, as VIPP with fathers was feasible. In light of the modest sample size, and the use of a non-clinical sample, the intervention must be evaluated with larger, clinical samples to evaluate its efficacy with fathers.

Prediction of helicopter simulator sickness

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

Horn, R.D.; Birdwell, J.D.; Allgood, G.O.

1990-01-01

Machine learning methods from artificial intelligence are used to identify information in sampled accelerometer signals and associative behavioral patterns which correlates pilot simulator sickness with helicopter simulator dynamics. These simulators are used to train pilots in fundamental procedures, tactics, and response to emergency conditions. Simulator sickness induced by these systems represents a risk factor to both the pilot and manufacturer. Simulator sickness symptoms are closely aligned with those of motion sickness. Previous studies have been performed by behavioral psychologists using information gathered with surveys and motor skills performance measures; however, the results are constrained by the limited information which ismore » accessible in this manner. In this work, accelerometers were installed in the simulator cab, enabling a complete record of flight dynamics and the pilot's control response as a function of time. Given the results of performance measures administered to detect simulator sickness symptoms, the problem was then to find functions of the recorded data which could be used to help predict the simulator sickness level and susceptibility. Methods based upon inductive inference were used, which yield decision trees whose leaves indicate the degree of simulator-induced sickness. The long-term goal is to develop a gauge'' which can provide an on-line prediction of simulator sickness level, given a pilot's associative behavioral patterns (learned expectations). This will allow informed decisions to be made on when to terminate a hop and provide an effective basis for determining training and flight restrictions placed upon the pilot after simulator use. 6 refs., 6 figs.« less

An Analysis of U.S. Civil Rotorcraft Accidents by Cost and Injury (1990-1996)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iseler, Laura; DeMaio, Joe; Rutkowski, Michael (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A study of rotorcraft accidents was conducted to identify safety issues and research areas that might lead to a reduction in rotorcraft accidents and fatalities. The primary source of data was summaries of National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident reports. From 1990 to 1996, the NTSB documented 1396 civil rotorcraft accidents in the United States in which 491 people were killed. The rotorcraft data were compared to airline and general aviation data to determine the relative safety of rotorcraft compared to other segments of the aviation industry. In depth analysis of the rotorcraft data addressed demographics, mission, and operational factors. Rotorcraft were found to have an accident rate about ten times that of commercial airliners and about the same as that of general aviation. The likelihood that an accident would be fatal was about equal for all three classes of operation. The most dramatic division in rotorcraft accidents is between flights flown by private pilots versus professional pilots. Private pilots, flying low cost aircraft in benign environments, have accidents that are due, in large part, to their own errors. Professional pilots, in contrast, are more likely to have accidents that are a result of exacting missions or use of specialized equipment. For both groups judgement error is more likely to lead to a fatal accident than are other types of causes. Several approaches to improving the rotorcraft accident rate are recommended. These mostly address improvement in the training of new pilots and improving the safety awareness of private pilots.

Implementation of Pilot Protection System for Large Scale Distribution System like The Future Renewable Electric Energy Distribution Management Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iigaya, Kiyohito

A robust, fast and accurate protection system based on pilot protection concept was developed previously and a few alterations in that algorithm were made to make it faster and more reliable and then was applied to smart distribution grids to verify the results for it. The new 10 sample window method was adapted into the pilot protection program and its performance for the test bed system operation was tabulated. Following that the system comparison between the hardware results for the same algorithm and the simulation results were compared. The development of the dual slope percentage differential method, its comparison with the 10 sample average window pilot protection system and the effects of CT saturation on the pilot protection system are also shown in this thesis. The implementation of the 10 sample average window pilot protection system is done to multiple distribution grids like Green Hub v4.3, IEEE 34, LSSS loop and modified LSSS loop. Case studies of these multi-terminal model are presented, and the results are also shown in this thesis. The result obtained shows that the new algorithm for the previously proposed protection system successfully identifies fault on the test bed and the results for both hardware and software simulations match and the response time is approximately less than quarter of a cycle which is fast as compared to the present commercial protection system and satisfies the FREEDM system requirement.

Investigation of piloting aids for manual control of hypersonic maneuvers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raney, David L.; Phillips, Michael R.; Person, Lee H., Jr.

1995-01-01

An investigation of piloting aids designed to provide precise maneuver control for an air-breathing hypersonic vehicle is described. Stringent constraints and nonintuitive high-speed flight effects associated with maneuvering in the hypersonic regime raise the question of whether manual control of such a vehicle should even be considered. The objectives of this research were to determine the extent of manual control that is desirable for a vehicle maneuvering in this regime and to identify the form of aids that must be supplied to the pilot to make such control feasible. A piloted real-time motion-based simulation of a hypersonic vehicle concept was used for this study, and the investigation focused on a single representative cruise turn maneuver. Piloting aids, which consisted of an auto throttle, throttle director, autopilot, flight director, and two head-up display configurations, were developed and evaluated. Two longitudinal control response types consisting of a rate-command/attitude-hold system and a load factor-rate/load-factor-hold system were also compared. The complete set of piloting aids, which consisted of the autothrottle, throttle director, and flight director, improved the average Cooper-Harper flying qualities ratings from 8 to 2.6, even though identical inner-loop stability and control augmentation was provided in all cases. The flight director was determined to be the most critical of these aids, and the cruise turn maneuver was unachievable to adequate performance specifications in the absence of this flight director.

Streaking into middle school science: The Dell Streak pilot project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austin, Susan Eudy

A case study is conducted implementing the Dell Streak seven-inch android device into eighth grade science classes of one teacher in a rural middle school in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. The purpose of the study is to determine if the use of the Dell Streaks would increase student achievement on standardized subject testing, if the Streak could be used as an effective instructional tool, and if it could be considered an effective instructional resource for reviewing and preparing for the science assessments. A mixed method research design was used for the study to analyze both quantitative and qualitative results to determine if the Dell Streaks' utilization could achieve the following: 1. instructional strategies would change, 2. it would be an effective instructional tool, and 3. a comparison of the students' test scores and benchmark assessments' scores would provide statistically significant difference. Through the use of an ANOVA it was determined a statistically significant difference had occurred. A Post Hoc analysis was conducted to identify where the difference occurred. Finally a T-test determined was there was no statistically significance difference between the mean End-of-Grade tests and four quarterly benchmark scores of the control and the experimental groups. Qualitative research methods were used to gather results to determine if the Streaks were an effective instructional tool. Classroom observations identified that the teacher's teaching styles and new instructional strategies were implemented throughout the pilot project. Students had an opportunity to complete a questionnaire three times during the pilot project. Results revealed what the students liked about using the devices and the challenges they were facing. The teacher completed a reflective questionnaire throughout the pilot project and offered valuable reflections about the use of the devices in an educational setting. The reflection data supporting the case study was drawn from the teacher's statements regarding the change in instructional delivery as a respect of using the students' device. The results section of the study will elaborate upon these findings. The study recommendations on the use of the Dell Streak device will address whether further actions as the use of the Streak technology in the classroom and summary section.

Tolerance: Our Voice--An Elementary School Package in Support of Siblings of Children with Special Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gopman, Beth Alswanger

2009-01-01

Although study and research focus on the needs of children with mental and physical disabilities, this pilot study focuses on the siblings of children with a special need (SCSN), those brothers and sisters who face unique stresses in their own lives. The study explores the world of the nondisabled siblings, identifies some of the problems they…

Adult Motivations in Community Orchestra Participation: A Pilot Case Study of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (New Jersey)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shansky, Carol

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the motivations of adults in choosing to participate in community orchestras. This paper identifies many of those motivations and examines the reasons and implications of why the adults in the study chose to continue to play in community orchestras. The investigation was conducted in 2007 via a case study…

Concurrent Pilot Instrument Monitoring in the Automated Multi-Crew Airline Cockpit.

PubMed

Jarvis, Stephen R

2017-12-01

Pilot instrument monitoring has been described as "inadequate," "ineffective," and "insufficient" after multicrew aircraft accidents. Regulators have called for improved instrument monitoring by flight crews, but scientific knowledge in the area is scarce. Research has tended to investigate the monitoring of individual pilots when in the pilot-flying role; very little research has looked at crew monitoring, or that of the "monitoring-pilot" role despite it being half of the apparent problem. Eye-tracking data were collected from 17 properly constituted and current Boeing 737 crews operating in a full motion simulator. Each crew flew four realistic flight segments, with pilots swapping between the pilot-flying and pilot-monitoring roles, with and without the autopilot engaged. Analysis was performed on the 375 maneuvering-segments prior to localizer intercept. Autopilot engagement led to significantly less visual dwell time on the attitude director indicator (mean 212.8-47.8 s for the flying pilot and 58.5-39.8 s for the monitoring-pilot) and an associated increase on the horizontal situation indicator (18-52.5 s and 36.4-50.5 s). The flying-pilots' withdrawal of attention from the primary flight reference and increased attention to the primary navigational reference was paralleled rather than complemented by the monitoring-pilot, suggesting that monitoring vulnerabilities can be duplicated in the flight deck. Therefore it is possible that accident causes identified as "inadequate" or "insufficient" monitoring, are in fact a result of parallel monitoring.Jarvis SR. Concurrent pilot instrument monitoring in the automated multi-crew airline cockpit. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(12):1100-1106.

THE MILLIMETER ASTRONOMY LEGACY TEAM 90 GHz (MALT90) PILOT SURVEY

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

Foster, Jonathan B.; Jackson, James M.; Barris, Elizabeth

We describe a pilot survey conducted with the Mopra 22 m radio telescope in preparation for the Millimeter Astronomy Legacy Team Survey at 90 GHz (MALT90). We identified 182 candidate dense molecular clumps using six different selection criteria and mapped each source simultaneously in 16 different lines near 90 GHz. We present a summary of the data and describe how the results of the pilot survey shaped the design of the larger MALT90 survey. We motivate our selection of target sources for the main survey based on the pilot detection rates and demonstrate the value of mapping in multiple linesmore » simultaneously at high spectral resolution.« less

The "Technical and Vocational Education Initiative": Enclaves in British Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Murray

The Technical and Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI) is intended as a pilot, on a massive scale, of particular approaches, with a systematic need to identify TVEI effects on students, staff, resources, and curricula. TVEI has a strong tendency toward the development of pilot enclaves in terms of its administrative, curricular,…

Apollo 11 Technical Air-to-Ground Voice Transcription (GOSS NET 1)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

This is the transcription of the Technical Air-to-Ground Voice Transmission (GOSS NET 1) from the Apollo 11 mission. Communicators in the text may be identified according to the following list [in part]: Commander: Neil A. Armstrong; Command Module Pilot: Michael Collins; Lunar Module Pilot: Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr.

A Pilot Genome-Wide Association Study in Postmenopausal Mexican-Mestizo Women Implicates the RMND1/CCDC170 Locus Is Associated with Bone Mineral Density

PubMed Central

Villalobos-Comparán, Marisela; Estrada, Karol; Parra-Torres, Alma Y.; González-Mercado, Anahí; Patiño, Nelly; Castillejos-López, Manuel; Quiterio, Manuel; Fernandez-López, Juan Carlos; Ibarra, Bertha; Romero-Hidalgo, Sandra; Salmerón, Jorge

2017-01-01

To identify genetic variants influencing bone mineral density (BMD) in the Mexican-Mestizo population, we performed a GWAS for femoral neck (FN) and lumbar spine (LS) in Mexican-Mestizo postmenopausal women. In the discovery sample, 300,000 SNPs were genotyped in a cohort of 411 postmenopausal women and seven SNPs were analyzed in the replication cohort (n = 420). The combined results of a meta-analysis from the discovery and replication samples identified two loci, RMND1 (rs6904364, P = 2.77 × 10−4) and CCDC170 (rs17081341, P = 1.62 × 10−5), associated with FN BMD. We also compared our results with those of the Genetic Factors for Osteoporosis (GEFOS) Consortium meta-analysis. The comparison revealed two loci previously reported in the GEFOS meta-analysis: SOX6 (rs7128738) and PKDCC (rs11887431) associated with FN and LS BMD, respectively, in our study population. Interestingly, rs17081341 rare in Caucasians (minor allele frequency < 0.03) was found in high frequency in our population, which suggests that this association could be specific to non-Caucasian populations. In conclusion, the first pilot Mexican GWA study of BMD confirmed previously identified loci and also demonstrated the importance of studying variability in diverse populations and/or specific populations. PMID:28840121

Patient and nurse preferences for nurse handover-using preferences to inform policy: a discrete choice experiment protocol.

PubMed

Spinks, Jean; Chaboyer, Wendy; Bucknall, Tracey; Tobiano, Georgia; Whitty, Jennifer A

2015-11-11

Nursing bedside handover in hospital has been identified as an opportunity to involve patients and promote patient-centred care. It is important to consider the preferences of both patients and nurses when implementing bedside handover to maximise the successful uptake of this policy. We outline a study which aims to (1) identify, compare and contrast the preferences for various aspects of handover common to nurses and patients while accounting for other factors, such as the time constraints of nurses that may influence these preferences.; (2) identify opportunities for nurses to better involve patients in bedside handover and (3) identify patient and nurse preferences that may challenge the full implementation of bedside handover in the acute medical setting. We outline the protocol for a discrete choice experiment (DCE) which uses a survey design common to both patients and nurses. We describe the qualitative and pilot work undertaken to design the DCE. We use a D-efficient design which is informed by prior coefficients collected during the pilot phase. We also discuss the face-to-face administration of this survey in a population of acutely unwell, hospitalised patients and describe how data collection challenges have been informed by our pilot phase. Mixed multinomial logit regression analysis will be used to estimate the final results. This study has been approved by a university ethics committee as well as two participating hospital ethics committees. Results will be used within a knowledge translation framework to inform any strategies that can be used by nursing staff to improve the uptake of bedside handover. Results will also be disseminated via peer-reviewed journal articles and will be presented at national and international conferences. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Identifying the Costs and Benefits of Educational Psychology: A Preliminary Exploration in Two Local Authorities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbs, Simon; Papps, Ivy

2017-01-01

This article provides an account of a small-scale pilot study of the cost and perceived benefits of the educational psychology services in two comparably small local authorities in England. This study is preparatory to a more detailed examination of the costs and likely benefits of state provision of educational psychology services in England. The…

The Contribution of Advocacy NGOs in Governance through Cultivating of a Participatory Culture: Case Studies in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leung, Yui Kei; Leung, Yan Wing; Yuen, Timothy Wai Wa

2016-01-01

A vibrant civil society, composed of active non-governmental organizations (NGOs), has always been identified as an important factor for "good governance". This paper reports a pilot study using semi-structured interviews to find out the contribution of advocacy NGOs in the governance of Hong Kong. It points out that the NGO's conception…

An Exploration of the Use of Eye-Gaze Tracking to Study Problem-Solving on Standardized Science Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tai, Robert H.; Loehr, John F.; Brigham, Frederick J.

2006-01-01

This pilot study investigated the capacity of eye-gaze tracking to identify differences in problem-solving behaviours within a group of individuals who possessed varying degrees of knowledge and expertise in three disciplines of science (biology, chemistry and physics). The six participants, all pre-service science teachers, completed an 18-item…

Questioning in Tongan Science Classrooms: A Pilot Study to Identify Current Practice, Barriers and Facilitators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bay, Jacquie L.; Fohoko, Fehi; La'Akulu, Mumui; Leota, Ofa; Pulotu, Lesieli; Tu'Ipuloto, Sina; Tutoe, Salesi; Tovo, Oliveti; Vekoso, Ana; Pouvalu, Emeli H.

2016-01-01

Questioning is central to the development of scientific and health literacies. In exploring this concept, Tongan science teachers hypothesized that their ability to use and encourage questioning presented challenges in the context of Tongan social and cultural norms. This study set out to develop a peer-to-peer protocol to enable teachers to…

University versus Practice: A Pilot Study to Identify Skills Shortages That Exist in First-Year Trainee Accountants in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Romburgh, Henriëtte; van der Merwe, Nico

2015-01-01

This study aims to determine the skills shortages in first-year trainee accountants entering practice in South Africa and to recommend ways to address and overcome those shortages. Questionnaires were administered to registered audit firms in Gauteng Province to gather the perceptions of senior trainees, managers and partners on the skills…

Effects of an Equine Assisted Activities Program on Youth with Emotional Disturbance: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stebbins, Tira

2012-01-01

This study evaluated the effects of a 10-week Equine Assisted Activities (EAA) program on special education students (aged 9 to 15) identified as Emotionally Disturbed (ED) who were enrolled in an alternative school. A control group of special education students receiving treatment-as-usual was included. The Behavior Assessment Scale for Children,…

Pilot Study on the Prevalence of Imposed Queries in a School Library Media Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gross, Melissa

1997-01-01

Discussion of information-seeking behavior focuses on a study of the imposed query, as opposed to self-generated queries, in an elementary school library media center in order to quantify its presence, to record characteristics of the users that carry them, and to identify the persons imposing them. The coding sheet is appended. Contains one table…

Integration of internationally educated nurses into the U.S. Workforce.

PubMed

Wolcott, Krista; Llamado, Suzanne; Mace, Denise

2013-01-01

This study describes the integration experiences of internationally educated nurses, managers, and educators working in Northern California. The purpose of this qualitative pilot study was to explore the experiences of internationally educated nurses and the nurse managers and educators working with them, to understand the issues, and to highlight potential solutions for addressing integration challenges. Through interviews and qualitative analysis, successful strategies and persistent challenges were identified. Major themes identified included communication difficulties; financial challenges; the need for outside social support; and educational orientations focused on culture, nurse role, and communication techniques.

Development and Piloting of a Food Safety Audit Tool for the Domestic Environment

PubMed Central

Borrusso, Patricia; Quinlan, Jennifer J.

2013-01-01

Research suggests that consumers often mishandle food in the home based on survey and observation studies. There is a need for a standardized tool for researchers to objectively evaluate the prevalence and identify the nature of food safety risks in the domestic environment. An audit tool was developed to measure compliance with recommended sanitation, refrigeration and food storage conditions in the domestic kitchen. The tool was piloted by four researchers who independently completed the inspection in 22 homes. Audit tool questions were evaluated for reliability using the κ statistic. Questions that were not sufficiently reliable (κ < 0.5) or did not provide direct evidence of risk were revised or eliminated from the final tool. Piloting the audit tool found good reliability among 18 questions, 6 questions were revised and 28 eliminated, resulting in a final 24 question tool. The audit tool was able to identify potential food safety risks, including evidence of pest infestation (27%), incorrect refrigeration temperature (73%), and lack of hot water (>43 °C, 32%). The audit tool developed here provides an objective measure for researchers to observe and record the most prevalent food safety risks in consumer’s kitchens and potentially compare risks among consumers of different demographics. PMID:28239139

Solar photocatalytic treatment of trimethoprim in four environmental matrices at a pilot scale: transformation products and ecotoxicity evaluation.

PubMed

Michael, I; Hapeshi, E; Osorio, V; Perez, S; Petrovic, M; Zapata, A; Malato, S; Barceló, D; Fatta-Kassinos, D

2012-07-15

The pilot-scale solar degradation of trimethoprim (TMP) in different water matrices (demineralized water: DW, simulated natural freshwater: SW; simulated wastewater: SWW; and real effluent: RE) was investigated in this study. DOC removal was lower in the case of SW compared to DW, which can be attributed to the presence of inorganic anions which may act as scavengers of the HO·. Furthermore, the presence of organic carbon and higher salt content in SWW and RE led to lower mineralization per dose of hydrogen peroxide compared to DW and SW. Toxicity assays in SWW and RE were also performed indicating that toxicity is attributed to the compounds present in RE and their by-products formed during solar Fenton treatment and not to the intermediates formed by the oxidation of TMP. A large number of compounds generated by the photocatalytic transformation of TMP were identified by UPLC-QToF/MS. The degradation pathway revealed differences among the four matrices; however hydroxylation, demethylation and cleavage reactions were observed in all matrices. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time that TMP degradation products have been identified by adopting a solar Fenton process at a pilot-scale set-up, using four different aqueous matrices. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of qualitative linguistic research--a pilot review integrating and generalizing findings on doctor-patient interaction.

PubMed

Nowak, Peter

2011-03-01

There is a broad range qualitative linguistic research (sequential analysis) on doctor-patient interaction that had only a marginal impact on clinical research and practice. At least in parts this is due to the lack of qualitative research synthesis in the field. Available research summaries are not systematic in their methodology. This paper proposes a synthesis methodology for qualitative, sequential analytic research on doctor-patient interaction. The presented methodology is not new but specifies standard methodology of qualitative research synthesis for sequential analytic research. This pilot review synthesizes twelve studies on German-speaking doctor-patient interactions, identifies 45 verbal actions of doctors and structures them in a systematics of eight interaction components. Three interaction components ("Listening", "Asking for information", and "Giving information") seem to be central and cover two thirds of the identified action types. This pilot review demonstrates that sequential analytic research can be synthesized in a consistent and meaningful way, thus providing a more comprehensive and unbiased integration of research. Future synthesis of qualitative research in the area of health communication research is very much needed. Qualitative research synthesis can support the development of quantitative research and of educational materials in medical training and patient training. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS): Pilot Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

This report summarizes the initial work accomplished by the ACCESS 5 Human System Integration (HSI) team to identify Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Pilot Knowledge, Skill and Ability (KSA), Training and Medical requirements. To derive this information the following tasks were accomplished: a) Mission and Function analyses were performed; b) Applicable FARs and FAA Advisory Circulars (ACs) were reviewed; c) Meetings were conducted with NASA and FAA Human Factors personnel; d) Surveys were completed by ACCESS 5 HSI Working group UA Pilots; e) Coordination meetings were conducted with the ACCESS 5 Policy IPT. The results of these efforts were used to develop a summary of the current qualifications. for an individual to function as a Pilot In Command (PIC) for UAs currently flown by UNITE companies, to develop preliminary Pilot KSAs for each phase of flight, and to delineate preliminary Pilot Training and Medical requirements. These results are to be provided to the Policy IPT to support their development of recommendations for UA Pilot Rating Criteria, training and medical qualifications. It is expected that the initially an instrument rated pilot will be required to serve as the PIC. However, as operational experience is gained, and automation is applied to accomplish various system functions, it is expected that pilot rating criteria could be lessened.

Practices to identify and preclude adverse Aircraft-and-Rotorcraft-Pilot Couplings - A design perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavel, Marilena D.; Masarati, Pierangelo; Gennaretti, Massimo; Jump, Michael; Zaichik, Larisa; Dang-Vu, Binh; Lu, Linghai; Yilmaz, Deniz; Quaranta, Giuseppe; Ionita, Achim; Serafini, Jacopo

2015-07-01

Understanding, predicting and supressing the inadvertent aircraft oscillations caused by Aircraft/Rotorcraft Pilot Couplings (A/RPC) is a challenging problem for designers. These are potential instabilities that arise from the effort of controlling aircraft with high response actuation systems. The present paper reviews, updates and discusses desirable practices to be used during the design process for unmasking A/RPC phenomena. These practices are stemming from the European Commission project ARISTOTEL Aircraft and Rotorcraft Pilot Couplings - Tools and Techniques for Alleviation and Detection (2010-2013) and are mainly related to aerodynamic and structural modelling of the aircraft/rotorcraft, pilot modelling and A/RPC prediction criteria. The paper proposes new methodologies for precluding adverse A/RPCs events taking into account the aeroelasticity of the structure and pilot biodynamic interaction. It is demonstrated that high-frequency accelerations due to structural elasticity cause negative effects on pilot control, since they lead to involuntary body and limb-manipulator system displacements and interfere with pilot's deliberate control activity (biodynamic interaction) and, finally, worsen handling quality ratings.

Wetware, Hardware, or Software Incapacitation: Observational Methods to Determine When Autonomy Should Assume Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trujillo, Anna C.; Gregory, Irene M.

2014-01-01

Control-theoretic modeling of human operator's dynamic behavior in manual control tasks has a long, rich history. There has been significant work on techniques used to identify the pilot model of a given structure. This research attempts to go beyond pilot identification based on experimental data to develop a predictor of pilot behavior. Two methods for pre-dicting pilot stick input during changing aircraft dynamics and deducing changes in pilot behavior are presented This approach may also have the capability to detect a change in a subject due to workload, engagement, etc., or the effects of changes in vehicle dynamics on the pilot. With this ability to detect changes in piloting behavior, the possibility now exists to mediate human adverse behaviors, hardware failures, and software anomalies with autono-my that may ameliorate these undesirable effects. However, appropriate timing of when au-tonomy should assume control is dependent on criticality of actions to safety, sensitivity of methods to accurately detect these adverse changes, and effects of changes in levels of auto-mation of the system as a whole.

Barriers to implementing the World Health Organization's Trauma Care Checklist: A Canadian single-center experience.

PubMed

Nolan, Brodie; Zakirova, Rimma; Bridge, Jennifer; Nathens, Avery B

2014-11-01

Management of trauma patients is difficult because of their complexity and acuity. In an effort to improve patient care and reduce morbidity and mortality, the World Health Organization developed a trauma care checklist. Local stakeholder input led to a modified 16-item version that was subsequently piloted. Our study highlights the barriers and challenges associated with implementing this checklist at our hospital. The checklist was piloted over a 6-month period at St. Michael's Hospital, a Level 1 trauma center in Toronto, Canada. At the end of the pilot phase, individual, semistructured interviews were held with trauma team leaders and nursing staff regarding their experiences with the checklist. Axial coding was used to create a typology of attitudes and barriers toward the checklist, and then, vertical coding was used to further explore each identified barrier. Checklist compliance was assessed for the first 7 months. Checklist compliance throughout the pilot phase was 78%. Eight key barriers to implementing the checklist were identified as follows: perceived lack of time for the use of the checklist in critically ill patients, unclear roles, no memory trigger, no one to enforce completion, not understanding its importance or purpose, difficulty finding physicians at the end of resuscitation, staff/trainee changes, and professional hierarchy. The World Health Organization Trauma Care Checklist was a well-received tool; however, consideration of barriers to the implementation and staff adoption must be done for successful integration, with special attention to its use in critically ill patients. Therapeutic/care management, level V.

A Pilot Study to Increase the Efficiency of HIV Outreach Testing Through the Use of Timely and Geolocated HIV Viral Load Surveillance Data

PubMed Central

Jennings, Jacky M.; Schumacher, Christina; Perin, Jamie; Myers, Tanya; Fields, Nathan; Greiner Safi, Amelia; Chaulk, Patrick

2018-01-01

Background Eliminating HIV transmission in a population necessitates identifying population reservoirs of HIV infection and subgroups most likely to transmit. HIV viral load is the single most important predictor of HIV transmission. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate whether a public health practice pilot project based on community viral load resulted in increases in the proportion of time spent testing in high viral load areas (process measure) and 3 outcome measures—the number and percent of overall HIV diagnoses, new diagnoses, and high viral load positives—in one mid-Atlantic US city with a severe HIV epidemic. Methods The evaluation was conducted during three, 3-month periods for 3 years and included the use of community viral load, global positioning system tracking data, and statistical testing to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot project. Results The proportion of time spent outreach testing in high viral load areas (69%–84%, P < 0.001) and the overall number and percent of HIV positives ((60 (3%) to 127 (6%), P < 0.001) significantly increased for 3 years. The number and percent of new diagnoses (3 (0.1%) to 6 (0.2%)) and high viral load positives (5 (0.2%) to 9 (0.4%)) increased, but the numbers were too small for statistical testing. Discussion These results suggest that using community viral load to increase the efficiency of HIV outreach testing is feasible and may be effective in identifying more HIV positives. The pilot project provides a model for other public health practice demonstration projects. PMID:29420450

Quality Measures for Hospice and Palliative Care: Piloting the PEACE Measures

PubMed Central

Rokoske, Franziska S.; Durham, Danielle; Cagle, John G.; Hanson, Laura C.

2014-01-01

Abstract Background: The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence launched the PEACE project in 2006, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), to identify, develop, and pilot test quality measures for hospice and palliative care programs. Objectives: The project collected pilot data to test the usability and feasibility of potential quality measures and data collection processes for hospice and palliative care programs. Settings/subjects: Twenty-two hospices participating in a national Quality Improvement Collaborative (QIC) submitted data from 367 chart reviews for pain care and 45 chart reviews for nausea care. Fourteen additional hospices completed a one-time data submission of 126 chart reviews on 60 potential patient-level quality measures across eight domains of care and an organizational assessment evaluating structure and processes of care. Design: Usability was assessed by examining the range, variability and size of the populations targeted by each quality measure. Feasibility was assessed during the second pilot study by surveying data abstractors about the abstraction process and examining the rates of missing data. The impact of data collection processes was assessed by comparing results obtained using different processes. Results: Measures shown to be both usable and feasible included: screening for physical symptoms on admission and documentation of treatment preferences. Methods of data collection and measure construction appear to influence observed rates of quality of care. Conclusions: We successfully identified quality measures with potential for use in hospices and palliative care programs. Future research is needed to understand whether these measures are sensitive to quality improvement interventions. PMID:24921162

Contraception Initiation in the Emergency Department: A Pilot Study on Providers' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices.

PubMed

Liles, Iyanna; Haddad, Lisa B; Lathrop, Eva; Hankin, Abigail

2016-05-01

Almost half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended; these pregnancies are associated with adverse outcomes. Many reproductive-age females seek care in the emergency department (ED), are at risk of pregnancy, and are amenable to contraceptive services in this setting. Through a pilot study, we sought to assess ED providers' current practices; attitudes; and knowledge of emergency contraception (EC) and nonemergency contraception (non-EC), as well as barriers with respect to contraception initiation. ED physicians and associate providers in Georgia were e-mailed a link to an anonymous Internet questionnaire using state professional databases and contacts. The questionnaire included Likert scales with multiple-choice questions to assess study objectives. Descriptive statistics were generated as well as univariate analyses using χ(2) and Fisher exact tests. A total of 1232 providers were e-mailed, with 119 questionnaires completed. Participants were predominantly physicians (80%), men (59%), and individuals younger than 45 years (59%). Common practices were referrals (96%), EC prescriptions (77%), and non-EC prescriptions (40%). Common barriers were perceived as low likelihood for follow-up (63%), risk of complications (58%), and adverse effects (51%). More than 70% of participants correctly identified the highly effective contraceptive methods, 3% identified the correct maximum EC initiation time, and 42% correctly recognized pregnancy as a higher risk than hormonal contraception use for pulmonary embolism. Most ED providers in this pilot study referred patients for contraception; however, there was no universal contraceptive counseling and management. Many ED providers in this study had an incorrect understanding of the efficacy, risks, and eligibility associated with contraceptive methods. This lack of understanding may affect patient access and be a barrier to patient care.

Fecal Microbiome and Food Allergy in Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study.

PubMed

Fieten, Karin B; Totté, Joan E E; Levin, Evgeni; Reyman, Marta; Meijer, Yolanda; Knulst, André; Schuren, Frank; Pasmans, Suzanne G M A

2018-01-01

Exposure to microbes may be important in the development of atopic disease. Atopic diseases have been associated with specific characteristics of the intestinal microbiome. The link between intestinal microbiota and food allergy has rarely been studied, and the gold standard for diagnosing food allergy (double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge [DBPCFC]) has seldom been used. We aimed to distinguish fecal microbial signatures for food allergy in children with atopic dermatitis (AD). Pediatric patients with AD, with and without food allergy, were included in this cross-sectional observational pilot study. AD was diagnosed according to the UK Working Party criteria. Food allergy was defined as a positive DBPCFC or a convincing clinical history, in combination with sensitization to the relevant food allergen. Fecal samples were analyzed using 16S rRNA microbial analysis. Microbial signature species, discriminating between the presence and absence food allergy, were selected by elastic net regression. Eighty-two children with AD (39 girls) with a median age of 2.5 years, and 20 of whom were diagnosed with food allergy, provided fecal samples. Food allergy to peanut and cow's milk was the most common. Six bacterial species from the fecal microbiome were identified, that, when combined, distinguished between children with and without food allergy: Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Escherichia coli, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Akkermansia muciniphila (AUC 0.83, sensitivity 0.77, specificity 0.80). In this pilot study, we identified a microbial signature in children with AD that discriminates between the absence and presence of food allergy. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings. © 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

The development of a science process assessment for fourth-grade students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Kathleen A.; Welliver, Paul W.

In this study, a multiple-choice test entitled the Science Process Assessment was developed to measure the science process skills of students in grade four. Based on the Recommended Science Competency Continuum for Grades K to 6 for Pennsylvania Schools, this instrument measured the skills of (1) observing, (2) classifying, (3) inferring, (4) predicting, (5) measuring, (6) communicating, (7) using space/time relations, (8) defining operationally, (9) formulating hypotheses, (10) experimenting, (11) recognizing variables, (12) interpreting data, and (13) formulating models. To prepare the instrument, classroom teachers and science educators were invited to participate in two science education workshops designed to develop an item bank of test questions applicable to measuring process skill learning. Participants formed writing teams and generated 65 test items representing the 13 process skills. After a comprehensive group critique of each item, 61 items were identified for inclusion into the Science Process Assessment item bank. To establish content validity, the item bank was submitted to a select panel of science educators for the purpose of judging item acceptability. This analysis yielded 55 acceptable test items and produced the Science Process Assessment, Pilot 1. Pilot 1 was administered to 184 fourth-grade students. Students were given a copy of the test booklet; teachers read each test aloud to the students. Upon completion of this first administration, data from the item analysis yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.73. Subsequently, 40 test items were identified for the Science Process Assessment, Pilot 2. Using the test-retest method, the Science Process Assessment, Pilot 2 (Test 1 and Test 2) was administered to 113 fourth-grade students. Reliability coefficients of 0.80 and 0.82, respectively, were ascertained. The correlation between Test 1 and Test 2 was 0.77. The results of this study indicate that (1) the Science Process Assessment, Pilot 2, is a valid and reliable instrument applicable to measuring the science process skills of students in grade four, (2) using educational workshops as a means of developing item banks of test questions is viable and productive in the test development process, and (3) involving classroom teachers and science educators in the test development process is educationally efficient and effective.

A tutorial on pilot studies: the what, why and how

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Pilot studies for phase III trials - which are comparative randomized trials designed to provide preliminary evidence on the clinical efficacy of a drug or intervention - are routinely performed in many clinical areas. Also commonly know as "feasibility" or "vanguard" studies, they are designed to assess the safety of treatment or interventions; to assess recruitment potential; to assess the feasibility of international collaboration or coordination for multicentre trials; to increase clinical experience with the study medication or intervention for the phase III trials. They are the best way to assess feasibility of a large, expensive full-scale study, and in fact are an almost essential pre-requisite. Conducting a pilot prior to the main study can enhance the likelihood of success of the main study and potentially help to avoid doomed main studies. The objective of this paper is to provide a detailed examination of the key aspects of pilot studies for phase III trials including: 1) the general reasons for conducting a pilot study; 2) the relationships between pilot studies, proof-of-concept studies, and adaptive designs; 3) the challenges of and misconceptions about pilot studies; 4) the criteria for evaluating the success of a pilot study; 5) frequently asked questions about pilot studies; 7) some ethical aspects related to pilot studies; and 8) some suggestions on how to report the results of pilot investigations using the CONSORT format. PMID:20053272

Pilot scale dilute acid pretreatment of rice straw and fermentable sugar recovery at high solid loadings.

PubMed

Kapoor, Manali; Soam, Shveta; Agrawal, Ruchi; Gupta, Ravi P; Tuli, Deepak K; Kumar, Ravindra

2017-01-01

The aim of this work was to study the dilute acid pretreatment of rice straw (RS) and fermentable sugar recovery at high solid loadings at pilot scale. A series of pretreatment experiments were performed on RS resulting in >25wt% solids followed by enzymatic hydrolysis without solid-liquid separation at 20 and 25wt% using 10FPU/g of the pretreated residue. The overall sugar recovery including the sugars released in pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis was calculated along with a mass balance. Accordingly, the optimized conditions, i.e. 0.35wt% acid, 162°C and 10min were identified. The final glucose and xylose concentrations obtained were 83.3 and 31.9g/L respectively resulting in total concentration of 115.2g/L, with a potential to produce >50g/L of ethanol. This is the first report on pilot scale study on acid pretreatment of RS in a screw feeder horizontal reactor followed by enzymatic hydrolysis at high solid loadings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An observational study to evaluate three pilot programmes of retesting chlamydia-positive individuals within 6 months in the South West of England

PubMed Central

Angel, Georgina; Horner, Paddy J; O'Brien, Norah; Sharp, Matt; Pye, Karl; Priestley, Cecilia; Macleod, John; Looker, Katharine J; Turner, Katherine M E

2015-01-01

Objectives To evaluate 3 pilot chlamydia retesting programmes in South West England which were initiated prior to the release of new National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) guidelines recommending retesting in 2014. Methods Individuals testing positive between August 2012 and July 2013 in Bristol (n=346), Cornwall (n=252) and Dorset (n=180) programmes were eligible for inclusion in the retesting pilots. The primary outcomes were retest within 6 months (yes/no) and repeat diagnosis at retest (yes/no), adjusted for area, age and gender. Results Overall 303/778 (39.0%) of participants were retested within 6 months and 31/299 (10.4%) were positive at retest. Females were more likely to retest than males and Dorset had higher retesting rates than the other areas. Conclusions More than a third of those eligible were retested within the time frame of the study. Chlamydia retesting programmes appear feasible within the context of current programmes to identify individuals at continued risk of infection with relatively low resource and time input. PMID:26510723

ISS-An Electronic Syndromic Surveillance System for Infectious Disease in Rural China

PubMed Central

Yan, Weirong; Palm, Lars; Lu, Xin; Nie, Shaofa; Xu, Biao; Zhao, Qi; Tao, Tao; Cheng, Liwei; Tan, Li; Dong, Hengjin; Diwan, Vinod K.

2013-01-01

Background syndromic surveillance system has great advantages in promoting the early detection of epidemics and reducing the necessities of disease confirmation, and it is especially effective for surveillance in resource poor settings. However, most current syndromic surveillance systems are established in developed countries, and there are very few reports on the development of an electronic syndromic surveillance system in resource-constrained settings. Objective this study describes the design and pilot implementation of an electronic surveillance system (ISS) for the early detection of infectious disease epidemics in rural China, complementing the conventional case report surveillance system. Methods ISS was developed based on an existing platform ‘Crisis Information Sharing Platform’ (CRISP), combining with modern communication and GIS technology. ISS has four interconnected functions: 1) work group and communication group; 2) data source and collection; 3) data visualization; and 4) outbreak detection and alerting. Results As of Jan. 31st 2012, ISS has been installed and pilot tested for six months in four counties in rural China. 95 health facilities, 14 pharmacies and 24 primary schools participated in the pilot study, entering respectively 74256, 79701, and 2330 daily records into the central database. More than 90% of surveillance units at the study sites are able to send daily information into the system. In the paper, we also presented the pilot data from health facilities in the two counties, which showed the ISS system had the potential to identify the change of disease patterns at the community level. Conclusions The ISS platform may facilitate the early detection of infectious disease epidemic as it provides near real-time syndromic data collection, interactive visualization, and automated aberration detection. However, several constraints and challenges were encountered during the pilot implementation of ISS in rural China. PMID:23626853

ISS--an electronic syndromic surveillance system for infectious disease in rural China.

PubMed

Yan, Weirong; Palm, Lars; Lu, Xin; Nie, Shaofa; Xu, Biao; Zhao, Qi; Tao, Tao; Cheng, Liwei; Tan, Li; Dong, Hengjin; Diwan, Vinod K

2013-01-01

Syndromic surveillance system has great advantages in promoting the early detection of epidemics and reducing the necessities of disease confirmation, and it is especially effective for surveillance in resource poor settings. However, most current syndromic surveillance systems are established in developed countries, and there are very few reports on the development of an electronic syndromic surveillance system in resource-constrained settings. This study describes the design and pilot implementation of an electronic surveillance system (ISS) for the early detection of infectious disease epidemics in rural China, complementing the conventional case report surveillance system. ISS was developed based on an existing platform 'Crisis Information Sharing Platform' (CRISP), combining with modern communication and GIS technology. ISS has four interconnected functions: 1) work group and communication group; 2) data source and collection; 3) data visualization; and 4) outbreak detection and alerting. As of Jan. 31(st) 2012, ISS has been installed and pilot tested for six months in four counties in rural China. 95 health facilities, 14 pharmacies and 24 primary schools participated in the pilot study, entering respectively 74,256, 79,701, and 2330 daily records into the central database. More than 90% of surveillance units at the study sites are able to send daily information into the system. In the paper, we also presented the pilot data from health facilities in the two counties, which showed the ISS system had the potential to identify the change of disease patterns at the community level. The ISS platform may facilitate the early detection of infectious disease epidemic as it provides near real-time syndromic data collection, interactive visualization, and automated aberration detection. However, several constraints and challenges were encountered during the pilot implementation of ISS in rural China.

The training for health equity network evaluation framework: a pilot study at five health professional schools.

PubMed

Ross, Simone J; Preston, Robyn; Lindemann, Iris C; Matte, Marie C; Samson, Rex; Tandinco, Filedito D; Larkins, Sarah L; Palsdottir, Bjorg; Neusy, Andre-Jacques

2014-01-01

The Training for Health Equity Network (THEnet), a group of diverse health professional schools aspiring toward social accountability, developed and pilot tested a comprehensive evaluation framework to assess progress toward socially accountable health professions education. The evaluation framework provides criteria for schools to assess their level of social accountability within their organization and planning; education, research and service delivery; and the direct and indirect impacts of the school and its graduates, on the community and health system. This paper describes the pilot implementation of testing the evaluation framework across five THEnet schools, and examines whether the evaluation framework was practical and feasible across contexts for the purposes of critical reflection and continuous improvement in terms of progress towards social accountability. In this pilot study, schools utilized the evaluation framework using a mixed method approach of data collection comprising of workshops, qualitative interviews and focus group discussions, document review and collation and analysis of existing quantitative data. The evaluation framework allowed each school to contextually gather evidence on how it was meeting the aspirational goals of social accountability across a range of school activities, and to identify strengths and areas for improvement and development. The evaluation framework pilot study demonstrated how social accountability can be assessed through a critically reflective and comprehensive process. As social accountability focuses on the relationship between health professions schools and health system and health population outcomes, each school was able to demonstrate to students, health professionals, governments, accrediting bodies, communities and other stakeholders how current and future health care needs of populations are addressed in terms of education, research, and service learning.

Modeling and Evaluating Pilot Performance in NextGen: Review of and Recommendations Regarding Pilot Modeling Efforts, Architectures, and Validation Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wickens, Christopher; Sebok, Angelia; Keller, John; Peters, Steve; Small, Ronald; Hutchins, Shaun; Algarin, Liana; Gore, Brian Francis; Hooey, Becky Lee; Foyle, David C.

2013-01-01

NextGen operations are associated with a variety of changes to the national airspace system (NAS) including changes to the allocation of roles and responsibilities among operators and automation, the use of new technologies and automation, additional information presented on the flight deck, and the entire concept of operations (ConOps). In the transition to NextGen airspace, aviation and air operations designers need to consider the implications of design or system changes on human performance and the potential for error. To ensure continued safety of the NAS, it will be necessary for researchers to evaluate design concepts and potential NextGen scenarios well before implementation. One approach for such evaluations is through human performance modeling. Human performance models (HPMs) provide effective tools for predicting and evaluating operator performance in systems. HPMs offer significant advantages over empirical, human-in-the-loop testing in that (1) they allow detailed analyses of systems that have not yet been built, (2) they offer great flexibility for extensive data collection, (3) they do not require experimental participants, and thus can offer cost and time savings. HPMs differ in their ability to predict performance and safety with NextGen procedures, equipment and ConOps. Models also vary in terms of how they approach human performance (e.g., some focus on cognitive processing, others focus on discrete tasks performed by a human, while others consider perceptual processes), and in terms of their associated validation efforts. The objectives of this research effort were to support the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in identifying HPMs that are appropriate for predicting pilot performance in NextGen operations, to provide guidance on how to evaluate the quality of different models, and to identify gaps in pilot performance modeling research, that could guide future research opportunities. This research effort is intended to help the FAA evaluate pilot modeling efforts and select the appropriate tools for future modeling efforts to predict pilot performance in NextGen operations.

Pilot study of whole-blood gamma interferon response to the Vibrio cholerae toxin B subunit and resistance to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli-associated diarrhea.

PubMed

Flores, Jose; DuPont, Herbert L; Paredes-Paredes, Mercedes; Aguirre-Garcia, M Magdalena; Rojas, Araceli; Gonzalez, Alexei; Okhuysen, Pablo C

2010-05-01

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), which produces heat-labile toxin (LT), is a common cause of travelers' diarrhea (TD). The B subunit of ETEC LT is immunologically related to the B subunit of Vibrio cholerae toxin (CT). In this pilot study we evaluated the whole-blood gamma interferon response to CT B in 17 U.S. adults traveling to Mexico. Only one of nine subjects who demonstrated a cellular immune response as determined by whole-blood gamma interferon production to CT B on arrival to Mexico developed diarrhea, whereas five of eight without a cellular response developed diarrhea. Markers of the cellular immune response to ETEC LT could help in identifying individuals immune to ETEC LT, and these markers deserve additional study.

Individual interviews with African-American women regarding condom use: a pilot study.

PubMed

Hunter, Teressa Sanders

2010-07-01

African-American women between 25 and 34 years of age are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. Current prevention techniques, including education, have not had a significant influence on decreasing the rates of HIV and increasing safer sexual practices among some African-American women. This pilot study is one step towards increasing the understanding of this serious problem and developing effective interventions to stem the tide of HIV infection in African-American women. A grounded theory approach was used to address the process that unmarried, heterosexual, African-American women used to negotiate condom use with their sexual partner. Major concepts, connections between the categories, and theoretical codes are identified in this study and can be used to predict, speculate, explain, and understand the reported behavior of African-American women in negotiating condom use with their sexual partner.

How to identify and recruit nurses to a survey 14 and 24 years after graduation in a context of scarce data: lessons learnt from the 2012 nurses at work pilot study on nurses' career paths.

PubMed

Addor, Véronique; Jeannin, André; Morin, Diane; Lehmann, Philippe; Jeanneret, Floriane Roulet; Schwendimann, René

2015-03-26

Nursing workforce data are scarce in Switzerland, with no active national registry of nurses. The worldwide nursing shortage is also affecting Switzerland, so that evidence-based results of the nurses at work project on career paths and retention are needed as part of the health care system stewardship; nurses at work is a retrospective cohort study of nurses who graduated in Swiss nursing schools in the last 30 years. Results of the pilot study are presented here (process and feasibility). The objectives are (1) to determine the size and structure of the potential target population by approaching two test-cohorts of nursing graduates (1988 and 1998); (2) to test methods of identifying and reaching them 14 and 24 years after graduation; (3) to compute participation rates, and identify recruitment and participation biases. Graduates' names were retrieved from 26 Swiss nursing schools: 488 nurses from the 1988 cohort and 597 from 1998 were invited to complete a web-based questionnaire. Initial updated addresses (n = 278, seed sample) were found using the Swiss Nursing Association member file. In addition, a snowball method was applied for recruitment, where directly-contacted respondents provided additional names of graduate mates or sent them the invitation. The study was further advertized through the main employers, study partners, and a press release. Participation rate was 26.5% (n = 287), higher for the older cohort of 1988 (29.7%, n = 145) than for 1998 (15.6%, n = 93). Additional nurses (n = 363) not belonging to the test cohorts also answered. All schools were represented among respondents. Only 18 respondents (6%) worked outside nursing or not at all. Among respondents, 94% would 'probably' or 'maybe' agree to participate in the main study. The pilot study demonstrated that targeted nurses could be identified and approached. There is an overwhelming interest in the project from them and from policymakers. Recommendations to increase nurses' participation rate for nurses at work include: (1) to open nurses at work recruitment to all nurses in Switzerland, while recreating cohorts post-hoc for relevant analysis; (2) to define a comprehensive communication strategy with special attention to graduate nurses who are harder to reach.

The Detection of Patients at Risk of Gastrointestinal Toxicity during Pelvic Radiotherapy by Electronic Nose and FAIMS: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Covington, James A.; Wedlake, Linda; Andreyev, Jervoise; Ouaret, Nathalie; Thomas, Matthew G.; Nwokolo, Chuka U.; Bardhan, Karna D.; Arasaradnam, Ramesh P.

2012-01-01

It is well known that the electronic nose can be used to identify differences between human health and disease for a range of disorders. We present a pilot study to investigate if the electronic nose and a newer technology, FAIMS (Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry), can be used to identify and help inform the treatment pathway for patients receiving pelvic radiotherapy, which frequently causes gastrointestinal side-effects, severe in some. From a larger group, 23 radiotherapy patients were selected where half had the highest levels of toxicity and the others the lowest. Stool samples were obtained before and four weeks after radiotherapy and the volatiles and gases emitted analysed by both methods; these chemicals are products of fermentation caused by gut microflora. Principal component analysis of the electronic nose data and wavelet transform followed by Fisher discriminant analysis of FAIMS data indicated that it was possible to separate patients after treatment by their toxicity levels. More interestingly, differences were also identified in their pre-treatment samples. We believe these patterns arise from differences in gut microflora where some combinations of bacteria result to give this olfactory signature. In the future our approach may result in a technique that will help identify patients at “high risk” even before radiation treatment is started. PMID:23201982

Improving a web-based employability intervention for work-disabled employees: results of a pilot economic evaluation.

PubMed

Noben, Cindy; Evers, Silvia; Genabeek, Joost van; Nijhuis, Frans; de Rijk, Angelique

2017-04-01

Purpose The purpose of this study is to improve web-based employability interventions for employees with work-related health problems for both intervention content and study design by means of a pilot economic evaluation. Methods Uptake rate analysis for the intervention elements, cost effectiveness, cost utility and subgroup analyses were conducted to identify potential content-related intervention improvements. Differences in work ability and quality-adjusted life years and overall contribution of resource items to the total costs were assessed. These were used to guide study design improvements. Results Sixty-three participants were a-select allocated to either the intervention (n = 29) or the control (n = 34) group. Uptake regarding the intervention elements ranged between 3% and 70%. Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses resulted in negative effects although higher total costs. Incremental effects were marginal (work ability -0.51; QALY -0.01). Conclusions The web-based tool to enhance employability among work disabled employees requires improvements regarding targeting and intensity; outcome measures selected and collection of cost data. With respect to the studies of disability and rehabilitation, the findings and methods presented in this pilot economic evaluation could guide the assessment of future assistive "e-health" technologies. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION The methods presented in this pilot economic evaluation have large potentials to guide the assessment of future assistive e-health technologies addressing work-disabilities. The findings show that the web-based tool requires content related improvements with respect to targeting and intensity to enhance employability among work disabled employees. The findings show that the web-based tool would benefit from improvements related to the study design by more adequately selecting and collecting both outcome measures and cost data. The burden attributable to large-scale studies and implementation issues were prevented as the outcomes of the pilot economic evaluation did not support the implementation of the web-based tool.

Pilot study for the registry of complications in rheumatic diseases from the German Society of Surgery (DGORh): evaluation of methods and data from the first 1000 patients.

PubMed

Kostuj, Tanja; Rehart, Stefan; Matta-Hurtado, Ronald; Biehl, Christoph; Willburger, Roland E; Schmidt, Klaus

2017-10-10

Most patients suffering with rheumatic diseases who undergo surgical treatment are receiving immune-modulating therapy. To determine whether these medications affect their outcomes a national registry was established in Germany by the German Society of Surgery (DGORh). Data from the first 1000 patients were used in a pilot study to identify relevant corisk factors and to determine whether such a registry is suitable for developing accurate and relevant recommendations. Data were collected from patients undergoing surgical treatments with their written consent. A second consent form was used, if complications occurred. During this pilot study, in order to obtain a quicker overview, risk factors were considered only in patients with complications. Only descriptive statistical analysis was employed in this pilot study due to limited number of observed complications and inhomogeneous data regarding the surgery and the medications the patients received. Analytical statistics will be performed to confirm the results in a future outcome study. Complications occurred in 26 patients and were distributed equally among the different types of surgeries. Twenty one of these patients were receiving immune-modulating therapy at the time, while five were not. Infections were observed in 2.3% of patients receiving and in 5.1% not receiving immunosuppression. Due to the low number of cases, inhomogeneity in the diseases and the treatments received by the patients in this pilot study, it is not possible to develop standardised best-practice recommendations to optimise their care. Based on this observation we conclude that in order to be suitable to develop accurate and relevant recommendations a national registry must include the most important and relevant variables that impact the care and outcomes of these patients. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Flying SATS Higher Volume Operations: Training, Lessons Learned, and Pilots' Experiences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conway, Sheila; Williams, Dan; Adams, Catherine; Consiglio, Maria; Murdoch, Jennifer

2005-01-01

Developments in aviation, including new surveillance technologies and quicker, more economical small aircraft, have been identified as driving factors in a potential expansion of the use of non-towered, non-radar airports. The Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) project has developed the Higher Volume Operations (HVO) concept that enables pilots to safely arrive and depart these airports in instrument conditions at an increased rate as compared to today's procedures. This is achieved by transferring some traffic management tasks to centralized, ground-based automation, while assigning others to participating pilots aided by on-board tools. This paper describes strategies and lessons learned while training pilots to fly these innovative operations. Pilot approaches to using the experimental displays and dynamic altering systems during training are discussed. Potential operational benefits as well as pit-falls and frustrations expressed by subjects while learning to fly these new procedures are presented. Generally, pilots were comfortable with the procedures and the training process, and expressed interest in its near-term implementation.

Global Aerodynamic Modeling for Stall/Upset Recovery Training Using Efficient Piloted Flight Test Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morelli, Eugene A.; Cunningham, Kevin; Hill, Melissa A.

2013-01-01

Flight test and modeling techniques were developed for efficiently identifying global aerodynamic models that can be used to accurately simulate stall, upset, and recovery on large transport airplanes. The techniques were developed and validated in a high-fidelity fixed-base flight simulator using a wind-tunnel aerodynamic database, realistic sensor characteristics, and a realistic flight deck representative of a large transport aircraft. Results demonstrated that aerodynamic models for stall, upset, and recovery can be identified rapidly and accurately using relatively simple piloted flight test maneuvers. Stall maneuver predictions and comparisons of identified aerodynamic models with data from the underlying simulation aerodynamic database were used to validate the techniques.

Formative research on the feasibility of hygiene interventions for influenza control in UK primary schools.

PubMed

Schmidt, Wolf-Peter; Wloch, Catherine; Biran, Adam; Curtis, Val; Mangtani, Punam

2009-10-15

Interventions to increase hand washing in schools have been advocated as a means to reduce the transmission of pandemic influenza and other infections. However, the feasibility and acceptability of effective school-based hygiene interventions is not clear. A pilot study in four primary schools in East London was conducted to establish the current need for enhanced hand hygiene interventions, identify barriers to their implementation and to test their acceptability and feasibility. The pilot study included key informant interviews with teachers and school nurses, interviews, group discussions and essay questions with the children, and testing of organised classroom hand hygiene activities. In all schools, basic issues of personal hygiene were taught especially in the younger age groups. However, we identified many barriers to implementing intensive hygiene interventions, in particular time constraints and competing health issues. Teachers' motivation to teach hygiene and enforce hygienic behaviour was primarily educational rather than immediate infection control. Children of all age groups had good knowledge of hygiene practices and germ transmission. The pilot study showed that intensive hand hygiene interventions are feasible and acceptable but only temporarily during a period of a particular health threat such as an influenza pandemic, and only if rinse-free hand sanitisers are used. However, in many settings there may be logistical issues in providing all schools with an adequate supply. In the absence of evidence on effectiveness, the scope for enhanced hygiene interventions in schools in high income countries aiming at infection control appears to be limited in the absence of a severe public health threat.

Formative research on the feasibility of hygiene interventions for influenza control in UK primary schools

PubMed Central

Schmidt, Wolf-Peter; Wloch, Catherine; Biran, Adam; Curtis, Val; Mangtani, Punam

2009-01-01

Background Interventions to increase hand washing in schools have been advocated as a means to reduce the transmission of pandemic influenza and other infections. However, the feasibility and acceptability of effective school-based hygiene interventions is not clear. Methods A pilot study in four primary schools in East London was conducted to establish the current need for enhanced hand hygiene interventions, identify barriers to their implementation and to test their acceptability and feasibility. The pilot study included key informant interviews with teachers and school nurses, interviews, group discussions and essay questions with the children, and testing of organised classroom hand hygiene activities. Results In all schools, basic issues of personal hygiene were taught especially in the younger age groups. However, we identified many barriers to implementing intensive hygiene interventions, in particular time constraints and competing health issues. Teachers' motivation to teach hygiene and enforce hygienic behaviour was primarily educational rather than immediate infection control. Children of all age groups had good knowledge of hygiene practices and germ transmission. Conclusion The pilot study showed that intensive hand hygiene interventions are feasible and acceptable but only temporarily during a period of a particular health threat such as an influenza pandemic, and only if rinse-free hand sanitisers are used. However, in many settings there may be logistical issues in providing all schools with an adequate supply. In the absence of evidence on effectiveness, the scope for enhanced hygiene interventions in schools in high income countries aiming at infection control appears to be limited in the absence of a severe public health threat. PMID:19832971

Predictors of Home Care Expenditures and Death at Home for Cancer Patients in an Integrated Comprehensive Palliative Home Care Pilot Program

PubMed Central

Howell, Doris M.; Abernathy, Tom; Cockerill, Rhonda; Brazil, Kevin; Wagner, Frank; Librach, Larry

2011-01-01

Purpose: Empirical understanding of predictors for home care service use and death at home is important for healthcare planning. Few studies have examined these predictors in the context of the publicly funded Canadian home care system. This study examined predictors for home care use and home death in the context of a “gold standard” comprehensive palliative home care program pilot in Ontario where patients had equal access to home care services. Methods: Secondary clinical and administrative data sources were linked using a unique identifier to examine multivariate factors (predisposing, enabling, need) on total home care expenditures and home death for a cohort of cancer patients enrolled in the HPCNet pilot. Results: Subjects with gastrointestinal symptoms (OR: 1.64; p=0.03) and those with higher income had increased odds of dying at home (OR: 1.14; p<0.001), whereas age, number of GP visits, gastrointestinal symptoms (i.e., nausea, vomiting, bowel obstruction) and eating problems (i.e., anorexia/cachexia) predicted home care expenditures. Conclusions: Predictors of home death found in earlier studies appeared less important in this comprehensive palliative home care pilot. An income effect for home death observed in this study requires examination in future controlled studies. Relevance: Access to palliative home care that is adequately resourced and organized to address the multiple domains of issues that patients/families experience at the end of life has the potential to enable home death and shift care appropriately from limited acute care resources. PMID:22294993

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2006-01-01

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

Teaching Botanical Identification to Adults: Experiences of the UK Participatory Science Project "Open Air Laboratories"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stagg, Bethan C.; Donkin, Maria

2013-01-01

Taxonomic education and botany are increasingly neglected in schools and universities, leading to a "missed generation" of adults that cannot identify organisms, especially plants. This study pilots three methods for teaching identification of native plant species to forty-three adults engaged in the participatory science project…

Testing the Feasibility of Fidelity Evaluation in a Multisite, Multiprogram Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornish, Disa Lubker; Losch, Mary E.; Avery, Mitchell

2016-01-01

Monitoring fidelity of implementation is a critical task when initiating evidence-based programs. This pilot study sought to identify best practices in a fidelity monitoring process and determine the feasibility of continuing a fidelity monitoring process with a multisite, multiprogram initiative. A fidelity log was created for each of 11…

Militant Extremist Mind-Set: Proviolence, Vile World, and Divine Power

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stankov, Lazar; Saucier, Gerard; Knezevic, Goran

2010-01-01

In the present article, the authors report on the development of a scale for the measurement of the militant extremist mind-set. A previous pilot study identified 56 statements selected from writings of various terrorist groups as well as from psychological, historical, and political texts on terrorism. These statements, together with measures of…

Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents Living in Rural America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peden, Ann R.; Reed, Deborah B.; Rayens, Mary Kay

2005-01-01

Purpose: The purposes of this pilot study were to examine prevalence of depressive symptoms among rural adolescents and identify related social and environmental variables. Methods: A convenience sample of 299 14- to 18-year-old agriculture class students at 5 rural high schools in Kentucky and Iowa completed a survey that included demographic…

Evaluation of Two Treatments for Reactive and Proactive Aggression in Preschool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitaker, Regina Navonne

2010-01-01

Previous research has indicated that preschoolers identified for aggressive behavior would benefit from family, group, or individual therapy. However, there remains an important gap in the current literature regarding treatments for aggressive behavior based on the subtype of aggression. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine if 2…

Speech Disorders in Neurofibromatosis Type 1: A Sample Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosyns, Marjan; Vandeweghe, Lies; Mortier, Geert; Janssens, Sandra; Van Borsel, John

2010-01-01

Background: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal-dominant neurocutaneous disorder with an estimated prevalence of two to three cases per 10 000 population. While the physical characteristics have been well documented, speech disorders have not been fully characterized in NF1 patients. Aims: This study serves as a pilot to identify key…

Exploring Strategies to Promote Middle School Student Participation in the School Breakfast Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cullen, Karen Weber; Thompson, Deborah I.; Watson, Kathleen B.

2012-01-01

Purpose/Objective: Providing a school breakfast to students may be a practical intervention that improves energy balance, nutrient intake, and school academic achievement variables. This purpose of this pilot study was to identify the ecological factors influencing middle school student school breakfast participation and possible strategies to…

Toward the Development of a Theory of Bereavement Guilt: Sources of Guilt in Bereaved Parents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miles, Margaret Shandor; Demi, Alice Sterner

1984-01-01

Identifies five sources of guilt in bereaved parents: cultural role, death causation, moral, survivor, and recovery guilt. A pilot study of 28 bereaved parents provided partial support for the model and suggested an additional category: grief guilt. Rationalizing and sharing were the most common guilt-ameliorating strategies. (JAC)

Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies: 2014-2016 | Solar Research |

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motivations for adoption A non-adopter considerer survey that targeted lost leads by installers to identify two experimental market pilots to test methods to increase lead generation and conversion using concerned individuals may need to emphasize non-environmental benefits. The results also support leveraging

Breath carbon stable isotope ratios identify changes in energy balance and substrate utilization in humans

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Rapid detection of shifts in substrate utilization and energy balance would provide a compelling biofeedback tool to enable individuals to lose weight. In a pilot study, we tested whether the natural abundance of exhaled carbon stable isotope ratios (breath d13C values) reflects shifts between negat...

Ceramic Filter for Small System Drinking Water Treatment: Evaluation of Membrane Pore Size and Importance of Integrity Monitoring

EPA Science Inventory

Ceramic filtration has recently been identified as a promising technology for drinking water treatment in households and small communities. This paper summarizes the results of a pilot-scale study conducted at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Test & Evaluation ...

Primary Childhood School Success Scale.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seagraves, Margaret C.

The purpose of this research study was to build and pilot a psychometric instrument, the Primary Childhood School Success Scale (PCSSS), to identify behaviors needed for children to be successful in first grade. Fifty-two teacher responses were collected. The instrument had a reliability coefficient (Alpha) of 0.95, a mean of 13.26, and a variance…

Children as an Emotional Amplifier in Northern Illinois White-Tailed Deer Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hicks, Jonathan R.

2016-01-01

This pilot study identified and provided initial exploration into the notion that the presence of children can increase or amplify the emotional significance of encounters with white-tailed deer. Qualitative data demonstrated that Northern Illinois natural area decision makers found deer encounters to be more memorable when simultaneously sharing…

Structuring Time and Questioning to Achieve Tactical Awareness in Games Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeill, Michael C.; Fry, Joan M.; Wright, Steven C.; Tan, Clara W. K.; Rossi, Tony

2008-01-01

Background: A paradigm shift in educational policy to create problem solvers and critical thinkers produced the games concept approach (GCA) in Singapore's Revised Syllabus for Physical Education (1999). A pilot study (2001) conducted on 11 primary school student teachers (STs) using this approach identified time management and questioning as two…

Assessing Regeneration Adequacy In Pennsylvania's Forests: A Pilot Study

Treesearch

William H. McWilliams; Susan L. King; Charles T. Scott

2001-01-01

The USDA, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station (NE), Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) unit began collecting forest inventory data on an annual basis in Pennsylvania starting this past field season. The forestry community of Pennsylvania has identified forest regeneration as a primary research issue for the inventory to address. New techniques for measuring...

Engaging Homeless Individuals in Discussion about Their Food Experiences to Optimise Wellbeing: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pettinger, Clare; Parsons, Julie M.; Cunningham, Miranda; Withers, Lyndsey; D'Aprano, Gia; Letherby, Gayle; Sutton, Carole; Whiteford, Andrew; Ayres, Richard

2017-01-01

Objective: High levels of social and economic deprivation are apparent in many UK cities, where there is evidence of certain "marginalised" communities suffering disproportionately from poor nutrition, threatening health. Finding ways to engage with these communities is essential to identify strategies to optimise wellbeing and life…

Seeing Cells: Teaching the Visual/Verbal Rhetoric of Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dinolfo, John; Heifferon, Barbara; Temesvari, Lesly A.

2007-01-01

This pilot study obtained baseline information on verbal and visual rhetorics to teach microscopy techniques to college biology majors. We presented cell images to students in cell biology and biology writing classes and then asked them to identify textual, verbal, and visual cues that support microscopy learning. Survey responses suggest that…

Use of electronic nose technology to identify cattle experimentally infected with Mycobacterium bovis: A pilot study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Electronic nose technology has historically been utilized for the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile compounds in air, soil, water, and for quality control in food, beverage and cosmetic industries. Breath analysis has been used experimentally in humans and animals to ...

Pilot study of a budget-tailored culinary nutrition education program for undergraduate food science students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerrison, Dorothy Adair

The primary objective of this pilot study is to provide evidence that a budget-tailored culinary nutrition program is both appropriate and applicable to undergraduate food science students both in everyday life as well as their future health careers. Two validated programs were combined into one program in order to evaluate their combined effects: Cooking With a Chef and Cooking Matters at the Store. The secondary objective of this pilot study is to evaluate the components and reliability of a questionnaire created specifically for this pilot study. A review of past literature was written, which included culinary nutrition as a source of primary prevention, the importance of incorporating cost with culinary nutrition, and the importance of incorporating cost with culinary nutrition. Based on the literature review, it was determined that a budget-tailored culinary nutrition program was appropriate and applicable to undergraduate food science students interested in pursuing health-related careers. The pilot study design was a semi-crossover study: all four groups received the program, however, two groups were first treated as the control groups. All fifty-four participants received 5 sessions of culinary nutrition information from Cooking With a Chef, collaboratively delivered by a nutrition educator and a chef, and one session of information about shopping healthy on a budget from Cooking Matters at the Store in the form of a grocery store tour led by the nutrition educator. Three questionnaires were administered to the participants that evaluated culinary nutrition and price knowledge, cooking attitudes, and opinions of the programs' relevance to participants' everyday lives and careers. Two of the questionnaires, including a questionnaire developed specifically for the pilot study, were delivered as a pre- and post-test while the third questionnaire was delivered as a post-test. Eight random participants also partook in a focus group session led by the nutrition educator. Based on statistical results, there were significant differences between the treatment group and control group in Cooking Self-Efficacy (p=0.0024), Self-Efficacy for Using Basic Cooking Techniques (p=<0.0001), Self-Efficacy for Using Fruits, Vegetables, and Seasonings (p=<0.0001), and the ability to use economical methods to purchase low-cost produce and identify different forms of produce (p=<0.0001). For the one-time post-program administered questionnaire, the participants received an average score of 89.44 percent. The reliability procedure performed on the pilot study questionnaire showed that 13 of the 15 items were statistically reliable (p<0.05). The factor analysis procedure performed showed that there were five factors within the pilot study questionnaire. Participant responses from the focus group included how the program was a positive change from other mandatory courses, reaffirmed or increased interest in their major(s) and applied both to their everyday life and future career. This pilot study demonstrates preliminary results of the effects of combining culinary nutrition information with budget and price concepts to deliver to undergraduate food science students. The significance of understanding both culinary nutrition and price is important in order to effectively deliver nutrition counseling to patients of all different demographics. Additional testing and modification could be performed on the curriculum as well as the pilot study questionnaire in order to effectively relate the instrument to the program and increase the instrument's reliability.

Priority setting for the prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases: multi-criteria decision analysis in four eastern Mediterranean countries.

PubMed

Ghandour, Rula; Shoaibi, Azza; Khatib, Rana; Abu Rmeileh, Niveen; Unal, Belgin; Sözmen, Kaan; Kılıç, Bülent; Fouad, Fouad; Al Ali, Radwan; Ben Romdhane, Habiba; Aissi, Wafa; Ahmad, Balsam; Capewell, Simon; Critchley, Julia; Husseini, Abdullatif

2015-01-01

To explore the feasibility of using a simple multi-criteria decision analysis method with policy makers/key stakeholders to prioritize cardiovascular disease (CVD) policies in four Mediterranean countries: Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. A simple multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) method was piloted. A mixed methods study was used to identify a preliminary list of policy options in each country. These policies were rated by different policymakers/stakeholders against pre-identified criteria to generate a priority score for each policy and then rank the policies. Twenty-five different policies were rated in the four countries to create a country-specific list of CVD prevention and control policies. The response rate was 100% in each country. The top policies were mostly population level interventions and health systems' level policies. Successful collaboration between policy makers/stakeholders and researchers was established in this small pilot study. MCDA appeared to be feasible and effective. Future applications should aim to engage a larger, representative sample of policy makers, especially from outside the health sector. Weighting the selected criteria might also be assessed.

A New Index for the MMPI-2 Test for Detecting Dissimulation in Forensic Evaluations: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Martino, Vito; Grattagliano, Ignazio; Bosco, Andrea; Massaro, Ylenia; Lisi, Andrea; Campobasso, Filippo; Marchitelli, Maria Alessia; Catanesi, Roberto

2016-01-01

This pilot study is the starting point of a potentially broad research project aimed at identifying new strategies for assessing malingering during forensic evaluations. The forensic group was comprised of 67 males who were seeking some sort of certification (e.g., adoption, child custody, driver's license, issuance of gun permits, etc.); the nonforensic group was comprised of 62 healthy male volunteers. Each participant was administered the MMPI-2. Statistical analyses were conducted on obtained scores of 48 MMPI-2 scales. In the first step, parametric statistics were adopted to identify the best combination of MMPI-2 scales that differentiated the two groups of participants. In the second step, frequency-based, nonparametric methods were used for diagnostic purposes. A model that utilized the best three predictors ("7-Pt", "L," and "1-Hs") was developed and used to calculate the Forensic Evaluation Dissimulation Index (FEDI), which features satisfactory diagnostic accuracy (0.9), sensitivity (0.82), specificity (0.81), and likelihood ratio indices (LR+ = 4.32; LR- = 0.22). © 2015 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Adapting Web content for low-literacy readers by using lexical elaboration and named entities labeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, W. M.; Candido, A.; Amâncio, M. A.; De Oliveira, M.; Pardo, T. A. S.; Fortes, R. P. M.; Aluísio, S. M.

2010-12-01

This paper presents an approach for assisting low-literacy readers in accessing Web online information. The "Educational FACILITA" tool is a Web content adaptation tool that provides innovative features and follows more intuitive interaction models regarding accessibility concerns. Especially, we propose an interaction model and a Web application that explore the natural language processing tasks of lexical elaboration and named entity labeling for improving Web accessibility. We report on the results obtained from a pilot study on usability analysis carried out with low-literacy users. The preliminary results show that "Educational FACILITA" improves the comprehension of text elements, although the assistance mechanisms might also confuse users when word sense ambiguity is introduced, by gathering, for a complex word, a list of synonyms with multiple meanings. This fact evokes a future solution in which the correct sense for a complex word in a sentence is identified, solving this pervasive characteristic of natural languages. The pilot study also identified that experienced computer users find the tool to be more useful than novice computer users do.

SunSmart: evaluation of a pilot school-based sun protection intervention in Hispanic early adolescents

PubMed Central

Miller, K. A.; Langholz, B. M.; Ly, T.; Harris, S. C.; Richardson, J. L.; Peng, D. H.; Cockburn, M. G.

2015-01-01

The incidence of melanoma is rising among Hispanic populations in the United States. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of a pilot sun safety educational intervention conducted from 2006 to 2012 on Hispanic early adolescents in a high ultraviolet environment. Nineteen schools with high Hispanic enrollment were recruited from urban neighborhoods in Los Angeles. The analytic sample was restricted to students identifying as Hispanic or Latino (n = 777). A mixed effects linear model was used to test mean changes from pre- to posttest on students’ sun protection knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. Significant improvements were observed across several cognitive outcomes related to sun protection, including knowledge of and attitudes toward sun protection and self-efficacy to wear sunscreen. However, changes in sun protective behaviors were not achieved. Although some improvements were observed, future studies should identify the factors that motivate sun protection in this population and develop tailored prevention strategies, as improving the sun safe behaviors of Hispanic youths may aid in reducing the risk of melanoma in adulthood in this population. PMID:25801103

TRISTAR 1: Evaluation methods for testing head-up display (HUD) flight symbology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, R. L.; Haworth, L. A.; Kessler, G. K.; Eksuzian, D. J.; Ercoline, W. R.; Evans, R. H.; Hughes, T. C.; Weinstein, L. F.

1995-01-01

The first in a series of piloted head-up display (HUD) flight symbology studies (TRISTAR) measuring pilot task performance was conducted at the NASA Ames Research Center by the Tri-Service Flight Symbology Working Group (FSWG). Sponsored by the U.S. Army Aeroflightdynamics Directorate, this study served as a focal point for the FSWG to examine HUD test methodology and flight symbology presentations. HUD climb-dive marker dynamics and climb-dive ladder presentations were examined as pilots performed air-to-air (A/A), air-to-ground (A/G), instrument landing system (ILS), and unusual attitude (UA) recover tasks. Symbolic presentations resembled pitch ladder variations used by the U.S. Air Force (USAF), U.S. Navy (USN), and Royal Air Force (RAF). The study was initiated by the FSWG to address HUD flight symbology deficiencies, standardization, issue identification, and test methodologies. It provided the mechanism by which the USAF, USN, RAF, and USA could integrate organizational ideas and reduce differences for comparisons. Specifically it examined flight symbology issues collectively identified by each organization and the use of objective and subjective text methodology and flight tasking proposed by the FSWG.

Flight Crew Task Management in Non-Normal Situations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schutte, Paul C.; Trujillo, Anna C.

1996-01-01

Task management (TM) is always performed on the flight deck, although not always explicitly, consistently, or rigorously. Nowhere is TM as important as it is in dealing with non-normal situations. The objective of this study was to analyze pilot TM behavior for non-normal situations. Specifically, the study observed pilots performance in a full workload environment in order to discern their TM strategies. This study identified four different TM prioritization and allocation strategies: Aviate-Navigate-Communicate-Manage Systems; Perceived Severity; Procedure Based; and Event/Interrupt Driven. Subjects used these strategies to manage their personal workload and to schedule monitoring and assessment of the situation. The Perceived Severity strategy for personal workload management combined with the Aviate-Navigate-Communicate-Manage Systems strategy for monitoring and assessing appeared to be the most effective (fewest errors and fastest response times) in responding to the novel system failure used in this study.

Adapting and Pilot Testing a Parenting Intervention for Homeless Families in Transitional Housing.

PubMed

Holtrop, Kendal; Holcomb, Jamila E

2018-01-24

Intervention adaptation is a promising approach for extending the reach of evidence-based interventions to underserved families. One highly relevant population in need of services are homeless families. In particular, homeless families with children constitute more than one third of the total homeless population in the United States and face several unique challenges to parenting. The purpose of this study was to adapt and pilot test a parenting intervention for homeless families in transitional housing. An established adaptation model was used to guide this process. The systematic adaptation efforts included: (a) examining the theory of change in the original intervention, (b) identifying population differences relevant to homeless families in transitional housing, (c) adapting the content of the intervention, and (d) adapting the evaluation strategy. Next, a pilot test of the adapted intervention was conducted to examine implementation feasibility and acceptability. Feasibility data indicate an intervention spanning several weeks may be difficult to implement in the context of transitional housing. Yet, acceptability of the adapted intervention among participants was consistently high. The findings of this pilot work suggest several implications for informing continued parenting intervention research and practice with homeless families in transitional housing. © 2018 Family Process Institute.

SU-E-T-23: A Developing Australian Network for Datamining and Modelling Routine Radiotherapy Clinical Data and Radiomics Information for Rapid Learning and Clinical Decision Support

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

Thwaites, D; Holloway, L; Bailey, M

2015-06-15

Purpose: Large amounts of routine radiotherapy (RT) data are available, which can potentially add clinical evidence to support better decisions. A developing collaborative Australian network, with a leading European partner, aims to validate, implement and extend European predictive models (PMs) for Australian practice and assess their impact on future patient decisions. Wider objectives include: developing multi-institutional rapid learning, using distributed learning approaches; and assessing and incorporating radiomics information into PMs. Methods: Two initial standalone pilots were conducted; one on NSCLC, the other on larynx, patient datasets in two different centres. Open-source rapid learning systems were installed, for data extraction andmore » mining to collect relevant clinical parameters from the centres’ databases. The European DSSs were learned (“training cohort”) and validated against local data sets (“clinical cohort”). Further NSCLC studies are underway in three more centres to pilot a wider distributed learning network. Initial radiomics work is underway. Results: For the NSCLC pilot, 159/419 patient datasets were identified meeting the PM criteria, and hence eligible for inclusion in the curative clinical cohort (for the larynx pilot, 109/125). Some missing data were imputed using Bayesian methods. For both, the European PMs successfully predicted prognosis groups, but with some differences in practice reflected. For example, the PM-predicted good prognosis NSCLC group was differentiated from a combined medium/poor prognosis group (2YOS 69% vs. 27%, p<0.001). Stage was less discriminatory in identifying prognostic groups. In the good prognosis group two-year overall survival was 65% in curatively and 18% in palliatively treated patients. Conclusion: The technical infrastructure and basic European PMs support prognosis prediction for these Australian patient groups, showing promise for supporting future personalized treatment decisions, improved treatment quality and potential practice changes. The early indications from the distributed learning and radiomics pilots strengthen this. Improved routine patient data quality should strengthen such rapid learning systems.« less

Enhanced/synthetic vision and head-worn display technologies for terminal maneuvering area NextGen operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arthur, Jarvis J., III; Prinzel, Lawrence J., III; Williams, Steven P.; Bailey, Randall E.; Shelton, Kevin J.; Norman, R. Mike

2011-06-01

NASA is researching innovative technologies for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) to provide a "Better-Than-Visual" (BTV) capability as adjunct to "Equivalent Visual Operations" (EVO); that is, airport throughputs equivalent to that normally achieved during Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations rates with equivalent and better safety in all weather and visibility conditions including Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). These new technologies build on proven flight deck systems and leverage synthetic and enhanced vision systems. Two piloted simulation studies were conducted to access the use of a Head-Worn Display (HWD) with head tracking for synthetic and enhanced vision systems concepts. The first experiment evaluated the use a HWD for equivalent visual operations to San Francisco International Airport (airport identifier: KSFO) compared to a visual concept and a head-down display concept. A second experiment evaluated symbology variations under different visibility conditions using a HWD during taxi operations at Chicago O'Hare airport (airport identifier: KORD). Two experiments were conducted, one in a simulated San Francisco airport (KSFO) approach operation and the other, in simulated Chicago O'Hare surface operations, evaluating enhanced/synthetic vision and head-worn display technologies for NextGen operations. While flying a closely-spaced parallel approach to KSFO, pilots rated the HWD, under low-visibility conditions, equivalent to the out-the-window condition, under unlimited visibility, in terms of situational awareness (SA) and mental workload compared to a head-down enhanced vision system. There were no differences between the 3 display concepts in terms of traffic spacing and distance and the pilot decision-making to land or go-around. For the KORD experiment, the visibility condition was not a factor in pilot's rating of clutter effects from symbology. Several concepts for enhanced implementations of an unlimited field-of-regard BTV concept for low-visibility surface operations were determined to be equivalent in pilot ratings of efficacy and usability.

Enhanced/Synthetic Vision and Head-Worn Display Technologies for Terminal Maneuvering Area NextGen Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arthur, Jarvis J., III; Prinzell, Lawrence J.; Williams, Steven P.; Bailey, Randall E.; Shelton, Kevin J.; Norman, R. Mike

2011-01-01

NASA is researching innovative technologies for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) to provide a "Better-Than-Visual" (BTV) capability as adjunct to "Equivalent Visual Operations" (EVO); that is, airport throughputs equivalent to that normally achieved during Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations rates with equivalent and better safety in all weather and visibility conditions including Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). These new technologies build on proven flight deck systems and leverage synthetic and enhanced vision systems. Two piloted simulation studies were conducted to access the use of a Head-Worn Display (HWD) with head tracking for synthetic and enhanced vision systems concepts. The first experiment evaluated the use a HWD for equivalent visual operations to San Francisco International Airport (airport identifier: KSFO) compared to a visual concept and a head-down display concept. A second experiment evaluated symbology variations under different visibility conditions using a HWD during taxi operations at Chicago O'Hare airport (airport identifier: KORD). Two experiments were conducted, one in a simulated San Francisco airport (KSFO) approach operation and the other, in simulated Chicago O'Hare surface operations, evaluating enhanced/synthetic vision and head-worn display technologies for NextGen operations. While flying a closely-spaced parallel approach to KSFO, pilots rated the HWD, under low-visibility conditions, equivalent to the out-the-window condition, under unlimited visibility, in terms of situational awareness (SA) and mental workload compared to a head-down enhanced vision system. There were no differences between the 3 display concepts in terms of traffic spacing and distance and the pilot decision-making to land or go-around. For the KORD experiment, the visibility condition was not a factor in pilot's rating of clutter effects from symbology. Several concepts for enhanced implementations of an unlimited field-of-regard BTV concept for low-visibility surface operations were determined to be equivalent in pilot ratings of efficacy and usability.

Prospective markets and design concepts for civilian remotely piloted aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelms, W. P., Jr.; Gregory, T. J.; Aderhold, J. R.

1976-01-01

This paper summarizes a study that examines the technical, economic, and environmental aspects of remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs) in the civil environment. A market survey was conducted in which 35 civil applications of RPVs were identified. For a number of these uses, vehicle and system concepts were defined, benefit and cost comparisons were made with present methods, and the influence of safety and environmental implications was assessed. The results suggest a sizable potential demand for the use of RPVs in the civil sector, and some of the applications show promising cost savings over established methods. A focussed technology effort could provide the safety assurances needed for routine civilian operation of RPVs.

Aviation System Safety and Pilot Risk Perception: Implications for Enhancing Decision-Making Skills

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Mavis F.

2001-01-01

This research explores risk perception in a defined population of flight instructors and the implications of these views for flight training. Flight instructors and students engaged in collegiate aviation flight training were interviewed for this qualitative study. Thirty-three percent of the instructors interviewed reported that flying is not a risky activity. This is important because research identifies risk perception as one factor influencing instructional choices. These choices can then impact the subsequent decision-making processes of flight students. Facilitating pilot decision-making through the use of an appropriate type of learning that incorporates the modeling of consensually validated cognitive procedures and risk management processes is discussed.

Feasibility study for ergonomic analysis and design of future helicopter cockpit systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hawkins, H. L.

1985-01-01

The Army's light scout-attack helicopters (LHXs), planned for deployment in the 1990's, will fly nap-of-the-earth (NOE) missions in high threat environments, often under poor visibility and adverse atmospheric conditions, and probably with a one man crew. A procedure for the analysis of pilot workload that will identify and explicate the main characteristics of those LHX mission components holding overload potential is described. A principled, in-depth, explication of the cognitive demans of LHX piloting is essential to any effective effort to address the human factors issues. A task-analytic procedure that will yield the detail and organizstion needed to achieve these goals is examined.

An exploratory investigation of the STOL landing maneuver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whyte, P. H.

1979-01-01

The parameters influencing the STOL landing are identified and their effect on the ease and quality of the flare maneuver is discussed. Data from actual landings, supported by pilot commentary and pilot opinion rating, are analyzed. Hypotheses concerning the prediction of STOL handling qualities in the flare are proposed, and suggestions for future research are presented.

Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) cadastral and right of way data sharing pilot project : phase 1 and phase 2 summary report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-12-10

The Cadastral and Right of Way Data Sharing Pilot Project is divided into three phases: Phase 1 Identify Information to Share, Phase 2 Information Collection, Phase 3 Web-based Information Access and Transfer. The Phase 1 and Phase 2 Summary Report d...

NASA Langley WINN System Operational Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jonsson, Jon

2003-01-01

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

46 CFR 163.002-21 - Approval tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 6 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Approval tests. 163.002-21 Section 163.002-21 Shipping...: SPECIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL CONSTRUCTION Pilot Hoist § 163.002-21 Approval tests. (a) General. If a pilot hoist fails one of the tests in this section the cause of the failure must be identified and any needed design...

Piloted Evaluation of an Integrated Methodology for Propulsion and Airframe Control Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bright, Michelle M.; Simon, Donald L.; Garg, Sanjay; Mattern, Duane L.; Ranaudo, Richard J.; Odonoghue, Dennis P.

1994-01-01

An integrated methodology for propulsion and airframe control has been developed and evaluated for a Short Take-Off Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft using a fixed base flight simulator at NASA Lewis Research Center. For this evaluation the flight simulator is configured for transition flight using a STOVL aircraft model, a full nonlinear turbofan engine model, simulated cockpit and displays, and pilot effectors. The paper provides a brief description of the simulation models, the flight simulation environment, the displays and symbology, the integrated control design, and the piloted tasks used for control design evaluation. In the simulation, the pilots successfully completed typical transition phase tasks such as combined constant deceleration with flight path tracking, and constant acceleration wave-off maneuvers. The pilot comments of the integrated system performance and the display symbology are discussed and analyzed to identify potential areas of improvement.

[Criteria for a medical specialty in crisis: a case study of general surgery and internal medicine].

PubMed

Nirel, Nurit; Birkenfeld, Shlomo; Benbassat, Jochanan

2008-06-01

Several clinical specialties in Israel appear to be experiencing an ongoing crisis. Recently, a Public Committee addressed this problem and recommended its further study. In this paper, the authors report a pilot case study of general surgery and internal medicine, which have been identified as "clinical specialties in crisis" in the medical literature, in the testimonies presented to the Public Committee, and during our preliminary interviews. to identify (a) the criteria for a "medical specialty in crisis" and (b) measures for the assessment of the extent of the crisis. (a) Qualitative analysis of interviews and written testimonies of hospital directors, departmental heads of general surgery and internal medicine, and key personnel in the health care system; (b) Analysis of data derived from national administrative data databases and (c) Secondary analysis of data from a nationwide survey of board certified Israeli specialists. We identified five criteria of "medical specialties in crisis": shortage of "good" applicants for residency training; difficulties in filling vacant positions; excessive workload due to the limited number of staff physician and residents; a perceived low remuneration and limited opportunities for additional income; poor quality of professional working life. Some of these criteria can be used as a proxy for measuring the extent of the crisis. It is possible to identify criteria defining clinical specialties in crisis, as well as its extent, as a first step toward identification of possible ways of coping with it. The findings of this pilot study justify a broader survey of additional medical specialties and a larger number of physicians.

Is there a role for a primary health nurse in a learning support team in a disadvantaged high school? Evaluation of a pilot study.

PubMed

Dennis, Sarah; Noon, Ted; Liaw, Siaw Teng

2016-02-01

Disadvantaged children experience more health problems and have poorer educational outcomes compared with students from advantaged backgrounds. This paper presents the quantitative and qualitative findings from a pilot study to determine the impact of the Healthy Learner model, where an experienced primary care nurse was embedded in a learning support team in a disadvantaged high school. Students entering high school with National Assessment Program, Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) scores in the lowest quartile for the school were assessed by the nurse and identified health issues addressed. Thirty-nine students were assessed in 2012-13 and there were up to seven health problems identified per student, ranging from serious neglect to problems such as uncorrected vision or hearing. Many of these problems were having an impact on the student and their ability to engage in learning. Families struggled to navigate the health system, they had difficulty explaining the student's problems to health professionals and costs were a barrier. Adding a nurse to the learning support team in this disadvantaged high school was feasible and identified considerable unmet health needs that affect a student's ability to learn. The families needed extensive support to access any subsequent health care they required.

Preliminary analysis of pilot ratings of 'part line' information importance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pritchett, Amy; Hansman, R. John

1993-01-01

With the introduction of digital datalink communications into the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, there is concern over the potential loss of situational awareness by flight crews due to the reduction in the 'Party Line Information' (PLI). This information is available to the pilot by overhearing communications between ATC and other aircraft. A survey was distributed to determine current PLI use by several pilot operational groups, experience levels and geographic regions. The survey identified numerous important elements. PLI was rated the highest for operations near or on approach to the airport. Several significant variations were found between pilots from different operational groups and experience levels. Traffic and weather information were the most frequently cited as information required to obtain global situation awareness.

Preliminary Analysis of Pilot Ratings of "Party Line" Information Importance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pritchett, Amy; Hansman, R. John

1993-01-01

With the introduction of digital data link communications into the ATC system, there is concern over the potential loss of situational awareness by flight crews due to the reduction in the 'Party Line' Information (PLI). This information is available to the pilot by overhearing communications between ATC and other aircraft. A survey was distributed to determine current PLI use by several pilot operational groups, experience levels and geographic regions. The survey identified numerous important elements. PLI was rated the highest for operations near or on approach to the airport. Several significant variations were found between pilots from different operational groups and experience levels. Traffic and weather information were the most frequently cited as information required to obtain global situation awareness.

Patient and Stakeholder Engagement in the PCORI Pilot Projects: Description and Lessons Learned.

PubMed

Forsythe, Laura P; Ellis, Lauren E; Edmundson, Lauren; Sabharwal, Raj; Rein, Alison; Konopka, Kristen; Frank, Lori

2016-01-01

Patients and healthcare stakeholders are increasingly becoming engaged in the planning and conduct of biomedical research. However, limited research characterizes this process or its impact. We aimed to characterize patient and stakeholder engagement in the 50 Pilot Projects funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and identify early contributions and lessons learned. A self-report instrument was completed by researchers between 6 and 12 months following project initiation. Forty-seven principal investigators or their designees (94 % response rate) participated in the study. MAIN MEASURES Self-report of types of stakeholders engaged, stages and levels of engagement, facilitators and barriers to engagement, lessons learned, and contributions from engagement were measured. Most (83 %) reported engaging more than one stakeholder in their project. Among those, the most commonly reported groups were patients (90 %), clinicians (87 %), health system representatives (44 %), caregivers (41 %), and advocacy organizations (41 %). Stakeholders were commonly involved in topic solicitation, question development, study design, and data collection. Many projects engaged stakeholders in data analysis, results interpretation, and dissemination. Commonly reported contributions included changes to project methods, outcomes or goals; improvement of measurement tools; and interpretation of qualitative data. Investigators often identified communication and shared leadership strategies as "critically important" facilitators (53 and 44 % respectively); lack of stakeholder time was the most commonly reported challenge (46 %). Most challenges were only partially resolved. Early lessons learned included the importance of continuous and genuine partnerships, strategic selection of stakeholders, and accommodation of stakeholders' practical needs. PCORI Pilot Projects investigators report engaging a variety of stakeholders across many stages of research, with specific changes to their research attributed to engagement. This study identifies early lessons and barriers that should be addressed to facilitate engagement. While this research suggests potential impact of stakeholder engagement, systematic characterization and evaluation of engagement at multiple stages of research is needed to build the evidence base.

Automated problem list generation and physicians perspective from a pilot study.

PubMed

Devarakonda, Murthy V; Mehta, Neil; Tsou, Ching-Huei; Liang, Jennifer J; Nowacki, Amy S; Jelovsek, John Eric

2017-09-01

An accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date problem list can help clinicians provide patient-centered care. Unfortunately, problem lists created and maintained in electronic health records by providers tend to be inaccurate, duplicative and out of date. With advances in machine learning and natural language processing, it is possible to automatically generate a problem list from the data in the EHR and keep it current. In this paper, we describe an automated problem list generation method and report on insights from a pilot study of physicians' assessment of the generated problem lists compared to existing providers-curated problem lists in an institution's EHR system. The natural language processing and machine learning-based Watson 1 method models clinical thinking in identifying a patient's problem list using clinical notes and structured data. This pilot study assessed the Watson method and included 15 randomly selected, de-identified patient records from a large healthcare system that were each planned to be reviewed by at least two internal medicine physicians. The physicians created their own problem lists, and then evaluated the overall usefulness of their own problem lists (P), Watson generated problem lists (W), and the existing EHR problem lists (E) on a 10-point scale. The primary outcome was pairwise comparisons of P, W, and E. Six out of the 10 invited physicians completed 27 assessments of P, W, and E, and in process evaluated 732 Watson generated problems and 444 problems in the EHR system. As expected, physicians rated their own lists, P, highest. However, W was rated higher than E. Among 89% of assessments, Watson identified at least one important problem that physicians missed. Cognitive computing systems like this Watson system hold the potential for accurate, problem-list-centered summarization of patient records, potentially leading to increased efficiency, better clinical decision support, and improved quality of patient care. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Acute Whiplash Injury Study (AWIS): a protocol for a cluster randomised pilot and feasibility trial of an Active Behavioural Physiotherapy Intervention in an insurance private setting

PubMed Central

Wiangkham, Taweewat; Duda, Joan; Haque, M Sayeed; Price, Jonathan; Rushton, Alison

2016-01-01

Introduction Whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) causes substantial social and economic burden internationally. Up to 60% of patients with WAD progress to chronicity. Research therefore needs to focus on effective management in the acute stage to prevent the development of chronicity. Approximately 93% of patients are classified as WADII (neck complaint and musculoskeletal sign(s)), and in the UK, most are managed in the private sector. In our recent systematic review, a combination of active and behavioural physiotherapy was identified as potentially effective in the acute stage. An Active Behavioural Physiotherapy Intervention (ABPI) was developed through combining empirical (modified Delphi study) and theoretical (social cognitive theory focusing on self-efficacy) evidence. This pilot and feasibility trial has been designed to inform the design of an adequately powered definitive randomised controlled trial. Methods and analysis Two parallel phases. (1) An external pilot and feasibility cluster randomised double-blind (assessor and participants), parallel two-arm (ABPI vs standard physiotherapy) clinical trial to evaluate procedures and feasibility. Six UK private physiotherapy clinics will be recruited and cluster randomised by a computer-generated randomisation sequence. Sixty participants (30 each arm) will be assessed at recruitment (baseline) and at 3 months postbaseline. The planned primary outcome measure is the neck disability index. (2) An embedded exploratory qualitative study using semistructured indepth interviews (n=3–4 physiotherapists) and a focus group (n=6–8 patients) and entailing the recruitment of purposive samples will explore perceptions of the ABPI. Quantitative data will be analysed descriptively. Qualitative data will be coded and analysed deductively (identify themes) and inductively (identify additional themes). Ethics and dissemination This trial is approved by the University of Birmingham Ethics Committee (ERN_15-0542). Trial registration number ISRCTN84528320. PMID:27412105

Acute Whiplash Injury Study (AWIS): a protocol for a cluster randomised pilot and feasibility trial of an Active Behavioural Physiotherapy Intervention in an insurance private setting.

PubMed

Wiangkham, Taweewat; Duda, Joan; Haque, M Sayeed; Price, Jonathan; Rushton, Alison

2016-07-13

Whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) causes substantial social and economic burden internationally. Up to 60% of patients with WAD progress to chronicity. Research therefore needs to focus on effective management in the acute stage to prevent the development of chronicity. Approximately 93% of patients are classified as WADII (neck complaint and musculoskeletal sign(s)), and in the UK, most are managed in the private sector. In our recent systematic review, a combination of active and behavioural physiotherapy was identified as potentially effective in the acute stage. An Active Behavioural Physiotherapy Intervention (ABPI) was developed through combining empirical (modified Delphi study) and theoretical (social cognitive theory focusing on self-efficacy) evidence. This pilot and feasibility trial has been designed to inform the design of an adequately powered definitive randomised controlled trial. Two parallel phases. (1) An external pilot and feasibility cluster randomised double-blind (assessor and participants), parallel two-arm (ABPI vs standard physiotherapy) clinical trial to evaluate procedures and feasibility. Six UK private physiotherapy clinics will be recruited and cluster randomised by a computer-generated randomisation sequence. Sixty participants (30 each arm) will be assessed at recruitment (baseline) and at 3 months postbaseline. The planned primary outcome measure is the neck disability index. (2) An embedded exploratory qualitative study using semistructured indepth interviews (n=3-4 physiotherapists) and a focus group (n=6-8 patients) and entailing the recruitment of purposive samples will explore perceptions of the ABPI. Quantitative data will be analysed descriptively. Qualitative data will be coded and analysed deductively (identify themes) and inductively (identify additional themes). This trial is approved by the University of Birmingham Ethics Committee (ERN_15-0542). ISRCTN84528320. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Oxygen Mask Related Nasal Integument and Osteocartilagenous Disorders in F-16 Fighter Pilots

PubMed Central

Schreinemakers, J. Rieneke C.; Westers, Paul; van Amerongen, Pieter; Kon, Moshe

2013-01-01

Background A preliminary survey showed half of the participating Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) F-16 fighter pilots to have nasal integument and osteocartilagenous disorders related to wearing in-flight oxygen masks. Aim To make an inventory of these disorders and possible associated factors. Methods All RNLAF F-16 pilots were requested to fill out a semi-structured questionnaire for a cross-sectional survey. Additionally, one squadron in The Netherlands and pilots in operational theater were asked to participate in a prospective study that required filling out a pain score after each flight. Pilot- and flight-related variables on all participants were collected from the RNLAF database. A linear mixed model was built to identify associated factors with the post-flight pain score. Results The response rate to the survey was 83%. Ninety of the 108 participants (88%, 6 missing) reported tenderness, irritation, pain, erythema, skin lesions, callous skin, or swelling of nasal bridge integument or architecture. Seventy-two participants (71%, 6 missing) reported their symptoms to be troublesome after a mean of 6±3 out of 10 flights (0;10, 54 missing). Sixty-six pilots participated in scoring post-flight pain. Pain scores were significantly higher if a participant had ≥3 nasal disorders, after longer than average flights, after flying abroad, and after flying with night vision goggles (respectively +2.7 points, p = 0.003; +0.2 points, p = 0.027; +1.8 points, p = 0.001; +1.2 points p = 0.005). Longer than average NVG flights and more than average NVG hours per annum decreased painscores (respectively −0.8 points, p = 0.017; −0.04 points, p = 0.005). Conclusions The majority of the RNLAF F-16 fighter pilot community has nasal disorders in the contact area of the oxygen mask, including pain. Six pilot- or flight-related characteristics influence the experienced level of pain. PMID:23505413

Oxygen mask related nasal integument and osteocartilagenous disorders in F-16 fighter pilots.

PubMed

Schreinemakers, J Rieneke C; Westers, Paul; van Amerongen, Pieter; Kon, Moshe

2013-01-01

A preliminary survey showed half of the participating Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) F-16 fighter pilots to have nasal integument and osteocartilagenous disorders related to wearing in-flight oxygen masks. To make an inventory of these disorders and possible associated factors. All RNLAF F-16 pilots were requested to fill out a semi-structured questionnaire for a cross-sectional survey. Additionally, one squadron in The Netherlands and pilots in operational theater were asked to participate in a prospective study that required filling out a pain score after each flight. Pilot- and flight-related variables on all participants were collected from the RNLAF database. A linear mixed model was built to identify associated factors with the post-flight pain score. The response rate to the survey was 83%. Ninety of the 108 participants (88%, 6 missing) reported tenderness, irritation, pain, erythema, skin lesions, callous skin, or swelling of nasal bridge integument or architecture. Seventy-two participants (71%, 6 missing) reported their symptoms to be troublesome after a mean of 6±3 out of 10 flights (0;10, 54 missing). Sixty-six pilots participated in scoring post-flight pain. Pain scores were significantly higher if a participant had ≥3 nasal disorders, after longer than average flights, after flying abroad, and after flying with night vision goggles (respectively +2.7 points, p = 0.003; +0.2 points, p = 0.027; +1.8 points, p = 0.001; +1.2 points p = 0.005). Longer than average NVG flights and more than average NVG hours per annum decreased painscores (respectively -0.8 points, p = 0.017; -0.04 points, p = 0.005). The majority of the RNLAF F-16 fighter pilot community has nasal disorders in the contact area of the oxygen mask, including pain. Six pilot- or flight-related characteristics influence the experienced level of pain.

A pilot-scale study on PVA gel beads based integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) plant for municipal wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Kumar Singh, Nitin; Singh, Jasdeep; Bhatia, Aakansha; Kazmi, A A

2016-01-01

In the present study, a pilot-scale reactor incorporating polyvinyl alcohol gel beads as biomass carrier and operating in biological activated sludge mode (a combination of moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) and activated sludge) was investigated for the treatment of actual municipal wastewater. The results, during a monitoring period of 4 months, showed effective removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD) and NH3-N at optimum conditions with 91%, ∼92% and ∼90% removal efficiencies, respectively. Sludge volume index (SVI) values of activated sludge varied in the range of 25-72 mL/g, indicating appreciable settling characteristics. Furthermore, soluble COD and BOD in the effluent of the pilot plant were reduced to levels well below discharge limits of the Punjab Pollution Control Board, India. A culture dependent method was used to enrich and isolate abundant heterotrophic bacteria in activated sludge. In addition to this, 16S rRNA genes analysis was performed to identify diverse dominant bacterial species in suspended and attached biomass. Results revealed that Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas sp. and Nitrosomonas communis played a significant role in biomass carrier, while Acinetobactor sp. were dominant in activated sludge of the pilot plant. Identification of ciliated protozoa populations rendered six species of ciliates in the plant, among which Vorticella was the most dominant.

A Pilot Study of CPAP Adherence Promotion by Peer Buddies with Sleep Apnea

PubMed Central

Parthasarathy, Sairam; Wendel, Christopher; Haynes, Patricia L.; Atwood, Charles; Kuna, Samuel

2013-01-01

Study Objectives: To evaluate patient ratings of the acceptability of a peer buddy system (PBS). To promote continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy adherence in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). To obtain preliminary data on the effectiveness of PBS on sleep-specific health-related quality of life and CPAP adherence. Design: Prospective, randomized, and controlled study. Setting: Academic Center. Participants: Thirty-nine patients with OSA and 13 patients with OSA who were experienced CPAP users. Interventions: Recently diagnosed patients with OSA were randomly assigned to either the PBS to promote CPAP adherence (intervention group) or usual care (control group). Measurements: Patient satisfaction, Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ), CPAP adherence, vigilance, self-efficacy, and patient activation were measured. Results: Ninety-one percent of the subjects rated the PBS as very satisfactory (68%) or satisfactory (23%). During the 90 days of therapy, weekly CPAP adherence was greater in the intervention than the usual care group (MANOVA; F = 2.29; p = 0.04). Patient satisfaction was positively correlated with CPAP adherence (R2 = 0.14; p = 0.02). We did not find any group differences for FOSQ, vigilance, self-efficacy, or patient activation in this pilot study. Conclusion: Our pilot study suggests that the PBS intervention is feasible and received high patient satisfaction ratings. CPAP adherence may be improved by peer-driven intervention, but a larger, adequately powered study is needed. Clinical Trial Information: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01164683. Commentary: A commentary on this article appears in this issue on page 551. Citation: Parthasarathy S; Wendel C; Haynes PL; Atwood C; Kuna S. A pilot study of CPAP adherence promotion by peer buddies with sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med 2013;9(6):543-550. PMID:23772186

Duty of Notification and Aviation Safety-A Study of Fatal Aviation Accidents in the United States in 2015.

PubMed

Vuorio, Alpo; Budowle, Bruce; Sajantila, Antti; Laukkala, Tanja; Junttila, Ilkka; Kravik, Stein E; Griffiths, Robin

2018-06-13

After the Germanwings accident, the French Safety Investigation Authority (BEA) recommended that the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Community (EC) develop clear rules for the duty of notification process. Aeromedical practitioners (AMEs) face a dilemma when considering the duty of notification and conflicts between pilot privacy and public and third-party safety. When balancing accountability, knowledge of the duty of notification process, legislation and the clarification of a doctor’s own set of values should be assessed a priori. Relatively little is known of the magnitude of this problem in aviation safety. To address this, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) database was searched to identify fatal accidents during 2015 in the United States in which a deceased pilot used a prescribed medication or had a disease that potentially reduced pilot performance and was not reported to the AME. Altogether, 202 finalized accident reports with toxicology were available from (the year) 2015. In 5% (10/202) of these reports, the pilot had either a medication or a disease not reported to an AME which according to the accident investigation was causal to the fatal accident. In addition, the various approaches to duty of notification in aviation in New Zealand, Finland and Norway are discussed. The process of notification of authorities without a pilot’s express permission needs to be carried out by using a guidance protocol that works within legislation and professional responsibilities to address the pilot and the public, as well as the healthcare provider. Professional guidance defining this duty of notification is urgently needed.

Pilot error in air carrier mishaps: longitudinal trends among 558 reports, 1983-2002.

PubMed

Baker, Susan P; Qiang, Yandong; Rebok, George W; Li, Guohua

2008-01-01

Many interventions have been implemented in recent decades to reduce pilot error in flight operations. This study aims to identify longitudinal trends in the prevalence and patterns of pilot error and other factors in U.S. air carrier mishaps. National Transportation Safety Board investigation reports were examined for 558 air carrier mishaps during 1983-2002. Pilot errors and circumstances of mishaps were described and categorized. Rates were calculated per 10 million flights. The overall mishap rate remained fairly stable, but the proportion of mishaps involving pilot error decreased from 42% in 1983-87 to 25% in 1998-2002, a 40% reduction. The rate of mishaps related to poor decisions declined from 6.2 to 1.8 per 10 million flights, a 71% reduction; much of this decrease was due to a 76% reduction in poor decisions related to weather. Mishandling wind or runway conditions declined by 78%. The rate of mishaps involving poor crew interaction declined by 68%. Mishaps during takeoff declined by 70%, from 5.3 to 1.6 per 10 million flights. The latter reduction was offset by an increase in mishaps while the aircraft was standing, from 2.5 to 6.0 per 10 million flights, and during pushback, which increased from 0 to 3.1 per 10 million flights. Reductions in pilot errors involving decision making and crew coordination are important trends that may reflect improvements in training and technological advances that facilitate good decisions. Mishaps while aircraft are standing and during pushback have increased and deserve special attention.

Pilot Error in Air Carrier Mishaps: Longitudinal Trends Among 558 Reports, 1983–2002

PubMed Central

Baker, Susan P.; Qiang, Yandong; Rebok, George W.; Li, Guohua

2009-01-01

Background Many interventions have been implemented in recent decades to reduce pilot error in flight operations. This study aims to identify longitudinal trends in the prevalence and patterns of pilot error and other factors in U.S. air carrier mishaps. Method National Transportation Safety Board investigation reports were examined for 558 air carrier mishaps during 1983–2002. Pilot errors and circumstances of mishaps were described and categorized. Rates were calculated per 10 million flights. Results The overall mishap rate remained fairly stable, but the proportion of mishaps involving pilot error decreased from 42% in 1983–87 to 25% in 1998–2002, a 40% reduction. The rate of mishaps related to poor decisions declined from 6.2 to 1.8 per 10 million flights, a 71% reduction; much of this decrease was due to a 76% reduction in poor decisions related to weather. Mishandling wind or runway conditions declined by 78%. The rate of mishaps involving poor crew interaction declined by 68%. Mishaps during takeoff declined by 70%, from 5.3 to 1.6 per 10 million flights. The latter reduction was offset by an increase in mishaps while the aircraft was standing, from 2.5 to 6.0 per 10 million flights, and during pushback, which increased from 0 to 3.1 per 10 million flights. Conclusions Reductions in pilot errors involving decision making and crew coordination are important trends that may reflect improvements in training and technological advances that facilitate good decisions. Mishaps while aircraft are standing and during push-back have increased and deserve special attention. PMID:18225771

Vestibulo-Ocular Response and Balance Control in Children and Young Adults with Mild-to-Moderate Intellectual and Developmental Disability: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zur, Oz; Ronen, Ayelet; Melzer, Itshak; Carmeli, Eli

2013-01-01

The vestibulo-ocular response (VOR) may not be fully developed in children with an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD). This study aimed to identify the presence of VOR deficit in children and young adults with unspecified mild-to-moderate intellectual and developmental disability and its effect on balance control. Twenty-one children…

A Disease Register for ME/CFS: Report of a Pilot Study.

PubMed

Pheby, Derek; Lacerda, Eliana; Nacul, Luis; Drachler, Maria de Lourdes; Campion, Peter; Howe, Amanda; Poland, Fiona; Curran, Monica; Featherstone, Valerie; Fayyaz, Shagufta; Sakellariou, Dikaios; Leite, José Carlos de Carvalho

2011-05-09

The ME/CFS Disease Register is one of six subprojects within the National ME/CFS Observatory, a research programme funded by the Big Lottery Fund and sponsored by Action for ME. A pilot study in East Anglia, East Yorkshire, and London aimed to address the problem of identifying representative groups of subjects for research, in order to be able to draw conclusions applicable to the whole ME/CFS population.While not aiming for comprehensive population coverage, this pilot register sought to recruit participants with ME/CFS in an unbiased way from a large population base. Those recruited are constituting a cohort for long-term follow-up to shed light on prognosis, and a sampling frame for other studies. Patients with unidentified chronic fatigue were identified in GP databases using a READ-code based algorithm, and conformity to certain case definitions for ME/CFS determined. 29 practices, covering a population aged 18 to 64 of 143,153, participated.510 patients with unexplained chronic fatigue were identified. 265 of these conformed to one or more case definitions. 216 were invited to join the register; 160 agreed. 96.9% of participants conformed to the CDC 1994 (Fukuda) definition; the Canadian definition defined more precisely a subset of these. The addition of an epidemiological case definition increased case ascertainment by approximately 4%. A small-scale study in a specialist referral service in East Anglia was also undertaken.There was little difference in pattern of conformity to case definitions, age or sex among disease register participants compared with subjects in a parallel epidemiological study who declined to participate.One-year follow-up of 50 subjects showed little change in pain or fatigue scores. There were some changes in conformity to case definitions. Objective evaluation indicated that the aim of recruiting participants with ME/CFS to a Disease Register had been fulfilled, and confirmed the feasibility of our approach to case identification, data processing, transmission, storage, and analysis. Future developments should include expansion of the ME/CFS Register and its linkage to a tissue sample bank and post mortem tissue archive, to facilitate support for further research studies.

Development and pilot-testing of the Alopecia Areata Assessment Tool (ALTO).

PubMed

Li, David G; Huang, Kathie P; Xia, Fan Di; Joyce, Cara; Scott, Deborah A; Qureshi, Abrar A; Mostaghimi, Arash

2018-01-01

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by non-scarring hair loss. The lack of a definitive biomarker or formal diagnostic criteria for AA limits our ability to define the epidemiology of the disease. In this study, we developed and tested the Alopecia Areata Assessment Tool (ALTO) in an academic medical center to validate the ability of this questionnaire in identifying AA cases. The ALTO is a novel, self-administered questionnaire consisting of 8 closed-ended questions derived by the Delphi method. This prospective pilot study was administered during a 1-year period in outpatient dermatology clinics. Eligible patients (18 years or older with chief concern of hair loss) were recruited consecutively. No patients declined to participate. The patient's hair loss diagnosis was determined by a board-certified dermatologist. Nine scoring algorithms were created and used to evaluate the accuracy of the ALTO in identifying AA. 239 patients (59 AA cases and 180 non-AA cases) completed the ALTO and were included for analysis. Algorithm 5 demonstrated the highest sensitivity (89.8%) while algorithm 3 demonstrated the highest specificity (97.8%). Select questions were also effective in clarifying disease phenotype. In this study. we have successfully demonstrated that ALTO is a simple tool capable of discriminating AA from other types of hair loss. The ALTO may be useful to identify individuals with AA within large populations.

Development of the private practice management standards for psychology.

PubMed

Mathews, Rebecca; Stokes, David; Littlefield, Lyn; Collins, Leah

2011-01-01

This paper describes the process of developing a set of private practice management standards to support Australian psychologists and promote high quality services to the public. A review of the literature was conducted to identify management standards relevant to psychology, which were further developed in consultation with a panel of experts in psychology or in the development of standards. Forty-three psychologists in independent private practice took part in either a survey (n=22) to provide feedback on the relevance of, and their compliance with, the identified standards, or a 6-month pilot study (n=21) in which a web-based self-assessment instrument evaluating the final set of standards and performance indicators was implemented in their practice to investigate self-reported change in management procedures. The pilot study demonstrated good outcomes for practitioners when evaluation of compliance to the standards was operationalized in a self-assessment format. Study results are based on a small sample size. Nevertheless, relevance and utility of the standards was found providing an initial version of management standards that have relevance to the practice of psychology in Australia, along with a system for evaluating psychological service provision to ensure best practice in service delivery. © 2010 National Association for Healthcare Quality.

Sustainability in Health care by Allocating Resources Effectively (SHARE) 6: investigating methods to identify, prioritise, implement and evaluate disinvestment projects in a local healthcare setting.

PubMed

Harris, Claire; Allen, Kelly; Brooke, Vanessa; Dyer, Tim; Waller, Cara; King, Richard; Ramsey, Wayne; Mortimer, Duncan

2017-05-25

This is the sixth in a series of papers reporting Sustainability in Health care by Allocating Resources Effectively (SHARE) in a local healthcare setting. The SHARE program was established to investigate a systematic, integrated, evidence-based approach to disinvestment within a large Australian health service. This paper describes the methods employed in undertaking pilot disinvestment projects. It draws a number of lessons regarding the strengths and weaknesses of these methods; particularly regarding the crucial first step of identifying targets for disinvestment. Literature reviews, survey, interviews, consultation and workshops were used to capture and process the relevant information. A theoretical framework was adapted for evaluation and explication of disinvestment projects, including a taxonomy for the determinants of effectiveness, process of change and outcome measures. Implementation, evaluation and costing plans were developed. Four literature reviews were completed, surveys were received from 15 external experts, 65 interviews were conducted, 18 senior decision-makers attended a data gathering workshop, 22 experts and local informants were consulted, and four decision-making workshops were undertaken. Mechanisms to identify disinvestment targets and criteria for prioritisation and decision-making were investigated. A catalogue containing 184 evidence-based opportunities for disinvestment and an algorithm to identify disinvestment projects were developed. An Expression of Interest process identified two potential disinvestment projects. Seventeen additional projects were proposed through a non-systematic nomination process. Four of the 19 proposals were selected as pilot projects but only one reached the implementation stage. Factors with potential influence on the outcomes of disinvestment projects are discussed and barriers and enablers in the pilot projects are summarised. This study provides an in-depth insight into the experience of disinvestment in one local healthcare service. To our knowledge, this is the first paper to report the process of disinvestment from identification, through prioritisation and decision-making, to implementation and evaluation, and finally explication of the processes and outcomes.

A Validated Task Analysis of the Single Pilot Operations Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolter, Cynthia A.; Gore, Brian F.

2015-01-01

The current day flight deck operational environment consists of a two-person Captain/First Officer crew. A concept of operations (ConOps) to reduce the commercial cockpit to a single pilot from the current two pilot crew is termed Single Pilot Operations (SPO). This concept has been under study by researchers in the Flight Deck Display Research Laboratory (FDDRL) at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Ames (Johnson, Comerford, Lachter, Battiste, Feary, and Mogford, 2012) and researchers from Langley Research Centers (Schutte et al., 2007). Transitioning from a two pilot crew to a single pilot crew will undoubtedly require changes in operational procedures, crew coordination, use of automation, and in how the roles and responsibilities of the flight deck and ATC are conceptualized in order to maintain the high levels of safety expected of the US National Airspace System. These modifications will affect the roles and the subsequent tasks that are required of the various operators in the NextGen environment. The current report outlines the process taken to identify and document the tasks required by the crew according to a number of operational scenarios studied by the FDDRL between the years 2012-2014. A baseline task decomposition has been refined to represent the tasks consistent with a new set of entities, tasks, roles, and responsibilities being explored by the FDDRL as the move is made towards SPO. Information from Subject Matter Expert interviews, participation in FDDRL experimental design meetings, and study observation was used to populate and refine task sets that were developed as part of the SPO task analyses. The task analysis is based upon the proposed ConOps for the third FDDRL SPO study. This experiment possessed nine different entities operating in six scenarios using a variety of SPO-related automation and procedural activities required to guide safe and efficient aircraft operations. The task analysis presents the roles and responsibilities in a manner that can facilitate testing future scenarios. Measures of task count and workload were defined and analyzed to assess the impact of transitioning to a SPO environment.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Management of Dyspnea: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Williams, Marie T; Cafarella, Paul; Paquet, Catherine; Frith, Peter

2015-09-01

In patients with COPD, psychological interventions usually target generalized anxiety and depression rather than the sensation of breathlessness. The objectives of this pilot study were to develop and implement a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program specific to the perceptual experience of breathlessness, identify practical issues in the study protocol, and estimate beneficial effects of combining the CBT program with comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation. The CBT program for the sensation of breathlessness (Breathing: Recognize sensations, Explore thoughts and beliefs, Validate thoughts as useful or harmful, Evolve and change behavior [BREVE]) was developed as a sequential series of 8 modules enabling it to be embedded within an 8-week comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program. When appropriate, outcomes from the pilot group (comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program + BREVE) were compared with those from a retrospective control group (comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program only). Outcomes included feedback provided by pilot study subjects, sensation of breathlessness (volunteered and endorsed descriptors of breathlessness), 6-min walk distance (6MWD), and St George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score. Within-group analyses were undertaken for descriptors of breathlessness (the McNemar test), whereas between-group analyses (repeated-measures analysis of variance, effect-size comparison) were conducted for the 6MWD and SGRQ total score. Pilot (n = 11) and control (n = 58) groups were not significantly different at baseline. Feedback indicated that the program structure and content were positively received. No significant changes were evident for the sensation of breathlessness or the SGRQ score (< 4 points). The 6MWD improved significantly in both groups, with the pilot group demonstrating greater gains compared with the control group (mean change of 57 m and effect size of 0.73 vs mean change of 27 m and effect size of 0.23; between groups, P = .03, effect size of 0.69). The CBT program for the perceptual experience of breathlessness was feasible and well accepted by subjects, although the protocol raised a number of methodological limitations warranting modification. A larger randomized controlled trial is needed to determine the effectiveness and longer-term outcomes. Copyright © 2015 by Daedalus Enterprises.

Development of a food allergy education resource for primary care physicians

PubMed Central

Yu, Joyce E; Kumar, Arvind; Bruhn, Christine; Teuber, Suzanne S; Sicherer, Scott H

2008-01-01

Background Food allergy is estimated to affect 3–4% of adults in the US, but there are limited educational resources for primary care physicians. The goal of this study was to develop and pilot a food allergy educational resource based upon a needs survey of non-allergist healthcare providers. Methods A survey was undertaken to identify educational needs and preferences for providers, with a focus on physicians caring for adults and teenagers, including emergency medicine providers. The results of the survey were used to develop a teaching program that was subsequently piloted on primary care and emergency medicine physicians. Knowledge base tests and satisfaction surveys were administered to determine the effectiveness of the educational program. Results Eighty-two physicians (response rate, 65%) completed the needs assessment survey. Areas of deficiency and educational needs identified included: identification of potentially life-threatening food allergies, food allergy diagnosis, and education of patients about treatment (food avoidance and epinephrine use). Small group, on-site training was the most requested mode of education. A slide set and narrative were developed to address the identified needs. Twenty-six separately enrolled participants were administered the teaching set. Pre-post knowledge base scores increased from a mean of 38% correct to 64% correct (p < 0.001). Ability to correctly demonstrate the use of epinephrine self injectors increased significantly. Nearly all participants (>95%) indicated that the teaching module increased their comfort with recognition and management of food allergy. Conclusion Our pilot food allergy program, developed based upon needs assessments, showed strong participant satisfaction and educational value. PMID:18826650

Shuttle Primary Reaction Control Subsystem Thruster Fuel Valve Pilot Seal Extrusion: A Failure Correlation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waller, Jess; Saulsberry, Regor L.

2003-01-01

Pilot operated valves (POVs) are used to control the flow of hypergolic propellants monomethylhydrazine (fuel) and nitrogen tetroxide (oxidizer) to the Shuttle orbiter Primary Reaction Control Subsystem (PRCS) thrusters. The POV incorporates a two-stage design: a solenoid-actuated pilot stage, which in turn controls a pressure-actuated main stage. Isolation of propellant supply from the thruster chamber is accomplished in part by a captive polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) pilot seal retained inside a Custom 455.1 stainless steel cavity. Extrusion of the pilot seal restricts the flow of fuel around the pilot poppet, thus impeding or preventing the main valve stage from opening. It can also prevent the main stage from staying open with adequate force margin, particularly if there is gas in the main stage actuation cavity. During thruster operation on-orbit, fuel valve pilot seal extrusion is commonly indicated by low or erratic chamber pressure or failure of the thruster to fire upon command (Fail-Off). During ground turnaround, pilot seal extrusion is commonly indicated by slow gaseous nitrogen (GN2) main valve opening times (greater than 38 ms) or slow water main valve opening response times (greater than 33 ms). Poppet lift tests and visual inspection can also detect pilot seal extrusion during ground servicing; however, direct metrology on the pilot seat assembly provides the most quantitative and accurate means of identifying extrusion. Minimizing PRCS fuel valve pilot seal extrusion has become an important issue in the effort to improve PRCS reliability and reduce associated life cycle costs.