Sample records for previous studies documenting

  1. Low Adoption Rates of Electronic Medical Records Systems: A Qualitative Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Slaughter, Andre

    2017-01-01

    This qualitative phenomenological research study explored the challenges of physicians working with Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems for medical documentation. Additionally, this study sought to understand why many providers sought alternate means of patient documentation. Previous research studies focused on the use of EMR systems from…

  2. 1978-79 Michigan Social Studies Textbook Study, Volume I.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chapman, John, M., Ed.

    This document represents Volume I of a two volume study to determine the extent to which four elementary level social studies programs reflect the multi-racial, multi-cultural nature of American society. The document is presented in three parts. Part I covers the Michigan Social Studies Textbook Act, an historical overview of previous Michigan…

  3. Factors affecting and affected by user acceptance of computer-based nursing documentation: results of a two-year study.

    PubMed

    Ammenwerth, Elske; Mansmann, Ulrich; Iller, Carola; Eichstädter, Ronald

    2003-01-01

    The documentation of the nursing process is an important but often neglected part of clinical documentation. Paper-based systems have been introduced to support nursing process documentation. Frequently, however, problems such as low quality of documentation are reported. It is unclear whether computer-based documentation systems can reduce these problems and which factors influence their acceptance by users. We introduced a computer-based nursing documentation system on four wards of the University Hospitals of Heidelberg and systematically evaluated its preconditions and its effects in a pretest-posttest intervention study. For the analysis of user acceptance, we concentrated on subjective data drawn from questionnaires and interviews. A questionnaire was developed using items from published questionnaires and items that had to be developed for the special purpose of this study. The quantitative results point to two factors influencing the acceptance of a new computer-based documentation system: the previous acceptance of the nursing process and the previous amount of self-confidence when using computers. On one ward, the diverse acceptance scores heavily declined after the introduction of the nursing documentation system. Explorative qualitative analysis on this ward points to further success factors of computer-based nursing documentation systems. Our results can be used to assist the planning and introduction of computer-based nursing documentation systems. They demonstrate the importance of computer experience and acceptance of the nursing process on a ward but also point to other factors such as the fit between nursing workflow and the functionality of a nursing documentation system.

  4. Implicature, Pragmatics, and Documentation: A Comparative Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wright, David

    2008-01-01

    This study investigates the link between the linguistic principles of implicature and pragmatics and software documentation. When implicatures are created in conversation or text, the listener or reader is required to fill in missing information not overtly stated. This information is usually filled in on the basis of previous knowledge or…

  5. Assessing Complex Emergency Management with Clinical Case-Vignettes: A Validation Study

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Objective To evaluate whether responses to dynamic case-vignettes accurately reflect actual practices in complex emergency situations. We hypothesized that when obstetricians were faced with vignette of emergency situation identical to one they previously managed, they would report the management strategy they actually used. On the other hand, there is no reason to suppose that their response to a vignette based on a source case managed by another obstetrician would be the same as the actual management. Methods A multicenter vignette-based study was used in 7 French maternity units. We chose the example of severe postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) to study the use of case-vignettes for assessing the management of complex situations. We developed dynamic case-vignettes describing incidents of PPH in several steps, using documentation in patient files. Vignettes described the postpartum course and included multiple-choice questions detailing proposed clinical care. Each participating obstetrician was asked to evaluate 4 case-vignettes: 2 directly derived from cases they previously managed and 2 derived from other obstetricians’ cases. We compared the final treatment decision in vignette responses to those documented in the source-case by the overall agreement and the Kappa coefficient, both for the cases the obstetricians previously managed and the cases of others. Results Thirty obstetricians participated. Overall agreement between final treatment decisions in case-vignettes and documented care for cases obstetricians previously managed was 82% (Kappa coefficient: 0.75, 95% CI [0.62–0.88]). Overall agreement between final treatment decisions in case-vignettes and documented care in vignettes derived from other obstetricians’ cases was only 48% (Kappa coefficient: 0.30, 95% CI [0.12–0.48]). Final agreement with documented care was significantly better for cases based on their own previous cases than for others (p<0.001). Conclusions Dynamic case-vignettes accurately reflect actual practices in complex emergency situations. Therefore, they can be used to assess the quality of management in these situations. PMID:26383261

  6. Statistical evaluation of rainfall-simulator and erosion testing procedure : final report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1977-01-01

    The specific aims of this study were (1) to supply documentation of statistical repeatability and precision of the rainfall-simulator and to document the statistical repeatabiity of the soil-loss data when using the previously recommended tentative l...

  7. Impact of incomplete correspondence between document titles and texts on users' representations: a cognitive and linguistic analysis based on 25 technical documents.

    PubMed

    Eyrolle, Hélène; Virbel, Jacques; Lemarié, Julie

    2008-03-01

    Based on previous research in the field of cognitive psychology, highlighting the facilitatory effects of titles on several text-related activities, this paper looks at the extent to which titles reflect text content. An exploratory study of real-life technical documents investigated the content of their Subject lines, which linguistic analyses had led us to regard as titles. The study showed that most of the titles supplied by the writers failed to represent the documents' contents and that most users failed to detect this lack of validity.

  8. A Comparison of Prose and Algorithms for Presenting Complex Instructions. Document Design Project, Technical Report No. 17.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holland, V. Melissa; Rose, Andrew

    Complex conditional instructions ("if X, then do Y") are prevalent in public documents, where they typically appear in prose form. Results of two previous studies have shown that conditional instructions become very difficult to process as the structure becomes more complex. A study was designed to investigate whether this difficulty can…

  9. Seventeen-Year Growth of Cherrybark Oak and Loblolly Pine on a Previously Farmed Bottomland Site

    Treesearch

    Warren D. Devine; John C. Rennie; Allan E. Houston; Donald D. Tyler; Vernon H. Reich

    2002-01-01

    This study documents the effects of cultural treatments on 17-year growth of cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda Raf.) and lobiolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) planted on a previously farmed bottomland site in southwestern Tennessee. Yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) was part of the original study, but was...

  10. Cross-sectional interview study of fertility, pregnancy, and urogenital schistosomiasis in coastal Kenya: Documented treatment in childhood is associated with reduced odds of subfertility among adult women

    PubMed Central

    Miller-Fellows, Sarah C.; Howard, Laura; Kramer, Rebekah; Hildebrand, Vanessa; Furin, Jennifer; Mutuku, Francis M.; Mukoko, Dunstan; Ivy, Julianne A.

    2017-01-01

    Background Previous research has documented an increased risk of subfertility in areas of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as an ecological association between urogenital schistosomiasis prevalence and decreased fertility. This pilot project examined reproductive patterns and the potential effects of childhood urogenital Schistosoma haematobium infection and individual treatment experience on adult subfertility among women who were long-term residents in an S. haematobium-endemic region of coastal Kenya. Methodology/Principal findings We analyzed findings from 162 in-depth interviews with women of childbearing age in a rural, coastal community, linking them, if possible, to their individual treatment records from previous multi-year longitudinal studies of parasitic infections. Reproductive histories indicated a much local higher local rate of subfertility (44%) than worldwide averages (8–12%). Although, due to the very high regional prevalence of schistosomiasis, a clear relationship could not be demonstrated between a history of S. haematobium infection and adult subfertility, among a convenience sub-sample of 61 women who had received documented treatment during previous interventional trials, a significant association was found between age at first anti-schistosomal treatment and later fertility in adulthood, with those women treated before age 21 significantly less likely to have subfertility (P = 0.001). Conclusions/Significance The high subfertility rate documented in this pilot study suggests the importance of programs to prevent and treat pelvic infections in their early stages to preclude reproductive tract damage. The available documented treatment data also suggest that early anti-schistosomal treatment may prevent the fertility-damaging effects of urogenital schistosomiasis, and lend support for programs that provide universal treatment of children in S. haematobium-endemic regions. PMID:29176778

  11. Cross-sectional interview study of fertility, pregnancy, and urogenital schistosomiasis in coastal Kenya: Documented treatment in childhood is associated with reduced odds of subfertility among adult women.

    PubMed

    Miller-Fellows, Sarah C; Howard, Laura; Kramer, Rebekah; Hildebrand, Vanessa; Furin, Jennifer; Mutuku, Francis M; Mukoko, Dunstan; Ivy, Julianne A; King, Charles H

    2017-11-01

    Previous research has documented an increased risk of subfertility in areas of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as an ecological association between urogenital schistosomiasis prevalence and decreased fertility. This pilot project examined reproductive patterns and the potential effects of childhood urogenital Schistosoma haematobium infection and individual treatment experience on adult subfertility among women who were long-term residents in an S. haematobium-endemic region of coastal Kenya. We analyzed findings from 162 in-depth interviews with women of childbearing age in a rural, coastal community, linking them, if possible, to their individual treatment records from previous multi-year longitudinal studies of parasitic infections. Reproductive histories indicated a much local higher local rate of subfertility (44%) than worldwide averages (8-12%). Although, due to the very high regional prevalence of schistosomiasis, a clear relationship could not be demonstrated between a history of S. haematobium infection and adult subfertility, among a convenience sub-sample of 61 women who had received documented treatment during previous interventional trials, a significant association was found between age at first anti-schistosomal treatment and later fertility in adulthood, with those women treated before age 21 significantly less likely to have subfertility (P = 0.001). The high subfertility rate documented in this pilot study suggests the importance of programs to prevent and treat pelvic infections in their early stages to preclude reproductive tract damage. The available documented treatment data also suggest that early anti-schistosomal treatment may prevent the fertility-damaging effects of urogenital schistosomiasis, and lend support for programs that provide universal treatment of children in S. haematobium-endemic regions.

  12. Distribution, nesting activities, and age-class of territorial pairs of golden eagles at the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, California, 2014–16

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kolar, Patrick S.; Wiens, J. David

    2017-03-22

    The substantial numbers of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) killed by collisions with oldgeneration wind turbines each year at the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area (APWRA) in California has been well documented from previous studies. Few eagle nests have been documented in the APWRA, however, and adults and subadults 3+ years of age killed by turbines were generally not associated with nearby territories. We searched a subset of randomly selected survey plots for territorial pairs of golden eagles and associated nesting attempts within the APWRA as part of a broader investigation of population dynamics in the surrounding northern Diablo Range. In contrast to limited historical observations from 1988 to 2013, our surveys documented up to 15 territorial pairs within 3.2 kilometers (km) of wind turbines at the APWRA annually, 9 of which were not previously documented or only observed intermittently during historical surveys. We found evidence of nesting activity by adult pairs at least once during our study at six of these territories. We also determined that 23–36 percent of territories identified within 3.2 km of the APWRA had a subadult pair member, but that no pairs with a subadult member attempted to nest. These data will be useful to developers, wildlife managers, and future raptor studies in the area to evaluate and minimize the potential effects of wind energy or other development activities on previously unknown territorial pairs in the area.

  13. Emergent Literacy Supports for Students Who Are Deaf-Blind or Have Visual and Multiple Impairments: A Multiple-Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKenzie, Amy R.

    2009-01-01

    Seven classrooms of students with deaf-blindness or visual and multiple impairments were observed to document the emergent literacy supports that were present, including environmental characteristics, strategies, or activities. The findings revealed that the majority of classrooms used emergent literacy supports that were previously documented for…

  14. Physical therapist assistants' perceptions of the documented roles of the physical therapist assistant.

    PubMed

    Robinson, A J; DePalma, M T; McCall, M

    1995-12-01

    This study investigated physical therapist assistants' (PTAs) perceptions of the documented roles of PTAs and compared those perceptions with those of physical therapists from a previous study. A questionnaire that described 79 physical therapy activities was distributed to a sample (n = 400) of PTAs derived from the American Physical Therapy Association membership. The response rate was 56% (n = 225). Respondents indicated whether each activity was included in the documentation describing PTA roles. Discriminant analyses were used to determine whether demographic factors predicted the pattern of responses. In addition, meta-analytic techniques were used to determine whether PTA responses were different from those of physical therapists gathered previously. The greatest agreement of PTA opinions with published guidelines occurred for treatment implementation activities, and the lowest level of agreement occurred for items designated as administrative activities. Responses of PTAs were different from those of physical therapists on 21 of the 79 activities. The greatest number of these differences occurred for evaluative functions (n = 9). Physical therapist assistants' perceptions of documented PTA roles were generally less consistent with published guidelines than were those of physical therapists. Physical therapist assistants' perceptions of the roles of the PTA were, for some activities, not consistent with written guidelines. Using the data provided in this study, discussions to revise the documentation of the scope of PTA practice may focus on those activities for which disagreement between PTAs and physical therapists exists and for which opinions differ markedly from published guidelines. [Robinson AJ, DePalma MT, McCall M. Physical therapist assistants' perceptions of the documented roles of the physical therapist assistant.

  15. Implementation of a publication strategy in the context of reporting biases. A case study based on new documents from Neurontin litigation.

    PubMed

    Vedula, S Swaroop; Goldman, Palko S; Rona, Ilyas J; Greene, Thomas M; Dickersin, Kay

    2012-08-13

    Previous studies have documented strategies to promote off-label use of drugs using journal publications and other means. Few studies have presented internal company communications that discussed financial reasons for manipulating the scholarly record related to off-label indications. The objective of this study was to build on previous studies to illustrate implementation of a publication strategy by the drug manufacturer for four off-label uses of gabapentin (Neurontin, Pfizer, Inc.): migraine prophylaxis, treatment of bipolar disorders, neuropathic pain, and nociceptive pain. We included in this study internal company documents, email correspondence, memoranda, study protocols and reports that were made publicly available in 2008 as part of litigation brought by consumers and health insurers against Pfizer for fraudulent sales practices in its marketing of gabapentin (see http://pacer.mad.uscourts.gov/dc/cgi-bin/recentops.pl?filename=saris/pdf/ucl%20opinion.pdf for the Court's findings).We reviewed documents pertaining to 20 clinical trials, 12 of which were published. We categorized our observations related to reporting biases and linked them with topics covered in internal documents, that is, deciding what should and should not be published and how to spin the study findings (re-framing study results to explain away unfavorable findings or to emphasize favorable findings); and where and when findings should be published and by whom. We present extracts from internal company marketing assessments recommending that Pfizer and Parke-Davis (Pfizer acquired Parke-Davis in 2000) adopt a publication strategy to conduct trials and disseminate trial findings for unapproved uses rather than an indication strategy to obtain regulatory approval. We show internal company email correspondence and documents revealing how publication content was influenced and spin was applied; how the company selected where trial findings would be presented or published; how publication of study results was delayed; and the role of ghost authorship. Taken together, the extracts we present from internal company documents illustrate implementation of a strategy at odds with unbiased study conduct and dissemination. Our findings suggest that Pfizer and Parke-Davis's publication strategy had the potential to distort the scientific literature, and thus misinform healthcare decision-makers.

  16. New information on earthquake history of the Aksehir-Afyon Graben System, Turkey, since the second half of 18th century

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ozer, N.

    2006-12-01

    Researches aimed at enriching the number of available documentary sources on earthquakes have an important role in seismology. To this end, this paper documents the history of prominent earthquakes associated with the NW-SE trending Sultandag-Aksehir Fault and Aksehir-Afyon graben system in Western-Central Anatolia since the historical times through 1766. This work also combines the earthquake data for both historical and instrumental periods, previously listed in various catalogues and resources, for the studied area. Documents from the Ottoman archives and libraries as well as the Ottoman and Turkish newspapers were scrutinized, and eight previously unreported earthquakes in the latter half of the nineteenth century and four new earthquakes in the period 1900-1931 were revealed. For the period from 1766 to 1931, the total number of known earthquakes for the area under investigation increased from eighteen to thirty thanks to the document search. Furthermore, the existing information on eleven previously reported earthquakes is updated for the period from 1862 to 1946. Earthquakes from 1946 to 1964 are compiled from the catalogues for data completeness.

  17. Rigor or mortis: best practices for preclinical research in neuroscience.

    PubMed

    Steward, Oswald; Balice-Gordon, Rita

    2014-11-05

    Numerous recent reports document a lack of reproducibility of preclinical studies, raising concerns about potential lack of rigor. Examples of lack of rigor have been extensively documented and proposals for practices to improve rigor are appearing. Here, we discuss some of the details and implications of previously proposed best practices and consider some new ones, focusing on preclinical studies relevant to human neurological and psychiatric disorders. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Methodological considerations for documenting the energy demand of dance activity: a review

    PubMed Central

    Beck, Sarah; Redding, Emma; Wyon, Matthew A.

    2015-01-01

    Previous research has explored the intensity of dance class, rehearsal, and performance and attempted to document the body's physiological adaptation to these activities. Dance activity is frequently described as: complex, diverse, non-steady state, intermittent, of moderate to high intensity, and with notable differences between training and performance intensities and durations. Many limitations are noted in the methodologies of previous studies creating barriers to consensual conclusion. The present study therefore aims to examine the previous body of literature and in doing so, seeks to highlight important methodological considerations for future research in this area to strengthen our knowledge base. Four recommendations are made for future research. Firstly, research should continue to be dance genre specific, with detailed accounts of technical and stylistic elements of the movement vocabulary examined given wherever possible. Secondly, a greater breadth of performance repertoire, within and between genres, needs to be closely examined. Thirdly, a greater focus on threshold measurements is recommended due to the documented complex interplay between aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. Lastly, it is important for research to begin to combine temporal data relating to work and rest periods with real-time measurement of metabolic data in work and rest, in order to be able to quantify demand more accurately. PMID:25999885

  19. 43 CFR 46.140 - Using tiered documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... documents. A NEPA document that tiers to another broader NEPA document in accordance with 40 CFR 1508.28 must include a finding that the conditions and environmental effects described in the broader NEPA... identified and analyzed in the broader NEPA document, no further analysis is necessary, and the previously...

  20. 43 CFR 46.140 - Using tiered documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... documents. A NEPA document that tiers to another broader NEPA document in accordance with 40 CFR 1508.28 must include a finding that the conditions and environmental effects described in the broader NEPA... identified and analyzed in the broader NEPA document, no further analysis is necessary, and the previously...

  1. 43 CFR 46.140 - Using tiered documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... documents. A NEPA document that tiers to another broader NEPA document in accordance with 40 CFR 1508.28 must include a finding that the conditions and environmental effects described in the broader NEPA... identified and analyzed in the broader NEPA document, no further analysis is necessary, and the previously...

  2. 43 CFR 46.140 - Using tiered documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... documents. A NEPA document that tiers to another broader NEPA document in accordance with 40 CFR 1508.28 must include a finding that the conditions and environmental effects described in the broader NEPA... identified and analyzed in the broader NEPA document, no further analysis is necessary, and the previously...

  3. 43 CFR 46.140 - Using tiered documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... documents. A NEPA document that tiers to another broader NEPA document in accordance with 40 CFR 1508.28 must include a finding that the conditions and environmental effects described in the broader NEPA... identified and analyzed in the broader NEPA document, no further analysis is necessary, and the previously...

  4. 43 CFR 11.64 - Injury determination phase-testing and sampling methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    .... In developing these objectives, the availability of information from response actions relating to the...), test cases proving the code works, and any alteration of previously documented code made to adapt the... computer code (if any), test cases proving the code works, and any alteration of previously documented code...

  5. 43 CFR 11.64 - Injury determination phase-testing and sampling methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    .... In developing these objectives, the availability of information from response actions relating to the...), test cases proving the code works, and any alteration of previously documented code made to adapt the... computer code (if any), test cases proving the code works, and any alteration of previously documented code...

  6. 43 CFR 11.64 - Injury determination phase-testing and sampling methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    .... In developing these objectives, the availability of information from response actions relating to the...), test cases proving the code works, and any alteration of previously documented code made to adapt the... computer code (if any), test cases proving the code works, and any alteration of previously documented code...

  7. Gaining information about home visits in primary care: methodological issues from a feasibility study

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Home visits are part of general practice work in Germany. Within the context of an expanding elderly population and a decreasing number of general practitioner (GPs), open questions regarding the organisation and adequacy of GPs’ care in immobile patients remain. To answer these questions, we will conduct a representative primary data collection concerning contents and organisation of GPs’ home visits in 2014. Because this study will require considerable efforts for documentation and thus substantial involvement by participating GPs, we conducted a pilot study to see whether such a study design was feasible. Methods We used a mixed methods design with two study arms in a sample of teaching GPs of the University Halle. The quantitative arm evaluates participating GPs and documentation of home visits. The qualitative arm focuses on reasons for non-participation for GPs who declined to take part in the pilot study. Results Our study confirms previously observed reasons for non-response of GPs in the particular setting of home visits including lack of time and/or interest. In contrast to previous findings, monetary incentives were not crucial for GPs participation. Several factors influenced the documentation rate of home visits and resulted in a discrepancy between the numbers of home visits documented versus those actually conducted. The most frequently reported problem was related to obtaining patient consent, especially when patients were unable to provide informed consent due to cognitive deficits. Conclusions The results of our feasibility study provide evidence for improvement of the study design and study instruments to effectively conduct a documentation-intensive study of GPs doing home visits. Improvement of instructions and questionnaire regarding time variables and assessment of the need for home visits will be carried out to increase the reliability of future data. One particularly important methodological issue yet to be resolved is how to increase the representativeness of home visit care by including the homebound patient population that is unable to provide informed consent. PMID:24884460

  8. Implementation of a publication strategy in the context of reporting biases. A case study based on new documents from Neurontin® litigation

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Previous studies have documented strategies to promote off-label use of drugs using journal publications and other means. Few studies have presented internal company communications that discussed financial reasons for manipulating the scholarly record related to off-label indications. The objective of this study was to build on previous studies to illustrate implementation of a publication strategy by the drug manufacturer for four off-label uses of gabapentin (Neurontin®, Pfizer, Inc.): migraine prophylaxis, treatment of bipolar disorders, neuropathic pain, and nociceptive pain. Methods We included in this study internal company documents, email correspondence, memoranda, study protocols and reports that were made publicly available in 2008 as part of litigation brought by consumers and health insurers against Pfizer for fraudulent sales practices in its marketing of gabapentin (see http://pacer.mad.uscourts.gov/dc/cgi-bin/recentops.pl?filename=saris/pdf/ucl%20opinion.pdf for the Court’s findings). We reviewed documents pertaining to 20 clinical trials, 12 of which were published. We categorized our observations related to reporting biases and linked them with topics covered in internal documents, that is, deciding what should and should not be published and how to spin the study findings (re-framing study results to explain away unfavorable findings or to emphasize favorable findings); and where and when findings should be published and by whom. Results We present extracts from internal company marketing assessments recommending that Pfizer and Parke-Davis (Pfizer acquired Parke-Davis in 2000) adopt a publication strategy to conduct trials and disseminate trial findings for unapproved uses rather than an indication strategy to obtain regulatory approval. We show internal company email correspondence and documents revealing how publication content was influenced and spin was applied; how the company selected where trial findings would be presented or published; how publication of study results was delayed; and the role of ghost authorship. Conclusions Taken together, the extracts we present from internal company documents illustrate implementation of a strategy at odds with unbiased study conduct and dissemination. Our findings suggest that Pfizer and Parke-Davis’s publication strategy had the potential to distort the scientific literature, and thus misinform healthcare decision-makers. PMID:22888801

  9. Analysis of new entrant motor carrier safety performance and compliance using SafeStat

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2000-03-01

    This report documents the findings of a special study undertaken to update, confirm and expand upon previous studies on the comparative (to experienced carriers) safety performance and compliance of large commercial motor vehicle operators (motor car...

  10. Failures in communication through documents and documentation across the perioperative pathway.

    PubMed

    Braaf, Sandra; Riley, Robin; Manias, Elizabeth

    2015-07-01

    To explore how communication failures occur in documents and documentations across the perioperative pathway in nurses' interactions with other nurses, surgeons and anaesthetists. Documents and documentation are used to communicate vital patient and procedural information among nurses, and in nurses' interactions with surgeons and anaesthetists, across the perioperative pathway. Previous research indicates that communication failure regularly occurs in the perioperative setting. A qualitative study was undertaken. The study was conducted over three hospitals in Melbourne, Australia. One hundred and twenty-five healthcare professionals from the disciplines of surgery, anaesthesia and nursing participated in the study. Data collection commenced in January 2010 and concluded in October 2010. Data were generated through 350 hours of observation, two focus groups and 20 semi-structured interviews. A detailed thematic analysis was undertaken. Communication failure occurred owing to a reliance on documents and documentation to transfer information at patient transition points, poor quality documents and documentation, and problematic access to information. Institutional ruling practices of professional practice, efficiency and productivity, and fiscal constraint dominated the coordination of nurses', surgeons' and anaesthetists' communication through documents and documentation. These governing practices configured communication to be incongruous with reliably meeting safety and quality objectives. Communication failure occurred because important information was sometimes buried in documents, insufficient, inaccurate, out-of-date or not verbally reinforced. Furthermore, busy nurses were not always able to access information they required in a timely manner. Patient safety was affected, which led to delays in treatment and at times inadequate care. Organisational support needs to be provided to nurses, surgeons and anaesthetists so they have sufficient time to complete, locate, and read documents and documentation. Infrastructure supporting communication technologies should be implemented to enable the rapid retrieval, entry, and dispersion of information. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Data Warehouse Design from HL7 Clinical Document Architecture Schema.

    PubMed

    Pecoraro, Fabrizio; Luzi, Daniela; Ricci, Fabrizio L

    2015-01-01

    This paper proposes a semi-automatic approach to extract clinical information structured in a HL7 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) and transform it in a data warehouse dimensional model schema. It is based on a conceptual framework published in a previous work that maps the dimensional model primitives with CDA elements. Its feasibility is demonstrated providing a case study based on the analysis of vital signs gathered during laboratory tests.

  12. Study of visitor response to air tour and other aircraft noise in national parks

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2005-01-31

    This document summarizes the findings of a study that considers all known aircraft noise dose and visitor response data previously collected in the National Parks. These data consist of almost 2500 visitor interviews and simultaneous acoustical measu...

  13. 17 CFR 232.105 - Limitation on use of HTML documents and hypertext links.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... submit the following documents in ASCII: Form N-SAR (§ 274.101 of this chapter) and Form 13F (§ 249.325... exhibits to Form N-SAR in HTML. (b) Electronic filers may not include in any HTML document hypertext links... documents within the current submission and to documents previously filed electronically and located in the...

  14. 17 CFR 232.105 - Limitation on use of HTML documents and hypertext links.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... submit the following documents in ASCII: Form N-SAR (§ 274.101 of this chapter) and Form 13F (§ 249.325... exhibits to Form N-SAR in HTML. (b) Electronic filers may not include in any HTML document hypertext links... documents within the current submission and to documents previously filed electronically and located in the...

  15. 17 CFR 232.105 - Limitation on use of HTML documents and hypertext links.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... submit the following documents in ASCII: Form N-SAR (§ 274.101 of this chapter) and Form 13F (§ 249.325... exhibits to Form N-SAR in HTML. (b) Electronic filers may not include in any HTML document hypertext links... documents within the current submission and to documents previously filed electronically and located in the...

  16. 17 CFR 232.105 - Limitation on use of HTML documents and hypertext links.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... submit the following documents in ASCII: Form N-SAR (§ 274.101 of this chapter) and Form 13F (§ 249.325... exhibits to Form N-SAR in HTML. (b) Electronic filers may not include in any HTML document hypertext links... documents within the current submission and to documents previously filed electronically and located in the...

  17. Safety Evaluation of Roundabouts in Georgia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2018-02-28

    Several previous studies have documented significant safety benefits of roundabouts in the United Sates. However, the safety benefits for a given roundabout may vary depending on factors such as the familiarity of the driving population to roundabout...

  18. Safety Evaluation of Roundabouts in Georgia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2018-02-02

    Several previous studies have documented significant safety benefits of roundabouts in the United Sates. However, the safety benefits for a given roundabout may vary depending on factors such as the familiarity of the driving population to roundabout...

  19. 14 CFR 16.13 - Filing of documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... previously agreed with the complainant in writing to participate in electronic filing. Documents may be filed... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Filing of documents. 16.13 Section 16.13..., Proceedings Initiated by the FAA, and Appeals § 16.13 Filing of documents. Except as otherwise provided in...

  20. Young Children's Trust in Overtly Misleading Advice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heyman, Gail D.; Sritanyaratana, Lalida; Vanderbilt, Kimberly E.

    2013-01-01

    The ability of 3- and 4-year-old children to disregard advice from an overtly misleading informant was investigated across five studies (total "n" =212). Previous studies have documented limitations in young children's ability to reject misleading advice. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that these limitations are primarily…

  1. ASTHMA, ENVIRONMENTAL RISK FACTORS, AND HYPERTENSION AMONG ARAB AMERICANS IN THE METRO DETROIT AREA

    EPA Science Inventory

    The importance of environmental risk factors in asthma etiology has been well-documented, and certain environmental risk factors have also been associated with hypertension. However, few previous studies have examined the relationship between hypertension and asthma. This study...

  2. The Small Module Fixed Mirror Distributed Focus (FMDF) Photothermal Concentrator Study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meinel, A. B.

    1981-01-01

    The development of a general ray trace evaluation program called ICARUS, the study of novel Fresnel concepts, and the review of a report draft on novel Fresnel concepts are covered. ICARUS is documented, reports on the novel Fresnel concepts were previously submitted.

  3. CLOTHES AS A SOURCE OF PARTICLES CONTRIBUTING TO THE "PERSONAL CLOUD"

    EPA Science Inventory

    Previous studies such as EPA's PTEAM Study have documented increased personal exposures to particles compared to either indoor or outdoor concentrations--a finding that bas been characterized as a "personal cloud." The sources of the personal cloud are unknown, but co...

  4. Ethnomedicinal uses of plants for the treatment of snake and scorpion bite in Northern Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Butt, Maryam Akram; Ahmad, Mushtaq; Fatima, Anam; Sultana, Shazia; Zafar, Muhammad; Yaseen, Ghulam; Ashraf, Muhammad Aqeel; Shinwari, Zabta Khan; Kayani, Sadaf

    2015-06-20

    Medicinal plants represent one of the most accessible resources available for snake and scorpion bite among the rural communities of Northern Pakistan. This first ethno-botanical study aimed to document the indigenous knowledge and practices of using plants for snake and scorpion bite disorders in Northern Pakistan. Ethno-medicinal data is documented from 187 informants using semi-structured interviews. The data is analyzed using quantitative ethno-botanical indices of frequency citation (FC) and relative Frequency of Citation (RFC). In addition to this, the ethno-medicinal findings of this survey were compared with 10 previous published studies in order to report novel uses of medicinal plants against snake and scorpion bite disorders. In total 62 medicinal plants belonging to 40 families are reported against snake and scorpion bite in this study. Our results showed that Asteraceae is the most used family (10 species), dominant life form is herb (48.38%), leaves were the most used plants part (18 Use-reports) and the paste is most used method of administration (22 reports). The range of RFC was 0.08-0.27 about the use of documented species. Compared to previous published studies, 33.87% similarity index while 66.12% novelty index is reported. About 40 plant species are first time reported with medicinal uses against snake and scorpion bite from Northern Pakistan. This study presents useful traditional knowledge of rural communities for the control of snake and scorpion bite using medicinal plants. The study mainly focused on ethno-medicinal documentation to preserve the valuable traditional knowledge that can be used in future phytochemical and pharmacological studies on medicinal plants of the area. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE

    EPA Science Inventory

    The following document provides an introductory overview of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and describes the general uses and major components of LCA. This document is an update and merger of two previous EPA documents on LCA ("Life Cycle Assessment: Inventory Guidelines and Princip...

  6. Developing Teaching Skills through the School Practicum in Turkey: A Metasynthesis Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tas, Mükerrem Akbulut; Karabay, Aysegül

    2016-01-01

    Using a metasynthesis approach, this study examined general teaching skills in previous studies on school practicum. The results and suggestions from 53 qualitative primary research studies that focused on school practicum in Turkey were reviewed. Data were collected using document analysis and content analysis using the NVivo10 programme. The…

  7. INDUCTION OF ALBENDAZOLE RESISTANCE IN GIARDIA LAMBLIA

    EPA Science Inventory

    Previous studies have shown that Giardia lamblia resistance to metronidazole can be induced in the laboratory, and treatment failures with this drug have also been documented. As replacement theraples, anthelmintic benzimidazoles have antigiardial activity with few clinical side ...

  8. A framework for developing research protocols for evaluation of microbial hazards and controls during production that pertain to the quality of agricultural water contacting fresh produce that may be consumed raw.

    PubMed

    Harris, Linda J; Bender, Jeff; Bihn, Elizabeth A; Blessington, Tyann; Danyluk, Michelle D; Delaquis, Pascal; Goodridge, Lawrence; Ibekwe, A Mark; Ilic, Sanja; Kniel, Kali; Lejeune, Jeffrey T; Schaffner, Donald W; Stoeckel, Don; Suslow, Trevor V

    2012-12-01

    Agricultural water may contact fresh produce during irrigation and/or when crop protection sprays (e.g., cooling to prevent sunburn, frost protection, and agrochemical mixtures) are applied. This document provides a framework for designing research studies that would add to our understanding of preharvest microbial food safety hazards and control measures pertaining to agricultural water. Researchers will be able to use this document to design studies, to anticipate the scope and detail of data required, and to evaluate previously published work. This document should also be useful for evaluating the strength of existing data and thus should aid in identifying future research needs. Use of this document by the research community may lead to greater consistency or comparability than currently exists among research studies, which may ultimately facilitate direct comparison of hazards and efficacy of controls among different commodities, conditions, and practices.

  9. Interagency Pacific marten (Martes caurina) distribution study on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Moriarty, Katie; Howell, Betsy; Morozumi, Connor; Happe, Patti; Jenkins, Kurt J.; Aubry, Keith B.

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this study was to determine if the Pacific marten (Martes caurina) still occurs on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. We reviewed recent records of marten observations on the Olympic Peninsula since 1998, and conducted new surveys in undersampled regions of the Olympic Peninsula during summer, 2016. We reviewed evidence of fisher presence from 6 previously reported studies of carnivore distribution and presence on the Olympic Peninsula and conducted new surveys in previously undersampled areas of the Peninsula. We documented five highly reliable records of marten observations on the Pensula since 1988. Further, we established 197 camera stations in search of martens, amassing a total of 17,897 camera-nights of survey efforts in previously undersampled regions. We documented presence of one additional marten during summer 2016. This marten, however, was close to a marten detected in 2015, so it was not clear if it represented a different marten. We concluded that five to six martens have been verified present on the Olympic Peninsula since 1988. Pacific martens appear to be very limited in distribution and at critically low numbers throughout much of their former range on the Olympic Peninsula.

  10. Impact of implementing an EMR on physical exam documentation by ambulance personnel.

    PubMed

    Katzer, R; Barton, D J; Adelman, S; Clark, S; Seaman, E L; Hudson, K B

    2012-01-01

    Georgetown University has a student run Emergency Medical Services (EMS) organization with over 100 emergency medical technicians (EMTs). We set out to determine whether implementing an electronic patient care report (ePCR) system was associated with improved physical exam documentation. This study evaluated documentation of the physical exam on prehospital patient care reports (PCRs). An ePCR system was implemented. ePCR documentation was compared to that of the previously used paper PCRs. This study looked retrospectively at 154 PCRs. 77 were hand written PCRs from before the electronic system. The PCRs involved chief complaints that were primarily respiratory, neurologic, or both. 77 ePCRs of matching chief complaint categories were used for comparison. Each chart was reviewed for completion of certain physical exam findings. The mean percentage of documented components from the ePCRs was compared to that of the hand written PCRs. The null hypothesis was that the absolute increase in the mean was not more than 20 percent. The two exclusion criteria were PCRs completed by study investigators after the design of the project and partially or completely missing PCRs. The absolute increase in mean physical exam component documentation was 36% (95% CI = 29-43%). A weighted kappa of 0.894 showed very good agreement between chart reviewers. This study rejected the null hypothesis that the ePCR system was associated with a mean increase of no more than 20%. It observed increase in physical exam documentation. Limitations of this study included the inability to determine whether documentation of physical exam findings reflected performance of the physical exam, and what components of the ePCR system bundle were responsible for the increase in physical exam component documentation.

  11. Impact of implementing an EMR on physical exam documentation by ambulance personnel

    PubMed Central

    Katzer, R.; Barton, D.J.; Adelman, S.; Clark, S.; Seaman, E.L.; Hudson, K.B.

    2012-01-01

    Objectives Georgetown University has a student run Emergency Medical Services (EMS) organization with over 100 emergency medical technicians (EMTs). We set out to determine whether implementing an electronic patient care report (ePCR) system was associated with improved physical exam documentation. Methods This study evaluated documentation of the physical exam on prehospital patient care reports (PCRs). An ePCR system was implemented. ePCR documentation was compared to that of the previously used paper PCRs. This study looked retrospectively at 154 PCRs. 77 were hand written PCRs from before the electronic system. The PCRs involved chief complaints that were primarily respiratory, neurologic, or both. 77 ePCRs of matching chief complaint categories were used for comparison. Each chart was reviewed for completion of certain physical exam findings. The mean percentage of documented components from the ePCRs was compared to that of the hand written PCRs. The null hypothesis was that the absolute increase in the mean was not more than 20 percent. The two exclusion criteria were PCRs completed by study investigators after the design of the project and partially or completely missing PCRs. Results The absolute increase in mean physical exam component documentation was 36% (95% CI = 29–43%). A weighted kappa of 0.894 showed very good agreement between chart reviewers. Conclusions This study rejected the null hypothesis that the ePCR system was associated with a mean increase of no more than 20%. It observed increase in physical exam documentation. Limitations of this study included the inability to determine whether documentation of physical exam findings reflected performance of the physical exam, and what components of the ePCR system bundle were responsible for the increase in physical exam component documentation. PMID:23646077

  12. Documenting the NICU design dilemma: parent and staff perceptions of open ward versus single family room units

    PubMed Central

    Domanico, R; Davis, D K; Coleman, F; Davis, B O

    2010-01-01

    Objective: With neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) evolving from multipatient wards toward family-friendly, single-family room units, the study objective was to compare satisfaction levels of families and health-care staff across these differing NICU facility designs. Study Design: This prospective study documented, by means of institutional review board-approved questionnaire survey protocols, the perceptions of parents and staff from two contrasting NICU environments. Result: Findings showed that demographic subgroups of parents and staff perceived the advantages and disadvantages of the two facility designs differently. Staff perceptions varied with previous experience, acclimation time and employment position, whereas parental perceptions revealed a naiveté bias through surveys of transitional parents with experience in both NICU facilities. Conclusion: Use of transitional parent surveys showed a subject naiveté bias inherent in perceptions of inexperienced parents. Grouping all survey participants demographically provided more informative interpretations of data, and revealed staff perceptions to vary with position, previous training and hospital experience. PMID:20072132

  13. Assessment Intelligence in Small Group Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Xing, Wanli; Wu, Yonghe

    2014-01-01

    Assessment of groups in CSCL context is a challenging task fraught with many confounding factors collected and measured. Previous documented studies are by and large summative in nature and some process-oriented methods require time-intensive coding of qualitative data. This study attempts to resolve these problems for teachers to assess groups…

  14. Sociocultural Influences and Issues in an Art Class for Brazilian Preservice Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stokrocki, Mary; Coutinho, Regina

    This paper looks at how a Brazilian educator implemented Paolo Freire's notion of critical pedagogy. The study describes Brazil's historical background, previous educational conditions, Freire's educational ideas translated into art education, and preservice education. Through participant observation, the study documents the practice of an art…

  15. One Year Oral Toxicity Study of WR238605 Succinate in Dogs. Volume 1

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1997-07-18

    previously vaccinated by the animal supplier against canine distemper , infectious canine hepatitis, oral Page 9 Contract No.: DAMD17-92-C-2001...documented on the Clinical Veterinarian Log by the veterinarian prior to study initiation. Certified Canine Diet No. 5007 (PMI Feeds Inc., St. Louis

  16. Creating and (Re)negotiating Boundaries: Representations as Mediation in Visually Oriented Multilingual Swedish School Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bagga-Gupta, Sangeeta

    2010-01-01

    This article brings together salient findings regarding communication and identity through studies of everyday social practices, studies of discourses about these practices and policy documents pertaining to special schools from "previous" and "ongoing" ethnographic projects based at the KKOM-DS (Communication, Culture and…

  17. Accelerator-driven Medical Sterilization to Replace Co-60 Sources

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

    Kroc, Thomas K.; Thangaraj, Jayakar C.T.; Penning, Richard T.

    This report documents the results of a study prepared at the request of the Office of Radiological Security of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), as part of the Domestic Protect and Reduce mission by the Illinois Accelerator Research Center (IARC) of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The study included a literature survey of over 80 relevant documents and articles including industry standards, regulatory documents, technical papers, a court case, previous task force reports and industry white papers. The team also conducted interviews or had conversations with over 40 individuals representing over a dozen organizations over the course of its 10-monthmore » program. This report summarizes our findings, addresses the specific questions posed to us by NNSA, and concludes with a list of actionable recommendations.« less

  18. Accounts of damage from historical earthquakes in the northeastern Caribbean to aid in the determination of their location and intensity magnitudes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Flores, Claudia H.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Bakun, William H.

    2012-01-01

    Documentation of an event in the past depended on the population and political trends of the island, and the availability of historical documents is limited by the physical resource digitization schedule and by the copyright laws of each archive. Examples of documents accessed are governors' letters, newspapers, and other circulars published within the Caribbean, North America, and Western Europe. Key words were used to search for publications that contain eyewitness accounts of various large earthquakes. Finally, this catalog provides descriptions of damage to buildings used in previous studies for the estimation of moment intensity (MI) and location of significantly damaging or felt earthquakes in Hispaniola and in the northeastern Caribbean, all of which have been described in other studies.

  19. Influence of critical closing pressure on systemic vascular resistance and total arterial compliance: A clinical invasive study.

    PubMed

    Chemla, Denis; Lau, Edmund M T; Hervé, Philippe; Millasseau, Sandrine; Brahimi, Mabrouk; Zhu, Kaixian; Sattler, Caroline; Garcia, Gilles; Attal, Pierre; Nitenberg, Alain

    2017-12-01

    Systemic vascular resistance (SVR) and total arterial compliance (TAC) modulate systemic arterial load, and their product is the time constant (Tau) of the Windkessel. Previous studies have assumed that aortic pressure decays towards a pressure asymptote (P∞) close to 0mmHg, as right atrial pressure is considered the outflow pressure. Using these assumptions, aortic Tau values of ∼1.5seconds have been documented. However, a zero P∞ may not be physiological because of the high critical closing pressure previously documented in vivo. To calculate precisely the Tau and P∞ of the Windkessel, and to determine the implications for the indices of systemic arterial load. Aortic pressure decay was analysed using high-fidelity recordings in 16 subjects. Tau was calculated assuming P∞=0mmHg, and by two methods that make no assumptions regarding P∞ (the derivative and best-fit methods). Assuming P∞=0mmHg, we documented a Tau value of 1372±308ms, with only 29% of Windkessel function manifested by end-diastole. In contrast, Tau values of 306±109 and 353±106ms were found from the derivative and best-fit methods, with P∞ values of 75±12 and 71±12mmHg, and with ∼80% completion of Windkessel function. The "effective" resistance and compliance were ∼70% and ∼40% less than SVR and TAC (area method), respectively. We did not challenge the Windkessel model, but rather the estimation technique of model variables (Tau, SVR, TAC) that assumes P∞=0. The study favoured a shorter Tau of the Windkessel and a higher P∞ compared with previous studies. This calls for a reappraisal of the quantification of systemic arterial load. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  20. Medical record keeping and system performance in orthopaedic trauma patients.

    PubMed

    Cosic, Filip; Kimmel, Lara; Edwards, Elton

    2016-01-01

    Objective The medical record is critical for documentation and communication between healthcare professionals. The aim of the present study was to evaluate important aspects of the orthopaedic medical record and system performance to determine whether any deficiencies exist in these areas. Methods Review of 200 medical records of surgically treated traumatic lower limb injury patients was undertaken. The operative report, discharge summary and first and second outpatient reviews were evaluated. Results In all cases, an operative report was completed by a senior surgeon. Weight-bearing status was adequately documented in 91% of reports. Discharge summaries were completed for 82.5% of admissions, with 87.3% of these having instructions reflective of those in the operative report. Of first and second outpatient reviews, 69% and 73%, respectively, occurred within 1 week of the requested time. Previously documented management plans were changed in 30% of reviews. At 6-months post-operatively, 42% of patients had been reviewed by a member of their operating team. Discussion Orthopaedic medical record documentation remains an area for improvement. In addition, hospital out-patient systems perform suboptimally and may affect patient outcomes. What is known about the topic? Medical records are an essential tool in modern medical practice. Despite the importance of comprehensive documentation in the medical record, numerous examples of poor documentation have been demonstrated, including substandard documentation during consultant ward rounds by junior doctors leading to a breakdown in healthcare professional communication and potential patient mismanagement. Further inadequacies of medical record documentation have been demonstrated in surgical discharge notes, with complete and correct documentation reported to be as low as 65%. What does this paper add? Standards of patient care should be constantly monitored and deficiencies identified in order to implement a remedy and close the quality loop. The present study has highlighted that the standard of orthopaedic trauma medical record keeping at an Australian Level 1 trauma centre is below what is expected and several key areas of documentation require improvement. This paper further evaluates the system performance of the out-patient system, an area where, to the authors knowledge, there is no previous work published. The findings show that the performance was below what is expected for surgical review, with many patients failing to be reviewed by their operating surgeon. What are the implications for practitioners? The present study shows that there is a poor level of documentation and a standard of out-patient review below what is expected. The implications of these findings will be to highlight current deficiencies to practitioners and promote change in current practice to improve the quality of medical record documentation among medical staff. Further, the findings of poor system performance will promote change in the current system of delivering out-patient care to patients.

  1. Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: Unusual Manifestations and Disturbing Sequelae.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Porter, Gerald E.; And Others

    1994-01-01

    This study documents previously unreported findings in cases of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (in which a mother fabricates an illness in her child). In the reported case, esophageal perforation, retrograde intussusception, tooth loss, and bradycardia were found. (Author/DB)

  2. Annual Bibliography, 2011

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Jo. B., Comp.

    2012-01-01

    This classified, comprehensive bibliography for Appalachian studies includes books, journal articles, government documents, and selected newspaper articles published in 2010, plus relevant titles indexed in ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database. Also, a number of earlier citations not included in the previous bibliography are listed here.…

  3. Evaluation of freeway motorist assist : staff summary, February 2010.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2010-02-01

    This research document builds on the previous Return on Investment (ROI) Study of Motorist Assist (1994) that evaluated the St. Louis Motor Assist program to establish and update current benefits of this program. The following is a summary of finding...

  4. Societal trends : the aging baby boom and women's increased independence

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1995-02-01

    The document is one of five containing infrastructure inventories of facilities along the eastern U.S.-Canada border. This work, conducted by the Volpe Center and Wayne State University, draws upon previous studies and data collection efforts. These ...

  5. Development and evaluation of a web-based application for digital findings and documentation in physiotherapy education.

    PubMed

    Spieler, Bernadette; Burgsteiner, Harald; Messer-Misak, Karin; Gödl-Purrer, Barbara; Salchinger, Beate

    2015-01-01

    Findings in physiotherapy have standardized approaches in treatment, but there is also a significant margin of differences in how to implement these standards. Clinical decisions require experience and continuous learning processes to consolidate personal values and opinions and studies suggest that lecturers can influence students positively. Recently, the study course of Physiotherapy at the University of Applied Science in Graz has offered a paper based finding document. This document supported decisions through the adaption of the clinical reasoning process. The document was the starting point for our learning application called "EasyAssess", a Java based web-application for a digital findings documentation. A central point of our work was to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and usability of the web-application through usability tests utilized by both students and lecturers. Results show that our application fulfills the previously defined requirements and can be efficiently used in daily routine largely because of its simple user interface and its modest design. Due to the close cooperation with the study course Physiotherapy, the application has incorporated the various needs of the target audiences and confirmed the usefulness of our application.

  6. 50 CFR 224.101 - Enumeration of endangered marine and anadromous species.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... institutions) and which are identified as fish belonging to the NYB DPS based on genetics analyses, previously... genetics analyses, previously applied tags, previously applied marks, or documentation to verify that the... Carolina DPS based on genetics analyses, previously applied tags, previously applied marks, or...

  7. 50 CFR 224.101 - Enumeration of endangered marine and anadromous species.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... institutions) and which are identified as fish belonging to the NYB DPS based on genetics analyses, previously... genetics analyses, previously applied tags, previously applied marks, or documentation to verify that the... Carolina DPS based on genetics analyses, previously applied tags, previously applied marks, or...

  8. Adequacy of physician documentation and correlation with assessment of transfusion appropriateness: a follow-up study in the setting of prospective audits and patient blood management.

    PubMed

    Madrigal, Emilio; Prajapati, Shyam; Avadhani, Vaidehi; Annen, Kyle; Friedman, Mark T

    2017-02-01

    A previous study in our hospitals correlated suboptimal documentation and failure to justify transfusions. In light of implemented blood-conservation strategies, including patient blood management (PBM) and prospective audits (PAs), we performed a follow-up study. We reviewed prospectively audited red blood cell (RBC) transfusions received by adult patients from January to July 2014. Survey forms were used to assess the level of documentation and to classify documentation as adequate, intermediate, or inadequate. Transfusions were deemed justified or not by comparisons with hospital transfusion guidelines. We also analyzed the effect of implemented blood-conservation strategies on our hospital transfusion rates and costs from 2009 to 2015. During the study period, there were 259 prospectively audited transfusion events (TEs) (one or more RBC units transfused to a patient), of which we reviewed 94 TEs (36.3%) in 87 patients. TEs with suboptimal (intermediate and inadequate) documentation accounted for 46.8% of the reviewed TEs, of which 81.8% could not be justified compared with 18.0% of nonjustified, adequately documented TEs. The correlation between suboptimal documentation and failure to justify transfusion was significant (p < 0.001). This correlation remained even in a comparison between the site with a PBM program and the sites without such a program. Overall transfusion rates declined after the introduction of PA, although the decline was only statistically significant at the sites with a PBM program. Suboptimal transfusion documentation remains problematic and is highly correlated with nonjustifiable transfusions. Newly adopted approaches to minimize blood transfusions have not improved transfusion documentation and corresponding out-of-guideline transfusions, although overall transfusions have been reduced by PA, particularly in the setting of a PBM program. © 2016 AABB.

  9. Evolution of Crater Glacier, Mount St. Helens, Washington, September 2006-November 2009

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Walder, Joseph S.; Schilling, Steven P.; Sherrod, David R.; Vallance, James W.

    2010-01-01

    Lava-dome emplacement through a glacier was observed for the first time during the 2004-08 eruption of Mount St. Helens and documented using photography, photogrammetry, and geodetic measurements. Previously published reports present such documentation through September 2006; this report extends that documentation until November 2009.

  10. Scaling and memory in volatility return intervals in financial markets

    PubMed Central

    Yamasaki, Kazuko; Muchnik, Lev; Havlin, Shlomo; Bunde, Armin; Stanley, H. Eugene

    2005-01-01

    For both stock and currency markets, we study the return intervals τ between the daily volatilities of the price changes that are above a certain threshold q. We find that the distribution function Pq(τ) scales with the mean return interval \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document} \\begin{equation*}{\\bar {{\\tau}}}\\end{equation*}\\end{document} as \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document} \\begin{equation*}P_{q}({\\tau})={\\bar {{\\tau}}}^{-1}f({\\tau}/{\\bar {{\\tau}}})\\end{equation*}\\end{document}. The scaling function f(x) is similar in form for all seven stocks and for all seven currency databases analyzed, and f(x) is consistent with a power-law form, f(x) ∼ x-γ with γ ≈ 2. We also quantify how the conditional distribution Pq(τ|τ0) depends on the previous return interval τ0 and find that small (or large) return intervals are more likely to be followed by small (or large) return intervals. This “clustering” of the volatility return intervals is a previously unrecognized phenomenon that we relate to the long-term correlations known to be present in the volatility. PMID:15980152

  11. Reported History of Developmental Regression and Restricted, Repetitive Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

    PubMed

    Bradley, Catherine C; Boan, Andrea D; Cohen, Amy P; Charles, Jane M; Carpenter, Laura A

    2016-01-01

    Previous research on developmental regression in youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has often been limited by the definition, assessment, and methodology used to evaluate and describe regression. This study sought to overcome these limitations by examining the prevalence, timing, and correlates of documented cases of developmental regression in a large, epidemiological sample of youth with ASD. Utilizing a population-based surveillance methodology, this study includes 862 youth with ASD identified through abstraction and clinician record review. Approximately 21% of the sample had developmental regression documented in their medical or educational records with the mean age of regression being 24.2 ± 14.3 months. Youth with ASD and a history of regression were more likely to have comorbid intellectual disability, a prior community diagnosis of ASD, and be eligible for educational services as a student with autism. Youth with a documented history of regression also had higher rates of restricted, repetitive behaviors, such as stereotyped speech, nonfunctional routines/rituals, and sensory interests. Results suggest that youth with a history of regression are not only more likely to have comorbid intellectual disability but are also are more likely to have been previously diagnosed with ASD in the community, suggesting that development regression may play an important role in identifying children who are at the risk for ASD and need evaluation. Higher rates of restricted, repetitive behaviors in youth with a documented history of regression may also provide important insights into the relationship between ASD and developmental regression.

  12. Unified powered flight guidance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brand, T. J.; Brown, D. W.; Higgins, J. P.

    1973-01-01

    A complete revision of the orbiter powered flight guidance scheme is presented. A unified approach to powered flight guidance was taken to accommodate all phases of exo-atmospheric orbiter powered flight, from ascent through deorbit. The guidance scheme was changed from the previous modified version of the Lambert Aim Point Maneuver Mode used in Apollo to one that employs linear tangent guidance concepts. This document replaces the previous ascent phase equation document.

  13. 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12). Data File Documentation. NCES 2014-182

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wine, Jennifer; Bryan, Michael; Siegel, Peter

    2013-01-01

    This report describes the methods and results for the 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12), conducted for the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Washington, DC. The following legislation authorizes this and previous cycles of NPSAS, as well as two longitudinal studies deriving…

  14. Resilience in Inner City Youth: Childhood Predictors of Occupational Status across the Lifespan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DiRago, Ana C.; Vaillant, George E.

    2007-01-01

    The present prospective study has followed a cohort of inner city men from adolescence (14 plus or minus 2) until age 65. While previous studies of shorter duration have identified numerous childhood factors that powerfully influence outcomes in young adulthood, this study examined the effect of these well-documented prognostic factors on…

  15. The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on an Urban Pediatric Population

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burke, Nadine J.; Hellman, Julia L.; Scott, Brandon G.; Weems, Carl F.; Carrion, Victor G.

    2011-01-01

    Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in youth in a low-income, urban community. Study design: Data from a retrospective chart review of 701 subjects from the Bayview Child Health Center in San Francisco are presented. Medical chart documentation of ACEs as defined in previous studies were…

  16. Regulatory genes and environmental regulation of amylovoran biosynthesis in Erwinia amylovora

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The requirement of the exopolysaccharide amylovoran for Erwinia amylovora pathogenesis is well documented. However, regulation of amylovoran biosynthesis has not been comprehensively studied. We have previously reported that amylovoran production is strain-dependent in E. amylovora isolates. We have...

  17. Relative Category-Specific Preservation in Semantic Dementia? Evidence from 35 Cases

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Merck, Catherine; Jonin, Pierre-Yves; Vichard, Helene; Boursiquot, Sandrine Le Moal; Leblay, Virginie; Belliard, Serge

    2013-01-01

    Category-specific deficits have rarely been reported in semantic dementia (SD). To our knowledge, only four previous studies have documented category-specific deficits, and these have focused on the living versus non-living things contrast rather than on more fine-grained semantic categories. This study aimed to determine whether a…

  18. Factors That Influence Communication about Sexuality between Parents and Adolescents in the Cultural Context of Mexican Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rouvier, Mariel; Campero, Lourdes; Walker, Dilys; Caballero, Marta

    2011-01-01

    Sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancy among adolescents are important public health issues that can be tackled through the implementation of effective education strategies. Previous studies have documented the importance and effectiveness of parents as primary educators for their adolescents. A qualitative study based on grounded…

  19. Effects of Achievement Goals on Perceptions of Competence in Conditions of Unfavourable Social Comparisons: The Mastery Goal Advantage Effect

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kamarova, Sviatlana; Chatzisarantis, Nikos L. D.; Hagger, Martin S.; Lintunen, Taru; Hassandra, Mary; Papaioannou, Athanasios

    2017-01-01

    Background: Previous prospective studies have documented that mastery-approach goals are adaptive because they facilitate less negative psychological responses to unfavourable social comparisons than performance-approach goals. Aims: This study aimed to confirm this so-called "mastery goal advantage" effect experimentally. Methods: A…

  20. Intelligent transportation system (ITS) study for the Buffalo and Niagara Falls metropolitan area, Erie and Niagara Counties, New York : strategic plan, working paper #7

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1997-06-18

    This document has been prepared as part of the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Buffalo and Niagara Falls Intelligent Transportation System Study. This working paper utilizes input from the previous working papers to generate an o...

  1. School Nurses' Perceived Barriers to Discussing Weight with Children and Their Families: A Qualitative Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steele, Ric G.; Wu, Yelena P.; Jensen, Chad D.; Pankey, Sydni; Davis, Ann M.; Aylward, Brandon S.

    2011-01-01

    Background: Previous studies have documented the presence of specific barriers to school nurses' communications with families about weight-related health. The purpose of the present study was to contribute to the literature by further analyzing, using focus group methodology, school nurses' perceived barriers to addressing weight-related health…

  2. Female-Only Classes in a Rural Context: Self-Concept, Achievement, and Discourse

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, Hope E.; Gresham, Jeanie; Williams, Michelle; Whitley, Claudia; Partin, Jimmy

    2013-01-01

    Two middle schools in rural east Texas implemented an optional, single-sex program. Although previous studies have documented the effects of single-sex instruction, and recent educational innovations have focused on its benefits, little research has investigated its effects in rural contexts. This study found that for rural populations, patterns…

  3. Documentation of indigenous Pacific agroforestry systems: a review of methodologies

    Treesearch

    Bill Raynor

    1993-01-01

    Recent interest in indigenous agroforestry has led to a need for documentation of these systems. However, previous work is very limited, and few methodologies are well-known or widely accepted. This paper outlines various methodologies (including sampling methods, data to be collected, and considerations in analysis) for documenting structure and productivity of...

  4. Statistical Techniques for Efficient Indexing and Retrieval of Document Images

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bhardwaj, Anurag

    2010-01-01

    We have developed statistical techniques to improve the performance of document image search systems where the intermediate step of OCR based transcription is not used. Previous research in this area has largely focused on challenges pertaining to generation of small lexicons for processing handwritten documents and enhancement of poor quality…

  5. Online Catalog Documentation Task Force: Onscreen Documentation Subgroup. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campbell, John; And Others

    This report describes the work of the Onscreen Documentation Subgroup in revising screens for GALIN, the University of Georgia (UGA) Libraries new online system. The responsibilities of the Subgroup were to revise screens from the previous online catalog and to create basic help screens, primarily for the command searching mode. Responsibilities…

  6. The Archive Effect: Appropriation Films and the Experience of History

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baron, Jaimie Rachel

    2010-01-01

    Since the beginning of cinema, filmmakers have appropriated previously shot visual-- and later audiovisual--documents and recontextualized them in their own films for various ends. Because these documents have generally derived from official state or commercial film archives, they have come to be referred to as "archival documents." Endowed with…

  7. A hypertext system that learns from user feedback

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mathe, Nathalie

    1994-01-01

    Retrieving specific information from large amounts of documentation is not an easy task. It could be facilitated if information relevant in the current problem solving context could be automatically supplied to the user. As a first step towards this goal, we have developed an intelligent hypertext system called CID (Computer Integrated Documentation). Besides providing an hypertext interface for browsing large documents, the CID system automatically acquires and reuses the context in which previous searches were appropriate. This mechanism utilizes on-line user information requirements and relevance feedback either to reinforce current indexing in case of success or to generate new knowledge in case of failure. Thus, the user continually augments and refines the intelligence of the retrieval system. This allows the CID system to provide helpful responses, based on previous usage of the documentation, and to improve its performance over time. We successfully tested the CID system with users of the Space Station Freedom requirements documents. We are currently extending CID to other application domains (Space Shuttle operations documents, airplane maintenance manuals, and on-line training). We are also exploring the potential commercialization of this technique.

  8. Atom probe field ion microscopy and related topics: A bibliography 1993

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

    Godfrey, R.D.; Miller, M.K.; Russell, K.F.

    1994-10-01

    This bibliography, covering the period 1993, includes references related to the following topics: atom probe field ion microscopy (APFIM), field emission (FE), and field ion microscopy (FIM). Technique-oriented studies and applications are included. The references contained in this document were compiled from a variety of sources including computer searches and personal lists of publications. To reduce the length of this document, the references have been reduced to the minimum necessary to locate the articles. The references are listed alphabetically by authors, an Addendum of references missed in previous bibliographies is included.

  9. Promising Practices in CTS.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Curriculum Standards Branch.

    This document contains 85 articles taken from previously published issues of the "CTS Communication Network Update," a publication about the career and technology studies (CTS) program of career education designed for Alberta, Canada, high school juniors and seniors. Following an introductory section and a section on general CTS, the…

  10. Advanced Feedback Methods in Information Retrieval.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Salton, G.; And Others

    1985-01-01

    In this study, automatic feedback techniques are applied to Boolean query statements in online information retrieval to generate improved query statements based on information contained in previously retrieved documents. Feedback operations are carried out using conventional Boolean logic and extended logic. Experimental output is included to…

  11. ANAEROBIC BIODEGRADATION OF ALKYLBENZENES IN LABORATORY MICROCOSMS REPRESENTING AMBIENT CONDITIONS

    EPA Science Inventory

    A microcosm study was performed to document the anaerobic biodegradation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m- xylene, and/or o-xylene in petroleum-contaminated aquifer sediment from sites in Michigan (MI) and North Carolina (NC) and relate the results to previous field investiga...

  12. 34 CFR 462.11 - What must an application contain?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... the methodology and procedures used to measure the reliability of the test. (h) Construct validity... previous test, and results from validity, reliability, and equating or standard-setting studies undertaken... NRS educational functioning levels (content validity). Documentation of the extent to which the items...

  13. Operations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilkins, Jesse L. M.; Norton, Anderson; Boyce, Steven J.

    2013-01-01

    Previous research has documented schemes and operations that undergird students' understanding of fractions. This prior research was based, in large part, on small-group teaching experiments. However, written assessments are needed in order for teachers and researchers to assess students' ways of operating on a whole-class scale. In this study,…

  14. Besides Precision & Recall: Exploring Alternative Approaches to Evaluating an Automatic Indexing Tool for MEDLINE

    PubMed Central

    Névéol, Aurélie; Zeng, Kelly; Bodenreider, Olivier

    2006-01-01

    Objective This paper explores alternative approaches for the evaluation of an automatic indexing tool for MEDLINE, complementing the traditional precision and recall method. Materials and methods The performance of MTI, the Medical Text Indexer used at NLM to produce MeSH recommendations for biomedical journal articles is evaluated on a random set of MEDLINE citations. The evaluation examines semantic similarity at the term level (indexing terms). In addition, the documents retrieved by queries resulting from MTI index terms for a given document are compared to the PubMed related citations for this document. Results Semantic similarity scores between sets of index terms are higher than the corresponding Dice similarity scores. Overall, 75% of the original documents and 58% of the top ten related citations are retrieved by queries based on the automatic indexing. Conclusions The alternative measures studied in this paper confirm previous findings and may be used to select particular documents from the test set for a more thorough analysis. PMID:17238409

  15. Besides precision & recall: exploring alternative approaches to evaluating an automatic indexing tool for MEDLINE.

    PubMed

    Neveol, Aurélie; Zeng, Kelly; Bodenreider, Olivier

    2006-01-01

    This paper explores alternative approaches for the evaluation of an automatic indexing tool for MEDLINE, complementing the traditional precision and recall method. The performance of MTI, the Medical Text Indexer used at NLM to produce MeSH recommendations for biomedical journal articles is evaluated on a random set of MEDLINE citations. The evaluation examines semantic similarity at the term level (indexing terms). In addition, the documents retrieved by queries resulting from MTI index terms for a given document are compared to the PubMed related citations for this document. Semantic similarity scores between sets of index terms are higher than the corresponding Dice similarity scores. Overall, 75% of the original documents and 58% of the top ten related citations are retrieved by queries based on the automatic indexing. The alternative measures studied in this paper confirm previous findings and may be used to select particular documents from the test set for a more thorough analysis.

  16. What do Australian consumers, pharmacists and prescribers think about documenting indications on prescriptions and dispensed medicines labels?: A qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Garada, Mona; McLachlan, Andrew J; Schiff, Gordon D; Lehnbom, Elin C

    2017-11-15

    Documenting the indication on prescriptions and dispensed medicines labels is not standard practice in Australia. However, previous studies that have focused on the content and design of dispensed medicines labels, have suggested including the indication as a safety measure. The aim of this study was to investigate the perspectives of Australian consumers, pharmacists and prescribers on documenting the indication on prescriptions and dispensed medicines labels. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and mock-up of dispensed medicines labels were designed for participants. Consumers (n = 19) and pharmacists (n = 7) were recruited by convenience sample at community pharmacies in Sydney (Australia) and prescribers (n = 8), including two medical students, were recruited through snowballing. Thirty-four participants were interviewed. Most participants agreed that documenting the indication would be beneficial especially for patients who are forgetful or take multiple medications. Participants also believed it would improve consumers' medication understanding and adherence. Prescribers and pharmacists believed it could help reduce prescribing and dispensing errors by matching the drug/dosage to the correct indication. Prescribers refrained from documenting the indication to protect patients' privacy; however, most patients did not consider documenting the indication as a breach of privacy. Prescribers raised concerns about the extra time to include indications on prescriptions and best language to document indications, using plain language as opposed to medical terminology. All interviewed stakeholders identified numerous benefits of documenting the indication on prescriptions and dispensed medicines labels. Whether these potential benefits can be realized remains unknown and addressing prescribers' concern regarding the time involved in documenting the indication on prescriptions remains a challenge for vendors of electronic medication management systems.

  17. The FORTRAN static source code analyzer program (SAP) user's guide, revision 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Decker, W.; Taylor, W.; Eslinger, S.

    1982-01-01

    The FORTRAN Static Source Code Analyzer Program (SAP) User's Guide (Revision 1) is presented. SAP is a software tool designed to assist Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL) personnel in conducting studies of FORTRAN programs. SAP scans FORTRAN source code and produces reports that present statistics and measures of statements and structures that make up a module. This document is a revision of the previous SAP user's guide, Computer Sciences Corporation document CSC/TM-78/6045. SAP Revision 1 is the result of program modifications to provide several new reports, additional complexity analysis, and recognition of all statements described in the FORTRAN 77 standard. This document provides instructions for operating SAP and contains information useful in interpreting SAP output.

  18. A continuing high incidence of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea.

    PubMed Central

    Takasu, T.; Mgone, J. M.; Mgone, C. S.; Miki, K.; Komase, K.; Namae, H.; Saito, Y.; Kokubun, Y.; Nishimura, T.; Kawanishi, R.; Mizutani, T.; Markus, T. J.; Kono, J.; Asuo, P. G.; Alpers, M. P.

    2003-01-01

    The aims of this descriptive study were to confirm the high incidence of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) previously reported from Papua New Guinea (PNG) and to relate SSPE to previous measles vaccination and measles illness. From February 1997 to April 1999 we diagnosed a total of 55 patients with SSPE at Goroka Base General Hospital in Eastern Highlands Province (EHP) of PNG. The diagnosis was based on high cerebrospinal fluid and serum measles virus antibody titres with progressive neurological disorder and myoclonic jerks. Of these 55 patients 42 were from EHP, including 32 whose onset was in the 2-year period 1997-1998. The annual incidence of SSPE in EHP in these 2 years was 98 per million population under 20 years of age, the highest ever reported. This incidence was more than ten times higher than the highest incidence in the prevaccine era reported from elsewhere. The mean age of onset of SSPE was 7.7 years (range 2.8-14.8 years) and the interval between measles and the onset of SSPE, where known, had a mean of 5.9 years and a range of 2.5-11.1 years. Among the SSPE patients 19 had a documented history of measles vaccination. Eight of these 19 also had documentation of previous measles illness; of these, seven were vaccinated after the development of measles and one was vaccinated 20 days before measles illness. Two non-SSPE children received vaccination twice which was documented and subsequently developed measles which was also substantiated by documentation. Two patients with SSPE yielded amplified nucleotide sequences of measles virus that were different from any of the vaccine strains. We found no evidence to implicate measles vaccination in the development of SSPE. PMID:14596530

  19. [Readability and internet accessibility of informative documents for spinal cord injury patients in Spanish].

    PubMed

    Bea-Muñoz, M; Medina-Sánchez, M; Flórez-García, M T

    2015-01-01

    Patients with spinal cord injuries and their carers have access to leaflets on Internet that they can use as educational material to complement traditional forms of education. The aim of this study is to evaluate the readability of informative documents in Spanish, obtained from Internet and aimed at patients with spinal cord injuries. A search was made with the Google search engine using the following key words: recommendation, advice, guide, manual, self-care, education and information, adding spinal cord injury, paraplegia and tetraplegia to each of the terms. We analyzed the first 50 results of each search. The readability of the leaflets was studied with the Flesch-Szigriszt index and the INFLESZ scale, both available on the INFLESZ program. Also indicated were year of publication, country and number of authors of the documents obtained. We obtained 16 documents, developed between 2001 and 2011. Readability oscillated between 43.34 (some-what difficult) and 62 (normal), with an average value of 51.56 (somewhat difficult). Only 4 pamphlets (25%) showed a Flesch-Szigriszt index of ≥ 55 (normal). There was no difference in readability by year, authors or country of publication. The readability of 75% of the documents studied was "somewhat difficult" according to the INFLESZ scale. These results coincide with previous studies, in both Spanish and English. If the readability of this type of documents is improved, it will be easier to achieve their educational goal.

  20. UTM TCL 2.0 Software Version Description (SVD) Document

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mcguirk, Patrick

    2017-01-01

    This is the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) Technical Capability Level(TCL) 2.0 Software Version Description (SVD) document. This UTM TCL 2.0 SVD describes the following four topics: 1. Software Release Contents: A listing of the files comprising this release 2. Installation Instructions: How to install the release and get it running 3. Changes Since Previous Release: General updates since the previous UTM release 4. Known Issues: Known issues and limitations in this release

  1. The Benefits and Challenges Hospitality Management Students Experience by Working in Conjunction with Completing Their Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schoffstall, Donald G.

    2013-01-01

    Previous researchers have suggested that in order to be successful in the hospitality industry, students need to obtain work experience in addition to completing their degrees. Although the benefit of gaining such experience from the industry viewpoint has been well documented, few studies have assessed the benefits and challenges faced by…

  2. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Story Listening in Adolescents and Young Adults with Down Syndrome: Evidence for Atypical Neurodevelopment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jacola, L. M.; Byars, A. W.; Hickey, F.; Vannest, J.; Holland, S. K.; Schapiro, M. B.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Previous studies have documented differences in neural activation during language processing in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) in comparison with typically developing individuals matched for chronological age. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare activation during language processing in young…

  3. Digital Modeling in Design Foundation Coursework: An Exploratory Study of the Effectiveness of Conceptual Design Software

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guidera, Stan; MacPherson, D. Scot

    2008-01-01

    This paper presents the results of a study that was conducted to identify and document student perceptions of the effectiveness of computer modeling software introduced in a design foundations course that had previously utilized only conventional manually-produced representation techniques. Rather than attempt to utilize a production-oriented CAD…

  4. Examination of an Administrator-Read Vocabulary-Matching Measure as an Indicator of Science Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Borsuk, Ellen R.

    2010-01-01

    Research and development of measures to document ongoing learning within the content areas are in the beginning stages. As such, the current study adds to efforts in the development of the vocabulary-matching measure. Using a modified format of the previously studied vocabulary-matching measure, 63 middle school students completed alternate forms…

  5. Recreational Use and Value of Water at Elephant Butte and Navajo Reservoirs. New Mexico State University Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 535.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coppedge, Robert O.; Gray, James R.

    This document is a descriptive study of the recreational use and the value of water at Elephant Butte and Navajo Reservoirs. Previous research studies, as well as the study areas and recreational characteristics and procedures of investigation used in this study (sampling and data collection, data organization, analysis) are described. Discussions…

  6. Quantifying microwear on experimental Mistassini quartzite scrapers: preliminary results of exploratory research using LSCM and scale-sensitive fractal analysis.

    PubMed

    Stemp, W James; Lerner, Harry J; Kristant, Elaine H

    2013-01-01

    Although previous use-wear studies involving quartz and quartzite have been undertaken by archaeologists, these are comparatively few in number. Moreover, there has been relatively little effort to quantify use-wear on stone tools made from quartzite. The purpose of this article is to determine the effectiveness of a measurement system, laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), to document the surface roughness or texture of experimental Mistassini quartzite scrapers used on two different contact materials (fresh and dry deer hide). As in previous studies using LSCM on chert, flint, and obsidian, this exploratory study incorporates a mathematical algorithm that permits the discrimination of surface roughness based on comparisons at multiple scales. Specifically, we employ measures of relative area (RelA) coupled with the F-test to discriminate used from unused stone tool surfaces, as well as surfaces of quartzite scrapers used on dry and fresh deer hide. Our results further demonstrate the effect of raw material variation on use-wear formation and its documentation using LSCM and RelA. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Contributions of Morphological Skill to Children's Essay Writing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Northey, Mary; McCutchen, Deborah; Sanders, Elizabeth A.

    2016-01-01

    Morphological skills have previously been found to reliably predict reading skill, including word reading, vocabulary, and comprehension. However, less is known about how morphological skills might contribute to writing skill, aside from its well-documented role in the development of spelling. This correlational study examines whether…

  8. Developmental Regression in Autism Spectrum Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogers, Sally J.

    2004-01-01

    The occurrence of developmental regression in autism is one of the more puzzling features of this disorder. Although several studies have documented the validity of parental reports of regression using home videos, accumulating data suggest that most children who demonstrate regression also demonstrated previous, subtle, developmental differences.…

  9. Leading by Example? ALA Division Publications, Open Access, and Sustainability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall, Nathan; Arnold-Garza, Sara; Gong, Regina; Shorish, Yasmeen

    2016-01-01

    This investigation explores scholarly communication business models in American Library Association (ALA) division peer-reviewed academic journals. Previous studies reveal the numerous issues organizations and publishers face in the academic publishing environment. Through an analysis of documented procedures, policies, and finances of five ALA…

  10. Manifestation of Anti-Fat Bias in Preservice Physical Education Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Readdy, Tucker; Wallhead, Tristian L.

    2017-01-01

    Previous research has documented the presence of implicit and explicit anti-fat bias in preservice physical education teachers (Fontana, Furtado, Marston, Mazzardo, & Gallagher, 2013). Such studies speculate that anti-fat bias can result in discriminatory behavior against overweight or obese physical education students. Discriminatory teacher…

  11. Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) 2015 Industry Survey.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-10-01

    This document provides an overview of Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) hardware and software capabilities, including portable electronic devices (PEDs) used as EFBs, as of July 2015. This document updates and replaces the Volpe Centers previous EFB ind...

  12. Contributions of Morphological Skill to Children's Essay Writing

    PubMed Central

    Northey, Mary; McCutchen, Deborah; Sanders, Elizabeth A.

    2015-01-01

    Morphological skills have previously been found to reliably predict reading skill, including word reading, vocabulary, and comprehension. However, less is known about how morphological skills might contribute to writing skill, aside from its well-documented role in the development of spelling. This correlational study examines whether morphological skill, as measured by a sentence generation task tapping both derivational morphology and meta-syntactic skills, predicts performance on a standardized essay writing task for fifth- and eighth-grade U.S. students (N = 233), after controlling for grade level, comprehension, and writing fluency. Multilevel analyses indicated that morphological skill and writing fluency were each uniquely predictive of essay quality, and this finding was consistent regardless of whether accurate spelling was required in the morphological task. Our results suggest that morphological skills play an important role in writing, as has been previously documented in reading and spelling. PMID:26957783

  13. The effect of menstruation on psychiatric hospitalization.

    PubMed

    Weston, Jaclyn; Speroni, Karen Gabel; Ellis, Terri; Daniel, Marlon G

    2012-07-01

    This study evaluated the effect of menstruation on psychiatric hospitalization. We conducted a retrospective chart review of the medical records of 177 women who met the eligibility criteria. Data collected included demographic details, primary and secondary diagnoses, date of last menstrual period (LMP), medication adherence, psychiatric hospitalization length of stay, previous psychiatric admissions (including those related to menstruation), discharge referrals, and readmissions. The majority of women were admitted for major depression, were single, Caucasian, and had a mean age of 34. A disproportionate percentage (37%) of women had their LMP within 5 days of psychiatric hospitalization (p = 0.0006). The overall average length of stay was 4.37 days, and 48.3% had a previous psychiatric admission. Medication adherence was routinely not documented (77.4%). Psychiatric hospitalizations for women are significantly greater within 5 days of their LMP. Nursing education and improved documentation are warranted to decrease the potential for readmission. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

  14. Women's Education Levels and Its Impact on Their Attitudes towards Children's Health Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bjorgen, Kathrine

    2011-01-01

    Relations between socio-economic differences and health have previously been well documented, but women's education level and relative attitudes towards children's health development has been seldom found in studies. This paper examines the relation between women's education level and their attitudes in understanding kindergarten children's health…

  15. A decade of evaluating the ecological effects of grass filter strips on channelized agricultural headwater streams

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Grass filter strips are a widely used conservation practice in the Midwestern United States for reducing nutrient, pesticide, and sediment inputs into agricultural streams. Previous studies have documented the effectiveness of grass filter strips in reducing the input of agricultural pollutants, bu...

  16. A Dubious Distinction? The BA versus the BS in Psychology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pfund, Rory A.; Norcross, John C.; Hailstorks, Robin; Aiken, Leona S.; Stamm, Karen E.; Christidis, Peggy

    2016-01-01

    Previous studies have documented small differences between the bachelor of arts (BA) and the bachelor of science (BS) psychology degrees in their general education core requirements, particularly mathematics and science courses. But are there differences between the BA and BS degrees within the psychology curriculum? Using data from the…

  17. National Database Structure for Life Cycle Performance Assessment of Water and Wastewater Rehabilitation Technologies (Retrospective Evaluation)

    EPA Science Inventory

    This report builds upon a previous pilot study to document the in-service performance of trenchless pipe rehabilitation techniques. The use of pipe rehabilitation and trenchless pipe replacement technologies has increased over the past 30 to 40 years and represents an increasing...

  18. Girls' Portraits of Desire: Picturing a Missing Discourse

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allen, Louisa

    2013-01-01

    This paper revisits the missing discourse of female desire [Fine, M. 1988. Sexuality, schooling and adolescent females: The missing discourse of desire. "Harvard Educational Review" 58, no. 1: 29-53] in secondary schools. Instead of echoing previous studies that have documented how female desire is missing, this research starts from the…

  19. Fates of Setaria faberi and Abutilon theophrasti seeds in three crop rotation systems

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Weed seeds in and on the soil are the primary cause of weed infestations in arable fields. Previous studies have documented reductions in weed seedbanks due to cropping system diversification through extended rotation sequences, but the impacts of different rotation systems on additions to and losse...

  20. Building on Strength: Positive Youth Development in Juvenile Justice Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barton William H.; Butts, Jeffrey A.

    2008-01-01

    This report describes the results of an exploratory study of juvenile justice programs where managers and practitioners are attempting to build youth interventions with strength-based, positive youth development principles. Previous researchers have not adequately documented how such reforms take place, let alone whether they produce effective…

  1. Number Attraction Effects in Near-Native Spanish Sentence Comprehension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jegerski, Jill

    2016-01-01

    Grammatical agreement phenomena such as verbal number have long been of fundamental interest in the study of second language (L2) acquisition. Previous research from the perspective of sentence processing has documented nativelike behavior among nonnative participants but has also relied almost exclusively on grammar violation paradigms. The…

  2. School Mental Health Professionals' Training, Comfort, and Attitudes toward Interprofessional Collaboration with Pediatric Primary Care Providers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arora, Prerna G.; Connors, Elizabeth H.; Biscardi, Krystin A.; Hill, Allison M.

    2016-01-01

    Despite the well-documented need for interprofessional collaboration (IPC) between school mental health (SMH) professionals and pediatric primary care providers (PCPs), research on current collaborative practices of these professionals is limited. Accordingly, using survey methodology, this study investigated SMH professionals' previous training…

  3. 77 FR 43855 - Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-26

    ... documents and identify recommendations from previous studies, and consider the nature and scope of necessary... of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW., Room 6119, Washington, DC 20240; or email to [email protected]ios... recommendations; Discussion of Commission Subcommittee progress and products; Review of and discussion of...

  4. In-Drift Microbial Communities

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

    D. Jolley

    2000-11-09

    As directed by written work direction (CRWMS M and O 1999f), Performance Assessment (PA) developed a model for microbial communities in the engineered barrier system (EBS) as documented here. The purpose of this model is to assist Performance Assessment and its Engineered Barrier Performance Section in modeling the geochemical environment within a potential repository drift for TSPA-SR/LA, thus allowing PA to provide a more detailed and complete near-field geochemical model and to answer the key technical issues (KTI) raised in the NRC Issue Resolution Status Report (IRSR) for the Evolution of the Near Field Environment (NFE) Revision 2 (NRC 1999).more » This model and its predecessor (the in-drift microbial communities model as documented in Chapter 4 of the TSPA-VA Technical Basis Document, CRWMS M and O 1998a) was developed to respond to the applicable KTIs. Additionally, because of the previous development of the in-drift microbial communities model as documented in Chapter 4 of the TSPA-VA Technical Basis Document (CRWMS M and O 1998a), the M and O was effectively able to resolve a previous KTI concern regarding the effects of microbial processes on seepage and flow (NRC 1998). This document supercedes the in-drift microbial communities model as documented in Chapter 4 of the TSPA-VA Technical Basis Document (CRWMS M and O 1998a). This document provides the conceptual framework of the revised in-drift microbial communities model to be used in subsequent performance assessment (PA) analyses.« less

  5. The Forest Inventory and Analysis Database: Database description and users manual version 4.0 for Phase 2

    Treesearch

    Sharon W. Woudenberg; Barbara L. Conkling; Barbara M. O' Connell; Elizabeth B. LaPoint; Jeffery A. Turner; Karen L. Waddell

    2010-01-01

    This document is based on previous documentation of the nationally standardized Forest Inventory and Analysis database (Hansen and others 1992; Woudenberg and Farrenkopf 1995; Miles and others 2001). Documentation of the structure of the Forest Inventory and Analysis database (FIADB) for Phase 2 data, as well as codes and definitions, is provided. Examples for...

  6. Influence of Combat Blast-Related Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Acute Symptoms on Mental Health and Service Discharge Outcomes

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-08-15

    McCrea, M., Harding, H.P., Jr., Matthews, A., and Cantu, R.C. (2007). Recurrent concussion and risk of depression in retired professional football ... concussion , is often unrecog nized due to the severity of the other injuries occurring in a combat setting, particularly life threatening injuries and...foreign body; light sensitivity Previous blast Documented in SOAP note or EMED Previous combat concussion Combat related, documented in SOAP note or EMED

  7. Measuring and documenting truck activity times at international border crossings.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-04-01

    Documenting the times trucks incur when crossing an international border facility is : valuable both to the private freight industry and to gateway facility operators and planners. : Members of the project team previously developed and implemented an...

  8. Electronic flight bag (EFB) : 2010 industry survey

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2010-09-01

    This document provides an overview of Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) systems and capabilities, as of June 2010. This document updates and replaces the April 2007 EFB Industry Review (Yeh and Chandra, 2007). As with the previous industry survey, the focu...

  9. Inter-professional electronic documents and child health: a study of persisting non-electronic communication in the use of electronic documents.

    PubMed

    Saario, Sirpa; Hall, Christopher; Peckover, Sue

    2012-12-01

    Information and communication technologies are widely used in health and social care settings to replace previous means of record keeping, assessment and communication. Commentary on the strengths and weaknesses of such systems abound, thus it is useful to examine how they are used in practice. This article draws on findings from two separate studies, conducted between 2005 and 2007, which examined how child health and welfare professionals use electronic documents in Finland and England. Known respectively as Miranda and CAF, these systems are different in terms of structure and function but in their everyday use common features are identified, notably the continued use of and reliance on non-electronic means of communication. Based on interviews with professionals, three forms of non-electronic communication are described: alternative records, phone calls and letters, which facilitate the sharing of the electronic record. Finally, the electronic documents are further analysed as potential boundary objects which aim to create common understanding between sites and professionals. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. In Search of Social Translucence: An Audit Log Analysis of Handoff Documentation Views and Updates.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Silis Y; Hum, R Stanley; Vawdrey, David; Mamykina, Lena

    2015-01-01

    Communication and information sharing are critical parts of teamwork in the hospital; however, achieving open and fluid communication can be challenging. Finding specific patient information within documentation can be difficult. Recent studies on handoff documentation tools show that resident handoff notes are increasingly used as an alternative information source by non-physician clinicians. Previous findings also show that residents have become aware of this unintended use. This study investigated the alignment of resident note updating patterns and team note viewing patterns based on usage log data of handoff notes. Qualitative interviews with clinicians were used to triangulate findings based on the log analysis. The study found that notes that were frequently updated were viewed significantly more frequently than notes updated less often (p < 2.2 × 10(-16)). Almost 44% of all notes had aligned frequency of views and updates. The considerable percentage (56%) of mismatched note utilization suggests an opportunity for improvement.

  11. Design of a modular digital computer system, CDRL no. D001, final design plan

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Easton, R. A.

    1975-01-01

    The engineering breadboard implementation for the CDRL no. D001 modular digital computer system developed during design of the logic system was documented. This effort followed the architecture study completed and documented previously, and was intended to verify the concepts of a fault tolerant, automatically reconfigurable, modular version of the computer system conceived during the architecture study. The system has a microprogrammed 32 bit word length, general register architecture and an instruction set consisting of a subset of the IBM System 360 instruction set plus additional fault tolerance firmware. The following areas were covered: breadboard packaging, central control element, central processing element, memory, input/output processor, and maintenance/status panel and electronics.

  12. Evidence still insufficient that advance care documentation leads to engagement of healthcare professionals in end-of-life discussions: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Lewis, Ebony; Cardona-Morrell, Magnolia; Ong, Kok Y; Trankle, Steven A; Hillman, Ken

    2016-10-01

    Administration of non-beneficial life-sustaining treatments in terminal elderly patients still occurs due to lack of knowledge of patient's wishes or delayed physician-family communications on preference. To determine whether advance care documentation encourages healthcare professional's timely engagement in end-of-life discussions. Systematic review of the English language articles published from January 2000 to April 2015. EMBASE, MEDLINE, EBM REVIEWS, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Cochrane Library and manual searches of reference lists. A total of 24 eligible articles from 10 countries including 23,914 subjects met the inclusion criteria, mostly using qualitative or mixed methods, with the exception of two cohort studies. The influence of advance care documentation on initiation of end-of-life discussions was predominantly based on perceptions, attitudes, beliefs and personal experience rather than on standard replicable measures of effectiveness in triggering the discussion. While health professionals reported positive perceptions of the use of advance care documentations (18/24 studies), actual evidence of their engagement in end-of-life discussions or confidence gained from accessing previously formulated wishes in advance care documentations was not generally available. Perceived effectiveness of advance care documentation in encouraging end-of-life discussions appears to be high but is mostly derived from low-level evidence studies. This may indicate a willingness and openness of patients, surrogates and staff to perceive advance directives as an instrument to improve communication, rather than actual evidence of timeliness or effectiveness from suitably designed studies. The assumption that advance care documentations will lead to higher physicians' confidence or engagement in communicating with patients/families could not be objectively demonstrated in this review. © The Author(s) 2016.

  13. The prevalence and clinical significance of maxillary sinus mucous retention cysts in a general clinic population.

    PubMed

    Rhodus, N L

    1990-02-01

    Previous studies have documented the occurrence and potential clinical significance of MSMR cysts. Studies also have alluded to a relationship between the MSMR cyst and certain signs or symptoms of disease. We determined the prevalence of MSMR cysts in a general clinic population and identified some important correlations with clinical signs and symptoms.

  14. A landscape inventory framework: scenic analyses of the Northern Great Plains

    Treesearch

    Litton R. Burton Jr.; Robert J. Tetlow

    1978-01-01

    A set of four visual inventories are proposed. They are designed to document scenic resources for varied scales of application, from regional and general to local and specific. The Northern Great Plains is used as a case study. Scenic analysis and identification of criteria extend earlier work. The inventory is based on (1) study of previously developed landscape...

  15. From Social Class to Self-Efficacy: Internalization of Low Social Status Pupils' School Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wiederkehr, Virginie; Darnon, Céline; Chazal, Sébastien; Guimond, Serge; Martinot, Delphine

    2015-01-01

    Previous research has largely documented that socioeconomic status (SES) is a strong and consistent predictor of pupils' school performance in several countries. In this research, we argue that children internalize the SES achievement gap in the form of a lower/higher sense of school self-efficacy. In two studies, teenaged students' (Study 1) and…

  16. From Hierarchy to Pluralism in American High Schools: Changing Patterns in Status Distinctions and Racial Segregation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Comas, Jordi, R.; Milner, Murray, Jr.

    Previous research on high school status consistently found a status structure characterized by extensive ranking and group salience. This case study, using observations and interviews, documents the emergence of a new pattern: status pluralism. The study was conducted in a medium-sized urban high school of about 1,000 students, who were nearly…

  17. Nanomaterial Case Study: A Comparison of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube and Decabromodiphenyl Ether Flame-Retardant Coatings Applied to Upholstery Textiles (External Review Draft)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The draft document is intended to be used as part of a process to identify what is known and, more importantly, what is not yet known that could be of value in assessing the broad implications of specific nanomaterials. Like previous case studies (see History/ Chronology below), ...

  18. Perception Gap in Quality-of-Life Ratings: An Empirical Investigation of Nursing Home Residents and Caregivers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mittal, Vikas; Rosen, Jules; Govind, Rahul; Degenholtz, Howard; Shingala, Sunil; Hulland, Shelley; Rhee, YongJoo; Kastango, Kari B.; Mulsant, Benoit H.; Castle, Nick; Rubin, Fred H.; Nace, David

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: Several studies have previously documented the existence of a perception gap--the extent to which quality-of-life ratings provided by nursing home residents and caregivers diverge. In this study we use Helson's adaptation-level theory to investigate three types of antecedents: (a) focal factors, (b) background factors, and (c) residual…

  19. A Comparison of L2 and L3 Learners' Strategy Use in School Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haukås, Åsta

    2015-01-01

    Research on third-language learning (L3) has documented that plurilingualism is an asset in many respects. Particularly relevant for this study is research showing that L3 learners use more strategies more frequently and efficiently than L2 learners. However, previous studies have mainly concentrated on L3 learners' strategy use at the university…

  20. Monitoring and mapping selected riparian habitat along the lower Snake River

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

    Downs, J. L; Tiller, B. L; Witter, M.

    Studies in this document were initiated to establish baseline information on riparian and wetland habitat conditions at the areas studied under the current reservoir operations on the lower Snake River. Two approaches were used to assess habitat at 28 study sites selected on the four pools on the lower Snake River. These areas all contribute significant riparian habitat along the river, and several of these areas are designated habitat management units. At 14 of the 28 sites, we monitored riparian habitat on three dates during the growing season to quantify vegetation abundance and composition along three transects: soil nutrients, moisture,more » and pH and water level and pH. A second approach involved identifying any differences in the extent and amount of riparian/wetland habitat currently found at the study areas from that previously documented. We used both ground and boat surveys to map and classify the changes in vegetative cover along the shoreline at the 14 monitoring sites and at 14 additional sites along the lower Snake selected to represent various riparian/wetland habitat conditions. Results of these mapping efforts are compared with maps of cover types previously generated using aerial photography taken in 1987.« less

  1. A social and historical perspective of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus.

    PubMed

    Hilliard, Russell E

    2008-01-01

    This study sought to understand the various roles music played for gay men who were members of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, the world's first gay men's chorus. Specifically, it answers the following questions: What is the demographic profile of the chorus members? How has the chorus shaped or reflected social issues; how has the chorus shaped or reflected political issues; how has the music evolved over time?; How was the chorus impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic? Historical information for this study was gathered through eight interviews of original and long-time choral members as well as the current artistic director. Interviews were conducted in San Francisco at the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus office, and additional data were derived from programs of previous choral concerts, two questionnaires (Internalized Homophobia Scale and Gay Chorus Questionnaire), and observations of choral rehearsals and concerts. As a follow-up to a previous study documenting the formation of the chorus in 1978-1982, this study historically documents the chorus's evolution from 1983 through 2003, emphasizing the chorus's impact on social and political issues, the musicality of the chorus, and the impact of HIV/AIDS on the chorus.

  2. Reassessment of the Upper Fremont Glacier Ice-Core Chronologies by Synchronizing of Ice-Core-Water Isotopes to a Nearby Tree-Ring Chronology.

    PubMed

    Chellman, Nathan; McConnell, Joseph R; Arienzo, Monica; Pederson, Gregory T; Aarons, Sarah M; Csank, Adam

    2017-04-18

    The Upper Fremont Glacier (UFG), Wyoming, is one of the few continental glaciers in the contiguous United States known to preserve environmental and climate records spanning recent centuries. A pair of ice cores taken from UFG have been studied extensively to document changes in climate and industrial pollution (most notably, mid-19th century increases in mercury pollution). Fundamental to these studies is the chronology used to map ice-core depth to age. Here, we present a revised chronology for the UFG ice cores based on new measurements and using a novel dating approach of synchronizing continuous water isotope measurements to a nearby tree-ring chronology. While consistent with the few unambiguous age controls underpinning the previous UFG chronologies, the new interpretation suggests a very different time scale for the UFG cores with changes of up to 80 years. Mercury increases previously associated with the mid-19th century Gold Rush now coincide with early-20th century industrial emissions, aligning the UFG record with other North American mercury records from ice and lake sediment cores. Additionally, new UFG records of industrial pollutants parallel changes documented in ice cores from southern Greenland, further validating the new UFG chronologies while documenting the extent of late 19th and early 20th century pollution in remote North America.

  3. Reassessment of the Upper Fremont Glacier ice-core chronologies by synchronizing of ice-core-water isotopes to a nearby tree-ring chronology

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Chellman, Nathan J.; McConnell, Joseph R.; Arienzo, Monica; Pederson, Gregory T.; Aarons, Sarah; Csank, Adam

    2017-01-01

    The Upper Fremont Glacier (UFG), Wyoming, is one of the few continental glaciers in the contiguous United States known to preserve environmental and climate records spanning recent centuries. A pair of ice cores taken from UFG have been studied extensively to document changes in climate and industrial pollution (most notably, mid-19th century increases in mercury pollution). Fundamental to these studies is the chronology used to map ice-core depth to age. Here, we present a revised chronology for the UFG ice cores based on new measurements and using a novel dating approach of synchronizing continuous water isotope measurements to a nearby tree-ring chronology. While consistent with the few unambiguous age controls underpinning the previous UFG chronologies, the new interpretation suggests a very different time scale for the UFG cores with changes of up to 80 years. Mercury increases previously associated with the mid-19th century Gold Rush now coincide with early-20th century industrial emissions, aligning the UFG record with other North American mercury records from ice and lake sediment cores. Additionally, new UFG records of industrial pollutants parallel changes documented in ice cores from southern Greenland, further validating the new UFG chronologies while documenting the extent of late 19th and early 20th century pollution in remote North America.

  4. Single nucleotide polymorphism in IL1B is associated with infection risk in paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia.

    PubMed

    Sung, L; Dix, D; Cellot, S; Gillmeister, B; Ethier, M C; Roslin, N M; Johnston, D L; Feusner, J; Mitchell, D; Lewis, V; Aplenc, R; Yanofsky, R; Portwine, C; Price, V; Zelcer, S; Silva, M; Bowes, L; Michon, B; Stobart, K; Traubici, J; Allen, U; Beyene, J; den Hollander, N; Paterson, A D

    2016-06-01

    We evaluated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with infection risk in children with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). We conducted a multicentre, prospective cohort study that included children aged ≤18 years with de novo AML. DNA was isolated from blood lymphocytes or buccal swabs, and candidate gene SNP analysis was conducted. Primary outcome was the occurrence of microbiologically documented sterile site infection during chemotherapy. Secondary outcomes were Gram-positive and -negative infections, viridans group streptococcal infection and proven/probable invasive fungal infection. Interpretation was guided by consistency in risk alleles and microbiologic agent with previous literature. Over the study period 254 children and adolescents with AML were enrolled. Overall, 190 (74.8%) had at least one sterile site microbiologically documented infection. Among the 172 with inferred European ancestry and DNA available, nine significant associations were observed; two were consistent with previous literature. Allele A at IL1B (rs16944) was associated with decreased microbiologically documented infection, and allele G at IL10 (rs1800896) was associated with increased risk of Gram-positive infection. We identified SNPs associated with infection risk in paediatric AML. Genotype may provide insight into mechanisms of infection risk that could be used for supportive-care novel treatments. Copyright © 2016 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Follow up on Request for EPA's Headquarters to Review Region V's Previous Determination that the Proposed Fuel Conversion was a Major Modification for PSD Purposes

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document may be of assistance in applying the New Source Review (NSR) air permitting regulations including the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements. This document is part of the NSR Policy and Guidance Database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

  6. Integrating ecosystem studies: A Bayesian comparison of hypotheses

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Adkison, Milo D.; Ballachey, Brenda E.; Bodkin, James L.; Holland-Bartels, Leslie E.; Funk, F.; Quinn, T.J.; Heifetz, J.; Ianelli, J.N.; Powers, J.E.; Schweigert, J.F.; Sullivan, P.J.; Zhang, C.-I.

    1998-01-01

    Ecosystem studies are difficult to interpret because of the complexity and number of pathways that may affect a phenomenon of interest. It is not possible to study all aspects of a problem; thus subjective judgment is required to weigh what has been observed in the context of components that were not studied but may have been important. This subjective judgment is usually a poorly documented and ad hoc addendum to a statistical analysis of the data. We present a Bayesian methodology for documenting, quantifying, and incorporating these necessary subjective elements into an ecosystem study. The end product of this methodology is the probability of each of the competing hypotheses. As an example, this method is applied to an ecosystem study designed to discriminate among competing hypotheses for a low abundance of sea otters at a previously oiled site in Prince William Sound, Alaska.

  7. Physiological spacecraft environment data documentation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1977-01-01

    The physiological limits of exposure to environmental parameters encountered during space flight was documented. The environmental limits which have been previously established were described in terms of acceptable physiological changes. The process of coordinating data and assembling the completed data book is described in this report.

  8. Anual Report of Groundwater Monitoring at Centralia, Kansas, in 2015

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

    LaFreniere, Lorraine M.

    2016-10-01

    The KDHE (2012) agreed to annual sampling at all locations, beginning with the 2013 monitoring documented previously (Argonne 2014a). This present report documents the results of the annual sampling of the approved monitoring well network on September 27-30, 2015.

  9. Quality of Life. Interpretive Series No. 8.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Senesh, Lawrence

    Two government documents, "Goals for Americans" and "Toward Balanced Growth: Quantity with Quality" (ED 055 009), together with previous documents, serve as the information source and basis of this guide. The "Goals for Americans" report, initiated by President Eisenhower's Commission in 1960, identified social…

  10. Validation of life-charts documented with the personal life-chart app - a self-monitoring tool for bipolar disorder.

    PubMed

    Schärer, Lars O; Krienke, Ute J; Graf, Sandra-Mareike; Meltzer, Katharina; Langosch, Jens M

    2015-03-14

    Long-term monitoring in bipolar affective disorders constitutes an important therapeutic and preventive method. The present study examines the validity of the Personal Life-Chart App (PLC App), in both German and in English. This App is based on the National Institute of Mental Health's Life-Chart Method, the de facto standard for long-term monitoring in the treatment of bipolar disorders. Methods have largely been replicated from 2 previous Life-Chart studies. The participants documented Life-Charts with the PLC App on a daily basis. Clinicians assessed manic and depressive symptoms in clinical interviews using the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, clinician-rated (IDS-C) and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) on a monthly basis on average. Spearman correlations of the total scores of IDS-C and YMRS were calculated with both the Life-Chart functional impairment rating and mood rating documented with the PLC App. 44 subjects used the PLC App in German and 10 subjects used the PLC App in English. 118 clinical interviews from the German sub-sample and 97 from the English sub-sample were analysed separately. The results in both sub-samples are similar to previous Life-Chart validation studies. Again statistically significant high correlations were found between the Life-Chart function rating assigned through the PLC App and well-established observer-rated methods. Again correlations were weaker for the Life-Chart mood rating than for the Life-Chart function impairment. No relevant correlation was found between the Life-chart mood rating and YMRS in the German sub-sample. This study gives further evidence for the validity of the Life-Chart method as a valid tool for the recognition of both manic and depressive episodes. Documenting Life-Charts with the PLC App (English and German) does not seem to impair the validity of patient ratings.

  11. Factors associated with discussion of sexual activity and contraception in women with HIV.

    PubMed

    Stewart, Zoe A; Shipley, Kate; Spelman, Tim; Giles, Michelle L

    2016-01-01

    Contraceptive use is important for reproductive-aged women living with HIV to plan and optimise safety of pregnancies. Clinicians play a vital role in counselling patients about contraception and safe sexual activity. This study aimed to determine the frequency and predictors of discussions regarding sexual activity and contraceptive use. Retrospective clinical study of all reproductive-aged women (n=128) treated for HIV between 2010 and 2012 at two metropolitan hospitals. Evidence of discussion between treating doctors and patients regarding sexual activity and contraception and variables including patient age, gender of doctor, time since HIV diagnosis, previous pregnancy, country of birth and antiretroviral regimen were obtained from medical records. Sexual activity status was documented for 54% of the women and discussion regarding contraception was recorded for less than one-third of the study participants. Contraceptive use was not recorded in 63% of the medical records. In the study cohort 27% of the women used contraception, 10% did not use contraception, and when a discussion regarding sexual activity was documented, contraception was 3.7 times more likely to also be discussed (p=0.04). Excluding women who were pregnant, women who were documented as using contraception were 1.8 times as likely to have had a discussion about contraception documented (p=0.05). After adjustment for other factors, previous pregnancy, gender of doctor and age of patient were not associated with discussions regarding sexual activity or contraception. Discussions regarding sexual activity and contraception between HIV-infected women of reproductive age and their clinicians were inconsistent and suboptimal. Mechanisms to facilitate regular discussion about sexual activity and contraception between clinicians and women with HIV warrant further investigation. 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/

  12. Funding Based on Needs? A Study on the Use of Needs Assessment Data by a Major Humanitarian Health Assistance Donor in its Decisions to Allocate Funds

    PubMed Central

    Olin, Emma; von Schreeb, Johan

    2014-01-01

    Background: International humanitarian assistance is essential for disaster-affected populations, particularly in resource scarce settings. To target such assistance, needs assessments are required. According to internationally endorsed principles, donor governments should provide funding for humanitarian assistance based on need. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore a major donor’s use of needs assessment data in decision-making for allocations of funds for health-related humanitarian assistance contributions. Setting: This is a case study of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), a major and respected international donor of humanitarian assistance. Methods: To explore Sida’s use of needs assessment data in practice for needs-based allocations, we reviewed all decision documents and assessment memoranda for humanitarian assistance contributions for 2012 using content analysis; this was followed by interviews with key personnel at Sida. Results: Our document analysis found that needs assessment data was not systematically included in Sida’s assessment memoranda and decision documents. In the interviews, we observed various descriptions of the concept of needs assessments, the importance of contextual influences as well as previous collaborations with implementing humanitarian assistance organizations. Our findings indicate that policies guiding funding decisions on humanitarian assistance need to be matched with available needs assessment data and that terminologies and concepts have to be clearly defined. Conclusion: Based on the document analysis and the interviews, it is unclear how well Sida used needs assessment data for decisions to allocate funds. However, although our observations show that needs assessments are seldom used in decision making, Sida’s use of needs assessments has improved compared to a previous study. To improve project funds allocations based on needs assessment data, it will be critical to develop distinct frameworks for allocation distributions based on needs assessment and clear definitions, measurements and interpretations of needs. Key words: Needs assessment, humanitarian assistance, disasters, donor decision-making PMID:24894417

  13. Conceptual Coherence, Comprehension, and Vocabulary Acquisition: A Knowledge Effect?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cervetti, Gina N.; Wright, Tanya S.; Hwang, HyeJin

    2016-01-01

    Previous research has documented the role of readers' existing topic knowledge in supporting students' comprehension of text; yet, we know less about how to build students' knowledge in order to support comprehension and vocabulary learning. In the current study, we test the hypothesis that knowledge can be built and leveraged simultaneously in…

  14. Collaborative Dialogue in Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication and Face-to-Face Communication

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zeng, Gang

    2017-01-01

    Previous research has documented that collaborative dialogue promotes L2 learning in both face-to-face (F2F) and synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) modalities. However, relatively little research has explored modality effects on collaborative dialogue. Thus, motivated by sociocultual theory, this study examines how F2F compares…

  15. An Evaluation of Student Team Teaching in Sophomore Physics Classes. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thrasher, Paul H.

    In the present document the effectiveness of a student team teaching technique is evaluated in comparison with the lecture method. The team teaching technique, previously used for upper division and graduate physics courses, was, for this study, used in a sophomore physics, electricity and magnetism course for engineers, mathematicians, chemists,…

  16. Pre-Literacy Skills of Subgroups of Children with Speech Sound Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Raitano, Nancy A.; Pennington, Bruce F.; Tunick, Rachel A.; Boada, Richard; Shriberg, Lawrence D.

    2004-01-01

    Background: The existing literature has conflicting findings about the literacy outcome of children with speech sound disorders (SSD), which may be due to the heterogeneity within SSD. Previous studies have documented that two important dimensions of heterogeneity are the presence of a comorbid language impairment (LI) and the persistence of SSD,…

  17. Media Literacy in the Social Studies Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nielsen, Greg

    2011-01-01

    Previous generations of students learned about history from reading the textbooks, listening to teachers, and analyzing primary source documents. Today, these forms of instruction take a backseat to learning about the past from such media as Hollywood commercial film, YouTube, Netflix, and video games. Teachers must find ways to teach students to…

  18. Self-Perceptions, Discrepancies between Self- and Other-Perceptions, and Children's Self-Reported Emotions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nuijens, Karen L.; Teglasi, Hedwig; Hancock, Gregory R.

    2009-01-01

    Self and others' perceptions of victimization, bullying, and academic competence were examined in relation to self-reported anxiety, depression, anger, and global self-worth in a non-clinical sample of second- and third-grade children. Previous studies document links between negative emotions and self-perceptions that are less favorable than…

  19. The Impact of Economic Crisis on Happiness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gudmundsdottir, Dora Gudrun

    2013-01-01

    There is a common belief that economic crisis will lead to a decrease in subjective wellbeing. Previous studies indicate that income is correlated with happiness and unemployment with unhappiness. The relationship between increased income and happiness is well documented while the impact of decreased income has been less explored. The aim of this…

  20. Child Abuse, Street Victimization, and Substance Use among Homeless Young Adults

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tyler, Kimberly A.; Melander, Lisa A.

    2015-01-01

    Although previous research documents high rates of child abuse, street victimization, and substance use among homeless youth, few studies have investigated these three constructs simultaneously, and thus little is known about how various forms of victimization are uniquely associated with substance use among this population. The purpose of this…

  1. Pennsylvania's Energy Curriculum for the Secondary Grades: Industrial Arts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wighaman, Paul F.; Zimmerman, Earl R.

    Compiled in this guide are 23 previously published documents for use by secondary school industrial arts teachers who want to incorporate energy studies into their curricula. Over half of the entries describe energy-related projects such as fireplaces, solar water heaters, and solar ovens. Other materials presented address the place of energy in…

  2. Research in Chinese-English Machine Translation. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, William S-Y.; And Others

    This report documents results of a two-year effort toward the study and investigation of the design of a prototype system for Chinese-English machine translation in the general area of physics. Previous work in Chinese-English machine translation is reviewed. Grammatical considerations in machine translation are discussed and detailed aspects of…

  3. A time-series approach to estimating soil moisture from vegetated surfaces using L-band radar backscatter

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Many previous studies have shown the sensitivity of radar backscatter to surface soil moisture content, particularly at L-band. Moreover, the estimation of soil moisture from radar for bare soil surfaces is well-documented, but estimation underneath a vegetation canopy remains unsolved. Vegetation s...

  4. Bringing Evidence-Based Sexual Health Programs to Adolescents in Black Churches: Applying Knowledge from Systematic Adaptation Frameworks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weeks, Fiona H.; Powell, Terrinieka W.; Illangasekare, Samantha; Rice, Eric; Wilson, James; Hickman, Debra; Blum, Robert W.

    2016-01-01

    Previous studies have documented Black churches' receptivity to implementing adolescent sexual health programs within their congregations. Some authors have argued for new sexual health programs to be designed specifically for churches, similar to the development of school- and community-based interventions. However, strategies and curricula used…

  5. Educational Financing and Budgeting in Lao PDR. Financial Management of Education Systems. Working Document.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bouapao, Lytou; Sengchandavong, Ouam; Sihavong, Siphandone

    This study provides an indepth description of financial management and budgetary procedures for education as well as a detailed analysis of major problems, recent developments, and new issues in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Laos, formerly one of the centrally planned economies, was previously considered "dormant" because of its limited…

  6. Factors Related to Early Termination from Work for Youth with Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pebdani, Roxanna Nasseri

    2012-01-01

    Youth with disabilities face significant barriers in achieving positive post-high school outcomes, particularly when transitioning out of high school and entering the workforce, a problem that has been documented and studied by many researchers. The impact of previous work experience has long been viewed as related to positive outcomes when youth…

  7. Why Do British Indian Children Have an Apparent Mental Health Advantage?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goodman, Anna; Patel, Vikram; Leon, David A.

    2010-01-01

    Background: Previous studies document a mental health advantage in British Indian children, particularly for externalising problems. The causes of this advantage are unknown. Methods: Subjects were 13,836 White children and 361 Indian children aged 5-16 years from the English subsample of the British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Surveys. The…

  8. Identifying Multiple Levels of Discussion-Based Teaching Strategies for Constructing Scientific Models

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Grant; Clement, John

    2015-01-01

    This study sought to identify specific types of discussion-based strategies that two successful high school physics teachers using a model-based approach utilized in attempting to foster students' construction of explanatory models for scientific concepts. We found evidence that, in addition to previously documented dialogical strategies that…

  9. The Contributions of Infant Temperament and Child Care to Infant Social Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nathans, Laura L.; Meece, Darrell; Kossek, Ellen; Barratt, Marguerite

    2004-01-01

    Previous research has documented associations between young children's social development and both temperament and child care quality. The preponderance of research in this area has focused on preschool-age and older children, resulting in few studies focusing on these variables during infancy. In the current investigation, temperament and child…

  10. Arts Integration: An Exploration of the Dis/Connect between Policy and Live(d) Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LaJevic, Lisa M.

    2009-01-01

    This dissertation explores the dis/connect between arts integration policy (i.e. written texts and curriculum documents) and the live(d) practice of teachers working with arts integration. Although previous studies have examined how arts integration is implemented in schools and how it affects student achievement, particularly standardized test…

  11. Assessing Fidelity of Implementation of an Unprescribed, Diagnostic Mathematics Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Munter, Charles; Wilhelm, Anne Garrison; Cobb, Paul; Cordray, David S.

    2014-01-01

    This article draws on previously employed methods for conducting fidelity studies and applies them to an evaluation of an unprescribed intervention. We document the process of assessing the fidelity of implementation of the Math Recovery first-grade tutoring program, an unprescribed, diagnostic intervention. We describe how we drew on recent…

  12. Jackie Steals Home. Learning Page Lesson Plan.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pulda, Arnold

    In this lesson, students draw on their previous studies of American history and culture as they analyze primary sources from "Jackie Robinson and Other Baseball Highlights, 1860s-1960s" in the American Memory collection. A close reading of two documents relating to Jackie Robinson's breaking of the racial barrier in professional baseball…

  13. Eating Disorder Public Service Announcements: Analyzing Effects from an Intergroup Affect and Stereotype Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iles, Irina A.; Seate, Anita Atwell; Waks, Leah

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Previous studies have documented that exposure to stereotypical information about certain social groups leads to unfavorable perceptions and feelings toward that group. Integrating insights from the mental illness stigma and the social identity perspective literatures, the purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of eating disorder…

  14. The Intellectual Structure of Metacognitive Scaffolding in Science Education: A Co-Citation Network Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tang, Kai-Yu; Wang, Chia-Yu; Chang, Hsin-Yi; Chen, Sufen; Lo, Hao-Chang; Tsai, Chin-Chung

    2016-01-01

    The issues of metacognitive scaffolding in science education (MSiSE) have become increasingly popular and important. Differing from previous content reviews, this study proposes a series of quantitative computer-based analyses by integrating document co-citation analysis, social network analysis, and exploratory factor analysis to explore the…

  15. The Effects of Scenario Planning on Participant Perceptions of Learning Organization Characteristics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haeffner, Melissa; Leone, Deanna; Coons, Laura; Chermack, Thomas

    2012-01-01

    Scenario planning is often used by organizations to think about future uncertainties. However, what it does in terms of changing perceptions is difficult to assess and quantify. To address this need, this article builds on previous studies documenting the effectiveness of scenario planning. Specifically, this article contributes to the data on…

  16. Function of the natalisin receptor in mating of the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) and identification of agonists/antagonists

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Natalisins (NTLs) are conservative neuropeptides, which are only found in arthropods and have been documented to regulate reproductive behaviors in insect species. In our previous study, we have confirmed NTL regulates the reproductive process in an important agricultural pest, Bactrocera dorsalis ...

  17. Inside the Black Box: Examining Mediators and Moderators of a Middle School Science Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Desimone, Laura M.; Hill, Kirsten Lee

    2017-01-01

    We use data from a randomized controlled trial of a middle school science intervention to explore the causal mechanisms by which the intervention produced previously documented gains in student achievement. Our study finds that implementation fidelity, operationalized as a measure of the frequency of implementation of the cognitive science…

  18. Mesophotic and Deep-sea Demersal Fish Assemblages on Rugged Hardbottoms of the Greater-Lesser Antilles Transition Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quattrini, A.; Chaytor, J. D.; Demopoulos, A. W.

    2016-02-01

    Caribbean fish communities in shallow waters have been well studied along the Greater and Lesser Antilles for decades; however, the mesophotic (>50 m) and deep (>200 m) assemblages remain poorly known due to the technical challenges associated with surveying greater depths. Numerous seafloor features (e.g., seamounts, island ridges, banks) punctuate the insular margins and increase habitat heterogeneity, which may lead to enhanced diversity of the deeper demersal fish community in the region. Recent (2013-2015) expeditions in the area using the E/Vs Nautilus and Okeanos Explorer and ROVs Hercules and Deep Discoverer surveyed fish communities during 18 dives across different seafloor features at depths ranging from 64 to 2944 m. These surveys enabled us to investigate whether demersal fish assemblages differed among these seafloor features and/or in response to other (e.g., dissolved oxygen, microhabitat) abiotic factors. A totla of 3,532 fishes representing at least 140 species in 53 families were documented. Assemblage differences were primarily influenced by depth, but differences in microhabitat (i.e., soft substrate, profile, slope) further influenced assemblage structure. Several range and depth extensions were documented. The morid Lepidion sp., previously known only from the eastern and the western North Atlantic, was documented on Norôit Seamount. A new species of labrid, Polylepion sp. A, known only from Curacao, was documented on Conrad Seamount. Many mesophotic reef species were observed deeper than previously known, including the butterflyfishes Chaetodon sedentarius and Prognathodes aculeatus. This study further supports the importance of environmental conditions, particularly depth and microhabitat, influencing local-scale distribution of demersal fishes, while demonstrating how little is still known about the biogeography of numerous deep-sea and mesophotic species.

  19. 44 CFR 402.5 - Forwarding commodities previously shipped.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... previously shipped. 402.5 Section 402.5 Emergency Management and Assistance DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SHIPMENTS ON AMERICAN FLAG SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT (T-1, INT. 1) § 402.5 Forwarding commodities previously shipped. Order T-1 applies to transportation on or discharge from ships documented...

  20. 44 CFR 402.5 - Forwarding commodities previously shipped.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... previously shipped. 402.5 Section 402.5 Emergency Management and Assistance DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SHIPMENTS ON AMERICAN FLAG SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT (T-1, INT. 1) § 402.5 Forwarding commodities previously shipped. Order T-1 applies to transportation on or discharge from ships documented...

  1. 44 CFR 402.5 - Forwarding commodities previously shipped.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... previously shipped. 402.5 Section 402.5 Emergency Management and Assistance DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SHIPMENTS ON AMERICAN FLAG SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT (T-1, INT. 1) § 402.5 Forwarding commodities previously shipped. Order T-1 applies to transportation on or discharge from ships documented...

  2. 44 CFR 402.5 - Forwarding commodities previously shipped.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... previously shipped. 402.5 Section 402.5 Emergency Management and Assistance DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SHIPMENTS ON AMERICAN FLAG SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT (T-1, INT. 1) § 402.5 Forwarding commodities previously shipped. Order T-1 applies to transportation on or discharge from ships documented...

  3. 28 CFR 10.5 - Incorporation of papers previously filed.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Incorporation of papers previously filed... CARRYING ON ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES Registration Statement § 10.5 Incorporation of papers previously filed. Papers and documents already filed with the Attorney General pursuant to the said act and...

  4. 28 CFR 10.5 - Incorporation of papers previously filed.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Incorporation of papers previously filed... CARRYING ON ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES Registration Statement § 10.5 Incorporation of papers previously filed. Papers and documents already filed with the Attorney General pursuant to the said act and...

  5. Recommendations for the surgical treatment of endometriosis-part 1: ovarian endometrioma.

    PubMed

    Saridogan, Ertan; Becker, Christian M; Feki, Anis; Grimbizis, Grigoris F; Hummelshoj, Lone; Keckstein, Joerg; Nisolle, Michelle; Tanos, Vasilios; Ulrich, Uwe A; Vermeulen, Nathalie; De Wilde, Rudy Leon

    2017-01-01

    What does this document on the surgical treatment of endometriosis jointly prepared by the European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE), ESHRE, and the World Endometriosis Society (WES) provide? This document provides recommendations covering technical aspects of different methods of surgery for endometriomas in women of reproductive age. Endometriomas (ovarian endometriotic cysts) are a commonly diagnosed form of endometriosis, owing to the relative ease and accuracy of ultrasound diagnosis. They frequently present a clinical dilemma as to whether and how to treat them when found during imaging or incidentally during surgery. Previously published guidelines have provided recommendations based on the best available evidence, but without technical details on the management of endometriosis. A working group of ESGE, ESHRE and WES collaborated on writing recommendations on the practical aspects of endometrioma surgery. This document focused on endometrioma surgery. Further documents in this series will provide recommendations for surgery of deep and peritoneal endometriosis. The document presents general recommendations for surgery of endometrioma and specific recommendations for cystectomy, ablation by laser or by plasma energy, electrocoagulation and a combination of these techniques applied together or with an interval between them. Owing to the limited evidence available, recommendations are mostly based on clinical expertise. These recommendations complement previous guidelines on the management of endometriosis. The meetings of the working group were funded by ESGE, ESHRE and WES. CB declares to be a member of the independent data monitoring committee for a clinical study by ObsEva and receiving research grants from Bayer, Roche Diagnostics, MDNA Life Sciences and Volition. ES received honoraria for provision of training to healthcare professionals from Ethicon, Olympus and Gedeon Richter. The other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

  6. Spatial analysis of the change in land cover and human well-being in the black-belt counties of Alabama

    Treesearch

    Buddhi R. Gyawali; Rory F. Fraser; Yong Wang; Wubishet Tadesse; James Bukenya; John Schelhas

    2006-01-01

    Previous studies at the county level have found an increase in forest cover, urbanization, and water structures in the Black Belt counties of Alabama and have documented the connection between such increase and socioeconomic development in the region. However, such findings have limited inferences as the studies did not address the variations in demographic,...

  7. The Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project: the effects of forest management on the forest ecosystem

    Treesearch

    Brian Brookshire; Carl Hauser

    1993-01-01

    The effects of forest management on non-timber resources are of growing concern to forest managers and the public. While many previous studies have reported effects of stand-level treatments (less than 15 ha) on various stand-level attributes, few studies have attempted to document the influence of forest management on the biotic and abiotic characteristics of entire...

  8. A Model of Human Orientation and Self Motion Perception during Body Acceleration: The Orientation Modeling System

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-09-28

    previous research and modeling results. The OMS and Perception Toolbox were used to perform a case study of an F18 mishap. Model results imply that...request documents from DTIC. Change of Address Organizations receiving reports from the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory on automatic...54  Coriolis head movement during a coordinated turn. .............................................55  Case Study

  9. Documenting and determining distributions, trends, and relations in truck times at international border crossing facilities.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-01-20

    Documenting the times trucks incur when crossing an international border facility is valuable both to the private freight industry and to gateway facility operators and planners. : Members of the project team previously developed and implemented an a...

  10. 78 FR 37701 - Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Airplanes

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-24

    ... Airworthiness Limitations Document (ALS), depending on the aeroplane model. These documents include the... of maintenance instructions and/or airworthiness limitations in accordance with Pilatus PC-6 ALS...-6 ALS (Number 02334) issue 3 to introduce a threshold for replacement of previously not listed Flap...

  11. Small business executives and health insurance: findings from a national survey of very small firms.

    PubMed

    Holve, Erin; Brodie, Mollyann; Levitt, Larry

    2003-09-01

    Previous researchers have documented that very small businesses (3-24 workers) are less likely to offer employees health insurance than larger corporations. This study supplements previous findings on the prevalence of health insurance among small firms. The authors also attempt to illuminate reasons behind coverage decisions by interviewing small business owners and executives, who most often make health benefits decisions on behalf of their employees. The study examines attitudes about health insurance, opinions, and practices in these very small firms, and the response of small business owners to policy alternatives designed to expand coverage in small businesses.

  12. Wounding effects of the AK-47 rifle used by Patrick Purdy in the Stockton, California, schoolyard shooting of January 17, 1989.

    PubMed

    Fackler, M L; Malinowski, J A; Hoxie, S W; Jason, A

    1990-09-01

    The limited disruption produced in tissue simulant by the rifle and bullets used in the Stockton, California, schoolyard shooting is entirely consistent with the autopsy reports on the five children who died of their wounds. It is also entirely consistent with well-documented battlefield studies and with previous tissue-simulant studies from many laboratories. It is inconsistent with many exaggerated accounts of assault-rifle wounding effects described by the media in the aftermath of this incident. This information should be documented for the historical record. However, the critical reason for correcting the misconceptions produced by media reaction to this incident is to prevent inappropriate gunshot-wound treatment.

  13. Application of Microprocessor-Based Equipment in Nuclear Power Plants - Technical Basis for a Qualification Methodology

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

    Korsah, K.

    This document (1) summarizes the most significant findings of the ''Qualification of Advanced Instrumentation and Control (I&C) Systems'' program initiated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); (2) documents a comparative analysis of U.S. and European qualification standards; and (3) provides recommendations for enhancing regulatory guidance for environmental qualification of microprocessor-based safety-related systems. Safety-related I&C system upgrades of present-day nuclear power plants, as well as I&C systems of Advanced Light-Water Reactors (ALWRs), are expected to make increasing use of microprocessor-based technology. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recognized that the use of such technology may pose environmental qualification challenges different from current,more » analog-based I&C systems. Hence, it initiated the ''Qualification of Advanced Instrumentation and Control Systems'' program. The objectives of this confirmatory research project are to (1) identify any unique environmental-stress-related failure modes posed by digital technologies and their potential impact on the safety systems and (2) develop the technical basis for regulatory guidance using these findings. Previous findings from this study have been documented in several technical reports. This final report in the series documents a comparative analysis of two environmental qualification standards--Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Std 323-1983 and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60780 (1998)--and provides recommendations for environmental qualification of microprocessor-based systems based on this analysis as well as on the findings documented in the previous reports. The two standards were chosen for this analysis because IEEE 323 is the standard used in the U.S. for the qualification of safety-related equipment in nuclear power plants, and IEC 60780 is its European counterpart. In addition, the IEC document was published in 1998, and should reflect any new qualification concerns, from the European perspective, with regard to the use of microprocessor-based safety systems in power plants.« less

  14. 78 FR 29159 - Electric Power Research Institute; Seismic Evaluation Guidance

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-17

    ..., conducted field investigations, and used more recent methods than were previously available. In performing... available, by searching on http://www.regulations.gov under Docket ID NRC-2013-0038. Federal Rulemaking Web... Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may access publicly-available documents online...

  15. South African Helichrysum species: a review of the traditional uses, biological activity and phytochemistry.

    PubMed

    Lourens, A C U; Viljoen, A M; van Heerden, F R

    2008-10-28

    In South Africa, the genus Helichrysum is widely used in traditional medicine. The uses are well documented although renaming of species and the resulting confusing taxonomic nomenclature may cause uncertainty as to which specific species was referred to in some reports. The aim of this paper is to present a collated and coherent overview of the documented traditional uses of Helichrysum species and to update the botanical identity of previously studied species. Databases (Scifinder, ISI Web of Knowledge) and several books were used to collect in information on South African Helichrysum species. The traditional uses, chemistry and biological activity of Helichrysum species have been summarized. It was attempted to give clarity as to exactly which species is refer to in the ethnobotanical literature. Although a large number of ethnopharmacological uses have been documented and the chemistry of the genus has been studied extensively, only a few South African species have been investigated for their biological activity.

  16. Older paternal age and fresh gene mutation: data on additional disorders.

    PubMed

    Jones, K L; Smith, D W; Harvey, M A; Hall, B D; Quan, L

    1975-01-01

    Older paternal age has previously been documented as a factor in sporadic fresh mutational cases of several autosomal dominant disorders. In this collaborative study, an older mean paternal age has been documented in sporadic cases of at least five additional dominantly inheritable disorders; the basal cell nevus syndrome, the Waardenburg syndrome, the Crouzon syndrome, the oculo-dental-digital sysdrome, and the Treacher-Collins syndrome. It was also found to be a factor in acrodysostosis and progeria, suggesting a fresh mutant gene etiology for these two conditions in which virtually all cases have been sporadic and the mode of genetic etiology has been unknown.

  17. The volatile emission of Eurosta solidaginis primes herbivore-induced volatile production in Solidago altissima and does not directly deter insect feeding

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background The induction of plant defenses in response to herbivory is well documented. In addition, many plants prime their anti-herbivore defenses following exposure to environmental cues associated with increased risk of subsequent attack, including induced volatile emissions from herbivore-damaged plant tissues. Recently, we showed in both field and laboratory settings that tall goldenrod plants (Solidago altissima) exposed to the putative sex attractant of a specialist gall-inducing fly (Eurosta solidaginis) experienced less herbivory than unexposed plants. Furthermore, we observed stronger induction of the defense phytohormone jasmonic acid in exposed plants compared to controls. These findings document a novel class of plant-insect interactions mediated by the direct perception, by plants, of insect-derived olfactory cues. However, our previous study did not exclude the possibility that the fly emission (or its residue) might also deter insect feeding via direct effects on the herbivores. Results Here we show that the E. solidaginis emission does not (directly) deter herbivore feeding on Cucurbita pepo or Symphyotrichum lateriflorum plants—which have no co-evolutionary relationship with E. solidaginis and thus are not expected to exhibit priming responses to the fly emission. We also document stronger induction of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPV) in S. altissima plants given previous exposure to the fly emission relative to unexposed controls. No similar effect was observed in maize plants (Zea mays), which have no co-evolutionary relationship with E. solidaginis. Conclusions Together with our previous findings, these results provide compelling evidence that reduced herbivory on S. altissima plants exposed to the emission of male E. solidaginis reflects an evolved plant response to olfactory cues associated with its specialist herbivore and does not involve direct effects of the fly emission on herbivore feeding behavior. We further discuss mechanisms by which the priming of HIPV responses documented here might contribute to enhanced S. altissima defense against galling. PMID:24947749

  18. Term Familiarity to indicate Perceived and Actual Difficulty of Text in Medical Digital Libraries.

    PubMed

    Leroy, Gondy; Endicott, James E

    2011-10-01

    With increasing text digitization, digital libraries can personalize materials for individuals with different education levels and language skills. To this end, documents need meta-information describing their difficulty level. Previous attempts at such labeling used readability formulas but the formulas have not been validated with modern texts and their outcome is seldom associated with actual difficulty. We focus on medical texts and are developing new, evidence-based meta-tags that are associated with perceived and actual text difficulty. This work describes a first tag, term familiarity , which is based on term frequency in the Google corpus. We evaluated its feasibility to serve as a tag by looking at a document corpus (N=1,073) and found that terms in blogs or journal articles displayed unexpected but significantly different scores. Term familiarity was then applied to texts and results from a previous user study (N=86) and could better explain differences for perceived and actual difficulty.

  19. In search of details of patient teaching in nursing documentation--an analysis of patient records in a medical ward in Sweden.

    PubMed

    Friberg, Febe; Bergh, Anne-Louise; Lepp, Margret

    2006-12-01

    The aim of this study was to identify terms and expressions indicating patients' need for knowledge and understanding, as well as nurses' teaching interventions, as documented in nursing records. Previous international studies have shown that nursing documentation is often deficient in terms of recording patient teaching. Patient records (N = 35) were collected in a general medical ward in a hospital in Sweden. The data contain 206 days of nursing documentation. The records were analysed with regard to content and structure. Terms and expressions indicating patients' need for knowledge and understanding and terms and expressions indicating nurses' teaching activities were analysed. The results showed that patients' need for knowledge is implicitly indicated by conceptions and experiences as well as questions. Furthermore, nurses' implicit teaching interventions consist of information, motivating conversations, explanations, instructions and setting expectations. However, the content and structure of the pedagogical activities in the patient records are fragmented and vague. Efforts must be directed towards elaborating upon the above-mentioned terms and expressions as indications of patients' need for knowledge and nurses' teaching interventions. Moreover, these terms and expressions must be recognized and acknowledged.

  20. Infants Show a Facilitation Effect for Native Language Phonetic Perception between 6 and 12 Months

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuhl, Patricia K.; Stevens, Erica; Hayashi, Akiko; Deguchi, Toshisada; Kiritani, Shigeru; Iverson, Paul

    2006-01-01

    Patterns of developmental change in phonetic perception are critical to theory development. Many previous studies document a decline in nonnative phonetic perception between 6 and 12 months of age. However, much less experimental attention has been paid to developmental change in native-language phonetic perception over the same time period. We…

  1. Characterizing historical and modern fire regimes in Michigan (USA): A landscape ecosystem approach

    Treesearch

    David T. Cleland; Thomas R. Crow; Sari C. Saunders; Donald I. Dickmann; Ann L. Maclean; James K. Jordan; Richard L. Watson; Alyssa M. Sloan; Kimberely D. Brosofske

    2004-01-01

    We studied the relationships of landscape ecosystems to historical and contemporary fire regimes across 4.3 million hectares in northern lower Michigan (USA). Changes in fire regimes were documented by comparing historical fire rotations in different landscape ecosystems to those occurring between 1985 and 2000. Previously published data and a synthesis of the...

  2. Constraints on Enhanced Extinction Resulting from Extinction Treatment in the Presence of an Added Excitor

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Urcelay, Gonzalo P.; Lipatova, Olga; Miller, Ralph R.

    2009-01-01

    Three Pavlovian fear conditioning experiments with rats as subjects explored the effect of extinction in the presence of a concurrent excitor. Our aim was to explore this particular treatment, documented in previous studies to deepen extinction, with novel control groups to shed light on the processes involved in extinction. Relative to subjects…

  3. Effects of parents and Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) on nest predation risk for a songbird

    Treesearch

    Quresh S. Latif; Sacha K. Heath; John T. Rotenberry

    2012-01-01

    Nest predation limits avian fitness, so ornithologists study nest predation, but they often only document patterns of predation rates without substantively investigating underlying mechanisms. Parental behavior and predator ecology are two fundamental drivers of predation rates and patterns, but the role of parents is less certain, particularly for songbirds. Previous...

  4. Discussing the Flynn Effect: From Causes and Interpretation to Implications

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kanaya, Tomoe

    2016-01-01

    Clark, Lawlor-Savage, and Goghari (this issue) point out that evidence of IQ rises had been documented decades before it was named the Flynn effect. These previous studies, however, were conducted sporadically and in isolated samples. Flynn (1984, 1987) examined them in a large-scale manner and was able to show their systematic and global nature.…

  5. "I Just Want to Be 'Me' When I Am Exercising": Adrianna's Construction of a Vulnerable Exercise Identity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rossing, Hilde; Ronglan, Lars-Tore; Scott, Susie

    2016-01-01

    This study explores the social and dynamic aspects of the concept "exercise identity". Previous research, mainly in psychology, has documented a link between exercise identity and exercise behaviour. However, the process of identity formation is not straightforward but rather something that can change with time, context and interaction…

  6. Tobacco, Caffeine, Alcohol and Illicit Substance Use among Consumers of a National Psychiatric Disability Support Service

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zimmermann, Adam; Lubman, Dan I.; Cox, Merrilee

    2012-01-01

    Previous research has consistently documented high rates of tobacco smoking and substance use disorders among young people with serious mental illness. However, limited studies have been conducted outside traditional clinical settings. In an attempt to address this shortfall and to better understand the needs of young people accessing its…

  7. State Actions To Restructure Schools: First Steps. Results in Education Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    David, Jane L.; And Others

    The widening mismatch between the skills of the work force and the skill demands of the work place underlie the need for school restructuring. Fourth in a series, this document builds on and extends the issues discussed in the National Governors' Association's (NGA) previous publications and reports on case studies of early restructuring efforts…

  8. Inter-observer variation in identifying mammals from their tracks at enclosed track plate stations

    Treesearch

    William J. Zielinski; Fredrick V. Schlexer

    2009-01-01

    Enclosed track plate stations are a common method to detect mammalian carnivores. Studies rely on these data to make inferences about geographic range, population status and detectability. Despite their popularity, there has been no effort to document inter-observer variation in identifying the species that leave their tracks. Four previous field crew leaders...

  9. Arboreal behavior in the timber rattlesnake, Crotalus horridus, in eastern Texas

    Treesearch

    D. Craig Rudolph; R. R. Schaefer; D. Saenz; R. N. Conner

    2004-01-01

    There have been several recent reports, and anecdotal observations extending back at least to J. J. Audubon, suggesting that the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) is one of the most arboreal members of the genus. Most previous records are of snakes located at heights of less than 5 m. Telemetry studies in eastern Texas have documented more...

  10. Molecular responses of ceruloplasmin to Edwardsiella ictaluri infection and iron overload in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Ceruloplasmin is a serum ferroxidase that carries more than 90% of the copper in plasma and has documented roles in iron homeostasis as well as antioxidative functions. In our previous studies, it has been shown that the ceruloplasmin gene is strongly up-regulated in catfish during challenge with Ed...

  11. Antibodies to Nipah-Like Virus in Bats (Pteropus lylei), Cambodia

    PubMed Central

    Olson, James G.; Rupprecht, Charles; Rollin, Pierre E.; An, Ung Sam; Niezgoda, Michael; Clemins, Travis; Walston, Joe

    2002-01-01

    Serum specimens from fruit bats were obtained at restaurants in Cambodia. We detected antibodies cross-reactive to Nipah virus by enzyme immunoassay in 11 (11.5%) of 96 Lyle’s flying foxes (Pteropus lylei). Our study suggests that viruses closely related to Nipah or Hendra viruses are more widespread in Southeast Asia than previously documented. PMID:12194780

  12. Discrediting the Notion "Working with 'Crazies' Will Make You"Crazy"": Addressing Stigma and Enhancing Empathy in Medical Student Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cutler, Janis L.; Harding, Kelli J.; Mozian, Sharon A.; Wright, Leslie L.; Pica, Adrienne G.; Masters, Scott R.; Graham, Mark J.

    2009-01-01

    People with mental illness around the world continue to suffer from stigmatization and limited care. Previous studies utilizing self-report questionnaires indicate that many medical students regard clinical work with psychiatric patients as unappealing, while the professionalism literature has documented a general decline in students' capacity for…

  13. County-Level Estimates of the Effects of a Universal Preschool Program in California

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karoly, Lynn A.

    2005-01-01

    Growing interest in universal preschool education has prompted researchers to examine the potential costs and benefits of making high-quality preschool available for all children one or two years before kindergarten entry. The analysis reported in this document builds on a previous RAND study which estimated that a high-quality, one-year,…

  14. The effect of quercetin on genetic expression of the commensal gut microbes bifidobacterium catenulatum, enterococcus caccae and ruminococcus gauvreauii

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Quercetin is one of the most abundant polyphenols found in fruits and vegetables. The ability of the gut microbiota to metabolize quercetin has been previously documented; however, the effect that quercetin may have on commensal gut microbes remains unclear. In the present study, the effects of que...

  15. Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration by Court-Ordered Men: Distinctions among Subtypes of Physical Violence, Sexual Violence, Psychological Abuse, and Stalking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall, Jeffrey E.; Walters, Mikel L.; Basile, Kathleen C.

    2012-01-01

    This study continues previous work documenting the structure of violence perpetrated by males against their female intimate partners. It assesses the construct validity of a measurement model depicting associations among eight subtypes of perpetration: moderate physical violence, severe physical violence, forced or coerced sexual violence, sexual…

  16. Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants Volume I of III (Final Report, 1996)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgates the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) on the basis of scientific information contained in air quality criteria documents. The previous ozone (O3) criteria document, Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Other Ph...

  17. Air Traffic Management Technology Demonstration-1 Concept of Operations (ATD-1 ConOps), Version 3.0

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baxley, Brian T.; Johnson, William C.; Scardina, John; Shay, Richard F.

    2016-01-01

    This document describes the goals, benefits, technologies, and procedures of the Concept of Operations (ConOps) for the Air Traffic Management (ATM) Technology Demonstration #1 (ATD-1), and provides an update to the previous versions of the document [ref 1 and ref 2].

  18. 77 FR 4271 - Special Permit Marking Removal

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-27

    ... Federal Register document stating that markings on tank cars related to certain gross weight on rail (GRL... obliterated by January 25, 2012, or at each subject tank car's first shopping event, whichever occurred first. This document relieves tank car owners from that previously stated deadline and extends the time for...

  19. White rot of garlic and onion (Causal agent, Sclerotium cepivorum): A status report from the Pacific Northwest

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    There is evidence from literature, state department of agriculture documents, and recent diagnoses that Sclerotium cepivorum, causal agent of white rot of garlic and onion, is spreading and/or becoming more established in the Pacific Northwest. Previously documented distributions are summarized, an...

  20. ISS Crew Transportation and Services Requirements Document

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bayt, Robert L. (Compiler); Lueders, Kathryn L. (Compiler)

    2016-01-01

    The ISS Crew Transportation and Services Requirements Document (CCT-REQ-1130) contains all technical, safety, and crew health medical requirements that are mandatory for achieving a Crew Transportation System Certification that will allow for International Space Station delivery and return of NASA crew and limited cargo. Previously approved on TN23183.

  1. Sensitivities of Soap Solutions in Leak Detection

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stuck, D.; Lam, D. Q.; Daniels, C.

    1985-01-01

    Document describes method for determining minimum leak rate to which soap-solution leak detectors sensitive. Bubbles formed at smaller leak rates than previously assumed. In addition to presenting test results, document discusses effects of joint-flange configurations, properties of soap solutions, and correlation of test results with earlier data.

  2. [Formal quality assessment of informed consent documents in 9 hospitals].

    PubMed

    Calle-Urra, J E; Parra-Hidalgo, P; Saturno-Hernández, P J; Martínez-Martínez, M J; Navarro-Moya, F J

    2013-01-01

    Informed consent forms are very important in the process of medical information. The aim of this study is to design reliable formal quality criteria of these documents and their application in the evaluation of those used in the hospitals of a regional health service. Criteria have been designed from the analysis of existing regulations, previous studies and consultation with key experts. The interobserver concordance was assessed using the kappa index. Criteria evaluation was performed on 1425 documents of 9 hospitals. A total of 19 criteria used in the evaluation of the quality of informed consent forms have been obtained. Kappa values were higher than 0,60 in 17 of them and higher than 0,52 in the other 2. The average number of defects per document was 7.6, with a high-low ratio among hospitals of 1.84. More than 90% of the documents had defects in the information on consequences and contraindications, and in about 90% it did not mention the copy to the patient. More than 60% did not comply with stating the purpose of the procedure, a statement of having understood and clarified doubts, and the treatment options. A tool has been obtained to reliably assess the formal quality of the informed consent forms. The documents assessed have a wide margin for improvement related to giving a copy to the patient, and some aspects of the specific information that patients should receive. Copyright © 2012 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  3. Mass mortality of the vermetid gastropod Ceraesignum maximum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, A. L.; Frazer, T. K.; Shima, J. S.; Osenberg, C. W.

    2016-09-01

    Ceraesignum maximum (G.B. Sowerby I, 1825), formerly Dendropoma maximum, was subject to a sudden, massive die-off in the Society Islands, French Polynesia, in 2015. On Mo'orea, where we have detailed documentation of the die-off, these gastropods were previously found in densities up to 165 m-2. In July 2015, we surveyed shallow back reefs of Mo'orea before, during and after the die-off, documenting their swift decline. All censused populations incurred 100% mortality. Additional surveys and observations from Mo'orea, Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Huahine (but not Taha'a) suggested a similar, and approximately simultaneous, die-off. The cause(s) of this cataclysmic mass mortality are currently unknown. Given the previously documented negative effects of C. maximum on corals, we expect the die-off will have cascading effects on the reef community.

  4. Automatic document classification of biological literature

    PubMed Central

    Chen, David; Müller, Hans-Michael; Sternberg, Paul W

    2006-01-01

    Background Document classification is a wide-spread problem with many applications, from organizing search engine snippets to spam filtering. We previously described Textpresso, a text-mining system for biological literature, which marks up full text according to a shallow ontology that includes terms of biological interest. This project investigates document classification in the context of biological literature, making use of the Textpresso markup of a corpus of Caenorhabditis elegans literature. Results We present a two-step text categorization algorithm to classify a corpus of C. elegans papers. Our classification method first uses a support vector machine-trained classifier, followed by a novel, phrase-based clustering algorithm. This clustering step autonomously creates cluster labels that are descriptive and understandable by humans. This clustering engine performed better on a standard test-set (Reuters 21578) compared to previously published results (F-value of 0.55 vs. 0.49), while producing cluster descriptions that appear more useful. A web interface allows researchers to quickly navigate through the hierarchy and look for documents that belong to a specific concept. Conclusion We have demonstrated a simple method to classify biological documents that embodies an improvement over current methods. While the classification results are currently optimized for Caenorhabditis elegans papers by human-created rules, the classification engine can be adapted to different types of documents. We have demonstrated this by presenting a web interface that allows researchers to quickly navigate through the hierarchy and look for documents that belong to a specific concept. PMID:16893465

  5. Technical review of SRT-CMA-930058 revalidation studies of Mark 16 experiments: J70

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

    Reed, R.L.

    1993-10-25

    This study is a reperformance of a set of MGBS-TGAL criticality safety code validation calculations previously reported by Clark. The reperformance was needed because the records of the previous calculations could not be located in current APG files and records. As noted by the author, preliminary attempts to reproduce the Clark results by direct modeling in MGBS and TGAL were unsuccessful. Consultation with Clark indicated that the MGBS-TGAL (EXPT) option within the KOKO system should be used to set up the MGBS and TGAL input data records. The results of the study indicate that the technique used by Clark hasmore » been established and that the technique is now documented for future use. File records of the calculations have also been established in APG files. The review was performed per QAP 11--14 of 1Q34. Since the reviewer was involved in developing the procedural technique used for this study, this review can not be considered a fully independent review, but should be considered a verification that the document contains adequate information to allow a new user to perform similar calculations, a verification of the procedure by performing several calculations independently with identical results to the reported results, and a verification of the readability of the report.« less

  6. Grade six students' understanding of the nature of science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cochrane, Donald Brian

    The goal of scientific literacy requires that students develop an understanding of the nature of science to assist them in the reasoned acquisition of science concepts and in their future role as citizens in a participatory democracy. The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe the range of positions that grade six students hold with respect to the nature of science and to investigate whether gender or prior science education was related to students' views of the nature of science. Two grade six classes participated in this study. One class was from a school involved in a long-term elementary science curriculum project. The science curriculum at this school involved constructivist epistemology and pedagogy and a realist ontology. The curriculum stressed hands-on, open-ended activities and the development of science process skills. Students were frequently involved in creating and testing explanations for physical phenomena. The second class was from a matched school that had a traditional science program. Results of the study indicated that students hold a wider range of views of the nature of science than previously documented. Student positions ranged from having almost no understanding of the nature of science to those expressing positions regarding the nature of science that were more developed than previous studies had documented. Despite the range of views documented, all subjects held realist views of scientific knowledge. Contrary to the literature, some students were able to evaluate a scientific theory in light of empirical evidence that they had generated. Results also indicated that students from the project school displayed more advanced views of the nature of science than their matched peers. However, not all students benefited equally from their experiences. No gender differences were found with respect to students' understanding of the nature of science.

  7. Overview of the US EPA/SERDP/ESTCP: Laboratory, Field ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Passive sampling can be used for applications at contaminated sediment sites including performing assessments of contaminant bioavailability (i.e., freely dissolved concentration (Cfree)), conducting remedial investigations and feasibility studies, and assessing the potential for contaminant bioaccumulation. Previous research articles and documents have discussed many aspects of passive sampling however no definitive guidance on the laboratory, field and analytical procedures for using passive sampling at contaminated sediment sites has been provided. The document discussed in this presentation provides passive sampler users with the guidance necessary to apply the technology to evaluate contaminated sediments. Contaminants discussed include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and the metals, cadmium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc. The document is divided into sections including discussions of different types of samplers used commonly in the United States, the selection and use of performance reference compounds (PRCs), the extraction and instrumental analysis of passive samplers, data analysis and quality assurance/quality control, and a list of passive sampling related references. The document is not intended to serve as a series of standard operating procedures (SOPs) but rather seeks to provide users with the information needed to develop their own SOPs. The document also includes the names of selected passive sam

  8. The biodegradation of microcystins in temperate freshwater bodies with previous cyanobacterial history.

    PubMed

    Dziga, Dariusz; Maksylewicz, Anna; Maroszek, Magdalena; Budzyńska, Agnieszka; Napiorkowska-Krzebietke, Agnieszka; Toporowska, Magdalena; Grabowska, Magdalena; Kozak, Anna; Rosińska, Joanna; Meriluoto, Jussi

    2017-11-01

    Cyanobacterial blooms and cyanotoxins occur in freshwater lakes and reservoirs all over the world. Bacterial degradation of microcystins (MC), hepatotoxins produced by several cyanobacterial species, has also been broadly documented. However, information regarding MC biodegradation in European water bodies is very limited. In this paper, the occurrence and identification of MC biodegradation products was documented for 21 European lakes and reservoirs, many of which have well-documented cyanobacterial bloom histories. Varying cyanobacterial abundance and taxonomical composition were documented and MC producers were found in all the analysed samples. Planktothrix agardhii was the most common cyanobacterial species and it formed mass occurrences in four lakes. MC biodegradation was observed in 86% of the samples (18 out of 21), and four products of dmMC-LR decomposition were detected by HPLC and LC-MS methods. The two main products were cyclic dmMC-LR with modifications in the Arg-Asp-Leu region; additionally one product was recognized as the tetrapeptide Adda-Glu-Mdha-Ala. The composition of the detected products suggested a new biochemical pathway of MC degradation. The results confirmed the hypothesis that microcystin biodegradation is a common phenomenon in central European waters and that it may occur by a mechanism which is different from the one previously reported. Such a finding implies the necessity to develop a more accurate methodology for screening bacteria with MC biodegradation ability. Furthermore, it warrants new basic and applied studies on the characterization and utilization of new MC-degrading strains and biodegradation pathways. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  9. Improving health care proxy documentation using a web-based interview through a patient portal

    PubMed Central

    Crotty, Bradley H; Kowaloff, Hollis B; Safran, Charles; Slack, Warner V

    2016-01-01

    Objective Health care proxy (HCP) documentation is suboptimal. To improve rates of proxy selection and documentation, we sought to develop and evaluate a web-based interview to guide patients in their selection, and to capture their choices in their electronic health record (EHR). Methods We developed and implemented a HCP interview within the patient portal of a large academic health system. We analyzed the experience, together with demographic and clinical factors, of the first 200 patients who used the portal to complete the interview. We invited users to comment about their experience and analyzed their comments using established qualitative methods. Results From January 20, 2015 to March 13, 2015, 139 of the 200 patients who completed the interview submitted their HCP information for their clinician to review in the EHR. These patients had a median age of 57 years (Inter Quartile Range (IQR) 45–67) and most were healthy. The 99 patients who did not previously have HCP information in their EHR were more likely to complete and then submit their information than the 101 patients who previously had a proxy in their health record (odds ratio 2.4, P = .005). Qualitative analysis identified several ways in which the portal-based interview reminded, encouraged, and facilitated patients to complete their HCP. Conclusions Patients found our online interview convenient and helpful in facilitating selection and documentation of an HCP. Our study demonstrates that a web-based interview to collect and share a patient’s HCP information is both feasible and useful. PMID:26568608

  10. Reaction patterns in a blinking vortex flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nugent, Carolyn

    2005-11-01

    We study the patterns formed by the excitable Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction in a blinking vortex flow produced by magnetohydrodynamic forcing. Mixing in this flow is chaotic, as has been documented extensively in previous studies. The reaction is triggered by a silver wire, and the result is a pulse (``trigger wave'') that propagates through the system. We investigate the patterns formed by the propagating pulse and compare them with theoriesootnotetextT. Tel, A. de Moura, C. Grebogi and G. Karolyi, Phys. Rep. 413, 91 (2005). that predict fractal patterns determined by the unstable manifolds of the flow. We also consider ``burn-like'' reaction fronts, and compare the results with previous experiments for patterns of oscillatory reactions in this flow.

  11. Calcium Kinetics During Long-Duration Space Flight

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, Scott M.; OBrien, K. O.; Wastney, M. E.; Morukov, B. V.; Larina, I.; Abrams, S. A.; Lane, H. W.; Nillen, J. L.; Davis-Street, J. E.; Oganov, V.; hide

    2001-01-01

    Bone loss represents one of the most significant effects of space flight on the human body. Understanding the mechanisms underlying this loss is critical for maintaining crew health and safety during and after flight. This investigation documents the changes in bone metabolism and calcium kinetics during and after space flight. We previously reported calcium studies on three subjects during and after a 115-d stay on the Russian space station Mir. We report here data on an additional three subjects, whose stays on Mir were approximately 4 (n=l) and 6 (n=2) mos. Previously published data are included for comparison.

  12. Massive bleeding from the ileum: a late complication of pelvic radiotherapy

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

    Taverner, D.; Talbot, I.C.; Carr-Locke, D.L.

    1982-01-01

    Recurrent massive hemorrhage from the ileum as a late complication of radiotherapy has not previously been documented. We describe two patients with a history of pelvic radiotherapy 18 months and 11 yr before, in whom the source of melena was localized to the small bowel preoperatively. Characteristic serosal appearances of ileal radiation injury were present at laparotomy and resection of the terminal ileum controlled the hemorrhage. Pathological study revealed no ulceration but multiple telangiectatic vessels in the tips of mucosal villi. This cause should be considered in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding previously exposed to pelvic radiotherapy.

  13. An epidemiologic study to screen for chronic myelocytic leukemia in war victims exposed to mustard gas.

    PubMed Central

    Ghanei, Mostafa; Vosoghi, Ali Akbar

    2002-01-01

    Chemical agents such as mustard gas (or sulfur mustard), which has alkylating characteristics, were used against Iranian combatants in the Iraq-Iran war. Previous studies have not shown a strong link between these chemical agents and the development of chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the increased risk of CML development in Iranian soldiers exposed to mustard gas during the war. Based on a descriptive study of 2,500 cases with documented exposure to various chemical warfare agents, 665 patients had documented exposure to mustard gas. We screened the latter using the leukocyte alkaline phosphatase (LAP) test and performed further cytochemical studies on cases with positive results. From among the 665 cases with documented exposure to mustard gas, 9 cases had LAP scores < 20; 2 of these 9 cases had CML and a score of zero (0.3%). We detected cytogenetic abnormalities in 7 patients with low LAP scores and atypical lymphocytes of 5-11% in 40 patients. The risk ratio of CML developing in victims exposed to mustard gas (cutaneous or respiratory) may be higher in comparison with the normal population, although confounding factors (e.g., the possibility of exposure to combined chemical agents, excluding patients who did not manifest blisters) limited our results. Because the increased development of CML in young patients with a documented history of exposure to mustard gas cannot be disregarded, further studies are needed. PMID:12003756

  14. Equilibrium Partitioning Sediment Benchmarks (ESBs) for the Protection of Benthic Organisms: Procedures for the Determination of the Freely Dissolved Interstitial Water Concentrations of Nonionic Organics

    EPA Science Inventory

    This document describes procedures to determine the concentrations of nonionic organic chemicals in sediment interstitial waters. In previous ESB documents, the general equilibrium partitioning (EqP) approach was chosen for the derivation of sediment benchmarks because it account...

  15. 77 FR 14316 - Airworthiness Directives; Piper Aircraft, Inc. (Type Certificate Previously Held by The New Piper...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-09

    ... doing a detailed search for all applicable airworthiness related documents that apply to any airplane that has an incorrectly marked data plate and take necessary corrective actions based on the search... detailed search for all applicable airworthiness related documents that apply to any airplane that has an...

  16. The Role of Socioscientific Issues in Biology Teaching: From the Perspective of Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tidemand, Sofie; Nielsen, Jan Alexis

    2017-01-01

    Previous research has documented that students who engage with socioscientific issues can acquire some of the complex competences and skills typically related to scientific literacy. But an emerging field of research on science teachers' understanding and use of socioscientific issues, has documented that a range of challenges hinders the uptake…

  17. Mississippi Library Commission Data Network Specifications.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans Associates, Thiensville, WI.

    This document provides a detailed design for the data portion of the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) public library network. The data network is based on Frame Relay technology, and would provide more functionality at a higher speed than a previously considered dial-in network could. The document is divided into 16 sections: (1) Introduction;…

  18. Use of Maple Seeding Canopy Reflectance Dataset for Validation of SART/LEAFMOD Radiative Transfer Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bond, Barbara J.; Peterson, David L.

    1999-01-01

    This project was a collaborative effort by researchers at ARC, OSU and the University of Arizona. The goal was to use a dataset obtained from a previous study to "empirically validate a new canopy radiative-transfer model (SART) which incorporates a recently-developed leaf-level model (LEAFMOD)". The document includes a short research summary.

  19. Phonological Priming with Nonwords in Children with and without Specific Language Impairment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brooks, Patricia J.; Seiger-Gardner, Liat; Obeid, Rita; MacWhinney, Brian

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The cross-modal picture-word interference task is used to examine contextual effects on spoken-word production. Previous work has documented lexical-phonological interference in children with specific language impairment (SLI) when a related distractor (e.g., bell) occurs prior to a picture to be named (e.g., a bed). In the current study,…

  20. A Statistical Portrait of Women in the United States. Current Population Reports, Special Studies Series P-32, No. 58.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bureau of the Census (DOC), Suitland, MD.

    This report presents a statistical portrait of the changing role of women in the United States during the 20th century. Data are from United States Government sources--from surveys, decennial censuses, vital statistics, and administrative records. The majority of the statistics have been published previously, either in government documents or…

  1. Canopy-scale relationships between foliar nitrogen and albedo are not observed in leaf reflectance and transmittance within temperate deciduous tree species

    Treesearch

    Megan K. Bartlett; Scott V. Ollinger; David Y. Hollinger; Haley F. Wicklein; Andrew D. Richardson

    2011-01-01

    Strong positive correlations between the maximum rate of canopy photosynthesis, canopy-averaged foliar nitrogen concentration, and canopy albedo have been shown in previous studies. While leaf-level relationships between photosynthetic capacity and foliar nitrogen are well documented, it is not clear whether leaf-level relationships between solar-weighted reflectance...

  2. Changes in the regional abundance of hemlock associated with the invasion of hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand)

    Treesearch

    R. Talbot Trotter; Randall S. Morin; Sonja N. Oswalt; Andrew. Liebhold

    2013-01-01

    Since its introduction, the non-native hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) has spread to infest hemlock (Tsuga spp.) in at least 18 states in the eastern USA. Previous studies have documented highly variable rates of hemlock mortality among infested stands making it difficult to estimate regional impacts. Here data from the US...

  3. Sentence Syntax and Content in the Human Temporal Lobe: An fMRI Adaptation Study in Auditory and Visual Modalities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Devauchelle, Anne-Dominique; Oppenheim, Catherine; Rizzi, Luigi; Dehaene, Stanislas; Pallier, Christophe

    2009-01-01

    Priming effects have been well documented in behavioral psycholinguistics experiments: The processing of a word or a sentence is typically facilitated when it shares lexico-semantic or syntactic features with a previously encountered stimulus. Here, we used fMRI priming to investigate which brain areas show adaptation to the repetition of a…

  4. "Another Link in the Chain" Update: State Policies and Practices for Case Management and Environmental Investigation for Lead-Poisoned Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McLaine, Pat; Gaitens, Joanna

    This report details a national survey, conducted in 2000, to document changes since 1998 in policies and practices for case management and environmental investigation for lead poisoned children; the study also investigated the impact of the previous national survey in precipitating change. Participating in the survey were program directors or…

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

    Savy, J.

    New design and evaluation guidelines for department of energy facilities subjected to natural phenomena hazard, are being finalized. Although still in draft form at this time, the document describing those guidelines should be considered to be an update of previously available guidelines. The recommendations in the guidelines document mentioned above, and simply referred to as the guidelines'' thereafter, are based on the best information at the time of its development. In particular, the seismic hazard model for the Princeton site was based on a study performed in 1981 for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), which relied heavily on the resultsmore » of the NRC's Systematic Evaluation Program and was based on a methodology and data sets developed in 1977 and 1978. Considerable advances have been made in the last ten years in the domain of seismic hazard modeling. Thus, it is recommended to update the estimate of the seismic hazard at the DOE sites whenever possible. The major differences between previous estimates and the ones proposed in this study for the PPPL are in the modeling of the strong ground motion at the site, and the treatment of the total uncertainty in the estimates to include knowledge uncertainty, random uncertainty, and expert opinion diversity as well. 28 refs.« less

  6. [Ethical analysis and commentary of Dignitas Personae document: from continuity toward the innovation].

    PubMed

    Pastor, Luis Miguel

    2011-01-01

    In 2008 [corrected] the Catholic Church published a document entitled Dignitas Personae (DP) about a range of bioethical issues related to the areas of assisted reproduction and human genetics. The objective of this paper is analyzing the issues treated in the same and comments the novelty of his arguments in the bioethical thinking of the Catholic Church. DP document has an introduction, three parts and a conclusion. The publication of document is due to recent advances that have occurred in recent years in the two areas mentioned above. This advances were not analyzed in a previously document called Donum Vitae (DV). DP analyzes these new advances from the anthropological and ethical approaches of DV. Not intending to contradict DV, the DP applies the arguments of DV to new situations. In both the title and elsewhere in the text it is affirmed that the human embryo has the dignity of human person. From this principle DP analyzes issues such as the status of the human embryo, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, (ICSI), preimplantation diagnosis, embryo cryopreservation, contragestion, embryo reduction etc. In these matters, as in the questions such as human genetics, cloning, gene therapy or the use of biological material obtained from abortions, the document reaffirms previous ideas of the Catholic Church, applies them to new problems or develops new arguments that will require further reflection. In conclusion, the document is very useful for understanding the current bioethical thinking of the Catholic Church on these issues; it clarifies certain disputes, suggesting new arguments, and leaves other issues to free discussion and subsequent interventions of the Catholic Magisterium. Finally, the document reaffirms the commitment of the Catholic Church to the poor of our techno-scientific society, the proletariat of the new century: human embryos.

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

    Arndt, T.E., Fluor Daniel Hanford

    A previous evaluation documented in report WHC-SD-GN-RPT-30005, Rev. 0, titled ``Evaluation on Self-Contained High Efficiency Particulate Filters,`` revealed that the SCHEPA filters do not have required documentation to be in compliance with the design, testing, and fabrication standards required in ASME N-509, ASME N-510, and MIL-F-51068. These standards are required by DOE Order 6430.IA. Without this documentation, filter adequacy cannot be verified. The existing SCHEPA filters can be removed and replaced with new filters and filter housing which meet current codes and standards.

  8. ANNUAL RADIOACTIVE WASTE TANK INSPECTION PROGRAM 2009

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

    West, B.; Waltz, R.

    2010-06-21

    Aqueous radioactive wastes from Savannah River Site (SRS) separations and vitrification processes are contained in large underground carbon steel tanks. Inspections made during 2009 to evaluate these vessels and other waste handling facilities along with evaluations based on data from previous inspections are the subject of this report. The 2009 inspection program revealed that the structural integrity and waste confinement capability of the Savannah River Site waste tanks were maintained. All inspections scheduled per LWO-LWE-2008-00423, HLW Tank Farm Inspection Plan for 2009, were completed. All Ultrasonic measurements (UT) performed in 2009 met the requirements of C-ESG-00006, In-Service Inspection Program formore » High Level Waste Tanks, Rev. 1, and WSRC-TR-2002-00061, Rev.4. UT inspections were performed on Tank 29 and the findings are documented in SRNL-STI-2009-00559, Tank Inspection NDE Results for Fiscal Year 2009, Waste Tank 29. Post chemical cleaning UT measurements were made in Tank 6 and the results are documented in SRNL-STI-2009-00560, Tank Inspection NDE Results Tank 6, Including Summary of Waste Removal Support Activities in Tanks 5 and 6. A total of 6669 photographs were made and 1276 visual and video inspections were performed during 2009. Twenty-Two new leaksites were identified in 2009. The locations of these leaksites are documented in C-ESR-G-00003, SRS High Level Waste Tank Leaksite Information, Rev.4. Fifteen leaksites at Tank 5 were documented during tank wall/annulus cleaning activities. Five leaksites at Tank 6 were documented during tank wall/annulus cleaning activities. Two new leaksites were identified at Tank 19 during waste removal activities. Previously documented leaksites were reactivated at Tanks 5 and 12 during waste removal activities. Also, a very small amount of additional leakage from a previously identified leaksite at Tank 14 was observed.« less

  9. Lacaziosis in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA.

    PubMed

    Durden, Wendy Noke; St Leger, Judy; Stolen, Megan; Mazza, Teresa; Londono, Catalina

    2009-07-01

    The objective of this study was to document the presence of the fungal granulomatous skin disease lacaziosis in stranded Indian River Lagoon (IRL) bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). From 1 January 2007 through 31 December 2007, stranded dolphins from the northern part of the IRL were thoroughly examined, and appropriate tissue samples were collected. The intralesional fungal agent (Lacazia loboi) was identified histologically in three bottlenose dolphins. Histologically, lacaziosis has been previously documented in IRL dolphins inhabiting the southern portion of the lagoon. Our findings suggest that the disease occurs throughout the lagoon. Enhanced monitoring of the prevalence of lacaziosis in dolphins throughout the IRL is needed to assess changes in population health.

  10. Design and development of an ancient Chinese document recognition system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peng, Liangrui; Xiu, Pingping; Ding, Xiaoqing

    2003-12-01

    The digitization of ancient Chinese documents presents new challenges to OCR (Optical Character Recognition) research field due to the large character set of ancient Chinese characters, variant font types, and versatile document layout styles, as these documents are historical reflections to the thousands of years of Chinese civilization. After analyzing the general characteristics of ancient Chinese documents, we present a solution for recognition of ancient Chinese documents with regular font-types and layout-styles. Based on the previous work on multilingual OCR in TH-OCR system, we focus on the design and development of two key technologies which include character recognition and page segmentation. Experimental results show that the developed character recognition kernel of 19,635 Chinese characters outperforms our original traditional Chinese recognition kernel; Benchmarked test on printed ancient Chinese books proves that the proposed system is effective for regular ancient Chinese documents.

  11. Hyperparathyroidism after irradiation for childhood malignancy.

    PubMed

    McMullen, Todd; Bodie, Greg; Gill, Anthony; Ihre-Lundgren, Catharina; Shun, Albert; Bergin, Mary; Stevens, Graham; Delbridge, Leigh

    2009-03-15

    To examine the occurrence of hyperparathyroidism in a cohort of patients undergoing combined parathyroid and thyroid surgery after previous head-and-neck irradiation for childhood malignancy. This is a retrospective cohort study for the years 1996 to 2007. The study group comprised patients undergoing surgery in the University of Sydney Endocrine Surgical Unit who had received previous head-and-neck irradiation in childhood and who were identified as having pathologic thyroid and parathyroid characteristics. A total of 53 patients were identified in whom head-and-neck irradiation for the treatment of childhood malignancy had been documented. In each of the cases, thyroid disease was the primary reason for referral for surgery. Five of these patients (10%) were found to exhibit coexisting hyperparathyroidism. The latency period for hyperparathyroidism was less than 20 years in 4 of the 5 cases. There were four conventional parathyroid adenomas and one parathyroid lipoadenoma. All patients exhibited a significant decrease in postoperative calcium levels after surgery. To our knowledge, this is the first study to document the significant risk of hyperparathyroidism after radiation exposure for childhood malignancy. The timeframe for development of disease is much shorter than that published for individuals who have undergone irradiation for benign diseases. High doses of therapeutic radiation at a young age make childhood survivors of malignancy at especially high risk for developing hyperparathyroidism.

  12. Circulation Control Model Experimental Database for CFD Validation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Paschal, Keith B.; Neuhart, Danny H.; Beeler, George B.; Allan, Brian G.

    2012-01-01

    A 2D circulation control wing was tested in the Basic Aerodynamic Research Tunnel at the NASA Langley Research Center. A traditional circulation control wing employs tangential blowing along the span over a trailing-edge Coanda surface for the purpose of lift augmentation. This model has been tested extensively at the Georgia Tech Research Institute for the purpose of performance documentation at various blowing rates. The current study seeks to expand on the previous work by documenting additional flow-field data needed for validation of computational fluid dynamics. Two jet momentum coefficients were tested during this entry: 0.047 and 0.114. Boundary-layer transition was investigated and turbulent boundary layers were established on both the upper and lower surfaces of the model. Chordwise and spanwise pressure measurements were made, and tunnel sidewall pressure footprints were documented. Laser Doppler Velocimetry measurements were made on both the upper and lower surface of the model at two chordwise locations (x/c = 0.8 and 0.9) to document the state of the boundary layers near the spanwise blowing slot.

  13. Computer-Assisted Search Of Large Textual Data Bases

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Driscoll, James R.

    1995-01-01

    "QA" denotes high-speed computer system for searching diverse collections of documents including (but not limited to) technical reference manuals, legal documents, medical documents, news releases, and patents. Incorporates previously available and emerging information-retrieval technology to help user intelligently and rapidly locate information found in large textual data bases. Technology includes provision for inquiries in natural language; statistical ranking of retrieved information; artificial-intelligence implementation of semantics, in which "surface level" knowledge found in text used to improve ranking of retrieved information; and relevance feedback, in which user's judgements of relevance of some retrieved documents used automatically to modify search for further information.

  14. Advanced distributed simulation technology: Digital Voice Gateway Reference Guide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vanhook, Dan; Stadler, Ed

    1994-01-01

    The Digital Voice Gateway (referred to as the 'DVG' in this document) transmits and receives four full duplex encoded speech channels over the Ethernet. The information in this document applies only to DVG's running firmware of the version listed on the title page. This document, previously named Digital Voice Gateway Reference Guide, BBN Systems and Technologies Corporation, Cambridge, MA 02138, was revised for revision 2.00. This new revision changes the network protocol used by the DVG, to comply with the SINCGARS radio simulation (For SIMNET 6.6.1). Because of the extensive changes to revision 2.00 a separate document was created rather than supplying change pages.

  15. Automated documentation generator for advanced protein crystal growth

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maddux, Gary A.; Provancha, Anna; Chattam, David; Ford, Ronald

    1993-01-01

    The System Management and Production Laboratory at the Research Institute, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), was tasked by the Microgravity Experiment Projects (MEP) Office of the Payload Projects Office (PPO) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to conduct research in the current methods of written documentation control and retrieval. The goals of this research were to determine the logical interrelationships within selected NASA documentation, and to expand on a previously developed prototype system to deliver a distributable, electronic knowledge-based system. This computer application would then be used to provide a paperless interface between the appropriate parties for the required NASA document.

  16. Pathological documentation of complete elimination of Barrett's metaplasia following endoscopic multipolar electrocoagulation therapy

    PubMed Central

    Fennerty, M; Corless, C; Sheppard, B; Faigel, D; Lieberman, D; Sampliner, R

    2001-01-01

    The previous paradigm that Barrett's is an irreversible premalignant lesion has recently been challenged by a proliferation of reports documenting elimination of Barrett's by a variety of endoscopic techniques. Whether Barrett's is entirely eliminated is unknown as endoscopic biopsy samples the surface of the epithelium only. Numerous reports document underlying specialised columnar epithelium in many of these trials. Until now there have been no reports of pathological examination of the entire oesophagus as a specimen. This case documents complete elimination of intestinal metaplasia from the oesophagus and supports the biological plausibility of these research techniques.


Keywords: Barrett's oesophagus; endoscopy; multipolar electrocoagulation PMID:11413122

  17. Occupational safety and health management in the construction industry: a review.

    PubMed

    Jaafar, Mohd Hafiidz; Arifin, Kadir; Aiyub, Kadaruddin; Razman, Muhammad Rizal; Ishak, Muhammad Izzuddin Syakir; Samsurijan, Mohamad Shaharudin

    2017-09-11

    The construction industry plays a significant role in contributing to the economy and development globally. During the process of construction, various hazards coupled with the unique nature of the industry contribute to high fatality rates. This review refers to previous published studies and related Malaysian legislation documents. Four main elements consisting of human, worksite, management and external elements which cause occupational accidents and illnesses were identified. External and management elements are the underlying causes contributing to occupational safety and health (OSH), while human and worksite elements are more apparent causes of occupational accidents and illnesses. An effective OSH management approach is required to contain all hazards at construction sites. An approach to OSH management constructed by elements of policy, process, personnel and incentive developed in previous work is explored. Changes to the sub-elements according to previous studies and the related Malaysian legislation are also covered in this review.

  18. Helping Children at Home and School II: Handouts for Families and Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Canter, Andrea S., Ed.; Paige, Leslie Z., Ed.; Roth, Mark D., Ed.; Romero, Ivonne, Ed.; Carroll, Servio A., Ed.

    2004-01-01

    This document builds on the success of earlier editions. It includes a number of substantially revised handouts updated from the previous editions, plus many new topics that reflect the challenges parents and educators face in the 21st century. Many handouts for families are also provided in Spanish. This document is a comprehensive resource for…

  19. Analysis of Prior Health System Contacts as a Harbinger of Subsequent Fatal Injury in American Indians

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanddal, Teri L.; Upchurch, James; Sanddal, Nels D.; Esposito, Thomas J.

    2005-01-01

    Many American Indian nations, tribes, and bands are at an elevated risk for premature death from unintentional injury. Previous research has documented a relationship between alcohol-related injury and subsequent injury death among predominately urban samples. The presence or nature of such a relationship has not been documented among American…

  20. R-189 (C-620) air compressor control logic software documentation. Revision 1

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

    Walter, K.E.

    1995-06-08

    This relates to FFTF plant air compressors. Purpose of this document is to provide an updated Computer Software Description for the software to be used on R-189 (C-620-C) air compressor programmable controllers. Logic software design changes were required to allow automatic starting of a compressor that had not been previously started.

  1. Facilitating access to information in large documents with an intelligent hypertext system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mathe, Nathalie

    1993-01-01

    Retrieving specific information from large amounts of documentation is not an easy task. It could be facilitated if information relevant in the current problem solving context could be automatically supplied to the user. As a first step towards this goal, we have developed an intelligent hypertext system called CID (Computer Integrated Documentation) and tested it on the Space Station Freedom requirement documents. The CID system enables integration of various technical documents in a hypertext framework and includes an intelligent context-sensitive indexing and retrieval mechanism. This mechanism utilizes on-line user information requirements and relevance feedback either to reinforce current indexing in case of success or to generate new knowledge in case of failure. This allows the CID system to provide helpful responses, based on previous usage of the documentation, and to improve its performance over time.

  2. User Manuals for a Primary Care Electronic Medical Record System: A Mixed Methods Study of User- and Vendor-Generated Documents.

    PubMed

    Shachak, Aviv; Dow, Rustam; Barnsley, Jan; Tu, Karen; Domb, Sharon; Jadad, Alejandro R; Lemieux-Charles, Louise

    2013-06-04

    Tutorials and user manuals are important forms of impersonal support for using software applications including electronic medical records (EMRs). Differences between user- and vendor documentation may indicate support needs, which are not sufficiently addressed by the official documentation, and reveal new elements that may inform the design of tutorials and user manuals. What are the differences between user-generated tutorials and manuals for an EMR and the official user manual from the software vendor? Effective design of tutorials and user manuals requires careful packaging of information, balance between declarative and procedural texts, an action and task-oriented approach, support for error recognition and recovery, and effective use of visual elements. No previous research compared these elements between formal and informal documents. We conducted an mixed methods study. Seven tutorials and two manuals for an EMR were collected from three family health teams and compared with the official user manual from the software vendor. Documents were qualitatively analyzed using a framework analysis approach in relation to the principles of technical documentation described above. Subsets of the data were quantitatively analyzed using cross-tabulation to compare the types of error information and visual cues in screen captures between user- and vendor-generated manuals. The user-developed tutorials and manuals differed from the vendor-developed manual in that they contained mostly procedural and not declarative information; were customized to the specific workflow, user roles, and patient characteristics; contained more error information related to work processes than to software usage; and used explicit visual cues on screen captures to help users identify window elements. These findings imply that to support EMR implementation, tutorials and manuals need to be customized and adapted to specific organizational contexts and workflows. The main limitation of the study is its generalizability. Future research should address this limitation and may explore alternative approaches to software documentation, such as modular manuals or participatory design.

  3. Genomes as documents of evolutionary history: a probabilistic macrosynteny model for the reconstruction of ancestral genomes

    PubMed Central

    Nakatani, Yoichiro; McLysaght, Aoife

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Motivation: It has been argued that whole-genome duplication (WGD) exerted a profound influence on the course of evolution. For the purpose of fully understanding the impact of WGD, several formal algorithms have been developed for reconstructing pre-WGD gene order in yeast and plant. However, to the best of our knowledge, those algorithms have never been successfully applied to WGD events in teleost and vertebrate, impeded by extensive gene shuffling and gene losses. Results: Here, we present a probabilistic model of macrosynteny (i.e. conserved linkage or chromosome-scale distribution of orthologs), develop a variational Bayes algorithm for inferring the structure of pre-WGD genomes, and study estimation accuracy by simulation. Then, by applying the method to the teleost WGD, we demonstrate effectiveness of the algorithm in a situation where gene-order reconstruction algorithms perform relatively poorly due to a high rate of rearrangement and extensive gene losses. Our high-resolution reconstruction reveals previously overlooked small-scale rearrangements, necessitating a revision to previous views on genome structure evolution in teleost and vertebrate. Conclusions: We have reconstructed the structure of a pre-WGD genome by employing a variational Bayes approach that was originally developed for inferring topics from millions of text documents. Interestingly, comparison of the macrosynteny and topic model algorithms suggests that macrosynteny can be regarded as documents on ancestral genome structure. From this perspective, the present study would seem to provide a textbook example of the prevalent metaphor that genomes are documents of evolutionary history. Availability and implementation: The analysis data are available for download at http://www.gen.tcd.ie/molevol/supp_data/MacrosyntenyTGD.zip, and the software written in Java is available upon request. Contact: yoichiro.nakatani@tcd.ie or aoife.mclysaght@tcd.ie Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:28881993

  4. Genomes as documents of evolutionary history: a probabilistic macrosynteny model for the reconstruction of ancestral genomes.

    PubMed

    Nakatani, Yoichiro; McLysaght, Aoife

    2017-07-15

    It has been argued that whole-genome duplication (WGD) exerted a profound influence on the course of evolution. For the purpose of fully understanding the impact of WGD, several formal algorithms have been developed for reconstructing pre-WGD gene order in yeast and plant. However, to the best of our knowledge, those algorithms have never been successfully applied to WGD events in teleost and vertebrate, impeded by extensive gene shuffling and gene losses. Here, we present a probabilistic model of macrosynteny (i.e. conserved linkage or chromosome-scale distribution of orthologs), develop a variational Bayes algorithm for inferring the structure of pre-WGD genomes, and study estimation accuracy by simulation. Then, by applying the method to the teleost WGD, we demonstrate effectiveness of the algorithm in a situation where gene-order reconstruction algorithms perform relatively poorly due to a high rate of rearrangement and extensive gene losses. Our high-resolution reconstruction reveals previously overlooked small-scale rearrangements, necessitating a revision to previous views on genome structure evolution in teleost and vertebrate. We have reconstructed the structure of a pre-WGD genome by employing a variational Bayes approach that was originally developed for inferring topics from millions of text documents. Interestingly, comparison of the macrosynteny and topic model algorithms suggests that macrosynteny can be regarded as documents on ancestral genome structure. From this perspective, the present study would seem to provide a textbook example of the prevalent metaphor that genomes are documents of evolutionary history. The analysis data are available for download at http://www.gen.tcd.ie/molevol/supp_data/MacrosyntenyTGD.zip , and the software written in Java is available upon request. yoichiro.nakatani@tcd.ie or aoife.mclysaght@tcd.ie. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

  5. 40 CFR 52.220 - Identification of plan.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... Pollution Control District. (i) Previously approved on September 22, 1972 and now deleted without... and other Legal Documents Pertinent to Air Pollution Control in California”) to chapter 7. (13) El Dorado County Air Pollution Control District. (i) Previously approved on May 31, 1972 in paragraph (b) of...

  6. 40 CFR 52.220 - Identification of plan.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ..., 43, and 44. (5) Ventura County Air Pollution Control District. (i) Previously approved on September... (“State Statutes and other Legal Documents Pertinent to Air Pollution Control in California”) to chapter 7. (13) El Dorado County Air Pollution Control District. (i) Previously approved on May 31, 1972 in...

  7. Do surgeons and patients discuss what they document on consent forms?

    PubMed

    Hall, Daniel E; Hanusa, Barbara H; Fine, Michael J; Arnold, Robert M

    2015-07-01

    Previous studies of surgeon behavior report that surgeons rarely meet basic standards of informed consent, raising concerns that current practice requires urgent remediation. We wondered if the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System's recent implementation of standardized, procedure-specific consent forms might produce a better practice of informed consent than has been reported previously. Our goal was to determine how the discussions shared between surgeons and patients correspond to the VA's standardized consent forms. We enrolled a prospective cohort of patients presenting for possible cholecystectomy or inguinal herniorrhaphy and the surgical providers for those patients. Audio recordings captured the clinical encounter(s) culminating in a decision to have surgery. Each patient's informed consent was documented using a standardized, computer-generated form. We abstracted and compared the information documented with the information discussed. Of 75 consecutively enrolled patients, 37 eventually decided to have surgery and signed the standardized consent form. Patients and providers discussed 37% (95% confidence interval, 0.07-0.67) and 33% (95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.43) of the information found on the cholecystectomy and herniorrhaphy consent forms, respectively. However, the patient-provider discussions frequently included relevant details nowhere documented on the standardized forms, culminating in discussions that included a median 27.5 information items for cholecystectomy and 20 items for herniorrhaphy. Fully, 80% of cholecystectomy discussions and 76% of herniorrhaphy discussions mentioned at least one risk, benefit or alternative, indication for, and description of the procedure. The patients and providers observed here collaborated in a detailed process of informed consent that challenges the initial reports suggesting the need to remediate surgeon's practice of informed consent. However, because the discrepancy between the information documented and discussed exposes legal and ethical liability, there is an opportunity to improve the iMed system so that it better reflects what surgeons discuss and more frequently includes all the information patients need. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  8. Crude oil degradation as an explanation of the depth rule

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Price, L.C.

    1980-01-01

    Previous studies of crude oil degradation by water washing and bacterial attack have documented the operation of these processes in many different petroleum basins of the world. Crude oil degradation substantially alters the chemical and physical makeup of a crude oil, changing a light paraffinic low-S "mature" crude to a heavy naphthenic or asphalt base, "immature appearing" high-S crude. Rough calculations carried out in the present study using experimentally determined solubility data of petroleum in water give insight into the possible magnitude of water washing and suggest that the process may be able to remove large amounts of petroleum in small divisions of geologic time. Plots of crude oil gravity vs. depth fail to show the expected correlation of increasing API gravity (decreasing specific gravity) with depth below 2.44 km (8000 ft.). Previous studies which have been carried out to document in-reservoir maturation have used crude oil gravity data shallower than 2.44 km (8000 ft.). The changes in crude oil composition as a function of depth which have been attributed to in-reservoir maturation over these shallower depths, are better explained by crude oil degradation. This study concludes that changes in crude oil composition that result from in-reservoir maturation are not evident from existing crude oil gravity data over the depth and temperature range previously supposed, and that the significant changes in crude oil gravity which are present over the shallow depth range are due to crude oil degradation. Thus the existence of significant quantities of petroleum should not necessarily be ruled out below an arbitrarily determined depth or temperature limit when the primary evidence for this is the change in crude oil gravity at shallow depths. ?? 1980.

  9. Women and Leadership: A Study of Issues in Independent Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scott, Jan A.

    As of May 1997, 28.8 percent of the heads of schools in the National Association of Independent Schools were female. The number grew .8 percent during the previous year and has grown at a rate of 1 percent a year for the past 10 years. This document reports the findings of a research project that explored reasons for the dearth of women heads of…

  10. The Impact of Major-Job Mismatch on College Graduates' Early Career Earnings: Evidence from China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhu, Rong

    2014-01-01

    This paper assesses the impact of the mismatch between a college major and job on college graduates' early career earnings using a sample from China. On average, a major-job mismatched college graduate is found to suffer from an income loss that is much lower than the penalty documented in previous studies. The income losses are also found to be…

  11. Language and Adjustment Scales for the Thematic Apperception Test for Youths 12-17 Years. Vital Health and Statistics, Series 2, No. 62.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neman, Ronald S.; And Others

    The study represents an extension of previous research involving the development of scales for the five-card, orally administered, and tape-recorded version of the Thematic Apperception Test(TAT). Scale development is documented and national norms are presented based on a national probability sample of 1,398 youths administered the Cycle III test…

  12. Smoking Patterns, Attitudes and Motives: Unique Characteristics among 2-Year versus 4-Year College Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berg, C. J.; An, L. C.; Thomas, J. L.; Lust, K. A.; Sanem, J. R.; Swan, D. W.; Ahluwalia, J. S.

    2011-01-01

    Given the previously documented higher rates of smoking among 2-year college students in comparison with 4-year university students, this study compares smoking patterns, attitudes and motives among 2-year and 4-year college students. Two thousand two hundred and sixty-five undergraduate students aged 18-25 years at a 2-year college and a 4-year…

  13. Toxicity Reference Database

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Toxicity Reference Database (ToxRefDB) contains approximately 30 years and $2 billion worth of animal studies. ToxRefDB allows scientists and the interested public to search and download thousands of animal toxicity testing results for hundreds of chemicals that were previously found only in paper documents. Currently, there are 474 chemicals in ToxRefDB, primarily the data rich pesticide active ingredients, but the number will continue to expand.

  14. Similarities and Differences in Teachers' and Researchers' Conceptions of Communicative Language Teaching: Does the Use of an Educational Model Cast a Better Light?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mangubhai, Francis; Marland, Perc; Dashwood, Ann; Son, Jeong-Bae

    2005-01-01

    This study seeks to document teachers' conceptions of communicative language teaching (CLT) and to compare their conceptions with a composite view of CLT assembled, in part, from researchers' accounts of the distinctive features of CLT. The research was prompted by a review of the relevant research literature showing that, though previous studies…

  15. Association Between Real-time Electronic Injury Surveillance Applications and Clinical Documentation and Data Acquisition in a South African Trauma Center.

    PubMed

    Zargaran, Eiman; Spence, Richard; Adolph, Lauren; Nicol, Andrew; Schuurman, Nadine; Navsaria, Pradeep; Ramsey, Damon; Hameed, S Morad

    2018-03-14

    Collection and analysis of up-to-date and accurate injury surveillance data are a key step in the maturation of trauma systems. Trauma registries have proven to be difficult to establish in low- and middle-income countries owing to the burden of trauma volume, cost, and complexity. To determine whether an electronic trauma health record (eTHR) used by physicians can serve as simultaneous clinical documentation and data acquisition tools. This 2-part quality improvement study included (1) preimplementation and postimplementation eTHR study with assessments of satisfaction by 41 trauma physicians, time to completion, and quality of data collected comparing paper and electronic charting; and (2) prospective ecologic study describing the burden of trauma seen at a Level I trauma center, using real-time data collected by the eTHR on consecutive patients during a 12-month study period. The study was conducted from October 1, 2010, to September 30, 2011, at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. Data analysis was performed from October 15, 2011, to January 15, 2013. The primary outcome of part 1 was data field competition rates of pertinent trauma registry items obtained through electronic or paper documentation. The main measures of part 2 were to identify risk factors to trauma in Cape Town and quality indicators recommended for trauma system evaluation at Groote Schuur Hospital. The 41 physicians included in the study found the electronic patient documentation to be more efficient and preferable. A total of 11 612 trauma presentations were accurately documented and promptly analyzed. Fields relevant to injury surveillance in the eTHR (n = 11 612) had statistically significant higher completion rates compared with paper records (n = 9236) (for all comparisons, P < .001). The eTHR successfully captured quality indicators recommended for trauma system evaluation which were previously challenging to collect in a timely and accurate manner. Of the 11 612 patient admissions over the study period, injury location was captured 11 075 times (95.4%), injury mechanism 11 135 times (95.9%), systolic blood pressure 11 106 times (95.6%), and Glasgow Coma Scale 11 140 times (95.9%). These fields were successfully captured with statistically higher rates than previous paper documentation. Epidemiologic analysis confirmed a heavy burden of violence-related injury (51.8% of all injuries) and motor vehicle crash injuries (14.3% of all injuries). Mapping analysis demonstrated clusters of injuries originating mainly from vulnerable and low-income neighborhoods and their respective referring trauma facilities, Mitchell's Plain Hospital (734 [10.1%]), Guguletu Community Health Center (654 [9.0%]), and New Somerset Hospital (400 [5.5%]). Accurate capture and simultaneous analysis of trauma data in low-resource trauma settings are feasible through the integration of surveillance into clinical workflow and the timely analysis of electronic data.

  16. Daily rhythms of blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature in fed and fasted male dogs.

    PubMed

    Piccione, G; Caola, G; Refinetti, R

    2005-10-01

    Daily or circadian rhythmicity in physiological processes has been described in a large number of species of birds and mammals. However, in dogs, most studies have either failed to detect rhythmicity or have found that rhythmicity reflects merely an acute exogenous effect of feeding rather than an autonomous rhythmic process. In the present study, we investigated the rhythmicity of body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate in dogs fed daily as well as in dogs deprived of food for 60 h. Our results document clear rhythmicity in all three parameters and demonstrate that the rhythmicity is independent of the feeding schedule. The failure of various previous investigations to document daily rhythmicity in dogs is probably due to lack of experimental rigour rather than to weakness of daily rhythmicity in dogs.

  17. Risk of post-operative pneumocephalus in patients with obstructive sleep apnea undergoing transsphenoidal surgery.

    PubMed

    White-Dzuro, Gabrielle A; Maynard, Ken; Zuckerman, Scott L; Weaver, Kyle D; Russell, Paul T; Clavenna, Matthew J; Chambless, Lola B

    2016-07-01

    Patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) have an anterior skull base defect that limits the use of positive pressure ventilation post-operatively. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can be seen in these patients and is treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). In our study we documented the incidence of pre-existing OSA and reported the incidence of diagnosed pneumocephalus and its relationship to OSA. A retrospective review was conducted from a surgical outcomes database. Electronic medical records were reviewed, with an emphasis on diagnosis of OSA and documented symptomatic pneumocephalus. A total of 324 patients underwent 349 TSS for sellar mass resection. The average body mass index of the study cohort was 32.5kg/m(2). Sixty-nine patients (21%) had documented OSA. Only 25 out of 69 (36%) had a documented post-operative CPAP plan. Out of all 349 procedures, there were two incidents of pneumocephalus diagnosed. Neither of the patients had pre-existing OSA. One in five patients in our study had pre-existing OSA. Most patients returned to CPAP use within several weeks of TSS for resection of a sellar mass. Neither of the patients with pneumocephalus had pre-existing OSA and none of the patients with early re-initiation of CPAP developed this complication. This study provides preliminary evidence that resuming CPAP early in the post-operative period might be less dangerous than previously assumed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Documenting clinical pharmacist intervention before and after the introduction of a web-based tool.

    PubMed

    Nurgat, Zubeir A; Al-Jazairi, Abdulrazaq S; Abu-Shraie, Nada; Al-Jedai, Ahmed

    2011-04-01

    To develop a database for documenting pharmacist intervention through a web-based application. The secondary endpoint was to determine if the new, web-based application provides any benefits with regards to documentation compliance by clinical pharmacists and ease of calculating cost savings compared with our previous method of documenting pharmacist interventions. A tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia. The documentation of interventions using a web-based documentation application was retrospectively compared with previous methods of documentation of clinical pharmacists' interventions (multi-user PC software). The number and types of interventions recorded by pharmacists, data mining of archived data, efficiency, cost savings, and the accuracy of the data generated. The number of documented clinical interventions increased from 4,926, using the multi-user PC software, to 6,840 for the web-based application. On average, we observed 653 interventions per clinical pharmacist using the web-based application, which showed an increase compared to an average of 493 interventions using the old multi-user PC software. However, using a paired Student's t-test there was no statistical significance difference between the two means (P = 0.201). Using a χ² test, which captured management level and the type of system used, we found a strong effect of management level (P < 2.2 × 10⁻¹⁶) on the number of documented interventions. We also found a moderately significant relationship between educational level and the number of interventions documented (P = 0.045). The mean ± SD time required to document an intervention using the web-based application was 66.55 ± 8.98 s. Using the web-based application, 29.06% of documented interventions resulted in cost-savings, while using the multi-user PC software only 4.75% of interventions did so. The majority of cost savings across both platforms resulted from the discontinuation of unnecessary drugs and a change in dosage regimen. Data collection using the web-based application was consistently more complete when compared to the multi-user PC software. The web-based application is an efficient system for documenting pharmacist interventions. Its flexibility and accessibility, as well as its detailed report functionality is a useful tool that will hopefully encourage other primary and secondary care facilities to adopt similar applications.

  19. Improving health care proxy documentation using a web-based interview through a patient portal.

    PubMed

    Bajracharya, Adarsha S; Crotty, Bradley H; Kowaloff, Hollis B; Safran, Charles; Slack, Warner V

    2016-05-01

    Health care proxy (HCP) documentation is suboptimal. To improve rates of proxy selection and documentation, we sought to develop and evaluate a web-based interview to guide patients in their selection, and to capture their choices in their electronic health record (EHR). We developed and implemented a HCP interview within the patient portal of a large academic health system. We analyzed the experience, together with demographic and clinical factors, of the first 200 patients who used the portal to complete the interview. We invited users to comment about their experience and analyzed their comments using established qualitative methods. From January 20, 2015 to March 13, 2015, 139 of the 200 patients who completed the interview submitted their HCP information for their clinician to review in the EHR. These patients had a median age of 57 years (Inter Quartile Range (IQR) 45-67) and most were healthy. The 99 patients who did not previously have HCP information in their EHR were more likely to complete and then submit their information than the 101 patients who previously had a proxy in their health record (odds ratio 2.4, P = .005). Qualitative analysis identified several ways in which the portal-based interview reminded, encouraged, and facilitated patients to complete their HCP. Patients found our online interview convenient and helpful in facilitating selection and documentation of an HCP. Our study demonstrates that a web-based interview to collect and share a patient's HCP information is both feasible and useful. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. Forensic discrimination of blue ballpoint pens on documents by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and multivariate analysis.

    PubMed

    Alamilla, Francisco; Calcerrada, Matías; García-Ruiz, Carmen; Torre, Mercedes

    2013-05-10

    The differentiation of blue ballpoint pen inks written on documents through an LA-ICP-MS methodology is proposed. Small common office paper portions containing ink strokes from 21 blue pens of known origin were cut and measured without any sample preparation. In a first step, Mg, Ca and Sr were proposed as internal standards (ISs) and used in order to normalize elemental intensities and subtract background signals from the paper. Then, specific criteria were designed and employed to identify target elements (Li, V, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Zr, Sn, W and Pb) which resulted independent of the IS chosen in a 98% of the cases and allowed a qualitative clustering of the samples. In a second step, an elemental-related ratio (ink ratio) based on the targets previously identified was used to obtain mass independent intensities and perform pairwise comparisons by means of multivariate statistical analyses (MANOVA, Tukey's HSD and T2 Hotelling). This treatment improved the discrimination power (DP) and provided objective results, achieving a complete differentiation among different brands and a partial differentiation within pen inks from the same brands. The designed data treatment, together with the use of multivariate statistical tools, represents an easy and useful tool for differentiating among blue ballpoint pen inks, with hardly sample destruction and without the need for methodological calibrations, being its use potentially advantageous from a forensic-practice standpoint. To test the procedure, it was applied to analyze real handwritten questioned contracts, previously studied by the Department of Forensic Document Exams of the Criminalistics Service of Civil Guard (Spain). The results showed that all questioned ink entries were clustered in the same group, being those different from the remaining ink on the document. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. 40 CFR 52.220 - Identification of plan.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ..., Rules 40, 42, 43, and 44. (5) Ventura County Air Pollution Control District. (i) Previously approved on... contained in appendix II (“State Statutes and other Legal Documents Pertinent to Air Pollution Control in California”) to chapter 7. (13) El Dorado County Air Pollution Control District. (i) Previously approved on...

  2. 40 CFR 52.220 - Identification of plan.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ..., Rules 40, 42, 43, and 44. (5) Ventura County Air Pollution Control District. (i) Previously approved on... (“State Statutes and other Legal Documents Pertinent to Air Pollution Control in California”) to chapter 7. (13) El Dorado County Air Pollution Control District. (i) Previously approved on May 31, 1972 in...

  3. Executive Summary: European Heart Rhythm Association Consensus Document on the Management of Supraventricular Arrhythmias: Endorsed by Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), Asia-Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS), and Sociedad Latinoamericana de Estimulación Cardiaca y Electrofisiologia (SOLAECE).

    PubMed

    Katritsis, Demosthenes G; Boriani, Giuseppe; Cosio, Francisco G; Jais, Pierre; Hindricks, Gerhard; Josephson, Mark E; Keegan, Roberto; Knight, Bradley P; Kuck, Karl-Heinz; Lane, Deirdre A; Lip, Gregory Yh; Malmborg, Helena; Oral, Hakan; Pappone, Carlo; Themistoclakis, Sakis; Wood, Kathryn A; Young-Hoon, Kim; Lundqvist, Carina Blomström

    2016-01-01

    This paper is an executive summary of the full European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) consensus document on the management of supraventricular arrhythmias, published in Europace . It summarises developments in the field and provides recommendations for patient management, with particular emphasis on new advances since the previous European Society of Cardiology guidelines. The EHRA consensus document is available to read in full at http://europace.oxfordjournals.org.

  4. 77 FR 20688 - 29th Meeting: RTCA Special Committee 206, Aeronautical Information and Meteorological Data Link...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-05

    .... SC-206 Related Work in SESAR--Progress Status. Discuss previously proposed TOR changes and DO-252 Revision. [cir] Discuss TOR changes for the June PMC meeting. PMC decision on OSED document. ConUse FRAC... dates. Decision to approve the ConUse document for release to the PMC. Agree upon TOR changes for June...

  5. UV Detector Materials Development Program

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-12-01

    document. UNCLASSIFIED SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIr odkE ’Whe Date Entered) READ INSTRUCTIONS REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE BEFORE COMPLETING FORM 1... collection efficiency within the detector (internal quantum efficiency). As mentioned previously, it was found that reverse biasing the Schottky diodes...the ratio of the number of carriers collected in the detector versus the number of photons entering into the absorbing region. It is, therefore

  6. A Critique of the New Statement on Labeling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hitchcock, Leonard A.

    2006-01-01

    In this paper, the 2005 revision of ALA's position document on labeling and rating systems is closely examined and assessed, not only in comparison with the previous version of the document, but also in terms of its adequacy as a statement of library principles and as a practical guide for library practice. It is found to be ambiguous in meaning,…

  7. AM2 Brickwork Pattern Evaluation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-12-01

    pavement applications. Designation : D 6951. West Consho- hocken, PA: ASTM International. ASTM International. 2010a. Standard test method for in-place... design . This report provides test results for each evaluation and discussions comparing their perfor- mance to previous tests conducted under similar... designated by other authorized documents. DESTRUCTION NOTICE - For classified documents, follow the procedures in DOD5200.22-M, Industrial Security Manual

  8. Database interfaces on NASA's heterogeneous distributed database system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Huang, Shou-Hsuan Stephen

    1989-01-01

    The syntax and semantics of all commands used in the template are described. Template builders should consult this document for proper commands in the template. Previous documents (Semiannual reports) described other aspects of this project. Appendix 1 contains all substituting commands used in the system. Appendix 2 includes all repeating commands. Appendix 3 is a collection of DEFINE templates from eight different DBMS's.

  9. XML Flight/Ground Data Dictionary Management

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wright, Jesse; Wiklow, Colette

    2007-01-01

    A computer program generates Extensible Markup Language (XML) files that effect coupling between the command- and telemetry-handling software running aboard a spacecraft and the corresponding software running in ground support systems. The XML files are produced by use of information from the flight software and from flight-system engineering. The XML files are converted to legacy ground-system data formats for command and telemetry, transformed into Web-based and printed documentation, and used in developing new ground-system data-handling software. Previously, the information about telemetry and command was scattered in various paper documents that were not synchronized. The process of searching and reading the documents was time-consuming and introduced errors. In contrast, the XML files contain all of the information in one place. XML structures can evolve in such a manner as to enable the addition, to the XML files, of the metadata necessary to track the changes and the associated documentation. The use of this software has reduced the extent of manual operations in developing a ground data system, thereby saving considerable time and removing errors that previously arose in the translation and transcription of software information from the flight to the ground system.

  10. MCM generator: a Java-based tool for generating medical metadata.

    PubMed

    Munoz, F; Hersh, W

    1998-01-01

    In a previous paper we introduced the need to implement a mechanism to facilitate the discovery of relevant Web medical documents. We maintained that the use of META tags, specifically ones that define the medical subject and resource type of a document, help towards this goal. We have now developed a tool to facilitate the generation of these tags for the authors of medical documents. Written entirely in Java, this tool makes use of the SAPHIRE server, and helps the author identify the Medical Subject Heading terms that most appropriately describe the subject of the document. Furthermore, it allows the author to generate metadata tags for the 15 elements that the Dublin Core considers as core elements in the description of a document. This paper describes the use of this tool in the cataloguing of Web and non-Web medical documents, such as images, movie, and sound files.

  11. HALE UAS Concept of Operations. Version 3.0

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2006-01-01

    This document is a system level Concept of Operations (CONOPS) from the perspective of future High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) service providers and National Airspace System (NAS) users. It describes current systems (existing UAS), describes HALE UAS functions and operations to be performed (via sample missions), and offers insight into the user s environment (i.e., the UAS as a system of systems). It is intended to be a source document for NAS UAS operational requirements, and provides a construct for government agencies to use in guiding their regulatory decisions, architecture requirements, and investment strategies. Although it does not describe the technical capabilities of a specific HALE UAS system (which do, and will vary widely), it is intended to aid in requirements capture and to be used as input to the functional requirements and analysis process. The document provides a basis for development of functional requirements and operational guidelines to achieve unrestricted access into the NAS. This document is an FY06 update to the FY05 Access 5 Project-approved Concept of Operations document previously published in the Public Domain on the Access 5 open website. This version is recommended to be approved for public release also. The updates are a reorganization of materials from the previous version with the addition of an updated set of operational requirements, inclusion of sample mission scenarios, and identification of roles and responsibilities of interfaces within flight phases.

  12. Management of cytomegalovirus infection in solid organ transplant recipients: SET/GESITRA-SEIMC/REIPI recommendations.

    PubMed

    Torre-Cisneros, J; Aguado, J M; Caston, J J; Almenar, L; Alonso, A; Cantisán, S; Carratalá, J; Cervera, C; Cordero, E; Fariñas, M C; Fernández-Ruiz, M; Fortún, J; Frauca, E; Gavaldá, J; Hernández, D; Herrero, I; Len, O; Lopez-Medrano, F; Manito, N; Marcos, M A; Martín-Dávila, P; Monforte, V; Montejo, M; Moreno, A; Muñoz, P; Navarro, D; Pérez-Romero, P; Rodriguez-Bernot, A; Rumbao, J; San Juan, R; Vaquero, J M; Vidal, E

    2016-07-01

    Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection remains a major complication of solid organ transplantation. Because of management of CMV is variable among transplant centers, in 2011 the Spanish Transplantation Infection Study Group (GESITRA) of the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC) developed consensus guidelines for the prevention and treatment of CMV infection in solid organ transplant recipients. Since then, new publications have clarified or questioned the aspects covered in the previous document. For that reason, a panel of experts revised the evidence on CMV management, including immunological monitoring, diagnostics, prevention, vaccines, indirect effects, treatment, drug resistance, immunotherapy, investigational drugs, and pediatric issues. This document summarizes the recommendations. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  13. Uplifted Terraces along the Southeastern Coast of Bangladesh Reveal the Extent of 1762 Earthquake Surface Deformation and Potentially Document Prior Earthquakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mondal, D. R.; McHugh, C.; Steckler, M. S.; Seeber, L.; Akhter, S. H.; Mustaque, S.; Knappett, P. S.

    2016-12-01

    To better understand geohazards for Bangladesh, the surface expression of the 1762 earthquake and previous earthquakes, we surveyed the coast of Teknaf for evidence of uplift with high precision NetR9, RTX GPS. Previous studies by Aung et al. (2006; 2008) and Wang et al. (2013) documented uplifted terraces along the west coast of Myanmar and linked the youngest terrace to the 1762 Arakan earthquake. Previous studies by Mondal et al. (2015) documented 2.5 m uplifted microatoll corals in the Saint Martin anticline, 10 km southwest from the Teknaf coastline, and linked their uplift by U/Th ages to the 1762 earthquake. Along the southeast Bangladesh coastline, we mapped three geomorphic terraces for 70 km from Teknaf to Cox's Bazar. While GPS measured the location and elevation, an optical level (Theodolite) was used to survey across the different terraces from the beach to the Teknaf anticline foothills. The terraces were also characterized by slope analysis using 30 m SRTM DEM to understand the relation between the terrace geomorphology and potential influence from slope aprons derived from the erosion of the anticline. Our results show that the elevation of three terraces is consistent along the coast, and that terrace elevation ranges from 2-5 m, 5 -7 m and 11-13 m for the youngest, intermediate and oldest terrace, respectively. The youngest terrace, previously dated by McHugh et al. (2015) using C-14 from marine shells obtained from the terrace top, is linked to uplift from the 1762 earthquake. Marine fossils are present in the oldest terrace, and we will present the C-14 age results. Results also suggest that the higher terrace is not prominent in those locations where the slope of the anticline aprons is very high, and they are in a close proximity to each other. The present geomorphic evidence suggests that these terraces were uplifted by three paleoearthquakes, and C-14 ages will provide timing for the uplift. Evidence of terrace uplift derived from our GPS survey extends the 1762 surface deformation and megathrust rupture for at least 550 km along the Arakan segment of the Sunda subduction boundary.

  14. Roughans Point Revere, Massachusetts Coastal Flood Protection Study. Volume II. Support Documentation.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-12-01

    Table A-3. Data on seasonal snowpack is not available for Revere. However, snow surveys by the Corps of Engineers in the Blackstone River basin, about 20...described previously, with less impact on the study area. Another consisted of the stabilization of existing facilities with a rock berm sloping 1 on 3... Tax Loss D-7 22. Acquisition Costs D-7 23. Relocations Assistance Costs D-7 24. Evaluation D-8 25. Summary of Real Estate Costs D-9 D-i V ..... F

  15. Documenting the birth of a financial economy.

    PubMed

    Suri, Tavneet; Jack, William; Stoker, Thomas M

    2012-06-26

    The birth and explosive growth of mobile money in Kenya has provided economists with an opportunity to study the evolution and impact of a new financial system. Mobile money is an innovation that allows individuals to store, send, and receive money on their mobile phone via text message. This system has opened up basic financial services to many who were previously excluded, and has had real and measurable impacts on the ability of households to protect themselves against health risks. Using a unique survey instrument covering nearly 2,300 households over 2008-2010, we first document the lightning-fast adoption of mobile money in Kenya, which was faster than most documented modern technologies in the United States. We then present evidence on how this innovation allows households to respond better to unexpected adverse health events. We find that in the face of these events, users of mobile money are better able to tap into remittances to finance additional health care costs without having to forego necessary expenditures on education, food, and other consumption needs.

  16. The second molecular epidemiological study of HIV infection in Mongolia between 2010 and 2016.

    PubMed

    Jagdagsuren, Davaalkham; Hayashida, Tsunefusa; Takano, Misao; Gombo, Erdenetuya; Zayasaikhan, Setsen; Kanayama, Naomi; Tsuchiya, Kiyoto; Oka, Shinichi

    2017-01-01

    Our previous 2005-2009 molecular epidemiological study in Mongolia identified a hot spot of HIV-1 transmission in men who have sex with men (MSM). To control the infection, we collaborated with NGOs to promote safer sex and HIV testing since mid-2010. In this study, we carried out the second molecular epidemiological survey between 2010 and 2016 to determine the status of HIV-1 infection in Mongolia. The study included 143 new cases of HIV-1 infection. Viral RNA was extracted from stocked plasma samples and sequenced for the pol and the env regions using the Sanger method. Near-full length sequencing using MiSeq was performed in 3 patients who were suspected to be infected with recombinant HIV-1. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using the neighbor-joining method and Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo method. MSM was the main transmission route in the previous and current studies. However, heterosexual route showed a significant increase in recent years. Phylogenetic analysis documented three taxa; Mongolian B, Korean B, and CRF51_01B, though the former two were also observed in the previous study. CRF51_01B, which originated from Singapore and Malaysia, was confirmed by near-full length sequencing. Although these strains were mainly detected in MSM, they were also found in increasing numbers of heterosexual males and females. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis estimated transmission of CRF51_01B into Mongolia around early 2000s. An extended Bayesian skyline plot showed a rapid increase in the effective population size of Mongolian B cluster around 2004 and that of CRF51_01B cluster around 2011. HIV-1 infection might expand to the general population in Mongolia. Our study documented a new cluster of HIV-1 transmission, enhancing our understanding of the epidemiological status of HIV-1 in Mongolia.

  17. Teaching for Learning or Teaching for Documentation? Music Teachers' Perspectives on a Swedish Curriculum Reform

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zandén, Olle; Thorgersen, Cecilia Ferm

    2015-01-01

    This study analyses 10 Swedish music teachers' descriptions of how a new music syllabus and a new credit scale have influenced their practice. In the new curriculum, grading is introduced in year 6 and not, as previously, in year 8. We have therefore focused on the effects of this change on school years 5-7. The new syllabus is much more precise…

  18. Effect of implementation of safety measures in tae kwon do competition

    PubMed Central

    Burke, D; Barfoot, K; Bryant, S; Schneider, J; Kim, H; Levin, G

    2003-01-01

    Background: Previous reviews of tae kwon do (TKD) tournaments have documented injury rates of 25/1000 to 12.7/100 athlete exposures. Most injuries have been reported to be to the head and the neck and are occasionally very serious. Many of these studies involved high level TKD competitions with minimal safety precautions. Recently, safety measures have been implemented in many TKD competitions. Objective: To evaluate retrospectively the incidence of injuries in TKD competitions involving a wide range of participants and featuring extensive safety precautions. Methods: A total of 2498 participants ranged in age from 18 to 66, included both men and women, and ranged in rank from yellow to black belt. Traumas, defined as any event requiring interaction with medical staff, were documented with respect to mechanism, diagnosis, treatment, and follow up recommendations. An injury was defined as a trauma that prevented a contestant from resuming competition on the day that the trauma occurred, according to National Collegiate Athletic Association criteria. Results: The injury rate was 0.4/1000 athlete exposures. This is lower than reported in previous studies of TKD tournaments and in many other sports. Conclusion: TKD tournaments that emphasise limited contact, protective equipment, and medical supervision are relatively safe and compare favourably with other sports. PMID:14514529

  19. Examination of the regulatory frameworks applicable to biologic drugs (including stem cells and their progeny) in Europe, the U.S., and Australia: part II--a method of software documentary analysis.

    PubMed

    Ilic, Nina; Savic, Snezana; Siegel, Evan; Atkinson, Kerry; Tasic, Ljiljana

    2012-12-01

    A wide range of regulatory standards applicable to production and use of tissues, cells, and other biologics (or biologicals), as advanced therapies, indicates considerable interest in the regulation of these products. The objective of this study was to analyze and compare high-tier documents within the Australian, European, and U.S. biologic drug regulatory environments using qualitative methodology. Eighteen high-tier documents from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regulatory frameworks were subject to automated text analysis. Selected documents were consistent with the legal requirements for manufacturing and use of biologic drugs in humans and fall into six different categories. Concepts, themes, and their co-occurrence were identified and compared. The most frequent concepts in TGA, FDA, and EMA frameworks were "biological," "product," and "medicinal," respectively. This was consistent with the previous manual terminology search. Good Manufacturing Practice documents, across frameworks, identified "quality" and "appropriate" as main concepts, whereas in Good Clinical Practice (GCP) documents it was "clinical," followed by "trial," "subjects," "sponsor," and "data." GCP documents displayed considerably higher concordance between different regulatory frameworks, as demonstrated by a smaller number of concepts, similar size, and similar distance between them. Although high-tier documents often use different terminology, they share concepts and themes. This paper may be a modest contribution to the recognition of similarities and differences between analyzed regulatory documents. It may also fill the literature gap and provide some foundation for future comparative research of biologic drug regulations on a global level.

  20. Obesity perceptions and documentation among primary care clinicians at a rural academic health center.

    PubMed

    Aleem, Sohaib; Lasky, Rosalind; Brooks, W Blair; Batsis, John A

    2015-01-01

    Obesity recognition in primary care is important to address the epidemic. We aimed to evaluate primary care clinician-reported documentation, management practices, beliefs and attitudes toward obesity compared to body mass index (BMI) calculation, obesity prevalence and actual documentation of obesity as an active problem in electronic health record in a rural academic center. Our target population for previously validated clinician survey was 56 primary care providers working at 3 sites. We used calendar year 2012 data for assessment of baseline system performance for metrics of documentation of BMI in primary care visits, and proportion of visits in patients with obesity with obesity as a problem. Standard statistical methods assessed the data. Survey response rate was 91%. Average age of respondents was 48.9 years and 62.7% were females. 72.5% clinicians reported having normal BMI. The majority of clinicians reported regularly documenting obesity as an active problem, and utilized motivational interviewing and basic good nutrition and healthy exercise. Clinicians identified lack of discipline and exercise time, access to unhealthy food and psychosocial issues as major barriers. Most denied disliking weight loss discussion or patients taking up too much time. In 21,945 clinic visits and 11,208 annual preventive care visits in calendar year 2012, BMI was calculated in 93% visits but obesity documentation as an active problem only 27% of patients meeting BMI criteria for obesity. Despite high clinician-reported documentation of obesity as an active problem, actual obesity documentation rates remained low in a rural academic medical center. Copyright © 2015 Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Open doorway to truth: legacy of the Minnesota tobacco trial.

    PubMed

    Hurt, Richard D; Ebbert, Jon O; Muggli, Monique E; Lockhart, Nikki J; Robertson, Channing R

    2009-05-01

    More than a decade has passed since the conclusion of the Minnesota tobacco trial and the signing of the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) by 46 US State Attorneys General and the US tobacco industry. The Minnesota settlement exposed the tobacco industry's long history of deceptive marketing, advertising, and research and ultimately forced the industry to change its business practices. The provisions for public document disclosure that were included in the Minnesota settlement and the MSA have resulted in the release of approximately 70 million pages of documents and nearly 20,000 other media materials. No comparable dynamic, voluminous, and contemporaneous document archive exists. Only a few single events in the history of public health have had as dramatic an effect on tobacco control as the public release of the tobacco industry's previously secret internal documents. This review highlights the genesis of the release of these documents, the history of the document depositories created by the Minnesota settlement, the scientific and policy output based on the documents, and the use of the documents in furthering global public health strategies.

  2. Open Doorway to Truth: Legacy of the Minnesota Tobacco Trial

    PubMed Central

    Hurt, Richard D.; Ebbert, Jon O.; Muggli, Monique E.; Lockhart, Nikki J.; Robertson, Channing R.

    2009-01-01

    More than a decade has passed since the conclusion of the Minnesota tobacco trial and the signing of the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) by 46 US State Attorneys General and the US tobacco industry. The Minnesota settlement exposed the tobacco industry's long history of deceptive marketing, advertising, and research and ultimately forced the industry to change its business practices. The provisions for public document disclosure that were included in the Minnesota settlement and the MSA have resulted in the release of approximately 70 million pages of documents and nearly 20,000 other media materials. No comparable dynamic, voluminous, and contemporaneous document archive exists. Only a few single events in the history of public health have had as dramatic an effect on tobacco control as the public release of the tobacco industry's previously secret internal documents. This review highlights the genesis of the release of these documents, the history of the document depositories created by the Minnesota settlement, the scientific and policy output based on the documents, and the use of the documents in furthering global public health strategies. PMID:19411441

  3. Hyperparathyroidism After Irradiation for Childhood Malignancy

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

    McMullen, Todd; Bodie, Greg; Gill, Anthony

    Purpose: To examine the occurrence of hyperparathyroidism in a cohort of patients undergoing combined parathyroid and thyroid surgery after previous head-and-neck irradiation for childhood malignancy. Methods and Materials: This is a retrospective cohort study for the years 1996 to 2007. The study group comprised patients undergoing surgery in University of Sydney Endocrine Surgical Unit who had received previous head-and-neck irradiation in childhood and who were identified as having pathologic thyroid and parathyroid characteristics. Results: A total of 53 patients were identified in whom head-and-neck irradiation for the treatment of childhood malignancy had been documented. In each of the cases, thyroidmore » disease was the primary reason for referral for surgery. Five of these patients (10%) were found to exhibit coexisting hyperparathyroidism. The latency period for hyperparathyroidism was less than 20 years in 4 of the 5 cases. There were four conventional parathyroid adenomas and one parathyroid lipoadenoma. All patients exhibited a significant decrease in postoperative calcium levels after surgery. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to document the significant risk of hyperparathyroidism after radiation exposure for childhood malignancy. The timeframe for development of disease is much shorter than that published for individuals who have undergone irradiation for benign diseases. High doses of therapeutic radiation at a young age make childhood survivors of malignancy at especially high risk for developing hyperparathyroidism.« less

  4. Comparison of data used for setting occupational exposure limits.

    PubMed

    Schenk, Linda

    2010-01-01

    It has previously been shown that occupational exposure limits (OELs) for the same substance can vary significantly between different standard-setters. The work presented in this paper identifies the steps in the process towards establishing an OEL and how variations in those processes could account for these differences. This study selects for further scrutiny substances for which the level of OELs vary by a factor of 100, focussing on 45 documents concerning 14 substances from eight standard-setters. Several of the OELs studied were more than 20 years old and based on outdated knowledge. Furthermore, different standard-setters sometimes based their OELs on different sets of data, and data availability alone could not explain all differences in the selection of data sets used by standard-setters. While the interpretation of key studies did not differ significantly in standard-setters' documentations, the evaluations of the key studies' quality did. Also, differences concerning the critical effect coincided with differences in the level of OELs for half of the substances.

  5. Wildlife resource trends in the United States: A technical document supporting the 2000 RPA Assessment

    Treesearch

    Curtis H. Flather; Stephen J. Brady; Michael S. Knowles

    1999-01-01

    This report documents trends in wildlife resources for the nation as required by the Renewable Resources Planning Act (RPA) of 1974. The report focuses on recent historical trends in wildlife as one indicator of ecosystem health across the United States and updates wildlife trends presented in previous RPA Assessments. The report also shows short- and long-term...

  6. Prototype development and demonstration for response, emergency staging, communications, uniform management, and evacuation (R.E.S.C.U.M.E.) : R.E.S.C.U.M.E. final functional and performance requirements.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-01-01

    This document provides the high-level functional and performance requirements for the Prototype Development and Demonstration of a R.E.S.C.U.M.E. system. The requirements included in this document are based upon those that can be found in previous R....

  7. Thermal support for scale support

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dean, W. G.

    1976-01-01

    The thermal design work completed for the Thermal Protection System (TPS) of the Space Shuttle System (TPS) of the space shuttle vehicle was documented. This work was divided into three phases, the first two of which reported in previous documents. About 22 separate tasks were completed in phase III, such as: hot gas facility (HGF) support, guarded tank support, shuttle external tank (ET) thermal design handbook support, etc.

  8. 78 FR 69875 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Previously Approved Collection, With...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Previously Approved Collection, With Change; Comments Requested: COPS Progress Report Correction In notice document 2013-25701, appearing on page 64979 in the issue of Wednesday, October 30, 2013, make the following correction: On page 64979, in the second column,...

  9. Quantitative Ethnobotany of Medicinal Plants Used by Indigenous Communities in the Bandarban District of Bangladesh.

    PubMed

    Faruque, Mohammad O; Uddin, Shaikh B; Barlow, James W; Hu, Sheng; Dong, Shuang; Cai, Qian; Li, Xiaohua; Hu, Xuebo

    2018-01-01

    This study documents information on significant ethnomedicinal plants, which was collected from the traditional healers of three indigenous communities of Bangladesh. The documented data were quantitatively analyzed for the first time in this area. The information was obtained through open-ended, semi-structured questionnaires. The benefits, importance and coverage of ethnomedicine were expressed through several quantitative indices including Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Use Value (UV), Frequency of Citation (FC), Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) and Relative Importance Index (RI). The agreement of homogeneity between the present and previous studies and among the indigenous communities was evaluated using the Jaccard Index (JI). A total of 159 ethnomedicinal plant species, which were distributed in 132 genera under 62 families, were documented from 174 informants. Of these, 128 plants were native and 31 were exotic. Of a majority of documented species, herbs and leaves were the most utilized plant parts for the preparation of ethnomedicines (45.28%) whereas pastes (63.03%) were the most popular formulations. Among the documented species, the dominant families were the Asteraceae (14 species) and the Lamiaceae (12 species). The highest ICF value was 0.77 for digestive system disorders. Based on UVs, the five most commonly used ethnomedicinal plant species in the study area were Duabanga grandiflora (0.43), Zingiber officinale (0.41), Congea tomentosa (0.40), Matricaria chamomilla (0.33) and Engelhardtia spicata (0.28). The highest RFC was recorded for Rauvolfia serpentina (0.25). The highest RI value was calculated for both Scoparia dulcis and Leucas aspera (0.83). Importantly, 16 species were reported with new therapeutic uses and to our knowledge, 7 species described herein have never been ethnobotanically and pharmacologically studied, viz: Agastache urticifolia, Asarum cordifolium, C. tomentosa, E. spicata, Hypserpa nitida, Merremia vitifolia and Smilax odoratissima . The present study showed that traditional treatment using medicinal plants is still widespread in the study area. Documentation of new ethnomedicinal species with their therapeutic uses shall promote further phytochemical and pharmacological investigations and possibly, lead to the development of new drugs.

  10. Quantitative Ethnobotany of Medicinal Plants Used by Indigenous Communities in the Bandarban District of Bangladesh

    PubMed Central

    Faruque, Mohammad O.; Uddin, Shaikh B.; Barlow, James W.; Hu, Sheng; Dong, Shuang; Cai, Qian; Li, Xiaohua; Hu, Xuebo

    2018-01-01

    This study documents information on significant ethnomedicinal plants, which was collected from the traditional healers of three indigenous communities of Bangladesh. The documented data were quantitatively analyzed for the first time in this area. The information was obtained through open-ended, semi-structured questionnaires. The benefits, importance and coverage of ethnomedicine were expressed through several quantitative indices including Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Use Value (UV), Frequency of Citation (FC), Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) and Relative Importance Index (RI). The agreement of homogeneity between the present and previous studies and among the indigenous communities was evaluated using the Jaccard Index (JI). A total of 159 ethnomedicinal plant species, which were distributed in 132 genera under 62 families, were documented from 174 informants. Of these, 128 plants were native and 31 were exotic. Of a majority of documented species, herbs and leaves were the most utilized plant parts for the preparation of ethnomedicines (45.28%) whereas pastes (63.03%) were the most popular formulations. Among the documented species, the dominant families were the Asteraceae (14 species) and the Lamiaceae (12 species). The highest ICF value was 0.77 for digestive system disorders. Based on UVs, the five most commonly used ethnomedicinal plant species in the study area were Duabanga grandiflora (0.43), Zingiber officinale (0.41), Congea tomentosa (0.40), Matricaria chamomilla (0.33) and Engelhardtia spicata (0.28). The highest RFC was recorded for Rauvolfia serpentina (0.25). The highest RI value was calculated for both Scoparia dulcis and Leucas aspera (0.83). Importantly, 16 species were reported with new therapeutic uses and to our knowledge, 7 species described herein have never been ethnobotanically and pharmacologically studied, viz: Agastache urticifolia, Asarum cordifolium, C. tomentosa, E. spicata, Hypserpa nitida, Merremia vitifolia and Smilax odoratissima. The present study showed that traditional treatment using medicinal plants is still widespread in the study area. Documentation of new ethnomedicinal species with their therapeutic uses shall promote further phytochemical and pharmacological investigations and possibly, lead to the development of new drugs. PMID:29467652

  11. Time Spent on Dedicated Patient Care and Documentation Tasks Before and After the Introduction of a Structured and Standardized Electronic Health Record.

    PubMed

    Joukes, Erik; Abu-Hanna, Ameen; Cornet, Ronald; de Keizer, Nicolette F

    2018-01-01

    Physicians spend around 35% of their time documenting patient data. They are concerned that adopting a structured and standardized electronic health record (EHR) will lead to more time documenting and less time for patient care, especially during consultations. This study measures the effect of the introduction of a structured and standardized EHR on documentation time and time for dedicated patient care during outpatient consultations. We measured physicians' time spent on four task categories during outpatient consultations: documentation, patient care, peer communication, and other activities. Physicians covered various specialties from two university hospitals that jointly implemented a structured and standardized EHR. Preimplementation, one hospital used a legacy-EHR, and one primarily paper-based records. The same physicians were observed 2 to 6 months before and 6 to 8 months after implementation.We analyzed consultation duration, and percentage of time spent on each task category. Differences in time distribution before and after implementation were tested using multilevel linear regression. We observed 24 physicians (162 hours, 439 consultations). We found no significant difference in consultation duration or number of consultations per hour. In the legacy-EHR center, we found the implementation associated with a significant decrease in time spent on dedicated patient care (-8.5%). In contrast, in the previously paper-based center, we found a significant increase in dedicated time spent on documentation (8.3%) and decrease in time on combined patient care and documentation (-4.6%). The effect on dedicated documentation time significantly differed between centers. Implementation of a structured and standardized EHR was associated with 8.5% decrease in time for dedicated patient care during consultations in one center and 8.3% increase in dedicated documentation time in another center. These results are in line with physicians' concerns that the introduction of a structured and standardized EHR might lead to more documentation burden and less time for dedicated patient care. Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart.

  12. Cross-institutional document exchange system using clinical document architecture (CDA) with virtual printing method.

    PubMed

    Mihara, Naoki; Ueda, Kanayo; Manabe, Shirou; Takeda, Toshihiro; Shimai, Yoshie; Horishima, Hiroyuki; Murata, Taizo; Fujii, Ayumi; Matsumura, Yasushi

    2015-01-01

    Recently one patient received care from several hospitals at around the same time. When the patient visited a new hospital, the new hospital's physician tried to get patient information the previous hospital. Thus, patient information is frequently exchanged between them. Many types of healthcare facilities have implemented an electronic medical record system, but in Japan, healthcare information exchange is often done by paper. In other words, after a clinical doctor prints a referral document and sends it to another hospital's physician, another hospital's doctor receives it and scans to store the EMR in his own hospital's system. It is a wasteful way to exchange healthcare information about a patient. In order to solve this problem, we have developed a cross-institutional document exchange system using clinical document architecture (CDA) with a virtual printing method.

  13. Data Provenance in Photogrammetry Through Documentation Protocols

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carboni, N.; Bruseker, G.; Guillem, A.; Bellido Castañeda, D.; Coughenour, C.; Domajnko, M.; de Kramer, M.; Ramos Calles, M. M.; Stathopoulou, E. K.; Suma, R.

    2016-06-01

    Documenting the relevant aspects in digitisation processes such as photogrammetry in order to provide a robust provenance for their products continues to present a challenge. The creation of a product that can be re-used scientifically requires a framework for consistent, standardised documentation of the entire digitisation pipeline. This article provides an analysis of the problems inherent to such goals and presents a series of protocols to document the various steps of a photogrammetric workflow. We propose this pipeline, with descriptors to track all phases of digital product creation in order to assure data provenance and enable the validation of the operations from an analytic and production perspective. The approach aims to support adopters of the workflow to define procedures with a long term perspective. The conceptual schema we present is founded on an analysis of information and actor exchanges in the digitisation process. The metadata were defined through the synthesis of previous proposals in this area and were tested on a case study. We performed the digitisation of a set of cultural heritage artefacts from an Iron Age burial in Ilmendorf, Germany. The objects were captured and processed using different techniques, including a comparison of different imaging tools and algorithms. This augmented the complexity of the process allowing us to test the flexibility of the schema for documenting complex scenarios. Although we have only presented a photogrammetry digitisation scenario, we claim that our schema is easily applicable to a multitude of 3D documentation processes.

  14. Iodinated Contrast Media Allergy in Patients Hospitalized for Investigation of Chest Pain.

    PubMed

    Topaz, Guy; Karas, Adi; Kassem, Nuha; Kitay-Cohen, Yona; Pereg, David; Shilo, Lotan; Zoref-Lorenz, Adi; Hershko, Alon Y

    2018-04-12

    Iodinated contrast media (ICM) allergy may entail severe adverse events in patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Premedication protocols and low-osmolality contrast media have been thought to improve the outcomes of these individuals. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and severity of allergic reactions during PCI in patients admitted for investigation of chest pain. This is a retrospective analysis of 13,652 patients who were hospitalized with chest pain during the years 2010-2016, at the Department of Internal Medicine, Meir Medical Center. Patient records were screened for diagnosis of prior ICM allergy. Primary outcomes were: (1) records of previous allergy to ICM, (2) administration of antiallergic premedication, and (3) allergic reactions to the ICM during the procedure. Nine hundred thirty-one individuals without prior ICM allergy were referred for PCI, of whom 2 had minor allergic reactions. Previously diagnosed ICM allergy was recorded for 216 subjects (mean age 65.5 ± 10 years, 42% males). Of these, 32 were referred to in-hospital PCI. Premedication was administered in 10 cases only with no documented rationale for not treating the other 22. Only one of the pretreated patients experienced a reaction attributed to allergy, showing no statistical advantage for premedication. No mortality was documented in the 30 days after PCI among the patients with known ICM allergy. PCI did not induce substantial allergic reactions to ICM in patients with a previously diagnosed allergy. This study did not demonstrate an advantage for premedication. Copyright © 2018 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. All rights reserved.

  15. Malnutrition in the First Year of Life and Personality at Age 40

    PubMed Central

    Galler, Janina R.; Bryce, Cyralene P.; Zichlin, Miriam L.; Waber, Deborah P.; Exner, Natalie; Fitzmaurice, Garrett M.; Costa, Paul T.

    2013-01-01

    Background Early childhood malnutrition is associated with cognitive and behavioral impairment during childhood and adolescence, but studies in adulthood are limited. Methods Using the NEO-PI-R personality inventory, we compared personality profiles at 37–43 years of age (mean 40.3 years, SD 1.9) of Barbadian adults who had experienced moderate to severe protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) in the first year of life (n=77) with healthy controls, who were former classmates of the index cases and were matched for age, sex and handedness in childhood (n=57). The previously malnourished participants had been rehabilitated, with good health and nutrition documented to 12 years of age, and study participants were followed longitudinally from childhood to 40 y. Group comparisons were adjusted for childhood and adolescent standard of living, with and without correcting for IQ. Results At the broad domain or factor level, previously malnourished participants had higher scores on Neuroticism and lower scores on Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness than did the healthy controls At the sub-domain or facet level, previously malnourished participants reported more anxiety, vulnerability, shyness and lowered sociability, less intellectual curiosity, greater suspiciousness of others, a more egocentric than altruistic orientation, and a lowered sense of efficacy or competence. Conclusions Malnutrition limited to the first year of life with good health and nutrition documented to 12 years of age, is associated with a significant overrepresentation of adult personality trait scores outside of the average range. This outcome has important implications for a variety of important life and mental health outcomes. PMID:23488644

  16. The Virginia Slims identity crisis: an inside look at tobacco industry marketing to women.

    PubMed

    Toll, B A; Ling, P M

    2005-06-01

    Because no prior studies have comprehensively analysed previously secret tobacco industry documents describing marketing female brands, the Virginia Slims brand was studied to explore how Philip Morris and competitors develop and adapt promotional campaigns targeting women. Analysis of previously secret tobacco industry documents. The majority of the documents used were from Philip Morris. The key to Virginia Slims advertising was creating an aspirational image which women associated with the brand. Virginia Slims co-opted women's liberation slogans to build a modern female image from 1968 through to the 1980s, and its market share grew from 0.24% to 3.16% during that time period. Ironically, the feminist image that worked very well for the brand was also the reason for its subsequent problems. Philip Morris experienced unprecedented losses in market share in the early 1990s, with a decline in market share for four consecutive years from 3.16% to 2.26%; they attributed this decline to both the fact that the brand's feminist image no longer appealed to young women aged 18-24 years, and increased competition from more contemporary and lower priced competitors. Throughout the 1990s, attempts to reacquire young women while retaining Virginia Slims loyal (now older) smokers were made using a "King Size" line extension, new slogans, and loyalty building promotions. Tobacco advertisers initially created distinct female brands with aspirational images; continued appeal to young women was critical for long term growth. The need for established brands to evolve to maintain relevance to young women creates an opportunity for tobacco counter-marketing, which should undermine tobacco brand imagery and promote aspirational smoke-free lifestyle images. Young women age 18-24 are extremely valuable to the tobacco industry and should be a focus for tobacco control programmes.

  17. Advance and Retreat: Tobacco Control Policy in the U.S. Military

    PubMed Central

    Arvey, Sarah R.; Malone, Ruth E.

    2009-01-01

    This archival study explored why military tobacco control initiatives have thus far largely failed to meet their goals. We analyzed more than 5,000 previously undisclosed internal tobacco industry documents made public via an online database and additional documents obtained from the U.S. military. In four case studies, we illustrate how pressures exerted by multiple political actors resulted in weakening or rescinding military tobacco control policy initiatives. Our findings suggest that lowering military smoking rates will require health policymakers to better anticipate and counter political opponents. The findings also suggest that effective tobacco control policies may require strong, explicit implementation instructions and high-level Department of Defense support. Finally, policy designers should also consider ways to reduce or eliminate existing perverse incentives to increase tobacco consumption, such as allowing exchange store tobacco sales to fund Morale, Recreation, and Welfare Programs. PMID:19160617

  18. Precursors to potential severe core damage accidents: 1994, a status report. Volume 22: Appendix I

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

    Belles, R.J.; Cletcher, J.W.; Copinger, D.A.

    Nine operational events that affected eleven commercial light-water reactors (LWRs) during 1994 and that are considered to be precursors to potential severe core damage are described. All these events had conditional probabilities of subsequent severe core damage greater than or equal to 1.0 {times} 10{sup {minus}6}. These events were identified by computer-screening the 1994 licensee event reports from commercial LWRs to identify those that could be potential precursors. Candidate precursors were then selected and evaluated in a process similar to that used in previous assessments. Selected events underwent engineering evaluation that identified, analyzed, and documented the precursors. Other events designatedmore » by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) also underwent a similar evaluation. Finally, documented precursors were submitted for review by licensees and NRC headquarters and regional offices to ensure that the plant design and its response to the precursor were correctly characterized. This study is a continuation of earlier work, which evaluated 1969--1981 and 1984--1993 events. The report discusses the general rationale for this study, the selection and documentation of events as precursors, and the estimation of conditional probabilities of subsequent severe core damage for events. This document is bound in two volumes: Vol. 21 contains the main report and Appendices A--H; Vol. 22 contains Appendix 1.« less

  19. Reactive documentation system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boehnlein, Thomas R.; Kramb, Victoria

    2018-04-01

    Proper formal documentation of computer acquired NDE experimental data generated during research is critical to the longevity and usefulness of the data. Without documentation describing how and why the data was acquired, NDE research teams lose capability such as their ability to generate new information from previously collected data or provide adequate information so that their work can be replicated by others seeking to validate their research. Despite the critical nature of this issue, NDE data is still being generated in research labs without appropriate documentation. By generating documentation in series with data, equal priority is given to both activities during the research process. One way to achieve this is to use a reactive documentation system (RDS). RDS prompts an operator to document the data as it is generated rather than relying on the operator to decide when and what to document. This paper discusses how such a system can be implemented in a dynamic environment made up of in-house and third party NDE data acquisition systems without creating additional burden on the operator. The reactive documentation approach presented here is agnostic enough that the principles can be applied to any operator controlled, computer based, data acquisition system.

  20. Orbiter data reduction complex data processing requirements for the OFT mission evaluation team (level C)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1979-01-01

    This document addresses requirements for post-test data reduction in support of the Orbital Flight Tests (OFT) mission evaluation team, specifically those which are planned to be implemented in the ODRC (Orbiter Data Reduction Complex). Only those requirements which have been previously baselined by the Data Systems and Analysis Directorate configuration control board are included. This document serves as the control document between Institutional Data Systems Division and the Integration Division for OFT mission evaluation data processing requirements, and shall be the basis for detailed design of ODRC data processing systems.

  1. A continuation of base-line studies for environmentally monitoring Space Transportation Systems (STS) at John F. Kennedy Space Center. Volume 4: Threatened and endangered species of the Kennedy Space Center. Part 1: Marine turtle studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ehrhart, L. M.

    1980-01-01

    The status of marine turtle populations in the KSC area was studied using data from previous results from ground and aerial surveillance conducted from 1976 to April 1979. During ground surveillance, various data were recorded on emergent turtles such as: species, weight, tag number (if previously tagged), time discovered, activity at discovery and the location of discovery. Observations were also made on nesting and reproductive characteristics, population estimates, immigration and emigration and growth rate of the turtles. Mortality studies were additionally made and autopsies performed on dead turtles found in the area. It is concluded that further mortality documentation should be done just prior to and just after a future space launch operation in order to accurately assess the cause and effect relationship of such a launch on the turtle population.

  2. A retrospective study of factors influencing survival following surgery for gastric dilatation-volvulus syndrome in 306 dogs.

    PubMed

    Mackenzie, George; Barnhart, Mathew; Kennedy, Shawn; DeHoff, William; Schertel, Eric

    2010-01-01

    Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is a life-threatening condition in dogs that has been associated with high mortality rates in previous studies. Factors were evaluated in this study for their influence on overall and postoperative mortality in 306 confirmed cases of GDV between 2000 and 2004. The overall mortality rate was 10%, and the postoperative mortality rate was 6.1%. The factor that was associated with a significant increase in overall mortality was the presence of preoperative cardiac arrhythmias. Factors that were associated with a significant increase in postoperative mortality were postoperative cardiac arrhythmias, splenectomy, or splenectomy with partial gastric resection. The factor that was associated with a significant decrease in the overall mortality rate was time from presentation to surgery. This study documents that certain factors continue to affect the overall and postoperative mortality rates associated with GDV, but these mortality rates have decreased compared to previously reported rates.

  3. Spatial and mineralogic variation of Na-Ca alteration in Laramide porphyry systems of Arizona

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Runyon, S.; Seedorff, E.; Barton, M. D.; Mazdab, F. K.; Lecumberri-Sanchez, P.; Steele-MacInnis, M.

    2017-12-01

    Na-Ca alteration is characterized by the metasomatic addition of Ca ± Na and the loss of K. Minor volumes of Na-Ca alteration in Laramide porphyry systems develops from 3 to 8 km paleodepth. Mineral assemblages, mineral compositions, hydrogen isotopes, whole-rock analyses, and reconnaissance fluid inclusion characteristics have been documented for Na-Ca alteration in Laramide porphyry systems such as Tea Cup and Sierrita. Volumetrically minor Na-Ca alteration in Laramide porphyry systems documented in this study commonly takes the form of one of three mineral assemblages: albite-epidote-chlorite, Na-plagioclase-actinolite ± epidote, and garnet- or diopside-stable Na-plagioclase-actinolite ± epidote. These different Na-Ca mineral assemblages have broad spatial relationships, from shallow albite-chlorite-epidote to deeper Na-plagioclase-actinolite within a given district. Hydrogen isotope data on Na-Ca alteration minerals shows consistently distinct δD compositions of Na-Ca alteration minerals compared to igneous minerals in a given district. Further, calculated hydrogen isotope composition of fluids in equilibrium with Na-Ca alteration minerals are consistently enriched in δD compared to magmatic-hydrothermal fluids. Whole-rock analyses show consistent losses of K and variable addition of Na and Ca across different Na-Ca alteration assemblages. Na-Ca alteration has been well documented associated with the Jurassic arc. Previous studies demonstrated through mass balance, timing and spatial relationships, isotopic, and fluid inclusion studies that Na-Ca alteration associated with the Jurassic arc likely formed from the circulation of external, highly saline, non-magmatic fluids (e.g., Battles and Barton, 1995; Dilles et al., 1995). Na-Ca alteration documented in Laramide systems is generally similar to Na-Ca alteration documented along the Jurassic arc in mineral assemblages, compositions, and timing, but the volume of Na-Ca alteration in the Laramide systems is small as compared to the voluminous Na-Ca alteration documented in systems associated with the Jurassic arc.

  4. A previously unreported locality record for the Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lovich, Jeff; Haxel, Gordon

    2011-01-01

    Although the Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) is widely distributed throughout the Sonoran and portions of the Mojave Deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, details of its distribution in California are imperfectly known, due to the apparent rarity of the species in that state. In their review of Gila Monster records for California, Lovich and Beaman (2007) documented only 26 credible sightings during a period of 153 years. In May 2009 another sighting in California was documented by Ruppert (2010a, b) who photographed a specimen in the Providence Mountains, an area known for previous Gila Monster sightings (Lovich and Beaman 2007). In this paper we report the 28th credible record of a Gila Monster in California.

  5. Search and Graph Database Technologies for Biomedical Semantic Indexing: Experimental Analysis.

    PubMed

    Segura Bedmar, Isabel; Martínez, Paloma; Carruana Martín, Adrián

    2017-12-01

    Biomedical semantic indexing is a very useful support tool for human curators in their efforts for indexing and cataloging the biomedical literature. The aim of this study was to describe a system to automatically assign Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) to biomedical articles from MEDLINE. Our approach relies on the assumption that similar documents should be classified by similar MeSH terms. Although previous work has already exploited the document similarity by using a k-nearest neighbors algorithm, we represent documents as document vectors by search engine indexing and then compute the similarity between documents using cosine similarity. Once the most similar documents for a given input document are retrieved, we rank their MeSH terms to choose the most suitable set for the input document. To do this, we define a scoring function that takes into account the frequency of the term into the set of retrieved documents and the similarity between the input document and each retrieved document. In addition, we implement guidelines proposed by human curators to annotate MEDLINE articles; in particular, the heuristic that says if 3 MeSH terms are proposed to classify an article and they share the same ancestor, they should be replaced by this ancestor. The representation of the MeSH thesaurus as a graph database allows us to employ graph search algorithms to quickly and easily capture hierarchical relationships such as the lowest common ancestor between terms. Our experiments show promising results with an F1 of 69% on the test dataset. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that combines search and graph database technologies for the task of biomedical semantic indexing. Due to its horizontal scalability, ElasticSearch becomes a real solution to index large collections of documents (such as the bibliographic database MEDLINE). Moreover, the use of graph search algorithms for accessing MeSH information could provide a support tool for cataloging MEDLINE abstracts in real time. ©Isabel Segura Bedmar, Paloma Martínez, Adrián Carruana Martín. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 01.12.2017.

  6. Classifying clinical notes with pain assessment using machine learning.

    PubMed

    Fodeh, Samah Jamal; Finch, Dezon; Bouayad, Lina; Luther, Stephen L; Ling, Han; Kerns, Robert D; Brandt, Cynthia

    2017-12-26

    Pain is a significant public health problem, affecting millions of people in the USA. Evidence has highlighted that patients with chronic pain often suffer from deficits in pain care quality (PCQ) including pain assessment, treatment, and reassessment. Currently, there is no intelligent and reliable approach to identify PCQ indicators inelectronic health records (EHR). Hereby, we used unstructured text narratives in the EHR to derive pain assessment in clinical notes for patients with chronic pain. Our dataset includes patients with documented pain intensity rating ratings > = 4 and initial musculoskeletal diagnoses (MSD) captured by (ICD-9-CM codes) in fiscal year 2011 and a minimal 1 year of follow-up (follow-up period is 3-yr maximum); with complete data on key demographic variables. A total of 92 patients with 1058 notes was used. First, we manually annotated qualifiers and descriptors of pain assessment using the annotation schema that we previously developed. Second, we developed a reliable classifier for indicators of pain assessment in clinical note. Based on our annotation schema, we found variations in documenting the subclasses of pain assessment. In positive notes, providers mostly documented assessment of pain site (67%) and intensity of pain (57%), followed by persistence (32%). In only 27% of positive notes, did providers document a presumed etiology for the pain complaint or diagnosis. Documentation of patients' reports of factors that aggravate pain was only present in 11% of positive notes. Random forest classifier achieved the best performance labeling clinical notes with pain assessment information, compared to other classifiers; 94, 95, 94, and 94% was observed in terms of accuracy, PPV, F1-score, and AUC, respectively. Despite the wide spectrum of research that utilizes machine learning in many clinical applications, none explored using these methods for pain assessment research. In addition, previous studies using large datasets to detect and analyze characteristics of patients with various types of pain have relied exclusively on billing and coded data as the main source of information. This study, in contrast, harnessed unstructured narrative text data from the EHR to detect pain assessment clinical notes. We developed a Random forest classifier to identify clinical notes with pain assessment information. Compared to other classifiers, ours achieved the best results in most of the reported metrics. Graphical abstract Framework for detecting pain assessment in clinical notes.

  7. Conflict and reconciliation behavior trends of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).

    PubMed

    Holobinko, Anastasia; Waring, George H

    2010-01-01

    Wild bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) populations display societal structures characterized by numerous and frequent changes in group composition, complex social relationships, and high levels of cooperation, attributes also observed in human and nonhuman primate cultures. Maintaining social relationships under such elemental conditions can frequently create conflict--and the opportunity for reconciliation--among group members. The conflict and reconciliation behavior patterns of the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) have been studied extensively; trends are well-documented in the wild and in captivity. Apparent cultural similarities have prompted several analogous studies on wild and captive bottlenose dolphins. This research attempted to corroborate previous efforts by analyzing the social behavior of seven captive bottlenose dolphins to determine the effects of sex and age on the frequency of conflict and reconciliation, and to investigate the incidence of consolatory behavior within the group. A total of 3,428 interactions involving focal animals, 414 of which were conflict episodes, were documented during 261 hr of videotaped observations. Although the sample size precluded meaningful statistical evaluation of the influence of sex on conflict and reconciliation, participant age was a significant determinant of conflict frequency. Conversely, age did not impact frequency of reconciliation, which only occurred after 18% of all conflict interactions. Little to no definitive evidence of consolation was apparent within the study group. While results partially support the findings of previous dolphin reconciliation research, extensive behavioral studies of wild populations should be conducted before generating broad comparisons between human terms and nonhuman behavioral interactions. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  8. Constant Fiber Number During Skeletal Muscle Atrophy and Modified Arachidonate Metabolism During Hypertrophy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Templeton, G.

    1985-01-01

    A previously documented shift from Type I to IIA predominance of the soleus muscle during rat suspension was further investigated to determine if this shift was by selective reduction of a single fiber type, simultaneous reduction and formation of fibers with different fiber types, or a transformation of fiber type by individual fibers. By partial acid digestion and dissection, average total soleus fiber number was found to be 3022 + or - 80 (SE) and 3008 + or - 64 before and after four-week suspension (n=12). Another area of current research was based on previous studies which indicate that prostaglandins are biosynthesized by skeletal muscle and evoke protein synthesis and degradation.

  9. New records of Atlantic hurricanes from Spanish documentary sources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    GarcíA-Herrera, Ricardo; Gimeno, Luis; Ribera, Pedro; HernáNdez, Emiliano

    2005-02-01

    Spanish historical documents from the Archivo General de Indias (General Archive of the Indies) have been used to identify Caribbean hurricanes and storms from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. These sources provide previously unrecorded information on hurricanes useful to complete preexisting chronologies and cyclone tracks. Our work adds 10 hurricanes not previously identified, which can now be freely accessed through the World Wide Web. The results suggest that the seventeenth century may have been less active than the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, with the most active period occurring between 1766 and 1780. Additionally, the study is the first compilation of information about storms (different from hurricanes) in the Caribbean basin.

  10. Axonal loss from acute optic neuropathy documented by scanning laser polarimetry

    PubMed Central

    Meier, F M; Bernasconi, P; Stürmer, J; Caubergh, M-J; Landau, K

    2002-01-01

    Background/aims: Retinal nerve fibre layer analysis by scanning laser polarimetry has been shown to facilitate diagnosis of glaucoma while its role in glaucoma follow up is still unclear. A major difficulty is the slow reduction of retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Eyes of patients were studied after acute retrobulbar optic nerve lesion in order to evaluate the usefulness of scanning laser polarimetry in documenting retinal nerve fibre layer loss over time. Methods: Five patients who suffered severe retrobulbar optic neuropathy have had repeated measurements of the retinal nerve fibre layer using scanning laser polarimetry at various intervals, the first examination being within 1 week of injury. Results: All eyes showed a marked decrease in peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness, which followed an exponential curve and occurred predominantly within 8 weeks of injury. Compared to a previous study using red-free photographs, scanning laser polarimetry showed retinal nerve fibre layer loss earlier in the course of descending atrophy. Conclusion: Scanning laser polarimetry is useful for early detection and documentation of retinal nerve fibre layer loss following acute injury to the retrobulbar optic nerve. It seems to be a promising tool for follow up of individual glaucoma patients. PMID:11864884

  11. Affordances and Limitations of Immersive Participatory Augmented Reality Simulations for Teaching and Learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dunleavy, Matt; Dede, Chris; Mitchell, Rebecca

    2009-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to document how teachers and students describe and comprehend the ways in which participating in an augmented reality (AR) simulation aids or hinders teaching and learning. Like the multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) interface that underlies Internet games, AR is a good medium for immersive collaborative simulation, but has different strengths and limitations than MUVEs. Within a design-based research project, the researchers conducted multiple qualitative case studies across two middle schools (6th and 7th grade) and one high school (10th grade) in the northeastern United States to document the affordances and limitations of AR simulations from the student and teacher perspective. The researchers collected data through formal and informal interviews, direct observations, web site posts, and site documents. Teachers and students reported that the technology-mediated narrative and the interactive, situated, collaborative problem solving affordances of the AR simulation were highly engaging, especially among students who had previously presented behavioral and academic challenges for the teachers. However, while the AR simulation provided potentially transformative added value, it simultaneously presented unique technological, managerial, and cognitive challenges to teaching and learning.

  12. Association Between Real-time Electronic Injury Surveillance Applications and Clinical Documentation and Data Acquisition in a South African Trauma Center

    PubMed Central

    Zargaran, Eiman; Spence, Richard; Adolph, Lauren; Nicol, Andrew; Schuurman, Nadine; Navsaria, Pradeep; Ramsey, Damon

    2018-01-01

    Importance Collection and analysis of up-to-date and accurate injury surveillance data are a key step in the maturation of trauma systems. Trauma registries have proven to be difficult to establish in low- and middle-income countries owing to the burden of trauma volume, cost, and complexity. Objective To determine whether an electronic trauma health record (eTHR) used by physicians can serve as simultaneous clinical documentation and data acquisition tools. Design, Setting, and Participants This 2-part quality improvement study included (1) preimplementation and postimplementation eTHR study with assessments of satisfaction by 41 trauma physicians, time to completion, and quality of data collected comparing paper and electronic charting; and (2) prospective ecologic study describing the burden of trauma seen at a Level I trauma center, using real-time data collected by the eTHR on consecutive patients during a 12-month study period. The study was conducted from October 1, 2010, to September 30, 2011, at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. Data analysis was performed from October 15, 2011, to January 15, 2013. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome of part 1 was data field competition rates of pertinent trauma registry items obtained through electronic or paper documentation. The main measures of part 2 were to identify risk factors to trauma in Cape Town and quality indicators recommended for trauma system evaluation at Groote Schuur Hospital. Results The 41 physicians included in the study found the electronic patient documentation to be more efficient and preferable. A total of 11 612 trauma presentations were accurately documented and promptly analyzed. Fields relevant to injury surveillance in the eTHR (n = 11 612) had statistically significant higher completion rates compared with paper records (n = 9236) (for all comparisons, P < .001). The eTHR successfully captured quality indicators recommended for trauma system evaluation which were previously challenging to collect in a timely and accurate manner. Of the 11 612 patient admissions over the study period, injury location was captured 11 075 times (95.4%), injury mechanism 11 135 times (95.9%), systolic blood pressure 11 106 times (95.6%), and Glasgow Coma Scale 11 140 times (95.9%). These fields were successfully captured with statistically higher rates than previous paper documentation. Epidemiologic analysis confirmed a heavy burden of violence-related injury (51.8% of all injuries) and motor vehicle crash injuries (14.3% of all injuries). Mapping analysis demonstrated clusters of injuries originating mainly from vulnerable and low-income neighborhoods and their respective referring trauma facilities, Mitchell’s Plain Hospital (734 [10.1%]), Guguletu Community Health Center (654 [9.0%]), and New Somerset Hospital (400 [5.5%]). Conclusions and Relevance Accurate capture and simultaneous analysis of trauma data in low-resource trauma settings are feasible through the integration of surveillance into clinical workflow and the timely analysis of electronic data. PMID:29541765

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

    None

    Along the Yuma Sector Border Patrol Area in Yuma, Arizona, the GATEWAY program conducted a trial demonstration in which the incumbent quartz metal halide area lighting was replaced with LED at three pole locations at the Yuma Sector Border Patrol Area in Yuma, Arizona. The retrofit was documented to better understand LED technology performance in high-temperature environments. This document is a summary brief of the Phase 1.0 and 1.1 reports previously published on this demonstration.

  14. Prototype development and demonstration for response, emergency staging, communications, uniform management, and evacuation (R.E.S.C.U.M.E.) : R.E.S.C.U.M.E. prototype system architecture.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-01-01

    This document provides the high-level system architecture for the Prototype Development and Demonstration of a R.E.S.C.U.M.E. system. The requirements addressed in this document are based upon those that can be found in previous R.E.S.C.U.M.E. report...

  15. Development of Novel Therapeutics for Neglected Tropical Disease Leishmaniasis

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-10-01

    Department of the Army position, policy or decision unless so designated by other documentation. REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704...PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) US Naval Medical Research Unit No. Six Venezuela Av. Block 36 Bellavista, Callao-Peru Asociacion Benefica...leading drug candidates identified in the previous experiments. Site 2: Naval Medical Research Unit No. Six (NAMRU-6), Venezuela Avenue block 36

  16. Documenting the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Oblate Earth Simulation Equations of Motion and Integration Algorithm

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clarke, R.; Lintereur, L.; Bahm, C.

    2016-01-01

    A desire for more complete documentation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC), Edwards, California legacy code used in the core simulation has led to this e ort to fully document the oblate Earth six-degree-of-freedom equations of motion and integration algorithm. The authors of this report have taken much of the earlier work of the simulation engineering group and used it as a jumping-o point for this report. The largest addition this report makes is that each element of the equations of motion is traced back to first principles and at no point is the reader forced to take an equation on faith alone. There are no discoveries of previously unknown principles contained in this report; this report is a collection and presentation of textbook principles. The value of this report is that those textbook principles are herein documented in standard nomenclature that matches the form of the computer code DERIVC. Previous handwritten notes are much of the backbone of this work, however, in almost every area, derivations are explicitly shown to assure the reader that the equations which make up the oblate Earth version of the computer routine, DERIVC, are correct.

  17. National Training Center (NTC) Analysis

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-05-29

    CONTRACT FOR S100K NTC CONCEPT STUDY PRESENTATION TO DARPA/TRADOC SIOOK ADD- ON FOR FURTHER NTC CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT SAI CONCEPT FOR 1-ALPHA...Technical Report 29 May 1981 I I I This document is submitted in fulfillment of contract No. DAAK 40-78-C-0198. It is the final report on Phase 1...many technical reports have been published previously. This report draws on these earlier reports and presents a comprehensive summary and overview

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

    Luther, Erik Paul; Leckie, Rafael M.; Dombrowski, David E.

    This supplemental report describes fuel fabrication efforts conducted for the Idaho National Laboratory Trade Study for the TREAT Conversion project that is exploring the replacement of the HEU (Highly Enriched Uranium) fuel core of the TREAT reactor with LEU (Low Enriched Uranium) fuel. Previous reports have documented fabrication of fuel by the “upgrade” process developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. These experiments supplement an earlier report that describes efforts to increase the graphite content of extruded fuel and minimize cracking.

  19. Mussels as Bioindicators: A Case Study of Tributyltin Effects in San Diego Bay.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    As part of a Navy research program to evaluate the environmental effects of tributyltin ( TBT ) antifouling coatings and develop in-situ field...documented temporal and spatial variability in TBT and the effects of TBT on growth, bioaccumulation and survival that have not been previously...the mussel bioidicator for assessing TBT effects in San Diego Bay and establishes a significant refinement in the use of mussels as biological

  20. A Method of Retrospective Computerized System Validation for Drug Manufacturing Software Considering Modifications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takahashi, Masakazu; Fukue, Yoshinori

    This paper proposes a Retrospective Computerized System Validation (RCSV) method for Drug Manufacturing Software (DMSW) that relates to drug production considering software modification. Because DMSW that is used for quality management and facility control affects big impact to quality of drugs, regulatory agency required proofs of adequacy for DMSW's functions and performance based on developed documents and test results. Especially, the work that explains adequacy for previously developed DMSW based on existing documents and operational records is called RCSV. When modifying RCSV conducted DMSW, it was difficult to secure consistency between developed documents and test results for modified DMSW parts and existing documents and operational records for non-modified DMSW parts. This made conducting RCSV difficult. In this paper, we proposed (a) definition of documents architecture, (b) definition of descriptive items and levels in the documents, (c) management of design information using database, (d) exhaustive testing, and (e) integrated RCSV procedure. As a result, we could conduct adequate RCSV securing consistency.

  1. Script-independent text line segmentation in freestyle handwritten documents.

    PubMed

    Li, Yi; Zheng, Yefeng; Doermann, David; Jaeger, Stefan; Li, Yi

    2008-08-01

    Text line segmentation in freestyle handwritten documents remains an open document analysis problem. Curvilinear text lines and small gaps between neighboring text lines present a challenge to algorithms developed for machine printed or hand-printed documents. In this paper, we propose a novel approach based on density estimation and a state-of-the-art image segmentation technique, the level set method. From an input document image, we estimate a probability map, where each element represents the probability that the underlying pixel belongs to a text line. The level set method is then exploited to determine the boundary of neighboring text lines by evolving an initial estimate. Unlike connected component based methods ( [1], [2] for example), the proposed algorithm does not use any script-specific knowledge. Extensive quantitative experiments on freestyle handwritten documents with diverse scripts, such as Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and Hindi, demonstrate that our algorithm consistently outperforms previous methods [1]-[3]. Further experiments show the proposed algorithm is robust to scale change, rotation, and noise.

  2. User Manuals for a Primary Care Electronic Medical Record System: A Mixed Methods Study of User- and Vendor-Generated Documents

    PubMed Central

    Dow, Rustam; Barnsley, Jan; Tu, Karen; Domb, Sharon; Jadad, Alejandro R.; Lemieux-Charles, Louise

    2015-01-01

    Research problem Tutorials and user manuals are important forms of impersonal support for using software applications including electronic medical records (EMRs). Differences between user- and vendor documentation may indicate support needs, which are not sufficiently addressed by the official documentation, and reveal new elements that may inform the design of tutorials and user manuals. Research question What are the differences between user-generated tutorials and manuals for an EMR and the official user manual from the software vendor? Literature review Effective design of tutorials and user manuals requires careful packaging of information, balance between declarative and procedural texts, an action and task-oriented approach, support for error recognition and recovery, and effective use of visual elements. No previous research compared these elements between formal and informal documents. Methodology We conducted an mixed methods study. Seven tutorials and two manuals for an EMR were collected from three family health teams and compared with the official user manual from the software vendor. Documents were qualitatively analyzed using a framework analysis approach in relation to the principles of technical documentation described above. Subsets of the data were quantitatively analyzed using cross-tabulation to compare the types of error information and visual cues in screen captures between user- and vendor-generated manuals. Results and discussion The user-developed tutorials and manuals differed from the vendor-developed manual in that they contained mostly procedural and not declarative information; were customized to the specific workflow, user roles, and patient characteristics; contained more error information related to work processes than to software usage; and used explicit visual cues on screen captures to help users identify window elements. These findings imply that to support EMR implementation, tutorials and manuals need to be customized and adapted to specific organizational contexts and workflows. The main limitation of the study is its generalizability. Future research should address this limitation and may explore alternative approaches to software documentation, such as modular manuals or participatory design. PMID:26190888

  3. SureChEMBL: a large-scale, chemically annotated patent document database.

    PubMed

    Papadatos, George; Davies, Mark; Dedman, Nathan; Chambers, Jon; Gaulton, Anna; Siddle, James; Koks, Richard; Irvine, Sean A; Pettersson, Joe; Goncharoff, Nicko; Hersey, Anne; Overington, John P

    2016-01-04

    SureChEMBL is a publicly available large-scale resource containing compounds extracted from the full text, images and attachments of patent documents. The data are extracted from the patent literature according to an automated text and image-mining pipeline on a daily basis. SureChEMBL provides access to a previously unavailable, open and timely set of annotated compound-patent associations, complemented with sophisticated combined structure and keyword-based search capabilities against the compound repository and patent document corpus; given the wealth of knowledge hidden in patent documents, analysis of SureChEMBL data has immediate applications in drug discovery, medicinal chemistry and other commercial areas of chemical science. Currently, the database contains 17 million compounds extracted from 14 million patent documents. Access is available through a dedicated web-based interface and data downloads at: https://www.surechembl.org/. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  4. Geophysical investigations in the 100 Areas: Fiscal year 1991 through December 1993

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitchell, T. H.

    1994-09-01

    The geophysical investigations identified in this document were conducted by the Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) Surface Geophysics Team, Geophysics Group, between October, 1991 and December, 1993. The investigations supported 100-Area activities for the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensations and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The primary intent of this document is to provide a general map location and the associated document number for investigations that have been conducted as of December, 1993. The results of the individual investigations are not included here. The results of all of these investigations have been previously reported individually in WHC supporting documents. The investigations conducted during Fiscal Year (FY) 1992 are summarized in a single WHC document, WHC-SD-EN-TI-204, Rev. O. A brief summary of some of the successful applications of geophysics in the 100-Areas is included.

  5. BIM applied in historical building documentation and refurbishing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheng, H.-M.; Yang, W.-B.; Yen, Y.-N.

    2015-08-01

    Historical building conservation raises two important issues which are documentation and refurbishing. For the recording and documentation, we already have developed 3d laser scanner and such photogrammetry technology those represent a freeze object of virtual reality by digital documentation. On the other hand, the refurbished engineering of historic building is a challenge for conservation heritage which are not only reconstructing the damage part but also restoring tangible cultural heritage. 3D digital cultural heritage models has become a topic of great interest in recent years. One reason for this is the more widespread use of laser scanning and photogrammetry for recording cultural heritage sites. These technologies have made it possible to efficiently and accurately record complex structures remotely that would not have been possible with previous survey methods. In addition to these developments, digital information systems are evolving for the presentation, analysis and archival of heritage documentation.

  6. SureChEMBL: a large-scale, chemically annotated patent document database

    PubMed Central

    Papadatos, George; Davies, Mark; Dedman, Nathan; Chambers, Jon; Gaulton, Anna; Siddle, James; Koks, Richard; Irvine, Sean A.; Pettersson, Joe; Goncharoff, Nicko; Hersey, Anne; Overington, John P.

    2016-01-01

    SureChEMBL is a publicly available large-scale resource containing compounds extracted from the full text, images and attachments of patent documents. The data are extracted from the patent literature according to an automated text and image-mining pipeline on a daily basis. SureChEMBL provides access to a previously unavailable, open and timely set of annotated compound-patent associations, complemented with sophisticated combined structure and keyword-based search capabilities against the compound repository and patent document corpus; given the wealth of knowledge hidden in patent documents, analysis of SureChEMBL data has immediate applications in drug discovery, medicinal chemistry and other commercial areas of chemical science. Currently, the database contains 17 million compounds extracted from 14 million patent documents. Access is available through a dedicated web-based interface and data downloads at: https://www.surechembl.org/. PMID:26582922

  7. Font group identification using reconstructed fonts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cutter, Michael P.; van Beusekom, Joost; Shafait, Faisal; Breuel, Thomas M.

    2011-01-01

    Ideally, digital versions of scanned documents should be represented in a format that is searchable, compressed, highly readable, and faithful to the original. These goals can theoretically be achieved through OCR and font recognition, re-typesetting the document text with original fonts. However, OCR and font recognition remain hard problems, and many historical documents use fonts that are not available in digital forms. It is desirable to be able to reconstruct fonts with vector glyphs that approximate the shapes of the letters that form a font. In this work, we address the grouping of tokens in a token-compressed document into candidate fonts. This permits us to incorporate font information into token-compressed images even when the original fonts are unknown or unavailable in digital format. This paper extends previous work in font reconstruction by proposing and evaluating an algorithm to assign a font to every character within a document. This is a necessary step to represent a scanned document image with a reconstructed font. Through our evaluation method, we have measured a 98.4% accuracy for the assignment of letters to candidate fonts in multi-font documents.

  8. LCS Content Document Application

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hochstadt, Jake

    2011-01-01

    My project at KSC during my spring 2011 internship was to develop a Ruby on Rails application to manage Content Documents..A Content Document is a collection of documents and information that describes what software is installed on a Launch Control System Computer. It's important for us to make sure the tools we use everyday are secure, up-to-date, and properly licensed. Previously, keeping track of the information was done by Excel and Word files between different personnel. The goal of the new application is to be able to manage and access the Content Documents through a single database backed web application. Our LCS team will benefit greatly with this app. Admin's will be able to login securely to keep track and update the software installed on each computer in a timely manner. We also included exportability such as attaching additional documents that can be downloaded from the web application. The finished application will ease the process of managing Content Documents while streamlining the procedure. Ruby on Rails is a very powerful programming language and I am grateful to have the opportunity to build this application.

  9. The Environmental Protection Agency in the Early Trump Administration: Prelude to Regulatory Capture.

    PubMed

    Dillon, Lindsey; Sellers, Christopher; Underhill, Vivian; Shapiro, Nicholas; Ohayon, Jennifer Liss; Sullivan, Marianne; Brown, Phil; Harrison, Jill; Wylie, Sara

    2018-04-01

    We explore and contextualize changes at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the first 6 months of the Trump administration, arguing that its pro-business direction is enabling a form of regulatory capture. We draw on news articles, public documents, and a rapid response, multisited interview study of current and retired EPA employees to (1) document changes associated with the new administration, (2) contextualize and compare the current pro-business makeover with previous ones, and (3) publicly convey findings in a timely manner. The lengthy, combined experience of interviewees with previous Republican and Democratic administrations made them valuable analysts for assessing recent shifts at the Scott Pruitt-led EPA and the extent to which these shifts steer the EPA away from its stated mission to "protect human and environmental health." Considering the extent of its pro-business leanings in the absence of mitigating power from the legislative branch, we conclude that its regulatory capture has become likely-more so than at similar moments in the agency's 47-year history. The public and environmental health consequences of regulatory capture of the EPA will probably be severe and far-reaching.

  10. The Environmental Protection Agency in the Early Trump Administration: Prelude to Regulatory Capture

    PubMed Central

    Sellers, Christopher; Underhill, Vivian; Shapiro, Nicholas; Ohayon, Jennifer Liss; Sullivan, Marianne; Brown, Phil; Harrison, Jill; Wylie, Sara

    2018-01-01

    We explore and contextualize changes at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the first 6 months of the Trump administration, arguing that its pro-business direction is enabling a form of regulatory capture. We draw on news articles, public documents, and a rapid response, multisited interview study of current and retired EPA employees to (1) document changes associated with the new administration, (2) contextualize and compare the current pro-business makeover with previous ones, and (3) publicly convey findings in a timely manner. The lengthy, combined experience of interviewees with previous Republican and Democratic administrations made them valuable analysts for assessing recent shifts at the Scott Pruitt–led EPA and the extent to which these shifts steer the EPA away from its stated mission to “protect human and environmental health.” Considering the extent of its pro-business leanings in the absence of mitigating power from the legislative branch, we conclude that its regulatory capture has become likely—more so than at similar moments in the agency’s 47-year history. The public and environmental health consequences of regulatory capture of the EPA will probably be severe and far-reaching. PMID:29698086

  11. Overview of Historical Earthquake Document Database in Japan and Future Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nishiyama, A.; Satake, K.

    2014-12-01

    In Japan, damage and disasters from historical large earthquakes have been documented and preserved. Compilation of historical earthquake documents started in the early 20th century and 33 volumes of historical document source books (about 27,000 pages) have been published. However, these source books are not effectively utilized for researchers due to a contamination of low-reliability historical records and a difficulty for keyword searching by characters and dates. To overcome these problems and to promote historical earthquake studies in Japan, construction of text database started in the 21 century. As for historical earthquakes from the beginning of the 7th century to the early 17th century, "Online Database of Historical Documents in Japanese Earthquakes and Eruptions in the Ancient and Medieval Ages" (Ishibashi, 2009) has been already constructed. They investigated the source books or original texts of historical literature, emended the descriptions, and assigned the reliability of each historical document on the basis of written age. Another database compiled the historical documents for seven damaging earthquakes occurred along the Sea of Japan coast in Honshu, central Japan in the Edo period (from the beginning of the 17th century to the middle of the 19th century) and constructed text database and seismic intensity data base. These are now publicized on the web (written only in Japanese). However, only about 9 % of the earthquake source books have been digitized so far. Therefore, we plan to digitize all of the remaining historical documents by the research-program which started in 2014. The specification of the data base will be similar for previous ones. We also plan to combine this database with liquefaction traces database, which will be constructed by other research program, by adding the location information described in historical documents. Constructed database would be utilized to estimate the distributions of seismic intensities and tsunami heights.

  12. Predictive factors for erectile dysfunction in men with prostate cancer after brachytherapy: Is dose to the penile bulb important?

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

    Macdonald, A. Graham; Keyes, Mira; Kruk, Alexandra

    2005-09-01

    Purpose: To determine predictive factors for postimplant erectile dysfunction (ED) in a cohort of patients, according to prospectively collected data; specifically, to assess the impact of penile bulb volume and D50 and D95 (dose covering 50% and 95% of the penile bulb volume, respectively) on ED. Methods and Materials: Three hundred forty-two patients were identified who were potent before implant and who had at least 2 years' follow-up. Patient, tumor, treatment, and dosimetric data were collected on all patients. Postimplant ED was defined according to both physician-documented and patient-documented outcome data. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to create multivariablemore » models of predictors for ED at 1, 2, and 3 years after implant. Results: Physician-documented rates of ED were 57%, 48%, and 38% at 1, 2, and 3 years after implant, respectively. Patient-documented rates of ED were 70% and 66% at 1 and 2 years, respectively. Multivariable analyses revealed age and degree of preimplant erectile function to be consistently significant predictors of ED. Use of hormones was significant at the 1-year physician-documented ED endpoint but not thereafter, in keeping with the time course of testosterone recovery. Penile bulb volume, D50, and D95 were not found to be predictive for ED at any time point, in contrast to previous studies. In addition, planning ultrasound target volume, number of needles, and institutional case sequence number were significant predictors of ED at various time points, consistent with a traumatic etiology of ED. Conclusions: We found no evidence to support penile bulb dosimetry as an independent predictive factor for ED after implant, using physician-documented or patient-documented outcomes.« less

  13. Over diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in an underserved patient population.

    PubMed

    Ghattas, Christian; Dai, Allen; Gemmel, David J; Awad, Magdi H

    2013-01-01

    While cross-national studies have documented rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) misdiagnosis among patients in primary care, US studies are scarce. Studies investigating diagnosis among uninsured patients are lacking. The purpose of this study is to identify patients who are over diagnosed and thus, mistreated, for COPD in a federally qualified health center. A descriptive study was conducted for a retrospective cohort from February 2011 to June 2012. Spirometry was performed by trained personnel following American Thoracic Society recommendations. Patients were referred for spirometry to confirm previous COPD diagnosis or to assess uncontrolled COPD symptoms. Airway obstruction was defined as a forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration (FEV1) to forced vital capacity ratio less than 0.7. Reversibility was defined as a postbronchodilator increase in FEV1 greater than 200 mL and greater than 12%. Eighty patients treated for a previous diagnosis of COPD (n = 72) or on anticholinergic inhalers (n = 8) with no COPD diagnosis were evaluated. The average age was 52.9 years; 71% were uninsured. Only 17.5% (14/80) of patients reported previous spirometry. Spirometry revealed that 42.5% had no obstruction, 22.5% had reversible obstruction, and 35% had non-reversible obstruction. Symptoms and smoking history are insufficient to diagnose COPD. Prevalence of COPD over diagnosis among uninsured patient populations may be higher than previously reported. Confirming previous COPD diagnosis with spirometry is essential to avoid unnecessary and potentially harmful treatment.

  14. Improving neurosurgical communication and reducing risk and registrar burden using a novel online database referral platform.

    PubMed

    Matloob, Samir A; Hyam, Jonathan A; Thorne, Lewis; Bradford, Robert

    2016-01-01

    Documentation of urgent referrals to neurosurgical units and communication with referring hospitals is critical for effective handover and appropriate continuity of care within a tertiary service. Referrals to our neurosurgical unit were audited and we found that the majority of referrals were not documented and this led to more calls to the on-call neurosurgery registrar regarding old referrals. We implemented a new referral system in an attempt to improve documentation of referrals, communication with our referring hospitals and to professionalise the service we offer them. During a 14-day period, number of bleeps, missed bleeps, calls discussing new referrals and previously processed referrals were recorded. Whether new referrals were appropriately documented and referrers received a written response was also recorded. A commercially provided secure cloud-based data archiving telecommunications and database platform for referrals was subsequently introduced within the Trust and the questionnaire repeated during another 14-day period 1 year after implementation. Missed bleeps per day reduced from 16% (SD ± 6.4%) to 9% (SD ± 4.8%; df = 13, paired t-tests p = 0.007) and mean calls per day clarifying previous referrals reduced from 10 (SD ± 4) to 5 (SD ± 3.5; df = 13, p = 0.003). Documentation of new referrals increased from 43% (74/174) to 85% (181/210), and responses to referrals increased from 74% to 98%. The use of a secure cloud-based data archiving telecommunications and database platform significantly increased the documentation of new referrals. This led to fewer missed bleeps and fewer calls about old referrals for the on call registrar. This system of documenting referrals results in improved continuity of care for neurosurgical patients, a significant reduction in risk for Trusts and a more efficient use of Registrar time.

  15. Brucella Infection in Asian Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris lutris) on Bering Island, Russia.

    PubMed

    Burgess, Tristan L; Johnson, Christine Kreuder; Burdin, Alexander; Gill, Verena A; Doroff, Angela M; Tuomi, Pamela; Smith, Woutrina A; Goldstein, Tracey

    2017-10-01

    Infection with Brucella spp., long known as a cause of abortion, infertility, and reproductive loss in domestic livestock, has increasingly been documented in marine mammals over the past two decades. We report molecular evidence of Brucella infection in Asian sea otters (Enhydra lutris lutris). Brucella DNA was detected in 3 of 78 (4%) rectal swab samples collected between 2004 and 2006 on Bering Island, Russia. These 78 animals had previously been documented to have a Brucella seroprevalence of 28%, markedly higher than the prevalence documented in sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in North America. All of the DNA sequences amplified were identical to one or more previously isolated Brucella spp. including strains from both terrestrial and marine hosts. Phylogenetic analysis of this sequence suggested that one animal was shedding Brucella spp. DNA with a sequence matching a Brucella abortus strain, whereas two animals yielded a sequence matching a group of strains including isolates classified as Brucella pinnipedialis and Brucella melitensis. Our results highlight the diversity of Brucella spp. within a single sea otter population.

  16. AGARD Flight Test Instrumentation Series. Volume 18. Microprocessor Applications in Airborne Flight Test Instrumentation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-02-01

    flowcharting . 3. ProEram Codin in HLL. This stage consists of transcribing the previously designed program into R an t at can be translated into the machine...specified conditios 7. Documentation. Program documentation is necessary for user information, for maintenance, and for future applications. Flowcharts ...particular CP U. Asynchronous. Operating without reference to an overall timing source. BASIC. Beginners ’ All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code; a widely

  17. Child-rearing ability and the provision of fertility services: an Ethics Committee opinion.

    PubMed

    2017-12-01

    Fertility programs may withhold services from prospective patients on the basis of well-grounded reasons that those patients will be unable to provide minimally adequate or safe care for offspring. This document was reviewed and updated; this version replaces the previous version of this document, last published July 2013 (Fertil Steril 2013;100:50-53). Copyright © 2017 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Long range targeting for space based rendezvous

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Everett, Louis J.; Redfield, R. C.

    1995-01-01

    The work performed under this grant supported the Dexterous Flight Experiment one STS-62 The project required developing hardware and software for automating a TRAC sensor on orbit. The hardware developed by for the flight has been documented through standard NASA channels since it has to pass safety, environmental, and other issues. The software has not been documented previously, therefore, this report provides a software manual for the TRAC code developed for the grant.

  19. Comparative internal anatomy of Staurozoa (Cnidaria), with functional and evolutionary inferences

    PubMed Central

    Collins, Allen G.; Hirano, Yayoi M.; Mills, Claudia E.

    2016-01-01

    Comparative efforts to understand the body plan evolution of stalked jellyfishes are scarce. Most characters, and particularly internal anatomy, have neither been explored for the class Staurozoa, nor broadly applied in its taxonomy and classification. Recently, a molecular phylogenetic hypothesis was derived for Staurozoa, allowing for the first broad histological comparative study of staurozoan taxa. This study uses comparative histology to describe the body plans of nine staurozoan species, inferring functional and evolutionary aspects of internal morphology based on the current phylogeny of Staurozoa. We document rarely-studied structures, such as ostia between radial pockets, intertentacular lobules, gametoducts, pad-like adhesive structures, and white spots of nematocysts (the last four newly proposed putative synapomorphies for Staurozoa). Two different regions of nematogenesis are documented. This work falsifies the view that the peduncle region of stauromedusae only retains polypoid characters; metamorphosis from stauropolyp to stauromedusa occurs both at the apical region (calyx) and basal region (peduncle). Intertentacular lobules, observed previously in only a small number of species, are shown to be widespread. Similarly, gametoducts were documented in all analyzed genera, both in males and females, thereby elucidating gamete release. Finally, ostia connecting adjacent gastric radial pockets appear to be universal for Staurozoa. Detailed histological studies of medusozoan polyps and medusae are necessary to further understand the relationships between staurozoan features and those of other medusozoan cnidarians. PMID:27812408

  20. Single dose filgastrim in cytotoxic-induced neutropaenia in children.

    PubMed

    Abdallah, F K

    2008-01-01

    To document the impact of fixed dose weight adjusted filgastrim (G-CSF) in cytotoxic-induced neutropaenia. A descriptive cross-sectional study. Paediatric Oncology Unit at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya. All paediatric oncology patients who had developed cytotoxic-induced neutropaenia. The following were documented for every tissue proven case of malignancy; age, sex, type of malignancy, treatment regimen and schedule, initial blood count at the time of neutropaenia; subsequent blood counts daily for five days from day one of single dose filgastrim, and the calculated neutrophil incremental count. Initially eight patients with solid tumours previously treated with filgastrim revealed that cytotoxic induced neutropaenia could be ameliorated by a single dose of filgastrim. Subsequently, the study listed thirty patients. This cohort consisted of; 37% rhabdomyosarcoma, 30% Burkitts, 27% acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and 6% Hodgkin's lymphoma. Increased neutrophil count after 48 hours was documented in 26 (87%) patients, with absolute neutrophil counts range of 0.5 to 31.5 x 10(9)/L. This response was significantly influenced by gender (p>0.0001), malignancy type and chemotherapy regimen (p>0.001). The study shows that chemotherapy induced neutropaenia can be alleviated by a single dose of filgastrim without adverse effects on lymphoblastic leukaemia. This study suggests that a single dose of filgastrim should be first tried in cytotoxic induced neutropaenia in the paediatric age group.

  1. Tentative Outlines of a Secondary School Mathematics Curriculum, Volume II. SMSG Working Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stanford Univ., CA. School Mathematics Study Group.

    This document is the report of a curriculum writing session, and covers three activities: (1) a textbook for grade seven, written using the outlines produced the previous year (SE 012 735), was reviewed and criticized; (2) the outlines for grades eight and nine, also produced the previous year, were completed in greater detail; and (3)…

  2. Between-year breeding dispersal by White-headed Woodpeckers: A caution about using color bands to estimate survival

    Treesearch

    Teresa J Lorenz

    2016-01-01

    Between-year breeding dispersal has not been previously documented in White-headed Woodpeckers (Picoides albolarvatus). Therefore, resightings of color-banded adults on previous years’ breeding territories have been considered a means of estimating annual adult survival. From 2013 to 2015, I observed 2 cases of between-year breeding dispersal by...

  3. Prevalence and severity of hip and groin pain in sub-elite male football: a cross-sectional cohort study of 695 players.

    PubMed

    Thorborg, K; Rathleff, M S; Petersen, P; Branci, S; Hölmich, P

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to investigate the prevalence of hip and groin pain in sub-elite male adult football in Denmark and (b) to explore the association between prevalence and duration of hip and groin pain in the previous season with the Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS) in the beginning of the new season. In total 695 respondents from 40 teams (Division 1-4) were included. Players completed in the beginning of the new season (July-Sept 2011) a self-reported paper questionnaire on hip and/or groin pain during the previous season and HAGOS. In total 49% (95% CI: 45-52%) reported hip and/or groin pain during the previous season. Of these, 31% (95% CI: 26-36%) reported pain for >6 weeks. Players with the longest duration of pain during the previous season had the lowest HAGOS scores, when assessed at the beginning of the new season, P < 0.001. This study documents that half of sub-elite male adult football players report pain in the hip and/or groin during a football season. The football players with the longest duration of pain in previous season displayed the lowest HAGOS scores in the beginning of the new season. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. The pH dependent surface charging and points of zero charge. VII. Update.

    PubMed

    Kosmulski, Marek

    2018-01-01

    The pristine points of zero charge (PZC) and isoelectric points (IEP) of metal oxides and IEP of other materials from the recent literature, and a few older results (overlooked in previous searches) are summarized. This study is an update of the previous compilations by the same author [Surface Charging and Points of Zero Charge, CRC, Boca Raton, 2009; J. Colloid Interface Sci. 337 (2009) 439; 353 (2011) 1; 426 (2014) 209]. The field has been very active, but most PZC and IEP are reported for materials, which are very well-documented already (silica, alumina, titania, iron oxides). IEP of (nominally) Gd 2 O 3 , NaTaO 3 , and SrTiO 3 have been reported in the recent literature. Their IEP were not reported in older studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Cancer Communication on Social Media: Examining How Cancer Caregivers Use Facebook for Cancer-Related Communication.

    PubMed

    Gage-Bouchard, Elizabeth A; LaValley, Susan; Mollica, Michelle; Beaupin, Lynda Kwon

    Americans are increasingly using social media (such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter) for health-related communication. Much of the previous research on social media and health communication has focused on Facebook groups related to a specific disease or Facebook pages related to an advocacy organization. Less is known about how people communicate about cancer on personal Facebook pages. In this study, we expand upon previous research by examining how cancer caregivers use personal Facebook pages for cancer-related communication. We examined themes in cancer-related exchanges through a content analysis of 12 months of data from 18 publically available Facebook pages hosted by parents of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (15 852 total posts). Six themes emerged: (1) documenting the cancer journey, (2) sharing emotional strain associated with caregiving, (3) promoting awareness and advocacy about pediatric cancer, (4) fundraising, (5) mobilizing support, and (6) expressing gratitude for support. Building upon previous research documenting the increasing use of social media for health-related communication and support, our findings show that personal Facebook pages offer a platform for cancer caregivers to share their cancer-related experiences, promote advocacy and awareness, and mobilize social support. Providers must recognize the importance of social media as a vehicle for support and communication for families of children with cancer. Nurses should educate parents on how to appraise information obtained through Facebook using evidence-based guidelines. Providers can encourage caregivers to use Facebook as a tool for communication, information, and support.

  6. The impact of preclinical irreproducibility on drug development.

    PubMed

    Freedman, L P; Gibson, M C

    2015-01-01

    The development of novel therapeutics depends and builds upon the validity and reproducibility of previously published data and findings. Yet irreproducibility is pervasive in preclinical life science research and can be traced to cumulative errors or flaws in several areas, including reference materials, study design, laboratory protocols, and data collection and analysis. The expanded development and use of consensus-based standards and well-documented best practices is needed to both enhance reproducibility and drive therapeutic innovations. © 2014 ASCPT.

  7. M-X Environmental Technical Report. Environmental Characteristics of Alternative Designated Deployment Areas, Archaeological and Historical Resources.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-12-22

    1973). Several studies of petroglyph sites have also been completed ( Heizer and Baumhoff, 1962; T. Thomas, 1976). Most recent work has been in the...primarily open sites, projectile points (eg., Heizer and Hester, 1978; Holmer, 1978; Thomas, 1970) and pottery (eg., Baldwin, 1950; Madsen, 1977) will be...sites documented in site files. The previous tendency to not record historic properties for inclusion in state and agency site files has rendered these

  8. Functional and Cellular Responses to Laser Injury in the Rat Snake Retina

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-01-01

    snake retina, previous studies have documented the role of photo-oxidative stress in inducing photoreceptor damage . 20 The present research was designed...Tyrrell, "Activation of NF-kappa B in human skin fibroblasts by the oxidative stress generated by UVA radiation," Photochem. Photobiol., 62, pp. 463-468...induced retinal photoreceptor damage .9. 10 In addition to its imaging capabilities, the cSLO can also be modulated externally to produce stimulus patterns

  9. A conceptual hydrogeologic model for the hydrogeologic framework, geochemistry, and groundwater-flow system of the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in the Pecos County region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Thomas, Jonathan V.; Stanton, Gregory P.; Bumgarner, Johnathan R.; Pearson, Daniel K.; Teeple, Andrew; Houston, Natalie A.; Payne, Jason; Musgrove, MaryLynn

    2013-01-01

    Several previous studies have been done to compile or collect physical and chemical data, describe the hydrogeologic processes, and develop conceptual and numerical groundwater-flow models of the Edwards-Trinity aquifer in the Trans-Pecos region. Documented methods were used to compile and collect groundwater, surface-water, geochemical, geophysical, and geologic information that subsequently were used to develop this conceptual model.

  10. Facilities for investigating occupational asthma in UK non-specialist respiratory departments.

    PubMed

    Barber, Christopher M; Naylor, Steven; Bradshaw, Lisa; Francis, Mandy; Harris-Roberts, Joanne; Rawbone, Roger; Curran, Andrew; Fishwick, David

    2008-01-01

    The facilities which should be available to physicians offering specialist occupational asthma services have recently been agreed upon by a UK panel of experts. This study aimed to investigate whether these facilities are available in UK non-specialist secondary care respiratory departments and to document tertiary care referral patterns. A random sample of 100 UK respiratory units was selected, and the lead consultant invited to participate. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to document information on departmental facilities available for investigating cases of occupational asthma and utilization of tertiary referral centres. In total, 66% of consultants interviewed had seen a case of occupational asthma in the previous month, and 76% reported having ever referred a patient with suspected occupational asthma to a specialist centre for further investigation (referral distance range 1-111 miles). All the departments were able to perform the investigations previously deemed an absolute necessity in all patients. The availability of in-house facilities that were deemed as must be available varied between 3-100%. The results of this study demonstrate that while the majority of basic facilities are widely available, many respiratory departments do not have direct access to investigations routinely required to investigate occupational asthma. Access to specialist occupational respiratory centres varies within the UK, and in some parts of the country involves long travelling distances for patients.

  11. Transmission Electron Microscopy of Plagioclase-Rich Itokawa Grains: Space Weathering Effects and Solar Flare Track Exposure Ages

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Keller, Lindsay P.; Berger, Eve L.

    2017-01-01

    Limited samples are available for the study of space weathering effects on airless bodies. The grains returned by the Hayabusa mission to asteroid 25143 Itokawa provide the only samples currently available to study space weathering of ordinary chondrite regolith. We have previously studied olivine-rich Itokawa grains and documented their surface alteration and exposure ages based on the observed density of solar flare particle tracks. Here we focus on the rarer Itokawa plagioclase grains, in order to allow comparisons between Itokawa and lunar soil plagioclase grains for which an extensive data set exists.

  12. Malnutrition in the first year of life and personality at age 40.

    PubMed

    Galler, Janina R; Bryce, Cyralene P; Zichlin, Miriam L; Waber, Deborah P; Exner, Natalie; Fitzmaurice, Garrett M; Costa, Paul T

    2013-08-01

    Early childhood malnutrition is associated with cognitive and behavioral impairment during childhood and adolescence, but studies in adulthood are limited. Using the NEO-PI-R personality inventory, we compared personality profiles at 37-43 years of age (M 40.3 years, SD 1.9) of Barbadian adults who had experienced moderate-to-severe protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) in the first year of life (n = 77) with healthy controls, who were former classmates of the index cases and were matched for age, gender, and handedness in childhood (n = 57). The previously malnourished participants had been rehabilitated, with good health and nutrition documented up to 12 years of age, and study participants were followed longitudinally from childhood to 40 years. Group comparisons were adjusted for childhood and adolescent standard of living, with and without correcting for IQ. At the broad domain or factor level, previously malnourished participants had higher scores on Neuroticism and lower scores on Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness than did the healthy controls. At the subdomain or facet level, previously malnourished participants reported more anxiety, vulnerability, shyness and lowered sociability, less intellectual curiosity, greater suspiciousness of others, a more egocentric than altruistic orientation, and a lowered sense of efficacy or competence. Malnutrition limited to the first year of life with good health and nutrition documented up to 12 years of age is associated with a significant overrepresentation of adult personality trait scores outside of the average range. This outcome has important implications for a variety of important life and mental health outcomes. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2013 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

  13. Reverse arthroplasty for osteoarthritis and rotator cuff deficiency after previous surgery for recurrent anterior shoulder instability.

    PubMed

    Raiss, Patric; Zeifang, Felix; Pons-Villanueva, Juan; Smithers, Christopher J; Loew, Markus; Walch, Gilles

    2014-07-01

    Osteoarthritis in combination with rotator cuff deficiency following previous shoulder stabilisation surgery and after failed surgical treatment for chronic anterior shoulder dislocation is a challenging condition. The aim of this study was to analyse the results of reverse shoulder arthroplasty in such patients. Thirteen patients with a median follow-up of 3.5 (range two to eight) years and a median age of 70 (range 48-82) years were included. In all shoulders a tear of at least one rotator cuff tendon in combination with osteoarthritis was present at the time of arthroplasty. The Constant score, shoulder flexion and external and internal rotation with the elbow at the side were documented pre-operatively and at the final follow-up. Pre-operative, immediate post-operative and final follow-up radiographs were analysed. All complications and revisions were documented. Twelve patients were either satisfied or very satisfied with the procedure. The median Constant score increased from 26 points pre-operatively to 67 points at the final follow-up (p = 0.001). The median shoulder flexion increased significantly from 70° to 130° and internal rotation from two to four points (p = 0.002). External rotation did not change significantly (p = 0.55). Glenoid notching was present in five cases and was graded as mild in three cases and moderate in two. One complication occurred leading to revision surgery. Reverse arthroplasty leads to high satisfaction rates for patients with osteoarthritis and rotator cuff deficiency who had undergone previous shoulder stabilisation procedures. The improvements in clinical outcome as well as the radiographic results seem to be comparable with those of other studies reporting on the outcome of reverse shoulder arthroplasty for other conditions.

  14. Shock anxiety among implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients with recent tachyarrhythmia.

    PubMed

    Morken, Ingvild M; Isaksen, Kjetil; Karlsen, Bjørg; Norekvål, Tone M; Bru, Edvin; Larsen, Alf Inge

    2012-11-01

    Shock anxiety has been documented irrespective of shock exposure in implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) recipients. The presence of tachyarrhythmia may lead to an anticipation of receiving a shock and thereby give rise to shock anxiety. The aims were to assess: (1) the level of shock anxiety in a sample of ICD recipients, (2) the relationship between such anxiety and shock exposure, and (3) the relationship between recent tachyarrhythmia and shock anxiety. ICD recipients (n = 167) completed the Florida Shock Anxiety Scale measure of shock anxiety. The recipients were divided into three groups: (1) Recipients with no documented tachyarrhythmia over the previous 12 months (n = 56), (2) recipients with documented tachyarrhythmia over the previous twelve months (n = 54), and (3) recipients with any history of shocks (n = 57). Of the recipients, 44% experienced some form of shock anxiety, whereas 15% reported general shock anxiety. Analyses of covariance revealed that recipients with recent tachyarrhythmia (F = 7.675 df = 9/100, P = 0.007) as well as recipients with a shock history (F = 9.976, df = 9/103, P = 0.002) reported higher levels of shock anxiety than recipients with no recent tachyarrhythmia. This study indicates that although a substantial proportion of the ICD recipients experienced some form of shock anxiety, only a relatively small proportion reported general shock anxiety. ICD recipients with recent tachyarrhythmia, in addition to recipients with shock history, appear to be at greater risk for development of shock anxiety. This implies that these recipients may profit from clinical-based strategies and interventions targeting shock anxiety. ©2012, The Authors. Journal compilation ©2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Documenting the birth of a financial economy

    PubMed Central

    Suri, Tavneet; Jack, William; Stoker, Thomas M.

    2012-01-01

    The birth and explosive growth of mobile money in Kenya has provided economists with an opportunity to study the evolution and impact of a new financial system. Mobile money is an innovation that allows individuals to store, send, and receive money on their mobile phone via text message. This system has opened up basic financial services to many who were previously excluded, and has had real and measurable impacts on the ability of households to protect themselves against health risks. Using a unique survey instrument covering nearly 2,300 households over 2008–2010, we first document the lightning-fast adoption of mobile money in Kenya, which was faster than most documented modern technologies in the United States. We then present evidence on how this innovation allows households to respond better to unexpected adverse health events. We find that in the face of these events, users of mobile money are better able to tap into remittances to finance additional health care costs without having to forego necessary expenditures on education, food, and other consumption needs. PMID:22689945

  16. Quantifiable long-term monitoring on parks and nature preserves

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Beck, Scott; Moorman, Christopher; DePerno, Christopher S.; Simons, Theodore R.

    2013-01-01

    Herpetofauna have declined globally, and monitoring is a useful approach to document local and long-term changes. However, monitoring efforts often fail to account for detectability or follow standardized protocols. We performed a case study at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve in Cary, NC to model occupancy of focal species and demonstrate a replicable long-term protocol useful to parks and nature preserves. From March 2010 to 2011, we documented occupancy of Ambystoma opacum(Marbled Salamander), Plethodon cinereus (Red-backed Salamander), Carphophis amoenus (Eastern Worm Snake), and Diadophis punctatus (Ringneck Snake) at coverboard sites and estimated breeding female Ambystoma maculatum (Spotted Salamander) abundance via dependent double-observer egg-mass counts in ephemeral pools. Temperature influenced detection of both Marbled and Red-backed Salamanders. Based on egg-mass data, we estimated Spotted Salamander abundance to be between 21 and 44 breeding females. We detected 43 of 53 previously documented herpetofauna species. Our approach demonstrates a monitoring protocol that accounts for factors that influence species detection and is replicable by parks or nature preserves with limited resources.

  17. Measuring the effects of acupuncture and homoeopathy in general practice: An uncontrolled prospective documentation approach

    PubMed Central

    Güthlin, Corina; Lange, Oliver; Walach, Harald

    2004-01-01

    Background Despite the increasing demand for acupuncture and homoeopathy in Germany, little is known about the effects of these treatments in routine care. We set up a pragmatic documentation study in general practice funded within the scope of project launched by a German health insurer. Patients were followed-up for up to four years. Methods The aim of the project was to study the effects and benefits of acupuncture and/or homoeopathy, and to assess patient satisfaction within a prospective documentation of over 5000 acupuncture and over 900 homoeopathy patients. As data sources, we used the documentation made available by therapists on every individual visit and a standardised quality-of-life questionnaire (MOS SF-36); these were complemented by questions concerning the patient's medical history and by questions on patient satisfaction. The health insurer provided us with data on work absenteeism. Results Descriptive analyses of the main outcomes showed benefit of treatment with middle to large-sized effects for the quality of life questionnaire SF-36 and about 1 point improvement on a rating scale of effects, given by doctors. Data on the treatment and the patients' and physicians' background suggests chronically ill patients treated by fairly regular schemes. Conclusion Since the results showed evidence of a subjective benefit for patients from acupuncture and homoeopathy, this may account for the increase in demand for these treatments especially when patients are chronically ill and unsatisfied with the conventional treatment given previously. PMID:15113434

  18. Redundancy-Aware Topic Modeling for Patient Record Notes

    PubMed Central

    Cohen, Raphael; Aviram, Iddo; Elhadad, Michael; Elhadad, Noémie

    2014-01-01

    The clinical notes in a given patient record contain much redundancy, in large part due to clinicians’ documentation habit of copying from previous notes in the record and pasting into a new note. Previous work has shown that this redundancy has a negative impact on the quality of text mining and topic modeling in particular. In this paper we describe a novel variant of Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling, Red-LDA, which takes into account the inherent redundancy of patient records when modeling content of clinical notes. To assess the value of Red-LDA, we experiment with three baselines and our novel redundancy-aware topic modeling method: given a large collection of patient records, (i) apply vanilla LDA to all documents in all input records; (ii) identify and remove all redundancy by chosing a single representative document for each record as input to LDA; (iii) identify and remove all redundant paragraphs in each record, leaving partial, non-redundant documents as input to LDA; and (iv) apply Red-LDA to all documents in all input records. Both quantitative evaluation carried out through log-likelihood on held-out data and topic coherence of produced topics and qualitative assessement of topics carried out by physicians show that Red-LDA produces superior models to all three baseline strategies. This research contributes to the emerging field of understanding the characteristics of the electronic health record and how to account for them in the framework of data mining. The code for the two redundancy-elimination baselines and Red-LDA is made publicly available to the community. PMID:24551060

  19. Redundancy-aware topic modeling for patient record notes.

    PubMed

    Cohen, Raphael; Aviram, Iddo; Elhadad, Michael; Elhadad, Noémie

    2014-01-01

    The clinical notes in a given patient record contain much redundancy, in large part due to clinicians' documentation habit of copying from previous notes in the record and pasting into a new note. Previous work has shown that this redundancy has a negative impact on the quality of text mining and topic modeling in particular. In this paper we describe a novel variant of Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling, Red-LDA, which takes into account the inherent redundancy of patient records when modeling content of clinical notes. To assess the value of Red-LDA, we experiment with three baselines and our novel redundancy-aware topic modeling method: given a large collection of patient records, (i) apply vanilla LDA to all documents in all input records; (ii) identify and remove all redundancy by chosing a single representative document for each record as input to LDA; (iii) identify and remove all redundant paragraphs in each record, leaving partial, non-redundant documents as input to LDA; and (iv) apply Red-LDA to all documents in all input records. Both quantitative evaluation carried out through log-likelihood on held-out data and topic coherence of produced topics and qualitative assessment of topics carried out by physicians show that Red-LDA produces superior models to all three baseline strategies. This research contributes to the emerging field of understanding the characteristics of the electronic health record and how to account for them in the framework of data mining. The code for the two redundancy-elimination baselines and Red-LDA is made publicly available to the community.

  20. Cigarette company trade secrets are not secret: an analysis of reverse engineering reports in internal tobacco industry documents released as a result of litigation

    PubMed Central

    Velicer, Clayton; Lempert, Lauren K; Glantz, Stanton

    2014-01-01

    Objectives Use previously secret tobacco industry documents to assess tobacco companies’ routine claims of trade secret protection for information on cigarette ingredients, additives and construction made to regulatory agencies, as well as the companies’ refusal to publicly disclose this information. Methods We analysed previously secret tobacco industry documents available at (http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu) to identify 100 examples of seven major tobacco companies’ reverse engineering of their competitors’ brands between 1937 and 2001. Results These reverse engineering reports contain detailed data for 142 different measurements for at least two companies, including physical parameters of the cigarettes, tobacco types, humectants, additives, flavourings, and smoke constituents of competitors’ cigarettes. These 100 documents were distributed to 564 employees, including top managers in domestic and foreign offices across multiple departments, including executive leadership, research and design, product development, marketing and legal. These documents reported new competitors’ products, measured ingredient changes over time, and informed companies’ decisions regarding ingredients in their own products. Conclusions Because cigarette companies routinely analyse their competitors’ cigarettes in great detail, this information is neither secret nor commercially valuable and, thus, does not meet the legal definition of a ‘trade secret.’ This information is only being kept ‘secret’ from the people consuming cigarettes and the scientific community. Public agencies should release this detailed information because it would provide valuable information about how ingredients affect addictiveness and toxicity, and would help the public health community and consumers better understand the impact of cigarette design on human health. PMID:24920577

  1. ANNUAL RADIOACTIVE WASTE TANK INSPECTION PROGRAM 2010

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

    West, B.; Waltz, R.

    Aqueous radioactive wastes from Savannah River Site (SRS) separations and vitrification processes are contained in large underground carbon steel tanks. Inspections made during 2010 to evaluate these vessels and other waste handling facilities along with evaluations based on data from previous inspections are the subject of this report. The 2010 inspection program revealed that the structural integrity and waste confinement capability of the Savannah River Site waste tanks were maintained. All inspections scheduled per SRR-LWE-2009-00138, HLW Tank Farm Inspection Plan for 2010, were completed. Ultrasonic measurements (UT) performed in 2010 met the requirements of C-ESG-00006, In-Service Inspection Program for Highmore » Level Waste Tanks, Rev. 3, and WSRC-TR-2002-00061, Rev.6. UT inspections were performed on Tanks 30, 31 and 32 and the findings are documented in SRNL-STI-2010-00533, Tank Inspection NDE Results for Fiscal Year 2010, Waste Tanks 30, 31 and 32. A total of 5824 photographs were made and 1087 visual and video inspections were performed during 2010. Ten new leaksites at Tank 5 were identified in 2010. The locations of these leaksites are documented in C-ESR-G-00003, SRS High Level Waste Tank Leaksite Information, Rev.5. Ten leaksites at Tank 5 were documented during tank wall/annulus cleaning activities. None of these new leaksites resulted in a release to the environment. The leaksites were documented during wall cleaning activities and the waste nodules associated with the leaksites were washed away. Previously documented leaksites were reactivated at Tank 12 during waste removal activities.« less

  2. Interactive Cohort Identification of Sleep Disorder Patients Using Natural Language Processing and i2b2.

    PubMed

    Chen, W; Kowatch, R; Lin, S; Splaingard, M; Huang, Y

    2015-01-01

    Nationwide Children's Hospital established an i2b2 (Informatics for Integrating Biology & the Bedside) application for sleep disorder cohort identification. Discrete data were gleaned from semistructured sleep study reports. The system showed to work more efficiently than the traditional manual chart review method, and it also enabled searching capabilities that were previously not possible. We report on the development and implementation of the sleep disorder i2b2 cohort identification system using natural language processing of semi-structured documents. We developed a natural language processing approach to automatically parse concepts and their values from semi-structured sleep study documents. Two parsers were developed: a regular expression parser for extracting numeric concepts and a NLP based tree parser for extracting textual concepts. Concepts were further organized into i2b2 ontologies based on document structures and in-domain knowledge. 26,550 concepts were extracted with 99% being textual concepts. 1.01 million facts were extracted from sleep study documents such as demographic information, sleep study lab results, medications, procedures, diagnoses, among others. The average accuracy of terminology parsing was over 83% when comparing against those by experts. The system is capable of capturing both standard and non-standard terminologies. The time for cohort identification has been reduced significantly from a few weeks to a few seconds. Natural language processing was shown to be powerful for quickly converting large amount of semi-structured or unstructured clinical data into discrete concepts, which in combination of intuitive domain specific ontologies, allows fast and effective interactive cohort identification through the i2b2 platform for research and clinical use.

  3. Interactive Cohort Identification of Sleep Disorder Patients Using Natural Language Processing and i2b2

    PubMed Central

    Chen, W.; Kowatch, R.; Lin, S.; Splaingard, M.

    2015-01-01

    Summary Nationwide Children’s Hospital established an i2b2 (Informatics for Integrating Biology & the Bedside) application for sleep disorder cohort identification. Discrete data were gleaned from semistructured sleep study reports. The system showed to work more efficiently than the traditional manual chart review method, and it also enabled searching capabilities that were previously not possible. Objective We report on the development and implementation of the sleep disorder i2b2 cohort identification system using natural language processing of semi-structured documents. Methods We developed a natural language processing approach to automatically parse concepts and their values from semi-structured sleep study documents. Two parsers were developed: a regular expression parser for extracting numeric concepts and a NLP based tree parser for extracting textual concepts. Concepts were further organized into i2b2 ontologies based on document structures and in-domain knowledge. Results 26,550 concepts were extracted with 99% being textual concepts. 1.01 million facts were extracted from sleep study documents such as demographic information, sleep study lab results, medications, procedures, diagnoses, among others. The average accuracy of terminology parsing was over 83% when comparing against those by experts. The system is capable of capturing both standard and non-standard terminologies. The time for cohort identification has been reduced significantly from a few weeks to a few seconds. Conclusion Natural language processing was shown to be powerful for quickly converting large amount of semi-structured or unstructured clinical data into discrete concepts, which in combination of intuitive domain specific ontologies, allows fast and effective interactive cohort identification through the i2b2 platform for research and clinical use. PMID:26171080

  4. Shortcomings of protocols of drug trials in relation to sponsorship as identified by Research Ethics Committees: analysis of comments raised during ethical review.

    PubMed

    van Lent, Marlies; Rongen, Gerard A; Out, Henk J

    2014-12-10

    Submission of study protocols to research ethics committees (RECs) constitutes one of the earliest stages at which planned trials are documented in detail. Previous studies have investigated the amendments requested from researchers by RECs, but the type of issues raised during REC review have not been compared by sponsor type. The objective of this study was to identify recurring shortcomings in protocols of drug trials based on REC comments and to assess whether these were more common among industry-sponsored or non-industry trials. Retrospective analysis of 226 protocols of drug trials approved in 2010-2011 by three RECs affiliated to academic medical centres in The Netherlands. For each protocol, information on sponsorship, number of participating centres, participating countries, study phase, registration status of the study drug, and type and number of subjects was retrieved. REC comments were extracted from decision letters sent to investigators after review and were classified using a predefined checklist that was based on legislation and guidelines on clinical drug research and previous literature. Most protocols received comments regarding participant information and consent forms (n = 182, 80.5%), methodology and statistical analyses (n = 160, 70.8%), and supporting documentation, including trial agreements and certificates of insurance (n = 154, 68.1%). Of the submitted protocols, 122 (54.0%) were non-industry and 104 (46.0%) were industry-sponsored trials. Non-industry trials more often received comments on subject selection (n = 44, 36.1%) than industry-sponsored trials (n = 18, 17.3%; RR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.47), and on methodology and statistical analyses (n = 95, 77.9% versus n = 65, 62.5%, respectively; RR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.37). Non-industry trials less often received comments on supporting documentation (n = 72, 59.0%) than industry-sponsored trials (n = 82, 78.8%; RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72 to 0.95). RECs identified important ethical and methodological shortcomings in protocols of both industry-sponsored and non-industry drug trials. Investigators, especially of non-industry trials, should better prepare their research protocols in order to facilitate the ethical review process.

  5. Enticing the New Lad

    PubMed Central

    Cortese, Daniel K.; Ling, Pamela M.

    2010-01-01

    We demonstrate how an industry promoted and defined masculinity as a product of consumption. We analyze previously-secret tobacco industry documents and the content of two tobacco industry–produced magazines, Unlimited (from Philip Morris, makers of Marlboro) and Real Edge (from Brown & Williamson, makers of Lucky Strike), which were distributed to millions of young adult men from the late 1990s and early 2000s to promote their tobacco brands. We find that Unlimited and Real Edge exhibited similar themes previously reported to typify “new lad” magazines, but with risky behaviors in the forefront. We build upon the existing masculinity literature by providing insight into how corporations study and interpret cultural constructions of masculinity, and then use masculinity as both a vehicle and a product of consumption. PMID:21687813

  6. Medicinal plants used by women in Mecca: urban, Muslim and gendered knowledge.

    PubMed

    Alqethami, Afnan; Hawkins, Julie A; Teixidor-Toneu, Irene

    2017-11-17

    This study explores medicinal plant knowledge and use among Muslim women in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Ethnobotanical research in the region has focused on rural populations and male herbal healers in cities, and based on these few studies, it is suggested that medicinal plant knowledge may be eroding. Here, we document lay, female knowledge of medicinal plants in an urban centre, interpreting findings in the light of the growing field of urban ethnobotany and gendered knowledge and in an Islamic context. Free-listing, structured and semi-structured interviews were used to document the extent of medicinal plant knowledge among 32 Meccan women. Vernacular names, modes of preparation and application, intended therapeutic use and emic toxicological remarks were recorded. Women were asked where they learnt about medicinal plants and if and when they preferred using medicinal plants over biomedical resources. Prior informed consent was always obtained. We compared the list of medicinal plants used by these Meccan women with medicinal plants previously documented in published literature. One hundred eighteen vernacular names were collected, corresponding to approximately 110 plants, including one algae. Of these, 95 were identified at the species level and 39 (41%) had not been previously cited in Saudi Arabian medicinal plant literature. Almost one half of the plants cited are food and flavouring plants. Meccan women interviewed learn about medicinal plants from their social network, mass media and written sources, and combine biomedical and medicinal plant health care. However, younger women more often prefer biomedical resources and learn from written sources and mass media. The fairly small number of interviews conducted in this study was sufficient to reveal the singular body of medicinal plant knowledge held by women in Mecca and applied to treat common ailments. Plant availability in local shops and markets and inclusion in religious texts seem to shape the botanical diversity used by the Meccan women interviewed, and the use of foods and spices medicinally could be a global feature of urban ethnobotany. Ethnobotanical knowledge among women in Islamic communities may be changing due to access to mass media and biomedicine. We recognise the lack of documentation of the diversity of medicinal plant knowledge in the Arabian Peninsula and an opportunity to better understand gendered urban and rural knowledge.

  7. Investigations into the Early Life History of Naturally Produced Spring Chinook Salmon and Summer Steelhead in the Grande Ronde River Subbasin, Annual Report 2008 : Project Period 1 February 2008 to 31 January 2009.

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

    Yanke, Jeffrey A.; Alfonse, Brian M.; Bratcher, Kyle W.

    2009-07-31

    This study was designed to document and describe the status and life history strategies of spring Chinook salmon and summer steelhead in the Grande Ronde River Subbasin. We determined migration timing, abundance, and life-stage survival rates for juvenile spring Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and summer steelhead O. mykiss in four streams during migratory year 2008 from 1 July 2007 through 30 June 2008. As observed in previous years of this study, spring Chinook salmon and steelhead exhibited fall and spring movements out of natal rearing areas, but did not begin their smolt migration through the Snake and lower Columbia Rivermore » hydrosystem until spring. In this report we provide estimates of migrant abundance and migration timing for each study stream, and their survival and timing to Lower Granite Dam. We also document aquatic habitat conditions using water temperature and stream flow in four study streams in the subbasin.« less

  8. Last Glacial mammals in South America: a new scenario from the Tarija Basin (Bolivia)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coltorti, M.; Abbazzi, L.; Ferretti, M. P.; Iacumin, P.; Rios, F. Paredes; Pellegrini, M.; Pieruccini, P.; Rustioni, M.; Tito, G.; Rook, L.

    2007-04-01

    The chronology, sedimentary history, and paleoecology of the Tarija Basin (Bolivia), one of the richest Pleistocene mammalian sites in South America, are revised here based on a multidisciplinary study, including stratigraphy, sedimentology, geomorphology, paleontology, isotope geochemistry, and 14C geochronology. Previous studies have indicated a Middle Pleistocene age for this classic locality. We have been able to obtain a series of 14C dates encompassing all the fossil-bearing sequences previously studied in the Tarija Basin. The dated layers range in age from about 44,000 to 21,000 radiocarbon years before present (BP), indicating that the Tarija fauna is much younger than previously thought. Glacial advances correlated to marine isotopic stages (MIS) 4 and 2 (ca. 62 and 20 ka BP, respectively) are also documented at the base and at the very top of the Tarija Padcaya succession, respectively, indicating that the Bolivian Altiplano was not dry but sustained an ice cap during the Last Glacial Maximum. The results of this multidisciplinary study enable us to redefine the chronological limits of the Tarija sequence and of its faunal assemblage and to shift this paleontological, paleoclimatological, and paleoecological framework to the time interval from MIS 4 to MIS 2.

  9. The efficacy of extrafine beclomethasone dipropionate–formoterol fumarate in COPD patients who are not “frequent exacerbators”: a post hoc analysis of the FORWARD study

    PubMed Central

    Singh, Dave; Vezzoli, Stefano; Petruzzelli, Stefano; Papi, Alberto

    2017-01-01

    The GOLD 2017 strategy document recommends that the pharmacological management of COPD patients be based on the risk of future exacerbations and the severity of symptoms. A threshold of two moderate exacerbations or one hospitalization is used to define high-risk patients. The FORWARD study was a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group trial that compared 48 weeks’ treatment with extrafine beclomethasone dipropionate plus formoterol fumarate (BDP-FF) versus FF in severe COPD patients with a history of one or more exacerbations in the previous year. The new GOLD 2017 recommendations mean that many patients in the FORWARD study are now reclassified as GOLD B. We conducted a post hoc analysis of the FORWARD study, in order to investigate the effects of extrafine BDP/FF in patients with one exacerbation in the previous year, focusing on those categorized as group B using the GOLD 2017 definition. The analysis showed a 35% reduction in exacerbation rate with an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) + long-acting β-agonist (LABA) versus LABA. We propose that ICS-LABA treatment is a therapeutic option for COPD patients with one exacerbation in the previous year. PMID:29138555

  10. U.S. Geological Survey assessments of continuous (unconventional) oil and gas resources, 2000 to 2011

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    ,

    2015-10-20

    From 2000 to 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted 139 quantitative assessments of continuous (unconventional) oil and gas accumulations within the United States. This report documents those assessments more fully than previously done by providing detailed documentation of both the assessment input and output. This report also compiles the data into spreadsheet tables that can be more readily used to provide analogs for future assessments, especially for hypothetical continuous accumulations.

  11. Estimating abundance of the Southern Hudson Bay polar bear subpopulation using aerial surveys, 2011 and 2012

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Obbard, Martyn E.; Middel, Kevin R.; Stapleton, Seth P.; Thibault, Isabelle; Brodeur, Vincent; Jutras, Charles

    2013-01-01

    The Southern Hudson Bay (SH) polar bear subpopulation occurs at the southern extent of the species’ range. Although capture-recapture studies indicate that abundance remained stable between 1986 and 2005, declines in body condition and survival were documented during the period, possibly foreshadowing a future decrease in abundance. To obtain a current estimate of abundance, we conducted a comprehensive line transect aerial survey of SH during 2011–2012. We stratified the study site by anticipated densities and flew coastal contour transects and systematically spaced inland transects in Ontario and on Akimiski Island and large offshore islands in 2011. Data were collected with double observer and distance sampling protocols. We also surveyed small islands in Hudson Bay and James Bay and flew a comprehensive transect along the Québec coastline in 2012. We observed 667 bears in Ontario and on Akimiski Island and nearby islands in 2011, and we sighted 80 bears on offshore islands during 2012. Mark-recapture distance sampling and sightresight models yielded a model-averaged estimate of 868 (SE: 177) for the 2011 study area. Our estimate of abundance for the entire SH subpopulation (951; SE: 177) suggests that abundance has remained unchanged. However, this result should be interpreted cautiously because of the methodological differences between historical studies (physical capture) and this survey. A conservative management approach is warranted given the previous increases in the duration of the ice-free season, which are predicted to continue in the future, and previously documented declines in body condition and vital rates.

  12. Bystander first aid in trauma - prevalence and quality: a prospective observational study.

    PubMed

    Bakke, H K; Steinvik, T; Eidissen, S-I; Gilbert, M; Wisborg, T

    2015-10-01

    Bystander first aid and basic life support can likely improve victim survival in trauma. In contrast to bystander first aid and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, little is known about the role of bystanders in trauma response. Our aim was to determine how frequently first aid is given to trauma victims by bystanders, the quality of this aid, the professional background of first-aid providers, and whether previous first-aid training affects aid quality. We conducted a prospective 18-month study in two mixed urban-rural Norwegian counties. The personnel on the first ambulance responding to trauma calls assessed and documented first aid performed by bystanders using a standard form. A total of 330 trauma calls were included, with bystanders present in 97% of cases. Securing an open airway was correctly performed for 76% of the 43 patients in need of this first-aid measure. Bleeding control was provided correctly for 81% of 63 patients for whom this measure was indicated, and prevention of hypothermia for 62% of 204 patients. Among the first-aid providers studied, 35% had some training in first aid. Bystanders with documented first-aid training gave better first aid than those where first-aid training status was unknown. A majority of the trauma patients studied received correct pre-hospital first aid, but still there is need for considerable improvement, particularly hypothermia prevention. Previous first-aid training seems to improve the quality of first aid provided. The effect on patient survival needs to be investigated. © 2015 The Authors. The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. A rapid review of treatment literacy materials for tuberculosis patients.

    PubMed

    Brumwell, A; Noyes, E; Kulkarni, S; Lin, V; Becerra, M C; Yuen, C M

    2018-03-01

    To assess available treatment literacy materials for patients undergoing treatment for tuberculosis (TB). We conducted a rapid review by searching the US Centers for Disease Control's Find TB Resources website and the websites of health departments and TB-focused organizations. We included English-language documents intended to educate TB patients about anti-tuberculosis treatment. We evaluated the format, readability, and content of documents, and audience. We defined 12 essential content elements based on those previously identified as facilitating human immunodeficiency virus treatment literacy. Of the 205 documents obtained, 45 were included in our review. The median reading grade level was 7 (IQR 5-8). The median number of essential content elements present was 6 (IQR 4-8), with the most comprehensive document containing 11 of the 12 elements. Only two documents were written for children with TB or their care givers, and two for patients with drug-resistant TB. Many documents contained paternalistic and non-patient-centered language. We found few examples of comprehensive, patient-centered documents. Work is needed to achieve consensus as to the essential elements of TB treatment literacy and to create additional materials for children, patients with drug-resistant TB, and those with lower literacy levels.

  14. Application Agreement and Integration Services

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Driscoll, Kevin R.; Hall, Brendan; Schweiker, Kevin

    2013-01-01

    Application agreement and integration services are required by distributed, fault-tolerant, safety critical systems to assure required performance. An analysis of distributed and hierarchical agreement strategies are developed against the backdrop of observed agreement failures in fielded systems. The documented work was performed under NASA Task Order NNL10AB32T, Validation And Verification of Safety-Critical Integrated Distributed Systems Area 2. This document is intended to satisfy the requirements for deliverable 5.2.11 under Task 4.2.2.3. This report discusses the challenges of maintaining application agreement and integration services. A literature search is presented that documents previous work in the area of replica determinism. Sources of non-deterministic behavior are identified and examples are presented where system level agreement failed to be achieved. We then explore how TTEthernet services can be extended to supply some interesting application agreement frameworks. This document assumes that the reader is familiar with the TTEthernet protocol. The reader is advised to read the TTEthernet protocol standard [1] before reading this document. This document does not re-iterate the content of the standard.

  15. Seventeenth-century experimenta, magisterial formulae and the ‘animal alkahest’: new documents found in Royal Society archives

    PubMed Central

    Alfonso-Goldfarb, Ana Maria; Ferraz, Márcia Helena Mendes; Rattansi, Piyo M.

    2015-01-01

    In this paper we present three newly rediscovered documents from the Royal Society archives that, together with the four described in our previous publications, constitute a set on a cognate theme. The documents were written by, or addressed to, members of the early Royal Society, and their subject is several magisterial formulae, including J. B. van Helmont's alkahest and Ludus. In addition to the interest in those formulae as medicines for various grave illnesses, our analysis showed that some seventeenth-century scholars sought to explain operations of the animal body by invoking similar but natural substances, while attempting to assimilate the latest anatomical discoveries into a novel framework. The complete set of documents sheds some new light on the interests of seventeenth-century networks of scholars concerned with experimenta. PMID:26665488

  16. ITS evaluation -- phase 3 (2010)

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-05-01

    This report documents the results of applying a previously developed, standardized approach for : evaluating intelligent transportation systems (ITS) projects to 17 ITS earmark projects. The evaluation : approach was based on a questionnaire to inves...

  17. State transportation profile : summary

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2003-12-01

    The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) presents a statistical : profile of transportation in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. : This document supplements a previously published series of individual : state profiles. Like the individ...

  18. State transportation statistics 2003

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2003-12-01

    The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) presents a statistical : profile of transportation in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. : This document supplements a previously published series of individual : state profiles. Like the individ...

  19. Spontaneous and post-treatment HCV clearance: relationships with health-related quality of life in HIV infection (ANRS-VESPA2 study).

    PubMed

    Marcellin, Fabienne; Demoulin, Baptiste; Spire, Bruno; Suzan-Monti, Marie; Roux, Perrine; Protopopescu, Camelia; Sagaon-Teyssier, Luis; Duracinsky, Martin; Dray-Spira, Rosemary; Carrieri, Maria Patrizia

    2015-05-01

    Post-treatment clearance of HCV is associated with improved health-related quality of life (HRQL) in HIV-HCV co-infection. However, the potential differences in HRQL between post-treatment and spontaneous clearers remain poorly documented. Linear regression models were used to assess the relationships between HCV status and HRQL (PROQOL-HIV scale) in 411 co-infected adults followed-up in French hospitals in 2011 (ANRS-VESPA2 survey). After adjustment for socio-economic and clinical factors, patients previously exposed to HCV treatment showed better physical HRQL and better experience of HIV treatment than treatment-naive HCV-chronic patients. Post-treatment clearers showed better mental HRQL. Spontaneous clearers showed better experience of HIV treatment. Spontaneous and post-treatment HCV clearance may influence different dimensions of HRQL of HIV-HCV co-infected patients. Further studies in real-life settings are needed to document patient-reported outcomes in the era of direct-acting antiviral agents for HCV treatment.

  20. Depressive Symptoms among Latino Farmworkers across the Agricultural Season: Structural and Situational Influences

    PubMed Central

    Grzywacz, Joseph G.; Quandt, Sara A.; Chen, Haiying; Isom, Scott; Kiang, Lisa; Vallejos, Quirina; Arcury, Thomas A.

    2010-01-01

    Immigrant Latino farmworkers confront multiple challenges that threaten their mental health. Previous farmworker mental health research has relied primarily on cross-sectional study designs, leaving little opportunity to describe how farmworker mental health changes or to identify factors that may contribute to these changes. This study used prospective data obtained at monthly intervals across one four-month agricultural season from a large sample of Latino farmworkers in NC (N=288) to document variation in depressive symptoms across the agricultural season and delineate structural and situational factors associated with mental health trajectories across time. Depressive symptoms generally followed a U-shaped distribution across the season, but there was substantial variation in this pattern. Structural stressors like marital status and situational stressors like the pace of work, crowded living conditions, and concerns about documentation predicted depressive symptoms. The pattern of results suggests that strategies to address mental health problems in this vulnerable population will require coordinated action at the individual and social level. PMID:20658876

  1. Rumination's effect on suicide ideation through grit and gratitude: A path analysis study.

    PubMed

    White, Evan J; Kraines, Morganne A; Tucker, Raymond P; Wingate, LaRicka R; Wells, Tony T; Grant, DeMond M

    2017-05-01

    The current study documents the relationship between suicide ideation, grit and gratitude, and rumination subtypes of brooding and reflection. The relationship between rumination and suicide ideation has been well documented and previous research has demonstrated that grit and gratitude are protective factors against suicide. We hypothesized that both subtypes of rumination would have an indirect effect on suicide ideation through levels of grit and gratitude. Results of a conditional indirect effects path analysis indicated that brooding was indirectly related to suicide ideation through gratitude. Brooding interacted with grit such that it only predicted suicide ideation at low levels of grit. Reflection interacted with gratitude to predict levels of grit. Results suggest that brooding may impact suicide risk and resilience through its effect on gratitude, indicating important cognitive-behavioral targets for suicide prevention strategies. These results extend the literature about the relationship between well known risk factors for suicide and protective factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Principles and tools for collaborative entity-based intelligence analysis.

    PubMed

    Bier, Eric A; Card, Stuart K; Bodnar, John W

    2010-01-01

    Software tools that make it easier for analysts to collaborate as a natural part of their work will lead to better analysis that is informed by more perspectives. We are interested to know if software tools can be designed that support collaboration even as they allow analysts to find documents and organize information (including evidence, schemas, and hypotheses). We have modified the Entity Workspace system, described previously, to test such designs. We have evaluated the resulting design in both a laboratory study and a study where it is situated with an analysis team. In both cases, effects on collaboration appear to be positive. Key aspects of the design include an evidence notebook optimized for organizing entities (rather than text characters), information structures that can be collapsed and expanded, visualization of evidence that emphasizes events and documents (rather than emphasizing the entity graph), and a notification system that finds entities of mutual interest to multiple analysts. Long-term tests suggest that this approach can support both top-down and bottom-up styles of analysis.

  3. Assessing the Representation of Occupation Information in Free-Text Clinical Documents Across Multiple Sources

    PubMed Central

    Lindemann, Elizabeth A.; Chen, Elizabeth S.; Rajamani, Sripriya; Manohar, Nivedha; Wang, Yan; Melton, Genevieve B.

    2017-01-01

    There has been increasing recognition of the key role of social determinants like occupation on health. Given the relatively poor understanding of occupation information in electronic health records (EHRs), we sought to characterize occupation information within free-text clinical document sources. From six distinct clinical sources, 868 total occupation-related sentences were identified for the study corpus. Building off approaches from previous studies, refined annotation guidelines were created using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Occupational Data for Health data model with elements added to increase granularity. Our corpus generated 2,005 total annotations representing 39 of 41 entity types from the enhanced data model. Highest frequency entities were: Occupation Description (17.7%); Employment Status – Not Specified (12.5%); Employer Name (11.0%); Subject (9.8%); Industry Description (6.2%). Our findings support the value for standardizing entry of EHR occupation information to improve data quality for improved patient care and secondary uses of this information. PMID:29295142

  4. Depressive symptoms among Latino farmworkers across the agricultural season: Structural and situational influences.

    PubMed

    Grzywacz, Joseph G; Quandt, Sara A; Chen, Haiying; Isom, Scott; Kiang, Lisa; Vallejos, Quirina; Arcury, Thomas A

    2010-07-01

    Immigrant Latino farmworkers confront multiple challenges that threaten their mental health. Previous farmworker mental health research has relied primarily on cross-sectional study designs, leaving little opportunity to describe how farmworker mental health changes or to identify factors that may contribute to these changes. This study used prospective data obtained at monthly intervals across one 4-month agricultural season from a large sample of Latino farmworkers in North Carolina (N = 288) to document variation in depressive symptoms across the agricultural season and delineate structural and situational factors associated with mental health trajectories across time. Depressive symptoms generally followed a U-shaped distribution across the season, but there was substantial variation in this pattern. Structural stressors like marital status and situational stressors like the pace of work, crowded living conditions, and concerns about documentation predicted depressive symptoms. The pattern of results suggests that strategies to address mental health problems in this vulnerable population will require coordinated action at the individual and social level.

  5. From Childhood Maltreatment to Allostatic Load in Adulthood: The Role of Social Support

    PubMed Central

    Horan, Jacqueline M.; Widom, Cathy S.

    2017-01-01

    Although previous research has documented that social support acts as a protective factor for individuals exposed to trauma, most research relies on assessments of social support at one point in time. The present study used data from a prospective cohort design study to examine the stability of social support from childhood through middle adulthood in individuals with documented histories of childhood abuse and neglect and matched controls (aged 0–11) and assessed the impact of social support on allostatic load, a composite measure of physiological stress response assessed through blood tests and physical measurements, in middle adulthood. Maltreated children are more likely to have unstable social support across the life span, compared to matched controls. Social support across the life span partially mediated the relationship between child maltreatment and allostatic load in adulthood, although there were differences by race and sex. These findings have implications for interventions to prevent the negative consequences of child maltreatment. PMID:26260146

  6. Helical circulations in the typhoon boundary layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ellis, Ryan; Businger, Steven

    2010-03-01

    Low-level wind data from the WSR-88D in Guam obtained in Typhoon Dale (1996) and Typhoon Keith (1997) are analyzed for coherent structures. Consistent with the results of previous studies of Atlantic hurricanes, velocity anomalies associated with coherent structures were found in the boundary layer of both storms. A total of 99 cases of coherent structures, also known as roll vortices, were documented during a 6 h evaluation period for each storm. Storm-relative roll location, roll vorticity, asymmetries in the upward and downward momentum fluxes, and signatures of circulations transverse to the mean flow associated with roll circulations were explored. The effects of terrain and convective precipitation systems, such as rainbands, on the occurrence of rolls were investigated. The results support and extend prior findings of roll observations, and can be used to help validate theoretical and numerical models of coherent structures within tropical cyclones. Moreover, the wind variations documented in this study may have application for wave runup and wind damage potential in tropical cyclones.

  7. Getting better together? Opportunities and limitations for technology-facilitated social support in cardiac rehabilitation.

    PubMed

    Maitland, Julie

    2011-01-01

    Social support has long been positively correlated with cardiac outcomes. However, sources of tension surrounding peer-involvement in the period following acute cardiac events are well documented. Informed by a previous study of patient perspectives of peer-involvement in cardiac rehabilitation, this paper draws from the cardiac and computing literature to provide actionable insights into how technology could be designed to promote appropriate peer-involvement and the challenges that may be faced when designing technologies to support the unsupported.

  8. Shuttle Orbiter-like Cargo Carrier on Crew Launch Vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Martinovic, Zoran

    2009-01-01

    The following document summarizes the results of a conceptual design study for which the goal was to investigate the possibility of using a crew launch vehicle to deliver the remaining International Space Station elements should the Space Shuttle orbiter not be available to complete that task. Conceptual designs and structural weight estimates for two designs are presented. A previously developed systematic approach that was based on finite-element analysis and structural sizing was used to estimate growth of structural weight from analytical to "as built" conditions.

  9. Mercury Phase II Study - Mercury Behavior across the High-Level Waste Evaporator System

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

    Bannochie, C. J.; Crawford, C. L.; Jackson, D. G.

    2016-06-17

    The Mercury Program team’s effort continues to develop more fundamental information concerning mercury behavior across the liquid waste facilities and unit operations. Previously, the team examined the mercury chemistry across salt processing, including the Actinide Removal Process/Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction Unit (ARP/MCU), and the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) flowsheets. This report documents the data and understanding of mercury across the high level waste 2H and 3H evaporator systems.

  10. Guide to Technical Documents. Volume 2. January 1982 through December 1982

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-12-01

    and could weigh 600 MN (133 x 10 Ib) submerged. R-11 S.... -- R-854-1 R-850 A Finite Element Head Injury Model, Vol. 1: Theory , Efficiency Study of...winter freezeback has been parameters for the classical theories of plasticity and visco- apparent, this movement is minimal compared to settlement...from 0% to 35%, depending on the structures’ t/D ° ADA089300 and L/D o ratios, from that reported previously. Theory is formulated for effects of an

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

    Carla J. Miller

    This report provides a summary of the literature review that was performed and based on previous work performed at the Idaho National Laboratory studying the Three Mile Island 2 (TMI-2) nuclear reactor accident, specifically the melted fuel debris. The purpose of the literature review was to document prior published work that supports the feasibility of the analytical techniques that were developed to provide quantitative results of the make-up of the fuel and reactor component debris located inside and outside the containment. The quantitative analysis provides a technique to perform nuclear fuel accountancy measurements

  12. A case-control study of malignant melanoma among Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory employees: A critical evaluation

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

    Kupper, L.L.; Setzer, R.W.; Schwartzbaum, J.

    1987-07-01

    This document reports on a reevaluation of data obtained in a previous report on occupational factors associated with the development of malignant melanomas at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The current report reduces the number of these factors from five to three based on a rigorous statistical analysis of the original data. Recommendations include restructuring the original questionnaire and trying to contact more individuals that worked with volatile photographic chemicals. 17 refs., 7 figs., 22 tabs. (TEM)

  13. Profile and competences for the graduating European dentist - update 2009.

    PubMed

    Cowpe, J; Plasschaert, A; Harzer, W; Vinkka-Puhakka, H; Walmsley, A D

    2010-11-01

    This paper presents the profile and competences for the European Dentist as approved by the General Assembly of the Association for Dental Education in Europe at its annual meeting held in Helsinki in August 2009. A new taskforce was convened to update the previous document published in 2005. The updated document was then sent to all European Dental Schools, ministries of health, national dental associations and dental specialty associations or societies in Europe. The feedback received was used to improve the document. European dental schools are expected to adhere to the profile and the 17 major competences but the supporting competences may vary in detail between schools. The document will be reviewed once again in 5 years time. Feedback to the newly published document is welcomed and all dental educators are encouraged to draw upon the content of the paper to assist them in harmonising the curriculum throughout Europe with the aim of improving the quality of the dental curriculum. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  14. Automatic script identification from images using cluster-based templates

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

    Hochberg, J.; Kerns, L.; Kelly, P.

    We have developed a technique for automatically identifying the script used to generate a document that is stored electronically in bit image form. Our approach differs from previous work in that the distinctions among scripts are discovered by an automatic learning procedure, without any handson analysis. We first develop a set of representative symbols (templates) for each script in our database (Cyrillic, Roman, etc.). We do this by identifying all textual symbols in a set of training documents, scaling each symbol to a fixed size, clustering similar symbols, pruning minor clusters, and finding each cluster`s centroid. To identify a newmore » document`s script, we identify and scale a subset of symbols from the document and compare them to the templates for each script. We choose the script whose templates provide the best match. Our current system distinguishes among the Armenian, Burmese, Chinese, Cyrillic, Ethiopic, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Roman, and Thai scripts with over 90% accuracy.« less

  15. Open Source Patient-Controlled Analgesic Pump Requirements Documentation

    PubMed Central

    Larson, Brian R.; Hatcliff, John; Chalin, Patrice

    2014-01-01

    The dynamic nature of the medical domain is driving a need for continuous innovation and improvement in techniques for developing and assuring medical devices. Unfortunately, research in academia and communication between academics, industrial engineers, and regulatory authorities is hampered by the lack of realistic non-proprietary development artifacts for medical devices. In this paper, we give an overview of a detailed requirements document for a Patient-Controlled Analgesic (PCA) pump developed under the US NSF’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Scholar-in-Residence (SIR) program. This 60+ page document follows the methodology outlined in the US Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) Requirements Engineering Management Handbook (REMH) and includes a domain overview, use cases, statements of safety & security requirements, and formal top-level system architectural description. Based on previous experience with release of a requirements document for a cardiac pacemaker that spawned a number of research and pedagogical activities, we believe that the described PCA requirements document can be an important research enabler within the formal methods and software engineering communities. PMID:24931440

  16. Unapparent Information Revelation: Text Mining for Counterterrorism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Srihari, Rohini K.

    Unapparent information revelation (UIR) is a special case of text mining that focuses on detecting possible links between concepts across multiple text documents by generating an evidence trail explaining the connection. A traditional search involving, for example, two or more person names will attempt to find documents mentioning both these individuals. This research focuses on a different interpretation of such a query: what is the best evidence trail across documents that explains a connection between these individuals? For example, all may be good golfers. A generalization of this task involves query terms representing general concepts (e.g. indictment, foreign policy). Previous approaches to this problem have focused on graph mining involving hyperlinked documents, and link analysis exploiting named entities. A new robust framework is presented, based on (i) generating concept chain graphs, a hybrid content representation, (ii) performing graph matching to select candidate subgraphs, and (iii) subsequently using graphical models to validate hypotheses using ranked evidence trails. We adapt the DUC data set for cross-document summarization to evaluate evidence trails generated by this approach

  17. Method and apparatus for filtering visual documents

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rorvig, Mark E. (Inventor); Shelton, Robert O. (Inventor)

    1993-01-01

    A method and apparatus for producing an abstract or condensed version of a visual document is presented. The frames comprising the visual document are first sampled to reduce the number of frames required for processing. The frames are then subjected to a structural decomposition process that reduces all information in each frame to a set of values. These values are in turn normalized and further combined to produce only one information content value per frame. The information content values of these frames are then compared to a selected distribution cutoff point. This effectively selects those values at the tails of a normal distribution, thus filtering key frames from their surrounding frames. The value for each frame is then compared with the value from the previous frame, and the respective frame is finally stored only if the values are significantly different. The method filters or compresses a visual document with a reduction in digital storage on the ratio of up to 700 to 1 or more, depending on the content of the visual document being filtered.

  18. NoSQL: collection document and cloud by using a dynamic web query form

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdalla, Hemn B.; Lin, Jinzhao; Li, Guoquan

    2015-07-01

    Mongo-DB (from "humongous") is an open-source document database and the leading NoSQL database. A NoSQL (Not Only SQL, next generation databases, being non-relational, deal, open-source and horizontally scalable) presenting a mechanism for storage and retrieval of documents. Previously, we stored and retrieved the data using the SQL queries. Here, we use the MonogoDB that means we are not utilizing the MySQL and SQL queries. Directly importing the documents into our Drives, retrieving the documents on that drive by not applying the SQL queries, using the IO BufferReader and Writer, BufferReader for importing our type of document files to my folder (Drive). For retrieving the document files, the usage is BufferWriter from the particular folder (or) Drive. In this sense, providing the security for those storing files for what purpose means if we store the documents in our local folder means all or views that file and modified that file. So preventing that file, we are furnishing the security. The original document files will be changed to another format like in this paper; Binary format is used. Our documents will be converting to the binary format after that direct storing in one of our folder, that time the storage space will provide the private key for accessing that file. Wherever any user tries to discover the Document files means that file data are in the binary format, the document's file owner simply views that original format using that personal key from receive the secret key from the cloud.

  19. Documentation of model input and output values for simulation of pumping effects in Paradise Valley, a basin tributary to the Humboldt River, Humboldt County, Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carey, A.E.; Prudic, David E.

    1996-01-01

    Documentation is provided of model input and sample output used in a previous report for analysis of ground-water flow and simulated pumping scenarios in Paradise Valley, Humboldt County, Nevada.Documentation includes files containing input values and listings of sample output. The files, in American International Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) or binary format, are compressed and put on a 3-1/2-inch diskette. The decompressed files require approximately 8.4 megabytes of disk space on an International Business Machine (IBM)- compatible microcomputer using the MicroSoft Disk Operating System (MS-DOS) operating system version 5.0 or greater.

  20. KCBX Petroleum Coke Storage Pile Sampling Logbook and Photos

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This documentation of KCBX's petcoke sampling locations and methods demonstrates adherence to the pet coke sampling plan previously submitted and approved by EPA, at both North Terminal and South Terminal stockpiles.

  1. Incense and ritual plant use in Southwest China: a case study among the Bai in Shaxi.

    PubMed

    Staub, Peter O; Geck, Matthias S; Weckerle, Caroline S

    2011-12-13

    Ritual and religious uses of plant-derived smoke are widespread throughout the world. Our research focuses on Southwest China, where the use of incense is very common. This study aims to document and analyze contemporary ritual plant uses by the Bai people of Shaxi Township (Jianchuan County, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province), including their related ethnobotanical knowledge, practices, and beliefs. The present study builds on previous ethnobotanical research in Shaxi, which started in 2005. Interviews focusing on ritual plant use and associated beliefs were carried out with a total of 44 Bai informants in September 2009 and May and June 2010. The results are supplemented with information on the local religion collected from June to December 2010. All documented species were vouchered, and are deposited at the herbaria of Kunming Institute of Botany (KUN) and the University of Zurich (Z/ZT). A total of 17 species have been documented for use in incense. They are always used in mixtures and are either burned in the form of powders in a censer or as joss sticks. The smell of the smoke is the main criterion for the selection of the incense plants. Incense is burned for communication with spiritual entities at graves, temples, and cooking stoves, as well as for personal well-being. Cupressus funebris Endl., Gaultheria fragrantissima Wall., and Ligustrum sempervirens (Franch.) Lingelsh. are the most important incense species. Others serve as substitutes or are used to stretch incense powders. In Shaxi the use of incense mixtures at the household and community level is regularly practiced for communication with ancestors, ghosts, and deities and in some cases to strengthen self-awareness. Some of the documented species are widely used in central Asia and Europe, hinting at the well documented knowledge exchange that occurred in Shaxi, which was a major hub along the influential Southern Silk Road.

  2. Incense and ritual plant use in Southwest China: A case study among the Bai in Shaxi

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Ritual and religious uses of plant-derived smoke are widespread throughout the world. Our research focuses on Southwest China, where the use of incense is very common. This study aims to document and analyze contemporary ritual plant uses by the Bai people of Shaxi Township (Jianchuan County, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province), including their related ethnobotanical knowledge, practices, and beliefs. Methods The present study builds on previous ethnobotanical research in Shaxi, which started in 2005. Interviews focusing on ritual plant use and associated beliefs were carried out with a total of 44 Bai informants in September 2009 and May and June 2010. The results are supplemented with information on the local religion collected from June to December 2010. All documented species were vouchered, and are deposited at the herbaria of Kunming Institute of Botany (KUN) and the University of Zurich (Z/ZT). Results A total of 17 species have been documented for use in incense. They are always used in mixtures and are either burned in the form of powders in a censer or as joss sticks. The smell of the smoke is the main criterion for the selection of the incense plants. Incense is burned for communication with spiritual entities at graves, temples, and cooking stoves, as well as for personal well-being. Cupressus funebris Endl., Gaultheria fragrantissima Wall., and Ligustrum sempervirens (Franch.) Lingelsh. are the most important incense species. Others serve as substitutes or are used to stretch incense powders. Conclusions In Shaxi the use of incense mixtures at the household and community level is regularly practiced for communication with ancestors, ghosts, and deities and in some cases to strengthen self-awareness. Some of the documented species are widely used in central Asia and Europe, hinting at the well documented knowledge exchange that occurred in Shaxi, which was a major hub along the influential Southern Silk Road. PMID:22165897

  3. Intrinsic and extrinsic effects on image memorability.

    PubMed

    Bylinskii, Zoya; Isola, Phillip; Bainbridge, Constance; Torralba, Antonio; Oliva, Aude

    2015-11-01

    Previous studies have identified that images carry the attribute of memorability, a predictive value of whether a novel image will be later remembered or forgotten. Here we investigate the interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect image memorability. First, we find that intrinsic differences in memorability exist at a finer-grained scale than previously documented. Second, we test two extrinsic factors: image context and observer behavior. Building on prior findings that images that are distinct with respect to their context are better remembered, we propose an information-theoretic model of image distinctiveness. Our model can automatically predict how changes in context change the memorability of natural images. In addition to context, we study a second extrinsic factor: where an observer looks while memorizing an image. It turns out that eye movements provide additional information that can predict whether or not an image will be remembered, on a trial-by-trial basis. Together, by considering both intrinsic and extrinsic effects on memorability, we arrive at a more complete and fine-grained model of image memorability than previously available. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Analysis of microgravity space experiments Space Shuttle programmatic safety requirements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Terlep, Judith A.

    1996-01-01

    This report documents the results of an analysis of microgravity space experiments space shuttle programmatic safety requirements and recommends the creation of a Safety Compliance Data Package (SCDP) Template for both flight and ground processes. These templates detail the programmatic requirements necessary to produce a complete SCDP. The templates were developed from various NASA centers' requirement documents, previously written guidelines on safety data packages, and from personal experiences. The templates are included in the back as part of this report.

  5. Telecommunications Systems Design Techniques Handbook

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Edelson, R. E. (Editor)

    1972-01-01

    The Deep Space Network (DSN) increasingly supports deep space missions sponsored and managed by organizations without long experience in DSN design and operation. The document is intended as a textbook for those DSN users inexperienced in the design and specification of a DSN-compatible spacecraft telecommunications system. For experienced DSN users, the document provides a reference source of telecommunication information which summarizes knowledge previously available only in a multitude of sources. Extensive references are quoted for those who wish to explore specific areas more deeply.

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

    Yoo, Jun Soo; Choi, Yong Joon

    The RELAP-7 code verification and validation activities are ongoing under the code assessment plan proposed in the previous document (INL-EXT-16-40015). Among the list of V&V test problems in the ‘RELAP-7 code V&V RTM (Requirements Traceability Matrix)’, the RELAP-7 7-equation model has been tested with additional demonstration problems and the results of these tests are reported in this document. In this report, we describe the testing process, the test cases that were conducted, and the results of the evaluation.

  7. A search for ultraviolet-excess objects (Kondo, Noguchi, and Maehara 1984): Documentation for the machine-readable version

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Warren, Wayne H., Jr.

    1990-01-01

    A list of 1186 ultraviolet-excess objects (designated KUV) was compiled as a result of a search conducted with the 105-cm Schmidt telescope of the Kiso station of the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory. This document describes the machine readable version of the KUV survey list and presents a sample listing showing the logical records as they are recorded in the machine readable catalog. The KUV data include equatorial coordinates, magnitudes, color indices, and identifications for previously cataloged objects.

  8. The correspondence between the Staff Observation Aggression Scale-Revised and two other indicators for aggressive incidents.

    PubMed

    Tenneij, Nienke H; Goedhard, Laurette E; Stolker, Joost J; Nijman, Henk; Koot, Hans M

    2009-08-01

    Previous research has shown good psychometric properties of the Staff Observation Aggression Scale-Revised (SOAS-R). However, it has never been investigated what proportion of aggressive incidents occurring in facilities is documented with the SOAS-R. Furthermore, if incidents are underreported, the consequences for the categorization of clients into aggressive and nonaggressive subgroups based on the SOAS-R are unknown. To examine this, in four inpatient psychiatric facilities for adults with mild intellectual disabilities, aggressive incidents were documented with the SOAS-R and two other indicators of aggressive incidents: the daily staff reports on clients' behavior and reports on of the use of restraints. Less than half of the incidents documented with the staff and restraint reports were also documented with the SOAS-R. On the other way around, however, it was also found that a substantial proportion of incidents reported on SOAS-R forms were not documented in the daily staff reports, which points to a more general problem of underreporting aggressive behavior. Apart from that, categorization of clients into an aggressive and a nonaggressive subgroup with SOAS-R data collected during 1 month or longer corresponded largely with the categorization based on both other indicators. This study showed that underreporting of aggressive incidents is likely to occur with the SOAS-R, making the instrument less suitable to assess absolute aggression incidence in facilities. Still, the SOAS-R seems a good instrument to categorize clients into aggressive and nonaggressive subgroups. Ways to improve the compliance of the ward team to document all aggressive incidents are addressed in the Discussion section of this article.

  9. Beyond Boys’ Bad Behavior: Paternal Incarceration and Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood

    PubMed Central

    Haskins, Anna R.

    2017-01-01

    A growing number of American school-aged children have incarcerated or formally incarcerated parents necessitating a more comprehensive understanding of the intergenerational effects of mass imprisonment. Using the Fragile Families Study, I assess whether having an incarcerated father impacts children’s cognitive skill development into middle childhood. While previous studies have primarily found effects for boys’ behavior problems, matching models and sensitivity analyses demonstrate that experiencing paternal incarceration by age 9 is associated with lower cognitive skills for both boys and girls and these negative effects hold net of a pre-paternal incarceration measure of child cognitive ability. Moreover, I estimate that paternal incarceration explains between 2 and 15 percent of the Black-White achievement gap at age 9. These findings represent new outcomes of importance and suggest that paternal incarceration may play an even larger role in the production of intergenerational inequalities for American children than previously documented. PMID:28579646

  10. Beyond Boys' Bad Behavior: Paternal Incarceration and Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood.

    PubMed

    Haskins, Anna R

    2016-12-07

    A growing number of American school-aged children have incarcerated or formally incarcerated parents necessitating a more comprehensive understanding of the intergenerational effects of mass imprisonment. Using the Fragile Families Study, I assess whether having an incarcerated father impacts children's cognitive skill development into middle childhood. While previous studies have primarily found effects for boys' behavior problems, matching models and sensitivity analyses demonstrate that experiencing paternal incarceration by age 9 is associated with lower cognitive skills for both boys and girls and these negative effects hold net of a pre-paternal incarceration measure of child cognitive ability. Moreover, I estimate that paternal incarceration explains between 2 and 15 percent of the Black-White achievement gap at age 9. These findings represent new outcomes of importance and suggest that paternal incarceration may play an even larger role in the production of intergenerational inequalities for American children than previously documented.

  11. Characterization of Spitsbergen Disks by Transmission Electron Microscopy and Raman Spectroscopy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thomas-Keprta, K. L.; Clemett, S. J.; Le, L.; Ross, K.; McKay, David S.; Gibson, E. K., Jr.

    2010-01-01

    'Carbonate disks' found in the fractures and pores spaces of peridotite xenoliths and basalts from the island of Spitsbergen in the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago have been suggested to be "The best (and best documented) terrestrial analogs for the [Martian meteorite] ALH84001 carbonate globules ..." Previous studies have indicated that Spitsbergen carbonates show broadly comparable internal layering and mineral compositions to ALH84001 carbonate-magnetite disks. We report here for the first time, the detailed mineral characterization of Spitsbergen carbonates and their spatial relationship to the host mineral assemblages in the xenolith, using high resolution TEM (as used previously for ALH84001 carbonate disks). These studies were conducted in concert with complementary Raman and SEM analysis of the same samples. Our results indicate that there are significant chemical and physical differences between the disks in Spitsbergen and the carbonates present in ALH84001.

  12. Does transgenic Cry1Ac + CpTI cotton pollen affect hypopharyngeal gland development and midgut proteolytic enzyme activity in the honey bee Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae)?

    PubMed

    Han, Peng; Niu, Chang-Ying; Biondi, Antonio; Desneux, Nicolas

    2012-11-01

    The transgenic Cry1Ac (Bt toxin) + CpTI (Cowpea Trypsin Inhibitor) cotton cultivar CCRI41 is increasingly used in China and potential side effects on the honey bee Apis mellifera L. have been documented recently. Two studies have assessed potential lethal and sublethal effects in young bees fed with CCRI41 cotton pollen but no effect was observed on learning capacities, although lower feeding activity in exposed honey bees was noted (antifeedant effect). The present study aimed at providing further insights into potential side effects of CCRI41 cotton on honey bees. Emerging honey bees were exposed to different pollen diets using no-choice feeding protocols (chronic exposure) in controlled laboratory conditions and we aimed at documenting potential mechanisms underneath the CCRI41 antifeedant effect previously reported. Activity of midgut proteolytic enzyme of young adult honey bees fed on CCRI41 cotton pollen were not significantly affected, i.e. previously observed antifeedant effect was not linked to disturbed activity of the proteolytic enzymes in bees' midgut. Hypopharyngeal gland development was assessed by quantifying total extractable proteins from the glands. Results suggested that CCRI41 cotton pollen carries no risk to hypopharyngeal gland development of young adult honey bees. In the two bioassays, honey bees exposed to 1 % soybean trypsin inhibitor were used as positive controls for both midgut proteolytic enzymes and hypopharyngeal gland proteins quantification, and bees exposed to 48 ppb (part per billion) (i.e. 48 ng g(-1)) imidacloprid were used as controls for exposure to a sublethal concentration of toxic product. The results show that the previously reported antifeedant effect of CCRI41 cotton pollen on honey bees is not linked to effects on their midgut proteolytic enzymes or on the development of their hypopharyngeal glands. The results of the study are discussed in the framework of risk assessment of transgenic crops on honey bees.

  13. Traditional management of diabetes in Pakistan: Ethnobotanical investigation from Traditional Health Practitioners.

    PubMed

    Yaseen, Ghulam; Ahmad, Mushtaq; Zafar, Muhammad; Sultana, Shazia; Kayani, Sadaf; Cetto, Adolfo Andrade; Shaheen, Shabnum

    2015-11-04

    The uses of anti-diabetic plants are well anchored in the traditional health care system of Pakistan. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first ethno-botanical study about the uses of plants for the treatment of diabetes. The aim of the study is to record indigenous knowledge on anti-diabetic plants from Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) and diabetic patients. In addition, it is aimed to ascertain and validate the traditional uses of anti-diabetic plants by citing pharmacological activities and phytochemical constitutes from previously published literature. The ethno-medicinal data was documented during 14 field surveys, each comprising of 10 days, from 3 regions of Pakistan (Islamabad, Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa and Deserts of Sindh). In total, 113 THPs and 44 diabetic patients were interviewed using open-ended and semi-structured questionnaires. Quantitative indices, including Relative Frequency of Citation percentage (RFC %) and Disease Consensus Index (DCI) were calculated. The documented data is authenticated by comparing with 28 published articles on ethno-botanical aspects and many pharmacological studies. In total, 120 plant species belonging to 50 families were reported. The ethno-botanical results indicated that Moraceae (11 species); herb (56 reports) is dominant life form; the leaves (56 reports) are the most used plant part and decoction (24%) is the preferred mode of preparation. The quantitative analysis shows that RFC% ranges from 14 to 42 and DCI varies from 0.15 to 0.74. By comparing to previous studies, 64 species are reported new in traditional treatment of DM; 40 species are new to pharmacological evidence and 3 species are new to phytochemical studies. This study recoded the significant indigenous knowledge about anti-diabetic plants among the THPs and diabetic patients in Pakistan. This type of ethno-botanical knowledge on traditional use of anti-diabetic plants is an important step in designing detailed pharmacological and clinical trials for Diabetes Miletus treatment. It is recommended that further pharmacological and phytochemical analysis should be conducted on those species which lack previous references in literature and have highest Frequency of Citation (FC), Disease Consensus Index (DCI) and Relative Frequency of Citation percentage (RFC%). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Reciprocity, culture and human cooperation: previous insights and a new cross-cultural experiment

    PubMed Central

    Gächter, Simon; Herrmann, Benedikt

    2008-01-01

    Understanding the proximate and ultimate sources of human cooperation is a fundamental issue in all behavioural sciences. In this paper, we review the experimental evidence on how people solve cooperation problems. Existing studies show without doubt that direct and indirect reciprocity are important determinants of successful cooperation. We also discuss the insights from a large literature on the role of peer punishment in sustaining cooperation. The experiments demonstrate that many people are ‘strong reciprocators’ who are willing to cooperate and punish others even if there are no gains from future cooperation or any other reputational gains. We document this in new one-shot experiments, which we conducted in four cities in Russia and Switzerland. Our cross-cultural approach allows us furthermore to investigate how the cultural background influences strong reciprocity. Our results show that culture has a strong influence on positive and in especially strong negative reciprocity. In particular, we find large cross-cultural differences in ‘antisocial punishment’ of pro-social cooperators. Further cross-cultural research and experiments involving different socio-demographic groups document that the antisocial punishment is much more widespread than previously assumed. Understanding antisocial punishment is an important task for future research because antisocial punishment is a strong inhibitor of cooperation. PMID:19073476

  15. How to Present Evidence-Based Usability Design Principles Dedicated to Medication-Related Alerting Systems to Designers and Evaluators? Results from a Workshop.

    PubMed

    Marcilly, Romaric; Monkman, Helen; Villumsen, Sidsel; Kaufman, David; Beuscart-Zephir, Marie-Catherine

    2016-01-01

    Medication alerting system use errors and lack of adoption are often attributed to usability issues. Previous work has used evidence from the literature to reveal usability principles specific to medication alerting systems and identify potential consequences of violating these principles. The current study sought to explore how best to convey these principles to designers and evaluators of these systems to facilitate their work. To this aim, a workshop with 19 participants was used to generate ideas and opinions on how to deliver these topic-specific design principles in a way that would be most helpful for them. Participants generated ideas for how (e.g., a collaborative, continuously updated forum) and what (e.g., illustrations, checklists, evidence sources and strength, consequences of violations) information is most useful to disseminate usability principles for medication alerting systems. Participants, especially designers, expressed desire to use these principles in practice and avoid previously documented mistakes and therefore make design and evaluation of these systems more effective and efficient. Those insights are discussed in terms of feasibility and logistical challenges to developing the proposed documentation). To move this work forward, a more collaborative approach of Human Factors specialists in medical informatics is necessary.

  16. Reciprocity, culture and human cooperation: previous insights and a new cross-cultural experiment.

    PubMed

    Gächter, Simon; Herrmann, Benedikt

    2009-03-27

    Understanding the proximate and ultimate sources of human cooperation is a fundamental issue in all behavioural sciences. In this paper, we review the experimental evidence on how people solve cooperation problems. Existing studies show without doubt that direct and indirect reciprocity are important determinants of successful cooperation. We also discuss the insights from a large literature on the role of peer punishment in sustaining cooperation. The experiments demonstrate that many people are 'strong reciprocators' who are willing to cooperate and punish others even if there are no gains from future cooperation or any other reputational gains. We document this in new one-shot experiments, which we conducted in four cities in Russia and Switzerland. Our cross-cultural approach allows us furthermore to investigate how the cultural background influences strong reciprocity. Our results show that culture has a strong influence on positive and in especially strong negative reciprocity. In particular, we find large cross-cultural differences in 'antisocial punishment' of pro-social cooperators. Further cross-cultural research and experiments involving different socio-demographic groups document that the antisocial punishment is much more widespread than previously assumed. Understanding antisocial punishment is an important task for future research because antisocial punishment is a strong inhibitor of cooperation.

  17. Vertical structure use by the Stout Iguana (Cyclura pinguis) on Guana Island, BVI

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cheek, Christopher A.; Hlavaty, Shay; Perkins, Rebecca N.; Peyton, Mark A.; Ryan, Caitlin N.; Zavaleta, Jennifer C.; Boal, Clint W.; Perry, Gad

    2013-01-01

    The Stout Iguana (Cyclura pinguis) is a critically endangered species endemic to the Puerto Rico Bank and currently restricted to the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Our study on Guana Island, BVI, focused on vertical structure use. Based on previous incidental observations, we hypothesized that Stout Iguanas use vertical structures and that adults and juveniles use such structures differently. In October 2011, we documented movement and vertical structure use by adult (n = 4) and juvenile (n = 11) iguanas with tracking bobbins. We recorded structure types used, heights attained on structures, distances between structures, and structure sizes. We found that Stout Iguanas used vertical structure more than previously documented. Trees comprised a significantly greater (P < 0.001) proportion of structures used by juveniles than by adults, whereas rocks comprised the greatest proportion of structures used by adults. In addition to differential structure use, juveniles climbed significantly higher (2.4 vs. 0.9 m on average; P < 0.001) than adults. We found no difference in the diameter or distance between structures used by adults and juveniles. Our results suggest that vertical structure use may be an important habitat element for free-ranging juvenile Stout Iguanas. Habitat management that provides vertical structure may be advantageous for the conservation of this species.

  18. Advanced subsonic long-haul transport terminal area compatibility study. Volume 2: Research and technology recommendations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1974-01-01

    The Terminal Area Compatibility (TAC) study is briefly summarized for background information. The most important research items for the areas of noise congestion, and emissions are identified. Other key research areas are also discussed. The 50 recommended research items are categorized by flight phase, technology, and compatibility benefits. The relationship of the TAC recommendations to the previous ATT recommendations is discussed. The bulk of the document contains the 50 recommended research items. For each item, the potential payoff, state of readiness, recommended action and estimated cost and schedule are given.

  19. Experimental selective posterior semicircular canal laser deafferentation.

    PubMed

    Naguib, Maged B

    2005-05-01

    In this experimental study, we attempted to perform selective deafferentation of the posterior semicircular canal ampulla of guinea pigs using carbon dioxide laser beam. The results of this study document the efficacy of this procedure in achieving deafferentation of the posterior semicircular canal safely with regards to the other semicircular canals, the otolithic organ and the organ of hearing. Moreover, the procedure is performed with relative ease compared with other procedures previously described for selective deafferentation of the posterior semicircular canal. The clinical application of such a procedure for the treatment of intractable benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in humans is suggested.

  20. The risk of arsenic induced skin lesions in Bangladeshi men and women is affected by arsenic metabolism and the age at first exposure

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

    Lindberg, Anna-Lena; Rahman, Mahfuzar; Persson, Lars-Ake

    2008-07-01

    It is known that a high fraction of methylarsonate (MA) in urine is a risk modifying factor for several arsenic induced health effects, including skin lesions, and that men are more susceptible for developing skin lesions than women. Thus, we aimed at elucidating the interaction between gender and arsenic metabolism for the risk of developing skin lesions. This study is part of a population-based case-referent study concerning the risk for skin lesions in relation to arsenic exposure via drinking water carried out in Matlab, a rural area 53km south-east of Dhaka, Bangladesh. We randomly selected 526 from 1579 referents andmore » all 504 cases for analysis of arsenic metabolites in urine using HPLC coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-HG-ICPMS). The present study confirm previous studies, with the risk for skin lesions being almost three times higher in the highest tertile of %MA (adjusted OR 2.8, 95% CI: 1.9-4.2, p < 0.001) compared to the lowest tertile. The present study is the first to show that the well documented higher risk for men to develop arsenic-related skin lesions compared to women is mainly explained by the less efficient methylation of arsenic, as defined by a higher fraction of MA and lower fraction of DMA in the urine, among men. Our previously documented lower risk for skin lesions in individuals exposed since infancy, or before, was found to be independent of the observed arsenic methylation efficiency. Thus, it can be speculated that this is due to a programming effect of arsenic in utero.« less

  1. When does education matter? The protective effect of education for cohorts graduating in bad times.

    PubMed

    Cutler, David M; Huang, Wei; Lleras-Muney, Adriana

    2015-02-01

    Using Eurobarometer data, we document large variation across European countries in education gradients in income, self-reported health, life satisfaction, obesity, smoking and drinking. While this variation has been documented previously, the reasons why the effect of education on income, health and health behaviors varies is not well understood. We build on previous literature documenting that cohorts graduating in bad times have lower wages and poorer health for many years after graduation, compared to those graduating in good times. We investigate whether more educated individuals suffer smaller income and health losses as a result of poor labor market conditions upon labor market entry. We confirm that a higher unemployment rate at graduation is associated with lower income, lower life satisfaction, greater obesity, more smoking and drinking later in life. Further, education plays a protective role for these outcomes, especially when unemployment rates are high: the losses associated with poor labor market outcomes are substantially lower for more educated individuals. Variation in unemployment rates upon graduation can potentially explain a large fraction of the variance in gradients across different countries. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Updating histological data on crown initiation and crown completion ages in southern Africans.

    PubMed

    Reid, Donald J; Guatelli-Steinberg, Debbie

    2017-04-01

    To update histological data on crown initiation and completion ages in southern Africans. To evaluate implications of these data for studies that: (a) rely on these data to time linear enamel hypoplasias (LEHs), or, (b) use these data for comparison to fossil hominins. Initiation ages were calculated on 67 histological sections from southern Africans, with sample sizes ranging from one to 11 per tooth type. Crown completion ages for southern Africans were calculated in two ways. First, actual derived initiation ages were added to crown formation times for each histological section to obtain direct information on the crown completion ages of individuals. Second, average initiation ages from this study were added to average crown formation times of southern Africans from the Reid and coworkers previous studies that were based on larger samples. For earlier-initiating tooth types (all anterior teeth and first molars), there is little difference in ages of initiation and crown completion between this and previous studies. Differences increase as a function of initiation age, such that the greatest differences between this and previous studies for both initiation and crown completion ages are for the second and third molars. This study documents variation in initiation ages, particularly for later-initiating tooth types. It upholds the use of previously published histological aging charts for LEHs on anterior teeth. However, this study finds that ages of crown initiation and completion in second and third molars for this southern African sample are earlier than previously estimated. These earlier ages reduce differences between modern humans and fossil hominins for these developmental events in second and third molars. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. 76 FR 8990 - Hours of Service of Drivers; Availability of Supplemental Documents and Corrections to Notice of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-16

    .... FMCSA used a look-up table for scaling the individual hours of work in the previous week. Look-up tables...). Column C (cells C93-137) presents the values scaled to our average work (52 hours per week of work) and... Evaluation to link the hours worked in the previous week to fatigue the following week. On January 28, 2011...

  4. Ethnomedical Knowledge of Plants Used for the Treatment of Tuberculosis in Johor, Malaysia

    PubMed Central

    Sabran, Siti Fatimah; Mohamed, Maryati; Abu Bakar, Mohd Fadzelly

    2016-01-01

    This study documented ethnomedical knowledge of plants used for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) and its related symptoms as practiced by the Jakun community of Kampung Peta, situated in Endau Rompin Johor National Park, Johor, Malaysia. Eight key informants were selected by snowball sampling technique and data about medicinal plants were collected by semistructured interviews, participatory observations, and focus group. Qualitative analysis was undertaken using thematic analysis. There were 23 species of plants (22 genera, 20 families) documented and herbarium specimens were deposited at the UTHM Herbarium. Dipterocarpus sublamellatus was recorded for the first time with ethnomedical uses while other species were previously reported. The qualitative approach employed in this study demonstrates the emic perspective in terms of perceptions on traditional herbal medicine, transfer of knowledge, significant taboos related with medicinal plants, and their conservation efforts. Local and biomedical terminology in treatment of TB showed substantial correspondence. The outcomes obtained in the study are worth being further investigated for conservation strategies and are worthy of verifying their ethnomedical claims scientifically. PMID:26881002

  5. A collective case study of nursing students with learning disabilities.

    PubMed

    Kolanko, Kathrine M

    2003-01-01

    This collective case study described the meaning of being a nursing student with a learning disability and examined how baccalaureate nursing students with learning disabilities experienced various aspects of the nursing program. It also examined how their disabilities and previous educational and personal experiences influenced the meaning that they gave to their educational experiences. Seven nursing students were interviewed, completed a demographic data form, and submitted various artifacts (test scores, evaluation reports, and curriculum-based material) for document analysis. The researcher used Stake's model for collective case study research and analysis (1). Data analysis revealed five themes: 1) struggle, 2) learning how to learn with LD, 3) issues concerning time, 4) social support, and 5) personal stories. Theme clusters and individual variations were identified for each theme. Document analysis revealed that participants had average to above average intellectual functioning with an ability-achievement discrepancy among standardized test scores. Participants noted that direct instruction, structure, consistency, clear directions, organization, and a positive instructor attitude assisted learning. Anxiety, social isolation from peers, and limited time to process and complete work were problems faced by the participants.

  6. Teenage cardiac arrest following abuse of synthetic cannabis.

    PubMed

    Davis, C; Boddington, D

    2015-10-01

    The cardiac effects of many illegal substances (cocaine, methadone) have previously been well described [1,2]. However the association between synthetic cannabis and cardiac arrest is less well documented. Here we describe an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in a previously healthy 16-year-old female associated with the use of inhaled synthetic cannabis. An electronic systematic search of online databases PubMed and Embase was performed using keywords, "synthetic cannabis death" and "cardiac arrest". In this case study a previously healthy 16-year-old had a cardiac arrest after synthetic cannabis use. Despite extensive investigations no other cause for her arrest was found. To the best of our knowledge there has been one previous case report of cardiac arrest following synthetic cannabis use in a 56-year-old man [3]. This case report augments the relationship between synthetic cannabis and cardiac arrest in the medical community. More awareness surrounding the risk of synthetic cannabinoids is warranted. Copyright © 2015 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. New Methodologies for the Documentation of Fortified Architecture in the State of Ruins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fallavollita, F.; Ugolini, A.

    2017-05-01

    Fortresses and castles are important symbols of social and cultural identity providing tangible evidence of cultural unity in Europe. They are items for which it is always difficult to outline a credible prospect of reuse, their old raison d'être- namely the military, political and economic purposes for which they were built- having been lost. In recent years a Research Unit of the University of Bologna composed of architects from different disciplines has conducted a series of studies on fortified heritage in the Emilia Romagna region (and not only) often characterized by buildings in ruins. The purpose of this study is mainly to document a legacy, which has already been studied in depth by historians, and previously lacked reliable architectural surveys for the definition of a credible as well as sustainable conservation project. Our contribution will focus on different techniques and methods used for the survey of these architectures, the characteristics of which- in the past- have made an effective survey of these buildings difficult, if not impossible. The survey of a ruin requires, much more than the evaluation of an intact building, reading skills and an interpretation of architectural spaces to better manage the stages of documentation and data processing. Through a series of case studies of fortified buildings in ruins, we intend to describe the reasons that guided the choice of the methods and tools used and to highlight the potentials and the limits of these choices in financial terms.

  8. Cigarette company trade secrets are not secret: an analysis of reverse engineering reports in internal tobacco industry documents released as a result of litigation.

    PubMed

    Velicer, Clayton; Lempert, Lauren K; Glantz, Stanton

    2015-09-01

    Use previously secret tobacco industry documents to assess tobacco companies' routine claims of trade secret protection for information on cigarette ingredients, additives and construction made to regulatory agencies, as well as the companies' refusal to publicly disclose this information. We analysed previously secret tobacco industry documents available at (http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu) to identify 100 examples of seven major tobacco companies' reverse engineering of their competitors' brands between 1937 and 2001. These reverse engineering reports contain detailed data for 142 different measurements for at least two companies, including physical parameters of the cigarettes, tobacco types, humectants, additives, flavourings, and smoke constituents of competitors' cigarettes. These 100 documents were distributed to 564 employees, including top managers in domestic and foreign offices across multiple departments, including executive leadership, research and design, product development, marketing and legal. These documents reported new competitors' products, measured ingredient changes over time, and informed companies' decisions regarding ingredients in their own products. Because cigarette companies routinely analyse their competitors' cigarettes in great detail, this information is neither secret nor commercially valuable and, thus, does not meet the legal definition of a 'trade secret.' This information is only being kept 'secret' from the people consuming cigarettes and the scientific community. Public agencies should release this detailed information because it would provide valuable information about how ingredients affect addictiveness and toxicity, and would help the public health community and consumers better understand the impact of cigarette design on human health. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  9. Superfund Removal Guidance for Preparing Action Memoranda

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Dated September 2009, this updates and replaces previous documents. An Action Memo (AM) should substantiate need for removal action based upon criteria in the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). Includes AM template.

  10. Evaluation framework for 16 earmarked projects in Washington State

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2007-05-01

    This report documents the results of applying a previously developed, standardized approach for evaluating advanced traveler information systems (ATIS) projects to a much more diverse group of 16 intelligent transportation systems (ITS) projects. The...

  11. Ames research center publications, 1975

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sherwood, B. R. (Compiler)

    1977-01-01

    This bibliography cites 851 documents by Ames Research Center personnel and contractors which appeared in formal NASA publications, journals, books, patents, and contractor reports in 1975, or not included in previous annual bibliographies. An author index is provided.

  12. Development and testing of responder : phase III.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-06-28

    This report documents the research project Development and Testing of Responder Phase III. Under previous research, a Responder system has been developed to provide relevant and timely information to first responders, allow responders to provid...

  13. Integrated Planning Model (IPM) Base Case v.4.10

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Learn about EPA's IPM Base Case v.4.10, including Proposed Transport Rule results, documentation, the National Electric Energy Data System (NEEDS) database and user's guide, and run results using previous base cases.

  14. Breeding colonies of least terns (Sternula antillarum) in northern Sonora, Mexico, 2006-2008

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rosemartin, Alyssa; van Riper, Charles

    2012-01-01

    We document distribution of breeding least terns (Sternula antillarum) in northern Sonora, Mexico, 2006-2008. We report breeding activity at six sites with active colonies, including three previously undocumented colonies.

  15. NONROAD Emissions Inventory Model Installation

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This release and the very limited documentation presented here are intended for users already familiar with an earlier release of the NONROAD model. NONROAD2008 is major update and it supersedes all previous versions, most recently NONROAD2005.

  16. The Virginia Slims identity crisis: an inside look at tobacco industry marketing to women

    PubMed Central

    Toll, B; Ling, P

    2005-01-01

    Objectives: Because no prior studies have comprehensively analysed previously secret tobacco industry documents describing marketing female brands, the Virginia Slims brand was studied to explore how Philip Morris and competitors develop and adapt promotional campaigns targeting women. Methods: Analysis of previously secret tobacco industry documents. The majority of the documents used were from Philip Morris. Results: The key to Virginia Slims advertising was creating an aspirational image which women associated with the brand. Virginia Slims co-opted women's liberation slogans to build a modern female image from 1968 through to the 1980s, and its market share grew from 0.24% to 3.16% during that time period. Ironically, the feminist image that worked very well for the brand was also the reason for its subsequent problems. Philip Morris experienced unprecedented losses in market share in the early 1990s, with a decline in market share for four consecutive years from 3.16% to 2.26%; they attributed this decline to both the fact that the brand's feminist image no longer appealed to young women aged 18–24 years, and increased competition from more contemporary and lower priced competitors. Throughout the 1990s, attempts to reacquire young women while retaining Virginia Slims loyal (now older) smokers were made using a "King Size" line extension, new slogans, and loyalty building promotions. Conclusions: Tobacco advertisers initially created distinct female brands with aspirational images; continued appeal to young women was critical for long term growth. The need for established brands to evolve to maintain relevance to young women creates an opportunity for tobacco counter-marketing, which should undermine tobacco brand imagery and promote aspirational smoke-free lifestyle images. Young women age 18–24 are extremely valuable to the tobacco industry and should be a focus for tobacco control programmes. PMID:15923467

  17. Demersal Fish Assemblages on Seamounts and Other Rugged Features in Deep Waters of the Greater and Lesser Antilles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chaytor, J. D.; Quattrini, A.; Demopoulos, A. W.

    2015-12-01

    Caribbean fish communities in shallow waters have been well studied along the Greater and Lesser Antilles for decades; however, the deep (>200 m) assemblages remain poorly known due to the technical challenges associated with focused surveys at these greater depths. The numerous geological features (e.g., seamounts, island ridges, banks) that punctuate the insular margins increase habitat heterogeneity, which may lead to enhanced diversity of the deep demersal fish community in the region. Recent (2013-2014) expeditions in the area using the E/V Nautilus and the ROV Hercules surveyed fish communities during 17 dives across different seafloor features at depths ranging from 64 to 2944 m. These surveys enabled us to investigate whether demersal fish assemblages differed among these seafloor features and/or in response to other environmental factors. Preliminary analyses suggested that assemblage differences are influenced by depth, dissolved oxygen, and differences in benthic microhabitat (i.e., soft substrate, rock outcrop, slope angle). Notably, both abundance and diversity of fishes was low at depths >700 m on seamounts in the Anegada Passage. This pattern is likely due to limited food supply in the region. ROV surveys further elucidated the biogeography of numerous species, as several range and depth extensions were documented. For instance, the morid Lepidion sp., previously known only from the eastern Atlantic and the western North Atlantic, was documented on Norrôit Seamount. A new species, Polylepion sp. A, known only from Curacao, was documented on Conrad Seamount. Also, many common, mesophotic reef species were observed deeper than previously known, including the butterflyfishes Chaetodon sedentarius and Prognathodes aculeatus. This study further supports the importance of environmental conditions influencing local-scale distribution of deep-sea fishes, while demonstrating how little is still known about the biogeography of numerous deep-sea and mesophotic fish species.

  18. Effects of landscape gradients on wetland vegetation communities: information for large-scale restoration

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Zweig, Christa L.; Kitchens, Wiley M.

    2008-01-01

    Projects of the scope of the restoration of the Florida Everglades require substantial information regarding ecological mechanisms, and these are often poorly understood. We provide critical base knowledge for Everglades restoration by characterizing the existing vegetation communities of an Everglades remnant, describing how present and historic hydrology affect wetland vegetation community composition, and documenting change from communities described in previous studies. Vegetation biomass samples were collected along transects across Water Conservation Area 3A South (3AS). Ten community types were present between November 2002 and 2005. Separate analyses for key a priori groups (slough, wet prairie, and sawgrass) provided detailed conclusions about effects of historic hydrology on the vegetation of 3AS. Communities were affected by hydrologic variables LIP to four years previous to the sample. We identified wet prairie/slough species such as Eleocharis spp. and Nymphaea odorata as short-term sentinel species of community change. Sawgrass and N. odorata should be monitored for long-term change. Comparisons to preceding studies indicated that many of the communities of previous times, when conditions were drier, no longer exist in our study area and have been replaced by deeper water community types.

  19. Quality Improvement to Demonstrate the Lack of Reliability of the Human Papillomavirus mRNA Assay to Identify Women With Latent Human Papillomavirus Infections.

    PubMed

    Cotton, Sarah; Brown, Robert E; Nugent, Elizabeth K; Robazetti, Sonia C; Berens, Pamela D; Smith, Judith A

    2018-04-01

    To assess the consistency between human papillomavirus (HPV) mRNA testing in women with a history of previous HPV infections diagnosed by HPV DNA assay and the potential effects on follow-up HPV screening. This was a quality improvement study that used data from a pathology laboratory software database reviewed from November 2014 to June 2016 to identify female patients aged 30 years or older with greater than one HPV-positive result, including one or more HPV mRNA assay results and one or more documented HPV DNA assay results for comparison. Previous correlative cytology and colposcopic histopathology were also documented. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' cervical cancer screening guidelines were used to compare potential differences in follow-up recommendations. Four hundred twenty-five charts for female patients 30 years of age or older were identified with one or more prior high-risk HPV infections by DNA assay. There was a 69.3% difference in HPV mRNA results compared with previous HPV DNA-positive results. There was a potential change in follow-up for 71.7% of patients with one prior high-risk-HPV-positive result and 60.0% of patients with two or more prior high-risk HPV-positive results. There were 231 colposcopy reports evaluated in this study. Of these, 62 (26.8%) were abnormal colposcopy reports, including 45 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, 15 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, and two cancers. Twenty-five (40.3%) abnormal colposcopy findings were in patients with a history of at least than two prior HPV DNA-positive results and a report of currently being HPV-negative with the mRNA assay. The HPV mRNA assays are less sensitive for detection of latent HPV infections compared with HPV DNA assays. Based on these data and the potential change in follow-up care, the HPV mRNA assay should not be used for a primary screening tool for cervical cancer. Many pathology laboratories have shifted to using the HPV mRNA assay without clear discussion with gynecologists about the effects on patient follow-up. The type of HPV assay being used should be documented and any HPV mRNA result confirmed by HPV DNA assay.

  20. Inferring Group Processes from Computer-Mediated Affective Text Analysis

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

    Schryver, Jack C; Begoli, Edmon; Jose, Ajith

    2011-02-01

    Political communications in the form of unstructured text convey rich connotative meaning that can reveal underlying group social processes. Previous research has focused on sentiment analysis at the document level, but we extend this analysis to sub-document levels through a detailed analysis of affective relationships between entities extracted from a document. Instead of pure sentiment analysis, which is just positive or negative, we explore nuances of affective meaning in 22 affect categories. Our affect propagation algorithm automatically calculates and displays extracted affective relationships among entities in graphical form in our prototype (TEAMSTER), starting with seed lists of affect terms. Severalmore » useful metrics are defined to infer underlying group processes by aggregating affective relationships discovered in a text. Our approach has been validated with annotated documents from the MPQA corpus, achieving a performance gain of 74% over comparable random guessers.« less

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

    Engels, J.

    The Environmental Restoration (ER) Program was established for the investigation and remediation of inactive US Department of Energy (DOE) sites and facilities that have been declared surplus in terms of their previous uses. The purpose of this document is to Specify ER requirements for quality control (QC) of analytical data. Activities throughout all phases of the investigation may affect the quality of the final data product, thus are subject to control specifications. Laboratory control is emphasized in this document, and field concerns will be addressed in a companion document Energy Systems, in its role of technical coordinator and at themore » request of DOE-OR, extends the application of these requirements to all participants in ER activities. Because every instance and concern may not be addressed in this document, participants are encouraged to discuss any questions with the ER Quality Assurance (QA) Office, the Analytical Environmental Support Group (AESG), or the Analytical Project Office (APO).« less

  2. Complicity in contraband: British American Tobacco and cigarette smuggling in Asia

    PubMed Central

    Collin, J; LeGresley, E; MacKenzie, R; Lawrence, S; Lee, K

    2004-01-01

    Objectives: To examine the complicity of British American Tobacco (BAT) in cigarette smuggling in Asia, and to assess the centrality of illicit trade to regional corporate strategy. Methods: Analysis of previously confidential documents from BAT's Guildford depository. An iterative strategy combined searches based on geography, organisational structure, and key personnel, while corporate euphemisms for contraband were identified by triangulation. Results: BAT documents demonstrate the strategic importance of smuggling across global, regional, national, and local levels. Particularly important in Asia, contraband enabled access to closed markets, created pressure for market opening, and was highly profitable. Documents demonstrate BAT's detailed oversight of illicit trade, seeking to reconcile the conflicting demands of control and deniability. Conclusions: BAT documents demonstrate that smuggling has been driven by corporate objectives, indicate national measures by which the problem can be addressed, and highlight the importance of a coordinated global response via WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. PMID:15564212

  3. Complicity in contraband: British American Tobacco and cigarette smuggling in Asia.

    PubMed

    Collin, J; Legresley, E; MacKenzie, R; Lawrence, S; Lee, K

    2004-12-01

    To examine the complicity of British American Tobacco (BAT) in cigarette smuggling in Asia, and to assess the centrality of illicit trade to regional corporate strategy. Analysis of previously confidential documents from BAT's Guildford depository. An iterative strategy combined searches based on geography, organisational structure, and key personnel, while corporate euphemisms for contraband were identified by triangulation. BAT documents demonstrate the strategic importance of smuggling across global, regional, national, and local levels. Particularly important in Asia, contraband enabled access to closed markets, created pressure for market opening, and was highly profitable. Documents demonstrate BAT's detailed oversight of illicit trade, seeking to reconcile the conflicting demands of control and deniability. BAT documents demonstrate that smuggling has been driven by corporate objectives, indicate national measures by which the problem can be addressed, and highlight the importance of a coordinated global response via WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

  4. Games in clinical genetic counseling supervision.

    PubMed

    McIntosh, Nathalie; Dircks, Anita; Fitzpatrick, Jennifer; Shuman, Cheryl

    2006-08-01

    Games are defined as ongoing series of complementary ulterior transactions that are superficially plausible but have a concealed motivation to maximize pay-offs and minimize penalties for the initiator. While some games are harmless and part of socialization, others are destructive. Destructive game-playing in clinical supervision, in which game-playing (initiated by either supervisors or students) interferes with a student's realization of internship goals, has been documented in some allied healthcare professions but has not yet been studied in genetic counseling. Genetic counselors and clinical supervisors of genetic counseling students were anonymously surveyed regarding their experiences with destructive game-playing. Results show that such games do occur in genetic counseling clinical supervision. Some games are the same or similar to ones previously described in other health-care professions; others may be unique to genetic counseling. The purpose of this paper is to document these games as a first step to facilitating dialogue, understanding and awareness of them.

  5. The principles and technical aspects of diuresis renography

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

    Conway, J.J.

    1989-12-01

    It is intuitive that dilation of the urinary tract is most likely caused by obstruction. However, the opposite is more often true. That is, dilation is not associated with obstruction, especially in children. The most common causes for hydronephrosis and hydroureter include infection, vesicoureteral reflux, congenital megacalyces and megaureter, previous obstruction, and bladder noncompliance. Theoretically, one can consider obstruction on the basis of its significance, which is that there may be a loss of renal function with time. Techniques such as intravenous pyelography and ultrasonography, which anatomically document the degree of dilation of the urinary tract, cannot quantitatively determine themore » presence of obstruction or its significance. Radionuclide renography more readily quantifies abnormal renal function. Serial renographic studies with furosemide can document renal function loss and, thus, determine the significance of the obstruction. Diuresis renography with furosemide provides an objective quantitative means for determining the renal function changes over time.« less

  6. Semantic enrichment of medical forms - semi-automated coding of ODM-elements via web services.

    PubMed

    Breil, Bernhard; Watermann, Andreas; Haas, Peter; Dziuballe, Philipp; Dugas, Martin

    2012-01-01

    Semantic interoperability is an unsolved problem which occurs while working with medical forms from different information systems or institutions. Standards like ODM or CDA assure structural homogenization but in order to compare elements from different data models it is necessary to use semantic concepts and codes on an item level of those structures. We developed and implemented a web-based tool which enables a domain expert to perform semi-automated coding of ODM-files. For each item it is possible to inquire web services which result in unique concept codes without leaving the context of the document. Although it was not feasible to perform a totally automated coding we have implemented a dialog based method to perform an efficient coding of all data elements in the context of the whole document. The proportion of codable items was comparable to results from previous studies.

  7. Sustainable ubiquitous home health care--architectural considerations and first practical experiences.

    PubMed

    Marschollek, Michael; Wolf, Klaus-H; Bott, Oliver-J; Geisler, Mirko; Plischke, Maik; Ludwig, Wolfram; Hornberger, Andreas; Haux, Reinhold

    2007-01-01

    Despite the abundance of past home care projects and the maturity of the technologies used, there is no widespread dissemination as yet. The absence of accepted standards and thus interoperability and the inadequate integration into transinstitutional health information systems (tHIS) are perceived as key factors. Based on the respective literature and previous experiences in home care projects we propose an architectural model for home care as part of a transinstitutional health information system using the HL7 clinical document architecture (CDA) as well as the HL7 Arden Syntax for Medical Logic Systems. In two short case studies we describe the practical realization of the architecture as well as first experiences. Our work can be regarded as a first step towards an interoperable - and in our view sustainable - home care architecture based on a prominent document standard from the health information system domain.

  8. Towards a biopsychological understanding of costly punishment: the role of basal cortisol.

    PubMed

    Pfattheicher, Stefan; Keller, Johannes

    2014-01-01

    Recent findings have documented a negative relation of basal endogenous cortisol and aggression after a provocation (i.e., reactive aggression) in humans. We build on these findings and investigated the relation of endogenous cortisol and reactive aggression in a social dilemma situation, that is, costly punishment of individuals who did not appropriately contribute to a common group project. Specifically, we predicted that basal cortisol is negatively related to costly punishment of uncooperative individuals. In the present study, basal cortisol was assessed prior to a public goods game with the option to punish other group members. In line with previous research on reactive aggression and basal cortisol, we found that basal cortisol was indeed negatively related to costly punishment. The findings are important for understanding costly punishment because this tendency has been documented as a possible basis for the evolution of cooperation.

  9. Towards a Biopsychological Understanding of Costly Punishment: The Role of Basal Cortisol

    PubMed Central

    Pfattheicher, Stefan; Keller, Johannes

    2014-01-01

    Recent findings have documented a negative relation of basal endogenous cortisol and aggression after a provocation (i.e., reactive aggression) in humans. We build on these findings and investigated the relation of endogenous cortisol and reactive aggression in a social dilemma situation, that is, costly punishment of individuals who did not appropriately contribute to a common group project. Specifically, we predicted that basal cortisol is negatively related to costly punishment of uncooperative individuals. In the present study, basal cortisol was assessed prior to a public goods game with the option to punish other group members. In line with previous research on reactive aggression and basal cortisol, we found that basal cortisol was indeed negatively related to costly punishment. The findings are important for understanding costly punishment because this tendency has been documented as a possible basis for the evolution of cooperation. PMID:24416441

  10. Mammal Inventory of the Mojave Network Parks-Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Manzanar National Historic Site, and Mojave National Preserve

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Drost, Charles A.; Hart, Jan

    2008-01-01

    This report describes the results of a mammal inventory study of National Park Service units in the Mojave Desert Network, including Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Manzanar National Historic Site, and Mojave National Preserve. Fieldwork for the inventory focused on small mammals, primarily rodents and bats. Fieldwork for terrestrial small mammals used trapping with Sherman and Tomahawk small- and medium-sized mammal traps, along with visual surveys for diurnal species. The majority of sampling for terrestrial small mammals was carried out in 2002 and 2003. Methods used in field surveys for bats included mist-netting at tanks and other water bodies, along with acoustic surveys using Anabat. Most of the bat survey work was conducted in 2003. Because of extremely dry conditions in the first two survey years (and associated low mammal numbers), we extended field sampling into 2004, following a relatively wet winter. In addition to field sampling, we also reviewed, evaluated, and summarized museum and literature records of mammal species for all of the Park units. We documented a total of 59 mammal species as present at Death Valley National Park, with an additional five species that we consider of probable occurrence. At Joshua Tree, we also documented 50 species, and an additional four 'probable' species. At Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 57 mammal species have been positively documented, with 10 additional probable species. Manzanar National Historic Site had not been previously surveyed. We documented 19 mammal species at Manzanar, with an additional 11 probable species. Mojave National Preserve had not had a comprehensive list previously, either. There are now a total of 50 mammal species documented at Mojave, with three additional probable species. Of these totals, 23 occurrences are new at individual park units (positively documented for the first time), with most of these being at Manzanar. Noteworthy additions include western mastiff bat at Joshua Tree, house mouse at a number of wildland sites at Lake Mead, and San Diego pocket mouse at Mojave National Preserve. There are also species that have been lost from the Mojave Network parks. We discuss remaining questions, including the possible occurrence of additional species at each park area (most of these are marginal species whose distributional range may or may not edge into the boundaries of the area). Taxonomic changes are also discussed, along with potential erroneous species records.

  11. Analysis of anti-malarial resistance markers in pfmdr1 and pfcrt across Southeast Asia in the Tracking Resistance to Artemisinin Collaboration.

    PubMed

    Srimuang, Krongkan; Miotto, Olivo; Lim, Pharath; Fairhurst, Rick M; Kwiatkowski, Dominic P; Woodrow, Charles J; Imwong, Mallika

    2016-11-08

    Declining anti-malarial efficacy of artemisinin-based combination therapy, and reduced Plasmodium falciparum susceptibility to individual anti-malarials are being documented across an expanding area of Southeast Asia (SEA). Genotypic markers complement phenotypic studies in assessing the efficacy of individual anti-malarials. The markers pfmdr1 and pfcrt were genotyped in parasite samples obtained in 2011-2014 at 14 TRAC (Tracking Resistance to Artemisinin Collaboration) sites in mainland Southeast Asia using a combination of PCR and next-generation sequencing methods. Pfmdr1 amplification, a marker of mefloquine and lumefantrine resistance, was highly prevalent at Mae Sot on the Thailand-Myanmar border (59.8% of isolates) and common (more than 10%) at sites in central Myanmar, eastern Thailand and western Cambodia; however, its prevalence was lower than previously documented in Pailin, western Cambodia. The pfmdr1 Y184F mutation was common, particularly in and around Cambodia, and the F1226Y mutation was found in about half of samples in Mae Sot. The functional significance of these two mutations remains unclear. Other previously documented pfmdr1 mutations were absent or very rare in the region. The pfcrt mutation K76T associated with chloroquine resistance was found in 98.2% of isolates. The CVIET haplotype made up 95% or more of isolates in western SEA while the CVIDT haplotype was common (30-40% of isolates) in north and northeastern Cambodia, southern Laos, and southern Vietnam. These findings generate cause for concern regarding the mid-term efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine in Myanmar, while the absence of resistance-conferring pfmdr1 mutations and SVMNT pfcrt haplotypes suggests that amodiaquine could be an efficacious component of anti-malarial regimens in SEA.

  12. Methodological Framework for Analysis of Buildings-Related Programs with BEAMS, 2008

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

    Elliott, Douglas B.; Dirks, James A.; Hostick, Donna J.

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) develops official “benefits estimates” for each of its major programs using its Planning, Analysis, and Evaluation (PAE) Team. PAE conducts an annual integrated modeling and analysis effort to produce estimates of the energy, environmental, and financial benefits expected from EERE’s budget request. These estimates are part of EERE’s budget request and are also used in the formulation of EERE’s performance measures. Two of EERE’s major programs are the Building Technologies Program (BT) and the Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program (WIP). Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) supports PAEmore » by developing the program characterizations and other market information necessary to provide input to the EERE integrated modeling analysis as part of PAE’s Portfolio Decision Support (PDS) effort. Additionally, PNNL also supports BT by providing line-item estimates for the Program’s internal use. PNNL uses three modeling approaches to perform these analyses. This report documents the approach and methodology used to estimate future energy, environmental, and financial benefits using one of those methods: the Building Energy Analysis and Modeling System (BEAMS). BEAMS is a PC-based accounting model that was built in Visual Basic by PNNL specifically for estimating the benefits of buildings-related projects. It allows various types of projects to be characterized including whole-building, envelope, lighting, and equipment projects. This document contains an overview section that describes the estimation process and the models used to estimate energy savings. The body of the document describes the algorithms used within the BEAMS software. This document serves both as stand-alone documentation for BEAMS, and also as a supplemental update of a previous document, Methodological Framework for Analysis of Buildings-Related Programs: The GPRA Metrics Effort, (Elliott et al. 2004b). The areas most changed since the publication of that previous document are those discussing the calculation of lighting and HVAC interactive effects (for both lighting and envelope/whole-building projects). This report does not attempt to convey inputs to BEAMS or the methodology of their derivation.« less

  13. Radiographic evaluation of the ankle syndesmosis.

    PubMed

    Croft, Stephen; Furey, Andrew; Stone, Craig; Moores, Carl; Wilson, Robert

    2015-02-01

    Radiographic measurements to document ankle anatomy have been suggested in recent literature to be inadequate. Focus has been put on stress views and computed tomography; however, there are also issues with these modalities. An orthogonal view that could be used both statically and dynamically could help determine syndesmotic stability. The purpose of this study was to determine a parameter on a normal lateral ankle radiograph that will increase the reliability of standard radiography in diagnosing syndesmotic integrity. Three orthopedic surgeons reviewed 80 lateral ankle radiographs. Thirty of those radiographs were reviewed on a second occasion. Rotation of the radiographs was determined by evaluating the overlap of the talar dome. Four radiographic parameters were measured 1 cm above the tibial plafond: fibular width, tibial width, and anterior and posterior tibiofibular intervals. Seventy-two radiographs were determined by consensus to be adequate. Means and ratios were documented to determine the relationship of the fibula to the tibia. Interrater reliability ranged from moderate to near-perfect, and the intrarater reliability was documented for each ratio. The anterior tibiofibular ratio was shown to be strong to near-perfect. It demonstrates that 40% of the tibia should be seen anterior to the fibula at 1cm above the tibial plafond. The anterior tibiofibular ratio provides an orthogonal measure for the syndesmosis that, in conjunction with those parameters previously documented, could clinically and economically improve the diagnosis of syndesmotic disruptions.

  14. Standards for Reporting Implementation Studies (StaRI): explanation and elaboration document

    PubMed Central

    Pinnock, Hilary; Barwick, Melanie; Carpenter, Christopher R; Eldridge, Sandra; Grandes, Gonzalo; Griffiths, Chris J; Rycroft-Malone, Jo; Meissner, Paul; Murray, Elizabeth; Patel, Anita; Sheikh, Aziz; Taylor, Stephanie J C

    2017-01-01

    Objectives Implementation studies are often poorly reported and indexed, reducing their potential to inform the provision of healthcare services. The Standards for Reporting Implementation Studies (StaRI) initiative aims to develop guidelines for transparent and accurate reporting of implementation studies. Methods An international working group developed the StaRI guideline informed by a systematic literature review and e-Delphi prioritisation exercise. Following a face-to-face meeting, the checklist was developed iteratively by email discussion and critical review by international experts. Results The 27 items of the checklist are applicable to the broad range of study designs employed in implementation science. A key concept is the dual strands, represented as 2 columns in the checklist, describing, on the one hand, the implementation strategy and, on the other, the clinical, healthcare or public health intervention being implemented. This explanation and elaboration document details each of the items, explains the rationale and provides examples of good reporting practice. Conclusions Previously published reporting statements have been instrumental in improving reporting standards; adoption by journals and authors may achieve a similar improvement in the reporting of implementation strategies that will facilitate translation of effective interventions into routine practice. PMID:28373250

  15. Application of diffusion maps to identify human factors of self-reported anomalies in aviation.

    PubMed

    Andrzejczak, Chris; Karwowski, Waldemar; Mikusinski, Piotr

    2012-01-01

    A study investigating what factors are present leading to pilots submitting voluntary anomaly reports regarding their flight performance was conducted. Diffusion Maps (DM) were selected as the method of choice for performing dimensionality reduction on text records for this study. Diffusion Maps have seen successful use in other domains such as image classification and pattern recognition. High-dimensionality data in the form of narrative text reports from the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) were clustered and categorized by way of dimensionality reduction. Supervised analyses were performed to create a baseline document clustering system. Dimensionality reduction techniques identified concepts or keywords within records, and allowed the creation of a framework for an unsupervised document classification system. Results from the unsupervised clustering algorithm performed similarly to the supervised methods outlined in the study. The dimensionality reduction was performed on 100 of the most commonly occurring words within 126,000 text records describing commercial aviation incidents. This study demonstrates that unsupervised machine clustering and organization of incident reports is possible based on unbiased inputs. Findings from this study reinforced traditional views on what factors contribute to civil aviation anomalies, however, new associations between previously unrelated factors and conditions were also found.

  16. A Spectral Study of a New Class of Radio Quasars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Perlman, Eric S.

    2003-01-01

    This document serves as a final technical report for NASA grants NAG5-9995 and NAG5-9533, entitled 'A Spectral Study of a New Class of Radio Quasars.' The purpose of these grants were to support observations made using the BeppoSAX satellite. The observations took place over two years and covered two SAX observing cycles, respectively AO-3 and AO-4. During this time, I was employed both at Johns Hopkins University (NAG5-9995) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (NAG5-9533). As the research on these grants was on the same subject and my employment at JHU and UMBC has been consecutive, this document therefore covers both grants. The targets for these observations were four radio-loud quasars chosen from the first two X-ray selected samples of such objects. These were the brightest examples of the newly found class of X-ray loud flat-spectrum radio quasars, which prior to 1997, had never been seen before. However, my previous work with collaborators Paolo Padovani and Paolo Giommi on the DXRBS survey showed that they make up about 25% of the population of flat-spectrum radio quasars, but had not been seen before because of selection biases (all previous samples of these objects had been compiled in the radio). The purpose of the SAX observations was to investigate the shape of their X-ray spectrum, which would tell us where the peak of their synchrotron emission was located.

  17. Documentation of medication changes in inpatient clinical notes: an audit to support quality improvement.

    PubMed

    Peusschers, Elsie; Twine, Jaryth; Wheeler, Amanda; Moudgil, Vikas; Patterson, Sue

    2015-04-01

    To describe completeness and accuracy of recording medication changes in progress notes during psychiatric inpatient admissions. A retrospective audit of records of 54 randomly selected psychiatric admissions at a metropolitan tertiary hospital. Medication changes recorded on National Inpatient Medication Chart (NIMC) were compared to documentation in the clinical progress records and assessed for completeness against seven quality criteria. With between one and 32 medication changes per admission, a total of 519 changes were recorded in NIMCs. Just over half were documented in progress notes. Psychotropic and regular medications were more frequently charted than 'other' and 'if required' medications. Documentation was seldom comprehensive. Medication name was most frequently documented; desired therapeutic effect or potential adverse effects were rarely documented. Evidence of patient involvement in, and an explicit rationale for, a change were infrequently recorded. Revealing substantial gaps in communication about medication changes during psychiatric admission, this audit sheds light on a previously undescribed source of medication error, warranting attention. Further research is needed to examine barriers to best practice, to support design and implementation of quality improvement activities but in the interim, attention should be addressed to development and articulation of content and procedures for documentation. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

  18. A hybrid intelligence approach to artifact recognition in digital publishing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vega-Riveros, J. Fernando; Santos Villalobos, Hector J.

    2006-02-01

    The system presented integrates rule-based and case-based reasoning for artifact recognition in Digital Publishing. In Variable Data Printing (VDP) human proofing could result prohibitive since a job could contain millions of different instances that may contain two types of artifacts: 1) evident defects, like a text overflow or overlapping 2) style-dependent artifacts, subtle defects that show as inconsistencies with regard to the original job design. We designed a Knowledge-Based Artifact Recognition tool for document segmentation, layout understanding, artifact detection, and document design quality assessment. Document evaluation is constrained by reference to one instance of the VDP job proofed by a human expert against the remaining instances. Fundamental rules of document design are used in the rule-based component for document segmentation and layout understanding. Ambiguities in the design principles not covered by the rule-based system are analyzed by case-based reasoning, using the Nearest Neighbor Algorithm, where features from previous jobs are used to detect artifacts and inconsistencies within the document layout. We used a subset of XSL-FO and assembled a set of 44 document samples. The system detected all the job layout changes, while obtaining an overall average accuracy of 84.56%, with the highest accuracy of 92.82%, for overlapping and the lowest, 66.7%, for the lack-of-white-space.

  19. Liquid belt radiator design study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Teagan, W. P.; Fitzgerald, K. F.

    1986-01-01

    The Liquid Belt Radiator (LBR) is an advanced concept developed to meet the needs of anticipated future space missions. A previous study documented the advantages of this concept as a lightweight, easily deployable alternative to present day space heat rejection systems. The technical efforts associated with this study concentrate on refining the concept of the LBR as well as examining the issues of belt dynamics and potential application of the LBR to intermediate and high temperature heat rejection applications. A low temperature point design developed in previous work is updated assuming the use of diffusion pump oil, Santovac-6, as the heat transfer media. Additional analytical and design effort is directed toward determining the impact of interface heat exchanger, fluid bath sealing, and belt drive mechanism designs on system performance and mass. The updated design supports the earlier result by indicating a significant reduction in system specific system mass as compared to heat pipe or pumped fluid radiator concepts currently under consideration (1.3 kg/sq m versus 5 kg/sq m).

  20. Reversal learning deficits in criminal offenders: Effects of psychopathy, substance use, and childhood maltreatment history.

    PubMed

    Dargis, Monika; Wolf, Richard C; Koenigs, Michael

    2017-06-01

    Deficits in reinforcement learning are presumed to underlie the impulsive and incorrigible behavior exhibited by psychopathic criminals. However, previous studies documenting reversal learning impairments in psychopathic individuals have not investigated this relationship across a continuous range of psychopathy severity, nor have they examined how reversal learning impairments relate to different psychopathic traits, such as the interpersonal-affective and lifestyle-antisocial dimensions. Furthermore, previous studies have not considered the role that childhood maltreatment and substance use may have in this specific cognitive deficit. Using a standard reversal learning task in a sample of N = 114 incarcerated male offenders, we demonstrate a significant relationship between psychopathy severity and reversal learning errors. Furthermore, we show a significant interaction between psychopathy and childhood maltreatment, but not substance use, such that individuals high in psychopathy with an extensive history of maltreatment committed the greatest number of reversal learning errors. These findings extend the current understanding of reversal learning performance among psychopathic individuals, and highlight the importance of considering childhood maltreatment when studying psychopathy.

  1. Intelligent transportation systems benefits : 2001 Update

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-06-01

    This report continues the series of reports that document evaluation results of ITS user services and the benefits these services provide to the surface transportation system. The organization of this report differs from that of the previous ITS Bene...

  2. Fly Caught in Foreskin: An Usual Case of Preputial Myiasis

    PubMed Central

    Parkinson, Richard J; Robinson, Simon; Lessells, Richard; Lemberger, John

    2008-01-01

    Cutaneous bot fly infestation is common in travellers to Mexico and Central America. Myiasis affecting the genitalia is rare, however, with few previous reports. We document an unusual case in Nottingham, UK PMID:18492386

  3. 76 FR 8871 - Walnuts Grown in California; Decreased Assessment Rate

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-16

    ... than the rate previously in effect. The quantity of assessable walnuts for the 2010-11 marketing year... contains regulatory documents #0;having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed #0... 8871

  4. Gaze-evoked and rebound nystagmus in a case of migrainous vertigo.

    PubMed

    Oh, Sun-Young; Seo, Man-Wook; Kim, Young-Hyun; Choi, Kwang-Dong; Kim, Dae-Seong; Shin, Byoung-Soo

    2009-03-01

    A patient with migrainous vertigo showed pronounced gaze-evoked and rebound nystagmus during an attack. These findings, which have not been previously documented, suggest that migrainous vertigo is based on central vestibular dysfunction.

  5. An overview of Virginia's computerized crash records systems.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1995-01-01

    This report identifies the various components of Virginia's computerized crash records systems and explains how these components process crash data. Emphasis has been placed on recording information that was previously not documented. Most of the sta...

  6. Previous MOVES Versions and Documentation

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Find all software, user guides, and download and installation instructions for MOVES2010a and MOVES2010. Note that these version are not valid for SIP and transportation conformity purposes: MOVES2014 and MOVES2014a are the latest versions.

  7. GATEWAY Demonstrations: Long-Term Evaluation of SSL Field Performance in Select Interior Projects

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

    Davis, Tess E.; Davis, Robert G.; Wilkerson, Andrea M.

    The GATEWAY program evaluated the long-term performance characteristics (chromaticity change, maintained illuminance, and operations and maintenance) of LED lighting systems in four field installations previously documented in separate DOE GATEWAY reports.

  8. MAPSIT and a Roadmap for Lunar and Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Radebaugh, J.; Archinal, B.; Beyer, R.; DellaGiustina, D.; Fassett, C.; Gaddis, L.; Hagerty, J.; Hare, T.; Laura, J.; Lawrence, S. J.; Mazarico, E.; Naß, A.; Patthoff, A.; Skinner, J.; Sutton, S.; Thomson, B. J.; Williams, D.

    2017-10-01

    We describe MAPSIT, and the development of a roadmap for lunar and planetary SDI, based on previous relevant documents and community input, and consider how to best advance lunar science, exploration, and commercial development.

  9. BoB, a best-of-breed automated text de-identification system for VHA clinical documents.

    PubMed

    Ferrández, Oscar; South, Brett R; Shen, Shuying; Friedlin, F Jeffrey; Samore, Matthew H; Meystre, Stéphane M

    2013-01-01

    De-identification allows faster and more collaborative clinical research while protecting patient confidentiality. Clinical narrative de-identification is a tedious process that can be alleviated by automated natural language processing methods. The goal of this research is the development of an automated text de-identification system for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) clinical documents. We devised a novel stepwise hybrid approach designed to improve the current strategies used for text de-identification. The proposed system is based on a previous study on the best de-identification methods for VHA documents. This best-of-breed automated clinical text de-identification system (aka BoB) tackles the problem as two separate tasks: (1) maximize patient confidentiality by redacting as much protected health information (PHI) as possible; and (2) leave de-identified documents in a usable state preserving as much clinical information as possible. We evaluated BoB with a manually annotated corpus of a variety of VHA clinical notes, as well as with the 2006 i2b2 de-identification challenge corpus. We present evaluations at the instance- and token-level, with detailed results for BoB's main components. Moreover, an existing text de-identification system was also included in our evaluation. BoB's design efficiently takes advantage of the methods implemented in its pipeline, resulting in high sensitivity values (especially for sensitive PHI categories) and a limited number of false positives. Our system successfully addressed VHA clinical document de-identification, and its hybrid stepwise design demonstrates robustness and efficiency, prioritizing patient confidentiality while leaving most clinical information intact.

  10. Searching for Sterile Neutrinos with MINOS

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

    Timmons, Ashley

    2016-01-01

    This document presents the latest results for a 3+1 sterile neutrino search using themore » $$10.56 \\times 10^{20}$$ protons-on-target data set taken from 2005 - 2012. By searching for oscillations driven by a large mass splitting, MINOS is sensitive to the existence of sterile neutrinos through any energy dependent deviations using a charged current sample, as well as looking at any relative deficit between neutral current events between the far and near detectors. This document will discuss the novel analysis that enabled a search for sterile neutrinos setting a limit in the previously unexplored regions in the parameter space $$\\{\\Delta m^{2}_{41}, \\sin^2\\theta_{24}\\}$$. The results presented can be compared to the parameter space suggested by LSND and MiniBooNE and complements other previous experimental searches for sterile neutrinos in the electron neutrino appearance channel.« less

  11. Russia and the Medical Drug Trade in the Seventeenth Century

    PubMed Central

    Griffin, Clare

    2018-01-01

    Summary This article deals with the trade in medicines into Russia in the seventeenth century. Both the early modern medical drug trade, and Russian medicine, have previously received substantial attention, but no work has thus far been undertaken on the Russian angle of the drug trade. Drawing on previously unused documents, this article traces the kinds of drugs acquired by the Moscow court. In contrast to the dominant view of official Russian medicine as divorced from native healing practices and fundamentally reliant upon Western European trends, these documents reveal that drugs were sourced as locally as Moscow markets, and from as far afield as East Asia and the Americas, but that not all drugs were accepted. As many of these imports came through Western European markets, this article also sheds further light on what drugs were available there, demonstrating the great diversity of drugs traded in early modern Europe. PMID:29713122

  12. Current Performance Characteristics of NASA Langley Research Center's Cockpit Motion Base and Standardized Test Procedure for Future Performance Characterization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cowen, Brandon; Stringer, Mary T.; Hutchinson, Brian K.; Davidson, Paul C.; Gupton, Lawrence E.

    2014-01-01

    This report documents the updated performance characteristics of NASA Langley Research Center's (LaRC) Cockpit Motion Base (CMB) after recent revisions that were made to its inner-loop, feedback control law. The modifications to the control law will be briefly described. The performance of the Cockpit Motion Facility (CMF) will be presented. A short graphical comparison to the previous control law can be found in the appendix of this report. The revised controller will be shown to yield reduced parasitic accelerations with respect to the previous controller. Metrics based on the AGARD Advisory Report No. 144 are used to assess the overall system performance due to its recent control algorithm modification. This report also documents the standardized simulator test procedure which can be used in the future to evaluate potential updates to the control law.

  13. Late-seasonal activity and diet of the evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis) in Nebraska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Geluso, Keith; Damm, J.P.; Valdez, E.W.

    2008-01-01

    In North America, Nebraska represents part of the northwestern edge of the distribution for the evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis). To date, little information on this bat's natural history has been published from the state or from other parts of the Great Plains. Here we report on aspects of its natural history in Nebraska from 2 localities. In late summer and early autumn of 2006, we documented individuals farther west in Nebraska (Harlan County) than previously reported and determined that individuals fed mainly on Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. In 2006, evening bats appeared to migrate from Nebraska during late September-early October, and individuals were extremely fat, about 15 g, prior to migration. Evening bats likely are more widespread and common in south central Nebraska than previously documented. On 6 October 2005, we reported on an individual from eastern Nebraska (Douglas County), which represents the latest seasonal record of N. humeralis from the state.

  14. Sentence-Level Attachment Prediction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Albakour, M.-Dyaa; Kruschwitz, Udo; Lucas, Simon

    Attachment prediction is the task of automatically identifying email messages that should contain an attachment. This can be useful to tackle the problem of sending out emails but forgetting to include the relevant attachment (something that happens all too often). A common Information Retrieval (IR) approach in analyzing documents such as emails is to treat the entire document as a bag of words. Here we propose a finer-grained analysis to address the problem. We aim at identifying individual sentences within an email that refer to an attachment. If we detect any such sentence, we predict that the email should have an attachment. Using part of the Enron corpus for evaluation we find that our finer-grained approach outperforms previously reported document-level attachment prediction in similar evaluation settings.

  15. AN EVALUATION OF HANFORD SITE TANK FARM SUBSURFACE CONTAMINATION FY2007

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

    MANN, F.M.

    2007-07-10

    The Tank Farm Vadose Zone (TFVZ) Project conducts activities to characterize and analyze the long-term environmental and human health impacts from tank waste releases to the vadose zone. The project also implements interim measures to mitigate impacts, and plans the remediation of waste releases from tank farms and associated facilities. The scope of this document is to report data needs that are important to estimating long-term human health and environmental risks. The scope does not include technologies needed to remediate contaminated soils and facilities, technologies needed to close tank farms, or management and regulatory decisions that will impact remediation andmore » closure. This document is an update of ''A Summary and Evaluation of Hanford Site Tank Farm Subsurface Contamination''. That 1998 document summarized knowledge of subsurface contamination beneath the tank farms at the time. It included a preliminary conceptual model for migration of tank wastes through the vadose zone and an assessment of data and analysis gaps needed to update the conceptual model. This document provides a status of the data and analysis gaps previously defined and discussion of the gaps and needs that currently exist to support the stated mission of the TFVZ Project. The first data-gaps document provided the basis for TFVZ Project activities over the previous eight years. Fourteen of the nineteen knowledge gaps identified in the previous document have been investigated to the point that the project defines the current status as acceptable. In the process of filling these gaps, significant accomplishments were made in field work and characterization, laboratory investigations, modeling, and implementation of interim measures. The current data gaps are organized in groups that reflect Components of the tank farm vadose zone conceptual model: inventory, release, recharge, geohydrology, geochemistry, and modeling. The inventory and release components address residual wastes that will remain in the tanks and tank-farm infrastructure after closure and potential losses from leaks during waste retrieval. Recharge addresses the impacts of current conditions in the tank farms (i.e. gravel covers that affect infiltration and recharge) as well as the impacts of surface barriers. The geohydrology and geochemistry components address the extent of the existing subsurface contaminant inventory and drivers and pathways for contaminants to be transported through the vadose zone and groundwater. Geochemistry addresses the mobility of key reactive contaminants such as uranium. Modeling addresses conceptual models and how they are simulated in computers. The data gaps will be used to provide input to planning (including the upcoming C Farm Data Quality Objective meetings scheduled this year).« less

  16. Osteosynthesis for clavicle fractures: How close are we to penetration of neurovascular structures?

    PubMed

    Stillwell, A; Ioannou, C; Daniele, L; Tan, S L E

    2017-02-01

    Risks associated with drill plunging are well recognised in clavicle osteosynthesis. To date no studies have described plunge depth associated with clavicle osteosynthesis. To determine whether plunge depth associated with clavicle osteosynthesis is great enough to penetrate neurovascular structures and whether surgical experience reduces the risk of neurovascular injury METHOD: Cadaveric clavicles were pressed into spongy phenolic foam to allow measurement of drill bit penetration beyond the far cortex (plunge depth). 15 surgeons grouped according to experience were asked to drill a single hole in the medial, middle and lateral clavicle in 2 specimens each. Each surgeon used fully a charged standard Stryker drill with a new 2.6mm drill bit and guide. Plunge depths were measured in 0.5mm increments. Depth measurements were compared amongst groups and to previously documented distances to neurovascular structures as outlined by Robinson et al. Kruskal-Wallis test was used for overall comparison and Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparing the groups individually. Mean plunge depth across all groups was 3.4mm, (0.5-6.5), 4.0mm (1mm-8.5mm) and 4.0mm (0.5mm-15mm) in the medial, middle and lateral clavicle. Plunge depths were greater than previously documented distances to the subclavian vein at the medial clavicle on nine occasions. Plunge depths in the middle and lateral clavicle were well within the previously documented distances from neurovascular structures. There was no correlation between level of experience and median plunge depth (p=0.18). However, inexperienced surgeons plunged 1mm greater than intermediate and experienced surgeons (p=0.026). There was one significant outlier; a 15mm plunge depth by an inexperienced surgeon in the lateral clavicle. Clavicle osteosynthesis has a relatively high risk of neurovascular injury. Plunge depths through the clavicle often exceed the distance of neurovascular structures, especially in the medial clavicle. A thorough understanding of the anatomy of these neurovascular structures and methods to prevent excessive plunging is important prior to undertaking clavicle osteosynthesis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Development and destruction of the first state funded anti-smoking campaign in the USA.

    PubMed

    Tsoukalas, T H; Glantz, S A

    2003-06-01

    Minnesota was the first state in the USA to implement a large state funded tobacco control programme (in 1985). Despite evidence of effectiveness, it was dismantled in 1993. To describe and analyse how and why these events transpired and identify lessons for tobacco control advocates facing similar challenges in the 21st century. Case study based on previously secret tobacco industry documents, news reports, research reports, official documents, and interviews with health advocates and state government officials. Unable to defeat funding for this campaign in 1985, the tobacco industry organised groups which eliminated it later. Despite the programme's documented effectiveness, it was dismantled based on claims of fiscal crisis. These claims were not true; the real debate was what to do with the state's surplus. Health advocates failed to challenge the claim of fiscal crisis or mobilise public support for the programme. Simply quoting evidence that a tobacco control programme is effective does not ensure its continuing survival. Claims of fiscal crisis are an effective cover for tobacco industry efforts to dismantle successful programmes, particularly if health advocates accept these claims and fail to mobilise political pressure to defend the programme.

  18. Completeness of breast cancer operative reports in a community care setting.

    PubMed

    Eng, Jordan Lang; Baliski, Christopher Ronald; McGahan, Colleen; Cai, Eric

    2017-10-01

    The narrative operative report represents the traditional means by which breast cancer surgery has been documented. Previous work has established that omissions occur in narrative operative reports produced in an academic setting. The goal of this study was to determine the completeness of breast cancer narrative operative reports produced in a community care setting and to explore the effect of a surgeon's case volume and years in practice on the completeness of these reports. A standardized retrospective review of operative reports produced over a consecutive 2 year period was performed using a set of procedure-specific elements identified through a review of the relevant literature and work done locally. 772 operative reports were reviewed. 45% of all elements were completely documented. A small positive trend was observed between case volume and completeness while a small negative trend was observed between years in practice and completeness. The dictated narrative report inadequately documents breast cancer surgery irrespective of the recording surgeon's volume or experience. An intervention, such as the implementation of synoptic reporting, should be considered in an effort to maximize the utility of the breast cancer operative report. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  19. Utility of DNA barcoding for rapid and accurate assessment of bat diversity in Malaysia in the absence of formally described species.

    PubMed

    Wilson, J-J; Sing, K-W; Halim, M R A; Ramli, R; Hashim, R; Sofian-Azirun, M

    2014-02-19

    Bats are important flagship species for biodiversity research; however, diversity in Southeast Asia is considerably underestimated in the current checklists and field guides. Incorporation of DNA barcoding into surveys has revealed numerous species-level taxa overlooked by conventional methods. Inclusion of these taxa in inventories provides a more informative record of diversity, but is problematic as these species lack formal description. We investigated how frequently documented, but undescribed, bat taxa are encountered in Peninsular Malaysia. We discuss whether a barcode library provides a means of recognizing and recording these taxa across biodiversity inventories. Tissue was sampled from bats trapped at Pasir Raja, Dungun Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia. The DNA was extracted and the COI barcode region amplified and sequenced. We identified 9 species-level taxa within our samples, based on analysis of the DNA barcodes. Six specimens matched to four previously documented taxa considered candidate species but currently lacking formal taxonomic status. This study confirms the high diversity of bats within Peninsular Malaysia (9 species in 13 samples) and demonstrates how DNA barcoding allows for inventory and documentation of known taxa lacking formal taxonomic status.

  20. Development and destruction of the first state funded anti-smoking campaign in the USA

    PubMed Central

    Tsoukalas, T; Glantz, S

    2003-01-01

    Background: Minnesota was the first state in the USA to implement a large state funded tobacco control programme (in 1985). Despite evidence of effectiveness, it was dismantled in 1993. Objective: To describe and analyse how and why these events transpired and identify lessons for tobacco control advocates facing similar challenges in the 21st century. Design: Case study based on previously secret tobacco industry documents, news reports, research reports, official documents, and interviews with health advocates and state government officials. Results: Unable to defeat funding for this campaign in 1985, the tobacco industry organised groups which eliminated it later. Despite the programme's documented effectiveness, it was dismantled based on claims of fiscal crisis. These claims were not true; the real debate was what to do with the state's surplus. Health advocates failed to challenge the claim of fiscal crisis or mobilise public support for the programme. Conclusions: Simply quoting evidence that a tobacco control programme is effective does not ensure its continuing survival. Claims of fiscal crisis are an effective cover for tobacco industry efforts to dismantle successful programmes, particularly if health advocates accept these claims and fail to mobilise political pressure to defend the programme. PMID:12773734

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