Comparison of information content of structured and narrative text data sources on the example of medication intensification.

PubMed

Turchin, Alexander; Shubina, Maria; Breydo, Eugene; Pendergrass, Merri L; Einbinder, Jonathan S

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE To compare information obtained from narrative and structured electronic sources using anti-hypertensive medication intensification as an example clinical issue of interest. DESIGN A retrospective cohort study of 5,634 hypertensive patients with diabetes from 2000 to 2005. MEASUREMENTS The authors determined the fraction of medication intensification events documented in both narrative and structured data in the electronic medical record. The authors analyzed the relationship between provider characteristics and concordance between intensifications in narrative and structured data. As there is no gold standard data source for medication information, the authors clinically validated medication intensification information by assessing the relationship between documented medication intensification and the patients' blood pressure in univariate and multivariate models. RESULTS Overall, 5,627 (30.9%) of 18,185 medication intensification events were documented in both sources. For a medication intensification event documented in narrative notes the probability of a concordant entry in structured records increased by 11% for each study year (p < 0.0001) and decreased by 19% for each decade of provider age (p = 0.035). In a multivariate model that adjusted for patient demographics and intraphysician correlations, an increase of one medication intensification per month documented in either narrative or structured data were associated with a 5-8 mm Hg monthly decrease in systolic and 1.5-4 mm Hg decrease in diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.0001 for all). CONCLUSION Narrative and structured electronic data sources provide complementary information on anti-hypertensive medication intensification. Clinical validity of information in both sources was demonstrated by correlation with changes in blood pressure.

Tree Testing of Hierarchical Menu Structures for Health Applications

PubMed Central

Le, Thai; Chaudhuri, Shomir; Chung, Jane; Thompson, Hilaire J; Demiris, George

2014-01-01

To address the need for greater evidence-based evaluation of Health Information Technology (HIT) systems we introduce a method of usability testing termed tree testing. In a tree test, participants are presented with an abstract hierarchical tree of the system taxonomy and asked to navigate through the tree in completing representative tasks. We apply tree testing to a commercially available health application, demonstrating a use case and providing a comparison with more traditional in-person usability testing methods. Online tree tests (N=54) and in-person usability tests (N=15) were conducted from August to September 2013. Tree testing provided a method to quantitatively evaluate the information structure of a system using various navigational metrics including completion time, task accuracy, and path length. The results of the analyses compared favorably to the results seen from the traditional usability test. Tree testing provides a flexible, evidence-based approach for researchers to evaluate the information structure of HITs. In addition, remote tree testing provides a quick, flexible, and high volume method of acquiring feedback in a structured format that allows for quantitative comparisons. With the diverse nature and often large quantities of health information available, addressing issues of terminology and concept classifications during the early development process of a health information system will improve navigation through the system and save future resources. Tree testing is a usability method that can be used to quickly and easily assess information hierarchy of health information systems. PMID:24582924

Imaging nonmelanoma skin cancers with combined ultrasound-photoacoustic microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunar, Ulas; Rohrbach, Daniel J.; Morgan, Janet; Zeitouni, Natalie

2013-03-01

PDT has become a treatment of choice especially for the cases with multiple sites and large areas. However, the efficacy of PDT is limited for thicker and deeper tumors. Depth and size information as well as vascularity can provide useful information to clinicians for planning and evaluating PDT. High-resolution ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging can provide information regarding skin structure and vascularity. We utilized combined ultrasound-photoacoustic microscopy for imaging a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) tumor pre-PDT and the results indicate that combined ultrasound-photoacoustic imaging can be useful tool for PDT planning by providing both structural and functional contrasts.

Using the Text Structures of Information Books to Teach Writing in the Primary Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Sarah K.; Jones, Cindy D.; Reutzel, D. Ray

2013-01-01

Teaching children in the primary grades the text structures and features used by authors of information text has been shown to improve comprehension of information texts and provide the scaffolding and support these children need in order to write their own information texts. As teachers implement the "English Language Arts Common Core State…

75 FR 16837 - Public Review of Draft United States Thoroughfare, Landmark, and Postal Address Data Standard

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-02

... the structure of their address information but have not defined the elements that constitute an address. Knowledge of structure, content, and quality is required to successfully share information in a... discrete elements of address information and provides standardized terminology and definitions to alleviate...

Mass spectrometry for the biophysical characterization of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.

PubMed

Zhang, Hao; Cui, Weidong; Gross, Michael L

2014-01-21

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are powerful therapeutics, and their characterization has drawn considerable attention and urgency. Unlike small-molecule drugs (150-600 Da) that have rigid structures, mAbs (∼150 kDa) are engineered proteins that undergo complicated folding and can exist in a number of low-energy structures, posing a challenge for traditional methods in structural biology. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based biophysical characterization approaches can provide structural information, bringing high sensitivity, fast turnaround, and small sample consumption. This review outlines various MS-based strategies for protein biophysical characterization and then reviews how these strategies provide structural information of mAbs at the protein level (intact or top-down approaches), peptide, and residue level (bottom-up approaches), affording information on higher order structure, aggregation, and the nature of antibody complexes. Copyright © 2013 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Data-assisted protein structure modeling by global optimization in CASP12.

PubMed

Joo, Keehyoung; Heo, Seungryong; Joung, InSuk; Hong, Seung Hwan; Lee, Sung Jong; Lee, Jooyoung

2018-03-01

In CASP12, 2 types of data-assisted protein structure modeling were experimented. Either SAXS experimental data or cross-linking experimental data was provided for a selected number of CASP12 targets that the CASP12 predictor could utilize for better protein structure modeling. We devised 2 separate energy terms for SAXS data and cross-linking data to drive the model structures into more native-like structures that satisfied the given experimental data as much as possible. In CASP11, we successfully performed protein structure modeling using simulated sparse and ambiguously assigned NOE data and/or correct residue-residue contact information, where the only energy term that folded the protein into its native structure was the term which was originated from the given experimental data. However, the 2 types of experimental data provided in CASP12 were far from being sufficient enough to fold the target protein into its native structure because SAXS data provides only the overall shape of the molecule and the cross-linking contact information provides only very low-resolution distance information. For this reason, we combined the SAXS or cross-linking energy term with our regular modeling energy function that includes both the template energy term and the de novo energy terms. By optimizing the newly formulated energy function, we obtained protein models that fit better with provided SAXS data than the X-ray structure of the target. However, the improvement of the model relative to the 1 modeled without the SAXS data, was not significant. Consistent structural improvement was achieved by incorporating cross-linking data into the protein structure modeling. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Construction inspection manual of procedures

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

This manual provides highway construction personnel with relevant, practical information in order to perform accurate inspections and provide relevant construction procedural information for the various roadway and structures items of work. It is the...

University Students' Knowledge Structures and Informal Reasoning on the Use of Genetically Modified Foods: Multidimensional Analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Ying-Tien

2013-10-01

This study aims to provide insights into the role of learners' knowledge structures about a socio-scientific issue (SSI) in their informal reasoning on the issue. A total of 42 non-science major university students' knowledge structures and informal reasoning were assessed with multidimensional analyses. With both qualitative and quantitative analyses, this study revealed that those students with more extended and better-organized knowledge structures, as well as those who more frequently used higher-order information processing modes, were more oriented towards achieving a higher-level informal reasoning quality. The regression analyses further showed that the "richness" of the students' knowledge structures explained 25 % of the variation in their rebuttal construction, an important indicator of reasoning quality, indicating the significance of the role of students' sophisticated knowledge structure in SSI reasoning. Besides, this study also provides some initial evidence for the significant role of the "core" concept within one's knowledge structure in one's SSI reasoning. The findings in this study suggest that, in SSI-based instruction, science instructors should try to identify students' core concepts within their prior knowledge regarding the SSI, and then they should try to guide students to construct and structure relevant concepts or ideas regarding the SSI based on their core concepts. Thus, students could obtain extended and well-organized knowledge structures, which would then help them achieve better learning transfer in dealing with SSIs.

ITS logical architecture : traceability matrix.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-11-01

This document provides information to aid in understanding and using the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program pavement performance database. This document provides an introduction to the structure of the LTPP program, the relational structur...

Information processing for aerospace structural health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lichtenwalner, Peter F.; White, Edward V.; Baumann, Erwin W.

1998-06-01

Structural health monitoring (SHM) technology provides a means to significantly reduce life cycle of aerospace vehicles by eliminating unnecessary inspections, minimizing inspection complexity, and providing accurate diagnostics and prognostics to support vehicle life extension. In order to accomplish this, a comprehensive SHM system will need to acquire data from a wide variety of diverse sensors including strain gages, accelerometers, acoustic emission sensors, crack growth gages, corrosion sensors, and piezoelectric transducers. Significant amounts of computer processing will then be required to convert this raw sensor data into meaningful information which indicates both the diagnostics of the current structural integrity as well as the prognostics necessary for planning and managing the future health of the structure in a cost effective manner. This paper provides a description of the key types of information processing technologies required in an effective SHM system. These include artificial intelligence techniques such as neural networks, expert systems, and fuzzy logic for nonlinear modeling, pattern recognition, and complex decision making; signal processing techniques such as Fourier and wavelet transforms for spectral analysis and feature extraction; statistical algorithms for optimal detection, estimation, prediction, and fusion; and a wide variety of other algorithms for data analysis and visualization. The intent of this paper is to provide an overview of the role of information processing for SHM, discuss various technologies which can contribute to accomplishing this role, and present some example applications of information processing for SHM implemented at the Boeing Company.

Experimental correlation of melt structures, nucleation rates, and thermal histories of silicate melts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boynton, W. V.; DRAKE; HILDEBRAND; JONES; LEWIS; TREIMAN; WARK

1987-01-01

The theory and measurement of the structure of liquids is an important aspect of modern metallurgy and igneous petrology. Liquid structure exerts strong controls on both the types of crystals that may precipitate from melts and on the chemical composition of those crystals. An interesting aspect of melt structure studies is the problem of melt memories; that is, a melt can retain a memory of previous thermal history. This memory can influence both nucleation behavior and crystal composition. This melt memory may be characterized quantitatively with techniques such as Raman, infrared and NMR spectroscopy to provide information on short-range structure. Melt structure studies at high temperature will take advantage of the microgravity conditions of the Space Station to perform containerless experiments. Melt structure determinations at high temperature (experiments that are greatly facilitated by containerless technology) will provide invaluable information for materials science, glass technology, and geochemistry. In conjunction with studies of nucleation behavior and nucleation rates, information relevant to nucleation in magma chambers in terrestrial planets will be acquired.

Wireless sensor systems and methods, and methods of monitoring structures

DOEpatents

Kunerth, Dennis C.; Svoboda, John M.; Johnson, James T.; Harding, L. Dean; Klingler, Kerry M.

2007-02-20

A wireless sensor system includes a passive sensor apparatus configured to be embedded within a concrete structure to monitor infiltration of contaminants into the structure. The sensor apparatus includes charging circuitry and a plurality of sensors respectively configured to measure environmental parameters of the structure which include information related to the infiltration of contaminants into the structure. A reader apparatus is communicatively coupled to the sensor apparatus, the reader apparatus being configured to provide power to the charging circuitry during measurements of the environmental parameters by the sensors. The reader apparatus is configured to independently interrogate individual ones of the sensors to obtain information measured by the individual sensors. The reader apparatus is configured to generate an induction field to energize the sensor apparatus. Information measured by the sensor apparatus is transmitted to the reader apparatus via a response signal that is superimposed on a return induction field generated by the sensor apparatus. Methods of monitoring structural integrity of the structure are also provided.

The Cadmio XML healthcare record.

PubMed

Barbera, Francesco; Ferri, Fernando; Ricci, Fabrizio L; Sottile, Pier Angelo

2002-01-01

The management of clinical data is a complex task. Patient related information reported in patient folders is a set of heterogeneous and structured data accessed by different users having different goals (in local or geographical networks). XML language provides a mechanism for describing, manipulating, and visualising structured data in web-based applications. XML ensures that the structured data is managed in a uniform and transparent manner independently from the applications and their providers guaranteeing some interoperability. Extracting data from the healthcare record and structuring them according to XML makes the data available through browsers. The MIC/MIE model (Medical Information Category/Medical Information Elements), which allows the definition and management of healthcare records and used in CADMIO, a HISA based project, is described in this paper, using XML for allowing the data to be visualised through web browsers.

Developing transboundary river basin monitoring programmes using the DPSIR indicator framework.

PubMed

Timmerman, J G; Beinat, E; Termeer, C J A M; Cofino, W P

2011-10-01

Policymakers are often dissatisfied by the lack of what they consider useful information to support water management. Analysis of this 'water information gap' shows that this is caused by a lack of proper communication between information users and information producers. To improve this communication the process of specification of information needs has been structured. Earlier experiences showed that this not only entailed developing a structure to manage the process, but also developing a structure to guide the breakdown of policy objectives into information needs. Such a structure to organise the problem supports policy makers and monitoring specialists in their communication. This paper describes three pilot projects where the DPSIR indicator framework was used to organise the problem. It is concluded that the DPSIR framework is useful for improving the communication between information users and information producers and is helpful in breaking down policy objectives into information needs in a structured way. The structured approach in this way assists in narrowing the water information gap. Use of the DPSIR framework however leads to a bias towards water management problems and does not provide for all the relevant information needs.

The perception of geometrical structure from congruence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lappin, Joseph S.; Wason, Thomas D.

1989-01-01

The principle function of vision is to measure the environment. As demonstrated by the coordination of motor actions with the positions and trajectories of moving objects in cluttered environments and by rapid recognition of solid objects in varying contexts from changing perspectives, vision provides real-time information about the geometrical structure and location of environmental objects and events. The geometric information provided by 2-D spatial displays is examined. It is proposed that the geometry of this information is best understood not within the traditional framework of perspective trigonometry, but in terms of the structure of qualitative relations defined by congruences among intrinsic geometric relations in images of surfaces. The basic concepts of this geometrical theory are outlined.

Problems and Processes in Medical Encounters: The CASES method of dialogue analysis

PubMed Central

Laws, M. Barton; Taubin, Tatiana; Bezreh, Tanya; Lee, Yoojin; Beach, Mary Catherine; Wilson, Ira B.

2013-01-01

Objective To develop methods to reliably capture structural and dynamic temporal features of clinical interactions. Methods Observational study of 50 audio-recorded routine outpatient visits to HIV specialty clinics, using innovative analytic methods. The Comprehensive Analysis of the Structure of Encounters System (CASES) uses transcripts coded for speech acts, then imposes larger-scale structural elements: threads – the problems or issues addressed; and processes within threads –basic tasks of clinical care labeled Presentation, Information, Resolution (decision making) and Engagement (interpersonal exchange). Threads are also coded for the nature of resolution. Results 61% of utterances are in presentation processes. Provider verbal dominance is greatest in information and resolution processes, which also contain a high proportion of provider directives. About half of threads result in no action or decision. Information flows predominantly from patient to provider in presentation processes, and from provider to patient in information processes. Engagement is rare. Conclusions In this data, resolution is provider centered; more time for patient participation in resolution, or interpersonal engagement, would have to come from presentation. Practice Implications Awareness of the use of time in clinical encounters, and the interaction processes associated with various tasks, may help make clinical communication more efficient and effective. PMID:23391684

Problems and processes in medical encounters: the cases method of dialogue analysis.

PubMed

Laws, M Barton; Taubin, Tatiana; Bezreh, Tanya; Lee, Yoojin; Beach, Mary Catherine; Wilson, Ira B

2013-05-01

To develop methods to reliably capture structural and dynamic temporal features of clinical interactions. Observational study of 50 audio-recorded routine outpatient visits to HIV specialty clinics, using innovative analytic methods. The comprehensive analysis of the structure of encounters system (CASES) uses transcripts coded for speech acts, then imposes larger-scale structural elements: threads--the problems or issues addressed; and processes within threads--basic tasks of clinical care labeled presentation, information, resolution (decision making) and Engagement (interpersonal exchange). Threads are also coded for the nature of resolution. 61% of utterances are in presentation processes. Provider verbal dominance is greatest in information and resolution processes, which also contain a high proportion of provider directives. About half of threads result in no action or decision. Information flows predominantly from patient to provider in presentation processes, and from provider to patient in information processes. Engagement is rare. In this data, resolution is provider centered; more time for patient participation in resolution, or interpersonal engagement, would have to come from presentation. Awareness of the use of time in clinical encounters, and the interaction processes associated with various tasks, may help make clinical communication more efficient and effective. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing Structure and Condition of Temperate And Tropical Forests: Fusion of Terrestrial Lidar and Airborne Multi-Angle and Lidar Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saenz, Edward J.

Forests provide vital ecosystem functions and services that maintain the integrity of our natural and human environment. Understanding the structural components of forests (extent, tree density, heights of multi-story canopies, biomass, etc.) provides necessary information to preserve ecosystem services. Increasingly, remote sensing resources have been used to map and monitor forests globally. However, traditional satellite and airborne multi-angle imagery only provide information about the top of the canopy and little about the forest structure and understory. In this research, we investigative the use of rapidly evolving lidar technology, and how the fusion of aerial and terrestrial lidar data can be utilized to better characterize forest stand information. We further apply a novel terrestrial lidar methodology to characterize a Hemlock Woolly Adelgid infestation in Harvard Forest, Massachusetts, and adapt a dynamic terrestrial lidar sampling scheme to identify key structural vegetation profiles of tropical rainforests in La Selva, Costa Rica.

Probabilistic Structural Analysis Methods (PSAM) for select space propulsion system structural components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cruse, T. A.

1987-01-01

The objective is the development of several modular structural analysis packages capable of predicting the probabilistic response distribution for key structural variables such as maximum stress, natural frequencies, transient response, etc. The structural analysis packages are to include stochastic modeling of loads, material properties, geometry (tolerances), and boundary conditions. The solution is to be in terms of the cumulative probability of exceedance distribution (CDF) and confidence bounds. Two methods of probability modeling are to be included as well as three types of structural models - probabilistic finite-element method (PFEM); probabilistic approximate analysis methods (PAAM); and probabilistic boundary element methods (PBEM). The purpose in doing probabilistic structural analysis is to provide the designer with a more realistic ability to assess the importance of uncertainty in the response of a high performance structure. Probabilistic Structural Analysis Method (PSAM) tools will estimate structural safety and reliability, while providing the engineer with information on the confidence that should be given to the predicted behavior. Perhaps most critically, the PSAM results will directly provide information on the sensitivity of the design response to those variables which are seen to be uncertain.

Probabilistic Structural Analysis Methods for select space propulsion system structural components (PSAM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cruse, T. A.; Burnside, O. H.; Wu, Y.-T.; Polch, E. Z.; Dias, J. B.

1988-01-01

The objective is the development of several modular structural analysis packages capable of predicting the probabilistic response distribution for key structural variables such as maximum stress, natural frequencies, transient response, etc. The structural analysis packages are to include stochastic modeling of loads, material properties, geometry (tolerances), and boundary conditions. The solution is to be in terms of the cumulative probability of exceedance distribution (CDF) and confidence bounds. Two methods of probability modeling are to be included as well as three types of structural models - probabilistic finite-element method (PFEM); probabilistic approximate analysis methods (PAAM); and probabilistic boundary element methods (PBEM). The purpose in doing probabilistic structural analysis is to provide the designer with a more realistic ability to assess the importance of uncertainty in the response of a high performance structure. Probabilistic Structural Analysis Method (PSAM) tools will estimate structural safety and reliability, while providing the engineer with information on the confidence that should be given to the predicted behavior. Perhaps most critically, the PSAM results will directly provide information on the sensitivity of the design response to those variables which are seen to be uncertain.

Atomic force microscopy of starch systems.

PubMed

Zhu, Fan

2017-09-22

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) generates information on topography, adhesion, and elasticity of sample surface by touching with a tip. Under suitable experimental settings, AFM can image biopolymers of few nanometers. Starch is a major food and industrial component. AFM has been used to probe the morphology, properties, modifications, and interactions of starches from diverse botanical origins at both micro- and nano-structural levels. The structural information obtained by AFM supports the blocklet structure of the granules, and provides qualitative and quantitative basis for some physicochemical properties of diverse starch systems. It becomes evident that AFM can complement other microscopic techniques to provide novel structural insights for starch systems.

A general method for targeted quantitative cross-linking mass spectrometry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) provides protein structural information by identifying covalently linked proximal amino acid residues on protein surfaces. The information gained by this technique is complementary to other structural biology methods such as x-ray crystallography, NM...

Using Multispectral False Color Imaging to Characterize Tropical Cyclone Structure and Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cossuth, J.; Bankert, R.; Richardson, K.; Surratt, M. L.

2016-12-01

The Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL) tropical cyclone (TC) web page (http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/TC.html) has provided nearly two decades of near real-time access to TC-centric images and products by TC forecasters and enthusiasts around the world. Particularly, microwave imager and sounder information that is featured on this site provides crucial internal storm structure information by allowing users to perceive hydrometeor structure, providing key details beyond cloud top information provided by visible and infrared channels. Towards improving TC analysis techniques and helping advance the utility of the NRL TC webpage resource, new research efforts are presented. This work demonstrates results as well as the methodology used to develop new automated, objective satellite-based TC structure and intensity guidance and enhanced data fusion imagery products that aim to bolster and streamline TC forecast operations. This presentation focuses on the creation and interpretation of false color RGB composite imagery that leverages the different emissive and scattering properties of atmospheric ice, liquid, and vapor water as well as ocean surface roughness as seen by microwave radiometers. Specifically, a combination of near-realtime data and a standardized digital database of global TCs in microwave imagery from 1987-2012 is employed as a climatology of TC structures. The broad range of TC structures, from pinhole eyes through multiple eyewall configurations, is characterized as resolved by passive microwave sensors. The extraction of these characteristic features from historical data also lends itself to statistical analysis. For example, histograms of brightness temperature distributions allows a rigorous examination of how structural features are conveyed in image products, allowing a better representation of colors and breakpoints as they relate to physical features. Such climatological work also suggests steps to better inform the near-real time application of upcoming satellite datasets to TC analyses.

The organizational structure and governing principles of the Food and Drug Administration's Mini-Sentinel pilot program.

PubMed

Forrow, Susan; Campion, Daniel M; Herrinton, Lisa J; Nair, Vinit P; Robb, Melissa A; Wilson, Marcus; Platt, Richard

2012-01-01

The US Food and Drug Administration's Mini-Sentinel pilot program is developing an organizational structure as well as principles and policies to govern its operations. These will inform the structure and function of the eventual Sentinel System. Mini-Sentinel is a collaboration that includes 25 participating institutions. We describe the program's current organizational structure and its major principles and policies. The organization includes a coordinating center with program leadership provided by a principal investigator; a planning board and subcommittees; an operations center; and data, methods, and protocol cores. Ad hoc workgroups are created as needed. A privacy panel advises about protection of individual health information. Principles and policies are intended to ensure that Mini-Sentinel conforms to the principles of fair information practices, protects the privacy of individual health information, maintains the security and integrity of data, assures the confidentiality of proprietary information, provides accurate and timely communications, prevents or manages conflicts of interest, and preserves respect for intellectual property rights. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Structuration and sensemaking: frameworks for understanding the management of health information systems in the ICU.

PubMed

Ghosh, Tip

2007-01-01

This paper will describe two alternate conceptual frameworks (i.e. Structuration and Sensemaking) that will help to describe and provide insight into how best to implement health information systems in ICUs throughout the globe. Structuration and sensemaking are two competing ways to view the social world within hospitals. To examine the impact of information technology in health care organizations, it is important to explore the dynamic interplay between clinical decisionmaking, outcomes of HIT implementation, and individual characteristics of the organizational setting. The adaptation of information technology within health care organizations is by its very nature quite complex. The recursive pattern of social interactions that shape the implementation of technologies within that setting is key. Structuration theory provides an understanding of human work as social interaction within that organizational culture, mediated by artifacts such as tools, language, rules and procedures, and open to change. The ICU provides multiple opportunities for sensemaking. It involves caring for multiple patients simultaneously; is subject to high levels of uncertainty and is provided under significant time constraints. It is highly interdependent work, necessitating shared sensemaking as well as individual sensemaking. Sensemaking is made partially visible in this context as clinicians communicate to each other what they think is the cause of the patient's symptoms and how to treat them in the form of discussions about patient care, consultation requests, ancillary testing, and the electronic medical record. The collaborative nature of work in the ICU lends itself to the application of sensemaking and structuration theories.

Adding value to figures: a web-based European public health information system.

PubMed

van der Wilk, Eveline A; Verschuuren, Marieke

2010-01-01

In 2008 a prototype, web-based system was launched which provided information for different user groups interested in European public health topics. The EUPHIX system contained scientifically sound data, with presentations as well as textual information. The information was structured according to the European Community Health Indicators (ECHI) shortlist. The information included different types of data presentations (tables, interactive graphs and maps), explanatory texts and overviews of the data sources and the literature used. The content was produced by a network of European experts according to a structured, peer-reviewed editorial process. Thus EUPHIX provided an easily accessible, comprehensive, state-of-the-art information source. To ensure that it will continue, financial support will be needed. Co-ownership by the European Commission and the Member States seems an appropriate solution.

Population structure of two black Venezuelan populations studied through their mating structure and other related variables.

PubMed

Castro de Guerra, D; Arvelo, H; Pinto-Cisternas, J

1999-01-01

In order to obtain information about the population structure of two black Venezuelan populations with historical differences both in their origins and development, a variety of variables were utilized, especially on marital structure, including: frequency of surnames, isonymy, population genealogical consanguinity, multiple unions, and marital distances, all of which provided information and isolation, migration, endogamy, consanguinity, and patri-matrifocality. Results showed differences in the extent of isolation and endogamy, as well as differences in population structure, which can be directly related with historical conditions of each population. Results agree with those previously obtained with traditional genetic polymorphisms and with the historical information available. Thus, the usefulness of surnames for inferring about population structure is supported, as well as the usefulness of historical information for explaining genetic diversity.

Information Technology Governance, Funding and Structure: A Case Analysis of a Public University in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ismail, Noor Azizi

2008-01-01

Purpose: The paper's purpose is to investigate the issues of IT governance, funding and structure of a public university in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses a case study approach, i.e. a series of interviews with users and information services provider of campus information system. Findings: The university lacks a common…

Communication path for extreme environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jorgensen, Charles C. (Inventor); Betts, Bradley J. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

Methods and systems for using one or more radio frequency identification devices (RFIDs), or other suitable signal transmitters and/or receivers, to provide a sensor information communication path, to provide location and/or spatial orientation information for an emergency service worker (ESW), to provide an ESW escape route, to indicate a direction from an ESW to an ES appliance, to provide updated information on a region or structure that presents an extreme environment (fire, hazardous fluid leak, underwater, nuclear, etc.) in which an ESW works, and to provide accumulated thermal load or thermal breakdown information on one or more locations in the region.

DEVELOPMENT OF A STRUCTURE-SEARCHABLE DATABASE FOR PESTICIDE METABOLITES AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATES

EPA Science Inventory

USEPA is modifying and enhancing existing software for the depiction of metabolic maps to provide access via structures to metabolism information and associated data in EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP). The database includes information submitted to EPA in support of pest...

Contact-assisted protein structure modeling by global optimization in CASP11.

PubMed

Joo, Keehyoung; Joung, InSuk; Cheng, Qianyi; Lee, Sung Jong; Lee, Jooyoung

2016-09-01

We have applied the conformational space annealing method to the contact-assisted protein structure modeling in CASP11. For Tp targets, where predicted residue-residue contact information was provided, the contact energy term in the form of the Lorentzian function was implemented together with the physical energy terms used in our template-free modeling of proteins. Although we observed some structural improvement of Tp models over the models predicted without the Tp information, the improvement was not substantial on average. This is partly due to the inaccuracy of the provided contact information, where only about 18% of it was correct. For Ts targets, where the information of ambiguous NOE (Nuclear Overhauser Effect) restraints was provided, we formulated the modeling in terms of the two-tier optimization problem, which covers: (1) the assignment of NOE peaks and (2) the three-dimensional (3D) model generation based on the assigned NOEs. Although solving the problem in a direct manner appears to be intractable at first glance, we demonstrate through CASP11 that remarkably accurate protein 3D modeling is possible by brute force optimization of a relevant energy function. For 19 Ts targets of the average size of 224 residues, generated protein models were of about 3.6 Å Cα atom accuracy. Even greater structural improvement was observed when additional Tc contact information was provided. For 20 out of the total 24 Tc targets, we were able to generate protein structures which were better than the best model from the rest of the CASP11 groups in terms of GDT-TS. Proteins 2016; 84(Suppl 1):189-199. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Design and application of a tool for structuring, capitalizing and making more accessible information and lessons learned from accidents involving machinery.

PubMed

Sadeghi, Samira; Sadeghi, Leyla; Tricot, Nicolas; Mathieu, Luc

2017-12-01

Accident reports are published in order to communicate the information and lessons learned from accidents. An efficient accident recording and analysis system is a necessary step towards improvement of safety. However, currently there is a shortage of efficient tools to support such recording and analysis. In this study we introduce a flexible and customizable tool that allows structuring and analysis of this information. This tool has been implemented under TEEXMA®. We named our prototype TEEXMA®SAFETY. This tool provides an information management system to facilitate data collection, organization, query, analysis and reporting of accidents. A predefined information retrieval module provides ready access to data which allows the user to quickly identify the possible hazards for specific machines and provides information on the source of hazards. The main target audience for this tool includes safety personnel, accident reporters and designers. The proposed data model has been developed by analyzing different accident reports.

Two Decades of Structure Building

PubMed Central

Gernsbacher, Morton Ann

2014-01-01

During the past decade I have been developing a very simple framework for describing the cognitive processes and mechanisms involved in discourse comprehension. I call this framework the Structure Building Framework, and it is based on evidence provided during the first decade of discourse processing research. According to the Structure Building Framework, the goal of comprehension is to build coherent mental representations or structures. Comprehenders build each structure by first laying a foundation. Comprehenders develop mental structures by mapping on new information when that information coheres or relates to previous information. However, when the incoming information is less related, comprehenders shift and attach a new substructure. The building blocks of mental structures are memory nodes, which are activated by incoming stimuli and controlled by two cognitive mechanisms: suppression and enhancement. In this article, first I review the seminal work on which the Structure Building Framework is based (the first decade of structure building research); then I recount the research I have conducted to test the Structure Building Framework (the second decade of structure building research). PMID:25484476

Quantifying structural alterations in Alzheimer's disease brains using quantitative phase imaging (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Moosung; Lee, Eeksung; Jung, JaeHwang; Yu, Hyeonseung; Kim, Kyoohyun; Yoon, Jonghee; Lee, Shinhwa; Jeong, Yong; Park, YongKeun

2017-02-01

Imaging brain tissues is an essential part of neuroscience because understanding brain structure provides relevant information about brain functions and alterations associated with diseases. Magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography exemplify conventional brain imaging tools, but these techniques suffer from low spatial resolution around 100 μm. As a complementary method, histopathology has been utilized with the development of optical microscopy. The traditional method provides the structural information about biological tissues to cellular scales, but relies on labor-intensive staining procedures. With the advances of illumination sources, label-free imaging techniques based on nonlinear interactions, such as multiphoton excitations and Raman scattering, have been applied to molecule-specific histopathology. Nevertheless, these techniques provide limited qualitative information and require a pulsed laser, which is difficult to use for pathologists with no laser training. Here, we present a label-free optical imaging of mouse brain tissues for addressing structural alteration in Alzheimer's disease. To achieve the mesoscopic, unlabeled tissue images with high contrast and sub-micrometer lateral resolution, we employed holographic microscopy and an automated scanning platform. From the acquired hologram of the brain tissues, we could retrieve scattering coefficients and anisotropies according to the modified scattering-phase theorem. This label-free imaging technique enabled direct access to structural information throughout the tissues with a sub-micrometer lateral resolution and presented a unique means to investigate the structural changes in the optical properties of biological tissues.

12 CFR Appendix C to Part 360 - Deposit File Structure

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... structure for the data file to provide deposit data to the FDIC. If data or information are not maintained... covered institution's understanding of its customers and the data maintained around deposit accounts... complete its insurance determination process, it may add this information to the end of this data file...

Using the Structured Product Labeling format to index versatile chemical data (ACS Spring meeting)

EPA Science Inventory

Structured Product Labeling (SPL) is a document markup standard approved by the Health Level Seven (HL7) standards organization and adopted by the FDA as a mechanism for exchanging product and facility information. Product information provided by companies in SPL format may be ac...

Reaching Agreement: The Structure & Pragmatics of Critical Care Nurses' Informal Argument

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagler, Debra A.; Brem, Sarah K.

2008-01-01

The hospital critical care unit provides an authentic, high-stakes setting for studying reasoning, argumentation, and discourse. In particular, it allows examination of structural and pragmatic features of informal collaborative argument created while participants are engaged in familiar, meaningful activities central to their work. The nursing…

12 CFR Appendix D to Part 360 - Sweep/Automated Credit Account File Structure

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

.../Automated Credit Account File Structure This is the structure of the data file to provide information to the... remainder of the data fields defined below should be populated. For data provided in the Sweep/Automated... number. The Account Identifier may be composed of more than one physical data element. If multiple fields...

12 CFR Appendix D to Part 360 - Sweep/Automated Credit Account File Structure

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

.../Automated Credit Account File Structure This is the structure of the data file to provide information to the... remainder of the data fields defined below should be populated. For data provided in the Sweep/Automated... number. The Account Identifier may be composed of more than one physical data element. If multiple fields...

12 CFR Appendix D to Part 360 - Sweep/Automated Credit Account File Structure

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

.../Automated Credit Account File Structure This is the structure of the data file to provide information to the... remainder of the data fields defined below should be populated. For data provided in the Sweep/Automated... number. The Account Identifier may be composed of more than one physical data element. If multiple fields...

12 CFR Appendix D to Part 360 - Sweep/Automated Credit Account File Structure

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

.../Automated Credit Account File Structure This is the structure of the data file to provide information to the... remainder of the data fields defined below should be populated. For data provided in the Sweep/Automated... number. The Account Identifier may be composed of more than one physical data element. If multiple fields...

Photoacoustic tomography guided diffuse optical tomography for small-animal model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yihan; Gao, Feng; Wan, Wenbo; Zhang, Yan; Li, Jiao

2015-03-01

Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is a biomedical imaging technology for noninvasive visualization of spatial variation about the optical properties of tissue, which can be applied to in vivo small-animal disease model. However, traditional DOT suffers low spatial resolution due to tissue scattering. To overcome this intrinsic shortcoming, multi-modal approaches that incorporate DOT with other imaging techniques have been intensively investigated, where a priori information provided by the other modalities is normally used to reasonably regularize the inverse problem of DOT. Nevertheless, these approaches usually consider the anatomical structure, which is different from the optical structure. Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is an emerging imaging modality that is particularly useful for visualizing lightabsorbing structures embedded in soft tissue with higher spatial resolution compared with pure optical imaging. Thus, we present a PAT-guided DOT approach, to obtain the location a priori information of optical structure provided by PAT first, and then guide DOT to reconstruct the optical parameters quantitatively. The results of reconstruction of phantom experiments demonstrate that both quantification and spatial resolution of DOT could be highly improved by the regularization of feasible-region information provided by PAT.

Parametric Modelling of As-Built Beam Framed Structure in Bim Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, X.; Koehl, M.; Grussenmeyer, P.

2017-02-01

A complete documentation and conservation of a historic timber roof requires the integration of geometry modelling, attributional and dynamic information management and results of structural analysis. Recently developed as-built Building Information Modelling (BIM) technique has the potential to provide a uniform platform, which provides possibility to integrate the traditional geometry modelling, parametric elements management and structural analysis together. The main objective of the project presented in this paper is to develop a parametric modelling tool for a timber roof structure whose elements are leaning and crossing beam frame. Since Autodesk Revit, as the typical BIM software, provides the platform for parametric modelling and information management, an API plugin, able to automatically create the parametric beam elements and link them together with strict relationship, was developed. The plugin under development is introduced in the paper, which can obtain the parametric beam model via Autodesk Revit API from total station points and terrestrial laser scanning data. The results show the potential of automatizing the parametric modelling by interactive API development in BIM environment. It also integrates the separate data processing and different platforms into the uniform Revit software.

Electron Capture Dissociation of Divalent Metal-adducted Sulfated N-Glycans Released from Bovine Thyroid Stimulating Hormone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Wen; Håkansson, Kristina

2013-11-01

Sulfated N-glycans released from bovine thyroid stimulating hormone (bTSH) were ionized with the divalent metal cations Ca2+, Mg2+, and Co by electrospray ionization (ESI). These metal-adducted species were subjected to infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) and electron capture dissociation (ECD) and the corresponding fragmentation patterns were compared. IRMPD generated extensive glycosidic and cross-ring cleavages, but most product ions suffered from sulfonate loss. Internal fragments were also observed, which complicated the spectra. ECD provided complementary structural information compared with IRMPD, and all observed product ions retained the sulfonate group, allowing sulfonate localization. To our knowledge, this work represents the first application of ECD towards metal-adducted sulfated N-glycans released from a glycoprotein. Due to the ability of IRMPD and ECD to provide complementary structural information, the combination of the two strategies is a promising and valuable tool for glycan structural characterization. The influence of different metal ions was also examined. Calcium adducts appeared to be the most promising species because of high sensitivity and ability to provide extensive structural information.

Radiologic imaging of the renal parenchyma structure and function.

PubMed

Grenier, Nicolas; Merville, Pierre; Combe, Christian

2016-06-01

Radiologic imaging has the potential to identify several functional and/or structural biomarkers of acute and chronic kidney diseases that are useful diagnostics to guide patient management. A renal ultrasound examination can provide information regarding the gross anatomy and macrostructure of the renal parenchyma, and ultrasound imaging modalities based on Doppler or elastography techniques can provide haemodynamic and structural information, respectively. CT is also able to combine morphological and functional information, but the use of CT is limited due to the required exposure to X-ray irradiation and a risk of contrast-induced nephropathy following intravenous injection of a radio-contrast agent. MRI can be used to identify a wide range of anatomical and physiological parameters at the tissue and even cellular level, such as tissue perfusion, oxygenation, water diffusion, cellular phagocytic activity, tissue stiffness, and level of renal filtration. The ability of MRI to provide valuable information for most of these parameters within a renal context is still in development and requires more clinical experience, harmonization of technical procedures, and an evaluation of reliability and validity on a large scale.

High-pressure studies with x-rays using diamond anvil cells

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

Shen, Guoyin; Mao, Ho Kwang

2016-11-22

Pressure profoundly alters all states of matter. The symbiotic development of ultrahigh-pressure diamond anvil cells, to compress samples to sustainable multi-megabar pressures; and synchrotron x-ray techniques, to probe materials' properties in situ, has enabled the exploration of rich high-pressure (HP) science. In this article, we first introduce the essential concept of diamond anvil cell technology, together with recent developments and its integration with other extreme environments. We then provide an overview of the latest developments in HP synchrotron techniques, their applications, and current problems, followed by a discussion of HP scientific studies using x-rays in the key multidisciplinary fields. Thesemore » HP studies include: HP x-ray emission spectroscopy, which provides information on the filled electronic states of HP samples; HP x-ray Raman spectroscopy, which probes the HP chemical bonding changes of light elements; HP electronic inelastic x-ray scattering spectroscopy, which accesses high energy electronic phenomena, including electronic band structure, Fermi surface, excitons, plasmons, and their dispersions; HP resonant inelastic x-ray scattering spectroscopy, which probes shallow core excitations, multiplet structures, and spin-resolved electronic structure; HP nuclear resonant x-ray spectroscopy, which provides phonon densities of state and time-resolved Mössbauer information; HP x-ray imaging, which provides information on hierarchical structures, dynamic processes, and internal strains; HP x-ray diffraction, which determines the fundamental structures and densities of single-crystal, polycrystalline, nanocrystalline, and non-crystalline materials; and HP radial x-ray diffraction, which yields deviatoric, elastic and rheological information. Integrating these tools with hydrostatic or uniaxial pressure media, laser and resistive heating, and cryogenic cooling, has enabled investigations of the structural, vibrational, electronic, and magnetic properties of materials over a wide range of pressure-temperature conditions.« less

NALDB: nucleic acid ligand database for small molecules targeting nucleic acid

PubMed Central

Kumar Mishra, Subodh; Kumar, Amit

2016-01-01

Nucleic acid ligand database (NALDB) is a unique database that provides detailed information about the experimental data of small molecules that were reported to target several types of nucleic acid structures. NALDB is the first ligand database that contains ligand information for all type of nucleic acid. NALDB contains more than 3500 ligand entries with detailed pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic information such as target name, target sequence, ligand 2D/3D structure, SMILES, molecular formula, molecular weight, net-formal charge, AlogP, number of rings, number of hydrogen bond donor and acceptor, potential energy along with their Ki, Kd, IC50 values. All these details at single platform would be helpful for the development and betterment of novel ligands targeting nucleic acids that could serve as a potential target in different diseases including cancers and neurological disorders. With maximum 255 conformers for each ligand entry, our database is a multi-conformer database and can facilitate the virtual screening process. NALDB provides powerful web-based search tools that make database searching efficient and simplified using option for text as well as for structure query. NALDB also provides multi-dimensional advanced search tool which can screen the database molecules on the basis of molecular properties of ligand provided by database users. A 3D structure visualization tool has also been included for 3D structure representation of ligands. NALDB offers an inclusive pharmacological information and the structurally flexible set of small molecules with their three-dimensional conformers that can accelerate the virtual screening and other modeling processes and eventually complement the nucleic acid-based drug discovery research. NALDB can be routinely updated and freely available on bsbe.iiti.ac.in/bsbe/naldb/HOME.php. Database URL: http://bsbe.iiti.ac.in/bsbe/naldb/HOME.php PMID:26896846

High-pressure studies with x-rays using diamond anvil cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Guoyin; Mao, Ho Kwang

2017-01-01

Pressure profoundly alters all states of matter. The symbiotic development of ultrahigh-pressure diamond anvil cells, to compress samples to sustainable multi-megabar pressures; and synchrotron x-ray techniques, to probe materials’ properties in situ, has enabled the exploration of rich high-pressure (HP) science. In this article, we first introduce the essential concept of diamond anvil cell technology, together with recent developments and its integration with other extreme environments. We then provide an overview of the latest developments in HP synchrotron techniques, their applications, and current problems, followed by a discussion of HP scientific studies using x-rays in the key multidisciplinary fields. These HP studies include: HP x-ray emission spectroscopy, which provides information on the filled electronic states of HP samples; HP x-ray Raman spectroscopy, which probes the HP chemical bonding changes of light elements; HP electronic inelastic x-ray scattering spectroscopy, which accesses high energy electronic phenomena, including electronic band structure, Fermi surface, excitons, plasmons, and their dispersions; HP resonant inelastic x-ray scattering spectroscopy, which probes shallow core excitations, multiplet structures, and spin-resolved electronic structure; HP nuclear resonant x-ray spectroscopy, which provides phonon densities of state and time-resolved Mössbauer information; HP x-ray imaging, which provides information on hierarchical structures, dynamic processes, and internal strains; HP x-ray diffraction, which determines the fundamental structures and densities of single-crystal, polycrystalline, nanocrystalline, and non-crystalline materials; and HP radial x-ray diffraction, which yields deviatoric, elastic and rheological information. Integrating these tools with hydrostatic or uniaxial pressure media, laser and resistive heating, and cryogenic cooling, has enabled investigations of the structural, vibrational, electronic, and magnetic properties of materials over a wide range of pressure-temperature conditions.

MAGDM linear-programming models with distinct uncertain preference structures.

PubMed

Xu, Zeshui S; Chen, Jian

2008-10-01

Group decision making with preference information on alternatives is an interesting and important research topic which has been receiving more and more attention in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to investigate multiple-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) problems with distinct uncertain preference structures. We develop some linear-programming models for dealing with the MAGDM problems, where the information about attribute weights is incomplete, and the decision makers have their preferences on alternatives. The provided preference information can be represented in the following three distinct uncertain preference structures: 1) interval utility values; 2) interval fuzzy preference relations; and 3) interval multiplicative preference relations. We first establish some linear-programming models based on decision matrix and each of the distinct uncertain preference structures and, then, develop some linear-programming models to integrate all three structures of subjective uncertain preference information provided by the decision makers and the objective information depicted in the decision matrix. Furthermore, we propose a simple and straightforward approach in ranking and selecting the given alternatives. It is worth pointing out that the developed models can also be used to deal with the situations where the three distinct uncertain preference structures are reduced to the traditional ones, i.e., utility values, fuzzy preference relations, and multiplicative preference relations. Finally, we use a practical example to illustrate in detail the calculation process of the developed approach.

Target recognition and scene interpretation in image/video understanding systems based on network-symbolic models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuvich, Gary

2004-08-01

Vision is only a part of a system that converts visual information into knowledge structures. These structures drive the vision process, resolving ambiguity and uncertainty via feedback, and provide image understanding, which is an interpretation of visual information in terms of these knowledge models. These mechanisms provide a reliable recognition if the object is occluded or cannot be recognized as a whole. It is hard to split the entire system apart, and reliable solutions to the target recognition problems are possible only within the solution of a more generic Image Understanding Problem. Brain reduces informational and computational complexities, using implicit symbolic coding of features, hierarchical compression, and selective processing of visual information. Biologically inspired Network-Symbolic representation, where both systematic structural/logical methods and neural/statistical methods are parts of a single mechanism, is the most feasible for such models. It converts visual information into relational Network-Symbolic structures, avoiding artificial precise computations of 3-dimensional models. Network-Symbolic Transformations derive abstract structures, which allows for invariant recognition of an object as exemplar of a class. Active vision helps creating consistent models. Attention, separation of figure from ground and perceptual grouping are special kinds of network-symbolic transformations. Such Image/Video Understanding Systems will be reliably recognizing targets.

Making Informed Decisions: The Role of Information Literacy in Ethical and Effective Engineering Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fosmire, Michael

2017-01-01

Engineering designers must make evidence-based decisions when applying the practical tools and techniques of their discipline to human problems. Information literacy provides a structure for determining information gaps, locating appropriate and relevant information, applying that information effectively, and documenting and managing the knowledge…

Videotex: Chimera or Dream Machine.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ball, A. J. S.

1981-01-01

Describes three current two-way public information systems representing the major technologies which are being proposed as international standards: Prestel (United Kingdom), Teletel (France), and Telidon (Canada). Information retrieval structures are compared, and difficulties for both the information provider and the information user are…

SCIS Teacher's Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karplus, Robert, Comp.; Lawson, Chester A., Comp.

This teacher's handbook provides information about the philosophy, rationale, and teaching strategies of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) program, as well as information about the SCIS physical and life science sequences to provide teachers with an understanding of the program's overall content and structure. Much of the material in…

24 CFR 35.310 - Notices and pamphlet.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Project-Based Assistance... evaluation or hazard reduction shall be provided to the occupants in accordance with § 35.125. (b) Lead hazard information pamphlet. The owner shall provide the lead hazard information pamphlet in accordance...

24 CFR 35.310 - Notices and pamphlet.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Project-Based Assistance... evaluation or hazard reduction shall be provided to the occupants in accordance with § 35.125. (b) Lead hazard information pamphlet. The owner shall provide the lead hazard information pamphlet in accordance...

24 CFR 35.310 - Notices and pamphlet.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Project-Based Assistance... evaluation or hazard reduction shall be provided to the occupants in accordance with § 35.125. (b) Lead hazard information pamphlet. The owner shall provide the lead hazard information pamphlet in accordance...

24 CFR 35.310 - Notices and pamphlet.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Project-Based Assistance... evaluation or hazard reduction shall be provided to the occupants in accordance with § 35.125. (b) Lead hazard information pamphlet. The owner shall provide the lead hazard information pamphlet in accordance...

24 CFR 35.310 - Notices and pamphlet.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Project-Based Assistance... evaluation or hazard reduction shall be provided to the occupants in accordance with § 35.125. (b) Lead hazard information pamphlet. The owner shall provide the lead hazard information pamphlet in accordance...

Data as Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dolby, James L.

1984-01-01

Suggests structure based on two sets of principles for deriving meaning from data: Shannon's measure of entropy, which provides means of measuring amount of information in message; and Ranganathan's faceted classification scheme, which provides means of determining number of meaningful data. Syntax, meaning, and semantics of data are discussed.…

Using Instrumental Variable (IV) Tests to Evaluate Model Specification in Latent Variable Structural Equation Models*

PubMed Central

Kirby, James B.; Bollen, Kenneth A.

2009-01-01

Structural Equation Modeling with latent variables (SEM) is a powerful tool for social and behavioral scientists, combining many of the strengths of psychometrics and econometrics into a single framework. The most common estimator for SEM is the full-information maximum likelihood estimator (ML), but there is continuing interest in limited information estimators because of their distributional robustness and their greater resistance to structural specification errors. However, the literature discussing model fit for limited information estimators for latent variable models is sparse compared to that for full information estimators. We address this shortcoming by providing several specification tests based on the 2SLS estimator for latent variable structural equation models developed by Bollen (1996). We explain how these tests can be used to not only identify a misspecified model, but to help diagnose the source of misspecification within a model. We present and discuss results from a Monte Carlo experiment designed to evaluate the finite sample properties of these tests. Our findings suggest that the 2SLS tests successfully identify most misspecified models, even those with modest misspecification, and that they provide researchers with information that can help diagnose the source of misspecification. PMID:20419054

A rural virtual health sciences library project: research findings with implications for next generation library services.

PubMed

Richwine, M P; McGowan, J J

2001-01-01

The Shared Hospital Electronic Library of Southern Indiana (SHELSI) research project was designed to determine whether access to a virtual health sciences library and training in its use would support medical decision making in rural southern Indiana and achieve the same level of impact seen by targeted information services provided by health sciences librarians in urban hospitals. Based on the results of a needs assessment, a virtual medical library was created; various levels of training were provided. Virtual library users were asked to complete a Likert-type survey, which included questions on intent of use and impact of use. At the conclusion of the project period, structured interviews were conducted. Impact of the virtual health sciences library showed a strong correlation with the impact of information provided by health sciences librarians. Both interventions resulted in avoidance of adverse health events. Data collected from the structured interviews confirmed the perceived value of the virtual library. While librarians continue to hold a strong position in supporting information access for health care providers, their roles in the information age must begin to move away from providing information toward selecting and organizing knowledge resources and instruction in their use.

RPG: the Ribosomal Protein Gene database.

PubMed

Nakao, Akihiro; Yoshihama, Maki; Kenmochi, Naoya

2004-01-01

RPG (http://ribosome.miyazaki-med.ac.jp/) is a new database that provides detailed information about ribosomal protein (RP) genes. It contains data from humans and other organisms, including Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, Saccharo myces cerevisiae, Methanococcus jannaschii and Escherichia coli. Users can search the database by gene name and organism. Each record includes sequences (genomic, cDNA and amino acid sequences), intron/exon structures, genomic locations and information about orthologs. In addition, users can view and compare the gene structures of the above organisms and make multiple amino acid sequence alignments. RPG also provides information on small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) that are encoded in the introns of RP genes.

RPG: the Ribosomal Protein Gene database

PubMed Central

Nakao, Akihiro; Yoshihama, Maki; Kenmochi, Naoya

2004-01-01

RPG (http://ribosome.miyazaki-med.ac.jp/) is a new database that provides detailed information about ribosomal protein (RP) genes. It contains data from humans and other organisms, including Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, Saccharo myces cerevisiae, Methanococcus jannaschii and Escherichia coli. Users can search the database by gene name and organism. Each record includes sequences (genomic, cDNA and amino acid sequences), intron/exon structures, genomic locations and information about orthologs. In addition, users can view and compare the gene structures of the above organisms and make multiple amino acid sequence alignments. RPG also provides information on small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) that are encoded in the introns of RP genes. PMID:14681386

3D Structure of Iran and Surrounding Areas From The Simultaneous Inversion of Complementary Geophysical Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ammon, C. J.; Maceira, M.; Cleveland, M.

2010-12-01

We present a three-dimensional seismic-structure model of the Arabian-Eurasian collision zone obtained via simultaneous, joint inversion of surface-wave dispersion measurements, teleseismic P-wave receiver functions, and gravity observations. We use a simple, approximate relationship between density and seismic velocities so that the three data sets may be combined in a single inversion. The sensitivity of the different data sets are well known: surface waves provide information on the smooth variations in elastic properties, receiver functions provide information on abrupt velocity contrasts, and gravity measurements provide information on broad-wavenumber shallow density variations and long-wavenumber components of deeper density structures. The combination of the data provides improved resolution of shallow-structure variations, which in turn help produce the smooth features at depth with less contamination from the strong heterogeneity often observed in the upper crust. We also explore geologically based smoothness constraints to help resolve sharp features in the underlying shallow 3D structure. Our focus is on the region surrounding Iran from east Turkey and Iraq in the west, to Pakistan and Afghanistan in the east. We use Bouguer gravity anomalies derived from the global gravity model extracted from the GRACE satellite mission. Surface-wave dispersion velocities in the period range between 7 and 150 s are taken from previously published tomographic maps for the region. Preliminary results show expected strong variations in the Caspian region as well as the deep sediment regions of the Persian Gulf. Regions constrained with receiver-function information generally show sharper crust-mantle boundary structure than that obtained by inversion of the surface waves alone (with thin layers and smoothing constraints). Final results of the simultaneous inversion will help us to better understand one of the most prominent examples of continental collision. Such models also provide an important starting model for time-consuming and fully 3D inversions.

Computational approaches to define a human milk metaglycome

PubMed Central

Agravat, Sanjay B.; Song, Xuezheng; Rojsajjakul, Teerapat; Cummings, Richard D.; Smith, David F.

2016-01-01

Motivation: The goal of deciphering the human glycome has been hindered by the lack of high-throughput sequencing methods for glycans. Although mass spectrometry (MS) is a key technology in glycan sequencing, MS alone provides limited information about the identification of monosaccharide constituents, their anomericity and their linkages. These features of individual, purified glycans can be partly identified using well-defined glycan-binding proteins, such as lectins and antibodies that recognize specific determinants within glycan structures. Results: We present a novel computational approach to automate the sequencing of glycans using metadata-assisted glycan sequencing, which combines MS analyses with glycan structural information from glycan microarray technology. Success in this approach was aided by the generation of a ‘virtual glycome’ to represent all potential glycan structures that might exist within a metaglycomes based on a set of biosynthetic assumptions using known structural information. We exploited this approach to deduce the structures of soluble glycans within the human milk glycome by matching predicted structures based on experimental data against the virtual glycome. This represents the first meta-glycome to be defined using this method and we provide a publically available web-based application to aid in sequencing milk glycans. Availability and implementation: http://glycomeseq.emory.edu Contact: sagravat@bidmc.harvard.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:26803164

Beyond Labeling: The Role of Maternal Input in the Acquisition of Richly Structured Categories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gelman, Susan A.; Coley, John D.; Rosengren, Karl S.; Hartman, Erin; Pappas, Athina

1998-01-01

Explored how mothers convey information about category structure during naturalistic interactions. Videotaped reading-aloud sessions between mothers and toddlers; coded their interactions for explicit and implicit discussion of animal and artifact categories. Found that mothers provided a rich array of information beyond simple labeling routines,…

Deducing 2D Crystal Structure at the Solid/Liquid Interface with Atomic Resolution by Combined STM and SFG Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McClelland, Arthur; Ahn, Seokhoon; Matzger, Adam J.; Chen, Zhan

2009-03-01

Supplemented by computed models, Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) can provide detailed structure of 2D crystals formed at the liquid/solid interface with atomic resolution. However, some structural information such as functional group orientations in such 2D crystals needs to be tested experimentally to ensure the accuracy of the deduced structures. Due to the limited sensitivity, many other experimental techniques such as Raman and infrared spectroscopy have not been allowed to provide such structural information of 2D crystals. Here we showed that Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy (SFG) can measure average orientation of functional groups in such 2D crystals, or physisorbed monolayers, providing key experimental data to aid in the modeling and interpretation of the STM images. The usefulness of combining these two techniques is demonstrated with a phthalate diesters monolayer formed at the 1-phenyloctane/ highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) interface. The spatial orientation of the ester C=O of the monolayer was successfully determined using SFG.

CASTp 3.0: computed atlas of surface topography of proteins.

PubMed

Tian, Wei; Chen, Chang; Lei, Xue; Zhao, Jieling; Liang, Jie

2018-06-01

Geometric and topological properties of protein structures, including surface pockets, interior cavities and cross channels, are of fundamental importance for proteins to carry out their functions. Computed Atlas of Surface Topography of proteins (CASTp) is a web server that provides online services for locating, delineating and measuring these geometric and topological properties of protein structures. It has been widely used since its inception in 2003. In this article, we present the latest version of the web server, CASTp 3.0. CASTp 3.0 continues to provide reliable and comprehensive identifications and quantifications of protein topography. In addition, it now provides: (i) imprints of the negative volumes of pockets, cavities and channels, (ii) topographic features of biological assemblies in the Protein Data Bank, (iii) improved visualization of protein structures and pockets, and (iv) more intuitive structural and annotated information, including information of secondary structure, functional sites, variant sites and other annotations of protein residues. The CASTp 3.0 web server is freely accessible at http://sts.bioe.uic.edu/castp/.

A combination of feature extraction methods with an ensemble of different classifiers for protein structural class prediction problem.

PubMed

Dehzangi, Abdollah; Paliwal, Kuldip; Sharma, Alok; Dehzangi, Omid; Sattar, Abdul

2013-01-01

Better understanding of structural class of a given protein reveals important information about its overall folding type and its domain. It can also be directly used to provide critical information on general tertiary structure of a protein which has a profound impact on protein function determination and drug design. Despite tremendous enhancements made by pattern recognition-based approaches to solve this problem, it still remains as an unsolved issue for bioinformatics that demands more attention and exploration. In this study, we propose a novel feature extraction model that incorporates physicochemical and evolutionary-based information simultaneously. We also propose overlapped segmented distribution and autocorrelation-based feature extraction methods to provide more local and global discriminatory information. The proposed feature extraction methods are explored for 15 most promising attributes that are selected from a wide range of physicochemical-based attributes. Finally, by applying an ensemble of different classifiers namely, Adaboost.M1, LogitBoost, naive Bayes, multilayer perceptron (MLP), and support vector machine (SVM) we show enhancement of the protein structural class prediction accuracy for four popular benchmarks.

Structural Studies of Fucosylated N-Glycans by Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry and Collision-Induced Fragmentation of Negative Ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, David J.; Struwe, Weston B.

2018-05-01

There is considerable potential for the use of ion mobility mass spectrometry in structural glycobiology due in large part to the gas-phase separation attributes not typically observed by orthogonal methods. Here, we evaluate the capability of traveling wave ion mobility combined with negative ion collision-induced dissociation to provide structural information on N-linked glycans containing multiple fucose residues forming the Lewisx and Lewisy epitopes. These epitopes are involved in processes such as cell-cell recognition and are important as cancer biomarkers. Specific information that could be obtained from the intact N-glycans by negative ion CID included the general topology of the glycan such as the presence or absence of a bisecting GlcNAc residue and the branching pattern of the triantennary glycans. Information on the location of the fucose residues was also readily obtainable from ions specific to each antenna. Some isobaric fragment ions produced prior to ion mobility could subsequently be separated and, in some cases, provided additional valuable structural information that was missing from the CID spectra alone.

Wikipedia Chemical Structure Explorer: substructure and similarity searching of molecules from Wikipedia.

PubMed

Ertl, Peter; Patiny, Luc; Sander, Thomas; Rufener, Christian; Zasso, Michaël

2015-01-01

Wikipedia, the world's largest and most popular encyclopedia is an indispensable source of chemistry information. It contains among others also entries for over 15,000 chemicals including metabolites, drugs, agrochemicals and industrial chemicals. To provide an easy access to this wealth of information we decided to develop a substructure and similarity search tool for chemical structures referenced in Wikipedia. We extracted chemical structures from entries in Wikipedia and implemented a web system allowing structure and similarity searching on these data. The whole search as well as visualization system is written in JavaScript and therefore can run locally within a web page and does not require a central server. The Wikipedia Chemical Structure Explorer is accessible on-line at www.cheminfo.org/wikipedia and is available also as an open source project from GitHub for local installation. The web-based Wikipedia Chemical Structure Explorer provides a useful resource for research as well as for chemical education enabling both researchers and students easy and user friendly chemistry searching and identification of relevant information in Wikipedia. The tool can also help to improve quality of chemical entries in Wikipedia by providing potential contributors regularly updated list of entries with problematic structures. And last but not least this search system is a nice example of how the modern web technology can be applied in the field of cheminformatics. Graphical abstractWikipedia Chemical Structure Explorer allows substructure and similarity searches on molecules referenced in Wikipedia.

A hierarchical structure for representing and learning fuzzy rules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yager, Ronald R.

1993-01-01

Yager provides an example in which the flat representation of fuzzy if-then rules leads to unsatisfactory results. Consider a rule base consisting to two rules: if U is 12 the V is 29; if U is (10-15) the V is (25-30). If U = 12 we would get V is G where G = (25-30). The application of the defuzzification process leads to a selection of V = 27.5. Thus we see that the very specific instruction was not followed. The problem with the technique used is that the most specific information was swamped by the less specific information. In this paper we shall provide for a new structure for the representation of fuzzy if-then rules. The representational form introduced here is called a Hierarchical Prioritized Structure (HPS) representation. Most importantly in addition to overcoming the problem illustrated in the previous example this HPS representation has an inherent capability to emulate the learning of general rules and provides a reasonable accurate cognitive mapping of how human beings store information.

Guidelines for the installation, inspection, maintenance and repair of structural supports for highway signs, luminaires, and traffic signals

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-03-01

This document provides guidance for the installation, inspection, maintenance, and repair of structural supports for highway signs, luminaires and traffic signals. The primary purpose is to provide owners with information that can assist them in mana...

Fact Book, Fiscal Year 1996.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Dakota Board of Regents, Pierre.

This annual report provides information about the institutions under the South Dakota Board of Regents including six universities and the schools for the deaf and visually handicapped. The first section provides information on general concerns (such as the Regental Committee structure and institutional mission statements). The bulk of the report…

A Semantic Graph Query Language

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

Kaplan, I L

2006-10-16

Semantic graphs can be used to organize large amounts of information from a number of sources into one unified structure. A semantic query language provides a foundation for extracting information from the semantic graph. The graph query language described here provides a simple, powerful method for querying semantic graphs.

Structural integrity of wind tunnel wooden fan blades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Clarence P., Jr.; Wingate, Robert T.; Rooker, James R.; Mort, Kenneth W.; Zager, Harold E.

1991-01-01

Information is presented which was compiled by the NASA Inter-Center Committee on Structural Integrity of Wooden Fan Blades and is intended for use as a guide in design, fabrication, evaluation, and assurance of fan systems using wooden blades. A risk assessment approach for existing NASA wind tunnels with wooden fan blades is provided. Also, state of the art information is provided for wooden fan blade design, drive system considerations, inspection and monitoring methods, and fan blade repair. Proposed research and development activities are discussed, and recommendations are provided which are aimed at future wooden fan blade design activities and safely maintaining existing NASA wind tunnel fan blades. Information is presented that will be of value to wooden fan blade designers, fabricators, inspectors, and wind tunnel operations personnel.

The vector structure of active magnetic fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, E. N.

1985-01-01

Observations are needed to show the form of the strains introduced into the fields above the surface of the Sun. The longitudinal component alone does not provide the basic information, so that it has been necessary in the past to use the filamentary structure observed in H sub alpha to supplement the longitudinal information. Vector measurements provide the additional essential information to determine the strains, with the filamentary structure available as a check for consistency. It is to be expected, then, that vector measurements will permit a direct mapping of the strains imposed on the magnetic fields of active regions. It will be interesting to study the relation of those strains to the emergence of magnetic flux, flares, eruptive prominences, etc. In particular we may hope to study the relaxation of the strains via the dynamical nonequilibrium.

Infographics for Educational Purposes: Their Structure, Properties and Reader Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildirim, Serkan

2016-01-01

Infographics are one of the new educational environments used to provide information to their readers in a visual way. Infographics are designed to provide information to their readers using various visuals such as texts, pictures, drawings, diagrams, graphs, etc. The use of infographics becomes increasingly widespread both in advertising…

Developing Sustainable Digital Libraries: Socio-Technical Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashraf, Tariq, Ed.; Sharma, Jaideep, Ed.; Gulati, Puja Anand, Ed.

2010-01-01

The increasing prevalence of digital information systems and technologies compels libraries across the globe to update systems and provide users with a digital experience outside the confines of the structural library, providing useful benefits to the user while creating new areas of concern such as digital information preservation.…

School Finance at a Glance. [Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verstegen, Deborah A.

As in previous years, this publication provides information on two dimensions of public education finance in the United States--raising and distributing education dollars. Information as reported by each of the 50 states is provided. The first section shows the current financing structure used in each state. In 1990, states generally reported four…

A General Method for Targeted Quantitative Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Chavez, Juan D; Eng, Jimmy K; Schweppe, Devin K; Cilia, Michelle; Rivera, Keith; Zhong, Xuefei; Wu, Xia; Allen, Terrence; Khurgel, Moshe; Kumar, Akhilesh; Lampropoulos, Athanasios; Larsson, Mårten; Maity, Shuvadeep; Morozov, Yaroslav; Pathmasiri, Wimal; Perez-Neut, Mathew; Pineyro-Ruiz, Coriness; Polina, Elizabeth; Post, Stephanie; Rider, Mark; Tokmina-Roszyk, Dorota; Tyson, Katherine; Vieira Parrine Sant'Ana, Debora; Bruce, James E

2016-01-01

Chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) provides protein structural information by identifying covalently linked proximal amino acid residues on protein surfaces. The information gained by this technique is complementary to other structural biology methods such as x-ray crystallography, NMR and cryo-electron microscopy[1]. The extension of traditional quantitative proteomics methods with chemical cross-linking can provide information on the structural dynamics of protein structures and protein complexes. The identification and quantitation of cross-linked peptides remains challenging for the general community, requiring specialized expertise ultimately limiting more widespread adoption of the technique. We describe a general method for targeted quantitative mass spectrometric analysis of cross-linked peptide pairs. We report the adaptation of the widely used, open source software package Skyline, for the analysis of quantitative XL-MS data as a means for data analysis and sharing of methods. We demonstrate the utility and robustness of the method with a cross-laboratory study and present data that is supported by and validates previously published data on quantified cross-linked peptide pairs. This advance provides an easy to use resource so that any lab with access to a LC-MS system capable of performing targeted quantitative analysis can quickly and accurately measure dynamic changes in protein structure and protein interactions.

Structure Elucidation of New Acetylated Saponins, Lessoniosides A, B, C, D, and E, and Non-Acetylated Saponins, Lessoniosides F and G, from the Viscera of the Sea Cucumber Holothuria lessoni

PubMed Central

Bahrami, Yadollah; Franco, Christopher M. M.

2015-01-01

Sea cucumbers produce numerous compounds with a wide range of chemical structural diversity. Among these, saponins are the most diverse and include sulfated, non-sulfated, acetylated and methylated congeners with different aglycone and sugar moieties. In this study, MALDI and ESI tandem mass spectrometry, in the positive ion mode, were used to elucidate the structure of new saponins extracted from the viscera of H. lessoni. Fragmentation of the aglycone provided structural information on the presence of the acetyl group. The presence of the O-acetyl group was confirmed by observing the mass transition of 60 u corresponding to the loss of a molecule of acetic acid. Ion fingerprints from the glycosidic cleavage provided information on the mass of the aglycone (core), and the sequence and type of monosaccharides that constitute the sugar moiety. The tandem mass spectra of the saponin precursor ions [M + Na]+ provided a wealth of detailed structural information on the glycosidic bond cleavages. As a result, and in conjunction with existing literature, we characterized the structure of five new acetylated saponins, Lessoniosides A–E, along with two non-acetylated saponins Lessoniosides F and G at m/z 1477.7, which are promising candidates for future drug development. The presented strategy allows a rapid, reliable and complete analysis of native saponins. PMID:25603350

Crustal structure of the coastal and marine San Francisco Bay region, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parsons, Tom

2002-01-01

In summary, these studies were carried out in an environment where background information on faults in the San Francisco Bay region was sought. Much of the structural information presented here comes from experiments of a style unlikely to be conducted by the USGS in the near future. Together, the chapters in this volume provide a structural framework for a major part of a complex strike-slip fault system.

NASA GSFC Mechanical Engineering Latest Inputs for Verification Standards (GEVS) Updates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaufman, Daniel

2003-01-01

This viewgraph presentation provides information on quality control standards in mechanical engineering. The presentation addresses safety, structural loads, nonmetallic composite structural elements, bonded structural joints, externally induced shock, random vibration, acoustic tests, and mechanical function.

Methodological development of topographic correction in 2D/3D ToF-SIMS images using AFM images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Seokwon; Lee, Nodo; Choi, Myungshin; Lee, Jungmin; Cho, Eunkyunng; Joo, Minho

2018-02-01

Time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is an emerging technique that provides chemical information directly from the surface of electronic materials, e.g. OLED and solar cell. It is very versatile and highly sensitive mass spectrometric technique that provides surface molecular information with their lateral distribution as a two-dimensional (2D) molecular image. Extending the usefulness of ToF-SIMS, a 3D molecular image can be generated by acquiring multiple 2D images in a stack. These imaging techniques by ToF-SIMS provide an insight into understanding the complex structures of unknown composition in electronic material. However, one drawback in ToF-SIMS is not able to represent topographical information in 2D and 3D mapping images. To overcome this technical limitation, topographic information by ex-situ technique such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been combined with chemical information from SIMS that provides both chemical and physical information in one image. The key to combine two different images obtained from ToF-SIMS and AFM techniques is to develop the image processing algorithm, which performs resize and alignment by comparing the specific pixel information of each image. In this work, we present methodological development of the semiautomatic alignment and the 3D structure interpolation system for the combination of 2D/3D images obtained by ToF-SIMS and AFM measurements, which allows providing useful analytical information in a single representation.

Learning the 3-D structure of objects from 2-D views depends on shape, not format

PubMed Central

Tian, Moqian; Yamins, Daniel; Grill-Spector, Kalanit

2016-01-01

Humans can learn to recognize new objects just from observing example views. However, it is unknown what structural information enables this learning. To address this question, we manipulated the amount of structural information given to subjects during unsupervised learning by varying the format of the trained views. We then tested how format affected participants' ability to discriminate similar objects across views that were rotated 90° apart. We found that, after training, participants' performance increased and generalized to new views in the same format. Surprisingly, the improvement was similar across line drawings, shape from shading, and shape from shading + stereo even though the latter two formats provide richer depth information compared to line drawings. In contrast, participants' improvement was significantly lower when training used silhouettes, suggesting that silhouettes do not have enough information to generate a robust 3-D structure. To test whether the learned object representations were format-specific or format-invariant, we examined if learning novel objects from example views transfers across formats. We found that learning objects from example line drawings transferred to shape from shading and vice versa. These results have important implications for theories of object recognition because they suggest that (a) learning the 3-D structure of objects does not require rich structural cues during training as long as shape information of internal and external features is provided and (b) learning generates shape-based object representations independent of the training format. PMID:27153196

A Monumental Lesson: What Historical Structures Can Tell Us

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craven, Jacqueline S.; Sumrall, William J.; Moore, Jerilou J.; Logan, Kellie

2011-01-01

Historical structures have connected civilization across time as a representation of important events, famous people, or experiences of diverse cultures. The value systems of a society are reflected in these structures and convey political and historical information. Knowledge about historical structures provides understanding of cultures of…

Hierarchical mutual information for the comparison of hierarchical community structures in complex networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perotti, Juan Ignacio; Tessone, Claudio Juan; Caldarelli, Guido

2015-12-01

The quest for a quantitative characterization of community and modular structure of complex networks produced a variety of methods and algorithms to classify different networks. However, it is not clear if such methods provide consistent, robust, and meaningful results when considering hierarchies as a whole. Part of the problem is the lack of a similarity measure for the comparison of hierarchical community structures. In this work we give a contribution by introducing the hierarchical mutual information, which is a generalization of the traditional mutual information and makes it possible to compare hierarchical partitions and hierarchical community structures. The normalized version of the hierarchical mutual information should behave analogously to the traditional normalized mutual information. Here the correct behavior of the hierarchical mutual information is corroborated on an extensive battery of numerical experiments. The experiments are performed on artificial hierarchies and on the hierarchical community structure of artificial and empirical networks. Furthermore, the experiments illustrate some of the practical applications of the hierarchical mutual information, namely the comparison of different community detection methods and the study of the consistency, robustness, and temporal evolution of the hierarchical modular structure of networks.

On-clip high frequency reliability and failure test structures

DOEpatents

Snyder, Eric S.; Campbell, David V.

1997-01-01

Self-stressing test structures for realistic high frequency reliability characterizations. An on-chip high frequency oscillator, controlled by DC signals from off-chip, provides a range of high frequency pulses to test structures. The test structures provide information with regard to a variety of reliability failure mechanisms, including hot-carriers, electromigration, and oxide breakdown. The system is normally integrated at the wafer level to predict the failure mechanisms of the production integrated circuits on the same wafer.

Perspectives on Cybersecurity Information Sharing among Multiple Stakeholders Using a Decision-Theoretic Approach.

PubMed

He, Meilin; Devine, Laura; Zhuang, Jun

2018-02-01

The government, private sectors, and others users of the Internet are increasingly faced with the risk of cyber incidents. Damage to computer systems and theft of sensitive data caused by cyber attacks have the potential to result in lasting harm to entities under attack, or to society as a whole. The effects of cyber attacks are not always obvious, and detecting them is not a simple proposition. As the U.S. federal government believes that information sharing on cybersecurity issues among organizations is essential to safety, security, and resilience, the importance of trusted information exchange has been emphasized to support public and private decision making by encouraging the creation of the Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC). Through a decision-theoretic approach, this article provides new perspectives on ISAC, and the advent of the new Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations (ISAOs), which are intended to provide similar benefits to organizations that cannot fit easily into the ISAC structure. To help understand the processes of information sharing against cyber threats, this article illustrates 15 representative information sharing structures between ISAC, government, and other participating entities, and provide discussions on the strategic interactions between different stakeholders. This article also identifies the costs of information sharing and information security borne by different parties in this public-private partnership both before and after cyber attacks, as well as the two main benefits. This article provides perspectives on the mechanism of information sharing and some detailed cost-benefit analysis. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

Organizational structure and operation of defense/aerospace information centers in the United States of America

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sauter, H. E.; Lushina, L. N.

1983-01-01

U.S. Government aerospace and defense information centers are addressed. DTIC and NASA are described in terms of their history, operational authority, information services provided, user community, sources of information collected, efforts under way to improve services, and external agreements regarding the exchange of documents and/or data bases. Contents show how DTIC and NASA provide aerospace/defense information services in support of U.S. research and development efforts. In a general introduction, the importance of scientific and technical information and the need for information centers to acquire, handle, and disseminate it are stressed.

A multiple-dimension liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry data strategy for the rapid discovery and identification of unknown compounds from a Chinese herbal formula (Er-xian decoction).

PubMed

Wang, Caihong; Zhang, Jinlan; Wu, Caisheng; Wang, Zhe

2017-10-06

It is very important to rapidly discover and identify the multiple components of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula. High performance liquid chromatography with high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS/MS) has been widely used to analyze TCM formula and contains multiple-dimension data including retention time (RT), high resolution mass (HRMS), multiple-stage mass spectrometric (MS n ), and isotope intensity distribution (IID) data. So it is very necessary to exploit a useful strategy to utilize multiple-dimension data to rapidly probe structural information and identify chemical compounds. In this study, a new strategy to initiatively use the multiple-dimension LC-MS data has been developed to discover and identify unknown compounds of TCM in many styles. The strategy guarantees the fast discovery of candidate structural information and provides efficient structure clues for identification. The strategy contains four steps in sequence: (1) to discover potential compounds and obtain sub-structure information by the mass spectral tree similarity filter (MTSF) technique, based on HRMS and MS n data; (2) to classify potential compounds into known chemical classes by discriminant analysis (DA) on the basis of RT and HRMS data; (3) to hit the candidate structural information of compounds by intersection sub-structure between MTSF and DA (M,D-INSS); (4) to annotate and confirm candidate structures by IID data. This strategy allowed for the high exclusion efficiency (greater than 41%) of irrelevant ions in er-xian decoction (EXD) while providing accurate structural information of 553 potential compounds and identifying 66 candidates, therefore accelerating and simplifying the discovery and identification of unknown compounds in TCM formula. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bridging Organizational Divides in Health Care: An Ecological View of Health Information Exchange

PubMed Central

Johnson, Kevin B; Gadd, Cynthia S; Lorenzi, Nancy M

2013-01-01

Background The fragmented nature of health care delivery in the United States leads to fragmented health information and impedes patient care continuity and safety. Technologies to support interorganizational health information exchange (HIE) are becoming more available. Understanding how HIE technology changes health care delivery and affects people and organizations is crucial to long-term successful implementation. Objective Our study investigated the impacts of HIE technology on organizations, health care providers, and patients through a new, context-aware perspective, the Regional Health Information Ecology. Methods We conducted more than 180 hours of direct observation, informal interviews during observation, and 9 formal semi-structured interviews. Data collection focused on workflow and information flow among health care team members and patients and on health care provider use of HIE technology. Results We structured the data analysis around five primary information ecology components: system, locality, diversity, keystone species, and coevolution. Our study identified three main roles, or keystone species, involved in HIE: information consumers, information exchange facilitators, and information repositories. The HIE technology impacted patient care by allowing providers direct access to health information, reducing time to obtain health information, and increasing provider awareness of patient interactions with the health care system. Developing the infrastructure needed to support HIE technology also improved connections among information technology support groups at different health care organizations. Despite the potential of this type of technology to improve continuity of patient care, HIE technology adoption by health care providers was limited. Conclusions To successfully build a HIE network, organizations had to shift perspectives from an ownership view of health data to a continuity of care perspective. To successfully integrate external health information into clinical work practices, health care providers had to move toward understanding potential contributions of external health information. Our study provides a foundation for future context-aware development and implementation of HIE technology. Integrating concepts from the Regional Health Information Ecology into design and implementation may lead to wider diffusion and adoption of HIE technology into clinical work. PMID:25600166

Information Professionals in the Digital Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cronin, Blaise

1998-01-01

Describes the strategic significance of information and intelligence management to socioeconomic growth. Considers implications in terms of human and structural intellectual capital development. Provides demand- and supply-side analyses of the knowledge and skills required of information professionals in the digital age. (Author)

Local structure studies of materials using pair distribution function analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, Joseph W.

A collection of pair distribution function studies on various materials is presented in this dissertation. In each case, local structure information of interest pushes the current limits of what these studies can accomplish. The goal is to provide insight into the individual material behaviors as well as to investigate ways to expand the current limits of PDF analysis. Where possible, I provide a framework for how PDF analysis might be applied to a wider set of material phenomena. Throughout the dissertation, I discuss 0 the capabilities of the PDF method to provide information pertaining to a material's structure and properties, ii) current limitations in the conventional approach to PDF analysis, iii) possible solutions to overcome certain limitations in PDF analysis, and iv) suggestions for future work to expand and improve the capabilities PDF analysis.

Improving team information sharing with a structured call-out in anaesthetic emergencies: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Weller, J M; Torrie, J; Boyd, M; Frengley, R; Garden, A; Ng, W L; Frampton, C

2014-06-01

Sharing information with the team is critical in developing a shared mental model in an emergency, and fundamental to effective teamwork. We developed a structured call-out tool, encapsulated in the acronym 'SNAPPI': Stop; Notify; Assessment; Plan; Priorities; Invite ideas. We explored whether a video-based intervention could improve structured call-outs during simulated crises and if this would improve information sharing and medical management. In a simulation-based randomized, blinded study, we evaluated the effect of the video-intervention teaching SNAPPI on scores for SNAPPI, information sharing, and medical management using baseline and follow-up crisis simulations. We assessed information sharing using a probe technique where nurses and technicians received unique, clinically relevant information probes before the simulation. Shared knowledge of probes was measured in a written, post-simulation test. We also scored sharing of diagnostic options with the team and medical management. Anaesthetists' scores for SNAPPI were significantly improved, as was the number of diagnostic options they shared. We found a non-significant trend to improve information-probe sharing and medical management in the intervention group, and across all simulations, a significant correlation between SNAPPI and information-probe sharing. Of note, only 27% of the clinically relevant information about the patient provided to the nurse and technician in the pre-simulation information probes was subsequently learnt by the anaesthetist. We developed a structured communication tool, SNAPPI, to improve information sharing between anaesthetists and their team, taught it using a video-based intervention, and provide initial evidence to support its value for improving communication in a crisis. © The Author [2014]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Social dilemma structure hidden behind traffic flow with route selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanimoto, Jun; Nakamura, Kousuke

2016-10-01

Several traffic flows contain social dilemma structures. Herein, we explored a route-selection problem using a cellular automaton simulation dovetailed with evolutionary game theory. In our model, two classes of driver-agents coexist: D agents (defective strategy), which refer to traffic information for route selection to move fast, and C agents (cooperative strategy), which are insensitive to information and less inclined to move fast. Although no evidence suggests that the social dilemma structure in low density causes vehicles to move freely and that in high density causes traffic jams, we found a structure that corresponds to an n-person (multiplayer) Chicken (n-Chicken) game if the provided traffic information is inappropriate. If appropriate traffic information is given to the agents, the n-Chicken game can be solved. The information delivered to vehicles is crucial for easing the social dilemma due to urban traffic congestion when developing technologies to support the intelligent transportation system (ITS).

Health Information System in Primary Health Care: The Challenges and Barriers from Local Providers’ Perspective of an Area in Iran

PubMed Central

Yazdi-Feyzabadi, Vahid; Emami, Mozhgan; Mehrolhassani, Mohammad Hossein

2015-01-01

Background: Health information system (HIS) has been utilized for collecting, processing, storing, and transferring the required information for planning and decision-making at different levels of health sector to provide quality services. In this study, in order to provide high-quality HIS, primary health care (PHC) providers’ perspective on current challenges and barriers were investigated. Methods: This study was carried out with a qualitative approach using semi-structured audiotaped focus group discussions (FGDs). One FGD was conducted with 13 Behvarz and health technicians as front-line workers and the other with 16 personnel including physicians, statisticians, and health professionals working in health centers of the PHC network in KUMS. The discussions were transcribed and then analyzed using the framework analysis method. Results: The identified organizational challenges were categorized into two groups: HIS structure and the current model of PHC in urban areas. Furthermore, the structural challenges were classified into HIS management structure (information systems resources, including human, supplies, and organizational rules) and information process. Conclusions: The HIS works effectively and efficiently when there are a consistency and integrity between the human, supplies, and process aspects. Hence, multifaceted interventions including strengthening the organizational culture to use the information in decisions, eliminating infrastructural obstacles, appointing qualified staff and more investment for service delivery at urban areas are the most fundamental requirements of high-quality HIS in PHC. PMID:26236444

Characterising the Architecture of New Zealand's Geothermal Structural Fluid Flow Networks Using Borehole Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNamara, David; Milicich, Sarah; Massiot, Cécile

2017-04-01

Borehole imaging has been used worldwide since the 1950's to capture vital geological information on the lithology, structure, and stress conditions of the Earth's subsurface. In New Zealand both acoustic and resistivity based borehole image logs are utilised to explore the geological nature of the basement and volcanic rocks that contain the country's unique geothermal reservoirs. Borehole image logs in wells from three geothermal fields in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) provide the first, direct, subsurface, structural orientation measurements in New Zealand geothermal reservoir lithologies. While showing an overall structural pattern aligned to the regional tectonic trend, heterogeneities are observed that provide insight into the complexity of the structurally controlled, geothermal, fluid flow pathways. Analysis of imaged stress induced features informs us that the stress field orientation in the TVZ is also not homogenous, but is variable at a local scale.

The forest inventory and analysis database description and users manual version 1.0

Treesearch

Patrick D. Miles; Gary J. Brand; Carol L. Alerich; Larry F. Bednar; Sharon W. Woudenberg; Joseph F. Glover; Edward N. Ezell

2001-01-01

Describes the structure of the Forest Inventory and Analysis Database (FIADB) and provides information on generating estimates of forest statistics from these data. The FIADB structure provides a consistent framework for storing forest inventory data across all ownerships across the entire United States. These data are available to the public.

Privacy-Preserving Accountable Accuracy Management Systems (PAAMS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Roshan K.; Sandhu, Ravi; Bertino, Elisa; Arpinar, Budak; Xu, Shouhuai

We argue for the design of “Privacy-preserving Accountable Accuracy Management Systems (PAAMS)”. The designs of such systems recognize from the onset that accuracy, accountability, and privacy management are intertwined. As such, these systems have to dynamically manage the tradeoffs between these (often conflicting) objectives. For example, accuracy in such systems can be improved by providing better accountability links between structured and unstructured information. Further, accuracy may be enhanced if access to private information is allowed in controllable and accountable ways. Our proposed approach involves three key elements. First, a model to link unstructured information such as that found in email, image and document repositories with structured information such as that in traditional databases. Second, a model for accuracy management and entity disambiguation by proactively preventing, detecting and tracing errors in information bases. Third, a model to provide privacy-governed operation as accountability and accuracy are managed.

Common Molecules: Bringing Research and Teaching Together through an Online Collection.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sandvoss, Leah M.; Harwood, William S.; Korkmaz, Ali; Bollinger, John C.; Huffman, John C.; Huffman, John N.

2003-01-01

Describes the design of a Common Molecules collection that provides interactive tools for 3-D visualization of molecules. The organizational design provides not only structural information, but also historical and/or key information on the properties of the molecules in the collection. Describes student use of the collection and the role of…

Formal Provenance Representation of the Data and Information Supporting the National Climate Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tilmes, Curt

2014-01-01

The Global Change Information System (GCIS) provides a framework for the formal representation of structured metadata about data and information about global change. The pilot deployment of the system supports the National Climate Assessment (NCA), a major report of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). A consumer of that report can use the system to browse and explore that supporting information. Additionally, capturing that information into a structured data model and presenting it in standard formats through well defined open inter- faces, including query interfaces suitable for data mining and linking with other databases, the information becomes valuable for other analytic uses as well.

Protein crystallography for aspiring crystallographers or how to avoid pitfalls and traps in macromolecular structure determination.

PubMed

Wlodawer, Alexander; Minor, Wladek; Dauter, Zbigniew; Jaskolski, Mariusz

2013-11-01

The number of macromolecular structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank now approaches 100,000, with the vast majority of them determined by crystallographic methods. Thousands of papers describing such structures have been published in the scientific literature, and 20 Nobel Prizes in chemistry or medicine have been awarded for discoveries based on macromolecular crystallography. New hardware and software tools have made crystallography appear to be an almost routine (but still far from being analytical) technique and many structures are now being determined by scientists with very limited experience in the practical aspects of the field. However, this apparent ease is sometimes illusory and proper procedures need to be followed to maintain high standards of structure quality. In addition, many noncrystallographers may have problems with the critical evaluation and interpretation of structural results published in the scientific literature. The present review provides an outline of the technical aspects of crystallography for less experienced practitioners, as well as information that might be useful for users of macromolecular structures, aiming to show them how to interpret (but not overinterpret) the information present in the coordinate files and in their description. A discussion of the extent of information that can be gleaned from the atomic coordinates of structures solved at different resolution is provided, as well as problems and pitfalls encountered in structure determination and interpretation. © 2013 FEBS.

Protein crystallography for aspiring crystallographers or how to avoid pitfalls and traps in macromolecular structure determination

PubMed Central

Wlodawer, Alexander; Minor, Wladek; Dauter, Zbigniew; Jaskolski, Mariusz

2014-01-01

The number of macromolecular structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank now approaches 100 000, with the vast majority of them determined by crystallographic methods. Thousands of papers describing such structures have been published in the scientific literature, and 20 Nobel Prizes in chemistry or medicine have been awarded for discoveries based on macromolecular crystallography. New hardware and software tools have made crystallography appear to be an almost routine (but still far from being analytical) technique and many structures are now being determined by scientists with very limited experience in the practical aspects of the field. However, this apparent ease is sometimes illusory and proper procedures need to be followed to maintain high standards of structure quality. In addition, many noncrystallographers may have problems with the critical evaluation and interpretation of structural results published in the scientific literature. The present review provides an outline of the technical aspects of crystallography for less experienced practitioners, as well as information that might be useful for users of macromolecular structures, aiming to show them how to interpret (but not overinterpret) the information present in the coordinate files and in their description. A discussion of the extent of information that can be gleaned from the atomic coordinates of structures solved at different resolution is provided, as well as problems and pitfalls encountered in structure determination and interpretation. PMID:24034303

Linking Nuclear Reactions and Nuclear Structure on the Way to the Drip Line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickhoff, Willem

2012-10-01

The present understanding of the role of short- and long-range physics in determining proton properties near the Fermi energy for stable closed-shell nuclei has relied on data from the (e,e'p) reaction. Hadronic tools to extract such spectroscopic information have been hampered by the lack of a consistent reaction description that provides unambiguous and undisputed results. The dispersive optical model (DOM), originally conceived by Claude Mahaux, provides a unified description of both elastic nucleon scattering and structure information related to single-particle properties below the Fermi energy. The DOM provides the starting point to provide a framework in which nuclear reactions and structure data can be analyzed consistently to provide unambiguous spectroscopic information including its asymmetry dependence. Recent extensions of this approach include the treatment of non-locality to describe experimental data like the nuclear charge density based on information of the spectral density below the Fermi energy, the application of the DOM ingredients to the description of transfer reactions, a comparison of the microscopic content of the nucleon self-energy based on Faddeev-RPA calculations emphasizing long-range correlations with DOM potentials, and a study of the relation between a self-energy which includes the effect of short-range correlations with DOM potentials. The most recent Dom implementation currently in progress abandons the constraint of local potentials completely to allow an accurate description of various properties of the nuclear ground state.

On-clip high frequency reliability and failure test structures

DOEpatents

Snyder, E.S.; Campbell, D.V.

1997-04-29

Self-stressing test structures for realistic high frequency reliability characterizations. An on-chip high frequency oscillator, controlled by DC signals from off-chip, provides a range of high frequency pulses to test structures. The test structures provide information with regard to a variety of reliability failure mechanisms, including hot-carriers, electromigration, and oxide breakdown. The system is normally integrated at the wafer level to predict the failure mechanisms of the production integrated circuits on the same wafer. 22 figs.

Multi-sensor sheets based on large-area electronics for advanced structural health monitoring of civil infrastructure.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-09-01

Structural Health Monitoring has a great potential to provide valuable information about the actual structural : condition and can help optimize the management activities. However, few eective and robust monitoring technology exist which hinders a...

Asessing for Structural Understanding in Childrens' Combinatorial Problem Solving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

English, Lyn

1999-01-01

Assesses children's structural understanding of combinatorial problems when presented in a variety of task situations. Provides an explanatory model of students' combinatorial understandings that informs teaching and assessment. Addresses several components of children's structural understanding of elementary combinatorial problems. (Contains 50…

Alliance Building in the Information and Online Database Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, Johanna Olson

2001-01-01

Presents an analysis of information industry alliance formation using environmental scanning methods. Highlights include why libraries and academic institutions should be interested; a literature review; historical context; industry and market structures; commercial and academic models; trends; and implications for information providers,…

Aviation Structural Mechanic S 3 & 2. NAVTRA-10308-C. Rate Training Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington, DC.

This document is one of a series of rate training manuals designed to provide enlisted personnel of the Navy or Naval Reserve with the background information that will be useful in preparing for advancement in Aviation Structural Mechanics S (AMS) rating and to present necessary information for the proper performance of duties in that rating. The…

NALDB: nucleic acid ligand database for small molecules targeting nucleic acid.

PubMed

Kumar Mishra, Subodh; Kumar, Amit

2016-01-01

Nucleic acid ligand database (NALDB) is a unique database that provides detailed information about the experimental data of small molecules that were reported to target several types of nucleic acid structures. NALDB is the first ligand database that contains ligand information for all type of nucleic acid. NALDB contains more than 3500 ligand entries with detailed pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic information such as target name, target sequence, ligand 2D/3D structure, SMILES, molecular formula, molecular weight, net-formal charge, AlogP, number of rings, number of hydrogen bond donor and acceptor, potential energy along with their Ki, Kd, IC50 values. All these details at single platform would be helpful for the development and betterment of novel ligands targeting nucleic acids that could serve as a potential target in different diseases including cancers and neurological disorders. With maximum 255 conformers for each ligand entry, our database is a multi-conformer database and can facilitate the virtual screening process. NALDB provides powerful web-based search tools that make database searching efficient and simplified using option for text as well as for structure query. NALDB also provides multi-dimensional advanced search tool which can screen the database molecules on the basis of molecular properties of ligand provided by database users. A 3D structure visualization tool has also been included for 3D structure representation of ligands. NALDB offers an inclusive pharmacological information and the structurally flexible set of small molecules with their three-dimensional conformers that can accelerate the virtual screening and other modeling processes and eventually complement the nucleic acid-based drug discovery research. NALDB can be routinely updated and freely available on bsbe.iiti.ac.in/bsbe/naldb/HOME.php. Database URL: http://bsbe.iiti.ac.in/bsbe/naldb/HOME.php. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

An information driven strategy to support multidisciplinary design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rangan, Ravi M.; Fulton, Robert E.

1990-01-01

The design of complex engineering systems such as aircraft, automobiles, and computers is primarily a cooperative multidisciplinary design process involving interactions between several design agents. The common thread underlying this multidisciplinary design activity is the information exchange between the various groups and disciplines. The integrating component in such environments is the common data and the dependencies that exist between such data. This may be contrasted to classical multidisciplinary analyses problems where there is coupling between distinct design parameters. For example, they may be expressed as mathematically coupled relationships between aerodynamic and structural interactions in aircraft structures, between thermal and structural interactions in nuclear plants, and between control considerations and structural interactions in flexible robots. These relationships provide analytical based frameworks leading to optimization problem formulations. However, in multidisciplinary design problems, information based interactions become more critical. Many times, the relationships between different design parameters are not amenable to analytical characterization. Under such circumstances, information based interactions will provide the best integration paradigm, i.e., there is a need to model the data entities and their dependencies between design parameters originating from different design agents. The modeling of such data interactions and dependencies forms the basis for integrating the various design agents.

Intraoperative virtual brain counseling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Zhaowei; Grosky, William I.; Zamorano, Lucia J.; Muzik, Otto; Diaz, Fernando

1997-06-01

Our objective is to offer online real-tim e intelligent guidance to the neurosurgeon. Different from traditional image-guidance technologies that offer intra-operative visualization of medical images or atlas images, virtual brain counseling goes one step further. It can distinguish related brain structures and provide information about them intra-operatively. Virtual brain counseling is the foundation for surgical planing optimization and on-line surgical reference. It can provide a warning system that alerts the neurosurgeon if the chosen trajectory will pass through eloquent brain areas. In order to fulfill this objective, tracking techniques are involved for intra- operativity. Most importantly, a 3D virtual brian environment, different from traditional 3D digitized atlases, is an object-oriented model of the brain that stores information about different brain structures together with their elated information. An object-oriented hierarchical hyper-voxel space (HHVS) is introduced to integrate anatomical and functional structures. Spatial queries based on position of interest, line segment of interest, and volume of interest are introduced in this paper. The virtual brain environment is integrated with existing surgical pre-planning and intra-operative tracking systems to provide information for planning optimization and on-line surgical guidance. The neurosurgeon is alerted automatically if the planned treatment affects any critical structures. Architectures such as HHVS and algorithms, such as spatial querying, normalizing, and warping are presented in the paper. A prototype has shown that the virtual brain is intuitive in its hierarchical 3D appearance. It also showed that HHVS, as the key structure for virtual brain counseling, efficiently integrates multi-scale brain structures based on their spatial relationships.This is a promising development for optimization of treatment plans and online surgical intelligent guidance.

SSEP: secondary structural elements of proteins

PubMed Central

Shanthi, V.; Selvarani, P.; Kiran Kumar, Ch.; Mohire, C. S.; Sekar, K.

2003-01-01

SSEP is a comprehensive resource for accessing information related to the secondary structural elements present in the 25 and 90% non-redundant protein chains. The database contains 1771 protein chains from 1670 protein structures and 6182 protein chains from 5425 protein structures in 25 and 90% non-redundant protein chains, respectively. The current version provides information about the α-helical segments and β-strand fragments of varying lengths. In addition, it also contains the information about 310-helix, β- and ν-turns and hairpin loops. The free graphics program RASMOL has been interfaced with the search engine to visualize the three-dimensional structures of the user queried secondary structural fragment. The database is updated regularly and is available through Bioinformatics web server at http://cluster.physics.iisc.ernet.in/ssep/ or http://144.16.71.148/ssep/. PMID:12824336

Determination of collagen fibril structure and orientation in connective tissues by X-ray diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkinson, S. J.; Hukins, D. W. L.

1999-08-01

Elastic scattering of X-rays can provide the following information on the fibrous protein collagen: its molecular structure, the axial arrangement of rod-like collagen molecules in a fibril, the lateral arrangement of molecules within a fibril, and the orientation of fibrils within a biological tissue. The first part of the paper reviews the principles involved in deducing this information. The second part describes a new computer program for measuring the equatorial intensity distribution, that provides information on the lateral arrangement of molecules within a fibril, and the angular distribution of the equatorial peaks that provides information on the orientation of fibrils. Orientation of fibrils within a tissue is quantified by the orientation distribution function, g( φ), which represents the probability of finding a fibril oriented between φ and φ+ δφ. The application of the program is illustrated by measurement of g( φ) for the collagen fibrils in demineralised cortical bone from cow tibia.

Multiple-wavelength neutron holography with pulsed neutrons

PubMed Central

Hayashi, Kouichi; Ohoyama, Kenji; Happo, Naohisa; Matsushita, Tomohiro; Hosokawa, Shinya; Harada, Masahide; Inamura, Yasuhiro; Nitani, Hiroaki; Shishido, Toetsu; Yubuta, Kunio

2017-01-01

Local structures around impurities in solids provide important information for understanding the mechanisms of material functions, because most of them are controlled by dopants. For this purpose, the x-ray absorption fine structure method, which provides radial distribution functions around specific elements, is most widely used. However, a similar method using neutron techniques has not yet been developed. If one can establish a method of local structural analysis with neutrons, then a new frontier of materials science can be explored owing to the specific nature of neutron scattering—that is, its high sensitivity to light elements and magnetic moments. Multiple-wavelength neutron holography using the time-of-flight technique with pulsed neutrons has great potential to realize this. We demonstrated multiple-wavelength neutron holography using a Eu-doped CaF2 single crystal and obtained a clear three-dimensional atomic image around trivalent Eu substituted for divalent Ca, revealing an interesting feature of the local structure that allows it to maintain charge neutrality. The new holography technique is expected to provide new information on local structures using the neutron technique. PMID:28835917

Multiple-wavelength neutron holography with pulsed neutrons.

PubMed

Hayashi, Kouichi; Ohoyama, Kenji; Happo, Naohisa; Matsushita, Tomohiro; Hosokawa, Shinya; Harada, Masahide; Inamura, Yasuhiro; Nitani, Hiroaki; Shishido, Toetsu; Yubuta, Kunio

2017-08-01

Local structures around impurities in solids provide important information for understanding the mechanisms of material functions, because most of them are controlled by dopants. For this purpose, the x-ray absorption fine structure method, which provides radial distribution functions around specific elements, is most widely used. However, a similar method using neutron techniques has not yet been developed. If one can establish a method of local structural analysis with neutrons, then a new frontier of materials science can be explored owing to the specific nature of neutron scattering-that is, its high sensitivity to light elements and magnetic moments. Multiple-wavelength neutron holography using the time-of-flight technique with pulsed neutrons has great potential to realize this. We demonstrated multiple-wavelength neutron holography using a Eu-doped CaF 2 single crystal and obtained a clear three-dimensional atomic image around trivalent Eu substituted for divalent Ca, revealing an interesting feature of the local structure that allows it to maintain charge neutrality. The new holography technique is expected to provide new information on local structures using the neutron technique.

A method for partitioning the information contained in a protein sequence between its structure and function.

PubMed

Possenti, Andrea; Vendruscolo, Michele; Camilloni, Carlo; Tiana, Guido

2018-05-23

Proteins employ the information stored in the genetic code and translated into their sequences to carry out well-defined functions in the cellular environment. The possibility to encode for such functions is controlled by the balance between the amount of information supplied by the sequence and that left after that the protein has folded into its structure. We study the amount of information necessary to specify the protein structure, providing an estimate that keeps into account the thermodynamic properties of protein folding. We thus show that the information remaining in the protein sequence after encoding for its structure (the 'information gap') is very close to what needed to encode for its function and interactions. Then, by predicting the information gap directly from the protein sequence, we show that it may be possible to use these insights from information theory to discriminate between ordered and disordered proteins, to identify unknown functions, and to optimize artificially-designed protein sequences. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An Information Theoretic Framework and Self-organizing Agent- based Sensor Network Architecture for Power Plant Condition Monitoring

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

Loparo, Kenneth; Kolacinski, Richard; Threeanaew, Wanchat

A central goal of the work was to enable both the extraction of all relevant information from sensor data, and the application of information gained from appropriate processing and fusion at the system level to operational control and decision-making at various levels of the control hierarchy through: 1. Exploiting the deep connection between information theory and the thermodynamic formalism, 2. Deployment using distributed intelligent agents with testing and validation in a hardware-in-the loop simulation environment. Enterprise architectures are the organizing logic for key business processes and IT infrastructure and, while the generality of current definitions provides sufficient flexibility, the currentmore » architecture frameworks do not inherently provide the appropriate structure. Of particular concern is that existing architecture frameworks often do not make a distinction between ``data'' and ``information.'' This work defines an enterprise architecture for health and condition monitoring of power plant equipment and further provides the appropriate foundation for addressing shortcomings in current architecture definition frameworks through the discovery of the information connectivity between the elements of a power generation plant. That is, to identify the correlative structure between available observations streams using informational measures. The principle focus here is on the implementation and testing of an emergent, agent-based, algorithm based on the foraging behavior of ants for eliciting this structure and on measures for characterizing differences between communication topologies. The elicitation algorithms are applied to data streams produced by a detailed numerical simulation of Alstom’s 1000 MW ultra-super-critical boiler and steam plant. The elicitation algorithm and topology characterization can be based on different informational metrics for detecting connectivity, e.g. mutual information and linear correlation.« less

Mixture models for protein structure ensembles.

PubMed

Hirsch, Michael; Habeck, Michael

2008-10-01

Protein structure ensembles provide important insight into the dynamics and function of a protein and contain information that is not captured with a single static structure. However, it is not clear a priori to what extent the variability within an ensemble is caused by internal structural changes. Additional variability results from overall translations and rotations of the molecule. And most experimental data do not provide information to relate the structures to a common reference frame. To report meaningful values of intrinsic dynamics, structural precision, conformational entropy, etc., it is therefore important to disentangle local from global conformational heterogeneity. We consider the task of disentangling local from global heterogeneity as an inference problem. We use probabilistic methods to infer from the protein ensemble missing information on reference frames and stable conformational sub-states. To this end, we model a protein ensemble as a mixture of Gaussian probability distributions of either entire conformations or structural segments. We learn these models from a protein ensemble using the expectation-maximization algorithm. Our first model can be used to find multiple conformers in a structure ensemble. The second model partitions the protein chain into locally stable structural segments or core elements and less structured regions typically found in loops. Both models are simple to implement and contain only a single free parameter: the number of conformers or structural segments. Our models can be used to analyse experimental ensembles, molecular dynamics trajectories and conformational change in proteins. The Python source code for protein ensemble analysis is available from the authors upon request.

Close-range laser scanning in forests: towards physically based semantics across scales.

PubMed

Morsdorf, F; Kükenbrink, D; Schneider, F D; Abegg, M; Schaepman, M E

2018-04-06

Laser scanning with its unique measurement concept holds the potential to revolutionize the way we assess and quantify three-dimensional vegetation structure. Modern laser systems used at close range, be it on terrestrial, mobile or unmanned aerial platforms, provide dense and accurate three-dimensional data whose information just waits to be harvested. However, the transformation of such data to information is not as straightforward as for airborne and space-borne approaches, where typically empirical models are built using ground truth of target variables. Simpler variables, such as diameter at breast height, can be readily derived and validated. More complex variables, e.g. leaf area index, need a thorough understanding and consideration of the physical particularities of the measurement process and semantic labelling of the point cloud. Quantified structural models provide a framework for such labelling by deriving stem and branch architecture, a basis for many of the more complex structural variables. The physical information of the laser scanning process is still underused and we show how it could play a vital role in conjunction with three-dimensional radiative transfer models to shape the information retrieval methods of the future. Using such a combined forward and physically based approach will make methods robust and transferable. In addition, it avoids replacing observer bias from field inventories with instrument bias from different laser instruments. Still, an intensive dialogue with the users of the derived information is mandatory to potentially re-design structural concepts and variables so that they profit most of the rich data that close-range laser scanning provides.

Large space structures and systems in the space station era: A bibliography with indexes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferrainolo, John J. (Compiler); Lawrence, George F. (Compiler)

1991-01-01

Bibliographies and abstracts are listed for 1219 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between July 1, 1990 and December 31, 1990. The purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems.

Large space structures and systems in the space station era: A bibliography with indexes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferrainolo, John J. (Editor)

1990-01-01

Bibliographies and abstracts are listed for 1372 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between January 1, 1990 and June 30, 1990. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems.

Fiber optic monitoring methods for composite steel-concrete structures based on determination of neutral axis and deformed shape.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

Structural Health Monitoring has great potential to provide valuable information about the actual structural condition and can help optimize the management activities. However, few effective and robust monitoring methods exist which hinders a nationw...

Comparing Factor Structures of Adolescent Psychopathology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verona, Edelyn; Javdani, Shabnam; Sprague, Jenessa

2011-01-01

Research on the structure of adolescent psychopathology can provide information on broad factors that underlie different forms of maladjustment in youths. Multiple studies from the literature on adult populations suggest that 2 factors, Internalizing and Externalizing, meaningfully comprise the factor structure of adult psychopathology (e.g.,…

Combined X-ray CT and mass spectrometry for biomedical imaging applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schioppa, E., Jr.; Ellis, S.; Bruinen, A. L.; Visser, J.; Heeren, R. M. A.; Uher, J.; Koffeman, E.

2014-04-01

Imaging technologies play a key role in many branches of science, especially in biology and medicine. They provide an invaluable insight into both internal structure and processes within a broad range of samples. There are many techniques that allow one to obtain images of an object. Different techniques are based on the analysis of a particular sample property by means of a dedicated imaging system, and as such, each imaging modality provides the researcher with different information. The use of multimodal imaging (imaging with several different techniques) can provide additional and complementary information that is not possible when employing a single imaging technique alone. In this study, we present for the first time a multi-modal imaging technique where X-ray computerized tomography (CT) is combined with mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). While X-ray CT provides 3-dimensional information regarding the internal structure of the sample based on X-ray absorption coefficients, MSI of thin sections acquired from the same sample allows the spatial distribution of many elements/molecules, each distinguished by its unique mass-to-charge ratio (m/z), to be determined within a single measurement and with a spatial resolution as low as 1 μm or even less. The aim of the work is to demonstrate how molecular information from MSI can be spatially correlated with 3D structural information acquired from X-ray CT. In these experiments, frozen samples are imaged in an X-ray CT setup using Medipix based detectors equipped with a CO2 cooled sample holder. Single projections are pre-processed before tomographic reconstruction using a signal-to-thickness calibration. In the second step, the object is sliced into thin sections (circa 20 μm) that are then imaged using both matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) and secondary ion (SIMS) mass spectrometry, where the spatial distribution of specific molecules within the sample is determined. The combination of two vastly different imaging approaches provides complementary information (i.e., anatomical and molecular distributions) that allows the correlation of distinct structural features with specific molecules distributions leading to unique insights in disease development.

Florida Educational Facilities, 1996.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Office of Educational Facilities.

This document contains information, photographs, and floor plans of many of Florida's new elementary through high school facilities occupied in 1996. Each entry lists the facility's type, building size, student capacity, and general structural information. Also provided is information on the facility's total construction cost; the architects and…

Florida Educational Facilities, 1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Office of Educational Facilities.

This document contains information, photographs, and floor plans of many of Florida's new elementary through high school facilities occupied in 1997. Each entry lists the facility's type, building size, student capacity, and general structural information. Also provided is information on the facility's total construction cost; the architects and…

Florida Educational Facilities, 1998.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Office of Educational Facilities.

This document contains information, photographs, and floor plans of many of Florida's new elementary through high school facilities occupied in 1998. Each entry lists the facility's type, building size, student capacity, and general structural information. Also provided is information on the facility's total construction cost; the architects and…

Quantum Monte Carlo Studies of Bulk and Few- or Single-Layer Black Phosphorus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shulenburger, Luke; Baczewski, Andrew; Zhu, Zhen; Guan, Jie; Tomanek, David

2015-03-01

The electronic and optical properties of phosphorus depend strongly on the structural properties of the material. Given the limited experimental information on the structure of phosphorene, it is natural to turn to electronic structure calculations to provide this information. Unfortunately, given phosphorus' propensity to form layered structures bound by van der Waals interactions, standard density functional theory methods provide results of uncertain accuracy. Recently, it has been demonstrated that Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods achieve high accuracy when applied to solids in which van der Waals forces play a significant role. In this talk, we will present QMC results from our recent calculations on black phosphorus, focusing on the structural and energetic properties of monolayers, bilayers and bulk structures. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

NELS 2.0 - A general system for enterprise wide information management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Stephanie L.

1993-01-01

NELS, the NASA Electronic Library System, is an information management tool for creating distributed repositories of documents, drawings, and code for use and reuse by the aerospace community. The NELS retrieval engine can load metadata and source files of full text objects, perform natural language queries to retrieve ranked objects, and create links to connect user interfaces. For flexibility, the NELS architecture has layered interfaces between the application program and the stored library information. The session manager provides the interface functions for development of NELS applications. The data manager is an interface between session manager and the structured data system. The center of the structured data system is the Wide Area Information Server. This system architecture provides access to information across heterogeneous platforms in a distributed environment. There are presently three user interfaces that connect to the NELS engine; an X-Windows interface, and ASCII interface and the Spatial Data Management System. This paper describes the design and operation of NELS as an information management tool and repository.

Image understanding systems based on the unifying representation of perceptual and conceptual information and the solution of mid-level and high-level vision problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuvychko, Igor

2001-10-01

Vision is a part of a larger information system that converts visual information into knowledge structures. These structures drive vision process, resolving ambiguity and uncertainty via feedback, and provide image understanding, that is an interpretation of visual information in terms of such knowledge models. A computer vision system based on such principles requires unifying representation of perceptual and conceptual information. Computer simulation models are built on the basis of graphs/networks. The ability of human brain to emulate similar graph/networks models is found. That means a very important shift of paradigm in our knowledge about brain from neural networks to the cortical software. Starting from the primary visual areas, brain analyzes an image as a graph-type spatial structure. Primary areas provide active fusion of image features on a spatial grid-like structure, where nodes are cortical columns. The spatial combination of different neighbor features cannot be described as a statistical/integral characteristic of the analyzed region, but uniquely characterizes such region itself. Spatial logic and topology naturally present in such structures. Mid-level vision processes like clustering, perceptual grouping, multilevel hierarchical compression, separation of figure from ground, etc. are special kinds of graph/network transformations. They convert low-level image structure into the set of more abstract ones, which represent objects and visual scene, making them easy for analysis by higher-level knowledge structures. Higher-level vision phenomena like shape from shading, occlusion, etc. are results of such analysis. Such approach gives opportunity not only to explain frequently unexplainable results of the cognitive science, but also to create intelligent computer vision systems that simulate perceptional processes in both what and where visual pathways. Such systems can open new horizons for robotic and computer vision industries.

Inference of Population Structure using Dense Haplotype Data

PubMed Central

Lawson, Daniel John; Hellenthal, Garrett

2012-01-01

The advent of genome-wide dense variation data provides an opportunity to investigate ancestry in unprecedented detail, but presents new statistical challenges. We propose a novel inference framework that aims to efficiently capture information on population structure provided by patterns of haplotype similarity. Each individual in a sample is considered in turn as a recipient, whose chromosomes are reconstructed using chunks of DNA donated by the other individuals. Results of this “chromosome painting” can be summarized as a “coancestry matrix,” which directly reveals key information about ancestral relationships among individuals. If markers are viewed as independent, we show that this matrix almost completely captures the information used by both standard Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and model-based approaches such as STRUCTURE in a unified manner. Furthermore, when markers are in linkage disequilibrium, the matrix combines information across successive markers to increase the ability to discern fine-scale population structure using PCA. In parallel, we have developed an efficient model-based approach to identify discrete populations using this matrix, which offers advantages over PCA in terms of interpretability and over existing clustering algorithms in terms of speed, number of separable populations, and sensitivity to subtle population structure. We analyse Human Genome Diversity Panel data for 938 individuals and 641,000 markers, and we identify 226 populations reflecting differences on continental, regional, local, and family scales. We present multiple lines of evidence that, while many methods capture similar information among strongly differentiated groups, more subtle population structure in human populations is consistently present at a much finer level than currently available geographic labels and is only captured by the haplotype-based approach. The software used for this article, ChromoPainter and fineSTRUCTURE, is available from http://www.paintmychromosomes.com/. PMID:22291602

Computer-Based National Information Systems. Technology and Public Policy Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Office of Technology Assessment.

A general introduction to computer based national information systems, and the context and basis for future studies are provided in this report. Chapter One, the introduction, summarizes computers and information systems and their relation to society, the structure of information policy issues, and public policy issues. Chapter Two describes the…

Formal and Informal Structures for Collaboration on a Campus-Wide Information Literacy Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shane, Jordana M. Y.

2004-01-01

Information literacy initiatives provide a vehicle for academic librarians to become agents of positive change. A campus-wide Information Literacy Initiative can improve teaching and learning, and further the mission of the institution. The Instruction Librarian may travel across literal and figurative boundaries. Librarians charged with designing…

Modelling non-Euclidean movement and landscape connectivity in highly structured ecological networks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sutherland, Christopher; Fuller, Angela K.; Royle, J. Andrew

2015-01-01

The ecological distance SCR model uses spatially indexed capture-recapture data to estimate how activity patterns are influenced by landscape structure. As well as reducing bias in estimates of abundance, this approach provides biologically realistic representations of home range geometry, and direct information about species-landscape interactions. The incorporation of both structural (landscape) and functional (movement) components of connectivity provides a direct measure of species-specific landscape connectivity.

Conceptual study of the damping of large space structures using large-stroke adaptive stiffness cables

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thorwald, Gregory; Mikulas, Martin M., Jr.

1992-01-01

The concept of a large-stroke adaptive stiffness cable-device for damping control of space structures with large mass is introduced. The cable is used to provide damping in several examples, and its performance is shown through numerical simulation results. Displacement and velocity information of how the structure moves is used to determine when to modify the cable's stiffness in order to provide a damping force.

NABIC marker database: A molecular markers information network of agricultural crops.

PubMed

Kim, Chang-Kug; Seol, Young-Joo; Lee, Dong-Jun; Jeong, In-Seon; Yoon, Ung-Han; Lee, Gang-Seob; Hahn, Jang-Ho; Park, Dong-Suk

2013-01-01

In 2013, National Agricultural Biotechnology Information Center (NABIC) reconstructs a molecular marker database for useful genetic resources. The web-based marker database consists of three major functional categories: map viewer, RSN marker and gene annotation. It provides 7250 marker locations, 3301 RSN marker property, 3280 molecular marker annotation information in agricultural plants. The individual molecular marker provides information such as marker name, expressed sequence tag number, gene definition and general marker information. This updated marker-based database provides useful information through a user-friendly web interface that assisted in tracing any new structures of the chromosomes and gene positional functions using specific molecular markers. The database is available for free at http://nabic.rda.go.kr/gere/rice/molecularMarkers/

The influence of care provider access to structural empowerment on individualized care in long-term-care facilities.

PubMed

Caspar, Sienna; O'Rourke, Norm

2008-07-01

Implementing management initiatives that enable formal caregivers to provide quality, individualized care to older adults in long-term-care (LTC) facilities is increasingly important given that the number of LTC residents is projected to triple by 2031. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between care provider access to structural empowerment and the provision of individualized care in LTC. We computed structural equation models separately for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses (n = 242) and care aides (n = 326) to examine the relationship between access to empowerment structures (i.e., informal power, formal power, information, support, resources, opportunity) and the provision of individualized care. We subsequently undertook invariance analyses to determine if the association between empowerment structures and reported provision of individualized care differed between caregiver groups. Access to structural empowerment had a statistically significant, positive association with provision of individualized care for both groups. For registered nurses/licensed practical nurses and care aides, empowerment explained 50% and 45% of observed variance in individualized care, respectively. These notable percentages did not differ significantly between caregiver groups. Of the empowerment structures, support, especially in the form of access to educational opportunities and recognition for a job well done, seems to be particularly significant to care providers. Findings from this study suggest that provision of individualized care in LTC may be enhanced when formal caregivers have appreciable access to empowerment structures.

Documenting the information content of images.

PubMed Central

Bidgood, W. D.

1997-01-01

A standards-based message and terminology architecture has been specified to enable large-scale open and non-proprietary interchange of imaging-procedure descriptions and image-interpretation reports providing semantically-rich linkage of linguistic and non-linguistic information. The DICOM Structured Reporting Supplement, now available for trial use, embodies this interdependent message/terminology architecture. A DICOM structured report object is a self-describing information structure that can be tailored to support diverse clinical observation reporting applications by utilization of templates and context-dependent terminology from an external message/terminology mapping resource such as the SNOMED DICOM Microglossary (SDM), HL7 Vocabulary, or Terminology Resource for Message Standards (TeRMS). PMID:9357661

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

Neitzel, D.A.; McKenzie, D.H.

To minimize adverse impact on aquatic ecosystems resulting from the operation of water intake structures, design engineers must have relevant information on the behavior, physiology and ecology of local fish and shellfish. Identification of stimulus/response relationships and the environmental factors that influence them is the first step in incorporating biological information in the design, location or modification of water intake structures. A procedure is presented in this document for providing biological input to engineers who are designing, locating or modifying a water intake structure. The authors discuss sources of stimuli at water intakes, historical approaches in assessing potential/actual impact andmore » review biological information needed for intake design.« less

Simulated environmental transport distances of Lepeophtheirus salmonis in Loch Linnhe, Scotland, for informing aquaculture area management structures.

PubMed

Salama, N K G; Murray, A G; Rabe, B

2016-04-01

In the majority of salmon farming countries, production occurs in zones where practices are coordinated to manage disease agents such as Lepeophtheirus salmonis. To inform the structure of zones in specific systems, models have been developed accounting for parasite biology and system hydrodynamics. These models provide individual system farm relationships, and as such, it may be beneficial to produce more generalized principles for informing structures. Here, we use six different forcing scenarios to provide simulations from a previously described model of the Loch Linnhe system, Scotland, to assess the maximum dispersal distance of lice particles released from 12 sites transported over 19 day. Results indicate that the median distance travelled is 6.1 km from release site with <2.5% transported beyond 15 km, which occurs from particles originating from half of the release sites, with an absolute simulated distance of 36 km observed. This provides information suggesting that the disease management areas developed for infectious salmon anaemia control may also have properties appropriate for salmon lice management in Scottish coastal waters. Additionally, general numerical descriptors of the simulated relative lice abundance reduction with increased distance from release location are proposed. © 2015 Crown copyright. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Redundant unbalance compensation of an active magnetic bearing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutterer, Markus; Kalteis, Gerald; Schrödl, Manfred

2017-09-01

To achieve a good running behavior of a magnetic levitated rotor, a well-developed position controller and different compensation methods are required. Two very important structures in this context are the reduction of the gyroscopic effect and the unbalance vibration. Both structures have in common that they need the angular velocity information for calculation. For industrial applications this information is normally provided by an angle sensor which is fixed on the rotor. The angle information is also necessary for the field oriented control of the electrical drive. The main drawback of external position sensors are the case of a breakdown or an error of the motor controller. Therefore, the magnetic bearing can get unstable, because no angular velocity information is provided. To overcome this problem the presented paper describes the development of a selfsensing unbalance rejection in combination with a selfsensing speed control of the motor controller. Selfsensing means in this context that no angle sensor is required for the unbalance or torque control. With such structures two redundant speed and angle information sources are available and can be used for the magnetic bearing and the motor controller without the usage of an angle sensor.

Chemistry in the Thermosphere and Ionosphere.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roble, Raymond G.

1986-01-01

An informative review which summarizes information about chemical reactions in the thermosphere and ionosphere. Topics include thermal structure, ultraviolet radiation, ionospheric photochemistry, thermospheric photochemistry, chemical heating, thermospheric circulation, auroral processes and ionospheric interactions. Provides suggested followup…

Bayesian Semiparametric Structural Equation Models with Latent Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Mingan; Dunson, David B.

2010-01-01

Structural equation models (SEMs) with latent variables are widely useful for sparse covariance structure modeling and for inferring relationships among latent variables. Bayesian SEMs are appealing in allowing for the incorporation of prior information and in providing exact posterior distributions of unknowns, including the latent variables. In…

Information and Innovation in Research Organizations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Norman R.; Freeland, James R.

Empirical work in industrial research organizations has provided data to describe researcher behavior during innovation. Based on these data, the role of information during idea creation and submission is described. A model of a management information system, consistent with and supportive of researcher behavior, is structured to include technical…

Kern Community College District Information Technology Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kern Community Coll. District, Bakersfield, CA.

The Information Technology Plan as set forth in this document provides the organizational structure, assignment of duties, infrastructure, and philosophic environment that should permit the Kern Community College District to proceed in an orderly manner in developing information technology to enhance student learning, serve the faculty, and…

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

Hunter, Mark S.; Yoon, Chun Hong; DeMirci, Hasan

Structural information about biological macromolecules near the atomic scale provides important insight into the functions of these molecules. To date, X-ray crystallography has been the predominant method used for macromolecular structure determination. However, challenges exist when solving structures with X-rays, including the phase problem and radiation damage. X-ray-free electron lasers (X-ray FELs) have enabled collection of diffraction information before the onset of radiation damage, yet the majority of structures solved at X-ray FELs have been phased using external information via molecular replacement. De novo phasing at X-ray FELs has proven challenging due in part to per-pulse variations in intensity andmore » wavelength. Here we report the solution of a selenobiotinyl-streptavidin structure using phases obtained by the anomalous diffraction of selenium measured at a single wavelength (Se-SAD) at the Linac Coherent Light Source. Finally, our results demonstrate Se-SAD, routinely employed at synchrotrons for novel structure determination, is now possible at X-ray FELs.« less

Bayesian comparison of protein structures using partial Procrustes distance.

PubMed

Ejlali, Nasim; Faghihi, Mohammad Reza; Sadeghi, Mehdi

2017-09-26

An important topic in bioinformatics is the protein structure alignment. Some statistical methods have been proposed for this problem, but most of them align two protein structures based on the global geometric information without considering the effect of neighbourhood in the structures. In this paper, we provide a Bayesian model to align protein structures, by considering the effect of both local and global geometric information of protein structures. Local geometric information is incorporated to the model through the partial Procrustes distance of small substructures. These substructures are composed of β-carbon atoms from the side chains. Parameters are estimated using a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach. We evaluate the performance of our model through some simulation studies. Furthermore, we apply our model to a real dataset and assess the accuracy and convergence rate. Results show that our model is much more efficient than previous approaches.

Structures and Materials Experimental Facilities and Capabilities Catalog

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horta, Lucas G. (Compiler); Kurtz-Husch, Jeanette D. (Compiler)

2000-01-01

The NASA Center of Excellent for Structures and Materials at Langley Research Center is responsible for conducting research and developing useable technology in the areas of advanced materials and processing technologies, durability, damage tolerance, structural concepts, advanced sensors, intelligent systems, aircraft ground operations, reliability, prediction tools, performance validation, aeroelastic response, and structural dynamics behavior for aerospace vehicles. Supporting the research activities is a complementary set of facilities and capabilities documented in this report. Because of the volume of information, the information collected was restricted in most cases to one page. Specific questions from potential customers or partners should be directed to the points of contacts provided with the various capabilities. Grouping of the equipment is by location as opposed to function. Geographical information of the various buildings housing the equipment is also provided. Since this is the first time that such an inventory is ever collected at Langley it is by no means complete. It is estimated that over 90 percent of the equipment capabilities at hand are included but equipment is continuously being updated and will be reported in the future.

The Design of Lexical Database for Indonesian Language

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunawan, D.; Amalia, A.

2017-03-01

Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI), an official dictionary for Indonesian language, provides lists of words with their meaning. The online version can be accessed via Internet network. Another online dictionary is Kateglo. KBBI online and Kateglo only provides an interface for human. A machine cannot retrieve data from the dictionary easily without using advanced techniques. Whereas, lexical of words is required in research or application development which related to natural language processing, text mining, information retrieval or sentiment analysis. To address this requirement, we need to build a lexical database which provides well-defined structured information about words. A well-known lexical database is WordNet, which provides the relation among words in English. This paper proposes the design of a lexical database for Indonesian language based on the combination of KBBI 4th edition, Kateglo and WordNet structure. Knowledge representation by utilizing semantic networks depict the relation among words and provide the new structure of lexical database for Indonesian language. The result of this design can be used as the foundation to build the lexical database for Indonesian language.

Acoustic fine structure may encode biologically relevant information for zebra finches.

PubMed

Prior, Nora H; Smith, Edward; Lawson, Shelby; Ball, Gregory F; Dooling, Robert J

2018-04-18

The ability to discriminate changes in the fine structure of complex sounds is well developed in birds. However, the precise limit of this discrimination ability and how it is used in the context of natural communication remains unclear. Here we describe natural variability in acoustic fine structure of male and female zebra finch calls. Results from psychoacoustic experiments demonstrate that zebra finches are able to discriminate extremely small differences in fine structure, which are on the order of the variation in acoustic fine structure that is present in their vocal signals. Results from signal analysis methods also suggest that acoustic fine structure may carry information that distinguishes between biologically relevant categories including sex, call type and individual identity. Combined, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that zebra finches can encode biologically relevant information within the fine structure of their calls. This study provides a foundation for our understanding of how acoustic fine structure may be involved in animal communication.

Bioinformatics approaches for structural and functional analysis of proteins in secondary metabolism in Withania somnifera.

PubMed

Sanchita; Singh, Swati; Sharma, Ashok

2014-11-01

Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) is an affluent storehouse of large number of pharmacologically active secondary metabolites known as withanolides. These secondary metabolites are produced by withanolide biosynthetic pathway. Very less information is available on structural and functional aspects of enzymes involved in withanolides biosynthetic pathways of Withiana somnifera. We therefore performed a bioinformatics analysis to look at functional and structural properties of these important enzymes. The pathway enzymes taken for this study were 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, 1-Deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase, 1-Deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductase, farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase, squalene synthase, squalene epoxidase, and cycloartenol synthase. The prediction of secondary structure was performed for basic structural information. Three-dimensional structures for these enzymes were predicted. The physico-chemical properties such as pI, AI, GRAVY and instability index were also studied. The current information will provide a platform to know the structural attributes responsible for the function of these protein until experimental structures become available.

A perspective on the structural studies of inner membrane electrochemical potential-driven transporters.

PubMed

Lemieux, M Joanne

2008-09-01

Electrochemical potential-driven transporters represent a vast array of proteins with varied substrate specificities. While diverse in size and substrate specificity, they are all driven by electrochemical potentials. Over the past five years there have been increasing numbers of X-ray structures reported for this family of transporters. Structural information is available for five subfamilies of electrochemical potential-driven transporters. No structural information exists for the remaining 91 subfamilies. In this review, the various subfamilies of electrochemical potential-driven transporters are discussed. The seven reported structures for the electrochemical potential-driven transporters and the methods for their crystallization are also presented. With a few exceptions, overall crystallization trends have been very similar for the transporters despite their differences in substrate specificity and topology. Also discussed is why the structural studies on these transporters were successful while others are not as fruitful. With the plethora of transporters with unknown structures, this review provides incentive for crystallization of transporters in the remaining subfamilies for which no structural information exists.

PDBe: improved accessibility of macromolecular structure data from PDB and EMDB

PubMed Central

Velankar, Sameer; van Ginkel, Glen; Alhroub, Younes; Battle, Gary M.; Berrisford, John M.; Conroy, Matthew J.; Dana, Jose M.; Gore, Swanand P.; Gutmanas, Aleksandras; Haslam, Pauline; Hendrickx, Pieter M. S.; Lagerstedt, Ingvar; Mir, Saqib; Fernandez Montecelo, Manuel A.; Mukhopadhyay, Abhik; Oldfield, Thomas J.; Patwardhan, Ardan; Sanz-García, Eduardo; Sen, Sanchayita; Slowley, Robert A.; Wainwright, Michael E.; Deshpande, Mandar S.; Iudin, Andrii; Sahni, Gaurav; Salavert Torres, Jose; Hirshberg, Miriam; Mak, Lora; Nadzirin, Nurul; Armstrong, David R.; Clark, Alice R.; Smart, Oliver S.; Korir, Paul K.; Kleywegt, Gerard J.

2016-01-01

The Protein Data Bank in Europe (http://pdbe.org) accepts and annotates depositions of macromolecular structure data in the PDB and EMDB archives and enriches, integrates and disseminates structural information in a variety of ways. The PDBe website has been redesigned based on an analysis of user requirements, and now offers intuitive access to improved and value-added macromolecular structure information. Unique value-added information includes lists of reviews and research articles that cite or mention PDB entries as well as access to figures and legends from full-text open-access publications that describe PDB entries. A powerful new query system not only shows all the PDB entries that match a given query, but also shows the ‘best structures’ for a given macromolecule, ligand complex or sequence family using data-quality information from the wwPDB validation reports. A PDBe RESTful API has been developed to provide unified access to macromolecular structure data available in the PDB and EMDB archives as well as value-added annotations, e.g. regarding structure quality and up-to-date cross-reference information from the SIFTS resource. Taken together, these new developments facilitate unified access to macromolecular structure data in an intuitive way for non-expert users and support expert users in analysing macromolecular structure data. PMID:26476444

Felder-Soloman's Index of Learning Styles: internal consistency, temporal stability, and factor structure.

PubMed

Hosford, Charles C; Siders, William A

2010-10-01

Strategies to facilitate learning include using knowledge of students' learning style preferences to inform students and their teachers. Aims of this study were to evaluate the factor structure, internal consistency, and temporal stability of medical student responses to the Index of Learning Styles (ILS) and determine its appropriateness as an instrument for medical education. The ILS assesses preferences on four dimensions: sensing/intuitive information perceiving, visual/verbal information receiving, active/reflective information processing, and sequential/global information understanding. Students entering the 2002-2007 classes completed the ILS; some completed the ILS again after 2 and 4 years. Analyses of responses supported the ILS's intended structure and moderate reliability. Students had moderate preferences for sensing and visual learning. This study provides evidence supporting the appropriateness of the ILS for assessing learning style preferences in medical students.

Extracting local information from crowds through betting markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weijs, Steven

2015-04-01

In this research, a set-up is considered in which users can bet against a forecasting agency to challenge their probabilistic forecasts. From an information theory standpoint, a reward structure is considered that either provides the forecasting agency with better information, paying the successful providers of information for their winning bets, or funds excellent forecasting agencies through users that think they know better. Especially for local forecasts, the approach may help to diagnose model biases and to identify local predictive information that can be incorporated in the models. The challenges and opportunities for implementing such a system in practice are also discussed.

Integration of Department of Defense and State Department Efforts to Continue the Global Pursuit of Violent Extremist Organizations

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-14

structure to take on intelligence collection and fusion, the State Department has historically not been a collector of intelligence as a matter of...Government, specifically the CIA and NSA, but their mission, structure and capability will not be addressed in this thesis. It is understood, though...provided firsthand accounts of aspects of DoD and State Department coordination or provided the necessary information about current structure and

RStrucFam: a web server to associate structure and cognate RNA for RNA-binding proteins from sequence information.

PubMed

Ghosh, Pritha; Mathew, Oommen K; Sowdhamini, Ramanathan

2016-10-07

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) interact with their cognate RNA(s) to form large biomolecular assemblies. They are versatile in their functionality and are involved in a myriad of processes inside the cell. RBPs with similar structural features and common biological functions are grouped together into families and superfamilies. It will be useful to obtain an early understanding and association of RNA-binding property of sequences of gene products. Here, we report a web server, RStrucFam, to predict the structure, type of cognate RNA(s) and function(s) of proteins, where possible, from mere sequence information. The web server employs Hidden Markov Model scan (hmmscan) to enable association to a back-end database of structural and sequence families. The database (HMMRBP) comprises of 437 HMMs of RBP families of known structure that have been generated using structure-based sequence alignments and 746 sequence-centric RBP family HMMs. The input protein sequence is associated with structural or sequence domain families, if structure or sequence signatures exist. In case of association of the protein with a family of known structures, output features like, multiple structure-based sequence alignment (MSSA) of the query with all others members of that family is provided. Further, cognate RNA partner(s) for that protein, Gene Ontology (GO) annotations, if any and a homology model of the protein can be obtained. The users can also browse through the database for details pertaining to each family, protein or RNA and their related information based on keyword search or RNA motif search. RStrucFam is a web server that exploits structurally conserved features of RBPs, derived from known family members and imprinted in mathematical profiles, to predict putative RBPs from sequence information. Proteins that fail to associate with such structure-centric families are further queried against the sequence-centric RBP family HMMs in the HMMRBP database. Further, all other essential information pertaining to an RBP, like overall function annotations, are provided. The web server can be accessed at the following link: http://caps.ncbs.res.in/rstrucfam .

Image/video understanding systems based on network-symbolic models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuvich, Gary

2004-03-01

Vision is a part of a larger information system that converts visual information into knowledge structures. These structures drive vision process, resolve ambiguity and uncertainty via feedback projections, and provide image understanding that is an interpretation of visual information in terms of such knowledge models. Computer simulation models are built on the basis of graphs/networks. The ability of human brain to emulate similar graph/network models is found. Symbols, predicates and grammars naturally emerge in such networks, and logic is simply a way of restructuring such models. Brain analyzes an image as a graph-type relational structure created via multilevel hierarchical compression of visual information. Primary areas provide active fusion of image features on a spatial grid-like structure, where nodes are cortical columns. Spatial logic and topology naturally present in such structures. Mid-level vision processes like perceptual grouping, separation of figure from ground, are special kinds of network transformations. They convert primary image structure into the set of more abstract ones, which represent objects and visual scene, making them easy for analysis by higher-level knowledge structures. Higher-level vision phenomena are results of such analysis. Composition of network-symbolic models combines learning, classification, and analogy together with higher-level model-based reasoning into a single framework, and it works similar to frames and agents. Computational intelligence methods transform images into model-based knowledge representation. Based on such principles, an Image/Video Understanding system can convert images into the knowledge models, and resolve uncertainty and ambiguity. This allows creating intelligent computer vision systems for design and manufacturing.

Active vision and image/video understanding with decision structures based on the network-symbolic models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuvich, Gary

2003-08-01

Vision is a part of a larger information system that converts visual information into knowledge structures. These structures drive vision process, resolve ambiguity and uncertainty via feedback projections, and provide image understanding that is an interpretation of visual information in terms of such knowledge models. The ability of human brain to emulate knowledge structures in the form of networks-symbolic models is found. And that means an important shift of paradigm in our knowledge about brain from neural networks to "cortical software". Symbols, predicates and grammars naturally emerge in such active multilevel hierarchical networks, and logic is simply a way of restructuring such models. Brain analyzes an image as a graph-type decision structure created via multilevel hierarchical compression of visual information. Mid-level vision processes like clustering, perceptual grouping, separation of figure from ground, are special kinds of graph/network transformations. They convert low-level image structure into the set of more abstract ones, which represent objects and visual scene, making them easy for analysis by higher-level knowledge structures. Higher-level vision phenomena are results of such analysis. Composition of network-symbolic models works similar to frames and agents, combines learning, classification, analogy together with higher-level model-based reasoning into a single framework. Such models do not require supercomputers. Based on such principles, and using methods of Computational intelligence, an Image Understanding system can convert images into the network-symbolic knowledge models, and effectively resolve uncertainty and ambiguity, providing unifying representation for perception and cognition. That allows creating new intelligent computer vision systems for robotic and defense industries.

Understanding new media. Trends and issues in electronic distribution of information

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

Compaine, B.M.

The authors provide an indepth look at the changes facing information businesses, which have expanded from the traditional publishing and broadcasting companies to include financial service businesses, retailers, and telecommunications carriers. Offering a unique conceptual framework - the information business map - this book stresses the political and regulatory forces that are reshaping the information industry's structure, identifies the issues that face strategic planners and policymakers, and suggests policy options and their potential consequences for the future. Each article provides a selected bibliography. 37 figures, 10 tables.

Introduction to United States Government Information Sources. Fifth Edition. Library and Information Science Text Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morehead, Joe

This book seeks to provide an account of general and specialized sources, in print and non-print formats, that comprise the bibliographic and textual structure of federal government information. This particular edition endeavors to update and broaden discussion of government information available electronically via the Internet. Chapters are: (1)…

Structure in the Classroom: How Much Should Be Provided?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diamond, Stanley C.

1987-01-01

Reviews the range of thought concerning the extent to which the student's educational experience should be formally structured and externally imposed or informal and structurally controlled by the student. Recommends allowing students to make choices to the extent that they are comfortable and learning remains functional and effective. (PGD)

77 FR 1066 - Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-09

... provide a pending File Number for an Antenna Structure Registration (ASR). Previously ULS would only...: Application for Antenna Structure Registration. Form Number: FCC Form 854. Type of Review: Revision of a... will be archived after being keyed or scanned into the Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) database...

The role of ecological monitoring in managing wilderness

Treesearch

Peter B. Landres

1995-01-01

Good management requires good information. Monitoring provides this information when it is structured into the process of management, well designed and executed. As federal and state agencies strive to implement a management paradigm based on sustaining ecosystems, ecological information becomes a vital part of managing natural resources. Inventory and monitoring...

Library Statistical Data Base Formats and Definitions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Dennis; And Others

Represented are the detailed set of data structures relevant to the categorization of information, terminology, and definitions employed in the design of the library statistical data base. The data base, or management information system, provides administrators with a framework of information and standardized data for library management, planning,…

Hidden Dangers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greven, Erik D. W.; Knox, Winthrop S.

1999-01-01

Discusses each of the major system components of a maintenance survey that can provide pool facilities with the information needed to properly maintain aging pools. Components examined include mechanical and structural systems; pool structure; and the filtration, circulation, and chemical treatment systems. (GR)

The Human Brainnetome Atlas: A New Brain Atlas Based on Connectional Architecture.

PubMed

Fan, Lingzhong; Li, Hai; Zhuo, Junjie; Zhang, Yu; Wang, Jiaojian; Chen, Liangfu; Yang, Zhengyi; Chu, Congying; Xie, Sangma; Laird, Angela R; Fox, Peter T; Eickhoff, Simon B; Yu, Chunshui; Jiang, Tianzi

2016-08-01

The human brain atlases that allow correlating brain anatomy with psychological and cognitive functions are in transition from ex vivo histology-based printed atlases to digital brain maps providing multimodal in vivo information. Many current human brain atlases cover only specific structures, lack fine-grained parcellations, and fail to provide functionally important connectivity information. Using noninvasive multimodal neuroimaging techniques, we designed a connectivity-based parcellation framework that identifies the subdivisions of the entire human brain, revealing the in vivo connectivity architecture. The resulting human Brainnetome Atlas, with 210 cortical and 36 subcortical subregions, provides a fine-grained, cross-validated atlas and contains information on both anatomical and functional connections. Additionally, we further mapped the delineated structures to mental processes by reference to the BrainMap database. It thus provides an objective and stable starting point from which to explore the complex relationships between structure, connectivity, and function, and eventually improves understanding of how the human brain works. The human Brainnetome Atlas will be made freely available for download at http://atlas.brainnetome.org, so that whole brain parcellations, connections, and functional data will be readily available for researchers to use in their investigations into healthy and pathological states. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

a Robust Descriptor Based on Spatial and Frequency Structural Information for Visible and Thermal Infrared Image Matching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Z.; Qin, Q.; Wu, C.; Chang, Y.; Luo, B.

2017-09-01

Due to the differences of imaging principles, image matching between visible and thermal infrared images still exist new challenges and difficulties. Inspired by the complementary spatial and frequency information of geometric structural features, a robust descriptor is proposed for visible and thermal infrared images matching. We first divide two different spatial regions to the region around point of interest, using the histogram of oriented magnitudes, which corresponds to the 2-D structural shape information to describe the larger region and the edge oriented histogram to describe the spatial distribution for the smaller region. Then the two vectors are normalized and combined to a higher feature vector. Finally, our proposed descriptor is obtained by applying principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce the dimension of the combined high feature vector to make our descriptor more robust. Experimental results showed that our proposed method was provided with significant improvements in correct matching numbers and obvious advantages by complementing information within spatial and frequency structural information.

Earth-Affecting Solar Causes Observatory (EASCO): A Potential International Living with a Star Mission from Sun-Earth L5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gopalswamy, N.; Davila, J. M.; St Cyr, O. C.; Sittler, E. C.; Auchere, F.; Duvall, Jr. T. L.; Hoeksema, J. T.; Maksimovic, M.; MacDowall, R. J.; Szabo, A.;

Remote sensing and geographically based information systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cicone, R. C.

1977-01-01

A structure is proposed for a geographically-oriented computer-based information system applicable to the analysis of remote sensing digital data. The structure, intended to answer a wide variety of user needs, would permit multiple views of the data, provide independent management of data security, quality and integrity, and rely on automatic data filing. Problems in geographically-oriented data systems, including those related to line encoding and cell encoding, are considered.

An improved spatial contour tree constructed method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Yi; Zhang, Ling; Guilbert, Eric; Long, Yi

2018-05-01

Contours are important data to delineate the landform on a map. A contour tree provides an object-oriented description of landforms and can be used to enrich the topological information. The traditional contour tree is used to store topological relationships between contours in a hierarchical structure and allows for the identification of eminences and depressions as sets of nested contours. This research proposes an improved contour tree so-called spatial contour tree that contains not only the topological but also the geometric information. It can be regarded as a terrain skeleton in 3-dimention, and it is established based on the spatial nodes of contours which have the latitude, longitude and elevation information. The spatial contour tree is built by connecting spatial nodes from low to high elevation for a positive landform, and from high to low elevation for a negative landform to form a hierarchical structure. The connection between two spatial nodes can provide the real distance and direction as a Euclidean vector in 3-dimention. In this paper, the construction method is tested in the experiment, and the results are discussed. The proposed hierarchical structure is in 3-demintion and can show the skeleton inside a terrain. The structure, where all nodes have geo-information, can be used to distinguish different landforms and applied for contour generalization with consideration of geographic characteristics.

Exploring information provision in reconstructive breast surgery: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Potter, Shelley; Mills, Nicola; Cawthorn, Simon; Wilson, Sherif; Blazeby, Jane

2015-12-01

Women considering reconstructive breast surgery (RBS) require adequate information to make informed treatment decisions. This study explored patients' and health professionals' (HPs) perceptions of the adequacy of information provided for decision-making in RBS. Semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of patients who had undergone RBS and HPs providing specialist care explored participants' experiences of information provision prior to RBS. Professionals reported providing standardised verbal, written and photographic information about the process and outcomes of surgery. Women, by contrast, reported varying levels of information provision. Some felt fully-informed but others perceived they had received insufficient information about available treatment options or possible outcomes of surgery to make an informed decision. Women need adequate information to make informed decisions about RBS and current practice may not meet women's needs. Minimum agreed standards of information provision, especially about alternative types of reconstruction, are recommended to improve decision-making in RBS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combining Internet monitoring processes, packaging and isotopic analyses to determine the market structure: example of Gamma Butyrolactone.

PubMed

Pazos, Diego; Giannasi, Pauline; Rossy, Quentin; Esseiva, Pierre

2013-07-10

The Internet is becoming more and more popular among drug users. The use of websites and forums to obtain illicit drugs and relevant information about the means of consumption is a growing phenomenon mainly for new synthetic drugs. Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL), a chemical precursor of Gamma Hydroxy Butyric acid (GHB), is used as a "club drug" and also in drug facilitated sexual assaults. Its market takes place mainly on the Internet through online websites but the structure of the market remains unknown. This research aims to combine digital, physical and chemical information to help understand the distribution routes and the structure of the GBL market. Based on an Internet monitoring process, thirty-nine websites selling GBL, mainly in the Netherlands, were detected between January 2010 and December 2011. Seventeen websites were categorized into six groups based on digital traces (e.g. IP addresses and contact information). In parallel, twenty-five bulk GBL specimens were purchased from sixteen websites for packaging comparisons and carbon isotopic measurements. Packaging information showed a high correlation with digital data confirming the links previously established whereas chemical information revealed undetected links and provided complementary information. Indeed, while digital and packaging data give relevant information about the retailers, the supply routes and the distribution close to the consumer, the carbon isotopic data provides upstream information about the production level and in particular the synthesis pathways and the chemical precursors. A three-level structured market has been thereby identified with a production level mainly located in China and in Germany, an online distribution level mainly hosted in the Netherlands and the customers who order on the Internet. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of structural biology in medicine illustrated with four case studies.

PubMed

Hu, Tiancen; Sprague, Elizabeth R; Fodor, Michelle; Stams, Travis; Clark, Kirk L; Cowan-Jacob, Sandra W

2018-01-01

The contributions of structural biology to drug discovery have expanded over the last 20 years from structure-based ligand optimization to a broad range of clinically relevant topics including the understanding of disease, target discovery, screening for new types of ligands, discovery of new modes of action, addressing clinical challenges such as side effects or resistance, and providing data to support drug registration. This expansion of scope is due to breakthroughs in the technology, which allow structural information to be obtained rapidly and for more complex molecular systems, but also due to the combination of different technologies such as X-ray, NMR, and other biophysical methods, which allows one to get a more complete molecular understanding of disease and ways to treat it. In this review, we provide examples of the types of impact molecular structure information can have in the clinic for both low molecular weight and biologic drug discovery and describe several case studies from our own work to illustrate some of these contributions.

Assessment of and standardization for quantitative nondestructive test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neuschaefer, R. W.; Beal, J. B.

1972-01-01

Present capabilities and limitations of nondestructive testing (NDT) as applied to aerospace structures during design, development, production, and operational phases are assessed. It will help determine what useful structural quantitative and qualitative data may be provided from raw materials to vehicle refurbishment. This assessment considers metal alloys systems and bonded composites presently applied in active NASA programs or strong contenders for future use. Quantitative and qualitative data has been summarized from recent literature, and in-house information, and presented along with a description of those structures or standards where the information was obtained. Examples, in tabular form, of NDT technique capabilities and limitations have been provided. NDT techniques discussed and assessed were radiography, ultrasonics, penetrants, thermal, acoustic, and electromagnetic. Quantitative data is sparse; therefore, obtaining statistically reliable flaw detection data must be strongly emphasized. The new requirements for reusable space vehicles have resulted in highly efficient design concepts operating in severe environments. This increases the need for quantitative NDT evaluation of selected structural components, the end item structure, and during refurbishment operations.

DichroMatch at the protein circular dichroism data bank (DM@PCDDB): A web-based tool for identifying protein nearest neighbors using circular dichroism spectroscopy.

PubMed

Whitmore, Lee; Mavridis, Lazaros; Wallace, B A; Janes, Robert W

2018-01-01

Circular dichroism spectroscopy is a well-used, but simple method in structural biology for providing information on the secondary structure and folds of proteins. DichroMatch (DM@PCDDB) is an online tool that is newly available in the Protein Circular Dichroism Data Bank (PCDDB), which takes advantage of the wealth of spectral and metadata deposited therein, to enable identification of spectral nearest neighbors of a query protein based on four different methods of spectral matching. DM@PCDDB can potentially provide novel information about structural relationships between proteins and can be used in comparison studies of protein homologs and orthologs. © 2017 The Authors Protein Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Protein Society.

Simultaneous parameter optimization of x-ray and neutron reflectivity data using genetic algorithms

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

Singh, Surendra, E-mail: surendra@barc.gov.in; Basu, Saibal

2016-05-23

X-ray and neutron reflectivity are two non destructive techniques which provide a wealth of information on thickness, structure and interracial properties in nanometer length scale. Combination of X-ray and neutron reflectivity is well suited for obtaining physical parameters of nanostructured thin films and superlattices. Neutrons provide a different contrast between the elements than X-rays and are also sensitive to the magnetization depth profile in thin films and superlattices. The real space information is extracted by fitting a model for the structure of the thin film sample in reflectometry experiments. We have applied a Genetic Algorithms technique to extract depth dependentmore » structure and magnetic in thin film and multilayer systems by simultaneously fitting X-ray and neutron reflectivity data.« less

Ligand Depot: a data warehouse for ligands bound to macromolecules.

PubMed

Feng, Zukang; Chen, Li; Maddula, Himabindu; Akcan, Ozgur; Oughtred, Rose; Berman, Helen M; Westbrook, John

2004-09-01

Ligand Depot is an integrated data resource for finding information about small molecules bound to proteins and nucleic acids. The initial release (version 1.0, November, 2003) focuses on providing chemical and structural information for small molecules found as part of the structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank. Ligand Depot accepts keyword-based queries and also provides a graphical interface for performing chemical substructure searches. A wide variety of web resources that contain information on small molecules may also be accessed through Ligand Depot. Ligand Depot is available at http://ligand-depot.rutgers.edu/. Version 1.0 supports multiple operating systems including Windows, Unix, Linux and the Macintosh operating system. The current drawing tool works in Internet Explorer, Netscape and Mozilla on Windows, Unix and Linux.

Coexistence or Operational Necessity: The Role of Formally Structured Organisation and Informal Networks during Deployments

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

informal communication and informal networks which provide the quickest means of communication in organisations . These informal groupings develop ...promote creativity through sensemaking and self- organisation will better enable the military to respond to environmental changes (McDaniel, 2007... need to be addressed to facilitate the co-existence of formal organisation and informal networks during deployments? The military in general and

Performance Metrics for Monitoring Parallel Program Executions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sarukkai, Sekkar R.; Gotwais, Jacob K.; Yan, Jerry; Lum, Henry, Jr. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

Existing tools for debugging performance of parallel programs either provide graphical representations of program execution or profiles of program executions. However, for performance debugging tools to be useful, such information has to be augmented with information that highlights the cause of poor program performance. Identifying the cause of poor performance necessitates the need for not only determining the significance of various performance problems on the execution time of the program, but also needs to consider the effect of interprocessor communications of individual source level data structures. In this paper, we present a suite of normalized indices which provide a convenient mechanism for focusing on a region of code with poor performance and highlights the cause of the problem in terms of processors, procedures and data structure interactions. All the indices are generated from trace files augmented with data structure information.. Further, we show with the help of examples from the NAS benchmark suite that the indices help in detecting potential cause of poor performance, based on augmented execution traces obtained by monitoring the program.

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

Langton, C.

Concrete containment structures and cement-based fills and waste forms are used at the Savannah River Site to enhance the performance of shallow land disposal systems designed for containment of low-level radioactive waste. Understanding and measuring transport through cracked concrete is important for describing the initial condition of radioactive waste containment structures at the Savannah River Site (SRS) and for predicting performance of these structures over time. This report transmits the results of a literature review on transport through cracked concrete which was performed by Professor Jason Weiss, Purdue University per SRR0000678 (RFP-RQ00001029-WY). This review complements the NRC-sponsored literature review andmore » assessment of factors relevant to performance of grouted systems for radioactive waste disposal. This review was performed by The Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses, San Antonio, TX, and The University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen Scotland and was focused on tank closure. The objective of the literature review on transport through cracked concrete was to identify information in the open literature which can be applied to SRS transport models for cementitious containment structures, fills, and waste forms. In addition, the literature review was intended to: (1) Provide a framework for describing and classifying cracks in containment structures and cementitious materials used in radioactive waste disposal, (2) Document the state of knowledge and research related to transport through cracks in concrete for various exposure conditions, (3) Provide information or methodology for answering several specific questions related to cracking and transport in concrete, and (4) Provide information that can be used to design experiments on transport through cracked samples and actual structures.« less

Vivaldi: visualization and validation of biomacromolecular NMR structures from the PDB.

PubMed

Hendrickx, Pieter M S; Gutmanas, Aleksandras; Kleywegt, Gerard J

2013-04-01

We describe Vivaldi (VIsualization and VALidation DIsplay; http://pdbe.org/vivaldi), a web-based service for the analysis, visualization, and validation of NMR structures in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Vivaldi provides access to model coordinates and several types of experimental NMR data using interactive visualization tools, augmented with structural annotations and model-validation information. The service presents information about the modeled NMR ensemble, validation of experimental chemical shifts, residual dipolar couplings, distance and dihedral angle constraints, as well as validation scores based on empirical knowledge and databases. Vivaldi was designed for both expert NMR spectroscopists and casual non-expert users who wish to obtain a better grasp of the information content and quality of NMR structures in the public archive. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PDBe: improved accessibility of macromolecular structure data from PDB and EMDB.

PubMed

Velankar, Sameer; van Ginkel, Glen; Alhroub, Younes; Battle, Gary M; Berrisford, John M; Conroy, Matthew J; Dana, Jose M; Gore, Swanand P; Gutmanas, Aleksandras; Haslam, Pauline; Hendrickx, Pieter M S; Lagerstedt, Ingvar; Mir, Saqib; Fernandez Montecelo, Manuel A; Mukhopadhyay, Abhik; Oldfield, Thomas J; Patwardhan, Ardan; Sanz-García, Eduardo; Sen, Sanchayita; Slowley, Robert A; Wainwright, Michael E; Deshpande, Mandar S; Iudin, Andrii; Sahni, Gaurav; Salavert Torres, Jose; Hirshberg, Miriam; Mak, Lora; Nadzirin, Nurul; Armstrong, David R; Clark, Alice R; Smart, Oliver S; Korir, Paul K; Kleywegt, Gerard J

2016-01-04

The Protein Data Bank in Europe (http://pdbe.org) accepts and annotates depositions of macromolecular structure data in the PDB and EMDB archives and enriches, integrates and disseminates structural information in a variety of ways. The PDBe website has been redesigned based on an analysis of user requirements, and now offers intuitive access to improved and value-added macromolecular structure information. Unique value-added information includes lists of reviews and research articles that cite or mention PDB entries as well as access to figures and legends from full-text open-access publications that describe PDB entries. A powerful new query system not only shows all the PDB entries that match a given query, but also shows the 'best structures' for a given macromolecule, ligand complex or sequence family using data-quality information from the wwPDB validation reports. A PDBe RESTful API has been developed to provide unified access to macromolecular structure data available in the PDB and EMDB archives as well as value-added annotations, e.g. regarding structure quality and up-to-date cross-reference information from the SIFTS resource. Taken together, these new developments facilitate unified access to macromolecular structure data in an intuitive way for non-expert users and support expert users in analysing macromolecular structure data. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

CCProf: exploring conformational change profile of proteins

PubMed Central

Chang, Che-Wei; Chou, Chai-Wei; Chang, Darby Tien-Hao

2016-01-01

In many biological processes, proteins have important interactions with various molecules such as proteins, ions or ligands. Many proteins undergo conformational changes upon these interactions, where regions with large conformational changes are critical to the interactions. This work presents the CCProf platform, which provides conformational changes of entire proteins, named conformational change profile (CCP) in the context. CCProf aims to be a platform where users can study potential causes of novel conformational changes. It provides 10 biological features, including conformational change, potential binding target site, secondary structure, conservation, disorder propensity, hydropathy propensity, sequence domain, structural domain, phosphorylation site and catalytic site. All these information are integrated into a well-aligned view, so that researchers can capture important relevance between different biological features visually. The CCProf contains 986 187 protein structure pairs for 3123 proteins. In addition, CCProf provides a 3D view in which users can see the protein structures before and after conformational changes as well as binding targets that induce conformational changes. All information (e.g. CCP, binding targets and protein structures) shown in CCProf, including intermediate data are available for download to expedite further analyses. Database URL: http://zoro.ee.ncku.edu.tw/ccprof/ PMID:27016699

Representing Information in Patient Reports Using Natural Language Processing and the Extensible Markup Language

PubMed Central

Friedman, Carol; Hripcsak, George; Shagina, Lyuda; Liu, Hongfang

1999-01-01

Objective: To design a document model that provides reliable and efficient access to clinical information in patient reports for a broad range of clinical applications, and to implement an automated method using natural language processing that maps textual reports to a form consistent with the model. Methods: A document model that encodes structured clinical information in patient reports while retaining the original contents was designed using the extensible markup language (XML), and a document type definition (DTD) was created. An existing natural language processor (NLP) was modified to generate output consistent with the model. Two hundred reports were processed using the modified NLP system, and the XML output that was generated was validated using an XML validating parser. Results: The modified NLP system successfully processed all 200 reports. The output of one report was invalid, and 199 reports were valid XML forms consistent with the DTD. Conclusions: Natural language processing can be used to automatically create an enriched document that contains a structured component whose elements are linked to portions of the original textual report. This integrated document model provides a representation where documents containing specific information can be accurately and efficiently retrieved by querying the structured components. If manual review of the documents is desired, the salient information in the original reports can also be identified and highlighted. Using an XML model of tagging provides an additional benefit in that software tools that manipulate XML documents are readily available. PMID:9925230

Welcoming natural isotopic abundance in solid-state NMR: probing π-stacking and supramolecular structure of organic nanoassemblies using DNP† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6sc02709a Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Märker, Katharina; Paul, Subhradip; Fernández-de-Alba, Carlos; Lee, Daniel; Mouesca, Jean-Marie; Hediger, Sabine

2017-01-01

The self-assembly of small organic molecules is an intriguing phenomenon, which provides nanoscale structures for applications in numerous fields from medicine to molecular electronics. Detailed knowledge of their structure, in particular on the supramolecular level, is a prerequisite for the rational design of improved self-assembled systems. In this work, we prove the feasibility of a novel concept of NMR-based 3D structure determination of such assemblies in the solid state. The key point of this concept is the deliberate use of samples that contain 13C at its natural isotopic abundance (NA, 1.1%), while exploiting magic-angle spinning dynamic nuclear polarization (MAS-DNP) to compensate for the reduced sensitivity. Since dipolar truncation effects are suppressed to a large extent in NA samples, unique and highly informative spectra can be recorded which are impossible to obtain on an isotopically labeled system. On the self-assembled cyclic diphenylalanine peptide, we demonstrate the detection of long-range internuclear distances up to ∼7 Å, allowing us to observe π-stacking through 13C–13C correlation spectra, providing a powerful tool for the analysis of one of the most important non-covalent interactions. Furthermore, experimental polarization transfer curves are in remarkable agreement with numerical simulations based on the crystallographic structure, and can be fully rationalized as the superposition of intra- and intermolecular contributions. This new approach to NMR crystallography provides access to rich and precise structural information, opening up a new avenue to de novo crystal structure determination by NMR. PMID:28451235

Peer Learning across the Undergraduate Information Systems Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Granger, Mary J.; Lippert, Susan K.

1999-01-01

Focuses on the use of in-class peer learning experiences in several typical Information Systems courses. Provides additional summaries of three semester-long learning projects in Structured Programming, Systems Design, and Database Design. (Contains 29 references.) (Author/ASK)

User-Centered Indexing for Adaptive Information Access

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, James R.; Mathe, Nathalie

1996-01-01

We are focusing on information access tasks characterized by large volume of hypermedia connected technical documents, a need for rapid and effective access to familiar information, and long-term interaction with evolving information. The problem for technical users is to build and maintain a personalized task-oriented model of the information to quickly access relevant information. We propose a solution which provides user-centered adaptive information retrieval and navigation. This solution supports users in customizing information access over time. It is complementary to information discovery methods which provide access to new information, since it lets users customize future access to previously found information. It relies on a technique, called Adaptive Relevance Network, which creates and maintains a complex indexing structure to represent personal user's information access maps organized by concepts. This technique is integrated within the Adaptive HyperMan system, which helps NASA Space Shuttle flight controllers organize and access large amount of information. It allows users to select and mark any part of a document as interesting, and to index that part with user-defined concepts. Users can then do subsequent retrieval of marked portions of documents. This functionality allows users to define and access personal collections of information, which are dynamically computed. The system also supports collaborative review by letting users share group access maps. The adaptive relevance network provides long-term adaptation based both on usage and on explicit user input. The indexing structure is dynamic and evolves over time. Leading and generalization support flexible retrieval of information under similar concepts. The network is geared towards more recent information access, and automatically manages its size in order to maintain rapid access when scaling up to large hypermedia space. We present results of simulated learning experiments.

I-motif DNA structures are formed in the nuclei of human cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeraati, Mahdi; Langley, David B.; Schofield, Peter; Moye, Aaron L.; Rouet, Romain; Hughes, William E.; Bryan, Tracy M.; Dinger, Marcel E.; Christ, Daniel

2018-06-01

Human genome function is underpinned by the primary storage of genetic information in canonical B-form DNA, with a second layer of DNA structure providing regulatory control. I-motif structures are thought to form in cytosine-rich regions of the genome and to have regulatory functions; however, in vivo evidence for the existence of such structures has so far remained elusive. Here we report the generation and characterization of an antibody fragment (iMab) that recognizes i-motif structures with high selectivity and affinity, enabling the detection of i-motifs in the nuclei of human cells. We demonstrate that the in vivo formation of such structures is cell-cycle and pH dependent. Furthermore, we provide evidence that i-motif structures are formed in regulatory regions of the human genome, including promoters and telomeric regions. Our results support the notion that i-motif structures provide key regulatory roles in the genome.

Database for the geologic map of the Mount Baker 30- by 60-minute quadrangle, Washington (I-2660)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tabor, R.W.; Haugerud, R.A.; Hildreth, Wes; Brown, E.H.

2006-01-01

This digital map database has been prepared by R.W. Tabor from the published Geologic map of the Mount Baker 30- by 60-Minute Quadrangle, Washington. Together with the accompanying text files as PDF, it provides information on the geologic structure and stratigraphy of the area covered. The database delineates map units that are identified by general age and lithology following the stratigraphic nomenclature of the U.S. Geological Survey. The authors mapped most of the geology at 1:100,000. The Quaternary contacts and structural data have been much simplified for the 1:100,000-scale map and database. The spatial resolution (scale) of the database is 1:100,000 or smaller. This database depicts the distribution of geologic materials and structures at a regional (1:100,000) scale. The report is intended to provide geologic information for the regional study of materials properties, earthquake shaking, landslide potential, mineral hazards, seismic velocity, and earthquake faults. In addition, the report contains information and interpretations about the regional geologic history and framework. However, the regional scale of this report does not provide sufficient detail for site development purposes.

Database for the geologic map of the Chelan 30-minute by 60-minute quadrangle, Washington (I-1661)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tabor, R.W.; Frizzell, V.A.; Whetten, J.T.; Waitt, R.B.; Swanson, D.A.; Byerly, G.R.; Booth, D.B.; Hetherington, M.J.; Zartman, R.E.

2006-01-01

This digital map database has been prepared by R. W. Tabor from the published Geologic map of the Chelan 30-Minute Quadrangle, Washington. Together with the accompanying text files as PDF, it provides information on the geologic structure and stratigraphy of the area covered. The database delineates map units that are identified by general age and lithology following the stratigraphic nomenclature of the U.S. Geological Survey. The authors mapped most of the bedrock geology at 1:100,000 scale, but compiled Quaternary units at 1:24,000 scale. The Quaternary contacts and structural data have been much simplified for the 1:100,000-scale map and database. The spatial resolution (scale) of the database is 1:100,000 or smaller. This database depicts the distribution of geologic materials and structures at a regional (1:100,000) scale. The report is intended to provide geologic information for the regional study of materials properties, earthquake shaking, landslide potential, mineral hazards, seismic velocity, and earthquake faults. In addition, the report contains information and interpretations about the regional geologic history and framework. However, the regional scale of this report does not provide sufficient detail for site development purposes.

Database for the geologic map of the Snoqualmie Pass 30-minute by 60-minute quadrangle, Washington (I-2538)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tabor, R.W.; Frizzell, V.A.; Booth, D.B.; Waitt, R.B.

2006-01-01

This digital map database has been prepared by R.W. Tabor from the published Geologic map of the Snoqualmie Pass 30' X 60' Quadrangle, Washington. Together with the accompanying text files as PDF, it provides information on the geologic structure and stratigraphy of the area covered. The database delineates map units that are identified by general age and lithology following the stratigraphic nomenclature of the U.S. Geological Survey. The authors mapped most of the bedrock geology at 1:100,000 scale, but compiled Quaternary units at 1:24,000 scale. The Quaternary contacts and structural data have been much simplified for the 1:100,000-scale map and database. The spatial resolution (scale) of the database is 1:100,000 or smaller. This database depicts the distribution of geologic materials and structures at a regional (1:100,000) scale. The report is intended to provide geologic information for the regional study of materials properties, earthquake shaking, landslide potential, mineral hazards, seismic velocity, and earthquake faults. In addition, the report contains information and interpretations about the regional geologic history and framework. However, the regional scale of this report does not provide sufficient detail for site development purposes.

Geologic Map of the Wenatchee 1:100,000 Quadrangle, Central Washington: A Digital Database

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tabor, R.W.; Waitt, R.B.; Frizzell, V.A.; Swanson, D.A.; Byerly, G.R.; Bentley, R.D.

2005-01-01

This digital map database has been prepared by R.W. Tabor from the published Geologic map of the Wenatchee 1:100,000 Quadrangle, Central Washington. Together with the accompanying text files as PDF, it provides information on the geologic structure and stratigraphy of the area covered. The database delineates map units that are identified by general age and lithology following the stratigraphic nomenclature of the U.S. Geological Survey. The authors mapped most of the bedrock geology at 1:100,000 scale, but compiled Quaternary units at 1:24,000 scale. The Quaternary contacts and structural data have been much simplified for the 1:100,000-scale map and database. The spatial resolution (scale) of the database is 1:100,000 or smaller. This database depicts the distribution of geologic materials and structures at a regional (1:100,000) scale. The report is intended to provide geologic information for the regional study of materials properties, earthquake shaking, landslide potential, mineral hazards, seismic velocity, and earthquake faults. In addition, the report contains information and interpretations about the regional geologic history and framework. However, the regional scale of this report does not provide sufficient detail for site development purposes.

Terrestrial laser scanning to quantify above-ground biomass of structurally complex coastal wetland vegetation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owers, Christopher J.; Rogers, Kerrylee; Woodroffe, Colin D.

2018-05-01

Above-ground biomass represents a small yet significant contributor to carbon storage in coastal wetlands. Despite this, above-ground biomass is often poorly quantified, particularly in areas where vegetation structure is complex. Traditional methods for providing accurate estimates involve harvesting vegetation to develop mangrove allometric equations and quantify saltmarsh biomass in quadrats. However broad scale application of these methods may not capture structural variability in vegetation resulting in a loss of detail and estimates with considerable uncertainty. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) collects high resolution three-dimensional point clouds capable of providing detailed structural morphology of vegetation. This study demonstrates that TLS is a suitable non-destructive method for estimating biomass of structurally complex coastal wetland vegetation. We compare volumetric models, 3-D surface reconstruction and rasterised volume, and point cloud elevation histogram modelling techniques to estimate biomass. Our results show that current volumetric modelling approaches for estimating TLS-derived biomass are comparable to traditional mangrove allometrics and saltmarsh harvesting. However, volumetric modelling approaches oversimplify vegetation structure by under-utilising the large amount of structural information provided by the point cloud. The point cloud elevation histogram model presented in this study, as an alternative to volumetric modelling, utilises all of the information within the point cloud, as opposed to sub-sampling based on specific criteria. This method is simple but highly effective for both mangrove (r2 = 0.95) and saltmarsh (r2 > 0.92) vegetation. Our results provide evidence that application of TLS in coastal wetlands is an effective non-destructive method to accurately quantify biomass for structurally complex vegetation.

Automatic Tool for Local Assembly Structures

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

Whole community shotgun sequencing of total DNA (i.e. metagenomics) and total RNA (i.e. metatranscriptomics) has provided a wealth of information in the microbial community structure, predicted functions, metabolic networks, and is even able to reconstruct complete genomes directly. Here we present ATLAS (Automatic Tool for Local Assembly Structures) a comprehensive pipeline for assembly, annotation, genomic binning of metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data with an integrated framework for Multi-Omics. This will provide an open source tool for the Multi-Omic community at large.

Text mining and its potential applications in systems biology.

PubMed

Ananiadou, Sophia; Kell, Douglas B; Tsujii, Jun-ichi

2006-12-01

With biomedical literature increasing at a rate of several thousand papers per week, it is impossible to keep abreast of all developments; therefore, automated means to manage the information overload are required. Text mining techniques, which involve the processes of information retrieval, information extraction and data mining, provide a means of solving this. By adding meaning to text, these techniques produce a more structured analysis of textual knowledge than simple word searches, and can provide powerful tools for the production and analysis of systems biology models.

Polar bears, antibiotics, and the evolving ribosome (Nobel Lecture).

PubMed

Yonath, Ada

2010-06-14

High-resolution structures of ribosomes, the cellular machines that translate the genetic code into proteins, revealed the decoding mechanism, detected the mRNA path, identified the sites of the tRNA molecules in the ribosome, elucidated the position and the nature of the nascent proteins exit tunnel, illuminated the interactions of the ribosome with non-ribosomal factors, such as the initiation, release and recycling factors, and provided valuable information on ribosomal antibiotics, their binding sites, modes of action, principles of selectivity and the mechanisms leading to their resistance. Notably, these structures proved that the ribosome is a ribozyme whose active site, namely where the peptide bonds are being formed, is situated within a universal symmetrical region that is embedded in the otherwise asymmetric ribosome structure. As this symmetrical region is highly conserved and provides the machinery required for peptide bond formation and for ribosome polymerase activity, it may be the remnant of the proto-ribosome, a dimeric prebiotic machine that formed peptide bonds and non-coded polypeptide chains. Structures of complexes of ribosomes with antibiotics targeting them revealed the principles allowing for their clinical use, identified resistance mechanisms and showed the structural bases for discriminating pathogenic bacteria from hosts, hence providing valuable structural information for antibiotics improvement and for the design of novel compounds that can serve as antibiotics.

Nonlinear model predictive control for chemical looping process

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

Joshi, Abhinaya; Lei, Hao; Lou, Xinsheng

A control system for optimizing a chemical looping ("CL") plant includes a reduced order mathematical model ("ROM") that is designed by eliminating mathematical terms that have minimal effect on the outcome. A non-linear optimizer provides various inputs to the ROM and monitors the outputs to determine the optimum inputs that are then provided to the CL plant. An estimator estimates the values of various internal state variables of the CL plant. The system has one structure adapted to control a CL plant that only provides pressure measurements in the CL loops A and B, a second structure adapted to amore » CL plant that provides pressure measurements and solid levels in both loops A, and B, and a third structure adapted to control a CL plant that provides full information on internal state variables. A final structure provides a neural network NMPC controller to control operation of loops A and B.« less

PDBFlex: exploring flexibility in protein structures

PubMed Central

Hrabe, Thomas; Li, Zhanwen; Sedova, Mayya; Rotkiewicz, Piotr; Jaroszewski, Lukasz; Godzik, Adam

2016-01-01

The PDBFlex database, available freely and with no login requirements at http://pdbflex.org, provides information on flexibility of protein structures as revealed by the analysis of variations between depositions of different structural models of the same protein in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). PDBFlex collects information on all instances of such depositions, identifying them by a 95% sequence identity threshold, performs analysis of their structural differences and clusters them according to their structural similarities for easy analysis. The PDBFlex contains tools and viewers enabling in-depth examination of structural variability including: 2D-scaling visualization of RMSD distances between structures of the same protein, graphs of average local RMSD in the aligned structures of protein chains, graphical presentation of differences in secondary structure and observed structural disorder (unresolved residues), difference distance maps between all sets of coordinates and 3D views of individual structures and simulated transitions between different conformations, the latter displayed using JSMol visualization software. PMID:26615193

Enhancement of Structured Reporting - an Integration Reporting Module with Radiation Dose Collection Supporting.

PubMed

Lee, Ming-Che; Chuang, Kei-Shih; Hsu, Tien-Cheng; Lee, Chien-Ding

2016-11-01

Collection of radiation dose derived from radiological examination is necessary not only for radiation protection, but also for fulfillment of structured reports. However, the material regarding of radiation dose cannot be directly utilized by the Radiological Information System (RIS) since it is generated and only stored in the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). In this paper, an integration reporting module is proposed to facilitate handling of dose information and structured reporting by providing two functionalities. First, a gateway is established to automatically collect the related information from PACS for further analyzing and monitoring the accumulated radiation. Second, the designated structured reporting patterns with corresponding radiation dose measurements can be acquired by radiologists as necessary. In the design, the radiation dose collection gateway and the well-established pattern are collocated to achieve that there is no need to do manual entry for structured reporting, thus increasing productivity and medical quality.

Multilevel Multi-Informant Structure of the Authoritative School Climate Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konold, Timothy; Cornell, Dewey; Huang, Francis; Meyer, Patrick; Lacey, Anna; Nekvasil, Erin; Heilbrun, Anna; Shukla, Kathan

2014-01-01

The Authoritative School Climate Survey was designed to provide schools with a brief assessment of 2 key characteristics of school climate--disciplinary structure and student support--that are hypothesized to influence 2 important school climate outcomes--student engagement and prevalence of teasing and bullying in school. The factor structure of…

Word Structures of Granada Spanish-Speaking Preschoolers with Typical versus Protracted Phonological Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

May Bernhardt, B.; Hanson, R.; Perez, D.; Ávila, C.; Lleó, C.; Stemberger, J. P.; Carballo, G.; Mendoza, E.; Fresneda, D.; Chávez-Peón, M.

2015-01-01

Background: Research on children's word structure development is limited. Yet, phonological intervention aims to accelerate the acquisition of both speech-sounds and word structure, such as word length, stress or shapes in CV sequences. Until normative studies and meta-analyses provide in-depth information on this topic, smaller investigations can…

Comparison of Cellulose Supramolecular Structures Between Nanocrystals of Different Origins

Treesearch

Umesh P. Agarwal; Richard S. Reiner; Christopher G. Hunt; Jeffery Catchmark; E. Johan Foster; Akira Isogai

2015-01-01

In this study, morphologies and supramolecular structures of CNCs from wood-pulp, cotton, bacteria, tunicate, and cladophora were investigated. TEM was used to study the morphological aspects of the nanocrystals whereas Raman spectroscopy provided information on the cellulose molecular structure and its organization within a CNC. Dimensional differences between the...

Navigation in large information spaces represented as hypertext: A review of the literature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Marcus

1990-01-01

The problem addressed is the failure of information-space navigation tools when the space grows to large. The basic goal is to provide the power of the hypertext interface in such a way as to be most easily comprehensible to the user. It was determined that the optimal structure for information is an overlapping, simplified hierarchy. The hierarchical structure should be made obvious to the user, and many of the non-hierarchical links in the information space should either by eliminated, or should be de-emphasized so that the novice user is not confused by them. Only one of the hierarchies should be very simple.

Orienting health care information systems toward quality: how Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound did it.

PubMed

Goverman, I L

1994-11-01

Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound (GHC), a large staff-model health maintenance organization based in Seattle, is redesigning its information systems to provide the systems and information needed to support its quality agenda. Long-range planning for GHC's information resources was done in three phases. In assessment, interviews, surveys, and a benchmarking effort identified strengths and weaknesses of the existing information systems. We concluded that we needed to improve clinical care and patient management systems and enhance health plan applications. In direction setting, we developed six objectives (for example, approach information systems in a way that is consistent with quality improvement principles). Detailed planning was used to define projects, timing, and resource allocations. Some of the most important efforts in the resulting five-year plan include the development of (1) a computerized patient record; (2) a provider-based clinical workstation for access to patient information, order entry, results reporting, guidelines, and reminders; (3) a comprehensive set of patient management and service quality systems; (4) reengineered structures, policies, and processes within the health plan, supported by a complete set of integrated information systems; (5) a standardized, high-capacity communications network to provide linkages both within GHC and among its business partners; and (6) a revised oversight structure for information services, which forms partnerships with users. A quality focus ensured that each project not only produced its own benefits but also supported the larger organizational goals associated with "total" quality.

Changes in Wages and Benefits among Young Adults. Data from the National Longitudinal Surveys. Work and Family. Report 849.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bureau of Labor Statistics (DOL), Washington, DC.

Recent changes in the structure of wages and in employer-provided benefits made available to young workers were examined. Changes in the wage structure and in benefits were compared by educational level. Data from the Youth, Young Men, and Young Women's cohorts of the National Longitudinal Surveys provided information on a sample of young men and…

One System for Blood Program Information Management

PubMed Central

Gero, Michael G.; Klickstein, Judith S.; Hurst, Timm M.

1980-01-01

A system which integrates the diverse functions of a Blood Program within one structure is being assembled at the American National Red Cross Blood Services, Northeast Region. When finished, it will provide technical support for collection scheduling, donor recruitment, recordkeeping, laboratory processing, inventory management, HLA typing and matching, distribution, and administration within the Program. By linking these applications, a reporting structure useful to top management will be provided.

Technology for large space systems: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 20)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

This bibliography lists 694 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System between July, 1988 and December, 1988. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher or manager engaged in the development of technologies related to large space systems. Subject areas include mission and program definition, design techniques, structural and thermal analysis, structural dynamics and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, and propulsion.

Analysis of Ten Reverse Engineering Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koskinen, Jussi; Lehmonen, Tero

Reverse engineering tools can be used in satisfying the information needs of software maintainers. Especially in case of maintaining large-scale legacy systems tool support is essential. Reverse engineering tools provide various kinds of capabilities to provide the needed information to the tool user. In this paper we analyze the provided capabilities in terms of four aspects: provided data structures, visualization mechanisms, information request specification mechanisms, and navigation features. We provide a compact analysis of ten representative reverse engineering tools for supporting C, C++ or Java: Eclipse Java Development Tools, Wind River Workbench (for C and C++), Understand (for C++), Imagix 4D, Creole, Javadoc, Javasrc, Source Navigator, Doxygen, and HyperSoft. The results of the study supplement the earlier findings in this important area.

Laboratory information management system for membrane protein structure initiative--from gene to crystal.

PubMed

Troshin, Petr V; Morris, Chris; Prince, Stephen M; Papiz, Miroslav Z

2008-12-01

Membrane Protein Structure Initiative (MPSI) exploits laboratory competencies to work collaboratively and distribute work among the different sites. This is possible as protein structure determination requires a series of steps, starting with target selection, through cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and finally structure determination. Distributed sites create a unique set of challenges for integrating and passing on information on the progress of targets. This role is played by the Protein Information Management System (PIMS), which is a laboratory information management system (LIMS), serving as a hub for MPSI, allowing collaborative structural proteomics to be carried out in a distributed fashion. It holds key information on the progress of cloning, expression, purification and crystallization of proteins. PIMS is employed to track the status of protein targets and to manage constructs, primers, experiments, protocols, sample locations and their detailed histories: thus playing a key role in MPSI data exchange. It also serves as the centre of a federation of interoperable information resources such as local laboratory information systems and international archival resources, like PDB or NCBI. During the challenging task of PIMS integration, within the MPSI, we discovered a number of prerequisites for successful PIMS integration. In this article we share our experiences and provide invaluable insights into the process of LIMS adaptation. This information should be of interest to partners who are thinking about using LIMS as a data centre for their collaborative efforts.

Implication of Broadband Dispersion Measurements in Constraining Upper Mantle Velocity Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuponiyi, A.; Kao, H.; Cassidy, J. F.; Darbyshire, F. A.; Dosso, S. E.; Gosselin, J. M.; Spence, G.

2017-12-01

Dispersion measurements from earthquake (EQ) data are traditionally inverted to obtain 1-D shear-wave velocity models, which provide information on deep earth structures. However, in many cases, EQ-derived dispersion measurements lack short-period information, which theoretically should provide details of shallow structures. We show that in at least some cases short-period information, such as can be obtained from ambient seismic noise (ASN) processing, must be combined with EQ dispersion measurements to properly constrain deeper (e.g. upper-mantle) structures. To verify this, synthetic dispersion data are generated using hypothetical velocity models under four scenarios: EQ only (with and without deep low-velocity layers) and combined EQ and ASN data (with and without deep low-velocity layers). The now "broadband" dispersion data are inverted using a trans-dimensional Bayesian framework with the aim of recovering the initial velocity models and assessing uncertainties. Our results show that the deep low-velocity layer could only be recovered from the inversion of the combined ASN-EQ dispersion measurements. Given this result, we proceed to describe a method for obtaining reliable broadband dispersion measurements from both ASN and EQ and show examples for real data. The implication of this study in the characterization of lithospheric and upper mantle structures, such as the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary (LAB), is also discussed.

The use of geospatial web services for exchanging utilities data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuczyńska, Joanna

2013-04-01

Geographic information technologies and related geo-information systems currently play an important role in the management of public administration in Poland. One of these tasks is to maintain and update Geodetic Evidence of Public Utilities (GESUT), part of the National Geodetic and Cartographic Resource, which contains an important for many institutions information of technical infrastructure. It requires an active exchange of data between the Geodesy and Cartography Documentation Centers and institutions, which administrate transmission lines. The administrator of public utilities, is legally obliged to provide information about utilities to GESUT. The aim of the research work was to develop a universal data exchange methodology, which can be implemented on a variety of hardware and software platforms. This methodology use Unified Modeling Language (UML), eXtensible Markup Language (XML), and Geography Markup Language (GML). The proposed methodology is based on the two different strategies: Model Driven Architecture (MDA) and Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). Used solutions are consistent with the INSPIRE Directive and ISO 19100 series standards for geographic information. On the basis of analysis of the input data structures, conceptual models were built for both databases. Models were written in the universal modeling language: UML. Combined model that defines a common data structure was also built. This model was transformed into developed for the exchange of geographic information GML standard. The structure of the document describing the data that may be exchanged is defined in the .xsd file. Network services were selected and implemented in the system designed for data exchange based on open source tools. Methodology was implemented and tested. Data in the agreed data structure and metadata were set up on the server. Data access was provided by geospatial network services: data searching possibilities by Catalog Service for the Web (CSW), data collection by Web Feature Service (WFS). WFS provides also operation for modification data, for example to update them by utility administrator. The proposed solution significantly increases the efficiency of data exchange and facilitates maintenance the National Geodetic and Cartographic Resource.

Variability of Protein Structure Models from Electron Microscopy.

PubMed

Monroe, Lyman; Terashi, Genki; Kihara, Daisuke

2017-04-04

An increasing number of biomolecular structures are solved by electron microscopy (EM). However, the quality of structure models determined from EM maps vary substantially. To understand to what extent structure models are supported by information embedded in EM maps, we used two computational structure refinement methods to examine how much structures can be refined using a dataset of 49 maps with accompanying structure models. The extent of structure modification as well as the disagreement between refinement models produced by the two computational methods scaled inversely with the global and the local map resolutions. A general quantitative estimation of deviations of structures for particular map resolutions are provided. Our results indicate that the observed discrepancy between the deposited map and the refined models is due to the lack of structural information present in EM maps and thus these annotations must be used with caution for further applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated Data Cleansing in Data Harvesting and Data Migration

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

Martin, Mark; Vowell, Lance; King, Ian

2011-03-16

In the proposal for this project, we noted how the explosion of digitized information available through corporate databases, data stores and online search systems has resulted in the knowledge worker being bombarded by information. Knowledge workers typically spend more than 20-30% of their time seeking and sorting information, only finding the information 50-60% of the time . This information exists as unstructured, semi-structured and structured data. The problem of information overload is compounded by the production of duplicate or near-duplicate information. In addition, near-duplicate items frequently have different origins, creating a situation in which each item may have unique informationmore » of value, but their differences are not significant enough to justify maintaining them as separate entities. Effective tools can be provided to eliminate duplicate and near-duplicate information. The proposed approach was to extract unique information from data sets and consolidation that information into a single comprehensive file.« less

Developing DNA nanotechnology using single-molecule fluorescence.

PubMed

Tsukanov, Roman; Tomov, Toma E; Liber, Miran; Berger, Yaron; Nir, Eyal

2014-06-17

CONSPECTUS: An important effort in the DNA nanotechnology field is focused on the rational design and manufacture of molecular structures and dynamic devices made of DNA. As is the case for other technologies that deal with manipulation of matter, rational development requires high quality and informative feedback on the building blocks and final products. For DNA nanotechnology such feedback is typically provided by gel electrophoresis, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These analytical tools provide excellent structural information; however, usually they do not provide high-resolution dynamic information. For the development of DNA-made dynamic devices such as machines, motors, robots, and computers this constitutes a major problem. Bulk-fluorescence techniques are capable of providing dynamic information, but because only ensemble averaged information is obtained, the technique may not adequately describe the dynamics in the context of complex DNA devices. The single-molecule fluorescence (SMF) technique offers a unique combination of capabilities that make it an excellent tool for guiding the development of DNA-made devices. The technique has been increasingly used in DNA nanotechnology, especially for the analysis of structure, dynamics, integrity, and operation of DNA-made devices; however, its capabilities are not yet sufficiently familiar to the community. The purpose of this Account is to demonstrate how different SMF tools can be utilized for the development of DNA devices and for structural dynamic investigation of biomolecules in general and DNA molecules in particular. Single-molecule diffusion-based Förster resonance energy transfer and alternating laser excitation (sm-FRET/ALEX) and immobilization-based total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) techniques are briefly described and demonstrated. To illustrate the many applications of SMF to DNA nanotechnology, examples of SMF studies of DNA hairpins and Holliday junctions and of the interactions of DNA strands with DNA origami and origami-related devices such as a DNA bipedal motor are provided. These examples demonstrate how SMF can be utilized for measurement of distances and conformational distributions and equilibrium and nonequilibrium kinetics, to monitor structural integrity and operation of DNA devices, and for isolation and investigation of minor subpopulations including malfunctioning and nonreactive devices. Utilization of a flow-cell to achieve measurements of dynamics with increased time resolution and for convenient and efficient operation of DNA devices is discussed briefly. We conclude by summarizing the various benefits provided by SMF for the development of DNA nanotechnology and suggest that the method can significantly assist in the design and manufacture and evaluation of operation of DNA devices.

United States National Library of Medicine Drug Information Portal.

PubMed

Hochstein, Colette; Goshorn, Jeanne; Chang, Florence

2009-01-01

The Drug Information Portal is a free Web resource from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) that provides a user-friendly gateway to current information for more than 15,000 drugs. The site guides users to related resources of NLM, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies. Current drug-related information regarding consumer health, clinical trials, AIDS, MeSH pharmacological actions, MEDLINE/PubMed biomedical literature, and physical properties and structure is easily retrieved by searching on a drug name. A varied selection of focused topics in medicine and drugs is also available from displayed subject headings. This column provides background information about the Drug Information Portal, as well as search basics.

Structure, Function, and Propagation of Information across Living Two, Four, and Eight Node Degree Topologies.

PubMed

Alagapan, Sankaraleengam; Franca, Eric; Pan, Liangbin; Leondopulos, Stathis; Wheeler, Bruce C; DeMarse, Thomas B

2016-01-01

In this study, we created four network topologies composed of living cortical neurons and compared resultant structural-functional dynamics including the nature and quality of information transmission. Each living network was composed of living cortical neurons and were created using microstamping of adhesion promoting molecules and each was "designed" with different levels of convergence embedded within each structure. Networks were cultured over a grid of electrodes that permitted detailed measurements of neural activity at each node in the network. Of the topologies we tested, the "Random" networks in which neurons connect based on their own intrinsic properties transmitted information embedded within their spike trains with higher fidelity relative to any other topology we tested. Within our patterned topologies in which we explicitly manipulated structure, the effect of convergence on fidelity was dependent on both topology and time-scale (rate vs. temporal coding). A more detailed examination using tools from network analysis revealed that these changes in fidelity were also associated with a number of other structural properties including a node's degree, degree-degree correlations, path length, and clustering coefficients. Whereas information transmission was apparent among nodes with few connections, the greatest transmission fidelity was achieved among the few nodes possessing the highest number of connections (high degree nodes or putative hubs). These results provide a unique view into the relationship between structure and its affect on transmission fidelity, at least within these small neural populations with defined network topology. They also highlight the potential role of tools such as microstamp printing and microelectrode array recordings to construct and record from arbitrary network topologies to provide a new direction in which to advance the study of structure-function relationships.

Automated Quantification of Arbitrary Arm-Segment Structure in Spiral Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Darren Robert

This thesis describes a system that, given approximately-centered images of spiral galaxies, produces quantitative descriptions of spiral galaxy structure without the need for per-image human input. This structure information consists of a list of spiral arm segments, each associated with a fitted logarithmic spiral arc and a pixel region. This list-of-arcs representation allows description of arbitrary spiral galaxy structure: the arms do not need to be symmetric, may have forks or bends, and, more generally, may be arranged in any manner with a consistent spiral-pattern center (non-merging galaxies have a sufficiently well-defined center). Such flexibility is important in order to accommodate the myriad structure variations observed in spiral galaxies. From the arcs produced from our method it is possible to calculate measures of spiral galaxy structure such as winding direction, winding tightness, arm counts, asymmetry, or other values of interest (including user-defined measures). In addition to providing information about the spiral arm "skeleton" of each galaxy, our method can enable analyses of brightness within individual spiral arms, since we provide the pixel regions associated with each spiral arm segment. For winding direction, arm tightness, and arm count, comparable information is available (to various extents) from previous efforts; to the extent that such information is available, we find strong correspondence with our output. We also characterize the changes to (and invariances in) our output as a function of modifications to important algorithm parameters. By enabling generation of extensive data about spiral galaxy structure from large-scale sky surveys, our method will enable new discoveries and tests regarding the nature of galaxies and the universe, and will facilitate subsequent work to automatically fit detailed brightness models of spiral galaxies.

A Real-Time Microwave Camera at K-Band (24 GHz)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghasr, M. T.; Abou-Khousa, M.; Baumgartner, M. A.; Zoughi, R.

2009-01-01

Nondestructive testing (NDT) community has been moving towards effective and robust inspection systems that can provide real-time information about materials, geometrical, structural and mechanical characteristics of composite materials/structures. Moreover, in many applications it is desired to have an image of the structure, after which the information contained in the image is correlated to the above characteristics. Microwave signals penetrate inside of dielectric composite structures and their interaction with the interior of the structure renders critical information for NDT purposes. Subsequently, this information (i.e., magnitude and phase or reflected signal) may be used to produce an image of the interior of the structure revealing potential flaws or anomalies. Image processing and reconstruction techniques may also be incorporated to produce high-resolution images (i.e., synthetic-aperture, back-propagation, etc.). There are several different approaches for designing areal-time microwave camera system. One approach is based on modulated scatterer technique (MST), which is used to tag scattered electric field in a discrete two-dimensional (2D) spatial domain (e.g. a retina) resulting in the 2D magnitude and phase distribution of the scattered electric field which is required for producing an image of a material or structure under inspection. The ability to rapidly modulate resonant slot antennas in such a retina along with using receivers with fast responses provide for real-time image production capability. Design issue and criteria become more challenging at higher frequencies and for a relatively large retina size. This paper presents the basic design and challenges for a microwave camera with a retina size of 6" by 6" operating at a frequency of 24 GHz.

Ares-I-X Stability and Control Flight Test: Analysis and Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandon, Jay M.; Derry, Stephen D.; Heim, Eugene H.; Hueschen, Richard M.; Bacon, Barton J.

2008-01-01

The flight test of the Ares I-X vehicle provides a unique opportunity to reduce risk of the design of the Ares I vehicle and test out design, math modeling, and analysis methods. One of the key features of the Ares I design is the significant static aerodynamic instability coupled with the relatively flexible vehicle - potentially resulting in a challenging controls problem to provide adequate flight path performance while also providing adequate structural mode damping and preventing adverse control coupling to the flexible structural modes. Another challenge is to obtain enough data from the single flight to be able to conduct analysis showing the effectiveness of the controls solutions and have data to inform design decisions for Ares I. This paper will outline the modeling approaches and control system design to conduct this flight test, and also the system identification techniques developed to extract key information such as control system performance (gain/phase margins, for example), structural dynamics responses, and aerodynamic model estimations.

Intermediate- and short-range order in phosphorus-selenium glasses

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

Bytchkov, Aleksei; Hennet, Louis; Price, David L.

2011-04-01

State-of-the-art neutron and x-ray diffraction measurements have been performed to provide a definitive picture of the intermediate- and short-range structures of P{sub x}Se{sub 1-x} glasses spanning two glass regions, x 0.025-0.54 and 0.64-0.84. Liquid P{sub 4}Se{sub 3} and amorphous red P and Se were also measured. Detailed information was obtained about the development with increasing phosphorous concentration of intermediate-range order on the length scale {approx}6 A ring , based on the behavior of the first sharp diffraction peak. Attention is also paid to the feature in the structure factor at 7.5 A ring {sup -1}, identified in earlier numerical simulations,more » provides further evidence of the existence of molecular units. The real-space transforms yield a reliable statistical picture of the changing short-range order as x increases, using the information about types and concentrations of local structural units provided by previous NMR measurements to interpret the trends observed.« less

Isomer Information from Ion Mobility Separation of High-Mannose Glycan Fragments.

PubMed

Harvey, David J; Seabright, Gemma E; Vasiljevic, Snezana; Crispin, Max; Struwe, Weston B

2018-05-01

Extracted arrival time distributions of negative ion CID-derived fragments produced prior to traveling-wave ion mobility separation were evaluated for their ability to provide structural information on N-linked glycans. Fragmentation of high-mannose glycans released from several glycoproteins, including those from viral sources, provided over 50 fragments, many of which gave unique collisional cross-sections and provided additional information used to assign structural isomers. For example, cross-ring fragments arising from cleavage of the reducing terminal GlcNAc residue on Man 8 GlcNAc 2 isomers have unique collision cross-sections enabling isomers to be differentiated in mixtures. Specific fragment collision cross-sections enabled identification of glycans, the antennae of which terminated in the antigenic α-galactose residue, and ions defining the composition of the 6-antenna of several of the glycans were also found to have different cross-sections from isomeric ions produced in the same spectra. Potential mechanisms for the formation of the various ions are discussed and the estimated collisional cross-sections are tabulated. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Display methods of electronic patient record screens: patient privacy concerns.

PubMed

Niimi, Yukari; Ota, Katsumasa

2013-01-01

To provide adequate care, medical professionals have to collect not only medical information but also information that may be related to private aspects of the patient's life. With patients' increasing awareness of information privacy, healthcare providers have to pay attention to the patients' right of privacy. This study aimed to clarify the requirements of the display method of electronic patient record (EPR) screens in consideration of both patients' information privacy concerns and health professionals' information needs. For this purpose, semi-structured group interviews were conducted of 78 medical professionals. They pointed out that partial concealment of information to meet patients' requests for privacy could result in challenges in (1) safety in healthcare, (2) information sharing, (3) collaboration, (4) hospital management, and (5) communication. They believed that EPRs should (1) meet the requirements of the therapeutic process, (2) have restricted access, (3) provide convenient access to necessary information, and (4) facilitate interprofessional collaboration. This study provides direction for the development of display methods that balance the sharing of vital information and protection of patient privacy.

3-D Imaging Systems for Agricultural Applications—A Review

PubMed Central

Vázquez-Arellano, Manuel; Griepentrog, Hans W.; Reiser, David; Paraforos, Dimitris S.

2016-01-01

Efficiency increase of resources through automation of agriculture requires more information about the production process, as well as process and machinery status. Sensors are necessary for monitoring the status and condition of production by recognizing the surrounding structures such as objects, field structures, natural or artificial markers, and obstacles. Currently, three dimensional (3-D) sensors are economically affordable and technologically advanced to a great extent, so a breakthrough is already possible if enough research projects are commercialized. The aim of this review paper is to investigate the state-of-the-art of 3-D vision systems in agriculture, and the role and value that only 3-D data can have to provide information about environmental structures based on the recent progress in optical 3-D sensors. The structure of this research consists of an overview of the different optical 3-D vision techniques, based on the basic principles. Afterwards, their application in agriculture are reviewed. The main focus lays on vehicle navigation, and crop and animal husbandry. The depth dimension brought by 3-D sensors provides key information that greatly facilitates the implementation of automation and robotics in agriculture. PMID:27136560

Application toward Confocal Full-Field Microscopic X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Tack, Pieter; Vekemans, Bart; Laforce, Brecht; Rudloff-Grund, Jennifer; Hernández, Willinton Y; Garrevoet, Jan; Falkenberg, Gerald; Brenker, Frank; Van Der Voort, Pascal; Vincze, Laszlo

2017-02-07

Using X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, information on the local chemical structure and oxidation state of an element of interest can be acquired. Conventionally, this information can be obtained in a spatially resolved manner by scanning a sample through a focused X-ray beam. Recently, full-field methods have been developed to obtain direct 2D chemical state information by imaging a large sample area. These methods are usually in transmission mode, thus restricting the use to thin and transmitting samples. Here, a fluorescence method is displayed using an energy-dispersive pnCCD detector, the SLcam, characterized by measurement times far superior to what is generally applicable. Additionally, this method operates in confocal mode, thus providing direct 3D spatially resolved chemical state information from a selected subvolume of a sample, without the need of rotating a sample. The method is applied to two samples: a gold-supported magnesia catalyst (Au/MgO) and a natural diamond containing Fe-rich inclusions. Both samples provide XANES spectra that can be overlapped with reference XANES spectra, allowing this method to be used for fingerprinting and linear combination analysis of known XANES reference compounds.

National Communicable Disease Surveillance System: A review on Information and Organizational Structures in Developed Countries.

PubMed

Bagherian, Hossein; Farahbakhsh, Mohammad; Rabiei, Reza; Moghaddasi, Hamid; Asadi, Farkhondeh

2017-12-01

To obtain necessary information for managing communicable diseases, different countries have developed national communicable diseases surveillance systems (NCDSS). Exploiting the lesson learned from the leading countries in development of surveillance systems provides the foundation for developing these systems in other countries. In this study, the information and organizational structure of NCDSS in developed countries were reviewed. The study reviewed publications found on the organizational structure, content and data flow of NCDSS in the United States of America (USA), Australia and Germany that were published in English between 2000 and 2016. The publications were identified by searching the CINAHL, Science Direct, ProQuest, PubMed, Google Scholar databases and the related databases in selected countries. Thirty-four studies were investigated. All of the reviewed countries have implemented the NCDSS. In majority of countries the department of health (DoH) is responsible for managing this system. The reviewed countries have created a minimum data set for reporting communicable diseases data and information. For developing NCDSS, establishing coordinator centers, setting the effective policies and procedures, providing appropriate communication infrastructures for data exchange and defining a communicable diseases minimum data set are essential.

Methods and apparatus for capture and storage of semantic information with sub-files in a parallel computing system

DOEpatents

Faibish, Sorin; Bent, John M; Tzelnic, Percy; Grider, Gary; Torres, Aaron

2015-02-03

Techniques are provided for storing files in a parallel computing system using sub-files with semantically meaningful boundaries. A method is provided for storing at least one file generated by a distributed application in a parallel computing system. The file comprises one or more of a complete file and a plurality of sub-files. The method comprises the steps of obtaining a user specification of semantic information related to the file; providing the semantic information as a data structure description to a data formatting library write function; and storing the semantic information related to the file with one or more of the sub-files in one or more storage nodes of the parallel computing system. The semantic information provides a description of data in the file. The sub-files can be replicated based on semantically meaningful boundaries.

Eliciting consumer preferences for health plans.

PubMed

Booske, B C; Sainfort, F; Hundt, A S

1999-10-01

To examine (1) what people say is important to them in choosing a health plan; (2) the effect, if any, that giving health plan information has on what people say is important to them; and (3) the effect of preference elicitation methods on what people say is important. A random sample of 201 Wisconsin state employees who participated in a health plan choice experiment during the 1995 open enrollment period. We designed a computer system to guide subjects through the review of information about health plan options. The system began by eliciting the stated preferences of the subjects before they viewed the information, at time 0. Subjects were given an opportunity to revise their preference structures first after viewing summary information about four health plans (time 1) and then after viewing more extensive, detailed information about the same options (time 2). At time 2, these individuals were also asked to rate the relative importance of a predefined list of health plan features presented to them. Data were collected on the number of attributes listed at each point in time and the importance weightings assigned to each attribute. In addition, each item on the attribute list was content analyzed. The provision of information changes the preference structures of individuals. Costs (price) and coverage dominated the attributes cited both before and after looking at health plan information. When presented with information on costs, quality, and how plans work, many of these relatively well educated consumers revised their preference structures; yet coverage and costs remained the primary cited attributes. Although efforts to provide health plan information should continue, decisions on the information to provide and on making it available are not enough. Individuals need help in understanding, processing, and using the information to construct their preferences and make better decisions.

How B-Cell Receptor Repertoire Sequencing Can Be Enriched with Structural Antibody Data

PubMed Central

Kovaltsuk, Aleksandr; Krawczyk, Konrad; Galson, Jacob D.; Kelly, Dominic F.; Deane, Charlotte M.; Trück, Johannes

2017-01-01

Next-generation sequencing of immunoglobulin gene repertoires (Ig-seq) allows the investigation of large-scale antibody dynamics at a sequence level. However, structural information, a crucial descriptor of antibody binding capability, is not collected in Ig-seq protocols. Developing systematic relationships between the antibody sequence information gathered from Ig-seq and low-throughput techniques such as X-ray crystallography could radically improve our understanding of antibodies. The mapping of Ig-seq datasets to known antibody structures can indicate structurally, and perhaps functionally, uncharted areas. Furthermore, contrasting naïve and antigenically challenged datasets using structural antibody descriptors should provide insights into antibody maturation. As the number of antibody structures steadily increases and more and more Ig-seq datasets become available, the opportunities that arise from combining the two types of information increase as well. Here, we review how these data types enrich one another and show potential for advancing our knowledge of the immune system and improving antibody engineering. PMID:29276518

Selenium single-wavelength anomalous diffraction de novo phasing using an X-ray-free electron laser

DOE PAGES

Hunter, Mark S.; Yoon, Chun Hong; DeMirci, Hasan; ...

2016-11-04

Structural information about biological macromolecules near the atomic scale provides important insight into the functions of these molecules. To date, X-ray crystallography has been the predominant method used for macromolecular structure determination. However, challenges exist when solving structures with X-rays, including the phase problem and radiation damage. X-ray-free electron lasers (X-ray FELs) have enabled collection of diffraction information before the onset of radiation damage, yet the majority of structures solved at X-ray FELs have been phased using external information via molecular replacement. De novo phasing at X-ray FELs has proven challenging due in part to per-pulse variations in intensity andmore » wavelength. Here we report the solution of a selenobiotinyl-streptavidin structure using phases obtained by the anomalous diffraction of selenium measured at a single wavelength (Se-SAD) at the Linac Coherent Light Source. Finally, our results demonstrate Se-SAD, routinely employed at synchrotrons for novel structure determination, is now possible at X-ray FELs.« less

Dealing with an information overload of health science data: structured utilisation of libraries, distributed knowledge in databases and Web content.

PubMed

Hoelzer, Simon; Schweiger, Ralf K; Rieger, Joerg; Meyer, Michael

2006-01-01

The organizational structures of web contents and electronic information resources must adapt to the demands of a growing volume of information and user requirements. Otherwise the information society will be threatened by disinformation. The biomedical sciences are especially vulnerable in this regard, since they are strongly oriented toward text-based knowledge sources. Here sustainable improvement can only be achieved by using a comprehensive, integrated approach that not only includes data management but also specifically incorporates the editorial processes, including structuring information sources and publication. The technical resources needed to effectively master these tasks are already available in the form of the data standards and tools of the Semantic Web. They include Rich Site Summaries (RSS), which have become an established means of distributing and syndicating conventional news messages and blogs. They can also provide access to the contents of the previously mentioned information sources, which are conventionally classified as 'deep web' content.

A web-based rapid prototyping and clinical conversational system that complements electronic patient record system.

PubMed

Kim, J H; Ferziger, R; Kawaloff, H B; Sands, D Z; Safran, C; Slack, W V

2001-01-01

Even the most extensive hospital information system cannot support all the complex and ever-changing demands associated with a clinical database, such as providing department or personal data forms, and rating scales. Well-designed clinical dialogue programs may facilitate direct interaction of patients with their medical records. Incorporation of extensive and loosely structured clinical data into an existing medical record system is an essential step towards a comprehensive clinical information system, and can best be achieved when the practitioner and the patient directly enter the contents. We have developed a rapid prototyping and clinical conversational system that complements the electronic medical record system, with its generic data structure and standard communication interfaces based on Web technology. We believe our approach can enhance collaboration between consumer-oriented and provider-oriented information systems.

Netbook User’s Guide and Installation Manual.

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-01-31

The general purpose of Netbook is to add value to the information available online, by developing a collaborative environment within which that...information can be effectively accessed, stored, annotated, and structured. Netbook is a prototype tool that provides users with the capacity for

Deformation and Failure of Protein Materials in Physiologically Extreme Conditions and Disease

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and X- ray crystallography have advanced our ability to identify 3D protein structures57. Site-specific studies using NMR, a... ray crystallography, providing structural and temporal information about mechanisms of deformation and assembly (for example in intermediate...tens of thousands of 3D atomistic protein structures, identifying the structure of numerous proteins from varying species sources60. X- ray

The Use of a Context-Based Information Retrieval Technique

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-07-01

provided in context. Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) is a statistical technique for inferring contextual and structural information, and previous studies...WAIS). 10 DSTO-TR-2322 1.4.4 Latent Semantic Analysis LSA, which is also known as latent semantic indexing (LSI), uses a statistical and...1.4.6 Language Models In contrast, natural language models apply algorithms that combine statistical information with semantic information. Semantic

Automated Recognition of RNA Structure Motifs by Their SHAPE Data Signatures.

PubMed

Radecki, Pierce; Ledda, Mirko; Aviran, Sharon

2018-06-14

High-throughput structure profiling (SP) experiments that provide information at nucleotide resolution are revolutionizing our ability to study RNA structures. Of particular interest are RNA elements whose underlying structures are necessary for their biological functions. We previously introduced patteRNA , an algorithm for rapidly mining SP data for patterns characteristic of such motifs. This work provided a proof-of-concept for the detection of motifs and the capability of distinguishing structures displaying pronounced conformational changes. Here, we describe several improvements and automation routines to patteRNA . We then consider more elaborate biological situations starting with the comparison or integration of results from searches for distinct motifs and across datasets. To facilitate such analyses, we characterize patteRNA ’s outputs and describe a normalization framework that regularizes results. We then demonstrate that our algorithm successfully discerns between highly similar structural variants of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Rev response element (RRE) and readily identifies its exact location in whole-genome structure profiles of HIV-1. This work highlights the breadth of information that can be gleaned from SP data and broadens the utility of data-driven methods as tools for the detection of novel RNA elements.

River embankment characterization: The joint use of geophysical and geotechnical techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perri, Maria Teresa; Boaga, Jacopo; Bersan, Silvia; Cassiani, Giorgio; Cola, Simonetta; Deiana, Rita; Simonini, Paolo; Patti, Salvatore

2014-11-01

Recent flood events in Northern Italy (particularly in the Veneto Region) have brought river embankments into the focus of public attention. Many of these embankments are more than 100 years old and have been repeatedly repaired, so that detailed information on their current structure is generally missing. The monitoring of these structures is currently based, for the most part, on visual inspection and localized measurements of the embankment material parameters. However, this monitoring is generally insufficient to ensure an adequate safety level against floods. For these reasons there is an increasing demand for fast and accurate investigation methods, such as geophysical techniques. These techniques can provide detailed information on the subsurface structures, are non-invasive, cost-effective, and faster than traditional methods. However, they need verification in order to provide reliable results, particularly in complex and reworked man-made structures such as embankments. In this paper we present a case study in which three different geophysical techniques have been applied: electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), frequency domain electromagnetic induction (FDEM) and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). Two test sites have been selected, both located in the Province of Venice (NE Italy) where the Tagliamento River has large embankments. The results obtained with these techniques have been calibrated against evidence resolving from geotechnical investigations. The pros and cons of each technique, as well as their relative merit at identifying the specific features of the embankments in this area, are highlighted. The results demonstrate that geophysical techniques can provide very valuable information for embankment characterization, provided that the data interpretation is constrained via direct evidence, albeit limited in space.

First-principles modeling of biological systems and structure-based drug-design.

PubMed

Sgrignani, Jacopo; Magistrato, Alessandra

2013-03-01

Molecular modeling techniques play a relevant role in drug design providing detailed information at atomistic level on the structural, dynamical, mechanistic and electronic properties of biological systems involved in diseases' onset, integrating and supporting commonly used experimental approaches. These information are often not accessible to the experimental techniques taken singularly, but are of crucial importance for drug design. Due to the enormous increase of the computer power in the last decades, quantum mechanical (QM) or first-principles-based methods have become often used to address biological issues of pharmaceutical relevance, providing relevant information for drug design. Due to their complexity and their size, biological systems are often investigated by means of a mixed quantum-classical (QM/MM) approach, which treats at an accurate QM level a limited chemically relevant portion of the system and at the molecular mechanics (MM) level the remaining of the biomolecule and its environment. This method provides a good compromise between computational cost and accuracy, allowing to characterize the properties of the biological system and the (free) energy landscape of the process in study with the accuracy of a QM description. In this review, after a brief introduction of QM and QM/MM methods, we will discuss few representative examples, taken from our work, of the application of these methods in the study of metallo-enzymes of pharmaceutical interest, of metal-containing anticancer drugs targeting the DNA as well as of neurodegenerative diseases. The information obtained from these studies may provide the basis for a rationale structure-based drug design of new and more efficient inhibitors or drugs.

The development of an annotated library of neutral human milk oligosaccharides

PubMed Central

Wu, Shuai; Tao, Nannan; German, J. Bruce; Grimm, Rudolf; Lebrilla, Carlito B.

2010-01-01

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs)a perform a number of functions including serving as prebiotics to stimulate the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria, as receptor analogs to inhibit binding of pathogens, and as substances that promote postnatal brain development. There is further evidence that HMOs participate in modulating the human immune system. Because the absorption, catabolism and biological function of oligosaccharides (OS) have strong correlations with their structures, structure elucidation is key to advancing this research. Oligosaccharides are produced by competing enzymes that provide the large structural diversity and heterogeneity that characterizes this class of compounds. Unlike the proteome, there is no template for oligosaccharides making it difficult to rapidly identify oligosaccharide structures. In this research, the annotation of the neutral free oligosaccharides in milk is performed to develop a database for the rapid identification of oligosaccharide structures. Our strategy incorporates high performance nanoflow liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry for characterizing HMO structures. HPLC-Chip/TOF MS provides a sensitive and quantitative method for sample profiling. The reproducible retention time and accurate mass can be used to rapidly identify the OS structures in HMO samples. A library with 45 neutral OS structures has been constructed. The structures include information regarding the epitopes such as Lewis type as well as information regarding the secretor status. PMID:20578730

NIAS-Server: Neighbors Influence of Amino acids and Secondary Structures in Proteins.

PubMed

Borguesan, Bruno; Inostroza-Ponta, Mario; Dorn, Márcio

2017-03-01

The exponential growth in the number of experimentally determined three-dimensional protein structures provide a new and relevant knowledge about the conformation of amino acids in proteins. Only a few of probability densities of amino acids are publicly available for use in structure validation and prediction methods. NIAS (Neighbors Influence of Amino acids and Secondary structures) is a web-based tool used to extract information about conformational preferences of amino acid residues and secondary structures in experimental-determined protein templates. This information is useful, for example, to characterize folds and local motifs in proteins, molecular folding, and can help the solution of complex problems such as protein structure prediction, protein design, among others. The NIAS-Server and supplementary data are available at http://sbcb.inf.ufrgs.br/nias .

Pollen structure visualization using high-resolution laboratory-based hard X-ray tomography.

PubMed

Li, Qiong; Gluch, Jürgen; Krüger, Peter; Gall, Martin; Neinhuis, Christoph; Zschech, Ehrenfried

2016-10-14

A laboratory-based X-ray microscope is used to investigate the 3D structure of unstained whole pollen grains. For the first time, high-resolution laboratory-based hard X-ray microscopy is applied to study pollen grains. Based on the efficient acquisition of statistically relevant information-rich images using Zernike phase contrast, both surface- and internal structures of pine pollen - including exine, intine and cellular structures - are clearly visualized. The specific volumes of these structures are calculated from the tomographic data. The systematic three-dimensional study of pollen grains provides morphological and structural information about taxonomic characters that are essential in palynology. Such studies have a direct impact on disciplines such as forestry, agriculture, horticulture, plant breeding and biodiversity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A fast and robust iterative algorithm for prediction of RNA pseudoknotted secondary structures

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Improving accuracy and efficiency of computational methods that predict pseudoknotted RNA secondary structures is an ongoing challenge. Existing methods based on free energy minimization tend to be very slow and are limited in the types of pseudoknots that they can predict. Incorporating known structural information can improve prediction accuracy; however, there are not many methods for prediction of pseudoknotted structures that can incorporate structural information as input. There is even less understanding of the relative robustness of these methods with respect to partial information. Results We present a new method, Iterative HFold, for pseudoknotted RNA secondary structure prediction. Iterative HFold takes as input a pseudoknot-free structure, and produces a possibly pseudoknotted structure whose energy is at least as low as that of any (density-2) pseudoknotted structure containing the input structure. Iterative HFold leverages strengths of earlier methods, namely the fast running time of HFold, a method that is based on the hierarchical folding hypothesis, and the energy parameters of HotKnots V2.0. Our experimental evaluation on a large data set shows that Iterative HFold is robust with respect to partial information, with average accuracy on pseudoknotted structures steadily increasing from roughly 54% to 79% as the user provides up to 40% of the input structure. Iterative HFold is much faster than HotKnots V2.0, while having comparable accuracy. Iterative HFold also has significantly better accuracy than IPknot on our HK-PK and IP-pk168 data sets. Conclusions Iterative HFold is a robust method for prediction of pseudoknotted RNA secondary structures, whose accuracy with more than 5% information about true pseudoknot-free structures is better than that of IPknot, and with about 35% information about true pseudoknot-free structures compares well with that of HotKnots V2.0 while being significantly faster. Iterative HFold and all data used in this work are freely available at http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~hjabbari/software.php. PMID:24884954

How Community Has Shaped the Protein Data Bank

PubMed Central

Berman, Helen M.; Kleywegt, Gerard J.; Nakamura, Haruki; Markley, John L.

2015-01-01

Following several years of community discussion, the Protein Data Bank (PDB) was established in 1971 as a public repository for the coordinates of three-dimensional models of biological macromolecules. Since then, the number, size, and complexity of structural models have continued to grow, reflecting the productivity of structural biology. Managed by the Worldwide PDB organization, the PDB has been able to meet increasing demands for the quantity of structural information and of quality. In addition to providing unrestricted access to structural information, the PDB also works to promote data standards and to raise the profile of structural biology with broader audiences. In this perspective, we describe the history of PDB and the many ways in which the community continues to shape the archive. PMID:24010707

Historical (1860) forest structure in ponderosa pine forests of the northern Front Range, Colorado

Treesearch

Peter M. Brown; Michael A. Battaglia; Paula J. Fornwalt; Benjamin Gannon; Laurie S. Huckaby; Chad Julian; Antony S. Cheng

2015-01-01

Management of many dry conifer forests in western North America is focused on promoting resilience to future wildfires, climate change, and land use impacts through restoration of historical patterns of forest structure and disturbance processes. Historical structural data provide models for past resilient conditions that inform the design of silvicultural treatments...

Information System Life-Cycle And Documentation Standards (SMAP DIDS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

Although not computer program, SMAP DIDS written to provide systematic, NASA-wide structure for documenting information system development projects. Each DID (data item description) outlines document required for top-quality software development. When combined with management, assurance, and life cycle standards, Standards protect all parties who participate in design and operation of new information system.

Census Data System of the Management Information System for Occupational Education: Guidelines and Instructions for Reporting. CDS Document No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Management and Information System for Occupational Education, Winchester, MA.

The MISOE Census Data System (CDS) is one of two major subsystems of an integrated management information system (MISOE), which was developed to provide occupational education managers with comprehensive data on which to base rational management decisions. Essentially, CDS contains descriptive information systematically structured in a manner…

Technology for large space systems: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 08)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

This bibliography lists 414 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system. It provides helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design in the area of Large Space System Technology. Subject matter is grouped according to systems, interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems.

Technology for large space systems: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 09)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

This bibliography lists 414 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between January 1, 1983 and June 30, 1983. Information on technology development and mission design in the area of Large Space System Technology is provided. Subject matter is grouped according to systems, interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics. advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems.

Technology for large space systems: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 22)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

This bibliography lists 1077 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System between July 1, 1989 and December 31, 1989. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher or manager engaged in the development of technologies related to large space systems. Subject areas include mission and program definition, design techniques, structural and thermal analysis, structural dynamics and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, and propulsion.

Technology for large space systems: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 19)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

This bibliography lists 526 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between January 1, 1988 and June 30, 1988. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems.

Large space structures and systems in the space station era: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 04)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1992-10-01

Bibliographies and abstracts are listed for 1211 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between 1 Jul. and 30 Dec. 1991. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems.

Technology for large space systems: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 14)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

This bibliography lists 645 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between July 1, 1985 and December 31, 1985. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems.

Large space structures and systems in the space station era: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 04)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Bibliographies and abstracts are listed for 1211 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between 1 Jul. and 30 Dec. 1991. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems.

Inference of Ancestry in Forensic Analysis II: Analysis of Genetic Data.

PubMed

Santos, Carla; Phillips, Chris; Gomez-Tato, A; Alvarez-Dios, J; Carracedo, Ángel; Lareu, Maria Victoria

2016-01-01

Three approaches applicable to the analysis of forensic ancestry-informative marker data-STRUCTURE, principal component analysis, and the Snipper Bayesian classification system-are reviewed. Detailed step-by-step guidance is provided for adjusting parameter settings in STRUCTURE with particular regard to their effect when differentiating populations. Several enhancements to the Snipper online forensic classification portal are described, highlighting the added functionality they bring to particular aspects of ancestry-informative SNP analysis in a forensic context.

Technology for large space systems: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 17)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

This bibliography lists 512 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between January 1, 1987 and June 30, 1987. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems.

Technology for large space systems: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 10)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The bibliography lists 408 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design in the area of large space system technology. Subject matter is grouped according to systems, interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems.

Technology for large space systems: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 13)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

This bibliography lists 399 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between January 1, 1985 and June 30, 1985. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems.

Technology for large space systems: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 18)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

This bibliography lists 569 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between July 1,1987 and December 31, 1987. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems.

Technology for large space systems: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 16)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

This bibliography lists 673 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between July 1, 1986 and December 31, 1986. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems.

Technology for Large Space Systems: a Bibliography with Indexes (Supplement 21)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

This bibliography lists 745 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between January 1, 1989 and June 30, 1989. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems.

Technology for large space systems: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 15)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

This bibliography lists 594 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between January 1, 1986 and June 30, 1986. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems.

The Protein Structure Initiative Structural Biology Knowledgebase Technology Portal: a structural biology web resource.

PubMed

Gifford, Lida K; Carter, Lester G; Gabanyi, Margaret J; Berman, Helen M; Adams, Paul D

2012-06-01

The Technology Portal of the Protein Structure Initiative Structural Biology Knowledgebase (PSI SBKB; http://technology.sbkb.org/portal/ ) is a web resource providing information about methods and tools that can be used to relieve bottlenecks in many areas of protein production and structural biology research. Several useful features are available on the web site, including multiple ways to search the database of over 250 technological advances, a link to videos of methods on YouTube, and access to a technology forum where scientists can connect, ask questions, get news, and develop collaborations. The Technology Portal is a component of the PSI SBKB ( http://sbkb.org ), which presents integrated genomic, structural, and functional information for all protein sequence targets selected by the Protein Structure Initiative. Created in collaboration with the Nature Publishing Group, the SBKB offers an array of resources for structural biologists, such as a research library, editorials about new research advances, a featured biological system each month, and a functional sleuth for searching protein structures of unknown function. An overview of the various features and examples of user searches highlight the information, tools, and avenues for scientific interaction available through the Technology Portal.

Magnetic resonance imaging based functional imaging in paediatric oncology.

PubMed

Manias, Karen A; Gill, Simrandip K; MacPherson, Lesley; Foster, Katharine; Oates, Adam; Peet, Andrew C

2017-02-01

Imaging is central to management of solid tumours in children. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the standard imaging modality for tumours of the central nervous system (CNS) and limbs and is increasingly used in the abdomen. It provides excellent structural detail, but imparts limited information about tumour type, aggressiveness, metastatic potential or early treatment response. MRI based functional imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy, diffusion and perfusion weighted imaging, probe tissue properties to provide clinically important information about metabolites, structure and blood flow. This review describes the role of and evidence behind these functional imaging techniques in paediatric oncology and implications for integrating them into routine clinical practice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Requirements and principles for the implementation and construction of large-scale geographic information systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Terence R.; Menon, Sudhakar; Star, Jeffrey L.; Estes, John E.

1987-01-01

This paper provides a brief survey of the history, structure and functions of 'traditional' geographic information systems (GIS), and then suggests a set of requirements that large-scale GIS should satisfy, together with a set of principles for their satisfaction. These principles, which include the systematic application of techniques from several subfields of computer science to the design and implementation of GIS and the integration of techniques from computer vision and image processing into standard GIS technology, are discussed in some detail. In particular, the paper provides a detailed discussion of questions relating to appropriate data models, data structures and computational procedures for the efficient storage, retrieval and analysis of spatially-indexed data.

A New Model for the Organizational Structure of Medical Record Departments in Hospitals in Iran

PubMed Central

Moghaddasi, Hamid; Hosseini, Azamossadat; Sheikhtaheri, Abbas

2006-01-01

The organizational structure of medical record departments in Iran is not appropriate for the efficient management of healthcare information. In addition, there is no strong information management division to provide comprehensive information management services in hospitals in Iran. Therefore, a suggested model was designed based on four main axes: 1) specifications of a Health Information Management Division, 2) specifications of a Healthcare Information Management Department, 3) the functions of the Healthcare Information Management Department, and 4) the units of the Healthcare Information Management Department. The validity of the model was determined through use of the Delphi technique. The results of the validation process show that the majority of experts agree with the model and consider it to be appropriate and applicable for hospitals in Iran. The model is therefore recommended for hospitals in Iran. PMID:18066362

Gravimetry contributions to the study of the complex western Haouz aquifer (Morocco): Structural and hydrogeological implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chouikri, Ibtissam; el Mandour, Abdennabi; Jaffal, Mohammed; Baudron, Paul; García-Aróstegui, José-Luis; Manar, Ahmed; Casas, Albert

2016-03-01

This study provides new elements that illustrate the benefits of combining gravity, structural, stratigraphic and piezometric data for hydrogeological purposes. A combined methodology was applied to the western Haouz aquifer (Morocco), one of the main sources of water for irrigation and human consumption in the Marrakech region. First, a residual anomaly map was calculated from the Bouguer anomaly data. The computed map provided information on the ground density variation, revealing a strong control by a regional gradient. We then used various filtering techniques to delineate the major geological structures such as faults and basins: vertical and horizontal derivatives and upward continuation. This technique highlighted news structures and provided information on their dip. The gravity anomalies perfectly delineated the basement uplifts and the sedimentary thickening in depressions and grabens. The interpretation of gravimetric filtering, geological and hydrogeological data then highlighted two types of groundwater reservoirs, an unconfined aquifer hosted in conglomeratic mio-pliocene and quaternary rocks, covering the entire western Haouz and a deep confined aquifer contained in cenomanian-turonian limestone and eocene dolomitic formations in the south. Combining piezometric and residual anomaly maps revealed that groundwater flow and storage was in perfect agreement with the structures showing a negative anomaly, while structures with positive anomalies corresponded to groundwater divides. The study of gravity gradient zones by contact analysis enhanced the existing structural pattern of the study area and highlighted new structures, mainly oriented N70 and N130. The results of this study present a common framework and provide a notable step forward in the knowledge of the geometry and the groundwater flow pattern of the western Haouz aquifer, and will serve as a solid basis for a better water resource management.

CYPSI: a structure-based interface for cytochrome P450s and ligands in Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The cytochrome P450 (CYP) superfamily enables terrestrial plants to adapt to harsh environments. CYPs are key enzymes involved in a wide range of metabolic pathways. It is particularly useful to be able to analyse the three-dimensional (3D) structure when investigating the interactions between CYPs and their substrates. However, only two plant CYP structures have been resolved. In addition, no currently available databases contain structural information on plant CYPs and ligands. Fortunately, the 3D structure of CYPs is highly conserved and this has made it possible to obtain structural information from template-based modelling (TBM). Description The CYP Structure Interface (CYPSI) is a platform for CYP studies. CYPSI integrated the 3D structures for 266 A. thaliana CYPs predicted by three TBM methods: BMCD, which we developed specifically for CYP TBM; and two well-known web-servers, MUSTER and I-TASSER. After careful template selection and optimization, the models built by BMCD were accurate enough for practical application, which we demonstrated using a docking example aimed at searching for the CYPs responsible for ABA 8′-hydroxylation. CYPSI also provides extensive resources for A. thaliana CYP structure and function studies, including 400 PDB entries for solved CYPs, 48 metabolic pathways associated with A. thaliana CYPs, 232 reported CYP ligands and 18 A. thaliana CYPs docked with ligands (61 complexes in total). In addition, CYPSI also includes the ability to search for similar sequences and chemicals. Conclusions CYPSI provides comprehensive structure and function information for A. thaliana CYPs, which should facilitate investigations into the interactions between CYPs and their substrates. CYPSI has a user-friendly interface, which is available at http://bioinfo.cau.edu.cn/CYPSI. PMID:23256889

DSCOVR_EPIC_L2_VESDR_01

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-06-28

... improving forecasting of near surface weather. DASF provides information critical to accounting for structural contributions to measurements ... derived products.   We also provide two ancillary science data products. They are  10 km SIN Grid Land Cover Type and  ...

30 CFR 735.14 - Coverage of grants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... other personnel; (4) New or revised organizational structures; (5) Information and communications... approved State regulatory program; (2) Providing supporting and administrative services required by the State regulatory program; (3) Providing equipment required for the regulatory program and its support...

Comparison of Three Information Sources for Smoking Information in Electronic Health Records

PubMed Central

Wang, Liwei; Ruan, Xiaoyang; Yang, Ping; Liu, Hongfang

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE The primary aim was to compare independent and joint performance of retrieving smoking status through different sources, including narrative text processed by natural language processing (NLP), patient-provided information (PPI), and diagnosis codes (ie, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision [ICD-9]). We also compared the performance of retrieving smoking strength information (ie, heavy/light smoker) from narrative text and PPI. MATERIALS AND METHODS Our study leveraged an existing lung cancer cohort for smoking status, amount, and strength information, which was manually chart-reviewed. On the NLP side, smoking-related electronic medical record (EMR) data were retrieved first. A pattern-based smoking information extraction module was then implemented to extract smoking-related information. After that, heuristic rules were used to obtain smoking status-related information. Smoking information was also obtained from structured data sources based on diagnosis codes and PPI. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were measured using patients with coverage (ie, the proportion of patients whose smoking status/strength can be effectively determined). RESULTS NLP alone has the best overall performance for smoking status extraction (patient coverage: 0.88; sensitivity: 0.97; specificity: 0.70; accuracy: 0.88); combining PPI with NLP further improved patient coverage to 0.96. ICD-9 does not provide additional improvement to NLP and its combination with PPI. For smoking strength, combining NLP with PPI has slight improvement over NLP alone. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that narrative text could serve as a more reliable and comprehensive source for obtaining smoking-related information than structured data sources. PPI, the readily available structured data, could be used as a complementary source for more comprehensive patient coverage. PMID:27980387

X-ray micro-CT and neutron CT as complementary imaging tools for non-destructive 3D imaging of rare silicified fossil plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karch, J.; Dudák, J.; Žemlička, J.; Vavřík, D.; Kumpová, I.; Kvaček, J.; Heřmanová, Z.; Šoltés, J.; Viererbl, L.; Morgano, M.; Kaestner, A.; Trtík, P.

2017-12-01

Computed tomography provides 3D information of inner structures of investigated objects. The obtained information is, however, strongly dependent on the used radiation type. It is known that as X-rays interact with electron cloud and neutrons with atomic nucleus, the obtained data often provide different contrast of sample structures. In this work we present a set of comparative radiographic and CT measurements of rare fossil plant samples using X-rays and thermal neutrons. The X-ray measurements were performed using large area photon counting detectors Timepix at IEAP CTU in Prague and Perkin Elmer flat-panel detector at Center of Excellence Telč. The neutron CT measurement was carried out at Paul Scherrer Institute using BOA beam-line. Furthermore, neutron radiography of fossil samples, provided by National Museum, were performed using a large-area Timepix detector with a neutron-sensitive converting 6LiF layer at Research Centre Rez, Czech Republic. The obtained results show different capabilities of both imaging approaches. While X-ray micro-CT provides very high resolution and enables visualization of fine cracks or small cavities in the samples neutron imaging provides high contrast of morphological structures of fossil plant samples, where X-ray imaging provides insufficient contrast.

Impact of Health Information Exchange on Emergency Medicine Clinical Decision Making.

PubMed

Gordon, Bradley D; Bernard, Kyle; Salzman, Josh; Whitebird, Robin R

2015-12-01

The objective of the study was to understand the immediate utility of health information exchange (HIE) on emergency department (ED) providers by interviewing them shortly after the information was retrieved. Prior studies of physician perceptions regarding HIE have only been performed outside of the care environment. Trained research assistants interviewed resident physicians, physician assistants and attending physicians using a semi-structured questionnaire within two hours of making a HIE request. The responses were recorded, then transcribed for qualitative analysis. The transcribed interviews were analyzed for emerging qualitative themes. We analyzed 40 interviews obtained from 29 providers. Primary qualitative themes discovered included the following: drivers for requests for outside information; the importance of unexpected information; historical lab values as reference points; providing context when determining whether to admit or discharge a patient; the importance of information in refining disposition; improved confidence of provider; and changes in decisions for diagnostic imaging. ED providers are driven to use HIE when they're missing a known piece of information. This study finds two additional impacts not previously reported. First, providers sometimes find additional unanticipated useful information, supporting a workflow that lowers the threshold to request external information. Second, providers sometimes report utility when no changes to their existing plan are made as their confidence is increased based on external records. Our findings are concordant with previous studies in finding exchanged information is useful to provide context for interpreting lab results, making admission decisions, and prevents repeat diagnostic imaging.

Structural basis of substrate specificity in the serine proteases.

PubMed Central

Perona, J. J.; Craik, C. S.

1995-01-01

Structure-based mutational analysis of serine protease specificity has produced a large database of information useful in addressing biological function and in establishing a basis for targeted design efforts. Critical issues examined include the function of water molecules in providing strength and specificity of binding, the extent to which binding subsites are interdependent, and the roles of polypeptide chain flexibility and distal structural elements in contributing to specificity profiles. The studies also provide a foundation for exploring why specificity modification can be either straightforward or complex, depending on the particular system. PMID:7795518

FINDSITE-metal: Integrating evolutionary information and machine learning for structure-based metal binding site prediction at the proteome level

PubMed Central

Brylinski, Michal; Skolnick, Jeffrey

2010-01-01

The rapid accumulation of gene sequences, many of which are hypothetical proteins with unknown function, has stimulated the development of accurate computational tools for protein function prediction with evolution/structure-based approaches showing considerable promise. In this paper, we present FINDSITE-metal, a new threading-based method designed specifically to detect metal binding sites in modeled protein structures. Comprehensive benchmarks using different quality protein structures show that weakly homologous protein models provide sufficient structural information for quite accurate annotation by FINDSITE-metal. Combining structure/evolutionary information with machine learning results in highly accurate metal binding annotations; for protein models constructed by TASSER, whose average Cα RMSD from the native structure is 8.9 Å, 59.5% (71.9%) of the best of top five predicted metal locations are within 4 Å (8 Å) from a bound metal in the crystal structure. For most of the targets, multiple metal binding sites are detected with the best predicted binding site at rank 1 and within the top 2 ranks in 65.6% and 83.1% of the cases, respectively. Furthermore, for iron, copper, zinc, calcium and magnesium ions, the binding metal can be predicted with high, typically 70-90%, accuracy. FINDSITE-metal also provides a set of confidence indexes that help assess the reliability of predictions. Finally, we describe the proteome-wide application of FINDSITE-metal that quantifies the metal binding complement of the human proteome. FINDSITE-metal is freely available to the academic community at http://cssb.biology.gatech.edu/findsite-metal/. PMID:21287609

ICCS 2009 Technical Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schulz, Wolfram, Ed.; Ainley, John, Ed.; Fraillon, Julian, Ed.

2011-01-01

This report is structured so as to provide technical detail about each aspect of International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS). The overview is followed by a series of chapters that provide detail about different aspects of ICCS. Chapters, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are concerned with the instruments. Chapter 2 provides information about the…

Specificity of Structural Assessment of Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trumpower, David L.; Sharara, Harold; Goldsmith, Timothy E.

2010-01-01

This study examines the specificity of information provided by structural assessment of knowledge (SAK). SAK is a technique which uses the Pathfinder scaling algorithm to transform ratings of concept relatedness into network representations (PFnets) of individuals' knowledge. Inferences about individuals' overall domain knowledge based on the…

An Overview of Down Syndrome.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pueschel, Siegfried M.

This booklet presents information regarding the history, incidence, and effects of Down Syndrome. The first chapter, presenting an historical perspective of the condition, provides information on counseling parents of Down Syndrome children, and the chromosome structures seen in Down Syndrome patients. The next chapter discusses medical aspects in…

Disruption of Information Technology Projects: The Reactive Decoupling of Project Management Methodologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmitz, Kurt W.

2013-01-01

Information Technology projects have migrated toward two dominant Project Management (PM) methodologies. Plan-driven practices provide organizational control through highly structured plans, schedules, and specifications that facilitate oversight by hierarchical bureaucracies. In contrast, agile practices emphasize empowered teams using flexible…

Machine-Assisted Reference Section 1980 Program: Proceedings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nitecki, Danuta A.

1980-01-01

The three papers presented discuss the components of the pricing structure for online service vendors (Roger Summit); describe an information system designed to provide agricultural weather data to farmers (Lehnert and Scott); and explore the impact of information delivery systems for the home (Mark Plakias). (FM)

14 CFR 101.29 - Information requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...—High-Power Rocket requires a certificate of waiver or authorization, the person planning the operation... certificate of waiver or authorization the person planning the operation must provide the information below... characteristics for the entire flight profile, (4) A description of all major rocket systems, including structural...

14 CFR 101.29 - Information requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...—High-Power Rocket requires a certificate of waiver or authorization, the person planning the operation... certificate of waiver or authorization the person planning the operation must provide the information below... characteristics for the entire flight profile, (4) A description of all major rocket systems, including structural...

14 CFR 101.29 - Information requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...—High-Power Rocket requires a certificate of waiver or authorization, the person planning the operation... certificate of waiver or authorization the person planning the operation must provide the information below... characteristics for the entire flight profile, (4) A description of all major rocket systems, including structural...

14 CFR 101.29 - Information requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...—High-Power Rocket requires a certificate of waiver or authorization, the person planning the operation... certificate of waiver or authorization the person planning the operation must provide the information below... characteristics for the entire flight profile, (4) A description of all major rocket systems, including structural...

Study on Web-Based Tool for Regional Agriculture Industry Structure Optimization Using Ajax

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Xiaodong; Zhu, Yeping

According to the research status of regional agriculture industry structure adjustment information system and the current development of information technology, this paper takes web-based regional agriculture industry structure optimization tool as research target. This paper introduces Ajax technology and related application frameworks to build an auxiliary toolkit of decision support system for agricultural policy maker and economy researcher. The toolkit includes a “one page” style component of regional agriculture industry structure optimization which provides agile arguments setting method that enables applying sensitivity analysis and usage of data and comparative advantage analysis result, and a component that can solve the linear programming model and its dual problem by simplex method.

Information entropy of humpback whale songs.

PubMed

Suzuki, Ryuji; Buck, John R; Tyack, Peter L

2006-03-01

The structure of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) songs was examined using information theory techniques. The song is an ordered sequence of individual sound elements separated by gaps of silence. Song samples were converted into sequences of discrete symbols by both human and automated classifiers. This paper analyzes the song structure in these symbol sequences using information entropy estimators and autocorrelation estimators. Both parametric and nonparametric entropy estimators are applied to the symbol sequences representing the songs. The results provide quantitative evidence consistent with the hierarchical structure proposed for these songs by Payne and McVay [Science 173, 587-597 (1971)]. Specifically, this analysis demonstrates that: (1) There is a strong structural constraint, or syntax, in the generation of the songs, and (2) the structural constraints exhibit periodicities with periods of 6-8 and 180-400 units. This implies that no empirical Markov model is capable of representing the songs' structure. The results are robust to the choice of either human or automated song-to-symbol classifiers. In addition, the entropy estimates indicate that the maximum amount of information that could be communicated by the sequence of sounds made is less than 1 bit per second.

The dynamics of information-driven coordination phenomena: A transfer entropy analysis

PubMed Central

Borge-Holthoefer, Javier; Perra, Nicola; Gonçalves, Bruno; González-Bailón, Sandra; Arenas, Alex; Moreno, Yamir; Vespignani, Alessandro

2016-01-01

Data from social media provide unprecedented opportunities to investigate the processes that govern the dynamics of collective social phenomena. We consider an information theoretical approach to define and measure the temporal and structural signatures typical of collective social events as they arise and gain prominence. We use the symbolic transfer entropy analysis of microblogging time series to extract directed networks of influence among geolocalized subunits in social systems. This methodology captures the emergence of system-level dynamics close to the onset of socially relevant collective phenomena. The framework is validated against a detailed empirical analysis of five case studies. In particular, we identify a change in the characteristic time scale of the information transfer that flags the onset of information-driven collective phenomena. Furthermore, our approach identifies an order-disorder transition in the directed network of influence between social subunits. In the absence of clear exogenous driving, social collective phenomena can be represented as endogenously driven structural transitions of the information transfer network. This study provides results that can help define models and predictive algorithms for the analysis of societal events based on open source data. PMID:27051875

The dynamics of information-driven coordination phenomena: A transfer entropy analysis.

PubMed

Borge-Holthoefer, Javier; Perra, Nicola; Gonçalves, Bruno; González-Bailón, Sandra; Arenas, Alex; Moreno, Yamir; Vespignani, Alessandro

2016-04-01

Data from social media provide unprecedented opportunities to investigate the processes that govern the dynamics of collective social phenomena. We consider an information theoretical approach to define and measure the temporal and structural signatures typical of collective social events as they arise and gain prominence. We use the symbolic transfer entropy analysis of microblogging time series to extract directed networks of influence among geolocalized subunits in social systems. This methodology captures the emergence of system-level dynamics close to the onset of socially relevant collective phenomena. The framework is validated against a detailed empirical analysis of five case studies. In particular, we identify a change in the characteristic time scale of the information transfer that flags the onset of information-driven collective phenomena. Furthermore, our approach identifies an order-disorder transition in the directed network of influence between social subunits. In the absence of clear exogenous driving, social collective phenomena can be represented as endogenously driven structural transitions of the information transfer network. This study provides results that can help define models and predictive algorithms for the analysis of societal events based on open source data.

Study of the correlation parameters of the surface structure of disordered semiconductors by the two-dimensional DFA and average mutual information methods

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

Alpatov, A. V.; Vikhrov, S. P.; Rybina, N. V., E-mail: pgnv@mail.ru

The processes of self-organization of the surface structure of hydrogenated amorphous silicon are studied by the methods of fluctuation analysis and average mutual information on the basis of atomic-force-microscopy images of the surface. It is found that all of the structures can be characterized by a correlation vector and represented as a superposition of harmonic components and noise. It is shown that, under variations in the technological parameters of the production of a-Si:H films, the correlation properties of their structure vary as well. As the substrate temperature is increased, the formation of structural irregularities becomes less efficient; in this case,more » the length of the correlation vector and the degree of structural ordering increase. It is shown that the procedure based on the method of fluctuation analysis in combination with the method of average mutual information provides a means for studying the self-organization processes in any structures on different length scales.« less

Not so fast: Fast speech correlates with lower lexical and structural information.

PubMed

Cohen Priva, Uriel

2017-03-01

Speakers dynamically adjust their speech rate throughout conversations. These adjustments have been linked to cognitive and communicative limitations: for example, speakers speak words that are contextually unexpected (and thus add more information) with slower speech rates. This raises the question whether limitations of this type vary wildly across speakers or are relatively constant. The latter predicts that across speakers (or conversations), speech rate and the amount of information content are inversely correlated: on average, speakers can either provide high information content or speak quickly, but not both. Using two corpus studies replicated across two corpora, I demonstrate that indeed, fast speech correlates with the use of less informative words and syntactic structures. Thus, while there are individual differences in overall information throughput, speakers are more similar in this aspect than differences in speech rate would suggest. The results suggest that information theoretic constraints on production operate at a higher level than was observed before and affect language throughout production, not only after words and structures are chosen. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A case study for a digital seabed database: Bohai Sea engineering geology database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tianyun, Su; Shikui, Zhai; Baohua, Liu; Ruicai, Liang; Yanpeng, Zheng; Yong, Wang

2006-07-01

This paper discusses the designing plan of ORACLE-based Bohai Sea engineering geology database structure from requisition analysis, conceptual structure analysis, logical structure analysis, physical structure analysis and security designing. In the study, we used the object-oriented Unified Modeling Language (UML) to model the conceptual structure of the database and used the powerful function of data management which the object-oriented and relational database ORACLE provides to organize and manage the storage space and improve its security performance. By this means, the database can provide rapid and highly effective performance in data storage, maintenance and query to satisfy the application requisition of the Bohai Sea Oilfield Paradigm Area Information System.

High-resolution ultrasound imaging of the eye – a review

PubMed Central

Silverman, Ronald H

2009-01-01

This report summarizes the physics, technology and clinical application of ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) of the eye, in which frequencies of 35 MHz and above provide over a threefold improvement in resolution compared with conventional ophthalmic ultrasound systems. UBM allows imaging of anatomy and pathology involving the anterior segment, including regions obscured by overlying optically opaque anatomic or pathologic structures. UBM provides diagnostically significant information in conditions such as glaucoma, cysts and neoplasms, trauma and foreign bodies. UBM also can provide crucial biometric information regarding anterior segment structures, including the cornea and its constituent layers and the anterior and posterior chambers. Although UBM has now been in use for over 15 years, new technologies, including transducer arrays, pulse encoding and combination of ultrasound with light, offer the potential for significant advances in high-resolution diagnostic imaging of the eye. PMID:19138310

High-resolution ultrasound imaging of the eye - a review.

PubMed

Silverman, Ronald H

2009-01-01

This report summarizes the physics, technology and clinical application of ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) of the eye, in which frequencies of 35 MHz and above provide over a threefold improvement in resolution compared with conventional ophthalmic ultrasound systems. UBM allows imaging of anatomy and pathology involving the anterior segment, including regions obscured by overlying optically opaque anatomic or pathologic structures. UBM provides diagnostically significant information in conditions such as glaucoma, cysts and neoplasms, trauma and foreign bodies. UBM also can provide crucial biometric information regarding anterior segment structures, including the cornea and its constituent layers and the anterior and posterior chambers. Although UBM has now been in use for over 15 years, new technologies, including transducer arrays, pulse encoding and combination of ultrasound with light, offer the potential for significant advances in high-resolution diagnostic imaging of the eye.

Structural considerations for solar installers : an approach for small, simplified solar installations or retrofits.

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

Richards, Elizabeth H.; Schindel, Kay; Bosiljevac, Tom

2011-12-01

Structural Considerations for Solar Installers provides a comprehensive outline of structural considerations associated with simplified solar installations and recommends a set of best practices installers can follow when assessing such considerations. Information in the manual comes from engineering and solar experts as well as case studies. The objectives of the manual are to ensure safety and structural durability for rooftop solar installations and to potentially accelerate the permitting process by identifying and remedying structural issues prior to installation. The purpose of this document is to provide tools and guidelines for installers to help ensure that residential photovoltaic (PV) power systemsmore » are properly specified and installed with respect to the continuing structural integrity of the building.« less

Archaeal Genome Guardians Give Insights into Eukaryotic DNA Replication and Damage Response Proteins

PubMed Central

Shin, David S.; Pratt, Ashley J.; Tainer, John A.

2014-01-01

As the third domain of life, archaea, like the eukarya and bacteria, must have robust DNA replication and repair complexes to ensure genome fidelity. Archaea moreover display a breadth of unique habitats and characteristics, and structural biologists increasingly appreciate these features. As archaea include extremophiles that can withstand diverse environmental stresses, they provide fundamental systems for understanding enzymes and pathways critical to genome integrity and stress responses. Such archaeal extremophiles provide critical data on the periodic table for life as well as on the biochemical, geochemical, and physical limitations to adaptive strategies allowing organisms to thrive under environmental stress relevant to determining the boundaries for life as we know it. Specifically, archaeal enzyme structures have informed the architecture and mechanisms of key DNA repair proteins and complexes. With added abilities to temperature-trap flexible complexes and reveal core domains of transient and dynamic complexes, these structures provide insights into mechanisms of maintaining genome integrity despite extreme environmental stress. The DNA damage response protein structures noted in this review therefore inform the basis for genome integrity in the face of environmental stress, with implications for all domains of life as well as for biomanufacturing, astrobiology, and medicine. PMID:24701133

Database for the geologic map of the Sauk River 30-minute by 60-minute quadrangle, Washington (I-2592)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tabor, R.W.; Booth, D.B.; Vance, J.A.; Ford, A.B.

2006-01-01

This digital map database has been prepared by R.W. Tabor from the published Geologic map of the Sauk River 30- by 60 Minute Quadrangle, Washington. Together with the accompanying text files as PDF, it provides information on the geologic structure and stratigraphy of the area covered. The database delineates map units that are identified by general age and lithology following the stratigraphic nomenclature of the U.S. Geological Survey. The authors mapped most of the bedrock geology at 1:100,000 scale, but compiled most Quaternary units at 1:24,000 scale. The Quaternary contacts and structural data have been much simplified for the 1:100,000-scale map and database. The spatial resolution (scale) of the database is 1:100,000 or smaller. This database depicts the distribution of geologic materials and structures at a regional (1:100,000) scale. The report is intended to provide geologic information for the regional study of materials properties, earthquake shaking, landslide potential, mineral hazards, seismic velocity, and earthquake faults. In addition, the report contains information and interpretations about the regional geologic history and framework. However, the regional scale of this report does not provide sufficient detail for site development purposes.

Surrogate data--a secure way to share corporate data.

PubMed

Tetko, Igor V; Abagyan, Ruben; Oprea, Tudor I

2005-01-01

The privacy of chemical structure is of paramount importance for the industrial sector, in particular for the pharmaceutical industry. At the same time, companies handle large amounts of physico-chemical and biological data that could be shared in order to improve our molecular understanding of pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties, which could lead to improved predictivity and shorten the development time for drugs, in particular in the early phases of drug discovery. The current study provides some theoretical limits on the information required to produce reverse engineering of molecules from generated descriptors and demonstrates that the information content of molecules can be as low as less than one bit per atom. Thus theoretically just one descriptor can be used to completely disclose the molecular structure. Instead of sharing descriptors, we propose to share surrogate data. The sharing of surrogate data is nothing else but sharing of reliably predicted molecules. The use of surrogate data can provide the same information as the original set. We consider the practical application of this idea to predict lipophilicity of chemical compounds and we demonstrate that surrogate and real (original) data provides similar prediction ability. Thus, our proposed strategy makes it possible not only to share descriptors, but also complete collections of surrogate molecules without the danger of disclosing the underlying molecular structures.

A quantitative flood risk analysis methodology for urban areas with integration of social research data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Escuder-Bueno, I.; Castillo-Rodríguez, J. T.; Zechner, S.; Jöbstl, C.; Perales-Momparler, S.; Petaccia, G.

2012-09-01

Risk analysis has become a top priority for authorities and stakeholders in many European countries, with the aim of reducing flooding risk, considering the population's needs and improving risk awareness. Within this context, two methodological pieces have been developed in the period 2009-2011 within the SUFRI project (Sustainable Strategies of Urban Flood Risk Management with non-structural measures to cope with the residual risk, 2nd ERA-Net CRUE Funding Initiative). First, the "SUFRI Methodology for pluvial and river flooding risk assessment in urban areas to inform decision-making" provides a comprehensive and quantitative tool for flood risk analysis. Second, the "Methodology for investigation of risk awareness of the population concerned" presents the basis to estimate current risk from a social perspective and identify tendencies in the way floods are understood by citizens. Outcomes of both methods are integrated in this paper with the aim of informing decision making on non-structural protection measures. The results of two case studies are shown to illustrate practical applications of this developed approach. The main advantage of applying the methodology herein presented consists in providing a quantitative estimation of flooding risk before and after investing in non-structural risk mitigation measures. It can be of great interest for decision makers as it provides rational and solid information.

Structure and Bonding of Carbon in Clays from CI Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garview, Laurence a. J.; Buseck, Peter R.

2005-01-01

Carbonaceous chondrites (CC) contain a diverse suite of C-rich materials. Acid dissolution of these meteorites leaves a C-rich residue with chemical and structural affinities to kerogen. This material has primarily been analyzed in bulk, and much information has been provided regarding functional groups and elemental and isotopic compositions. However, comparatively little work has been done on C in unprocessed meteorites. Studies of CCs suggest a spatial relationship of some C-rich materials with products of aqueous alteration. Recent studies revealed discrete submicronsized, C-rich particles in Tagish Lake and a range of CM2 meteorites. A challenge is to correlate the findings from the bulk acid-residue studies with those of high-spatial resolution-mineralogical and spectroscopic observations of unprocessed meteorites. Hence, the relationship between the C-rich materials in the acid residues and its form and locations in the unprocessed meteorite remains unclear. Here we provide information on the structure and bonding of C associated with clays in CI carbonaceous chondrites. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

A class of covariate-dependent spatiotemporal covariance functions

PubMed Central

Reich, Brian J; Eidsvik, Jo; Guindani, Michele; Nail, Amy J; Schmidt, Alexandra M.

2014-01-01

In geostatistics, it is common to model spatially distributed phenomena through an underlying stationary and isotropic spatial process. However, these assumptions are often untenable in practice because of the influence of local effects in the correlation structure. Therefore, it has been of prolonged interest in the literature to provide flexible and effective ways to model non-stationarity in the spatial effects. Arguably, due to the local nature of the problem, we might envision that the correlation structure would be highly dependent on local characteristics of the domain of study, namely the latitude, longitude and altitude of the observation sites, as well as other locally defined covariate information. In this work, we provide a flexible and computationally feasible way for allowing the correlation structure of the underlying processes to depend on local covariate information. We discuss the properties of the induced covariance functions and discuss methods to assess its dependence on local covariate information by means of a simulation study and the analysis of data observed at ozone-monitoring stations in the Southeast United States. PMID:24772199

Pollen structure visualization using high-resolution laboratory-based hard X-ray tomography

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

Li, Qiong; Gluch, Jürgen; Krüger, Peter

A laboratory-based X-ray microscope is used to investigate the 3D structure of unstained whole pollen grains. For the first time, high-resolution laboratory-based hard X-ray microscopy is applied to study pollen grains. Based on the efficient acquisition of statistically relevant information-rich images using Zernike phase contrast, both surface- and internal structures of pine pollen - including exine, intine and cellular structures - are clearly visualized. The specific volumes of these structures are calculated from the tomographic data. The systematic three-dimensional study of pollen grains provides morphological and structural information about taxonomic characters that are essential in palynology. Such studies have amore » direct impact on disciplines such as forestry, agriculture, horticulture, plant breeding and biodiversity. - Highlights: • The unstained whole pine pollen was visualized by high-resolution laboratory-based HXRM for the first time. • The comparison study of pollen grains by LM, SEM and high-resolution laboratory-based HXRM. • Phase contrast imaging provides significantly higher contrast of the raw images compared to absorption contrast imaging. • Surface and internal structure of the pine pollen including exine, intine and cellular structures are clearly visualized. • 3D volume data of unstained whole pollen grains are acquired and the specific volumes of the different layer are calculated.« less

"Anything above marijuana takes priority": Obstetric providers' attitudes and counseling strategies regarding perinatal marijuana use.

PubMed

Holland, Cynthia L; Nkumsah, Michelle Abena; Morrison, Penelope; Tarr, Jill A; Rubio, Doris; Rodriguez, Keri L; Kraemer, Kevin L; Day, Nancy; Arnold, Robert M; Chang, Judy C

2016-09-01

To describe obstetric provider attitudes, beliefs, approaches, concerns, and needs about addressing perinatal marijuana use with their pregnant patients. We conducted individual semi-structured interviews with obstetric providers and asked them to describe their thoughts and experiences about addressing perinatal marijuana use. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded and reviewed to identify themes. Fifty-one providers participated in semi-structured interviews. Providers admitted they were not familiar with identified risks of marijuana use during pregnancy, they perceived marijuana was not as dangerous as other illicit drugs, and they believed patients did not view marijuana as a drug. Most provider counseling strategies focused on marijuana's status as an illegal drug and the risk of child protective services being contacted if patients tested positive at time of delivery. When counseling about perinatal marijuana use, obstetric providers focus more on legal issues than on health risks. They describe needing more information regarding medical consequences of marijuana use during pregnancy. Provider training should include information about potential consequences of perinatal marijuana use and address ways to improve obstetric providers' counseling. Future studies should assess changes in providers' attitudes as more states consider the legalization of marijuana. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantum chemical studies of estrogenic compounds

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Quantum chemical methods are potent tools to provide information on the chemical structure and electronic properties of organic molecules. Modern computational chemistry methods have provided a great deal of insight into the binding of estrogenic compounds to estrogenic receptors (ER), an important ...

Combining cognitive engineering and information fusion architectures to build effective joint systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sliva, Amy L.; Gorman, Joe; Voshell, Martin; Tittle, James; Bowman, Christopher

2016-05-01

The Dual Node Decision Wheels (DNDW) architecture concept was previously described as a novel approach toward integrating analytic and decision-making processes in joint human/automation systems in highly complex sociotechnical settings. In this paper, we extend the DNDW construct with a description of components in this framework, combining structures of the Dual Node Network (DNN) for Information Fusion and Resource Management with extensions on Rasmussen's Decision Ladder (DL) to provide guidance on constructing information systems that better serve decision-making support requirements. The DNN takes a component-centered approach to system design, decomposing each asset in terms of data inputs and outputs according to their roles and interactions in a fusion network. However, to ensure relevancy to and organizational fitment within command and control (C2) processes, principles from cognitive systems engineering emphasize that system design must take a human-centered systems view, integrating information needs and decision making requirements to drive the architecture design and capabilities of network assets. In the current work, we present an approach for structuring and assessing DNDW systems that uses a unique hybrid DNN top-down system design with a human-centered process design, combining DNN node decomposition with artifacts from cognitive analysis (i.e., system abstraction decomposition models, decision ladders) to provide work domain and task-level insights at different levels in an example intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) system setting. This DNDW structure will ensure not only that the information fusion technologies and processes are structured effectively, but that the resulting information products will align with the requirements of human decision makers and be adaptable to different work settings .

Probing hydrogen positions in hydrous compounds: information from parametric neutron powder diffraction studies.

PubMed

Ting, Valeska P; Henry, Paul F; Schmidtmann, Marc; Wilson, Chick C; Weller, Mark T

2012-05-21

We demonstrate the extent to which modern detector technology, coupled with a high flux constant wavelength neutron source, can be used to obtain high quality diffraction data from short data collections, allowing the refinement of the full structures (including hydrogen positions) of hydrous compounds from in situ neutron powder diffraction measurements. The in situ thermodiffractometry and controlled humidity studies reported here reveal that important information on the reorientations of structural water molecules with changing conditions can be easily extracted, providing insight into the effects of hydrogen bonding on bulk physical properties. Using crystalline BaCl2·2H2O as an example system, we analyse the structural changes in the compound and its dehydration intermediates with changing temperature and humidity levels to demonstrate the quality of the dynamic structural information on the hydrogen atoms and associated hydrogen bonding that can be obtained without resorting to sample deuteration.

Intentional Design of Student Organizations to Optimize Leadership Development.

PubMed

Mainella, Felicia C

2017-09-01

This chapter addresses how a group's organizational structure can promote or hinder the leadership capacity of its members. The information in this chapter provides insight into structuring student organizations in a way to maximize all members' leadership development. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

36 CFR 13.161 - Permit application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Section 13.161 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR... blueprint, sketch or photograph of the cabin or structure; (d) A map that shows the geographic location of... cabin or structure. All information may be provided orally except the cabin blueprint, sketch or...

Automatic Text Decomposition and Structuring.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salton, Gerard; And Others

1996-01-01

Text similarity measurements are used to determine relationships between natural-language texts and text excerpts. The resulting linked hypertext maps can be broken down into text segments and themes used to identify different text types and structures, leading to improved information access and utilization. Examples are provided for text…

Water oxidation chemistry of photosystem II.

PubMed

Brudvig, Gary W

2008-03-27

Photosystem II (PSII) uses light energy to split water into protons, electrons and O2. In this reaction, nature has solved the difficult chemical problem of efficient four-electron oxidation of water to yield O2 without significant amounts of reactive intermediate species such as superoxide, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals. In order to use nature's solution for the design of artificial catalysts that split water, it is important to understand the mechanism of the reaction. The recently published X-ray crystal structures of cyanobacterial PSII complexes provide information on the structure of the Mn and Ca ions, the redox-active tyrosine called YZ and the surrounding amino acids that comprise the O2-evolving complex (OEC). The emerging structure of the OEC provides constraints on the different hypothesized mechanisms for O2 evolution. The water oxidation mechanism of PSII is discussed in the light of biophysical and computational studies, inorganic chemistry and X-ray crystallographic information.

Halley's Comet Makes a Comeback.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glenn, William H.

1984-01-01

Presents information on Halley's Comet including its discovery, impact on history, planned investigations related to its 1986 return, where and when to make observations, and predicted calendar of events. Gives general information on comets such as physical structure, theoretical origin, and paths and provides an annotated reference list. (JM)

Biomedical Information Dissemination: Alternative Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farquhar, J. A.

This memorandum is the result of an investigation into the three existing biomedical information services; MEDLARS (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System), the interlibrary loan (ILL) service, and the network of Poison Control Centers. This research is intended to provide an understanding of the structure, quality, and coverage of these…

24 CFR 35.910 - Notices and pamphlet.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Rehabilitation § 35.910... evaluation for the purposes of this part. (b) Lead hazard information pamphlet. The grantee or participating jurisdiction shall provide the lead hazard information pamphlet in accordance with § 35.130. [69 FR 34272, June...

24 CFR 35.910 - Notices and pamphlet.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Rehabilitation § 35.910... evaluation for the purposes of this part. (b) Lead hazard information pamphlet. The grantee or participating jurisdiction shall provide the lead hazard information pamphlet in accordance with § 35.130. [69 FR 34272, June...

24 CFR 35.910 - Notices and pamphlet.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Rehabilitation § 35.910... evaluation for the purposes of this part. (b) Lead hazard information pamphlet. The grantee or participating jurisdiction shall provide the lead hazard information pamphlet in accordance with § 35.130. [69 FR 34272, June...

24 CFR 35.910 - Notices and pamphlet.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Rehabilitation § 35.910... evaluation for the purposes of this part. (b) Lead hazard information pamphlet. The grantee or participating jurisdiction shall provide the lead hazard information pamphlet in accordance with § 35.130. [69 FR 34272, June...

24 CFR 35.910 - Notices and pamphlet.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Rehabilitation § 35.910... evaluation for the purposes of this part. (b) Lead hazard information pamphlet. The grantee or participating jurisdiction shall provide the lead hazard information pamphlet in accordance with § 35.130. [69 FR 34272, June...

4-H Club Goat Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, R. Kipp

This guide provides information for 4-H Club members who have decided on a club goat project. Topics include general information in the following areas: show rules; facilities and equipment (barns/sheds, fences, feeders, water containers, and equipment); selection (structural correctness, muscle, volume and capacity, style and balance, and growth…

Determining Optimal Nursing Resources in Relation to Functions During the Oulu University Hospital Nurse Staffing Management Project.

PubMed

Liljamo, Pia; Lavander, Päivi; Kejonen, Pirjo

2016-01-01

The Oulu University Hospital's staffing management project sought information on the number of nursing staff in relation to treatment days and visits, using existing indicators to describe the activities involved. The retrospective data obtained was compared to human resources and the personnel structure. On this basis an optimal number of staff was determined for the units, taking account of a range of explanatory indicator data. The project made use of the computational model for nurse staffing and the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) method. The project provided extensive information on human resources issues within the units. Its results indicated the differences between wards with respect to the number and structure of resources. In addition, the nurse administrators lacked skills in gathering and using data from administrative datasets. This information will provide support for the further development of nursing operations and nursing management decision-making.

Design of high entropy alloys based on the experience from commercial superalloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Z.; Huang, Y.; Wang, J.; Liu, C. T.

2015-01-01

High entropy alloys (HEAs) have been drawing increasing attention recently and gratifying results have been obtained. However, the existing metallurgic rules of HEAs could not provide specific information of selecting candidate alloys for structural applications. Our brief survey reveals that many commercial superalloys have medium and even to high configurational entropies. The experience of commercial superalloys provides a clue for helping us in the development of HEAs for structural applications.

NESSUS/EXPERT - An expert system for probabilistic structural analysis methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Millwater, H.; Palmer, K.; Fink, P.

1988-01-01

An expert system (NESSUS/EXPERT) is presented which provides assistance in using probabilistic structural analysis methods. NESSUS/EXPERT is an interactive menu-driven expert system that provides information to assist in the use of the probabilistic finite element code NESSUS/FEM and the fast probability integrator. NESSUS/EXPERT was developed with a combination of FORTRAN and CLIPS, a C language expert system tool, to exploit the strengths of each language.

Analysis and Visualization of Nerve Vessel Contacts for Neurovascular Decompression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Süßmuth, Jochen; Piazza, Alexander; Enders, Frank; Naraghi, Ramin; Greiner, Günther; Hastreiter, Peter

Neurovascular compression syndromes are caused by a pathological contact between cranial nerves and vascular structures at the surface of the brainstem. Aiming at improved pre-operative analysis of the target structures, we propose calculating distance fields to provide quantitative information of the important nerve-vessel contacts. Furthermore, we suggest reconstructing polygonal models for the nerves and vessels. Color-coding with the respective distance information is used for enhanced visualization. Overall, our new strategy contributes to a significantly improved clinical understanding.

Describing and Modeling Workflow and Information Flow in Chronic Disease Care

PubMed Central

Unertl, Kim M.; Weinger, Matthew B.; Johnson, Kevin B.; Lorenzi, Nancy M.

2009-01-01

Objectives The goal of the study was to develop an in-depth understanding of work practices, workflow, and information flow in chronic disease care, to facilitate development of context-appropriate informatics tools. Design The study was conducted over a 10-month period in three ambulatory clinics providing chronic disease care. The authors iteratively collected data using direct observation and semi-structured interviews. Measurements The authors observed all aspects of care in three different chronic disease clinics for over 150 hours, including 157 patient-provider interactions. Observation focused on interactions among people, processes, and technology. Observation data were analyzed through an open coding approach. The authors then developed models of workflow and information flow using Hierarchical Task Analysis and Soft Systems Methodology. The authors also conducted nine semi-structured interviews to confirm and refine the models. Results The study had three primary outcomes: models of workflow for each clinic, models of information flow for each clinic, and an in-depth description of work practices and the role of health information technology (HIT) in the clinics. The authors identified gaps between the existing HIT functionality and the needs of chronic disease providers. Conclusions In response to the analysis of workflow and information flow, the authors developed ten guidelines for design of HIT to support chronic disease care, including recommendations to pursue modular approaches to design that would support disease-specific needs. The study demonstrates the importance of evaluating workflow and information flow in HIT design and implementation. PMID:19717802

Autonomous System for Monitoring the Integrity of Composite Fan Housings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Qing, Xinlin P.; Aquino, Christopher; Kumar, Amrita

2010-01-01

A low-cost and reliable system assesses the integrity of composite fan-containment structures. The system utilizes a network of miniature sensors integrated with the structure to scan the entire structural area for any impact events and resulting structural damage, and to monitor degradation due to usage. This system can be used to monitor all types of composite structures on aircraft and spacecraft, as well as automatically monitor in real time the location and extent of damage in the containment structures. This diagnostic information is passed to prognostic modeling that is being developed to utilize the information and provide input on the residual strength of the structure, and maintain a history of structural degradation during usage. The structural health-monitoring system would consist of three major components: (1) sensors and a sensor network, which is permanently bonded onto the structure being monitored; (2) integrated hardware; and (3) software to monitor in-situ the health condition of in-service structures.

Mapping unstable manifolds using drifters/floats in a Southern Ocean field campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuckburgh, Emily F.

2012-09-01

Ideas from dynamical systems theory have been used in an observational field campaign in the Southern Ocean to provide information on the mixing structure of the flow. Instantaneous snapshops of data from satellite altimetry provide information concerning surface currents at a scale of 100 km or so. We show that by using time-series of satellite altimetry we are able to deduce reliable information about the structure of the surface flow at scales as small as 10 km or so. This information was used in near-real time to provide an estimate of the location of stable and unstable manifolds in the vicinity of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. As part of a large U.K./U.S. observational field campaign (DIMES: Diapycnal and Isopycnal Mixing Experiment in the Southern Ocean) a number of drifters and floats were then released (at the surface and at a depth of approximately 1 km) close to the estimated hyperbolic point at the intersection of the two manifolds, in several locations with apparently different dynamical characteristics. The subsequent trajectories of the drifters/floats has allowed the unstable manifolds to be tracked, and the relative separation of pairs of floats has allowed an estimation of Lyapunov exponents. The results of these deployments have given insight into the strengths and limitations of the satellite data which does not resolve small scales in the velocity field, and have elucidated the transport and mixing structure of the Southern Ocean at the surface and at depth.

Information Processing Research

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-03

structure of instances. Opal provides special graphical objects called "Ag- greGadgets" which are used to hold a collection of other objects (either...available in classes of expert systems tasks, re- late this to the structure of parallel production systems, and incorporate parallel-decomposition...Anantharaman et al. 88]. We designed a new pawn structure algorithm and upgraded the king-safety pattern recog- nizers, which contributed significantly

Rate- and duration-of-load behavior of lab-made structural flakeboards

Treesearch

J. D. McNatt

1985-01-01

Tests of structural use panels under different loading conditions provide basic information for establishing design stresses. This paper reports the effects of loading rate in tension and bending and of duration of load in tension on the properties of four lab-made structural flakeboards, (two of which had aligned flakes). The objective was to determine if these panels...

Eighth DOD/NASA/FAA Conference on Fibrous Composites in Structural Design, Part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Starnes, James H., Jr. (Compiler); Bohon, Herman L. (Compiler); Garzon, Sherry B. (Compiler)

1990-01-01

Papers presented at the conference are compiled. The conference provided a forum for the scientific community to exchange composite structures design information and an opportunity to observe recent progress in composite structures design and technology. Part 2 contains papers related to the following subject areas: the application in design; methodology in design; and reliability in design.

An Examination of the Value of Overall Trust and Commitment Associated with Service Complexity in Higher Education Information Technology Outsourcing Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falk, Monica I.

2012-01-01

Enterprise information systems (EIS) governance provides guidance, structure, and rules for companies within industry who use information technology (IT) support services, and in particular, for outsourced IT support. This study focuses on outsourcing from the client perspective for higher education and uses the qualitative methodology with a…

Introduction to United States Government Information Sources. Sixth Edition. Library and Information Science Text Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morehead, Joe

This book provides an account of the general and specialized sources, in print and non-print formats, that make up the bibliographic and textual structure of federal government information. This edition has been revised to reflect the many changes that have occurred in the production and dissemination of government products within the last five…

SSMap: a new UniProt-PDB mapping resource for the curation of structural-related information in the UniProt/Swiss-Prot Knowledgebase.

PubMed

David, Fabrice P A; Yip, Yum L

2008-09-23

Sequences and structures provide valuable complementary information on protein features and functions. However, it is not always straightforward for users to gather information concurrently from the sequence and structure levels. The UniProt knowledgebase (UniProtKB) strives to help users on this undertaking by providing complete cross-references to Protein Data Bank (PDB) as well as coherent feature annotation using available structural information. In this study, SSMap - a new UniProt-PDB residue-residue level mapping - was generated. The primary objective of this mapping is not only to facilitate the two tasks mentioned above, but also to palliate a number of shortcomings of existent mappings. SSMap is the first isoform sequence-specific mapping resource and is up-to-date for UniProtKB annotation tasks. The method employed by SSMap differs from the other mapping resources in that it stresses on the correct reconstruction of the PDB sequence from structures, and on the correct attribution of a UniProtKB entry to each PDB chain by using a series of post-processing steps. SSMap was compared to other existing mapping resources in terms of the correctness of the attribution of PDB chains to UniProtKB entries, and of the quality of the pairwise alignments supporting the residue-residue mapping. It was found that SSMap shared about 80% of the mappings with other mapping sources. New and alternative mappings proposed by SSMap were mostly good as assessed by manual verification of data subsets. As for local pairwise alignments, it was shown that major discrepancies (both in terms of alignment lengths and boundaries), when present, were often due to differences in methodologies used for the mappings. SSMap provides an independent, good quality UniProt-PDB mapping. The systematic comparison conducted in this study allows the further identification of general problems in UniProt-PDB mappings so that both the coverage and the quality of the mappings can be systematically improved for the benefit of the scientific community. SSMap mapping is currently used to provide PDB cross-references in UniProtKB.

Modeling relations in nature and eco-informatics: a practical application of rosennean complexity.

PubMed

Kineman, John J

2007-10-01

The purpose of eco-informatics is to communicate critical information about organisms and ecosystems. To accomplish this, it must reflect the complexity of natural systems. Present information systems are designed around mechanistic concepts that do not capture complexity. Robert Rosen's relational theory offers a way of representing complexity in terms of information entailments that are part of an ontologically implicit 'modeling relation'. This relation has corresponding epistemological components that can be captured empirically, the components being structure (associated with model encoding) and function (associated with model decoding). Relational complexity, thus, provides a long-awaited theoretical underpinning for these concepts that ecology has found indispensable. Structural information pertains to the material organization of a system, which can be represented by data. Functional information specifies potential change, which can be inferred from experiment and represented as models or descriptions of state transformations. Contextual dependency (of structure or function) implies meaning. Biological functions imply internalized or system-dependent laws. Complexity can be represented epistemologically by relating structure and function in two different ways. One expresses the phenomenal relation that exists in any present or past instance, and the other draws the ontology of a system into the empirical world in terms of multiple potentials subject to natural forms of selection and optimality. These act as system attractors. Implementing these components and their theoretical relations in an informatics system will provide more-complete ecological informatics than is possible from a strictly mechanistic point of view. This approach will enable many new possibilities for supporting science and decision making.

Learning to classify wakes from local sensory information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alsalman, Mohamad; Colvert, Brendan; Kanso, Eva; Kanso Team

2017-11-01

Aquatic organisms exhibit remarkable abilities to sense local flow signals contained in their fluid environment and to surmise the origins of these flows. For example, fish can discern the information contained in various flow structures and utilize this information for obstacle avoidance and prey tracking. Flow structures created by flapping and swimming bodies are well characterized in the fluid dynamics literature; however, such characterization relies on classical methods that use an external observer to reconstruct global flow fields. The reconstructed flows, or wakes, are then classified according to the unsteady vortex patterns. Here, we propose a new approach for wake identification: we classify the wakes resulting from a flapping airfoil by applying machine learning algorithms to local flow information. In particular, we simulate the wakes of an oscillating airfoil in an incoming flow, extract the downstream vorticity information, and train a classifier to learn the different flow structures and classify new ones. This data-driven approach provides a promising framework for underwater navigation and detection in application to autonomous bio-inspired vehicles.

COINS: A composites information database system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siddiqi, Shahid; Vosteen, Louis F.; Edlow, Ralph; Kwa, Teck-Seng

1992-01-01

An automated data abstraction form (ADAF) was developed to collect information on advanced fabrication processes and their related costs. The information will be collected for all components being fabricated as part of the ACT program and include in a COmposites INformation System (COINS) database. The aim of the COINS development effort is to provide future airframe preliminary design and fabrication teams with a tool through which production cost can become a deterministic variable in the design optimization process. The effort was initiated by the Structures Technology Program Office (STPO) of the NASA LaRC to implement the recommendations of a working group comprised of representatives from the commercial airframe companies. The principal working group recommendation was to re-institute collection of composite part fabrication data in a format similar to the DOD/NASA Structural Composites Fabrication Guide. The fabrication information collection form was automated with current user friendly computer technology. This work in progress paper describes the new automated form and features that make the form easy to use by an aircraft structural design-manufacturing team.

Automated global structure extraction for effective local building block processing in XCS.

PubMed

Butz, Martin V; Pelikan, Martin; Llorà, Xavier; Goldberg, David E

2006-01-01

Learning Classifier Systems (LCSs), such as the accuracy-based XCS, evolve distributed problem solutions represented by a population of rules. During evolution, features are specialized, propagated, and recombined to provide increasingly accurate subsolutions. Recently, it was shown that, as in conventional genetic algorithms (GAs), some problems require efficient processing of subsets of features to find problem solutions efficiently. In such problems, standard variation operators of genetic and evolutionary algorithms used in LCSs suffer from potential disruption of groups of interacting features, resulting in poor performance. This paper introduces efficient crossover operators to XCS by incorporating techniques derived from competent GAs: the extended compact GA (ECGA) and the Bayesian optimization algorithm (BOA). Instead of simple crossover operators such as uniform crossover or one-point crossover, ECGA or BOA-derived mechanisms are used to build a probabilistic model of the global population and to generate offspring classifiers locally using the model. Several offspring generation variations are introduced and evaluated. The results show that it is possible to achieve performance similar to runs with an informed crossover operator that is specifically designed to yield ideal problem-dependent exploration, exploiting provided problem structure information. Thus, we create the first competent LCSs, XCS/ECGA and XCS/BOA, that detect dependency structures online and propagate corresponding lower-level dependency structures effectively without any information about these structures given in advance.

InterEvDock: a docking server to predict the structure of protein–protein interactions using evolutionary information

PubMed Central

Yu, Jinchao; Vavrusa, Marek; Andreani, Jessica; Rey, Julien; Tufféry, Pierre; Guerois, Raphaël

2016-01-01

The structural modeling of protein–protein interactions is key in understanding how cell machineries cross-talk with each other. Molecular docking simulations provide efficient means to explore how two unbound protein structures interact. InterEvDock is a server for protein docking based on a free rigid-body docking strategy. A systematic rigid-body docking search is performed using the FRODOCK program and the resulting models are re-scored with InterEvScore and SOAP-PP statistical potentials. The InterEvScore potential was specifically designed to integrate co-evolutionary information in the docking process. InterEvDock server is thus particularly well suited in case homologous sequences are available for both binding partners. The server returns 10 structures of the most likely consensus models together with 10 predicted residues most likely involved in the interface. In 91% of all complexes tested in the benchmark, at least one residue out of the 10 predicted is involved in the interface, providing useful guidelines for mutagenesis. InterEvDock is able to identify a correct model among the top10 models for 49% of the rigid-body cases with evolutionary information, making it a unique and efficient tool to explore structural interactomes under an evolutionary perspective. The InterEvDock web interface is available at http://bioserv.rpbs.univ-paris-diderot.fr/services/InterEvDock/. PMID:27131368

Secbase: database module to retrieve secondary structure elements with ligand binding motifs.

PubMed

Koch, Oliver; Cole, Jason; Block, Peter; Klebe, Gerhard

2009-10-01

Secbase is presented as a novel extension module of Relibase. It integrates the information about secondary structure elements into the retrieval facilities of Relibase. The data are accessible via the extended Relibase user interface, and integrated retrieval queries can be addressed using an extended version of Reliscript. The primary information about alpha-helices and beta-sheets is used as provided by the PDB. Furthermore, a uniform classification of all turn families, based on recent clustering methods, and a new helix assignment that is based on this turn classification has been included. Algorithms to analyze the geometric features of helices and beta-strands were also implemented. To demonstrate the performance of the Secbase implementation, some application examples are given. They provide new insights into the involvement of secondary structure elements in ligand binding. A survey of water molecules detected next to the N-terminus of helices is analyzed to show their involvement in ligand binding. Additionally, the parallel oriented NH groups at the alpha-helix N-termini provide special binding motifs to bind particular ligand functional groups with two adjacent oxygen atoms, e.g., as found in negatively charged carboxylate or phosphate groups, respectively. The present study also shows that the specific structure of the first turn of alpha-helices provides a suitable explanation for stabilizing charged structures. The magnitude of the overall helix macrodipole seems to have no or only a minor influence on binding. Furthermore, an overview of the involvement of secondary structure elements with the recognition of some important endogenous ligands such as cofactors shows some distinct preference for particular binding motifs and amino acids.

Structured sparse linear graph embedding.

PubMed

Wang, Haixian

2012-03-01

Subspace learning is a core issue in pattern recognition and machine learning. Linear graph embedding (LGE) is a general framework for subspace learning. In this paper, we propose a structured sparse extension to LGE (SSLGE) by introducing a structured sparsity-inducing norm into LGE. Specifically, SSLGE casts the projection bases learning into a regression-type optimization problem, and then the structured sparsity regularization is applied to the regression coefficients. The regularization selects a subset of features and meanwhile encodes high-order information reflecting a priori structure information of the data. The SSLGE technique provides a unified framework for discovering structured sparse subspace. Computationally, by using a variational equality and the Procrustes transformation, SSLGE is efficiently solved with closed-form updates. Experimental results on face image show the effectiveness of the proposed method. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Databases and Associated Tools for Glycomics and Glycoproteomics.

PubMed

Lisacek, Frederique; Mariethoz, Julien; Alocci, Davide; Rudd, Pauline M; Abrahams, Jodie L; Campbell, Matthew P; Packer, Nicolle H; Ståhle, Jonas; Widmalm, Göran; Mullen, Elaine; Adamczyk, Barbara; Rojas-Macias, Miguel A; Jin, Chunsheng; Karlsson, Niclas G

2017-01-01

The access to biodatabases for glycomics and glycoproteomics has proven to be essential for current glycobiological research. This chapter presents available databases that are devoted to different aspects of glycobioinformatics. This includes oligosaccharide sequence databases, experimental databases, 3D structure databases (of both glycans and glycorelated proteins) and association of glycans with tissue, disease, and proteins. Specific search protocols are also provided using tools associated with experimental databases for converting primary glycoanalytical data to glycan structural information. In particular, researchers using glycoanalysis methods by U/HPLC (GlycoBase), MS (GlycoWorkbench, UniCarb-DB, GlycoDigest), and NMR (CASPER) will benefit from this chapter. In addition we also include information on how to utilize glycan structural information to query databases that associate glycans with proteins (UniCarbKB) and with interactions with pathogens (SugarBind).

Development of an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for Scaling Terrestrial Ecosystem Traits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, R.; McMahon, A. M.; Serbin, S.; Rogers, A.

2015-12-01

The next generation of Ecosystem and Earth System Models (EESMs) will require detailed information on ecosystem structure and function, including properties of vegetation related to carbon (C), water, and energy cycling, in order to project the future state of ecosystems. High spatial-temporal resolution measurements of terrestrial ecosystem are also important for EESMs, because they can provide critical inputs and benchmark datasets for evaluation of EESMs simulations across scales. The recent development of high-quality, low-altitude remote sensing platforms or small UAS (< 25 kg) enables measurements of terrestrial ecosystems at unprecedented temporal and spatial scales. Specifically, these new platforms can provide detailed information on patterns and processes of terrestrial ecosystems at a critical intermediate scale between point measurements and suborbital and satellite platforms. Given their potential for sub-decimeter spatial resolution, improved mission safety, high revisit frequency, and reduced operation cost, these platforms are of particular interest in the development of ecological scaling algorithms to parameterize and benchmark EESMs, particularly over complex and remote terrain. Our group is developing a small UAS platform and integrated sensor package focused on measurement needs for scaling and informing ecosystem modeling activities, as well as scaling and mapping plant functional traits. To do this we are developing an integrated software workflow and hardware package using off-the-shelf instrumentation including a high-resolution digital camera for Structure from Motion, spectroradiometer, and a thermal infrared camera. Our workflow includes platform design, measurement, image processing, data management, and information extraction. The fusion of 3D structure information, thermal-infrared imagery, and spectroscopic measurements, will provide a foundation for the development of ecological scaling and mapping algorithms. Our initial focus is in temperate forests but near-term research will expand into the high-arctic and eventually tropical systems. The results of this prototype study show that off-the-shelf technology can be used to develop a low-cost alternative for mapping plant traits and three-dimensional structure for ecological research.

How community has shaped the Protein Data Bank.

PubMed

Berman, Helen M; Kleywegt, Gerard J; Nakamura, Haruki; Markley, John L

2013-09-03

Following several years of community discussion, the Protein Data Bank (PDB) was established in 1971 as a public repository for the coordinates of three-dimensional models of biological macromolecules. Since then, the number, size, and complexity of structural models have continued to grow, reflecting the productivity of structural biology. Managed by the Worldwide PDB organization, the PDB has been able to meet increasing demands for the quantity of structural information and of quality. In addition to providing unrestricted access to structural information, the PDB also works to promote data standards and to raise the profile of structural biology with broader audiences. In this perspective, we describe the history of PDB and the many ways in which the community continues to shape the archive. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multidisciplinary analysis of actively controlled large flexible spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Paul A.; Young, John W.; Sutter, Thomas R.

1986-01-01

The control of Flexible Structures (COFS) program has supported the development of an analysis capability at the Langley Research Center called the Integrated Multidisciplinary Analysis Tool (IMAT) which provides an efficient data storage and transfer capability among commercial computer codes to aid in the dynamic analysis of actively controlled structures. IMAT is a system of computer programs which transfers Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) configurations, structural finite element models, material property and stress information, structural and rigid-body dynamic model information, and linear system matrices for control law formulation among various commercial applications programs through a common database. Although general in its formulation, IMAT was developed specifically to aid in the evaluation of the structures. A description of the IMAT system and results of an application of the system are given.

Promoting a structural view of biology for varied audiences: an overview of RCSB PDB resources and experiences.

PubMed

Dutta, Shuchismita; Zardecki, Christine; Goodsell, David S; Berman, Helen M

2010-10-01

The Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank (RCSB PDB) supports scientific research and education worldwide by providing an essential resource of information on biomolecular structures. In addition to serving as a deposition, data-processing and distribution center for PDB data, the RCSB PDB offers resources and online materials that different audiences can use to customize their structural biology instruction. These include resources for general audiences that present macromolecular structure in the context of a biological theme, method-based materials for researchers who take a more traditional approach to the presentation of structural science, and materials that mix theme-based and method-based approaches for educators and students. Through these efforts the RCSB PDB aims to enable optimal use of structural data by researchers, educators and students designing and understanding experiments in biology, chemistry and medicine, and by general users making informed decisions about their life and health.

A method for the direct measurement of electronic site populations in a molecular aggregate using two-dimensional electronic-vibrational spectroscopy

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

Lewis, Nicholas H. C.; Dong, Hui; Oliver, Thomas A. A.

2015-09-28

Two dimensional electronic spectroscopy has proven to be a valuable experimental technique to reveal electronic excitation dynamics in photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes, nanoscale semiconductors, organic photovoltaic materials, and many other types of systems. It does not, however, provide direct information concerning the spatial structure and dynamics of excitons. 2D infrared spectroscopy has become a widely used tool for studying structural dynamics but is incapable of directly providing information concerning electronic excited states. 2D electronic-vibrational (2DEV) spectroscopy provides a link between these domains, directly connecting the electronic excitation with the vibrational structure of the system under study. In this work, we derivemore » response functions for the 2DEV spectrum of a molecular dimer and propose a method by which 2DEV spectra could be used to directly measure the electronic site populations as a function of time following the initial electronic excitation. We present results from the response function simulations which show that our proposed approach is substantially valid. This method provides, to our knowledge, the first direct experimental method for measuring the electronic excited state dynamics in the spatial domain, on the molecular scale.« less

A method for the direct measurement of electronic site populations in a molecular aggregate using two-dimensional electronic-vibrational spectroscopy

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

Lewis, Nicholas H. C.; Dong, Hui; Oliver, Thomas A. A.

2015-09-28

Two dimensional electronic spectroscopy has proved to be a valuable experimental technique to reveal electronic excitation dynamics in photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes, nanoscale semiconductors, organic photovoltaic materials, and many other types of systems. It does not, however, provide direct information concerning the spatial structure and dynamics of excitons. 2D infrared spectroscopy has become a widely used tool for studying structural dynamics but is incapable of directly providing information concerning electronic excited states. 2D electronic-vibrational (2DEV) spectroscopy provides a link between these domains, directly connecting the electronic excitation with the vibrational structure of the system under study. In this work, we derivemore » response functions for the 2DEV spectrum of a molecular dimer and propose a method by which 2DEV spectra could be used to directly measure the electronic site populations as a function of time following the initial electronic excitation. We present results from the response function simulations which show that our proposed approach is substantially valid. This method provides, to our knowledge, the first direct experimental method for measuring the electronic excited state dynamics in the spatial domain, on the molecular scale.« less

A method for the direct measurement of electronic site populations in a molecular aggregate using two-dimensional electronic-vibrational spectroscopy.

PubMed

Lewis, Nicholas H C; Dong, Hui; Oliver, Thomas A A; Fleming, Graham R

2015-09-28

Two dimensional electronic spectroscopy has proved to be a valuable experimental technique to reveal electronic excitation dynamics in photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes, nanoscale semiconductors, organic photovoltaic materials, and many other types of systems. It does not, however, provide direct information concerning the spatial structure and dynamics of excitons. 2D infrared spectroscopy has become a widely used tool for studying structural dynamics but is incapable of directly providing information concerning electronic excited states. 2D electronic-vibrational (2DEV) spectroscopy provides a link between these domains, directly connecting the electronic excitation with the vibrational structure of the system under study. In this work, we derive response functions for the 2DEV spectrum of a molecular dimer and propose a method by which 2DEV spectra could be used to directly measure the electronic site populations as a function of time following the initial electronic excitation. We present results from the response function simulations which show that our proposed approach is substantially valid. This method provides, to our knowledge, the first direct experimental method for measuring the electronic excited state dynamics in the spatial domain, on the molecular scale.

A national survey of cardiac rehabilitation services in New Zealand: 2015.

PubMed

Kira, Geoff; Doolan-Noble, Fiona; Humphreys, Grace; Williams, Gina; O'Shaughnessy, Helen; Devlin, Gerry

2016-05-27

Guidelines for cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programmes inform best practice. In Aotearoa NewZealand, little information exists about the structure and services provided by CR programmes and there is a poor understanding of how existing CR programmes are delivered with respect to evidence-based national guidelines. All 46 CR providers in New Zealand were invited to participate in a national survey in 2015. The survey sought information on the following: unit structure; referral processes; patient assessment; audit (including quality assurance activity); Phase 2 CR content; and support for special populations. Simple descriptive analysis of the responses was conducted, involving forming counts and percentages. Thirty-six distinct units completed the survey and 94% provided Phase 2. Assessment tools, Phase 2 educational components, and the methods of providing the exercise component varied. Most units audited their services, 25% audited their programme six-monthly or more frequently. Just over half of the units (56%) reported key performance indicators. The survey identified variations in delivery and content of CR in New Zealand, with poor understanding of the impact on patient outcomes. This is likely due to the absence of standardised audit practices and routine collection of key performance indicators on a national basis.

Does age really matter? Recall of information presented to newly referred patients with cancer.

PubMed

Jansen, Jesse; Butow, Phyllis N; van Weert, Julia C M; van Dulmen, Sandra; Devine, Rhonda J; Heeren, Thea J; Bensing, Jozien M; Tattersall, Martin H N

2008-11-20

To examine age- and age-related differences in recall of information provided during oncology consultations. Two hundred sixty patients with cancer diagnosed with heterogeneous cancers, seeing a medical or radiation oncologist for the first time, participated in the study. Patients completed questionnaires assessing information needs and anxiety. Recall of information provided was measured using a structured telephone interview in which patients were prompted to remember details physicians gave about diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Recall was checked against the actual communication in audio-recordings of the consultations. Recall decreased significantly with age, but only when total amount of information presented was taken into account. This indicates that if more information is discussed, older patients have more trouble remembering the information than younger ones. In addition, recall was selectively influenced by prognosis. First, patients with a poorer prognosis recalled less. Next, the more information was provided about prognosis, the less information patients recalled, regardless of their actual prognosis. Recall is not simply a function of patient age. Age only predicts recall when controlling for amount of information presented. Both prognosis and information about prognosis are better predictors of recall than age. These results provide important insights into intervention strategies to improve information recall in patients with cancer.

Policy and system strategies in promoting child health information systems, including the role of Medicaid, the state children's health insurance program, and public financing.

PubMed

MacTaggart, Patricia; Bagley, Bruce

2009-01-01

Government, through its unique roles as regulator, purchaser, provider, and facilitator, has an opportunity and an obligation to play a major role in accelerating the implementation of electronic health record systems and electronic health information exchange. Providers, who are expected to deliver appropriate care at designated locations at an appropriate cost, are dependent on health information technology for efficient effective health care. As state and federal governments move forward with health care purchasing reforms, they must take the opportunity to leverage policy and structure and to align incentives that enhance the potential for provider engagement in electronic health record adoption.

Country Education Profiles: Algeria.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Bureau of Education, Geneva (Switzerland).

One of a series of profiles prepared by the Cooperative Educational Abstracting Service, this brief outline provides basic background information on educational principles, system of administration, structure and organization, curricula, and teacher training in Algeria. Statistics provided by the Unesco Office of Statistics show enrollment at all…

Higher Education in Norway. Monographs on Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Bucharest (Romania). European Centre for Higher Education.

The system of higher education of Norway is described. After tracing the history and present structure of the Norwegian higher education system, information is provided on: the administrative structure, staff, costs, library service, the content and organization of courses, research in higher education, adult education, teaching and evaluation…

PIECE 2.0: an update for the plant gene structure comparison and evolution database

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

PIECE (Plant Intron Exon Comparision and Evolution) is a web-accessible database that houses intron and exon information of plant genes. PIECE serves as a resource for biologists interested in comparing intron-exon organization and provides valuable insights into the evolution of gene structure in ...

The Educational (Im)possibility for Dietetics: A Poststructural Discourse Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gingras, Jacqui

2009-01-01

Inquiring into the theoretical underpinnings of dietetic curriculum provides a means for further understanding who dietitians are (identity) and what dietitians do (performativity). Since dietetic curriculum exists as a structural influence on the dietetic student identity, it is worth inquiring into how such a structure is theoretically informed,…

Structure of Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) Efforts, 2000-01.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baenen, Nancy; Yaman, Kimberly

This report focuses on the structure of instructional assistance available through the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) to students who show low achievement in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), North Carolina. Context information is also provided on other programs available to these students. Reports on ALP student participation,…

76 FR 67070 - Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Service Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-31

... Practices of the Video Relay Service Program AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Final rule.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Structure and Practices of the Video Relay... supervision should be deemed to be employees of the provider, in satisfaction of the requirement that video...

An automated curation procedure for addressing chemical errors and inconsistencies in public datasets used in QSAR modeling

EPA Science Inventory

Increasing availability of large collections of chemical structures and associated experimental data provides an opportunity to build robust QSAR models for applications in different fields. One common concern is the quality of both the chemical structure information and associat...

40 CFR 51.160 - Legally enforceable procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... facility, building, structure or installation, or combination of these will result in— (1) A violation of... provide for the submission, by the owner or operator of the building, facility, structure, or installation to be constructed or modified, of such information on— (1) The nature and amounts of emissions to be...

40 CFR 51.160 - Legally enforceable procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... facility, building, structure or installation, or combination of these will result in— (1) A violation of... provide for the submission, by the owner or operator of the building, facility, structure, or installation to be constructed or modified, of such information on— (1) The nature and amounts of emissions to be...

40 CFR 51.160 - Legally enforceable procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... facility, building, structure or installation, or combination of these will result in— (1) A violation of... provide for the submission, by the owner or operator of the building, facility, structure, or installation to be constructed or modified, of such information on— (1) The nature and amounts of emissions to be...

40 CFR 51.160 - Legally enforceable procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... facility, building, structure or installation, or combination of these will result in— (1) A violation of... provide for the submission, by the owner or operator of the building, facility, structure, or installation to be constructed or modified, of such information on— (1) The nature and amounts of emissions to be...

40 CFR 51.160 - Legally enforceable procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... facility, building, structure or installation, or combination of these will result in— (1) A violation of... provide for the submission, by the owner or operator of the building, facility, structure, or installation to be constructed or modified, of such information on— (1) The nature and amounts of emissions to be...

Effects of Participant Engagement on Prosodic Prominence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buxó-Lugo, Andrés; Toscano, Joseph C.; Watson, Duane G.

2018-01-01

It is generally assumed that prosodic cues that provide linguistic information, like discourse status, are driven primarily by the information structure of the conversation. This article investigates whether speakers have the capacity to adjust subtle acoustic-phonetic properties of the prosodic signal when they find themselves in contexts in…

Intranet Implementation as an HR Communication Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Daniel J.; Andrews, Dianna M.

1996-01-01

Applications of World Wide Web-style institutional intranets and browsers to provide and manage information in college personnel administration are examined. The intranet can facilitate use of more complex data structures, protect data security, allow tracking of information and forms, eliminate hard-copy manuals, maintain up-to-date schedules,…

Online Stock Market Games for High Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopus, Jane; Placone, Dennis

2002-01-01

Identifies a Web site providing information about stock market simulations for high school economics courses. Divides the information into two tables: (1) the structure of online stock market games; and (2) the determination of portfolio values of online stock market games. States that changes and updates are available at Web sites. (JEH)

Manual for ERIC Awareness Workshop.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strohmenger, C. Todd; Lanham, Berma A.

This manual, designed to be used with a video tape, provides information for conducting a workshop to familiarize educators with the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). Objectives of the workshop include: (1) to develop an understanding of the contents and structure of the ERIC database; (2) to develop an understanding of ERIC as a…

The DoD Gateway Information System (DGIS): The DoD Microcomputer User's Gateway to the World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuhn, Allan D.; Cotter, Gladys A.

1988-01-01

Describes the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Gateway Information System, which provides communications capabilities and access to online databases for DoD microcomputer end-users. Functions, structure, development, and artificial intelligence applications of the system are discussed. (11 references) (MES)

The Potential of Spaceborne Remote Sensing for Deriving Canopy Structure Metrics and Informing Biodiversity and Habitat Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goetz, S. J.; Dubayah, R.

2016-12-01

Research on characterization of canopy structure with remote sensing has exploded as airborne data sets have become more widely available to the biodiversity science and habitat management communities. While these advances are important in the context of increasing pressure on both habitat and wildlife, airborne data acquisitions are necessarily limited in geographic scope and thus in their general applicability to biome-scale biodiversity research initiatives, including international programs striving to implement the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the associated Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The lack of systematic metrics of canopy structure across large geographic domains also makes it difficult to implement the CBD Strategic Plan systematically across nations, as outlined in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans. The Group on Earth Observations, Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) has proposed a set of Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) that could be used as a global-scale basis for biodiversity monitoring, but several of those EBVs are still limited by the availability of data on habitat 3D structure. Those limitations will be overcome in the near future with a suite of satellite missions that will provide an unprecedented level of active remote sensing measurements useful for deriving structure information, including Tandem-X, ICESat-2, BIOMASS and the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI). We will provide a brief overview of the rapid advance of measurements of canopy structure and the applications that have evolved in recent years in terms of 3D habitat characterization, species-specific habitat utilization, and the potential of these new space-based measurements. In this talk we will focus primarily on GEDI, a lidar mission to be installed on the International Space Station that is optimized for retrieving 3D canopy structure. GEDI and the other new missions will provide long-desired consistent and systematic information on EBVs from space, and thereby facilitate the implementation of international biodiversity policy objectives.

MMpI: A WideRange of Available Compounds of Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors

PubMed Central

Muvva, Charuvaka; Patra, Sanjukta; Venkatesan, Subramanian

2016-01-01

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of zinc-dependent proteinases involved in the regulation of the extracellular signaling and structural matrix environment of cells and tissues. MMPs are considered as promising targets for the treatment of many diseases. Therefore, creation of database on the inhibitors of MMP would definitely accelerate the research activities in this area due to its implication in above-mentioned diseases and associated limitations in the first and second generation inhibitors. In this communication, we report the development of a new MMpI database which provides resourceful information for all researchers working in this field. It is a web-accessible, unique resource that contains detailed information on the inhibitors of MMP including small molecules, peptides and MMP Drug Leads. The database contains entries of ~3000 inhibitors including ~72 MMP Drug Leads and ~73 peptide based inhibitors. This database provides the detailed molecular and structural details which are necessary for the drug discovery and development. The MMpI database contains physical properties, 2D and 3D structures (mol2 and pdb format files) of inhibitors of MMP. Other data fields are hyperlinked to PubChem, ChEMBL, BindingDB, DrugBank, PDB, MEROPS and PubMed. The database has extensive searching facility with MMpI ID, IUPAC name, chemical structure and with the title of research article. The MMP inhibitors provided in MMpI database are optimized using Python-based Hierarchical Environment for Integrated Xtallography (Phenix) software. MMpI Database is unique and it is the only public database that contains and provides the complete information on the inhibitors of MMP. Database URL: http://clri.res.in/subramanian/databases/mmpi/index.php. PMID:27509041

Thermal Analysis by Structural Characterization as a Method for Assessing Heterogeneity in Complex Solid Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms.

PubMed

Alhijjaj, Muqdad; Reading, Mike; Belton, Peter; Qi, Sheng

2015-11-03

Characterizing inter- and intrasample heterogeneity of solid and semisolid pharmaceutical products is important both for rational design of dosage forms and subsequent quality control during manufacture; however, most pharmaceutical products are multicomponent formulations that are challenging in this regard. Thermal analysis, in particular differential scanning calorimetry, is commonly used to obtain structural information, such as degree of crystallinity, or identify the presence of a particular polymorph, but the results are an average over the whole sample; it cannot directly provide information about the spatial distribution of phases. This study demonstrates the use of a new thermo-optical technique, thermal analysis by structural characterization (TASC), that can provide spatially resolved information on thermal transitions by applying a novel algorithm to images acquired by hot stage microscopy. We determined that TASC can be a low cost, relatively rapid method of characterizing heterogeneity and other aspects of structure. In the examples studied, it was found that high heating rates enabled screening times of 3-5 min per sample. In addition, this study demonstrated the higher sensitivity of TASC for detecting the metastable form of polyethylene glycol (PEG) compared to conventional differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This preliminary work suggests that TASC will be a worthwhile additional tool for characterizing a broad range of materials.

Characterizing the spatial structure of endangered species habitat using geostatistical analysis of IKONOS imagery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wallace, C.S.A.; Marsh, S.E.

2005-01-01

Our study used geostatistics to extract measures that characterize the spatial structure of vegetated landscapes from satellite imagery for mapping endangered Sonoran pronghorn habitat. Fine spatial resolution IKONOS data provided information at the scale of individual trees or shrubs that permitted analysis of vegetation structure and pattern. We derived images of landscape structure by calculating local estimates of the nugget, sill, and range variogram parameters within 25 ?? 25-m image windows. These variogram parameters, which describe the spatial autocorrelation of the 1-m image pixels, are shown in previous studies to discriminate between different species-specific vegetation associations. We constructed two independent models of pronghorn landscape preference by coupling the derived measures with Sonoran pronghorn sighting data: a distribution-based model and a cluster-based model. The distribution-based model used the descriptive statistics for variogram measures at pronghorn sightings, whereas the cluster-based model used the distribution of pronghorn sightings within clusters of an unsupervised classification of derived images. Both models define similar landscapes, and validation results confirm they effectively predict the locations of an independent set of pronghorn sightings. Such information, although not a substitute for field-based knowledge of the landscape and associated ecological processes, can provide valuable reconnaissance information to guide natural resource management efforts. ?? 2005 Taylor & Francis Group Ltd.

Extraction of information on macromolecular interactions from fluorescence micro-spectroscopy measurements in the presence and absence of FRET.

PubMed

Raicu, Valerică

2018-06-15

Investigations of static or dynamic interactions between proteins or other biological macromolecules in living cells often rely on the use of fluorescent tags with two different colors in conjunction with adequate theoretical descriptions of Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) and molecular-level micro-spectroscopic technology. One such method based on these general principles is FRET spectrometry, which allows determination of the quaternary structure of biomolecules from cell-level images of the distributions, or spectra of occurrence frequency of FRET efficiencies. Subsequent refinements allowed combining FRET frequency spectra with molecular concentration information, thereby providing the proportion of molecular complexes with various quaternary structures as well as their binding/dissociation energies. In this paper, we build on the mathematical principles underlying FRET spectrometry to propose two new spectrometric methods, which have distinct advantages compared to other methods. One of these methods relies on statistical analysis of color mixing in subpopulations of fluorescently tagged molecules to probe molecular association stoichiometry, while the other exploits the color shift induced by FRET to also derive geometric information in addition to stoichiometry. The appeal of the first method stems from its sheer simplicity, while the strength of the second consists in its ability to provide structural information. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Extraction of information on macromolecular interactions from fluorescence micro-spectroscopy measurements in the presence and absence of FRET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raicu, Valerică

2018-06-01

Investigations of static or dynamic interactions between proteins or other biological macromolecules in living cells often rely on the use of fluorescent tags with two different colors in conjunction with adequate theoretical descriptions of Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) and molecular-level micro-spectroscopic technology. One such method based on these general principles is FRET spectrometry, which allows determination of the quaternary structure of biomolecules from cell-level images of the distributions, or spectra of occurrence frequency of FRET efficiencies. Subsequent refinements allowed combining FRET frequency spectra with molecular concentration information, thereby providing the proportion of molecular complexes with various quaternary structures as well as their binding/dissociation energies. In this paper, we build on the mathematical principles underlying FRET spectrometry to propose two new spectrometric methods, which have distinct advantages compared to other methods. One of these methods relies on statistical analysis of color mixing in subpopulations of fluorescently tagged molecules to probe molecular association stoichiometry, while the other exploits the color shift induced by FRET to also derive geometric information in addition to stoichiometry. The appeal of the first method stems from its sheer simplicity, while the strength of the second consists in its ability to provide structural information.

Accurate prediction of interfacial residues in two-domain proteins using evolutionary information: implications for three-dimensional modeling.

PubMed

Bhaskara, Ramachandra M; Padhi, Amrita; Srinivasan, Narayanaswamy

2014-07-01

With the preponderance of multidomain proteins in eukaryotic genomes, it is essential to recognize the constituent domains and their functions. Often function involves communications across the domain interfaces, and the knowledge of the interacting sites is essential to our understanding of the structure-function relationship. Using evolutionary information extracted from homologous domains in at least two diverse domain architectures (single and multidomain), we predict the interface residues corresponding to domains from the two-domain proteins. We also use information from the three-dimensional structures of individual domains of two-domain proteins to train naïve Bayes classifier model to predict the interfacial residues. Our predictions are highly accurate (∼85%) and specific (∼95%) to the domain-domain interfaces. This method is specific to multidomain proteins which contain domains in at least more than one protein architectural context. Using predicted residues to constrain domain-domain interaction, rigid-body docking was able to provide us with accurate full-length protein structures with correct orientation of domains. We believe that these results can be of considerable interest toward rational protein and interaction design, apart from providing us with valuable information on the nature of interactions. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Confocal laser scanning microscopy of porcine skin: implications for human wound healing studies

PubMed Central

VARDAXIS, N. J.; BRANS, T. A.; BOON, M. E.; KREIS, R. W.; MARRES, L. M.

1997-01-01

The structure of porcine skin as examined by light microscopy is reviewed and its similarities to and differences from human skin are highlighted. Special imaging techniques and staining procedures are described and their use in gathering morphological information in porcine skin is discussed. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was employed to examine the structure of porcine skin and the findings are presented as an adjunct to the information already available in the literature. It is concluded that CLSM provides valuable additional morphological information to material examined by conventional microscopy and is useful for wound healing studies in the porcine model. PMID:9183682

Query3d: a new method for high-throughput analysis of functional residues in protein structures.

PubMed

Ausiello, Gabriele; Via, Allegra; Helmer-Citterich, Manuela

2005-12-01

The identification of local similarities between two protein structures can provide clues of a common function. Many different methods exist for searching for similar subsets of residues in proteins of known structure. However, the lack of functional and structural information on single residues, together with the low level of integration of this information in comparison methods, is a limitation that prevents these methods from being fully exploited in high-throughput analyses. Here we describe Query3d, a program that is both a structural DBMS (Database Management System) and a local comparison method. The method conserves a copy of all the residues of the Protein Data Bank annotated with a variety of functional and structural information. New annotations can be easily added from a variety of methods and known databases. The algorithm makes it possible to create complex queries based on the residues' function and then to compare only subsets of the selected residues. Functional information is also essential to speed up the comparison and the analysis of the results. With Query3d, users can easily obtain statistics on how many and which residues share certain properties in all proteins of known structure. At the same time, the method also finds their structural neighbours in the whole PDB. Programs and data can be accessed through the PdbFun web interface.

Query3d: a new method for high-throughput analysis of functional residues in protein structures

PubMed Central

Ausiello, Gabriele; Via, Allegra; Helmer-Citterich, Manuela

2005-01-01

Background The identification of local similarities between two protein structures can provide clues of a common function. Many different methods exist for searching for similar subsets of residues in proteins of known structure. However, the lack of functional and structural information on single residues, together with the low level of integration of this information in comparison methods, is a limitation that prevents these methods from being fully exploited in high-throughput analyses. Results Here we describe Query3d, a program that is both a structural DBMS (Database Management System) and a local comparison method. The method conserves a copy of all the residues of the Protein Data Bank annotated with a variety of functional and structural information. New annotations can be easily added from a variety of methods and known databases. The algorithm makes it possible to create complex queries based on the residues' function and then to compare only subsets of the selected residues. Functional information is also essential to speed up the comparison and the analysis of the results. Conclusion With Query3d, users can easily obtain statistics on how many and which residues share certain properties in all proteins of known structure. At the same time, the method also finds their structural neighbours in the whole PDB. Programs and data can be accessed through the PdbFun web interface. PMID:16351754

Method and system for automated on-chip material and structural certification of MEMS devices

DOEpatents

Sinclair, Michael B.; DeBoer, Maarten P.; Smith, Norman F.; Jensen, Brian D.; Miller, Samuel L.

2003-05-20

A new approach toward MEMS quality control and materials characterization is provided by a combined test structure measurement and mechanical response modeling approach. Simple test structures are cofabricated with the MEMS devices being produced. These test structures are designed to isolate certain types of physical response, so that measurement of their behavior under applied stress can be easily interpreted as quality control and material properties information.

Geological applications of LANDSAT-1 imagery to the Great Salt Lake area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, A. T.; Smith, A. F.

1975-01-01

The ERTS program has been designed as a research and development tool to demonstrate that remote sensing from orbital altitudes is a feasible and practical approach to efficient management of earth resources. From this synoptic view and repetitive coverage provided by ERTS imagery of the Great Salt Lake area, large geological and structural features, trends, and patterns have been identified and mapped. A comparative analysis of lineaments observed in September and December data was conducted, existing mineral locations were plotted, and areas considered prospective for mineralization based on apparent structure-mineralization relationships were defined. The additional information obtained using ERTS data provides an added source of information to aid in the development of more effective mineral exploration programs.

Modeling Magnetic Flux-Ropes Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nieves-Chinchilla, T.; Linton, M.; Hidalgo, M. A. U.; Vourlidas, A.; Savani, N.; Szabo, A.; Farrugia, C. J.; Yu, W.

2015-12-01

Flux-ropes are usually associated with magnetic structures embedded in the interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs) with a depressed proton temperature (called Magnetic Clouds, MCs). However, small-scale flux-ropes in the solar wind are also identified with different formation, evolution, and dynamic involved. We present an analytical model to describe magnetic flux-rope topologies. The model is generalized to different grades of complexity. It extends the circular-cylindrical concept of Hidalgo et al. (2002) by introducing a general form for the radial dependence of the current density. This generalization provides information on the force distribution inside the flux rope in addition to the usual parameters of flux-rope geometrical information and orientation. The generalized model provides flexibility for implementation in 3-D MHD simulations.

Where's water? The many binding sites of hydantoin.

PubMed

Gruet, Sébastien; Pérez, Cristóbal; Steber, Amanda L; Schnell, Melanie

2018-02-21

Prebiotic hydantoin and its complexes with one and two water molecules are investigated using high-resolution broadband rotational spectroscopy in the 2-8 GHz frequency range. The hyperfine structure due to the nuclear quadrupole coupling of the two 14 N atoms is analysed for the monomer and the complexes. This characteristic hyperfine structure will support a definitive assignment from low frequency radioastronomy data. Experiments with H 2 18 O provide accurate experimental information on the preferred binding sites of water, which are compared with quantum-chemically calculated coordinates. In the 2-water complexes, the water molecules bind to hydantoin as a dimer instead of individually, indicating the strong water-water interactions. This information provides first insight on how hydantoin interacts with water on the molecular level.

Organizational structure for addressing the attributes of the ideal healthcare delivery system.

PubMed

Cowen, Mark; Halasyamani, Lakshmi K; McMurtrie, Daniel; Hoffman, Denise; Polley, Theodore; Alexander, Jeffrey A

2008-01-01

The Institute of Medicine's (IOM) report Crossing the Quality Chasm described the aims, characteristics, and components of the ideal healthcare system but did not provide the templates of organizational structures needed to achieve this vision. In this article, we review three principles of effective organizations to inform the design of a facilitative clinical care structure: a focus on the patient and caregiving team, the use of information, and connectivity with executive and operational leadership. These concepts can be realized in an organizational chart that is inverted to place patients and their care providers on top, flat with few degrees of separation between patients and executive leadership, and webbed to reflect connections to the professional and ancillary departments. An example of a recently implemented clinical care infrastructure follows this discussion. This model divides the patient population into nonexclusive subgroups, each with an interdisciplinary collaborative practice team that oversees and advocates the subgroup's clinical care activities. The organization's interdisciplinary practice council, in conjunction with its physician and nursing practice councils, backs these teams, providing a second layer of support. The council layer is connected to the health system board through the clinical oversight group, whose core membership consists of council chairs, the chief executive officer, and the chief medical and nursing officers. Clinical information for planning and evaluation is available at all levels. This model provides a framework for identifying the individuals and processes necessary to achieve IOM's vision.

The Significance of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Crystallography for Drug Discovery

PubMed Central

Salon, John A.; Lodowski, David T.

2011-01-01

Crucial as molecular sensors for many vital physiological processes, seven-transmembrane domain G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) comprise the largest family of proteins targeted by drug discovery. Together with structures of the prototypical GPCR rhodopsin, solved structures of other liganded GPCRs promise to provide insights into the structural basis of the superfamily's biochemical functions and assist in the development of new therapeutic modalities and drugs. One of the greatest technical and theoretical challenges to elucidating and exploiting structure-function relationships in these systems is the emerging concept of GPCR conformational flexibility and its cause-effect relationship for receptor-receptor and receptor-effector interactions. Such conformational changes can be subtle and triggered by relatively small binding energy effects, leading to full or partial efficacy in the activation or inactivation of the receptor system at large. Pharmacological dogma generally dictates that these changes manifest themselves through kinetic modulation of the receptor's G protein partners. Atomic resolution information derived from increasingly available receptor structures provides an entrée to the understanding of these events and practically applying it to drug design. Supported by structure-activity relationship information arising from empirical screening, a unified structural model of GPCR activation/inactivation promises to both accelerate drug discovery in this field and improve our fundamental understanding of structure-based drug design in general. This review discusses fundamental problems that persist in drug design and GPCR structural determination. PMID:21969326

SFG analysis of surface bound proteins: a route towards structure determination.

PubMed

Weidner, Tobias; Castner, David G

2013-08-14

The surface of a material is rapidly covered with proteins once that material is placed in a biological environment. The structure and function of these bound proteins play a key role in the interactions and communications of the material with the biological environment. Thus, it is crucial to gain a molecular level understanding of surface bound protein structure. While X-ray diffraction and solution phase NMR methods are well established for determining the structure of proteins in the crystalline or solution phase, there is not a corresponding single technique that can provide the same level of structural detail about proteins at surfaces or interfaces. However, recent advances in sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy have significantly increased our ability to obtain structural information about surface bound proteins and peptides. A multi-technique approach of combining SFG with (1) protein engineering methods to selectively introduce mutations and isotopic labels, (2) other experimental methods such as time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) to provide complementary information, and (3) molecular dynamic (MD) simulations to extend the molecular level experimental results is a particularly promising route for structural characterization of surface bound proteins and peptides. By using model peptides and small proteins with well-defined structures, methods have been developed to determine the orientation of both backbone and side chains to the surface.

SFG analysis of surface bound proteins: A route towards structure determination

PubMed Central

Weidner, Tobias; Castner, David G.

2013-01-01

The surface of a material is rapidly covered with proteins once that material is placed in a biological environment. The structure and function of these bound proteins play a key role in the interactions and communications of the material with the biological environment. Thus, it is crucial to gain a molecular level understanding of surface bound protein structure. While X-ray diffraction and solution phase NMR methods are well established for determining the structure of proteins in the crystalline or solution phase, there is not a corresponding single technique that can provide the same level of structural detail about proteins at surfaces or interfaces. However, recent advances in sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy have significantly increased our ability to obtain structural information about surface bound proteins and peptides. A multi-technique approach of combining SFG with (1) protein engineering methods to selectively introduce mutations and isotopic labels, (2) other experimental methods such as time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) to provide complementary information, and (3) molecular dynamic (MD) simulations to extend the molecular level experimental results is a particularly promising route for structural characterization of surface bound proteins and peptides. By using model peptides and small proteins with well-defined structures, methods have been developed to determine the orientation of both backbone and side chains to the surface. PMID:23727992

Information-theoretic decomposition of embodied and situated systems.

PubMed

Da Rold, Federico

2018-07-01

The embodied and situated view of cognition stresses the importance of real-time and nonlinear bodily interaction with the environment for developing concepts and structuring knowledge. In this article, populations of robots controlled by an artificial neural network learn a wall-following task through artificial evolution. At the end of the evolutionary process, time series are recorded from perceptual and motor neurons of selected robots. Information-theoretic measures are estimated on pairings of variables to unveil nonlinear interactions that structure the agent-environment system. Specifically, the mutual information is utilized to quantify the degree of dependence and the transfer entropy to detect the direction of the information flow. Furthermore, the system is analyzed with the local form of such measures, thus capturing the underlying dynamics of information. Results show that different measures are interdependent and complementary in uncovering aspects of the robots' interaction with the environment, as well as characteristics of the functional neural structure. Therefore, the set of information-theoretic measures provides a decomposition of the system, capturing the intricacy of nonlinear relationships that characterize robots' behavior and neural dynamics. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

COM3/369: Knowledge-based Information Systems: A new approach for the representation and retrieval of medical information

PubMed Central

Mann, G; Birkmann, C; Schmidt, T; Schaeffler, V

1999-01-01

Introduction Present solutions for the representation and retrieval of medical information from online sources are not very satisfying. Either the retrieval process lacks of precision and completeness the representation does not support the update and maintenance of the represented information. Most efforts are currently put into improving the combination of search engines and HTML based documents. However, due to the current shortcomings of methods for natural language understanding there are clear limitations to this approach. Furthermore, this approach does not solve the maintenance problem. At least medical information exceeding a certain complexity seems to afford approaches that rely on structured knowledge representation and corresponding retrieval mechanisms. Methods Knowledge-based information systems are based on the following fundamental ideas. The representation of information is based on ontologies that define the structure of the domain's concepts and their relations. Views on domain models are defined and represented as retrieval schemata. Retrieval schemata can be interpreted as canonical query types focussing on specific aspects of the provided information (e.g. diagnosis or therapy centred views). Based on these retrieval schemata it can be decided which parts of the information in the domain model must be represented explicitly and formalised to support the retrieval process. As representation language propositional logic is used. All other information can be represented in a structured but informal way using text, images etc. Layout schemata are used to assign layout information to retrieved domain concepts. Depending on the target environment HTML or XML can be used. Results Based on this approach two knowledge-based information systems have been developed. The 'Ophthalmologic Knowledge-based Information System for Diabetic Retinopathy' (OKIS-DR) provides information on diagnoses, findings, examinations, guidelines, and reference images related to diabetic retinopathy. OKIS-DR uses combinations of findings to specify the information that must be retrieved. The second system focuses on nutrition related allergies and intolerances. Information on allergies and intolerances of a patient are used to retrieve general information on the specified combination of allergies and intolerances. As a special feature the system generates tables showing food types and products that are tolerated or not tolerated by patients. Evaluation by external experts and user groups showed that the described approach of knowledge-based information systems increases the precision and completeness of knowledge retrieval. Due to the structured and non-redundant representation of information the maintenance and update of the information can be simplified. Both systems are available as WWW based online knowledge bases and CD-ROMs (cf. http://mta.gsf.de topic: products).

Scop3D: three-dimensional visualization of sequence conservation.

PubMed

Vermeire, Tessa; Vermaere, Stijn; Schepens, Bert; Saelens, Xavier; Van Gucht, Steven; Martens, Lennart; Vandermarliere, Elien

2015-04-01

The integration of a protein's structure with its known sequence variation provides insight on how that protein evolves, for instance in terms of (changing) function or immunogenicity. Yet, collating the corresponding sequence variants into a multiple sequence alignment, calculating each position's conservation, and mapping this information back onto a relevant structure is not straightforward. We therefore built the Sequence Conservation on Protein 3D structure (scop3D) tool to perform these tasks automatically. The output consists of two modified PDB files in which the B-values for each position are replaced by the percentage sequence conservation, or the information entropy for each position, respectively. Furthermore, text files with absolute and relative amino acid occurrences for each position are also provided, along with snapshots of the protein from six distinct directions in space. The visualization provided by scop3D can for instance be used as an aid in vaccine development or to identify antigenic hotspots, which we here demonstrate based on an analysis of the fusion proteins of human respiratory syncytial virus and mumps virus. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Reconstructing Past Admixture Processes from Local Genomic Ancestry Using Wavelet Transformation

PubMed Central

Sanderson, Jean; Sudoyo, Herawati; Karafet, Tatiana M.; Hammer, Michael F.; Cox, Murray P.

2015-01-01

Admixture between long-separated populations is a defining feature of the genomes of many species. The mosaic block structure of admixed genomes can provide information about past contact events, including the time and extent of admixture. Here, we describe an improved wavelet-based technique that better characterizes ancestry block structure from observed genomic patterns. principal components analysis is first applied to genomic data to identify the primary population structure, followed by wavelet decomposition to develop a new characterization of local ancestry information along the chromosomes. For testing purposes, this method is applied to human genome-wide genotype data from Indonesia, as well as virtual genetic data generated using genome-scale sequential coalescent simulations under a wide range of admixture scenarios. Time of admixture is inferred using an approximate Bayesian computation framework, providing robust estimates of both admixture times and their associated levels of uncertainty. Crucially, we demonstrate that this revised wavelet approach, which we have released as the R package adwave, provides improved statistical power over existing wavelet-based techniques and can be used to address a broad range of admixture questions. PMID:25852078

Isomer Information from Ion Mobility Separation of High-Mannose Glycan Fragments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, David J.; Seabright, Gemma E.; Vasiljevic, Snezana; Crispin, Max; Struwe, Weston B.

2018-05-01

Extracted arrival time distributions of negative ion CID-derived fragments produced prior to traveling-wave ion mobility separation were evaluated for their ability to provide structural information on N-linked glycans. Fragmentation of high-mannose glycans released from several glycoproteins, including those from viral sources, provided over 50 fragments, many of which gave unique collisional cross-sections and provided additional information used to assign structural isomers. For example, cross-ring fragments arising from cleavage of the reducing terminal GlcNAc residue on Man8GlcNAc2 isomers have unique collision cross-sections enabling isomers to be differentiated in mixtures. Specific fragment collision cross-sections enabled identification of glycans, the antennae of which terminated in the antigenic α-galactose residue, and ions defining the composition of the 6-antenna of several of the glycans were also found to have different cross-sections from isomeric ions produced in the same spectra. Potential mechanisms for the formation of the various ions are discussed and the estimated collisional cross-sections are tabulated. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

MMM: A toolbox for integrative structure modeling.

PubMed

Jeschke, Gunnar

2018-01-01

Structural characterization of proteins and their complexes may require integration of restraints from various experimental techniques. MMM (Multiscale Modeling of Macromolecules) is a Matlab-based open-source modeling toolbox for this purpose with a particular emphasis on distance distribution restraints obtained from electron paramagnetic resonance experiments on spin-labelled proteins and nucleic acids and their combination with atomistic structures of domains or whole protomers, small-angle scattering data, secondary structure information, homology information, and elastic network models. MMM does not only integrate various types of restraints, but also various existing modeling tools by providing a common graphical user interface to them. The types of restraints that can support such modeling and the available model types are illustrated by recent application examples. © 2017 The Protein Society.

Development Index, A Proposed Pattern for Organizing and Facilitating the Flow of Information Needed By Man in Furthering His Own Development, With Particular Reference to the Development of Buildings and Communities and Other Forms of Environmental Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor.

The organization of knowledge related to the development of the environment and the building industry is provided in this index which provides a framework or classification system for a broad range of information. Man's development in terms of environmental structuring and control is discussed as development goals, development cycle, and…

Structural fatigue test results for large wind turbine blade sections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faddoul, J. R.; Sullivan, T. L.

1982-01-01

In order to provide quantitative information on the operating life capabilities of wind turbine rotor blade concepts for root-end load transfer, a series of cantilever beam fatigue tests was conducted. Fatigue tests were conducted on a laminated wood blade with bonded steel studs, a low cost steel spar (utility pole) with a welded flange, a utility pole with additional root-end thickness provided by a swaged collar, fiberglass spars with both bonded and nonbonded fittings, and, finally, an aluminum blade with a bolted steel fitting (Lockheed Mod-0 blade). Photographs, data, and conclusions for each of these tests are presented. In addition, the aluminum blade test results are compared to field failure information; these results provide evidence that the cantilever beam type of fatigue test is a satisfactory method for obtaining qualitative data on blade life expectancy and for identifying structurally underdesigned areas (hot spots).

GPACC program cost work breakdown structure-dictionary. General purpose aft cargo carrier study, volume 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

The results of detailed cost estimates and economic analysis performed on the updated Model 101 configuration of the general purpose Aft Cargo Carrier (ACC) are given. The objective of this economic analysis is to provide the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with information on the economics of using the ACC on the Space Transportation System (STS). The detailed cost estimates for the ACC are presented by a work breakdown structure (WBS) to ensure that all elements of cost are considered in the economic analysis and related subsystem trades. Costs reported by WBS provide NASA with a basis for comparing competing designs and provide detailed cost information that can be used to forecast phase C/D planning for new projects or programs derived from preliminary conceptual design studies. The scope covers all STS and STS/ACC launch vehicle cost impacts for delivering payloads to a 160 NM low Earth orbit (LEO).

DACC program cost and work breakdown structure-dictionary. General purpose aft cargo carrier study, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

Results of detailed cost estimates and economic analysis performed on the updated 201 configuration of the dedicated Aft Cargo Carrier (DACC) are given. The objective of this economic analysis is to provide the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with information on the economics of using the DACC on the Space Transportation System (STS). The detailed cost estimates for the DACC are presented by a work breakdown structure (WBS) to ensure that all elements of cost are considered in the economic analysis and related subsystem trades. Costs reported by WBS provide NASA with a basis for comparing competing designs and provide detailed cost information that can be used to forecast phase C/D planning for new projects or programs derived from preliminary conceptual design studies. The scope covers all STS and STS/DACC launch vehicle cost impacts for delivering an orbital transfer vehicle to a 120 NM low Earth orbit (LEO).

Metallographic techniques for evaluation of thermal barrier coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brindley, William J.; Leonhardt, Todd A.

1990-01-01

The performance of ceramic thermal barrier coatings is strongly dependent on the amount and shape of the porosity in the coating. Current metallographic techniques do not provide polished surfaces that are adequate for a repeatable interpretation of the coating structures. A technique recently developed at NASA-Lewis for preparation of thermal barrier coating sections combines epoxy impregnation, careful sectioning and polishing, and interference layering to provide previously unobtainable information on processing-induced porosity. In fact, increased contrast and less ambiguous structure developed by the method make automatic quantitative metallography a viable option for characterizing thermal barrier coating structures.

Learning about Lichens.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKenzie, Danny

1982-01-01

Provides background information and teaching suggestions for collecting and using lichens in the classroom and for conducting field investigations. Focuses on structure, reproduction, photosynthesis, and effects of air pollution. (DC)

Stress wave timing nondestructive evaluation tools for inspecting historic structures : a guide for use and interpretation.

Treesearch

Robert Ross; Roy F. Pellerin; Norbert Volny; William W. Salsig; Robert H. Falk

2000-01-01

This guide was prepared to assist inspectors in the use of stress wave timing instruments and various methods of locating and defining areas of decay in timber members in historic structures. The first two sections provide (a) background information regarding conventional methods to locate and measure decay in historic structures and (b) the principles of stress wave...

An Adaptive Spectrally Weighted Structure Tensor Applied to Tensor Anisotropic Nonlinear Diffusion for Hyperspectral Images

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marin Quintero, Maider J.

2013-01-01

The structure tensor for vector valued images is most often defined as the average of the scalar structure tensors in each band. The problem with this definition is the assumption that all bands provide the same amount of edge information giving them the same weights. As a result non-edge pixels can be reinforced and edges can be weakened…

PDBsum new things.

PubMed

Laskowski, Roman A

2009-01-01

PDBsum (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/pdbsum) provides summary information about each experimentally determined structural model in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Here we describe some of its most recent features, including figures from the structure's key reference, citation data, Pfam domain diagrams, topology diagrams and protein-protein interactions. Furthermore, it now accepts users' own PDB format files and generates a private set of analyses for each uploaded structure.

Structural Transition and Antibody Binding of EBOV GP and ZIKV E Proteins from Pre-Fusion to Fusion-Initiation State.

PubMed

Lappala, Anna; Nishima, Wataru; Miner, Jacob; Fenimore, Paul; Fischer, Will; Hraber, Peter; Zhang, Ming; McMahon, Benjamin; Tung, Chang-Shung

2018-05-10

Membrane fusion proteins are responsible for viral entry into host cells—a crucial first step in viral infection. These proteins undergo large conformational changes from pre-fusion to fusion-initiation structures, and, despite differences in viral genomes and disease etiology, many fusion proteins are arranged as trimers. Structural information for both pre-fusion and fusion-initiation states is critical for understanding virus neutralization by the host immune system. In the case of Ebola virus glycoprotein (EBOV GP) and Zika virus envelope protein (ZIKV E), pre-fusion state structures have been identified experimentally, but only partial structures of fusion-initiation states have been described. While the fusion-initiation structure is in an energetically unfavorable state that is difficult to solve experimentally, the existing structural information combined with computational approaches enabled the modeling of fusion-initiation state structures of both proteins. These structural models provide an improved understanding of four different neutralizing antibodies in the prevention of viral host entry.

Using Shared Online Blogs to Structure and Support Informal Coach Learning--Part 1: A Tool to Promote Reflection and Communities of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoszkowski, John; Collins, Dave

2017-01-01

Coaches' apparent preferences for informal and self-directed modes of learning have been highlighted in the literature. Consequently, there is a need for innovative coach education approaches that complement these clearly preferred, informal routes and better provide coaches with the professional skills they need to deal with the complex nature of…

An Approach and Instrumentation for Management System Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-10-01

Benefit Analysis Systems Analysis Manpower Planning Resource Planning Information Theory 20. ABSTRACT (Conlliwa on ravaraa alda It nacaaaary...participants the data necessary to trace both formal and informal information flows and make cost- benefit judgments about specific communications. The...network within a manage- ment structure and to provide a basis tor preliminary cost- benefit evaluations. This objective was in response to Phase I of the

Integrated System of Structural Health Monitoring and Intelligent Management for a Cable-Stayed Bridge

PubMed Central

Chen, Bin; Wang, Xu; Sun, Dezhang; Xie, Xu

2014-01-01

It is essential to construct structural health monitoring systems for large important bridges. Zhijiang Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge that was built recently over the Hangzhou Qiantang River (the largest river in Zhejiang Province). The length of Zhijiang Bridge is 478 m, which comprises an arched twin-tower space and a twin-cable plane structure. As an example, the present study describes the integrated system of structural health monitoring and intelligent management for Zhijiang Bridge, which comprises an information acquisition system, data management system, evaluation and decision-making system, and application service system. The monitoring components include the working environment of the bridge and various factors that affect bridge safety, such as the stress and strain of the main bridge structure, vibration, cable force, temperature, and wind speed. In addition, the integrated system includes a forecasting and decision-making module for real-time online evaluation, which provides warnings and makes decisions based on the monitoring information. From this, the monitoring information, evaluation results, maintenance decisions, and warning information can be input simultaneously into the bridge monitoring center and traffic emergency center to share the monitoring data, thereby facilitating evaluations and decision making using the system. PMID:25140342

Integrated system of structural health monitoring and intelligent management for a cable-stayed bridge.

PubMed

Chen, Bin; Wang, Xu; Sun, Dezhang; Xie, Xu

2014-01-01

It is essential to construct structural health monitoring systems for large important bridges. Zhijiang Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge that was built recently over the Hangzhou Qiantang River (the largest river in Zhejiang Province). The length of Zhijiang Bridge is 478 m, which comprises an arched twin-tower space and a twin-cable plane structure. As an example, the present study describes the integrated system of structural health monitoring and intelligent management for Zhijiang Bridge, which comprises an information acquisition system, data management system, evaluation and decision-making system, and application service system. The monitoring components include the working environment of the bridge and various factors that affect bridge safety, such as the stress and strain of the main bridge structure, vibration, cable force, temperature, and wind speed. In addition, the integrated system includes a forecasting and decision-making module for real-time online evaluation, which provides warnings and makes decisions based on the monitoring information. From this, the monitoring information, evaluation results, maintenance decisions, and warning information can be input simultaneously into the bridge monitoring center and traffic emergency center to share the monitoring data, thereby facilitating evaluations and decision making using the system.

Animal NLRs provide structural insights into plant NLR function.

PubMed

Bentham, Adam; Burdett, Hayden; Anderson, Peter A; Williams, Simon J; Kobe, Bostjan

2017-03-01

The plant immune system employs intracellular NLRs (nucleotide binding [NB], leucine-rich repeat [LRR]/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain [NOD]-like receptors) to detect effector proteins secreted into the plant cell by potential pathogens. Activated plant NLRs trigger a range of immune responses, collectively known as the hypersensitive response (HR), which culminates in death of the infected cell. Plant NLRs show structural and functional resemblance to animal NLRs involved in inflammatory and innate immune responses. Therefore, knowledge of the activation and regulation of animal NLRs can help us understand the mechanism of action of plant NLRs, and vice versa. This review provides an overview of the innate immune pathways in plants and animals, focusing on the available structural and biochemical information available for both plant and animal NLRs. We highlight the gap in knowledge between the animal and plant systems, in particular the lack of structural information for plant NLRs, with crystal structures only available for the N-terminal domains of plant NLRs and an integrated decoy domain, in contrast to the more complete structures available for animal NLRs. We assess the similarities and differences between plant and animal NLRs, and use the structural information on the animal NLR pair NAIP/NLRC4 to derive a plausible model for plant NLR activation. Signalling by cooperative assembly formation (SCAF) appears to operate in most innate immunity pathways, including plant and animal NLRs. Our proposed model of plant NLR activation includes three key steps: (1) initially, the NLR exists in an inactive auto-inhibited state; (2) a combination of binding by activating elicitor and ATP leads to a structural rearrangement of the NLR; and (3) signalling occurs through cooperative assembly of the resistosome. Further studies, structural and biochemical in particular, will be required to provide additional evidence for the different features of this model and shed light on the many existing variations, e.g. helper NLRs and NLRs containing integrated decoys. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

A laser spectrometer and wavemeter for pulsed lasers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckay, J. A.; Laufer, P. M.; Cotnoir, L. J.

1989-01-01

The design, construction, calibration, and evaluation of a pulsed laser wavemeter and spectral analyzer are described. This instrument, called the Laserscope for its oscilloscope-like display of laser spectral structure, was delivered to NASA Langley Research Center as a prototype of a laboratory instrument. The key component is a multibeam Fizeau wedge interferometer, providing high (0.2 pm) spectral resolution and a linear dispersion of spectral information, ideally suited to linear array photodiode detectors. Even operating alone, with the classic order-number ambiguity of interferometers unresolved, this optical element will provide a fast, real-time display of the spectral structure of a laser output. If precise wavelength information is also desired then additional stages must be provided to obtain a wavelength measurement within the order-number uncertainty, i.e., within the free spectral range of the Fizeau wedge interferometer. A Snyder (single-beam Fizeau) wedge is included to provide this initial wavelength measurement. Difficulties in achieving the required wide-spectrum calibration limit the usefulness of this function.

G23D: Online tool for mapping and visualization of genomic variants on 3D protein structures.

PubMed

Solomon, Oz; Kunik, Vered; Simon, Amos; Kol, Nitzan; Barel, Ortal; Lev, Atar; Amariglio, Ninette; Somech, Raz; Rechavi, Gidi; Eyal, Eran

2016-08-26

Evaluation of the possible implications of genomic variants is an increasingly important task in the current high throughput sequencing era. Structural information however is still not routinely exploited during this evaluation process. The main reasons can be attributed to the partial structural coverage of the human proteome and the lack of tools which conveniently convert genomic positions, which are the frequent output of genomic pipelines, to proteins and structure coordinates. We present G23D, a tool for conversion of human genomic coordinates to protein coordinates and protein structures. G23D allows mapping of genomic positions/variants on evolutionary related (and not only identical) protein three dimensional (3D) structures as well as on theoretical models. By doing so it significantly extends the space of variants for which structural insight is feasible. To facilitate interpretation of the variant consequence, pathogenic variants, functional sites and polymorphism sites are displayed on protein sequence and structure diagrams alongside the input variants. G23D also provides modeling of the mutant structure, analysis of intra-protein contacts and instant access to functional predictions and predictions of thermo-stability changes. G23D is available at http://www.sheba-cancer.org.il/G23D . G23D extends the fraction of variants for which structural analysis is applicable and provides better and faster accessibility for structural data to biologists and geneticists who routinely work with genomic information.

[Not Available].

PubMed

González Pérez, Rocío; Teresa Gijón Sánchez, M; José Escudero Carretero, M; Angeles Prieto Rodríguez, M; Carles March Cerdá, Joan; Ruiz Azarola, Ainhoa

2008-05-01

Patients' need for health information is widely recognized. The aim of this study was to determine how patients currently receive and rate this information. Additionally, we aimed to identify the needs and expectations of citizens of the autonomous region of Andalusia in this regard. We performed a qualitative research study involving semi-structured telephone interviews with participants. A total of 48 interviews were performed in people with different social and health profiles from a structural sample. The final selection of persons to be interviewed was made using the snow-ball sampling method. Interview material was analyzed by means of NUDIST vivo 1.1 software-aided content analysis. The interviewees reported receiving health information mainly from healthcare personnel. Supplementary information sources were the internet, associations and publications. The interviewees expressed different degrees of satisfaction with the health information received, depending on its understandability and the amount of detail provided. The persons interviewed reported that they would like to receive all the information possible on their health-illness-care process and would prefer this information to come mainly from physicians. Information about the health-illness-care process should center on practical issues. Physicians are the first and principal source of medical information and consequently communication skills should be promoted in this collective through training courses. Additionally, alternative sources of information used by citizens should be strengthened to provide high-quality health information. Copyright © 2008 Sociedad Española de Calidad Asistencial. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Structural basis for catalysis of a tetrameric, class IIa fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase from M. tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Pegan, Scott D.; Rukseree, Kamolchanok; Franzblau, Scott G.; Mesecar, Andrew D.

2009-01-01

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), currently infects one third of the world’s population in its latent form. The emergence of multidrug resistant strains, MDR-TB and XDR-TB has highlighted the need for new pharmacological targets within M. tuberculosis. The Class IIa fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA) enzyme from M. tuberculosis (MtFBA) has been proposed as one such target since its upregulated in latent TB. Since the structure of MtFBA had not been determined and since there was little information available on its reaction mechanism, we sought to determine the X-ray structure of MtFBA in complex with its substrates. By lowering the pH of the enzyme in the crystalline state, we were able to determine a series of high-resolution X-ray structures of MtFBA bound to dihydroxyacetonephosphate (DHAP), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P), and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (FBP) at 1.5 Å, 2.1 Å, and 1.3 Å respectively. Through these structures it was discovered that MtFBA belongs to a novel tetrameric class of the type IIa FBAs. The molecular details at the interface of the tetramer revealed important information for being able to better predict the quaternary structures among the FBAs based on their primary sequences. These X-ray structures also provide interesting and new details on the reaction mechanism of class II FBAs. Not only were the substrates and products observed in geometries poised for catalysis, but unexpectedly the hydroxyl enolate intermediate of DHAP was also captured and resolved structurally. These concise new details provide a better understanding of the reaction mechanisms for FBAs in general and provide a structural basis for inhibitor design efforts aimed at this class of enzymes. PMID:19167403

Analysis of genetic population structure in Acacia caven (Leguminosae, Mimosoideae), comparing one exploratory and two Bayesian-model-based methods.

PubMed

Pometti, Carolina L; Bessega, Cecilia F; Saidman, Beatriz O; Vilardi, Juan C

2014-03-01

Bayesian clustering as implemented in STRUCTURE or GENELAND software is widely used to form genetic groups of populations or individuals. On the other hand, in order to satisfy the need for less computer-intensive approaches, multivariate analyses are specifically devoted to extracting information from large datasets. In this paper, we report the use of a dataset of AFLP markers belonging to 15 sampling sites of Acacia caven for studying the genetic structure and comparing the consistency of three methods: STRUCTURE, GENELAND and DAPC. Of these methods, DAPC was the fastest one and showed accuracy in inferring the K number of populations (K = 12 using the find.clusters option and K = 15 with a priori information of populations). GENELAND in turn, provides information on the area of membership probabilities for individuals or populations in the space, when coordinates are specified (K = 12). STRUCTURE also inferred the number of K populations and the membership probabilities of individuals based on ancestry, presenting the result K = 11 without prior information of populations and K = 15 using the LOCPRIOR option. Finally, in this work all three methods showed high consistency in estimating the population structure, inferring similar numbers of populations and the membership probabilities of individuals to each group, with a high correlation between each other.

Super resolution reconstruction of μ-CT image of rock sample using neighbour embedding algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuzhu; Rahman, Sheik S.; Arns, Christoph H.

2018-03-01

X-ray computed tomography (μ-CT) is considered to be the most effective way to obtain the inner structure of rock sample without destructions. However, its limited resolution hampers its ability to probe sub-micro structures which is critical for flow transportation of rock sample. In this study, we propose an innovative methodology to improve the resolution of μ-CT image using neighbour embedding algorithm where low frequency information is provided by μ-CT image itself while high frequency information is supplemented by high resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image. In order to obtain prior for reconstruction, a large number of image patch pairs contain high- and low- image patches are extracted from the Gaussian image pyramid generated by SEM image. These image patch pairs contain abundant information about tomographic evolution of local porous structures under different resolution spaces. Relying on the assumption of self-similarity of porous structure, this prior information can be used to supervise the reconstruction of high resolution μ-CT image effectively. The experimental results show that the proposed method is able to achieve the state-of-the-art performance.

Spatial epigenetics: linking nuclear structure and function in higher eukaryotes.

PubMed

Jackson, Dean A

2010-09-20

Eukaryotic cells are defined by the genetic information that is stored in their DNA. To function, this genetic information must be decoded. In doing this, the information encoded in DNA is copied first into RNA, during RNA transcription. Primary RNA transcripts are generated within transcription factories, where they are also processed into mature mRNAs, which then pass to the cytoplasm. In the cytoplasm these mRNAs can finally be translated into protein in order to express the genetic information as a functional product. With only rare exceptions, the cells of an individual multicellular eukaryote contain identical genetic information. However, as different genes must be expressed in different cell types to define the structure and function of individual tissues, it is clear that mechanisms must have evolved to regulate gene expression. In higher eukaryotes, mechanisms that regulate the interaction of DNA with the sites where nuclear functions are performed provide one such layer of regulation. In this chapter, I evaluate how a detailed understanding of nuclear structure and chromatin dynamics are beginning to reveal how spatial mechanisms link chromatin structure and function. As these mechanisms operate to modulate the genetic information in DNA, the regulation of chromatin function by nuclear architecture defines the concept of 'spatial epigenetics'.

Integrative analysis of transcriptomic and metabolomic data via sparse canonical correlation analysis with incorporation of biological information.

PubMed

Safo, Sandra E; Li, Shuzhao; Long, Qi

2018-03-01

Integrative analysis of high dimensional omics data is becoming increasingly popular. At the same time, incorporating known functional relationships among variables in analysis of omics data has been shown to help elucidate underlying mechanisms for complex diseases. In this article, our goal is to assess association between transcriptomic and metabolomic data from a Predictive Health Institute (PHI) study that includes healthy adults at a high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Adopting a strategy that is both data-driven and knowledge-based, we develop statistical methods for sparse canonical correlation analysis (CCA) with incorporation of known biological information. Our proposed methods use prior network structural information among genes and among metabolites to guide selection of relevant genes and metabolites in sparse CCA, providing insight on the molecular underpinning of cardiovascular disease. Our simulations demonstrate that the structured sparse CCA methods outperform several existing sparse CCA methods in selecting relevant genes and metabolites when structural information is informative and are robust to mis-specified structural information. Our analysis of the PHI study reveals that a number of gene and metabolic pathways including some known to be associated with cardiovascular diseases are enriched in the set of genes and metabolites selected by our proposed approach. © 2017, The International Biometric Society.

Deriving high-resolution protein backbone structure propensities from all crystal data using the information maximization device.

PubMed

Solis, Armando D

2014-01-01

The most informative probability distribution functions (PDFs) describing the Ramachandran phi-psi dihedral angle pair, a fundamental descriptor of backbone conformation of protein molecules, are derived from high-resolution X-ray crystal structures using an information-theoretic approach. The Information Maximization Device (IMD) is established, based on fundamental information-theoretic concepts, and then applied specifically to derive highly resolved phi-psi maps for all 20 single amino acid and all 8000 triplet sequences at an optimal resolution determined by the volume of current data. The paper shows that utilizing the latent information contained in all viable high-resolution crystal structures found in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), totaling more than 77,000 chains, permits the derivation of a large number of optimized sequence-dependent PDFs. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of the IMD and the superiority of the resulting PDFs by extensive fold recognition experiments and rigorous comparisons with previously published triplet PDFs. Because it automatically optimizes PDFs, IMD results in improved performance of knowledge-based potentials, which rely on such PDFs. Furthermore, it provides an easy computational recipe for empirically deriving other kinds of sequence-dependent structural PDFs with greater detail and precision. The high-resolution phi-psi maps derived in this work are available for download.

Modelisation de l'architecture des forets pour ameliorer la teledetection des attributs forestiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cote, Jean-Francois

The quality of indirect measurements of canopy structure, from in situ and satellite remote sensing, is based on knowledge of vegetation canopy architecture. Technological advances in ground-based, airborne or satellite remote sensing can now significantly improve the effectiveness of measurement programs on forest resources. The structure of vegetation canopy describes the position, orientation, size and shape of elements of the canopy. The complexity of the canopy in forest environments greatly limits our ability to characterize forest structural attributes. Architectural models have been developed to help the interpretation of canopy structural measurements by remote sensing. Recently, the terrestrial LiDAR systems, or TLiDAR (Terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging), are used to gather information on the structure of individual trees or forest stands. The TLiDAR allows the extraction of 3D structural information under the canopy at the centimetre scale. The methodology proposed in my Ph.D. thesis is a strategy to overcome the weakness in the structural sampling of vegetation cover. The main objective of the Ph.D. is to develop an architectural model of vegetation canopy, called L-Architect (LiDAR data to vegetation Architecture), and to focus on the ability to document forest sites and to get information on canopy structure from remote sensing tools. Specifically, L-Architect reconstructs the architecture of individual conifer trees from TLiDAR data. Quantitative evaluation of L-Architect consisted to investigate (i) the structural consistency of the reconstructed trees and (ii) the radiative coherence by the inclusion of reconstructed trees in a 3D radiative transfer model. Then, a methodology was developed to quasi-automatically reconstruct the structure of individual trees from an optimization algorithm using TLiDAR data and allometric relationships. L-Architect thus provides an explicit link between the range measurements of TLiDAR and structural attributes of individual trees. L-Architect has finally been applied to model the architecture of forest canopy for better characterization of vertical and horizontal structure with airborne LiDAR data. This project provides a mean to answer requests of detailed canopy architectural data, difficult to obtain, to reproduce a variety of forest covers. Because of the importance of architectural models, L-Architect provides a significant contribution for improving the capacity of parameters' inversion in vegetation cover for optical and lidar remote sensing. Mots-cles: modelisation architecturale, lidar terrestre, couvert forestier, parametres structuraux, teledetection.

Structural health monitoring feature design by genetic programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, Dustin Y.; Todd, Michael D.

2014-09-01

Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems provide real-time damage and performance information for civil, aerospace, and other high-capital or life-safety critical structures. Conventional data processing involves pre-processing and extraction of low-dimensional features from in situ time series measurements. The features are then input to a statistical pattern recognition algorithm to perform the relevant classification or regression task necessary to facilitate decisions by the SHM system. Traditional design of signal processing and feature extraction algorithms can be an expensive and time-consuming process requiring extensive system knowledge and domain expertise. Genetic programming, a heuristic program search method from evolutionary computation, was recently adapted by the authors to perform automated, data-driven design of signal processing and feature extraction algorithms for statistical pattern recognition applications. The proposed method, called Autofead, is particularly suitable to handle the challenges inherent in algorithm design for SHM problems where the manifestation of damage in structural response measurements is often unclear or unknown. Autofead mines a training database of response measurements to discover information-rich features specific to the problem at hand. This study provides experimental validation on three SHM applications including ultrasonic damage detection, bearing damage classification for rotating machinery, and vibration-based structural health monitoring. Performance comparisons with common feature choices for each problem area are provided demonstrating the versatility of Autofead to produce significant algorithm improvements on a wide range of problems.

Reading PDB: perception of molecules from 3D atomic coordinates.

PubMed

Urbaczek, Sascha; Kolodzik, Adrian; Groth, Inken; Heuser, Stefan; Rarey, Matthias

2013-01-28

The analysis of small molecule crystal structures is a common way to gather valuable information for drug development. The necessary structural data is usually provided in specific file formats containing only element identities and three-dimensional atomic coordinates as reliable chemical information. Consequently, the automated perception of molecular structures from atomic coordinates has become a standard task in cheminformatics. The molecules generated by such methods must be both chemically valid and reasonable to provide a reliable basis for subsequent calculations. This can be a difficult task since the provided coordinates may deviate from ideal molecular geometries due to experimental uncertainties or low resolution. Additionally, the quality of the input data often differs significantly thus making it difficult to distinguish between actual structural features and mere geometric distortions. We present a method for the generation of molecular structures from atomic coordinates based on the recently published NAOMI model. By making use of this consistent chemical description, our method is able to generate reliable results even with input data of low quality. Molecules from 363 Protein Data Bank (PDB) entries could be perceived with a success rate of 98%, a result which could not be achieved with previously described methods. The robustness of our approach has been assessed by processing all small molecules from the PDB and comparing them to reference structures. The complete data set can be processed in less than 3 min, thus showing that our approach is suitable for large scale applications.

Cathodic Protection Deployment on Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zook, Lee M.

1998-01-01

Corrosion protection of the space shuttle solid rocket boosters incorporates the use of cathodic protection(anodes) in concert with several coatings systems. The SRB design has large carbon/carbon composites(motor nozzle) electrically connected to an aluminum alloy structure. Early in the STS program, the aluminum structures incurred tremendous corrosive attack due primarily to the galvanic couple to the carbon/carbon nozzle at coating damage locations. Also contributing to the galvanic corrosion problem were stainless steel and titanium alloy components housed within the aluminum structures and electrically connected to the aluminum structures. This paper will highlight the evolution in the protection of the aluminum structures, providing historical information and summary data from the operation of the corrosion protection systems. Also, data and information will be included regarding the evaluation and deployment of inorganic zinc rich primers as anode area on the aluminum structures.

Writing Electron Dot Structures: Abstract of Issue 9905M

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magnell, Kenneth R.

1999-10-01

Writing Electron Dot Structures is a computer program for Mac OS that provides drill with feedback for students learning to write electron dot structures. While designed for students in the first year of college general chemistry it may also be used by high school chemistry students. A systematic method similar to that found in many general chemistry texts is employed:

1. determine the number of valence shell electrons,
2. select the central atom,
3. construct a skeleton,
4. add electrons to complete octets,
5. examine the structure for resonance forms.

Predicting RNA 3D structure using a coarse-grain helix-centered model

PubMed Central

Kerpedjiev, Peter; Höner zu Siederdissen, Christian; Hofacker, Ivo L.

2015-01-01

A 3D model of RNA structure can provide information about its function and regulation that is not possible with just the sequence or secondary structure. Current models suffer from low accuracy and long running times and either neglect or presume knowledge of the long-range interactions which stabilize the tertiary structure. Our coarse-grained, helix-based, tertiary structure model operates with only a few degrees of freedom compared with all-atom models while preserving the ability to sample tertiary structures given a secondary structure. It strikes a balance between the precision of an all-atom tertiary structure model and the simplicity and effectiveness of a secondary structure representation. It provides a simplified tool for exploring global arrangements of helices and loops within RNA structures. We provide an example of a novel energy function relying only on the positions of stems and loops. We show that coupling our model to this energy function produces predictions as good as or better than the current state of the art tools. We propose that given the wide range of conformational space that needs to be explored, a coarse-grain approach can explore more conformations in less iterations than an all-atom model coupled to a fine-grain energy function. Finally, we emphasize the overarching theme of providing an ensemble of predicted structures, something which our tool excels at, rather than providing a handful of the lowest energy structures. PMID:25904133

Structural Engineering. Technology Learning Activity. Teacher Edition. Technology Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This curriculum guide provides technology learning activities designed to prepare students in grades 6-10 to work in the world of the future. The 8-day course provides exploratory, hands-on learning activities and information that can enhance the education of students of all types in an integrated curriculum that provides practical applications of…

PACSY, a relational database management system for protein structure and chemical shift analysis.

PubMed

Lee, Woonghee; Yu, Wookyung; Kim, Suhkmann; Chang, Iksoo; Lee, Weontae; Markley, John L

2012-10-01

PACSY (Protein structure And Chemical Shift NMR spectroscopY) is a relational database management system that integrates information from the Protein Data Bank, the Biological Magnetic Resonance Data Bank, and the Structural Classification of Proteins database. PACSY provides three-dimensional coordinates and chemical shifts of atoms along with derived information such as torsion angles, solvent accessible surface areas, and hydrophobicity scales. PACSY consists of six relational table types linked to one another for coherence by key identification numbers. Database queries are enabled by advanced search functions supported by an RDBMS server such as MySQL or PostgreSQL. PACSY enables users to search for combinations of information from different database sources in support of their research. Two software packages, PACSY Maker for database creation and PACSY Analyzer for database analysis, are available from http://pacsy.nmrfam.wisc.edu.

Evaluation of sequence alignments and oligonucleotide probes with respect to three-dimensional structure of ribosomal RNA using ARB software package

PubMed Central

Kumar, Yadhu; Westram, Ralf; Kipfer, Peter; Meier, Harald; Ludwig, Wolfgang

2006-01-01

Background Availability of high-resolution RNA crystal structures for the 30S and 50S ribosomal subunits and the subsequent validation of comparative secondary structure models have prompted the biologists to use three-dimensional structure of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) for evaluating sequence alignments of rRNA genes. Furthermore, the secondary and tertiary structural features of rRNA are highly useful and successfully employed in designing rRNA targeted oligonucleotide probes intended for in situ hybridization experiments. RNA3D, a program to combine sequence alignment information with three-dimensional structure of rRNA was developed. Integration into ARB software package, which is used extensively by the scientific community for phylogenetic analysis and molecular probe designing, has substantially extended the functionality of ARB software suite with 3D environment. Results Three-dimensional structure of rRNA is visualized in OpenGL 3D environment with the abilities to change the display and overlay information onto the molecule, dynamically. Phylogenetic information derived from the multiple sequence alignments can be overlaid onto the molecule structure in a real time. Superimposition of both statistical and non-statistical sequence associated information onto the rRNA 3D structure can be done using customizable color scheme, which is also applied to a textual sequence alignment for reference. Oligonucleotide probes designed by ARB probe design tools can be mapped onto the 3D structure along with the probe accessibility models for evaluation with respect to secondary and tertiary structural conformations of rRNA. Conclusion Visualization of three-dimensional structure of rRNA in an intuitive display provides the biologists with the greater possibilities to carry out structure based phylogenetic analysis. Coupled with secondary structure models of rRNA, RNA3D program aids in validating the sequence alignments of rRNA genes and evaluating probe target sites. Superimposition of the information derived from the multiple sequence alignment onto the molecule dynamically allows the researchers to observe any sequence inherited characteristics (phylogenetic information) in real-time environment. The extended ARB software package is made freely available for the scientific community via . PMID:16672074

Use of New Commercial, Off-the-Shelf, High-Definition Structure Scanning Fathometer/Depth Finder For Coastal Current Survey Operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roggenstein, E. B.; Gray, G.

2013-12-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Ocean Service (NOS) Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (COOPS) manages three national observing system programs. These are the National Water level Observation Network (NWLON) (210 stations), the 23 NOAA/Physical Oceanographic Real-Time Systems (PORTS), and National Currents Observing Program (NCOP) (approximately 70 deployments/year). In support of its mission COOPS operates and maintains a number of small boats. During vessel operations, side-scan sonar data are at times needed to provide information about bottom structure for future work in the area. For example, potential hazards, obstructions, or bottom morphology features that have not been identified on localized charts for a given area could be used to inform decisions on planned installations. Side-scan sonar capability is also important when attempting to reacquire bottom mounts that fail to surface at the conclusion of a current meter survey. Structure mapping and side-scan capabilities have been added to recent consumer-level, commercial, off-the-shelf fathometers, generally intended for recreational, commercial fishing, and diving applications. We are proposing to investigate these systems' viability for meeting survey requirements. We assess their ability to provide a flexible alternative to research/commercial oceanographic level side-scan system at a significant cost savings. Such systems could provide important information to support scientific missions that require qualitative seafloor imagery.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of lignocellulosic biomass using infrared techniques: A mini-review

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Current wet chemical methods for biomass composition analysis using two-step sulfuric acid hydrolysis are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and unable to provide structural information about biomass. Infrared techniques provide fast, low-cost analysis, are non-destructive, and have shown promising re...

Piece2.0: an update for the pant gene structure comparison and evolution database

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

PIECE (Plant Intron Exon Comparison and Evolution) is a web-accessible database that houses intron and exon information of plant genes. PIECE serves as a resource for biologists interested in comparing intron–exon organization and provides valuable insights into the evolution of gene structure in pl...

The Impact of Stereoscopic Imagery and Motion on Anatomical Structure Recognition and Visual Attention Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Remmele, Martin; Schmidt, Elena; Lingenfelder, Melissa; Martens, Andreas

2018-01-01

Gross anatomy is located in a three-dimensional space. Visualizing aspects of structures in gross anatomy education should aim to provide information that best resembles their original spatial proportions. Stereoscopic three-dimensional imagery might offer possibilities to implement this aim, though some research has revealed potential impairments…

Industrial - Institutional - Structural and Health Related Pest Control Category Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowman, James S.; Turmel, Jon P.

This manual provides information needed to meet the standards for pesticide applicator certification. The emphasis of this document is on the identification of wood-destroying pests and the damage caused by them to the structural components of buildings. The pests discussed include termites, carpenter ants, beetles, bees, and wasps and numerous…

A Hierarchy of Medicine: Health Strategies of Elder Khmer Refugees in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Denise C.

2007-01-01

This study addresses ways Khmer refugee elders utilize traditional herbal medicine with Western biomedicine in the treatment and prevention of illnesses. Methods include semi-structured and informal interviews with elders and family members, semi-structured interviews with local health care providers and Khmer physicians, and participant…

Commercial Pesticides Applicator Manual: Industrial, Institutional, Structural and Health Related.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzwater, William D.; Renes, Robert

This training manual provides information needed to meet the minimum EPA standards for certification as a commercial applicator of pesticides in the industrial, institutional, structural and health related pest control category. The text discusses the use and safety of applying pesticides to control invertebrate and vertebrate pests such as ants,…

Inventing Toys: Kids Having Fun Learning Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sobey, Ed

This book presents detailed teaching ideas on integrating inventing into grades 4-6 science classrooms. The contents of the book is divided into three sections. Part 1 provides theoretical and pedagogical background information to teachers on the structure of inventing and the structure of experience. Part 2 presents six detailed workshops: (1)…

The Willingness to Change to Formalized Child Care Arrangements: Parental Considerations of Cost and Quality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camasso, Michael J.; Roche, Susan E.

1991-01-01

Data from 1988 sample of 1,058 state employees provided evidence that family structure, price, and quality were important determinants of parent's willingness to change from informal to formal child care arrangements. Measured 43 facets of program structure, curriculum, and child development goals. (Author/NB)

Learning the Semantics of Structured Data Sources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taheriyan, Mohsen

2015-01-01

Information sources such as relational databases, spreadsheets, XML, JSON, and Web APIs contain a tremendous amount of structured data, however, they rarely provide a semantic model to describe their contents. Semantic models of data sources capture the intended meaning of data sources by mapping them to the concepts and relationships defined by a…

78 FR 40581 - Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Service Program; Telecommunications Relay Services and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-05

... Relay Service (IP Relay) providers; Adopts rules to protect the privacy of customer information relating... Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Service Program; Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals With Hearing and Speech Disabilities; Final Rule #0;#0;Federal Register...

DBpedia and the Live Extraction of Structured Data from Wikipedia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morsey, Mohamed; Lehmann, Jens; Auer, Soren; Stadler, Claus; Hellmann, Sebastian

2012-01-01

Purpose: DBpedia extracts structured information from Wikipedia, interlinks it with other knowledge bases and freely publishes the results on the web using Linked Data and SPARQL. However, the DBpedia release process is heavyweight and releases are sometimes based on several months old data. DBpedia-Live solves this problem by providing a live…

Mass spectrometry: Raw protein from the top down

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breuker, Kathrin

2018-02-01

Mass spectrometry is a powerful technique for analysing proteins, yet linking higher-order protein structure to amino acid sequence and post-translational modifications is far from simple. Now, a native top-down method has been developed that can provide information on higher-order protein structure and different proteoforms at the same time.

Structural dynamics of tropical moist forest gaps

Treesearch

Maria O. Hunter; Michael Keller; Douglas Morton; Bruce Cook; Michael Lefsky; Mark Ducey; Scott Saleska; Raimundo Cosme de Oliveira; Juliana Schietti

2015-01-01

Gap phase dynamics are the dominant mode of forest turnover in tropical forests. However, gap processes are infrequently studied at the landscape scale. Airborne lidar data offer detailed information on three-dimensional forest structure, providing a means to characterize fine-scale (1 m) processes in tropical forests over large areas. Lidar-based estimates of forest...

Forecasting Sectors, Occupational Activities and Qualifications in the Federal Republic of Germany. A Survey on Research Activities and Recent Findings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tessaring, Manfred

In view of German reunification, the 1992-94 recession, and ongoing demographic, technological, organizational, and social changes, alternative projections of labor market and employment structures provide policy makers with needed information. The Institut fur Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB) structural labor projection (1989) forecasted…

Leveraging Value in Doctoral Student Networks through Social Capital

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pilbeam, Colin; Lloyd-Jones, Gaynor; Denyer, David

2013-01-01

UK higher education policy relating to doctoral-level education assumes that student networks provide the basis for informal learning and the acquisition of necessary skills and information. Through semi-structured interviews with 17 doctoral students from a UK management school, this study investigated the value of these networks to students, the…

Targeted Information Dissemination

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

SETUP, RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS .......................................... 36 APPENDIX C: TID API SPECIFICATION...are developed using FreePastry1. FreePastry provides an API for a structured P2P overlay network. Information Routing and address resolution is...the TID architecture to demonstrate its key features. TID interface API specifications are described in Appendix C. RSS feeds were used to obtain

HUC--A User Designed System for All Recorded Knowledge and Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilton, Howard J.

This paper proposes a user designed system, HUC, intended to provide a single index and retrieval system covering all recorded knowledge and information capable of being retrieved from all modes of storage, from manual to the most sophisticated retrieval system. The concept integrates terminal hardware, software, and database structure to allow…

Energy efficiency in light-frame wood construction

Treesearch

Gerald E. Sherwood; Gunard Hans

1979-01-01

This report presents information needed for design and construction of energy-efficient light-frame wood structures. The opening section discusses improving the thermal performance of a house by careful planning and design. A second section of the report provides technical information on the thermal properties of construction materials, and on the basic engineering...

Health Care Merged With Senior Housing: Description and Evaluation of a Successful Program.

PubMed

Barry, Theresa Teta

2017-01-01

Objective: This article describes and evaluates a successful partnership between a large health care organization and housing for seniors. The program provides on-site, primary care visits by a physician and a nurse in addition to intensive social services to residents in an affordable senior housing apartment building located in Pennsylvania. Per Donabedian's "Structure-Process-Outcome" model, the program demonstrated positive health care outcomes for its participants via a prescribed structure. To provide guidance for replication in similar settings, we qualitatively evaluated the processes by which successful outcomes were obtained. Methods: With program structures in place and outcomes measured, this case study collected and analyzed qualitative information taken from key informant interviews on care processes involved in the program. Themes were extracted from semistructured interviews and used to describe the processes that helped and hindered the program. Results and Discussion: Common processes were identified across respondents; however, the nuanced processes that lead to successful outcomes suggest that defined structures and processes may not be sufficient to produce similar outcomes in other settings. Further research is needed to determine the program's replicability and policy implications.

Membrane association of the PTEN tumor suppressor: Neutron scattering and MD simulations reveal the structure of protein-membranes complexes

PubMed Central

Nanda, Hirsh; Heinrich, Frank; Lösche, Mathias

2014-01-01

Neutron reflection (NR) from planar interfaces is an emerging technology that provides unique and otherwise inaccessible structural information on disordered molecular systems such as membrane proteins associated with fluid bilayers, thus addressing one of the remaining challenges of structural biology. Although intrinsically a low-resolution technique, using structural information from crystallography or NMR allows the construction of NR models that describe the architecture of protein-membrane complexes at high resolution. In addition, a combination of these methods with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations has the potential to reveal the dynamics of protein interactions with the bilayer in atomistic detail. We review recent advances in this area by discussing the application of these techniques to the complex formed by the PTEN phosphatase with the plasma membrane. These studies provide insights in the cellular regulation of PTEN, its interaction with PI(4,5)P2 in the inner plasma membrane and the pathway by which its substrate, PI(3,4,5)P3, accesses the PTEN catalytic site. PMID:25461777

Recognition techniques for extracting information from semistructured documents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Della Ventura, Anna; Gagliardi, Isabella; Zonta, Bruna

2000-12-01

Archives of optical documents are more and more massively employed, the demand driven also by the new norms sanctioning the legal value of digital documents, provided they are stored on supports that are physically unalterable. On the supply side there is now a vast and technologically advanced market, where optical memories have solved the problem of the duration and permanence of data at costs comparable to those for magnetic memories. The remaining bottleneck in these systems is the indexing. The indexing of documents with a variable structure, while still not completely automated, can be machine supported to a large degree with evident advantages both in the organization of the work, and in extracting information, providing data that is much more detailed and potentially significant for the user. We present here a system for the automatic registration of correspondence to and from a public office. The system is based on a general methodology for the extraction, indexing, archiving, and retrieval of significant information from semi-structured documents. This information, in our prototype application, is distributed among the database fields of sender, addressee, subject, date, and body of the document.

Contributions of Raman spectroscopy to the understanding of bone strength.

PubMed

Mandair, Gurjit S; Morris, Michael D

2015-01-01

Raman spectroscopy is increasingly commonly used to understand how changes in bone composition and structure influence tissue-level bone mechanical properties. The spectroscopic technique provides information on bone mineral and matrix collagen components and on the effects of various matrix proteins on bone material properties as well. The Raman spectrum of bone not only contains information on bone mineral crystallinity that is related to bone hardness but also provides information on the orientation of mineral crystallites with respect to the collagen fibril axis. Indirect information on collagen cross-links is also available and will be discussed. After a short introduction to bone Raman spectroscopic parameters and collection methodologies, advances in in vivo Raman spectroscopic measurements for animal and human subject studies will be reviewed. A discussion on the effects of aging, osteogenesis imperfecta, osteoporosis and therapeutic agents on bone composition and mechanical properties will be highlighted, including genetic mouse models in which structure-function and exercise effects are explored. Similarly, extracellular matrix proteins, proteases and transcriptional proteins implicated in the regulation of bone material properties will be reviewed.

Institutional change to support regime transformation: Lessons from Australia's water sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werbeloff, Lara; Brown, Rebekah; Cocklin, Chris

2017-07-01

Institutional change is fundamental to regime transformation, and a necessary part of moving toward integrated water management. However, insight into the role of institutional change processes in such transitions is currently limited. A more nuanced understanding of institutional frameworks is necessary, both to advance understanding of institutional change in the context of transitions toward improved water management and to inform strategies for guiding such processes. To this end, we examine two contemporary cases of transformative change in Australia's urban water sector, exploring the evolution of institutional change in each city. This paper offers insights into regime transformation, providing guidance on types of institutional structures and the ways structure-change initiatives can be sequenced to support a transition. The results reveal the importance of regulation in embedding regime change and suggest that engagement with structural frameworks should begin early in transition processes to ensure the timely introduction of supporting regulation. Our findings also highlight the inextricable link between culture-based and structure-based change initiatives, and the importance of using a diverse range of institutional change mechanisms in a mutually reinforcing way to provide a strong foundation for change. These findings provide a foundation for further scholarly examination of institutional change mechanisms, while also serving to inform the strategic activities of transition-oriented organizations and actors.

WISDOM, a polarimetric GPR for the shallow subsurface characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciarletti, V.; Plettemeier, D.; Hassen-Kodja, R.; Clifford, S. M.; Wisdom Team

2011-12-01

WISDOM (Water Ice and Subsurface Deposit Observations on Mars) is a polarimetric Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) that has been selected to be part of the Pasteur payload onboard the Rover of the 2018 ExoMars mission. It will perform large-scale scientific investigations of the sub-surface of the landing site and provide precise information about the subsurface structure prior to drilling. WISDOM has been designed to provide accurate information on the sub-surface structure down to a depth in excess to 2 meters (commensurate to the drill capacities) with a vertical resolution of a several centimetres. It will give access to the geological structure, electromagnetic nature, and, possibly, to the hydrological state of the shallow subsurface by retrieving the layering and properties of the layers and buried reflectors. The data will also be used to determine the most promising locations to collect underground samples with the drilling system mounted on board the rover. Polarimetric measurements have been recently acquired on perfectly known targets as well as in natural environments. They demonstrated the ability to provide a better understanding of sub-surface structure and significantly reduce the ambiguity associated with identifying the location of off-nadir reflectors, relative to the rover path. This work describes the instrument and its operating modes with particular emphasis on its polarimetric capacities.

Phylogenetic profiles reveal structural/functional determinants of TRPC3 signal-sensing antennae

PubMed Central

Ko, Kyung Dae; Bhardwaj, Gaurav; Hong, Yoojin; Chang, Gue Su; Kiselyov, Kirill

2009-01-01

Biochemical assessment of channel structure/function is incredibly challenging. Developing computational tools that provide these data would enable translational research, accelerating mechanistic experimentation for the bench scientist studying ion channels. Starting with the premise that protein sequence encodes information about structure, function and evolution (SF&E), we developed a unified framework for inferring SF&E from sequence information using a knowledge-based approach. The Gestalt Domain Detection Algorithm-Basic Local Alignment Tool (GDDA-BLAST) provides phylogenetic profiles that can model, ab initio, SF&E relationships of biological sequences at the whole protein, single domain and single-amino acid level.1,2 In our recent paper,4 we have applied GDDA-BLAST analysis to study canonical TRP (TRPC) channels1 and empirically validated predicted lipid-binding and trafficking activities contained within the TRPC3 TRP_2 domain of unknown function. Overall, our in silico, in vitro, and in vivo experiments support a model in which TRPC3 has signal-sensing antennae which are adorned with lipid-binding, trafficking and calmodulin regulatory domains. In this Addendum, we correlate our functional domain analysis with the cryo-EM structure of TRPC3.3 In addition, we synthesize recent studies with our new findings to provide a refined model on the mechanism(s) of TRPC3 activation/deactivation. PMID:19704910

The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation - A Unique Window on the Early Universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinshaw, Gary F.

2009-01-01

The cosmic microwave background radiation is the remnant heat from the Big Bang. It provides us with a unique probe of conditions in the early universe, long before any organized structures had yet formed. The anisotropy in the radiation's brightness yields important clues about primordial structure and additionally provides a wealth of information about the physics of the early universe. Within the framework of inflationary dark matter models, observations of the anisotropy on sub-degree angular scales reveals the signatures of acoustic oscillations of the photon-baryon fluid at a redshift of approx. 1100. Data from the first five years of operation of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) satellite provide detailed full-sky maps of the cosmic microwave background temperature and polarization anisotropy. Together, the data provide a wealth of cosmological information, including the age of the universe, the epoch when the first stars formed, and the overall composition of baryonic matter, dark matter, and dark energy. The results also provide constraints on the period of inflationary expansion in the very first moments of time.

A proposal to conduct a Caribbean plate project involving the application of space technology to the study of Caribbean geology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wadge, G. (Editor)

1981-01-01

The Caribbean plate project is designed to improve current understanding of geological resources and geological hazards within the Caribbean region. Models of mineral occurrence and genesis (including energy resources) on a regional scale, which contribute to nonrenewable resource investigations. Models of lithospheric stress and strain on a regional scale, which contribute to forecasting geological hazards such as earthquakes and major volcanic eruptions are developed. Geological information is synthesize, and research tools provided by space technology the study of the Earth's crust are used. The project was organized in a thematic fashion, to focus on specific geological aspects of the Caribbean plate which are considered to be key factors in developing the types of models described. The project adopts a synoptic perspective in seeking to characterize the three dimensional structure, composition, state of stress, and evolution of the entire Caribbean plate. Geological information derived from analysis of space acquired data is combined with information provided by conventional methods to obtain insight into the structure, composition, and evolution of the Earth's crust. In addition, very long baseline interferometry and laser ranging techniques, which are also based upon the use of space technology, obtain information concerning crustal motion that, in turn, provides insight into the distribution and localization of crustal stress.

Health and nutrient content claims in food advertisements on Hispanic and mainstream prime-time television.

PubMed

Abbatangelo-Gray, Jodie; Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol; Austin, S Bryn

2008-01-01

Characterize frequency and type of health and nutrient content claims in prime-time weeknight Spanish- and English-language television advertisements from programs shown in 2003 with a high viewership by women aged 18 to 35 years. Comparative content analysis design was used to analyze 95 hours of Spanish-language and 72 hours of English-language television programs (netting 269 and 543 food ads, respectively). A content analysis instrument was used to gather information on explicit health and nutrient content claims: nutrition information only; diet-disease; structure-function; processed food health outcome; good for one's health; health care provider endorsement. Chi-square statistics detected statistically significant differences between the groups. Compared to English-language television, Spanish-language television aired significantly more food advertisements containing nutrition information and health, processed food/health, and good for one's health claims. Samples did not differ in the rate of diet/disease, structure/function, or health care provider endorsement claims. Findings indicate that Spanish-language television advertisements provide viewers with significantly more nutrition information than English-language network advertisements. Potential links between the deteriorating health status of Hispanics acculturating into US mainstream culture and their exposure to the less nutrition-based messaging found in English-language television should be explored.

Technology for large space systems: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 12)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

A bibliography listing 516 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between July 1, 1984 and December 31, 1984 is presented. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design in the area of Large Space System Technology. Subject matter is grouped according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems.

Mass Determination of Entire Amyloid Fibrils by Using Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Doussineau, Tristan; Mathevon, Carole; Altamura, Lucie; Vendrely, Charlotte; Dugourd, Philippe; Forge, Vincent; Antoine, Rodolphe

2016-02-12

Amyloid fibrils are self-assembled protein structures with important roles in biology (either pathogenic or physiological), and are attracting increasing interest in nanotechnology. However, because of their high aspect ratio and the presence of some polymorphism, that is, the possibility to adopt various structures, their characterization is challenging and basic information such as their mass is unknown. Here we show that charge-detection mass spectrometry, recently developed for large self-assembled systems such as viruses, provides such information in a straightforward manner. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Evaluation of Deep Learning Representations of Spatial Storm Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gagne, D. J., II; Haupt, S. E.; Nychka, D. W.

2017-12-01

The spatial structure of a severe thunderstorm and its surrounding environment provide useful information about the potential for severe weather hazards, including tornadoes, hail, and high winds. Statistics computed over the area of a storm or from the pre-storm environment can provide descriptive information but fail to capture structural information. Because the storm environment is a complex, high-dimensional space, identifying methods to encode important spatial storm information in a low-dimensional form should aid analysis and prediction of storms by statistical and machine learning models. Principal component analysis (PCA), a more traditional approach, transforms high-dimensional data into a set of linearly uncorrelated, orthogonal components ordered by the amount of variance explained by each component. The burgeoning field of deep learning offers two potential approaches to this problem. Convolutional Neural Networks are a supervised learning method for transforming spatial data into a hierarchical set of feature maps that correspond with relevant combinations of spatial structures in the data. Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) are an unsupervised deep learning model that uses two neural networks trained against each other to produce encoded representations of spatial data. These different spatial encoding methods were evaluated on the prediction of severe hail for a large set of storm patches extracted from the NCAR convection-allowing ensemble. Each storm patch contains information about storm structure and the near-storm environment. Logistic regression and random forest models were trained using the PCA and GAN encodings of the storm data and were compared against the predictions from a convolutional neural network. All methods showed skill over climatology at predicting the probability of severe hail. However, the verification scores among the methods were very similar and the predictions were highly correlated. Further evaluations are being performed to determine how the choice of input variables affects the results.

The Vehicular Information Space Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prinz, Vivian; Schlichter, Johann; Schweiger, Benno

Vehicular networks are distributed, self-organizing and highly mobile ad hoc networks. They allow for providing drivers with up-to-the-minute information about their environment. Therefore, they are expected to be a decisive future enabler for enhancing driving comfort and safety. This article introduces the Vehicular Information Space framework (VIS). Vehicles running the VIS form a kind of distributed database. It enables them to provide information like existing hazards, parking spaces or traffic densities in a location aware and fully distributed manner. In addition, vehicles can retrieve, modify and delete these information items. The underlying algorithm is based on features derived from existing structured Peer-to-Peer algorithms and extended to suit the specific characteristics of highly mobile ad hoc networks. We present, implement and simulate the VIS using a motorway and an urban traffic environment. Simulation studies on VIS message occurrence show that the VIS implies reasonable traffic overhead. Also, overall VIS message traffic is independent from the number of information items provided.

Standardizing the information architecture for spacecraft operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Easton, C. R.

1994-01-01

This paper presents an information architecture developed for the Space Station Freedom as a model from which to derive an information architecture standard for advanced spacecraft. The information architecture provides a way of making information available across a program, and among programs, assuming that the information will be in a variety of local formats, structures and representations. It provides a format that can be expanded to define all of the physical and logical elements that make up a program, add definitions as required, and import definitions from prior programs to a new program. It allows a spacecraft and its control center to work in different representations and formats, with the potential for supporting existing spacecraft from new control centers. It supports a common view of data and control of all spacecraft, regardless of their own internal view of their data and control characteristics, and of their communications standards, protocols and formats. This information architecture is central to standardizing spacecraft operations, in that it provides a basis for information transfer and translation, such that diverse spacecraft can be monitored and controlled in a common way.

Addition of flexible body option to the TOLA computer program. Part 2: User and programmer documentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dick, J. W.; Benda, B. J.

1975-01-01

User and programmer oriented documentation for the flexible body option of the Takeoff and Landing Analysis (TOLA) computer program are provided. The user information provides sufficient knowledge of the development and use of the option to enable the engineering user to successfully operate the modified program and understand the results. The programmer's information describes the option structure and logic enabling a programmer to make major revisions to this part of the TOLA computer program.

Text Mining for Protein Docking

PubMed Central

Badal, Varsha D.; Kundrotas, Petras J.; Vakser, Ilya A.

2015-01-01

The rapidly growing amount of publicly available information from biomedical research is readily accessible on the Internet, providing a powerful resource for predictive biomolecular modeling. The accumulated data on experimentally determined structures transformed structure prediction of proteins and protein complexes. Instead of exploring the enormous search space, predictive tools can simply proceed to the solution based on similarity to the existing, previously determined structures. A similar major paradigm shift is emerging due to the rapidly expanding amount of information, other than experimentally determined structures, which still can be used as constraints in biomolecular structure prediction. Automated text mining has been widely used in recreating protein interaction networks, as well as in detecting small ligand binding sites on protein structures. Combining and expanding these two well-developed areas of research, we applied the text mining to structural modeling of protein-protein complexes (protein docking). Protein docking can be significantly improved when constraints on the docking mode are available. We developed a procedure that retrieves published abstracts on a specific protein-protein interaction and extracts information relevant to docking. The procedure was assessed on protein complexes from Dockground (http://dockground.compbio.ku.edu). The results show that correct information on binding residues can be extracted for about half of the complexes. The amount of irrelevant information was reduced by conceptual analysis of a subset of the retrieved abstracts, based on the bag-of-words (features) approach. Support Vector Machine models were trained and validated on the subset. The remaining abstracts were filtered by the best-performing models, which decreased the irrelevant information for ~ 25% complexes in the dataset. The extracted constraints were incorporated in the docking protocol and tested on the Dockground unbound benchmark set, significantly increasing the docking success rate. PMID:26650466

Is forest structure related to fire severity? Yes, no, and maybe: Methods and insights in quantifying the answer

Treesearch

Theresa Benavidez Jain; Russell T. Graham

2004-01-01

Wildfires in 2000 burned over 500,000 forested ha in the Northern Rocky Mountains. In 2001, National Fire Plan funding became available to evaluate the influence of pre-wildfire forest structure on post wildfire fire severity. Results from this study will provide information on forest structures that are resilient to wildfire. Three years of data (558 plots) have been...

Secondary Structure Prediction of Protein Constructs Using Random Incremental Truncation and Vacuum-Ultraviolet CD Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Pukáncsik, Mária; Orbán, Ágnes; Nagy, Kinga; Matsuo, Koichi; Gekko, Kunihiko; Maurin, Damien; Hart, Darren; Kézsmárki, István; Vertessy, Beata G.

2016-01-01

A novel uracil-DNA degrading protein factor (termed UDE) was identified in Drosophila melanogaster with no significant structural and functional homology to other uracil-DNA binding or processing factors. Determination of the 3D structure of UDE is excepted to provide key information on the description of the molecular mechanism of action of UDE catalysis, as well as in general uracil-recognition and nuclease action. Towards this long-term aim, the random library ESPRIT technology was applied to the novel protein UDE to overcome problems in identifying soluble expressing constructs given the absence of precise information on domain content and arrangement. Nine constructs of UDE were chosen to decipher structural and functional relationships. Vacuum ultraviolet circular dichroism (VUVCD) spectroscopy was performed to define the secondary structure content and location within UDE and its truncated variants. The quantitative analysis demonstrated exclusive α-helical content for the full-length protein, which is preserved in the truncated constructs. Arrangement of α-helical bundles within the truncated protein segments suggested new domain boundaries which differ from the conserved motifs determined by sequence-based alignment of UDE homologues. Here we demonstrate that the combination of ESPRIT and VUVCD spectroscopy provides a new structural description of UDE and confirms that the truncated constructs are useful for further detailed functional studies. PMID:27273007

The waiting room: vector for health education? The general practitioner's point of view.

PubMed

Gignon, Maxine; Idris, Hadjila; Manaouil, Cecile; Ganry, Oliver

2012-09-18

General practitioners (GPs) play a central role in disseminating information and most health policies are tending to develop this pivotal role of GPs in dissemination of health-related information to the public. The objective of this study was to evaluate use of the waiting room by GPs as a vector for health promotion. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a representative sample of GPs using semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. A structured grid was used to describe the documents. Quantitative and qualitative analysis was performed. Sixty GPs participated in the study. They stated that a waiting room had to be pleasant, but agreed that it was a useful vector for providing health information. The GPs stated that they distributed documents designed to improve patient care by encouraging screening, providing health education information and addressing delicate subjects more easily. However, some physicians believed that this information can sometimes make patients more anxious. A large number of documents were often available, covering a variety of topics. General practitioners intentionally use their waiting rooms to disseminate a broad range of health-related information, but without developing a clearly defined strategy. It would be interesting to correlate the topics addressed by waiting room documents with prevention practices introduced during the visit.

Pointwise Partial Information Decomposition Using the Specificity and Ambiguity Lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finn, Conor; Lizier, Joseph

2018-04-01

What are the distinct ways in which a set of predictor variables can provide information about a target variable? When does a variable provide unique information, when do variables share redundant information, and when do variables combine synergistically to provide complementary information? The redundancy lattice from the partial information decomposition of Williams and Beer provided a promising glimpse at the answer to these questions. However, this structure was constructed using a much criticised measure of redundant information, and despite sustained research, no completely satisfactory replacement measure has been proposed. In this paper, we take a different approach, applying the axiomatic derivation of the redundancy lattice to a single realisation from a set of discrete variables. To overcome the difficulty associated with signed pointwise mutual information, we apply this decomposition separately to the unsigned entropic components of pointwise mutual information which we refer to as the specificity and ambiguity. This yields a separate redundancy lattice for each component. Then based upon an operational interpretation of redundancy, we define measures of redundant specificity and ambiguity enabling us to evaluate the partial information atoms in each lattice. These atoms can be recombined to yield the sought-after multivariate information decomposition. We apply this framework to canonical examples from the literature and discuss the results and the various properties of the decomposition. In particular, the pointwise decomposition using specificity and ambiguity satisfies a chain rule over target variables, which provides new insights into the so-called two-bit-copy example.

Recontextualizing Military Structures along the Stanegate and Hadrian's Wall Utilizing Aerial Photography and GIS Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sieteski, Sara

This dissertation examines the region along the Stanegate frontier, just below Hadrian's Wall, on both a macroscopic and microscopic level, to analyze how landscape affected placement of forts, camps, and other military structures. It aims to explore known archaeological structures as well as expose new areas of interest, not yet discovered through traditional survey methods. It asks the question of whether temporary structures helped lead to the development of permanent structures, as part of the overall limes defensive strategy. While a lack of archaeological dating on many of these structures often provides the greatest challenge, the aim is to determine what additional information can be deduced about how landscape affected this region and to set an agenda of future survey work, designed to improve our understanding of it. In addition, this approach aims to improve understanding of the function of these installations and their relationship to the Wall and each other. Aerial photography and the construction of a geographic information system (GIS) can prove a valuable tool in surveying the region, to extract data from forts, camps, and recently discovered land depressions. Measurements can be taken to determine if there is a similar building pattern which might reflect contemporaneous construction periods. Distances between structures can be taken to determine the significance of their spacing and arrangement. In addition, data sets containing information on bedrock, ancient woodlands, ecology, and hydrology can provide valuable insight on the topography of each site. This work is meant to serve as a foundational piece for future scholars to build upon to continue to expand our understanding of the region, as computational methods become more sophisticated and data access becomes more readily available across the globe.

EDSN - Edison Demonstration for SmallSat Networks: EDSN Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Westley Atkins, Deborah Maria; Chartres, James

2015-01-01

The EDSN overview provides information on the project's objectives, particular technologies being demonstrated, an overview of the structural components of the satellites, and the concept of operations.

Eros in Stereo

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-05-07

Stereo imaging, an important tool on NASA NEAR Shoemaker for geologic analysis of Eros, provides three-dimensional information on the asteroid landforms and structures. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.

Systems biology of the structural proteome.

PubMed

Brunk, Elizabeth; Mih, Nathan; Monk, Jonathan; Zhang, Zhen; O'Brien, Edward J; Bliven, Spencer E; Chen, Ke; Chang, Roger L; Bourne, Philip E; Palsson, Bernhard O

2016-03-11

The success of genome-scale models (GEMs) can be attributed to the high-quality, bottom-up reconstructions of metabolic, protein synthesis, and transcriptional regulatory networks on an organism-specific basis. Such reconstructions are biochemically, genetically, and genomically structured knowledge bases that can be converted into a mathematical format to enable a myriad of computational biological studies. In recent years, genome-scale reconstructions have been extended to include protein structural information, which has opened up new vistas in systems biology research and empowered applications in structural systems biology and systems pharmacology. Here, we present the generation, application, and dissemination of genome-scale models with protein structures (GEM-PRO) for Escherichia coli and Thermotoga maritima. We show the utility of integrating molecular scale analyses with systems biology approaches by discussing several comparative analyses on the temperature dependence of growth, the distribution of protein fold families, substrate specificity, and characteristic features of whole cell proteomes. Finally, to aid in the grand challenge of big data to knowledge, we provide several explicit tutorials of how protein-related information can be linked to genome-scale models in a public GitHub repository ( https://github.com/SBRG/GEMPro/tree/master/GEMPro_recon/). Translating genome-scale, protein-related information to structured data in the format of a GEM provides a direct mapping of gene to gene-product to protein structure to biochemical reaction to network states to phenotypic function. Integration of molecular-level details of individual proteins, such as their physical, chemical, and structural properties, further expands the description of biochemical network-level properties, and can ultimately influence how to model and predict whole cell phenotypes as well as perform comparative systems biology approaches to study differences between organisms. GEM-PRO offers insight into the physical embodiment of an organism's genotype, and its use in this comparative framework enables exploration of adaptive strategies for these organisms, opening the door to many new lines of research. With these provided tools, tutorials, and background, the reader will be in a position to run GEM-PRO for their own purposes.

Integration of Text- and Data-Mining Technologies for Use in Banking Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maslankowski, Jacek

Unstructured data, most of it in the form of text files, typically accounts for 85% of an organization's knowledge stores, but it's not always easy to find, access, analyze or use (Robb 2004). That is why it is important to use solutions based on text and data mining. This solution is known as duo mining. This leads to improve management based on knowledge owned in organization. The results are interesting. Data mining provides to lead with structuralized data, usually powered from data warehouses. Text mining, sometimes called web mining, looks for patterns in unstructured data — memos, document and www. Integrating text-based information with structured data enriches predictive modeling capabilities and provides new stores of insightful and valuable information for driving business and research initiatives forward.

Local structure in LaMnO3 and CaMnO3 perovskites: A quantitative structural refinement of Mn K -edge XANES data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monesi, C.; Meneghini, C.; Bardelli, F.; Benfatto, M.; Mobilio, S.; Manju, U.; Sarma, D. D.

2005-11-01

Hole-doped perovskites such as La1-xCaxMnO3 present special magnetic and magnetotransport properties, and it is commonly accepted that the local atomic structure around Mn ions plays a crucial role in determining these peculiar features. Therefore experimental techniques directly probing the local atomic structure, like x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), have been widely exploited to deeply understand the physics of these compounds. Quantitative XAS analysis usually concerns the extended region [extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS)] of the absorption spectra. The near-edge region [x-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES)] of XAS spectra can provide detailed complementary information on the electronic structure and local atomic topology around the absorber. However, the complexity of the XANES analysis usually prevents a quantitative understanding of the data. This work exploits the recently developed MXAN code to achieve a quantitative structural refinement of the Mn K -edge XANES of LaMnO3 and CaMnO3 compounds; they are the end compounds of the doped manganite series LaxCa1-xMnO3 . The results derived from the EXAFS and XANES analyses are in good agreement, demonstrating that a quantitative picture of the local structure can be obtained from XANES in these crystalline compounds. Moreover, the quantitative XANES analysis provides topological information not directly achievable from EXAFS data analysis. This work demonstrates that combining the analysis of extended and near-edge regions of Mn K -edge XAS spectra could provide a complete and accurate description of Mn local atomic environment in these compounds.

QUOTEchemo: a patient-centred instrument to measure quality of communication preceding chemotherapy treatment through the patient's eyes.

PubMed

van Weert, Julia C M; Jansen, Jesse; de Bruijn, Gert-Jan; Noordman, Janneke; van Dulmen, Sandra; Bensing, Jozien M

2009-11-01

Knowing patients' needs is a prerequisite to ensure high quality cancer care. This study describes the development and psychometric properties of a patient-centred instrument to measure needs and actual experiences with communication preceding chemotherapy treatment: QUOTE(chemo). QUOTE-questionnaires (Quality Of care Through the patients' Eyes) are widely used to gain insight into unmet needs, but no validated, standardised questionnaire combining patients' needs and experiences surrounding chemotherapy treatment is available yet. To evaluate the psychometric properties of the QUOTE(chemo), content validity, internal structure and convergent validity were investigated amongst 345 cancer patients, new to chemotherapy, from 10 different hospitals. Literature study, focus group discussions and a categorisation procedure of 67 relevant topics revealed seven main themes: Treatment-related information, Prognosis information, Rehabilitation information, Coping information, Interpersonal communication, Tailored communication and Affective communication. Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modelling indicated that the measurement model provided good fit to the data with factor loadings ranging from .43 to .77. The seven QUOTE(chemo) dimensions captured relevant issues of concern with good internal consistency (alpha .72-.92), satisfactory item-total correlations (.35-.79) and satisfactory convergent validity. Affective communication, Treatment-related information and Rehabilitation information were perceived most important by patients. The instrument also appeared to be able to determine which aspects need improvement to ensure high quality care. The highest need for improvement was found for communicating Prognosis information and Rehabilitation information and for Interpersonal communication. These findings provide preliminary evidence of the reliability and validity of the QUOTE(chemo) for use in cancer care surrounding chemotherapy treatment. Researchers and health care providers can use the instrument to measure patients' needs and experiences with communication to identify aspects that need improvement.

Characterizing sub-arctic peatland vegeation using height estimates from structure from motion and an unmanned aerial system (UAS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palace, M. W.; DelGreco, J.; Herrick, C.; Sullivan, F.; Varner, R. K.

2017-12-01

The collapse of permafrost, due to thawing, changes landscape topography, hydrology and vegetation. Changes in plant species composition influence methane production pathways and methane emission rates. The complex spatial heterogeneity of vegetation composition across peatlands proves important in quantifying methane emissions. Effort to characterize vegetation across these permafrost peatlands has been conducted with varied success, with difficulty seen in estimating some cover types that are at opposite ends of the permafrost collapse transition, ie palsa/tall shrub and tall graminoid. This is because some of the species are the same (horsetail) and some of the species have similar structure (horsetail/Carex spp.). High resolution digital elevation maps, developed with airborne LIght Detection And Ranging (lidar) have provided insight into some wetland attributes, but lidar collection is costly and requires extensive data processing effort. Lidar information also lacks the spectral information that optical sensors provide. We used an inexpensive Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with an optical sensor to image a mire in northern Sweden (Stordalen Mire) in 2015. We collected 700 overlapping images that were stitched together using Structure from Motion (SfM). SfM analysis also provided, due to parallax, the ability to develop a height map of vegetation. This height map was used, along with textural analysis, to develop an artificial neural network to predict five vegetation cover types. Using 200 training points, we found improvements in our prediction of these cover types. We suggest that using the digital height model from SfM provides useful information in remotely sensing vegetation across a permafrost collapsing region that exhibit resulting changes in vegetation composition. The ability to rapidly and inexpensively deploy such a UAV system provides the opportunity to examine multiple sites with limited personnel effort in remote areas.

Recent advances in standards for collaborative Digital Anatomic Pathology

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Context Collaborative Digital Anatomic Pathology refers to the use of information technology that supports the creation and sharing or exchange of information, including data and images, during the complex workflow performed in an Anatomic Pathology department from specimen reception to report transmission and exploitation. Collaborative Digital Anatomic Pathology can only be fully achieved using medical informatics standards. The goal of the international integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) initiative is precisely specifying how medical informatics standards should be implemented to meet specific health care needs and making systems integration more efficient and less expensive. Objective To define the best use of medical informatics standards in order to share and exchange machine-readable structured reports and their evidences (including whole slide images) within hospitals and across healthcare facilities. Methods Specific working groups dedicated to Anatomy Pathology within multiple standards organizations defined standard-based data structures for Anatomic Pathology reports and images as well as informatic transactions in order to integrate Anatomic Pathology information into the electronic healthcare enterprise. Results The DICOM supplements 122 and 145 provide flexible object information definitions dedicated respectively to specimen description and Whole Slide Image acquisition, storage and display. The content profile “Anatomic Pathology Structured Report” (APSR) provides standard templates for structured reports in which textual observations may be bound to digital images or regions of interest. Anatomic Pathology observations are encoded using an international controlled vocabulary defined by the IHE Anatomic Pathology domain that is currently being mapped to SNOMED CT concepts. Conclusion Recent advances in standards for Collaborative Digital Anatomic Pathology are a unique opportunity to share or exchange Anatomic Pathology structured reports that are interoperable at an international level. The use of machine-readable format of APSR supports the development of decision support as well as secondary use of Anatomic Pathology information for epidemiology or clinical research. PMID:21489187

Information Object Definition–based Unified Modeling Language Representation of DICOM Structured Reporting

PubMed Central

Tirado-Ramos, Alfredo; Hu, Jingkun; Lee, K.P.

2002-01-01

Supplement 23 to DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications for Medicine), Structured Reporting, is a specification that supports a semantically rich representation of image and waveform content, enabling experts to share image and related patient information. DICOM SR supports the representation of textual and coded data linked to images and waveforms. Nevertheless, the medical information technology community needs models that work as bridges between the DICOM relational model and open object-oriented technologies. The authors assert that representations of the DICOM Structured Reporting standard, using object-oriented modeling languages such as the Unified Modeling Language, can provide a high-level reference view of the semantically rich framework of DICOM and its complex structures. They have produced an object-oriented model to represent the DICOM SR standard and have derived XML-exchangeable representations of this model using World Wide Web Consortium specifications. They expect the model to benefit developers and system architects who are interested in developing applications that are compliant with the DICOM SR specification. PMID:11751804

Using ancestry-informative markers to identify fine structure across 15 populations of European origin.

PubMed

Huckins, Laura M; Boraska, Vesna; Franklin, Christopher S; Floyd, James A B; Southam, Lorraine; Sullivan, Patrick F; Bulik, Cynthia M; Collier, David A; Tyler-Smith, Chris; Zeggini, Eleftheria; Tachmazidou, Ioanna

2014-10-01

The Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium 3 anorexia nervosa genome-wide association scan includes 2907 cases from 15 different populations of European origin genotyped on the Illumina 670K chip. We compared methods for identifying population stratification, and suggest list of markers that may help to counter this problem. It is usual to identify population structure in such studies using only common variants with minor allele frequency (MAF) >5%; we find that this may result in highly informative SNPs being discarded, and suggest that instead all SNPs with MAF >1% may be used. We established informative axes of variation identified via principal component analysis and highlight important features of the genetic structure of diverse European-descent populations, some studied for the first time at this scale. Finally, we investigated the substructure within each of these 15 populations and identified SNPs that help capture hidden stratification. This work can provide information regarding the designing and interpretation of association results in the International Consortia.

Multilevel multi-informant structure of the authoritative school climate survey.

PubMed

Konold, Timothy; Cornell, Dewey; Huang, Francis; Meyer, Patrick; Lacey, Anna; Nekvasil, Erin; Heilbrun, Anna; Shukla, Kathan

2014-09-01

The Authoritative School Climate Survey was designed to provide schools with a brief assessment of 2 key characteristics of school climate--disciplinary structure and student support--that are hypothesized to influence 2 important school climate outcomes--student engagement and prevalence of teasing and bullying in school. The factor structure of these 4 constructs was examined with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses in a statewide sample of 39,364 students (Grades 7 and 8) attending 423 schools. Notably, the analyses used a multilevel structural approach to model the nesting of students in schools for purposes of evaluating factor structure, demonstrating convergent and concurrent validity and gauging the structural invariance of concurrent validity coefficients across gender. These findings provide schools with a core group of school climate measures guided by authoritative discipline theory. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Comparing a Japanese and a German hospital information system.

PubMed

Jahn, F; Issler, L; Winter, A; Takabayashi, K

2009-01-01

To examine the architectural differences and similarities of a Japanese and German hospital information system (HIS) in a case study. This cross-cultural comparison, which focuses on structural quality characteristics, offers the chance to get new insights into different HIS architectures, which possibly cannot be obtained by inner-country comparisons. A reference model for the domain layer of hospital information systems containing the typical enterprise functions of a hospital provides the basis of comparison for the two different hospital information systems. 3LGM(2) models, which describe the two HISs and which are based on that reference model, are used to assess several structural quality criteria. Four of these criteria are introduced in detail. The two examined HISs are different in terms of the four structural quality criteria examined. Whereas the centralized architecture of the hospital information system at Chiba University Hospital causes only few functional redundancies and leads to a low implementation of communication standards, the hospital information system at the University Hospital of Leipzig, having a decentralized architecture, exhibits more functional redundancies and a higher use of communication standards. Using a model-based comparison, it was possible to detect remarkable differences between the observed hospital information systems of completely different cultural areas. However, the usability of 3LGM(2) models for comparisons has to be improved in order to apply key figures and to assess or benchmark the structural quality of health information systems architectures more thoroughly.

Maryland Community Colleges: Databook and Annual Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Board for Community Colleges, Annapolis.

This databook, which is used for strategic planning, provides an overview of all aspects of community college functions in Maryland and is an annual report to the state legislature. Section I provides information on the Maryland higher education structure and undergraduate enrollment by county and type of institution. Section II presents…

The Summary of Performance as Transition "Passport" to Employment and Independent Living

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kochhar-Bryant, Carol A.

2007-01-01

Individuals with moderate to significant disabilities experience the most serious challenges in accessing employment and independent living when they exit high school. Therefore, the process of transition assessment conducted in school should be structured to provide relevant information for adult service providers and employers. For individuals…