Creating the User-Friendly Library by Evaluating Patron Perception of Signage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bosman, Ellen; Rusinek, Carol

1997-01-01

Librarians at Indiana University Northwest Library surveyed patrons on how to make the library's collection and services more accessible by improving signage. Examines the effectiveness of signage to instruct users, reduce difficulties and fears, ameliorate negative experiences, and contribute to a user-friendly environment. (AEF)

A new mobile ubiquitous computing application to control obesity: SapoFit.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Joel J P C; Lopes, Ivo M C; Silva, Bruno M C; Torre, Isabel de La

2013-01-01

The objective of this work was the proposal, design, construction and validation of a mobile health system for dietetic monitoring and assessment, called SapoFit. This application may be personalized to keep a daily personal health record of an individual's food intake and daily exercise and to share this with a social network. The initiative is a partnership with SAPO - Portugal Telecom. SapoFit uses Web services architecture, a relatively new model for distributed computing and application integration. SapoFit runs on a range of mobile platforms, and it has been implemented successfully in a range of mobile devices and has been evaluated by over 100 users. Most users strongly agree that SapoFit has an attractive design, the environment is user-friendly and intuitive, and the navigation options are clear.

Hazardous Waste Generator Regulations: A User-Friendly Reference Document

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

User-friendly reference to assist EPA and state staff, industrial facilities generating and managing hazardous wastes as well as the general public, in locating and understanding RCRA hazardous waste generator regulations.

Inferring tie strength from online directed behavior.

PubMed

Jones, Jason J; Settle, Jaime E; Bond, Robert M; Fariss, Christopher J; Marlow, Cameron; Fowler, James H

2013-01-01

Some social connections are stronger than others. People have not only friends, but also best friends. Social scientists have long recognized this characteristic of social connections and researchers frequently use the term tie strength to refer to this concept. We used online interaction data (specifically, Facebook interactions) to successfully identify real-world strong ties. Ground truth was established by asking users themselves to name their closest friends in real life. We found the frequency of online interaction was diagnostic of strong ties, and interaction frequency was much more useful diagnostically than were attributes of the user or the user's friends. More private communications (messages) were not necessarily more informative than public communications (comments, wall posts, and other interactions).

ECO-Report - Finding common ground: Montana Forest Restoration Committee

Treesearch

Sharon Ritter; Greg Jones; Alan Watson; Ward McCaughey; Mick Harrington; Rafal Zwolak; Kerry Foresman; Elizabeth Crone; Dean Pearson; Yvette Ortega; Dan Loeffler

2008-01-01

EcoReport is an annual Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) publication which contains a set of articles showcasing the Bitterroot Ecosystem Management Research Project (BEMRP) research projects and activities. The articles are concise, user-friendly, and designed to inform a broad range of audiences interested in ecosystem management. Articles featured in...

ECO-News - BEMRP: A first of its kind within the Forest Service

Treesearch

Madelyn Kempf; Kerry Foresman; Jack Lyon; Steve Arno; Cindy Chojnacky

1995-01-01

ECO-News is an annual Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) publication which contains a set of articles showcasing the Bitterroot Ecosystem Management Research Project (BEMRP) research projects and activities. The articles are concise, user-friendly, and designed to inform a broad range of audiences interested in ecosystem management. Articles featured in...

ECO-Report - 1999 Symposium highlights five years of learning

Treesearch

Janie Canton-Thompson; Jane Kapler Smith; Greg Jones; Perry J. Brown; Stephen F. Arno; Orville L. Daniels; Dale A. Burk; Colin C. Hardy; Dave Silvieus; Kristi D. Pflug; Bruce Winhorst; Brooke Thompson; Yvette K. Ortega; Kevin S. McKelvey; Tom Thompson; Dean E. Pearson; Cathy Stewart; Janet Sullivan

1999-01-01

ECO-Report is an annual Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) publication which contains a set of articles showcasing the Bitterroot Ecosystem Management Research Project (BEMRP) research projects and activities. The articles are concise, user-friendly, and designed to inform a broad range of audiences interested in ecosystem management. Articles featured in...

ECO-Report - Collaboration at the heart of the job

Treesearch

Jane Kapler Smith; Lucia Solorzano; Janet Howard; Steve Arno; Thomas G. Wagner; Robert Keane; L. Jack Lyon; J. Greg Jones; Sue Heald

1997-01-01

ECO-Report is an annual Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) publication which contains a set of articles showcasing the Bitterroot Ecosystem Management Research Project (BEMRP) research projects and activities. The articles are concise, user-friendly, and designed to inform a broad range of audiences interested in ecosystem management. Articles featured in...

ECO-Report - Scale matters - some thoughts on landscape sustainability

Treesearch

Sharon Ritter; Janie Canton-Thompson; Greg Jones; Ward McCaughey; Dave Calkin; Mick Harrington; Peter Kolb; LaWen Hollingsworth; Joe Jensen; Katie Knotek; Brooke Thompson

2005-01-01

ECO-Report is an annual Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) publication which contains a set of articles showcasing the Bitterroot Ecosystem Management Research Project (BEMRP) research projects and activities. The articles are concise, user-friendly, and designed to inform a broad range of audiences interested in ecosystem management. Articles featured in...

Working with Families of Young Children with Special Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McWilliam, R. A., Ed.

2010-01-01

This user-friendly book presents research-based best practices for serving families of children with special needs from birth to age 6. Expert contributors demonstrate how early intervention and early childhood special education can effectively address a wide range of family concerns, which in turn optimizes children's development and learning.…

Friend suggestion in social network based on user log

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaviya, R.; Vanitha, M.; Sumaiya Thaseen, I.; Mangaiyarkarasi, R.

2017-11-01

Simple friend recommendation algorithms such as similarity, popularity and social aspects is the basic requirement to be explored to methodically form high-performance social friend recommendation. Suggestion of friends is followed. No tags of character were followed. In the proposed system, we use an algorithm for network correlation-based social friend recommendation (NC-based SFR).It includes user activities like where one lives and works. A new friend recommendation method, based on network correlation, by considering the effect of different social roles. To model the correlation between different networks, we develop a method that aligns these networks through important feature selection. We consider by preserving the network structure for a more better recommendations so that it significantly improves the accuracy for better friend-recommendation.

Polytobacco, marijuana, and alcohol use patterns in college students: A latent class analysis.

PubMed

Haardörfer, Regine; Berg, Carla J; Lewis, Michael; Payne, Jackelyn; Pillai, Drishti; McDonald, Bennett; Windle, Michael

2016-08-01

Limited research has examined polysubstance use profiles among young adults focusing on the various tobacco products currently available. We examined use patterns of various tobacco products, marijuana, and alcohol using data from the baseline survey of a multiwave longitudinal study of 3418 students aged 18-25 recruited from seven U.S. college campuses. We assessed sociodemographics, individual-level factors (depression; perceptions of harm and addictiveness,), and sociocontextual factors (parental/friend use). We conducted a latent class analysis and multivariable logistic regression to examine correlates of class membership (Abstainers were referent group). Results indicated five classes: Abstainers (26.1% per past 4-month use), Alcohol only users (38.9%), Heavy polytobacco users (7.3%), Light polytobacco users (17.3%), and little cigar and cigarillo (LCC)/hookah/marijuana co-users (10.4%). The most stable was LCC/hookah/marijuana co-users (77.3% classified as such in past 30-day and 4-month timeframes), followed by Heavy polytobacco users (53.2% classified consistently). Relative to Abstainers, Heavy polytobacco users were less likely to be Black and have no friends using alcohol and perceived harm of tobacco and marijuana use lower. Light polytobacco users were older, more likely to have parents using tobacco, and less likely to have friends using tobacco. LCC/hookah/marijuana co-users were older and more likely to have parents using tobacco. Alcohol only users perceived tobacco and marijuana use to be less socially acceptable, were more likely to have parents using alcohol and friends using marijuana, but less likely to have friends using tobacco. These findings may inform substance use prevention and recovery programs by better characterizing polysubstance use patterns. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polytobacco, marijuana, and alcohol use patterns in college students: A latent class analysis

PubMed Central

Haardörfer, Regine; Berg, Carla J.; Lewis, Michael; Payne, Jackelyn; Pillai, Drishti; McDonald, Bennett; Windle, Michael

2016-01-01

Limited research has examined polysubstance use profiles among young adults focusing on the various tobacco products currently available. We examined use patterns of various tobacco products, marijuana, and alcohol using data from the baseline survey of a multiwave longitudinal study of 3418 students aged 18-25 recruited from seven U.S. college campuses. We assessed sociodemographics, individual-level factors (depression; perceptions of harm and addictiveness,), and sociocontextual factors (parental/friend use). We conducted a latent class analysis and multivariable logistic regression to examine correlates of class membership (Abstainers were referent group). Results indicated five classes: Abstainers (26.1% per past 4-month use), Alcohol only users (38.9%), Heavy polytobacco users (7.3%), Light polytobacco users (17.3%), and little cigar and cigarillo (LCC)/hookah/marijuana co-users (10.4%). The most stable was LCC/hookah/marijuana co-users (77.3% classified as such in past 30-day and 4-month timeframes), followed by Heavy polytobacco users (53.2% classified consistently). Relative to Abstainers, Heavy polytobacco users were less likely to be Black and have no friends using alcohol and perceived harm of tobacco and marijuana use lower. Light polytobacco users were older, more likely to have parents using tobacco, and less likely to have friends using tobacco. LCC/hookah/marijuana co-users were older and more likely to have parents using tobacco. Alcohol only users perceived tobacco and marijuana use to be less socially acceptable, were more likely to have parents using alcohol and friends using marijuana, but less likely to have friends using tobacco. These findings may inform substance use prevention and recovery programs by better characterizing polysubstance use patterns. PMID:27074202

EnviroNET: An on-line environment data base for LDEF data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lauriente, Michael

1992-01-01

EnviroNET is an on-line, free form data base intended to provide a centralized depository for a wide range of technical information on environmentally induced interactions of use to Space Shuttle customers and spacecraft designers. It provides a user friendly, menu driven format on networks that are connected globally and is available twenty-four hours a day, every day. The information updated regularly, includes expository text, tabular numerical data, charts and graphs, and models. The system pools space data collected over the years by NASA, USAF, other government facilities, industry, universities, and ESA. The models accept parameter input from the user and calculate and display the derived values corresponding to that input. In addition to the archive, interactive graphics programs are also available on space debris, the neutral atmosphere, radiation, magnetic field, and ionosphere. A user friendly informative interface is standard for all the models with a pop-up window, help window with information on inputs, outputs, and caveats. The system will eventually simplify mission analysis with analytical tools and deliver solution for computational intense graphical applications to do 'What if' scenarios. A proposed plan for developing a repository of LDEF information for a user group concludes the presentation.

Statistical properties of the personal social network in the Facebook

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Q.; Shao, F.; Hu, Z. L.; Liu, J. G.

2013-10-01

The statistical properties of the user interaction behaviors in a city have great significance for developing the network marketing strategy, promoting personalized service and so on. In this paper, we investigate the interaction property of the users from New Orleans network in the Facebook, and find that one's out-degree and in-degree are approximately the same. In addition, when the number of a user friends is less than 65, the number of their posts would linearly grow with the slope 4.2, but when one user's friends are more than 65, their posts would grow with the slope 2.1. Further, the average link weight is relatively flat when the out-degree ranges from 28 to 65, and before or after the section it is on the rise or in decline, respectively, from which we can conclude that one could not maintain stable and meaningful relationships with more than 65 people in a single city. We present a null model to reshuffle the network to guarantee that the empirical results are not obtained by accident. The result obtained after reshuffling suggests that there exists a limit that restricts people's social activities.

Comparison Analysis among Large Amount of SNS Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toriumi, Fujio; Yamamoto, Hitoshi; Suwa, Hirohiko; Okada, Isamu; Izumi, Kiyoshi; Hashimoto, Yasuhiro

In recent years, application of Social Networking Services (SNS) and Blogs are growing as new communication tools on the Internet. Several large-scale SNS sites are prospering; meanwhile, many sites with relatively small scale are offering services. Such small-scale SNSs realize small-group isolated type of communication while neither mixi nor MySpace can do that. However, the studies on SNS are almost about particular large-scale SNSs and cannot analyze whether their results apply for general features or for special characteristics on the SNSs. From the point of view of comparison analysis on SNS, comparison with just several types of those cannot reach a statistically significant level. We analyze many SNS sites with the aim of classifying them by using some approaches. Our paper classifies 50,000 sites for small-scale SNSs and gives their features from the points of network structure, patterns of communication, and growth rate of SNS. The result of analysis for network structure shows that many SNS sites have small-world attribute with short path lengths and high coefficients of their cluster. Distribution of degrees of the SNS sites is close to power law. This result indicates the small-scale SNS sites raise the percentage of users with many friends than mixi. According to the analysis of their coefficients of assortativity, those SNS sites have negative values of assortativity, and that means users with high degree tend to connect users with small degree. Next, we analyze the patterns of user communication. A friend network of SNS is explicit while users' communication behaviors are defined as an implicit network. What kind of relationships do these networks have? To address this question, we obtain some characteristics of users' communication structure and activation patterns of users on the SNS sites. By using new indexes, friend aggregation rate and friend coverage rate, we show that SNS sites with high value of friend coverage rate activate diary postings and their comments. Besides, they become activated when hub users with high degree do not behave actively on the sites with high value of friend aggregation rate and high value of friend coverage rate. On the other hand, activation emerges when hub users behave actively on the sites with low value of friend aggregation rate and high value of friend coverage rate. Finally, we observe SNS sites which are increasing the number of users considerably, from the viewpoint of network structure, and extract characteristics of high growth SNS sites. As a result of discrimination on the basis of the decision tree analysis, we can recognize the high growth SNS sites with a high degree of accuracy. Besides, this approach suggests mixi and the other small-scale SNS sites have different character trait.

A user-friendly, low-cost turbidostat with versatile growth rate estimation based on an extended Kalman filter.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Stefan A; Wohltat, Christian; Müller, Kristian M; Arndt, Katja M

2017-01-01

For various experimental applications, microbial cultures at defined, constant densities are highly advantageous over simple batch cultures. Due to high costs, however, devices for continuous culture at freely defined densities still experience limited use. We have developed a small-scale turbidostat for research purposes, which is manufactured from inexpensive components and 3D printed parts. A high degree of spatial system integration and a graphical user interface provide user-friendly operability. The used optical density feedback control allows for constant continuous culture at a wide range of densities and offers to vary culture volume and dilution rates without additional parametrization. Further, a recursive algorithm for on-line growth rate estimation has been implemented. The employed Kalman filtering approach based on a very general state model retains the flexibility of the used control type and can be easily adapted to other bioreactor designs. Within several minutes it can converge to robust, accurate growth rate estimates. This is particularly useful for directed evolution experiments or studies on metabolic challenges, as it allows direct monitoring of the population fitness.

Gigwa-Genotype investigator for genome-wide analyses.

PubMed

Sempéré, Guilhem; Philippe, Florian; Dereeper, Alexis; Ruiz, Manuel; Sarah, Gautier; Larmande, Pierre

2016-06-06

Exploring the structure of genomes and analyzing their evolution is essential to understanding the ecological adaptation of organisms. However, with the large amounts of data being produced by next-generation sequencing, computational challenges arise in terms of storage, search, sharing, analysis and visualization. This is particularly true with regards to studies of genomic variation, which are currently lacking scalable and user-friendly data exploration solutions. Here we present Gigwa, a web-based tool that provides an easy and intuitive way to explore large amounts of genotyping data by filtering it not only on the basis of variant features, including functional annotations, but also on genotype patterns. The data storage relies on MongoDB, which offers good scalability properties. Gigwa can handle multiple databases and may be deployed in either single- or multi-user mode. In addition, it provides a wide range of popular export formats. The Gigwa application is suitable for managing large amounts of genomic variation data. Its user-friendly web interface makes such processing widely accessible. It can either be simply deployed on a workstation or be used to provide a shared data portal for a given community of researchers.

Array data extractor (ADE): a LabVIEW program to extract and merge gene array data.

PubMed

Kurtenbach, Stefan; Kurtenbach, Sarah; Zoidl, Georg

2013-12-01

Large data sets from gene expression array studies are publicly available offering information highly valuable for research across many disciplines ranging from fundamental to clinical research. Highly advanced bioinformatics tools have been made available to researchers, but a demand for user-friendly software allowing researchers to quickly extract expression information for multiple genes from multiple studies persists. Here, we present a user-friendly LabVIEW program to automatically extract gene expression data for a list of genes from multiple normalized microarray datasets. Functionality was tested for 288 class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and expression data from 12 studies comparing normal and diseased human hearts. Results confirmed known regulation of a beta 1 adrenergic receptor and further indicate novel research targets. Although existing software allows for complex data analyses, the LabVIEW based program presented here, "Array Data Extractor (ADE)", provides users with a tool to retrieve meaningful information from multiple normalized gene expression datasets in a fast and easy way. Further, the graphical programming language used in LabVIEW allows applying changes to the program without the need of advanced programming knowledge.

Evaluation and comparison of classical interatomic potentials through a user-friendly interactive web-interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choudhary, Kamal; Congo, Faical Yannick P.; Liang, Tao; Becker, Chandler; Hennig, Richard G.; Tavazza, Francesca

2017-01-01

Classical empirical potentials/force-fields (FF) provide atomistic insights into material phenomena through molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations. Despite their wide applicability, a systematic evaluation of materials properties using such potentials and, especially, an easy-to-use user-interface for their comparison is still lacking. To address this deficiency, we computed energetics and elastic properties of variety of materials such as metals and ceramics using a wide range of empirical potentials and compared them to density functional theory (DFT) as well as to experimental data, where available. The database currently consists of 3248 entries including energetics and elastic property calculations, and it is still increasing. We also include computational tools for convex-hull plots for DFT and FF calculations. The data covers 1471 materials and 116 force-fields. In addition, both the complete database and the software coding used in the process have been released for public use online (presently at http://www.ctcms.nist.gov/˜knc6/periodic.html) in a user-friendly way designed to enable further material design and discovery.

Evaluation and comparison of classical interatomic potentials through a user-friendly interactive web-interface

PubMed Central

Choudhary, Kamal; Congo, Faical Yannick P.; Liang, Tao; Becker, Chandler; Hennig, Richard G.; Tavazza, Francesca

2017-01-01

Classical empirical potentials/force-fields (FF) provide atomistic insights into material phenomena through molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations. Despite their wide applicability, a systematic evaluation of materials properties using such potentials and, especially, an easy-to-use user-interface for their comparison is still lacking. To address this deficiency, we computed energetics and elastic properties of variety of materials such as metals and ceramics using a wide range of empirical potentials and compared them to density functional theory (DFT) as well as to experimental data, where available. The database currently consists of 3248 entries including energetics and elastic property calculations, and it is still increasing. We also include computational tools for convex-hull plots for DFT and FF calculations. The data covers 1471 materials and 116 force-fields. In addition, both the complete database and the software coding used in the process have been released for public use online (presently at http://www.ctcms.nist.gov/∼knc6/periodic.html) in a user-friendly way designed to enable further material design and discovery. PMID:28140407

ECO-Report - Fire recovery in the Bitterroot: "It’s a lot of work!"

Treesearch

Janie Canton-Thompson; Sharon Ritter; Dave Campbell; Julie Schreck; Peter Kolb; Brooke Thompson; Hans Zuuring; Alan Watson; Yvette Ortega; Kevin McKelvey; Elaine Kennedy Sutherland; Greg Jones

2002-01-01

ECO-Report is an annual Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) publication which contains a set of articles showcasing the Bitterroot Ecosystem Management Research Project (BEMRP) research projects and activities. The articles are concise, user-friendly, and designed to inform a broad range of audiences interested in ecosystem management. Articles featured in...

ECO-Report - The case for research: How it makes a difference to managers

Treesearch

Janie Canton-Thompson; Marcia Patton-Mallory; Sue Heald; Sharon Ritter; Robert D. Pfister; Dean E. Pearson; Yvette K. Ortega; Alan Watson; Elaine Kennedy Sutherland; Greg Jones

2003-01-01

ECO-Report is an annual Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) publication which contains a set of articles showcasing the Bitterroot Ecosystem Management Research Project (BEMRP) research projects and activities. The articles are concise, user-friendly, and designed to inform a broad range of audiences interested in ecosystem management. Articles featured in...

The North Carolina State University Libraries Search Experience: Usability Testing Tabbed Search Interfaces for Academic Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teague-Rector, Susan; Ballard, Angela; Pauley, Susan K.

2011-01-01

Creating a learnable, effective, and user-friendly library Web site hinges on providing easy access to search. Designing a search interface for academic libraries can be particularly challenging given the complexity and range of searchable library collections, such as bibliographic databases, electronic journals, and article search silos. Library…

Living Lab as an Agile Approach in Developing User-Friendly Welfare Technology.

PubMed

Holappa, Niina; Sirkka, Andrew

2017-01-01

This paper discusses living lab as a method of developing user-friendly welfare technology, and presents a qualitative evaluation research of how living lab tested technologies impacted on the life of healthcare customers and professionals over test periods.

Analysis of Environmental Friendly Library Based on the Satisfaction and Service Quality: study at Library “X”

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herdiansyah, Herdis; Satriya Utama, Andre; Safruddin; Hidayat, Heri; Gema Zuliana Irawan, Angga; Immanuel Tjandra Muliawan, R.; Mutia Pratiwi, Diana

2017-10-01

One of the factor that influenced the development of science is the existence of the library, which in this case is the college libraries. Library, which is located in the college environment, aims to supply collections of literatures to support research activities as well as educational for students of the college. Conceptually, every library now starts to practice environmental principles. For example, “X” library as a central library claims to be an environmental friendly library for practicing environmental friendly management, but the X library has not inserted the satisfaction and service aspect to the users, including whether it is true that environmental friendly process is perceived by library users. Satisfaction can be seen from the comparison between expectations and reality of library users. This paper analyzes the level of library user satisfaction with library services in the campus area and the gap between expectations and reality felt by the library users. The result of the research shows that there is a disparity between the hope of library management, which is sustainable and environmentally friendly with the reality in the management of the library, so that it has not given satisfaction to the users yet. The gap value of satisfaction that has the biggest difference is in the library collection with the value of 1.57; while for the smallest gap value is in the same service to all students with a value of 0.67.

PoPoolation DB: a user-friendly web-based database for the retrieval of natural polymorphisms in Drosophila.

PubMed

Pandey, Ram Vinay; Kofler, Robert; Orozco-terWengel, Pablo; Nolte, Viola; Schlötterer, Christian

2011-03-02

The enormous potential of natural variation for the functional characterization of genes has been neglected for a long time. Only since recently, functional geneticists are starting to account for natural variation in their analyses. With the new sequencing technologies it has become feasible to collect sequence information for multiple individuals on a genomic scale. In particular sequencing pooled DNA samples has been shown to provide a cost-effective approach for characterizing variation in natural populations. While a range of software tools have been developed for mapping these reads onto a reference genome and extracting SNPs, linking this information to population genetic estimators and functional information still poses a major challenge to many researchers. We developed PoPoolation DB a user-friendly integrated database. Popoolation DB links variation in natural populations with functional information, allowing a wide range of researchers to take advantage of population genetic data. PoPoolation DB provides the user with population genetic parameters (Watterson's θ or Tajima's π), Tajima's D, SNPs, allele frequencies and indels in regions of interest. The database can be queried by gene name, chromosomal position, or a user-provided query sequence or GTF file. We anticipate that PoPoolation DB will be a highly versatile tool for functional geneticists as well as evolutionary biologists. PoPoolation DB, available at http://www.popoolation.at/pgt, provides an integrated platform for researchers to investigate natural polymorphism and associated functional annotations from UCSC and Flybase genome browsers, population genetic estimators and RNA-seq information.

A new intelligent curtain control system based on 51 single chip microcomputer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Tuan; Wang, Yanhua; Wu, Mengmeng

2017-04-01

This paper uses 51 (single chip microcomputer) SCM as the operation and data processing center. According to the change of sunshine intensity and ambient temperature, a new type of intelligent curtain control system is designed by adopting photosensitive element and temperature sensor. In addition, the design also has a manual control mode. In the rain, when the light intensity is weak, the open position of the curtain can be set by the user. The system can maximize the user to provide user-friendly operation and comfortable living environment. The system can be applied to home or office environment, with a wide range of applications and simple operation and so on.

EnviroNET: On-line information for LDEF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lauriente, Michael

1993-01-01

EnviroNET is an on-line, free-form database intended to provide a centralized repository for a wide range of technical information on environmentally induced interactions of use to Space Shuttle customers and spacecraft designers. It provides a user-friendly, menu-driven format on networks that are connected globally and is available twenty-four hours a day - every day. The information, updated regularly, includes expository text, tabular numerical data, charts and graphs, and models. The system pools space data collected over the years by NASA, USAF, other government research facilities, industry, universities, and the European Space Agency. The models accept parameter input from the user, then calculate and display the derived values corresponding to that input. In addition to the archive, interactive graphics programs are also available on space debris, the neutral atmosphere, radiation, magnetic fields, and the ionosphere. A user-friendly, informative interface is standard for all the models and includes a pop-up help window with information on inputs, outputs, and caveats. The system will eventually simplify mission analysis with analytical tools and deliver solutions for computationally intense graphical applications to do 'What if...' scenarios. A proposed plan for developing a repository of information from the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) for a user group is presented.

A user-friendly modified pore-solid fractal model

PubMed Central

Ding, Dian-yuan; Zhao, Ying; Feng, Hao; Si, Bing-cheng; Hill, Robert Lee

2016-01-01

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate a range of calculation points on water retention curves (WRC) instead of the singularity point at air-entry suction in the pore-solid fractal (PSF) model, which additionally considered the hysteresis effect based on the PSF theory. The modified pore-solid fractal (M-PSF) model was tested using 26 soil samples from Yangling on the Loess Plateau in China and 54 soil samples from the Unsaturated Soil Hydraulic Database. The derivation results showed that the M-PSF model is user-friendly and flexible for a wide range of calculation point options. This model theoretically describes the primary differences between the soil moisture desorption and the adsorption processes by the fractal dimensions. The M-PSF model demonstrated good performance particularly at the calculation points corresponding to the suctions from 100 cm to 1000 cm. Furthermore, the M-PSF model, used the fractal dimension of the particle size distribution, exhibited an accepted performance of WRC predictions for different textured soils when the suction values were ≥100 cm. To fully understand the function of hysteresis in the PSF theory, the role of allowable and accessible pores must be examined. PMID:27996013

Smartphone apps for snoring.

PubMed

Camacho, M; Robertson, M; Abdullatif, J; Certal, V; Kram, Y A; Ruoff, C M; Brietzke, S E; Capasso, R

2015-10-01

To identify and systematically evaluate user-friendly smartphone snoring apps. The Apple iTunes app store was searched for snoring apps that allow recording and playback. Snoring apps were downloaded, evaluated and rated independently by four authors. Two patients underwent polysomnography, and the data were compared with simultaneous snoring app recordings, and one patient used the snoring app at home. Of 126 snoring apps, 13 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The most critical app feature was the ability to graphically display the snoring events. The Quit Snoring app received the highest overall rating. When this app's recordings were compared with in-laboratory polysomnography data, app snoring sensitivities ranged from 64 to 96 per cent, and snoring positive predictive values ranged from 93 to 96 per cent. A chronic snorer used the app nightly for one month and tracked medical interventions. Snoring decreased from 200 to 10 snores per hour, and bed partner snoring complaint scores decreased from 9 to 2 (on a 0-10 scale). Select smartphone apps are user-friendly for recording and playing back snoring sounds. Preliminary comparison of more than 1500 individual snores demonstrates the potential clinical utility of such apps; however, further validation testing is recommended.

Trial, Adoption, Usage and Diffusion of Social Media

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

Gaming Users Online Forums Users Podcasting Users Ease of use 15 20 3 0 0 0 To stay in contact 11 0 1 0 0 0 Pressure from friends 10 1 2 0 0 0...focused 2 0 0 0 0 0 Ease of use 2 3 0 0 0 0 Kill boredom 2 0 0 0 0 0 Content (self- expression) 1 0 1 0 0 0 Catch people’s attention 1 0 0 0 0 0...Users Online Forums Users Podcasting Users Stay in contact with friends 20 0 0 0 0 0 Ease of use 6 2 0 0 0 0 Technology features 6 8 0 0

Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) Model Geothermal User Reference Guide

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

Johnson, C.; Augustine, C.; Goldberg, M.

2012-09-01

The Geothermal Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) model, developed through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), is an Excel-based user-friendly tools that estimates the economic impacts of constructing and operating hydrothermal and Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) power generation projects at the local level for a range of conventional and renewable energy technologies. The JEDI Model Geothermal User Reference Guide was developed to assist users in using and understanding the model. This guide provides information on the model's underlying methodology, as well as the parameters and references used to develop the cost data utilized in the model. This guide alsomore » provides basic instruction on model add-in features, operation of the model, and a discussion of how the results should be interpreted.« less

SRC: Smart Reminder Clock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasim, Shahreen; Hafit, Hanayanti; Leong, Tan Hua; Hashim, Rathiah; Ruslai, Husni; Jahidin, Kamaruzzaman; Syafwan Arshad, Mohammad

2016-11-01

Nowadays, some people facing the problem to wake up in the morning. This was result to absence of the classes, meetings, and even exams. The aim of this project is to develop an android application that can force the user to wake up. The method used in this application are pedometer and Short Message Service (SMS) function. This application need the user to take their smartphone and walk about 10 steps to disable it, when the alarm clock is activated. After that, when the alarm clock was rang, this alarm application has automatically send a message to the users’ friends or parents phone to wake them up.

Array data extractor (ADE): a LabVIEW program to extract and merge gene array data

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Large data sets from gene expression array studies are publicly available offering information highly valuable for research across many disciplines ranging from fundamental to clinical research. Highly advanced bioinformatics tools have been made available to researchers, but a demand for user-friendly software allowing researchers to quickly extract expression information for multiple genes from multiple studies persists. Findings Here, we present a user-friendly LabVIEW program to automatically extract gene expression data for a list of genes from multiple normalized microarray datasets. Functionality was tested for 288 class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and expression data from 12 studies comparing normal and diseased human hearts. Results confirmed known regulation of a beta 1 adrenergic receptor and further indicate novel research targets. Conclusions Although existing software allows for complex data analyses, the LabVIEW based program presented here, “Array Data Extractor (ADE)”, provides users with a tool to retrieve meaningful information from multiple normalized gene expression datasets in a fast and easy way. Further, the graphical programming language used in LabVIEW allows applying changes to the program without the need of advanced programming knowledge. PMID:24289243

'We are always in some form of contact': friendships among homeless drug and alcohol users living in hostels.

PubMed

Neale, Joanne; Brown, Caral

2016-09-01

Homeless drug and alcohol users are one of the most marginalised groups in society. They frequently have complex needs and limited social support. In this paper, we explore the role of friendship in the lives of homeless drug and alcohol users living in hostels, using the concepts of 'social capital' and 'recovery capital' to frame the analyses. The study was undertaken in three hostels, each in a different English city, during 2013-2014. Audio recorded semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 residents (9 females; 21 males) who self-reported drink and/or drug problems; follow-up interviews were completed 4-6 weeks later with 22 participants (6 females; 16 males). Data were transcribed verbatim, coded using the software package MAXQDA, and analysed using Framework. Only 21 participants reported current friends at interview 1, and friendship networks were small and changeable. Despite this, participants desired friendships that were culturally normative. Eight categories of friend emerged from the data: family-like friends; using friends; homeless friends; childhood friends; online-only friends; drug treatment friends; work friends; and mutual interest friends. Routine and regular contact was highly valued, with family-like friends appearing to offer the most constant practical and emotional support. The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) was central to many participants' friendships, keeping them connected to social support and recovery capital outside homelessness and substance-using worlds. We conclude that those working with homeless drug and alcohol users - and potentially other marginalised populations - could beneficially encourage their clients to identify and build upon their most positive and reliable relationships. Additionally, they might explore ways of promoting the use of ICTs to combat loneliness and isolation. Texting, emailing, online mutual aid meetings, chatrooms, Internet penpals, skyping and other social media all offer potentially valuable opportunities for building friendships that can bolster otherwise limited social and recovery capital. © 2015 The Authors. Health and Social Care in the Community Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

FRED user's manual

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

Shilling, J.

1984-02-01

FRED, the friendly editor, is a screen-based structured editor. This manual is intended to serve the needs of a wide range of users of the FRED text editor. Most users will find it sufficient to read the introductory material in section 2, supplemented with the full command set description in section 3. Advanced users may wish to change the keystroke sequences which invoke editor commands. Section 4 describes how to change key bindings and how to define command macros. Some users may need to modify a language description or create an entirely new language description for use with FRED. Sectionmore » 5 describes the format of the language descriptions used by the editor, and describes how to construct a language grammar. Section 6 describes known portability problems of the FRED editor and should concern only system installation personnel. The editor points out syntax errors in the file being edited and does automatic pretty printing.« less

Alkahest NuclearBLAST : a user-friendly BLAST management and analysis system

PubMed Central

Diener, Stephen E; Houfek, Thomas D; Kalat, Sam E; Windham, DE; Burke, Mark; Opperman, Charles; Dean, Ralph A

2005-01-01

Background - Sequencing of EST and BAC end datasets is no longer limited to large research groups. Drops in per-base pricing have made high throughput sequencing accessible to individual investigators. However, there are few options available which provide a free and user-friendly solution to the BLAST result storage and data mining needs of biologists. Results - Here we describe NuclearBLAST, a batch BLAST analysis, storage and management system designed for the biologist. It is a wrapper for NCBI BLAST which provides a user-friendly web interface which includes a request wizard and the ability to view and mine the results. All BLAST results are stored in a MySQL database which allows for more advanced data-mining through supplied command-line utilities or direct database access. NuclearBLAST can be installed on a single machine or clustered amongst a number of machines to improve analysis throughput. NuclearBLAST provides a platform which eases data-mining of multiple BLAST results. With the supplied scripts, the program can export data into a spreadsheet-friendly format, automatically assign Gene Ontology terms to sequences and provide bi-directional best hits between two datasets. Users with SQL experience can use the database to ask even more complex questions and extract any subset of data they require. Conclusion - This tool provides a user-friendly interface for requesting, viewing and mining of BLAST results which makes the management and data-mining of large sets of BLAST analyses tractable to biologists. PMID:15958161

Real-Time fMRI Pattern Decoding and Neurofeedback Using FRIEND: An FSL-Integrated BCI Toolbox

PubMed Central

Sato, João R.; Basilio, Rodrigo; Paiva, Fernando F.; Garrido, Griselda J.; Bramati, Ivanei E.; Bado, Patricia; Tovar-Moll, Fernanda; Zahn, Roland; Moll, Jorge

2013-01-01

The demonstration that humans can learn to modulate their own brain activity based on feedback of neurophysiological signals opened up exciting opportunities for fundamental and applied neuroscience. Although EEG-based neurofeedback has been long employed both in experimental and clinical investigation, functional MRI (fMRI)-based neurofeedback emerged as a promising method, given its superior spatial resolution and ability to gauge deep cortical and subcortical brain regions. In combination with improved computational approaches, such as pattern recognition analysis (e.g., Support Vector Machines, SVM), fMRI neurofeedback and brain decoding represent key innovations in the field of neuromodulation and functional plasticity. Expansion in this field and its applications critically depend on the existence of freely available, integrated and user-friendly tools for the neuroimaging research community. Here, we introduce FRIEND, a graphic-oriented user-friendly interface package for fMRI neurofeedback and real-time multivoxel pattern decoding. The package integrates routines for image preprocessing in real-time, ROI-based feedback (single-ROI BOLD level and functional connectivity) and brain decoding-based feedback using SVM. FRIEND delivers an intuitive graphic interface with flexible processing pipelines involving optimized procedures embedding widely validated packages, such as FSL and libSVM. In addition, a user-defined visual neurofeedback module allows users to easily design and run fMRI neurofeedback experiments using ROI-based or multivariate classification approaches. FRIEND is open-source and free for non-commercial use. Processing tutorials and extensive documentation are available. PMID:24312569

A user-friendly workflow for analysis of Illumina gene expression bead array data available at the arrayanalysis.org portal.

PubMed

Eijssen, Lars M T; Goelela, Varshna S; Kelder, Thomas; Adriaens, Michiel E; Evelo, Chris T; Radonjic, Marijana

2015-06-30

Illumina whole-genome expression bead arrays are a widely used platform for transcriptomics. Most of the tools available for the analysis of the resulting data are not easily applicable by less experienced users. ArrayAnalysis.org provides researchers with an easy-to-use and comprehensive interface to the functionality of R and Bioconductor packages for microarray data analysis. As a modular open source project, it allows developers to contribute modules that provide support for additional types of data or extend workflows. To enable data analysis of Illumina bead arrays for a broad user community, we have developed a module for ArrayAnalysis.org that provides a free and user-friendly web interface for quality control and pre-processing for these arrays. This module can be used together with existing modules for statistical and pathway analysis to provide a full workflow for Illumina gene expression data analysis. The module accepts data exported from Illumina's GenomeStudio, and provides the user with quality control plots and normalized data. The outputs are directly linked to the existing statistics module of ArrayAnalysis.org, but can also be downloaded for further downstream analysis in third-party tools. The Illumina bead arrays analysis module is available at http://www.arrayanalysis.org . A user guide, a tutorial demonstrating the analysis of an example dataset, and R scripts are available. The module can be used as a starting point for statistical evaluation and pathway analysis provided on the website or to generate processed input data for a broad range of applications in life sciences research.

VCFtoTree: a user-friendly tool to construct locus-specific alignments and phylogenies from thousands of anthropologically relevant genome sequences.

PubMed

Xu, Duo; Jaber, Yousef; Pavlidis, Pavlos; Gokcumen, Omer

2017-09-26

Constructing alignments and phylogenies for a given locus from large genome sequencing studies with relevant outgroups allow novel evolutionary and anthropological insights. However, no user-friendly tool has been developed to integrate thousands of recently available and anthropologically relevant genome sequences to construct complete sequence alignments and phylogenies. Here, we provide VCFtoTree, a user friendly tool with a graphical user interface that directly accesses online databases to download, parse and analyze genome variation data for regions of interest. Our pipeline combines popular sequence datasets and tree building algorithms with custom data parsing to generate accurate alignments and phylogenies using all the individuals from the 1000 Genomes Project, Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes, as well as reference genomes of Chimpanzee and Rhesus Macaque. It can also be applied to other phased human genomes, as well as genomes from other species. The output of our pipeline includes an alignment in FASTA format and a tree file in newick format. VCFtoTree fulfills the increasing demand for constructing alignments and phylogenies for a given loci from thousands of available genomes. Our software provides a user friendly interface for a wider audience without prerequisite knowledge in programming. VCFtoTree can be accessed from https://github.com/duoduoo/VCFtoTree_3.0.0 .

MDANSE: An Interactive Analysis Environment for Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

PubMed

Goret, G; Aoun, B; Pellegrini, E

2017-01-23

The MDANSE software-Molecular Dynamics Analysis of Neutron Scattering Experiments-is presented. It is an interactive application for postprocessing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Given the widespread use of MD simulations in material and biomolecular sciences to get a better insight for experimental techniques such as thermal neutron scattering (TNS), the development of MDANSE has focused on providing a user-friendly, interactive, graphical user interface for analyzing many trajectories in the same session and running several analyses simultaneously independently of the interface. This first version of MDANSE already proposes a broad range of analyses, and the application has been designed to facilitate the introduction of new analyses in the framework. All this makes MDANSE a valuable tool for extracting useful information from trajectories resulting from a wide range of MD codes.

TIGER: A user-friendly interactive grid generation system for complicated turbomachinery and axis-symmetric configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shih, Ming H.; Soni, Bharat K.

1993-01-01

The issue of time efficiency in grid generation is addressed by developing a user friendly graphical interface for interactive/automatic construction of structured grids around complex turbomachinery/axis-symmetric configurations. The accuracy of geometry modeling and its fidelity is accomplished by adapting the nonuniform rational b-spline (NURBS) representation. A customized interactive grid generation code, TIGER, has been developed to facilitate the grid generation process for complicated internal, external, and internal-external turbomachinery fields simulations. The FORMS Library is utilized to build user-friendly graphical interface. The algorithm allows a user to redistribute grid points interactively on curves/surfaces using NURBS formulation with accurate geometric definition. TIGER's features include multiblock, multiduct/shroud, multiblade row, uneven blade count, and patched/overlapping block interfaces. It has been applied to generate grids for various complicated turbomachinery geometries, as well as rocket and missile configurations.

New-generation bar adsorptive microextraction (BAμE) devices for a better eco-user-friendly analytical approach-Application for the determination of antidepressant pharmaceuticals in biological fluids.

PubMed

Ide, A H; Nogueira, J M F

2018-05-10

The present contribution aims to design new-generation bar adsorptive microextraction (BAμE) devices that promote an innovative and much better user-friendly analytical approach. The novel BAμE devices were lab-made prepared having smaller dimensions by using flexible nylon-based supports (7.5 × 1.0 mm) coated with convenient sorbents (≈ 0.5 mg). This novel advance allows effective microextraction and back-extraction ('only single liquid desorption step') stages as well as interfacing enhancement with the instrumental systems dedicated for routine analysis. To evaluate the achievements of these improvements, four antidepressant agents (bupropion, citalopram, amitriptyline and trazodone) were used as model compounds in aqueous media combined with liquid chromatography (LC) systems. By using an N-vinylpyrrolidone based-polymer phase good selectivity and efficiency were obtained. Assays performed on 25 mL spiked aqueous samples, yielded average recoveries in between 67.8 ± 12.4% (bupropion) and 88.3 ± 12.1% (citalopram), under optimized experimental conditions. The analytical performance also showed convenient precision (RSD < 12%) and detection limits (50 ng L -1 ), as well as linear dynamic ranges (160-2000 ng L -1 ) with suitable determination coefficients (r 2  > 0.9820). The application of the proposed analytical approach on biological fluids showed negligible matrix effects by using the standard addition methodology. From the data obtained, the new-generation BAμE devices presented herein provide an innovative and robust analytical cycle, are simple to prepare, cost-effective, user-friendly and compatible with the current LC autosampler systems. Furthermore, the novel devices were designed to be disposable and used together with negligible amounts of organic solvents (100 μL) during back-extraction, in compliance with the green analytical chemistry principles. In short, the new-generation BAμE devices showed to be an eco-user-friendly approach for trace analysis of priority compounds in biological fluids and a versatile alternative over other well-stablished sorption-based microextraction techniques. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Binge drinking, marijuana use, and friendships: the relationship between similar and dissimilar usage and friendship quality.

PubMed

Boman, John H; Stogner, John; Miller, Bryan Lee

2013-01-01

While it is commonly understood that the substance use of peers influences an individual's substance use, much less is understood about the interplay between substance use and friendship quality. Using a sample of 2,148 emerging adults nested within 1,074 dyadic friendships, this study separately investigates how concordance and discordance in binge drinking and marijuana use between friends is related to each friend's perceptions of friendship quality. Because "friendship quality" is a complex construct, we employ a measure containing five sub-elements--companionship, a lack of conflict, willingness to help a friend, relationship security, and closeness. Results for both binge drinking and marijuana use reveal that individuals in friendship pairs who are concordant in their substance use perceive significantly higher perceptions of friendship quality than individuals in dyads who are dissimilar in substance use. Specifically, concordant binge drinkers estimate significantly higher levels of companionship, relationship security, and willingness to help their friend than concordant non-users, discordant users, and discordant non-users. However, the highest amount of conflict in friendships is found when both friends engage in binge drinking and marijuana use. Several interpretations of these findings are discussed. Overall, concordance between friends' binge drinking and marijuana use appears to help some elements of friendship quality and harm others.

An ultrasensitive method of real time pH monitoring with complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor.

PubMed

Devadhasan, Jasmine Pramila; Kim, Sanghyo

2015-02-09

CMOS sensors are becoming a powerful tool in the biological and chemical field. In this work, we introduce a new approach on quantifying various pH solutions with a CMOS image sensor. The CMOS image sensor based pH measurement produces high-accuracy analysis, making it a truly portable and user friendly system. pH indicator blended hydrogel matrix was fabricated as a thin film to the accurate color development. A distinct color change of red, green and blue (RGB) develops in the hydrogel film by applying various pH solutions (pH 1-14). The semi-quantitative pH evolution was acquired by visual read out. Further, CMOS image sensor absorbs the RGB color intensity of the film and hue value converted into digital numbers with the aid of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to determine the pH ranges of solutions. Chromaticity diagram and Euclidean distance represent the RGB color space and differentiation of pH ranges, respectively. This technique is applicable to sense the various toxic chemicals and chemical vapors by situ sensing. Ultimately, the entire approach can be integrated into smartphone and operable with the user friendly manner. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

For Professors, "Friending" Can Be Fraught

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lipka, Sara

2007-01-01

People connect on Facebook by asking to "friend" one another. A typical user lists at least 100 such connections, while newbies are informed, "You don't have any friends yet." A humbling statement. It might make one want to find some. But friending students can be even dicier than befriending them. In the real world, casual professors may ask…

Simple and Inexpensive 3D Printed Filter Fluorometer Designs: User-Friendly Instrument Models for Laboratory Learning and Outreach Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Lon A., Jr.; Chapman, Cole A.; Alaniz, Jacob A.

2017-01-01

In this work, a versatile and user-friendly selection of stereolithography (STL) files and computer-aided design (CAD) models are shared to assist educators and students in the production of simple and inexpensive 3D printed filter fluorometer instruments. These devices are effective resources for supporting active learners in the exploration of…

Chemical and mineralogical data and processing methods management system prototype with application to study of the North Caucasus Blybsky Metamorphic Complexes metamorphism PT-condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, Stanislav; Kamzolkin, Vladimir; Konilov, Aleksandr; Aleshin, Igor

2014-05-01

There are many various methods of assessing the conditions of rocks formation based on determining the composition of the constituent minerals. Our objective was to create a universal tool for processing mineral's chemical analysis results and solving geothermobarometry problems by creating a database of existing sensors and providing a user-friendly standard interface. Similar computer assisted tools are based upon large collection of sensors (geothermometers and geobarometers) are known, for example, the project TPF (Konilov A.N., 1999) - text-based sensor collection tool written in PASCAL. The application contained more than 350 different sensors and has been used widely in petrochemical studies (see A.N. Konilov , A.A. Grafchikov, V.I. Fonarev 2010 for review). Our prototype uses the TPF project concept and is designed with modern application development techniques, which allows better flexibility. Main components of the designed system are 3 connected datasets: sensors collection (geothermometers, geobarometers, oxygen geobarometers, etc.), petrochemical data and modeling results. All data is maintained by special management and visualization tools and resides in sql database. System utilities allow user to import and export data in various file formats, edit records and plot graphs. Sensors database contains up to date collections of known methods. New sensors may be added by user. Measured database should be filled in by researcher. User friendly interface allows access to all available data and sensors, automates routine work, reduces the risk of common user mistakes and simplifies information exchange between research groups. We use prototype to evaluate peak pressure during the formation of garnet-amphibolite apoeclogites, gneisses and schists Blybsky metamorphic complex of the Front Range of the Northern Caucasus. In particular, our estimation of formation pressure range (18 ± 4 kbar) agrees on independent research results. The reported study was partially supported by RFBR, research project No. 14-05-00615.

Inferring Tie Strength from Online Directed Behavior

PubMed Central

Jones, Jason J.; Settle, Jaime E.; Bond, Robert M.; Fariss, Christopher J.; Marlow, Cameron; Fowler, James H.

2013-01-01

Some social connections are stronger than others. People have not only friends, but also best friends. Social scientists have long recognized this characteristic of social connections and researchers frequently use the term tie strength to refer to this concept. We used online interaction data (specifically, Facebook interactions) to successfully identify real-world strong ties. Ground truth was established by asking users themselves to name their closest friends in real life. We found the frequency of online interaction was diagnostic of strong ties, and interaction frequency was much more useful diagnostically than were attributes of the user or the user’s friends. More private communications (messages) were not necessarily more informative than public communications (comments, wall posts, and other interactions). PMID:23300964

Transmission Line Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) Model User Reference Guide

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

Goldberg, M.; Keyser, D.

The Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) models, developed through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), are freely available, user-friendly tools that estimate the potential economic impacts of constructing and operating power generation projects for a range of conventional and renewable energy technologies. The Transmission Line JEDI model can be used to field questions about the economic impacts of transmission lines in a given state, region, or local community. This Transmission Line JEDI User Reference Guide was developed to provide basic instruction on operating the model and understanding the results. This guide also provides information on the model's underlying methodology,more » as well as the parameters and references used to develop the cost data contained in the model.« less

National Helpline for Problem Gambling: A Profile of Its Users' Characteristics

PubMed Central

Bastiani, Luca; Fea, Maurizio; Potente, Roberta; Luppi, Claudia; Lucchini, Fabio; Molinaro, Sabrina

2015-01-01

Gambling has seen a significant increase in Italy in the last 10 years and has rapidly become a public health issue, and for these reasons the first National Helpline for Problem Gambling (GR-Helpline) has been established. The aims of this study are to describe the GR-Helpline users' characteristics and to compare the prevalence rates of the users with those of moderate-risk/problematic gamblers obtained from the national survey (IPSAD 2010-2011). Statistical analysis was performed on data obtained from the counselling sessions (phone/e-mail/chat) carried out on 5,805 users (57.5% gamblers; 42.5% families/friends). This confirms that the problems related to gambling concern not only the gamblers but also their families and friends. Significant differences were found between gamblers and families/friends involving gender (74% of gamblers were male; 76.9% of families/friends were female), as well as age-classes and geographical area. Female gamblers had a higher mean age (47.3 versus 40.2 years) and preferred nonstrategy-based games. Prevalence rates of GR-Helpline users and of moderate risk/problematic gamblers were correlated (Rho = 0.58; p = 0.0113). The results highlight the fact that remote access to counselling can be an effective means of promoting treatment for problem gamblers who do not otherwise appeal directly for services. PMID:26064772

A web-server of cell type discrimination system.

PubMed

Wang, Anyou; Zhong, Yan; Wang, Yanhua; He, Qianchuan

2014-01-01

Discriminating cell types is a daily request for stem cell biologists. However, there is not a user-friendly system available to date for public users to discriminate the common cell types, embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and somatic cells (SCs). Here, we develop WCTDS, a web-server of cell type discrimination system, to discriminate the three cell types and their subtypes like fetal versus adult SCs. WCTDS is developed as a top layer application of our recent publication regarding cell type discriminations, which employs DNA-methylation as biomarkers and machine learning models to discriminate cell types. Implemented by Django, Python, R, and Linux shell programming, run under Linux-Apache web server, and communicated through MySQL, WCTDS provides a friendly framework to efficiently receive the user input and to run mathematical models for analyzing data and then to present results to users. This framework is flexible and easy to be expended for other applications. Therefore, WCTDS works as a user-friendly framework to discriminate cell types and subtypes and it can also be expended to detect other cell types like cancer cells.

A Web-Server of Cell Type Discrimination System

PubMed Central

Zhong, Yan

2014-01-01

Discriminating cell types is a daily request for stem cell biologists. However, there is not a user-friendly system available to date for public users to discriminate the common cell types, embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and somatic cells (SCs). Here, we develop WCTDS, a web-server of cell type discrimination system, to discriminate the three cell types and their subtypes like fetal versus adult SCs. WCTDS is developed as a top layer application of our recent publication regarding cell type discriminations, which employs DNA-methylation as biomarkers and machine learning models to discriminate cell types. Implemented by Django, Python, R, and Linux shell programming, run under Linux-Apache web server, and communicated through MySQL, WCTDS provides a friendly framework to efficiently receive the user input and to run mathematical models for analyzing data and then to present results to users. This framework is flexible and easy to be expended for other applications. Therefore, WCTDS works as a user-friendly framework to discriminate cell types and subtypes and it can also be expended to detect other cell types like cancer cells. PMID:24578634

Factors associated with tobacco use among adolescents in India: results from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, India (2000-2003).

PubMed

Oswal, Kunal C

2015-03-01

To differentiate between the different types of tobacco users and analyze the association between types of tobacco users and factors like pocket money and peer and parental influence across most of the state in India using the data obtained from Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) between 2000 and 2004. The GYTS data encompassed a representative 2-stage probability sample of students aged 13 to 15 years across 24 states and 2 union territories in India. These students were interviewed using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. A very strong association between users and pocket money was found in most of the states, with northeastern states having a very strong association-Sikkim, odds ratio (OR) = 8.43 (confidence interval [CI] = 6.08-11.69), and Manipur, OR = 5.58 (CI = 3.60-8.65)-after adjusting for close friend being smoker, close friend being smokeless tobacco user, parental influence, age, and gender. This study found a strong association between tobacco use by adolescents and having pocket money and close friends being tobacco users. © 2012 APJPH.

Radio data archiving system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knapic, C.; Zanichelli, A.; Dovgan, E.; Nanni, M.; Stagni, M.; Righini, S.; Sponza, M.; Bedosti, F.; Orlati, A.; Smareglia, R.

2016-07-01

Radio Astronomical Data models are becoming very complex since the huge possible range of instrumental configurations available with the modern Radio Telescopes. What in the past was the last frontiers of data formats in terms of efficiency and flexibility is now evolving with new strategies and methodologies enabling the persistence of a very complex, hierarchical and multi-purpose information. Such an evolution of data models and data formats require new data archiving techniques in order to guarantee data preservation following the directives of Open Archival Information System and the International Virtual Observatory Alliance for data sharing and publication. Currently, various formats (FITS, MBFITS, VLBI's XML description files and ancillary files) of data acquired with the Medicina and Noto Radio Telescopes can be stored and handled by a common Radio Archive, that is planned to be released to the (inter)national community by the end of 2016. This state-of-the-art archiving system for radio astronomical data aims at delegating as much as possible to the software setting how and where the descriptors (metadata) are saved, while the users perform user-friendly queries translated by the web interface into complex interrogations on the database to retrieve data. In such a way, the Archive is ready to be Virtual Observatory compliant and as much as possible user-friendly.

MySpace and Facebook: applying the uses and gratifications theory to exploring friend-networking sites.

PubMed

Raacke, John; Bonds-Raacke, Jennifer

2008-04-01

The increased use of the Internet as a new tool in communication has changed the way people interact. This fact is even more evident in the recent development and use of friend-networking sites. However, no research has evaluated these sites and their impact on college students. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate: (a) why people use these friend-networking sites, (b) what the characteristics are of the typical college user, and (c) what uses and gratifications are met by using these sites. Results indicated that the vast majority of college students are using these friend-networking sites for a significant portion of their day for reasons such as making new friends and locating old friends. Additionally, both men and women of traditional college age are equally engaging in this form of online communication with this result holding true for nearly all ethnic groups. Finally, results showed that many uses and gratifications are met by users (e.g., "keeping in touch with friends"). Results are discussed in light of the impact that friend-networking sites have on communication and social needs of college students.

Development of a user-friendly delivery method for the fungus Metarhizium anisopliac to control the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor in honey bee, Apis mellifera, colonies

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A user-friendly method to deliver Metarhizium spores to honey bee colonies for control of Varroa mites was developed and tested. Patty blend formulations protected the fungal spores at brood nest temperatures and served as an improved delivery system of the fungus to bee hives. Field trials conducte...

Franklin: User Experiences

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

National Energy Research Supercomputing Center; He, Yun; Kramer, William T.C.

2008-05-07

The newest workhorse of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center is a Cray XT4 with 9,736 dual core nodes. This paper summarizes Franklin user experiences from friendly early user period to production period. Selected successful user stories along with top issues affecting user experiences are presented.

The Facebook paths to happiness: effects of the number of Facebook friends and self-presentation on subjective well-being.

PubMed

Kim, Junghyun; Lee, Jong-Eun Roselyn

2011-06-01

The current study investigates whether and how Facebook increases college-age users' subjective well-being by focusing on the number of Facebook friends and self-presentation strategies (positive vs. honest). A structural equation modeling analysis of cross-sectional survey data of college student Facebook users (N=391) revealed that the number of Facebook friends had a positive association with subjective well-being, but this association was not mediated by perceived social support. Additionally, we found that there was a negative curvilinear (inverted U-shape curve) relationship between Facebook friends and perceived social support. As for self-presentation strategies, whereas positive self-presentation had a direct effect on subjective well-being, honest self-presentation had a significant indirect effect on subjective well-being through perceived social support. Our study suggests that the number of Facebook friends and positive self-presentation may enhance users' subjective well-being, but this portion of happiness may not be grounded in perceived social support. On the other hand, honest self-presentation may enhance happiness rooted in social support provided by Facebook friends. Implications of our findings are discussed in light of affirmation of self-worth, time and effort required for building and maintaining friendships, and the important role played by self-disclosure in signaling one's need for social support.

Developing user-friendly habitat suitability tools from regional stream fish survey data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zorn, T.G.; Seelbach, P.; Wiley, M.J.

2011-01-01

We developed user-friendly fish habitat suitability tools (plots) for fishery managers in Michigan; these tools are based on driving habitat variables and fish population estimates for several hundred stream sites throughout the state. We generated contour plots to show patterns in fish biomass for over 60 common species (and for 120 species grouped at the family level) in relation to axes of catchment area and low-flow yield (90% exceedance flow divided by catchment area) and also in relation to axes of mean and weekly range of July temperatures. The plots showed distinct patterns in fish habitat suitability at each level of biological organization studied and were useful for quantitatively comparing river sites. We demonstrate how these plots can be used to support stream management, and we provide examples pertaining to resource assessment, trout stocking, angling regulations, chemical reclamation of marginal trout streams, indicator species, instream flow protection, and habitat restoration. These straightforward and effective tools are electronically available so that managers can easily access and incorporate them into decision protocols and presentations.

Friendly-Sharing: Improving the Performance of City Sensoring through Contact-Based Messaging Applications.

PubMed

Herrera-Tapia, Jorge; Hernández-Orallo, Enrique; Tomás, Andrés; Manzoni, Pietro; Tavares Calafate, Carlos; Cano, Juan-Carlos

2016-09-18

Regular citizens equipped with smart devices are being increasingly used as "sensors" by Smart Cities applications. Using contacts among users, data in the form of messages is obtained and shared. Contact-based messaging applications are based on establishing a short-range communication directly between mobile devices, and on storing the messages in these devices for subsequent delivery to cloud-based services. An effective way to increase the number of messages that can be shared is to increase the contact duration. We thus introduce the Friendly-Sharing diffusion approach, where, during a contact, the users are aware of the time needed to interchange the messages stored in their buffers, and they can thus decide to wait more time in order to increase the message sharing probability. The performance of this approach is anyway closely related to the size of the buffer in the device. We therefore compare various policies either for the message selection at forwarding times and for message dropping when the buffer is full. We evaluate our proposal with a modified version of the Opportunistic Networking Environment (ONE) simulator and using real human mobility traces.

MSIX - A general and user-friendly platform for RAM analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Z. J.; Blemel, Peter

The authors present a CAD (computer-aided design) platform supporting RAM (reliability, availability, and maintainability) analysis with efficient system description and alternative evaluation. The design concepts, implementation techniques, and application results are described. This platform is user-friendly because of its graphic environment, drawing facilities, object orientation, self-tutoring, and access to the operating system. The programs' independency and portability make them generally applicable to various analysis tasks.

Self-descriptions on LinkedIn: Recruitment or friendship identity?

PubMed

Garcia, Danilo; Cloninger, Kevin M; Granjard, Alexandre; Molander-Söderholm, Kristian; Amato, Clara; Sikström, Sverker

2018-04-26

We used quantitative semantics to find clusters of words in LinkedIn users' self-descriptions to an employer or a friend. Some of these clusters discriminated between worker and friend conditions (e.g., flexible vs. caring) and between LinkedIn users with high and low education (e.g., analytical vs. messy). © 2018 The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Integrating Patient-Reported Outcomes into Spine Surgical Care through Visual Dashboards: Lessons Learned from Human-Centered Design.

PubMed

Hartzler, Andrea L; Chaudhuri, Shomir; Fey, Brett C; Flum, David R; Lavallee, Danielle

2015-01-01

The collection of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) draws attention to issues of importance to patients-physical function and quality of life. The integration of PRO data into clinical decisions and discussions with patients requires thoughtful design of user-friendly interfaces that consider user experience and present data in personalized ways to enhance patient care. Whereas most prior work on PROs focuses on capturing data from patients, little research details how to design effective user interfaces that facilitate use of this data in clinical practice. We share lessons learned from engaging health care professionals to inform design of visual dashboards, an emerging type of health information technology (HIT). We employed human-centered design (HCD) methods to create visual displays of PROs to support patient care and quality improvement. HCD aims to optimize the design of interactive systems through iterative input from representative users who are likely to use the system in the future. Through three major steps, we engaged health care professionals in targeted, iterative design activities to inform the development of a PRO Dashboard that visually displays patient-reported pain and disability outcomes following spine surgery. Design activities to engage health care administrators, providers, and staff guided our work from design concept to specifications for dashboard implementation. Stakeholder feedback from these health care professionals shaped user interface design features, including predefined overviews that illustrate at-a-glance trends and quarterly snapshots, granular data filters that enable users to dive into detailed PRO analytics, and user-defined views to share and reuse. Feedback also revealed important considerations for quality indicators and privacy-preserving sharing and use of PROs. Our work illustrates a range of engagement methods guided by human-centered principles and design recommendations for optimizing PRO Dashboards for patient care and quality improvement. Engaging health care professionals as stakeholders is a critical step toward the design of user-friendly HIT that is accepted, usable, and has the potential to enhance quality of care and patient outcomes.

Genetic algorithm and graph theory based matrix factorization method for online friend recommendation.

PubMed

Li, Qu; Yao, Min; Yang, Jianhua; Xu, Ning

2014-01-01

Online friend recommendation is a fast developing topic in web mining. In this paper, we used SVD matrix factorization to model user and item feature vector and used stochastic gradient descent to amend parameter and improve accuracy. To tackle cold start problem and data sparsity, we used KNN model to influence user feature vector. At the same time, we used graph theory to partition communities with fairly low time and space complexity. What is more, matrix factorization can combine online and offline recommendation. Experiments showed that the hybrid recommendation algorithm is able to recommend online friends with good accuracy.

Bridging the Gap - Networking Educators using Real-Time Seismic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, A. M.; Renwald, M. D.; Baldwin, T. K.; Hall, M. K.

2004-12-01

After nearly a decade, the seismology community has made critical advances in identifying what is effective and what is needed for success in incorporating real-time seismic data in the classroom. Today's K-16 classroom teachers have many options and opportunities for incorporating short- and long-term inquiry activities for monitoring earthquakes and analyzing seismic data in their daily instruction. Through the SpiNet program, we are providing web-based tools that support educators working with real-time seismic data (http://www.scieds.com/spinet/). Our site includes a Recent Seismicity section, which allows users to share seismic data in real-time, and provides near real-time information about global seismicity. Our Activities section provides data and lessons to assist educators who wish to integrate seismology into their classroom. The Research section, currently under development, will allow educators to share general information about how they teach seismology in their classroom through a discussion board and by posting lesson plans. In addition, we are developing a user-friendly tool for students to post results of their research projects. Designing a website which targets a range of users requires a working knowledge of both user needs and website programming and design. User needs include providing a logical navigational structure and accounting for differences in browser functionality, internet access, and users' abilities. Using website development tools, such as PHP, MySQL, RDF feeds, and specialized geoscience applications, we are automating site maintenance; incorporating databases for information storage and retrieval; and providing accessibility for users with a range of skills and physical limitations. By incorporating these features, we have built a dynamic interface for a broad range of users interested in educational seismology.

Research on the Application of Persona in Book Recommendation System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Baozhong; Du, Shouyan; Li, Xinzhi; Liu, Fangai

2017-10-01

Currently, there still exists a host of problems in the book recommendation system, such as low accuracy, weak correlation and poor pertinence. Aiming to unravel these problems, this paper based on the theory of big data and data mining technology, through analyzing internet user behavior and the “5C” model of personal credit evaluation, combined with joint impact weight calculation method, which involves user grade, borrowing credit, book friend recommendation degree, book friend recommended adoption degree, borrowing frequency, borrowing number, and borrowing time interval. User activity and credit are also taken into account in the process of establishing user tagging system so as to build classified book recommendation service. This method is of universal meaning to the book recommendation service of smart campus with user as the core under big data environment.

Biblio-MetReS: A bibliometric network reconstruction application and server

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Reconstruction of genes and/or protein networks from automated analysis of the literature is one of the current targets of text mining in biomedical research. Some user-friendly tools already perform this analysis on precompiled databases of abstracts of scientific papers. Other tools allow expert users to elaborate and analyze the full content of a corpus of scientific documents. However, to our knowledge, no user friendly tool that simultaneously analyzes the latest set of scientific documents available on line and reconstructs the set of genes referenced in those documents is available. Results This article presents such a tool, Biblio-MetReS, and compares its functioning and results to those of other user-friendly applications (iHOP, STRING) that are widely used. Under similar conditions, Biblio-MetReS creates networks that are comparable to those of other user friendly tools. Furthermore, analysis of full text documents provides more complete reconstructions than those that result from using only the abstract of the document. Conclusions Literature-based automated network reconstruction is still far from providing complete reconstructions of molecular networks. However, its value as an auxiliary tool is high and it will increase as standards for reporting biological entities and relationships become more widely accepted and enforced. Biblio-MetReS is an application that can be downloaded from http://metres.udl.cat/. It provides an easy to use environment for researchers to reconstruct their networks of interest from an always up to date set of scientific documents. PMID:21975133

UCTM2: An updated User friendly Configurable Trigger, scaler and delay Module for nuclear and particle physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourrion, O.; Boyer, B.; Derome, L.; Pignol, G.

2016-06-01

We developed a highly integrated and versatile electronic module to equip small nuclear physics experiments and lab teaching classes: the User friendly Configurable Trigger, scaler and delay Module for nuclear and particle physics (UCTM). It is configurable through a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and provides a large number of possible trigger conditions without any Hardware Description Language (HDL) required knowledge. This new version significantly enhances the previous capabilities by providing two additional features: signal digitization and time measurements. The design, performances and a typical application are presented.

PYCHEM: a multivariate analysis package for python.

PubMed

Jarvis, Roger M; Broadhurst, David; Johnson, Helen; O'Boyle, Noel M; Goodacre, Royston

2006-10-15

We have implemented a multivariate statistical analysis toolbox, with an optional standalone graphical user interface (GUI), using the Python scripting language. This is a free and open source project that addresses the need for a multivariate analysis toolbox in Python. Although the functionality provided does not cover the full range of multivariate tools that are available, it has a broad complement of methods that are widely used in the biological sciences. In contrast to tools like MATLAB, PyChem 2.0.0 is easily accessible and free, allows for rapid extension using a range of Python modules and is part of the growing amount of complementary and interoperable scientific software in Python based upon SciPy. One of the attractions of PyChem is that it is an open source project and so there is an opportunity, through collaboration, to increase the scope of the software and to continually evolve a user-friendly platform that has applicability across a wide range of analytical and post-genomic disciplines. http://sourceforge.net/projects/pychem

SSRscanner: a program for reporting distribution and exact location of simple sequence repeats.

PubMed

Anwar, Tamanna; Khan, Asad U

2006-02-20

Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) have become important molecular markers for a broad range of applications, such as genome mapping and characterization, phenotype mapping, marker assisted selection of crop plants and a range of molecular ecology and diversity studies. These repeated DNA sequences are found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. They are distributed almost at random throughout the genome, ranging from mononucleotide to trinucleotide repeats. They are also found at longer lengths (> 6 repeating units) of tracts. Most of the computer programs that find SSRs do not report its exact position. A computer program SSRscanner was written to find out distribution, frequency and exact location of each SSR in the genome. SSRscanner is user friendly. It can search repeats of any length and produce outputs with their exact position on chromosome and their frequency of occurrence in the sequence. This program has been written in PERL and is freely available for non-commercial users by request from the authors. Please contact the authors by E-mail: huzzi99@hotmail.com.

DockingApp: a user friendly interface for facilitated docking simulations with AutoDock Vina.

PubMed

Di Muzio, Elena; Toti, Daniele; Polticelli, Fabio

2017-02-01

Molecular docking is a powerful technique that helps uncover the structural and energetic bases of the interaction between macromolecules and substrates, endogenous and exogenous ligands, and inhibitors. Moreover, this technique plays a pivotal role in accelerating the screening of large libraries of compounds for drug development purposes. The need to promote community-driven drug development efforts, especially as far as neglected diseases are concerned, calls for user-friendly tools to allow non-expert users to exploit the full potential of molecular docking. Along this path, here is described the implementation of DockingApp, a freely available, extremely user-friendly, platform-independent application for performing docking simulations and virtual screening tasks using AutoDock Vina. DockingApp sports an intuitive graphical user interface which greatly facilitates both the input phase and the analysis of the results, which can be visualized in graphical form using the embedded JMol applet. The application comes with the DrugBank set of more than 1400 ready-to-dock, FDA-approved drugs, to facilitate virtual screening and drug repurposing initiatives. Furthermore, other databases of compounds such as ZINC, available also in AutoDock format, can be readily and easily plugged in.

APM_GUI: analyzing particle movement on the cell membrane and determining confinement.

PubMed

Menchón, Silvia A; Martín, Mauricio G; Dotti, Carlos G

2012-02-20

Single-particle tracking is a powerful tool for tracking individual particles with high precision. It provides useful information that allows the study of diffusion properties as well as the dynamics of movement. Changes in particle movement behavior, such as transitions between Brownian motion and temporary confinement, can reveal interesting biophysical interactions. Although useful applications exist to determine the paths of individual particles, only a few software implementations are available to analyze these data, and these implementations are generally not user-friendly and do not have a graphical interface,. Here, we present APM_GUI (Analyzing Particle Movement), which is a MatLab-implemented application with a Graphical User Interface. This user-friendly application detects confined movement considering non-random confinement when a particle remains in a region longer than a Brownian diffusant would remain. In addition, APM_GUI exports the results, which allows users to analyze this information using software that they are familiar with. APM_GUI provides an open-source tool that quantifies diffusion coefficients and determines whether trajectories have non-random confinements. It also offers a simple and user-friendly tool that can be used by individuals without programming skills.

DockingApp: a user friendly interface for facilitated docking simulations with AutoDock Vina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Muzio, Elena; Toti, Daniele; Polticelli, Fabio

2017-02-01

Molecular docking is a powerful technique that helps uncover the structural and energetic bases of the interaction between macromolecules and substrates, endogenous and exogenous ligands, and inhibitors. Moreover, this technique plays a pivotal role in accelerating the screening of large libraries of compounds for drug development purposes. The need to promote community-driven drug development efforts, especially as far as neglected diseases are concerned, calls for user-friendly tools to allow non-expert users to exploit the full potential of molecular docking. Along this path, here is described the implementation of DockingApp, a freely available, extremely user-friendly, platform-independent application for performing docking simulations and virtual screening tasks using AutoDock Vina. DockingApp sports an intuitive graphical user interface which greatly facilitates both the input phase and the analysis of the results, which can be visualized in graphical form using the embedded JMol applet. The application comes with the DrugBank set of more than 1400 ready-to-dock, FDA-approved drugs, to facilitate virtual screening and drug repurposing initiatives. Furthermore, other databases of compounds such as ZINC, available also in AutoDock format, can be readily and easily plugged in.

Recommendations from Friends Anytime and Anywhere: Toward a Model of Contextual Offer and Consumption Values

PubMed Central

Shen, Xiao-Liang; Wang, Nan

2013-01-01

Abstract The ubiquity and portability of mobile devices provide additional opportunities for information retrieval. People can easily access mobile applications anytime and anywhere when they need to acquire specific context-aware recommendations (contextual offer) from their friends. This study, thus, represents an initial attempt to understand users' acceptance of a mobile-based social reviews platform, where recommendations from friends can be obtained with mobile devices. Based on the consumption value theory, a theoretical model is proposed and empirically examined using survey data from 218 mobile users. The findings demonstrate that contextual offers based on users' profiles, access time, and geographic positions significantly predict their value perceptions (utilitarian, hedonic, and social), which, in turn, affect their intention to use a mobile social reviews platform. This study is also believed to provide some useful insights to both research and practice. PMID:23530548

The influence of personal networks on the use and abuse of alcohol and drugs.

PubMed

Calafat, Amador; Cajal, Berta; Juan, Montse; Mendes, Fernando; Kokkevi, Anna; Blay, Nicole; Palmer, Alfonso; Duch, Maria Angels

2010-01-01

Party networks of young people are very important for socialization, but can also influence their involvement in risk behaviours or they can be protective. The influence of nightlife network of friends in using alcohol/ drugs is investigated through a survey. We explore the individual-centred networks (7.360 friends) of 1.363 recreational nightlife users in 9 European cities in 2006, through 22 friend characteristics. Statistical analysis utilised factorial analysis with varimax rotation and analysis of variance. The 69% of the sample had been drunk during the last month and more than half of them had used illicit drugs. Most of the respondents use to have a stable group of friends with whom to go out. Networks main characteristics were being more or less deviant and/or prosocial. Having not network or a less prosocial network is related to be low consumers. Having a non deviant, but prosocial network is related to being a person who gets drunk without using illegal drugs. Users of illegal drugs have a deviant and prosocial network. Finally ex users have less deviant networks, but at the same time a helper and prosocial network. Males drug use patterns appear to be less affected by the characteristics of their networks. Some preventive consequences coming from these results are already known as the importance of having less deviant friends. But some other issues are less known: to enhance certain prosocial skills may have counter preventive effects among recreational users and to influence the network for preventative purposes may be more effective among females.

PDB Editor: a user-friendly Java-based Protein Data Bank file editor with a GUI.

PubMed

Lee, Jonas; Kim, Sung Hou

2009-04-01

The Protein Data Bank file format is the format most widely used by protein crystallographers and biologists to disseminate and manipulate protein structures. Despite this, there are few user-friendly software packages available to efficiently edit and extract raw information from PDB files. This limitation often leads to many protein crystallographers wasting significant time manually editing PDB files. PDB Editor, written in Java Swing GUI, allows the user to selectively search, select, extract and edit information in parallel. Furthermore, the program is a stand-alone application written in Java which frees users from the hassles associated with platform/operating system-dependent installation and usage. PDB Editor can be downloaded from http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdbeditorjl/.

MetaNET--a web-accessible interactive platform for biological metabolic network analysis.

PubMed

Narang, Pankaj; Khan, Shawez; Hemrom, Anmol Jaywant; Lynn, Andrew Michael

2014-01-01

Metabolic reactions have been extensively studied and compiled over the last century. These have provided a theoretical base to implement models, simulations of which are used to identify drug targets and optimize metabolic throughput at a systemic level. While tools for the perturbation of metabolic networks are available, their applications are limited and restricted as they require varied dependencies and often a commercial platform for full functionality. We have developed MetaNET, an open source user-friendly platform-independent and web-accessible resource consisting of several pre-defined workflows for metabolic network analysis. MetaNET is a web-accessible platform that incorporates a range of functions which can be combined to produce different simulations related to metabolic networks. These include (i) optimization of an objective function for wild type strain, gene/catalyst/reaction knock-out/knock-down analysis using flux balance analysis. (ii) flux variability analysis (iii) chemical species participation (iv) cycles and extreme paths identification and (v) choke point reaction analysis to facilitate identification of potential drug targets. The platform is built using custom scripts along with the open-source Galaxy workflow and Systems Biology Research Tool as components. Pre-defined workflows are available for common processes, and an exhaustive list of over 50 functions are provided for user defined workflows. MetaNET, available at http://metanet.osdd.net , provides a user-friendly rich interface allowing the analysis of genome-scale metabolic networks under various genetic and environmental conditions. The framework permits the storage of previous results, the ability to repeat analysis and share results with other users over the internet as well as run different tools simultaneously using pre-defined workflows, and user-created custom workflows.

Structural diversity effect on hashtag adoption in Twitter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Aihua; Zheng, Mingxing; Pang, Bowen

2018-03-01

With online social network developing rapidly these years, user' behavior in online social network has attracted a lot of attentions to it. In this paper, we study Twitter user's behavior of hashtag adoption from the perspective of social contagion and focus on "structure diversity" effect on individual's behavior in Twitter. We achieve data through Twitter's API by crawling and build a users' network to carry on empirical research. The Girvan-Newman (G-N) algorithm is used to analyze the structural diversity of user's ego network, and Logistic regression model is adopted to examine the hypothesis. The findings of our empirical study indicate that user' behavior in online social network is indeed influenced by his friends and his decision is significantly affected by the number of groups that these friends belong to, which we call structural diversity.

Virtual socialization in adults with spina bifida.

PubMed

Chan, Wendy M; Dicianno, Brad E

2011-03-01

To use spina bifida (SB) as a model of chronic physical disability to study the associations of virtual socialization, friendships, and quality of life (QOL) in adults. Cross-sectional survey. Subjects were recruited from residential living facilities, outpatient clinics, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) research registry. Inclusion criteria were age between 18 and 80 years and clinical diagnoses of SB cystica (myelomeningocele) and hydrocephalus. The exclusion criterion was the diagnosis of SB occulta. Sixty-three eligible adults were enrolled, and all completed the study. The survey via questionnaire was performed in person or over the telephone. Data collected included the World Health Organization's Medical Outcomes Study 26-item Short Form, Economic Self-Sufficiency from the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique Short Form, virtual socializing habits, and number of friends. Three linear regression models were performed, each with a unique dependent variable: number of friends, psychological QOL, or social QOL. The following independent variables were included in all models: age, gender, ethnicity, economic self-sufficiency, marital status, education level, lesion level, health status, user group, collection method, and time spent virtually socializing. In addition, each regression model included the dependent variables from the other 2 models in its independent variables. Increased degree of virtual socialization (VS) was associated with a greater number of friends (P = .003, r = .684). Mean (standard deviation) numbers of friends by VS groups were the following: users, n = 4.9 ± 2.7; semi-users, n = 3.8 ± 2.7; and nonusers, n = 2.1 ± 2.3, which represent a 2.3 times greater number of friends between the users and nonusers. The effect of virtual socialization on QOL was also positive, however, not statistically significant. People with chronic physical disabilities, such as SB, are at high risk for peer rejection and long-term social avoidance. Users of the most immersive forms of virtual socialization, have more real world friends than both semi-users and nonusers. Any form of VS, whether immersive or real time, may improve the opportunity for meaningful social encounters. Prospective intervention studies are needed to elucidate whether a causal positive relationship between virtual socialization and friendships exists. Further research is needed to clarify virtual socialization's impact on QOL; however, the upward trend in all 4 domains of QOL across user groups suggests similar potential benefits. Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

E-TALEN: a web tool to design TALENs for genome engineering.

PubMed

Heigwer, Florian; Kerr, Grainne; Walther, Nike; Glaeser, Kathrin; Pelz, Oliver; Breinig, Marco; Boutros, Michael

2013-11-01

Use of transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) is a promising new technique in the field of targeted genome engineering, editing and reverse genetics. Its applications span from introducing knockout mutations to endogenous tagging of proteins and targeted excision repair. Owing to this wide range of possible applications, there is a need for fast and user-friendly TALEN design tools. We developed E-TALEN (http://www.e-talen.org), a web-based tool to design TALENs for experiments of varying scale. E-TALEN enables the design of TALENs against a single target or a large number of target genes. We significantly extended previously published design concepts to consider genomic context and different applications. E-TALEN guides the user through an end-to-end design process of de novo TALEN pairs, which are specific to a certain sequence or genomic locus. Furthermore, E-TALEN offers a functionality to predict targeting and specificity for existing TALENs. Owing to the computational complexity of many of the steps in the design of TALENs, particular emphasis has been put on the implementation of fast yet accurate algorithms. We implemented a user-friendly interface, from the input parameters to the presentation of results. An additional feature of E-TALEN is the in-built sequence and annotation database available for many organisms, including human, mouse, zebrafish, Drosophila and Arabidopsis, which can be extended in the future.

A Comprehensive Software and Database Management System for Glomerular Filtration Rate Estimation by Radionuclide Plasma Sampling and Serum Creatinine Methods.

PubMed

Jha, Ashish Kumar

2015-01-01

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation by plasma sampling method is considered as the gold standard. However, this method is not widely used because the complex technique and cumbersome calculations coupled with the lack of availability of user-friendly software. The routinely used Serum Creatinine method (SrCrM) of GFR estimation also requires the use of online calculators which cannot be used without internet access. We have developed user-friendly software "GFR estimation software" which gives the options to estimate GFR by plasma sampling method as well as SrCrM. We have used Microsoft Windows(®) as operating system and Visual Basic 6.0 as the front end and Microsoft Access(®) as database tool to develop this software. We have used Russell's formula for GFR calculation by plasma sampling method. GFR calculations using serum creatinine have been done using MIRD, Cockcroft-Gault method, Schwartz method, and Counahan-Barratt methods. The developed software is performing mathematical calculations correctly and is user-friendly. This software also enables storage and easy retrieval of the raw data, patient's information and calculated GFR for further processing and comparison. This is user-friendly software to calculate the GFR by various plasma sampling method and blood parameter. This software is also a good system for storing the raw and processed data for future analysis.

Uncertainty of a hybrid surface temperature sensor for silicon wafers and comparison with an embedded thermocouple.

PubMed

Iuchi, Tohru; Gogami, Atsushi

2009-12-01

We have developed a user-friendly hybrid surface temperature sensor. The uncertainties of temperature readings associated with this sensor and a thermocouple embedded in a silicon wafer are compared. The expanded uncertainties (k=2) of the hybrid temperature sensor and the embedded thermocouple are 2.11 and 2.37 K, respectively, in the temperature range between 600 and 1000 K. In the present paper, the uncertainty evaluation and the sources of uncertainty are described.

Computer program BL2D for solving two-dimensional and axisymmetric boundary layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iyer, Venkit

1995-01-01

This report presents the formulation, validation, and user's manual for the computer program BL2D. The program is a fourth-order-accurate solution scheme for solving two-dimensional or axisymmetric boundary layers in speed regimes that range from low subsonic to hypersonic Mach numbers. A basic implementation of the transition zone and turbulence modeling is also included. The code is a result of many improvements made to the program VGBLP, which is described in NASA TM-83207 (February 1982), and can effectively supersede it. The code BL2D is designed to be modular, user-friendly, and portable to any machine with a standard fortran77 compiler. The report contains the new formulation adopted and the details of its implementation. Five validation cases are presented. A detailed user's manual with the input format description and instructions for running the code is included. Adequate information is presented in the report to enable the user to modify or customize the code for specific applications.

TWIST User Presentation

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Wastewater Information System Tool (TWIST) is downloadable, user-friendly management tool that will allow state and local health departments to effectively inventory and manage small wastewater treatment systems in their jurisdictions.

The use of Graphic User Interface for development of a user-friendly CRS-Stack software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sule, Rachmat; Prayudhatama, Dythia; Perkasa, Muhammad D.; Hendriyana, Andri; Fatkhan; Sardjito; Adriansyah

2017-04-01

The development of a user-friendly Common Reflection Surface (CRS) Stack software that has been built by implementing Graphical User Interface (GUI) is described in this paper. The original CRS-Stack software developed by WIT Consortium is compiled in the unix/linux environment, which is not a user-friendly software, so that a user must write the commands and parameters manually in a script file. Due to this limitation, the CRS-Stack become a non popular method, although applying this method is actually a promising way in order to obtain better seismic sections, which have better reflector continuity and S/N ratio. After obtaining successful results that have been tested by using several seismic data belong to oil companies in Indonesia, it comes to an idea to develop a user-friendly software in our own laboratory. Graphical User Interface (GUI) is a type of user interface that allows people to interact with computer programs in a better way. Rather than typing commands and module parameters, GUI allows the users to use computer programs in much simple and easy. Thus, GUI can transform the text-based interface into graphical icons and visual indicators. The use of complicated seismic unix shell script can be avoided. The Java Swing GUI library is used to develop this CRS-Stack GUI. Every shell script that represents each seismic process is invoked from Java environment. Besides developing interactive GUI to perform CRS-Stack processing, this CRS-Stack GUI is design to help geophysicists to manage a project with complex seismic processing procedures. The CRS-Stack GUI software is composed by input directory, operators, and output directory, which are defined as a seismic data processing workflow. The CRS-Stack processing workflow involves four steps; i.e. automatic CMP stack, initial CRS-Stack, optimized CRS-Stack, and CRS-Stack Supergather. Those operations are visualized in an informative flowchart with self explanatory system to guide the user inputting the parameter values for each operation. The knowledge of CRS-Stack processing procedure is still preserved in the software, which is easy and efficient to be learned. The software will still be developed in the future. Any new innovative seismic processing workflow will also be added into this GUI software.

Operating manual for the R200 downhole recorder with husky hunter retriever

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Roy A.; Rorabaugh, James I.

1988-01-01

The R200 Downhole Recorder is a battery-powered device that, when placed in a well casing, monitors water levels for a period of up to 1 year. This instrument measures a 1- to 70-foot range of water levels. These water-level data can be retrieved through use of a commercially available portable microcomputer. The R200 Downhole Recorder was developed at the U.S. Geological Survey 's Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi. This operating manual describes the R200 Downhole Recorder, provides initial set-up instructions, and gives directions for on-site operation. Design specifications and routine maintenance steps are included. The R200 data-retriever program is a user-friendly, menu-driven program. The manual guides the user through the procedures required to perform specific operations. Numerous screens are reproduced in the text with a discussion of user input for desired responses. Help is provided for specific problems. (USGS)

Operating manual for the R200 downhole recorder with Tandy 102 retriever

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Roy A.; Rorabaugh, James I.

1988-01-01

The R200 Downhole Recorder is a battery-powered device that, when placed in a well casing, monitors water levels for a period of up to 1 year. This instrument measures a 1- to 70-ft range of water levels. These water level data can be retrieved through use of a commercially available portable microcomputer. The R200 Downhole Recorder was developed at the U. S. Geological Survey 's Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi. This operating manual describes the R200 Downhole Recorder, provides initial set-up instructions, and gives directions for on-site operation. Design specifications and routine maintenance steps are included. The R200 data-retriever program is a user-friendly, menu-driven program. The manual guides the user through the procedures required to perform specific operations. Numerous screens are reproduced in the text with a discussion of user input for desired responses. Help is provided for specific problems. (USGS)

Interfacing modules for integrating discipline specific structural mechanics codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Endres, Ned M.

1989-01-01

An outline of the organization and capabilities of the Engine Structures Computational Simulator (Simulator) at NASA Lewis Research Center is given. One of the goals of the research at Lewis is to integrate various discipline specific structural mechanics codes into a software system which can be brought to bear effectively on a wide range of engineering problems. This system must possess the qualities of being effective and efficient while still remaining user friendly. The simulator was initially designed for the finite element simulation of gas jet engine components. Currently, the simulator has been restricted to only the analysis of high pressure turbine blades and the accompanying rotor assembly, although the current installation can be expanded for other applications. The simulator presently assists the user throughout its procedures by performing information management tasks, executing external support tasks, organizing analysis modules and executing these modules in the user defined order while maintaining processing continuity.

Giovanni - The Bridge Between Data and Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Zhong; Acker, James

2017-01-01

This article describes new features in the Geospatial Interactive Online Visualization ANd aNalysis Infrastructure (Giovanni), a user-friendly online tool that enables visualization, analysis, and assessment of NASA Earth science data sets without downloading data and software. Since the satellite era began, data collected from Earth-observing satellites have been widely used in research and applications; however, using satellite-based data sets can still be a challenge to many. To facilitate data access and evaluation, as well as scientific exploration and discovery, the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences (GES) Data and Information Services Center (DISC) has developed Giovanni for a wide range of users around the world. This article describes the latest capabilities of Giovanni with examples, and discusses future plans for this innovative system.

WebArray: an online platform for microarray data analysis

PubMed Central

Xia, Xiaoqin; McClelland, Michael; Wang, Yipeng

2005-01-01

Background Many cutting-edge microarray analysis tools and algorithms, including commonly used limma and affy packages in Bioconductor, need sophisticated knowledge of mathematics, statistics and computer skills for implementation. Commercially available software can provide a user-friendly interface at considerable cost. To facilitate the use of these tools for microarray data analysis on an open platform we developed an online microarray data analysis platform, WebArray, for bench biologists to utilize these tools to explore data from single/dual color microarray experiments. Results The currently implemented functions were based on limma and affy package from Bioconductor, the spacings LOESS histogram (SPLOSH) method, PCA-assisted normalization method and genome mapping method. WebArray incorporates these packages and provides a user-friendly interface for accessing a wide range of key functions of limma and others, such as spot quality weight, background correction, graphical plotting, normalization, linear modeling, empirical bayes statistical analysis, false discovery rate (FDR) estimation, chromosomal mapping for genome comparison. Conclusion WebArray offers a convenient platform for bench biologists to access several cutting-edge microarray data analysis tools. The website is freely available at . It runs on a Linux server with Apache and MySQL. PMID:16371165

Friendly-Sharing: Improving the Performance of City Sensoring through Contact-Based Messaging Applications

PubMed Central

Herrera-Tapia, Jorge; Hernández-Orallo, Enrique; Tomás, Andrés; Manzoni, Pietro; Tavares Calafate, Carlos; Cano, Juan-Carlos

2016-01-01

Regular citizens equipped with smart devices are being increasingly used as “sensors” by Smart Cities applications. Using contacts among users, data in the form of messages is obtained and shared. Contact-based messaging applications are based on establishing a short-range communication directly between mobile devices, and on storing the messages in these devices for subsequent delivery to cloud-based services. An effective way to increase the number of messages that can be shared is to increase the contact duration. We thus introduce the Friendly-Sharing diffusion approach, where, during a contact, the users are aware of the time needed to interchange the messages stored in their buffers, and they can thus decide to wait more time in order to increase the message sharing probability. The performance of this approach is anyway closely related to the size of the buffer in the device. We therefore compare various policies either for the message selection at forwarding times and for message dropping when the buffer is full. We evaluate our proposal with a modified version of the Opportunistic Networking Environment (ONE) simulator and using real human mobility traces. PMID:27649209

Estimating preferences for modes of drug administration: The case of US healthcare professionals.

PubMed

Tetteh, Ebenezer K; Morris, Steve; Titchener-Hooker, Nigel

2018-01-01

There are hidden drug administration costs that arise from a mismatch between end-user preferences and how manufacturers choose to formulate their drug products for delivery to patients. The corollary of this is: there are "intangible benefits" from considering end-user preferences in manufacturing patient-friendly medicines. It is important then to have some idea of what pharmaceutical manufacturers should consider in making patient-friendly medicines and of the magnitude of the indirect benefits from doing so. This study aimed to evaluate preferences of healthcare professionals in the US for the non-monetary attributes of different modes of drug administration. It uses these preference orderings to compute a monetary valuation of the indirect benefits from making patient-friendly medicines. A survey collected choice preferences of a sample of 210 healthcare professionals in the US for two unlabelled drug options. These drugs were identical except in the levels of attributes of drug administration. Using the choice data collected, statistical models were estimated to compute gross welfare benefits, measured by the expected compensating variation, from making drugs in a more patient-friendly manner. The monetary value of end-user benefits from developing patient-friendly drug delivery systems is: (1) as large as the annual acquisition costs per full treatment episode for some biologic drugs; and (2) likely to fall in the "high end" of the distribution of the direct monetary costs of drug administration. An examination of end-user preferences should help manufacturers make more effective and efficient use of limited resources for innovations in drug delivery system, or manufacturing research in general. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Helping Hand.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renner, Jason M.

2000-01-01

Discusses how designing a hand washing-friendly environment can help to reduce the spread of germs in school restrooms. Use of electronic faucets, surface risk management, traffic flow, and user- friendly hand washing systems that are convenient and maximally hygienic are examined. (GR)

Web-Based Family Life Education: Spotlight on User Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doty, Jennifer; Doty, Matthew; Dwrokin, Jodi

2011-01-01

Family Life Education (FLE) websites can benefit from the field of user experience, which makes technology easy to use. A heuristic evaluation of five FLE sites was performed using Neilson's heuristics, guidelines for making sites user friendly. Greater site complexity resulted in more potential user problems. Sites most frequently had problems…

An Efficient User Interface Design for Nursing Information System Based on Integrated Patient Order Information.

PubMed

Chu, Chia-Hui; Kuo, Ming-Chuan; Weng, Shu-Hui; Lee, Ting-Ting

2016-01-01

A user friendly interface can enhance the efficiency of data entry, which is crucial for building a complete database. In this study, two user interfaces (traditional pull-down menu vs. check boxes) are proposed and evaluated based on medical records with fever medication orders by measuring the time for data entry, steps for each data entry record, and the complete rate of each medical record. The result revealed that the time for data entry is reduced from 22.8 sec/record to 3.2 sec/record. The data entry procedures also have reduced from 9 steps in the traditional one to 3 steps in the new one. In addition, the completeness of medical records is increased from 20.2% to 98%. All these results indicate that the new user interface provides a more user friendly and efficient approach for data entry than the traditional interface.

Mobile phones and elderly people: a noisy communication.

PubMed

Stamato, Cláudia; Moraes, Anamaria de

2012-01-01

Knowing the users is capital for building user-friendly digital interfaces. One way to think about the users is considering their familiarity with this technology. This article presents the results of twelve interviews with elderly people residing in the so-called South Zone of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) who have used mobile phones over at least one year. It is part of the Doctor's Thesis "Mobile phones for elderly people - usability for social integration" ("Celulares para idosos - usabilidade a serviço da integração social"), which is targeted at ascertaining if the current mobile phones are user-friendly for elderly people. Through the technique of Guided Interviews, we found usage time, criteria for choice of phones, reasons for changes, preferences, and manners of use. Preliminarily, we have noticed differences in the behavior of the participating users and performed a qualitative analysis according to groups of age and gender.

Quora.com: Another Place for Users to Ask Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ovadia, Steven

2011-01-01

Quora (www.quora.com) is a contemporary, web-based take on reference. Users post questions within Quora and other users answer the questions. Users can vote for and against answers (or not vote at all). It is users asking questions of friends and strangers and then sorting through the results. If the model sounds familiar, it's because it is.…

MollDE: a homology modeling framework you can click with.

PubMed

Canutescu, Adrian A; Dunbrack, Roland L

2005-06-15

Molecular Integrated Development Environment (MolIDE) is an integrated application designed to provide homology modeling tools and protocols under a uniform, user-friendly graphical interface. Its main purpose is to combine the most frequent modeling steps in a semi-automatic, interactive way, guiding the user from the target protein sequence to the final three-dimensional protein structure. The typical basic homology modeling process is composed of building sequence profiles of the target sequence family, secondary structure prediction, sequence alignment with PDB structures, assisted alignment editing, side-chain prediction and loop building. All of these steps are available through a graphical user interface. MolIDE's user-friendly and streamlined interactive modeling protocol allows the user to focus on the important modeling questions, hiding from the user the raw data generation and conversion steps. MolIDE was designed from the ground up as an open-source, cross-platform, extensible framework. This allows developers to integrate additional third-party programs to MolIDE. http://dunbrack.fccc.edu/molide/molide.php rl_dunbrack@fccc.edu.

Toward intelligent information system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komatsu, Sanzo

NASA/RECON, the predecessor of DIALOG System, was originally designed as a user friendly system for astronauts, so that they should not miss-operate the machine in spite of tension in the outer space. Since then, DIALOG has endeavoured to develop a series of user friendly systems, such as knowledge index, inbound gateway, as well as Version II. In this so-called end user searching era, DIALOG has released a series of front end systems successively; DIALOG Business Connection, DIALOG Medical Connection and OneSearch in 1986, early and late 1987 respectively. They are all called expert systems. In this paper, the features of each system are described in some detail and the remaining critical issues are also discussed.

Magnetic resonance cell-tracking studies: spectrophotometry-based method for the quantification of cellular iron content after loading with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles.

PubMed

Böhm, Ingrid

2011-08-01

The purpose of this article is to present a user-friendly tool for quantifying the iron content of superparamagnetic labeled cells before cell tracking by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Iron quantification was evaluated by using Prussian blue staining and spectrophotometry. White blood cells were labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles. Labeling was confirmed by light microscopy. Subsequently, the cells were embedded in a phantom and scanned on a 3 T magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) whole-body system. Mean peak wavelengths λ(peak) was determined at A(720 nm) (range 719-722 nm). Linearity was proven for the measuring range 0.5 to 10 μg Fe/mL (r  =  .9958; p  =  2.2 × 10(-12)). The limit of detection was 0.01 μg Fe/mL (0.1785 mM), and the limit of quantification was 0.04 μg Fe/mL (0.714 mM). Accuracy was demonstrated by comparison with atomic absorption spectrometry. Precision and robustness were also proven. On T(2)-weighted images, signal intensity varied according to the iron concentration of SPIO-labeled cells. Absorption spectrophotometry is both a highly sensitive and user-friendly technique that is feasible for quantifying the iron content of magnetically labeled cells. The presented data suggest that spectrophotometry is a promising tool for promoting the implementation of magnetic resonance-based cell tracking in routine clinical applications (from bench to bedside).

Electric-powered indoor/outdoor wheelchairs (EPIOCs): users' views of influence on family, friends and carers.

PubMed

Frank, Andrew; Neophytou, Claudius; Frank, Julia; de Souza, Lorraine

2010-01-01

This study explored the effects of electric-powered indoor/outdoor wheelchair (EPIOC) provision to users on their family and carers. EPIOC users receiving their chairs between February and November 2002 (N = 74) were invited to participate in a telephone questionnaire/interview, and 64 agreed. This study examined the responses to the question 'Has the use of your EPIOC affected your family or friends in any way?' and related comments. Interviews were analysed using a qualitative framework approach to identify emergent themes. In addition, the proportion of individuals raising issues related to each theme was determined. Participants were interviewed 10-19 (mean = 14.3) months after chair delivery. The following themes emerged: reduced physical burden on family/friends and increased independence and freedom. However, an EPIOC does not eliminate other practical problems particularly during transportation and negotiating kerbs and slopes. Users also reported anxiety/worry in relationship to EPIOC use, e.g., weather conditions, personal safety (muggings), use of ramps and kerbs. There are considerable benefits to families and carers associated with powered wheelchair use. A reduction in the physical demand for pushing and increased freedom were identified. These benefits appear to outweigh the residual practical difficulties and worries.

Cross-National User Priorities for Housing Provision and Accessibility — Findings from the European innovAge Project

PubMed Central

Haak, Maria; Slaug, Björn; Oswald, Frank; Schmidt, Steven M.; Rimland, Joseph M.; Tomsone, Signe; Ladö, Thomas; Svensson, Torbjörn; Iwarsson, Susanne

2015-01-01

To develop an innovative information and communication technology (ICT) tool intended to help older people in their search for optimal housing solutions, a first step in the development process is to gain knowledge from the intended users. Thus the aim of this study was to deepen the knowledge about needs and expectations about housing options as expressed and prioritized by older people, people ageing with disabilities and professionals. A participatory design focus was adopted; 26 people with a range of functional limitations representing the user perspective and 15 professionals with a variety of backgrounds, participated in research circles that were conducted in four European countries. An additional 20 experts were invited as guests to the different research circle meetings. Three themes illustrating cross-national user priorities for housing provision and accessibility were identified: “Information barrier: accessible housing”, “Information barrier: housing adaptation benefits”, and “Cost barrier: housing adaptations”. In conclusion, early user involvement and identification of cross-national differences in priorities and housing options will strengthen the development of a user-friendly ICT tool that can empower older people and people with disabilities to be more active consumers regarding housing provision. PMID:25739003

Integrating Patient-Reported Outcomes into Spine Surgical Care through Visual Dashboards: Lessons Learned from Human-Centered Design

PubMed Central

Hartzler, Andrea L.; Chaudhuri, Shomir; Fey, Brett C.; Flum, David R.; Lavallee, Danielle

2015-01-01

Introduction: The collection of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) draws attention to issues of importance to patients—physical function and quality of life. The integration of PRO data into clinical decisions and discussions with patients requires thoughtful design of user-friendly interfaces that consider user experience and present data in personalized ways to enhance patient care. Whereas most prior work on PROs focuses on capturing data from patients, little research details how to design effective user interfaces that facilitate use of this data in clinical practice. We share lessons learned from engaging health care professionals to inform design of visual dashboards, an emerging type of health information technology (HIT). Methods: We employed human-centered design (HCD) methods to create visual displays of PROs to support patient care and quality improvement. HCD aims to optimize the design of interactive systems through iterative input from representative users who are likely to use the system in the future. Through three major steps, we engaged health care professionals in targeted, iterative design activities to inform the development of a PRO Dashboard that visually displays patient-reported pain and disability outcomes following spine surgery. Findings: Design activities to engage health care administrators, providers, and staff guided our work from design concept to specifications for dashboard implementation. Stakeholder feedback from these health care professionals shaped user interface design features, including predefined overviews that illustrate at-a-glance trends and quarterly snapshots, granular data filters that enable users to dive into detailed PRO analytics, and user-defined views to share and reuse. Feedback also revealed important considerations for quality indicators and privacy-preserving sharing and use of PROs. Conclusion: Our work illustrates a range of engagement methods guided by human-centered principles and design recommendations for optimizing PRO Dashboards for patient care and quality improvement. Engaging health care professionals as stakeholders is a critical step toward the design of user-friendly HIT that is accepted, usable, and has the potential to enhance quality of care and patient outcomes. PMID:25988187

You've Come a Long Way, Baby, but...

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fayen, Emily Gallup

An online library system is an example of a complex computer system in that it supports a variety of users, both patrons and staff, and is made up of many intricate programs with complex relationships among them. Certain features are essential to a user friendly system: (1) users cannot get lost in the system; (2) users cannot enter illegal…

Development and preliminary data on the use of a mobile app specifically designed to increase community awareness of invasive pneumococcal disease and its prevention.

PubMed

Panatto, Donatella; Domnich, Alexander; Gasparini, Roberto; Bonanni, Paolo; Icardi, Giancarlo; Amicizia, Daniela; Arata, Lucia; Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi; Signori, Alessio; Landa, Paolo; Bechini, Angela; Boccalini, Sara

2016-04-02

Given the growing use and great potential of mobile apps, this project aimed to develop and implement a user-friendly app to increase laypeople's knowledge and awareness of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). Despite the heavy burden of IPD, the documented low awareness of IPD among both laypeople and healthcare professionals and far from optimal pneumococcal vaccination coverage, no app specifically targeting IPD has been developed so far. The app was designed to be maximally functional and conceived in accordance with user-centered design. Its content, layout and usability were discussed and formally tested during several workshops that involved the principal stakeholders, including experts in IPD and information technology and potential end-users. Following several workshops, it was decided that, in order to make the app more interactive, its core should be a personal "checker" of the risk of contracting IPD and a user-friendly risk-communication strategy. The checker was populated with risk factors identified through both Italian and international official guidelines. Formal evaluation of the app revealed its good readability and usability properties. A sister web site with the same content was created to achieve higher population exposure. Seven months after being launched in a price- and registration-free modality, the app, named "Pneumo Rischio," averaged 20.9 new users/day and 1.3 sessions/user. The first in-field results suggest that "Pneumo Rischio" is a promising tool for increasing the population's awareness of IPD and its prevention through a user-friendly risk checker.

Video conferencing made easy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larsen, D. Gail; Schwieder, Paul R.

1993-01-01

Network video conferencing is advancing rapidly throughout the nation, and the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), a Department of Energy (DOE) facility, is at the forefront of the development. Engineers at INEL/EG&G designed and installed a very unique DOE videoconferencing system, offering many outstanding features, that include true multipoint conferencing, user-friendly design and operation with no full-time operators required, and the potential for cost effective expansion of the system. One area where INEL/EG&G engineers made a significant contribution to video conferencing was in the development of effective, user-friendly, end station driven scheduling software. A PC at each user site is used to schedule conferences via a windows package. This software interface provides information to the users concerning conference availability, scheduling, initiation, and termination. The menus are 'mouse' controlled. Once a conference is scheduled, a workstation at the hubs monitors the network to initiate all scheduled conferences. No active operator participation is required once a user schedules a conference through the local PC; the workstation automatically initiates and terminates the conference as scheduled. As each conference is scheduled, hard copy notification is also printed at each participating site. Video conferencing is the wave of the future. The use of these user-friendly systems will save millions in lost productivity and travel cost throughout the nation. The ease of operation and conference scheduling will play a key role on the extent industry uses this new technology. The INEL/EG&G has developed a prototype scheduling system for both commercial and federal government use.

Remote Data Exploration with the Interactive Data Language (IDL)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Galloy, Michael

2013-01-01

A difficulty for many NASA researchers is that often the data to analyze is located remotely from the scientist and the data is too large to transfer for local analysis. Researchers have developed the Data Access Protocol (DAP) for accessing remote data. Presently one can use DAP from within IDL, but the IDL-DAP interface is both limited and cumbersome. A more powerful and user-friendly interface to DAP for IDL has been developed. Users are able to browse remote data sets graphically, select partial data to retrieve, import that data and make customized plots, and have an interactive IDL command line session simultaneous with the remote visualization. All of these IDL-DAP tools are usable easily and seamlessly for any IDL user. IDL and DAP are both widely used in science, but were not easily used together. The IDL DAP bindings were incomplete and had numerous bugs that prevented their serious use. For example, the existing bindings did not read DAP Grid data, which is the organization of nearly all NASA datasets currently served via DAP. This project uniquely provides a fully featured, user-friendly interface to DAP from IDL, both from the command line and a GUI application. The DAP Explorer GUI application makes browsing a dataset more user-friendly, while also providing the capability to run user-defined functions on specified data. Methods for running remote functions on the DAP server were investigated, and a technique for accomplishing this task was decided upon.

Video conferencing made easy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, D. Gail; Schwieder, Paul R.

1993-02-01

Network video conferencing is advancing rapidly throughout the nation, and the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), a Department of Energy (DOE) facility, is at the forefront of the development. Engineers at INEL/EG&G designed and installed a very unique DOE videoconferencing system, offering many outstanding features, that include true multipoint conferencing, user-friendly design and operation with no full-time operators required, and the potential for cost effective expansion of the system. One area where INEL/EG&G engineers made a significant contribution to video conferencing was in the development of effective, user-friendly, end station driven scheduling software. A PC at each user site is used to schedule conferences via a windows package. This software interface provides information to the users concerning conference availability, scheduling, initiation, and termination. The menus are 'mouse' controlled. Once a conference is scheduled, a workstation at the hubs monitors the network to initiate all scheduled conferences. No active operator participation is required once a user schedules a conference through the local PC; the workstation automatically initiates and terminates the conference as scheduled. As each conference is scheduled, hard copy notification is also printed at each participating site. Video conferencing is the wave of the future. The use of these user-friendly systems will save millions in lost productivity and travel cost throughout the nation. The ease of operation and conference scheduling will play a key role on the extent industry uses this new technology. The INEL/EG&G has developed a prototype scheduling system for both commercial and federal government use.

Video conferencing made easy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, D. G.; Schwieder, P. R.

Network video conferencing is advancing rapidly throughout the nation, and the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), a Department of Energy (DOE) facility, is at the forefront of the development. Engineers at INEL/EG&G designed and installed a very unique DOE video conferencing system, offering many outstanding features, that include true multipoint conferencing, user-friendly design and operation with no full-time operators required, and the potential for cost effective expansion of the system. One area where INEL/EG&G engineers made a significant contribution to video conferencing was in the development of effective, user-friendly, end station driven scheduling software. A PC at each user site is used to schedule conferences via a windows package. This software interface provides information to the users concerning conference availability, scheduling, initiation, and termination. The menus are 'mouse' controlled. Once a conference is scheduled, a workstation at the hub monitors the network to initiate all scheduled conferences. No active operator participation is required once a user schedules a conference through the local PC; the workstation automatically initiates and terminates the conference as scheduled. As each conference is scheduled, hard copy notification is also printed at each participating site. Video conferencing is the wave of the future. The use of these user-friendly systems will save millions in lost productivity and travel costs throughout the nation. The ease of operation and conference scheduling will play a key role on the extent industry uses this new technology. The INEL/EG&G has developed a prototype scheduling system for both commercial and federal government use.

SSRscanner: a program for reporting distribution and exact location of simple sequence repeats

PubMed Central

Anwar, Tamanna; Khan, Asad U

2006-01-01

Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) have become important molecular markers for a broad range of applications, such as genome mapping and characterization, phenotype mapping, marker assisted selection of crop plants and a range of molecular ecology and diversity studies. These repeated DNA sequences are found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. They are distributed almost at random throughout the genome, ranging from mononucleotide to trinucleotide repeats. They are also found at longer lengths (> 6 repeating units) of tracts. Most of the computer programs that find SSRs do not report its exact position. A computer program SSRscanner was written to find out distribution, frequency and exact location of each SSR in the genome. SSRscanner is user friendly. It can search repeats of any length and produce outputs with their exact position on chromosome and their frequency of occurrence in the sequence. Availability This program has been written in PERL and is freely available for non-commercial users by request from the authors. Please contact the authors by E-mail: huzzi99@hotmail.com PMID:17597863

Couldn't or wouldn't? The influence of privacy concerns and self-efficacy in privacy management on privacy protection.

PubMed

Chen, Hsuan-Ting; Chen, Wenghong

2015-01-01

Sampling 515 college students, this study investigates how privacy protection, including profile visibility, self-disclosure, and friending, are influenced by privacy concerns and efficacy regarding one's own ability to manage privacy settings, a factor that researchers have yet to give a great deal of attention to in the context of social networking sites (SNSs). The results of this study indicate an inconsistency in adopting strategies to protect privacy, a disconnect from limiting profile visibility and friending to self-disclosure. More specifically, privacy concerns lead SNS users to limit their profile visibility and discourage them from expanding their network. However, they do not constrain self-disclosure. Similarly, while self-efficacy in privacy management encourages SNS users to limit their profile visibility, it facilitates self-disclosure. This suggests that if users are limiting their profile visibility and constraining their friending behaviors, it does not necessarily mean they will reduce self-disclosure on SNSs because these behaviors are predicted by different factors. In addition, the study finds an interaction effect between privacy concerns and self-efficacy in privacy management on friending. It points to the potential problem of increased risk-taking behaviors resulting from high self-efficacy in privacy management and low privacy concerns.

Parent-reported cognitive function is associated with leukoencephalopathy in children with brain tumors.

PubMed

Lai, Jin-Shei; Bregman, Corey; Zelko, Frank; Nowinski, Cindy; Cella, David; Beaumont, Jennifer J; Goldman, Stewart

2017-09-01

Cognitive dysfunction is a major concern for children with brain tumors. A valid, user-friendly screening tool could facilitate prompt referral for comprehensive neuropsychological assessments and therefore early intervention. Applications of the pediatric perceived cognitive function item bank (pedsPCF) such as computerized adaptive testing can potentially serve as such a tool given its brevity and user-friendly nature. This study aimed to evaluate whether pedsPCF was a valid indicator of cerebral compromise using the criterion of structural brain changes indicated by leukoencephalopathy grades. Data from 99 children (mean age = 12.6 years) with brain tumors and their parents were analyzed. Average time since diagnosis was 5.8 years; time since last treatment was 4.3 years. Leukoencephalopathy grade (range 0-4) was based on white matter damage and degree of deep white matter volume loss shown on MRI. Parents of patients completed the pedsPCF. Scores were based on the US general population-based T-score metric (mean = 50; SD = 10). Higher scores reflect better function. Leukoencephalopathy grade distributions were as follows: 36 grade 0, 27 grade 1, 22 grade 2, 13 grade 3, and 1 grade 4. The mean pedsPCF T-score was 48.3 (SD = 8.3; range 30.5-63.7). The pedsPCF scores significantly discriminated patients with different leukoencephalopathy grades, F = 4.14, p = 0.0084. Effect sizes ranged from 0.09 (grade 0 vs. 1) to 1.22 (grade 0 vs. 3/4). This study demonstrates that the pedsPCF is a valid indicator of leukoencephalopathy and provides support for its use as a screening tool for more comprehensive neurocognitive testing.

Accessibility Testing of Social Websites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lányi, Cecilia Sik

There is no doubt that social websites have become one of the greatest inventions of the twenty-first century. Maintaining social connections, getting new and new friends, online entertainment: these are the very things we expect a good portal to provide. The concept of the social websites is that upon registration users share a desired amount of personal data with other users and after that they build a so called friend network using their acquaintances as building elements. The more acquaintances are present the more information is accessible during a certain period of time.

A new user-friendly visual environment for breast MRI data analysis.

PubMed

Antonios, Danelakis; Dimitrios, Verganelakis A; Theoharis, Theoharis

2013-06-01

In this paper a novel, user friendly visual environment for Breast MRI Data Analysis is presented (BreDAn). Given planar MRI images before and after IV contrast medium injection, BreDAn generates kinematic graphs, color maps of signal increase and decrease and finally detects high risk breast areas. The advantage of BreDAn, which has been validated and tested successfully, is the automation of the radiodiagnostic process in an accurate and reliable manner. It can potentially facilitate radiologists' workload. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

USER'S GUIDE FOR GLOED VERSION 1.0 - THE GLOBAL EMISSIONS DATABASE

EPA Science Inventory

The document is a user's guide for the EPA-developed, powerful software package, Global Emissions Database (GloED). GloED is a user-friendly, menu-driven tool for storing and retrieving emissions factors and activity data on a country-specific basis. Data can be selected from dat...

The System Dynamics Model User Sustainability Explorer (SD-MUSE) user interface: a user-friendly tool for interpreting system dynamic models

EPA Science Inventory

Sustainability-based decision making is a challenging process that requires balancing trade-offs among social, economic, and environmental components. System Dynamic (SD) models can be useful tools to inform sustainability-based decision making because they provide a holistic co...

You Don't De-Friend the Dead: An Analysis of Grief Communication by College Students through Facebook Profiles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennington, Natalie

2013-01-01

This research examined how various members of a social network interact with the Facebook (FB) profile page of a friend who has died. From 43 in-depth qualitative interviews, FB friends of deceased FB users maintained their FB connection with the deceased. Most participants who visited the profile found it helpful to look at pictures; a few wrote…

User Friendly Processing of Sediment CT Data: Software and Application in High Resolution Non-Destructive Sediment Core Data Sets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reilly, B. T.; Stoner, J. S.; Wiest, J.; Abbott, M. B.; Francus, P.; Lapointe, F.

2015-12-01

Computed Tomography (CT) of sediment cores allow for high resolution images, three dimensional volumes, and down core profiles, generated through the attenuation of X-rays as a function of density and atomic number. When using a medical CT-Scanner, these quantitative data are stored in pixels using the Hounsfield scale, which are relative to the attenuation of X-rays in water and air at standard temperature and pressure. Here we present MATLAB based software specifically designed for sedimentary applications with a user friendly graphical interface to process DICOM files and stitch overlapping CT scans. For visualization, the software allows easy generation of core slice images with grayscale and false color relative to a user defined Hounsfield number range. For comparison to other high resolution non-destructive methods, down core Hounsfield number profiles are extracted using a method robust to coring imperfections, like deformation, bowing, gaps, and gas expansion. We demonstrate the usefulness of this technique with lacustrine sediment cores from the Western United States and Canadian High Arctic, including Fish Lake, Oregon, and Sawtooth Lake, Ellesmere Island. These sites represent two different depositional environments and provide examples for a variety of common coring defects and lithologies. The Hounsfield profiles and images can be used in combination with other high resolution data sets, including sediment magnetic parameters, XRF core scans and many other types of data, to provide unique insights into how lithology influences paleoenvironmental and paleomagnetic records and their interpretations.

Social Networks as a Critical Pathway for Public Education in IYA2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plait, P.; Gay, P. L.

2008-11-01

Social networks are websites (or software that distributes media over the Internet) where users can share content to either a list of friends on that site or to anyone who surfs onto their page, and where those friends can interact and discuss the content. By linking to friends online, the users' personal content (pictures, songs, favorite movies, diaries, websites, and so on) is dynamically distributed, and can ``become viral,'' that is, get spread rapidly as more people see it and spread it themselves. Social networks are immensely popular around the planet, especially with teens, and by tapping into these networks IYA can excite and inspire a younger audience. IYA already has a small but growing presence on several of the larger social networks, and more are planned.

Efficient Reformulation of HOTFGM: Heat Conduction with Variable Thermal Conductivity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhong, Yi; Pindera, Marek-Jerzy; Arnold, Steven M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) have become one of the major research topics in the mechanics of materials community during the past fifteen years. FGMs are heterogeneous materials, characterized by spatially variable microstructure, and thus spatially variable macroscopic properties, introduced to enhance material or structural performance. The spatially variable material properties make FGMs challenging to analyze. The review of the various techniques employed to analyze the thermodynamical response of FGMs reveals two distinct and fundamentally different computational strategies, called uncoupled macromechanical and coupled micromechanical approaches by some investigators. The uncoupled macromechanical approaches ignore the effect of microstructural gradation by employing specific spatial variations of material properties, which are either assumed or obtained by local homogenization, thereby resulting in erroneous results under certain circumstances. In contrast, the coupled approaches explicitly account for the micro-macrostructural interaction, albeit at a significantly higher computational cost. The higher-order theory for functionally graded materials (HOTFGM) developed by Aboudi et al. is representative of the coupled approach. However, despite its demonstrated utility in applications where micro-macrostructural coupling effects are important, the theory's full potential is yet to be realized because the original formulation of HOTFGM is computationally intensive. This, in turn, limits the size of problems that can be solved due to the large number of equations required to mimic realistic material microstructures. Therefore, a basis for an efficient reformulation of HOTFGM, referred to as user-friendly formulation, is developed herein, and subsequently employed in the construction of the efficient reformulation using the local/global conductivity matrix approach. In order to extend HOTFGM's range of applicability, spatially variable thermal conductivity capability at the local level is incorporated into the efficient reformulation. Analytical solutions to validate both the user-friendly and efficient reformulations am also developed. Volume discretization sensitivity and validation studies, as well as a practical application of the developed efficient reformulation are subsequently carried out. The presented results illustrate the accuracy and implementability of both the user-friendly formulation and the efficient reformulation of HOTFGM.

User-Friendly Predictive Modeling of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Fluxes and Carbon Storage in Tidal Wetlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishtiaq, K. S.; Abdul-Aziz, O. I.

2015-12-01

We developed user-friendly empirical models to predict instantaneous fluxes of CO2 and CH4 from coastal wetlands based on a small set of dominant hydro-climatic and environmental drivers (e.g., photosynthetically active radiation, soil temperature, water depth, and soil salinity). The dominant predictor variables were systematically identified by applying a robust data-analytics framework on a wide range of possible environmental variables driving wetland greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes. The method comprised of a multi-layered data-analytics framework, including Pearson correlation analysis, explanatory principal component and factor analyses, and partial least squares regression modeling. The identified dominant predictors were finally utilized to develop power-law based non-linear regression models to predict CO2 and CH4 fluxes under different climatic, land use (nitrogen gradient), tidal hydrology and salinity conditions. Four different tidal wetlands of Waquoit Bay, MA were considered as the case study sites to identify the dominant drivers and evaluate model performance. The study sites were dominated by native Spartina Alterniflora and characterized by frequent flooding and high saline conditions. The model estimated the potential net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) both in gC/m2 and metric tonC/hectare by up-scaling the instantaneous predicted fluxes to the growing season and accounting for the lateral C flux exchanges between the wetlands and estuary. The entire model was presented in a single Excel spreadsheet as a user-friendly ecological engineering tool. The model can aid the development of appropriate GHG offset protocols for setting monitoring plans for tidal wetland restoration and maintenance projects. The model can also be used to estimate wetland GHG fluxes and potential carbon storage under various IPCC climate change and sea level rise scenarios; facilitating an appropriate management of carbon stocks in tidal wetlands and their incorporation into a potential carbon market.

Recent developments in the CCP-EM software suite.

PubMed

Burnley, Tom; Palmer, Colin M; Winn, Martyn

2017-06-01

As part of its remit to provide computational support to the cryo-EM community, the Collaborative Computational Project for Electron cryo-Microscopy (CCP-EM) has produced a software framework which enables easy access to a range of programs and utilities. The resulting software suite incorporates contributions from different collaborators by encapsulating them in Python task wrappers, which are then made accessible via a user-friendly graphical user interface as well as a command-line interface suitable for scripting. The framework includes tools for project and data management. An overview of the design of the framework is given, together with a survey of the functionality at different levels. The current CCP-EM suite has particular strength in the building and refinement of atomic models into cryo-EM reconstructions, which is described in detail.

Soft x-ray scattering facility at the Advanced Light Source with real-time data processing and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gann, E.; Young, A. T.; Collins, B. A.; Yan, H.; Nasiatka, J.; Padmore, H. A.; Ade, H.; Hexemer, A.; Wang, C.

2012-04-01

We present the development and characterization of a dedicated resonant soft x-ray scattering facility. Capable of operation over a wide energy range, the beamline and endstation are primarily used for scattering from soft matter systems around the carbon K-edge (˜285 eV). We describe the specialized design of the instrument and characteristics of the beamline. Operational characteristics of immediate interest to users such as polarization control, degree of higher harmonic spectral contamination, and detector noise are delineated. Of special interest is the development of a higher harmonic rejection system that improves the spectral purity of the x-ray beam. Special software and a user-friendly interface have been implemented to allow real-time data processing and preliminary data analysis simultaneous with data acquisition.

Recent developments in the CCP-EM software suite

PubMed Central

Burnley, Tom

2017-01-01

As part of its remit to provide computational support to the cryo-EM community, the Collaborative Computational Project for Electron cryo-Microscopy (CCP-EM) has produced a software framework which enables easy access to a range of programs and utilities. The resulting software suite incorporates contributions from different collaborators by encapsulating them in Python task wrappers, which are then made accessible via a user-friendly graphical user interface as well as a command-line interface suitable for scripting. The framework includes tools for project and data management. An overview of the design of the framework is given, together with a survey of the functionality at different levels. The current CCP-EM suite has particular strength in the building and refinement of atomic models into cryo-EM reconstructions, which is described in detail. PMID:28580908

Developing a Ruggedized User-Friendly UAS for Monitoring Volcanic Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wardell, L. J.; Elston, J. S.; Stachura, M.

2017-12-01

Using lessons learned from a history of airborne volcano measurements and a range of UAS R&D, a reliable and ruggedized UAS is being developed specifically for volcano monitoring and response. A key feature is the user interface (UI) that allows for a menu of automated flight plans that will account for terrain and sensor requirements. Due to variation in response times of miniaturized airborne the sensors, flight plan options are extended to account for sensor lag when needed. By automating such complicating variables into the UI, the amount of background and training needed for operation is further minimized. Payload options include simultaneous in situ gas and particle sensors combined with downward-looking imagers to provide a wide range of data products. Currently under development by Black Swift Technologies, the latest updates and test results will be presented. Specifications of the Superswift airframe include a 6,000 m flight ceiling, 2.4 kg payload capacity, and 2 hr endurance.

Avatars and virtual agents – relationship interfaces for the elderly

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

In the Digital Era, the authors witness a change in the relationship between the patient and the care-giver or Health Maintenance Organization's providing the health services. Another fact is the use of various technologies to increase the effectiveness and quality of health services across all primary and secondary users. These technologies range from telemedicine systems, decision making tools, online and self-services applications and virtual agents; all providing information and assistance. The common thread between all these digital implementations, is they all require human machine interfaces. These interfaces must be interactive, user friendly and inviting, to create user involvement and cooperation incentives. The challenge is to design interfaces which will best fit the target users and enable smooth interaction especially, for the elderly users. Avatars and Virtual Agents are one of the interfaces used for both home care monitoring and companionship. They are also inherently multimodal in nature and allow an intimate relation between the elderly users and the Avatar. This study discusses the need and nature of these relationship models, the challenges of designing for the elderly. The study proposes key features for the design and evaluation in the area of assistive applications using Avatar and Virtual agents for the elderly users. PMID:28706725

Spectral characterization of Martian soil analogues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agresti, David G.

1987-01-01

As previously reported, reflectance spectra of iron oxide precipitated as ultrafine particles, unlike ordinary fine grained hematite, have significant similarities to reflectance spectra from the bright regions of Mars. These particles were characterized according to composition, magnetic properties, and particle size distribution. Mossbauer, magnetic susceptibility, and optical data were obtained for samples with a range of concentrations of iron oxide in silica gel of varying pore diameters. To analyze the Mossbauer spectra, a versatile fitting program was enhanced to provide user friendly screen input and theoretical models appropriate for the superparamagnetic spectra obtained.

A User Study: Keyboard and Applications to Simplify Smartphone Adoption for Seniors.

PubMed

Austad, Hanne O; Liverud, Anders E; Chan, Richard; Røhne, Mette

2017-01-01

The aim of the user study was to evaluate how the developed assistive physical keyboard, the Ezi-PAD, and integrated senior friendly applications, can encourage non-smartphone seniors to start using the smartphone and enable senior smartphone users to continue using a smartphone in spite of increasing motoric or visual impairment. A number of seniors with different experience and impairment, aged 64 to 86, were equipped with a smartphone and an Ezi-PAD assembly. After basic training, their use of the smartphone was monitored for up to 2 months. Five out of nine participants used the system for 2 months, and found the Ezi-PAD easy to use. The senior friendly applications gave extra utilitarian value to the phone.

The GLOBE Visualization Project: Using WWW in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de La Beaujardiere, J-F; And Others

1997-01-01

Describes a World Wide Web-based, user-friendly, language-independent graphical user interface providing access to visualizations created for GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment), a multinational program of education and science. (DDR)

FACTOR FINDER CD-ROM

EPA Science Inventory

The Factor Finder CD-ROM is a user-friendly, searchable tool used to locate exposure factors and sociodemographic data for user-defined populations. Factor Finder improves the exposure assessors and risk assessors (etc.) ability to efficiently locate exposure-related informatio...

HWNOISE program users' guide

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1992-02-01

HWNOISE is a VNTSC-developed user friendly program written in : Microsoft Fortran version 4.01 for the IBM PC/AT and : compatibles to analyze acoustic data. This program is an : integral part of the Federal Highway Administration's Mobile : Noise Dat...

HWINPUT program users' guide

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1992-02-01

HWINPUT is a VNTSC-developed user friendly program written in : Microsoft Fortran version 4.01 for the IBM PC/AT. This program : is an integral part of the Federal Highway Administration's : Mobile Noise Data Gathering and Analysis Laboratory and is ...

ROCOPT: A user friendly interactive code to optimize rocket structural components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rule, William K.

1989-01-01

ROCOPT is a user-friendly, graphically-interfaced, microcomputer-based computer program (IBM compatible) that optimizes rocket components by minimizing the structural weight. The rocket components considered are ring stiffened truncated cones and cylinders. The applied loading is static, and can consist of any combination of internal or external pressure, axial force, bending moment, and torque. Stress margins are calculated by means of simple closed form strength of material type equations. Stability margins are determined by approximate, orthotropic-shell, closed-form equations. A modified form of Powell's method, in conjunction with a modified form of the external penalty method, is used to determine the minimum weight of the structure subject to stress and stability margin constraints, as well as user input constraints on the structural dimensions. The graphical interface guides the user through the required data prompts, explains program options and graphically displays results for easy interpretation.

Software systems for modeling articulated figures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, Cary B.

1989-01-01

Research in computer animation and simulation of human task performance requires sophisticated geometric modeling and user interface tools. The software for a research environment should present the programmer with a powerful but flexible substrate of facilities for displaying and manipulating geometric objects, yet insure that future tools have a consistent and friendly user interface. Jack is a system which provides a flexible and extensible programmer and user interface for displaying and manipulating complex geometric figures, particularly human figures in a 3D working environment. It is a basic software framework for high-performance Silicon Graphics IRIS workstations for modeling and manipulating geometric objects in a general but powerful way. It provides a consistent and user-friendly interface across various applications in computer animation and simulation of human task performance. Currently, Jack provides input and control for applications including lighting specification and image rendering, anthropometric modeling, figure positioning, inverse kinematics, dynamic simulation, and keyframe animation.

Influence of Learning Styles on Graphical User Interface Preferences for e-Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dedic, Velimir; Markovic, Suzana

2012-01-01

Implementing Web-based educational environment requires not only developing appropriate architectures, but also incorporating human factors considerations. User interface becomes the major channel to convey information in e-learning context: a well-designed and friendly enough interface is thus the key element in helping users to get the best…

User Vulnerability and its Reduction on a Social Networking Site

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

social networking sites bring about new...and explore other users’ profiles and friend networks. Social networking sites have reshaped business models [Vayner- chuk 2009], provided platform... social networking sites is to enable users to be more social, user privacy and security issues cannot be ignored. On one hand, most social networking sites

Students' Facebook "Friends": Public and Private Spheres

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Anne; Lewis, Jane; Currie, Peter

2009-01-01

Friendship is highly significant during the university years. Facebook, widely used by students, is designed to facilitate communication with different groups of "friends". This exploratory study involved interviewing a sample of student users of Facebook: it focuses on the extent to which older adults, especially parents, are accepted as Facebook…

Perioperative prediction of agitated (hyperactive) delirium after cardiac surgery in adults - The development of a practical scorecard.

PubMed

Mufti, Hani N; Hirsch, Gregory M

2017-12-01

Delirium is a temporary mental disorder that occurs frequently among hospitalized patients. In this study we sought to develop a user-friendly scorecard based on perioperative features to identify patients at risk of developing agitated delirium after cardiac surgery. Retrospective analysis was performed on adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery in a single center. A parsimonious predictive model was created, with subsequent internal validation. Then a simple scorecard was developed that can be used to predict the probability of agitated delirium. Among the 5584 patients who met the study criteria, 614 (11.4%) developed postoperative agitated delirium. Independent predictors of postoperative agitated delirium were age, male gender, history of cerebrovascular disease, procedure other than isolated Coronary Arteries Bypass Surgery, transfusion of blood products within the first 48h, mechanical ventilation for >24h, length of stay in the Intensive Care Unit. The scorecard stratified patients into 4 categories at risk of postoperative agitated delirium ranging from <5% to >30%. Using a large cohort of adult patient's undergoing cardiac surgery, a user-friendly scorecard was developed and validated, which will facilitate the implementation of timely interventions to mitigate adverse effects of agitated delirium in this high risk population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

IEEE802.15.6 NB portable BAN clinic and M2M international standardization.

PubMed

Kuroda, Masahiro; Nohara, Yasunobu

2013-01-01

The increase of non communicable diseases (NCDs) will change the direction of health services to emphasize the role of preventive medicine in healthcare services. The first short-range medical body are network (BAN) standard IEEE802.15.6 is expected to be used for secure and user-friendly sensor devices for portable medical equipment. A BAN is an enabler for uploading medical data to a backend system for remote diagnoses and treatment. Machine-to-Machine (M2M) infrastructure is also a key technology for providing flexible and affordable services extending electronic health record (EHR) systems. This paper proposes a BAN-based portable clinic that collects health-check data from user-friendly medical devices and sensors and sends the data to a local backend server, and it evaluates the clinic in fields of actual usage. We discuss issues experienced from actual deployment of the system and focus on integrating it into upcoming healthcare M2M infrastructure to achieve affordable and dependable clinic services. We explain the components and workflow of the clinic and the system model. The system is set up at a temporary health center and has a network link to a remote medical help center. The paper concludes with our plan to introduce our system to contribute to internationally standardized preventive medicine.

A user-friendly model for spray drying to aid pharmaceutical product development.

PubMed

Grasmeijer, Niels; de Waard, Hans; Hinrichs, Wouter L J; Frijlink, Henderik W

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a user-friendly model for spray drying that can aid in the development of a pharmaceutical product, by shifting from a trial-and-error towards a quality-by-design approach. To achieve this, a spray dryer model was developed in commercial and open source spreadsheet software. The output of the model was first fitted to the experimental output of a Büchi B-290 spray dryer and subsequently validated. The predicted outlet temperatures of the spray dryer model matched the experimental values very well over the entire range of spray dryer settings that were tested. Finally, the model was applied to produce glassy sugars by spray drying, an often used excipient in formulations of biopharmaceuticals. For the production of glassy sugars, the model was extended to predict the relative humidity at the outlet, which is not measured in the spray dryer by default. This extended model was then successfully used to predict whether specific settings were suitable for producing glassy trehalose and inulin by spray drying. In conclusion, a spray dryer model was developed that is able to predict the output parameters of the spray drying process. The model can aid the development of spray dried pharmaceutical products by shifting from a trial-and-error towards a quality-by-design approach.

Universal design characteristic on themed streets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harsritanto, Bangun IR; Indriastjario; Wijayanti

2017-12-01

People around the world can access the streets to fulfil their daily activities regardless of their gender, age, and abilities. The streetscape is an urban public space which is built to facilitate the basic needs of people as social being. The themed street is an urban streetscape designed and built in detail with a theme or special purpose in an of urban development process. Universal design facilitates the full range of human diversity as physical appearance, perception, cognitive abilities, sizes, and shapes. By designing for the diversity, the specialized streets become more functional and user-friendly. The purpose of this study is to examine several design characteristics of themed streets in several countries from three different continents using universal design principles for giving proper directions to develop more user-friendly streets. Literature review and case study were used as research methods. The literature review was extracted and compiled from manuscripts, streetscape design books, and from universal design principles. Furthermore, the constructed theory were used to examine the case studies of themed streets. The findings indicated that themed streets’ character design were strongly influenced by local cultural aspect even though the basic guidelines were universal design principles; the resumed design direction can be suggested universal along with the richness of local aspects.

SimHap GUI: an intuitive graphical user interface for genetic association analysis.

PubMed

Carter, Kim W; McCaskie, Pamela A; Palmer, Lyle J

2008-12-25

Researchers wishing to conduct genetic association analysis involving single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or haplotypes are often confronted with the lack of user-friendly graphical analysis tools, requiring sophisticated statistical and informatics expertise to perform relatively straightforward tasks. Tools, such as the SimHap package for the R statistics language, provide the necessary statistical operations to conduct sophisticated genetic analysis, but lacks a graphical user interface that allows anyone but a professional statistician to effectively utilise the tool. We have developed SimHap GUI, a cross-platform integrated graphical analysis tool for conducting epidemiological, single SNP and haplotype-based association analysis. SimHap GUI features a novel workflow interface that guides the user through each logical step of the analysis process, making it accessible to both novice and advanced users. This tool provides a seamless interface to the SimHap R package, while providing enhanced functionality such as sophisticated data checking, automated data conversion, and real-time estimations of haplotype simulation progress. SimHap GUI provides a novel, easy-to-use, cross-platform solution for conducting a range of genetic and non-genetic association analyses. This provides a free alternative to commercial statistics packages that is specifically designed for genetic association analysis.

Real-time simulator for designing electron dual scattering foil systems.

PubMed

Carver, Robert L; Hogstrom, Kenneth R; Price, Michael J; LeBlanc, Justin D; Pitcher, Garrett M

2014-11-08

The purpose of this work was to develop a user friendly, accurate, real-time com- puter simulator to facilitate the design of dual foil scattering systems for electron beams on radiotherapy accelerators. The simulator allows for a relatively quick, initial design that can be refined and verified with subsequent Monte Carlo (MC) calculations and measurements. The simulator also is a powerful educational tool. The simulator consists of an analytical algorithm for calculating electron fluence and X-ray dose and a graphical user interface (GUI) C++ program. The algorithm predicts electron fluence using Fermi-Eyges multiple Coulomb scattering theory with the reduced Gaussian formalism for scattering powers. The simulator also estimates central-axis and off-axis X-ray dose arising from the dual foil system. Once the geometry of the accelerator is specified, the simulator allows the user to continuously vary primary scattering foil material and thickness, secondary scat- tering foil material and Gaussian shape (thickness and sigma), and beam energy. The off-axis electron relative fluence or total dose profile and central-axis X-ray dose contamination are computed and displayed in real time. The simulator was validated by comparison of off-axis electron relative fluence and X-ray percent dose profiles with those calculated using EGSnrc MC. Over the energy range 7-20 MeV, using present foils on an Elekta radiotherapy accelerator, the simulator was able to reproduce MC profiles to within 2% out to 20 cm from the central axis. The central-axis X-ray percent dose predictions matched measured data to within 0.5%. The calculation time was approximately 100 ms using a single Intel 2.93 GHz processor, which allows for real-time variation of foil geometrical parameters using slider bars. This work demonstrates how the user-friendly GUI and real-time nature of the simulator make it an effective educational tool for gaining a better understanding of the effects that various system parameters have on a relative dose profile. This work also demonstrates a method for using the simulator as a design tool for creating custom dual scattering foil systems in the clinical range of beam energies (6-20 MeV). 

High School and Beyond: Twins and Siblings' File Users' Manual, User's Manual for Teacher Comment File, Friends File Users' Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center for Education Statistics (ED), Washington, DC.

These three users' manuals are for specific files of the High School and Beyond Study, a national longitudinal study of high school sophomores and seniors in 1980. The three files are computerized databases that are available on magnetic tape. As one component of base year data collection, information identifying twins, triplets, and some non-twin…

Assessment of newborn screening parent education materials.

PubMed

Arnold, Connie L; Davis, Terry C; Frempong, Janet Ohene; Humiston, Sharon G; Bocchini, Anna; Kennen, Estela M; Lloyd-Puryear, Michele

2006-05-01

The purpose of this study was to measure the readability and user-friendliness (clarity, complexity, organization, appearance, and cultural appropriateness of materials) of parent education brochures on newborn screening. We studied English-language versions of the brochures that state newborn screening programs prepare and distribute. We obtained brochures from 48 states and Puerto Rico. We evaluated each brochure for readability with the Flesch reading ease formula. User-friendliness of the brochures was assessed with an instrument we created that contained 22 specific criteria grouped into 5 categories, ie, layout, illustrations, message, manageable information, and cultural appropriateness. Most current newborn screening brochures should be revised to make them more readable and user-friendly for parents. Ninety-two percent of brochures were written at a reading level that is higher than the average reading level of US adults (eighth-grade level). In most brochures, the essential information for parents was buried. Although all brochures were brief and focused on the newborn screening tests being performed, 81% needed improvement in getting to the point quickly and making it easy for parents to identify what they needed to know or to do. None of the brochures scored high in all 22 criteria on the user-friendliness checklist. Parent education materials about newborn screening should be revised to be easier to read and more user-friendly, by lowering the reading difficulty to eighth-grade level and focusing on issues such as layout, illustrations, message, information, and cultural appropriateness. It is important that state newborn screening programs and organizations work with parents to develop and to evaluate materials to ensure that they are user-friendly.

ClimatePipes: User-Friendly Data Access, Manipulation, Analysis & Visualization of Community Climate Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaudhary, A.; DeMarle, D.; Burnett, B.; Harris, C.; Silva, W.; Osmari, D.; Geveci, B.; Silva, C.; Doutriaux, C.; Williams, D. N.

2013-12-01

The impact of climate change will resonate through a broad range of fields including public health, infrastructure, water resources, and many others. Long-term coordinated planning, funding, and action are required for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Unfortunately, widespread use of climate data (simulated and observed) in non-climate science communities is impeded by factors such as large data size, lack of adequate metadata, poor documentation, and lack of sufficient computational and visualization resources. We present ClimatePipes to address many of these challenges by creating an open source platform that provides state-of-the-art, user-friendly data access, analysis, and visualization for climate and other relevant geospatial datasets, making the climate data available to non-researchers, decision-makers, and other stakeholders. The overarching goals of ClimatePipes are: - Enable users to explore real-world questions related to climate change. - Provide tools for data access, analysis, and visualization. - Facilitate collaboration by enabling users to share datasets, workflows, and visualization. ClimatePipes uses a web-based application platform for its widespread support on mainstream operating systems, ease-of-use, and inherent collaboration support. The front-end of ClimatePipes uses HTML5 (WebGL, Canvas2D, CSS3) to deliver state-of-the-art visualization and to provide a best-in-class user experience. The back-end of the ClimatePipes is built around Python using the Visualization Toolkit (VTK, http://vtk.org), Climate Data Analysis Tools (CDAT, http://uv-cdat.llnl.gov), and other climate and geospatial data processing tools such as GDAL and PROJ4. ClimatePipes web-interface to query and access data from remote sources (such as ESGF). Shown in the figure is climate data layer from ESGF on top of map data layer from OpenStreetMap. The ClimatePipes workflow editor provides flexibility and fine grained control, and uses the VisTrails (http://www.vistrails.org) workflow engine in the backend.

User-friendly design approach for analog layout design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yongfu; Lee, Zhao Chuan; Tripathi, Vikas; Perez, Valerio; Ong, Yoong Seang; Hui, Chiu Wing

2017-03-01

Analog circuits are sensitives to the changes in the layout environment conditions, manufacturing processes, and variations. This paper presents analog verification flow with five types of analogfocused layout constraint checks to assist engineers in identifying any potential device mismatch and layout drawing mistakes. Compared to several solutions, our approach only requires layout design, which is sufficient to recognize all the matched devices. Our approach simplifies the data preparation and allows seamless integration into the layout environment with minimum disruption to the custom layout flow. Our user-friendly analog verification flow provides the engineer with more confident with their layouts quality.

Brain Tumor Database, a free relational database for collection and analysis of brain tumor patient information.

PubMed

Bergamino, Maurizio; Hamilton, David J; Castelletti, Lara; Barletta, Laura; Castellan, Lucio

2015-03-01

In this study, we describe the development and utilization of a relational database designed to manage the clinical and radiological data of patients with brain tumors. The Brain Tumor Database was implemented using MySQL v.5.0, while the graphical user interface was created using PHP and HTML, thus making it easily accessible through a web browser. This web-based approach allows for multiple institutions to potentially access the database. The BT Database can record brain tumor patient information (e.g. clinical features, anatomical attributes, and radiological characteristics) and be used for clinical and research purposes. Analytic tools to automatically generate statistics and different plots are provided. The BT Database is a free and powerful user-friendly tool with a wide range of possible clinical and research applications in neurology and neurosurgery. The BT Database graphical user interface source code and manual are freely available at http://tumorsdatabase.altervista.org. © The Author(s) 2013.

Interoperable and accessible census and survey data from IPUMS.

PubMed

Kugler, Tracy A; Fitch, Catherine A

2018-02-27

The first version of the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) was released to users in 1993, and since that time IPUMS has come to stand for interoperable and accessible census and survey data. Initially created to harmonize U.S. census microdata over time, IPUMS now includes microdata from the U.S. and international censuses and from surveys on health, employment, and other topics. IPUMS also provides geo-spatial data, aggregate population data, and environmental data. IPUMS supports ten data products, each disseminating an integrated data collection with a set of tools that make complex data easy to find, access, and use. Key features are record-level integration to create interoperable datasets, user-friendly interfaces, and comprehensive metadata and documentation. The IPUMS philosophy aligns closely with the FAIR principles of findability, accessibility, interoperability, and re-usability. IPUMS data have catalyzed knowledge generation across a wide range of social science and other disciplines, as evidenced by the large volume of publications and other products created by the vast IPUMS user community.

Tele-rehabilitation using in-house wearable ankle rehabilitation robot.

PubMed

Jamwal, Prashant K; Hussain, Shahid; Mir-Nasiri, Nazim; Ghayesh, Mergen H; Xie, Sheng Q

2018-01-01

This article explores wide-ranging potential of the wearable ankle robot for in-house rehabilitation. The presented robot has been conceptualized following a brief analysis of the existing technologies, systems, and solutions for in-house physical ankle rehabilitation. Configuration design analysis and component selection for ankle robot have been discussed as part of the conceptual design. The complexities of human robot interaction are closely encountered while maneuvering a rehabilitation robot. We present a fuzzy logic-based controller to perform the required robot-assisted ankle rehabilitation treatment. Designs of visual haptic interfaces have also been discussed, which will make the treatment interesting, and the subject will be motivated to exert more and regain lost functions rapidly. The complex nature of web-based communication between user and remotely sitting physiotherapy staff has also been discussed. A high-level software architecture appended with robot ensures user-friendly operations. This software is made up of three important components: patient-related database, graphical user interface (GUI), and a library of exercises creating virtual reality-specifically developed for ankle rehabilitation.

Two Types of Well Followed Users in the Followership Networks of Twitter

PubMed Central

Saito, Kodai; Masuda, Naoki

2014-01-01

In the Twitter blogosphere, the number of followers is probably the most basic and succinct quantity for measuring popularity of users. However, the number of followers can be manipulated in various ways; we can even buy follows. Therefore, alternative popularity measures for Twitter users on the basis of, for example, users' tweets and retweets, have been developed. In the present work, we take a purely network approach to this fundamental question. First, we find that two relatively distinct types of users possessing a large number of followers exist, in particular for Japanese, Russian, and Korean users among the seven language groups that we examined. A first type of user follows a small number of other users. A second type of user follows approximately the same number of other users as the number of follows that the user receives. Then, we compare local (i.e., egocentric) followership networks around the two types of users with many followers. We show that the second type, which is presumably uninfluential users despite its large number of followers, is characterized by high link reciprocity, a large number of friends (i.e., those whom a user follows) for the followers, followers' high link reciprocity, large clustering coefficient, large fraction of the second type of users among the followers, and a small PageRank. Our network-based results support that the number of followers used alone is a misleading measure of user's popularity. We propose that the number of friends, which is simple to measure, also helps us to assess the popularity of Twitter users. PMID:24416209

A user-friendly means to scale from the biochemistry of photosynthesis to whole crop canopies and production in time and space - development of Java WIMOVAC.

PubMed

Song, Qingfeng; Chen, Dairui; Long, Stephen P; Zhu, Xin-Guang

2017-01-01

Windows Intuitive Model of Vegetation response to Atmosphere and Climate Change (WIMOVAC) has been used widely as a generic modular mechanistically rich model of plant production. It can predict the responses of leaf and canopy carbon balance, as well as production in different environmental conditions, in particular those relevant to global change. Here, we introduce an open source Java user-friendly version of WIMOVAC. This software is platform independent and can be easily downloaded to a laptop and used without any prior programming skills. In this article, we describe the structure, equations and user guide and illustrate some potential applications of WIMOVAC. © 2016 The Authors Plant, Cell & Environment Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Design of an Interactive Data Retrieval System for Casual Users.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radhakrishnan, T.; And Others

1982-01-01

Describes an interactive data retrieval system which was designed and implemented for casual users and which incorporates a user-friendly interface, aids to train beginners in use of the system, versatility in output, and error recovery protocols. A 14-item reference list and two figures illustrating system operation and output are included. (JL)

Tweeting the Friendly Skies: Investigating Information Exchange among Twitter Users about Airlines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sreenivasan, Nirupama Dharmavaram; Lee, Chei Sian; Goh, Dion Hoe-Lian

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate airline users' microblog postings pertaining to their travel-related information exchange so as to assess their wants, preferences and feedback about airline products and services. Examining such real-time information exchange is important as users rely on this for various purposes such as…

What Friends Are For: Collaborative Intelligence Analysis and Search

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

14. SUBJECT TERMS Intelligence Community, information retrieval, recommender systems , search engines, social networks, user profiling, Lucene...improvements over existing search systems . The improvements are shown to be robust to high levels of human error and low similarity between users ...precision NOLH nearly orthogonal Latin hypercubes P@ precision at documents RS recommender systems TREC Text REtrieval Conference USM user

ConcreteWorks v3 training/user manual (P1) : ConcreteWorks software (P2).

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-04-01

ConcreteWorks is designed to be a user-friendly software package that can help concrete : professionals optimize concrete mixture proportioning, perform a concrete thermal analysis, and : increase the chloride diffusion service life. The software pac...

A Full-Featured User Friendly CO 2-EOR and Sequestration Planning Software

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

Savage, Bill

A Full-Featured, User Friendly CO 2-EOR and Sequestration Planning Software This project addressed the development of an integrated software solution that includes a graphical user interface, numerical simulation, visualization tools and optimization processes for reservoir simulation modeling of CO 2-EOR. The objective was to assist the industry in the development of domestic energy resources by expanding the application of CO 2-EOR technologies, and ultimately to maximize the CO 2} sequestration capacity of the U.S. The software resulted in a field-ready application for the industry to address the current CO 2-EOR technologies. The software has been made available to the publicmore » without restrictions and with user friendly operating documentation and tutorials. The software (executable only) can be downloaded from NITEC’s website at www.nitecllc.com. This integrated solution enables the design, optimization and operation of CO 2-EOR processes for small and mid-sized operators, who currently cannot afford the expensive, time intensive solutions that the major oil companies enjoy. Based on one estimate, small oil fields comprise 30% of the of total economic resource potential for the application of CO 2-EOR processes in the U.S. This corresponds to 21.7 billion barrels of incremental, technically recoverable oil using the current “best practices”, and 31.9 billion barrels using “next-generation” CO 2-EOR techniques. The project included a Case Study of a prospective CO 2-EOR candidate field in Wyoming by a small independent, Linc Energy Petroleum Wyoming, Inc. NITEC LLC has an established track record of developing innovative and user friendly software. The Principle Investigator is an experienced manager and engineer with expertise in software development, numerical techniques, and GUI applications. Unique, presently-proprietary NITEC technologies have been integrated into this application to further its ease of use and technical functionality.« less

"Friending Facebook?" A Minicourse on the Use of Social Media by Health Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George, Daniel R.

2011-01-01

Introduction: Health professionals are working in an era of social technologies that empower users to generate content in real time. This article describes a 3-part continuing education minicourse called "Friending Facebook?" undertaken at Penn State Hershey Medical Center that aimed to model the functionality of current technologies in…

Mobile phone-based biosensing: An emerging "diagnostic and communication" technology.

PubMed

Quesada-González, Daniel; Merkoçi, Arben

2017-06-15

In this review we discuss recent developments on the use of mobile phones and similar devices for biosensing applications in which diagnostics and communications are coupled. Owing to the capabilities of mobile phones (their cameras, connectivity, portability, etc.) and to advances in biosensing, the coupling of these two technologies is enabling portable and user-friendly analytical devices. Any user can now perform quick, robust and easy (bio)assays anywhere and at any time. Among the most widely reported of such devices are paper-based platforms. Herein we provide an overview of a broad range of biosensing possibilities, from optical to electrochemical measurements; explore the various reported designs for adapters; and consider future opportunities for this technology in fields such as health diagnostics, safety & security, and environment monitoring. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Soft x-ray scattering facility at the Advanced Light Source with real-time data processing and analysis.

PubMed

Gann, E; Young, A T; Collins, B A; Yan, H; Nasiatka, J; Padmore, H A; Ade, H; Hexemer, A; Wang, C

2012-04-01

We present the development and characterization of a dedicated resonant soft x-ray scattering facility. Capable of operation over a wide energy range, the beamline and endstation are primarily used for scattering from soft matter systems around the carbon K-edge (∼285 eV). We describe the specialized design of the instrument and characteristics of the beamline. Operational characteristics of immediate interest to users such as polarization control, degree of higher harmonic spectral contamination, and detector noise are delineated. Of special interest is the development of a higher harmonic rejection system that improves the spectral purity of the x-ray beam. Special software and a user-friendly interface have been implemented to allow real-time data processing and preliminary data analysis simultaneous with data acquisition. © 2012 American Institute of Physics

Heliospotlight: An Information Resource for Heliophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, C.; Wawro, M.; Schenk, L. C.

2013-12-01

The NASA Goddard Heliophysics Science Division (HSD) EPO and mission websites are rich with content covering the broad subject of heliophysics. This includes detailed information for many age groups, a large range of descriptive imagery and dynamic video and interactive material. The weakness of all this content is that it is scattered over so many websites as opposed to being organized and focused in one user friendly location. The website heliospotlight.org is being developed to address all these concerns, leveraging the vast content already developed while using state-of-the-art web technologies. This will provide a rich user experience simultaneously tailoring to the needs of the broad audience of students, educators, scientists, journalists and the general public. The website will use well supported, open source technologies enabling future flexibility and expansion. HSD EPO will support the development of this information resource.

SoRS: Social recommendation using global rating reputation and local rating similarity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Fulan; Zhao, Shu; Tang, Jie; Zhang, Yanping

2016-11-01

Recommendation is an important and also challenging problem in online social networks. It needs to consider not only users' personalized interests, but also social relations between users. Indeed, in practice, users are often inclined to accept recommendations from friends or opinion leaders (users with high reputations). In this paper, we present a novel recommendation framework, social recommendation using global rating reputation and local rating similarity, which combine user reputation and social similarity based on ratings. User reputation can be obtained by iteratively calculating the correlation of historical ratings of user and intrinsic qualities of items. We view the user reputation as the user's global influence and the similarity based on rating of social relation as the user's local influence, introduce it in the basic social recommender model. Thus users with high reputation have a strong influence on the others, and on the other hand, the effect of a user with low reputation has been weakened. The recommendation accuracy of proposed framework can be improved by effectively removing nature noise because of less rigorous user ratings and strengthening the effect of user influence with high reputation. We also improve the similarity based on ratings by avoiding the high similarity with the less common ratings between friends. We evaluate our approach on three datasets including Movielens, Epinions and Douban. Empirical results demonstrate that proposed framework achieves significant improvements on recommendation accuracy. User reputation and local similarity which are both based on ratings have a lot of helpful in improvement of prediction accuracy. The reputation also can help to improve the recommendation precision with the small training sets.

The more friends, the less political talk? Predictors of Facebook discussions among college students.

PubMed

Jang, S Mo; Lee, Hoon; Park, Yong Jin

2014-05-01

Although previous research has indicated that Facebook users, especially young adults, can cultivate their civic values by talking about public matters with their Facebook friends, little research has examined the predictors of political discussion on Facebook. Using survey data from 442 college students in the United States, this study finds that individual characteristics and network size influence college students' expressive behavior on Facebook related to two controversial topics: gay rights issues and politics. In line with previous studies about offline political discussion, the results show that conflict avoidance and ambivalence about target issues are negatively associated with Facebook discussions. Perhaps the most interesting finding is that users who have a large number of Facebook friends are less likely to talk about politics and gay rights issues on Facebook despite having access to increasing human and information resources. Theoretical implications of these findings and future directions are addressed.

Extraction of convective cloud parameters from Doppler Weather Radar MAX(Z) product using Image Processing Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arunachalam, M. S.; Puli, Anil; Anuradha, B.

2016-07-01

In the present work continuous extraction of convective cloud optical information and reflectivity (MAX(Z) in dBZ) using online retrieval technique for time series data production from Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) located at Indian Meteorological Department, Chennai has been developed in MATLAB. Reflectivity measurements for different locations within the DWR range of 250 Km radii of circular disc area can be retrieved using this technique. It gives both time series reflectivity of point location and also Range Time Intensity (RTI) maps of reflectivity for the corresponding location. The Graphical User Interface (GUI) developed for the cloud reflectivity is user friendly; it also provides the convective cloud optical information such as cloud base height (CBH), cloud top height (CTH) and cloud optical depth (COD). This technique is also applicable for retrieving other DWR products such as Plan Position Indicator (Z, in dBZ), Plan Position Indicator (Z, in dBZ)-Close Range, Volume Velocity Processing (V, in knots), Plan Position Indicator (V, in m/s), Surface Rainfall Intensity (SRI, mm/hr), Precipitation Accumulation (PAC) 24 hrs at 0300UTC. Keywords: Reflectivity, cloud top height, cloud base, cloud optical depth

Bioclipse: an open source workbench for chemo- and bioinformatics.

PubMed

Spjuth, Ola; Helmus, Tobias; Willighagen, Egon L; Kuhn, Stefan; Eklund, Martin; Wagener, Johannes; Murray-Rust, Peter; Steinbeck, Christoph; Wikberg, Jarl E S

2007-02-22

There is a need for software applications that provide users with a complete and extensible toolkit for chemo- and bioinformatics accessible from a single workbench. Commercial packages are expensive and closed source, hence they do not allow end users to modify algorithms and add custom functionality. Existing open source projects are more focused on providing a framework for integrating existing, separately installed bioinformatics packages, rather than providing user-friendly interfaces. No open source chemoinformatics workbench has previously been published, and no successful attempts have been made to integrate chemo- and bioinformatics into a single framework. Bioclipse is an advanced workbench for resources in chemo- and bioinformatics, such as molecules, proteins, sequences, spectra, and scripts. It provides 2D-editing, 3D-visualization, file format conversion, calculation of chemical properties, and much more; all fully integrated into a user-friendly desktop application. Editing supports standard functions such as cut and paste, drag and drop, and undo/redo. Bioclipse is written in Java and based on the Eclipse Rich Client Platform with a state-of-the-art plugin architecture. This gives Bioclipse an advantage over other systems as it can easily be extended with functionality in any desired direction. Bioclipse is a powerful workbench for bio- and chemoinformatics as well as an advanced integration platform. The rich functionality, intuitive user interface, and powerful plugin architecture make Bioclipse the most advanced and user-friendly open source workbench for chemo- and bioinformatics. Bioclipse is released under Eclipse Public License (EPL), an open source license which sets no constraints on external plugin licensing; it is totally open for both open source plugins as well as commercial ones. Bioclipse is freely available at http://www.bioclipse.net.

MIROS: A Hybrid Real-Time Energy-Efficient Operating System for the Resource-Constrained Wireless Sensor Nodes

PubMed Central

Liu, Xing; Hou, Kun Mean; de Vaulx, Christophe; Shi, Hongling; Gholami, Khalid El

2014-01-01

Operating system (OS) technology is significant for the proliferation of the wireless sensor network (WSN). With an outstanding OS; the constrained WSN resources (processor; memory and energy) can be utilized efficiently. Moreover; the user application development can be served soundly. In this article; a new hybrid; real-time; memory-efficient; energy-efficient; user-friendly and fault-tolerant WSN OS MIROS is designed and implemented. MIROS implements the hybrid scheduler and the dynamic memory allocator. Real-time scheduling can thus be achieved with low memory consumption. In addition; it implements a mid-layer software EMIDE (Efficient Mid-layer Software for User-Friendly Application Development Environment) to decouple the WSN application from the low-level system. The application programming process can consequently be simplified and the application reprogramming performance improved. Moreover; it combines both the software and the multi-core hardware techniques to conserve the energy resources; improve the node reliability; as well as achieve a new debugging method. To evaluate the performance of MIROS; it is compared with the other WSN OSes (TinyOS; Contiki; SOS; openWSN and mantisOS) from different OS concerns. The final evaluation results prove that MIROS is suitable to be used even on the tight resource-constrained WSN nodes. It can support the real-time WSN applications. Furthermore; it is energy efficient; user friendly and fault tolerant. PMID:25248069

MIROS: a hybrid real-time energy-efficient operating system for the resource-constrained wireless sensor nodes.

PubMed

Liu, Xing; Hou, Kun Mean; de Vaulx, Christophe; Shi, Hongling; El Gholami, Khalid

2014-09-22

Operating system (OS) technology is significant for the proliferation of the wireless sensor network (WSN). With an outstanding OS; the constrained WSN resources (processor; memory and energy) can be utilized efficiently. Moreover; the user application development can be served soundly. In this article; a new hybrid; real-time; memory-efficient; energy-efficient; user-friendly and fault-tolerant WSN OS MIROS is designed and implemented. MIROS implements the hybrid scheduler and the dynamic memory allocator. Real-time scheduling can thus be achieved with low memory consumption. In addition; it implements a mid-layer software EMIDE (Efficient Mid-layer Software for User-Friendly Application Development Environment) to decouple the WSN application from the low-level system. The application programming process can consequently be simplified and the application reprogramming performance improved. Moreover; it combines both the software and the multi-core hardware techniques to conserve the energy resources; improve the node reliability; as well as achieve a new debugging method. To evaluate the performance of MIROS; it is compared with the other WSN OSes (TinyOS; Contiki; SOS; openWSN and mantisOS) from different OS concerns. The final evaluation results prove that MIROS is suitable to be used even on the tight resource-constrained WSN nodes. It can support the real-time WSN applications. Furthermore; it is energy efficient; user friendly and fault tolerant.

Nutrient Tracking Tool - A user-friendly tool for evaluating the water and air quality and quantity as affected by various agricultural management practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleh, A.; Niraula, R.; Gallego, O.; Osei, E.; Kannan, N.

2017-12-01

The Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT) is a user-friendly web-based computer program that estimate nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) and sediment losses from fields managed under a variety of cropping patterns and management practices. The NTT includes a user-friendly web-based interface and is linked to the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) model. It also accesses USDA-NRCS's Web Soil Survey to obtain field, weather, and soil information. NTT provides producers, government officials, and other users with a fast and efficient method of estimating the nutrient, sediment, and atmosphoric gases (N2o, Co2, and NH4) losses, and crop production under different conservation practices regims at the farm-level. The information obtained from NTT can help producers to determine the most cost-effective conservation practice(s) to reduce the nutrient and sediment losses while optimizing the crop production. Also, the recent version of NTT (NTTg3) has been developed for those coutries without access to national databasis, such as soils and wether. The NTTg3 also has been designed as easy to use APEX interface. NTT is currently being evaluated for trading and other programs at Cheaseapea Bay regions and numerous states in US. During this presentation the new capabilities of NTTg3 will be described and demonstrated.

Usability Testing, User-Centered Design, and LibGuides Subject Guides: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sonsteby, Alec; DeJonghe, Jennifer

2013-01-01

Usability testing has become a routine way for many libraries to ensure that their Web presence is user-friendly and accessible. At the same time, popular subject guide creation systems, such as LibGuides, decentralize Web content creation and put authorship into the hands of librarians who may not be trained in user-centered design principles. At…

MOO in Your Face: Researching, Designing, and Programming a User-Friendly Interface.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haas, Mark; Gardner, Clinton

1999-01-01

Suggests the learning curve of a multi-user, object-oriented domain (MOO) blockades effective use. Discusses use of an IBM/PC-compatible interface that allows developers to modify the interface to provide a sense of presence for the user. Concludes that work in programming a variety of interfaces has led to a more intuitive environment for…

Services for Graduate Students: A Review of Academic Library Web Sites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rempel, Hannah Gascho

2010-01-01

A library's Web site is well recognized as the gateway to the library for the vast majority of users. Choosing the most user-friendly Web architecture to reflect the many services libraries offer is a complex process, and librarians are still experimenting to find what works best for their users. As part of a redesign of the Oregon State…

Collective iteration behavior for online social networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jian-Guo; Li, Ren-De; Guo, Qiang; Zhang, Yi-Cheng

2018-06-01

Understanding the patterns of collective behavior in online social network (OSNs) is critical to expanding the knowledge of human behavior and tie relationship. In this paper, we investigate a specific pattern called social signature in Facebook and Wiki users' online communication behaviors, capturing the distribution of frequency of interactions between different alters over time in the ego network. The empirical results show that there are robust social signatures of interactions no matter how friends change over time, which indicates that a stable commutation pattern exists in online communication. By comparing a random null model, we find the that commutation pattern is heterogeneous between ego and alters. Furthermore, in order to regenerate the pattern of the social signature, we present a preferential interaction model, which assumes that new users intend to look for the old users with strong ties while old users have tendency to interact with new friends. The experimental results show that the presented model can reproduce the heterogeneity of social signature by adjusting 2 parameters, the number of communicating targets m and the max number of interactions n, for Facebook users, m = n = 5, for Wiki users, m = 2 and n = 8. This work helps in deeply understanding the regularity of social signature.

Mitigating the Hook Effect in Lateral Flow Sandwich Immunoassays Using Real-Time Reaction Kinetics.

PubMed

Rey, Elizabeth G; O'Dell, Dakota; Mehta, Saurabh; Erickson, David

2017-05-02

The quantification of analyte concentrations using lateral flow assays is a low-cost and user-friendly alternative to traditional lab-based assays. However, sandwich-type immunoassays are often limited by the high-dose hook effect, which causes falsely low results when analytes are present at very high concentrations. In this paper, we present a reaction kinetics-based technique that solves this problem, significantly increasing the dynamic range of these devices. With the use of a traditional sandwich lateral flow immunoassay, a portable imaging device, and a mobile interface, we demonstrate the technique by quantifying C-reactive protein concentrations in human serum over a large portion of the physiological range. The technique could be applied to any hook effect-limited sandwich lateral flow assay and has a high level of accuracy even in the hook effect range.

The Clinical Ethnographic Interview: A user-friendly guide to the cultural formulation of distress and help seeking

PubMed Central

Arnault, Denise Saint; Shimabukuro, Shizuka

2013-01-01

Transcultural nursing, psychiatry, and medical anthropology have theorized that practitioners and researchers need more flexible instruments to gather culturally relevant illness experience, meaning, and help seeking. The state of the science is sufficiently developed to allow standardized yet ethnographically sound protocols for assessment. However, vigorous calls for culturally adapted assessment models have yielded little real change in routine practice. This paper describes the conversion of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV, Appendix I Outline for Cultural Formulation into a user-friendly Clinical Ethnographic Interview (CEI), and provides clinical examples of its use in a sample of highly distressed Japanese women. PMID:22194348

A user-friendly application for the extraction of kubios hrv output to an optimal format for statistical analysis - biomed 2011.

PubMed

Johnsen Lind, Andreas; Helge Johnsen, Bjorn; Hill, Labarron K; Sollers Iii, John J; Thayer, Julian F

2011-01-01

The aim of the present manuscript is to present a user-friendly and flexible platform for transforming Kubios HRV output files to an .xls-file format, used by MS Excel. The program utilizes either native or bundled Java and is platform-independent and mobile. This means that it can run without being installed on a computer. It also has an option of continuous transferring of data indicating that it can run in the background while Kubios produces output files. The program checks for changes in the file structure and automatically updates the .xls- output file.

Back to BaySICS: a user-friendly program for Bayesian Statistical Inference from Coalescent Simulations.

PubMed

Sandoval-Castellanos, Edson; Palkopoulou, Eleftheria; Dalén, Love

2014-01-01

Inference of population demographic history has vastly improved in recent years due to a number of technological and theoretical advances including the use of ancient DNA. Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) stands among the most promising methods due to its simple theoretical fundament and exceptional flexibility. However, limited availability of user-friendly programs that perform ABC analysis renders it difficult to implement, and hence programming skills are frequently required. In addition, there is limited availability of programs able to deal with heterochronous data. Here we present the software BaySICS: Bayesian Statistical Inference of Coalescent Simulations. BaySICS provides an integrated and user-friendly platform that performs ABC analyses by means of coalescent simulations from DNA sequence data. It estimates historical demographic population parameters and performs hypothesis testing by means of Bayes factors obtained from model comparisons. Although providing specific features that improve inference from datasets with heterochronous data, BaySICS also has several capabilities making it a suitable tool for analysing contemporary genetic datasets. Those capabilities include joint analysis of independent tables, a graphical interface and the implementation of Markov-chain Monte Carlo without likelihoods.

Exploring the Attractiveness of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) among Experienced Drug Users.

PubMed

van Amsterdam, Jan G C; Nabben, Ton; Keiman, Daan; Haanschoten, Gijs; Korf, Dirk

2015-01-01

A growing number of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) appear yearly on the European market (81 for the first time in 2013, adding to a total of over 350 NPS). Using semi-structured interviews with 25 Dutch experienced recreational drug users, the role of the Internet and friends in gathering and exchanging information about NPS was elaborated. Furthermore, we investigated how NPS were acquired and which aspects make NPS more or less attractive, including their legal status. It appeared that the Internet was an important source of information about NPS in general. Personal experiences with NPS were preferably shared face-to-face with friends, as for privacy reasons users were cautious to post their experiences on web sites and forums. NPS were usually obtained or bought from friends or-to a lesser extent-purchased via the Internet. The preference for a specific NPS depended on the desired effects (mostly stimulant or psychedelic), price (similar to MDMA or amphetamine), duration of effect (preferably around four hours), and setting (at home, at festivals, or in nightlife). Legal status was not relevant for the decision to use NPS. Most NPS are not superior to the already marketed drugs, and do not displace conventional illicit drugs.

Social Network Infiltration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plait, Philip

2008-05-01

Social networks are websites (or software that distributes media online) where users can distribute content to either a list of friends on that site or to anyone who surfs onto their page, and where those friends can interact and discuss the content. By linking to friends online, the users’ personal content (pictures, songs, favorite movies, diaries, websites, and so on) is dynamically distributed, and can "become viral", that is, get spread rapidly as more people see it and spread it themselves. Social networks are immensely popular around the planet, especially with younger users. The biggest social networks are Facebook and MySpace; an IYA2009 user already exists on Facebook, and one will be created for MySpace (in fact, several NASA satellites such as GLAST and Swift already have successful MySpace pages). Twitter is another network where data distribution is more limited; it is more like a mini-blog, but is very popular. IYA2009 already has a Twitter page, and will be updated more often with relevant information. In this talk I will review the existing social networks, show people how and why they are useful, and give them the tools they need to contribute meaningfully to IYA's online reach.

DXRaySMCS: a user-friendly interface developed for prediction of diagnostic radiology X-ray spectra produced by Monte Carlo (MCNP-4C) simulation.

PubMed

Bahreyni Toossi, M T; Moradi, H; Zare, H

2008-01-01

In this work, the general purpose Monte Carlo N-particle radiation transport computer code (MCNP-4C) was used for the simulation of X-ray spectra in diagnostic radiology. The electron's path in the target was followed until its energy was reduced to 10 keV. A user-friendly interface named 'diagnostic X-ray spectra by Monte Carlo simulation (DXRaySMCS)' was developed to facilitate the application of MCNP-4C code for diagnostic radiology spectrum prediction. The program provides a user-friendly interface for: (i) modifying the MCNP input file, (ii) launching the MCNP program to simulate electron and photon transport and (iii) processing the MCNP output file to yield a summary of the results (relative photon number per energy bin). In this article, the development and characteristics of DXRaySMCS are outlined. As part of the validation process, output spectra for 46 diagnostic radiology system settings produced by DXRaySMCS were compared with the corresponding IPEM78. Generally, there is a good agreement between the two sets of spectra. No statistically significant differences have been observed between IPEM78 reported spectra and the simulated spectra generated in this study.

A user friendly system for ultrasound carotid intima-media thickness image interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Xiangjun; Kendall, Christopher B.; Hurst, R. Todd; Liang, Jianming

2011-03-01

Assessment of Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (CIMT) by B-mode ultrasound is a technically mature and reproducible technology. Given the high morbidity, mortality and the large societal burden associated with CV diseases, as a safe yet inexpensive tool, CIMT is increasingly utilized for cardiovascular (CV) risk stratification. However, CIMT requires a precise measure of the thickness of the intima and media layers of the carotid artery that can be tedious, time consuming, and demand specialized expertise and experience. To this end, we have developed a highly user-friendly system for semiautomatic CIMT image interpretation. Our contribution is the application of active contour models (snake models) with hard constraints, leading to an accurate, adaptive and user-friendly border detection algorithm. A comparison study with the CIMT measurement software in Siemens Syngo® Arterial Health Package shows that our system gives a small bias in mean (0.049 +/-0.051mm) and maximum (0.010 +/- 0.083 mm) CIMT measures and offers a higher reproducibility (average correlation coefficients were 0.948 and 0.844 in mean and maximum CIMT respectively (P <0.001)). This superior performance is attributed to our novel interface design for hard constraints in the snake models.

Real-time spectral analysis of HRV signals: an interactive and user-friendly PC system.

PubMed

Basano, L; Canepa, F; Ottonello, P

1998-01-01

We present a real-time system, built around a PC and a low-cost data acquisition board, for the spectral analysis of the heart rate variability signal. The Windows-like operating environment on which it is based makes the computer program very user-friendly even for non-specialized personnel. The Power Spectral Density is computed through the use of a hybrid method, in which a classical FFT analysis follows an autoregressive finite-extension of data; the stationarity of the sequence is continuously checked. The use of this algorithm gives a high degree of robustness of the spectral estimation. Moreover, always in real time, the FFT of every data block is computed and displayed in order to corroborate the results as well as to allow the user to interactively choose a proper AR model order.

The simple rules of social contagion.

PubMed

Hodas, Nathan O; Lerman, Kristina

2014-03-11

It is commonly believed that information spreads between individuals like a pathogen, with each exposure by an informed friend potentially resulting in a naive individual becoming infected. However, empirical studies of social media suggest that individual response to repeated exposure to information is far more complex. As a proxy for intervention experiments, we compare user responses to multiple exposures on two different social media sites, Twitter and Digg. We show that the position of exposing messages on the user-interface strongly affects social contagion. Accounting for this visibility significantly simplifies the dynamics of social contagion. The likelihood an individual will spread information increases monotonically with exposure, while explicit feedback about how many friends have previously spread it increases the likelihood of a response. We provide a framework for unifying information visibility, divided attention, and explicit social feedback to predict the temporal dynamics of user behavior.

The Simple Rules of Social Contagion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodas, Nathan O.; Lerman, Kristina

2014-03-01

It is commonly believed that information spreads between individuals like a pathogen, with each exposure by an informed friend potentially resulting in a naive individual becoming infected. However, empirical studies of social media suggest that individual response to repeated exposure to information is far more complex. As a proxy for intervention experiments, we compare user responses to multiple exposures on two different social media sites, Twitter and Digg. We show that the position of exposing messages on the user-interface strongly affects social contagion. Accounting for this visibility significantly simplifies the dynamics of social contagion. The likelihood an individual will spread information increases monotonically with exposure, while explicit feedback about how many friends have previously spread it increases the likelihood of a response. We provide a framework for unifying information visibility, divided attention, and explicit social feedback to predict the temporal dynamics of user behavior.

The ESA/ESO/NASA Photoshop FITS Liberator 3: Have your say on new features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nielsen, L. H.; Christensen, L. L.; Hurt, R. L.; Nielsen, K.; Johansen, T.

2008-06-01

The popular, free ESA/ESO/NASA Photoshop FITS Liberator image processing software (a plugin for Adobe Photoshop) is about to get simpler, faster and more user-friendly! Here we would like to solicit inputs from the community of users.

ESPVI 4.0 ELECTROSTATIS PRECIPITATOR V-1 AND PERFORMANCE MODEL: USER'S MANUAL

EPA Science Inventory

The manual is the companion document for the microcomputer program ESPVI 4.0, Electrostatic Precipitation VI and Performance Model. The program was developed to provide a user- friendly interface to an advanced model of electrostatic precipitation (ESP) performance. The program i...

Dual Tobacco User Subtypes in the U.S. Air Force: Dependence, Attitudes, and Other Correlates of Use

PubMed Central

Kram, Yoseph; Klesges, Robert C.; Talcott, Wayne; Neilands, Torsten B.; Ling, Pamela M.

2014-01-01

Introduction: To describe the characteristics associated with patterns of daily and dual tobacco use among U.S. Air Force (USAF) personnel transitioning from basic military training to technical training. Methods: Cross-sectional survey of USAF personnel in Technical Training School at Lackland Air Force Base (N = 8,956, response rate: 73%). Logistic regression analyzed the association of predictor variables between daily smokers, daily smokeless tobacco (ST) users, daily smokers who used ST nondaily, daily ST users who smoked cigarettes nondaily, and daily users of both cigarettes and ST. Results: Compared to daily smokers, participants who were daily smokers/nondaily ST users were more likely to be male, would use ST and multiple forms of tobacco in the future, reported more friends using ST and cigarettes, and were more susceptible to tobacco advertising. Compared to daily ST users, daily ST users/nondaily cigarette users were more likely to live in the Midwest, would use multiple forms of tobacco in the future, reported more friends smoked cigarettes and used ST, and were more likely to try a product that claimed to be safer than cigarettes. Daily users of both cigarettes and ST were significantly more likely to be nicotine dependent than daily smokers/nondaily ST users and daily ST users/nondaily smokers. Conclusions: Dual users are heterogeneous groups of tobacco users who are at high risk for continued tobacco use. Daily users of both cigarettes and ST have higher levels of nicotine dependence, even when compared to other dual users. Specific interventions targeted at dual users are needed in this increasingly prevalent and high-risk population. PMID:24721813

Dual tobacco user subtypes in the U.S. Air Force: dependence, attitudes, and other correlates of use.

PubMed

Kram, Yoseph; Klesges, Robert C; Ebbert, Jon O; Talcott, Wayne; Neilands, Torsten B; Ling, Pamela M

2014-09-01

To describe the characteristics associated with patterns of daily and dual tobacco use among U.S. Air Force (USAF) personnel transitioning from basic military training to technical training. Cross-sectional survey of USAF personnel in Technical Training School at Lackland Air Force Base (N = 8,956, response rate: 73%). Logistic regression analyzed the association of predictor variables between daily smokers, daily smokeless tobacco (ST) users, daily smokers who used ST nondaily, daily ST users who smoked cigarettes nondaily, and daily users of both cigarettes and ST. Compared to daily smokers, participants who were daily smokers/nondaily ST users were more likely to be male, would use ST and multiple forms of tobacco in the future, reported more friends using ST and cigarettes, and were more susceptible to tobacco advertising. Compared to daily ST users, daily ST users/nondaily cigarette users were more likely to live in the Midwest, would use multiple forms of tobacco in the future, reported more friends smoked cigarettes and used ST, and were more likely to try a product that claimed to be safer than cigarettes. Daily users of both cigarettes and ST were significantly more likely to be nicotine dependent than daily smokers/nondaily ST users and daily ST users/nondaily smokers. Dual users are heterogeneous groups of tobacco users who are at high risk for continued tobacco use. Daily users of both cigarettes and ST have higher levels of nicotine dependence, even when compared to other dual users. Specific interventions targeted at dual users are needed in this increasingly prevalent and high-risk population. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Metazoa Ludens: Mixed Reality Interaction and Play Between Humans and Animals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheok, Adrian David

Although animals and pets are so important for families and society, in modern urban lifestyles we can spend little time with our animal friends. Interactive media should be aimed to enhance not only human-to-human communication, but also human-to-animal communication. Thus, we promote a new type of inter-species media interaction which allows human users to interact and play with their small pet friends (in this case hamsters) remotely via the Internet through a mixed reality based game system “Metazoa Ludens”. We scientifically examined the effectiveness of this system in a two-pronged approach. Firstly and most importantly, the positive effects to the hamsters were ensured using Body Condition Score study. Secondly, the method of Duncan was used to assess the strength of preference of the hamsters towards Metazoa Ludens. Lastly, the effectiveness of this remote interaction with respect to the human users as a interactive gaming system with their pets/friends (hamsters) was examined based on Csikszentmihalyi's (Beyond boredom and anxiety, 1975) Flow theory. The results of both studies inform of positive remote interaction between human users and their pet friends using our research system. This research is not aimed just at providing specific experimental results on the implemented research system, but is aimed as a wider lesson for human-to-animal interactive media. Thus also the lessons learned are extrapolated and detailed in this chapter as a framework in general for human-to-animal interaction systems.

BATS: a Bayesian user-friendly software for analyzing time series microarray experiments.

PubMed

Angelini, Claudia; Cutillo, Luisa; De Canditiis, Daniela; Mutarelli, Margherita; Pensky, Marianna

2008-10-06

Gene expression levels in a given cell can be influenced by different factors, namely pharmacological or medical treatments. The response to a given stimulus is usually different for different genes and may depend on time. One of the goals of modern molecular biology is the high-throughput identification of genes associated with a particular treatment or a biological process of interest. From methodological and computational point of view, analyzing high-dimensional time course microarray data requires very specific set of tools which are usually not included in standard software packages. Recently, the authors of this paper developed a fully Bayesian approach which allows one to identify differentially expressed genes in a 'one-sample' time-course microarray experiment, to rank them and to estimate their expression profiles. The method is based on explicit expressions for calculations and, hence, very computationally efficient. The software package BATS (Bayesian Analysis of Time Series) presented here implements the methodology described above. It allows an user to automatically identify and rank differentially expressed genes and to estimate their expression profiles when at least 5-6 time points are available. The package has a user-friendly interface. BATS successfully manages various technical difficulties which arise in time-course microarray experiments, such as a small number of observations, non-uniform sampling intervals and replicated or missing data. BATS is a free user-friendly software for the analysis of both simulated and real microarray time course experiments. The software, the user manual and a brief illustrative example are freely available online at the BATS website: http://www.na.iac.cnr.it/bats.

SLIMS--a user-friendly sample operations and inventory management system for genotyping labs.

PubMed

Van Rossum, Thea; Tripp, Ben; Daley, Denise

2010-07-15

We present the Sample-based Laboratory Information Management System (SLIMS), a powerful and user-friendly open source web application that provides all members of a laboratory with an interface to view, edit and create sample information. SLIMS aims to simplify common laboratory tasks with tools such as a user-friendly shopping cart for subjects, samples and containers that easily generates reports, shareable lists and plate designs for genotyping. Further key features include customizable data views, database change-logging and dynamically filled pre-formatted reports. Along with being feature-rich, SLIMS' power comes from being able to handle longitudinal data from multiple time-points and biological sources. This type of data is increasingly common from studies searching for susceptibility genes for common complex diseases that collect thousands of samples generating millions of genotypes and overwhelming amounts of data. LIMSs provide an efficient way to deal with this data while increasing accessibility and reducing laboratory errors; however, professional LIMS are often too costly to be practical. SLIMS gives labs a feasible alternative that is easily accessible, user-centrically designed and feature-rich. To facilitate system customization, and utilization for other groups, manuals have been written for users and developers. Documentation, source code and manuals are available at http://genapha.icapture.ubc.ca/SLIMS/index.jsp. SLIMS was developed using Java 1.6.0, JSPs, Hibernate 3.3.1.GA, DB2 and mySQL, Apache Tomcat 6.0.18, NetBeans IDE 6.5, Jasper Reports 3.5.1 and JasperSoft's iReport 3.5.1.

SplicingTypesAnno: annotating and quantifying alternative splicing events for RNA-Seq data.

PubMed

Sun, Xiaoyong; Zuo, Fenghua; Ru, Yuanbin; Guo, Jiqiang; Yan, Xiaoyan; Sablok, Gaurav

2015-04-01

Alternative splicing plays a key role in the regulation of the central dogma. Four major types of alternative splicing have been classified as intron retention, exon skipping, alternative 5 splice sites or alternative donor sites, and alternative 3 splice sites or alternative acceptor sites. A few algorithms have been developed to detect splice junctions from RNA-Seq reads. However, there are few tools targeting at the major alternative splicing types at the exon/intron level. This type of analysis may reveal subtle, yet important events of alternative splicing, and thus help gain deeper understanding of the mechanism of alternative splicing. This paper describes a user-friendly R package, extracting, annotating and analyzing alternative splicing types for sequence alignment files from RNA-Seq. SplicingTypesAnno can: (1) provide annotation for major alternative splicing at exon/intron level. By comparing the annotation from GTF/GFF file, it identifies the novel alternative splicing sites; (2) offer a convenient two-level analysis: genome-scale annotation for users with high performance computing environment, and gene-scale annotation for users with personal computers; (3) generate a user-friendly web report and additional BED files for IGV visualization. SplicingTypesAnno is a user-friendly R package for extracting, annotating and analyzing alternative splicing types at exon/intron level for sequence alignment files from RNA-Seq. It is publically available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/splicingtypes/files/ or http://genome.sdau.edu.cn/research/software/SplicingTypesAnno.html. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integration of GCAM-USA into GLIMPSE: Update and ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The purpose of this presentation is to (i) discuss changes made to the GCAM-USA model to more fully support long-term, coordinated environmental-climate-energy planning within the U.S., and (ii) demonstrate the graphical user interface that has been constructed to construct modeling scenarios, execute GCAM-USA, and visualize and compare model outputs. GLIMPSE is intended to provide insights into linkages and synergies among the goals of air quality management, climate change mitigation, and long-range energy planning. We have expanded GLIMPSE to also incorporate the open-source Global Change Assessment Model-USA (GCAM-USA), which has state-level representation of the U.S. energy system. With GCAM-USA, GLIMPSE can consider more aspects of the economy, linkages to the water and climate systems, and interactions with other regions of the world. A user-friendly graphical interface allows the system to be applied by analysts to explore a range of policies, such emission taxes or caps, efficiency standards, and renewable portfolio standards. We expect GLIMPSE to be used within research and planning activities, both within the EPA and beyond.

MyGeneFriends: A Social Network Linking Genes, Genetic Diseases, and Researchers.

PubMed

Allot, Alexis; Chennen, Kirsley; Nevers, Yannis; Poidevin, Laetitia; Kress, Arnaud; Ripp, Raymond; Thompson, Julie Dawn; Poch, Olivier; Lecompte, Odile

2017-06-16

The constant and massive increase of biological data offers unprecedented opportunities to decipher the function and evolution of genes and their roles in human diseases. However, the multiplicity of sources and flow of data mean that efficient access to useful information and knowledge production has become a major challenge. This challenge can be addressed by taking inspiration from Web 2.0 and particularly social networks, which are at the forefront of big data exploration and human-data interaction. MyGeneFriends is a Web platform inspired by social networks, devoted to genetic disease analysis, and organized around three types of proactive agents: genes, humans, and genetic diseases. The aim of this study was to improve exploration and exploitation of biological, postgenomic era big data. MyGeneFriends leverages conventions popularized by top social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc), such as networks of friends, profile pages, friendship recommendations, affinity scores, news feeds, content recommendation, and data visualization. MyGeneFriends provides simple and intuitive interactions with data through evaluation and visualization of connections (friendships) between genes, humans, and diseases. The platform suggests new friends and publications and allows agents to follow the activity of their friends. It dynamically personalizes information depending on the user's specific interests and provides an efficient way to share information with collaborators. Furthermore, the user's behavior itself generates new information that constitutes an added value integrated in the network, which can be used to discover new connections between biological agents. We have developed MyGeneFriends, a Web platform leveraging conventions from popular social networks to redefine the relationship between humans and biological big data and improve human processing of biomedical data. MyGeneFriends is available at lbgi.fr/mygenefriends. ©Alexis Allot, Kirsley Chennen, Yannis Nevers, Laetitia Poidevin, Arnaud Kress, Raymond Ripp, Julie Dawn Thompson, Olivier Poch, Odile Lecompte. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 16.06.2017.

User-friendly cognitive training for the elderly: a technical report.

PubMed

Boquete, Luciano; Rodríguez-Ascariz, José Manuel; Amo-Usanos, Carlos; Martínez-Arribas, Alejandro; Amo-Usanos, Javier; Otón, Salvador

2011-01-01

This article presents a system that implements a cognitive training program in users' homes. The system comprises various applications designed to create a daily brain-fitness regime. The proposed mental training system uses television and a remote control specially designed for the elderly. This system integrates Java applications to promote brain-fitness training in three areas: arithmetic, memory, and idea association. The system comprises the following: Standard television set, simplified wireless remote control, black box (system's core hardware and software), brain-fitness games (language Java), and Wi-Fi-enabled Internet-connected router. All data from the user training sessions are monitored through a control center. This control center analyzes the evolution of the user and the proper performance of the system during the test. The implemented system has been tested by six healthy volunteers. The results for this user group demonstrated the accessibility and usability of the system in a controlled real environment. The impressions of the users were very favorable, and they reported high adaptability to the system. The mean score for usability and accessibility assigned by the users was 3.56 out of 5 points. The operation stress test (over 200 h) was successful. The proposed system was used to implement a cognitive training program in users' homes, which was developed to be a low-cost tool with a high degree of user interactivity. The results of this preliminary study indicate that this user-friendly system could be adopted as a form of cognitive training for the elderly.

TrustRank: a Cold-Start tolerant recommender system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Haitao; Gong, Zhiguo; Zhang, Nan; Zhao, Wei; Guo, Jingzhi

2015-02-01

The explosive growth of the World Wide Web leads to the fast advancing development of e-commerce techniques. Recommender systems, which use personalised information filtering techniques to generate a set of items suitable to a given user, have received considerable attention. User- and item-based algorithms are two popular techniques for the design of recommender systems. These two algorithms are known to have Cold-Start problems, i.e., they are unable to effectively handle Cold-Start users who have an extremely limited number of purchase records. In this paper, we develop TrustRank, a novel recommender system which handles the Cold-Start problem by leveraging the user-trust networks which are commonly available for e-commerce applications. A user-trust network is formed by friendships or trust relationships that users specify among them. While it is straightforward to conjecture that a user-trust network is helpful for improving the accuracy of recommendations, a key challenge for using user-trust network to facilitate Cold-Start users is that these users also tend to have a very limited number of trust relationships. To address this challenge, we propose a pre-processing propagation of the Cold-Start users' trust network. In particular, by applying the personalised PageRank algorithm, we expand the friends of a given user to include others with similar purchase records to his/her original friends. To make this propagation algorithm scalable to a large amount of users, as required by real-world recommender systems, we devise an iterative computation algorithm of the original personalised TrustRank which can incrementally compute trust vectors for Cold-Start users. We conduct extensive experiments to demonstrate the consistently improvement provided by our proposed algorithm over the existing recommender algorithms on the accuracy of recommendations for Cold-Start users.

GEOSTATISTICS FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT: A USER'S MANUAL FOR THE GEOPACK (VERSION 1.0) GEOSTATISTICAL SOFTWARE SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

GEOPACK, a comprehensive user-friendly geostatistical software system, was developed to help in the analysis of spatially correlated data. The software system was developed to be used by scientists, engineers, regulators, etc., with little experience in geostatistical techniques...

SimHap GUI: An intuitive graphical user interface for genetic association analysis

PubMed Central

Carter, Kim W; McCaskie, Pamela A; Palmer, Lyle J

2008-01-01

Background Researchers wishing to conduct genetic association analysis involving single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or haplotypes are often confronted with the lack of user-friendly graphical analysis tools, requiring sophisticated statistical and informatics expertise to perform relatively straightforward tasks. Tools, such as the SimHap package for the R statistics language, provide the necessary statistical operations to conduct sophisticated genetic analysis, but lacks a graphical user interface that allows anyone but a professional statistician to effectively utilise the tool. Results We have developed SimHap GUI, a cross-platform integrated graphical analysis tool for conducting epidemiological, single SNP and haplotype-based association analysis. SimHap GUI features a novel workflow interface that guides the user through each logical step of the analysis process, making it accessible to both novice and advanced users. This tool provides a seamless interface to the SimHap R package, while providing enhanced functionality such as sophisticated data checking, automated data conversion, and real-time estimations of haplotype simulation progress. Conclusion SimHap GUI provides a novel, easy-to-use, cross-platform solution for conducting a range of genetic and non-genetic association analyses. This provides a free alternative to commercial statistics packages that is specifically designed for genetic association analysis. PMID:19109877

Pilot-Vehicle Interface

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-11-01

way is to develop a crude but working model of an entire system. The other is by developing a realistic model of the user interface , leaving out most...devices or by incorporating software for a more user -friendly interface . Automation introduces the possibility of making data entry errors. Multimode...across various human- computer interfaces . 127 a Memory: Minimize the amount of information that the user must maintain in short-term memory

How to Build a Plugged-In PTA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Sherri

2012-01-01

Think social media is just a fad? Think it is only for the kids? Facebook reports there are more than 800 million users, and the average user has 130 Facebook friends. Twitter now has 100 million monthly users tweeting 6,939 tweets per second or about 230 million tweets each day! More than 3 billion videos are viewed on YouTube, and YouTube Mobile…

A user-friendly tool for incremental haemodialysis prescription.

PubMed

Casino, Francesco Gaetano; Basile, Carlo

2018-01-05

There is a recently heightened interest in incremental haemodialysis (IHD), the main advantage of which could likely be a better preservation of the residual kidney function of the patients. The implementation of IHD, however, is hindered by many factors, among them, the mathematical complexity of its prescription. The aim of our study was to design a user-friendly tool for IHD prescription, consisting of only a few rows of a common spreadsheet. The keystone of our spreadsheet was the following fundamental concept: the dialysis dose to be prescribed in IHD depends only on the normalized urea clearance provided by the native kidneys (KRUn) of the patient for each frequency of treatment, according to the variable target model recently proposed by Casino and Basile (The variable target model: a paradigm shift in the incremental haemodialysis prescription. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2017; 32: 182-190). The first step was to put in sequence a series of equations in order to calculate, firstly, KRUn and, then, the key parameters to be prescribed for an adequate IHD; the second step was to compare KRUn values obtained with our spreadsheet with KRUn values obtainable with the gold standard Solute-solver (Daugirdas JT et al., Solute-solver: a web-based tool for modeling urea kinetics for a broad range of hemodialysis schedules in multiple patients. Am J Kidney Dis 2009; 54: 798-809) in a sample of 40 incident haemodialysis patients. Our spreadsheet provided excellent results. The differences with Solute-solver were clinically negligible. This was confirmed by the Bland-Altman plot built to analyse the agreement between KRUn values obtained with the two methods: the difference was 0.07 ± 0.05 mL/min/35 L. Our spreadsheet is a user-friendly tool able to provide clinically acceptable results in IHD prescription. Two immediate consequences could derive: (i) a larger dissemination of IHD might occur; and (ii) our spreadsheet could represent a useful tool for an ineludibly needed full-fledged clinical trial, comparing IHD with standard thrice-weekly HD. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved.

PAPST, a User Friendly and Powerful Java Platform for ChIP-Seq Peak Co-Localization Analysis and Beyond.

PubMed

Bible, Paul W; Kanno, Yuka; Wei, Lai; Brooks, Stephen R; O'Shea, John J; Morasso, Maria I; Loganantharaj, Rasiah; Sun, Hong-Wei

2015-01-01

Comparative co-localization analysis of transcription factors (TFs) and epigenetic marks (EMs) in specific biological contexts is one of the most critical areas of ChIP-Seq data analysis beyond peak calling. Yet there is a significant lack of user-friendly and powerful tools geared towards co-localization analysis based exploratory research. Most tools currently used for co-localization analysis are command line only and require extensive installation procedures and Linux expertise. Online tools partially address the usability issues of command line tools, but slow response times and few customization features make them unsuitable for rapid data-driven interactive exploratory research. We have developed PAPST: Peak Assignment and Profile Search Tool, a user-friendly yet powerful platform with a unique design, which integrates both gene-centric and peak-centric co-localization analysis into a single package. Most of PAPST's functions can be completed in less than five seconds, allowing quick cycles of data-driven hypothesis generation and testing. With PAPST, a researcher with or without computational expertise can perform sophisticated co-localization pattern analysis of multiple TFs and EMs, either against all known genes or a set of genomic regions obtained from public repositories or prior analysis. PAPST is a versatile, efficient, and customizable tool for genome-wide data-driven exploratory research. Creatively used, PAPST can be quickly applied to any genomic data analysis that involves a comparison of two or more sets of genomic coordinate intervals, making it a powerful tool for a wide range of exploratory genomic research. We first present PAPST's general purpose features then apply it to several public ChIP-Seq data sets to demonstrate its rapid execution and potential for cutting-edge research with a case study in enhancer analysis. To our knowledge, PAPST is the first software of its kind to provide efficient and sophisticated post peak-calling ChIP-Seq data analysis as an easy-to-use interactive application. PAPST is available at https://github.com/paulbible/papst and is a public domain work.

PAPST, a User Friendly and Powerful Java Platform for ChIP-Seq Peak Co-Localization Analysis and Beyond

PubMed Central

Bible, Paul W.; Kanno, Yuka; Wei, Lai; Brooks, Stephen R.; O’Shea, John J.; Morasso, Maria I.; Loganantharaj, Rasiah; Sun, Hong-Wei

2015-01-01

Comparative co-localization analysis of transcription factors (TFs) and epigenetic marks (EMs) in specific biological contexts is one of the most critical areas of ChIP-Seq data analysis beyond peak calling. Yet there is a significant lack of user-friendly and powerful tools geared towards co-localization analysis based exploratory research. Most tools currently used for co-localization analysis are command line only and require extensive installation procedures and Linux expertise. Online tools partially address the usability issues of command line tools, but slow response times and few customization features make them unsuitable for rapid data-driven interactive exploratory research. We have developed PAPST: Peak Assignment and Profile Search Tool, a user-friendly yet powerful platform with a unique design, which integrates both gene-centric and peak-centric co-localization analysis into a single package. Most of PAPST’s functions can be completed in less than five seconds, allowing quick cycles of data-driven hypothesis generation and testing. With PAPST, a researcher with or without computational expertise can perform sophisticated co-localization pattern analysis of multiple TFs and EMs, either against all known genes or a set of genomic regions obtained from public repositories or prior analysis. PAPST is a versatile, efficient, and customizable tool for genome-wide data-driven exploratory research. Creatively used, PAPST can be quickly applied to any genomic data analysis that involves a comparison of two or more sets of genomic coordinate intervals, making it a powerful tool for a wide range of exploratory genomic research. We first present PAPST’s general purpose features then apply it to several public ChIP-Seq data sets to demonstrate its rapid execution and potential for cutting-edge research with a case study in enhancer analysis. To our knowledge, PAPST is the first software of its kind to provide efficient and sophisticated post peak-calling ChIP-Seq data analysis as an easy-to-use interactive application. PAPST is available at https://github.com/paulbible/papst and is a public domain work. PMID:25970601

A User-Friendly Model for Spray Drying to Aid Pharmaceutical Product Development

PubMed Central

Grasmeijer, Niels; de Waard, Hans; Hinrichs, Wouter L. J.; Frijlink, Henderik W.

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a user-friendly model for spray drying that can aid in the development of a pharmaceutical product, by shifting from a trial-and-error towards a quality-by-design approach. To achieve this, a spray dryer model was developed in commercial and open source spreadsheet software. The output of the model was first fitted to the experimental output of a Büchi B-290 spray dryer and subsequently validated. The predicted outlet temperatures of the spray dryer model matched the experimental values very well over the entire range of spray dryer settings that were tested. Finally, the model was applied to produce glassy sugars by spray drying, an often used excipient in formulations of biopharmaceuticals. For the production of glassy sugars, the model was extended to predict the relative humidity at the outlet, which is not measured in the spray dryer by default. This extended model was then successfully used to predict whether specific settings were suitable for producing glassy trehalose and inulin by spray drying. In conclusion, a spray dryer model was developed that is able to predict the output parameters of the spray drying process. The model can aid the development of spray dried pharmaceutical products by shifting from a trial-and-error towards a quality-by-design approach. PMID:24040240

RNAPattMatch: a web server for RNA sequence/structure motif detection based on pattern matching with flexible gaps

PubMed Central

Drory Retwitzer, Matan; Polishchuk, Maya; Churkin, Elena; Kifer, Ilona; Yakhini, Zohar; Barash, Danny

2015-01-01

Searching for RNA sequence-structure patterns is becoming an essential tool for RNA practitioners. Novel discoveries of regulatory non-coding RNAs in targeted organisms and the motivation to find them across a wide range of organisms have prompted the use of computational RNA pattern matching as an enhancement to sequence similarity. State-of-the-art programs differ by the flexibility of patterns allowed as queries and by their simplicity of use. In particular—no existing method is available as a user-friendly web server. A general program that searches for RNA sequence-structure patterns is RNA Structator. However, it is not available as a web server and does not provide the option to allow flexible gap pattern representation with an upper bound of the gap length being specified at any position in the sequence. Here, we introduce RNAPattMatch, a web-based application that is user friendly and makes sequence/structure RNA queries accessible to practitioners of various background and proficiency. It also extends RNA Structator and allows a more flexible variable gaps representation, in addition to analysis of results using energy minimization methods. RNAPattMatch service is available at http://www.cs.bgu.ac.il/rnapattmatch. A standalone version of the search tool is also available to download at the site. PMID:25940619

Environmentally-Preferable Launch Coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kessel, Kurt R.

2015-01-01

The Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program at NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, has the primary objective of modernizing and transforming the launch and range complex at KSC to benefit current and future NASA programs along with other emerging users. Described as the launch support and infrastructure modernization program in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010, the GSDO Program will develop and implement shared infrastructure and process improvements to provide more flexible, affordable, and responsive capabilities to a multi-user community. In support of NASA and the GSDO Program, the objective of this project is to determine the feasibility of environmentally friendly corrosion protecting coatings for launch facilities and ground support equipment (GSE). The focus of the project is corrosion resistance and survivability with the goal to reduce the amount of maintenance required to preserve the performance of launch facilities while reducing mission risk. The project compares coating performance of the selected alternatives to existing coating systems or standards.

STINGRAY: system for integrated genomic resources and analysis.

PubMed

Wagner, Glauber; Jardim, Rodrigo; Tschoeke, Diogo A; Loureiro, Daniel R; Ocaña, Kary A C S; Ribeiro, Antonio C B; Emmel, Vanessa E; Probst, Christian M; Pitaluga, André N; Grisard, Edmundo C; Cavalcanti, Maria C; Campos, Maria L M; Mattoso, Marta; Dávila, Alberto M R

2014-03-07

The STINGRAY system has been conceived to ease the tasks of integrating, analyzing, annotating and presenting genomic and expression data from Sanger and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) platforms. STINGRAY includes: (a) a complete and integrated workflow (more than 20 bioinformatics tools) ranging from functional annotation to phylogeny; (b) a MySQL database schema, suitable for data integration and user access control; and (c) a user-friendly graphical web-based interface that makes the system intuitive, facilitating the tasks of data analysis and annotation. STINGRAY showed to be an easy to use and complete system for analyzing sequencing data. While both Sanger and NGS platforms are supported, the system could be faster using Sanger data, since the large NGS datasets could potentially slow down the MySQL database usage. STINGRAY is available at http://stingray.biowebdb.org and the open source code at http://sourceforge.net/projects/stingray-biowebdb/.

Interpretation of coagulation test results using a web-based reporting system.

PubMed

Quesada, Andres E; Jabcuga, Christine E; Nguyen, Alex; Wahed, Amer; Nedelcu, Elena; Nguyen, Andy N D

2014-01-01

Web-based synoptic reporting has been successfully integrated into diverse fields of pathology, improving efficiency and reducing typographic errors. Coagulation is a challenging field for practicing pathologists and pathologists-in-training alike. To develop a Web-based program that can expedite the generation of a individualized interpretive report for a variety of coagulation tests. We developed a Web-based synoptic reporting system composed of 119 coagulation report templates and 38 thromboelastography (TEG) report templates covering a wide range of findings. Our institution implemented this reporting system in July 2011; it is currently used by pathology residents and attending pathologists. Feedback from the users of these reports have been overwhelmingly positive. Surveys note the time saved and reduced errors. Our easily accessible, user-friendly, Web-based synoptic reporting system for coagulation is a valuable asset to our laboratory services. Copyright© by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).

The LSST metrics analysis framework (MAF)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, R. L.; Yoachim, Peter; Chandrasekharan, Srinivasan; Connolly, Andrew J.; Cook, Kem H.; Ivezic, Željko; Krughoff, K. S.; Petry, Catherine; Ridgway, Stephen T.

2014-07-01

We describe the Metrics Analysis Framework (MAF), an open-source python framework developed to provide a user-friendly, customizable, easily-extensible set of tools for analyzing data sets. MAF is part of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Simulations effort. Its initial goal is to provide a tool to evaluate LSST Operations Simulation (OpSim) simulated surveys to help understand the effects of telescope scheduling on survey performance, however MAF can be applied to a much wider range of datasets. The building blocks of the framework are Metrics (algorithms to analyze a given quantity of data), Slicers (subdividing the overall data set into smaller data slices as relevant for each Metric), and Database classes (to access the dataset and read data into memory). We describe how these building blocks work together, and provide an example of using MAF to evaluate different dithering strategies. We also outline how users can write their own custom Metrics and use these within the framework.

STINGRAY: system for integrated genomic resources and analysis

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The STINGRAY system has been conceived to ease the tasks of integrating, analyzing, annotating and presenting genomic and expression data from Sanger and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) platforms. Findings STINGRAY includes: (a) a complete and integrated workflow (more than 20 bioinformatics tools) ranging from functional annotation to phylogeny; (b) a MySQL database schema, suitable for data integration and user access control; and (c) a user-friendly graphical web-based interface that makes the system intuitive, facilitating the tasks of data analysis and annotation. Conclusion STINGRAY showed to be an easy to use and complete system for analyzing sequencing data. While both Sanger and NGS platforms are supported, the system could be faster using Sanger data, since the large NGS datasets could potentially slow down the MySQL database usage. STINGRAY is available at http://stingray.biowebdb.org and the open source code at http://sourceforge.net/projects/stingray-biowebdb/. PMID:24606808

"Am I a Good Reader?" a Friendly Way to Evaluate Students' Perceptions of Themselves as a Reader

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wangsgard, Nichole

2014-01-01

Current reading assessments put emphasis in the five components of reading competency, neglecting the self-efficacy needs of students. When students struggle with one of or all five components of reading competency, they could have negative feelings about themselves as a reader. This article offers teachers an effective user friendly assessment…

Potential benefits and harms of a peer support social network service on the internet for people with depressive tendencies: qualitative content analysis and social network analysis.

PubMed

Takahashi, Yoshimitsu; Uchida, Chiyoko; Miyaki, Koichi; Sakai, Michi; Shimbo, Takuro; Nakayama, Takeo

2009-07-23

Internet peer support groups for depression are becoming popular and could be affected by an increasing number of social network services (SNSs). However, little is known about participant characteristics, social relationships in SNSs, and the reasons for usage. In addition, the effects of SNS participation on people with depression are rather unknown. The aim was to explore the potential benefits and harms of an SNS for depression based on a concurrent triangulation design of mixed methods strategy, including qualitative content analysis and social network analysis. A cross-sectional Internet survey of participants, which involved the collection of SNS log files and a questionnaire, was conducted in an SNS for people with self-reported depressive tendencies in Japan in 2007. Quantitative data, which included user demographics, depressive state, and assessment of the SNS (positive vs not positive), were statistically analyzed. Descriptive contents of responses to open-ended questions concerning advantages and disadvantages of SNS participation were analyzed using the inductive approach of qualitative content analysis. Contents were organized into codes, concepts, categories, and a storyline based on the grounded theory approach. Social relationships, derived from data of "friends," were analyzed using social network analysis, in which network measures and the extent of interpersonal association were calculated based on the social network theory. Each analysis and integration of results were performed through a concurrent triangulation design of mixed methods strategy. There were 105 participants. Median age was 36 years, and 51% (36/71) were male. There were 37 valid respondents; their number of friends and frequency of accessing the SNS were significantly higher than for invalid/nonrespondents (P = .008 and P = .003). Among respondents, 90% (28/31) were mildly, moderately, or severely depressed. Assessment of the SNS was performed by determining the access frequency of the SNS and the number of friends. Qualitative content analysis indicated that user-selectable peer support could be passive, active, and/or interactive based on anonymity or ease of use, and there was the potential harm of a downward depressive spiral triggered by aggravated psychological burden. Social network analysis revealed that users communicated one-on-one with each other or in small groups (five people or less). A downward depressive spiral was related to friends who were moderately or severely depressed and friends with negative assessment of the SNS. An SNS for people with depressive tendencies provides various opportunities to obtain support that meets users' needs. To avoid a downward depressive spiral, we recommend that participants do not use SNSs when they feel that the SNS is not user-selectable, when they get egocentric comments, when friends have a negative assessment of the SNS, or when they have additional psychological burden.

Meta-Abstract for the EnviroAtlas Poster Block at the 2013 ESRI International User Conference (7/12/13)

EPA Science Inventory

The EPA is launching a web-based mapping application—EnviroAtlas—which is designed to communicate ecosystem services, their drivers, societal benefits, and potential future status in a user-friendly manner. EnviroAtlas includes a coarse-scale national component, with...

Re-Imagining Archival Display: Creating User-Friendly Finding Aids

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daines, J. Gordon, III; Nimer, Cory L.

2011-01-01

This article examines how finding aids are structured and delivered, considering alternative approaches. It suggests that single-level displays, those that present a single component of a multilevel description to users at a time, have the potential to transform the delivery and display of collection information while improving the user…

78 FR 56266 - Consent Based Social Security Number Verification (CBSV) Service

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-12

... developed CBSV as a user- friendly, internet-based application with safeguards that protect the public's information. In addition to the benefit of providing high volume, centralized SSN verification services to users in a secure manner, CBSV provides us with cost and workload management benefits. New Information...

imDEV: a graphical user interface to R multivariate analysis tools in Microsoft Excel

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Interactive modules for data exploration and visualization (imDEV) is a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet embedded application providing an integrated environment for the analysis of omics data sets with a user-friendly interface. Individual modules were designed to provide toolsets to enable interactive ...

GEOSTATISTICS FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT: A USER'S MANUEL FOR THE GEOPACK (VERSION 1.0) GEOSTATISTICAL SOFTWARE SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

A comprehensive, user-friendly geostatistical software system called GEOPACk has been developed. The purpose of this software is to make available the programs necessary to undertake a geostatistical analysis of spatially correlated data. The programs were written so that they ...

The System Dynamics Model User Sustainability Explorer (SD-MUSE): a user-friendly tool for interpreting system dynamic models

EPA Science Inventory

System Dynamics (SD) models are useful for holistic integration of data to evaluate indirect and cumulative effects and inform decisions. Complex SD models can provide key insights into how decisions affect the three interconnected pillars of sustainability. However, the complexi...

Interactive Controls Analysis (INCA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, Frank H.

1989-01-01

Version 3.12 of INCA provides user-friendly environment for design and analysis of linear control systems. System configuration and parameters easily adjusted, enabling INCA user to create compensation networks and perform sensitivity analysis in convenient manner. Full complement of graphical routines makes output easy to understand. Written in Pascal and FORTRAN.

CEASAW: A User-Friendly Computer Environment Analysis for the Sawmill Owner

Treesearch

Guillermo Mendoza; William Sprouse; Philip A. Araman; William G. Luppold

1991-01-01

Improved spreadsheet software capabilities have brought optimization to users with little or no background in mathematical programming. Better interface capabilities of spreadsheet models now make it possible to combine optimization models with a spreadsheet system. Sawmill production and inventory systems possess many features that make them suitable application...

Entangling mobility and interactions in social media.

PubMed

Grabowicz, Przemyslaw A; Ramasco, José J; Gonçalves, Bruno; Eguíluz, Víctor M

2014-01-01

Daily interactions naturally define social circles. Individuals tend to be friends with the people they spend time with and they choose to spend time with their friends, inextricably entangling physical location and social relationships. As a result, it is possible to predict not only someone's location from their friends' locations but also friendship from spatial and temporal co-occurrence. While several models have been developed to separately describe mobility and the evolution of social networks, there is a lack of studies coupling social interactions and mobility. In this work, we introduce a model that bridges this gap by explicitly considering the feedback of mobility on the formation of social ties. Data coming from three online social networks (Twitter, Gowalla and Brightkite) is used for validation. Our model reproduces various topological and physical properties of the networks not captured by models uncoupling mobility and social interactions such as: i) the total size of the connected components, ii) the distance distribution between connected users, iii) the dependence of the reciprocity on the distance, iv) the variation of the social overlap and the clustering with the distance. Besides numerical simulations, a mean-field approach is also used to study analytically the main statistical features of the networks generated by a simplified version of our model. The robustness of the results to changes in the model parameters is explored, finding that a balance between friend visits and long-range random connections is essential to reproduce the geographical features of the empirical networks.

DiversePathsJ: diverse shortest paths for bioimage analysis.

PubMed

Uhlmann, Virginie; Haubold, Carsten; Hamprecht, Fred A; Unser, Michael

2018-02-01

We introduce a formulation for the general task of finding diverse shortest paths between two end-points. Our approach is not linked to a specific biological problem and can be applied to a large variety of images thanks to its generic implementation as a user-friendly ImageJ/Fiji plugin. It relies on the introduction of additional layers in a Viterbi path graph, which requires slight modifications to the standard Viterbi algorithm rules. This layered graph construction allows for the specification of various constraints imposing diversity between solutions. The software allows obtaining a collection of diverse shortest paths under some user-defined constraints through a convenient and user-friendly interface. It can be used alone or be integrated into larger image analysis pipelines. http://bigwww.epfl.ch/algorithms/diversepathsj. michael.unser@epfl.ch or fred.hamprecht@iwr.uni-heidelberg.de. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

The Simple Rules of Social Contagion

PubMed Central

Hodas, Nathan O.; Lerman, Kristina

2014-01-01

It is commonly believed that information spreads between individuals like a pathogen, with each exposure by an informed friend potentially resulting in a naive individual becoming infected. However, empirical studies of social media suggest that individual response to repeated exposure to information is far more complex. As a proxy for intervention experiments, we compare user responses to multiple exposures on two different social media sites, Twitter and Digg. We show that the position of exposing messages on the user-interface strongly affects social contagion. Accounting for this visibility significantly simplifies the dynamics of social contagion. The likelihood an individual will spread information increases monotonically with exposure, while explicit feedback about how many friends have previously spread it increases the likelihood of a response. We provide a framework for unifying information visibility, divided attention, and explicit social feedback to predict the temporal dynamics of user behavior. PMID:24614301

A user-friendly tool for medical-related patent retrieval.

PubMed

Pasche, Emilie; Gobeill, Julien; Teodoro, Douglas; Gaudinat, Arnaud; Vishnyakova, Dina; Lovis, Christian; Ruch, Patrick

2012-01-01

Health-related information retrieval is complicated by the variety of nomenclatures available to name entities, since different communities of users will use different ways to name a same entity. We present in this report the development and evaluation of a user-friendly interactive Web application aiming at facilitating health-related patent search. Our tool, called TWINC, relies on a search engine tuned during several patent retrieval competitions, enhanced with intelligent interaction modules, such as chemical query, normalization and expansion. While the functionality of related article search showed promising performances, the ad hoc search results in fairly contrasted results. Nonetheless, TWINC performed well during the PatOlympics competition and was appreciated by intellectual property experts. This result should be balanced by the limited evaluation sample. We can also assume that it can be customized to be applied in corporate search environments to process domain and company-specific vocabularies, including non-English literature and patents reports.

Benford’s Law Applies to Online Social Networks

PubMed Central

Golbeck, Jennifer

2015-01-01

Benford’s Law states that, in naturally occurring systems, the frequency of numbers’ first digits is not evenly distributed. Numbers beginning with a 1 occur roughly 30% of the time, and are six times more common than numbers beginning with a 9. We show that Benford’s Law applies to social and behavioral features of users in online social networks. Using social data from five major social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest, and LiveJournal), we show that the distribution of first significant digits of friend and follower counts for users in these systems follow Benford’s Law. The same is true for the number of posts users make. We extend this to egocentric networks, showing that friend counts among the people in an individual’s social network also follows the expected distribution. We discuss how this can be used to detect suspicious or fraudulent activity online and to validate datasets. PMID:26308716

Benford's Law Applies to Online Social Networks.

PubMed

Golbeck, Jennifer

2015-01-01

Benford's Law states that, in naturally occurring systems, the frequency of numbers' first digits is not evenly distributed. Numbers beginning with a 1 occur roughly 30% of the time, and are six times more common than numbers beginning with a 9. We show that Benford's Law applies to social and behavioral features of users in online social networks. Using social data from five major social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest, and LiveJournal), we show that the distribution of first significant digits of friend and follower counts for users in these systems follow Benford's Law. The same is true for the number of posts users make. We extend this to egocentric networks, showing that friend counts among the people in an individual's social network also follows the expected distribution. We discuss how this can be used to detect suspicious or fraudulent activity online and to validate datasets.

Friends and family: A software program for identification of unrelated individuals from molecular marker data.

PubMed

de Jager, Deon; Swarts, Petrus; Harper, Cindy; Bloomer, Paulette

2017-11-01

The identification of related and unrelated individuals from molecular marker data is often difficult, particularly when no pedigree information is available and the data set is large. High levels of relatedness or inbreeding can influence genotype frequencies and thus genetic marker evaluation, as well as the accurate inference of hidden genetic structure. Identification of related and unrelated individuals is also important in breeding programmes, to inform decisions about breeding pairs and translocations. We present Friends and Family, a Windows executable program with a graphical user interface that identifies unrelated individuals from a pairwise relatedness matrix or table generated in programs such as coancestry and genalex. Friends and Family outputs a list of samples that are all unrelated to each other, based on a user-defined relatedness cut-off value. This unrelated data set can be used in downstream analyses, such as marker evaluation or inference of genetic structure. The results can be compared to that of the full data set to determine the effect related individuals have on the analyses. We demonstrate one of the applications of the program: how the removal of related individuals altered the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium test outcome for microsatellite markers in an empirical data set. Friends and Family can be obtained from https://github.com/DeondeJager/Friends-and-Family. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

FRIEND Engine Framework: a real time neurofeedback client-server system for neuroimaging studies

PubMed Central

Basilio, Rodrigo; Garrido, Griselda J.; Sato, João R.; Hoefle, Sebastian; Melo, Bruno R. P.; Pamplona, Fabricio A.; Zahn, Roland; Moll, Jorge

2015-01-01

In this methods article, we present a new implementation of a recently reported FSL-integrated neurofeedback tool, the standalone version of “Functional Real-time Interactive Endogenous Neuromodulation and Decoding” (FRIEND). We will refer to this new implementation as the FRIEND Engine Framework. The framework comprises a client-server cross-platform solution for real time fMRI and fMRI/EEG neurofeedback studies, enabling flexible customization or integration of graphical interfaces, devices, and data processing. This implementation allows a fast setup of novel plug-ins and frontends, which can be shared with the user community at large. The FRIEND Engine Framework is freely distributed for non-commercial, research purposes. PMID:25688193

Chipster: user-friendly analysis software for microarray and other high-throughput data.

PubMed

Kallio, M Aleksi; Tuimala, Jarno T; Hupponen, Taavi; Klemelä, Petri; Gentile, Massimiliano; Scheinin, Ilari; Koski, Mikko; Käki, Janne; Korpelainen, Eija I

2011-10-14

The growth of high-throughput technologies such as microarrays and next generation sequencing has been accompanied by active research in data analysis methodology, producing new analysis methods at a rapid pace. While most of the newly developed methods are freely available, their use requires substantial computational skills. In order to enable non-programming biologists to benefit from the method development in a timely manner, we have created the Chipster software. Chipster (http://chipster.csc.fi/) brings a powerful collection of data analysis methods within the reach of bioscientists via its intuitive graphical user interface. Users can analyze and integrate different data types such as gene expression, miRNA and aCGH. The analysis functionality is complemented with rich interactive visualizations, allowing users to select datapoints and create new gene lists based on these selections. Importantly, users can save the performed analysis steps as reusable, automatic workflows, which can also be shared with other users. Being a versatile and easily extendable platform, Chipster can be used for microarray, proteomics and sequencing data. In this article we describe its comprehensive collection of analysis and visualization tools for microarray data using three case studies. Chipster is a user-friendly analysis software for high-throughput data. Its intuitive graphical user interface enables biologists to access a powerful collection of data analysis and integration tools, and to visualize data interactively. Users can collaborate by sharing analysis sessions and workflows. Chipster is open source, and the server installation package is freely available.

Chipster: user-friendly analysis software for microarray and other high-throughput data

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The growth of high-throughput technologies such as microarrays and next generation sequencing has been accompanied by active research in data analysis methodology, producing new analysis methods at a rapid pace. While most of the newly developed methods are freely available, their use requires substantial computational skills. In order to enable non-programming biologists to benefit from the method development in a timely manner, we have created the Chipster software. Results Chipster (http://chipster.csc.fi/) brings a powerful collection of data analysis methods within the reach of bioscientists via its intuitive graphical user interface. Users can analyze and integrate different data types such as gene expression, miRNA and aCGH. The analysis functionality is complemented with rich interactive visualizations, allowing users to select datapoints and create new gene lists based on these selections. Importantly, users can save the performed analysis steps as reusable, automatic workflows, which can also be shared with other users. Being a versatile and easily extendable platform, Chipster can be used for microarray, proteomics and sequencing data. In this article we describe its comprehensive collection of analysis and visualization tools for microarray data using three case studies. Conclusions Chipster is a user-friendly analysis software for high-throughput data. Its intuitive graphical user interface enables biologists to access a powerful collection of data analysis and integration tools, and to visualize data interactively. Users can collaborate by sharing analysis sessions and workflows. Chipster is open source, and the server installation package is freely available. PMID:21999641

A User-Friendly, Keyword-Searchable Database of Geoscientific References Through 2007 for Afghanistan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eppinger, Robert G.; Sipeki, Julianna; Scofield, M.L. Sco

2008-01-01

This report includes a document and accompanying Microsoft Access 2003 database of geoscientific references for the country of Afghanistan. The reference compilation is part of a larger joint study of Afghanistan?s energy, mineral, and water resources, and geologic hazards currently underway by the U.S. Geological Survey, the British Geological Survey, and the Afghanistan Geological Survey. The database includes both published (n = 2,489) and unpublished (n = 176) references compiled through calendar year 2007. The references comprise two separate tables in the Access database. The reference database includes a user-friendly, keyword-searchable interface and only minimum knowledge of the use of Microsoft Access is required.

Revealing Neurocomputational Mechanisms of Reinforcement Learning and Decision-Making With the hBayesDM Package

PubMed Central

Ahn, Woo-Young; Haines, Nathaniel; Zhang, Lei

2017-01-01

Reinforcement learning and decision-making (RLDM) provide a quantitative framework and computational theories with which we can disentangle psychiatric conditions into the basic dimensions of neurocognitive functioning. RLDM offer a novel approach to assessing and potentially diagnosing psychiatric patients, and there is growing enthusiasm for both RLDM and computational psychiatry among clinical researchers. Such a framework can also provide insights into the brain substrates of particular RLDM processes, as exemplified by model-based analysis of data from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) or electroencephalography (EEG). However, researchers often find the approach too technical and have difficulty adopting it for their research. Thus, a critical need remains to develop a user-friendly tool for the wide dissemination of computational psychiatric methods. We introduce an R package called hBayesDM (hierarchical Bayesian modeling of Decision-Making tasks), which offers computational modeling of an array of RLDM tasks and social exchange games. The hBayesDM package offers state-of-the-art hierarchical Bayesian modeling, in which both individual and group parameters (i.e., posterior distributions) are estimated simultaneously in a mutually constraining fashion. At the same time, the package is extremely user-friendly: users can perform computational modeling, output visualization, and Bayesian model comparisons, each with a single line of coding. Users can also extract the trial-by-trial latent variables (e.g., prediction errors) required for model-based fMRI/EEG. With the hBayesDM package, we anticipate that anyone with minimal knowledge of programming can take advantage of cutting-edge computational-modeling approaches to investigate the underlying processes of and interactions between multiple decision-making (e.g., goal-directed, habitual, and Pavlovian) systems. In this way, we expect that the hBayesDM package will contribute to the dissemination of advanced modeling approaches and enable a wide range of researchers to easily perform computational psychiatric research within different populations. PMID:29601060

The development of an intelligent user interface for NASA's scientific databases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, William J.; Roelofs, Larry H.

1986-01-01

The National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) has initiated an Intelligent Data Management (IDM) research effort which has as one of its components, the development of an Intelligent User Interface (IUI). The intent of the IUI effort is to develop a friendly and intelligent user interface service that is based on expert systems and natural language processing technologies. This paper presents the design concepts, development approach and evaluation of performance of a prototype Intelligent User Interface Subsystem (IUIS) supporting an operational database.

Managing Underground Storage Tank Data Using dBASE III PLUS.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-01

create a more user friendly environment that will simplify the process of using the UST data. For example, using the Assistant facility a user can delete... for the novice user. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. t6 The contents of this report are not to be used for advertising...Al jther ed.lons are Obsolete U11class if iC( %J %. % FOREWORD The programs which this user’s manual documents were developed for the Office of the

User-friendly InSAR Data Products: Fast and Simple Timeseries (FAST) Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zebker, H. A.

2017-12-01

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) methods provide high resolution maps of surface deformation applicable to many scientific, engineering and management studies. Despite its utility, the specialized skills and computer resources required for InSAR analysis remain as barriers for truly widespread use of the technique. Reduction of radar scenes to maps of temporal deformation evolution requires not only detailed metadata describing the exact radar and surface acquisition geometries, but also a software package that can combine these for the specific scenes of interest. Furthermore, the radar range-Doppler radar coordinate system itself is confusing, so that many users find it hard to incorporate even useful products in their customary analyses. And finally, the sheer data volume needed to represent interferogram time series makes InSAR analysis challenging for many analysis systems. We show here that it is possible to deliver radar data products to users that address all of these difficulties, so that the data acquired by large, modern satellite systems are ready to use in more natural coordinates, without requiring further processing, and in as small volume as possible.

Hybrid 2-D and 3-D Immersive and Interactive User Interface for Scientific Data Visualization

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-01

visualization, 3-D interactive visualization, scientific visualization, virtual reality, real -time ray tracing 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17...scientists to employ in the real world. Other than user-friendly software and hardware setup, scientists also need to be able to perform their usual...and scientific visualization communities mostly have different research priorities. For the VR community, the ability to support real -time user

Modular modeling system for building distributed hydrologic models with a user-friendly software package

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wi, S.; Ray, P. A.; Brown, C.

2015-12-01

A software package developed to facilitate building distributed hydrologic models in a modular modeling system is presented. The software package provides a user-friendly graphical user interface that eases its practical use in water resources-related research and practice. The modular modeling system organizes the options available to users when assembling models according to the stages of hydrological cycle, such as potential evapotranspiration, soil moisture accounting, and snow/glacier melting processes. The software is intended to be a comprehensive tool that simplifies the task of developing, calibrating, validating, and using hydrologic models through the inclusion of intelligent automation to minimize user effort, and reduce opportunities for error. Processes so far automated include the definition of system boundaries (i.e., watershed delineation), climate and geographical input generation, and parameter calibration. Built-in post-processing toolkits greatly improve the functionality of the software as a decision support tool for water resources system management and planning. Example post-processing toolkits enable streamflow simulation at ungauged sites with predefined model parameters, and perform climate change risk assessment by means of the decision scaling approach. The software is validated through application to watersheds representing a variety of hydrologic regimes.

CAD-CAM database management at Bendix Kansas City

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

Witte, D.R.

1985-05-01

The Bendix Kansas City Division of Allied Corporation began integrating mechanical CAD-CAM capabilities into its operations in June 1980. The primary capabilities include a wireframe modeling application, a solid modeling application, and the Bendix Integrated Computer Aided Manufacturing (BICAM) System application, a set of software programs and procedures which provides user-friendly access to graphic applications and data, and user-friendly sharing of data between applications and users. BICAM also provides for enforcement of corporate/enterprise policies. Three access categories, private, local, and global, are realized through the implementation of data-management metaphors: the desk, reading rack, file cabinet, and library are for themore » storage, retrieval, and sharing of drawings and models. Access is provided through menu selections; searching for designs is done by a paging method or a search-by-attribute-value method. The sharing of designs between all users of Part Data is key. The BICAM System supports 375 unique users per quarter and manages over 7500 drawings and models. The BICAM System demonstrates the need for generalized models, a high-level system framework, prototyping, information-modeling methods, and an understanding of the entire enterprise. Future BICAM System implementations are planned to take advantage of this knowledge.« less

A user-friendly software package to ease the use of VIC hydrologic model for practitioners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wi, S.; Ray, P.; Brown, C.

2016-12-01

The VIC (Variable Infiltration Capacity) hydrologic and river routing model simulates the water and energy fluxes that occur near the land surface and provides users with useful information regarding the quantity and timing of available water at points of interest within the basin. However, despite its popularity (proved by numerous applications in the literature), its wider adoption is hampered by the considerable effort required to prepare model inputs; e.g., input files storing spatial information related to watershed topography, soil properties, and land cover. This study presents a user-friendly software package (named VIC Setup Toolkit) developed within the MATLAB (matrix laboratory) framework and accessible through an intuitive graphical user interface. The VIC Setup Toolkit enables users to navigate the model building process confidently through prompts and automation, with an intention to promote the use of the model for both practical and academic purposes. The automated processes include watershed delineation, climate and geographical input set-up, model parameter calibration, graph generation and output evaluation. We demonstrate the package's usefulness in various case studies with the American River, Oklahoma River, Feather River and Zambezi River basins.

A 61-million-person experiment in social influence and political mobilization

PubMed Central

Bond, Robert M.; Fariss, Christopher J.; Jones, Jason J.; Kramer, Adam D. I.; Marlow, Cameron; Settle, Jaime E.; Fowler, James H.

2013-01-01

Human behaviour is thought to spread through face-to-face social networks, but it is difficult to identify social influence effects in observational studies9–13, and it is unknown whether online social networks operate in the same way14–19. Here we report results from a randomized controlled trial of political mobilization messages delivered to 61 million Facebook users during the 2010 US congressional elections. The results show that the messages directly influenced political self-expression, information seeking and real-world voting behaviour of millions of people. Furthermore, the messages not only influenced the users who received them but also the users’ friends, and friends of friends. The effect of social transmission on real-world voting was greater than the direct effect of the messages themselves, and nearly all the transmission occurred between ‘close friends’ who were more likely to have a face-to-face relationship. These results suggest that strong ties are instrumental for spreading both online and real-world behaviour in human social networks. PMID:22972300

[Experiencing dementia: evaluation of Into D'mentia].

PubMed

Hattink, Bart J J; Meiland, Franka J M; Campman, Carlijn A M; Rietsema, Jan; Sitskoorn, Margriet; Dröes, Rose-Marie

2015-10-01

Most persons with dementia in the Netherlands live at home, where they are cared for by informal carers such as family members or friends, who offer this care unpaid. Their care-task poses a high burden on these informal carers, increasing the risk of health problems and social isolation. Many informal carers indicate they want more information on the behaviour of those they care for. To develop and evaluate Into D'mentia, a simulation set in a living kitchen in which visitors experience a day in the life of someone with dementia. During this 'day', modern techniques such as sensors and projections, simulate the limitations of having dementia. This intervention is evaluated on usefulness and user friendliness, and on its effect on empathy, attitudes towards dementia, coping, carer burden, person-centered care capabilities and care satisfaction. Nine informal carers and 23 care professionals took part in the research into the Into D'mentia simulation. Before and after their visit, they filled in several questionnaires, with, among others, their opinion on the usefulness and user friendliness of this experience. Participants found Into D'mentia a highly useful and user friendly development. They indicated that the simulation offered good insight in the life of someone with dementia, and that they could offer better care thanks to this experience. Participants also indicated that they often thought back on their experiences in the simulation, in order to better understand the behaviour of people with dementia. Into D'mentia offers a unique, accessible way to experience the limitations dementia has on daily life. Users indicate that it is a useful and user friendly innovation. Into D'mentia appears to be a suitable method to support informal and professional caregivers.

A user-friendly, dynamic web environment for remote data browsing and analysis of multiparametric geophysical data within the MULTIMO project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carniel, Roberto; Di Cecca, Mauro; Jaquet, Olivier

2006-05-01

In the framework of the EU-funded project "Multi-disciplinary monitoring, modelling and forecasting of volcanic hazard" (MULTIMO), multiparametric data have been recorded at the MULTIMO station in Montserrat. Moreover, several other long time series, recorded at Montserrat and at other volcanoes, have been acquired in order to test stochastic and deterministic methodologies under development. Creating a general framework to handle data efficiently is a considerable task even for homogeneous data. In the case of heterogeneous data, this becomes a major issue. A need for a consistent way of browsing such a heterogeneous dataset in a user-friendly way therefore arose. Additionally, a framework for applying the calculation of the developed dynamical parameters on the data series was also needed in order to easily keep these parameters under control, e.g. for monitoring, research or forecasting purposes. The solution which we present is completely based on Open Source software, including Linux operating system, MySql database management system, Apache web server, Zope application server, Scilab math engine, Plone content management framework, Unified Modelling Language. From the user point of view the main advantage is the possibility of browsing through datasets recorded on different volcanoes, with different instruments, with different sampling frequencies, stored in different formats, all via a consistent, user- friendly interface that transparently runs queries to the database, gets the data from the main storage units, generates the graphs and produces dynamically generated web pages to interact with the user. The involvement of third parties for continuing the development in the Open Source philosophy and/or extending the application fields is now sought.

Colorado Late Cenozoic Fault and Fold Database and Internet Map Server: User-friendly technology for complex information

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morgan, K.S.; Pattyn, G.J.; Morgan, M.L.

2005-01-01

Internet mapping applications for geologic data allow simultaneous data delivery and collection, enabling quick data modification while efficiently supplying the end user with information. Utilizing Web-based technologies, the Colorado Geological Survey's Colorado Late Cenozoic Fault and Fold Database was transformed from a monothematic, nonspatial Microsoft Access database into a complex information set incorporating multiple data sources. The resulting user-friendly format supports easy analysis and browsing. The core of the application is the Microsoft Access database, which contains information compiled from available literature about faults and folds that are known or suspected to have moved during the late Cenozoic. The database contains nonspatial fields such as structure type, age, and rate of movement. Geographic locations of the fault and fold traces were compiled from previous studies at 1:250,000 scale to form a spatial database containing information such as length and strike. Integration of the two databases allowed both spatial and nonspatial information to be presented on the Internet as a single dataset (http://geosurvey.state.co.us/pubs/ceno/). The user-friendly interface enables users to view and query the data in an integrated manner, thus providing multiple ways to locate desired information. Retaining the digital data format also allows continuous data updating and quick delivery of newly acquired information. This dataset is a valuable resource to anyone interested in earthquake hazards and the activity of faults and folds in Colorado. Additional geologic hazard layers and imagery may aid in decision support and hazard evaluation. The up-to-date and customizable maps are invaluable tools for researchers or the public.

Multi-model-based interactive authoring environment for creating shareable medical knowledge.

PubMed

Ali, Taqdir; Hussain, Maqbool; Ali Khan, Wajahat; Afzal, Muhammad; Hussain, Jamil; Ali, Rahman; Hassan, Waseem; Jamshed, Arif; Kang, Byeong Ho; Lee, Sungyoung

2017-10-01

Technologically integrated healthcare environments can be realized if physicians are encouraged to use smart systems for the creation and sharing of knowledge used in clinical decision support systems (CDSS). While CDSSs are heading toward smart environments, they lack support for abstraction of technology-oriented knowledge from physicians. Therefore, abstraction in the form of a user-friendly and flexible authoring environment is required in order for physicians to create shareable and interoperable knowledge for CDSS workflows. Our proposed system provides a user-friendly authoring environment to create Arden Syntax MLM (Medical Logic Module) as shareable knowledge rules for intelligent decision-making by CDSS. Existing systems are not physician friendly and lack interoperability and shareability of knowledge. In this paper, we proposed Intelligent-Knowledge Authoring Tool (I-KAT), a knowledge authoring environment that overcomes the above mentioned limitations. Shareability is achieved by creating a knowledge base from MLMs using Arden Syntax. Interoperability is enhanced using standard data models and terminologies. However, creation of shareable and interoperable knowledge using Arden Syntax without abstraction increases complexity, which ultimately makes it difficult for physicians to use the authoring environment. Therefore, physician friendliness is provided by abstraction at the application layer to reduce complexity. This abstraction is regulated by mappings created between legacy system concepts, which are modeled as domain clinical model (DCM) and decision support standards such as virtual medical record (vMR) and Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine - Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT). We represent these mappings with a semantic reconciliation model (SRM). The objective of the study is the creation of shareable and interoperable knowledge using a user-friendly and flexible I-KAT. Therefore we evaluated our system using completeness and user satisfaction criteria, which we assessed through the system- and user-centric evaluation processes. For system-centric evaluation, we compared the implementation of clinical information modelling system requirements in our proposed system and in existing systems. The results suggested that 82.05% of the requirements were fully supported, 7.69% were partially supported, and 10.25% were not supported by our system. In the existing systems, 35.89% of requirements were fully supported, 28.20% were partially supported, and 35.89% were not supported. For user-centric evaluation, the assessment criterion was 'ease of use'. Our proposed system showed 15 times better results with respect to MLM creation time than the existing systems. Moreover, on average, the participants made only one error in MLM creation using our proposed system, but 13 errors per MLM using the existing systems. We provide a user-friendly authoring environment for creation of shareable and interoperable knowledge for CDSS to overcome knowledge acquisition complexity. The authoring environment uses state-of-the-art decision support-related clinical standards with increased ease of use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pseudomonas Genome Database: facilitating user-friendly, comprehensive comparisons of microbial genomes.

PubMed

Winsor, Geoffrey L; Van Rossum, Thea; Lo, Raymond; Khaira, Bhavjinder; Whiteside, Matthew D; Hancock, Robert E W; Brinkman, Fiona S L

2009-01-01

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a well-studied opportunistic pathogen that is particularly known for its intrinsic antimicrobial resistance, diverse metabolic capacity, and its ability to cause life threatening infections in cystic fibrosis patients. The Pseudomonas Genome Database (http://www.pseudomonas.com) was originally developed as a resource for peer-reviewed, continually updated annotation for the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 reference strain genome. In order to facilitate cross-strain and cross-species genome comparisons with other Pseudomonas species of importance, we have now expanded the database capabilities to include all Pseudomonas species, and have developed or incorporated methods to facilitate high quality comparative genomics. The database contains robust assessment of orthologs, a novel ortholog clustering method, and incorporates five views of the data at the sequence and annotation levels (Gbrowse, Mauve and custom views) to facilitate genome comparisons. A choice of simple and more flexible user-friendly Boolean search features allows researchers to search and compare annotations or sequences within or between genomes. Other features include more accurate protein subcellular localization predictions and a user-friendly, Boolean searchable log file of updates for the reference strain PAO1. This database aims to continue to provide a high quality, annotated genome resource for the research community and is available under an open source license.

New User-Friendly Approach to Obtain an Eisenberg Plot and Its Use as a Practical Tool in Protein Sequence Analysis

PubMed Central

Keller, Rob C.A.

2011-01-01

The Eisenberg plot or hydrophobic moment plot methodology is one of the most frequently used methods of bioinformatics. Bioinformatics is more and more recognized as a helpful tool in Life Sciences in general, and recent developments in approaches recognizing lipid binding regions in proteins are promising in this respect. In this study a bioinformatics approach specialized in identifying lipid binding helical regions in proteins was used to obtain an Eisenberg plot. The validity of the Heliquest generated hydrophobic moment plot was checked and exemplified. This study indicates that the Eisenberg plot methodology can be transferred to another hydrophobicity scale and renders a user-friendly approach which can be utilized in routine checks in protein–lipid interaction and in protein and peptide lipid binding characterization studies. A combined approach seems to be advantageous and results in a powerful tool in the search of helical lipid-binding regions in proteins and peptides. The strength and limitations of the Eisenberg plot approach itself are discussed as well. The presented approach not only leads to a better understanding of the nature of the protein–lipid interactions but also provides a user-friendly tool for the search of lipid-binding regions in proteins and peptides. PMID:22016610

New user-friendly approach to obtain an Eisenberg plot and its use as a practical tool in protein sequence analysis.

PubMed

Keller, Rob C A

2011-01-01

The Eisenberg plot or hydrophobic moment plot methodology is one of the most frequently used methods of bioinformatics. Bioinformatics is more and more recognized as a helpful tool in Life Sciences in general, and recent developments in approaches recognizing lipid binding regions in proteins are promising in this respect. In this study a bioinformatics approach specialized in identifying lipid binding helical regions in proteins was used to obtain an Eisenberg plot. The validity of the Heliquest generated hydrophobic moment plot was checked and exemplified. This study indicates that the Eisenberg plot methodology can be transferred to another hydrophobicity scale and renders a user-friendly approach which can be utilized in routine checks in protein-lipid interaction and in protein and peptide lipid binding characterization studies. A combined approach seems to be advantageous and results in a powerful tool in the search of helical lipid-binding regions in proteins and peptides. The strength and limitations of the Eisenberg plot approach itself are discussed as well. The presented approach not only leads to a better understanding of the nature of the protein-lipid interactions but also provides a user-friendly tool for the search of lipid-binding regions in proteins and peptides.

Urban Environment Development based on Universal Design Principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harsritanto, Bangun Ir

2018-02-01

Universal Design is a design which facilitated full range of human diversity. By applying Universal design principles, urban environment can be more functional and more user-friendly for everyone. This study examined five urban streets of South Korea as a country experienced on developing various urban street designs based on universal design. This study aimed to examine and compare the South Korea cases using seven principles of universal design. The research methods of this study are literature study, case study, and site observation. The results of this study are: South Korea cases are good practices, urgency of implementing the direction into local regulations; and change of urban development paradigm.

CONSUME: users guide.

Treesearch

R.D. Ottmar; M.F. Burns; J.N. Hall; A.D. Hanson

1993-01-01

CONSUME is a user-friendly computer program designed for resource managers with some working knowledge of IBM-PC applications. The software predicts the amount of fuel consumption on logged units based on weather data, the amount and fuel moisture of fuels, and a number of other factors. Using these predictions, the resource manager can accurately determine when and...

SWAT Check: A screening tool to assist users in the identification of potential model application problems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a basin scale hydrologic model developed by the US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service. SWAT's broad applicability, user friendly model interfaces, and automatic calibration software have led to a rapid increase in the number of new u...

Environmental Compliance and Best Management Practices: Guidance Manual for K-12 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Environmental Protection Agency, 2006

2006-01-01

This user-friendly guidance manual is organized by the "target audience" or "end user." First, the manual introduces a "Typical School," which is a school organized in such a way that it represents how many schools in the real world are organized. This Typical School is subdivided into "Organizational Units"…

Professional Learning in the Digital Age: The Educator's Guide to User-Generated Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Kristen

2013-01-01

Discover how to transform your professional development and become a truly connected educator with user-generated learning! This book shows educators how to enhance their professional learning using practical tools, strategies, and online resources. With beginner-friendly, real-world examples and simple steps to get started, the author shows how…

Documenting the Conversation: A Systematic Review of Library Discovery Layers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bossaller, Jenny S.; Sandy, Heather Moulaison

2017-01-01

This article describes the results of a systematic review of peer-reviewed, published research articles about "discovery layers," user-friendly interfaces or systems that provide single-search box access to library content. Focusing on articles in LISTA published 2009-2013, a set of 80 articles was coded for community of users, journal…

Analyzing Virtual Physics Simulations with Tracker

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Claessens, Tom

2017-01-01

In the physics teaching community, Tracker is well known as a user-friendly open source video analysis software, authored by Douglas Brown. With this tool, the user can trace markers indicated on a video or on stroboscopic photos and perform kinematic analyses. Tracker also includes a data modeling tool that allows one to fit some theoretical…

User Experience of Mobile Interactivity: How Do Mobile Websites Affect Attitudes and Relational Outcomes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dou, Xue

2013-01-01

Mobile media offer new opportunities for fostering communications between individuals and companies. Corporate websites are being increasingly accessed via smart phones and companies are scrambling to offer a mobile-friendly user experience on their sites. However, very little is known about how interactivity in the mobile context affects user…

CRISPR Primer Designer: Design primers for knockout and chromosome imaging CRISPR-Cas system.

PubMed

Yan, Meng; Zhou, Shi-Rong; Xue, Hong-Wei

2015-07-01

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated system enables biologists to edit genomes precisely and provides a powerful tool for perturbing endogenous gene regulation, modulation of epigenetic markers, and genome architecture. However, there are concerns about the specificity of the system, especially the usages of knocking out a gene. Previous designing tools either were mostly built-in websites or ran as command-line programs, and none of them ran locally and acquired a user-friendly interface. In addition, with the development of CRISPR-derived systems, such as chromosome imaging, there were still no tools helping users to generate specific end-user spacers. We herein present CRISPR Primer Designer for researchers to design primers for CRISPR applications. The program has a user-friendly interface, can analyze the BLAST results by using multiple parameters, score for each candidate spacer, and generate the primers when using a certain plasmid. In addition, CRISPR Primer Designer runs locally and can be used to search spacer clusters, and exports primers for the CRISPR-Cas system-based chromosome imaging system. © 2014 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The HADDOCK2.2 Web Server: User-Friendly Integrative Modeling of Biomolecular Complexes.

PubMed

van Zundert, G C P; Rodrigues, J P G L M; Trellet, M; Schmitz, C; Kastritis, P L; Karaca, E; Melquiond, A S J; van Dijk, M; de Vries, S J; Bonvin, A M J J

2016-02-22

The prediction of the quaternary structure of biomolecular macromolecules is of paramount importance for fundamental understanding of cellular processes and drug design. In the era of integrative structural biology, one way of increasing the accuracy of modeling methods used to predict the structure of biomolecular complexes is to include as much experimental or predictive information as possible in the process. This has been at the core of our information-driven docking approach HADDOCK. We present here the updated version 2.2 of the HADDOCK portal, which offers new features such as support for mixed molecule types, additional experimental restraints and improved protocols, all of this in a user-friendly interface. With well over 6000 registered users and 108,000 jobs served, an increasing fraction of which on grid resources, we hope that this timely upgrade will help the community to solve important biological questions and further advance the field. The HADDOCK2.2 Web server is freely accessible to non-profit users at http://haddock.science.uu.nl/services/HADDOCK2.2. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

RNAstructure: software for RNA secondary structure prediction and analysis.

PubMed

Reuter, Jessica S; Mathews, David H

2010-03-15

To understand an RNA sequence's mechanism of action, the structure must be known. Furthermore, target RNA structure is an important consideration in the design of small interfering RNAs and antisense DNA oligonucleotides. RNA secondary structure prediction, using thermodynamics, can be used to develop hypotheses about the structure of an RNA sequence. RNAstructure is a software package for RNA secondary structure prediction and analysis. It uses thermodynamics and utilizes the most recent set of nearest neighbor parameters from the Turner group. It includes methods for secondary structure prediction (using several algorithms), prediction of base pair probabilities, bimolecular structure prediction, and prediction of a structure common to two sequences. This contribution describes new extensions to the package, including a library of C++ classes for incorporation into other programs, a user-friendly graphical user interface written in JAVA, and new Unix-style text interfaces. The original graphical user interface for Microsoft Windows is still maintained. The extensions to RNAstructure serve to make RNA secondary structure prediction user-friendly. The package is available for download from the Mathews lab homepage at http://rna.urmc.rochester.edu/RNAstructure.html.

Evaluating PLATO: postgraduate teaching and learning online.

PubMed

Brown, Menna; Bullock, Alison

2014-02-01

  The use of the Internet as a teaching medium has increased rapidly over the last decade. PLATO (postgraduate learning and teaching online) was launched in 2008 by the e-learning unit (ELU) of Wales Deanery. Located within Learning@NHSWales, a Moodle virtual learning environment (VLE), it hosts a wide range of freely available courses and resources tailored to support the education, training and continuing professional development (CPD) needs of health care professionals working across the National Health Service (NHS) Wales. The evaluation aimed to identify the costs and benefits of PLATO, report its value as attributed by users, identify potential cost savings and make recommendations.   Five courses (case studies) were selected, representing the range of available e-learning resources: e-induction; fetal heart monitoring; cervical screening; GP prospective trainers; and tools for trainers. Mixed methods were used: one-to-one qualitative interviews, focus group discussions and surveys explored user views, and identified individual and organisational value.   Qualitative findings identified six key areas of value for users: ELU support and guidance; avoidance of duplication and standardisation; central reference; local control; flexibility for learners; and specific features. Survey results (n=72) indicated 72 per cent of consultants reported that PLATO was easy to access and user friendly. E-learning was rated as 'very/important' for CPD by 79 per cent of respondents. Key challenges were: access, navigation, user concerns, awareness and support.   PLATO supports education and helps deliver UK General Medical Council standards. Future plans should address the suggested recommendations to realise cost savings for NHS Wales and the Wales Deanery. The findings have wider applicability to others developing or using VLEs. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

EarthScope's Education, Outreach, and Communications: Using Social Media from Continental to Global Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohon, W.; Frus, R.; Arrowsmith, R.; Fouch, M. J.; Garnero, E. J.; Semken, S. C.; Taylor, W. L.

2011-12-01

Social media has emerged as a popular and effective form of communication among all age groups, with nearly half of Internet users belonging to a social network or using another form of social media on a regular basis. This phenomenon creates an excellent opportunity for earth science organizations to use the wide reach, functionality and informal environment of social media platforms to disseminate important scientific information, create brand recognition, and establish trust with users. Further, social media systems can be utilized for missions of education, outreach, and communicating important timely information (e.g., news agencies are common users). They are eminently scaleable (thus serving from a few to millions of users with no cost and no performance problem), searchable (people are turning to them more frequently as conduits for information), and user friendly (thanks to the massive resources poured into the underlying technology and design, these systems are easy to use and have been widely adopted). They can be used, therefore, to engage the public interactively with the EarthScope facilities, experiments, and discoveries, and continue the cycle of discussions, experiments, analysis and conclusions that typify scientific advancement. The EarthScope National Office (ESNO) is launching an effort to utilize social media to broaden its impact as a conduit between scientists, facilities, educators, and the public. The ESNO will use the opportunities that social media affords to offer high quality science content in a variety of formats that appeal to social media users of various age groups, including blogs (popular with users 18-29), Facebook and Twitter updates (popular with users ages 18-50), email updates (popular with older adults), and video clips (popular with all age groups). We will monitor the number of "fans" and "friends" on social media and networking pages in order to gauge the increase in the percentage of the user population visiting the site. We will also use existing tools available on social media sites to track the relationships between users who visit or "friend" the site to determine how knowledge of the site is transferred amongst various social, educational or geographic groups. Finally, we will use this information to iteratively improve the variety of content and media on the site to increase our user pool, improve EarthScope recognition, and provide appropriate and user-specific Earth science information, especially for time sensitive events of wide interest such as natural disasters.

The new NCPSS BL19U2 beamline at the SSRF for small-angle X-ray scattering from biological macromolecules in solution.

PubMed

Li, Na; Li, Xiuhong; Wang, Yuzhu; Liu, Guangfeng; Zhou, Ping; Wu, Hongjin; Hong, Chunxia; Bian, Fenggang; Zhang, Rongguang

2016-10-01

The beamline BL19U2 is located in the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) and is its first beamline dedicated to biological material small-angle X-ray scattering (BioSAXS). The electrons come from an undulator which can provide high brilliance for the BL19U2 end stations. A double flat silicon crystal (111) monochromator is used in BL19U2, with a tunable monochromatic photon energy ranging from 7 to 15 keV. To meet the rapidly growing demands of crystallographers, biochemists and structural biologists, the BioSAXS beamline allows manual and automatic sample loading/unloading. A Pilatus 1M detector (Dectris) is employed for data collection, characterized by a high dynamic range and a short readout time. The highly automated data processing pipeline SASFLOW was integrated into BL19U2, with help from the BioSAXS group of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL, Hamburg), which provides a user-friendly interface for data processing. The BL19U2 beamline was officially opened to users in March 2015. To date, feedback from users has been positive and the number of experimental proposals at BL19U2 is increasing. A description of the new BioSAXS beamline and the setup characteristics is given, together with examples of data obtained.

Aspects of Methamphetamine Abuse in Adolescents and Young Adults in a Thuringian County.

PubMed

Dhein, Stefan; Schmelmer, Katrin; Guenther, Julika; Salameh, Aida

2018-06-14

Drug abuse is an increasing problem among young adults in European countries. We wanted to assess the prevalence of methamphetamine and cannabis use in young people and to ask for their socioeconomic, parental and emotional background. All pupils (n = 1,087) in the final class of 3 school types (-general school [in Germany: Hauptschule/Regelschule mit Hauptschulabschluss] class 9, regular school [in Germany: Regelschule] class 10, high school [in Germany: Gymnasium] class 10) and the first 2 classes of the vocational school (in Germany: Berufsschule) in the entire rural district of Altenburger Land, a Thuringian county in Germany with a total of 92,344 inhabitants were asked to fill out a 2-page questionnaire. In all, 920 questionnaires could be finally evaluated (mean age: 16.6 ± 0.07 years; mode value: 16; maximum range: 13-29). In the entire group, 5.81% (33 females, 20 males) reported the use of methamphetamine, while 42.8% stated that they have used it only once, the remaining 57.2% specified that they have used it on a more regular basis, mostly once a month, but 14.2% had used it almost daily. With regard to the socioeconomic background, 55% of the parents of the methamphetamine users were employees and 10% of the parents were in a leading position. This was not different from the non-user group (p = 0.193). Unemployment of the parents was found in 6.5% of the methamphetamine users and in 4.7% of the non-users. Overall, 67.92% had a basic knowledge of the side effects of this drug. In 55.32% of the methamphetamine users, the parents lived alone, were divorced or widowed, while this was only 33.1% in the non-user group. Of all the methamphetamine users, 69% had friends who also consumed the drug, which may give a hint on the impact of a peer group. In the entire group, 29.84% were smokers (female group: 28.47%; male group 31.25%) and 25.5% consumed cannabis. Ecstasy was used by a total of 4.05% and cocaine by 1.53%. No participant mentioned that they have used opiates. Among pupils aged about 16 years nearly 6% reported to have consumed methamphetamine. This group has a middle socioeconomic background. Two factors were strongly associated with methamphetamine usage: a family with only a single parent and friends who were used to taking methamphetamine. The self-perception of users was generally considered to be a disadvantage as compared to the other factors. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Mourning and Grief on Facebook: An Examination of Motivations for Interacting With the Deceased.

PubMed

Willis, Erin; Ferrucci, Patrick

2017-12-01

Facebook not only changed the way we communicate but also the way we mourn and express grief. The social networking site allows users to interact with deceased users' walls after death. This study utilized textual analysis to categorize Facebook posts ( N = 122) on 30 deceased users' walls according to uses and gratifications theory. Most posts were found to be motivated by entertainment, followed by integration and social interaction. Facebook users posted memories, condolences, and interacted with friends and family members in the deceased user's network. Implications and potential future research are discussed.

Using Optimization to Improve Test Planning

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

friendly and to display the output differently, the test and evaluation test schedule optimization model would be a good tool for the test and... evaluation schedulers. 14. SUBJECT TERMS schedule optimization, test planning 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 223 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF...make the input more user-friendly and to display the output differently, the test and evaluation test schedule optimization model would be a good tool

TIGER: A graphically interactive grid system for turbomachinery applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shih, Ming-Hsin; Soni, Bharat K.

1992-01-01

Numerical grid generation algorithm associated with the flow field about turbomachinery geometries is presented. Graphical user interface is developed with FORMS Library to create an interactive, user-friendly working environment. This customized algorithm reduces the man-hours required to generate a grid associated with turbomachinery geometry, as compared to the use of general-purpose grid generation softwares. Bezier curves are utilized both interactively and automatically to accomplish grid line smoothness and orthogonality. Graphical User Interactions are provided in the algorithm, allowing the user to design and manipulate the grid lines with a mouse.

Porting Social Media Contributions with SIOC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bojars, Uldis; Breslin, John G.; Decker, Stefan

Social media sites, including social networking sites, have captured the attention of millions of users as well as billions of dollars in investment and acquisition. To better enable a user's access to multiple sites, portability between social media sites is required in terms of both (1) the personal profiles and friend networks and (2) a user's content objects expressed on each site. This requires representation mechanisms to interconnect both people and objects on the Web in an interoperable, extensible way. The Semantic Web provides the required representation mechanisms for portability between social media sites: it links people and objects to record and represent the heterogeneous ties that bind each to the other. The FOAF (Friend-of-a-Friend) initiative provides a solution to the first requirement, and this paper discusses how the SIOC (Semantically-Interlinked Online Communities) project can address the latter. By using agreed-upon Semantic Web formats like FOAF and SIOC to describe people, content objects, and the connections that bind them together, social media sites can interoperate and provide portable data by appealing to some common semantics. In this paper, we will discuss the application of Semantic Web technology to enhance current social media sites with semantics and to address issues with portability between social media sites. It has been shown that social media sites can serve as rich data sources for SIOC-based applications such as the SIOC Browser, but in the other direction, we will now show how SIOC data can be used to represent and port the diverse social media contributions (SMCs) made by users on heterogeneous sites.

Online patient education and risk assessment: project OPERA from Cancerbackup. Putting inherited breast cancer risk information into context using argumentation theory.

PubMed

Mackay, James; Schulz, Peter; Rubinelli, Sara; Pithers, Andrea

2007-08-01

Many people are concerned about their family history of breast cancer, and are anxious about the possibility of developing breast cancer themselves. The majority of these people are likely not to be at significantly increased risk of developing inherited breast cancer. All women are at risk of developing sporadic breast cancer, and this risk increases with age. This project aims to aid people's understanding of these issues using an interactive online computer programme. The UK National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence has published guidance for the National Health Service on the management of familial breast cancer. That guidance lays down clear criteria for categorising risk level and the appropriate management options. We have developed a user-friendly computer programme named OPERA (online patient education and risk assessment) which captures the individuality of the user's situation in a comprehensive way, and then produces personalised information packages, building on the theoretical framework of argumentation developed by Toulmin [Toulmin S. The uses of argument. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press; 1958]. We will test this programme in a series of pilot studies commencing in 2007. This paper describes the progress of this project to date and focuses on the design of the programme. It is possible to construct a user friendly programme which delivers a personalised information package to individuals who are concerned about their risk of developing breast cancer. This user friendly programme needs to be tested within a series of carefully thought out pilot studies before it is ready for general release and use by the public.

GProX, a user-friendly platform for bioinformatics analysis and visualization of quantitative proteomics data.

PubMed

Rigbolt, Kristoffer T G; Vanselow, Jens T; Blagoev, Blagoy

2011-08-01

Recent technological advances have made it possible to identify and quantify thousands of proteins in a single proteomics experiment. As a result of these developments, the analysis of data has become the bottleneck of proteomics experiment. To provide the proteomics community with a user-friendly platform for comprehensive analysis, inspection and visualization of quantitative proteomics data we developed the Graphical Proteomics Data Explorer (GProX)(1). The program requires no special bioinformatics training, as all functions of GProX are accessible within its graphical user-friendly interface which will be intuitive to most users. Basic features facilitate the uncomplicated management and organization of large data sets and complex experimental setups as well as the inspection and graphical plotting of quantitative data. These are complemented by readily available high-level analysis options such as database querying, clustering based on abundance ratios, feature enrichment tests for e.g. GO terms and pathway analysis tools. A number of plotting options for visualization of quantitative proteomics data is available and most analysis functions in GProX create customizable high quality graphical displays in both vector and bitmap formats. The generic import requirements allow data originating from essentially all mass spectrometry platforms, quantitation strategies and software to be analyzed in the program. GProX represents a powerful approach to proteomics data analysis providing proteomics experimenters with a toolbox for bioinformatics analysis of quantitative proteomics data. The program is released as open-source and can be freely downloaded from the project webpage at http://gprox.sourceforge.net.

GProX, a User-Friendly Platform for Bioinformatics Analysis and Visualization of Quantitative Proteomics Data*

PubMed Central

Rigbolt, Kristoffer T. G.; Vanselow, Jens T.; Blagoev, Blagoy

2011-01-01

Recent technological advances have made it possible to identify and quantify thousands of proteins in a single proteomics experiment. As a result of these developments, the analysis of data has become the bottleneck of proteomics experiment. To provide the proteomics community with a user-friendly platform for comprehensive analysis, inspection and visualization of quantitative proteomics data we developed the Graphical Proteomics Data Explorer (GProX)1. The program requires no special bioinformatics training, as all functions of GProX are accessible within its graphical user-friendly interface which will be intuitive to most users. Basic features facilitate the uncomplicated management and organization of large data sets and complex experimental setups as well as the inspection and graphical plotting of quantitative data. These are complemented by readily available high-level analysis options such as database querying, clustering based on abundance ratios, feature enrichment tests for e.g. GO terms and pathway analysis tools. A number of plotting options for visualization of quantitative proteomics data is available and most analysis functions in GProX create customizable high quality graphical displays in both vector and bitmap formats. The generic import requirements allow data originating from essentially all mass spectrometry platforms, quantitation strategies and software to be analyzed in the program. GProX represents a powerful approach to proteomics data analysis providing proteomics experimenters with a toolbox for bioinformatics analysis of quantitative proteomics data. The program is released as open-source and can be freely downloaded from the project webpage at http://gprox.sourceforge.net. PMID:21602510

Improving the Usability of the User Interface for a Digital Textbook Platform for Elementary-School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Cheolil; Song, Hae-Deok; Lee, Yekyung

2012-01-01

Usability is critical to the development of a user-friendly digital textbook platform interface, yet thorough research on interface development based on usability principles is in short supply. This study addresses that need by looking at usability attributes and corresponding design elements from a learning perspective. The researchers used a…

Trends in EFL Technology and Educational Coding: A Case Study of an Evaluation Application Developed on LiveCode

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uehara, Suwako; Noriega, Edgar Josafat Martinez

2016-01-01

The availability of user-friendly coding software is increasing, yet teachers might hesitate to use this technology to develop for educational needs. This paper discusses studies related to technology for educational uses and introduces an evaluation application being developed. Through questionnaires by student users and open-ended discussion by…

75 FR 25853 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-10

....gov , to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the docket, and...:8080/glas/login.htm . The Web-site will contain a user-friendly data entry interface for recipients to... series of screens containing pull-down menus and text boxes, where users can enter project specific...

OPAC: The Next Generation Placing an Encore Front End onto a SirsiDynix ILS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcin, Susan; Morris, Peter

2008-01-01

Over the last few years, there has been a wealth of materials written and presented on next-generation library catalogs. These next-generation interfaces strive to turn "standard" integrated library systems (ILSs) into more nimble and robust search platforms that offer more user-friendly 2.0 enhancements for users. Rather than abandoning…

ALOG user's manual: A Guide to using the spreadsheet-based artificial log generator

Treesearch

Matthew F. Winn; Philip A. Araman; Randolph H. Wynne

2012-01-01

Computer programs that simulate log sawing can be valuable training tools for sawyers, as well as a means oftesting different sawing patterns. Most available simulation programs rely on diagrammed-log databases, which canbe very costly and time consuming to develop. Artificial Log Generator (ALOG) is a user-friendly Microsoft® Excel®...

Software Products for Temperature Data Reduction of Platinum Resistance Thermometers (PRT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherrod, Jerry K.

1998-01-01

The main objective of this project is to create user-friendly personal computer (PC) software for reduction/analysis of platinum resistance thermometer (PRT) data. Software products were designed and created to help users of PRT data with the tasks of using the Callendar-Van Dusen method. Sample runs are illustrated in this report.

Toward More Critical Reviewing and Analysis of CD-ROM User Software Interfaces.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zink, Steven D.

1991-01-01

Criticizes reviews of library CD-ROM products as being uncritical of the user interface and advocates a more rigorous evaluation, not only to aid potential buyers, but as a way to influence manufacturers. Congressional Information Services' Masterfile 2 is evaluated in the context of Heckel's "Principles of Friendly Software Design." (24…

Developing a Software for Fuzzy Group Decision Support System: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baba, A. Fevzi; Kuscu, Dincer; Han, Kerem

2009-01-01

The complex nature and uncertain information in social problems required the emergence of fuzzy decision support systems in social areas. In this paper, we developed user-friendly Fuzzy Group Decision Support Systems (FGDSS) software. The software can be used for multi-purpose decision making processes. It helps the users determine the main and…

OPTIGRAMI V2 user's guide

Treesearch

Penny S. Lawson; R. Edward Thomas; Elizabeth S Walker

1996-01-01

OPTIGRAMI V2 is a computer program available for IBM persaonl computer with 80286 and higher processors. OPTIGRAMI V2 determines the least-cost lumber grade mix required to produce a given cutting order for clear parts from rough lumber of known grades in a crosscut-first rough mill operation. It is a user-friendly integrated application that includes optimization...

The Antecedents, Objects, and Consequents of User Trust in Location-Based Social Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russo, Paul

2012-01-01

Online social networks provide rich opportunities to interact with friends and other online community members. At the same time, the addition of emerging location-sharing technologies--which broadcast a user's location online, including who they are with and what is happening nearby--is creating new dimensions to the types of interactions…

OPACs in the Clouds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Paula L.; Nero, Muriel D.

2009-01-01

In today's world of instant everything, everyone has been exposed to some form of Web 2.0 technology, and higher education is not exempt from its long reach. Libraries of all types are incorporating Web 2.0 features to attract users as well as to showcase library services. The Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) has become more user-friendly with…

Phaedra, a protocol-driven system for analysis and validation of high-content imaging and flow cytometry.

PubMed

Cornelissen, Frans; Cik, Miroslav; Gustin, Emmanuel

2012-04-01

High-content screening has brought new dimensions to cellular assays by generating rich data sets that characterize cell populations in great detail and detect subtle phenotypes. To derive relevant, reliable conclusions from these complex data, it is crucial to have informatics tools supporting quality control, data reduction, and data mining. These tools must reconcile the complexity of advanced analysis methods with the user-friendliness demanded by the user community. After review of existing applications, we realized the possibility of adding innovative new analysis options. Phaedra was developed to support workflows for drug screening and target discovery, interact with several laboratory information management systems, and process data generated by a range of techniques including high-content imaging, multicolor flow cytometry, and traditional high-throughput screening assays. The application is modular and flexible, with an interface that can be tuned to specific user roles. It offers user-friendly data visualization and reduction tools for HCS but also integrates Matlab for custom image analysis and the Konstanz Information Miner (KNIME) framework for data mining. Phaedra features efficient JPEG2000 compression and full drill-down functionality from dose-response curves down to individual cells, with exclusion and annotation options, cell classification, statistical quality controls, and reporting.

SteinerNet: a web server for integrating ‘omic’ data to discover hidden components of response pathways

PubMed Central

Tuncbag, Nurcan; McCallum, Scott; Huang, Shao-shan Carol; Fraenkel, Ernest

2012-01-01

High-throughput technologies including transcriptional profiling, proteomics and reverse genetics screens provide detailed molecular descriptions of cellular responses to perturbations. However, it is difficult to integrate these diverse data to reconstruct biologically meaningful signaling networks. Previously, we have established a framework for integrating transcriptional, proteomic and interactome data by searching for the solution to the prize-collecting Steiner tree problem. Here, we present a web server, SteinerNet, to make this method available in a user-friendly format for a broad range of users with data from any species. At a minimum, a user only needs to provide a set of experimentally detected proteins and/or genes and the server will search for connections among these data from the provided interactomes for yeast, human, mouse, Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. More advanced users can upload their own interactome data as well. The server provides interactive visualization of the resulting optimal network and downloadable files detailing the analysis and results. We believe that SteinerNet will be useful for researchers who would like to integrate their high-throughput data for a specific condition or cellular response and to find biologically meaningful pathways. SteinerNet is accessible at http://fraenkel.mit.edu/steinernet. PMID:22638579

A design for a ground-based data management system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambird, Barbara A.; Lavine, David

1988-01-01

An initial design for a ground-based data management system which includes intelligent data abstraction and cataloging is described. The large quantity of data on some current and future NASA missions leads to significant problems in providing scientists with quick access to relevant data. Human screening of data for potential relevance to a particular study is time-consuming and costly. Intelligent databases can provide automatic screening when given relevent scientific parameters and constraints. The data management system would provide, at a minimum, information of availability of the range of data, the type available, specific time periods covered together with data quality information, and related sources of data. The system would inform the user about the primary types of screening, analysis, and methods of presentation available to the user. The system would then aid the user with performing the desired tasks, in such a way that the user need only specify the scientific parameters and objectives, and not worry about specific details for running a particular program. The design contains modules for data abstraction, catalog plan abstraction, a user-friendly interface, and expert systems for data handling, data evaluation, and application analysis. The emphasis is on developing general facilities for data representation, description, analysis, and presentation that will be easily used by scientists directly, thus bypassing the knowledge acquisition bottleneck. Expert system technology is used for many different aspects of the data management system, including the direct user interface, the interface to the data analysis routines, and the analysis of instrument status.

Integrating macromolecular X-ray diffraction data with the graphical user interface iMOSFLM

PubMed Central

Powell, Harold R; Battye, T Geoff G; Kontogiannis, Luke; Johnson, Owen; Leslie, Andrew GW

2017-01-01

X-ray crystallography is the overwhelmingly dominant source of structural information for biological macromolecules, providing fundamental insights into biological function. Collection of X-ray diffraction data underlies the technique, and robust and user-friendly software to process the diffraction images makes the technique accessible to a wider range of scientists. iMosflm/MOSFLM (www.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/harry/imosflm) is a software package designed to achieve this goal. The graphical user interface (GUI) version of MOSFLM (called iMosflm) is designed to guide inexperienced users through the steps of data integration, while retaining powerful features for more experienced users. Images from almost all commercially available X-ray detectors can be handled. Although the program only utilizes two-dimensional profile fitting, it can readily integrate data collected in “fine phi-slicing” mode (where the rotation angle per image is less than the crystal mosaic spread by a factor of at least 2) that is commonly employed with modern very fast readout detectors. The graphical user interface provides real-time feedback on the success of the indexing step and the progress of data processing. This feedback includes the ability to monitor detector and crystal parameter refinement and to display the average spot shape in different regions of the detector. Data scaling and merging tasks can be initiated directly from the interface. Using this protocol, a dataset of 360 images with ~2000 reflections per image can be processed in approximately four minutes. PMID:28569763

Technical and economic feasibility of integrated video service by satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Price, K. M.; Kwan, R. K.; White, L. W.; Garlow, R. K.; Henderson, T. R.

1992-01-01

A feasibility study is presented of utilizing modern satellite technology, or more advanced technology, to create a cost-effective, user-friendly, integrated video service, which can provide videophone, video conference, or other equivalent wideband service on demand. A system is described that permits a user to select a desired audience and establish the required links similar to arranging a teleconference by phone. Attention is given to video standards, video traffic scenarios, satellite system architecture, and user costs.

Analyzing Feedback Control Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, Frank H.; Downing, John P.

1987-01-01

Interactive controls analysis (INCA) program developed to provide user-friendly environment for design and analysis of linear control systems, primarily feedback control. Designed for use with both small- and large-order systems. Using interactive-graphics capability, INCA user quickly plots root locus, frequency response, or time response of either continuous-time system or sampled-data system. Configuration and parameters easily changed, allowing user to design compensation networks and perform sensitivity analyses in very convenient manner. Written in Pascal and FORTRAN.

Sensor Network-Based and User-Friendly User Location Discovery for Future Smart Homes.

PubMed

Ahvar, Ehsan; Lee, Gyu Myoung; Han, Son N; Crespi, Noel; Khan, Imran

2016-06-27

User location is crucial context information for future smart homes where many location based services will be proposed. This location necessarily means that User Location Discovery (ULD) will play an important role in future smart homes. Concerns about privacy and the need to carry a mobile or a tag device within a smart home currently make conventional ULD systems uncomfortable for users. Future smart homes will need a ULD system to consider these challenges. This paper addresses the design of such a ULD system for context-aware services in future smart homes stressing the following challenges: (i) users' privacy; (ii) device-/tag-free; and (iii) fault tolerance and accuracy. On the other hand, emerging new technologies, such as the Internet of Things, embedded systems, intelligent devices and machine-to-machine communication, are penetrating into our daily life with more and more sensors available for use in our homes. Considering this opportunity, we propose a ULD system that is capitalizing on the prevalence of sensors for the home while satisfying the aforementioned challenges. The proposed sensor network-based and user-friendly ULD system relies on different types of inexpensive sensors, as well as a context broker with a fuzzy-based decision-maker. The context broker receives context information from different types of sensors and evaluates that data using the fuzzy set theory. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed system by illustrating a use case, utilizing both an analytical model and simulation.

A user-friendly phytoremediation database: creating the searchable database, the users, and the broader implications.

PubMed

Famulari, Stevie; Witz, Kyla

2015-01-01

Designers, students, teachers, gardeners, farmers, landscape architects, architects, engineers, homeowners, and others have uses for the practice of phytoremediation. This research looks at the creation of a phytoremediation database which is designed for ease of use for a non-scientific user, as well as for students in an educational setting ( http://www.steviefamulari.net/phytoremediation ). During 2012, Environmental Artist & Professor of Landscape Architecture Stevie Famulari, with assistance from Kyla Witz, a landscape architecture student, created an online searchable database designed for high public accessibility. The database is a record of research of plant species that aid in the uptake of contaminants, including metals, organic materials, biodiesels & oils, and radionuclides. The database consists of multiple interconnected indexes categorized into common and scientific plant name, contaminant name, and contaminant type. It includes photographs, hardiness zones, specific plant qualities, full citations to the original research, and other relevant information intended to aid those designing with phytoremediation search for potential plants which may be used to address their site's need. The objective of the terminology section is to remove uncertainty for more inexperienced users, and to clarify terms for a more user-friendly experience. Implications of the work, including education and ease of browsing, as well as use of the database in teaching, are discussed.

MareyMap Online: A User-Friendly Web Application and Database Service for Estimating Recombination Rates Using Physical and Genetic Maps.

PubMed

Siberchicot, Aurélie; Bessy, Adrien; Guéguen, Laurent; Marais, Gabriel A B

2017-10-01

Given the importance of meiotic recombination in biology, there is a need to develop robust methods to estimate meiotic recombination rates. A popular approach, called the Marey map approach, relies on comparing genetic and physical maps of a chromosome to estimate local recombination rates. In the past, we have implemented this approach in an R package called MareyMap, which includes many functionalities useful to get reliable recombination rate estimates in a semi-automated way. MareyMap has been used repeatedly in studies looking at the effect of recombination on genome evolution. Here, we propose a simpler user-friendly web service version of MareyMap, called MareyMap Online, which allows a user to get recombination rates from her/his own data or from a publicly available database that we offer in a few clicks. When the analysis is done, the user is asked whether her/his curated data can be placed in the database and shared with other users, which we hope will make meta-analysis on recombination rates including many species easy in the future. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Perceived popularity of adolescents who use weapons in violence and adolescents who only carry weapons.

PubMed

Wallace, Lacey N

2017-01-01

Prior research has found that persistently delinquent youth or more violent youth were less popular than their less delinquent peers (Young, 2013). However, recent research has also found that weapon carrying is associated with being more popular in adolescence (Dijkstra et al., 2010). The present paper examines the perceived popularity of adolescents who carry weapons in comparison to those who both carry and use weapons in acts of violence or threatened violence. Data consist of two waves from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Analyses use OLS regression with lagged predictors. This paper found no differences in number of friends between weapon carriers and weapon users. However, among both male and female gang members, those who did not use or carry weapons (abstainers) named significantly fewer friends than weapon users. Among females, weapon abstainers both named and were named by significantly more people than weapon users. These differences were not observed for males. Implications of these results and directions for future research are discussed.

A user-friendly LabVIEW software platform for grating based X-ray phase-contrast imaging.

PubMed

Wang, Shenghao; Han, Huajie; Gao, Kun; Wang, Zhili; Zhang, Can; Yang, Meng; Wu, Zhao; Wu, Ziyu

2015-01-01

X-ray phase-contrast imaging can provide greatly improved contrast over conventional absorption-based imaging for weakly absorbing samples, such as biological soft tissues and fibre composites. In this study, we introduced an easy and fast way to develop a user-friendly software platform dedicated to the new grating-based X-ray phase-contrast imaging setup at the National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory of the University of Science and Technology of China. The control of 21 motorized stages, of a piezoelectric stage and of an X-ray tube are achieved with this software, it also covers image acquisition with a flat panel detector for automatic phase stepping scan. Moreover, a data post-processing module for signals retrieval and other custom features are in principle available. With a seamless integration of all the necessary functions in one software package, this platform greatly facilitate users' activities during experimental runs with this grating based X-ray phase contrast imaging setup.

The SubCons webserver: A user friendly web interface for state-of-the-art subcellular localization prediction.

PubMed

Salvatore, M; Shu, N; Elofsson, A

2018-01-01

SubCons is a recently developed method that predicts the subcellular localization of a protein. It combines predictions from four predictors using a Random Forest classifier. Here, we present the user-friendly web-interface implementation of SubCons. Starting from a protein sequence, the server rapidly predicts the subcellular localizations of an individual protein. In addition, the server accepts the submission of sets of proteins either by uploading the files or programmatically by using command line WSDL API scripts. This makes SubCons ideal for proteome wide analyses allowing the user to scan a whole proteome in few days. From the web page, it is also possible to download precalculated predictions for several eukaryotic organisms. To evaluate the performance of SubCons we present a benchmark of LocTree3 and SubCons using two recent mass-spectrometry based datasets of mouse and drosophila proteins. The server is available at http://subcons.bioinfo.se/. © 2017 The Protein Society.

How to Create a Web-Ready PDF

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Making EPA's PDF documents accessible (by Section 508 standards) and user-friendly includes steps such as adding bookmarks, using electronic conversion rather than scanning pages, and adding metadata.

Effectiveness Evaluation of Force Protection Training Using Computer-Based Instruction and X3d Simulation

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

behavior libraries selection box, Savage Tactics behavior sub-folder and hostile behavior sub-folder that contains the behavior that is being assigned to...21) applications. The interface allows users to select models (locations, friendly assets, hostile assets, neutral assets, etc) that will be used in...altitude, etc.) for each model and define their behaviors (friendly patrol craft, hostile explosive-laden vessel, etc). Once the models and their

Constructing Pairing-Friendly Elliptic Curves under Embedding Degree 1 for Securing Critical Infrastructures.

PubMed

Wang, Maocai; Dai, Guangming; Choo, Kim-Kwang Raymond; Jayaraman, Prem Prakash; Ranjan, Rajiv

2016-01-01

Information confidentiality is an essential requirement for cyber security in critical infrastructure. Identity-based cryptography, an increasingly popular branch of cryptography, is widely used to protect the information confidentiality in the critical infrastructure sector due to the ability to directly compute the user's public key based on the user's identity. However, computational requirements complicate the practical application of Identity-based cryptography. In order to improve the efficiency of identity-based cryptography, this paper presents an effective method to construct pairing-friendly elliptic curves with low hamming weight 4 under embedding degree 1. Based on the analysis of the Complex Multiplication(CM) method, the soundness of our method to calculate the characteristic of the finite field is proved. And then, three relative algorithms to construct pairing-friendly elliptic curve are put forward. 10 elliptic curves with low hamming weight 4 under 160 bits are presented to demonstrate the utility of our approach. Finally, the evaluation also indicates that it is more efficient to compute Tate pairing with our curves, than that of Bertoni et al.

Clinical audit TV.

PubMed

2010-09-02

The Clinical Audit Support Centre supports audit projects that improve patient care and enhance service delivery. Its staff work with healthcare and other professionals to deliver practical and user-friendly, quality-improvement materials.

Holy Trinity of Instrumentation Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uršič, Rok; Šolar, Borut

2004-11-01

Being user friendly should be the main guidance, beside the self-understood high performance, in today's instrumentation development. Here we identify three components of the user-friendly policy: the all-in-one concept, customization, and connectivity. All-in-one is the concept of unification of various building blocks and thus various functionalities in one product. The customization is enabled by the product's reconfigurability that allows a product to grow and support new requirements and applications without changing hardware. The consequence of the two is the capacity of the single instrument to perform a variety of tasks that before were split among different devices. The last of the three is connectivity that improves the relationship between controls and beam diagnostics, brings out-of-the-crate freedom, and opens unforeseen possibilities for intra-accelerator cooperation and remote technical support.

A 3D ultrasound scanner: real time filtering and rendering algorithms.

PubMed

Cifarelli, D; Ruggiero, C; Brusacà, M; Mazzarella, M

1997-01-01

The work described here has been carried out within a collaborative project between DIST and ESAOTE BIOMEDICA aiming to set up a new ultrasonic scanner performing 3D reconstruction. A system is being set up to process and display 3D ultrasonic data in a fast, economical and user friendly way to help the physician during diagnosis. A comparison is presented among several algorithms for digital filtering, data segmentation and rendering for real time, PC based, three-dimensional reconstruction from B-mode ultrasonic biomedical images. Several algorithms for digital filtering have been compared as relates to processing time and to final image quality. Three-dimensional data segmentation techniques and rendering has been carried out with special reference to user friendly features for foreseeable applications and reconstruction speed.

Political science. Exposure to ideologically diverse news and opinion on Facebook.

PubMed

Bakshy, Eytan; Messing, Solomon; Adamic, Lada A

2015-06-05

Exposure to news, opinion, and civic information increasingly occurs through social media. How do these online networks influence exposure to perspectives that cut across ideological lines? Using deidentified data, we examined how 10.1 million U.S. Facebook users interact with socially shared news. We directly measured ideological homophily in friend networks and examined the extent to which heterogeneous friends could potentially expose individuals to cross-cutting content. We then quantified the extent to which individuals encounter comparatively more or less diverse content while interacting via Facebook's algorithmically ranked News Feed and further studied users' choices to click through to ideologically discordant content. Compared with algorithmic ranking, individuals' choices played a stronger role in limiting exposure to cross-cutting content. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Proteomics to go: Proteomatic enables the user-friendly creation of versatile MS/MS data evaluation workflows.

PubMed

Specht, Michael; Kuhlgert, Sebastian; Fufezan, Christian; Hippler, Michael

2011-04-15

We present Proteomatic, an operating system independent and user-friendly platform that enables the construction and execution of MS/MS data evaluation pipelines using free and commercial software. Required external programs such as for peptide identification are downloaded automatically in the case of free software. Due to a strict separation of functionality and presentation, and support for multiple scripting languages, new processing steps can be added easily. Proteomatic is implemented in C++/Qt, scripts are implemented in Ruby, Python and PHP. All source code is released under the LGPL. Source code and installers for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux are freely available at http://www.proteomatic.org. michael.specht@uni-muenster.de Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Reassessing Escherichia coli as a cell factory for biofuel production.

PubMed

Wang, Chonglong; Pfleger, Brian F; Kim, Seon-Won

2017-06-01

Via metabolic engineering, industrial microorganisms have the potential to convert renewable substrates into a wide range of biofuels that can address energy security and environmental challenges associated with current fossil fuels. The user-friendly bacterium, Escherichia coli, remains one of the most frequently used hosts for demonstrating production of biofuel candidates including alcohol-, fatty acid- and terpenoid-based biofuels. In this review, we summarize the metabolic pathways for synthesis of these biofuels and assess enabling technologies that assist in regulating biofuel synthesis pathways and rapidly assembling novel E. coli strains. These advances maintain E. coli's position as a prominent host for developing cell factories for biofuel production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring medical undergraduates' perceptions of the educational value of a novel ENT iBook: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Al-Hussaini, Ali; Tomkinson, Alun

2016-01-01

Undergraduate otolaryngology exposure is limited. It may be consolidated by the use of an iBook as a self-study tool. Following invitation to participate by email, five focus groups were formed, each consisting of six medical students (18 female, 12 male, median age 23 years). The focus group transcripts were imported to the qualitative data analysis software NVivo (QSR International, UK). The iBook was found to have a clear and consistent presentation, and a focused and user-friendly style, with reasonable interactivity and a good range of well-integrated media elements. It was, overall, perceived to be a valuable educational resource by the medical students.

Kadenza: Kepler/K2 Raw Cadence Data Reader

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barentsen, Geert; Cardoso, José Vinícius de Miranda

2018-03-01

Kadenza enables time-critical data analyses to be carried out using NASA's Kepler Space Telescope. It enables users to convert Kepler's raw data files into user-friendly Target Pixel Files upon downlink from the spacecraft. The primary motivation for this tool is to enable the microlensing, supernova, and exoplanet communities to create quicklook lightcurves for transient events which require rapid follow-up.

Responsible Management and Use of a Personal Take-Home Naloxone Supply: A Pilot Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McAuley, Andrew; Lindsay, George; Woods, Maureen; Louttit, Derek

2010-01-01

Aims: To assess if Scottish drug users, their family and friends could be trained in critical incident management and the safe and effective administration of naloxone. The project also sought to monitor whether drug users can manage their own personal take-home naloxone (THN) supply and use it appropriately in an emergency opiate overdose…

visnormsc: A Graphical User Interface to Normalize Single-cell RNA Sequencing Data.

PubMed

Tang, Lijun; Zhou, Nan

2017-12-26

Single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) allows the analysis of gene expression with high resolution. The intrinsic defects of this promising technology imports technical noise into the single-cell RNA-seq data, increasing the difficulty of accurate downstream inference. Normalization is a crucial step in single-cell RNA-seq data pre-processing. SCnorm is an accurate and efficient method that can be used for this purpose. An R implementation of this method is currently available. On one hand, the R package possesses many excellent features from R. On the other hand, R programming ability is required, which prevents the biologists who lack the skills from learning to use it quickly. To make this method more user-friendly, we developed a graphical user interface, visnormsc, for normalization of single-cell RNA-seq data. It is implemented in Python and is freely available at https://github.com/solo7773/visnormsc . Although visnormsc is based on the existing method, it contributes to this field by offering a user-friendly alternative. The out-of-the-box and cross-platform features make visnormsc easy to learn and to use. It is expected to serve biologists by simplifying single-cell RNA-seq normalization.

WHAM!: a web-based visualization suite for user-defined analysis of metagenomic shotgun sequencing data.

PubMed

Devlin, Joseph C; Battaglia, Thomas; Blaser, Martin J; Ruggles, Kelly V

2018-06-25

Exploration of large data sets, such as shotgun metagenomic sequence or expression data, by biomedical experts and medical professionals remains as a major bottleneck in the scientific discovery process. Although tools for this purpose exist for 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing analysis, there is a growing but still insufficient number of user-friendly interactive visualization workflows for easy data exploration and figure generation. The development of such platforms for this purpose is necessary to accelerate and streamline microbiome laboratory research. We developed the Workflow Hub for Automated Metagenomic Exploration (WHAM!) as a web-based interactive tool capable of user-directed data visualization and statistical analysis of annotated shotgun metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data sets. WHAM! includes exploratory and hypothesis-based gene and taxa search modules for visualizing differences in microbial taxa and gene family expression across experimental groups, and for creating publication quality figures without the need for command line interface or in-house bioinformatics. WHAM! is an interactive and customizable tool for downstream metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analysis providing a user-friendly interface allowing for easy data exploration by microbiome and ecological experts to facilitate discovery in multi-dimensional and large-scale data sets.

Social networking in online support groups for health: how online social networking benefits patients.

PubMed

Chung, Jae Eun

2014-01-01

An increasing number of online support groups (OSGs) have embraced the features of social networking. So far, little is known about how patients use and benefit from these features. By implementing the uses-and-gratifications framework, the author conducted an online survey with current users of OSGs to examine associations among motivation, use of specific features of OSG, and support outcomes. Findings suggest that OSG users make selective use of varied features depending on their needs, and that perceptions of receiving emotional and informational support are associated more with the use of some features than others. For example, those with strong motivation for social interaction use diverse features of OSG and make one-to-one connections with other users by friending. In contrast, those with strong motivation for information seeking limit their use primarily to discussion boards. Results also show that online social networking features, such as friending and sharing of personal stories on blogs, are helpful in satisfying the need for emotional support. The present study sheds light on online social networking features in the context of health-related OSGs and provides practical lessons on how to improve the capacity of OSGs to serve the needs of their users.

User's guide to resin infusion simulation program in the FORTRAN language

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weideman, Mark H.; Hammond, Vince H.; Loos, Alfred C.

1992-01-01

RTMCL is a user friendly computer code which simulates the manufacture of fabric composites by the resin infusion process. The computer code is based on the process simulation model described in reference 1. Included in the user's guide is a detailed step by step description of how to run the program and enter and modify the input data set. Sample input and output files are included along with an explanation of the results. Finally, a complete listing of the program is provided.

Data base management system and display software for the National Geophysical Data Center geomagnetic CD-ROM's

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Papitashvili, N. E.; Papitashvili, V. O.; Allen, J. H.; Morris, L. D.

1995-01-01

The National Geophysical Data Center has the largest collection of geomagnetic data from the worldwide network of magnetic observatories. The data base management system and retrieval/display software have been developed for the archived geomagnetic data (annual means, monthly, daily, hourly, and 1-minute values) and placed on the center's CD-ROM's to provide users with 'user-oriented' and 'user-friendly' support. This system is described in this paper with a brief outline of provided options.

A Menu-Driven Interface to Unix-Based Resources

PubMed Central

Evans, Elizabeth A.

1989-01-01

Unix has often been overlooked in the past as a viable operating system for anyone other than computer scientists. Its terseness, non-mnemonic nature of the commands, and the lack of user-friendly software to run under it are but a few of the user-related reasons which have been cited. It is, nevertheless, the operating system of choice in many cases. This paper describes a menu-driven interface to Unix which provides user-friendlier access to the software resources available on the computers running under Unix.

Characterizing Sleep Issues Using Twitter.

PubMed

McIver, David J; Hawkins, Jared B; Chunara, Rumi; Chatterjee, Arnaub K; Bhandari, Aman; Fitzgerald, Timothy P; Jain, Sachin H; Brownstein, John S

2015-06-08

Sleep issues such as insomnia affect over 50 million Americans and can lead to serious health problems, including depression and obesity, and can increase risk of injury. Social media platforms such as Twitter offer exciting potential for their use in studying and identifying both diseases and social phenomenon. Our aim was to determine whether social media can be used as a method to conduct research focusing on sleep issues. Twitter posts were collected and curated to determine whether a user exhibited signs of sleep issues based on the presence of several keywords in tweets such as insomnia, "can't sleep", Ambien, and others. Users whose tweets contain any of the keywords were designated as having self-identified sleep issues (sleep group). Users who did not have self-identified sleep issues (non-sleep group) were selected from tweets that did not contain pre-defined words or phrases used as a proxy for sleep issues. User data such as number of tweets, friends, followers, and location were collected, as well as the time and date of tweets. Additionally, the sentiment of each tweet and average sentiment of each user were determined to investigate differences between non-sleep and sleep groups. It was found that sleep group users were significantly less active on Twitter (P=.04), had fewer friends (P<.001), and fewer followers (P<.001) compared to others, after adjusting for the length of time each user's account has been active. Sleep group users were more active during typical sleeping hours than others, which may suggest they were having difficulty sleeping. Sleep group users also had significantly lower sentiment in their tweets (P<.001), indicating a possible relationship between sleep and pyschosocial issues. We have demonstrated a novel method for studying sleep issues that allows for fast, cost-effective, and customizable data to be gathered.

Comparing Text-based and Graphic User Interfaces for Novice and Expert Users

PubMed Central

Chen, Jung-Wei; Zhang, Jiajie

2007-01-01

Graphic User Interface (GUI) is commonly considered to be superior to Text-based User Interface (TUI). This study compares GUI and TUI in an electronic dental record system. Several usability analysis techniques compared the relative effectiveness of a GUI and a TUI. Expert users and novice users were evaluated in time required and steps needed to complete the task. A within-subject design was used to evaluate if the experience with either interface will affect task performance. The results show that the GUI interface was not better than the TUI for expert users. GUI interface was better for novice users. For novice users there was a learning transfer effect from TUI to GUI. This means a user interface is user-friendly or not depending on the mapping between the user interface and tasks. GUI by itself may or may not be better than TUI. PMID:18693811

Comparing Text-based and Graphic User Interfaces for novice and expert users.

PubMed

Chen, Jung-Wei; Zhang, Jiajie

2007-10-11

Graphic User Interface (GUI) is commonly considered to be superior to Text-based User Interface (TUI). This study compares GUI and TUI in an electronic dental record system. Several usability analysis techniques compared the relative effectiveness of a GUI and a TUI. Expert users and novice users were evaluated in time required and steps needed to complete the task. A within-subject design was used to evaluate if the experience with either interface will affect task performance. The results show that the GUI interface was not better than the TUI for expert users. GUI interface was better for novice users. For novice users there was a learning transfer effect from TUI to GUI. This means a user interface is user-friendly or not depending on the mapping between the user interface and tasks. GUI by itself may or may not be better than TUI.

Modeling Vortex Generators in the Wind-US Code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dudek, Julianne C.

2010-01-01

A source term model which simulates the effects of vortex generators was implemented into the Wind-US Navier Stokes code. The source term added to the Navier-Stokes equations simulates the lift force which would result from a vane-type vortex generator in the flowfield. The implementation is user-friendly, requiring the user to specify only three quantities for each desired vortex generator: the range of grid points over which the force is to be applied and the planform area and angle of incidence of the physical vane. The model behavior was evaluated for subsonic flow in a rectangular duct with a single vane vortex generator, supersonic flow in a rectangular duct with a counterrotating vortex generator pair, and subsonic flow in an S-duct with 22 co-rotating vortex generators. The validation results indicate that the source term vortex generator model provides a useful tool for screening vortex generator configurations and gives comparable results to solutions computed using a gridded vane.

Speckle-based portable device for in-situ metrology of x-ray mirrors at Diamond Light Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hongchang; Kashyap, Yogesh; Zhou, Tunhe; Sawhney, Kawal

2017-09-01

For modern synchrotron light sources, the push toward diffraction-limited and coherence-preserved beams demands accurate metrology on X-ray optics. Moreover, it is important to perform in-situ characterization and optimization of X-ray mirrors since their ultimate performance is critically dependent on the working conditions. Therefore, it is highly desirable to develop a portable metrology device, which can be easily implemented on a range of beamlines for in-situ metrology. An X-ray speckle-based portable device for in-situ metrology of synchrotron X-ray mirrors has been developed at Diamond Light Source. Ultra-high angular sensitivity is achieved by scanning the speckle generator in the X-ray beam. In addition to the compact setup and ease of implementation, a user-friendly graphical user interface has been developed to ensure that characterization and alignment of X-ray mirrors is simple and fast. The functionality and feasibility of this device is presented with representative examples.

Status and future of the 3D MAFIA group of codes

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

Ebeling, F.; Klatt, R.; Krawzcyk, F.

1988-12-01

The group of fully three dimensional computer codes for solving Maxwell's equations for a wide range of applications, MAFIA, is already well established. Extensive comparisons with measurements have demonstrated the accuracy of the computations. A large numer of components have been designed for accelerators, such as kicker magnets, non cyclindrical cavities, ferrite loaded cavities, vacuum chambers with slots and transitions, etc. The latest additions to the system include a new static solver that can calculate 3D magneto- and electrostatic fields, and a self consistent version of the 2D-BCI that solves the field equations and the equations of motion in parallel.more » Work on new eddy current modules has started, which will allow treatment of laminated and/or solid iron cores excited by low frequency currents. Based on our experience with the present releases 1 and 2, we have started a complete revision of the whole user interface and data structure, which will make the codes even more user-friendly and flexible.« less

A user-friendly technical set-up for infrared photography of forensic findings.

PubMed

Rost, Thomas; Kalberer, Nicole; Scheurer, Eva

2017-09-01

Infrared photography is interesting for a use in forensic science and forensic medicine since it reveals findings that normally are almost invisible to the human eye. Originally, infrared photography has been made possible by the placement of an infrared light transmission filter screwed in front of the camera objective lens. However, this set-up is associated with many drawbacks such as the loss of the autofocus function, the need of an external infrared source, and long exposure times which make the use of a tripod necessary. These limitations prevented up to now the routine application of infrared photography in forensics. In this study the use of a professional modification inside the digital camera body was evaluated regarding camera handling and image quality. This permanent modification consisted of the replacement of the in-built infrared blocking filter by an infrared transmission filter of 700nm and 830nm, respectively. The application of this camera set-up for the photo-documentation of forensically relevant post-mortem findings was investigated in examples of trace evidence such as gunshot residues on the skin, in external findings, e.g. hematomas, as well as in an exemplary internal finding, i.e., Wischnewski spots in a putrefied stomach. The application of scattered light created by indirect flashlight yielded a more uniform illumination of the object, and the use of the 700nm filter resulted in better pictures than the 830nm filter. Compared to pictures taken under visible light, infrared photographs generally yielded better contrast. This allowed for discerning more details and revealed findings which were not visible otherwise, such as imprints on a fabric and tattoos in mummified skin. The permanent modification of a digital camera by building in a 700nm infrared transmission filter resulted in a user-friendly and efficient set-up which qualified for the use in daily forensic routine. Main advantages were a clear picture in the viewfinder, an auto-focus usable over the whole range of infrared light, and the possibility of using short shutter speeds which allows taking infrared pictures free-hand. The proposed set-up with a modification of the camera allows a user-friendly application of infrared photography in post-mortem settings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

CloudDOE: a user-friendly tool for deploying Hadoop clouds and analyzing high-throughput sequencing data with MapReduce.

PubMed

Chung, Wei-Chun; Chen, Chien-Chih; Ho, Jan-Ming; Lin, Chung-Yen; Hsu, Wen-Lian; Wang, Yu-Chun; Lee, D T; Lai, Feipei; Huang, Chih-Wei; Chang, Yu-Jung

2014-01-01

Explosive growth of next-generation sequencing data has resulted in ultra-large-scale data sets and ensuing computational problems. Cloud computing provides an on-demand and scalable environment for large-scale data analysis. Using a MapReduce framework, data and workload can be distributed via a network to computers in the cloud to substantially reduce computational latency. Hadoop/MapReduce has been successfully adopted in bioinformatics for genome assembly, mapping reads to genomes, and finding single nucleotide polymorphisms. Major cloud providers offer Hadoop cloud services to their users. However, it remains technically challenging to deploy a Hadoop cloud for those who prefer to run MapReduce programs in a cluster without built-in Hadoop/MapReduce. We present CloudDOE, a platform-independent software package implemented in Java. CloudDOE encapsulates technical details behind a user-friendly graphical interface, thus liberating scientists from having to perform complicated operational procedures. Users are guided through the user interface to deploy a Hadoop cloud within in-house computing environments and to run applications specifically targeted for bioinformatics, including CloudBurst, CloudBrush, and CloudRS. One may also use CloudDOE on top of a public cloud. CloudDOE consists of three wizards, i.e., Deploy, Operate, and Extend wizards. Deploy wizard is designed to aid the system administrator to deploy a Hadoop cloud. It installs Java runtime environment version 1.6 and Hadoop version 0.20.203, and initiates the service automatically. Operate wizard allows the user to run a MapReduce application on the dashboard list. To extend the dashboard list, the administrator may install a new MapReduce application using Extend wizard. CloudDOE is a user-friendly tool for deploying a Hadoop cloud. Its smart wizards substantially reduce the complexity and costs of deployment, execution, enhancement, and management. Interested users may collaborate to improve the source code of CloudDOE to further incorporate more MapReduce bioinformatics tools into CloudDOE and support next-generation big data open source tools, e.g., Hadoop BigTop and Spark. CloudDOE is distributed under Apache License 2.0 and is freely available at http://clouddoe.iis.sinica.edu.tw/.

CloudDOE: A User-Friendly Tool for Deploying Hadoop Clouds and Analyzing High-Throughput Sequencing Data with MapReduce

PubMed Central

Chung, Wei-Chun; Chen, Chien-Chih; Ho, Jan-Ming; Lin, Chung-Yen; Hsu, Wen-Lian; Wang, Yu-Chun; Lee, D. T.; Lai, Feipei; Huang, Chih-Wei; Chang, Yu-Jung

2014-01-01

Background Explosive growth of next-generation sequencing data has resulted in ultra-large-scale data sets and ensuing computational problems. Cloud computing provides an on-demand and scalable environment for large-scale data analysis. Using a MapReduce framework, data and workload can be distributed via a network to computers in the cloud to substantially reduce computational latency. Hadoop/MapReduce has been successfully adopted in bioinformatics for genome assembly, mapping reads to genomes, and finding single nucleotide polymorphisms. Major cloud providers offer Hadoop cloud services to their users. However, it remains technically challenging to deploy a Hadoop cloud for those who prefer to run MapReduce programs in a cluster without built-in Hadoop/MapReduce. Results We present CloudDOE, a platform-independent software package implemented in Java. CloudDOE encapsulates technical details behind a user-friendly graphical interface, thus liberating scientists from having to perform complicated operational procedures. Users are guided through the user interface to deploy a Hadoop cloud within in-house computing environments and to run applications specifically targeted for bioinformatics, including CloudBurst, CloudBrush, and CloudRS. One may also use CloudDOE on top of a public cloud. CloudDOE consists of three wizards, i.e., Deploy, Operate, and Extend wizards. Deploy wizard is designed to aid the system administrator to deploy a Hadoop cloud. It installs Java runtime environment version 1.6 and Hadoop version 0.20.203, and initiates the service automatically. Operate wizard allows the user to run a MapReduce application on the dashboard list. To extend the dashboard list, the administrator may install a new MapReduce application using Extend wizard. Conclusions CloudDOE is a user-friendly tool for deploying a Hadoop cloud. Its smart wizards substantially reduce the complexity and costs of deployment, execution, enhancement, and management. Interested users may collaborate to improve the source code of CloudDOE to further incorporate more MapReduce bioinformatics tools into CloudDOE and support next-generation big data open source tools, e.g., Hadoop BigTop and Spark. Availability: CloudDOE is distributed under Apache License 2.0 and is freely available at http://clouddoe.iis.sinica.edu.tw/. PMID:24897343

VTGRAPH - GRAPHIC SOFTWARE TOOL FOR VT TERMINALS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, C.

1994-01-01

VTGRAPH is a graphics software tool for DEC/VT or VT compatible terminals which are widely used by government and industry. It is a FORTRAN or C-language callable library designed to allow the user to deal with many computer environments which use VT terminals for window management and graphic systems. It also provides a PLOT10-like package plus color or shade capability for VT240, VT241, and VT300 terminals. The program is transportable to many different computers which use VT terminals. With this graphics package, the user can easily design more friendly user interface programs and design PLOT10 programs on VT terminals with different computer systems. VTGRAPH was developed using the ReGis Graphics set which provides a full range of graphics capabilities. The basic VTGRAPH capabilities are as follows: window management, PLOT10 compatible drawing, generic program routines for two and three dimensional plotting, and color graphics or shaded graphics capability. The program was developed in VAX FORTRAN in 1988. VTGRAPH requires a ReGis graphics set terminal and a FORTRAN compiler. The program has been run on a DEC MicroVAX 3600 series computer operating under VMS 5.0, and has a virtual memory requirement of 5KB.

The development of a clinical outcomes survey research application: Assessment Center.

PubMed

Gershon, Richard; Rothrock, Nan E; Hanrahan, Rachel T; Jansky, Liz J; Harniss, Mark; Riley, William

2010-06-01

The National Institutes of Health sponsored Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) aimed to create item banks and computerized adaptive tests (CATs) across multiple domains for individuals with a range of chronic diseases. Web-based software was created to enable a researcher to create study-specific Websites that could administer PROMIS CATs and other instruments to research participants or clinical samples. This paper outlines the process used to develop a user-friendly, free, Web-based resource (Assessment Center) for storage, retrieval, organization, sharing, and administration of patient-reported outcomes (PRO) instruments. Joint Application Design (JAD) sessions were conducted with representatives from numerous institutions in order to supply a general wish list of features. Use Cases were then written to ensure that end user expectations matched programmer specifications. Program development included daily programmer "scrum" sessions, weekly Usability Acceptability Testing (UAT) and continuous Quality Assurance (QA) activities pre- and post-release. Assessment Center includes features that promote instrument development including item histories, data management, and storage of statistical analysis results. This case study of software development highlights the collection and incorporation of user input throughout the development process. Potential future applications of Assessment Center in clinical research are discussed.

Optimising adherence to childhood pneumonia treatment: the design and development of patient instructions and a job aid for amoxicillin dispersible tablets.

PubMed

Ebels, Kelly; Faulx, Dunia; Gerth-Guyette, Emily; Murunga, Peninah; Mahapatro, Samarendra; Das, Manoja Kumar; Ginsburg, Amy Sarah

2016-01-01

Pneumonia is the leading cause of death from infection in children worldwide. Despite global treatment recommendations that call for children with pneumonia to receive amoxicillin dispersible tablets, only one-third of children with pneumonia receive any antibiotics and many do not complete the full course of treatment. Poor adherence to antibiotics may be driven in part by a lack of user-friendly treatment instructions. In order to optimise childhood pneumonia treatment adherence at the community level, we developed a user-friendly product presentation for caregivers and a job aid for healthcare providers (HCPs). This paper aims to document the development process and offers a model for future health communication tools. We employed an iterative design process that included document review, key stakeholder interviews, engagement with a graphic designer and pre-testing design concepts among target users in India and Kenya. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research were used in the description of results. Though resources for pneumonia treatment are available in some countries, their content is incomplete and inconsistent with global recommendations. Document review and stakeholder interviews provided the information necessary to convey to caregivers and recommendations for how to present this information. Target users in India and Kenya confirmed the need to support better treatment adherence, recommended specific modifications to design concepts and suggested the development of a companion job aid. There was a consensus among caregivers and HCPs that these tools would be helpful and improve adherence behaviours. The development of user-friendly instructions for medications for use in low-resource settings is a critically important but time-intensive and resource-intensive process that should involve engagement with target audiences. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Feasibility of Using Lasers and Infrared Heaters as UNREP Icing Countermeasures

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-12-29

water lance system out of commission, it is likely that the ship’s machine shop could fabricate the necessary parts for temporary repair. No such back...Sturbridge, MA 01566 High powered C02 laser systems and large inductrial machine tools. Coherent Laser Products (800) 527-3786 3210 Porter Drive P.O...friendly LASAG lasers are for user friendly applications The correct Laser Source for a particular in inoustrial apolications. Machining Task Mair

Department of Defense Travel Reengineering Pilot Report to Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-06-01

Electronic Commerce /Electronic Data Interchange (EC/EDI) capabilities to integrate functions. automate edit checks for internal controls, and create user-friendly management tools at all levels of the process.

Modeling cascading failures with the crisis of trust in social networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Chengqi; Bao, Yuanyuan; Jiang, Jingchi; Xue, Yibo

2015-10-01

In social networks, some friends often post or disseminate malicious information, such as advertising messages, informal overseas purchasing messages, illegal messages, or rumors. Too much malicious information may cause a feeling of intense annoyance. When the feeling exceeds a certain threshold, it will lead social network users to distrust these friends, which we call the crisis of trust. The crisis of trust in social networks has already become a universal concern and an urgent unsolved problem. As a result of the crisis of trust, users will cut off their relationships with some of their untrustworthy friends. Once a few of these relationships are made unavailable, it is likely that other friends will decline trust, and a large portion of the social network will be influenced. The phenomenon in which the unavailability of a few relationships will trigger the failure of successive relationships is known as cascading failure dynamics. To our best knowledge, no one has formally proposed cascading failures dynamics with the crisis of trust in social networks. In this paper, we address this potential issue, quantify the trust between two users based on user similarity, and model the minimum tolerance with a nonlinear equation. Furthermore, we construct the processes of cascading failures dynamics by considering the unique features of social networks. Based on real social network datasets (Sina Weibo, Facebook and Twitter), we adopt two attack strategies (the highest trust attack (HT) and the lowest trust attack (LT)) to evaluate the proposed dynamics and to further analyze the changes of the topology, connectivity, cascading time and cascade effect under the above attacks. We numerically find that the sparse and inhomogeneous network structure in our cascading model can better improve the robustness of social networks than the dense and homogeneous structure. However, the network structure that seems like ripples is more vulnerable than the other two network structures. Our findings will be useful in further guiding the construction of social networks to effectively avoid the cascading propagation with the crisis of trust. Some research results can help social network service providers to avoid severe cascading failures.

Critical Friends Protocol: Andragogy and Learning in a Graduate Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storey, Valerie A.; Wang, Victor C. X.

2017-01-01

The Critical Friend is a powerful concept partly due to the inherent tension between a challenging critic and a trusting friend. Originally utilized in the PreK-12 sector in both England and the United States, the application of Critical Friends has expanded across a range of contexts. This article further adds to the Critical Friend literature…

Facebook friends with (health) benefits? Exploring social network site use and perceptions of social support, stress, and well-being.

PubMed

Nabi, Robin L; Prestin, Abby; So, Jiyeon

2013-10-01

There is clear evidence that interpersonal social support impacts stress levels and, in turn, degree of physical illness and psychological well-being. This study examines whether mediated social networks serve the same palliative function. A survey of 401 undergraduate Facebook users revealed that, as predicted, number of Facebook friends associated with stronger perceptions of social support, which in turn associated with reduced stress, and in turn less physical illness and greater well-being. This effect was minimized when interpersonal network size was taken into consideration. However, for those who have experienced many objective life stressors, the number of Facebook friends emerged as the stronger predictor of perceived social support. The "more-friends-the-better" heuristic is proposed as the most likely explanation for these findings.

Spotting Cheetahs: Identifying Individuals by Their Footprints.

PubMed

Jewell, Zoe C; Alibhai, Sky K; Weise, Florian; Munro, Stuart; Van Vuuren, Marlice; Van Vuuren, Rudie

2016-05-01

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is Africa's most endangered large felid and listed as Vulnerable with a declining population trend by the IUCN(1). It ranges widely over sub-Saharan Africa and in parts of the Middle East. Cheetah conservationists face two major challenges, conflict with landowners over the killing of domestic livestock, and concern over range contraction. Understanding of the latter remains particularly poor(2). Namibia is believed to support the largest number of cheetahs of any range country, around 30%, but estimates range from 2,905(3) to 13,520(4). The disparity is likely a result of the different techniques used in monitoring. Current techniques, including invasive tagging with VHF or satellite/GPS collars, can be costly and unreliable. The footprint identification technique(5) is a new tool accessible to both field scientists and also citizens with smartphones, who could potentially augment data collection. The footprint identification technique analyzes digital images of footprints captured according to a standardized protocol. Images are optimized and measured in data visualization software. Measurements of distances, angles, and areas of the footprint images are analyzed using a robust cross-validated pairwise discriminant analysis based on a customized model. The final output is in the form of a Ward's cluster dendrogram. A user-friendly graphic user interface (GUI) allows the user immediate access and clear interpretation of classification results. The footprint identification technique algorithms are species specific because each species has a unique anatomy. The technique runs in a data visualization software, using its own scripting language (jsl) that can be customized for the footprint anatomy of any species. An initial classification algorithm is built from a training database of footprints from that species, collected from individuals of known identity. An algorithm derived from a cheetah of known identity is then able to classify free-ranging cheetahs of unknown identity. The footprint identification technique predicts individual cheetah identity with an accuracy of >90%.

Spotting Cheetahs: Identifying Individuals by Their Footprints

PubMed Central

Jewell, Zoe C.; Alibhai, Sky K.; Weise, Florian; Munro, Stuart; Van Vuuren, Marlice; Van Vuuren, Rudie

2016-01-01

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is Africa's most endangered large felid and listed as Vulnerable with a declining population trend by the IUCN1. It ranges widely over sub-Saharan Africa and in parts of the Middle East. Cheetah conservationists face two major challenges, conflict with landowners over the killing of domestic livestock, and concern over range contraction. Understanding of the latter remains particularly poor2. Namibia is believed to support the largest number of cheetahs of any range country, around 30%, but estimates range from 2,9053 to 13,5204. The disparity is likely a result of the different techniques used in monitoring. Current techniques, including invasive tagging with VHF or satellite/GPS collars, can be costly and unreliable. The footprint identification technique5 is a new tool accessible to both field scientists and also citizens with smartphones, who could potentially augment data collection. The footprint identification technique analyzes digital images of footprints captured according to a standardized protocol. Images are optimized and measured in data visualization software. Measurements of distances, angles, and areas of the footprint images are analyzed using a robust cross-validated pairwise discriminant analysis based on a customized model. The final output is in the form of a Ward's cluster dendrogram. A user-friendly graphic user interface (GUI) allows the user immediate access and clear interpretation of classification results. The footprint identification technique algorithms are species specific because each species has a unique anatomy. The technique runs in a data visualization software, using its own scripting language (jsl) that can be customized for the footprint anatomy of any species. An initial classification algorithm is built from a training database of footprints from that species, collected from individuals of known identity. An algorithm derived from a cheetah of known identity is then able to classify free-ranging cheetahs of unknown identity. The footprint identification technique predicts individual cheetah identity with an accuracy of >90%. PMID:27167035

Sensor Network-Based and User-Friendly User Location Discovery for Future Smart Homes

PubMed Central

Ahvar, Ehsan; Lee, Gyu Myoung; Han, Son N.; Crespi, Noel; Khan, Imran

2016-01-01

User location is crucial context information for future smart homes where many location based services will be proposed. This location necessarily means that User Location Discovery (ULD) will play an important role in future smart homes. Concerns about privacy and the need to carry a mobile or a tag device within a smart home currently make conventional ULD systems uncomfortable for users. Future smart homes will need a ULD system to consider these challenges. This paper addresses the design of such a ULD system for context-aware services in future smart homes stressing the following challenges: (i) users’ privacy; (ii) device-/tag-free; and (iii) fault tolerance and accuracy. On the other hand, emerging new technologies, such as the Internet of Things, embedded systems, intelligent devices and machine-to-machine communication, are penetrating into our daily life with more and more sensors available for use in our homes. Considering this opportunity, we propose a ULD system that is capitalizing on the prevalence of sensors for the home while satisfying the aforementioned challenges. The proposed sensor network-based and user-friendly ULD system relies on different types of inexpensive sensors, as well as a context broker with a fuzzy-based decision-maker. The context broker receives context information from different types of sensors and evaluates that data using the fuzzy set theory. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed system by illustrating a use case, utilizing both an analytical model and simulation. PMID:27355951

Development of interactive graphic user interfaces for modeling reaction-based biogeochemical processes in batch systems with BIOGEOCHEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, C.; Li, M.; Yeh, G.

2010-12-01

The BIOGEOCHEM numerical model (Yeh and Fang, 2002; Fang et al., 2003) was developed with FORTRAN for simulating reaction-based geochemical and biochemical processes with mixed equilibrium and kinetic reactions in batch systems. A complete suite of reactions including aqueous complexation, adsorption/desorption, ion-exchange, redox, precipitation/dissolution, acid-base reactions, and microbial mediated reactions were embodied in this unique modeling tool. Any reaction can be treated as fast/equilibrium or slow/kinetic reaction. An equilibrium reaction is modeled with an implicit finite rate governed by a mass action equilibrium equation or by a user-specified algebraic equation. A kinetic reaction is modeled with an explicit finite rate with an elementary rate, microbial mediated enzymatic kinetics, or a user-specified rate equation. None of the existing models has encompassed this wide array of scopes. To ease the input/output learning curve using the unique feature of BIOGEOCHEM, an interactive graphic user interface was developed with the Microsoft Visual Studio and .Net tools. Several user-friendly features, such as pop-up help windows, typo warning messages, and on-screen input hints, were implemented, which are robust. All input data can be real-time viewed and automated to conform with the input file format of BIOGEOCHEM. A post-processor for graphic visualizations of simulated results was also embedded for immediate demonstrations. By following data input windows step by step, errorless BIOGEOCHEM input files can be created even if users have little prior experiences in FORTRAN. With this user-friendly interface, the time effort to conduct simulations with BIOGEOCHEM can be greatly reduced.

The plant phenological online database (PPODB): an online database for long-term phenological data.

PubMed

Dierenbach, Jonas; Badeck, Franz-W; Schaber, Jörg

2013-09-01

We present an online database that provides unrestricted and free access to over 16 million plant phenological observations from over 8,000 stations in Central Europe between the years 1880 and 2009. Unique features are (1) a flexible and unrestricted access to a full-fledged database, allowing for a wide range of individual queries and data retrieval, (2) historical data for Germany before 1951 ranging back to 1880, and (3) more than 480 curated long-term time series covering more than 100 years for individual phenological phases and plants combined over Natural Regions in Germany. Time series for single stations or Natural Regions can be accessed through a user-friendly graphical geo-referenced interface. The joint databases made available with the plant phenological database PPODB render accessible an important data source for further analyses of long-term changes in phenology. The database can be accessed via www.ppodb.de .

The management of methamphetamine use in sexual settings among men who have sex with men in Malaysia.

PubMed

Lim, Sin How; Akbar, Mohd; Wickersham, Jeffrey A; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Altice, Frederick L

2018-03-28

The intentional use of illicit drugs for sexual purposes (also known as 'chemsex') is well known within the MSM communities in Malaysia although research in this population is scarce primarily because both drug use and homosexuality are illegal and stigmatised in Malaysia. From April to December 2014, interviews were conducted with twenty men (age range 21-43) living in Greater Kuala Lumpur who had sexual intercourse with other men in the past 6 months and who used illicit drugs at least monthly in the past 3 months. Fourteen men were recruited via gay social networking smartphone applications or websites while six were referred by the participants. Data were analsed using thematic analytic approach. The average duration of illicit drug use was 6.4 years (range 1-21) and all participants were using methamphetamine ("ice" or crystal meth) with frequency of use ranged from daily to once a month. Participants came from diverse ethnic, economic, and occupational backgrounds. Most participants used an inhalation apparatus ("bong") to consume methamphetamine and injection was rare in the sample. The primary motivation of methamphetamine use was to increase sexual capacity, heighten sexual pleasure and enhance sexual exploration and adventurism. Socializing with friends ("chilling"), and increased energy for work were secondary motivations. Participants emphasized the need to control the use of methamphetamine and some have established rules to control the amount and duration of use and a minority of men have maintained condom use during anal sex while under the influence of methamphetamine. Participants who professed to be in control of their drug use characterized themselves as functional users regardless of the health and social consequences from continuing use. Overall, participants perceived themselves differently from the traditional opioid users and reported limited access to sexual health and substance use treatment services. There is a need to increase access to HIV prevention services such as PrEP and PEP, professional support, and substance abuse treatment for drug-using MSM. A more open and friendly environment towards drug-using MSM may help them access and engage with the health services. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Formula hybrid SAE.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-09-01

User-friendly tools are needed for undergraduates to learn about component sizing, powertrain integration, and control : strategies for student competitions involving hybrid vehicles. A TK Solver tool was developed at the University of Idaho for : th...

Highway Effects on Vehicle Performance

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-01-01

A user-friendly model for personal computers, "Vehicle/Highway Performance Predictor," was developed to estimate fuel consumption and exhaust emissions related to modes of vehicle operations on highways of various configurations and traffic controls ...

Countdown to a New Library: A Blueprint for Success.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodward, Jeannette

1999-01-01

Focuses on selecting appropriate furnishings, floorings, and surfaces for a new library. Discusses appropriate color schemes; carpeting; protecting wood surfaces with polyurethane, user-friendly furniture, and flexible staff workstations. (AEF)

Internet VSMOKE: A user-oriented system for smoke management

Treesearch

James T. Paul; Alan Dozier; Daniel Chan

2007-01-01

The Georgia Forestry Commission has developed an Internet-based, user friendly version of a USDA Forest Service smoke dispersion model called “VSMOKE.” The program provides an easy to use method to quickly evaluate what areas will likely be impacted by smoke from a wild or prescribed fire. This is particularly important in assessing air quality, public safety and...

The Users of Cable TV Access Channels: A Study of the Diffusion and Adoption of a Communications Innovation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sparkes, Vernone M.

A mail survey of 91 past and present users of the community programing (public access) channels in the Toronto, Canada, area revealed that personal contact is most important in the diffusion of knowledge about access opportunities. Friends and colleagues were the most often cited initial source of information; but contact by the cable company…

Computing Distrust in Social Media

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

trusted friends and they are also likely to accept recommendations from trustworthy users. Therefore we proposed LOCABEL to exploit local and global... trustworthy [52]. To capture global information from trust/distrust, we can use user reputation scores to weight the im- portance of their recommendations...Transactions on, 22(10):1345–1359, 2010. [63] J. B. Rotter. Interpersonal trust, trustworthiness , and gullibility. American psychologist, 35(1):1

The development and validation of measures to assess cooking skills and food skills.

PubMed

Lavelle, Fiona; McGowan, Laura; Hollywood, Lynsey; Surgenor, Dawn; McCloat, Amanda; Mooney, Elaine; Caraher, Martin; Raats, Monique; Dean, Moira

2017-09-02

With the increase use of convenience food and eating outside the home environment being linked to the obesity epidemic, the need to assess and monitor individuals cooking and food skills is key to help intervene where necessary to promote the usage of these skills. Therefore, this research aimed to develop and validate a measure for cooking skills and one for food skills, that are clearly described, relatable, user-friendly, suitable for different types of studies, and applicable across all sociodemographic levels. Two measures were developed in light of the literature and expert opinion and piloted for clarity and ease of use. Following this, four studies were undertaken across different cohorts (including a sample of students, both 'Food preparation novices' and 'Experienced food preparers', and a nationally representative sample) to assess temporal stability, psychometrics, internal consistency reliability and construct validity of both measures. Analysis included T-tests, Pearson's correlations, factor analysis, and Cronbach's alphas, with a significance level of 0.05. Both measures were found to have a significant level of temporal stability (P < 0.001). Factor analysis revealed three factors with eigenvalues over 1, with two items in a third factor outside the two suggested measures. The internal consistency reliability for the cooking skills confidence measure ranged from 0.78 to 0.93 across all cohorts. The food skills confidence measure's Cronbach's alpha's ranged from 0.85 to 0.94. The two measures also showed a high discriminate validity as there were significant differences (P < 0.05 for cooking skills confidence and P < 0.01 for food skills confidence) between Food preparation novices' and 'Experienced food preparers.' The cooking skills confidence measure and the food skills confidence measure have been shown to have a very satisfactory reliability, validity and are consistent over time. Their user-friendly applicability make both measures highly suitable for large scale cross-sectional, longitudinal and intervention studies to assess or monitor cooking and food skills levels and confidence.

The DREO Elint Browser Utility (DEBU) reference manual

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Barbara; Jones, David

1992-04-01

An electronic intelligent database browsing tool called DEBU has been developed that allows databases such as ELP, Kilting, EWIR, and AFEWC to be reviewed and analyzed from a user-friendly environment on a personal computer. DEBU's basic function is to allow users to examine the contents of user-selected subfiles of user-selected emitters of user-selected databases. DEBU augments this functionality with support for selecting (filtering) and combining subsets of emitters by user-selected attributes such as name, parameter type, or parameter value. DEBU provides facilities for examining histograms and x-y plots of selected parameters, for doing ambiguity analysis and mode level analysis, and for generating and printing a variety of reports. A manual is provided for users of DEBU, including descriptions and illustrations of menus and windows.

Integrating macromolecular X-ray diffraction data with the graphical user interface iMosflm.

PubMed

Powell, Harold R; Battye, T Geoff G; Kontogiannis, Luke; Johnson, Owen; Leslie, Andrew G W

2017-07-01

X-ray crystallography is the predominant source of structural information for biological macromolecules, providing fundamental insights into biological function. The availability of robust and user-friendly software to process the collected X-ray diffraction images makes the technique accessible to a wider range of scientists. iMosflm/MOSFLM (http://www.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/harry/imosflm) is a software package designed to achieve this goal. The graphical user interface (GUI) version of MOSFLM (called iMosflm) is designed to guide inexperienced users through the steps of data integration, while retaining powerful features for more experienced users. Images from almost all commercially available X-ray detectors can be handled using this software. Although the program uses only 2D profile fitting, it can readily integrate data collected in the 'fine phi-slicing' mode (in which the rotation angle per image is less than the crystal mosaic spread by a factor of at least 2), which is commonly used with modern very fast readout detectors. The GUI provides real-time feedback on the success of the indexing step and the progress of data processing. This feedback includes the ability to monitor detector and crystal parameter refinement and to display the average spot shape in different regions of the detector. Data scaling and merging tasks can be initiated directly from the interface. Using this protocol, a data set of 360 images with ∼2,000 reflections per image can be processed in ∼4 min.

Petroleum Refinery Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) Model User Reference Guide

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

Goldberg, Marshall

The Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) models, developed through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), are user-friendly tools utilized to estimate the economic impacts at the local level of constructing and operating fuel and power generation projects for a range of conventional and renewable energy technologies. The JEDI Petroleum Refinery Model User Reference Guide was developed to assist users in employing and understanding the model. This guide provides information on the model's underlying methodology, as well as the parameters and references used to develop the cost data utilized in the model. This guide also provides basic instruction on modelmore » add-in features, operation of the model, and a discussion of how the results should be interpreted. Based on project-specific inputs from the user, the model estimates job creation, earning and output (total economic activity) for a given petroleum refinery. This includes the direct, indirect and induced economic impacts to the local economy associated with the refinery's construction and operation phases. Project cost and job data used in the model are derived from the most current cost estimations available. Local direct and indirect economic impacts are estimated using economic multipliers derived from IMPLAN software. By determining the regional economic impacts and job creation for a proposed refinery, the JEDI Petroleum Refinery model can be used to field questions about the added value refineries may bring to the local community.« less

Breaking the habit: a retrospective analysis of desistance factors among formerly problematic heroin users.

PubMed

Best, David W; Ghufran, Safeena; Day, Ed; Ray, Rajashree; Loaring, Jessica

2008-11-01

The aim of this study was to examine heroin careers among former users to assess desistance factors and explanations for sustained abstinence. The study surveyed 107 former problematic heroin users who have achieved long-term abstinence about their experiences of achieving and sustaining abstinence. The cohort was recruited opportunistically from three sources, drawing heavily on former users working in the addictions field. On average, the group had heroin careers lasting for just under 10 years, punctuated by an average of 2.6 treatment episodes and 3.1 periods of abstinence, and had been heroin abstinent for an average of 10 years at the time of completing the survey. The most commonly expressed reason for finally achieving abstinence was 'tired of the lifestyle' followed by reasons relating to psychological health. In contrast, when asked to explain how abstinence was sustained, clients quoted both social network factors (moving away from drug-using friends and support from non-using friends) and practical factors (accommodation and employment) as well as religious or spiritual factors. Treatment was not mentioned widely either in achieving or sustaining abstinence, in contrast to 12-Step, which was endorsed widely. The study supports a careers perspective for examining heroin careers and indicates that, while achieving abstinence is possible for chronic opiate users, the path to sustained abstinence is complex and often reliant upon external support systems.

ProteoSign: an end-user online differential proteomics statistical analysis platform.

PubMed

Efstathiou, Georgios; Antonakis, Andreas N; Pavlopoulos, Georgios A; Theodosiou, Theodosios; Divanach, Peter; Trudgian, David C; Thomas, Benjamin; Papanikolaou, Nikolas; Aivaliotis, Michalis; Acuto, Oreste; Iliopoulos, Ioannis

2017-07-03

Profiling of proteome dynamics is crucial for understanding cellular behavior in response to intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli and maintenance of homeostasis. Over the last 20 years, mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as the most powerful tool for large-scale identification and characterization of proteins. Bottom-up proteomics, the most common MS-based proteomics approach, has always been challenging in terms of data management, processing, analysis and visualization, with modern instruments capable of producing several gigabytes of data out of a single experiment. Here, we present ProteoSign, a freely available web application, dedicated in allowing users to perform proteomics differential expression/abundance analysis in a user-friendly and self-explanatory way. Although several non-commercial standalone tools have been developed for post-quantification statistical analysis of proteomics data, most of them are not end-user appealing as they often require very stringent installation of programming environments, third-party software packages and sometimes further scripting or computer programming. To avoid this bottleneck, we have developed a user-friendly software platform accessible via a web interface in order to enable proteomics laboratories and core facilities to statistically analyse quantitative proteomics data sets in a resource-efficient manner. ProteoSign is available at http://bioinformatics.med.uoc.gr/ProteoSign and the source code at https://github.com/yorgodillo/ProteoSign. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

QuadBase2: web server for multiplexed guanine quadruplex mining and visualization

PubMed Central

Dhapola, Parashar; Chowdhury, Shantanu

2016-01-01

DNA guanine quadruplexes or G4s are non-canonical DNA secondary structures which affect genomic processes like replication, transcription and recombination. G4s are computationally identified by specific nucleotide motifs which are also called putative G4 (PG4) motifs. Despite the general relevance of these structures, there is currently no tool available that can allow batch queries and genome-wide analysis of these motifs in a user-friendly interface. QuadBase2 (quadbase.igib.res.in) presents a completely reinvented web server version of previously published QuadBase database. QuadBase2 enables users to mine PG4 motifs in up to 178 eukaryotes through the EuQuad module. This module interfaces with Ensembl Compara database, to allow users mine PG4 motifs in the orthologues of genes of interest across eukaryotes. PG4 motifs can be mined across genes and their promoter sequences in 1719 prokaryotes through ProQuad module. This module includes a feature that allows genome-wide mining of PG4 motifs and their visualization as circular histograms. TetraplexFinder, the module for mining PG4 motifs in user-provided sequences is now capable of handling up to 20 MB of data. QuadBase2 is a comprehensive PG4 motif mining tool that further expands the configurations and algorithms for mining PG4 motifs in a user-friendly way. PMID:27185890

Development and application of GIS-based PRISM integration through a plugin approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Woo-Seop; Chun, Jong Ahn; Kang, Kwangmin

2014-05-01

A PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model) QGIS-plugin was developed on Quantum GIS platform in this study. This Quantum GIS plugin system provides user-friendly graphic user interfaces (GUIs) so that users can obtain gridded meteorological data of high resolutions (1 km × 1 km). Also, this software is designed to run on a personal computer so that it does not require an internet access or a sophisticated computer system. This module is a user-friendly system that a user can generate PRISM data with ease. The proposed PRISM QGIS-plugin is a hybrid statistical-geographic model system that uses coarse resolution datasets (APHRODITE datasets in this study) with digital elevation data to generate the fine-resolution gridded precipitation. To validate the performance of the software, Prek Thnot River Basin in Kandal, Cambodia is selected for application. Overall statistical analysis shows promising outputs generated by the proposed plugin. Error measures such as RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) and MAPE (Mean Absolute Percentage Error) were used to evaluate the performance of the developed PRISM QGIS-plugin. Evaluation results using RMSE and MAPE were 2.76 mm and 4.2%, respectively. This study suggested that the plugin can be used to generate high resolution precipitation datasets for hydrological and climatological studies at a watershed where observed weather datasets are limited.

The development of augmented video system on postcards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chien-Hsu; Chou, Yin-Ju

2013-03-01

This study focuses on development of augmented video system on traditional picture postcards. The system will provide users to print out the augmented reality marker on the sticker to stick on the picture postcard, and it also allows users to record their real time image and video to augment on that stick marker. According dynamic image, users can share travel moods, greeting, and travel experience to their friends. Without changing in the traditional picture postcards, we develop augmented video system on them by augmented reality (AR) technology. It not only keeps the functions of traditional picture postcards, but also enhances user's experience to keep the user's memories and emotional expression by augmented digital media information on them.

Anger Is More Influential than Joy: Sentiment Correlation in Weibo

PubMed Central

Fan, Rui; Zhao, Jichang; Chen, Yan; Xu, Ke

2014-01-01

Recent years have witnessed the tremendous growth of the online social media. In China, Weibo, a Twitter-like service, has attracted more than 500 million users in less than five years. Connected by online social ties, different users might share similar affective states. We find that the correlation of anger among users is significantly higher than that of joy. While the correlation of sadness is surprisingly low. Moreover, there is a stronger sentiment correlation between a pair of users if they share more interactions. And users with larger number of friends possess more significant sentiment correlation with their neighborhoods. Our findings could provide insights for modeling sentiment influence and propagation in online social networks. PMID:25333778

A Query System Implementation Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hiser, Judith N.; Neil, M. Elizabeth

1985-01-01

The Department of Administrative Programming Services of Clemson University investigated products available in user-friendly retrieval systems. The test of INTELLECT, a natural language query system written by Artifical Intelligence Corporation, is described. (Author/MLW)

United States - Japan evaluation tools and methods.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

Cooperative systems based on intelligent transportation system (ITS) technologies can deliver significant benefits for all road users and the public, especially in terms of safer, more energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly surface transporta...

Toward better Alzheimer's research information sources for the public.

PubMed

Payne, Perry W

2013-03-01

The National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease calls for a new relationship between researchers and members of the public. This relationship is one that provides research information to patients and allows patients to provide ideas to researchers. One way to describe it is a "bidirectional translational relationship." Despite the numerous sources of online and offline information about Alzheimer's disease, there is no information source which currently provides this interaction. This article proposes the creation an Alzheimer's research information source dedicated to monitoring Alzheimer's research literature and providing user friendly, publicly accessible summaries of data written specifically for a lay audience. This information source should contain comprehensive, updated, user friendly, publicly available, reviews of Alzheimer's research and utilize existing online multimedia/social networking tools to provide information in useful formats that help patients, caregivers, and researchers learn rapidly from one another.

STORMSeq: an open-source, user-friendly pipeline for processing personal genomics data in the cloud.

PubMed

Karczewski, Konrad J; Fernald, Guy Haskin; Martin, Alicia R; Snyder, Michael; Tatonetti, Nicholas P; Dudley, Joel T

2014-01-01

The increasing public availability of personal complete genome sequencing data has ushered in an era of democratized genomics. However, read mapping and variant calling software is constantly improving and individuals with personal genomic data may prefer to customize and update their variant calls. Here, we describe STORMSeq (Scalable Tools for Open-Source Read Mapping), a graphical interface cloud computing solution that does not require a parallel computing environment or extensive technical experience. This customizable and modular system performs read mapping, read cleaning, and variant calling and annotation. At present, STORMSeq costs approximately $2 and 5-10 hours to process a full exome sequence and $30 and 3-8 days to process a whole genome sequence. We provide this open-access and open-source resource as a user-friendly interface in Amazon EC2.

SP-Designer: a user-friendly program for designing species-specific primer pairs from DNA sequence alignments.

PubMed

Villard, Pierre; Malausa, Thibaut

2013-07-01

SP-Designer is an open-source program providing a user-friendly tool for the design of specific PCR primer pairs from a DNA sequence alignment containing sequences from various taxa. SP-Designer selects PCR primer pairs for the amplification of DNA from a target species on the basis of several criteria: (i) primer specificity, as assessed by interspecific sequence polymorphism in the annealing regions, (ii) the biochemical characteristics of the primers and (iii) the intended PCR conditions. SP-Designer generates tables, detailing the primer pair and PCR characteristics, and a FASTA file locating the primer sequences in the original sequence alignment. SP-Designer is Windows-compatible and freely available from http://www2.sophia.inra.fr/urih/sophia_mart/sp_designer/info_sp_designer.php. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

GLINT: a user-friendly toolset for the analysis of high-throughput DNA-methylation array data.

PubMed

Rahmani, Elior; Yedidim, Reut; Shenhav, Liat; Schweiger, Regev; Weissbrod, Omer; Zaitlen, Noah; Halperin, Eran

2017-06-15

GLINT is a user-friendly command-line toolset for fast analysis of genome-wide DNA methylation data generated using the Illumina human methylation arrays. GLINT, which does not require any programming proficiency, allows an easy execution of Epigenome-Wide Association Study analysis pipeline under different models while accounting for known confounders in methylation data. GLINT is a command-line software, freely available at https://github.com/cozygene/glint/releases . It requires Python 2.7 and several freely available Python packages. Further information and documentation as well as a quick start tutorial are available at http://glint-epigenetics.readthedocs.io . elior.rahmani@gmail.com or ehalperin@cs.ucla.edu. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Ecoupling server: A tool to compute and analyze electronic couplings.

PubMed

Cabeza de Vaca, Israel; Acebes, Sandra; Guallar, Victor

2016-07-05

Electron transfer processes are often studied through the evaluation and analysis of the electronic coupling (EC). Since most standard QM codes do not provide readily such a measure, additional, and user-friendly tools to compute and analyze electronic coupling from external wave functions will be of high value. The first server to provide a friendly interface for evaluation and analysis of electronic couplings under two different approximations (FDC and GMH) is presented in this communication. Ecoupling server accepts inputs from common QM and QM/MM software and provides useful plots to understand and analyze the results easily. The web server has been implemented in CGI-python using Apache and it is accessible at http://ecouplingserver.bsc.es. Ecoupling server is free and open to all users without login. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

SIRE: A Simple Interactive Rule Editor for NICBES

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bykat, Alex

1988-01-01

To support evolution of domain expertise, and its representation in an expert system knowledge base, a user-friendly rule base editor is mandatory. The Nickel Cadmium Battery Expert System (NICBES), a prototype of an expert system for the Hubble Space Telescope power storage management system, does not provide such an editor. In the following, a description of a Simple Interactive Rule Base Editor (SIRE) for NICBES is described. The SIRE provides a consistent internal representation of the NICBES knowledge base. It supports knowledge presentation and provides a user-friendly and code language independent medium for rule addition and modification. The SIRE is integrated with NICBES via an interface module. This module provides translation of the internal representation to Prolog-type rules (Horn clauses), latter rule assertion, and a simple mechanism for rule selection for its Prolog inference engine.

Stability of user-friendly blood typing kits stored under typical military field conditions.

PubMed

Bienek, Diane R; Chang, Cheow K; Charlton, David G

2009-10-01

To help preserve in-theater strength within deployed military units, commercially available, rapid, user-friendly ABO-Rh blood typing kits were evaluated to determine their stability in storage conditions commonly encountered by the warfighter. Methods for environmental exposure testing were based on MIL-STD-810F. When Eldon Home Kits 2511 were exposed to various temperature/relative humidity conditions, the results were comparable to those obtained with the control group and those obtained with industry-standard methods. For the ABO-Rh Combination Blood Typing Experiment Kits, 2 of the exposure treatments rendered them unusable. In addition, a third set of exposure treatments adversely affected the kits, resulting in approximately 30% blood type misclassifications. Collectively, this evaluation of commercial blood typing kits revealed that diagnostic performance can vary between products, lots, and environmental storage conditions.

A real-time phoneme counting algorithm and application for speech rate monitoring.

PubMed

Aharonson, Vered; Aharonson, Eran; Raichlin-Levi, Katia; Sotzianu, Aviv; Amir, Ofer; Ovadia-Blechman, Zehava

2017-03-01

Adults who stutter can learn to control and improve their speech fluency by modifying their speaking rate. Existing speech therapy technologies can assist this practice by monitoring speaking rate and providing feedback to the patient, but cannot provide an accurate, quantitative measurement of speaking rate. Moreover, most technologies are too complex and costly to be used for home practice. We developed an algorithm and a smartphone application that monitor a patient's speaking rate in real time and provide user-friendly feedback to both patient and therapist. Our speaking rate computation is performed by a phoneme counting algorithm which implements spectral transition measure extraction to estimate phoneme boundaries. The algorithm is implemented in real time in a mobile application that presents its results in a user-friendly interface. The application incorporates two modes: one provides the patient with visual feedback of his/her speech rate for self-practice and another provides the speech therapist with recordings, speech rate analysis and tools to manage the patient's practice. The algorithm's phoneme counting accuracy was validated on ten healthy subjects who read a paragraph at slow, normal and fast paces, and was compared to manual counting of speech experts. Test-retest and intra-counter reliability were assessed. Preliminary results indicate differences of -4% to 11% between automatic and human phoneme counting. Differences were largest for slow speech. The application can thus provide reliable, user-friendly, real-time feedback for speaking rate control practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PlanetPack: A radial-velocity time-series analysis tool facilitating exoplanets detection, characterization, and dynamical simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baluev, Roman V.

2013-08-01

We present PlanetPack, a new software tool that we developed to facilitate and standardize the advanced analysis of radial velocity (RV) data for the goal of exoplanets detection, characterization, and basic dynamical N-body simulations. PlanetPack is a command-line interpreter, that can run either in an interactive mode or in a batch mode of automatic script interpretation. Its major abilities include: (i) advanced RV curve fitting with the proper maximum-likelihood treatment of unknown RV jitter; (ii) user-friendly multi-Keplerian as well as Newtonian N-body RV fits; (iii) use of more efficient maximum-likelihood periodograms that involve the full multi-planet fitting (sometimes called as “residual” or “recursive” periodograms); (iv) easily calculatable parametric 2D likelihood function level contours, reflecting the asymptotic confidence regions; (v) fitting under some useful functional constraints is user-friendly; (vi) basic tasks of short- and long-term planetary dynamical simulation using a fast Everhart-type integrator based on Gauss-Legendre spacings; (vii) fitting the data with red noise (auto-correlated errors); (viii) various analytical and numerical methods for the tasks of determining the statistical significance. It is planned that further functionality may be added to PlanetPack in the future. During the development of this software, a lot of effort was made to improve the calculational speed, especially for CPU-demanding tasks. PlanetPack was written in pure C++ (standard of 1998/2003), and is expected to be compilable and useable on a wide range of platforms.

FabricS: A user-friendly, complete and robust software for particle shape-fabric analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreno Chávez, G.; Castillo Rivera, F.; Sarocchi, D.; Borselli, L.; Rodríguez-Sedano, L. A.

2018-06-01

Shape-fabric is a textural parameter related to the spatial arrangement of elongated particles in geological samples. Its usefulness spans a range from sedimentary petrology to igneous and metamorphic petrology. Independently of the process being studied, when a material flows, the elongated particles are oriented with the major axis in the direction of flow. In sedimentary petrology this information has been used for studies of paleo-flow direction of turbidites, the origin of quartz sediments, and locating ignimbrite vents, among others. In addition to flow direction and its polarity, the method enables flow rheology to be inferred. The use of shape-fabric has been limited due to the difficulties of automatically measuring particles and analyzing them with reliable circular statistics programs. This has dampened interest in the method for a long time. Shape-fabric measurement has increased in popularity since the 1980s thanks to the development of new image analysis techniques and circular statistics software. However, the programs currently available are unreliable, old and are incompatible with newer operating systems, or require programming skills. The goal of our work is to develop a user-friendly program, in the MATLAB environment, with a graphical user interface, that can process images and includes editing functions, and thresholds (elongation and size) for selecting a particle population and analyzing it with reliable circular statistics algorithms. Moreover, the method also has to produce rose diagrams, orientation vectors, and a complete series of statistical parameters. All these requirements are met by our new software. In this paper, we briefly explain the methodology from collection of oriented samples in the field to the minimum number of particles needed to obtain reliable fabric data. We obtained the data using specific statistical tests and taking into account the degree of iso-orientation of the samples and the required degree of reliability. The program has been verified by means of several simulations performed using appropriately designed features and by analyzing real samples.

Flowing Hot or Cold: User-Friendly Computational Models of Terrestrial and Planetary Lava Channels and Lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakimoto, S. E. H.

2016-12-01

Planetary volcanism has redefined what is considered volcanism. "Magma" now may be considered to be anything from the molten rock familiar at terrestrial volcanoes to cryovolcanic ammonia-water mixes erupted on an outer solar system moon. However, even with unfamiliar compositions and source mechanisms, we find familiar landforms such as volcanic channels, lakes, flows, and domes and thus a multitude of possibilities for modeling. As on Earth, these landforms lend themselves to analysis for estimating storage, eruption and/or flow rates. This has potential pitfalls, as extension of the simplified analytic models we often use for terrestrial features into unfamiliar parameter space might yield misleading results. Our most commonly used tools for estimating flow and cooling have tended to lag significantly behind state-of-the-art; the easiest methods to use are neither realistic or accurate, but the more realistic and accurate computational methods are not simple to use. Since the latter computational tools tend to be both expensive and require a significant learning curve, there is a need for a user-friendly approach that still takes advantage of their accuracy. One method is use of the computational package for generation of a server-based tool that allows less computationally inclined users to get accurate results over their range of input parameters for a given problem geometry. A second method is to use the computational package for the generation of a polynomial empirical solution for each class of flow geometry that can be fairly easily solved by anyone with a spreadsheet. In this study, we demonstrate both approaches for several channel flow and lava lake geometries with terrestrial and extraterrestrial examples and compare their results. Specifically, we model cooling rectangular channel flow with a yield strength material, with applications to Mauna Loa, Kilauea, Venus, and Mars. This approach also shows promise with model applications to lava lakes, magma flow through cracks, and volcanic dome formation.

Perceived popularity of adolescents who use weapons in violence and adolescents who only carry weapons

PubMed Central

Wallace, Lacey N.

2017-01-01

Prior research has found that persistently delinquent youth or more violent youth were less popular than their less delinquent peers (Young, 2013). However, recent research has also found that weapon carrying is associated with being more popular in adolescence (Dijkstra et al., 2010). The present paper examines the perceived popularity of adolescents who carry weapons in comparison to those who both carry and use weapons in acts of violence or threatened violence. Data consist of two waves from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Analyses use OLS regression with lagged predictors. This paper found no differences in number of friends between weapon carriers and weapon users. However, among both male and female gang members, those who did not use or carry weapons (abstainers) named significantly fewer friends than weapon users. Among females, weapon abstainers both named and were named by significantly more people than weapon users. These differences were not observed for males. Implications of these results and directions for future research are discussed. PMID:29104446

Bayesian inference for psychology. Part II: Example applications with JASP.

PubMed

Wagenmakers, Eric-Jan; Love, Jonathon; Marsman, Maarten; Jamil, Tahira; Ly, Alexander; Verhagen, Josine; Selker, Ravi; Gronau, Quentin F; Dropmann, Damian; Boutin, Bruno; Meerhoff, Frans; Knight, Patrick; Raj, Akash; van Kesteren, Erik-Jan; van Doorn, Johnny; Šmíra, Martin; Epskamp, Sacha; Etz, Alexander; Matzke, Dora; de Jong, Tim; van den Bergh, Don; Sarafoglou, Alexandra; Steingroever, Helen; Derks, Koen; Rouder, Jeffrey N; Morey, Richard D

2018-02-01

Bayesian hypothesis testing presents an attractive alternative to p value hypothesis testing. Part I of this series outlined several advantages of Bayesian hypothesis testing, including the ability to quantify evidence and the ability to monitor and update this evidence as data come in, without the need to know the intention with which the data were collected. Despite these and other practical advantages, Bayesian hypothesis tests are still reported relatively rarely. An important impediment to the widespread adoption of Bayesian tests is arguably the lack of user-friendly software for the run-of-the-mill statistical problems that confront psychologists for the analysis of almost every experiment: the t-test, ANOVA, correlation, regression, and contingency tables. In Part II of this series we introduce JASP ( http://www.jasp-stats.org ), an open-source, cross-platform, user-friendly graphical software package that allows users to carry out Bayesian hypothesis tests for standard statistical problems. JASP is based in part on the Bayesian analyses implemented in Morey and Rouder's BayesFactor package for R. Armed with JASP, the practical advantages of Bayesian hypothesis testing are only a mouse click away.

A User-Friendly DNA Modeling Software for the Interpretation of Cryo-Electron Microscopy Data.

PubMed

Larivière, Damien; Galindo-Murillo, Rodrigo; Fourmentin, Eric; Hornus, Samuel; Lévy, Bruno; Papillon, Julie; Ménétret, Jean-François; Lamour, Valérie

2017-01-01

The structural modeling of a macromolecular machine is like a "Lego" approach that is challenged when blocks, like proteins imported from the Protein Data Bank, are to be assembled with an element adopting a serpentine shape, such as DNA templates. DNA must then be built ex nihilo, but modeling approaches are either not user-friendly or very long and fastidious. In this method chapter we show how to use GraphiteLifeExplorer, a software with a simple graphical user interface that enables the sketching of free forms of DNA, of any length, at the atomic scale, as fast as drawing a line on a sheet of paper. We took as an example the nucleoprotein complex of DNA gyrase, a bacterial topoisomerase whose structure has been determined using cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM). Using GraphiteLifeExplorer, we could model in one go a 155 bp long and twisted DNA duplex that wraps around DNA gyrase in the cryo-EM map, improving the quality and interpretation of the final model compared to the initially published data.

Properties of on-line social systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grabowski, A.; Kruszewska, N.; Kosiński, R. A.

2008-11-01

We study properties of five different social systems: (i) internet society of friends consisting of over 106 people, (ii) social network consisting of 3 × 104 individuals, who interact in a large virtual world of Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs), (iii) over 106 users of music community website, (iv) over 5 × 106 users of gamers community server and (v) over 0.25 × 106 users of books admirer website. Individuals included in large social network form an Internet community and organize themselves in groups of different sizes. The destiny of those systems, as well as the method of creating of new connections, are different, however we found that the properties of these networks are very similar. We have found that the network components size distribution follow the power-law scaling form. In all five systems we have found interesting scaling laws concerning human dynamics. Our research has shown how long people are interested in a single task, how much time they devote to it and how fast they are making friends. It is surprising that the time evolution of an individual connectivity is very similar in each system.

A user-friendly, open-source tool to project impact and cost of diagnostic tests for tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Dowdy, David W; Andrews, Jason R; Dodd, Peter J; Gilman, Robert H

2014-01-01

Most models of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis (TB), do not provide results customized to local conditions. We created a dynamic transmission model to project TB incidence, TB mortality, multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB prevalence, and incremental costs over 5 years after scale-up of nine alternative diagnostic strategies. A corresponding web-based interface allows users to specify local costs and epidemiology. In settings with little capacity for up-front investment, same-day microscopy had the greatest impact on TB incidence and became cost-saving within 5 years if delivered at $10/test. With greater initial investment, population-level scale-up of Xpert MTB/RIF or microcolony-based culture often averted 10 times more TB cases than narrowly-targeted strategies, at minimal incremental long-term cost. Xpert for smear-positive TB had reasonable impact on MDR-TB incidence, but at substantial price and little impact on overall TB incidence and mortality. This user-friendly modeling framework improves decision-makers' ability to evaluate the local impact of TB diagnostic strategies. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02565.001 PMID:24898755

ProGeRF: Proteome and Genome Repeat Finder Utilizing a Fast Parallel Hash Function

PubMed Central

Moraes, Walas Jhony Lopes; Rodrigues, Thiago de Souza; Bartholomeu, Daniella Castanheira

2015-01-01

Repetitive element sequences are adjacent, repeating patterns, also called motifs, and can be of different lengths; repetitions can involve their exact or approximate copies. They have been widely used as molecular markers in population biology. Given the sizes of sequenced genomes, various bioinformatics tools have been developed for the extraction of repetitive elements from DNA sequences. However, currently available tools do not provide options for identifying repetitive elements in the genome or proteome, displaying a user-friendly web interface, and performing-exhaustive searches. ProGeRF is a web site for extracting repetitive regions from genome and proteome sequences. It was designed to be efficient, fast, and accurate and primarily user-friendly web tool allowing many ways to view and analyse the results. ProGeRF (Proteome and Genome Repeat Finder) is freely available as a stand-alone program, from which the users can download the source code, and as a web tool. It was developed using the hash table approach to extract perfect and imperfect repetitive regions in a (multi)FASTA file, while allowing a linear time complexity. PMID:25811026

A user-friendly SSVEP-based brain-computer interface using a time-domain classifier.

PubMed

Luo, An; Sullivan, Thomas J

2010-04-01

We introduce a user-friendly steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) system. Single-channel EEG is recorded using a low-noise dry electrode. Compared to traditional gel-based multi-sensor EEG systems, a dry sensor proves to be more convenient, comfortable and cost effective. A hardware system was built that displays four LED light panels flashing at different frequencies and synchronizes with EEG acquisition. The visual stimuli have been carefully designed such that potential risk to photosensitive people is minimized. We describe a novel stimulus-locked inter-trace correlation (SLIC) method for SSVEP classification using EEG time-locked to stimulus onsets. We studied how the performance of the algorithm is affected by different selection of parameters. Using the SLIC method, the average light detection rate is 75.8% with very low error rates (an 8.4% false positive rate and a 1.3% misclassification rate). Compared to a traditional frequency-domain-based method, the SLIC method is more robust (resulting in less annoyance to the users) and is also suitable for irregular stimulus patterns.

PuffinPlot: A versatile, user-friendly program for paleomagnetic analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lurcock, P. C.; Wilson, G. S.

2012-06-01

PuffinPlot is a user-friendly desktop application for analysis of paleomagnetic data, offering a unique combination of features. It runs on several operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux; supports both discrete and long core data; and facilitates analysis of very weakly magnetic samples. As well as interactive graphical operation, PuffinPlot offers batch analysis for large volumes of data, and a Python scripting interface for programmatic control of its features. Available data displays include demagnetization/intensity, Zijderveld, equal-area (for sample, site, and suite level demagnetization data, and for magnetic susceptibility anisotropy data), a demagnetization data table, and a natural remanent magnetization intensity histogram. Analysis types include principal component analysis, Fisherian statistics, and great-circle path intersections. The results of calculations can be exported as CSV (comma-separated value) files; graphs can be printed, and can also be saved as publication-quality vector files in SVG or PDF format. PuffinPlot is free, and the program, user manual, and fully documented source code may be downloaded from http://code.google.com/p/puffinplot/.

A user-friendly mathematical modelling web interface to assist local decision making in the fight against drug-resistant tuberculosis.

PubMed

Ragonnet, Romain; Trauer, James M; Denholm, Justin T; Marais, Ben J; McBryde, Emma S

2017-05-30

Multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) represent an important challenge for global tuberculosis (TB) control. The high rates of MDR/RR-TB observed among re-treatment cases can arise from diverse pathways: de novo amplification during initial treatment, inappropriate treatment of undiagnosed MDR/RR-TB, relapse despite appropriate treatment, or reinfection with MDR/RR-TB. Mathematical modelling allows quantification of the contribution made by these pathways in different settings. This information provides valuable insights for TB policy-makers, allowing better contextualised solutions. However, mathematical modelling outputs need to consider local data and be easily accessible to decision makers in order to improve their usefulness. We present a user-friendly web-based modelling interface, which can be used by people without technical knowledge. Users can input their own parameter values and produce estimates for their specific setting. This innovative tool provides easy access to mathematical modelling outputs that are highly relevant to national TB control programs. In future, the same approach could be applied to a variety of modelling applications, enhancing local decision making.

IDATEN and G-SITENNO: GUI-assisted software for coherent X-ray diffraction imaging experiments and data analyses at SACLA.

PubMed

Sekiguchi, Yuki; Yamamoto, Masaki; Oroguchi, Tomotaka; Takayama, Yuki; Suzuki, Shigeyuki; Nakasako, Masayoshi

2014-11-01

Using our custom-made diffraction apparatus KOTOBUKI-1 and two multiport CCD detectors, cryogenic coherent X-ray diffraction imaging experiments have been undertaken at the SPring-8 Angstrom Compact free electron LAser (SACLA) facility. To efficiently perform experiments and data processing, two software suites with user-friendly graphical user interfaces have been developed. The first is a program suite named IDATEN, which was developed to easily conduct four procedures during experiments: aligning KOTOBUKI-1, loading a flash-cooled sample into the cryogenic goniometer stage inside the vacuum chamber of KOTOBUKI-1, adjusting the sample position with respect to the X-ray beam using a pair of telescopes, and collecting diffraction data by raster scanning the sample with X-ray pulses. Named G-SITENNO, the other suite is an automated version of the original SITENNO suite, which was designed for processing diffraction data. These user-friendly software suites are now indispensable for collecting a large number of diffraction patterns and for processing the diffraction patterns immediately after collecting data within a limited beam time.

Demonstration of new PCSD capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gough, M.

1986-01-01

The new, more flexible and more friendly graphics capabilities to be available in later releases of the Pilot Climate Data System were demonstrated. The LIMS-LAMAT data set was chosen to illustrate these new capabilities. Pseudocolor and animation were used to represent the third and fourth dimensions, expanding the analytical capabilities available through the traditional two-dimensional x-y plot. In the new version, variables for the axes are chosen by scrolling through viable selections. This scrolling feature is a function of the new user interface customization. The new graphics are extremely user friendly and should free the scientist to look at data and converse with it, without doing any programming. The system is designed to rapidly plot any variable versus any other variable and animate by any variable. Any one plot in itself is not extraordinary; however, the fact that a user can generate the plots instead of a programmer distinguishes the graphics capabilities of the PCDS from other software packages. In addition, with the new CDF design, the system will become more generic, and the new graphics will become much more rigorous in the area of correlative studies.

User's operating procedures. Volume 1: Scout project information programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harris, C. G.; Harris, D. K.

1985-01-01

A review of the user's operating procedures for the Scout Project Automatic Data System, called SPADS is given. SPADS is the result of the past seven years of software development on a Prime minicomputer located at the Scout Project Office. SPADS was developed as a single entry, multiple cross reference data management and information retrieval system for the automation of Project office tasks, including engineering, financial, managerial, and clerical support. The instructions to operate the Scout Project Information programs in data retrieval and file maintenance via the user friendly menu drivers is presented.

SoftLab: A Soft-Computing Software for Experimental Research with Commercialization Aspects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akbarzadeh-T, M.-R.; Shaikh, T. S.; Ren, J.; Hubbell, Rob; Kumbla, K. K.; Jamshidi, M

1998-01-01

SoftLab is a software environment for research and development in intelligent modeling/control using soft-computing paradigms such as fuzzy logic, neural networks, genetic algorithms, and genetic programs. SoftLab addresses the inadequacies of the existing soft-computing software by supporting comprehensive multidisciplinary functionalities from management tools to engineering systems. Furthermore, the built-in features help the user process/analyze information more efficiently by a friendly yet powerful interface, and will allow the user to specify user-specific processing modules, hence adding to the standard configuration of the software environment.

Social Circles: A 3D User Interface for Facebook

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, Diego; Oakley, Ian

Online social network services are increasingly popular web applications which display large amounts of rich multimedia content: contacts, status updates, photos and event information. Arguing that this quantity of information overwhelms conventional user interfaces, this paper presents Social Circles, a rich interactive visualization designed to support real world users of social network services in everyday tasks such as keeping up with friends and organizing their network. It achieves this by using 3D UIs, fluid animations and a spatial metaphor to enable direct manipulation of a social network.

TIA Software User's Manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cramer, K. Elliott; Syed, Hazari I.

1995-01-01

This user's manual describes the installation and operation of TIA, the Thermal-Imaging acquisition and processing Application, developed by the Nondestructive Evaluation Sciences Branch at NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia. TIA is a user friendly graphical interface application for the Macintosh 2 and higher series computers. The software has been developed to interface with the Perceptics/Westinghouse Pixelpipe(TM) and PixelStore(TM) NuBus cards and the GW Instruments MacADIOS(TM) input-output (I/O) card for the Macintosh for imaging thermal data. The software is also capable of performing generic image-processing functions.

Interactive Voice/Web Response System in clinical research

PubMed Central

Ruikar, Vrishabhsagar

2016-01-01

Emerging technologies in computer and telecommunication industry has eased the access to computer through telephone. An Interactive Voice/Web Response System (IxRS) is one of the user friendly systems for end users, with complex and tailored programs at its backend. The backend programs are specially tailored for easy understanding of users. Clinical research industry has experienced revolution in methodologies of data capture with time. Different systems have evolved toward emerging modern technologies and tools in couple of decades from past, for example, Electronic Data Capture, IxRS, electronic patient reported outcomes, etc. PMID:26952178

User's operating procedures. Volume 3: Projects directorate information programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haris, C. G.; Harris, D. K.

1985-01-01

A review of the user's operating procedures for the scout project automatic data system, called SPADS is presented. SPADS is the results of the past seven years of software development on a prime mini-computer. SPADS was developed as a single entry, multiple cross-reference data management and information retrieval system for the automation of Project office tasks, including engineering, financial, managerial, and clerical support. This volume, three of three, provides the instructions to operate the projects directorate information programs in data retrieval and file maintenance via the user friendly menu drivers.

Graphics Software For VT Terminals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Caroline

1991-01-01

VTGRAPH graphics software tool for DEC/VT computer terminal or terminals compatible with it, widely used by government and industry. Callable in FORTRAN or C language, library program enabling user to cope with many computer environments in which VT terminals used for window management and graphic systems. Provides PLOT10-like package plus color or shade capability for VT240, VT241, and VT300 terminals. User can easily design more-friendly user-interface programs and design PLOT10 programs on VT terminals with different computer systems. Requires ReGis graphics set terminal and FORTRAN compiler.

New ergonomic headset for Tongue-Drive System with wireless smartphone interface.

PubMed

Park, Hangue; Kim, Jeonghee; Huo, Xueliang; Hwang, In-O; Ghovanloo, Maysam

2011-01-01

Tongue Drive System (TDS) is a wireless tongue-operated assistive technology (AT), developed for people with severe physical disabilities to control their environment using their tongue motion. We have developed a new ergonomic headset for the TDS with a user-friendly smartphone interface, through which users will be able to wirelessly control various devices, access computers, and drive wheelchairs. This headset design is expected to act as a flexible and multifunctional communication interface for the TDS and improve its usability, accessibility, aesthetics, and convenience for the end users.

Interactive Voice/Web Response System in clinical research.

PubMed

Ruikar, Vrishabhsagar

2016-01-01

Emerging technologies in computer and telecommunication industry has eased the access to computer through telephone. An Interactive Voice/Web Response System (IxRS) is one of the user friendly systems for end users, with complex and tailored programs at its backend. The backend programs are specially tailored for easy understanding of users. Clinical research industry has experienced revolution in methodologies of data capture with time. Different systems have evolved toward emerging modern technologies and tools in couple of decades from past, for example, Electronic Data Capture, IxRS, electronic patient reported outcomes, etc.

User-centered Design Groups to Engage Patients and Caregivers with a Personalized Health IT Tool

PubMed Central

Maher, Molly; Kaziunas, Elizabeth; Ackerman, Mark; Derry, Holly; Forringer, Rachel; Miller, Kristen; O’Reilly, Dennis; An, Larry C.; Tewari, Muneesh; Hanauer, David A.; Choi, Sung Won

2015-01-01

Health information technology (IT) has opened exciting avenues for capturing, delivering and sharing data, and offers the potential to develop cost-effective, patient-focused applications. In recent years, there has been a proliferation of health IT applications such as outpatient portals. Rigorous evaluation is fundamental to ensure effectiveness and sustainability, as resistance to more widespread adoption of outpatient portals may be due to lack of user friendliness. Health IT applications that integrate with the existing electronic health record and present information in a condensed, user-friendly format could improve coordination of care and communication. Importantly, these applications should be developed systematically with appropriate methodological design and testing to ensure usefulness, adoption, and sustainability. Based on our prior work that identified numerous information needs and challenges of HCT, we developed an experimental prototype of a health IT tool, the BMT Roadmap. Our goal was to develop a tool that could be used in the real-world, daily practice of HCT patients and caregivers (users) in the inpatient setting. In the current study, we examined the views, needs, and wants of patients and caregivers in the design and development process of the BMT Roadmap through two user-centered Design Groups, conducted in March 2015 and April 2015, respectively: Design Group I utilized a low-fidelity paper-based prototype and Design Group II utilized a high-fidelity prototype presented to users as a web-app on Apple® iPads. There were 11 caregivers (median age 44, range 34–69 years) and 8 patients (median age 18 years, range 11–24 years) in the study population. The qualitative analyses revealed a wide range of responses helpful in guiding the iterative development of the system. Three important themes emerged from the Design Groups: 1) perception of core features as beneficial (views), 2) alerting the design team to potential issues with the user interface (needs); and 3) providing a deeper understanding of the user experience in terms of wider psychosocial requirements (wants). From the patient and caregiver perspectives, the BMT Roadmap system was considered useful. The findings from the Design Groups resulted in changes that led to an improved, functional BMT Roadmap product. This unique research process and the findings reported herein included data generated from patients, caregivers, providers, and researchers as partners. Collectively, the data informed the design and development of the tool, which will be tested as an intervention in the pediatric HCT population at our center in the fall of 2015 (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02409121). PMID:26343948

Relationship between social support and body mass index among overweight and obese African American women in the rural deep South, 2011-2013.

PubMed

Johnson, Erica R; Carson, Tiffany L; Affuso, Olivia; Hardy, Claudia M; Baskin, Monica L

2014-12-24

African American women in the Deep South of the United States are disproportionately obese, a condition strongly influenced by their social environment. The objective of this study was to characterize the prevalence of social support from family and friends for healthy eating and exercise in rural communities. This study is an analysis of a subgroup (N = 195) of overweight and obese African American women from a larger ongoing weight loss trial (N = 409) in rural communities of the Alabama Black Belt and Mississippi Delta. The Social Support and Eating Habits Survey and Social Support and Exercise Survey were used to measure support from family and friends for healthy eating and exercise, respectively. Linear regression was conducted to determine the association between social support factors and body mass index (BMI). Concurrently prevalent in our sample were encouraging support for healthy eating (family, median,14.0; range, 5.0-25.0; friends, median, 13.0; range 5.0-25.0) and discouraging support for healthy eating (family, median, 12.0; range, 5.0-25.0; friends, median, 11.0; range, 5.0-25.0). Median scores for support for exercise received in the form of participation from family and friends were 24.0 (range 10.0-48.0) and 24.0 (range 10.0-50.0), respectively. The median score for support for exercise in the form of rewards and punishment from family was 3.0 (range, 3.0-11.0). Social support factors were not associated with BMI. Overweight and obese African American women in the rural Deep South experience minimal social support from family and friends for healthy eating and exercise. Given the evidence that social support promotes healthy behaviors, additional research on ways to increase support from family and friends is warranted.

Friendship in people with schizophrenia: a survey.

PubMed

Harley, Ellen Wan-Yuk; Boardman, Jed; Craig, Tom

2012-08-01

To explore the quantitative and qualitative aspects of friendship in people with schizophrenia. To examine emotional and behavioural commitment, experiences of stigma, and the impact of illness factors that may affect the making and keeping of friends. The difference in the perception between the researcher and participants of the presence of problems in friendships was also investigated. The size and quality of the social networks of 137 people with established schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, aged 18-65 in one geographical area of southeast England was ascertained using a semi-structured interview. Qualitative aspects of friendship were measured using objective, pre-determined, investigator-rated criteria. The mean number of friends reported by respondents was 1.57. Men were less likely to report friendships than women (29 vs. 53%, χ (2) = 13.51, df 1, p < 0.001). Of the 79 people who had a friend, 75 named someone amongst fellow service users. The quality of these friendships was generally good. Emotional commitment to friendship and mistrust were more important than current clinical state in determining whether or not the participant has friends. Most of those without friends did not see the lack of friendship as a problem. The researcher was up to three times more likely to report a problem than the participant. The friendship network size was found to be small but the quality of friendship mostly positive and highly valued. The majority of friendships were with other service users made during attendances at day hospitals and drop-in centres thus underscoring the importance of this service provision. Psychosocial intervention programmes need to take into account psychological factors that impact upon friendship.

Alcohol use and abuse in young adulthood: do self-control and parents' perceptions of friends during adolescence modify peer influence? The TRAILS study.

PubMed

Visser, Leenke; de Winter, Andrea F; Veenstra, René; Verhulst, Frank C; Reijneveld, Sijmen A

2013-12-01

To assess the influence of peer alcohol use during adolescence on young adults' alcohol use and abuse, and to assess to what extent parents' perception of their adolescent child's friends and adolescent's self-control modify this influence. We analyzed data from the first, third, and fourth wave of a population-based prospective cohort study of 2230 adolescents conducted between 2001 and 2010 (mean ages: 11.1, 16.3, and 19.1, respectively). Alcohol use and abuse were measured at T4 by self-report questionnaires and by the Composite International Diagnostics Interview (CIDI), respectively. Peer alcohol use, self-control, and parents' perception of their adolescent child's friends were measured at T3. We adjusted for gender, age, socioeconomic-status, parental alcohol use, and adolescent baseline alcohol use. Peer alcohol use during adolescence was related to young adults' alcohol use and abuse [odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.31 (1.11-1.54) and 1.50 (1.20-1.87), respectively]. Neither parents' perception of their adolescent child's friends nor self-control modified this relationship. Alcohol abusers were more likely to have low self-control than alcohol users. No differences were found between alcohol users and abusers regarding their parents' perception of their friends and peer alcohol use. Peer alcohol use during adolescence affects young adults' alcohol use and abuse. We found that self-control was only related to alcohol abuse. Peer influence was not modified by parents' perception of peers or by self-control. Peer alcohol use and self-control should thus be separate targets in the prevention of alcohol use/abuse. © 2013.

Using a linked data approach to aid development of a metadata portal to support Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Chris

2016-04-01

Under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), EU Member States are mandated to achieve or maintain 'Good Environmental Status' (GES) in their marine areas by 2020, through a series of Programme of Measures (PoMs). The Celtic Seas Partnership (CSP), an EU LIFE+ project, aims to support policy makers, special-interest groups, users of the marine environment, and other interested stakeholders on MSFD implementation in the Celtic Seas geographical area. As part of this support, a metadata portal has been built to provide a signposting service to datasets that are relevant to MSFD within the Celtic Seas. To ensure that the metadata has the widest possible reach, a linked data approach was employed to construct the database. Although the metadata are stored in a traditional RDBS, the metadata are exposed as linked data via the D2RQ platform, allowing virtual RDF graphs to be generated. SPARQL queries can be executed against the end-point allowing any user to manipulate the metadata. D2RQ's mapping language, based on turtle, was used to map a wide range of relevant ontologies to the metadata (e.g. The Provenance Ontology (prov-o), Ocean Data Ontology (odo), Dublin Core Elements and Terms (dc & dcterms), Friend of a Friend (foaf), and Geospatial ontologies (geo)) allowing users to browse the metadata, either via SPARQL queries or by using D2RQ's HTML interface. The metadata were further enhanced by mapping relevant parameters to the NERC Vocabulary Server, itself built on a SPARQL endpoint. Additionally, a custom web front-end was built to enable users to browse the metadata and express queries through an intuitive graphical user interface that requires no prior knowledge of SPARQL. As well as providing means to browse the data via MSFD-related parameters (Descriptor, Criteria, and Indicator), the metadata records include the dataset's country of origin, the list of organisations involved in the management of the data, and links to any relevant INSPIRE-compliant services relating to the dataset. The web front-end therefore enables users to effectively filter, sort, or search the metadata. As the MSFD timeline requires Member States to review their progress on achieving or maintaining GES every six years, the timely development of this metadata portal will not only aid interested stakeholders in understanding how member states are meeting their targets, but also shows how linked data can be used effectively to support policy makers and associated legislative bodies.

75 FR 42725 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-22

... reduce grantee work burden and to diminish response ambiguity, to simplify data entry and analysis, and... items to make the form more user- friendly and diminish response ambiguity. Requests for copies of the...

An Update on Electronic Information Sources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ackerman, Katherine

1987-01-01

This review of new developments and products in online services discusses trends in travel related services; full text databases; statistical source databases; an emphasis on regional and international business news; and user friendly systems. (Author/CLB)

The Drug Epidemic Impacts Our Children, Families, and Programs: Before We Can Get Hooked on Phonics We Need to Get Unhooked from Drugs!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parr, Jerry

2005-01-01

Methamphetamine is an extremely dangerous drug with long term and permanent effects. Increasingly users are not electing the path of abuse. Their choice is being made for them by their parents, friends and relatives--these users are the children. In this article, the author provides insights from children who are living in methamphetamine…

Brainstorm: A User-Friendly Application for MEG/EEG Analysis

PubMed Central

Tadel, François; Baillet, Sylvain; Mosher, John C.; Pantazis, Dimitrios; Leahy, Richard M.

2011-01-01

Brainstorm is a collaborative open-source application dedicated to magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) data visualization and processing, with an emphasis on cortical source estimation techniques and their integration with anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. The primary objective of the software is to connect MEG/EEG neuroscience investigators with both the best-established and cutting-edge methods through a simple and intuitive graphical user interface (GUI). PMID:21584256

Rotational paper-based electrochemiluminescence immunodevices for sensitive and multiplexed detection of cancer biomarkers.

PubMed

Sun, Xiange; Li, Bowei; Tian, Chunyuan; Yu, Fabiao; Zhou, Na; Zhan, Yinghua; Chen, Lingxin

2018-05-12

This paper describes a novel rotational paper-based analytical device (RPAD) to implement multi-step electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunoassays. The integrated paper-based rotational valves can be easily controlled by rotating paper discs manually and this advantage makes it user-friendly to untrained users to carry out the multi-step assays. In addition, the rotational valves are reusable and the response time can be shortened to several seconds, which promotes the rotational paper-based device to have great advantages in multi-step operations. Under the control of rotational valves, multi-step ECL immunoassays were conducted on the rotational device for the multiplexed detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and prostate specific antigen (PSA). The rotational device exhibited excellent analytical performance for CEA and PSA, and they could be detected in the linear ranges of 0.1-100 ng mL -1 and 0.1-50 ng mL -1 with detection limits down to 0.07 ng mL -1 and 0.03 ng mL -1 , respectively, which were within the ranges of clinical concentrations. We hope this technique will open a new avenue for the fabrication of paper-based valves and provide potential application in clinical diagnostics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

EnsMart: A Generic System for Fast and Flexible Access to Biological Data

PubMed Central

Kasprzyk, Arek; Keefe, Damian; Smedley, Damian; London, Darin; Spooner, William; Melsopp, Craig; Hammond, Martin; Rocca-Serra, Philippe; Cox, Tony; Birney, Ewan

2004-01-01

The EnsMart system (www.ensembl.org/EnsMart) provides a generic data warehousing solution for fast and flexible querying of large biological data sets and integration with third-party data and tools. The system consists of a query-optimized database and interactive, user-friendly interfaces. EnsMart has been applied to Ensembl, where it extends its genomic browser capabilities, facilitating rapid retrieval of customized data sets. A wide variety of complex queries, on various types of annotations, for numerous species are supported. These can be applied to many research problems, ranging from SNP selection for candidate gene screening, through cross-species evolutionary comparisons, to microarray annotation. Users can group and refine biological data according to many criteria, including cross-species analyses, disease links, sequence variations, and expression patterns. Both tabulated list data and biological sequence output can be generated dynamically, in HTML, text, Microsoft Excel, and compressed formats. A wide range of sequence types, such as cDNA, peptides, coding regions, UTRs, and exons, with additional upstream and downstream regions, can be retrieved. The EnsMart database can be accessed via a public Web site, or through a Java application suite. Both implementations and the database are freely available for local installation, and can be extended or adapted to `non-Ensembl' data sets. PMID:14707178

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

March-Leuba, S.; Jansen, J.F.; Kress, R.L.

A new program package, Symbolic Manipulator Laboratory (SML), for the automatic generation of both kinematic and static manipulator models in symbolic form is presented. Critical design parameters may be identified and optimized using symbolic models as shown in the sample application presented for the Future Armor Rearm System (FARS) arm. The computer-aided development of the symbolic models yields equations with reduced numerical complexity. Important considerations have been placed on the closed form solutions simplification and on the user friendly operation. The main emphasis of this research is the development of a methodology which is implemented in a computer program capablemore » of generating symbolic kinematic and static forces models of manipulators. The fact that the models are obtained trigonometrically reduced is among the most significant results of this work and the most difficult to implement. Mathematica, a commercial program that allows symbolic manipulation, is used to implement the program package. SML is written such that the user can change any of the subroutines or create new ones easily. To assist the user, an on-line help has been written to make of SML a user friendly package. Some sample applications are presented. The design and optimization of the 5-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) FARS manipulator using SML is discussed. Finally, the kinematic and static models of two different 7-DOF manipulators are calculated symbolically.« less

A Software Framework for Aircraft Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curlett, Brian P.

2008-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Dryden Flight Research Center has a long history in developing simulations of experimental fixed-wing aircraft from gliders to suborbital vehicles on platforms ranging from desktop simulators to pilot-in-the-loop/aircraft-in-the-loop simulators. Regardless of the aircraft or simulator hardware, much of the software framework is common to all NASA Dryden simulators. Some of this software has withstood the test of time, but in recent years the push toward high-fidelity user-friendly simulations has resulted in some significant changes. This report presents an overview of the current NASA Dryden simulation software framework and capabilities with an emphasis on the new features that have permitted NASA to develop more capable simulations while maintaining the same staffing levels.

Adolescent Alcohol Use: Social Comparison Orientation Moderates the Impact of Friend and Sibling Behavior

PubMed Central

Litt, Dana M.; Stock, Michelle L.; Gibbons, Frederick X.

2014-01-01

Objectives Research has indicated that both peers and siblings influence adolescents' alcohol use (e.g. Windle, 2000). The present two studies examined if social comparison orientation (SCO) moderates the effects of perceived friend and sibling alcohol use on adolescents' alcohol use cognitions and behaviors. Design & Methods Two studies examined the role of SCO as a moderator of social influence (perceived friend alcohol use in Study 1 and both perceived friend use and sibling-reported alcohol use in Study 2) on prototype perceptions and willingness to drink alcohol (Studies 1 & 2) as well as actual alcohol consumption (Study 2) among early adolescents. Results In Study 1, cross-sectional results indicated that SCO moderated the effect of perceived friend alcohol use on favorable images of drinkers and willingness to drink. Study 2 found that SCO moderated the effects of perceived friend use and sibling use on favorable images of alcohol users, willingness to use alcohol, and change in alcohol use over three years such that adolescents who reported engaging in social comparison more often reported greater willingness, more favorable images, and increases in alcohol use when perceived friend use or sibling use was high. Conclusions These studies highlight the importance of SCO as a moderator of susceptibility to the social influences of friends and siblings and may hold important implications for adolescent alcohol use prevention programs and models of health-risk behavior. PMID:25243814

User satisfaction with computerized order entry system and its effect on workplace level of stress.

PubMed

Ghahramani, Nasrollah; Lendel, Irina; Haque, Rehan; Sawruk, Kathryn

2009-06-01

To evaluate the impact of Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) on workplace stress and overall job performance, as perceived by medical students, housestaff, attending physicians and nurses, after CPOE implementation at Penn State-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, an academic tertiary care facility, in 2005. Using an online survey, the authors studied attitudes towards CPOE among 862 health care professionals. The main outcome measures were job performance and perceived stress levels. Statistical analyses were conducted using the Statistical Analytical Software (SAS Inc, Carey, NC). A total of413 respondents completed the entire survey (47.9 % response rate). Respondents in the younger age group were more familiar with the system, used it more frequently, and were more satisfied with it. Interns and residents were the most satisfied groups with the system, while attending physicians expressed the least satisfaction. Attending physicians and fellows found the system least user friendly compared with other groups, and also tended to express more stress and frustration with the system. Participants with previous CPOE experience were more familiar with the system, would use the system more frequently and were more likely to perceive the system as user friendly. User satisfaction with CPOE increases by familiarity and frequent use of the system. Improvement in system characteristics and avoidance of confusing terminology and inconsistent display of data is expected to enhance user satisfaction. Training in the use of CPOE should start early, ideally integrated into medical and nursing school curricula and form a continuous, long-term and user-specific process. This is expected to increase familiarity with the system, reducing stress and leading to improved user satisfaction and to subsequent enhanced safety and efficiency.

MethLAB: a graphical user interface package for the analysis of array-based DNA methylation data.

PubMed

Kilaru, Varun; Barfield, Richard T; Schroeder, James W; Smith, Alicia K; Conneely, Karen N

2012-03-01

Recent evidence suggests that DNA methylation changes may underlie numerous complex traits and diseases. The advent of commercial, array-based methods to interrogate DNA methylation has led to a profusion of epigenetic studies in the literature. Array-based methods, such as the popular Illumina GoldenGate and Infinium platforms, estimate the proportion of DNA methylated at single-base resolution for thousands of CpG sites across the genome. These arrays generate enormous amounts of data, but few software resources exist for efficient and flexible analysis of these data. We developed a software package called MethLAB (http://genetics.emory.edu/conneely/MethLAB) using R, an open source statistical language that can be edited to suit the needs of the user. MethLAB features a graphical user interface (GUI) with a menu-driven format designed to efficiently read in and manipulate array-based methylation data in a user-friendly manner. MethLAB tests for association between methylation and relevant phenotypes by fitting a separate linear model for each CpG site. These models can incorporate both continuous and categorical phenotypes and covariates, as well as fixed or random batch or chip effects. MethLAB accounts for multiple testing by controlling the false discovery rate (FDR) at a user-specified level. Standard output includes a spreadsheet-ready text file and an array of publication-quality figures. Considering the growing interest in and availability of DNA methylation data, there is a great need for user-friendly open source analytical tools. With MethLAB, we present a timely resource that will allow users with no programming experience to implement flexible and powerful analyses of DNA methylation data.

Gromita: a fully integrated graphical user interface to gromacs 4.

PubMed

Sellis, Diamantis; Vlachakis, Dimitrios; Vlassi, Metaxia

2009-09-07

Gromita is a fully integrated and efficient graphical user interface (GUI) to the recently updated molecular dynamics suite Gromacs, version 4. Gromita is a cross-platform, perl/tcl-tk based, interactive front end designed to break the command line barrier and introduce a new user-friendly environment to run molecular dynamics simulations through Gromacs. Our GUI features a novel workflow interface that guides the user through each logical step of the molecular dynamics setup process, making it accessible to both advanced and novice users. This tool provides a seamless interface to the Gromacs package, while providing enhanced functionality by speeding up and simplifying the task of setting up molecular dynamics simulations of biological systems. Gromita can be freely downloaded from http://bio.demokritos.gr/gromita/.

TmoleX--a graphical user interface for TURBOMOLE.

PubMed

Steffen, Claudia; Thomas, Klaus; Huniar, Uwe; Hellweg, Arnim; Rubner, Oliver; Schroer, Alexander

2010-12-01

We herein present the graphical user interface (GUI) TmoleX for the quantum chemical program package TURBOMOLE. TmoleX allows users to execute the complete workflow of a quantum chemical investigation from the initial building of a structure to the visualization of the results in a user friendly graphical front end. The purpose of TmoleX is to make TURBOMOLE easy to use and to provide a high degree of flexibility. Hence, it should be a valuable tool for most users from beginners to experts. The program is developed in Java and runs on Linux, Windows, and Mac platforms. It can be used to run calculations on local desktops as well as on remote computers. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

MethLAB

PubMed Central

Kilaru, Varun; Barfield, Richard T; Schroeder, James W; Smith, Alicia K

2012-01-01

Recent evidence suggests that DNA methylation changes may underlie numerous complex traits and diseases. The advent of commercial, array-based methods to interrogate DNA methylation has led to a profusion of epigenetic studies in the literature. Array-based methods, such as the popular Illumina GoldenGate and Infinium platforms, estimate the proportion of DNA methylated at single-base resolution for thousands of CpG sites across the genome. These arrays generate enormous amounts of data, but few software resources exist for efficient and flexible analysis of these data. We developed a software package called MethLAB (http://genetics.emory.edu/conneely/MethLAB) using R, an open source statistical language that can be edited to suit the needs of the user. MethLAB features a graphical user interface (GUI) with a menu-driven format designed to efficiently read in and manipulate array-based methylation data in a user-friendly manner. MethLAB tests for association between methylation and relevant phenotypes by fitting a separate linear model for each CpG site. These models can incorporate both continuous and categorical phenotypes and covariates, as well as fixed or random batch or chip effects. MethLAB accounts for multiple testing by controlling the false discovery rate (FDR) at a user-specified level. Standard output includes a spreadsheet-ready text file and an array of publication-quality figures. Considering the growing interest in and availability of DNA methylation data, there is a great need for user-friendly open source analytical tools. With MethLAB, we present a timely resource that will allow users with no programming experience to implement flexible and powerful analyses of DNA methylation data. PMID:22430798

Team Needs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Andrew

1998-01-01

Explores locker-room design concepts that can be used to accommodate multipurpose athletic facilities and make the locker room more efficient and user friendly. Spaces are described that can be added to the typical locker room that will complement expanding facility functions. (GR)

Estimation of railroad capacity using parametric methods.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-12-01

This paper reviews different methodologies used for railroad capacity estimation and presents a user-friendly method to measure capacity. The objective of this paper is to use multivariate regression analysis to develop a continuous relation of the d...

Simulation and analysis of three congested weigh stations using Westa

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-01-01

A user-friendly model for personal computers, "Vehicle/Highway Performance Predictor," was developed to estimate fuel consumption and exhaust emissions related to modes of vehicle operations on highways of various configurations and traffic controls ...

Streamlining air quality models in Alabama

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-07-01

This report documents a research project sponsored by the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) and conducted by the University of Central Florida (UCF) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to develop a user-friendly, Windows vers...

ICT Services for Life Improvement for the Elderly.

PubMed

Sánchez-Rico, Alejandro; Garel, Pascal; Notarangelo, Isabella; Quintana, Marcos; Hernández, Gustavo; Asteriadis, Stylianos; Popa, Mirela; Vretos, Nicholas; Solachidis, Vassilis; Burgos, Marta; Girault, Ariane

2017-01-01

Integrated care ICT Platform to support patients, care-givers and health/social professionals in the care of dementia and Parkinson's disease with training, empowerment, sensor-based data analysis and cooperation services based on user-friendly interfaces.

Illicit drug use in seven Latin American countries: critical perspectives of families and familiars.

PubMed

Silva, Jaqueline da; Ventura, Carla Aparecida Arena; Vargens, Octavio Muniz da Costa; Loyola, Cristina Maria Douat; Albarracín, Daniel Gonzalo Eslava; Diaz, Jorge; Funes, Gladys Magdalena Rodríguez; Hernández, Mabell Granados; Torres, Ruth Magdalena Gallegos; Rodriguez, Ruth Jakeline Oviedo

2009-01-01

This cross-sectional multi-centre study explored how family members and friends of illicit drug users perceived protective and risk factors, treatment facilities and policies and laws regarding illicit drug use. Family members and friends of illicit drug users were recruited in 10 urban health care outpatient units in 7 Latin American countries (Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico) to complete a questionnaire. The majority of the respondents chose psycho-social factors over genetic or biological explanations as causes of drug problems. Respondents felt that families and governments were responsible for preventing drug problems. Church/religious institutions were most often mentioned in the context of accessible treatment. When asked about access to treatment facilities, the majority said that there were not enough. Shame about drug use, cost, and limited treatment options were most often cited as barriers to treatment.

SpectraPLOT, Visualization Package with a User-Friendly Graphical Interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sebald, James; Macfarlane, Joseph; Golovkin, Igor

2017-10-01

SPECT3D is a collisional-radiative spectral analysis package designed to compute detailed emission, absorption, or x-ray scattering spectra, filtered images, XRD signals, and other synthetic diagnostics. The spectra and images are computed for virtual detectors by post-processing the results of hydrodynamics simulations in 1D, 2D, and 3D geometries. SPECT3D can account for a variety of instrumental response effects so that direct comparisons between simulations and experimental measurements can be made. SpectraPLOT is a user-friendly graphical interface for viewing a wide variety of results from SPECT3D simulations, and applying various instrumental effects to the simulated images and spectra. We will present SpectraPLOT's ability to display a variety of data, including spectra, images, light curves, streaked spectra, space-resolved spectra, and drilldown plasma property plots, for an argon-doped capsule implosion experiment example. Future SpectraPLOT features and enhancements will also be discussed.

Contextual profiles of young adult Ecstasy users: a multisite study

PubMed Central

Ramtekkar, Ujjwal P.; Striley, Catherine W; Cottler, Linda B

2010-01-01

These analyses assess contextual profiles of 612 young adult Ecstasy users, 18–30 years of age, from St. Louis (USA), Miami (USA) and Sydney (Australia). Bivariate analyses revealed different contextual factors influencing Ecstasy use. Friends were the most common sources of Ecstasy at all sites and most used with friends. St. Louis and Miami use mostly occurred in residences, whereas in Sydney use was mostly at clubs, bars or restaurants. Ecstasy consumption at public places and in cars, trains or ferries was significantly higher in Miami (89% and 77%) than in St. Louis (67% and 65%) and Sydney (67% and 61%). At all sites, simultaneous use of LSD/mushroom and nitrous oxide with Ecstasy was common; concurrent amphetamines predominated in Sydney and heroin/opiates in St. Louis Contextual factors influencing Ecstasy use among young adults vary by geographic region. Their inclusion may help tailor effective prevention programs to reduce or ameliorate Ecstasy use. PMID:21094585

STORMSeq: An Open-Source, User-Friendly Pipeline for Processing Personal Genomics Data in the Cloud

PubMed Central

Karczewski, Konrad J.; Fernald, Guy Haskin; Martin, Alicia R.; Snyder, Michael; Tatonetti, Nicholas P.; Dudley, Joel T.

2014-01-01

The increasing public availability of personal complete genome sequencing data has ushered in an era of democratized genomics. However, read mapping and variant calling software is constantly improving and individuals with personal genomic data may prefer to customize and update their variant calls. Here, we describe STORMSeq (Scalable Tools for Open-Source Read Mapping), a graphical interface cloud computing solution that does not require a parallel computing environment or extensive technical experience. This customizable and modular system performs read mapping, read cleaning, and variant calling and annotation. At present, STORMSeq costs approximately $2 and 5–10 hours to process a full exome sequence and $30 and 3–8 days to process a whole genome sequence. We provide this open-access and open-source resource as a user-friendly interface in Amazon EC2. PMID:24454756

Standards-Based Procedural Phenotyping: The Arden Syntax on i2b2.

PubMed

Mate, Sebastian; Castellanos, Ixchel; Ganslandt, Thomas; Prokosch, Hans-Ulrich; Kraus, Stefan

2017-01-01

Phenotyping, or the identification of patient cohorts, is a recurring challenge in medical informatics. While there are open source tools such as i2b2 that address this problem by providing user-friendly querying interfaces, these platforms lack semantic expressiveness to model complex phenotyping algorithms. The Arden Syntax provides procedural programming language construct, designed specifically for medical decision support and knowledge transfer. In this work, we investigate how language constructs of the Arden Syntax can be used for generic phenotyping. We implemented a prototypical tool to integrate i2b2 with an open source Arden execution environment. To demonstrate the applicability of our approach, we used the tool together with an Arden-based phenotyping algorithm to derive statistics about ICU-acquired hypernatremia. Finally, we discuss how the combination of i2b2's user-friendly cohort pre-selection and Arden's procedural expressiveness could benefit phenotyping.

FGMReview: design of a knowledge management tool on female genital mutilation.

PubMed

Martínez Pérez, Guillermo; Turetsky, Risa

2015-11-01

Web-based literature search engines may not be user-friendly for some readers searching for information on female genital mutilation. This is a traditional practice that has no health benefits, and about 140 million girls and women worldwide have undergone it. In 2012, the website FGMReview was created with the aim to offer a user-friendly, accessible, scalable, and innovative knowledge management tool specialized in female genital mutilation. The design of this website was guided by a conceptual model based on the use of benchmarking techniques and requirements engineering, an area of knowledge from the computer informatics field, influenced by the Transcultural Nursing model. The purpose of this article is to describe this conceptual model. Nurses and other health care providers can use this conceptual model to guide their methodological approach to design and launch other eHealth projects. © The Author(s) 2014.

Developing a smartphone interface for the Florida Environmental Public Health Tracking Web portal.

PubMed

Jordan, Melissa; DuClos, Chris; Folsom, John; Thomas, Rebecca

2015-01-01

As smartphone and tablet devices continue to proliferate, it is becoming increasingly important to tailor information delivery to the mobile device. The Florida Environmental Public Health Tracking Program recognized that the mobile device user needs Web content formatted to smaller screen sizes, simplified data displays, and reduced textual information. The Florida Environmental Public Health Tracking Program developed a smartphone-friendly version of the state Web portal for easier access by mobile device users. The resulting smartphone-friendly portal combines calculated data measures such as inpatient hospitalizations and emergency department visits and presents them grouped by county, along with temporal trend graphs. An abbreviated version of the public health messaging provided on the traditional Web portal is also provided, along with social media connections. As a result of these efforts, the percentage of Web site visitors using an iPhone tripled in just 1 year.

Happier Together: Integrating a Wellness Application into a Social Network Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munson, Sean A.; Lauterbach, Debra; Newman, Mark W.; Resnick, Paul

What are the benefits and drawbacks of integrating health and wellness interventions into existing online social network websites? In this paper, we report on a case study of deploying the Three Good Things positive psychology exercise as a Facebook application. Our experience shows that embedding a wellness intervention in an existing social website is a viable option. In particular, we find adherence rates on par with or better than many other Internet-based wellness interventions. We also gained insights about users' privacy and audience concerns that inform the design of social network-based wellness applications. Participants did not want all of their entries to be shared with all their Facebook friends, both because they did not want others to know some things and because they did not want to clutter others' newsfeeds. Users found it compelling, however, to interact with their friends around some "Good Things" they had posted.

Accuracy of user-friendly blood typing kits tested under simulated military field conditions.

PubMed

Bienek, Diane R; Charlton, David G

2011-04-01

Rapid user-friendly ABO-Rh blood typing kits (Eldon Home Kit 2511, ABO-Rh Combination Blood Typing Experiment Kit) were evaluated to determine their accuracy when used under simulated military field conditions and after long-term storage at various temperatures and humidities. Rates of positive tests between control groups, experimental groups, and industry standards were measured and analyzed using the Fisher's exact chi-square method to identify significant differences (p < or = 0.05). When Eldon Home Kits 2511 were used in various operational conditions, the results were comparable to those obtained with the control group and with the industry standard. The performance of the ABO-Rh Combination Blood Typing Experiment Kit was adversely affected by prolonged storage in temperatures above 37 degrees C. The diagnostic performance of commercial blood typing kits varies according to product and environmental storage conditions.

Human Interactive Triboelectric Nanogenerator as a Self-Powered Smart Seat.

PubMed

Chandrasekhar, Arunkumar; Alluri, Nagamalleswara Rao; Saravanakumar, Balasubramaniam; Selvarajan, Sophia; Kim, Sang-Jae

2016-04-20

A lightweight, flexible, cost-effective, and robust, single-electrode-based Smart Seat-Triboelectric Nanogenerator (SS-TENG) is introduced as a promising eco-friendly approach for harvesting energy from the living environment, for use in integrated self-powered systems. An effective method for harvesting biomechanical energy from human motion such as walking, running, and sitting, utilizing widely adaptable everyday contact materials (newspaper, denim, polyethylene covers, and bus cards) is demonstrated. The working mechanism of the SS-TENG is based on the generation and transfer of triboelectric charge carriers between the active layer and user-friendly contact materials. The performance of SS-TENG (52 V and 5.2 μA for a multiunit SS-TENG) is systematically studied and demonstrated in a range of applications including a self-powered passenger seat number indicator and a STOP-indicator using LEDs, using a simple logical circuit. Harvested energy is used as a direct power source to drive 60 blue and green commercially available LEDs and a monochrome LCD. This feasibility study confirms that triboelectric nanogenerators are a suitable technology for energy harvesting from human motion during transportation, which could be used to operate a variety of wireless devices, GPS systems, electronic devices, and other sensors during travel.

Road user behaviour changes following a self-explaining roads intervention.

PubMed

Mackie, Hamish W; Charlton, Samuel G; Baas, Peter H; Villasenor, Pablo C

2013-01-01

The self-explaining roads (SER) approach uses road designs that evoke correct expectations and driving behaviours from road users to create a safe and user-friendly road network. Following the implementation of an SER process and retrofitting of local and collector roads in a suburb within Auckland City, lower speeds on local roads and less variation in speed on both local and collector roads were achieved, along with a closer match between actual and perceived safe speeds. Preliminary analyses of crash data shows that the project has resulted in a 30% reduction crash numbers and an 86% reduction in crash costs per annum, since the road changes were completed. In order to further understand the outcomes from this project, a study was carried out to measure the effects of the SER intervention on the activity and behaviour of all road users. Video was collected over nine separate days, at nine different locations, both before and after SER construction. Road user behaviour categories were developed for all potential road users at different location types and then used to code the video data. Following SER construction, on local roads there was a relatively higher proportion of pedestrians, less uniformity in vehicle lane keeping and less indicating by motorists along with less through traffic, reflecting a more informal/low speed local road environment. Pedestrians were less constrained on local roads following SER construction, possibly reflecting a perceptually safer and more user-friendly environment. These behaviours were not generally evident on collector roads, a trend also shown by the previous study of speed changes. Given that one of the objectives of SER is to match road user behaviour with functionally different road categories, the road user behaviour differences demonstrated on different road types within the SER trial area provides further reinforcement of a successful SER trial. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"Friends" of Anglican Cathedrals: Norms and Values. Befriending, Friending or Misnomer?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muskett, Judith A.

2013-01-01

Loyal supporters of Anglican cathedrals first subscribed to "Friends" associations in the late 1920s. Yet, in 1937, a journalist in "The Times" portrayed cathedrals as a "queer thing to be a friend of." Drawing on theories of friendship from a range of disciplines, and surveys of what has been proclaimed in the public…

eRNA: a graphic user interface-based tool optimized for large data analysis from high-throughput RNA sequencing

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) is emerging as a critical approach in biological research. However, its high-throughput advantage is significantly limited by the capacity of bioinformatics tools. The research community urgently needs user-friendly tools to efficiently analyze the complicated data generated by high throughput sequencers. Results We developed a standalone tool with graphic user interface (GUI)-based analytic modules, known as eRNA. The capacity of performing parallel processing and sample management facilitates large data analyses by maximizing hardware usage and freeing users from tediously handling sequencing data. The module miRNA identification” includes GUIs for raw data reading, adapter removal, sequence alignment, and read counting. The module “mRNA identification” includes GUIs for reference sequences, genome mapping, transcript assembling, and differential expression. The module “Target screening” provides expression profiling analyses and graphic visualization. The module “Self-testing” offers the directory setups, sample management, and a check for third-party package dependency. Integration of other GUIs including Bowtie, miRDeep2, and miRspring extend the program’s functionality. Conclusions eRNA focuses on the common tools required for the mapping and quantification analysis of miRNA-seq and mRNA-seq data. The software package provides an additional choice for scientists who require a user-friendly computing environment and high-throughput capacity for large data analysis. eRNA is available for free download at https://sourceforge.net/projects/erna/?source=directory. PMID:24593312

eRNA: a graphic user interface-based tool optimized for large data analysis from high-throughput RNA sequencing.

PubMed

Yuan, Tiezheng; Huang, Xiaoyi; Dittmar, Rachel L; Du, Meijun; Kohli, Manish; Boardman, Lisa; Thibodeau, Stephen N; Wang, Liang

2014-03-05

RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) is emerging as a critical approach in biological research. However, its high-throughput advantage is significantly limited by the capacity of bioinformatics tools. The research community urgently needs user-friendly tools to efficiently analyze the complicated data generated by high throughput sequencers. We developed a standalone tool with graphic user interface (GUI)-based analytic modules, known as eRNA. The capacity of performing parallel processing and sample management facilitates large data analyses by maximizing hardware usage and freeing users from tediously handling sequencing data. The module miRNA identification" includes GUIs for raw data reading, adapter removal, sequence alignment, and read counting. The module "mRNA identification" includes GUIs for reference sequences, genome mapping, transcript assembling, and differential expression. The module "Target screening" provides expression profiling analyses and graphic visualization. The module "Self-testing" offers the directory setups, sample management, and a check for third-party package dependency. Integration of other GUIs including Bowtie, miRDeep2, and miRspring extend the program's functionality. eRNA focuses on the common tools required for the mapping and quantification analysis of miRNA-seq and mRNA-seq data. The software package provides an additional choice for scientists who require a user-friendly computing environment and high-throughput capacity for large data analysis. eRNA is available for free download at https://sourceforge.net/projects/erna/?source=directory.

Cross-boundary substance uses among Hong Kong Chinese young adults.

PubMed

Lau, Joseph T F; Tsui, Hi Yi; Lam, Lawrence T; Lau, Mason

2007-09-01

The study documents the characteristics of Hong Kong residents who used substances in mainland China. Characteristics of such users were compared with those using substances elsewhere. A cross-sectional survey was used. Data analyses were stratified by gender, and multivariate analyses were performed. Respondents, Hong Kong adults aged 18-30 (n = 6,528), were interviewed using a mixed interviewer and computerized mobile phone method, at the Hong Kong-mainland China boundary. Cross-border substance users and other types of substance users had characteristics that were quite different (e.g., education level, perceived harmfulness of substance use in general, having friends who frequently used substances in mainland China). Cross-boundary substance users also found it easier to obtain substances in mainland China than in Hong Kong (males: 60.5%, females: 39.6%) and perceived no chance of being arrested in mainland China because of substance use (men: 28.8%, women: 24.5%). They tended to use substances in discos/rave parties together with friends (men: 77%, women: 81%), and substances were often obtained for free (men: 63.2%, women: 78%). Ecstasy and ketamine were often used (men: 86.5% & 79.4%, women: 81% & 70.2%), and multiple uses of different substances were common (men: 81.3%, women: 68.6%). Lower price, peer influence, and better availability were reasons behind cross-boundary substance use behaviors. Cross-boundary substance users have specific characteristics. Prevention policies should take these characteristics into account. Regional collaborations are highly warranted.

Cross-boundary Substance Uses Among Hong Kong Chinese Young Adults

PubMed Central

Tsui, Hi Yi; Lam, Lawrence T.; Lau, Mason

2007-01-01

The study documents the characteristics of Hong Kong residents who used substances in mainland China. Characteristics of such users were compared with those using substances elsewhere. A cross-sectional survey was used. Data analyses were stratified by gender, and multivariate analyses were performed. Respondents, Hong Kong adults aged 18–30 (n = 6,528), were interviewed using a mixed interviewer and computerized mobile phone method, at the Hong Kong-mainland China boundary. Cross-border substance users and other types of substance users had characteristics that were quite different (e.g., education level, perceived harmfulness of substance use in general, having friends who frequently used substances in mainland China). Cross-boundary substance users also found it easier to obtain substances in mainland China than in Hong Kong (males: 60.5%, females: 39.6%) and perceived no chance of being arrested in mainland China because of substance use (men: 28.8%, women: 24.5%). They tended to use substances in discos/rave parties together with friends (men: 77%, women: 81%), and substances were often obtained for free (men: 63.2%, women: 78%). Ecstasy and ketamine were often used (men: 86.5% & 79.4%, women: 81% & 70.2%), and multiple uses of different substances were common (men: 81.3%, women: 68.6%). Lower price, peer influence, and better availability were reasons behind cross-boundary substance use behaviors. Cross-boundary substance users have specific characteristics. Prevention policies should take these characteristics into account. Regional collaborations are highly warranted. PMID:17610070

Perception of the influence of environmental factors in the use of electronic planning devices in adults with cognitive disabilities.

PubMed

Adolfsson, Päivi; Lindstedt, Helena; Pettersson, Ingvor; Hermansson, Liselotte Norling; Janeslätt, Gunnel

2016-08-01

Adults with cognitive disabilities often have difficulties in dealing with the complexity of everyday life. With cognitive assistive technology (e.g. electronic planning devices [EPDs] and individual support), they can bring order to their often chaotic life. Assumptions are that environmental factors influence with non-use of EPDs. To explore how adults with cognitive disabilities perceive the influence of environmental factors in the use of EPDs. A reference group with experience of use of EPDs assisted the researchers. Twelve adults with cognitive disabilities and experience of using EPDs participated. An interview guide was implemented covering environmental factors according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Qualitative content analysis was applied in the analyses. Five categories and two themes emerged, which were integrated into a model of facilitating factors influencing the use of EPDs. Measures to prevent or eliminate negative influences of the device use are important to be taken. Professionals need more knowledge about EPDs, while users need individual adaption of the EPDs. EPDs need to be user-friendly, manageable and work in any seasons. Implications for Rehabilitation The users should have access to specially trained prescribers. There is a need for development of user-friendly and manageable products to function in any climate. Knowledge is lacking on how to implement the users in all stages of the prescribing process. Prescribers should increase knowledge in the use of EPDs to influence the attitudes of the social environment.

Aviation Design Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

DARcorporation developed a General Aviation CAD package through a Small Business Innovation Research contract from Langley Research Center. This affordable, user-friendly preliminary design system for General Aviation aircraft runs on the popular 486 IBM-compatible personal computers. Individuals taking the home-built approach, small manufacturers of General Aviation airplanes, as well as students and others interested in the analysis and design of aircraft are possible users of the package. The software can cut design and development time in half.

Advanced Software Development Workstation Project, phase 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

ACCESS provides a generic capability to develop software information system applications which are explicitly intended to facilitate software reuse. In addition, it provides the capability to retrofit existing large applications with a user friendly front end for preparation of input streams in a way that will reduce required training time, improve the productivity even of experienced users, and increase accuracy. Current and past work shows that ACCESS will be scalable to much larger object bases.

Implementation of Interaction Algorithm to Non-Matching Discrete Interfaces Between Structure and Fluid Mesh

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Shu-Po

1999-01-01

This paper presents software for solving the non-conforming fluid structure interfaces in aeroelastic simulation. It reviews the algorithm of interpolation and integration, highlights the flexibility and the user-friendly feature that allows the user to select the existing structure and fluid package, like NASTRAN and CLF3D, to perform the simulation. The presented software is validated by computing the High Speed Civil Transport model.

Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) Model: Offshore Wind User Reference Guide

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

Lantz, E.; Goldberg, M.; Keyser, D.

2013-06-01

The Offshore Wind Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) model, developed by NREL and MRG & Associates, is a spreadsheet based input-output tool. JEDI is meant to be a user friendly and transparent tool to estimate potential economic impacts supported by the development and operation of offshore wind projects. This guide describes how to use the model as well as technical information such as methodology, limitations, and data sources.

Profiler - A Fast and Versatile New Program for Decomposing Galaxy Light Profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciambur, Bogdan C.

2016-12-01

I introduce Profiler, a user-friendly program designed to analyse the radial surface brightness profiles of galaxies. With an intuitive graphical user interface, Profiler can accurately model galaxies of a broad range of morphological types, with various parametric functions routinely employed in the field (Sérsic, core-Sérsic, exponential, Gaussian, Moffat, and Ferrers). In addition to these, Profiler can employ the broken exponential model for disc truncations or anti-truncations, and two special cases of the edge-on disc model: along the disc's major or minor axis. The convolution of (circular or elliptical) models with the point spread function is performed in 2D, and offers a choice between Gaussian, Moffat or a user-provided profile for the point spread function. Profiler is optimised to work with galaxy light profiles obtained from isophotal measurements, which allow for radial gradients in the geometric parameters of the isophotes, and are thus often better at capturing the total light than 2D image-fitting programs. Additionally, the 1D approach is generally less computationally expensive and more stable. I demonstrate Profiler's features by decomposing three case-study galaxies: the cored elliptical galaxy NGC 3348, the nucleated dwarf Seyfert I galaxy Pox 52, and NGC 2549, a double-barred galaxy with an edge-on, truncated disc.

The development of a clinical outcomes survey research application: Assessment CenterSM

PubMed Central

Rothrock, Nan E.; Hanrahan, Rachel T.; Jansky, Liz J.; Harniss, Mark; Riley, William

2013-01-01

Introduction The National Institutes of Health sponsored Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) aimed to create item banks and computerized adaptive tests (CATs) across multiple domains for individuals with a range of chronic diseases. Purpose Web-based software was created to enable a researcher to create study-specific Websites that could administer PROMIS CATs and other instruments to research participants or clinical samples. This paper outlines the process used to develop a user-friendly, free, Web-based resource (Assessment CenterSM) for storage, retrieval, organization, sharing, and administration of patient-reported outcomes (PRO) instruments. Methods Joint Application Design (JAD) sessions were conducted with representatives from numerous institutions in order to supply a general wish list of features. Use Cases were then written to ensure that end user expectations matched programmer specifications. Program development included daily programmer “scrum” sessions, weekly Usability Acceptability Testing (UAT) and continuous Quality Assurance (QA) activities pre- and post-release. Results Assessment Center includes features that promote instrument development including item histories, data management, and storage of statistical analysis results. Conclusions This case study of software development highlights the collection and incorporation of user input throughout the development process. Potential future applications of Assessment Center in clinical research are discussed. PMID:20306332

Low Cost Desktop Image Analysis Workstation With Enhanced Interactive User Interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratib, Osman M.; Huang, H. K.

1989-05-01

A multimodality picture archiving and communication system (PACS) is in routine clinical use in the UCLA Radiology Department. Several types workstations are currently implemented for this PACS. Among them, the Apple Macintosh II personal computer was recently chosen to serve as a desktop workstation for display and analysis of radiological images. This personal computer was selected mainly because of its extremely friendly user-interface, its popularity among the academic and medical community and its low cost. In comparison to other microcomputer-based systems the Macintosh II offers the following advantages: the extreme standardization of its user interface, file system and networking, and the availability of a very large variety of commercial software packages. In the current configuration the Macintosh II operates as a stand-alone workstation where images are imported from a centralized PACS server through an Ethernet network using a standard TCP-IP protocol, and stored locally on magnetic disk. The use of high resolution screens (1024x768 pixels x 8bits) offer sufficient performance for image display and analysis. We focused our project on the design and implementation of a variety of image analysis algorithms ranging from automated structure and edge detection to sophisticated dynamic analysis of sequential images. Specific analysis programs were developed for ultrasound images, digitized angiograms, MRI and CT tomographic images and scintigraphic images.

Bias Correction of Satellite Precipitation Products (SPPs) using a User-friendly Tool: A Step in Enhancing Technical Capacity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rushi, B. R.; Ellenburg, W. L.; Adams, E. C.; Flores, A.; Limaye, A. S.; Valdés-Pineda, R.; Roy, T.; Valdés, J. B.; Mithieu, F.; Omondi, S.

2017-12-01

SERVIR, a joint NASA-USAID initiative, works to build capacity in Earth observation technologies in developing countries for improved environmental decision making in the arena of: weather and climate, water and disasters, food security and land use/land cover. SERVIR partners with leading regional organizations in Eastern and Southern Africa, Hindu Kush-Himalaya, Mekong region, and West Africa to achieve its objectives. SERVIR develops hydrological applications to address specific needs articulated by key stakeholders and daily rainfall estimates are a vital input for these applications. Satellite-derived rainfall is subjected to systemic biases which need to be corrected before it can be used for any hydrologic application such as real-time or seasonal forecasting. SERVIR and the SWAAT team at the University of Arizona, have co-developed an open-source and user friendly tool of rainfall bias correction approaches for SPPs. Bias correction tools were developed based on Linear Scaling and Quantile Mapping techniques. A set of SPPs, such as PERSIANN-CCS, TMPA-RT, and CMORPH, are bias corrected using Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station (CHIRPS) data which incorporates ground based precipitation observations. This bias correction tools also contains a component, which is included to improve monthly mean of CHIRPS using precipitation products of the Global Surface Summary of the Day (GSOD) database developed by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). This tool takes input from command-line which makes it user-friendly and applicable in any operating platform without prior programming skills. This presentation will focus on this bias-correction tool for SPPs, including application scenarios.

Computer program for analysis of hemodynamic response to head-up tilt test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ŚwiÄ tek, Eliza; Cybulski, Gerard; Koźluk, Edward; PiÄ tkowska, Agnieszka; Niewiadomski, Wiktor

2014-11-01

The aim of this work was to create a computer program, written in the MATLAB environment, which enables the visualization and analysis of hemodynamic parameters recorded during a passive tilt test using the CNS Task Force Monitor System. The application was created to help in the assessment of the relationship between the values and dynamics of changes of the selected parameters and the risk of orthostatic syncope. The signal analysis included: R-R intervals (RRI), heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (sBP), diastolic blood pressure (dBP), mean blood pressure (mBP), stroke volume (SV), stroke index (SI), cardiac output (CO), cardiac index (CI), total peripheral resistance (TPR), total peripheral resistance index (TPRI), ventricular ejection time (LVET) and thoracic fluid content (TFC). The program enables the user to visualize waveforms for a selected parameter and to perform smoothing with selected moving average parameters. It allows one to construct the graph of means for any range, and the Poincare plot for a selected time range. The program automatically determines the average value of the parameter before tilt, its minimum and maximum value immediately after changing positions and the times of their occurrence. It is possible to correct the automatically detected points manually. For the RR interval, it determines the acceleration index (AI) and the brake index (BI). It is possible to save calculated values to an XLS with a name specified by user. The application has a user-friendly graphical interface and can run on a computer that has no MATLAB software.

Adam: a Unix Desktop Application Manager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LiÉBana, M.; Marquina, M.; Ramos, R.

ADAM stands for Affordable Desktop Application Manager. It is a GUI developed at CERN with the aim to ease access to applications. The motivation to develop ADAM came from the unavailability of environments like COSE/CDE and their heavy resource consumption. ADAM has proven to be user friendly: new users are able to customize it to their needs in few minutes. Groups of users may share through ADAM a common application environment. ADAM also integrates the Unix and the PC world. PC users can access Unix applications in the same way as their usual Windows applications. This paper describes all the ADAM features, how they are used at CERN Public Services, and the future plans for ADAM.

SEAPAK user's guide, version 2.0. Volume 2: Descriptions of programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcclain, Charles R.; Darzi, Michael; Firestone, James K.; Fu, Gary; Yeh, Eueng-Nan; Endres, Daniel L.

1991-01-01

The SEAPAK is a user-interactive satellite data analysis package that was developed for the processing and interpretation of Nimbus-7/Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) and the NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data. Significant revisions were made since version 1.0, and the ancillary environmental data analysis module was greatly expanded. The package continues to be user friendly and user interactive. Also, because the scientific goals of the ocean color research being conducted have shifted to large space and time scales, batch processing capabilities for both satellite and ancillary environmental data analyses were enhanced, thus allowing for large quantities of data to be ingested and analyzed.

Molecular contamination math model support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wells, R.

1983-01-01

The operation and features of a preprocessor for the Shuttle/Payload Contamination Evaluation Program Version 2) are described. A preliminary preprocessor for SPACE 2 is developed. Further refinements and enhancements of the preprocessor to insure complete user friendly operation, are recommended.

A "User-Friendly" Program for Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Da Silva, Francisco A.; And Others

1991-01-01

Described is a computer software package suitable for teaching and research in the area of multicomponent vapor-liquid equilibrium. This program, which has a complete database, can accomplish phase-equilibrium calculations using various models and graph the results. (KR)

Development of a geotechnical information database.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-08-01

The purpose of this project was to create a user-friendly geotechnical Web site, so the LADOTD Headquarters Geotechnical Design Section and other LADOTD sections will have access to the appropriate and necessary resources to make the best design d...

NCDOT level of service software program for highway capacity manual planning applications.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-08-01

The Transportation Planning Branch (TPB) of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) desired a : user-friendly tool for determining highway capacity and service volumes for freeways, multilane highways, arterials, and : two-lane highwa...

Railroad-highway grade crossing handbook : 2nd edition

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-11-01

Spread footings are most often less expensive than deep foundations. In an effort to improve the reliability of spread footings, this research project was undertaken. The results consist of: (1) a user friendly microcomputer data base of spread footi...

Demonstration of the gypsy moth energy budget microclimate model

Treesearch

D. E. Anderson; D. R. Miller; W. E. Wallner

1991-01-01

The use of a "User friendly" version of "GMMICRO" model to quantify the local environment and resulting core temperature of GM larvae under different conditions of canopy defoliation, different forest sites, and different weather conditions was demonstrated.

Safety benefits of implementing adaptive signal control technology : survey results.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-01-01

The safety benefits and costs associated with implementing adaptive signal control technology (ASCT) were evaluated in : this study. A user-friendly online survey was distributed to 62 agencies that had implemented ASCT in the United States. : Twenty...

Automation, Miniature Robotics and Sensors for Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation, Volume 4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Y.; Baumgartner, E.; Backes, P.; Sherrit, S.; Bao, X.; Leary, S.; Kennedy, B.; Mavroidis, C.; Pfeiffer, C.; Culbert, C.;

SABRINA - an interactive geometry modeler for MCNP

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

West, J.T.; Murphy, J.

One of the most difficult tasks when analyzing a complex three-dimensional system with Monte Carlo is geometry model development. SABRINA attempts to make the modeling process more user-friendly and less of an obstacle. It accepts both combinatorial solid bodies and MCNP surfaces and produces MCNP cells. The model development process in SABRINA is highly interactive and gives the user immediate feedback on errors. Users can view their geometry from arbitrary perspectives while the model is under development and interactively find and correct modeling errors. An example of a SABRINA display is shown. It represents a complex three-dimensional shape.

SearchGUI: An open-source graphical user interface for simultaneous OMSSA and X!Tandem searches.

PubMed

Vaudel, Marc; Barsnes, Harald; Berven, Frode S; Sickmann, Albert; Martens, Lennart

2011-03-01

The identification of proteins by mass spectrometry is a standard technique in the field of proteomics, relying on search engines to perform the identifications of the acquired spectra. Here, we present a user-friendly, lightweight and open-source graphical user interface called SearchGUI (http://searchgui.googlecode.com), for configuring and running the freely available OMSSA (open mass spectrometry search algorithm) and X!Tandem search engines simultaneously. Freely available under the permissible Apache2 license, SearchGUI is supported on Windows, Linux and OSX. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Seed: a user-friendly tool for exploring and visualizing microbial community data.

PubMed

Beck, Daniel; Dennis, Christopher; Foster, James A

2015-02-15

In this article we present Simple Exploration of Ecological Data (Seed), a data exploration tool for microbial communities. Seed is written in R using the Shiny library. This provides access to powerful R-based functions and libraries through a simple user interface. Seed allows users to explore ecological datasets using principal coordinate analyses, scatter plots, bar plots, hierarchal clustering and heatmaps. Seed is open source and available at https://github.com/danlbek/Seed. danlbek@gmail.com Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

Computer-assisted instruction and diagnosis of radiographic findings.

PubMed

Harper, D; Butler, C; Hodder, R; Allman, R; Woods, J; Riordan, D

1984-04-01

Recent advances in computer technology, including high bit-density storage, digital imaging, and the ability to interface microprocessors with videodisk, create enormous opportunities in the field of medical education. This program, utilizing a personal computer, videodisk, BASIC language, a linked textfile system, and a triangulation approach to the interpretation of radiographs developed by Dr. W. L. Thompson, can enable the user to engage in a user-friendly, dynamic teaching program in radiology, applicable to various levels of expertise. Advantages include a relatively more compact and inexpensive system with rapid access and ease of revision which requires little instruction to the user.

Modeling Vortex Generators in a Navier-Stokes Code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dudek, Julianne C.

2011-01-01

A source-term model that simulates the effects of vortex generators was implemented into the Wind-US Navier-Stokes code. The source term added to the Navier-Stokes equations simulates the lift force that would result from a vane-type vortex generator in the flowfield. The implementation is user-friendly, requiring the user to specify only three quantities for each desired vortex generator: the range of grid points over which the force is to be applied and the planform area and angle of incidence of the physical vane. The model behavior was evaluated for subsonic flow in a rectangular duct with a single vane vortex generator, subsonic flow in an S-duct with 22 corotating vortex generators, and supersonic flow in a rectangular duct with a counter-rotating vortex-generator pair. The model was also used to successfully simulate microramps in supersonic flow by treating each microramp as a pair of vanes with opposite angles of incidence. The validation results indicate that the source-term vortex-generator model provides a useful tool for screening vortex-generator configurations and gives comparable results to solutions computed using gridded vanes.

Manifest: A computer program for 2-D flow modeling in Stirling machines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gedeon, David

1989-01-01

A computer program named Manifest is discussed. Manifest is a program one might want to use to model the fluid dynamics in the manifolds commonly found between the heat exchangers and regenerators of Stirling machines; but not just in the manifolds - in the regenerators as well. And in all sorts of other places too, such as: in heaters or coolers, or perhaps even in cylinder spaces. There are probably nonStirling uses for Manifest also. In broad strokes, Manifest will: (1) model oscillating internal compressible laminar fluid flow in a wide range of two-dimensional regions, either filled with porous materials or empty; (2) present a graphics-based user-friendly interface, allowing easy selection and modification of region shape and boundary condition specification; (3) run on a personal computer, or optionally (in the case of its number-crunching module) on a supercomputer; and (4) allow interactive examination of the solution output so the user can view vector plots of flow velocity, contour plots of pressure and temperature at various locations and tabulate energy-related integrals of interest.

Service user involvement in care planning: the mental health nurse's perspective.

PubMed

Anthony, P; Crawford, P

2000-10-01

A dissonance between espoused values of consumerism within mental health care and the 'reality' of clinical practice has been firmly established in the literature, not least in terms of service user involvement in care planning. In order to begin to minimize such dissonance, it is vital that mental health nurse perceptions of service user involvement in the core activity of care planning are better understood. The main findings of this qualitative study, which uses semistructured interviews, suggest that mental health nurses value the concept of user involvement but consider it to be problematic in certain circumstances. The study reveals that nurses hold similar views about the 'meaning' of patient involvement in care planning but limited resources, individual patients characteristics and limitations in nursing care are the main inhibiting factors. Factors perceived as promoting and increasing user involvement included: provision of accurate information, 'user-friendly' documentation, mechanisms for gaining service user feedback, and high staff morale.

Jules Verne Voyager, Jr: An Interactive Map Tool for Teaching Plate Tectonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamburger, M. W.; Meertens, C. M.

2010-12-01

We present an interactive, web-based map utility that can make new geological and geophysical results accessible to a large number and variety of users. The tool provides a user-friendly interface that allows users to access a variety of maps, satellite images, and geophysical data at a range of spatial scales. The map tool, dubbed 'Jules Verne Voyager, Jr.', allows users to interactively create maps of a variety of study areas around the world. The utility was developed in collaboration with the UNAVCO Consortium for study of global-scale tectonic processes. Users can choose from a variety of base maps (including "Face of the Earth" and "Earth at Night" satellite imagery mosaics, global topography, geoid, sea-floor age, strain rate and seismic hazard maps, and others), add a number of geographic and geophysical overlays (coastlines, political boundaries, rivers and lakes, earthquake and volcano locations, stress axes, etc.), and then superimpose both observed and model velocity vectors representing a compilation of 2933 GPS geodetic measurements from around the world. A remarkable characteristic of the geodetic compilation is that users can select from some 21 plates' frames of reference, allowing a visual representation of both 'absolute' plate motion (in a no-net rotation reference frame) and relative motion along all of the world's plate boundaries. The tool allows users to zoom among at least three map scales. The map tool can be viewed at http://jules.unavco.org/VoyagerJr/Earth. A more detailed version of the map utility, developed in conjunction with the EarthScope initiative, focuses on North America geodynamics, and provides more detailed geophysical and geographic information for the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The ‘EarthScope Voyager’ can be accessed at http://jules.unavco.org/VoyagerJr/EarthScope. Because the system uses pre-constructed gif images and overlays, the system can rapidly create and display maps to a large number of users simultaneously and does not require any special software installation on users' systems. In addition, a javascript-based educational interface, dubbed "Exploring our Dynamic Planet", incorporates the map tool, explanatory material, background scientific material, and curricular activities that encourage users to explore Earth processes using the Jules Verne Voyager, Jr. tool. Exploring our Dynamic Planet can be viewed at http://www.dpc.ucar.edu/VoyagerJr/. Because of its flexibility, the map utilities can be used for hands-on exercises exploring plate interaction in a range of academic settings, from high school science classes to entry-level undergraduate to graduate-level tectonics courses.

User-friendly program for multitask analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caporali, Sergio A.; Akladios, Magdy; Becker, Paul E.

2000-10-01

Research on lifting activities has led to the design of several useful tools for evaluating tasks that involve lifting and material handling. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has developed a single task lifting equation. This formula has been frequently used as a guide in the field of ergonomics and material handling. While being much more complicated, the multi-task formula will provide a more realistic analysis for the evaluation of lifting and material handling jobs. A user friendly tool has been developed to assist professionals in the field of ergonomics in analyzing multitask types of material handling jobs. The program allows for up to 10 different tasks to be evaluated. The program requires a basic understanding of the NIOSH lifting guidelines and the six multipliers that are involved in the analysis of each single task. These multipliers are: Horizontal Distance Multiplier (HM), Vertical Distance Multiplier (VM), Vertical Displacement Multiplier (DM), Frequency of lifting Multiplier (FM), Coupling Multiplier (CM), and the Asymmetry Multiplier (AM). Once a given job is analyzed, a researched list of recommendations is provided to the user in an attempt to reduce the potential risk factors that are associated with each task.

EDENetworks: a user-friendly software to build and analyse networks in biogeography, ecology and population genetics.

PubMed

Kivelä, Mikko; Arnaud-Haond, Sophie; Saramäki, Jari

2015-01-01

The recent application of graph-based network theory analysis to biogeography, community ecology and population genetics has created a need for user-friendly software, which would allow a wider accessibility to and adaptation of these methods. EDENetworks aims to fill this void by providing an easy-to-use interface for the whole analysis pipeline of ecological and evolutionary networks starting from matrices of species distributions, genotypes, bacterial OTUs or populations characterized genetically. The user can choose between several different ecological distance metrics, such as Bray-Curtis or Sorensen distance, or population genetic metrics such as FST or Goldstein distances, to turn the raw data into a distance/dissimilarity matrix. This matrix is then transformed into a network by manual or automatic thresholding based on percolation theory or by building the minimum spanning tree. The networks can be visualized along with auxiliary data and analysed with various metrics such as degree, clustering coefficient, assortativity and betweenness centrality. The statistical significance of the results can be estimated either by resampling the original biological data or by null models based on permutations of the data. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

YTPdb: a wiki database of yeast membrane transporters.

PubMed

Brohée, Sylvain; Barriot, Roland; Moreau, Yves; André, Bruno

2010-10-01

Membrane transporters constitute one of the largest functional categories of proteins in all organisms. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, this represents about 300 proteins ( approximately 5% of the proteome). We here present the Yeast Transport Protein database (YTPdb), a user-friendly collaborative resource dedicated to the precise classification and annotation of yeast transporters. YTPdb exploits an evolution of the MediaWiki web engine used for popular collaborative databases like Wikipedia, allowing every registered user to edit the data in a user-friendly manner. Proteins in YTPdb are classified on the basis of functional criteria such as subcellular location or their substrate compounds. These classifications are hierarchical, allowing queries to be performed at various levels, from highly specific (e.g. ammonium as a substrate or the vacuole as a location) to broader (e.g. cation as a substrate or inner membranes as location). Other resources accessible for each transporter via YTPdb include post-translational modifications, K(m) values, a permanently updated bibliography, and a hierarchical classification into families. The YTPdb concept can be extrapolated to other organisms and could even be applied for other functional categories of proteins. YTPdb is accessible at http://homes.esat.kuleuven.be/ytpdb/. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Primer on the Implementation of a Pharmacy Intranet Site to Improve Department Communication

PubMed Central

Hale, Holly J.

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the article is to describe the experience of selecting, developing, and implementing a pharmacy department intranet site with commentary regarding application to other institutions. Clinical practitioners and supporting staff need an effective, efficient, organized, and user-friendly communication tool to utilize and relay information required to optimize patient care. Summary: To create a functional and user-friendly department intranet site, department leadership and staff should be involved in the process from selection of product through implementation. A product that supports both document storage management and communication delivery and has the capability to be customized to provide varied levels of site access is desirable. The designation of an intranet site owner/developer within the department will facilitate purposeful site design and site maintenance execution. A well-designed and up-to-date site along with formal end-user training are essential for staff adoption and continued utilization. Conclusion: Development of a department intranet site requires a considerable time investment by several members of the department. The implementation of an intranet site can be an important step toward achieving improved communications. Staff utilization of this resource is key to its success. PMID:24421523

Primer on the implementation of a pharmacy intranet site to improve department communication.

PubMed

Hale, Holly J

2013-07-01

The purpose of the article is to describe the experience of selecting, developing, and implementing a pharmacy department intranet site with commentary regarding application to other institutions. Clinical practitioners and supporting staff need an effective, efficient, organized, and user-friendly communication tool to utilize and relay information required to optimize patient care. To create a functional and user-friendly department intranet site, department leadership and staff should be involved in the process from selection of product through implementation. A product that supports both document storage management and communication delivery and has the capability to be customized to provide varied levels of site access is desirable. The designation of an intranet site owner/developer within the department will facilitate purposeful site design and site maintenance execution. A well-designed and up-to-date site along with formal end-user training are essential for staff adoption and continued utilization. Development of a department intranet site requires a considerable time investment by several members of the department. The implementation of an intranet site can be an important step toward achieving improved communications. Staff utilization of this resource is key to its success.

BAGEL4: a user-friendly web server to thoroughly mine RiPPs and bacteriocins.

PubMed

van Heel, Auke J; de Jong, Anne; Song, Chunxu; Viel, Jakob H; Kok, Jan; Kuipers, Oscar P

2018-05-21

Interest in secondary metabolites such as RiPPs (ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides) is increasing worldwide. To facilitate the research in this field we have updated our mining web server. BAGEL4 is faster than its predecessor and is now fully independent from ORF-calling. Gene clusters of interest are discovered using the core-peptide database and/or through HMM motifs that are present in associated context genes. The databases used for mining have been updated and extended with literature references and links to UniProt and NCBI. Additionally, we have included automated promoter and terminator prediction and the option to upload RNA expression data, which can be displayed along with the identified clusters. Further improvements include the annotation of the context genes, which is now based on a fast blast against the prokaryote part of the UniRef90 database, and the improved web-BLAST feature that dynamically loads structural data such as internal cross-linking from UniProt. Overall BAGEL4 provides the user with more information through a user-friendly web-interface which simplifies data evaluation. BAGEL4 is freely accessible at http://bagel4.molgenrug.nl.

SeqFIRE: a web application for automated extraction of indel regions and conserved blocks from protein multiple sequence alignments.

PubMed

Ajawatanawong, Pravech; Atkinson, Gemma C; Watson-Haigh, Nathan S; Mackenzie, Bryony; Baldauf, Sandra L

2012-07-01

Analyses of multiple sequence alignments generally focus on well-defined conserved sequence blocks, while the rest of the alignment is largely ignored or discarded. This is especially true in phylogenomics, where large multigene datasets are produced through automated pipelines. However, some of the most powerful phylogenetic markers have been found in the variable length regions of multiple alignments, particularly insertions/deletions (indels) in protein sequences. We have developed Sequence Feature and Indel Region Extractor (SeqFIRE) to enable the automated identification and extraction of indels from protein sequence alignments. The program can also extract conserved blocks and identify fast evolving sites using a combination of conservation and entropy. All major variables can be adjusted by the user, allowing them to identify the sets of variables most suited to a particular analysis or dataset. Thus, all major tasks in preparing an alignment for further analysis are combined in a single flexible and user-friendly program. The output includes a numbered list of indels, alignments in NEXUS format with indels annotated or removed and indel-only matrices. SeqFIRE is a user-friendly web application, freely available online at www.seqfire.org/.

UWB based low-cost and non-invasive practical breast cancer early detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vijayasarveswari, V.; Khatun, S.; Fakir, M. M.; Jusoh, M.; Ali, S.

2017-03-01

Breast cancer is one of the main causes of women death worldwide. Breast tumor is an early stage of cancer that locates in cells of a human breast. As there is no remedy, early detection is crucial. Towards this, Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is a prominent candidate. It is a wireless communication technology which can achieve high bandwidth with low power utilization. UWB is suitable to be used for short range communication systems including breast cancer detection since it is secure, non-invasive and human health friendly. This paper presents the low-cost and non-invasive early breast cancer detection strategy using UWB sensor (or antenna). Emphasis is given here to detect breast tumor in 2D and 3D environments. The developed system consisted of hardware and software. Hardware included UWB transceiver and a pair of home-made directional sensor/antenna. The software included feed-forward back propagation Neural Network (NN) module to detect the tumor existence, size and location along with soft interface between software and hardware. Forward scattering technique was used by placing two sensors diagonally opposite sides of a breast phantom. UWB pulses were transmitted from one side of phantom and received from other side, controlled by the software interface in PC environment. Collected received signals were then fed into the NN module for training, testing and validation. The system exhibited detection efficiency on tumor existence, location (x, y, z), and size were approximately 100%, (78.17%, 70.66%, 92.46%), 85.86% respectively. The proposed UWB based early breast cancer detection system could be more practical with low-cost, user friendly and non-harmful features. This project may help users to monitor their breast health regularly at their home.

A public HTLV-1 molecular epidemiology database for sequence management and data mining.

PubMed

Araujo, Thessika Hialla Almeida; Souza-Brito, Leandro Inacio; Libin, Pieter; Deforche, Koen; Edwards, Dustin; de Albuquerque-Junior, Antonio Eduardo; Vandamme, Anne-Mieke; Galvao-Castro, Bernardo; Alcantara, Luiz Carlos Junior

2012-01-01

It is estimated that 15 to 20 million people are infected with the human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). At present, there are more than 2,000 unique HTLV-1 isolate sequences published. A central database to aggregate sequence information from a range of epidemiological aspects including HTLV-1 infections, pathogenesis, origins, and evolutionary dynamics would be useful to scientists and physicians worldwide. Described here, we have developed a database that collects and annotates sequence data and can be accessed through a user-friendly search interface. The HTLV-1 Molecular Epidemiology Database website is available at http://htlv1db.bahia.fiocruz.br/. All data was obtained from publications available at GenBank or through contact with the authors. The database was developed using Apache Webserver 2.1.6 and SGBD MySQL. The webpage interfaces were developed in HTML and sever-side scripting written in PHP. The HTLV-1 Molecular Epidemiology Database is hosted on the Gonçalo Moniz/FIOCRUZ Research Center server. There are currently 2,457 registered sequences with 2,024 (82.37%) of those sequences representing unique isolates. Of these sequences, 803 (39.67%) contain information about clinical status (TSP/HAM, 17.19%; ATL, 7.41%; asymptomatic, 12.89%; other diseases, 2.17%; and no information, 60.32%). Further, 7.26% of sequences contain information on patient gender while 5.23% of sequences provide the age of the patient. The HTLV-1 Molecular Epidemiology Database retrieves and stores annotated HTLV-1 proviral sequences from clinical, epidemiological, and geographical studies. The collected sequences and related information are now accessible on a publically available and user-friendly website. This open-access database will support clinical research and vaccine development related to viral genotype.

Development of a patient-specific dosimetry estimation system in nuclear medicine examination

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

Lin, H. H.; Dong, S. L.; Yang, H. J.

2011-07-01

The purpose of this study is to develop a patient-specific dosimetry estimation system in nuclear medicine examination using a SimSET-based Monte Carlo code. We added a dose deposition routine to store the deposited energy of the photons during their flights in SimSET and developed a user-friendly interface for reading PET and CT images. Dose calculated on ORNL phantom was used to validate the accuracy of this system. The S values for {sup 99m}Tc, {sup 18}F and {sup 131}I obtained by the system were compared to those from the MCNP4C code and OLINDA. The ratios of S values computed by thismore » system to those obtained with OLINDA for various organs were ranged from 0.93 to 1.18, which are comparable to that obtained from MCNP4C code (0.94 to 1.20). The average ratios of S value were 0.99{+-}0.04, 1.03{+-}0.05, and 1.00{+-}0.07 for isotopes {sup 131}I, {sup 18}F, and {sup 99m}Tc, respectively. The simulation time of SimSET was two times faster than MCNP4C's for various isotopes. A 3D dose calculation was also performed on a patient data set with PET/CT examination using this system. Results from the patient data showed that the estimated S values using this system differed slightly from those of OLINDA for ORNL phantom. In conclusion, this system can generate patient-specific dose distribution and display the isodose curves on top of the anatomic structure through a friendly graphic user interface. It may also provide a useful tool to establish an appropriate dose-reduction strategy to patients in nuclear medicine environments. (authors)« less

Microbioreactors with microfluidic control and a user-friendly connection to the actuator hardware

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchenauer, A.; Funke, M.; Büchs, J.; Mokwa, W.; Schnakenberg, U.

2009-07-01

In this study, an array of microbioreactors based on the format of 48-well microtiter plates (MTPs) is presented. The process parameters pH and biomass are monitored online using commercially available optical sensor technology. A microfluidic device dispenses acid or base individually into each well for controlling the pH of fermentations. Fluid volumes from 72 nL to 940 nL can be supplied with valve opening times between 10 ms and 200 ms. One microfluidic device is capable of supplying four wells from two reservoirs. Up to four microfluidic devices can be integrated on the area of a prototype MTP. The devices are fabricated in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using soft lithographic techniques and utilize pneumatically actuated microvalves. During fermentations, the microbioreactor is clamped to an orbital shaker and a temporary pneumatic connection guides the externally controlled pressurized air to the microfluidic device. Finally, fermentations of Escherichia coli in the presence and absence of pH control are carried out in the microbioreactor system over 18 h. During the fermentation the pH of the cultures is continuously monitored by means of optodes. An ammonia solution or phosphoric acid is dispensed to adjust the pH if it differs from the set point of 7.2. In a controlled culture, the pH can be sustained within 7.0 to 7.3 while the pH in an uncontrolled culture ranges between 6.5 and 9.0. This microbioreactor demonstrates the possibility of pH-controlled fermentations in micro-scale. The process control and the user friendly connection to the actuation hardware provide an easy handling comparable to standard MTPs.

Biomedical image analysis and processing in clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bednarz, Tomasz; Szul, Piotr; Arzhaeva, Yulia; Wang, Dadong; Burdett, Neil; Khassapov, Alex; Chen, Shiping; Vallotton, Pascal; Lagerstrom, Ryan; Gureyev, Tim; Taylor, John

2013-10-01

Cloud-based Image Analysis and Processing Toolbox project runs on the Australian National eResearch Collaboration Tools and Resources (NeCTAR) cloud infrastructure and allows access to biomedical image processing and analysis services to researchers via remotely accessible user interfaces. By providing user-friendly access to cloud computing resources and new workflow-based interfaces, our solution enables researchers to carry out various challenging image analysis and reconstruction tasks. Several case studies will be presented during the conference.

BASIC Data Manipulation And Display System (BDMADS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Szuch, J. R.

1983-01-01

BDMADS, a BASIC Data Manipulation and Display System, is a collection of software programs that run on an Apple II Plus personal computer. BDMADS provides a user-friendly environment for the engineer in which to perform scientific data processing. The computer programs and their use are described. Jet engine performance calculations are used to illustrate the use of BDMADS. Source listings of the BDMADS programs are provided and should permit users to customize the programs for their particular applications.

CellShape: A user-friendly image analysis tool for quantitative visualization of bacterial cell factories inside.

PubMed

Goñi-Moreno, Ángel; Kim, Juhyun; de Lorenzo, Víctor

2017-02-01

Visualization of the intracellular constituents of individual bacteria while performing as live biocatalysts is in principle doable through more or less sophisticated fluorescence microscopy. Unfortunately, rigorous quantitation of the wealth of data embodied in the resulting images requires bioinformatic tools that are not widely extended within the community-let alone that they are often subject to licensing that impedes software reuse. In this context we have developed CellShape, a user-friendly platform for image analysis with subpixel precision and double-threshold segmentation system for quantification of fluorescent signals stemming from single-cells. CellShape is entirely coded in Python, a free, open-source programming language with widespread community support. For a developer, CellShape enhances extensibility (ease of software improvements) by acting as an interface to access and use existing Python modules; for an end-user, CellShape presents standalone executable files ready to open without installation. We have adopted this platform to analyse with an unprecedented detail the tridimensional distribution of the constituents of the gene expression flow (DNA, RNA polymerase, mRNA and ribosomal proteins) in individual cells of the industrial platform strain Pseudomonas putida KT2440. While the CellShape first release version (v0.8) is readily operational, users and/or developers are enabled to expand the platform further. Copyright © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

SimArray: a user-friendly and user-configurable microarray design tool

PubMed Central

Auburn, Richard P; Russell, Roslin R; Fischer, Bettina; Meadows, Lisa A; Sevillano Matilla, Santiago; Russell, Steven

2006-01-01

Background Microarrays were first developed to assess gene expression but are now also used to map protein-binding sites and to assess allelic variation between individuals. Regardless of the intended application, efficient production and appropriate array design are key determinants of experimental success. Inefficient production can make larger-scale studies prohibitively expensive, whereas poor array design makes normalisation and data analysis problematic. Results We have developed a user-friendly tool, SimArray, which generates a randomised spot layout, computes a maximum meta-grid area, and estimates the print time, in response to user-specified design decisions. Selected parameters include: the number of probes to be printed; the microtitre plate format; the printing pin configuration, and the achievable spot density. SimArray is compatible with all current robotic spotters that employ 96-, 384- or 1536-well microtitre plates, and can be configured to reflect most production environments. Print time and maximum meta-grid area estimates facilitate evaluation of each array design for its suitability. Randomisation of the spot layout facilitates correction of systematic biases by normalisation. Conclusion SimArray is intended to help both established researchers and those new to the microarray field to develop microarray designs with randomised spot layouts that are compatible with their specific production environment. SimArray is an open-source program and is available from . PMID:16509966

An interactive program for computer-aided map design, display, and query: EMAPKGS2

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pouch, G.W.

1997-01-01

EMAPKGS2 is a user-friendly, PC-based electronic mapping tool for use in hydrogeologic exploration and appraisal. EMAPKGS2 allows the analyst to construct maps interactively from data stored in a relational database, perform point-oriented spatial queries such as locating all wells within a specified radius, perform geographic overlays, and export the data to other programs for further analysis. EMAPKGS2 runs under Microsoft?? Windows??? 3.1 and compatible operating systems. EMAPKGS2 is a public domain program available from the Kansas Geological Survey. EMAPKGS2 is the centerpiece of WHEAT, the Windows-based Hydrogeologic Exploration and Appraisal Toolkit, a suite of user-friendly Microsoft?? Windows??? programs for natural resource exploration and management. The principal goals in development of WHEAT have been ease of use, hardware independence, low cost, and end-user extensibility. WHEAT'S native data format is a Microsoft?? Access?? database. WHEAT stores a feature's geographic coordinates as attributes so they can be accessed easily by the user. The WHEAT programs are designed to be used in conjunction with other Microsoft?? Windows??? software to allow the natural resource scientist to perform work easily and effectively. WHEAT and EMAPKGS have been used at several of Kansas' Groundwater Management Districts and the Kansas Geological Survey on groundwater management operations, groundwater modeling projects, and geologic exploration projects. ?? 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Reconnect on Facebook: The Role of Information Seeking Behavior and Individual- and Relationship-Level Factors.

PubMed

Ramirez, Artemio; Sumner, Erin M; Hayes, Jameson

2016-08-01

Social network sites (SNSs) such as Facebook function as both venues for reconnecting with associates from a user's past and sources of social information about them. Yet, little is known about what factors influence the initial decision to reconnect with a past associate. This oversight is significant given that SNSs and other platforms provide an abundance of social information that may be utilized for reaching such decisions. The present study investigated the links among relational reconnection, information seeking (IS) behavior, and individual- and relationship-level factors in user decisions to reconnect on Facebook. A national survey of 244 Facebook users reported on their most recent experience of receiving a friend request from someone with whom they had been out of contact for an extended period. Results indicated that uncertainty about the potential reconnection partner and forecast about the reconnection's potential reward level significantly predicted IS behavior (passive on both target and mutual friends' SNS pages as well as active). However, the emergence of their two-way interaction revealed that the forecasts moderated the IS-uncertainty link on three of the strategies (extractive, both passive approaches). Moreover, social anxiety, sociability, uncertainty about the partner, the forecast about the reconnection's reward level, and extractive and passive (target SNS pages) strategies significantly predicted user decisions to reconnect. Future directions for research on relational reconnection on SNSs are offered.

Weighty Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conklin, Aaron R.

1999-01-01

Discusses the selection process for weight-training machines that are user-friendly and provide the best fit for the training facility. Machine factors to consider include ease of maintenance, adjustability, ease of use, its biomechanics, structural strength, the upholstery and finish used, and its safety. (GR)

Carbon footprint estimator, phase II : volume I - GASCAP model & volume II - technical appendices [technical brief].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-03-01

This study resulted in the development of the GASCAP model (the Greenhouse Gas Assessment : Spreadsheet for Transportation Capital Projects). This spreadsheet model provides a user-friendly interface for determining the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions...

Technobabble: Photoshop 6 Converges Web, Print Photograph-Editing Capabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Communication: Journalism Education Today, 2001

2001-01-01

Discusses the newly-released Adobe Photoshop 6, and its use in student publications. Notes its refined text-handling capabilities, a more user-friendly interface, integrated vector functions, easier preparation of Web images, and new and more powerful layer functions. (SR)

Reflective writing: a user-friendly guide.

PubMed

Hamilton, Stephen

2016-09-08

Stephen Hamilton, Nurse Education Consultant, Business Services Organisation. In this piece, he outlines the nature of the process of reflection to allay concerns that registered nurses may have about the process, as well as dispel any myths surrounding the purpose of reflection.

Eureka: Six Easy Steps to Research Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubel, Joy Alter

2005-01-01

Eureka is similar to the Big6(super TM) research skills by Michael Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz, as both methods simplify the complex process of critical information gathering into six user-friendly steps. The six research steps to Eureka are presented.

Reviews.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Teacher, 1989

1989-01-01

Describes two software programs for the Apple II series and TRS-80 Models III and IV: (1) "Personal Energy Inventory" (grades 9-12, records and manages data, not considered user friendly); (2) "Energy Conservation" (grades 7-12, aids in converting and problem solving, uses drill and practice). (MVL)

Evidence of Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slabine, Nancy Ames

2011-01-01

Since its inception, Learning Forward has provided members with informative, interactive annual conferences, institutes, and other learning programs; research-based and user-friendly publications; and opportunities for professional networking at national, regional, and state levels. Its new name reflects the fact that the organization has grown…

Chandelier: Picturing Potential

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tebbs, Trevor J.

2014-01-01

The author--artist, scientist, educator, and visual-spatial thinker--describes the genesis of, and provides insight into, an innovative, strength-based, visually dynamic computer-aided communication system called Chandelier©. This system is the powerful combination of a sophisticated, user-friendly software program and an organizational…

75 FR 55392 - Employment Network Report Card

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-10

... SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION [Docket No. SSA-2010-0046] Employment Network Report Card AGENCY... quality assurance, including a ticket consumer Employment Network Report Card. SUMMARY: We are soliciting... this goal by combining a user-friendly EN Report Card, which contains customer satisfaction feedback...

Automated Tumor Registry for Oncology. A VA-DHCP MUMPS application.

PubMed

Richie, S

1992-01-01

The VA Automated Tumor Registry for Oncology, Version 2, is a multifaceted, completely automated user-friendly cancer database. Easy to use modules include: Automatic Casefinding; Suspense Files; Abstracting and Printing; Follow-up; Annual Reports; Statistical Reports; Utility Functions.

WASP TRANSPORT MODELING AND WASP ECOLOGICAL MODELING

EPA Science Inventory

A combination of lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on excercises will be used to introduce pollutant transport modeling with the U.S. EPA's general water quality model, WASP (Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program). WASP features include a user-friendly Windows-based interfa...

Adolescent Friend Similarity on Alcohol Abuse as a Function of Participation in Romantic Relationships: Sometimes a New Love Comes between Old Friends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeLay, Dawn; Laursen, Brett; Bukowski, William M.; Kerr, Margaret; Stattin, Håkan

2016-01-01

This study tests the hypothesis that adolescents with romantic partners are less similar to their friends on rates of alcohol abuse than adolescents without romantic partners. Participants (662 girls, 574 boys) ranging in age from 12 to 19 years nominated friends and romantic partners, and completed a measure of alcohol abuse. In hierarchical…