Performance related issues in distributed database systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mukkamala, Ravi

1991-01-01

The key elements of research performed during the year long effort of this project are: Investigate the effects of heterogeneity in distributed real time systems; Study the requirements to TRAC towards building a heterogeneous database system; Study the effects of performance modeling on distributed database performance; and Experiment with an ORACLE based heterogeneous system.

Monitoring ethical, legal, and social issues in developing population genetic databases.

PubMed

Austin, Melissa A; Harding, Sarah E; McElroy, Courtney E

2003-01-01

To characterize ethical, legal, and social issues unique to population genetic database research and to determine the relevance of international recommendations and guidelines for addressing these issues in the development of "genebank" projects globally. Building on our previous description of eight international genebanks, we conducted a comprehensive electronic search and literature review of relevant publications and consulted national and international documents applicable to genebank research. We identified and characterized five categories of ethical, legal, and social issues unique to genebank development: sponsorship and benefit-sharing, neutrality and regulatory power of ethics committees, public engagement, consent, and data protection. We illustrate these issues with examples from specific genebanks. Not all of the issues are addressed in current international guidelines, many of which are nonspecific and unenforceable. The trend of genebank development promises to provide new discoveries to the field of medical science and to greatly improve public health. However, there is a growing need for more explicit, enforceable, and coordinated international guidelines relevant to the development and implementation of genebanks. By comparing ethical, legal and social issues as they arise in genebanks, researchers can better evaluate how to best use these projects to improve public health while protecting participating populations.

Assessment of COPD-related outcomes via a national electronic medical record database.

PubMed

Asche, Carl; Said, Quayyim; Joish, Vijay; Hall, Charles Oaxaca; Brixner, Diana

2008-01-01

The technology and sophistication of healthcare utilization databases have expanded over the last decade to include results of lab tests, vital signs, and other clinical information. This review provides an assessment of the methodological and analytical challenges of conducting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) outcomes research in a national electronic medical records (EMR) dataset and its potential application towards the assessment of national health policy issues, as well as a description of the challenges or limitations. An EMR database and its application to measuring outcomes for COPD are described. The ability to measure adherence to the COPD evidence-based practice guidelines, generated by the NIH and HEDIS quality indicators, in this database was examined. Case studies, before and after their publication, were used to assess the adherence to guidelines and gauge the conformity to quality indicators. EMR was the only source of information for pulmonary function tests, but low frequency in ordering by primary care was an issue. The EMR data can be used to explore impact of variation in healthcare provision on clinical outcomes. The EMR database permits access to specific lab data and biometric information. The richness and depth of information on "real world" use of health services for large population-based analytical studies at relatively low cost render such databases an attractive resource for outcomes research. Various sources of information exist to perform outcomes research. It is important to understand the desired endpoints of such research and choose the appropriate database source.

Ethical management in the constitution of a European database for leukodystrophies rare diseases.

PubMed

Duchange, Nathalie; Darquy, Sylviane; d'Audiffret, Diane; Callies, Ingrid; Lapointe, Anne-Sophie; Loeve, Boris; Boespflug-Tanguy, Odile; Moutel, Grégoire

2014-09-01

The EU LeukoTreat program aims to connect, enlarge and improve existing national databases for leukodystrophies (LDs) and other genetic diseases affecting the white matter of the brain. Ethical issues have been placed high on the agenda by pairing the participating LD expert research teams with experts in medical ethics and LD patient families and associations. The overarching goal is to apply core ethics principles to specific project needs and ensure patient rights and protection in research addressing the context of these rare diseases. This paper looks at how ethical issues were identified and handled at project management level when setting up an ethics committee. Through a work performed as a co-construction between health professionals, ethics experts, and patient representatives, we expose the major ethical issues identified. The committee acts as the forum for tackling specific issues tied to data sharing and patient participation: the thin line between care and research, the need for a charter establishing the commitments binding health professionals and the information items to be delivered. Ongoing feedback on the database, including delivering global results in a broad-audience format, emerged as a key recommendation. Information should be available to all patients in the partner countries developing the database and should be scaled to different patient profiles. This work led to a number of recommendations for ensuring transparency and optimizing the partnership between scientists and patients. Copyright © 2014 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Healthcare Databases for Drug Safety Research: Data Validity Assessment Remains Crucial.

PubMed

Rawson, Nigel S B; D'Arcy, Carl

2018-04-30

Administrative healthcare utilization databases are frequently used either individually or as a component of aggregated data for evaluating drug safety issues without taking into account their known deficiencies. All too often insufficient evidence is provided about their validity for the purposes for which they are used. The assessment of data validity is a key constituent that should be included in drug safety research studies and should take a broad multifaceted approach that encompasses both diagnostic and drug exposure data. Drug safety researchers need to continue advancing their knowledge of the data resources they use and to ensure that they and the users of their research understand the limitations of the data that are the foundation on which their research is built. Fundamental issues regarding data validity should be addressed in each use of administrative data for drug safety research.

The impact of database quality on keystroke dynamics authentication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panasiuk, Piotr; Rybnik, Mariusz; Saeed, Khalid; Rogowski, Marcin

2016-06-01

This paper concerns keystroke dynamics, also partially in the context of touchscreen devices. The authors concentrate on the impact of database quality and propose their algorithm to test database quality issues. The algorithm is used on their own as well as the well-known . Following specific problems were researched: classification accuracy, development of user typing proficiency, time precision during sample acquisition, representativeness of training set, sample length.

Overcoming barriers to a research-ready national commercial claims database.

PubMed

Newman, David; Herrera, Carolina-Nicole; Parente, Stephen T

2014-11-01

Billions of dollars have been spent on the goal of making healthcare data available to clinicians and researchers in the hopes of improving healthcare and lowering costs. However, the problems of data governance, distribution, and accessibility remain challenges for the healthcare system to overcome. In this study, we discuss some of the issues around holding, reporting, and distributing data, including the newest "big data" challenge: making the data accessible to researchers and policy makers. This article presents a case study in "big healthcare data" involving the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). HCCI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, independent research institute that serves as a voluntary repository of national commercial healthcare claims data. Governance of large healthcare databases is complicated by the data-holding model and further complicated by issues related to distribution to research teams. For multi-payer healthcare claims databases, the 2 most common models of data holding (mandatory and voluntary) have different data security requirements. Furthermore, data transport and accessibility may require technological investment. HCCI's efforts offer insights from which other data managers and healthcare leaders may benefit when contemplating a data collaborative.

Whistleblowing: An integrative literature review of data-based studies involving nurses.

PubMed

Jackson, Debra; Hickman, Louise D; Hutchinson, Marie; Andrew, Sharon; Smith, James; Potgieter, Ingrid; Cleary, Michelle; Peters, Kath

2014-10-27

Abstract Aim To summarise and critique the research literature about whistleblowing and nurses. Background Whistleblowing is identified as a crucial issue in maintenance of healthcare standards and nurses are frequently involved in whistleblowing events. Despite the importance of this issue, to our knowledge an evaluation of this body of the data-based literature has not been undertaken. Method An integrative literature review approach was used to summarise and critique the research literature. A comprehensive search of five databases including Medline, CINAHL, PubMed and Health Science: Nursing/Academic Edition, and Google, were searched using terms including: 'whistleblow*', 'nurs*'. In addition, relevant journals were examined, as well as reference lists of retrieved papers. Papers published during the years 2007-2013 were selected for inclusion. Findings Fifteen papers were identified, capturing data from nurses in seven countries. The findings in this review demonstrate a growing body of research for the nursing profession at large to engage and respond appropriately to issues involving suboptimal patient care or organisational wrongdoing. Conclusions Nursing plays a key role in maintaining practice standards and in reporting care that is unacceptable although the repercussions to nurses who raise concerns are insupportable. Overall, whistleblowing and how it influences the individual, their family, work colleagues, nursing practice and policy overall, requires further national and international research attention.

Whistleblowing: An integrative literature review of data-based studies involving nurses.

PubMed

Jackson, Debra; Hickman, Louise D; Hutchinson, Marie; Andrew, Sharon; Smith, James; Potgieter, Ingrid; Cleary, Michelle; Peters, Kath

2014-01-01

Abstract Aim: To summarise and critique the research literature about whistleblowing and nurses. Whistleblowing is identified as a crucial issue in maintenance of healthcare standards and nurses are frequently involved in whistleblowing events. Despite the importance of this issue, to our knowledge an evaluation of this body of the data-based literature has not been undertaken. An integrative literature review approach was used to summarise and critique the research literature. A comprehensive search of five databases including Medline, CINAHL, PubMed and Health Science: Nursing/Academic Edition, and Google, were searched using terms including: 'Whistleblow*,' 'nurs*.' In addition, relevant journals were examined, as well as reference lists of retrieved papers. Papers published during the years 2007-2013 were selected for inclusion. Fifteen papers were identified, capturing data from nurses in seven countries. The findings in this review demonstrate a growing body of research for the nursing profession at large to engage and respond appropriately to issues involving suboptimal patient care or organisational wrongdoing. Nursing plays a key role in maintaining practice standards and in reporting care that is unacceptable although the repercussions to nurses who raise concerns are insupportable. Overall, whistleblowing and how it influences the individual, their family, work colleagues, nursing practice and policy overall, requires further national and international research attention.

Public participation in genetic databases: crossing the boundaries between biobanks and forensic DNA databases through the principle of solidarity.

PubMed

Machado, Helena; Silva, Susana

2015-10-01

The ethical aspects of biobanks and forensic DNA databases are often treated as separate issues. As a reflection of this, public participation, or the involvement of citizens in genetic databases, has been approached differently in the fields of forensics and medicine. This paper aims to cross the boundaries between medicine and forensics by exploring the flows between the ethical issues presented in the two domains and the subsequent conceptualisation of public trust and legitimisation. We propose to introduce the concept of 'solidarity', traditionally applied only to medical and research biobanks, into a consideration of public engagement in medicine and forensics. Inclusion of a solidarity-based framework, in both medical biobanks and forensic DNA databases, raises new questions that should be included in the ethical debate, in relation to both health services/medical research and activities associated with the criminal justice system. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Retractions in cancer research: a systematic survey.

PubMed

Bozzo, Anthony; Bali, Kamal; Evaniew, Nathan; Ghert, Michelle

2017-01-01

The annual number of retracted publications in the scientific literature is rapidly increasing. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and reason for retraction of cancer publications and to determine how journals in the cancer field handle retracted articles. We searched three online databases (MEDLINE, Embase, The Cochrane Library) from database inception until 2015 for retracted journal publications related to cancer research. For each article, the reason for retraction was categorized as plagiarism, duplicate publication, fraud, error, authorship issues, or ethical issues. Accessibility of the retracted article was defined as intact, removed, or available but with a watermark over each page. Descriptive data was collected on each retracted article including number of citations, journal name and impact factor, study design, and time between publication and retraction. The publications were screened in duplicated and two reviewers extracted and categorized data. Following database search and article screening, we identified 571 retracted cancer publications. The majority (76.4%) of cancer retractions were issued in the most recent decade, with 16.6 and 6.7% of the retractions in the prior two decades respectively. Retractions were issued by journals with impact factors ranging from 0 (discontinued) to 55.8. The average impact factor was 5.4 (median 3.54, IQR 1.8-5.5). On average, a retracted article was cited 45 times (median 18, IQR 6-51), with a range of 0-742. Reasons for retraction include plagiarism (14.4%), fraud (28.4%), duplicate publication (18.2%), error (24.2%), authorship issues (3.9%), and ethical issues (2.1%). The reason for retraction was not stated in 9.8% of cases. Twenty-nine percent of retracted articles remain available online in their original form. Retractions in cancer research are increasing in frequency at a similar rate to all biomedical research retractions. Cancer retractions are largely due to academic misconduct. Consequences to cancer patients, the public at large, and the research community can be substantial and should be addressed with future research. Despite the implications of this important issue, some cancer journals currently fall short of the current guidelines for clearly stating the reason for retraction and identifying the publication as retracted.

Using Large Diabetes Databases for Research.

PubMed

Wild, Sarah; Fischbacher, Colin; McKnight, John

2016-09-01

There are an increasing number of clinical, administrative and trial databases that can be used for research. These are particularly valuable if there are opportunities for linkage to other databases. This paper describes examples of the use of large diabetes databases for research. It reviews the advantages and disadvantages of using large diabetes databases for research and suggests solutions for some challenges. Large, high-quality databases offer potential sources of information for research at relatively low cost. Fundamental issues for using databases for research are the completeness of capture of cases within the population and time period of interest and accuracy of the diagnosis of diabetes and outcomes of interest. The extent to which people included in the database are representative should be considered if the database is not population based and there is the intention to extrapolate findings to the wider diabetes population. Information on key variables such as date of diagnosis or duration of diabetes may not be available at all, may be inaccurate or may contain a large amount of missing data. Information on key confounding factors is rarely available for the nondiabetic or general population limiting comparisons with the population of people with diabetes. However comparisons that allow for differences in distribution of important demographic factors may be feasible using data for the whole population or a matched cohort study design. In summary, diabetes databases can be used to address important research questions. Understanding the strengths and limitations of this approach is crucial to interpret the findings appropriately. © 2016 Diabetes Technology Society.

Validity of juvenile idiopathic arthritis diagnoses using administrative health data.

PubMed

Stringer, Elizabeth; Bernatsky, Sasha

2015-03-01

Administrative health databases are valuable sources of data for conducting research including disease surveillance, outcomes research, and processes of health care at the population level. There has been limited use of administrative data to conduct studies of pediatric rheumatic conditions and no studies validating case definitions in Canada. We report a validation study of incident cases of juvenile idiopathic arthritis in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Cases identified through administrative data algorithms were compared to diagnoses in a clinical database. The sensitivity of algorithms that included pediatric rheumatology specialist claims was 81-86%. However, 35-48% of cases that were identified could not be verified in the clinical database depending on the algorithm used. Our case definitions would likely lead to overestimates of disease burden. Our findings may be related to issues pertaining to the non-fee-for-service remuneration model in Nova Scotia, in particular, systematic issues related to the process of submitting claims.

Governance and oversight of researcher access to electronic health data: the role of the Independent Scientific Advisory Committee for MHRA database research, 2006-2015.

PubMed

Waller, P; Cassell, J A; Saunders, M H; Stevens, R

2017-03-01

In order to promote understanding of UK governance and assurance relating to electronic health records research, we present and discuss the role of the Independent Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC) for MHRA database research in evaluating protocols proposing the use of the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. We describe the development of the Committee's activities between 2006 and 2015, alongside growth in data linkage and wider national electronic health records programmes, including the application and assessment processes, and our approach to undertaking this work. Our model can provide independence, challenge and support to data providers such as the Clinical Practice Research Datalink database which has been used for well over 1,000 medical research projects. ISAC's role in scientific oversight ensures feasible and scientifically acceptable plans are in place, while having both lay and professional membership addresses governance issues in order to protect the integrity of the database and ensure that public confidence is maintained.

Using databases in medical education research: AMEE Guide No. 77.

PubMed

Cleland, Jennifer; Scott, Neil; Harrild, Kirsten; Moffat, Mandy

2013-05-01

This AMEE Guide offers an introduction to the use of databases in medical education research. It is intended for those who are contemplating conducting research in medical education but are new to the field. The Guide is structured around the process of planning your research so that data collection, management and analysis are appropriate for the research question. Throughout we consider contextual possibilities and constraints to educational research using databases, such as the resources available, and provide concrete examples of medical education research to illustrate many points. The first section of the Guide explains the difference between different types of data and classifying data, and addresses the rationale for research using databases in medical education. We explain the difference between qualitative research and qualitative data, the difference between categorical and quantitative data, and the difference types of data which fall into these categories. The Guide reviews the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative research. The next section is structured around how to work with quantitative and qualitative databases and provides guidance on the many practicalities of setting up a database. This includes how to organise your database, including anonymising data and coding, as well as preparing and describing your data so it is ready for analysis. The critical matter of the ethics of using databases in medical educational research, including using routinely collected data versus data collected for research purposes, and issues of confidentiality, is discussed. Core to the Guide is drawing out the similarities and differences in working with different types of data and different types of databases. Future AMEE Guides in the research series will address statistical analysis of data in more detail.

DataHub: Knowledge-based data management for data discovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handley, Thomas H.; Li, Y. Philip

1993-08-01

Currently available database technology is largely designed for business data-processing applications, and seems inadequate for scientific applications. The research described in this paper, the DataHub, will address the issues associated with this shortfall in technology utilization and development. The DataHub development is addressing the key issues in scientific data management of scientific database models and resource sharing in a geographically distributed, multi-disciplinary, science research environment. Thus, the DataHub will be a server between the data suppliers and data consumers to facilitate data exchanges, to assist science data analysis, and to provide as systematic approach for science data management. More specifically, the DataHub's objectives are to provide support for (1) exploratory data analysis (i.e., data driven analysis); (2) data transformations; (3) data semantics capture and usage; analysis-related knowledge capture and usage; and (5) data discovery, ingestion, and extraction. Applying technologies that vary from deductive databases, semantic data models, data discovery, knowledge representation and inferencing, exploratory data analysis techniques and modern man-machine interfaces, DataHub will provide a prototype, integrated environement to support research scientists' needs in multiple disciplines (i.e. oceanography, geology, and atmospheric) while addressing the more general science data management issues. Additionally, the DataHub will provide data management services to exploratory data analysis applications such as LinkWinds and NCSA's XIMAGE.

Implementation impacts : volume 2, summer 2013.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-01-01

Summary of research projects at the Louisiana Transportation Research Center. Projects in this issue include: : LTRC Project No. 06-4B, Optimization of Tack Coat for HMA Placement; : LTRC Project No. 10-2GT, : Geotechnical Information Database, Phase...

The Stanford MediaServer Project: strategies for building a flexible digital media platform to support biomedical education and research.

PubMed Central

Durack, Jeremy C.; Chao, Chih-Chien; Stevenson, Derek; Andriole, Katherine P.; Dev, Parvati

2002-01-01

Medical media collections are growing at a pace that exceeds the value they currently provide as research and educational resources. To address this issue, the Stanford MediaServer was designed to promote innovative multimedia-based application development. The nucleus of the MediaServer platform is a digital media database strategically designed to meet the information needs of many biomedical disciplines. Key features include an intuitive web-based interface for collaboratively populating the media database, flexible creation of media collections for diverse and specialized purposes, and the ability to construct a variety of end-user applications from the same database to support biomedical education and research. PMID:12463820

The Stanford MediaServer Project: strategies for building a flexible digital media platform to support biomedical education and research.

PubMed

Durack, Jeremy C; Chao, Chih-Chien; Stevenson, Derek; Andriole, Katherine P; Dev, Parvati

2002-01-01

Medical media collections are growing at a pace that exceeds the value they currently provide as research and educational resources. To address this issue, the Stanford MediaServer was designed to promote innovative multimedia-based application development. The nucleus of the MediaServer platform is a digital media database strategically designed to meet the information needs of many biomedical disciplines. Key features include an intuitive web-based interface for collaboratively populating the media database, flexible creation of media collections for diverse and specialized purposes, and the ability to construct a variety of end-user applications from the same database to support biomedical education and research.

77 FR 58383 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-20

...) The Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) is the only all-payer inpatient care database for children in the United States. The KID was specifically designed to permit researchers to study a broad range of conditions and procedures related to child health issues. The KID contains a sample of over 3 million...

Using Computerized Clinical Nursing Data Bases for Nursing Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nail, Lillian M.; Lange, Linda L.

1996-01-01

Addresses the recognition of differences between clinical and research data in using computerized clinical nursing databases and the issues of privacy and confidentiality for patients whose records are involved. Describes procedures for assessing the quality and usability of these data for nursing research. (SK)

Age 60 rule research, part I : bibliographic database.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-10-01

This document is one of four products completed as a part of the Age 60 Rule research contract monitored by Pam Della Rocco, Civil Aerospace Medical Institute. As part of their research contract with the FAA to study issues related to the "Age 60 Rul...

Epidemiological considerations for the use of databases in transfusion research: a Scandinavian perspective.

PubMed

Edgren, Gustaf; Hjalgrim, Henrik

2010-11-01

At current safety levels, with adverse events from transfusions being relatively rare, further progress in risk reductions will require large-scale investigations. Thus, truly prospective studies may prove unfeasible and other alternatives deserve consideration. In this review, we will try to give an overview of recent and historical developments in the use of blood donation and transfusion databases in research. In addition, we will go over important methodological issues. There are at least three nationwide or near-nationwide donation/transfusion databases with the possibility for long-term follow-up of donors and recipients. During the past few years, a large number of reports have been published utilizing such data sources to investigate transfusion-associated risks. In addition, numerous clinics systematically collect and use such data on a smaller scale. Combining systematically recorded donation and transfusion data with long-term health follow-up opens up exciting opportunities for transfusion medicine research. However, the correct analysis of such data requires close attention to methodological issues, especially including the indication for transfusion and reverse causality.

Introduction to December 2013 issue.

PubMed

Rogers, Wendy A

2013-12-01

In this introduction to the December 2013 issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, the editor discusses her goals to get the Journal back on track. She gives thanks for the research that continues to advance both science and practice in experimental psychology. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Field Experiments in Manpower Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mobilization for Youth, Inc., New York, NY. Experimental Manpower Lab.

The first three reports in this series describe the data-based results of systematic experimentation and survey research concerned with the following timely manpower issues: (1) The Effects of Monetary Incentives on the Learning of Remedial English by Disadvantaged Trainees, (2) The Reward Preferences of Neighborhood Youth Corps Trainees, and (3)…

Draft secure medical database standard.

PubMed

Pangalos, George

2002-01-01

Medical database security is a particularly important issue for all Healthcare establishments. Medical information systems are intended to support a wide range of pertinent health issues today, for example: assure the quality of care, support effective management of the health services institutions, monitor and contain the cost of care, implement technology into care without violating social values, ensure the equity and availability of care, preserve humanity despite the proliferation of technology etc.. In this context, medical database security aims primarily to support: high availability, accuracy and consistency of the stored data, the medical professional secrecy and confidentiality, and the protection of the privacy of the patient. These properties, though of technical nature, basically require that the system is actually helpful for medical care and not harmful to patients. These later properties require in turn not only that fundamental ethical principles are not violated by employing database systems, but instead, are effectively enforced by technical means. This document reviews the existing and emerging work on the security of medical database systems. It presents in detail the related problems and requirements related to medical database security. It addresses the problems of medical database security policies, secure design methodologies and implementation techniques. It also describes the current legal framework and regulatory requirements for medical database security. The issue of medical database security guidelines is also examined in detailed. The current national and international efforts in the area are studied. It also gives an overview of the research work in the area. The document also presents in detail the most complete to our knowledge set of security guidelines for the development and operation of medical database systems.

On Research Methodology in Applied Linguistics in 2002-2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martynychev, Andrey

2010-01-01

This dissertation examined the status of data-based research in applied linguistics through an analysis of published research studies in nine peer-reviewed applied linguistics journals ("Applied Language Learning, The Canadian Modern Language Review / La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes, Current Issues in Language Planning, Dialog on Language…

[Privacy and public benefit in using large scale health databases].

PubMed

Yamamoto, Ryuichi

2014-01-01

In Japan, large scale heath databases were constructed in a few years, such as National Claim insurance and health checkup database (NDB) and Japanese Sentinel project. But there are some legal issues for making adequate balance between privacy and public benefit by using such databases. NDB is carried based on the act for elderly person's health care but in this act, nothing is mentioned for using this database for general public benefit. Therefore researchers who use this database are forced to pay much concern about anonymization and information security that may disturb the research work itself. Japanese Sentinel project is a national project to detecting drug adverse reaction using large scale distributed clinical databases of large hospitals. Although patients give the future consent for general such purpose for public good, it is still under discussion using insufficiently anonymized data. Generally speaking, researchers of study for public benefit will not infringe patient's privacy, but vague and complex requirements of legislation about personal data protection may disturb the researches. Medical science does not progress without using clinical information, therefore the adequate legislation that is simple and clear for both researchers and patients is strongly required. In Japan, the specific act for balancing privacy and public benefit is now under discussion. The author recommended the researchers including the field of pharmacology should pay attention to, participate in the discussion of, and make suggestion to such act or regulations.

Organizing a breast cancer database: data management.

PubMed

Yi, Min; Hunt, Kelly K

2016-06-01

Developing and organizing a breast cancer database can provide data and serve as valuable research tools for those interested in the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. Depending on the research setting, the quality of the data can be a major issue. Assuring that the data collection process does not contribute inaccuracies can help to assure the overall quality of subsequent analyses. Data management is work that involves the planning, development, implementation, and administration of systems for the acquisition, storage, and retrieval of data while protecting it by implementing high security levels. A properly designed database provides you with access to up-to-date, accurate information. Database design is an important component of application design. If you take the time to design your databases properly, you'll be rewarded with a solid application foundation on which you can build the rest of your application.

PDTRT special section: Methodological issues in personality disorder research.

PubMed

Widiger, Thomas A

2017-10-01

Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment includes a rolling, ongoing Special Section concerned with methodological issues in personality disorder research. This third edition of this series includes two articles. The first is by Brian Hicks, Angus Clark, and Emily Durbin: "Person-Centered Approaches in the Study of Personality Disorders." The second article is by Steve Balsis: "Item Response Theory Applications in Personality Disorder Research." Both articles should be excellent resources for future research and certainly manuscripts submitted to this journal that use these analytic tools. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Dynamic tables: an architecture for managing evolving, heterogeneous biomedical data in relational database management systems.

PubMed

Corwin, John; Silberschatz, Avi; Miller, Perry L; Marenco, Luis

2007-01-01

Data sparsity and schema evolution issues affecting clinical informatics and bioinformatics communities have led to the adoption of vertical or object-attribute-value-based database schemas to overcome limitations posed when using conventional relational database technology. This paper explores these issues and discusses why biomedical data are difficult to model using conventional relational techniques. The authors propose a solution to these obstacles based on a relational database engine using a sparse, column-store architecture. The authors provide benchmarks comparing the performance of queries and schema-modification operations using three different strategies: (1) the standard conventional relational design; (2) past approaches used by biomedical informatics researchers; and (3) their sparse, column-store architecture. The performance results show that their architecture is a promising technique for storing and processing many types of data that are not handled well by the other two semantic data models.

Methodologies and Methods for User Behavioral Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Peiling

1999-01-01

Discusses methodological issues in empirical studies of information-related behavior in six specific research areas: information needs and uses; information seeking; relevance judgment; online searching (including online public access catalog, online database, and the Web); human-system interactions; and reference transactions. (Contains 191…

Issues Facing Academic Library Consortia and Perceptions of Members of the Illinois Digital Academic Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Sam; Dorst, Thomas J.

2002-01-01

Discusses the role of consortia in academic libraries, specifically the Illinois Digital Academic Library (IDAL), and describes a study conducted by the IDAL that investigated issues surrounding full text database research including stability of content, vendor communication, embargo periods, publisher concerns, quality of content, linking and…

Access to digital library databases in higher education: design problems and infrastructural gaps.

PubMed

Oswal, Sushil K

2014-01-01

After defining accessibility and usability, the author offers a broad survey of the research studies on digital content databases which have thus far primarily depended on data drawn from studies conducted by sighted researchers with non-disabled users employing screen readers and low vision devices. This article aims at producing a detailed description of the difficulties confronted by blind screen reader users with online library databases which now hold most of the academic, peer-reviewed journal and periodical content essential for research and teaching in higher education. The approach taken here is borrowed from descriptive ethnography which allows the author to create a complete picture of the accessibility and usability problems faced by an experienced academic user of digital library databases and screen readers. The author provides a detailed analysis of the different aspects of accessibility issues in digital databases under several headers with a special focus on full-text PDF files. The author emphasizes that long-term studies with actual, blind screen reader users employing both qualitative and computerized research tools can yield meaningful data for the designers and developers to improve these databases to a level that they begin to provide an equal access to the blind.

Big issues, small systems: managing with information in medical research.

PubMed

Jones, J; Preston, H

2000-08-01

This subject of this article is the design of a database system for handling files related to the work of the Molecular Genetics Department of the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory. It examines specialist information needs identified within this organization and it indicates how the design of the Rhesus Information Tracking System was able to meet current needs. Rapid Applications Development prototyping forms the basis of the investigation, linked to interview, questionnaire, and observation techniques in order to establish requirements for interoperability. In particular, the place of this specialist database within the much broader information strategy of the National Blood Service will be examined. This unique situation is analogous to management activities in broader environments and a number of generic issues are highlighted by the research.

Administrative database research has unique characteristics that can risk biased results.

PubMed

van Walraven, Carl; Austin, Peter

2012-02-01

The provision of health care frequently creates digitized data--such as physician service claims, medication prescription records, and hospitalization abstracts--that can be used to conduct studies termed "administrative database research." While most guidelines for assessing the validity of observational studies apply to administrative database research, the unique data source and analytical opportunities for these studies create risks that can make them uninterpretable or bias their results. Nonsystematic review. The risks of uninterpretable or biased results can be minimized by; providing a robust description of the data tables used, focusing on both why and how they were created; measuring and reporting the accuracy of diagnostic and procedural codes used; distinguishing between clinical significance and statistical significance; properly accounting for any time-dependent nature of variables; and analyzing clustered data properly to explore its influence on study outcomes. This article reviewed these five issues as they pertain to administrative database research to help maximize the utility of these studies for both readers and writers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pathway — Using a State-of-the-Art Digital Video Database for Research and Development in Teacher Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adrian, Brian; Zollman, Dean; Stevens, Scott

2006-02-01

To demonstrate how state-of-the-art video databases can address issues related to the lack of preparation of many physics teachers, we have created the prototype Physics Teaching Web Advisory (Pathway). Pathway's Synthetic Interviews and related video materials are beginning to provide pre-service and out-of-field in-service teachers with much-needed professional development and well-prepared teachers with new perspectives on teaching physics. The prototype was limited to a demonstration of the systems. Now, with an additional grant we will extend the system and conduct research and evaluation on its effectiveness. This project will provide virtual expert help on issues of pedagogy and content. In particular, the system will convey, by example and explanation, contemporary ideas about the teaching of physics and applications of physics education research. The research effort will focus on the value of contemporary technology to address the continuing education of teachers who are teaching in a field in which they have not been trained.

What's Hot? What's Not? A Survey of Mathematics Education Research 1982-1998.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lubienski, Sarah Theule

This study provides a broad look at mathematics education research published since 1982. The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) database was utilized to count and categorize over 3,000 articles from 48 educational research journals, with particular attention to equity issues. Results reveal the number of articles relating to…

Large scale database scrubbing using object oriented software components.

PubMed

Herting, R L; Barnes, M R

1998-01-01

Now that case managers, quality improvement teams, and researchers use medical databases extensively, the ability to share and disseminate such databases while maintaining patient confidentiality is paramount. A process called scrubbing addresses this problem by removing personally identifying information while keeping the integrity of the medical information intact. Scrubbing entire databases, containing multiple tables, requires that the implicit relationships between data elements in different tables of the database be maintained. To address this issue we developed DBScrub, a Java program that interfaces with any JDBC compliant database and scrubs the database while maintaining the implicit relationships within it. DBScrub uses a small number of highly configurable object-oriented software components to carry out the scrubbing. We describe the structure of these software components and how they maintain the implicit relationships within the database.

Psychology of terrorism: Introduction to the special issue.

PubMed

Horgan, John G

2017-04-01

Despite the extraordinary social and political consequences often associated with terrorist violence, as well as our responses to it, psychological research on terrorist behavior is conspicuously underdeveloped. This special issue of American Psychologist presents a series of articles that showcase new conceptual, theoretical, and empirical advances in our understanding of terrorism. In doing so, it seeks to not merely summarize recent accomplishments, but to highlight the immense value of explicitly psychological research on these issues, far more of which is called for to realize the potential for informing solutions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

An overview of the national EEOC ADA research project.

PubMed

McMahon, Brian T; Edwards, Ronald; Rumrill, Phillip D; Hursh, Norman

2005-01-01

The authors outline the development and scope of the National EEOC ADA Research Project which resulted from a cooperative agreement between the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Virginia Commonwealth University. Research questions, the EEOC database, extraction of study data, limitations of the data, the organization of research teams, and the contents of this special issue of WORK are described.

Aviation Safety Issues Database

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morello, Samuel A.; Ricks, Wendell R.

2009-01-01

The aviation safety issues database was instrumental in the refinement and substantiation of the National Aviation Safety Strategic Plan (NASSP). The issues database is a comprehensive set of issues from an extremely broad base of aviation functions, personnel, and vehicle categories, both nationally and internationally. Several aviation safety stakeholders such as the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) have already used the database. This broader interest was the genesis to making the database publically accessible and writing this report.

Environmental Information Resources and Electronic Research Systems (ERSs): Eco-Link as an Example of Future Tools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiskel, Timothy C.

1991-01-01

An online system designed to help global environmental research, the electronic research system called Eco-Link draws data from various electronic sources including online catalogs and databases, CD-ROMs, electronic news sources, and electronic data subscription services to produce briefing booklets on environmental issues. It can be accessed by…

Farm Labor Research Bibliography. California Agricultural Studies, 91-4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Cheryl L.; And Others

This annotated bibliography is a printed version of the automated bibliography available through the Labor Market Division of the California State Department of Employment Development. The database focuses on farm labor issues and includes 1,611 sources of information including bibliographies, research studies, trade journals, and books published…

IceVal DatAssistant: An Interactive, Automated Icing Data Management System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levinson, Laurie H.; Wright, William B.

2008-01-01

As with any scientific endeavor, the foundation of icing research at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is the data acquired during experimental testing. In the case of the GRC Icing Branch, an important part of this data consists of ice tracings taken following tests carried out in the GRC Icing Research Tunnel (IRT), as well as the associated operational and environmental conditions documented during these tests. Over the years, the large number of experimental runs completed has served to emphasize the need for a consistent strategy for managing this data. To address the situation, the Icing Branch has recently elected to implement the IceVal DatAssistant automated data management system. With the release of this system, all publicly available IRT-generated experimental ice shapes with complete and verifiable conditions have now been compiled into one electronically-searchable database. Simulation software results for the equivalent conditions, generated using the latest version of the LEWICE ice shape prediction code, are likewise included and are linked to the corresponding experimental runs. In addition to this comprehensive database, the IceVal system also includes a graphically-oriented database access utility, which provides reliable and easy access to all data contained in the database. In this paper, the issues surrounding historical icing data management practices are discussed, as well as the anticipated benefits to be achieved as a result of migrating to the new system. A detailed description of the software system features and database content is also provided; and, finally, known issues and plans for future work are presented.

IceVal DatAssistant: An Interactive, Automated Icing Data Management System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levinson, Laurie H.; Wright, William B.

2008-01-01

As with any scientific endeavor, the foundation of icing research at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is the data acquired during experimental testing. In the case of the GRC Icing Branch, an important part of this data consists of ice tracings taken following tests carried out in the GRC Icing Research Tunnel (IRT), as well as the associated operational and environmental conditions during those tests. Over the years, the large number of experimental runs completed has served to emphasize the need for a consistent strategy to manage the resulting data. To address this situation, the Icing Branch has recently elected to implement the IceVal DatAssistant automated data management system. With the release of this system, all publicly available IRT-generated experimental ice shapes with complete and verifiable conditions have now been compiled into one electronically-searchable database; and simulation software results for the equivalent conditions, generated using the latest version of the LEWICE ice shape prediction code, are likewise included and linked to the corresponding experimental runs. In addition to this comprehensive database, the IceVal system also includes a graphically-oriented database access utility, which provides reliable and easy access to all data contained in the database. In this paper, the issues surrounding historical icing data management practices are discussed, as well as the anticipated benefits to be achieved as a result of migrating to the new system. A detailed description of the software system features and database content is also provided; and, finally, known issues and plans for future work are presented.

Digital Dental X-ray Database for Caries Screening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rad, Abdolvahab Ehsani; Rahim, Mohd Shafry Mohd; Rehman, Amjad; Saba, Tanzila

2016-06-01

Standard database is the essential requirement to compare the performance of image analysis techniques. Hence the main issue in dental image analysis is the lack of available image database which is provided in this paper. Periapical dental X-ray images which are suitable for any analysis and approved by many dental experts are collected. This type of dental radiograph imaging is common and inexpensive, which is normally used for dental disease diagnosis and abnormalities detection. Database contains 120 various Periapical X-ray images from top to bottom jaw. Dental digital database is constructed to provide the source for researchers to use and compare the image analysis techniques and improve or manipulate the performance of each technique.

Filling Terrorism Gaps: VEOs, Evaluating Databases, and Applying Risk Terrain Modeling to Terrorism

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

Hagan, Ross F.

2016-08-29

This paper aims to address three issues: the lack of literature differentiating terrorism and violent extremist organizations (VEOs), terrorism incident databases, and the applicability of Risk Terrain Modeling (RTM) to terrorism. Current open source literature and publicly available government sources do not differentiate between terrorism and VEOs; furthermore, they fail to define them. Addressing the lack of a comprehensive comparison of existing terrorism data sources, a matrix comparing a dozen terrorism databases is constructed, providing insight toward the array of data available. RTM, a method for spatial risk analysis at a micro level, has some applicability to terrorism research, particularlymore » for studies looking at risk indicators of terrorism. Leveraging attack data from multiple databases, combined with RTM, offers one avenue for closing existing research gaps in terrorism literature.« less

Providing R-Tree Support for Mongodb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Longgang; Shao, Xiaotian; Wang, Dehao

2016-06-01

Supporting large amounts of spatial data is a significant characteristic of modern databases. However, unlike some mature relational databases, such as Oracle and PostgreSQL, most of current burgeoning NoSQL databases are not well designed for storing geospatial data, which is becoming increasingly important in various fields. In this paper, we propose a novel method to provide R-tree index, as well as corresponding spatial range query and nearest neighbour query functions, for MongoDB, one of the most prevalent NoSQL databases. First, after in-depth analysis of MongoDB's features, we devise an efficient tabular document structure which flattens R-tree index into MongoDB collections. Further, relevant mechanisms of R-tree operations are issued, and then we discuss in detail how to integrate R-tree into MongoDB. Finally, we present the experimental results which show that our proposed method out-performs the built-in spatial index of MongoDB. Our research will greatly facilitate big data management issues with MongoDB in a variety of geospatial information applications.

The development of large-scale de-identified biomedical databases in the age of genomics-principles and challenges.

PubMed

Dankar, Fida K; Ptitsyn, Andrey; Dankar, Samar K

2018-04-10

Contemporary biomedical databases include a wide range of information types from various observational and instrumental sources. Among the most important features that unite biomedical databases across the field are high volume of information and high potential to cause damage through data corruption, loss of performance, and loss of patient privacy. Thus, issues of data governance and privacy protection are essential for the construction of data depositories for biomedical research and healthcare. In this paper, we discuss various challenges of data governance in the context of population genome projects. The various challenges along with best practices and current research efforts are discussed through the steps of data collection, storage, sharing, analysis, and knowledge dissemination.

Report of the Second Asian Prostate Cancer (A-CaP) Study Meeting.

PubMed

Kim, Choung-Soo; Lee, Ji Youl; Chung, Byung Ha; Kim, Wun-Jae; Fai, Ng Chi; Hakim, Lukman; Umbas, Rainy; Ong, Teng Aik; Lim, Jasmine; Letran, Jason L; Chiong, Edmund; Wu, Tong-Lin; Lojanapiwat, Bannakij; Türkeri, Levent; Murphy, Declan G; Gardiner, Robert A; Moretti, Kim; Cooperberg, Matthew; Carroll, Peter; Mun, Seong Ki; Hinotsu, Shiro; Hirao, Yoshihiko; Ozono, Seiichiro; Horie, Shigeo; Onozawa, Mizuki; Kitagawa, Yasuhide; Kitamura, Tadaichi; Namiki, Mikio; Akaza, Hideyuki

2017-09-01

The Asian Prostate Cancer (A-CaP) Study is an Asia-wide initiative that has been developed over the course of 2 years. The study was launched in December 2015 in Tokyo, Japan, and the participating countries and regions engaged in preparations for the study during the course of 2016, including patient registration and creation of databases for the purpose of the study. The Second A-CaP Meeting was held on September 8, 2016 in Seoul, Korea, with the participation of members and collaborators from 12 countries and regions. Under the study, each participating country or region will begin registration of newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients and conduct prognostic investigations. From the data gathered, common research themes will be identified, such as comparisons among Asian countries of background factors in newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients. This is the first Asia-wide study of prostate cancer and has developed from single country research efforts in this field, including in Japan and Korea. At the Second Meeting, participating countries and regions discussed the status of preparations and discussed various issues that are being faced. These issues include technical challenges in creating databases, promoting participation in each country or region, clarifying issues relating to data input, addressing institutional issues such as institutional review board requirements, and the need for dedicated data managers. The meeting was positioned as an opportunity to share information and address outstanding issues prior to the initiation of the study. In addition to A-CaP-specific discussions, a series of special lectures was also delivered as a means of providing international perspectives on the latest developments in prostate cancer and the use of databases and registration studies around the world.

77 FR 72858 - Toxicological Review of Inorganic Arsenic (Cancer and Noncancer Effects): In Support of Summary...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-06

... public stakeholder workshop to inform the development of a state of the science toxicological review of... database. Workshop participants will be asked to highlight significant new and emerging research, discuss methods for evaluating literature, identify critical research issues (including mode of action) that may...

Good research practices for comparative effectiveness research: defining, reporting and interpreting nonrandomized studies of treatment effects using secondary data sources: the ISPOR Good Research Practices for Retrospective Database Analysis Task Force Report--Part I.

PubMed

Berger, Marc L; Mamdani, Muhammad; Atkins, David; Johnson, Michael L

2009-01-01

Health insurers, physicians, and patients worldwide need information on the comparative effectiveness and safety of prescription drugs in routine care. Nonrandomized studies of treatment effects using secondary databases may supplement the evidence based from randomized clinical trials and prospective observational studies. Recognizing the challenges to conducting valid retrospective epidemiologic and health services research studies, a Task Force was formed to develop a guidance document on state of the art approaches to frame research questions and report findings for these studies. The Task Force was commissioned and a Chair was selected by the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Board of Directors in October 2007. This Report, the first of three reported in this issue of the journal, addressed issues of framing the research question and reporting and interpreting findings. The Task Force Report proposes four primary characteristics-relevance, specificity, novelty, and feasibility while defining the research question. Recommendations included: the practice of a priori specification of the research question; transparency of prespecified analytical plans, provision of justifications for any subsequent changes in analytical plan, and reporting the results of prespecified plans as well as results from significant modifications, structured abstracts to report findings with scientific neutrality; and reasoned interpretations of findings to help inform policy decisions. Comparative effectiveness research in the form of nonrandomized studies using secondary databases can be designed with rigorous elements and conducted with sophisticated statistical methods to improve causal inference of treatment effects. Standardized reporting and careful interpretation of results can aid policy and decision-making.

The Application and Future of Big Database Studies in Cardiology: A Single-Center Experience.

PubMed

Lee, Kuang-Tso; Hour, Ai-Ling; Shia, Ben-Chang; Chu, Pao-Hsien

2017-11-01

As medical research techniques and quality have improved, it is apparent that cardiovascular problems could be better resolved by more strict experiment design. In fact, substantial time and resources should be expended to fulfill the requirements of high quality studies. Many worthy ideas and hypotheses were unable to be verified or proven due to ethical or economic limitations. In recent years, new and various applications and uses of databases have received increasing attention. Important information regarding certain issues such as rare cardiovascular diseases, women's heart health, post-marketing analysis of different medications, or a combination of clinical and regional cardiac features could be obtained by the use of rigorous statistical methods. However, there are limitations that exist among all databases. One of the key essentials to creating and correctly addressing this research is through reliable processes of analyzing and interpreting these cardiologic databases.

A practical approach for inexpensive searches of radiology report databases.

PubMed

Desjardins, Benoit; Hamilton, R Curtis

2007-06-01

We present a method to perform full text searches of radiology reports for the large number of departments that do not have this ability as part of their radiology or hospital information system. A tool written in Microsoft Access (front-end) has been designed to search a server (back-end) containing the indexed backup weekly copy of the full relational database extracted from a radiology information system (RIS). This front end-/back-end approach has been implemented in a large academic radiology department, and is used for teaching, research and administrative purposes. The weekly second backup of the 80 GB, 4 million record RIS database takes 2 hours. Further indexing of the exported radiology reports takes 6 hours. Individual searches of the indexed database typically take less than 1 minute on the indexed database and 30-60 minutes on the nonindexed database. Guidelines to properly address privacy and institutional review board issues are closely followed by all users. This method has potential to improve teaching, research, and administrative programs within radiology departments that cannot afford more expensive technology.

Ventilator-Related Adverse Events: A Taxonomy and Findings From 3 Incident Reporting Systems.

PubMed

Pham, Julius Cuong; Williams, Tamara L; Sparnon, Erin M; Cillie, Tam K; Scharen, Hilda F; Marella, William M

2016-05-01

In 2009, researchers from Johns Hopkins University's Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality; public agencies, including the FDA; and private partners, including the Emergency Care Research Institute and the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) Safety Intelligence Patient Safety Organization, sought to form a public-private partnership for the promotion of patient safety (P5S) to advance patient safety through voluntary partnerships. The study objective was to test the concept of the P5S to advance our understanding of safety issues related to ventilator events, to develop a common classification system for categorizing adverse events related to mechanical ventilators, and to perform a comparison of adverse events across different adverse event reporting systems. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of ventilator-related adverse events reported in 2012 from the following incident reporting systems: the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority's Patient Safety Reporting System, UHC's Safety Intelligence Patient Safety Organization database, and the FDA's Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience database. Once each organization had its dataset of ventilator-related adverse events, reviewers read the narrative descriptions of each event and classified it according to the developed common taxonomy. A Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, FDA, and UHC search provided 252, 274, and 700 relevant reports, respectively. The 3 event types most commonly reported to the UHC and the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority's Patient Safety Reporting System databases were airway/breathing circuit issue, human factor issues, and ventilator malfunction events. The top 3 event types reported to the FDA were ventilator malfunction, power source issue, and alarm failure. Overall, we found that (1) through the development of a common taxonomy, adverse events from 3 reporting systems can be evaluated, (2) the types of events reported in each database were related to the purpose of the database and the source of the reports, resulting in significant differences in reported event categories across the 3 systems, and (3) a public-private collaboration for investigating ventilator-related adverse events under the P5S model is feasible. Copyright © 2016 by Daedalus Enterprises.

Taiwan Biobank: making cross-database convergence possible in the Big Data era

PubMed Central

Lin, Jui-Chu; Fan, Chien-Te; Liao, Chia-Cheng; Chen, Yao-Sheng

2018-01-01

Abstract The Taiwan Biobank (TWB) is a biomedical research database of biopsy data from 200 000 participants. Access to this database has been granted to research communities taking part in the development of precision medicines; however, this has raised issues surrounding TWB’s access to electronic medical records (EMRs). The Personal Data Protection Act of Taiwan restricts access to EMRs for purposes not covered by patients’ original consent. This commentary explores possible legal solutions to help ensure that the access TWB has to EMR abides with legal obligations, and with governance frameworks associated with ethical, legal, and social implications. We suggest utilizing “hash function” algorithms to create nonretrospective, anonymized data for the purpose of cross-transmission and/or linkage with EMR. PMID:29149267

The Design and Evaluation of a Front-End User Interface for Energy Researchers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borgman, Christine L.; And Others

1989-01-01

Reports on the Online Access to Knowledge (OAK) Project, which developed software to support end user access to a Department of Energy database based on the skill levels and needs of energy researchers. The discussion covers issues in development, evaluation, and the study of user behavior in designing an interface tailored to a special…

Making your database available through Wikipedia: the pros and cons.

PubMed

Finn, Robert D; Gardner, Paul P; Bateman, Alex

2012-01-01

Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, is the most famous wiki in use today. It contains over 3.7 million pages of content; with many pages written on scientific subject matters that include peer-reviewed citations, yet are written in an accessible manner and generally reflect the consensus opinion of the community. In this, the 19th Annual Database Issue of Nucleic Acids Research, there are 11 articles that describe the use of a wiki in relation to a biological database. In this commentary, we discuss how biological databases can be integrated with Wikipedia, thereby utilising the pre-existing infrastructure, tools and above all, large community of authors (or Wikipedians). The limitations to the content that can be included in Wikipedia are highlighted, with examples drawn from articles found in this issue and other wiki-based resources, indicating why other wiki solutions are necessary. We discuss the merits of using open wikis, like Wikipedia, versus other models, with particular reference to potential vandalism. Finally, we raise the question about the future role of dedicated database biocurators in context of the thousands of crowdsourced, community annotations that are now being stored in wikis.

Making your database available through Wikipedia: the pros and cons

PubMed Central

Finn, Robert D.; Gardner, Paul P.; Bateman, Alex

2012-01-01

Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, is the most famous wiki in use today. It contains over 3.7 million pages of content; with many pages written on scientific subject matters that include peer-reviewed citations, yet are written in an accessible manner and generally reflect the consensus opinion of the community. In this, the 19th Annual Database Issue of Nucleic Acids Research, there are 11 articles that describe the use of a wiki in relation to a biological database. In this commentary, we discuss how biological databases can be integrated with Wikipedia, thereby utilising the pre-existing infrastructure, tools and above all, large community of authors (or Wikipedians). The limitations to the content that can be included in Wikipedia are highlighted, with examples drawn from articles found in this issue and other wiki-based resources, indicating why other wiki solutions are necessary. We discuss the merits of using open wikis, like Wikipedia, versus other models, with particular reference to potential vandalism. Finally, we raise the question about the future role of dedicated database biocurators in context of the thousands of crowdsourced, community annotations that are now being stored in wikis. PMID:22144683

Challenges in developing medicinal plant databases for sharing ethnopharmacological knowledge.

PubMed

Ningthoujam, Sanjoy Singh; Talukdar, Anupam Das; Potsangbam, Kumar Singh; Choudhury, Manabendra Dutta

2012-05-07

Major research contributions in ethnopharmacology have generated vast amount of data associated with medicinal plants. Computerized databases facilitate data management and analysis making coherent information available to researchers, planners and other users. Web-based databases also facilitate knowledge transmission and feed the circle of information exchange between the ethnopharmacological studies and public audience. However, despite the development of many medicinal plant databases, a lack of uniformity is still discernible. Therefore, it calls for defining a common standard to achieve the common objectives of ethnopharmacology. The aim of the study is to review the diversity of approaches in storing ethnopharmacological information in databases and to provide some minimal standards for these databases. Survey for articles on medicinal plant databases was done on the Internet by using selective keywords. Grey literatures and printed materials were also searched for information. Listed resources were critically analyzed for their approaches in content type, focus area and software technology. Necessity for rapid incorporation of traditional knowledge by compiling primary data has been felt. While citation collection is common approach for information compilation, it could not fully assimilate local literatures which reflect traditional knowledge. Need for defining standards for systematic evaluation, checking quality and authenticity of the data is felt. Databases focussing on thematic areas, viz., traditional medicine system, regional aspect, disease and phytochemical information are analyzed. Issues pertaining to data standard, data linking and unique identification need to be addressed in addition to general issues like lack of update and sustainability. In the background of the present study, suggestions have been made on some minimum standards for development of medicinal plant database. In spite of variations in approaches, existence of many overlapping features indicates redundancy of resources and efforts. As the development of global data in a single database may not be possible in view of the culture-specific differences, efforts can be given to specific regional areas. Existing scenario calls for collaborative approach for defining a common standard in medicinal plant database for knowledge sharing and scientific advancement. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Library Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paul, Karin; Kuhlthau, Carol C.; Branch, Jennifer L.; Solowan, Diane Galloway; Case, Roland; Abilock, Debbie; Eisenberg, Michael B.; Koechlin, Carol; Zwaan, Sandi; Hughes, Sandra; Low, Ann; Litch, Margaret; Lowry, Cindy; Irvine, Linda; Stimson, Margaret; Schlarb, Irene; Wilson, Janet; Warriner, Emily; Parsons, Les; Luongo-Orlando, Katherine; Hamilton, Donald

2003-01-01

Includes 19 articles that address issues related to library skills and Canadian school libraries. Topics include information literacy; inquiry learning; critical thinking and electronic research; collaborative inquiry; information skills and the Big 6 approach to problem solving; student use of online databases; library skills; Internet accuracy;…

Statewide Education Databases: Policy Issues. Discussion Draft.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Kenneth H.

This essay reviews current policy issues regarding statewide educational databases. It begins by defining the major characteristics of a database and raising two questions: (1) Is it really necessary to have a statewide educational database? (2) What is the primary rationale for creating one? The limitations of databases in formulating educational…

Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining in Iran's Climatic Researches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karimi, Mostafa

2013-04-01

Advances in measurement technology and data collection is the database gets larger. Large databases require powerful tools for analysis data. Iterative process of acquiring knowledge from information obtained from data processing is done in various forms in all scientific fields. However, when the data volume large, and many of the problems the Traditional methods cannot respond. in the recent years, use of databases in various scientific fields, especially atmospheric databases in climatology expanded. in addition, increases in the amount of data generated by the climate models is a challenge for analysis of it for extraction of hidden pattern and knowledge. The approach to this problem has been made in recent years uses the process of knowledge discovery and data mining techniques with the use of the concepts of machine learning, artificial intelligence and expert (professional) systems is overall performance. Data manning is analytically process for manning in massive volume data. The ultimate goal of data mining is access to information and finally knowledge. climatology is a part of science that uses variety and massive volume data. Goal of the climate data manning is Achieve to information from variety and massive atmospheric and non-atmospheric data. in fact, Knowledge Discovery performs these activities in a logical and predetermined and almost automatic process. The goal of this research is study of uses knowledge Discovery and data mining technique in Iranian climate research. For Achieve This goal, study content (descriptive) analysis and classify base method and issue. The result shown that in climatic research of Iran most clustering, k-means and wards applied and in terms of issues precipitation and atmospheric circulation patterns most introduced. Although several studies in geography and climate issues with statistical techniques such as clustering and pattern extraction is done, Due to the nature of statistics and data mining, but cannot say for internal climate studies in data mining and knowledge discovery techniques are used. However, it is necessary to use the KDD Approach and DM techniques in the climatic studies, specific interpreter of climate modeling result.

Data Mining Research with the LSST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borne, Kirk D.; Strauss, M. A.; Tyson, J. A.

2007-12-01

The LSST catalog database will exceed 10 petabytes, comprising several hundred attributes for 5 billion galaxies, 10 billion stars, and over 1 billion variable sources (optical variables, transients, or moving objects), extracted from over 20,000 square degrees of deep imaging in 5 passbands with thorough time domain coverage: 1000 visits over the 10-year LSST survey lifetime. The opportunities are enormous for novel scientific discoveries within this rich time-domain ultra-deep multi-band survey database. Data Mining, Machine Learning, and Knowledge Discovery research opportunities with the LSST are now under study, with a potential for new collaborations to develop to contribute to these investigations. We will describe features of the LSST science database that are amenable to scientific data mining, object classification, outlier identification, anomaly detection, image quality assurance, and survey science validation. We also give some illustrative examples of current scientific data mining research in astronomy, and point out where new research is needed. In particular, the data mining research community will need to address several issues in the coming years as we prepare for the LSST data deluge. The data mining research agenda includes: scalability (at petabytes scales) of existing machine learning and data mining algorithms; development of grid-enabled parallel data mining algorithms; designing a robust system for brokering classifications from the LSST event pipeline (which may produce 10,000 or more event alerts per night); multi-resolution methods for exploration of petascale databases; visual data mining algorithms for visual exploration of the data; indexing of multi-attribute multi-dimensional astronomical databases (beyond RA-Dec spatial indexing) for rapid querying of petabyte databases; and more. Finally, we will identify opportunities for synergistic collaboration between the data mining research group and the LSST Data Management and Science Collaboration teams.

Searching and exploitation of distributed geospatial data sources via the Naval Research Lab's Geospatial Information Database (GIDB) Portal System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCreedy, Frank P.; Sample, John T.; Ladd, William P.; Thomas, Michael L.; Shaw, Kevin B.

2005-05-01

The Naval Research Laboratory"s Geospatial Information Database (GIDBTM) Portal System has been extended to now include an extensive geospatial search functionality. The GIDB Portal System interconnects over 600 distributed geospatial data sources via the Internet with a thick client, thin client and a PDA client. As the GIDB Portal System has rapidly grown over the last two years (adding hundreds of geospatial sources), the obvious requirement has arisen to more effectively mine the interconnected sources in near real-time. How the GIDB Search addresses this issue is the prime focus of this paper.

The study of co-citation analysis and knowledge structure on healthcare domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Kuo-Chung; Liu, Wen-I.; Tsai, Ming-Yu

2012-11-01

With the prevalence of Internet and digital archives, the online e-journal database facilitates scholars to search literature in a research domain, or to cross-search an inter-disciplined field; the key literature can be efficiently traced out. This study intends to build a Web-based citation analysis system, which consists of four modules, they are: 1) literature search module; (2) statistics module; (3) articles analysis module; and (4) co-citation analysis module. The system focuses on PubMed Central dataset that has 170,000 records. In a research domain, a specific keyword searches in terms of authors, journals, and core issues. In addition, we use data mining techniques for co-citation analysis. The results assist researchers with in-depth understanding of the domain knowledge. Having an automated system for co-citation analysis, it helps to understand changes, trends, and knowledge structure of research domain. For the best of our knowledge, the proposed system differentiates from existing online electronic retrieval database analysis function. Perhaps, the proposed system is going to be a value-added database of healthcare domain, and hope to contribute the researchers.

Nurses' perceptions of ethical issues in the care of older people.

PubMed

Rees, Jenny; King, Lindy; Schmitz, Karl

2009-07-01

The aim of this thematic literature review is to explore nurses' perceptions of ethical issues in the care of older people. Electronic databases were searched from September 1997 to September 2007 using specific key words with tight inclusion criteria, which revealed 17 primary research reports. The data analysis involved repeated reading of the findings and sorting of those findings into four themes. These themes are: sources of ethical issues for nurses; differences in perceptions between nurses and patients/relatives; nurses' personal responses to ethical issues; and the patient-nurse relationship. The findings reveal that ageism is one of the major sources of the ethical issues that arise for nurses caring for older people. Education and organizational change can combat ageist attitudes. Wider training is required in the care of older people, workplace skills, palliative care and pain management for older people. The demands of a changing global demography will necessitate further research in this field.

A four-part working bibliography of neuroethics: part 3 - "second tradition neuroethics" - ethical issues in neuroscience.

PubMed

Martin, Amanda; Becker, Kira; Darragh, Martina; Giordano, James

2016-09-19

Neuroethics describes several interdisciplinary topics exploring the application and implications of engaging neuroscience in societal contexts. To explore this topic, we present Part 3 of a four-part bibliography of neuroethics' literature focusing on the "ethics of neuroscience." To complete a systematic survey of the neuroethics literature, 19 databases and 4 individual open-access journals were employed. Searches were conducted using the indexing language of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM). A Python code was used to eliminate duplications in the final bibliography. This bibliography consists of 1137 papers, 56 books, and 134 book chapters published from 2002 through 2014, covering ethical issues in neuroimaging, neurogenetics, neurobiomarkers, neuro-psychopharmacology, brain stimulation, neural stem cells, neural tissue transplants, pediatric-specific issues, dual-use, and general neuroscience research issues. These works contain explanations of recent research regarding neurotechnology, while exploring ethical issues in future discoveries and use.

Ethical Legal and Social Issues of Biobanking: Past, Present, and Future.

PubMed

Bledsoe, Marianna J

2017-04-01

The past 15 years has seen considerable changes in the research environment. These changes include the development of new sophisticated genetic and genomic technologies, a proliferation of databases containing large amount of genotypic and phenotypic data, and wide-spread data sharing among many institutions, nationally and internationally. These changes have raised new questions regarding how best to protect the participants of biobanking research. In response to these questions, best practices for addressing the legal, ethical, and social issues of biobanking have been developed. In addition, new ethical guidelines related to biobanking have been established, as well as new regulations regarding privacy and human subject protections. Finally, changes in the science and the research environment have raised complex ethical issues related to biobanking, such as questions about the most appropriate consent models to use for biobanking research, commercial use and ownership issues, and whether and how to return individual research results to biobank participants. This article reviews some of the developments over the past 15 years related to the ELSI of biobanking with a look toward the future.

A medical birth registry at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre.

PubMed

Bergsjø, Per; Mlay, Joseph; Lie, Rolv T; Lie-Nielsen, E; Shao, John F

2007-04-01

To establish a medical birth registry intended to serve clinical, administrative and research purposes. Starting in July 2000, every birth at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Moshi, Tanzania has been recorded in a separate database. The information is obtained through personal interviews with each mother, conducted by specially trained midwives, and supplied with data from the medical records. A secretary enters the data into the electronic file. Data are collected about the mother and father: education, occupation and living conditions, mother's health before and during present pregnancy, expected date of delivery, smoking and drinking (alcohol) habits, use of drugs, plus HIV and syphilis status (if known). This is followed by particulars on the delivery: spontaneous or induced, and complications; the child or children: weight, height and Apgar score, malformations and other diagnoses. Mode of birth: spontaneous or operative intervention. If perinatal death: when? Transfer to intensive neonatal unit? The mother's reproductive history (births, miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies) is also recorded, with outcomes. We describe the process based on more than six years' experience, including obstacles and how they were overcome. The registry serves as a monitoring tool, with a set of key activities and events being issued monthly, indicating changes and trends in, e.g., bleeding complications, caesarean section rates and perinatal mortality, as early warning signs. Monthly reports on key issues are presented. Confidentiality and data protection are key issues. Day-to-day recording of births is vulnerable to personnel shortage, whether from disease or holidays. Validation and quality checks leave the overall impression that the database is largely accurate and credible. There are plenty of opportunities for research. Clinicians and epidemiologists will profit from using the database to test hypotheses and clarify problem issues, to the ultimate benefit of labouring women and their children.

Big data in healthcare - the promises, challenges and opportunities from a research perspective: A case study with a model database.

PubMed

Adibuzzaman, Mohammad; DeLaurentis, Poching; Hill, Jennifer; Benneyworth, Brian D

2017-01-01

Recent advances in data collection during routine health care in the form of Electronic Health Records (EHR), medical device data (e.g., infusion pump informatics, physiological monitoring data, and insurance claims data, among others, as well as biological and experimental data, have created tremendous opportunities for biological discoveries for clinical application. However, even with all the advancement in technologies and their promises for discoveries, very few research findings have been translated to clinical knowledge, or more importantly, to clinical practice. In this paper, we identify and present the initial work addressing the relevant challenges in three broad categories: data, accessibility, and translation. These issues are discussed in the context of a widely used detailed database from an intensive care unit, Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC III) database.

Intimate partner violence, technology, and stalking.

PubMed

Southworth, Cynthia; Finn, Jerry; Dawson, Shawndell; Fraser, Cynthia; Tucker, Sarah

2007-08-01

This research note describes the use of a broad range of technologies in intimate partner stalking, including cordless and cellular telephones, fax machines, e-mail, Internet-based harassment, global positioning systems, spy ware, video cameras, and online databases. The concept of "stalking with technology" is reviewed, and the need for an expanded definition of cyberstalking is presented. Legal issues and advocacy-centered responses, including training, legal remedies, public policy issues, and technology industry practices, are discussed.

SU-E-T-544: A Radiation Oncology-Specific Multi-Institutional Federated Database: Initial Implementation

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

Hendrickson, K; Phillips, M; Fishburn, M

Purpose: To implement a common database structure and user-friendly web-browser based data collection tools across several medical institutions to better support evidence-based clinical decision making and comparative effectiveness research through shared outcomes data. Methods: A consortium of four academic medical centers agreed to implement a federated database, known as Oncospace. Initial implementation has addressed issues of differences between institutions in workflow and types and breadth of structured information captured. This requires coordination of data collection from departmental oncology information systems (OIS), treatment planning systems, and hospital electronic medical records in order to include as much as possible the multi-disciplinary clinicalmore » data associated with a patients care. Results: The original database schema was well-designed and required only minor changes to meet institution-specific data requirements. Mobile browser interfaces for data entry and review for both the OIS and the Oncospace database were tailored for the workflow of individual institutions. Federation of database queries--the ultimate goal of the project--was tested using artificial patient data. The tests serve as proof-of-principle that the system as a whole--from data collection and entry to providing responses to research queries of the federated database--was viable. The resolution of inter-institutional use of patient data for research is still not completed. Conclusions: The migration from unstructured data mainly in the form of notes and documents to searchable, structured data is difficult. Making the transition requires cooperation of many groups within the department and can be greatly facilitated by using the structured data to improve clinical processes and workflow. The original database schema design is critical to providing enough flexibility for multi-institutional use to improve each institution s ability to study outcomes, determine best practices, and support research. The project has demonstrated the feasibility of deploying a federated database environment for research purposes to multiple institutions.« less

PathCase-SB architecture and database design

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Integration of metabolic pathways resources and regulatory metabolic network models, and deploying new tools on the integrated platform can help perform more effective and more efficient systems biology research on understanding the regulation in metabolic networks. Therefore, the tasks of (a) integrating under a single database environment regulatory metabolic networks and existing models, and (b) building tools to help with modeling and analysis are desirable and intellectually challenging computational tasks. Description PathCase Systems Biology (PathCase-SB) is built and released. The PathCase-SB database provides data and API for multiple user interfaces and software tools. The current PathCase-SB system provides a database-enabled framework and web-based computational tools towards facilitating the development of kinetic models for biological systems. PathCase-SB aims to integrate data of selected biological data sources on the web (currently, BioModels database and KEGG), and to provide more powerful and/or new capabilities via the new web-based integrative framework. This paper describes architecture and database design issues encountered in PathCase-SB's design and implementation, and presents the current design of PathCase-SB's architecture and database. Conclusions PathCase-SB architecture and database provide a highly extensible and scalable environment with easy and fast (real-time) access to the data in the database. PathCase-SB itself is already being used by researchers across the world. PMID:22070889

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study (REDS-III): A research program striving to improve blood donor and transfusion recipient outcomes

PubMed Central

Kleinman, Steven; Busch, Michael P; Murphy, Edward L; Shan, Hua; Ness, Paul; Glynn, Simone A.

2014-01-01

Background The Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study -III (REDS-III) is a 7-year multicenter transfusion safety research initiative launched in 2011 by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Study design The domestic component involves 4 blood centers, 12 hospitals, a data coordinating center, and a central laboratory. The international component consists of distinct programs in Brazil, China, and South Africa which involve US and in-country investigators. Results REDS-III is using two major methods to address key research priorities in blood banking/transfusion medicine. First, there will be numerous analyses of large “core” databases; the international programs have each constructed a donor/donation database while the domestic program has established a detailed research database that links data from blood donors and their donations, the components made from these donations, and data extracts from the electronic medical records of the recipients of these components. Secondly, there are more than 25 focused research protocols involving transfusion recipients, blood donors, or both that are either in progress or scheduled to begin within the next 3 years. Areas of study include transfusion epidemiology and blood utilization; transfusion outcomes; non-infectious transfusion risks; HIV-related safety issues (particularly in the international programs); emerging infectious agents; blood component quality; donor health and safety; and other donor issues. Conclusions It is intended that REDS-III serve as an impetus for more widespread recipient and linked donor-recipient research in the US as well as to help assure a safe and available blood supply in the US and in international locations. PMID:24188564

The Database Business: Managing Today--Planning for Tomorrow. Issues and Futures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aitchison, T. M.; And Others

1988-01-01

Current issues and the future of the database business are discussed in five papers. Topics covered include aspects relating to the quality of database production; international ownership in the U.S. information marketplace; an overview of pricing strategies in the electronic information industry; and pricing issues from the viewpoints of online…

Publishing SNP genotypes of human embryonic stem cell lines: policy statement of the International Stem Cell Forum Ethics Working Party.

PubMed

Knoppers, Bartha M; Isasi, Rosario; Benvenisty, Nissim; Kim, Ock-Joo; Lomax, Geoffrey; Morris, Clive; Murray, Thomas H; Lee, Eng Hin; Perry, Margery; Richardson, Genevra; Sipp, Douglas; Tanner, Klaus; Wahlström, Jan; de Wert, Guido; Zeng, Fanyi

2011-09-01

Novel methods and associated tools permitting individual identification in publicly accessible SNP databases have become a debatable issue. There is growing concern that current technical and ethical safeguards to protect the identities of donors could be insufficient. In the context of human embryonic stem cell research, there are no studies focusing on the probability that an hESC line donor could be identified by analyzing published SNP profiles and associated genotypic and phenotypic information. We present the International Stem Cell Forum (ISCF) Ethics Working Party's Policy Statement on "Publishing SNP Genotypes of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines (hESC)". The Statement prospectively addresses issues surrounding the publication of genotypic data and associated annotations of hESC lines in open access databases. It proposes a balanced approach between the goals of open science and data sharing with the respect for fundamental bioethical principles (autonomy, privacy, beneficence, justice and research merit and integrity).

Research Methods in Healthcare Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Stewardship: Use of Administrative and Surveillance Databases.

PubMed

Drees, Marci; Gerber, Jeffrey S; Morgan, Daniel J; Lee, Grace M

2016-11-01

Administrative and surveillance data are used frequently in healthcare epidemiology and antimicrobial stewardship (HE&AS) research because of their wide availability and efficiency. However, data quality issues exist, requiring careful consideration and potential validation of data. This methods paper presents key considerations for using administrative and surveillance data in HE&AS, including types of data available and potential use, data limitations, and the importance of validation. After discussing these issues, we review examples of HE&AS research using administrative data with a focus on scenarios when their use may be advantageous. A checklist is provided to help aid study development in HE&AS using administrative data. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1-10.

CMO: Cruise Metadata Organizer for JAMSTEC Research Cruises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuda, K.; Saito, H.; Hanafusa, Y.; Vanroosebeke, A.; Kitayama, T.

2011-12-01

JAMSTEC's Data Research Center for Marine-Earth Sciences manages and distributes a wide variety of observational data and samples obtained from JAMSTEC research vessels and deep sea submersibles. Generally, metadata are essential to identify data and samples were obtained. In JAMSTEC, cruise metadata include cruise information such as cruise ID, name of vessel, research theme, and diving information such as dive number, name of submersible and position of diving point. They are submitted by chief scientists of research cruises in the Microsoft Excel° spreadsheet format, and registered into a data management database to confirm receipt of observational data files, cruise summaries, and cruise reports. The cruise metadata are also published via "JAMSTEC Data Site for Research Cruises" within two months after end of cruise. Furthermore, these metadata are distributed with observational data, images and samples via several data and sample distribution websites after a publication moratorium period. However, there are two operational issues in the metadata publishing process. One is that duplication efforts and asynchronous metadata across multiple distribution websites due to manual metadata entry into individual websites by administrators. The other is that differential data types or representation of metadata in each website. To solve those problems, we have developed a cruise metadata organizer (CMO) which allows cruise metadata to be connected from the data management database to several distribution websites. CMO is comprised of three components: an Extensible Markup Language (XML) database, an Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) software, and a web-based interface. The XML database is used because of its flexibility for any change of metadata. Daily differential uptake of metadata from the data management database to the XML database is automatically processed via the EAI software. Some metadata are entered into the XML database using the web-based interface by a metadata editor in CMO as needed. Then daily differential uptake of metadata from the XML database to databases in several distribution websites is automatically processed using a convertor defined by the EAI software. Currently, CMO is available for three distribution websites: "Deep Sea Floor Rock Sample Database GANSEKI", "Marine Biological Sample Database", and "JAMSTEC E-library of Deep-sea Images". CMO is planned to provide "JAMSTEC Data Site for Research Cruises" with metadata in the future.

Confidentiality issues for medical data miners.

PubMed

Berman, Jules J

2002-01-01

The first task in any medical data mining effort is ensuring patient confidentiality. In the past, most data mining efforts ensured confidentiality by the dubious policy of withholding their raw data from colleagues and the public. A cursory review of medical informatics literature in the past decade reveals that much of what we have "learned" consists of assertions derived from confidential datasets unavailable for anyone's review. Without access to the original data, it is impossible to validate or improve upon a researcher's conclusions. Without access to research data, we are asked to accept findings as an act of faith, rather than as a scientific conclusion. This special issue of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine is devoted to medical data mining. The medical data miner has an obligation to conduct valid research in a way that protects human subjects. Today, data miners have the technical tools to merge large data collections and to distribute queries over disparate databases. In order to include patient-related data in shared databases, data miners will need methods to anonymize and deidentify data. This article reviews the human subject risks associated with medical data mining. This article also describes some of the innovative computational remedies that will permit researchers to conduct research AND share their data without risk to patient or institution.

Using Online Databases in Corporate Issues Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomsen, Steven R.

1995-01-01

Finds that corporate public relations practitioners felt they were able, using online database and information services, to intercept issues earlier in the "issue cycle" and thus enable their organizations to develop more "proactionary" or "catalytic" issues management repose strategies. (SR)

Safe and inclusive research practices for qualitative research involving people with dementia: A review of key issues and strategies.

PubMed

Novek, Sheila; Wilkinson, Heather

2017-01-01

Aim Developing strategies to ensure the safe participation of people with dementia in research is critical to support their wider inclusion in research and to advance knowledge in the areas of dementia policy and practice. Objectives This literature review synthesizes and critically appraises different approaches to promote the safe participation of people with dementia in qualitative research. Methods Two databases were searched for articles that discuss the methodological or ethical aspects of qualitative research involving people with dementia. We did not focus on informed consent or ethical review processes as these have been reviewed elsewhere. Findings Key issues that impact participant safety include: language, gatekeepers, the research relationship, communication, dealing with distress, knowledge dissemination, and researcher skills. Conclusion By synthesizing different approaches to safety and highlighting areas of debate, we hope to advance discussion and to contribute to the development of inclusive research methods.

Transformative Use of an Improved All-Payer Hospital Discharge Data Infrastructure for Community-Based Participatory Research: A Sustainability Pathway

PubMed Central

Salemi, Jason L; Salinas-Miranda, Abraham A; Wilson, Roneé E; Salihu, Hamisu M

2015-01-01

Objective To describe the use of a clinically enhanced maternal and child health (MCH) database to strengthen community-engaged research activities, and to support the sustainability of data infrastructure initiatives. Data Sources/Study Setting Population-based, longitudinal database covering over 2.3 million mother–infant dyads during a 12-year period (1998–2009) in Florida. Setting: A community-based participatory research (CBPR) project in a socioeconomically disadvantaged community in central Tampa, Florida. Study Design Case study of the use of an enhanced state database for supporting CBPR activities. Principal Findings A federal data infrastructure award resulted in the creation of an MCH database in which over 92 percent of all birth certificate records for infants born between 1998 and 2009 were linked to maternal and infant hospital encounter-level data. The population-based, longitudinal database was used to supplement data collected from focus groups and community surveys with epidemiological and health care cost data on important MCH disparity issues in the target community. Data were used to facilitate a community-driven, decision-making process in which the most important priorities for intervention were identified. Conclusions Integrating statewide all-payer, hospital-based databases into CBPR can empower underserved communities with a reliable source of health data, and it can promote the sustainability of newly developed data systems. PMID:25879276

The gene expression database for mouse development (GXD): putting developmental expression information at your fingertips.

PubMed

Smith, Constance M; Finger, Jacqueline H; Kadin, James A; Richardson, Joel E; Ringwald, Martin

2014-10-01

Because molecular mechanisms of development are extraordinarily complex, the understanding of these processes requires the integration of pertinent research data. Using the Gene Expression Database for Mouse Development (GXD) as an example, we illustrate the progress made toward this goal, and discuss relevant issues that apply to developmental databases and developmental research in general. Since its first release in 1998, GXD has served the scientific community by integrating multiple types of expression data from publications and electronic submissions and by making these data freely and widely available. Focusing on endogenous gene expression in wild-type and mutant mice and covering data from RNA in situ hybridization, in situ reporter (knock-in), immunohistochemistry, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Northern blot, and Western blot experiments, the database has grown tremendously over the years in terms of data content and search utilities. Currently, GXD includes over 1.4 million annotated expression results and over 260,000 images. All these data and images are readily accessible to many types of database searches. Here we describe the data and search tools of GXD; explain how to use the database most effectively; discuss how we acquire, curate, and integrate developmental expression information; and describe how the research community can help in this process. Copyright © 2014 The Authors Developmental Dynamics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Anatomists.

[Characteristics of clinical trials in Hungary based on the analysis of an international database].

PubMed

Tóth, Tamás; Pollner, Péter; Palla, Gergely; Dinya, Elek

2017-03-01

Intorduction: The ClinicalTrials.gov website, which is operated by the US government, collects data about clinical trials. We have processed data related to Hungary by downloading from the website as XML files. Most of the data describe trials performed after 2000, so we got an overview about the clinical research of the last 10 to 15 years. As the majority of the data fields are collected as free text, significant data cleaning was needed. The database contained 2863 trials related to Hungary from 189 settlements. Only 20 per cent of the actual research organizations could have been identified as many times only an "id" number or a general name was given, thus this information was anonymised in many cases. Besides the analysis of the information obtained from this database, our study points out the relevant issues that may influence the international view of the Hungarian clinical research. Orv. Hetil., 2017, 158(9), 345-351.

Medical research using governments' health claims databases: with or without patients' consent?

PubMed

Tsai, Feng-Jen; Junod, Valérie

2018-03-01

Taking advantage of its single-payer, universal insurance system, Taiwan has leveraged its exhaustive database of health claims data for research purposes. Researchers can apply to receive access to pseudonymized (coded) medical data about insured patients, notably their diagnoses, health status and treatments. In view of the strict safeguards implemented, the Taiwanese government considers that this research use does not require patients' consent (either in the form of an opt-in or in the form of an opt-out). A group of non-governmental organizations has challenged this view in the Taiwanese Courts, but to no avail. The present article reviews the arguments both against and in favor of patients' consent for re-use of their data in research. It concludes that offering patients an opt-out would be appropriate as it would best balance the important interests at issue.

Feasibility and utility of applications of the common data model to multiple, disparate observational health databases

PubMed Central

Makadia, Rupa; Matcho, Amy; Ma, Qianli; Knoll, Chris; Schuemie, Martijn; DeFalco, Frank J; Londhe, Ajit; Zhu, Vivienne; Ryan, Patrick B

2015-01-01

Objectives To evaluate the utility of applying the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) Common Data Model (CDM) across multiple observational databases within an organization and to apply standardized analytics tools for conducting observational research. Materials and methods Six deidentified patient-level datasets were transformed to the OMOP CDM. We evaluated the extent of information loss that occurred through the standardization process. We developed a standardized analytic tool to replicate the cohort construction process from a published epidemiology protocol and applied the analysis to all 6 databases to assess time-to-execution and comparability of results. Results Transformation to the CDM resulted in minimal information loss across all 6 databases. Patients and observations excluded were due to identified data quality issues in the source system, 96% to 99% of condition records and 90% to 99% of drug records were successfully mapped into the CDM using the standard vocabulary. The full cohort replication and descriptive baseline summary was executed for 2 cohorts in 6 databases in less than 1 hour. Discussion The standardization process improved data quality, increased efficiency, and facilitated cross-database comparisons to support a more systematic approach to observational research. Comparisons across data sources showed consistency in the impact of inclusion criteria, using the protocol and identified differences in patient characteristics and coding practices across databases. Conclusion Standardizing data structure (through a CDM), content (through a standard vocabulary with source code mappings), and analytics can enable an institution to apply a network-based approach to observational research across multiple, disparate observational health databases. PMID:25670757

[Statistics of internationally-issued English articles on ophthalmology by mainland Chinese authors during the past 6 years].

PubMed

Zou, Feng; Xu, Jie-na; Zhang, Yan-li; Yang, Liu; Wu, Kai-li

2007-09-01

To understand and to analyze the overall situation of ophthalmic research articles issued in English internationally by mainland Chinese authors during the past 6 years. Using relevant retrieval words to search the articles from the PubMed, the largest database in biology and medical science in the world, and to conduct a statistical analysis. Three hundred and ninety two English ophthalmological articles by mainland Chinese researchers as the first author or first organization were published in 134 periodicals. Most of these organizations were medical universities (as well as their affiliated hospitals) and China Academy of Science. There were 23 journals which published more than 4 articles and there were 25 organizations issued more than 4 articles. During the past 6 years, there was a significant increase in the number of articles issued internationally by mainland Chinese authors, indicating an enormous progress in the field of ophthalmic research in mainland of China.

JDD, Inc. Database

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, David A., Jr.

2004-01-01

JDD Inc, is a maintenance and custodial contracting company whose mission is to provide their clients in the private and government sectors "quality construction, construction management and cleaning services in the most efficient and cost effective manners, (JDD, Inc. Mission Statement)." This company provides facilities support for Fort Riley in Fo,rt Riley, Kansas and the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field here in Cleveland, Ohio. JDD, Inc. is owned and operated by James Vaughn, who started as painter at NASA Glenn and has been working here for the past seventeen years. This summer I worked under Devan Anderson, who is the safety manager for JDD Inc. in the Logistics and Technical Information Division at Glenn Research Center The LTID provides all transportation, secretarial, security needs and contract management of these various services for the center. As a safety manager, my mentor provides Occupational Health and Safety Occupation (OSHA) compliance to all JDD, Inc. employees and handles all other issues (Environmental Protection Agency issues, workers compensation, safety and health training) involving to job safety. My summer assignment was not as considered "groundbreaking research" like many other summer interns have done in the past, but it is just as important and beneficial to JDD, Inc. I initially created a database using a Microsoft Excel program to classify and categorize data pertaining to numerous safety training certification courses instructed by our safety manager during the course of the fiscal year. This early portion of the database consisted of only data (training field index, employees who were present at these training courses and who was absent) from the training certification courses. Once I completed this phase of the database, I decided to expand the database and add as many dimensions to it as possible. Throughout the last seven weeks, I have been compiling more data from day to day operations and been adding the information to the database. It now consists of seven different categories of data (carpet cleaning, forms, NASA Event Schedules, training certifications, wall and vent cleaning, work schedules, and miscellaneous) . I also did some field inspecting with the supervisors around the site and was present at all of the training certification courses that have been scheduled since June 2004. My future outlook for the JDD, Inc. database is to have all of company s information from future contract proposals, weekly inventory, to employee timesheets all in this same database.

GigaDB: promoting data dissemination and reproducibility

PubMed Central

Sneddon, Tam P.; Si Zhe, Xiao; Edmunds, Scott C.; Li, Peter; Goodman, Laurie; Hunter, Christopher I.

2014-01-01

Often papers are published where the underlying data supporting the research are not made available because of the limitations of making such large data sets publicly and permanently accessible. Even if the raw data are deposited in public archives, the essential analysis intermediaries, scripts or software are frequently not made available, meaning the science is not reproducible. The GigaScience journal is attempting to address this issue with the associated data storage and dissemination portal, the GigaScience database (GigaDB). Here we present the current version of GigaDB and reveal plans for the next generation of improvements. However, most importantly, we are soliciting responses from you, the users, to ensure that future developments are focused on the data storage and dissemination issues that still need resolving. Database URL: http://www.gigadb.org PMID:24622612

Information for Developing Countries: Definitions, Institutions and Issues. A Contribution towards Forming an Understanding of the Potential for Consultancy, Marketing and Training Related Activities. Kingston Polytechnic School of Information Systems Research Report 87-3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindsay, John

This paper reports on the emerging market in information on development-related activities in terms of the European capacity in databases and information networking. The first of its two parts addresses issues that are emerging consequent to the introduction of information technology in developing countries. Problems of definition and interest in…

Video Games for Diabetes Self-Management: Examples and Design Strategies

PubMed Central

Lieberman, Debra A.

2012-01-01

The July 2012 issue of the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology includes a special symposium called “Serious Games for Diabetes, Obesity, and Healthy Lifestyle.” As part of the symposium, this article focuses on health behavior change video games that are designed to improve and support players’ diabetes self-management. Other symposium articles include one that recommends theory-based approaches to the design of health games and identifies areas in which additional research is needed, followed by five research articles presenting studies of the design and effectiveness of games and game technologies that require physical activity in order to play. This article briefly describes 14 diabetes self-management video games, and, when available, cites research findings on their effectiveness. The games were found by searching the Health Games Research online searchable database, three bibliographic databases (ACM Digital Library, PubMed, and Social Sciences Databases of CSA Illumina), and the Google search engine, using the search terms “diabetes” and “game.” Games were selected if they addressed diabetes self-management skills. PMID:22920805

The European Bioinformatics Institute's data resources: towards systems biology.

PubMed

Brooksbank, Catherine; Cameron, Graham; Thornton, Janet

2005-01-01

Genomic and post-genomic biological research has provided fine-grain insights into the molecular processes of life, but also threatens to drown biomedical researchers in data. Moreover, as new high-throughput technologies are developed, the types of data that are gathered en masse are diversifying. The need to collect, store and curate all this information in ways that allow its efficient retrieval and exploitation is greater than ever. The European Bioinformatics Institute's (EBI's) databases and tools have evolved to meet the changing needs of molecular biologists: since we last wrote about our services in the 2003 issue of Nucleic Acids Research, we have launched new databases covering protein-protein interactions (IntAct), pathways (Reactome) and small molecules (ChEBI). Our existing core databases have continued to evolve to meet the changing needs of biomedical researchers, and we have developed new data-access tools that help biologists to move intuitively through the different data types, thereby helping them to put the parts together to understand biology at the systems level. The EBI's data resources are all available on our website at http://www.ebi.ac.uk.

The European Bioinformatics Institute's data resources: towards systems biology

PubMed Central

Brooksbank, Catherine; Cameron, Graham; Thornton, Janet

2005-01-01

Genomic and post-genomic biological research has provided fine-grain insights into the molecular processes of life, but also threatens to drown biomedical researchers in data. Moreover, as new high-throughput technologies are developed, the types of data that are gathered en masse are diversifying. The need to collect, store and curate all this information in ways that allow its efficient retrieval and exploitation is greater than ever. The European Bioinformatics Institute's (EBI's) databases and tools have evolved to meet the changing needs of molecular biologists: since we last wrote about our services in the 2003 issue of Nucleic Acids Research, we have launched new databases covering protein–protein interactions (IntAct), pathways (Reactome) and small molecules (ChEBI). Our existing core databases have continued to evolve to meet the changing needs of biomedical researchers, and we have developed new data-access tools that help biologists to move intuitively through the different data types, thereby helping them to put the parts together to understand biology at the systems level. The EBI's data resources are all available on our website at http://www.ebi.ac.uk. PMID:15608238

Video games for diabetes self-management: examples and design strategies.

PubMed

Lieberman, Debra A

2012-07-01

The July 2012 issue of the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology includes a special symposium called "Serious Games for Diabetes, Obesity, and Healthy Lifestyle." As part of the symposium, this article focuses on health behavior change video games that are designed to improve and support players' diabetes self-management. Other symposium articles include one that recommends theory-based approaches to the design of health games and identifies areas in which additional research is needed, followed by five research articles presenting studies of the design and effectiveness of games and game technologies that require physical activity in order to play. This article briefly describes 14 diabetes self-management video games, and, when available, cites research findings on their effectiveness. The games were found by searching the Health Games Research online searchable database, three bibliographic databases (ACM Digital Library, PubMed, and Social Sciences Databases of CSA Illumina), and the Google search engine, using the search terms "diabetes" and "game." Games were selected if they addressed diabetes self-management skills. © 2012 Diabetes Technology Society.

[Role and management of cancer clinical database in the application of gastric cancer precision medicine].

PubMed

Li, Yuanfang; Zhou, Zhiwei

2016-02-01

Precision medicine is a new medical concept and medical model, which is based on personalized medicine, rapid progress of genome sequencing technology and cross application of biological information and big data science. Precision medicine improves the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer to provide more convenience through more profound analyses of characteristics, pathogenesis and other core issues in gastric cancer. Cancer clinical database is important to promote the development of precision medicine. Therefore, it is necessary to pay close attention to the construction and management of the database. The clinical database of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center is composed of medical record database, blood specimen bank, tissue bank and medical imaging database. In order to ensure the good quality of the database, the design and management of the database should follow the strict standard operation procedure(SOP) model. Data sharing is an important way to improve medical research in the era of medical big data. The construction and management of clinical database must also be strengthened and innovated.

Spatial cyberinfrastructures, ontologies, and the humanities.

PubMed

Sieber, Renee E; Wellen, Christopher C; Jin, Yuan

2011-04-05

We report on research into building a cyberinfrastructure for Chinese biographical and geographic data. Our cyberinfrastructure contains (i) the McGill-Harvard-Yenching Library Ming Qing Women's Writings database (MQWW), the only online database on historical Chinese women's writings, (ii) the China Biographical Database, the authority for Chinese historical people, and (iii) the China Historical Geographical Information System, one of the first historical geographic information systems. Key to this integration is that linked databases retain separate identities as bases of knowledge, while they possess sufficient semantic interoperability to allow for multidatabase concepts and to support cross-database queries on an ad hoc basis. Computational ontologies create underlying semantics for database access. This paper focuses on the spatial component in a humanities cyberinfrastructure, which includes issues of conflicting data, heterogeneous data models, disambiguation, and geographic scale. First, we describe the methodology for integrating the databases. Then we detail the system architecture, which includes a tier of ontologies and schema. We describe the user interface and applications that allow for cross-database queries. For instance, users should be able to analyze the data, examine hypotheses on spatial and temporal relationships, and generate historical maps with datasets from MQWW for research, teaching, and publication on Chinese women writers, their familial relations, publishing venues, and the literary and social communities. Last, we discuss the social side of cyberinfrastructure development, as people are considered to be as critical as the technical components for its success.

Everyday attention.

PubMed

Risko, Evan F; Kingstone, Alan

2017-06-01

Understanding the basic mechanisms underlying attentional function using naturalistic stimuli, tasks, and/or settings is the focus of everyday attention research. Interest in everyday approaches to attention research has increased recently-arguably riding a more general wave of support for such considerations in experimental psychology. This special issue of the Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology attempts to capture the emerging enthusiasm for studying everyday attention by bringing together work from a wide array of attentional domains (e.g., visual attention, dual tasking, search, mind wandering, social attention) that are representative of this general approach. The 14 contributions to the special issue highlight the breadth of topics addressed in this research, the methodological creativity required to carry it out, and the promise of everyday attention for understanding the basic mechanisms underlying attentional function. This introduction will summarise the everyday attention approach as represented in the contributions to the special issue. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Trends and topics in sports research in the Social Science Citation Index from 1993 to 2008.

PubMed

Gau, Li-Shiue

2013-02-01

This descriptive study evaluated behavioral and social science research on sport for 1993 through 2008, examined the characteristics of sport research, and identified mainstream issues appearing during these 16 years. Based on the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) database from 1993 to 2008, 7,655 articles referring to sport or sports were available. The publication analyses showed that 13 core journals published the most articles in the behavioral sciences of sport. By analyzing all titles, author keywords, and KeyWords Plus, the results showed that physical education, athlete performance, and sports participation were the mainstream issues of sport research in the 16-year study period. The words adolescent, youth, and children frequently appeared, indicating that the emphasis of sport research focused on these participant groups. This bibliometric study reviewed global sports research in SSCI, and described certain patterns or trends in prior research on sport.

Electronic Publishing and Document Delivery; A Case Study of Commercial Information Services on the Internet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbott, Anthony

1992-01-01

Discusses the electronic publishing activities of Meckler Publishing on the Internet, including a publications catalog, an electronic journal, and tables of contents databases. Broader issues of commercial network publishing are also addressed, including changes in the research process, changes in publishing, bibliographic control,…

Long-term ecosystem monitoring and change detection: the Sonoran initiative

Treesearch

Robert Lozar; Charles Ehlschlaeger

2005-01-01

Ecoregional Systems Heritage and Encroachment Monitoring (ESHEM) examines issues of land management at an ecosystem level using remote sensing. Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), in partnership with Western Illinois University, has developed an ecoregional database and monitoring capability covering the Sonoran region. The monitoring time horizon will...

1995 AAAS annual meeting and science innovation exposition: Unity in diversity

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

Strauss, M.S.; Heasley, C.

1995-12-31

Abstracts are presented from the 161st National Meeting of the American Association for the advancement of Science. Topics include environmental technologies, genetics, physical science research, information management, nuclear weapon issues, and education. Individual topics have been processed separately for the United States Department of Energy databases.

Understanding Student Article Retrieval Behaviors: Instructional Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook-Cottone, Catherine P.; Dutt-Doner, Karen; Schoen, David

2005-01-01

This study evaluates the use of full-text databases amongst 425 undergraduate and graduate students in western New York. A review of literature implicated convenience, time issues, article retrieval option knowledge, and the appreciation and understanding of research article quality as potential predictors of full-text reliance. These variables…

Psychosocial Adjustment of Adolescents and Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mueller, Christian E.; Prout, H. Thompson

2009-01-01

Issues with adolescents with intellectual disabilities have received little attention in the research literature. This study compared adolescents with and without intellectual disabilities on several indices of psychosocial adjustment. The participants were selected from a large longitudinal database and comparisons were made at three points in…

Design and Implementation of an Environmental Mercury Database for Northeastern North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clair, T. A.; Evers, D.; Smith, T.; Goodale, W.; Bernier, M.

2002-12-01

An important issue faced when attempting to interpret geochemical variability studies across large regions, is the accumulation, access and consistent display of data from a large number of sources. We were given the opportunity to provide a regional assessment of mercury distribution in surface waters, sediments, invertebrates, fish, and birds in a region extending from New York State to the Island of Newfoundland. We received over 20 individual databases from State, Provincial, and Federal governments, as well as university researchers from both Canada and the United States. These databases came in a variety of formats and sizes. Our challenge was to find a way of accumulating and presenting the large amounts of acquired data, in a consistent, easily accessible fashion, which could then be more easily interpreted. Moreover, the database had to be portable and easily distributable to the large number of study participants. We developed a static database structure using a web-based approach which we were then able to mount on a server which was accessible to all project participants. The site also contained all the necessary documentation related to the data, its acquisition, as well as the methods used in its analysis and interpretation. We then copied the complete web site on CDROM's which we then distributed to all project participants, funding agencies, and other interested parties. The CDROM formed a permanent record of the project and was issued ISSN and ISBN numbers so that the information remained accessible to researchers in perpetuity. Here we present an overview of the CDROM and data structures, of the information accumulated over the first year of the study, and initial interpretation of the results.

Identification of Crew-Systems Interactions and Decision Related Trends

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Sharon Monica; Evans, Joni K.; Reveley, Mary S.; Withrow, Colleen A.; Ancel, Ersin; Barr, Lawrence

2013-01-01

NASA Vehicle System Safety Technology (VSST) project management uses systems analysis to identify key issues and maintain a portfolio of research leading to potential solutions to its three identified technical challenges. Statistical data and published safety priority lists from academic, industry and other government agencies were reviewed and analyzed by NASA Aviation Safety Program (AvSP) systems analysis personnel to identify issues and future research needs related to one of VSST's technical challenges, Crew Decision Making (CDM). The data examined in the study were obtained from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Aviation Accident and Incident Data System, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Accident/Incident Data System and the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). In addition, this report contains the results of a review of safety priority lists, information databases and other documented references pertaining to aviation crew systems issues and future research needs. The specific sources examined were: Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) Safety Enhancements Reserved for Future Implementation (SERFIs), Flight Deck Automation Issues (FDAI) and NTSB Most Wanted List and Open Recommendations. Various automation issues taxonomies and priority lists pertaining to human factors, automation and flight design were combined to create a list of automation issues related to CDM.

Intelligent Text Retrieval and Knowledge Acquisition from Texts for NASA Applications: Preprocessing Issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

A system that retrieves problem reports from a NASA database is described. The database is queried with natural language questions. Part-of-speech tags are first assigned to each word in the question using a rule based tagger. A partial parse of the question is then produced with independent sets of deterministic finite state a utomata. Using partial parse information, a look up strategy searches the database for problem reports relevant to the question. A bigram stemmer and irregular verb conjugates have been incorporated into the system to improve accuracy. The system is evaluated by a set of fifty five questions posed by NASA engineers. A discussion of future research is also presented.

ELSI Bibliography: Ethical legal and social implications of the Human Genome Project

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

Yesley, M.S.

This second edition of the ELSI Bibliography provides a current and comprehensive resource for identifying publications on the major topics related to the ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI) of the Human Genome Project. Since the first edition of the ELSI Bibliography was printed last year, new publications and earlier ones identified by additional searching have doubled our computer database of ELSI publications to over 5600 entries. The second edition of the ELSI Bibliography reflects this growth of the underlying computer database. Researchers should note that an extensive collection of publications in the database is available for public use atmore » the General Law Library of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).« less

A dedicated database system for handling multi-level data in systems biology.

PubMed

Pornputtapong, Natapol; Wanichthanarak, Kwanjeera; Nilsson, Avlant; Nookaew, Intawat; Nielsen, Jens

2014-01-01

Advances in high-throughput technologies have enabled extensive generation of multi-level omics data. These data are crucial for systems biology research, though they are complex, heterogeneous, highly dynamic, incomplete and distributed among public databases. This leads to difficulties in data accessibility and often results in errors when data are merged and integrated from varied resources. Therefore, integration and management of systems biological data remain very challenging. To overcome this, we designed and developed a dedicated database system that can serve and solve the vital issues in data management and hereby facilitate data integration, modeling and analysis in systems biology within a sole database. In addition, a yeast data repository was implemented as an integrated database environment which is operated by the database system. Two applications were implemented to demonstrate extensibility and utilization of the system. Both illustrate how the user can access the database via the web query function and implemented scripts. These scripts are specific for two sample cases: 1) Detecting the pheromone pathway in protein interaction networks; and 2) Finding metabolic reactions regulated by Snf1 kinase. In this study we present the design of database system which offers an extensible environment to efficiently capture the majority of biological entities and relations encountered in systems biology. Critical functions and control processes were designed and implemented to ensure consistent, efficient, secure and reliable transactions. The two sample cases on the yeast integrated data clearly demonstrate the value of a sole database environment for systems biology research.

Public Access to Digital Material; A Call to Researchers: Digital Libraries Need Collaboration across Disciplines; Greenstone: Open-Source Digital Library Software; Retrieval Issues for the Colorado Digitization Project's Heritage Database; Report on the 5th European Conference on Digital Libraries, ECDL 2001; Report on the First Joint Conference on Digital Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahle, Brewster; Prelinger, Rick; Jackson, Mary E.; Boyack, Kevin W.; Wylie, Brian N.; Davidson, George S.; Witten, Ian H.; Bainbridge, David; Boddie, Stefan J.; Garrison, William A.; Cunningham, Sally Jo; Borgman, Christine L.; Hessel, Heather

2001-01-01

These six articles discuss various issues relating to digital libraries. Highlights include public access to digital materials; intellectual property concerns; the need for collaboration across disciplines; Greenstone software for construction and presentation of digital information collections; the Colorado Digitization Project; and conferences…

Roadmap for the development of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Genitourinary OncoLogy Database--UNC GOLD.

PubMed

Gallagher, Sarah A; Smith, Angela B; Matthews, Jonathan E; Potter, Clarence W; Woods, Michael E; Raynor, Mathew; Wallen, Eric M; Rathmell, W Kimryn; Whang, Young E; Kim, William Y; Godley, Paul A; Chen, Ronald C; Wang, Andrew; You, Chaochen; Barocas, Daniel A; Pruthi, Raj S; Nielsen, Matthew E; Milowsky, Matthew I

2014-01-01

The management of genitourinary malignancies requires a multidisciplinary care team composed of urologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists. A genitourinary (GU) oncology clinical database is an invaluable resource for patient care and research. Although electronic medical records provide a single web-based record used for clinical care, billing, and scheduling, information is typically stored in a discipline-specific manner and data extraction is often not applicable to a research setting. A GU oncology database may be used for the development of multidisciplinary treatment plans, analysis of disease-specific practice patterns, and identification of patients for research studies. Despite the potential utility, there are many important considerations that must be addressed when developing and implementing a discipline-specific database. The creation of the GU oncology database including prostate, bladder, and kidney cancers with the identification of necessary variables was facilitated by meetings of stakeholders in medical oncology, urology, and radiation oncology at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill with a template data dictionary provided by the Department of Urologic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Utilizing Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap, version 4.14.5), the UNC Genitourinary OncoLogy Database (UNC GOLD) was designed and implemented. The process of designing and implementing a discipline-specific clinical database requires many important considerations. The primary consideration is determining the relationship between the database and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) given the potential applications for both clinical and research uses. Several other necessary steps include ensuring information technology security and federal regulation compliance; determination of a core complete dataset; creation of standard operating procedures; standardizing entry of free text fields; use of data exports, queries, and de-identification strategies; inclusion of individual investigators' data; and strategies for prioritizing specific projects and data entry. A discipline-specific database requires a buy-in from all stakeholders, meticulous development, and data entry resources to generate a unique platform for housing information that may be used for clinical care and research with IRB approval. The steps and issues identified in the development of UNC GOLD provide a process map for others interested in developing a GU oncology database. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feasibility and utility of applications of the common data model to multiple, disparate observational health databases.

PubMed

Voss, Erica A; Makadia, Rupa; Matcho, Amy; Ma, Qianli; Knoll, Chris; Schuemie, Martijn; DeFalco, Frank J; Londhe, Ajit; Zhu, Vivienne; Ryan, Patrick B

2015-05-01

To evaluate the utility of applying the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) Common Data Model (CDM) across multiple observational databases within an organization and to apply standardized analytics tools for conducting observational research. Six deidentified patient-level datasets were transformed to the OMOP CDM. We evaluated the extent of information loss that occurred through the standardization process. We developed a standardized analytic tool to replicate the cohort construction process from a published epidemiology protocol and applied the analysis to all 6 databases to assess time-to-execution and comparability of results. Transformation to the CDM resulted in minimal information loss across all 6 databases. Patients and observations excluded were due to identified data quality issues in the source system, 96% to 99% of condition records and 90% to 99% of drug records were successfully mapped into the CDM using the standard vocabulary. The full cohort replication and descriptive baseline summary was executed for 2 cohorts in 6 databases in less than 1 hour. The standardization process improved data quality, increased efficiency, and facilitated cross-database comparisons to support a more systematic approach to observational research. Comparisons across data sources showed consistency in the impact of inclusion criteria, using the protocol and identified differences in patient characteristics and coding practices across databases. Standardizing data structure (through a CDM), content (through a standard vocabulary with source code mappings), and analytics can enable an institution to apply a network-based approach to observational research across multiple, disparate observational health databases. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association.

SIRSALE: integrated video database management tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunie, Lionel; Favory, Loic; Gelas, J. P.; Lefevre, Laurent; Mostefaoui, Ahmed; Nait-Abdesselam, F.

2002-07-01

Video databases became an active field of research during the last decade. The main objective in such systems is to provide users with capabilities to friendly search, access and playback distributed stored video data in the same way as they do for traditional distributed databases. Hence, such systems need to deal with hard issues : (a) video documents generate huge volumes of data and are time sensitive (streams must be delivered at a specific bitrate), (b) contents of video data are very hard to be automatically extracted and need to be humanly annotated. To cope with these issues, many approaches have been proposed in the literature including data models, query languages, video indexing etc. In this paper, we present SIRSALE : a set of video databases management tools that allow users to manipulate video documents and streams stored in large distributed repositories. All the proposed tools are based on generic models that can be customized for specific applications using ad-hoc adaptation modules. More precisely, SIRSALE allows users to : (a) browse video documents by structures (sequences, scenes, shots) and (b) query the video database content by using a graphical tool, adapted to the nature of the target video documents. This paper also presents an annotating interface which allows archivists to describe the content of video documents. All these tools are coupled to a video player integrating remote VCR functionalities and are based on active network technology. So, we present how dedicated active services allow an optimized video transport for video streams (with Tamanoir active nodes). We then describe experiments of using SIRSALE on an archive of news video and soccer matches. The system has been demonstrated to professionals with a positive feedback. Finally, we discuss open issues and present some perspectives.

Bioethical Biobanks: Three Concerns in Designing and Using Law Enforcement DNA Identification Databases

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

D.H. Kaye

2006-10-19

Federal and state law enforcement authorities have amassed large collections of DNA samples and the identifying profiles derived from them. These databases help to identify the guilty and to exonerate the innocent, but as the databanks grow, so do fears about civil liberties. The research reported here discusses three legal and social policy issues that have been raised in regard to these biobanks—the choice of loci to type for identifying individuals, the indefinite retention of DNA samples, and the use of the DNA samples or the identifying profiles for research purposes. It also considers the possible value of the databasesmore » for research into the genetics of human behavior and the ethics of using them for this purpose. It rejects the broad claim that such research is inherently unethical but proposes procedures for ensuring that the value of the proposed research justifies any psychosocial or other risks to the subjects of the research.« less

A Hybrid EAV-Relational Model for Consistent and Scalable Capture of Clinical Research Data.

PubMed

Khan, Omar; Lim Choi Keung, Sarah N; Zhao, Lei; Arvanitis, Theodoros N

2014-01-01

Many clinical research databases are built for specific purposes and their design is often guided by the requirements of their particular setting. Not only does this lead to issues of interoperability and reusability between research groups in the wider community but, within the project itself, changes and additions to the system could be implemented using an ad hoc approach, which may make the system difficult to maintain and even more difficult to share. In this paper, we outline a hybrid Entity-Attribute-Value and relational model approach for modelling data, in light of frequently changing requirements, which enables the back-end database schema to remain static, improving the extensibility and scalability of an application. The model also facilitates data reuse. The methods used build on the modular architecture previously introduced in the CURe project.

Needed: Global Collaboration for Comparative Research on Cities and Health

PubMed Central

Gusmano, Michael K.; Rodwin, Victor G.

2016-01-01

Over half of the world’s population lives in cities and United Nations (UN) demographers project an increase of 2.5 billion more urban dwellers by 2050. Yet there is too little systematic comparative research on the practice of urban health policy and management (HPAM), particularly in the megacities of middle-income and developing nations. We make a case for creating a global database on cities, population health and healthcare systems. The expenses involved in data collection would be difficult to justify without some review of previous work, some agreement on indicators worth measuring, conceptual and methodological considerations to guide the construction of the global database, and a set of research questions and hypotheses to test. We, therefore, address these issues in a manner that we hope will stimulate further discussion and collaboration. PMID:27694667

Needed: Global Collaboration for Comparative Research on Cities and Health.

PubMed

Gusmano, Michael K; Rodwin, Victor G

2016-04-16

Over half of the world's population lives in cities and United Nations (UN) demographers project an increase of 2.5 billion more urban dwellers by 2050. Yet there is too little systematic comparative research on the practice of urban health policy and management (HPAM), particularly in the megacities of middle-income and developing nations. We make a case for creating a global database on cities, population health and healthcare systems. The expenses involved in data collection would be difficult to justify without some review of previous work, some agreement on indicators worth measuring, conceptual and methodological considerations to guide the construction of the global database, and a set of research questions and hypotheses to test. We, therefore, address these issues in a manner that we hope will stimulate further discussion and collaboration. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

The AMHCA Journal: A Review of the Last 5 Years and Future Possibilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seligman, Linda; Weinstock, Leslie D.

1984-01-01

Reviewed and analyzed the first 13 issues of the AMHCA Journal, published from January 1979 to January 1984, with respect to editorial board membership, nature and content of articles, and authors. Data-based research articles have formed the core of the journal, followed by applied and theoretical articles. (JAC)

A Replication of Failure, Not a Failure to Replicate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holden, Gary; Barker, Kathleen; Kuppens, Sofie; Rosenberg, Gary; LeBreton, Jonathan

2015-01-01

Purpose: The increasing role of systematic reviews in knowledge production demands greater rigor in the literature search process. The performance of the Social Work Abstracts (SWA) database has been examined multiple times over the past three decades. The current study is a replication within this line of research. Method: Issue-level coverage…

Children and Television. Current Issues in Education: A Bibliographic Series. Volume 5, No. 1, July 1988.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christo, Doris Hedlund

Focused on research concerning children and television, this annotated bibliography lists 44 articles selected from the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) database from 1983 to 1988. Topics include: (1) the effects of television violence on children; (2) television viewing patterns; (3) children's television programs; and (4)…

Spatial cyberinfrastructures, ontologies, and the humanities

PubMed Central

Sieber, Renee E.; Wellen, Christopher C.; Jin, Yuan

2011-01-01

We report on research into building a cyberinfrastructure for Chinese biographical and geographic data. Our cyberinfrastructure contains (i) the McGill-Harvard-Yenching Library Ming Qing Women's Writings database (MQWW), the only online database on historical Chinese women's writings, (ii) the China Biographical Database, the authority for Chinese historical people, and (iii) the China Historical Geographical Information System, one of the first historical geographic information systems. Key to this integration is that linked databases retain separate identities as bases of knowledge, while they possess sufficient semantic interoperability to allow for multidatabase concepts and to support cross-database queries on an ad hoc basis. Computational ontologies create underlying semantics for database access. This paper focuses on the spatial component in a humanities cyberinfrastructure, which includes issues of conflicting data, heterogeneous data models, disambiguation, and geographic scale. First, we describe the methodology for integrating the databases. Then we detail the system architecture, which includes a tier of ontologies and schema. We describe the user interface and applications that allow for cross-database queries. For instance, users should be able to analyze the data, examine hypotheses on spatial and temporal relationships, and generate historical maps with datasets from MQWW for research, teaching, and publication on Chinese women writers, their familial relations, publishing venues, and the literary and social communities. Last, we discuss the social side of cyberinfrastructure development, as people are considered to be as critical as the technical components for its success. PMID:21444819

Some Reliability Issues in Very Large Databases.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Clifford A.

1988-01-01

Describes the unique reliability problems of very large databases that necessitate specialized techniques for hardware problem management. The discussion covers the use of controlled partial redundancy to improve reliability, issues in operating systems and database management systems design, and the impact of disk technology on very large…

Tufts Health Sciences Database: Lessons, Issues, and Opportunities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Mary Y.; Albright, Susan A.; Alkasab, Tarik; Damassa, David A.; Wang, Paul J.; Eaton, Elizabeth K.

2003-01-01

Describes a seven-year experience with developing the Tufts Health Sciences Database, a database-driven information management system that combines the strengths of a digital library, content delivery tools, and curriculum management. Identifies major effects on teaching and learning. Also addresses issues of faculty development, copyright and…

Methodological challenges when doing research that includes ethnic minorities: a scoping review.

PubMed

Morville, Anne-Le; Erlandsson, Lena-Karin

2016-11-01

There are challenging methodological issues in obtaining valid and reliable results on which to base occupational therapy interventions for ethnic minorities. The aim of this scoping review is to describe the methodological problems within occupational therapy research, when ethnic minorities are included. A thorough literature search yielded 21 articles obtained from the scientific databases PubMed, Cinahl, Web of Science and PsychInfo. Analysis followed Arksey and O'Malley's framework for scoping reviews, applying content analysis. The results showed methodological issues concerning the entire research process from defining and recruiting samples, the conceptual understanding, lack of appropriate instruments, data collection using interpreters to analyzing data. In order to avoid excluding the ethnic minorities from adequate occupational therapy research and interventions, development of methods for the entire research process is needed. It is a costly and time-consuming process, but the results will be valid and reliable, and therefore more applicable in clinical practice.

The Chicago Thoracic Oncology Database Consortium: A Multisite Database Initiative

PubMed Central

Carey, George B; Tan, Yi-Hung Carol; Bokhary, Ujala; Itkonen, Michelle; Szeto, Kyle; Wallace, James; Campbell, Nicholas; Hensing, Thomas; Salgia, Ravi

2016-01-01

Objective: An increasing amount of clinical data is available to biomedical researchers, but specifically designed database and informatics infrastructures are needed to handle this data effectively. Multiple research groups should be able to pool and share this data in an efficient manner. The Chicago Thoracic Oncology Database Consortium (CTODC) was created to standardize data collection and facilitate the pooling and sharing of data at institutions throughout Chicago and across the world. We assessed the CTODC by conducting a proof of principle investigation on lung cancer patients who took erlotinib. This study does not look into epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, but rather it discusses the development and utilization of the database involved. Methods:  We have implemented the Thoracic Oncology Program Database Project (TOPDP) Microsoft Access, the Thoracic Oncology Research Program (TORP) Velos, and the TORP REDCap databases for translational research efforts. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) were created to document the construction and proper utilization of these databases. These SOPs have been made available freely to other institutions that have implemented their own databases patterned on these SOPs. Results: A cohort of 373 lung cancer patients who took erlotinib was identified. The EGFR mutation statuses of patients were analyzed. Out of the 70 patients that were tested, 55 had mutations while 15 did not. In terms of overall survival and duration of treatment, the cohort demonstrated that EGFR-mutated patients had a longer duration of erlotinib treatment and longer overall survival compared to their EGFR wild-type counterparts who received erlotinib. Discussion: The investigation successfully yielded data from all institutions of the CTODC. While the investigation identified challenges, such as the difficulty of data transfer and potential duplication of patient data, these issues can be resolved with greater cross-communication between institutions of the consortium. Conclusion: The investigation described herein demonstrates the successful data collection from multiple institutions in the context of a collaborative effort. The data presented here can be utilized as the basis for further collaborative efforts and/or development of larger and more streamlined databases within the consortium. PMID:27092293

The Chicago Thoracic Oncology Database Consortium: A Multisite Database Initiative.

PubMed

Won, Brian; Carey, George B; Tan, Yi-Hung Carol; Bokhary, Ujala; Itkonen, Michelle; Szeto, Kyle; Wallace, James; Campbell, Nicholas; Hensing, Thomas; Salgia, Ravi

2016-03-16

An increasing amount of clinical data is available to biomedical researchers, but specifically designed database and informatics infrastructures are needed to handle this data effectively. Multiple research groups should be able to pool and share this data in an efficient manner. The Chicago Thoracic Oncology Database Consortium (CTODC) was created to standardize data collection and facilitate the pooling and sharing of data at institutions throughout Chicago and across the world. We assessed the CTODC by conducting a proof of principle investigation on lung cancer patients who took erlotinib. This study does not look into epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, but rather it discusses the development and utilization of the database involved.  We have implemented the Thoracic Oncology Program Database Project (TOPDP) Microsoft Access, the Thoracic Oncology Research Program (TORP) Velos, and the TORP REDCap databases for translational research efforts. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) were created to document the construction and proper utilization of these databases. These SOPs have been made available freely to other institutions that have implemented their own databases patterned on these SOPs. A cohort of 373 lung cancer patients who took erlotinib was identified. The EGFR mutation statuses of patients were analyzed. Out of the 70 patients that were tested, 55 had mutations while 15 did not. In terms of overall survival and duration of treatment, the cohort demonstrated that EGFR-mutated patients had a longer duration of erlotinib treatment and longer overall survival compared to their EGFR wild-type counterparts who received erlotinib. The investigation successfully yielded data from all institutions of the CTODC. While the investigation identified challenges, such as the difficulty of data transfer and potential duplication of patient data, these issues can be resolved with greater cross-communication between institutions of the consortium. The investigation described herein demonstrates the successful data collection from multiple institutions in the context of a collaborative effort. The data presented here can be utilized as the basis for further collaborative efforts and/or development of larger and more streamlined databases within the consortium.

Fifteen years of occupational and environmental health projects support in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico: a report from Mount Sinai School of Medicine ITREOH program, 1995-2010.

PubMed

Peres, Frederico; Claudio, Luz

2013-01-01

The Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health created the International Training and Research Program in Occupational and Environmental Health (ITREOH program) in 1995 with the aim to train environmental and occupational health scientists in developing countries. Mount Sinai School of Medicine was a grantee of this program since its inception, partnering with research institutions in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. This article evaluates Mount Sinai's program in order to determine whether it has contributed to the specific research capacity needs of the international partners. Information was obtained from: (a) international and regional scientific literature databases; (b) databases from the three participating countries; and (c) MSSM ITREOH Program Database. Most of the research projects supported by the program were consistent with the themes found to be top priorities for the partner countries based on mortality/morbidity and research themes in the literature. Indirect effects of the training and the subsequent research projects completed by the trained fellows in the program included health policy changes and development of collaborative international projects. International research training programs, such as the MSSM ITREOH, that strengthen scientific research capacity in occupational and environmental health in Latin America can make a significant impact on the most pressing health issues in the partner countries. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A review of issues and concerns of family members of adult burn survivors.

PubMed

Sundara, Diana C

2011-01-01

The purpose of this review is to synthesize what is known about the issues and concerns of families of adult burn survivors from research and clinical articles written between 1973 and 2009. Electronic database searching, ancestry searching, and electronic hand searching were performed to identify relevant articles. Seventeen research studies and 14 clinical articles were identified. Families are often in crisis immediately after the injury. This crisis involves strong emotions, some of which may persist over time. Throughout the course of hospitalization, family issues include worries about their loved one's physical appearance, logistical concerns, and the transition to home. For partners, role changes and sexual concerns may be of particular importance. Extended family, friends, the burn team, and other families affected by a burn injury are important sources of support for family members. Few studies have been conducted beyond the time of hospitalization. Clinical articles have identified issues not present in the research literature. Further research is needed that focuses more closely on families and their experiences both in and out of the hospital. Implications for burn care providers based on the findings of this review are discussed.

Searching for sex- and gender-sensitive tuberculosis research in public health: finding a needle in a haystack.

PubMed

Vissandjee, Bilkis; Mourid, Assia; Greenaway, Christina A; Short, Wendy E; Proctor, Jodi A

2016-01-01

Despite broadening consideration of sex- and gender-based issues in health research, when seeking information on how sex and gender contribute to disease contexts for specific health or public health topics, a lack of consistent or systematic use of terminology in health literature means that it remains difficult to identify research with a sex or gender focus. These inconsistencies are driven, in part, by the complexity and terminological inflexibility of the indexing systems for gender- and sex-related terms in public health databases. Compounding the issue are authors' diverse vocabularies, and in some cases lack of accuracy in defining and using fundamental sex-gender terms in writing, and when establishing keyword lists and search criteria. Considering the specific case of the tuberculosis (TB) prevention and management literature, an analysis of sex and gender sensitivity in three health databases was performed. While there is an expanding literature exploring the roles of both sex and gender in the trajectory and lived experience of TB, we demonstrate the potential to miss relevant research when attempting to retrieve literature using only the search criteria currently available. We, therefore, argue that for good clinical practice to be achieved; there is a need for both public health researchers and users to be better educated in appropriate usage of the terminology associated with sex and gender. In addition, public health database indexers ought to accept the task of developing and implementing adequate definitions of sex and gender terms so as to facilitate access to sex- and gender-related research. These twin advances will allow clinicians to more readily recognize and access knowledge pertaining to systems of redress that respond to gendered risks that compound existing health inequalities in disease management and control, particularly when dealing with already complex diseases. Given the methodological and linguistic challenges presented by the multidimensional and highly contextual nature of definitions of sex and gender, it will be important that this review task be undertaken using a multidisciplinary approach.

Ethical and methodological issues in qualitative studies involving people with severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions: a critical review.

PubMed

Carlsson, Ing-Marie; Blomqvist, Marjut; Jormfeldt, Henrika

2017-01-01

Undertaking research studies in the field of mental health is essential in mental health nursing. Qualitative research methodologies enable human experiences to become visible and recognize the importance of lived experiences. This paper argues that involving people with schizophrenia in research is critical to promote their health and well-being. The quality of qualitative research needs scrutinizing according to methodological issues such as trustworthiness and ethical standards that are a fundamental part of qualitative research and nursing curricula. The aim of this study was to critically review recent qualitative studies involving people with severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions, regarding descriptions of ethical and methodological issues in data collection and analysis. A search for relevant papers was conducted in three electronic databases, in December 2016. Fifteen qualitative interview studies were included and reviewed regarding methodological issues related to ethics, and data collection and analysis. The results revealed insufficient descriptions of methodology regarding ethical considerations and issues related to recruitment and sampling in qualitative interview studies with individuals with severe mental illness, putting trustworthiness at risk despite detailed descriptions of data analysis. Knowledge from the perspective of individuals with their own experience of mental illness is essential. Issues regarding sampling and trustworthiness in qualitative studies involving people with severe mental illness are vital to counteract the stigmatization of mental illness.

Ethical and methodological issues in qualitative studies involving people with severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions: a critical review

PubMed Central

Carlsson, Ing-Marie; Blomqvist, Marjut; Jormfeldt, Henrika

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Undertaking research studies in the field of mental health is essential in mental health nursing. Qualitative research methodologies enable human experiences to become visible and recognize the importance of lived experiences. This paper argues that involving people with schizophrenia in research is critical to promote their health and well-being. The quality of qualitative research needs scrutinizing according to methodological issues such as trustworthiness and ethical standards that are a fundamental part of qualitative research and nursing curricula. The aim of this study was to critically review recent qualitative studies involving people with severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions, regarding descriptions of ethical and methodological issues in data collection and analysis. A search for relevant papers was conducted in three electronic databases, in December 2016. Fifteen qualitative interview studies were included and reviewed regarding methodological issues related to ethics, and data collection and analysis. The results revealed insufficient descriptions of methodology regarding ethical considerations and issues related to recruitment and sampling in qualitative interview studies with individuals with severe mental illness, putting trustworthiness at risk despite detailed descriptions of data analysis. Knowledge from the perspective of individuals with their own experience of mental illness is essential. Issues regarding sampling and trustworthiness in qualitative studies involving people with severe mental illness are vital to counteract the stigmatization of mental illness. PMID:28901217

Down syndrome: national conference on patient registries, research databases, and biobanks.

PubMed

Oster-Granite, Mary Lou; Parisi, Melissa A; Abbeduto, Leonard; Berlin, Dorit S; Bodine, Cathy; Bynum, Dana; Capone, George; Collier, Elaine; Hall, Dan; Kaeser, Lisa; Kaufmann, Petra; Krischer, Jeffrey; Livingston, Michelle; McCabe, Linda L; Pace, Jill; Pfenninger, Karl; Rasmussen, Sonja A; Reeves, Roger H; Rubinstein, Yaffa; Sherman, Stephanie; Terry, Sharon F; Whitten, Michelle Sie; Williams, Stephen; McCabe, Edward R B; Maddox, Yvonne T

2011-01-01

A December 2010 meeting, "Down Syndrome: National Conference on Patient Registries, Research Databases, and Biobanks," was jointly sponsored by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD, and the Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GDSF)/Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome based in Denver, CO. Approximately 70 attendees and organizers from various advocacy groups, federal agencies (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and various NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices), members of industry, clinicians, and researchers from various academic institutions were greeted by Drs. Yvonne Maddox, Deputy Director of NICHD, and Edward McCabe, Executive Director of the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome. They charged the participants to focus on the separate issues of contact registries, research databases, and biobanks through both podium presentations and breakout session discussions. Among the breakout groups for each of the major sessions, participants were asked to generate responses to questions posed by the organizers concerning these three research resources as they related to Down syndrome and then to report back to the group at large with a summary of their discussions. This report represents a synthesis of the discussions and suggested approaches formulated by the group as a whole. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Conference Proceedings: “Down Syndrome: National Conference on Patient Registries, Research Databases, and Biobanks”

PubMed Central

Oster-Granite, Mary Lou; Parisi, Melissa A.; Abbeduto, Leonard; Berlin, Dorit S.; Bodine, Cathy; Bynum, Dana; Capone, George; Collier, Elaine; Hall, Dan; Kaeser, Lisa; Kaufmann, Petra; Krischer, Jeffrey; Livingston, Michelle; McCabe, Linda L.; Pace, Jill; Pfenninger, Karl; Rasmussen, Sonja A.; Reeves, Roger H.; Rubinstein, Yaffa; Sherman, Stephanie; Terry, Sharon F.; Whitten, Michelle Sie; Williams, Stephen; McCabe, Edward R.B.; Maddox, Yvonne T.

2011-01-01

A December 2010 meeting, “Down Syndrome: National Conference on Patient Registries, Research Databases, and Biobanks,” was jointly sponsored by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD, and the Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GDSF)/Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome based in Denver, CO. Approximately 70 attendees and organizers from various advocacy groups, federal agencies (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and various NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices), members of industry, clinicians, and researchers from various academic institutions were greeted by Drs. Yvonne Maddox, Deputy Director of NICHD, and Edward McCabe, Executive Director of the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome. They charged the participants to focus on the separate issues of contact registries, research databases, and biobanks through both podium presentations and breakout session discussions. Among the breakout groups for each of the major sessions, participants were asked to generate responses to questions posed by the organizers concerning these three research resources as they related to Down syndrome and then to report back to the group at large with a summary of their discussions. This report represents a synthesis of the discussions and suggested approaches formulated by the group as a whole. PMID:21835664

A call for theory to support the use of causal-formative indicators: A commentary on Bollen and Diamantopoulos (2017).

PubMed

Hardin, Andrew

2017-09-01

In this issue, Bollen and Diamantopoulos (2017) defend causal-formative indicators against several common criticisms leveled by scholars who oppose their use. In doing so, the authors make several convincing assertions: Constructs exist independently from their measures; theory determines whether indicators cause or measure latent variables; and reflective and causal-formative indicators are both subject to interpretational confounding. However, despite being a well-reasoned, comprehensive defense of causal-formative indicators, no single article can address all of the issues associated with this debate. Thus, Bollen and Diamantopoulos leave a few fundamental issues unresolved. For example, how can researchers establish the reliability of indicators that may include measurement error? Moreover, how should researchers interpret disturbance terms that capture sources of influence related to both the empirical definition of the latent variable and to the theoretical definition of the construct? Relatedly, how should researchers reconcile the requirement for a census of causal-formative indicators with the knowledge that indicators are likely missing from the empirically estimated latent variable? This commentary develops 6 related research questions to draw attention to these fundamental issues, and to call for future research that can lead to the development of theory to guide the use of causal-formative indicators. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Analysis of Issues for Project Scheduling by Multiple, Dispersed Schedulers (distributed Scheduling) and Requirements for Manual Protocols and Computer-based Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richards, Stephen F.

1991-01-01

Although computerized operations have significant gains realized in many areas, one area, scheduling, has enjoyed few benefits from automation. The traditional methods of industrial engineering and operations research have not proven robust enough to handle the complexities associated with the scheduling of realistic problems. To address this need, NASA has developed the computer-aided scheduling system (COMPASS), a sophisticated, interactive scheduling tool that is in wide-spread use within NASA and the contractor community. Therefore, COMPASS provides no explicit support for the large class of problems in which several people, perhaps at various locations, build separate schedules that share a common pool of resources. This research examines the issue of distributing scheduling, as applied to application domains characterized by the partial ordering of tasks, limited resources, and time restrictions. The focus of this research is on identifying issues related to distributed scheduling, locating applicable problem domains within NASA, and suggesting areas for ongoing research. The issues that this research identifies are goals, rescheduling requirements, database support, the need for communication and coordination among individual schedulers, the potential for expert system support for scheduling, and the possibility of integrating artificially intelligent schedulers into a network of human schedulers.

Evaluating Group Therapy for Aphasia: What Is the Evidence? EBP Briefs. Volume 7, Issue 5

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Layfield, Claire A.; Ballard, Kirrie J.; Robin, Donald A.

2013-01-01

Clinical Question: For people with aphasia following a stroke, is group therapy shown to be more effective on communication outcome measures reflecting impairment, activity, and/or participation than individual therapy or no therapy? Method: Review of treatment efficacy research for group intervention in aphasia Study Sources: Cochrane Database of…

Refugees in the United States: A Bibliography of ERIC Documents. ERIC/CUE Bibliography Number 7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ascher, Carol; Alladice, Darryl

This bibliography contains 303 citations of conference papers, research and project reports, and other materials drawn from the ERIC database. The entries are organized according to a number of issues relating to the resettlement and adaptation of Indochinese, Cuban, Haitian, and Russian refugees in the United States. The categories include:…

Enhancing the DNA Patent Database

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

Walters, LeRoy B.

Final Report on Award No. DE-FG0201ER63171 Principal Investigator: LeRoy B. Walters February 18, 2008 This project successfully completed its goal of surveying and reporting on the DNA patenting and licensing policies at 30 major U.S. academic institutions. The report of survey results was published in the January 2006 issue of Nature Biotechnology under the title “The Licensing of DNA Patents by US Academic Institutions: An Empirical Survey.” Lori Pressman was the lead author on this feature article. A PDF reprint of the article will be submitted to our Program Officer under separate cover. The project team has continued to updatemore » the DNA Patent Database on a weekly basis since the conclusion of the project. The database can be accessed at dnapatents.georgetown.edu. This database provides a valuable research tool for academic researchers, policymakers, and citizens. A report entitled Reaping the Benefits of Genomic and Proteomic Research: Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation, and Public Health was published in 2006 by the Committee on Intellectual Property Rights in Genomic and Protein Research and Innovation, Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy at the National Academies. The report was edited by Stephen A. Merrill and Anne-Marie Mazza. This report employed and then adapted the methodology developed by our research project and quoted our findings at several points. (The full report can be viewed online at the following URL: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11487&page=R1). My colleagues and I are grateful for the research support of the ELSI program at the U.S. Department of Energy.« less

Propulsion System Airframe Integration Issues and Aerodynamic Database Development for the Hyper-X Flight Research Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Engelund, Walter C.; Holland, Scott D.; Cockrell, Charles E., Jr.; Bittner, Robert D.

1999-01-01

NASA's Hyper-X Research Vehicle will provide a unique opportunity to obtain data on an operational airframe integrated scramjet propulsion system at true flight conditions. The airframe integrated nature of the scramjet engine with the Hyper-X vehicle results in a strong coupling effect between the propulsion system operation and the airframe s basic aerodynamic characteristics. Comments on general airframe integrated scramjet propulsion system effects on vehicle aerodynamic performance, stability, and control are provided, followed by examples specific to the Hyper-X research vehicle. An overview is provided of the current activities associated with the development of the Hyper-X aerodynamic database, including wind tunnel test activities and parallel CFD analysis efforts. A brief summary of the Hyper-X aerodynamic characteristics is provided, including the direct and indirect effects of the airframe integrated scramjet propulsion system operation on the basic airframe stability and control characteristics.

MetPetDB: A database for metamorphic geochemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spear, Frank S.; Hallett, Benjamin; Pyle, Joseph M.; Adalı, Sibel; Szymanski, Boleslaw K.; Waters, Anthony; Linder, Zak; Pearce, Shawn O.; Fyffe, Matthew; Goldfarb, Dennis; Glickenhouse, Nickolas; Buletti, Heather

2009-12-01

We present a data model for the initial implementation of MetPetDB, a geochemical database specific to metamorphic rock samples. The database is designed around the concept of preservation of spatial relationships, at all scales, of chemical analyses and their textural setting. Objects in the database (samples) represent physical rock samples; each sample may contain one or more subsamples with associated geochemical and image data. Samples, subsamples, geochemical data, and images are described with attributes (some required, some optional); these attributes also serve as search delimiters. All data in the database are classified as published (i.e., archived or published data), public or private. Public and published data may be freely searched and downloaded. All private data is owned; permission to view, edit, download and otherwise manipulate private data may be granted only by the data owner; all such editing operations are recorded by the database to create a data version log. The sharing of data permissions among a group of collaborators researching a common sample is done by the sample owner through the project manager. User interaction with MetPetDB is hosted by a web-based platform based upon the Java servlet application programming interface, with the PostgreSQL relational database. The database web portal includes modules that allow the user to interact with the database: registered users may save and download public and published data, upload private data, create projects, and assign permission levels to project collaborators. An Image Viewer module provides for spatial integration of image and geochemical data. A toolkit consisting of plotting and geochemical calculation software for data analysis and a mobile application for viewing the public and published data is being developed. Future issues to address include population of the database, integration with other geochemical databases, development of the analysis toolkit, creation of data models for derivative data, and building a community-wide user base. It is believed that this and other geochemical databases will enable more productive collaborations, generate more efficient research efforts, and foster new developments in basic research in the field of solid earth geochemistry.

Broad issues to consider for library involvement in bioinformatics*

PubMed Central

Geer, Renata C.

2006-01-01

Background: The information landscape in biological and medical research has grown far beyond literature to include a wide variety of databases generated by research fields such as molecular biology and genomics. The traditional role of libraries to collect, organize, and provide access to information can expand naturally to encompass these new data domains. Methods: This paper discusses the current and potential role of libraries in bioinformatics using empirical evidence and experience from eleven years of work in user services at the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Findings: Medical and science libraries over the last decade have begun to establish educational and support programs to address the challenges users face in the effective and efficient use of a plethora of molecular biology databases and retrieval and analysis tools. As more libraries begin to establish a role in this area, the issues they face include assessment of user needs and skills, identification of existing services, development of plans for new services, recruitment and training of specialized staff, and establishment of collaborations with bioinformatics centers at their institutions. Conclusions: Increasing library involvement in bioinformatics can help address information needs of a broad range of students, researchers, and clinicians and ultimately help realize the power of bioinformatics resources in making new biological discoveries. PMID:16888662

Practical guidelines addressing ethical issues pertaining to the curation of human locus-specific variation databases (LSDBs)

PubMed Central

Povey, Sue; Al Aqeel, Aida I; Cambon-Thomsen, Anne; Dalgleish, Raymond; den Dunnen, Johan T; Firth, Helen V; Greenblatt, Marc S; Barash, Carol Isaacson; Parker, Michael; Patrinos, George P; Savige, Judith; Sobrido, Maria-Jesus; Winship, Ingrid; Cotton, Richard GH

2010-01-01

More than 1,000 Web-based locus-specific variation databases (LSDBs) are listed on the Website of the Human Genetic Variation Society (HGVS). These individual efforts, which often relate phenotype to genotype, are a valuable source of information for clinicians, patients, and their families, as well as for basic research. The initiators of the Human Variome Project recently recognized that having access to some of the immense resources of unpublished information already present in diagnostic laboratories would provide critical data to help manage genetic disorders. However, there are significant ethical issues involved in sharing these data worldwide. An international working group presents second-generation guidelines addressing ethical issues relating to the curation of human LSDBs that provide information via a Web-based interface. It is intended that these should help current and future curators and may also inform the future decisions of ethics committees and legislators. These guidelines have been reviewed by the Ethics Committee of the Human Genome Organization (HUGO). Hum Mutat 31:–6, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. PMID:20683926

Searching for religion and mental health studies required health, social science, and grey literature databases.

PubMed

Wright, Judy M; Cottrell, David J; Mir, Ghazala

2014-07-01

To determine the optimal databases to search for studies of faith-sensitive interventions for treating depression. We examined 23 health, social science, religious, and grey literature databases searched for an evidence synthesis. Databases were prioritized by yield of (1) search results, (2) potentially relevant references identified during screening, (3) included references contained in the synthesis, and (4) included references that were available in the database. We assessed the impact of databases beyond MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO by their ability to supply studies identifying new themes and issues. We identified pragmatic workload factors that influence database selection. PsycINFO was the best performing database within all priority lists. ArabPsyNet, CINAHL, Dissertations and Theses, EMBASE, Global Health, Health Management Information Consortium, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstracts were essential for our searches to retrieve the included references. Citation tracking activities and the personal library of one of the research teams made significant contributions of unique, relevant references. Religion studies databases (Am Theo Lib Assoc, FRANCIS) did not provide unique, relevant references. Literature searches for reviews and evidence syntheses of religion and health studies should include social science, grey literature, non-Western databases, personal libraries, and citation tracking activities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Standardisation of the FAERS database: a systematic approach to manually recoding drug name variants.

PubMed

Wong, Carmen K; Ho, Samuel S; Saini, Bandana; Hibbs, David E; Fois, Romano A

2015-07-01

The US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), one of the world's largest spontaneous reporting systems, is difficult to use because of report duplication and a lack of standardisation in the recording of drug names. Unresolved data quality issues may distort statistical analyses, rendering the results difficult to interpret when detecting and monitoring adverse effects of pharmaceutical products. The aim of this study was to develop and implement a data cleaning protocol to identify and resolve drug nomenclature issues. The key 'data treatment' plan involved standardising drug names held in the FAERS database. Four million five hundred and six thousand five hundred and seventy-seven. Individual Safety Reports submitted to the FAERS between 1 January 2003 and 31 August 2012 were included for this study. OpenRefine was used to standardise drug name variants in the database such that they were consistent with international non-proprietary nomenclature defined by the World Health Organisation Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification. Drug variants where generic constituents could not be confidently determined, undecipherable drug names and non-medicinal products were retained verbatim. After the standardisation process, more than 16 611 916 drug entries were cleaned to their relevant international non-proprietary name. The cleaned drug table comprised 71 858 drug name variants and includes both standardised and original terms. Ninety-nine per cent of drug names was standardised using this method. The millions of reports enclosed in the FAERS contain valuable information that is of interest to pharmacovigilance, toxicology and post-marketing surveillance researchers. With the standardisation of the drug nomenclature, the database can be better utilised by research groups around the world. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Use of the EpiNet database for observational study of status epilepticus in Auckland, New Zealand.

PubMed

Bergin, Peter; Jayabal, Jayaganth; Walker, Elizabeth; Davis, Suzanne; Jones, Peter; Dalziel, Stuart; Yates, Kim; Thornton, Vanessa; Bennett, Patricia; Wilson, Kaisa; Roberts, Lynair; Litchfield, Rhonda; Te Ao, Braden; Parmer, Priya; Feigin, Valery; Jost, Jeremy; Beghi, Ettore; Rossetti, Andrea O

2015-08-01

The EpiNet project has been established to facilitate investigator-initiated clinical research in epilepsy, to undertake epidemiological studies, and to simultaneously improve the care of patients who have records created within the EpiNet database. The EpiNet database has recently been adapted to collect detailed information regarding status epilepticus. An incidence study is now underway in Auckland, New Zealand in which the incidence of status epilepticus in the greater Auckland area (population: 1.5 million) will be calculated. The form that has been developed for this study can be used in the future to collect information for randomized controlled trials in status epilepticus. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Status Epilepticus". Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Large-scale Health Information Database and Privacy Protection.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Ryuichi

2016-09-01

Japan was once progressive in the digitalization of healthcare fields but unfortunately has fallen behind in terms of the secondary use of data for public interest. There has recently been a trend to establish large-scale health databases in the nation, and a conflict between data use for public interest and privacy protection has surfaced as this trend has progressed. Databases for health insurance claims or for specific health checkups and guidance services were created according to the law that aims to ensure healthcare for the elderly; however, there is no mention in the act about using these databases for public interest in general. Thus, an initiative for such use must proceed carefully and attentively. The PMDA projects that collect a large amount of medical record information from large hospitals and the health database development project that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) is working on will soon begin to operate according to a general consensus; however, the validity of this consensus can be questioned if issues of anonymity arise. The likelihood that researchers conducting a study for public interest would intentionally invade the privacy of their subjects is slim. However, patients could develop a sense of distrust about their data being used since legal requirements are ambiguous. Nevertheless, without using patients' medical records for public interest, progress in medicine will grind to a halt. Proper legislation that is clear for both researchers and patients will therefore be highly desirable. A revision of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information is currently in progress. In reality, however, privacy is not something that laws alone can protect; it will also require guidelines and self-discipline. We now live in an information capitalization age. I will introduce the trends in legal reform regarding healthcare information and discuss some basics to help people properly face the issue of health big data and privacy protection with a sense of ownership.

Large-scale Health Information Database and Privacy Protection*1

PubMed Central

YAMAMOTO, Ryuichi

2016-01-01

Japan was once progressive in the digitalization of healthcare fields but unfortunately has fallen behind in terms of the secondary use of data for public interest. There has recently been a trend to establish large-scale health databases in the nation, and a conflict between data use for public interest and privacy protection has surfaced as this trend has progressed. Databases for health insurance claims or for specific health checkups and guidance services were created according to the law that aims to ensure healthcare for the elderly; however, there is no mention in the act about using these databases for public interest in general. Thus, an initiative for such use must proceed carefully and attentively. The PMDA*2 projects that collect a large amount of medical record information from large hospitals and the health database development project that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) is working on will soon begin to operate according to a general consensus; however, the validity of this consensus can be questioned if issues of anonymity arise. The likelihood that researchers conducting a study for public interest would intentionally invade the privacy of their subjects is slim. However, patients could develop a sense of distrust about their data being used since legal requirements are ambiguous. Nevertheless, without using patients’ medical records for public interest, progress in medicine will grind to a halt. Proper legislation that is clear for both researchers and patients will therefore be highly desirable. A revision of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information is currently in progress. In reality, however, privacy is not something that laws alone can protect; it will also require guidelines and self-discipline. We now live in an information capitalization age. I will introduce the trends in legal reform regarding healthcare information and discuss some basics to help people properly face the issue of health big data and privacy protection with a sense of ownership. PMID:28299244

Giving raw data a chance to talk: a demonstration of exploratory visual analytics with a pediatric research database using Microsoft Live Labs Pivot to promote cohort discovery, research, and quality assessment.

PubMed

Viangteeravat, Teeradache; Nagisetty, Naga Satya V Rao

2014-01-01

Secondary use of large and open data sets provides researchers with an opportunity to address high-impact questions that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive and time consuming to study. Despite the availability of data, generating hypotheses from huge data sets is often challenging, and the lack of complex analysis of data might lead to weak hypotheses. To overcome these issues and to assist researchers in building hypotheses from raw data, we are working on a visual and analytical platform called PRD Pivot. PRD Pivot is a de-identified pediatric research database designed to make secondary use of rich data sources, such as the electronic health record (EHR). The development of visual analytics using Microsoft Live Labs Pivot makes the process of data elaboration, information gathering, knowledge generation, and complex information exploration transparent to tool users and provides researchers with the ability to sort and filter by various criteria, which can lead to strong, novel hypotheses.

Giving Raw Data a Chance to Talk: A Demonstration of Exploratory Visual Analytics with a Pediatric Research Database Using Microsoft Live Labs Pivot to Promote Cohort Discovery, Research, and Quality Assessment

PubMed Central

Viangteeravat, Teeradache; Nagisetty, Naga Satya V. Rao

2014-01-01

Secondary use of large and open data sets provides researchers with an opportunity to address high-impact questions that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive and time consuming to study. Despite the availability of data, generating hypotheses from huge data sets is often challenging, and the lack of complex analysis of data might lead to weak hypotheses. To overcome these issues and to assist researchers in building hypotheses from raw data, we are working on a visual and analytical platform called PRD Pivot. PRD Pivot is a de-identified pediatric research database designed to make secondary use of rich data sources, such as the electronic health record (EHR). The development of visual analytics using Microsoft Live Labs Pivot makes the process of data elaboration, information gathering, knowledge generation, and complex information exploration transparent to tool users and provides researchers with the ability to sort and filter by various criteria, which can lead to strong, novel hypotheses. PMID:24808811

Database Access Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalrymple, Prudence W.; Roderer, Nancy K.

1994-01-01

Highlights the changes that have occurred from 1987-93 in database access systems. Topics addressed include types of databases, including CD-ROMs; enduser interface; database selection; database access management, including library instruction and use of primary literature; economic issues; database users; the search process; and improving…

The Virginia Henderson International Nursing Library: resource for nurse administrators.

PubMed

Graves, J R

1997-01-01

This article describes the major knowledge resource of the Virginia Henderson International Nursing Library, The Registry of Nursing. The first part of this article examines informatics issues and is accompanied by examples of retrieval from a typical bibliographic database and a retrieval from the Registry of Nursing Research using case mix, both as a subject heading and as a research variable. The second part of the article examines the interaction of informatics and technology used in the Registry and presents some other Library resources.

Policy Review of the Primary and Junior Secondary Education Sub-Sectors in East Java. Educational Policy and Planning Project. A Government of Indonesia-USAID Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soebagio, Retno L.; And Others

Indonesian representatives and the Educational Research and Development Center studied East Javanese primary and junior secondary schools to develop a database for future planning and to identify deficiencies, constraints, and areas for fruitful reform. Issues of enrollment, personnel, curriculum, facilities and equipment, cost, and financing were…

Violence risk assessment and psychological treatment in correctional and forensic settings: Advances in research and practice.

PubMed

Magaletta, Philip R; VandenBos, Gary R

2016-08-01

This article is an introduction to the special section "Correctional and Criminal Justice Psychology." The eight articles in this issue advance the goals of delivering and assessing psychological services within the legal and correctional systems and achieving lasting change in individuals, groups, and systems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

School Fires. Topical Fire Research Series. Volume 8, Issue 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Homeland Security, 2007

2007-01-01

Using the past 3 years of data, for 2003 to 2005, from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) database, the yearly national fire loss for fires on nonadult school properties is estimated at $85 million. Such losses are the result of an estimated annual average of 14,700 fires that required a fire department response. Fires on school…

Ongoing ethical issues concerning authorship in biomedical journals: an integrative review

PubMed Central

Kornhaber, Rachel Anne; McLean, Loyola M; Baber, Rodney J

2015-01-01

Health professionals publishing within the field of health sciences continue to experience issues concerning appropriate authorship, which have clinical, ethical, and academic implications. This integrative review sought to explore the key issues concerning authorship from a bioethical standpoint, aiming to explore the key features of the authorship debate. Studies were identified through an electronic search, using the PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Scopus databases of peer-reviewed research, published between 2009 and 2014, limited to English language research, with search terms developed to reflect the current issues of authorship. From among the 279 papers identified, 20 research papers met the inclusion criteria. Findings were compiled and then arranged to identify themes and relationships. The review incorporated a wide range of authorship issues encompassing equal-credited authors, honorary (guest/gift) and ghost authorship, perception/experiences of authorship, and guidelines/policies. This review suggests that the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors’ (ICMJE) recommended guidelines for authorship are not reflected in current authorship practices within the domain of health sciences in both low-and high-impact-factor journals. This devaluing of the true importance of authorship has the potential to affect the validity of authorship, diminish the real contributions of the true authors, and negatively affect patient care. PMID:26257520

Ongoing ethical issues concerning authorship in biomedical journals: an integrative review.

PubMed

Kornhaber, Rachel Anne; McLean, Loyola M; Baber, Rodney J

2015-01-01

Health professionals publishing within the field of health sciences continue to experience issues concerning appropriate authorship, which have clinical, ethical, and academic implications. This integrative review sought to explore the key issues concerning authorship from a bioethical standpoint, aiming to explore the key features of the authorship debate. Studies were identified through an electronic search, using the PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Scopus databases of peer-reviewed research, published between 2009 and 2014, limited to English language research, with search terms developed to reflect the current issues of authorship. From among the 279 papers identified, 20 research papers met the inclusion criteria. Findings were compiled and then arranged to identify themes and relationships. The review incorporated a wide range of authorship issues encompassing equal-credited authors, honorary (guest/gift) and ghost authorship, perception/experiences of authorship, and guidelines/policies. This review suggests that the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors' (ICMJE) recommended guidelines for authorship are not reflected in current authorship practices within the domain of health sciences in both low-and high-impact-factor journals. This devaluing of the true importance of authorship has the potential to affect the validity of authorship, diminish the real contributions of the true authors, and negatively affect patient care.

Q2Stress: A database for multiple cues to stress assignment in Italian.

PubMed

Spinelli, Giacomo; Sulpizio, Simone; Burani, Cristina

2017-12-01

In languages where the position of lexical stress within a word is not predictable from print, readers rely on distributional information extracted from the lexicon in order to assign stress. Lexical databases are thus especially important for researchers willing to address stress assignment in those languages. Here we present Q2Stress, a new database aimed to fill the lack of such a resource for Italian. Q2Stress includes multiple cues readers may use in assigning stress, such as type and token frequency of stress patterns as well as their distribution with respect to number of syllables, grammatical category, word beginnings, word endings, and consonant-vowel structures. Furthermore, for the first time, data for both adults and children are available. Q2Stress may help researchers to answer empirical as well as theoretical questions about stress assignment and stress-related issues, and more in general, to explore the orthography-to-phonology relation in reading. Q2Stress is designed as a user-friendly resource, as it comes with scripts allowing researchers to explore and select their own stimuli according to several criteria as well as summary tables for overall data analysis.

Children's early reading vocabulary: description and word frequency lists.

PubMed

Stuart, Morag; Dixon, Maureen; Masterson, Jackie; Gray, Bob

2003-12-01

When constructing stimuli for experimental investigations of cognitive processes in early reading development, researchers have to rely on adult or American children's word frequency counts, as no such counts exist for English children. The present paper introduces a database of children's early reading vocabulary, for use by researchers and teachers. Texts from 685 books from reading schemes and story books read by 5-7 year-old children were used in the construction of the database. All words from the 685 books were typed or scanned into an Oracle database. The resulting up-to-date word frequency list of early print exposure in the UK is available in two forms from a website address given in this paper. This allows access to one list of the words ordered alphabetically and one list of the words ordered by frequency. We also briefly address some fundamental issues underlying early reading vocabulary (e.g., that it is heavily skewed towards low frequencies). Other characteristics of the vocabulary are then discussed. We hope the word frequency lists will be of use to researchers seeking to control word frequency, and to teachers interested in the vocabulary to which young children are exposed in their reading material.

Respone to March 11, 2001 New York Public Interest Research Group, Inc. Comments on New York's Title V Program

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Policy and Guidance Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-operating-permit-policy-and-guidance-document-index. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Unification - An international aerospace information issue

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cotter, Gladys A.; Lahr, Thomas F.

1992-01-01

Scientific and Technical Information (STI) represents the results of large investments in research and development (R&D) and the expertise of a nation and is a valuable resource. For more than four decades, NASA and its predecessor organizations have developed and managed the preeminent aerospace information system. NASA obtains foreign materials through its international exchange relationships, continually increasing the comprehensiveness of the NASA Aerospace Database (NAD). The NAD is de facto the international aerospace database. This paper reviews current NASA goals and activities with a view toward maintaining compatibility among international aerospace information systems, eliminating duplication of effort, and sharing resources through international cooperation wherever possible.

Integration of environmental simulation models with satellite remote sensing and geographic information systems technologies: case studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steyaert, Louis T.; Loveland, Thomas R.; Brown, Jesslyn F.; Reed, Bradley C.

1993-01-01

Environmental modelers are testing and evaluating a prototype land cover characteristics database for the conterminous United States developed by the EROS Data Center of the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Nebraska Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies. This database was developed from multi temporal, 1-kilometer advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) data for 1990 and various ancillary data sets such as elevation, ecological regions, and selected climatic normals. Several case studies using this database were analyzed to illustrate the integration of satellite remote sensing and geographic information systems technologies with land-atmosphere interactions models at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. The case studies are representative of contemporary environmental simulation modeling at local to regional levels in global change research, land and water resource management, and environmental simulation modeling at local to regional levels in global change research, land and water resource management and environmental risk assessment. The case studies feature land surface parameterizations for atmospheric mesoscale and global climate models; biogenic-hydrocarbons emissions models; distributed parameter watershed and other hydrological models; and various ecological models such as ecosystem, dynamics, biogeochemical cycles, ecotone variability, and equilibrium vegetation models. The case studies demonstrate the important of multi temporal AVHRR data to develop to develop and maintain a flexible, near-realtime land cover characteristics database. Moreover, such a flexible database is needed to derive various vegetation classification schemes, to aggregate data for nested models, to develop remote sensing algorithms, and to provide data on dynamic landscape characteristics. The case studies illustrate how such a database supports research on spatial heterogeneity, land use, sensitivity analysis, and scaling issues involving regional extrapolations and parameterizations of dynamic land processes within simulation models.

Development and application of a database of food ingredient fraud and economically motivated adulteration from 1980 to 2010.

PubMed

Moore, Jeffrey C; Spink, John; Lipp, Markus

2012-04-01

Food ingredient fraud and economically motivated adulteration are emerging risks, but a comprehensive compilation of information about known problematic ingredients and detection methods does not currently exist. The objectives of this research were to collect such information from publicly available articles in scholarly journals and general media, organize into a database, and review and analyze the data to identify trends. The results summarized are a database that will be published in the US Pharmacopeial Convention's Food Chemicals Codex, 8th edition, and includes 1305 records, including 1000 records with analytical methods collected from 677 references. Olive oil, milk, honey, and saffron were the most common targets for adulteration reported in scholarly journals, and potentially harmful issues identified include spices diluted with lead chromate and lead tetraoxide, substitution of Chinese star anise with toxic Japanese star anise, and melamine adulteration of high protein content foods. High-performance liquid chromatography and infrared spectroscopy were the most common analytical detection procedures, and chemometrics data analysis was used in a large number of reports. Future expansion of this database will include additional publically available articles published before 1980 and in other languages, as well as data outside the public domain. The authors recommend in-depth analyses of individual incidents. This report describes the development and application of a database of food ingredient fraud issues from publicly available references. The database provides baseline information and data useful to governments, agencies, and individual companies assessing the risks of specific products produced in specific regions as well as products distributed and sold in other regions. In addition, the report describes current analytical technologies for detecting food fraud and identifies trends and developments. © 2012 US Pharmacupia Journal of Food Science © 2012 Institute of Food Technologistsreg;

Key issues for low-cost FGD installations

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

DePriest, W.; Mazurek, J.M.

1995-12-01

This paper will discuss various methods for installing low-cost FGD systems. The paper will include a discussion of various types of FGD systems available, both wet and dry, and will compare the relative cost of each type. Important design issues, such as use of spare equipment, materials of construction, etc. will be presented. An overview of various low-cost construction techniques (i.e., modularization) will be included. This paper will draw heavily from Sargent & Lundy`s database of past and current FGD projects together with information we gathered for several Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) studies on the subject.

Map design and production issues for the Utah Gap Analysis Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutchinson, John A.; Wittmann, J.H.

1997-01-01

The cartographic preparation and printing of four maps for the Utah GAP Project presented a wide range of challenges in cartographic design and production. In meeting these challenges, the map designers had to balance the purpose of the maps together with their legibility and utility against both the researchers' desire to show as much detail as possible and the technical limitations inherent in the printing process. This article describes seven design and production issues in order to illustrate the challenges of making maps from a merger of satellite data and GIS databases, and to point toward future investigation and development.

Methodological issues in medical workforce analysis: implications for regional Australia.

PubMed

Hays, R B; Veitch, P C; Franklin, L; Crossland, L

1998-02-01

Medical workforce data have a profound impact on health policy formulation, but derived doctor population ratios (DPR) are often more relevant to plotting national trends than providing a detailed regional or local workforce perspective. Regional workforce data may be more useful if national approaches are augmented by local information. In developing a detailed workforce analysis for one region of Australia, the authors encountered several challenging methodological issues, including the accuracy of medical workforce databases, clarity of definition of community boundaries, interpretation of workforce definitions and the difficulty accounting for local community needs. This paper discusses the implications for regional workforce research.

Applied Nuclear Accountability Systems: A Case Study in the System Architecture and Development of NuMAC

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

Campbell, Andrea Beth

2004-07-01

This is a case study of the NuMAC nuclear accountability system developed at a private fuel fabrication facility. This paper investigates nuclear material accountability and safeguards by researching expert knowledge applied in the system design and development. Presented is a system developed to detect and deter the theft of weapons grade nuclear material. Examined is the system architecture that includes: issues for the design and development of the system; stakeholder issues; how the system was built and evolved; software design, database design, and development tool considerations; security and computing ethics. (author)

Geospatial database for heritage building conservation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basir, W. N. F. W. A.; Setan, H.; Majid, Z.; Chong, A.

2014-02-01

Heritage buildings are icons from the past that exist in present time. Through heritage architecture, we can learn about economic issues and social activities of the past. Nowadays, heritage buildings are under threat from natural disaster, uncertain weather, pollution and others. In order to preserve this heritage for the future generation, recording and documenting of heritage buildings are required. With the development of information system and data collection technique, it is possible to create a 3D digital model. This 3D information plays an important role in recording and documenting heritage buildings. 3D modeling and virtual reality techniques have demonstrated the ability to visualize the real world in 3D. It can provide a better platform for communication and understanding of heritage building. Combining 3D modelling with technology of Geographic Information System (GIS) will create a database that can make various analyses about spatial data in the form of a 3D model. Objectives of this research are to determine the reliability of Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) technique for data acquisition of heritage building and to develop a geospatial database for heritage building conservation purposes. The result from data acquisition will become a guideline for 3D model development. This 3D model will be exported to the GIS format in order to develop a database for heritage building conservation. In this database, requirements for heritage building conservation process are included. Through this research, a proper database for storing and documenting of the heritage building conservation data will be developed.

Full-text, Downloading, & Other Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tenopir, Carol

1983-01-01

Issues having a possible impact on online search services in libraries are discussed including full text databases, front-end processors which translate user's input into the command language of an appropriate system, downloading to create personal files from commercial databases, and pricing. (EJS)

Proceedings of the Airframe Icing Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colantonio, Ron O. (Editor)

2009-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has a long history of working with its partners towards the understanding of ice accretion formation and its associated degradation of aerodynamic performance. The June 9, 2009, Airframe Icing Workshop held at GRC provided an opportunity to examine the current NASA airframe icing research program and to dialogue on remaining and emerging airframe icing issues and research with the external community. Some of the airframe icing gaps identified included, but are not limited to, ice accretion simulation enhancements, three-dimensional benchmark icing database development, three-dimensional iced aerodynamics modeling, and technology development for a smart icing system.

The Issue of transporting pollutants with atmospheric precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madibekov, A.; Kogutenko, L.

2018-01-01

A research of the pollution of atmospheric precipitation was conducted. The database of the chemical composition of atmospheric precipitation made by National Monitoring Network of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the period from 2000s to 2011 was generalized and analyzed. The research area covers the big territory of Ile-Balkhash river basin in the South-East Kazakhstan. The research shows that pollutants can be transported over long distances with atmospheric precipitation. Based on the results of the air masses tracking we identified that the main sources of emissions is located in the city of Balkhash.

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

Wojick, D E; Warnick, W L; Carroll, B C

With the United States federal government spending billions annually for research and development, ways to increase the productivity of that research can have a significant return on investment. The process by which science knowledge is spread is called diffusion. It is therefore important to better understand and measure the benefits of this diffusion of knowledge. In particular, it is important to understand whether advances in Internet searching can speed up the diffusion of scientific knowledge and accelerate scientific progress despite the fact that the vast majority of scientific information resources continue to be held in deep web databases that manymore » search engines cannot fully access. To address the complexity of the search issue, the term global discovery is used for the act of searching across heterogeneous environments and distant communities. This article discusses these issues and describes research being conducted by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI).« less

Ethical dimensions of genetics in pediatric neurology: a look into the future.

PubMed

Avard, Denise M; Knoppers, Bartha M

2002-03-01

Health care providers and families with children who participate in genetic research or who need specialized genetic services, including genetic testing, will encounter not only medical but difficult social, ethical, and legal questions surrounding pediatric genetic neurology. Children are often at the center of much of the genetic revolution and their unique needs raise special concerns about the risks and benefits associated with genetic research, particularly the issues of consent, the use of genetic databases, and gene therapy. Moreover, genetic research and testing raise important psychosocial risks. In this article we discuss some of the benefits and consequences of genetic technologies for children in relation to national and international guidelines. In particular, physicians, policy-makers, and families should be knowledgeable about the guidelines and have a good understanding of the psychosocial and ethical issues associated with genetics in pediatric neurology.

COMBREX-DB: an experiment centered database of protein function: knowledge, predictions and knowledge gaps.

PubMed

Chang, Yi-Chien; Hu, Zhenjun; Rachlin, John; Anton, Brian P; Kasif, Simon; Roberts, Richard J; Steffen, Martin

2016-01-04

The COMBREX database (COMBREX-DB; combrex.bu.edu) is an online repository of information related to (i) experimentally determined protein function, (ii) predicted protein function, (iii) relationships among proteins of unknown function and various types of experimental data, including molecular function, protein structure, and associated phenotypes. The database was created as part of the novel COMBREX (COMputational BRidges to EXperiments) effort aimed at accelerating the rate of gene function validation. It currently holds information on ∼ 3.3 million known and predicted proteins from over 1000 completely sequenced bacterial and archaeal genomes. The database also contains a prototype recommendation system for helping users identify those proteins whose experimental determination of function would be most informative for predicting function for other proteins within protein families. The emphasis on documenting experimental evidence for function predictions, and the prioritization of uncharacterized proteins for experimental testing distinguish COMBREX from other publicly available microbial genomics resources. This article describes updates to COMBREX-DB since an initial description in the 2011 NAR Database Issue. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Case Study Analyses of the Success DC-8 Scanning Lidar Database

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uthe, Edward E.

2000-01-01

Under project SUCCESS (Subsonic Aircraft Contrail and Cloud Effects Special Study) funded by the Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Program, SRI International (SRI) developed an angular scanning back'scatter lidar for operation on the NASA DC-8 research aircraft and deployed the scanning lidar during the SUCCESS field campaign. The primary purpose of the lidar was to generate real-time video displays of clouds and contrails above, ahead of, and below the DC-8 as a means to help position the aircraft for optimum cloud and contrail sampling by onboard in situ sensors, and to help extend the geometrical domain of the in situ sampling records. A large, relatively complex lidar database was collected and several data examples were processed to illustrate the value of the lidar data for interpreting the other data records collected during SUCCESS. These data examples were used to develop a journal publication for the special SUCCESS Geophysical Research Letters issue (reprint presented as Appendix A). The data examples justified data analyses of a larger part of the DC-8 lidar database and is the objective of the current study.

From Small Seeds Grow Fruitful Trees: How the PHelpS Peer Help System Stimulated a Diverse and Innovative Research Agenda over 15 Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vassileva, J.; McCalla, G. I.; Greer, J. E.

2016-01-01

PHelpS was a system that helped Correctional Service Canada (CSC) workers to find appropriate helpers among their peers when they were encountering problems while interacting with the CSC database. This seemingly simple system had substantial, and surprising, ramifications. Over time it transformed each of our perspectives as to the issues facing…

Alternative Assessments in Practice Data Base. Project 1.2: Technical Assistance on Assessment Issues. Annual Report of Communication, Training and Dissemination Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing, Los Angeles, CA.

The Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) has developed an Alternative Assessments in Practice Data Base to support technical assistance needs and to promote the exchange of new assessment ideas. The database is designed to provide easy access and retrieval of information about ongoing and newly developed…

Family tree and ancestry inference: is there a need for a 'generational' consent?

PubMed

Wallace, Susan E; Gourna, Elli G; Nikolova, Viktoriya; Sheehan, Nuala A

2015-12-09

Genealogical research and ancestry testing are popular recreational activities but little is known about the impact of the use of these services on clients' biological and social families. Ancestry databases are being enriched with self-reported data and data from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analyses, but also are being linked to other direct-to-consumer genetic testing and research databases. As both family history data and DNA can provide information on more than just the individual, we asked whether companies, as a part of the consent process, were informing clients, and through them clients' relatives, of the potential implications of the use and linkage of their personal data. We used content analysis to analyse publically-available consent and informational materials provided to potential clients of ancestry and direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies to determine what consent is required, what risks associated with participation were highlighted, and whether the consent or notification of third parties was suggested or required. We identified four categories of companies providing: 1) services based only on self-reported data, such as personal or family history; 2) services based only on DNA provided by the client; 3) services using both; and 4) services using both that also have a research component. The amount of information provided on the potential issues varied significantly across the categories of companies. 'Traditional' ancestry companies showed the greatest awareness of the implications for family members, while companies only asking for DNA focused solely on the client. While in some cases companies included text recommending clients inform their relatives, showing they recognised the issues, often it was located within lengthy terms and conditions or privacy statements that may not be read by potential clients. We recommend that companies should make it clearer that clients should inform third parties about their plans to participate, that third parties' data will be provided to companies, and that that data will be linked to other databases, thus raising privacy and issues on use of data. We also suggest investigating whether a 'generational consent' should be created that would include more than just the individual in decisions about participating in genetic investigations.

Neuroimaging correlates of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease: a review of 20 years of research.

PubMed

Boublay, N; Schott, A M; Krolak-Salmon, P

2016-10-01

Assessing morphological, perfusion and metabolic brain changes preceding or associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) will help in the understanding of pathophysiological underlying processes in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This review aimed to highlight the main findings on significant associations between neuroimaging and NPSs, the pathophysiology to elucidate possible underlying mechanisms, and methodological issues to aid future research. Research papers published from January 1990 to October 2015 were identified in the databases PsycInfo, Embase, PubMed and Medline, using key words related to NPSs and imaging techniques. In addition to a semi-systematic search in the databases, we also performed hand searches based on reported citations identified to be of interest. Delusions, apathy and depression symptoms were particularly associated with brain changes in AD. The majority of studies disclosed an association between frontal lobe structural and/or metabolic changes and NPSs, implicating, interestingly, for all 12 NPSs studied, the anterior cingulate cortex although temporal, subcortical and parietal regions, and insula were also involved. Given the high degree of connectivity of these brain areas, frontal change correlates of NPSs may help in the understanding of neural network participation. This review also highlights crucial methodological issues that may reduce the heterogeneity of results to enable progress on the pathophysiological mechanisms and aid research on NPS treatments in AD. Based on a broad review of the current literature, a global brain pattern to support the huge heterogeneity of neuroimaging correlates of NPSs in AD and methodological strategies are suggested to help direct future research. © 2016 EAN.

Ethical and regulatory issues arising from proteomic research and technology.

PubMed

Reymond, Marc A; Steinert, Ralf; Eder, Frank; Lippert, Hans

2003-08-01

Over the last two decades, medical research has begun to make extensive use of products of human origin in therapeutics, oncology, and most recently, in genetic diseases. This has raised many ethical issues involving patient rights, including issues of consent. Besides informed consent, researchers should address several topics when designing studies using human tissues. Reward for the patient should be kept minimal. Sample transfer should be organized along non-profit lines, at least in Europe. Sampling procedures should be at no risk for human volunteers, and at minimal risk for patients. Biosafety aspects should be addressed, in particular when international collaborations are intended or when collaboration is existing between academia and industry. Regulations on importation and exportation of human tissues should be observed. Data acquisition and storage should be addressed in accordance with national data protection regulations, in particular when using computerized databases. If follow-up information is to be taken, the authorization for such information should be requested. The right for patient's information (or for no information) on the research results should also be addressed. The issues of validation and patenting should be also solved, usually by informing the patient that he/she will have no commercial rights on potential research results. The patient should be told if the samples are transferred to another research laboratory or private company. Samples and related data should be destroyed on request at any time point during the course of the study. If possible, traceability of the donor should be ensured.

The impact of polygamy on women's mental health: a systematic review.

PubMed

Shepard, L D

2013-03-01

Aims. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify and appraise the present state of prevalence research on the mental health of polygynous women, or plural wives, and to summarize its implications for future research and social work practice. Methods. PsycInfo (1967 to November 2011) and Medline (1985 to November 2011) databases, systematic bibliography hand-searches, personal communication with a leading expert, and gray literature searching were applied in a systematic literature search of the prevalence of mental-health issues in polygynous women compared to monogamous women. Twenty-two studies meeting eligibility criteria were identified. Study characteristics, methods and findings were systematically extracted and appraised for quality. Results. The identified studies are of mixed methodological quality, but generally suggest a more significant prevalence of mental-health issues in polygynous women compared to monogamous women. Individual studies report a higher prevalence of somatization, depression, anxiety, hostility, psychoticism and psychiatric disorder in polygynous wives as well as reduced life and marital satisfaction, problematic family functioning and low self-esteem. Conclusions. The current state of the research reveals with moderate confidence, a more significant prevalence of mental-health issues in polygynous women as compared to monogamous women. Implications for practice and research are indicated.

Better bioinformatics through usability analysis.

PubMed

Bolchini, Davide; Finkelstein, Anthony; Perrone, Vito; Nagl, Sylvia

2009-02-01

Improving the usability of bioinformatics resources enables researchers to find, interact with, share, compare and manipulate important information more effectively and efficiently. It thus enables researchers to gain improved insights into biological processes with the potential, ultimately, of yielding new scientific results. Usability 'barriers' can pose significant obstacles to a satisfactory user experience and force researchers to spend unnecessary time and effort to complete their tasks. The number of online biological databases available is growing and there is an expanding community of diverse users. In this context there is an increasing need to ensure the highest standards of usability. Using 'state-of-the-art' usability evaluation methods, we have identified and characterized a sample of usability issues potentially relevant to web bioinformatics resources, in general. These specifically concern the design of the navigation and search mechanisms available to the user. The usability issues we have discovered in our substantial case studies are undermining the ability of users to find the information they need in their daily research activities. In addition to characterizing these issues, specific recommendations for improvements are proposed leveraging proven practices from web and usability engineering. The methods and approach we exemplify can be readily adopted by the developers of bioinformatics resources.

The FoodCast research image database (FRIDa)

PubMed Central

Foroni, Francesco; Pergola, Giulio; Argiris, Georgette; Rumiati, Raffaella I.

2013-01-01

In recent years we have witnessed an increasing interest in food processing and eating behaviors. This is probably due to several reasons. The biological relevance of food choices, the complexity of the food-rich environment in which we presently live (making food-intake regulation difficult), and the increasing health care cost due to illness associated with food (food hazards, food contamination, and aberrant food-intake). Despite the importance of the issues and the relevance of this research, comprehensive and validated databases of stimuli are rather limited, outdated, or not available for non-commercial purposes to independent researchers who aim at developing their own research program. The FoodCast Research Image Database (FRIDa) we present here includes 877 images belonging to eight different categories: natural-food (e.g., strawberry), transformed-food (e.g., french fries), rotten-food (e.g., moldy banana), natural-non-food items (e.g., pinecone), artificial food-related objects (e.g., teacup), artificial objects (e.g., guitar), animals (e.g., camel), and scenes (e.g., airport). FRIDa has been validated on a sample of healthy participants (N = 73) on standard variables (e.g., valence, familiarity, etc.) as well as on other variables specifically related to food items (e.g., perceived calorie content); it also includes data on the visual features of the stimuli (e.g., brightness, high frequency power, etc.). FRIDa is a well-controlled, flexible, validated, and freely available (http://foodcast.sissa.it/neuroscience/) tool for researchers in a wide range of academic fields and industry. PMID:23459781

Searching for sex- and gender-sensitive tuberculosis research in public health: finding a needle in a haystack

PubMed Central

Vissandjee, Bilkis; Mourid, Assia; Greenaway, Christina A; Short, Wendy E; Proctor, Jodi A

2016-01-01

Despite broadening consideration of sex- and gender-based issues in health research, when seeking information on how sex and gender contribute to disease contexts for specific health or public health topics, a lack of consistent or systematic use of terminology in health literature means that it remains difficult to identify research with a sex or gender focus. These inconsistencies are driven, in part, by the complexity and terminological inflexibility of the indexing systems for gender- and sex-related terms in public health databases. Compounding the issue are authors’ diverse vocabularies, and in some cases lack of accuracy in defining and using fundamental sex–gender terms in writing, and when establishing keyword lists and search criteria. Considering the specific case of the tuberculosis (TB) prevention and management literature, an analysis of sex and gender sensitivity in three health databases was performed. While there is an expanding literature exploring the roles of both sex and gender in the trajectory and lived experience of TB, we demonstrate the potential to miss relevant research when attempting to retrieve literature using only the search criteria currently available. We, therefore, argue that for good clinical practice to be achieved; there is a need for both public health researchers and users to be better educated in appropriate usage of the terminology associated with sex and gender. In addition, public health database indexers ought to accept the task of developing and implementing adequate definitions of sex and gender terms so as to facilitate access to sex- and gender-related research. These twin advances will allow clinicians to more readily recognize and access knowledge pertaining to systems of redress that respond to gendered risks that compound existing health inequalities in disease management and control, particularly when dealing with already complex diseases. Given the methodological and linguistic challenges presented by the multidimensional and highly contextual nature of definitions of sex and gender, it will be important that this review task be undertaken using a multidisciplinary approach. PMID:28008287

Current projects in Pre-analytics: where to go?

PubMed

Sapino, Anna; Annaratone, Laura; Marchiò, Caterina

2015-01-01

The current clinical practice of tissue handling and sample preparation is multifaceted and lacks strict standardisation: this scenario leads to significant variability in the quality of clinical samples. Poor tissue preservation has a detrimental effect thus leading to morphological artefacts, hampering the reproducibility of immunocytochemical and molecular diagnostic results (protein expression, DNA gene mutations, RNA gene expression) and affecting the research outcomes with irreproducible gene expression and post-transcriptional data. Altogether, this limits the opportunity to share and pool national databases into European common databases. At the European level, standardization of pre-analytical steps is just at the beginning and issues regarding bio-specimen collection and management are still debated. A joint (public-private) project entitled on standardization of tissue handling in pre-analytical procedures has been recently funded in Italy with the aim of proposing novel approaches to the neglected issue of pre-analytical procedures. In this chapter, we will show how investing in pre-analytics may impact both public health problems and practical innovation in solid tumour processing.

[National Database of Genotypes--ethical and legal issues].

PubMed

Franková, Vera; Tesínová, Jolana; Brdicka, Radim

2011-01-01

National Database of Genotypes--ethical and legal issues The aim of the project National Database of Genotypes is to outline structure and rules for the database operation collecting information about genotypes of individual persons. The database should be used entirely for health care. Its purpose is to enable physicians to gain quick and easy access to the information about persons requiring specialized care due to their genetic constitution. In the future, another introduction of new genetic tests into the clinical practice can be expected thus the database of genotypes facilitates substantial financial savings by exclusion of duplicates of the expensive genetic testing. Ethical questions connected with the creating and functioning of such database concern mainly privacy protection, confidentiality of personal sensitive data, protection of database from misuse, consent with participation and public interests. Due to necessity of correct interpretation by qualified professional (= clinical geneticist), particular categorization of genetic data within the database is discussed. The function of proposed database has to be governed in concordance with the Czech legislation together with solving ethical problems.

Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems: Review of Program and National Database From 1970 to 2015.

PubMed

Chen, Yuying; DeVivo, Michael J; Richards, J Scott; SanAgustin, Theresa B

2016-10-01

The Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS) centers have provided continuous, comprehensive multidisciplinary care for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) in the United States since their inception in 1970. In addition, the research conducted and the analysis of data collected at these centers facilitate advances in the care and the overall quality of life for people with SCI. Over the past 45 years, the SCIMS program and National Spinal Cord Injury Database (NSCID) have undergone major revisions, which must be recognized in the planning, conduct, and interpretation of SCIMS research to prevent misinterpretation of findings. Therefore, we provide herein a brief review of the SCIMS program and the associated NSCID throughout its history, emphasizing changes and accomplishments within the past 15 years, to facilitate a better understanding and interpretation of the data presented in SCIMS research publications, including the articles published in this special issue of the Archives. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nencki Affective Word List (NAWL): the cultural adaptation of the Berlin Affective Word List-Reloaded (BAWL-R) for Polish.

PubMed

Riegel, Monika; Wierzba, Małgorzata; Wypych, Marek; Żurawski, Łukasz; Jednoróg, Katarzyna; Grabowska, Anna; Marchewka, Artur

2015-12-01

In the present article, we introduce the Nencki Affective Word List (NAWL), created in order to provide researchers with a database of 2,902 Polish words, including nouns, verbs, and adjectives, with ratings of emotional valence, arousal, and imageability. Measures of several objective psycholinguistic features of the words (frequency, grammatical class, and number of letters) are also controlled. The database is a Polish adaptation of the Berlin Affective Word List-Reloaded (BAWL-R; Võ et al., Behavior Research Methods 41:534-538, 2009), commonly used to investigate the affective properties of German words. Affective normative ratings were collected from 266 Polish participants (136 women and 130 men). The emotional ratings and psycholinguistic indexes provided by NAWL can be used by researchers to better control the verbal materials they apply and to adjust them to specific experimental questions or issues of interest. The NAWL is freely accessible to the scientific community for noncommercial use as supplementary material to this article.

Tackling community concerns about commercialisation and genetic research: a modest interdisciplinary proposal.

PubMed

Haddow, Gillian; Laurie, Graeme; Cunningham-Burley, Sarah; Hunter, Kathryn G

2007-01-01

In recent years, there has been a rise in the creation of DNA databases promising a range of health benefits to individuals and populations. This development has been accompanied by an interest in, and concern for the ethical, legal and social aspects of such collections. In terms of policy solutions, much of the focus of these debates has been on issues of consent, confidentiality and research governance. However, there are broader concerns, such as those associated with commercialisation, which cannot be adequately addressed by these foci. In this article, we focus on the health-wealth benefits that DNA databases promise by considering the views of 10 focus groups on Generation Scotland, Scotland's first national genetic database. As in previous studies, our qualitative research on public/s and stakeholders' views of DNA databases show the prospect of utilising donated samples and information derived for wealth-related ends (i.e. for private profit), irrespective of whether there is an associated health-related benefit, arouses considerable reaction. While health-wealth benefits are not mutually exclusive ideals, the tendency has been to cast 'public' benefits as exclusively health-related, while 'private' commercial benefits for funders and/or researchers are held out as a necessary pay-off. We argue for a less polarised approach that reconsiders what is meant by 'public benefits' and questions the exclusivity of commercial interests. We believe accommodation can be achieved via the mobilisation of a grass roots solution known as 'benefit-sharing' or a 'profit pay-off'. We propose a sociologically informed model that has a pragmatic, legal framework, which responds seriously to public concerns.

Indexing of randomised controlled trials of physiotherapy interventions: a comparison of AMED, CENTRAL, CINAHL, EMBASE, hooked on evidence, PEDro, PsycINFO and PubMed.

PubMed

Moseley, Anne M; Sherrington, Catherine; Elkins, Mark R; Herbert, Robert D; Maher, Christopher G

2009-09-01

To compare the comprehensiveness of indexing the reports of randomised controlled trials of physiotherapy interventions by eight bibliographic databases (AMED, CENTRAL, CINAHL, EMBASE, Hooked on Evidence, PEDro, PsycINFO and PubMed). Audit of bibliographic databases. Two hundred and eighty-one reports of randomised controlled trials of physiotherapy interventions were identified by screening the reference lists of 30 relevant systematic reviews published in four consecutive issues of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Issue 3, 2007 to Issue 2, 2008). AMED, CENTRAL, CINAHL, EMBASE, Hooked on Evidence, PEDro, PsycINFO and PubMed were used to search for the trial reports. The number of trial reports indexed in each database was calculated. PEDro indexed 99% of the trial reports, CENTRAL indexed 98%, PubMed indexed 91%, EMBASE indexed 82%, CINAHL indexed 61%, Hooked on Evidence indexed 40%, AMED indexed 36% and PsycINFO indexed 17%. Most trial reports (92%) were indexed on four or more of the databases. One trial report was indexed on a single database (PEDro). Of the eight bibliographic databases examined, PEDro and CENTRAL provide the most comprehensive indexing of reports of randomised trials of physiotherapy interventions.

WEB-BASED DATABASE ON RENEWAL TECHNOLOGIES ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

As U.S. utilities continue to shore up their aging infrastructure, renewal needs now represent over 43% of annual expenditures compared to new construction for drinking water distribution and wastewater collection systems (Underground Construction [UC], 2016). An increased understanding of renewal options will ultimately assist drinking water utilities in reducing water loss and help wastewater utilities to address infiltration and inflow issues in a cost-effective manner. It will also help to extend the service lives of both drinking water and wastewater mains. This research effort involved collecting case studies on the use of various trenchless pipeline renewal methods and providing the information in an online searchable database. The overall objective was to further support technology transfer and information sharing regarding emerging and innovative renewal technologies for water and wastewater mains. The result of this research is a Web-based, searchable database that utility personnel can use to obtain technology performance and cost data, as well as case study references. The renewal case studies include: technologies used; the conditions under which the technology was implemented; costs; lessons learned; and utility contact information. The online database also features a data mining tool for automated review of the technologies selected and cost data. Based on a review of the case study results and industry data, several findings are presented on tren

[A Methodological Quality Assessment of South Korean Nursing Research using Structural Equation Modeling in South Korea].

PubMed

Kim, Jung-Hee; Shin, Sujin; Park, Jin-Hwa

2015-04-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the methodological quality of nursing studies using structural equation modeling in Korea. Databases of KISS, DBPIA, and National Assembly Library up to March 2014 were searched using the MeSH terms 'nursing', 'structure', 'model'. A total of 152 studies were screened. After removal of duplicates and non-relevant titles, 61 papers were read in full. Of the sixty-one articles retrieved, 14 studies were published between 1992 and 2000, 27, between 2001 and 2010, and 20, between 2011 and March 2014. The methodological quality of the review examined varied considerably. The findings of this study suggest that more rigorous research is necessary to address theoretical identification, two indicator rule, distribution of sample, treatment of missing values, mediator effect, discriminant validity, convergent validity, post hoc model modification, equivalent models issues, and alternative models issues should be undergone. Further research with robust consistent methodological study designs from model identification to model respecification is needed to improve the validity of the research.

Primates in 21st century ecosystems: does primate conservation promote ecosystem conservation?

PubMed

Norconk, Marilyn A; Boinski, Sue; Forget, Pierre-Michel

2011-01-01

Contributors to this issue of the American Journal of Primatology were among the participants in an invited symposium at the 2008 Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation meeting in Paramaribo, Suriname. They were asked to assess how essential primates are to tropical ecosystems and, given their research interests, discuss how primate research contributes to the broader understanding about how ecosystems function. This introduction to the issue is divided into three parts: a review of the roles that nonhuman primates play in tropical ecosystems; the implementation of large-scale landscape methods used to identify primate densities; and concerns about the increasingly porous boundaries between humans, nonhuman primates, and pathogens. Although 20th century primate research created a rich database on individual species, including both theoretical and descriptive approaches, the dual effects of high human population densities and widespread habitat destruction should warn us that creative, interdisciplinary and human-related research is needed to solve 21st century problems. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Twenty-fifth water reactor safety information meeting: Proceedings. Volume 2: Human reliability analysis and human performance evaluation; Technical issues related to rulemakings; Risk-informed, performance-based initiatives; High burn-up fuel research

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

Monteleone, S.

1998-03-01

This three-volume report contains papers presented at the conference. The papers are printed in the order of their presentation in each session and describe progress and results of programs in nuclear safety research conducted in this country and abroad. Foreign participation in the meeting included papers presented by researchers from France, Japan, Norway, and Russia. The titles of the papers and the names of the authors have been updated and may differ from those that appeared in the final program of the meeting. This volume contains the following: (1) human reliability analysis and human performance evaluation; (2) technical issues relatedmore » to rulemakings; (3) risk-informed, performance-based initiatives; and (4) high burn-up fuel research. Selected papers have been indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.« less

Data harmonization and federated analysis of population-based studies: the BioSHaRE project

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Abstracts Background Individual-level data pooling of large population-based studies across research centres in international research projects faces many hurdles. The BioSHaRE (Biobank Standardisation and Harmonisation for Research Excellence in the European Union) project aims to address these issues by building a collaborative group of investigators and developing tools for data harmonization, database integration and federated data analyses. Methods Eight population-based studies in six European countries were recruited to participate in the BioSHaRE project. Through workshops, teleconferences and electronic communications, participating investigators identified a set of 96 variables targeted for harmonization to answer research questions of interest. Using each study’s questionnaires, standard operating procedures, and data dictionaries, harmonization potential was assessed. Whenever harmonization was deemed possible, processing algorithms were developed and implemented in an open-source software infrastructure to transform study-specific data into the target (i.e. harmonized) format. Harmonized datasets located on server in each research centres across Europe were interconnected through a federated database system to perform statistical analysis. Results Retrospective harmonization led to the generation of common format variables for 73% of matches considered (96 targeted variables across 8 studies). Authenticated investigators can now perform complex statistical analyses of harmonized datasets stored on distributed servers without actually sharing individual-level data using the DataSHIELD method. Conclusion New Internet-based networking technologies and database management systems are providing the means to support collaborative, multi-center research in an efficient and secure manner. The results from this pilot project show that, given a strong collaborative relationship between participating studies, it is possible to seamlessly co-analyse internationally harmonized research databases while allowing each study to retain full control over individual-level data. We encourage additional collaborative research networks in epidemiology, public health, and the social sciences to make use of the open source tools presented herein. PMID:24257327

In Silico Approaches and the Role of Ontologies in Aging Research

PubMed Central

Boerries, Melanie; Busch, Hauke; de Grey, Aubrey; Hahn, Udo; Hiller, Thomas; Hoeflich, Andreas; Jansen, Ludger; Janssens, Georges E.; Kaleta, Christoph; Meinema, Anne C.; Schäuble, Sascha; Simm, Andreas; Schofield, Paul N.; Smith, Barry; Sühnel, Juergen; Vera, Julio; Wagner, Wolfgang; Wönne, Eva C.; Wuttke, Daniel

2013-01-01

Abstract The 2013 Rostock Symposium on Systems Biology and Bioinformatics in Aging Research was again dedicated to dissecting the aging process using in silico means. A particular focus was on ontologies, because these are a key technology to systematically integrate heterogeneous information about the aging process. Related topics were databases and data integration. Other talks tackled modeling issues and applications, the latter including talks focused on marker development and cellular stress as well as on diseases, in particular on diseases of kidney and skin. PMID:24188080

Introduction to the special section "Big'er' Data": Scaling up psychotherapy research in counseling psychology.

PubMed

Owen, Jesse; Imel, Zac E

2016-04-01

This article introduces the special section on utilizing large data sets to explore psychotherapy processes and outcomes. The increased use of technology has provided new opportunities for psychotherapy researchers. In particular, there is a rise in large databases of tens of thousands clients. Additionally, there are new ways to pool valuable resources for meta-analytic processes. At the same time, these tools also come with limitations. These issues are introduced as well as brief overview of the articles. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

MIPS: analysis and annotation of proteins from whole genomes in 2005

PubMed Central

Mewes, H. W.; Frishman, D.; Mayer, K. F. X.; Münsterkötter, M.; Noubibou, O.; Pagel, P.; Rattei, T.; Oesterheld, M.; Ruepp, A.; Stümpflen, V.

2006-01-01

The Munich Information Center for Protein Sequences (MIPS at the GSF), Neuherberg, Germany, provides resources related to genome information. Manually curated databases for several reference organisms are maintained. Several of these databases are described elsewhere in this and other recent NAR database issues. In a complementary effort, a comprehensive set of >400 genomes automatically annotated with the PEDANT system are maintained. The main goal of our current work on creating and maintaining genome databases is to extend gene centered information to information on interactions within a generic comprehensive framework. We have concentrated our efforts along three lines (i) the development of suitable comprehensive data structures and database technology, communication and query tools to include a wide range of different types of information enabling the representation of complex information such as functional modules or networks Genome Research Environment System, (ii) the development of databases covering computable information such as the basic evolutionary relations among all genes, namely SIMAP, the sequence similarity matrix and the CABiNet network analysis framework and (iii) the compilation and manual annotation of information related to interactions such as protein–protein interactions or other types of relations (e.g. MPCDB, MPPI, CYGD). All databases described and the detailed descriptions of our projects can be accessed through the MIPS WWW server (). PMID:16381839

MIPS: analysis and annotation of proteins from whole genomes in 2005.

PubMed

Mewes, H W; Frishman, D; Mayer, K F X; Münsterkötter, M; Noubibou, O; Pagel, P; Rattei, T; Oesterheld, M; Ruepp, A; Stümpflen, V

2006-01-01

The Munich Information Center for Protein Sequences (MIPS at the GSF), Neuherberg, Germany, provides resources related to genome information. Manually curated databases for several reference organisms are maintained. Several of these databases are described elsewhere in this and other recent NAR database issues. In a complementary effort, a comprehensive set of >400 genomes automatically annotated with the PEDANT system are maintained. The main goal of our current work on creating and maintaining genome databases is to extend gene centered information to information on interactions within a generic comprehensive framework. We have concentrated our efforts along three lines (i) the development of suitable comprehensive data structures and database technology, communication and query tools to include a wide range of different types of information enabling the representation of complex information such as functional modules or networks Genome Research Environment System, (ii) the development of databases covering computable information such as the basic evolutionary relations among all genes, namely SIMAP, the sequence similarity matrix and the CABiNet network analysis framework and (iii) the compilation and manual annotation of information related to interactions such as protein-protein interactions or other types of relations (e.g. MPCDB, MPPI, CYGD). All databases described and the detailed descriptions of our projects can be accessed through the MIPS WWW server (http://mips.gsf.de).

Lost in translation: the impact of publication language on citation frequency in the scientific dental literature.

PubMed

Poomkottayil, Deepak; Bornstein, Michael M; Sendi, Pedram

2011-01-28

Citation metrics are commonly used as a proxy for scientific merit and relevance. Papers published in English, however, may exhibit a higher citation frequency than research articles published in other languages, though this issue has not yet been investigated from a Swiss perspective where English is not the native language. To assess the impact of publication language on citation frequency we focused on oral surgery papers indexed in PubMed MEDLINE that were published by Swiss Dental Schools between 2002 and 2007. Citation frequency of research papers was extracted from the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) and Google Scholar database. A univariate and multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess the impact of publication language (English versus German/French) on citation frequency, adjusted for journal impact factor, number of authors and research topic. Papers published in English showed a 6 (ISI database) and 7 (Google Scholar) times higher odds for being cited than research articles published in German or French. Our results suggest that publication language substantially influences the citation frequency of a research paper. Researchers should publish their work in English to render them accessible to the international scientific community.

Recent Themes in Social Networking Service Research.

PubMed

Liu, John S; Ho, Mei Hsiu-Ching; Lu, Louis Y Y

2017-01-01

The body of literature addressing the phenomenon related to social networking services (SNSs) has grown rather fast recently. Through a systematic and quantitative approach, this study identifies the recent SNS research themes, which are the issues discussed by a coherent and growing subset of this literature. A set of academic articles retrieved from the Web of Science database is used as the basis for uncovering the recent themes. We begin the analysis by constructing a citation network which is further separated into groups after applying a widely used clustering method. The resulting clusters all consist of articles coherent in citation relationships. This study suggests eight fast growing recent themes. They span widely encompassing politics, romantic relationships, public relations, journalism, and health. Among them, four focus their issues largely on Twitter, three on Facebook, and one generally on both. While discussions on traditional issues in SNSs such as personality, motivations, self-disclosure, narcissism, etc. continue to lead the pack, the proliferation of the highlighted recent themes in the near future is very likely to happen.

Family psychology: Past and future reflections on the field.

PubMed

Parke, Ross D

2017-04-01

Prominent issues in the field of family psychology during my term as editor (1998-2003) of this journal were briefly noted, including a focus on marital issues, divorce, remarriage and family conflict. Parenting, attachment and parent-child relationships were also significant topics in this period. Special sections of the journal focused on cultural variations, families and the law, families and religion, and family routines and rituals. Several neglected issues that need more attention in the future were noted. These include the need to recognize the embeddedness of families in socioecological contexts, the importance of monitoring the impact of secular changes on families, and the value and limitations of viewing family psychology as a separate field. Other topics for a future agenda include the challenge of defining "family" in the midst of changing family forms, the effects of technological change on families, and the challenges of integrating biological research into the family psychology agenda. A multilevel bio-social approach to family research was recommended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Recent Themes in Social Networking Service Research

PubMed Central

Liu, John S.; Ho, Mei Hsiu-Ching; Lu, Louis Y. Y.

2017-01-01

The body of literature addressing the phenomenon related to social networking services (SNSs) has grown rather fast recently. Through a systematic and quantitative approach, this study identifies the recent SNS research themes, which are the issues discussed by a coherent and growing subset of this literature. A set of academic articles retrieved from the Web of Science database is used as the basis for uncovering the recent themes. We begin the analysis by constructing a citation network which is further separated into groups after applying a widely used clustering method. The resulting clusters all consist of articles coherent in citation relationships. This study suggests eight fast growing recent themes. They span widely encompassing politics, romantic relationships, public relations, journalism, and health. Among them, four focus their issues largely on Twitter, three on Facebook, and one generally on both. While discussions on traditional issues in SNSs such as personality, motivations, self-disclosure, narcissism, etc. continue to lead the pack, the proliferation of the highlighted recent themes in the near future is very likely to happen. PMID:28107541

On the evolving portfolio of community-standards and data sharing policies: turning challenges into new opportunities.

PubMed

Sansone, Susanna-Assunta; Rocca-Serra, Philippe

2012-07-12

There are thousands of biology databases with hundreds of terminologies, reporting guidelines, representations models, and exchange formats to help annotate, report, and share bioscience investigations. It is evident, however, that researchers and bioinformaticians struggle to navigate the various standards and to find the appropriate database to collect, manage, and share data. Further, policy makers, funders, and publishers lack sufficient information to formulate their guidelines. In this paper, we highlight a number of key issues that can be used to turn these challenges into new opportunities. It is time for all stakeholders to work together to reconcile cause and effect and make the data-sharing culture functional and efficient.

Fostering Education and Research Goals Through Partnerships Between Academic Programs and Geoinformatics Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Block, K. A.; Lehnert, K. A.; Johansson, A. K.; Herzberg, C. T.; Stern, R. J.; Bloomer, S.; Gerard-Little, P.; Paul, M.; Raye, U.; Sou, N.

2007-12-01

Geoinformatics resources are indispensable tools for researchers and educators at the forefront of geoscience. One example is PetDB (http://www.petdb.org) which serves as a data resource and reference in a broad suite of studies of the solid earth and is cited in over 160 peer-reviewed articles. The ongoing success of geochemical and petrological database projects, such as PetDB, SedDB, and the EarthChem Deep Lithosphere dataset depends on addressing disciplinary interest and scientific need. A new generation of scientists who understand and utilize online data resources therefore possess a unique advantage over researchers with limited experience using online databases in that they can help shape the way the resources evolve. In an effort to foment awareness and further research goals, students and faculty from the University of Texas at Dallas, Rutgers University, and Columbia University have partnered with researchers at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory to provide training in the use and development of geochemical databases to undergraduate and graduate students. Student internships lasting between 6 weeks and two months consisted of familiarization with relational databases at every level. Internships were developed to extend and apply students' prior knowledge to the development of data resources, to nurture interest in geochemistry and petrology, and to encourage students into pursuing graduate studies by engaging them in current scientific topics. Students were mentored one-on-one and assigned to data compilation in specific topics with the intent of providing background in the literature that can be used in future research papers. Outcomes of the internships include the development of a new petrological dataset of samples from the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP), expansion of a database of mantle xenoliths (EarthChem Deep Lithosphere Dataset) that will serve as a major component to a doctoral dissertation, and the development of a classification for mantle peridotites. These efforts are expected to have a significant impact on long-standing research issues and will provide insight into the processes involving the breakup of Pangea, the influence of large igneous provinces on mass extinctions, and the evolution of the North American lithospheric mantle.

[Title, abstract and keywords: essential issues in medical bibliographic research].

PubMed

Bonciu, Carmen

2005-01-01

Medical information, conveyed either by books, journal articles, conference and congress papers or posters, represents the product, the result of the medical research. Note that the informational cycle can be shown schematically as Bibliographic information --> Medical research --> Research results --> Bibliographic information. The result of the scientific research (articles, posters, etc.) re-enters the informational cycle, as bibliographic information for a new medical research. The bibliographic research is still a time, and effort consuming activity, despite the explosive growth of information technology. It requires specific medical, information technology and bibliographic knowledge. The present work aims to emphasize the importance of title, keywords and abstract terms selection, to article writing and publication in medical journals, and the proper choice of meta-information in web pages. The bibliographic research was made using two databases with English language information about articles from international medical journals: MEDLINE (PUBMED) and PROQUEST MEDICAL LIBRARY. The results were compared with GOOGLE and YAHOO search. These searching engines are common now in all types of Internet users (including researchers, librarians, etc.). It is essential for the researchers to know the article registration mechanism in a database and the modalities of bibliographic investigation of online databases, so that the title, keyword and abstract terms are selected properly. The use of words not related to the subject, in title, keywords or abstract, results in ambiguities. The writing and the translation of scientific words must also be accurate, mainly when article authors are non-native English speakers: e.g., chimiotherapy (sic)--20 articles in Medline, 270 articles in Google; morphopathology (sic)-- 78 articles in Medline, and 294 in Google; morphopatology (sic)--2 articles in Medline, and 12 articles in Google.

"Trust is not something you can reclaim easily": patenting in the field of direct-to-consumer genetic testing.

PubMed

Sterckx, Sigrid; Cockbain, Julian; Howard, Heidi; Huys, Isabelle; Borry, Pascal

2013-05-01

Recently, 23andMe announced that it had obtained its first patent, related to "polymorphisms associated with Parkinson's disease" (US-B-8187811). This announcement immediately sparked controversy in the community of 23andMe users and research participants, especially with regard to issues of transparency and trust. The purpose of this article was to analyze the patent portfolio of this prominent direct-to-consumer genetic testing company and discuss the potential ethical implications of patenting in this field for public participation in Web-based genetic research. We searched the publicly accessible patent database Espacenet as well as the commercially available database Micropatent for published patents and patent applications of 23andMe. Six patent families were identified for 23andMe. These included patent applications related to: genetic comparisons between grandparents and grandchildren, family inheritance, genome sharing, processing data from genotyping chips, gamete donor selection based on genetic calculations, finding relatives in a database, and polymorphisms associated with Parkinson disease. An important lesson to be drawn from this ongoing controversy seems to be that any (private or public) organization involved in research that relies on human participation, whether by providing information, body material, or both, needs to be transparent, not only about its research goals but also about its strategies and policies regarding commercialization.

Leadership in applied psychology: Three waves of theory and research.

PubMed

Lord, Robert G; Day, David V; Zaccaro, Stephen J; Avolio, Bruce J; Eagly, Alice H

2017-03-01

Although in the early years of the Journal leadership research was rare and focused primarily on traits differentiating leaders from nonleaders, subsequent to World War II the research area developed in 3 major waves of conceptual, empirical, and methodological advances: (a) behavioral and attitude research; (b) behavioral, social-cognitive, and contingency research; and (c) transformational, social exchange, team, and gender-related research. Our review of this work shows dramatic increases in sophistication from early research focusing on personnel issues associated with World War I to contemporary multilevel models and meta-analyses on teams, shared leadership, leader-member exchange, gender, ethical, abusive, charismatic, and transformational leadership. Yet, many of the themes that characterize contemporary leadership research were also present in earlier research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

The Danish Testicular Cancer database.

PubMed

Daugaard, Gedske; Kier, Maria Gry Gundgaard; Bandak, Mikkel; Mortensen, Mette Saksø; Larsson, Heidi; Søgaard, Mette; Toft, Birgitte Groenkaer; Engvad, Birte; Agerbæk, Mads; Holm, Niels Vilstrup; Lauritsen, Jakob

2016-01-01

The nationwide Danish Testicular Cancer database consists of a retrospective research database (DaTeCa database) and a prospective clinical database (Danish Multidisciplinary Cancer Group [DMCG] DaTeCa database). The aim is to improve the quality of care for patients with testicular cancer (TC) in Denmark, that is, by identifying risk factors for relapse, toxicity related to treatment, and focusing on late effects. All Danish male patients with a histologically verified germ cell cancer diagnosis in the Danish Pathology Registry are included in the DaTeCa databases. Data collection has been performed from 1984 to 2007 and from 2013 onward, respectively. The retrospective DaTeCa database contains detailed information with more than 300 variables related to histology, stage, treatment, relapses, pathology, tumor markers, kidney function, lung function, etc. A questionnaire related to late effects has been conducted, which includes questions regarding social relationships, life situation, general health status, family background, diseases, symptoms, use of medication, marital status, psychosocial issues, fertility, and sexuality. TC survivors alive on October 2014 were invited to fill in this questionnaire including 160 validated questions. Collection of questionnaires is still ongoing. A biobank including blood/sputum samples for future genetic analyses has been established. Both samples related to DaTeCa and DMCG DaTeCa database are included. The prospective DMCG DaTeCa database includes variables regarding histology, stage, prognostic group, and treatment. The DMCG DaTeCa database has existed since 2013 and is a young clinical database. It is necessary to extend the data collection in the prospective database in order to answer quality-related questions. Data from the retrospective database will be added to the prospective data. This will result in a large and very comprehensive database for future studies on TC patients.

Fine-grained policy control in U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) multimodal signatures database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, Kelly; Grueneberg, Keith; Wood, David; Calo, Seraphin

2014-06-01

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Multimodal Signatures Database (MMSDB) consists of a number of colocated relational databases representing a collection of data from various sensors. Role-based access to this data is granted to external organizations such as DoD contractors and other government agencies through a client Web portal. In the current MMSDB system, access control is only at the database and firewall level. In order to offer finer grained security, changes to existing user profile schemas and authentication mechanisms are usually needed. In this paper, we describe a software middleware architecture and implementation that allows fine-grained access control to the MMSDB at a dataset, table, and row level. Result sets from MMSDB queries issued in the client portal are filtered with the use of a policy enforcement proxy, with minimal changes to the existing client software and database. Before resulting data is returned to the client, policies are evaluated to determine if the user or role is authorized to access the data. Policies can be authored to filter data at the row, table or column level of a result set. The system uses various technologies developed in the International Technology Alliance in Network and Information Science (ITA) for policy-controlled information sharing and dissemination1. Use of the Policy Management Library provides a mechanism for the management and evaluation of policies to support finer grained access to the data in the MMSDB system. The GaianDB is a policy-enabled, federated database that acts as a proxy between the client application and the MMSDB system.

Opportunities and challenges provided by cloud repositories for bioinformatics-enabled drug discovery.

PubMed

Dalpé, Gratien; Joly, Yann

2014-09-01

Healthcare-related bioinformatics databases are increasingly offering the possibility to maintain, organize, and distribute DNA sequencing data. Different national and international institutions are currently hosting such databases that offer researchers website platforms where they can obtain sequencing data on which they can perform different types of analysis. Until recently, this process remained mostly one-dimensional, with most analysis concentrated on a limited amount of data. However, newer genome sequencing technology is producing a huge amount of data that current computer facilities are unable to handle. An alternative approach has been to start adopting cloud computing services for combining the information embedded in genomic and model system biology data, patient healthcare records, and clinical trials' data. In this new technological paradigm, researchers use virtual space and computing power from existing commercial or not-for-profit cloud service providers to access, store, and analyze data via different application programming interfaces. Cloud services are an alternative to the need of larger data storage; however, they raise different ethical, legal, and social issues. The purpose of this Commentary is to summarize how cloud computing can contribute to bioinformatics-based drug discovery and to highlight some of the outstanding legal, ethical, and social issues that are inherent in the use of cloud services. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sharing Water Data to Encourage Sustainable Choices in Areas of the Marcellus Shale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brantley, S. L.; Abad, J. D.; Vastine, J.; Yoxtheimer, D.; Wilderman, C.; Vidic, R.; Hooper, R. P.; Brasier, K.

2012-12-01

Natural gas sourced from shales but stored in more permeable formations has long been exploited as an energy resource. Now, however, gas is exploited directly from the low-porosity and low-permeability shale reservoirs through the use of hydrofracturing. Hydrofracturing is not a new technique: it has long been utilized in the energy industry to promote flow of oil and gas from traditional reservoirs. To exploit gas in reservoirs such as the Marcellus shale in PA, hydrofracturing is paired with directional drilling. Such hydrofracturing utilizes large volumes of water to increase porosity in the shale formations at depth. Small concentrations of chemicals are added to the water to improve the formation and maintenance of the fractures. Significant public controversy has developed in response to the use of hydrofracturing especially in the northeastern states underlain by the Marcellus shale where some citizens and scientists question whether shale gas recovery will contaminate local surface and ground waters. Researchers, government agencies, and citizen scientists in Pennsylvania are teaming up to run the ShaleNetwork (www.shalenetwork.org), an NSF-funded research collaboration network that is currently finding, collating, sharing, publishing, and exploring data related to water quality and quantity in areas that are exploiting shale gas. The effort, focussed initially on Pennsylvania, is now developing the ShaleNetwork database that can be accessed through HydroDesktop in the CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System. In the first year since inception, the ShaleNetwork ran a workshop and reached eight conclusions, largely focussed on issues related to the sources, entry, and use of data. First, the group discovered that extensive water data is available in areas of shale gas. Second, participants agreed that the Shale Network team should partner with state agencies and industry to move datasets online. Third, participants discovered that the database allows participants to assess data gaps. Fourth, the team was encouraged to search for data that plug gaps. Fifth, the database should be easily sustained by others long-term if the Shale Network team simplifies the process of uploading data and finds ways to create community buy-in or incentives for data uploads. Sixth, the database itself and the workshops for the database should drive future agreement about analytical protocols. Seventh, the database is already encouraging other groups to publish data online. Finally, a user interface is needed that is easier and more accessible for citizens to use. Overall, it is clear that sharing data is one way to build bridges among decision makers, scientists, and citizens to understand issues related to sustainable development of energy resources in the face of issues related to water quality and quantity.

Advanced power assessment for Czech lignite, Task 3.6, Part 2. The 2nd international conference on energy and environment: Transitions in East Central Europe

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

Sondreal, E.A.; Mann, M.D.; Weber, G.W.

1995-12-01

On November 1-5, 1994, the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) and Power Research Institute of Prague cosponsored their second conference since 1991 in the Czech Republic, entitled ``Energy and Environment: Transitions in East Central Europe.`` This conference was a continuation of the EERC`s joint commitment, initiated in 1190, to facilitate solutions to short- and long-term energy and environmental problems in East Central Europe. Production of energy from coal in an environmentally acceptable manner is a critical issue facing East Central Europe, because the region continues to rely on coal as its primary energy source. The goal of the conferencemore » was to develop partnerships between industry, government, and the research community in East Central Europe and the United States to solve energy and environmental issues in a manner that fosters economic development. Among the topics addressed at the conference were: conventional and advanced energy generation systems; economic operation of energy systems; air pollution controls; power system retrofitting and repowering, financing options; regulatory issues; energy resource options; waste utilization and disposal; and long-range environmental issues. Selected papers in the proceedings have been processed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology database.« less

Is MCI over emphasising publication for promotion of medical teachers?

PubMed

Jain, Shobhit; Jain, Harjeet; Jain, Ashok Kumar

2017-01-01

Over the past year, there has been constant debate in various journals on the circular issued by the Medical Council of India (MCI) in September 2015, regarding the requirements for promotion of teaching faculty. The lack of a time-bound promotion system of medical faculty results in higher stress, dissatisfaction, lower productivity and quality of life and work. The critics have highlighted several issues in assessment of publication for teacher's promotion, eg the exclusion of publications in "electronic-only" journals, awarding points only to "original research" papers and first or second authors, listing of indexing databases for journals, categorising journals as national or international.

Dietary fibre: challenges in production and use of food composition data.

PubMed

Westenbrink, Susanne; Brunt, Kommer; van der Kamp, Jan-Willem

2013-10-01

Dietary fibre is a heterogeneous group of components for which several definitions and analytical methods were developed over the past decades, causing confusion among users and producers of dietary fibre data in food composition databases. An overview is given of current definitions and analytical methods. Some of the issues related to maintaining dietary fibre values in food composition databases are discussed. Newly developed AOAC methods (2009.01 or modifications) yield higher dietary fibre values, due to the inclusion of low molecular weight dietary fibre and resistant starch. For food composition databases procedures need to be developed to combine 'classic' and 'new' dietary fibre values since re-analysing all foods on short notice is impossible due to financial restrictions. Standardised value documentation procedures are important to evaluate dietary fibre values from several sources before exchanging and using the data, e.g. for dietary intake research. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bottom-Up Evaluation of Twig Join Pattern Queries in XML Document Databases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yangjun

Since the extensible markup language XML emerged as a new standard for information representation and exchange on the Internet, the problem of storing, indexing, and querying XML documents has been among the major issues of database research. In this paper, we study the twig pattern matching and discuss a new algorithm for processing ordered twig pattern queries. The time complexity of the algorithmis bounded by O(|D|·|Q| + |T|·leaf Q ) and its space overhead is by O(leaf T ·leaf Q ), where T stands for a document tree, Q for a twig pattern and D is a largest data stream associated with a node q of Q, which contains the database nodes that match the node predicate at q. leaf T (leaf Q ) represents the number of the leaf nodes of T (resp. Q). In addition, the algorithm can be adapted to an indexing environment with XB-trees being used.

Concentrations of indoor pollutants (CIP) database user's manual (Version 4. 0)

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

Apte, M.G.; Brown, S.R.; Corradi, C.A.

1990-10-01

This is the latest release of the database and the user manual. The user manual is a tutorial and reference for utilizing the CIP Database system. An installation guide is included to cover various hardware configurations. Numerous examples and explanations of the dialogue between the user and the database program are provided. It is hoped that this resource will, along with on-line help and the menu-driven software, make for a quick and easy learning curve. For the purposes of this manual, it is assumed that the user is acquainted with the goals of the CIP Database, which are: (1) tomore » collect existing measurements of concentrations of indoor air pollutants in a user-oriented database and (2) to provide a repository of references citing measured field results openly accessible to a wide audience of researchers, policy makers, and others interested in the issues of indoor air quality. The database software, as distinct from the data, is contained in two files, CIP. EXE and PFIL.COM. CIP.EXE is made up of a number of programs written in dBase III command code and compiled using Clipper into a single, executable file. PFIL.COM is a program written in Turbo Pascal that handles the output of summary text files and is called from CIP.EXE. Version 4.0 of the CIP Database is current through March 1990.« less

Users as essential contributors to spatial cyberinfrastructures

PubMed Central

Poore, Barbara S.

2011-01-01

Current accounts of spatial cyberinfrastructure development tend to overemphasize technologies to the neglect of critical social and cultural issues on which adoption depends. Spatial cyberinfrastructures will have a higher chance of success if users of many types, including nonprofessionals, are made central to the development process. Recent studies in the history of infrastructures reveal key turning points and issues that should be considered in the development of spatial cyberinfrastructure projects. These studies highlight the importance of adopting qualitative research methods to learn how users work with data and digital tools, and how user communities form. The author's empirical research on data sharing networks in the Pacific Northwest salmon crisis at the turn of the 21st century demonstrates that ordinary citizens can contribute critical local knowledge to global databases and should be considered in the design and construction of spatial cyberinfrastructures. PMID:21444825

Nuclear safety. Technical progress journal, October 1996--December 1996

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

None

The five papers in this issue address various issues associated with the behavior of high burnup fuels, especially under reactivity initiated accident (RIA) conditions. The mechanisms and parameters that have an effect on the fuel behavior are detailed, based on tests and analyses. The ultimate goal of the research reported is the development of new regulatory criteria for high burnup fuel under design basis accident conditions. Specific topics of the papers, which are abstracted individually in the database, are: (1) regulatory assessment of test data for RIAs, (2) high burnup fuel transient behavior under RIA conditions, (3) NSRR/RIA experiments withmore » high burnup PWR fuels, (4) the Russian RIA research program, and (5) RIA simulation experiments on the intermediate and high burnup test rods. The papers are contributed from the United States, France, Japan, and Russia.« less

Sleep, circadian rhythms, and athletic performance.

PubMed

Thun, Eirunn; Bjorvatn, Bjørn; Flo, Elisabeth; Harris, Anette; Pallesen, Ståle

2015-10-01

Sleep deprivation and time of day are both known to influence performance. A growing body of research has focused on how sleep and circadian rhythms impact athletic performance. This review provides a systematic overview of this research. We searched three different databases for articles on these issues and inspected relevant reference lists. In all, 113 articles met our inclusion criteria. The most robust result is that athletic performance seems to be best in the evening around the time when the core body temperature typically is at its peak. Sleep deprivation was negatively associated with performance whereas sleep extension seems to improve performance. The effects of desynchronization of circadian rhythms depend on the local time at which performance occurs. The review includes a discussion of differences regarding types of skills involved as well as methodological issues. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Users as essential contributors to spatial cyberinfrastructures.

PubMed

Poore, Barbara S

2011-04-05

Current accounts of spatial cyberinfrastructure development tend to overemphasize technologies to the neglect of critical social and cultural issues on which adoption depends. Spatial cyberinfrastructures will have a higher chance of success if users of many types, including nonprofessionals, are made central to the development process. Recent studies in the history of infrastructures reveal key turning points and issues that should be considered in the development of spatial cyberinfrastructure projects. These studies highlight the importance of adopting qualitative research methods to learn how users work with data and digital tools, and how user communities form. The author's empirical research on data sharing networks in the Pacific Northwest salmon crisis at the turn of the 21st century demonstrates that ordinary citizens can contribute critical local knowledge to global databases and should be considered in the design and construction of spatial cyberinfrastructures.

Users as essential contributors to spatial cyberinfrastructures

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poore, B.S.

2011-01-01

Current accounts of spatial cyberinfrastructure development tend to overemphasize technologies to the neglect of critical social and cultural issues on which adoption depends. Spatial cyberinfrastructures will have a higher chance of success if users of many types, including nonprofessionals, are made central to the development process. Recent studies in the history of infrastructures reveal key turning points and issues that should be considered in the development of spatial cyberinfrastructure projects. These studies highlight the importance of adopting qualitative research methods to learn how users work with data and digital tools, and how user communities form. The author's empirical research on data sharing networks in the Pacific Northwest salmon crisis at the turn of the 21st century demonstrates that ordinary citizens can contribute critical local knowledge to global databases and should be considered in the design and construction of spatial cyberinfrastructures.

The DBCLS BioHackathon: standardization and interoperability for bioinformatics web services and workflows. The DBCLS BioHackathon Consortium*.

PubMed

Katayama, Toshiaki; Arakawa, Kazuharu; Nakao, Mitsuteru; Ono, Keiichiro; Aoki-Kinoshita, Kiyoko F; Yamamoto, Yasunori; Yamaguchi, Atsuko; Kawashima, Shuichi; Chun, Hong-Woo; Aerts, Jan; Aranda, Bruno; Barboza, Lord Hendrix; Bonnal, Raoul Jp; Bruskiewich, Richard; Bryne, Jan C; Fernández, José M; Funahashi, Akira; Gordon, Paul Mk; Goto, Naohisa; Groscurth, Andreas; Gutteridge, Alex; Holland, Richard; Kano, Yoshinobu; Kawas, Edward A; Kerhornou, Arnaud; Kibukawa, Eri; Kinjo, Akira R; Kuhn, Michael; Lapp, Hilmar; Lehvaslaiho, Heikki; Nakamura, Hiroyuki; Nakamura, Yasukazu; Nishizawa, Tatsuya; Nobata, Chikashi; Noguchi, Tamotsu; Oinn, Thomas M; Okamoto, Shinobu; Owen, Stuart; Pafilis, Evangelos; Pocock, Matthew; Prins, Pjotr; Ranzinger, René; Reisinger, Florian; Salwinski, Lukasz; Schreiber, Mark; Senger, Martin; Shigemoto, Yasumasa; Standley, Daron M; Sugawara, Hideaki; Tashiro, Toshiyuki; Trelles, Oswaldo; Vos, Rutger A; Wilkinson, Mark D; York, William; Zmasek, Christian M; Asai, Kiyoshi; Takagi, Toshihisa

2010-08-21

Web services have become a key technology for bioinformatics, since life science databases are globally decentralized and the exponential increase in the amount of available data demands for efficient systems without the need to transfer entire databases for every step of an analysis. However, various incompatibilities among database resources and analysis services make it difficult to connect and integrate these into interoperable workflows. To resolve this situation, we invited domain specialists from web service providers, client software developers, Open Bio* projects, the BioMoby project and researchers of emerging areas where a standard exchange data format is not well established, for an intensive collaboration entitled the BioHackathon 2008. The meeting was hosted by the Database Center for Life Science (DBCLS) and Computational Biology Research Center (CBRC) and was held in Tokyo from February 11th to 15th, 2008. In this report we highlight the work accomplished and the common issues arisen from this event, including the standardization of data exchange formats and services in the emerging fields of glycoinformatics, biological interaction networks, text mining, and phyloinformatics. In addition, common shared object development based on BioSQL, as well as technical challenges in large data management, asynchronous services, and security are discussed. Consequently, we improved interoperability of web services in several fields, however, further cooperation among major database centers and continued collaborative efforts between service providers and software developers are still necessary for an effective advance in bioinformatics web service technologies.

Building a Patient-Reported Outcome Metric Database: One Hospital's Experience.

PubMed

Rana, Adam J

2016-06-01

A number of provisions exist within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that focus on improving the delivery of health care in the United States, including quality of care. From a total joint arthroplasty perspective, the issue of quality increasingly refers to quantifying patient-reported outcome metrics (PROMs). This article describes one hospital's experience in building and maintaining an electronic PROM database for a practice of 6 board-certified orthopedic surgeons. The surgeons advocated to and worked with the hospital to contract with a joint registry database company and hire a research assistant. They implemented a standardized process for all surgical patients to fill out patient-reported outcome questionnaires at designated intervals. To date, the group has collected patient-reported outcome metric data for >4500 cases. The data are frequently used in different venues at the hospital including orthopedic quality metric and research meetings. In addition, the results were used to develop an annual outcome report. The annual report is given to patients and primary care providers, and portions of it are being used in discussions with insurance carriers. Building an electronic database to collect PROMs is a group undertaking and requires a physician champion. A considerable amount of work needs to be done up front to make its introduction a success. Once established, a PROM database can provide a significant amount of information and data that can be effectively used in multiple capacities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The DBCLS BioHackathon: standardization and interoperability for bioinformatics web services and workflows. The DBCLS BioHackathon Consortium*

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Web services have become a key technology for bioinformatics, since life science databases are globally decentralized and the exponential increase in the amount of available data demands for efficient systems without the need to transfer entire databases for every step of an analysis. However, various incompatibilities among database resources and analysis services make it difficult to connect and integrate these into interoperable workflows. To resolve this situation, we invited domain specialists from web service providers, client software developers, Open Bio* projects, the BioMoby project and researchers of emerging areas where a standard exchange data format is not well established, for an intensive collaboration entitled the BioHackathon 2008. The meeting was hosted by the Database Center for Life Science (DBCLS) and Computational Biology Research Center (CBRC) and was held in Tokyo from February 11th to 15th, 2008. In this report we highlight the work accomplished and the common issues arisen from this event, including the standardization of data exchange formats and services in the emerging fields of glycoinformatics, biological interaction networks, text mining, and phyloinformatics. In addition, common shared object development based on BioSQL, as well as technical challenges in large data management, asynchronous services, and security are discussed. Consequently, we improved interoperability of web services in several fields, however, further cooperation among major database centers and continued collaborative efforts between service providers and software developers are still necessary for an effective advance in bioinformatics web service technologies. PMID:20727200

Managing security and privacy concerns over data storage in healthcare research.

PubMed

Mackenzie, Isla S; Mantay, Brian J; McDonnell, Patrick G; Wei, Li; MacDonald, Thomas M

2011-08-01

Issues surrounding data security and privacy are of great importance when handling sensitive health-related data for research. The emphasis in the past has been on balancing the risks to individuals with the benefit to society of the use of databases for research. However, a new way of looking at such issues is that by optimising procedures and policies regarding security and privacy of data to the extent that there is no appreciable risk to the privacy of individuals, we can create a 'win-win' situation in which everyone benefits, and pharmacoepidemiological research can flourish with public support. We discuss holistic measures, involving both information technology and people, taken to improve the security and privacy of data storage. After an internal review, we commissioned an external audit by an independent consultant with a view to optimising our data storage and handling procedures. Improvements to our policies and procedures were implemented as a result of the audit. By optimising our storage of data, we hope to inspire public confidence and hence cooperation with the use of health care data in research. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development of the ageing management database of PUSPATI TRIGA reactor

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

Ramli, Nurhayati, E-mail: nurhayati@nm.gov.my; Tom, Phongsakorn Prak; Husain, Nurfazila

Since its first criticality in 1982, PUSPATI TRIGA Reactor (RTP) has been operated for more than 30 years. As RTP become older, ageing problems have been seen to be the prominent issues. In addressing the ageing issues, an Ageing Management (AgeM) database for managing related ageing matters was systematically developed. This paper presents the development of AgeM database taking into account all RTP major Systems, Structures and Components (SSCs) and ageing mechanism of these SSCs through the system surveillance program.

Lessons Learned Implementing DOORS in a Citrix Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bussman, Marie

2005-01-01

NASA's James Web Space Telescope (JWST) Project is a large multi-national project with geographically dispersed contractors that all need access to the Projects requirement database. Initially, the project utilized multiple DOORS databases with the built-in partitions feature to exchange modules amongst the various contractor sites. As the requirements databases matured the use of partitions became extremely difficult. There have been many issues such as incompatible versions of DOORS, inefficient mechanism for sharing modules, security concerns, performance issues, and inconsistent document import and export formats. Deployment of the client software with limited IT resources available was also an issue. The solution chosen by JWST was to integrate the use of a Citrix environment with the DOORS database to address most of the project concerns. The use of the Citrix solution allowed a single Requirements database in a secure environment via a web interface. The Citrix environment allows JWST to upgrade to the most current version of DOORS without having to coordinate multiple sites and user upgrades. The single requirements database eliminates a multitude of Configuration Management concerns and facilitated the standardization of documentation formats. This paper discusses the obstacles and the lessons learned throughout the installation, implementation, usage and deployment process of a centralized DOORS database solution.

Interventions for family members caring for an elder with dementia.

PubMed

Acton, Gayle J; Winter, Mary A

2002-01-01

This chapter reviews 73 published and unpublished research reports of interventions for family members caring for an elder with dementia by nurse researchers and researchers from other disciplines. Reports were identified through searches of MEDLINE, CINAHL, Social Science Index, PsycINFO, ERIC, Social Work Abstracts, American Association of Retired Persons database, CRISP index of the National Institutes of Health, Cochrane Center database, and Dissertation Abstracts using the following search terms: caregiver, caregiving, dementia, Alzheimer's, intervention study, evaluation study, experimental, and quasi-experimental design. Additional keywords were used to narrow or expand the search as necessary. All nursing research was included in the review and nonnursing research was included if published between 1991 and 2001. Studies were included if they used a design that included a treatment and control group or a one-group, pretest-posttest design (ex post facto designs were included if they used a comparison group). Key findings show that approximately 32% of the study outcomes (e.g., burden, depression, knowledge) were changed after intervention in the desired direction. In addition, several problematic issues were identified including small, diverse samples; lack of intervention specificity; diversity in the length, duration, and intensity of the intervention strategies; and problematic outcome measures.

Data Sharing in Astrobiology: The Astrobiology Habitable Environments Database (AHED)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lafuente, B.; Bristow, T.; Stone, N.; Pires, A.; Keller, R.; Downs, Robert; Blake, D.; Fonda, M.

2017-01-01

Astrobiology is a multidisciplinary area of scientific research focused on studying the origins of life on Earth and the conditions under which life might have emerged elsewhere in the universe. NASA uses the results of Astrobiology research to help define targets for future missions that are searching for life elsewhere in the universe. The understanding of complex questions in Astrobiology requires integration and analysis of data spanning a range of disciplines including biology, chemistry, geology, astronomy and planetary science. However, the lack of a centralized repository makes it difficult for Astrobiology teams to share data and benefit from resultant synergies. Moreover, in recent years, federal agencies are requiring that results of any federally funded scientific research must be available and useful for the public and the science community. The Astrobiology Habitable Environments Database (AHED), developed with a consolidated group of astrobiologists from different active research teams at NASA Ames Research Center, is designed to help to address these issues. AHED is a central, high-quality, long-term data repository for mineralogical, textural, morphological, inorganic and organic chemical, isotopic and other information pertinent to the advancement of the field of Astrobiology.

Data Sharing in Astrobiology: the Astrobiology Habitable Environments Database (AHED)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lafuente, B.; Bristow, T.; Stone, N.; Pires, A.; Keller, R. M.; Downs, R. T.; Blake, D.; Fonda, M.

2017-01-01

Astrobiology is a multidisciplinary area of scientific research focused on studying the origins of life on Earth and the conditions under which life might have emerged elsewhere in the universe. NASA uses the results of Astrobiology research to help define targets for future missions that are searching for life elsewhere in the universe. The understanding of complex questions in Astrobiology requires integration and analysis of data spanning a range of disciplines including biology, chemistry, geology, astronomy and planetary science. However, the lack of a centralized repository makes it difficult for Astrobiology teams to share data and benefit from resultant synergies. Moreover, in recent years, federal agencies are requiring that results of any federally funded scientific research must be available and useful for the public and the science community. The Astrobiology Habitable Environments Database (AHED), developed with a consolidated group of astrobiologists from different active research teams at NASA Ames Research Center, is designed to help to address these issues. AHED is a central, high-quality, long-term data repository for mineralogical, textural, morphological, inorganic and organic chemical, isotopic and other information pertinent to the advancement of the field of Astrobiology.

[Guideline for the assessment of clinical research proposals. Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social].

PubMed

Mejía-Aranguré, Juan Manuel; Grijalva-Otero, Israel; Majluf-Cruz, Abraham; Cruz-López, Miguel; Núñez-Enríquez, Juan Carlos; Salamanca-Gómez, Fabio Abdiel

2013-01-01

Medical research is a fundamental tool to achieve the advancement of science, through the improvement of strategies aimed to protect, promote and restore an individual's and society's health. Three characteristics are required to obtain approval of the research proposal: scientific relevance, technical quality and the accomplishment of ethical issues. The present review aimed at the determination of the specific criteria to perform a critical review of research proposals. A research was carried out in the PubMed, Medline, Ovid and Google Scholar databases, using the terms: peer review, research proposals, review and protocols, and reviewers. A total of 3546 related articles were reviewed, without finding a guide to critically assess research proposals. The guides to assess research articles consider that the quality criteria of the study should have been present since the study's conception; many of the issues described to review articles are incorporated in the review of the research proposals. The specific criteria were integrated to allow the reviewer to critically assess research proposals of different areas with scientific basis. The reviewer of research proposals should be considered as a professional that contributes to the promotion of knowledge advancement through his/her comments, which allow researchers to improve the quality of research proposals.

What can we learn from a decade of database audits? The Duke Clinical Research Institute experience, 1997--2006.

PubMed

Rostami, Reza; Nahm, Meredith; Pieper, Carl F

2009-04-01

Despite a pressing and well-documented need for better sharing of information on clinical trials data quality assurance methods, many research organizations remain reluctant to publish descriptions of and results from their internal auditing and quality assessment methods. We present findings from a review of a decade of internal data quality audits performed at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, a large academic research organization that conducts data management for a diverse array of clinical studies, both academic and industry-sponsored. In so doing, we hope to stimulate discussions that could benefit the wider clinical research enterprise by providing insight into methods of optimizing data collection and cleaning, ultimately helping patients and furthering essential research. We present our audit methodologies, including sampling methods, audit logistics, sample sizes, counting rules used for error rate calculations, and characteristics of audited trials. We also present database error rates as computed according to two analytical methods, which we address in detail, and discuss the advantages and drawbacks of two auditing methods used during this 10-year period. Our review of the DCRI audit program indicates that higher data quality may be achieved from a series of small audits throughout the trial rather than through a single large database audit at database lock. We found that error rates trended upward from year to year in the period characterized by traditional audits performed at database lock (1997-2000), but consistently trended downward after periodic statistical process control type audits were instituted (2001-2006). These increases in data quality were also associated with cost savings in auditing, estimated at 1000 h per year, or the efforts of one-half of a full time equivalent (FTE). Our findings are drawn from retrospective analyses and are not the result of controlled experiments, and may therefore be subject to unanticipated confounding. In addition, the scope and type of audits we examine here are specific to our institution, and our results may not be broadly generalizable. Use of statistical process control methodologies may afford advantages over more traditional auditing methods, and further research will be necessary to confirm the reliability and usability of such techniques. We believe that open and candid discussion of data quality assurance issues among academic and clinical research organizations will ultimately benefit the entire research community in the coming era of increased data sharing and re-use.

Issues in recruiting community-dwelling stroke survivors to clinical trials: the AMBULATE trial.

PubMed

Lloyd, Gemma; Dean, Catherine M; Ada, Louise

2010-07-01

Recruitment to clinical trials is often slow and difficult, with a growing body of research examining this issue. However there is very little work related to stroke. The aim of this study was to examine the success and efficiency of recruitment of community-dwelling stroke survivors over the first two years of a clinical trial aiming to improve community ambulation. Recruitment strategies fell into 2 broad categories: (i) advertisement (such as newspaper advertising and media releases), and (ii) referral (via hospital and community physiotherapists, a stroke liaison officer and other researchers). Records were kept of the number of people who were screened, were eligible and were recruited for each strategy. The recruitment target of 60 in the first two years was not met. 111 stroke survivors were screened and 57 were recruited (i.e., a recruitment rate of 51%). The most successful strategy was referral via hospital-based physiotherapists (47% of recruited participants) and the least successful were media release and local newspaper advertising. The referral strategies were all more efficient than any of the advertisement strategies. In general, recruitment was inefficient and costly in terms of human resources. Given that stroke research is underfunded, it is important to find efficient ways of recruiting stroke survivors to clinical trials. An Australian national database similar to other disease-specific data bases (such as the National Cancer Database) is under development. In the interim, recruiting for several clinical trials at once may increase efficiency.

The Aerospace Database data element dictionary with issues and recommendations from the meetings of July 24-25, August 13-14, and September 24-25, 1991

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The present volume contains descriptions of the individual fields (data elements) which comprise the bibliographic records of the Aerospace Database. Indexes by field name and field mnemonic are provided. In addition, the issues and recommendations defined by the NASA STI Database Upgrade Working Group are included as annotations to the individual field descriptions and are listed at the end of the volume. The activities of the Working Group were initiated by the NASA STI Program Coordinating Council as part of an effort to improve overall database quality.

'I'm Happy if I Can Help'. Public views on future medicines and gene-based therapy in Iceland.

PubMed

Traulsen, Janine M; Bjornsdóttir, Ingunn; Almarsdóttir, Anna Birna

2008-01-01

To explore lay perceptions about medicine and drug therapy (including gene-based therapy) in the present and in the future. Following almost a year of national debate, the Icelandic parliament passed the Health Sector Database (HSD) Act in 1998. No single issue has been as much debated in Iceland as this database. Despite the explosion of popular and scientific literature in the field of bioethics, there is still a paucity of research concerning 'lay' contributions to the debates. The study was designed as a qualitative study. Focus groups (FGs) were conducted followed by one-on-one interviews with the FG moderator. PARTICIPANTS were asked to comment on a future scenario consisting of predictions concerning the consequence of the Human Genome Project over the next 40 years. Forty-two persons participated in eight FGs in Iceland. The Icelandic moderator was interviewed in English after each group. The lay public was relatively optimistic with regard to the future of drugs and gene-based therapy. Reasons for this optimism can be found in a basic trust and belief in the welfare state and the health system. These results are not consistent with studies carried out in other countries where the public appears to be focused on the negative effects of genetic research and the threats to privacy. Most participants expressed concern about potential problems with regard to social and equity issues, whereas the HSD controversy, a discourse based on the rhetoric of bioethics, was at variance with the issues focused on by the lay public. (c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

Research on U.S. Military Women: Recruitment and Retention Challenges and Strategies.

PubMed

Braun, Lisa A; Kennedy, Holly P; Sadler, Lois S; Dixon, Jane

2015-12-01

To examine literature on recruitment and retention of military women in research studies as an underrepresented, and potentially marginalized, population. A literature search was conducted to examine challenges, identify potential barriers and facilitators, and to inform strategies for recruitment and retention of military women in research studies. This search was supplemented by findings in military-specific databases and discussions with Military Women's Health Research Interest Group subject matter experts. Ten articles addressed research recruitment and retention challenges and strategies in marginalized/underrepresented populations, providing an effective context to inform research recruitment and retention in military settings. Research with military women is often challenged by logistical, cultural, social, ethical, and methodological issues, which may hinder exploration of potentially sensitive issues. Researchers must consider military-specific challenges to conducting research that include lengthy deployments, unpredictable military exercises, and foreign assignments, in accessing research participants. A case example shows strategies used in a military cervical cancer screening study. There are few published articles specific to research recruitment and retention in female military populations. Available resources broadly address recruitment challenges for Veterans, marginalized, hard-to-access, and transient research participants, which may provide guidance and strategies for success when applied to military populations. Reprint & Copyright © 2015 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

76 FR 59170 - Hartford Financial Services, Inc., Corporate/EIT/CTO Database Management Division, Hartford, CT...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-23

... Services, Inc., Corporate/EIT/CTO Database Management Division, Hartford, CT; Notice of Negative... Services, Inc., Corporate/EIT/CTO Database Management Division, Hartford, Connecticut (The Hartford, Corporate/EIT/CTO Database Management Division). The negative determination was issued on August 19, 2011...

Analyzing a multimodal biometric system using real and virtual users

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheidat, Tobias; Vielhauer, Claus

2007-02-01

Three main topics of recent research on multimodal biometric systems are addressed in this article: The lack of sufficiently large multimodal test data sets, the influence of cultural aspects and data protection issues of multimodal biometric data. In this contribution, different possibilities are presented to extend multimodal databases by generating so-called virtual users, which are created by combining single biometric modality data of different users. Comparative tests on databases containing real and virtual users based on a multimodal system using handwriting and speech are presented, to study to which degree the use of virtual multimodal databases allows conclusions with respect to recognition accuracy in comparison to real multimodal data. All tests have been carried out on databases created from donations from three different nationality groups. This allows to review the experimental results both in general and in context of cultural origin. The results show that in most cases the usage of virtual persons leads to lower accuracy than the usage of real users in terms of the measurement applied: the Equal Error Rate. Finally, this article will address the general question how the concept of virtual users may influence the data protection requirements for multimodal evaluation databases in the future.

Issues for SME Credit Information DB Institutionsand Expectations for the Econophysics ---Scientific Economic Policies for Avoiding Moral Hazard---

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanabe, T.

The CRD database, which has been accumulating financial data on SMEsover the ten years since its founding, and has gathered approximately 12 million records for around 2 million SMEs, approximately 3 million records for somewhere around 900,000 sole proprietors, also collected default data on these companies and sole proprietors. The CRD database's weakness is anonymity. Going forward, therefore, it appears the CRD Association is faced with questions concerning how it will enhance the attractiveness of its database whether new knowledge should be gained by using econophysics or other research approaches. We have already seen several examples of knowledge gained through econophysical analyses using the CRD database, and I would like to express my hope that we will eventually see greater application of the SME credit information database and econophysical analysis for the development of Japans SME policies which are scientific economic policies for avoiding moral hazard, and will expect elucidating risk scenarios for the global financial, natural disaster, and other shocks expected to happen with greater frequency. Therefore, the role played by econophysics will become increasingly important, and we have high expectations for the role to be played by the field of econophysics.

KISTI at TREC 2014 Clinical Decision Support Track: Concept-based Document Re-ranking to Biomedical Information Retrieval

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-01

sematic type. Injury or Poisoning inpo T037 Anatomical Abnormality anab T190 Given a document D, a concept vector = {1, 2, … , ...integrating biomedical terminology . Nucleic acids research 32, Database issue (2004), 267–270. 5. Chapman, W.W., Hillert, D., Velupillai, S., et...Conference (TREC), (2011). 9. Koopman, B. and Zuccon, G. Understanding negation and family history to improve clinical information retrieval. Proceedings

Aeronautical Engineering: A Continuing Bibliography. Supplement 421

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

This supplemental issue of Aeronautical Engineering, A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes (NASA/SP#2000-7037) lists reports, articles, and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. The coverage includes documents on the engineering and theoretical aspects of design, construction, evaluation, testing, operation, and performance of aircraft (including aircraft engines) and associated components, equipment, and systems. It also includes research and development in aerodynamics, aeronautics, and ground support equipment for aeronautical vehicles.

A systematic review of noncommunicable health issues in mass gatherings.

PubMed

Alquthami, Ahmed H; Pines, Jesse M

2014-04-01

The review was conducted to evaluate if the field of mass-gathering medicine has evolved in addressing: (1) the lack of uniform standard measures; (2) the effectiveness of and needs for various interventions during a mass gathering; and (3) the various types of noncommunicable health issues (trauma and medical complaints) encountered and their severity during a gathering. A systematic review of papers published from 2003 through 2012 was conducted using databases of MEDLINE, Ovid, CINHAL, EBSCOHost, National Library of Medicine (NLM), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Elsevier, Scopus, and Proquest databases. Of 37,762 articles, 17 articles were included in this review, covering 18 mass-gathering events; 14 were multiple-day events. Across all events, the patient presentation rate (PPR) ranged from 0.13 to 20.8 patients per 1,000 attendees and the transfer to hospital rate (TTHR) ranged from 0.01 to 10.2 ambulance transports per 1,000 attendees. In four out of the seven studies, having on-site providers was associated with a lower rate of ambulance transports. The highest frequencies of noncommunicable presentations were headaches, abdominal complaints, and abrasions/lacerations. Most presentations were minor. Emergent cases requiring hospitalization (such as acute myocardial infarction) were rare. The rate of noncommunicable health issues varies across events and very serious emergencies are rare.

Big data in psychology: Introduction to the special issue.

PubMed

Harlow, Lisa L; Oswald, Frederick L

2016-12-01

The introduction to this special issue on psychological research involving big data summarizes the highlights of 10 articles that address a number of important and inspiring perspectives, issues, and applications. Four common themes that emerge in the articles with respect to psychological research conducted in the area of big data are mentioned, including: (a) The benefits of collaboration across disciplines, such as those in the social sciences, applied statistics, and computer science. Doing so assists in grounding big data research in sound theory and practice, as well as in affording effective data retrieval and analysis. (b) Availability of large data sets on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites that provide a psychological window into the attitudes and behaviors of a broad spectrum of the population. (c) Identifying, addressing, and being sensitive to ethical considerations when analyzing large data sets gained from public or private sources. (d) The unavoidable necessity of validating predictive models in big data by applying a model developed on 1 dataset to a separate set of data or hold-out sample. Translational abstracts that summarize the articles in very clear and understandable terms are included in Appendix A, and a glossary of terms relevant to big data research discussed in the articles is presented in Appendix B. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

The Resource Identification Initiative: A cultural shift in publishing.

PubMed

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

2015-01-01

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

The Resource Identification Initiative: a cultural shift in publishing.

PubMed

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

2016-01-01

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

The Resource Identification Initiative: A Cultural Shift in Publishing.

PubMed

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

2016-01-01

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

The Resource Identification Initiative: A cultural shift in publishing

DOE PAGES

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

2015-05-29

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

The Resource Identification Initiative: A cultural shift in publishing

PubMed Central

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

2015-01-01

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

The Resource Identification Initiative: A cultural shift in publishing

PubMed Central

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

2016-01-01

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

The Resource Identification Initiative: A Cultural Shift in Publishing.

PubMed

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

2016-04-01

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

The Resource Identification Initiative: A cultural shift in publishing

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

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

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

'Failure to fail' in nursing - A catch phrase or a real issue? A systematic integrative literature review.

PubMed

Hughes, Lynda J; Mitchell, Marion; Johnston, Amy N B

2016-09-01

'Failure to fail' is the allocation of pass grades to nursing students who do not display satisfactory clinical performance. This issue can have significant implications for individual students and assessors involved, as well as for nursing professionalism and patient safety. The aim of this systematic integrative literature review was to determine what is currently known about the issue of 'failure to fail' within undergraduate nursing programs. A literature search of five databases up to May 2015 was conducted to identify primary research papers. The search yielded 169 papers of which 24 met the inclusion criteria. The majority of papers had moderate or good methodological rigour, with most of the literature originating from the Northern Hemisphere. Five main themes emerged: failing a student is difficult; an emotional experience; confidence is required; unsafe student characteristics; and university support is required to fail students. The results suggest that 'failure to fail' is a real issue in tertiary facilities, with many complex facets. Given the costs of nurse education and the potential social and professional costs of poor quality nursing graduates, further rigorous research is required in this area. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Launching the Greek forensic DNA database. The legal framework and arising ethical issues.

PubMed

Voultsos, Polychronis; Njau, Samuel; Tairis, Nikolaos; Psaroulis, Dimitrios; Kovatsi, Leda

2011-11-01

Since the creation of the first national DNA database in Europe in 1995, many European countries have legislated laws for initiating and regulating their own databases. The Greek government legislated a law in 2008, by which the National DNA Database of Greece was founded and regulated. According to this law, only DNA profiles from convicted criminals were recorded. Nevertheless, a year later, in 2009, the law was amended to permit the creation of an expanded database including innocent people and children. Unfortunately, the new law is very vague in many aspects and does not respect the principle of proportionality. Therefore, according to our opinion, it will soon need to be re-amended. Furthermore, prior to legislating the new law, there was no debate with the community itself in order to clarify what system would best suit Greece and what the citizens would be willing to accept. We present the current legal framework in Greece, we highlight issues that need to be clarified and we discuss possible ethical issues that may arise. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

QuakeML - An XML Schema for Seismology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyss, A.; Schorlemmer, D.; Maraini, S.; Baer, M.; Wiemer, S.

2004-12-01

We propose an extensible format-definition for seismic data (QuakeML). Sharing data and seismic information efficiently is one of the most important issues for research and observational seismology in the future. The eXtensible Markup Language (XML) is playing an increasingly important role in the exchange of a variety of data. Due to its extensible definition capabilities, its wide acceptance and the existing large number of utilities and libraries for XML, a structured representation of various types of seismological data should in our opinion be developed by defining a 'QuakeML' standard. Here we present the QuakeML definitions for parameter databases and further efforts, e.g. a central QuakeML catalog database and a web portal for exchanging codes and stylesheets.

Automating Relational Database Design for Microcomputer Users.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pu, Hao-Che

1991-01-01

Discusses issues involved in automating the relational database design process for microcomputer users and presents a prototype of a microcomputer-based system (RA, Relation Assistant) that is based on expert systems technology and helps avoid database maintenance problems. Relational database design is explained and the importance of easy input…

Review of work-related stress in mainland Chinese nurses.

PubMed

Zeng, Yingchun

2009-03-01

The aim of this review was to identify the specific work-related stressors of mainland Chinese nurses and to present the current state of stress research in order to discuss directions for further research. A literature search from January 2000 to June 2007 was conducted among three electronic databases. The specific stressors among Chinese nurses were effort-reward imbalance, the poor image of nursing in the community, and managerial issues. The studies were limited to either descriptive or correlation designs, a variety of stress scales were used to investigate the nurses' work-related stressors, and there were no published studies reporting stress management interventions for Chinese nurses. This review highlights that further stress research targeted to Chinese nurses needs more prospective and longitudinal studies and has to develop a consistent instrument to measure stressors. The priority issue is the initiation of stress management interventions to improve nurses' coping skills, while the long-term goal is to reduce the level of stress or eliminate the stressors through individual, organizational, and societal interventions.

Legal assessment tool (LAT): an interactive tool to address privacy and data protection issues for data sharing.

PubMed

Kuchinke, Wolfgang; Krauth, Christian; Bergmann, René; Karakoyun, Töresin; Woollard, Astrid; Schluender, Irene; Braasch, Benjamin; Eckert, Martin; Ohmann, Christian

2016-07-07

In an unprecedented rate data in the life sciences is generated and stored in many different databases. An ever increasing part of this data is human health data and therefore falls under data protected by legal regulations. As part of the BioMedBridges project, which created infrastructures that connect more than 10 ESFRI research infrastructures (RI), the legal and ethical prerequisites of data sharing were examined employing a novel and pragmatic approach. We employed concepts from computer science to create legal requirement clusters that enable legal interoperability between databases for the areas of data protection, data security, Intellectual Property (IP) and security of biosample data. We analysed and extracted access rules and constraints from all data providers (databases) involved in the building of data bridges covering many of Europe's most important databases. These requirement clusters were applied to five usage scenarios representing the data flow in different data bridges: Image bridge, Phenotype data bridge, Personalised medicine data bridge, Structural data bridge, and Biosample data bridge. A matrix was built to relate the important concepts from data protection regulations (e.g. pseudonymisation, identifyability, access control, consent management) with the results of the requirement clusters. An interactive user interface for querying the matrix for requirements necessary for compliant data sharing was created. To guide researchers without the need for legal expert knowledge through legal requirements, an interactive tool, the Legal Assessment Tool (LAT), was developed. LAT provides researchers interactively with a selection process to characterise the involved types of data and databases and provides suitable requirements and recommendations for concrete data access and sharing situations. The results provided by LAT are based on an analysis of the data access and sharing conditions for different kinds of data of major databases in Europe. Data sharing for research purposes must be opened for human health data and LAT is one of the means to achieve this aim. In summary, LAT provides requirements in an interactive way for compliant data access and sharing with appropriate safeguards, restrictions and responsibilities by introducing a culture of responsibility and data governance when dealing with human data.

A review of affecting factors on sexual satisfaction in women.

PubMed

Shahhosseini, Zohreh; Gardeshi, Zeinab Hamzeh; Pourasghar, Mehdi; Salehi, Fariba

2014-12-01

Sex is a complex, important and sensitive issue in human being and interwoven with the whole of human existence. Given the serious changes in attitude, function and behavior in sex, the need to address sexual function, especially sexual satisfaction, is felt completely. Sexual satisfaction has a very important role in creating marital satisfaction and any defect in sexual satisfaction is significantly associated with risky sexual behaviors, serious mental illness, social crimes and ultimately divorce. The aim of this study was to explore affecting factors on sexual satisfaction in women based on an overview in scientific database. In this narrative review the researchers searched MEDLINE database, Google Scholar and Science Direct as well as Persian database like Scientific Information Database with search terms of sexual satisfaction and sexual function, restricted to English/ Persian language, during the 20 years ago. Then those articles written by renowned experts were selected. In this regard, 57 articles have been reviewed, which 30 articles related to this research have been extracted. The findings were divided in to four categories including: Demographic factors, Pathophysiological factors, Psychological factors and Sociocultural factors. Sexuality, especially sexual intimacy is sophisticated and yet elegant affair that the other persons has different definitions and different functions. Discrepancies in the results of the studies show that analysis of factors affecting sexual satisfaction regardless of the women's' sociocultural context, religious beliefs, and personal attitudes is undoubtedly inefficient, unscientific and irrational.

The work-family interface: A retrospective look at 20 years of research in JOHP.

PubMed

Allen, Tammy D; Martin, Angela

2017-07-01

As part of the 20th anniversary celebration for the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology (JOHP), this article reviews the literature on work-family with a special emphasis on research published in JOHP and that with health-related implications. We provide a retrospective overview of work-family research, tracing key papers and major theoretical constructs and themes. We examine the research needs identified by Westman and Piotrkowski (1999) and offer an assessment of the extent that work-family research has addressed those needs. Then we move on to discuss contemporary issues in the field today that constitute directions for future research. Specifically we discuss intervention studies, multilevel approaches, temporality and dynamic change, managerial perspectives, and diverse work settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Toolsets for Airborne Data (TAD): Customized Data Merging Function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benson, A.; Peeters, M. C.; Perez, J.; Parker, L.; Chen, G.

2013-12-01

NASA has conducted airborne tropospheric chemistry studies for about three decades. These field campaigns have generated a great wealth of observations, including a wide range of the trace gases and aerosol properties. The ASDC Toolset for Airborne Data (TAD) is being designed to meet the user community needs for manipulating aircraft data for scientific research on climate change and air quality relevant issues. Prior to the actual toolset development, a comprehensive metadata database was created to compensate for the absence of standardization of the ICARTT data format in which the data is stored. This database tracks the Principal Investigator-provided metadata, and links the measurement variables to a common naming system that was developed as a part of this project. This database is used by the data merging module. Most aircraft data reported during a single flight is not on a consistent time base and is difficult to intercompare. This module provides the user with the ability to merge original data measurements from multiple data providers into a specified time interval or common time base. The database development, common naming scheme and data merge module development will be presented.

The Precision Medicine Initiative's All of Us Research Program: an agenda for research on its ethical, legal, and social issues.

PubMed

Sankar, Pamela L; Parker, Lisa S

2017-07-01

The Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) is an innovative approach to developing a new model of health care that takes into account individual differences in people's genes, environments, and lifestyles. A cornerstone of the initiative is the PMI All of Us Research Program (formerly known as PMI-Cohort Program) which will create a cohort of 1 million volunteers who will contribute their health data and biospecimens to a centralized national database to support precision medicine research. The PMI All of US Research Program is the largest longitudinal study in the history of the United States. The designers of the Program anticipated and addressed some of the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) associated with the initiative. To date, however, there is no plan to call for research regarding ELSI associated with the Program-PMI All of Us program. Based on analysis of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcements for the PMI All of Us program, we have identified three ELSI themes: cohort diversity and health disparities, participant engagement, and privacy and security. We review All of Us Research Program plans to address these issues and then identify additional ELSI within each domain that warrant ongoing investigation as the All of Us Research Program develops. We conclude that PMI's All of Us Research Program represents a significant opportunity and obligation to identify, analyze, and respond to ELSI, and we call on the PMI to initiate a research program capable of taking on these challenges.Genet Med advance online publication 01 December 2016.

Ethical and methodological issues in qualitative health research involving children: A systematic review.

PubMed

Huang, Xiaoyan; O'Connor, Margaret; Ke, Li-Shan; Lee, Susan

2016-05-01

The right of children to have their voice heard has been accepted by researchers, and there are increasing numbers of qualitative health studies involving children. The ethical and methodological issues of including children in research have caused worldwide concerns, and many researchers have published articles sharing their own experiences. To systematically review and synthesise experts' opinions and experiences about ethical and methodological issues of including children in research, as well as related solution strategies. The research design was a systematic review of opinion-based evidence, based on the guidelines by Joanna Briggs Institute. A search of five computerised databases has been conducted in April 2014 and 2271 articles were found. After screening the titles, abstracts, full texts and appraising the quality, 30 articles were finally included in the review. A meta-aggregative approach was applied in the data analysis and synthesis process. Ethical approval is not needed as it is a systematic review of published literature. Six themes were identified, including evaluating potential risks and benefits, gaining access, obtaining informed consent/assent, protecting confidentiality and privacy, building rapport and collecting rich data. The similarities and differences between research involving children and that involving adults were indicated. All potential incentives should be justified when designing the study. Further studies need to research how to evaluate individual capacity of children and how to balance protecting children's right to participate and their interests in the research. Cultural differences related to researching children in different regions should also be studied. © The Author(s) 2014.

The Adoption of Cloud Computing in the Field of Genomics Research: The Influence of Ethical and Legal Issues.

PubMed

Charlebois, Kathleen; Palmour, Nicole; Knoppers, Bartha Maria

2016-01-01

This study aims to understand the influence of the ethical and legal issues on cloud computing adoption in the field of genomics research. To do so, we adapted Diffusion of Innovation (DoI) theory to enable understanding of how key stakeholders manage the various ethical and legal issues they encounter when adopting cloud computing. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with genomics researchers, patient advocates and cloud service providers. Thematic analysis generated five major themes: 1) Getting comfortable with cloud computing; 2) Weighing the advantages and the risks of cloud computing; 3) Reconciling cloud computing with data privacy; 4) Maintaining trust and 5) Anticipating the cloud by creating the conditions for cloud adoption. Our analysis highlights the tendency among genomics researchers to gradually adopt cloud technology. Efforts made by cloud service providers to promote cloud computing adoption are confronted by researchers' perpetual cost and security concerns, along with a lack of familiarity with the technology. Further underlying those fears are researchers' legal responsibility with respect to the data that is stored on the cloud. Alternative consent mechanisms aimed at increasing patients' control over the use of their data also provide a means to circumvent various institutional and jurisdictional hurdles that restrict access by creating siloed databases. However, the risk of creating new, cloud-based silos may run counter to the goal in genomics research to increase data sharing on a global scale.

Harnessing the wealth of Chinese scientific literature: schistosomiasis research and control in China

PubMed Central

Liu, Qin; Tian, Li-Guang; Xiao, Shu-Hua; Qi, Zhen; Steinmann, Peter; Mak, Tippi K; Utzinger, Jürg; Zhou, Xiao-Nong

2008-01-01

The economy of China continues to boom and so have its biomedical research and related publishing activities. Several so-called neglected tropical diseases that are most common in the developing world are still rampant or even emerging in some parts of China. The purpose of this article is to document the significant research potential from the Chinese biomedical bibliographic databases. The research contributions from China in the epidemiology and control of schistosomiasis provide an excellent illustration. We searched two widely used databases, namely China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and VIP Information (VIP). Employing the keyword "Schistosoma" () and covering the period 1990–2006, we obtained 10,244 hits in the CNKI database and 5,975 in VIP. We examined 10 Chinese biomedical journals that published the highest number of original research articles on schistosomiasis for issues including languages and open access. Although most of the journals are published in Chinese, English abstracts are usually available. Open access to full articles was available in China Tropical Medicine in 2005/2006 and is granted by the Chinese Journal of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases since 2003; none of the other journals examined offered open access. We reviewed (i) the discovery and development of antischistosomal drugs, (ii) the progress made with molluscicides and (iii) environmental management for schistosomiasis control in China over the past 20 years. In conclusion, significant research is published in the Chinese literature, which is relevant for local control measures and global scientific knowledge. Open access should be encouraged and language barriers removed so the wealth of Chinese research can be more fully appreciated by the scientific community. PMID:18826598

Technologies to Support Community-Dwelling Persons With Dementia: A Position Paper on Issues Regarding Development, Usability, Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness, Deployment, and Ethics

PubMed Central

Innes, Anthea; Mountain, Gail; Robinson, Louise; van der Roest, Henriëtte; García-Casal, J Antonio; Gove, Dianne; Thyrian, Jochen René; Evans, Shirley; Dröes, Rose-Marie; Kelly, Fiona; Kurz, Alexander; Casey, Dympna; Szcześniak, Dorota; Dening, Tom; Craven, Michael P; Span, Marijke; Felzmann, Heike; Tsolaki, Magda; Franco-Martin, Manuel

2017-01-01

Background With the expected increase in the numbers of persons with dementia, providing timely, adequate, and affordable care and support is challenging. Assistive and health technologies may be a valuable contribution in dementia care, but new challenges may emerge. Objective The aim of our study was to review the state of the art of technologies for persons with dementia regarding issues on development, usability, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, deployment, and ethics in 3 fields of application of technologies: (1) support with managing everyday life, (2) support with participating in pleasurable and meaningful activities, and (3) support with dementia health and social care provision. The study also aimed to identify gaps in the evidence and challenges for future research. Methods Reviews of literature and expert opinions were used in our study. Literature searches were conducted on usability, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, and ethics using PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases with no time limit. Selection criteria in our selected technology fields were reviews in English for community-dwelling persons with dementia. Regarding deployment issues, searches were done in Health Technology Assessment databases. Results According to our results, persons with dementia want to be included in the development of technologies; there is little research on the usability of assistive technologies; various benefits are reported but are mainly based on low-quality studies; barriers to deployment of technologies in dementia care were identified, and ethical issues were raised by researchers but often not studied. Many challenges remain such as including the target group more often in development, performing more high-quality studies on usability and effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, creating and having access to high-quality datasets on existing technologies to enable adequate deployment of technologies in dementia care, and ensuring that ethical issues are considered an important topic for researchers to include in their evaluation of assistive technologies. Conclusions Based on these findings, various actions are recommended for development, usability, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, deployment, and ethics of assistive and health technologies across Europe. These include avoiding replication of technology development that is unhelpful or ineffective and focusing on how technologies succeed in addressing individual needs of persons with dementia. Furthermore, it is suggested to include these recommendations in national and international calls for funding and assistive technology research programs. Finally, practitioners, policy makers, care insurers, and care providers should work together with technology enterprises and researchers to prepare strategies for the implementation of assistive technologies in different care settings. This may help future generations of persons with dementia to utilize available and affordable technologies and, ultimately, to benefit from them. PMID:28582262

Resource-use measurement based on patient recall: issues and challenges for economic evaluation.

PubMed

Thorn, Joanna C; Coast, Joanna; Cohen, David; Hollingworth, William; Knapp, Martin; Noble, Sian M; Ridyard, Colin; Wordsworth, Sarah; Hughes, Dyfrig

2013-06-01

Accurate resource-use measurement is challenging within an economic evaluation, but is a fundamental requirement for estimating efficiency. Considerable research effort has been concentrated on the appropriate measurement of outcomes and the policy implications of economic evaluation, while methods for resource-use measurement have been relatively neglected. Recently, the Database of Instruments for Resource Use Measurement (DIRUM) was set up at http://www.dirum.org to provide a repository where researchers can share resource-use measures and methods. A workshop to discuss the issues was held at the University of Birmingham in October 2011. Based on material presented at the workshop, this article highlights the state of the art of UK instruments for resource-use data collection based on patient recall. We consider methodological issues in the design and analysis of resource-use instruments, and the challenges associated with designing new questionnaires. We suggest a method of developing a good practice guideline, and identify some areas for future research. Consensus amongst health economists has yet to be reached on many aspects of resource-use measurement. We argue that researchers should now afford costing methodologies the same attention as outcome measurement, and we hope that this Current Opinion article will stimulate a debate on methods of resource-use data collection and establish a research agenda to improve the precision and accuracy of resource-use estimates.

"Hyperstat": an educational and working tool in epidemiology.

PubMed

Nicolosi, A

1995-01-01

The work of a researcher in epidemiology is based on studying literature, planning studies, gathering data, analyzing data and writing results. Therefore he has need for performing, more or less, simple calculations, the need for consulting or quoting literature, the need for consulting textbooks about certain issues or procedures, and the need for looking at a specific formula. There are no programs conceived as a workstation to assist the different aspects of researcher work in an integrated fashion. A hypertextual system was developed which supports different stages of the epidemiologist's work. It combines database management, statistical analysis or planning, and literature searches. The software was developed on Apple Macintosh by using Hypercard 2.1 as a database and HyperTalk as a programming language. The program is structured in 7 "stacks" or files: Procedures; Statistical Tables; Graphs; References; Text; Formulas; Help. Each stack has its own management system with an automated Table of Contents. Stacks contain "cards" which make up the databases and carry executable programs. The programs are of four kinds: association; statistical procedure; formatting (input/output); database management. The system performs general statistical procedures, procedures applicable to epidemiological studies only (follow-up and case-control), and procedures for clinical trials. All commands are given by clicking the mouse on self-explanatory "buttons". In order to perform calculations, the user only needs to enter the data into the appropriate cells and then click on the selected procedure's button. The system has a hypertextual structure. The user can go from a procedure to other cards following the preferred order of succession and according to built-in associations. The user can access different levels of knowledge or information from any stack he is consulting or operating. From every card, the user can go to a selected procedure to perform statistical calculations, to the reference database management system, to the textbook in which all procedures and issues are discussed in detail, to the database of statistical formulas with automated table of contents, to statistical tables with automated table of contents, or to the help module. he program has a very user-friendly interface and leaves the user free to use the same format he would use on paper. The interface does not require special skills. It reflects the Macintosh philosophy of using windows, buttons and mouse. This allows the user to perform complicated calculations without losing the "feel" of data, weight alternatives, and simulations. This program shares many features in common with hypertexts. It has an underlying network database where the nodes consist of text, graphics, executable procedures, and combinations of these; the nodes in the database correspond to windows on the screen; the links between the nodes in the database are visible as "active" text or icons in the windows; the text is read by following links and opening new windows. The program is especially useful as an educational tool, directed to medical and epidemiology students. The combination of computing capabilities with a textbook and databases of formulas and literature references, makes the program versatile and attractive as a learning tool. The program is also helpful in the work done at the desk, where the researcher examines results, consults literature, explores different analytic approaches, plans new studies, or writes grant proposals or scientific articles.

Petition Requesting the Admistrator to Object to Title V Operating Permit Issued to Noranda Alumina

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

King Finishing, Order Granting Remanded Issue on Petition to Object to Title V Operating Permit

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Citizen Petition to Reopen and Operating Permit Issued to the Conesville Power Plant

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

March 10, 2003 Petition Seeking the Administrator to Issue a Notice of Deficiency to Illinois

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

December 16, 2002 Petition Requesting that the Administrator Issue a Notice of Deficiency to Wisconsin

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Construction of a century solar chromosphere data set for solar activity related research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Ganghua; Wang, Xiao Fan; Yang, Xiao; Liu, Suo; Zhang, Mei; Wang, Haimin; Liu, Chang; Xu, Yan; Tlatov, Andrey; Demidov, Mihail; Borovik, Aleksandr; Golovko, Aleksey

2017-06-01

This article introduces our ongoing project "Construction of a Century Solar Chromosphere Data Set for Solar Activity Related Research". Solar activities are the major sources of space weather that affects human lives. Some of the serious space weather consequences, for instance, include interruption of space communication and navigation, compromising the safety of astronauts and satellites, and damaging power grids. Therefore, the solar activity research has both scientific and social impacts. The major database is built up from digitized and standardized film data obtained by several observatories around the world and covers a time span of more than 100 years. After careful calibration, we will develop feature extraction and data mining tools and provide them together with the comprehensive database for the astronomical community. Our final goal is to address several physical issues: filament behavior in solar cycles, abnormal behavior of solar cycle 24, large-scale solar eruptions, and sympathetic remote brightenings. Significant signs of progress are expected in data mining algorithms and software development, which will benefit the scientific analysis and eventually advance our understanding of solar cycles.

Reducing barriers to mental health care for student-athletes: An integrated care model.

PubMed

Sudano, Laura E; Collins, Greg; Miles, Christopher M

2017-03-01

Research suggests that National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I student-athletes have higher levels of stress and other behavioral health issues, including substance use, than nonathletes. For several reasons, student-athletes may be less likely to admit to behavioral health issues and seek mental health care. Integrated care is a model of care that integrates behavioral health into a medical practice. This article explores the newly released NCAA Best Mental Health Practice guidelines and the application of integrated care to a Division I athletic training room setting using the three-worldview framework for successful integration, incorporating clinical outcomes, operational reliability, and financial stability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

A Systematic Review of Mixed Methods Research on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care

PubMed Central

Carayon, Pascale; Kianfar, Sarah; Li, Yaqiong; Xie, Anping; Alyousef, Bashar; Wooldridge, Abigail

2016-01-01

This systematic literature review provides information on the use of mixed methods research in human factors and ergonomics (HFE) research in health care. Using the PRISMA methodology, we searched four databases (PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and Engineering Village) for studies that met the following inclusion criteria: (1) field study in health care, (2) mixing of qualitative and quantitative data, (3) HFE issues, and (4) empirical evidence. Using an iterative and collaborative process supported by a structured data collection form, the six authors identified a total of 58 studies that primarily address HFE issues in health information technology (e.g., usability) and in the work of healthcare workers. About two-thirds of the mixed methods studies used the convergent parallel study design where quantitative and qualitative data were collected simultaneously. A variety of methods were used for collecting data, including interview, survey and observation. The most frequent combination involved interview for qualitative data and survey for quantitative data. The use of mixed methods in healthcare HFE research has increased over time. However, increasing attention should be paid to the formal literature on mixed methods research to enhance the depth and breadth of this research. PMID:26154228

Physics through the 1990s: An overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The volume details the interaction of physics and society, and presents a short summary of the progress in the major fields of physics and a summary of the other seven volumes of the Physics through the 1990s series, issues and recommended policy changes are described regarding funding, education, industry participation, small-group university research and large facility programs, government agency programs, and computer database needs. Three supplements report in detail on international issues in physics (the US position in the field, international cooperation and competition-especially on large projects, freedom for scientists, free flow of information, and education of foreign students), the education and supply of physicists (the changes in US physics education, employment and manpower, and demographics of the field), and the organization and support of physics (government, university, and industry research; facilities; national laboratories; and decision making). An executive summary contains recommendations for maintaining excellence in physics. A glossary of scientific terms is appended.

Gaining insights from social media language: Methodologies and challenges.

PubMed

Kern, Margaret L; Park, Gregory; Eichstaedt, Johannes C; Schwartz, H Andrew; Sap, Maarten; Smith, Laura K; Ungar, Lyle H

2016-12-01

Language data available through social media provide opportunities to study people at an unprecedented scale. However, little guidance is available to psychologists who want to enter this area of research. Drawing on tools and techniques developed in natural language processing, we first introduce psychologists to social media language research, identifying descriptive and predictive analyses that language data allow. Second, we describe how raw language data can be accessed and quantified for inclusion in subsequent analyses, exploring personality as expressed on Facebook to illustrate. Third, we highlight challenges and issues to be considered, including accessing and processing the data, interpreting effects, and ethical issues. Social media has become a valuable part of social life, and there is much we can learn by bringing together the tools of computer science with the theories and insights of psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

An Informatics Blueprint for Healthcare Quality Information Systems

PubMed Central

Niland, Joyce C.; Rouse, Layla; Stahl, Douglas C.

2006-01-01

There is a critical gap in our nation's ability to accurately measure and manage the quality of medical care. A robust healthcare quality information system (HQIS) has the potential to address this deficiency through the capture, codification, and analysis of information about patient treatments and related outcomes. Because non-technical issues often present the greatest challenges, this paper provides an overview of these socio-technical issues in building a successful HQIS, including the human, organizational, and knowledge management (KM) perspectives. Through an extensive literature review and direct experience in building a practical HQIS (the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Outcomes Research Database system), we have formulated an “informatics blueprint” to guide the development of such systems. While the blueprint was developed to facilitate healthcare quality information collection, management, analysis, and reporting, the concepts and advice provided may be extensible to the development of other types of clinical research information systems. PMID:16622161

How do older people discuss their own sexuality? A systematic review of qualitative research studies.

PubMed

Gewirtz-Meydan, Ateret; Hafford-Letchfield, Trish; Ayalon, Liat; Benyamini, Yael; Biermann, Violetta; Coffey, Alice; Jackson, Jeanne; Phelan, Amanda; Voß, Peggy; Geiger Zeman, Marija; Zeman, Zdenko

2018-06-04

This study captured older people's attitudes and concerns about sex and sexuality in later life by synthesising qualitative research published on this issue. The systematic review was conducted between November 2015 and June 2016 based on a pre-determined protocol. Key words were used to ensure a precise search strategy. Empirically based, qualitative literature from 18 databases was found. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. Thomas and Harden's thematic synthesis was used to generate 'analytical themes' which summarise this body of literature. Three main themes were identified: (a) social legitimacy for sexuality in later life; (b) health, not age, is what truly impacts sexuality, and (c) the hegemony of penetrative sex. The themes illustrate the complex and delicate relation between ageing and sexuality. Older adults facing health issues that affect sexual function adopt broader definitions of sexuality and sexual activity.

Annual Review of Database Developments: 1993.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basch, Reva

1993-01-01

Reviews developments in the database industry for 1993. Topics addressed include scientific and technical information; environmental issues; social sciences; legal information; business and marketing; news services; documentation; databases and document delivery; electronic bulletin boards and the Internet; and information industry organizational…

Final Draft of RACER Audit

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

Paige, Karen Schultz; Gomez, Penelope E.

This document describes the approach Waste and Environmental Services - Environmental Data and Analysis plans to take to resolve the issues presented in a recent audit of the WES-EDA Environmental Database relative to the RACER database. A majority of the issues discovered in the audit will be resolved in May 2011 when the WES-EDA Environmental Database, along with other LANL databases, are integrated and moved to a new vendor providing an Environmental Information Management (EIM) system that allows reporting capabilities for all users directly from the database. The EIM system will reside in a publicly accessible LANL cloud-based software system.more » When this transition occurs, the data quality, completeness, and access will change significantly. In the remainder of this document, this new structure will be referred to as the LANL Cloud System In general, our plan is to address the issues brought up in this audit in three ways: (1) Data quality issues such as units and detection status, which impinge upon data usability, will be resolved as soon possible so that data quality is maintained. (2) Issues requiring data cleanup, such as look up tables, legacy data, locations, codes, and significant data discrepancies, will be addressed as resources permit. (3) Issues associated with data feed problems will be eliminated by the LANL Cloud System, because there will be no data feed. As discussed in the paragraph above, in the future the data will reside in a publicly accessible system. Note that report writers may choose to convert, adapt, or simplify the information they receive officially through our data base, thereby introducing data discrepancies between the data base and the public report. It is not always possible to incorporate and/or correct these errors when they occur. Issues in the audit will be discussed in the order in which they are presented in the audit report. Clarifications will also be noted as the audit report was a draft document, at the time of this response.« less

The Lung Image Database Consortium (LIDC) and Image Database Resource Initiative (IDRI): A Completed Reference Database of Lung Nodules on CT Scans

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

NONE

2011-02-15

Purpose: The development of computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) methods for lung nodule detection, classification, and quantitative assessment can be facilitated through a well-characterized repository of computed tomography (CT) scans. The Lung Image Database Consortium (LIDC) and Image Database Resource Initiative (IDRI) completed such a database, establishing a publicly available reference for the medical imaging research community. Initiated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), further advanced by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), and accompanied by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through active participation, this public-private partnership demonstrates the success of a consortium founded on a consensus-based process.more » Methods: Seven academic centers and eight medical imaging companies collaborated to identify, address, and resolve challenging organizational, technical, and clinical issues to provide a solid foundation for a robust database. The LIDC/IDRI Database contains 1018 cases, each of which includes images from a clinical thoracic CT scan and an associated XML file that records the results of a two-phase image annotation process performed by four experienced thoracic radiologists. In the initial blinded-read phase, each radiologist independently reviewed each CT scan and marked lesions belonging to one of three categories (''nodule{>=}3 mm,''''nodule<3 mm,'' and ''non-nodule{>=}3 mm''). In the subsequent unblinded-read phase, each radiologist independently reviewed their own marks along with the anonymized marks of the three other radiologists to render a final opinion. The goal of this process was to identify as completely as possible all lung nodules in each CT scan without requiring forced consensus. Results: The Database contains 7371 lesions marked ''nodule'' by at least one radiologist. 2669 of these lesions were marked ''nodule{>=}3 mm'' by at least one radiologist, of which 928 (34.7%) received such marks from all four radiologists. These 2669 lesions include nodule outlines and subjective nodule characteristic ratings. Conclusions: The LIDC/IDRI Database is expected to provide an essential medical imaging research resource to spur CAD development, validation, and dissemination in clinical practice.« less

Psychotherapy training: Suggestions for core ingredients and future research.

PubMed

Boswell, James F; Castonguay, Louis G

2007-12-01

Despite our considerable depth and breadth of empirical knowledge on psychotherapy process and outcome, research on psychotherapy training is somewhat lacking. We would argue, however, that the scientist-practitioner model should not only guide practice, but also the way our field approaches training. In this paper we outline our perspective on the crucial elements of psychotherapy training based on available evidence, theory, and clinical experience, focusing specifically on the structure, key components, and important skills to be learned in a successful training program. In addition, we derive specific research directions based on the crucial elements of our proposed training perspective, and offer general considerations for research on training, including method and measurement issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of Personalized Genomic Medicine Research: Current Literature and Suggestions for the Future.

PubMed

Callier, Shawneequa L; Abudu, Rachel; Mehlman, Maxwell J; Singer, Mendel E; Neuhauser, Duncan; Caga-Anan, Charlisse; Wiesner, Georgia L

2016-11-01

This review identifies the prominent topics in the literature pertaining to the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) raised by research investigating personalized genomic medicine (PGM). The abstracts of 953 articles extracted from scholarly databases and published during a 5-year period (2008-2012) were reviewed. A total of 299 articles met our research criteria and were organized thematically to assess the representation of ELSI issues for stakeholders, health specialties, journals, and empirical studies. ELSI analyses were published in both scientific and ethics journals. Investigational research comprised 45% of the literature reviewed (135 articles) and the remaining 55% (164 articles) comprised normative analyses. Traditional ELSI concerns dominated the discourse including discussions about disclosure of research results. In fact, there was a dramatic increase in the number of articles focused on the disclosure of research results and incidental findings to research participants. Few papers focused on particular disorders, the use of racial categories in research, international communities, or special populations (e.g., adolescents, elderly patients, or ethnic groups). Considering that strategies in personalized medicine increasingly target individuals' unique health conditions, environments, and ancestries, further analysis is needed on how ELSI scholarship can better serve the increasingly global, interdisciplinary, and diverse PGM research community. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

NASA IMAGESEER: NASA IMAGEs for Science, Education, Experimentation and Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Le Moigne, Jacqueline; Grubb, Thomas G.; Milner, Barbara C.

2012-01-01

A number of web-accessible databases, including medical, military or other image data, offer universities and other users the ability to teach or research new Image Processing techniques on relevant and well-documented data. However, NASA images have traditionally been difficult for researchers to find, are often only available in hard-to-use formats, and do not always provide sufficient context and background for a non-NASA Scientist user to understand their content. The new IMAGESEER (IMAGEs for Science, Education, Experimentation and Research) database seeks to address these issues. Through a graphically-rich web site for browsing and downloading all of the selected datasets, benchmarks, and tutorials, IMAGESEER provides a widely accessible database of NASA-centric, easy to read, image data for teaching or validating new Image Processing algorithms. As such, IMAGESEER fosters collaboration between NASA and research organizations while simultaneously encouraging development of new and enhanced Image Processing algorithms. The first prototype includes a representative sampling of NASA multispectral and hyperspectral images from several Earth Science instruments, along with a few small tutorials. Image processing techniques are currently represented with cloud detection, image registration, and map cover/classification. For each technique, corresponding data are selected from four different geographic regions, i.e., mountains, urban, water coastal, and agriculture areas. Satellite images have been collected from several instruments - Landsat-5 and -7 Thematic Mappers, Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) Advanced Land Imager (ALI) and Hyperion, and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). After geo-registration, these images are available in simple common formats such as GeoTIFF and raw formats, along with associated benchmark data.

Report on Legal Protection for Databases. A Report of the Register of Copyrights. August, 1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Copyright Office.

This report gives an overview of the past and present domestic and international legal framework for database protection. It describes database industry practices in securing protection against unauthorized use and Copyright Office registration practices relating to databases. Finally, it discusses issues raised and concerns expressed in a series…

ADA perceived disability claims: a decision-tree analysis.

PubMed

Draper, William R; Hawley, Carolyn E; McMahon, Brian T; Reid, Christine A; Barbir, Lara A

2014-06-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the possible interactions of predictor variables pertaining to perceived disability claims contained in a large governmental database. Specifically, it is a retrospective analysis of US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) data for the entire population of workplace discrimination claims based on the "regarded as disabled" prong of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) definition of disability. The study utilized records extracted from a "master database" of over two million charges of workplace discrimination in the Integrated Mission System of the EEOC. This database includes all ADA-related discrimination allegations filed from July 26, 1992 through December 31, 2008. Chi squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) was employed to analyze interaction effects of relevant variables, such as issue (grievance) and industry type. The research question addressed by CHAID is: What combination of factors are associated with merit outcomes for people making ADA EEOC allegations who are "regarded as" having disabilities? The CHAID analysis shows how merit outcome is predicted by the interaction of relevant variables. Issue was found to be the most prominent variable in determining merit outcome, followed by industry type, but the picture is made more complex by qualifications regarding age and race data. Although discharge was the most frequent grievance among charging parties in the perceived disability group, its merit outcome was significantly less than that for the leading factor of hiring.

The Impact of Environment and Occupation on the Health and Safety of Active Duty Air Force Members - Database Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

Another coding issue was noticed in the gender/ sex field. Sixty-two SSNs were identified to have been coded as male and female in different files. Several...Air Force Research Laboratory 711th Human Performance Wing School of Aerospace Medicine Public Health & Preventive Medicine Dept Epidemiology...military report higher psychological strain than the general population [1] and significant work stress [2]. These stressors may manifest in health and

Managing Data in a GIS Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beltran, Maria; Yiasemis, Haris

1997-01-01

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computer-based system that enables capture, modeling, manipulation, retrieval, analysis and presentation of geographically referenced data. A GIS operates in a dynamic environment of spatial and temporal information. This information is held in a database like any other information system, but performance is more of an issue for a geographic database than a traditional database due to the nature of the data. What distinguishes a GIS from other information systems is the spatial and temporal dimensions of the data and the volume of data (several gigabytes). Most traditional information systems are usually based around tables and textual reports, whereas GIS requires the use of cartographic forms and other visualization techniques. Much of the data can be represented using computer graphics, but a GIS is not a graphics database. A graphical system is concerned with the manipulation and presentation of graphical objects whereas a GIS handles geographic objects that have not only spatial dimensions but non-visual, i e., attribute and components. Furthermore, the nature of the data on which a GIS operates makes the traditional relational database approach inadequate for retrieving data and answering queries that reference spatial data. The purpose of this paper is to describe the efficiency issues behind storage and retrieval of data within a GIS database. Section 2 gives a general background on GIS, and describes the issues involved in custom vs. commercial and hybrid vs. integrated geographic information systems. Section 3 describes the efficiency issues concerning the management of data within a GIS environment. The paper ends with a summary of the main concerns of this paper.

Evaluating the effect of database inflation in proteogenomic search on sensitive and reliable peptide identification.

PubMed

Li, Honglan; Joh, Yoon Sung; Kim, Hyunwoo; Paek, Eunok; Lee, Sang-Won; Hwang, Kyu-Baek

2016-12-22

Proteogenomics is a promising approach for various tasks ranging from gene annotation to cancer research. Databases for proteogenomic searches are often constructed by adding peptide sequences inferred from genomic or transcriptomic evidence to reference protein sequences. Such inflation of databases has potential of identifying novel peptides. However, it also raises concerns on sensitive and reliable peptide identification. Spurious peptides included in target databases may result in underestimated false discovery rate (FDR). On the other hand, inflation of decoy databases could decrease the sensitivity of peptide identification due to the increased number of high-scoring random hits. Although several studies have addressed these issues, widely applicable guidelines for sensitive and reliable proteogenomic search have hardly been available. To systematically evaluate the effect of database inflation in proteogenomic searches, we constructed a variety of real and simulated proteogenomic databases for yeast and human tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) data, respectively. Against these databases, we tested two popular database search tools with various approaches to search result validation: the target-decoy search strategy (with and without a refined scoring-metric) and a mixture model-based method. The effect of separate filtering of known and novel peptides was also examined. The results from real and simulated proteogenomic searches confirmed that separate filtering increases the sensitivity and reliability in proteogenomic search. However, no one method consistently identified the largest (or the smallest) number of novel peptides from real proteogenomic searches. We propose to use a set of search result validation methods with separate filtering, for sensitive and reliable identification of peptides in proteogenomic search.

A community effort to construct a gravity database for the United States and an associated Web portal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keller, Gordon R.; Hildenbrand, T.G.; Kucks, R.; Webring, M.; Briesacher, A.; Rujawitz, K.; Hittleman, A.M.; Roman, D.R.; Winester, D.; Aldouri, R.; Seeley, J.; Rasillo, J.; Torres, R.; Hinze, W. J.; Gates, A.; Kreinovich, V.; Salayandia, L.

2006-01-01

Potential field data (gravity and magnetic measurements) are both useful and costeffective tools for many geologic investigations. Significant amounts of these data are traditionally in the public domain. A new magnetic database for North America was released in 2002, and as a result, a cooperative effort between government agencies, industry, and universities to compile an upgraded digital gravity anomaly database, grid, and map for the conterminous United States was initiated and is the subject of this paper. This database is being crafted into a data system that is accessible through a Web portal. This data system features the database, software tools, and convenient access. The Web portal will enhance the quality and quantity of data contributed to the gravity database that will be a shared community resource. The system's totally digital nature ensures that it will be flexible so that it can grow and evolve as new data, processing procedures, and modeling and visualization tools become available. Another goal of this Web-based data system is facilitation of the efforts of researchers and students who wish to collect data from regions currently not represented adequately in the database. The primary goal of upgrading the United States gravity database and this data system is to provide more reliable data that support societal and scientific investigations of national importance. An additional motivation is the international intent to compile an enhanced North American gravity database, which is critical to understanding regional geologic features, the tectonic evolution of the continent, and other issues that cross national boundaries. ?? 2006 Geological Society of America. All rights reserved.

Development of a One-Stop Data Search and Discovery Engine using Ontologies for Semantic Mappings (HydroSeek)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piasecki, M.; Beran, B.

2007-12-01

Search engines have changed the way we see the Internet. The ability to find the information by just typing in keywords was a big contribution to the overall web experience. While the conventional search engine methodology worked well for textual documents, locating scientific data remains a problem since they are stored in databases not readily accessible by search engine bots. Considering different temporal, spatial and thematic coverage of different databases, especially for interdisciplinary research it is typically necessary to work with multiple data sources. These sources can be federal agencies which generally offer national coverage or regional sources which cover a smaller area with higher detail. However for a given geographic area of interest there often exists more than one database with relevant data. Thus being able to query multiple databases simultaneously is a desirable feature that would be tremendously useful for scientists. Development of such a search engine requires dealing with various heterogeneity issues. In scientific databases, systems often impose controlled vocabularies which ensure that they are generally homogeneous within themselves but are semantically heterogeneous when moving between different databases. This defines the boundaries of possible semantic related problems making it easier to solve than with the conventional search engines that deal with free text. We have developed a search engine that enables querying multiple data sources simultaneously and returns data in a standardized output despite the aforementioned heterogeneity issues between the underlying systems. This application relies mainly on metadata catalogs or indexing databases, ontologies and webservices with virtual globe and AJAX technologies for the graphical user interface. Users can trigger a search of dozens of different parameters over hundreds of thousands of stations from multiple agencies by providing a keyword, a spatial extent, i.e. a bounding box, and a temporal bracket. As part of this development we have also added an environment that allows users to do some of the semantic tagging, i.e. the linkage of a variable name (which can be anything they desire) to defined concepts in the ontology structure which in turn provides the backbone of the search engine.

Ethical Issues Raised by Private Practice Physiotherapy Are More Diverse than First Meets the Eye: Recommendations from a Literature Review

PubMed Central

Drolet, Marie-Josée; Williams-Jones, Bryn

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose: Physiotherapy in private practice differs from physiotherapy practised in a public setting in several ways, the most evident of which is the for-profit nature of private physiotherapy clinics; these differences can generate distinct and challenging ethical issues. The objectives of this article are to identify ethical issues encountered by physiotherapists in private practice settings and to identify potential solutions and recommendations to address these issues. Method: After a literature search of eight databases, 39 studies addressing ethical issues in a private practice context were analyzed. Results: A total of 25 ethical issues emerging from the included studies were classified into three main categories: (1) business and economic issues (e.g., conflicts of interests, inequity in a managed care context, lack of time affecting quality of care); (2) professional issues (e.g., professional autonomy, clinical judgment, treatment effectiveness, professional conduct); and (3) patients' rights and welfare issues (e.g., confidentiality, power asymmetries, paternalism vs. patient autonomy, informed consent). Recommendations as to how physiotherapists could better manage these issues were then identified and categorized. Conclusions: The physiotherapy community should reflect on the challenges raised by private practice so that professionals can be supported—through education, research, and good governance—in providing the best possible care for their patients. PMID:25931663

Copyright, the Internet, and Other Legal Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gasaway, Laura N.

1998-01-01

Copyright and other intellectual property issues have dominated discussions of legal issues surrounding the Internet. There are other issues of considerable importance that also attract attention. Five legal issues affecting the Internet are addressed: copyright, online service-provider liability, database protection, obscenity, and privacy. Cited…

A standardised graphic method for describing data privacy frameworks in primary care research using a flexible zone model.

PubMed

Kuchinke, Wolfgang; Ohmann, Christian; Verheij, Robert A; van Veen, Evert-Ben; Arvanitis, Theodoros N; Taweel, Adel; Delaney, Brendan C

2014-12-01

To develop a model describing core concepts and principles of data flow, data privacy and confidentiality, in a simple and flexible way, using concise process descriptions and a diagrammatic notation applied to research workflow processes. The model should help to generate robust data privacy frameworks for research done with patient data. Based on an exploration of EU legal requirements for data protection and privacy, data access policies, and existing privacy frameworks of research projects, basic concepts and common processes were extracted, described and incorporated into a model with a formal graphical representation and a standardised notation. The Unified Modelling Language (UML) notation was enriched by workflow and own symbols to enable the representation of extended data flow requirements, data privacy and data security requirements, privacy enhancing techniques (PET) and to allow privacy threat analysis for research scenarios. Our model is built upon the concept of three privacy zones (Care Zone, Non-care Zone and Research Zone) containing databases, data transformation operators, such as data linkers and privacy filters. Using these model components, a risk gradient for moving data from a zone of high risk for patient identification to a zone of low risk can be described. The model was applied to the analysis of data flows in several general clinical research use cases and two research scenarios from the TRANSFoRm project (e.g., finding patients for clinical research and linkage of databases). The model was validated by representing research done with the NIVEL Primary Care Database in the Netherlands. The model allows analysis of data privacy and confidentiality issues for research with patient data in a structured way and provides a framework to specify a privacy compliant data flow, to communicate privacy requirements and to identify weak points for an adequate implementation of data privacy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Which positive factors determine the GP satisfaction in clinical practice? A systematic literature review.

PubMed

Le Floch, B; Bastiaens, H; Le Reste, J Y; Lingner, H; Hoffman, R D; Czachowski, S; Assenova, R; Koskela, T H; Klemenc-Ketis, Z; Nabbe, P; Sowinska, A; Montier, T; Peremans, L

2016-09-13

Looking at what makes General Practitioners (GPs) happy in their profession, may be important in increasing the GP workforce in the future. The European General Practice Research Network (EGPRN) created a research team (eight national groups) in order to clarify the factors involved in GP job satisfaction throughout Europe. The first step of this study was a literature review to explore how the satisfaction of GPs had been studied before. The research question was "Which factors are related to GP satisfaction in Clinical Practice?" Systematic literature review according to the PRISMA statement. The databases searched were Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane. All articles were identified, screened and included by two separate research teams, according to inclusion or exclusion criteria. Then, a qualitative appraisal was undertaken. Next, a thematic analysis process was undertaken to capture any issue relevant to the research question. The number of records screened was 458. One hundred four were eligible. Finally, 17 articles were included. The data revealed 13 subthemes, which were grouped into three major themes for GP satisfaction. First there were general profession-related themes, applicable to many professions. A second group of issues related specifically to a GP setting. Finally, a third group was related to professional life and personal issues. A number of factors leading to GP job satisfaction, exist in literature They should be used by policy makers within Europe to increase the GP workforce. The research team needs to undertake qualitative studies to confirm or enhance those results.

Untapped ethical resources for neurodegeneration research

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The research community has a mandate to discover effective treatments for neurodegenerative disorders. The ethics landscape surrounding this mandate is in a constant state of flux, and ongoing challenges place ever greater demands on investigators to be accountable to the public and to answer questions about the implications of their work for health care, society, and policy. Methods We surveyed US-based investigators involved in neurodegenerative diseases research about how they value ethics-related issues, what motivates them to give consideration to those issues, and the barriers to doing so. Using the NIH CRISP database we identified 1,034 researchers with relevant, active grants and invited them to complete an online questionnaire. We received 193 responses. We used exploratory factor analysis to transform individual survey questions into a smaller set of factors, and linear regression to understand the effect of key variables of interest on the factor scores. Results Ethics-related issues clustered into two groups: research ethics and external influences. Heads of research groups viewed issues of research ethics to be more important than the other respondents. Concern about external influences was related to overall interest in ethics. Motivators clustered into five groups: ensuring public understanding, external forces, requirements, values, and press and public. Heads of research groups were more motivated to ensure public understanding of research than the other respondents. Barriers clustered into four groups: lack of resources, administrative burden, relevance to the research, and lack of interest. Perceived lack of ethics resources was a particular barrier for investigators working in drug discovery. Conclusions The data suggest that senior level neuroscientists working in the field of neurodegeneration (ND), and drug discovery specifically, are motivated to consider ethics issues related to their work, but the perceived lack of ethics resources thwarts their efforts. With bioethics centres at more than 50% of the institutions at which these respondents reside, the neuroscience and bioethics communities appear to be disconnected. Dedicated ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) programs, such as those fully integrated into genetics and regenerative medicine, provide models for achieving meaningful partnerships not yet adequately realized for scholars and trainees interested in drug discovery for ND. PMID:21635769

Knowledge Discovery in Databases.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norton, M. Jay

1999-01-01

Knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) revolves around the investigation and creation of knowledge, processes, algorithms, and mechanisms for retrieving knowledge from data collections. The article is an introductory overview of KDD. The rationale and environment of its development and applications are discussed. Issues related to database design…

Educator Sexual Misconduct and Texas Educator Discipline Database Construction.

PubMed

Robert, Catherine E; Thompson, David P

2018-05-24

The purpose of this research is to describe Texas educator sexual misconduct (ESM) by examining 8 years of sanctions issued to educators (N = 1415) for either sexual misconduct or inappropriate relationships with students or minors. We first examine Texas ESM from the perspective of quality database construction and then describe the demographic characteristics of educators sanctioned for ESM between 2008 and 2016. Differences in the demographic characteristics of educators sanctioned for ESM vary according to the definition of ESM employed by the state education agency. Younger and early career educators are more likely to engage in inappropriate relationships with students or minors, whereas older and later-career teachers are more likely to engage in sexual misconduct as that term is defined by the state education agency. Over one-third of educators sanctioned for ESM were either new to the profession or new to their school district when sanctioned. Recommendations are offered for database construction, policy, and practice.

Measuring health system resource use for economic evaluation: a comparison of data sources.

PubMed

Pollicino, Christine; Viney, Rosalie; Haas, Marion

2002-01-01

A key challenge for evaluators and health system planners is the identification, measurement and valuation of resource use for economic evaluation. Accurately capturing all significant resource use is particularly difficult in the Australian context where there is no comprehensive database from which researchers can draw. Evaluators and health system planners need to consider different approaches to data collection for estimating resource use for economic evaluation, and the relative merits of the different data sources available. This paper illustrates the issues that arise in using different data sources using a sub-sample of the data being collected for an economic evaluation. Specifically, it compares the use of Australia's largest administrative database on resource use, the Health Insurance Commission database, with the use of patient-supplied data. The extent of agreement and discrepancies between the two data sources is investigated. Findings from this study and recommendations as to how to deal with different data sources are presented.

77 FR 47492 - Thirteenth Meeting: RTCA Special Committee 217, Terrain and Airport Mapping Databases, Joint With...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-08

... Committee 217, Terrain and Airport Mapping Databases, Joint With EUROCAE WG-44 AGENCY: Federal Aviation... 217, Terrain and Airport Mapping Databases, Joint with EUROCAE WG-44. SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this... Mapping Databases, Joint with EUROCAE WG-44. DATES: The meeting will be held September 10-14, 2012, from 9...

Using assistive technology outcomes research to inform policy related to the employment of individuals with disabilities.

PubMed

Mendelsohn, Steven; Edyburn, Dave L; Rust, Kathy L; Schwanke, Todd D; Smith, Roger O

2008-01-01

We know that work is recognized as a central component of life for individuals with and without disabilities. It yields many physical and psychological benefits to the individual while simultaneously contributing numerous benefits to society. Lawmakers have enacted a plethora of laws designed to prevent discrimination, provide incentives for employers to hire individuals with disabilities, and facilitate job training/career preparation. Assistive technology figures prominently in disability employment law as a critical strategy for gaining access and supporting employment and upward mobility in the workplace. However, little systematic effort has been devoted to examining assistive technology use and outcomes as they relate to the employment of individuals with disabilities. The purpose of this article is to articulate a series of issues that permeate assistive technology outcome measurement in employment settings and subsequently affect the use of research knowledge for federal and state policy makers. For each issue, the authors pose three questions for critical analysis: Does the law compel the provision of assistive technology? Does outcome data play any part in the operation of the law? When it does, what kind of data would be useful to collect and where could it be found? Finally, the authors provide a brief glimpse of the current and future research efforts concerning the RSA-911 database. The recent database summaries exemplify the importance of such a national data collection system for informing federal policy, particularly concerning the contributions of assistive technology device use and services on improving the employment of individuals with disabilities.

Petition Requesting the Administrator Object to Operating Permits Issued to Consolidated Environmental Management, Inc./Nucor Steel Louisiana

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Order Responding to Petition Requesting the Administrator Object to Title V Permit Issued to Kentucky Syngas

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Petitior Requesting the Administrator Object to Operating Permit Issued to Consolidated Environmental Management, Inc./Nucor Steel

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Order Granting Issues 1 and 2 of April 28, 2008 CAA Title V Petition, Spurlock Generating Station, Maysville, Kentucky

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Order Granting Issue 3 of April 28, 2008 CAA Title V Petition, Spurlock Generating Station, Maysville, Kentucky

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Response to Petition Seeking the EPA to Protect Wisconsin Families from Air Pollution by Issuing a Notice of Deficiency

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Petition for the Administrator to Object to Title V Operating Permit Issued to Mettiki Coal, LLC

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Petition to Object to Title V Facility Permit Issued to Proposed Orange Recycling and Ethanol Production Facility in the City of Middletown, NY

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Second Petition to the Administrator to Object to the Title V Operating Permit Issued to Murphy Oil, USA, Meraux Refinery

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Petition to Object to the Proposed Title V Permit for Sunbury Generation, LP's Power Plant Issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Petition for EPA to Object to Title V Permit Issued to Consolidated Edison for its 74th Street Plant

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

ViPAR: a software platform for the Virtual Pooling and Analysis of Research Data.

PubMed

Carter, Kim W; Francis, Richard W; Carter, K W; Francis, R W; Bresnahan, M; Gissler, M; Grønborg, T K; Gross, R; Gunnes, N; Hammond, G; Hornig, M; Hultman, C M; Huttunen, J; Langridge, A; Leonard, H; Newman, S; Parner, E T; Petersson, G; Reichenberg, A; Sandin, S; Schendel, D E; Schalkwyk, L; Sourander, A; Steadman, C; Stoltenberg, C; Suominen, A; Surén, P; Susser, E; Sylvester Vethanayagam, A; Yusof, Z

2016-04-01

Research studies exploring the determinants of disease require sufficient statistical power to detect meaningful effects. Sample size is often increased through centralized pooling of disparately located datasets, though ethical, privacy and data ownership issues can often hamper this process. Methods that facilitate the sharing of research data that are sympathetic with these issues and which allow flexible and detailed statistical analyses are therefore in critical need. We have created a software platform for the Virtual Pooling and Analysis of Research data (ViPAR), which employs free and open source methods to provide researchers with a web-based platform to analyse datasets housed in disparate locations. Database federation permits controlled access to remotely located datasets from a central location. The Secure Shell protocol allows data to be securely exchanged between devices over an insecure network. ViPAR combines these free technologies into a solution that facilitates 'virtual pooling' where data can be temporarily pooled into computer memory and made available for analysis without the need for permanent central storage. Within the ViPAR infrastructure, remote sites manage their own harmonized research dataset in a database hosted at their site, while a central server hosts the data federation component and a secure analysis portal. When an analysis is initiated, requested data are retrieved from each remote site and virtually pooled at the central site. The data are then analysed by statistical software and, on completion, results of the analysis are returned to the user and the virtually pooled data are removed from memory. ViPAR is a secure, flexible and powerful analysis platform built on open source technology that is currently in use by large international consortia, and is made publicly available at [http://bioinformatics.childhealthresearch.org.au/software/vipar/]. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.

[Quality management and participation into clinical database].

PubMed

Okubo, Suguru; Miyata, Hiroaki; Tomotaki, Ai; Motomura, Noboru; Murakami, Arata; Ono, Minoru; Iwanaka, Tadashi

2013-07-01

Quality management is necessary for establishing useful clinical database in cooperation with healthcare professionals and facilities. The ways of management are 1) progress management of data entry, 2) liaison with database participants (healthcare professionals), and 3) modification of data collection form. In addition, healthcare facilities are supposed to consider ethical issues and information security for joining clinical databases. Database participants should check ethical review boards and consultation service for patients.

GreekLex 2: A comprehensive lexical database with part-of-speech, syllabic, phonological, and stress information

PubMed Central

van Heuven, Walter J. B.; Pitchford, Nicola J.; Ledgeway, Timothy

2017-01-01

Databases containing lexical properties on any given orthography are crucial for psycholinguistic research. In the last ten years, a number of lexical databases have been developed for Greek. However, these lack important part-of-speech information. Furthermore, the need for alternative procedures for calculating syllabic measurements and stress information, as well as combination of several metrics to investigate linguistic properties of the Greek language are highlighted. To address these issues, we present a new extensive lexical database of Modern Greek (GreekLex 2) with part-of-speech information for each word and accurate syllabification and orthographic information predictive of stress, as well as several measurements of word similarity and phonetic information. The addition of detailed statistical information about Greek part-of-speech, syllabification, and stress neighbourhood allowed novel analyses of stress distribution within different grammatical categories and syllabic lengths to be carried out. Results showed that the statistical preponderance of stress position on the pre-final syllable that is reported for Greek language is dependent upon grammatical category. Additionally, analyses showed that a proportion higher than 90% of the tokens in the database would be stressed correctly solely by relying on stress neighbourhood information. The database and the scripts for orthographic and phonological syllabification as well as phonetic transcription are available at http://www.psychology.nottingham.ac.uk/greeklex/. PMID:28231303

GreekLex 2: A comprehensive lexical database with part-of-speech, syllabic, phonological, and stress information.

PubMed

Kyparissiadis, Antonios; van Heuven, Walter J B; Pitchford, Nicola J; Ledgeway, Timothy

2017-01-01

Databases containing lexical properties on any given orthography are crucial for psycholinguistic research. In the last ten years, a number of lexical databases have been developed for Greek. However, these lack important part-of-speech information. Furthermore, the need for alternative procedures for calculating syllabic measurements and stress information, as well as combination of several metrics to investigate linguistic properties of the Greek language are highlighted. To address these issues, we present a new extensive lexical database of Modern Greek (GreekLex 2) with part-of-speech information for each word and accurate syllabification and orthographic information predictive of stress, as well as several measurements of word similarity and phonetic information. The addition of detailed statistical information about Greek part-of-speech, syllabification, and stress neighbourhood allowed novel analyses of stress distribution within different grammatical categories and syllabic lengths to be carried out. Results showed that the statistical preponderance of stress position on the pre-final syllable that is reported for Greek language is dependent upon grammatical category. Additionally, analyses showed that a proportion higher than 90% of the tokens in the database would be stressed correctly solely by relying on stress neighbourhood information. The database and the scripts for orthographic and phonological syllabification as well as phonetic transcription are available at http://www.psychology.nottingham.ac.uk/greeklex/.

Assessment in health psychology: Introduction to the special issue.

PubMed

Butt, Zeeshan

2016-09-01

For the past 27 years, Psychological Assessment has been committed to publishing empirical research relevant to clinical assessment of basic and applied cognition, personality, interpersonal behavior, psychopathology, forensics, and biological psychology. There is growing interest in the use of patient-centered outcomes in medical/surgical care and for measuring health care performance. Patient-centered outcome measures complement traditional clinical outcomes of morbidity and mortality, capturing the patient’s perspective regarding their health and its treatment. In this issue, we highlight 11 articles that address different aspects of such work. The articles in this special issue represent both the depth and breadth of the opportunities that exist for psychological assessment in the health setting. While there are countless patient-centered measures currently in use to measure health and health outcomes, the evidence base for their use can be quite variable (Butt, 2016). The hope is that future issues of Psychological Assessment will highlight more work in this area. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved

Relationship between physical activity level and psychosocial and socioeconomic factors and issues in children and adolescents with asthma: a scoping review.

PubMed

Westergren, Thomas; Berntsen, Sveinung; Ludvigsen, Mette Spliid; Aagaard, Hanne; Hall, Elisabeth O C; Ommundsen, Yngvar; Uhrenfeldt, Lisbeth; Fegran, Liv

2017-08-01

Asthma is a heterogeneous chronic airway disease which may reduce capability for physical activity. In healthy peers, physical activity is influenced by psychosocial and socioeconomic factors. Knowledge about the role of these factors has not been mapped in children and adolescents with asthma. The main objective of this scoping review was to identify psychosocial and socioeconomic factors associated with physical activity level in children and adolescents with asthma in the literature. The specific objectives were to map the instruments used to measure these factors, report on the construction and validation of these instruments, map psychosocial and socioeconomic issues related to physical activity level reported in qualitative studies, and identify gaps in knowledge about the relationship between psychosocial and socioeconomic factors and physical activity level in children and adolescents with asthma. Children and adolescents with asthma aged six to 18 years. Psychosocial and socioeconomic factors related to physical activity level and participation. All physical activity contexts. Quantitative and qualitative primary studies in English, with no date limit. The databases searched included nine major databases for health and sports science, and five databases for unpublished studies. After screening and identification of studies, the reference lists of all identified reports were searched, and forward citation searches were conducted using four databases. The following data were extracted: (a) relevant study characteristics and assessment of physical activity level, (b) instruments used to assess psychosocial and socioeconomic factors, (c) association between physical activity level and these factors, (d) construction and validation of instruments, and (e) psychosocial and socioeconomic issues related to physical activity participation. Twenty-one quantitative and 13 qualitative studies were included. In cross-sectional studies, enjoyment, physical self-concept, self-efficacy, attitudes and beliefs about physical activity and health, psychological distress, health-related quality of life, and social support were more often reported as being correlated with physical activity level. In three studies, the construct validity was assessed by factor analysis and construct reliability tests for the study population. Qualitative studies reported 10 issues related to physical activity participation, and capability and being like peers were most commonly reported. There was no direct evidence that qualitative research informed the development or adjustment of instruments in quantitative studies. Seven psychosocial factors correlated with physical activity level; capability and being like peers were the most commonly reported issues. Reports of the construction and validation of instruments were sparse.

Relational Database Design in Information Science Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Terrence A.

1985-01-01

Reports on database management system (dbms) applications designed by library school students for university community at University of Iowa. Three dbms design issues are examined: synthesis of relations, analysis of relations (normalization procedure), and data dictionary usage. Database planning prior to automation using data dictionary approach…

United states national land cover data base development? 1992-2001 and beyond

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yang, L.

2008-01-01

An accurate, up-to-date and spatially-explicate national land cover database is required for monitoring the status and trends of the nation's terrestrial ecosystem, and for managing and conserving land resources at the national scale. With all the challenges and resources required to develop such a database, an innovative and scientifically sound planning must be in place and a partnership be formed among users from government agencies, research institutes and private sectors. In this paper, we summarize major scientific and technical issues regarding the development of the NLCD 1992 and 2001. Experiences and lessons learned from the project are documented with regard to project design, technical approaches, accuracy assessment strategy, and projecti imiplementation.Future improvements in developing next generation NLCD beyond 2001 are suggested, including: 1) enhanced satellite data preprocessing in correction of atmospheric and adjacency effect and the topographic normalization; 2) improved classification accuracy through comprehensive and consistent training data and new algorithm development; 3) multi-resolution and multi-temporal database targeting major land cover changes and land cover database updates; 4) enriched database contents by including additional biophysical parameters and/or more detailed land cover classes through synergizing multi-sensor, multi-temporal, and multi-spectral satellite data and ancillary data, and 5) transform the NLCD project into a national land cover monitoring program. ?? 2008 IEEE.

yStreX: yeast stress expression database

PubMed Central

Wanichthanarak, Kwanjeera; Nookaew, Intawat; Petranovic, Dina

2014-01-01

Over the past decade genome-wide expression analyses have been often used to study how expression of genes changes in response to various environmental stresses. Many of these studies (such as effects of oxygen concentration, temperature stress, low pH stress, osmotic stress, depletion or limitation of nutrients, addition of different chemical compounds, etc.) have been conducted in the unicellular Eukaryal model, yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, the lack of a unifying or integrated, bioinformatics platform that would permit efficient and rapid use of all these existing data remain an important issue. To facilitate research by exploiting existing transcription data in the field of yeast physiology, we have developed the yStreX database. It is an online repository of analyzed gene expression data from curated data sets from different studies that capture genome-wide transcriptional changes in response to diverse environmental transitions. The first aim of this online database is to facilitate comparison of cross-platform and cross-laboratory gene expression data. Additionally, we performed different expression analyses, meta-analyses and gene set enrichment analyses; and the results are also deposited in this database. Lastly, we constructed a user-friendly Web interface with interactive visualization to provide intuitive access and to display the queried data for users with no background in bioinformatics. Database URL: http://www.ystrexdb.com PMID:25024351

Fire-induced water-repellent soils, an annotated bibliography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kalendovsky, M.A.; Cannon, S.H.

1997-01-01

The development and nature of water-repellent, or hydrophobic, soils are important issues in evaluating hillslope response to fire. The following annotated bibliography was compiled to consolidate existing published research on the topic. Emphasis was placed on the types, causes, effects and measurement techniques of water repellency, particularly with respect to wildfires and prescribed burns. Each annotation includes a general summary of the respective publication, as well as highlights of interest to this focus. Although some references on the development of water repellency without fires, the chemistry of hydrophobic substances, and remediation of water-repellent conditions are included, coverage of these topics is not intended to be comprehensive. To develop this database, the GeoRef, Agricola, and Water Resources Abstracts databases were searched for appropriate references, and the bibliographies of each reference were then reviewed for additional entries. Additional references will be added to this bibliography as they become available. The annotated bibliography can be accessed on the Web at http://geohazards.cr.usgs.gov/html_files/landslides/ofr97-720/biblio.html. A database consisting of the references and keywords is available through a link at the above address. This database was compiled using EndNote2 plus software by Niles and Associates, and is necessary to search the database.

GenderMedDB: an interactive database of sex and gender-specific medical literature.

PubMed

Oertelt-Prigione, Sabine; Gohlke, Björn-Oliver; Dunkel, Mathias; Preissner, Robert; Regitz-Zagrosek, Vera

2014-01-01

Searches for sex and gender-specific publications are complicated by the absence of a specific algorithm within search engines and by the lack of adequate archives to collect the retrieved results. We previously addressed this issue by initiating the first systematic archive of medical literature containing sex and/or gender-specific analyses. This initial collection has now been greatly enlarged and re-organized as a free user-friendly database with multiple functions: GenderMedDB (http://gendermeddb.charite.de). GenderMedDB retrieves the included publications from the PubMed database. Manuscripts containing sex and/or gender-specific analysis are continuously screened and the relevant findings organized systematically into disciplines and diseases. Publications are furthermore classified by research type, subject and participant numbers. More than 11,000 abstracts are currently included in the database, after screening more than 40,000 publications. The main functions of the database include searches by publication data or content analysis based on pre-defined classifications. In addition, registrants are enabled to upload relevant publications, access descriptive publication statistics and interact in an open user forum. Overall, GenderMedDB offers the advantages of a discipline-specific search engine as well as the functions of a participative tool for the gender medicine community.

Integrating forensic information in a crime intelligence database.

PubMed

Rossy, Quentin; Ioset, Sylvain; Dessimoz, Damien; Ribaux, Olivier

2013-07-10

Since 2008, intelligence units of six states of the western part of Switzerland have been sharing a common database for the analysis of high volume crimes. On a daily basis, events reported to the police are analysed, filtered and classified to detect crime repetitions and interpret the crime environment. Several forensic outcomes are integrated in the system such as matches of traces with persons, and links between scenes detected by the comparison of forensic case data. Systematic procedures have been settled to integrate links assumed mainly through DNA profiles, shoemarks patterns and images. A statistical outlook on a retrospective dataset of series from 2009 to 2011 of the database informs for instance on the number of repetition detected or confirmed and increased by forensic case data. Time needed to obtain forensic intelligence in regard with the type of marks treated, is seen as a critical issue. Furthermore, the underlying integration process of forensic intelligence into the crime intelligence database raised several difficulties in regards of the acquisition of data and the models used in the forensic databases. Solutions found and adopted operational procedures are described and discussed. This process form the basis to many other researches aimed at developing forensic intelligence models. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

What can we learn from a decade of database audits? The Duke Clinical Research Institute experience, 1997–2006

PubMed Central

Rostami, Reza; Nahm, Meredith; Pieper, Carl F.

2011-01-01

Background Despite a pressing and well-documented need for better sharing of information on clinical trials data quality assurance methods, many research organizations remain reluctant to publish descriptions of and results from their internal auditing and quality assessment methods. Purpose We present findings from a review of a decade of internal data quality audits performed at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, a large academic research organization that conducts data management for a diverse array of clinical studies, both academic and industry-sponsored. In so doing, we hope to stimulate discussions that could benefit the wider clinical research enterprise by providing insight into methods of optimizing data collection and cleaning, ultimately helping patients and furthering essential research. Methods We present our audit methodologies, including sampling methods, audit logistics, sample sizes, counting rules used for error rate calculations, and characteristics of audited trials. We also present database error rates as computed according to two analytical methods, which we address in detail, and discuss the advantages and drawbacks of two auditing methods used during this ten-year period. Results Our review of the DCRI audit program indicates that higher data quality may be achieved from a series of small audits throughout the trial rather than through a single large database audit at database lock. We found that error rates trended upward from year to year in the period characterized by traditional audits performed at database lock (1997–2000), but consistently trended downward after periodic statistical process control type audits were instituted (2001–2006). These increases in data quality were also associated with cost savings in auditing, estimated at 1000 hours per year, or the efforts of one-half of a full time equivalent (FTE). Limitations Our findings are drawn from retrospective analyses and are not the result of controlled experiments, and may therefore be subject to unanticipated confounding. In addition, the scope and type of audits we examine here are specific to our institution, and our results may not be broadly generalizable. Conclusions Use of statistical process control methodologies may afford advantages over more traditional auditing methods, and further research will be necessary to confirm the reliability and usability of such techniques. We believe that open and candid discussion of data quality assurance issues among academic and clinical research organizations will ultimately benefit the entire research community in the coming era of increased data sharing and re-use. PMID:19342467

Canada's contribution to global research in cardiovascular diseases.

PubMed

Nguyen, Hai V; de Oliveira, Claire; Wijeysundera, Harindra C; Wong, William W L; Woo, Gloria; Grootendorst, Paul; Liu, Peter P; Krahn, Murray D

2013-06-01

The burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Canada and other developed countries is growing, in part because of the aging of the population and the alarming rise of obesity. Studying Canada's contribution to the global body of CVD research output will shed light on the effectiveness of investments in Canadian CVD research and inform if Canada has been responding to its CVD burden. Search was conducted using the Web-of-Science database for publications during 1981 through 2010 on major areas and specific interventions in CVD. Search was also conducted using Canadian and US online databases for patents issued between 1981 and 2010. Search data were used to estimate the proportions of the world's pool of research publications and of patents conducted by researchers based in Canada. The results indicate that Canada contributed 6% of global research in CVD during 1981 through 2010. Further, Canada's contribution shows a strong upward trend during the period. Based on patent data, Canada's contribution level was similar (5%-7%). Canada's contribution to the global pool of CVD research is on par with France and close to the UK, Japan, and Germany. Canada's contribution in global CVD research is higher than its average contribution in all fields of research (6% vs 3%). As the burden of chronic diseases including CVD rises with Canada's aging population, the increase in Canadian research into CVD is encouraging. Copyright © 2013 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of nursing research in Jordan (1986-2012).

PubMed

Khalaf, I

2013-12-01

To provide an overview of nursing research in Jordan based on the topic researched, source and setting of data collection, methodology, theoretical framework used and source of funding. Nursing research contributes to nursing education, clinical practice, health policy and the establishment of nursing research priorities in Jordan to guide future research. Databases such as MEDLINE, CINAHL, Google Scholar, PubMed and national sources were searched for published articles related to nursing in Jordan through a range of keywords. Articles were included in the analysis if they were published in English or Arabic through December 2012. The search resulted in the identification of 999 publications, from which 462 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The highest percentage of studies (23% of articles) focused on nursing management issues. Forty-four per cent were conducted in a hospital setting; only six studies used a nursing theory. Seventy-seven per cent of the studies were quantitative and 29.0% were funded mostly by universities. Twenty-one per cent were not directly related to improving nursing education or practice in Jordan. A Jordanian Database for nursing research was developed as a result of this review. Jordanian nurses have slowly started to build nursing research, the real nursing research work in Jordan started with the return of the first PhD graduate to Jordan in 1986. Jordanian nurses in collaboration with international colleagues were motivated to publish research and build the body of nursing knowledge. © 2013 International Council of Nurses.

Assigning statistical significance to proteotypic peptides via database searches

PubMed Central

Alves, Gelio; Ogurtsov, Aleksey Y.; Yu, Yi-Kuo

2011-01-01

Querying MS/MS spectra against a database containing only proteotypic peptides reduces data analysis time due to reduction of database size. Despite the speed advantage, this search strategy is challenged by issues of statistical significance and coverage. The former requires separating systematically significant identifications from less confident identifications, while the latter arises when the underlying peptide is not present, due to single amino acid polymorphisms (SAPs) or post-translational modifications (PTMs), in the proteotypic peptide libraries searched. To address both issues simultaneously, we have extended RAId’s knowledge database to include proteotypic information, utilized RAId’s statistical strategy to assign statistical significance to proteotypic peptides, and modified RAId’s programs to allow for consideration of proteotypic information during database searches. The extended database alleviates the coverage problem since all annotated modifications, even those occurred within proteotypic peptides, may be considered. Taking into account the likelihoods of observation, the statistical strategy of RAId provides accurate E-value assignments regardless whether a candidate peptide is proteotypic or not. The advantage of including proteotypic information is evidenced by its superior retrieval performance when compared to regular database searches. PMID:21055489

Editorial introduction.

PubMed

Gelso, Charles J

2007-09-01

Introduces the special section in the current issue of Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training. This section contains a reprint of Carl R. Rogers' (1957) seminal paper on the necessary and sufficient conditions for constructive personality change, as well as 11 reaction papers from some of the best psychotherapy theoreticians and researchers of our time. The reaction papers address the impact of Rogers' paper on the field of psychotherapy in general and therapy of the commenter's persuasion in particular, limitations of Rogers' viewpoints, the most important and enduring aspects of Rogers' theoretical statement, and how Rogers' ideas may exhibit themselves directly and indirectly in the current psychotherapy scene. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

India's Computational Biology Growth and Challenges.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Chiranjib; Bandyopadhyay, Sanghamitra; Agoramoorthy, Govindasamy

2016-09-01

India's computational science is growing swiftly due to the outburst of internet and information technology services. The bioinformatics sector of India has been transforming rapidly by creating a competitive position in global bioinformatics market. Bioinformatics is widely used across India to address a wide range of biological issues. Recently, computational researchers and biologists are collaborating in projects such as database development, sequence analysis, genomic prospects and algorithm generations. In this paper, we have presented the Indian computational biology scenario highlighting bioinformatics-related educational activities, manpower development, internet boom, service industry, research activities, conferences and trainings undertaken by the corporate and government sectors. Nonetheless, this new field of science faces lots of challenges.

Factors influencing community nursing roles and health service provision in rural areas: a review of literature.

PubMed

Barrett, Annette; Terry, Daniel R; Lê, Quynh; Hoang, Ha

2016-02-01

This review sought to better understand the issues and challenges experienced by community nurses working in rural areas and how these factors shape their role. Databases were searched to identify relevant studies, published between 1990 and 2015, that focussed on issues and challenges experienced by rural community nurses. Generic and grey literature relating to the subject was also searched. The search was systematically conducted multiple times to assure accuracy. A total of 14 articles met the inclusion criteria. This critical review identified common issues impacting community nursing and included role definition, organisational change, human resource, workplace and geographic challenges. Community nurses are flexible, autonomous, able to adapt care to the service delivery setting, and have a diversity of knowledge and skills. Considerably more research is essential to identify factors that impact rural community nursing practice. In addition, greater advocacy is required to develop the role.

Staff Training on the Use of Health Information Systems: What Do We Know?

PubMed

Bygholm, Ann

2018-01-01

Staff training is acknowledged as an important activity when implementing health information systems (HISs). This paper reviews the literature on staff training in connection with HIS implementation. The aim is to identify critical issues to reflect on when planning or evaluating this type of training. Searches were conducted in three research databases, resulting in 423 hits. Sixty-four papers were retrieved for more detailed examination, and 12 papers were selected for analysis. The analysis focused on the content, organization and pedagogical approach. In general, the review revealed minor primarily descriptive studies focused on aspects of staff training rather than strategies for staff training. The review revealed specific agreed-upon issues that are considered important for the success of the training. The issues identified are transfer of knowledge and skills is not enough, ongoing training is important, training should be related to practice and address individual learning needs, and super-users are important facilitators.

Abstracting data warehousing issues in scientific research.

PubMed

Tews, Cody; Bracio, Boris R

2002-01-01

This paper presents the design and implementation of the Idaho Biomedical Data Management System (IBDMS). This system preprocesses biomedical data from the IMPROVE (Improving Control of Patient Status in Critical Care) library via an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) connection. The ODBC connection allows for local and remote simulations to access filtered, joined, and sorted data using the Structured Query Language (SQL). The tool is capable of providing an overview of available data in addition to user defined data subset for verification of models of the human respiratory system.

Psycho-social aspects of personal health monitoring: a descriptive literature review.

PubMed

Muehlan, Holger; Schmidt, Silke

2013-01-01

We aimed at providing a short review on already published studies addressing psycho-social issues of personal health monitoring (PHM). Both core questions addressed within this review are: What is the impact of PHM on intended psycho-social and health-related outcomes? And which psycho-social issues affected by or related to PHM have already been investigated? This descriptive review based on a literature search using various databases (Psycinfo, Psyndex, Pubmed, SSCI). Resulting 428 abstracts were coded regarding their psycho-social content. Inspection of results was carried out along the relevance of the papers regarding psycho-social issues. Research in PHM focuses on telemonitoring and smart home applications: Tele-monitoring studies are directed to outcome-related questions, smart home studies to feasibility issues. Despite of technological matters, comparability of both systems in psycho-social issues is lacking. Tele-monitoring has been proven for impact on patient groups with chronic diseases, yet smart home still lacks evidence in health-related and psycho-social matters. Smart home applications have been investigated with respect to attitudes, perceptions and concerns of end-users, telemonitoring regarding acceptance and adherence.

Retrospective access to data: the ENGAGE consent experience

PubMed Central

Tassé, Anne Marie; Budin-Ljøsne, Isabelle; Knoppers, Bartha Maria; Harris, Jennifer R

2010-01-01

The rapid emergence of large-scale genetic databases raises issues at the nexus of medical law and ethics, as well as the need, at both national and international levels, for an appropriate and effective framework for their governance. This is even more so for retrospective access to data for secondary uses, wherein the original consent did not foresee such use. The first part of this paper provides a brief historical overview of the ethical and legal frameworks governing consent issues in biobanking generally, before turning to the secondary use of retrospective data in epidemiological biobanks. Such use raises particularly complex issues when (1) the original consent provided is restricted; (2) the minor research subject reaches legal age; (3) the research subject dies; or (4) samples and data were obtained during medical care. Our analysis demonstrates the inconclusive, and even contradictory, nature of guidelines and confirms the current lack of compatible regulations. The second part of this paper uses the European Network for Genetic and Genomic Epidemiology (ENGAGE Consortium) as a case study to illustrate the challenges of research using previously collected data sets in Europe. Our study of 52 ENGAGE consent forms and information documents shows that a broad range of mechanisms were developed to enable secondary use of the data that are part of the ENGAGE Consortium. PMID:20332813

Retrospective access to data: the ENGAGE consent experience.

PubMed

Tassé, Anne Marie; Budin-Ljøsne, Isabelle; Knoppers, Bartha Maria; Harris, Jennifer R

2010-07-01

The rapid emergence of large-scale genetic databases raises issues at the nexus of medical law and ethics, as well as the need, at both national and international levels, for an appropriate and effective framework for their governance. This is even more so for retrospective access to data for secondary uses, wherein the original consent did not foresee such use. The first part of this paper provides a brief historical overview of the ethical and legal frameworks governing consent issues in biobanking generally, before turning to the secondary use of retrospective data in epidemiological biobanks. Such use raises particularly complex issues when (1) the original consent provided is restricted; (2) the minor research subject reaches legal age; (3) the research subject dies; or (4) samples and data were obtained during medical care. Our analysis demonstrates the inconclusive, and even contradictory, nature of guidelines and confirms the current lack of compatible regulations. The second part of this paper uses the European Network for Genetic and Genomic Epidemiology (ENGAGE Consortium) as a case study to illustrate the challenges of research using previously collected data sets in Europe. Our study of 52 ENGAGE consent forms and information documents shows that a broad range of mechanisms were developed to enable secondary use of the data that are part of the ENGAGE Consortium.

The ClinicalTrials.gov results database--update and key issues.

PubMed

Zarin, Deborah A; Tse, Tony; Williams, Rebecca J; Califf, Robert M; Ide, Nicholas C

2011-03-03

The ClinicalTrials.gov trial registry was expanded in 2008 to include a database for reporting summary results. We summarize the structure and contents of the results database, provide an update of relevant policies, and show how the data can be used to gain insight into the state of clinical research. We analyzed ClinicalTrials.gov data that were publicly available between September 2009 and September 2010. As of September 27, 2010, ClinicalTrials.gov received approximately 330 new and 2000 revised registrations each week, along with 30 new and 80 revised results submissions. We characterized the 79,413 registry and 2178 results of trial records available as of September 2010. From a sample cohort of results records, 78 of 150 (52%) had associated publications within 2 years after posting. Of results records available publicly, 20% reported more than two primary outcome measures and 5% reported more than five. Of a sample of 100 registry record outcome measures, 61% lacked specificity in describing the metric used in the planned analysis. In a sample of 700 results records, the mean number of different analysis populations per study group was 2.5 (median, 1; range, 1 to 25). Of these trials, 24% reported results for 90% or less of their participants. ClinicalTrials.gov provides access to study results not otherwise available to the public. Although the database allows examination of various aspects of ongoing and completed clinical trials, its ultimate usefulness depends on the research community to submit accurate, informative data.

Tephrabase: A tephrochronological data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newton, Anthony

2015-04-01

Development of Tephrabase, a tephrochronological database,, began over 20 years ago and was it launched in June 1995 as one of the earliest scientific databases on the web. Tephrabase was designed from the start to include a wide range of tephrochronological data including location, depth of the layer, geochemical composition (major to trace elements), physical properties (colour, grainsize, and mineral components), dating (both absolute/historical and radiometric), details of eruptions and the history of volcanic centres, as well as a reference database. Currently, Tephrabase contains details of over 1000 sites where tephra layers have been found, 3500 tephra layers, 3500 geochemical analyses and 2500 references. Tephrabase was originally developed to include tephra layers in Iceland and those of Icelandic origin found in NW Europe, it also now includes data on tephra layers from central Mexico and from the Laacher See eruption. The latter was developed as a supplement to the Iceland-centric nature of the rest of Tephrabase. A further extension to Tephrabase has seen the development of an automated method of producing tephra stratigraphic columns, calculating sediment accumulation rates between dated tephra layers in multiple profiles and mapping tephra layers across the landscape. Whilst Tephrabase has been successful and continues to be developed and updated, there are several issues which need to be. More tephrochronological databases need to be developed and these should allow connected/shared searches. This would provide worldwide coverage, but also the flexibility to develop spin off small-scale extensions, such as those described above. Data uploading needs to be improved and simplified. This includes the need to clarify issues of quality control. Again, a common standards led approach to this seems appropriate. Researchers also need to be encouraged to contribute data to these databases. Tephrabase was designed to include a variety of data, including physical properties and trace element compositions of the tephra layers. However, Tephrabase is conspicuous by not containing these data. Tephrabase and other databases need to include these. Tephra databases need to not only record details about tephra layers, but should also be tools to understand environmental change and understand volcanic histories. These can be achieved through development of databases themselves and through the creations of portals which draw data from multiple data sources.

Construction of databases: advances and significance in clinical research.

PubMed

Long, Erping; Huang, Bingjie; Wang, Liming; Lin, Xiaoyu; Lin, Haotian

2015-12-01

Widely used in clinical research, the database is a new type of data management automation technology and the most efficient tool for data management. In this article, we first explain some basic concepts, such as the definition, classification, and establishment of databases. Afterward, the workflow for establishing databases, inputting data, verifying data, and managing databases is presented. Meanwhile, by discussing the application of databases in clinical research, we illuminate the important role of databases in clinical research practice. Lastly, we introduce the reanalysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cloud computing techniques, showing the most recent advancements of databases in clinical research.

Fuzzy queries above relational database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smolka, Pavel; Bradac, Vladimir

2017-11-01

The aim of the theme is to introduce a possibility of fuzzy queries implemented in relational databases. The issue is described on a model which identifies the appropriate part of the problem domain for fuzzy approach. The model is demonstrated on a database of wines focused on searching in it. The construction of the database complies with the Law of the Czech Republic.

Analysis of the evidence-practice gap to facilitate proper medical care for the elderly: investigation, using databases, of utilization measures for National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB).

PubMed

Nakayama, Takeo; Imanaka, Yuichi; Okuno, Yasushi; Kato, Genta; Kuroda, Tomohiro; Goto, Rei; Tanaka, Shiro; Tamura, Hiroshi; Fukuhara, Shunichi; Fukuma, Shingo; Muto, Manabu; Yanagita, Motoko; Yamamoto, Yosuke

2017-06-06

As Japan becomes a super-aging society, presentation of the best ways to provide medical care for the elderly, and the direction of that care, are important national issues. Elderly people have multi-morbidity with numerous medical conditions and use many medical resources for complex treatment patterns. This increases the likelihood of inappropriate medical practices and an evidence-practice gap. The present study aimed to: derive findings that are applicable to policy from an elucidation of the actual state of medical care for the elderly; establish a foundation for the utilization of National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB), and present measures for the utilization of existing databases in parallel with NDB validation.Cross-sectional and retrospective cohort studies were conducted using the NDB built by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, private health insurance claims databases, and the Kyoto University Hospital database (including related hospitals). Medical practices (drug prescription, interventional procedures, testing) related to four issues-potential inappropriate medication, cancer therapy, chronic kidney disease treatment, and end-of-life care-will be described. The relationships between these issues and clinical outcomes (death, initiation of dialysis and other adverse events) will be evaluated, if possible.

Wind Power Forecasting Error Frequency Analyses for Operational Power System Studies: Preprint

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

Florita, A.; Hodge, B. M.; Milligan, M.

2012-08-01

The examination of wind power forecasting errors is crucial for optimal unit commitment and economic dispatch of power systems with significant wind power penetrations. This scheduling process includes both renewable and nonrenewable generators, and the incorporation of wind power forecasts will become increasingly important as wind fleets constitute a larger portion of generation portfolios. This research considers the Western Wind and Solar Integration Study database of wind power forecasts and numerical actualizations. This database comprises more than 30,000 locations spread over the western United States, with a total wind power capacity of 960 GW. Error analyses for individual sites andmore » for specific balancing areas are performed using the database, quantifying the fit to theoretical distributions through goodness-of-fit metrics. Insights into wind-power forecasting error distributions are established for various levels of temporal and spatial resolution, contrasts made among the frequency distribution alternatives, and recommendations put forth for harnessing the results. Empirical data are used to produce more realistic site-level forecasts than previously employed, such that higher resolution operational studies are possible. This research feeds into a larger work of renewable integration through the links wind power forecasting has with various operational issues, such as stochastic unit commitment and flexible reserve level determination.« less

Vaccines are different: A systematic review of budget impact analyses of vaccines.

PubMed

Loze, Priscilla Magalhaes; Nasciben, Luciana Bertholim; Sartori, Ana Marli Christovam; Itria, Alexander; Novaes, Hillegonda Maria Dutilh; de Soárez, Patrícia Coelho

2017-05-15

Several countries require manufacturers to present a budget impact analysis (BIA), together with a cost-effectiveness analysis, to support national funding requests. However, guidelines for conducting BIA of vaccines are scarce. To analyze the methodological approaches used in published budget impact analysis (BIA) of vaccines, discussing specific methodological issues related to vaccines. This systematic review of the literature on BIA of vaccines was carried out in accordance with the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination - CRD guidelines. We searched multiple databases: MedLine, Embase, Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde (BVS), Cochrane Library, DARE Database, NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED), HTA Database (via Centre for Reviews and Dissemination - CRD), and grey literature. Two researchers, working independently, selected the studies and extracted the data. The methodology quality of individual studies was assessed using the ISPOR 2012 Budget Impact Analysis Good Practice II Task Force. A qualitative narrative synthesis was conducted. Twenty-two studies were reviewed. The most frequently evaluated vaccines were pneumococcal (41%), influenza (23%) and rotavirus (18%). The target population was stated in 21 studies (95%) and the perspective was clear in 20 (91%). Only 36% reported the calculations used to complete the BIA, 27% informed the total and disaggregated costs for each time period, and 9% showed the change in resource use for each time period. More than half of the studies (55%, n=12) reported less than 50% of the items recommended in the checklist. The production of BIA of vaccines has increased from 2009. The report of the methodological steps was unsatisfactory, making it difficult to assess the validity of the results presented. Vaccines specific issues should be discussed in international guidelines for BIA of vaccines, to improve the quality of the studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Reisman, D.J.

A variety of issues must be addressed in development of software for information resources. One is accessibility and use of information. Another is that to properly design, abstract, index, and do quality control on a database requires the effort of well-trained and knowledgeable personnel as well as substantial financial resources. Transferring data to other locations has inherent difficulties, including those related to incompatibility. The main issue in developing health risk assessment databases is the needs of the user.

How desertification research is addressed in Spain? Land versus Soil approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbero Sierra, Celia; Marques, María Jose; Ruiz, Manuel; Escadafal, Richard; Exbrayat, Williams; Akthar-Schuster, Mariam; El Haddadi, Anass

2013-04-01

This study intend to understand how desertification research is organised in a south Mediterranean country, as is Spain. It is part of a larger work addressing soil and land research and its relationships with stakeholders. This wider work aims to explain the weakness of the United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which devoid of a scientific advisory panel. Within this framework, we assume that a fitting coordination between scientific knowledge and a better flow of information between researchers and policy makers is needed in order to slow down and reverse the impacts of land degradation on drylands. With this purpose we conducted an in-depth study at national level in Spain. The initial work focused on a small sample of published references in scientific journals indexed in the Web of Science. It allowed us to identify the most common thematic approaches and working issues, as well as the corresponding institutions and research teams and the relationships between them. The preliminary results of this study pointed out that two prevalent approaches at this national level could be identified. The first one is related to applied science being sensitive to socio-economic issues, and the second one is related to basic science studying the soil in depth, but it is often disconnected from socio-economic factors. We also noticed that the Spanish research teams acknowledge the other Spanish teams in this subject, as frequent co-citations are found in their papers, nevertheless, they do not collaborate. We also realised that the Web of Science database does not collect the wide spectrum of sociology, economics and the human implications of land degradation which use to be included in books or reports related to desertification. A new wider database was built compiling references of Web of Science related to "desertification", "land", "soil", "development" and "Spain" adding references from other socioeconomic databases. In a second stage we used bibliometric techniques through the Tetralogie software and network analysis using UCINET software, to proceed to: 1. Identify the most referred themes based on the keywords provided by the authors and by the Web of Science platform itself. 2. Identify the relationships between the different topics being addressed and their approach to the desertification from a basic scientific vision (soil degradation) and/or from an applied science vision (land degradation). 3. Identify and evaluate the strenght of possible networks and links established between institutions and/or research teams.

The Adoption of Cloud Computing in the Field of Genomics Research: The Influence of Ethical and Legal Issues

PubMed Central

Charlebois, Kathleen; Palmour, Nicole; Knoppers, Bartha Maria

2016-01-01

This study aims to understand the influence of the ethical and legal issues on cloud computing adoption in the field of genomics research. To do so, we adapted Diffusion of Innovation (DoI) theory to enable understanding of how key stakeholders manage the various ethical and legal issues they encounter when adopting cloud computing. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with genomics researchers, patient advocates and cloud service providers. Thematic analysis generated five major themes: 1) Getting comfortable with cloud computing; 2) Weighing the advantages and the risks of cloud computing; 3) Reconciling cloud computing with data privacy; 4) Maintaining trust and 5) Anticipating the cloud by creating the conditions for cloud adoption. Our analysis highlights the tendency among genomics researchers to gradually adopt cloud technology. Efforts made by cloud service providers to promote cloud computing adoption are confronted by researchers’ perpetual cost and security concerns, along with a lack of familiarity with the technology. Further underlying those fears are researchers’ legal responsibility with respect to the data that is stored on the cloud. Alternative consent mechanisms aimed at increasing patients’ control over the use of their data also provide a means to circumvent various institutional and jurisdictional hurdles that restrict access by creating siloed databases. However, the risk of creating new, cloud-based silos may run counter to the goal in genomics research to increase data sharing on a global scale. PMID:27755563

The Corporate Library and Issues Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lancaster, F. W.; Loescher, Jane

1994-01-01

Discussion of corporate library services and the role of the librarian focuses on the recognition and tracking of issues of potential significance to the corporation, or issues management. Topics addressed include environmental scanning of relevant literature, and the use of databases to track issues. (16 references) (LRW)

Potential use of routine databases in health technology assessment.

PubMed

Raftery, J; Roderick, P; Stevens, A

2005-05-01

To develop criteria for classifying databases in relation to their potential use in health technology (HT) assessment and to apply them to a list of databases of relevance in the UK. To explore the extent to which prioritized databases could pick up those HTs being assessed by the National Coordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment (NCCHTA) and the extent to which these databases have been used in HT assessment. To explore the validation of the databases and their cost. Electronic databases. Key literature sources. Experienced users of routine databases. A 'first principles' examination of the data necessary for each type of HT assessment was carried out, supplemented by literature searches and a historical review. The principal investigators applied the criteria to the databases. Comments of the 'keepers' of the prioritized databases were incorporated. Details of 161 topics funded by the NHS R&D Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme were reviewed iteratively by the principal investigators. Uses of databases in HTAs were identified by literature searches, which included the title of each prioritized database as a keyword. Annual reports of databases were examined and 'keepers' queried. The validity of each database was assessed using criteria based on a literature search and involvement by the authors in a national academic network. The costs of databases were established from annual reports, enquiries to 'keepers' of databases and 'guesstimates' based on cost per record. For assessing effectiveness, equity and diffusion, routine databases were classified into three broad groups: (1) group I databases, identifying both HTs and health states, (2) group II databases, identifying the HTs, but not a health state, and (3) group III databases, identifying health states, but not an HT. Group I datasets were disaggregated into clinical registries, clinical administrative databases and population-oriented databases. Group III were disaggregated into adverse event reporting, confidential enquiries, disease-only registers and health surveys. Databases in group I can be used not only to assess effectiveness but also to assess diffusion and equity. Databases in group II can only assess diffusion. Group III has restricted scope for assessing HTs, except for analysis of adverse events. For use in costing, databases need to include unit costs or prices. Some databases included unit cost as well as a specific HT. A list of around 270 databases was identified at the level of UK, England and Wales or England (over 1000 including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). Allocation of these to the above groups identified around 60 databases with some potential for HT assessment, roughly half to group I. Eighteen clinical registers were identified as having the greatest potential although the clinical administrative datasets had potential mainly owing to their inclusion of a wide range of technologies. Only two databases were identified that could directly be used in costing. The review of the potential capture of HTs prioritized by the UK's NHS R&D HTA programme showed that only 10% would be captured in these databases, mainly drugs prescribed in primary care. The review of the use of routine databases in any form of HT assessment indicated that clinical registers were mainly used for national comparative audit. Some databases have only been used in annual reports, usually time trend analysis. A few peer-reviewed papers used a clinical register to assess the effectiveness of a technology. Accessibility is suggested as a barrier to using most databases. Clinical administrative databases (group Ib) have mainly been used to build population needs indices and performance indicators. A review of the validity of used databases showed that although internal consistency checks were common, relatively few had any form of external audit. Some comparative audit databases have data scrutinised by participating units. Issues around coverage and coding have, in general, received little attention. NHS funding of databases has been mainly for 'Central Returns' for management purposes, which excludes those databases with the greatest potential for HT assessment. Funding for databases was various, but some are unfunded, relying on goodwill. The estimated total cost of databases in group I plus selected databases from groups II and III has been estimated at pound 50 million or around 0.1% of annual NHS spend. A few databases with limited potential for HT assessment account for the bulk of spending. Suggestions for policy include clarification of responsibility for the strategic development of databases, improved resourcing, and issues around coding, confidentiality, ownership and access, maintenance of clinical support, optimal use of information technology, filling gaps and remedying deficiencies. Recommendations for researchers include closer policy links between routine data and R&D, and selective investment in the more promising databases. Recommended research topics include optimal capture and coding of the range of HTs, international comparisons of the role, funding and use of routine data in healthcare systems and use of routine database in trials and in modelling. Independent evaluations are recommended for information strategies (such as those around the National Service Frameworks and various collaborations) and for electronic patient and health records.

SABIO-RK: an updated resource for manually curated biochemical reaction kinetics

PubMed Central

Rey, Maja; Weidemann, Andreas; Kania, Renate; Müller, Wolfgang

2018-01-01

Abstract SABIO-RK (http://sabiork.h-its.org/) is a manually curated database containing data about biochemical reactions and their reaction kinetics. The data are primarily extracted from scientific literature and stored in a relational database. The content comprises both naturally occurring and alternatively measured biochemical reactions and is not restricted to any organism class. The data are made available to the public by a web-based search interface and by web services for programmatic access. In this update we describe major improvements and extensions of SABIO-RK since our last publication in the database issue of Nucleic Acid Research (2012). (i) The website has been completely revised and (ii) allows now also free text search for kinetics data. (iii) Additional interlinkages with other databases in our field have been established; this enables users to gain directly comprehensive knowledge about the properties of enzymes and kinetics beyond SABIO-RK. (iv) Vice versa, direct access to SABIO-RK data has been implemented in several systems biology tools and workflows. (v) On request of our experimental users, the data can be exported now additionally in spreadsheet formats. (vi) The newly established SABIO-RK Curation Service allows to respond to specific data requirements. PMID:29092055

Missing data may lead to changes in hip fracture database studies: a study of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

PubMed

Basques, B A; McLynn, R P; Lukasiewicz, A M; Samuel, A M; Bohl, D D; Grauer, J N

2018-02-01

The aims of this study were to characterize the frequency of missing data in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database and to determine how missing data can influence the results of studies dealing with elderly patients with a fracture of the hip. Patients who underwent surgery for a fracture of the hip between 2005 and 2013 were identified from the NSQIP database and the percentage of missing data was noted for demographics, comorbidities and laboratory values. These variables were tested for association with 'any adverse event' using multivariate regressions based on common ways of handling missing data. A total of 26 066 patients were identified. The rate of missing data was up to 77.9% for many variables. Multivariate regressions comparing three methods of handling missing data found different risk factors for postoperative adverse events. Only seven of 35 identified risk factors (20%) were common to all three analyses. Missing data is an important issue in national database studies that researchers must consider when evaluating such investigations. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:226-32. ©2018 The British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint Surgery.

Projections for fast protein structure retrieval

PubMed Central

Bhattacharya, Sourangshu; Bhattacharyya, Chiranjib; Chandra, Nagasuma R

2006-01-01

Background In recent times, there has been an exponential rise in the number of protein structures in databases e.g. PDB. So, design of fast algorithms capable of querying such databases is becoming an increasingly important research issue. This paper reports an algorithm, motivated from spectral graph matching techniques, for retrieving protein structures similar to a query structure from a large protein structure database. Each protein structure is specified by the 3D coordinates of residues of the protein. The algorithm is based on a novel characterization of the residues, called projections, leading to a similarity measure between the residues of the two proteins. This measure is exploited to efficiently compute the optimal equivalences. Results Experimental results show that, the current algorithm outperforms the state of the art on benchmark datasets in terms of speed without losing accuracy. Search results on SCOP 95% nonredundant database, for fold similarity with 5 proteins from different SCOP classes show that the current method performs competitively with the standard algorithm CE. The algorithm is also capable of detecting non-topological similarities between two proteins which is not possible with most of the state of the art tools like Dali. PMID:17254310

probeBase—an online resource for rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes and primers: new features 2016

PubMed Central

Greuter, Daniel; Loy, Alexander; Horn, Matthias; Rattei, Thomas

2016-01-01

probeBase http://www.probebase.net is a manually maintained and curated database of rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes and primers. Contextual information and multiple options for evaluating in silico hybridization performance against the most recent rRNA sequence databases are provided for each oligonucleotide entry, which makes probeBase an important and frequently used resource for microbiology research and diagnostics. Here we present a major update of probeBase, which was last featured in the NAR Database Issue 2007. This update describes a complete remodeling of the database architecture and environment to accommodate computationally efficient access. Improved search functions, sequence match tools and data output now extend the opportunities for finding suitable hierarchical probe sets that target an organism or taxon at different taxonomic levels. To facilitate the identification of complementary probe sets for organisms represented by short rRNA sequence reads generated by amplicon sequencing or metagenomic analysis with next generation sequencing technologies such as Illumina and IonTorrent, we introduce a novel tool that recovers surrogate near full-length rRNA sequences for short query sequences and finds matching oligonucleotides in probeBase. PMID:26586809

Global Research Patterns on Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gizzi, Fabrizio Terenzio; Leucci, Giovanni

2018-05-01

The article deals with the analysis of worldwide research patterns concerning ground penetrating radar (GPR) during 1995-2014. To do this, the Thomson Reuters' Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) and the Social Sciences Citation Index accessed via the Web of Science Core Collection were the two bibliographic databases taken as a reference. We pay attention to the document typology and language, the publication trend and citations, the subject categories and journals, the collaborations between authors, the productivity of the authors, the most cited articles, the countries and the institutions involved, and other hot issues. Concerning the main research subfields involving GPR use, there were five, physical-mathematical, sedimentological-stratigraphical, civil engineering/engineering geology/cultural heritage, hydrological (HD), and glaciological (GL), subfields.

100 years of applied psychology research on individual careers: From career management to retirement.

PubMed

Wang, Mo; Wanberg, Connie R

2017-03-01

This article surveys 100 years of research on career management and retirement, with a primary focus on work published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. Research on career management took off in the 1920s, with most attention devoted to the development and validation of career interest inventories. Over time, research expanded to attend to broader issues such as the predictors and outcomes of career interests and choice; the nature of career success and who achieves it; career transitions and adaptability to change; retirement decision making and adjustment; and bridge employment. In this article, we provide a timeline for the evolution of the career management and retirement literature, review major theoretical perspectives and findings on career management and retirement, and discuss important future research directions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

The Protein Disease Database of human body fluids: II. Computer methods and data issues.

PubMed

Lemkin, P F; Orr, G A; Goldstein, M P; Creed, G J; Myrick, J E; Merril, C R

1995-01-01

The Protein Disease Database (PDD) is a relational database of proteins and diseases. With this database it is possible to screen for quantitative protein abnormalities associated with disease states. These quantitative relationships use data drawn from the peer-reviewed biomedical literature. Assays may also include those observed in high-resolution electrophoretic gels that offer the potential to quantitate many proteins in a single test as well as data gathered by enzymatic or immunologic assays. We are using the Internet World Wide Web (WWW) and the Web browser paradigm as an access method for wide distribution and querying of the Protein Disease Database. The WWW hypertext transfer protocol and its Common Gateway Interface make it possible to build powerful graphical user interfaces that can support easy-to-use data retrieval using query specification forms or images. The details of these interactions are totally transparent to the users of these forms. Using a client-server SQL relational database, user query access, initial data entry and database maintenance are all performed over the Internet with a Web browser. We discuss the underlying design issues, mapping mechanisms and assumptions that we used in constructing the system, data entry, access to the database server, security, and synthesis of derived two-dimensional gel image maps and hypertext documents resulting from SQL database searches.

Type 2 Diabetes Research Yield, 1951-2012: Bibliometrics Analysis and Density-Equalizing Mapping

PubMed Central

Geaney, Fiona; Scutaru, Cristian; Kelly, Clare; Glynn, Ronan W.; Perry, Ivan J.

2015-01-01

The objective of this paper is to provide a detailed evaluation of type 2 diabetes mellitus research output from 1951-2012, using large-scale data analysis, bibliometric indicators and density-equalizing mapping. Data were retrieved from the Science Citation Index Expanded database, one of the seven curated databases within Web of Science. Using Boolean operators "OR", "AND" and "NOT", a search strategy was developed to estimate the total number of published items. Only studies with an English abstract were eligible. Type 1 diabetes and gestational diabetes items were excluded. Specific software developed for the database analysed the data. Information including titles, authors’ affiliations and publication years were extracted from all files and exported to excel. Density-equalizing mapping was conducted as described by Groenberg-Kloft et al, 2008. A total of 24,783 items were published and cited 476,002 times. The greatest number of outputs were published in 2010 (n=2,139). The United States contributed 28.8% to the overall output, followed by the United Kingdom (8.2%) and Japan (7.7%). Bilateral cooperation was most common between the United States and United Kingdom (n=237). Harvard University produced 2% of all publications, followed by the University of California (1.1%). The leading journals were Diabetes, Diabetologia and Diabetes Care and they contributed 9.3%, 7.3% and 4.0% of the research yield, respectively. In conclusion, the volume of research is rising in parallel with the increasing global burden of disease due to type 2 diabetes mellitus. Bibliometrics analysis provides useful information to scientists and funding agencies involved in the development and implementation of research strategies to address global health issues. PMID:26208117

Development of a video tampering dataset for forensic investigation.

PubMed

Ismael Al-Sanjary, Omar; Ahmed, Ahmed Abdullah; Sulong, Ghazali

2016-09-01

Forgery is an act of modifying a document, product, image or video, among other media. Video tampering detection research requires an inclusive database of video modification. This paper aims to discuss a comprehensive proposal to create a dataset composed of modified videos for forensic investigation, in order to standardize existing techniques for detecting video tampering. The primary purpose of developing and designing this new video library is for usage in video forensics, which can be consciously associated with reliable verification using dynamic and static camera recognition. To the best of the author's knowledge, there exists no similar library among the research community. Videos were sourced from YouTube and by exploring social networking sites extensively by observing posted videos and rating their feedback. The video tampering dataset (VTD) comprises a total of 33 videos, divided among three categories in video tampering: (1) copy-move, (2) splicing, and (3) swapping-frames. Compared to existing datasets, this is a higher number of tampered videos, and with longer durations. The duration of every video is 16s, with a 1280×720 resolution, and a frame rate of 30 frames per second. Moreover, all videos possess the same formatting quality (720p(HD).avi). Both temporal and spatial video features were considered carefully during selection of the videos, and there exists complete information related to the doctored regions in every modified video in the VTD dataset. This database has been made publically available for research on splicing, Swapping frames, and copy-move tampering, and, as such, various video tampering detection issues with ground truth. The database has been utilised by many international researchers and groups of researchers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Market Pressure and Government Intervention in the Administration and Development of Molecular Databases.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sillince, J. A. A.; Sillince, M.

1993-01-01

Discusses molecular databases and the role that government and private companies play in their administration and development. Highlights include copyright and patent issues relating to public databases and the information contained in them; data quality; data structures and technological questions; the international organization of molecular…

77 FR 16434 - Revocation of Multiple Domestic, Alaskan, and Hawaiian Compulsory Reporting Points

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-21

... previously removed from service and taken out of the FAA aeronautical database. The FAA is removing these... FAA's aeronautical database. This will avoid confusion and eliminate safety issues with existing fixes... and not contained in the FAA's aeronautical database as reporting points. The reporting points...

Methods for conducting systematic reviews of risk factors in low- and middle-income countries.

PubMed

Shenderovich, Yulia; Eisner, Manuel; Mikton, Christopher; Gardner, Frances; Liu, Jianghong; Murray, Joseph

2016-03-15

Rates of youth violence are disproportionately high in many low- and middle-income countries [LMICs] but existing reviews of risk factors focus almost exclusively on high-income countries. Different search strategies, including non-English language searches, might be required to identify relevant evidence in LMICs. This paper discusses methodological issues in systematic reviews aiming to include evidence from LMICs, using the example of a recent review of risk factors for child conduct problems and youth violence in LMICs. We searched the main international databases, such as PsycINFO, Medline and EMBASE in English, as well as 12 regional databases in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. In addition, we used internet search engines and Google Scholar, and contacted over 200 researchers and organizations to identify potentially eligible studies in LMICs. The majority of relevant studies were identified in the mainstream databases, but additional studies were also found through regional databases, such as CNKI, Wangfang, LILACS and SciELO. Overall, 85% of eligible studies were in English, and 15% were reported in Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian or French. Among eligible studies in languages other than English, two-thirds were identified only by regional databases and one-third was also indexed in the main international databases. There are many studies on child conduct problems and youth violence in LMICs which have not been included in prior reviews. Most research on these subjects in LMICs has been produced in the last two-three decades and mostly in middle-income countries, such as China, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa and Russia. Based on our findings, it appears that many studies of child conduct problems and youth violence in LMICs are reported in English, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese, but few such studies are published in French, Arabic or Russian. If non-English language searches and screening had not been conducted in the current review, 15% of eligible studies would have been missed. Although there are benefits to non-English language searches and the inclusion of non-English studies in meta-analyses, systematic reviewers also need to consider the resources required to incorporate multi-lingual research.

Demographic and epidemiologic characterization of transfusion recipients from four US regions: evidence from the REDS-III recipient database.

PubMed

Karafin, Matthew S; Bruhn, Roberta; Westlake, Matt; Sullivan, Marian T; Bialkowski, Walter; Edgren, Gustaf; Roubinian, Nareg H; Hauser, Ronald G; Kor, Daryl J; Fleischmann, Debra; Gottschall, Jerome L; Murphy, Edward L; Triulzi, Darrell J

2017-12-01

Blood transfusion is one of the most common medical procedures during hospitalization in the United States. To understand the benefits of transfusion while mitigating potential risks, a multicenter database containing detailed information on transfusion incidence and recipient outcomes would facilitate research. The Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study-III (REDS-III) program has developed a comprehensive transfusion recipient database utilizing data from hospital electronic health records at 12 participating hospitals in four geographic regions. Inpatient and outpatient data on transfusion recipients from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014 included patient age, sex, ethnicity, primary diagnosis, type of blood product provided, issue location, pretransfusion and post-transfusion hemoglobin (Hgb), and hospital outcomes. Transfusion incidence per encounter was calculated by blood product and various patient characteristics. During the 2-year study period, 80,362 (12.5%) inpatient encounters involved transfusion. Among inpatients, the most commonly transfused blood products were red blood cells (RBCs; 10.9% of encounters), followed by platelets (3.2%) and plasma (2.9%). Among patients who received transfusions, the median number of RBC units was one, the pretransfusion Hgb level was 7.6 g/dL, and the Hgb increment per unit was 1.4 g/dL. Encounter mortality increased with patient age, the number of units transfused, and the use of platelet or plasma products. The most commonly reported transfusion reaction was febrile nonhemolytic. The database contains comprehensive data regarding transfusion use and patient outcomes. The current report describes an evaluation of the first 2 years of a planned, 4-year, linked blood donor-component-recipient database, which represents a critical new resource for transfusion medicine researchers. © 2017 AABB.

A systematic review of mixed methods research on human factors and ergonomics in health care.

PubMed

Carayon, Pascale; Kianfar, Sarah; Li, Yaqiong; Xie, Anping; Alyousef, Bashar; Wooldridge, Abigail

2015-11-01

This systematic literature review provides information on the use of mixed methods research in human factors and ergonomics (HFE) research in health care. Using the PRISMA methodology, we searched four databases (PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and Engineering Village) for studies that met the following inclusion criteria: (1) field study in health care, (2) mixing of qualitative and quantitative data, (3) HFE issues, and (4) empirical evidence. Using an iterative and collaborative process supported by a structured data collection form, the six authors identified a total of 58 studies that primarily address HFE issues in health information technology (e.g., usability) and in the work of healthcare workers. About two-thirds of the mixed methods studies used the convergent parallel study design where quantitative and qualitative data were collected simultaneously. A variety of methods were used for collecting data, including interview, survey and observation. The most frequent combination involved interview for qualitative data and survey for quantitative data. The use of mixed methods in healthcare HFE research has increased over time. However, increasing attention should be paid to the formal literature on mixed methods research to enhance the depth and breadth of this research. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Analysis of South African graduate degrees in science education: 1930-2000

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laugksch, Rüdiger C.

2005-05-01

This analysis of research conducted by graduate students at South African universities over the last 70 years is an attempt to identify the foci of South African science education research. Appropriate graduate degrees were systematically identified by interrogating electronic databases and verifying details. Title and abstract were then used to assign keywords. Overall 23% and 77% of the 469 graduate degrees identified are doctoral and master's degrees, respectively. The activity of graduate work suggests that science education as a discipline was comparatively well established in South Africa by the 1980s, although 59% of all degrees were conferred between 1991 and 2000. Following the methodology of White [2001, in V. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching (4th ed., pp. 457-471)]. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association), trends in the relative frequency of keywords indicate that South African science education is broadly in line with worldwide trends in the discipline but that some differences exist. However, South African science education research appears to focus relatively more on attitudes, classrooms, curriculum issues, STS-related issues, and laboratories, and relatively less on assessment, reflection, teachers' or students' conceptions, and informal learning. Research on identified national priorities is being conducted, albeit with variable prevalence. Future opportunities in science education research lie in following a research agenda more closely matched to local contexts, and in the diversification of research focused largely on the secondary-tertiary interface.

Executive summary: conference on Dietary Supplement Use in the Elderly--proceedings of the conference held January 14-15, 2003, Natcher Auditorium, National, Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.

PubMed

2004-04-01

Several issues prompted the need for this conference. Among these were the reported high prevalence (> 50%) of use of supplements among individuals over 50 years of age, inadequate scientific evidence supporting the safety and benefits of use among these individuals, and a report issued by the General Accounting Office (GAO) in 2001. This GAO report entitled "Health Products for Seniors: 'Anti-Aging' Products Pose Potential for Physical and Economic Harm," arose from concerns among legislators that seniors were spending money from their limited incomes on products that were not only ineffective but also potentially harmful. The conference was organized around three sessions to address the issues highlighted above, which were usage of dietary supplements among the elderly, age-related changes and issues that affect the use of supplements, and the evidence base supporting the use of supplements in disease prevention and health maintenance. Each session was followed by a panel discussion. This Executive Summary is organized around the three major discussion topics. The summary does not explicitly follow the order of the conference presentations; rather it is intended to capture and examine the current research gaps in knowledge and identify future research opportunities. These research opportunities, as expressed by the conference speakers, panelists, and attendees are summarized at the end of this paper under five thematic areas: usage behaviors, methodology, pre-clinical studies and clinical studies, informational databases, and education and dissemination.

The Resource Identification Initiative: A cultural shift in publishing

PubMed Central

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

2016-01-01

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

Tufts Health Sciences Database: lessons, issues, and opportunities.

PubMed

Lee, Mary Y; Albright, Susan A; Alkasab, Tarik; Damassa, David A; Wang, Paul J; Eaton, Elizabeth K

2003-03-01

The authors present their seven-year experience with developing the Tufts Health Sciences Database (Tufts HSDB), a database-driven information management system that combines the strengths of a digital library, content delivery tools, and curriculum management. They describe a future where online tools will provide a health sciences learning infrastructure that fosters the work of an increasingly interdisciplinary community of learners and allows content to be shared across institutions as well as with academic and commercial information repositories. The authors note the key partners in Tufts HSDB's success--the close collaboration of the health sciences library, educational affairs, and information technology staff. Tufts HSDB moved quickly from serving the medical curriculum to supporting Tufts' veterinary, dental, biomedical sciences, and nutrition schools, thus leveraging Tufts HSDB research and development with university-wide efforts including Internet2 middleware, wireless access, information security, and digital libraries. The authors identify major effects on teaching and learning, e.g., what is better taught with multimedia, how faculty preparation and student learning time can be more efficient and effective, how content integration for interdisciplinary teaching and learning is promoted, and how continuous improvement methods can be integrated. Also addressed are issues of faculty development, copyright and intellectual property, budgetary concerns, and coordinating IT across schools and hospitals. The authors describe Tufts' recent experience with sharing its infrastructure with other schools, and welcome inquiries from those wishing to explore national and international partnerships to create a truly open and integrated infrastructure for education across the health sciences.

Behavioral health services utilization among older adults identified within a state abuse hotline database.

PubMed

Schonfeld, Lawrence; Larsen, Rebecca G; Stiles, Paul G

2006-04-01

This study examined the extent to which older adults identified in a statewide abuse hotline registry utilized behavioral health services. This is important as mental health issues have been identified as a high priority for filling gaps in services for victims of mistreatment. We compared Medicaid and Medicare claims data for two groups of older adults: those using health services and identified within a statewide abuse hotline information system and those claimants not identified within the hotline database. Behavioral health service use was greater among those identified in the abuse hotline database. The penetration rate (percentage of service users out of all enrollees) for Medicaid behavioral health service claims was more than twice that of other service users, with costs of services about 30% greater. Analyses of Medicare data revealed that the penetration rate for those in the hotline data was almost 6 times greater at approximately twice the cost compared to other service users. The results provide evidence for previous assumptions that mistreated individuals experience a higher rate of behavioral health disorders. As mental health screening by adult protective services is rarely conducted, the results suggest the need to train investigators and other service providers to screen older adults for behavioral health and substance-abuse issues as well as physical signs of abuse. Further research on the relationship of abuse to behavioral health might focus on collection of additional data involving more specific victim-related characteristics and comparisons of cases of mistreatment versus self-neglect.

School psychology recruitment research characteristics and implications for increasing racial and ethnic diversity.

PubMed

Proctor, Sherrie L; Romano, Maria

2016-09-01

Shortages of school psychologists and the underrepresentation of minorities in school psychology represent longstanding concerns. Scholars recommend that one way to address both issues is to recruit individuals from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds into school psychology. The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics and minority focused findings of school psychology recruitment studies conducted from 1994 to 2014. Using an electronic search that included specified databases, subject terms and study inclusion criteria along with a manual search of 10 school psychology focused journals, the review yielded 10 published, peer-reviewed recruitment studies focused primarily on school psychology over the 20-year span. Two researchers coded these 10 studies using a rigorous coding process that included a high level of inter rater reliability. Results suggest that the studies utilized varied methodologies, primarily sampled undergraduate populations, and mostly included White participants. Five studies focused on minority populations specifically. These studies indicate that programs should actively recruit minority undergraduates and offer financial support to attract minority candidates. Implications suggest a need for more recruitment research focused on minority populations and the implementation and evaluation of minority recruitment models. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Privacy by Design at Population Data BC: a case study describing the technical, administrative, and physical controls for privacy-sensitive secondary use of personal information for research in the public interest.

PubMed

Pencarrick Hertzman, Caitlin; Meagher, Nancy; McGrail, Kimberlyn M

2013-01-01

Population Data BC (PopData) is an innovative leader in facilitating access to linked data for population health research. Researchers from academic institutions across Canada work with PopData to submit data access requests for projects involving linked administrative data, with or without their own researcher-collected data. PopData and its predecessor-the British Columbia Linked Health Database-have facilitated over 350 research projects analyzing a broad spectrum of population health issues. PopData embeds privacy in every aspect of its operations. This case study focuses on how implementing the Privacy by Design model protects privacy while supporting access to individual-level data for research in the public interest. It explores challenges presented by legislation, stewardship, and public perception and demonstrates how PopData achieves both operational efficiencies and due diligence.

Opportunities at the Intersection of Bioinformatics and Health Informatics

PubMed Central

Miller, Perry L.

2000-01-01

This paper provides a “viewpoint discussion” based on a presentation made to the 2000 Symposium of the American College of Medical Informatics. It discusses potential opportunities for researchers in health informatics to become involved in the rapidly growing field of bioinformatics, using the activities of the Yale Center for Medical Informatics as a case study. One set of opportunities occurs where bioinformatics research itself intersects with the clinical world. Examples include the correlations between individual genetic variation with clinical risk factors, disease presentation, and differential response to treatment; and the implications of including genetic test results in the patient record, which raises clinical decision support issues as well as legal and ethical issues. A second set of opportunities occurs where bioinformatics research can benefit from the technologic expertise and approaches that informaticians have used extensively in the clinical arena. Examples include database organization and knowledge representation, data mining, and modeling and simulation. Microarray technology is discussed as a specific potential area for collaboration. Related questions concern how best to establish collaborations with bioscientists so that the interests and needs of both sets of researchers can be met in a synergistic fashion, and the most appropriate home for bioinformatics in an academic medical center. PMID:10984461

Learning from research on the information behaviour of healthcare professionals: a review of the literature 2004-2008 with a focus on emotion.

PubMed

Fourie, Ina

2009-09-01

A review, focusing on emotion, was conducted of reported studies on the information behaviour of healthcare professionals (2004-2008). Findings were intended to offer guidelines on information services and information literacy training, to note gaps in research and to raise research interest. Databases were searched for literature published from January 2004 to December 2008 and indexed on eric, Library and Information Science Abstracts, medline, PsycINFO, Social Services Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition; Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts; Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection; Social Work Abstracts; SocINDEX with Full Text; SPORTDiscus; cinhal; and the ISI Web of Knowledge databases. Key journals were manually scanned and citations followed. Literature was included if reporting on issues concerning emotion. Emotion in information behaviour in healthcare contexts is scantily addressed. This review, however, offers some insight into the difficulty in identifying and expressing information needs; sense making and the need to fill knowledge gaps; uncertainty; personality and coping skills; motivation to seeking information; emotional experiences during information seeking; self-confidence and attitude; emotional factors in the selection of information channels; and seeking information for psychological or emotional reasons. Suggestions following findings, address information literacy programs, information services and research gaps.

Experiences with the Application of Services Oriented Approaches to the Federation of Heterogeneous Geologic Data Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cervato, C.; Fils, D.; Bohling, G.; Diver, P.; Greer, D.; Reed, J.; Tang, X.

2006-12-01

The federation of databases is not a new endeavor. Great strides have been made e.g. in the health and astrophysics communities. Reviews of those successes indicate that they have been able to leverage off key cross-community core concepts. In its simplest implementation, a federation of databases with identical base schemas that can be extended to address individual efforts, is relatively easy to accomplish. Efforts of groups like the Open Geospatial Consortium have shown methods to geospatially relate data between different sources. We present here a summary of CHRONOS's (http://www.chronos.org) experience with highly heterogeneous data. Our experience with the federation of very diverse databases shows that the wide variety of encoding options for items like locality, time scale, taxon ID, and other key parameters makes it difficult to effectively join data across them. However, the response to this is not to develop one large, monolithic database, which will suffer growth pains due to social, national, and operational issues, but rather to systematically develop the architecture that will enable cross-resource (database, repository, tool, interface) interaction. CHRONOS has accomplished the major hurdle of federating small IT database efforts with service-oriented and XML-based approaches. The application of easy-to-use procedures that allow groups of all sizes to implement and experiment with searches across various databases and to use externally created tools is vital. We are sharing with the geoinformatics community the difficulties with application frameworks, user authentication, standards compliance, and data storage encountered in setting up web sites and portals for various science initiatives (e.g., ANDRILL, EARTHTIME). The ability to incorporate CHRONOS data, services, and tools into the existing framework of a group is crucial to the development of a model that supports and extends the vitality of the small- to medium-sized research effort that is essential for a vibrant scientific community. This presentation will directly address issues of portal development related to JSR-168 and other portal API's as well as issues related to both federated and local directory-based authentication. The application of service-oriented architecture in connection with ReST-based approaches is vital to facilitate service use by experienced and less experienced information technology groups. Application of these services with XML- based schemas allows for the connection to third party tools such a GIS-based tools and software designed to perform a specific scientific analysis. The connection of all these capabilities into a combined framework based on the standard XHTML Document object model and CSS 2.0 standards used in traditional web development will be demonstrated. CHRONOS also utilizes newer client techniques such as AJAX and cross- domain scripting along with traditional server-side database, application, and web servers. The combination of the various components of this architecture creates an environment based on open and free standards that allows for the discovery, retrieval, and integration of tools and data.

Matching CCD images to a stellar catalog using locality-sensitive hashing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Bo; Yu, Jia-Zong; Peng, Qing-Yu

2018-02-01

The usage of a subset of observed stars in a CCD image to find their corresponding matched stars in a stellar catalog is an important issue in astronomical research. Subgraph isomorphic-based algorithms are the most widely used methods in star catalog matching. When more subgraph features are provided, the CCD images are recognized better. However, when the navigation feature database is large, the method requires more time to match the observing model. To solve this problem, this study investigates further and improves subgraph isomorphic matching algorithms. We present an algorithm based on a locality-sensitive hashing technique, which allocates quadrilateral models in the navigation feature database into different hash buckets and reduces the search range to the bucket in which the observed quadrilateral model is located. Experimental results indicate the effectivity of our method.

Sustainable infrastructure: A review and a research agenda.

PubMed

Thomé, Antônio Márcio Tavares; Ceryno, Paula Santos; Scavarda, Annibal; Remmen, Arne

2016-12-15

This paper proposes a taxonomy of themes and a research agenda on sustainable infrastructure, with a focus on sustainable buildings (SB) and green infrastructure (GI). The citation databases of Web of Science formed the basis for a novel strategic thematic analysis of co-citation and co-occurrence of keywords with a longitudinal identification of themes during the last two decades (from 1995 to 2015) of an emerging and ever growing research area. SI is a multidisciplinary endeavour, including a diversified array of disciplines as general engineering, environmental ecology, construction, architecture, urban planning, and geography. This paper traces that the number of publications in SI is growing exponentially since 2003. Over 80% of total citations are concentrated in less than 10% of papers spread over a large number of journals. Most publications originate from the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The main research streams in SI are green infrastructure, sustainable buildings, and assessment methods. Emerging and prevailing research themes include methodological issues of cost-effectiveness, project management and assessment tools. Substantive issues complement the research agenda of emerging themes in the areas of integration of human, economic and corporate social responsibility values in environmental sustainability, urban landscape and sustainable drainage systems, interdisciplinary research in green material, integrated policy research in urbanization, agriculture and nature conservation, and extensions of Green Building (GB) and GI to cities of developing countries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship between the Chinese tobacco industry and academic institutions in China

PubMed Central

Gan, Quan; Glantz, Stanton A

2011-01-01

Objective To investigate the relationship between the Chinese tobacco industry and academic institutions in China. Methods We searched online databases of journal articles published in both Chinese and English for academic institutions in China conducting research with or sponsored by Chinese tobacco companies. We also searched the websites of tobacco companies, their affiliated institutions and academic institutions for reports of collaborations. Results The Chinese tobacco industry, in addition to its own strong tobacco research capacity, maintains close ties with an extensive network of academic research institutions and universities to provide both research and training. The Chinese tobacco industry relies heavily upon academic researchers to advance its research agenda and such reliance has grown over time. Most research deals with farming, manufacturing and management issues, but research on ‘reduced harm’ and health effects has increased from 1% of projects in 1983–1987 to 4% in 2003–2007. Conclusions Chinese academic institutions should consider the fact that engagement with the tobacco industry, particularly on issues related to health or promotion of tobacco products, could damage their reputations, a concern that has led many leading Western universities to eschew relationships with the tobacco industry. To the extent that the Chinese tobacco industry’s involvement in academic institutions affects tobacco control policy making; it violates Article 5.3 of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which China ratified in 2005. PMID:20952560

Reference librarians' perceptions of the issues they face as academic health information professionals

PubMed Central

Scherrer, Carol S.

2004-01-01

Background: Leaders in the profession encourage academic health sciences librarians to assume new roles as part of the growth process for remaining vital professionals. Have librarians embraced these new roles? Objectives: This research sought to examine from the reference librarians' viewpoints how their roles have changed over the past ten years and what the challenges these changes present as viewed by both the librarians and library directors. Method: A series of eight focus groups was conducted with reference librarians from private and public academic health sciences libraries. Directors of these libraries were interviewed separately. Results: Reference librarians' activities have largely confirmed the role changes anticipated by their leaders. They are teaching more, engaging in outreach through liaison initiatives, and designing Web pages, in addition to providing traditional reference duties. Librarians offer insights into unanticipated issues encountered in each of these areas and offer some creative solutions. Directors discuss the issues from their unique perspective. Conclusion: Librarians have identified areas for focusing efforts in lifelong learning. Adult learning theory, specialized databases and resources needed by researchers, ever-evolving technology, and promotion and evaluation of the library are areas needing attention. Implications for library education and continuing professional development are presented. PMID:15098052

Reference librarians' perceptions of the issues they face as academic health information professionals.

PubMed

Scherrer, Carol S

2004-04-01

Leaders in the profession encourage academic health sciences librarians to assume new roles as part of the growth process for remaining vital professionals. Have librarians embraced these new roles? This research sought to examine from the reference librarians' viewpoints how their roles have changed over the past ten years and what the challenges these changes present as viewed by both the librarians and library directors. A series of eight focus groups was conducted with reference librarians from private and public academic health sciences libraries. Directors of these libraries were interviewed separately. Reference librarians' activities have largely confirmed the role changes anticipated by their leaders. They are teaching more, engaging in outreach through liaison initiatives, and designing Web pages, in addition to providing traditional reference duties. Librarians offer insights into unanticipated issues encountered in each of these areas and offer some creative solutions. Directors discuss the issues from their unique perspective. Librarians have identified areas for focusing efforts in lifelong learning. Adult learning theory, specialized databases and resources needed by researchers, ever-evolving technology, and promotion and evaluation of the library are areas needing attention. Implications for library education and continuing professional development are presented.

The Politics of Information: Building a Relational Database To Support Decision-Making at a Public University.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman, Debra; Hoffman, Phillip

2001-01-01

Describes creation of a relational database at the University of Washington supporting ongoing academic planning at several levels and affecting the culture of decision making. Addresses getting started; sharing the database; questions, worries, and issues; improving access to high-demand courses; the advising function; management of instructional…

Five Years into the Past...Five Years into the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tenopir, Carol

1988-01-01

Discusses issues which will have an impact on database searching for the next five years: (1) quality control; (2) more inhouse databases; (3) changes in database visuals; (4) pricing policies; and (5) market changes. A number of favorable and unfavorable changes unlikely to occur within five years are also noted. (MES)

Data-based Organizational Change: The Use of Administrative Data To Improve Child Welfare Programs and Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

English, Diana J.; Brandford, Carol C.; Coghlan, Laura

2000-01-01

Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of administrative databases, issues with their implementation and data analysis, and effective presentation of their data at different levels in child welfare organizations. Focuses on the development and implementation of Washington state's Children's Administration's administrative database, the Case and…

Do-It-Yourself: A Special Library's Approach to Creating Dynamic Web Pages Using Commercial Off-The-Shelf Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steeman, Gerald; Connell, Christopher

2000-01-01

Many librarians may feel that dynamic Web pages are out of their reach, financially and technically. Yet we are reminded in library and Web design literature that static home pages are a thing of the past. This paper describes how librarians at the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) library developed a database-driven, dynamic intranet site using commercial off-the-shelf applications. Administrative issues include surveying a library users group for interest and needs evaluation; outlining metadata elements; and, committing resources from managing time to populate the database and training in Microsoft FrontPage and Web-to-database design. Technical issues covered include Microsoft Access database fundamentals, lessons learned in the Web-to-database process (including setting up Database Source Names (DSNs), redesigning queries to accommodate the Web interface, and understanding Access 97 query language vs. Standard Query Language (SQL)). This paper also offers tips on editing Active Server Pages (ASP) scripting to create desired results. A how-to annotated resource list closes out the paper.

Why are patients prescribed proton pump inhibitors? Retrospective analysis of link between morbidity and prescribing in the General Practice Research Database

PubMed Central

Bashford, James N R; Norwood, Jeff; Chapman, Stephen R

1998-01-01

Objectives: To establish the relation between new prescriptions for proton pump inhibitors and recorded upper gastrointestinal morbidity within a large computerised general practitioner database. Design: Retrospective survey of morbidity and prescribing data linked to new prescriptions for proton pump inhibitors and comparison with licensed indications between 1991 and 1995. Setting: General Practice Research Database and prescribing analysis and cost (PACT) data for the former West Midlands region. Subjects: Information for 612 700 patients in the General Practice Research Database. Anonymous PACT data for all general practitioners in West Midlands region. Main outcome measures: Diagnostic codes linked to the first prescriptions issued for proton pump inhibitors; relation between new prescriptions and licensed indications; yearly change in ratio of new to repeat prescriptions and prescribing volumes measured as defined daily doses. Results: Oesophagitis was the commonest recorded indication in 1991, accounting for 31% of new prescriptions, but was third in 1995 (14%). During the study new prescriptions increased substantially, especially for duodenal disease (780%) and non-ulcer dyspepsia (690%). In 1995 non-specific morbidity accounted for 46% of new prescriptions. The total volume of prescribing rose 10-fold between 1991 and 1995, when repeat prescribing accounted for 77% of the total. Conclusions: Changes in recorded morbidity associated with new prescriptions of proton pump inhibitors did not necessarily reflect changes in licensed indications. Although general practitioners seemed to respond to changes in licensing, particularly for duodenal and gastric disease, prescribing for unlicensed indications non-ulcer dyspepsia and non-specific abdominal pain increased. Key messages There has been much speculation about the reasons behind the substantial rise in prescribing of proton pump inhibitors, especially their use for minor symptoms. We used the General Practitioner Research Database for the former West Midlands region to show that the volume of proton pump inhibitor prescribing rose 10-fold between 1992 and 1995 and repeat prescribing had risen to 77% of the volume by 1995 Prescribing for uncomplicated dyspepsia and non-specific abdominal symptoms, which were outside the licensed indications, accounted for 46% of new prescribing by 1995 The proportion of prescribing for the licensed indication of oesophagitis fell during the study, but that for duodenal ulceration increased in line with the expansion of licensed indications Analysis of PACT data showed similar prescribing trends to those found with the General Practitioner Research Database PMID:9703528

Multiple sclerosis: Pregnancy and women's health issues.

PubMed

Mendibe Bilbao, M; Boyero Durán, S; Bárcena Llona, J; Rodriguez-Antigüedad, A

2016-08-18

The course of multiple sclerosis (MS) is influenced by sex, pregnancy and hormonal factors. To analyse the influence of the above factors in order to clarify the aetiopathogenic mechanisms involved in the disease. We conducted a comprehensive review of scientific publications in the PubMed database using a keyword search for 'multiple sclerosis', 'MS', 'EAE', 'pregnancy', 'hormonal factors', 'treatment', and related terms. We reviewed the advances presented at the meeting held by the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) in March 2013 in London, as well as recommendations by international experts. We provide recommendations for counselling and treating women with MS prior to and during pregnancy and after delivery. Current findings on the effects of treatment on the mother, fetus, and newborn are also presented. We issue recommendations for future research in order to address knowledge gaps and clarify any inconsistencies in currently available data. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Cruella: developing a scalable tissue microarray data management system.

PubMed

Cowan, James D; Rimm, David L; Tuck, David P

2006-06-01

Compared with DNA microarray technology, relatively little information is available concerning the special requirements, design influences, and implementation strategies of data systems for tissue microarray technology. These issues include the requirement to accommodate new and different data elements for each new project as well as the need to interact with pre-existing models for clinical, biological, and specimen-related data. To design and implement a flexible, scalable tissue microarray data storage and management system that could accommodate information regarding different disease types and different clinical investigators, and different clinical investigation questions, all of which could potentially contribute unforeseen data types that require dynamic integration with existing data. The unpredictability of the data elements combined with the novelty of automated analysis algorithms and controlled vocabulary standards in this area require flexible designs and practical decisions. Our design includes a custom Java-based persistence layer to mediate and facilitate interaction with an object-relational database model and a novel database schema. User interaction is provided through a Java Servlet-based Web interface. Cruella has become an indispensable resource and is used by dozens of researchers every day. The system stores millions of experimental values covering more than 300 biological markers and more than 30 disease types. The experimental data are merged with clinical data that has been aggregated from multiple sources and is available to the researchers for management, analysis, and export. Cruella addresses many of the special considerations for managing tissue microarray experimental data and the associated clinical information. A metadata-driven approach provides a practical solution to many of the unique issues inherent in tissue microarray research, and allows relatively straightforward interoperability with and accommodation of new data models.

Database Search Engines: Paradigms, Challenges and Solutions.

PubMed

Verheggen, Kenneth; Martens, Lennart; Berven, Frode S; Barsnes, Harald; Vaudel, Marc

2016-01-01

The first step in identifying proteins from mass spectrometry based shotgun proteomics data is to infer peptides from tandem mass spectra, a task generally achieved using database search engines. In this chapter, the basic principles of database search engines are introduced with a focus on open source software, and the use of database search engines is demonstrated using the freely available SearchGUI interface. This chapter also discusses how to tackle general issues related to sequence database searching and shows how to minimize their impact.

Feline mitochondrial DNA sampling for forensic analysis: when enough is enough!

PubMed

Grahn, Robert A; Alhaddad, Hasan; Alves, Paulo C; Randi, Ettore; Waly, Nashwa E; Lyons, Leslie A

2015-05-01

Pet hair has a demonstrated value in resolving legal issues. Cat hair is chronically shed and it is difficult to leave a home with cats without some level of secondary transfer. The power of cat hair as an evidentiary resource may be underused because representative genetic databases are not available for exclusionary purposes. Mitochondrial control region databases are highly valuable for hair analyses and have been developed for the cat. In a representative worldwide data set, 83% of domestic cat mitotypes belong to one of twelve major types. Of the remaining 17%, 7.5% are unique within the published 1394 sample database. The current research evaluates the sample size necessary to establish a representative population for forensic comparison of the mitochondrial control region for the domestic cat. For most worldwide populations, randomly sampling 50 unrelated local individuals will achieve saturation at 95%. The 99% saturation is achieved by randomly sampling 60-170 cats, depending on the numbers of mitotypes available in the population at large. Likely due to the recent domestication of the cat and minimal localized population substructure, fewer cats are needed to meet mitochondria DNA control region database practical saturation than for humans or dogs. Coupled with the available worldwide feline control region database of nearly 1400 cats, minimal local sampling will be required to establish an appropriate comparative representative database and achieve significant exclusionary power. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immigrant and refugee women's post-partum depression help-seeking experiences and access to care: a review and analysis of the literature.

PubMed

O'Mahony, J; Donnelly, T

2010-12-01

• This literature review on post-partum depression (PPD) presents an analysis of the literature about PPD and the positive and negative factors, which may influence immigrant and refugee women's health seeking behaviour and decision making about post-partum care. • A critical review of English language peer-reviewed publications from 1988 to 2008 was done by the researchers as part of a qualitative research study conducted in a western province of Canada. The overall goal of the study is to raise awareness and understanding of what would be helpful in meeting the mental health needs of the immigrant and refugee women during the post-partum period. • Several online databases were searched: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, MEDLINE (Ovid), EBM Reviews - Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. • Review of the literature suggests: 1 Needs, issues and specific risk factors for PPD among immigrant and refugee women have been limited. 2 Descriptive accounts regarding culture and PPD are found in the literature but impact of cultural factors upon PPD has not been well studied. 3 Few studies look at how social support, gender, and larger institutions or organizational structures may affect immigrant and refugee women's help-seeking and access to mental health care services. 4 More research is needed to hear the immigrant and refugee women's ideas about their social support needs, the difficulties they experience and their preferred ways of getting help with PPD. This review and analysis of the literature is about the phenomenon of post-partum depression (PPD) and the barriers and facilitators, which may influence immigrant and refugee women's health seeking behaviour and decision making about post-partum care. As part of a qualitative research study conducted in a western province of Canada a critical review of English language peer-reviewed publications from 1988 to 2008 was undertaken by the researchers. The overall goal of the study is to raise awareness and understanding of what would be helpful in meeting the mental health needs of the immigrant and refugee women during the post-partum period. Several online databases were searched: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, MEDLINE (Ovid), EBM Reviews - Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Findings suggest: (1) needs, issues and specific risk factors for PPD among immigrant and refugee women have been limited; (2) descriptive accounts regarding culture and PPD are found in the literature but impact of cultural factors upon PPD has not been well investigated; (3) few studies examine how social support, gender, institutional and organizational structures present barriers to the women's health seeking behaviour; and (4) additional research is required to evaluate immigrant and refugee women's perspectives about their social support needs, the barriers they experience and their preferred support interventions. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing.

Fostering and framing international social research on alcohol and other drugs: a tribute to Robin Room.

PubMed

Giesbrecht, Norman; Rosenqvist, Pia

2014-11-01

This commentary concentrates on three aspects of Robin Room's research history: the extent and scope of his research, his role as a builder of research milieus and his importance for the creation of research networks. It is not intended to be a comprehensive analysis, but rather illustrative. A supplementary table provides information on 24 international research projects that Robin Room led or where he played a significant role. In addition to looking at his scientific production history as reflected in databases, when preparing this essay the authors consulted 38 researchers who had worked or presently work with him in various projects, groups or in the research institutes where has held leadership positions. We posed questions pertaining to: major research issues over the past 50 years, the involvement of Robin Room in various projects, the ways in which these projects had contributed to social science or practice and Robin's contributions to the creation of research milieus. © 2014 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Methodological and ethical issues in research using social media: a metamethod of Human Papillomavirus vaccine studies.

PubMed

Gustafson, Diana L; Woodworth, Claire F

2014-12-02

Online content is a primary source of healthcare information for internet-using adults and a rich resource for health researchers. This paper explores the methodological and ethical issues of engaging in health research using social media. A metamethod was performed on systematically selected studies that used social media as a data source for exploring public awareness and beliefs about Human Papillomaviruses (HPV) and HPV vaccination. Seven electronic databases were searched using a variety of search terms identified for each of three concepts: social media, HPV vaccine, and research method. Abstracts were assessed for eligibility of inclusion; six studies met the eligibility criteria and were subjected to content analysis. A 10-item coding scheme was developed to assess the clarity, congruence and transparency of research design, epistemological and methodological underpinnings and ethical considerations. The designs of the six selected studies were sound, although most studies could have been more transparent about how they built in rigor to ensure the trustworthiness and credibility of findings. Statistical analysis that intended to measure trends and patterns did so without the benefit of randomized sampling and other design elements for ensuring generalizability or reproducibility of findings beyond the specified virtual community. Most researchers did not sufficiently engage virtual users in the research process or consider the risk of privacy incursion. Most studies did not seek ethical approval from an institutional research board or permission from host websites or web service providers. The metamethod exposed missed opportunities for using the dialogical character of social media as well as a lack of attention to the unique ethical issues inherent in operating in a virtual community where social boundaries and issues of public and private are ambiguous. This suggests the need for more self-conscious and ethical research practices when using social media as a data source. Given the relative newness of virtual communities, researchers and ethics review boards must work together to develop expertise in evaluating the design of studies undertaken with virtual communities. We recommend that the principles of concern for welfare, respect for person, and justice to be applied in research using social media.

A Database of Historical Information on Landslides and Floods in Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzzetti, F.; Tonelli, G.

2003-04-01

For the past 12 years we have maintained and updated a database of historical information on landslides and floods in Italy, known as the National Research Council's AVI (Damaged Urban Areas) Project archive. The database was originally designed to respond to a specific request of the Minister of Civil Protection, and was aimed at helping the regional assessment of landslide and flood risk in Italy. The database was first constructed in 1991-92 to cover the period 1917 to 1990. Information of damaging landslide and flood event was collected by searching archives, by screening thousands of newspaper issues, by reviewing the existing technical and scientific literature on landslides and floods in Italy, and by interviewing landslide and flood experts. The database was then updated chiefly through the analysis of hundreds of newspaper articles, and it now covers systematically the period 1900 to 1998, and non-systematically the periods 1900 to 1916 and 1999 to 2002. Non systematic information on landslide and flood events older than 20th century is also present in the database. The database currently contains information on more than 32,000 landslide events occurred at more than 25,700 sites, and on more than 28,800 flood events occurred at more than 15,600 sites. After a brief outline of the history and evolution of the AVI Project archive, we present and discuss: (a) the present structure of the database, including the hardware and software solutions adopted to maintain, manage, use and disseminate the information stored in the database, (b) the type and amount of information stored in the database, including an estimate of its completeness, and (c) examples of recent applications of the database, including a web-based GIS systems to show the location of sites historically affected by landslides and floods, and an estimate of geo-hydrological (i.e., landslide and flood) risk in Italy based on the available historical information.

Turbine Replacement Issue

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

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

Investigating global trends in paraquat intoxication research from 1962 to 2015 using bibliometric analysis.

PubMed

Zyoud, Sa'ed H

2018-06-01

Paraquat is considered to be the main pesticide involved in accidental and intentional poisoning, and is responsible for a high rate of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to present a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of paraquat intoxication-related research. Data was retrieved in March 2017 from the Scopus database. An overview of the research on paraquat intoxication was presented alongside the information related to several bibliometric indicators, such as research trends, countries with their h-index, collaboration, hot issues, top-cited publications, journals, and institutions. There were 1971 publications related to paraquat intoxication in the Scopus database that were published between 1966 and 2015. There was increasing research output in the field of paraquat intoxication during the period 2006-2015. The USA published the highest number of publications (n = 338), followed by Japan with 228 publications, and China with 159 publications. The USA and the UK achieved the greatest h-index values (h-index values of 49 and 31, respectively). The USA also achieved the highest number of publications involving international collaboration, with 55 publications, followed by the UK, with 18 publications. The most prevalent topics in this field were "acute paraquat intoxication," "toxic effects of paraquat to the lung," and "mechanism of paraquat toxicity." Although a substantial amount of research has been produced on paraquat intoxication for most developed countries, there are research gaps regarding the international research agenda in this research area. The findings could be applied for prioritizing and organizing future research efforts related to paraquat toxicity. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

YMDB 2.0: a significantly expanded version of the yeast metabolome database.

PubMed

Ramirez-Gaona, Miguel; Marcu, Ana; Pon, Allison; Guo, An Chi; Sajed, Tanvir; Wishart, Noah A; Karu, Naama; Djoumbou Feunang, Yannick; Arndt, David; Wishart, David S

2017-01-04

YMDB or the Yeast Metabolome Database (http://www.ymdb.ca/) is a comprehensive database containing extensive information on the genome and metabolome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Initially released in 2012, the YMDB has gone through a significant expansion and a number of improvements over the past 4 years. This manuscript describes the most recent version of YMDB (YMDB 2.0). More specifically, it provides an updated description of the database that was previously described in the 2012 NAR Database Issue and it details many of the additions and improvements made to the YMDB over that time. Some of the most important changes include a 7-fold increase in the number of compounds in the database (from 2007 to 16 042), a 430-fold increase in the number of metabolic and signaling pathway diagrams (from 66 to 28 734), a 16-fold increase in the number of compounds linked to pathways (from 742 to 12 733), a 17-fold increase in the numbers of compounds with nuclear magnetic resonance or MS spectra (from 783 to 13 173) and an increase in both the number of data fields and the number of links to external databases. In addition to these database expansions, a number of improvements to YMDB's web interface and its data visualization tools have been made. These additions and improvements should greatly improve the ease, the speed and the quantity of data that can be extracted, searched or viewed within YMDB. Overall, we believe these improvements should not only improve the understanding of the metabolism of S. cerevisiae, but also allow more in-depth exploration of its extensive metabolic networks, signaling pathways and biochemistry. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Thematic relatedness production norms for 100 object concepts.

PubMed

Jouravlev, Olessia; McRae, Ken

2016-12-01

Knowledge of thematic relations is an area of increased interest in semantic memory research because it is crucial to many cognitive processes. One methodological issue that researchers face is how to identify pairs of thematically related concepts that are well-established in semantic memory for most people. In this article, we review existing methods of assessing thematic relatedness and provide thematic relatedness production norming data for 100 object concepts. In addition, 1,174 related concept pairs obtained from the production norms were classified as reflecting one of the five subtypes of relations: attributive, argument, coordinate, locative, and temporal. The database and methodology will be useful for researchers interested in the effects of thematic knowledge on language processing, analogical reasoning, similarity judgments, and memory. These data will also benefit researchers interested in investigating potential processing differences among the five types of semantic relations.

Editorial: Journal article reporting standards.

PubMed

Kazak, Anne E

2018-01-01

In this editorial, the author notes that this issue of American Psychologist features a pair of important articles related to newly updated standards for reporting research in psychology in scientific journals, covering both quantitative (Appelbaum et al., 2018) and qualitative (Levitt et al., 2018) research. The increasing breadth and complexity of research, and the importance of communicating it effectively, requires user-friendly resources that can be applied widely to scientific studies. These two articles are intended to serve that purpose, and to encourage thoroughness and accuracy in research reporting, for psychologists and other scientists in broader academic communities. The articles, known as the Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS) reports, are based on the work of a task force appointed by the American Psychological Association (APA) Publications and Communications Board in 2015. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Are your spectroscopic data being used?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, Iouli E.; Potterbusch, Megan R.; Bouquin, Daina; Erdmann, Christopher C.; Wilzewski, Jonas S.; Rothman, Laurence S.

2016-09-01

The issue of availability of data and their presentation in spectroscopic publications is discussed. Different current practices are critically reviewed from the point of view of potential users, government policies, and merit of success of the authors. Indeed, properly providing the data benefits not only users but also the authors of the spectroscopic research. We will show that this increases citations to the spectroscopy papers and visibility of the research groups. Examples based on the statistical analyses of the articles published in the Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy will be shown. We will discuss different methods including supplementary materials to the Journals, public-curated databases and also new tools that can be utilized by spectroscopists.

Conceptual and statistical issues in couples observational research: Rationale and methods for design decisions.

PubMed

Baucom, Brian R W; Leo, Karena; Adamo, Colin; Georgiou, Panayiotis; Baucom, Katherine J W

2017-12-01

Observational behavioral coding methods are widely used for the study of relational phenomena. There are numerous guidelines for the development and implementation of these methods that include principles for creating new and adapting existing coding systems as well as principles for creating coding teams. While these principles have been successfully implemented in research on relational phenomena, the ever expanding array of phenomena being investigated with observational methods calls for a similar expansion of these principles. Specifically, guidelines are needed for decisions that arise in current areas of emphasis in couple research including observational investigation of related outcomes (e.g., relationship distress and psychological symptoms), the study of change in behavior over time, and the study of group similarities and differences in the enactment and perception of behavior. This article describes conceptual and statistical considerations involved in these 3 areas of research and presents principle- and empirically based rationale for design decisions related to these issues. A unifying principle underlying these guidelines is the need for careful consideration of fit between theory, research questions, selection of coding systems, and creation of coding teams. Implications of (mis)fit for the advancement of theory are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging (Cimbi) database.

PubMed

Knudsen, Gitte M; Jensen, Peter S; Erritzoe, David; Baaré, William F C; Ettrup, Anders; Fisher, Patrick M; Gillings, Nic; Hansen, Hanne D; Hansen, Lars Kai; Hasselbalch, Steen G; Henningsson, Susanne; Herth, Matthias M; Holst, Klaus K; Iversen, Pernille; Kessing, Lars V; Macoveanu, Julian; Madsen, Kathrine Skak; Mortensen, Erik L; Nielsen, Finn Årup; Paulson, Olaf B; Siebner, Hartwig R; Stenbæk, Dea S; Svarer, Claus; Jernigan, Terry L; Strother, Stephen C; Frokjaer, Vibe G

2016-01-01

We here describe a multimodality neuroimaging containing data from healthy volunteers and patients, acquired within the Lundbeck Foundation Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging (Cimbi) in Copenhagen, Denmark. The data is of particular relevance for neurobiological research questions related to the serotonergic transmitter system with its normative data on the serotonergic subtype receptors 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5-HT2A, and 5-HT4 and the 5-HT transporter (5-HTT), but can easily serve other purposes. The Cimbi database and Cimbi biobank were formally established in 2008 with the purpose to store the wealth of Cimbi-acquired data in a highly structured and standardized manner in accordance with the regulations issued by the Danish Data Protection Agency as well as to provide a quality-controlled resource for future hypothesis-generating and hypothesis-driven studies. The Cimbi database currently comprises a total of 1100 PET and 1000 structural and functional MRI scans and it holds a multitude of additional data, such as genetic and biochemical data, and scores from 17 self-reported questionnaires and from 11 neuropsychological paper/computer tests. The database associated Cimbi biobank currently contains blood and in some instances saliva samples from about 500 healthy volunteers and 300 patients with e.g., major depression, dementia, substance abuse, obesity, and impulsive aggression. Data continue to be added to the Cimbi database and biobank. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

An incremental database access method for autonomous interoperable databases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roussopoulos, Nicholas; Sellis, Timos

1994-01-01

We investigated a number of design and performance issues of interoperable database management systems (DBMS's). The major results of our investigation were obtained in the areas of client-server database architectures for heterogeneous DBMS's, incremental computation models, buffer management techniques, and query optimization. We finished a prototype of an advanced client-server workstation-based DBMS which allows access to multiple heterogeneous commercial DBMS's. Experiments and simulations were then run to compare its performance with the standard client-server architectures. The focus of this research was on adaptive optimization methods of heterogeneous database systems. Adaptive buffer management accounts for the random and object-oriented access methods for which no known characterization of the access patterns exists. Adaptive query optimization means that value distributions and selectives, which play the most significant role in query plan evaluation, are continuously refined to reflect the actual values as opposed to static ones that are computed off-line. Query feedback is a concept that was first introduced to the literature by our group. We employed query feedback for both adaptive buffer management and for computing value distributions and selectivities. For adaptive buffer management, we use the page faults of prior executions to achieve more 'informed' management decisions. For the estimation of the distributions of the selectivities, we use curve-fitting techniques, such as least squares and splines, for regressing on these values.

RaftProt: mammalian lipid raft proteome database.

PubMed

Shah, Anup; Chen, David; Boda, Akash R; Foster, Leonard J; Davis, Melissa J; Hill, Michelle M

2015-01-01

RaftProt (http://lipid-raft-database.di.uq.edu.au/) is a database of mammalian lipid raft-associated proteins as reported in high-throughput mass spectrometry studies. Lipid rafts are specialized membrane microdomains enriched in cholesterol and sphingolipids thought to act as dynamic signalling and sorting platforms. Given their fundamental roles in cellular regulation, there is a plethora of information on the size, composition and regulation of these membrane microdomains, including a large number of proteomics studies. To facilitate the mining and analysis of published lipid raft proteomics studies, we have developed a searchable database RaftProt. In addition to browsing the studies, performing basic queries by protein and gene names, searching experiments by cell, tissue and organisms; we have implemented several advanced features to facilitate data mining. To address the issue of potential bias due to biochemical preparation procedures used, we have captured the lipid raft preparation methods and implemented advanced search option for methodology and sample treatment conditions, such as cholesterol depletion. Furthermore, we have identified a list of high confidence proteins, and enabled searching only from this list of likely bona fide lipid raft proteins. Given the apparent biological importance of lipid raft and their associated proteins, this database would constitute a key resource for the scientific community. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Choosing phenomenology as a guiding philosophy for nursing research.

PubMed

Matua, Gerald Amandu

2015-03-01

To provide an overview of important methodological considerations that nurse researchers need to adhere to when choosing phenomenology as a guiding philosophy and research method. Phenomenology is a major philosophy and research method in the humanities, human sciences and arts disciplines with a central goal of describing people's experiences. However, many nurse researchers continue to grapple with methodological issues related to their choice of phenomenological method. The author conducted online and manual searches of relevant research books and electronic databases. Using an integrative method, peer-reviewed research and discussion papers published between January 1990 and December 2011 and listed in the CINAHL, Science Direct, PubMed and Google Scholar databases were reviewed. In addition, textbooks that addressed research methodologies such as phenomenology were used. Although phenomenology is widely used today to broaden understanding of human phenomena relevant to nursing practice, nurse researchers often fail to adhere to acceptable scientific and phenomenological standards. Cognisant of these challenges, researchers are expected to indicate in their work the focus of their investigations, designs, and approaches to collecting and analysing data. They are also expected to present their findings in an evocative and expressive manner. Choosing phenomenology requires researchers to understand it as a philosophy, including basic assumptions and tenets of phenomenology as a research method. This awareness enables researchers, especially novices, to make important methodological decisions, particularly those necessary to indicate the study's scientific rigour and phenomenological validity. This paper adds to the discussion of phenomenology as a guiding philosophy for nursing research. It aims to guide new researchers on important methodological decisions they need to make to safeguard their study's scientific rigour and phenomenological validity.

Clinical errors and therapist discomfort with client disclosure of troublesome pornography use: Implications for clinical practice and error reduction.

PubMed

Walters, Nathan T; Spengler, Paul M

2016-09-01

Mental health professionals are increasingly aware of the need for competence in the treatment of clients with pornography-related concerns. However, while researchers have recently sought to explore efficacious treatments for pornography-related concerns, few explorations of potential clinical judgment issues have occurred. Due to the sensitive, and at times uncomfortable, nature of client disclosures of sexual concerns within therapy, therapists are required to manage their own discomfort while retaining fidelity to treatment. The present paper explores clinician examples of judgment errors that may result from feelings of discomfort, and specifically from client use of pornography. Issues of potential bias, bias management techniques, and therapeutic implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Patient complaints in healthcare systems: a systematic review and coding taxonomy

PubMed Central

Reader, Tom W; Gillespie, Alex; Roberts, Jane

2014-01-01

Background Patient complaints have been identified as a valuable resource for monitoring and improving patient safety. This article critically reviews the literature on patient complaints, and synthesises the research findings to develop a coding taxonomy for analysing patient complaints. Methods The PubMed, Science Direct and Medline databases were systematically investigated to identify patient complaint research studies. Publications were included if they reported primary quantitative data on the content of patient-initiated complaints. Data were extracted and synthesised on (1) basic study characteristics; (2) methodological details; and (3) the issues patients complained about. Results 59 studies, reporting 88 069 patient complaints, were included. Patient complaint coding methodologies varied considerably (eg, in attributing single or multiple causes to complaints). In total, 113 551 issues were found to underlie the patient complaints. These were analysed using 205 different analytical codes which when combined represented 29 subcategories of complaint issue. The most common issues complained about were ‘treatment’ (15.6%) and ‘communication’ (13.7%). To develop a patient complaint coding taxonomy, the subcategories were thematically grouped into seven categories, and then three conceptually distinct domains. The first domain related to complaints on the safety and quality of clinical care (representing 33.7% of complaint issues), the second to the management of healthcare organisations (35.1%) and the third to problems in healthcare staff–patient relationships (29.1%). Conclusions Rigorous analyses of patient complaints will help to identify problems in patient safety. To achieve this, it is necessary to standardise how patient complaints are analysed and interpreted. Through synthesising data from 59 patient complaint studies, we propose a coding taxonomy for supporting future research and practice in the analysis of patient complaint data. PMID:24876289

Bibliography on propulsion airframe integration technologies for high-speed civil transport applications, 1980-1991

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, David J.; Mizukami, Masashi

1993-01-01

NASA has initiated the High Speed Research (HSR) program with the goal to develop technologies for a new generation, economically viable, environmentally acceptable, supersonic transport (SST) called the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT). A significant part of this effort is expected to be in multidisciplinary systems integration, such as in propulsion airframe integration (PAI). In order to assimilate the knowledge database on PAI for SST type aircraft, a bibliography on this subject was compiled. The bibliography with over 1200 entries, full abstracts, and indexes. Related topics are also covered, such as the following: engine inlets, engine cycles, nozzles, existing supersonic cruise aircraft, noise issues, computational fluid dynamics, aerodynamics, and external interference. All identified documents from 1980 through early 1991 are included; this covers the latter part of the NASA Supersonic Cruise Research (SCR) program and the beginnings of the HSR program. In addition, some pre-1980 documents of significant merit or reference value are also included. The references were retrieved via a computerized literature search using the NASA RECON database system.

Yuan T. Lee and Molecular Beam Studies

Science.gov Websites

&D Nuggets Database dropdown arrow Search Tag Cloud Browse Reports Database Help Finding Aids : The Influence of Yuan T. Lee, Journal of Chemical Physics, Volume 125, Issue 13, pp. 132302-132302-19

Practice pattern and professional issues of nurse practitioners in mechanical circulatory support programs in the United States: a survey report.

PubMed

Casida, Jesus M; Pastor, Jessica

2012-09-01

Few data-based reports about the role and work environment of advanced practice nurses, specifically nurse practitioners in mechanical circulatory support programs, have been published. To describe the practice pattern and professional issues confronted by nurse practitioners in the rapidly evolving and expanding mechanical circulatory support programs in the United States. A descriptive research design was employed using the data from the 2010 mechanical circulatory support nurses survey. Quantitative and qualitative data that pertained to the demographic and practice profiles as well as barriers and overall issues faced by the nurse practitioners in their clinical practice were analyzed. Nonrandom sample of 48 nurse practitioners from 95 mechanical circulatory support programs nationwide. The practice pattern of nurse practitioners in mechanical circulatory support programs is similar to the practice pattern reported for nurse practitioners in acute and critical care settings. However, only 44% and 10% of nurse practitioners in mechanical circulatory support programs are authorized to admit and transfer patients into and out of the hospital, respectively. High workload, lack of institutional support, knowledge deficit, role ambiguity, lack of professional recognition, and burnout were the common issues faced by the participants in their clinical practice. The results provide preliminary evidence on the practice pattern, restrictions, and work environment issues that may threaten the viability of an mechanical circulatory support program in which nurse practitioners play a crucial role. Implications for clinical practice, research, and policy development are discussed.

NGA-West2 Research Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bozorgnia, Yousef; Abrahamson, Norman A.; Al Atik, Linda; Ancheta, Timothy D.; Atkinson, Gail M.; Baker, Jack W.; Baltay, Annemarie S.; Boore, David M.; Campbell, Kenneth W.; Chiou, Brian S.J.; Darragh, Robert B.; Day, Steve; Donahue, Jennifer; Graves, Robert W.; Gregor, Nick; Hanks, Thomas C.; Idriss, I. M.; Kamai, Ronnie; Kishida, Tadahiro; Kottke, Albert; Mahin, Stephen A.; Rezaeian, Sanaz; Rowshandel, Badie; Seyhan, Emel; Shahi, Shrey; Shantz, Tom; Silva, Walter; Spudich, Paul A.; Stewart, Jonathan P.; Watson-Lamprey, Jennie; Wooddell, Kathryn; Youngs, Robert

2014-01-01

The NGA-West2 project is a large multidisciplinary, multi-year research program on the Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) models for shallow crustal earthquakes in active tectonic regions. The research project has been coordinated by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER), with extensive technical interactions among many individuals and organizations. NGA-West2 addresses several key issues in ground-motion seismic hazard, including updating the NGA database for a magnitude range of 3.0–7.9; updating NGA ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs) for the “average” horizontal component; scaling response spectra for damping values other than 5%; quantifying the effects of directivity and directionality for horizontal ground motion; resolving discrepancies between the NGA and the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) site amplification factors; analysis of epistemic uncertainty for NGA GMPEs; and developing GMPEs for vertical ground motion. This paper presents an overview of the NGA-West2 research program and its subprojects.

The ClinicalTrials.gov Results Database — Update and Key Issues

PubMed Central

Zarin, Deborah A.; Tse, Tony; Williams, Rebecca J.; Califf, Robert M.; Ide, Nicholas C.

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND The ClinicalTrials.gov trial registry was expanded in 2008 to include a database for reporting summary results. We summarize the structure and contents of the results database, provide an update of relevant policies, and show how the data can be used to gain insight into the state of clinical research. METHODS We analyzed ClinicalTrials.gov data that were publicly available between September 2009 and September 2010. RESULTS As of September 27, 2010, ClinicalTrials.gov received approximately 330 new and 2000 revised registrations each week, along with 30 new and 80 revised results submissions. We characterized the 79,413 registry and 2178 results of trial records available as of September 2010. From a sample cohort of results records, 78 of 150 (52%) had associated publications within 2 years after posting. Of results records available publicly, 20% reported more than two primary outcome measures and 5% reported more than five. Of a sample of 100 registry record outcome measures, 61% lacked specificity in describing the metric used in the planned analysis. In a sample of 700 results records, the mean number of different analysis populations per study group was 2.5 (median, 1; range, 1 to 25). Of these trials, 24% reported results for 90% or less of their participants. CONCLUSIONS ClinicalTrials.gov provides access to study results not otherwise available to the public. Although the database allows examination of various aspects of ongoing and completed clinical trials, its ultimate usefulness depends on the research community to submit accurate, informative data. PMID:21366476

Ethical dimensions of paediatric nursing: A rapid evidence assessment.

PubMed

Bagnasco, Annamaria; Cadorin, Lucia; Barisone, Michela; Bressan, Valentina; Iemmi, Marina; Prandi, Marzia; Timmins, Fiona; Watson, Roger; Sasso, Loredana

2018-02-01

Paediatric nurses often face complex situations requiring decisions that sometimes clash with their own values and beliefs, or with the needs of the children they care for and their families. Paediatric nurses often use new technology that changes the way they provide care, but also reduces their direct interaction with the child. This may generate ethical issues, which nurses should be able to address in the full respect of the child. Research question and objectives: The purpose of this review is to describe the main ethical dimensions of paediatric nursing. Our research question was, 'What are the most common ethical dimensions and competences related to paediatric nursing?' A rapid evidence assessment. According to the principles of the rapid evidence assessment, we searched the PubMed, SCOPUS and CINAHL databases for papers published between January 2001 and March 2015. These papers were then independently read by two researchers and analysed according to the inclusion criteria. Ethical considerations: Since this was a rapid evidence assessment, no approval from the ethics committee was required. Ten papers met our inclusion criteria. Ethical issues in paediatric nursing were grouped into three areas: (a) ethical issues in paediatric care, (b) social responsibility and (c) decision-making process. Few studies investigate the ethical dimensions and aspects of paediatric nursing, and they are mainly qualitative studies conducted in critical care settings based on nurses' perceptions and experiences. Paediatric nurses require specific educational interventions to help them resolve ethical issues, contribute to the decision-making process and fulfil their role as advocates of a vulnerable population (i.e. sick children and their families). Further research is needed to investigate how paediatric nurses can improve the involvement of children and their families in decision-making processes related to their care plan.

EDDIX--a database of ionisation double differential cross sections.

PubMed

MacGibbon, J H; Emerson, S; Liamsuwan, T; Nikjoo, H

2011-02-01

The use of Monte Carlo track structure is a choice method in biophysical modelling and calculations. To precisely model 3D and 4D tracks, the cross section for the ionisation by an incoming ion, double differential in the outgoing electron energy and angle, is required. However, the double differential cross section cannot be theoretically modelled over the full range of parameters. To address this issue, a database of all available experimental data has been constructed. Currently, the database of Experimental Double Differential Ionisation Cross sections (EDDIX) contains over 1200 digitalised experimentally measured datasets from the 1960s to present date, covering all available ion species (hydrogen to uranium) and all available target species. Double differential cross sections are also presented with the aid of an eight parameter functions fitted to the cross sections. The parameters include projectile species and charge, target nuclear charge and atomic mass, projectile atomic mass and energy, electron energy and deflection angle. It is planned to freely distribute EDDIX and make it available to the radiation research community for use in the analytical and numerical modelling of track structure.

The Dfam database of repetitive DNA families.

PubMed

Hubley, Robert; Finn, Robert D; Clements, Jody; Eddy, Sean R; Jones, Thomas A; Bao, Weidong; Smit, Arian F A; Wheeler, Travis J

2016-01-04

Repetitive DNA, especially that due to transposable elements (TEs), makes up a large fraction of many genomes. Dfam is an open access database of families of repetitive DNA elements, in which each family is represented by a multiple sequence alignment and a profile hidden Markov model (HMM). The initial release of Dfam, featured in the 2013 NAR Database Issue, contained 1143 families of repetitive elements found in humans, and was used to produce more than 100 Mb of additional annotation of TE-derived regions in the human genome, with improved speed. Here, we describe recent advances, most notably expansion to 4150 total families including a comprehensive set of known repeat families from four new organisms (mouse, zebrafish, fly and nematode). We describe improvements to coverage, and to our methods for identifying and reducing false annotation. We also describe updates to the website interface. The Dfam website has moved to http://dfam.org. Seed alignments, profile HMMs, hit lists and other underlying data are available for download. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Is Library Database Searching a Language Learning Activity?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bordonaro, Karen

2010-01-01

This study explores how non-native speakers of English think of words to enter into library databases when they begin the process of searching for information in English. At issue is whether or not language learning takes place when these students use library databases. Language learning in this study refers to the use of strategies employed by…

75 FR 10552 - Sixth Meeting-RTCA Special Committee 217: Joint With EUROCAE WG-44 Terrain and Airport Mapping...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-08

... 217: Joint With EUROCAE WG- 44 Terrain and Airport Mapping Databases AGENCY: Federal Aviation... Airport Mapping Databases. SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 217: Joint with EUROCAE WG-44 Terrain and Airport Mapping Databases. DATES: The...

76 FR 27744 - Eighth Meeting-RTCA Special Committee 217: Joint With EUROCAE WG-44 Terrain and Airport Mapping...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-12

... Committee 217: Joint With EUROCAE WG-44 Terrain and Airport Mapping Databases AGENCY: Federal Aviation... Airport Mapping Databases. SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 217: Joint with EUROCAE WG-44 Terrain and Airport Mapping Databases. DATES: The...

76 FR 54527 - Ninth Meeting-RTCA Special Committee 217: Joint With EUROCAE WG-44 Terrain and Airport Mapping...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-01

... 217: Joint With EUROCAE WG- 44 Terrain and Airport Mapping Databases AGENCY: Federal Aviation... Airport Mapping Databases. SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 217: Joint with EUROCAE WG-44 Terrain and Airport Mapping Databases. DATES: The...

76 FR 6179 - Eighth Meeting-RTCA Special Committee 217: Joint With EUROCAE WG-44 Terrain and Airport Mapping...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-03

... Committee 217: Joint With EUROCAE WG-44 Terrain and Airport Mapping Databases AGENCY: Federal Aviation... Airport Mapping Databases. SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 217: Joint with EUROCAE WG-44 Terrain and Airport Mapping Databases. DATES: The...

Wildlife mortality investigation and disease research: contributions of the USGS National Wildlife Health Center to endangered species management and recovery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brand, Christopher J.

2013-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey—National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) provides diagnostic services, technical assistance, applied research, and training to federal, state, territorial, and local government agencies and Native American tribes on wildlife diseases and wildlife health issues throughout the United States and its territories, commonwealth, and freely associated states. Since 1975, >16,000 carcasses and specimens from vertebrate species listed under the Endangered Species Act have been submitted to NWHC for determination of causes of morbidity or mortality or assessment of health/disease status. Results from diagnostic investigations, analyses of the diagnostic database, technical assistance and consultation, field investigation of epizootics, and wildlife disease research by NWHC wildlife disease specialists have contributed importantly to the management and recovery of listed species.

Wildlife mortality investigation and disease research: contributions of the USGS National Wildlife Health Center to endangered species management and recovery.

PubMed

Brand, Christopher J

2013-12-01

The U.S. Geological Survey-National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) provides diagnostic services, technical assistance, applied research, and training to federal, state, territorial, and local government agencies and Native American tribes on wildlife diseases and wildlife health issues throughout the United States and its territories, commonwealth, and freely associated states. Since 1975, >16,000 carcasses and specimens from vertebrate species listed under the Endangered Species Act have been submitted to NWHC for determination of causes of morbidity or mortality or assessment of health/disease status. Results from diagnostic investigations, analyses of the diagnostic database, technical assistance and consultation, field investigation of epizootics, and wildlife disease research by NWHC wildlife disease specialists have contributed importantly to the management and recovery of listed species.

[The language disorders in schizophrenia in neurolinguistic and psycholinguistic perspectives].

PubMed

Piovan, Cristiano

2012-01-01

The descriptive psychopathology has classically equated the language with the formal aspects of thought. Recent developments in experimental and clinical research have emphasized the study of the language as a specific communicative ability. Within the framework of cognitive neuropsychology, the development of innovative research models, such as those based on the mentalizing ability, has allowed to formulate new hypotheses on the pathogenetic aspects of schizophrenia. Furthermore, mentalizing ability appears to be a basic skill for the pragmatic dimension of language. The author, after a brief description of the methods of investigation of neurolinguistics and psycholinguistics, presents a review of recent studies obtained by consulting the PubMed and PsycINFO databases. Finally, he focuses on the relationship between research findings and issues related to clinical practice.

Bisphosphonates and Nonhealing Femoral Fractures: Analysis of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and International Safety Efforts

PubMed Central

Edwards, Beatrice J.; Bunta, Andrew D.; Lane, Joseph; Odvina, Clarita; Rao, D. Sudhaker; Raisch, Dennis W.; McKoy, June M.; Omar, Imran; Belknap, Steven M.; Garg, Vishvas; Hahr, Allison J.; Samaras, Athena T.; Fisher, Matthew J.; West, Dennis P.; Langman, Craig B.; Stern, Paula H.

2013-01-01

Background: In the United States, hip fracture rates have declined by 30% coincident with bisphosphonate use. However, bisphosphonates are associated with sporadic cases of atypical femoral fracture. Atypical femoral fractures are usually atraumatic, may be bilateral, are occasionally preceded by prodromal thigh pain, and may have delayed fracture-healing. This study assessed the occurrence of bisphosphonate-associated nonhealing femoral fractures through a review of data from the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) (1996 to 2011), published case reports, and international safety efforts. Methods: We analyzed the FAERS database with use of the proportional reporting ratio (PRR) and empiric Bayesian geometric mean (EBGM) techniques to assess whether a safety signal existed. Additionally, we conducted a systematic literature review (1990 to February 2012). Results: The analysis of the FAERS database indicated a PRR of 4.51 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.44 to 5.92) for bisphosphonate use and nonhealing femoral fractures. Most cases (n = 317) were attributed to use of alendronate (PRR = 3.32; 95% CI, 2.71 to 4.17). In 2008, international safety agencies issued warnings and required label changes. In 2010, the FDA issued a safety notification, and the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) issued recommendations about bisphosphonate-associated atypical femoral fractures. Conclusions: Nonhealing femoral fractures are unusual adverse drug reactions associated with bisphosphonate use, as up to 26% of published cases of atypical femoral fractures exhibited delayed healing or nonhealing. PMID:23426763

Database on veterinary clinical research in homeopathy.

PubMed

Clausen, Jürgen; Albrecht, Henning

2010-07-01

The aim of the present report is to provide an overview of the first database on clinical research in veterinary homeopathy. Detailed searches in the database 'Veterinary Clinical Research-Database in Homeopathy' (http://www.carstens-stiftung.de/clinresvet/index.php). The database contains about 200 entries of randomised clinical trials, non-randomised clinical trials, observational studies, drug provings, case reports and case series. Twenty-two clinical fields are covered and eight different groups of species are included. The database is free of charge and open to all interested veterinarians and researchers. The database enables researchers and veterinarians, sceptics and supporters to get a quick overview of the status of veterinary clinical research in homeopathy and alleviates the preparation of systematical reviews or may stimulate reproductions or even new studies. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aeronautical Engineering: A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes. Supplement 387

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

This supplemental issue of Aeronautical Engineering, A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes (NASA/SP-1998-7037) lists reports, articles, and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. The coverage includes documents on the engineering and theoretical aspects of design, construction, evaluation, testing, operation, and performance of aircraft (including aircraft engines) and associated components, equipment, and systems. It also includes research and development in aerodynamics, aeronautics, and ground support equipment for aeronautical vehicles. Each entry in the publication consists of a standard bibliographic citation accompanied, in most cases, by an abstract.

Aeronautical Engineering: A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes, Supplement 410. Supplement 410

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

This supplemental issue of Aeronautical Engineering, A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes (NASA/SP-1999-7037) lists reports, articles, and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. The coverage includes documents on the engineering and theoretical aspects of design, construction, evaluation, testing, operation, and performance of aircraft (including aircraft engines) and associated components, equipment, and systems. It also includes research and development in aerodynamics, aeronautics, and ground support equipment for aeronautical vehicles. Each entry in the publication consists of a standard bibliographic citation accompanied, in most cases, by an abstract.

Aeronautical Engineering: A Continuing Bibliography. Supplment 385

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

This supplemental issue of Aeronautical Engineering, A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes (NASA/SP-1998-7037) lists reports, articles, and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. The coverage includes documents on the engineering and theoretical aspects of design, construction, evaluation, testing, operation, and performance of aircraft (including aircraft engines) and associated components, equipment, and systems. It also includes research and development in aerodynamics, aeronautics, and ground support equipment for aeronautical vehicles. Each entry in the publication consists of a standard bibliographic citation accompanied, in most cases, by an abstract.

Educational websites--Bioinformatics Tools II.

PubMed

Lomberk, Gwen

2009-01-01

In this issue, the highlighted websites are a continuation of a series of educational websites; this one in particular from a couple of years ago, Bioinformatics Tools [Pancreatology 2005;5:314-315]. These include sites that are valuable resources for many research needs in genomics and proteomics. Bioinformatics has become a laboratory tool to map sequences to databases, develop models of molecular interactions, evaluate structural compatibilities, describe differences between normal and disease-associated DNA, identify conserved motifs within proteins, and chart extensive signaling networks, all in silico. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel and IAP.

Aeronautical Engineering: A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes. Supplement 386

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

This supplemental issue of Aeronautical Engineering, A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes (NASA/SP-1998-7037) lists reports, articles, and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. The coverage includes documents on the engineering and theoretical aspects of design, construction, evaluation, testing, operation, and performance of aircraft (including aircraft engines) and associated components, equipment, and systems. It also includes research and development in aerodynamics, aeronautics, and ground support equipment for aeronautical vehicles. Each entry in the publication consists of a standard bibliographic citation accompanied, in most cases, by an abstract.

Aeronautical Engineering: A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes. Supplement 389

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

This supplemental issue of Aeronautical Engineering, A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes (NASA/SP-1998-7037) lists reports, articles, and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. The coverage includes documents on the engineering and theoretical aspects of design, construction, evaluation, testing, operation, and performance of aircraft (including aircraft engines) and associated components, equipment, and systems. It also includes research and development in aerodynamics, aeronautics, and ground support equipment for aeronautical vehicles. Each entry in the publication consists of a standard bibliographic citation accompanied, in most cases, by an abstract.

Aeronautical Engineering: A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes. Supplement 391

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

This supplemental issue of Aeronautical Engineering, A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes (NASA/SP-1999-7037) lists reports, articles, and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. The coverage includes documents on the engineering and theoretical aspects of design, construction, evaluation, testing, operation, and performance of aircraft (including aircraft engines) and associated components, equipment, and systems. It also includes research and development in aerodynamics, aeronautics, and ground support equipment for aeronautical vehicles. Each entry in the publication consists of a standard bibliographic citation accompanied, in most cases, by an abstract.

To naturalize or not to naturalize? An issue for cognitive science as well as anthropology.

PubMed

Stenning, Keith

2012-07-01

Several of Beller, Bender, and Medin's (2012) issues are as relevant within cognitive science as between it and anthropology. Knowledge-rich human mental processes impose hermeneutic tasks, both on subjects and researchers. Psychology's current philosophy of science is ill suited to analyzing these: Its demand for ''stimulus control'' needs to give way to ''negotiation of mutual interpretation.'' Cognitive science has ways to address these issues, as does anthropology. An example from my own work is about how defeasible logics are mathematical models of some aspects of simple hermeneutic processes. They explain processing relative to databases of knowledge and belief-that is, content. A specific example is syllogistic reasoning, which raises issues of experimenters' interpretations of subjects' reasoning. Science, especially since the advent of understandings of computation, does not have to be reductive. How does this approach transfer onto anthropological topics? Recent cognitive science approaches to anthropological topics have taken a reductive stance in terms of modules. We end with some speculations about a different cognitive approach to, for example, religion. Copyright © 2012 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Twilight of dawn or of evening? A century of research methods in the Journal of Applied Psychology.

PubMed

Cortina, Jose M; Aguinis, Herman; DeShon, Richard P

2017-03-01

We offer a critical review and synthesis of research methods in the first century of the Journal of Applied Psychology. We divide the chronology into 6 periods. The first emphasizes the first few issues of the journal, which, in many ways, set us on a methodological course that we sail to this day, and then takes us through the mid-1920s. The second is the period through World War II, in which we see the roots of modern methodological concepts and techniques, including a transition from a discovery orientation to a hypotheticodeductive model orientation. The third takes us through roughly 1970, a period in which many of our modern-day practices were formed, such as reliance on null hypothesis significance testing. The fourth, from 1970 through 1989, sees an emphasis on the development of measures of critical constructs. The fifth takes us into the present, which is marked by greater plurality regarding data-analytic approaches. Finally, we offer a glimpse of possible and, from our perspective, desirable futures regarding research methods. Specifically, we highlight the need to conduct replications; study the exceptional and not just the average; improve the quality of the review process, particularly regarding methodological issues; emphasize design and measurement issues; and build and test more specific theories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluation of linking pavement related databases.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-03-01

In general, the objectives of this study were to identify and solve various issues in linking pavement performance related database. The detailed objectives were: to evaluate the state-of-the-art in information technology for data integration and dat...

Guidelines for establishing and maintaining construction quality databases.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-11-01

The main objective of this study was to develop and present guidelines for State highway agencies (SHAs) in establishing and maintaining database systems geared towards construction quality issues for asphalt and concrete paving projects. To accompli...

Publication rates of public health theses in international and national peer-review journals in Turkey.

PubMed

Sipahi, H; Durusoy, R; Ergin, I; Hassoy, H; Davas, A; Karababa, Ao

2012-01-01

Thesis is an important part of specialisation and doctorate education and requires intense work. The aim of this study was to investigate the publication rates of Turkish Public Health Doctorate Theses (PHDT) and Public Health Specialization (PHST) theses in international and Turkish national peer-review journals and to analyze the distribution of research areas. List of all theses upto 30 September 2009 were retrieved from theses database of the Council of Higher Education of the Republic of Turkey. The publication rates of these theses were found by searching PubMed, Science Citation Index-Expanded, Turkish Academic Network and Information Center (ULAKBIM) Turkish Medical Database, and Turkish Medline databases for the names of thesis author and mentor. The theses which were published in journals indexed either in PubMed or SCI-E were considered as international publications. Our search yielded a total of 538 theses (243 PHDT, 295 PHST). It was found that the overall publication rate in Turkish national journals was 18%. The overall publication rate in international journals was 11.9%. Overall the most common research area was occupational health. Publication rates of Turkish PHDT and PHST are low. A better understanding of factors affecting this publication rate is important for public health issues where national data is vital for better intervention programs and develop better public health policies.

Publication Rates of Public Health Theses in International and National Peer-Review Journals in Turkey

PubMed Central

Sipahi, H; Durusoy, R; Ergin, I; Hassoy, H; Davas, A; Karababa, AO

2012-01-01

Background: Thesis is an important part of specialisation and doctorate education and requires intense work. The aim of this study was to investigate the publication rates of Turkish Public Health Doctorate Theses (PHDT) and Public Health Specialization (PHST) theses in international and Turkish national peer-review journals and to analyze the distribution of research areas. Methods: List of all theses upto 30 September 2009 were retrieved from theses database of the Council of Higher Education of the Republic of Turkey. The publication rates of these theses were found by searching PubMed, Science Citation Index-Expanded, Turkish Academic Network and Information Center (ULAKBIM) Turkish Medical Database, and Turkish Medline databases for the names of thesis author and mentor. The theses which were published in journals indexed either in PubMed or SCI-E were considered as international publications. Results: Our search yielded a total of 538 theses (243 PHDT, 295 PHST). It was found that the overall publication rate in Turkish national journals was 18%. The overall publication rate in international journals was 11.9%. Overall the most common research area was occupational health. Conclusion: Publication rates of Turkish PHDT and PHST are low. A better understanding of factors affecting this publication rate is important for public health issues where national data is vital for better intervention programs and develop better public health policies. PMID:23193503

Issues regarding 'immortal time' in the analysis of the treatment effects in observational studies.

PubMed

Liu, Jiannong; Weinhandl, Eric D; Gilbertson, David T; Collins, Allan J; St Peter, Wendy L

2012-02-01

In observational studies, treatment is often time dependent. Mishandling the time from the beginning of follow-up to treatment initiation can result in bias known as immortal time bias. Nephrology researchers who conduct observational research must be aware of how immortal time bias can be introduced into analyses. We review immortal time bias issues in time-to-event analyses in the biomedical literature and give examples from the nephrology literature. We also use simulations to quantify the bias in different methods of mishandling immortal time; intuitively explain how bias is introduced when immortal time is mishandled; raise issues regarding unadjusted treatment comparison, patient characteristics comparison, and confounder adjustment; and, using data from DaVita Inc., linked with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services end-stage renal disease database, show that the severity of bias and the issues described can occur in actual data analyses of patients with end-stage renal disease. In the simulation examples, mishandling immortal time led to an underestimated hazard ratio (treatment vs. control), thus an overestimated treatment effect, by as much as 96%, and an overestimated hazard ratio by as much as 138%, depending on the distribution of 'survival' time and the method used. Results from the DaVita data were consistent with the simulation. Careful consideration of methodology is needed in observational analyses with time-dependent treatment.

PSD Issues (Federal Paperboard Plant)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

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

Clarification of Current Air Program Issues

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

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

Outstanding Issues at the Al Turi Landfill in Goshen, NY

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

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

RACT and Emission Reduction Credits Issues

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

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

Ambient Air Issue from New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

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

Designation of Issues -- World Color Press

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

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

Trends in the types and quality of childhood immunisations research output from Africa 1970-2010: mapping the evidence base.

PubMed

Machingaidze, Shingai; Hussey, Gregory D; Wiysonge, Charles S

2014-02-04

Over the past four decades, extraordinary progress has been made in establishing and improving childhood immunization programmes around Africa. In order to ensure effective and sustainable positive growth of these childhood immunisations programmes, the development, adaptation and implementation of all interventions (programme activities, new vaccines, new strategies and policies) should be informed by the best available local evidence. An assessment of the peer-reviewed literature on childhood immunization research published in English from 1970 to 2010 was conducted in PubMed and Africa-Wide databases. All study types were eligible for inclusion. A standard form was used to extract information from all studies identified as relevant and entered into a Microsoft Access database for analysis. Our initial search yielded 5436 articles from the two databases, from which 848 full text articles were identified as relevant. Among studies classified as clinical research (417), 40% were clinical trials, 24% were burden of disease/epidemiology and 36% were other clinical studies. Among studies classified as operational research (431), 77% related to programme management, 18% were policy related and 5% were related to vaccine financing. Studies were conducted in 48 African countries with six countries (South Africa, The Gambia, Nigeria, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Kenya) accounting for 56% of the total research output. Studies were published in 152 different journals with impact factors ranging from 0.192 to 53.29; with a median impact factor of 3.572. A similar proportion of clinical versus operational research output was found. However, an uneven distribution across Africa was observed with only six countries accounting for over half of the research output. The research conducted was of moderate to high quality, with 62% being published in journals with 2010 impact factors greater than two. Urgent attention should be given to the development of research capacity in low performing countries around Africa, with increased focus on the process of turning immunisations programme research evidence into policy and practice, as well as increased focus on issues relating to vaccine financing and sustainability in Africa.

Trends in the types and quality of childhood immunisations research output from Africa 1970–2010: mapping the evidence base

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Over the past four decades, extraordinary progress has been made in establishing and improving childhood immunization programmes around Africa. In order to ensure effective and sustainable positive growth of these childhood immunisations programmes, the development, adaptation and implementation of all interventions (programme activities, new vaccines, new strategies and policies) should be informed by the best available local evidence. Methods An assessment of the peer-reviewed literature on childhood immunization research published in English from 1970 to 2010 was conducted in PubMed and Africa-Wide databases. All study types were eligible for inclusion. A standard form was used to extract information from all studies identified as relevant and entered into a Microsoft Access database for analysis. Results Our initial search yielded 5436 articles from the two databases, from which 848 full text articles were identified as relevant. Among studies classified as clinical research (417), 40% were clinical trials, 24% were burden of disease/epidemiology and 36% were other clinical studies. Among studies classified as operational research (431), 77% related to programme management, 18% were policy related and 5% were related to vaccine financing. Studies were conducted in 48 African countries with six countries (South Africa, The Gambia, Nigeria, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Kenya) accounting for 56% of the total research output. Studies were published in 152 different journals with impact factors ranging from 0.192 to 53.29; with a median impact factor of 3.572. Conclusion A similar proportion of clinical versus operational research output was found. However, an uneven distribution across Africa was observed with only six countries accounting for over half of the research output. The research conducted was of moderate to high quality, with 62% being published in journals with 2010 impact factors greater than two. Urgent attention should be given to the development of research capacity in low performing countries around Africa, with increased focus on the process of turning immunisations programme research evidence into policy and practice, as well as increased focus on issues relating to vaccine financing and sustainability in Africa. PMID:24495533

Semantically Enabling Knowledge Representation of Metamorphic Petrology Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

West, P.; Fox, P. A.; Spear, F. S.; Adali, S.; Nguyen, C.; Hallett, B. W.; Horkley, L. K.

2012-12-01

More and more metamorphic petrology data is being collected around the world, and is now being organized together into different virtual data portals by means of virtual organizations. For example, there is the virtual data portal Petrological Database (PetDB, http://www.petdb.org) of the Ocean Floor that is organizing scientific information about geochemical data of ocean floor igneous and metamorphic rocks; and also The Metamorphic Petrology Database (MetPetDB, http://metpetdb.rpi.edu) that is being created by a global community of metamorphic petrologists in collaboration with software engineers and data managers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The current focus is to provide the ability for scientists and researchers to register their data and search the databases for information regarding sample collections. What we present here is the next step in evolution of the MetPetDB portal, utilizing semantically enabled features such as discovery, data casting, faceted search, knowledge representation, and linked data as well as organizing information about the community and collaboration within the virtual community itself. We take the information that is currently represented in a relational database and make it available through web services, SPARQL endpoints, semantic and triple-stores where inferencing is enabled. We will be leveraging research that has taken place in virtual observatories, such as the Virtual Solar Terrestrial Observatory (VSTO) and the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO); vocabulary work done in various communities such as Observations and Measurements (ISO 19156), FOAF (Friend of a Friend), Bibo (Bibliography Ontology), and domain specific ontologies; enabling provenance traces of samples and subsamples using the different provenance ontologies; and providing the much needed linking of data from the various research organizations into a common, collaborative virtual observatory. In addition to better representing and presenting the actual data, we also look to organize and represent the knowledge information and expertise behind the data. Domain experts hold a lot of knowledge in their minds, in their presentations and publications, and elsewhere. Not only is this a technical issue, this is also a social issue in that we need to be able to encourage the domain experts to share their knowledge in a way that can be searched and queried over. With this additional focus in MetPetDB the site can be used more efficiently by other domain experts, but can also be utilized by non-specialists as well in order to educate people of the importance of the work being done as well as enable future domain experts.

An architecture for integrating distributed and cooperating knowledge-based Air Force decision aids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nugent, Richard O.; Tucker, Richard W.

1988-01-01

MITRE has been developing a Knowledge-Based Battle Management Testbed for evaluating the viability of integrating independently-developed knowledge-based decision aids in the Air Force tactical domain. The primary goal for the testbed architecture is to permit a new system to be added to a testbed with little change to the system's software. Each system that connects to the testbed network declares that it can provide a number of services to other systems. When a system wants to use another system's service, it does not address the server system by name, but instead transmits a request to the testbed network asking for a particular service to be performed. A key component of the testbed architecture is a common database which uses a relational database management system (RDBMS). The RDBMS provides a database update notification service to requesting systems. Normally, each system is expected to monitor data relations of interest to it. Alternatively, a system may broadcast an announcement message to inform other systems that an event of potential interest has occurred. Current research is aimed at dealing with issues resulting from integration efforts, such as dealing with potential mismatches of each system's assumptions about the common database, decentralizing network control, and coordinating multiple agents.

Predicting clinical biological responses to dental materials.

PubMed

Wataha, John C

2012-01-01

Methods used to measure and predict clinical biological responses to dental materials remain controversial, confusing, and to some extent, unsuccessful. The current paper reviews significant issues surrounding how we assess the biological safety of materials, with a historical summary and critical look at the biocompatibility literature. The review frames these issues from a U.S. perspective to some degree, but emphasizes their global nature and universal importance. The PubMed database and information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, International Standards Organization, and American National Standards Institute were searched for prominent literature addressing the definition of biocompatibility, types of biological tests employed, regulatory and standardization issues, and how biological tests are used together to establish the biological safety of materials. The search encompassed articles published in English from approximately 1965-2011. The review does not comprehensively review the literature, but highlights significant issues that confront the field. Years ago, tests for biological safety sought to establish material inertness as the measure of safety, a criterion that is now deemed naive; the definition of biocompatibility has broadened along with the roles for materials in patient oral health care. Controversies persist about how in vitro or animal tests should be used to evaluate the biological safety of materials for clinical use. Controlled clinical trials remain the single best measure of the clinical response to materials, but even these tests have significant limitations and are less useful to identify mechanisms that shape material performance. Practice-based research networks and practitioner databases are emerging as important supplements to controlled clinical trials, but their final utility remains to be determined. Today we ask materials to play increasingly sophisticated structural and therapeutic roles in patient treatment. To accommodate these roles, strategies to assess, predict, and monitor material safety need to evolve. This evolution will be driven not only by researchers and manufacturers, but also by patients and practitioners, who want to use novel materials in new ways to treat oral disease. Copyright © 2011 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Population Education Accessions List. January-December 1993.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

This document consists of the two issues of the bi-annual Population Education Accessions list, an output from a computerized bibliographic database. The first issue lists the entries from January to June, and the second issue lists the entries from July to December. The issues categorize the total of 387 entries into four parts. Part I,…

University of TX Bureau of Economic Geology's Core Research Centers: The Time is Right for Registering Physical Samples and Assigning IGSN's - Workflows, Stumbling Blocks, and Successes.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Averett, A.; DeJarnett, B. B.

2016-12-01

The University Of Texas Bureau Of Economic Geology (BEG) serves as the geological survey for Texas and operates three geological sample repositories that house well over 2 million boxes of geological samples (cores and cuttings) and an abundant amount of geoscience data (geophysical logs, thin sections, geochemical analyses, etc.). Material is accessible and searchable online, and it is publically available to the geological community for research and education. Patrons access information about our collection by using our online core and log database (SQL format). BEG is currently undertaking a large project to: 1) improve the internal accuracy of metadata associated with the collection; 2) enhance the capabilities of the database for both BEG curators and researchers as well as our external patrons; and 3) ensure easy and efficient navigation for patrons through our online portal. As BEG undertakes this project, BEG is in the early stages of planning to export the metadata for its collection into SESAR (System for Earth Sample Registration) and have IGSN's (International GeoSample Numbers) assigned to its samples. Education regarding the value of IGSN's and an external registry (SESAR) has been crucial to receiving management support for the project because the concept and potential benefits of registering samples in a registry outside of the institution were not well-known prior to this project. Potential benefits such as increases in discoverability, repository recognition in publications, and interoperability were presented. The project was well-received by management, and BEG fully supports the effort to register our physical samples with SESAR. Since BEG is only in the initial phase of this project, any stumbling blocks, workflow issues, successes/failures, etc. can only be predicted at this point, but by mid-December, BEG expects to have several concrete issues to present in the session. Currently, our most pressing issue involves establishing the most efficient workflow for exporting of large amounts of metadata in a format that SESAR can easily ingest, and how this can be best accomplished with very few BEG staff assigned to the project.

Experiences and Preferences for End-of-Life Care for Young Adults with Cancer and Their Informal Carers: A Narrative Synthesis.

PubMed

Ngwenya, Nothando; Kenten, Charlotte; Jones, Louise; Gibson, Faith; Pearce, Susie; Flatley, Mary; Hough, Rachael; Stirling, L Caroline; Taylor, Rachel M; Wong, Geoff; Whelan, Jeremy

2017-06-01

To review the qualitative literature on experiences of and preferences for end-of-life care of people with cancer aged 16-40 years (young adults) and their informal carers. A systematic review using narrative synthesis of qualitative studies using the 2006 UK Economic and Social Research Council research methods program guidance. Seven electronic bibliographic databases, two clinical trials databases, and three relevant theses databases were searched from January 2004 to October 2015. Eighteen articles were included from twelve countries. The selected studies included at least 5% of their patient sample within the age range 16-40 years. The studies were heterogeneous in their aims, focus, and sample, but described different aspects of end-of-life care for people with cancer. Positive experiences included facilitating adaptive coping and receiving palliative home care, while negative experiences were loss of "self" and nonfacilitative services and environment. Preferences included a family-centered approach to care, honest conversations about end of life, and facilitating normality. There is little evidence focused on the end-of-life needs of young adults. Analysis of reports including some young adults does not explore experience or preferences by age; therefore, it is difficult to identify age-specific issues clearly. From this review, we suggest that supportive interventions and education are needed to facilitate open and honest communication at an appropriate level with young people. Future research should focus on age-specific evidence about the end-of-life experiences and preferences for young adults with cancer and their informal carers.

PEP725 Pan European Phenological Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koch, E.; Lipa, W.; Ungersböck, M.; Zach-Hermann, S.

2012-04-01

PEP725 is a 5 years project with the main object to promote and facilitate phenological research by delivering a pan European phenological database with an open, unrestricted data access for science, research and education. PEP725 is funded by EUMETNET (the network of European meteorological services), ZAMG and the Austrian ministry for science & research bm:w_f. So far 16 European national meteorological services and 7 partners from different nati-onal phenological network operators have joined PEP725. The data access is very easy via web-access from the homepage www.pep725.eu. Ha-ving accepted the PEP725 data policy and registry the data download can be done by different criteria as for instance the selection of a specific plant or all data from one country. At present more than 300 000 new records are available in the PEP725 data-base coming from 31 European countries and from 8150 stations. For some more sta-tions (154) META data (location and data holder) are provided. Links to the network operators and data owners are also on the webpage in case you have more sophisticated questions about the data. Another objective of PEP725 is to bring together network-operators and scientists by organizing workshops. In April 2012 the second of these workshops will take place on the premises of ZAMG. Invited speakers will give presentations spanning the whole study area of phenology starting from observations to modelling. Quality checking is also a big issue. At the moment we study the literature to find ap-propriate methods.

USGS Mineral Resources Program; national maps and datasets for research and land planning

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nicholson, S.W.; Stoeser, D.B.; Ludington, S.D.; Wilson, Frederic H.

2001-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, the Nation’s leader in producing and maintaining earth science data, serves as an advisor to Congress, the Department of the Interior, and many other Federal and State agencies. Nationwide datasets that are easily available and of high quality are critical for addressing a wide range of land-planning, resource, and environmental issues. Four types of digital databases (geological, geophysical, geochemical, and mineral occurrence) are being compiled and upgraded by the Mineral Resources Program on regional and national scales to meet these needs. Where existing data are incomplete, new data are being collected to ensure national coverage. Maps and analyses produced from these databases provide basic information essential for mineral resource assessments and environmental studies, as well as fundamental information for regional and national land-use studies. Maps and analyses produced from the databases are instrumental to ongoing basic research, such as the identification of mineral deposit origins, determination of regional background values of chemical elements with known environmental impact, and study of the relationships between toxic elements or mining practices to human health. As datasets are completed or revised, the information is made available through a variety of media, including the Internet. Much of the available information is the result of cooperative activities with State and other Federal agencies. The upgraded Mineral Resources Program datasets make geologic, geophysical, geochemical, and mineral occurrence information at the state, regional, and national scales available to members of Congress, State and Federal government agencies, researchers in academia, and the general public. The status of the Mineral Resources Program datasets is outlined below.

Studying Turbulence Using Numerical Simulation Databases. 5: Proceedings of the 1994 Summer Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Direct numerical simulation databases were used to study turbulence physics and modeling issues at the fifth Summer Program of the Center for Turbulence Research. The largest group, comprising more than half of the participants, was the Turbulent Reacting Flows and Combustion group. The remaining participants were in three groups: Fundamentals, Modeling & LES, and Rotating Turbulence. For the first time in the CTR Summer Programs, participants included engineers from the U.S. aerospace industry. They were exposed to a variety of problems involving turbulence, and were able to incorporate the models developed at CTR in their company codes. They were exposed to new ideas on turbulence prediction, methods which already appear to have had an impact on their capabilities at their laboratories. Such interactions among the practitioners in the government, academia, and industry are the most meaningful way of transferring technology.

Use of a computerized decision support system for primary and secondary prevention of work-related MSD disability.

PubMed

Womack, Sarah K; Armstrong, Thomas J

2005-09-01

The present study evaluates the effectiveness of a decision support system used to evaluate and control physical job stresses and prevent re-injury of workers who have experienced or are concerned about work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The software program is a database that stores detailed job information such as standardized work data, videos, and upper-extremity physical stress ratings for over 400 jobs in the plant. Additionally, the database users were able to record comments about the jobs and related control issues. The researchers investigated the utility and effectiveness of the software by analyzing its use over a 20-month period. Of the 197 comments entered by the users, 25% pertained to primary prevention, 75% pertained to secondary prevention, and 94 comments (47.7%) described ergonomic interventions. Use of the software tool improved primary and secondary prevention by improving the quality and efficiency of the ergonomic job analysis process.

Statewide health information: a tool for improving hospital accountability.

PubMed

Epstein, M H; Kurtzig, B S

1994-07-01

By early 1994, 38 states had invested in data collection, analysis, and dissemination on the use, cost, effectiveness, and performance of hospitals. States use these data to control costs, encourage prudent purchasing, monitor effectiveness and outcomes of health care, guide health policy, and promote informed decision making. Experience in several states suggests that public release of hospital-specific data influences hospital performance. The value of state data organizations' databases to address issues of quality and accountability can be strengthened by ensuring the stability and growth of statewide health information systems, supporting research on information dissemination techniques, and promoting comparisons among hospitals. Information to measure provider performance must be placed in the public domain--to help ensure prudent and cost-effective health care purchasing and to give providers comparable information for improvement of care. State-level health databases are an essential component of the information infrastructure needed to support health reform.

Best research practices in psychology: Illustrating epistemological and pragmatic considerations with the case of relationship science.

PubMed

Finkel, Eli J; Eastwick, Paul W; Reis, Harry T

2015-02-01

In recent years, a robust movement has emerged within psychology to increase the evidentiary value of our science. This movement, which has analogs throughout the empirical sciences, is broad and diverse, but its primary emphasis has been on the reduction of statistical false positives. The present article addresses epistemological and pragmatic issues that we, as a field, must consider as we seek to maximize the scientific value of this movement. Regarding epistemology, this article contrasts the false-positives-reduction (FPR) approach with an alternative, the error balance (EB) approach, which argues that any serious consideration of optimal scientific practice must contend simultaneously with both false-positive and false-negative errors. Regarding pragmatics, the movement has devoted a great deal of attention to issues that frequently arise in laboratory experiments and one-shot survey studies, but it has devoted less attention to issues that frequently arise in intensive and/or longitudinal studies. We illustrate these epistemological and pragmatic considerations with the case of relationship science, one of the many research domains that frequently employ intensive and/or longitudinal methods. Specifically, we examine 6 research prescriptions that can help to reduce false-positive rates: preregistration, prepublication sharing of materials, postpublication sharing of data, close replication, avoiding piecemeal publication, and increasing sample size. For each, we offer concrete guidance not only regarding how researchers can improve their research practices and balance the risk of false-positive and false-negative errors, but also how the movement can capitalize upon insights from research practices within relationship science to make the movement stronger and more inclusive. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Flight deck party line issues : an Aviation Safety Reporting System analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-06-01

This document describes an analysis of the Aviation Safety Reporting System : (ASRS) database with regards to human factors aspects concerning the : implementation of Data Link into the flightdeck. The ASRS database contains : thousands of reports co...

First biomass conference of the Americas: Energy, environment, agriculture, and industry. Proceedings, Volume 3

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

Not Available

1993-10-01

This conference was designed to provide a national and international forum to support the development of a viable biomass industry. Although papers on research activities and technologies under development that address industry problems comprised part of this conference, an effort was made to focus on scale-up and demonstration projects, technology transfer to end users, and commercial applications of biomass and wastes. The conference was divided into these major subject areas: Resource Base, Power Production, Transportation Fuels, Chemicals and Products, Environmental Issues, Commercializing Biomass Projects, Biomass Energy System Studies, and Biomass in Latin America. The papers in this third volume dealmore » with Environmental Issues, Biomass Energy System Studies, and Biomass in Latin America. Concerning Environmental Issues, the following topics are emphasized: Global Climate Change, Biomass Utilization, Biofuel Test Procedures, and Commercialization of Biomass Products. Selected papers have been indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.« less

Primary Payer at DX: Issues with Collection and Assessment of Data Quality.

PubMed

Sherman, Recinda L; Williamson, Laura; Andrews, Patricia; Kahn, Amy

2016-01-01

An individual's access to health insurance influences the amount and type of health services a patient receives for prevention and treatment, and, ultimately, influences survival. The North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) Item #630, Primary Payer at DX, is a required field intended to document health insurance status for the purpose of supporting patterns-of-care studies and other research. However, challenges related to the uniformity of collection and availability of data needed to populate this field diminish the value of the Primary Payer at DX data. A NAACCR taskforce worked on issues surrounding the collection of Primary Payer at DX; including proposing a crosswalk between Primary Payer at DX and the new Public Health Payment Typology standard, often available in hospital discharge databases. However, there are issues with compatibility between coding systems, intent of data collection, timelines for coding insurance, and changes in insurance coverage (partly due to the Affordable Care Act) that continue to complicate the collection and use of Primary Payer at DX data.

Advancing innovations in social/personality psychology and health: opportunities and challenges.

PubMed

Rothman, Alexander J; Klein, William M P; Cameron, Linda D

2013-05-01

Social, personality, and health psychologists have a long tradition of active and productive collaborations that have advanced the development of intervention strategies that promote health and well-being and the specification of the theoretical principles that underlie those strategies. This special issue is designed to continue this tradition of collaboration and to highlight areas of research and investigative strategies that offer opportunities for innovation. This concluding paper examines how investigators construe the interface between theory and practice and, with that lens, considers several themes that have emerged across the papers that comprise this special issue. As evidenced by the papers in this special issue, investigators are well-positioned to leverage advances in understanding of human health and well-being. However, to capitalize on this opportunity, investigators need to commit to cultivating a culture of scientific activity that prioritizes the engagement of theory and practice-the pursuit of both understanding and use. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

77 FR 29749 - Twelfth Meeting: RTCA Special Committee 217, Joint with EUROCAE WG-44, Terrain and Airport...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-18

... Committee 217, Joint with EUROCAE WG-44, Terrain and Airport Mapping Databases AGENCY: Federal Aviation... 217, Joint with EUROCAE WG-44, Terrain and Airport Mapping Databases. SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this..., Terrain and Airport Mapping Databases. DATES: The meeting will be held June 18-22, 2012, from 9:00 a.m.-5...

Technologies to Support Community-Dwelling Persons With Dementia: A Position Paper on Issues Regarding Development, Usability, Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness, Deployment, and Ethics.

PubMed

Meiland, Franka; Innes, Anthea; Mountain, Gail; Robinson, Louise; van der Roest, Henriëtte; García-Casal, J Antonio; Gove, Dianne; Thyrian, Jochen René; Evans, Shirley; Dröes, Rose-Marie; Kelly, Fiona; Kurz, Alexander; Casey, Dympna; Szcześniak, Dorota; Dening, Tom; Craven, Michael P; Span, Marijke; Felzmann, Heike; Tsolaki, Magda; Franco-Martin, Manuel

2017-01-16

With the expected increase in the numbers of persons with dementia, providing timely, adequate, and affordable care and support is challenging. Assistive and health technologies may be a valuable contribution in dementia care, but new challenges may emerge. The aim of our study was to review the state of the art of technologies for persons with dementia regarding issues on development, usability, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, deployment, and ethics in 3 fields of application of technologies: (1) support with managing everyday life, (2) support with participating in pleasurable and meaningful activities, and (3) support with dementia health and social care provision. The study also aimed to identify gaps in the evidence and challenges for future research. Reviews of literature and expert opinions were used in our study. Literature searches were conducted on usability, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, and ethics using PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases with no time limit. Selection criteria in our selected technology fields were reviews in English for community-dwelling persons with dementia. Regarding deployment issues, searches were done in Health Technology Assessment databases. According to our results, persons with dementia want to be included in the development of technologies; there is little research on the usability of assistive technologies; various benefits are reported but are mainly based on low-quality studies; barriers to deployment of technologies in dementia care were identified, and ethical issues were raised by researchers but often not studied. Many challenges remain such as including the target group more often in development, performing more high-quality studies on usability and effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, creating and having access to high-quality datasets on existing technologies to enable adequate deployment of technologies in dementia care, and ensuring that ethical issues are considered an important topic for researchers to include in their evaluation of assistive technologies. Based on these findings, various actions are recommended for development, usability, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, deployment, and ethics of assistive and health technologies across Europe. These include avoiding replication of technology development that is unhelpful or ineffective and focusing on how technologies succeed in addressing individual needs of persons with dementia. Furthermore, it is suggested to include these recommendations in national and international calls for funding and assistive technology research programs. Finally, practitioners, policy makers, care insurers, and care providers should work together with technology enterprises and researchers to prepare strategies for the implementation of assistive technologies in different care settings. This may help future generations of persons with dementia to utilize available and affordable technologies and, ultimately, to benefit from them. ©Franka Meiland, Anthea Innes, Gail Mountain, Louise Robinson, Henriëtte van der Roest, J Antonio García-Casal, Dianne Gove, Jochen René Thyrian, Shirley Evans, Rose-Marie Dröes, Fiona Kelly, Alexander Kurz, Dympna Casey, Dorota Szcześniak, Tom Dening, Michael P Craven, Marijke Span, Heike Felzmann, Magda Tsolaki, Manuel Franco-Martin. Originally published in JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology (http://rehab.jmir.org), 16.01.2017.

The reference ballistic imaging database revisited.

PubMed

De Ceuster, Jan; Dujardin, Sylvain

2015-03-01

A reference ballistic image database (RBID) contains images of cartridge cases fired in firearms that are in circulation: a ballistic fingerprint database. The performance of an RBID was investigated a decade ago by De Kinder et al. using IBIS(®) Heritage™ technology. The results of that study were published in this journal, issue 214. Since then, technologies have evolved quite significantly and novel apparatus have become available on the market. The current research article investigates the efficiency of another automated ballistic imaging system, Evofinder(®) using the same database as used by De Kinder et al. The results demonstrate a significant increase in correlation efficiency: 38% of all matches were on first position of the Evofinder correlation list in comparison to IBIS(®) Heritage™ where only 19% were on the first position. Average correlation times are comparable to the IBIS(®) Heritage™ system. While Evofinder(®) demonstrates specific improvement for mutually correlating different ammunition brands, ammunition dependence of the markings is still strongly influencing the correlation result because the markings may vary considerably. As a consequence a great deal of potential hits (36%) was still far down in the correlation lists (positions 31 and lower). The large database was used to examine the probability of finding a match as a function of correlation list verification. As an example, the RBID study on Evofinder(®) demonstrates that to find at least 90% of all potential matches, at least 43% of the items in the database need to be compared on screen and this for breech face markings and firing pin impression separately. These results, although a clear improvement to the original RBID study, indicate that the implementation of such a database should still not be considered nowadays. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Population groups: indexing, coverage, and retrieval effectiveness of ethnically related health care issues in health sciences databases.

PubMed Central

Efthimiadis, E N; Afifi, M

1996-01-01

OBJECTIVES: This study examined methods of accessing (for indexing and retrieval purposes) medical research on population groups in the major abstracting and indexing services of the health sciences literature. DESIGN: The study of diseases in specific population groups is facilitated by the indexing of both diseases and populations in a database. The MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase databases were selected for the study. The published thesauri for these databases were examined to establish the vocabulary in use. Indexing terms were identified and examined as to their representation in the current literature. Terms were clustered further into groups thought to reflect an end user's perspective and to facilitate subsequent analysis. The medical literature contained in the three online databases was searched with both controlled vocabulary and natural language terms. RESULTS: The three thesauri revealed shallow pre-coordinated hierarchical structures, rather difficult-to-use terms for post-coordination, and a blurring of cultural, genetic, and racial facets of populations. Post-coordination is difficult because of the system-oriented terminology, which is intended mostly for information professionals. The terminology unintentionally restricts access by the end users who lack the knowledge needed to use the thesauri effectively for information retrieval. CONCLUSIONS: Population groups are not represented adequately in the index languages of health sciences databases. Users of these databases need to be alerted to the difficulties that may be encountered in searching for information on population groups. Information and health professionals may not be able to access the literature if they are not familiar with the indexing policies on population groups. Consequently, the study points to a problem that needs to be addressed, through either the redesign of existing systems or the design of new ones to meet the goals of Healthy People 2000 and beyond. PMID:8883987

The decade 1989-1998 in Spanish psychology: an analysis of research in statistics, methodology, and psychometric theory.

PubMed

García-Pérez, M A

2001-11-01

This paper presents an analysis of research published in the decade 1989-1998 by Spanish faculty members in the areas of statistical methods, research methodology, and psychometric theory. Database search and direct correspondence with faculty members in Departments of Methodology across Spain rendered a list of 193 papers published in these broad areas by 82 faculty members. These and other faculty members had actually published 931 papers over the decade of analysis, but 738 of them addressed topics not appropriate for description in this report. Classification and analysis of these 193 papers revealed topics that have attracted the most interest (psychophysics, item response theory, analysis of variance, sequential analysis, and meta-analysis) as well as other topics that have received less attention (scaling, factor analysis, time series, and structural models). A significant number of papers also dealt with various methodological issues (software, algorithms, instrumentation, and techniques). A substantial part of this report is devoted to describing the issues addressed across these 193 papers--most of which are written in the Spanish language and published in Spanish journals--and some representative references are given.

Database for propagation models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kantak, Anil V.

1991-07-01

A propagation researcher or a systems engineer who intends to use the results of a propagation experiment is generally faced with various database tasks such as the selection of the computer software, the hardware, and the writing of the programs to pass the data through the models of interest. This task is repeated every time a new experiment is conducted or the same experiment is carried out at a different location generating different data. Thus the users of this data have to spend a considerable portion of their time learning how to implement the computer hardware and the software towards the desired end. This situation may be facilitated considerably if an easily accessible propagation database is created that has all the accepted (standardized) propagation phenomena models approved by the propagation research community. Also, the handling of data will become easier for the user. Such a database construction can only stimulate the growth of the propagation research it if is available to all the researchers, so that the results of the experiment conducted by one researcher can be examined independently by another, without different hardware and software being used. The database may be made flexible so that the researchers need not be confined only to the contents of the database. Another way in which the database may help the researchers is by the fact that they will not have to document the software and hardware tools used in their research since the propagation research community will know the database already. The following sections show a possible database construction, as well as properties of the database for the propagation research.

A Systematic Review of Research on the Meaning, Ethics and Practices of Authorship across Scholarly Disciplines

PubMed Central

Marušić, Ana; Bošnjak, Lana; Jerončić, Ana

2011-01-01

Background The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate evidence about authorship issues and provide synthesis of research on authorship across all research fields. Methods We searched bibliographical databases to identify articles describing empirical quantitive or qualitative research from all scholarly fields on different aspects of authorship. Search was limited to original articles and reviews. Results The final sample consisted of 123 articles reporting results from 118 studies. Most studies came for biomedical and health research fields and social sciences. Study design was usually a survey (53%) or descriptive study (27%); only 2 studies used randomized design. We identified four 4 general themes common to all research disciplines: authorship perceptions, definitions and practices, defining order of authors on the byline, ethical and unethical authorship practices, and authorship issues related to student/non-research personnel-supervisor collaboration. For 14 survey studies, a meta-analysis showed a pooled weighted average of 29% (95% CI 24% to 35%) researchers reporting their own or others' experience with misuse of authorship. Authorship misuse was reported more often by researcher outside of the USA and UK: 55% (95% CI 45% to 64%) for 4 studies in France, South Africa, India and Bangladesh vs. 23% (95% CI 18% to 28%) in USA/UK or international journal settings. Interpretation High prevalence of authorship problems may have severe impact on the integrity of the research process, just as more serious forms of research misconduct. There is a need for more methodologically rigorous studies to understand the allocation of publication credit across research disciplines. PMID:21931600

A narrative literature review of the contribution of volunteers in end-of-life care services.

PubMed

Morris, Sara; Wilmot, Amanda; Hill, Matthew; Ockenden, Nick; Payne, Sheila

2013-05-01

Volunteers are integral to the history of hospices and continue to play a vital role. However, economic, policy and demographic challenges in the twenty-first century raise questions about how best to manage this essential resource. This narrative review explores the recent literature on end-of-life care volunteering and reflects upon the issues pertinent to current organisational challenges and opportunities. The parameters of the review were set deliberately wide in order to capture some of the nuances of contemporary volunteer practices. Articles reporting on research or evaluation of adult end-of-life care services (excluding prison services) that use volunteers and were published in English between 2000 and 2011 were included. Seven electronic databases, key journals and grey literature databases. Sixty-eight articles were included in the analysis. The articles were drawn from an international literature, while acknowledging that volunteer roles vary considerably by organisation and/or by country and over time. The majority of articles were small in scale and diverse in methodology, but the same topics repeatedly emerged from both the qualitative and quantitative data. The themes identified were individual volunteer factors (motivation, characteristics of volunteers, stress and coping, role boundaries and value) and organisational factors (recruiting for diversity, support and training and volunteers' place in the system). The tensions involved in negotiating the boundary spaces that volunteers inhabit, informality and regulation, diversity issues and the cultural specificity of community models, are suggested as topics that merit further research and could contribute to the continuing development of the volunteer workforce.

From Paper to Practice; Indexing Systems and Ethical Standards.

PubMed

Astaneh, Behrooz; Masoumi, Sarah

2018-04-01

Currently one of the main goals of editors is to attain a higher visibility for their journals. On the other hand, authors strive to publish their research in journals indexed in eminent databases such as Scopus, Thompson Reuters' Web of Science (ISI), Medline, etc. Therefore, clarifying the standards of indexing is of great importance. One of the most important issues in publication is the ethical considerations, which are mainly described by organizations, such as the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the Committee on Publication Ethics. In this study, we examined the ethical requirements of high impact databases for indexing journals to investigate whether they mention or mandate journals to adhere to publication ethics. We found that only Scopus mandated journals to state clear ethical policies on their website as a criterion for being indexed while Medline and Directory of Open Access Journals advised journals to adhere to ethics, not mandated, and Web of Science (ISI) and PubMed Central made no mention of ethics as a required criterion for indexing. Based on this short review, there seems to be a gap between the requirements of indexing systems and international guidelines for publication ethics. Currently, most indexing systems have only partially recommended journals to consider ethical issues. In such an atmosphere, we cannot expect journals or as a result, authors to professionally, completely, and whole heartedly implement ethical guidelines as a mandatory rule in their journals and research, when the indexing systems that most editors want to be indexed in and most authors want to be cited in do not mandate such guidelines.

Regenerative medicine in otorhinolaryngology.

PubMed

Wormald, J C R; Fishman, J M; Juniat, S; Tolley, N; Birchall, M A

2015-08-01

Tissue engineering using biocompatible scaffolds, with or without cells, can permit surgeons to restore structure and function following tissue resection or in cases of congenital abnormality. Tracheal regeneration has emerged as a spearhead application of these technologies, whilst regenerative therapies are now being developed to treat most other diseases within otolaryngology. A systematic review of the literature was performed using Ovid Medline and Ovid Embase, from database inception to 15 November 2014. A total of 561 papers matched the search criteria, with 76 fulfilling inclusion criteria. Articles were predominantly pre-clinical animal studies, reflecting the current status of research in this field. Several key human research articles were identified and discussed. The main issues facing research in regenerative surgery are translation of animal model work into human models, increasing stem cell availability so it can be used to further research, and development of better facilities to enable implementation of these advances.

[Measuring the impact of nursing on health: a literature review].

PubMed

Ausili, Davide

2013-01-01

Measuring nursing contribution to health services' outcomes represents a primary issue for nursing research internationally. The aim of this literature review was to outline main research lines studying the effect of nursing practice on health. A search of the literature was performed asking health and nursing-specific major database and consulting websites of authoritative nursing associations and scientific societies. Four main nursing research lines were found in literature and they concerned, nurse staffing and patient and staff-related outcomes; level of nursing care needed to achieve attended outcomes in hospitals; practice environments and patient and staff-related outcomes; the use of nursing terminologies and classifications to describe nursing-specific and nursing sensitive outcomes. Although researchers report the need to strengthen available evidences, recommendations suggest to empower nurses and nursing in clinical, educational, organizational and policy-making settings in order to draw toward the best health outcomes for communities.

The importance of assessing for validity of symptom report and performance in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Introduction to the special section on noncredible presentation in ADHD.

PubMed

Suhr, Julie A; Berry, David T R

2017-12-01

Invalid self-report and invalid performance occur with high base rates in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; Harrison, 2006; Musso & Gouvier, 2014). Although much research has focused on the development and validation of symptom validity tests (SVTs) and performance validity tests (PVTs) for psychiatric and neurological presentations, less attention has been given to the use of SVTs and PVTs in ADHD evaluation. This introduction to the special section describes a series of studies examining the use of SVTs and PVTs in adult ADHD evaluation. We present the series of studies in the context of prior research on noncredible presentation and call for future research using improved research methods and with a focus on assessment issues specific to ADHD evaluation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Research Projects that use Citizen-Science Data with NGSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, C. E.

2014-12-01

We are exploring how to utilize the vast Globe at Night database for use in K-12, keeping in mind the guidelines set by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Areas we are focusing on include data mining, suitable research questions, data sets to compare with Globe at Night, and analysis tools, as well as how best to engage teachers and students in the research. Globe at Night, a citizen-science program on monitoring light pollution, has a database with the potential to connect with factors embedded in NGSS: students could construct explanations and design solutions to light pollution issues, engage in argument from evidence and obtain, evaluate and communicate information. Projects could be multidisciplinary in nature, connecting the effects of light pollution on human health, wildlife, energy consumption and astronomy. We welcome feedback to help determine the direction and emphasis for the next phase of Globe at Night. The presentation will include the nature of the research in the context of NGSS, building on frameworks being developed with the Cornell Ornithology Lab, the National Park Service (NPS) and Fieldscope. NPS staff have the means to make a contiguous map of light pollution across the U.S.. Fieldscope staff are developing the analysis tools online. And the Ornithology Lab has citizen-science data on various birds. The Globe at Night citizen-science campaign can be found at www.globeatnight.org.

International Database of Volcanic Ash Impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, K.; Cameron, C.; Wilson, T. M.; Jenkins, S.; Brown, S.; Leonard, G.; Deligne, N.; Stewart, C.

2015-12-01

Volcanic ash creates extensive impacts to people and property, yet we lack a global ash impacts catalog to organize, distribute, and archive this important information. Critical impact information is often stored in ephemeral news articles or other isolated resources, which cannot be queried or located easily. A global ash impacts database would improve 1) warning messages, 2) public and lifeline emergency preparation, and 3) eruption response and recovery. Ashfall can have varying consequences, such as disabling critical lifeline infrastructure (e.g. electrical generation and transmission, water supplies, telecommunications, aircraft and airports) or merely creating limited and expensive inconvenience to local communities. Impacts to the aviation sector can be a far-reaching global issue. The international volcanic ash impacts community formed a committee to develop a database to catalog the impacts of volcanic ash. We identify three user populations for this database: 1) research teams, who would use the database to assist in systematic collection, recording, and storage of ash impact data, and to prioritize impact assessment trips and lab experiments 2) volcanic risk assessment scientists who rely on impact data for assessments (especially vulnerability/fragility assessments); a complete dataset would have utility for global, regional, national and local scale risk assessments, and 3) citizen science volcanic hazard reporting. Publication of an international ash impacts database will encourage standardization and development of best practices for collecting and reporting impact information. Data entered will be highly categorized, searchable, and open source. Systematic cataloging of impact data will allow users to query the data and extract valuable information to aid in the development of improved emergency preparedness, response and recovery measures.

Non-Monosex Research Publication in U.S.-Based Social Work Journals Between 2008-2016.

PubMed

Ferguson, Aidan; Gilmour, Matt

2018-01-01

An estimated 4% of men and 9% of women identify as non-monosex, a term for sexual identities outside of the heterosexual/homosexual binary, such as bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, and asexual. In addition to experiences of oppression shared with all sexual minorities, non-monosex-identifying persons face additional issues of monosex bias in their personal lives, in mass media, and in research. Despite social work's commitment to issues of social justice and inclusion, prior reviews of the literature have indicated a gap in research on non-monosex-identifying persons, which can lead to inappropriate clinical practices and continued stigmatization. The authors of this article examined the state of social work literature on non-monosex-identifying persons through a systematic review and content analysis of primary-study data-based publications from 2008 to 2016 in 24 social work journals based in the United States. Only four articles were found that met the inclusion criteria, and while 31% of the 357 total study participants identified as non-monosex, a content analysis showed subtle forms of monosex bias in the reporting of study results, such as collapsing of gay/lesbian participants with non-monosex participants and the use of marginalizing language. Implications and suggestions for future social work researchers are discussed.

Affirming our commitment to research: the Medical Library Association's research policy statement: the process and findings.

PubMed

Grefsheim, Suzanne F; Rankin, Jocelyn A; Perry, Gerald J; McKibbon, K Ann

2008-04-01

Building on its 1995 research policy statement, the Medical Library Association (MLA) has issued a new research policy, The Research Imperative. This paper shares the background research that informed the new policy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifty-one key informants representing various library types, functions, geographic locations, ages, and ethnicities. The grounded theory approach was used to analyze the resulting textual database. Additionally, to gather input from the membership as a whole, two open forums were held at MLA annual meetings. Key informant data indicated that the policy should provide roles for MLA in leadership, advocacy, collaboration, services, education, publishing, and development of a research agenda. Evidence-based library and information practice was emphasized. Six themes emerged to center the new policy: creation of a research culture, challenges, domains of research, research skills set, roles of stakeholders, and measurement of progress. Reflecting the interests and beliefs of the membership, The Research Imperative challenges MLA members to build a supportive culture that values and contributes to a research base that is recognized as an essential tool for future practice.

GANSEKI: JAMSTEC Deep Seafloor Rock Sample Database Emerging to the New Phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomiyama, T.; Ichiyama, Y.; Horikawa, H.; Sato, Y.; Soma, S.; Hanafusa, Y.

2013-12-01

Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) collects a lot of substantial samples as well as various geophysical data using its research vessels and submersibles. These samples and data, which are obtained by spending large amounts of human and physical resources, are precious wealth of the world scientific community. For the better use of these samples and data, it is important that they are utilized not only for initial purpose of each cruse but also for other general scientific and educational purposes of second-hand users. Based on the JAMSTEC data and sample handling policies [1], JAMSTEC has systematically stored samples and data obtained during research cruises, and provided them to domestic/foreign activities on research, education, and public relation. Being highly valued for second-hand usability, deep seafloor rock samples are one of the most important types of samples obtained by JAMSTEC, as oceanic biological samples and sediment core samples are. Rock samples can be utilized for natural history sciences and other various purposes; some of these purposes are connected to socially important issues such as earthquake mechanisms and mineral resource developments. Researchers and educators can access to JAMSTEC rock samples and associated data through 'GANSEKI [2]', the JAMSTEC Deep Seafloor Rock Sample Database. GANSEKI was established on the Internet in 2006 and its contents and functions have been continuously enriched and upgraded since then. GANSEKI currently provides 19 thousands of sample metadata, 9 thousands of collection inventory data and 18 thousands of geochemical data. Most of these samples are recovered from the North-western Pacific Ocean, although samples from other area are also included. The major update of GANSEKI held in May 2013 involved a replacement of database core system and a redesign of user interface. In the new GANSEKI, users can select samples easily and precisely using multi-index search, numerical constraints on geochemical data and thumbnail browsing of sample and thin-section photos. 'MyList' function allows users to organize, compare and download the data of selected samples. To develop a close network among online databases, the new GANSEKI allows multiple URL entries for individual samples. Now the curatorial staffs are working for maintaining references to other JAMSTEC databases such as 'DARWIN [3]' and 'J-EDI [4]'.

Young people's awareness on biobanking and DNA profiling: results of a questionnaire administered to Italian university students.

PubMed

Tozzo, Pamela; Fassina, Antonio; Caenazzo, Luciana

2017-12-01

Current policy approaches to social and ethical issues surrounding biobanks manifest lack of public information given by researchers and government, despite the evidence that Italian citizens are well informed about technical and other public perspectives of biotechnologies. For this reason, the focus of our survey was to interview our University's students on these aspects. The sample consisted of Padua University students (N = 959), who were administered a questionnaire comprising eight questions covering their knowledge about biobanks, their perception of the related benefits and risks, their willingness to donate samples to a biobank for research purposes, their attitude to having their own DNA profile included in a forensic DNA database, and the reasons behind their answers. The vast majority of the students invited to take part in the survey completed the questionnaire, and the number of participants sufficed to be considered representative of the target population. Despite the respondents' unfamiliarity with the topics explored, suggested by the huge group of respondents answering "I don't know" to the questions regarding Itaian regulation and reality, their answers demonstrate a general agreement to participate in a biobanking scheme for research purposes, as expressed by the 91% of respondents who were reportedly willing to donate their samples. As for the idea of a forensic DNA database, 35% of respondents said they would agree to having their profile included in such a database, even if they were not fully aware of the benefits and risks of such action.This study shows that Italian people with a higher education take a generally positive attitude to the idea of donating biological samples. It contributes to empirical evidence of what Italy's citizens understand about biobanking, and of their willingness to donate samples for research purposes, and also to have their genetic profiles included in a national forensic DNA database. Our findings may have clear implications for the policy discussion on biobanks in Italy, in particular it is important to take into account the Italian population's poor consciousness of forensic DNA database, in order to ensure a better interaction between policy makers and citizens and to make them more aware of the need to balance the individual's rights and the security of society.

Molecule database framework: a framework for creating database applications with chemical structure search capability

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Research in organic chemistry generates samples of novel chemicals together with their properties and other related data. The involved scientists must be able to store this data and search it by chemical structure. There are commercial solutions for common needs like chemical registration systems or electronic lab notebooks. However for specific requirements of in-house databases and processes no such solutions exist. Another issue is that commercial solutions have the risk of vendor lock-in and may require an expensive license of a proprietary relational database management system. To speed up and simplify the development for applications that require chemical structure search capabilities, I have developed Molecule Database Framework. The framework abstracts the storing and searching of chemical structures into method calls. Therefore software developers do not require extensive knowledge about chemistry and the underlying database cartridge. This decreases application development time. Results Molecule Database Framework is written in Java and I created it by integrating existing free and open-source tools and frameworks. The core functionality includes: • Support for multi-component compounds (mixtures) • Import and export of SD-files • Optional security (authorization) For chemical structure searching Molecule Database Framework leverages the capabilities of the Bingo Cartridge for PostgreSQL and provides type-safe searching, caching, transactions and optional method level security. Molecule Database Framework supports multi-component chemical compounds (mixtures). Furthermore the design of entity classes and the reasoning behind it are explained. By means of a simple web application I describe how the framework could be used. I then benchmarked this example application to create some basic performance expectations for chemical structure searches and import and export of SD-files. Conclusions By using a simple web application it was shown that Molecule Database Framework successfully abstracts chemical structure searches and SD-File import and export to simple method calls. The framework offers good search performance on a standard laptop without any database tuning. This is also due to the fact that chemical structure searches are paged and cached. Molecule Database Framework is available for download on the projects web page on bitbucket: https://bitbucket.org/kienerj/moleculedatabaseframework. PMID:24325762