A new approach for the screening of carotid lesions: a 'fast-track' method with the use of new generation hand-held ultrasound devices.

PubMed

Aboyans, V; Lacroix, P; Jeannicot, A; Guilloux, J; Bertin, F; Laskar, M

2004-09-01

We assessed the usefulness of fast-track neck sonography with a new-generation hand-held ultrasound scanner in the detection of > or =60% carotid stenosis. Patients with a past history of atherosclerotic disease or presence of risk factors were enrolled. All had fast-track carotid screening with a hand-held ultrasound scanner. Initial assessment was performed with our quick imaging protocol. A second examiner performed a conventional complete carotid duplex as gold-standard. We enrolled 197 consecutive patients with a mean age of 67 years (range 35-94). A carotid stenosis >60% was detected in 13 cases (6%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of fast-track sonography was 100%, 64%, 17% and 100%, respectively. Concomitant power Doppler imaging during the fast-track method did not improve accuracy. The use of a fast-track method with a hand-held ultrasound device can reduce the number of unnecessary carotid Duplex and enhance the screening efficiency without missing significant carotid stenoses.

Fast Track Extubation In Adult Patients On Pump Open Heart Surgery At A Tertiary Care Hospital.

PubMed

Akhtar, Mohammad Irfan; Sharif, Hasanat; Hamid, Mohammad; Samad, Khalid; Khan, Fazal Hameed

2016-01-01

Fast-track cardiac surgery programs have been established as the standard of cardiac surgical care. Studies have shown that early extubation in elective cardiac surgery patients, including coronary and non-coronary open-heart surgery patients does not increase perioperative morbidity and mortality. The objective of this observational study was to determine the success and failure profile of fast track extubation (FTE) practice in adult open-heart surgical patients. The study was conducted at cardiac operating room and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) of a tertiary care hospital for a period of nine months, i.e., from Oct 2014 to June-2015. All on pump elective adult cardiac surgery patients including isolated CABG, isolated Valve replacements, combined procedures and aortic root replacements were enrolled in the study. Standardized anesthetic technique was adopted. Surgical and bypass techniques were tailored according to the procedure. Success of Fast track extubation was defined as extubation within 6 hours of arrival in CICU. A total of 290 patients were recruited. The average age of the patients was 56.3±10.5 years. There were 77.6% male and 22.4% female patients. Overall success rate was 51.9% and failure rate was 48.1%. The peri-operative renal insufficiency, cross clamp time and CICU stay (hours) were significantly lower in success group. Re-intubation rate was 0.74%. The perioperative parameters were significantly better in success group and the safety was also demonstrated in the patients who were fast tracked successfully. To implement the practice in its full capacity and benefit, a fast track protocol needs to be devised to standardize the current practices and to disseminate the strategy among junior anaesthesiologists, perfusionists and nursing staff.

Brain Monitoring with Electroencephalography and the Electroencephalogram-Derived Bispectral Index During Cardiac Surgery

PubMed Central

Kertai, Miklos D.; Whitlock, Elizabeth L.; Avidan, Michael S.

2011-01-01

Cardiac surgery presents particular challenges for the anesthesiologist. In addition to standard and advanced monitors typically used during cardiac surgery, anesthesiologists may consider monitoring the brain with raw or processed electroencephalography (EEG). There is strong evidence that a protocol incorporating the processed EEG Bispectral Index (BIS) decreases the incidence intraoperative awareness compared with standard practice. However there is conflicting evidence that incorporating the BIS into cardiac anesthesia practice improves “fast-tracking,” decreases anesthetic drug use, or detects cerebral ischemia. Recent research, including many cardiac surgical patients, shows that a protocol based on BIS monitoring is not superior to a protocol based on end tidal anesthetic concentration monitoring in preventing awareness. There has been a resurgence of interest in the anesthesia literature in limited montage EEG monitoring, including nonproprietary processed indices. This has been accompanied by research showing that with structured training, anesthesiologists can glean useful information from the raw EEG trace. In this review, we discuss both the hypothesized benefits and limitations of BIS and frontal channel EEG monitoring in the cardiac surgical population. PMID:22253267

Metabolomics Workbench: An international repository for metabolomics data and metadata, metabolite standards, protocols, tutorials and training, and analysis tools

PubMed Central

Sud, Manish; Fahy, Eoin; Cotter, Dawn; Azam, Kenan; Vadivelu, Ilango; Burant, Charles; Edison, Arthur; Fiehn, Oliver; Higashi, Richard; Nair, K. Sreekumaran; Sumner, Susan; Subramaniam, Shankar

2016-01-01

The Metabolomics Workbench, available at www.metabolomicsworkbench.org, is a public repository for metabolomics metadata and experimental data spanning various species and experimental platforms, metabolite standards, metabolite structures, protocols, tutorials, and training material and other educational resources. It provides a computational platform to integrate, analyze, track, deposit and disseminate large volumes of heterogeneous data from a wide variety of metabolomics studies including mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (NMR) data spanning over 20 different species covering all the major taxonomic categories including humans and other mammals, plants, insects, invertebrates and microorganisms. Additionally, a number of protocols are provided for a range of metabolite classes, sample types, and both MS and NMR-based studies, along with a metabolite structure database. The metabolites characterized in the studies available on the Metabolomics Workbench are linked to chemical structures in the metabolite structure database to facilitate comparative analysis across studies. The Metabolomics Workbench, part of the data coordinating effort of the National Institute of Health (NIH) Common Fund's Metabolomics Program, provides data from the Common Fund's Metabolomics Resource Cores, metabolite standards, and analysis tools to the wider metabolomics community and seeks data depositions from metabolomics researchers across the world. PMID:26467476

Modifying the ECC-based grouping-proof RFID system to increase inpatient medication safety.

PubMed

Ko, Wen-Tsai; Chiou, Shin-Yan; Lu, Erl-Huei; Chang, Henry Ker-Chang

2014-09-01

RFID technology is increasingly used in applications that require tracking, identification, and authentication. It attaches RFID-readable tags to objects for identification and execution of specific RFID-enabled applications. Recently, research has focused on the use of grouping-proofs for preserving privacy in RFID applications, wherein a proof of two or more tags must be simultaneously scanned. In 2010, a privacy-preserving grouping proof protocol for RFID based on ECC in public-key cryptosystem was proposed but was shown to be vulnerable to tracking attacks. A proposed enhancement protocol was also shown to have defects which prevented proper execution. In 2012, Lin et al. proposed a more efficient RFID ECC-based grouping proof protocol to promote inpatient medication safety. However, we found this protocol is also vulnerable to tracking and impersonation attacks. We then propose a secure privacy-preserving RFID grouping proof protocol for inpatient medication safety and demonstrate its resistance to such attacks.

Implementation and audit of 'Fast-Track Surgery' in gynaecological oncology surgery.

PubMed

Sidhu, Verinder S; Lancaster, Letitia; Elliott, David; Brand, Alison H

2012-08-01

Fast-track surgery is a multidisciplinary approach to surgery that results in faster recovery from surgery and decreased length of stay (LOS). The aims of this study were as follows: (i) to report on the processes required for the introduction of fast-track surgery to a gynaecological oncology unit and (ii) to report the results of a clinical audit conducted after the protocol's implementation. A fast-track protocol, specific to our unit, was developed after a series of multidisciplinary meetings. The protocol, agreed upon by those involved in the care of women in our unit, was then introduced into clinical practice. An audit was conducted of all women undergoing laparotomy, with known or suspected malignancy. Information on LOS, complication and readmission rates was collected. Descriptive statistics and Poisson regression were used for statistical analysis. The developed protocol involved a multidisciplinary approach to pre-, intra- and postoperative care. The audit included 104 consecutive women over a 6-month period, who were followed for 6 weeks postoperatively. The median LOS was 4 days. The readmission rate was 7% and the complication rate was 19% (1% intraoperative, 4% major and 14% minor). Multivariate analysis revealed that increased duration of surgery and increasing age were predictors of longer LOS. The development of a fast-track protocol is achievable in a gynaecological oncology unit, with input from a multidisciplinary team. Effective implementation of the protocol can result in a short LOS, with acceptable complication and readmission rates when applied non-selectively to gynaecological oncology patients. © 2012 The Authors ANZJOG © 2012 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

CCSDS File Delivery Protocol (CFDP): Why it's Useful and How it Works

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Tim

2003-01-01

Reliable delivery of data products is often required across space links. For example, a NASA mission will require reliable delivery of images produced by an on-board detector. Many missions have their own (unique) way of accomplishing this, requiring custom software. Many missions also require manual operations (e.g. the telemetry receiver software keeps track of what data is missing, and a person manually inputs the appropriate commands to request retransmissions). The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) developed the CCSDS File Delivery Protocol (CFDP) specifically for this situation. CFDP is an international standard communication protocol that provides reliable delivery of data products. It is designed for use across space links. It will work well if run over the widely used CCSDS Telemetry and Telecommand protocols. However, it can be run over any protocol, and will work well as long as the underlying protocol delivers a reasonable portion of the data. The CFDP receiver will autonomously determine what data is missing, and request retransmissions as needed. The CFDP sender will autonomously perform the requested transmissions. When the entire data product is delivered, the CFDP receiver will let the CFDP sender know that the transaction has completed successfully. The result is that custom software becomes standard, and manual operations become autonomous. This paper will consider various ways of achieving reliable file delivery, explain why CFDP is the optimal choice for use over space links, explain how the core protocol works, and give some guidance on how to best utilize CFDP within various mission scenarios. It will also touch on additional features of CFDP, as well as other uses for CFDP (e.g. the loading of on-board memory and tables).

Event-triggered Kalman-consensus filter for two-target tracking sensor networks.

PubMed

Su, Housheng; Li, Zhenghao; Ye, Yanyan

2017-11-01

This paper is concerned with the problem of event-triggered Kalman-consensus filter for two-target tracking sensor networks. According to the event-triggered protocol and the mean-square analysis, a suboptimal Kalman gain matrix is derived and a suboptimal event-triggered distributed filter is obtained. Based on the Kalman-consensus filter protocol, all sensors which only depend on its neighbors' information can track their corresponding targets. Furthermore, utilizing Lyapunov method and matrix theory, some sufficient conditions are presented for ensuring the stability of the system. Finally, a simulation example is presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed event-triggered protocol. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

National protocol framework for the inventory and monitoring of bees

USGS Publications Warehouse

Droege, Sam; Engler, Joseph D.; Sellers, Elizabeth A.; Lee O'Brien,

2016-01-01

This national protocol framework is a standardized tool for the inventory and monitoring of the approximately 4,200 species of native and non-native bee species that may be found within the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). However, this protocol framework may also be used by other organizations and individuals to monitor bees in any given habitat or location. Our goal is to provide USFWS stations within the NWRS (NWRS stations are land units managed by the USFWS such as national wildlife refuges, national fish hatcheries, wetland management districts, conservation areas, leased lands, etc.) with techniques for developing an initial baseline inventory of what bee species are present on their lands and to provide an inexpensive, simple technique for monitoring bees continuously and for monitoring and evaluating long-term population trends and management impacts. The latter long-term monitoring technique requires a minimal time burden for the individual station, yet can provide a good statistical sample of changing populations that can be investigated at the station, regional, and national levels within the USFWS’ jurisdiction, and compared to other sites within the United States and Canada. This protocol framework was developed in cooperation with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the USFWS, and a worldwide network of bee researchers who have investigated the techniques and methods for capturing bees and tracking population changes. The protocol framework evolved from field and lab-based investigations at the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland starting in 2002 and was refined by a large number of USFWS, academic, and state groups. It includes a Protocol Introduction and a set of 8 Standard Operating Procedures or SOPs and adheres to national standards of protocol content and organization. The Protocol Narrative describes the history and need for the protocol framework and summarizes the basic elements of objectives, sampling design, field methods, training, data management, analysis, and reporting. The SOPs provide more detail and specific instructions for implementing the protocol framework. A central database, for managing all the resulting data is under development. We welcome use of this protocol framework by our partners, as appropriate for their bee inventory and monitoring objectives.

Collaborative writing: Tools and tips.

PubMed

Eapen, Bell Raj

2007-01-01

Majority of technical writing is done by groups of experts and various web based applications have made this collaboration easy. Email exchange of word processor documents with tracked changes used to be the standard technique for collaborative writing. However web based tools like Google docs and Spreadsheets have made the process fast and efficient. Various versioning tools and synchronous editors are available for those who need additional functionality. Having a group leader who decides the scheduling, communication and conflict resolving protocols is important for successful collaboration.

Metabolomics Workbench: An international repository for metabolomics data and metadata, metabolite standards, protocols, tutorials and training, and analysis tools.

PubMed

Sud, Manish; Fahy, Eoin; Cotter, Dawn; Azam, Kenan; Vadivelu, Ilango; Burant, Charles; Edison, Arthur; Fiehn, Oliver; Higashi, Richard; Nair, K Sreekumaran; Sumner, Susan; Subramaniam, Shankar

2016-01-04

The Metabolomics Workbench, available at www.metabolomicsworkbench.org, is a public repository for metabolomics metadata and experimental data spanning various species and experimental platforms, metabolite standards, metabolite structures, protocols, tutorials, and training material and other educational resources. It provides a computational platform to integrate, analyze, track, deposit and disseminate large volumes of heterogeneous data from a wide variety of metabolomics studies including mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (NMR) data spanning over 20 different species covering all the major taxonomic categories including humans and other mammals, plants, insects, invertebrates and microorganisms. Additionally, a number of protocols are provided for a range of metabolite classes, sample types, and both MS and NMR-based studies, along with a metabolite structure database. The metabolites characterized in the studies available on the Metabolomics Workbench are linked to chemical structures in the metabolite structure database to facilitate comparative analysis across studies. The Metabolomics Workbench, part of the data coordinating effort of the National Institute of Health (NIH) Common Fund's Metabolomics Program, provides data from the Common Fund's Metabolomics Resource Cores, metabolite standards, and analysis tools to the wider metabolomics community and seeks data depositions from metabolomics researchers across the world. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Adaptive tracking of a time-varying field with a quantum sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonato, Cristian; Berry, Dominic W.

2017-05-01

Sensors based on single spins can enable magnetic-field detection with very high sensitivity and spatial resolution. Previous work has concentrated on sensing of a constant magnetic field or a periodic signal. Here, we instead investigate the problem of estimating a field with nonperiodic variation described by a Wiener process. We propose and study, by numerical simulations, an adaptive tracking protocol based on Bayesian estimation. The tracking protocol updates the probability distribution for the magnetic field based on measurement outcomes and adapts the choice of sensing time and phase in real time. By taking the statistical properties of the signal into account, our protocol strongly reduces the required measurement time. This leads to a reduction of the error in the estimation of a time-varying signal by up to a factor of four compare with protocols that do not take this information into account.

Anser EMT: the first open-source electromagnetic tracking platform for image-guided interventions.

PubMed

Jaeger, Herman Alexander; Franz, Alfred Michael; O'Donoghue, Kilian; Seitel, Alexander; Trauzettel, Fabian; Maier-Hein, Lena; Cantillon-Murphy, Pádraig

2017-06-01

Electromagnetic tracking is the gold standard for instrument tracking and navigation in the clinical setting without line of sight. Whilst clinical platforms exist for interventional bronchoscopy and neurosurgical navigation, the limited flexibility and high costs of electromagnetic tracking (EMT) systems for research investigations mitigate against a better understanding of the technology's characterisation and limitations. The Anser project provides an open-source implementation for EMT with particular application to image-guided interventions. This work provides implementation schematics for our previously reported EMT system which relies on low-cost acquisition and demodulation techniques using both National Instruments and Arduino hardware alongside MATLAB support code. The system performance is objectively compared to other commercial tracking platforms using the Hummel assessment protocol. Positional accuracy of 1.14 mm and angular rotation accuracy of [Formula: see text] are reported. Like other EMT platforms, Anser is susceptible to tracking errors due to eddy current and ferromagnetic distortion. The system is compatible with commercially available EMT sensors as well as the Open Network Interface for image-guided therapy (OpenIGTLink) for easy communication with visualisation and medical imaging toolkits such as MITK and 3D Slicer. By providing an open-source platform for research investigations, we believe that novel and collaborative approaches can overcome the limitations of current EMT technology.

Modern retinal laser therapy

PubMed Central

Kozak, Igor; Luttrull, Jeffrey K.

2014-01-01

Medicinal lasers are a standard source of light to produce retinal tissue photocoagulation to treat retinovascular disease. The Diabetic Retinopathy Study and the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study were large randomized clinical trials that have shown beneficial effect of retinal laser photocoagulation in diabetic retinopathy and have dictated the standard of care for decades. However, current treatment protocols undergo modifications. Types of lasers used in treatment of retinal diseases include argon, diode, dye and multicolor lasers, micropulse lasers and lasers for photodynamic therapy. Delivery systems include contact lens slit-lamp laser delivery, indirect ophthalmocope based laser photocoagulation and camera based navigated retinal photocoagulation with retinal eye-tracking. Selective targeted photocoagulation could be a future alternative to panretinal photocoagulation. PMID:25892934

Photographing Injuries in the Acute Care Setting: Development and Evaluation of a Standardized Protocol for Research, Forensics, and Clinical Practice

PubMed Central

Bloemen, Elizabeth M.; Rosen, Tony; Schiroo, Justina A. Cline; Clark, Sunday; Mulcare, Mary R.; Stern, Michael E.; Mysliwiec, Regina; Flomenbaum, Neal E.; Lachs, Mark S.; Hargarten, Stephen

2016-01-01

Background Photographing injuries in the acute setting allows for improved documentation as well as assessment by clinicians and others who have not personally examined a patient. This tool is important, particularly for telemedicine, tracking of wound healing, the evaluation of potential abuse, and injury research. Despite this, protocols to ensure standardization of photography in clinical practice, forensics, or research have not been published. In preparation for a study of injury patterns in elder abuse and geriatric falls, our goal was to develop and evaluate a protocol for standardized photography of injuries that may be broadly applied. Methods We conducted a literature review for techniques and standards in medical, forensic, and legal photography. We developed a novel protocol describing types of photographs and body positioning for eight body regions, including instructional diagrams. We revised it iteratively in consultation with experts in medical photography; forensics; and elder, child, and domestic abuse. The resulting protocol requires a minimum of four photos of each injury at multiple distances with and without a ruler/color guide. To evaluate the protocol’s efficacy, multiple research assistants without previous photography experience photographed injuries from a convenience sample of elderly patients presenting to a single large, urban, academic emergency department. A selection of these patients’ images were then evaluated in a blinded fashion by four nontreating emergency medicine physicians and the inter-rater reliability between these physicians was calculated. Results Among the 131 injuries, from 53 patients, photographed by 18 photographers using this protocol, photographs of 25 injuries (10 bruises, seven lacerations, and eight abrasions) were used to assess characterization of the injury. Physicians’ characterizations of the injuries were reliable for the size of the injury (κ = 0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.77 to 1.00), side of the body (κ = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.88 to 1.00), precise location of the injury (κ = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.63 = 0.81), and type of abrasion (κ = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.45 to 1.00). The exact shape of the injury (κ = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.17 to 0.51), and the primary color of bruises (κ = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.25 to 0.48) were not as reliably characterized. Conclusions Standardizing the documentation of injuries with photographs for clinical and research assessment can be conducted by nonprofessional photographers. A photography protocol will ensure that this important mechanism for documentation is optimized. PMID:26932497

Framework for performance evaluation of face, text, and vehicle detection and tracking in video: data, metrics, and protocol.

PubMed

Kasturi, Rangachar; Goldgof, Dmitry; Soundararajan, Padmanabhan; Manohar, Vasant; Garofolo, John; Bowers, Rachel; Boonstra, Matthew; Korzhova, Valentina; Zhang, Jing

2009-02-01

Common benchmark data sets, standardized performance metrics, and baseline algorithms have demonstrated considerable impact on research and development in a variety of application domains. These resources provide both consumers and developers of technology with a common framework to objectively compare the performance of different algorithms and algorithmic improvements. In this paper, we present such a framework for evaluating object detection and tracking in video: specifically for face, text, and vehicle objects. This framework includes the source video data, ground-truth annotations (along with guidelines for annotation), performance metrics, evaluation protocols, and tools including scoring software and baseline algorithms. For each detection and tracking task and supported domain, we developed a 50-clip training set and a 50-clip test set. Each data clip is approximately 2.5 minutes long and has been completely spatially/temporally annotated at the I-frame level. Each task/domain, therefore, has an associated annotated corpus of approximately 450,000 frames. The scope of such annotation is unprecedented and was designed to begin to support the necessary quantities of data for robust machine learning approaches, as well as a statistically significant comparison of the performance of algorithms. The goal of this work was to systematically address the challenges of object detection and tracking through a common evaluation framework that permits a meaningful objective comparison of techniques, provides the research community with sufficient data for the exploration of automatic modeling techniques, encourages the incorporation of objective evaluation into the development process, and contributes useful lasting resources of a scale and magnitude that will prove to be extremely useful to the computer vision research community for years to come.

Use of a web-based image reporting and tracking system for assessing abdominal imaging examination quality issues in a single practice.

PubMed

Rosenkrantz, Andrew B; Johnson, Evan; Sanger, Joseph J

2015-10-01

This article presents our local experience in the implementation of a real-time web-based system for reporting and tracking quality issues relating to abdominal imaging examinations. This system allows radiologists to electronically submit examination quality issues during clinical readouts. The submitted information is e-mailed to a designate for the given modality for further follow-up; the designate may subsequently enter text describing their response or action taken, which is e-mailed back to the radiologist. Review of 558 entries over a 6-year period demonstrated documentation of a broad range of examination quality issues, including specific issues relating to protocol deviation, post-processing errors, positioning errors, artifacts, and IT concerns. The most common issues varied among US, CT, MRI, radiography, and fluoroscopy. In addition, the most common issues resulting in a patient recall for repeat imaging (generally related to protocol deviation in MRI and US) were identified. In addition to submitting quality problems, radiologists also commonly used the tool to provide recognition of a well-performed examination. An electronic log of actions taken in response to radiologists' submissions indicated that both positive and negative feedback were commonly communicated to the performing technologist. Information generated using the tool can be used to guide subsequent quality improvement initiatives within a practice, including continued protocol standardization as well as education of technologists in the optimization of abdominal imaging examinations.

A Protocol for Real-time 3D Single Particle Tracking.

PubMed

Hou, Shangguo; Welsher, Kevin

2018-01-03

Real-time three-dimensional single particle tracking (RT-3D-SPT) has the potential to shed light on fast, 3D processes in cellular systems. Although various RT-3D-SPT methods have been put forward in recent years, tracking high speed 3D diffusing particles at low photon count rates remains a challenge. Moreover, RT-3D-SPT setups are generally complex and difficult to implement, limiting their widespread application to biological problems. This protocol presents a RT-3D-SPT system named 3D Dynamic Photon Localization Tracking (3D-DyPLoT), which can track particles with high diffusive speed (up to 20 µm 2 /s) at low photon count rates (down to 10 kHz). 3D-DyPLoT employs a 2D electro-optic deflector (2D-EOD) and a tunable acoustic gradient (TAG) lens to drive a single focused laser spot dynamically in 3D. Combined with an optimized position estimation algorithm, 3D-DyPLoT can lock onto single particles with high tracking speed and high localization precision. Owing to the single excitation and single detection path layout, 3D-DyPLoT is robust and easy to set up. This protocol discusses how to build 3D-DyPLoT step by step. First, the optical layout is described. Next, the system is calibrated and optimized by raster scanning a 190 nm fluorescent bead with the piezoelectric nanopositioner. Finally, to demonstrate real-time 3D tracking ability, 110 nm fluorescent beads are tracked in water.

Cardiac surgery fast-track treatment in a postanesthetic care unit: six-month results of the Leipzig fast-track concept.

PubMed

Ender, Joerg; Borger, Michael Andrew; Scholz, Markus; Funkat, Anne-Kathrin; Anwar, Nadeem; Sommer, Marcus; Mohr, Friedrich Wilhelm; Fassl, Jens

2008-07-01

The authors compared the safety and efficacy of a newly developed fast-track concept at their center, including implementation of a direct admission postanesthetic care unit, to standard perioperative management. All fast-track patients treated within the first 6 months of implementation of our direct admission postanesthetic care unit were matched via propensity scores and compared with a historical control group of patients who underwent cardiac surgery prior to fast-track implementation. A total of 421 fast-track patients were matched successfully to 421 control patients. The two groups of patients had a similar age (64 +/- 13 vs. 64 +/- 12 yr for fast-track vs. control, P = 0.45) and European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation-predicted risk of mortality (4.8 +/- 6.1% vs. 4.6 +/- 5.1%, P = 0.97). Fast-track patients had significantly shorter times to extubation (75 min [45-110] vs. 900 min [600-1140]), as well as shorter lengths of stay in the postanesthetic or intensive care unit (4 h [3.0-5] vs. 20 h [16-25]), intermediate care unit (21 h [17-39] vs. 26 h [19-49]), and hospital (10 days [8-12] vs. 11 days [9-14]) (expressed as median and interquartile range, all P < 0.01). Fast-track patients also had a lower risk of postoperative low cardiac output syndrome (0.5% vs. 2.9%, P < 0.05) and mortality (0.5% vs. 3.3%, P < 0.01). The Leipzig fast-track protocol is a safe and effective method to manage cardiac surgery patients after a variety of operations.

Objective and automated protocols for the evaluation of biomedical search engines using No Title Evaluation protocols.

PubMed

Campagne, Fabien

2008-02-29

The evaluation of information retrieval techniques has traditionally relied on human judges to determine which documents are relevant to a query and which are not. This protocol is used in the Text Retrieval Evaluation Conference (TREC), organized annually for the past 15 years, to support the unbiased evaluation of novel information retrieval approaches. The TREC Genomics Track has recently been introduced to measure the performance of information retrieval for biomedical applications. We describe two protocols for evaluating biomedical information retrieval techniques without human relevance judgments. We call these protocols No Title Evaluation (NT Evaluation). The first protocol measures performance for focused searches, where only one relevant document exists for each query. The second protocol measures performance for queries expected to have potentially many relevant documents per query (high-recall searches). Both protocols take advantage of the clear separation of titles and abstracts found in Medline. We compare the performance obtained with these evaluation protocols to results obtained by reusing the relevance judgments produced in the 2004 and 2005 TREC Genomics Track and observe significant correlations between performance rankings generated by our approach and TREC. Spearman's correlation coefficients in the range of 0.79-0.92 are observed comparing bpref measured with NT Evaluation or with TREC evaluations. For comparison, coefficients in the range 0.86-0.94 can be observed when evaluating the same set of methods with data from two independent TREC Genomics Track evaluations. We discuss the advantages of NT Evaluation over the TRels and the data fusion evaluation protocols introduced recently. Our results suggest that the NT Evaluation protocols described here could be used to optimize some search engine parameters before human evaluation. Further research is needed to determine if NT Evaluation or variants of these protocols can fully substitute for human evaluations.

What is the role of enhanced recovery after surgery in children? A scoping review.

PubMed

Pearson, Katherine L; Hall, Nigel J

2017-01-01

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathways are standard practice in adult specialties resulting in improved outcomes. It is unclear whether ERAS principles are applicable to Paediatric Surgery. We performed a scoping review to identify the extent to which ERAS has been used in Paediatric Surgery, the nature of interventions, and outcomes. Pubmed, Cochrane library, Google Scholar, and Embase were searched using the terms enhanced recovery, post-operative protocol/pathway, fast track surgery, and paediatric surgery. Studies were excluded if they did not include abdominal/thoracic/urological procedures in children. Nine studies were identified (2003-2014; total 1269 patients): three case control studies, one retrospective review and five prospective implementations, no RCTs. Interventional elements identified were post-operative feeding, mobilisation protocols, morphine-sparing analgesia, reduced use of nasogastric tubes and urinary catheters. Outcomes reported included post-operative length of stay (LOS), time to oral feeding and stooling, complications, and parent satisfaction. Fast-track programmes significantly reduced LOS in 6/7 studies, time to oral feeding in 3/3 studies, and time to stooling in 2/3 studies. The use of ERAS pathways in Paediatric surgery appears very limited but such pathways may have benefits in children. Prospective studies should evaluate interventions used in adult ERAS on appropriate outcomes in the paediatric setting.

77 FR 33489 - Draft Offender Tracking System Standard

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-06

... Tracking System Standard AGENCY: National Institute of Justice. ACTION: Notice of Draft Offender Tracking System Standard, Selection and Application Guide, and Certification Program Requirements. SUMMARY: In an...) A draft standard entitled, ``Offender Tracking System Standard'' (2) a draft companion document...

Use of standardized visual assessments of riparian and stream condition to manage riparian bird habitat in eastern Oregon.

PubMed

Cooke, Hilary A; Zack, Steve

2009-07-01

The importance of riparian vegetation to support stream function and provide riparian bird habitat in semiarid landscapes suggests that standardized assessment tools that include vegetation criteria to evaluate stream health could also be used to assess habitat conditions for riparian-dependent birds. We first evaluated the ability of two visual assessments of woody vegetation in the riparian zone (corridor width and height) to describe variation in the obligate riparian bird ensemble along 19 streams in eastern Oregon. Overall species richness and the abundances of three species all correlated significantly with both, but width was more important than height. We then examined the utility of the riparian zone criteria in three standardized and commonly used rapid visual riparian assessment protocols--the USDI BLM Proper Functioning Condition (PFC) assessment, the USDA NRCS Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (SVAP), and the U.S. EPA Habitat Assessment Field Data Sheet (HAFDS)--to assess potential riparian bird habitat. Based on the degree of correlation of bird species richness with assessment ratings, we found that PFC does not assess obligate riparian bird habitat condition, SVAP provides a coarse estimate, and HAFDS provides the best assessment. We recommend quantitative measures of woody vegetation for all assessments and that all protocols incorporate woody vegetation height. Given that rapid assessments may be the only source of information for thousands of kilometers of streams in the western United States, incorporating simple vegetation measurements is a critical step in evaluating the status of riparian bird habitat and provides a tool for tracking changes in vegetation condition resulting from management decisions.

Characterization of perovskite solar cells: Towards a reliable measurement protocol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimmermann, Eugen; Wong, Ka Kan; Müller, Michael; Hu, Hao; Ehrenreich, Philipp; Kohlstädt, Markus; Würfel, Uli; Mastroianni, Simone; Mathiazhagan, Gayathri; Hinsch, Andreas; Gujar, Tanaji P.; Thelakkat, Mukundan; Pfadler, Thomas; Schmidt-Mende, Lukas

2016-09-01

Lead halide perovskite solar cells have shown a tremendous rise in power conversion efficiency with reported record efficiencies of over 20% making this material very promising as a low cost alternative to conventional inorganic solar cells. However, due to a differently severe "hysteretic" behaviour during current density-voltage measurements, which strongly depends on scan rate, device and measurement history, preparation method, device architecture, etc., commonly used solar cell measurements do not give reliable or even reproducible results. For the aspect of commercialization and the possibility to compare results of different devices among different laboratories, it is necessary to establish a measurement protocol which gives reproducible results. Therefore, we compare device characteristics derived from standard current density-voltage measurements with stabilized values obtained from an adaptive tracking of the maximum power point and the open circuit voltage as well as characteristics extracted from time resolved current density-voltage measurements. Our results provide insight into the challenges of a correct determination of device performance and propose a measurement protocol for a reliable characterisation which is easy to implement and has been tested on varying perovskite solar cells fabricated in different laboratories.

Changes in surface morphology of enamel after Er:YAG laser irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rechmann, Peter; Goldin, Dan S.; Hennig, Thomas

1998-04-01

Aim of the study was to investigate the surface and subsurface structure of enamel after irradiation with an Er:YAG laser (wavelength 2.94 micrometer, pulse duration 250 - 500 microseconds, free running, beam profile close to tophead, focus diameter 600 micrometer, focus distance 13 mm, different power settings, air-water spray 2 ml/min; KAVO Key Laser 1242, Kavo Biberach, Germany). The surface of more than 40 freshly extracted wisdom teeth were irradiated using a standardized application protocol (pulse repetition rate 4 and 6 Hz, moving speed of the irradiation table 2 mm/sec and 3 mm/sec, respectively). On each surface between 3 and 5 tracks were irradiated at different laser energies (60 - 500 mJ/pulse) while each track was irradiated between one and ten times respectively. For the scanning electron microscope investigation teeth were dried in alcohol and sputtered with gold. For light microscopic examinations following laser impact, samples were fixed in formaldehyde, dried in alcohol and embedded in acrylic resin. Investigations revealed that at subsurface level cracks can not be observed even at application of highest energies. Borders of the irradiated tracks seem to be sharp while melted areas of different sizes are observed on the bottom of the tracks depending on applied energy. Small microcracks can be seen on the surface of these melted areas.

Distributed Time-Varying Formation Robust Tracking for General Linear Multiagent Systems With Parameter Uncertainties and External Disturbances.

PubMed

Hua, Yongzhao; Dong, Xiwang; Li, Qingdong; Ren, Zhang

2017-05-18

This paper investigates the time-varying formation robust tracking problems for high-order linear multiagent systems with a leader of unknown control input in the presence of heterogeneous parameter uncertainties and external disturbances. The followers need to accomplish an expected time-varying formation in the state space and track the state trajectory produced by the leader simultaneously. First, a time-varying formation robust tracking protocol with a totally distributed form is proposed utilizing the neighborhood state information. With the adaptive updating mechanism, neither any global knowledge about the communication topology nor the upper bounds of the parameter uncertainties, external disturbances and leader's unknown input are required in the proposed protocol. Then, in order to determine the control parameters, an algorithm with four steps is presented, where feasible conditions for the followers to accomplish the expected time-varying formation tracking are provided. Furthermore, based on the Lyapunov-like analysis theory, it is proved that the formation tracking error can converge to zero asymptotically. Finally, the effectiveness of the theoretical results is verified by simulation examples.

78 FR 74162 - Draft Criminal Justice Offender Tracking System Standard and Companion Documents

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-10

... to the following Web site: https://www.justnet.org/standards/Offender_Tracking_Standards.html . DATES....org/standards/Offender_Tracking_Standards.html . Gregory K. Ridgeway, Acting Director, National...

Supporting Tablet Configuration, Tracking, and Infection Control Practices in Digital Health Interventions: Study Protocol.

PubMed

Furberg, Robert D; Ortiz, Alexa M; Zulkiewicz, Brittany A; Hudson, Jordan P; Taylor, Olivia M; Lewis, Megan A

2016-06-27

Tablet-based health care interventions have the potential to encourage patient care in a timelier manner, allow physicians convenient access to patient records, and provide an improved method for patient education. However, along with the continued adoption of tablet technologies, there is a concomitant need to develop protocols focusing on the configuration, management, and maintenance of these devices within the health care setting to support the conduct of clinical research. Develop three protocols to support tablet configuration, tablet management, and tablet maintenance. The Configurator software, Tile technology, and current infection control recommendations were employed to develop three distinct protocols for tablet-based digital health interventions. Configurator is a mobile device management software specifically for iPhone operating system (iOS) devices. The capabilities and current applications of Configurator were reviewed and used to develop the protocol to support device configuration. Tile is a tracking tag associated with a free mobile app available for iOS and Android devices. The features associated with Tile were evaluated and used to develop the Tile protocol to support tablet management. Furthermore, current recommendations on preventing health care-related infections were reviewed to develop the infection control protocol to support tablet maintenance. This article provides three protocols: the Configurator protocol, the Tile protocol, and the infection control protocol. These protocols can help to ensure consistent implementation of tablet-based interventions, enhance fidelity when employing tablets for research purposes, and serve as a guide for tablet deployments within clinical settings.

Effects of Different Conditioning Activities on 100-m Dash Performance in High School Track and Field Athletes.

PubMed

Ferreira-Júnior, João B; Guttierres, Ana P M; Encarnação, Irismar G A; Lima, Jorge R P; Borba, Diego A; Freitas, Eduardo D S; Bemben, Michael G; Vieira, Carlos A; Bottaro, Martim

2018-06-01

This study compared the effects of different conditioning activities on the 100-m dash performance of 11 male, high school track and field athletes (mean age = 16.3; SD = 1.2 years). Participants performed a 100-m dash seven minutes after each of four randomized conditioning protocols, with each condition and 100-m dash separated by 3-10 days. The conditioning protocols were (a) control, no conditioning activity; (b) weighted plyometric, three sets of 10 repetitions of alternate leg bounding with additional load of 10% of the body mass; (c) free sprint, two 20-m sprints; and (d) resisted sprint (RS), two 20-m resisted sprints using an elastic tubing tool. We obtained session ratings of perceived exertion (SRPE) immediately after each conditioning protocol. There were no significant differences between any of the three experimental conditioning activities on 100-m sprint time, but the RS protocol improved 100-m sprint time compared with the control (no conditioning) protocol ( p < .001). The RS also led to greater sprint velocity and higher SRPE compared with the control condition ( p < .01). There was no significant association between SRPE and 100-m performance ( p = .77, r = .05). These results suggest a benefit for young male track and field athletes to the elastic tubing warm-up activities prior to the 100-m dash.

Fast-track surgery for uncomplicated appendicitis in children: a matched case-control study.

PubMed

Cundy, Thomas P; Sierakowski, Kyra; Manna, Alexandra; Cooper, Celia M; Burgoyne, Laura L; Khurana, Sanjeev

2017-04-01

Standardized post-operative protocols reduce variation and enhance efficiency in patient care. Patients may benefit from these initiatives by improved quality of care. This matched case-control study investigates the effect of a multidisciplinary criteria-led discharge protocol for uncomplicated appendicitis in children. Key protocol components included limiting post-operative antibiotics to two intravenous doses, avoidance of intravenous opioid analgesia, prompt resumption of diet, active encouragement of early ambulation and nursing staff autonomy to discharge patients that met assigned criteria. The study period was from August 2015 to February 2016. Outcomes were compared with a historical control group matched for operative approach. Outcomes for 83 patients enrolled to our protocol were compared with those of 83 controls. There was a 29.2% reduction in median post-operative length of stay in our protocol-based care group (19.6 versus 27.7 h; P < 0.001). The rate of discharges within 24 h improved from 12 to 42%. There was no significant difference in complication rate (4.8 versus 7.2%; P = 0.51). Mean oral morphine dose equivalent per kilogram requirement was less than half (46%) that of control group patients (P < 0.001). Mean number of ondansetron doses was also significantly lower. Projected annual direct cost savings following protocol implementation was AUD$77 057. Implementation of a criteria-led discharge protocol at our hospital decreased length of stay, reduced variation in care, preserved existing low morbidity, incurred substantial cost savings, and safely rationalized opioid and antiemetic medication. These protocols are inexpensive and offer tangible benefits that are accessible to all health care settings. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Sensitive Quantitative Assessment of Balance Disorders

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paloski, Willilam H.

2007-01-01

Computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) has become a standard technique for objectively quantifying balance control performance, diagnosing the nature of functional impairments underlying balance disorders, and monitoring clinical treatment outcomes. We have long used CDP protocols to assess recovery of sensory-motor function in astronauts following space flight. The most reliable indicators of post-flight crew performance are the sensory organization tests (SOTs), particularly SOTs 5 and 6, which are sensitive to changes in availability and/or utilization of vestibular cues. We have noted, however, that some astronauts exhibiting obvious signs of balance impairment after flight are able to score within clinical norms on these tests, perhaps as a result of adopting competitive strategies or by their natural skills at substituting alternate sensory information sources. This insensitivity of the CDP protocol could underestimate of the degree of impairment and, perhaps, lead to premature release of those crewmembers to normal duties. To improve the sensitivity of the CDP protocol we have introduced static and dynamic head tilt SOT trials into our protocol. The pattern of postflight recovery quantified by the enhanced CDP protocol appears to more aptly track the re-integration of sensory-motor function, with recovery time increasing as the complexity of sensory-motor/biomechanical task increases. The new CDP protocol therefore seems more suitable for monitoring post-flight sensory-motor recovery and for indicating to crewmembers and flight surgeons fitness for return to duty and/or activities of daily living. There may be classes of patients (e.g., athletes, pilots) having motivation and/or performance characteristics similar to astronauts whose sensory-motor treatment outcomes would also be more accurately monitored using the enhanced CDP protocol. Furthermore, the enhanced protocol may be useful in early detection of age-related balance disorders.

ORION Low Cost Laser Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phipps, Claude R.

1996-01-01

We show that laser-target interaction physics demands the shortest laser pulse of which hardware is capable (but not less than 100 ps) in the ORION ground-based laser concept. We compare two leading ways to achieve such pulses - SRS/SBS cascade compression and grating compression - with the standard MOPA approach, and conclude that the first of these is most robust. However, the state of the art in laser devices will require a year or two to implement these ideas. We present a pulse format and beam footprint protocol which will solve the conflict between relativistic lookahead and beam tilt and should permit all-laser active acquisition and tracking in ORION.

Quality indicators for eye bank.

PubMed

Acharya, Manisha; Biswas, Saurabh; Das, Animesh; Mathur, Umang; Dave, Abhishek; Singh, Ashok; Dubey, Suneeta

2018-03-01

The aim of this study is to identify quality indicators of the eye bank and validate their effectivity. Adverse reaction rate, discard rate, protocol deviation rate, and compliance rate were defined as Quality Indicators of the eye bank. These were identified based on definition of quality that captures two dimensions - "result quality" and "process quality." The indicators were measured and tracked as part of quality assurance (QA) program of the eye bank. Regular audits were performed to validate alignment of standard operating procedures (SOP) with regulatory and surgeon acceptance standards and alignment of activities performed in the eye bank with the SOP. Prospective study of the indicators was performed by comparing their observed values over the period 2011-2016. Adverse reaction rate decreased more than 8-fold (from 0.61% to 0.07%), discard rate decreased and stabilized at 30%, protocol deviation rate decreased from 1.05% to 0.08%, and compliance rate reported by annual quality audits improved from 59% to 96% at the same time. In effect, adverse reaction rate, discard rate, and protocol deviation rate were leading indicators, and compliance rate was the trailing indicator. These indicators fulfill an important gap in available literature on QA in eye banking. There are two ways in which these findings can be meaningful. First, eye banks which are new to quality measurement can adopt these indicators. Second, eye banks which are already deeply engaged in quality improvement can test these indicators in their eye bank, thereby incorporating them widely and improving them over time.

Implementing Yoga Therapy Adapted for Older Veterans Who Are Cancer Survivors.

PubMed

King, Katherine; Gosian, Jeffrey; Doherty, Kelly; Chapman, Jnani; Walsh, Christina; Azar, Jill Pokaski; Danhauer, Suzanne C; Moye, Jennifer

This goal of this paper is to describe the reach, application, and effectiveness of an 8-week yoga therapy protocol with older cancer survivors within a Veterans Health Administration setting. To document the reach of this intervention, recruitment efforts, attendance, and practice rates were tracked. To explore the application of the protocol to this population, physical therapy pre-assessment and observations by the yoga therapist were recorded to ascertain necessary pose modifications. Effectiveness was measured through pre- and post-course structured interviews, tracking self-reported symptoms of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, and pain. Regarding reach, 15% of eligible veterans ( n = 14) enrolled, participated in 3-16 classes ( M ± SD = 11.64±3.39), and practiced at home for 0-56 days ( M ± SD = 26.36±17.87). Participants were primarily Caucasian ( n = 13), male ( n = 13), ranged in age from 55 to 78 years ( M ± SD = 65.64±5.15), and had multiple medical problems. During application, substantial individualized modifications to the yoga therapy protocol were necessary. Effectiveness of the intervention was mixed. During post-course interviews, participants reported a variety of qualitative benefits. Notably, the majority of participants reported that breathing and relaxation techniques were the most useful to learn. Group comparisons of mean pre- and post-course scores on standardized measures showed no significant differences. A minority of older veterans express an interest in yoga, but those who do have high rates of class attendance and home practice. Careful physical pre-assessment and attentive therapists are required to undertake the adaptations required by participants with multiple comorbidities. The effectiveness of yoga in this setting requires additional study.

Implementing yoga therapy adapted for older veterans who are cancer survivors.

PubMed

King, Katherine; Gosian, Jeffrey; Doherty, Kelly; Chapman, Jnani; Chapman, Jnani; Walsh, Christina; Pokaski Azar, Jill; Pokaski Azar, Jill; Danhauer, Suzanne C; Moye, Jennifer

2014-01-01

This goal of this paper is to describe the reach, application, and effectiveness of an 8-week yoga therapy protocol with older cancer survivors within a Veterans Health Administration setting. To document the reach of this intervention, recruitment efforts, attendance, and practice rates were tracked. To explore the application of the protocol to this population, physical therapy preassessment and observations by the yoga therapist were recorded to ascertain necessary pose modifications. Effectiveness was measured through pre- and post-course structured interviews, tracking self-reported symptoms of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, and pain. Regarding reach, 15% of eligible veterans (n = 14) enrolled, participated in 3-16 classes (M±SD = 11.64±3.39), and practiced at home for 0-56 days (M±SD = 26.36±17.87). Participants were primarily Caucasian (n = 13), male (n = 13), ranged in age from 55 to 78 years (M±SD = 65.64±5.15), and had multiple medical problems. During application, substantial individualized modifications to the yoga therapy protocol were necessary. Effectiveness of the intervention was mixed. During post-course interviews, participants reported a variety of qualitative benefits. Notably, the majority of participants reported that breathing and relaxation techniques were the most useful to learn. Group comparisons of mean pre- and post-course scores on standardized measures showed no significant differences. A minority of older veterans express an interest in yoga, but those who do have high rates of class attendance and home practice. Careful physical pre-assessment and attentive therapists are required to undertake the adaptations required by participants with multiple comorbidities. The effectiveness of yoga in this setting requires additional study.

Review and publication of protocol submissions to Trials - what have we learned in 10 years?

PubMed

Li, Tianjing; Boutron, Isabelle; Al-Shahi Salman, Rustam; Cobo, Erik; Flemyng, Ella; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; Altman, Douglas G

2016-12-16

Trials has 10 years of experience in providing open access publication of protocols for randomised controlled trials. In this editorial, the senior editors and editors-in-chief of Trials discuss editorial issues regarding managing trial protocol submissions, including the content and format of the protocol, timing of submission, approaches to tracking protocol amendments, and the purpose of peer reviewing a protocol submission. With the clarification and guidance provided, we hope we can make the process of publishing trial protocols more efficient and useful to trial investigators and readers.

Functional assessment of the diaphragm by speckle tracking ultrasound during inspiratory loading.

PubMed

Oppersma, Eline; Hatam, Nima; Doorduin, Jonne; van der Hoeven, Johannes G; Marx, Gernot; Goetzenich, Andreas; Fritsch, Sebastian; Heunks, Leo M A; Bruells, Christian S

2017-11-01

Assessment of diaphragmatic effort is challenging, especially in critically ill patients in the phase of weaning. Fractional thickening during inspiration assessed by ultrasound has been used to estimate diaphragm effort. It is unknown whether more sophisticated ultrasound techniques such as speckle tracking are superior in the quantification of inspiratory effort. This study evaluates the validity of speckle tracking ultrasound to quantify diaphragm contractility. Thirteen healthy volunteers underwent a randomized stepwise threshold loading protocol of 0-50% of the maximal inspiratory pressure. Electric activity of the diaphragm and transdiaphragmatic pressures were recorded. Speckle tracking ultrasound was used to assess strain and strain rate as measures of diaphragm tissue deformation and deformation velocity, respectively. Fractional thickening was assessed by measurement of diaphragm thickness at end-inspiration and end-expiration. Strain and strain rate increased with progressive loading of the diaphragm. Both strain and strain rate were highly correlated to transdiaphragmatic pressure (strain r 2  = 0.72; strain rate r 2  = 0.80) and diaphragm electric activity (strain r 2  = 0.60; strain rate r 2  = 0.66). We conclude that speckle tracking ultrasound is superior to conventional ultrasound techniques to estimate diaphragm contractility under inspiratory threshold loading. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Transdiaphragmatic pressure using esophageal and gastric balloons is the gold standard to assess diaphragm effort. However, this technique is invasive and requires expertise, and the interpretation may be complex. We report that speckle tracking ultrasound can be used to detect stepwise increases in diaphragmatic effort. Strain and strain rate were highly correlated with transdiaphragmatic pressure, and therefore, diaphragm electric activity and speckle tracking might serve as reliable tools to quantify diaphragm effort in the future. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

76 FR 34890 - Track Safety Standards; Concrete Crossties

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-15

...-0007, Notice No. 3] RIN 2130-AC01 Track Safety Standards; Concrete Crossties AGENCY: Federal Railroad... effective concrete crossties, for rail fastening systems connected to concrete crossties, and for automated inspections of track constructed with concrete crossties. The Track Safety Standards were amended via final...

Supporting Tablet Configuration, Tracking, and Infection Control Practices in Digital Health Interventions: Study Protocol

PubMed Central

Furberg, Robert D; Zulkiewicz, Brittany A; Hudson, Jordan P; Taylor, Olivia M; Lewis, Megan A

2016-01-01

Background Tablet-based health care interventions have the potential to encourage patient care in a timelier manner, allow physicians convenient access to patient records, and provide an improved method for patient education. However, along with the continued adoption of tablet technologies, there is a concomitant need to develop protocols focusing on the configuration, management, and maintenance of these devices within the health care setting to support the conduct of clinical research. Objective Develop three protocols to support tablet configuration, tablet management, and tablet maintenance. Methods The Configurator software, Tile technology, and current infection control recommendations were employed to develop three distinct protocols for tablet-based digital health interventions. Configurator is a mobile device management software specifically for iPhone operating system (iOS) devices. The capabilities and current applications of Configurator were reviewed and used to develop the protocol to support device configuration. Tile is a tracking tag associated with a free mobile app available for iOS and Android devices. The features associated with Tile were evaluated and used to develop the Tile protocol to support tablet management. Furthermore, current recommendations on preventing health care–related infections were reviewed to develop the infection control protocol to support tablet maintenance. Results This article provides three protocols: the Configurator protocol, the Tile protocol, and the infection control protocol. Conclusions These protocols can help to ensure consistent implementation of tablet-based interventions, enhance fidelity when employing tablets for research purposes, and serve as a guide for tablet deployments within clinical settings. PMID:27350013

Applying Adult Ventilator-associated Pneumonia Bundle Evidence to the Ventilated Neonate.

PubMed

Weber, Carla D

2016-06-01

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in neonates can be reduced by implementing preventive care practices. Implementation of a group, or bundle, of evidence-based practices that improve processes of care has been shown to be cost-effective and to have better outcomes than implementation of individual single practices. The purpose of this article is to describe a safe, effective, and efficient neonatal VAP prevention protocol developed for caregivers in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Improved understanding of VAP causes, effects of care practices, and rationale for interventions can help reduce VAP risk to neonatal patients. In order to improve care practices to affect VAP rates, initial and annual education occurred on improved protocol components after surveying staff practices and auditing documentation compliance. In 2009, a tertiary care level III NICU in the Midwestern United States had 14 VAP cases. Lacking evidence-based VAP prevention practices for neonates, effective adult strategies were modified to meet the complex needs of the ventilated neonate. A protocol was developed over time and resulted in an annual decrease in VAP until rates were zero for 20 consecutive months from October 2012 to May 2014. This article describes a VAP prevention protocol developed to address care practices surrounding hand hygiene, intubation, feeding, suctioning, positioning, oral care, and respiratory equipment in the NICU. Implementation of this VAP prevention protocol in other facilities with appropriate monitoring and tracking would provide broader support for standardization of care. Individual components of this VAP protocol could be studied to strengthen the inclusion of each; however, bundled interventions are often considered stronger when implemented as a whole.

Recommendations following a multi-laboratory comparison of microbial source tracking methods

EPA Science Inventory

Microbial source tracking (MST) methods are under development to provide resource managers with tools to identify sources of fecal contamination in water. Some of the most promising methods currently under development were recently evaluated in the Source Identification Protocol ...

A review of tags anti-collision and localization protocols in RFID networks.

PubMed

Ullah, S; Alsalih, W; Alsehaim, A; Alsadhan, N

2012-12-01

Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) has allowed the realization of ubiquitous tracking and monitoring of physical objects wirelessly with minimum human interactions. It plays a key role in a wide range of applications including asset tracking, contactless payment, access control, transportation and logistics, and other industrial applications. On the other side, RFID systems face several technical challenges that need to be overcome in order to achieve their potential benefits; tags collisions and localization of tagged objects are two important challenges. Numerous anti-collision and localization protocols have been proposed to address these challenges. This paper reviews the state-of-art tags' anti-collision and localization protocols, and provides a deep insight into technical issues of these protocols. The probabilistic and deterministic anti-collision protocols are critically studied and compared in terms of different parameters. We further review distance estimation, scene analysis, and proximity localization schemes and provide useful suggestions. We also introduce a new hybrid direction that utilizes power control to spatially partition the interrogation range of a reader for more efficient anti-collision and localization. Finally, we present the applications of RFID systems in healthcare sectors.

Fast-tracking determination of homozygous transgenic lines and transgene stacking using a reliable quantitative real-time PCR assay.

PubMed

Wang, Xianghong; Jiang, Daiming; Yang, Daichang

2015-01-01

The selection of homozygous lines is a crucial step in the characterization of newly generated transgenic plants. This is particularly time- and labor-consuming when transgenic stacking is required. Here, we report a fast and accurate method based on quantitative real-time PCR with a rice gene RBE4 as a reference gene for selection of homozygous lines when using multiple transgenic stacking in rice. Use of this method allowed can be used to determine the stacking of up to three transgenes within four generations. Selection accuracy reached 100 % for a single locus and 92.3 % for two loci. This method confers distinct advantages over current transgenic research methodologies, as it is more accurate, rapid, and reliable. Therefore, this protocol could be used to efficiently select homozygous plants and to expedite time- and labor-consuming processes normally required for multiple transgene stacking. This protocol was standardized for determination of multiple gene stacking in molecular breeding via marker-assisted selection.

Monitoring Cell Proliferation by Dye Dilution: Considerations for Probe Selection

PubMed Central

Tario, Joseph D.; Conway, Alexis N.; Muirhead, Katharine A.; Wallace, Paul K.

2018-01-01

In the third edition of this series, we described protocols for labeling cell populations with tracking dyes, and addressed issues to be considered when combining two different tracking dyes with other phenotypic and viability probes for the assessment of cytotoxic effector activity and regulatory T cell functions. We summarized key characteristics of and differences between general protein and membrane labeling dyes, discussed determination of optimal staining concentrations, and provided detailed labeling protocols for both dye types. Examples of the advantages of two color cell tracking were provided in the form of protocols for: (a) independent enumeration of viable effector and target cells in a direct cytotoxicity assay; and (b) an in vitro suppression assay for simultaneous proliferation monitoring of effector and regulatory T cells. The number of commercially available fluorescent cell tracking dyes has expanded significantly since the last edition, with new suppliers and/or new spectral properties being added at least annually. In this fourth edition, we describe evaluations to be performed by the supplier and/or user when characterizing a new cell tracking dye and by the user when selecting one for use in multicolor proliferation monitoring. These include methods for: Assessment of the dye’s spectral profile on the laboratory’s flow cytometer(s) to optimize compatibility with other employed fluorochromes and minimize compensation problems;Evaluating the effect of labeling on cell growth rate;Testing the fidelity with which dye dilution reports cell division;Determining the maximum number of generations to be included when using dye dilution profiles to estimate fold population expansion or frequency of responder cells; andVerifying that relevant cell functions (e.g., effector activity) remain unaltered by tracking dye labeling. PMID:29071683

The management of acute myocardial infarction: guidelines and audit standards. Report of a workshop of the Joint Audit Committee of the British Cardiac Society and the Royal College of Physicians.

PubMed

De Bono, D P; Hopkins, A

1994-01-01

Successful management of acute myocardial infarction depends in the first instance on the patient recognising the symptoms and seeking help as quickly as possible. Once in hospital, fast track admission procedures and protocols for pain relief, early thrombolysis and appropriate ancillary measures (eg aspirin, i.v. betablockers) should be promptly instituted. Specialist advice and, if necessary, transfer to specialist unit should be considered if additional complications arise. Follow-up management after discharge from hospital requires cooperation between primary and secondary care to prolong survival by reducing risk factors, using aspirin, betablockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and instituting a suitable rehabilitation programme. Audit measures are included in the report to help general practitioners and hospital doctors review their practice and assess it against the standards set.

Do we need 3D tube current modulation information for accurate organ dosimetry in chest CT? Protocols dose comparisons.

PubMed

Lopez-Rendon, Xochitl; Zhang, Guozhi; Coudyzer, Walter; Develter, Wim; Bosmans, Hilde; Zanca, Federica

2017-11-01

To compare the lung and breast dose associated with three chest protocols: standard, organ-based tube current modulation (OBTCM) and fast-speed scanning; and to estimate the error associated with organ dose when modelling the longitudinal (z-) TCM versus the 3D-TCM in Monte Carlo simulations (MC) for these three protocols. Five adult and three paediatric cadavers with different BMI were scanned. The CTDI vol of the OBTCM and the fast-speed protocols were matched to the patient-specific CTDI vol of the standard protocol. Lung and breast doses were estimated using MC with both z- and 3D-TCM simulated and compared between protocols. The fast-speed scanning protocol delivered the highest doses. A slight reduction for breast dose (up to 5.1%) was observed for two of the three female cadavers with the OBTCM in comparison to the standard. For both adult and paediatric, the implementation of the z-TCM data only for organ dose estimation resulted in 10.0% accuracy for the standard and fast-speed protocols, while relative dose differences were up to 15.3% for the OBTCM protocol. At identical CTDI vol values, the standard protocol delivered the lowest overall doses. Only for the OBTCM protocol is the 3D-TCM needed if an accurate (<10.0%) organ dosimetry is desired. • The z-TCM information is sufficient for accurate dosimetry for standard protocols. • The z-TCM information is sufficient for accurate dosimetry for fast-speed scanning protocols. • For organ-based TCM schemes, the 3D-TCM information is necessary for accurate dosimetry. • At identical CTDI vol , the fast-speed scanning protocol delivered the highest doses. • Lung dose was higher in XCare than standard protocol at identical CTDI vol .

Normalization of cortical thickness measurements across different T1 magnetic resonance imaging protocols by novel W-Score standardization.

PubMed

Chung, Jinyong; Yoo, Kwangsun; Lee, Peter; Kim, Chan Mi; Roh, Jee Hoon; Park, Ji Eun; Kim, Sang Joon; Seo, Sang Won; Shin, Jeong-Hyeon; Seong, Joon-Kyung; Jeong, Yong

2017-10-01

The use of different 3D T1-weighted magnetic resonance (T1 MR) imaging protocols induces image incompatibility across multicenter studies, negating the many advantages of multicenter studies. A few methods have been developed to address this problem, but significant image incompatibility still remains. Thus, we developed a novel and convenient method to improve image compatibility. W-score standardization creates quality reference values by using a healthy group to obtain normalized disease values. We developed a protocol-specific w-score standardization to control the protocol effect, which is applied to each protocol separately. We used three data sets. In dataset 1, brain T1 MR images of normal controls (NC) and patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) from two centers, acquired with different T1 MR protocols, were used (Protocol 1 and 2, n = 45/group). In dataset 2, data from six subjects, who underwent MRI with two different protocols (Protocol 1 and 2), were used with different repetition times, echo times, and slice thicknesses. In dataset 3, T1 MR images from a large number of healthy normal controls (Protocol 1: n = 148, Protocol 2: n = 343) were collected for w-score standardization. The protocol effect and disease effect on subjects' cortical thickness were analyzed before and after the application of protocol-specific w-score standardization. As expected, different protocols resulted in differing cortical thickness measurements in both NC and AD subjects. Different measurements were obtained for the same subject when imaged with different protocols. Multivariate pattern difference between measurements was observed between the protocols. Classification accuracy between two protocols was nearly 90%. After applying protocol-specific w-score standardization, the differences between the protocols substantially decreased. Most importantly, protocol-specific w-score standardization reduced both univariate and multivariate differences in the images while maintaining the AD disease effect. Compared to conventional regression methods, our method showed the best performance for in terms of controlling the protocol effect while preserving disease information. Protocol-specific w-score standardization effectively resolved the concerns of conventional regression methods. It showed the best performance for improving the compatibility of a T1 MR post-processed feature, cortical thickness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Protocol for Communication Networking for Formation Flying

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jennings, Esther; Okino, Clayton; Gao, Jay; Clare, Loren

2009-01-01

An application-layer protocol and a network architecture have been proposed for data communications among multiple autonomous spacecraft that are required to fly in a precise formation in order to perform scientific observations. The protocol could also be applied to other autonomous vehicles operating in formation, including robotic aircraft, robotic land vehicles, and robotic underwater vehicles. A group of spacecraft or other vehicles to which the protocol applies could be characterized as a precision-formation- flying (PFF) network, and each vehicle could be characterized as a node in the PFF network. In order to support precise formation flying, it would be necessary to establish a corresponding communication network, through which the vehicles could exchange position and orientation data and formation-control commands. The communication network must enable communication during early phases of a mission, when little positional knowledge is available. Particularly during early mission phases, the distances among vehicles may be so large that communication could be achieved only by relaying across multiple links. The large distances and need for omnidirectional coverage would limit communication links to operation at low bandwidth during these mission phases. Once the vehicles were in formation and distances were shorter, the communication network would be required to provide high-bandwidth, low-jitter service to support tight formation-control loops. The proposed protocol and architecture, intended to satisfy the aforementioned and other requirements, are based on a standard layered-reference-model concept. The proposed application protocol would be used in conjunction with conventional network, data-link, and physical-layer protocols. The proposed protocol includes the ubiquitous Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 medium access control (MAC) protocol to be used in the datalink layer. In addition to its widespread and proven use in diverse local-area networks, this protocol offers both (1) a random- access mode needed for the early PFF deployment phase and (2) a time-bounded-services mode needed during PFF-maintenance operations. Switching between these two modes could be controlled by upper-layer entities using standard link-management mechanisms. Because the early deployment phase of a PFF mission can be expected to involve multihop relaying to achieve network connectivity (see figure), the proposed protocol includes the open shortest path first (OSPF) network protocol that is commonly used in the Internet. Each spacecraft in a PFF network would be in one of seven distinct states as the mission evolved from initial deployment, through coarse formation, and into precise formation. Reconfiguration of the formation to perform different scientific observations would also cause state changes among the network nodes. The application protocol provides for recognition and tracking of the seven states for each node and for protocol changes under specified conditions to adapt the network and satisfy communication requirements associated with the current PFF mission phase. Except during early deployment, when peer-to-peer random access discovery methods would be used, the application protocol provides for operation in a centralized manner.

SMITH: a LIMS for handling next-generation sequencing workflows

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Life-science laboratories make increasing use of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) for studying bio-macromolecules and their interactions. Array-based methods for measuring gene expression or protein-DNA interactions are being replaced by RNA-Seq and ChIP-Seq. Sequencing is generally performed by specialized facilities that have to keep track of sequencing requests, trace samples, ensure quality and make data available according to predefined privileges. An integrated tool helps to troubleshoot problems, to maintain a high quality standard, to reduce time and costs. Commercial and non-commercial tools called LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems) are available for this purpose. However, they often come at prohibitive cost and/or lack the flexibility and scalability needed to adjust seamlessly to the frequently changing protocols employed. In order to manage the flow of sequencing data produced at the Genomic Unit of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), we developed SMITH (Sequencing Machine Information Tracking and Handling). Methods SMITH is a web application with a MySQL server at the backend. Wet-lab scientists of the Centre for Genomic Science and database experts from the Politecnico of Milan in the context of a Genomic Data Model Project developed SMITH. The data base schema stores all the information of an NGS experiment, including the descriptions of all protocols and algorithms used in the process. Notably, an attribute-value table allows associating an unconstrained textual description to each sample and all the data produced afterwards. This method permits the creation of metadata that can be used to search the database for specific files as well as for statistical analyses. Results SMITH runs automatically and limits direct human interaction mainly to administrative tasks. SMITH data-delivery procedures were standardized making it easier for biologists and analysts to navigate the data. Automation also helps saving time. The workflows are available through an API provided by the workflow management system. The parameters and input data are passed to the workflow engine that performs de-multiplexing, quality control, alignments, etc. Conclusions SMITH standardizes, automates, and speeds up sequencing workflows. Annotation of data with key-value pairs facilitates meta-analysis. PMID:25471934

SMITH: a LIMS for handling next-generation sequencing workflows.

PubMed

Venco, Francesco; Vaskin, Yuriy; Ceol, Arnaud; Muller, Heiko

2014-01-01

Life-science laboratories make increasing use of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) for studying bio-macromolecules and their interactions. Array-based methods for measuring gene expression or protein-DNA interactions are being replaced by RNA-Seq and ChIP-Seq. Sequencing is generally performed by specialized facilities that have to keep track of sequencing requests, trace samples, ensure quality and make data available according to predefined privileges. An integrated tool helps to troubleshoot problems, to maintain a high quality standard, to reduce time and costs. Commercial and non-commercial tools called LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems) are available for this purpose. However, they often come at prohibitive cost and/or lack the flexibility and scalability needed to adjust seamlessly to the frequently changing protocols employed. In order to manage the flow of sequencing data produced at the Genomic Unit of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), we developed SMITH (Sequencing Machine Information Tracking and Handling). SMITH is a web application with a MySQL server at the backend. Wet-lab scientists of the Centre for Genomic Science and database experts from the Politecnico of Milan in the context of a Genomic Data Model Project developed SMITH. The data base schema stores all the information of an NGS experiment, including the descriptions of all protocols and algorithms used in the process. Notably, an attribute-value table allows associating an unconstrained textual description to each sample and all the data produced afterwards. This method permits the creation of metadata that can be used to search the database for specific files as well as for statistical analyses. SMITH runs automatically and limits direct human interaction mainly to administrative tasks. SMITH data-delivery procedures were standardized making it easier for biologists and analysts to navigate the data. Automation also helps saving time. The workflows are available through an API provided by the workflow management system. The parameters and input data are passed to the workflow engine that performs de-multiplexing, quality control, alignments, etc. SMITH standardizes, automates, and speeds up sequencing workflows. Annotation of data with key-value pairs facilitates meta-analysis.

A secure RFID mutual authentication protocol for healthcare environments using elliptic curve cryptography.

PubMed

Jin, Chunhua; Xu, Chunxiang; Zhang, Xiaojun; Zhao, Jining

2015-03-01

Radio Frequency Identification(RFID) is an automatic identification technology, which can be widely used in healthcare environments to locate and track staff, equipment and patients. However, potential security and privacy problems in RFID system remain a challenge. In this paper, we design a mutual authentication protocol for RFID based on elliptic curve cryptography(ECC). We use pre-computing method within tag's communication, so that our protocol can get better efficiency. In terms of security, our protocol can achieve confidentiality, unforgeability, mutual authentication, tag's anonymity, availability and forward security. Our protocol also can overcome the weakness in the existing protocols. Therefore, our protocol is suitable for healthcare environments.

A novel protocol for dispatcher assisted CPR improves CPR quality and motivation among rescuers-A randomized controlled simulation study.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Stinne Eika; Nebsbjerg, Mette Amalie; Krogh, Lise Qvirin; Bjørnshave, Katrine; Krogh, Kristian; Povlsen, Jonas Agerlund; Riddervold, Ingunn Skogstad; Grøfte, Thorbjørn; Kirkegaard, Hans; Løfgren, Bo

2017-01-01

Emergency dispatchers use protocols to instruct bystanders in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Studies changing one element in the dispatcher's protocol report improved CPR quality. Whether several changes interact is unknown and the effect of combining multiple changes previously reported to improve CPR quality into one protocol remains to be investigated. We hypothesize that a novel dispatch protocol, combining multiple beneficial elements improves CPR quality compared with a standard protocol. A novel dispatch protocol was designed including wording on chest compressions, using a metronome, regular encouragements and a 10-s rest each minute. In a simulated cardiac arrest scenario, laypersons were randomized to perform single-rescuer CPR guided with the novel or the standard protocol. a composite endpoint of time to first compression, hand position, compression depth and rate and hands-off time (maximum score: 22 points). Afterwards participants answered a questionnaire evaluating the dispatcher assistance. The novel protocol (n=61) improved CPR quality score compared with the standard protocol (n=64) (mean (SD): 18.6 (1.4)) points vs. 17.5 (1.7) points, p<0.001. The novel protocol resulted in deeper chest compressions (mean (SD): 58 (12)mm vs. 52 (13)mm, p=0.02) and improved rate of correct hand position (61% vs. 36%, p=0.01) compared with the standard protocol. In both protocols hands-off time was short. The novel protocol improved motivation among rescuers compared with the standard protocol (p=0.002). Participants guided with a standard dispatch protocol performed high quality CPR. A novel bundle of care protocol improved CPR quality score and motivation among rescuers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A privacy preserving protocol for tracking participants in phase I clinical trials.

PubMed

El Emam, Khaled; Farah, Hanna; Samet, Saeed; Essex, Aleksander; Jonker, Elizabeth; Kantarcioglu, Murat; Earle, Craig C

2015-10-01

Some phase 1 clinical trials offer strong financial incentives for healthy individuals to participate in their studies. There is evidence that some individuals enroll in multiple trials concurrently. This creates safety risks and introduces data quality problems into the trials. Our objective was to construct a privacy preserving protocol to track phase 1 participants to detect concurrent enrollment. A protocol using secure probabilistic querying against a database of trial participants that allows for screening during telephone interviews and on-site enrollment was developed. The match variables consisted of demographic information. The accuracy (sensitivity, precision, and negative predictive value) of the matching and its computational performance in seconds were measured under simulated environments. Accuracy was also compared to non-secure matching methods. The protocol performance scales linearly with the database size. At the largest database size of 20,000 participants, a query takes under 20s on a 64 cores machine. Sensitivity, precision, and negative predictive value of the queries were consistently at or above 0.9, and were very similar to non-secure versions of the protocol. The protocol provides a reasonable solution to the concurrent enrollment problems in phase 1 clinical trials, and is able to ensure that personal information about participants is kept secure. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low track height standard cell design in iN7 using scaling boosters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherazi, S. M. Y.; Jha, C.; Rodopoulos, D.; Debacker, P.; Chava, B.; Matti, L.; Bardon, M. G.; Schuddinck, P.; Raghavan, P.; Gerousis, V.; Spessot, A.; Verkest, D.; Mocuta, A.; Kim, R. H.; Ryckaert, J.

2017-04-01

In this paper, standard cell design for iN7 CMOS platform technology targeting the tightest contacted poly pitch (CPP) of 42 nm and a metal pitch of 32 nm in the FinFET technology is presented. Three standard cell architectures for iN7, a 7.5-Track library, 6.5-Track library, and 6-Track library have been designed. Scaling boosters are introduced for the libraries progressively: first an extra MOL layer to enable an efficient layout of the three libraries starting with 7.5-Track library; second, fully self aligned gate contact is introduced for 6.5 and 6-Track library and third, 6-Track cell design includes a buried rail track for supply. The 6-Track cells are on average 5% and 45% smaller than the 6.5 and 7.5-Track cells, respectively.

Validation of Microbial Source Tracking Markers and Detection Protocols: Considerations for Effective Interpretation

EPA Science Inventory

The goal of this chapter is to provide an overview of MST marker characteristics, to describe performance criteria of detection protocols used and to offer guidelines for the effective interpretation of the results. Since the trend in the research community has shifted towards (q...

CoAP-Based Mobility Management for the Internet of Things

PubMed Central

Chun, Seung-Man; Kim, Hyun-Su; Park, Jong-Tae

2015-01-01

Most of the current mobility management protocols such as Mobile IP and its variants standardized by the IETF may not be suitable to support mobility management for Web-based applications in an Internet of Things (IoT) environment. This is because the sensor nodes have limited power capacity, usually operating in sleep/wakeup mode in a constrained wireless network. In addition, sometimes the sensor nodes may act as the server using the CoAP protocol in an IoT environment. This makes it difficult for Web clients to properly retrieve the sensing data from the mobile sensor nodes in an IoT environment. In this article, we propose a mobility management protocol, named CoMP, which can effectively retrieve the sensing data of sensor nodes while they are moving. The salient feature of CoMP is that it makes use of the IETF CoAP protocol for mobility management, instead of using Mobile IP. Thus CoMP can eliminates the additional signaling overhead of Mobile IP, provides reliable mobility management, and prevents the packet loss. CoMP employs a separate location management server to keep track of the location of the mobile sensor nodes. In order to prevent the loss of important sensing data during movement, a holding mode of operation has been introduced. All the signaling procedures including discovery, registration, binding and holding have been designed by extending the IETF CoAP protocol. The numerical analysis and simulation have been done for performance evaluation in terms of the handover latency and packet loss. The results show that the proposed CoMP is superior to previous mobility management protocols, i.e., Mobile IPv4/v6 (MIPv4/v6), Hierarchical Mobile IPv4/v6 (HMIPv4/v6), in terms of the handover latency and packet loss. PMID:26151214

Inertial Motion Tracking for Inserting Humans into a Networked Synthetic Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-31

tracking methods. One method requires markers on the tracked buman body, and other method does not use nmkers. OPTOTRAK from Northem Digital Inc. is a...of using multicasting protocols. Unfortunately, most routers on the Internet are not configured for multicasting. A technique called tunneling is...used to overcome this problem. Tunneling is a software solution that m s on the end point routerslcomputers and allows multicast packets to traverse

Complete Bell-state analysis for superconducting-quantum-interference-device qubits with a transitionless tracking algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Yi-Hao; Chen, Ye-Hong; Shi, Zhi-Cheng; Huang, Bi-Hua; Song, Jie; Xia, Yan

2017-08-01

We propose a protocol for complete Bell-state analysis for two superconducting-quantum-interference-device qubits. The Bell-state analysis could be completed by using a sequence of microwave pulses designed by the transitionless tracking algorithm, which is a useful method in the technique of shortcut to adiabaticity. After the whole process, the information for distinguishing four Bell states will be encoded on two auxiliary qubits, while the Bell states remain unchanged. One can read out the information by detecting the auxiliary qubits. Thus the Bell-state analysis is nondestructive. The numerical simulations show that the protocol possesses a high success probability of distinguishing each Bell state with current experimental technology even when decoherence is taken into account. Thus, the protocol may have potential applications for the information readout in quantum communications and quantum computations in superconducting quantum networks.

Operating systems and network protocols for wireless sensor networks.

PubMed

Dutta, Prabal; Dunkels, Adam

2012-01-13

Sensor network protocols exist to satisfy the communication needs of diverse applications, including data collection, event detection, target tracking and control. Network protocols to enable these services are constrained by the extreme resource scarcity of sensor nodes-including energy, computing, communications and storage-which must be carefully managed and multiplexed by the operating system. These challenges have led to new protocols and operating systems that are efficient in their energy consumption, careful in their computational needs and miserly in their memory footprints, all while discovering neighbours, forming networks, delivering data and correcting failures.

78 FR 16051 - Vehicle/Track Interaction Safety Standards; High-Speed and High Cant Deficiency Operations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-13

...FRA is amending the Track Safety Standards and Passenger Equipment Safety Standards to promote the safe interaction of rail vehicles with the track over which they operate under a variety of conditions at speeds up to 220 m.p.h. The final rule revises standards for track geometry and safety limits for vehicle response to track conditions, enhances vehicle/track qualification procedures, and adds flexibility for permitting high cant deficiency train operations through curves at conventional speeds. The rule accounts for a range of vehicle types that are currently in operation, as well as vehicle types that may likely be used in future high-speed or high cant deficiency rail operations, or both. The rule is based on the results of simulation studies designed to identify track geometry irregularities associated with unsafe wheel/rail forces and accelerations, thorough reviews of vehicle qualification and revenue service test data, and consideration of international practices.

Interoperative Biopsy Site Relocalization in Endoluminal Surgery.

PubMed

Vemuri, Anant Suraj; Nicolau, Stephane; Sportes, Adrien; Marescaux, Jacques; Soler, Luc; Ayache, Nicholas

2016-09-01

Barrett's oesophagus, a premalignant condition of the oesophagus has been on a rise in the recent years. The standard diagnostic protocol for Barrett's involves obtaining biopsies at suspicious regions along the oesophagus. The localization and tracking of these biopsy sites "interoperatively" poses a significant challenge for providing targeted treatments and tracking disease progression. This paper proposes an approach to provide guided navigation and relocalization of the biopsy sites using an electromagnetic tracking system. The characteristic of our approach over existing ones is the integration of an electromagnetic sensor at the flexible endoscope tip, so that the endoscopic camera depth inside the oesophagus can be computed in real time, allowing to retrieve and display an image from a previous exploration at the same depth. We first describe our system setup and methodology for interoperative registration. We then propose three incremental experiments of our approach. First, on synthetic data with realistic noise model to analyze the error bounds of our system. The second on in vivo pig data using an optical tracking system to provide a pseudo ground truth. Accuracy results obtained were consistent with the synthetic experiments despite uncertainty introduced due to breathing motion, and remain inside acceptable error margin according to medical experts. Finally, a third experiment designed using data from pigs to simulate a real task of biopsy site relocalization, and evaluated by ten gastro-intestinal experts. It clearly demonstrated the benefit of our system toward assisted guidance by improving the biopsy site retrieval rate from 47.5% to 94%.

CT and MR Protocol Standardization Across a Large Health System: Providing a Consistent Radiologist, Patient, and Referring Provider Experience.

PubMed

Sachs, Peter B; Hunt, Kelly; Mansoubi, Fabien; Borgstede, James

2017-02-01

Building and maintaining a comprehensive yet simple set of standardized protocols for a cross-sectional image can be a daunting task. A single department may have difficulty preventing "protocol creep," which almost inevitably occurs when an organized "playbook" of protocols does not exist and individual radiologists and technologists alter protocols at will and on a case-by-case basis. When multiple departments or groups function in a large health system, the lack of uniformity of protocols can increase exponentially. In 2012, the University of Colorado Hospital formed a large health system (UCHealth) and became a 5-hospital provider network. CT and MR imaging studies are conducted at multiple locations by different radiology groups. To facilitate consistency in ordering, acquisition, and appearance of a given study, regardless of location, we minimized the number of protocols across all scanners and sites of practice with a clinical indication-driven protocol selection and standardization process. Here we review the steps utilized to perform this process improvement task and insure its stability over time. Actions included creation of a standardized protocol template, which allowed for changes in electronic storage and management of protocols, designing a change request form, and formation of a governance structure. We utilized rapid improvement events (1 day for CT, 2 days for MR) and reduced 248 CT protocols into 97 standardized protocols and 168 MR protocols to 66. Additional steps are underway to further standardize output and reporting of imaging interpretation. This will result in an improved, consistent radiologist, patient, and provider experience across the system.

Detecting Anastasis In Vivo by CaspaseTracker Biosensor.

PubMed

Tang, Ho Man; Fung, Ming Chiu; Tang, Ho Lam

2018-02-01

Anastasis (Greek for "rising to life") is a recently discovered cell recovery phenomenon whereby dying cells can reverse late-stage cell death processes that are generally assumed to be intrinsically irreversible. Promoting anastasis could in principle rescue or preserve injured cells that are difficult to replace such as cardiomyocytes or neurons, thereby facilitating tissue recovery. Conversely, suppressing anastasis in cancer cells, undergoing apoptosis after anti-cancer therapies, may ensure cancer cell death and reduce the chances of recurrence. However, these studies have been hampered by the lack of tools for tracking the fate of cells that undergo anastasis in live animals. The challenge is to identify the cells that have reversed the cell death process despite their morphologically normal appearance after recovery. To overcome this difficulty, we have developed Drosophila and mammalian CaspaseTracker biosensor systems that can identify and permanently track the anastatic cells in vitro or in vivo. Here, we present in vivo protocols for the generation and use of the CaspaseTracker dual biosensor system to detect and track anastasis in Drosophila melanogaster after transient exposure to cell death stimuli. While conventional biosensors and protocols can label cells actively undergoing apoptotic cell death, the CaspaseTracker biosensor can permanently label cells that have recovered after caspase activation - a hallmark of late-stage apoptosis, and simultaneously identify active apoptotic processes. This biosensor can also track the recovery of the cells that attempted other forms of cell death that directly or indirectly involved caspase activity. Therefore, this protocol enables us to continuously track the fate of these cells and their progeny, facilitating future studies of the biological functions, molecular mechanisms, physiological and pathological consequences, and therapeutic implications of anastasis. We also discuss the appropriate controls to distinguish cells that undergo anastasis from those that display non-apoptotic caspase activity in vivo.

A comparison of methods to assess long-term changes in Sonoran Desert vegetation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Munson, S.M.; Webb, R.H.; Hubbard, J.A.

2011-01-01

Knowledge about the condition of vegetation cover and composition is critical for assessing the structure and function of ecosystems. To effectively quantify the impacts of a rapidly changing environment, methods to track long-term trends of vegetation must be precise, repeatable, and time- and cost-efficient. Measuring vegetation cover and composition in arid and semiarid regions is especially challenging because vegetation is typically sparse, discontinuous, and individual plants are widely spaced. To meet the goal of long-term vegetation monitoring in the Sonoran Desert and other arid and semiarid regions, we determined how estimates of plant species, total vegetation, and soil cover obtained using a widely-implemented monitoring protocol compared to a more time- and resource-intensive plant census. We also assessed how well this protocol tracked changes in cover through 82 years compared to the plant census. Results from the monitoring protocol were comparable to those from the plant census, despite low and variable plant species cover. Importantly, this monitoring protocol could be used as a rapid, "off-the shelf" tool for assessing land degradation (or desertification) in arid and semiarid ecosystems.

Red light photodynamic therapy for actinic keratosis using 37 J/cm2 : Fractionated irradiation with 12.3 mW/cm2 after 30 minutes incubation time compared to standard continuous irradiation with 75 mW/cm2 after 3 hours incubation time using a mathematical modeling.

PubMed

Vignion-Dewalle, Anne-Sophie; Baert, Gregory; Devos, Laura; Thecua, Elise; Vicentini, Claire; Mortier, Laurent; Mordon, Serge

2017-09-01

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an emerging treatment modality for various diseases, especially for dermatological conditions. Although, the standard PDT protocol for the treatment of actinic keratoses in Europe has shown to be effective, treatment-associated pain is often observed in patients. Different modifications to this protocol attempted to decrease pain have been investigated. The decrease in fluence rate seems to be a promising solution. Moreover, it has been suggested that light fractionation significantly increases the efficacy of PDT. Based on a flexible light-emitting textile, the FLEXITHERALIGHT device specifically provides a fractionated illumination at a fluence rate more than six times lower than that of the standard protocol. In a recently completed clinical trial of PDT for the treatment of actinic keratosis, the non-inferiority of a protocol involving illumination with the FLEXITHERALIGHT device after a short incubation time and referred to as the FLEXITHERALIGHT protocol has been assessed compared to the standard protocol. In this paper, we propose a comparison of the two above mentioned 635 nm red light protocols with 37 J/cm 2 in the PDT treatment of actinic keratosis: the standard protocol and the FLEXITHERALIGHT one through a mathematical modeling. This mathematical modeling, which slightly differs from the one we have already published, enables the local damage induced by the therapy to be estimated. The comparison performed in terms of the local damage induced by the therapy demonstrates that the FLEXITHERALIGHT protocol with lower fluence rate, light fractionation and shorter incubation time is somewhat less efficient than the standard protocol. Nevertheless, from the clinical trial results, the FLEXITHERALIGHT protocol results in non-inferior response rates compared to the standard protocol. This finding raises the question of whether the PDT local damage achieved by the FLEXITHERALIGHT protocol (respectively, the standard protocol) is sufficient (respectively, excessive) to destroy actinic keratosis cells. Lasers Surg. Med. 49:686-697, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Characterization of tissue-simulating phantom materials for ultrasound-guided needle procedures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchanan, Susan; Moore, John; Lammers, Deanna; Baxter, John; Peters, Terry

2012-02-01

Needle biopsies are standard protocols that are commonly performed under ultrasound (US) guidance or computed tomography (CT)1. Vascular access such as central line insertions, and many spinal needle therapies also rely on US guidance. Phantoms for these procedures are crucial as both training tools for clinicians and research tools for developing new guidance systems. Realistic imaging properties and material longevity are critical qualities for needle guidance phantoms. However, current commercially available phantoms for use with US guidance have many limitations, the most detrimental of which include harsh needle tracks obfuscating US images and a membrane comparable to human skin that does not allow seepage of inner media. To overcome these difficulties, we tested a variety of readily available media and membranes to evaluate optimal materials to fit our current needs. It was concluded that liquid hand soap was the best medium, as it instantly left no needle tracks, had an acceptable depth of US penetration and portrayed realistic imaging conditions, while because of its low leakage, low cost, acceptable durability and transparency, the optimal membrane was 10 gauge vinyl.

Protocol standards and implementation within the digital engineering laboratory computer network (DELNET) using the universal network interface device (UNID). Part 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phister, P. W., Jr.

1983-12-01

Development of the Air Force Institute of Technology's Digital Engineering Laboratory Network (DELNET) was continued with the development of an initial draft of a protocol standard for all seven layers as specified by the International Standards Organization's (ISO) Reference Model for Open Systems Interconnections. This effort centered on the restructuring of the Network Layer to perform Datagram routing and to conform to the developed protocol standards and actual software module development of the upper four protocol layers residing within the DELNET Monitor (Zilog MCZ 1/25 Computer System). Within the guidelines of the ISO Reference Model the Transport Layer was developed utilizing the Internet Header Format (IHF) combined with the Transport Control Protocol (TCP) to create a 128-byte Datagram. Also a limited Application Layer was created to pass the Gettysburg Address through the DELNET. This study formulated a first draft for the DELNET Protocol Standard and designed, implemented, and tested the Network, Transport, and Application Layers to conform to these protocol standards.

Challenges and Opportunities of Information Technology in the 90s. Track IV: Policy and Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CAUSE, Boulder, CO.

Seven papers from the 1990 CAUSE conference's Track IV, Policy and Standards are presented. Topics addressed in this track include data administration, computing access, involvement of constituencies in policy making and enforcement, and institutional standards for departmental systems. Papers and their authors are as follows: "Evolution of a…

Qualification of computerized monitoring systems in a cell therapy facility compliant with the good manufacturing practices.

PubMed

Del Mazo-Barbara, Anna; Mirabel, Clémentine; Nieto, Valentín; Reyes, Blanca; García-López, Joan; Oliver-Vila, Irene; Vives, Joaquim

2016-09-01

Computerized systems (CS) are essential in the development and manufacture of cell-based medicines and must comply with good manufacturing practice, thus pushing academic developers to implement methods that are typically found within pharmaceutical industry environments. Qualitative and quantitative risk analyses were performed by Ishikawa and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, respectively. A process for qualification of a CS that keeps track of environmental conditions was designed and executed. The simplicity of the Ishikawa analysis permitted to identify critical parameters that were subsequently quantified by Failure Mode Effects Analysis, resulting in a list of test included in the qualification protocols. The approach presented here contributes to simplify and streamline the qualification of CS in compliance with pharmaceutical quality standards.

Framework for managing mycotoxin risks in the food industry.

PubMed

Baker, Robert C; Ford, Randall M; Helander, Mary E; Marecki, Janusz; Natarajan, Ramesh; Ray, Bonnie

2014-12-01

We propose a methodological framework for managing mycotoxin risks in the food processing industry. Mycotoxin contamination is a well-known threat to public health that has economic significance for the food processing industry; it is imperative to address mycotoxin risks holistically, at all points in the procurement, processing, and distribution pipeline, by tracking the relevant data, adopting best practices, and providing suitable adaptive controls. The proposed framework includes (i) an information and data repository, (ii) a collaborative infrastructure with analysis and simulation tools, (iii) standardized testing and acceptance sampling procedures, and (iv) processes that link the risk assessments and testing results to the sourcing, production, and product release steps. The implementation of suitable acceptance sampling protocols for mycotoxin testing is considered in some detail.

Vehicle track interaction safety standards

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-04-02

Vehicle/Track Interaction (VTI) Safety Standards aim to : reduce the risk of derailments and other accidents attributable : to the dynamic interaction between moving vehicles and the : track over which they operate. On March 13, 2013, the Federal : R...

A Long-Distance RF-Powered Sensor Node with Adaptive Power Management for IoT Applications.

PubMed

Pizzotti, Matteo; Perilli, Luca; Del Prete, Massimo; Fabbri, Davide; Canegallo, Roberto; Dini, Michele; Masotti, Diego; Costanzo, Alessandra; Franchi Scarselli, Eleonora; Romani, Aldo

2017-07-28

We present a self-sustained battery-less multi-sensor platform with RF harvesting capability down to -17 dBm and implementing a standard DASH7 wireless communication interface. The node operates at distances up to 17 m from a 2 W UHF carrier. RF power transfer allows operation when common energy scavenging sources (e.g., sun, heat, etc.) are not available, while the DASH7 communication protocol makes it fully compatible with a standard IoT infrastructure. An optimized energy-harvesting module has been designed, including a rectifying antenna (rectenna) and an integrated nano-power DC/DC converter performing maximum-power-point-tracking (MPPT). A nonlinear/electromagnetic co-design procedure is adopted to design the rectenna, which is optimized to operate at ultra-low power levels. An ultra-low power microcontroller controls on-board sensors and wireless protocol, to adapt the power consumption to the available detected power by changing wake-up policies. As a result, adaptive behavior can be observed in the designed platform, to the extent that the transmission data rate is dynamically determined by RF power. Among the novel features of the system, we highlight the use of nano-power energy harvesting, the implementation of specific hardware/software wake-up policies, optimized algorithms for best sampling rate implementation, and adaptive behavior by the node based on the power received.

A Long-Distance RF-Powered Sensor Node with Adaptive Power Management for IoT Applications

PubMed Central

del Prete, Massimo; Fabbri, Davide; Canegallo, Roberto; Dini, Michele; Costanzo, Alessandra

2017-01-01

We present a self-sustained battery-less multi-sensor platform with RF harvesting capability down to −17 dBm and implementing a standard DASH7 wireless communication interface. The node operates at distances up to 17 m from a 2 W UHF carrier. RF power transfer allows operation when common energy scavenging sources (e.g., sun, heat, etc.) are not available, while the DASH7 communication protocol makes it fully compatible with a standard IoT infrastructure. An optimized energy-harvesting module has been designed, including a rectifying antenna (rectenna) and an integrated nano-power DC/DC converter performing maximum-power-point-tracking (MPPT). A nonlinear/electromagnetic co-design procedure is adopted to design the rectenna, which is optimized to operate at ultra-low power levels. An ultra-low power microcontroller controls on-board sensors and wireless protocol, to adapt the power consumption to the available detected power by changing wake-up policies. As a result, adaptive behavior can be observed in the designed platform, to the extent that the transmission data rate is dynamically determined by RF power. Among the novel features of the system, we highlight the use of nano-power energy harvesting, the implementation of specific hardware/software wake-up policies, optimized algorithms for best sampling rate implementation, and adaptive behavior by the node based on the power received. PMID:28788084

Improving Quality and Efficiency for Intussusception Management After Successful Enema Reduction.

PubMed

Raval, Mehul V; Minneci, Peter C; Deans, Katherine J; Kurtovic, Kelli J; Dietrich, Ann; Bates, D Gregory; Rangel, Shawn J; Moss, R Lawrence; Kenney, Brian D

2015-11-01

The purpose of this project was to implement a protocol facilitating discharge from the emergency department (ED) after successful radiologic ileocolic intussusception reduction in a pediatric referral center. A multidisciplinary team identified drivers for successful quality improvement including educational brochures, a standardized radiologic report, an observation period in the ER with oral hydration challenges, and follow-up phone calls the day after discharge. Patient outcomes were tracked, and quarterly feedback was provided. Of 80 patients identified over a 24-month period, 34 (42.5%) did not qualify for discharge home due to need for surgical intervention (n = 9), specific radiologic findings (n = 11), need for additional intravenous hydration (n = 4), or other reasons (n = 7). Of 46 patients who qualified for discharge, 30 (65.2%) were successfully sent home from the ED. One patient returned with recurrent symptoms that required repeat enema reduction. Sixteen patients were observed and discharged within 23 hours. Adherence with discharge from the ED improved over time. Discharge from the ED was associated with cost savings and improved net margins at the hospital level for each encounter. A sustainable multidisciplinary quality improvement project to discharge intussusception patients from the ED after air-contrast enema reduction was successfully integrated in a high-volume referral center through education, standardized radiologic reporting, and protocoled follow-up. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Investigating the Effect of Complexity Factors in Stoichiometry Problems Using Logistic Regression and Eye Tracking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tang, Hui; Kirk, John; Pienta, Norbert J.

2014-01-01

This paper includes two experiments, one investigating complexity factors in stoichiometry word problems, and the other identifying students' problem-solving protocols by using eye-tracking technology. The word problems used in this study had five different complexity factors, which were randomly assigned by a Web-based tool that we developed. The…

Internet Access to Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rash, James; Parise, Ron; Hogie, Keith; Criscuolo, Ed; Langston, Jim; Jackson, Chris; Price, Harold; Powers, Edward I. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Operating Missions as Nodes on the Internet (OMNI) project at NASA's Goddard Space flight Center (GSFC), is demonstrating the use of standard Internet protocols for spacecraft communication systems. This year, demonstrations of Internet access to a flying spacecraft have been performed with the UoSAT-12 spacecraft owned and operated by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL). Previously, demonstrations were performed using a ground satellite simulator and NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). These activities are part of NASA's Space Operations Management Office (SOMO) Technology Program, The work is focused on defining the communication architecture for future NASA missions to support both NASA's "faster, better, cheaper" concept and to enable new types of collaborative science. The use of standard Internet communication technology for spacecraft simplifies design, supports initial integration and test across an IP based network, and enables direct communication between scientists and instruments as well as between different spacecraft, The most recent demonstrations consisted of uploading an Internet Protocol (IP) software stack to the UoSAT- 12 spacecraft, simple modifications to the SSTL ground station, and a series of tests to measure performance of various Internet applications. The spacecraft was reconfigured on orbit at very low cost. The total period between concept and the first tests was only 3 months. The tests included basic network connectivity (PING), automated clock synchronization (NTP), and reliable file transfers (FTP). Future tests are planned to include additional protocols such as Mobile IP, e-mail, and virtual private networks (VPN) to enable automated, operational spacecraft communication networks. The work performed and results of the initial phase of tests are summarized in this paper. This work is funded and directed by NASA/GSFC with technical leadership by CSC in arrangement with SSTL, and Vytek Wireless.

Feasibility and reproducibility of a standard protocol for 2D speckle tracking and tissue Doppler-based strain and strain rate analysis of the fetal heart.

PubMed

Crispi, Fàtima; Sepulveda-Swatson, Eduardo; Cruz-Lemini, Monica; Rojas-Benavente, Juan; Garcia-Posada, Raul; Dominguez, Jesus Maria; Sitges, Marta; Bijnens, Bart; Gratacós, Eduard

2012-01-01

Assessment of cardiac function in the fetal heart is challenging because of its small size and high heart rate, restricted physical access to the fetus, and impossibility of fetal ECG recording. We aimed to standardize the acquisition and postprocessing of fetal echocardiography for deformation analysis and to assess its feasibility, reproducibility, and correlation for longitudinal strain and strain rate measurements by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and 2D speckle tracking (2D-strain) during pregnancy. Echocardiography was performed in 56 fetuses. 2D and color TDI in apical or basal four-chamber views were recorded for subsequent analysis. Caution was taken to achieve a frame rate >70 Hz for speckle tracking and >150 Hz for TDI analysis. For each acquisition, 7.5 s of noncompressed data were stored in cine loop format and analyzed offline. Since fetal ECG information is by definition not available, aortic valve closure was marked from aortic flow and the onset of each cardiac cycle was manually indicated in the 2D images. Sample volume length was standardized at the minimum size. Two observers measured the left and right ventricular peak systolic longitudinal strain and strain-rate. Strain and strain rate measurements were feasible in 93% of the TDI and 2D-strain acquisitions. The mean time spent on analyzing TDI images was 18 min, with an intraclass agreement coefficient of 0.86 (95% CI 0.77-0.92), 0.83 (95% CI 0.72-0.90), 0.96 (95% CI 0.93-0.98), and 0.86 (95% CI 0.76-0.92) for basal left and right free wall peak systolic strain and strain rate, respectively. Agreement between observers using tissue Doppler also showed high reliability. The mean time spent for 2D-strain analysis was 15 min, with an intraclass agreement coefficient of 0.97 (95% CI 0.95-0.98), 0.94 (95% CI 0.89-0.96), 0.96 (95% CI 0.93-0.98), and 0.84 (95% CI 0.73-0.90) for basal left and right free wall peak systolic strain and strain rate, respectively. Agreement between observers also showed a high reliability that was similar for TDI and 2D-strain. There was a weak correlation between TDI and 2D-strain measurements. A standard protocol with fixed acquisition and processing settings, including manual indication of the timing events of the cardiac cycle to correct for the lack of ECG, was feasible and reproducible for the evaluation of longitudinal ventricular strain and strain rate of the fetal heart by TDI as well as 2D-strain analysis. However, both techniques are not interchangeable as the correlation between them is relatively poor. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Laparoscopic colorectal surgery in learning curve: Role of implementation of a standardized technique and recovery protocol. A cohort study

PubMed Central

Luglio, Gaetano; De Palma, Giovanni Domenico; Tarquini, Rachele; Giglio, Mariano Cesare; Sollazzo, Viviana; Esposito, Emanuela; Spadarella, Emanuela; Peltrini, Roberto; Liccardo, Filomena; Bucci, Luigi

2015-01-01

Background Despite the proven benefits, laparoscopic colorectal surgery is still under utilized among surgeons. A steep learning is one of the causes of its limited adoption. Aim of the study is to determine the feasibility and morbidity rate after laparoscopic colorectal surgery in a single institution, “learning curve” experience, implementing a well standardized operative technique and recovery protocol. Methods The first 50 patients treated laparoscopically were included. All the procedures were performed by a trainee surgeon, supervised by a consultant surgeon, according to the principle of complete mesocolic excision with central vascular ligation or TME. Patients underwent a fast track recovery programme. Recovery parameters, short-term outcomes, morbidity and mortality have been assessed. Results Type of resections: 20 left side resections, 8 right side resections, 14 low anterior resection/TME, 5 total colectomy and IRA, 3 total panproctocolectomy and pouch. Mean operative time: 227 min; mean number of lymph-nodes: 18.7. Conversion rate: 8%. Mean time to flatus: 1.3 days; Mean time to solid stool: 2.3 days. Mean length of hospital stay: 7.2 days. Overall morbidity: 24%; major morbidity (Dindo–Clavien III): 4%. No anastomotic leak, no mortality, no 30-days readmission. Conclusion Proper laparoscopic colorectal surgery is safe and leads to excellent results in terms of recovery and short term outcomes, even in a learning curve setting. Key factors for better outcomes and shortening the learning curve seem to be the adoption of a standardized technique and training model along with the strict supervision of an expert colorectal surgeon. PMID:25859386

Evaluation of a Modified Pamidronate Protocol for the Treatment of Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

PubMed

Palomo, Telma; Andrade, Maria C; Peters, Barbara S E; Reis, Fernanda A; Carvalhaes, João Tomás A; Glorieux, Francis H; Rauch, Frank; Lazaretti-Castro, Marise

2016-01-01

Intravenous pamidronate is widely used to treat children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). In a well-studied protocol ('standard protocol'), pamidronate is given at a daily dose of 1 mg per kg body weight over 4 h on 3 successive days; infusion cycles are repeated every 4 months. Here, we evaluated renal safety of a simpler protocol for intravenous pamidronate infusions (2 mg per kg body weight given in a single infusion over 2 h, repeated every 4 months; 'modified protocol'). Results of 18 patients with OI types I, III, or IV treated with the modified protocol for 12 months were compared to 18 historic controls, treated with standard protocol. In the modified protocol, mild transient post-infusion increases in serum creatinine were found during each infusion but after 12 months serum creatinine remained similar from baseline [0.40 mg/dl (SD: 0.13)] to the end of the study [0.41 mg/dl (SD: 0.11)] (P = 0.79). The two protocols led to similar changes in serum creatinine during the first pamidronate infusion [modified protocol: +2% (SD: 21%); standard protocol: -3% (SD: 8%); P = 0.32]. Areal lumbar spine bone mineral density Z-scores increased from -2.7 (SD: 1.5) to -1.8 (SD: 1.4) with the modified protocol, and from -4.1 (SD: 1.4) to -3.1 (SD: 1.1) with standard protocol (P = 0.68 for group differences in bone density Z-score changes). The modified pamidronate protocol is safe and may have similar effects on bone density as the standard pamidronate protocol. More studies are needed with longer follow-up to prove anti-fracture efficacy.

Urine Culture Follow-up and Antimicrobial Stewardship in a Pediatric Urgent Care Network.

PubMed

Saha, Dipanwita; Patel, Jimisha; Buckingham, Don; Thornton, David; Barber, Terry; Watson, Joshua R

2017-04-01

Empiric antibiotic therapy for presumed urinary tract infection (UTI) leads to unnecessary antibiotic exposure in many children whose urine culture results fail to confirm the diagnosis. The objective of this quality improvement study was to improve follow-up management of negative urine culture results in the off-campus urgent care network of Nationwide Children's Hospital to reduce inappropriate antibiotic exposure in children. A multidisciplinary task force developed and implemented a protocol for routine nurse and clinician follow-up of urine culture results, discontinuation of unnecessary antibiotics, and documentation in the electronic medical record. Monthly antibiotic discontinuation rates were tracked in empirically treated patients with negative urine culture results from July 2013 through December 2015. Statistical process control methods were used to track improvement over time. Fourteen-day return visits for UTIs were monitored as a balancing measure. During the study period, 910 patients received empiric antibiotic therapy for UTIs but had a negative urine culture result. The antibiotic discontinuation rate increased from 4% to 84%, avoiding 3429 (40%) of 8648 antibiotic days prescribed. Among patients with discontinued antibiotics, none was diagnosed with a UTI within 14 days of the initial urgent care encounter. Implementation of a standard protocol for urine culture follow-up and discontinuation of unnecessary antibiotics was both effective and safe in a high-volume pediatric urgent care network. Urine culture follow-up management is an essential opportunity for improved antimicrobial stewardship in the outpatient setting that will affect many patients by avoiding a substantial number of antibiotic days. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

DDN (Defense Data Network) Protocol Handbook. Volume 1. DoD Military Standard Protocols

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-01

official Military Standard communication protocols in use on the DDN are included, as are several ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network... research protocols which are currently in use, and some protocols currently undergoing review. Tutorial information and auxiliary documents are also...compatible with DoD needs, by researchers wishing to improve the protocols, and by impleroentors of local area networks (LANs) wishing their

Efficient ultrafiltration-based protocol to deplete extracellular vesicles from fetal bovine serum

PubMed Central

Kornilov, Roman; Puhka, Maija; Mannerström, Bettina; Hiidenmaa, Hanna; Peltoniemi, Hilkka; Siljander, Pia; Seppänen-Kaijansinkko, Riitta; Kaur, Sippy

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is the most commonly used supplement in studies involving cell-culture experiments. However, FBS contains large numbers of bovine extracellular vesicles (EVs), which hamper the analyses of secreted EVs from the cell type of preference and, thus, also the downstream analyses. Therefore, a prior elimination of EVs from FBS is crucial. However, the current methods of EV depletion by ultracentrifugation are cumbersome and the commercial alternatives expensive. In this study, our aim was to develop a protocol to completely deplete EVs from FBS, which may have wide applicability in cell-culture applications. We investigated different EV-depleted FBS prepared by our novel ultrafiltration-based protocol, by conventionally used overnight ultracentrifugation, or commercially available depleted FBS, and compared them with regular FBS. All sera were characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis, electron microscopy, Western blotting and RNA quantification. Next, adipose-tissue mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSCs) and cancer cells were grown in the media supplemented with the three different EV-depleted FBS and compared with cells grown in regular FBS media to assess the effects on cell proliferation, stress, differentiation and EV production. The novel ultrafiltration-based protocol depleted EVs from FBS clearly more efficiently than ultracentrifugation and commercial methods. Cell proliferation, stress, differentiation and EV production of AT-MSCs and cancer cell lines were similarly maintained in all three EV-depleted FBS media up to 96 h. In summary, our ultrafiltration protocol efficiently depletes EVs, is easy to use and maintains cell growth and metabolism. Since the method is also cost-effective and easy to standardize, it could be used in a wide range of cell-culture applications helping to increase comparability of EV research results between laboratories. PMID:29410778

Image-based Lagrangian Particle Tracking in Bed-load Experiments.

PubMed

Radice, Alessio; Sarkar, Sankar; Ballio, Francesco

2017-07-20

Image analysis has been increasingly used for the measurement of river flows due to its capabilities to furnish detailed quantitative depictions at a relatively low cost. This manuscript describes an application of particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) to a bed-load experiment with lightweight sediment. The key characteristics of the investigated sediment transport conditions were the presence of a covered flow and of a fixed rough bed above which particles were released in limited number at the flume inlet. Under the applied flow conditions, the motion of the individual bed-load particles was intermittent, with alternating movement and stillness terms. The flow pattern was preliminarily characterized by acoustic measurements of vertical profiles of the stream-wise velocity. During process visualization, a large field of view was obtained using two action-cameras placed at different locations along the flume. The experimental protocol is described in terms of channel calibration, experiment realization, image pre-processing, automatic particle tracking, and post-processing of particle track data from the two cameras. The presented proof-of-concept results include probability distributions of the particle hop length and duration. The achievements of this work are compared to those of existing literature to demonstrate the validity of the protocol.

Effect of a Standardized Protocol of Antibiotic Therapy on Surgical Site Infection after Laparoscopic Surgery for Complicated Appendicitis.

PubMed

Park, Hyoung-Chul; Kim, Min Jeong; Lee, Bong Hwa

Although it is accepted that complicated appendicitis requires antibiotic therapy to prevent post-operative surgical infections, consensus protocols on the duration and regimens of treatment are not well established. This study aimed to compare the outcome of post-operative infectious complications in patients receiving old non-standardized and new standard antibiotic protocols, involving either 5 or 10 days of treatment, respectively. We enrolled 1,343 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for complicated appendicitis between January 2009 and December 2014. At the beginning of the new protocol, the patients were divided into two groups; 10 days of various antibiotic regimens (between January 2009 and June 2012, called the non-standardized protocol; n = 730) and five days of cefuroxime and metronidazole regimen (between July 2012 and December 2014; standardized protocol; n = 613). We compared the clinical outcomes, including surgical site infection (SSI) (superficial and deep organ/space infections) in the two groups. The standardized protocol group had a slightly shorter operative time (67 vs. 69 min), a shorter hospital stay (5 vs. 5.4 d), and lower medical cost (US$1,564 vs. US$1,654). Otherwise, there was no difference between the groups. No differences were found in the non-standardized and standard protocol groups with regard to the rate of superficial infection (10.3% vs. 12.7%; p = 0.488) or deep organ/space infection (2.3% vs. 2.1%; p = 0.797). In patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for complicated appendicitis, five days of cefuroxime and metronidazole did not lead to more SSIs, and it decreased the medical costs compared with non-standardized antibiotic regimens.

Comprehensive and Highly Accurate Measurements of Crane Runways, Profiles and Fastenings

PubMed Central

Dennig, Dirk; Bureick, Johannes; Link, Johannes; Diener, Dmitri; Hesse, Christian; Neumann, Ingo

2017-01-01

The process of surveying crane runways has been continually refined due to the competitive situation, modern surveying instruments, additional sensors, accessories and evaluation procedures. Guidelines, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 12488-1, define target values that must be determined by survey. For a crane runway these are for example the span, the position and height of the rails. The process has to be objective and reproducible. However, common processes of surveying crane runways do not meet these requirements sufficiently. The evaluation of the protocols, ideally by an expert, requires many years of experience. Additionally, the recording of crucial parameters, e.g., the wear of the rail, or the condition of the rail fastening and rail joints, is not regulated and for that reason are often not considered during the measurement. To solve this deficit the Advanced Rail Track Inspection System (ARTIS) was developed. ARTIS is used to measure the 3D position of crane rails, the cross-section of the crane rails, joints and, for the first time, the (crane-rail) fastenings. The system consists of a monitoring vehicle and an external tracking sensor. It makes kinematic observations with the tracking sensor from outside the rail run, e.g., the floor of an overhead crane runway, possible. In this paper we present stages of the development process of ARTIS, new target values, calibration of sensors and results of a test measurement. PMID:28505076

Natural Language Processing-Enabled and Conventional Data Capture Methods for Input to Electronic Health Records: A Comparative Usability Study.

PubMed

Kaufman, David R; Sheehan, Barbara; Stetson, Peter; Bhatt, Ashish R; Field, Adele I; Patel, Chirag; Maisel, James Mark

2016-10-28

The process of documentation in electronic health records (EHRs) is known to be time consuming, inefficient, and cumbersome. The use of dictation coupled with manual transcription has become an increasingly common practice. In recent years, natural language processing (NLP)-enabled data capture has become a viable alternative for data entry. It enables the clinician to maintain control of the process and potentially reduce the documentation burden. The question remains how this NLP-enabled workflow will impact EHR usability and whether it can meet the structured data and other EHR requirements while enhancing the user's experience. The objective of this study is evaluate the comparative effectiveness of an NLP-enabled data capture method using dictation and data extraction from transcribed documents (NLP Entry) in terms of documentation time, documentation quality, and usability versus standard EHR keyboard-and-mouse data entry. This formative study investigated the results of using 4 combinations of NLP Entry and Standard Entry methods ("protocols") of EHR data capture. We compared a novel dictation-based protocol using MediSapien NLP (NLP-NLP) for structured data capture against a standard structured data capture protocol (Standard-Standard) as well as 2 novel hybrid protocols (NLP-Standard and Standard-NLP). The 31 participants included neurologists, cardiologists, and nephrologists. Participants generated 4 consultation or admission notes using 4 documentation protocols. We recorded the time on task, documentation quality (using the Physician Documentation Quality Instrument, PDQI-9), and usability of the documentation processes. A total of 118 notes were documented across the 3 subject areas. The NLP-NLP protocol required a median of 5.2 minutes per cardiology note, 7.3 minutes per nephrology note, and 8.5 minutes per neurology note compared with 16.9, 20.7, and 21.2 minutes, respectively, using the Standard-Standard protocol and 13.8, 21.3, and 18.7 minutes using the Standard-NLP protocol (1 of 2 hybrid methods). Using 8 out of 9 characteristics measured by the PDQI-9 instrument, the NLP-NLP protocol received a median quality score sum of 24.5; the Standard-Standard protocol received a median sum of 29; and the Standard-NLP protocol received a median sum of 29.5. The mean total score of the usability measure was 36.7 when the participants used the NLP-NLP protocol compared with 30.3 when they used the Standard-Standard protocol. In this study, the feasibility of an approach to EHR data capture involving the application of NLP to transcribed dictation was demonstrated. This novel dictation-based approach has the potential to reduce the time required for documentation and improve usability while maintaining documentation quality. Future research will evaluate the NLP-based EHR data capture approach in a clinical setting. It is reasonable to assert that EHRs will increasingly use NLP-enabled data entry tools such as MediSapien NLP because they hold promise for enhancing the documentation process and end-user experience. ©David R. Kaufman, Barbara Sheehan, Peter Stetson, Ashish R. Bhatt, Adele I. Field, Chirag Patel, James Mark Maisel. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 28.10.2016.

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

Nielsen, Yousef W., E-mail: yujwni01@heh.regionh.d; Eiberg, Jonas P., E-mail: Eiberg@dadlnet.d; Logager, Vibeke B., E-mail: viloe@heh.regionh.d

The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic performance of 3T whole-body magnetic resonance angiography (WB-MRA) using a hybrid protocol in comparison with a standard protocol in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). In 26 consecutive patients with PAD two different protocols were used for WB-MRA: a standard sequential protocol (n = 13) and a hybrid protocol (n = 13). WB-MRA was performed using a gradient echo sequence, body coil for signal reception, and gadoterate meglumine as contrast agent (0.3 mmol/kg body weight). Two blinded observers evaluated all WB-MRA examinations with regard to presence of stenoses, as wellmore » as diagnostic quality and degree of venous contamination in each of the four stations used in WB-MRA. Digital subtraction angiography served as the method of reference. Sensitivity for detecting significant arterial disease (luminal narrowing {>=} 50%) using standard-protocol WB-MRA for the two observers was 0.63 (95%CI: 0.51-0.73) and 0.66 (0.58-0.78). Specificities were 0.94 (0.91-0.97) and 0.96 (0.92-0.98), respectively. In the hybrid protocol WB-MRA sensitivities were 0.75 (0.64-0.84) and 0.70 (0.58-0.8), respectively. Specificities were 0.93 (0.88-0.96) and 0.95 (0.91-0.97). Interobserver agreement was good using both the standard and the hybrid protocol, with {kappa} = 0.62 (0.44-0.67) and {kappa} = 0.70 (0.59-0.79), respectively. WB-MRA quality scores were significantly higher in the lower leg using the hybrid protocol compared to standard protocol (p = 0.003 and p = 0.03, observers 1 and 2). Distal venous contamination scores were significantly lower with the hybrid protocol (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, observers 1 and 2). In conclusion, hybrid-protocol WB-MRA shows a better diagnostic performance than standard protocol WB-MRA at 3 T in patients with PAD.« less

Distributed event-triggered consensus tracking of second-order multi-agent systems with a virtual leader

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jie, Cao; Zhi-Hai, Wu; Li, Peng

2016-05-01

This paper investigates the consensus tracking problems of second-order multi-agent systems with a virtual leader via event-triggered control. A novel distributed event-triggered transmission scheme is proposed, which is intermittently examined at constant sampling instants. Only partial neighbor information and local measurements are required for event detection. Then the corresponding event-triggered consensus tracking protocol is presented to guarantee second-order multi-agent systems to achieve consensus tracking. Numerical simulations are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61203147, 61374047, and 61403168).

Interface and protocol development for STS read-out ASIC in the CBM experiment at FAIR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasinski, Krzysztof; Zabolotny, Wojciech; Szczygiel, Robert

2014-11-01

This paper presents a proposal of a protocol for communication between the read-out integrated circuit for the STS (Silicon Tracking System) and the Data Processing Board (DPB) at CBM (Compressed Baryonic Matter) experiment at FAIR, GSI (Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH) in Germany. The application background, objectives and proposed solution is presented.

Image-based tracking: a new emerging standard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonisse, Jim; Randall, Scott

2012-06-01

Automated moving object detection and tracking are increasingly viewed as solutions to the enormous data volumes resulting from emerging wide-area persistent surveillance systems. In a previous paper we described a Motion Imagery Standards Board (MISB) initiative to help address this problem: the specification of a micro-architecture for the automatic extraction of motion indicators and tracks. This paper reports on the development of an extended specification of the plug-and-play tracking micro-architecture, on its status as an emerging standard across DoD, the Intelligence Community, and NATO.

Standardizing Navigation Data: A Status Update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanEepoel, John M.; Berry, David S.; Pallaschke, Siegmar; Foliard, Jacques; Kiehling, Reinhard; Ogawa, Mina; Showell, Avanaugh; Fertig, Juergen; Castronuovo, Marco

2007-01-01

This paper presents the work of the Navigation Working Group of the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) on development of standards addressing the transfer of orbit, attitude and tracking data for space objects. Much progress has been made since the initial presentation of the standards in 2004, including the progression of the orbit data standard to an accepted standard, and the near completion of the attitude and tracking data standards. The orbit, attitude and tracking standards attempt to address predominant parameterizations for their respective data, and create a message format that enables communication of the data across space agencies and other entities. The messages detailed in each standard are built upon a keyword = value paradigm, where a fixed list of keywords is provided in the standard where users specify information about their data, and also use keywords to encapsulate their data. The paper presents a primer on the CCSDS standardization process to put in context the state of the message standards, and the parameterizations supported in each standard, then shows examples of these standards for orbit, attitude and tracking data. Finalization of the standards is expected by the end of calendar year 2007.

Transitions of care from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to Adult Mental Health Services (TRACK Study): a study of protocols in Greater London.

PubMed

Singh, Swaran P; Paul, Moli; Ford, Tamsin; Kramer, Tami; Weaver, Tim

2008-06-23

Although young people's transition from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) in England is a significant health issue for service users, commissioners and providers, there is little evidence available to guide service development. The TRACK study aims to identify factors which facilitate or impede effective transition from CAHMS to AMHS. This paper presents findings from a survey of transition protocols in Greater London. A questionnaire survey (Jan-April 2005) of Greater London CAMHS to identify transition protocols and collect data on team size, structure, transition protocols, population served and referral rates to AMHS. Identified transition protocols were subjected to content analysis. Forty two of the 65 teams contacted (65%) responded to the survey. Teams varied in type (generic/targeted/in-patient), catchment area (locality-based, wider or national) and transition boundaries with AMHS. Estimated annual average number of cases considered suitable for transfer to AMHS, per CAMHS team (mean 12.3, range 0-70, SD 14.5, n = 37) was greater than the annual average number of cases actually accepted by AMHS (mean 8.3, range 0-50, SD 9.5, n = 33). In April 2005, there were 13 active and 2 draft protocols in Greater London. Protocols were largely similar in stated aims and policies, but differed in key procedural details, such as joint working between CAHMS and AMHS and whether protocols were shared at Trust or locality level. While the centrality of service users' involvement in the transition process was identified, no protocol specified how users should be prepared for transition. A major omission from protocols was procedures to ensure continuity of care for patients not accepted by AMHS. At least 13 transition protocols were in operation in Greater London in April 2005. Not all protocols meet all requirements set by government policy. Variation in protocol-sharing organisational units and transition process suggest that practice may vary. There is discontinuity of care provision for some patients who 'graduate' from CAMHS services but are not accepted by adult services.

Transitions of Care from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to Adult Mental Health Services (TRACK Study): A study of protocols in Greater London

PubMed Central

Singh, Swaran P; Paul, Moli; Ford, Tamsin; Kramer, Tami; Weaver, Tim

2008-01-01

Background Although young people's transition from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) in England is a significant health issue for service users, commissioners and providers, there is little evidence available to guide service development. The TRACK study aims to identify factors which facilitate or impede effective transition from CAHMS to AMHS. This paper presents findings from a survey of transition protocols in Greater London. Methods A questionnaire survey (Jan-April 2005) of Greater London CAMHS to identify transition protocols and collect data on team size, structure, transition protocols, population served and referral rates to AMHS. Identified transition protocols were subjected to content analysis. Results Forty two of the 65 teams contacted (65%) responded to the survey. Teams varied in type (generic/targeted/in-patient), catchment area (locality-based, wider or national) and transition boundaries with AMHS. Estimated annual average number of cases considered suitable for transfer to AMHS, per CAMHS team (mean 12.3, range 0–70, SD 14.5, n = 37) was greater than the annual average number of cases actually accepted by AMHS (mean 8.3, range 0–50, SD 9.5, n = 33). In April 2005, there were 13 active and 2 draft protocols in Greater London. Protocols were largely similar in stated aims and policies, but differed in key procedural details, such as joint working between CAHMS and AMHS and whether protocols were shared at Trust or locality level. While the centrality of service users' involvement in the transition process was identified, no protocol specified how users should be prepared for transition. A major omission from protocols was procedures to ensure continuity of care for patients not accepted by AMHS. Conclusion At least 13 transition protocols were in operation in Greater London in April 2005. Not all protocols meet all requirements set by government policy. Variation in protocol-sharing organisational units and transition process suggest that practice may vary. There is discontinuity of care provision for some patients who 'graduate' from CAMHS services but are not accepted by adult services. PMID:18573214

Sci—Fri PM: Topics — 08: The Role and Benefits of Electromagnetic Needle-Tracking Technologies in Brachytherapy

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

Beaulieu, L.; Racine, E.; Boutaleb, S.

In modern brachytherapy, application of large doses of ionizing radiation in a limited number of fractions is frequent. Furthermore, as with any surgical procedures, brachytherapy is subject to learning curve effects. In this context, there could be advantages of integrating real-time tracking of needles/catheters to existing protocols given the recent prominent advances in tracking technologies. In this work, we review the use of an electromagnetic tracking system (EMTS) based on the second generation Aurora® Planar Field Generator (Northern Digital Inc) and custom design needles (Philips Healthcare) for brachytherapy applications. The position and orientation information is obtained from 5 degrees ofmore » freedom sensors. Basic system performance characterization is performed in well-controlled conditions to establish accuracy and reproducibility as well as potential interference from standard brachytherapy equipment. The results show that sensor locations can be tracked to within 0.04mm (la) when located within 26cm of the generator. Orientation accuracy of the needle remained within ±1° in the same region, but rose quickly at larger distances. The errors on position and orientation strongly dependent the sensor position in the characterization volume (500×500×500mm{sup 3}). The presence of an ultrasound probe was shown to have negligible effects on tracking accuracy. The use of EMTS for automatic catheter/applicator reconstruction was also explored. Reconstruction time was less than 10 sec/channel and tips identification was within 0.69±0.29mm of the reference values. Finally, we demonstrate that hollow needle designs with special EM adaptation also allow for real-time seed drop position estimation. In phantom experiments showed that drop positions were on average within 1.6±0.9mm of the reference position measured from μCT. Altogether, EMTS offer promising benefits in a wide range of brachytherapy applications.« less

76 FR 18073 - Track Safety Standards; Concrete Crossties

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-01

... metrics would be undesirable and restrict certain fastener assembly designs and capabilities to control... Track Safety Standards Working Group IV. FRA's Approach to Concrete Crossties A. Rail Cant B. Automated... and non-compliant track geometry can cause high- concentrated non-uniform dynamic loading, usually...

40 CFR 279.74 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Tracking. 279.74 Section 279.74 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Fuel Marketers § 279.74 Tracking. (a) Off...

40 CFR 279.74 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Tracking. 279.74 Section 279.74 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Fuel Marketers § 279.74 Tracking. (a) Off...

40 CFR 279.56 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Tracking. 279.56 Section 279.56 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Processors and Re-Refiners § 279.56 Tracking. (a...

40 CFR 279.74 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Tracking. 279.74 Section 279.74 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Fuel Marketers § 279.74 Tracking. (a) Off...

40 CFR 279.56 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Tracking. 279.56 Section 279.56 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Processors and Re-Refiners § 279.56 Tracking. (a...

40 CFR 279.56 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Tracking. 279.56 Section 279.56 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Processors and Re-Refiners § 279.56 Tracking. (a...

40 CFR 279.56 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Tracking. 279.56 Section 279.56 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Processors and Re-Refiners § 279.56 Tracking. (a...

40 CFR 279.56 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Tracking. 279.56 Section 279.56 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Processors and Re-Refiners § 279.56 Tracking. (a...

40 CFR 279.74 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Tracking. 279.74 Section 279.74 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Fuel Marketers § 279.74 Tracking. (a) Off...

Landscape Analysis of Global Health Tracks in United States Pediatric Residencies: Moving Toward Standards.

PubMed

Watts, Jennifer; Russ, Christiana; St Clair, Nicole E; Uwemedimo, Omolara Thomas

2018-03-28

The number of pediatric Global Health (GH) tracks has more than doubled in less than 10 years. The goal of this study was to describe the characteristics of the pediatric GH tracks to identify commonalities and differences in track structure, funding, and education. In addition, we also identified demographic, institutional, and residency-related factors that were significantly associated with educational offerings and logistical challenges. A cross-sectional survey was electronically administered to pediatric residency programs with GH tracks. Statistical analyses included frequencies to describe GH track characteristics. Fisher's exact tests were used to identify bivariate associations between track structure and funding with educational offerings and logistical challenges. Leaders of 32 pediatric GH tracks (67%) completed the survey. The majority of GH tracks were completed within the 3 years of residency (94%) and identified a GH track director (100%); however, tracks varied in size, enrollment methods, domestic and international partnerships, funding, and evaluations. Dedicated faculty time and GH track budget amounts were associated with more robust infrastructure pertaining to resident international electives, including funding and mentorship. Many tracks did not meet American Academy of Pediatrics recommended standards for clinical international rotations. Despite the presence of multiple similarities among pediatric GH tracks, there are large variations in track structure, education, and funding. The results from this study support the proposal of a formal definition and minimum standards for a GH track, which may provide a framework for quality, consistency, and comparison of GH tracks. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Interlibrary Loan Protocol: An OSI Solution to ILL Messaging.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Fay

1990-01-01

Discusses the interlibrary loan (ILL) protocol, a standard based on the principles of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model. Benefits derived from protocol use are described, the status of the protocol as an international standard is reviewed, and steps taken by the National Library of Canada to facilitate migration to an ILL…

An approach to standardization of urine sediment analysis via suggestion of a common manual protocol.

PubMed

Ko, Dae-Hyun; Ji, Misuk; Kim, Sollip; Cho, Eun-Jung; Lee, Woochang; Yun, Yeo-Min; Chun, Sail; Min, Won-Ki

2016-01-01

The results of urine sediment analysis have been reported semiquantitatively. However, as recent guidelines recommend quantitative reporting of urine sediment, and with the development of automated urine sediment analyzers, there is an increasing need for quantitative analysis of urine sediment. Here, we developed a protocol for urine sediment analysis and quantified the results. Based on questionnaires, various reports, guidelines, and experimental results, we developed a protocol for urine sediment analysis. The results of this new protocol were compared with those obtained with a standardized chamber and an automated sediment analyzer. Reference intervals were also estimated using new protocol. We developed a protocol with centrifugation at 400 g for 5 min, with the average concentration factor of 30. The correlation between quantitative results of urine sediment analysis, the standardized chamber, and the automated sediment analyzer were generally good. The conversion factor derived from the new protocol showed a better fit with the results of manual count than the default conversion factor in the automated sediment analyzer. We developed a protocol for manual urine sediment analysis to quantitatively report the results. This protocol may provide a mean for standardization of urine sediment analysis.

Submersible optical sensors exposed to chemically dispersed crude oil: wave tank simulations for improved oil spill monitoring.

PubMed

Conmy, Robyn N; Coble, Paula G; Farr, James; Wood, A Michelle; Lee, Kenneth; Pegau, W Scott; Walsh, Ian D; Koch, Corey R; Abercrombie, Mary I; Miles, M Scott; Lewis, Marlon R; Ryan, Scott A; Robinson, Brian J; King, Thomas L; Kelble, Christopher R; Lacoste, Jordanna

2014-01-01

In situ fluorometers were deployed during the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Gulf of Mexico oil spill to track the subsea oil plume. Uncertainties regarding instrument specifications and capabilities necessitated performance testing of sensors exposed to simulated, dispersed oil plumes. Dynamic ranges of the Chelsea Technologies Group AQUAtracka, Turner Designs Cyclops, Satlantic SUNA and WET Labs, Inc. ECO, exposed to fresh and artificially weathered crude oil, were determined. Sensors were standardized against known oil volumes and total petroleum hydrocarbons and benzene-toluene-ethylbenzene-xylene measurements-both collected during spills, providing oil estimates during wave tank dilution experiments. All sensors estimated oil concentrations down to 300 ppb oil, refuting previous reports. Sensor performance results assist interpretation of DWH oil spill data and formulating future protocols.

Validity of Assessments of Youth Access to Tobacco: The Familiarity Effect

PubMed Central

Landrine, Hope; Klonoff, Elizabeth A.

2003-01-01

Objectives. We examined the standard compliance protocol and its validity as a measure of youth access to tobacco. Methods. In Study 1, youth smokers reported buying cigarettes in stores where they are regular customers. In Study 2, youths attempted to purchase cigarettes by using the Standard Protocol, in which they appeared at stores once for cigarettes, and by using the Familiarity Protocol, in which they were rendered regular customers by purchasing nontobacco items 4 times and then requested cigarettes during their fifth visit. Results. Sales to youths aged 17 years in the Familiarity Protocol were significantly higher than sales to the same age group in the Standard Protocols (62.5% vs. 6%, respectively). Conclusions. The Standard Protocol does not match how youths obtain cigarettes. Access is low for stranger youths within compliance studies, but access is high for familiar youths outside of compliance studies. PMID:14600057

Outcomes of Optimized over Standard Protocol of Rabbit Antithymocyte Globulin for Severe Aplastic Anemia: A Single-Center Experience

PubMed Central

Ge, Meili; Shao, Yingqi; Huang, Jinbo; Huang, Zhendong; Zhang, Jing; Nie, Neng; Zheng, Yizhou

2013-01-01

Background Previous reports showed that outcome of rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) was not satisfactory as the first-line therapy for severe aplastic anemia (SAA). We explored a modifying schedule of administration of rATG. Design and Methods Outcomes of a cohort of 175 SAA patients, including 51 patients administered with standard protocol (3.55 mg/kg/d for 5 days) and 124 cases with optimized protocol (1.97 mg/kg/d for 9 days) of rATG plus cyclosporine (CSA), were analyzed retrospectively. Results Of all 175 patients, response rates at 3 and 6 months were 36.6% and 56.0%, respectively. 51 cases received standard protocol had poor responses at 3 (25.5%) and 6 months (41.2%). However, 124 patients received optimized protocol had better responses at 3 (41.1%, P = 0.14) and 6 (62.1%, P = 0.01). Higher incidences of infection (57.1% versus 37.9%, P = 0.02) and early mortality (17.9% versus 0.8%, P<0.001) occurred in patients received standard protocol compared with optimized protocol. The 5-year overall survival in favor of the optimized over standard rATG protocol (76.0% versus. 50.3%, P<0.001) was observed. By multivariate analysis, optimized protocol (RR = 2.21, P = 0.04), response at 3 months (RR = 10.31, P = 0.03) and shorter interval (<23 days) between diagnosis and initial dose of rATG (RR = 5.35, P = 0.002) were independent favorable predictors of overall survival. Conclusions Optimized instead of standard rATG protocol in combination with CSA remained efficacious as a first-line immunosuppressive regimen for SAA. PMID:23554855

40 CFR 273.19 - Tracking universal waste shipments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Tracking universal waste shipments... WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Small Quantity Handlers of Universal Waste § 273.19 Tracking universal waste shipments. A small quantity handler of universal waste is...

Natural Language Processing–Enabled and Conventional Data Capture Methods for Input to Electronic Health Records: A Comparative Usability Study

PubMed Central

Sheehan, Barbara; Stetson, Peter; Bhatt, Ashish R; Field, Adele I; Patel, Chirag; Maisel, James Mark

2016-01-01

Background The process of documentation in electronic health records (EHRs) is known to be time consuming, inefficient, and cumbersome. The use of dictation coupled with manual transcription has become an increasingly common practice. In recent years, natural language processing (NLP)–enabled data capture has become a viable alternative for data entry. It enables the clinician to maintain control of the process and potentially reduce the documentation burden. The question remains how this NLP-enabled workflow will impact EHR usability and whether it can meet the structured data and other EHR requirements while enhancing the user’s experience. Objective The objective of this study is evaluate the comparative effectiveness of an NLP-enabled data capture method using dictation and data extraction from transcribed documents (NLP Entry) in terms of documentation time, documentation quality, and usability versus standard EHR keyboard-and-mouse data entry. Methods This formative study investigated the results of using 4 combinations of NLP Entry and Standard Entry methods (“protocols”) of EHR data capture. We compared a novel dictation-based protocol using MediSapien NLP (NLP-NLP) for structured data capture against a standard structured data capture protocol (Standard-Standard) as well as 2 novel hybrid protocols (NLP-Standard and Standard-NLP). The 31 participants included neurologists, cardiologists, and nephrologists. Participants generated 4 consultation or admission notes using 4 documentation protocols. We recorded the time on task, documentation quality (using the Physician Documentation Quality Instrument, PDQI-9), and usability of the documentation processes. Results A total of 118 notes were documented across the 3 subject areas. The NLP-NLP protocol required a median of 5.2 minutes per cardiology note, 7.3 minutes per nephrology note, and 8.5 minutes per neurology note compared with 16.9, 20.7, and 21.2 minutes, respectively, using the Standard-Standard protocol and 13.8, 21.3, and 18.7 minutes using the Standard-NLP protocol (1 of 2 hybrid methods). Using 8 out of 9 characteristics measured by the PDQI-9 instrument, the NLP-NLP protocol received a median quality score sum of 24.5; the Standard-Standard protocol received a median sum of 29; and the Standard-NLP protocol received a median sum of 29.5. The mean total score of the usability measure was 36.7 when the participants used the NLP-NLP protocol compared with 30.3 when they used the Standard-Standard protocol. Conclusions In this study, the feasibility of an approach to EHR data capture involving the application of NLP to transcribed dictation was demonstrated. This novel dictation-based approach has the potential to reduce the time required for documentation and improve usability while maintaining documentation quality. Future research will evaluate the NLP-based EHR data capture approach in a clinical setting. It is reasonable to assert that EHRs will increasingly use NLP-enabled data entry tools such as MediSapien NLP because they hold promise for enhancing the documentation process and end-user experience. PMID:27793791

Distributed synchronization of networked drive-response systems: A nonlinear fixed-time protocol.

PubMed

Zhao, Wen; Liu, Gang; Ma, Xi; He, Bing; Dong, Yunfeng

2017-11-01

The distributed synchronization of networked drive-response systems is investigated in this paper. A novel nonlinear protocol is proposed to ensure that the tracking errors converge to zeros in a fixed-time. By comparison with previous synchronization methods, the present method considers more practical conditions and the synchronization time is not dependent of arbitrary initial conditions but can be offline pre-assign according to the task assignment. Finally, the feasibility and validity of the presented protocol have been illustrated by a numerical simulation. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

B-spline based image tracking by detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balaji, Bhashyam; Sithiravel, Rajiv; Damini, Anthony; Kirubarajan, Thiagalingam; Rajan, Sreeraman

2016-05-01

Visual image tracking involves the estimation of the motion of any desired targets in a surveillance region using a sequence of images. A standard method of isolating moving targets in image tracking uses background subtraction. The standard background subtraction method is often impacted by irrelevant information in the images, which can lead to poor performance in image-based target tracking. In this paper, a B-Spline based image tracking is implemented. The novel method models the background and foreground using the B-Spline method followed by a tracking-by-detection algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated.

Fast track in colo-rectal surgery. Preliminary experience in a rural hospital

PubMed Central

FRONTERA, D.; ARENA, L.; CORSALE, I.; FRANCIOLI, N.; MAMMOLITI, F.; BUCCIANELLI, E.

2014-01-01

Background “Fast Track surgery” is a therapeutic program of large application, despite some doubts about its applicability and real validity. Literature review shows that this approach to colo-rectal surgery, particularly video-assisted, can allow a rapid recovery, better performance and a faster postoperative functional autonomy of the work, which can be discharged without cause additional welfare costs; in addition it can be reproducible in different health reality. Purpose To analyze the possibility to apply the Fast Truck protocol in patients undergoing colorectal surgery in a rural hospital and non specialistic Unit of Surgery. Patients and methods We have conducted a prospective, randomized study on 80 patients subjected to colorectal surgery in the last year. Results The protocol was observed in 95% of cases, compliance with the Fast Track was high and general morbidity was limited (7.8%). Conclusion This “aggressive” approach, which has fundamentally altered the usual surgical behavior, seems to allow a mean length of stay significantly lower than in controls (p < 0.05) with positive implications for patients and containment of health care costs, even after discharge (no need for home care in 92% of cases, no early re-admittance to the hospital). Homogeneous protocols are desirable, as well as an increased enrollment, to consolidate these rehabilitation programs in order to provide a reference for all hospitals. PMID:25644732

Interoperability in the Planetary Science Archive (PSA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rios Diaz, C.

2017-09-01

The protocols and standards currently being supported by the recently released new version of the Planetary Science Archive at this time are the Planetary Data Access Protocol (PDAP), the EuroPlanet- Table Access Protocol (EPN-TAP) and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards. We explore these protocols in more detail providing scientifically useful examples of their usage within the PSA.

A randomized trial of protocol-based care for early septic shock.

PubMed

Yealy, Donald M; Kellum, John A; Huang, David T; Barnato, Amber E; Weissfeld, Lisa A; Pike, Francis; Terndrup, Thomas; Wang, Henry E; Hou, Peter C; LoVecchio, Frank; Filbin, Michael R; Shapiro, Nathan I; Angus, Derek C

2014-05-01

In a single-center study published more than a decade ago involving patients presenting to the emergency department with severe sepsis and septic shock, mortality was markedly lower among those who were treated according to a 6-hour protocol of early goal-directed therapy (EGDT), in which intravenous fluids, vasopressors, inotropes, and blood transfusions were adjusted to reach central hemodynamic targets, than among those receiving usual care. We conducted a trial to determine whether these findings were generalizable and whether all aspects of the protocol were necessary. In 31 emergency departments in the United States, we randomly assigned patients with septic shock to one of three groups for 6 hours of resuscitation: protocol-based EGDT; protocol-based standard therapy that did not require the placement of a central venous catheter, administration of inotropes, or blood transfusions; or usual care. The primary end point was 60-day in-hospital mortality. We tested sequentially whether protocol-based care (EGDT and standard-therapy groups combined) was superior to usual care and whether protocol-based EGDT was superior to protocol-based standard therapy. Secondary outcomes included longer-term mortality and the need for organ support. We enrolled 1341 patients, of whom 439 were randomly assigned to protocol-based EGDT, 446 to protocol-based standard therapy, and 456 to usual care. Resuscitation strategies differed significantly with respect to the monitoring of central venous pressure and oxygen and the use of intravenous fluids, vasopressors, inotropes, and blood transfusions. By 60 days, there were 92 deaths in the protocol-based EGDT group (21.0%), 81 in the protocol-based standard-therapy group (18.2%), and 86 in the usual-care group (18.9%) (relative risk with protocol-based therapy vs. usual care, 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82 to 1.31; P=0.83; relative risk with protocol-based EGDT vs. protocol-based standard therapy, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.51; P=0.31). There were no significant differences in 90-day mortality, 1-year mortality, or the need for organ support. In a multicenter trial conducted in the tertiary care setting, protocol-based resuscitation of patients in whom septic shock was diagnosed in the emergency department did not improve outcomes. (Funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences; ProCESS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00510835.).

Standard metrics for a plug-and-play tracker

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonisse, Jim; Young, Darrell

2012-06-01

The Motion Imagery Standards Board (MISB) has previously established a metadata "micro-architecture" for standards-based tracking. The intent of this work is to facilitate both the collaborative development of competent tracking systems, and the potentially distributed and dispersed execution of tracker system components in real-world execution environments. The approach standardizes a set of five quasi-sequential modules in image-based tracking. However, in order to make the plug-and-play architecture truly useful we need metrics associated with each module (so that, for instance, a researcher who "plugs in" a new component can ascertain whether he/she did better or worse with the component). This paper proposes the choice of a new, unifying set of metrics based on an informationtheoretic approach to tracking, which the MISB is nominating as DoD/IC/NATO standards.

One Approach for Transitioning the iNET Standards into the IRIG 106 Telemetry Standards

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-26

Protocol Suite. Figure 1 illustrates the Open Systems Interconnection ( OSI ) Model, the corresponding TCP/IP Model, and the major components of the TCP...IP Protocol Suite. Figure 2 represents the iNET-specific protocols layered onto the TCP/IP Model. Figure 1. OSI and TCP/IP Model with TCP/IP...Protocol Suite TCP/IP Protocol Suite Major Components IPv4 IPv6 TCP/IP Model OSI Model Application Presentation

STANDARD MEASUREMENT PROTOCOLS - FLORIDA RADON RESEARCH PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

The manual, in support of the Florida Radon Research Program, contains standard protocols for key measurements where data quality is vital to the program. t contains two sections. he first section, soil measurements, contains field sampling protocols for soil gas permeability and...

Performance in complex motor tasks deteriorates in hyperthermic humans.

PubMed

Piil, Jacob F; Lundbye-Jensen, Jesper; Trangmar, Steven J; Nybo, Lars

2017-01-01

Heat stress, leading to elevations in whole-body temperature, has a marked impact on both physical performance and cognition in ecological settings. Lab experiments confirm this for physically demanding activities, whereas observations are inconsistent for tasks involving cognitive processing of information or decision-making prior to responding. We hypothesized that divergences could relate to task complexity and developed a protocol consisting of 1) simple motor task [TARGET_pinch], 2) complex motor task [Visuo-motor tracking], 3) simple math task [MATH_type], 4) combined motor-math task [MATH_pinch]. Furthermore, visuo-motor tracking performance was assessed both in a separate- and a multipart protocol (complex motor tasks alternating with the three other tasks). Following familiarization, each of the 10 male subjects completed separate and multipart protocols in randomized order in the heat (40°C) or control condition (20°C) with testing at baseline (seated rest) and similar seated position, following exercise-induced hyperthermia (core temperature ∼ 39.5°C in the heat and 38.2°C in control condition). All task scores were unaffected by control exercise or passive heat exposure, but visuo-motor tracking performance was reduced by 10.7 ± 6.5% following exercise-induced hyperthermia when integrated in the multipart protocol and 4.4 ± 5.7% when tested separately (both P < 0.05 ). TARGET_pinch precision declined by 2.6 ± 1.3% ( P < 0.05 ), while no significant changes were observed for the math tasks. These results indicate that heat per se has little impact on simple motor or cognitive test performance, but complex motor performance is impaired by hyperthermia and especially so when multiple tasks are combined.

Evaluation of Protocol Uniformity Concerning Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in The Netherlands

PubMed Central

Goossens, Richard H. M.; van Eijk, Daan J.; Lange, Johan F.

2008-01-01

Background Iatrogenic bile duct injury remains a current complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. One uniform and standardized protocol, based on the “critical view of safety” concept of Strasberg, should reduce the incidence of this complication. Furthermore, owing to the rapid development of minimally invasive surgery, technicians are becoming more frequently involved. To improve communication between the operating team and technicians, standardized actions should also be defined. The aim of this study was to compare existing protocols for laparoscopic cholecystectomy from various Dutch hospitals. Methods Fifteen Dutch hospitals were contacted for evaluation of their protocols for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. All evaluated protocols were divided into six steps and were compared accordingly. Results In total, 13 hospitals responded—5 academic hospitals, 5 teaching hospitals, 3 community hospitals—of which 10 protocols were usable for comparison. Concerning the trocar positions, only minor differences were found. The concept of “critical view of safety” was represented in just one protocol. Furthermore, the order of clipping and cutting the cystic artery and duct differed. Descriptions of instruments and apparatus were also inconsistent. Conclusions Present protocols differ too much to define a universal procedure among surgeons in The Netherlands. The authors propose one (inter)national standardized protocol, including standardized actions. This uniform standardized protocol has to be officially released and recommended by national scientific associations (e.g., the Dutch Society of Surgery) or international societies (e.g., European Association for Endoscopic Surgery and Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons). The aim is to improve patient safety and professional communication, which are necessary for new developments. PMID:18224485

Reliable LC-MS quantitative glycomics using iGlycoMab stable isotope labeled glycans as internal standards.

PubMed

Zhou, Shiyue; Tello, Nadia; Harvey, Alex; Boyes, Barry; Orlando, Ron; Mechref, Yehia

2016-06-01

Glycans have numerous functions in various biological processes and participate in the progress of diseases. Reliable quantitative glycomic profiling techniques could contribute to the understanding of the biological functions of glycans, and lead to the discovery of potential glycan biomarkers for diseases. Although LC-MS is a powerful analytical tool for quantitative glycomics, the variation of ionization efficiency and MS intensity bias are influencing quantitation reliability. Internal standards can be utilized for glycomic quantitation by MS-based methods to reduce variability. In this study, we used stable isotope labeled IgG2b monoclonal antibody, iGlycoMab, as an internal standard to reduce potential for errors and to reduce variabililty due to sample digestion, derivatization, and fluctuation of nanoESI efficiency in the LC-MS analysis of permethylated N-glycans released from model glycoproteins, human blood serum, and breast cancer cell line. We observed an unanticipated degradation of isotope labeled glycans, tracked a source of such degradation, and optimized a sample preparation protocol to minimize degradation of the internal standard glycans. All results indicated the effectiveness of using iGlycoMab to minimize errors originating from sample handling and instruments. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A trust-based sensor allocation algorithm in cooperative space search problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Dan; Chen, Genshe; Pham, Khanh; Blasch, Erik

2011-06-01

Sensor allocation is an important and challenging problem within the field of multi-agent systems. The sensor allocation problem involves deciding how to assign a number of targets or cells to a set of agents according to some allocation protocol. Generally, in order to make efficient allocations, we need to design mechanisms that consider both the task performers' costs for the service and the associated probability of success (POS). In our problem, the costs are the used sensor resource, and the POS is the target tracking performance. Usually, POS may be perceived differently by different agents because they typically have different standards or means of evaluating the performance of their counterparts (other sensors in the search and tracking problem). Given this, we turn to the notion of trust to capture such subjective perceptions. In our approach, we develop a trust model to construct a novel mechanism that motivates sensor agents to limit their greediness or selfishness. Then we model the sensor allocation optimization problem with trust-in-loop negotiation game and solve it using a sub-game perfect equilibrium. Numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate the trust-based sensor allocation algorithm in cooperative space situation awareness (SSA) search problems.

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

Zhao, B; Maquilan, G; Anders, M

Purpose: Full face and neck thermoplastic masks provide standard-of-care immobilization for patients receiving H&N IMRT. However, these masks are uncomfortable and increase skin dose. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the feasibility and setup accuracy of open face and neck mask immobilization with OIG. Methods: Ten patients were consented and enrolled to this IRB-approved protocol. Patients were immobilized with open masks securing only forehead and chin. Standard IMRT to 60–70 Gy in 30 fractions were delivered in all cases. Patient simulation information, including isocenter location and CT skin contours, were imported to a commercial OIG system. Onmore » the first day of treatment, patients were initially set up to surface markings and then OIG referenced to face and neck skin regions of interest (ROI) localized on simulation CT images, followed by in-room CBCT. CBCTs were acquired at least weekly while planar OBI was acquired on the days without CBCT. Following 6D robotic couch correction with kV imaging, a new optical real-time surface image was acquired to track intrafraction motion and to serve as a reference surface for setup at the next treatment fraction. Therapists manually recorded total treatment time as well as couch shifts based on kV imaging. Intrafractional ROI motion tracking was automatically recorded. Results: Setup accuracy of OIG was compared with CBCT results. The setup error based on OIG was represented as a 6D shift (vertical/longitudinal/lateral/rotation/pitch/roll). Mean error values were −0.70±3.04mm, −0.69±2.77mm, 0.33±2.67 mm, −0.14±0.94 o, −0.15±1.10o and 0.12±0.82o, respectively for the cohort. Average treatment time was 24.1±9.2 minutes, comparable to standard immobilization. The amplitude of intrafractional ROI motion was 0.69±0.36 mm, driven primarily by respiratory neck motion. Conclusion: OGI can potentially provide accurate setup and treatment tracking for open face and neck immobilization. Study accrual and patient/provider satisfaction survey collection remain ongoing. This study is supported by VisionRT, Ltd.« less

Telemetry Standards, RCC Standard 106-17. Chapter 21. Telemetry Network Standard Introduction

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-01

Critical RF radio frequency RFC Request for Comment SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol TA test article TCP Transmission Control Protocol...chapters might be of most interest for a particular reader. In order to guide the reader toward the chapters of further interest , the applicable... Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to pass management information through the system. The SNMP management information bases (MIBs) provide

On-chip human microvasculature assay for visualization and quantitation of tumor cell extravasation dynamics

PubMed Central

Chen, Michelle B.; Whisler, Jordan A.; Fröse, Julia; Yu, Cathy; Shin, Yoojin

2017-01-01

Distant metastasis, which results in >90% of cancer related deaths, is enabled by hematogenous dissemination of tumor cells via the circulation. This requires the completion of a sequence of complex steps including transit, initial arrest, extravasation, survival and proliferation. Increased understanding of the cellular and molecular players enabling each of these steps is key in uncovering new opportunities for therapeutic intervention during early metastatic dissemination. Here, we describe an in vitro model of the human microcirculation with the potential to recapitulate discrete steps of early metastatic seeding, including arrest, transendothelial migration and early micrometastases formation. The microdevice features self-organized human microvascular networks formed over 4–5 days, after which tumor can be perfused and extravasation events easily tracked over 72 hours, via standard confocal microscopy. Contrary to most in vivo and in vitro extravasation assays, robust and rapid scoring of extravascular cells combined with high-resolution imaging can be easily achieved due to the confinement of the vascular network to one plane close to the surface of the device. This renders extravascular cells clearly distinct and allows tumor cells of interest to be identified quickly compared to those in thick tissues. The ability to generate large numbers of devices (~36) per experiment coupled with fast quantitation further allows for highly parametric studies, which is required when testing multiple genetic or pharmacological perturbations. This is coupled with the capability for live tracking of single cell extravasation events allowing both tumor and endothelial morphological dynamics to be observed in high detail with a moderate number of data points. This Protocol Extension describes an adaptation of an existing Protocol describing a microfluidic platform that offers additional applications. PMID:28358393

A practical method of estimating standard error of age in the fission track dating method

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, N.M.; McGee, V.E.; Naeser, C.W.

1979-01-01

A first-order approximation formula for the propagation of error in the fission track age equation is given by PA = C[P2s+P2i+P2??-2rPsPi] 1 2, where PA, Ps, Pi and P?? are the percentage error of age, of spontaneous track density, of induced track density, and of neutron dose, respectively, and C is a constant. The correlation, r, between spontaneous are induced track densities is a crucial element in the error analysis, acting generally to improve the standard error of age. In addition, the correlation parameter r is instrumental is specifying the level of neutron dose, a controlled variable, which will minimize the standard error of age. The results from the approximation equation agree closely with the results from an independent statistical model for the propagation of errors in the fission-track dating method. ?? 1979.

Protocol Coordinator | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Within the Leidos Biomedical Research Inc.’s Clinical Research Directorate, the Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) provides high-quality comprehensive and strategic operational support to the high-profile domestic and international clinical research initiatives of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Clinical Center (CC), National Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Since its inception in 2001, CMRP’s ability to provide rapid responses, high-quality solutions, and to recruit and retain experts with a variety of backgrounds to meet the growing research portfolios of NCI, NIAID, CC, NHLBI, NIAMS, NCATS, NINDS, and NIMH has led to the considerable expansion of the program and its repertoire of support services. CMRP’s support services are strategically aligned with the program’s mission to provide comprehensive, dedicated support to assist National Institutes of Health researchers in providing the highest quality of clinical research in compliance with applicable regulations and guidelines, maintaining data integrity, and protecting human subjects. For the scientific advancement of clinical research, CMRP services include comprehensive clinical trials, regulatory, pharmacovigilance, protocol navigation and development, and programmatic and project management support for facilitating the conduct of 400+ Phase I, II, and III domestic and international trials on a yearly basis. These trials investigate the prevention, diagnosis, treatment of, and therapies for cancer, influenza, HIV, and other infectious diseases and viruses such as hepatitis C, tuberculosis, malaria, and Ebola virus; heart, lung, and blood diseases and conditions; parasitic infections; rheumatic and inflammatory diseases; and rare and neglected diseases.  CMRP’s collaborative approach to clinical research and the expertise and dedication of staff to the continuation and success of the program’s mission has contributed to improving the overall standards of public health on a global scale. The Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) provides comprehensive clinical and administrative support to the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research’s (CCR), Office of Regulatory Affairs for protocol development review, regulatory review, and the implementation process as well as oversees medical writing/editing, regulatory/ compliance, and protocol coordination/navigation and administration. KEY ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES - THIS POSITION IS CONTINGENT UPON FUNDING APPROVAL The Protocol Coordinator II: Provides programmatic and logistical support for the operations of clinical research for Phase I and Phase II clinical trials Provides deployment of clinical support services for clinical research Streamlines protocol development timeline Provides data and document collection and compilation for regulatory filing with the FDA and other regulatory authorities Provides administrative coordination and general logistical support for regulatory activities Ensures the provision of training for investigators and associate staff to reinforce and enhance a GCP culture Provides quality assurance and quality control oversight Performs regulatory review of clinical protocols, informed consent and other clinical documents Tracks and facilitates a portfolio of protocols through each process step (IRB, RAC, DSMB, Office of Protocol Services) Assists clinical investigators in preparing clinical research protocols, including writing and formatting protocol documents and consent forms Prepares protocol packages for review and ensures that protocol packages include all of the required material and comply with CCR, NCI and NIH policies Collaborates with investigators to resolve any protocol/data issues Coordinates submission of protocols for scientific and ethical review by the Branch scientific review committees, the NCI Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the clinical trial sponsor or the FDA Monitors the review process and maintains detailed, complete and accurate records for each protocol of the approvals at the various stages of the review process, including new protocol submissions, amendments to protocols, and continuing reviews, as well as other submissions such as adverse events Attends and prepares minutes for the Branch Protocol Review Committees For protocols that are performed with other research centers: contacts coordinators at other centers to obtain review committee approvals at these centers, maintains records of these approvals at the outside centers in the protocol files, and sends protocol amendments and other reports to the participating centers Maintains a schedule of all review committee submission deadline dates and meeting dates Assists clinical investigators in understanding and complying with the entire review process Works closely with the NCI Protocol Review Office in establishing and maintaining a paperless automated document management and tracking system for NCI protocols Converts protocols from Word format to PDF with bookmarks Maintains the PDF version of the most current approved version of each active clinical protocol on a central server    This position has the option to be located in Frederick or Rockville, Maryland.

Competition in Defense Acquisitions

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-14

NASA employees to maintain desktop assets No way to track costs, no standardization, not tracking service quality NASA’s Outsourcing Desktop...assets to the private sector. ODIN Goals Cut desktop computing costs Increase service quality Achieve interoperability and standardization Focus...not tracking service quality NASA’s Outsourcing Desktop Initiative (ODIN) transferred the responsibility for providing and managing the vast

Results of interlaboratory comparison of fission-track age standards: Fission-track workshop-1984

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, D.S.; Duddy, I.R.; Green, P.F.; Hurford, A.J.; Naeser, C.W.

1985-01-01

Five samples were made available as standards for the 1984 Fission Track Workshop held in the summer of 1984 (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York). Two zircons, two apatites and a sphene were distributed prior to the meeting to 40 different laboratories. To date, 24 different analysts have reported results. The isotopic ages of the standards ranged from 16.8 to 98.7 Myr. Only the statement that the age of each sample was less than 200 Myr was provided with the set of standards distributed. Consequently, each laboratory was required to use their laboratory's accepted treatment (irradiation level, etching conditions, counting conditions, etc.) for these samples. The results show that some workers have serious problems in achieving accurate age determinations. This emphasizes the need to calibrate experimental techniques and counting procedures against age standards before unknown ages are determined. Any fission-track age determination published or submitted for publication can only be considered reliable if it is supported by evidence of consistent determinations on age standards. Only this can provide the scientific community with the background to build up confidence concerning the validity of the fission-track method. ?? 1985.

Telemonitoring systems interoperability challenge: an updated review of the applicability of ISO/IEEE 11073 standards for interoperability in telemonitoring.

PubMed

Galarraga, M; Serrano, L; Martinez, I; de Toledo, P; Reynolds, Melvin

2007-01-01

Advances in Information and Communication Technologies, ICT, are bringing new opportunities and use cases in the field of systems and Personal Health Devices used for the telemonitoring of citizens in Home or Mobile scenarios. At a time of such challenges, this review arises from the need to identify robust technical telemonitoring solutions that are both open and interoperable. These systems demand standardized solutions to be cost effective and to take advantage of standardized operation and interoperability. Thus, the fundamental challenge is to design plug-&-play devices that, either as individual elements or as components, can be incorporated in a simple way into different Telecare systems, perhaps configuring a personal user network. Moreover, there is an increasing market pressure from companies not traditionally involved in medical markets, asking for a standard for Personal Health Devices, which foresee a vast demand for telemonitoring, wellness, Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) and e-health applications. However, the newly emerging situations imply very strict requirements for the protocols involved in the communication. The ISO/IEEE 11073 family of standards is adapting and moving in order to face the challenge and might appear the best positioned international standards to reach this goal. This work presents an updated survey of these standards, trying to track the changes that are being fulfilled, and tries to serve as a starting-point for those who want to familiarize themselves with them.

TU-G-BRD-04: A Round Robin Dosimetry Intercomparison of Gamma Stereotactic Radiosurgery Calibration Protocols

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

Drzymala, R; Alvarez, P; Bednarz, G

2015-06-15

Purpose: The purpose of this multi-institutional study was to compare two new gamma stereotactic radiosurgery (GSRS) dosimetry protocols to existing calibration methods. The ultimate goal was to guide AAPM Task Group 178 in recommending a standard GSRS dosimetry protocol. Methods: Nine centers (ten GSRS units) participated in the study. Each institution made eight sets of dose rate measurements: six with two different ionization chambers in three different 160mm-diameter spherical phantoms (ABS plastic, Solid Water and liquid water), and two using the same ionization chambers with a custom in-air positioning jig. Absolute dose rates were calculated using a newly proposed formalismmore » by the IAEA working group for small and non-standard radiation fields and with a new air-kerma based protocol. The new IAEA protocol requires an in-water ionization chamber calibration and uses previously reported Monte-Carlo generated factors to account for the material composition of the phantom, the type of ionization chamber, and the unique GSRS beam configuration. Results obtained with the new dose calibration protocols were compared to dose rates determined by the AAPM TG-21 and TG-51 protocols, with TG-21 considered as the standard. Results: Averaged over all institutions, ionization chambers and phantoms, the mean dose rate determined with the new IAEA protocol relative to that determined with TG-21 in the ABS phantom was 1.000 with a standard deviation of 0.008. For TG-51, the average ratio was 0.991 with a standard deviation of 0.013, and for the new in-air formalism it was 1.008 with a standard deviation of 0.012. Conclusion: Average results with both of the new protocols agreed with TG-21 to within one standard deviation. TG-51, which does not take into account the unique GSRS beam configuration or phantom material, was not expected to perform as well as the new protocols. The new IAEA protocol showed remarkably good agreement with TG-21. Conflict of Interests: Paula Petti, Josef Novotny, Gennady Neyman and Steve Goetsch are consultants for Elekta Instrument A/B; Elekta Instrument AB, PTW Freiburg GmbH, Standard Imaging, Inc., and The Phantom Laboratory, Inc. loaned equipment for use in these experiments; The University of Wisconsin Accredited Dosimetry Calibration Laboratory provided calibration services.« less

A Standard Mutual Authentication Protocol for Cloud Computing Based Health Care System.

PubMed

Mohit, Prerna; Amin, Ruhul; Karati, Arijit; Biswas, G P; Khan, Muhammad Khurram

2017-04-01

Telecare Medical Information System (TMIS) supports a standard platform to the patient for getting necessary medical treatment from the doctor(s) via Internet communication. Security protection is important for medical records (data) of the patients because of very sensitive information. Besides, patient anonymity is another most important property, which must be protected. Most recently, Chiou et al. suggested an authentication protocol for TMIS by utilizing the concept of cloud environment. They claimed that their protocol is patient anonymous and well security protected. We reviewed their protocol and found that it is completely insecure against patient anonymity. Further, the same protocol is not protected against mobile device stolen attack. In order to improve security level and complexity, we design a light weight authentication protocol for the same environment. Our security analysis ensures resilience of all possible security attacks. The performance of our protocol is relatively standard in comparison with the related previous research.

EPA Traceability Protocol for Assay and Certification of Gaseous Calibration Standards

EPA Science Inventory

In 1997, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, revised its 1993 version of its traceability protocol for the assay and certification of compressed gas and permeation-device calibration standards. The protocol allows producers o...

H∞ output tracking control of discrete-time nonlinear systems via standard neural network models.

PubMed

Liu, Meiqin; Zhang, Senlin; Chen, Haiyang; Sheng, Weihua

2014-10-01

This brief proposes an output tracking control for a class of discrete-time nonlinear systems with disturbances. A standard neural network model is used to represent discrete-time nonlinear systems whose nonlinearity satisfies the sector conditions. H∞ control performance for the closed-loop system including the standard neural network model, the reference model, and state feedback controller is analyzed using Lyapunov-Krasovskii stability theorem and linear matrix inequality (LMI) approach. The H∞ controller, of which the parameters are obtained by solving LMIs, guarantees that the output of the closed-loop system closely tracks the output of a given reference model well, and reduces the influence of disturbances on the tracking error. Three numerical examples are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed H∞ output tracking design approach.

Protocol Coordinator | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Within the Leidos Biomedical Research Inc.’s Clinical Research Directorate, the Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) provides high-quality comprehensive and strategic operational support to the high-profile domestic and international clinical research initiatives of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Clinical Center (CC), National Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Since its inception in 2001, CMRP’s ability to provide rapid responses, high-quality solutions, and to recruit and retain experts with a variety of backgrounds to meet the growing research portfolios of NCI, NIAID, CC, NHLBI, NIAMS, NCATS, NINDS, and NIMH has led to the considerable expansion of the program and its repertoire of support services. CMRP’s support services are strategically aligned with the program’s mission to provide comprehensive, dedicated support to assist National Institutes of Health researchers in providing the highest quality of clinical research in compliance with applicable regulations and guidelines, maintaining data integrity, and protecting human subjects. For the scientific advancement of clinical research, CMRP services include comprehensive clinical trials, regulatory, pharmacovigilance, protocol navigation and development, and programmatic and project management support for facilitating the conduct of 400+ Phase I, II, and III domestic and international trials on a yearly basis. These trials investigate the prevention, diagnosis, treatment of, and therapies for cancer, influenza, HIV, and other infectious diseases and viruses such as hepatitis C, tuberculosis, malaria, and Ebola virus; heart, lung, and blood diseases and conditions; parasitic infections; rheumatic and inflammatory diseases; and rare and neglected diseases. CMRP’s collaborative approach to clinical research and the expertise and dedication of staff to the continuation and success of the program’s mission has contributed to improving the overall standards of public health on a global scale. The Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) provides comprehensive clinical and administrative support to the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research’s (CCR) Protocol Support Office (PSO) for protocol development review, regulatory review, and the implementation process as well as oversees medical writing/editing, regulatory/ compliance, and protocol coordination/navigation and administration. KEY ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES The Protocol Coordinator III: Provides programmatic and logistical support for the operations of clinical research for Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. Provides deployment of clinical support services for clinical research. Streamlines the protocol development timeline. Provides data and documents collection and compilation for regulatory filing with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory authorities.. Provides technical review and report preparation. Provides administrative coordination and general logistical support for regulatory activities. Ensures the provision of training for investigators and associate staff to reinforce and enhance a Good Clinical Practices (GCP) culture. Oversees quality assurance and quality control, performs regulatory review of clinical protocols, informed consent and other clinical documents. Tracks and facilitates a portfolio of protocols through each process step (Institutional Review Board [IRB], Regulatory Affairs Compliance [RAC], Data Safety Monitoring Board [DSMB], Office of Protocol Services). Assists clinical investigators in preparing clinical research protocols, including writing and formatting consent forms. Prepares protocol packages for review and ensures that protocol packages include all of the required material and comply with CCR, NCI and NIH policies. Collaborates with investigators to resolve any protocol/data issues. Coordinates submission of protocols for scientific and ethical review by the Branch scientific review committees, the NCI IRB, and the clinical trial sponsor or the FDA. Monitors the review process and maintains detailed, complete and accurate records for each protocol of the approvals at the various stages of the review process, including new protocol submissions, amendments to protocols, and continuing reviews, as well as other submissions such as adverse events. Attends and prepares minutes for the Branch Protocol Review Committees. Contacts coordinators at other centers for protocols that are performed there to obtain review committee approvals at those centers, maintains records of these approvals and sends protocol amendments and other reports to the participating centers. Maintains a schedule of all review committee submission deadline dates and meeting dates. Assists clinical investigators in understanding and complying with the entire review process. Works closely with the NCI Protocol Review Office in establishing and maintaining a paperless automated document and tracking system for NCI protocols. Converts protocols from Word format to .pdf with bookmarks. Maintains the .pdf version of the most current approved version of each active clinical protocol on a central server. This position is located in Rockville, Maryland.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Preparation and Transfection-free Ferumoxytol Labeling for MRI Cell Tracking.

PubMed

Liu, Li; Ho, Chien

2017-11-15

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells and are the most widely studied cell type for stem cell therapies. In vivo cell tracking of MSCs labeled with an FDA-approved superparamagnetic iron-oxide (SPIO) particle by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides essential information, e.g., MSC engraftment, survival, and fate, thus improving cell therapy accuracy. However, current methodology for labeling MSCs with Ferumoxytol (Feraheme ® ), the only FDA-approved SPIO particle, needs transfection agents. This unit describes a new "bio-mimicry" protocol to prepare more native MSCs by using more "in vivo environment" of MSCs, so that the phagocytic activity of cultured MSCs is restored and expanded MSCs can be labeled with Ferumoxytol, without the need for transfection agents and/or electroporation. Moreover, MSCs re-size to a more native size, reducing from 32.0 to 19.5 μm. The MSCs prepared from this protocol retain more native properties and would be useful for biomedical applications and MSC-tracking studies by MRI. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Selection and application of microbial source tracking tools for water-quality investigations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stoeckel, Donald M.

2005-01-01

Microbial source tracking (MST) is a complex process that includes many decision-making steps. Once a contamination problem has been defined, the potential user of MST tools must thoroughly consider study objectives before deciding upon a source identifier, a detection method, and an analytical approach to apply to the problem. Regardless of which MST protocol is chosen, underlying assumptions can affect the results and interpretation. It is crucial to incorporate tests of those assumptions in the study quality-control plan to help validate results and facilitate interpretation. Detailed descriptions of MST objectives, protocols, and assumptions are provided in this report to assist in selection and application of MST tools for water-quality investigations. Several case studies illustrate real-world applications of MST protocols over a range of settings, spatial scales, and types of contamination. Technical details of many available source identifiers and detection methods are included as appendixes. By use of this information, researchers should be able to formulate realistic expectations for the information that MST tools can provide and, where possible, successfully execute investigations to characterize sources of fecal contamination to resource waters.

Aerospace physiology.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-01-01

This document defines the protocol standards for the Internet Protocol Suite (IPS), which is commonly referred to as Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocols used for data communications within the National Airspace System (...

Managing Information Technology: Facing the Issues. Track IV: Policy and Standards Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CAUSE, Boulder, CO.

Seven papers making up Track IV of the 1989 conference of the Professional Association for the Management of Information Technology in Higher Education (known as CAUSE; an acronym of the association's former name) are presented in this document. The focus of Track IV is on policy and standards issues and the papers include: "Developing…

Abbreviated Combined MR Protocol: A New Faster Strategy for Characterizing Breast Lesions.

PubMed

Moschetta, Marco; Telegrafo, Michele; Rella, Leonarda; Stabile Ianora, Amato Antonio; Angelelli, Giuseppe

2016-06-01

The use of an abbreviated magnetic resonance (MR) protocol has been recently proposed for cancer screening. The aim of our study is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of an abbreviated MR protocol combining short TI inversion recovery (STIR), turbo-spin-echo (TSE)-T2 sequences, a pre-contrast T1, and a single intermediate (3 minutes after contrast injection) post-contrast T1 sequence for characterizing breast lesions. A total of 470 patients underwent breast MR examination for screening, problem solving, or preoperative staging. Two experienced radiologists evaluated both standard and abbreviated protocols in consensus. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy for both protocols were calculated (with the histological findings and 6-month ultrasound follow-up as the reference standard) and compared with the McNemar test. The post-processing and interpretation times for the MR images were compared with the paired t test. In 177 of 470 (38%) patients, the MR sequences detected 185 breast lesions. Standard and abbreviated protocols obtained sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, PPV, and NPV values respectively of 92%, 92%, 92%, 68%, and 98% and of 89%, 91%, 91%, 64%, and 98% with no statistically significant difference (P < .0001). The mean post-processing and interpretation time were, respectively, 7 ± 1 minutes and 6 ± 3.2 minutes for the standard protocol and 1 ± 1.2 minutes and 2 ± 1.2 minutes for the abbreviated protocol, with a statistically significant difference (P < .01). An abbreviated combined MR protocol represents a time-saving tool for radiologists and patients with the same diagnostic potential as the standard protocol in patients undergoing breast MRI for screening, problem solving, or preoperative staging. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implementation and Evaluation of Four Interoperable Open Standards for the Internet of Things.

PubMed

Jazayeri, Mohammad Ali; Liang, Steve H L; Huang, Chih-Yuan

2015-09-22

Recently, researchers are focusing on a new use of the Internet called the Internet of Things (IoT), in which enabled electronic devices can be remotely accessed over the Internet. As the realization of IoT concept is still in its early stages, manufacturers of Internet-connected devices and IoT web service providers are defining their proprietary protocols based on their targeted applications. Consequently, IoT becomes heterogeneous in terms of hardware capabilities and communication protocols. Addressing these heterogeneities by following open standards is a necessary step to communicate with various IoT devices. In this research, we assess the feasibility of applying existing open standards on resource-constrained IoT devices. The standard protocols developed in this research are OGC PUCK over Bluetooth, TinySOS, SOS over CoAP, and OGC SensorThings API. We believe that by hosting open standard protocols on IoT devices, not only do the devices become self-describable, self-contained, and interoperable, but innovative applications can also be easily developed with standardized interfaces. In addition, we use memory consumption, request message size, response message size, and response latency to benchmark the efficiency of the implemented protocols. In all, this research presents and evaluates standard-based solutions to better understand the feasibility of applying existing standards to the IoT vision.

Tracking the mammary architectural features and detecting breast cancer with magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging.

PubMed

Nissan, Noam; Furman-Haran, Edna; Feinberg-Shapiro, Myra; Grobgeld, Dov; Eyal, Erez; Zehavi, Tania; Degani, Hadassa

2014-12-15

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer among women worldwide. Early detection of breast cancer has a critical role in improving the quality of life and survival of breast cancer patients. In this paper a new approach for the detection of breast cancer is described, based on tracking the mammary architectural elements using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The paper focuses on the scanning protocols and image processing algorithms and software that were designed to fit the diffusion properties of the mammary fibroglandular tissue and its changes during malignant transformation. The final output yields pixel by pixel vector maps that track the architecture of the entire mammary ductal glandular trees and parametric maps of the diffusion tensor coefficients and anisotropy indices. The efficiency of the method to detect breast cancer was tested by scanning women volunteers including 68 patients with breast cancer confirmed by histopathology findings. Regions with cancer cells exhibited a marked reduction in the diffusion coefficients and in the maximal anisotropy index as compared to the normal breast tissue, providing an intrinsic contrast for delineating the boundaries of malignant growth. Overall, the sensitivity of the DTI parameters to detect breast cancer was found to be high, particularly in dense breasts, and comparable to the current standard breast MRI method that requires injection of a contrast agent. Thus, this method offers a completely non-invasive, safe and sensitive tool for breast cancer detection.

EPA Traceability Protocol for Assay and Certification of Gaseous Calibration Standards (EPA/600/R-12/531, May 2012)

EPA Science Inventory

In 1997, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, revised its 1993 version of its traceability protocol for the assay and certification of compressed gas and permeation-device calibration standards. The protocol allows producers of...

Fast-track surgery after gynaecological oncological surgery: study protocol for a prospective randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Cui, Ling; Shi, Yu; Zhang, G N

2016-12-15

Fast-track surgery (FTS), also known as enhanced recovery after surgery, is a multidisciplinary approach to accelerate recovery, reduce complications, minimise hospital stay without increasing readmission rates, and reduce health care costs, all without compromising patient safety. The advantages of FTS in abdominal surgery most likely extend to gynaecological surgery, but this is an assumption, as FTS in elective gynaecological surgery has not been well studied. No consensus guidelines have been developed for gynaecological oncological surgery although surgeons have attempted to introduce slightly modified FTS programmes for patients undergoing such surgery. To our knowledge, there are no published randomised controlled trials; however, some studies have shown that FTS in gynaecological oncological surgery leads to early hospital discharge with high levels of patient satisfaction. The aim of this study is whether FTS reduces the length of stay in hospital compared to traditional management. The secondary aim is whether FTS is associated with any increase in post-surgical complications compared to traditional management (for both open and laparoscopic surgery). This trial will prospectively compare FTS and traditional management protocols. The primary endpoint is the length of post-operative hospitalisation (days, mean ± standard deviation), defined as the number of days between the date of discharge and the date of surgery. The secondary endpoints are complications in both groups (FTS versus traditional protocol) occurring during the first 3 months post-operatively including infection (wound infection, lung infection, intraperitoneal infection), post-operative nausea and vomiting, ileus, post-operative haemorrhage, post-operative thrombosis, and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Enquiry II score. The advantages of FTS most likely extend to gynaecology, although, to our knowledge, there are no randomised controlled trials. The aim of this study is to compare the post-operative length of hospitalisation after major gynaecological or gynaecological oncological surgery and to analyse patients' post-operative complications. This trial may reveal whether FTS leads to early hospital discharge with few complications after gynaecological surgery. NCT02687412 . Approval Number: SCCHEC20160001. Date of registration: registered on 23 February 2016.

[Pre-analytical stage for biomarker assessment in breast cancer: 2014 update of the GEFPICS' guidelines in France].

PubMed

MacGrogan, Gaëtan; Mathieu, Marie-Christine; Poulet, Bruno; Penault-Llorca, Frédérique; Vincent-Salomon, Anne; Roger, Pascal; Treilleux, Isabelle; Valent, Alexander; Antoine, Martine; Becette, Véronique; Bor, Catherine; Brabencova, Eva; Charafe-Jauffret, Emmanuelle; Chenard, Marie-Pierre; Dauplat, Marie-Mélanie; Delrée, Paul; Devouassoux, Mojgan; Fiche, Maryse; Fondrevelle, Marie-Eve; Fridman, Viviana; Garbar, Christian; Genin, Pascal; Ghnassia, Jean-Pierre; Haudebourg, Juliette; Laberge-Le Couteulx, Sophie; Loussouarn, Delphine; Maran-Gonzalez, Aurélie; Marcy, Myriam; Michenet, Patrick; Sagan, Christine; Trassard, Martine; Verriele, Véronique; Arnould, Laurent; Lacroix-Triki, Magali

2014-10-01

Biomarker assessment of breast cancer tumor samples is part of the routine workflow of pathology laboratories. International guidelines have recently been updated, with special regards to the pre-analytical steps that are critical for the quality of immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization procedures, whatever the biomarker analyzed. Fixation and specimen handling protocols must be standardized, validated and carefully tracked. Cooperation and training of the personnel involved in the specimen workflow (e.g. radiologists, surgeons, nurses, technicians and pathologists) are of paramount importance. The GEFPICS' update of the recommendations herein details and comments the different steps of the pre-analytical process. Application of these guidelines and participation to quality insurance programs are mandatory to ensure the correct evaluation of oncotheranostic biomarkers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE): application in population structure studies of bovine mastitis-causing streptococci.

PubMed

Santos-Sanches, Ilda; Chambel, Lélia; Tenreiro, Rogério

2015-01-01

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) separates large DNA molecules by the use of an alternating electrical field, such that greater size resolution can be obtained when compared to normal agarose gel electrophoresis. PFGE is often employed to track pathogens and is a valuable typing scheme to detect and differentiate strains. Particularly, the contour-clamped homogeneous electric field (CHEF) PFGE system is considered to be the gold standard for use in epidemiological studies of many bacterial pathogens. Here we describe a PFGE protocol that was applicable to the study of bovine streptococci, namely, Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus, GBS), Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae (group C Streptococcus, GCS), and Streptococcus uberis-which are relevant pathogens causing mastitis, a highly prevalent and costly disease in dairy industry due to antibiotherapy and loss in milk production.

21 CFR 821.25 - Device tracking system and content requirements: manufacturer requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... manufacturer of a tracked device shall keep current records in accordance with its standard operating procedure... this section. A manufacturer shall make this standard operating procedure available to FDA upon request. A manufacturer shall incorporate the following into the standard operating procedure: (1) Data...

21 CFR 821.25 - Device tracking system and content requirements: manufacturer requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... manufacturer of a tracked device shall keep current records in accordance with its standard operating procedure... this section. A manufacturer shall make this standard operating procedure available to FDA upon request. A manufacturer shall incorporate the following into the standard operating procedure: (1) Data...

21 CFR 821.25 - Device tracking system and content requirements: manufacturer requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... manufacturer of a tracked device shall keep current records in accordance with its standard operating procedure... this section. A manufacturer shall make this standard operating procedure available to FDA upon request. A manufacturer shall incorporate the following into the standard operating procedure: (1) Data...

21 CFR 821.25 - Device tracking system and content requirements: manufacturer requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... manufacturer of a tracked device shall keep current records in accordance with its standard operating procedure... this section. A manufacturer shall make this standard operating procedure available to FDA upon request. A manufacturer shall incorporate the following into the standard operating procedure: (1) Data...

19F-perfluorocarbon-labeled human peripheral blood mononuclear cells can be detected in vivo using clinical MRI parameters in a therapeutic cell setting.

PubMed

Fink, Corby; Gaudet, Jeffrey M; Fox, Matthew S; Bhatt, Shashank; Viswanathan, Sowmya; Smith, Michael; Chin, Joseph; Foster, Paula J; Dekaban, Gregory A

2018-01-12

A 19 Fluorine ( 19 F) perfluorocarbon cell labeling agent, when employed with an appropriate cellular MRI protocol, allows for in vivo cell tracking. 19 F cellular MRI can be used to non-invasively assess the location and persistence of cell-based cancer vaccines and other cell-based therapies. This study was designed to determine the feasibility of labeling and tracking peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), a heterogeneous cell population. Under GMP-compliant conditions human PBMC were labeled with a 19 F-based MRI cell-labeling agent in a manner safe for autologous re-injection. Greater than 99% of PBMC labeled with the 19 F cell-labeling agent without affecting functionality or affecting viability. The 19 F-labeled PBMC were detected in vivo in a mouse model at the injection site and in a draining lymph node. A clinical cellular MR protocol was optimized for the detection of PBMC injected both at the surface of a porcine shank and at a depth of 1.2 cm, equivalent to depth of a human lymph node, using a dual 1 H/ 19 F dual switchable surface radio frequency coil. This study demonstrates it is feasible to label and track 19 F-labeled PBMC using clinical MRI protocols. Thus, 19 F cellular MRI represents a non-invasive imaging technique suitable to assess the effectiveness of cell-based cancer vaccines.

Lentiviral Vectors and Protocols for Creation of Stable hESC Lines for Fluorescent Tracking and Drug Resistance Selection of Cardiomyocytes

PubMed Central

Kita-Matsuo, Hiroko; Barcova, Maria; Prigozhina, Natalie; Salomonis, Nathan; Wei, Karen; Jacot, Jeffrey G.; Nelson, Brandon; Spiering, Sean; Haverslag, René; Kim, Changsung; Talantova, Maria; Bajpai, Ruchi; Calzolari, Diego; Terskikh, Alexey; McCulloch, Andrew D.; Price, Jeffrey H.; Conklin, Bruce R.; Chen, H. S. Vincent; Mercola, Mark

2009-01-01

Background Developmental, physiological and tissue engineering studies critical to the development of successful myocardial regeneration therapies require new ways to effectively visualize and isolate large numbers of fluorescently labeled, functional cardiomyocytes. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we describe methods for the clonal expansion of engineered hESCs and make available a suite of lentiviral vectors for that combine Blasticidin, Neomycin and Puromycin resistance based drug selection of pure populations of stem cells and cardiomyocytes with ubiquitous or lineage-specific promoters that direct expression of fluorescent proteins to visualize and track cardiomyocytes and their progenitors. The phospho-glycerate kinase (PGK) promoter was used to ubiquitously direct expression of histone-2B fused eGFP and mCherry proteins to the nucleus to monitor DNA content and enable tracking of cell migration and lineage. Vectors with T/Brachyury and α-myosin heavy chain (αMHC) promoters targeted fluorescent or drug-resistance proteins to early mesoderm and cardiomyocytes. The drug selection protocol yielded 96% pure cardiomyocytes that could be cultured for over 4 months. Puromycin-selected cardiomyocytes exhibited a gene expression profile similar to that of adult human cardiomyocytes and generated force and action potentials consistent with normal fetal cardiomyocytes, documenting these parameters in hESC-derived cardiomyocytes and validating that the selected cells retained normal differentiation and function. Conclusion/Significance The protocols, vectors and gene expression data comprise tools to enhance cardiomyocyte production for large-scale applications. PMID:19352491

49 CFR 213.63 - Track surface.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Track surface. 213.63 Section 213.63 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Track Geometry § 213.63 Track surface. Each owner of the...

49 CFR 213.63 - Track surface.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Track surface. 213.63 Section 213.63 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Track Geometry § 213.63 Track surface. Each owner of the...

Lighting Automation Flying an Earthlike Habitat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, Toni A.; Kolomenski, Andrei

2017-01-01

Currently, spacecraft lighting systems are not demonstrating innovations in automation due to perceived costs in designing circuitry for the communication and automation of lights. The majority of spacecraft lighting systems employ lamps or zone specific manual switches and dimmers. This type of 'hardwired' solution does not easily convert to automation. With advances in solid state lighting, the potential to enhance a spacecraft habitat is lost if the communication and automation problem is not tackled. If we are to build long duration environments, which provide earth-like habitats, minimize crew time, and optimize spacecraft power reserves, innovation in lighting automation is a must. This project researched the use of the DMX512 communication protocol originally developed for high channel count lighting systems. DMX512 is an internationally governed, industry-accepted, lighting communication protocol with wide industry support. The lighting industry markets a wealth of hardware and software that utilizes DMX512, and there may be incentive to space certify the system. Our goal in this research is to enable the development of automated spacecraft habitats for long duration missions. To transform how spacecraft lighting environments are automated, our project conducted a variety of tests to determine a potential scope of capability. We investigated utilization and application of an industry accepted lighting control protocol, DMX512 by showcasing how the lighting system could help conserve power, assist with lighting countermeasures, and utilize spatial body tracking. We hope evaluation and the demonstrations we built will inspire other NASA engineers, architects and researchers to consider employing DMX512 "smart lighting" capabilities into their system architecture. By using DMX512 we will prove the 'wheel' does not need to be reinvented in terms of smart lighting and future spacecraft can use a standard lighting protocol to produce an effective, optimized and potentially earthlike habitat.

A MBD-seq protocol for large-scale methylome-wide studies with (very) low amounts of DNA.

PubMed

Aberg, Karolina A; Chan, Robin F; Shabalin, Andrey A; Zhao, Min; Turecki, Gustavo; Staunstrup, Nicklas Heine; Starnawska, Anna; Mors, Ole; Xie, Lin Y; van den Oord, Edwin Jcg

2017-09-01

We recently showed that, after optimization, our methyl-CpG binding domain sequencing (MBD-seq) application approximates the methylome-wide coverage obtained with whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGB-seq), but at a cost that enables adequately powered large-scale association studies. A prior drawback of MBD-seq is the relatively large amount of genomic DNA (ideally >1 µg) required to obtain high-quality data. Biomaterials are typically expensive to collect, provide a finite amount of DNA, and may simply not yield sufficient starting material. The ability to use low amounts of DNA will increase the breadth and number of studies that can be conducted. Therefore, we further optimized the enrichment step. With this low starting material protocol, MBD-seq performed equally well, or better, than the protocol requiring ample starting material (>1 µg). Using only 15 ng of DNA as input, there is minimal loss in data quality, achieving 93% of the coverage of WGB-seq (with standard amounts of input DNA) at similar false/positive rates. Furthermore, across a large number of genomic features, the MBD-seq methylation profiles closely tracked those observed for WGB-seq with even slightly larger effect sizes. This suggests that MBD-seq provides similar information about the methylome and classifies methylation status somewhat more accurately. Performance decreases with <15 ng DNA as starting material but, even with as little as 5 ng, MBD-seq still achieves 90% of the coverage of WGB-seq with comparable genome-wide methylation profiles. Thus, the proposed protocol is an attractive option for adequately powered and cost-effective methylome-wide investigations using (very) low amounts of DNA.

Lighting Automation - Flying an Earthlike Habitat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, Tori A. (Principal Investigator); Kolomenski, Andrei

2017-01-01

Currently, spacecraft lighting systems are not demonstrating innovations in automation due to perceived costs in designing circuitry for the communication and automation of lights. The majority of spacecraft lighting systems employ lamps or zone specific manual switches and dimmers. This type of 'hardwired' solution does not easily convert to automation. With advances in solid state lighting, the potential to enhance a spacecraft habitat is lost if the communication and automation problem is not tackled. If we are to build long duration environments, which provide earth-like habitats, minimize crew time, and optimize spacecraft power reserves, innovation in lighting automation is a must. This project researched the use of the DMX512 communication protocol originally developed for high channel count lighting systems. DMX512 is an internationally governed, industry-accepted, lighting communication protocol with wide industry support. The lighting industry markets a wealth of hardware and software that utilizes DMX512, and there may be incentive to space certify the system. Our goal in this research is to enable the development of automated spacecraft habitats for long duration missions. To transform how spacecraft lighting environments are automated, our project conducted a variety of tests to determine a potential scope of capability. We investigated utilization and application of an industry accepted lighting control protocol, DMX512 by showcasing how the lighting system could help conserve power, assist with lighting countermeasures, and utilize spatial body tracking. We hope evaluation and the demonstrations we built will inspire other NASA engineers, architects and researchers to consider employing DMX512 "smart lighting" capabilities into their system architecture. By using DMX512 we will prove the 'wheel' does not need to be reinvented in terms of smart lighting and future spacecraft can use a standard lighting protocol to produce an effective, optimized and potentially earthlike habitat.

Elbow joint position sense after neuromuscular training with handheld vibration.

PubMed

Tripp, Brady L; Faust, Donald; Jacobs, Patrick

2009-01-01

Clinicians use neuromuscular control exercises to enhance joint position sense (JPS); however, because standardizing such exercises is difficult, validations of their use are limited. To evaluate the acute effects of a neuromuscular training exercise with a handheld vibrating dumbbell on elbow JPS acuity. Crossover study. University athletic training research laboratory. Thirty-one healthy, college-aged volunteers (16 men, 15 women, age = 23 + or - 3 years, height = 173 + or - 8 cm, mass = 76 + or - 14 kg). We measured and trained elbow JPS using an electromagnetic tracking device that provided auditory and visual biofeedback. For JPS testing, participants held a dumbbell and actively identified the target elbow flexion angle (90 degrees ) using the software-generated biofeedback, followed by 3 repositioning trials without feedback. Each neuromuscular training protocol included 3 exercises during which participants held a 2.55-kg dumbbell vibrating at 15, 5, or 0 Hz and used software-generated biofeedback to locate and maintain the target elbow flexion angle for 15 seconds. We calculated absolute (accuracy) and variable (variability) errors using the differences between target and reproduced angles. Training protocols using 15-Hz vibration enhanced accuracy and decreased variability of elbow JPS (P < or = .005), whereas 5-Hz vibration did not affect accuracy (F(1,61) = 2.625, P = .100) but did decrease variability (F(1,61) = 7.250, P = .009). The control condition and 0-Hz training protocol had no effect on accuracy or variability (P > or = .200). Our results suggest these neuromuscular control exercises, which included low-magnitude, low-frequency handheld vibration, may enhance elbow JPS. Future researchers should examine vibration of various durations and frequencies, should include injured participants and functional multijoint and multiplanar measures, and should examine long-term effects of training protocols on JPS and injury.

Reference equation for prediction of a total distance during six-minute walk test using Indonesian anthropometrics.

PubMed

Nusdwinuringtyas, Nury; Widjajalaksmi; Yunus, Faisal; Alwi, Idrus

2014-04-01

to develop a reference equation for prediction of the total distance walk using Indonesian anthropometrics of sedentary healthy subjects. Subsequently, the prediction obtained was compared to those calculated by the Caucasian-based Enright prediction equation. the cross-sectional study was conducted among 123 healthy Indonesian adults with sedentary life style (58 male and 65 female subjects in an age range between 18 and 50 years). Heart rate was recorded using Polar with expectation in the sub-maximal zone (120-170 beats per minute). The subjects performed two six-minute walk tests, the first one on a 15-meter track according to the protocol developed by the investigator. The second walk was carried out on Biodex®gait trainer as gold standard. an average total distance of 547±54.24 m was found, not significantly different from the gold standard of 544.72±54.11 m (p>0.05). Multiple regression analysis was performed to develop the new equation. the reference equation for prediction of the total distance using Indonesian anthropometrics is more applicable in Indonesia.

Software Assists in Extensive Environmental Auditing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callac, Christopher; Matherne, Charlie

2002-01-01

The Base Enivronmental Management System (BEMS) is a Web-based application program for managing and tracking audits by the Environmental Office of Stennis Space Center in conformity with standard 14001 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 14001). (This standard specifies requirements for an environmental-management system.) BEMS saves time by partly automating what were previously manual processes for creating audit checklists; recording and tracking audit results; issuing, tracking, and implementing corrective-action requests (CARs); tracking continuous improvements (CIs); and tracking audit results and statistics. BEMS consists on an administration module and an auditor module. As its name suggests, the administration module is used to administer the audit. It helps administrators to edit the list of audit questions; edit the list of audit locations; assign manditory questions to locations; track, approve, and edit CARs; and edit completed audits. The auditor module is used by auditors to perform audits and record audit results: It helps the auditors to create audit checklists, complete audits, view completed audits, create CARs, record and acknowledge CIs, and generate reports from audit results.

Software Assists in Extensive Environmental Auditing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callac, Christopher; Matherne, Charlie

2003-01-01

The Base Environmental Management System (BEMS) is a Web-based application program for managing and tracking audits by the Environmental Office of Stennis Space Center in conformity with standard 14001 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 14001). (This standard specifies requirements for an environmental-management system.) BEMS saves time by partly automating what were previously manual processes for creating audit checklists; recording and tracking audit results; issuing, tracking, and implementing corrective-action requests (CARs); tracking continuous improvements (CIs); and tracking audit results and statistics. BEMS consists of an administration module and an auditor module. As its name suggests, the administration module is used to administer the audit. It helps administrators to edit the list of audit questions; edit the list of audit locations; assign mandatory questions to locations; track, approve, and edit CARs; and edit completed audits. The auditor module is used by auditors to perform audits and record audit results: it helps the auditors to create audit checklists, complete audits, view completed audits, create CARs, record and acknowledge CIs, and generate reports from audit results.

Software Assists in Extensive Environmental Auditing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callac, Christopher; Matherne, Charlie; Selinsky, T.

2002-01-01

The Base Environmental Management System (BEMS) is a Web-based application program for managing and tracking audits by the Environmental Office of Stennis Space Center in conformity with standard 14001 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 14001). (This standard specifies requirements for an environmental-management system.) BEMS saves time by partly automating what were previously manual processes for creating audit checklists; recording and tracking audit results; issuing, tracking, and implementing corrective-action requests (CARs); tracking continuous improvements (CIs); and tracking audit results and statistics. BEMS consists of an administration module and an auditor module. As its name suggests, the administration module is used to administer the audit. It helps administrators to edit the list of audit questions; edit the list of audit locations; assign mandatory questions to locations; track, approve, and edit CARs; and edit completed audits. The auditor module is used by auditors to perform audits and record audit results: it helps the auditors to create audit checklists, complete audits, view completed audits, create CARs, record and acknowledge CIs, and generate reports from audit results.

Standardized patient walkthroughs in the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network: common challenges to protocol implementation.

PubMed

Fussell, Holly E; Kunkel, Lynn E; McCarty, Dennis; Lewy, Colleen S

2011-09-01

Training research staff to implement clinical trials occurring in community-based addiction treatment programs presents unique challenges. Standardized patient walkthroughs of study procedures may enhance training and protocol implementation. Examine and discuss cross-site and cross-study challenges of participant screening and data collection procedures identified during standardized patient walkthroughs of multi-site clinical trials. Actors portrayed clients and "walked through" study procedures with protocol research staff. The study completed 57 walkthroughs during implementation of 4 clinical trials. Observers and walkthrough participants identified three areas of concern (consent procedures, screening and assessment processes, and protocol implementation) and made suggestions for resolving the concerns. Standardized patient walkthroughs capture issues with study procedures previously unidentified with didactic training or unscripted rehearsals. Clinical trials within the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network are conducted in addiction treatment centers that vary on multiple dimensions. Based on walkthrough observations, the national protocol team and local site leadership modify standardized operating procedures and resolve cross-site problems prior to recruiting study participants. The standardized patient walkthrough improves consistency across study sites and reduces potential site variation in study outcomes.

Additional considerations are required when preparing a protocol for a systematic review with multiple interventions.

PubMed

Chaimani, Anna; Caldwell, Deborah M; Li, Tianjing; Higgins, Julian P T; Salanti, Georgia

2017-03-01

The number of systematic reviews that aim to compare multiple interventions using network meta-analysis is increasing. In this study, we highlight aspects of a standard systematic review protocol that may need modification when multiple interventions are to be compared. We take the protocol format suggested by Cochrane for a standard systematic review as our reference and compare the considerations for a pairwise review with those required for a valid comparison of multiple interventions. We suggest new sections for protocols of systematic reviews including network meta-analyses with a focus on how to evaluate their assumptions. We provide example text from published protocols to exemplify the considerations. Standard systematic review protocols for pairwise meta-analyses need extensions to accommodate the increased complexity of network meta-analysis. Our suggested modifications are widely applicable to both Cochrane and non-Cochrane systematic reviews involving network meta-analyses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Practicing Surgeons Lead in Quality Care, Safety, and Cost Control

PubMed Central

Shively, Eugene H.; Heine, Michael J.; Schell, Robert H.; Sharpe, J Neal; Garrison, R Neal; Vallance, Steven R.; DeSimone, Kenneth J.S.; Polk, Hiram C.

2004-01-01

Objective: To report the experiences of 66 surgical specialists from 15 different hospitals who performed 43 CPT-based procedures more than 16,000 times. Summary Background Data: Surgeons are under increasing pressure to demonstrate patient safety data as quantitated by objective and subjective outcomes that meet or exceed the standards of benchmark institutions or databases. Methods: Data from 66 surgical specialists on 43 CPT-based procedures were accessioned over a 4-year period. The hospitals vary from a small 30-bed hospital to large teaching hospitals. All reported deaths and complications were verified from hospital and office records and compared with benchmarks. Results: Over a 4-year inclusive period (1999–2002), 16,028 elective operations were accessioned. There was a total 1.4% complication rate and 0.05% death rate. A system has been developed for tracking outcomes. A wide range of improvements have been identified. These include the following: 1) improved classification of indications for systemic prophylactic antibiotic use and reduction in the variety of drugs used, 2) shortened length of stay for standard procedures in different surgical specialties, 3) adherence to strict indicators for selected operative procedures, 4) less use of costly diagnostic procedures, 5) decreased use of expensive home health services, 6) decreased use of very expensive drugs, 7) identification of the unnecessary expense of disposable laparoscopic devices, 8) development of a method to compare a one-surgeon hospital with his peers, and 9) development of unique protocols for interaction of anesthesia and surgery. The system also provides a very good basis for confirmation of patient safety and improvement therein. Conclusions: Since 1998, Quality Surgical Solutions, PLLC, has developed simple physician-authored protocols for delivering high-quality and cost-effective surgery that measure up to benchmark institutions. We have discovered wide areas for improvements in surgery by adherence to simple protocols, minimizing death and complications and clarifying cost issues. PMID:15166954

Perioperative strategy in colonic surgery; LAparoscopy and/or FAst track multimodal management versus standard care (LAFA trial)

PubMed Central

Wind, Jan; Hofland, Jan; Preckel, Benedikt; Hollmann, Markus W; Bossuyt, Patrick MM; Gouma, Dirk J; van Berge Henegouwen, Mark I; Fuhring, Jan Willem; Dejong, Cornelis HC; van Dam, Ronald M; Cuesta, Miguel A; Noordhuis, Astrid; de Jong, Dick; van Zalingen, Edith; Engel, Alexander F; Goei, T Hauwy; de Stoppelaar, I Erica; van Tets, Willem F; van Wagensveld, Bart A; Swart, Annemiek; van den Elsen, Maarten JLJ; Gerhards, Michael F; de Wit, Laurens Th; Siepel, Muriel AM; van Geloven, Anna AW; Juttmann, Jan-Willem; Clevers, Wilfred; Bemelman, Willem A

2006-01-01

Background Recent developments in large bowel surgery are the introduction of laparoscopic surgery and the implementation of multimodal fast track recovery programs. Both focus on a faster recovery and shorter hospital stay. The randomized controlled multicenter LAFA-trial (LAparoscopy and/or FAst track multimodal management versus standard care) was conceived to determine whether laparoscopic surgery, fast track perioperative care or a combination of both is to be preferred over open surgery with standard care in patients having segmental colectomy for malignant disease. Methods/design The LAFA-trial is a double blinded, multicenter trial with a 2 × 2 balanced factorial design. Patients eligible for segmental colectomy for malignant colorectal disease i.e. right and left colectomy and anterior resection will be randomized to either open or laparoscopic colectomy, and to either standard care or the fast track program. This factorial design produces four treatment groups; open colectomy with standard care (a), open colectomy with fast track program (b), laparoscopic colectomy with standard care (c), and laparoscopic surgery with fast track program (d). Primary outcome parameter is postoperative hospital length of stay including readmission within 30 days. Secondary outcome parameters are quality of life two and four weeks after surgery, overall hospital costs, morbidity, patient satisfaction and readmission rate. Based on a mean postoperative hospital stay of 9 +/- 2.5 days a group size of 400 patients (100 each arm) can reliably detect a minimum difference of 1 day between the four arms (alfa = 0.95, beta = 0.8). With 100 patients in each arm a difference of 10% in subscales of the Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire and social functioning can be detected. Discussion The LAFA-trial is a randomized controlled multicenter trial that will provide evidence on the merits of fast track perioperative care and laparoscopic colorectal surgery in patients having segmental colectomy for malignant disease. PMID:17134506

Effectiveness of standardized approach versus usual care on physiotherapy treatment for patients submitted to alveolar bone graft: a pilot study.

PubMed

Vidotto, Laís Silva; Bigliassi, Marcelo; Alencar, Tatiane Romanini Rodrigues; Silva, Thaísa Maria Santos; Probst, Vanessa Suziane

2015-07-01

To compare the acute effects of a standardized physiotherapy protocol versus a typical non-standardized physiotherapy protocol on pain and performance of patients undergoing alveolar bone graft (ABG). Sixteen patients (9 males; 12 [11-13] years) with cleft lip and palate undergoing ABG were allocated into two groups: (1) experimental group--EG (standardized physiotherapy protocol); and (2) control group--CG (typical, non-standardized physiotherapy treatment). Range of motion, muscle strength, gait speed, and pain level were assessed prior to surgical intervention (PRE), as well as on the first, second, and third post-operative days (1st, 2nd, and 3rd PO, respectively). Recovery with respect to range of motion of hip flexion was more pronounced in the EG (64.6 ± 11.0°) in comparison to the CG (48.5 ± 17.7° on the 3rd PO; p < 0.05). In addition, less pain was observed in the EG (0 [0-0.2] versus 2 [0.7-3] in the CG on the 3rd PO; p < 0.05). A standardized physiotherapy protocol appears to be better than a non-standardized physiotherapy protocol for acute improvement of range of motion of hip flexion and for reducing pain in patients undergoing ABG.

Structural requirements of research tissue banks derived from standardized project surveillance.

PubMed

Herpel, E; Koleganova, N; Schreiber, B; Walter, B; Kalle, C V; Schirmacher, P

2012-07-01

Tissue banks constitute decisive and rate-limiting resource and technology platforms for basic and translational biomedical research, notably in the area of cancer. Thus, it is essential to plan and structure tissue banking and allocate resources according to research needs, but essential requirements are still incompletely defined. The tissue bank of the National Center of Tumor Diseases Heidelberg (NCT) was founded with the intention to provide tissues of optimal quality and to prioritize the realization of research projects. We analysed its structure and prospective project management registration as well as tracking records for all projects of the NCT tissue bank as of its start in 2005 in order to obtain information that may be relevant for tissue bank planning. All project proposals submitted to the NCT tissue bank (n = 681) were included in the study. For a detailed evaluation of provided services, only projects that were completed until July 2011 (n = 605) were analysed. For these 605 projects, NCT tissue bank provided 769 specific services. In all projects/services, we recorded project leader, type and amount of material provided, type of research (basic/translational), work load of project and project completion. Furthermore, all completed projects were tracked after 90 days according to a standard protocol to determine principal investigators' (PI) satisfaction and quality of the provided material. Until July 2011, 605 projects had been successfully completed as documented by material transfer agreement. Of the projects, 72.7 % addressed basic research, 22.3 % were translational research projects and 3 % concerned epidemiological research; 91 % (n = 546) concerned a single PI and the NTC tissue bank. For these projects, 769 specific services were provided. Of these services, 288 concerned providing formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue (extracts, full size sections), 126 providing fresh frozen materials (including fresh frozen sections), 137 providing tissue micro-array (TMA)-based sections and 199 providing immunohistochemical services. Project tracking demonstrated that all projects had started within 90 days after reception of the material by the PIs, and PI satisfaction with provided material exceeded 97 %. Standardized registration and tracking provides valuable structural information for planning and financing of tissue banks and allocation of resources. The high number of completed projects as well as high user satisfaction demonstrates that structuring of tissue banks should be preferably research-oriented and highly efficient. The comparable number of requests for FFPE and fresh frozen tissue as well as TMA-based services underpins the need for a broad approach in terms of methods and material types in order to fulfil research needs.

Prospective Evaluation of a Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry System in a Hospital Clinical Microbiology Laboratory for Identification of Bacteria and Yeasts: a Bench-by-Bench Study for Assessing the Impact on Time to Identification and Cost-Effectiveness

PubMed Central

Tan, K. E.; Ellis, B. C.; Lee, R.; Stamper, P. D.; Zhang, S. X.

2012-01-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been found to be an accurate, rapid, and inexpensive method for the identification of bacteria and yeasts. Previous evaluations have compared the accuracy, time to identification, and costs of the MALDI-TOF MS method against standard identification systems or commercial panels. In this prospective study, we compared a protocol incorporating MALDI-TOF MS (MALDI protocol) with the current standard identification protocols (standard protocol) to determine the performance in actual practice using a specimen-based, bench-by-bench approach. The potential impact on time to identification (TTI) and costs had MALDI-TOF MS been the first-line identification method was quantitated. The MALDI protocol includes supplementary tests, notably for Streptococcus pneumoniae and Shigella, and indications for repeat MALDI-TOF MS attempts, often not measured in previous studies. A total of 952 isolates (824 bacterial isolates and 128 yeast isolates) recovered from 2,214 specimens were assessed using the MALDI protocol. Compared with standard protocols, the MALDI protocol provided identifications 1.45 days earlier on average (P < 0.001). In our laboratory, we anticipate that the incorporation of the MALDI protocol can reduce reagent and labor costs of identification by $102,424 or 56.9% within 12 months. The model included the fixed annual costs of the MALDI-TOF MS, such as the cost of protein standards and instrument maintenance, and the annual prevalence of organisms encountered in our laboratory. This comprehensive cost analysis model can be generalized to other moderate- to high-volume laboratories. PMID:22855510

Wound-healing outcomes using standardized assessment and care in clinical practice.

PubMed

Bolton, Laura; McNees, Patrick; van Rijswijk, Lia; de Leon, Jean; Lyder, Courtney; Kobza, Laura; Edman, Kelly; Scheurich, Anne; Shannon, Ron; Toth, Michelle

2004-01-01

Wound-healing outcomes applying standardized protocols have typically been measured within controlled clinical trials, not natural settings. Standardized protocols of wound care have been validated for clinical use, creating an opportunity to measure the resulting outcomes. Wound-healing outcomes were explored during clinical use of standardized validated protocols of care based on patient and wound assessments. This was a prospective multicenter study of wound-healing outcomes management in real-world clinical practice. Healing outcomes from March 26 to October 31, 2001, were recorded on patients in 3 long-term care facilities, 1 long-term acute care hospital, and 12 home care agencies for wounds selected by staff to receive care based on computer-generated validated wound care algorithms. After diagnosis, wound dimensions and status were assessed using a tool adapted from the Pressure Sore Status Toolfor use on all wounds. Wound, ostomy, and continence nursing professionals accessed consistent protocols of care, via telemedicine in home care or paper forms in long-term care. A physician entered assessments into a desktop computer in the wound clinic. Based on evidence that healing proceeds faster with fewer infections in environments without gauze, the protocols generally avoided gauze dressings. Most of the 767 wounds selected to receive the standardized-protocols of care were stage III-IV pressure ulcers (n = 373; mean healing time 62 days) or full-thickness venous ulcers (n = 124; mean healing time 57 days). Partial-thickness wounds healed faster than same-etiology full-thickness wounds. These results provide benchmarks for natural-setting healing outcomes and help to define and address wound care challenges. Outcomes primarily using nongauze protocols of care matched or surpassed best previously published results on similar wounds using gauze-based protocols of care, including protocols applying gauze impregnated with growth factors or other agents.

Prospective evaluation of a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry system in a hospital clinical microbiology laboratory for identification of bacteria and yeasts: a bench-by-bench study for assessing the impact on time to identification and cost-effectiveness.

PubMed

Tan, K E; Ellis, B C; Lee, R; Stamper, P D; Zhang, S X; Carroll, K C

2012-10-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been found to be an accurate, rapid, and inexpensive method for the identification of bacteria and yeasts. Previous evaluations have compared the accuracy, time to identification, and costs of the MALDI-TOF MS method against standard identification systems or commercial panels. In this prospective study, we compared a protocol incorporating MALDI-TOF MS (MALDI protocol) with the current standard identification protocols (standard protocol) to determine the performance in actual practice using a specimen-based, bench-by-bench approach. The potential impact on time to identification (TTI) and costs had MALDI-TOF MS been the first-line identification method was quantitated. The MALDI protocol includes supplementary tests, notably for Streptococcus pneumoniae and Shigella, and indications for repeat MALDI-TOF MS attempts, often not measured in previous studies. A total of 952 isolates (824 bacterial isolates and 128 yeast isolates) recovered from 2,214 specimens were assessed using the MALDI protocol. Compared with standard protocols, the MALDI protocol provided identifications 1.45 days earlier on average (P < 0.001). In our laboratory, we anticipate that the incorporation of the MALDI protocol can reduce reagent and labor costs of identification by $102,424 or 56.9% within 12 months. The model included the fixed annual costs of the MALDI-TOF MS, such as the cost of protein standards and instrument maintenance, and the annual prevalence of organisms encountered in our laboratory. This comprehensive cost analysis model can be generalized to other moderate- to high-volume laboratories.

Evaluation of Vitamin D Standardization Program protocols for standardizing serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D data: a case study of the program's potential for national nutrition and health surveys12345

PubMed Central

Cashman, Kevin D; Kiely, Mairead; Kinsella, Michael; Durazo-Arvizu, Ramón A; Tian, Lu; Zhang, Yue; Lucey, Alice; Flynn, Albert; Gibney, Michael J; Vesper, Hubert W; Phinney, Karen W; Coates, Paul M; Picciano, Mary F; Sempos, Christopher T

2013-01-01

Background: The Vitamin D Standardization Program (VDSP) has developed protocols for standardizing procedures of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] measurement in National Health/Nutrition Surveys to promote 25(OH)D measurements that are accurate and comparable over time, location, and laboratory procedure to improve public health practice. Objective: We applied VDSP protocols to existing ELISA-derived serum 25(OH)D data from the Irish National Adult Nutrition Survey (NANS) as a case-study survey and evaluated their effectiveness by comparison of the protocol-projected estimates with those from a reanalysis of survey serums by using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–tandem MS). Design: The VDSP reference system and protocols were applied to ELISA-based serum 25(OH)D data from the representative NANS sample (n = 1118). A reanalysis of 99 stored serums by using standardized LC–tandem MS and resulting regression equations yielded predicted standardized serum 25(OH)D values, which were then compared with LC–tandem MS reanalyzed values for all serums. Results: Year-round prevalence rates for serum 25(OH)D concentrations <30, <40, and <50 nmol/L were 6.5%, 21.9%, and 40.0%, respectively, via original ELISA measurements and 11.4%, 25.3%, and 43.7%, respectively, when VDSP protocols were applied. Differences in estimates at <30- and <40-nmol/L thresholds, but not at the <50-nmol/L threshold, were significant (P < 0.05). A reanalysis of all serums by using LC–tandem MS confirmed prevalence estimates as 11.2%, 27.2%, and 45.0%, respectively. Prevalences of serum 25(OH)D concentrations >125 nmol/L were 1.2%, 0.3%, and 0.6% by means of ELISA, VDSP protocols, and LC–tandem MS, respectively. Conclusion: VDSP protocols hold a major potential for national nutrition and health surveys in terms of the standardization of serum 25(OH)D data. PMID:23615829

49 CFR 215.3 - Application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS General § 215.3 Application. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, this part applies to each railroad freight car in service on: (1) Standard gage track of a railroad; or (2) Any other standard gage track while the car is being operated by...

49 CFR 215.3 - Application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS General § 215.3 Application. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, this part applies to each railroad freight car in service on: (1) Standard gage track of a railroad; or (2) Any other standard gage track while the car is being operated by...

49 CFR 215.3 - Application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS General § 215.3 Application. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, this part applies to each railroad freight car in service on: (1) Standard gage track of a railroad; or (2) Any other standard gage track while the car is being operated by...

49 CFR 215.3 - Application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS General § 215.3 Application. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, this part applies to each railroad freight car in service on: (1) Standard gage track of a railroad; or (2) Any other standard gage track while the car is being operated by...

49 CFR 215.3 - Application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS General § 215.3 Application. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, this part applies to each railroad freight car in service on: (1) Standard gage track of a railroad; or (2) Any other standard gage track while the car is being operated by...

Implementation and Evaluation of Four Interoperable Open Standards for the Internet of Things

PubMed Central

Jazayeri, Mohammad Ali; Liang, Steve H. L.; Huang, Chih-Yuan

2015-01-01

Recently, researchers are focusing on a new use of the Internet called the Internet of Things (IoT), in which enabled electronic devices can be remotely accessed over the Internet. As the realization of IoT concept is still in its early stages, manufacturers of Internet-connected devices and IoT web service providers are defining their proprietary protocols based on their targeted applications. Consequently, IoT becomes heterogeneous in terms of hardware capabilities and communication protocols. Addressing these heterogeneities by following open standards is a necessary step to communicate with various IoT devices. In this research, we assess the feasibility of applying existing open standards on resource-constrained IoT devices. The standard protocols developed in this research are OGC PUCK over Bluetooth, TinySOS, SOS over CoAP, and OGC SensorThings API. We believe that by hosting open standard protocols on IoT devices, not only do the devices become self-describable, self-contained, and interoperable, but innovative applications can also be easily developed with standardized interfaces. In addition, we use memory consumption, request message size, response message size, and response latency to benchmark the efficiency of the implemented protocols. In all, this research presents and evaluates standard-based solutions to better understand the feasibility of applying existing standards to the IoT vision. PMID:26402683

Development of a cross-disciplinary continuous insulin infusion protocol for non-critically ill patients in a French university hospital.

PubMed

Bernard, Lise; Roche, Béatrice; Batisse, Marie; Maqdasy, Salwan; Terral, Daniel; Sautou, Valérie; Tauveron, Igor

2016-10-01

In non-critically ill patients, the use of an insulin syringe pump allows the management of temporary situations during which other therapies cannot be used (failure of subcutaneous injections, awaiting advice from the diabetes team, emergency situations, prolonged corticosteroid therapy, initiation of an artificial nutrition, need for a fasting status, etc.). To manage the risks related to this «never event», the use of a standard validated protocol for insulin administration and monitoring is an essential prerequisite. To this end, a multidisciplinary approach is recommended. With the support of our subcommission «Endocrinology-Diabetology», we proceeded with a «step-by-step process» to create such a standardized protocol: (1) review of all existing protocols in our hospital; (2) overview of the literature data concerning insulin infusion protocols developed by multidisciplinary teams in France and abroad; (3) development of a standardized protocol for non-intensive care unit patients, respecting the current recommendations and adapting it to the working habits of health teams; and (4) validation of the protocol Two protocols based on the same structure but adapted to the health status of the patient have been developed. The protocols are divided in to three parts: (1) golden rules to make the use of the protocol appropriate and safe; (2) the algorithm (a double entry table) corresponding to a dynamic adaptation of insulin doses, clearly defining the target and the 'at risk situations'; and (3) practical aspects of the protocol: preparation of the syringe, treatment initiation and traceability. The protocols have been validated by the institution. Our standardized insulin infusion protocol is simple, easy to implement, safe and is likely to be applicable in diverse care units. However, the efficiency, safety and the workability of our protocols have to be clinically evaluated. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Satellite Communications Using Commercial Protocols

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ivancic, William D.; Griner, James H.; Dimond, Robert; Frantz, Brian D.; Kachmar, Brian; Shell, Dan

2000-01-01

NASA Glenn Research Center has been working with industry, academia, and other government agencies in assessing commercial communications protocols for satellite and space-based applications. In addition, NASA Glenn has been developing and advocating new satellite-friendly modifications to existing communications protocol standards. This paper summarizes recent research into the applicability of various commercial standard protocols for use over satellite and space- based communications networks as well as expectations for future protocol development. It serves as a reference point from which the detailed work can be readily accessed. Areas that will be addressed include asynchronous-transfer-mode quality of service; completed and ongoing work of the Internet Engineering Task Force; data-link-layer protocol development for unidirectional link routing; and protocols for aeronautical applications, including mobile Internet protocol routing for wireless/mobile hosts and the aeronautical telecommunications network protocol.

DSMS investment in support of satellite constellations and formation flying

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Statman, J. I.

2003-01-01

Over the years, NASA has supported unmanned space missions, beyond earth orbit, through a Deep Space Mission System (DSMS) that is developed and operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and subcontractors. The DSMS capabilities have been incrementally upgraded since its establishment in the late '50s and are delivered primarily through three Deep Space Communications Complexes (DSCC 's) near Goldstone, California, Madrid, Spain, and Canberra, Australia and from facilities at JPL. Traditionally, mission support (tracking, command, telemetry, etc) is assigned on an individual-mission basis, between each mission and a ground-based asset, independent of other missions. As NASA, and its international partners, move toward flying fullconstellations and precision formations, the DSMS is developing plans and technologies to provide the requisite support. The key activities under way are: (1) integrated communications architecture for Mars exploration, including relays on science orbiters and dedicated relay satellites to provide continuous coverage for orbiters, landers and rovers. JPL is developing an architecture, as well as protocols and equipment, required for the cost-effective operations of such an infrastructure. (2) Internet-type protocols that will allow for efficient operations across the deep-space distances, accounting for and accommodating the long round-trip-light-time. JPL is working with the CCSDS to convert these protocols to an international standard and will deploy such protocol, the CCSDS File Delivery Protocol (CFDP), on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and on the Deep Impact (01) missions. (3) Techniques to perform cross-navigation between spacecrafi that fly in a loose formation. Typical cases are cross-navigation between missions that approach Mars and missionsthat are at Mars, or the determination of a baseline for missions that fly in an earth-lead- lag configuration. (4) Techniques and devices that allow the precise metrology and controllability of tightformations for precision constellation missions. In this paper we discuss the four classes of constellatiodformation support with emphasis of DSMS current status (technology and implementation) and plans in the first three areas.

Anthropometric protocols for the construction of new international fetal and newborn growth standards: the INTERGROWTH-21st Project.

PubMed

Cheikh Ismail, L; Knight, H E; Bhutta, Z; Chumlea, W C

2013-09-01

The primary aim of the INTERGROWTH-21(st) Project is to construct new, prescriptive standards describing optimal fetal and preterm postnatal growth. The anthropometric measurements include the head circumference, recumbent length and weight of the infants, and the stature and weight of the parents. In such a large, international, multicentre project, it is critical that all study sites follow standardised protocols to ensure maximal validity of the growth and nutrition indicators used. This paper describes, in detail, the selection of anthropometric personnel, equipment, and measurement and calibration protocols used to construct the new standards. Implementing these protocols at each study site ensures that the anthropometric data are of the highest quality to construct the international standards. © 2013 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

High speed curving performance of rail vehicles

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-03-23

On March 13, 2013, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published a final rule titled Vehicle/Track Interaction Safety Standards; High-Speed and High Cant Deficiency Operations which amended the Track Safety Standards (49 CFR Part213) and ...

Care of pediatric tracheostomy in the immediate postoperative period and timing of first tube change.

PubMed

Lippert, Dylan; Hoffman, Matthew R; Dang, Phat; McMurray, J Scott; Heatley, Diane; Kille, Tony

2014-12-01

To analyze the safety of a standardized pediatric tracheostomy care protocol in the immediate postoperative period and its impact on tracheostomy related complications. Retrospective case series. Pediatric patients undergoing tracheotomy from February 2010-February 2014. In 2012, a standardized protocol was established regarding postoperative pediatric tracheostomy care. This protocol included securing newly placed tracheostomy tubes using a foam strap with hook and loop fastener rather than twill ties, placing a fresh drain sponge around the tracheostomy tube daily, and performing the first tracheostomy tube change on postoperative day 3 or 4. Outcome measures included rate of skin breakdown and presence of a mature stoma allowing for a safe first tracheostomy tube change. Two types of tracheotomy were performed based on patient age: standard pediatric tracheotomy and adult-style tracheotomy with a Bjork flap. Patients were analyzed separately based on age and the type of tracheotomy performed. Thirty-seven patients in the pre-protocol group and 35 in the post-protocol group were analyzed. The rate of skin breakdown was significantly lower in the post-protocol group (standard: p=0.0048; Bjork flap: p=0.0003). In the post-protocol group, all tube changes were safely accomplished on postoperative day three or four, and the stomas were deemed to be adequately matured to do so in all cases. A standardized postoperative pediatric tracheostomy care protocol resulted in decreased rates of skin breakdown and demonstrated that pediatric tracheostomy tubes can be safely changed as early as 3 days postoperatively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Text Detection, Tracking and Recognition in Video: A Comprehensive Survey.

PubMed

Yin, Xu-Cheng; Zuo, Ze-Yu; Tian, Shu; Liu, Cheng-Lin

2016-04-14

Intelligent analysis of video data is currently in wide demand because video is a major source of sensory data in our lives. Text is a prominent and direct source of information in video, while recent surveys of text detection and recognition in imagery [1], [2] focus mainly on text extraction from scene images. Here, this paper presents a comprehensive survey of text detection, tracking and recognition in video with three major contributions. First, a generic framework is proposed for video text extraction that uniformly describes detection, tracking, recognition, and their relations and interactions. Second, within this framework, a variety of methods, systems and evaluation protocols of video text extraction are summarized, compared, and analyzed. Existing text tracking techniques, tracking based detection and recognition techniques are specifically highlighted. Third, related applications, prominent challenges, and future directions for video text extraction (especially from scene videos and web videos) are also thoroughly discussed.

Portable track loading fixture improvement.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-12-01

The portable track loading fixture (PTLF) has been used in the field as a nondestructive means of testing track strength, as per the Federal Railroad Administrations (FRA) Track Safety Standards (TSS) 49 CFR 213.110 (m). The PTLF operates by pla...

Comparison of test protocols for standard room/corner tests

Treesearch

R. H. White; M. A. Dietenberger; H. Tran; O. Grexa; L. Richardson; K. Sumathipala; M. Janssens

1998-01-01

As part of international efforts to evaluate alternative reaction-to-fire tests, several series of room/comer tests have been conducted. This paper reviews the overall results of related projects in which different test protocols for standard room/corner tests were used. Differences in the test protocols involved two options for the ignition burner scenario and whether...

Impact of Contrast Media Concentration on Low-Kilovolt Computed Tomography Angiography: A Systematic Preclinical Approach.

PubMed

Fleischmann, Ulrike; Pietsch, Hubertus; Korporaal, Johannes G; Flohr, Thomas G; Uder, Michael; Jost, Gregor; Lell, Michael M

2018-05-01

Low peak kilovoltage (kVp) protocols in computed tomography angiography (CTA) demand a review of contrast media (CM) administration practices. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate different iodine concentrations of CM in a porcine model. Dynamic 70 kVp CTA was performed on 7 pigs using a third-generation dual-source CT system. Three CM injection protocols (A-C) with an identical total iodine dose and iodine delivery rate (150 mg I/kg, 12 s, 0.75 g I/s) differed in iodine concentration and flow rate (protocol A: 400 mg I/mL, 1.9 mL/s; B: 300 mg I/mL, 2.5 mL/s; C: 150 mg I/mL, 5 mL/s). All protocols were applied in a randomized order and compared intraindividually. Arterial enhancement at different locations in the pulmonary artery, the aorta, and aortic branches was measured over time. Time attenuation curves, peak enhancement, time to peak, and bolus tracking delay times needed for static CTA were calculated. The reproducibility of optimal parameters was tested in single-phase CTA. The heart rates of the pigs were comparable for all protocols (P > 0.7). The injection pressure was significantly higher for protocol A (64 ± 5 psi) and protocol C (55 ± 3 psi) compared with protocol B (39 ± 2 psi) (P < 0.001). Average arterial peak enhancement in the dynamic scans was 359 ± 51 HU (protocol A), 382 ± 36 HU (B), and 382 ± 60 HU (C) (A compared with B and C: P < 0.01; B compared with C: P = 0.995). Time to peak enhancement decreased with increasing injection rate. The delay time for bolus tracking depended on the injection rate as well and was highest for protocol A (4.7 seconds) and lowest for protocol C (3.9 seconds) (P = 0.038). The peak enhancement values of the dynamic scans highly correlated with those of the single-phase CTA scans. In 70 kVp CTA, 300 mg I/mL iodine concentrations showed to be superior to high-concentration CM when keeping the iodine delivery rate constant. Besides, iodine concentrations as low as 150 mg I/mL can be administered without compromising vascular enhancement. This opens up new possibilities in CM administration.

Miniature EVA Software Defined Radio

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pozhidaev, Aleksey

2012-01-01

As NASA embarks upon developing the Next-Generation Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Radio for deep space exploration, the demands on EVA battery life will substantially increase. The number of modes and frequency bands required will continue to grow in order to enable efficient and complex multi-mode operations including communications, navigation, and tracking applications. Whether conducting astronaut excursions, communicating to soldiers, or first responders responding to emergency hazards, NASA has developed an innovative, affordable, miniaturized, power-efficient software defined radio that offers unprecedented power-efficient flexibility. This lightweight, programmable, S-band, multi-service, frequency- agile EVA software defined radio (SDR) supports data, telemetry, voice, and both standard and high-definition video. Features include a modular design, an easily scalable architecture, and the EVA SDR allows for both stationary and mobile battery powered handheld operations. Currently, the radio is equipped with an S-band RF section. However, its scalable architecture can accommodate multiple RF sections simultaneously to cover multiple frequency bands. The EVA SDR also supports multiple network protocols. It currently implements a Hybrid Mesh Network based on the 802.11s open standard protocol. The radio targets RF channel data rates up to 20 Mbps and can be equipped with a real-time operating system (RTOS) that can be switched off for power-aware applications. The EVA SDR's modular design permits implementation of the same hardware at all Network Nodes concept. This approach assures the portability of the same software into any radio in the system. It also brings several benefits to the entire system including reducing system maintenance, system complexity, and development cost.

25 CFR 542.13 - What are the minimum internal control standards for gaming machines?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

.... (j) Player tracking system. (1) The following standards apply if a player tracking system is utilized... image on the computer screen; (B) Comparing the customer to image on customer's picture ID; or (C...

25 CFR 542.13 - What are the minimum internal control standards for gaming machines?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

.... (j) Player tracking system. (1) The following standards apply if a player tracking system is utilized... image on the computer screen; (B) Comparing the customer to image on customer's picture ID; or (C...

25 CFR 542.13 - What are the minimum internal control standards for gaming machines?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

.... (j) Player tracking system. (1) The following standards apply if a player tracking system is utilized... image on the computer screen; (B) Comparing the customer to image on customer's picture ID; or (C...

25 CFR 542.13 - What are the minimum internal control standards for gaming machines?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

.... (j) Player tracking system. (1) The following standards apply if a player tracking system is utilized... image on the computer screen; (B) Comparing the customer to image on customer's picture ID; or (C...

25 CFR 542.13 - What are the minimum internal control standards for gaming machines?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

.... (j) Player tracking system. (1) The following standards apply if a player tracking system is utilized... image on the computer screen; (B) Comparing the customer to image on customer's picture ID; or (C...

Who needs inpatient detox? Development and implementation of a hospitalist protocol for the evaluation of patients for alcohol detoxification.

PubMed

Stephens, John R; Liles, E Allen; Dancel, Ria; Gilchrist, Michael; Kirsch, Jonathan; DeWalt, Darren A

2014-04-01

Clinicians caring for patients seeking alcohol detoxification face many challenges, including lack of evidence-based guidelines for treatment and high recidivism rates. To develop a standardized protocol for determining which alcohol dependent patients seeking detoxification need inpatient versus outpatient treatment, and to study the protocol's implementation. Review of best evidence by ad hoc task force and subsequent creation of standardized protocol. Prospective observational evaluation of initial protocol implementation. Patients presenting for alcohol detoxification. Development and implementation of a protocol for evaluation and treatment of patients requesting alcohol detoxification. Number of admissions per month with primary alcohol related diagnosis (DRG), 30-day readmission rate, and length of stay, all measured before and after protocol implementation. We identified one randomized clinical trial and three cohort studies to inform the choice of inpatient versus outpatient detoxification, along with one prior protocol in this population, and combined that data with clinical experience to create an institutional protocol. After implementation, the average number of alcohol related admissions was 15.9 per month, compared with 18.9 per month before implementation (p = 0.037). There was no difference in readmission rate or length of stay. Creation and utilization of a protocol led to standardization of care for patients requesting detoxification from alcohol. Initial evaluation of protocol implementation showed a decrease in number of admissions.

Determining contrast medium dose and rate on basis of lean body weight: does this strategy improve patient-to-patient uniformity of hepatic enhancement during multi-detector row CT?

PubMed

Ho, Lisa M; Nelson, Rendon C; Delong, David M

2007-05-01

To prospectively evaluate the use of lean body weight (LBW) as the main determinant of the volume and rate of contrast material administration during multi-detector row computed tomography of the liver. This HIPAA-compliant study had institutional review board approval. All patients gave written informed consent. Four protocols were compared. Standard protocol involved 125 mL of iopamidol injected at 4 mL/sec. Total body weight (TBW) protocol involved 0.7 g iodine per kilogram of TBW. Calculated LBW and measured LBW protocols involved 0.86 g of iodine per kilogram and 0.92 g of iodine per kilogram calculated or measured LBW for men and women, respectively. Injection rate used for the three experimental protocols was determined proportionally on the basis of the calculated volume of contrast material. Postcontrast attenuation measurements during portal venous phase were obtained in liver, portal vein, and aorta for each group and were summed for each patient. Patient-to-patient enhancement variability in same group was measured with Levene test. Two-tailed t test was used to compare the three experimental protocols with the standard protocol. Data analysis was performed in 101 patients (25 or 26 patients per group), including 56 men and 45 women (mean age, 53 years). Average summed attenuation values for standard, TBW, calculated LBW, and measured LBW protocols were 419 HU +/- 50 (standard deviation), 443 HU +/- 51, 433 HU +/- 50, and 426 HU +/- 33, respectively (P = not significant for all). Levene test results for summed attenuation data for standard, TBW, calculated LBW, and measured LBW protocols were 40 +/- 29, 38 +/- 33 (P = .83), 35 +/- 35 (P = .56), and 26 +/- 19 (P = .05), respectively. By excluding highly variable but poorly perfused adipose tissue from calculation of contrast medium dose, the measured LBW protocol may lessen patient-to-patient enhancement variability while maintaining satisfactory hepatic and vascular enhancement.

Prototype development and implementation of picture archiving and communications systems based on ISO-OSI standard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, Ralph; Nam, Jiseung

1992-07-01

Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) is an integration of digital image formation in a hospital, which encompasses various imaging equipment, image viewing workstations, image databases, and a high speed network. The integration requires a standardization of communication protocols to connect devices from different vendors. The American College of Radiology and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (ACR- NEMA) standard Version 2.0 provides a point-to-point hardware interface, a set of software commands, and a consistent set of data formats for PACS. But, it is inadequate for PACS networking environments, because of its point-to-point nature and its inflexibility to allow other services and protocols in the future. Based on previous experience of PACS developments in The University of Arizona, a new communication protocol for PACS networks and an approach were proposed to ACR-NEMA Working Group VI. The defined PACS protocol is intended to facilitate the development of PACS''s capable of interfacing with other hospital information systems. Also, it is intended to allow the creation of diagnostic information data bases which can be interrogated by a variety of distributed devices. A particularly important goal is to support communications in a multivendor environment. The new protocol specifications are defined primarily as a combination of the International Organization for Standardization/Open Systems Interconnection (ISO/OSI), TCP/IP protocols, and the data format portion of ACR-NEMA standard. This paper addresses the specification and implementation of the ISO-based protocol into a PACS prototype. The protocol specification, which covers Presentation, Session, Transport, and Network layers, is summarized briefly. The protocol implementation is discussed based on our implementation efforts in the UNIX Operating System Environment. At the same time, results of performance comparison between the ISO and TCP/IP implementations are presented to demonstrate the implementation of defined protocol. The testing of performance analysis is done by prototyping PACS on available platforms, which are Micro VAX II, DECstation and SUN Workstation.

Comparative Evaluation of Pain, Stress, Neuropeptide Y, ACTH, and Cortisol Levels Between a Conventional Postoperative Care Protocol and a Fast-Track Recovery Program in Patients Undergoing Major Abdominal Surgery.

PubMed

Kapritsou, Maria; Papathanassoglou, Elizabeth D; Bozas, Evangelos; Korkolis, Dimitrios P; Konstantinou, Evangelos A; Kaklamanos, Ioannis; Giannakopoulou, Margarita

2017-03-01

Fast-track (FT) postoperative protocol in oncological patients after major abdominal surgery reduces complications and length of postoperative stay compared to the conventional (CON) protocol. However, stress and pain responses have not been compared between the two protocols. To compare stress, pain, and related neuropeptidic responses (adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH], cortisol, and neuropeptide Y [NPY]) between FT and CON protocols. A clinical trial with repeated measurements was conducted (May 2012 to May 2014) with a sample of 63 hepatectomized or pancreatectomized patients randomized into two groups: FT ( n = 29) or CON ( n = 34). Demographic and clinical data were collected, and pain (Visual Analog Scale [VAS] and Behavioral Pain Scale [BPS]) and stress responses (3 self-report questions) assessed. NPY, ACTH, and cortisol plasma levels were measured at T1 = day of admission, T2 = day of surgery, and T3 = prior to discharge. ACTH T1 and ACTH T2 levels were positively correlated with self-reported stress levels (ρ = .43 and ρ = .45, respectively, p < .05) in the FT group. NPY levels in the FT group were higher than those in the CON group at all time points ( p ≤ .004); this difference remained significant after adjusting for T1 levels through analysis of covariance for age, gender, and body mass index ( F = .003, F = .149, F = .015, respectively, p > .05). Neuropeptidic levels were higher in the FT group. Future research should evaluate this association further, as these biomarkers might serve as objective indicators of postoperative pain and stress.

Micro-Computed Tomography Detection of Gold Nanoparticle-Labelled Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Rat Subretinal Layer.

PubMed

Mok, Pooi Ling; Leow, Sue Ngein; Koh, Avin Ee-Hwan; Mohd Nizam, Hairul Harun; Ding, Suet Lee Shirley; Luu, Chi; Ruhaslizan, Raduan; Wong, Hon Seng; Halim, Wan Haslina Wan Abdul; Ng, Min Hwei; Idrus, Ruszymah Binti Hj; Chowdhury, Shiplu Roy; Bastion, Catherine Mae-Lynn; Subbiah, Suresh Kumar; Higuchi, Akon; Alarfaj, Abdullah A; Then, Kong Yong

2017-02-08

Mesenchymal stem cells are widely used in many pre-clinical and clinical settings. Despite advances in molecular technology; the migration and homing activities of these cells in in vivo systems are not well understood. Labelling mesenchymal stem cells with gold nanoparticles has no cytotoxic effect and may offer suitable indications for stem cell tracking. Here, we report a simple protocol to label mesenchymal stem cells using 80 nm gold nanoparticles. Once the cells and particles were incubated together for 24 h, the labelled products were injected into the rat subretinal layer. Micro-computed tomography was then conducted on the 15th and 30th day post-injection to track the movement of these cells, as visualized by an area of hyperdensity from the coronal section images of the rat head. In addition, we confirmed the cellular uptake of the gold nanoparticles by the mesenchymal stem cells using transmission electron microscopy. As opposed to other methods, the current protocol provides a simple, less labour-intensive and more efficient labelling mechanism for real-time cell tracking. Finally, we discuss the potential manipulations of gold nanoparticles in stem cells for cell replacement and cancer therapy in ocular disorders or diseases.

Micro-Computed Tomography Detection of Gold Nanoparticle-Labelled Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Rat Subretinal Layer

PubMed Central

Mok, Pooi Ling; Leow, Sue Ngein; Koh, Avin Ee-Hwan; Mohd Nizam, Hairul Harun; Ding, Suet Lee Shirley; Luu, Chi; Ruhaslizan, Raduan; Wong, Hon Seng; Halim, Wan Haslina Wan Abdul; Ng, Min Hwei; Idrus, Ruszymah Binti Hj.; Chowdhury, Shiplu Roy; Bastion, Catherine Mae-Lynn; Subbiah, Suresh Kumar; Higuchi, Akon; Alarfaj, Abdullah A.; Then, Kong Yong

2017-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cells are widely used in many pre-clinical and clinical settings. Despite advances in molecular technology; the migration and homing activities of these cells in in vivo systems are not well understood. Labelling mesenchymal stem cells with gold nanoparticles has no cytotoxic effect and may offer suitable indications for stem cell tracking. Here, we report a simple protocol to label mesenchymal stem cells using 80 nm gold nanoparticles. Once the cells and particles were incubated together for 24 h, the labelled products were injected into the rat subretinal layer. Micro-computed tomography was then conducted on the 15th and 30th day post-injection to track the movement of these cells, as visualized by an area of hyperdensity from the coronal section images of the rat head. In addition, we confirmed the cellular uptake of the gold nanoparticles by the mesenchymal stem cells using transmission electron microscopy. As opposed to other methods, the current protocol provides a simple, less labour-intensive and more efficient labelling mechanism for real-time cell tracking. Finally, we discuss the potential manipulations of gold nanoparticles in stem cells for cell replacement and cancer therapy in ocular disorders or diseases. PMID:28208719

Quantifying Novice and Expert Differences in Visual Diagnostic Reasoning in Veterinary Pathology Using Eye-Tracking Technology.

PubMed

Warren, Amy L; Donnon, Tyrone L; Wagg, Catherine R; Priest, Heather; Fernandez, Nicole J

2018-01-18

Visual diagnostic reasoning is the cognitive process by which pathologists reach a diagnosis based on visual stimuli (cytologic, histopathologic, or gross imagery). Currently, there is little to no literature examining visual reasoning in veterinary pathology. The objective of the study was to use eye tracking to establish baseline quantitative and qualitative differences between the visual reasoning processes of novice and expert veterinary pathologists viewing cytology specimens. Novice and expert participants were each shown 10 cytology images and asked to formulate a diagnosis while wearing eye-tracking equipment (10 slides) and while concurrently verbalizing their thought processes using the think-aloud protocol (5 slides). Compared to novices, experts demonstrated significantly higher diagnostic accuracy (p<.017), shorter time to diagnosis (p<.017), and a higher percentage of time spent viewing areas of diagnostic interest (p<.017). Experts elicited more key diagnostic features in the think-aloud protocol and had more efficient patterns of eye movement. These findings suggest that experts' fast time to diagnosis, efficient eye-movement patterns, and preference for viewing areas of interest supports system 1 (pattern-recognition) reasoning and script-inductive knowledge structures with system 2 (analytic) reasoning to verify their diagnosis.

Phase Transition in Protocols Minimizing Work Fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solon, Alexandre P.; Horowitz, Jordan M.

2018-05-01

For two canonical examples of driven mesoscopic systems—a harmonically trapped Brownian particle and a quantum dot—we numerically determine the finite-time protocols that optimize the compromise between the standard deviation and the mean of the dissipated work. In the case of the oscillator, we observe a collection of protocols that smoothly trade off between average work and its fluctuations. However, for the quantum dot, we find that as we shift the weight of our optimization objective from average work to work standard deviation, there is an analog of a first-order phase transition in protocol space: two distinct protocols exchange global optimality with mixed protocols akin to phase coexistence. As a result, the two types of protocols possess qualitatively different properties and remain distinct even in the infinite duration limit: optimal-work-fluctuation protocols never coalesce with the minimal-work protocols, which therefore never become quasistatic.

ASRM standard embryo transfer protocol template: a committee opinion.

PubMed

Penzias, Alan; Bendikson, Kristin; Butts, Samantha; Coutifaris, Christos; Falcone, Tommaso; Fossum, Gregory; Gitlin, Susan; Gracia, Clarisa; Hansen, Karl; Mersereau, Jennifer; Odem, Randall; Rebar, Robert; Reindollar, Richard; Rosen, Mitchell; Sandlow, Jay; Vernon, Michael

2017-04-01

Standardization improves performance and safety. A template for standardizing the embryo transfer procedure is presented here with 12 basic steps supported by published scientific literature and a survey of common practice of SART programs; it can be used by ART practices to model their own standard protocol. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ACR/NEMA Digital Image Interface Standard (An Illustrated Protocol Overview)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawrence, G. Robert

1985-09-01

The American College of Radiologists (ACR) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) have sponsored a joint standards committee mandated to develop a universal interface standard for the transfer of radiology images among a variety of PACS imaging devicesl. The resulting standard interface conforms to the ISO/OSI standard reference model for network protocol layering. The standard interface specifies the lower layers of the reference model (Physical, Data Link, Transport and Session) and implies a requirement of the Network Layer should a requirement for a network exist. The message content has been considered and a flexible message and image format specified. The following Imaging Equipment modalities are supported by the standard interface... CT Computed Tomograpy DS Digital Subtraction NM Nuclear Medicine US Ultrasound MR Magnetic Resonance DR Digital Radiology The following data types are standardized over the transmission interface media.... IMAGE DATA DIGITIZED VOICE HEADER DATA RAW DATA TEXT REPORTS GRAPHICS OTHERS This paper consists of text supporting the illustrated protocol data flow. Each layer will be individually treated. Particular emphasis will be given to the Data Link layer (Frames) and the Transport layer (Packets). The discussion utilizes a finite state sequential machine model for the protocol layers.

An XML-Based Protocol for Distributed Event Services

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Warren; Gunter, Dan; Quesnel, Darcy; Biegel, Bryan (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

A recent trend in distributed computing is the construction of high-performance distributed systems called computational grids. One difficulty we have encountered is that there is no standard format for the representation of performance information and no standard protocol for transmitting this information. This limits the types of performance analysis that can be undertaken in complex distributed systems. To address this problem, we present an XML-based protocol for transmitting performance events in distributed systems and evaluate the performance of this protocol.

Improving preterm infant outcomes: implementing an evidence-based oral feeding advancement protocol in the neonatal intensive care unit.

PubMed

Kish, Mary Z

2014-10-01

The ability of a preterm infant to exclusively oral feed is a necessary standard for discharge readiness from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Many of the interventions related to oral feeding advancement currently employed for preterm infants in the NICU are based on individual nursing observations and judgment. Studies involving standardized feeding protocols for oral feeding advancement have been shown to decrease variability in feeding practices, facilitate shortened transition times from gavage to oral feedings, improve bottle feeding performance, and significantly decrease the length of stay (LOS) in the NICU. This project critically evaluated the implementation of an oral feeding advancement protocol in a 74-bed level III NICU in an attempt to standardize the process of advancing oral feedings in medically stable preterm infants. A comprehensive review of the literature identified key features for successful oral feeding in preterm infants. Strong levels of evidence suggested an association between both nonnutritive sucking (NNS) opportunities and standardized feeding advancement protocols with successful oral feeding in preterm infants. These findings prompted a pilot practice change using a feeding advancement protocol and consisted of NNS and standardized oral feeding advancement opportunities. Time to exclusive oral feedings and LOS were compared pre- and postprotocol implementation during more than a 2-month evaluation period. Infants using NNS and the standardized oral feeding advancement protocol had an observed reduction in time to exclusive oral feedings and LOS, although statistical significance was not achieved.

Possible secondary apatite fission track age standard from altered volcanic ash beds in the middle Jurassic Carmel Formation, Southwestern Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kowallis, B.J.; Christiansen, E.H.; Everett, B.H.; Crowley, K.D.; Naeser, C.W.; Miller, D.S.; Deino, A.L.

1993-01-01

Secondary age standards are valuable in intra- and interlaboratory calibration. At present very few such standards are available for fission track dating that is older than Tertiary. Several altered volcanic ash beds occur in the Middle Jurassic Carmel Formation in southwestern Utah. The formation was deposited in a shallow marine/sabhka environment. Near Gunlock, Utah, eight ash beds have been identified. Sanidines from one of the ash beds (GUN-F) give a single-crystal laser-probe 40Ar/39Ar age of 166.3??0.8 Ma (2??). Apatite and zircon fission track ages range from 152-185 Ma with typically 15-20 Ma errors (2??). Track densities in zircons are high and most grains are not countable. Apatites are fairly common in most of the ash beds and have reasonable track densities ranging between 1.2-1.5 ?? 106 tracks/cm2. Track length distributions in apatites are unimodal, have standard deviations <1??m, and mean track lengths of about 14-14.5 ??m. High Cl apatites (F:Cl:OH ratio of 39:33:28) are particularly abundant and large in ash GUN-F, and are fairly easy to concentrate, but the concentrates contain some siderite, most of which can be removed by sieving. GUN-F shows evidence of some reworking and detriaal contamination based on older single grain 40Ar/39Ar analyses and some rounding of grains, but the apatite population appears to be largely uncontaminated. At present BJK has approximately 12 of apatite separate from GUN-F. ?? 1993.

Studying the movement behavior of benthic macroinvertebrates with automated video tracking.

PubMed

Augusiak, Jacqueline; Van den Brink, Paul J

2015-04-01

Quantifying and understanding movement is critical for a wide range of questions in basic and applied ecology. Movement ecology is also fostered by technological advances that allow automated tracking for a wide range of animal species. However, for aquatic macroinvertebrates, such detailed methods do not yet exist. We developed a video tracking method for two different species of benthic macroinvertebrates, the crawling isopod Asellus aquaticus and the swimming fresh water amphipod Gammarus pulex. We tested the effects of different light sources and marking techniques on their movement behavior to establish the possibilities and limitations of the experimental protocol and to ensure that the basic handling of test specimens would not bias conclusions drawn from movement path analyses. To demonstrate the versatility of our method, we studied the influence of varying population densities on different movement parameters related to resting behavior, directionality, and step lengths. We found that our method allows studying species with different modes of dispersal and under different conditions. For example, we found that gammarids spend more time moving at higher population densities, while asellids rest more under similar conditions. At the same time, in response to higher densities, gammarids mostly decreased average step lengths, whereas asellids did not. Gammarids, however, were also more sensitive to general handling and marking than asellids. Our protocol for marking and video tracking can be easily adopted for other species of aquatic macroinvertebrates or testing conditions, for example, presence or absence of food sources, shelter, or predator cues. Nevertheless, limitations with regard to the marking protocol, material, and a species' physical build need to be considered and tested before a wider application, particularly for swimming species. Data obtained with this approach can deepen the understanding of population dynamics on larger spatial scales and of the effects of different management strategies on a species' dispersal potential.

Studying the movement behavior of benthic macroinvertebrates with automated video tracking

PubMed Central

Augusiak, Jacqueline; Van den Brink, Paul J

2015-01-01

Quantifying and understanding movement is critical for a wide range of questions in basic and applied ecology. Movement ecology is also fostered by technological advances that allow automated tracking for a wide range of animal species. However, for aquatic macroinvertebrates, such detailed methods do not yet exist. We developed a video tracking method for two different species of benthic macroinvertebrates, the crawling isopod Asellus aquaticus and the swimming fresh water amphipod Gammarus pulex. We tested the effects of different light sources and marking techniques on their movement behavior to establish the possibilities and limitations of the experimental protocol and to ensure that the basic handling of test specimens would not bias conclusions drawn from movement path analyses. To demonstrate the versatility of our method, we studied the influence of varying population densities on different movement parameters related to resting behavior, directionality, and step lengths. We found that our method allows studying species with different modes of dispersal and under different conditions. For example, we found that gammarids spend more time moving at higher population densities, while asellids rest more under similar conditions. At the same time, in response to higher densities, gammarids mostly decreased average step lengths, whereas asellids did not. Gammarids, however, were also more sensitive to general handling and marking than asellids. Our protocol for marking and video tracking can be easily adopted for other species of aquatic macroinvertebrates or testing conditions, for example, presence or absence of food sources, shelter, or predator cues. Nevertheless, limitations with regard to the marking protocol, material, and a species’ physical build need to be considered and tested before a wider application, particularly for swimming species. Data obtained with this approach can deepen the understanding of population dynamics on larger spatial scales and of the effects of different management strategies on a species’ dispersal potential. PMID:25937901

A protocol for evaluating video trackers under real-world conditions.

PubMed

Nawaz, Tahir; Cavallaro, Andrea

2013-04-01

The absence of a commonly adopted performance evaluation framework is hampering advances in the design of effective video trackers. In this paper, we present a single-score evaluation measure and a protocol to objectively compare trackers. The proposed measure evaluates tracking accuracy and failure, and combines them for both summative and formative performance assessment. The proposed protocol is composed of a set of trials that evaluate the robustness of trackers on a range of test scenarios representing several real-world conditions. The protocol is validated on a set of sequences with a diversity of targets (head, vehicle and person) and challenges (occlusions, background clutter, pose changes and scale changes) using six state-of-the-art trackers, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses on more than 187000 frames. The software implementing the protocol and the evaluation results are made available online and new results can be included, thus facilitating the comparison of trackers.

Research on low-latency MAC protocols for wireless sensor networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Chenguang; Sha, Xuejun; Lee, Chankil

2007-11-01

Energy-efficient should not be the only design goal in MAC protocols for wireless sensor networks, which involve the use of battery-operated computing and sensing devices. Low-latency operation becomes the same important as energy-efficient in the case that the traffic load is very heavy or the real-time constrain is used in applications like tracking or locating. This paper introduces some causes of traditional time delays which are inherent in a multi-hops network using existing WSN MAC protocols, illuminates the importance of low-latency MAC design for wireless sensor networks, and presents three MACs as examples of low-latency protocols designed specially for sleep delay, wait delay and wakeup delay in wireless sensor networks, respectively. The paper also discusses design trade-offs with emphasis on low-latency and points out their advantages and disadvantages, together with some design considerations and suggestions for MAC protocols for future applications and researches.

Development of a manualized protocol of massage therapy for clinical trials in osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Ali, Ather; Kahn, Janet; Rosenberger, Lisa; Perlman, Adam I

2012-10-04

Clinical trial design of manual therapies may be especially challenging as techniques are often individualized and practitioner-dependent. This paper describes our methods in creating a standardized Swedish massage protocol tailored to subjects with osteoarthritis of the knee while respectful of the individualized nature of massage therapy, as well as implementation of this protocol in two randomized clinical trials. The manualization process involved a collaborative process between methodologic and clinical experts, with the explicit goals of creating a reproducible semi-structured protocol for massage therapy, while allowing some latitude for therapists' clinical judgment and maintaining consistency with a prior pilot study. The manualized protocol addressed identical specified body regions with distinct 30- and 60-min protocols, using standard Swedish strokes. Each protocol specifies the time allocated to each body region. The manualized 30- and 60-min protocols were implemented in a dual-site 24-week randomized dose-finding trial in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, and is currently being implemented in a three-site 52-week efficacy trial of manualized Swedish massage therapy. In the dose-finding study, therapists adhered to the protocols and significant treatment effects were demonstrated. The massage protocol was manualized, using standard techniques, and made flexible for individual practitioner and subject needs. The protocol has been applied in two randomized clinical trials. This manualized Swedish massage protocol has real-world utility and can be readily utilized both in the research and clinical settings. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00970008 (18 August 2009).

Evaluation of the measurement uncertainty when measuring the resistance of solid isolating materials to tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stare, E.; Beges, G.; Drnovsek, J.

2006-07-01

This paper presents the results of research into the measurement of the resistance of solid isolating materials to tracking. Two types of tracking were investigated: the proof tracking index (PTI) and the comparative tracking index (CTI). Evaluation of the measurement uncertainty in a case study was performed using a test method in accordance with the IEC 60112 standard. In the scope of the tests performed here, this particular test method was used to ensure the safety of electrical appliances. According to the EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard (EN ISO/IEC 17025), in the process of conformity assessment, the evaluation of the measurement uncertainty of the test method should be carried out. In the present article, possible influential parameters that are in accordance with the third and fourth editions of the standard IEC 60112 are discussed. The differences, ambiguities or lack of guidance referring to both editions of the standard are described in the article 'Ambiguities in technical standards—case study IEC 60112—measuring the resistance of solid isolating materials to tracking' (submitted for publication). Several hundred measurements were taken in the present experiments in order to form the basis for the results and conclusions presented. A specific problem of the test (according to the IEC 60112 standard) is the great variety of influential physical parameters (mechanical, electrical, chemical, etc) that can affect the results. At the end of the present article therefore, there is a histogram containing information on the contributions to the measurement uncertainty.

Multiple-camera tracking: UK government requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosmer, Paul

2007-10-01

The Imagery Library for Intelligent Detection Systems (i-LIDS) is the UK government's new standard for Video Based Detection Systems (VBDS). The standard was launched in November 2006 and evaluations against it began in July 2007. With the first four i-LIDS scenarios completed, the Home Office Scientific development Branch (HOSDB) are looking toward the future of intelligent vision in the security surveillance market by adding a fifth scenario to the standard. The fifth i-LIDS scenario will concentrate on the development, testing and evaluation of systems for the tracking of people across multiple cameras. HOSDB and the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) identified a requirement to track targets across a network of CCTV cameras using both live and post event imagery. The Detection and Vision Systems group at HOSDB were asked to determine the current state of the market and develop an in-depth Operational Requirement (OR) based on government end user requirements. Using this OR the i-LIDS team will develop a full i-LIDS scenario to aid the machine vision community in its development of multi-camera tracking systems. By defining a requirement for multi-camera tracking and building this into the i-LIDS standard the UK government will provide a widely available tool that developers can use to help them turn theory and conceptual demonstrators into front line application. This paper will briefly describe the i-LIDS project and then detail the work conducted in building the new tracking aspect of the standard.

49 CFR 216.15 - Special notice for repairs-track class.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... requirements for the class at which the track is being operated, as defined in the Track Safety Standards (49 CFR part 213), he notifies the railroad in writing that the track is being lowered in class and that... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SPECIAL NOTICE AND EMERGENCY ORDER PROCEDURES: RAILROAD TRACK...

49 CFR 216.15 - Special notice for repairs-track class.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... requirements for the class at which the track is being operated, as defined in the Track Safety Standards (49 CFR part 213), he notifies the railroad in writing that the track is being lowered in class and that... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SPECIAL NOTICE AND EMERGENCY ORDER PROCEDURES: RAILROAD TRACK...

49 CFR 216.15 - Special notice for repairs-track class.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... requirements for the class at which the track is being operated, as defined in the Track Safety Standards (49 CFR part 213), he notifies the railroad in writing that the track is being lowered in class and that... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SPECIAL NOTICE AND EMERGENCY ORDER PROCEDURES: RAILROAD TRACK...

49 CFR 216.15 - Special notice for repairs-track class.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... requirements for the class at which the track is being operated, as defined in the Track Safety Standards (49 CFR part 213), he notifies the railroad in writing that the track is being lowered in class and that... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SPECIAL NOTICE AND EMERGENCY ORDER PROCEDURES: RAILROAD TRACK...

49 CFR 216.15 - Special notice for repairs-track class.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... requirements for the class at which the track is being operated, as defined in the Track Safety Standards (49 CFR part 213), he notifies the railroad in writing that the track is being lowered in class and that... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SPECIAL NOTICE AND EMERGENCY ORDER PROCEDURES: RAILROAD TRACK...

A Standardized Protocol for the Prospective Follow-Up of Cleft Lip and Palate Patients.

PubMed

Salimi, Negar; Jolanta, Aleksejūnienė; Edwin, Yen; Angelina, Loo

2018-01-01

To develop a standardized all-encompassing protocol for the assessment of cleft lip and palate patients with clinical and research implications. Electronic database searches were conducted and 13 major cleft centers worldwide were contacted in order to prepare for the development of the protocol. In preparation, the available evidence was reviewed and potential fistula-related risk determinants from 4 different domains were identified. No standardized protocol for the assessment of cleft patients could be found in any of the electronic database searches that were conducted. Interviews with representatives from several major centers revealed that the majority of centers do not have a standardized comprehensive strategy for the reporting and follow-up of cleft lip and palate patients. The protocol was developed and consisted of the following domains of determinants: (1) the sociodemographic domain, (2) the cleft defect domain, (3) the surgery domain, and (4) the fistula domain. The proposed protocol has the potential to enhance the quality of patient care by ensuring that multiple patient-related aspects are consistently reported. It may also facilitate future multicenter research, which could contribute to the reduction of fistula occurrence in cleft lip and palate patients.

An Assessment of the Ability of the U.S. Department of Defense and the Services to Measure and Track Language and Culture Training and Capabilities Among General Purpose Forces

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

1) • respecting cultural differences (2) • applying appropriate social etiquette (3) • changing behavior to fit the cultural context (5) • verbal...and applying appropriate social etiquette , which are general capabilities that can benefit service members across different job types. In contrast...interview protocols to discuss tracking of LREC training and to solicit informa- tion on how interviewees felt about the relationship between training and

Bladder Cancer Recovery Pathways: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Maloney, Ian; Parker, Daniel C.; Cookson, Michael S.; Patel, Sanjay

2017-01-01

Background: Enhanced recovery pathways, also known as fast-track protocols, have been adopted since the early 2000s by various surgical specialties with the goal of improving patient outcomes and reducing the cost burden of major surgery on the health care system. Objective: To review the scientific literature on the origin of enhanced recovery pathways, track the contemporary utilization of such practices for patients undergoing radical cystectomy, and analyze the available data regarding their effect on morbidity, mortality, and treatment cost. Methods: A literature search of multiple electronic databases was undertaken. Manuscripts including patients undergoing radical cystectomy were chosen based on predefined criteria with an emphasis on randomized controlled trials and cohort studies. Strength of evidence for each study that met inclusion criteria was assessed based on the risk of bias, consistency, directness, and precision. Results: Database searches resulted in 1,236 potentially relevant articles. A total of 485 articles were selected for full-text dual review and 106 studies in 52 publications met the inclusion criteria. Conclusion: The utilization of enhanced recovery pathways with the goal of improving overall patient morbidity and mortality is well supported in the literature, however standardization of implementation and adherence across institutions is lacking, and their direct efficacy on reducing preventable treatment related expenditures is unconfirmed. PMID:29152551

Forest bird monitoring protocol for strategic habitat conservation and endangered species management on O'ahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Island of O'ahu, Hawai'i

USGS Publications Warehouse

Camp, Richard J.; Gorresen, P. Marcos; Banko, Paul C.

2011-01-01

This report describes the results of a pilot forest bird survey and a consequent forest bird monitoring protocol that was developed for the O'ahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge, O'ahu Island, Hawai'i. The pilot survey was conducted to inform aspects of the monitoring protocol and to provide a baseline with which to compare future surveys on the Refuge. The protocol was developed in an adaptive management framework to track bird distribution and abundance and to meet the strategic habitat conservation requirements of the Refuge. Funding for this research was provided through a Science Support Partnership grant sponsored jointly by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Optimizing the high-resolution manometry (HRM) study protocol.

PubMed

Patel, A; Ding, A; Mirza, F; Gyawali, C P

2015-02-01

Intolerance of the esophageal manometry catheter may prolong high-resolution manometry (HRM) studies and increase patient distress. We assessed the impact of obtaining the landmark phase at the end of the study when the patient has acclimatized to the HRM catheter. 366 patients (mean age 55.4 ± 0.8 years, 62.0% female) undergoing esophageal HRM over a 1-year period were studied. The standard protocol consisted of the landmark phase, 10 5 mL water swallows 20-30 s apart, and multiple rapid swallows where 4-6 2 mL swallows were administered in rapid succession. The modified protocol consisted of the landmark phase at the end of the study after test swallows. Study duration, technical characteristics, indications, and motor findings were compared between standard and modified protocols. Of the 366 patients, 89.6% underwent the standard protocol (study duration 12.9 ± 0.3 min). In 10.4% with poor catheter tolerance undergoing the modified protocol, study duration was significantly longer (15.6 ± 1.0 min, p = 0.004) despite similar duration of study maneuvers. Only elevated upper esophageal sphincter basal pressures at the beginning of the study segregated modified protocol patients. The 95th percentile time to landmark phase in the standard protocol patients was 6.1 min; as many as 31.4% of modified protocol patients could not obtain their first study maneuver within this period (p = 0.0003). Interpretation was not impacted by shifting the landmark phase to the end of the study. Modification of the HRM study protocol with the landmark phase obtained at the end of the study optimizes study duration without compromising quality. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

User-oriented end-to-end transport protocols for the real-time distribution of telemetry data from NASA spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooke, A. J.

1979-01-01

A set of standard telemetry protocols for downlink data flow facilitating the end-to-end transport of instrument data from the spacecraft to the user in real time is proposed. The direct switching of data by autonomous message 'packets' that are assembled by the source instrument on the spacecraft is discussed. The data system consists thus of a format on a message rather than word basis, and such packet telemetry would include standardized protocol headers. Standards are being developed within the NASA End-to-End Data System (NEEDS) program for the source packet and transport frame protocols. The source packet protocol contains identification of both the sequence number of the packet as it is generated by the source and the total length of the packet, while the transport frame protocol includes a sequence count defining the serial number of the frame as it is generated by the spacecraft data system, and a field specifying any 'options' selected in the format of the frame itself.

7. 'Tunnel No 14, Concrete Lining,' Southern Pacific Standard SingleTrack ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

7. 'Tunnel No 14, Concrete Lining,' Southern Pacific Standard Single-Track Tunnel, ca. 1909. Under current numbering, this is now Tunnel 29 (HAER No. CA-205). - Central Pacific Transcontinental Railroad, Sacramento to Nevada state line, Sacramento, Sacramento County, CA

Engineering studies in support of the development of high-speed track geometry specifications

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-03-01

The Federal Railroad Administration has been directing engineering studies to support the development of high speed track geometry standards. These standards are intended to cover train operating speeds from 110 mph to 200 mph. The studies conducted ...

40 CFR 279.46 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Tracking. 279.46 Section 279.46 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Transporter and Transfer Facilities § 279.46...

40 CFR 279.46 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Tracking. 279.46 Section 279.46 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Transporter and Transfer Facilities § 279.46...

40 CFR 279.46 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Tracking. 279.46 Section 279.46 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Transporter and Transfer Facilities § 279.46...

40 CFR 279.46 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Tracking. 279.46 Section 279.46 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Transporter and Transfer Facilities § 279.46...

40 CFR 279.46 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Tracking. 279.46 Section 279.46 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Transporter and Transfer Facilities § 279.46...

The valuable use of Microsoft Kinect™ sensor 3D kinematic in the rehabilitation process in basketball

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braidot, Ariel; Favaretto, Guillermo; Frisoli, Melisa; Gemignani, Diego; Gumpel, Gustavo; Massuh, Roberto; Rayan, Josefina; Turin, Matías

2016-04-01

Subjects who practice sports either as professionals or amateurs, have a high incidence of knee injuries. There are a few publications that show studies from a kinematic point of view of lateral-structure-knee injuries, including meniscal (meniscal tears or chondral injury), without anterior cruciate ligament rupture. The use of standard motion capture systems for measuring outdoors sport is hard to implement due to many operative reasons. Recently released, the Microsoft Kinect™ is a sensor that was developed to track movements for gaming purposes and has seen an increased use in clinical applications. The fact that this device is a simple and portable tool allows the acquisition of data of sport common movements in the field. The development and testing of a set of protocols for 3D kinematic measurement using the Microsoft Kinect™ system is presented in this paper. The 3D kinematic evaluation algorithms were developed from information available and with the use of Microsoft’s Software Development Kit 1.8 (SDK). Along with this, an algorithm for calculating the lower limb joints angles was implemented. Thirty healthy adult volunteers were measured, using five different recording protocols for sport characteristic gestures which involve high knee injury risk in athletes.

An adaptive framework for selecting environmental monitoring protocols to support ocean renewable energy development.

PubMed

Shumchenia, Emily J; Smith, Sarah L; McCann, Jennifer; Carnevale, Michelle; Fugate, Grover; Kenney, Robert D; King, John W; Paton, Peter; Schwartz, Malia; Spaulding, Malcolm; Winiarski, Kristopher J

2012-01-01

Offshore renewable energy developments (OREDs) are projected to become common in the United States over the next two decades. There are both a need and an opportunity to guide efforts to identify and track impacts to the marine ecosystem resulting from these installations. A monitoring framework and standardized protocols that can be applied to multiple types of ORED would streamline scientific study, management, and permitting at these sites. We propose an adaptive and reactive framework based on indicators of the likely changes to the marine ecosystem due to ORED. We developed decision trees to identify suites of impacts at two scales (demonstration and commercial) depending on energy (wind, tidal, and wave), structure (e.g., turbine), and foundation type (e.g., monopile). Impacts were categorized by ecosystem component (benthic habitat and resources, fish and fisheries, avian species, marine mammals, and sea turtles) and monitoring objectives were developed for each. We present a case study at a commercial-scale wind farm and develop a monitoring plan for this development that addresses both local and national environmental concerns. In addition, framework has provided a starting point for identifying global research needs and objectives for understanding of the potential effects of ORED on the marine environment.

An Adaptive Framework for Selecting Environmental Monitoring Protocols to Support Ocean Renewable Energy Development

PubMed Central

Shumchenia, Emily J.; Smith, Sarah L.; McCann, Jennifer; Carnevale, Michelle; Fugate, Grover; Kenney, Robert D.; King, John W.; Paton, Peter; Schwartz, Malia; Spaulding, Malcolm; Winiarski, Kristopher J.

2012-01-01

Offshore renewable energy developments (OREDs) are projected to become common in the United States over the next two decades. There are both a need and an opportunity to guide efforts to identify and track impacts to the marine ecosystem resulting from these installations. A monitoring framework and standardized protocols that can be applied to multiple types of ORED would streamline scientific study, management, and permitting at these sites. We propose an adaptive and reactive framework based on indicators of the likely changes to the marine ecosystem due to ORED. We developed decision trees to identify suites of impacts at two scales (demonstration and commercial) depending on energy (wind, tidal, and wave), structure (e.g., turbine), and foundation type (e.g., monopile). Impacts were categorized by ecosystem component (benthic habitat and resources, fish and fisheries, avian species, marine mammals, and sea turtles) and monitoring objectives were developed for each. We present a case study at a commercial-scale wind farm and develop a monitoring plan for this development that addresses both local and national environmental concerns. In addition, framework has provided a starting point for identifying global research needs and objectives for understanding of the potential effects of ORED on the marine environment. PMID:23319884

The evolving practice of nuclear cardiology: results from the 2011 ASNC member survey.

PubMed

Tilkemeier, Peter; Green, Jacqueline; Einstein, Andrew J; Fazel, Reza; Reames, Patricia; Shaw, Leslee J

2012-12-01

Today's imaging laboratories face challenges including reimbursement, prior authorization, and accreditation standards. The impact on the practice of nuclear cardiology in the United States is unknown. We conducted a survey of ASNC members to provide a snapshot of nuclear cardiology imaging laboratories in 2011. The survey identified practice patterns including personnel, volumes, protocols used, and laboratory characteristics. We employed random sampling methodology stratified geographically. The response rate was 19.5% (73/374 laboratories). A non-random survey conducted in 2001 of 25 laboratories served as a comparator. A total of 73 laboratories, representing 202 physicians and 177 technologists responded. The reported median procedural volume was 1,225 studies annually; 88.9% of laboratories were accredited. Compared with 2001, dual isotope imaging protocol use dropped from 72% to 15.6%. Five markers of quality were surveyed. Half of laboratories use the American College of Cardiology's Appropriate Use Criteria, 61% used segmental scoring, and 32% provided guidance on post-test therapeutic management. 89% perform catheterization correlations while only 33% implemented radiation dose tracking. This survey of ASNC members provides critical information on nuclear cardiology practice to better target and service our members' needs. These data can prove invaluable to target educational needs and inform healthcare policy of contemporary nuclear cardiology practice.

Prediction of anaerobic power values from an abbreviated WAnT protocol.

PubMed

Stickley, Christopher D; Hetzler, Ronald K; Kimura, Iris F

2008-05-01

The traditional 30-second Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT) is a widely used anaerobic power assessment protocol. An abbreviated protocol has been shown to decrease the mild to severe physical discomfort often associated with the WAnT. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether a 20-second WAnT protocol could be used to accurately predict power values of a standard 30-second WAnT. In 96 college females, anaerobic power variables were assessed using a standard 30-second WAnT protocol. Maximum power values as well as instantaneous power at 10, 15, and 20 seconds were recorded. Based on these results, stepwise regression analysis was performed to determine the accuracy with which mean power, minimum power, 30-second power, and percentage of fatigue for a standard 30-second WAnT could be predicted from values obtained during the first 20 seconds of testing. Mean power values showed the highest level of predictability (R2 = 0.99) from the 20-second values. Minimum power, 30-second power, and percentage of fatigue also showed high levels of predictability (R2 = 0.91, 0.84, and 0.84, respectively) using only values obtained during the first 20 seconds of the protocol. An abbreviated (20-second) WAnT protocol appears to effectively predict results of a standard 30-second WAnT in college-age females, allowing for comparison of data to published norms. A shortened test may allow for a decrease in unwanted side effects associated with the traditional WAnT protocol.

SpaceWire Protocol ID: What Does It Mean To You?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rakow, Glenn; Schnurr, Richard; Gilley, Daniel; Parks, Steve

2006-01-01

Spacewire is becoming a popular solution for satellite high-speed data buses because it is a simple standard that provides great flexibility for a wide range of system requirements. It is simple in packet format and protocol, allowing users to easily tailor their implementation for their specific application. Some of the attractive aspects of Spacewire that make it easy to implement also make it hard for future reuse. Protocol reuse is difficult because Spacewire does not have a defined mechanism to communicate with the higher layers of the protocol stack. This has forced users of Spacewire to define unique packet formats and define how these packets are to be processed. Each mission writes their own Interface Control Document (ICD) and tailors Spacewire for their specific requirements making reuse difficult. Part of the reason for this habit may be because engineers typically optimize designs for their own requirements in the absence of a standard. This is an inefficient use of project resources and costs more to develop missions. A new packet format for Spacewire has been defined as a solution for this problem. This new packet format is a compliment to the Spacewire standard that will support protocol development upon Spacewire. The new packet definition does not replace the current packet structure, i.e., does not make the standard obsolete, but merely extends the standard for those who want to develop protocols over Spacewire. The Spacewire packet is defined with the first part being the Destination Address, which may be one or more bytes. This is followed by the packet cargo, which is user defined. The cargo is truncated with an End-Of-Packet (EOP) marker. This packet structure offers low packet overhead and allows the user to define how the contents are to be formatted. It also provides for many different addressing schemes, which provide flexibility in the system. This packet flexibility is typically an attractive part of the Spacewire. The new extended packet format adds one new field to the packet that greatly enhances the capability of Spacewire. This new field called the Protocol Identifier (ID) is used to identify the packet contents and the associated processing for the packet. This feature along with the restriction in the packet format that uses the Protocol ID, allows a deterministic method of decoding packets that was not before possible. The first part of the packet is still the Destination Address, which still conforms to the original standard but with one restriction. The restriction is that the first byte seen at the destination by the user needs to be a logical address, independent of the addressing scheme used. The second field is defined as the Protocol ID, which is usually one byte in length. The packet cargo (user defined) follows the Protocol ID. After the packet cargo is the EOP, which defines the end of packet. The value of the Protocol ID is assigned by the Spacewire working group and the protocol description published for others to use. The development of Protocols for Spacewire is currently the area of greatest activity by the Spacewire working group. The first protocol definition by the working group has been completed and is now in the process of formal standardization. There are many other protocols in development for missions that have not yet received formal Protocol ID assignment, but even if the protocols are not formally assigned a value, this effort will provide synergism for future developments.

Government Open Systems Interconnection Profile (GOSIP) Transition Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-01

it explores some of the GOSIP protocol details and discusses the process by which standards organizations have developed their...version 1 and 2. Additionally, it explores some of the GOSIP protocol details and discusses the process by which standards organizations have developed ...ORGANIZATION OF STUDY 1. The Standards Process Chapter II describes the process whereby standards are developed and adopted by the ISO and how the

Writing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for cryostorage protocols: using shoot meristem cryopreservation as an example.

PubMed

Harding, Keith; Benson, Erica E

2015-01-01

Standard operating procedures are a systematic way of making sure that biopreservation processes, tasks, protocols, and operations are correctly and consistently performed. They are the basic documents of biorepository quality management systems and are used in quality assurance, control, and improvement. Methodologies for constructing workflows and writing standard operating procedures and work instructions are described using a plant cryopreservation protocol as an example. This chapter is pertinent to other biopreservation sectors because how methods are written, interpreted, and implemented can affect the quality of storage outcomes.

49 CFR 213.59 - Elevation of curved track; runoff.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Elevation of curved track; runoff. 213.59 Section 213.59 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Track Geometry § 213.59 Elevation of curved...

SynapticDB, effective web-based management and sharing of data from serial section electron microscopy.

PubMed

Shi, Bitao; Bourne, Jennifer; Harris, Kristen M

2011-03-01

Serial section electron microscopy (ssEM) is rapidly expanding as a primary tool to investigate synaptic circuitry and plasticity. The ultrastructural images collected through ssEM are content rich and their comprehensive analysis is beyond the capacity of an individual laboratory. Hence, sharing ultrastructural data is becoming crucial to visualize, analyze, and discover the structural basis of synaptic circuitry and function in the brain. We devised a web-based management system called SynapticDB (http://synapses.clm.utexas.edu/synapticdb/) that catalogues, extracts, analyzes, and shares experimental data from ssEM. The management strategy involves a library with check-in, checkout and experimental tracking mechanisms. We developed a series of spreadsheet templates (MS Excel, Open Office spreadsheet, etc) that guide users in methods of data collection, structural identification, and quantitative analysis through ssEM. SynapticDB provides flexible access to complete templates, or to individual columns with instructional headers that can be selected to create user-defined templates. New templates can also be generated and uploaded. Research progress is tracked via experimental note management and dynamic PDF forms that allow new investigators to follow standard protocols and experienced researchers to expand the range of data collected and shared. The combined use of templates and tracking notes ensures that the supporting experimental information is populated into the database and associated with the appropriate ssEM images and analyses. We anticipate that SynapticDB will serve future meta-analyses towards new discoveries about the composition and circuitry of neurons and glia, and new understanding about structural plasticity during development, behavior, learning, memory, and neuropathology.

Protocol Coordinator | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Within the Leidos Biomedical Research Inc.’s Clinical Research Directorate, the Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) provides high-quality comprehensive and strategic operational support to the high-profile domestic and international clinical research initiatives of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Clinical Center (CC), National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Since its inception in 2001, CMRP’s ability to provide rapid responses, high-quality solutions, and to recruit and retain experts with a variety of backgrounds to meet the growing research portfolios of NCI, NIAID, CC, NHLBI, NIAMS, NCATS, NINDS, and NIMH has led to the considerable expansion of the program and its repertoire of support services. CMRP’s support services are strategically aligned with the program’s mission to provide comprehensive, dedicated support to assist National Institutes of Health researchers in providing the highest quality of clinical research in compliance with applicable regulations and guidelines, maintaining data integrity, and protecting human subjects. For the scientific advancement of clinical research, CMRP services include comprehensive clinical trials, regulatory, pharmacovigilance, protocol navigation and development, and programmatic and project management support for facilitating the conduct of 400+ Phase I, II, and III domestic and international trials on a yearly basis. These trials investigate the prevention, diagnosis, treatment of, and therapies for cancer, influenza, HIV, and other infectious diseases and viruses such as hepatitis C, tuberculosis, malaria, and Ebola virus; heart, lung, and blood diseases and conditions; parasitic infections; rheumatic and inflammatory diseases; and rare and neglected diseases. CMRP’s collaborative approach to clinical research and the expertise and dedication of staff to the continuation and success of the program’s mission has contributed to improving the overall standards of public health on a global scale. KEY ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES The Protocol Coordinator II: Provides comprehensive clinical and administrative support to the Brain Tumor Trial Collaborative, Neuro-Oncology Branch, NCI, National Institutes of Health Serves as a liaison with Principal Investigators (PIs), the associated study teams and a variety of offices associated with protocol development and approvals Orchestrates meetings with investigators and other key medical staff to identify required support Coordinates the writing and regulatory review processes that occur in tandem, facilitates the bi-directional dialogue and feedback between various teams, and assists investigators and medical writers on the production/revision of clinical research protocols Assists research staff in coordinating/navigating requirements for special circumstances and facilitates access to necessary services Facilitates initiation of intramural research by providing assistance in obtaining required approvals Coordinates with investigators and medical writers to ensure Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stipulations are appropriately addressed in a timely manner Provides consultation and assistance for all aspects of the protocol lifecycle including initial Investigational New Drug (IND) submission, IRB submission, continuing review applications, protocol amendments, annual reports, and protocol inactivation with IRB and FDA Tracks a portfolio of protocols through each lifecycle step; processes and tracks appropriate approvals (e.g., IRB, Data and Safety Monitoring Board, Radiation Safety, Office of Protocol Services, etc.) Provides administrative support to Scientific Review Committees (SRC), reviews proposed protocol documents to ensure they are complete, distributes to reviewers, documents meeting minutes, enters data into the IRIS database, facilitates processes to obtain approval to initiate and continue clinical research Creates, maintains and queries an IRB database of approved amendment descriptions Maintains records of the current protocol(s) version, current Informed Consent document(s), FDA Safe to Proceed designation, etc. for each IND Provides expertise in data management including data collection and analysis Develops procedural manuals for clinical trials protocols Participates in quality improvement and assurance involving International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines This position is located at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland.

Decentralized cooperative TOA/AOA target tracking for hierarchical wireless sensor networks.

PubMed

Chen, Ying-Chih; Wen, Chih-Yu

2012-11-08

This paper proposes a distributed method for cooperative target tracking in hierarchical wireless sensor networks. The concept of leader-based information processing is conducted to achieve object positioning, considering a cluster-based network topology. Random timers and local information are applied to adaptively select a sub-cluster for the localization task. The proposed energy-efficient tracking algorithm allows each sub-cluster member to locally estimate the target position with a Bayesian filtering framework and a neural networking model, and further performs estimation fusion in the leader node with the covariance intersection algorithm. This paper evaluates the merits and trade-offs of the protocol design towards developing more efficient and practical algorithms for object position estimation.

Accelerated rehabilitation compared with a standard protocol after distal radial fractures treated with volar open reduction and internal fixation: a prospective, randomized, controlled study.

PubMed

Brehmer, Jess L; Husband, Jeffrey B

2014-10-01

There are relatively few studies in the literature that specifically evaluate accelerated rehabilitation protocols for distal radial fractures treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). The purpose of this study was to compare the early postoperative outcomes (at zero to twelve weeks postoperatively) of patients enrolled in an accelerated rehabilitation protocol with those of patients enrolled in a standard rehabilitation protocol following ORIF for a distal radial fracture. We hypothesized that patients with accelerated rehabilitation after volar ORIF for a distal radial fracture would have an earlier return to function compared with patients who followed a standard protocol. From November 2007 to November 2010, eighty-one patients with an unstable distal radial fracture were prospectively randomized to follow either an accelerated or a standard rehabilitation protocol after undergoing ORIF with a volar plate for a distal radial fracture. Both groups began with gentle active range of motion at three to five days postoperatively. At two weeks, the accelerated group initiated wrist/forearm passive range of motion and strengthening exercises, whereas the standard group initiated passive range of motion and strengthening at six weeks postoperatively. Patients were assessed at three to five days, two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, six weeks, eight weeks, twelve weeks, and six months postoperatively. Outcomes included Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores (primary outcome) and measurements of wrist flexion/extension, supination, pronation, grip strength, and palmar pinch. The patients in the accelerated group had better mobility, strength, and DASH scores at the early postoperative time points (zero to eight weeks postoperatively) compared with the patients in the standard rehabilitation group. The difference between the groups was both clinically relevant and statistically significant. Patients who follow an accelerated rehabilitation protocol that emphasizes motion immediately postoperatively and initiates strengthening at two weeks after volar ORIF of a distal radial fracture have an earlier return to function than patients who follow a more standard rehabilitation protocol. Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. Copyright © 2014 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

49 CFR 213.235 - Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail assemblies or other transition devices on...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift... TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Inspection § 213.235 Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail... section, each switch, turnout, track crossing, and moveable bridge lift rail assembly or other transition...

49 CFR 213.235 - Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail assemblies or other transition devices on...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift... TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Inspection § 213.235 Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail... section, each switch, turnout, track crossing, and moveable bridge lift rail assembly or other transition...

49 CFR 213.235 - Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail assemblies or other transition devices on...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift... TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Inspection § 213.235 Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail... section, each switch, turnout, track crossing, and moveable bridge lift rail assembly or other transition...

49 CFR 213.235 - Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail assemblies or other transition devices on...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift... TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Inspection § 213.235 Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail... section, each switch, turnout, track crossing, and moveable bridge lift rail assembly or other transition...

49 CFR 213.235 - Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail assemblies or other transition devices on...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift... TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Inspection § 213.235 Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail... section, each switch, turnout, track crossing, and moveable bridge lift rail assembly or other transition...

A protocol using coho salmon to monitor Tongass National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan standards and guidelines for fish habitat.

Treesearch

M.D. Bryant; Trent McDonald; R. Aho; B.E. Wright; Michelle Bourassa Stahl

2008-01-01

We describe a protocol to monitor the effectiveness of the Tongass Land Management Plan (TLMP) management standards for maintaining fish habitat. The protocol uses juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in small tributary streams in forested watersheds. We used a 3-year pilot study to develop detailed methods to estimate juvenile salmonid...

A universal standard for the validation of blood pressure measuring devices: Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation/European Society of Hypertension/International Organization for Standardization (AAMI/ESH/ISO) Collaboration Statement.

PubMed

Stergiou, George S; Alpert, Bruce; Mieke, Stephan; Asmar, Roland; Atkins, Neil; Eckert, Siegfried; Frick, Gerhard; Friedman, Bruce; Graßl, Thomas; Ichikawa, Tsutomu; Ioannidis, John P; Lacy, Peter; McManus, Richard; Murray, Alan; Myers, Martin; Palatini, Paolo; Parati, Gianfranco; Quinn, David; Sarkis, Josh; Shennan, Andrew; Usuda, Takashi; Wang, Jiguang; Wu, Colin O; O'Brien, Eoin

2018-03-01

: In the last 30 years, several organizations, such as the US Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), the British Hypertension Society, the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) Working Group on Blood Pressure (BP) Monitoring and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) have developed protocols for clinical validation of BP measuring devices. However, it is recognized that science, as well as patients, consumers and manufacturers would be best served if all BP measuring devices were assessed for accuracy according to an agreed single validation protocol that had global acceptance. Therefore, an international initiative was taken by AAMI, ESH and ISO experts who agreed to develop a universal standard for device validation. This statement presents the key aspects of a validation procedure, which were agreed by the AAMI, ESH and ISO representatives as the basis for a single universal validation protocol. As soon as the AAMI/ESH/ISO standard is fully developed, this will be regarded as the single universal standard and will replace all other previous standards/protocols.

A Universal Standard for the Validation of Blood Pressure Measuring Devices: Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation/European Society of Hypertension/International Organization for Standardization (AAMI/ESH/ISO) Collaboration Statement.

PubMed

Stergiou, George S; Alpert, Bruce; Mieke, Stephan; Asmar, Roland; Atkins, Neil; Eckert, Siegfried; Frick, Gerhard; Friedman, Bruce; Graßl, Thomas; Ichikawa, Tsutomu; Ioannidis, John P; Lacy, Peter; McManus, Richard; Murray, Alan; Myers, Martin; Palatini, Paolo; Parati, Gianfranco; Quinn, David; Sarkis, Josh; Shennan, Andrew; Usuda, Takashi; Wang, Jiguang; Wu, Colin O; O'Brien, Eoin

2018-03-01

In the past 30 years, several organizations, such as the US Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), the British Hypertension Society, the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) Working Group on Blood Pressure (BP) Monitoring, and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), have developed protocols for clinical validation of BP measuring devices. However, it is recognized that science, as well as patients, consumers, and manufacturers, would be best served if all BP measuring devices were assessed for accuracy according to an agreed single validation protocol that had global acceptance. Therefore, an international initiative was taken by the AAMI, ESH, and ISO experts who agreed to develop a universal standard for device validation. This statement presents the key aspects of a validation procedure, which were agreed by the AAMI, ESH, and ISO representatives as the basis for a single universal validation protocol. As soon as the AAMI/ESH/ISO standard is fully developed, this will be regarded as the single universal standard and will replace all other previous standards/protocols. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc., and Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

National Airspace System (NAS) open system architecture and protocols

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-08-14

This standard establishes the open systems data communications architecture and authorized protocol standards for the National Airspace System (NAS). The NAS will consist of various types of processors and communications networks procured from a vari...

A rapid reversed-phase thin layer chromatographic protocol for detection of adulteration in ghee (clarified milk fat) with vegetable oils.

PubMed

Rani, Anupama; Sharma, Vivek; Arora, Sumit; Lal, Darshan; Kumar, Anil

2015-04-01

Detection of milk fat adulteration with foreign fats/oils continues to be a challenge for the dairy industry as well as food testing laboratories, especially in the present scenario of rampant adulteration using the scientific knowledge by unscrupulous persons involved in the trade. In the present investigation a rapid reversed-phase thin layer chromatographic (RP-TLC) protocol was standardized to ascertain the purity of milk fat. RP-TLC protocol did not show any false positive results in the genuine ghee (clarified butter fat) samples of known origin. Adulteration of ghee with coconut oil up to 7. 5 %, soybean oil, sunflower oil and groundnut oil up to 1 %, while, designer oil up to 2 % level could be detected using the standardized RP-TLC protocol. The protocol standardized is rapid and convenient to use.

Motion Imagery and Robotics Application (MIRA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martinez, Lindolfo; Rich, Thomas

2011-01-01

Objectives include: I. Prototype a camera service leveraging the CCSDS Integrated protocol stack (MIRA/SM&C/AMS/DTN): a) CCSDS MIRA Service (New). b) Spacecraft Monitor and Control (SM&C). c) Asynchronous Messaging Service (AMS). d) Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN). II. Additional MIRA Objectives: a) Demo of Camera Control through ISS using CCSDS protocol stack (Berlin, May 2011). b) Verify that the CCSDS standards stack can provide end-to-end space camera services across ground and space environments. c) Test interoperability of various CCSDS protocol standards. d) Identify overlaps in the design and implementations of the CCSDS protocol standards. e) Identify software incompatibilities in the CCSDS stack interfaces. f) Provide redlines to the SM&C, AMS, and DTN working groups. d) Enable the CCSDS MIRA service for potential use in ISS Kibo camera commanding. e) Assist in long-term evolution of this entire group of CCSDS standards to TRL 6 or greater.

JTS and its Application in Environmental Protection Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atanassov, Emanouil; Gurov, Todor; Slavov, Dimitar; Ivanovska, Sofiya; Karaivanova, Aneta

2010-05-01

The environmental protection was identified as a domain of high interest for South East Europe, addressing practical problems related to security and quality of life. The gridification of the Bulgarian applications MCSAES (Monte Carlo Sensitivity Analysis for Environmental Studies) which aims to develop an efficient Grid implementation of a sensitivity analysis of the Danish Eulerian Model), MSACM (Multi-Scale Atmospheric Composition Modeling) which aims to produce an integrated, multi-scale Balkan region oriented modelling system, able to interface the scales of the problem from emissions on the urban scale to their transport and transformation on the local and regional scales), MSERRHSA (Modeling System for Emergency Response to the Release of Harmful Substances in the Atmosphere) which aims to develop and deploy a modeling system for emergency response to the release of harmful substances in the atmosphere, targeted at the SEE and more specifically Balkan region) faces several challenges: These applications are resource intensive, in terms of both CPU utilization and data transfers and storage. The use of applications for operational purposes poses requirements for availability of resources, which are difficult to be met on a dynamically changing Grid environment. The validation of applications is resource intensive and time consuming. The successful resolution of these problems requires collaborative work and support from part of the infrastructure operators. However, the infrastructure operators are interested to avoid underutilization of resources. That is why we developed the Job Track Service and tested it during the development of the grid implementations of MCSAES, MSACM and MSERRHSA. The Job Track Service (JTS) is a grid middleware component which facilitates the provision of Quality of Service in grid infrastructures using gLite middleware like EGEE and SEEGRID. The service is based on messaging middleware and uses standart protocols like AMQP (Advanced Message Queuing Protocol) and XMPP (eXtensible Messaging and Presence Protocol) for real-time communication, while its security model is based on GSI authentication. It enables resource owners to provide the most popular types of QoS of execution to some of their users, using a standardized model. The first version of the service offered services to individual users. In this work we describe a new version of the Job Track service offering application specific functionality, geared towards the specific needs of the Environmental Modelling and Protection applications and oriented towards collaborative usage by groups and subgroups of users. We used the modular design of the JTS in order to implement plugins enabling smoother interaction of the users with the Grid environment. Our experience shows improved response times and decreased failure rate from the executions of the application. In this work we present such observations from the use of the South East European Grid infrastructure.

Validity of linear measurements of the jaws using ultralow-dose MDCT and the iterative techniques of ASIR and MBIR.

PubMed

Al-Ekrish, Asma'a A; Al-Shawaf, Reema; Schullian, Peter; Al-Sadhan, Ra'ed; Hörmann, Romed; Widmann, Gerlig

2016-10-01

To assess the comparability of linear measurements of dental implant sites recorded from multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) images obtained using standard-dose filtered backprojection (FBP) technique with those from various ultralow doses combined with FBP, adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR), and model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) techniques. The results of the study may contribute to MDCT dose optimization for dental implant site imaging. MDCT scans of two cadavers were acquired using a standard reference protocol and four ultralow-dose test protocols (TP). The volume CT dose index of the different dose protocols ranged from a maximum of 30.48-36.71 mGy to a minimum of 0.44-0.53 mGy. All scans were reconstructed using FBP, ASIR-50, ASIR-100, and MBIR, and either a bone or standard reconstruction kernel. Linear measurements were recorded from standardized images of the jaws by two examiners. Intra- and inter-examiner reliability of the measurements were analyzed using Cronbach's alpha and inter-item correlation. Agreement between the measurements obtained with the reference-dose/FBP protocol and each of the test protocols was determined with Bland-Altman plots and linear regression. Statistical significance was set at a P-value of 0.05. No systematic variation was found between the linear measurements obtained with the reference protocol and the other imaging protocols. The only exceptions were TP3/ASIR-50 (bone kernel) and TP4/ASIR-100 (bone and standard kernels). The mean measurement differences between these three protocols and the reference protocol were within ±0.1 mm, with the 95 % confidence interval limits being within the range of ±1.15 mm. A nearly 97.5 % reduction in dose did not significantly affect the height and width measurements of edentulous jaws regardless of the reconstruction algorithm used.

75 FR 4703 - Track Safety Standards; Continuous Welded Rail (CWR)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-29

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration 49 CFR Part 213 [Docket No. FRA-2008-0036] RIN 2130-AB90 Track Safety Standards; Continuous Welded Rail (CWR) AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Final rule; response to petition for...

40 CFR 279.65 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Tracking. 279.65 Section 279.65 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Burners Who Burn Off-Specification Used Oil for...

40 CFR 279.65 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Tracking. 279.65 Section 279.65 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Burners Who Burn Off-Specification Used Oil for...

40 CFR 279.65 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Tracking. 279.65 Section 279.65 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Burners Who Burn Off-Specification Used Oil for...

40 CFR 279.65 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Tracking. 279.65 Section 279.65 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Burners Who Burn Off-Specification Used Oil for...

40 CFR 279.65 - Tracking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Tracking. 279.65 Section 279.65 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USED OIL Standards for Used Oil Burners Who Burn Off-Specification Used Oil for...

Decentralised consensus-based formation tracking of multiple differential drive robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Xing; Peng, Zhaoxia; Wen, Guoguang; Rahmani, Ahmed

2017-11-01

This article investigates the control problem for formation tracking of multiple nonholonomic robots under distributed manner which means each robot only needs local information exchange. A class of general state and input transform is introduced to convert the formation-tracking issue of multi-robot systems into the consensus-like problem with time-varying reference. The distributed observer-based protocol with nonlinear dynamics is developed for each robot to achieve the consensus tracking of the new system, which namely means a group of nonholonomic mobile robots can form the desired formation configuration with its centroid moving along the predefined reference trajectory. The finite-time stability of observer and control law is analysed rigorously by using the Lyapunov direct method, algebraic graph theory and matrix analysis. Numerical examples are finally provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the theory results proposed in this paper.

TCP Performance Enhancement Over Iridium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Torgerson, Leigh; Hutcherson, Joseph; McKelvey, James

2007-01-01

In support of iNET maturation, NASA-JPL has collaborated with NASA-Dryden to develop, test and demonstrate an over-the-horizon vehicle-to-ground networking capability, using Iridium as the vehicle-to-ground communications link for relaying critical vehicle telemetry. To ensure reliability concerns are met, the Space Communications Protocol Standards (SCPS) transport protocol was investigated for its performance characteristics in this environment. In particular, the SCPS-TP software performance was compared to that of the standard Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) over the Internet Protocol (IP). This paper will report on the results of this work.

An Analysis of the Tracking Performances of Two Straight-wing and Two Swept-wing Fighter Airplanes with Fixed Sights in a Standardized Test Maneuver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ziff, Howard L; Rathert, George A; Gadeberg, Burnett L

1953-01-01

Standard air-to-air-gunnery tracking runs were conducted with F-51H, F8F-1, F-86A, and F-86E airplanes equipped with fixed gunsights. The tracking performances were documented over the normal operating range of altitude, Mach number, and normal acceleration factor for each airplane. The sources of error were studied by statistical analyses of the aim wander.

Evaluation of a new very low dose imaging protocol: feasibility and impact on X-ray dose levels in electrophysiology procedures

PubMed Central

Bourier, Felix; Reents, Tilko; Ammar-Busch, Sonia; Buiatti, Alessandra; Kottmaier, Marc; Semmler, Verena; Telishevska, Marta; Brkic, Amir; Grebmer, Christian; Lennerz, Carsten; Kolb, Christof; Hessling, Gabriele; Deisenhofer, Isabel

2016-01-01

Aims This study presents and evaluates the impact of a new lowest-dose fluoroscopy protocol (Siemens AG), especially designed for electrophysiology (EP) procedures, on X-ray dose levels. Methods and results From October 2014 to March 2015, 140 patients underwent an EP study on an Artis zee angiography system. The standard low-dose protocol was operated at 23 nGy (fluoroscopy) and at 120 nGy (cine-loop), the new lowest-dose protocol was operated at 8 nGy (fluoroscopy) and at 36 nGy (cine-loop). Procedural data, X-ray times, and doses were analysed in 100 complex left atrial and in 40 standard EP procedures. The resulting dose–area products were 877.9 ± 624.7 µGym² (n = 50 complex procedures, standard low dose), 199 ± 159.6 µGym² (n = 50 complex procedures, lowest dose), 387.7 ± 36.0 µGym² (n = 20 standard procedures, standard low dose), and 90.7 ± 62.3 µGym² (n = 20 standard procedures, lowest dose), P < 0.01. In the low-dose and lowest-dose groups, procedure times were 132.6 ± 35.7 vs. 126.7 ± 34.7 min (P = 0.40, complex procedures) and 72.3 ± 20.9 vs. 85.2 ± 44.1 min (P = 0.24, standard procedures), radiofrequency (RF) times were 53.8 ± 26.1 vs. 50.4 ± 29.4 min (P = 0.54, complex procedures) and 10.1 ± 9.9 vs. 12.2 ± 14.7 min (P = 0.60, standard procedures). One complication occurred in the standard low-dose and lowest-dose groups (P = 1.0). Conclusion The new lowest-dose imaging protocol reduces X-ray dose levels by 77% compared with the currently available standard low-dose protocol. From an operator standpoint, lowest X-ray dose levels create a different, reduced image quality. The new image quality did not significantly affect procedure or RF times and did not result in higher complication rates. Regarding radiological protection, operating at lowest-dose settings should become standard in EP procedures. PMID:26589627

25 CFR 543.12 - What are the minimum internal control standards for gaming promotions and player tracking systems?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What are the minimum internal control standards for gaming promotions and player tracking systems? 543.12 Section 543.12 Indians NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HUMAN SERVICES MINIMUM INTERNAL CONTROL STANDARDS FOR CLASS II GAMING § 543.12 What are the minimum internal contro...

25 CFR 543.12 - What are the minimum internal control standards for gaming promotions and player tracking systems?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What are the minimum internal control standards for gaming promotions and player tracking systems? 543.12 Section 543.12 Indians NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HUMAN SERVICES MINIMUM INTERNAL CONTROL STANDARDS FOR CLASS II GAMING § 543.12 What are the minimum internal contro...

Secure quantum communication using classical correlated channel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, D.; de Almeida, N. G.; Villas-Boas, C. J.

2016-10-01

We propose a secure protocol to send quantum information from one part to another without a quantum channel. In our protocol, which resembles quantum teleportation, a sender (Alice) and a receiver (Bob) share classical correlated states instead of EPR ones, with Alice performing measurements in two different bases and then communicating her results to Bob through a classical channel. Our secure quantum communication protocol requires the same amount of classical bits as the standard quantum teleportation protocol. In our scheme, as in the usual quantum teleportation protocol, once the classical channel is established in a secure way, a spy (Eve) will never be able to recover the information of the unknown quantum state, even if she is aware of Alice's measurement results. Security, advantages, and limitations of our protocol are discussed and compared with the standard quantum teleportation protocol.

Design of MPPT Controller Monitoring Software Based on QT Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, X. Z.; Lu, P. G.

2017-10-01

The MPPT controller was a hardware device for tracking the maximum power point of solar photovoltaic array. Multiple controllers could be working as networking mode by specific communicating protocol. In this article, based on C++ GUI programming with Qt frame, we designed one sort of desktop application for monitoring and analyzing operational parameter of MPPT controller. The type of communicating protocol for building network was Modbus protocol which using Remote Terminal Unit mode and The desktop application of host computer was connected with all the controllers in the network through RS485 communication or ZigBee wireless communication. Using this application, user could monitor the parameter of controller wherever they were by internet.

40 CFR 273.62 - Tracking universal waste shipments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... of each type of universal waste received (e.g., batteries, pesticides, thermostats); (3) The date of... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Tracking universal waste shipments... WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Destination Facilities § 273.62...

40 CFR 273.62 - Tracking universal waste shipments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... of each type of universal waste received (e.g., batteries, pesticides, thermostats); (3) The date of... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Tracking universal waste shipments... WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Destination Facilities § 273.62...

40 CFR 273.62 - Tracking universal waste shipments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... of each type of universal waste received (e.g., batteries, pesticides, thermostats); (3) The date of... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Tracking universal waste shipments... WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Destination Facilities § 273.62...

40 CFR 273.62 - Tracking universal waste shipments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... of each type of universal waste received (e.g., batteries, pesticides, thermostats); (3) The date of... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Tracking universal waste shipments... WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Destination Facilities § 273.62...

40 CFR 273.62 - Tracking universal waste shipments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... of each type of universal waste received (e.g., batteries, pesticides, thermostats); (3) The date of... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Tracking universal waste shipments... WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Destination Facilities § 273.62...

Nodule Classification on Low-Dose Unenhanced CT and Standard-Dose Enhanced CT: Inter-Protocol Agreement and Analysis of Interchangeability.

PubMed

Lee, Kyung Hee; Lee, Kyung Won; Park, Ji Hoon; Han, Kyunghwa; Kim, Jihang; Lee, Sang Min; Park, Chang Min

2018-01-01

To measure inter-protocol agreement and analyze interchangeability on nodule classification between low-dose unenhanced CT and standard-dose enhanced CT. From nodule libraries containing both low-dose unenhanced and standard-dose enhanced CT, 80 solid and 80 subsolid (40 part-solid, 40 non-solid) nodules of 135 patients were selected. Five thoracic radiologists categorized each nodule into solid, part-solid or non-solid. Inter-protocol agreement between low-dose unenhanced and standard-dose enhanced images was measured by pooling κ values for classification into two (solid, subsolid) and three (solid, part-solid, non-solid) categories. Interchangeability between low-dose unenhanced and standard-dose enhanced CT for the classification into two categories was assessed using a pre-defined equivalence limit of 8 percent. Inter-protocol agreement for the classification into two categories {κ, 0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94-0.98)} and that into three categories (κ, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.85-0.92]) was considerably high. The probability of agreement between readers with standard-dose enhanced CT was 95.6% (95% CI, 94.5-96.6%), and that between low-dose unenhanced and standard-dose enhanced CT was 95.4% (95% CI, 94.7-96.0%). The difference between the two proportions was 0.25% (95% CI, -0.85-1.5%), wherein the upper bound CI was markedly below 8 percent. Inter-protocol agreement for nodule classification was considerably high. Low-dose unenhanced CT can be used interchangeably with standard-dose enhanced CT for nodule classification.

49 CFR 213.343 - Continuous welded rail (CWR).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Train Operations at Track Classes 6 and Higher § 213.343 Continuous welded rail (CWR). Each track owner with track constructed of CWR shall have... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Continuous welded rail (CWR). 213.343 Section 213...

Tracking Women's Transitions to Adulthood: Race, Curricular Tracking, and Young Adult Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beattie, Irenee R.

2017-01-01

Theories suggest curricular tracking is linked to racial/ethnic inequality. However, prior studies largely examine cognitive outcomes like standardized test scores and neglect behavioral outcomes. They also overlook potential racial/ethnic differences "within" curricular tracks. This study asks the following questions: (a) Is curricular…

SPIRIT 2013 Statement: defining standard protocol items for clinical trials.

PubMed

Chan, An-Wen; Tetzlaff, Jennifer M; Altman, Douglas G; Laupacis, Andreas; Gøtzsche, Peter C; Krle A-Jerić, Karmela; Hrobjartsson, Asbjørn; Mann, Howard; Dickersin, Kay; Berlin, Jesse A; Dore, Caroline J; Parulekar, Wendy R; Summerskill, William S M; Groves, Trish; Schulz, Kenneth F; Sox, Harold C; Rockhold, Frank W; Rennie, Drummond; Moher, David

2015-12-01

The protocol of a clinical trial serves as the foundation for study planning, conduct, reporting, and appraisal. However, trial protocols and existing protocol guidelines vary greatly in content and quality. This article describes the systematic development and scope of SPIRIT (Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials) 2013, a guideline for the minimum content of a clinical trial protocol. The 33-item SPIRIT checklist applies to protocols for all clinical trials and focuses on content rather than format. The checklist recommends a full description of what is planned; it does not prescribe how to design or conduct a trial. By providing guidance for key content, the SPIRIT recommendations aim to facilitate the drafting of high-quality protocols. Adherence to SPIRIT would also enhance the transparency and completeness of trial protocols for the benefit of investigators, trial participants, patients, sponsors, funders, research ethics committees or institutional review boards, peer reviewers, journals, trial registries, policymakers, regulators, and other key stakeholders.

SPIRIT 2013 Statement: Defining Standard Protocol Items for Clinical Trials

PubMed Central

Chan, An-Wen; Tetzlaff, Jennifer M.; Altman, Douglas G.; Laupacis, Andreas; Gøtzsche, Peter C.; Krleža-Jerić, Karmela; Hróbjartsson, Asbjørn; Mann, Howard; Dickersin, Kay; Berlin, Jesse A.; Doré, Caroline J.; Parulekar, Wendy R.; Summerskill, William S.M.; Groves, Trish; Schulz, Kenneth F.; Sox, Harold C.; Rockhold, Frank W.; Rennie, Drummond; Moher, David

2016-01-01

The protocol of a clinical trial serves as the foundation for study planning, conduct, reporting, and appraisal. However, trial protocols and existing protocol guidelines vary greatly in content and quality. This article describes the systematic development and scope of SPIRIT (Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials) 2013, a guideline for the minimum content of a clinical trial protocol. The 33-item SPIRIT checklist applies to protocols for all clinical trials and focuses on content rather than format. The checklist recommends a full description of what is planned; it does not prescribe how to design or conduct a trial. By providing guidance for key content, the SPIRIT recommendations aim to facilitate the drafting of high-quality protocols. Adherence to SPIRIT would also enhance the transparency and completeness of trial protocols for the benefit of investigators, trial participants, patients, sponsors, funders, research ethics committees or institutional review boards, peer reviewers, journals, trial registries, policymakers, regulators, and other key stakeholders. PMID:23295957

SPIRIT 2013 statement: defining standard protocol items for clinical trials.

PubMed

Chan, An-Wen; Tetzlaff, Jennifer M; Altman, Douglas G; Laupacis, Andreas; Gøtzsche, Peter C; Krleža-Jerić, Karmela; Hróbjartsson, Asbjørn; Mann, Howard; Dickersin, Kay; Berlin, Jesse A; Doré, Caroline J; Parulekar, Wendy R; Summerskill, William S M; Groves, Trish; Schulz, Kenneth F; Sox, Harold C; Rockhold, Frank W; Rennie, Drummond; Moher, David

2013-02-05

The protocol of a clinical trial serves as the foundation for study planning, conduct, reporting, and appraisal. However, trial protocols and existing protocol guidelines vary greatly in content and quality. This article describes the systematic development and scope of SPIRIT (Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials) 2013, a guideline for the minimum content of a clinical trial protocol.The 33-item SPIRIT checklist applies to protocols for all clinical trials and focuses on content rather than format. The checklist recommends a full description of what is planned; it does not prescribe how to design or conduct a trial. By providing guidance for key content, the SPIRIT recommendations aim to facilitate the drafting of high-quality protocols. Adherence to SPIRIT would also enhance the transparency and completeness of trial protocols for the benefit of investigators, trial participants, patients, sponsors, funders, research ethics committees or institutional review boards, peer reviewers, journals, trial registries, policymakers, regulators, and other key stakeholders.

Comparison of Bruce treadmill exercise test protocols: is ramped Bruce equal or superior to standard bruce in producing clinically valid studies for patients presenting for evaluation of cardiac ischemia or arrhythmia with body mass index equal to or greater than 30?

PubMed

Bires, Angela Macci; Lawson, Dori; Wasser, Thomas E; Raber-Baer, Donna

2013-12-01

Clinically valid cardiac evaluation via treadmill stress testing requires patients to achieve specific target heart rates and to successfully complete the cardiac examination. A comparison of the standard Bruce protocol and the ramped Bruce protocol was performed using data collected over a 1-y period from a targeted patient population with a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 30 to determine which treadmill protocol provided more successful examination results. The functional capacity, metabolic equivalent units achieved, pressure rate product, and total time on the treadmill as measured for the obese patients were clinically valid and comparable to normal-weight and overweight patients (P < 0.001). Data gathered from each protocol demonstrated that the usage of the ramped Bruce protocol achieved more consistent results in comparison across all BMI groups in achieving 80%-85% of their age-predicted maximum heart rate. This study did not adequately establish that the ramped Bruce protocol was superior to the standard Bruce protocol for the examination of patients with a BMI equal to or greater than 30.

Patient privacy protection using anonymous access control techniques.

PubMed

Weerasinghe, D; Rajarajan, M; Elmufti, K; Rakocevic, V

2008-01-01

The objective of this study is to develop a solution to preserve security and privacy in a healthcare environment where health-sensitive information will be accessed by many parties and stored in various distributed databases. The solution should maintain anonymous medical records and it should be able to link anonymous medical information in distributed databases into a single patient medical record with the patient identity. In this paper we present a protocol that can be used to authenticate and authorize patients to healthcare services without providing the patient identification. Healthcare service can identify the patient using separate temporary identities in each identification session and medical records are linked to these temporary identities. Temporary identities can be used to enable record linkage and reverse track real patient identity in critical medical situations. The proposed protocol provides main security and privacy services such as user anonymity, message privacy, message confidentiality, user authentication, user authorization and message replay attacks. The medical environment validates the patient at the healthcare service as a real and registered patient for the medical services. Using the proposed protocol, the patient anonymous medical records at different healthcare services can be linked into one single report and it is possible to securely reverse track anonymous patient into the real identity. The protocol protects the patient privacy with a secure anonymous authentication to healthcare services and medical record registries according to the European and the UK legislations, where the patient real identity is not disclosed with the distributed patient medical records.

Performance evaluation of complete data transfer of physical layer according to IEEE 802.15.4 standard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raju, Kota Solomon; Merugu, Naresh Babu; Neetu, Babu, E. Ram

2016-03-01

ZigBee is well-accepted industrial standard for wireless sensor networks based on IEEE 802.15.4 standard. Wireless Sensor Networks is the major concern of communication these days. These Wireless Sensor Networks investigate the properties of networks of small battery-powered sensors with wireless communication. The communication between any two wireless nodes of wireless sensor networks is carried out through a protocol stack. This protocol stack has been designed by different vendors in various ways. Every custom vendor possesses his own protocol stack and algorithms especially at the MAC layer. But, many applications require modifications in their algorithms at various layers as per their requirements, especially energy efficient protocols at MAC layer that are simulated in Wireless sensor Network Simulators which are not being tested in real time systems because vendors do not allow the programmability of each layer in their protocol stack. This problem can be quoted as Vendor-Interoperability. The solution is to develop the programmable protocol stack where we can design our own application as required. As a part of the task first we tried implementing physical layer and transmission of data using physical layer. This paper describes about the transmission of the total number of bytes of Frame according to the IEEE 802.15.4 standard using Physical Layer.

Rate modulation of human anconeus motor units during high-intensity dynamic elbow extensions.

PubMed

Cowling, Brianna L; Harwood, Brad; Copithorne, David B; Rice, Charles L

2016-08-01

Investigations of high-intensity isometric fatiguing protocols report decreases in motor unit firing rates (MUFRs), but little is known regarding changes in MUFRs following fatigue induced by high-intensity dynamic contractions. Our purpose was to evaluate MUFRs of the anconeus (an accessory elbow extensor) and elbow extension power production as a function of time to task failure (TTF) during high-velocity fatiguing concentric contractions against a moderately heavy resistance. Fine-wire intramuscular electrode pairs were inserted into the anconeus to record MUs in 12 male participants (25 ± 3 yr), over repeated sessions on separate days. MUs were tracked throughout a three-stage, varying load dynamic elbow extension protocol designed to extend the task duration for >1 min thereby inducing substantial fatigue. Mean MUFRs and peak power were calculated for three relative time ranges: 0-15% TTF (beginning), 45-60% TTF (middle) and 85-100% TTF (end). Mean duration of the overall fatigue protocol was ∼80 s. Following the protocol, isometric maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), highest velocity at 35% MVC load, and peak power decreased 37, 60, and 64% compared with baseline, respectively. Data from 20 anconeus MUs tracked successfully throughout the protocol indicated a reduction in MUFRs in relation to power loss from 36 Hz/160 W (0-15% TTF) to 28 Hz/97 W (45-60% TTF) to 23 Hz/43 W (85-100% TTF). During these high-intensity maximal effort concentric contractions, anconeus MUFRs decreased substantially (>35%). Although the absolute MUFRs were higher in the present study than those reported previously for other muscles during sustained high-intensity isometric tasks, the relative decrease in MUFRs was similar between the two tasks. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

A network architecture for precision formation flying using the IEEE 802.11 MAC Protocol

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clare, Loren P.; Gao, Jay L.; Jennings, Esther H.; Okino, Clayton

2005-01-01

Precision Formation Flying missions involve the tracking and maintenance of spacecraft in a desired geometric formation. The strong coupling of spacecraft in formation flying control requires inter-spacecraft communication to exchange information. In this paper, we present a network architecture that supports PFF control, from the initial random deployment phase to the final formation. We show that a suitable MAC layer for the application protocol is IEEE's 802.11 MAC protocol. IEEE 802.11 MAC has two modes of operations: DCF and PCF. We show that DCF is suitable for the initial deployment phase while switching to PCF when the spacecraft are in formation improves jitter and throughput. We also consider the effect of routing on protocol performance and suggest when it is profitable to turn off route discovery to achieve better network performance.

Population estimates and monitoring guidelines for endangered Laysan Teal, Anas Laysanensis, at Midway Atoll: Pilot study results 2008-2010.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reynolds, Michelle H.; Brinck, Kevin W.; Laniawe, Leona

2011-01-01

To improve the Laysan Teal population estimates, we recommend changes to the monitoring protocol. Additional years of data are needed to quantify inter-annual seasonal detection probabilities, which may allow the use of standardized direct counts as an unbiased index of population size. Survey protocols should be enhanced through frequent resights, regular survey intervals, and determining reliable standards to detect catastrophic declines and annual changes in adult abundance. In late 2009 to early 2010, 68% of the population was marked with unique color band combinations. This allowed for potentially accurate adult population estimates and survival estimates without the need to mark new birds in 2010, 2011, and possibly 2012. However, efforts should be made to replace worn or illegible bands so birds can be identified in future surveys. It would be valuable to develop more sophisticated population size and survival models using Program MARK, a state-of-the-art software package which uses likelihood models to analyze mark-recapture data. This would allow for more reliable adult population and survival estimates to compare with the ―source‖ Laysan Teal population on Laysan Island. These models will require additional years of resight data (> 1 year) and, in some cases, an intensive annual effort of marking and recapture. Because data indicate standardized all-wetland counts are a poor index of abundance, monitoring efforts could be improved by expanding resight surveys to include all wetlands, discontinuing the all-wetland counts, and reallocating some of the wetland count effort to collect additional opportunistic resights. Approximately two years of additional bimonthly surveys are needed to validate the direct count as an appropriate index of population abundance. Additional years of individual resight data will allow estimates of adult population size, as specified in recovery criteria, and to track species population dynamics at Midway Atoll.

Tools for surveillance of anti-malarial drug resistance: an assessment of the current landscape.

PubMed

Nsanzabana, Christian; Djalle, Djibrine; Guérin, Philippe J; Ménard, Didier; González, Iveth J

2018-02-08

To limit the spread and impact of anti-malarial drug resistance and react accordingly, surveillance systems able to detect and track in real-time its emergence and spread need to be strengthened or in some places established. Currently, surveillance of anti-malarial drug resistance is done by any of three approaches: (1) in vivo studies to assess the efficacy of drugs in patients; (2) in vitro/ex vivo studies to evaluate parasite susceptibility to the drugs; and/or (3) molecular assays to detect validated gene mutations and/or gene copy number changes that are associated with drug resistance. These methods are complementary, as they evaluate different aspects of resistance; however, standardization of methods, especially for in vitro/ex vivo and molecular techniques, is lacking. The World Health Organization has developed a standard protocol for evaluating the efficacy of anti-malarial drugs, which is used by National Malaria Control Programmes to conduct their therapeutic efficacy studies. Regional networks, such as the East African Network for Monitoring Antimalarial Treatment and the Amazon Network for the Surveillance of Antimalarial Drug Resistance, have been set up to strengthen regional capacities for monitoring anti-malarial drug resistance. The Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network has been established to collate and provide global spatial and temporal trends information on the efficacy of anti-malarial drugs and resistance. While exchange of information across endemic countries is essential for monitoring anti-malarial resistance, sustainable funding for the surveillance and networking activities remains challenging. The technology landscape for molecular assays is progressing quite rapidly, and easy-to-use and affordable new techniques are becoming available. They also offer the advantage of high throughput analysis from a simple blood spots obtained from a finger prick. New technologies combined with the strengthening of national reference laboratories in malaria-endemic countries through standardized protocols and training plus the availability of a proficiency testing programme, would contribute to the improvement and sustainability of anti-malarial resistance surveillance networks worldwide.

Handling and storage of human body fluids for analysis of extracellular vesicles

PubMed Central

Yuana, Yuana; Böing, Anita N.; Grootemaat, Anita E.; van der Pol, Edwin; Hau, Chi M.; Cizmar, Petr; Buhr, Egbert; Sturk, Auguste; Nieuwland, Rienk

2015-01-01

Because procedures of handling and storage of body fluids affect numbers and composition of extracellular vesicles (EVs), standardization is important to ensure reliable and comparable measurements of EVs in a clinical environment. We aimed to develop standard protocols for handling and storage of human body fluids for EV analysis. Conditions such as centrifugation, single freeze–thaw cycle, effect of time delay between blood collection and plasma preparation and storage were investigated. Plasma is the most commonly studied body fluid in EV research. We mainly focused on EVs originating from platelets and erythrocytes and investigated the behaviour of these 2 types of EVs independently as well as in plasma samples of healthy subjects. EVs in urine and saliva were also studied for comparison. All samples were analysed simultaneously before and after freeze–thawing by resistive pulse sensing, nanoparticle tracking analysis, conventional flow cytometry (FCM) and transmission (scanning) electron microscopy. Our main finding is that the effect of centrifugation markedly depends on the cellular origin of EVs. Whereas erythrocyte EVs remain present as single EVs after centrifugation, platelet EVs form aggregates, which affect their measured concentration in plasma. Single erythrocyte and platelet EVs are present mainly in the range of 100–200 nm, far below the lower limit of what can be measured by conventional FCM. Furthermore, the effects of single freeze–thaw cycle, time delay between blood collection and plasma preparation up to 1 hour and storage up to 1 year are insignificant (p>0.05) on the measured concentration and diameter of EVs from erythrocyte and platelet concentrates and EVs in plasma, urine and saliva. In conclusion, in standard protocols for EV studies, centrifugation to isolate EVs from collected body fluids should be avoided. Freezing and storage of collected body fluids, albeit their insignificant effects, should be performed identically for comparative EV studies and to create reliable biorepositories. PMID:26563735

Handling and storage of human body fluids for analysis of extracellular vesicles.

PubMed

Yuana, Yuana; Böing, Anita N; Grootemaat, Anita E; van der Pol, Edwin; Hau, Chi M; Cizmar, Petr; Buhr, Egbert; Sturk, Auguste; Nieuwland, Rienk

2015-01-01

Because procedures of handling and storage of body fluids affect numbers and composition of extracellular vesicles (EVs), standardization is important to ensure reliable and comparable measurements of EVs in a clinical environment. We aimed to develop standard protocols for handling and storage of human body fluids for EV analysis. Conditions such as centrifugation, single freeze-thaw cycle, effect of time delay between blood collection and plasma preparation and storage were investigated. Plasma is the most commonly studied body fluid in EV research. We mainly focused on EVs originating from platelets and erythrocytes and investigated the behaviour of these 2 types of EVs independently as well as in plasma samples of healthy subjects. EVs in urine and saliva were also studied for comparison. All samples were analysed simultaneously before and after freeze-thawing by resistive pulse sensing, nanoparticle tracking analysis, conventional flow cytometry (FCM) and transmission (scanning) electron microscopy. Our main finding is that the effect of centrifugation markedly depends on the cellular origin of EVs. Whereas erythrocyte EVs remain present as single EVs after centrifugation, platelet EVs form aggregates, which affect their measured concentration in plasma. Single erythrocyte and platelet EVs are present mainly in the range of 100-200 nm, far below the lower limit of what can be measured by conventional FCM. Furthermore, the effects of single freeze-thaw cycle, time delay between blood collection and plasma preparation up to 1 hour and storage up to 1 year are insignificant (p>0.05) on the measured concentration and diameter of EVs from erythrocyte and platelet concentrates and EVs in plasma, urine and saliva. In conclusion, in standard protocols for EV studies, centrifugation to isolate EVs from collected body fluids should be avoided. Freezing and storage of collected body fluids, albeit their insignificant effects, should be performed identically for comparative EV studies and to create reliable biorepositories.

CURRENT STATUS OF THE EPA PROTOCOL GAS PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

Accurate compressed gas calibration standards are needed to calibrate continuous emission monitors (CEMs) and ambient air quality monitors that are being used for regulatory purposes. EPA has published a protocol to establish the traceability of these standards to national refer...

Using the ACR/NEMA standard with TCP/IP and Ethernet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chimiak, William J.; Williams, Rodney C.

1991-07-01

There is a need for a consolidated picture archival and communications system (PACS) in hospitals. At the Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University (BGSM), the authors are enhancing the ACR/NEMA Version 2 protocol using UNIX sockets and TCP/IP to greatly improve connectivity. Initially, nuclear medicine studies using gamma cameras are to be sent to PACS. The ACR/NEMA Version 2 protocol provides the functionality of the upper three layers of the open system interconnection (OSI) model in this implementation. The images, imaging equipment information, and patient information are then sent in ACR/NEMA format to a software socket. From there it is handed to the TCP/IP protocol, which provides the transport and network service. TCP/IP, in turn, uses the services of IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet) to complete the connectivity. The advantage of this implementation is threefold: (1) Only one I/O port is consumed by numerous nuclear medicine cameras, instead of a physical port for each camera. (2) Standard protocols are used which maximize interoperability with ACR/NEMA compliant PACSs. (3) The use of sockets allows a migration path to the transport and networking services of OSIs TP4 and connectionless network service as well as the high-performance protocol being considered by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Standards Organization (ISO) -- the Xpress Transfer Protocol (XTP). The use of sockets also gives access to ANSI's Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) as well as other high-speed network standards.

Independent review : statistical analyses of relationship between vehicle curb weight, track width, wheelbase and fatality rates.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-03-01

"NHTSA selected the vehicle footprint (the measure of a vehicles wheelbase multiplied by its average track width) as the attribute upon which to base the CAFE standards for model year 2012-2016 passenger cars and light trucks. These standards are ...

Cost-effectiveness analysis of an enteral nutrition protocol for children with common gastrointestinal diseases in China: good start but still a long way to go.

PubMed

Yang, Min; Chen, Pei-Yu; Gong, Si-Tang; Lyman, Beth; Geng, Lan-Lan; Liu, Li-Ying; Liang, Cui-Ping; Xu, Zhao-Hui; Li, Hui-Wen; Fang, Tie-Fu; Li, Ding-You

2014-11-01

A standard nutrition screening and enteral nutrition (EN) protocol was implemented in January 2012 in a tertiary children's center in China. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a standard EN protocol in hospitalized patients. A retrospective chart review was performed in the gastroenterology inpatient unit. We included all inpatient children requiring EN from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2013, with common gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. Children from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2013, served as the standard EN treatment group, and those from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2011, were the control EN group. Pertinent patient information was collected. We also analyzed the length of hospital stay, cost of care, and in-hospital infection rates. The standard EN treatment group received more nasojejunal tube feedings. There was a tendency for the standard EN treatment group to receive more elemental and hydrolyzed protein formulas. Implementation of a standard EN protocol significantly reduced the time to initiate EN (32.38 ± 24.50 hours vs 18.76 ± 13.53 hours; P = .011) and the time to reach a targeted calorie goal (7.42 ± 3.98 days vs 5.06 ± 3.55 days; P = .023); length of hospital stay was shortened by 3.2 days after implementation of the standard EN protocol but did not reach statistical significance. However, the shortened length of hospital stay contributed to a significant reduction in the total cost of hospital care (13,164.12 ± 6722.95 Chinese yuan [CNY] vs 9814.96 ± 4592.91 CNY; P < .032). Implementation of a standard EN protocol resulted in early initiation of EN, shortened length of stay, and significantly reduced total cost of care in hospitalized children with common GI diseases. © 2014 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

Assessing the Potential Use of Eye-Tracking Triangulation for Evaluating the Usability of an Online Diabetes Exercise System.

PubMed

Schaarup, Clara; Hartvigsen, Gunnar; Larsen, Lars Bo; Tan, Zheng-Hua; Årsand, Eirik; Hejlesen, Ole Kristian

2015-01-01

The Online Diabetes Exercise System was developed to motivate people with Type 2 diabetes to do a 25 minutes low-volume high-intensity interval training program. In a previous multi-method evaluation of the system, several usability issues were identified and corrected. Despite the thorough testing, it was unclear whether all usability problems had been identified using the multi-method evaluation. Our hypothesis was that adding the eye-tracking triangulation to the multi-method evaluation would increase the accuracy and completeness when testing the usability of the system. The study design was an Eye-tracking Triangulation; conventional eye-tracking with predefined tasks followed by The Post-Experience Eye-Tracked Protocol (PEEP). Six Areas of Interests were the basis for the PEEP-session. The eye-tracking triangulation gave objective and subjective results, which are believed to be highly relevant for designing, implementing, evaluating and optimizing systems in the field of health informatics. Future work should include testing the method on a larger and more representative group of users and apply the method on different system types.

Tracking and Quantifying Developmental Processes in C. elegans Using Open-source Tools.

PubMed

Dutta, Priyanka; Lehmann, Christina; Odedra, Devang; Singh, Deepika; Pohl, Christian

2015-12-16

Quantitatively capturing developmental processes is crucial to derive mechanistic models and key to identify and describe mutant phenotypes. Here protocols are presented for preparing embryos and adult C. elegans animals for short- and long-term time-lapse microscopy and methods for tracking and quantification of developmental processes. The methods presented are all based on C. elegans strains available from the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center and on open-source software that can be easily implemented in any laboratory independently of the microscopy system used. A reconstruction of a 3D cell-shape model using the modelling software IMOD, manual tracking of fluorescently-labeled subcellular structures using the multi-purpose image analysis program Endrov, and an analysis of cortical contractile flow using PIVlab (Time-Resolved Digital Particle Image Velocimetry Tool for MATLAB) are shown. It is discussed how these methods can also be deployed to quantitatively capture other developmental processes in different models, e.g., cell tracking and lineage tracing, tracking of vesicle flow.

A Weak Value Based QKD Protocol Robust Against Detector Attacks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troupe, James

2015-03-01

We propose a variation of the BB84 quantum key distribution protocol that utilizes the properties of weak values to insure the validity of the quantum bit error rate estimates used to detect an eavesdropper. The protocol is shown theoretically to be secure against recently demonstrated attacks utilizing detector blinding and control and should also be robust against all detector based hacking. Importantly, the new protocol promises to achieve this additional security without negatively impacting the secure key generation rate as compared to that originally promised by the standard BB84 scheme. Implementation of the weak measurements needed by the protocol should be very feasible using standard quantum optical techniques.

The Virtual Insect Brain protocol: creating and comparing standardized neuroanatomy

PubMed Central

Jenett, Arnim; Schindelin, Johannes E; Heisenberg, Martin

2006-01-01

Background In the fly Drosophila melanogaster, new genetic, physiological, molecular and behavioral techniques for the functional analysis of the brain are rapidly accumulating. These diverse investigations on the function of the insect brain use gene expression patterns that can be visualized and provide the means for manipulating groups of neurons as a common ground. To take advantage of these patterns one needs to know their typical anatomy. Results This paper describes the Virtual Insect Brain (VIB) protocol, a script suite for the quantitative assessment, comparison, and presentation of neuroanatomical data. It is based on the 3D-reconstruction and visualization software Amira, version 3.x (Mercury Inc.) [1]. Besides its backbone, a standardization procedure which aligns individual 3D images (series of virtual sections obtained by confocal microscopy) to a common coordinate system and computes average intensities for each voxel (volume pixel) the VIB protocol provides an elaborate data management system for data administration. The VIB protocol facilitates direct comparison of gene expression patterns and describes their interindividual variability. It provides volumetry of brain regions and helps to characterize the phenotypes of brain structure mutants. Using the VIB protocol does not require any programming skills since all operations are carried out at an intuitively usable graphical user interface. Although the VIB protocol has been developed for the standardization of Drosophila neuroanatomy, the program structure can be used for the standardization of other 3D structures as well. Conclusion Standardizing brains and gene expression patterns is a new approach to biological shape and its variability. The VIB protocol provides a first set of tools supporting this endeavor in Drosophila. The script suite is freely available at [2] PMID:17196102

Rethinking the NTCIP Design and Protocols - Analyzing the Issues

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-03-03

This working paper discusses the issues involved in changing the current draft NTCIP standard from an X.25-based protocol stack to an Internet-based protocol stack. It contains a methodology which could be used to change NTCIP's base protocols. This ...

Blockchain protocols in clinical trials: Transparency and traceability of consent.

PubMed

Benchoufi, Mehdi; Porcher, Raphael; Ravaud, Philippe

2017-01-01

Clinical trial consent for protocols and their revisions should be transparent for patients and traceable for stakeholders. Our goal is to implement a process allowing for collection of patients' informed consent, which is bound to protocol revisions, storing and tracking the consent in a secure, unfalsifiable and publicly verifiable way, and enabling the sharing of this information in real time. For that, we build a consent workflow using a trending technology called Blockchain. This is a distributed technology that brings a built-in layer of transparency and traceability. From a more general and prospective point of view, we believe Blockchain technology brings a paradigmatical shift to the entire clinical research field. We designed a Proof-of-Concept protocol consisting of time-stamping each step of the patient's consent collection using Blockchain, thus archiving and historicising the consent through cryptographic validation in a securely unfalsifiable and transparent way. For each protocol revision, consent was sought again.  We obtained a single document, in an open format, that accounted for the whole consent collection process: a time-stamped consent status regarding each version of the protocol. This document cannot be corrupted and can be checked on any dedicated public website. It should be considered a robust proof of data. However, in a live clinical trial, the authentication system should be strengthened to remove the need for third parties, here trial stakeholders, and give participative control to the peer users. In the future, the complex data flow of a clinical trial could be tracked by using Blockchain, which core functionality, named Smart Contract, could help prevent clinical trial events not occurring in the correct chronological order, for example including patients before they consented or analysing case report form data before freezing the database. Globally, Blockchain could help with reliability, security, transparency and could be a consistent step toward reproducibility.

Blockchain protocols in clinical trials: Transparency and traceability of consent

PubMed Central

Benchoufi, Mehdi; Porcher, Raphael; Ravaud, Philippe

2018-01-01

Clinical trial consent for protocols and their revisions should be transparent for patients and traceable for stakeholders. Our goal is to implement a process allowing for collection of patients’ informed consent, which is bound to protocol revisions, storing and tracking the consent in a secure, unfalsifiable and publicly verifiable way, and enabling the sharing of this information in real time. For that, we build a consent workflow using a trending technology called Blockchain. This is a distributed technology that brings a built-in layer of transparency and traceability. From a more general and prospective point of view, we believe Blockchain technology brings a paradigmatical shift to the entire clinical research field. We designed a Proof-of-Concept protocol consisting of time-stamping each step of the patient’s consent collection using Blockchain, thus archiving and historicising the consent through cryptographic validation in a securely unfalsifiable and transparent way. For each protocol revision, consent was sought again.  We obtained a single document, in an open format, that accounted for the whole consent collection process: a time-stamped consent status regarding each version of the protocol. This document cannot be corrupted and can be checked on any dedicated public website. It should be considered a robust proof of data. However, in a live clinical trial, the authentication system should be strengthened to remove the need for third parties, here trial stakeholders, and give participative control to the peer users. In the future, the complex data flow of a clinical trial could be tracked by using Blockchain, which core functionality, named Smart Contract, could help prevent clinical trial events not occurring in the correct chronological order, for example including patients before they consented or analysing case report form data before freezing the database. Globally, Blockchain could help with reliability, security, transparency and could be a consistent step toward reproducibility. PMID:29167732

SU-F-SPS-03: Direct Measurement of Organ Doses Resulting From Head and Cervical Spine Trauma CT Protocols

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

Carranza, C; Lipnharski, I; Quails, N

Purpose: This retrospective study analyzes the exposure history of emergency department (ED) patients undergoing head and cervical spine trauma computed tomography (CT) studies. This study investigated dose levels received by trauma patients and addressed any potential concerns regarding radiation dose issues. Methods: Under proper IRB approval, a cohort of 300 trauma cases of head and cervical spine trauma CT scans received in the ED was studied. The radiological image viewing software of the hospital was used to view patient images and image data. The following parameters were extracted: the imaging history of patients, the reported dose metrics from the scannermore » including the volumetric CT Dose Index (CTDIvol) and Dose Length Product (DLP). A postmortem subject was scanned using the same scan techniques utilized in a standard clinical head and cervical spine trauma CT protocol with 120 kVp and 280 mAs. The CTDIvol was recorded for the subject and the organ doses were measured using optically stimulated luminescent (OSL) dosimeters. Typical organ doses to the brain, thyroid, lens, salivary glands, and skin, based on the cadaver studies, were then calculated and reported for the cohort. Results: The CTDIvol reported by the CT scanner was 25.5 mGy for the postmortem subject. The average CTDIvol from the patient cohort was 34.1 mGy. From these metrics, typical average organ doses in mGy were found to be: Brain (44.57), Thyroid (33.40), Lens (82.45), Salivary Glands (61.29), Skin (47.50). The imaging history of the cohort showed that on average trauma patients received 26.1 scans over a lifetime. Conclusion: The average number of scans received on average by trauma ED patients shows that radiation doses in trauma patients may be a concern. Available dose tracking software would be helpful to track doses in trauma ED patients, highlighting the importance of minimizing unnecessary scans and keeping doses ALARA.« less

The making of a pan-European organ transplant registry.

PubMed

Smits, Jacqueline M; Niesing, Jan; Breidenbach, Thomas; Collett, Dave

2013-03-01

A European patient registry to track the outcomes of organ transplant recipients does not exist. As knowledge gleaned from large registries has already led to the creation of standards of care that gained widespread support from patients and healthcare providers, the European Union initiated a project that would enable the creation of a European Registry linking currently existing national databases. This report contains a description of all functional, technical, and legal prerequisites, which upon fulfillment should allow for the seamless sharing of national longitudinal data across temporal, geographical, and subspecialty boundaries. To create a platform that can effortlessly link multiple databases and maintain the integrity of the existing national databases crucial elements were described during the project. These elements are: (i) use of a common dictionary, (ii) use of a common database and refined data uploading technology, (iii) use of standard methodology to allow uniform protocol driven and meaningful long-term follow-up analyses, (iv) use of a quality assurance mechanism to guarantee completeness and accuracy of the data collected, and (v) establishment of a solid legal framework that allows for safe data exchange. © 2012 The Authors Transplant International © 2012 European Society for Organ Transplantation. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Comparison of EPA Method 1615 RT-qPCR Assays in Standard and Kit Format

EPA Science Inventory

EPA Method 1615 contains protocols for measuring enterovirus and norovirus by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. A commercial kit based upon these protocols was designed and compared to the method's standard approach. Reagent grade, secondary effluent, ...

49 CFR 238.19 - Reporting and tracking of repairs to defective passenger equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Reporting and tracking of repairs to defective... STANDARDS General § 238.19 Reporting and tracking of repairs to defective passenger equipment. (a) General. Beginning on January 1, 2002, each railroad shall have in place a reporting and tracking system for...

49 CFR 238.19 - Reporting and tracking of repairs to defective passenger equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Reporting and tracking of repairs to defective... STANDARDS General § 238.19 Reporting and tracking of repairs to defective passenger equipment. (a) General. Beginning on January 1, 2002, each railroad shall have in place a reporting and tracking system for...

Multiple lesion track structure model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, John W.; Cucinotta, Francis A.; Shinn, Judy L.

1992-01-01

A multilesion cell kinetic model is derived, and radiation kinetic coefficients are related to the Katz track structure model. The repair-related coefficients are determined from the delayed plating experiments of Yang et al. for the C3H10T1/2 cell system. The model agrees well with the x ray and heavy ion experiments of Yang et al. for the immediate plating, delaying plating, and fractionated exposure protocols employed by Yang. A study is made of the effects of target fragments in energetic proton exposures and of the repair-deficient target-fragment-induced lesions.

Using PATIMDB to Create Bacterial Transposon Insertion Mutant Libraries

PubMed Central

Urbach, Jonathan M.; Wei, Tao; Liberati, Nicole; Grenfell-Lee, Daniel; Villanueva, Jacinto; Wu, Gang; Ausubel, Frederick M.

2015-01-01

PATIMDB is a software package for facilitating the generation of transposon mutant insertion libraries. The software has two main functions: process tracking and automated sequence analysis. The process tracking function specifically includes recording the status and fates of multiwell plates and samples in various stages of library construction. Automated sequence analysis refers specifically to the pipeline of sequence analysis starting with ABI files from a sequencing facility and ending with insertion location identifications. The protocols in this unit describe installation and use of PATIMDB software. PMID:19343706

Endocardial left ventricle feature tracking and reconstruction from tri-plane trans-esophageal echocardiography data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dangi, Shusil; Ben-Zikri, Yehuda K.; Cahill, Nathan; Schwarz, Karl Q.; Linte, Cristian A.

2015-03-01

Two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound (US) has been the clinical standard for over two decades for monitoring and assessing cardiac function and providing support via intra-operative visualization and guidance for minimally invasive cardiac interventions. Developments in three-dimensional (3D) image acquisition and transducer design and technology have revolutionized echocardiography imaging enabling both real-time 3D trans-esophageal and intra-cardiac image acquisition. However, in most cases the clinicians do not access the entire 3D image volume when analyzing the data, rather they focus on several key views that render the cardiac anatomy of interest during the US imaging exam. This approach enables image acquisition at a much higher spatial and temporal resolution. Two such common approaches are the bi-plane and tri-plane data acquisition protocols; as their name states, the former comprises two orthogonal image views, while the latter depicts the cardiac anatomy based on three co-axially intersecting views spaced at 600 to one another. Since cardiac anatomy is continuously changing, the intra-operative anatomy depicted using real-time US imaging also needs to be updated by tracking the key features of interest and endocardial left ventricle (LV) boundaries. Therefore, rapid automatic feature tracking in US images is critical for three reasons: 1) to perform cardiac function assessment; 2) to identify location of surgical targets for accurate tool to target navigation and on-target instrument positioning; and 3) to enable pre- to intra-op image registration as a means to fuse pre-op CT or MR images used during planning with intra-operative images for enhanced guidance. In this paper we utilize monogenic filtering, graph-cut based segmentation and robust spline smoothing in a combined work flow to process the acquired tri-plane TEE time series US images and demonstrate robust and accurate tracking of the LV endocardial features. We reconstruct the endocardial LV geometry using the tri-plane contours and spline interpolation, and assess the accuracy of the proposed work flow against gold-standard results from the GE Echopac PC clinical software according to quantitative clinical LV characterization parameters, such as the length, circumference, area and volume. Our proposed combined work flow leads to consistent, rapid and automated identification of the LV endocardium, suitable for intra-operative applications and "on-the-fly" computer-assisted assessment of ejection fraction for cardiac function monitoring.Two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound (US) has been the clinical standard for over two decades for monitoring and assessing cardiac function and providing support via intra-operative visualization and guidance for minimally invasive cardiac interventions. Developments in three-dimensional (3D) image acquisition and transducer design and technology have revolutionized echocardiography imaging enabling both real-time 3D trans-esophageal and intra-cardiac image acquisition. However, in most cases the clinicians do not access the entire 3D image volume when analyzing the data, rather they focus on several key views that render the cardiac anatomy of interest during the US imaging exam. This approach enables image acquisition at a much higher spatial and temporal resolution. Two such common approaches are the bi-plane and tri-plane data acquisition protocols; as their name states, the former comprises two orthogonal image views, while the latter depicts the cardiac anatomy based on three co-axially intersecting views spaced at 600 to one another. Since cardiac anatomy is continuously changing, the intra-operative anatomy depicted using real-time US imaging also needs to be updated by tracking the key features of interest and endocardial left ventricle (LV) boundaries. Therefore, rapid automatic feature tracking in US images is critical for three reasons: 1) to perform cardiac function assessment; 2) to identify location of surgical targets for accurate tool to target navigation and on-target instrument positioning; and 3) to enable pre- to intra-op image registration as a means to fuse pre-op CT or MR images used during planning with intra-operative images for enhanced guidance. In this paper we utilize monogenic filtering, graph-cut based segmentation and robust spline smoothing in a combined work flow to process the acquired tri-plane TEE time series US images and demonstrate robust and accurate tracking of the LV endocardial features. We reconstruct the endocardial LV geometry using the tri-plane contours and spline interpolation, and assess the accuracy of the proposed work flow against gold-standard results from the GE Echopac PC clinical software according to quantitative clinical LV characterization parameters, such as the length, circumference, area and volume. Our proposed combined work flow leads to consistent, rapid and automated identification of the LV endocardium, suitable for intra-operative applications and on-the- y" computer-assisted assessment of ejection fraction for cardiac function monitoring.

Quantifying white matter structural integrity with high-definition fiber tracking in traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Presson, Nora; Krishnaswamy, Deepa; Wagener, Lauren; Bird, William; Jarbo, Kevin; Pathak, Sudhir; Puccio, Ava M; Borasso, Allison; Benso, Steven; Okonkwo, David O; Schneider, Walter

2015-03-01

There is an urgent, unmet demand for definitive biological diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI) to pinpoint the location and extent of damage. We have developed High-Definition Fiber Tracking, a 3 T magnetic resonance imaging-based diffusion spectrum imaging and tractography analysis protocol, to quantify axonal injury in military and civilian TBI patients. A novel analytical methodology quantified white matter integrity in patients with TBI and healthy controls. Forty-one subjects (23 TBI, 18 controls) were scanned with the High-Definition Fiber Tracking diffusion spectrum imaging protocol. After reconstruction, segmentation was used to isolate bilateral hemisphere homologues of eight major tracts. Integrity of segmented tracts was estimated by calculating homologue correlation and tract coverage. Both groups showed high correlations for all tracts. TBI patients showed reduced homologue correlation and tract spread and increased outlier count (correlations>2.32 SD below control mean). On average, 6.5% of tracts in the TBI group were outliers with substantial variability among patients. Number and summed deviation of outlying tracts correlated with initial Glasgow Coma Scale score and 6-month Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended score. The correlation metric used here can detect heterogeneous damage affecting a low proportion of tracts, presenting a potential mechanism for advancing TBI diagnosis. Reprint & Copyright © 2015 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

High SNR Acquisitions Improve the Repeatability of Liver Fat Quantification Using Confounder-corrected Chemical Shift-encoded MR Imaging

PubMed Central

Motosugi, Utaroh; Hernando, Diego; Wiens, Curtis; Bannas, Peter; Reeder, Scott. B

2017-01-01

Purpose: To determine whether high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) acquisitions improve the repeatability of liver proton density fat fraction (PDFF) measurements using confounder-corrected chemical shift-encoded magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (CSE-MRI). Materials and Methods: Eleven fat-water phantoms were scanned with 8 different protocols with varying SNR. After repositioning the phantoms, the same scans were repeated to evaluate the test-retest repeatability. Next, an in vivo study was performed with 20 volunteers and 28 patients scheduled for liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Two CSE-MRI protocols with standard- and high-SNR were repeated to assess test-retest repeatability. MR spectroscopy (MRS)-based PDFF was acquired as a standard of reference. The standard deviation (SD) of the difference (Δ) of PDFF measured in the two repeated scans was defined to ascertain repeatability. The correlation between PDFF of CSE-MRI and MRS was calculated to assess accuracy. The SD of Δ and correlation coefficients of the two protocols (standard- and high-SNR) were compared using F-test and t-test, respectively. Two reconstruction algorithms (complex-based and magnitude-based) were used for both the phantom and in vivo experiments. Results: The phantom study demonstrated that higher SNR improved the repeatability for both complex- and magnitude-based reconstruction. Similarly, the in vivo study demonstrated that the repeatability of the high-SNR protocol (SD of Δ = 0.53 for complex- and = 0.85 for magnitude-based fit) was significantly higher than using the standard-SNR protocol (0.77 for complex, P < 0.001; and 0.94 for magnitude-based fit, P = 0.003). No significant difference was observed in the accuracy between standard- and high-SNR protocols. Conclusion: Higher SNR improves the repeatability of fat quantification using confounder-corrected CSE-MRI. PMID:28190853

49 CFR 213.361 - Right of way.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Train Operations at Track Classes 6 and Higher § 213.361 Right of way. The track owner in Class 8 and 9 shall submit a barrier plan, termed a “right-of-way plan...

Prospective observer and software-based assessment of magnetic resonance imaging quality in head and neck cancer: Should standard positioning and immobilization be required for radiation therapy applications?

PubMed

Ding, Yao; Mohamed, Abdallah S R; Yang, Jinzhong; Colen, Rivka R; Frank, Steven J; Wang, Jihong; Wassal, Eslam Y; Wang, Wenjie; Kantor, Michael E; Balter, Peter A; Rosenthal, David I; Lai, Stephen Y; Hazle, John D; Fuller, Clifton D

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of a head and neck magnetic resonance simulation and immobilization protocol on reducing motion-induced artifacts and improving positional variance for radiation therapy applications. Two groups (group 1, 17 patients; group 2, 14 patients) of patients with head and neck cancer were included under a prospective, institutional review board-approved protocol and signed informed consent. A 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner was used for anatomic and dynamic contrast-enhanced acquisitions with standard diagnostic MRI setup for group 1 and radiation therapy immobilization devices for group 2 patients. The impact of magnetic resonance simulation/immobilization was evaluated qualitatively by 2 observers in terms of motion artifacts and positional reproducibility and quantitatively using 3-dimensional deformable registration to track intrascan maximum motion displacement of voxels inside 7 manually segmented regions of interest. The image quality of group 2 (29 examinations) was significantly better than that of group 1 (50 examinations) as rated by both observers in terms of motion minimization and imaging reproducibility (P < .0001). The greatest average maximum displacement was at the region of the larynx in the posterior direction for patients in group 1 (17 mm; standard deviation, 8.6 mm), whereas the smallest average maximum displacement was at the region of the posterior fossa in the superior direction for patients in group 2 (0.4 mm; standard deviation, 0.18 mm). Compared with group 1, maximum regional motion was reduced in group 2 patients in the oral cavity, floor of mouth, oropharynx, and larynx regions; however, the motion reduction reached statistical significance only in the regions of the oral cavity and floor of mouth (P < .0001). The image quality of head and neck MRI in terms of motion-related artifacts and positional reproducibility was greatly improved by use of radiation therapy immobilization devices. Consequently, immobilization with external and intraoral fixation in MRI examinations is required for radiation therapy application. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Performance of Implementing Guideline Driven Cervical Cancer Screening Measures in an Inner City Hospital System

PubMed Central

Wieland, Daryl L.; Reimers, Laura L.; Wu, Eijean; Nathan, Lisa M.; Gruenberg, Tammy; Abadi, Maria; Einstein, Mark H.

2013-01-01

Objective In 2006, the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) updated evidence based guidelines recommending screening intervals for women with abnormal cervical cytology. In our low-income inner city population, we sought to improve performance by uniformly applying the guidelines to all patients. We report the prospective performance of a comprehensive tracking, evidence-based algorithmically driven call-back and appointment scheduling system for cervical cancer screening in a resource-limited inner city population. Materials and Methods Outreach efforts were formalized with algorithm-based protocols for triage to colposcopy, with universal adherence to evidence-based guidelines. During implementation from August 2006 through July 2008, we prospectively tracked performance using the electronic medical record with administrative and pathology reports to determine performance variables such as the total number of Pap tests, colposcopy visits, and the distribution of abnormal cytology and histology results, including all CIN 2,3 diagnoses. Results 86,257 gynecologic visits and 41,527 Pap tests were performed system-wide during this period of widespread and uniform implementation of standard cervical cancer screening guidelines. The number of Pap tests performed per month varied little. The incidence of CIN 1 significantly decreased from 117/171 (68.4%) the first tracked month to 52/95 (54.7%) the last tracked month (p=0.04). The monthly incidence rate of CIN 2,3, including incident cervical cancers did not change. The total number of colposcopy visits declined, resulting in a 50% decrease in costs related to colposcopy services and approximately a 12% decrease in costs related to excisional biopsies. Conclusions Adherence to cervical cancer screening guidelines reduced the number of unnecessary colposcopies without increasing numbers of potentially missed CIN 2,3 lesions, including cervical cancer. Uniform implementation of administrative-based performance initiatives for cervical cancer screening minimizes differences in provider practices and maximizes performance of screening while containing cervical cancer screening costs. PMID:21959573

Challenges in standardization of blood pressure measurement at the population level.

PubMed

Tolonen, Hanna; Koponen, Päivikki; Naska, Androniki; Männistö, Satu; Broda, Grazyna; Palosaari, Tarja; Kuulasmaa, Kari

2015-04-10

Accurate blood pressure measurements are needed in clinical practice, intervention studies and health examination surveys. Blood pressure measurements are sensitive: their accuracy can be affected by measurement environment, behaviour of the subject, measurement procedures, devices used for the measurement and the observer. To minimize errors in blood pressure measurement, a standardized measurement protocol is needed. The European Health Examination Survey (EHES) Pilot project was conducted in 2009-2012. A pilot health examination survey was conducted in 12 countries using a standardized protocol. The measurement protocols used in each survey, training provided for the measurers, measurement data, and observations during site visits were collected and evaluated to assess the level of standardization. The EHES measurement protocol for blood pressure was followed accurately in all 12 pilot surveys. Most of the surveys succeeded in organizing a quiet and comfortable measurement environment, and staff instructed survey participants appropriately before examination visits. In all surveys, blood pressure was measured three times, from the right arm in a sitting posture. The biggest variation was in the device used for the blood pressure measurement. It is possible to reach a high level of standardization for blood pressure measurements across countries and over time. A detailed, standardized measurement protocol, and adequate training and monitoring during the fieldwork and centrally organized quality assessment of the data are needed. The recent EU regulation banning the sale of mercury sphygmomanometer in European Union Member States has set new challenges for the standardization of measurement devices since the validity of oscillometric measurements is device-specific and performance of aneroid devices depends very much on calibration.

Could we do better? Behavioural tracking on recommended consumer health websites.

PubMed

Burkell, Jacquelyn; Fortier, Alexandre

2015-09-01

This study examines behavioural tracking practices on consumer health websites, contrasting tracking on sites recommended by information professionals with tracking on sites returned by Google. Two lists of consumer health websites were constructed: sites recommended by information professionals and sites returned by Google searches. Sites were divided into three groups according to source (Recommended-Only, Google-Only or both) and type (Government, Not-for-Profit or Commercial). Behavioural tracking practices on each website were documented using a protocol that detected cookies, Web beacons and Flash cookies. The presence and the number of trackers that collect personal information were contrasted across source and type of site; a second set of analyses specifically examined Advertising trackers. Recommended-Only sites show lower levels of tracking - especially tracking by advertisers - than do Google-Only sites or sites found through both sources. Government and Not-for-Profit sites have fewer trackers, particularly from advertisers, than do Commercial sites. Recommended sites, especially those from Government or Not-for-Profit organisations, present a lower privacy threat than sites returned by Google searches. Nonetheless, most recommended websites include some trackers, and half include at least one Advertising tracker. To protect patron privacy, information professionals should examine the tracking practices of the websites they recommend. © 2015 Health Libraries Group.

Efficient place and route enablement of 5-tracks standard-cells through EUV compatible N5 ruleset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matti, L.; Gerousis, V.; Berekovic, M.; Debacker, P.; Sherazi, S. M. Y.; Milojevic, D.; Baert, R.; Ryckaert, J.; Kim, Ryoung-han; Verkest, Diederik; Raghavan, P.

2018-03-01

In imec predictive N5 technology platform (poly pitch 42nm, metal pitch 32nm), enabling cell height reduction from 6 to 5 tracks constitutes an interesting opportunity to reduce area of digital IP-blocks without increasing wafer cost. From a physical point of view, the two main challenges of reducing the number of tracks are posed by the increased difficulty of completing inter-cell connections in standard cell design, and by increased pin density that makes more challenging for the router to maintain high placement densities. Both these issues can potentially result into cell and chip area enlargement, thus mitigating or canceling the benefits of moving to 5-Tracks. In this study this side effect was avoided through a careful Design-Technology Co-Optimization approach (DTCO) [1], where a set of design arcs was used in conjunction with an EUV compatible ruleset that allowed efficient 5-Tracks standard cell design, resulting in final area gains up to 17% that were validated through a commercial state-of-the-art Place and Route (P&R) flow.

SUPPLEMENT TO: STANDARD MEASUREMENT PROTOCOLS - FLORIDA RADON RESEARCH PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

The report supplements earlier published standard protocols for key measurements where data quality is vital to the Florida Radon Research Program. The report adds measurements of small canister radon flux and soil water potential to the section on soil measurements. It adds indo...

The Effects of a Between-Wave Incentive Experiment on Contact Update and Production Outcomes in a Panel Study

PubMed Central

McGonagle, Katherine A.; Schoeni, Robert F.; Couper, Mick P.

2013-01-01

Since 1969, families participating in the U.S. Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) have been sent a mailing asking them to update or verify their contact information in order to keep track of their whereabouts between waves. Having updated contact information prior to data collection is associated with fewer call attempts, less tracking, and lower attrition. Based on these advantages, two experiments were designed to increase response rates to the between-wave contact mailing. The first experiment implemented a new protocol that increased the overall response rate by 7 – 10 percentage points compared to the protocol in place for decades on the PSID. This article provides results from the second experiment which examines the basic utility of the between-wave mailing, investigates how incentives affect article cooperation to the update request and field effort, and attempts to identify an optimal incentive amount. Recommendations for the use of contact update strategies in panel studies are made. PMID:24014112

A Graphical User Interface for Software-assisted Tracking of Protein Concentration in Dynamic Cellular Protrusions.

PubMed

Saha, Tanumoy; Rathmann, Isabel; Galic, Milos

2017-07-11

Filopodia are dynamic, finger-like cellular protrusions associated with migration and cell-cell communication. In order to better understand the complex signaling mechanisms underlying filopodial initiation, elongation and subsequent stabilization or retraction, it is crucial to determine the spatio-temporal protein activity in these dynamic structures. To analyze protein function in filopodia, we recently developed a semi-automated tracking algorithm that adapts to filopodial shape-changes, thus allowing parallel analysis of protrusion dynamics and relative protein concentration along the whole filopodial length. Here, we present a detailed step-by-step protocol for optimized cell handling, image acquisition and software analysis. We further provide instructions for the use of optional features during image analysis and data representation, as well as troubleshooting guidelines for all critical steps along the way. Finally, we also include a comparison of the described image analysis software with other programs available for filopodia quantification. Together, the presented protocol provides a framework for accurate analysis of protein dynamics in filopodial protrusions using image analysis software.

Job Grading Standard for Locomotive Engineer WG-6004.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Civil Service Commission, Washington, DC. Bureau of Policies and Standards.

The standard is used to grade the nonsupervisory work of operating all types of locomotives and trains to transport supplies, equipment, conveyances, and personnel. The work involves skill in operating locomotives under various conditions, and knowledge of the layout of a track system and the safety, signalling, and track use requirements or…

Kentucky | Midmarket Solar Policies in the United States | Solar Research |

Science.gov Websites

NREL Kentucky Kentucky No renewable portfolio standard Carve-out: None Tracking system Attribute Tracking System (PJM-GATS) Kentucky currently has no state renewable portfolio standard or goal and no demand for renewable energy certificates (RECs). However, solar customers may sell RECs to the

76 FR 23749 - Intelligent Mail Package Barcode (IMpb) Implementation for Commercial Parcels

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-28

...The Postal Service is proposing to revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) to require the use of a unique tracking barcode on all commercial parcels, except Standard Mail[supreg] parcels, claiming presort and destination entry pricing by January 2012; and to encourage use of unique tracking barcodes by providing free Delivery Confirmation[supreg] service on all commercial parcels except Standard Mail parcels.

A Simple XML Producer-Consumer Protocol

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Warren; Gunter, Dan; Quesnel, Darcy; Biegel, Bryan (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

There are many different projects from government, academia, and industry that provide services for delivering events in distributed environments. The problem with these event services is that they are not general enough to support all uses and they speak different protocols so that they cannot interoperate. We require such interoperability when we, for example, wish to analyze the performance of an application in a distributed environment. Such an analysis might require performance information from the application, computer systems, networks, and scientific instruments. In this work we propose and evaluate a standard XML-based protocol for the transmission of events in distributed systems. One recent trend in government and academic research is the development and deployment of computational grids. Computational grids are large-scale distributed systems that typically consist of high-performance compute, storage, and networking resources. Examples of such computational grids are the DOE Science Grid, the NASA Information Power Grid (IPG), and the NSF Partnerships for Advanced Computing Infrastructure (PACIs). The major effort to deploy these grids is in the area of developing the software services to allow users to execute applications on these large and diverse sets of resources. These services include security, execution of remote applications, managing remote data, access to information about resources and services, and so on. There are several toolkits for providing these services such as Globus, Legion, and Condor. As part of these efforts to develop computational grids, the Global Grid Forum is working to standardize the protocols and APIs used by various grid services. This standardization will allow interoperability between the client and server software of the toolkits that are providing the grid services. The goal of the Performance Working Group of the Grid Forum is to standardize protocols and representations related to the storage and distribution of performance data. These standard protocols and representations must support tasks such as profiling parallel applications, monitoring the status of computers and networks, and monitoring the performance of services provided by a computational grid. This paper describes a proposed protocol and data representation for the exchange of events in a distributed system. The protocol exchanges messages formatted in XML and it can be layered atop any low-level communication protocol such as TCP or UDP Further, we describe Java and C++ implementations of this protocol and discuss their performance. The next section will provide some further background information. Section 3 describes the main communication patterns of our protocol. Section 4 describes how we represent events and related information using XML. Section 5 describes our protocol and Section 6 discusses the performance of two implementations of the protocol. Finally, an appendix provides the XML Schema definition of our protocol and event information.

A literature review: polypharmacy protocol for primary care.

PubMed

Skinner, Mary

2015-01-01

The purpose of this literature review is to critically evaluate published protocols on polypharmacy in adults ages 65 and older that are currently used in primary care settings that may potentially lead to fewer adverse drug events. A review of OVID, CINAHL, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, Medline, and PubMed databases was completed using the following key words: protocol, guideline, geriatrics, elderly, older adult, polypharmacy, and primary care. Inclusion criteria were: articles in medical, nursing, and pharmacology journals with an intervention, protocol, or guideline addressing polypharmacy that lead to fewer adverse drug events. Qualitative and quantitative studies were included. Exclusion criteria were: publications prior to the year 1992. A gap exists in the literature. No standardized protocol for addressing polypharmacy in the primary care setting was found. Mnemonics, algorithms, clinical practice guidelines, and clinical strategies for addressing polypharmacy in a variety of health care settings were found throughout the literature. Several screening instruments for use in primary care to assess potentially inappropriate prescription of medications in the elderly, such as the Beers Criteria and the STOPP screening tool, were identified. However, these screening instruments were not included in a standardized protocol to manage polypharmacy in primary care. Polypharmacy in the elderly is a critical problem that may result in adverse drug events such as falls, hospitalizations, and increased expenditures for both the patient and the health care system. No standardized protocols to address polypharmacy specific to the primary care setting were identified in this review of the literature. Given the growing population of elderly in this country and the high number of medications they consume, it is critical to focus on the utilization of a standardized protocol to address the potential harm of polypharmacy in the primary care setting and evaluate its effects on patient outcomes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Novel Process Audit for Standardized Perioperative Handoff Protocols.

PubMed

Pallekonda, Vinay; Scholl, Adam T; McKelvey, George M; Amhaz, Hassan; Essa, Deanna; Narreddy, Spurthy; Tan, Jens; Templonuevo, Mark; Ramirez, Sasha; Petrovic, Michelle A

2017-11-01

A perioperative handoff protocol provides a standardized delivery of communication during a handoff that occurs from the operating room to the postanestheisa care unit or ICU. The protocol's success is dependent, in part, on its continued proper use over time. A novel process audit was developed to help ensure that a perioperative handoff protocol is used accurately and appropriately over time. The Audit Observation Form is used for the Audit Phase of the process audit, while the Audit Averages Form is used for the Data Analysis Phase. Employing minimal resources and using quantitative methods, the process audit provides the necessary means to evaluate the proper execution of any perioperative handoff protocol. Copyright © 2017 The Joint Commission. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

OSI in the NASA science internet: An analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nitzan, Rebecca

1990-01-01

The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) protocol suite is a result of a world-wide effort to develop international standards for networking. OSI is formalized through the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The goal of OSI is to provide interoperability between network products without relying on one particular vendor, and to do so on a multinational basis. The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a Government OSI Profile (GOSIP) that specified a subset of the OSI protocols as a Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS 146). GOSIP compatibility has been adopted as the direction for all U.S. government networks. OSI is extremely diverse, and therefore adherence to a profile will facilitate interoperability within OSI networks. All major computer vendors have indicated current or future support of GOSIP-compliant OSI protocols in their products. The NASA Science Internet (NSI) is an operational network, serving user requirements under NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications. NSI consists of the Space Physics Analysis Network (SPAN) that uses the DECnet protocols and the NASA Science Network (NSN) that uses TCP/IP protocols. The NSI Project Office is currently working on an OSI integration analysis and strategy. A long-term goal is to integrate SPAN and NSN into one unified network service, using a full OSI protocol suite, which will support the OSSA user community.

The agreement between 3D, standard 2D and triplane 2D speckle tracking: effects of image quality and 3D volume rate.

PubMed

Trache, Tudor; Stöbe, Stephan; Tarr, Adrienn; Pfeiffer, Dietrich; Hagendorff, Andreas

2014-12-01

Comparison of 3D and 2D speckle tracking performed on standard 2D and triplane 2D datasets of normal and pathological left ventricular (LV) wall-motion patterns with a focus on the effect that 3D volume rate (3DVR), image quality and tracking artifacts have on the agreement between 2D and 3D speckle tracking. 37 patients with normal LV function and 18 patients with ischaemic wall-motion abnormalities underwent 2D and 3D echocardiography, followed by offline speckle tracking measurements. The values of 3D global, regional and segmental strain were compared with the standard 2D and triplane 2D strain values. Correlation analysis with the LV ejection fraction (LVEF) was also performed. The 3D and 2D global strain values correlated good in both normally and abnormally contracting hearts, though systematic differences between the two methods were observed. Of the 3D strain parameters, the area strain showed the best correlation with the LVEF. The numerical agreement of 3D and 2D analyses varied significantly with the volume rate and image quality of the 3D datasets. The highest correlation between 2D and 3D peak systolic strain values was found between 3D area and standard 2D longitudinal strain. Regional wall-motion abnormalities were similarly detected by 2D and 3D speckle tracking. 2DST of triplane datasets showed similar results to those of conventional 2D datasets. 2D and 3D speckle tracking similarly detect normal and pathological wall-motion patterns. Limited image quality has a significant impact on the agreement between 3D and 2D numerical strain values.

Comparison of seven protocols to identify fecal contamination sources using Escherichia coli

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stoeckel, D.M.; Mathes, M.V.; Hyer, K.E.; Hagedorn, C.; Kator, H.; Lukasik, J.; O'Brien, T. L.; Fenger, T.W.; Samadpour, M.; Strickler, K.M.; Wiggins, B.A.

2004-01-01

Microbial source tracking (MST) uses various approaches to classify fecal-indicator microorganisms to source hosts. Reproducibility, accuracy, and robustness of seven phenotypic and genotypic MST protocols were evaluated by use of Escherichia coli from an eight-host library of known-source isolates and a separate, blinded challenge library. In reproducibility tests, measuring each protocol's ability to reclassify blinded replicates, only one (pulsed-field gel electrophoresis; PFGE) correctly classified all test replicates to host species; three protocols classified 48-62% correctly, and the remaining three classified fewer than 25% correctly. In accuracy tests, measuring each protocol's ability to correctly classify new isolates, ribotyping with EcoRI and PvuII approached 100% correct classification but only 6% of isolates were classified; four of the other six protocols (antibiotic resistance analysis, PFGE, and two repetitive-element PCR protocols) achieved better than random accuracy rates when 30-100% of challenge isolates were classified. In robustness tests, measuring each protocol's ability to recognize isolates from nonlibrary hosts, three protocols correctly classified 33-100% of isolates as "unknown origin," whereas four protocols classified all isolates to a source category. A relevance test, summarizing interpretations for a hypothetical water sample containing 30 challenge isolates, indicated that false-positive classifications would hinder interpretations for most protocols. Study results indicate that more representation in known-source libraries and better classification accuracy would be needed before field application. Thorough reliability assessment of classification results is crucial before and during application of MST protocols.

A proposed protocol for acceptance and constancy control of computed tomography systems: a Nordic Association for Clinical Physics (NACP) work group report.

PubMed

Kuttner, Samuel; Bujila, Robert; Kortesniemi, Mika; Andersson, Henrik; Kull, Love; Østerås, Bjørn Helge; Thygesen, Jesper; Tarp, Ivanka Sojat

2013-03-01

Quality assurance (QA) of computed tomography (CT) systems is one of the routine tasks for medical physicists in the Nordic countries. However, standardized QA protocols do not yet exist and the QA methods, as well as the applied tolerance levels, vary in scope and extent at different hospitals. To propose a standardized protocol for acceptance and constancy testing of CT scanners in the Nordic Region. Following a Nordic Association for Clinical Physics (NACP) initiative, a group of medical physicists, with representatives from four Nordic countries, was formed. Based on international literature and practical experience within the group, a comprehensive standardized test protocol was developed. The proposed protocol includes tests related to the mechanical functionality, X-ray tube, detector, and image quality for CT scanners. For each test, recommendations regarding the purpose, equipment needed, an outline of the test method, the measured parameter, tolerance levels, and the testing frequency are stated. In addition, a number of optional tests are briefly discussed that may provide further information about the CT system. Based on international references and medical physicists' practical experiences, a comprehensive QA protocol for CT systems is proposed, including both acceptance and constancy tests. The protocol may serve as a reference for medical physicists in the Nordic countries.

Student Performances in Various Learning Protocols

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregorius, Roberto

2011-01-01

A comparison was made between students' overall performance, as measured by overall grade, in different teaching and learning protocols: (1) traditional textbook and lecture along with standard examinations; (2) lectures with online augmentation and PowerPoint lecture notes along with standard examinations; (3) similar to "(2)" but with…

STANDARDIZATION AND VALIDATION OF METHODS FOR ENUMERATION OF FECAL COLIFORM AND SALMONELLA IN BIOSOLIDS

EPA Science Inventory

Current federal regulations required monitoring for fecal coliforms or Salmonella in biosolids destined for land application. Methods used for analysis of fecal coliforms and Salmonella were reviewed and a standard protocol was developed. The protocols were then...

STANDARDIZATION AND VALIDATION OF METHODS FOR ENUMERATION OF FECAL COLIFORM AND SALMONELLA IN BIOSOLIDS

EPA Science Inventory

Current federal regulations require monitoring for fecal coliforms or Salmonella in biosolids destined for land application. Methods used for analysis of fecal coliforms and Salmonella were reviewed and a standard protocol was developed. The protocols were then evaluated by testi...

Evaluation of a new very low dose imaging protocol: feasibility and impact on X-ray dose levels in electrophysiology procedures.

PubMed

Bourier, Felix; Reents, Tilko; Ammar-Busch, Sonia; Buiatti, Alessandra; Kottmaier, Marc; Semmler, Verena; Telishevska, Marta; Brkic, Amir; Grebmer, Christian; Lennerz, Carsten; Kolb, Christof; Hessling, Gabriele; Deisenhofer, Isabel

2016-09-01

This study presents and evaluates the impact of a new lowest-dose fluoroscopy protocol (Siemens AG), especially designed for electrophysiology (EP) procedures, on X-ray dose levels. From October 2014 to March 2015, 140 patients underwent an EP study on an Artis zee angiography system. The standard low-dose protocol was operated at 23 nGy (fluoroscopy) and at 120 nGy (cine-loop), the new lowest-dose protocol was operated at 8 nGy (fluoroscopy) and at 36 nGy (cine-loop). Procedural data, X-ray times, and doses were analysed in 100 complex left atrial and in 40 standard EP procedures. The resulting dose-area products were 877.9 ± 624.7 µGym² (n = 50 complex procedures, standard low dose), 199 ± 159.6 µGym² (n = 50 complex procedures, lowest dose), 387.7 ± 36.0 µGym² (n = 20 standard procedures, standard low dose), and 90.7 ± 62.3 µGym² (n = 20 standard procedures, lowest dose), P < 0.01. In the low-dose and lowest-dose groups, procedure times were 132.6 ± 35.7 vs. 126.7 ± 34.7 min (P = 0.40, complex procedures) and 72.3 ± 20.9 vs. 85.2 ± 44.1 min (P = 0.24, standard procedures), radiofrequency (RF) times were 53.8 ± 26.1 vs. 50.4 ± 29.4 min (P = 0.54, complex procedures) and 10.1 ± 9.9 vs. 12.2 ± 14.7 min (P = 0.60, standard procedures). One complication occurred in the standard low-dose and lowest-dose groups (P = 1.0). The new lowest-dose imaging protocol reduces X-ray dose levels by 77% compared with the currently available standard low-dose protocol. From an operator standpoint, lowest X-ray dose levels create a different, reduced image quality. The new image quality did not significantly affect procedure or RF times and did not result in higher complication rates. Regarding radiological protection, operating at lowest-dose settings should become standard in EP procedures. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Elbow Joint Position Sense After Neuromuscular Training With Handheld Vibration

PubMed Central

Tripp, Brady L.; Faust, Donald; Jacobs, Patrick

2009-01-01

Abstract Context: Clinicians use neuromuscular control exercises to enhance joint position sense (JPS); however, because standardizing such exercises is difficult, validations of their use are limited. Objective: To evaluate the acute effects of a neuromuscular training exercise with a handheld vibrating dumbbell on elbow JPS acuity. Design: Crossover study. Setting: University athletic training research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Thirty-one healthy, college-aged volunteers (16 men, 15 women, age  =  23 ± 3 years, height  =  173 ± 8 cm, mass  =  76 ± 14 kg). Intervention(s): We measured and trained elbow JPS using an electromagnetic tracking device that provided auditory and visual biofeedback. For JPS testing, participants held a dumbbell and actively identified the target elbow flexion angle (90°) using the software-generated biofeedback, followed by 3 repositioning trials without feedback. Each neuromuscular training protocol included 3 exercises during which participants held a 2.55-kg dumbbell vibrating at 15, 5, or 0 Hz and used software-generated biofeedback to locate and maintain the target elbow flexion angle for 15 seconds. Main Outcome Measure(s): We calculated absolute (accuracy) and variable (variability) errors using the differences between target and reproduced angles. Results: Training protocols using 15-Hz vibration enhanced accuracy and decreased variability of elbow JPS (P ≤ .005), whereas 5-Hz vibration did not affect accuracy (F1,61  =  2.625, P  =  .100) but did decrease variability (F1,61  =  7.250, P  =  .009). The control condition and 0-Hz training protocol had no effect on accuracy or variability (P ≥ .200). Conclusions: Our results suggest these neuromuscular control exercises, which included low-magnitude, low-frequency handheld vibration, may enhance elbow JPS. Future researchers should examine vibration of various durations and frequencies, should include injured participants and functional multijoint and multiplanar measures, and should examine long-term effects of training protocols on JPS and injury. PMID:19911088

Analytic Studies of the Effects of Track Geometry Variation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1985-07-01

In this report, analyses are described which were used to aid in the planning of tests carried out on track in Bennington, New Hampshire in August 1982. These tests were designed to provide insight into practical aspects of track safety standards. Ge...

Analysis of Railroad Track Maintenance Expenditures for Class I Railroads 1962-1977

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-02-01

This study investigates the decision-making process for railroad track maintenance (T/M) expenditures. The objectives are to (1) describe how Federal track safety standards have influenced this process and (2) try to predict the impact of changes in ...

Effectiveness of a citywide patient immunization navigator program on improving adolescent immunizations and preventive care visit rates.

PubMed

Szilagyi, Peter G; Humiston, Sharon G; Gallivan, Sarah; Albertin, Christina; Sandler, Martha; Blumkin, Aaron

2011-06-01

To assess the impact of a tiered patient immunization navigator intervention (immunization tracking, reminder/recall, and outreach) on improving immunization and preventive care visit rates in urban adolescents. Randomized clinical trial allocating adolescents (aged 11-15 years) to intervention vs standard of care control. Eight primary care practices. Population-based sample of adolescents (N = 7546). Immunization navigators at each practice implemented a tiered protocol: immunization tracking, telephone or mail reminder/recall, and home visits if participants remained unimmunized or behind on preventive care visits. Immunization rates at study end. Secondary outcomes were preventive care visit rates during the previous 12 months and costs. The intervention and control groups were similar at baseline for demographics (mean age, 13.5 years; 63% black, 14% white, and 23% Hispanic adolescents; and 74% receiving Medicaid), immunization rates, and preventive care visit rates. Immunization rates at the end of the study were 44.7% for the intervention group and 32.4% for the control group (adjusted risk ratio, 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-1.5); preventive care visit rates were 68.0% for the intervention group and 55.2% for the control group (1.2; 1.2-1.3). Findings were similar across practices, sexes, ages, and insurance providers. The number needed to treat for immunizations and preventive care visits was 9. The intervention cost was $3.81 per adolescent per month; the cost per additional adolescent fully vaccinated was $465, and the cost per additional adolescent receiving a preventive care visit was $417. A tiered tracking, reminder/recall, and outreach intervention improved immunization and preventive care visit rates in urban adolescents. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00581347.

Modular multiple sensors information management for computer-integrated surgery.

PubMed

Vaccarella, Alberto; Enquobahrie, Andinet; Ferrigno, Giancarlo; Momi, Elena De

2012-09-01

In the past 20 years, technological advancements have modified the concept of modern operating rooms (ORs) with the introduction of computer-integrated surgery (CIS) systems, which promise to enhance the outcomes, safety and standardization of surgical procedures. With CIS, different types of sensor (mainly position-sensing devices, force sensors and intra-operative imaging devices) are widely used. Recently, the need for a combined use of different sensors raised issues related to synchronization and spatial consistency of data from different sources of information. In this study, we propose a centralized, multi-sensor management software architecture for a distributed CIS system, which addresses sensor information consistency in both space and time. The software was developed as a data server module in a client-server architecture, using two open-source software libraries: Image-Guided Surgery Toolkit (IGSTK) and OpenCV. The ROBOCAST project (FP7 ICT 215190), which aims at integrating robotic and navigation devices and technologies in order to improve the outcome of the surgical intervention, was used as the benchmark. An experimental protocol was designed in order to prove the feasibility of a centralized module for data acquisition and to test the application latency when dealing with optical and electromagnetic tracking systems and ultrasound (US) imaging devices. Our results show that a centralized approach is suitable for minimizing synchronization errors; latency in the client-server communication was estimated to be 2 ms (median value) for tracking systems and 40 ms (median value) for US images. The proposed centralized approach proved to be adequate for neurosurgery requirements. Latency introduced by the proposed architecture does not affect tracking system performance in terms of frame rate and limits US images frame rate at 25 fps, which is acceptable for providing visual feedback to the surgeon in the OR. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Three-dimensional brain reconstruction of in vivo electrode tracks for neuroscience and neural prosthetic applications

PubMed Central

Markovitz, Craig D.; Tang, Tien T.; Edge, David P.; Lim, Hubert H.

2012-01-01

The brain is a densely interconnected network that relies on populations of neurons within and across multiple nuclei to code for features leading to perception and action. However, the neurophysiology field is still dominated by the characterization of individual neurons, rather than simultaneous recordings across multiple regions, without consistent spatial reconstruction of their locations for comparisons across studies. There are sophisticated histological and imaging techniques for performing brain reconstructions. However, what is needed is a method that is relatively easy and inexpensive to implement in a typical neurophysiology lab and provides consistent identification of electrode locations to make it widely used for pooling data across studies and research groups. This paper presents our initial development of such an approach for reconstructing electrode tracks and site locations within the guinea pig inferior colliculus (IC) to identify its functional organization for frequency coding relevant for a new auditory midbrain implant (AMI). Encouragingly, the spatial error associated with different individuals reconstructing electrode tracks for the same midbrain was less than 65 μm, corresponding to an error of ~1.5% relative to the entire IC structure (~4–5 mm diameter sphere). Furthermore, the reconstructed frequency laminae of the IC were consistently aligned across three sampled midbrains, demonstrating the ability to use our method to combine location data across animals. Hopefully, through further improvements in our reconstruction method, it can be used as a standard protocol across neurophysiology labs to characterize neural data not only within the IC but also within other brain regions to help bridge the gap between cellular activity and network function. Clinically, correlating function with location within and across multiple brain regions can guide optimal placement of electrodes for the growing field of neural prosthetics. PMID:22754502

Tracking MPOWER in 14 countries: results from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 2008-2010.

PubMed

Song, Yang; Zhao, Luhua; Palipudi, Krishna Mohan; Asma, Samira; Morton, Jeremy; Talley, Brandon; Hsia, Jason; Ramanandraibe, Nivo; Caixeta, Roberta; Fouad, Heba; Khoury, Rula; Sinha, Dhirendra; Rarick, James; Bettcher, Douglas; Peruga, Armando; Deland, Katherine; D'Espaignet, Edouard Tursan

2016-06-01

The World Health Organization (WHO) MPOWER is a technical package of six tobacco control measures that assist countries in meeting their obligations of the WHO Framework Convention Tobacco Control and are proven to reduce tobacco use. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) systematically monitors adult tobacco use and tracks key tobacco control indicators. GATS is a nationally representative household survey of adults aged 15 and older, using a standard and consistent protocol across countries; it includes information on the six WHO MPOWER measures. GATS Phase I was conducted from 2008-2010 in 14 high-burden low- and middle-income countries. We selected one key indicator from each of the six MPOWER measures and compared results across 14 countries. Current tobacco use prevalence rates ranged from 16.1% in Mexico to 43.3% in Bangladesh. We found that the highest rate of exposure to secondhand smoke in the workplace was in China (63.3%). We found the highest 'smoking quit attempt' rates in the past 12 months among cigarette smokers in Viet Nam (55.3%) and the lowest rate was in the Russian Federation (32.1%). In five of the 14 countries, more than one-half of current smokers in those 5 countries said they thought of quitting because of health warning labels on cigarette packages. The Philippines (74.3%) and the Russian Federation (68.0%) had the highest percentages of respondents noticing any cigarette advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Manufactured cigarette affordability ranged from 0.6% in Russia to 8.0% in India. Monitoring tobacco use and tobacco control policy achievements is crucial to managing and implementing measures to reverse the epidemic. GATS provides internationally-comparable data that systematically monitors and tracks the progress of the other five MPOWER measures. © The Author(s) 2013.

Biobanking human endometrial tissue and blood specimens: standard operating procedure and importance to reproductive biology research and diagnostic development.

PubMed

Sheldon, Elizabeth; Vo, Kim Chi; McIntire, Ramsey A; Aghajanova, Lusine; Zelenko, Zara; Irwin, Juan C; Giudice, Linda C

2011-05-01

To develop a standard operating procedure (SOP) for collection, transport, storage of human endometrial tissue and blood samples, subject and specimen annotation, and establishing sample priorities. The SOP synthesizes sound scientific procedures, the literature on ischemia research, sample collection and gene expression profiling, good laboratory practices, and the authors' experience of workflow and sample quality. The National Institutes of Health, University of California, San Francisco, Human Endometrial Tissue and DNA Bank. Women undergoing endometrial biopsy or hysterectomy for nonmalignant indications. Collecting, processing, storing, distributing endometrial tissue and blood samples under approved institutional review board protocols and written informed consent from participating subjects. Standard operating procedure. The SOP addresses rigorous and consistent subject annotation, specimen processing and characterization, strict regulatory compliance, and a reference for researchers to track collection and storage times that may influence their research. The comprehensive and systematic approach to the procurement of human blood and endometrial tissue in this SOP ensures the high quality, reliability, and scientific usefulness of biospecimens made available to investigators by the National Institutes of Health, University of California, San Francisco, Human Endometrial Tissue and DNA Bank. The detail and perspective in this SOP also provides a blueprint for implementation of similar collection programs at other institutions. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the Feasibility of RESCUE: An Adjunctive HAI-Based Intervention for Veterans with PTSD

DTIC Science & Technology

This report documents accomplishment of the following tasks: a) Completed case series, conducted qualitative interviews, and refined the protocol...Continued active recruitment of participants; currently on track with our projected recruitment targets. As of April 2018, 76 participants have been

Emergence times and airway reactions in general laryngeal mask airway anesthesia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Stevanovic, Ana; Rossaint, Rolf; Keszei, András P; Fritz, Harald; Fröba, Gebhard; Pühringer, Friedrich; Coburn, Mark

2015-07-26

The use of a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) in appropriate patients supports fast-track anesthesia with a lower incidence of postoperative airway-connected adverse events. Data on the most favorable anesthetic in this context, with the lowest rate of upper airway complications and fast emergence times, are controversial and limited. Desflurane seems to match these criteria best, but large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a standardized study protocol are lacking. Therefore, we aim to compare desflurane with other commonly used anesthetics, sevoflurane and propofol, in a sufficiently powered RCT. We hypothesize that desflurane is noninferior regarding the frequency of upper airway events and superior regarding the emergence times to sevoflurane and propofol. A total of 351 patients undergoing surgery with an LMA will be included in this prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled, multicenter clinical trial. The patients will be randomly assigned to the three treatment arms: desflurane (n = 117), sevoflurane (n = 117), and propofol (n = 117). The emergence time (time to state the date of birth) will be the primary endpoint of this study. The secondary endpoints include further emergence times, such as time to open eyes, to remove LMA, to respond to command and to state name. Additionally, we will determine the frequency of cough and laryngospasm, measured intraoperatively and at emergence. We will assess the postoperative recovery on the first postoperative day via the Postoperative Quality Recovery Scale. Despite increasing importance of cost-effective and safe anesthesia application, we lack proof for the most advantageous anesthetic agent, when an LMA is used. There are only a few RCTs comparing desflurane to other commonly used anesthetics (sevoflurane, propofol and isoflurane) in patients with LMA. These RCTs were conducted with small sample sizes, huge interstudy variability, and some also showed strong biases. The present multicenter RCT will provide results from a large sample size with a standardized study protocol and minimized bias, which is feasible in the clinical routine. Furthermore, we will expand our knowledge regarding the most favorable recovery on the first postoperative day, which impacts patients' comfort after surgery. EudraCT Identifier: 2014-003810-96, 5 September 2014 ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02322502, December 2014.

Progress Toward Standards for the Seamless Interoperability of Broadband Satellite Communication Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ivancic, William D.; Glover, Daniel R.; vonDeak, Thomas C.; Bhasin, Kul B.

1998-01-01

The realization of the full potential of the National Information Infrastructure (NH) and Global Information Infrastructure (GII) requires seamless interoperability of emerging satellite networks with terrestrial networks. This requires a cooperative effort between industry, academia and government agencies to develop and advocate new, satellite-friendly communication protocols and modifications to existing communication protocol standards. These groups have recently come together to actively participating in a number of standards making bodies including: the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Forum, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Telecommunication Industry Association MA) to ensure that issues regarding efficient use of these protocols over satellite links are not overlooked. This paper will summarize the progress made toward standards development to achieve seamless integration and accelerate the deployment of multimedia applications.

Approach for gait analysis in persons with limb loss including residuum and prosthesis socket dynamics.

PubMed

LaPrè, A K; Price, M A; Wedge, R D; Umberger, B R; Sup, Frank C

2018-04-01

Musculoskeletal modeling and marker-based motion capture techniques are commonly used to quantify the motions of body segments, and the forces acting on them during human gait. However, when these techniques are applied to analyze the gait of people with lower limb loss, the clinically relevant interaction between the residual limb and prosthesis socket is typically overlooked. It is known that there is considerable motion and loading at the residuum-socket interface, yet traditional gait analysis techniques do not account for these factors due to the inability to place tracking markers on the residual limb inside of the socket. In the present work, we used a global optimization technique and anatomical constraints to estimate the motion and loading at the residuum-socket interface as part of standard gait analysis procedures. We systematically evaluated a range of parameters related to the residuum-socket interface, such as the number of degrees of freedom, and determined the configuration that yields the best compromise between faithfully tracking experimental marker positions while yielding anatomically realistic residuum-socket kinematics and loads that agree with data from the literature. Application of the present model to gait analysis for people with lower limb loss will deepen our understanding of the biomechanics of walking with a prosthesis, which should facilitate the development of enhanced rehabilitation protocols and improved assistive devices. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Behavior Intervention for Students with Externalizing Behavior Problems: Primary-Level Standard Protocol

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benner, Gregory J.; Nelson, J. Ron; Sanders, Elizabeth A.; Ralston, Nicole C.

2012-01-01

This article examined the efficacy of a primary-level, standard-protocol behavior intervention for students with externalizing behavioral disorders. Elementary schools were randomly assigned to treatment (behavior intervention) or control (business as usual) conditions, and K-3 students were screened for externalizing behavior risk status. The…

DELAMINATION AND XRF ANALYSIS OF NIST LEAD IN PAINT FILM STANDARDS

EPA Science Inventory

The objectives of this protocol were to remove the laminate coating from lead paint film standards acquired from NIST by means of surface heating. The average XRF value did not change after removal of the polymer coating suggesting that this protocol is satisfactory for renderin...

NASA STI Program Coordinating Council Twelfth Meeting: Standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

The theme of this NASA Scientific and Technical Information Program Coordinating Council Meeting was standards and their formation and application. Topics covered included scientific and technical information architecture, the Open Systems Interconnection Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) open system environment procurement, and the Government Information Locator Service.

A standard protocol for describing individual-based and agent-based models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grimm, Volker; Berger, Uta; Bastiansen, Finn; Eliassen, Sigrunn; Ginot, Vincent; Giske, Jarl; Goss-Custard, John; Grand, Tamara; Heinz, Simone K.; Huse, Geir; Huth, Andreas; Jepsen, Jane U.; Jorgensen, Christian; Mooij, Wolf M.; Muller, Birgit; Pe'er, Guy; Piou, Cyril; Railsback, Steven F.; Robbins, Andrew M.; Robbins, Martha M.; Rossmanith, Eva; Ruger, Nadja; Strand, Espen; Souissi, Sami; Stillman, Richard A.; Vabo, Rune; Visser, Ute; DeAngelis, Donald L.

2006-01-01

Simulation models that describe autonomous individual organisms (individual based models, IBM) or agents (agent-based models, ABM) have become a widely used tool, not only in ecology, but also in many other disciplines dealing with complex systems made up of autonomous entities. However, there is no standard protocol for describing such simulation models, which can make them difficult to understand and to duplicate. This paper presents a proposed standard protocol, ODD, for describing IBMs and ABMs, developed and tested by 28 modellers who cover a wide range of fields within ecology. This protocol consists of three blocks (Overview, Design concepts, and Details), which are subdivided into seven elements: Purpose, State variables and scales, Process overview and scheduling, Design concepts, Initialization, Input, and Submodels. We explain which aspects of a model should be described in each element, and we present an example to illustrate the protocol in use. In addition, 19 examples are available in an Online Appendix. We consider ODD as a first step for establishing a more detailed common format of the description of IBMs and ABMs. Once initiated, the protocol will hopefully evolve as it becomes used by a sufficiently large proportion of modellers.

The Space Communications Protocol Standards Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeffries, Alan; Hooke, Adrian J.

1994-01-01

In the fall of 1992 NASA and the Department of Defense chartered a technical team to explore the possibility of developing a common set of space data communications standards for potential dual-use across the U.S. national space mission support infrastructure. The team focused on the data communications needs of those activities associated with on-lined control of civil and military aircraft. A two-pronged approach was adopted: a top-down survey of representative civil and military space data communications requirements was conducted; and a bottom-up analysis of available standard data communications protocols was performed. A striking intersection of civil and military space mission requirements emerged, and an equally striking consensus on the approach towards joint civil and military space protocol development was reached. The team concluded that wide segments of the U.S. civil and military space communities have common needs for: (1) an efficient file transfer protocol; (2) various flavors of underlying data transport service; (3) an optional data protection mechanism to assure end-to-end security of message exchange; and (4) an efficient internetworking protocol. These recommendations led to initiating a program to develop a suite of protocols based on these findings. This paper describes the current status of this program.

Trajectory Adjustments Underlying Task-Specific Intermittent Force Behaviors and Muscular Rhythms

PubMed Central

Chen, Yi-Ching; Lin, Yen-Ting; Huang, Chien-Ting; Shih, Chia-Li; Yang, Zong-Ru; Hwang, Ing-Shiou

2013-01-01

Force intermittency is one of the major causes of motor variability. Focusing on the dynamics of force intermittency, this study was undertaken to investigate how force trajectory is fine-tuned for static and dynamic force-tracking of a comparable physical load. Twenty-two healthy adults performed two unilateral resistance protocols (static force-tracking at 75% maximal effort and dynamic force-tracking in the range of 50%–100% maximal effort) using the left hand. The electromyographic activity and force profile of the designated hand were monitored. Gripping force was off-line decomposed into a primary movement spectrally identical to the target motion and a force intermittency profile containing numerous force pulses. The results showed that dynamic force-tracking exhibited greater intermittency amplitude and force pulse but a smaller amplitude ratio of primary movement to force intermittency than static force-tracking. Multi-scale entropy analysis revealed that force intermittency during dynamic force-tracking was more complex on a low time scale but more regular on a high time scale than that of static force-tracking. Together with task-dependent force intermittency properties, dynamic force-tracking exhibited a smaller 8–12 Hz muscular oscillation but a more potentiated muscular oscillation at 35–50 Hz than static force-tracking. In conclusion, force intermittency reflects differing trajectory controls for static and dynamic force-tracking. The target goal of dynamic tracking is achieved through trajectory adjustments that are more intricate and more frequent than those of static tracking, pertaining to differing organizations and functioning of muscular oscillations in the alpha and gamma bands. PMID:24098640

Job Grading Standard for Brakeman and Conductor WG-6003.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Civil Service Commission, Washington, DC. Bureau of Policies and Standards.

The standard is used to grade the nonsupervisory work involved in coordinating (onsite) the movement, make up, or break up of trains, locomotives, and train cars. The work requires knowledge of the layout of a railroad track system; knowledge of and ability to follow numerous safety, signalling, switching, track use, train car, and train movement…

NHEXAS PHASE I MARYLAND STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY AND SAMPLE TRACKING (G04)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of the SOP is to establish the normal procedures for ensuring data chain-of-custody and data tracking. The chain-of-custody form included in this SOP is the standard form to be used for all data collected in the field. Keywords: samples; custody; records.

The Nat...

Realizing the Potential of Information Resources: Information, Technology, and Services. Track 2: Policies and Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CAUSE, Boulder, CO.

Seven papers and one abstract of a paper are presented from the 1995 CAUSE conference track on policies and standards issues faced by managers of information technology at colleges and universities. The papers include: (1) "University/College Information System Structures and Policies: Do They Make a Difference? An Initial Assessment"…

Fast-track Rehabilitation Accelerates Recovery After Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery

PubMed Central

Dakwar, Anthony; Sivkovits, Krina; Mahajna, Ahmad

2014-01-01

Background: Fast-track (FT) rehabilitation protocols have been shown to be successful in reducing both hospital stay and postoperative complications, as well as enhancing overall postoperative patient recovery. We are reporting the outcomes of our first group of patients undergoing colorectal surgery following the FT protocol. Patients and Methods: We performed a prospective study of patients, between January 1, 2007 and January 31, 2010, who underwent laparoscopic colorectal resections in accordance with the guidelines of FT rehabilitation protocol. Recovery parameters including time to removal of naso-gastric tube and urinary catheter, time to bowel function and to resume diet, and length of hospital stay were evaluated. Postoperative outcomes, that is, postoperative complications and mortality, reoperations, and readmissions were also studied. Results: A total of 71 patients, 30 women and 41 men, underwent FT rehabilitation for laparoscopic colorectal surgery. The mean age of the patients was 60 ± 16 years. The most common surgical procedures were right hemicolectomy 30% and anterior resection 27%. Liquid and regular diet were initiated on postoperative day 1.2 ± 0.4 and 2.1 ± 0.4, respectively. Overall postoperative morbidity was 8.5%. The mean length of stay was 4.4 ± 1.7 days, with only 3 readmissions. Forty-five patients fulfilled the FT care plan and were discharged on postoperative day 3. No reoperations or mortality were observed. Conclusions: FT rehabilitation results in favorable postoperative outcomes. Our data provides evidence and suggests that FT protocols should be implemented as a reliable method of preparation and recovery for laparoscopic colorectal surgery. PMID:25489207

A Secure, Intelligent, and Smart-Sensing Approach for Industrial System Automation and Transmission over Unsecured Wireless Networks

PubMed Central

Shahzad, Aamir; Lee, Malrey; Xiong, Neal Naixue; Jeong, Gisung; Lee, Young-Keun; Choi, Jae-Young; Mahesar, Abdul Wheed; Ahmad, Iftikhar

2016-01-01

In Industrial systems, Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, the pseudo-transport layer of the distributed network protocol (DNP3) performs the functions of the transport layer and network layer of the open systems interconnection (OSI) model. This study used a simulation design of water pumping system, in-which the network nodes are directly and wirelessly connected with sensors, and are monitored by the main controller, as part of the wireless SCADA system. This study also intends to focus on the security issues inherent in the pseudo-transport layer of the DNP3 protocol. During disassembly and reassembling processes, the pseudo-transport layer keeps track of the bytes sequence. However, no mechanism is available that can verify the message or maintain the integrity of the bytes in the bytes received/transmitted from/to the data link layer or in the send/respond from the main controller/sensors. To properly and sequentially keep track of the bytes, a mechanism is required that can perform verification while bytes are received/transmitted from/to the lower layer of the DNP3 protocol or the send/respond to/from field sensors. For security and byte verification purposes, a mechanism needs to be proposed for the pseudo-transport layer, by employing cryptography algorithm. A dynamic choice security buffer (SB) is designed and employed during the security development. To achieve the desired goals of the proposed study, a pseudo-transport layer stack model is designed using the DNP3 protocol open library and the security is deployed and tested, without changing the original design. PMID:26950129

A Secure, Intelligent, and Smart-Sensing Approach for Industrial System Automation and Transmission over Unsecured Wireless Networks.

PubMed

Shahzad, Aamir; Lee, Malrey; Xiong, Neal Naixue; Jeong, Gisung; Lee, Young-Keun; Choi, Jae-Young; Mahesar, Abdul Wheed; Ahmad, Iftikhar

2016-03-03

In Industrial systems, Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, the pseudo-transport layer of the distributed network protocol (DNP3) performs the functions of the transport layer and network layer of the open systems interconnection (OSI) model. This study used a simulation design of water pumping system, in-which the network nodes are directly and wirelessly connected with sensors, and are monitored by the main controller, as part of the wireless SCADA system. This study also intends to focus on the security issues inherent in the pseudo-transport layer of the DNP3 protocol. During disassembly and reassembling processes, the pseudo-transport layer keeps track of the bytes sequence. However, no mechanism is available that can verify the message or maintain the integrity of the bytes in the bytes received/transmitted from/to the data link layer or in the send/respond from the main controller/sensors. To properly and sequentially keep track of the bytes, a mechanism is required that can perform verification while bytes are received/transmitted from/to the lower layer of the DNP3 protocol or the send/respond to/from field sensors. For security and byte verification purposes, a mechanism needs to be proposed for the pseudo-transport layer, by employing cryptography algorithm. A dynamic choice security buffer (SB) is designed and employed during the security development. To achieve the desired goals of the proposed study, a pseudo-transport layer stack model is designed using the DNP3 protocol open library and the security is deployed and tested, without changing the original design.

Calibration and data collection protocols for reliable lattice parameter values in electron pair distribution function studies

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

Abeykoon, A. M. Milinda; Hu, Hefei; Wu, Lijun

2015-01-30

Different protocols for calibrating electron pair distribution function (ePDF) measurements are explored and described for quantitative studies on nanomaterials. It is found that the most accurate approach to determine the camera length is to use a standard calibration sample of Au nanoparticles from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Different protocols for data collection are also explored, as are possible operational errors, to find the best approaches for accurate data collection for quantitative ePDF studies.

Calibration and data collection protocols for reliable lattice parameter values in electron pair distribution function (ePDF) studies

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

Abeykoon, A. M. Milinda; Hu, Hefei; Wu, Lijun

2015-02-01

We explore and describe different protocols for calibrating electron pair distribution function (ePDF) measurements for quantitative studies on nano-materials. We find the most accurate approach to determine the camera-length is to use a standard calibration sample of Au nanoparticles from National Institute of Standards and Technology. Different protocols for data collection are also explored, as are possible operational errors, to find the best approaches for accurate data collection for quantitative ePDF studies.

Fast-track cardiac care for adult cardiac surgical patients.

PubMed

Zhu, Fang; Lee, Anna; Chee, Yee Eot

2012-10-17

Fast-track cardiac care is a complex intervention involving several components of care during cardiac anaesthesia and in the postoperative period, all with the ultimate aim of early extubation after surgery, to reduce the length of stay in the intensive care unit and in the hospital. Safe and effective fast-track cardiac care may reduce hospital costs. This is an update of a Cochrane review published in 2003. To update the evidence on the safety and effectiveness of fast-track cardiac care compared to conventional (not fast-track) care in adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (2012, Issue 3), MEDLINE (January 1966 to April 2012), EMBASE (January 1980 to April 2012), CINAHL (January 1982 to April 2012), and ISI Web of Science (January 2003 to April 2012). We searched reference lists of articles and contacted experts in the field. All randomized controlled trials of adult cardiac surgical patients (coronary artery bypass grafts, aortic valve replacement, mitral valve replacement) that compared fast-track cardiac care and conventional (not fast-track) care groups were included. We focused on the following fast-track interventions that were designed for early extubation after surgery, administration of low-dose opioid based general anaesthesia during cardiac surgery and the use of a time-directed extubation protocol after surgery. The primary outcome was the risk of mortality. Secondary outcomes included postoperative complications, reintubation within 24 hours of surgery, time to extubation, length of stay in the intensive care unit and in the hospital, quality of life after surgery and hospital costs. Two review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted the data. Study authors were contacted for additional information. We used a random-effects model and reported relative risk (RR), mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Twenty-five trials involving 4118 patients were included in the review. There were two studies with a low risk of bias and nine studies with a high risk of bias. There were no differences in the risk of mortality within the first year after surgery between low-dose versus high-dose opioid based general anaesthesia groups (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.28 to 1.18) and between early extubation protocol versus usual care groups (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.40 to 1.75).There were no significant differences between low-dose versus high-dose opioid based anaesthesia groups for postoperative complications: myocardial infarction (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.48 to 1.99), reintubation (RR 1.77, 95% CI 0.38 to 8.27), acute renal failure (RR 1.19, 95% CI 0.33 to 4.33), major bleeding (RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.16 to 1.44), and stroke (RR 1.17, 95% CI 0.36 to 3.78). Compared to the usual care, there were no significant differences in the risk of postoperative complications associated with early extubation: myocardial infarction (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.55 to 1.60), reintubation (RR 1.91, 95% CI 0.90 to 4.07), acute renal failure (RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.19 to 3.10), major bleeding (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.45 to 1.44), stroke (RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.31 to 2.46), major sepsis (RR 1.25, 95% CI 0.08 to 19.75) and wound infection (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.25 to 1.83).Although there were high levels of heterogeneity, both low-dose opioid anaesthesia and the use of time-directed extubation protocols were associated with reductions in the time to extubation (3.0 to 10.5 hours) and in the length of stay in the intensive care unit (0.4 to 8.7 hours). However, these fast-track care interventions were not associated with reductions in the total length of stay in hospital. One high quality cost-effectiveness analysis included in a randomized controlled trial showed that early extubation was likely to be cost-effective. The use of low-dose opioid based general anaesthesia and time-directed protocols for fast-track interventions have similar risks of mortality and major postoperative complications to conventional (not fast-track) care, and therefore appear to be safe in patients considered to be at low to moderate risk. These fast-track interventions reduced the time to extubation and shortened the length of stay in the intensive care unit, but did not reduce the length of stay in the hospital.

Comparison between TG-51 and TG-21: Calibration of photon and electron beams in water using cylindrical chambers.

PubMed

Cho, S H; Lowenstein, J R; Balter, P A; Wells, N H; Hanson, W F

2000-01-01

A new calibration protocol, developed by the AAPM Task Group 51 (TG-51) to replace the TG-21 protocol, is based on an absorbed-dose to water standard and calibration factor (N(D,w)), while the TG-21 protocol is based on an exposure (or air-kerma) standard and calibration factor (N(x)). Because of differences between these standards and the two protocols, the results of clinical reference dosimetry based on TG-51 may be somewhat different from those based on TG-21. The Radiological Physics Center has conducted a systematic comparison between the two protocols, in which photon and electron beam outputs following both protocols were compared under identical conditions. Cylindrical chambers used in this study were selected from the list given in the TG-51 report, covering the majority of current manufacturers. Measured ratios between absorbed-dose and air-kerma calibration factors, derived from the standards traceable to the NIST, were compared with calculated values using the TG-21 protocol. The comparison suggests that there is roughly a 1% discrepancy between measured and calculated ratios. This discrepancy may provide a reasonable measure of possible changes between the absorbed-dose to water determined by TG-51 and that determined by TG-21 for photon beam calibrations. The typical change in a 6 MV photon beam calibration following the implementation of the TG-51 protocol was about 1%, regardless of the chamber used, and the change was somewhat smaller for an 18 MV photon beam. On the other hand, the results for 9 and 16 MeV electron beams show larger changes up to 2%, perhaps because of the updated electron stopping power data used for the TG-51 protocol, in addition to the inherent 1% discrepancy presented in the calibration factors. The results also indicate that the changes may be dependent on the electron energy.

40 CFR 262.84 - Tracking document.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) STANDARDS APPLICABLE TO GENERATORS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE Transfrontier Shipments of Hazardous Waste for... (bulk shipments only) the generator must forward the tracking document with the manifest to the last... the U.S. which originate at the site of generation, the generator must forward the tracking document...

49 CFR 214.501 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD WORKPLACE SAFETY On-Track Roadway Maintenance Machines and Hi-Rail... casualties caused by the lawful operation of on-track roadway maintenance machines and hi-rail vehicles. (b) This subpart prescribes minimum safety standards for on-track roadway maintenance machines and hi-rail...

Three-Dimensional Visualization of Particle Tracks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Julian, Glenn M.

1993-01-01

Suggests ways to bring home to the introductory physics student some of the excitement of recent discoveries in particle physics. Describes particle detectors and encourages the use of the Standard Model along with real images of particle tracks to determine three-dimensional views of tracks. (MVL)

A protocol for lifetime energy and environmental impact assessment of building insulation materials

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

Shrestha, Som S., E-mail: shresthass@ornl.gov; Biswas, Kaushik; Desjarlais, Andre O.

This article describes a proposed protocol that is intended to provide a comprehensive list of factors to be considered in evaluating the direct and indirect environmental impacts of building insulation materials, as well as detailed descriptions of standardized calculation methodologies to determine those impacts. The energy and environmental impacts of insulation materials can generally be divided into two categories: (1) direct impact due to the embodied energy of the insulation materials and other factors and (2) indirect or environmental impacts avoided as a result of reduced building energy use due to addition of insulation. Standards and product category rules exist,more » which provide guidelines about the life cycle assessment (LCA) of materials, including building insulation products. However, critical reviews have suggested that these standards fail to provide complete guidance to LCA studies and suffer from ambiguities regarding the determination of the environmental impacts of building insulation and other products. The focus of the assessment protocol described here is to identify all factors that contribute to the total energy and environmental impacts of different building insulation products and, more importantly, provide standardized determination methods that will allow comparison of different insulation material types. Further, the intent is not to replace current LCA standards but to provide a well-defined, easy-to-use comparison method for insulation materials using existing LCA guidelines. - Highlights: • We proposed a protocol to evaluate the environmental impacts of insulation materials. • The protocol considers all life cycle stages of an insulation material. • Both the direct environmental impacts and the indirect impacts are defined. • Standardized calculation methods for the ‘avoided operational energy’ is defined. • Standardized calculation methods for the ‘avoided environmental impact’ is defined.« less

Choroidal Blood Flow Decreases with Age: An MRI Study

PubMed Central

San Emeterio Nateras, Oscar; Harrison, Joseph M.; Muir, Eric R.; Zhang, Yi; Peng, Qi; Chalfin, Steven; Gutierrez, Juan E.; Johnson, Daniel A.; Kiel, Jeffrey W.; Duong, Timothy Q.

2014-01-01

Purpose To verify that a visual fixation protocol with cued eye blinks achieves sufficient stability for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) blood-flow measurements and to determine if choroidal blood flow (ChBF) changes with age in humans. Methods The visual fixation stability achievable during an MRI scan was measured in five normal subjects using an eye-tracking camera outside the MRI scanner. Subjects were instructed to blink immediately after recorded MRI sound cues but to otherwise maintain stable visual fixation on a small target. Using this fixation protocol, ChBF was measured with MRI using a 3 Tesla clinical scanner in 17 normal subjects (24–68 years old). Arterial and intraocular pressures (IOP) were measured to calculate perfusion pressure in the same subjects. Results The mean temporal fluctuations (standard deviation) of the horizontal and vertical displacements were 29 ± 9 μm and 38 ± 11 μm within individual fixation periods, and 50 ± 34 μm and 48 ± 19 μm across different fixation periods. The absolute displacements were 67 ± 31 μm and 81 ± 26 μm. ChBF was negatively correlated with age (R =−0.7, p = 0.003), declining 2.7 ml/100 ml/min per year. There were no significant correlations between ChBF versus perfusion pressure, arterial pressure, or IOP. There were also no significant correlations between age versus perfusion pressure, arterial pressure, or IOP. Multiple regression analysis indicated that age was the only measured independent variable that was significantly correlated with ChBF (p = 0.03). Conclusions The visual fixation protocol with cued eye blinks was effective in achieving sufficient stability for MRI measurements. ChBF had a significant negative correlation with age. PMID:24655028

Proposal for the Development of a Standardized Protocol for Assessing the Economic Costs of HIV Prevention Interventions

PubMed Central

Pinkerton, Steven D.; Pearson, Cynthia R.; Eachus, Susan R.; Berg, Karina M.; Grimes, Richard M.

2008-01-01

Summary Maximizing our economic investment in HIV prevention requires balancing the costs of candidate interventions against their effects and selecting the most cost-effective interventions for implementation. However, many HIV prevention intervention trials do not collect cost information, and those that do use a variety of cost data collection methods and analysis techniques. Standardized cost data collection procedures, instrumentation, and analysis techniques are needed to facilitate the task of assessing intervention costs and to ensure comparability across intervention trials. This article describes the basic elements of a standardized cost data collection and analysis protocol and outlines a computer-based approach to implementing this protocol. Ultimately, the development of such a protocol would require contributions and “buy-in” from a diverse range of stakeholders, including HIV prevention researchers, cost-effectiveness analysts, community collaborators, public health decision makers, and funding agencies. PMID:18301128

Monitoring fish distributions along electrofishing segments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miranda, Leandro E.

2014-01-01

Electrofishing is widely used to monitor fish species composition and relative abundance in streams and lakes. According to standard protocols, multiple segments are selected in a body of water to monitor population relative abundance as the ratio of total catch to total sampling effort. The standard protocol provides an assessment of fish distribution at a macrohabitat scale among segments, but not within segments. An ancillary protocol was developed for assessing fish distribution at a finer scale within electrofishing segments. The ancillary protocol was used to estimate spacing, dispersion, and association of two species along shore segments in two local reservoirs. The added information provided by the ancillary protocol may be useful for assessing fish distribution relative to fish of the same species, to fish of different species, and to environmental or habitat characteristics.

The Behavior of TCP and Its Extensions in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Ruhai; Horan, Stephen

2001-01-01

The performance of Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) in space has been examined from the observations of simulation and experimental tests for several years at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Defense (DoD) and universities. At New Mexico State University (NMSU), we have been concentrating on studying the performance of two protocol suites: the file transfer protocol (ftp) running over Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) stack and the file protocol (fp) running over the Space Communications Protocol Standards (SCPS)-Transport Protocol (TP) developed under the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) standards process. SCPS-TP is considered to be TCP's extensions for space communications. This dissertation experimentally studies the behavior of TCP and SCPS-TP by running the protocol suites over both the Space-to-Ground Link Simulator (SGLS) test-bed and realistic satellite link. The study concentrates on comparing protocol behavior by plotting the averaged file transfer times for different experimental configurations and analyzing them using Statistical Analysis System (SAS) based procedures. The effects of different link delays and various Bit-Error-Rates (BERS) on each protocol performance are also studied and linear regression models are built for experiments over SGLS test-bed to reflect the relationships between the file transfer time and various transmission conditions.

The first patient treatment of electromagnetic-guided real time adaptive radiotherapy using MLC tracking for lung SABR.

PubMed

Booth, Jeremy T; Caillet, Vincent; Hardcastle, Nicholas; O'Brien, Ricky; Szymura, Kathryn; Crasta, Charlene; Harris, Benjamin; Haddad, Carol; Eade, Thomas; Keall, Paul J

2016-10-01

Real time adaptive radiotherapy that enables smaller irradiated volumes may reduce pulmonary toxicity. We report on the first patient treatment of electromagnetic-guided real time adaptive radiotherapy delivered with MLC tracking for lung stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy. A clinical trial was developed to investigate the safety and feasibility of MLC tracking in lung. The first patient was an 80-year old man with a single left lower lobe lung metastasis to be treated with SABR to 48Gy in 4 fractions. In-house software was integrated with a standard linear accelerator to adapt the treatment beam shape and position based on electromagnetic transponders implanted in the lung. MLC tracking plans were compared against standard ITV-based treatment planning. MLC tracking plan delivery was reconstructed in the patient to confirm safe delivery. Real time adaptive radiotherapy delivered with MLC tracking compared to standard ITV-based planning reduced the PTV by 41% (18.7-11cm 3 ) and the mean lung dose by 30% (202-140cGy), V20 by 35% (2.6-1.5%) and V5 by 9% (8.9-8%). An emerging technology, MLC tracking, has been translated into the clinic and used to treat lung SABR patients for the first time. This milestone represents an important first step for clinical real-time adaptive radiotherapy that could reduce pulmonary toxicity in lung radiotherapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Minimizing variance in pediatric gastrostomy: does standardized perioperative feeding plan decrease cost and improve outcomes?

PubMed

Sunstrom, Rachel; Hamilton, Nicholas; Fialkowski, Elizabeth; Lofberg, Katrine; McKee, Julie; Sims, Thomas; Krishnaswami, Sanjay; Azarow, Kenneth

2016-05-01

A protocol for laparoscopic gastrostomy placement was implemented which specified perioperative antibiotics, feeding regimens, and discharge criteria. Our hypothesis was that hospital cost could be decreased, whereas at the same time improving or maintaining patient outcomes. Data were collected on consecutive patients beginning 6 months after implementation of our protocol. We recorded surgeon compliance, patient outcomes (as defined by 30-day NSQIP complication rates), and cost of initial hospitalization, which was then compare to a 6-month historical control period. Our control group n = 26 and protocol group n = 39. Length of stay was shorter in the protocol group (P ≤ .05 by nonparametric analysis). The complication rate was similar in both groups (23% control vs 15% protocol, P = .43). Initial hospital costs were not different. Surgeon compliance to protocol was 82%. A standard protocol is achievable for gastrostomy tube management. After implementation of our protocol, we were able to show a significant decrease in length of stay, whereas maintaining quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Wireless Communications in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

In 1992, NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense jointly commissioned the research and development of a technology solution to address the challenges and requirements of communicating with their spacecraft. The project yielded an international consortium composed of representatives from the space science community, industry, and academia. This group of experts developed a broad suite of protocols specifically designed for space-based communications, known today as Space Communications Protocol Standards (SCPS). Having been internationally standardized by the Consultative Committee on Space Data Systems and the International Standards Organization, SCPS is distributed as open source technology by NASA s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The protocols are used for every national space mission that takes place today.

77 FR 17498 - Recovery Plan for the Endangered Spigelia gentianoides (Gentian Pinkroot)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-26

... status when: Extant populations and newly discovered sites are identified and mapped; Inventories have... management protocols on selected populations are established for 15 years to track threats to the species and its habitat; Extant populations located on public land are stable; The minimum viable population (MVP...

76 FR 38457 - Petition for Waiver of Compliance

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-30

...) conducts freight operations on 23 miles of this 33-mile rail line; and presently the only common track use... modifications requested above would follow the existing protocols such as good communication between HVRM and... is under Yard Limit Rules with good visibility conditions. The new petition states that HVRM operates...

Protocol for Initial Purification of Bacteriocin

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

lysate/extract preparation, column purification, and a desalting . The peptide was tracked throughout the process using a soft agar overlay activity...tris PAGE. It is necessary to desalt those samples for 150-mM and 1-M fractions, by using dialysis or G10 sephadex columns, in order to prevent

Clock Synchronization for Multihop Wireless Sensor Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solis Robles, Roberto

2009-01-01

In wireless sensor networks, more so generally than in other types of distributed systems, clock synchronization is crucial since by having this service available, several applications such as media access protocols, object tracking, or data fusion, would improve their performance. In this dissertation, we propose a set of algorithms to achieve…

In-Space Networking on NASA's SCAN Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooks, David E.; Eddy, Wesley M.; Clark, Gilbert J.; Johnson, Sandra K.

2016-01-01

The NASA Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed, an external payload onboard the International Space Station, is equipped with three software defined radios and a flight computer for supporting in-space communication research. New technologies being studied using the SCaN Testbed include advanced networking, coding, and modulation protocols designed to support the transition of NASAs mission systems from primarily point to point data links and preplanned routes towards adaptive, autonomous internetworked operations needed to meet future mission objectives. Networking protocols implemented on the SCaN Testbed include the Advanced Orbiting Systems (AOS) link-layer protocol, Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) Encapsulation Packets, Internet Protocol (IP), Space Link Extension (SLE), CCSDS File Delivery Protocol (CFDP), and Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) protocols including the Bundle Protocol (BP) and Licklider Transmission Protocol (LTP). The SCaN Testbed end-to-end system provides three S-band data links and one Ka-band data link to exchange space and ground data through NASAs Tracking Data Relay Satellite System or a direct-to-ground link to ground stations. The multiple data links and nodes provide several upgradable elements on both the space and ground systems. This paper will provide a general description of the testbeds system design and capabilities, discuss in detail the design and lessons learned in the implementation of the network protocols, and describe future plans for continuing research to meet the communication needs for evolving global space systems.

49 CFR 236.16 - Electric lock, main track releasing circuit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Electric lock, main track releasing circuit. 236... RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RULES, STANDARDS, AND INSTRUCTIONS GOVERNING THE... Rules and Instructions: All Systems General § 236.16 Electric lock, main track releasing circuit. When...

Gigabit Ethernet: A Technical Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Axner, David

1997-01-01

Describes gigabit ethernet for LAN (local area network) technology that will expand ethernet bandwidth. Technical details are discussed, including protocol stacks, optical fiber, deployment strategy for performance improvement, ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), real-time protocol, reserve reservation protocol, and standards. (LRW)

EPA Traceability Protocol for Assay and Certification of Gaseous Calibration Standards

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA's air monitoring regulations require the use of Protocol Gases to set air pollution monitors. This protocol balances the government's need for accuracy with the producers' need for flexibility, low cost, and minimum external oversight.

An approach to geotracking patients with Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Yuce, Yilmaz Kemal; Gulkesen, Kemal Hakan; Barcin, Ebru Nur

2012-01-01

Recently, numerous systems for geo-tracking Alzheimer's patients with dementia have been developed and reported to be functional for the purposes of security and data collection. However, studies stated possible loss of freedom and autonomy for patients, along with violations of their privacy, which may lead to loss of prestige/dignity. In this study, a geotracking system that aims to balance patients' security and their need for privacy and autonomy is proposed. The system introduces a personalized, four-level temporal geofence based tracking, warning and notification protocol that incorporates a safety check mechanism operating over Global System for Mobile Communications network.

Improving post-stroke dysphagia outcomes through a standardized and multidisciplinary protocol: an exploratory cohort study.

PubMed

Gandolfi, Marialuisa; Smania, Nicola; Bisoffi, Giulia; Squaquara, Teresa; Zuccher, Paola; Mazzucco, Sara

2014-12-01

Stroke is a major cause of dysphagia. Few studies to date have reported on standardized multidisciplinary protocolized approaches to the management of post-stroke dysphagia. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the impact of a standardized multidisciplinary protocol on clinical outcomes in patients with post-stroke dysphagia. We performed retrospective chart reviews of patients with post-stroke dysphagia admitted to the neurological ward of Verona University Hospital from 2004 to 2008. Outcomes after usual treatment for dysphagia (T- group) were compared versus outcomes after treatment under a standardized diagnostic and rehabilitative multidisciplinary protocol (T+ group). Outcome measures were death, pneumonia on X-ray, need for respiratory support, and proportion of patients on tube feeding at discharge. Of the 378 patients admitted with stroke, 84 had dysphagia and were enrolled in the study. A significantly lower risk of in-hospital death (odds ratio [OR] 0.20 [0.53-0.78]), pneumonia (OR 0.33 [0.10-1.03]), need for respiratory support (OR 0.48 [0.14-1.66]), and tube feeding at discharge (OR 0.30 [0.09-0.91]) was recorded for the T+ group (N = 39) as compared to the T- group (N = 45). The adjusted OR showed no difference between the two groups for in-hospital death and tube feeding at discharge. Use of a standardized multidisciplinary protocolized approach to the management of post-stroke dysphagia may significantly reduce rates of aspiration pneumonia, in-hospital mortality, and tube feeding in dysphagic stroke survivors. Consistent with the study's exploratory purposes, our findings suggest that the multidisciplinary protocol applied in this study offers an effective model of management of post-stroke dysphagia.

Defining standardized protocols for determining the efficacy of a postmilking teat disinfectant following experimental exposure of teats to mastitis pathogens.

PubMed

Schukken, Y H; Rauch, B J; Morelli, J

2013-04-01

The objective of this paper was to define standardized protocols for determining the efficacy of a postmilking teat disinfectant following experimental exposure of teats to both Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae. The standardized protocols describe the selection of cows and herds and define the critical points in performing experimental exposure, performing bacterial culture, evaluating the culture results, and finally performing statistical analyses and reporting of the results. The protocols define both negative control and positive control trials. For negative control trials, the protocol states that an efficacy of reducing new intramammary infections (IMI) of at least 40% is required for a teat disinfectant to be considered effective. For positive control trials, noninferiority to a control disinfectant with a published efficacy of reducing new IMI of at least 70% is required. Sample sizes for both negative and positive control trials are calculated. Positive control trials are expected to require a large trial size. Statistical analysis methods are defined and, in the proposed methods, the rate of IMI may be analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. The efficacy of the test product can be evaluated while controlling for important covariates and confounders in the trial. Finally, standards for reporting are defined and reporting considerations are discussed. The use of the defined protocol is shown through presentation of the results of a recent trial of a test product against a negative control. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vibro-acoustic performance of newly designed tram track structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haladin, Ivo; Lakušić, Stjepan; Ahac, Maja

2017-09-01

Rail vehicles in interaction with a railway structure induce vibrations that are propagating to surrounding structures and cause noise disturbance in the surrounding areas. Since tram tracks in urban areas often share the running surface with road vehicles one of top priorities is to achieve low maintenance and long lasting structure. Research conducted in scope of this paper gives an overview of newly designed tram track structures designated for use on Zagreb tram network and their performance in terms of noise and vibration mitigation. Research has been conducted on a 150 m long test section consisted of three tram track types: standard tram track structure commonly used on tram lines in Zagreb, optimized tram structure for better noise and vibration mitigation and a slab track with double sleepers embedded in a concrete slab, which presents an entirely new approach of tram track construction in Zagreb. Track has been instrumented with acceleration sensors, strain gauges and revision shafts for inspection. Relative deformations give an insight into track structure dynamic load distribution through the exploitation period. Further the paper describes vibro-acoustic measurements conducted at the test site. To evaluate the track performance from the vibro-acoustical standpoint, detailed analysis of track decay rate has been analysed. Opposed to measurement technique using impact hammer for track decay rate measurements, newly developed measuring technique using vehicle pass by vibrations as a source of excitation has been proposed and analysed. Paper gives overview of the method, it’s benefits compared to standard method of track decay rate measurements and method evaluation based on noise measurements of the vehicle pass by.

Stat-tracks and mediotypes: powerful tools for modern ichnology based on 3D models

PubMed Central

Bennett, Matthew R.; Marty, Daniel; Budka, Marcin; Reynolds, Sally C.; Bakirov, Rashid

2018-01-01

Vertebrate tracks are subject to a wide distribution of morphological types. A single trackmaker may be associated with a range of tracks reflecting individual pedal anatomy and behavioural kinematics mediated through substrate properties which may vary both in space and time. Accordingly, the same trackmaker can leave substantially different morphotypes something which must be considered in creating ichnotaxa. In modern practice this is often captured by the collection of a series of 3D track models. We introduce two concepts to help integrate these 3D models into ichnological analysis procedures. The mediotype is based on the idea of using statistically-generated three-dimensional track models (median or mean) of the type specimens to create a composite track to support formal recognition of a ichno type. A representative track (mean and/or median) is created from a set of individual reference tracks or from multiple examples from one or more trackways. In contrast, stat-tracks refer to other digitally generated tracks which may explore variance. For example, they are useful in: understanding the preservation variability of a given track sample; identifying characteristics or unusual track features; or simply as a quantitative comparison tool. Both concepts assist in making ichnotaxonomical interpretations and we argue that they should become part of the standard procedure when instituting new ichnotaxa. As three-dimensional models start to become a standard in publications on vertebrate ichnology, the mediotype and stat-track concepts have the potential to help guiding a revolution in the study of vertebrate ichnology and ichnotaxonomy. PMID:29340246

Use of Compound-Specific Stable Isotope Analysis to Distinguish Between Vapor Intrusion and Indoor Sources of VOCs - CSIA Protocol for Vapor Intrusion Investigations

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

Analyzer TCE Trichloroethene USEPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency V- PDB Vienna - Pee Dee Belemnite V-SMOW Vienna – Standard Mean Ocean Water ... PDB ) for carbon, Standard Mean Ocean Chloride (SMOC) for chlorine, and Vienna-Standard Mean Ocean Water (V-SMOW) for hydrogen. CSIA Protocol for...7 3.3 INDOOR AIR SAMPLING LOCATIONS ............................................................ 8 3.4 COLLECTION OF WATER SAMPLES

Risk of bias and confounding of observational studies of Zika virus infection: A scoping review of research protocols.

PubMed

Reveiz, Ludovic; Haby, Michelle M; Martínez-Vega, Ruth; Pinzón-Flores, Carlos E; Elias, Vanessa; Smith, Emma; Pinart, Mariona; Broutet, Nathalie; Becerra-Posada, Francisco; Aldighieri, Sylvain; Van Kerkhove, Maria D

2017-01-01

Given the severity and impact of the current Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in the Americas, numerous countries have rushed to develop research studies to assess ZIKV and its potential health consequences. In an effort to ensure that studies are comprehensive, both internally and externally valid, and with reliable results, the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization, Institut Pasteur, the networks of Fiocruz, the Consortia for the Standardization of Influenza Seroepidemiology (CONSISE) and the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) have generated six standardized clinical and epidemiological research protocols and questionnaires to address key public health questions on ZIKV. We conducted a systematic search of ongoing study protocols related to ZIKV research. We analyzed the content of protocols of 32 cohort studies and 13 case control studies for systematic bias that could produce erroneous results. Additionally we aimed to characterize the risks of bias and confounding in observational studies related to ZIKV and to propose ways to minimize them, including the use of six newly standardized research protocols. Observational studies of ZIKV face an array of challenges, including measurement of exposure and outcomes (microcephaly and Guillain-Barré Syndrome). Potential confounders need to be measured where known and controlled for in the analysis. Selection bias due to non-random selection is a significant issue, particularly in the case-control design, and losses to follow-up is equally important for the cohort design. Observational research seeking to answer key questions on the ZIKV should consider these restrictions and take precautions to minimize bias in an effort to provide reliable and valid results. Utilization of the standardized research protocols developed by the WHO, PAHO, Institut Pasteur, and CONSISE will harmonize the key methodological aspects of each study design to minimize bias at different stages of the study. Biases need to be considered by researchers implementing the standardized protocols as well as by users of observational epidemiological studies of ZIKV.

77 FR 47707 - Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS): Physical Condition Scoring Notice and Revised Dictionary...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-09

... Standards (UPCS) inspection protocol was designed to be a uniform inspection process and standard for HUD's... frequency of inspections based on the results the UPCS inspection. UPCS was designed to assess the condition... physical assessment score. HUD Response: The UPCS inspection protocol as designed assesses the physical...

LINCS: Livermore's network architecture. [Octopus computing network

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

Fletcher, J.G.

1982-01-01

Octopus, a local computing network that has been evolving at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for over fifteen years, is currently undergoing a major revision. The primary purpose of the revision is to consolidate and redefine the variety of conventions and formats, which have grown up over the years, into a single standard family of protocols, the Livermore Interactive Network Communication Standard (LINCS). This standard treats the entire network as a single distributed operating system such that access to a computing resource is obtained in a single way, whether that resource is local (on the same computer as the accessingmore » process) or remote (on another computer). LINCS encompasses not only communication but also such issues as the relationship of customer to server processes and the structure, naming, and protection of resources. The discussion includes: an overview of the Livermore user community and computing hardware, the functions and structure of each of the seven layers of LINCS protocol, the reasons why we have designed our own protocols and why we are dissatisfied by the directions that current protocol standards are taking.« less

Effect of Shock Wave Lithotripsy on Renal Hemodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handa, Rajash K.; Willis, Lynn R.; Evan, Andrew P.; Connors, Bret A.

2008-09-01

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) can injure tissue and decrease blood flow in the SWL-treated kidney, both tissue and functional effects being largely localized to the region targeted with shock waves (SWs). A novel method of limiting SWL-induced tissue injury is to employ the "protection" protocol, where the kidney is pretreated with low-energy SWs prior to the application of a standard clinical dose of high-energy SWs. Resistive index measurements of renal vascular resistance/impedance to blood flow during SWL treatment protocols revealed that a standard clinical dose of high-energy SWs did not alter RI during SW application. However, there was an interaction between low- and high-energy SWL treatment phases of the "protection" protocol such that an increase in RI (vasoconstriction) was observed during the later half of SW application, a time when tissue damage is occurring during the standard high-energy SWL protocol. We suggest that renal vasoconstriction may be responsible for reducing the degree of tissue damage that normally results from a standard clinical dose of high-energy SWs.

Government Open Systems Interconnection Profile (GOSIP) transition strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laxen, Mark R.

1993-09-01

This thesis analyzes the Government Open Systems Interconnection Profile (GOSIP) and the requirements of the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) Publication 146-1. It begins by examining the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) architecture and protocol suites and the distinctions between GOSIP version one and two. Additionally, it explores some of the GOSIP protocol details and discusses the process by which standards organizations have developed their recommendations. Implementation considerations from both government and vendor perspectives illustrate the barriers and requirements faced by information systems managers, as well as basic transition strategies. The result of this thesis is to show a transition strategy through an extended and coordinated period of coexistence due to extensive legacy systems and GOSIP product unavailability. Recommendations for GOSIP protocol standards to include capabilities outside the OSI model are also presented.

Towards large scale multi-target tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vo, Ba-Ngu; Vo, Ba-Tuong; Reuter, Stephan; Lam, Quang; Dietmayer, Klaus

2014-06-01

Multi-target tracking is intrinsically an NP-hard problem and the complexity of multi-target tracking solutions usually do not scale gracefully with problem size. Multi-target tracking for on-line applications involving a large number of targets is extremely challenging. This article demonstrates the capability of the random finite set approach to provide large scale multi-target tracking algorithms. In particular it is shown that an approximate filter known as the labeled multi-Bernoulli filter can simultaneously track one thousand five hundred targets in clutter on a standard laptop computer.

How to optimize the economic viability of thyroid surgery in a French public hospital?

PubMed

D'Hubert, E; Proske, J-M

2010-08-01

Physicians in France have been asked to change their day-to-day medical practice to reduce overall costs. We examine ways to achieve this goal in thyroid surgery. We defined and implemented a clinical pathway to optimize the economic viability of thyroid surgery by increasing revenues and lowering expenses. An increase in revenue was achieved by decreasing patient length of stay (LOS) through the use of a fast-track rehabilitation protocol. Expenses were decreased by performing all pre-operative work-up in the out-patient setting and by decreasing costs in the operating room. For 292 consecutive patients who underwent thyroidectomy, the average LOS has been decreased over time to a mean of 2.03 days in 2008; 96% of patients were discharged on the first postoperative day. These results were primarily achieved by using a fast-track rehabilitation clinical pathway, and no increase in postoperative morbidity was noted. Operating time was decreased by 20% through the use of a second surgical assistant and hemostatic scissors but this improvement did not translate into better daily utilization of the operating room. The economic profitability of thyroid surgery is improved when mean LOS is reduced to 2 days through a fast-track protocol. Decreasing the duration of hospitalization was more effective than decreasing operative duration in controlling overall costs. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Genetic barcoding with fluorescent proteins for multiplexed applications.

PubMed

Smurthwaite, Cameron A; Williams, Wesley; Fetsko, Alexandra; Abbadessa, Darin; Stolp, Zachary D; Reed, Connor W; Dharmawan, Andre; Wolkowicz, Roland

2015-04-14

Fluorescent proteins, fluorescent dyes and fluorophores in general have revolutionized the field of molecular cell biology. In particular, the discovery of fluorescent proteins and their genes have enabled the engineering of protein fusions for localization, the analysis of transcriptional activation and translation of proteins of interest, or the general tracking of individual cells and cell populations. The use of fluorescent protein genes in combination with retroviral technology has further allowed the expression of these proteins in mammalian cells in a stable and reliable manner. Shown here is how one can utilize these genes to give cells within a population of cells their own biosignature. As the biosignature is achieved with retroviral technology, cells are barcoded 'indefinitely'. As such, they can be individually tracked within a mixture of barcoded cells and utilized in more complex biological applications. The tracking of distinct populations in a mixture of cells is ideal for multiplexed applications such as discovery of drugs against a multitude of targets or the activation profile of different promoters. The protocol describes how to elegantly develop and amplify barcoded mammalian cells with distinct genetic fluorescent markers, and how to use several markers at once or one marker at different intensities. Finally, the protocol describes how the cells can be further utilized in combination with cell-based assays to increase the power of analysis through multiplexing.

Space Network IP Services (SNIS): An Architecture for Supporting Low Earth Orbiting IP Satellite Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Israel, David J.

2005-01-01

The NASA Space Network (SN) supports a variety of missions using the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), which includes ground stations in White Sands, New Mexico and Guam. A Space Network IP Services (SNIS) architecture is being developed to support future users with requirements for end-to-end Internet Protocol (IP) communications. This architecture will support all IP protocols, including Mobile IP, over TDRSS Single Access, Multiple Access, and Demand Access Radio Frequency (RF) links. This paper will describe this architecture and how it can enable Low Earth Orbiting IP satellite missions.

Protocol for Landsat-Based Monitoring of Landscape Dynamics at North Coast and Cascades Network Parks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kennedy, Robert E.; Cohen, Warren B.; Kirschbaum, Alan A.; Haunreiter, Erik

2007-01-01

Background and Objectives As part of the National Park Service's larger goal of developing long-term monitoring programs in response to the Natural Resource Challenge of 2000, the parks of the North Coast and Cascades Network (NCCN) have determined that monitoring of landscape dynamics is necessary to track ecosystem health (Weber and others, 2005). Landscape dynamics refer to a broad suite of ecological, geomorphological, and anthropogenic processes occurring across broad spatial scales. The NCCN has sought protocols that would leverage remote-sensing technologies to aid in monitoring landscape dynamics.

Accelerated magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging of the median nerve using simultaneous multi-slice echo planar imaging with blipped CAIPIRINHA.

PubMed

Filli, Lukas; Piccirelli, Marco; Kenkel, David; Boss, Andreas; Manoliu, Andrei; Andreisek, Gustav; Bhat, Himanshu; Runge, Val M; Guggenberger, Roman

2016-06-01

To investigate the feasibility of MR diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the median nerve using simultaneous multi-slice echo planar imaging (EPI) with blipped CAIPIRINHA. After federal ethics board approval, MR imaging of the median nerves of eight healthy volunteers (mean age, 29.4 years; range, 25-32) was performed at 3 T using a 16-channel hand/wrist coil. An EPI sequence (b-value, 1,000 s/mm(2); 20 gradient directions) was acquired without acceleration as well as with twofold and threefold slice acceleration. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD) and quality of nerve tractography (number of tracks, average track length, track homogeneity, anatomical accuracy) were compared between the acquisitions using multivariate ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Acquisition time was 6:08 min for standard DTI, 3:38 min for twofold and 2:31 min for threefold acceleration. No differences were found regarding FA (standard DTI: 0.620 ± 0.058; twofold acceleration: 0.642 ± 0.058; threefold acceleration: 0.644 ± 0.061; p ≥ 0.217) and MD (standard DTI: 1.076 ± 0.080 mm(2)/s; twofold acceleration: 1.016 ± 0.123 mm(2)/s; threefold acceleration: 0.979 ± 0.153 mm(2)/s; p ≥ 0.074). Twofold acceleration yielded similar tractography quality compared to standard DTI (p > 0.05). With threefold acceleration, however, average track length and track homogeneity decreased (p = 0.004-0.021). Accelerated DTI of the median nerve is feasible. Twofold acceleration yields similar results to standard DTI. • Standard DTI of the median nerve is limited by its long acquisition time. • Simultaneous multi-slice acquisition is a new technique for accelerated DTI. • Accelerated DTI of the median nerve yields similar results to standard DTI.

Recommended features of protocols for long-term ecological monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oakley, Karen L.; Boudreau, Susan L.; Humphrey, Sioux-Z

2001-01-01

In 1991, the National Park Service (NPS) selected seven parks to serve as prototypes for development of a long-term ecological monitoring program. Denali National Park and Preserve was one of the prototype parks selected. The principal focus of this national program was to detect and document resource changes and to understand the forces driving those changes. One of the major tasks of each prototype park was to develop monitoring protocols. In this paper, we discuss some lessons learned and what we believe to be the most important features of protocols.One of the many lessons we have learned is that monitoring protocols vary greatly in content and format. This variation leads to confusion about what information protocols should contain and how they should be formatted. Problems we have observed in existing protocols include (1) not providing enough detail, (2) omitting critical topics (such as data management), and (3) mixing explanation with instructions. Once written, protocols often sit on the shelf to collect dust, allowing methods changes to occur without being adequately considered, tested, or documented. Because a lengthy and costly research effort is often needed to develop protocols, a vision of what the final product should look like is helpful. Based on our involvement with the prototype monitoring program for Denali (Oakley and Boudreau 2000), we recommend key features of protocols, including a scheme for linking protocols to data in the data management system and for tracking protocol revisions. A protocol system is crucial for producing long-term data sets of known quality that meet program objectives.

Advances in radiation detection technologies for responders.

PubMed

Unterweger, Michael P; Pibida, Leticia S

2005-11-01

The Department of Homeland Security is supporting the development of a large number of standards for first responders. In the area of detection of radioactive and nuclear materials, four new standards (ANSI N42.32, N42.33, N42.34, and N42.35) and their corresponding test and evaluation protocols were developed to meet Department of Homeland Security needs. Testing of the standards and protocols was carried out at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

49 CFR 213.347 - Automotive or railroad crossings at grade.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Train Operations at Track Classes 6 and.../barrier system to address the protection of highway traffic and high speed trains. Trains shall not...-approved warning/barrier system exists on that track segment; and (2) All elements of that warning/barrier...

49 CFR 236.201 - Track-circuit control of signals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Automatic Block Signal Systems Standards § 236.201 Track-circuit control of signals. The control circuits for home... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Track-circuit control of signals. 236.201 Section...

49 CFR 236.201 - Track-circuit control of signals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Automatic Block Signal Systems Standards § 236.201 Track-circuit control of signals. The control circuits for home... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Track-circuit control of signals. 236.201 Section...

25 CFR 900.52 - What type of property is the property management system required to track?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES CONTRACTS UNDER THE INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ASSISTANCE ACT Standards for Tribal or Tribal Organization Management Systems... required to track? The property management system of the Indian tribe or tribal organization shall track...

25 CFR 900.52 - What type of property is the property management system required to track?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES CONTRACTS UNDER THE INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ASSISTANCE ACT Standards for Tribal or Tribal Organization Management Systems... required to track? The property management system of the Indian tribe or tribal organization shall track...

25 CFR 900.52 - What type of property is the property management system required to track?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES CONTRACTS UNDER THE INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ASSISTANCE ACT Standards for Tribal or Tribal Organization Management Systems... required to track? The property management system of the Indian tribe or tribal organization shall track...

25 CFR 900.52 - What type of property is the property management system required to track?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES CONTRACTS UNDER THE INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ASSISTANCE ACT Standards for Tribal or Tribal Organization Management Systems... required to track? The property management system of the Indian tribe or tribal organization shall track...

25 CFR 900.52 - What type of property is the property management system required to track?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES CONTRACTS UNDER THE INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ASSISTANCE ACT Standards for Tribal or Tribal Organization Management Systems... required to track? The property management system of the Indian tribe or tribal organization shall track...

Multiple-Object Tracking in Children: The "Catch the Spies" Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trick, L.M.; Jaspers-Fayer, F.; Sethi, N.

2005-01-01

Multiple-object tracking involves simultaneously tracking positions of a number of target-items as they move among distractors. The standard version of the task poses special challenges for children, demanding extended concentration and the ability to distinguish targets from identical-looking distractors, and may thus underestimate children's…

10 CFR 20.2207 - Reports of transactions involving nationally tracked sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Reports of transactions involving nationally tracked sources. 20.2207 Section 20.2207 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION Reports § 20.2207 Reports of transactions involving nationally tracked sources. Each licensee who...

10 CFR 20.2207 - Reports of transactions involving nationally tracked sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Reports of transactions involving nationally tracked sources. 20.2207 Section 20.2207 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION Reports § 20.2207 Reports of transactions involving nationally tracked sources. Each licensee who...

10 CFR 20.2207 - Reports of transactions involving nationally tracked sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Reports of transactions involving nationally tracked sources. 20.2207 Section 20.2207 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION Reports § 20.2207 Reports of transactions involving nationally tracked sources. Each licensee who...

75 FR 25927 - Vehicle/Track Interaction Safety Standards; High-Speed and High Cant Deficiency Operations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-10

... qualification process as an important tool for the assessment of vehicle performance. These simulations are... qualification process, simulations would be conducted using both a measured track geometry segment... on the results of simulation studies designed to identify track geometry irregularities associated...

Design and Implement AN Interoperable Internet of Things Application Based on AN Extended Ogc Sensorthings Api Standard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, C. Y.; Wu, C. H.

2016-06-01

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an infrastructure that interconnects uniquely-identifiable devices using the Internet. By interconnecting everyday appliances, various monitoring and physical mashup applications can be constructed to improve people's daily life. However, IoT devices created by different manufacturers follow different proprietary protocols and cannot communicate with each other. This heterogeneity issue causes different products to be locked in multiple closed ecosystems that we call IoT silos. In order to address this issue, a common industrial solution is the hub approach, which implements connectors to communicate with IoT devices following different protocols. However, with the growing number of proprietary protocols proposed by device manufacturers, IoT hubs need to support and maintain a lot of customized connectors. Hence, we believe the ultimate solution to address the heterogeneity issue is to follow open and interoperable standard. Among the existing IoT standards, the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) SensorThings API standard supports comprehensive conceptual model and query functionalities. The first version of SensorThings API mainly focuses on connecting to IoT devices and sharing sensor observations online, which is the sensing capability. Besides the sensing capability, IoT devices could also be controlled via the Internet, which is the tasking capability. While the tasking capability was not included in the first version of the SensorThings API standard, this research aims on defining the tasking capability profile and integrates with the SensorThings API standard, which we call the extended-SensorThings API in this paper. In general, this research proposes a lightweight JSON-based web service description, the "Tasking Capability Description", allowing device owners and manufacturers to describe different IoT device protocols. Through the extended- SensorThings API, users and applications can follow a coherent protocol to control IoT devices that use different communication protocols, which could consequently achieve the interoperable Internet of Things infrastructure.

Why standard brain-computer interface (BCI) training protocols should be changed: an experimental study.

PubMed

Jeunet, Camille; Jahanpour, Emilie; Lotte, Fabien

2016-06-01

While promising, electroencephaloraphy based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are barely used due to their lack of reliability: 15% to 30% of users are unable to control a BCI. Standard training protocols may be partly responsible as they do not satisfy recommendations from psychology. Our main objective was to determine in practice to what extent standard training protocols impact users' motor imagery based BCI (MI-BCI) control performance. We performed two experiments. The first consisted in evaluating the efficiency of a standard BCI training protocol for the acquisition of non-BCI related skills in a BCI-free context, which enabled us to rule out the possible impact of BCIs on the training outcome. Thus, participants (N = 54) were asked to perform simple motor tasks. The second experiment was aimed at measuring the correlations between motor tasks and MI-BCI performance. The ten best and ten worst performers of the first study were recruited for an MI-BCI experiment during which they had to learn to perform two MI tasks. We also assessed users' spatial ability and pre-training μ rhythm amplitude, as both have been related to MI-BCI performance in the literature. Around 17% of the participants were unable to learn to perform the motor tasks, which is close to the BCI illiteracy rate. This suggests that standard training protocols are suboptimal for skill teaching. No correlation was found between motor tasks and MI-BCI performance. However, spatial ability played an important role in MI-BCI performance. In addition, once the spatial ability covariable had been controlled for, using an ANCOVA, it appeared that participants who faced difficulty during the first experiment improved during the second while the others did not. These studies suggest that (1) standard MI-BCI training protocols are suboptimal for skill teaching, (2) spatial ability is confirmed as impacting on MI-BCI performance, and (3) when faced with difficult pre-training, subjects seemed to explore more strategies and therefore learn better.

Behavioral Phenotyping of Murine Disease Models with the Integrated Behavioral Station (INBEST).

PubMed

Sakic, Boris; Cooper, Marcella P A; Taylor, Sarah E; Stojanovic, Milica; Zagorac, Bosa; Kapadia, Minesh

2015-04-23

Due to rapid advances in genetic engineering, small rodents have become the preferred subjects in many disciplines of biomedical research. In studies of chronic CNS disorders, there is an increasing demand for murine models with high validity at the behavioral level. However, multiple pathogenic mechanisms and complex functional deficits often impose challenges to reliably measure and interpret behavior of chronically sick mice. Therefore, the assessment of peripheral pathology and a behavioral profile at several time points using a battery of tests are required. Video-tracking, behavioral spectroscopy, and remote acquisition of physiological measures are emerging technologies that allow for comprehensive, accurate, and unbiased behavioral analysis in a home-base-like setting. This report describes a refined phenotyping protocol, which includes a custom-made monitoring apparatus (Integrated Behavioral Station, INBEST) that focuses on prolonged measurements of basic functional outputs, such as spontaneous activity, food/water intake and motivated behavior in a relatively stress-free environment. Technical and conceptual improvements in INBEST design may further promote reproducibility and standardization of behavioral studies.

Multimodality 3D Superposition and Automated Whole Brain Tractography: Comprehensive Printing of the Functional Brain

PubMed Central

Brimley, Cameron J; Sublett, Jesna Mathew; Stefanowicz, Edward; Flora, Sarah; Mongelluzzo, Gino; Schirmer, Clemens M

2017-01-01

Whole brain tractography using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) sequences can be used to map cerebral connectivity; however, this can be time-consuming due to the manual component of image manipulation required, calling for the need for a standardized, automated, and accurate fiber tracking protocol with automatic whole brain tractography (AWBT). Interpreting conventional two-dimensional (2D) images, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as an intraoperative three-dimensional (3D) environment is a difficult task with recognized inter-operator variability. Three-dimensional printing in neurosurgery has gained significant traction in the past decade, and as software, equipment, and practices become more refined, trainee education, surgical skills, research endeavors, innovation, patient education, and outcomes via valued care is projected to improve. We describe a novel multimodality 3D superposition (MMTS) technique, which fuses multiple imaging sequences alongside cerebral tractography into one patient-specific 3D printed model. Inferences on cost and improved outcomes fueled by encouraging patient engagement are explored. PMID:29201580

Peri-operative interventions producing better functional outcomes and enhanced recovery following total hip and knee arthroplasty: an evidence-based review

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The increasing numbers of patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA), combined with the rapidly growing repertoire of surgical techniques and interventions available have put considerable pressure on surgeons and other healthcare professionals to produce excellent results with early functional recovery and short hospital stays. The current economic climate and the restricted healthcare budgets further necessitate brief hospitalization while minimizing costs. Clinical pathways and protocols introduced to achieve these goals include a variety of peri-operative interventions to fulfill patient expectations and achieve the desired outcomes. In this review, we present an evidence-based summary of common interventions available to achieve enhanced recovery, reduce hospital stay, and improve functional outcomes following THA and TKA. It covers pre-operative patient education and nutrition, pre-emptive analgesia, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, pulsed electromagnetic fields, peri-operative rehabilitation, modern wound dressings, standard surgical techniques, minimally invasive surgery, and fast-track arthroplasty units. PMID:23406499

Multimodality 3D Superposition and Automated Whole Brain Tractography: Comprehensive Printing of the Functional Brain.

PubMed

Konakondla, Sanjay; Brimley, Cameron J; Sublett, Jesna Mathew; Stefanowicz, Edward; Flora, Sarah; Mongelluzzo, Gino; Schirmer, Clemens M

2017-09-29

Whole brain tractography using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) sequences can be used to map cerebral connectivity; however, this can be time-consuming due to the manual component of image manipulation required, calling for the need for a standardized, automated, and accurate fiber tracking protocol with automatic whole brain tractography (AWBT). Interpreting conventional two-dimensional (2D) images, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as an intraoperative three-dimensional (3D) environment is a difficult task with recognized inter-operator variability. Three-dimensional printing in neurosurgery has gained significant traction in the past decade, and as software, equipment, and practices become more refined, trainee education, surgical skills, research endeavors, innovation, patient education, and outcomes via valued care is projected to improve. We describe a novel multimodality 3D superposition (MMTS) technique, which fuses multiple imaging sequences alongside cerebral tractography into one patient-specific 3D printed model. Inferences on cost and improved outcomes fueled by encouraging patient engagement are explored.

Eco-HAB as a fully automated and ecologically relevant assessment of social impairments in mouse models of autism.

PubMed

Puścian, Alicja; Łęski, Szymon; Kasprowicz, Grzegorz; Winiarski, Maciej; Borowska, Joanna; Nikolaev, Tomasz; Boguszewski, Paweł M; Lipp, Hans-Peter; Knapska, Ewelina

2016-10-12

Eco-HAB is an open source, RFID-based system for automated measurement and analysis of social preference and in-cohort sociability in mice. The system closely follows murine ethology. It requires no contact between a human experimenter and tested animals, overcoming the confounding factors that lead to irreproducible assessment of murine social behavior between laboratories. In Eco-HAB, group-housed animals live in a spacious, four-compartment apparatus with shadowed areas and narrow tunnels, resembling natural burrows. Eco-HAB allows for assessment of the tendency of mice to voluntarily spend time together in ethologically relevant mouse group sizes. Custom-made software for automated tracking, data extraction, and analysis enables quick evaluation of social impairments. The developed protocols and standardized behavioral measures demonstrate high replicability. Unlike classic three-chambered sociability tests, Eco-HAB provides measurements of spontaneous, ecologically relevant social behaviors in group-housed animals. Results are obtained faster, with less manpower, and without confounding factors.

Standardization of a Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study Protocol to Investigate Dysphagia in Dogs.

PubMed

Harris, R A; Grobman, M E; Allen, M J; Schachtel, J; Rawson, N E; Bennett, B; Ledyayev, J; Hopewell, B; Coates, J R; Reinero, C R; Lever, T E

2017-03-01

Videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) is the gold standard for diagnosis of dysphagia in veterinary medicine but lacks standardized protocols that emulate physiologic feeding practices. Age impacts swallow function in humans but has not been evaluated by VFSS in dogs. To develop a protocol with custom kennels designed to allow free-feeding of 3 optimized formulations of contrast media and diets that address limitations of current VFSS protocols. We hypothesized that dogs evaluated by a free-feeding VFSS protocol would show differences in objective swallow metrics based on age. Healthy juvenile, adult, and geriatric dogs (n = 24). Prospective, experimental study. Custom kennels were developed to maintain natural feeding behaviors during VFSS. Three food consistencies (thin liquid, pureed food, and dry kibble) were formulated with either iohexol or barium to maximize palatability and voluntary prehension. Dogs were evaluated by 16 swallow metrics and compared across age groups. Development of a standardized VFSS protocol resulted in successful collection of swallow data in healthy dogs. No significant differences in swallow metrics were observed among age groups. Substantial variability was observed in healthy dogs when evaluated under these physiologic conditions. Features typically attributed to pathologic states, such as gastric reflux, were seen in healthy dogs. Development of a VFSS protocol that reflects natural feeding practices may allow emulation of physiology resulting in clinical signs of dysphagia. Age did not result in significant changes in swallow metrics, but additional studies are needed, particularly in light of substantial normal variation. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

SLOWLY REPEATED EVOKED PAIN (SREP) AS A MARKER OF CENTRAL SENSITIZATION IN FIBROMYALGIA: DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY IN COMPARISON WITH TEMPORAL SUMMATION OF PAIN.

PubMed

de la Coba, Pablo; Bruehl, Stephen; Gálvez-Sánchez, Carmen María; Reyes Del Paso, Gustavo A

2018-05-01

This study examined the diagnostic accuracy and test-retest reliability of a novel dynamic evoked pain protocol (slowly repeated evoked pain; SREP) compared to temporal summation of pain (TSP), a standard index of central sensitization. Thirty-five fibromyalgia (FM) and 30 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients completed, in pseudorandomized order, a standard mechanical TSP protocol (10 stimuli of 1s duration at the thenar eminence using a 300g monofilament with 1s interstimulus interval) and the SREP protocol (9 suprathreshold pressure stimuli of 5s duration applied to the fingernail with a 30s interstimulus interval). In order to evaluate reliability for both protocols, they were repeated in a second session 4-7 days later. Evidence for significant pain sensitization over trials (increasing pain intensity ratings) was observed for SREP in FM (p<.001) but not in RA (p=.35), whereas significant sensitization was observed in both diagnostic groups for the TSP protocol (p's<.008). Compared to TSP, SREP demonstrated higher overall diagnostic accuracy (87.7% vs. 64.6%), greater sensitivity (0.89 vs. 0.57), and greater specificity (0.87 vs. 0.73) in discriminating between FM and RA patients. Test-retest reliability of SREP sensitization was good in FM (ICCs: 0.80), and moderate in RA (ICC: 0.68). SREP seems to be a dynamic evoked pain index tapping into pain sensitization that allows for greater diagnostic accuracy in identifying FM patients compared to a standard TSP protocol. Further research is needed to study mechanisms underlying SREP and the potential utility of adding SREP to standard pain evaluation protocols.

Radionuclide-fluorescence Reporter Gene Imaging to Track Tumor Progression in Rodent Tumor Models

PubMed Central

Volpe, Alessia; Man, Francis; Lim, Lindsay; Khoshnevisan, Alex; Blower, Julia; Blower, Philip J.; Fruhwirth, Gilbert O.

2018-01-01

Metastasis is responsible for most cancer deaths. Despite extensive research, the mechanistic understanding of the complex processes governing metastasis remains incomplete. In vivo models are paramount for metastasis research, but require refinement. Tracking spontaneous metastasis by non-invasive in vivo imaging is now possible, but remains challenging as it requires long-time observation and high sensitivity. We describe a longitudinal combined radionuclide and fluorescence whole-body in vivo imaging approach for tracking tumor progression and spontaneous metastasis. This reporter gene methodology employs the sodium iodide symporter (NIS) fused to a fluorescent protein (FP). Cancer cells are engineered to stably express NIS-FP followed by selection based on fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Corresponding tumor models are established in mice. NIS-FP expressing cancer cells are tracked non-invasively in vivo at the whole-body level by positron emission tomography (PET) using the NIS radiotracer [18F]BF4-. PET is currently the most sensitive in vivo imaging technology available at this scale and enables reliable and absolute quantification. Current methods either rely on large cohorts of animals that are euthanized for metastasis assessment at varying time points, or rely on barely quantifiable 2D imaging. The advantages of the described method are: (i) highly sensitive non-invasive in vivo 3D PET imaging and quantification, (ii) automated PET tracer production, (iii) a significant reduction in required animal numbers due to repeat imaging options, (iv) the acquisition of paired data from subsequent imaging sessions providing better statistical data, and (v) the intrinsic option for ex vivo confirmation of cancer cells in tissues by fluorescence microscopy or cytometry. In this protocol, we describe all steps required for routine NIS-FP-afforded non-invasive in vivo cancer cell tracking using PET/CT and ex vivo confirmation of in vivo results. This protocol has applications beyond cancer research whenever in vivo localization, expansion and long-time monitoring of a cell population is of interest. PMID:29608157

Standard B-Mode Ultrasound Measures Local Carotid Artery Characteristics as Reliably as Radiofrequency Phase Tracking in Symptomatic Carotid Artery Patients.

PubMed

Steinbuch, Jeire; Hoeks, Arnold P G; Hermeling, Evelien; Truijman, Martine T B; Schreuder, Floris H B M; Mess, Werner H

2016-02-01

Local arterial stiffness can be assessed with high accuracy and precision by measuring arterial distension on the basis of phase tracking of radiofrequency ultrasound signals acquired at a high frame rate. However, in clinical practice, B-mode ultrasound registrations are made at a low frame rate (20-50 Hz). We compared the accuracy and intra-subject precision of edge tracking and phase tracking distension in symptomatic carotid artery patients. B-mode ultrasound recordings (40 mm, 37 fps) and radiofrequency recordings (31 lines covering 29 mm, 300 fps) were acquired from the left common carotid artery of 30 patients (aged 45-88 y) with recent cerebrovascular events. To extract the distension, semi-automatic echo edge and phase tracking algorithms were applied to B-mode and radiofrequency recordings, respectively. Both methods exhibited a similar intra-subject precision for distension (standard deviation = 44 μm and 47 μm, p = 0.66) and mean distension (difference: -6 ± 69 μm, p = 0.67). Intra-subject distension inhomogeneity tends to be larger for edge tracking (difference: 15 ± 35 μm, p = 0.04). Standard B-mode scanners are suitable for measuring local artery characteristics in symptomatic carotid artery patients with good precision and accuracy. Copyright © 2016 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Counting at low concentrations: the statistical challenges of verifying ballast water discharge standards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frazier, Melanie; Miller, A. Whitman; Lee, Henry; Reusser, Deborah A.

2013-01-01

Discharge from the ballast tanks of ships is one of the primary vectors of nonindigenous species in marine environments. To mitigate this environmental and economic threat, international, national, and state entities are establishing regulations to limit the concentration of living organisms that may be discharged from the ballast tanks of ships. The proposed discharge standards have ranged from zero detectable organisms to 3. If standard sampling methods are used, verifying whether ballast discharge complies with these stringent standards will be challenging due to the inherent stochasticity of sampling. Furthermore, at low concentrations, very large volumes of water must be sampled to find enough organisms to accurately estimate concentration. Despite these challenges, adequate sampling protocols comprise a critical aspect of establishing standards because they help define the actual risk level associated with a standard. A standard that appears very stringent may be effectively lax if it is paired with an inadequate sampling protocol. We describe some of the statistical issues associated with sampling at low concentrations to help regulators understand the uncertainties of sampling as well as to inform the development of sampling protocols that ensure discharge standards are adequately implemented.

Study of Track Irregularity Time Series Calibration and Variation Pattern at Unit Section

PubMed Central

Jia, Chaolong; Wei, Lili; Wang, Hanning; Yang, Jiulin

2014-01-01

Focusing on problems existing in track irregularity time series data quality, this paper first presents abnormal data identification, data offset correction algorithm, local outlier data identification, and noise cancellation algorithms. And then proposes track irregularity time series decomposition and reconstruction through the wavelet decomposition and reconstruction approach. Finally, the patterns and features of track irregularity standard deviation data sequence in unit sections are studied, and the changing trend of track irregularity time series is discovered and described. PMID:25435869

A Multi-Center Space Data System Prototype Based on CCSDS Standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rich, Thomas M.

2016-01-01

Deep space missions beyond earth orbit will require new methods of data communications in order to compensate for increasing RF propagation delay. The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) standard protocols Spacecraft Monitor & Control (SM&C), Asynchronous Message Service (AMS), and Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) provide such a method. The maturity level of this protocol set is, however, insufficient for mission inclusion at this time. This prototype is intended to provide experience which will raise the Technical Readiness Level (TRL) of these protocols..

Protocol and standard operating procedures for common use in a worldwide multicenter study on reference values.

PubMed

Ozarda, Yesim; Ichihara, Kiyoshi; Barth, Julian H; Klee, George

2013-05-01

The reference intervals (RIs) given in laboratory reports have an important role in aiding clinicians in interpreting test results in reference to values of healthy populations. In this report, we present a proposed protocol and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for common use in conducting multicenter RI studies on a national or international scale. The protocols and consensus on their contents were refined through discussions in recent C-RIDL meetings. The protocol describes in detail (1) the scheme and organization of the study, (2) the target population, inclusion/exclusion criteria, ethnicity, and sample size, (3) health status questionnaire, (4) target analytes, (5) blood collection, (6) sample processing and storage, (7) assays, (8) cross-check testing, (9) ethics, (10) data analyses, and (11) reporting of results. In addition, the protocol proposes the common measurement of a panel of sera when no standard materials exist for harmonization of test results. It also describes the requirements of the central laboratory, including the method of cross-check testing between the central laboratory of each country and local laboratories. This protocol and the SOPs remain largely exploratory and may require a reevaluation from the practical point of view after their implementation in the ongoing worldwide study. The paper is mainly intended to be a basis for discussion in the scientific community.

Security analysis of standards-driven communication protocols for healthcare scenarios.

PubMed

Masi, Massimiliano; Pugliese, Rosario; Tiezzi, Francesco

2012-12-01

The importance of the Electronic Health Record (EHR), that stores all healthcare-related data belonging to a patient, has been recognised in recent years by governments, institutions and industry. Initiatives like the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) have been developed for the definition of standard methodologies for secure and interoperable EHR exchanges among clinics and hospitals. Using the requisites specified by these initiatives, many large scale projects have been set up for enabling healthcare professionals to handle patients' EHRs. The success of applications developed in these contexts crucially depends on ensuring such security properties as confidentiality, authentication, and authorization. In this paper, we first propose a communication protocol, based on the IHE specifications, for authenticating healthcare professionals and assuring patients' safety. By means of a formal analysis carried out by using the specification language COWS and the model checker CMC, we reveal a security flaw in the protocol thus demonstrating that to simply adopt the international standards does not guarantee the absence of such type of flaws. We then propose how to emend the IHE specifications and modify the protocol accordingly. Finally, we show how to tailor our protocol for application to more critical scenarios with no assumptions on the communication channels. To demonstrate feasibility and effectiveness of our protocols we have fully implemented them.

Local network assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glen, D. V.

1985-04-01

Local networks, related standards activities of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers the American National Standards Institute and other elements are presented. These elements include: (1) technology choices such as topology, transmission media, and access protocols; (2) descriptions of standards for the 802 local area networks (LAN's); high speed local networks (HSLN's) and military specification local networks; and (3) intra- and internetworking using bridges and gateways with protocols Interconnection (OSI) reference model. The convergence of LAN/PBX technology is also described.

High efficiency endocrine operation protocol: From design to implementation.

PubMed

Mascarella, Marco A; Lahrichi, Nadia; Cloutier, Fabienne; Kleiman, Simcha; Payne, Richard J; Rosenberg, Lawrence

2016-10-01

We developed a high efficiency endocrine operative protocol based on a mathematical programming approach, process reengineering, and value-stream mapping to increase the number of operations completed per day without increasing operating room time at a tertiary-care, academic center. Using this protocol, a case-control study of 72 patients undergoing endocrine operation during high efficiency days were age, sex, and procedure-matched to 72 patients undergoing operation during standard days. The demographic profile, operative times, and perioperative complications were noted. The average number of cases per 8-hour workday in the high efficiency and standard operating rooms were 7 and 5, respectively. Mean procedure times in both groups were similar. The turnaround time (mean ± standard deviation) in the high efficiency group was 8.5 (±2.7) minutes as compared with 15.4 (±4.9) minutes in the standard group (P < .001). Transient postoperative hypocalcemia was 6.9% (5/72) and 8.3% (6/72) for the high efficiency and standard groups, respectively (P = .99). In this study, patients undergoing high efficiency endocrine operation had similar procedure times and perioperative complications compared with the standard group. The proposed high efficiency protocol seems to better utilize operative time and decrease the backlog of patients waiting for endocrine operation in a country with a universal national health care program. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Application Transparent HTTP Over a Disruption Tolerant Smartnet

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

American Standard Code for Information Interchange BP Bundle Protocol BPA bundle protocol agent CLA convergence layer adapters CPU central processing...forwarding them through the plugin pipeline. The initial version of the DTNInput plugin uses the BBN Spindle bundle protocol agent ( BPA ) implementation

Space Wire Upper Layer Protocols

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rakow, Glenn; Schnurr, Richard; Gilley, Daniel; Parkes, Steve

2004-01-01

This viewgraph presentation addresses efforts to provide a streamlined approach for developing SpaceWire Upper layer protocols which allows industry to drive standardized communication solutions for real projects. The presentation proposes a simple packet header that will allow flexibility in implementing a diverse range of protocols.

Recreational trampling experiments: Effects of trampler weight and shoe type

Treesearch

David N. Cole

1995-01-01

A standard protocol for conducting experimental trampling studies was developed by Cole and Bayfield (1993). Two variables that were not standardized in that protocol are the type of shoe worn by tramplers and the weight of tramplers. In a study conducted in four different vegetation types, tramplers wearing lug-soled boots caused significantly more immediate...

Analysis of practical backoff protocols for contention resolution with multiple servers

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

Goldberg, L.A.; MacKenzie, P.D.

Backoff protocols are probably the most widely used protocols for contention resolution in multiple access channels. In this paper, we analyze the stochastic behavior of backoff protocols for contention resolution among a set of clients and servers, each server being a multiple access channel that deals with contention like an Ethernet channel. We use the standard model in which each client generates requests for a given server according to a Bemoulli distribution with a specified mean. The client-server request rate of a system is the maximum over all client-server pairs (i, j) of the sum of all request rates associatedmore » with either client i or server j. Our main result is that any superlinear polynomial backoff protocol is stable for any multiple-server system with a sub-unit client-server request rate. We confirm the practical relevance of our result by demonstrating experimentally that the average waiting time of requests is very small when such a system is run with reasonably few clients and reasonably small request rates such as those that occur in actual ethernets. Our result is the first proof of stability for any backoff protocol for contention resolution with multiple servers. Our result is also the first proof that any weakly acknowledgment based protocol is stable for contention resolution with multiple servers and such high request rates. Two special cases of our result are of interest. Hastad, Leighton and Rogoff have shown that for a single-server system with a sub-unit client-server request rate any modified superlinear polynomial backoff protocol is stable. These modified backoff protocols are similar to standard backoff protocols but require more random bits to implement. The special case of our result in which there is only one server extends the result of Hastad, Leighton and Rogoff to standard (practical) backoff protocols. Finally, our result applies to dynamic routing in optical networks.« less

Methods for Monitoring Fish Communities of Buffalo National River and Ozark National Scenic Riverways in the Ozark Plateaus of Arkansas and Missouri: Version 1.0

USGS Publications Warehouse

Petersen, James C.; Justus, B.G.; Dodd, H.R.; Bowles, D.E.; Morrison, L.W.; Williams, M.H.; Rowell, G.A.

2008-01-01

Buffalo National River located in north-central Arkansas, and Ozark National Scenic Riverways, located in southeastern Missouri, are the two largest units of the National Park Service in the Ozark Plateaus physiographic province. The purpose of this report is to provide a protocol that will be used by the National Park Service to sample fish communities and collect related water-quality, habitat, and stream discharge data of Buffalo National River and Ozark National Scenic Riverways to meet inventory and long-term monitoring objectives. The protocol includes (1) a protocol narrative, (2) several standard operating procedures, and (3) supplemental information helpful for implementation of the protocol. The protocol narrative provides background information about the protocol such as the rationale of why a particular resource or resource issue was selected for monitoring, information concerning the resource or resource issue of interest, a description of how monitoring results will inform management decisions, and a discussion of the linkages between this and other monitoring projects. The standard operating procedures cover preparation, training, reach selection, water-quality sampling, fish community sampling, physical habitat collection, measuring stream discharge, equipment maintenance and storage, data management and analysis, reporting, and protocol revision procedures. Much of the information in the standard operating procedures was gathered from existing protocols of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment program or other sources. Supplemental information that would be helpful for implementing the protocol is included. This information includes information on fish species known or suspected to occur in the parks, sample sites, sample design, fish species traits, index of biotic integrity metrics, sampling equipment, and field forms.

Lessons Learned From the Environmental Public Health Tracking Sub-County Data Pilot Project.

PubMed

Werner, Angela K; Strosnider, Heather; Kassinger, Craig; Shin, Mikyong

2017-12-07

Small area data are key to better understanding the complex relationships between environmental health, health outcomes, and risk factors at a local level. In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (Tracking Program) conducted the Sub-County Data Pilot Project with grantees to consider integration of sub-county data into the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network). The Tracking Program and grantees developed sub-county-level data for several data sets during this pilot project, working to standardize processes for submitting data and creating required geographies. Grantees documented challenges they encountered during the pilot project and documented decisions. This article covers the challenges revealed during the project. It includes insights into geocoding, aggregation, population estimates, and data stability and provides recommendations for moving forward. National standards for generating, analyzing, and sharing sub-county data should be established to build a system of sub-county data that allow for comparison of outcomes, geographies, and time. Increasing the availability and accessibility of small area data will not only enhance the Tracking Network's capabilities but also contribute to an improved understanding of environmental health and informed decision making at a local level.

Towards a five-minute comprehensive cardiac MR examination using highly accelerated parallel imaging with a 32-element coil array: feasibility and initial comparative evaluation.

PubMed

Xu, Jian; Kim, Daniel; Otazo, Ricardo; Srichai, Monvadi B; Lim, Ruth P; Axel, Leon; Mcgorty, Kelly Anne; Niendorf, Thoralf; Sodickson, Daniel K

2013-07-01

To evaluate the feasibility and perform initial comparative evaluations of a 5-minute comprehensive whole-heart magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol with four image acquisition types: perfusion (PERF), function (CINE), coronary artery imaging (CAI), and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). This study protocol was Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant and Institutional Review Board-approved. A 5-minute comprehensive whole-heart MRI examination protocol (Accelerated) using 6-8-fold-accelerated volumetric parallel imaging was incorporated into and compared with a standard 2D clinical routine protocol (Standard). Following informed consent, 20 patients were imaged with both protocols. Datasets were reviewed for image quality using a 5-point Likert scale (0 = non-diagnostic, 4 = excellent) in blinded fashion by two readers. Good image quality with full whole-heart coverage was achieved using the accelerated protocol, particularly for CAI, although significant degradations in quality, as compared with traditional lengthy examinations, were observed for the other image types. Mean total scan time was significantly lower for the Accelerated as compared to Standard protocols (28.99 ± 4.59 min vs. 1.82 ± 0.05 min, P < 0.05). Overall image quality for the Standard vs. Accelerated protocol was 3.67 ± 0.29 vs. 1.5 ± 0.51 (P < 0.005) for PERF, 3.48 ± 0.64 vs. 2.6 ± 0.68 (P < 0.005) for CINE, 2.35 ± 1.01 vs. 2.48 ± 0.68 (P = 0.75) for CAI, and 3.67 ± 0.42 vs. 2.67 ± 0.84 (P < 0.005) for LGE. Diagnostic image quality for Standard vs. Accelerated protocols was 20/20 (100%) vs. 10/20 (50%) for PERF, 20/20 (100%) vs. 18/20 (90%) for CINE, 18/20 (90%) vs. 18/20 (90%) for CAI, and 20/20 (100%) vs. 18/20 (90%) for LGE. This study demonstrates the technical feasibility and promising image quality of 5-minute comprehensive whole-heart cardiac examinations, with simplified scan prescription and high spatial and temporal resolution enabled by highly parallel imaging technology. The study also highlights technical hurdles that remain to be addressed. Although image quality remained diagnostic for most scan types, the reduced image quality of PERF, CINE, and LGE scans in the Accelerated protocol remain a concern. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Vasomotor Symptoms Monitoring with a Commercial Activity Tracking Watch

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-31

volunteers wearing physiological monitors. The study protocol and written consent form were...available, but similar devices with EDA/GSR sensors are available. Vasomotor symptoms started disrupting the sleep of a woman volunteer on...November 23, 2015, calling attention to their occurrence. After November 23, 2015, the volunteer started personally logging the occurrence of

Guide to monitoring smoke exposure of wildland firefighters.

Treesearch

Tim E. Reinhardt; Roger D. Ottmar; Michael J. Hallett

1999-01-01

Fire managers and safety officers concerned with smoke exposure among fire crews can use electronic carbon monoxide (CO) monitors to track and prevent overexposure to smoke. Commonly referred to as dosimeters, these lightweight instruments measure the concentration of CO in the air the firefighter's breathe. This guide outlines the protocol developed for sampling...

Measuring Spontaneous and Instructed Evaluation Processes during Web Search: Integrating Concurrent Thinking-Aloud Protocols and Eye-Tracking Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerjets, Peter; Kammerer, Yvonne; Werner, Benita

2011-01-01

Web searching for complex information requires to appropriately evaluating diverse sources of information. Information science studies identified different criteria applied by searchers to evaluate Web information. However, the explicit evaluation instructions used in these studies might have resulted in a distortion of spontaneous evaluation…

Tracking movement of Meloidogyne spp and R. reniformis in a plasticulture system

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil fumigation and in-row treatments of nematicides have been the common protocol for pre-and in-season management of plant parasitic nematodes (PPN’s) in vegetable production. One issue not addressed is the depth at which the highest concentration of nematodes occur. In the United States, applicat...

Performance Analysis of TCP Enhancements in Satellite Data Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Broyles, Ren H.

1999-01-01

This research examines two proposed enhancements to the well-known Transport Control Protocol (TCP) in the presence of noisy communication links. The Multiple Pipes protocol is an application-level adaptation of the standard TCP protocol, where several TCP links cooperate to transfer data. The Space Communication Protocol Standard - Transport Protocol (SCPS-TP) modifies TCP to optimize performance in a satellite environment. While SCPS-TP has inherent advantages that allow it to deliver data more rapidly than Multiple Pipes, the protocol, when optimized for operation in a high-error environment, is not compatible with legacy TCP systems, and requires changes to the TCP specification. This investigation determines the level of improvement offered by SCPS-TP's Corruption Mode, which will help determine if migration to the protocol is appropriate in different environments. As the percentage of corrupted packets approaches 5 %, Multiple Pipes can take over five times longer than SCPS-TP to deliver data. At high error rates, SCPS-TP's advantage is primarily caused by Multiple Pipes' use of congestion control algorithms. The lack of congestion control, however, limits the systems in which SCPS-TP can be effectively used.

10 CFR Appendix E to Part 20 - Nationally Tracked Source Thresholds

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Nationally Tracked Source Thresholds E Appendix E to Part 20 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION Pt. 20, App. E Appendix E to Part 20— Nationally Tracked Source Thresholds The Terabecquerel (TBq) values are the...

10 CFR Appendix E to Part 20 - Nationally Tracked Source Thresholds

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Nationally Tracked Source Thresholds E Appendix E to Part 20 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION Pt. 20, App. E Appendix E to Part 20— Nationally Tracked Source Thresholds The Terabecquerel (TBq) values are the...

10 CFR Appendix E to Part 20 - Nationally Tracked Source Thresholds

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Nationally Tracked Source Thresholds E Appendix E to Part 20 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION Pt. 20, App. E Appendix E to Part 20— Nationally Tracked Source Thresholds The Terabecquerel (TBq) values are the...

10 CFR Appendix E to Part 20 - Nationally Tracked Source Thresholds

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Nationally Tracked Source Thresholds E Appendix E to Part 20 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION Pt. 20, App. E Appendix E to Part 20— Nationally Tracked Source Thresholds The Terabecquerel (TBq) values are the...

10 CFR Appendix E to Part 20 - Nationally Tracked Source Thresholds

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Nationally Tracked Source Thresholds E Appendix E to Part 20 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION Pt. 20, App. E Appendix E to Part 20— Nationally Tracked Source Thresholds The Terabecquerel (TBq) values are the...

Rectal Toxicity After Proton Therapy For Prostate Cancer: An Analysis of Outcomes of Prospective Studies Conducted at the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute

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

Colaco, Rovel J.; Hoppe, Bradford S.; Flampouri, Stella

2015-01-01

Purpose: Study goals were to characterize gastrointestinal effects of proton therapy (PT) in a large cohort of patients treated for prostate cancer, identify factors associated with rectal bleeding (RB), and compare RB between patients receiving investigational protocols versus those in outcome-tracking protocols. Methods and Materials: A total of 1285 consecutive patients were treated with PT between August 2006 and May 2010. Potential pre-existing clinical and treatment-related risk factors for rectal toxicity were recorded. Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0 was used to score toxicity. Results: Transient RB was the predominant grade 2 or higher (GR2+) toxicity after PT,more » accounting for 95% of gastrointestinal events. GR1 RB occurred in 217 patients (16.9%), GR2 RB in 187 patients (14.5%), and GR3 in 11 (0.9%) patients. There were no GR4 or GR5 events. Univariate analyses showed correlations between GR2+ RB and anticoagulation therapy (P=.008) and rectal and rectal wall dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters (P<.001). On multivariate analysis, anticoagulation therapy (P=.0034), relative volume of rectum receiving 75 Gy (V75; P=.0102), and relative rectal wall V75 (P=.0017) were significant predictors for G2+ RB. Patients treated with investigational protocols had toxicity rates similar to those receiving outcome-tracking protocols. Conclusions: PT was associated with a low rate of GR2+ gastrointestinal toxicity, predominantly transient RB, which was highly correlated with anticoagulation and rectal DVH parameters. Techniques that limit rectal exposure should be used when possible.« less

OSI Upper Layers Support for Applications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davison, Wayne

1990-01-01

Discusses how various Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) application layer protocols can be used together, along with the Presentation and Session protocols, to support the interconnection requirements of applications. Application layer protocol standards that are currently available or under development are reviewed, and the File, Transfer,…

An initial evaluation of a proof-of-concept 128-Hz electronic tuning fork in the detection of peripheral neuropathy.

PubMed

O'Brien, Todd; Karem, Joseph

2014-03-01

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is an essential precursor leading to diabetic limb loss. Neurologic screening tests, including the 128-Hz tuning fork (TF), have long been used to identify and track the progression of DPN, thereby guiding the implementation of preventive strategies. Although a sensitive indicator of neuropathy, shortcomings of TF testing include the lack of standardization and quantification of clinical findings. In an attempt to overcome these limitations, a novel 128-Hz electronic TF (ETF) prototype has been developed that is capable of performing accurate timed vibration tests (TVTs). This study was designed to assess the ability of the ETF to detect sensory impairment compared with three established neurologic screening methods: the Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test, the biothesiometer, and the sharp/dull discrimination test. Fifty-five test patients were recruited from the primary author's practice and enrolled according to an approved protocol. The 10-g Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test and the sharp/dull discrimination test were administered in standard fashion to the plantar aspects of digits 1 and 5 bilaterally. The ETF and the biothesiometer (25-V setting) were applied to the dorsal aspects of the distal phalanx of the hallux and fifth metatarsal head bilaterally. The sensitivity and specificity of neuropathy detection for the ETF were 0.953 and 0.761, respectively, using conventional tests as reference standards. Performance of TVTs with the ETF detected sensory impairment compared with three conventional neurologic screening methods. Given these findings, the ETF could facilitate the use of standardized TVTs as an indicator of DPN progression.

Does addition of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in conservative care of knee arthritis successfully postpone the need for joint replacement?

PubMed

Ip, David

2015-12-01

The current study evaluates whether the addition of low-level laser therapy into standard conventional physical therapy in elderly with bilateral symptomatic tri-compartmental knee arthritis can successfully postpone the need for joint replacement surgery. A prospective randomized cohort study of 100 consecutive unselected elderly patients with bilateral symptomatic knee arthritis with each knee randomized to receive either treatment protocol A consisting of conventional physical therapy or protocol B which is the same as protocol A with added low-level laser therapy. The mean follow-up was 6 years. Treatment failure was defined as breakthrough pain which necessitated joint replacement surgery. After a follow-up of 6 years, patients clearly benefited from treatment with protocol B as only one knee needed joint replacement surgery, while nine patients treated with protocol A needed surgery (p < 0.05). We conclude low-level laser therapy should be incorporated into standard conservative treatment protocol for symptomatic knee arthritis.

Dynamic whole body PET parametric imaging: II. Task-oriented statistical estimation

PubMed Central

Karakatsanis, Nicolas A.; Lodge, Martin A.; Zhou, Y.; Wahl, Richard L.; Rahmim, Arman

2013-01-01

In the context of oncology, dynamic PET imaging coupled with standard graphical linear analysis has been previously employed to enable quantitative estimation of tracer kinetic parameters of physiological interest at the voxel level, thus, enabling quantitative PET parametric imaging. However, dynamic PET acquisition protocols have been confined to the limited axial field-of-view (~15–20cm) of a single bed position and have not been translated to the whole-body clinical imaging domain. On the contrary, standardized uptake value (SUV) PET imaging, considered as the routine approach in clinical oncology, commonly involves multi-bed acquisitions, but is performed statically, thus not allowing for dynamic tracking of the tracer distribution. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. In a companion study, we presented a novel clinically feasible dynamic (4D) multi-bed PET acquisition protocol as well as the concept of whole body PET parametric imaging employing Patlak ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to estimate the quantitative parameters of tracer uptake rate Ki and total blood distribution volume V. In the present study, we propose an advanced hybrid linear regression framework, driven by Patlak kinetic voxel correlations, to achieve superior trade-off between contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and mean squared error (MSE) than provided by OLS for the final Ki parametric images, enabling task-based performance optimization. Overall, whether the observer's task is to detect a tumor or quantitatively assess treatment response, the proposed statistical estimation framework can be adapted to satisfy the specific task performance criteria, by adjusting the Patlak correlation-coefficient (WR) reference value. The multi-bed dynamic acquisition protocol, as optimized in the preceding companion study, was employed along with extensive Monte Carlo simulations and an initial clinical FDG patient dataset to validate and demonstrate the potential of the proposed statistical estimation methods. Both simulated and clinical results suggest that hybrid regression in the context of whole-body Patlak Ki imaging considerably reduces MSE without compromising high CNR. Alternatively, for a given CNR, hybrid regression enables larger reductions than OLS in the number of dynamic frames per bed, allowing for even shorter acquisitions of ~30min, thus further contributing to the clinical adoption of the proposed framework. Compared to the SUV approach, whole body parametric imaging can provide better tumor quantification, and can act as a complement to SUV, for the task of tumor detection. PMID:24080994

Dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging: II. Task-oriented statistical estimation.

PubMed

Karakatsanis, Nicolas A; Lodge, Martin A; Zhou, Y; Wahl, Richard L; Rahmim, Arman

2013-10-21

In the context of oncology, dynamic PET imaging coupled with standard graphical linear analysis has been previously employed to enable quantitative estimation of tracer kinetic parameters of physiological interest at the voxel level, thus, enabling quantitative PET parametric imaging. However, dynamic PET acquisition protocols have been confined to the limited axial field-of-view (~15-20 cm) of a single-bed position and have not been translated to the whole-body clinical imaging domain. On the contrary, standardized uptake value (SUV) PET imaging, considered as the routine approach in clinical oncology, commonly involves multi-bed acquisitions, but is performed statically, thus not allowing for dynamic tracking of the tracer distribution. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. In a companion study, we presented a novel clinically feasible dynamic (4D) multi-bed PET acquisition protocol as well as the concept of whole-body PET parametric imaging employing Patlak ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to estimate the quantitative parameters of tracer uptake rate Ki and total blood distribution volume V. In the present study, we propose an advanced hybrid linear regression framework, driven by Patlak kinetic voxel correlations, to achieve superior trade-off between contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and mean squared error (MSE) than provided by OLS for the final Ki parametric images, enabling task-based performance optimization. Overall, whether the observer's task is to detect a tumor or quantitatively assess treatment response, the proposed statistical estimation framework can be adapted to satisfy the specific task performance criteria, by adjusting the Patlak correlation-coefficient (WR) reference value. The multi-bed dynamic acquisition protocol, as optimized in the preceding companion study, was employed along with extensive Monte Carlo simulations and an initial clinical (18)F-deoxyglucose patient dataset to validate and demonstrate the potential of the proposed statistical estimation methods. Both simulated and clinical results suggest that hybrid regression in the context of whole-body Patlak Ki imaging considerably reduces MSE without compromising high CNR. Alternatively, for a given CNR, hybrid regression enables larger reductions than OLS in the number of dynamic frames per bed, allowing for even shorter acquisitions of ~30 min, thus further contributing to the clinical adoption of the proposed framework. Compared to the SUV approach, whole-body parametric imaging can provide better tumor quantification, and can act as a complement to SUV, for the task of tumor detection.

Evaluating Field Spectrometer Performance with Transmission Standards: Examples from the USGS Spectral Library and Research Databases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoefen, T. M.; Kokaly, R. F.; Swayze, G. A.; Livo, K. E.

2015-12-01

Collection of spectroscopic data has expanded with the development of field-portable spectrometers. The most commonly available spectrometers span one or several wavelength ranges: the visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) region from approximately 400 to 1000 nm, and the shortwave infrared (SWIR) region from approximately 1000-2500 nm. Basic characteristics of spectrometer performance are the wavelength position and bandpass of each channel. Bandpass can vary across the wavelength coverage of an instrument, due to spectrometer design and detector materials. Spectrometer specifications can differ from one instrument to the next for a given model and between manufacturers. The USGS Spectroscopy Lab in Denver has developed a simple method to evaluate field spectrometer wavelength accuracy and bandpass values using transmission measurements of materials with intense, narrow absorption features, including Mylar* plastic, praseodymium-doped glass, and National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material 2035. The evaluation procedure has been applied in laboratory and field settings for 19 years and used to detect deviations from cited manufacturer specifications. Tracking of USGS spectrometers with transmission standards has revealed several instances of wavelength shifts due to wear in spectrometer components. Since shifts in channel wavelengths and differences in bandpass between instruments can impact the use of field spectrometer data to calibrate and analyze imaging spectrometer data, field protocols to measure wavelength standards can limit data loss due to spectrometer degradation. In this paper, the evaluation procedure will be described and examples of observed wavelength shifts during a spectrometer field season will be presented. The impact of changing wavelength and bandpass characteristics on spectral measurements will be demonstrated and implications for spectral libraries will be discussed. *Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Acute effects of various weighted bat warm-up protocols on bat velocity.

PubMed

Reyes, G Francis; Dolny, Dennis

2009-10-01

Although research has provided evidence of increased muscular performance following a facilitation set of resistance exercise, this has not been established for use prior to measuring baseball bat velocity. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of selected weighted bat warm-up protocols to enhance bat velocity in collegiate baseball players. Nineteen collegiate baseball players (age = 20.15 +/- 1.46 years) were tested for upper-body strength by a 3-repetition maximum (RM) bench press (mean = 97.98 +/- 14.54 kg) and mean bat velocity. Nine weighted bat warm-up protocols, utilizing 3 weighted bats (light = 794 g; standard = 850 g; heavy = 1,531 g) were swung in 3 sets of 6 repetitions in different orders. A control trial involved the warm-up protocol utilizing only the standard bat. Pearson product correlation revealed a significant relationship between 3RM strength and pretest bat velocity (r = 0.51, p = 0.01). Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed no significant treatment effects of warm-up protocol on bat velocity. However, the order of standard, light, heavy bat sequence resulted in the greatest increase in bat velocity (+6.03%). These results suggest that upper-body muscle strength influences bat velocity. It appears that the standard, light, heavy warm-up order may provide the greatest benefit to increase subsequent bat velocity and may warrant use in game situations.

The effect of personalized versus standard patient protocols for radiostereometric analysis (RSA).

PubMed

Muharemovic, O; Troelsen, A; Thomsen, M G; Kallemose, T; Gosvig, K K

2018-05-01

Increasing pressure in the clinic requires a more standardized approach to radiostereometric analysis (RSA) imaging. The aim of this study was to investigate whether implementation of personalized RSA patient protocols could increase image quality and decrease examination time and the number of exposure repetitions. Forty patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty were equally randomized to either a case or a control group. Radiographers in the case group were assisted by personalized patient protocols containing information about each patient's post-operative RSA imaging. Radiographers in the control group used a standard RSA protocol. At three months, radiographers in the case group significantly reduced (p < 0.001) the number of exposures by 1.6, examination time with 19.2 min, and distance between centrum of prosthesis and centrum of calibration field with 34.1 mm when compared to post-operative (baseline) results. At twelve months, the case group significantly reduced (p < 0.001) number of exposures by two, examination time with 22.5 min, and centrum of prosthesis to centrum of calibration field distance with 43.1 mm when compared to baseline results. No significant improvements were found in the control group at any time point. There is strong evidence that personalized RSA patient protocols have a positive effect on image quality and radiation dose savings. Implementation of personal patient protocols as a RSA standard will contribute to the reduction of examination time, thus ensuring a cost benefit for department and patient safety. Copyright © 2017 The College of Radiographers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dedicated dental volumetric and total body multislice computed tomography: a comparison of image quality and radiation dose

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strocchi, Sabina; Colli, Vittoria; Novario, Raffaele; Carrafiello, Gianpaolo; Giorgianni, Andrea; Macchi, Aldo; Fugazzola, Carlo; Conte, Leopoldo

2007-03-01

Aim of this work is to compare the performances of a Xoran Technologies i-CAT Cone Beam CT for dental applications with those of a standard total body multislice CT (Toshiba Aquilion 64 multislice) used for dental examinations. Image quality and doses to patients have been compared for the three main i-CAT protocols, the Toshiba standard protocol and a Toshiba modified protocol. Images of two phantoms have been acquired: a standard CT quality control phantom and an Alderson Rando ® anthropomorphic phantom. Image noise, Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), Contrast to Noise Ratio (CNR) and geometric accuracy have been considered. Clinical image quality was assessed. Effective dose and doses to main head and neck organs were evaluated by means of thermo-luminescent dosimeters (TLD-100) placed in the anthropomorphic phantom. A Quality Index (QI), defined as the ratio of squared CNR to effective dose, has been evaluated. The evaluated effective doses range from 0.06 mSv (i-CAT 10 s protocol) to 2.37 mSv (Toshiba standard protocol). The Toshiba modified protocol (halved tube current, higher pitch value) imparts lower effective dose (0.99 mSv). The conventional CT device provides lower image noise and better SNR, but clinical effectiveness similar to that of dedicated dental CT (comparable CNR and clinical judgment). Consequently, QI values are much higher for this second CT scanner. No geometric distortion has been observed with both devices. As a conclusion, dental volumetric CT supplies adequate image quality to clinical purposes, at doses that are really lower than those imparted by a conventional CT device.

49 CFR 213.367 - Special inspections.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Train Operations at Track Classes 6 and Higher § 213.367 Special inspections. In the event of fire, flood, severe storm, temperature extremes or other occurrence...

Transforming to a computerized system for nursing care: organizational success within Magnet idealism.

PubMed

Lindgren, Carolyn L; Elie, Leslie G; Vidal, Elizabeth C; Vasserman, Alex

2010-01-01

In reaching the goal for standardized, quality care, a not-for-profit healthcare system consisting of seven institutional entities is transforming nursing practice guidelines, patient care workflow, and patient documents into electronic, online, real-time modalities for use across departments and all healthcare delivery entities of the system. Organizational structure and a strategic plan were developed for the 2-year Clinical Transformation Project. The Siemens Patient Care Document System was adopted and adapted to the hospitals' documentation and information needs. Two fast-track sessions of more than 100 nurses and representatives from other health disciplines were held to standardize assessments, histories, care protocols, and interdisciplinary plans of care for the top 10 diagnostic regulatory groups. Education needs of the users were addressed. After the first year, a productive, functional system is evidenced. For example, the bar-coded Medication Administration Check System is in full use on the clinical units of one of the hospitals, and the other institutional entities are at substantial stages of implementation of Patient Care Documentation System. The project requires significant allocation of personnel and financial resources for a highly functional informatics system that will transform clinical care. The project exemplifies four of the Magnet ideals and serves as a model for others who may be deciding about launching a similar endeavor.

Prevention of Trauma/Hemorrhagic Shock-Induced Mortality, Apoptosis, Inflammation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

injury, which they wanted to use to establish if kidney injury occurred in our standard rat T/HS model and to determine whether kidney injury could be...prevented by use of IL-6 as a resuscitation adjuvant. In this experiment, we subjected 6 rats each to either our sham protocol or our standard T/HS...time of accumulation in our standard T/HS protocol. Our results demonstrated that shred blood accumulated sIL-6R over time to concentrations (100 ng

Analysis of power management and system latency in wireless sensor networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oswald, Matthew T.; Rohwer, Judd A.; Forman, Michael A.

2004-08-01

Successful power management in a wireless sensor network requires optimization of the protocols which affect energy-consumption on each node and the aggregate effects across the larger network. System optimization for a given deployment scenario requires an analysis and trade off of desired node and network features with their associated costs. The sleep protocol for an energy-efficient wireless sensor network for event detection, target classification, and target tracking developed at Sandia National Laboratories is presented. The dynamic source routing (DSR) algorithm is chosen to reduce network maintenance overhead, while providing a self-configuring and self-healing network architecture. A method for determining the optimal sleep time is developed and presented, providing reference data which spans several orders of magnitude. Message timing diagrams show, that a node in a five-node cluster, employing an optimal cyclic single-radio sleep protocol, consumes 3% more energy and incurs a 16-s increase latency than nodes employing the more complex dual-radio STEM protocol.

Early weight-bearing after periacetabular osteotomy leads to a high incidence of postoperative pelvic fractures.

PubMed

Ito, Hiroshi; Tanino, Hiromasa; Sato, Tatsuya; Nishida, Yasuhiro; Matsuno, Takeo

2014-07-11

It has not been shown whether accelerated rehabilitation following periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is effective for early recovery. The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare complication rates in patients with standard and accelerated rehabilitation protocols who underwent PAO. Between January 2002 and August 2011, patients with a lateral center-edge (CE) angle of < 20°, showing good joint congruency with the hip in abduction, pre- or early stage of osteoarthritis, and age younger than 60 years were included in this study. We evaluated 156 hips in 138 patients, with a mean age at the time of surgery of 30 years. Full weight-bearing with two crutches started 2 months postoperatively in 73 patients (80 hips) with the standard rehabilitation protocol. In 65 patients (76 hips) with the accelerated rehabilitation protocol, postoperative strengthening of the hip, thigh and core musculature was begun on the day of surgery as tolerated. The exercise program included active hip range of motion, and gentle isometric hamstring and quadriceps muscle sets; these exercises were performed for 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon with a physical therapist every weekday for 6 weeks. Full weight-bearing with two axillary crutches started on the day of surgery as tolerated. Complications were evaluated for 2 years. The clinical results at the time of follow-up were similar in the two groups. The average periods between the osteotomy and full-weight-bearing walking without support were 4.2 months and 6.9 months in patients with the accelerated and standard rehabilitation protocols (P < 0.001), indicating that the accelerated rehabilitation protocol could achieve earlier recovery of patients. However, postoperative fractures of the ischial ramus and posterior column of the pelvis were more frequently found in patients with the accelerated rehabilitation protocol (8/76) than in those with the standard rehabilitation protocol (1/80) (P = 0.013). The accelerated rehabilitation protocol seems to have advantages for early muscle recovery in patients undergoing PAO; however, postoperative pelvic fracture rates were unacceptably high in patients with this protocol.

Early weight-bearing after periacetabular osteotomy leads to a high incidence of postoperative pelvic fractures

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background It has not been shown whether accelerated rehabilitation following periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is effective for early recovery. The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare complication rates in patients with standard and accelerated rehabilitation protocols who underwent PAO. Methods Between January 2002 and August 2011, patients with a lateral center-edge (CE) angle of < 20°, showing good joint congruency with the hip in abduction, pre- or early stage of osteoarthritis, and age younger than 60 years were included in this study. We evaluated 156 hips in 138 patients, with a mean age at the time of surgery of 30 years. Full weight-bearing with two crutches started 2 months postoperatively in 73 patients (80 hips) with the standard rehabilitation protocol. In 65 patients (76 hips) with the accelerated rehabilitation protocol, postoperative strengthening of the hip, thigh and core musculature was begun on the day of surgery as tolerated. The exercise program included active hip range of motion, and gentle isometric hamstring and quadriceps muscle sets; these exercises were performed for 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon with a physical therapist every weekday for 6 weeks. Full weight-bearing with two axillary crutches started on the day of surgery as tolerated. Complications were evaluated for 2 years. Results The clinical results at the time of follow-up were similar in the two groups. The average periods between the osteotomy and full-weight-bearing walking without support were 4.2 months and 6.9 months in patients with the accelerated and standard rehabilitation protocols (P < 0.001), indicating that the accelerated rehabilitation protocol could achieve earlier recovery of patients. However, postoperative fractures of the ischial ramus and posterior column of the pelvis were more frequently found in patients with the accelerated rehabilitation protocol (8/76) than in those with the standard rehabilitation protocol (1/80) (P = 0.013). Conclusion The accelerated rehabilitation protocol seems to have advantages for early muscle recovery in patients undergoing PAO; however, postoperative pelvic fracture rates were unacceptably high in patients with this protocol. PMID:25015753

Point Organ Radiation Dose in Abdominal CT: Effect of Patient Off-Centering in an Experimental Human Cadaver Study.

PubMed

Ali Khawaja, Ranish Deedar; Singh, Sarabjeet; Padole, Atul; Otrakji, Alexi; Lira, Diego; Zhang, Da; Liu, Bob; Primak, Andrew; Xu, George; Kalra, Mannudeep K

2017-08-01

To determine the effect of patient off-centering on point organ radiation dose measurements in a human cadaver scanned with routine abdominal CT protocol. A human cadaver (88 years, body-mass-index 20 kg/m2) was scanned with routine abdominal CT protocol on 128-slice dual source MDCT (Definition Flash, Siemens). A total of 18 scans were performed using two scan protocols (a) 120 kV-200 mAs fixed-mA (CTDIvol 14 mGy) (b) 120 kV-125 ref mAs (7 mGy) with automatic exposure control (AEC, CareDose 4D) at three different positions (a) gantry isocenter, (b) upward off-centering and (c) downward off-centering. Scanning was repeated three times at each position. Six thimble (in liver, stomach, kidney, pancreas, colon and urinary bladder) and four MOSFET dosimeters (on cornea, thyroid, testicle and breast) were placed for calculation of measured point organ doses. Organ dose estimations were retrieved from dose-tracking software (eXposure, Radimetrics). Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance. There was a significant difference between the trends of point organ doses with AEC and fixed-mA at all three positions (p < 0.01). Variation in point doses between fixed-mA and AEC protocols were statistically significant across all organs at all Table positions (p < 0.001). There was up to 5-6% decrease in point doses with upward off-centering and in downward off-centering. There were statistical significant differences in point doses from dosimeters and dose-tracking software (mean difference for internal organs, 5-36% for fixed-mA & 7-48% for AEC protocols; p < 0.001; mean difference for surface organs, >92% for both protocols; p < 0.0001). For both protocols, the highest mean difference in point doses was found for stomach and lowest for colon. Measured absorbed point doses in abdominal CT vary with patient-centering in the gantry isocenter. Due to lack of consideration of patient positioning in the dose estimation on automatic software-over estimation of the doses up to 92% was reported. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Improving Accuracy and Relevance of Race/Ethnicity Data: Results of a Statewide Collaboration in Hawaii.

PubMed

Pellegrin, Karen L; Miyamura, Jill B; Ma, Carolyn; Taniguchi, Ronald

2016-01-01

Current race/ethnicity categories established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget are neither reliable nor valid for understanding health disparities or for tracking improvements in this area. In Hawaii, statewide hospitals have collaborated to collect race/ethnicity data using a standardized method consistent with recommended practices that overcome the problems with the federal categories. The purpose of this observational study was to determine the impact of this collaboration on key measures of race/ethnicity documentation. After this collaborative effort, the number of standardized categories available across hospitals increased from 6 to 34, and the percent of inpatients with documented race/ethnicity increased from 88 to 96%. This improved standardized methodology is now the foundation for tracking population health indicators statewide and focusing quality improvement efforts. The approach used in Hawaii can serve as a model for other states and regions. Ultimately, the ability to standardize data collection methodology across states and regions will be needed to track improvements nationally.

Effect of ultra-low doses, ASIR and MBIR on density and noise levels of MDCT images of dental implant sites.

PubMed

Widmann, Gerlig; Al-Shawaf, Reema; Schullian, Peter; Al-Sadhan, Ra'ed; Hörmann, Romed; Al-Ekrish, Asma'a A

2017-05-01

Differences in noise and density values in MDCT images obtained using ultra-low doses with FBP, ASIR, and MBIR may possibly affect implant site density analysis. The aim of this study was to compare density and noise measurements recorded from dental implant sites using ultra-low doses combined with FBP, ASIR, and MBIR. Cadavers were scanned using a standard protocol and four low-dose protocols. Scans were reconstructed using FBP, ASIR-50, ASIR-100, and MBIR, and either a bone or standard reconstruction kernel. Density (mean Hounsfield units [HUs]) of alveolar bone and noise levels (mean standard deviation of HUs) was recorded from all datasets and measurements were compared by paired t tests and two-way ANOVA with repeated measures. Significant differences in density and noise were found between the reference dose/FBP protocol and almost all test combinations. Maximum mean differences in HU were 178.35 (bone kernel) and 273.74 (standard kernel), and in noise, were 243.73 (bone kernel) and 153.88 (standard kernel). Decreasing radiation dose increased density and noise regardless of reconstruction technique and kernel. The effect of reconstruction technique on density and noise depends on the reconstruction kernel used. • Ultra-low-dose MDCT protocols allowed more than 90 % reductions in dose. • Decreasing the dose generally increased density and noise. • Effect of IRT on density and noise varies with reconstruction kernel. • Accuracy of low-dose protocols for interpretation of bony anatomy not known. • Effect of low doses on accuracy of computer-aided design models unknown.

49 CFR 213.351 - Rail joints.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Train Operations at Track Classes 6 and Higher § 213.351... contraction due to temperature variations. When no-slip, joint-to-rail contact exists by design, the...

Instruments for Assessment of Instructional Practices in Standards-Based Teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wainwright, Camille L.

2006-12-01

This paper describes the development of two forms of an instrument used as a classroom observation protocol, designed to document the impact of reform-based professional development with undergraduate mathematics and science faculty and its impact on the resultant preparation of teachers (PreK 12). A rationale for the development and utilization of this instrument (known as the OTOP, or the Oregon Teacher Observation Protocol) is provided. Constructed upon review of the research on teaching and standards documents in mathematics and science, the protocol formed the basis for data collection in a three-year longitudinal study of teaching practice among early career teachers as well as undergraduate college faculty. In addition, this paper suggests further applications of the observation protocol beyond the original research study purpose. One prominent use for the protocol is in supervisor observations of mathematics and science student teachers.

Evaluation of a discharge education protocol for pediatric patients with gastrostomy tubes.

PubMed

Schweitzer, Michelle; Aucoin, Julia; Docherty, Sharron L; Rice, Henry E; Thompson, Julie; Sullivan, Dori Taylor

2014-01-01

To evaluate the impact of a preprocedure education protocol for children who receive a gastrostomy tube (GT). A preintervention-postintervention design, using surveys and comparison between preprotocol and postprotocol cohorts, was used to evaluate the effect of implementation of a standardized GT education protocol with 26 subjects on caregiver, patient, and provider outcomes. The use of a preprocedure education protocol resulted in improved patient outcomes and increased caregiver knowledge and confidence and was considered a positive change by the providers. Often education is a forgotten part of a medical procedure, and the importance of education is typically only recognized after an adverse event occurs. Establishing a standardized evidence-based education protocol for GT care improves overall care and satisfaction. Use of a systematic and family-centered interdisciplinary approach markedly improves patient care. Copyright © 2014 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Standards for Environmental Measurement Using GIS: Toward a Protocol for Protocols.

PubMed

Forsyth, Ann; Schmitz, Kathryn H; Oakes, Michael; Zimmerman, Jason; Koepp, Joel

2006-02-01

Interdisciplinary research regarding how the built environment influences physical activity has recently increased. Many research projects conducted jointly by public health and environmental design professionals are using geographic information systems (GIS) to objectively measure the built environment. Numerous methodological issues remain, however, and environmental measurements have not been well documented with accepted, common definitions of valid, reliable variables. This paper proposes how to create and document standardized definitions for measures of environmental variables using GIS with the ultimate goal of developing reliable, valid measures. Inherent problems with software and data that hamper environmental measurement can be offset by protocols combining clear conceptual bases with detailed measurement instructions. Examples demonstrate how protocols can more clearly translate concepts into specific measurement. This paper provides a model for developing protocols to allow high quality comparative research on relationships between the environment and physical activity and other outcomes of public health interest.

Quantum key distribution with an unknown and untrusted source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yi; Qi, Bing; Lo, Hoi-Kwong

2008-05-01

The security of a standard bidirectional “plug-and-play” quantum key distribution (QKD) system has been an open question for a long time. This is mainly because its source is equivalently controlled by an eavesdropper, which means the source is unknown and untrusted. Qualitative discussion on this subject has been made previously. In this paper, we solve this question directly by presenting the quantitative security analysis on a general class of QKD protocols whose sources are unknown and untrusted. The securities of standard Bennett-Brassard 1984 protocol, weak+vacuum decoy state protocol, and one-decoy state protocol, with unknown and untrusted sources are rigorously proved. We derive rigorous lower bounds to the secure key generation rates of the above three protocols. Our numerical simulation results show that QKD with an untrusted source gives a key generation rate that is close to that with a trusted source.

GATEWAY - COMMUNICATIONS GATEWAY SOFTWARE FOR NETEX, DECNET, AND TCP/IP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keith, B.

1994-01-01

The Communications Gateway Software, GATEWAY, provides process-to-process communication between remote applications programs in different protocol domains. Communicating peer processes may be resident on any paired combination of NETEX, DECnet, or TCP/IP hosts. The gateway provides the necessary mapping from one protocol to another and will facilitate practical intermachine communications in a cost effective manner by eliminating the need to standardize on a single protocol or the need to implement multiple protocols in the host computers. The purpose of the gateway is to support data transfers between application programs on different host computers using different protocols. The gateway computer must be physically connected to both host computers and must contain the system software needed to use the communication protocols of both host computers. The communication process between application partners can be divided into three phases: session establishment, data transfer, and session termination. The communication protocols supported by GATEWAY (DECnet, NETEX, and TCP/IP) have addressing mechanisms that allow an application to identify itself and distinguish among other applications on the network. The exact form of the address varies depending on whether an application is passively offering (awaiting the receipt of a network connection from another network application) or actively connecting to another network. When the gateway is started, GATEWAY reads a file of address pairs. One of the address pairs is used by GATEWAY for passively offering on one network while the other address in the pair is used for actively connecting on the other network establishing the session. Now the two application partners can send and receive data in a manner appropriate to their home networks. GATEWAY accommodates full duplex transmissions. Thus, if the application partners are sophisticated enough, they can send and receive simultaneously. GATEWAY also keeps track of the number of bytes contained in each ransferred data packet. If GATEWAY detects an error during the data transfer, the sessions on both networks are terminated and the passive offer on the appropriate network is reissued. After performing the desired data transfer, one of the remote applications will send a network disconnect to the gateway to close its communication link. Upon detecting this network disconnect, GATEWAY replies with its own disconnect to ensure that the network connection has been fully terminated. Then, GATEWAY terminates its session with the other application by closing the communication link. GATEWAY has been implemented on a DEC VAX under VMS 4.7. It is written in ADA and has a central memory requirement of approximately 406K bytes. The communications protocols supported by GATEWAY are Network Systems Corporation's Network Executive (NETEX), Excelan's TCP/IP, and DECnet. GATEWAY was developed in 1988.

Development of new multilocus variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) for Listeria innocua and its application in a food processing plant.

PubMed

Takahashi, Hajime; Ohshima, Chihiro; Nakagawa, Miku; Thanatsang, Krittaporn; Phraephaisarn, Chirapiphat; Chaturongkasumrit, Yuphakhun; Keeratipibul, Suwimon; Kuda, Takashi; Kimura, Bon

2014-01-01

Listeria innocua is an important hygiene indicator bacterium in food industries because it behaves similar to Listeria monocytogenes, which is pathogenic to humans. PFGE is often used to characterize bacterial strains and to track contamination source. However, because PFGE is an expensive, complicated, time-consuming protocol, and poses difficulty in data sharing, development of a new typing method is necessary. MLVA is a technique that identifies bacterial strains on the basis of the number of tandem repeats present in the genome varies depending on the strains. MLVA has gained attention due to its high reproducibility and ease of data sharing. In this study, we developed a MLVA protocol to assess L. innocua and evaluated it by tracking the contamination source of L. innocua in an actual food manufacturing factory by typing the bacterial strains isolated from the factory. Three VNTR regions of the L. innocua genome were chosen for use in the MLVA. The number of repeat units in each VNTR region was calculated based on the results of PCR product analysis using capillary electrophoresis (CE). The calculated number of repetitions was compared with the results of the gene sequence analysis to demonstrate the accuracy of the CE repeat number analysis. The developed technique was evaluated using 60 L. innocua strains isolated from a food factory. These 60 strains were classified into 11 patterns using MLVA. Many of the strains were classified into ST-6, revealing that this MLVA strain type can contaminate each manufacturing process in the factory. The MLVA protocol developed in this study for L. innocua allowed rapid and easy analysis through the use of CE. This technique was found to be very useful in hygiene control in factories because it allowed us to track contamination sources and provided information regarding whether the bacteria were present in the factories.

Assessing and Managing Risk with Suicidal Individuals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linehan, Marsh M.; Comtois, Katherine A.; Ward-Ciesielski, Erin F.

2012-01-01

The University of Washington Risk Assessment Protocol (UWRAP) and Risk Assessment and Management Protocol (UWRAMP) have been used in numerous clinical trials treating high-risk suicidal individuals over several years. These protocols structure assessors and treatment providers to provide a thorough suicide risk assessment, review standards of care…

Object Management Group object transaction service based on an X/Open and International Organization for Standardization open systems interconnection transaction processing kernel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, J.; Sédillot, S.; Traverson, B.

1997-09-01

This paper addresses federation of a transactional object standard - Object Management Group (OMG) object transaction service (OTS) - with the X/Open distributed transaction processing (DTP) model and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) open systems interconnection (OSI) transaction processing (TP) communication protocol. The two-phase commit propagation rules within a distributed transaction tree are similar in the X/Open, ISO and OMG models. Building an OTS on an OSI TP protocol machine is possible because the two specifications are somewhat complementary. OTS defines a set of external interfaces without specific internal protocol machine, while OSI TP specifies an internal protocol machine without any application programming interface. Given these observations, and having already implemented an X/Open two-phase commit transaction toolkit based on an OSI TP protocol machine, we analyse the feasibility of using this implementation as a transaction service provider for OMG interfaces. Based on the favourable result of this feasibility study, we are implementing an OTS compliant system, which, by initiating the extensibility and openness strengths of OSI TP, is able to provide interoperability between X/Open DTP and OMG OTS models.