Sample records for technical aspects related

  1. Myocardial contrast echocardiography in mice: technical and physiological aspects.

    PubMed

    Verkaik, Melissa; van Poelgeest, Erik M; Kwekkeboom, Rick F J; Ter Wee, Piet M; van den Brom, Charissa E; Vervloet, Marc G; Eringa, Etto C

    2018-03-01

    Myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) offers the opportunity to study myocardial perfusion defects in mice in detail. The value of MCE compared with single-photon emission computed tomography, positron emission tomography, and computed tomography consists of high spatial resolution, the possibility of quantification of blood volume, and relatively low costs. Nevertheless, a number of technical and physiological aspects should be considered to ensure reproducibility among research groups. The aim of this overview is to describe technical aspects of MCE and the physiological parameters that influence myocardial perfusion data obtained with this technique. First, technical aspects of MCE discussed in this technical review are logarithmic compression of ultrasound data by ultrasound systems, saturation of the contrast signal, and acquisition of images during different phases of the cardiac cycle. Second, physiological aspects of myocardial perfusion that are affected by the experimental design are discussed, including the anesthesia regimen, systemic cardiovascular effects of vasoactive agents used, and fluctuations in body temperature that alter myocardial perfusion. When these technical and physiological aspects of MCE are taken into account and adequately standardized, MCE is an easily accessible technique for mice that can be used to study the control of myocardial perfusion by a wide range of factors.

  2. Esophageal motor function: technical aspects of manometry.

    PubMed

    Gyawali, C Prakash; Patel, Amit

    2014-10-01

    High-resolution manometry (HRM) has advanced the understanding of esophageal peristaltic mechanisms and has simplified esophageal motor testing. In this article the technical aspects of HRM are addressed, focusing on test protocols, in addition to concerns and pitfalls in performing esophageal motor studies. Specifically, catheter positioning, equipment-related artifacts, basal data acquisition, adequate swallows, and provocative maneuvers are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Technical aspects of cardiac PET/MRI.

    PubMed

    Masuda, Atsuro; Nemoto, Ayaka; Takeishi, Yasuchika

    2018-06-01

    PET/MRI is a novel modality that enables to combine PET and MR images, and has significant potential to evaluate various cardiac diseases through the combination of PET molecular imaging and MRI functional imaging. Precise management of technical issues, however, is necessary for cardiac PET/MRI. This article describes several technical points, including patient preparation, MR attenuation correction, parallel acquisition of PET with MRI, clinical aspects, and image quality control.

  4. Technical aspects of CT imaging of the spine.

    PubMed

    Tins, Bernhard

    2010-11-01

    This review article discusses technical aspects of computed tomography (CT) imaging of the spine. Patient positioning, and its influence on image quality and movement artefact, is discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on the choice of scan parameters and their relation to image quality and radiation burden to the patient. Strategies to reduce radiation burden and artefact from metal implants are outlined. Data acquisition, processing, image display and steps to reduce artefact are reviewed. CT imaging of the spine is put into context with other imaging modalities for specific clinical indications or problems. This review aims to review underlying principles for image acquisition and to provide a rough guide for clinical problems without being prescriptive. Individual practice will always vary and reflect differences in local experience, technical provisions and clinical requirements.

  5. Technical Aspects of Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration: CHEST Guideline and Expert Panel Report.

    PubMed

    Wahidi, Momen M; Herth, Felix; Yasufuku, Kazuhiro; Shepherd, Ray Wesley; Yarmus, Lonny; Chawla, Mohit; Lamb, Carla; Casey, Kenneth R; Patel, Sheena; Silvestri, Gerard A; Feller-Kopman, David J

    2016-03-01

    Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) was introduced in the last decade, enabling real-time guidance of transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) of mediastinal and hilar structures and parabronchial lung masses. The many publications produced about EBUS-TBNA have led to a better understanding of the performance characteristics of this procedure. The goal of this document was to examine the current literature on the technical aspects of EBUS-TBNA as they relate to patient, technology, and proceduralist factors to provide evidence-based and expert guidance to clinicians. Rigorous methodology has been applied to provide a trustworthy evidence-based guideline and expert panel report. A group of approved panelists developed key clinical questions by using the PICO (population, intervention, comparator, and outcome) format that addressed specific topics on the technical aspects of EBUS-TBNA. MEDLINE (via PubMed) and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for relevant literature, which was supplemented by manual searches. References were screened for inclusion, and well-recognized document evaluation tools were used to assess the quality of included studies, to extract meaningful data, and to grade the level of evidence to support each recommendation or suggestion. Our systematic review and critical analysis of the literature on 15 PICO questions related to the technical aspects of EBUS-TBNA resulted in 12 statements: 7 evidence-based graded recommendations and 5 ungraded consensus-based statements. Three questions did not have sufficient evidence to generate a statement. Evidence on the technical aspects of EBUS-TBNA varies in strength but is satisfactory in certain areas to guide clinicians on the best conditions to perform EBUS-guided tissue sampling. Additional research is needed to enhance our knowledge regarding the optimal performance of this effective procedure. Copyright © 2016 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights

  6. Extracorporeal photopheresis: Review of technical aspects.

    PubMed

    Arora, Satyam; Setia, Rasika

    2017-01-01

    Extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP) is considered as an immune modulating therapy majorly targeting the T cells of the Immune system. ECP induces an anti-inflammatory condition with tolerogenic responses without inducing a global immunosuppression state which is a typical feature of other therapeutic options such as steroids. Clinical indication of ECP has grown over time since its initial applications. Our review discusses the technical aspects of the concept of photopheresis with the available methods for its clinical applications.

  7. Development of NASA Technical Standards Program Relative to Enhancing Engineering Capabilities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gill, Paul S.; Vaughan, William W.

    2003-01-01

    The enhancement of engineering capabilities is an important aspect of any organization; especially those engaged in aerospace development activities. Technical Standards are one of the key elements of this endeavor. The NASA Technical Standards Program was formed in 1997 in response to the NASA Administrator s directive to develop an Agencywide Technical Standards Program. The Program s principal objective involved the converting Center-unique technical standards into Agency wide standards and the adoption/endorsement of non-Government technical standards in lieu of government standards. In the process of these actions, the potential for further enhancement of the Agency s engineering capabilities was noted relative to value of being able to access Agencywide the necessary full-text technical standards, standards update notifications, and integration of lessons learned with technical standards, all available to the user from one Website. This was accomplished and is now being enhanced based on feedbacks from the Agency's engineering staff and supporting contractors. This paper addresses the development experiences with the NASA Technical Standards Program and the enhancement of the Agency's engineering capabilities provided by the Program s products. Metrics are provided on significant aspects of the Program.

  8. TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF LAPAROSCOPIC SLEEVE GASTRECTOMY

    PubMed Central

    RAMOS, Almino Cardoso; BASTOS, Eduardo Lemos de Souza; RAMOS, Manoela Galvão; BERTIN, Nestor Tadashi Suguitani; GALVÃO, Thales Delmondes; de LUCENA, Raphael Torres Figueiredo; CAMPOS, Josemberg Marins

    2015-01-01

    Background : The vertical gastrectomy indications for surgical treatment of morbid obesity have increased worldwide. Despite this increase, many aspects of surgical technique still remains in controversy. Aim : To contribute presenting surgical details in order to better realize the vertical gastrectomy technique in bariatric surgery. Methods : Technical systematization, patient preparation, positioning of the trocars, operative technique and postoperative care are presented in details. Results : During 12 months were enrolled 120 patients undergoing GV according to the technique described herein. The results are published in another ABCD article (ABCD 2015;28(Supl.1):61-64) in this same volume and number. Conclusion : The surgical technique proposed here presented itself viable and facilitating the surgeon's work on difficult points of the vertical gastrectomy. PMID:26537278

  9. Streamlining Software Aspects of Certification: Technical Team Report on the First Industry Workshop

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hayhurst, Kelly J.; Holloway, C. Michael; Knight, John C.; Leveson, Nancy G.; Yang, Jeffrey C.; Dorsey, Cheryl A.; McCormick, G. Frank

    1998-01-01

    To address concerns about time and expense associated with software aspects of certification, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began the Streamlining Software Aspects of Certification (SSAC) program. As part of this program, a Technical Team was established to determine whether the cost and time associated with certifying aircraft can be reduced while maintaining or improving safety, with the intent of impacting the FAA's Flight 2000 program. The Technical Team conducted a workshop to gain a better understanding of the major concerns in industry about software cost and schedule. Over 120 people attended the workshop, including representatives from the FAA,commercial transport and general aviation aircraft manufacturers and suppliers, and procurers and developers of non-airborne systems; and, more than 200 issues about software aspects of certification were recorded. This paper provides an overview of the SSAC program, motivation for the workshop, details of the workshop activities and outcomes, and recommendations for follow-on work.

  10. Critical Analysis of the Quality, Readability, and Technical Aspects of Online Information Provided for Neck-Lifts.

    PubMed

    Rayess, Hani; Zuliani, Giancarlo F; Gupta, Amar; Svider, Peter F; Folbe, Adam J; Eloy, Jean Anderson; Carron, Michael A

    2017-03-01

    The number of patients using the internet to obtain health information is growing. This material is unregulated and heterogeneous and can influence patient decisions. To compare the quality, readability, and technical aspects of online information about neck-lifts provided by private practice websites vs academic medical centers and reference sources. In this cross-sectional analysis conducted between November 2015 and January 2016, a Google search of the term neck-lift was performed, and the first 45 websites were evaluated. The websites were categorized as private practice vs other. Private websites (PWs) included sites created by private practice physicians. Other websites (OWs) were created by academic medical centers or reference sources. Quality, readability, and technical aspects of online websites related to neck-lifts. Quality was assessed using the DISCERN criteria and the Health on the Net principles (HONcode). Readability was assessed using 7 validated and widely used criteria. Consensus US reading grade level readability was provided by a website (readabilityformulas.com). Twelve technical aspects were evaluated based on criteria specified by medical website creators. Forty-five websites (8 OWs [18%] and 37 PWs [82%]) were analyzed. There was a significant difference in quality between OWs and PWs based on the DISCERN criteria and HONcode principles. The DISCERN overall mean (SD) scores were 2.3 (0.5) for OWs and 1.3 (0.3) for PWs (P < .001). Of a total possible score of 14 using the HONcode analysis, the mean (SD) was 8.6 (1.8) (range, 5-11) for OW, and the mean (SD) was 5.8 (1.7) (range, 2-9) for PW. The mean (SD) readability consensus reading grade level scores were 11.7 (1.9) for OWs and 10.6 (1.9) for PWs. Of a total possible score of 12, the mean (SD) technical scores were 6.3 (1.8) (range, 4-9) for OWs and 6.4 (1.5) (range, 3-9) for PWs. Compared with PWs, OWs had a significantly higher quality score based on both the DISCERN criteria and

  11. Brain-Mind Operational Architectonics Imaging: Technical and Methodological Aspects

    PubMed Central

    Fingelkurts, Andrew A; Fingelkurts, Alexander A

    2008-01-01

    This review paper deals with methodological and technical foundations of the Operational Architectonics framework of brain and mind functioning. This theory provides a framework for mapping and understanding important aspects of the brain mechanisms that constitute perception, cognition, and eventually consciousness. The methods utilized within Operational Architectonics framework allow analyzing with an incredible detail the operational behavior of local neuronal assemblies and their joint activity in the form of unified and metastable operational modules, which constitute the whole hierarchy of brain operations, operations of cognition and phenomenal consciousness. PMID:19526071

  12. Technical Feasibility Aspects of the Geothermal Resource Reporting Methodology (GRRM)

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

    Badgett, Alex; Young, Katherine R; Dobson, Patrick F.

    This paper reviews the technical assessment of the Geothermal Research Reporting Methodology (GRRM, http://en.openei.org/wiki/GRRM) being developed for reporting geothermal resources and project progress. The goal of the methodology is to provide the U.S. Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) with a consistent and comprehensible means of evaluating the impacts of its funding programs. The GRRM is designed to provide uniform assessment criteria for geothermal resource grades and developmental phases of geothermal resource exploration and development. This resource grade system provides information on twelve attributes of geothermal resource locations (e.g., temperature, permeability, land access) to indicate potential for geothermal development.more » The GTO plans to use these Protocols to help quantitatively identify the greatest barriers to geothermal development, develop measureable program goals that will have the greatest impact to geothermal deployment, objectively evaluate proposals based (in part) on a project's ability to contribute to program goals, monitor project progress, and report on GTO portfolio performance. The GRRM assesses three areas of geothermal potential: geological, socio-economic, and technical. Previous work and publications have discussed the work done on the geological aspects of this methodology (Young et al. 2015c); this paper details the development of the technical assessment of the GRRM. Technical development attributes considered include: reservoir management, drilling, logistics, and power conversion.« less

  13. Technical aspects of dental CBCT: state of the art

    PubMed Central

    Araki, K; Siewerdsen, J H; Thongvigitmanee, S S

    2015-01-01

    As CBCT is widely used in dental and maxillofacial imaging, it is important for users as well as referring practitioners to understand the basic concepts of this imaging modality. This review covers the technical aspects of each part of the CBCT imaging chain. First, an overview is given of the hardware of a CBCT device. The principles of cone beam image acquisition and image reconstruction are described. Optimization of imaging protocols in CBCT is briefly discussed. Finally, basic and advanced visualization methods are illustrated. Certain topics in these review are applicable to all types of radiographic imaging (e.g. the principle and properties of an X-ray tube), others are specific for dental CBCT imaging (e.g. advanced visualization techniques). PMID:25263643

  14. Key Technical Aspects Influencing the Accuracy of Tablet Subdivision.

    PubMed

    Teixeira, Maíra T; Sá-Barreto, Lívia C L; Gratieri, Taís; Gelfuso, Guilherme M; Silva, Izabel C R; Cunha-Filho, Marcílio S S

    2017-05-01

    Tablet subdivision is a common practice used mainly for dose adjustment. The aim of this study was to investigate how the technical aspects of production as well as the method of tablets subdivision (employing a tablet splitter or a kitchen knife) influence the accuracy of this practice. Five drugs commonly used as subdivided tablets were selected. For each drug, the innovator drug product, a scored-generic and a non-scored generic were investigated totalizing fifteen drug products. Mechanical and physical tests, including image analysis, were performed. Additionally, comparisons were made between tablet subdivision method, score, shape, diluent composition and coating. Image analysis based on surface area was a useful tool as an alternative assay to evaluate the accuracy of tablet subdivision. The tablet splitter demonstrates an advantage relative to a knife as it showed better results in weight loss and friability tests. Oblong, coated and scored tablets had better results after subdivision than round, uncoated and non-scored tablets. The presence of elastic diluents such as starch and dibasic phosphate dehydrate conferred a more appropriate behaviour for the subdivision process than plastic materials such as microcrystalline cellulose and lactose. Finally, differences were observed between generics and their innovator products in all selected drugs with regard the quality control assays in divided tablet, which highlights the necessity of health regulations to consider subdivision performance at least in marketing authorization of generic products.

  15. Technical aspects of telepathology with emphasis on future development.

    PubMed

    Schwarzmann, P; Binder, B; Klose, R

    2000-01-01

    Pathology undergoes presently changes due to new developments in diagnostic opportunities and cost saving efforts in health care. Out of the wide field of telepathology the paper selects three prototype applications: telepathology in teleeducation, expert advice for preselected details of a slide and finally telepathology for remote diagnosis. The most challenging field for remote diagnosis is the application in the frozen section scenario. The paper starts with the mental experiment to map conventional procedures to counterparts in telepathology. Technical opportunities and economical restrictions of telepathology equipment are discussed with respect to the components: electronic camera, display devices, haptic sensors and displays, available telecommunication channels and telepathology software. As an example and for illustration of the state of the art for an advanced telemicroscopy system able to perform remote frozen section diagnosis, the HISTKOM equipment is presented in more details. The section concerning future developments regards the aspects of the acceptance by tentative users, legal aspects, costs and affordability of equipment, the market for equipment components and the adequate telecommunication services. Further is regarded the mutual influence of properties of existing systems and application experiences gained with them on the next generation of equipment and application software. Conclusions and references close the paper.

  16. Technical aspects of quality assurance in radiation oncology

    PubMed Central

    Saw, CB; Ferenci, MS; Wanger, H

    2008-01-01

    The technical aspects of quality assurance (QA) in radiation oncology as practice in the United States will be reviewed and updated in the spirit of offering the experience to the radiation oncology communities in the Asia-Pacific region. The word “technical” is used to express the organisational components or processes and not the materials within the QA program. A comprehensive QA program in radiation oncology will have an official statement declaring the quality plan for effective patient care services it provides in a document. The QA program will include all aspects of patient care: physical, clinical, and medical aspects of the services. The document will describe the organisational structure, responsibilities, checks and procedures, and resources allocated to ensure the successful implementation of the quality of patient management. Regulatory guidelines and guidelines from accreditation agencies should be incorporated in the QA program to ensure compliance. The organisational structure will have a multidisciplinary QA committee that has the authority to evaluate continuously the effectiveness of the QA program to provide prompt corrective recommendations and to request feedback as needed to monitor the response. The continuous monitoring aspects require meetings to be held at regular intervals with the minutes of the meetings officially recorded and documented. To ensure that a QA program is effective, the program itself should be audited for quality at regular intervals at least annually. It has been recognised that the current QA program has not kept abreast with the rapid implementation of new and advanced radiation therapy technologies with the most recent in image-based radiation therapy technology. The societal bodies (ASTRO and AAPM) and federal agency (NCI) acknowledge this inadequacy and have held workshops to address this issue. The challenges for the societal bodies and federal agency are numerous that include (a) the prescriptive methodology

  17. Technical aspects of positron emission tomography/computed tomography in radiotherapy treatment planning.

    PubMed

    Scripes, Paola G; Yaparpalvi, Ravindra

    2012-09-01

    The usage of functional data in radiation therapy (RT) treatment planning (RTP) process is currently the focus of significant technical, scientific, and clinical development. Positron emission tomography (PET) using ((18)F) fluorodeoxyglucose is being increasingly used in RT planning in recent years. Fluorodeoxyglucose is the most commonly used radiotracer for diagnosis, staging, recurrent disease detection, and monitoring of tumor response to therapy (Lung Cancer 2012;76:344-349; Lung Cancer 2009;64:301-307; J Nucl Med 2008;49:532-540; J Nucl Med 2007;48:58S-67S). All the efforts to improve both PET and computed tomography (CT) image quality and, consequently, lesion detectability have a common objective to increase the accuracy in functional imaging and thus of coregistration into RT planning systems. In radiotherapy, improvement in target localization permits reduction of tumor margins, consequently reducing volume of normal tissue irradiated. Furthermore, smaller treated target volumes create the possibility of dose escalation, leading to increased chances of tumor cure and control. This article focuses on the technical aspects of PET/CT image acquisition, fusion, usage, and impact on the physics of RTP. The authors review the basic elements of RTP, modern radiation delivery, and the technical parameters of coregistration of PET/CT into RT computerized planning systems. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Plasma exchange in the intensive care unit: Technical aspects and complications.

    PubMed

    Lemaire, Aurélie; Parquet, Nathalie; Galicier, Lionel; Boutboul, David; Bertinchamp, Rémi; Malphettes, Marion; Dumas, Guillaume; Mariotte, Eric; Peraldi, Marie-Noëlle; Souppart, Virginie; Schlemmer, Benoit; Azoulay, Elie; Canet, Emmanuel

    2017-12-01

    Data on plasma exchange therapy in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting are scarce. We aimed to describe the technical aspects and the adverse events associated with the procedure in critically ill patients. All adult patients treated by plasma exchange in the medical ICU of the Saint-Louis university hospital between January 1, 2013 and March 31, 2015 were prospectively included. We report on 260 plasma exchange procedures performed in 50 patients. The centrifugation technique was used for 159 (61%) procedures and the filtration technique for the other 101 (39%) procedures. Both techniques had similar efficacy to treat hyperviscosity syndrome (n = 18). Seventy (26.9%) of the 260 plasma exchange procedures were reported with at least one adverse reaction. Centrifugation and filtration techniques had similar rates of adverse reactions (23.9 vs. 31.7%, P = .19). Hypotension was the most reported (n = 21, 8%) and correlates with a low hematocrit before therapy. Most complications were related to allergic reactions to the replacement fluids. Coagulation disorders depended on the type of replacement fluid. The post-exchange fibrinogen level was decreased by 54% [48;66] with albumin 5%, and 4% [-5;17] with plasma frozen within 24 h. Twenty-three (22.8%) of the 101 filtration procedures experienced filter clotting. Filter clotting was associated with a higher volume exchange prescribed when compared to procedures without filter clotting (4600 [4000;5000] ml vs. 3900 [3600;4800] ml, P < .01). Plasma exchange is a relatively safe and generally well-tolerated procedure in the ICU setting. Most adverse events are unpredictable and related to minor allergic reactions. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Laparoscopic resection of transverse colon cancer at splenic flexure: technical aspects and results.

    PubMed

    Okuda, Junji; Yamamoto, Masashi; Tanaka, Keitaro; Masubuchi, Shinsuke; Uchiyama, Kazuhisa

    2016-03-01

    Laparoscopic resection of transverse colon cancer at splenic flexure is technical demanding and its efficacy remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate its technical aspects such as pitfalls and overcoming them, and to demonstrate the short-term and oncologic long-term outcomes. To overcome the difficulty in laparoscopic resection of transverse colon cancer at splenic flexure, we recognized the following technical tips as essential. First of all, we have to precisely identify major vessels variations feeding tumor. Secondary, anatomical dissection of mesocolon through medial approach is indispensible. Third, safe takedown of splenic flexure to fully mobilization of left hemicolon is mandatory. This cohort study analyzed 95 patients with stage II (43) and III (52) underwent resection of transverse colon cancer at splenic flexure. 61 laparoscopic surgeries (LAC) and 34 conventional open surgeries (OC) from December 1996 to December 2009 were evaluated. Short-term and oncologic long-term outcomes were recorded. Operative time was longer in LAC. However, blood loss was less, recovery of bowel function and hospital stay were shorter in LAC. There was no conversion in LAC and no significant difference in the postoperative complications. Regarding oncologic long-term outcomes, there were no significant differences between OC and LAC. Laparoscopic resection of transverse colon cancer at splenic flexure resulted in acceptable short-term and oncologic long-term outcomes. Once technical tips acquired, laparoscopic resection of transverse colon cancer at splenic flexure could be feasible as minimally invasive surgery.

  20. Social Conflict: The Negative Aspect of Social Relations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abbey, Antonia; Rovine, Michael

    Interpersonal relationships can be nonsupportive as well as supportive. A study was conducted to investigate the negative aspects of social relations which parallel two positive components of social relations, esteem support and affirmative support. If social support represents the positive aspects of interpersonal relationships, social conflict…

  1. Technical aspects of pediatric epilepsy surgery: Report of a multicenter, multinational web-based survey by the ILAE Task Force on Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery.

    PubMed

    Cukiert, Arthur; Rydenhag, Bertil; Harkness, William; Cross, J Helen; Gaillard, William D

    2016-02-01

    Surgical techniques may vary extensively between centers. We report on a web-based survey aimed at evaluating the current technical approaches in different centers around the world performing epilepsy surgery in children. The intention of the survey was to establish technical standards. A request was made to 88 centers to complete a web-based survey comprising 51 questions. There were 14 questions related to general issues, 13 questions investigating the different technical aspects for children undergoing epilepsy surgery, and 24 questions investigating surgical strategies in pediatric epilepsy surgery. Fifty-two centers covering a wide geographic representation completed the questionnaire. The median number of resective procedures per center per year was 47. Some important technical practices appeared (>80% of the responses) such as the use of prophylactic antibiotics (98%), the use of high-speed drills for bone opening (88%), nonresorbable material for bone flap closure (85%), head fixation (90%), use of the surgical microscope (100%), and of free bone flaps. Other questions, such as the use of drains, electrocorticography (ECoG) and preoperative withdrawal of valproate, led to mixed, inconclusive results. Complications were noted in 3.8% of the patients submitted to cortical resection, 9.9% hemispheric surgery, 5% callosotomy, 1.8% depth electrode implantation, 5.9% subdural grids implantation, 11.9% hypothalamic hamartoma resection, 0.9% vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), and 0.5% deep brain stimulation. There were no major differences across regions or countries in any of the subitems above. The present data offer the first overview of the technical aspects of pediatric epilepsy surgery worldwide. Surprisingly, there seem to be more similarities than differences. That aside many of the evaluated issues should be examined by adequately designed multicenter randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Further knowledge on these technical issues might lead to increased

  2. Review of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI: Technical aspects and applications in the musculoskeletal system.

    PubMed

    Sujlana, Parvinder; Skrok, Jan; Fayad, Laura M

    2018-04-01

    Although postcontrast imaging has been used for many years in musculoskeletal imaging, dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI is not routinely used in many centers around the world. Unlike conventional contrast-enhanced sequences, DCE-MRI allows the evaluation of the temporal pattern of enhancement in the musculoskeletal system, perhaps best known for its use in oncologic applications (such as differentiating benign from malignant tumors, evaluating for treatment response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and differentiating postsurgical changes from residual tumor). However, DCE-MRI can also be used to evaluate inflammatory processes such as Charcot foot and synovitis, and evaluate bone perfusion in entities like Legg Calve Perthes disease and arthritis. Finally, vascular abnormalities and associated complications may be better characterized with DCE-MRI than conventional imaging. The goal of this article is to review the applications and technical aspects of DCE-MRI in the musculoskeletal system. 5 Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:875-890. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  3. Urology technical and non-technical skills development: the emerging role of simulation.

    PubMed

    Rashid, Prem; Gianduzzo, Troy R J

    2016-04-01

    To review the emerging role of technical and non-technical simulation in urological education and training. A review was conducted to examine the current role of simulation in urology training. A PUBMED search of the terms 'urology training', 'urology simulation' and 'urology education' revealed 11,504 titles. Three hundred and fifty-seven abstracts were identified as English language, peer reviewed papers pertaining to the role of simulation in urology and related topics. Key papers were used to explore themes. Some cross-referenced papers were also included. There is an ongoing need to ensure that training time is efficiently utilised while ensuring that optimal technical and non-technical skills are achieved. Changing working conditions and the need to minimise patient harm by inadvertent errors must be taken into account. Simulation models for specific technical aspects have been the mainstay of graduated step-wise low and high fidelity training. Whole scenario environments as well as non-technical aspects can be slowly incorporated into the curriculum. Doing so should also help define what have been challenging competencies to teach and evaluate. Dedicated time, resources and trainer up-skilling are important. Concurrent studies are needed to help evaluate the effectiveness of introducing step-wise simulation for technical and non-technical competencies. Simulation based learning remains the best avenue of progressing surgical education. Technical and non-technical simulation could be used in the selection process. There are good economic, logistic and safety reasons to pursue the process of ongoing development of simulation co-curricula. While the role of simulation is assured, its progress will depend on a structured program that takes advantage of what can be delivered via this medium. Overall, simulation can be developed further for urological training programs to encompass technical and non-technical skill development at all stages, including

  4. 21 CFR 26.19 - Information relating to quality aspects.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Information relating to quality aspects. 26.19... relating to quality aspects. The authorities will establish an appropriate means of exchanging information... MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF PHARMACEUTICAL GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE REPORTS, MEDICAL DEVICE QUALITY SYSTEM...

  5. 21 CFR 26.19 - Information relating to quality aspects.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Information relating to quality aspects. 26.19... relating to quality aspects. The authorities will establish an appropriate means of exchanging information... MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF PHARMACEUTICAL GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE REPORTS, MEDICAL DEVICE QUALITY SYSTEM...

  6. 21 CFR 26.19 - Information relating to quality aspects.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Information relating to quality aspects. 26.19... relating to quality aspects. The authorities will establish an appropriate means of exchanging information... MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF PHARMACEUTICAL GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE REPORTS, MEDICAL DEVICE QUALITY SYSTEM...

  7. 21 CFR 26.19 - Information relating to quality aspects.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Information relating to quality aspects. 26.19... relating to quality aspects. The authorities will establish an appropriate means of exchanging information... MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF PHARMACEUTICAL GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE REPORTS, MEDICAL DEVICE QUALITY SYSTEM...

  8. Technical and economic aspects of the Intelsat system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jefferis, A. K.

    1992-03-01

    The paper gives some background on the Intelsat system and explains the financial principles of the organization, which operates as a cost sharing cooperative. The members contribute both capital and operating costs in accordance with their use. The determination of the measure of 'use' in such a complex system requires a careful analysis of the factors which cause the cost. Most of these are technical, based on the use of satellite power, bandwidth and similar factors. Others reflect service related features such as priority, long-term commitment and market elasticity. This last element is only taken into account after ensuring that every service fully contributes the marginal cost of providing it.

  9. Technical Aspects Related to the Application of SFM Photogrammetry in High Mountain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scaioni, M.; Crippa, J.; Corti, M.; Barazzetti, L.; Fugazza, D.; Azzoni, R.; Cernuschi, M.; Diolaiuti, G. A.

    2018-05-01

    Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry is a flexible and powerful tool to provide 3D point clouds describing the surface of objects. Due to the easy transportability and low-cost of necessary equipment with respect to laser scanning techniques, SfM photogrammetry has great potential to be applied in harsh high-mountain environment. Here point clouds and derived by-products (DEM's, orthoimages, Virtual-Reality models) are needed to document surface morphology and to investigate dynamic processes such as landslides, avalanches, river and soil erosion, glacier retreat. On the other hand, from both the literature and the direct experience of the authors, there are some technical issues that still deserve thorough investigations. The paper would like to address some open problems and suggest solutions, in particular on regards of the photogrammetric network design, the strategy for georeferencing the final products, and for their comparison within time. The discussion is documented with some examples, mainly from surveying campaigns at the Forni Glacier in Italian Alps.

  10. Health Related Occupations. Revised Summary Report: Technical Employment in Northeast Florida.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, William E.; And Others

    The document is one of five summary reports, all part of a Pre-Technical Curriculum Planning Project for secondary students who aspire to technical employment or post secondary technical education. This report represents the results of an assessment of the northeast Florida area's technical occupations in health related occupations. A three-phase…

  11. Technical research aspect of the Pan-Pacific Information Network using satellite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iida, Takashi; Morikawa, Hisashi; Noguchi, Shoichi

    The Pan-Pacific Information Network would provide an important new mechanism for education, research, health service, emergency communication, and cultural exchange. The paper discusses the technical research items related to the Pan-Pacific Information Network, reviews small earth-station systems, and considers the system configuration pointed to the network in the Asia/Pacific region.

  12. Technical aspects and recommendations for single-cell qPCR.

    PubMed

    Ståhlberg, Anders; Kubista, Mikael

    2018-02-01

    Single cells are basic physiological and biological units that can function individually as well as in groups in tissues and organs. It is central to identify, characterize and profile single cells at molecular level to be able to distinguish different kinds, to understand their functions and determine how they interact with each other. During the last decade several technologies for single-cell profiling have been developed and used in various applications, revealing many novel findings. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is one of the most developed methods for single-cell profiling that can be used to interrogate several analytes, including DNA, RNA and protein. Single-cell qPCR has the potential to become routine methodology but the technique is still challenging, as it involves several experimental steps and few molecules are handled. Here, we discuss technical aspects and provide recommendation for single-cell qPCR analysis. The workflow includes experimental design, sample preparation, single-cell collection, direct lysis, reverse transcription, preamplification, qPCR and data analysis. Detailed reporting and sharing of experimental details and data will promote further development and make validation studies possible. Efforts aiming to standardize single-cell qPCR open up means to move single-cell analysis from specialized research settings to standard research laboratories. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Technical Aspects of Acoustical Engineering for the ISS [International Space Station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Allen, Christopher S.

    2009-01-01

    It is important to control acoustic levels on manned space flight vehicles and habitats to protect crew-hearing, allow for voice communications, and to ensure a healthy and habitable environment in which to work and live. For the International Space Station (ISS) this is critical because of the long duration crew-stays of approximately 6-months. NASA and the JSC Acoustics Office set acoustic requirements that must be met for hardware to be certified for flight. Modules must meet the NC-50 requirement and other component hardware are given smaller allocations to meet. In order to meet these requirements many aspects of noise generation and control must be considered. This presentation has been developed to give an insight into the various technical activities performed at JSC to ensure that a suitable acoustic environment is provided for the ISS crew. Examples discussed include fan noise, acoustic flight material development, on-orbit acoustic monitoring, and a specific hardware development and acoustical design case, the ISS Crew Quarters.

  14. The Need for Consumer Relations in Technical Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Isberner, Fred R.; Armstrong, Connie

    1995-01-01

    Technical education curricula should include the topical area of customer relations. Students need to learn how to listen to customers, handle complaints, monitor quality, and understand customer satisfaction. (SK)

  15. Agriculture and Related Businesses. Revised Summary Report: Technical Employment in Northeast Florida.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, William E.; And Others

    The document is one of five summary reports, all part of a Pre-Technical Curriculum Planning Project for secondary students who aspire to technical employment or post secondary technical education. This report represents the results of an assessment of the northeast Florida area's technical occupations in agriculture and related businesses. A…

  16. CT-guided bipolar and multipolar radiofrequency ablation (RF ablation) of renal cell carcinoma: specific technical aspects and clinical results.

    PubMed

    Sommer, C M; Lemm, G; Hohenstein, E; Bellemann, N; Stampfl, U; Goezen, A S; Rassweiler, J; Kauczor, H U; Radeleff, B A; Pereira, P L

    2013-06-01

    This study was designed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of CT-guided bipolar and multipolar radiofrequency ablation (RF ablation) of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and to analyze specific technical aspects between both technologies. We included 22 consecutive patients (3 women; age 74.2 ± 8.6 years) after 28 CT-guided bipolar or multipolar RF ablations of 28 RCCs (diameter 2.5 ± 0.8 cm). Procedures were performed with a commercially available RF system (Celon AG Olympus, Berlin, Germany). Technical aspects of RF ablation procedures (ablation mode [bipolar or multipolar], number of applicators and ablation cycles, overall ablation time and deployed energy, and technical success rate) were analyzed. Clinical results (local recurrence-free survival and local tumor control rate, renal function [glomerular filtration rate (GFR)]) and complication rates were evaluated. Bipolar RF ablation was performed in 12 procedures and multipolar RF ablation in 16 procedures (2 applicators in 14 procedures and 3 applicators in 2 procedures). One ablation cycle was performed in 15 procedures and two ablation cycles in 13 procedures. Overall ablation time and deployed energy were 35.0 ± 13.6 min and 43.7 ± 17.9 kJ. Technical success rate was 100 %. Major and minor complication rates were 4 and 14 %. At an imaging follow-up of 15.2 ± 8.8 months, local recurrence-free survival was 14.4 ± 8.8 months and local tumor control rate was 93 %. GFR did not deteriorate after RF ablation (50.8 ± 16.6 ml/min/1.73 m(2) before RF ablation vs. 47.2 ± 11.9 ml/min/1.73 m(2) after RF ablation; not significant). CT-guided bipolar and multipolar RF ablation of RCC has a high rate of clinical success and low complication rates. At short-term follow-up, clinical efficacy is high without deterioration of the renal function.

  17. Social media and nursing practice: changing the balance between the social and technical aspects of work.

    PubMed

    Casella, Evan; Mills, Jane; Usher, Kim

    2014-01-01

    Modern communication methods are drastically changing the way people interact with each other. Professions such as nursing need to evolve to remain relevant as social infrastructure changes. In the 1960s, researchers developed a sociotechnical theory that stated workers were more motivated and productive if there was a good balance between the social and technical aspects of their work. Today's technology is blurring the boundaries between the social and the technical thereby transforming human contact and communication into a multi-method process. In Australia, people are adept at utilising social media technology to become more efficient, creative and connected; Australian nurses also need to embrace changing technology to capitalise on the professional opportunities offered by social media. This paper imagines a world where nurses integrate social media into assessing, diagnosing, planning, implementing and evaluating care. Discussion draws on a combination of real-world examples of best-practice and blue-sky thinking to demonstrate that evidence-based care must be combined with the adoption of future-forward technology.

  18. Neuroimaging findings with MDMA/ecstasy: technical aspects, conceptual issues and future prospects.

    PubMed

    Reneman, Liesbeth; de Win, Maartje M L; van den Brink, Wim; Booij, Jan; den Heeten, Gerard J

    2006-03-01

    Users of ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; MDMA) may be at risk of developing MDMA-induced injury to the serotonin (5-HT) system. Previously, there were no methods available for directly evaluating the neurotoxic effects of MDMA in the living human brain. However, development of in vivoneuroimaging tools have begun to provide insights into the effects of ecstasy on the human brain. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission computed tomography (PET) and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies which have evaluated ecstasy's neurotoxic potential will be reviewed and discussed in terms of technical aspects, conceptual issues and future prospects. Although PET and SPECT may be limited by several factors such as the low cortical uptake and the use of a non-optimal reference region (cerebellum) the few studies conducted so far provide suggestive evidence that people who heavily use ecstasy are at risk of developing subcortical, and probably also cortical reductions in serotonin transporter (SERT) densities, a marker of 5-HT neurotoxicity. There seem to be dose-dependent and transient reductions in SERT for which females may be more vulnerable than males. 1H-MRS appears to be a less sensitive technique for studying ecstasy's neurotoxic potential. Whether individuals with a relatively low ecstasy exposure also demonstrate loss of SERT needs to be determined. Because most studies have had a retrospective design, in which evidence is indirect and differs in the degree to which any causal links can be implied, longitudinal studies in human ecstasy users are needed to draw definite conclusions.

  19. Technical aspects and limitations of fractional flow reserve measurement.

    PubMed

    Jerabek, Stepan; Kovarnik, Tomas

    2018-02-27

    The only indication for coronary revascularization is elimination of ischaemia. Invasive hemodynamic methods (fractional flow reserve - FFR and instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) are superior to coronary angiography in detection of lesions causing myocardial ischaemia. Current European guidelines for myocardial revascularization recommend using of FFR for detection of functional assessment of lesions severity in category IA and number of these procedures increases. However, routine usage of these methods requires knowledge of technical requirements and limitations. The aim of the study is to summarise good clinical practice for FFR and iFR measurements with explanation of possible technical challenges, that are necessary for increasing of measurement accuracy. Authors describe frequent technical mistakes and malpractice during invasive assessment of lesion severity in coronary arteries.

  20. Emotional and Personality-Related Aspects of Persistent Career Decision-Making Difficulties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saka, Noa; Gati, Itamar

    2007-01-01

    This study focused on examining the persistent aspects of career decision-making difficulties, using the Emotional and Personality-related Career decision-making Difficulties scale ("EPCD"; [Saka, N., Gati, I., & Kelly, K.R. (in press). Emotional and personality-related aspects of career decision-making difficulties. "Journal of Career…

  1. Geological-Technical and Geo-engineering Aspects of Dimensional Stone Underground Quarrying

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fornaro, Mauro; Lovera, Enrico

    Underground exploitation of dimensional stones is not a novelty, being long since practised, as proved by a number of historical documents and by a certain number of ancient quarrying voids throughout the world. Anyway, so far, open cast quarrying has been the most adopted practice for the excavation of dimensional stones. One primary reason that led to this situation is of course connected to the lower production costs of an open cast exploitation compared to an underground one. This cheapness has been supported by geological and technical motives: on the one hand, the relative availability of surface deposits and, on the other, the development of technologies, which often can be used only outdoor. But, nowadays, general costs of quarrying activities should be re-evaluated because new, and often proper, restrictions have been strongly rising during recent years. As a consequence of both environmental and technical restrictions, pressure will more and more arise to reduce open cast quarrying and to promote underground exploitations. The trend is already well marked for weak rocks - for instance in the extractive basin of Carrara, where about one hundred quarries are active, 30 per cent is working underground, but also in Spain, Portugal and Greece the number of underground marble quarries is increasing - but not yet for hard rock quarrying, where only few quarries are working underground all around the world. One reason has to be found in cutting technologies traditionally used. In weak rocks, diamond wire saw and chain cutter are usable, with few adaptations, in underground spaces, while drilling and blasting, the traditional exploitation method for hard stone, is not easily usable in a confined space, where often only one free face is available. Many technicians and researchers agree that two technologies will probably open the door to underground quarrying in hard rocks: diamond wire and water jet. The first one is already available; the second should still be

  2. Northern goshawk inventory and monitoring technical guide

    Treesearch

    B. Woodbridge; C.D. Hargis

    2006-01-01

    This technical guide provides information on all aspects of inventory and monitoring related to the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) and is to be used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service consistent with national direction, local priorities, and available funding, and also by interested partners and collaborators. When the protocols...

  3. Technical Aspects of Fecal Microbial Transplantation (FMT).

    PubMed

    Bhutiani, N; Schucht, J E; Miller, K R; McClave, Stephen A

    2018-06-09

    Fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) has become established as an effective therapeutic modality in the treatment of antibiotic-refractory recurrent Clostridium difficile colitis. A number of formulations and methods of delivery of FMT are currently available, each with distinct advantages. This review aims to review donor and patient selection for FMT as well as procedural aspects of FMT to help guide clinical practice. FMT can be obtained in fresh, frozen, lyophilized, and capsule-based formulations for delivery by oral ingestion, nasoenteric tube, colonoscopy, or enema (depending on the formulation used). Choosing the optimal method relies heavily on patient-related factors, including underlying pathology and severity of illness. As potential applications for FMT expand, careful donor screening and patient selection are critical to minimizing risk to patients and physicians. FMT represents an excellent therapeutic option for treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile colitis and holds promise as a possible treatment modality in a variety of other conditions. The wide array of delivery methods allows for its application in various disease states in both the inpatient and outpatient setting.

  4. Technical aspects of oxygen saving devices.

    PubMed

    Brambilla, I; Arlati, S; Chiusa, I; Micallef, E

    1990-01-01

    Oxygen economizing devices have been extensively studied, both at rest and during muscular exercise, in an attempt to increase the autonomy of a portable oxygen apparatus. The aim of this study is threefold: first, to suggest a simple method to verify in a simple way the technical accuracy of a demand flow oxygen delivery device; second, to suggest how we can monitor in a simple way the clinical efficacy of an economizer; and third, to remember that we can utilize an oxygen saving device to give a better protection than nasal prongs against the worsening of HbO2 desaturation induced by exercise.

  5. 37 CFR 5.20 - Export of technical data relating to sensitive nuclear technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Export of technical data relating to sensitive nuclear technology. 5.20 Section 5.20 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED....20 Export of technical data relating to sensitive nuclear technology. Under regulations (10 CFR 810.7...

  6. 37 CFR 5.20 - Export of technical data relating to sensitive nuclear technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Export of technical data relating to sensitive nuclear technology. 5.20 Section 5.20 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED....20 Export of technical data relating to sensitive nuclear technology. Under regulations (10 CFR 810.7...

  7. 37 CFR 5.20 - Export of technical data relating to sensitive nuclear technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Export of technical data relating to sensitive nuclear technology. 5.20 Section 5.20 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED....20 Export of technical data relating to sensitive nuclear technology. Under regulations (10 CFR 810.7...

  8. Manual Arts to Technology Education: Are We Ripe for Infusing Aspects of a Green Technology into Career and Technical Education Constituent Subjects?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Asunda, Paul A.

    2010-01-01

    This paper is a conceptual essay that reviews industrial and economic changes that have shaped vocational education to present day Career and Technical Education (CTE) curriculum, and specifically the role of technology education in meeting societal needs. An argument is presented that CTE is ripe to integrate aspects of green technology and…

  9. Technical and Economic Aspects of Low Emission Reduction in Poland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dzikuć, M.; Łasiński, K.

    2017-12-01

    The paper presents the problem of excessive air pollution in Poland caused mainly by low emission. The emission arises in result of heating flats by means of old and energetically inefficient heating installations. In Poland and Bulgaria the inhaled air is of the worst quality out of all EU countries. The paper presents economic and technical problems related to low emission occurring during the combustion of solid fuels in local boiler houses. Furthermore, the most significant economic issues, connected with the reduction of low emission are discussed, as well as technological possibilities of efficient reduction of the amount of pollution in the atmosphere. Conclusions are presented at the end of the article.

  10. A soil biotechnology system for wastewater treatment: technical, hygiene, environmental LCA and economic aspects.

    PubMed

    Kamble, Sheetal Jaisingh; Chakravarthy, Yogita; Singh, Anju; Chubilleau, Caroline; Starkl, Markus; Bawa, Itee

    2017-05-01

    Soil biotechnology (SBT) is a green engineering approach for wastewater treatment and recycling. Five SBT units located in the Mumbai region were under consideration of which holistic assessment of two SBT plants was carried out considering its technical, environmental and economic aspects and was compared with published research of other three. LCA has been done to evaluate the environmental impacts of construction and operation phase of SBT. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) removal of more than 90% can be achieved using this technology. Also, the nutrient removal proficiency (nitrate, nitrite, ammoniacal nitrogen, TKN, total nitrogen and phosphates) of this technique is good. On the other hand, SBT has low annual operation and maintenance cost, comparable to land-based systems and lower than conventional or advanced technologies. From the life cycle impact assessment, the main contributors for overall impact from the plant were identified as electricity consumption, discharges of COD, P-PO 4 3- and N-NH 4 + and disposal of sludge. The construction phase was found to have significantly more impact than the operation phase of the plant. This study suggests plant I is not relatively as efficient enough regarding sanitation. SBT provides several benefits over other conventional technologies for wastewater treatment. It is based on a bio-conversion process and is practically maintenance free. It does not produce any odorous bio-sludge and consumes the least energy.

  11. Technical aspects of MRI signal change quantification after gadolinium-based contrast agents' administration.

    PubMed

    Ramalho, Joana; Ramalho, Miguel; AlObaidy, Mamdoh; Semelka, Richard C

    2016-12-01

    Over the last 2years several studies have been published regarding gadolinium deposition in brain structures in patients with normal renal function after repeated administrations of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). Most of the publications are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based retrospective studies, where gadolinium deposition may be indirectly measured by evaluating changes in T1 signal intensity (SI) in brain tissue, particularly in the dentate nucleus (DN) and/or globus pallidi (GP). The direct correlation between T1 signal changes and gadolinium deposition was validated by human pathology studies. However, the variability of the MR equipment and parameters used across different publications, along with the inherent limitations of MRI to assess gadolinium in human tissues should be acknowledged when interpreting those studies. Nevertheless, MRI studies remain essential regarding gadolinium bio-distribution knowledge. The aim of this paper is to overview current knowledge of technical aspects of T1 signal intensity evaluation by MRI and describe confounding factors, with the intention to achieve higher accuracy and maximize reproducibility. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. ATS-6 - Technical aspects of the Health/Education Telecommunications Experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Boor, J. L.; Braunstein, J.; Janky, J. M.; Ogden, D.; Potter, J. G.; Harper, E. L.; Volkmer, E.; Whalen, A. A.; Henderson, E.; Hupe, H. H.

    1975-01-01

    An overview is given of the HET experiment on ATS-6. The paper is divided into nine parts, including a technical overview, a preliminary evaluation of the HET demonstration, a review of operations at the Denver uplink terminal, a discussion of remote ground terminals, a review of C-band comprehensive terminals and of S-band comprehensive terminals, and parts devoted to general network operations, technical management and effectiveness of the network, and the site equipment operator.

  13. 75 FR 20816 - Transportation and Related Equipment Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Bureau of Industry and Security Transportation and Related Equipment Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting The Transportation and Related Equipment Technical Advisory Committee will meet on May 5, 2010, 9:30 a.m., in the Herbert C. Hoover Building, Room 6087B, 14th Street between Constitution &...

  14. SPECIFIC QUESTION OF RADIATION PROTECTION IN RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS AND TECHNICAL PLANTS (in German)

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

    Jaeger, R.G.

    1958-01-01

    After characteristical dates on the special situation of research laboratories on one side and technical plants on the other side in relation to radiation protection are discussed, some technical questions are dealt with that are especially related to the use of rays by these two groups. In this aspect also such technical work is to be included as is still somewhat marginal for today-s considerations, as for instance the extraction and the dressing of uranium as well as the measures taken in relation to accidents that may occur with the usual routine work with radioactive material. The necessity of startingmore » the building up of an ample organization for protection against radiation is then discussed. (auth)« less

  15. Technical aspects of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph Repair (STIS-R)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rinehart, S. A.; Domber, J.; Faulkner, T.; Gull, T.; Kimble, R.; Klappenberger, M.; Leckrone, D.; Niedner, M.; Proffitt, C.; Smith, H.; Woodgate, B.

    2008-07-01

    In August 2004, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) ceased operation due to a failure of the 5V mechanism power converter in the Side 2 Low Voltage Power Supply (LVPS2). The failure precluded movement of any STIS mechanism and, because of the earlier (2001) loss of the Side 1 electronics chain, left the instrument shuttered and in safe mode after 7.5 years of science operations. A team was assembled to analyze the fault and to determine if STIS repair (STIS-R) was feasible. The team conclusively pinpointed the Side 2 failure to the 5V mechanism converter, and began studying EVA techniques for opening STIS during Servicing Mission 4 (SM4) to replace the failed LVPS2 board. The restoration of STIS functionality via surgical repair by astronauts has by now reached a mature and final design state, and will, along with a similar repair procedure for the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), represent a first for Hubble servicing. STIS-R will restore full scientific functionality of the spectrograph on Side 2, while Side 1 will remain inoperative. Because of the high degree of complementarity between STIS and the new Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS, to be installed during SM4)), successful repair of the older spectrograph is an important scientific objective. In this presentation, we focus on the technical aspects associated with STIS-R.

  16. Related General-Vocabulary Knowledge Transfers to Learning Technical Terms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balch, William R.

    2015-01-01

    In a classroom experiment during the first week of an introductory psychology course, randomly assigned students received a pretest and then a brief training on the definitions of general-vocabulary words either related (e.g., "facilitation") or unrelated (e.g., "rendition") to 16 technical terms (e.g., "social…

  17. ICCS 2009 Technical Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

    2011-01-01

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

  18. Technical Aspects of Interfacing MUMPS to an External SQL Relational Database Management System

    PubMed Central

    Kuzmak, Peter M.; Walters, Richard F.; Penrod, Gail

    1988-01-01

    This paper describes an interface connecting InterSystems MUMPS (M/VX) to an external relational DBMS, the SYBASE Database Management System. The interface enables MUMPS to operate in a relational environment and gives the MUMPS language full access to a complete set of SQL commands. MUMPS generates SQL statements as ASCII text and sends them to the RDBMS. The RDBMS executes the statements and returns ASCII results to MUMPS. The interface suggests that the language features of MUMPS make it an attractive tool for use in the relational database environment. The approach described in this paper separates MUMPS from the relational database. Positioning the relational database outside of MUMPS promotes data sharing and permits a number of different options to be used for working with the data. Other languages like C, FORTRAN, and COBOL can access the RDBMS database. Advanced tools provided by the relational database vendor can also be used. SYBASE is an advanced high-performance transaction-oriented relational database management system for the VAX/VMS and UNIX operating systems. SYBASE is designed using a distributed open-systems architecture, and is relatively easy to interface with MUMPS.

  19. [Virtual endoscopy with a volumetric reconstruction technic: the technical aspects].

    PubMed

    Pavone, P; Laghi, A; Panebianco, V; Catalano, C; Giura, R; Passariello, R

    1998-06-01

    We analyze the peculiar technical features of virtual endoscopy obtained with volume rendering. Our preliminary experience is based on virtual endoscopy images from volumetric data acquired with spiral CT (Siemens, Somatom Plus 4) using acquisition protocols standardized for different anatomic areas. Images are reformatted at the CT console, to obtain 1 mm thick contiguous slices, and transferred in DICOM format to an O2 workstation (Silicon Graphics, Mountain View CA, USA) with processor speed of 180 Mhz, 256 Mbyte RAM memory and 4.1 Gbyte hard disk. The software is Vitrea 1.0 (Vital Images, Fairfield, Iowa), running on a Unix platform. Image output is obtained through the Ethernet network to a Macintosh computer and a thermic printer (Kodak 8600 XLS). Diagnostic quality images were obtained in all the cases. Fly-through in the airways allowed correct evaluation of the main bronchi and of the origin of segmentary bronchi. In the vascular district, both carotid strictures and abdominal aortic aneurysms were depicted, with the same accuracy as with conventional reconstruction techniques. In the colon studies, polypoid lesions were correctly depicted in all the cases, with good correlation with endoscopic and double-contrast barium enema findings. In a case of lipoma of the ascending colon, virtual endoscopy allowed to study the colon both cranially and caudally to the lesion. The simultaneous evaluation of axial CT images permitted to characterize the lesion correctly on the basis of its density values. The peculiar feature of volume rendering is the use of the whole information inside the imaging volume to reconstruct three-dimensional images; no threshold values are used and no data are lost as opposite to conventional image reconstruction techniques. The different anatomic structures are visualized modifying the reciprocal opacities, showing the structures of no interest as translucent. The modulation of different opacities is obtained modifying the shape of the

  20. Voprosy professional'noj pedagogiki (Aspects of the Theory of Vocational Education).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Batysev, S. J.; And Others

    This document is an English-language abstract (Approximately 1,500 words) of a book by several Soviet authorities on vocational and technical education. The five sections of the book deal with general aspects of vocational and technical training; the theory of vocational training; psychological aspects of vocational training; basic instructional…

  1. Investigation of evolution-related aspects of bacterial rhodopsins

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1994-01-01

    We have investigated evolution-related aspects of bacterial rhodopsins, the unique retinal-based energy transducing systems of halophilic archae. The approach was to describe both structural and functional aspects: the structure by sequencing genes to explore which regions are conserved, and the function by comparing proton and chloride transport in the closely related systems, bacteriorhodopsin and halorhodopsin, respectively. In the latter, we have made a good start toward the ultimate goal of separating the attributes of the general principles of retinal-based ionic pumps from those of the specific ion specificities, by determining the thermodynamics of the internal steps of the protein-mediated active transport process, as well as some of the intraprotein ion-transfer steps. Our present emphasis is on continuing to acquire the tools for studying what distinguishes proton transport from chloride transport. We consider it important, therefore, that we have been able to provide firm mathematical grounds for the kinetics analyses which underlies these studies. Our molecular biological studies have received a great boost from the expression vector for the bop gene based on a halobacterial plasmid, that we recently developed.

  2. Enterprise Planning for Change; Co-ordination of Manpower and Technical Planning. Industrial Relations Aspects of Manpower Policy, No. 5.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wedderburn, Dorothy

    Forty case studies made by research teams of independents or governmental agencies in Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States were analyzed to provide managements and trade unions with illustrations of present systems of technical and manpower changes at the enterprise level and to describe the…

  3. GCS plan for software aspects of certification

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shagnea, Anita M.; Lowman, Douglas S.; Withers, B. Edward

    1990-01-01

    As part of the Guidance and Control Software (GCS) research project being sponsored by NASA to evaluate the failure processes of software, standard industry software development procedures are being employed. To ensure that these procedures are authentic, the guidelines outlined in the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA/DO-178A document entitled, software considerations in airborne systems and equipment certification, were adopted. A major aspect of these guidelines is proper documentation. As such, this report, the plan for software aspects of certification, was produced in accordance with DO-178A. An overview is given of the GCS research project, including the goals of the project, project organization, and project schedules. It also specifies the plans for all aspects of the project which relate to the certification of the GCS implementations developed under a NASA contract. These plans include decisions made regarding the software specification, accuracy requirements, configuration management, implementation development and verification, and the development of the GCS simulator.

  4. Technical Aspects Regarding the Management of Radioactive Waste from Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities

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

    Dragolici, F.; Turcanu, C. N.; Rotarescu, G.

    2003-02-25

    The proper application of the nuclear techniques and technologies in Romania started in 1957, once with the commissioning of the Research Reactor VVR-S from IFIN-HH-Magurele. During the last 45 years, appear thousands of nuclear application units with extremely diverse profiles (research, biology, medicine, education, agriculture, transport, all types of industry) which used different nuclear facilities containing radioactive sources and generating a great variety of radioactive waste during the decommissioning after the operation lifetime is accomplished. A new aspect appears by the planning of VVR-S Research Reactor decommissioning which will be a new source of radioactive waste generated by decontamination, disassemblingmore » and demolition activities. By construction and exploitation of the Radioactive Waste Treatment Plant (STDR)--Magurele and the National Repository for Low and Intermediate Radioactive Waste (DNDR)--Baita, Bihor county, in Romania was solved the management of radioactive wastes arising from operation and decommissioning of small nuclear facilities, being assured the protection of the people and environment. The present paper makes a review of the present technical status of the Romanian waste management facilities, especially raising on treatment capabilities of ''problem'' wastes such as Ra-266, Pu-238, Am-241 Co-60, Co-57, Sr-90, Cs-137 sealed sources from industrial, research and medical applications. Also, contain a preliminary estimation of quantities and types of wastes, which would result during the decommissioning project of the VVR-S Research Reactor from IFIN-HH giving attention to some special category of wastes like aluminum, graphite and equipment, components and structures that became radioactive through neutron activation. After analyzing the technical and scientific potential of STDR and DNDR to handle big amounts of wastes resulting from the decommissioning of VVR-S Research Reactor and small nuclear facilities, the

  5. Technical aspects of a demonstration tape for three-dimensional sound displays

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Begault, Durand R.; Wenzel, Elizabeth M.

    1990-01-01

    This document was developed to accompany an audio cassette that demonstrates work in three-dimensional auditory displays, developed at the Ames Research Center Aerospace Human Factors Division. It provides a text version of the audio material, and covers the theoretical and technical issues of spatial auditory displays in greater depth than on the cassette. The technical procedures used in the production of the audio demonstration are documented, including the methods for simulating rotorcraft radio communication, synthesizing auditory icons, and using the Convolvotron, a real-time spatialization device.

  6. A technical guide to tDCS, and related non-invasive brain stimulation tools

    PubMed Central

    Woods, AJ; Antal, A; Bikson, M; Boggio, PS; Brunoni, AR; Celnik, P; Cohen, LG; Fregni, F; Herrmann, CS; Kappenman, ES; Knotkova, H; Liebetanz, D; Miniussi, C; Miranda, PC; Paulus, W; Priori, A; Reato, D; Stagg, C; Wenderoth, N; Nitsche, MA

    2015-01-01

    Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), including transcranial direct and alternating current stimulation (tDCS, tACS) are non-invasive brain stimulation techniques increasingly used for modulation of central nervous system excitability in humans. Here we address methodological issues required for tES application. This review covers technical aspects of tES, as well as applications like exploration of brain physiology, modelling approaches, tES in cognitive neurosciences, and interventional approaches. It aims to help the reader to appropriately design and conduct studies involving these brain stimulation techniques, understand limitations and avoid shortcomings, which might hamper the scientific rigor and potential applications in the clinical domain. PMID:26652115

  7. Where no flag has gone before: Political and technical aspects of placing a flag on the Moon

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Platoff, Anne M.

    1993-01-01

    The flag on the Moon represents an important event in vexillological history. The political and technical aspects of placing a flag on the Moon, focusing on the first Moon landing, is examined. During their historic extravehicular activity, the Apollo 11 crew planted the flag of the United States on the lunar surface. This flag-raising was strictly a symbolic activity, as the United Nations Treaty on Outer Space precluded any territorial claim. Nevertheless, there were domestic and international debates over the appropriateness of the event. Congress amended the agency's appropriations bill to prevent the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from placing flags of other nations, or those of international associations, on the Moon during missions funded solely by the United States. Like any activity in space exploration, the Apollo flag-raising also provided NASA engineers with an interesting technical challenge. They designed a flagpole with a horizontal bar allowing the flag to 'fly' without the benefit of wind to overcome the effects of the Moon's lack of an atmosphere. Other factors considered in the design were weight, heat resistance, and ease of assembly by astronauts whose space suits restricted their range of movement and ability to grasp items. As NASA plans a return to the Moon and an expedition to Mars, we will likely see flags continue to go 'where no flag has gone before'.

  8. Individualizing Instruction in Vocational and Technical Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nee, John G.

    On the premise that individualized instruction and its many variations has become increasingly more important to the vocational and technical educator, various aspects of an individualized instructional program are discussed under eight headings: (1) What Is Meant by Individualizing Instruction in Vocational and Technical Education? (2) Why Do We…

  9. A Meta-Analysis of Motivational Interviewing Process: Technical, Relational, and Conditional Process Models of Change

    PubMed Central

    Magill, Molly; Apodaca, Timothy R.; Borsari, Brian; Gaume, Jacques; Hoadley, Ariel; Gordon, Rebecca E.F.; Tonigan, J. Scott; Moyers, Theresa

    2018-01-01

    Objective In the present meta-analysis, we test the technical and relational hypotheses of Motivational Interviewing (MI) efficacy. We also propose an a priori conditional process model where heterogeneity of technical path effect sizes should be explained by interpersonal/relational (i.e., empathy, MI Spirit) and intrapersonal (i.e., client treatment seeking status) moderators. Method A systematic review identified k = 58 reports, describing 36 primary studies and 40 effect sizes (N = 3025 participants). Statistical methods calculated the inverse variance-weighted pooled correlation coefficient for the therapist to client and the client to outcome paths across multiple target behaviors (i.e., alcohol use, other drug use, other behavior change). Results Therapist MI-consistent skills were correlated with more client change talk (r = .55, p < .001) as well as more sustain talk (r = .40, p < .001). MI-inconsistent skills were correlated with more sustain talk (r = .16, p < .001), but not change talk. When these indicators were combined into proportions, as recommended in the Motivational Interviewing Skill Code, the overall technical hypothesis was supported. Specifically, proportion MI consistency was related to higher proportion change talk (r = .11, p = .004) and higher proportion change talk was related to reductions in risk behavior at follow up (r = −.16, p < .001). When tested as two independent effects, client change talk was not significant, but sustain talk was positively associated with worse outcome (r = .19, p < .001). Finally, the relational hypothesis was not supported, but heterogeneity in technical hypothesis path effect sizes was partially explained by inter- and intra-personal moderators. Conclusions This meta-analysis provides additional support for the technical hypothesis of MI efficacy; future research on the relational hypothesis should occur in the field rather than in the context of clinical trials. PMID:29265832

  10. A meta-analysis of motivational interviewing process: Technical, relational, and conditional process models of change.

    PubMed

    Magill, Molly; Apodaca, Timothy R; Borsari, Brian; Gaume, Jacques; Hoadley, Ariel; Gordon, Rebecca E F; Tonigan, J Scott; Moyers, Theresa

    2018-02-01

    In the present meta-analysis, we test the technical and relational hypotheses of Motivational Interviewing (MI) efficacy. We also propose an a priori conditional process model where heterogeneity of technical path effect sizes should be explained by interpersonal/relational (i.e., empathy, MI Spirit) and intrapersonal (i.e., client treatment seeking status) moderators. A systematic review identified k = 58 reports, describing 36 primary studies and 40 effect sizes (N = 3,025 participants). Statistical methods calculated the inverse variance-weighted pooled correlation coefficient for the therapist to client and the client to outcome paths across multiple target behaviors (i.e., alcohol use, other drug use, other behavior change). Therapist MI-consistent skills were correlated with more client change talk (r = .55, p < .001) as well as more sustain talk (r = .40, p < .001). MI-inconsistent skills were correlated with more sustain talk (r = .16, p < .001), but not change talk. When these indicators were combined into proportions, as recommended in the Motivational Interviewing Skill Code, the overall technical hypothesis was supported. Specifically, proportion MI consistency was related to higher proportion change talk (r = .11, p = .004) and higher proportion change talk was related to reductions in risk behavior at follow up (r = -.16, p < .001). When tested as two independent effects, client change talk was not significant, but sustain talk was positively associated with worse outcome (r = .19, p < .001). Finally, the relational hypothesis was not supported, but heterogeneity in technical hypothesis path effect sizes was partially explained by inter- and intrapersonal moderators. This meta-analysis provides additional support for the technical hypothesis of MI efficacy; future research on the relational hypothesis should occur in the field rather than in the context of clinical trials. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  11. The Roles of Technical Communication Researchers in Design Scholarship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sánchez, Fernando

    2017-01-01

    Design has come to be understood as an essential aspect of the work that technical communicators claim. As a result, research in the field of technical communication has approached studies of design in numerous ways. This article showcases how technical communication researchers assume the roles of observers, testers, critics, creators, and…

  12. 31 CFR 585.212 - Prohibited transactions related to scientific and technical cooperation, cultural exchanges, and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... scientific and technical cooperation, cultural exchanges, and other official visits. 585.212 Section 585.212... BOSNIAN SERB-CONTROLLED AREAS OF THE REPUBLIC OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA SANCTIONS REGULATIONS Prohibitions § 585.212 Prohibited transactions related to scientific and technical cooperation, cultural exchanges...

  13. A socio-technical model to explore urban water systems scenarios.

    PubMed

    de Haan, Fjalar J; Ferguson, Briony C; Deletic, Ana; Brown, Rebekah R

    2013-01-01

    This article reports on the ongoing work and research involved in the development of a socio-technical model of urban water systems. Socio-technical means the model is not so much concerned with the technical or biophysical aspects of urban water systems, but rather with the social and institutional implications of the urban water infrastructure and vice versa. A socio-technical model, in the view purported in this article, produces scenarios of different urban water servicing solutions gaining or losing influence in meeting water-related societal needs, like potable water, drainage, environmental health and amenity. The urban water system is parameterised with vectors of the relative influence of each servicing solution. The model is a software implementation of the Multi-Pattern Approach, a theory on societal systems, like urban water systems, and how these develop and go through transitions under various internal and external conditions. Acknowledging that social dynamics comes with severe and non-reducible uncertainties, the model is set up to be exploratory, meaning that for any initial condition several possible future scenarios are produced. This article gives a concise overview of the necessary theoretical background, the model architecture and some initial test results using a drainage example.

  14. Theoretical Aspects of the Patterns Recognition Statistical Theory Used for Developing the Diagnosis Algorithms for Complicated Technical Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Obozov, A. A.; Serpik, I. N.; Mihalchenko, G. S.; Fedyaeva, G. A.

    2017-01-01

    In the article, the problem of application of the pattern recognition (a relatively young area of engineering cybernetics) for analysis of complicated technical systems is examined. It is shown that the application of a statistical approach for hard distinguishable situations could be the most effective. The different recognition algorithms are based on Bayes approach, which estimates posteriori probabilities of a certain event and an assumed error. Application of the statistical approach to pattern recognition is possible for solving the problem of technical diagnosis complicated systems and particularly big powered marine diesel engines.

  15. Technical considerations in the preparation and dispensing of chemotherapy.

    PubMed

    Peters, B G

    1995-01-01

    The safe handling of cytotoxic agents is intimately related to the technical aspects of drug preparation, dispensing, and administration. The appropriate equipment, supplies, protective clothing, and waste disposal systems must be available to the health care worker who is called upon to prepare cytotoxic agents. In addition, the health care worker must be adequately trained in and familiar with the safe use of these products and equipment and the preparation techniques or manipulations necessary during cytotoxic drug compounding. The article describes in detail and reviews the technical considerations, such as aseptic technique, proper use of the biological safety cabinet, gowning and gloving, labeling, and waste disposal, that are essential to the safe preparation and dispensing of chemotherapy.

  16. [Analysis of work-related fatigue characteristics and its influencing factors in scientific and technical personnel].

    PubMed

    Yang, Ting; Zhou, Dinglun; Song, Mingying; Lan, Yajia

    2015-02-01

    To investigate the current status and characteristics of work-related fatigue among scientific and technical personnel and its associated factors, and to provide a scientific basis for further interventions. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the staff from a single scientific institution, using a self-administered questionnaire. Basic information of participants, Fatigue Scale-14, and Job Content Questionnaire were collected. The prevalence of work-related fatigue among the scientific and technical personnel was 54.6%; work-related fatigue was positively correlated with occupational stress (rs = 0.384, P < 0.05). Significant differences in the scores, proportions, and types of fatigue were found between different types of occupational stress. The associated factors of work-related fatigue included occupational stress profiles, social support, and educational status. A higher risk of work-related fatigue was found in the staff under high stress, compared with those under low stress (OR = 8.5, 95%CI = 3.9∼18.7). Social support served as a protective factor for work-related fatigue, while a higher level of education was correlated with more severe work-related fatigue. Work-related fatigue is common and serious among scientific and technical personnel, especially in those under high stress. Effective interventions according to occupational stress are of great importance to reduce work-related fatigue.

  17. Teaching about Psychosocial Aspects of Disability: Emphasizing Person-Environment Relations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dunn, Dana S.

    2016-01-01

    This article presents some psychosocial aspects of disability linked to the person--environment relation that teachers should share in the psychology classroom. Disability is an often-overlooked form of diversity, one that teachers should discuss alongside race, gender, sexual orientation, social class/socioeconomic status (SES), religiosity, and…

  18. Economic and technical aspects of repair, servicing, and retrieval of low earth orbit free flying spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cepollina, F. J.

    1982-01-01

    The economic and technical aspects of the Solar Maximum Observatory Repair Mission at NASA are presented, in an effort to demonstrate the Space Shuttle capability to rendezvous with and repair on-orbit the Solar Maximum Observatory (SMM). A failure in the Attitude Control Subsystem (ACS) after 10 months of operation caused a loss in precision pointing capability. The Multimission Modular Spacecraft (MMS) used for the mission, was designed with on-orbit repairability, and to correct various instrument anomalies, repiar kits such as an electronics box, a thermal aperture closure, and a high energy particle reflection baffle will be used. In addition, a flight support system will be used to berth, electrically safe, and support all the repair activities. A two year effort is foreseen, and the economic return on SMM will be $176 M, in addition to two to three years of solar observation. The mission will eventually conduct studies on flare as a function of solar cycle.

  19. Evaluation of Angiographic and Technical Aspects of Carotid Stenting with Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging

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

    Blasel, Stella, E-mail: Stella.Blasel@kgu.de; Hattingen, Elke; Berkefeld, Joachim

    2009-07-15

    The detection of clinically silent ischemic lesions on postprocedural diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images has become a preferred method for the description of embolic risks. The purpose of this single-center study was to evaluate whether diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) could determine material related or technical risk factors of filter-protected carotid stenting. Eighty-four patients with symptomatic severe ({>=}60%) carotid artery stenoses received filter-protected carotid stenting. Standard DWI (b = 1000) was performed within 48 h before and after carotid stenting. The occurrence and load of new postinterventional DWI lesions were assessed. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine risk factors associated with DWI lesions,more » with emphasis on technical factors such as use of different access devices (guiding catheter method vs. long carotid sheath method), type of stent (open-cell nitinol stent vs. closed-cell Wallstent), and protective device (filters with 80-{mu}m vs. 110-120-{mu}m pore size). Markers for generalized atherosclerosis and for degree and site of stenosis were assessed to allow comparison of adequate risk profiles. Access, protective device, and stent type were not significantly associated with new embolic DWI lesions when we compared patients with equivalent risk profiles (long carotid sheath method 48% [11 of 23] vs. guiding catheter method 44% [27 of 61], Wallstent 47% [15 of 32] vs. nitinol stent 44% [23 of 52], and small pore size filter 61% [11 of 18] vs. large pore size filter 41% [27 of 66]). Single-center DWI studies with a moderate number of cases are inadequate for proper assessment of the embolic risk of technical- or material-related risk factors in carotid stenting. Larger multicenter studies with more cases are needed.« less

  20. A technical guide to tDCS, and related non-invasive brain stimulation tools.

    PubMed

    Woods, A J; Antal, A; Bikson, M; Boggio, P S; Brunoni, A R; Celnik, P; Cohen, L G; Fregni, F; Herrmann, C S; Kappenman, E S; Knotkova, H; Liebetanz, D; Miniussi, C; Miranda, P C; Paulus, W; Priori, A; Reato, D; Stagg, C; Wenderoth, N; Nitsche, M A

    2016-02-01

    Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), including transcranial direct and alternating current stimulation (tDCS, tACS) are non-invasive brain stimulation techniques increasingly used for modulation of central nervous system excitability in humans. Here we address methodological issues required for tES application. This review covers technical aspects of tES, as well as applications like exploration of brain physiology, modelling approaches, tES in cognitive neurosciences, and interventional approaches. It aims to help the reader to appropriately design and conduct studies involving these brain stimulation techniques, understand limitations and avoid shortcomings, which might hamper the scientific rigor and potential applications in the clinical domain. Copyright © 2015 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. All rights reserved.

  1. Criminal Justice. [FasTrak Specialization Integrated Technical and Academic Competency (ITAC).] 2002 Revision.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ohio State Dept. of Education, Columbus. Div. of Career-Technical and Adult Education.

    This curriculum for a criminal justice program is designed for students interested in pursuing a future in law enforcement or a related public safety profession. The criminal justice program in the career-technical and adult education center is a two-year curriculum that is divided into these 14 units: orientation; legal aspects; communication…

  2. Web Based Technical Problem Solving for Enhancing Writing Skills of Secondary Vocational Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Papantoniou, Eleni; Hadzilacos, Thanasis

    2017-01-01

    We discuss some aspects of a pilot e-learning technical writing course addressed to 11th grade vocational high school students in Greece. The application of this alternative teaching intervention stemmed from the researcher-instructor's reflections relating to the integration of a problem based e-pedagogy that aims not just to familiarize students…

  3. Engineering aspects of the Stanford relativity gyro experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Everitt, C. W. F.; Debra, D. B.

    1981-01-01

    According to certain theoretical predictions, the Newtonian laws of motion must be corrected for the effect of a gravitational field. Schiff (1960) proposed an experiment which would demonstrate the effect predicted by Einstein's Theory of General Relativity on a gyroscope. The experiment has been under development at Stanford University since 1961. The requirements involved make it necessary that the test be performed in a satellite to take advantage of weightlessness in space. In a discussion of engineering developments related to the experiment, attention is given to the development of proportional helium thrusters, the simulation of the attitude control system, aspects of inner loop control, the mechanization of the two-loop attitude control system, the effects of helium slosh on spacecraft pointing, and the data instrumentation system.

  4. Overview and technical and practical aspects for use of geostatistics in hazardous-, toxic-, and radioactive-waste-site investigations

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

    Bossong, C.R.; Karlinger, M.R.; Troutman, B.M.

    1999-10-01

    Technical and practical aspects of applying geostatistics are developed for individuals involved in investigation at hazardous-, toxic-, and radioactive-waste sites. Important geostatistical concepts, such as variograms and ordinary, universal, and indicator kriging, are described in general terms for introductory purposes and in more detail for practical applications. Variogram modeling using measured ground-water elevation data is described in detail to illustrate principles of stationarity, anisotropy, transformations, and cross validation. Several examples of kriging applications are described using ground-water-level elevations, bedrock elevations, and ground-water-quality data. A review of contemporary literature and selected public domain software associated with geostatistics also is provided, asmore » is a discussion of alternative methods for spatial modeling, including inverse distance weighting, triangulation, splines, trend-surface analysis, and simulation.« less

  5. Splitting livers: Trans-hilar or trans-umbilical division? Technical aspects and comparative outcomes.

    PubMed

    de Ville de Goyet, J; di Francesco, F; Sottani, V; Grimaldi, C; Tozzi, A E; Monti, L; Muiesan, P

    2015-08-01

    Controversy remains about the best line of division for liver splitting, through Segment IV or through the umbilical fissure. Both techniques are currently used, with the choice varying between surgical teams in the absence of an evidence-based choice. We conducted a single-center retrospective analysis of 47 left split liver grafts that were procured with two different division techniques: "classical" (N = 28, Group A) or through the umbilical fissure and plate (N = 19, Group B). The allocation of recipients to each group was at random; a single transplant team performed all transplantations. Demographics, characteristics, technical aspects, and outcomes were similar in both groups. The grafts in Group A, prepared with the classical technique, were procured more often with a single BD orifice compared with the grafts in Group B; however, this was not associated with a higher incidence of biliary problems in this series of transplants (96% actual graft survival rate [median ± s.d. 26 ± 20 months]). Both techniques provide good quality split grafts and an excellent outcome; surgical expertise with a given technique is more relevant than the technique itself. The classical technique, however, seems to be more flexible in various ways, and surgeons may find it to be preferable. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Aspect-related Vegetation Differences Amplify Soil Moisture Variability in Semiarid Landscapes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yetemen, O.; Srivastava, A.; Kumari, N.; Saco, P. M.

    2017-12-01

    Soil moisture variability (SMV) in semiarid landscapes is affected by vegetation, soil texture, climate, aspect, and topography. The heterogeneity in vegetation cover that results from the effects of microclimate, terrain attributes (slope gradient, aspect, drainage area etc.), soil properties, and spatial variability in precipitation have been reported to act as the dominant factors modulating SMV in semiarid ecosystems. However, the role of hillslope aspect in SMV, though reported in many field studies, has not received the same degree of attention probably due to the lack of extensive large datasets. Numerical simulations can then be used to elucidate the contribution of aspect-driven vegetation patterns to this variability. In this work, we perform a sensitivity analysis to study on variables driving SMV using the CHILD landscape evolution model equipped with a spatially-distributed solar-radiation component that couples vegetation dynamics and surface hydrology. To explore how aspect-driven vegetation heterogeneity contributes to the SMV, CHILD was run using a range of parameters selected to reflect different scenarios (from uniform to heterogeneous vegetation cover). Throughout the simulations, the spatial distribution of soil moisture and vegetation cover are computed to estimate the corresponding coefficients of variation. Under the uniform spatial precipitation forcing and uniform soil properties, the factors affecting the spatial distribution of solar insolation are found to play a key role in the SMV through the emergence of aspect-driven vegetation patterns. Hence, factors such as catchment gradient, aspect, and latitude, define water stress and vegetation growth, and in turn affect the available soil moisture content. Interestingly, changes in soil properties (porosity, root depth, and pore-size distribution) over the domain are not as effective as the other factors. These findings show that the factors associated to aspect-related vegetation

  7. Technical and tactical skills related to performance levels in tennis: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Kolman, Nikki S; Kramer, Tamara; Elferink-Gemser, Marije T; Huijgen, Barbara C H; Visscher, Chris

    2018-06-11

    The aim of this systematic review is to provide an overview of outcome measures and instruments identified in the literature for examining technical and tactical skills in tennis related to performance levels. Such instruments can be used to identify talent or the specific skill development training needs of particular players. Searches for this review were conducted using the PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycInfo databases. Out of 733 publications identified through these searches, 40 articles were considered relevant and included in this study. They were divided into three categories: (1) technical skills, (2) tactical skills and (3) integrated technical and tactical skills. There was strong evidence that technical skills (ball velocity and to a lesser extent ball accuracy) and tactical skills (decision making, anticipation, tactical knowledge and visual search strategies) differed among players according to their performance levels. However, integrated measurement of these skills is required, because winning a point largely hinges on a tactical decision to perform a particular stroke (i.e., technical execution). Therefore, future research should focus on examining the relationship between these skills and tennis performance and on the development of integrated methods for measuring these skills.

  8. Technical Aspects for the Creation of a Multi-Dimensional Land Information System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ioannidis, Charalabos; Potsiou, Chryssy; Soile, Sofia; Verykokou, Styliani; Mourafetis, George; Doulamis, Nikolaos

    2016-06-01

    The complexity of modern urban environments and civil demands for fast, reliable and affordable decision-making requires not only a 3D Land Information System, which tends to replace traditional 2D LIS architectures, but also the need to address the time and scale parameters, that is, the 3D geometry of buildings in various time instances (4th dimension) at various levels of detail (LoDs - 5th dimension). This paper describes and proposes solutions for technical aspects that need to be addressed for the 5D modelling pipeline. Such solutions include the creation of a 3D model, the application of a selective modelling procedure between various time instances and at various LoDs, enriched with cadastral and other spatial data, and a procedural modelling approach for the representation of the inner parts of the buildings. The methodology is based on automatic change detection algorithms for spatial-temporal analysis of the changes that took place in subsequent time periods, using dense image matching and structure from motion algorithms. The selective modelling approach allows a detailed modelling only for the areas where spatial changes are detected. The procedural modelling techniques use programming languages for the textual semantic description of a building; they require the modeller to describe its part-to-whole relationships. Finally, a 5D viewer is developed, in order to tackle existing limitations that accompany the use of global systems, such as the Google Earth or the Google Maps, as visualization software. An application based on the proposed methodology in an urban area is presented and it provides satisfactory results.

  9. 37 CFR 5.20 - Export of technical data relating to sensitive nuclear technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... relating to sensitive nuclear technology. 5.20 Section 5.20 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED... LICENSES TO EXPORT AND FILE APPLICATIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES Licenses for Foreign Exporting and Filing § 5.20 Export of technical data relating to sensitive nuclear technology. Under regulations (10 CFR 810.7...

  10. 37 CFR 5.20 - Export of technical data relating to sensitive nuclear technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... relating to sensitive nuclear technology. 5.20 Section 5.20 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED... LICENSES TO EXPORT AND FILE APPLICATIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES Licenses for Foreign Exporting and Filing § 5.20 Export of technical data relating to sensitive nuclear technology. Under regulations (10 CFR 810.7...

  11. Sexual Aspects of Multilateral Relations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Constantine, Joan M.; Constantine, Larry L.

    1971-01-01

    This study involved a variety of data gathering techniques focusing on almost every aspect of multilateral marriages. Specific topics covered included sex as motivation, group sex, sleeping arrangements, cohesion, sexual problems, jealousy, roles and sex differences. (Author/CG)

  12. Autism spectrum disorders in relation to parental occupation in technical fields.

    PubMed

    Windham, Gayle C; Fessel, Karen; Grether, Judith K

    2009-08-01

    A previous study reported that fathers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were more likely to work as engineers, requiring "systemizing skills," and suggesting a distinct phenotype, but alternatively this may have been related to selection biases. We conducted a population-based study to explore whether fathers, or mothers, of children with ASD are over-represented in fields requiring highly technical skills. Subjects included 284 children with ASD and 659 gender-matched controls, born in 1994 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Parental occupation and industry were abstracted verbatim from birth certificates. Engineering, computer programming, and science were examined as highly technical occupations. To limit bias by parental socio-economic status, we selected a referent group of occupations that seemed professionally similar but of a less technical nature. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by logistic regression, adjusting for parental age, education, and child race. Mothers of cases were somewhat more likely to work in hi-tech occupations (6.7%) than mothers of controls (4.0%, P=0.07), but little difference was observed among fathers, nor for engineering separately. Compared to parents in other "white collar" occupations, the adjusted OR for highly technical occupations among mothers was 2.5 (95% CI: 1.2-5.3) and among fathers was 1.3 (95% CI: 0.79-2.1), with no evidence of a joint effect observed. Our results regarding maternal occupation in technical fields being associated with ASD in offspring suggest further study to distinguish parental occupation as a phenotypic marker of genetic loading vs. other social or exposure factors.

  13. Relation between self-organized criticality and grain aspect ratio in granular piles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Denisov, D. V.; Villanueva, Y. Y.; Lőrincz, K. A.; May, S.; Wijngaarden, R. J.

    2012-05-01

    We investigate experimentally whether self-organized criticality (SOC) occurs in granular piles composed of different grains, namely, rice, lentils, quinoa, and mung beans. These four grains were selected to have different aspect ratios, from oblong to oblate. As a function of aspect ratio, we determined the growth (β) and roughness (α) exponents, the avalanche fractal dimension (D), the avalanche size distribution exponent (τ), the critical angle (γ), and its fluctuation. At superficial inspection, three types of grains seem to have power-law-distributed avalanches with a well-defined τ. However, only rice is truly SOC if we take three criteria into account: a power-law-shaped avalanche size distribution, finite size scaling, and a universal scaling relation relating characteristic exponents. We study SOC as a spatiotemporal fractal; in particular, we study the spatial structure of criticality from local observation of the slope angle. From the fluctuation of the slope angle we conclude that greater fluctuation (and thus bigger avalanches) happen in piles consisting of grains with larger aspect ratio.

  14. Aviation Trends Related to Atmospheric Environment Safety Technologies Project Technical Challenges

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reveley, Mary S.; Withrow, Colleen A.; Barr, Lawrence C.; Evans, Joni K.; Leone, Karen M.; Jones, Sharon M.

    2014-01-01

    Current and future aviation safety trends related to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Atmospheric Environment Safety Technologies Project's three technical challenges (engine icing characterization and simulation capability; airframe icing simulation and engineering tool capability; and atmospheric hazard sensing and mitigation technology capability) were assessed by examining the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident database (1989 to 2008), incidents from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accident/incident database (1989 to 2006), and literature from various industry and government sources. The accident and incident data were examined for events involving fixed-wing airplanes operating under Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Parts 121, 135, and 91 for atmospheric conditions related to airframe icing, ice-crystal engine icing, turbulence, clear air turbulence, wake vortex, lightning, and low visibility (fog, low ceiling, clouds, precipitation, and low lighting). Five future aviation safety risk areas associated with the three AEST technical challenges were identified after an exhaustive survey of a variety of sources and include: approach and landing accident reduction, icing/ice detection, loss of control in flight, super density operations, and runway safety.

  15. Technical analysis of US Army Weapons Systems and related advanced technologies of military interest. Final report

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

    NONE

    1991-06-14

    This report summarizes the activities and accomplishments of an US Army technology security project designed to identify and develop effective policy guidelines for militarily critical technologies in specific Army systems and in broad generic technology areas of military interest, Individual systems analyses are documented in separate Weapons Systems Technical Assessments (WSTAs) and the general generic technology areas are evaluated in the Advanced Technology Assessment Reports (ATARs), However, specific details of these assessments are not addressed here, only recommendations regarding aspects of the defined approach, methodology, and format are provided and discussed.

  16. easyCBM® Reading Criterion Related Validity Evidence: Grades K-1. Technical Report #1309

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lai, Cheng-Fei; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

    2013-01-01

    In this technical report, we present the results of a study to gather criterion-related evidence for Grade K-1 easyCBM® reading measures. We used correlations to examine the relation between the easyCBM® measures and other published measures with known reliability and validity evidence, including the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy…

  17. Reader-Centered Technical Writing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Narayanan, M.

    2012-12-01

    Technical writing is an essential part of professional communication and in recent years it has shifted from a genre-based approach. Formerly, technical writing primarily focused on generating templates of documents and sometimes it was creating or reproducing traditional forms with minor modifications and updates. Now, technical writing looks at the situations surrounding the need to write. This involves deep thinking about the goals and objectives of the project on hand. Furthermore, one observes that it is very important for any participatory process to have the full support of management. This support needs to be well understood and believed by employees. Professional writing may be very persuasive in some cases. When presented in the appropriate context, technical writing can persuade a company to improve work conditions ensuring employee safety and timely production. However, one must recognize that lot of professional writing still continues to make use of reports and instruction manuals. Normally, technical and professional writing addresses four aspects. Objective: The need for generating a given professionally written technical document and the goals the document is expected to achieve and accomplish. Clientele: The clientele who will utilize the technical document. This may include the people in the organization. This may also include "unintended readers." Customers: The population that may be affected by the content of the technical document generated. This includes the stakeholders who will be influenced. Environment: The background in which the document is created. Also, the nature of the situation that warranted the generation of the document. Swiss Psychologist Jean Piaget's view of Learning focuses on three aspects. The author likes to extend Jean Piaget's ideas to students, who are asked to prepare and submit Reader-Centered Technical Writing reports and exercises. Assimilation: Writers may benefit specifically, by assimilating a new object into

  18. easyCBM® Reading Criterion Related Validity Evidence: Grades 2-5. Technical Report #1310

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lai, Cheng-Fei; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

    2013-01-01

    In this technical report, we present the results of a study to gather criterion-related evidence for Grade 2-5 easyCBM® reading measures. We used correlations to examine the relation between the easyCBM® measures and other published measures with known reliability and validity evidence, including the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests and the Dynamic…

  19. Technical review of the da Vinci surgical telemanipulator.

    PubMed

    Freschi, C; Ferrari, V; Melfi, F; Ferrari, M; Mosca, F; Cuschieri, A

    2013-12-01

    The da Vinci robotic surgical telemanipulator has been utilized in several surgical specialties for varied procedures, and the users' experiences have been widely published. To date, no detailed system technical analyses have been performed. A detailed review was performed of all publications and patents about the technical aspects of the da Vinci robotic system. Published technical literature on the da Vinci system highlight strengths and weaknesses of the robot design. While the system facilitates complex surgical operations and has a low malfunction rate, the lack of haptic (especially tactile) feedback and collisions between the robotic arms remain the major limitations of the system. Accurate, preplanned positioning of access ports is essential. Knowledge of the technical aspects of the da Vinci robot is important for optimal use. We confirmed the excellent system functionality and ease of use for surgeons without an engineering background. Research and development of the surgical robot has been predominant in the literature. Future trends address robot miniaturization and intelligent control design. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. Technical aspects of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) examinations: tips and tricks.

    PubMed

    Greis, C

    2014-01-01

    Ultrasound contrast agents have substantially extended the clinical value of ultrasound, allowing the assessment of blood flow and distribution in real-time down to microcapillary level. Selective imaging of contrast agent signals requires a contrast-specific imaging mode on the ultrasound scanner, allowing real-time separation of tissue and contrast agent signals. The creation of a contrast image requires a specific interaction between the insonated ultrasound wave and the contrast agent microbubbles, leading to persistent oscillation of the bubbles. Several technical and procedural parameters have a significant influence on the quality of CEUS images and should be controlled carefully to obtain good image quality and a reliable diagnosis. Achieving the proper balance between the respective parameters is a matter of technical knowledge and experience. Appropriate training and education should be mandatory for every investigator performing CEUS examinations.

  1. Finance Program, Technical Assistance Brief 1

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1993-01-01

    This four page pamphlet highlights the work of the Federal Transit : Administration's Office of Technical Assistance and Safety. Articles in this : issue are: Transit's Finance Challenge, which discusses the three main aspects : of the Office's Finan...

  2. [Ethical questions related to nutrition and hidration: basic aspects].

    PubMed

    Collazo Chao, E; Girela, E

    2011-01-01

    Conditions that pose ethical problems related to nutrition and hydration are very common nowdays, particularly within Hospitals among terminally ill patients and other patients who require nutrition and hydration. In this article we intend to analyze some circumstances, according to widely accepted ethical values, in order to outline a clear action model to help clinicians in making such difficult decisions. The problematic situations analyzed include: should hydration and nutrition be considered basic care or therapeutic measures?, and the ethical aspects of enteral versus parenteral nutrition.

  3. Practical aspects of telehealth: financial considerations.

    PubMed

    Loh, P K; Sabesan, S; Allen, D; Caldwell, P; Mozer, R; Komesaroff, P A; Talman, P; Williams, M; Shaheen, N; Grabinski, O; Withnall, D

    2013-07-01

    The second in a series of articles about the practical aspects of telehealth, this paper includes information and a case history on the cost-benefits for patients and practitioners using telehealth. The case history demonstrates that telehealth can save travel time for patients, carers and specialists, and can reduce out-of-pocket expenses. The practical aspects of telehealth article series considers the contextual, clinical, technical and ethical components of online video consultations. © 2013 The Authors; Internal Medicine Journal © 2013 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

  4. Restoring tactile and erogenous penile sensation in low-spinal-lesion patients: procedural and technical aspects following 43 TOMAX nerve transfer procedures.

    PubMed

    Overgoor, Max L E; de Jong, Tom P V M; Kon, Moshe

    2014-08-01

    The "TOMAX" (TO MAX-imize sensation, sexuality, and quality of life) procedure restores genital sensation in men with low spinal lesions, improving sexual health, as shown previously. It connects the dorsal nerve of the penis to the intact ipsilateral ilioinguinal nerve, unilaterally or bilaterally. This study reports on the technical aspects based on 43 TOMAX nerve transfers. In 40 patients with no penile but intact groin sensation, 43 nerve transfers were performed. Data on patient selection, surgical history, anatomy of the ilioinguinal nerve and dorsal nerve of the penis, unilateral or bilateral surgery, surgical technique, complications, and patient information were collected prospectively. Regardless of origin, all patients with no penile but good groin sensation are eligible for the procedure, provided the ilioinguinal nerve is not damaged because of former inguinal surgery or absent because of anatomical variations. Selection of a unilateral or bilateral procedure depends on the presence or absence of reflex erections and bulbocavernosus reflex. Preliminary experience with the first three bilateral cases shows that it is technically feasible, with encouraging results. The surgical technique has evolved (described in detail, including video) to enhance outcome and reduce complications. Patients are better informed, resulting in realistic expectations. This article synthesizes the procedural and technical experience of 43 TOMAX nerve transfers. Anyone skilled in peripheral nerve surgery and microsurgery can adopt this concept and further develop it. The TOMAX procedure can then be used to restore erogenous penile sensation and improve the quality of sexual health in patients with absent penile but good groin sensation.

  5. Research on Statistical Methodology Applicable to Technical Problems Associated with Navy Programs.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-10-01

    the fleetwide use of organotin antifouling paints that contain tributyltin ( TBT ), a tin-based compound, as a biocide. Organotin antifouling compounds...with this program has been devoted to providing technical and analytical support on various related statistical aspects. The TBT -release rate of a...paini ;q detrmined by placing a coated specimen panel or cylinder into a container of synthetic seawater, measuring the increasing concentration of TBT in

  6. Book Review: New Perspectives on Technical Editing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murphy, A. J. (Ed.); Sterken, Christiaan

    2012-08-01

    New Perspectives on Technical Editing by Avon J. Murphy (ed.) ISBN : 978-0895033949 (2010) Baywood Publishing Company Inc, Hardcover, 210 pages, 35.5 GBP This book presents a collection of 10 chapters dealing with diverse aspects of technical editing (ie, editorial planning, and analysis and structural changes made to other people's technological documents): research in technical editing, trends and teaching of technical editing, copyediting, and technical journal editing. The role and function of the modern journal and book editor is also dealt with in detail. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field: senior editors, university professors in technical communication, technical writers and linguists. The ever-evolving role of the editor is clearly elucidated in several historical reviews, and in the descriptions of the expectations for the future. A very striking aspect of this book is its extensive collection of bibliographic resources: every chapter lists dozens of very useful references, and the closing chapter, and annotated bibliography, contain many not so well known references, and are most useful. All in all, the book is a treasure trove listing more than 400 references, in addition to numerous webpage URLs embedded in the texts. The book is designed to help the reader to understand current practices and norms in technical editing, and to help to take action in editing as well as in teaching and educating would-be editors. The audience for this book thus includes editors and teachers, but also writers, researchers and students. A deep reading of this book will result in a better understanding of the difference between full technical editing and its much narrower component so well known as copyediting, and will convince any prospective editor that editing should not be undertaken if the people involved do not master the art of precision and accuracy in technical (as well as in human) communication, do not possess the technical know how and computer

  7. Engineering the System and Technical Integration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Blair, J. C.; Ryan, R. S.; Schutzenhofer, L. A.

    2011-01-01

    Approximately 80% of the problems encountered in aerospace systems have been due to a breakdown in technical integration and/or systems engineering. One of the major challenges we face in designing, building, and operating space systems is: how is adequate integration achieved for the systems various functions, parts, and infrastructure? This Contractor Report (CR) deals with part of the problem of how we engineer the total system in order to achieve the best balanced design. We will discuss a key aspect of this question - the principle of Technical Integration and its components, along with management and decision making. The CR will first provide an introduction with a discussion of the Challenges in Space System Design and meeting the challenges. Next is an overview of Engineering the System including Technical Integration. Engineering the System is expanded to include key aspects of the Design Process, Lifecycle Considerations, etc. The basic information and figures used in this CR were presented in a NASA training program for Program and Project Managers Development (PPMD) in classes at Georgia Tech and at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Many of the principles and illustrations are extracted from the courses we teach for MSFC.

  8. Technical aspects of neurostimulation: Focus on equipment, electric field modeling, and stimulation protocols.

    PubMed

    Klooster, D C W; de Louw, A J A; Aldenkamp, A P; Besseling, R M H; Mestrom, R M C; Carrette, S; Zinger, S; Bergmans, J W M; Mess, W H; Vonck, K; Carrette, E; Breuer, L E M; Bernas, A; Tijhuis, A G; Boon, P

    2016-06-01

    Neuromodulation is a field of science, medicine, and bioengineering that encompasses implantable and non-implantable technologies for the purpose of improving quality of life and functioning of humans. Brain neuromodulation involves different neurostimulation techniques: transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), and deep brain stimulation (DBS), which are being used both to study their effects on cognitive brain functions and to treat neuropsychiatric disorders. The mechanisms of action of neurostimulation remain incompletely understood. Insight into the technical basis of neurostimulation might be a first step towards a more profound understanding of these mechanisms, which might lead to improved clinical outcome and therapeutic potential. This review provides an overview of the technical basis of neurostimulation focusing on the equipment, the present understanding of induced electric fields, and the stimulation protocols. The review is written from a technical perspective aimed at supporting the use of neurostimulation in clinical practice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Digital Aquifer - Integrating modeling, technical, software and policy aspects to develop a groundwater management tool

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tirupathi, S.; McKenna, S. A.; Fleming, K.; Wambua, M.; Waweru, P.; Ondula, E.

    2016-12-01

    Groundwater management has traditionally been observed as a study for long term policy measures to ensure that the water resource is sustainable. IBM Research, in association with the World Bank, extended this traditional analysis to include realtime groundwater management by building a context-aware, water rights management and permitting system. As part of this effort, one of the primary objectives was to develop a groundwater flow model that can help the policy makers with a visual overview of the current groundwater distribution. In addition, the system helps the policy makers simulate a range of scenarios and check the sustainability of the groundwater resource in a given region. The system also enables a license provider to check the effect of the introduction of a new well on the existing wells in the domain as well as the groundwater resource in general. This process simplifies how an engineer will determine if a new well should be approved. Distance to the nearest well neighbors and the maximum decreases in water levels of nearby wells are continually assessed and presented as evidence for an engineer to make the final judgment on approving the permit. The system also facilitates updated insights on the amount of groundwater left in an area and provides advice on how water fees should be structured to balance conservation and economic development goals. In this talk, we will discuss the concept of Digital Aquifer, the challenges in integrating modeling, technical and software aspects to develop a management system that helps policy makers and license providers with a robust decision making tool. We will concentrate on the groundwater model developed using the analytic element method that plays a very important role in the decision making aspects. Finally, the efficiency of this system and methodology is shown through a case study in Laguna Province, Philippines, which was done in collaboration with the National Water Resource Board, Philippines and World

  10. Some technical writing skills industry needs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, F. R.

    1981-01-01

    It is suggested that engineers and other technical students be taught three classes of skills in technical writing. First, "Big Picture Things", which includes: the importance of clear writing, the wide scope of writing, the wide scope of writing tasks that will be faced in industry, and the principles of organization of technical materials such as; how to analyze, classify, partition, and interpret. Second, "Writing Procedures", which encompasses: how to get words on paper efficiently and team-write. Third, "Writing Details", in which two considerations are important: how to achieve precision in the use of language and the aspects of style. Three problems in style are cited: the problem of sentence transition, overuse of attributive adjectives, and verbosity in paragraph structure. The most important thing in technical writing is considered to be functionality, economy and clarity.

  11. An assessment of scientific and technical aspects of closed investigations of canine forensics DNA--case series from the University of California, Davis, USA.

    PubMed

    Scharnhorst, Günther; Kanthaswamy, Sree

    2011-06-01

    To describe and assess the scientific and technical aspects of animal forensic testing at the University of California, Davis. The findings and recommendations contained in this report are designed to assess the past, evaluate the present, and recommend reforms that will assist the animal forensic science community in providing the best possible services that comply with court standards and bear judicial scrutiny. A batch of 32 closed files of domestic dog DNA cases processed at the University of California, Davis, between August 2003 and July 2005 were reviewed in this study. The case files comprised copies of all original paperwork, copies of the cover letter or final report, laboratory notes, notes on analyses, submission forms, internal chains of custody, printed images and photocopies of evidence, as well as the administrative and technical reviews of those cases. While the fundamental aspects of animal DNA testing may be reliable and acceptable, the scientific basis for forensic testing animal DNA needs to be improved substantially. In addition to a lack of standardized and validated genetic testing protocols, improvements are needed in a wide range of topics including quality assurance and quality control measures, sample handling, evidence testing, statistical analysis, and reporting. This review implies that although a standardized panel of short tandem repeat and mitochondrial DNA markers and publicly accessible genetic databases for canine forensic DNA analysis are already available, the persistent lack of supporting resources, including standardized quality assurance and quality control programs, still plagues the animal forensic community. This report focuses on closed cases from the period 2003-2005, but extends its scope more widely to include other animal DNA forensic testing services.

  12. Cultural aspects related to informed consent in health research: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Halkoaho, Arja; Pietilä, Anna-Maija; Ebbesen, Mette; Karki, Suyen; Kangasniemi, Mari

    2016-09-01

    In order to protect the autonomy of human subjects, we need to take their culture into account when we are obtaining informed consent. This study describes the cultural aspects related to informed consent in health research and is based on electronic searches that were conducted using the Scopus, PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases published between 2000 and 2013. A total of 25 articles were selected. Our findings indicate that cultural perspectives relating to the informed consent process are essential during the whole research process and particularly crucial in the planning phase of a study. Our study indicates that appropriate communication between different stakeholders plays a vital role in cultural understanding. The researchers' awareness of cultural differences and their ability to work in a culturally sensitive way are key factors in improving study participation and retention in a multicultural context. Taking cultural aspects into account during the whole research process improves the quality of research. © The Author(s) 2015.

  13. [Hepatic cell transplantation. Technical and methodological aspects].

    PubMed

    Pareja, Eugenia; Martínez, Amparo; Cortés, Miriam; Bonora, Ana; Moya, Angel; Sanjuán, Fernando; Gómez-Lechón, M José; Mir, José

    2010-03-01

    Hepatic cell transplantation consists of grafting already differentiated cells such as hepatocytes. Human hepatocytes are viable and functionally active. Liver cell transplantation is carried out by means of a 3-step method: isolation of hepatocytes from donor liver rejected for orthotopic transplantation, preparing a cell suspension for infusion and, finally, hepatocytes are implanted into the recipient. There are established protocols for the isolation of human hepatocytes from unused segments of donor livers, based on collagenase digestion of cannulated liver tissue at 37 degrees C. The hepatocytes can be used fresh or cryopreserved. Cryopreservation of isolated human hepatocytes would then be available for planned use. In cell transplant, the important aspects are: infusion route, number of cells, number of infusions and viability of the cells. The cells are infused into the patient through a catheter inserted via portal vein or splenic artery. Liver cell transplantation allows liver tissue to be used that would, otherwise, be discarded, enabling multiple patients to be treated with hepatocytes from a single tissue donor. Copyright 2009 AEC. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  14. Relations among Aspects of Children's Social Environments, Gender Schematization, Gender Role Knowledge, and Flexibility.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levy, Gary D.

    1989-01-01

    Provides a theory-based examination of relations among aspects of preschool children's social environments and cognitive indices of their gender role development. Examines differences in the relations among social agents on cognitive indices of girls' and boys' gender role development. Significant sex differences are discussed. (JS)

  15. Public Relations Aspects of the Position of Administrative Assistant in Higher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Jim R.

    In an analysis of the public relations aspects of the position of administrative assistant as perceived by college and university presidents, questionnaires were mailed to 1102 college and university presidents. A cover letter instructed the presidents to fill out the questionnaire with reference to "a person deemed the administrative assistant on…

  16. Technical proficiency in cytopathology: assessment through external quality assurance.

    PubMed

    Cummings, M C; Greaves, J; Shukor, R A; Perkins, G; Ross, J

    2017-04-01

    To assess both the feasibility and value of conducting an external quality assurance programme concerning technical aspects of cytopathology laboratory practice, and the interest by laboratories in enrolling in such a programme. Six technical surveys, comprising staining exercises and questionnaires relating to laboratory practice, were distributed over a 4-year period to the approximately 220 laboratories enrolled in the RCPAQAP Cytopathology slide survey modules. Staining exercises using the Papanicolaou and Romanowsky techniques, the preparation of urine and body fluid specimens and immunocytochemistry on the cell block material were assessed. Accompanying relevant questionnaires were included, and one survey comprised a questionnaire alone concerning the collection of urinary tract and body fluid samples. Provision of an external cytopathology technical module was feasible for the RCPAQAP and participation rates (maximum of 87% per survey; average 68% for stained slides and 66% for questionnaires) were commendable, particularly considering these were optional undertakings with some exercises not applicable to all laboratories. The great majority of submitted slides were scored as satisfactory, and there was an especially high standard for the immunocytochemical staining exercise with 95% considered satisfactory, including 50.6% with a perfect score. Reasons for suboptimal scores were provided for potential quality improvement for interested laboratories. A wealth of information relating to laboratory practice was provided to the RCPAQAP which was collated and summarised for laboratory use. The provision of a technical module in cytopathology is both a feasible and valuable undertaking of interest to laboratories which should become standard practice for cytopathology external quality assurance providers. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. 78 FR 31976 - Bureau of Labor Statistics Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting and Agenda

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Bureau of Labor Statistics Bureau of Labor Statistics Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting and Agenda The Bureau of Labor Statistics Technical Advisory Committee will... Labor Statistics (BLS) on technical aspects of the collection and formulation of economic measures. The...

  18. 77 FR 27252 - Bureau of Labor Statistics Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting and Agenda

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Bureau of Labor Statistics Bureau of Labor Statistics Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting and Agenda The Bureau of Labor Statistics Technical Advisory Committee will... Labor Statistics (BLS) on technical aspects of the collection and formulation of economic measures. The...

  19. Expanding indications and regional diversity in laparoscopic liver resection unveiled by the International Survey on Technical Aspects of Laparoscopic Liver Resection (INSTALL) study.

    PubMed

    Hibi, Taizo; Cherqui, Daniel; Geller, David A; Itano, Osamu; Kitagawa, Yuko; Wakabayashi, Go

    2016-07-01

    Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) has undergone widespread dissemination after the first international consensus conference in 2008, and specialized centers continue to report remarkable achievements. However, little is known about the global adoption of LLR. This study aimed to illuminate geographical variances in the indications and technical aspects of LLR and to delineate the evolution of this approach worldwide. In advance of the Second International Consensus Conference in Morioka, Japan, a web-based, anonymous questionnaire comprising 46 questions, named the International Survey on Technical Aspects of Laparoscopic Liver Resection study, was sent via e-mail to the members of regional and International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association offices. The results of the 13 questions concerning the global diffusion of LLR have been reported previously. Responses to the remaining 33 questions that corresponded to indications and surgical techniques used in LLR were collected and analyzed. Survey responses were received from 412 LLR surgeons in 42 countries on five continents. The majority of surgeons in North America had no restrictions on the maximum size or number of tumors to be resected laparoscopically. Likewise, >50 % of surgeons in East Asia and North America performed LLR for the postero-superior 'difficult' segments. Major resection was performed in 40 to >60 % of centers in North America, Europe, and East Asia. Donor hepatectomy was performed only in specialized centers. More than 75 % of respondents had adopted a pure laparoscopic approach. A flexible laparoscope was most commonly used in East Asia. Most surgeons used pneumoperitoneal pressure at around 9-16 mmHg. Other techniques and devices were used at the discretion of each surgeon. Indications for LLR continue to expand with some regional diversity. Surgical approaches and devices used in LLR are a matter of preference and availability, as in open liver resection.

  20. An assessment of scientific and technical aspects of closed investigations of canine forensics DNA – case series from the University of California, Davis, USA

    PubMed Central

    Scharnhorst, Günther; Kanthaswamy, Sree

    2011-01-01

    Aim To describe and assess the scientific and technical aspects of animal forensic testing at the University of California, Davis. The findings and recommendations contained in this report are designed to assess the past, evaluate the present, and recommend reforms that will assist the animal forensic science community in providing the best possible services that comply with court standards and bear judicial scrutiny. Methods A batch of 32 closed files of domestic dog DNA cases processed at the University of California, Davis, between August 2003 and July 2005 were reviewed in this study. The case files comprised copies of all original paperwork, copies of the cover letter or final report, laboratory notes, notes on analyses, submission forms, internal chains of custody, printed images and photocopies of evidence, as well as the administrative and technical reviews of those cases. Results While the fundamental aspects of animal DNA testing may be reliable and acceptable, the scientific basis for forensic testing animal DNA needs to be improved substantially. In addition to a lack of standardized and validated genetic testing protocols, improvements are needed in a wide range of topics including quality assurance and quality control measures, sample handling, evidence testing, statistical analysis, and reporting. Conclusion This review implies that although a standardized panel of short tandem repeat and mitochondrial DNA markers and publicly accessible genetic databases for canine forensic DNA analysis are already available, the persistent lack of supporting resources, including standardized quality assurance and quality control programs, still plagues the animal forensic community. This report focuses on closed cases from the period 2003-2005, but extends its scope more widely to include other animal DNA forensic testing services. PMID:21674824

  1. Examining cultural, social, and self-related aspects of stigma in relation to sexual assault and trauma symptoms.

    PubMed

    Deitz, Mandi F; Williams, Stacey L; Rife, Sean C; Cantrell, Peggy

    2015-05-01

    The current study investigated a model explaining sexual assault victims' severity of trauma symptoms that incorporated multiple stigma constructs. Integrating the sexual assault literature with the stigma literature, this study sought to better understand trauma-related outcomes of sexual assault by examining three levels of stigma-cultural, social, and self. Results showed self-stigma was significantly and positively related to trauma symptom severity. Thus, results revealed that the internalized aspect of stigma served as a mechanism in the relation between sexual assault severity and increased levels of trauma symptom severity, highlighting the importance of assessing self-stigma in women reporting sexual assault experiences. © The Author(s) 2015.

  2. Activational and effort-related aspects of motivation: neural mechanisms and implications for psychopathology

    PubMed Central

    Yohn, Samantha E.; López-Cruz, Laura; San Miguel, Noemí; Correa, Mercè

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Motivation has been defined as the process that allows organisms to regulate their internal and external environment, and control the probability, proximity and availability of stimuli. As such, motivation is a complex process that is critical for survival, which involves multiple behavioural functions mediated by a number of interacting neural circuits. Classical theories of motivation suggest that there are both directional and activational aspects of motivation, and activational aspects (i.e. speed and vigour of both the instigation and persistence of behaviour) are critical for enabling organisms to overcome work-related obstacles or constraints that separate them from significant stimuli. The present review discusses the role of brain dopamine and related circuits in behavioural activation, exertion of effort in instrumental behaviour, and effort-related decision-making, based upon both animal and human studies. Impairments in behavioural activation and effort-related aspects of motivation are associated with psychiatric symptoms such as anergia, fatigue, lassitude and psychomotor retardation, which cross multiple pathologies, including depression, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease. Therefore, this review also attempts to provide an interdisciplinary approach that integrates findings from basic behavioural neuroscience, behavioural economics, clinical neuropsychology, psychiatry, and neurology, to provide a coherent framework for future research and theory in this critical field. Although dopamine systems are a critical part of the brain circuitry regulating behavioural activation, exertion of effort, and effort-related decision-making, mesolimbic dopamine is only one part of a distributed circuitry that includes multiple neurotransmitters and brain areas. Overall, there is a striking similarity between the brain areas involved in behavioural activation and effort-related processes in rodents and in humans. Animal models of effort-related

  3. Launch Vehicle Design Process: Characterization, Technical Integration, and Lessons Learned

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Blair, J. C.; Ryan, R. S.; Schutzenhofer, L. A.; Humphries, W. R.

    2001-01-01

    Engineering design is a challenging activity for any product. Since launch vehicles are highly complex and interconnected and have extreme energy densities, their design represents a challenge of the highest order. The purpose of this document is to delineate and clarify the design process associated with the launch vehicle for space flight transportation. The goal is to define and characterize a baseline for the space transportation design process. This baseline can be used as a basis for improving effectiveness and efficiency of the design process. The baseline characterization is achieved via compartmentalization and technical integration of subsystems, design functions, and discipline functions. First, a global design process overview is provided in order to show responsibility, interactions, and connectivity of overall aspects of the design process. Then design essentials are delineated in order to emphasize necessary features of the design process that are sometimes overlooked. Finally the design process characterization is presented. This is accomplished by considering project technical framework, technical integration, process description (technical integration model, subsystem tree, design/discipline planes, decision gates, and tasks), and the design sequence. Also included in the document are a snapshot relating to process improvements, illustrations of the process, a survey of recommendations from experienced practitioners in aerospace, lessons learned, references, and a bibliography.

  4. Effects of technical editing in biomedical journals: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Wager, Elizabeth; Middleton, Philippa

    2002-06-05

    Technical editing supposedly improves the accuracy and clarity of journal articles. We examined evidence of its effects on research reports in biomedical journals. Subset of a systematic review using Cochrane methods, searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, and other databases from earliest entries to February 2000 by using inclusive search terms; hand searching relevant journals. We selected comparative studies of the effects of editorial processes on original research articles between acceptance and publication in biomedical journals. Two reviewers assessed each study and performed independent data extraction. The 11 studies on technical editing indicate that it improves the readability of articles slightly (as measured by Gunning Fog and Flesch reading ease scores), may improve other aspects of their quality, can increase the accuracy of references and quotations, and raises the quality of abstracts. Supplying authors with abstract preparation instructions had no discernible effect. Considering the time and resources devoted to technical editing, remarkably little is know about its effects or the effects of imposing different house styles. Studies performed at 3 journals employing relatively large numbers of professional technical editors suggest that their editorial processes are associated with increases in readability and quality of articles, but these findings may not be generalizable to other journals.

  5. Non-technical Issues in Design and Development of Personal Portable Devices.

    PubMed

    Lhotska, Lenka; Cheshire, Paul; Pharow, Peter; Macku, David

    2016-01-01

    Mobile technologies are constantly evolving and with the development of Internet of Things we can expect continuous increase of various applications. Mobile technologies have undeniable opportunities to play an important role in health services. Concerning purely technical aspects, almost every problem can be solved. However, there are still many unsolved and unclear issues related with ethics and governance mechanisms for mobile phone applications. These issues are even more critical in medical and health care applications of mobile technologies. This paper tries to analyse ethical, and privacy-related challenges that may occur when introducing Personal Portable Devices (PPD) to collect and record personal health data in health care and welfare environment.

  6. Looking Back, Moving Forward: Technical, Normative, and Political Dimensions of School Discipline

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wiley, Kathryn E.; Anyon, Yolanda; Yang, Jessica L.; Pauline, Malina E.; Rosch, Alyssa; Valladares, Giovana; Downing, Barbara J.; Pisciotta, Lisa

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: School discipline reformers have presumed that such work is largely a technical task, emphasizing discrete changes to discipline policies and protocols. Yet prior theory and research suggest that emphasizing technical changes may overlook additional and important aspects of reform, namely, the normative and political dimensions within…

  7. Addressing social aspects associated with wastewater treatment facilities

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

    Padilla-Rivera, Alejandro; Morgan-Sagastume, Juan Manuel; Noyola, Adalberto

    In wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF), technical and financial aspects have been considered a priority, while other issues, such as social aspects, have not been evaluated seriously and there is not an accepted methodology for assessing it. In this work, a methodology focused on social concerns related to WWTF is presented. The methodology proposes the use of 25 indicators as a framework for measuring social performance to evaluate the progress in moving towards sustainability. The methodology was applied to test its applicability and effectiveness in two WWTF in Mexico (urban and rural). This evaluation helped define the key elements, stakeholders andmore » barriers in the facilities. In this context, the urban facility showed a better overall performance, a result that may be explained mainly by the better socioeconomic context of the urban municipality. Finally, the evaluation of social aspects using the semi-qualitative approach proposed in this work allows for a comparison between different facilities and for the identification of strengths and weakness, and it provides an alternative tool for achieving and improving wastewater management. - Highlights: • The methodology proposes 25 indicators as a framework for measuring social performance in wastewater treatment facilities. • The evaluation helped to define the key elements, stakeholders and barriers in the wastewater treatment facilities. • The evaluation of social aspects allows the identification of strengths and weakness for improving wastewater management. • It provides a social profile of the facility that highlights the best and worst performances.« less

  8. Review of PREPA Technical Requirements for Interconnecting Wind and Solar Generation

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

    Gevorgian, Vahan; Booth, Sarah

    2013-11-01

    The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority developed the minimum technical requirements for interconnection of wind turbine generation and photovoltaic power plants. NREL has conducted a review of these requirements based on generic technical aspects and electrical characteristics of wind and photovoltaic power plants, and on existing requirements from other utilities (both U.S. and European).

  9. The Technical Communicator as Corporate Spokesperson: A Public Relations Primer.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Troester, Rod; Warburton, Terrence L.

    2001-01-01

    Examines the changing role of the technical communication professional in the rapidly evolving environment of organizational life. Presents five principles that serve as an initial step in laying a foundation for the preparation of technical communicators for the challenges and opportunities awaiting in contemporary organizations and the…

  10. A Tanzanian Perspective of the Technical Aspects of IT Service Management Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kemppainen, Jyri; Tedre, Matti; Sutinen, Erkki

    2012-01-01

    Information technology (IT) professionals face markedly different kinds of challenges in developing countries from the ones in developed countries. Based on the research literature and our fourteen years of fieldwork in Iringa, Tanzania, we have identified eight groups of technical characteristics of IT work that significantly affect the work of…

  11. Technical noise supplement : TeNS : a technical supplement to the Traffic Noise Analysis Protocol.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-10-01

    The purpose of this Technical Noise Supplement (TeNS) is to provide technical background : information on transportation-related noise in general and highway traffic noise in : particular. It is designed to elaborate on technical concepts and procedu...

  12. The Independent Technical Analysis Process Final Report 2006-2007.

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

    Duberstein, Corey; Ham, Kenneth; Dauble, Dennis

    2007-03-01

    The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) contracted with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to provide technical analytical support for system-wide fish passage information (BPA Project No. 2006-010-00). The goal of this project was to produce rigorous technical analysis products using independent analysts and anonymous peer reviewers. This project provided an independent technical source for non-routine fish passage analyses while allowing routine support functions to be performed by other well-qualified entities. The Independent Technical Analysis Process (ITAP) was created to provide non-routine analysis for fish and wildlife agencies and tribes in particular and the public in general on matters related tomore » juvenile and adult salmon and steelhead passage through the mainstem hydrosystem. The process was designed to maintain the independence of analysts and reviewers from parties requesting analyses, to avoid potential bias in technical products. The objectives identified for this project were to administer a rigorous, transparent process to deliver unbiased technical assistance necessary to coordinate recommendations for storage reservoir and river operations that avoid potential conflicts between anadromous and resident fish. Seven work elements, designated by numbered categories in the Pisces project tracking system, were created to define and accomplish project goals as follows: (1) 118 Coordination - Coordinate technical analysis and review process: (a) Retain expertise for analyst/reviewer roles. (b) Draft research directives. (c) Send directive to the analyst. (d) Coordinate two independent reviews of the draft report. (e) Ensure reviewer comments are addressed within the final report. (2) 162 Analyze/Interpret Data - Implement the independent aspects of the project. (3) 122 Provide Technical Review - Implement the review process for the analysts. (4) 132 Produce Annual Report - FY06 annual progress report with Pisces Disseminate (5

  13. Some Aspects of an Air-Core Single-Coil Magnetic Suspension System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hamlet, Irvin L.; Kilgore, Robert A.

    1966-01-01

    This paper presents some of the technical aspects in the development at the Langley Research Center of an air-cove, dual-wound, single-coil, magnetic-suspension system with one-dimensional control. Overall electrical system design features and techniques are discussed in addition to the problems of control and stability. Special treatment is given to the operation of a dual-wound, high-current support coil which provides the bias fields and superimposed modulated field. Other designs features include a six-phase, solid-state power stage for modulation of the relatively large magnitude control current, and an associated six-phase trigger circuit.

  14. 78 FR 27963 - Reliability Technical Conference; Notice of Technical Conference

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. AD13-6-000] Reliability Technical Conference; Notice of Technical Conference Take notice that the Federal Energy Regulatory... related to the reliability of the Bulk-Power System. A more formal agenda will be issued at a later date...

  15. Introduction to Technical Services. Seventh Edition. Library and Information Science Text Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans, G. Edward; Intner, Sheila S.; Weihs, Jean

    This updated edition covers all aspects of library technical services--from acquisitions to managing the cataloging department--with new emphasis on automation as it affects technical services work and those skills that can be developed through work experience or classroom instruction. Part One, General Background, consists of four chapters that…

  16. Activational and effort-related aspects of motivation: neural mechanisms and implications for psychopathology.

    PubMed

    Salamone, John D; Yohn, Samantha E; López-Cruz, Laura; San Miguel, Noemí; Correa, Mercè

    2016-05-01

    Motivation has been defined as the process that allows organisms to regulate their internal and external environment, and control the probability, proximity and availability of stimuli. As such, motivation is a complex process that is critical for survival, which involves multiple behavioural functions mediated by a number of interacting neural circuits. Classical theories of motivation suggest that there are both directional and activational aspects of motivation, and activational aspects (i.e. speed and vigour of both the instigation and persistence of behaviour) are critical for enabling organisms to overcome work-related obstacles or constraints that separate them from significant stimuli. The present review discusses the role of brain dopamine and related circuits in behavioural activation, exertion of effort in instrumental behaviour, and effort-related decision-making, based upon both animal and human studies. Impairments in behavioural activation and effort-related aspects of motivation are associated with psychiatric symptoms such as anergia, fatigue, lassitude and psychomotor retardation, which cross multiple pathologies, including depression, schizophrenia, and Parkinson's disease. Therefore, this review also attempts to provide an interdisciplinary approach that integrates findings from basic behavioural neuroscience, behavioural economics, clinical neuropsychology, psychiatry, and neurology, to provide a coherent framework for future research and theory in this critical field. Although dopamine systems are a critical part of the brain circuitry regulating behavioural activation, exertion of effort, and effort-related decision-making, mesolimbic dopamine is only one part of a distributed circuitry that includes multiple neurotransmitters and brain areas. Overall, there is a striking similarity between the brain areas involved in behavioural activation and effort-related processes in rodents and in humans. Animal models of effort-related decision

  17. Human Factors Engineering Aspects of Modifications in Control Room Modernization

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

    Hugo, Jacques; Clefton, Gordon; Joe, Jeffrey

    This report describes the basic aspects of control room modernization projects in the U.S. nuclear industry and the need for supplementary guidance on the integration of human factors considerations into the licensing and regulatory aspects of digital upgrades. The report pays specific attention to the integration of principles described in NUREG-0711 (Human Factors Engineering Program Review Model) and how supplementary guidance can help to raise general awareness in the industry regarding the complexities of control room modernization projects created by many interdependent regulations, standards and guidelines. The report also describes how human factors engineering principles and methods provided by variousmore » resources and international standards can help in navigating through the process of licensing digital upgrades. In particular, the integration of human factors engineering guidance and requirements into the process of licensing digital upgrades can help reduce uncertainty related to development of technical bases for digital upgrades that will avoid the introduction of new failure modes.« less

  18. SADI-S WITH RIGHT GASTRIC ARTERY LIGATION: TECHNICAL SYSTEMATIZATION AND EARLY RESULTS

    PubMed Central

    GEBELLI, Jordi Pujol; de GORDEJUELA, Amador Garcia Ruiz; RAMOS, Almino Cardoso; NORA, Mario; PEREIRA, Ana Marta; CAMPOS, Josemberg Marins; RAMOS, Manoela Galvão; BASTOS, Eduardo Lemos de Souza; MARCHESINI, João Batista

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Background: Bariatric surgery is performed all over the world with close to 500.000 procedures per year. The most performed techniques are Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy. Despite this data, the most effective procedure, biliopancreatic diversion with or without duodenal switch, represents only no more than 1.5% of the procedures. Technical complexity, morbidity, mortality, and severe nutritional adverse effects related to the procedure are the main fears that prevent most universal acceptance. Aim: To explain the technical aspects and the benefits of the SADI-S with right gastric artery ligation as an effective simplification from the original duodenal switch. Methods: Were included all patients undergoing this procedure from the November 2014 to May 2016, describing and analysing aspects of this technique, the systematization and early complications associated with the procedure. Results: A series of 67 patients were operated; 46 were women (68.7%); mean age of the group was 44 years old (33-56); and an average BMI of 53.5 kg/m2 (50-63.5). Surgical time was 115 min (80-180). A total of five patients (7.5%) had any complication and two (2.9%) had to be reoperated. There were two patients with leak, one at the duodenal stump and other at the esophagogastric angle. There was no mortality. Patients stayed at the hospital a median of 2.5 days (1-25). Conclusions: SADI-S with right gastric artery ligation is a safe procedure with few preliminary complications. The technical variations introduced to the classical duodenal switch are reproducible and may allow this procedure to be more popular. All the complications in this series were not related to the ligation of the right gastric artery. PMID:27683784

  19. An update on technical and methodological aspects for cardiac PET applications.

    PubMed

    Presotto, Luca; Busnardo, Elena; Gianolli, Luigi; Bettinardi, Valentino

    2016-12-01

    Positron emission tomography (PET) is indicated for a large number of cardiac diseases: perfusion and viability studies are commonly used to evaluate coronary artery disease; PET can also be used to assess sarcoidosis and endocarditis, as well as to investigate amyloidosis. Furthermore, a hot topic for research is plaque characterization. Most of these studies are technically very challenging. High count rates and short acquisition times characterize perfusion scans while very small targets have to be imaged in inflammation/infection and plaques examinations. Furthermore, cardiac PET suffers from respiratory and cardiac motion blur. Each type of studies has specific requirements from the technical and methodological point of view, thus PET systems with overall high performances are required. Furthermore, in the era of hybrid PET/computed tomography (CT) and PET/Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems, the combination of complementary functional and anatomical information can be used to improve diagnosis and prognosis. Moreover, PET images can be qualitatively and quantitatively improved exploiting information from the other modality, using advanced algorithms. In this review we will report the latest technological and methodological innovations for PET cardiac applications, with particular reference to the state of the art of the hybrid PET/CT and PET/MRI. We will also report the most recent advancements in software, from reconstruction algorithms to image processing and analysis programs.

  20. [Kidney patients: aspects related to compliance with renal treatment].

    PubMed

    Caraballo Nazario, G L; Lebrón de avilés, C; Dávila Torres, R R; Burgos Calderón, R

    2001-12-01

    The Objective of this study was identify the aspects related with the adherence of medical treatment recommended to the patients that received hemodialysis in the tertiary public hospital. A non experimental transectional correlation design was utilized in this study. Fifty-three patients constituted the population study. A structure interview was utilized to gathered the data. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were utilized to analysis. The response rate was 91.0%. The 75.0% of patients not compliance with the medical treatment. Significant association between compliance variable and educational level was encountered (p < or = 0.05). This study provides important findings to will develops educative intervention in the Renal Unit, directed to improve the adherence of the patient with medical treatment.

  1. Technical Issues Related to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garwin, Richard L.

    2003-04-01

    The National Academy of Sciences recently published a detailed study of technical factors related to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), with emphasis on those issues that arose when the Senate declined to ratify the Treaty in 1999. The study considered (1) the capacity of the United States to maintain confidence in the safety and reliability of its nuclear weapons without nuclear testing; (2) the capabilities of the international nuclear-test monitoring system; and (3) the advances in nuclear weapons capabilities that other countries might make through low-yield testing that might escape detection. Excluding political factors, the committee considered three possible future worlds: (1) a world without a CTBT; (2) a world in which the signatories comply with a CTBT; and (3) a world in the signatories evade its strictures within the limits set by the detection system. The talk and ensuing discussion will elaborate on the study. The principal conclusion of the report, based solely on technical reasons, is that the national security of the United States is better served with a CTBT in force than without it, whether or not other signatories conduct low level but undetected tests in violation of the treaty. Moreover, the study finds that nuclear testing would not add substantially to the US Stockpile Stewardship Program in allowing the United States to maintain confidence in the assessment of its existing nuclear weapons.

  2. Technical Issues Related to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2003-03-01

    The National Academy of Sciences recently completed a detailed study of the technical factors related to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), with emphasis on those issues that arose when the Senate declined to ratify the Treaty in 1999. The study considered (1) the capacity of the United States to maintain confidence in the safety and reliability of its nuclear weapons without nuclear testing; (2) the capabilities of the international nuclear-test monitoring system; and (3) the advances in nuclear weapons capabilities that other countries might make through low-yield testing that might escape detection. While political factors were excluded, the committee considered three possible future worlds: (1) a world without a CTBT; (2) a world in which the signatories comply with a CTBT; and (3) a world in the signatories evade its strictures within the limits set by the detection system. The talk will elaborate on the study. The primary conclusion, based solely on technical reasons, is that the national security of the United States is better served with a CTBT in force than without it, whether or not other signatories conduct low level but undetected tests in violation of the treaty. Moreover, the study finds that nuclear testing would not add substantially to the US Stockpile Stewardship Program in allowing the United States to maintain confidence in the assessment of its existing nuclear weapons."

  3. The NASA/JPL 64-meter-diameter antenna at Goldstone, California: Project report, technical staff, tracking and data acquisition organization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1974-01-01

    The significant management and technical aspects of the JPL Project to develop and implement a 64-meter-diameter antenna at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California, which was the first of the Advanced Antenna Systems of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration/Jet Propulsion Laboratory Deep Space Network are described. The original need foreseen for a large-diameter antenna to accomplish communication and tracking support of NASA's solar system exploration program is reviewed, and the translation of those needs into the technical specification of an appropriate ground station antenna is described. The antenna project is delineated by phases to show the key technical and managerial skills and the technical facility resources involved. There is a brief engineering description of the antenna and its closely related facilities. Some difficult and interesting engineering problems, then at the state-of-the-art level, which were met in the accomplishment of the Project, are described. The key performance characteristics of the antenna, in relation to the original specifications and the methods of their determination, are stated.

  4. Anterolateral corridor approach to the infratemporal fossa and central skull base in maxillectomy: rationale and technical aspects.

    PubMed

    McMahon, Jeremy D; Crowther, John; Taylor, William M; Wong, Ling Siew; Paterson, Tom; Devine, John; Wales, Craig; MacIver, Colin

    2015-11-01

    We describe the technical aspects and report our clinical experience of a surgical approach to the infratemporal fossa that aims to reduce local recurrence after operations for cancer of the posterior maxilla. We tested the technique by operating on 3 cadavers and then used the approach in 16 patients who had posterolateral maxillectomy for disease that arose on the maxillary alveolus or junction of the hard and soft palate (maxillary group), and in 19 who had resection of the masticatory compartment and central skull base for advanced sinonasal cancer (sinonasal group). Early proximal ligation of the maxillary artery was achieved in all but one of the 35 patients. Access to the infratemporal fossa enabled division of the pterygoid muscles and pterygoid processes under direct vision in all cases. No patient in the maxillary group had local recurrence at median follow up of 36 months. Four patients (21%) in the sinonasal group had local recurrence at median follow up of 27 months. Secondary haemorrhage from the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery resulted in the only perioperative death. The anterolateral corridor approach enables controlled resection of tumours that extend into the masticatory compartment. Copyright © 2015 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. A Nationwide Population-Based Approach to Study Health-Related and Psychosocial Aspects of Neurofibromatosis Type 1

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-07-01

    Neurofibromatosis Type 1 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Jeanette Falck Winther CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: Danish Cancer Society Research Center Copenhagen, Denmark...Study Health-Related and Psychosocial Aspects of Neurofibromatosis Type 1 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT...Clinics in Denmark and a clinical geneticist with expertise in ethical aspects. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Neurofibromatosis type 1, population-based, nation

  6. easyCBM[R] Mathematics Criterion Related Validity Evidence: Oregon State Test. Technical Report #1011

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, Daniel; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

    2010-01-01

    In this technical report, we present the results of a study examining the relation between the math measures available on the easyCBM[R] online benchmark and progress monitoring assessment system and the Oregon statewide assessment of mathematics. Designed for use within a response to intervention (RTI) framework, easyCBM[R] is intended to help…

  7. Life satisfaction of Swedish pediatric oncologists: The role of personality, work-related aspects, and emotional distress.

    PubMed

    Stenmarker, Margaretha; Palmérus, Kerstin; Márky, Ildikó

    2009-12-15

    The first nationwide, population-based study of Swedish pediatric oncologists was conducted in 2006 and it revealed that various aspects of their life satisfaction obviously influenced their stress-resilience. This second part of the study, with a response rate of 89% in the target group, therefore, focused on their life satisfaction and the role of personality, work-related aspects, and emotional distress related to type of medical center and gender. This descriptive study was based on a cross-sectional mail survey with questionnaires involving 90 pediatric oncologists. Using hierarchical regression models, their total, present, past, and future life satisfaction was analyzed. The vast majority (76.7%) stated that working in this medical field was very stimulating for their personal development. Male pediatricians were more satisfied with their present lives and physicians working at academic medical centers were more confident about the future. Some oncologists (13.4%), in particular females at non-academic medical centers, needed professional help dealing with work-related psychological problems. Personality trait (Hedonic Capacity) and low levels of depression contributed to every aspect of overall life satisfaction. Work-related aspects influenced present and future life satisfaction. The models explained between 5% and 43% of the variance in life satisfaction in the whole group. Pediatric oncologists face life-threatening conditions and psychosocial issues factors that may negatively influence their life satisfaction. This study group, a single population of physicians, is characterized by an optimistic attitude and stable emotional status pointing to a high level of satisfaction, which is probably a main basic condition when meeting seriously ill children. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  8. Streamlining Software Aspects of Certification: Report on the SSAC Survey

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hayhurst, Kelly J.; Dorsey, Cheryl A.; Knight, John C.; Leveson, Nancy G.; McCormick, G. Frank

    1999-01-01

    The aviation system now depends on information technology more than ever before to ensure safety and efficiency. To address concerns about the efficacy of software aspects of the certification process, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began the Streamlining Software Aspects of Certification (SSAC) program. The SSAC technical team was commissioned to gather data, analyze results, and propose recommendations to maximize efficiency and minimize cost and delay, without compromising safety. The technical team conducted two public workshops to identify and prioritize software approval issues, and conducted a survey to validate the most urgent of those issues. The SSAC survey, containing over two hundred questions about the FAA's software approval process, reached over four hundred industry software developers, aircraft manufacturers, and FAA designated engineering representatives. Three hundred people responded. This report presents the SSAC program rationale, survey process, preliminary findings, and recommendations.

  9. Medical technology at home: safety-related items in technical documentation.

    PubMed

    Hilbers, Ellen S M; de Vries, Claudette G J C A; Geertsma, Robert E

    2013-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate the technical documentation of manufacturers on issues of safe use of their device in a home setting. Three categories of equipment were selected: infusion pumps, ventilators, and dialysis systems. Risk analyses, instructions for use, labels, and post market surveillance procedures were requested from manufacturers. Additionally, they were asked to fill out a questionnaire on collection of field experience, on incidents, and training activities. Specific risks of device operation by lay users in a home setting were incompletely addressed in the risk analyses. A substantial number of user manuals were designed for professionals, rather than for patients or lay carers. Risk analyses and user information often showed incomplete coherence. Post market surveillance was mainly based on passive collection of field experiences. Manufacturers of infusion pumps, ventilators, and dialysis systems pay insufficient attention to the specific risks of use by lay persons in home settings. It is expected that this conclusion is also applicable for other medical equipment for treatment at home. Manufacturers of medical equipment for home use should pay more attention to use errors, lay use and home-specific risks in design, risk analysis, and user information. Field experiences should be collected more actively. Coherence between risk analysis and user information should be improved. Notified bodies should address these aspects in their assessment. User manuals issued by institutions supervising a specific home therapy should be drawn up in consultation with the manufacturer.

  10. The power of a collaborative relationship between technical assistance providers and community prevention teams: A correlational and longitudinal study

    PubMed Central

    Chilenski, Sarah M.; Perkins, Daniel F.; Olson, Jonathan; Hoffman, Lesa; Feinberg, Mark E.; Greenberg, Mark; Welsh, Janet; Crowley, D. Max; Spoth, Richard

    2015-01-01

    Background Historically, effectiveness of community collaborative prevention efforts has been mixed. Consequently, research has been undertaken to better understand the factors that support their effectiveness; theory and some related empirical research suggests that the provision of technical assistance is one important supporting factor. The current study examines one aspect of technical assistance that may be important in supporting coalition effectiveness, the collaborative relationship between the technical assistance provider and site lead implementer. Methods Four and one-half years of data were collected from technical assistance providers and prevention team members from the 14 community prevention teams involved in the PROSPER project. Results Spearman correlation analyses with longitudinal data show that the levels of the collaborative relationship during one phase of collaborative team functioning associated with characteristics of internal team functioning in future phases. Conclusions Results suggest that community collaborative prevention work should consider the collaborative nature of the technical assistance provider – prevention community team relationship when designing and conducting technical assistance activities, and it may be important to continually assess these dynamics to support high quality implementation. PMID:26476860

  11. The power of a collaborative relationship between technical assistance providers and community prevention teams: A correlational and longitudinal study.

    PubMed

    Chilenski, Sarah M; Perkins, Daniel F; Olson, Jonathan; Hoffman, Lesa; Feinberg, Mark E; Greenberg, Mark; Welsh, Janet; Crowley, D Max; Spoth, Richard

    2016-02-01

    Historically, effectiveness of community collaborative prevention efforts has been mixed. Consequently, research has been undertaken to better understand the factors that support their effectiveness; theory and some related empirical research suggests that the provision of technical assistance is one important supporting factor. The current study examines one aspect of technical assistance that may be important in supporting coalition effectiveness, the collaborative relationship between the technical assistance provider and site lead implementer. Four and one-half years of data were collected from technical assistance providers and prevention team members from the 14 community prevention teams involved in the PROSPER project. Spearman correlation analyses with longitudinal data show that the levels of the collaborative relationship during one phase of collaborative team functioning associated with characteristics of internal team functioning in future phases. Results suggest that community collaborative prevention work should consider the collaborative nature of the technical assistance provider - prevention community team relationship when designing and conducting technical assistance activities, and it may be important to continually assess these dynamics to support high quality implementation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. [Neurological and technical aspects of deep brain stimulation].

    PubMed

    Voges, J; Krauss, J K

    2010-06-01

    Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an important component of the therapy of movement disorders and has almost completely replaced high-frequency coagulation of brain tissue in stereotactic neurosurgery. Despite the functional efficacy of DBS, which in parts is documented on the highest evidence level, the underlying mechanisms are still not completely understood. According to the current state of knowledge electrophysiological and functional data give evidence that high-frequency DBS has an inhibitory effect around the stimulation electrode whilst at the same time axons entering or leaving the stimulated brain area are excited leading to modulation of neuronal networks. The latter effect modifies pathological discharges of neurons in key structures of the basal ganglia network (e.g. irregular bursting activity, oscillations or synchronization) which are found in particular movement disorders such as Parkinson' s disease or dystonia. The introduction of technical standards, such as the integration of high resolution MRI into computer-assisted treatment planning, in combination with special treatment planning software have contributed significantly to the reduction of severe surgical complications (frequency of intracranial hemorrhaging 1-3%) in recent years. Future developments will address the modification of hardware components of the stimulation system, the evaluation of new brain target areas, the simultaneous stimulation of different brain areas and the assessment of different stimulation paradigms (high-frequency vs low-frequency DBS).

  13. An analysis of technical aspects of the arthroscopic Bankart procedure as performed in the United States.

    PubMed

    Burks, Robert T; Presson, Angela P; Weng, Hsin-Yi

    2014-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the intersurgeon variation in technical aspects of performing an arthroscopic Bankart repair. A unique approach with experienced equipment representatives from 3 different arthroscopic companies was used. Experienced representatives were identified by DePuy Mitek, Smith & Nephew, and Arthrex and filled out questionnaires on how their surgeons performed arthroscopic Bankart procedures. This was performed in a blinded fashion with no knowledge of the identities of the specific surgeons or representatives by us. A video on different aspects of the procedure was observed by each representative before filling out the questionnaire to help standardize responses. Data were collected using REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture). Data were analyzed as an infrequent observation with 0% to 30% of representatives reporting the observation; sometimes, 31% to 70% reporting the observation; and often, greater than 70% of representatives reporting. Seventy-six percent of representatives had 6 or more years of arthroscopic experience. Forty-three percent of representatives reported that their surgeons use 3 portals for the procedure often. Forty-four percent reported that viewing was performed exclusively from the posterior portal while the surgeon was performing the repair. Seventy-three percent reported that the Hill-Sachs lesion was observed often, and 61% reported that the posterior labrum was evaluated often before the repair. Only 25% of representatives reported that the Bankart lesion was extensively released and mobilized often. Thirty-three percent reported 3 anchors as being used often. Seventy-five percent reported biocomposite anchors as being used often. Single-loaded anchors were reported as being used often by 47%. Eighty-one percent reported that sutures were placed in a simple fashion. Eighty-three percent reported the use of any posterior sutures or anchors for additional plication as infrequent. There is significant

  14. Relational Study of Technical Education in Scotland and Nigeria for Sustainable Skill Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Umunadi, E. Kennedy

    2014-01-01

    This paper was designed to look at technical education curriculum and mode of implementation in Scotland in order to adopt the advantageous attributes of the Scottish technical education in Nigeria. The paper x-rayed the staff perceptions of technical education and its roles in Scotland; history of technical education before the advent of British…

  15. High Technology Training at Greenville Technical College.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barton, Thomas E.; And Others

    These three papers focus on various aspects of high technology training at Greenville Technical College (GTC). First, "High Technology and the Community College," by Thomas E. Barton, discusses what high technology should mean to educators and argues that changes in the nature of industrial production require that community colleges not only keep…

  16. Archival Stability of Microfilm--A Technical Review.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Materazzi, Albert R.

    The purpose of this report is to acquaint all personnel with some technical aspects of micrographics. The various film types used in the production of microfiche are discussed, including silver halide, diazo, and vesicular films. Other imaging systems used in micrographics are reviewed, and a basic introduction to sensitometry is given. The…

  17. Engineer's Needs for Scientific and Technical Information.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    David, A., Ed.; And Others

    This study has as its main object the formulation of an approach, as global and comprehensive as possible, to the multiple aspects of the engineer's needs for scientific and technical information. The basis of the study is an analysis of the engineer's role, its characteristics, different specialties, levels of training, and categories of…

  18. Cost Effectiveness in Evaluation Technical Assistance: Different Aspects of Measuring Cost and Outcomes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Estes, Gary D.

    The paper focuses on the Title I Evaluation Technical Assistance Centers to illustrate issues of measuring costs and deciding on outcome criteria before promoting "cost-effective" approaches. Effects are illustrated for varying resource allocations among personnel, travel, materials, and phone costs as a function of emphasizing…

  19. Technical Note for 8D Likelihood Effective Higgs Couplings Extraction Framework in the Golden Channel

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

    Chen, Yi; Di Marco, Emanuele; Lykken, Joe

    2014-10-17

    In this technical note we present technical details on various aspects of the framework introduced in arXiv:1401.2077 aimed at extracting effective Higgs couplings in themore » $$h\\to 4\\ell$$ `golden channel'. Since it is the primary feature of the framework, we focus in particular on the convolution integral which takes us from `truth' level to `detector' level and the numerical and analytic techniques used to obtain it. We also briefly discuss other aspects of the framework.« less

  20. Applied Space Systems Engineering. Chapter 17; Manage Technical Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kent, Peter

    2008-01-01

    Effective space systems engineering (SSE) is conducted in a fully electronic manner. Competitive hardware, software, and system designs are created in a totally digital environment that enables rapid product design and manufacturing cycles, as well as a multitude of techniques such as modeling, simulation, and lean manufacturing that significantly reduce the lifecycle cost of systems. Because the SSE lifecycle depends on the digital environment, managing the enormous volumes of technical data needed to describe, build, deploy, and operate systems is a critical factor in the success of a project. This chapter presents the key aspects of Technical Data Management (TDM) within the SSE process. It is written from the perspective of the System Engineer tasked with establishing the TDM process and infrastructure for a major project. Additional perspectives are reflected from the point of view of the engineers on the project who work within the digital engineering environment established by the TDM toolset and infrastructure, and from the point of view of the contactors who interface via the TDM infrastructure. Table 17.1 lists the TDM process as it relates to SSE.

  1. Technical and economic aspects of hydrogen storage in metal hydrides

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schmitt, R.

    1981-01-01

    The recovery of hydrogen from such metal hydrides as LiH, MgH2, TiH2, CaH2 and FeTiH compounds is studied, with the aim of evaluating the viability of the technique for the storage of hydrogen fuel. The pressure-temperature dependence of the reactions, enthalpies of formation, the kinetics of the hydrogen absorption and desorption, and the mechanical and chemical stability of the metal hydrides are taken into account in the evaluation. Economic aspects are considered. Development of portable metal hydride hydrogen storage reservoirs is also mentioned.

  2. NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Program: Generic Safety, Handling and Qualification Guidelines for Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) Batteries; Availability of Source Materials for Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) Batteries; Maintaining Technical Communications Related to Aerospace Batteries (NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop). Volume 1, Part 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Manzo, Michelle A.; Brewer, Jeffrey C.; Bugga, Ratnakumar V.; Darcy, Eric C.; Jeevarajan, Judith A.; McKissock, Barbara I.; Schmitz, Paul C.

    2010-01-01

    This NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Working Group was chartered within the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). The Battery Working Group was tasked to complete tasks and to propose proactive work to address battery related, agency-wide issues on an annual basis. In its first year of operation, this proactive program addressed various aspects of the validation and verification of aerospace battery systems for NASA missions. Studies were performed, issues were discussed and in many cases, test programs were executed to generate recommendations and guidelines to reduce risk associated with various aspects of implementing battery technology in the aerospace industry. This document contains Part 1 - Volume I: Generic Safety, Handling and Qualification Guidelines for Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) Batteries, Availability of Source Materials for Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) Batteries, and Maintaining Technical Communications Related to Aerospace Batteries (NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop).

  3. Third International Mathematics and Science Study 1999 Video Study Technical Report: Volume 2--Science. Technical Report. NCES 2011-049

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garnier, Helen E.; Lemmens, Meike; Druker, Stephen L.; Roth, Kathleen J.

    2011-01-01

    This second volume of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 1999 Video Study Technical Report focuses on every aspect of the planning, implementation, processing, analysis, and reporting of the science components of the TIMSS 1999 Video Study. The report is intended to serve as a record of the actions and documentation of…

  4. Technical and Policy Approaches to Balancing Patient Privacy and Data Sharing in Clinical and Translational Research

    PubMed Central

    Malin, Bradley; Karp, David; Scheuermann, Richard H.

    2010-01-01

    Clinical researchers need to share data to support scientific validation and information reuse, and to comply with a host of regulations and directives from funders. Various organizations are constructing informatics resources in the form of centralized databases to ensure widespread availability of data derived from sponsored research. The widespread use of such open databases is contingent on the protection of patient privacy. In this paper, we review several aspects of the privacy-related problems associated with data sharing for clinical research from technical and policy perspectives. We begin with a review of existing policies for secondary data sharing and privacy requirements in the context of data derived from research and clinical settings. In particular, we focus on policies specified by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and touch upon how these policies are related to current, as well as future, use of data stored in public database archives. Next, we address aspects of data privacy and “identifiability” from a more technical perspective, and review how biomedical databanks can be exploited and seemingly anonymous records can be “re-identified” using various resources without compromising or hacking into secure computer systems. We highlight which data features specified in clinical research data models are potentially vulnerable or exploitable. In the process, we recount a recent privacy-related concern associated with the publication of aggregate statistics from pooled genome-wide association studies that has had a significant impact on the data sharing policies of NIH-sponsored databanks. Finally, we conclude with a list of recommendations that cover various technical, legal, and policy mechanisms that open clinical databases can adopt to strengthen data privacy protections as they move toward wider deployment and adoption. PMID:20051768

  5. 76 FR 41217 - Technical Inputs and Assessment Capacity on Topics Related to 2013 U.S. National Climate Assessment

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-13

    ...-01] Technical Inputs and Assessment Capacity on Topics Related to 2013 U.S. National Climate... Capacity Related to Regional, Sectoral, and Cross-Cutting Assessments for the 2013 U.S. National Climate... if applicable, institutional affiliation(s) if applicable). In addition, it is recommended that EOIs...

  6. The NASA Scientific and Technical Information System: Its scope and coverage

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1978-01-01

    Subjects of scientific and technical documents considered for inclusion in NASA's information bank are broadly summarized under the various categories used in Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports and International Aerospace Abstracts. A general definition of each category is followed by a list of the aspects of each subject which are of exhaustive, selective, or negative interest because of their relevance to aerospace science and technology and to other NASA projects.

  7. Technical Mathematics: Restructure of Technical Mathematics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flannery, Carol A.

    Designed to accompany a series of videotapes, this textbook provides information, examples, problems, and solutions relating to mathematics and its applications in technical fields. Chapter I deals with basic arithmetic, providing information on fractions, decimals, ratios, proportions, percentages, and order of operations. Chapter II focuses on…

  8. Liver CT image processing: a short introduction of the technical elements.

    PubMed

    Masutani, Y; Uozumi, K; Akahane, Masaaki; Ohtomo, Kuni

    2006-05-01

    In this paper, we describe the technical aspects of image analysis for liver diagnosis and treatment, including the state-of-the-art of liver image analysis and its applications. After discussion on modalities for liver image analysis, various technical elements for liver image analysis such as registration, segmentation, modeling, and computer-assisted detection are covered with examples performed with clinical data sets. Perspective in the imaging technologies is also reviewed and discussed.

  9. Multifunctional aspects of allopregnanolone in stress and related disorders.

    PubMed

    Bali, Anjana; Jaggi, Amteshwar Singh

    2014-01-03

    Allopregnanolone (3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one) is a major cholesterol-derived neurosteroid in the central nervous system and is synthesized from progesterone by steroidogenic enzymes, 5α-reductase (the rate-limiting enzyme) and 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. The pathophysiological role of allopregnanolone in neuropsychiatric disorders has been highlighted in several investigations. The changes in neuroactive steroid levels are detected in stress and stress-related disorders including anxiety, panic and depression. The changes in allopregnanolone in response to acute stressor tend to restore the homeostasis by dampening the hyper-activated HPA axis. However, long standing stressors leading to development of neuropsychiatric disorders including depression and anxiety are associated with decrease in the allopregnanolone levels. GABAA receptor complex has been considered as the primary target of allopregnanolone and majority of its inhibitory actions are mediated through GABA potentiation or direct activation of GABA currents. The role of progesterone receptors in producing the late actions of allopregnanolone particularly in lordosis facilitation has also been described. Moreover, recent studies have also described the involvement of other multiple targets including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glutamate, dopamine, opioids, oxytocin, and calcium channels. The present review discusses the various aspects of allopregnanolone in stress and stress-related disorders including anxiety, depression and panic. © 2013.

  10. 1997 DOE technical standards program workshop: Proceedings

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

    NONE

    1997-10-01

    The Department of Energy held its annual Technical Standards Program Workshop on July 8--10, 1997, at the Loews L`Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC. The workshop focused on aspects of implementation of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 [Public Law (PL) 104-113] and the related revision (still pending) to OMB Circular A119 (OMB A119), Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Standards. It also addressed DOE`s efforts in transitioning to a standards-based operating culture, and, through this transition, to change from a developer of internal technical standards to a customer of external technical standards. Themore » workshop was designed to provide a forum to better understand how the new law is affecting Department activities. Panel topics such as ``Public Law 104-113 and Its Influence on Federal Agency Standards Activities`` and ``Update on Global Standards Issues`` provided insight on both the internal and external effects of the new law. Keynote speaker Richard Meier of Meadowbrook International (and formerly the Deputy Assistant US Trade Representative) addressed the subject of international trade balance statistics. He pointed out that increases in US export figures do not necessarily indicate increases in employment. Rather, increased employment results from product growth. Mr Meier also discussed issues such as the US migration to the sue of the metric system, the impact of budget limitations on Government participation in voluntary standards organizations, international standards ISO 9000 and ISO 14000, and DOE`s role in the worldwide transition from weapons production to cleanup.« less

  11. 7 CFR 614.7 - Preliminary technical determinations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Preliminary technical determinations. 614.7 Section... Preliminary technical determinations. (a) A preliminary technical determination becomes final 30 days after... purpose of gathering additional information and discussing the facts relating to the preliminary technical...

  12. 76 FR 52955 - Medicare Program; Meeting of the Technical Advisory Panel on Medicare Trustee Reports

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-24

    ... Panel's discussion is expected to be very technical in nature and will focus on the actuarial and... discussion is expected to focus on highly technical aspects of estimation involving economics and actuarial science. Panelists are not restricted, however, in the topics that they choose to discuss. Procedure and...

  13. 76 FR 58514 - Medicare Program; Meeting of the Technical Advisory Panel on Medicare Trustee Reports

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-21

    ... to be very technical in nature and will focus on the actuarial and economic assumptions and methods... discussion is expected to focus on highly technical aspects of estimation involving economics and actuarial science. Panelists are not restricted, however, in the topics that they choose to discuss. Procedure and...

  14. Technical writing versus technical writing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dillingham, J. W.

    1981-01-01

    Two terms, two job categories, 'technical writer' and 'technical author' are discussed in terms of industrial and business requirements and standards. A distinction between 'technical writing' and technical 'writing' is made. The term 'technical editor' is also considered. Problems inherent in the design of programs to prepare and train students for these jobs are discussed. A closer alliance between industry and academia is suggested as a means of preparing students with competent technical communication skills (especially writing and editing skills) and good technical skills.

  15. Development of a behavioural marker system for scrub practitioners' non-technical skills (SPLINTS system).

    PubMed

    Mitchell, Lucy; Flin, Rhona; Yule, Steven; Mitchell, Janet; Coutts, Kathy; Youngson, George

    2013-04-01

    Adverse events still occur despite ongoing efforts to reduce harm to patients. Contributory factors to adverse events are often due to limitations in clinicians' non-technical skills (e.g. communication, situation awareness), rather than deficiencies in technical competence. We developed a behavioural rating system to provide a structured means for teaching and assessing scrub practitioners' (i.e. nurse, technician, operating department practitioner) non-technical skills. Psychologists facilitated focus groups (n = 4) with experienced scrub practitioners (n = 16; 4 in each group) to develop a preliminary taxonomy. Focus groups reviewed lists of non-technical-skill-related behaviours that were extracted from an interview study. The focus groups labelled skill categories and elements and also provided examples of good and poor behaviours for those skills. An expert panel (n = 2 psychologists; n = 1 expert nurse) then used an iterative process to individually and collaboratively review and refine those data to produce a prototype skills taxonomy. A preliminary taxonomy containing eight non-technical skill categories with 28 underlying elements was produced. The expert panel reduced this to three categories (situation awareness, communication and teamwork, task management), each with three underlying elements. The system was called the Scrub Practitioners' List of Intraoperative Non-Technical Skills system. A scoring system and a user handbook were also developed. A prototype behavioural rating system for scrub practitioners' non-technical skills was developed, to aid in teaching and providing formative assessment. This important aspect of performance is not currently explicitly addressed in any educational route to qualify as a scrub practitioner. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  16. Shuttle ku-band communications/radar technical concepts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Griffin, J. W.; Kelley, J. S.; Steiner, A. W.; Vang, H. A.; Zrubek, W. E.; Huth, G. K.

    1985-01-01

    Technical data on the Shuttle Orbiter K sub u-band communications/radar system are presented. The more challenging aspects of the system design and development are emphasized. The technical problems encountered and the advancements made in solving them are discussed. The radar functions are presented first. Requirements and design/implementation approaches are discussed. Advanced features are explained, including Doppler measurement, frequency diversity, multiple pulse repetition frequencies and pulse widths, and multiple modes. The communications functions that are presented include advances made because of the requirements for multiple communications modes. Spread spectrum, quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), variable bit rates, and other advanced techniques are discussed. Performance results and conclusions reached are outlined.

  17. Relationship between intraoperative non-technical performance and technical events in bariatric surgery.

    PubMed

    Fecso, A B; Kuzulugil, S S; Babaoglu, C; Bener, A B; Grantcharov, T P

    2018-03-30

    The operating theatre is a unique environment with complex team interactions, where technical and non-technical performance affect patient outcomes. The correlation between technical and non-technical performance, however, remains underinvestigated. The purpose of this study was to explore these interactions in the operating theatre. A prospective single-centre observational study was conducted at a tertiary academic medical centre. One surgeon and three fellows participated as main operators. All patients who underwent a laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and had the procedures captured using the Operating Room Black Box ® platform were included. Technical assessment was performed using the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills and Generic Error Rating Tool instruments. For non-technical assessment, the Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons (NOTSS) and Scrub Practitioners' List of Intraoperative Non-Technical Skills (SPLINTS) tools were used. Spearman rank-order correlation and N-gram statistics were conducted. Fifty-six patients were included in the study and 90 procedural steps (gastrojejunostomy and jejunojejunostomy) were analysed. There was a moderate to strong correlation between technical adverse events (r s  = 0·417-0·687), rectifications (r s  = 0·380-0·768) and non-technical performance of the surgical and nursing teams (NOTSS and SPLINTS). N-gram statistics showed that after technical errors, events and prior rectifications, the staff surgeon and the scrub nurse exhibited the most positive non-technical behaviours, irrespective of operator (staff surgeon or fellow). This study demonstrated that technical and non-technical performances are related, on both an individual and a team level. Valuable data can be obtained around intraoperative errors, events and rectifications. © 2018 BJS Society Ltd Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Approaches to Technological Update of Vocational/Technical Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hamilton, James B.; McElroy, Jack

    As part of an effort to address the problem of the technological update of vocational and technical teachers, the National Center for Research in Vocational Education conducted a status study to determine the nature and extent of the problem with respect to institutional level and occupational area. A second aspect of the study dealt with…

  19. The impact of nontechnical skills on technical performance in surgery: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Hull, Louise; Arora, Sonal; Aggarwal, Rajesh; Darzi, Ara; Vincent, Charles; Sevdalis, Nick

    2012-02-01

    Failures in nontechnical and teamwork skills frequently lie at the heart of harm and near-misses in the operating room (OR). The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the impact of nontechnical skills on technical performance in surgery. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO databases were searched, and 2,041 articles were identified. After limits were applied, 341 articles were retrieved for evaluation. Of these, 28 articles were accepted for this review. Data were extracted from the articles regarding sample population, study design and setting, measures of nontechnical skills and technical performance, study findings, and limitations. Of the 28 articles that met inclusion criteria, 21 articles assessed the impact of surgeons' nontechnical skills on their technical performance. The evidence suggests that receiving feedback and effectively coping with stressful events in the OR has a beneficial impact on certain aspects of technical performance. Conversely, increased levels of fatigue are associated with detriments to surgical skill. One article assessed the impact of anesthesiologists' nontechnical skills on anesthetic technical performance, finding a strong positive correlation between the 2 skill sets. Finally, 6 articles assessed the impact of multiple nontechnical skills of the entire OR team on surgical performance. A strong relationship between teamwork failure and technical error was empirically demonstrated in these studies. Evidence suggests that certain nontechnical aspects of performance can enhance or, if lacking, contribute to deterioration of surgeons' technical performance. The precise extent of this effect remains to be elucidated. Copyright © 2012 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Understanding a technical language: A schema-based approach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Falzon, P.

    1984-01-01

    Workers in many job categories tend to develop technical languages, which are restricted subjects of natural language. A better knowledge of these retrictions provides guidelines for the design of the restricted languages of interactive systems. Accordingly, a technical language used by air-traffic controllers in their communications with pilots was studied. A method of analysis is presented that allows the schemata underlying each category of messages to be identified. This schematic knowledge was implemented in programs, which assume that the goal-oriented aspect of technical languages (and particularly the restricted domain of discourse) limits the processes and the data necessary in order to understand the messages (monosemy, limited vocabulary, evocation of the schemata by some command words, absence of syntax). The programs can interpret, and translate into sequences of action, the messages emitted by the controllers.

  1. Report format preferences of technical managers and nonmanagers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pinelli, T. E.; Cordle, V. M.; Glassman, M.; Vondran, R. F., Jr.

    1984-01-01

    A survey of engineers and scientists concerning the format of NASA technical reports indicates that a summary as well as an abstract should be included, that the definitions of symbols and glossary of terms should be located in the front of the report, and that the illustrative material should be integrated with the text rather than grouped at the end of the report. Citation of references by number, one-column, ragged-right-margin layout, and third-person writing style are also preferred by a majority of the respondents. The preferences of managers and nonmanagers are very similar for all aspects of technical report format covered by the survey.

  2. Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) - Its role in the USAF Scientific and Technical Information Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kuhn, Allan D.

    1991-01-01

    The Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC), the central repository for DOD scientific and technical information concerning studies and research and engineering efforts, is discussed. The present makeup of DTIC is described and its functions in producing technical reports and technical report bibliographies are examined. DTIC's outreach services are reviewed, as are its DTIC information and technology transfer programs. DTIC's plans for the year 2000 and its relation to the mission of the U.S. Air Force, including the Air Force's STINFO program, are addressed.

  3. Internal dosimetry technical basis manual

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

    Not Available

    1990-12-20

    The internal dosimetry program at the Savannah River Site (SRS) consists of radiation protection programs and activities used to detect and evaluate intakes of radioactive material by radiation workers. Examples of such programs are: air monitoring; surface contamination monitoring; personal contamination surveys; radiobioassay; and dose assessment. The objectives of the internal dosimetry program are to demonstrate that the workplace is under control and that workers are not being exposed to radioactive material, and to detect and assess inadvertent intakes in the workplace. The Savannah River Site Internal Dosimetry Technical Basis Manual (TBM) is intended to provide a technical and philosophicalmore » discussion of the radiobioassay and dose assessment aspects of the internal dosimetry program. Detailed information on air, surface, and personal contamination surveillance programs is not given in this manual except for how these programs interface with routine and special bioassay programs.« less

  4. NASA Technical Standards Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gill, Paul S.; Vaughan, William W.; Parker, Nelson C. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    The NASA Technical Standards Program was officially established in 1997 as result of a directive issued by the Administrator. It is responsible for Agency wide technical standards development, adoption (endorsement), and conversion of Center-unique standards for Agency wide use. One major element of the Program is the review of NSA technical standards products and replacement with non-Government Voluntary Consensus Standards in accordance with directions issued by the Office of Management and Budget. As part of the Program's function, it developed a NASA Integrated Technical Standards Initiative that consists of and Agency wide full-text system, standards update notification system, and lessons learned-standards integration system. The Program maintains a 'one stop-shop' Website for technical standards ad related information on aerospace materials, etc. This paper provides information on the development, current status, and plans for the NAS Technical Standards Program along with metrics on the utility of the products provided to both users within the nasa.gov Domain and the Public Domain.

  5. NASA Technical Standards Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gill, Paul S.; Vaughan, WIlliam W.

    2003-01-01

    The NASA Technical Standards Program was officially established in 1997 as result of a directive issued by the Administrator. It is responsible for Agency wide technical standards development, adoption (endorsement), and conversion of Center-unique standards for Agency wide use. One major element of the Program is the review of NSA technical standards products and replacement with non-Government Voluntary Consensus Standards in accordance with directions issued by the Office of Management and Budget. As part of the Program s function, it developed a NASA Integrated Technical Standards Initiative that consists of and Agency wide full-text system, standards update notification system, and lessons learned - standards integration system. The Program maintains a "one stop-shop" Website for technical standards ad related information on aerospace materials, etc. This paper provides information on the development, current status, and plans for the NAS Technical Standards Program along with metrics on the utility of the products provided to both users within the nasa.gov Domain and the Public Domain.

  6. Sustaining Open Source Communities through Hackathons - An Example from the ASPECT Community

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heister, T.; Hwang, L.; Bangerth, W.; Kellogg, L. H.

    2016-12-01

    The ecosystem surrounding a successful scientific open source software package combines both social and technical aspects. Much thought has been given to the technology side of writing sustainable software for large infrastructure projects and software libraries, but less about building the human capacity to perpetuate scientific software used in computational modeling. One effective format for building capacity is regular multi-day hackathons. Scientific hackathons bring together a group of science domain users and scientific software contributors to make progress on a specific software package. Innovation comes through the chance to work with established and new collaborations. Especially in the domain sciences with small communities, hackathons give geographically distributed scientists an opportunity to connect face-to-face. They foster lively discussions amongst scientists with different expertise, promote new collaborations, and increase transparency in both the technical and scientific aspects of code development. ASPECT is an open source, parallel, extensible finite element code to simulate thermal convection, that began development in 2011 under the Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics. ASPECT hackathons for the past 3 years have grown the number of authors to >50, training new code maintainers in the process. Hackathons begin with leaders establishing project-specific conventions for development, demonstrating the workflow for code contributions, and reviewing relevant technical skills. Each hackathon expands the developer community. Over 20 scientists add >6,000 lines of code during the >1 week event. Participants grow comfortable contributing to the repository and over half continue to contribute afterwards. A high return rate of participants ensures continuity and stability of the group as well as mentoring for novice members. We hope to build other software communities on this model, but anticipate each to bring their own unique challenges.

  7. Radioactivity and Man Minicourse, Career Oriented Pre-Technical Physics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dallas Independent School District, TX.

    This instructional guide, intended for student use, develops the subject of radioactivity and man through a series of sequential activities. A technical development of the subject is pursued with examples stressing practical aspects of the concepts. Included in the minicourse are: (1) the rationale, (2) terminal behavioral objectives, (3) enabling…

  8. The Job Training and Job Satisfaction Survey Technical Manual

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schmidt, Steven W.

    2004-01-01

    Job training has become an important aspect of an employee's overall job experience. However, it is not often called out specifically on instruments measuring job satisfaction. This technical manual details the processes used in the development and validation of a survey instrument to measure job training satisfaction and overall job…

  9. A Framework for Relating Cognitive to Neural Systems. Cognitive Science Program, Technical Report No. 84-2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Posner, Michael I.

    This paper reviews the aspects of cognitive science that relate best to using electrical and magnetic recording to understand the function of brain systems. It outlines a framework for relating cognitive activities of daily life (typing, reading) to underlying neural systems. The framework uses five levels of analysis: task, elementary operations,…

  10. Groundwater technical procedures of the U.S. Geological Survey

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cunningham, William L.; Schalk, Charles W.

    2011-01-01

    A series of groundwater technical procedures documents (GWPDs) has been released by the U.S. Geological Survey, Water-Resources Discipline, for general use by the public. These technical procedures were written in response to the need for standardized technical procedures of many aspects of groundwater science, including site and measuring-point establishment, measurement of water levels, and measurement of well discharge. The techniques are described in the GWPDs in concise language and are accompanied by necessary figures and tables derived from cited manuals, reports, and other documents. Because a goal of this series of procedures is to remain current with the state of the science, and because procedures change over time, this report is released in an online format only. As new procedures are developed and released, they will be linked to this document.

  11. Technical Writing: Past, Present, and Future.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mathes, J. C., Comp.; Pinelli, Thomas E., Comp.

    This compilation of papers addresses the history, present status, and trends of technical and related writing. The first of the eight papers surveys the present environment of the technical report and assesses the effectiveness of the technical report format of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in transmitting information.…

  12. [Socio-economic aspects of epidemiology of helicobateriosis].

    PubMed

    Fedichkina, T P; Solenova, L G; Zykova, I E; German, S V; Modestova, A V; Kislitsyn, V A; Rakhmanin, Yu A; Bobrovnitsky, I P

    There are considered special social and economic aspects of the epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori. These aspects acquired the particular importance for the last time due to the fact that the provision of the people with pure water has been becoming the focus of the attention of geopolitical and socio-economic interests in a number of countries. The availability ofpure drinking water serves a marker of the socio-economic state of the territory and the population living there. In Russia where different climatic conditions are deposited by considerable regional differences in the conditions of communal services caused both by various level of the socio-economic development of the territory, the supplementation with pure drinking water serves as the social determinant of the ecological conditions of the population’s life. This particularly has impact on the unfeasible technical state of the water distribution systems, microorganism ecology of which can substantially affect public health. The performed by authors a specialized screening ofpresented at the official web site of the joint-stock company «Mosvodokanal» current data concerning the quality of drinking water consumed by 2500 Moscovites, tested for the Helicobacter pylori infection revealed no deviations from the sanitary standards in the water received by the consumers. Along with that, the comparison of the map documents of the distribution of the Helicobacter pylori infection in Moscow with the distribution of citizens’ complaints of the decline of the quality of tap water has revealed a territorial fastening of the high values of the population infection rate of n^ylori and the urban sites with the greatest number of complaints. In the microbial ecology of water-distribution systems there are tightly aligned problems of their epidemiological safety, technical state and economic damage caused by corrosion as a result of microbiotic activity. In contrast to acute bacterial and viral infections which

  13. Fingerprinting of Materials: Technical Supplement

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Workman, Gary L.

    1992-01-01

    This supplement to the Guidelines for Maintaining a Chemical Fingerprinting Program has been developed to assist NASA personnel, contractors, and sub-contractors in defining the technical aspects and basic concepts which can be used in chemical fingerprinting programs. This material is not meant to be totally inclusive to all chemical fingerprinting programs, but merely to present current concepts. Each program will be tailored to meet the needs of the individual organizations using chemical fingerprinting to improve their quality and reliability in the production of aerospace systems.

  14. PREFACE: VI Scientific Technical Conference on "Low-temperature plasma during the deposition of functional coatings"

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2014-11-01

    The VI Republican Scientific Technical Conference "Low-temperature plasma during the deposition of functional coatings" took place from 4 to 7 November 2014 at the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Kazan Federal University. The conference was chaired by a Member of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan Nail Kashapov -Professor, Doctor of Technical Sciences- a member of the Scientific and Technical Council of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Tatarstan. At the conference, the participants discussed a wide range of issues affecting the theoretical and computational aspects of research problems in the physics and technology of low-temperature plasma. A series of works were devoted to the study of thin films obtained by low-temperature plasma. This year work dedicated to the related field of heat mass transfer in multiphase media and low-temperature plasma was also presented. Of special interest were reports on the exploration of gas discharges with liquid electrolytic electrotrodes and the study of dusty plasmas. Kashapov Nail, D.Sc., Professor (Kazan Federal University)

  15. Four Studies on Aspects of Assessing Computational Performance. Technical Report No. 297.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Romberg, Thomas A., Ed.

    The four studies reported in this document deal with aspects of assessing students' performance on computational skills. The first study grew out of a need for an instrument to measure students' speed at recalling addition facts. This had seemed to be a very easy task, but it proved to be much more difficult than anticipated. The second study grew…

  16. Is Judgement of Biotechnological Ethical Aspects Related to High School Students' Knowledge?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Črne-Hladnik, Helena; Hladnik, Aleš; Javornik, Branka; Košmelj, Katarina; Peklaj, Cirila

    2012-05-01

    Quantitative and qualitative studies of various aspects of the perception of biotechnology were conducted among 469 Slovenian high school students of average age 17 years. Our research aimed to explore relationships among students' pre-knowledge of molecular and human genetics, and their attitudes to four specific biotechnological applications. These applications-Bt corn, genetically modified (GM) salmon, somatic and germ line gene therapy (GT)-were investigated from the viewpoints of usefulness, moral acceptance and risk perception. In addition, patterns and quality of moral reasoning related to the biotechnological applications from the aspect of moral acceptability were examined. Clear gender differences were found regarding the relationship between our students' pre-knowledge of genetics and their attitudes to biotechnological applications. While females with a better genetics background expressed a higher risk perception in the case of GM salmon, their similarly well-educated male colleagues emphasized the risk associated with the use of germ line GT. With all four biotechnological applications, patterns of both rationalistic-deontological and teleological-and intuitive moral reasoning were identified. Students with poorer genetics pre-knowledge applied an intuitive pattern of moral reasoning more frequently than their peers with better pre-knowledge. A pattern of emotive reasoning was detected only in the case of GM salmon. A relatively low quality of students' moral reasoning, as demonstrated by their brief and small number of supporting justifications (explanations), show that there is a strong need for practising skills of argumentation about socio-scientific issues in Slovenian high schools on a much larger scale. The implications for future research and classroom applications are discussed.

  17. Vocational technical and adult education: Status, trends and issues related to electronic delivery

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rothenberg, D.

    1973-01-01

    Data are analyzed, and trends and issues are discussed to provide information useful to the systems designer who wishes to identify and assess the opportunities for large scale electronic delivery in vocational/technical and adult education. Issues connected with vocational/technical education are investigated, with emphasis on those issues in the current spotlight which are relevant to the possibilities of electronic delivery. The current role of media is examined in vocational/technical instruction.

  18. Seismic microzonation in Latin America and the Caribbean: social, cultural, economic and political aspects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murria, J.

    2009-04-01

    The lack of success, not to say failure, of seismic microzonation projects in the Latin America and Caribbean nations-and for that matter elsewhere in the world-should not be attributed to the lack of technical and scientific expertise of our engineers and scientists as there exists in our continent sufficient knowledge and information about the techniques and procedures that have been successfully used elsewhere in the world in the implementation of seismic microzonation projects. The main constrains to the implementation of seismic microzonation projects in Latin America and the Caribbean are of an economic, social, political, and cultural aspects rather than the purely scientific and engineering aspects. Another very important factor contributing to this lack of success has been the apparent failure of the scientific and technical community to convince decision makers (both official and private) that the sound implementation of seismic microzonation projects are a valid instrument to mitigate the negative effects that earthquakes have on the population, on the physical infrastructure and on the environment. An attempt will be made in this paper to analyze these "non technical" aspects and try to arrive at some conclusions as well as to some possible lines of action for the successful implementation of seismic microzonation projects in the seismic risk prone Latin American and Caribbean nations.

  19. Leo Szilard Lectureship Award: Science Matters - Technical Dimensions of Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Agreements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Timbie, James

    2017-01-01

    Agreements to reduce nuclear arms and prevent proliferation of nuclear weapons are technical as well as political documents. They must be both technically sound and politically acceptable. This presentation illustrates technical aspects of arms control and non-proliferation agreements, with examples from SALT I, INF, the HEU Agreement, START, and the Iran nuclear negotiations, drawing on 44 years of personal experience in the negotiation of these agreements. The lecture is designed to convey an appreciation of the role that individuals with technical training can play in diplomatic efforts to reduce nuclear forces and prevent nuclear proliferation.

  20. Heat strain models applicable for protective clothing: Comparison of core temperature response. Technical report

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

    Gonzalez, R.R.; McLellan, T.M.; Withey, W.R.

    This report represents the results of TTCP-UTP6 efforts on modeling aspects when chemical protective ensembles are worn which need to be considered in warm environments. Since 1983, a significant data base has been collected using human experimental studies and wide clothing systems from which predictive modeling equations have been developed with individuals working in temperate and hot environments, but few comparisons of the -- results from various model outputs have ever been carried out. This initial comparison study was part of a key technical area (KIA) project for The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP) UTP-6 working party. A modeling workshop wasmore » conducted in Toronto, Canada on 9-10 June 1994 to discuss the data reduction and results acquired in an initial clothing analysis study of TTCP using various chemical protective garments. To our knowledge, no comprehensive study to date has ever focused on comparing experimental results using an international standardized heat stress procedure matched to physiological outputs from various model predictions in individuals dressed in chemical protective clothing systems. This is the major focus of this TTCP key technical study. This technical report covers one aspect of the working party`s results.« less

  1. New type IIB backgrounds and aspects of their field theory duals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caceres, Elena; Macpherson, Niall T.; Núñez, Carlos

    2014-08-01

    In this paper we study aspects of geometries in Type IIA and Type IIB String theory and elaborate on their field theory dual pairs. The backgrounds are associated with reductions to Type IIA of solutions with G 2 holonomy in eleven dimensions. We classify these backgrounds according to their G-structure, perform a non-Abelian T-duality on them and find new Type IIB configurations presenting dynamical SU(2)-structure. We study some aspects of the associated field theories defined by these new backgrounds. Various technical details are clearly spelled out.

  2. Technical-Oriented Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Body of Knowledge for Information Systems Programs: Content and Implementation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boyle, Todd A.

    2007-01-01

    In this article, the author proposes a body of knowledge that the educators can use to incorporate the technical aspects of enterprise resource planning (ERP) into an information systems (IS) program, encapsulated as the ERP technical knowledge framework. To illustrate the application of this framework, the author discusses a course sequence that…

  3. Personality affects aspects of health-related quality of life in Parkinson's disease via psychological coping strategies.

    PubMed

    Whitworth, Stephanie R; Loftus, Andrea M; Skinner, Timothy C; Gasson, Natalie; Barker, Roger A; Bucks, Romola S; Thomas, Meghan G

    2013-01-01

    Personality traits influence health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Parkinson's disease (PD). Further, an individual's personality traits can influence the strategies they use to cope with a particular stressful situation. However, in PD, the interplay between personality traits, choice of coping strategy, and their subsequent effect on HRQoL remains unclear. The objective of this study was to examine whether personality (neuroticism and extraversion) indirectly affects HRQoL through the use of specific psychological coping strategies. One hundred and forty-six patients with PD completed questionnaires on personality (Big Five Aspects Scale; BFAS), coping (Ways of Coping Questionnaire; WCQ), and mood-specific (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale; DASS-21) and disease-specific HRQoL (Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire; PDQ-39). After controlling for gender, age at diagnosis, and age at testing, the emotion-focused coping strategy of escape-avoidance was significantly correlated with neuroticism and certain aspects of HRQoL (cognitive impairment and social support). This suggests that neurotic personality traits may negatively impact on some aspects of HRQoL due to an increased use of escape-avoidance coping strategies. By contrast, planned problem-solving and escape-avoidance coping strategies were both significantly linked to extraversion and interpersonal and mood-related domains of HRQoL. This suggests that extraversion may positively impact on some aspects of HRQoL due to patients adopting greater planned, problem-solving coping strategies, and using fewer escape-avoidance coping mechanisms. Psychological interventions aimed at targeting maladaptive coping strategies, such as the use of escape-avoidance coping, may be effective in minimising the negative impact of neuroticism on HRQoL in PD.

  4. Graduates Placement Report, 1981: New Hampshire Technical Institute and New Hampshire Vocational-Technical Colleges.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New Hampshire State Dept. of Education, Concord. Div. of Post-Secondary Education.

    The New Hampshire Technical Institute (NHTI) and the six New Hampshire Vocational-Technical Colleges (NHVTC) offer collegiate education preparing men and women for direct employment in business, industry, health, and service-related fields. At the completion of the 1980-81 academic year, 1036 students had graduated from 48 different programs…

  5. Mercury-cadmium-telluride - Technical significance and microgravity relevance related to crystal growth

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walcher, H.; Diehl, R.; Baars, J.

    The technical importance of the mixed-crystal system Hg(1-x)Cd(x)Te (MCT) is related to a growing interest in detector devices for the infrared spectral ranges of the two atmospheric 'windows'. Applications are not restricted to the military sector, but are also related to astronomy, archeology, medicine, construction engineering, fire fighting, and the determination of pollutants in the atmosphere. It is found that MCT is uniquely qualified for the considered applications, because no other material combines, in the same way, all the required characteristics. However, problems arise in connection with the need for pure, homogeneous, single crystals of adequate size, which are free of any defects. The best results in attempts to grow such crystals have been obtained in experiments utilizing the traveling heater method (THM). Remaining difficulties are caused by effects of gravity. It is, therefore, expected that the crystals needed can be produced under conditions of microgravity. Suitable experiments for exploring this possibility are discussed.

  6. "Let There Be Light" Minicourse, Career Oriented Pre-Technical Physics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dallas Independent School District, TX.

    This instructional guide, intended for student use, develops the concept of light through a series of sequential activities. A technical development of the subject is pursued with examples stressing practical aspects of the concepts. Included in the minicourse are: (1) the rationale, (2) terminal behavioral objectives, (3) enabling behavioral…

  7. 22 CFR 712.300 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... technical services” shall be limited to advice and analysis directly applying any professional or technical... analysis directly applying their professional or technical expertise and unless the advice or analysis is... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2011-04-01 2009-04-01 true Professional and technical services. 712.300...

  8. 22 CFR 311.300 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... technical services shall be limited to advice and analysis directly applying any professional or technical... analysis directly applying their professional or technical expertise and unless the advice or analysis is... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2011-04-01 2009-04-01 true Professional and technical services. 311.300...

  9. Degree of Practice of Emotional and Spiritual Education by Faculty Members of Tafila Technical University and Its Role in Development of Self-Behavior from the Perspective of Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kraimeen, Hani; Al-Mhasnah, Abd Al Raheem

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to identify the practice of emotional and spiritual education by faculty members of Tafila Technical University and its relation in development of students' self-behavior, a notion that includes some aspects of self-emotions, behavior control, and emotional control and to guide a person towards achievement, excellence, in light of…

  10. 48 CFR 247.270-2 - Technical provisions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Technical provisions. 247...-Related Services 247.270-2 Technical provisions. (a) Because conditions vary at different ports, and sometimes within the same port, it is not practical to develop standard technical provisions covering all...

  11. Final report on technical work accomplished under contract NASw-2953

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fredricks, R. W.

    1977-01-01

    A report is given on the technical work accomplished in the area of plasma physics. The subjects covered are: (1) oblique whistler instabilities, (2) current-limited electron beam injection, (3) three-dimensional ion sound turbulence, (4) theoretical aspects of sounder antenna operation and (5) whistler modes in bow shock structures.

  12. 22 CFR 120.22 - Technical assistance agreement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Technical assistance agreement. 120.22 Section 120.22 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATIONS PURPOSE AND DEFINITIONS § 120.22 Technical assistance agreement. An agreement (e.g., contract) for the performance of a...

  13. 22 CFR 120.22 - Technical assistance agreement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Technical assistance agreement. 120.22 Section 120.22 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATIONS PURPOSE AND DEFINITIONS § 120.22 Technical assistance agreement. An agreement (e.g., contract) for the performance of a...

  14. 22 CFR 120.22 - Technical assistance agreement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Technical assistance agreement. 120.22 Section 120.22 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATIONS PURPOSE AND DEFINITIONS § 120.22 Technical assistance agreement. An agreement (e.g., contract) for the performance of a...

  15. 22 CFR 120.22 - Technical assistance agreement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Technical assistance agreement. 120.22 Section 120.22 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATIONS PURPOSE AND DEFINITIONS § 120.22 Technical assistance agreement. An agreement (e.g., contract) for the performance of a...

  16. 22 CFR 120.22 - Technical assistance agreement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Technical assistance agreement. 120.22 Section 120.22 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATIONS PURPOSE AND DEFINITIONS § 120.22 Technical assistance agreement. An agreement (e.g., contract) for the performance of a...

  17. Technical aspects of virtual liver resection planning.

    PubMed

    Glombitza, G; Lamadé, W; Demiris, A M; Göpfert, M R; Mayer, A; Bahner, M L; Meinzer, H P; Richter, G; Lehnert, T; Herfarth, C

    1998-01-01

    Operability of a liver tumor is depending on its three dimensional relation to the intrahepatic vascular trees which define autonomously functioning liver (sub-)segments. Precise operation planning is complicated by anatomic variability, distortion of the vascular trees by the tumor or preceding liver resections. Because of the missing possibility to track the deformation of the liver during the operation an integration of the resection planning system into an intra-operative navigation system is not feasible. So the main task of an operation planning system in this domain is a quantifiable patient selection by exact prediction of post-operative liver function and a quantifiable resection proposal. The system quantifies the organ structures and resection volumes by means of absolute and relative values. It defines resection planes depending on security margins and the vascular trees and presents the data in visualized form as a 3D movie. The new 3D operation planning system offers quantifiable liver resection proposals based on individualized liver anatomy. The results are visualized in digital movies as well as in quantitative reports.

  18. Robotic liver surgery: technical aspects and review of the literature

    PubMed Central

    Bianco, Francesco Maria; Daskalaki, Despoina; Gonzalez-Ciccarelli, Luis Fernando; Kim, Jihun; Benedetti, Enrico

    2016-01-01

    Minimally invasive surgery for liver resections has a defined role and represents an accepted alternative to open techniques for selected cases. Robotic technology can overcome some of the disadvantages of the laparoscopic technique, mainly in the most complex cases. Precise dissection and microsuturing is possible, even in narrow operative fields, allowing for a better dissection of the hepatic hilum, fine lymphadenectomy, and biliary reconstruction even with small bile ducts and easier bleeding control. This technique has the potential to allow for a greater number of major resections and difficult segmentectomies to be performed in a minimally invasive fashion. The implementation of near-infrared fluorescence with indocyanine green (ICG) also allows for a more accurate recognition of vascular and biliary anatomy. The perspectives of this kind of virtually implemented imaging are very promising and may be reflected in better outcomes. The overall data present in current literature suggests that robotic liver resections are at least comparable to both open and laparoscopic surgery in terms of perioperative and postoperative outcomes. This article provides technical details of robotic liver resections and a review of the current literature. PMID:27500143

  19. Computational Aspects of Data Assimilation and the ESMF

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    daSilva, A.

    2003-01-01

    The scientific challenge of developing advanced data assimilation applications is a daunting task. Independently developed components may have incompatible interfaces or may be written in different computer languages. The high-performance computer (HPC) platforms required by numerically intensive Earth system applications are complex, varied, rapidly evolving and multi-part systems themselves. Since the market for high-end platforms is relatively small, there is little robust middleware available to buffer the modeler from the difficulties of HPC programming. To complicate matters further, the collaborations required to develop large Earth system applications often span initiatives, institutions and agencies, involve geoscience, software engineering, and computer science communities, and cross national borders.The Earth System Modeling Framework (ESMF) project is a concerted response to these challenges. Its goal is to increase software reuse, interoperability, ease of use and performance in Earth system models through the use of a common software framework, developed in an open manner by leaders in the modeling community. The ESMF addresses the technical and to some extent the cultural - aspects of Earth system modeling, laying the groundwork for addressing the more difficult scientific aspects, such as the physical compatibility of components, in the future. In this talk we will discuss the general philosophy and architecture of the ESMF, focussing on those capabilities useful for developing advanced data assimilation applications.

  20. Technical variables in high-throughput miRNA expression profiling: much work remains to be done.

    PubMed

    Nelson, Peter T; Wang, Wang-Xia; Wilfred, Bernard R; Tang, Guiliang

    2008-11-01

    MicroRNA (miRNA) gene expression profiling has provided important insights into plant and animal biology. However, there has not been ample published work about pitfalls associated with technical parameters in miRNA gene expression profiling. One source of pertinent information about technical variables in gene expression profiling is the separate and more well-established literature regarding mRNA expression profiling. However, many aspects of miRNA biochemistry are unique. For example, the cellular processing and compartmentation of miRNAs, the differential stability of specific miRNAs, and aspects of global miRNA expression regulation require specific consideration. Additional possible sources of systematic bias in miRNA expression studies include the differential impact of pre-analytical variables, substrate specificity of nucleic acid processing enzymes used in labeling and amplification, and issues regarding new miRNA discovery and annotation. We conclude that greater focus on technical parameters is required to bolster the validity, reliability, and cultural credibility of miRNA gene expression profiling studies.

  1. Technical and Economic Aspects of Designing an Efficient Room Air-Conditioner Program in India

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

    Abhyankar, Nikit; Shah, Nihar; Phadke, Amol

    Several studies have projected a massive increase in the demand for air conditioners (ACs) over the next two decades in India. By 2030, room ACs could add 140 GW to the peak load, equivalent to over 30% of the total projected peak load. Therefore, there is significant interest among policymakers, regulators, and utilities in managing room AC demand by enhancing energy efficiency. Building on the historical success of the Indian Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s star-labeling program, Energy Efficiency Services Limited recently announced a program to accelerate the sale of efficient room ACs using bulk procurement, similar to their successful UJALAmore » light-emitting diode (LED) bulk procurement program. This report discusses some of the key considerations in designing a bulk procurement or financial incentive program for enhancing room AC efficiency in India. We draw upon our previous research to demonstrate the overall technical potential and price impact of room AC efficiency improvement and its technical feasibility in India. We also discuss the importance of using low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants and smart AC equipment that is demand response (DR) ready.« less

  2. Technical aspects of real time positron emission tracking for gated radiotherapy

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

    Chamberland, Marc; Xu, Tong, E-mail: txu@physics.carleton.ca; McEwen, Malcolm R.

    2016-02-15

    Purpose: Respiratory motion can lead to treatment errors in the delivery of radiotherapy treatments. Respiratory gating can assist in better conforming the beam delivery to the target volume. We present a study of the technical aspects of a real time positron emission tracking system for potential use in gated radiotherapy. Methods: The tracking system, called PeTrack, uses implanted positron emission markers and position sensitive gamma ray detectors to track breathing motion in real time. PeTrack uses an expectation–maximization algorithm to track the motion of fiducial markers. A normalized least mean squares adaptive filter predicts the location of the markers amore » short time ahead to account for system response latency. The precision and data collection efficiency of a prototype PeTrack system were measured under conditions simulating gated radiotherapy. The lung insert of a thorax phantom was translated in the inferior–superior direction with regular sinusoidal motion and simulated patient breathing motion (maximum amplitude of motion ±10 mm, period 4 s). The system tracked the motion of a {sup 22}Na fiducial marker (0.34 MBq) embedded in the lung insert every 0.2 s. The position of the was marker was predicted 0.2 s ahead. For sinusoidal motion, the equation used to model the motion was fitted to the data. The precision of the tracking was estimated as the standard deviation of the residuals. Software was also developed to communicate with a Linac and toggle beam delivery. In a separate experiment involving a Linac, 500 monitor units of radiation were delivered to the phantom with a 3 × 3 cm photon beam and with 6 and 10 MV accelerating potential. Radiochromic films were inserted in the phantom to measure spatial dose distribution. In this experiment, the period of motion was set to 60 s to account for beam turn-on latency. The beam was turned off when the marker moved outside of a 5-mm gating window. Results: The precision of the tracking in the

  3. Unresolved Technical Issues in Fair Interest Measurement.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cole, Nancy S.

    The problem of sex differences in interest measurement involves many technical issues and procedures. The purpose of this paper is to provide a description of the technical problems involved in construction, scoring, and interpretation of interest measures as related to sex differences and to suggest guidelines within these technical issues which…

  4. Turbulence management: Application aspects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hirschel, E. H.; Thiede, P.; Monnoyer, F.

    1989-04-01

    Turbulence management for the reduction of turbulent friction drag is an important topic. Numerous research programs in this field have demonstrated that valuable net drag reduction is obtainable by techniques which do not involve substantial, expensive modifications or redesign of existing aircraft. Hence, large projects aiming at short term introduction of turbulence management technology into airline service are presently under development. The various points that have to be investigated for this purpose are presented. Both design and operational aspects are considered, the first dealing with optimizing of turbulence management techniques at operating conditions, and the latter defining the technical problems involved by application of turbulence management to in-service aircraft. The cooperative activities of Airbus Industrie and its partners are cited as an example.

  5. The aspects of safety in future care settings.

    PubMed

    Pharow, Peter; Blobel, Bernd G M E; Savastano, Mario

    2007-01-01

    Communication and cooperation processes in the growing healthcare and welfare domain require a well-defined set of security services provided by a standards-based interoperable security infrastructure. Any communication and collaboration procedures require a verifiable purpose. Without such a purpose for communicating with each other, there's no need to communicate at all. But security is not the only aspect that needs to carefully be investigated. More and more, aspects of safety, privacy, and quality get importance while discussing about future-proof health information systems and health networks--regardless whether local, regional and national ones or even pan-European networks. The patient needs to be moved into the center of each care process. During the course of the current paradigm change from an organization centered via a process-related to a person-centered healthcare and welfare system approach, different new technologies need to be applied in order to meet the new challenges arising from both legal and technical circumstances. International organizations like WHO, UNESCO and the European Parliament increasingly aim at enhancing the safety aspect in future care settings, and so do many projects and studies. Beside typical information and communication devices, extended use of modern IT technology in healthcare and welfare includes large medical devices like, e.g., CT, X-ray and MR but also very tiny devices like sensors worn or implemented in a person's clothing. Safety gets on top of the nations priority list for several reasons. The paper aims at identifying some of these reasons along with possible solutions on how to increase patient's awareness, confidence, and acceptance in future care settings.

  6. Workers' Attitudes to Technical Change: An Integrated Survey of Research. Industrial Relations Aspects of Manpower Policy 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Touraine, Alain; And Others

    Methods for encouraging positive worker attitude and behavior toward change were examined to provide a basis for re-evaluation of current policies and programs relating to introduction of technological changes. The literature reviewed is presented in sections of: (1) "The Worker and the Occupational System," by Claude Durand, (2)…

  7. Foundational Aspects of Classroom Relations: Associations between Teachers' Immediacy Behaviours, Classroom Democracy, Class Identification and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kwitonda, Jean Claude

    2017-01-01

    This study focused on foundational aspects of classroom relations. Specifically, relationships between teachers' immediacy (interpersonal) behaviours, classroom democracy, identification and learning were considered. Previous work suggests that these variables can be used as a foundation to shape classroom climate, culture and learning outcomes…

  8. [Regional electro-hyperthermia--technical principles, clinical results and health insurance aspects].

    PubMed

    Heyll, Uwe

    2012-06-01

    The method of electro-hyperthermia is based on the production of alternating currents from capacitive coupled electrodes. Because of the associated heating of body tissues, the electro-hyperthermia is promoted as an alternative to the more sophisticated methods of scientific hyperthermia, which find use in oncologic diseases. The analysis of technical data, however, reveals that the electro-hyperthermia is not qualified for a focused, effective and therapeutically useful heating of circumscribed target areas. Data from clinical studies demonstrating efficacy for defined indications are not available. The application of electro-hyperthermia is excluded form the German system of public health insurance. As proof of medical necessity cannot be provided, there is also no claim for reimbursement from private health insurance. According to legal regulations in Germany, an invoice as hyperthermia treatment is usually not possible. Rather, an item from the electrotherapy section of the official provision of medical fees (GOA) has to be chosen.

  9. NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Program: Recommendations for Technical Requirements for Inclusion in Aerospace Battery Procurements. Volume 1, Part 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jung, David S.; Manzo, Michelle A.

    2010-01-01

    This NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Working Group was chartered within the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). The Battery Working Group was tasked to complete tasks and to propose proactive work to address battery related, agency-wide issues on an annual basis. In its first year of operation, this proactive program addressed various aspects of the validation and verification of aerospace battery systems for NASA missions. Studies were performed, issues were discussed and in many cases, test programs were executed to generate recommendations and guidelines to reduce risk associated with various aspects of implementing battery technology in the aerospace industry. This document contains Part 2 - Volume I: Recommendations for Technical Requirements for Inclusion in Aerospace Battery Procurements of the program's operations.

  10. Technical and Tactical Aspects that Differentiate Winning and Losing Performances in Elite Male Karate Fighters.

    PubMed

    Vidranski, Tihomir; Sertić, Hrvoje; Jukić, Josefina

    2015-07-01

    The purpose of this research was to identify the fighters' technical and tactical activity indicators in order to determine indicator significance regarding situational efficiency and designation between winning and losing performances in a karate match. We scientifically observed a sample of 274 male contesters of 137 karate matches during the 2008 World Karate Championship in Tokyo. Each individual competitor was observed in maximum of three matches. The matches were recorded using a DVD camera in order to collect data for further analysis, and the sample was further described using 48 technical and tactical indicators of situational efficiency and match outcome variables. The obtained results indicate that a karate match is composed of 91% of non-scoring techniques and 9% of scoring techniques in the total technique frequency. On this basis a significant difference in the situational efficiency between the match winners and the losing contesters has been discovered. Those two groups of fighters exhibit a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) in 11 out of 21 observed variables of situational efficiency in the table of derived situational indicators. A prevalence of non-scoring techniques suggests that energy demand and technical and tactical requirements of a karate match are in the largest extent defined by non-scoring techniques. Therefore, it would be a grave mistake to disregard non-scoring karate techniques in any future situational efficiency studies. It has been discovered that the winners differ from the defeated contesters by a higher level of situational efficiency in their executed techniques, which incorporate versatility, biomechanical and structural complexity, topological diversity and a specific tactical concept of technique use in the attack phase.

  11. So You "Gotta" Wear Glasses Minicourse, Career Oriented Pre-Technical Physics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dallas Independent School District, TX.

    This instructional guide, intended for student use, develops the topic of optics through a series of sequential activities. A technical development of the subject is pursued with examples stressing practical aspects of the concepts. Included in the minicourse are: (1) the rationale, (2) terminal behavioral objectives, (3) enabling behavioral…

  12. Retrospective analysis of technical success rate and procedure-related complications of 867 percutaneous CT-guided needle biopsies of lung lesions.

    PubMed

    Mills, M; Choi, J; El-Haddad, G; Sweeney, J; Biebel, B; Robinson, L; Antonia, S; Kumar, A; Kis, B

    2017-12-01

    To investigate the technical success rate and procedure-related complications of computed tomography (CT)-guided needle biopsy of lung lesions and to identify the factors that are correlated with the occurrence of procedure-related complications. This was a single- institution retrospective study of 867 consecutive CT-guided needle biopsies of lung lesions performed on 772 patients in a tertiary cancer centre. The technical success rate and complications were correlated with patient, lung lesion, and procedure-related variables. The technical success rate was 87.2% and the mortality rate was 0.12%. Of the 867 total biopsies 25.7% were associated with pneumothorax, and 6.5% required chest tube drainage. The haemothorax rate was 1.8%. There was positive correlation between the development of pneumothorax and smaller lesion diameter (p<0.001), longer transparenchymal distance (p<0.001), and prone position (p=0.027). There was positive correlation between the need for chest tube placement and longer transparenchymal distance (p=0.007) and smaller lesion diameter (p=0.018). Lesions in the left lower lobe had the lowest rates of pneumothorax (p=0.008) and chest tube drainage (p=0.018). Patients whose pneumothoraces were diagnosed on the follow-up chest X-ray, but not on the immediate post-procedural CT scan had significantly higher requirement for chest tube drainage (p=0.039). CT-guided lung biopsy has a high rate of technical success and a low rate of major complications. The present study has revealed several variables that can be used to identify high-risk procedures. A post-procedural chest X-ray within hours after the procedure is highly recommended to identify high-risk patients who require chest tube placement. Copyright © 2017 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Systems Modelling of the Socio-Technical Aspects of Residential Electricity Use and Network Peak Demand.

    PubMed

    Lewis, Jim; Mengersen, Kerrie; Buys, Laurie; Vine, Desley; Bell, John; Morris, Peter; Ledwich, Gerard

    2015-01-01

    Provision of network infrastructure to meet rising network peak demand is increasing the cost of electricity. Addressing this demand is a major imperative for Australian electricity agencies. The network peak demand model reported in this paper provides a quantified decision support tool and a means of understanding the key influences and impacts on network peak demand. An investigation of the system factors impacting residential consumers' peak demand for electricity was undertaken in Queensland, Australia. Technical factors, such as the customers' location, housing construction and appliances, were combined with social factors, such as household demographics, culture, trust and knowledge, and Change Management Options (CMOs) such as tariffs, price, managed supply, etc., in a conceptual 'map' of the system. A Bayesian network was used to quantify the model and provide insights into the major influential factors and their interactions. The model was also used to examine the reduction in network peak demand with different market-based and government interventions in various customer locations of interest and investigate the relative importance of instituting programs that build trust and knowledge through well designed customer-industry engagement activities. The Bayesian network was implemented via a spreadsheet with a tickbox interface. The model combined available data from industry-specific and public sources with relevant expert opinion. The results revealed that the most effective intervention strategies involve combining particular CMOs with associated education and engagement activities. The model demonstrated the importance of designing interventions that take into account the interactions of the various elements of the socio-technical system. The options that provided the greatest impact on peak demand were Off-Peak Tariffs and Managed Supply and increases in the price of electricity. The impact in peak demand reduction differed for each of the locations

  14. Systems Modelling of the Socio-Technical Aspects of Residential Electricity Use and Network Peak Demand

    PubMed Central

    Lewis, Jim; Mengersen, Kerrie; Buys, Laurie; Vine, Desley; Bell, John; Morris, Peter; Ledwich, Gerard

    2015-01-01

    Provision of network infrastructure to meet rising network peak demand is increasing the cost of electricity. Addressing this demand is a major imperative for Australian electricity agencies. The network peak demand model reported in this paper provides a quantified decision support tool and a means of understanding the key influences and impacts on network peak demand. An investigation of the system factors impacting residential consumers’ peak demand for electricity was undertaken in Queensland, Australia. Technical factors, such as the customers’ location, housing construction and appliances, were combined with social factors, such as household demographics, culture, trust and knowledge, and Change Management Options (CMOs) such as tariffs, price, managed supply, etc., in a conceptual ‘map’ of the system. A Bayesian network was used to quantify the model and provide insights into the major influential factors and their interactions. The model was also used to examine the reduction in network peak demand with different market-based and government interventions in various customer locations of interest and investigate the relative importance of instituting programs that build trust and knowledge through well designed customer-industry engagement activities. The Bayesian network was implemented via a spreadsheet with a tickbox interface. The model combined available data from industry-specific and public sources with relevant expert opinion. The results revealed that the most effective intervention strategies involve combining particular CMOs with associated education and engagement activities. The model demonstrated the importance of designing interventions that take into account the interactions of the various elements of the socio-technical system. The options that provided the greatest impact on peak demand were Off-Peak Tariffs and Managed Supply and increases in the price of electricity. The impact in peak demand reduction differed for each of the

  15. The Development of Sensitivity to Figural and Stylistic Aspects of Paintings. Technical Report No. 3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gardner, Howard E.

    Harvard Project Zero provides a series of technical research reports which study artistic creation and comprehension as a means toward better art education. The emphasis of the research is to improve art education through a better psychological understanding of symbol systems and media of art and through better understanding of the perceptual,…

  16. 22 CFR 138.205 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... to advice and analysis directly applying any professional or technical discipline. For example... their professional or technical expertise and unless the advice or analysis is rendered directly and... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Professional and technical services. 138.205...

  17. 22 CFR 227.205 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... to advice and analysis directly applying any professional or technical discipline. For example... their professional or technical expertise and unless the advice or analysis is rendered directly and... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Professional and technical services. 227.205...

  18. 22 CFR 519.205 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... to advice and analysis directly applying any professional or technical discipline. For example... their professional or technical expertise and unless the advice or analysis is rendered directly and... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2011-04-01 2009-04-01 true Professional and technical services. 519.205...

  19. 22 CFR 227.205 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... to advice and analysis directly applying any professional or technical discipline. For example... their professional or technical expertise and unless the advice or analysis is rendered directly and... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Professional and technical services. 227.205...

  20. 22 CFR 138.205 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... to advice and analysis directly applying any professional or technical discipline. For example... their professional or technical expertise and unless the advice or analysis is rendered directly and... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Professional and technical services. 138.205...

  1. Socio-technical systems and interaction design - 21st century relevance.

    PubMed

    Maguire, Martin

    2014-03-01

    This paper focuses on the relationship between the socio-technical system and the user-technology interface. It looks at specific aspects of the organisational context such as multiple user roles, job change, work processes and workflows, technical infrastructure, and the challenges they present for the interaction designer. The implications of trends such as more mobile and flexible working, the use of social media, and the growth of the virtual organisation, are also considered. The paper also reviews rapidly evolving technologies such as pervasive systems and artificial intelligence, and the skills that workers will need to engage with them. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  2. Materials-Related Aspects of Thermochemical Water and Carbon Dioxide Splitting: A Review

    PubMed Central

    Roeb, Martin; Neises, Martina; Monnerie, Nathalie; Call, Friedemann; Simon, Heike; Sattler, Christian; Schmücker, Martin; Pitz-Paal, Robert

    2012-01-01

    Thermochemical multistep water- and CO2-splitting processes are promising options to face future energy problems. Particularly, the possible incorporation of solar power makes these processes sustainable and environmentally attractive since only water, CO2 and solar power are used; the concentrated solar energy is converted into storable and transportable fuels. One of the major barriers to technological success is the identification of suitable active materials like catalysts and redox materials exhibiting satisfactory durability, reactivity and efficiencies. Moreover, materials play an important role in the construction of key components and for the implementation in commercial solar plants. The most promising thermochemical water- and CO2-splitting processes are being described and discussed with respect to further development and future potential. The main materials-related challenges of those processes are being analyzed. Technical approaches and development progress in terms of solving them are addressed and assessed in this review.

  3. OSH technical reference manual

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

    Not Available

    1993-11-01

    In an evaluation of the Department of Energy (DOE) Occupational Safety and Health programs for government-owned contractor-operated (GOCO) activities, the Department of Labor`s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommended a technical information exchange program. The intent was to share written safety and health programs, plans, training manuals, and materials within the entire DOE community. The OSH Technical Reference (OTR) helps support the secretary`s response to the OSHA finding by providing a one-stop resource and referral for technical information that relates to safe operations and practice. It also serves as a technical information exchange tool to reference DOE-wide materials pertinentmore » to specific safety topics and, with some modification, as a training aid. The OTR bridges the gap between general safety documents and very specific requirements documents. It is tailored to the DOE community and incorporates DOE field experience.« less

  4. Modelling the Reasons for Training Choices: Technical Paper. Support Document

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Andrew; Oczkowski, Eddie; Hill, Mark

    2009-01-01

    This report provides the technical details on the modelling aspects of identifying significant drivers for the reasons for using certain types of training and for the choice of training types. The employed data is from the 2005 Survey of Employer Use and Views of the VET system (SEUV). The data has previously been analysed in NCVER (2006). This…

  5. Increasing Student Achievement: Educators' Guide to Secondary Career & Technical Education Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Occupational Competency Testing Institute, 2012

    2012-01-01

    This guide attempts to address an aspect of secondary CTE (Career and Technical Education) that has received little attention; the assessment literacy of educators. School leaders need to go beyond ensuring routine compliance with external and internal regulatory forces to identify ways in which CTE program teachers might better understand…

  6. Research of cost aspects of cement pavements construction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bezuglyi, Artem; Illiash, Sergii; Tymoshchuk, Oleksandr

    2017-09-01

    The tendency to increasing traffic volume on public roads and to increased axle loads of vehicles makes the road scientists to develop scientifically justified methods for preserving the existing and developing the new transport network of Ukraine. One of the options for solving such issues is the construction of roads with rigid (cement concrete) pavement. However, any solution must be justified considering technical and economic components. This paper presents the results of the research of cost aspects of cement pavements construction.

  7. Technical efficiency of selected hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia.

    PubMed

    Ali, Murad; Debela, Megersa; Bamud, Tewfik

    2017-12-01

    This study examines the relative technical efficiency of 12 hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia. Using six-year-round panel data for the period between 2007/08 and 2012/13, this study examines the technical efficiency, total factor productivity, and determinants of the technical inefficiency of hospitals. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) and DEA- based Malmquist productivity index used to estimate relative technical efficiency, scale efficiency, and total factor productivity index of hospitals. Tobit model used to examine the determinants of the technical inefficiency of hospitals. The DEA Variable Returns to Scale (VRS) estimate indicated that 6 (50%), 5 (42%), 3 (25%), 3 (25%), 4 (33%), and 3 (25%) of the hospitals were technically inefficient while 9 (75%), 9 (75%), 7 (58%), 7 (58%), 7 (58%) and 8 (67%) of hospitals were scale inefficient between 2007/08 and 2012/13, respectively. On average, Malmquist Total Factor Productivity (MTFP) of the hospitals decreased by 3.6% over the panel period. The Tobit model shows that teaching hospital is less efficiency than other hospitals. The Tobit regression model further shows that medical doctor to total staff ratio, the proportion of outpatient visit to inpatient days, and the proportion of inpatients treated per medical doctor were negatively related with technical inefficiency of hospitals. Hence, policy interventions that help utilize excess capacity of hospitals, increase doctor to other staff ratio, and standardize number of inpatients treated per doctor would contribute to the improvement of the technical efficiency of hospitals.

  8. Design and Assessment of an Associate Degree-Level Plant Operations Technical Education Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Selwitz, Jason Lawrence

    Research was undertaken to develop and evaluate an associate degree-level technical education program in Plant Operations oriented towards training students in applied science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills and knowledge relevant to a spectrum of processing industries. This work focuses on four aspects of the curriculum and course development and evaluation research. First, the context of, and impetus for, what was formerly called vocational education, now referred to as technical or workforce education, is provided. Second, the research that was undertaken to design and evaluate an associate degree-level STEM workforce education program is described. Third, the adaptation of a student self-assessment of learning gains instrument is reviewed, and an analysis of the resulting data using an adapted logic model is provided, to evaluate the extent to which instructional approaches, in two process control/improvement-focused courses, were effective in meeting course-level intended learning outcomes. Finally, eight integrative multiscale exercises were designed from two example process systems, wastewater treatment and fast pyrolysis. The integrative exercises are intended for use as tools to accelerate the formation of an operator-technician's multiscale vision of systems, unit operations, underlying processes, and fundamental reactions relevant to multiple industries. Community and technical colleges serve a vital function in STEM education by training workers for medium- and high-skilled technical careers and providing employers the labor necessary to operate and maintain thriving business ventures. Through development of the curricular, course, and assessment-related instruments and tools, this research helps ensure associate degree-level technical education programs can engage in a continual process of program evaluation and improvement.

  9. Engineering Technical Review Planning Briefing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gardner, Terrie

    2012-01-01

    The general topics covered in the engineering technical planning briefing are 1) overviews of NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), and Engineering, 2) the NASA Systems Engineering(SE) Engine and its implementation , 3) the NASA Project Life Cycle, 4) MSFC Technical Management Branch Services in relation to the SE Engine and the Project Life Cycle , 5) Technical Reviews, 6) NASA Human Factor Design Guidance , and 7) the MSFC Human Factors Team. The engineering technical review portion of the presentation is the primary focus of the overall presentation and will address the definition of a design review, execution guidance, the essential stages of a technical review, and the overall review planning life cycle. Examples of a technical review plan content, review approaches, review schedules, and the review process will be provided and discussed. The human factors portion of the presentation will focus on the NASA guidance for human factors. Human factors definition, categories, design guidance, and human factor specialist roles will be addressed. In addition, the NASA Systems Engineering Engine description, definition, and application will be reviewed as background leading into the NASA Project Life Cycle Overview and technical review planning discussion.

  10. Methylation analysis of polysaccharides: Technical advice.

    PubMed

    Sims, Ian M; Carnachan, Susan M; Bell, Tracey J; Hinkley, Simon F R

    2018-05-15

    Glycosyl linkage (methylation) analysis is used widely for the structural determination of oligo- and poly-saccharides. The procedure involves derivatisation of the individual component sugars of a polysaccharide to partially methylated alditol acetates which are analysed and quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The linkage positions for each component sugar can be determined by correctly identifying the partially methylated alditol acetates. Although the methods are well established, there are many technical aspects to this procedure and both careful attention to detail and considerable experience are required to achieve a successful methylation analysis and to correctly interpret the data generated. The aim of this article is to provide the technical details and critical procedural steps necessary for a successful methylation analysis and to assist researchers (a) with interpreting data correctly and (b) in providing the comprehensive data required for reviewers to fully assess the work. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Systemic lupus erythematosus: Clinical and experimental aspects

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

    Smolen, J.S.

    1987-01-01

    This text covers questions related to the history, etiology, pathogenesis, clinical aspects and therapy of systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Both animal models and human SLE are considered. With regard to basic science, concise information on cellular immunology, autoantibodies, viral aspects and molecular biology in SLE is provided. Clinical topics then deal with medical, dermatologic, neurologic, radiologic, pathologic, and therapeutic aspects. The book not only presents the most recent information on clinical and experimental insights, but also looks at future aspects related to the diagnosis and therapy of SLE.

  12. 22 CFR 138.300 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Professional and technical services. 138.300 Section 138.300 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE MISCELLANEOUS NEW RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING Activities by Other Than Own Employees § 138.300 Professional and technical services. (a) The prohibition on...

  13. 22 CFR 227.300 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Professional and technical services. 227.300 Section 227.300 Foreign Relations AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEW RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING Activities by Other Than Own Employees § 227.300 Professional and technical services. (a) The prohibition on...

  14. The NOvA Technical Design Report

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

    Ayres, D.S.; Drake, G.R.; Goodman, M.C.

    Technical Design Report (TDR) describes the preliminary design of the NOvA accelerator upgrades, NOvA detectors, detector halls and detector sites. Compared to the March 2006 and November 2006 NOvA Conceptual Design Reports (CDR), critical value engineering studies have been completed and the alternatives still active in the CDR have been narrowed to achieve a preliminary technical design ready for a Critical Decision 2 review. Many aspects of NOvA described this TDR are complete to a level far beyond a preliminary design. In particular, the access road to the NOvA Far Detector site in Minnesota has an advanced technical design atmore » a level appropriate for a Critical Decision 3a review. Several components of the accelerator upgrade and new neutrino detectors also have advanced technical designs appropriate for a Critical Decision 3a review. Chapter 1 is an Executive Summary with a short description of the NOvA project. Chapter 2 describes how the Fermilab NuMI beam will provide a narrow band beam of neutrinos for NOvA. Chapter 3 gives an updated overview of the scientific basis for the NOvA experiment, focusing on the primary goal to extend the search for {nu}{sub {mu}} {yields} {nu}{sub e} oscillations and measure the sin{sup 2}(2{theta}{sub 13}) parameter. This parameter has not been measured in any previous experiment and NOvA would extend the search by about an order of magnitude beyond the current limit. A secondary goal is to measure the dominant mode oscillation parameters, sin{sup 2}(2{theta}{sub 23}) and {Delta}m{sub 32}{sup 2} to a more precise level than previous experiments. Additional physics goals for NOvA are also discussed. Chapter 4 describes the Scientific Design Criteria which the Fermilab accelerator complex, NOvA detectors and NOvA detector sites must satisfy to meet the physics goals discussed in Chapter 3. Chapter 5 is an overview of the NOvA project. The changes in the design relative to the NOvA CDR are discussed. Chapter 6 summarizes

  15. Technical and Vocational Education in Asia and Oceania. Bulletin of the Unesco Regional Office for Education in Asia and Oceania. Number 21, June 1980.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Regional Office for Education in Asia and Oceania.

    This issue contains a regional review, discussion of technical and vocational education in countries of Asia and Oceania, articles dealing with various aspects of technical and vocational education, and a bibliographical supplement. The brief statistical review in section 1 concerns second-level technical and vocational education in the developing…

  16. 22 CFR 138.300 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... and analysis directly applying any professional or technical discipline. For example, drafting or a... their professional or technical expertise and unless the advice or analysis is rendered directly and... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Professional and technical services. 138.300...

  17. 22 CFR 227.300 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... and analysis directly applying any professional or technical discipline. For example, drafting or a... their professional or technical expertise and unless the advice or analysis is rendered directly and... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Professional and technical services. 227.300...

  18. 22 CFR 519.300 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... and analysis directly applying any professional or technical discipline. For example, drafting or a... their professional or technical expertise and unless the advice or analysis is rendered directly and... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2011-04-01 2009-04-01 true Professional and technical services. 519.300...

  19. 22 CFR 311.205 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... and analysis directly applying any professional or technical discipline. For example, drafting of a... their professional or technical expertise and unless the advice or analysis is rendered directly and... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2011-04-01 2009-04-01 true Professional and technical services. 311.205...

  20. Triple-aspect monism: physiological, mental unconscious and conscious aspects of brain activity.

    PubMed

    Pereira, Alfredo

    2014-06-01

    Brain activity contains three fundamental aspects: (a) The physiological aspect, covering all kinds of processes that involve matter and/or energy; (b) the mental unconscious aspect, consisting of dynamical patterns (i.e., frequency, amplitude and phase-modulated waves) embodied in neural activity. These patterns are variously operated (transmitted, stored, combined, matched, amplified, erased, etc), forming cognitive and emotional unconscious processes and (c) the mental conscious aspect, consisting of feelings experienced in the first-person perspective and cognitive functions grounded in feelings, as memory formation, selection of the focus of attention, voluntary behavior, aesthetical appraisal and ethical judgment. Triple-aspect monism (TAM) is a philosophical theory that provides a model of the relation of the three aspects. Spatially distributed neuronal dendritic potentials generate amplitude-modulated waveforms transmitted to the extracellular medium and adjacent astrocytes, prompting the formation of large waves in the astrocyte network, which are claimed to both integrate distributed information and instantiate feelings. According to the valence of the feeling, the large wave feeds back on neuronal synapses, modulating (reinforcing or depressing) cognitive and behavioral functions.

  1. Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant technical manual

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

    Larson, D.E.; Watrous, R.A.; Kruger, O.L.

    1996-03-01

    A key element of the Hanford waste management strategy is the construction of a new facility, the Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant (HWVP), to vitrify existing and future liquid high-level waste produced by defense activities at the Hanford Site. The HWVP mission is to vitrify pretreated waste in borosilicate glass, cast the glass into stainless steel canisters, and store the canisters at the Hanford Site until they are shipped to a federal geological repository. The HWVP Technical Manual (Manual) documents the technical bases of the current HWVP process and provides a physical description of the related equipment and the plant. Themore » immediate purpose of the document is to provide the technical bases for preparation of project baseline documents that will be used to direct the Title 1 and Title 2 design by the A/E, Fluor. The content of the Manual is organized in the following manner. Chapter 1.0 contains the background and context within which the HWVP was designed. Chapter 2.0 describes the site, plant, equipment and supporting services and provides the context for application of the process information in the Manual. Chapter 3.0 provides plant feed and product requirements, which are primary process bases for plant operation. Chapter 4.0 summarizes the technology for each plant process. Chapter 5.0 describes the engineering principles for designing major types of HWVP equipment. Chapter 6.0 describes the general safety aspects of the plant and process to assist in safe and prudent facility operation. Chapter 7.0 includes a description of the waste form qualification program and data. Chapter 8.0 indicates the current status of quality assurance requirements for the Manual. The Appendices provide data that are too extensive to be placed in the main text, such as extensive tables and sets of figures. The Manual is a revision of the 1987 version.« less

  2. 22 CFR 125.2 - Exports of unclassified technical data.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ..., visual or documentary disclosure of technical data by U.S. persons to foreign persons. A license is... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Exports of unclassified technical data. 125.2... THE EXPORT OF TECHNICAL DATA AND CLASSIFIED DEFENSE ARTICLES § 125.2 Exports of unclassified technical...

  3. 22 CFR 125.2 - Exports of unclassified technical data.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ..., visual or documentary disclosure of technical data by U.S. persons to foreign persons. A license is... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Exports of unclassified technical data. 125.2... THE EXPORT OF TECHNICAL DATA AND CLASSIFIED DEFENSE ARTICLES § 125.2 Exports of unclassified technical...

  4. 22 CFR 125.2 - Exports of unclassified technical data.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ..., visual or documentary disclosure of technical data by U.S. persons to foreign persons. A license is... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Exports of unclassified technical data. 125.2... THE EXPORT OF TECHNICAL DATA AND CLASSIFIED DEFENSE ARTICLES § 125.2 Exports of unclassified technical...

  5. 22 CFR 125.2 - Exports of unclassified technical data.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ..., visual or documentary disclosure of technical data by U.S. persons to foreign persons. A license is... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Exports of unclassified technical data. 125.2... THE EXPORT OF TECHNICAL DATA AND CLASSIFIED DEFENSE ARTICLES § 125.2 Exports of unclassified technical...

  6. Tinkering and Technical Self-Efficacy of Engineering Students at the Community College

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, Dale R.; Wood, Lorelei; Corkins, James; Krause, Stephen

    2015-01-01

    Self-efficacy in engineering is important because individuals with low self-efficacy have lower levels of achievement and persistence in engineering majors. To examine self-efficacy among community college engineering students, an instrument to specifically measure two important aspects of engineering, tinkering and technical self-efficacy, was…

  7. Instrument and Survey Analysis Technical Report: Program Implementation Survey. Technical Report #1112

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

    2011-01-01

    This technical document provides guidance to educators on the creation and interpretation of survey instruments, particularly as they relate to an analysis of program implementation. Illustrative examples are drawn from a survey of educators related to the use of the easyCBM learning system. This document includes specific sections on…

  8. Operational and design aspects of accelerators for medical applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schippers, Jacobus Maarten; Seidel, Mike

    2015-03-01

    Originally, the typical particle accelerators as well as their associated beam transport equipment were designed for particle and nuclear physics research and applications in isotope production. In the past few decades, such accelerators and related equipment have also been applied for medical use. This can be in the original physics laboratory environment, but for the past 20 years also in hospital-based or purely clinical environments for particle therapy. The most important specific requirements of accelerators for radiation therapy with protons or ions will be discussed. The focus will be on accelerator design, operational, and formal aspects. We will discuss the special requirements to reach a high reliability for patient treatments as well as an accurate delivery of the dose at the correct position in the patient using modern techniques like pencil beam scanning. It will be shown that the technical requirements, safety aspects, and required reliability of the accelerated beam differ substantially from those in a nuclear physics laboratory. It will be shown that this difference has significant implications on the safety and interlock systems. The operation of such a medical facility should be possible by nonaccelerator specialists at different operating sites (treatment rooms). The organization and role of the control and interlock systems can be considered as being the most crucially important issue, and therefore a special, dedicated design is absolutely necessary in a facility providing particle therapy.

  9. [Legal aspects of post-mortem radiology in the Netherlands].

    PubMed

    Venderink, W; Dute, J C J

    2016-01-01

    In the Netherlands, the application of post-mortem radiology (virtual autopsy) is on the rise. Contrary to conventional autopsy, with post-mortem radiology the body remains intact. There is uncertainty concerning the legal admissibility of post-mortem radiology, since the Dutch Corpse Disposal Act does not contain any specific regulations for this technique. Autopsy and post-mortem radiology differ significantly from a technical aspect, but these differences do not have far-reaching legal consequences from a legal perspective. Even though the body remains intact during post-mortem radiology, the bodily integrity of a deceased person is breached if it would be applied without previously obtained consent. This permission can only be obtained after the relatives are fully informed about the proposed activity. In this respect, it is not relevant which technique is used, be it post-mortem radiology or autopsy. Therefore, the other legal conditions for post-mortem radiology are essentially identical to those for autopsy.

  10. 22 CFR 712.205 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ...” shall be limited to advice and analysis directly applying any professional or technical discipline. For... applying their professional or technical expertise and unless the advice or analysis is rendered directly... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2011-04-01 2009-04-01 true Professional and technical services. 712.205...

  11. The Independent Technical Analysis Process

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

    Duberstein, Corey A.; Ham, Kenneth D.; Dauble, Dennis D.

    2007-04-13

    The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) contracted with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to provide technical analytical support for system-wide fish passage information (BPA Project No. 2006-010-00). The goal of this project was to produce rigorous technical analysis products using independent analysts and anonymous peer reviewers. In the past, regional parties have interacted with a single entity, the Fish Passage Center to access the data, analyses, and coordination related to fish passage. This project provided an independent technical source for non-routine fish passage analyses while allowing routine support functions to be performed by other well-qualified entities.

  12. Shrink film patterning by craft cutter: complete plastic chips with high resolution/high-aspect ratio channel.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Douglas; Dyer, David; Lew, Valerie; Khine, Michelle

    2010-09-21

    This paper presents a rapid, ultra-low-cost approach to fabricate microfluidic devices using a polyolefin shrink film and a digital craft cutter. The shrinking process (with a 95% reduction in area) results in relatively uniform and consistent microfluidic channels with smooth surfaces, vertical sidewalls, and high aspect ratio channels with lateral resolutions well beyond the tool used to cut them. The thermal bonding of the layers results in strongly bonded devices. Complex microfluidic designs are easily designed on the fly and protein assays are also readily integrated into the device. Full device characterization including channel consistency, optical properties, and bonding strength are assessed in this technical note.

  13. A Marxist Analysis of the World Trade Organisation's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rikowski, Ruth

    2006-01-01

    This article examines the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). There are many WTO Agreements, but TRIPS is likely to have significant implications for areas such as information, education and libraries. The article provides an overview of TRIPS in general. Various intellectual…

  14. Institutional and environmental aspects of geothermal energy development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Citron, O. R.

    1977-01-01

    Until recently, the majority of work in geothermal energy development has been devoted to technical considerations of resource identification and extraction technologies. The increasing interest in exploiting the variety of geothermal resources has prompted an examination of the institutional barriers to their introduction for commercial use. A significant effort was undertaken by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a part of a national study to identify existing constraints to geothermal development and possible remedial actions. These aspects included legislative and legal parameters plus environmental, social, and economic considerations.

  15. Impact of Automation on Technical Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rooks, Dana C.; Thompson, Linda L.

    1988-01-01

    Discusses the impact of automation on library technical services, and the need for library managers to be aware of the issues involved and to plan for future developments. The discussion focuses on the areas of job related concerns of technical staff, organizational structures, recruitment and training, and ergonomic considerations. (CLB)

  16. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 25: The impact of language and culture on technical communication in Japan

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kohl, John R.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Pinelli, Thomas E.; Keene, Michael L.; Kennedy, John M.

    1993-01-01

    One of the most significant developments in the field of technical communication during the 1980's and 1990's has been a growing interest in international technical communication, including technical communication in Japan. This article provides insights into aspects of the Japanese language and culture that affect Japanese technical communication practices. These insights are then used to interpret and report the results of a survey of Japanese aerospace engineers and scientists concerning the kinds of communication products they produce, the kinds they use, and the specific recommendation they would offer to designers of academic programs in technical communication.

  17. NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. XXV - The impact of language and culture on technical communication in Japan

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kohl, John R.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Pinelli, Thomas E.; Keene, Michael L.; Kennedy, John M.

    1993-01-01

    One of the most significant developments in the field of technical communication during the 1980s and 1990s has been a growing interest in international technical communication, including technical communication in Japan. This article provides insights into aspects of the Japanese language and culture that affect Japanese technical communication practices. The authors then use these insights to interpret and report the results of a survey of Japanese aerospace engineers and scientists concerning the kinds of communication products they produce, the kinds they use, and the specific recommendations they would offer to designers of academic programs in technical communication.

  18. Technical Education: Careers Unlimited. Proceedings of The National Clinic on Technical Education (9th, Fort Worth, Texas, March 15-17, 1972).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Technical Education Association, Inc., Delmar, NY.

    The Proceedings, attended by more than 400 technical educators from 42 States and two foreign countries, reflected various topics and information relative to the Clinic's theme. The speeches should assist technical educators and administrators at all post-secondary levels in the preparation of future manpower needs in technical education. The…

  19. A review and evaluation of the Langley Research Center's Scientific and Technical Information Program: Results of phase 6: The technical report. A survey and analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mccullough, R. A.; Pinelli, T. E.; Pilley, D. D.; Stohrer, F. F.

    1982-01-01

    Current practice and usage using selected technical reports; literature relative to the sequential, language, and presentation components of technical reports; and NASA technical report publications standards are discussed. The effctiveness of the technical report as a product for information dissemination is considered.

  20. Longitudinal Relations between Personality Traits and Aspects of Identity Formation during Adolescence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hill, Patrick L.; Allemand, Mathias; Grob, Sabine Zehnder; Peng, Aristide; Morgenthaler, Christoph; Kappler, Christoph

    2013-01-01

    The current study focused on three aspects of identity development relevant to the adolescent years: being an authentic person, perceiving control over and consistency in one's environment, and having consistent expectations from close others. In a two-wave study of adolescents (n = 750), we examined how these aspects change over the course of a…

  1. NASA Scientific and Technical Information Standards

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2006-01-01

    This document presents general recommended standards for documenting scientific and technical information (STI) from a number of scientific and engineering disciplines. It is a companion publication to NASA SP-7084, "Grammar, Punctuation, and Capitalization: A Handbook for Technical Writers and Editors," and is intended primarily for STI personnel and publishing personnel within NASA and who support NASA STI publishing. Section 1 gives an overview of NASA STI publications. Section 2 discusses figure preparation considerations. Section 3 covers table design, and Section 4 gives information about symbols and math related to STI publishing. Section 5 covers units of measure. Section 6 discusses References, and Section 7 discusses electronic documents. Section 8 covers information related to the review of STI prior to publication; this covers both technical and dissemination review and approval, including data quality. Section 9 discusses printing and dissemination related to STI, and Section 10 gives abbreviations and acronyms used in the document.

  2. Ground Water Technical Support Center (GWTSC) Annual ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Ground Water Technical Support Center (GWTSC) is part of the Ground Water and Ecosystems Restoration Division (GWERD), which is based in the Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center in Ada, Oklahoma. The GWERD is a research division of U.S. EPA’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL). The GWTSC is one of an interlinked group of specialized Technical Support Centersthat were established under the Technical Support Project (TSP). The GWTSC provides technical support on issues related to groundwater. Specifically, the GWTSC provides technical support to U.S. EPA and State regulators for issues and problems related to:1. subsurface contamination (contaminants in ground water, soils and sediments),2. cross-media transfer (movement of contaminants from the subsurface to other media such as surface water or air), and3. restoration of impacted ecosystems.The GWTSC works with Remedial Project Managers (RPMs) and other decision makers to solve specific problems at Superfund, RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act), Brownfields sites, and ecosystem restoration sites. The Ground Water Technical Support Center (GWTSC) is part of the Ground Water and Ecosystems Restoration Division (GWERD), which is based in the Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center in Ada, Oklahoma. The GWERD is a research division of U.S. EPA’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL). The GWTSC is one of an interlinked group of specialized Technical Suppo

  3. Research Needs: Career and Technical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kosloski, Michael F., Jr.; Ritz, John M.

    2016-01-01

    Research is an important component of each professional field. This study sought to determine topics that needed further research in the school subjects known as career and technical education. It determined topics that needed to be researched related to high school career and technical education (CTE) and the preparation for teaching CTE in…

  4. Exploration Medical System Technical Architecture Overview

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cerro, J.; Rubin, D.; Mindock, J.; Middour, C.; McGuire, K.; Hanson, A.; Reilly, J.; Burba, T.; Urbina, M.

    2018-01-01

    The Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element Systems Engineering (SE) goals include defining the technical system needed to support medical capabilities for a Mars exploration mission. A draft medical system architecture was developed based on stakeholder needs, system goals, and system behaviors, as captured in an ExMC concept of operations document and a system model. This talk will discuss a high-level view of the medical system, as part of a larger crew health and performance system, both of which will support crew during Deep Space Transport missions. Other mission components, such as the flight system, ground system, caregiver, and patient, will be discussed as aspects of the context because the medical system will have important interactions with each. Additionally, important interactions with other aspects of the crew health and performance system are anticipated, such as health & wellness, mission task performance support, and environmental protection. This talk will highlight areas in which we are working with other disciplines to understand these interactions.

  5. [Home hemodialysis: the technical overview. A 2010 survey].

    PubMed

    Ponson, Laurent; Arkouche, Walid; Laville, Maurice

    2012-04-01

    Compared to the daily work in dialysis units, home haemodialysis represents a particular task for the technical services of healthcare facilities. This survey concerns this modality of treatment of end-stage chronic renal failure, and was led to three objectives: to make a snapshot of the practices done by the technical staff, to point out significant differences, and to identify common issues. This is also an opportunity to discuss about the future of this treatment. Numbers of registries show a continuous decline of home haemodialysis during past decades. This could be explained by many factors, but on the other hand several points tend to forecast a renewed interest for this method of treatment. A questionnaire was sent to every technical service of health organizations dispensing dialysis in France. Seventeen health facilities providing home haemodialysis have sent back their information, representing 238 patients, that to say almost the totality of the patients of the country. These data were analysed, relevant indicators were sorted out, so that initial objectives could be completed. The results are explained as follows: site activities, procedures before and during patient installation, equipment, preventive visits, and corrective maintenance. In lack of a precise regulation on the technical support of these patients, significant differences of operations were noted and are detailed, as well as several common difficulties. All these elements can be used as a basis for the development of a practical guide intended to technical services. This work is voluntarily centered on the technical aspects, but other levers exist to revitalize this method. Copyright © 2012 Association Société de néphrologie. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

  6. Conversations with Technical Writing Teachers: Defining a Problem.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Selting, Bonita R.

    2002-01-01

    Considers if teaching technology is problematic for technical writing instructors. Presents ideas of 64 Association of Teachers of Technical Writing (ATTW) members who were queried on their roles as teachers of technical writing in relation to the demands made upon them to also be teachers of technology skills. Concludes with a call for more…

  7. Student and Staff Perceptions of Key Aspects of Computer Science Engineering Capstone Projects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olarte, Juan José; Dominguez, César; Jaime, Arturo; Garcia-Izquierdo, Francisco José

    2016-01-01

    In carrying out their capstone projects, students use knowledge and skills acquired throughout their degree program to create a product or provide a technical service. An assigned advisor guides the students and supervises the work, and a committee assesses the projects. This study compares student and staff perceptions of key aspects of…

  8. Relationship between non-technical skills and technical performance during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: does stress have an influence?

    PubMed Central

    Krage, Ralf; Zwaan, Laura; Tjon Soei Len, Lian; Kolenbrander, Mark W; van Groeningen, Dick; Loer, Stephan A; Wagner, Cordula; Schober, Patrick

    2017-01-01

    working, situation awareness, decision-making). Conclusions During CPR with external stressors, the team’s technical performance is related to the non-technical skills of the team leader. This may have important implications for training of CPR teams. PMID:28844039

  9. A procedural skills OSCE: assessing technical and non-technical skills of internal medicine residents.

    PubMed

    Pugh, Debra; Hamstra, Stanley J; Wood, Timothy J; Humphrey-Murto, Susan; Touchie, Claire; Yudkowsky, Rachel; Bordage, Georges

    2015-03-01

    Internists are required to perform a number of procedures that require mastery of technical and non-technical skills, however, formal assessment of these skills is often lacking. The purpose of this study was to develop, implement, and gather validity evidence for a procedural skills objective structured clinical examination (PS-OSCE) for internal medicine (IM) residents to assess their technical and non-technical skills when performing procedures. Thirty-five first to third-year IM residents participated in a 5-station PS-OSCE, which combined partial task models, standardized patients, and allied health professionals. Formal blueprinting was performed and content experts were used to develop the cases and rating instruments. Examiners underwent a frame-of-reference training session to prepare them for their rater role. Scores were compared by levels of training, experience, and to evaluation data from a non-procedural OSCE (IM-OSCE). Reliability was calculated using Generalizability analyses. Reliabilities for the technical and non-technical scores were 0.68 and 0.76, respectively. Third-year residents scored significantly higher than first-year residents on the technical (73.5 vs. 62.2%) and non-technical (83.2 vs. 75.1%) components of the PS-OSCE (p < 0.05). Residents who had performed the procedures more frequently scored higher on three of the five stations (p < 0.05). There was a moderate disattenuated correlation (r = 0.77) between the IM-OSCE and the technical component of the PS-OSCE scores. The PS-OSCE is a feasible method for assessing multiple competencies related to performing procedures and this study provides validity evidence to support its use as an in-training examination.

  10. 76 FR 21043 - Notice of Public Meeting: Technical Aspects of Mandatory Deposit of Published Electronic Works...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-14

    ... LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Copyright Office [Docket No. 2011-3] Notice of Public Meeting: Technical... Office, Library of Congress. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. SUMMARY: The U.S. Copyright Office of the Library of Congress will host a public meeting on May 24, 2011, with members of the publishing community...

  11. 40 CFR 35.4005 - What is a Technical Assistance Grant?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... Technical Assistance Grant? A Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) provides money for your group to obtain... technical advisors to help you interpret and comment on site-related information and decisions. Examples of how a technical advisor can help your group include, but are not limited to: (a) Reviewing preliminary...

  12. 40 CFR 35.4005 - What is a Technical Assistance Grant?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Technical Assistance Grant? A Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) provides money for your group to obtain... technical advisors to help you interpret and comment on site-related information and decisions. Examples of how a technical advisor can help your group include, but are not limited to: (a) Reviewing preliminary...

  13. 40 CFR 35.4005 - What is a Technical Assistance Grant?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Technical Assistance Grant? A Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) provides money for your group to obtain... technical advisors to help you interpret and comment on site-related information and decisions. Examples of how a technical advisor can help your group include, but are not limited to: (a) Reviewing preliminary...

  14. 40 CFR 35.4005 - What is a Technical Assistance Grant?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Technical Assistance Grant? A Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) provides money for your group to obtain... technical advisors to help you interpret and comment on site-related information and decisions. Examples of how a technical advisor can help your group include, but are not limited to: (a) Reviewing preliminary...

  15. Artwork as Technics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Mark

    2016-01-01

    "Artwork as technics" opens discussion on activating aesthetics in educational contexts by arguing that we require some fundamental revision in understanding relations between aesthetics and technology in contexts where education is primarily encountered instrumentally and technologically. The paper addresses this through the writing of…

  16. Multimodal Analgesia in Breast Surgical Procedures: Technical and Pharmacological Considerations for Liposomal Bupivacaine Use

    PubMed Central

    Newman, Martin I.; Seeley, Neil; Hutchins, Jacob; Smith, Kevin L.; Mena, Gabriel; Selber, Jesse C.; Saint-Cyr, Michel H.; Gadsden, Jeffrey C.

    2017-01-01

    Enhanced recovery after surgery is a multidisciplinary perioperative clinical pathway that uses evidence-based interventions to improve the patient experience as well as increase satisfaction, reduce costs, mitigate the surgical stress response, accelerate functional recovery, and decrease perioperative complications. One of the most important elements of enhanced recovery pathways is multimodal pain management. Herein, aspects relating to multimodal analgesia following breast surgical procedures are discussed with the understanding that treatment decisions should be individualized and guided by sound clinical judgment. A review of liposomal bupivacaine, a prolonged-release formulation of bupivacaine, in the management of postoperative pain following breast surgical procedures is presented, and technical guidance regarding optimal administration of liposomal bupivacaine is provided. PMID:29062649

  17. Conversion of paper-based technical manuals to interactive electronic technical manuals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuo, Mu-Hsing

    1999-12-01

    An IETM is intended to be the functional equivalent of a paper-based Technical Manual (TM), and in most cases a total replacement for paper manual. In this paper, we will describe some of document image understanding technologies applied to the conversion of paper-based TMs to IETMs. Using these advanced technologies allow us to convert paper-based TMs to class 1/2 IETMs. However, these were not sufficient for an automated integrated logistics support system in the ROC Department of Defense. An advanced IETM system is therefore required. Such class 4/5 like IETM system could provide intelligent display of information and other user applications such as diagnostics, intelligent design and manufacturing, or computer-managed training. The author has developed some of the advanced functions, and examples will be shown to demonstrate the new aspect of IETMs.

  18. Interplay among Technical, Socio-Emotional and Personal Factors in Written Feedback Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chong, Ivan

    2018-01-01

    The centrality of written feedback is clearly seen from the proliferation of research in the context of higher education. As an increasingly expanding field in research, the majority of written feedback studies have been interested in investigating the technical aspect of how feedback should be given in order to promote student learning. More…

  19. Economic and Social Aspects of Applying Biodiesel Fuel in Road Transport

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bukljaš Skočibušić, Mihaela; Jolić, Natalija; Bukljaš, Zdravko

    The world trend in automotive industry represents the improvement of the existing vehicle power plants and their further development as well as the use of various alternative fuels. Such tendencies should not be considered only from an entirely technical aspect, but also from the economic, social and strategic aspects of the modern society. In this sense it is necessary to give priority to biodiesel fuel. The production of biodiesel fuel has to be developed in compliance with the increasingly severe exhaust emission standards in designing and realization of road transport means. From the economic aspect at macro-economic level, the development of biodiesel will reflect on the condition of industrial production, employment, additional inflow of financial means into agriculture and the economic development of rural areas, as well as the foreign currency reserves of a country along with the reduction in the dependence of macroeconomic parameters on the external factors.

  20. Study of job burnout in technical writers and technical illustrators/designers at LLNL

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

    Rice, J A

    According to the American Institute of Stress, job stress is estimated to cost American industry more than $200 billion a year. These costs are, in part, related to the estimated 1 million employees that will be absent on an average workday because of stress; 75 percent of visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related problems. California workers' compensation claims for stress cost $1 billion for medical and legal fees alone (Murphy, 1997). But, there is another dimension to stress that needs to be addressed. Job stress can be a precursor to job burnout. Burnout is a loss of motivation,more » and antidotes for job stress will not necessarily alleviate or stop job burnout. Job burnout is experienced as exhaustion on physical, emotional, and cognitive levels. Burnout can include withdrawal and decreasing involvement on the job, seriously affecting job satisfaction, turnover, absenteeism, and productivity (Dwyer & Ganster, 1991; Erickson & Gunderson, 1972; Spector & Jex, 1991). The research project described in this paper examined whether job burnout exists in the technical writer and technical illustrator/designer occupations in the Technical Information Department at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This study also determined at what age and after how many years of service these employees were most likely to experience job burnout, whether it affects men or women most, and if writers in a technical organization experience job burnout more than illustrators/designers in that organization.« less

  1. Objective Measures of Emotion Related to Brand Attitude: A New Way to Quantify Emotion-Related Aspects Relevant to Marketing

    PubMed Central

    Walla, Peter; Brenner, Gerhard; Koller, Monika

    2011-01-01

    With this study we wanted to test the hypothesis that individual like and dislike as occurring in relation to brand attitude can be objectively assessed. First, individuals rated common brands with respect to subjective preference. Then, they volunteered in an experiment during which their most liked and disliked brand names were visually presented while three different objective measures were taken. Participant's eye blinks as responses to acoustic startle probes were registered with electromyography (EMG) (i) and their skin conductance (ii) and their heart rate (iii) were recorded. We found significantly reduced eye blink amplitudes related to liked brand names compared to disliked brand names. This finding suggests that visual perception of liked brand names elicits higher degrees of pleasantness, more positive emotion and approach-oriented motivation than visual perception of disliked brand names. Also, skin conductance and heart rate were both reduced in case of liked versus disliked brand names. We conclude that all our physiological measures highlight emotion-related differences depending on the like and dislike toward individual brands. We suggest that objective measures should be used more frequently to quantify emotion-related aspects of brand attitude. In particular, there might be potential interest to introduce startle reflex modulation to measure emotion-related impact during product development, product design and various further fields relevant to marketing. Our findings are discussed in relation to the idea that self reported measures are most often cognitively polluted. PMID:22073192

  2. Objective measures of emotion related to brand attitude: a new way to quantify emotion-related aspects relevant to marketing.

    PubMed

    Walla, Peter; Brenner, Gerhard; Koller, Monika

    2011-01-01

    With this study we wanted to test the hypothesis that individual like and dislike as occurring in relation to brand attitude can be objectively assessed. First, individuals rated common brands with respect to subjective preference. Then, they volunteered in an experiment during which their most liked and disliked brand names were visually presented while three different objective measures were taken. Participant's eye blinks as responses to acoustic startle probes were registered with electromyography (EMG) (i) and their skin conductance (ii) and their heart rate (iii) were recorded. We found significantly reduced eye blink amplitudes related to liked brand names compared to disliked brand names. This finding suggests that visual perception of liked brand names elicits higher degrees of pleasantness, more positive emotion and approach-oriented motivation than visual perception of disliked brand names. Also, skin conductance and heart rate were both reduced in case of liked versus disliked brand names. We conclude that all our physiological measures highlight emotion-related differences depending on the like and dislike toward individual brands. We suggest that objective measures should be used more frequently to quantify emotion-related aspects of brand attitude. In particular, there might be potential interest to introduce startle reflex modulation to measure emotion-related impact during product development, product design and various further fields relevant to marketing. Our findings are discussed in relation to the idea that self reported measures are most often cognitively polluted.

  3. Safety in the operating room during orthopedic trauma surgery-incidence of adverse events related to technical equipment and logistics.

    PubMed

    van Delft, E A K; Schepers, T; Bonjer, H J; Kerkhoffs, G M M J; Goslings, J C; Schep, N W L

    2018-04-01

    Safety in the operating room is widely debated. Adverse events during surgery are potentially dangerous for the patient and staff. The incidence of adverse events during orthopedic trauma surgery is unknown. Therefore, we performed a study to quantify the incidence of these adverse events. Primary objective was to determine the incidence of adverse events related to technical equipment and logistics. The secondary objective was to evaluate the consequences of these adverse events. We completed a cross-sectional observational study to assess the incidence, consequences and preventability of adverse events related to technical equipment and logistics during orthopedic trauma surgery. During a 10 week period, all orthopedic trauma operations were evaluated by an observer. Six types of procedures were differentiated: osteosynthesis; arthroscopy; removal of hardware; joint replacement; bone grafting and other. Adverse events were divided in six categories: staff dependent factors; patient dependent factors; anaesthesia; imaging equipment; operation room equipment and instruments and implants. Adverse events were defined as any factor affecting the surgical procedure in a negative way. Hundred-fifty operative procedures were included. In 54% of the procedures, at least one adverse event occurred. In total, 147 adverse events occurred, with a range of 1-5 per procedure. Most adverse events occurred during joint replacement procedures. Thirty-seven percent of the incidents concerned defect, incorrect connected or absent instruments. In 36% of the procedures adverse events resulted in a prolonged operation time with a median prolongation of 10.0 min. In more than half of orthopedic trauma surgical procedures adverse events related to technical equipment and logistics occurred, most of them could easily be prevented. These adverse events could endanger the safety of the patient and staff and should therefore be reduced. 4.

  4. Associations between the structural and functional aspects of social relations and poor mental health: a cross-sectional register study.

    PubMed

    Hansen, Lise Røntved; Pedersen, Stinna Bibi; Overgaard, Charlotte; Torp-Pedersen, Christian; Ullits, Line Rosenkilde

    2017-11-03

    Social relations influence mental health through different pathways. To capture the complexity of social relations, it is beneficial to consider both the structural (e.g., reachability of social network and social integration) and functional (e.g., instrumental and emotional support) aspects of the concept. Both aspects are rarely investigated simultaneously. This study aimed to examine the association between the structural and functional aspects of social relations and poor mental health. The study was designed as a cross-sectional register study. We used data on mental health and social relations from 15,839 individuals aged 16-92 years with a mean age of 49.0 years (SD 17.9) who responded to The North Denmark Region Health Survey 2013 among residents in Northern Jutland, Denmark. The 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey measured mental health; a cut-off point of 44.5 was used to dichotomize participants into poor and good mental health. The categorization of social relations was inspired by Berkman et al.'s conceptual model of social relations and health. The analyses were performed with survey logistic regression. We found that 21.6% (n = 3422) of participants reported poor mental health, and 59% (n = 2020) of these were women. Being in contact with family and friends less than once a month statistically significantly increased the risk for poor mental health (Family OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.51-2.10 and Friends OR = 2.65, 95% CI = 2.30-3.06). The individuals who were not in contact with their network as often as they liked had a significantly higher risk for poor mental health (OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 2.20-2.62). Lack of instrumental support was associated with a higher risk for poor mental health (OR = 2.81, 95% CI = 2.26-3.48). We found an interaction between age and emotional support; the youngest population had the highest risk for poor mental health when they did not have access to emotional support (Young OR = 5.26, 95% CI = 3

  5. Safety aspects of lipidapheresis using DALI and MONET - Multicenter observational study.

    PubMed

    Kozik-Jaromin, Justyna; Röseler, Eberhard; Heigl, Franz; Spitthöver, Ralf; Ringel, Jens; Schmitz, Gerd; Heinzler, Rainer; Abdul-Rahman, Nadim; Leistikow, Frank; Himmelsbach, Frido; Schettler, Volker; Uhlenbusch-Körwer, Ingrid; Ramlow, Wolfgang

    2017-11-01

    Lipidapheresis was introduced for intractable hyperlipidemia as a more selective therapy than plasma exchange aiming to enhance efficacy and limit side-effects. Although this therapy is regarded safe, multicenter data from routine application are limited. We investigated direct adsorption of lipoproteins (DALI) and lipofiltration (MONET) regarding the short and the long-term safety aspects. This multicenter observational study prospectively evaluated 2154 DALI and 1297 MONET sessions of 122 patients during a period of 2 years. Safety parameters included clinical side-effects (adverse device effects, ADEs), technical complications, blood pressure and pulse rate. Also routinely performed laboratory parameters were documented. Analysis of laboratory parameters was not corrected for blood dilution. Overall 0.4% DALI and 0.5% MONET treatments were affected by ADE. Technical complications occurred in 2.1% and in 0.8% DALI and MONET sessions, respectively. The most frequent ADE was hypotension, and the majority of technical problems were related to vascular access. Both types of treatments led to a drop of thrombocytes in the range of 7-8%. Hematocrit and erythrocytes decreased only during the DALI treatments by about 6%. Leucocytes decreased during the DALI therapy (∼15%), whereas they increased during the MONET application (∼11%). MONET treatment was associated with a higher reduction of proteins (fibrinogen: 58% vs. 23%, albumin: 12% vs. 7%, CRP: 33% vs. 19% for MONET and DALI, respectively). Apart from severe thrombocytopenia in two DALI patients, changes of other parameters were typically transient. Under routine use the frequency of side-effects was low. Still, monitoring of blood count and proteins in chronic apheresis patients is recommended. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. [Oppositional defiant disorder: aspects related to sex differences and informant].

    PubMed

    Cardo, E; Meisel, V; García-Banda, G; Palmer, C; Riutort, L; Bernad, M; Servera, M

    2009-02-27

    Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is one of the most common externalizing disorders in childhood. ODD prevalence global rates vary from 2% to 16%. Along with conduct disorder and attention deficit disorder, ODD is one of the leading reasons for referral to neuropediatric and psychiatric services. Even though ODD has recognized clinical importance, key aspects of its conceptualization and prevalence in childhood and adolescence remain uncertain. We examine previous research findings of ODD prevalence and analyze sex differences and differences according to informants. ODD prevalence rates present high variability. A number of studies suggest that ODD is more common in boys than in girls. Nevertheless, some authors point that this sex differences may be due to methodological bias. We recommend the validation of an ODD scale that has into consideration the following aspects: level of the subject's development (age), gender and environment.

  7. Middlesex Community College Software Technical Writing Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Middlesex Community Coll., Bedford, MA.

    This document describes the Software Technical Writing Program at Middlesex Community College (Massachusetts). The program is a "hands-on" course designed to develop job-related skills in three major areas: technical writing, software, and professional skills. The program was originally designed in cooperation with the Massachusetts High…

  8. Simulated lumbar minimally invasive surgery educational model with didactic and technical components.

    PubMed

    Chitale, Rohan; Ghobrial, George M; Lobel, Darlene; Harrop, James

    2013-10-01

    The learning and development of technical skills are paramount for neurosurgical trainees. External influences and a need for maximizing efficiency and proficiency have encouraged advancements in simulator-based learning models. To confirm the importance of establishing an educational curriculum for teaching minimally invasive techniques of pedicle screw placement using a computer-enhanced physical model of percutaneous pedicle screw placement with simultaneous didactic and technical components. A 2-hour educational curriculum was created to educate neurosurgical residents on anatomy, pathophysiology, and technical aspects associated with image-guided pedicle screw placement. Predidactic and postdidactic practical and written scores were analyzed and compared. Scores were calculated for each participant on the basis of the optimal pedicle screw starting point and trajectory for both fluoroscopy and computed tomographic navigation. Eight trainees participated in this module. Average mean scores on the written didactic test improved from 78% to 100%. The technical component scores for fluoroscopic guidance improved from 58.8 to 52.9. Technical score for computed tomography-navigated guidance also improved from 28.3 to 26.6. Didactic and technical quantitative scores with a simulator-based educational curriculum improved objectively measured resident performance. A minimally invasive spine simulation model and curriculum may serve a valuable function in the education of neurosurgical residents and outcomes for patients.

  9. Final Technical Report on the Institute for Advanced Study in Student Personnel Work.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Callis, Robert

    This document reports the planning, implementation, and evaluation of a 9-month institute held at the University of Missouri-Columbia to prepare participants (approximately 20) for leadership positions in student personnel work at junior colleges and technical institutes. The following aspects of the instructional program are discussed and…

  10. Design and Assessment of an Associate Degree-Level Plant Operations Technical Education Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Selwitz, Jason Lawrence

    2017-01-01

    Research was undertaken to develop and evaluate an associate degree-level technical education program in Plant Operations oriented towards training students in applied science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills and knowledge relevant to a spectrum of processing industries. This work focuses on four aspects of the curriculum…

  11. Evolution of Scientific and Technical Information Distribution

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Esler, Sandra; Nelson, Michael L.

    1998-01-01

    World Wide Web (WWW) and related information technologies are transforming the distribution of scientific and technical information (STI). We examine 11 recent, functioning digital libraries focusing on the distribution of STI publications, including journal articles, conference papers, and technical reports. We introduce 4 main categories of digital library projects: based on the architecture (distributed vs. centralized) and the contributor (traditional publisher vs. authoring individual/organization). Many digital library prototypes merely automate existing publishing practices or focus solely on the digitization of the publishing cycle output, not sampling and capturing elements of the input. Still others do not consider for distribution the large body of "gray literature." We address these deficiencies in the current model of STI exchange by suggesting methods for expanding the scope and target of digital libraries by focusing on a greater source of technical publications and using "buckets," an object-oriented construct for grouping logically related information objects, to include holdings other than technical publications.

  12. [The LESS (Laparo-endoscopic Single-Site) procedure in urology. Technical and clinical aspects].

    PubMed

    Neri, F; Cindolo, L; Gidaro, S; Schips, L

    2010-01-01

    Minimally invasive urology is rapidly advancing, and single-site laparoscopic surgery is being explored clinically. Such laparoscopic procedures are technically challenging and require an experienced laparoscopic surgeon due to the lack of port placement triangulation and instrument clashing. In the last years several surgeons all over the world have explored the feasibility and safety of LESS using several and different ports, approaches and devices. Hundreds of procedures have been described with overall favorable intraoperative and postoperative outcomes. Our experience consists of more than 30 procedures successfully completed for adrenal, kidney disease and varicocele. To date, LESS could be considered feasible and effective using currently available devices, however it is to be considered as an initial status technique requiring further confirmatory studies and advanced laparoscopic skills.

  13. Complementary aspects of diffusion imaging and fMRI; I: structure and function.

    PubMed

    Mulkern, Robert V; Davis, Peter E; Haker, Steven J; Estepar, Raul San Jose; Panych, Lawrence P; Maier, Stephan E; Rivkin, Michael J

    2006-05-01

    Studying the intersection of brain structure and function is an important aspect of modern neuroscience. The development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) over the last 25 years has provided new and powerful tools for the study of brain structure and function. Two tools in particular, diffusion imaging and functional MRI (fMRI), are playing increasingly important roles in elucidating the complementary aspects of brain structure and function. In this work, we review basic technical features of diffusion imaging and fMRI for studying the integrity of white matter structural components and for determining the location and extent of cortical activation in gray matter, respectively. We then review a growing body of literature in which the complementary aspects of diffusion imaging and fMRI, applied as separate examinations but analyzed in tandem, have been exploited to enhance our knowledge of brain structure and function.

  14. [Technical complications rates and plaque control of fixed dental prostheses in patients treated for periodontal disease].

    PubMed

    Xie, Yesi; Meng, Huanxin; Han, Jie; Pan, Shaoxia; Zhang, Li; Shi, Dong

    2016-02-01

    To compare the incidence of technical complications of implant-supported fixed dental prostheses in Chinese patients with a history of moderate or severe periodontitis and periodontally healthy patients(PHP) and analyze the effects of interproximal papillae patterns on food impaction and efficacy of plaque control. A total of 103 partially edentulous patients treated with implant-supported fixed dental prostheses between December 2009 and December 2012 for a minimum 1-year follow-up period were recruited from Department of Periodontology, Peking University, School and Hospital of Stomatology. Based on the initial periodontal examination, the participants were divided into three groups: 30 PHP, 36 moderate periodontally compromised patients(mPCP) and 37 severe periodontally compromised patients(sPCP). Implant survival/loss, technical complications, plaque index, papilla index, food impaction and degree of proximal contact tightness of each patient were assessed around the implants at follow-up. According to the implant papilla index, the implants were divided into two groups: the "filling" group with the mesial and distal aspects with papilla index=3 and the "no filling" group with at least one aspect with papilla index<3. Data on implant survival, technical complications were analyzed. Comparisons of the incidence of technical complications were performed between the patients with different periodontal conditions with chi-square or Fisher's exact test. The influences of the interproximal papillae loss on food impaction and efficacy of plaque control were estimated with chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests. The total implant survival rate was 100%(162/162) for all three groups. Technical complications were as following: veneer fractures(1.9%, 3/162), abutment screw loosening(1.9%, 3/162), prosthetic screw loosening(3.1%, 5/162) and decementation(3.1%, 5/162) in all subjects. No implant/screw fracture was noted. The incidence of technical complications in sPCP, m

  15. Proceedings: International Technical Communication Conference (30th, St. Louis, Missouri, May 1-4, 1983).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Society for Technical Communication, Washington, DC.

    Prepared by representatives of government, business, industry, and education, the papers in this compilation deal with a variety of aspects of technical communication. The approximately 150 papers are arranged according to the following categories: advanced technology applications, graphics and production, management and professional development,…

  16. Non-technical skills assessment in surgery.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Bharat; Mishra, Amit; Aggarwal, Rajesh; Grantcharov, Teodor P

    2011-09-01

    Adverse events in surgery have highlighted the importance of non-technical skills, such as communication, decision-making, teamwork, situational awareness and leadership, to effective organizational performance. These skills carry particular importance to surgical oncology, as members of a multidisciplinary team must work cohesively to formulate effective patient care plans. Several non-technical skills evaluation tools have been developed for use in surgery, without adequate comparison and consensus on which should be standard for training. Eleven articles describing the use of three non-technical evaluation tools related to surgery: NOTSS (Non Technical Skills for Surgeons), NOTECHS (Non Technical Skills) and OTAS (Observational Teamwork Assessment for Surgery) were analyzed with respect to scale formulation, validity, reliability and feasibility. Furthermore, their use in training thus far and the future of non-technical rating scales in surgical curricula was discussed. Future work should focus on incorporating these assessment tools into training and into a real operating room setting to provide formative evaluations for surgical residents. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Are negative aspects of social relations predictive of angina pectoris? A 6-year follow-up study of middle-aged Danish women and men.

    PubMed

    Lund, Rikke; Rod, Naja Hulvej; Christensen, Ulla

    2012-04-01

    Social relations have been shown to be protective against ischaemic heart disease (IHD), but little is known about the impact of negative aspects of the social relations on IHD. During a 6-year follow-up, the authors aimed to assess if negative aspects of social relations were associated with angina pectoris among 4573 middle-aged Danish men and women free of heart disease at baseline in 2000. Nine per cent experienced onset of symptoms of angina pectoris. A higher degree of excessive demands or worries from the social relations was associated with increased risk of angina after adjustment for age, gender, social class, cohabitation status and depression in a dose-response manner. For example, experiencing excessive demands or worries always/often from different roles in the social relations was associated with an increased risk: partner OR=3.53 (1.68 to 7.43), children OR=2.19 (1.04 to 4.61), other family OR=1.91 (1.24 to 2.96). Except for frequent conflicts with the partner and neighbours, conflicts with the social relations was not a risk factor for angina. The authors found no interaction of negative aspects of social relations with gender, age, social class, cohabitation status or depression in terms of angina. Excessive demands and serious worries from significant others seem to be important risk factors for development of angina pectoris.

  18. Relationship between non-technical skills and technical performance during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: does stress have an influence?

    PubMed

    Krage, Ralf; Zwaan, Laura; Tjon Soei Len, Lian; Kolenbrander, Mark W; van Groeningen, Dick; Loer, Stephan A; Wagner, Cordula; Schober, Patrick

    2017-11-01

    -making). During CPR with external stressors, the team's technical performance is related to the non-technical skills of the team leader. This may have important implications for training of CPR teams. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  19. Yesterday’s Doctors: The Human Aspects of Medical Education in Britain, 1957–93

    PubMed Central

    Bates, Victoria

    2017-01-01

    In the wake of the Second World War there was a movement to counterbalance the apparently increasingly technical nature of medical education. These reforms sought a more holistic model of care and to put people – rather than diseases – back at the centre of medical practice and medical education. This article shows that students often drove the early stages of education reform. Their innovations focused on relationships between doctors and their communities, and often took the form of informal discussions about medical ethics and the social dimensions of primary care. Medical schools began to pursue ‘humanistic’ education more formally from the 1980s onwards, particularly within the context of general practice curricula and with a focus on individual doctor–patient relationships. Overall from the 1950s to the 1990s there was a broad shift in discussions of the human aspects of medical education: from interest in patient communities to individuals; from social concerns to personal characteristics; and from the relatively abstract to the measurable and instrumental. There was no clear shift from ‘less’ to ‘more’ humanistic education, but rather a shift in the perceived goals of integrating human aspects of medical education. The human aspects of medicine show the importance of student activism in driving forward community and ethical medicine, and provide an important backdrop to the rise of competencies within general undergraduate education. PMID:27998331

  20. An Inquiry into Testing of Information Retrieval Systems. Comparative Systems Laboratory Final Technical Report, Part III: CSL Related Studies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zull, Carolyn Gifford, Ed.; And Others

    This third volume of the Comparative Systems Laboratory (CSL) Final Technical Report is a collection of relatively independent studies performed on CSL materials. Covered in this document are studies on: (1) properties of files, including a study of the growth rate of a dictionary of index terms as influenced by number of documents in the file and…

  1. The relative contribution of physical fitness to the technical execution score in youth rhythmic gymnastics.

    PubMed

    Donti, Olyvia; Bogdanis, Gregory C; Kritikou, Maria; Donti, Anastasia; Theodorakou, Kalliopi

    2016-06-01

    This study examined the association between physical fitness and a technical execution score in rhythmic gymnasts varying in the performance level. Forty-six young rhythmic gymnasts (age: 9.9 ±1.3 years) were divided into two groups (qualifiers, n=24 and non-qualifiers, n=22) based on the results of the National Championships. Gymnasts underwent a series of physical fitness tests and technical execution was evaluated in a routine without apparatus. There were significant differences between qualifiers and non-qualifiers in the technical execution score (p=0.01, d=1.0), shoulder flexion (p=0.01, d=0.8), straight leg raise (p=0.004, d=0.9), sideways leg extension (p=0.002, d=0.9) and body fat (p=.021, d=0.7), but no differences were found in muscular endurance and jumping performance. The technical execution score for the non-qualifiers was significantly correlated with shoulder extension (r=0.423, p<0.05), sideways leg extension (r=0.687, p<0.01), push ups (r=0.437, p<0.05) and body fat (r=0.642, p<0.01), while there was only one significant correlation with sideways leg extension (r=0.467, p<0.05) for the qualifiers. Multiple regression analysis revealed that sideways leg extension, body fat, and push ups accounted for a large part (62.9%) of the variance in the technical execution score for the non-qualifiers, while for the qualifiers, only 37.3% of the variance in the technical execution score was accounted for by sideways leg extension and spine flexibility. In conclusion, flexibility and body composition can effectively discriminate between qualifiers and non-qualifiers in youth rhythmic gymnastics. At the lower level of performance (non-qualifiers), physical fitness seems to have a greater effect on the technical execution score.

  2. [Pilot plant for microbiological synthesis. Engineer and technological aspects].

    PubMed

    Lukanin, A V

    2007-01-01

    A biotechnological pilot plant (National Research Centre of Antibiotics) and its technical potentialities in production of various biosynthetic products are described. Some engineer and technological aspects of the fermentation equipment and particularly sterilization of the media and apparatus, fermentation broth aeration under sterile conditions and control of biosynthesis technological parameters (t degrees, pO2, P, pH, foaming, etc.) are considered. The pilot plant is designed for fermentation processes under aseptic conditions with the use practically of any object, from bacteria to tissue cultures.

  3. Technical and policy approaches to balancing patient privacy and data sharing in clinical and translational research.

    PubMed

    Malin, Bradley; Karp, David; Scheuermann, Richard H

    2010-01-01

    Clinical researchers need to share data to support scientific validation and information reuse and to comply with a host of regulations and directives from funders. Various organizations are constructing informatics resources in the form of centralized databases to ensure reuse of data derived from sponsored research. The widespread use of such open databases is contingent on the protection of patient privacy. We review privacy-related problems associated with data sharing for clinical research from technical and policy perspectives. We investigate existing policies for secondary data sharing and privacy requirements in the context of data derived from research and clinical settings. In particular, we focus on policies specified by the US National Institutes of Health and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and touch on how these policies are related to current and future use of data stored in public database archives. We address aspects of data privacy and identifiability from a technical, although approachable, perspective and summarize how biomedical databanks can be exploited and seemingly anonymous records can be reidentified using various resources without hacking into secure computer systems. We highlight which clinical and translational data features, specified in emerging research models, are potentially vulnerable or exploitable. In the process, we recount a recent privacy-related concern associated with the publication of aggregate statistics from pooled genome-wide association studies that have had a significant impact on the data sharing policies of National Institutes of Health-sponsored databanks. Based on our analysis and observations we provide a list of recommendations that cover various technical, legal, and policy mechanisms that open clinical databases can adopt to strengthen data privacy protection as they move toward wider deployment and adoption.

  4. Psychiatry Ward Specialist, 10-12. Military Curriculum Materials for Vocational and Technical Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ohio State Univ., Columbus. National Center for Research in Vocational Education.

    This course, adapted from military curriculum materials for use in vocational and technical education, is designed to train students to perform as assistants to professional personnel in the care and treatment of patients in mental health units. It includes basic concepts of human behavior, the aspects of atypical adjustive reactions, the…

  5. Spitting, Kicking and Stripping: Technical Difficulties Encountered in the Treatment of Deprived Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Canham, Hamish

    2004-01-01

    The technical difficulties posed for the child psychotherapist working with children who have themselves experienced violence and abuse are addressed. A distinction is drawn between violence in the service of communicating about such experiences and violence that arises from more perverse aspects of the patient. The therapist's need to pay close…

  6. Technical attainment, practical success and practical knowledge: hermeneutical bases for child nursing care.

    PubMed

    de Mello, Débora Falleiros; de Lima, Regina Aparecida Garcia

    2009-01-01

    This reflective study aimed to present some aspects of the concepts technical attainment, practical success and practical knowledge, with a view to a broader understanding of child nursing care. Health care is considered in the perspective of reconstructive practices, characterized as contingencies, highlighting the importance of the connection between technical attainment and practical success and the valuation of practical knowledge, based on philosophical hermeneutics, in the context of practical philosophy. Child health nursing can deal with technical attainment and practical success jointly, and also understand practical knowledge in the longitudinality of care. Health promotion, disease prevention, recovery and rehabilitation of child health should be indissociably associated with contextualized realities, shared between professionals and families, aiming to follow the child's growth and development, produce narratives, identify experiences, choices and decision making to broaden health care.

  7. The coevolution of innovation and technical intelligence in primates

    PubMed Central

    Street, Sally E.; Whalen, Andrew; Laland, Kevin N.

    2016-01-01

    In birds and primates, the frequency of behavioural innovation has been shown to covary with absolute and relative brain size, leading to the suggestion that large brains allow animals to innovate, and/or that selection for innovativeness, together with social learning, may have driven brain enlargement. We examined the relationship between primate brain size and both technical (i.e. tool using) and non-technical innovation, deploying a combination of phylogenetically informed regression and exploratory causal graph analyses. Regression analyses revealed that absolute and relative brain size correlated positively with technical innovation, and exhibited consistently weaker, but still positive, relationships with non-technical innovation. These findings mirror similar results in birds. Our exploratory causal graph analyses suggested that technical innovation shares strong direct relationships with brain size, body size, social learning rate and social group size, whereas non-technical innovation did not exhibit a direct relationship with brain size. Nonetheless, non-technical innovation was linked to brain size indirectly via diet and life-history variables. Our findings support ‘technical intelligence’ hypotheses in linking technical innovation to encephalization in the restricted set of primate lineages where technical innovation has been reported. Our findings also provide support for a broad co-evolving complex of brain, behaviour, life-history, social and dietary variables, providing secondary support for social and ecological intelligence hypotheses. The ability to gain access to difficult-to-extract, but potentially nutrient-rich, resources through tool use may have conferred on some primates adaptive advantages, leading to selection for brain circuitry that underlies technical proficiency. PMID:26926276

  8. The coevolution of innovation and technical intelligence in primates.

    PubMed

    Navarrete, Ana F; Reader, Simon M; Street, Sally E; Whalen, Andrew; Laland, Kevin N

    2016-03-19

    In birds and primates, the frequency of behavioural innovation has been shown to covary with absolute and relative brain size, leading to the suggestion that large brains allow animals to innovate, and/or that selection for innovativeness, together with social learning, may have driven brain enlargement. We examined the relationship between primate brain size and both technical (i.e. tool using) and non-technical innovation, deploying a combination of phylogenetically informed regression and exploratory causal graph analyses. Regression analyses revealed that absolute and relative brain size correlated positively with technical innovation, and exhibited consistently weaker, but still positive, relationships with non-technical innovation. These findings mirror similar results in birds. Our exploratory causal graph analyses suggested that technical innovation shares strong direct relationships with brain size, body size, social learning rate and social group size, whereas non-technical innovation did not exhibit a direct relationship with brain size. Nonetheless, non-technical innovation was linked to brain size indirectly via diet and life-history variables. Our findings support 'technical intelligence' hypotheses in linking technical innovation to encephalization in the restricted set of primate lineages where technical innovation has been reported. Our findings also provide support for a broad co-evolving complex of brain, behaviour, life-history, social and dietary variables, providing secondary support for social and ecological intelligence hypotheses. The ability to gain access to difficult-to-extract, but potentially nutrient-rich, resources through tool use may have conferred on some primates adaptive advantages, leading to selection for brain circuitry that underlies technical proficiency. © 2016 The Author(s).

  9. Carpentry: Apprentice Related Training. Instructor's Manual. First, Second, Third, Fourth Years of a Four-Year Series in Four Volumes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Washington State Coordinating Council for Occupational Education, Olympia.

    The course of related study in the carpentry trade is designed to meet the need for organized study in the various technical aspects necessary for an apprentice to become a well-trained journeyman. Divided into four one-year programs, the instructor's manual for the first year presents lessons on familiarizing the student with the trade and its…

  10. Related Instructional Material for Electrical Apprentice Technical Training. Student Worksheets. Series C (Third Year). Revised to Meet 1978 Electrical Code.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    North Carolina State Dept. of Community Colleges, Raleigh.

    Information sheets and student worksheets for twenty-five lesson plans designed for a third-year electrical apprentice technical training program are presented in this workbook. The information sheets provide summary information about the lesson topics and the worksheets contain problems to be solved and questions to be answered relating to each…

  11. Related Instructional Material for Electrical Apprentice Technical Training. Student Worksheets. Series D (Fourth Year). Revised to Meet 1978 Electrical Code.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    North Carolina State Dept. of Community Colleges, Raleigh.

    Information sheets and student worksheets for twenty-seven lesson plans designed for a fourth-year electrical apprentice technical training program are presented in this workbook. The information sheets provide summary information about the lesson topics and the worksheets contain problems to be solved and questions to be answered relating to each…

  12. Biomimetic bio-inspired biomorph sustainable? An attempt to classify and clarify biology-derived technical developments.

    PubMed

    Speck, Olga; Speck, David; Horn, Rafael; Gantner, Johannes; Sedlbauer, Klaus Peter

    2017-01-24

    Over the last few decades, the systematic approach of knowledge transfer from biological concept generators to technical applications has received increasing attention, particularly because marketable bio-derived developments are often described as sustainable. The objective of this paper is to rationalize and refine the discussion about bio-derived developments also with respect to sustainability by taking descriptive, normative and emotional aspects into consideration. In the framework of supervised learning, a dataset of 70 biology-derived and technology-derived developments characterised by 9 different attributes together with their respective values and assigned to one of 17 classes was created. On the basis of the dataset a decision tree was generated which can be used as a straightforward classification tool to identify biology-derived and technology-derived developments. The validation of the applied learning procedure achieved an average accuracy of 90.0%. Additional extraordinary qualities of technical applications are generally discussed by means of selected biology-derived and technology-derived examples with reference to normative (contribution to sustainability) and emotional aspects (aesthetics and symbolic character). In the context of a case study from the building sector, all aspects are critically discussed.

  13. Technical Aspects on the Use of Ultrasonic Bone Shaver in Spine Surgery: Experience in 307 Patients

    PubMed Central

    Hazer, Derya Burcu; Yaşar, Barış; Rosberg, Hans-Eric; Akbaş, Aytaç

    2016-01-01

    Aim. We discuss technical points, the safety, and efficacy of ultrasonic bone shaver in various spinal surgeries within our own series. Methods. Between June 2010 and January 2014, 307 patients with various spinal diseases were operated on with the use of an ultrasonic bone curette with microhook shaver (UBShaver). Patients' data were recorded and analyzed retrospectively. The technique for the use of the device is described for each spine surgery procedure. Results. Among the 307 patients, 33 (10.7%) cases had cervical disorder, 17 (5.5%) thoracic disorder, 3 (0.9%) foramen magnum disorder, and 254 (82.7%) lumbar disorders. Various surgical techniques were performed either assisted or alone by UBShaver. The duration of the operations and the need for blood replacement were relatively low. The one-year follow-up with Neck Disability Index (NDI) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores were improved. We had 5 cases of dural tears (1.6%) in patients with lumbar spinal disease. No neurological deficit was found in any patients. Conclusion. We recommend this device as an assistant tool in various spine surgeries and as a primary tool in foraminotomies. It is a safe device in spine surgery with very low complication rate. PMID:27195299

  14. INDOT Technical Training Plan : [Technical Summary

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-01-01

    A wide range of job classifications, increasing technical : performance expectations, licensing and certification requirements, : budget restrictions and frequent department : reorganization has made technical training of employees : more difficult, ...

  15. Introducing Technical Aspects of Research Data Management in the Leipzig Health Atlas.

    PubMed

    Meineke, Frank A; Löbe, Matthias; Stäubert, Sebastian

    2018-01-01

    Medical research is an active field in which a wide range of information is collected, collated, combined and analyzed. Essential results are reported in publications, but it is often problematic to have the data (raw and processed), algorithms and tools associated with the publication available. The Leipzig Health Atlas (LHA) project has therefore set itself the goal of providing a repository for this purpose and enabling controlled access to it via a web-based portal. A data sharing concept in accordance to FAIR and OAIS is the basis for the processing and provision of data in the LHA. An IT architecture has been designed for this purpose. The paper presents essential aspects of the data sharing concept, the IT architecture and the methods used.

  16. Technical Adequacy of the easyCBM Primary-Level Mathematics Measures (Grades K-2), 2009-2010 Version. Technical Report #1006

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, Daniel; Lai, Cheng-Fei; Nese, Joseph F. T.; Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Saez, Leilani; Jamgochian, Elisa; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

    2010-01-01

    In the following technical report, we present evidence of the technical adequacy of the easyCBM[R] math measures in grades K-2. In addition to reliability information, we present criterion-related validity evidence, both concurrent and predictive, and construct validity evidence. The results represent data gathered throughout the 2009/2010 school…

  17. Initiatives in Technical and Further Education. Numbers 3 and 4.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National TAFE Clearinghouse, Adelaide (Australia).

    These two issues contain abstracts of 127 and 118 documents, respectively, related to the field of technical and further education that are available through the Australian Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Clearinghouse system. These types of materials are included: research reports/technical reports, evaluation studies, curriculum materials…

  18. RNA-seq: technical variability and sampling

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background RNA-seq is revolutionizing the way we study transcriptomes. mRNA can be surveyed without prior knowledge of gene transcripts. Alternative splicing of transcript isoforms and the identification of previously unknown exons are being reported. Initial reports of differences in exon usage, and splicing between samples as well as quantitative differences among samples are beginning to surface. Biological variation has been reported to be larger than technical variation. In addition, technical variation has been reported to be in line with expectations due to random sampling. However, strategies for dealing with technical variation will differ depending on the magnitude. The size of technical variance, and the role of sampling are examined in this manuscript. Results In this study three independent Solexa/Illumina experiments containing technical replicates are analyzed. When coverage is low, large disagreements between technical replicates are apparent. Exon detection between technical replicates is highly variable when the coverage is less than 5 reads per nucleotide and estimates of gene expression are more likely to disagree when coverage is low. Although large disagreements in the estimates of expression are observed at all levels of coverage. Conclusions Technical variability is too high to ignore. Technical variability results in inconsistent detection of exons at low levels of coverage. Further, the estimate of the relative abundance of a transcript can substantially disagree, even when coverage levels are high. This may be due to the low sampling fraction and if so, it will persist as an issue needing to be addressed in experimental design even as the next wave of technology produces larger numbers of reads. We provide practical recommendations for dealing with the technical variability, without dramatic cost increases. PMID:21645359

  19. Main clinical, therapeutic and technical factors related to patient's maximum skin dose in interventional cardiology procedures

    PubMed Central

    Journy, N; Sinno-Tellier, S; Maccia, C; Le Tertre, A; Pirard, P; Pagès, P; Eilstein, D; Donadieu, J; Bar, O

    2012-01-01

    Objective The study aimed to characterise the factors related to the X-ray dose delivered to the patient's skin during interventional cardiology procedures. Methods We studied 177 coronary angiographies (CAs) and/or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasties (PTCAs) carried out in a French clinic on the same radiography table. The clinical and therapeutic characteristics, and the technical parameters of the procedures, were collected. The dose area product (DAP) and the maximum skin dose (MSD) were measured by an ionisation chamber (Diamentor; Philips, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and radiosensitive film (Gafchromic; International Specialty Products Advanced Materials Group, Wayne, NJ). Multivariate analyses were used to assess the effects of the factors of interest on dose. Results The mean MSD and DAP were respectively 389 mGy and 65 Gy cm−2 for CAs, and 916 mGy and 69 Gy cm−2 for PTCAs. For 8% of the procedures, the MSD exceeded 2 Gy. Although a linear relationship between the MSD and the DAP was observed for CAs (r=0.93), a simple extrapolation of such a model to PTCAs would lead to an inadequate assessment of the risk, especially for the highest dose values. For PTCAs, the body mass index, the therapeutic complexity, the fluoroscopy time and the number of cine frames were independent explanatory factors of the MSD, whoever the practitioner was. Moreover, the effect of technical factors such as collimation, cinematography settings and X-ray tube orientations on the DAP was shown. Conclusion Optimising the technical options for interventional procedures and training staff on radiation protection might notably reduce the dose and ultimately avoid patient skin lesions. PMID:22457404

  20. Age-related aspects of addiction

    PubMed Central

    Koechl, Birgit; Unger, Annemarie; Fischer, Gabriele

    2013-01-01

    Research has shown that substance use, abuse and addiction are not limited to a specific age group. Problems related to substance addiction are an important cause of morbidity in the population aged 65 and above, especially the abuse of prescription drugs and legal substances. A lack of evidence-based studies and tailored treatment options for the aging population is evident. Appropriate and effective health-care is an important goal to improve health-related quality of life of elderly people. Research in the increasingly aging population needs to include an age- and gender-sensitive approach. PMID:22722821

  1. 45 CFR 1230.300 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Professional and technical services. 1230.300 Section 1230.300 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) CORPORATION FOR....300 Professional and technical services. (a) The prohibition on the use of appropriated funds, in...

  2. 45 CFR 1230.300 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Professional and technical services. 1230.300 Section 1230.300 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) CORPORATION FOR....300 Professional and technical services. (a) The prohibition on the use of appropriated funds, in...

  3. Problems of standardizing and technical regulation in the electric power industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grabchak, E. P.

    2016-12-01

    A mandatory condition to ensure normal operation of a power system and efficiency in the sector is standardization and legal regulation of technological activities of electric power engineering entities and consumers. Compared to the times of USSR, the present-time technical guidance documents are not mandatory to follow in most cases, being of an advisory nature due to the lack of new ones. During the last five years, the industry has been showing a deterioration of the situation in terms of ensuring reliability and engineering controllability as a result of the dominant impact of short-term market stimuli and the differences in basic technological policies. In absence of clear requirements regarding the engineering aspects of such activities, production operation does not contribute to the preserving of technical integrity of the Russian power system, which leads to the loss of performance capability and controllability and causes disturbances in the power supply to consumers. The result of this problem is a high rate of accident incidence. The dynamics of accidents by the type of equipment is given, indicating a persisting trend of growth in the number of accidents, which are of a systematic nature. Several problematic aspects of engineering activities of electric power engineering entities, requiring standardization and legal regulation are pointed out: in the domestic power system, a large number of power electrotechnical and generating equipment operate along with systems of regulation, which do not comply with the principles and technical rules representing a framework where the Energy System of Russia is built and functioning

  4. Evaluation of the Industrial Maintenance Program at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pipes, V. David

    In 1982-83, a study was conducted at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute to determine whether the objectives of the Industrial Maintenance Program were being met, to measure program success, and to identify aspects needing improvement. Surveys were sent to 30 students who graduated from the program before 1978, yielding a 57%…

  5. Can technical factors explain the volume-outcome relationship in gastric bypass surgery?

    PubMed

    Smith, Mark D; Patterson, Emma; Wahed, Abdus S; Belle, Steven H; Courcoulas, Anita P; Flum, David; Khandelwal, Saurabh; Mitchell, James E; Pomp, Alfons; Pories, Walter J; Wolfe, Bruce

    2013-01-01

    The existence of a relationship between surgeon volume and patient outcome has been reported for different complex surgical operations. This relationship has also been confirmed for patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) in the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS) study. Despite multiple studies demonstrating volume-outcome relationships, fewer studies investigate the causes of this relationship. The purpose of the present study is to understand possible explanations for the volume-outcome relationship in LABS. LABS includes a 10-center, prospective study examining 30-day outcomes after bariatric surgery. The relationship between surgeon annual RYGB volume and incidence of a composite endpoint (CE) has been published previously. Technical aspects of RYGB surgery were compared between high and low volume surgeons. The previously published model was adjusted for select technical factors. High-volume surgeons (>100 RYGBs/yr) were more likely to perform a linear stapled gastrojejunostomy, use fibrin sealant, and place a drain at the gastrojejunostomy compared with low-volume surgeons (<25 RYGBs/yr), and less likely to perform an intraoperative leak test. After adjusting for the newly identified technical factors, the relative risk of CE was .93 per 10 RYGB/yr increase in volume, compared with .90 for clinical risk adjustment alone. High-volume surgeons exhibited certain differences in technique compared with low-volume surgeons. After adjusting for these differences, the strength of the volume-outcome relationship previously found was reduced only slightly, suggesting that other factors are also involved. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. All rights reserved.

  6. Ergonomic guidelines for using notebook personal computers. Technical Committee on Human-Computer Interaction, International Ergonomics Association.

    PubMed

    Saito, S; Piccoli, B; Smith, M J; Sotoyama, M; Sweitzer, G; Villanueva, M B; Yoshitake, R

    2000-10-01

    In the 1980's, the visual display terminal (VDT) was introduced in workplaces of many countries. Soon thereafter, an upsurge in reported cases of related health problems, such as musculoskeletal disorders and eyestrain, was seen. Recently, the flat panel display or notebook personal computer (PC) became the most remarkable feature in modern workplaces with VDTs and even in homes. A proactive approach must be taken to avert foreseeable ergonomic and occupational health problems from the use of this new technology. Because of its distinct physical and optical characteristics, the ergonomic requirements for notebook PCs in terms of machine layout, workstation design, lighting conditions, among others, should be different from the CRT-based computers. The Japan Ergonomics Society (JES) technical committee came up with a set of guidelines for notebook PC use following exploratory discussions that dwelt on its ergonomic aspects. To keep in stride with this development, the Technical Committee on Human-Computer Interaction under the auspices of the International Ergonomics Association worked towards the international issuance of the guidelines. This paper unveils the result of this collaborative effort.

  7. The rabbit blood-shunt model for the study of acute and late sequelae of subarachnoid hemorrhage: technical aspects.

    PubMed

    Andereggen, Lukas; Neuschmelting, Volker; von Gunten, Michael; Widmer, Hans Rudolf; Takala, Jukka; Jakob, Stephan M; Fandino, Javier; Marbacher, Serge

    2014-10-02

    Early brain injury and delayed cerebral vasospasm both contribute to unfavorable outcomes after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Reproducible and controllable animal models that simulate both conditions are presently uncommon. Therefore, new models are needed in order to mimic human pathophysiological conditions resulting from SAH. This report describes the technical nuances of a rabbit blood-shunt SAH model that enables control of intracerebral pressure (ICP). An extracorporeal shunt is placed between the arterial system and the subarachnoid space, which enables examiner-independent SAH in a closed cranium. Step-by-step procedural instructions and necessary equipment are described, as well as technical considerations to produce the model with minimal mortality and morbidity. Important details required for successful surgical creation of this robust, simple and consistent ICP-controlled SAH rabbit model are described.

  8. Reviews of Data on Science Resources, No. 29. Current and Future Utilization of Scientific and Technical Personnel in Energy-Related Activities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Div. of Science Resources Studies.

    This National Science Foundation (NSF) bulletin summarizes the NSF program of energy manpower studies that assessed the impact of past energy developments and future options for scientific and technical manpower. This document summarizes the utilization of scientific personnel in energy-related activities in private industry in 1975 and shortages…

  9. 22 CFR 311.300 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... lawyer is not providing professional legal services. Similarly, communications with the intent to... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Professional and technical services. 311.300... Employees § 311.300 Professional and technical services. (a) The prohibition on the use of appropriated...

  10. 22 CFR 712.205 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... professional legal services. Similarly, communications with the intent to influence made by an engineer... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Professional and technical services. 712.205... RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING Activities by Own Employees § 712.205 Professional and technical services. (a) The...

  11. 22 CFR 712.300 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... lawyer is not providing professional legal services. Similarly, communications with the intent to... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Professional and technical services. 712.300... RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING Activities by Other Than Own Employees § 712.300 Professional and technical services...

  12. Good practices in managing work-related indoor air problems: a psychosocial perspective.

    PubMed

    Lahtinen, Marjaana; Huuhtanen, Pekka; Vähämäki, Kari; Kähkönen, Erkki; Mussalo-Rauhamaa, Helena; Reijula, Kari

    2004-07-01

    Indoor air problems at workplaces are often exceedingly complex. Technical questions are interrelated with the dynamics of the work community, and the cooperation and interaction skills of the parties involved in the problem solving process are also put to the test. The objective of our study was to analyze the process of managing and solving indoor air problems from a psychosocial perspective. This collective case study was based on data from questionnaires, interviews and various documentary materials. Technical inspections of the buildings and indoor air measurements were also carried out. The following four factors best differentiated successful cases from impeded cases: extensive multiprofessional collaboration and participative action, systematic action and perseverance, investment in information and communication, and process thinking and learning. The study also proposed a theoretical model for the role of the psychosocial work environment in indoor air problems. The expertise related to social and human aspects of problem solving plays a significant role in solving indoor air problems. Failures to properly handle these aspects may lead to resources being wasted and result in a problematic situation becoming stagnant or worse. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  13. [Technical aspects of measurement for optically sophisticated eyeglasses].

    PubMed

    Guilino, G

    1988-07-01

    This paper deals with the question of how aspherical ophthalmic lenses can be measured outside the reference point given by the manufacturer in order to make a lens comparison or to test the shape faithfulness of the lens surface. Three procedures are presented with measuring examples - vertex power measurement with swiveled lens mount, probe scan in a three-coordinate measurement, and interferometer measurement using a non-ideal reference lens. The basic problem inherent in an application-related interpretation of the measuring data sets gained by these methods is shown.

  14. Construction of a Digital Video Library: A Socio-Technical Pilot Study on College Students' Attitudes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Hsin-Liang; Choi, Gilok

    2005-01-01

    This study investigates socio-technical aspects of digital video libraries based on college students' learning experiences and perspectives. Forty-one students in biology classes were studied through a survey and individual interviews. Findings are presented by the students' knowledge of computer technology, experiences with AV materials, and…

  15. Bibliography of Technical Reports - 1974,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    The bibliography lists all Technical Reports prepared by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the year 1974. It includes an author index , and also a key relating Reports to ’Contribution Numbers’.

  16. Fabricating CAD/CAM Implant-Retained Mandibular Bar Overdentures: A Clinical and Technical Overview.

    PubMed

    Goo, Chui Ling; Tan, Keson Beng Choon

    2017-01-01

    This report describes the clinical and technical aspects in the oral rehabilitation of an edentulous patient with knife-edge ridge at the mandibular anterior edentulous region, using implant-retained overdentures. The application of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) in the fabrication of the overdenture framework simplifies the laboratory process of the implant prostheses. The Nobel Procera CAD/CAM System was utilised to produce a lightweight titanium overdenture bar with locator attachments. It is proposed that the digital workflow of CAD/CAM milled implant overdenture bar allows us to avoid numerous technical steps and possibility of casting errors involved in the conventional casting of such bars.

  17. The Importance of Postural Control in Relation to Technical Abilities in Small-Sided Soccer Games

    PubMed Central

    Edis, Çağlar; Vurgun, Hikmet

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Making assessments regarding postural control and balance is very important for injury prevention in soccer. However, there has been no study that has associated postural control variables with branch-specific technical properties in a game. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationships between variables designating postural control levels and technical performance variables in different (1:1, 2:2 and 3:3) small-sided games (SSGs). Sixteen trained male amateur soccer players volunteered to take part in the study (age 17.2 ± 1.02 years, body height 176.25 ± 0.07 m, body mass 67.67 ± 13.27 kg). Following familiarization sessions, postural control was evaluated using one-leg and both-leg quiet-stance positions by measuring postural sway with a Tekscan HR Mat™ in anterior–posterior and medial–lateral directions. Later, 1:1, 2:2 and 3:3 SSGs were performed at two-day intervals and the technical variables specified for each game were analyzed. A Spearman’s rank-order correlation analysis demonstrated the relationship between postural control and soccer-specific technical variables in 1:1 (r-values ranging from 0.582 to 0.776), 2:2 (rvalues ranging from 0.511 to 0.740) and 3:3 (r-values ranging from 0.502 to 0.834) SSGs. In addition, a Wilcoxon signed rank test revealed differences between SSGs in terms of several variables. The results of the study showed that higher postural control levels are among the important variables that affect success in the performance of technical skills under rival pressure and suddenly changing conditions. Therefore, it is recommended that in addition to its use for injury prevention purposes, balance training should be conducted to improve branch-specific technical skills and to increase the levels of their successful performance in a game. PMID:28149410

  18. The Importance of Postural Control in Relation to Technical Abilities in Small-Sided Soccer Games.

    PubMed

    Edis, Çağlar; Vural, Faik; Vurgun, Hikmet

    2016-12-01

    Making assessments regarding postural control and balance is very important for injury prevention in soccer. However, there has been no study that has associated postural control variables with branch-specific technical properties in a game. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationships between variables designating postural control levels and technical performance variables in different (1:1, 2:2 and 3:3) small-sided games (SSGs). Sixteen trained male amateur soccer players volunteered to take part in the study (age 17.2 ± 1.02 years, body height 176.25 ± 0.07 m, body mass 67.67 ± 13.27 kg). Following familiarization sessions, postural control was evaluated using one-leg and both-leg quiet-stance positions by measuring postural sway with a Tekscan HR Mat™ in anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions. Later, 1:1, 2:2 and 3:3 SSGs were performed at two-day intervals and the technical variables specified for each game were analyzed. A Spearman's rank-order correlation analysis demonstrated the relationship between postural control and soccer-specific technical variables in 1:1 (r-values ranging from 0.582 to 0.776), 2:2 (rvalues ranging from 0.511 to 0.740) and 3:3 (r-values ranging from 0.502 to 0.834) SSGs. In addition, a Wilcoxon signed rank test revealed differences between SSGs in terms of several variables. The results of the study showed that higher postural control levels are among the important variables that affect success in the performance of technical skills under rival pressure and suddenly changing conditions. Therefore, it is recommended that in addition to its use for injury prevention purposes, balance training should be conducted to improve branch-specific technical skills and to increase the levels of their successful performance in a game.

  19. Components Needed for the Design of a Sustainable Career and Technical Education Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lassiter, Vann Mizzelle

    2012-01-01

    As education has changed to meet the needs of society and has been shaped by the enactment of new laws, various aspects included under the massive umbrella of education have also changed to maintain momentum One such educational program is career and technical education (CTE). Changes to CTE have been made to continually meet the needs of all…

  20. Age-related differences in processing visual device and task characteristics when using technical devices.

    PubMed

    Oehl, M; Sutter, C

    2015-05-01

    With aging visual feedback becomes increasingly relevant in action control. Consequently, visual device and task characteristics should more and more affect tool use. Focussing on late working age, the present study aims to investigate age-related differences in processing task irrelevant (display size) and task relevant visual information (task difficulty). Young and middle-aged participants (20-35 and 36-64 years of age, respectively) sat in front of a touch screen with differently sized active touch areas (4″ to 12″) and performed pointing tasks with differing task difficulties (1.8-5 bits). Both display size and age affected pointing performance, but the two variables did not interact and aiming duration moderated both effects. Furthermore, task difficulty affected the pointing durations of middle-aged adults moreso than those of young adults. Again, aiming duration accounted for the variance in the data. The onset of an age-related decline in aiming duration can be clearly located in middle adulthood. Thus, the fine psychomotor ability "aiming" is a moderator and predictor for age-related differences in pointing tasks. The results support a user-specific design for small technical devices with touch interfaces. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  1. 22 CFR 519.205 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... professional legal services. Similarly, communications with the intent to influence made by an engineer... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Professional and technical services. 519.205... by Own Employees § 519.205 Professional and technical services. (a) The prohibition on the use of...

  2. 22 CFR 519.300 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... professional legal services. Similarly, communications with the intent to influence made by an engineer... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Professional and technical services. 519.300... by Other Than Own Employees § 519.300 Professional and technical services. (a) The prohibition on the...

  3. 22 CFR 311.205 - Professional and technical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... professional legal services. Similarly, communications with the intent to influence made by an engineer... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Professional and technical services. 311.205... § 311.205 Professional and technical services. (a) The prohibition on the use of appropriated funds, in...

  4. Soft Skills: The New Curriculum for Hard-Core Technical Professionals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bancino, Randy; Zevalkink, Claire

    2007-01-01

    In this article, the authors talk about the importance of soft skills for hard-core technical professionals. In many technical professions, the complete focus of education and training is on technical topics either directly or indirectly related to a career or discipline. Students are generally required to master various mathematics skills,…

  5. Exhaled Breath Condensate: Technical and Diagnostic Aspects.

    PubMed

    Konstantinidi, Efstathia M; Lappas, Andreas S; Tzortzi, Anna S; Behrakis, Panagiotis K

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the 30-year progress of research on exhaled breath condensate in a disease-based approach. We searched PubMed/Medline, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar using the following keywords: exhaled breath condensate (EBC), biomarkers, pH, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), smoking, COPD, lung cancer, NSCLC, mechanical ventilation, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, interstitial lung diseases, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and drugs. We found 12600 related articles in total in Google Scholar, 1807 in ScienceDirect, and 1081 in PubMed/Medline, published from 1980 to October 2014. 228 original investigation and review articles were eligible. There is rapidly increasing number of innovative articles, covering all the areas of modern respiratory medicine and expanding EBC potential clinical applications to other fields of internal medicine. However, the majority of published papers represent the results of small-scale studies and thus current knowledge must be further evaluated in large cohorts. In regard to the potential clinical use of EBC-analysis, several limitations must be pointed out, including poor reproducibility of biomarkers and absence of large surveys towards determination of reference-normal values. In conclusion, contemporary EBC-analysis is an intriguing achievement, but still in early stage when it comes to its application in clinical practice.

  6. Related Instructional Material for Electrical Apprentice Technical Training. Student Worksheets. Series No. B (Second Year). Revised to Meet 1978 Electrical Code.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    North Carolina State Dept. of Community Colleges, Raleigh.

    Information sheets and student worksheets for twenty-eight lesson plans designed for a second-year electrical apprentice technical training program are presented in this workbook. The information sheets provide summary information about the lesson topics and the worksheets contain problems to be solved and questions to be answered relating to each…

  7. [Mobile CT: technical aspects of prehospital stroke imaging before intravenous thrombolysis].

    PubMed

    Gierhake, D; Weber, J E; Villringer, K; Ebinger, M; Audebert, H J; Fiebach, J B

    2013-01-01

    To reduce the time from symptom onset to treatment with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in ischemic stroke, an ambulance was equipped with a CT scanner. We analyzed process and image quality of CT scanning during the pilot study regarding image quality and safety issues. The pilot study of a stroke emergency mobile unit (STEMO) ran over a period of 12 weeks on 5 weekdays from 7a.m. to 6:30 p.m. A teleradiological service for the justifying indication and reporting was established. The radiographer was responsible for the performance of the CT scan on the ambulance. 64 cranial CT scans and 1 intracranial CT angiography were performed. We compared times from ambulance alarm to treatment decision (time of last brain scan) with a cohort of 50 consecutive tPA treatments before implementation of STEMO. 62 (95%) of the 65 scans performed had sufficient quality for reading. Technical quality was not optimal in 45 cases (69%) mainly caused by suboptimal positioning of patient or eye lens protection. Motion artefacts were observed in 8 exams (12%). No safety issues occurred for team or patients. 23 patients were treated with thrombolysis. Time from alarm to last CT scan was 18 minutes shorter than in the tPA cohort before STEMO implementation. A teleradiological support for primary stroke imaging by CT on-site is feasible, quality-wise of diagnostic value and has not raised safety issues. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  8. Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2013: U.S. Technical Report. NCES 2015-010

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strizek, Gregory A.; Tourkin, Steve; Erberber, Ebru

    2014-01-01

    This technical report is designed to provide researchers with an overview of the design and implementation of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2013. This information is meant to supplement that presented in OECD publications by describing those aspects of TALIS 2013 that are unique to the United States. Chapter 2 provides…

  9. Protocol to monitor trade agreement food-related aspects: the Fiji case study.

    PubMed

    Ravuvu, Amerita; Friel, Sharon; Thow, Anne Marie; Snowdon, Wendy; Wate, Jillian

    2017-04-26

    Despite the growing rates of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases, globally, public health attention has only relatively recently turned to the links between trade agreements and the nutritional risks associated with it. Specific trade agreements appear to have played an influential role in the volume and types of foods entering different countries, yet there is currently no systematic and objective monitoring of trade agreements for their impacts on food environments. Recently, INFORMAS was set up to monitor and benchmark food environments, government policies and private sector actions within countries and globally. One of its projects/modules focuses on trade policy and in particular the food-related aspects of trade agreements. This paper describes the INFORMAS trade protocol, an approach to collecting food-related information about four domains of trade: trade in goods; trade in services and foreign direct investment; domestic supports, and policy space. Specifically, the protocol is tested in Fiji. The development and testing of this protocol in Fiji represents the first effort to set out a framework and process for objectively monitoring trade agreements and their impacts on national food supply and the wider food environment. It has shown that entry into WTO trade agreements contributed to the nutrition transition in Fiji through the increased availability of imported foods with varying nutritional quality. We observed an increase in imports of both healthy and less healthy foods. The application of the monitoring protocol also highlights challenges for data collection associated with each trade domain that should be considered for future data collection and analysis in other low and middle income countries. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. 76 FR 72902 - Materials Processing Equipment Technical Advisory Committee;

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Bureau of Industry and Security Materials Processing Equipment Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting The Materials Processing Equipment Technical... questions that affect the level of export controls applicable to materials processing equipment and related...

  11. Different Aspects of the Monotonicity of a Function

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tossavainen, Timo; Haukkanen, Pentti; Pesonen, Martti

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate which aspects are overriding in the concept images of monotonicity of Finnish tertiary mathematics students, i.e., on which aspects of monotonicity they base their argument in different types of exercises related to that concept. Further, we examine the relationship between the quality of principal aspects and the…

  12. Predictors of employer satisfaction: technical and non-technical skills.

    PubMed

    Danielson, Jared A; Wu, Tsui-Feng; Fales-Williams, Amanda J; Kirk, Ryan A; Preast, Vanessa A

    2012-01-01

    Employers of 2007-2009 graduates from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine were asked to respond to a survey regarding their overall satisfaction with their new employees as well as their new employees' preparation in several technical and non-technical skill areas. Seventy-five responses contained complete data and were used in the analysis. Four technical skill areas (data collection, data interpretation, planning, and taking action) and five non-technical skill areas (interpersonal skills, ability to deal with legal issues, business skills, making referrals, and problem solving) were identified. All of the skill area subscales listed above had appropriate reliability (Cronbach's alpha>0.70) and were positively and significantly correlated with overall employer satisfaction. Results of two simultaneous regression analyses indicated that of the four technical skill areas, taking action is the most salient predictor of employer satisfaction. Of the five non-technical skill areas, interpersonal skills, business skills, making referrals, and problem solving were the most important skills in predicting employer satisfaction. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that all technical skills explained 25% of the variation in employer satisfaction; non-technical skills explained an additional 42% of the variation in employer satisfaction.

  13. Related Instructional Material for Electrical Apprentice Technical Training. Student Worksheets. Series No. A (First Year). Revised to Meet 1978 Electrical Code.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    North Carolina State Dept. of Community Colleges, Raleigh.

    Information sheets and student worksheets for thirty-six lessons designed for a first-year electrical apprentice technical training program are presented in this workbook. The information sheets provide summary information about the lesson topics and the worksheets contain problems to be solved and questions to be answered relating to each lesson.…

  14. A review of technical aspects of T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in human brain tumors.

    PubMed

    Bergamino, M; Bonzano, L; Levrero, F; Mancardi, G L; Roccatagliata, L

    2014-09-01

    In the last few years, several imaging methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography, have been used to investigate the degree of blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability in patients with neurological diseases including multiple sclerosis, ischemic stroke, and brain tumors. One promising MRI method for assessing the BBB permeability of patients with neurological diseases in vivo is T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI. Here we review the technical issues involved in DCE-MRI in the study of human brain tumors. In the first part of this paper, theoretical models for the DCE-MRI analysis will be described, including the Toft-Kety models, the adiabatic approximation to the tissue homogeneity model and the two-compartment exchange model. These models can be used to estimate important kinetic parameters related to BBB permeability. In the second part of this paper, details of the data acquisition, issues related to the arterial input function, and procedures for DCE-MRI image analysis are illustrated. Copyright © 2014 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Integrating ethics into technical courses: micro-insertion.

    PubMed

    Davis, Michael

    2006-10-01

    Perhaps the most common reason science and engineering faculty give for not including 'ethics' (that is, research ethics, engineering ethics, or some discussion of professional responsibility) in their technical classes is that 'there is no room'. This article 1) describes a technique ('micro-insertion') that introduces ethics (and related topics) into technical courses in small enough units not to push out technical material, 2) explains where this technique might fit into the larger undertaking of integrating ethics into the technical (scientific or engineering) curriculum, and 3) concludes with some quantified evidence (collected over more than a decade) suggesting success. Integrating ethics into science and engineering courses is largely a matter of providing context for what is already being taught, context that also makes the material already being taught seem 'more relevant'.

  16. Teaching Technical Writing and Editing -- In-House Programs That Work. Anthology Series No. 5.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaw, James G., Ed.

    The 12 articles in this publication provide indepth treatment of important aspects of in-house training programs for technical writing and editing. The articles deal with the following topics: the value of an in-house writing course, teaching in industry, developing an in-house writing course for engineers and scientists, a new approach to…

  17. Technical knowledge and skills development in the informal sector in Kenya: The case of custom tailors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Apunda, Edwinah Amondi; de Klerk, Helena M.; Ogina, Teresa

    2017-06-01

    Custom tailors working in the informal sector in Nairobi, Kenya, mainly acquire technical skills through undertaking traditional apprenticeships (TAs). However, most of these tailors are semi-skilled, produce low-quality products and are often poorer than their formally trained counterparts. This qualitative case study explores the aspects of technical skills and knowledge which tailoring apprentices develop, and the factors which influence these outcomes. The findings show that apprentices do acquire basic technical skills for immediate application to ongoing tailoring activities (such as how to take body measurements, draft patterns, and cut, sew and finish constructed garments). However, apprentices do not acquire the technical knowledge that underpins the trade. Most master tailors who have completed TAs lack technical knowledge and have no access to technical skills upgrading. This perpetuates the cycle of basic and limited technical skills transfer to apprentices, poor performance and poverty among tailors. Both apprentices and master tailors expressed concern over knowledge limitations in TAs and a need to access further training to improve skills and acquire knowledge of the trade. The authors of this article argue that, technically and pedagogically, skilled master tailors are critical to improving training quality. Complementary training in theoretical knowledge is also important in improving apprentices' technical skills and understanding of the trade. Inclusion of TAs in government policy may help ensure sustainable improvement of skills.

  18. Solar thermal technical information guide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1985-05-01

    This guide is designed to help investigators search for information in the solar thermal technology field. The information ranges from history and technology basics to the latest in research and develoment. It is written to help several audiences, including engineers and scientists who may be unfamiliar with a particular aspect of solar thermal energy, university researchers who are interested in the field, manufacturers needing to learn more about specific topics, and librarians who provide information to their clientele. The guide is divided into ten chapters, with Chapters 1 to 8 providing background on solar thermal energy development (including its history and current status) by topic. Within each topic, an overview is provided with references to relevant publications or information sources. Chapters 9 and 10 contain directories listing research centers and major technical information sources, respectively.

  19. Feasible and technical aspects of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for non-resectable hepatocellular carcinoma using a 3.5-French catheter system.

    PubMed

    Yagyu, Yukinobu; Tsurusaki, Masakatsu; Kamiyama, Kazutoshi; Kitagaki, Hajime; Murakami, Takamichi

    2014-12-01

    To evaluate the feasibility and technical aspects of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for non-resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using a 3.5-French (Fr) catheter system. This study included 328 consecutive cases of HCC among 232 patients who underwent TACE procedures using both a 3.5-Fr catheter system and a microcatheter fitted to a 3.5-Fr system between April 2009 and November 2011. We assessed the ability to reach the catheter into the proper hepatic artery (PHA), main hepatic branch, segmental artery, and subsegmental or sub-subsegmental artery. The feasibility was rated according to the following factors: (1) the number of arteries that could be used to reach the target artery/total number of procedures using the 3.5-Fr system, (2) the rate of successful completion of the procedures without changing over to the 4-Fr system and (3) the reasons for changing over the 4-Fr system. TACE of the PHA (27 sessions), RHA/LHA (103 sessions), segmental (31 sessions), or subsegmental/sub-subsegmental arteries (162 sessions) was performed. The rate of successfully reaching the target artery using the 3.5-Fr system was 93% (306/328 sessions). We were unable to reach the target artery in 22 sessions, including 11/8/3 procedures targeting the sub-subsegmental artery, subsegmental artery, and RHA/LHA, respectively. We changed over to the 4-Fr system in six sessions; therefore, the rate of successful completion of the procedures without changing over to the 4-Fr system was 98% (322/328 sessions). TACE of the target artery can be successfully performed using the 3.5-Fr system in most patients with HCC.

  20. Positive aspects of caregiving in schizophrenia: A review

    PubMed Central

    Kulhara, Parmanand; Kate, Natasha; Grover, Sandeep; Nehra, Ritu

    2012-01-01

    Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness which is associated with significant consequences for both the patients and their relatives. Due to chronicity of the illness, the relatives of patients of schizophrenia have to bear the main brunt of the illness. Studies across the world have evaluated various aspects of caregiving and caregivers such as burden, coping, quality of life, social support, expressed emotions, and psychological morbidity. In general the research has looked at caregiving as a negative phenomenon, however, now it is increasingly recognised that caregiving is not only associated with negative consequences only, also experience subjective gains and satisfaction. This review focus on the conceptual issues, instruments available to assess the positive aspects of caregiving and the various correlates of positive aspects of caregiving reported in relation to schizophrenia. The positive aspect of caregiving has been variously measured as positive caregiving experience, caregiving satisfaction, caregiving gains and finding meaning through caregiving scale and positive aspects of caregiving experience. Studies suggests that caregivers of patients with schizophrenia and psychotic disorders experience caregiving gains (in the form of becoming more sensitive to persons with disabilities, clarity about their priorities in life and a greater sense of inner strength), experience good aspects of relationship with the patient, do have personal positive experiences. Some of the studies suggest that those who experience greater negative caregiving experience also do experience positive caregiving experience. PMID:24175167

  1. Sexual dysfunctions in MS in relation to neuropsychiatric aspects and its psychological treatment: A scoping review.

    PubMed

    Pöttgen, Jana; Rose, Anita; van de Vis, Wim; Engelbrecht, Jannie; Pirard, Michelle; Lau, Stefanie; Heesen, Christoph; Köpke, Sascha

    2018-01-01

    Sexual dysfunction in multiple sclerosis (MS) is a significant, but often underestimated and overlooked suffering. Interventions to treat sexual dysfunction in MS are rare. The relation between sexual dysfunction in MS and psychological as well as neuropsychological aspects is evident. However, this field of research remains markedly underdeveloped in this severe chronic illness. The aim of this scoping review is to describe the relevant knowledge in this area and to identify psychological interventions to treat sexual dysfunctions in MS. A scoping review was conducted to answer the following questions: (1) Which psychological and neuropsychological factors impact on sexual dysfunction in MS and vice versa? (2) What kind of psychological interventions aiming to improve sexual dysfunctions in MS are available? A comprehensive search and review of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL was completed by using a recent methodological framework for scoping reviews. 23 publications covering a total of 13,259 people with MS and 532 healthy controls were identified. Sexual dysfunction was found to be very common in MS and there is an obvious relation to psychological disorders as e.g. depression and anxiety and also to psychological aspects as partner relationship and quality of life. The relation between sexual dysfunction in MS and neuropsychological impairment has only rarely been studied and no clear results were found. Only two studies were identified, assessing the effectiveness of psychological intervention studies on sexual dysfunction in people with MS, and a third study presenting a secondary analysis of a study targeting depression. All three studies reported significant improvements in sexual dysfunction as well as partly in psychological variables. There is a pressing need for the development and adequate evaluation of psychological interventions for sexual dysfunctions in MS. In addition, sexual dysfunction and its impact on psychological wellbeing should be more

  2. Development and operation of NEW-KOTIS : In-house technical information database of Nippon Kokan Corp.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yagi, Yukio; Takahashi, Kaei

    The purpose of this report is to describe how the activities for managing technical information has been and is now being conducted by the Engineering department of Nippon Kokan Corp. In addition, as a practical example of database generation promoted by the department, this book gives whole aspects of the NEW-KOTIS (background of its development, history, features, functional details, control and operation method, use in search operations, and so forth). The NEW-KOTIS (3rd-term system) is an "in-house technical information database system," which started its operation on May, 1987. This database system now contains approximately 65,000 information items (research reports, investigation reports, technical reports, etc.) generated within the company, and this information is available to anyone in any department through the network connecting all the company's structures.

  3. High educational impact of a national simulation-based urological curriculum including technical and non-technical skills.

    PubMed

    de Vries, Anna H; Schout, Barbara M A; van Merriënboer, Jeroen J G; Pelger, Rob C M; Koldewijn, Evert L; Muijtjens, Arno M M; Wagner, Cordula

    2017-02-01

    Although simulation training is increasingly used to meet modern technology and patient safety demands, its successful integration within surgical curricula is still rare. The Dutch Urological Practical Skills (D-UPS) curriculum provides modular simulation-based training of technical and non-technical basic urological skills in the local hospital setting. This study aims to assess the educational impact of implementing the D-UPS curriculum in the Netherlands and to provide focus points for improvement of the D-UPS curriculum according to the participants. Educational impact was assessed by means of qualitative individual module-specific feedback and a quantitative cross-sectional survey among residents and supervisors. Twenty out of 26 Dutch teaching hospitals participated. The survey focussed on practical aspects, the D-UPS curriculum in general, and the impact of the D-UPS curriculum on the development of technical and non-technical skills. A considerable survey response of 95 % for residents and 76 % for supervisors was obtained. Modules were attended by junior and senior residents, supervised by a urologist, and peer teaching was used. Ninety percent of supervisors versus 67 % of residents judged the D-UPS curriculum as an important addition to current residency training (p = 0.007). Participants' aggregated general judgement of the modules showed a substantial percentage favorable score (M ± SE: 57 ± 4 %). The impact of training on, e.g., knowledge of materials/equipment and ability to anticipate on complications was high, especially for junior residents (77 ± 5 and 71 ± 7 %, respectively). Focus points for improvement of the D-UPS curriculum according to the participants include adaptation of the training level to residents' level of experience and focus on logistics. The simulation-based D-UPS curriculum has a high educational impact. Residents and supervisors consider the curriculum to be an important addition to current residency

  4. [To understand the words of cancer: Lexonco, dictionary of oncology SOR SAVOIR PATIENT for patients and relatives. Methodological aspects].

    PubMed

    Delavigne, V; Carretier, J; Brusco, Sylvie; Leichtnam-Dugarin, L; Déchelette, M; Philip, Thierry

    2007-04-01

    In response to the evolution of the information-seeking behaviour of patients and concerns from health professionals regarding cancer patient information, the French National Federation of Comprehensive Cancer Centres (FNCLCC) introduced, in 1998, an information and education program dedicated to patients and relatives, the SOR SAVOIR PATIENT program. Lexonco project is a dictionary on oncology adapted for patients and relatives and validated by medical experts and cancer patients. This paper describes the methodological aspects which take into account patients and experts' perspectives to produce the defi nitions.

  5. Management of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw with a platelet-rich fibrin membrane: technical report.

    PubMed

    Soydan, Sıdıka Sinem; Uckan, Sina

    2014-02-01

    Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is a challenging complication resulting from the long-term application of bisphosphonates. In most cases, BRONJ occurs after a surgical procedure involving the jawbone. Currently, the management of BRONJ remains controversial, and there is no definitive treatment other than palliative methods. Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) represents a relatively new biotechnology for the stimulation and acceleration of tissue healing and bone regeneration. This technical note describes the total closure of moderate bone exposure in persistent BRONJ in 2 weeks with a double-layer PRF membrane. PRF may stimulate gingival healing and act as a barrier membrane between the alveolar bone and the oral cavity. PRF may offer a fast, easy, and effective alternative method for the closure of bone exposure in BRONJ. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Gender-related aspects of transmasculine people's vocal situations: insights from a qualitative content analysis of interview transcripts.

    PubMed

    Azul, David

    2016-11-01

    Transmasculine people assigned female gender at birth but who do not identify with this classification have traditionally received little consideration in the voice literature. Existing analyses tend to be focused on evaluating speaker voice characteristics, whereas other factors that contribute to the production of vocal gender have remained underexplored. Most studies rely on researcher-centred perspectives, whereas very little is known about how transmasculine people themselves experience and make sense of their vocal situations. To explore how participants described their subjective gender positionings; which gender attributions they wished to receive from others; which gender they self-attributed to their voices; which gender attributions they had received from others; and how far participants were satisfied with the gender-related aspects of their vocal situations. Transcripts of semi-structured interviews with 14 German-speaking transmasculine people served as the original data corpus. Sections in which participants described the gender-related aspects of their vocal situations and that were relevant to the current research objectives were selected and explored using qualitative content analysis. The analysis revealed diverse accounts pertaining to the factors that contribute to the production of vocal gender for individual participants and variable levels of satisfaction with vocal gender presentation and attribution. Transmasculine people need to be regarded as a heterogeneous population and clinical practice needs to follow a client-centred, individualized approach. © 2016 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

  7. Synthetic biology and the technicity of biofuels.

    PubMed

    Mackenzie, Adrian

    2013-06-01

    The principal existing real-world application of synthetic biology is biofuels. Several 'next generation biofuel' companies-Synthetic Genomics, Amyris and Joule Unlimited Technologies-claim to be using synthetic biology to make biofuels. The irony of this is that highly advanced science and engineering serves the very mundane and familiar realm of transport. Despite their rather prosaic nature, biofuels could offer an interesting way to highlight the novelty of synthetic biology from several angles at once. Drawing on the French philosopher of technology and biology Gilbert Simondon, we can understand biofuels as technical objects whose genesis involves processes of concretisation that negotiate between heterogeneous geographical, biological, technical, scientific and commercial realities. Simondon's notion of technicity, the degree of concretisation of a technical object, usefully conceptualises this relationality. Viewed in terms of technicity, we might understand better how technical entities, elements, and ensembles are coming into being in the name of synthetic biology. The broader argument here is that when we seek to identify the newness of disciplines, their newness might be less epistemic and more logistic. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Effect of clinic related factors on continuation rates of IUDs.

    PubMed

    Reading, A E; Goldstuck, N D

    1982-01-01

    This paper concerns factors relating to the clinic and the way in which the insertion of IUDs is managed from a psychological and technical standpoint. 3 aspects of clinical service are examined: 1) the influence of the psychological state at time of insertion, 2) individual differences in relation to side effects amongst users and the way in which those are influenced by managment techniques, and 3) technical aspects of the insertion of the device. Insertion pain and discomfort may influence subsequent tolerance of the IUD in 3 ways: 1) patient compliance may be enhanced by trouble-free insertion, 2) an unpleasant experience may influence attitudes towards the IUD, and 3) the experience of pain at insertion may reduce subsequent tolerance of discomfort. IUDs increase the amount of menstrual flow which, along with pain, constitute frequent requests for removal. Removal rates for pain and bleeding vary from 0-16.8/100 users. Removal rates for bleeding are also influenced by cultural attitudes. Insertion techniques influence acceptability of IUDs. Also, the incidence of expulsion, pregnancy, and removal declines with increasing age and parity. Discontinuation rates after 24 months were 91% for women below 2nd parity and only 37% for women of 6 or more parity. In the youngest age group the discontinuation rate was 76% compared with 35% in the oldest age group. The timing of IUD insertion and positioning of the IUD influence continuation rates. An implication of these concerns is that IUD insertion procedures may have to become more complex to achieve compatibility between IUD-uterine configurations.

  9. Report Writing for Technical Staff. P.R.I.D.E. People Retraining for Industry Excellence.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burt, Lorna

    This guide, part of a series of workplace-developed materials for retraining factory workers, provides teaching materials for a workplace course in report writing skills for technical staff. The course has been designed to help new engineers with all aspects of report writing. It covers the outline and structure of reports, brainstorming,…

  10. Systems for deep brain stimulation: review of technical features.

    PubMed

    Amon, A; Alesch, F

    2017-09-01

    The use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an important treatment option for movement disorders and other medical conditions. Today, three major manufacturers provide implantable systems for DBS. Although the underlying principle is basically the same for all available systems, the differences in the technical features vary considerably. This article outlines aspects regarding the technical features of DBS systems. The differences between voltage and current sources are addressed and their effect on stimulation is shown. To maintain clinical benefit and minimize side effects the stimulation field has to be adapted to the requirements of the patient. Shaping of the stimulation field can be achieved by the electrode design and polarity configuration. Furthermore, the electric signal consisting of stimulation rate, stimulation amplitude and pulse width affect the stimulation field. Interleaving stimulation is an additional concept, which permits improved treatment outcomes. Therefore, the electrode design, the polarity, the electric signal, and the concept of interleaving stimulation are presented. The investigated systems can be also categorized as rechargeable and non-rechargeable, which is briefly discussed. Options for interconnecting different system components from various manufacturers are presented. The present paper summarizes the technical features and their combination possibilities, which can have a major impact on the therapeutic effect.

  11. Technical Assistance for Arts Facilities: A Sourcebook. A Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Educational Facilities Labs., Inc., New York, NY.

    This booklet is a directory of sources of technical assistance on problems relating to physical facilities for arts organizations. Wherever possible, agencies and organizations are described in their own words. Technical assistance in the area of physical facilities encompasses planning, financing, acquiring, renovating, designing, and maintaining…

  12. Technical Writing in Hydrogeology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tinker, John R., Jr.

    1986-01-01

    A project for Writing Across the Curriculum at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is described as a method to relate the process of writing to the process of learning hydrology. The project focuses on an actual groundwater contamination case and is designed to improve the technical writing skills of students. (JN)

  13. PISA 2009 Technical Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    OECD Publishing (NJ1), 2012

    2012-01-01

    The "PISA 2009 Technical Report" describes the methodology underlying the PISA 2009 survey. It examines additional features related to the implementation of the project at a level of detail that allows researchers to understand and replicate its analyses. The reader will find a wealth of information on the test and sample design,…

  14. Technical Knowledge and Skills Development in the Informal Sector in Kenya: The Case of Custom Tailors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Apunda, Edwinah Amondi; de Klerk, Helena M.; Ogina, Teresa

    2017-01-01

    Custom tailors working in the informal sector in Nairobi, Kenya, mainly acquire technical skills through undertaking traditional apprenticeships (TAs). However, most of these tailors are semi-skilled, produce low-quality products and are often poorer than their formally trained counterparts. This qualitative case study explores the aspects of…

  15. Aerodynamic Characteristics of Low-Aspect-Ratio Wings in Close Proximity to the Ground

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fink, Marvin P.; Lastinger, James L.

    1961-01-01

    A wind-tunnel investigation has been conducted to determine the effect of ground proximity on the aerodynamic characteristics of thick highly cambered rectangular wings with aspect ratios of 1. 2, 4, and 6. The results showed that, for these aspect ratios, as the ground war, approached all wings experienced increases in lift-curve slope and reductions in induced drag which resulted in increases in lift-drag ratio. Although an increase in lift-curve slope was obtained for all aspect ratios as the ground was approached, the lift coefficient at an angle of attack of 0 deg for any given aspect ratio remained nearly constant. The experimental results were in general agreement with Wieselsberger's ground-effect theory (NACA Technical Memorandum 77). As the wings approached the ground, there was an increase in static longitudinal stability at positive angles of attack. When operating in ground effect, all the wings had stability of height at positive angles of attack and instability of height at negative angles of attack. Wing-tip fairings on the wings with aspect ratios of 1 and 2 produced small increases in lift-drag ratio in ground effect. End plates extending only below the chord plane on the wing with an aspect ratio of 1 provided increases in lift coefficient and in lift-drag ratio in ground effect.

  16. Audit of nuclear medicine scientific and technical standards.

    PubMed

    Jarritt, Peter H; Perkins, Alan C; Woods, Sandra D

    2004-08-01

    The British Nuclear Medicine Society has developed a process for the service-specific organizational audit of nuclear medicine departments. This process identified the need for a scheme suitable for the audit of the scientific and technical standards of a department providing such a service. This document has evolved following audit visits of a number of UK departments. It is intended to be used as a written document to facilitate the audit procedure and may be used for both external and self-audit purposes. Scientific and technical standards have been derived from a number of sources, including regulatory documents, notes for guidance and peer-reviewed publications. The audit scheme is presented as a series of questions with responses graded according to legal and safety obligations (A), good practice (B) and desirable aspects of service delivery (C). This document should be regarded as part of an audit framework and should be kept under review as the process evolves to meet the future demands of this high-technology-based clinical service.

  17. Future perspectives on space psychology: Recommendations on psychosocial and neurobehavioural aspects of human spaceflight

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De La Torre, Gabriel G.; van Baarsen, Berna; Ferlazzo, Fabio; Kanas, Nick; Weiss, Karine; Schneider, Stefan; Whiteley, Iya

    2012-12-01

    Recently the psychological effects of space flight have gained in attention. In uncovering the psychological challenges that individuals and teams can face, we need research options that integrate psychosocial aspects with behavioral, performance, technical and environmental issues. Future perspectives in Space Psychology and Human Spaceflight are reviewed in this paper. The topics covered include psychosocial and neurobehavioural aspects, neurocognitive testing tools, decision making, autonomy and delayed communications, well being, mental health, situational awareness, and methodology. Authors were members of a European Space Agency (ESA) Research Topical Team on Psychosocial and Behavioral Aspects of Human Spaceflight. They discuss the different topics under a common perspective of a theoretical and practical framework, showing interactions, relationships and possible solutions for the different aspects and variables in play. Recommendations for every topic are offered and summarized for future research in the field. The different proposed research ideas can be accomplished using analogs and simulation experiments, short- and long-duration bed rest, and in-flight microgravity studies. These topics are especially important for future Moon and Mars mission design and training.

  18. Training Manuals and Technical Publications.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Army Test and Evaluation Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.

    The objective of the Materiel Test Procedure is to describe methods for determining the need for adequacy of comprehensiveness, and clarity of training manuals and technical publications (or other pertinent types of literature) relating to the ammunition or ammunition components being tested. (Author)

  19. 16 CFR 1407.3 - Providing performance and technical data to purchasers by labeling.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Providing performance and technical data to... TECHNICAL DATA BY LABELING § 1407.3 Providing performance and technical data to purchasers by labeling. (a... technical data related to performance and safety to prospective purchasers of such products at the time of...

  20. 16 CFR 1407.3 - Providing performance and technical data to purchasers by labeling.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Providing performance and technical data to... TECHNICAL DATA BY LABELING § 1407.3 Providing performance and technical data to purchasers by labeling. (a... technical data related to performance and safety to prospective purchasers of such products at the time of...

  1. 16 CFR 1407.3 - Providing performance and technical data to purchasers by labeling.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Providing performance and technical data to... TECHNICAL DATA BY LABELING § 1407.3 Providing performance and technical data to purchasers by labeling. (a... technical data related to performance and safety to prospective purchasers of such products at the time of...

  2. 16 CFR 1407.3 - Providing performance and technical data to purchasers by labeling.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Providing performance and technical data to... TECHNICAL DATA BY LABELING § 1407.3 Providing performance and technical data to purchasers by labeling. (a... technical data related to performance and safety to prospective purchasers of such products at the time of...

  3. A cross sectional pilot study on assessing the knowledge, attitude and behavior of community pharmacists to adverse drug reaction related aspects in the Sultanate of Oman.

    PubMed

    Jose, Jimmy; Jimmy, Beena; Al-Ghailani, Aliya Said Hamed; Al Majali, Maryam Abdullah

    2014-04-01

    Adverse drug reaction (ADR) monitoring and reporting requires a multidisciplinary approach and pharmacists have a major role to play in it. The present pilot study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude and behavior of community pharmacists to ADR related aspects in the Sultanate of Oman. A self-administered questionnaire comprising of 21 questions were distributed to a random sample of pharmacists in two Governorates in the Sultanate of Oman. It assessed the knowledge of pharmacists on some of the selected basic aspects of drug safety. Further, the knowledge and attitude of community pharmacists toward ADR reporting and their behavior on ADR related aspects were assessed. A scoring scheme was used to estimate the median total score of participants for various parameters. Obtained scores were correlated with the demographics of the respondents. A total of 107 community pharmacists participated in the survey giving a response rate of 72.3%. The responses of the pharmacists to the questions on the drug safety of individual drugs were incorrect for some important and practical questions. Consequently, total median score corresponding to these questions was 5 (Inter Quartile Range, IQR 2) out of a possible maximum score of 9, which was below the acceptable score. Total median score based on knowledge, attitude and behavior was 38 (IQR 8) out of a possible maximum of 50 which shows a moderate score. Lack of awareness on how to report an ADR and concern that the report may be wrong were the most common factors discouraging pharmacists from reporting ADRs. Qualification as well as years of experience were the only demographic parameters which had an influence on the score obtained by the pharmacists. Even though the pharmacists had an acceptable knowledge, attitude and behavior on ADR reporting and related aspects, a good number of them had below than acceptable knowledge on drug safety related aspects of specific drugs. Educational programs have to be continued

  4. State Leadership for Career Technical Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kister, Joanna

    This document is comprised of two main parts: (1) Role and Nature of State Leadership; and (2) Developing Leaders. Issues related to state leadership for career and technical education (CTE) were studied. CTE-related research, policy, and practice were reviewed. State directors of CTE were surveyed, and 39 individuals considered opinion leaders in…

  5. Software engineering aspects of real-time programming concepts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schoitsch, Erwin

    1986-08-01

    Real-time programming is a discipline of great importance not only in process control, but also in fields like communication, office automation, interactive databases, interactive graphics and operating systems development. General concepts of concurrent programming and constructs for process-synchronization are discussed in detail. Tasking and synchronization concepts, methods of process communication, interrupt and timeout handling in systems based on semaphores, signals, conditional critical regions or on real-time languages like Concurrent PASCAL, MODULA, CHILL and ADA are explained and compared with each other. The second part deals with structuring and modularization of technical processes to build reliable and maintainable real time systems. Software-quality and software engineering aspects are considered throughout the paper.

  6. The 1999 UNCOPUOS "Technical report on space debris" and the new work plan on space debris (2002 - 2005): perspectives and legal consequences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Benkö, Marietta; Schrogl, Kai-Uwe

    2001-10-01

    In February 1999, the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee (STSC) of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) adopted a "Technical Report on Space Debris". This was the result of intensive negotiations during a multi-year workplan on space debris, which had been the centerpiece of the technical work of the STSC during these years. The Report is the first document on space debris, presenting the status of space debris research and the problems resulting from space debris. It has the status of an analysis accepted by all governments. Following its adoption, the Report was presented to UNISPACE III and provided the basis for discussions in this Inter-governmental Conference as well as in the Technical Forum, which - at the same time - dealt with the technical as well as the legal aspects of the exploration and use of outer space. The adoption of the Conference Report finalized the workplan in the STSC, but the subject of space debris still remains on the agenda, where until now every year a special aspect is discussed in detail. The Report does not suggest the establishment of an agenda item "space debris" in the UNCOPUOS Legal Subcommittee (LSC). It is very reluctant in even mentioning legal aspects of the space debris issue. The strict and full concentration on technical aspects was a precondition made by a number of Member States for their constructive participation in the elaboration to establish an agenda item on space debris there, were completely detached from that process. Those, who had expected that the adoption of the Report would inevitably lead to formal negotiations in the LSC were deceived so far. Nevertheless, the Report provides a number of starting points for drafting regulation concerning the prevention of space debris as well as debris mitigation measures which also built on work already done by the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) and its member agencies. This paper describes the status of the

  7. [Methodological aspects in the evaluation of turn-over and up/down sizing as indicators of work-related stress].

    PubMed

    Veronesi, G; Bertù, L; Mombelli, S; Cimmino, L; Caravati, G; Conti, M; Abate, T; Ferrario, M M

    2011-01-01

    We discuss the methodological aspects related to the evaluation of turn-over and up-down sizing as indicators of work-related stress, in complex organizations like a university hospital. To estimate the active workers population we developed an algorithm which integrated several administrative databases. The indicators were standardized to take into account some potential confounders (age, sex, work seniority) when considering different hospital structures and job mansions. Main advantages of our method include flexibility in the choice of the analysis detail (hospital units, job mansions, a combination of both) and the possibility to describe over-time trends to measure the success of preventive strategies.

  8. Website design: technical, social and medical issues for self-reporting by elderly patients.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Mark J; Stables, Rod; Matata, Bashir; Lisboa, Paulo J G; Laws, Andy; Almond, Peter

    2014-06-01

    There is growing interest in the use of the Internet for interacting with patients, both in terms of healthcare information provision and information gathering. In this article, we examine the issues in designing healthcare websites for elderly users. In particular, this article uses a year-long case study of the development of a web-based system for self-reporting of symptoms and quality of life with a view to examine the issues relating to website design for elderly users. The issues identified included the technical, social and medical aspects of website design for elderly users. The web-based system developed was based on the European Quality of Life 5-Dimensions health-status questionnaire, a commonly used tool for patient self-reporting of quality of life, and the more specific coronary revascularisation outcome questionnaire. Currently, self-reporting is generally administered in the form of paper-based questionnaires to be completed in the outpatient clinic or at home. There are a variety of issues relating to elderly users, which imply that websites for elderly patients may involve different design considerations to other types of websites.

  9. Application of Communications Satellites to Educational Development. Final Technical Report, September 1, 1969-August 31, 1975.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morgan, Robert P.

    Research is summarized in a brief final report built around a four-section bibliography. The first section lists periodic progress reports and articles which provide an overview of the program, including articles which pertain primarily to educational rather than technical aspects of satellite utilization. Theses carried out in the fields of…

  10. A review of clinical and technical considerations for fixed and removable implant prostheses in the edentulous mandible.

    PubMed

    Zitzmann, Nicola Ursula; Marinello, Carlo Paolo

    2002-01-01

    The aim of the present article is to review some of the technical treatment options for implant prostheses restoring the edentulous mandible, mainly based on the Brånemark system. Clinical and technical aspects are discussed for the three established concepts: (1) implant-supported fixed prosthesis, (2) removable implant-supported overdenture, and (3) combined implant-retained and soft tissue-supported overdenture prosthesis. The framework of an implant-supported fixed screw-retained prosthesis can be processed in gold, Co-Cr alloy, or titanium with casting, laser-welding, or milling techniques. To improve the stability and retention of a conventional complete denture, one to four implants are indicated, and unsplinted (single attachments) or splinted designs (bar systems) can be applied. The design of the overdenture prosthesis must be carefully planned according to the requirements to ensure adequate stability and optimal form, contour, and esthetics, and the patient's best comfort. A large variety of different treatment modalities exist for both the fixed and removable mandibular implant prosthesis. Clinical and technical aspects should be considered at the beginning of the treatment to: (1) select the optimal implant position, (2) establish an adequate number of functional units, (3) select the appropriate retainers, and (4) apply the best technique for framework processing and veneering.

  11. Charging of the Electric Vehicles in Private Sector: Technical and Economic Aspects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grackova, L.; Oleinikova, I.; Klavs, G.

    2014-12-01

    The economic aspect considered in the work is related to the charging of an electric vehicle (EV) at a single private house when this is done every day. To perform the relevant cost estimation it was necessary to determine: the average annual electricity consumption under the condition of everyday charging an EV and the average electricity consumption off the mains for covering a distance of 100 km by an EV and the time in hours for its charging. Comparison is made for the day-time intervals from which it is possible to choose the preferable for proper loading the electric line and the most beneficial for the consumer. Under analysis are two EV connection scenarios for 100 individual households from which 10%, 20% and 30% have EVs, with 8-h duration of each charging at the current of 13A. The authors consider the consumption and electric energy payment packages which - with planned opening of the electric energy market on January 1, 2015 - will offer the clients the enterprises rendering services on the electric energy sale. Šajā rakstā tiek analizēts vidējais diennakts elektroenerģijas patēriņš un diennakts slodzes grafiki privātmājās apstākļos, kad privātmājas īpašnieki lādē elektroautomobili katru dienu vidējam brauciena attālumam 100 km. Elektroautomobiļa uzlādes režīmi tiek analizēti, ņemot vērā patēriņa elektriskās slodzes grafika kvalitāti raksturojošos rādītājus un patērētāja ekonomiskos ieguvumus. Lai novērtētu ekonomiski stimulētu patērētāju elektroautomobiļa uzlādes laika izvēles ietekmi uz diennakts elektriskās slodzes aizpildījuma koeficientu, tika izveidoti un analizēti 2 scenāriji, kas apraksta 100 privātmāju ar dažādu elektroautomobiļu piederības īpatsvaru divas atšķirīgas automobiļu uzlādes gadījumus.

  12. Electrode Processes and Aspects Relating to Cell EMF, Current, and Cell Components in Operating Electrochemical Cells: Precollege and College Student Interpretation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ogude, N. A.; Bradleu, J. D.

    1996-12-01

    Four areas that present difficulty among high school pupils and tertiary level students in relation to the processes that take place in operating electrochemical cells were identified (1). These are (i) conduction in the electrolyte, (ii) electrical neutrality, (iii) electrode processes and terminology, and (iv) aspects relating to cell emf, current, and cell components. A 20-item questionnaire was designed to determine how widespread misconceptions in these areas were. The prevalence and possible causes of misconceptions in two of the four areas - namely, conduction in the electrolyte and electrical neutrality - were reported (2). In this paper, we report on the difficulties experienced by students in relation to electrode processes and terminology and aspects of cell components, cell emf, and current. In relation to electrode processes and terminology, excerpts from interviews with precollege and college students as well as the responses of a larger group of students are discussed. The discussion relating to cell components, cell emf, and current presents a response to standard textbook questions by precollege and college students and interviews conducted with postgraduate higher diploma in education (HDE-PG) students. The interviews were conducted with postgraduate students after the precollege and college students were unable to verbalize their views, especially on cell emf and current. The possible causes of the misunderstandings and the questions used to elicit the misunderstandings in these two areas are presented.

  13. Ethical aspects on rare diseases.

    PubMed

    Barrera, Luis A; Galindo, Gilberto Cely

    2010-01-01

    In this chapter we discuss several of the most relevant subjects related to ethics on Rare Diseases. Some general aspects are discussed such as the socio-psychological problems that confront the patients and their families that finally lead to marginalization and exclusion of patients affected by these diseases from the health programs, even in wealthy countries. Then we address problems related to diagnosis and some ethical aspects of newborn screening, prenatal, pre-implantation diagnosis and reference centers, as well as some conditions that should be met by the persons and institutions performing such tasks. Alternatives of solutions for the most critical situations are proposed. Subsequently the orphan drugs subject is discussed not only from the availability point of view, prizes, industrial practices, and purchasing power in developed and developing societies. The research related to rare disease in children and other especially vulnerable conditions, the need for informed consent, review boards or ethics comities, confidentiality of the information, biobanks and pharmacogenetics are discussed.

  14. Digitization, Integration and Preservation of Technical and Historical Information: The Case of INTA, the National Institute for Aerospace Technique of Spain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Merida Martín, F.; Paz Otero, S.

    2007-10-01

    During the last two years the INTA -- National Institute for Aerospace Technique -- library has been improving different areas related to the information management processes, such as those related to cataloguing, dissemination of technical information, centralization at the Library of all relevant documents and information applicable to scientific research within our organization, implementation of library web services, etc. As part of these processes of modernization of services that the INTA Library is carrying out, a project of digitization of both technical documentation and historical records of the Institute has been defined. The goal is to achieve the total digitization of technical documents and historical papers through the year 2006, and provide access for the resulting electronic collection to the Spanish aerospace community. For the development of the project a deep study of the state of the art in digitization and preservation matters has been conducted. That study covers the different aspects of such a project that could be experienced, such as the risk of data loss, the bandwidth needed to guarantee access to this huge quantity of electronic documentation, the fragility of the digital media, the rapid obsolescence of hardware and software, etc. Also the project is going to assume the new reality of documents that are not originating in paper format, but are digital-born, and how to integrate all the electronic documents in one system, fulfilling the same standards and using the same available technology.

  15. [NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 1, part 1:] Technical communications in aeronautics: Results of an exploratory study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pinelli, Thomas E.; Glassman, Myron; Oliu, Walter E.; Barclay, Rebecca O.

    1989-01-01

    A study was undertaken that explored several aspects of technical communications in aeronautics. The study, which utilized survey research in the form of a self-administered questionnaire, was sent to 2,000 randomly selected members of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Six hundred and six usable questionnaires (30.3 percent) were received by the established cut off date. The study had five objectives. The first was to solicit the opinions of aeronautical engineers and scientists regarding the importance of technical communications to their profession; second, to determine their use and production of technical communications; third, to seek their views on the content of an undergraduate course in technical communications; fourth, to determine their use of libraries/technical information centers; and finally, to determine the use and importance of computer and information technology to them. The findings add considerable information to the knowledge of technical communications practices among aeronautical engineers and scientists and reinforce some of the conventional wisdom about technical communications and question other widely-held notions.

  16. 75 FR 61228 - Board Meeting: Technical Lessons Gained From High-Level Nuclear Waste Disposal Efforts

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-04

    ... NUCLEAR WASTE TECHNICAL REVIEW BOARD Board Meeting: Technical Lessons Gained From High-Level... Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1987, the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board will meet in Dulles... of Energy on technical issues and to review the technical validity of DOE activities related to...

  17. ILGWU Worker-Family Education Program. ESL/Technical Curriculum Manual.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Friedman, Judy; Friedman, Deidre

    The curriculum for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) English as a Second Language (ESL) and technical classes is a collection of instructional materials and suggestions focusing on workplace-related topics and issues. This guide is intended for use in classes where one technical and one ESL teacher are present and where…

  18. A Summary of Technical Problems Associated With Broadband Cable Teleservices Development. A Survey of Technical Requirements for Broadband Cable Teleservices; Volume One.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McManamon, P. M.; Utlaut, W. F.

    The results of a survey of cable television (CATV) and related technological industries are summarized. In this, the first of a series of seven reports, attention is focused upon some major technical factors which need to be considered in order that a transition from the technical state of today's cable television and services to new teleservices…

  19. [Practical and theoretical aspects of cost-benefit relations in viscerosynthesis].

    PubMed

    Fuchs, K H; Heimbucher, J; Geiger, D; Thiede, A

    1997-01-01

    The necessity of limiting health care costs requires adequate service recording and quality control even in visceral surgery. In this field, the safety of the anastomoses is of greatest importance. Anastomoses at risk are esophageal connections to jejunum or colon and deep rectal anastomoses. At these locations expensive suture devices, such as stapling instruments, can be used in a cost saving aspect, if they help to increase anastomotic safety, time saving and expansion of surgical indication. Manual sutures thus represent the cheapest anastomotic technique as continuous sutures would cost between DM 10.- to 20.- and single stitch sutures between DM 60.- and 100.-. A surgical school should prevalently aim at training manual anastomoses, while special anastomotic techniques should only complete the skill for selected indications. The overall staff expenditure for extended operations amounts around DM 600.- per hour respectively DM 10.- per minute. Time for surgery might be shortened by auxiliary tools as much as to perform an additional operation. However, a circular stapler anastomosis that costs between DM 650.- to 850.- is twice as expensive as manual sutures notwithstanding the double time needed. In the past years, the necessity for a rational use of different anastomotic techniques has shown to be mandatory since, increasingly, financial aspects of health economy require cost benefit calculations in visceral surgery.

  20. Reform of China's Technical and Vocational Education in the Transition from a Planned Economy System to a Socialist Market Economy System--A Case Study. Case Studies on Technical and Vocational Education in Asia and the Pacific.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yu, Zuguang; Zeng, Zida

    Since the early 1990s, China's government has followed a socialist market economy system. Accordingly, the technical and vocational education (TVE) should be restructured to meet its needs. Reform of the TVE system has four aspects. First, reform of the planning system includes a move from a central plan of enrollment to planning according to…

  1. Scientific and technical training in the Soviet Union

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spearman, M. L.

    1984-01-01

    The Soviet Union recognizes that the foundation of their system depends upon complete dedication of the people to the state through thorough psychological training as well as through military training, and through specialized education in the broad fields of engineering, natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and education. An outline of the U.S.S.R. educational system indicates the extent of academic training, coupled with on-the-job and military training, that can produce a highly skilled, dedicated, and matured person. Observations on the coupling of political, economic, and psychological training along with the technical training are made, along with some mention of positive and negative aspects of the training.

  2. Highly immersive virtual reality laparoscopy simulation: development and future aspects.

    PubMed

    Huber, Tobias; Wunderling, Tom; Paschold, Markus; Lang, Hauke; Kneist, Werner; Hansen, Christian

    2018-02-01

    Virtual reality (VR) applications with head-mounted displays (HMDs) have had an impact on information and multimedia technologies. The current work aimed to describe the process of developing a highly immersive VR simulation for laparoscopic surgery. We combined a VR laparoscopy simulator (LapSim) and a VR-HMD to create a user-friendly VR simulation scenario. Continuous clinical feedback was an essential aspect of the development process. We created an artificial VR (AVR) scenario by integrating the simulator video output with VR game components of figures and equipment in an operating room. We also created a highly immersive VR surrounding (IVR) by integrating the simulator video output with a [Formula: see text] video of a standard laparoscopy scenario in the department's operating room. Clinical feedback led to optimization of the visualization, synchronization, and resolution of the virtual operating rooms (in both the IVR and the AVR). Preliminary testing results revealed that individuals experienced a high degree of exhilaration and presence, with rare events of motion sickness. The technical performance showed no significant difference compared to that achieved with the standard LapSim. Our results provided a proof of concept for the technical feasibility of an custom highly immersive VR-HMD setup. Future technical research is needed to improve the visualization, immersion, and capability of interacting within the virtual scenario.

  3. Sexual dysfunctions in MS in relation to neuropsychiatric aspects and its psychological treatment: A scoping review

    PubMed Central

    Rose, Anita; van de Vis, Wim; Engelbrecht, Jannie; Pirard, Michelle; Lau, Stefanie; Heesen, Christoph; Köpke, Sascha

    2018-01-01

    Objective Sexual dysfunction in multiple sclerosis (MS) is a significant, but often underestimated and overlooked suffering. Interventions to treat sexual dysfunction in MS are rare. The relation between sexual dysfunction in MS and psychological as well as neuropsychological aspects is evident. However, this field of research remains markedly underdeveloped in this severe chronic illness. The aim of this scoping review is to describe the relevant knowledge in this area and to identify psychological interventions to treat sexual dysfunctions in MS. Methods A scoping review was conducted to answer the following questions: (1) Which psychological and neuropsychological factors impact on sexual dysfunction in MS and vice versa? (2) What kind of psychological interventions aiming to improve sexual dysfunctions in MS are available? A comprehensive search and review of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL was completed by using a recent methodological framework for scoping reviews. Results 23 publications covering a total of 13,259 people with MS and 532 healthy controls were identified. Sexual dysfunction was found to be very common in MS and there is an obvious relation to psychological disorders as e.g. depression and anxiety and also to psychological aspects as partner relationship and quality of life. The relation between sexual dysfunction in MS and neuropsychological impairment has only rarely been studied and no clear results were found. Only two studies were identified, assessing the effectiveness of psychological intervention studies on sexual dysfunction in people with MS, and a third study presenting a secondary analysis of a study targeting depression. All three studies reported significant improvements in sexual dysfunction as well as partly in psychological variables. Conclusions There is a pressing need for the development and adequate evaluation of psychological interventions for sexual dysfunctions in MS. In addition, sexual dysfunction and its impact on

  4. 16 CFR 1406.5 - Performance and technical data to be furnished to the Commission.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Commission the following performance and technical data related to performance and safety. (a) Written notice... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Performance and technical data to be... TECHNICAL DATA § 1406.5 Performance and technical data to be furnished to the Commission. Manufacturers...

  5. Ozone Layer Research and Technical Resources

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Access information on research and technical resources related to ozone layer science. This page provides links to research efforts led by organizations such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United Nations Environment Program, an

  6. Technical Assistance To Tribal Communities Addressing Brownfields

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals from eligible entities (including eligible nonprofit organizations) to provide technical assistance to tribal communities on brownfield related issues.

  7. Publicly Open Virtualized Gaming Environment For Simulation of All Aspects Related to '100 Year Starship Study'

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Obousy, R. K.

    2012-09-01

    Sending a mission to distant stars will require our civilization to develop new technologies and change the way we live. The complexity of the task is enormous [1] thus, the thought is to involve people from around the globe through the ``citizen scientist'' paradigm. The suggestion is a ``Gaming Virtual Reality Network'' (GVRN) to simulate sociological and technological aspects involved in this project. Currently there is work being done [2] in developing a technology which will construct computer games within GVRN. This technology will provide quick and easy ways for individuals to develop game scenarios related to various aspects of the ``100YSS'' project. People will be involved in solving certain tasks just by play games. Players will be able to modify conditions, add new technologies, geological conditions, social movements and assemble new strategies just by writing scenarios. The system will interface with textual and video information, extract scenarios written in millions of texts and use it to assemble new games. Thus, players will be able to simulate enormous amounts of possibilities. Information technologies will be involved which will require us to start building the system in a way that any modules can be easily replaced. Thus, GVRN should be modular and open to the community.

  8. Technical Communication: Perspectives for the Eighties, Part 1. Proceedings of the Technical Communications Sessions at the 32Nd Annual Meeting of the Conference on College Composition and Communication

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mathes, J. C. (Compiler); Pinelli, T. E. (Compiler)

    1981-01-01

    Proceeding of the technical communication sessions at the 32nd annual meeting of the Conference on College Composition and Communication held in Dallas, Texas, March 26-28, 1981 are summarized. The proceeding suggest that technical communication has become an important subfield and is becoming an intrinsic part of many undergraduate curricula. Technical communication as a separate discipline, however, is relatively new. For that reason, proceedings that can make current research available as quickly as possible are suggested for preparation. The following topics were addressed: (1) a history and definition of technical writing, (2) the case method is technical communication (3) teaching technical writing (4) oral communication and rhetorical theory, and (5) new approaches in and practical applications of technical writing.

  9. 76 FR 64083 - Reliability Technical Conference; Notice of Technical Conference

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-17

    ... Technical Conference; Notice of Technical Conference Take notice that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will hold a Technical Conference on Tuesday, November 29, 2011, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and... System. The conference will explore the progress made on the priorities for addressing risks to...

  10. Performance Aspects and Physiological Responses in Male Amateur Boxing Competitions: A Brief Review.

    PubMed

    Slimani, Maamer; Chaabène, Helmi; Davis, Philip; Franchini, Emerson; Cheour, Foued; Chamari, Karim

    2017-04-01

    Slimani, M, Chaabène, H, Davis, P, Franchini, E, Cheour, F, and Chamari, K. Performance aspects and physiological responses in male amateur boxing competitions: a brief review. J Strength Cond Res 31(4): 1132-1141, 2017-Boxing is one of the most popular striking combat sports in the world. The aim of this review was to present data concerning performance analysis (time-motion and technical-tactical analysis) and physiological responses (i.e., blood lactate concentration [BLC], heart rate, and oxygen consumption) during novice and elite male simulated and official amateur boxing competitions in any age category. The present review shows that boxing competition is a high-intensity intermittent striking combat sport. Typically, the activity-to-rest ratio was higher in elite (18:1) than in novice (9:1) boxers and significant differences were observed between rounds (first round = 16:1, second round = 8:1, and third round = 6:1) in novice boxers. Thus, total stop-time and total stop-frequency increased over subsequent rounds in novice boxers. The technical-tactical aspects in elite and novice boxing bouts were different between rounds and dependent on the match outcome (i.e., winners vs. losers). Particularly, the current review highlights that triple-punch combinations, total combinations, block- and counter-punch combinations, total punches to the head, technical performance effectiveness, and defensive- and offensive-skills effectiveness may have contributed to win in novice and elite boxing competitions. Higher frequencies of technical movements were also observed in elite compared with novice boxers. From a physiological point of view, BLC increased significantly from postround 1 compared with postround 3 in novice boxing match. BLC was also higher in official than in simulated elite boxing matches in senior compared with junior boxers and in medium heavy-weight category compared with light- and medium-weight categories in junior boxing competition. A higher

  11. A cross sectional pilot study on assessing the knowledge, attitude and behavior of community pharmacists to adverse drug reaction related aspects in the Sultanate of Oman

    PubMed Central

    Jose, Jimmy; Jimmy, Beena; Al-Ghailani, Aliya Said Hamed; Al Majali, Maryam Abdullah

    2013-01-01

    Background and objectives Adverse drug reaction (ADR) monitoring and reporting requires a multidisciplinary approach and pharmacists have a major role to play in it. The present pilot study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude and behavior of community pharmacists to ADR related aspects in the Sultanate of Oman. Methods A self-administered questionnaire comprising of 21 questions were distributed to a random sample of pharmacists in two Governorates in the Sultanate of Oman. It assessed the knowledge of pharmacists on some of the selected basic aspects of drug safety. Further, the knowledge and attitude of community pharmacists toward ADR reporting and their behavior on ADR related aspects were assessed. A scoring scheme was used to estimate the median total score of participants for various parameters. Obtained scores were correlated with the demographics of the respondents. Results A total of 107 community pharmacists participated in the survey giving a response rate of 72.3%. The responses of the pharmacists to the questions on the drug safety of individual drugs were incorrect for some important and practical questions. Consequently, total median score corresponding to these questions was 5 (Inter Quartile Range, IQR 2) out of a possible maximum score of 9, which was below the acceptable score. Total median score based on knowledge, attitude and behavior was 38 (IQR 8) out of a possible maximum of 50 which shows a moderate score. Lack of awareness on how to report an ADR and concern that the report may be wrong were the most common factors discouraging pharmacists from reporting ADRs. Qualification as well as years of experience were the only demographic parameters which had an influence on the score obtained by the pharmacists. Conclusions Even though the pharmacists had an acceptable knowledge, attitude and behavior on ADR reporting and related aspects, a good number of them had below than acceptable knowledge on drug safety related aspects of

  12. Challenges and Opportunities: Two Weeks of Teaching Technical Communication at Suzhou University, China.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ding, Daniel; Jablonski, John

    2001-01-01

    Relates the authors' experience teaching technical writing for two weeks at Suzhou University in China. Discusses activities; examines four technical writing textbooks purchased there; and offers suggestions about how technical communication might be established as a separate academic discipline in Chinese universities. Discusses technical…

  13. 22 CFR 124.6 - Termination of manufacturing license agreements and technical assistance agreements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... and technical assistance agreements. 124.6 Section 124.6 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE... Termination of manufacturing license agreements and technical assistance agreements. The U.S. party to a manufacturing license or a technical assistance agreement must inform the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls...

  14. Technical basis for nuclear accident dosimetry at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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

    Kerr, G.D.; Mei, G.T.

    The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Environmental, Safety, and Health Emergency Response Organization has the responsibility of providing analyses of personnel exposures to neutrons and gamma rays from a nuclear accident. This report presents the technical and philosophical basis for the dose assessment aspects of the nuclear accident dosimetry (NAD) system at ORNL. The issues addressed are regulatory guidelines, ORNL NAD system components and performance, and the interpretation of dosimetric information that would be gathered following a nuclear accident.

  15. 16 CFR § 1407.3 - Providing performance and technical data to purchasers by labeling.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Providing performance and technical data to... TECHNICAL DATA BY LABELING § 1407.3 Providing performance and technical data to purchasers by labeling. (a... technical data related to performance and safety to prospective purchasers of such products at the time of...

  16. [The telemedical service centre as an essential element of the conceptual approach for telemonitoring of cardiac patients : Requirements on the service, quality, and technical realization of telemonitoring].

    PubMed

    Helms, T M; Müller, A; Perings, C; Köhler, F; Leonhardt, V; Rybak, K; Sack, S; Stockburger, M

    2017-09-01

    Telemonitoring as part of a treatment strategy supports and facilitates the monitoring, disease management and education of patients with heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias. Therefore, telemonitoring affects quality and success of the therapy. Thus, meeting the needs of the patients and of the involved health care professionals is important for the success of the telemonitoring service. Moreover, a high quality of the service has to be ensured. The following article describes several configuration options for telemonitoring services considering technical as well as quality- and service-related aspects.

  17. A technical investigation on tools and concepts for sustainable management of the subsurface in The Netherlands.

    PubMed

    Griffioen, Jasper; van Wensem, Joke; Oomes, Justine L M; Barends, Frans; Breunese, Jaap; Bruining, Hans; Olsthoorn, Theo; Stams, Alfons J M; van der Stoel, Almer E C

    2014-07-01

    In response to increasing use of the subsurface, there is a need to modernise policies on sustainable use of the subsurface. This holds in particular for the densely populated Netherlands. We aimed to analyse current practice of subsurface management and the associated pressure points and to establish a conceptual overview of the technical issues related to sustainable management of the subsurface. Case studies on the exploitation of subsurface resources (including spatial use of the subsurface) were analysed, examining social relevance, environmental impact, pressure points and management solutions. The case studies ranged from constructing underground garages to geothermal exploitation. The following issues were identified for the technological/scientific aspects: site investigation, suitability, risk assessment, monitoring and measures in the event of failure. Additionally, the following general issues were identified for the administrative aspects: spatial planning, option assessment, precaution, transparency, responsibility and liability. These issues were explored on their technological implications within the framework of sustainable management of the subsurface. This resulted into the following key aspects: (1) sustainability assessment, (2) dealing with uncertainty and (3) policy instruments and governance. For all three aspects, different options were identified which might have a legal, economic or ethical background. The technological implications of these backgrounds have been identified. A set of recommendations for sustainable management of the subsurface resources (incl. space) was established: (1) management should be driven by scarcity, (2) always implement closed loop monitoring when the subsurface activities are high-risk, (3) when dealing with unknown features and heterogeneity, apply the precautionary principle, (4) responsibility and liability for damage must be set out in legislation and (5) sustainability should be incorporated in all

  18. IMPLICATIONS OF WOMEN'S WORK PATTERNS FOR PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT IN VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LEE, SYLVIA L.; AND OTHERS

    THE IMPLICATIONS OF WOMEN'S LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION FOR EDUCATORS AND LEADERS PLANNING PROGRAMS IN VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION WERE DERIVED AT A 2-DAY CONFERENCE BY 30 PEOPLE REPRESENTING THE VARIOUS SERVICES IN VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND RELATED AREAS. IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION…

  19. Technical-tactical analysis of youth olympic taekwondo combat.

    PubMed

    Tornello, Francesco; Capranica, Laura; Minganti, Carlo; Chiodo, Salvatore; Condello, Giancarlo; Tessitore, Antonio

    2014-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to define the technical and tactical profiles of official youth taekwondo competitions played under the most recent rules of the International Taekwondo Federation. Tactical actions (i.e., attack, defense, and block), technical executions (from 1- to 4-point scores), kicking legs (i.e., front/rear and right/left), and overall technical effectiveness were investigated in relation to match outcome of semifinal and final competitions (n = 50) of youth (aged 13-14 years) black belt athletes during the Italian Taekwondo Cadet Championship. Differences (p < 0.001) were found among all action typologies (Attack: 50.9 ± 2.2%; Defense: 27.7 ± 1.5%; Block: 21.3 ± 1.6%), with winners showing fewer (p = 0.005) offensive actions and more (p = 0.001) defensive actions with respect to non-winners. Independently from match outcome, technical exchanges showed differences (p < 0.001) for technical executions. Winners resulted more efficient (p < 0.001) for both technical and tactical variables. In general, these findings showed that Cadets tend to adopt an offensive strategy. In considering that the adoption of the new electronic system requires athletes to execute correct technical actions to have a score assigned, coaches should emphasize the effectiveness of scoring techniques and help athletes to effectively improve their defense and counterattack capabilities.

  20. TECHNICAL REPORTS DATABASE

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC?) is the central facility for the collection and dissemination of scientific and technical information for the Department of Defense (DoD). Much of this information is made available by DTIC in the form of technical reports about com...

  1. Developments in Technical Education in the British Caribbean, 1940-60.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pemberton, S. Macpherson

    The paper discusses developments in technical education in the British West Indies from 1940-1960 emphasizing the relation between education and economic development. The objective is to analyze the economic basis of progress in technical education. The document is presented in four chapters. Chapter I summarizes historical background prior to…

  2. Technical Communicator: A New Model for the Electronic Resources Librarian?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hulseberg, Anna

    2016-01-01

    This article explores whether technical communicator is a useful model for electronic resources (ER) librarians. The fields of ER librarianship and technical communication (TC) originated and continue to develop in relation to evolving technologies. A review of the literature reveals four common themes for ER librarianship and TC. While the…

  3. Ideas for clear technical writing

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Robinson, B.P.

    1984-01-01

    The three greatest obstacles to clear technical-report writing are probably (1) imprecise words, (2) wordiness, and (3) poorly constructed sentences. Examples of category 1 include abstract words, jargon, and vogue words; of category 2, sentences containing impersonal construction superfluous words; and of category 3, sentences lacking parallel construction and proper order of related words and phrases. These examples and other writing-related subjects are discussed in the report, which contains a cross-referenced index and 24 references.

  4. The Two-Year Colleges' Role in Building the Future Geoscience Technical Workforce

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wolfe, B.

    2014-12-01

    Careers in energy science related fields represent significant job growth in the U.S. Yet post-secondary career and technical programs have not kept pace with demand and energy science curriculum, including fundamental concepts of energy generation and environmental impact, lacks a firm position among general or career and technical education courses. Many of these emerging energy related jobs are skilled labor and entry level technical positions requiring less than a bachelor's degree. These include jobs such as solar/photovoltaic design and installation, solar water and space heating installation, energy management, efficiency and conservation auditor, environmental technician, etc. These energy related career pathways fit naturally within the geosciences discipline. Many of these jobs can be filled by individuals from HVAC, Industrial technology, welding, and electrical degree programs needing some additional specialized training and curriculum focused on fundamental concepts of energy, fossil fuel exploration and use, atmospheric pollution, energy generation, alternative energy sources, and energy conservation. Two-year colleges (2ycs) are uniquely positioned to train and fill these workforce needs as they already have existing career and technical programs and attract both recent high school graduates, as well as non-traditional students including displaced workers and returning veterans. We have established geoscience related workforce certificate programs that individuals completing the traditional industrial career and technical degrees can obtain to meet these emerging workforce needs. This presentation will discuss the role of geosciences programs at 2ycs in training these new workers, developing curriculum, and building a career/technical program that is on the forefront of this evolving industry.

  5. Technical structure of the global nanoscience and nanotechnology literature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kostoff, Ronald N.; Koytcheff, Raymond G.; Lau, Clifford G. Y.

    2007-10-01

    Text mining was used to extract technical intelligence from the open source global nanotechnology and nanoscience research literature. An extensive nanotechnology/nanoscience-focused query was applied to the Science Citation Index/Social Science Citation Index (SCI/SSCI) databases. The nanotechnology/nanoscience research literature technical structure (taxonomy) was obtained using computational linguistics/document clustering and factor analysis. The infrastructure (prolific authors, key journals/institutions/countries, most cited authors/journals/documents) for each of the clusters generated by the document clustering algorithm was obtained using bibliometrics. Another novel addition was the use of phrase auto-correlation maps to show technical thrust areas based on phrase co-occurrence in Abstracts, and the use of phrase-phrase cross-correlation maps to show technical thrust areas based on phrase relations due to the sharing of common co-occurring phrases. The ˜400 most cited nanotechnology papers since 1991 were grouped, and their characteristics generated. Whereas the main analysis provided technical thrusts of all nanotechnology papers retrieved, analysis of the most cited papers allowed their characteristics to be displayed. Finally, most cited papers from selected time periods were extracted, along with all publications from those time periods, and the institutions and countries were compared based on their representation in the most cited documents list relative to their representation in the most publications list.

  6. Mini-open lateral retroperitoneal lumbar spine approach using psoas muscle retraction technique. Technical report and initial results on six patients.

    PubMed

    Aghayev, Kamran; Vrionis, Frank D

    2013-09-01

    The main aim of this paper was to report reproducible method of lumbar spine access via a lateral retroperitoneal route. The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of the technical aspects and clinical outcomes of six patients who underwent lateral multilevel retroperitoneal interbody fusion with psoas muscle retraction technique. The main goal was to develop a simple and reproducible technique to avoid injury to the lumbar plexus. Six patients were operated at 15 levels using psoas muscle retraction technique. All patients reported improvement in back pain and radiculopathy after the surgery. The only procedure-related transient complication was weakness and pain on hip flexion that resolved by the first follow-up visit. Psoas retraction technique is a reliable technique for lateral access to the lumbar spine and may avoid some of the complications related to traditional minimally invasive transpsoas approach.

  7. Sensory v.s. Symbolic Aspects of Imagery Processes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fleming, Malcolm L.

    A central theoretical issue is that of the cognitive status of imagery. Detractors emphasize the merely-sensory aspects while proponents emphasize the also-symbolic aspects. Examined with reference to this issue are the theories of Piaget and Bruner, recent studies of concept learning and representation, and studies related to the Craik and…

  8. An Undergraduate Course in Legal Aspects of Geology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tank, Ronald W.

    1984-01-01

    A seminar which uses a case history approach and the Socratic method to evaluate legal aspects of geology is described. Water rights law, mineral law, and legal aspects of landslides, subsidence, sedimentation, erosion, and submergence are discussed. Students deal with hypothetical problems and participate in group projects related to these areas.…

  9. The role of law in addressing mental health-related aspects of disasters and promoting resilience.

    PubMed

    Rutkow, Lainie

    2012-01-01

    Law plays a critical role in emergency preparedness and disaster response by establishing an infrastructure for the response and facilitating coordination among the federal, state, and local governments. Once a disaster occurs, certain legal mechanisms are activated to ensure that individuals' needs for mental health care are met, both for pre-existing and emergent conditions. This includes the rapid deployment of mental health care personnel and the implementation of crisis counseling programs in affected regions. By facilitating an influx of resources, including personnel, supplies, and financial assistance, the law can help communities quickly rebound and return to a sense of normal. Drawing on examples from the United States, this article illustrates the diverse ways in which the law simultaneously addresses mental health-related aspects of disasters and promotes resilience within affected communities.

  10. Communicating uncertainty in circulation aspects of climate change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shepherd, Ted

    2017-04-01

    The usual way of representing uncertainty in climate change is to define a likelihood range of possible futures, conditioned on a particular pathway of greenhouse gas concentrations (RCPs). Typically these likelihood ranges are derived from multi-model ensembles. However, there is no obvious basis for treating such ensembles as probability distributions. Moreover, for aspects of climate related to atmospheric circulation, such an approach generally leads to large uncertainty and low confidence in projections. Yet this does not mean that the associated climate risks are small. We therefore need to develop suitable ways of communicating climate risk whilst acknowledging the uncertainties. This talk will outline an approach based on conditioning the purely thermodynamic aspects of climate change, concerning which there is comparatively high confidence, on circulation-related aspects, and treating the latter through non-probabilistic storylines.

  11. Sensors, Volume 1, Fundamentals and General Aspects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grandke, Thomas; Ko, Wen H.

    1996-12-01

    'Sensors' is the first self-contained series to deal with the whole area of sensors. It describes general aspects, technical and physical fundamentals, construction, function, applications and developments of the various types of sensors. This volume deals with the fundamentals and common principles of sensors and covers the wide areas of principles, technologies, signal processing, and applications. Contents include: Sensor Fundamentals, e.g. Sensor Parameters, Modeling, Design and Packaging; Basic Sensor Technologies, e.g. Thin and Thick Films, Integrated Magnetic Sensors, Optical Fibres and Intergrated Optics, Ceramics and Oxides; Sensor Interfaces, e.g. Signal Processing, Multisensor Signal Processing, Smart Sensors, Interface Systems; Sensor Applications, e.g. Automotive: On-board Sensors, Traffic Surveillance and Control, Home Appliances, Environmental Monitoring, etc. This volume is an indispensable reference work and text book for both specialits and newcomers, researchers and developers.

  12. SeaWiFS technical report series. Volume 6: SeaWiFS technical report series cumulative index: Volumes 1-5

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hooker, Stanford B. (Editor); Firestone, Elaine R. (Editor)

    1992-01-01

    The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) is the follow-on ocean color instrument to the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS), which ceased operations in 1986, after an eight year mission. SeaWiFS is expected to be launched in August 1993, on the Sea Star satellite, being built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). The SeaWiFS Project at the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has undertaken the responsibility of documenting all aspects of this mission, which is critical to the ocean color and marine science communities. This documentation, entitled the SeaWiFS Technical Report Series, is in the form of NASA Technical Memoranda Number 104566. All reports published are volumes within the series. This volume serves as a reference, or guidebook, to the previous five volumes and consists of four main sections including an index to key words and phrases, a list of all references cited, and lists of acronyms and symbols used. It is our intention to publish a summary index of this type after every five volumes in the series. This will cover the topics published in all previous editions of the indices, that is, each new index will include all of the information contained in the preceding indices.

  13. Electrical Power Station Theory. A Course of Technical Information for Electrical Power Station Wireman Apprentices. Revised Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lane Community Coll., Eugene, OR.

    This third-year course for electrical power station wirer apprentices is a foundation for the study of all aspects of installation and maintenance of power station equipment. It also provides a good technical background as well as the general knowledge essential to power station operator trainees. The course is intended to be equivalent to a…

  14. Mass Casualty Decontamination Guidance and Psychosocial Aspects of CBRN Incident Management: A Review and Synthesis

    PubMed Central

    Carter, Holly; Amlôt, Richard

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: Mass casualty decontamination is an intervention employed by first responders at the scene of an incident involving noxious contaminants.  Many countries have sought to address the challenge of decontaminating large numbers of affected casualties through the provision of rapidly deployable temporary showering structures, with accompanying decontamination protocols.  In this paper we review decontamination guidance for emergency responders and associated research evidence, in order to establish to what extent psychosocial aspects of casualty management have been considered within these documents. The review focuses on five psychosocial aspects of incident management: likely public behaviour; responder management style; communication strategy; privacy/ modesty concerns; and vulnerable groups. Methods: Two structured literature reviews were carried out; one to identify decontamination guidance documents for first responders, and another to identify evidence which is relevant to the understanding of the psychosocial aspects of mass decontamination.  The guidance documents and relevant research were reviewed to identify whether the guidance documents contain information relating to psychosocial issues and where it exists, that the guidance is consistent with the existing evidence-base. Results: Psychosocial aspects of incident management receive limited attention in current decontamination guidance.  In addition, our review has identified a number of gaps and inconsistencies between guidance and research evidence.  For each of the five areas we identify: what is currently presented in guidance documents, to what extent this is consistent with the existing research evidence and where it diverges.  We present a series of evidence-based recommendations for updating decontamination guidance to address the psychosocial aspects of mass decontamination. Conclusions: Effective communication and respect for casualties’ needs are critical in ensuring

  15. Technical aspects of home hemodialysis.

    PubMed

    Alhomayeed, B; Lindsay, R M

    2009-03-01

    Home hemodialysis (HHD) has proved to be a useful form of renal replacement therapy. The economic advantage of HHD is well established and interest in it is renewed. Once it has been decided to establish a HHD program, a well developed strategic plan is required. This should address financial and logistical issues and establish policies that will address responsi-bilities of both patients and HD centers. The recruitment of patients is facilitated by ensuring that all incident patients have early access to an education program describing all forms of renal replacement therapy that the regional renal program provides. Patients and members of the pre-dialysis education program should understand the selection process criteria in advance. Once the assessment is completed and the patient agrees to the proceedings, a plan of action should be esta-blished for enrolling the patient into the program and initiating training. Patients' education pro-gram should take into consideration principles of adult learning. When choosing dialysis equip-ment for home use, the needs and preferences of the patients should be respected. As a rule of thumb, the equipment should be simple to use, yet still provide adequate and reliable therapy. De-ciding where to set up and position the HHD equipment is important. Installation of HHD ma-chine at home requires a continuous supply of accessories. Before establishing a HHD program, commitment of the dialysis center to provide and maintain the infrastructure of the program is mandatory. The estimated patients suitable for HHD are less than 15% of all prospective dialysis patients. Generally, those who are have greatly improved quality of life and by using modalities such as nocturnal and daily dialysis can have improved physical well-being with considerable potential cost savings.

  16. Dependability of technical items: Problems of standardization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fedotova, G. A.; Voropai, N. I.; Kovalev, G. F.

    2016-12-01

    This paper is concerned with problems blown up in the development of a new version of the Interstate Standard GOST 27.002 "Industrial product dependability. Terms and definitions". This Standard covers a wide range of technical items and is used in numerous regulations, specifications, standard and technical documentation. A currently available State Standard GOST 27.002-89 was introduced in 1990. Its development involved a participation of scientists and experts from different technical areas, its draft was debated in different audiences and constantly refined, so it was a high quality document. However, after 25 years of its application it's become necessary to develop a new version of the Standard that would reflect the current understanding of industrial dependability, accounting for the changes taking place in Russia in the production, management and development of various technical systems and facilities. The development of a new version of the Standard makes it possible to generalize on a terminological level the knowledge and experience in the area of reliability of technical items, accumulated over a quarter of the century in different industries and reliability research schools, to account for domestic and foreign experience of standardization. Working on the new version of the Standard, we have faced a number of issues and problems on harmonization with the International Standard IEC 60500-192, caused first of all by different approaches to the use of terms and differences in the mentalities of experts from different countries. The paper focuses on the problems related to the chapter "Maintenance, restoration and repair", which caused difficulties for the developers to harmonize term definitions both with experts and the International Standard, which is mainly related to differences between the Russian concept and practice of maintenance and repair and foreign ones.

  17. Technical parameters for specifying imagery requirements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Coan, Paul P.; Dunnette, Sheri J.

    1994-01-01

    Providing visual information acquired from remote events to various operators, researchers, and practitioners has become progressively more important as the application of special skills in alien or hazardous situations increases. To provide an understanding of the technical parameters required to specify imagery, we have identified, defined, and discussed seven salient characteristics of images: spatial resolution, linearity, luminance resolution, spectral discrimination, temporal discrimination, edge definition, and signal-to-noise ratio. We then describe a generalizing imaging system and identified how various parts of the system affect the image data. To emphasize the different applications of imagery, we have constrasted the common television system with the significant parameters of a televisual imaging system for technical applications. Finally, we have established a method by which the required visual information can be specified by describing certain technical parameters which are directly related to the information content of the imagery. This method requires the user to complete a form listing all pertinent data requirements for the imagery.

  18. Performance of technical trading rules: evidence from Southeast Asian stock markets.

    PubMed

    Tharavanij, Piyapas; Siraprapasiri, Vasan; Rajchamaha, Kittichai

    2015-01-01

    This paper examines the profitability of technical trading rules in the five Southeast Asian stock markets. The data cover a period of 14 years from January 2000 to December 2013. The instruments investigated are five Southeast Asian stock market indices: SET index (Thailand), FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLC index (Malaysia), FTSE Straits Times index (Singapore), JSX Composite index (Indonesia), and PSE composite index (the Philippines). Trading strategies investigated include Relative Strength Index, Stochastic oscillator, Moving Average Convergence-Divergence, Directional Movement Indicator and On Balance Volume. Performances are compared to a simple Buy-and-Hold. Statistical tests are also performed. Our empirical results show a strong performance of technical trading rules in an emerging stock market of Thailand but not in a more mature stock market of Singapore. The technical trading rules also generate statistical significant returns in the Malaysian, Indonesian and the Philippine markets. However, after taking transaction costs into account, most technical trading rules do not generate net returns. This fact suggests different levels of market efficiency among Southeast Asian stock markets. This paper finds three new insights. Firstly, technical indicators does not help much in terms of market timing. Basically, traders cannot expect to buy at a relative low price and sell at a relative high price by just using technical trading rules. Secondly, technical trading rules can be beneficial to individual investors as they help them to counter the behavioral bias called disposition effects which is the tendency to sell winning stocks too soon and holding on to losing stocks too long. Thirdly, even profitable strategies could not reliably predict subsequent market directions. They make money from having a higher average profit from profitable trades than an average loss from unprofitable ones.

  19. RTO Technical Publications: A Quarterly Listing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2005-01-01

    This is a listing of recent unclassified RTO technical publications processed by the NASA Center for AeroSpace Information covering the period from July 1, 2005 to September 30, 2005; and available in the NASA Aeronautics and Space Database. Contents include: Aeroelastic Deformation: Adaptation of Wind Tunnel Measurement Concepts to Full-Scale Vehicle Flight Testing; Actively Controlling Buffet-Induced Excitations; Modelling and Simulation to Address NATO's New and Existing Military Requirements; Latency in Visionic Systems: Test Methods and Requirements; Personal Hearing Protection including Active Noise Reduction; Virtual Laboratory Enabling Collaborative Research in Applied Vehicle Technologies; A Method to Analyze Tail Buffet Loads of Aircraft; Particle Image Velocimetry Measurements to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Deck-Edge Columnar Vortex Generators on Aircraft Carriers; Introduction to Flight Test Engineering, Volume 14; Pathological Aspects and Associated Biodynamics in Aircraft Accident Investigation;

  20. 48 CFR 252.204-7012 - Safeguarding of unclassified controlled technical information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    .... Cyber incident means actions taken through the use of computer networks that result in an actual or... printed within an information system. Technical information means technical data or computer software, as..., catalog-item identifications, data sets, studies and analyses and related information, and computer...

  1. Is Judgement of Biotechnological Ethical Aspects Related to High School Students' Knowledge?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crne-Hladnik, Helena; Hladnik, Ales; Javornik, Branka; Kosmelj, Katarina; Peklaj, Cirila

    2012-01-01

    Quantitative and qualitative studies of various aspects of the perception of biotechnology were conducted among 469 Slovenian high school students of average age 17 years. Our research aimed to explore relationships among students' pre-knowledge of molecular and human genetics, and their attitudes to four specific biotechnological applications.…

  2. What Aspects of Personal Care Are Most Important to Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer?

    PubMed

    Foley, Kimberley A; Feldman-Stewart, Deb; Groome, Patti A; Brundage, Michael D; McArdle, Siobhan; Wallace, David; Peng, Yingwei; Mackillop, William J

    2016-02-01

    The overall quality of patient care is a function of the quality of both its technical and its nontechnical components. The purpose of this study was to identify the elements of nontechnical (personal) care that are most important to patients undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer. We reviewed the literature and interviewed patients and health professionals to identify elements of personal care pertinent to patients undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer. We identified 143 individual elements relating to 10 aspects of personal care. Patients undergoing radical radiation therapy for prostate cancer completed a self-administered questionnaire in which they rated the importance of each element. The overall importance of each element was measured by the percentage of respondents who rated it as "very important." The importance of each aspect of personal care was measured by the mean importance of its elements. One hundred eight patients completed the questionnaire. The percentage of patients who rated each element "very important" ranged from 7% to 95% (mean 61%). The mean importance rating of the elements of each aspect of care varied significantly: "perceived competence of caregivers," 80%; "empathy and respectfulness of caregivers," 67%; "adequacy of information sharing," 67%; "patient centeredness," 59%; "accessibility of caregivers," 57%; "continuity of care," 51%; "privacy," 51%; "convenience," 45%; "comprehensiveness of services," 44%; and "treatment environment," 30% (P<.0001). Neither age nor education was associated with importance ratings, but the patient's health status was associated with the rating of some elements of care. Many different elements of personal care are important to patients undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer, but the 3 aspects of care that most believe are most important are these: the perceived competence of their caregivers, the empathy and respectfulness of their caregivers, and the adequacy of

  3. Collider Aspects of Flavour Physics at High Q

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

    del Aguila, F.; Aguilar-Saavedra, J.A.; Allanach, B.C.

    2008-03-07

    This chapter of the report of the 'Flavour in the era of LHC' workshop discusses flavor related issues in the production and decays of heavy states at LHC, both from the experimental side and from the theoretical side. We review top quark physics and discuss flavor aspects of several extensions of the Standard Model, such as supersymmetry, little Higgs model or models with extra dimensions. This includes discovery aspects as well as measurement of several properties of these heavy states. We also present public available computational tools related to this topic.

  4. Psychology of computer use: XXIV. Computer-related stress among technical college students.

    PubMed

    Ballance, C T; Rogers, S U

    1991-10-01

    Hudiburg's Computer Technology Hassles Scale, along with a measure of global stress and a scale on attitudes toward computers, were administered to 186 students in a two-year technical college. Hudiburg's work with the hassles scale as a measure of "technostress" was affirmed. Moderate, but statistically significant, correlations among the three scales are reported. No relationship between the hassles scale and achievement as measured by GPA was detected.

  5. 22 CFR 124.3 - Exports of technical data in furtherance of an agreement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... approved in writing by the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) and the technical data does not... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Exports of technical data in furtherance of an... REGULATIONS AGREEMENTS, OFF-SHORE PROCUREMENT AND OTHER DEFENSE SERVICES § 124.3 Exports of technical data in...

  6. 45 CFR 164.312 - Technical safeguards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Technical safeguards. 164.312 Section 164.312 Public Welfare Department of Health and Human Services ADMINISTRATIVE DATA STANDARDS AND RELATED REQUIREMENTS SECURITY AND PRIVACY Security Standards for the Protection of Electronic Protected Health...

  7. 24 CFR 115.209 - Technical assistance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Technical assistance. 115.209 Section 115.209 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT FAIR...

  8. 24 CFR 115.209 - Technical assistance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Technical assistance. 115.209 Section 115.209 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT FAIR...

  9. 24 CFR 115.209 - Technical assistance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Technical assistance. 115.209 Section 115.209 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT FAIR...

  10. 24 CFR 115.209 - Technical assistance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Technical assistance. 115.209 Section 115.209 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT FAIR...

  11. Independent technical review, handbook

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

    Not Available

    Purpose Provide an independent engineering review of the major projects being funded by the Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management. The independent engineering review will address questions of whether the engineering practice is sufficiently developed to a point where a major project can be executed without significant technical problems. The independent review will focus on questions related to: (1) Adequacy of development of the technical base of understanding; (2) Status of development and availability of technology among the various alternatives; (3) Status and availability of the industrial infrastructure to support project design, equipment fabrication, facility construction,more » and process and program/project operation; (4) Adequacy of the design effort to provide a sound foundation to support execution of project; (5) Ability of the organization to fully integrate the system, and direct, manage, and control the execution of a complex major project.« less

  12. Perihilar Glissonian Approach for Anatomical Parenchymal Sparing Liver Resections: Technical Aspects: The Taping Game.

    PubMed

    Figueroa, Rodrigo; Laurenzi, Andrea; Laurent, Alexis; Cherqui, Daniel

    2018-03-01

    To present technical details for central hepatectomy and right anterior and posterior sectionectomies using perihilar Glissonian approach for anatomical delineation and selective inflow occlusion. Central tumors and those deeply located in the right liver may require extensive resections because of their proximity to major vascular structures. In such cases, anatomical more limited resections such as central hepatectomy or sectionectomies may provide an alternative to extensive surgery by assuring both parenchymal sparing and suitable oncologic resection. We present the global concept for performing a perihilar Glissonian approach and its application to each individual anatomical procedure. This includes detailed descriptions, illustrations, and videos demonstrating the technique. This technique was applied since 1991 for anatomical parenchymal resections including central hepatectomy (resection of segments 4, 5, and 8), right anterior sectionectomy (resection of segments 5 and 8), and right posterior sectionectomy (resection of segments 6 and 7). The feasibility rate of the Glissonian approach was 88%. Perihilar Glissonian approach is a safe and reproducible technique that enables anatomical parenchymal preserving liver resections for selected central and right-sided deeply located tumors.

  13. Legitimizing Technical Communication in English Departments: Carolyn Miller's "Humanistic Rationale for Technical Writing"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moore, Patrick

    2006-01-01

    Carolyn Miller's oft-cited "Humanistic Rationale for Technical Writing," published in 1979, tries to give technical communication faculty more cultural capital in English departments controlled by literature professors. Miller replaces a positivistic emphasis in technical communication pedagogy with rhetoric. She shows how technical knowledge is…

  14. Health Instruction Packages: Humanistic Nursing--Nurse/Patient Relations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carpenter, Wanda L.; And Others

    Text, illustrations, and exercises are utilized in this set of four learning modules to instruct nurses and nursing students in humanistic, non-technical aspects of patient care. The first module, "Introduction to Humanistic Nursing Practice Theory" by Wanda L. Carpenter, draws upon the theories of existentialism and phenomenology to…

  15. Index to Nuclear Safety. A technical progress review by chronology, permuted title, and author. Vol. 11, No. 1--Vol. 17, No. 6

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

    Cottrell, W.B.; Klein, A.

    1977-02-23

    This index to Nuclear Safety covers articles in Nuclear Safety Vol. 11, No. 1 (Jan.-Feb. 1970), through Vol. 17, No. 6 (Nov.-Dec. 1976). The index includes a chronological list of articles (including abstract) followed by KWIC and Author Indexes. Nuclear Safety, a bimonthly technical progress review prepared by the Nuclear Safety Information Center, covers all safety aspects of nuclear power reactors and associated facilities. The index lists over 350 technical articles in the last six years of publication.

  16. SeaWiFS Technical Report Series. Volume 43; SeaWiFS Prelaunch Technical Report Series Final Cumulative Index

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Firestone, Elaine R. (Editor); Hooker, Stanford B.

    1998-01-01

    The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) is the follow-on ocean color instrument to the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS), which ceased operations in 1986, after an eight-year mission. SeaWiFS was launched on 1 August 1997, on the SeaStar satellite, built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). The SeaWiFS Project at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), undertook the responsibility of documenting all aspects of this mission, which is critical to the ocean color and marine science communities. This documentation, entitled the SeaWiFS Technical Report Series, is in the form of NASA Technical Memorandum Number 104566 and 1998-104566. All reports published are volumes within the series. This particular volume, which is the last of the so-called Prelaunch Series serves as a reference, or guidebook, to the previous 42 volumes and consists of 6 sections including: an addenda, an errata, an index to key words and phrases, lists of acronyms and symbols used, and a list of all references cited. The editors have published a cumulative index of this type after every five volumes. Each index covers the reference topics published in all previous editions, that is, each new index includes all of the information contained in the preceding indexes with the exception of any addenda.

  17. A Review of the Evolution of Naval Data Automation and the Optical Media Mass Storage Alternatives Related to Naval Aviation Technical Documentation.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-09-01

    workstation (ADMS) and associated literature and laser printouts * Athol Fodon and Jim Tillinghast-- Palantir Corporation--for their analysis...TILL.CcI’:i1iCO technical ocumentaton. An \\obiective of :his research -,as toaave .:o:m . This author specillcaiY ’commi-issioned’ the Palantir Corporation...formats, letter size, illustrations, pictures, fold-out pages and relative familiarity with fleet users. The Palantir Corporation analyzed and compared

  18. Simulation and experimental study of aspect ratio limitation in Fresnel zone plates for hard-x-ray optics.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jianpeng; Shao, Jinhai; Zhang, Sichao; Ma, Yaqi; Taksatorn, Nit; Mao, Chengwen; Chen, Yifang; Deng, Biao; Xiao, Tiqiao

    2015-11-10

    For acquiring high-contrast and high-brightness images in hard-x-ray optics, Fresnel zone plates with high aspect ratios (zone height/zone width) have been constantly pursued. However, knowledge of aspect ratio limits remains limited. This work explores the achievable aspect ratio limit in polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) by electron-beam lithography (EBL) under 100 keV, and investigates the lithographic factors for this limitation. Both Monte Carlo simulation and EBL on thick PMMA are applied to investigate the profile evolution with exposure doses over 100 nm wide dense zones. A high-resolution scanning electron microscope at low acceleration mode for charging free is applied to characterize the resultant zone profiles. It was discovered for what we believe is the first time that the primary electron-beam spreading in PMMA and the proximity effect due to extra exposure from neighboring areas could be the major causes of limiting the aspect ratio. Using the optimized lithography condition, a 100 nm zone plate with aspect ratio of 15/1 was fabricated and its focusing property was characterized at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The aspect ratio limit found in this work should be extremely useful for guiding further technical development in nanofabrication of high-quality Fresnel zone plates.

  19. Ahuachapan geothermal project: a technical and economic assessment

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

    Bloomster, C.H.; DiPippo; Kuwada, J.T.

    Theeconomic and technical factors involved in using geothermal energy at Ahuachapan are examined. The experience at Ahuachapan is evaluated in relation to conditions prevailing in El Salvador and to conditions in the U.S. technical characteristics considered are: geological characteristics, well programs and gathering system, well productivity and geofluid characteristics, and energy conversion systems. Economic factors considered for El Salvador are: construction costs; environmental control costs; operating experience and costs; financing; taxes, subsidies, or incentives; marketing; and electrical system characteristics. (MHR)

  20. Accelerated Seismic Release and Related Aspects of Seismicity Patterns on Earthquake Faults

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ben-Zion, Y.; Lyakhovsky, V.

    2001-05-01

    Observational studies indicate that large earthquakes are sometimes preceded by phases of accelerated seismic release (ASR) characterized by cumulative Benioff strain following a power law time-to-failure relation with a term (tf - t)m, where tf is the failure time of the large event and observed values of m are close to 0.3. We discuss properties of ASR and related aspects of seismicity patterns associated with several theoretical frameworks, with a focus on models of heterogeneous faults in continuum solids. Using stress and earthquake histories simulated by the model of Ben-Zion (1996) for a discrete fault with quenched heterogeneities in a 3D elastic half space, we show that large model earthquakes are associated with non-repeating cyclical establishment and destruction of long-range stress correlations, accompanied by non-stationary cumulative Benioff strain release. We then analyze results associated with a regional lithospheric model consisting of a seismogenic upper crust governed by the damage rheology of Lyakhovsky et al. (1997) over a viscoelastic substrate. We demonstrate analytically for a simplified 1D case that the employed damage rheology leads to a singular power law equation for strain proportional to (tf - t)-1/3, and a non-singular power law relation for cumulative Benioff strain proportional to (tf - t)1/3. A simple approximate generalization of the latter for regional cumulative Benioff strain is obtained by adding to the result a linear function of time representing a stationary background release. To go beyond the analytical expectations, we examine results generated by various realizations of the regional lithospheric model producing seismicity following the characteristic frequency-size statistics, Gutenberg-Richter power law distribution, and mode switching activity. We find that phases of ASR exist only when the seismicity preceding a given large event has broad frequency-size statistics. In such cases the simulated ASR phases can be

  1. Technical Guidance from the International Safety Framework for Nuclear Power Source Applications in Outer Space for Design and Development Phases

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Summerer, Leopold

    2014-08-01

    In 2009, the International Safety Framework for Nuclear Power Source Applications in Outer Space [1] has been adopted, following a multi-year process that involved all major space faring nations in the frame of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The safety framework reflects an international consensus on best practices. After the older 1992 Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space, it is the second document at UN level dedicated entirely to space nuclear power sources.This paper analyses aspects of the safety framework relevant for the design and development phases of space nuclear power sources. While early publications have started analysing the legal aspects of the safety framework, its technical guidance has not yet been subject to scholarly articles. The present paper therefore focuses on the technical guidance provided in the safety framework, in an attempt to assist engineers and practitioners to benefit from these.

  2. Do technical skills correlate with non-technical skills in crisis resource management: a simulation study.

    PubMed

    Riem, N; Boet, S; Bould, M D; Tavares, W; Naik, V N

    2012-11-01

    Both technical skills (TS) and non-technical skills (NTS) are key to ensuring patient safety in acute care practice and effective crisis management. These skills are often taught and assessed separately. We hypothesized that TS and NTS are not independent of each other, and we aimed to evaluate the relationship between TS and NTS during a simulated intraoperative crisis scenario. This study was a retrospective analysis of performances from a previously published work. After institutional ethics approval, 50 anaesthesiology residents managed a simulated crisis scenario of an intraoperative cardiac arrest secondary to a malignant arrhythmia. We used a modified Delphi approach to design a TS checklist, specific for the management of a malignant arrhythmia requiring defibrillation. All scenarios were recorded. Each performance was analysed by four independent experts. For each performance, two experts independently rated the technical performance using the TS checklist, and two other experts independently rated NTS using the Anaesthetists' Non-Technical Skills score. TS and NTS were significantly correlated to each other (r=0.45, P<0.05). During a simulated 5 min resuscitation requiring crisis resource management, our results indicate that TS and NTS are related to one another. This research provides the basis for future studies evaluating the nature of this relationship, the influence of NTS training on the performance of TS, and to determine whether NTS are generic and transferrable between crises that require different TS.

  3. Basic Concepts and Definitions for Privacy and Confidentiality in Student Education Records. SLDS Technical Brief 1. NCES 2011-601

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Center for Education Statistics, 2010

    2010-01-01

    The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is launching a new series of Technical Briefs on various aspects of the protection of personally identifiable information in students' education records. While driven by recent events, the principles and practices that are outlined in this series can be applied more generally to personally…

  4. The Care of Our Hybrid Selves: Ethics in Times of Technical Mediation.

    PubMed

    Dorrestijn, Steven

    2017-01-01

    What can the art of living after Foucault contribute to ethics in relation to the mediation of human existence by technology? To develop the relation between technical mediation and ethics, firstly the theme of technical mediation is elaborated in line with Foucault's notion of ethical problematization. Every view of what technology does to us at the same time expresses an ethical concern about technology. The contemporary conception of technical mediation tends towards the acknowledgement of ongoing hybridization, not ultimately good or bad but ambivalent, which means for us the challenge of taking care of ourselves as hybrid beings. Secondly, the work of Foucault provides elements for imagining this care for our hybrid selves, notably his notions of freedom as a practice and of the care of the self. A conclusions about technical mediation and ethics is that whereas the approaches of the delegation of morality to technology by Latour and mediated morality by Verbeek see technical mediation of behavior and moral outlook as an answer in ethics, this should rather be considered the problem that ethics is about.

  5. Gender Aspects of Human Security

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moussa, Ghada

    2008-01-01

    The chapter deals with the gender dimensions in human security through focusing on the relationship between gender and human security, first manifested in international declarations and conventions, and subsequently evolving in world women conferences. It aims at analysing the various gender aspects in its relation to different human security…

  6. Legal Aspects of the Web.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Borrull, Alexandre Lopez; Oppenheim, Charles

    2004-01-01

    Presents a literature review that covers the following topics related to legal aspects of the Web: copyright; domain names and trademarks; linking, framing, caching, and spamdexing; patents; pornography and censorship on the Internet; defamation; liability; conflict of laws and jurisdiction; legal deposit; and spam, i.e., unsolicited mails.…

  7. 22 CFR 124.8 - Clauses required both in manufacturing license agreements and technical assistance agreements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... agreements and technical assistance agreements. 124.8 Section 124.8 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE... Clauses required both in manufacturing license agreements and technical assistance agreements. The following statements must be included both in manufacturing license agreements and in technical assistance...

  8. 1996 DOE technical standards program workshop: Proceedings

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

    NONE

    1996-07-01

    The workshop theme is `The Strategic Standardization Initiative - A Technology Exchange and Global Competitiveness Challenge for DOE.` The workshop goal is to inform the DOE technical standards community of strategic standardization activities taking place in the Department, other Government agencies, standards developing organizations, and industry. Individuals working on technical standards will be challenged to improve cooperation and communications with the involved organizations in response to the initiative. Workshop sessions include presentations by representatives from various Government agencies that focus on coordination among and participation of Government personnel in the voluntary standards process; reports by standards organizations, industry, and DOEmore » representatives on current technology exchange programs; and how the road ahead appears for `information superhighway` standardization. Another session highlights successful standardization case studies selected from several sites across the DOE complex. The workshop concludes with a panel discussion on the goals and objectives of the DOE Technical Standards Program as envisioned by senior DOE management. The annual workshop on technical standards has proven to be an effective medium for communicating information related to standards throughout the DOE community. Technical standards are used to transfer technology and standardize work processes to produce consistent, acceptable results. They provide a practical solution to the Department`s challenge to protect the environment and the health and safety of the public and workers during all facility operations. Through standards, the technologies of industries and governments worldwide are available to DOE. The DOE Technical Standards Program, a Department-wide effort that crosscuts all organizations and disciplines, links the Department to those technologies.« less

  9. Nevada Applied Ecology Information Center: a review of technical information support provided to the Nevada Applied Ecology Group

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

    Fore, C.S.; Pfuderer, H.A.

    The Nevada Applied Ecology Information Center (NAEIC) was established in January 1972 to serve the needs of the Nevada Applied Ecology Group (NAEG) by identifying, collecting, analyzing, and disseminating technical information relevant to NAEG programs. Since its inception, the NAEIC has been active in providing specialized information support to NAEG staff in the following research areas: (1) environmental aspects of the transuranics; (2) historic literature (pre-1962) on plutonium and uranium; (3) cleanup and treatment of radioactively contaminated land; (4) bioenvironmental aspects of europium and rhodium; (5) NAEG contractor reports; and (6) uptake of radioactivity by food crops.

  10. Sterile products: advances and challenges in formulation, manufacturing and regulatory aspects--a regulatory review perspective.

    PubMed

    Hussong, David

    2010-09-01

    For several decades, the FDA has undertaken many initiatives to improve the quality and safety of sterile drug products. In recent years, efforts have also been undertaken to accelerate the rate for application approval by adding earlier involvement of microbiology reviewers in drug development. Product and manufacturing process development, as well as safe use and product design, are among the elements of enhanced technical involvement. An overview of the product quality microbiology aspects for sterile drugs is provided.

  11. Automated Synthesis of 68Ga-DOTA-TOC: Methodological Aspects and Suitable Technical Solutions for a Cationic Purification System.

    PubMed

    Uccelli, Licia; Boschi, Alessandra; Cittanti, Corrado; Martini, Petra; Lodi, Luca; Zappaterra, Elisa; Romani, Simona; Zaccaria, Samanta; Cecconi, Davide; Rambaldi, Ilaria; Santi, Ivan; Panareo, Stefano; Giganti, Melchiore; Bartolomei, Mirco

    2018-05-08

    The PET Gallium-68 isotope has the advantage of being produced from a generator, so it is also available in nuclear medicine departments without a cyclotron. The preparation of Ga-68 DOTA-labelled compounds is actually performed by remotely controlled automated systems developed in order to assure production efficiency, reproducibility of the results, guarantee fast reaction time, to facilitate the synthesis and minimize the radiation exposure. Many automatic synthesis systems are available on the radiopharmaceutical market, and each of these requires the realization of some technical adaptations for routine use. We reported the Ga-68 DOTATOC production by automated cassette-based theranostic synthesizer system used in combination with a disposable GMP grade cassette system for cationic purification. The synthesizer is integrated with the 68Ge/68Ga generator systems and it allows to perform elution, eluate purification and radiolabeling in about 38 minutes. We have performed between January 2016 and January 2017 over 100 [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-TOC preparation and of these only three have failed. The average synthesis yield of radiopharmaceutical production was 54.4 ± 2.3 % and the average radiochemical purity was 96.94 ± 0.74 %. The methodology and the technical solutions adopted have allowed to obtain a high quality radiopharmaceutical product as required by the European Pharmacopoeia. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  12. 76 FR 3612 - Materials Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-20

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Bureau of Industry and Security Materials Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting The Materials Technical Advisory Committee will meet on February 10... materials and related technology. Agenda Open Session 1. Opening Remarks and Introduction. 2. Remarks from...

  13. 75 FR 22553 - Materials Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Bureau of Industry and Security Materials Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting The Materials Technical Advisory Committee will meet on May 13, 2010... applicable to materials and related technology. Agenda Open Session 1. Opening Remarks and Introduction. 2...

  14. 75 FR 67347 - Materials Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-02

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Bureau of Industry and Security Materials Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting The Materials Technical Advisory Committee will meet on November 12... materials and related technology. Agenda Open Session 1. Opening remarks by the Chairman and Introduction. 2...

  15. 77 FR 25960 - Materials Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-02

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Bureau of Industry and Security Materials Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting The Materials Technical Advisory Committee will meet on May 17, 2012... materials and related technology. Agenda Open Session 1. Opening remarks and introductions. 2. Remarks from...

  16. 75 FR 44227 - Materials Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Bureau of Industry and Security Materials Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting The Materials Technical Advisory Committee will meet on August 12... applicable to materials and related technology. Agenda Open Session 1. Opening Remarks and Introduction. 2...

  17. 77 FR 3440 - Materials Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-24

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Bureau of Industry and Security Materials Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting The Materials Technical Advisory Committee will meet on February 9... materials and related technology. Agenda Open Session: 1. Opening Remarks and Introductions. 2. Remarks from...

  18. Technical, economic and legal aspects of wind energy utilization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Obermair, G. M.; Jarass, L.

    Potentially problematical areas of the implementation of wind turbines for electricity production in West Germany are identified and briefly discussed. Variations in wind generator output due to source variability may cause power regulation difficulties in the grid and also raise uncertainties in utility capacity planning for new construction. Catastrophic machine component failures, such as a thrown blade, are hazardous to life and property, while lulls in the resource can cause power regulation capabilities only when grid penetration has reached significant levels. Economically, the lack of actual data from large scale wind projects is cited as a barrier to accurate cost comparisons of wind-derived power relative to other generating sources, although breakeven costs for wind power have been found to be $2000/kW installed capacity, i.e., a marginal cost of $0.10/kW.

  19. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 26: The technical communication practices of aerospace engineering students: Results of the phase 3 AIAA National Student Survey

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pinelli, Thomas E.; Hecht, Laura M.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

    1994-01-01

    This report describes similarities and differences between undergraduate and graduate engineering students in the context of two general aspects of the educational experience. First, we explore the extent to which students differ regarding the factors that lead to the choice of becoming an engineer, current satisfaction with that choice, and career-related goals and objectives. Second, we look at the technical communication practices, habits, and training of aerospace engineering students. The reported data were obtained from a survey of student members of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The survey was undertaken as a phase 3 activity of the NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Data are reported for the following categories: student demographics; skill importance, skill training, and skill helpfulness; collaborative writing; computer and information technology use and importance; use of electronic networks; use and importance of libraries and library services; use and importance of information sources and products; use of foreign language technical reports; and foreign language (reading and speaking) skills.

  20. Index to Nuclear Safety: a technical progress review by chronology, permuted title, and author, Volume 18 (1) through Volume 22 (6)

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

    Cottrell, W.B.; Passiakos, M.

    This index to Nuclear Safety covers articles published in Nuclear Safety, Volume 18, Number 1 (January-February 1977) through Volume 22, Number 6 (November-December 1981). The index is divided into three section: a chronological list of articles (including abstracts), a permuted-title (KWIC) index, and an author index. Nuclear Safety, a bimonthly technical progress review prepared by the Nuclear Safety Information Center, covers all safety aspects of nuclear power reactors and associated facilities. Over 300 technical articles published in Nuclear Safety in the last 5 years are listed in this index.