Tennis: Applied Examples of a Game-Based Teaching Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crespo, Miguel; Reid, Machar M.; Miley, Dave

2004-01-01

In this article, the authors reveal that tennis has been increasingly taught with a tactical model or game-based approach, which emphasizes learning through practice in match-like drills and actual play, rather than in practicing strokes for exact technical execution. Its goal is to facilitate the player's understanding of the tactical, physical…

Image Understanding Research

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-10-19

knowledge -based symbolic reasoning, it nonetheless remains de- pendent on the lower levels of iconic processing for its raw information . Both sorts of...priori knowledge of where any particular line might go, and therefore no information regarding the extent of memory access required for the local...IC FILE COPY ,. c 4/t/7 ISG Report 104 IMAGE UNDERSTANDING RESEARCH Final Technical Report Covering Research Activity During the Period October 1

Teaching Technical Writing: Focusing on Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santelmann, Patricia Kelly

In preparing students for business writing, a technical writing class should foster (1) a sensitivity to audience and an understanding of the business or technical organizational audience, (2) analytical problem solving that precedes any but the simplest writing task, (3) understanding of the patterns of organization that make information clear to…

Development of Control Teaching Material for Mechatronics Education Based on Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tasaki, Takao; Watanabe, Shinichi; Shikanai, Yoshihito; Ozaki, Koichi

In this paper, we have developed a teaching material for technical high school students to understand the control technique. The material makes the students understanding the control technique through the sensibility obtained from the experience of riding the robot. We have considered the correspondence of the teaching material with the ARCS Model. Therefore, the material aims to improve the interest and the willingness to learn mechatronics and control technique by experiencing the difference of the response by the change in the control parameters. As the results of the questionnaire to the technical high school students in the class, we have verified educative effect of the teaching material which can be improved willingness of learning and interesting for mechatronics and control technique.

Tools for the Microbiome: Nano and Beyond.

PubMed

Biteen, Julie S; Blainey, Paul C; Cardon, Zoe G; Chun, Miyoung; Church, George M; Dorrestein, Pieter C; Fraser, Scott E; Gilbert, Jack A; Jansson, Janet K; Knight, Rob; Miller, Jeff F; Ozcan, Aydogan; Prather, Kimberly A; Quake, Stephen R; Ruby, Edward G; Silver, Pamela A; Taha, Sharif; van den Engh, Ger; Weiss, Paul S; Wong, Gerard C L; Wright, Aaron T; Young, Thomas D

2016-01-26

The microbiome presents great opportunities for understanding and improving the world around us and elucidating the interactions that compose it. The microbiome also poses tremendous challenges for mapping and manipulating the entangled networks of interactions among myriad diverse organisms. Here, we describe the opportunities, technical needs, and potential approaches to address these challenges, based on recent and upcoming advances in measurement and control at the nanoscale and beyond. These technical needs will provide the basis for advancing the largely descriptive studies of the microbiome to the theoretical and mechanistic understandings that will underpin the discipline of microbiome engineering. We anticipate that the new tools and methods developed will also be more broadly useful in environmental monitoring, medicine, forensics, and other areas.

The Effect of Functional Flow Diagrams on Apprentice Aircraft Mechanics' Technical System Understanding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Scott D.; Satchwell, Richard E.

1993-01-01

Describes an experimental study that tested the impact of a conceptual illustration on college students' understanding of the structure, function, and behavior of complex technical systems. The use of functional flow diagrams in aircraft mechanics' training is explained, a concept map analysis is discussed, and implications for technical training…

Socio-Technical Dimensions of an Outdoor Mobile Learning Environment: A Three-Phase Design-Based Research Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Land, Susan M.; Zimmerman, Heather Toomey

2015-01-01

This design-based research project examines three iterations of Tree Investigators, a learning environment designed to support science learning outdoors at an arboretum and nature center using mobile devices (iPads). Researchers coded videorecords and artifacts created by children and parents (n = 53) to understand how both social and…

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 skills, or do not have a very broad knowledge base. The language fluency of every contributor makes this book a pleasure to read, and this particular volume of Baywood's Technical Communications Series is very well edited. The subject index covers almost 8 two-column pages.

Examining the Highs and Lows of the Collaborative Relationship Between Technical Assistance Providers and Prevention Implementers.

PubMed

Chilenski, Sarah M; Welsh, Janet; Olson, Jonathan; Hoffman, Lesa; Perkins, Daniel F; Feinberg, Mark E

2018-02-01

The PROSPER model uses a three-tiered community partnership, university researcher, and Cooperative Extension-based technical assistance system to support the delivery of evidence-based interventions in communities. This study examines the trajectory and predictors of the collaborative relationship between technical assistance providers and community teams across the three phases of organization, implementation, and sustainability. Members of 14 PROmoting School-university-community Partnerships to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER) community teams and directors of local agencies rated communities' levels of readiness and adolescent substance use norms. Technical assistance providers rated their collaborative relationship with their teams at 14 occasions across 4.5 years. Results from mixed models show that levels of collaboration were stable until the sustainability phase, when they increased significantly. Team differences in change were significant during the implementation phase. Community readiness predicted levels of the collaborative relationship over time: high community readiness was associated with a high level of collaboration during organization, but a decline in collaboration during implementation. These results provide a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between technical assistance provision and community prevention teams and lead to recommendations to improve dissemination models to achieve a greater public health impact.

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

Not Available

This manual is a guide to use the file protection mechanisms available on the Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. Scientific and Technical Computing (STC) System VAXes. User identification codes (UICs) and general identifiers are discussed as a basis for understanding UIC-based and access control list (ACL) protection. 5 figs.

Introduction to Sonar, Revision.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-01-01

challenge, U.S. Navy ships and The most sensible approach to your studies is to submarines continually conduct exercises in first understand the general... improving communication is understanding. To lead, its living standards. The food is better and even supervise, and train other men, you must be able...is realized- when leadership communication is precision in the use of techniques are based upon the following list of technical terms. A command of

Criteria and Planning Guidance for Ex-Plant Harvesting to Support Subsequent License Renewal

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

Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Devanathan, Ram; Meyer, Ryan M.

As U.S. nuclear power plants look to subsequent license renewal (SLR) to operate for a 20-year period beyond 60 years, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the industry will be addressing technical issues around the capability of long-lived passive components to meet their functionality objectives. A key challenge will be to better understand likely materials degradation mechanisms in these components and their impacts on component functionality and margins to safety. Research addressing many of the remaining technical gaps in these areas for SLR may greatly benefit from materials sampled from plants (decommissioned or operating). Because of the cost and inefficiencymore » of piecemeal sampling, there is a need for a strategic and systematic approach to sampling materials from structures, systems, and components (SSC) in both operating and decommissioned plants. This document describes a potential approach for sampling (harvesting) materials that focuses on prioritizing materials for sampling using a number of criteria. These criteria are based on an evaluation of technical gaps identified in the literature, research needs to address these technical gaps, and lessons learned from previous harvesting campaigns. The document also describes a process for planning future harvesting campaigns; such a plan would include an understanding of the harvesting priorities, available materials, and the planned use of the materials to address the technical gaps.« less

Tools for the microbiome. Nano and beyond

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

Biteen, Julie S.; Blainey, Paul C.; Cardon, Zoe G.

Here, the microbiome presents great opportunities for understanding and improving the world around us and elucidating the interactions that compose it. The microbiome also poses tremendous challenges for mapping and manipulating the entangled networks of interactions among myriad diverse organisms. Here, we describe the opportunities, technical needs, and potential approaches to address these challenges, based on recent and upcoming advances in measurement and control at the nanoscale and beyond. Moreover, these technical needs will provide the basis for advancing the largely descriptive studies of the microbiome to the theoretical and mechanistic understandings that will underpin the discipline of microbiome engineering.more » We anticipate that the new tools and methods developed will also be more broadly useful in environmental monitoring, medicine, forensics, and other areas.« less

An intelligent tutoring system for space shuttle diagnosis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, William B.; Norton, Jeffrey E.; Duncan, Phillip C.

1988-01-01

An Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) transcends conventional computer-based instruction. An ITS is capable of monitoring and understanding student performance thereby providing feedback, explanation, and remediation. This is accomplished by including models of the student, the instructor, and the expert technician or operator in the domain of interest. The space shuttle fuel cell is the technical domain for the project described below. One system, Microcomputer Intelligence for Technical Training (MITT), demonstrates that ITS's can be developed and delivered, with a reasonable amount of effort and in a short period of time, on a microcomputer. The MITT system capitalizes on the diagnostic training approach called Framework for Aiding the Understanding of Logical Troubleshooting (FAULT) (Johnson, 1987). The system's embedded procedural expert was developed with NASA's C-Language Integrated Production (CLIP) expert system shell (Cubert, 1987).

Tools for the microbiome. Nano and beyond

DOE PAGES

Biteen, Julie S.; Blainey, Paul C.; Cardon, Zoe G.; ...

2015-12-22

Here, the microbiome presents great opportunities for understanding and improving the world around us and elucidating the interactions that compose it. The microbiome also poses tremendous challenges for mapping and manipulating the entangled networks of interactions among myriad diverse organisms. Here, we describe the opportunities, technical needs, and potential approaches to address these challenges, based on recent and upcoming advances in measurement and control at the nanoscale and beyond. Moreover, these technical needs will provide the basis for advancing the largely descriptive studies of the microbiome to the theoretical and mechanistic understandings that will underpin the discipline of microbiome engineering.more » We anticipate that the new tools and methods developed will also be more broadly useful in environmental monitoring, medicine, forensics, and other areas.« less

Automatic Line Network Extraction from Aerial Imagery of Urban Areas through Knowledge Based Image Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-08-01

Automatic Line Network Extraction from Aerial Imangery of Urban Areas Sthrough KnowledghBased Image Analysis N 04 Final Technical ReportI December...Automatic Line Network Extraction from Aerial Imagery of Urban Areas through Knowledge Based Image Analysis Accesion For NTIS CRA&I DTIC TAB 0...paittern re’ognlition. blac’kboardl oriented symbollic processing, knowledge based image analysis , image understanding, aer’ial imsagery, urban area, 17

Schwannomas of the foot and ankle: a technical report.

PubMed

Kellner, Christopher P; Sussman, Eric; Bar-David, Tzvi; Winfree, Christopher J

2014-01-01

The present technical report provides a detailed description of open surgical resection of peripheral nerve sheath tumors in the foot and ankle. We present 3 cases to illustrate important differences in the technique based on the presentation, anatomic location, and intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring findings. It is important for surgeons to understand that surgical excision of many peripheral nerve sheath tumors can be undertaken without en bloc resection of the entire nerve trunk. Copyright © 2014 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Extending the psycho-historical framework to understand artistic production.

PubMed

Kozbelt, Aaron; Ostrofsky, Justin

2013-04-01

We discuss how the psycho-historical framework can be profitably applied to artistic production, facilitating a synthesis of perception-based and knowledge-based perspectives on realistic observational drawing. We note that artists' technical knowledge itself constitutes a major component of an artwork's historical context, and that links between artistic practice and psychological theory may yet yield conclusions in line with universalist perspectives.

Technical Writing Teachers and the Challenges of Desktop Publishing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalmbach, James

1988-01-01

Argues that technical writing teachers must understand desktop publishing. Discusses the strengths that technical writing teachers bring to desktop publishing, and the impact desktop publishing will have on technical writing courses and programs. (ARH)

Facilitating Understanding of Movements in Dynamic Visualizations: An Embodied Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Koning, Bjorn B.; Tabbers, Huib K.

2011-01-01

Learners studying mechanical or technical processes via dynamic visualizations often fail to build an accurate mental representation of the system's movements. Based on embodied theories of cognition assuming that action, perception, and cognition are closely intertwined, this paper proposes that the learning effectiveness of dynamic…

NASA Earned Value Management (EVM) Update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerby, Jerald

2013-01-01

Earned Value Management (EVM) is an integrated management control system for assessing, understanding and qualifying what a project is achieving with the resoures. EVM integrates technical cost and schedules with risk management. It allows objective assessment and quantification of current project performance, and helps predict future performance-based trents.

A Socio-Environmental Case for Skill in Outdoor Adventure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mullins, Philip M.

2014-01-01

In response to the crisis of sustainability, this paper revisits understandings of human--environment relations established through skill-based outdoor activities that are used commonly among adventure recreation, education, and tourism. Reconsidering a predominant focus on risk and a persistent tension between technical and environmental…

Teaching Sustainable Design Using BIM and Project-Based Energy Simulations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shen, Zhigang; Jensen, Wayne; Wentz, Timothy; Fischer, Bruce

2012-01-01

The cross-disciplinary nature of energy-efficient building design has created many challenges for architecture, engineering and construction instructors. One of the technical challenges in teaching sustainable building design is enabling students to quantitatively understand how different building designs affect a building's energy performance.…

Rule-Based Relaxation of Reference Identification Failures. Technical Report No. 396.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, Bradley A.

In a step toward creating a robust natural language understanding system which detects and avoids miscommunication, this artificial intelligence research report provides a taxonomy of miscommunication problems that arise in expert-apprentice dialogues (including misunderstandings, wrong communication, and bad analogies), and proposes a flexible…

The Natural Hospital Environment: a Socio-Technical-Material perspective.

PubMed

Fernando, Juanita; Dawson, Linda

2014-02-01

This paper introduces two concepts into analyses of information security and hospital-based information systems-- a Socio-Technical-Material theoretical framework and the Natural Hospital Environment. The research is grounded in a review of pertinent literature with previously published Australian (Victoria) case study data to analyse the way clinicians work with privacy and security in their work. The analysis was sorted into thematic categories, providing the basis for the Natural Hospital Environment and Socio-Technical-Material framework theories discussed here. Natural Hospital Environments feature inadequate yet pervasive computer use, aural privacy shortcomings, shared workspace, meagre budgets, complex regulation that hinders training outcomes and out-dated infrastructure and are highly interruptive. Working collaboratively in many cases, participants found ways to avoid or misuse security tools, such as passwords or screensavers for patient care. Workgroup infrastructure was old, architecturally limited, haphazard in some instances, and was less useful than paper handover sheets to ensure the quality of patient care outcomes. Despite valiant efforts by some participants, they were unable to control factors influencing the privacy of patient health information in public hospital settings. Future improvements to hospital-based organisational frameworks for e-health can only be made when there is an improved understanding of the Socio-Technical-Material theoretical framework and Natural Hospital Environment contexts. Aspects within control of clinicians and administrators can be addressed directly although some others are beyond their control. An understanding and acknowledgement of these issues will benefit the management and planning of improved and secure hospital settings. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Problems and Issues in New Media Education in Hong Kong.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fung, Anthony Y. H.

2000-01-01

Claims the "dot com" trend has pushed new media education to go more technical. Suggests that new media education (including the Internet, e-commerce, multimedia production, and other computer-related communication) refocus on the communicative dimension and new media management. Argues that only based on this understanding can…

Pre-University Tuition in Science and Technology Can Influence Executive Functions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Méndez, Marta; Arias, Natalia; Menéndez, José R.; Villar, José R.; Neira, Ángel; Romano, Pedro V.; Núñez, José Carlos; Arias, Jorge L.

2014-01-01

Introduction: Scientific and technological areas include tuition based on highly visuo-spatial specialization and problem solving. Spatial skills and problem solving are embedded in a curriculum that promotes understanding of Science and technical subjects. These abilities are related to the development of executive functions (EFs). We aim to…

The Process of Designing for Learning: Understanding University Teachers' Design Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Sue; Agostinho, Shirley; Lockyer, Lori

2017-01-01

Interest in how to support the design work of university teachers has led to research and development initiatives that include technology-based design-support tools, online repositories, and technical specifications. Despite these initiatives, remarkably little is known about the design work that university teachers actually do. This paper…

Using Functional Flow Diagrams to Enhance Technical Systems Understanding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Satchwell, Richard E.

1997-01-01

A treatment group of 20 aviation students used training manuals that presented functional flow diagrams before schematic diagrams. Comparison of data from 10 controls on a card-sort task showed that functional flow diagrams enhanced understanding of technical systems. (SK)

On the design of computer-based models for integrated environmental science.

PubMed

McIntosh, Brian S; Jeffrey, Paul; Lemon, Mark; Winder, Nick

2005-06-01

The current research agenda in environmental science is dominated by calls to integrate science and policy to better understand and manage links between social (human) and natural (nonhuman) processes. Freshwater resource management is one area where such calls can be heard. Designing computer-based models for integrated environmental science poses special challenges to the research community. At present it is not clear whether such tools, or their outputs, receive much practical policy or planning application. It is argued that this is a result of (1) a lack of appreciation within the research modeling community of the characteristics of different decision-making processes including policy, planning, and (2) participation, (3) a lack of appreciation of the characteristics of different decision-making contexts, (4) the technical difficulties in implementing the necessary support tool functionality, and (5) the socio-technical demands of designing tools to be of practical use. This article presents a critical synthesis of ideas from each of these areas and interprets them in terms of design requirements for computer-based models being developed to provide scientific information support for policy and planning. Illustrative examples are given from the field of freshwater resources management. Although computer-based diagramming and modeling tools can facilitate processes of dialogue, they lack adequate simulation capabilities. Component-based models and modeling frameworks provide such functionality and may be suited to supporting problematic or messy decision contexts. However, significant technical (implementation) and socio-technical (use) challenges need to be addressed before such ambition can be realized.

Evaluating variation in human gut microbiota profiles due to DNA extraction method and inter-subject differences.

PubMed

Wagner Mackenzie, Brett; Waite, David W; Taylor, Michael W

2015-01-01

The human gut contains dense and diverse microbial communities which have profound influences on human health. Gaining meaningful insights into these communities requires provision of high quality microbial nucleic acids from human fecal samples, as well as an understanding of the sources of variation and their impacts on the experimental model. We present here a systematic analysis of commonly used microbial DNA extraction methods, and identify significant sources of variation. Five extraction methods (Human Microbiome Project protocol, MoBio PowerSoil DNA Isolation Kit, QIAamp DNA Stool Mini Kit, ZR Fecal DNA MiniPrep, phenol:chloroform-based DNA isolation) were evaluated based on the following criteria: DNA yield, quality and integrity, and microbial community structure based on Illumina amplicon sequencing of the V4 region of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes. Our results indicate that the largest portion of variation within the model was attributed to differences between subjects (biological variation), with a smaller proportion of variation associated with DNA extraction method (technical variation) and intra-subject variation. A comprehensive understanding of the potential impact of technical variation on the human gut microbiota will help limit preventable bias, enabling more accurate diversity estimates.

Web-based software tool for constraint-based design specification of synthetic biological systems.

PubMed

Oberortner, Ernst; Densmore, Douglas

2015-06-19

miniEugene provides computational support for solving combinatorial design problems, enabling users to specify and enumerate designs for novel biological systems based on sets of biological constraints. This technical note presents a brief tutorial for biologists and software engineers in the field of synthetic biology on how to use miniEugene. After reading this technical note, users should know which biological constraints are available in miniEugene, understand the syntax and semantics of these constraints, and be able to follow a step-by-step guide to specify the design of a classical synthetic biological system-the genetic toggle switch.1 We also provide links and references to more information on the miniEugene web application and the integration of the miniEugene software library into sophisticated Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools for synthetic biology ( www.eugenecad.org ).

Teachers as Agents in Botswana's Music Education: Challenges and Possibilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chadwick, Sheelagh

2012-01-01

The research aimed broadly to understand how Botswana's written government curricula for music are interpreted by music teachers as well as teachers' ideals for music teaching, and to what extent they thought it was possible to achieve those ideals. Grundy's writing on curriculum based on Habermas' technical, practical and emancipatory interests…

Student-Centered Practice in the 21st Century Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Decker, Amber

2013-01-01

This article reflects how the student development theories of William Perry and Robert Kegan are useful in understanding the student behaviors in community and technical colleges. Leaders of these organizations must incorporate theory-based practices in order to promote a student-centered culture. Examples are given as illustrations of how…

Technical Assistance Needs Assessments (TANAs)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Technical Assistance Needs Assessment (TANA) is a process to identify whether a community requires additional support from EPA in order to understand technical information and have meaningful participation in the Superfund decision-making process.

Substance abuse treatment organizations as mediators of social policy: slowing the adoption of a congressionally approved medication.

PubMed

Wallack, Stanley S; Thomas, Cindy Parks; Martin, Timothy C; Chilingerian, Jon; Reif, Sharon

2010-01-01

Most substance abuse treatment occurs in outpatient treatment centers, necessitating an understanding of what motivates organizations to adopt new treatment modalities. Tichy's framework of organizations as being comprised of three intertwined internal systems (technical, cultural, and political) was used to explain treatment organizations' slow adoption of buprenorphine, a new medication for opiate dependence. Primary data were collected from substance abuse treatment organizations in four of the ten metropolitan areas with the largest number of heroin users. Only about one fifth offered buprenorphine. All three internal systems were important determinants of buprenorphine adoption in our multivariate model. However, the cultural system, measured by attitude toward medications, was a necessary condition for adoption. Health policies designed to encourage adoption of evidence-based performance measures typically focus on the technical system of organizations. These findings suggest that such policies would be more effective if they incorporate an understanding of all three internal systems.

A Framework for Understanding and Generating Integrated Solutions for Residential Peak Energy Demand

PubMed Central

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

2015-01-01

Supplying peak energy demand in a cost effective, reliable manner is a critical focus for utilities internationally. Successfully addressing peak energy concerns requires understanding of all the factors that affect electricity demand especially at peak times. This paper is based on past attempts of proposing models designed to aid our understanding of the influences on residential peak energy demand in a systematic and comprehensive way. Our model has been developed through a group model building process as a systems framework of the problem situation to model the complexity within and between systems and indicate how changes in one element might flow on to others. It is comprised of themes (social, technical and change management options) networked together in a way that captures their influence and association with each other and also their influence, association and impact on appliance usage and residential peak energy demand. The real value of the model is in creating awareness, understanding and insight into the complexity of residential peak energy demand and in working with this complexity to identify and integrate the social, technical and change management option themes and their impact on appliance usage and residential energy demand at peak times. PMID:25807384

A framework for understanding and generating integrated solutions for residential peak energy demand.

PubMed

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

2015-01-01

Supplying peak energy demand in a cost effective, reliable manner is a critical focus for utilities internationally. Successfully addressing peak energy concerns requires understanding of all the factors that affect electricity demand especially at peak times. This paper is based on past attempts of proposing models designed to aid our understanding of the influences on residential peak energy demand in a systematic and comprehensive way. Our model has been developed through a group model building process as a systems framework of the problem situation to model the complexity within and between systems and indicate how changes in one element might flow on to others. It is comprised of themes (social, technical and change management options) networked together in a way that captures their influence and association with each other and also their influence, association and impact on appliance usage and residential peak energy demand. The real value of the model is in creating awareness, understanding and insight into the complexity of residential peak energy demand and in working with this complexity to identify and integrate the social, technical and change management option themes and their impact on appliance usage and residential energy demand at peak times.

Sustainable Biofuels A Transitions Approach to Understanding the Global Expansion of Ethanol and Biodiesel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cottes, Jeffrey Jacob

Between 1998 and 2008, the promise of biofuels to increase rural development, enhance energy security, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions stimulated their diffusion across international markets. This rapid expansion of ethanol and biodiesel encouraged many jurisdictions to implement biofuels expansion policies and programs. Global biofuels, characterised by mass production and international trade of ethanol and biodiesel, occurred despite their long history as marginal technologies on the fringe of the petroleum-based transportation energy regime. The first purpose of this dissertation is to examine the global expansion of ethanol and biodiesel to understand how these recurrent socio-technological failures co-evolved with petroleum transportation fuels. Drawing from the field of socio-technical transitions, this dissertation also assesses the global expansion of ethanol and biodiesel to determine whether or not these first generation biofuels are sustainable. Numerous studies have assessed the technical effects of ethanol and biodiesel, but effects-based technical assessments of transport biofuels are unable to explain the interaction of wider system elements. The configuration of multi-level factors (i.e., niche development, the technological regime, and the socio-technical landscape) informs the present and emerging social functions of biofuels, which become relevant when determining how biofuels might become a sustainable energy option. The biofuels regimes that evolved in Brazil, the United States, and the European Union provide case studies show how ethanol and biodiesel expanded from fringe fuels to global commodities. The production infrastructures within these dominant biofuels regimes contribute to a persistence of unsustainable first generation biofuels that can inhibit the technical development and sustainability of biofuels. However, new and emerging ethanol and biodiesel markets are relatively small in comparison to the dominant regimes, and can readily adapt to technical and regulatory change. This dissertation argues that dominant biofuels regimes have not produced a sustainable energy option. It explores the Canadian case to evaluate the opportunities for niche development, and suggests that small markets can develop niche innovations by regulating the insertion of sustainability criteria in order to de-align the dominant trajectory of global biofuels production regimes and encourage their re-alignment in a more sustainable configuration.

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 reserved.

Molecular assays in detecting EGFR gene aberrations: an updated HER2-dependent algorithm for interpreting gene signals; a short technical report.

PubMed

Tsiambas, Evangelos; Ragos, Vasileios; Lefas, Alicia Y; Georgiannos, Stavros N; Rigopoulos, Dimitrios N; Georgakopoulos, Georgios; Stamatelopoulos, Athanasios; Grapsa, Dimitra; Syrigos, Konstantinos

2016-01-01

Purpose: Among oncogenes that have already been identified and cloned, Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) remains one of the most significant. Understanding its deregulation mechanisms improves critically patients' selection for personalized therapies based on modern molecular biology and oncology guidelines. Anti-EGFR targeted therapeutic strategies have been developed based on specific genetic profiles and applied in subgroups of patients suffering by solid cancers of different histogenetic origin. Detection of specific EGFR somatic mutations leads to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) application in subsets of them. Concerning EGFR gene numerical imbalances, identification of pure gene amplification is critical for targeting the molecule via monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). In the current technical paper we demonstrate the main molecular methods applied in EGFR analyses focused also on new data in interpreting numerical imbalances based on ASCO/ACAP guidelines for HER2 in situ hybridization (ISH) clarifications.

Definition of common support equipment and space station interface requirements for IOC model technology experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, Richard A.; Waiss, Richard D.

1988-01-01

A study was conducted to identify the common support equipment and Space Station interface requirements for the IOC (initial operating capabilities) model technology experiments. In particular, each principal investigator for the proposed model technology experiment was contacted and visited for technical understanding and support for the generation of the detailed technical backup data required for completion of this study. Based on the data generated, a strong case can be made for a dedicated technology experiment command and control work station consisting of a command keyboard, cathode ray tube, data processing and storage, and an alert/annunciator panel located in the pressurized laboratory.

Characterization of Atmospheric Aerosol Behavior and Climatic Effects by Analysis of SAGE 2 and Other Space, Air, and Ground Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Livingston, John M.

1999-01-01

This report documents the research performed under NASA Ames Cooperative Agreement NCC 2-991, which covered the period 1 April 1997 through 31 March 1999. Previously, an interim technical report (Technical Report No. 1, 20 March 1998) summarized the work completed during the period 1 April 1997 through 31 March 1998. The objective of the proposed research was to advance our understanding of atmospheric aerosol behavior, aerosol-induced climatic effects, and the remote measurement and retrieval capabilities of spaceborne sensors such as SAGE II by combining and comparing data from these instruments and from airborne and ground-based instruments.

Key Features of Research Portal for Stimulating Research in Institutions of Higher Technical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agarwal, Parul Dharmani; Kiran, Ravi; Verma, Anil Kumar

2012-01-01

Problem Statement: The current higher learning institutions in developed countries have adapted to their changing role in a knowledge-based society It is time for developing countries like India to focus on Knowledge Management thus, the current study presents research undertaken in understanding the implication of Knowledge Management in the…

Past, Present and Future of General Chemistry in the PUC-Rio.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farias, Percio A. M.; Goulart, Mauricio S.; de Mello, Paulo Correa

This manuscript describes the role of chemistry as a vehicle for understanding many other basic sciences and engineering based on the experience acquired in the General Chemistry course at the "Center Technical-Scientific" at the Pontific Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (CTC-PUC-Rio). A description of the history of the General…

Materials thermal and thermoradiative properties/characterization technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dewitt, D. P.; Ho, C. Y.

1989-01-01

Reliable properties data on well characterized materials are necessary for design of experiments and interpretation of experimental results. The activities of CINDAS to provide data bases and predict properties are discussed. An understanding of emissivity behavior is important in order to select appropriate methods for non-contact temperature determination. Related technical issues are identified and recommendations are offered.

Exploring Scientific, Artistic, Moral and Technical Reflection in Teacher Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luttenberg, Johan; Oolbekkink-Marchand, Helma; Meijer, Paulien

2018-01-01

Reflection in action research is a complicated matter because of the many domains of reflection and most significantly, the lack of understanding of these domains of reflection in action research and how these are supported. In this paper, we propose a framework based on four domains of reflection, namely, scientific, artistic, moral and technical…

Microsurgical resection of skull base meningioma-expanding the operative corridor.

PubMed

Raheja, Amol; Couldwell, William T

2016-11-01

A better understanding of surgical anatomy, marked improvement in illumination devices, provision of improved hemostatic agents, greater availability of more precise surgical instruments, and better modalities for skull base reconstruction have led to an inevitable evolution of skull base neurosurgery. For the past few decades, many skull base neurosurgeons have worked relentlessly to improve the surgical approach and trajectory for the expansion of operative corridor. With the advent of newer techniques and their rapid adaptation, it is foundational, especially for young neurosurgeons, to understand the basics and nuances of modifications of traditional neurosurgical approaches. The goal of this topic review is to discuss the evolution of, concepts in, and technical nuances regarding the operative corridor expansion in the field of skull base surgery for intracranial meningioma as they pertain to achieving optimal functional outcome.

77 FR 50589 - Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding Between the Food and Drug Administration and Other...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-22

...: Final rule. SUMMARY: This final rule makes technical changes that will update a requirement that many of the written agreements and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) between the Food and Drug Administration.... This final rule, accordingly, eliminates it. We are making these technical changes to conserve Agency...

77 FR 16923 - Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding Between the Food and Drug Administration and Other...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-23

...: Direct final rule. SUMMARY: This direct final rule makes technical changes that will update a requirement that many of our written agreements and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with other departments..., accordingly, eliminates it. We are making these technical changes to conserve Agency time and resources...

The Effect of Conceptual Diagrams on Aviation Mechanics' Technical Systems Understanding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Satchwell, Richard E.; Johnson, Scott D.

A quasi-experimental study explored the effect of functional flow diagrams on technical system understanding. An individualized field training package which contained schematic diagrams that illustrated an aircraft's electrical system was complimented with functional flow diagrams. In a 4-week treatment, a control group of 10 students enrolled in…

Otoplasty: sequencing the operation for improved results.

PubMed

Hoehn, James G; Ashruf, Salman

2005-01-01

: After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Understand the anatomy and embryology of the external ear. 2. Understand the anatomic causes of the prominent ear. 3. Understand the operative maneuvers used to shape the external ear. 4. Be able to sequence the otoplasty for consistent results. 5. Understand the possible complications of the otoplasty procedure. Correction of prominent ears is a common plastic surgical procedure. Proper execution of the surgical techniques is dependent on the surgeon's understanding of the surgical procedure. This understanding is best founded on an understanding of the historical bases for the operative steps and the execution of these operative steps in a logical fashion. This article describes the concept of sequencing the operation of otoplasty to produce predictable results combining the technical contributions from many authors. The historical, embryological, and anatomic bases for the operation are also discussed. Finally, the authors' preferred techniques are presented. Sequencing the steps in the preoperative assessment, preoperative planning, patient management, operative technique, and postoperative care will produce reproducible results for the attentive surgeon. Careful attention to the details of the operation of otoplasty will avoid many postoperative problems.

FacetGist: Collective Extraction of Document Facets in Large Technical Corpora.

PubMed

Siddiqui, Tarique; Ren, Xiang; Parameswaran, Aditya; Han, Jiawei

2016-10-01

Given the large volume of technical documents available, it is crucial to automatically organize and categorize these documents to be able to understand and extract value from them. Towards this end, we introduce a new research problem called Facet Extraction. Given a collection of technical documents, the goal of Facet Extraction is to automatically label each document with a set of concepts for the key facets ( e.g. , application, technique, evaluation metrics, and dataset) that people may be interested in. Facet Extraction has numerous applications, including document summarization, literature search, patent search and business intelligence. The major challenge in performing Facet Extraction arises from multiple sources: concept extraction, concept to facet matching, and facet disambiguation. To tackle these challenges, we develop FacetGist, a framework for facet extraction. Facet Extraction involves constructing a graph-based heterogeneous network to capture information available across multiple local sentence-level features, as well as global context features. We then formulate a joint optimization problem, and propose an efficient algorithm for graph-based label propagation to estimate the facet of each concept mention. Experimental results on technical corpora from two domains demonstrate that Facet Extraction can lead to an improvement of over 25% in both precision and recall over competing schemes.

FacetGist: Collective Extraction of Document Facets in Large Technical Corpora

PubMed Central

Siddiqui, Tarique; Ren, Xiang; Parameswaran, Aditya; Han, Jiawei

2017-01-01

Given the large volume of technical documents available, it is crucial to automatically organize and categorize these documents to be able to understand and extract value from them. Towards this end, we introduce a new research problem called Facet Extraction. Given a collection of technical documents, the goal of Facet Extraction is to automatically label each document with a set of concepts for the key facets (e.g., application, technique, evaluation metrics, and dataset) that people may be interested in. Facet Extraction has numerous applications, including document summarization, literature search, patent search and business intelligence. The major challenge in performing Facet Extraction arises from multiple sources: concept extraction, concept to facet matching, and facet disambiguation. To tackle these challenges, we develop FacetGist, a framework for facet extraction. Facet Extraction involves constructing a graph-based heterogeneous network to capture information available across multiple local sentence-level features, as well as global context features. We then formulate a joint optimization problem, and propose an efficient algorithm for graph-based label propagation to estimate the facet of each concept mention. Experimental results on technical corpora from two domains demonstrate that Facet Extraction can lead to an improvement of over 25% in both precision and recall over competing schemes. PMID:28210517

An approach for software-driven and standard-based support of cross-enterprise tumor boards.

PubMed

Mangesius, Patrick; Fischer, Bernd; Schabetsberger, Thomas

2015-01-01

For tumor boards, the networking of different medical disciplines' expertise continues to gain importance. However, interdisciplinary tumor boards spread across several institutions are rarely supported by information technology tools today. The aim of this paper is to point out an approach for a tumor board management system prototype. For analyzing the requirements, an incremental process was used. The requirements were surveyed using Informal Conversational Interview and documented with Use Case Diagrams defined by the Unified Modeling Language (UML). Analyses of current EHR standards were conducted to evaluate technical requirements. Functional and technical requirements of clinical conference applications were evaluated and documented. In several steps, workflows were derived and application mockups were created. Although there is a vast amount of common understanding concerning how clinical conferences should be conducted and how their workflows should be structured, these are hardly standardized, neither on a functional nor on a technical level. This results in drawbacks for participants and patients. Using modern EHR technologies based on profiles such as IHE Cross Enterprise document sharing (XDS), these deficits could be overcome.

Advancements in the use of speleothems as climate archives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Corinne I.; Breecker, Daniel O.

2015-11-01

Speleothems have become a cornerstone of the approach to better understanding Earth's climatic teleconnections due to their precise absolute chronologies, their continuous or semicontinuous deposition and their global terrestrial distribution. We review the last decade of speleothem-related research, building off a similar review by McDermott (2004), in three themes - i) investigation of global teleconnections using speleothem-based climate reconstructions, ii) refinement of climate interpretations from speleothem proxies through cave monitoring, and iii) novel, technical methods of speleothem-based climate reconstructions. Speleothem records have enabled critical insight into the response of global hydroclimate to large climate changes. This includes the relevant forcings and sequence of climatic responses involved in glacial terminations and recognition of a global monsoon response to climate changes on orbital and millennial time scales. We review advancements in understanding of the processes that control speleothem δ13C values and introduce the idea of a direct atmospheric pCO2 influence. We discuss progress in understanding kinetic isotope fractionation, which, with further advances, may help quantify paleoclimate changes despite non-equilibrium formation of speleothems. This feeds into the potential of proxy system modeling to consider climatic, hydrological and biogeochemical processes with the objective of quantitatively interpreting speleothem proxies. Finally, we provide an overview of emerging speleothem proxies and novel approaches using existing proxies. Most recently, technical advancements made in the measurement of fluid inclusions are now yielding reliable determinations of paleotemperatures.

High School Career and Technical Education Participation and Initial College Enrollment: Evidence from Arkansas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dougherty, Shaun M.

2016-01-01

This paper uses rich administrative data from Arkansas to understand whether and how high school career and technical education (CTE) programs are related to initial enrollment in college after high school. This descriptive work is designed to inform how other state and local policymakers understand the potential role of high school CTE…

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

Sandia National Laboratories analysis code data base

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, C. W.

1994-11-01

Sandia National Laboratories' mission is to solve important problems in the areas of national defense, energy security, environmental integrity, and industrial technology. The laboratories' strategy for accomplishing this mission is to conduct research to provide an understanding of the important physical phenomena underlying any problem, and then to construct validated computational models of the phenomena which can be used as tools to solve the problem. In the course of implementing this strategy, Sandia's technical staff has produced a wide variety of numerical problem-solving tools which they use regularly in the design, analysis, performance prediction, and optimization of Sandia components, systems, and manufacturing processes. This report provides the relevant technical and accessibility data on the numerical codes used at Sandia, including information on the technical competency or capability area that each code addresses, code 'ownership' and release status, and references describing the physical models and numerical implementation.

Lost on a Pragmatist Highway: Searching for a Theory to Inform Teaching Practice in TAFE

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haycock, John

2009-01-01

This paper seeks to understand how practitioners learn about, develop and work with educational theory, and how this informs and influences their practice. It is based primarily on an in-depth interview with one pre-vocational program teacher working in a large, metropolitan TAFE (Technical and Further Education) institute. It also draws on the…

Employment-Based Training in Japanese Firms in Japan and in the United States: Experiences of Automobile Manufacturers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hashimoto, Masanori

An economic theory of training holds that training in technical skills and training in employment relations (namely, information reliability or the ability to quickly and reliably disseminate information among the members of the firm) reinforce each other. This theory is an organizing framework for understanding some practices at Japanese firms in…

Promoting Changes in Children's Predictive Rules about Natural Phenomena: The Role of Computer-Based Modelling Strategies. Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frenette, Micheline

Trying to change the predictive rule for the sinking and floating phenomena, students have a great difficulty in understanding density and they are insensitive to empirical counter-examples designed to challenge their own rule. The purpose of this study is to examine the process whereby students from sixth and seventh grades relinquish their…

Team-Based Peer Review as a Form of Formative Assessment--The Case of a Systems Analysis and Design Workshop

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lavy, Ilana; Yadin, Aharon

2010-01-01

The present study was carried out within a systems analysis and design workshop. In addition to the standard analysis and design tasks, this workshop included practices designed to enhance student capabilities related to non-technical knowledge areas, such as critical thinking, interpersonal and team skills, and business understanding. Each task…

Learners' and Teachers' Perceptions of Learning Analytics (LA): A Case Study of Southampton Solent University (SSU)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, Osama

2017-01-01

This paper depicts a perceptual picture of learning analytics based on the understanding of learners and teachers at the SSU as a case study. The existing literature covers technical challenges of learning analytics (LA) and how it creates better social construct for enhanced learning support, however, there has not been adequate research on…

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.

Development and applications of single particle orientation and rotational tracking in dynamic systems

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

Chen, Kuangcai

The goal of this study is to help with future data analysis and experiment designs in rotational dynamics research using DIC-based SPORT technique. Most of the current studies using DIC-based SPORT techniques are technical demonstrations. Understanding the mechanisms behind the observed rotational behaviors of the imaging probes should be the focus of the future SPORT studies. More efforts are still needed in the development of new imaging probes, particle tracking methods, instrumentations, and advanced data analysis methods to further extend the potential of DIC-based SPORT technique.

Flight deck crew coordination indices of workload and situation awareness in terminal operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellis, Kyle Kent Edward

Crew coordination in the context of aviation is a specifically choreographed set of tasks performed by each pilot, defined for each phase of flight. Based on the constructs of effective Crew Resource Management and SOPs for each phase of flight, a shared understanding of crew workload and task responsibility is considered representative of well-coordinated crews. Nominal behavior is therefore defined by SOPs and CRM theory, detectable through pilot eye-scan. This research investigates the relationship between the eye-scan exhibited by each pilot and the level of coordination between crewmembers. Crew coordination was evaluated based on each pilot's understanding of the other crewmember's workload. By contrasting each pilot's workload-understanding, crew coordination was measured as the summed absolute difference of each pilot's understanding of the other crewmember's reported workload, resulting in a crew coordination index. The crew coordination index rates crew coordination on a scale ranging across Excellent, Good, Fair and Poor. Eye-scan behavior metrics were found to reliably identify a reduction in crew coordination. Additionally, crew coordination was successfully characterized by eye-scan behavior data using machine learning classification methods. Identifying eye-scan behaviors on the flight deck indicative of reduced crew coordination can be used to inform training programs and design enhanced avionics that improve the overall coordination between the crewmembers and the flight deck interface. Additionally, characterization of crew coordination can be used to develop methods to increase shared situation awareness and crew coordination to reduce operational and flight technical errors. Ultimately, the ability to reduce operational and flight technical errors made by pilot crews improves the safety of aviation.

Basic Writing Concepts for Scientists and Engineers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, John H.

1980-01-01

Notes the differences between poetry and technical communication. Charges English teacher/humanists with confusing students about emotional writing, style, and effective technical communication. Offers five concepts that technical writing teachers can use to place "style" on a rational basis and to make students understand the true purposes of…

Factors that Influence Women's Technical Skill Development in Outdoor Adventure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warren, Karen; Loeffler, TA

2006-01-01

This article provides a theoretical foundation for understanding women's technical skill development (TSD) in outdoor adventure. An examination of societal and biological factors influencing women's TSD focuses on gender role socialization, sense of competence, technical conditioning, sexism, spatial ability, and risk-taking. The article suggests…

Designing climate change mitigation plans that add up.

PubMed

Bajželj, Bojana; Allwood, Julian M; Cullen, Jonathan M

2013-07-16

Mitigation plans to combat climate change depend on the combined implementation of many abatement options, but the options interact. Published anthropogenic emissions inventories are disaggregated by gas, sector, country, or final energy form. This allows the assessment of novel energy supply options, but is insufficient for understanding how options for efficiency and demand reduction interact. A consistent framework for understanding the drivers of emissions is therefore developed, with a set of seven complete inventories reflecting all technical options for mitigation connected through lossless allocation matrices. The required data set is compiled and calculated from a wide range of industry, government, and academic reports. The framework is used to create a global Sankey diagram to relate human demand for services to anthropogenic emissions. The application of this framework is demonstrated through a prediction of per-capita emissions based on service demand in different countries, and through an example showing how the "technical potentials" of a set of separate mitigation options should be combined.

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,…

Using simulation to train orthopaedic trainees in non-technical skills: A pilot study.

PubMed

Heaton, Samuel R; Little, Zoe; Akhtar, Kash; Ramachandran, Manoj; Lee, Joshua

2016-08-18

To enhance non-technical skills and to analyse participant's experience of a course tailored for orthopaedic surgeons. A Delphi technique was used to develop a course in human factors specific to orthopaedic residents. Twenty-six residents (six per course) participated in total with seven course facilitators all trained in Crisis Resource Management providing structured feedback. Six scenarios recreated challenging real-life situations using high-fidelity mannequins and simulated patients. Environments included a simulated operating suite, clinic room and ward setting. All were undertaken in a purpose built simulation suite utilising actors, mock operating rooms, mock clinical rooms and a high fidelity adult patient simulator organised through a simulation control room. Participants completed a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire (strongly disagree to strongly agree) before and after the course. This assessed their understanding of non-technical skills, scenario validity, relevance to orthopaedic training and predicted impact of the course on future practice. A course evaluation questionnaire was also completed to assess participants' feedback on the value and quality of the course itself. Twenty-six orthopaedic residents participated (24 male, 2 female; post-graduation 5-10 years), mean year of residency program 2.6 out of 6 years required in the United Kingdom. Pre-course questionnaires showed that while the majority of candidates recognised the importance of non-technical (NT) skills in orthopaedic training they demonstrated poor understanding of non-technical skills and their role. This improved significantly after the course (Likert score 3.0-4.2) and the perceived importance of these skills was reported as good or very good in 100%. The course was reported as enjoyable and provided an unthreatening learning environment with the candidates placing particular value on the learning opportunity provided by reflecting on their performance. All agreed that the course achieved its intended aims with realistic simulation scenarios. Participants believed patient care, patient safety and team working would all improve with further human factors training (4.4-4.6). and felt that NT skills learnt through simulation-based training should become an integral component of their training program. Participants demonstrated improved understanding of non-technical performance, recognised its relevance to patient safety and expressed a desire for its integration in training.

Anticipatory ethics for a future Internet: analyzing values during the design of an Internet infrastructure.

PubMed

Shilton, Katie

2015-02-01

The technical details of Internet architecture affect social debates about privacy and autonomy, intellectual property, cybersecurity, and the basic performance and reliability of Internet services. This paper explores one method for practicing anticipatory ethics in order to understand how a new infrastructure for the Internet might impact these social debates. This paper systematically examines values expressed by an Internet architecture engineering team-the Named Data Networking project-based on data gathered from publications and internal documents. Networking engineers making technical choices also weigh non-technical values when working on Internet infrastructure. Analysis of the team's documents reveals both values invoked in response to technical constraints and possibilities, such as efficiency and dynamism, as well as values, including privacy, security and anonymity, which stem from a concern for personal liberties. More peripheral communitarian values espoused by the engineers include democratization and trust. The paper considers the contextual and social origins of these values, and then uses them as a method of practicing anticipatory ethics: considering the impact such priorities may have on a future Internet.

Close-out report with links to abstracts

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

Marmar, Earl S.

This grant provided A/V support for two technical meetings of the Edge Coordinating Committee: (1) Nov 13, 2013 (co-located with the APS-DPP meeting in Denver, CO) https://ecc.mit.edu/fall-2013-technical-meeting#overlay-context=ecc-meetings; (2) April 28-May 1, 2015 (embedded sessions in the Transport Task Force Meeting, Salem, MA) http://www-internal.psfc.mit.edu/TTF2015/index.html. The ultimate goal of the U.S. Transport Task Force is to develop a physics-based understanding of particle, momentum and heat transport in magnetic fusion devices. This understanding should be of sufficient depth that it allows the development of predictive models of plasma transport that can be validated against experiment, and then used to anticipate the future performancemore » of burning plasmas in ITER, as well as to provide guidance for the design of next-step fusion nuclear science facilities. To achieve success in transport science, it is essential to characterize local fluctuations and transport in toroidal plasmas, to understand the basic mechanisms responsible for transport, and ultimately to control these transport processes. These goals must be pursued in multiple areas, and these topics evolve in order to reflect current interests.« less

Psychodynamic psychotherapy, religious beliefs, and self-disclosure.

PubMed

Tillman, J G

1998-01-01

The intersection of psychodynamic psychotherapy and religious beliefs may present technical challenges for the psychotherapists; particularly if patients request to know more about the therapist's religious beliefs. Contrary to a recent technical recommendation for therapists to self-disclose personal religious beliefs when asked to do so, I suggest that such a request is complex and requires a thoughtful grounding in psychotherapeutic theory. Disclosing personal beliefs to patients runs the risk of being off-task as well as holding oneself out as an exemplar for the patient. Rather than adopt a formulaic response to requests for information, to deepen the understanding of the patient and the work of therapy, the therapist needs a complex understanding based on a careful diagnostic assessment of the patient, as well as an assessment of the current status of the psychotherapeutic venture. The workings of patients' particular transferences are often evident in requests for personal information and require careful evaluation and consideration. Likewise, countertransference elements may influence the type of response offered by the therapist. Using ethical principles as a guide is different from using them as a rule. The nexus of religious belief, psychosocial context, psychotherapy, and self-disclosure provides a potentially rich source of understanding when explored in the psychotherapeutic situation.

Aligning Career and Technical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Workman, Ed; Stubbs, Joyce

2011-01-01

The issues and concerns facing Kentucky Career and Technical Teacher Education (KY CTTE), university teacher educators and state department Career and Technical Education (CTE) leaders in providing and preparing the best CTE teachers possible are not unique to Kentucky. In an effort to better understand these issues and concerns a team of state…

[Do laymen understand information about hospital quality? An empirical verification using risk-adjusted mortality rates as an example].

PubMed

Sander, Uwe; Kolb, Benjamin; Taheri, Fatemeh; Patzelt, Christiane; Emmert, Martin

2017-11-01

The effect of public reporting to improve quality in healthcare is reduced by the limited intelligibility of information about the quality of healthcare providers. This may result in worse health-related choices especially for older people and those with lower levels of education. There is, as yet, little information as to whether laymen understand the concepts behind quality comparisons and if this comprehension is correlated with hospital choices. An instrument with 20 items was developed to analyze the intelligibility of five technical terms which were used in German hospital report cards to explain risk-adjusted death rates. Two online presentations of risk-adjusted death rates for five hospitals in the style of hospital report cards were developed. An online survey of 353 volunteers tested the comprehension of the risk-adjusted mortality rates and included an experimental hospital choice. The intelligibility of five technical terms was tested: risk-adjusted, actual and expected death rate, reference range and national average. The percentages of correct answers for the five technical terms were in the range of 75.0-60.2%. Between 23.8% and 5.1% of the respondents were not able to answer the question about the technical term itself. The least comprehensible technical terms were "risk-adjusted death rate" and "reference range". The intelligibility of the 20 items that were used to test the comprehension of the risk-adjusted mortality was between 89.5% and 14.2%. The two items that proved to be least comprehensible were related to the technical terms "risk-adjusted death rate" and "reference range". For all five technical terms it was found that a better comprehension correlated significantly with better hospital choices. We found a better than average intelligibility for the technical terms "actual and expected death rate" and for "national average". The least understandable were "risk-adjusted death rate" and "reference range". Since the self-explanatory technical terms "actual and expected death rate" and "national average" are easy to understand and the comprehension is correlated with hospitals choices, we recommend using them for the presentation of measures which contain risk-adjusted mortality. The technical terms "risk-adjusted death rate" and "reference range" should stay in the background, since comprehension problems can be expected and explanations would have to be provided. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Suggestions for Documenting SOA-Based Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

Number FA8721-05-C-0003 with Carnegie Mellon University for the operation of the Software Engineering Institute, a federally funded research and...understandability and fo even across an enterprise. Technical reference models (see F (e.g., Oracle database managemen general in nature, and they typica...architectural pattern. CMU/SEI-2010- T Key Aspects of the Architecture unicate something that is important to the stakeholders intaining the system

Understanding System of Systems Development Using an Agent-Based Wave Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

Procedia Computer Science Procedia Computer Science 00 (2012) 000–000 www.elsevier.com/locate/ procedia Complex Adaptive Systems...integration of technical systems as well as cognitive and social processes, which alter system behavior [6]. As mentioned before * Corresponding...Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 Acheson/ Procedia Computer Science 00 (2012) 000–000 most system architects assume that SoS participants exhibit

Alternatives for Developing User Documentation for Applications Software

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-01

style that is designed to match adult reading behaviors, using reader-based writing techniques, developing effective graphics , creating reference aids...involves research, analysis, design , and testing. The writer must have a solid understanding of the technical aspects of the document being prepared, good...ABSTRACT The preparation of software documentation is an iterative process that involves research, analysis, design , and testing. The writer must have

Data engineering systems: Computerized modeling and data bank capabilities for engineering analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kopp, H.; Trettau, R.; Zolotar, B.

1984-01-01

The Data Engineering System (DES) is a computer-based system that organizes technical data and provides automated mechanisms for storage, retrieval, and engineering analysis. The DES combines the benefits of a structured data base system with automated links to large-scale analysis codes. While the DES provides the user with many of the capabilities of a computer-aided design (CAD) system, the systems are actually quite different in several respects. A typical CAD system emphasizes interactive graphics capabilities and organizes data in a manner that optimizes these graphics. On the other hand, the DES is a computer-aided engineering system intended for the engineer who must operationally understand an existing or planned design or who desires to carry out additional technical analysis based on a particular design. The DES emphasizes data retrieval in a form that not only provides the engineer access to search and display the data but also links the data automatically with the computer analysis codes.

Applying human rights to maternal health: UN Technical Guidance on rights-based approaches.

PubMed

Yamin, Alicia Ely

2013-05-01

In the last few years there have been several critical milestones in acknowledging the centrality of human rights to sustainably addressing the scourge of maternal death and morbidity around the world, including from the United Nations Human Rights Council. In 2012, the Council adopted a resolution welcoming a Technical Guidance on rights-based approaches to maternal mortality and morbidity, and calling for a report on its implementation in 2 years. The present paper provides an overview of the contents and significance of the Guidance. It reviews how the Guidance can assist policymakers in improving women's health and their enjoyment of rights by setting out the implications of adopting a human rights-based approach at each step of the policy cycle, from planning and budgeting, to ensuring implementation, to monitoring and evaluation, to fostering accountability mechanisms. The Guidance should also prove useful to clinicians in understanding rights frameworks as applied to maternal health. Copyright © 2013 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding the Influence Career Paths Have on Community and Technical College Chief Business Officers' Satisfaction with Their Position: A Mixed Method Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

File, Carter L.

2013-01-01

This study was undertaken to understand whether a community or technical college chief business officer's career line influenced the lived experience of job satisfaction. This mixed method study was conducted in a two-phase approach using the Explanatory Design: Participant Selection Model variant. An initial quantitative survey was conducted from…

Time Value of Money and Its Applications in Corporate Finance: A Technical Note on Linking Relationships between Formulas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Jeng-Hong

2009-01-01

Time Value of Money (TVM) is the most important chapter in the basic corporate finance course. It is imperative to understand TVM formulas because they imply important TVM concepts. Students who really understand TVM concepts and formulas can learn better in chapters of TVM applications. This technical note intends to present more complete TVM…

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)

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SOCIETIES PERTINENT TO THE EDUCATION OF TECHNICIANS. TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM SERIES NO. 7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BROOKING, WALTER J.

THIS LISTING OF SELECTED NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SOCIETIES WAS PUBLISHED TO ASSIST FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, SUPERVISORS, DEPARTMENT HEADS, TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS, AND GUIDANCE PERSONNEL TO UNDERSTAND BETTER THE SERVICES OF SUCH SOCIETIES AND TO PROVIDE AN EASILY ACCESSIBLE AND SCIENTIFIC GUIDE TO THEM. CHAPTER…

Factors Influencing the Pursuit of IT Certifications: A Study of Minnesota Public Community and Technical College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkens, Eric S.

2013-01-01

This quantitative study attempted to understand the factors that influence Minnesota community and technical college students to pursue Information Technology (IT) certification. The study investigated the problem of determining the factors that influence Minnesota community and technical college students to pursue IT certification along with…

Teaching and Learning the Nature of Technical Artifacts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frederik, Ineke; Sonneveld, Wim; de Vries, Marc J.

2011-01-01

Artifacts are probably our most obvious everyday encounter with technology. Therefore, a good understanding of the nature of technical artifacts is a relevant part of technological literacy. In this article we draw from the philosophy of technology to develop a conceptualization of technical artifacts that can be used for educational purposes.…

Technical Assistance Project Map | State, Local, and Tribal Governments |

Science.gov Websites

), NREL provides research to help stakeholders understand challenges and barriers to the development of offers various types of technical assistance to state and local governments. Clear All Filter by: State (0) All states Year (0) All years Type (0) All types Category (0) All categories Technical Assistance

Performance characteristics of long-track speed skaters: a literature review.

PubMed

Konings, Marco J; Elferink-Gemser, Marije T; Stoter, Inge K; van der Meer, Dirk; Otten, Egbert; Hettinga, Florentina J

2015-04-01

Speed skating is an intriguing sport to study from different perspectives due to the peculiar way of motion and the multiple determinants for performance. This review aimed to identify what is known on (long-track) speed skating, and which individual characteristics determine speed skating performance. A total of 49 studies were included. Based on a multidimensional performance model, person-related performance characteristics were categorized in anthropometrical, technical, physiological, tactical, and psychological characteristics. Literature was found on anthropometry, technique, physiology, and tactics. However, psychological studies were clearly under-represented. In particular, the role of self-regulation might deserve more attention to further understand mechanisms relevant for optimal performance and for instance pacing. Another remarkable finding was that the technically/biomechanically favourable crouched skating technique (i.e. small knee and trunk angle) leads to a physiological disadvantage: a smaller knee angle may increase the deoxygenation of the working muscles. This is an important underlying aspect for the pacing tactics in speed skating. Elite speed skaters need to find the optimal balance between obtaining a fast start and preventing negative technical adaptations later on in the race by distributing their available energy over the race in an optimal way. More research is required to gain more insight into how this impacts on the processes of fatigue and coordination during speed skating races. This can lead to a better understanding on how elite speed skaters can maintain the optimal technical characteristics throughout the entire race, and how they can adapt their pacing to optimize all identified aspects that determine performance.

The community FabLab platform: applications and implications in biomedical engineering.

PubMed

Stephenson, Makeda K; Dow, Douglas E

2014-01-01

Skill development in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education present one of the most formidable challenges of modern society. The Community FabLab platform presents a viable solution. Each FabLab contains a suite of modern computer numerical control (CNC) equipment, electronics and computing hardware and design, programming, computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided machining (CAM) software. FabLabs are community and educational resources and open to the public. Development of STEM based workforce skills such as digital fabrication and advanced manufacturing can be enhanced using this platform. Particularly notable is the potential of the FabLab platform in STEM education. The active learning environment engages and supports a diversity of learners, while the iterative learning that is supported by the FabLab rapid prototyping platform facilitates depth of understanding, creativity, innovation and mastery. The product and project based learning that occurs in FabLabs develops in the student a personal sense of accomplishment, self-awareness, command of the material and technology. This helps build the interest and confidence necessary to excel in STEM and throughout life. Finally the introduction and use of relevant technologies at every stage of the education process ensures technical familiarity and a broad knowledge base needed for work in STEM based fields. Biomedical engineering education strives to cultivate broad technical adeptness, creativity, interdisciplinary thought, and an ability to form deep conceptual understanding of complex systems. The FabLab platform is well designed to enhance biomedical engineering education.

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

Energy Experiments for STEM Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fanchi, John

2011-03-01

Texas Christian University (TCU) is developing an undergraduate program that prepares students to become engineers with an emphasis in energy systems. One of the courses in the program is a technical overview of traditional energy (coal, oil and gas), nuclear energy, and renewable energy that requires as a pre-requisite two semesters of calculus-based physics. Energy experiments are being developed that will facilitate student involvement and provide hands-on learning opportunities. Students participating in the course will improve their understanding of energy systems; be introduced to outstanding scientific and engineering problems; learn about the role of energy in a global and societal context; and evaluate contemporary issues associated with energy. This talk will present the status of experiments being developed for the technical energy survey course.

A Primer for Film-Making; A Complete Guide to 16 mm and 35 mm Film Production.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Kenneth H.; Sharples, Win, Jr.

Each way to perform a particular aspect of a film production process will have its own unique effect upon the spectator--therefore, the initial task in making a film is to understand the practical techniques and use them as a base from which to develop a personal style. The technical means by which stylistic film making can be accomplished are…

Parameter Uncertainties for a 10-Meter Ground-Based Optical Reception Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaik, K.

1990-01-01

Performance uncertainties for a 10-m optical reception station may arise from the nature of the communications channel or from a specific technology choice. Both types of uncertainties are described in this article to develop an understanding of the limitations imposed by them and to provide a rational basis for making technical decisions. The performance at night will be considerably higher than for daytime reception.

Damaging earthquakes: A scientific laboratory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hays, Walter W.; ,

1996-01-01

This paper reviews the principal lessons learned from multidisciplinary postearthquake investigations of damaging earthquakes throughout the world during the past 15 years. The unique laboratory provided by a damaging earthquake in culturally different but tectonically similar regions of the world has increased fundamental understanding of earthquake processes, added perishable scientific, technical, and socioeconomic data to the knowledge base, and led to changes in public policies and professional practices for earthquake loss reduction.

Evaluation of Factors that Contribute to Improving Academic Achievement of Career and Technical Education Students in Rhode Island

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsella, Anthony J.

2010-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of career and technical education in Rhode Island utilizing Program Approval Process: Standards, Instruments, and Protocols. The process establishes standards for quality career and technical education. The population surveyed provided data on Standard Two: Curriculum and…

Reasons for Choosing a Technically Oriented Education: An Interview Study within the Fields of Pipefitting and Industry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bjurulf, Veronica

2012-01-01

The article examines how professionals within technical businesses describe their ways into their trade and why they have remained. Semi-structured interviews, analyzed by analysis of narratives, have been conducted with six informants within pipefitting and industrial work aiming to understand how technically oriented professions can attract…

The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience. 34th Annual Report 1981.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience/United States, Columbia, MD.

The 1981 annual report of the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) is presented. IAESTE seeks to provide students at institutions of higher education with technical experience abroad relative to their studies and to promote international understanding among all students. An international report…

Charles Morris's Semiotic Model and Analytical Studies of Visual and Verbal Representations in Technical Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fan, Jiang-Ping

2006-01-01

In this article, the author demonstrates that the semiotic model proposed by Charles Morris enables us to optimize our understanding of technical communication practices and provides a good point of inquiry. To illustrate this point, the author exemplifies the semiotic approaches by scholars in technical communication and elaborates Morris's model…

Promoting a Culture of Tailoring for Systems Engineering Policy Expectations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blankenship, Van A.

2016-01-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed an integrated systems engineering approach to promote a culture of tailoring for program and project policy requirements. MSFC's culture encourages and supports tailoring, with an emphasis on risk-based decision making, for enhanced affordability and efficiency. MSFC's policy structure integrates the various Agency requirements into a single, streamlined implementation approach which serves as a "one-stop-shop" for our programs and projects to follow. The engineers gain an enhanced understanding of policy and technical expectations, as well as lesson's learned from MSFC's history of spaceflight and science missions, to enable them to make appropriate, risk-based tailoring recommendations. The tailoring approach utilizes a standard methodology to classify projects into predefined levels using selected mission and programmatic scaling factors related to risk tolerance. Policy requirements are then selectively applied and tailored, with appropriate rationale, and approved by the governing authorities, to support risk-informed decisions to achieve the desired cost and schedule efficiencies. The policy is further augmented by implementation tools and lifecycle planning aids which help promote and support the cultural shift toward more tailoring. The MSFC Customization Tool is an integrated spreadsheet that ties together everything that projects need to understand, navigate, and tailor the policy. It helps them classify their project, understand the intent of the requirements, determine their tailoring approach, and document the necessary governance approvals. It also helps them plan for and conduct technical reviews throughout the lifecycle. Policy tailoring is thus established as a normal part of project execution, with the tools provided to facilitate and enable the tailoring process. MSFC's approach to changing the culture emphasizes risk-based tailoring of policy to achieve increased flexibility, efficiency, and effectiveness in project execution, while maintaining appropriate rigor to ensure mission success.

Building capacity for health promotion--a case study from China.

PubMed

Tang, Kwok-Cho; Nutbeam, Don; Kong, Lingzhi; Wang, Ruotao; Yan, Jun

2005-09-01

During the period 1997-2000 a technical assistance project to build capacity for community-based health promotion was implemented in seven cities and one province in China. The technical assistance project formed part of a much larger World Bank supported program to improve disease prevention capabilities in China, commonly known as Health VII. The technical assistance project was funded by the Australian Agency for International Development. It was designed to develop capacity within the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the cities and province in the management of community-based health promotion projects, as well as supporting institutional development and public health policy reform. There are some relatively unique features of this technical assistance which helped shape its implementation and impact. It sought to provide the Chinese MOH and the cities and province with an introduction to comprehensive health promotion strategies, in contrast to the more limited information, education and communication strategies. The project was provided on a continuing basis over 3 years through a single institution, rather than as a series of ad hoc consultancies by individuals. Teaching and learning processes were developmental, leading progressively to a greater degree of local Chinese input and management to ensure sustainability and maintenance of technical support for the project. Based on this experience, this paper presents a model for capacity building projects of this type. It describes the education, training and planning activities that were the key inputs to the project, as well as the limited available evidence on the impact of the project. It describes how the project evolved over time to meet the changing needs of the participants, specifically how the content of the project shifted from a risk-factor orientation to a settings-based focus, and the delivery of the project moved from an expert-led approach to a more participatory, problem based learning approach. In terms of impact, marked differences before and after the implementation of the training activities were identified in key areas for reform, in addition to the self reported positive change in knowledge, and a high level of participant satisfaction. Key lessons are summarized. Technical assistance projects of this kind benefit from continuity and a high level of coordination, the provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate teaching, and a clear understanding of the need to match workforce development with organizational/institutional development.

Introduction to System Health Engineering and Management in Aerospace

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Stephen B.

2005-01-01

This paper provides a technical overview of Integrated System Health Engineering and Management (ISHEM). We define ISHEM as "the paper provides a techniques, and technologies used to design, analyze, build, verify, and operate a system to prevent faults and/or minimize their effects." This includes design and manufacturing techniques as well operational and managerial methods. ISHEM is not a "purely technical issue" as it also involves and must account for organizational, communicative, and cognitive f&ms of humans as social beings and as individuals. Thus the paper will discuss in more detail why all of these elements, h m the technical to the cognitive and social, are necessary to build dependable human-machine systems. The paper outlines a functional homework and architecture for ISHEM operations, describes the processes needed to implement ISHEM in the system life-cycle, and provides a theoretical framework to understand the relationship between the different aspects of the discipline. It then derives from these and the social and cognitive bases a set of design and operational principles for ISHEM.

The International Linear Collider Technical Design Report - Volume 3.I: Accelerator \\& in the Technical Design Phase

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

Adolphsen, Chris

2013-06-26

The International Linear Collider Technical Design Report (TDR) describes in four volumes the physics case and the design of a 500 GeV centre-of-mass energy linear electron-positron collider based on superconducting radio-frequency technology using Niobium cavities as the accelerating structures. The accelerator can be extended to 1 TeV and also run as a Higgs factory at around 250 GeV and on the Z0 pole. A comprehensive value estimate of the accelerator is give, together with associated uncertainties. It is shown that no significant technical issues remain to be solved. Once a site is selected and the necessary site-dependent engineering is carriedmore » out, construction can begin immediately. The TDR also gives baseline documentation for two high-performance detectors that can share the ILC luminosity by being moved into and out of the beam line in a "push-pull" configuration. These detectors, ILD and SiD, are described in detail. They form the basis for a world-class experimental programme that promises to increase significantly our understanding of the fundamental processes that govern the evolution of the Universe.« less

Managing Complexity

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

Chassin, David P.; Posse, Christian; Malard, Joel M.

2004-08-01

Physical analogs have shown considerable promise for understanding the behavior of complex adaptive systems, including macroeconomics, biological systems, social networks, and electric power markets. Many of today’s most challenging technical and policy questions can be reduced to a distributed economic control problem. Indeed, economically-based control of large-scale systems is founded on the conjecture that the price-based regulation (e.g., auctions, markets) results in an optimal allocation of resources and emergent optimal system control. This paper explores the state of the art in the use physical analogs for understanding the behavior of some econophysical systems and to deriving stable and robust controlmore » strategies for them. In particular we review and discussion applications of some analytic methods based on the thermodynamic metaphor according to which the interplay between system entropy and conservation laws gives rise to intuitive and governing global properties of complex systems that cannot be otherwise understood.« less

A Service Learning Structural Engineering Capstone Course and the Assessment of Technical and Non-Technical Objectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dinehart, David W.; Gross, Shawn P.

2010-01-01

The primary role of a civil engineer is to serve the community; thus, it is essential that students understand the impact of engineering projects on, and the context of engineering projects within, society. One goal of an engineering capstone design course should be to mesh the technical knowledge of the discipline with an encompassing engineering…

Are We "There" Yet? the Treatment of Gender and Feminism in Technical, Business, and Workplace Writing Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Kate; Rumsey, Suzanne Kesler; Amidon, Stevens

2016-01-01

This article reexamines the treatment of gender and feminism in technical, business, and workplace writing studies--areas in which the three of us teach. Surprisingly, the published discourse of our field seems to implicitly minimize the gendered nature of business and technical writing workplaces and classrooms. To understand this apparent lack…

Technical Objects between Categorisation and Learning: An Exploratory Case Study in French Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Impedovo, M. A.; Andreucci, C.; Delserieys-Pedregosa, A.; Coiffard, C.; Ginestié, J.

2015-01-01

In this article we present exploratory research carried out in order to understand how students (from 12 to 14 years old) relate to technical objects. It uses technical objects that are part of everyday life and mediated reality. A questionnaire was administered to 57 students in French classes. The questionnaire was composed of three parts: 1)…

Soft Skills in Health Careers Programs: A Case Study of A Regional Vocational Technical High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Chong Myung

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of the ways in which educational experiences might differ between a regional vocational technical high school (RVTH) and short-term career-training programs. A particular regional vocational technical high school was selected for its outstanding academic records and placement rates, and a…

Attitudes to evidence-based medicine of primary care physicians in Asir region, Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Khoja, T A; Al-Ansary, L A

2007-01-01

A questionnaire survey was made of primary health care physicians in Asir region, Saudi Arabia in 1999 to explore their awareness of and attitude towards evidence-based medicine. The 272 respondents welcomed the principles of evidence-based medicine. Awareness and use of extracting journals, review publications and databases was low. Pharmaceutical company sponsored journals were the most commonly read. Bibliographic databases could only be accessed by 13% of respondents and the Internet by only 6%. There was only partial understanding of technical terms used in evidence-based medicine. Absence of a local library and increased patient workload were seen by most respondents as the main obstacles to practising evidence-based medicine.

A model to determine payments associated with radiology procedures.

PubMed

Mabotuwana, Thusitha; Hall, Christopher S; Thomas, Shiby; Wald, Christoph

2017-12-01

Across the United States, there is a growing number of patients in Accountable Care Organizations and under risk contracts with commercial insurance. This is due to proliferation of new value-based payment models and care delivery reform efforts. In this context, the business model of radiology within a hospital or health system context is shifting from a primary profit-center to a cost-center with a goal of cost savings. Radiology departments need to increasingly understand how the transactional nature of the business relates to financial rewards. The main challenge with current reporting systems is that the information is presented only at an aggregated level, and often not broken down further, for instance, by type of exam. As such, the primary objective of this research is to provide better visibility into payments associated with individual radiology procedures in order to better calibrate expense/capital structure of the imaging enterprise to the actual revenue or value-add to the organization it belongs to. We propose a methodology that can be used to determine technical payments at a procedure level. We use a proportion based model to allocate payments to individual radiology procedures based on total charges (which also includes non-radiology related charges). Using a production dataset containing 424,250 radiology exams we calculated the overall average technical charge for Radiology to be $873.08 per procedure and the corresponding average payment to be $326.43 (range: $48.27 for XR and $2750.11 for PET/CT) resulting in an average payment percentage of 37.39% across all exams. We describe how charges associated with a procedure can be used to approximate technical payments at a more granular level with a focus on Radiology. The methodology is generalizable to approximate payment for other services as well. Understanding payments associated with each procedure can be useful during strategic practice planning. Charge-to-total charge ratio can be used to approximate radiology payments at a procedure level. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integrating research, legal technical assistance, and advocacy to inform shared use legislation in Mississippi.

PubMed

Spengler, John O; Frost, Natasha R; Bryant, Katherine K

2014-01-01

The purpose of this article was to describe the process by which research findings informed the successful passage of legislation designed to increase opportunities for physical activity in Mississippi, and discuss implications and lessons learned from this process. The article is descriptive and conceptual, and addresses the collaborative process by which research, legal technical assistance, and advocacy informed and shaped shared use legislation in Mississippi. Collaborators informing this article were an Active Living Research grantee, a staff attorney with the Public Health Law Center, the American Heart Association Mississippi Government Relations Director, and community partners. The American Heart Association and Public Health Law Center developed policy guidance in the form of sample language for legislation as a starting point for states in determining policy needed to eliminate or reduce barriers to the shared use of school recreational facilities. The policy guidance was informed by evidence from Active Living Research-funded research studies. The American Heart Association, supporting a bill shaped by the policy guidance, led the effort to advocate for successful shared use legislation in Mississippi. Research should be policy relevant and properly translated and disseminated. Legal technical assistance should involve collaboration with both researchers and advocates so that policymakers have the information to make evidence-based decisions. Government relations directors should collaborate with legal technical staff to obtain and understand policy guidance relevant to their advocacy efforts. Effective collaborations, with an evidence-based approach, can lead to informed, successful policy change.

The Network Protocol Analysis Technique in Snort

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qing-Xiu

Network protocol analysis is a network sniffer to capture data for further analysis and understanding of the technical means necessary packets. Network sniffing is intercepted by packet assembly binary format of the original message content. In order to obtain the information contained. Required based on TCP / IP protocol stack protocol specification. Again to restore the data packets at protocol format and content in each protocol layer. Actual data transferred, as well as the application tier.

A Context Menu for the Real World: Controlling Physical Appliances Through Head-Worn Infrared Targeting

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-10

Edward A. Lee Björn Hartmann Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences University of California at Berkeley Technical Report No. UCB/EECS-2013-200...NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) University of California at Berkeley, Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences,Berkeley,CA,94720 8. PERFORMING...movement. PHYSICAL TARGET ACQUISITION STUDY To understand the accuracy and performance of head- orientation-based selection through our device, we car - ried

TECHNICIANS FOR THE HEALTH FIELD--A COMMUNITY COLLEGE HEALTH CAREERS STUDY PROGRAM. A FINAL REPORT ON PHASE I OF THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE HEALTH CAREERS PROJECT, OCTOBER 1, 1964 - MARCH 31, 1966.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

KINSINGER, ROBERT E.; RATNER, MURIEL

THIS REPORT OF THE COMPLETION OF PHASE I OF A FIVE-PHASE PROGRAM CONSISTS OF CURRICULUM GUIDELINES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INSTRUCTOR TRAINING, BASED ON A STATEWIDE SURVEY IN NEW YORK. OBJECTIVES AND REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING, AND SKILLS ARE DESCRIBED FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN X-RAY, INHALATION THERAPY, DENTAL AUXILIARY, MEDICAL RECORDS,…

Examination and Implementation of a Proposal for a Ph.D. Program in Administrative Sciences

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-01

Review of two proposals recently approved by the Academic Council (i.e., Computer Science and Mathematics Departments). C. SCOPE OF THE STUDY Since WWII...and through the computer age, the application of administrative science theory and methodologies from the behavioral sciences and quantitative...roles in the U.S. Navy and DoD, providing people who firmly understand the technical and organizational aspects of computer -based systems which support

Standardization of quantum technologies and QKD activities within ETSI (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenhart, Gaby

2016-04-01

In order to establish new ICT technologies successfully on the market it is essential to build trust within any potential users. This is especially true for technologies which are based upon paradigms that are not yet familiar to these users, such as quantum technologies. Technical standards are an excellent means to offer a certain degree of legal reliability and technical interoperability that is required by industry for commercial take up. While such standards on the one hand must be clear enough to provide strict rules for implementers, on the other hand they also must remain flexible enough to not restrict progress in further research and development on the standardized technology. Hence such standards have to be produced by a wide variety of stakeholders taking into account all their different needs. The paper will provide some insight into the general mechanisms of standardization and their relation to quantum technologies. Alongside with the relevance of standardization as an enabler for certification of quantum based technologies it will explain its potential for securing intellectual property. In its first part paper will concentrate on the advantages of standardization and discuss fears some of the stakeholders share, in detail. The second part will focus on the technical work going on in ETSI in relation to quantum technologies. In 2008 ETSI created a standards work group on Quantum Key Distribution, the ETSI ISG QKD and more recently a group on Quantum-Safe Cryptography, the ETSI ISG QSC. A significant part of the technical work of these groups has already been published and will be introduced in the following. However a big share of work is still ongoing and lot more is planned for the future, as are continuous revisions and updates of the published specifications. This standardization work covers several levels: It starts of by problem statements in the form of use cases, from which technical requirements can be derived. These requirements then form the base upon which a reference architecture is created. Various different specifications describe in detail components, protocols and interfaces. An ontology is developed in order to guarantee common understanding of the technical terms used in standardization for quantum technologies. Special emphasis is provided to security proofs.

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…

Presentation Of Comparative Data for Transportation Planning Studies

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-01

Clear, yet detailed, presentations of transportation planning data to lay groups as well as to technical groups is becoming more and more of a necessity in the planning process. Presentation of technical information in understandable terms has become...

National policy-makers speak out: are researchers giving them what they need?

PubMed Central

Hyder, Adnan A; Corluka, Adrijana; Winch, Peter J; El-Shinnawy, Azza; Ghassany, Harith; Malekafzali, Hossein; Lim, Meng-Kin; Mfutso-Bengo, Joseph; Segura, Elsa; Ghaffar, Abdul

2011-01-01

The objective of this empirical study was to understand the perspectives and attitudes of policy-makers towards the use and impact of research in the health sector in low- and middle-income countries. The study used data from 83 semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted with purposively selected policy-makers at the national level in Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Malawi, Oman and Singapore. The interviews were structured around an interview guide developed based on existing literature and in consultation with all six country investigators. Transcripts were processed using a thematic-analysis approach. Policy-makers interviewed for this study were unequivocal in their support for health research and the high value they attribute to it. However, they stated that there were structural and informal barriers to research contributing to policy processes, to the contribution research makes to knowledge generally, and to the use of research in health decision-making specifically. Major findings regarding barriers to evidence-based policy-making included poor communication and dissemination, lack of technical capacity in policy processes, as well as the influence of the political context. Policy-makers had a variable understanding of economic analysis, equity and burden of disease measures, and were vague in terms of their use in national decisions. Policy-maker recommendations regarding strategies for facilitating the uptake of research into policy included improving the technical capacity of policy-makers, better packaging of research results, use of social networks, and establishment of fora and clearinghouse functions to help assist in evidence-based policy-making. PMID:20547652

PCDAS Version 2. 2: Remote network control and data acquisition

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

Fishbaugher, M.J.

1987-09-01

This manual is intended for both technical and non-technical people who want to use the PCDAS remote network control and data acquisition software. If you are unfamiliar with remote data collection hardware systems designed at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), this introduction should answer your basic questions. Even if you have some experience with the PNL-designed Field Data Acquisition Systems (FDAS), it would be wise to review this material before attempting to set up a network. This manual was written based on the assumption that you have a rudimentary understanding of personal computer (PC) operations using Disk Operating System (DOS) versionmore » 2.0 or greater (IBM 1984). You should know how to create subdirectories and get around the subdirectory tree.« less

Discourse Understanding. Technical Report No. 391.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scha, R. J. H.; And Others

Artificial intelligence research on natural language understanding is discussed in this report using the notions that (1) natural language understanding systems must "see" sentences as elements whose significance resides in the contribution they make to the larger whole, and (2) a natural language understanding computer system must…

Scaffold Translation: Barriers Between Concept and Clinic

PubMed Central

Murphy, William L.

2011-01-01

Translation of scaffold-based bone tissue engineering (BTE) therapies to clinical use remains, bluntly, a failure. This dearth of translated tissue engineering therapies (including scaffolds) remains despite 25 years of research, research funding totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, over 12,000 papers on BTE and over 2000 papers on BTE scaffolds alone in the past 10 years (PubMed search). Enabling scaffold translation requires first an understanding of the challenges, and second, addressing the complete range of these challenges. There are the obvious technical challenges of designing, manufacturing, and functionalizing scaffolds to fill the Form, Fixation, Function, and Formation needs of bone defect repair. However, these technical solutions should be targeted to specific clinical indications (e.g., mandibular defects, spine fusion, long bone defects, etc.). Further, technical solutions should also address business challenges, including the need to obtain regulatory approval, meet specific market needs, and obtain private investment to develop products, again for specific clinical indications. Finally, these business and technical challenges present a much different model than the typical research paradigm, presenting the field with philosophical challenges in terms of publishing and funding priorities that should be addressed as well. In this article, we review in detail the technical, business, and philosophical barriers of translating scaffolds from Concept to Clinic. We argue that envisioning and engineering scaffolds as modular systems with a sliding scale of complexity offers the best path to addressing these translational challenges. PMID:21902613

U.S. Air Force Enlisted Accessions: Upgrading the Pipeline

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-17

of State Boards of Education (NASBE) and the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). Specific collaboration efforts include improving...Accessions Command and the Association for Career and Technical Education . November 20, 2009. http://dev.armyedspace.com/news-updates/news...Understanding Between the U.S. Army Accessions Command and the Association for Career and Technical Education . November 20, 2009. http://dev.armyedspace.com

Genome engineering through CRISPR/Cas9 technology in the human germline and pluripotent stem cells.

PubMed

Vassena, R; Heindryckx, B; Peco, R; Pennings, G; Raya, A; Sermon, K; Veiga, A

2016-06-01

With the recent development of CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas9 genome editing technology, the possibility to genetically manipulate the human germline (gametes and embryos) has become a distinct technical possibility. Although many technical challenges still need to be overcome in order to achieve adequate efficiency and precision of the technology in human embryos, the path leading to genome editing has never been simpler, more affordable, and widespread. In this narrative review we seek to understand the possible impact of CRISR/Cas9 technology on human reproduction from the technical and ethical point of view, and suggest a course of action for the scientific community. This non-systematic review was carried out using Medline articles in English, as well as technical documents from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and reports in the media. The technical possibilities of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology with regard to human reproduction are analysed based on results obtained in model systems such as large animals and laboratory rodents. Further, the possibility of CRISPR/Cas9 use in the context of human reproduction, to modify embryos, germline cells, and pluripotent stem cells is reviewed based on the authors' expert opinion. Finally, the possible uses and consequences of CRISPR/cas9 gene editing in reproduction are analysed from the ethical point of view. We identify critical technical and ethical issues that should deter from employing CRISPR/Cas9 based technologies in human reproduction until they are clarified. Overcoming the numerous technical limitations currently associated with CRISPR/Cas9 mediated editing of the human germline will depend on intensive research that needs to be transparent and widely disseminated. Rather than a call to a generalized moratorium, or banning, of this type of research, efforts should be placed on establishing an open, international, collaborative and regulated research framework. Equally important, a societal discussion on the risks, benefits, and preferred applications of the new technology, including all relevant stakeholders, is urgently needed and should be promoted, and ultimately guide research priorities in this area. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

It's not just pills and potions? depoliticising health inequalities policy in England.

PubMed

Qureshi, Kaveri

2013-04-01

In England, health inequalities policy shifted during the Labour term (1997-2010) from initially strong commitments to tackling the 'upstream' social determinants of health to a technically-driven emphasis on lifestyle risk factors and healthcare access. This multi-sited study, based in and around Westminster (2006-2007), extends our understanding of how political context influences policy-making by drawing from anthropological studies of policy. Qualitative material from central government is put into conversation with theory concerning policy as zones of practices. The paper explores the bristly process through which public health, healthcare and corporate interests vied to shape the political agenda for health inequalities; the selective use of evidence by civil servants in accordance with their perceptions of what politicians conceive to be electorally palatable; the silencing of critique of the dominant narrative about evidence-based policy; and how technical aids developed a life of their own - as a result of which, health inequalities policy ended up being depoliticised.

A network of autonomous surface ozone monitors in Antarctica: technical description and first results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauguitte, S. J.; Brough, N.; Frey, M. M.; Jones, A. E.; Roscoe, H. K.; Wolff, E. W.

2009-12-01

Concentrations of surface ozone over polar regions cannot be derived from satellite data so can only be studied from ground-based platforms. To understand the regional picture a carefully-designed network of ground-based monitors is required. Here we report on a network of 10 autonomous ozone monitors that was established around the Weddell Sea sector of coastal Antarctica with a transect up onto the Antarctic Plateau during the International Polar Year. The aim was to measure for a full year, thus gaining a much-improved broader view of boundary layer ozone seasonality at different locations as well as on factors affecting the budget of surface ozone in Antarctica. Of specific interest were the balance between halogen-driven destruction and photochemical production from snow-emitted precursors, as well as the spatial extent of ozone depletion events. Each ozone monitor measured successfully within its predefined duty cycle throughout the year, with some differences in performance dependent on power availability. Here we present technical information and first results from the network.

Toward microendoscopy-inspired cardiac optogenetics in vivo: technical overview and perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimas, Aleksandra; Entcheva, Emilia

2014-08-01

The ability to perform precise, spatially localized actuation and measurements of electrical activity in the heart is crucial in understanding cardiac electrophysiology and devising new therapeutic solutions for control of cardiac arrhythmias. Current cardiac imaging techniques (i.e. optical mapping) employ voltage- or calcium-sensitive fluorescent dyes to visualize the electrical signal propagation through cardiac syncytium in vitro or in situ with very high-spatiotemporal resolution. The extension of optogenetics into the cardiac field, where cardiac tissue is genetically altered to express light-sensitive ion channels allowing electrical activity to be elicited or suppressed in a precise cell-specific way, has opened the possibility for all-optical interrogation of cardiac electrophysiology. In vivo application of cardiac optogenetics faces multiple challenges and necessitates suitable optical systems employing fiber optics to actuate and sense electrical signals. In this technical perspective, we present a compendium of clinically relevant access routes to different parts of the cardiac electrical conduction system based on currently employed catheter imaging systems and determine the quantitative size constraints for endoscopic cardiac optogenetics. We discuss the relevant technical advancements in microendoscopy, cardiac imaging, and optogenetics and outline the strategies for combining them to create a portable, miniaturized fiber-based system for all-optical interrogation of cardiac electrophysiology in vivo.

An Approach to Tailoring Major Technical Reviews Based on Project Characteristics and Stakeholder Interests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richstein, Alan B.; Nolte, Jerome T.; Pfarr, Barbara B.

2004-01-01

There are numerous technical reviews that occur throughout the systems engineering process life cycle. Many are well known by project managers and stakeholders such as developers and end users, an example of much is the critical design review (CDR). This major milestone for a large, complex new project may last two or more days, include an extensive agenda of topics, and entail hundreds of hours of developer time to prepare presentation materials and associated documents. Additionally, the weeks of schedule spent on review preparation is at least partly at the expense of other work. This paper suggests an approach for tailoring technical reviews, based on the project characteristics and the project manager s identification of the key stakeholders and understanding of their most important issues and considerations. With this insight the project manager can communicate to, manage expectations oc and establish formal agreement with the stakeholders as to which reviews, and at what depth, are most appropriate to achieve project success. The authors, coming from diverse organizations and backgrounds, have drawn on their personal experiences and summarized the best practices of their own organizations to create a common framework to provide guidance on the adaptation of design reviews to other system engineers.

Knowledge, Understanding, and Behavior

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-10-04

UNCLASSIFIED Defense Technical Information Center Compilation Part Notice ADP021346 TITLE: Knowledge , Understanding , and Behavior DISTRIBUTION... Knowledge , Understanding , and Behavior James Albus Intelligent Systems Division , National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899 301... understanding ? How does understanding the world works, and knowledge of procedures for using influence behavior? These are philosophical questions models to

Improving the Acquisition of Basic Technical Surgical Skills with VR-Based Simulation Coupled with Computer-Based Video Instruction.

PubMed

Rojas, David; Kapralos, Bill; Dubrowski, Adam

2016-01-01

Next to practice, feedback is the most important variable in skill acquisition. Feedback can vary in content and the way that it is used for delivery. Health professions education research has extensively examined the different effects provided by the different feedback methodologies. In this paper we compared two different types of knowledge of performance (KP) feedback. The first type was video-based KP feedback while the second type consisted of computer generated KP feedback. Results of this study showed that computer generated performance feedback is more effective than video based performance feedback. The combination of the two feedback methodologies provides trainees with a better understanding.

STP 4-06 Model-Based Technical Data in Procurement, 3D PDF Technology Data Demonstration Project. Phase 1 Summary

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-01

O R G STP 4-06 MODEL-BASED TECHNICAL DATA IN PROCUREMENT 3D PDF TECHNOLOGY DATA DEMONSTRATION PROJECT PHASE 1 SUMMARY REPORT DL309T2...LMI’s ISO- certified quality management procedures. J U L Y 2 0 1 5 STP 4-06 MODEL-BASED TECHNICAL DATA IN PROCUREMENT 3D PDF TECHNICAL DATA...Based Technical Data ..................................................................................... 5 3D PDF Demonstration Team

48 CFR 1352.215-70 - Proposal preparation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...; justifications for noncompetitive proposed subcontracts; identification of technical data to be withheld; and any... evaluation factor.] Evaluation Factor 1—Technical Approach. Provide information on how the project is to be organized, staffed, and managed that demonstrates the offeror's understanding and effective management of...

Expectations and outcome skills of a generalist health care administrator.

PubMed

Jones, V B; Taylor, L C

1990-01-01

The question of the degree of technical versus managerial competence to be found in future graduates from health administration programs is not easily resolved. In the HIMSS 1988 survey of CIOs the attributes needed for success are listed in descending rank order as follows: leadership ability, vision/imagination, knowledge of hospital systems, business acumen, decisiveness, and technical competence. CIOs ranked technical competence as less important than other attributes associated with general management success. The expectations for attitudes, knowledge, and skills presented in this article support the greater importance of management abilities relative to pure technical competence. However, it is vital that an appropriate level of technical knowledge and skill be maintained to enable future alumni of health administration programs to function effectively as administrators. Depending on their role in a health care organization, greater or lesser technical knowledge may be needed. Those pursuing a career path toward CIO must, of necessity, have greater technical knowledge and skill. We have discussed necessary and expected attitudes, knowledge, and skills that will be needed by the generalist health administration graduate in the future. It will be important to develop and maintain an attitude that MIS is a strategic tool, that health care technology is a corporate asset, and that information is power. Graduates must recognize the necessity of maintaining and enhancing their knowledge and skills through continuing education. The knowledge base of MIS education should focus on determining information needs to support strategic goals, understanding of general systems theory, principles of systems analysis, design, implementation and maintenance, awareness and exposure to standard application software, and an awareness of external sources of data.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Observation of behavioural markers of non-technical skills in the operating room and their relationship to intra-operative incidents.

PubMed

Siu, Joey; Maran, Nikki; Paterson-Brown, Simon

2016-06-01

The importance of non-technical skills in improving surgical safety and performance is now well recognised. Better understanding is needed of the impact that non-technical skills of the multi-disciplinary theatre team have on intra-operative incidents in the operating room (OR) using structured theatre-based assessment. The interaction of non-technical skills that influence surgical safety of the OR team will be explored and made more transparent. Between May-August 2013, a range of procedures in general and vascular surgery in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh were performed. Non-technical skills behavioural markers and associated intra-operative incidents were recorded using established behavioural marking systems (NOTSS, ANTS and SPLINTS). Adherence to the surgical safety checklist was also observed. A total of 51 procedures were observed, with 90 recorded incidents - 57 of which were considered avoidable. Poor situational awareness was a common area for surgeons and anaesthetists leading to most intra-operative incidents. Poor communication and teamwork across the whole OR team had a generally large impact on intra-operative incidents. Leadership was shown to be an essential set of skills for the surgeons as demonstrated by the high correlation of poor leadership with intra-operative incidents. Team-working and management skills appeared to be especially important for anaesthetists in the recovery from an intra-operative incident. A significant number of avoidable incidents occur during operative procedures. These can all be linked to failures in non-technical skills. Better training of both individual and team in non-technical skills is needed in order to improve patient safety in the operating room. Copyright © 2014 Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (Scottish charity number SC005317) and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role of scientific data in health decisions.

PubMed Central

Samuels, S W

1979-01-01

The distinction between reality and models or methodological assumptions is necessary for an understanding of the use of data--economic, technical or biological--in decision-making. The traditional modes of analysis used in decisions are discussed historically and analytically. Utilitarian-based concepts such as cost-benefit analysis and cannibalistic concepts such as "acceptable risk" are rejected on logical and moral grounds. Historical reality suggests the concept of socially necessary risk determined through the dialectic process in democracy. PMID:120251

Technical Leadership Development Program-Year 3

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-30

Develop an understanding of why achieving technology-based competitive advantage can be part of firm’s business strategy.  Review the Porter Model ...NUMBER H98230-08-D-0171 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR( S ) Gavito /Dr. Valentin 5d. PROJECT NUMBER RT 4-3 5e. TASK...NUMBER WHS TO009 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME( S ) AND ADDRESS(ES) Stevens Institute of Technology 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION

Establishing a research agenda for scientific and technical information (STI) - Focus on the user

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.

1992-01-01

This report addresses the relationship between library science and information science theory and practice, between the development of conceptual understanding, and the practical competence of information professionals. Consideration is given to the concept of research, linking theory with practice, and the reality of theory based practice. Attention is given to the need for research and research priorities, focus on the user and information-seeking behavior, and a user-oriented research agenda for STI.

Establishing a research agenda for Scientific and Technical Information (STI): Focus on the user

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.

1992-01-01

This report addresses the relationship between library science and information science theory and practice, between the development of conceptual understanding, and the practical competence of information professionals. Consideration is given to the concept of research, linking theory with practice, and the reality of theory based practice. Attention is given to the need for research and research priorities, focus on the user and information-seeking behavior, and a user-oriented research agenda for STI.

KSC-2011-1566

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-02-22

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Orbital Sciences Taurus XL rocket and NASA's encapsulated Glory spacecraft await launch on the pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base's Space Launch Complex 576-E in California. Liftoff originally was scheduled for 5:09 a.m. EST Feb. 23, but was scrubbed for at least 24 hours due to a technical issue that engineers are evaluating. Once Glory reaches orbit, it will collect data on the properties of aerosols and black carbon. It also will help scientists understand how the sun's irradiance affects Earth's climate. For information, visit www.nasa.gov/glory. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

KSC-2011-1564

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-02-22

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Orbital Sciences Taurus XL rocket and NASA's encapsulated Glory spacecraft await launch on the pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base's Space Launch Complex 576-E in California. Liftoff originally was scheduled for 5:09 a.m. EST Feb. 23, but was scrubbed for at least 24 hours due to a technical issue that engineers are evaluating. Once Glory reaches orbit, it will collect data on the properties of aerosols and black carbon. It also will help scientists understand how the sun's irradiance affects Earth's climate. For information, visit www.nasa.gov/glory. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

Psychometric properties of the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity coding system 4.2 with jail inmates.

PubMed

Owens, Mandy D; Rowell, Lauren N; Moyers, Theresa

2017-10-01

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based approach shown to be helpful for a variety of behaviors across many populations. Treatment fidelity is an important tool for understanding how and with whom MI may be most helpful. The Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity coding system was recently updated to incorporate new developments in the research and theory of MI, including the relational and technical hypotheses of MI (MITI 4.2). To date, no studies have examined the MITI 4.2 with forensic populations. In this project, twenty-two brief MI interventions with jail inmates were evaluated to test the reliability of the MITI 4.2. Validity of the instrument was explored using regression models to examine the associations between global scores (Empathy, Partnership, Cultivating Change Talk and Softening Sustain Talk) and outcomes. Reliability of this coding system with these data was strong. We found that therapists had lower ratings of Empathy with participants who had more extensive criminal histories. Both Relational and Technical global scores were associated with criminal histories as well as post-intervention ratings of motivation to decrease drug use. Findings indicate that the MITI 4.2 was reliable for coding sessions with jail inmates. Additionally, results provided information related to the relational and technical hypotheses of MI. Future studies can use the MITI 4.2 to better understand the mechanisms behind how MI works with this high-risk group. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Progress in Emission Efficiency of Organic Light-Emitting Diodes: Basic Understanding and Its Technical Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsutsui, Tetsuo; Takada, Noriyuki

2013-11-01

The technical history of when and how the basic understanding of the emission efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) was established over the last 50 years is described. At first, our understanding of emission efficiency in single-crystal and thin-film electroluminescence (EL) devices in the early stages before the Eastman-Kodak breakthrough, that is, the introduction of the concept of multilayer structures, is examined. Then our contemplation travels from the Eastman-Kodak breakthrough towards the presently widely accepted concept of emission efficiency. The essential issues concerning the emission efficiency of OLEDs are summarized to help readers to obtain a common understanding of OLED efficiency problems, and detailed discussions on the primary factors that determine emission efficiency are given. Finally, some comments on remaining issues are presented.

An Online Approach to Teaching International Outsourcing in Technical Communication Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

St. Amant, Kirk

2005-01-01

The growth of international online access has given rise to a new production method--international outsourcing--that has important implications for technical communication practices. Successful interactions within international outsourcing require individuals to understand how cultural factors could affect online interactions. Today's technical…

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.

Understanding critical barriers to implementing a clinical information system in a nursing home through the lens of a socio-technical perspective.

PubMed

Or, Calvin; Dohan, Michael; Tan, Joseph

2014-09-01

This paper addresses key barriers to implementing a clinical information system (CIS) in a Hong Kong nursing home setting, from a healthcare specific socio-technical perspective. Data was collected through field observations (n = 12) and semi-structured individual interviews (n = 18) of CIS stakeholders in a Hong Kong nursing home, and analyzed using the immersion/crystallization approach. Complex interactions relevant to our case were contextualized and interpreted within the perspective of the Sittig-Singh Healthcare Socio-Technical Framework (HSTF). Three broad clusters of implementation barriers from the eight HSTF dimensions were identified: (a) Infrastructure-based barriers, which relate to conflict between government regulations and system functional needs of users; lack of financial support; inconsistency between workflow, work policy, and procedures; and inadequacy of hardware-software infrastructural and technical support; (b) Process-based barriers, which relate to mismatch between the technology, existing work practice and workflow, and communication; low system speed, accessibility, and stability; deficient computer literacy; more experience in health care profession; clinical content inadequacy and unavailability; as well as poor system usefulness and user interface design; and (c) Outcome-based barriers, which relate to the lack of measurement and monitoring of system effectiveness. Two additional dimensions underlining the importance of the ability of a CIS to change are proposed to extend the Sittig-Singh HSTF. First, advocacy would promote the articulation and influence of changes in the system and subsequent outcomes by CIS stakeholders, and second, adaptability would ensure the ability of the system to adjust to emerging needs. The broad set of discovered implementation shortcomings expands prior research on why CIS can fail in nursing home settings. Moreover, our investigation offers a knowledge base and recommendations that can serve as a guide for future implementation strategies and policies in CIS initiatives.

The International Linear Collider Technical Design Report - Volume 2: Physics

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

Baer, Howard; Barklow, Tim; Fujii, Keisuke

2013-06-26

The International Linear Collider Technical Design Report (TDR) describes in four volumes the physics case and the design of a 500 GeV centre-of-mass energy linear electron-positron collider based on superconducting radio-frequency technology using Niobium cavities as the accelerating structures. The accelerator can be extended to 1 TeV and also run as a Higgs factory at around 250 GeV and on the Z0 pole. A comprehensive value estimate of the accelerator is give, together with associated uncertainties. It is shown that no significant technical issues remain to be solved. Once a site is selected and the necessary site-dependent engineering is carriedmore » out, construction can begin immediately. The TDR also gives baseline documentation for two high-performance detectors that can share the ILC luminosity by being moved into and out of the beam line in a "push-pull" configuration. These detectors, ILD and SiD, are described in detail. They form the basis for a world-class experimental programme that promises to increase significantly our understanding of the fundamental processes that govern the evolution of the Universe.« less

The International Linear Collider Technical Design Report - Volume 4: Detectors

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

Behnke, Ties

2013-06-26

The International Linear Collider Technical Design Report (TDR) describes in four volumes the physics case and the design of a 500 GeV centre-of-mass energy linear electron-positron collider based on superconducting radio-frequency technology using Niobium cavities as the accelerating structures. The accelerator can be extended to 1 TeV and also run as a Higgs factory at around 250 GeV and on the Z0 pole. A comprehensive value estimate of the accelerator is give, together with associated uncertainties. It is shown that no significant technical issues remain to be solved. Once a site is selected and the necessary site-dependent engineering is carriedmore » out, construction can begin immediately. The TDR also gives baseline documentation for two high-performance detectors that can share the ILC luminosity by being moved into and out of the beam line in a "push-pull" configuration. These detectors, ILD and SiD, are described in detail. They form the basis for a world-class experimental programme that promises to increase significantly our understanding of the fundamental processes that govern the evolution of the Universe.« less

Knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS among students of a technical institution.

PubMed

Gupta, Prem Prakash; Verma, Rohit Kumar; Tripathi, Poonam; Gupta, Shruti; Pandey, Awanish Kumar

2015-08-01

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a major health problem worldwide. The number of infected people is increasing daily. Knowledge and awareness toward prevention and control of the disease is necessary among both educated and illiterate people. This study is aimed at assessing the knowledge and awareness about human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS among undergraduate students studying in a technical institute in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among youths aged 15-30 years studying in a technical institution in Gorakhpur. Data were collected using a semistructured questionnaire developed with the help of existing literature, from 250 participants (students). The main source of information was the television; knowledge about the difference between HIV/AIDS was satisfactory. The findings showed that the knowledge about modes of prevention (blood checkup, needle/syringe sterilization) was satisfactory. There were several misconceptions about the modes of transmission of the disease, such as through mosquito bites, eating/drinking, and kissing. The knowledge of the study population was satisfactory, and there is a need for innovation and comprehensive education to impart better knowledge and understanding about HIV/AIDS.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 1: The value of scientific and technical information (STI), its relationship to Research and Development (R/D), and its use by US aerospace engineers and scientists

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Glassman, Myron; Oliu, Walter E.

1990-01-01

This paper is based on the premise that scientific and technical information (STI), its use by aerospace engineers and scientists, and the aerospace research and development (R&D) process are related. We intend to support this premise with data gathered from numerous studies concerned with STI, the relationship of STI to the performance and management of R&D activities, and the information use and seeking behavior of engineers in general and aerospace engineers and scientists in particular. We intend to develop and present a synthesized appreciation of how aerospace R&D managers can improve the efficacy of the R&D process by understanding the role and value of STI in this process.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM TECHNICAL MANUAL ON HOOD SYSTEM CAPTURE OF PROCESS FUGITIVE PARTICULATE EMISSIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The paper discusses a technical manual whose emphasis is on the design and evaluation of actual hood systems used to control various fugitive particulate emission sources. Engineering analyses of the most important hood types are presented to provide a conceptual understanding of...

Environmental engineering education: examples of accreditation and quality assurance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caporali, E.; Catelani, M.; Manfrida, G.; Valdiserri, J.

2013-12-01

Environmental engineers respond to the challenges posed by a growing population, intensifying land-use pressures, natural resources exploitation as well as rapidly evolving technology. The environmental engineer must develop technically sound solutions within the framework of maintaining or improving environmental quality, complying with public policy, and optimizing the utilization of resources. The engineer provides system and component design, serves as a technical advisor in policy making and legal deliberations, develops management schemes for resources, and provides technical evaluations of systems. Through the current work of environmental engineers, individuals and businesses are able to understand how to coordinate society's interaction with the environment. There will always be a need for engineers who are able to integrate the latest technologies into systems to respond to the needs for food and energy while protecting natural resources. In general, the environment-related challenges and problems need to be faced at global level, leading to the globalization of the engineering profession which requires not only the capacity to communicate in a common technical language, but also the assurance of an adequate and common level of technical competences, knowledge and understanding. In this framework, the Europe-based EUR ACE (European Accreditation of Engineering Programmes) system, currently operated by ENAEE - European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education can represent the proper framework and accreditation system in order to provide a set of measures to assess the quality of engineering degree programmes in Europe and abroad. The application of the accreditation model EUR-ACE, and of the National Italian Degree Courses Accreditation System, promoted by the Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR), to the Environmental Engineering Degree Courses at the University of Firenze is presented. In particular, the accreditation models of the multidisciplinary first cycle degree in Civil, Building and Environmental Engineering and the more specific second cycle degree in Environmental Engineering are discussed. The critical issues to assure the quality and the status of environmental engineering graduates, in terms of applying knowledge capacities and technical innovative competences, according to the more engineering focused EUR-ACE skill descriptors as well as with respect to the Dublin descriptors, at local and global scale are also compared. The involvement of the professional working world in the definition of goals in skills, of typical expectations of achievements and abilities is also described. The system for educating engineers in communicating knowledge and understanding, making informed judgments and choices, capacities to lifelong learning is in addition assessed. The promotion of innovative aspects related with the environmental engineering education, and of the role that science and technology could play in environmental engineering education is also taken into consideration.

Preparing Teachers to Support the Development of Climate Literate Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haddad, N.; Ledley, T. S.; Ellins, K. K.; Bardar, E. W.; Youngman, E.; Dunlap, C.; Lockwood, J.; Mote, A. S.; McNeal, K.; Libarkin, J. C.; Lynds, S. E.; Gold, A. U.

2014-12-01

The EarthLabs climate project includes curriculum development, teacher professional development, teacher leadership development, and research on student learning, all directed at increasing high school teachers' and students' understanding of the factors that shape our planet's climate. The project has developed four new modules which focus on climate literacy and which are part of the larger Web based EarthLabs collection of Earth science modules. Climate related themes highlighted in the new modules include the Earth system with its positive and negative feedback loops; the range of temporal and spatial scales at which climate, weather, and other Earth system processes occur; and the recurring question, "How do we know what we know about Earth's past and present climate?" which addresses proxy data and scientific instrumentation. EarthLabs climate modules use two central strategies to help students navigate the multiple challenges inherent in understanding climate science. The first is to actively engage students with the content by using a variety of learning modes, and by allowing students to pace themselves through interactive visualizations that address particularly challenging content. The second strategy, which is the focus of this presentation, is to support teachers in a subject area where few have substantive content knowledge or technical skills. Teachers who grasp the processes and interactions that give Earth its climate and the technical skills to engage with relevant data and visualizations are more likely to be successful in supporting students' understanding of climate's complexities. This presentation will briefly introduce the EarthLabs project and will describe the steps the project takes to prepare climate literate teachers, including Web based resources, teacher workshops, and the development of a cadre of teacher leaders who are prepared to continue leading the workshops after project funding ends.

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

R. Strykowsky, T. Brown, J. Chrzanowski, M. Cole, P. Heitzenroeder, G.H. Neilson, Donald Rej, and M. Viola

The National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) was designed to test physics principles of an innovative fusion energy confinement device developed by the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under contract from the US Department of Energy. The project was technically very challenging, primarily due to the complex component geometries and tight tolerances that were required. As the project matured these challenges manifested themselves in significant cost overruns through all phases of the project (i.e. design, R&D, fabrication and assembly). The project was subsequently cancelled by the DOE in 2008. Although the project was not completed,more » several major work packages, comprising about 65% of the total estimated cost (excluding management and contingency), were completed, providing a data base of actual costs that can be analyzed to understand cost drivers. Technical factors that drove costs included the complex geometry, tight tolerances, material requirements, and performance requirements. Management factors included imposed annual funding constraints that throttled project cash flow, staff availability, and inadequate R&D. Understanding how requirements and design decisions drove cost through this top-down forensic cost analysis could provide valuable insight into the configuration and design of future state-of-the art machines and other devices.« less

Scaffold translation: barriers between concept and clinic.

PubMed

Hollister, Scott J; Murphy, William L

2011-12-01

Translation of scaffold-based bone tissue engineering (BTE) therapies to clinical use remains, bluntly, a failure. This dearth of translated tissue engineering therapies (including scaffolds) remains despite 25 years of research, research funding totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, over 12,000 papers on BTE and over 2000 papers on BTE scaffolds alone in the past 10 years (PubMed search). Enabling scaffold translation requires first an understanding of the challenges, and second, addressing the complete range of these challenges. There are the obvious technical challenges of designing, manufacturing, and functionalizing scaffolds to fill the Form, Fixation, Function, and Formation needs of bone defect repair. However, these technical solutions should be targeted to specific clinical indications (e.g., mandibular defects, spine fusion, long bone defects, etc.). Further, technical solutions should also address business challenges, including the need to obtain regulatory approval, meet specific market needs, and obtain private investment to develop products, again for specific clinical indications. Finally, these business and technical challenges present a much different model than the typical research paradigm, presenting the field with philosophical challenges in terms of publishing and funding priorities that should be addressed as well. In this article, we review in detail the technical, business, and philosophical barriers of translating scaffolds from Concept to Clinic. We argue that envisioning and engineering scaffolds as modular systems with a sliding scale of complexity offers the best path to addressing these translational challenges. © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

BENCHMARK DOSE TECHNICAL GUIDANCE DOCUMENT ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance for the Agency on the application of the benchmark dose approach in determining the point of departure (POD) for health effects data, whether a linear or nonlinear low dose extrapolation is used. The guidance includes discussion on computation of benchmark doses and benchmark concentrations (BMDs and BMCs) and their lower confidence limits, data requirements, dose-response analysis, and reporting requirements. This guidance is based on today's knowledge and understanding, and on experience gained in using this approach.

Knowledge-Based Natural Language Understanding: A AAAI-87 Survey Talk

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-01-01

a close call can be easily transformed into a regrettable mistake (don’t cry over spilt milk ) if G is not characterized as a fleeting goal and a...that technical literature is characterized by very dry and literal language. If there is one place where metaphors might not intrude, it must 3 be when...question. What, in your opinion, controls the development of this research from the point of view of both evidential support and falsification ? I ask

Knowledge-Based Natural Language Understanding: A AAAI-87 Survey Talk

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

easily transformed into a regrettable mistake (don’t cry over spilt milk ) if G is not characterized as a fleeting goal and a recovery plan therefore...technical literature is characterized by very dry and literal language. If there is one place where metaphors might not intrude, it must be when people...from the point of view of both evidential support and falsification ? I ask it because you didn’t say anything about it. A: Well, I think there’s a lot

Gas-turbine critical research and advanced technology support project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, J. S.; Lowell, C. E.; Niedzwiecki, R. W.; Nainiger, J. J.

1979-01-01

The technical progress made during the first 15 months of a planned 40-month project to provide a critical-technology data base for utility gas-turbine systems capable of burning coal-derived fuels is summarized. Tasks were included in the following areas: (1) combustion, to study the combustion of coal-derived fuels and conversion of fuel-bound nitrogen to NOx; (2) materials, to understand and prevent hot corrosion; and (3) system studies, to integrate and guide the other technologies. Significant progress was made.

Image Understanding: Proceedings of a Workshop (15th) Held at New Orleans, Louisiana on 3-4 October 1984

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-10-01

functions", Numer . Math., Engineering , Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1980. (see 10, 177-183, 1967. also MIT Al Lab Technical Report 597, 1980...and steady growth. We have augmented our hardware and distance. In related work, we have explored the use of software base (Vax plus Grinnel, running...capabilities will be the body of software currently ac- 8. COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT FOR cumulated in the testbed and other programs now being devel- IU

Use of technical skills and medical devices among new registered nurses: A questionnaire study.

PubMed

Ewertsson, Mona; Gustafsson, Margareta; Blomberg, Karin; Holmström, Inger K; Allvin, Renée

2015-12-01

One comprehensive part of nursing practice is performing technical skills and handling of medical equipment. This might be challenging for new registered nurses (RNs) to do in patient-safe way. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the extent to which new RNs perform various technical skills and handle medical devices in different settings, and to investigate their possibility for continued learning in this respect. A further aim was to describe their perceptions of incident reporting related to technical skills and medical devices. A cross-sectional study with descriptive and comparative design. RNs who recently graduated from a nursing programme at three Swedish universities and had worked as a RN for up to 1 year were included in the study (n=113, response rate 57%). Data were collected by means of a postal questionnaire. Half of the RNs reported that they performed several of the listed tasks every day or every week, regardless of workplace. These tasks were most frequently performed in surgical departments. The majority of the participants (76%) stated a need of continued practical training. However, less than half of them (48%) had access to a training environment. Several participants (43%) had been involved in incidents related to technical skills or medical devices, which were not always reported. Nearly a third of the participants (31%) did not use the existing guidelines when performing technical skills, and reflection on performance was uncommon. This study highlights the importance of shared responsibilities between nurse educators and health care employers to provide learning opportunities for new RNs in technical skills, to maintain patient safety. To increase the safety culture where nursing students and new RNs understand the importance of using evidence-based guidelines and taking a reflective approach in the performance of technical tasks is needed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamic Segmentation Of Behavior Patterns Based On Quantity Value Movement Using Fuzzy Subtractive Clustering Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sangadji, Iriansyah; Arvio, Yozika; Indrianto

2018-03-01

to understand by analyzing the pattern of changes in value movements that can dynamically vary over a given period with relative accuracy, an equipment is required based on the utilization of technical working principles or specific analytical method. This will affect the level of validity of the output that will occur from this system. Subtractive clustering is based on the density (potential) size of data points in a space (variable). The basic concept of subtractive clustering is to determine the regions in a variable that has high potential for the surrounding points. In this paper result is segmentation of behavior pattern based on quantity value movement. It shows the number of clusters is formed and that has many members.

Guidelines for Biosafety Training Programs for Workers Assigned to BSL-3 Research Laboratories.

PubMed

Homer, Lesley C; Alderman, T Scott; Blair, Heather Ann; Brocard, Anne-Sophie; Broussard, Elaine E; Ellis, Robert P; Frerotte, Jay; Low, Eleanor W; McCarthy, Travis R; McCormick, Jessica M; Newton, JeT'Aime M; Rogers, Francine C; Schlimgen, Ryan; Stabenow, Jennifer M; Stedman, Diann; Warfield, Cheryl; Ntiforo, Corrie A; Whetstone, Carol T; Zimmerman, Domenica; Barkley, Emmett

2013-03-01

The Guidelines for Biosafety Training Programs for Workers Assigned to BSL-3 Research Laboratories were developed by biosafety professionals who oversee training programs for the 2 national biocontainment laboratories (NBLs) and the 13 regional biocontainment laboratories (RBLs) that participate in the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) NBL/RBL Network. These guidelines provide a general training framework for biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) high-containment laboratories, identify key training concepts, and outline training methodologies designed to standardize base knowledge, understanding, and technical competence of laboratory personnel working in high-containment laboratories. Emphasis is placed on building a culture of risk assessment-based safety through competency training designed to enhance understanding and recognition of potential biological hazards as well as methods for controlling these hazards. These guidelines may be of value to other institutions and academic research laboratories that are developing biosafety training programs for BSL-3 research.

Nutritional Management of Acute Diarrhea in Infants and Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, Washington, DC. Food and Nutrition Board.

Written primarily for health professionals advising on programs and policy related to nutrition and diarrhea therapy, this report is aimed at management of diarrhea in less-developed countries, but its information and technical insights are relevant to an understanding of diarrhea and its management throughout the world. Technical in orientation…

Outdoor Leadership Evaluation: Nature and Scope of the Problem.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Leroy M.

Beyond the ability to exhibit good judgment and common sense while performing duties as a leader under stress and pressure, an outdoor adventure program leader should possess technical skills, human relations skills, and philosophical understanding of outdoor programming. Technical skills include knowledge of initiatives/ropes course activities,…

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,…

The Acoustical Presentation of Technical Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnett, George A.

1992-01-01

Advocates listening to technical information in much the same way as scientists and engineers look at graphics to understand the relationships among variables. Specifies a number of potential benefits of this approach. Demonstrates the presentation of acoustic information with data on the frequency of television viewing from 1950 to 1988. (SR)

Technical Specifications of the Nihongo Tutorial System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leung, Kei Wai; Maciejewski, Anthony A.

The Nihongo tutorial system is an intelligent tutorial system designed to use a computer to assist scientists and engineers in developing reading competence in technical Japanese. It consists of three applications: the Nihongo Tutor, which provides useful information about an article (translation, syntax, pronunciation) to help understand the text…

Succession Planning for Management Staff at a Western Canadian Postsecondary Technical Institute.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cembrowski, Barbara Joan; da Costa, Jose L.

This study used naturalistic inquiry to gain an understanding of how managerial personnel perceived career development and succession planning at a postsecondary technical institute in Canada. A total of nine individuals in three different career development stages completed semistructured interviews. It was found that managers perceived the…

Aristotelian Rhetorical Theory as a Framework for Teaching Scientific and Technical Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Sara

1999-01-01

Describes an upper level rhetorical theory course for Scientific and Technical Communication majors (developed and taught by the author) that is grounded in Aristotle's "On Rhetoric" and in his understanding that effective communication is a systematic "tekhne"/art. Describes how the course uses Aristotle's work as a…

Diving into Real World Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saldana, Matt; Rodden, Leslie

2012-01-01

In this article, the authors discuss how educators can engage students in real world learning using their academic knowledge and technical skills. They describe how school districts have discovered that the world of robotics can help students use technical skills to solve simulated problems found in the real world, while understanding the…

Using Design Principles to Teach Technical Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markel, Mike

1995-01-01

Compares the writing of two students--a competent writer and a weak one--in a technical communication course before and after discussion of design principles. Finds that a basic understanding of design principles helped them improve document macrostructure but had little effect on document microstructure. Suggests that integrating document design…

A Bit More to It: Scholarly Communication Forums as Socio-Technical Interaction Networks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kling, Rob; McKim, Geoffrey; King, Adam

2003-01-01

Examines the conceptual models that help to understand the development and sustainability of scholarly and professional communication forums on the Internet. An alternative information processing model that considers information technologies as Socio-Technical Interaction Networks (STINs) and a method for modeling electronic forums as STINs are…

The Importance of Institutional Culture at a Technical College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Sarah Y.

2014-01-01

This is a qualitative study about the importance of institutional culture at a particular technical college in Wisconsin. It examines the administrators' understanding of their institution's culture, the importance they attach to the culture, and how they perceive they both manage and influence their institution's culture. Bergquist and Pawlak's…

Modeling Power Systems as Complex Adaptive Systems

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

Chassin, David P.; Malard, Joel M.; Posse, Christian

2004-12-30

Physical analogs have shown considerable promise for understanding the behavior of complex adaptive systems, including macroeconomics, biological systems, social networks, and electric power markets. Many of today's most challenging technical and policy questions can be reduced to a distributed economic control problem. Indeed, economically based control of large-scale systems is founded on the conjecture that the price-based regulation (e.g., auctions, markets) results in an optimal allocation of resources and emergent optimal system control. This report explores the state-of-the-art physical analogs for understanding the behavior of some econophysical systems and deriving stable and robust control strategies for using them. We reviewmore » and discuss applications of some analytic methods based on a thermodynamic metaphor, according to which the interplay between system entropy and conservation laws gives rise to intuitive and governing global properties of complex systems that cannot be otherwise understood. We apply these methods to the question of how power markets can be expected to behave under a variety of conditions.« less

Understanding ageing in older Australians: The contribution of the Dynamic Analyses to Optimise Ageing (DYNOPTA) project to the evidenced base and policy

PubMed Central

Anstey, Kaarin J; Bielak, Allison AM; Birrell, Carole L; Browning, Colette J; Burns, Richard A; Byles, Julie; Kiley, Kim M; Nepal, Binod; Ross, Lesley A; Steel, David; Windsor, Timothy D

2014-01-01

Aim To describe the Dynamic Analyses to Optimise Ageing (DYNOPTA) project and illustrate its contributions to understanding ageing through innovative methodology, and investigations on outcomes based on the project themes. DYNOPTA provides a platform and technical expertise that may be used to combine other national and international datasets. Method The DYNOPTA project has pooled and harmonized data from nine Australian longitudinal studies to create the largest available longitudinal dataset (N=50652) on ageing in Australia. Results A range of findings have resulted from the study to date, including methodological advances, prevalence rates of disease and disability, and mapping trajectories of ageing with and without increasing morbidity. DYNOPTA also forms the basis of a microsimulation model that will provide projections of future costs of disease and disability for the baby boomer cohort. Conclusion DYNOPTA contributes significantly to the Australian evidence-base on ageing to inform key social and health policy domains. PMID:22032767

Technical Report Department of Energy Grant #SC0004335 “Tracking Down Cheaters. Molecular Analysis of Carbon Consumption by Organisms That Do Not Contribute to Extracellular Enzyme Pools”

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

Blackwood, Christopher

2015-05-31

The overriding objective of our work is to integrate physiological and community ecology of belowground organisms into understanding of soil carbon dynamics to improve predictions of terrestrial ecosystem models. This includes using metagenomics and metatranscriptomics-based methods to understand microbial interactions affecting decomposition and soil carbon dynamics. The focus of the majority of the work directly related to this project was on “cheating”, a poorly understood microbial interaction with a potentially large effect on decomposition. Model organisms were used to determine the types of organisms that cheat based on their known niche and genomic characteristics. In addition, we study plant andmore » microbial traits and plant-microbe interactions that affect species distributions and soil carbon, and also develop bioinformatics tools to increase the power of ecological inferences that can be obtained from omics-based sequence data.« less

Reaching a 1.5°C target: socio-technical challenges for a rapid transition to low-carbon electricity systems.

PubMed

Eyre, Nick; Darby, Sarah J; Grünewald, Philipp; McKenna, Eoghan; Ford, Rebecca

2018-05-13

A 1.5°C global average target implies that we should no longer focus on merely incremental emissions reductions from the electricity system, but rather on fundamentally re-envisaging a system that, sooner rather than later, becomes carbon free. Many low-carbon technologies are surpassing mainstream predictions for both uptake and cost reduction. Their deployment is beginning to be disruptive within established systems. 'Smart technologies' are being developed to address emerging challenges of system integration, but their rates of future deployment remain uncertain. We argue that transition towards a system that can fully displace carbon generation sources will require expanding the focus of our efforts beyond technical solutions. Recognizing that change has social and technical dimensions, and that these interact strongly, we set out a socio-technical review that covers electricity infrastructure, citizens, business models and governance. It describes some of the socio-technical challenges that need to be addressed for the successful transition of the existing electricity systems. We conclude that a socio-technical understanding of electricity system transitions offers new and better insights into the potential and challenges for rapid decarbonization.This article is part of the theme issue 'The Paris Agreement: understanding the physical and social challenges for a warming world of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Building Capacity in Understanding Foundational Biology Concepts: A K-12 Learning Progression in Genetics Informed by Research on Children's Thinking and Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elmesky, Rowhea

2013-06-01

This article describes the substance, structure, and rationale of a learning progression in genetics spanning kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12). The learning progression is designed to build a foundation towards understanding protein structure and activity and should be viewed as one possible pathway to understanding concepts of genetics and ultimately protein expression, based on the existing research. The kindergarten through fifth grade segment reflects findings that show children have a rich knowledge base and sophisticated cognitive abilities, and therefore, is designed so that elementary-aged children can learn content in deep and abstract manners, as well as apply scientific explanations appropriate to their knowledge level. The article also details the LP segment facilitating secondary students' understanding by outlining the overlapping conceptual frames which guide student learning from cell structures and functions to cell splitting (both cell division and gamete formation) to genetics as trait transmission, culminating in genetics as protein expression. The learning progression product avoids the use of technical language, which has been identified as a prominent source of student misconceptions in learning cellular biology, and explicit connections between cellular and macroscopic phenomena are encouraged.

Delaware GK-12: Improvement of Science Education in Vocational Technical High Schools Through Collaborative Learning and Coteaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madsen, J.; Skalak, K.; Watson, G.; Scantlebury, K.; Allen, D.; Quillen, A.

2006-12-01

With funding from the National Science Foundation, the University of Delaware (UD) in partnership with the New Castle County Vocational Technical School District (NCCoVoTech) in Delaware has initiated a GK-12 Program. In each of year this program, nine full time UD graduate students in the sciences, who have completed all or most of their coursework, will be selected to serve as fellows. Participation in the GK-12 program benefits the graduate fellows in many ways. In addition to gaining general insight into current issues of science education, the fellows enhance their experience as scientific researchers by directly improving their ability to effectively communicate complex quantitative and technical knowledge to an audience with multiple and diverse learning needs. In the first year of this project, fellows have been paired with high school science teachers from NCCoVoTech. These pairs, along with the principal investigators (PIs) of this program have formed a learning community that is taking this opportunity to examine and to reflect on current issues in science education while specifically addressing critical needs in teaching science in vocational technical high schools. By participating in summer workshops and follow-up meetings facilitated by the PIs, the fellows have been introduced to a number of innovative teaching strategies including problem-based learning (PBL). Fellow/teacher pairs have begun to develop and teach PBL activities that are in agreement with State of Delaware science standards and that support student learning through inquiry. Fellows also have the opportunity to engage in coteaching with their teacher partner. In this "teaching at the elbow of another", fellows will gain a better understanding of and appreciation for the complexities and nuances of teaching science in vocational technical high schools. While not taught as a stand-alone course in NCCoVoTech high schools, earth science topics are integrated into the science curriculum at nearly all levels from the freshman through the senior year. Three of the current group of nine fellows are engaged in Ph.D.-level research within the disciplines of astronomy and hydrology. They will bring this expertise into their collaboration with their practicing teachers with the goal of improving the understanding of earth science topics by high school students within a vocational technical school setting.

Development of a decision aid for energy resource management for the Navajo Nation incorporating environmental cultural values

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Necefer, Len Edward

Decision-making surrounding pathways of future energy resource management are complexity and requires balancing tradeoffs of multiple environmental, social, economic, and technical outcomes. Technical decision aid can provide a framework for informed decision making, allowing individuals to better understand the tradeoff between resources, technology, energy services, and prices. While technical decision aid have made significant advances in evaluating these quantitative aspects of energy planning and performance, they have not been designed to incorporate human factors, such as preferences and behavior that are informed by cultural values. Incorporating cultural values into decision tools can provide not only an improved decision framework for the Navajo Nation, but also generate new insights on how these perspective can improve decision making on energy resources. Ensuring these aids are a cultural fit for each context has the potential to increase trust and promote understanding of the tradeoffs involved in energy resource management. In this dissertation I present the development of a technical tool that explicitly addresses cultural and spiritual values and experimentally assesses their influence on the preferences and decision making of Navajo citizens. Chapter 2 describes the results of a public elicitation effort to gather information about stakeholder views and concerns related to energy development in the Navajo Nation in order to develop a larger sample survey and a decision-support tool that links techno-economic energy models with sociocultural attributes. Chapter 3 details the methods of developing the energy decision aid and its underlying assumptions for alternative energy projects and their impacts. This tool also provides an alternative to economic valuation of cultural impacts based upon an ordinal index tied to environmental impacts. Chapter 4 details the the influence of various cultural, environmental, and economic outcome information provided through the developed decision aid on beliefs and preferences related to the type and scale of energy development, trust of decision makers, and larger concern for environmental protection. Finally, chapter 5 presents concluding thoughts future research and on how technical-social decision tools can provide a means ensuring effective decision making on the Navajo Nation and other American Indian communities.

Technical approaches to characterizing and cleaning up iron and steel mill sites under the brownfields initiative. Final report

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

NONE

EPA has developed this guide to provide decision-makers, such as city planners, private sector developers, and other involved in redeveloping brownfields, with a better understanding of the technical issues involved in assessing and cleaning up iron and steel mill sites so they can make the most informed decisions possible. This overview of the technical process involved in assessing and cleaning up brownfields sites can assist planners in making decisions at various stages of the project. An understanding of land use and industrial processes conducted in the past at a site can help the planner to conceptualize the site and identifymore » likely areas of contamination that may require cleanup. Numerous resources are suggested to facilitate characterization of the site and consideration of cleanup technologies.« less

National GAP Conference 2007-Discussion Groups Report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ratz, Joan M.; Lamb, Berton Lee

2010-01-01

We led two discussion groups during the 2007 National GAP Conference. These discussion groups provided information to help develop a survey of National Gap Analysis Program (GAP) data users. One group discussed technical issues, and the second group discussed the use of GAP data for decisionmaking. Themes emerging from the technical issues group included concerns about data quality, need for information on how to use data, and passive data distribution. The decisionmaking discussion included a wide range of topics including the need to understand presentation of information, the need to connect with and understand users of data, the revision of GAP's mission, and the adaptability of products and data. The decisionmaking group also raised concerns regarding technical issues. One conclusion is that a deep commitment to ongoing information transfer and support is a key component of success for the GAP program.

Linking agent-based models and stochastic models of financial markets

PubMed Central

Feng, Ling; Li, Baowen; Podobnik, Boris; Preis, Tobias; Stanley, H. Eugene

2012-01-01

It is well-known that financial asset returns exhibit fat-tailed distributions and long-term memory. These empirical features are the main objectives of modeling efforts using (i) stochastic processes to quantitatively reproduce these features and (ii) agent-based simulations to understand the underlying microscopic interactions. After reviewing selected empirical and theoretical evidence documenting the behavior of traders, we construct an agent-based model to quantitatively demonstrate that “fat” tails in return distributions arise when traders share similar technical trading strategies and decisions. Extending our behavioral model to a stochastic model, we derive and explain a set of quantitative scaling relations of long-term memory from the empirical behavior of individual market participants. Our analysis provides a behavioral interpretation of the long-term memory of absolute and squared price returns: They are directly linked to the way investors evaluate their investments by applying technical strategies at different investment horizons, and this quantitative relationship is in agreement with empirical findings. Our approach provides a possible behavioral explanation for stochastic models for financial systems in general and provides a method to parameterize such models from market data rather than from statistical fitting. PMID:22586086

Linking agent-based models and stochastic models of financial markets.

PubMed

Feng, Ling; Li, Baowen; Podobnik, Boris; Preis, Tobias; Stanley, H Eugene

2012-05-29

It is well-known that financial asset returns exhibit fat-tailed distributions and long-term memory. These empirical features are the main objectives of modeling efforts using (i) stochastic processes to quantitatively reproduce these features and (ii) agent-based simulations to understand the underlying microscopic interactions. After reviewing selected empirical and theoretical evidence documenting the behavior of traders, we construct an agent-based model to quantitatively demonstrate that "fat" tails in return distributions arise when traders share similar technical trading strategies and decisions. Extending our behavioral model to a stochastic model, we derive and explain a set of quantitative scaling relations of long-term memory from the empirical behavior of individual market participants. Our analysis provides a behavioral interpretation of the long-term memory of absolute and squared price returns: They are directly linked to the way investors evaluate their investments by applying technical strategies at different investment horizons, and this quantitative relationship is in agreement with empirical findings. Our approach provides a possible behavioral explanation for stochastic models for financial systems in general and provides a method to parameterize such models from market data rather than from statistical fitting.

Simulation for the training of human performance and technical skills: the intersection of how we will train health care professionals in the future.

PubMed

Hamman, William R; Beaubien, Jeffrey M; Beaudin-Seiler, Beth M

2009-12-01

The aims of this research are to begin to understand health care teams in their operational environment, establish metrics of performance for these teams, and validate a series of scenarios in simulation that elicit team and technical skills. The focus is on defining the team model that will function in the operational environment in which health care professionals work. Simulations were performed across the United States in 70- to 1000-bed hospitals. Multidisciplinary health care teams analyzed more than 300 hours of videos of health care professionals performing simulations of team-based medical care in several different disciplines. Raters were trained to enhance inter-rater reliability. The study validated event sets that trigger team dynamics and established metrics for team-based care. Team skills were identified and modified using simulation scenarios that employed the event-set-design process. Specific skills (technical and team) were identified by criticality measurement and task analysis methodology. In situ simulation, which includes a purposeful and Socratic Method of debriefing, is a powerful intervention that can overcome inertia found in clinician behavior and latent environmental systems that present a challenge to quality and patient safety. In situ simulation can increase awareness of risks, personalize the risks, and encourage the reflection, effort, and attention needed to make changes to both behaviors and to systems.

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 HONcode principles. The mean readability for OWs and PWs was grade 11 and grade 10, respectively, significantly higher than the grade 7 level recommended by the National Institutes of Health. Assessment of technical criteria demonstrated room for improvement in providing links to social media and blogs and reducing advertisements. Improving the quality and readability of online information may result in increased patient understanding, more active patient involvement, and ultimately better outcomes. Enhancing the technical aspects of websites may increase website traffic and patient volume. NA.

Risk Interfaces to Support Integrated Systems Analysis and Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mindock, Jennifer; Lumpkins, Sarah; Shelhamer, Mark; Anton, Wilma; Havenhill, Maria

2016-01-01

Objectives for systems analysis capability: Develop integrated understanding of how a complex human physiological-socio-technical mission system behaves in spaceflight. Why? Support development of integrated solutions that prevent unwanted outcomes (Implementable approaches to minimize mission resources(mass, power, crew time, etc.)); Support development of tools for autonomy (need for exploration) (Assess and maintain resilience -individuals, teams, integrated system). Output of this exercise: -Representation of interfaces based on Human System Risk Board (HSRB) Risk Summary information and simple status based on Human Research Roadmap; Consolidated HSRB information applied to support communication; Point-of-Departure for HRP Element planning; Ability to track and communicate status of collaborations. 4

KSC-2011-1569

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-02-22

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- As the sun goes down over Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Orbital Sciences Taurus XL rocket and NASA's encapsulated Glory spacecraft await an early morning launch on the pad at Space Launch Complex 576-E. Liftoff originally was scheduled for 5:09 a.m. EST Feb. 23, but was scrubbed for at least 24 hours due to a technical issue that engineers are evaluating. Once Glory reaches orbit, it will collect data on the properties of aerosols and black carbon. It also will help scientists understand how the sun's irradiance affects Earth's climate. For information, visit www.nasa.gov/glory. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

Collected Papers in Structural Mechanics Honoring Dr. James H. Starnes, Jr.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knight, Norman F., Jr. (Compiler); Nemeth, Michael P. (Compiler); Malone, John B. (Compiler)

2006-01-01

This special publication contains a collection of structural mechanics papers honoring Dr. James H. Starnes, Jr. presented at the 46th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference held in Austin, Texas, April 18-21, 2005. Contributors to this publication represent a small number of those influenced by Dr. Starnes' technical leadership, his technical prowess and diversity, and his technical breath and depth in engineering mechanics. These papers cover some of the research areas Dr. Starnes investigated, which included buckling, postbuckling, and collapse of structures; composite structural mechanics, residual strength and damage tolerance of metallic and composite structures; and aircraft structural design, certification and verification. He actively pursued technical understanding and clarity, championed technical excellence, and modeled humility and perseverance.

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

Wellman, Dawn M.; Freshley, Mark D.; Truex, Michael J.

Current requirements for site remediation and closure are standards-based and are often overly conservative, costly, and in some cases, technically impractical to achieve. Use of risk-informed alternate endpoints provide a means to achieve remediation goals that are permitted by regulations and are protective of human health and the environment. Alternate endpoints enable establishing a path for cleanup that may include intermediate remedial milestones and transition points and/or regulatory alternatives to standards-based remediation. A framework is presented that is centered around developing and refining conceptual models in conjunction with assessing risks and potential endpoints as part of a system-based assessment thatmore » integrates site data with scientific understanding of processes that control the distribution and transport of contaminants in the subsurface and pathways to receptors. This system based assessment and subsequent implementation of the remediation strategy with appropriate monitoring are targeted at providing a holistic approach to addressing risks to human health and the environment. This holistic approach also enables effective predictive analysis of contaminant behavior to provide defensible criteria and data for making long-term decisions. Developing and implementing an alternate endpoint-based approach for remediation and waste site closure presents a number of challenges and opportunities. Categories of these challenges include scientific and technical, regulatory, institutional, and budget and resource allocation issues. Opportunities exist for developing and implementing systems-based approaches with respect to supportive characterization, monitoring, predictive modeling, and remediation approaches.« less

In vitro studies of actin filament and network dynamics

PubMed Central

Mullins, R Dyche; Hansen, Scott D

2013-01-01

Now that many genomes have been sequenced, a central concern of cell biology is to understand how the proteins they encode work together to create living matter. In vitro studies form an essential part of this program because understanding cellular functions of biological molecules often requires isolating them and reconstituting their activities. In particular, many elements of the actin cytoskeleton were first discovered by biochemical methods and their cellular functions deduced from in vitro experiments. We highlight recent advances that have come from in vitro studies, beginning with studies of actin filaments, and ending with multi-component reconstitutions of complex actin-based processes, including force-generation and cell spreading. We describe both scientific results and the technical innovations that made them possible. PMID:23267766

Critical analysis of pyrolysis process with cellulosic based municipal waste as renewable source in energy and technical perspective.

PubMed

Agarwal, Manu; Tardio, James; Venkata Mohan, S

2013-11-01

To understand the potential of cellulosic based municipal waste as a renewable feed-stock, application of pyrolysis by biorefinery approach was comprehensively studied for its practicable application towards technical and environmental viability in Indian context. In India, where the energy requirements are high, the pyrolysis of the cellulosic waste shows numerous advantages for its applicability as a potential waste-to-energy technology. The multiple energy outputs of the process viz., bio-gas, bio-oil and bio-char can serve the two major energy sectors, viz., electricity and transportation. The process suits best for high bio-gas and electrical energy production when energy input is satisfied from bio-char in form of steam (scheme-1). The bio-gas generated through the process shows its direct utility as a transportation fuel while the bio-oil produced can serve as fuel or raw material to chemical synthesis. On a commercial scale the process is a potent technology towards sustainable development. The process is self-sustained when operated on a continuous mode. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The development of a prototype intelligent user interface subsystem for NASA's scientific database systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, William J.; Roelofs, Larry H.; Short, Nicholas M., Jr.

1987-01-01

The National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) has initiated an Intelligent Data Management (IDM) research effort which has as one of its components the development of an Intelligent User Interface (IUI).The intent of the latter is to develop a friendly and intelligent user interface service that is based on expert systems and natural language processing technologies. The purpose is to support the large number of potential scientific and engineering users presently having need of space and land related research and technical data but who have little or no experience in query languages or understanding of the information content or architecture of the databases involved. This technical memorandum presents prototype Intelligent User Interface Subsystem (IUIS) using the Crustal Dynamics Project Database as a test bed for the implementation of the CRUDDES (Crustal Dynamics Expert System). The knowledge base has more than 200 rules and represents a single application view and the architectural view. Operational performance using CRUDDES has allowed nondatabase users to obtain useful information from the database previously accessible only to an expert database user or the database designer.

Endovascular Renal Artery Denervation: Why, When, and How?

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

Sapoval, Marc, E-mail: marc.sapoval2@egp.aphp.fr; Azizi, Michel; Bobrie, Guillaume

Endovascular renal artery denervation (ERAD) is a new procedure to reduce renal and systemic sympathetic overactivity in hypertensive patients. The role of sympathetic overactivity is recognized since a long time as being one the contributor of human hypertension. In support of this view, several studies in experimental models of hypertension in animal as well as hypertensive human subjects have demonstrated that sympathetic overactivity plays a central role in hypertension catheter based renal denervation is now possible, and this procedure may provide a useful adjunct for the management of patients with drug-resistant primary hypertension. Following a cohort study, the results ofmore » an open label randomized control trial have been published showing very encouraging results. The purpose of this paper is to help interventionalists to better understand the medical and technical issues related to this new intervention. It is most likely that as underlined in a recent editorial several other technical approaches may appear in the future, however because this is the only technique that is available today, we will focus on radiofrequency based technique.« less

Guide to solar reference spectra and irradiance models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobiska, W. Kent

The international standard for determining solar irradiances was published by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in May 2007. The document, ISO 21348 Space Environment (natural and artificial) - Process for determining solar irradiances, describes the process for representing solar irradiances. We report on the next progression of standards work, i.e., the development of a guide that identifies solar reference spectra and irradiance models for use in engineering design or scientific research. This document will be produced as an AIAA Guideline and ISO Technical Report. It will describe the content of the reference spectra and models, uncertainties and limitations, technical basis, data bases from which the reference spectra and models are formed, publication references, and sources of computer code for reference spectra and solar irradiance models, including those which provide spectrally-resolved lines as well as solar indices and proxies and which are generally recognized in the solar sciences. The document is intended to assist aircraft and space vehicle designers and developers, heliophysicists, geophysicists, aeronomers, meteorologists, and climatologists in understanding available models, comparing sources of data, and interpreting engineering and scientific results based on different solar reference spectra and irradiance models.

Student Achievement in Identified Workforce Clusters: Understanding Factors that Influence Student Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Amico, Mark M.; Morgan, Grant B.; Robertson, Thashundray C.

2011-01-01

This study blends elements from two South Carolina Technical College System initiatives--Achieving the Dream and a workforce cluster strategy. Achieving the Dream is a national non-profit organization created to help technical and community college students succeed, particularly low-income students and students of color. This initiative, combined…

Some Characteristics and Writing Problems of Technically Oriented Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruehr, Ruthann

An understanding of the writing problems and personalities of some of the technically oriented students at Michigan Technological University may help others who teach similar students. Although their scores on aptitude tests are high, these students have had very little experience in writing. In addition, the majority of the students have had very…

Adults with Cognitive Disabilities in the Technical Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gronsky, Stacy A.

2015-01-01

Given the number of jobs created in the technical sector (Casserly, 2012), it is essential to identify how adults with cognitive disabilities can be best supported in professional environments and evolving sectors. Some career paths and jobs can be more understanding of learning disabilities than others (Nicholas, 2011). This is dependent not only…

CTE Alignment with 21st Century Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drysielski, Robert

2015-01-01

Career and technical education generally has focused on helping people to understand the relationship between education and work to acquire employment skills. There is a need for action to ensure that the programs being offered in Career and Technical Education (CTE) align with the needs of the 21st century workforce. This research will attempted…

NATIONAL VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL EDUCATION SEMINAR ON OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY AND MIGRATION. CENTER SEMINAR AND CONFERENCE REPORT, NUMBER 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BEARD, H.G.

THIRTY-THREE STATE-LEVEL LEADERS WITH RESEARCH RESPONSIBILITIES IN VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL EDUCATION FROM 23 STATES AND TERRITORIES ATTENDED THE SEMINAR WHICH HAD THE OBJECTIVES TO -- (1) SECURE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEMS AND DECISIONS FACING EDUCATIONAL POLICYMAKERS, PROGRAM PLANNERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND TEACHERS, (2) DEVELOP A…

Technical Education as a Tool for Ensuring Sustainable Development: A Case of India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharma, Gagan Deep; Uppal, Raminder Singh; Mahendru, Mandeep

2016-01-01

This paper notes that education needs to essentially lead to sustainable development serving two-fold purpose--eradicating the problems of unemployment and poverty; and ensuring equitable distribution of wealth while ensuring the right understanding leading to a peaceful, prosperous and developed world. In its current state, technical education…

Biological Soil Crust Technical Reference

Science.gov Websites

Technical Reference Our understanding of the biology, ecology and physiology of biological soil crusts has published studies on soil crusts. The attached PDF file is a 90-page report that summarizes our current state of knowledge about biological soil crusts, with emphasis on crusts found in the western United

Influence of End Customer Exposure on Product Design within an Epistemic Game Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markovetz, Matthew R.; Clark, Renee M.; Swiecki, Zachari; Irgens, Golnaz Arastoopour; Chesler, Naomi C.; Shaffer, David W.; Bodnar, Cheryl A.

2017-01-01

Engineering product design requires both technical aptitude and an understanding of the nontechnical requirements in the marketplace, economic or otherwise. Engineering education has long focused on the technical side of product design, but there is increasing demand for market-aware engineers in industry. Market-awareness and customer-focus are…

48 CFR 452.215-71 - Instructions for the Preparation of Technical and Business Proposals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... contained in the technical proposal so that the contractor's understanding of the statement of work may be... required if appropriate.) (2) Business Proposal. (a) Furnish financial statements for the last two years... specified in the statement of work. Any “alternate” proposal may be considered if overall performance would...

Project T.E.A.M. (Technical Education Advancement Modules). Advanced Statistical Process Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunlap, Dale

This instructional guide, one of a series developed by the Technical Education Advancement Modules (TEAM) project, is a 20-hour advanced statistical process control (SPC) and quality improvement course designed to develop the following competencies: (1) understanding quality systems; (2) knowing the process; (3) solving quality problems; and (4)…

The Role of the Artes Liberales within a Technical Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Brien, Joan

1990-01-01

Classics provide an understanding that may allow escape from social conditioning and the discovery of an individual's or society's potential; therefore, they should be included in the technical curriculum. Their common roots in Greco-Roman and in Judeo-Christian thought contain the seeds of cultural renewal in the world. (JOW)

CareerTech VISION 2012--Transforming CTE Together

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bray, Janet B.

2012-01-01

As the leader in career and technical education (CTE), the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) understands the ongoing challenges faced by the CTE community. That is why ACTE has created CareerTech VISION 2012, a bold and visionary event that addresses the evolving needs of the global society and meets all individual and…

Measuring the Value Added by Technical Documentation: A Review of Research and Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mead, Jay

1998-01-01

Reviews existing work on establishing value of technical documentation to determine its principles. States that value can be returned by reducing internal investment, increasing sales, and reducing after-sales costs. Argues that further research will improve the understanding of information as the product itself, rather than simply a supporting…

Game Theory and Technical Communication: Interpreting the Texas Two-Step through Harsanyi Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Miriam F.

2012-01-01

The author uses game theoretical models to identify technical communication breakdowns encountered during the notoriously confusing Texas Two-Step voting and caucusing process. Specifically, the author uses narrative theory and game theory to highlight areas where caucus participants needed instructions to better understand the rules of the game…

An acceptable role for computers in the aircraft design process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gregory, T. J.; Roberts, L.

1980-01-01

Some of the reasons why the computerization trend is not wholly accepted are explored for two typical cases: computer use in the technical specialties and computer use in aircraft synthesis. The factors that limit acceptance are traced in part, to the large resources needed to understand the details of computer programs, the inability to include measured data as input to many of the theoretical programs, and the presentation of final results without supporting intermediate answers. Other factors are due solely to technical issues such as limited detail in aircraft synthesis and major simplifying assumptions in the technical specialties. These factors and others can be influenced by the technical specialist and aircraft designer. Some of these factors may become less significant as the computerization process evolves, but some issues, such as understanding large integrated systems, may remain issues in the future. Suggestions for improved acceptance include publishing computer programs so that they may be reviewed, edited, and read. Other mechanisms include extensive modularization of programs and ways to include measured information as part of the input to theoretical approaches.

The VEPSY UPDATED Project: clinical rationale and technical approach.

PubMed

Riva, G; Alcãniz, M; Anolli, L; Bacchetta, M; Baños, R; Buselli, C; Beltrame, F; Botella, C; Castelnuovo, G; Cesa, G; Conti, S; Galimberti, C; Gamberini, L; Gaggioli, A; Klinger, E; Legeron, P; Mantovani, F; Mantovani, G; Molinari, E; Optale, G; Ricciardiello, L; Perpiñá, C; Roy, S; Spagnolli, A; Troiani, R; Weddle, C

2003-08-01

More than 10 years ago, Tart (1990) described virtual reality (VR) as a technological model of consciousness offering intriguing possibilities for developing diagnostic, inductive, psychotherapeutic, and training techniques that can extend and supplement current ones. To exploit and understand this potential is the overall goal of the "Telemedicine and Portable Virtual Environment in Clinical Psychology"--VEPSY UPDATED--a European Community-funded research project (IST-2000-25323, www.cybertherapy.info). Particularly, its specific goal is the development of different PC-based virtual reality modules to be used in clinical assessment and treatment of social phobia, panic disorders, male sexual disorders, obesity, and eating disorders. The paper describes the clinical and technical rationale behind the clinical applications developed by the project. Moreover, the paper focuses its analysis on the possible role of VR in clinical psychology and how it can be used for therapeutic change.

Causes of Coal Mine Accidents in the World and Turkey.

PubMed

Küçük, Filiz Çağla Uyanusta; Ilgaz, Aslıhan

2015-04-01

Occupational accidents and occupational diseases are common in the mining sector in Turkey and throughout the world. The most common causes of accidents in coal mining are firedamp and dust explosions, landslips, mine fires, and technical failures related to transport and mechanization. An analysis of occupational accidents in the consideration of social and economic factors will let understand the real causes behind these accidents, which are said to happen inevitably due to technical deficiencies or failures. Irregular working conditions, based on profit maximization and cost minimization, are related to strategic operational preferences and public policies. Proving that accidents in mines, where occupational health and safety measures are not implemented and inspections are not done properly or at all, are caused by the fact that production is imposed to be carried out in the fastest, cheapest, and most profitable way will allow us to take steps to prevent further mine accidents.

Causes of Coal Mine Accidents in the World and Turkey

PubMed Central

Küçük, Filiz Çağla Uyanusta; Ilgaz, Aslıhan

2015-01-01

Occupational accidents and occupational diseases are common in the mining sector in Turkey and throughout the world. The most common causes of accidents in coal mining are firedamp and dust explosions, landslips, mine fires, and technical failures related to transport and mechanization. An analysis of occupational accidents in the consideration of social and economic factors will let understand the real causes behind these accidents, which are said to happen inevitably due to technical deficiencies or failures. Irregular working conditions, based on profit maximization and cost minimization, are related to strategic operational preferences and public policies. Proving that accidents in mines, where occupational health and safety measures are not implemented and inspections are not done properly or at all, are caused by the fact that production is imposed to be carried out in the fastest, cheapest, and most profitable way will allow us to take steps to prevent further mine accidents. PMID:29404108

Reconsidering Anonymization-Related Concepts and the Term “Identification” Against the Backdrop of the European Legal Framework

PubMed Central

Schlünder, Irene

2016-01-01

Sharing data in biomedical contexts has become increasingly relevant, but privacy concerns set constraints for free sharing of individual-level data. Data protection law protects only data relating to an identifiable individual, whereas “anonymous” data are free to be used by everybody. Usage of many terms related to anonymization is often not consistent among different domains such as statistics and law. The crucial term “identification” seems especially hard to define, since its definition presupposes the existence of identifying characteristics, leading to some circularity. In this article, we present a discussion of important terms based on a legal perspective that it is outlined before we present issues related to the usage of terms such as unique “identifiers,” “quasi-identifiers,” and “sensitive attributes.” Based on these terms, we have tried to circumvent a circular definition for the term “identification” by making two decisions: first, deciding which (natural) identifier should stand for the individual; second, deciding how to recognize the individual. In addition, we provide an overview of anonymization techniques/methods for preventing re-identification. The discussion of basic notions related to anonymization shows that there is some work to be done in order to achieve a mutual understanding between legal and technical experts concerning some of these notions. Using a dialectical definition process in order to merge technical and legal perspectives on terms seems important for enhancing mutual understanding. PMID:27104620

Improving communication when seeking informed consent: a randomised controlled study of a computer-based method for providing information to prospective clinical trial participants.

PubMed

Karunaratne, Asuntha S; Korenman, Stanley G; Thomas, Samantha L; Myles, Paul S; Komesaroff, Paul A

2010-04-05

To assess the efficacy, with respect to participant understanding of information, of a computer-based approach to communication about complex, technical issues that commonly arise when seeking informed consent for clinical research trials. An open, randomised controlled study of 60 patients with diabetes mellitus, aged 27-70 years, recruited between August 2006 and October 2007 from the Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology at the Alfred Hospital and Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne. Participants were asked to read information about a mock study via a computer-based presentation (n = 30) or a conventional paper-based information statement (n = 30). The computer-based presentation contained visual aids, including diagrams, video, hyperlinks and quiz pages. Understanding of information as assessed by quantitative and qualitative means. Assessment scores used to measure level of understanding were significantly higher in the group that completed the computer-based task than the group that completed the paper-based task (82% v 73%; P = 0.005). More participants in the group that completed the computer-based task expressed interest in taking part in the mock study (23 v 17 participants; P = 0.01). Most participants from both groups preferred the idea of a computer-based presentation to the paper-based statement (21 in the computer-based task group, 18 in the paper-based task group). A computer-based method of providing information may help overcome existing deficiencies in communication about clinical research, and may reduce costs and improve efficiency in recruiting participants for clinical trials.

Dynamics of sustained use and abandonment of clean cooking systems: lessons from rural India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chalise, Nishesh; Kumar, Praveen; Priyadarshini, Pratiti; Yadama, Gautam N.

2018-03-01

Clean cooking technologies—ranging from efficient cookstoves to clean fuels—are widely deployed to reduce household air pollution and alleviate adverse health and climate consequences. Although much progress has been made on the technical aspects, sustained and proper use of clean cooking technologies by populations with the most need has been problematic. Only by understanding how clean cooking as an intervention is embedded within complex community processes can we ensure its sustained implementation. Using a community-based system dynamics approach, we engaged two rural communities in co-creating a dynamic model to explain the processes influencing the uptake and transition to sustained use of biogas (an anaerobic methane digester), a clean fuel and cooking technology. The two communities provided contrasting cases: one abandoned biogas while the other continues to use it. We present a system dynamics simulation model, associated analyses, and experiments to understand what factors drive transition and sustained use. A central insight of the model is community processes influencing the capacity to solve technical issues. Model analysis shows that families begin to abandon the technology when it takes longer to solve problems. The momentum in the community then shifts from a determination to address issues with the cooking technology toward caution in further adhering to it. We also conducted experiments using the simulation model to understand the impact of interventions aimed at renewing the use of biogas. A combination of theoretical interventions, including repair of non-functioning biogas units and provision of embedded technical support in communities, resulted in a scenario where the community can continue using the technology even after support is retracted. Our study also demonstrates the utility of a systems approach for engaging local stakeholders in delineating complex community processes to derive significant insights into the dynamic feedback mechanisms involved in the sustained use of biogas by the poor.

On the construction of thinking.

PubMed

Avzaradel, José Renato

2011-08-01

In this study the author attempts to widen our understanding of language and thought construction by using Chinese ideograms as a model. This allows us to understand how concrete internal objects can coalesce to form abstract internal objects, e.g. concepts, ideas, symbols, and metaphors. One can establish a pictorial language that antedates verbal language. This is the case in the dream work that we routinely study. Thus, this study delves into the physiology of the alpha function. To this end the author not only relies on psychoanalytic concepts but also on concepts from philosophy and from language itself. The author presents the ideograms not only for discussion but also for their visual impact. If we really want to understand pictorial images, they must be seen and not just discussed from a theoretical point of view. Based on this understanding the author advances a proposal for the technique used in treating patients who cannot establish mental representations for their affect. And the technical proposal is illustrated in two clinical cases. Copyright © 2011 Institute of Psychoanalysis.

An overview of conceptual understanding in science education curriculum in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widiyatmoko, A.; Shimizu, K.

2018-03-01

The purpose of this article is to discuss the term of “conceptual understanding” in science education curriculum in Indonesia. The implementation of 2013 Curriculum focuses on the acquisition of contextual knowledge in respective areas and environments. The curriculum seeks to develop students' evaluation skills in three areas: attitude, technical skills, and scientific knowledge. It is based on two layers of competencies: core and basic competencies. The core competencies in the curriculum 2013 represent the ability level to achieve the gradute competency standards of a students at each grade level. There are four mandatory core competencies for all educational levels and all subjects including science, which are spiritual, social, knowledge and skills competencies. In terms of knowledge competencies, conceptual understanding is an inseparable part of science concept since conceptual understanding is one of the basic competencies in science learning. This competency is a part of science graduation standard indicated in MoEC article number 20 in 2016. Therefore, conceptual understanding is needed by students for learning science successfully.

Technical Features of Curriculum-Based Measurement in Writing: A Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMaster, Kristen; Espin, Christine

2007-01-01

This article reviews research examining technical features of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) in written expression. Twenty-eight technical reports and published articles are included in this review. Studies examining the development and technical adequacy of measures of written expression are summarized, beginning with research conducted at…

Understanding public perceptions of biotechnology through the "Integrative Worldview Framework".

PubMed

De Witt, Annick; Osseweijer, Patricia; Pierce, Robin

2015-07-03

Biotechnological innovations prompt a range of societal responses that demand understanding. Research has shown such responses are shaped by individuals' cultural worldviews. We aim to demonstrate how the Integrative Worldview Framework (IWF) can be used for analyzing perceptions of biotechnology, by reviewing (1) research on public perceptions of biotechnology and (2) analyses of the stakeholder-debate on the bio-based economy, using the Integrative Worldview Framework (IWF) as analytical lens. This framework operationalizes the concept of worldview and distinguishes between traditional, modern, and postmodern worldviews, among others. Applied to these literatures, this framework illuminates how these worldviews underlie major societal responses, thereby providing a unifying understanding of the literature on perceptions of biotechnology. We conclude the IWF has relevance for informing research on perceptions of socio-technical changes, generating insight into the paradigmatic gaps in social science, and facilitating reflexive and inclusive policy-making and debates on these timely issues. © The Author(s) 2015.

Technical Report - FINAL

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

Barbara Luke, Director, UNLV Engineering Geophysics Laboratory

2007-04-25

Improve understanding of the earthquake hazard in the Las Vegas Valley and to assess the state of preparedness of the area's population and structures for the next big earthquake. 1. Enhance the seismic monitoring network in the Las Vegas Valley 2. Improve understanding of deep basin structure through active-source seismic refraction and reflection testing 3. Improve understanding of dynamic response of shallow sediments through seismic testing and correlations with lithology 4. Develop credible earthquake scenarios by laboratory and field studies, literature review and analyses 5. Refine ground motion expectations around the Las Vegas Valley through simulations 6. Assess current buildingmore » standards in light of improved understanding of hazards 7. Perform risk assessment for structures and infrastructures, with emphasis on lifelines and critical structures 8. Encourage and facilitate broad and open technical interchange regarding earthquake safety in southern Nevada and efforts to inform citizens of earthquake hazards and mitigation opportunities« less

The effect of normative social forces on managed care organizations: implications for strategic management.

PubMed

Kirby, E G; Sebastian, J G

1998-01-01

Drawing on institutional theory, this study examines how adherence to a number of "institutional" and "technical" environmental forces can influence the business success of managed care organizations (MCOs). The standards studied include: (1) institutional forces: socially accepted procedures for delivering care (access to quality care, availability of information, and delivery of care in a personal manner); and (2) technical forces: industry standards for cost control and efficient use of financial and medical resources. The most significant finding is that successful MCOs must conform to both institutional and technical forces to be successful. MCOs that conform to either one or the other type of standard were no more successful than those that conformed to neither. These findings have several important implications for MCO strategy. First, to be successful, MCO executives must understand the external environment in which they operate. They must anticipate and respond to shifts in that environment. Second, this understanding of the external environment must place equal emphasis on societal demands (e.g., for accessible care and information) and on technical demands (e.g., for cost-efficient care). These findings may well reflect that once managed care penetration reaches relatively high levels, marketshare can no longer be gained through cost-efficiency alone; rather, enrollee satisfaction based on societal demands becomes a key factor in maintaining and gaining marketshare. Institutional theory provides' some strategies for accomplishing these goals. Cost-containment strategies include implementing policies for cutting costs in areas that do not affect the quality of care, such as using generic drugs and reducing administrative excesses and redundancies. At the same time, MCOs must implement strategies aimed at improving conformity to prevailing societal perceptions of appropriate care, including providing patients more freedom to choose their physicians and encouraging and rewarding care providers for being friendly and personable. An MCO should work to inform the public of the organization's efforts to provide high-quality, low-cost medical care in a friendly, convenient manner.

Self-compacting concrete for prestressed bridge girders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erkmen, Bulent

The purpose of this study was to examine social mobility as a motivation for first-generation college students in reaching attainment at two-year technical colleges. The research question was to what degree has the perception of social mobility influenced first generation college students at technical colleges to complete their career educational goals. Graduates of a two-year technical college were asked a series of open-ended questions regarding their past experiences and perceptions of attending and completing a two-year technical college program; their childhood perceptions of their social status; and experiences with family members regarding their change in social class status. These questions were designed to determine their feelings, viewpoints, reflections, experiences, struggles, and thoughts about attainment (completing their post-secondary education) and the extent to which social mobility influenced their decision to complete their education. The benefits of this research include an understanding of social mobility and educational attainment. Results of this study could be used to better understand the process that first generation college students go through in order to attain their educational goals. The information from this study may be useful for technical college administrations to help design programs and processes for future first-generation college students' success and aid in retention of these students.

Well, you have hepatic metastases: Use of technical language by medical students in simulated patient interviews.

PubMed

Bourquin, Céline; Stiefel, Friedrich; Mast, Marianne Schmid; Bonvin, Raphael; Berney, Alexandre

2015-03-01

This research explored medical students' use and perception of technical language in a practical training setting to enhance skills in breaking bad news in oncology. Terms potentially confusing to laypeople were selected from 108 videotaped interviews conducted in an undergraduate Communication Skills Training. A subset of these terms was included in a questionnaire completed by students (N=111) with the aim of gaining insight into their perceptions of different speech registers and of patient understanding. Excerpts of interviews were analyzed qualitatively to investigate students' communication strategies with respect to these technical terms. Fewer than half of the terms were clarified. Students checked for simulated patients' understanding of the terms palliative and metastasis/to metastasize in 22-23% of the interviews. The term ambulatory was spontaneously explained in 75% of the interviews, hepatic and metastasis/to metastasize in 22-24%. Most provided explanations were in plain language; metastasis/to metastasize and ganglion/ganglionic were among terms most frequently explained in technical language. A significant number of terms potentially unfamiliar and confusing to patients remained unclarified in training interviews conducted by senior medical students, even when they perceived the terms as technical. This exploration may offer important insights for improving future physicians' skills. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-technical skills evaluation in the critical care air ambulance environment: introduction of an adapted rating instrument--an observational study.

PubMed

Myers, Julia A; Powell, David M C; Psirides, Alex; Hathaway, Karyn; Aldington, Sarah; Haney, Michael F

2016-03-08

In the isolated and dynamic health-care setting of critical care air ambulance transport, the quality of clinical care is strongly influenced by non-technical skills such as anticipating, recognising and understanding, decision making, and teamwork. However there are no published reports identifying or applying a non-technical skills framework specific to an intensive care air ambulance setting. The objective of this study was to adapt and evaluate a non-technical skills rating framework for the air ambulance clinical environment. In the first phase of the project the anaesthetists' non-technical skills (ANTS) framework was adapted to the air ambulance setting, using data collected directly from clinician groups, published literature, and field observation. In the second phase experienced and inexperienced inter-hospital transport clinicians completed a simulated critical care air transport scenario, and their non-technical skills performance was independently rated by two blinded assessors. Observed and self-rated general clinical performance ratings were also collected. Rank-based statistical tests were used to examine differences in the performance of experienced and inexperienced clinicians, and relationships between different assessment approaches and assessors. The framework developed during phase one was referred to as an aeromedical non-technical skills framework, or AeroNOTS. During phase two 16 physicians from speciality training programmes in intensive care, emergency medicine and anaesthesia took part in the clinical simulation study. Clinicians with inter-hospital transport experience performed more highly than those without experience, according to both AeroNOTS non-technical skills ratings (p = 0.001) and general performance ratings (p = 0.003). Self-ratings did not distinguish experienced from inexperienced transport clinicians (p = 0.32) and were not strongly associated with either observed general performance (r(s) = 0.4, p = 0.11) or observed non-technical skills performance (r(s) = 0.4, p = 0.1). This study describes a framework which characterises the non-technical skills required by critical care air ambulance clinicians, and distinguishes higher and lower levels of performance. The AeroNOTS framework could be used to facilitate education and training in non-technical skills for air ambulance clinicians, and further evaluation of this rating system is merited.

Simulation-Based e-Learning Tools for Science,Engineering, and Technology Education(SimBeLT)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Doyle V.; Cherner, Y.

2006-12-01

The focus of Project SimBeLT is the research, development, testing, and dissemination of a new type of simulation-based integrated e-learning set of modules for two-year college technical and engineering curricula in the areas of thermodynamics, fluid physics, and fiber optics that can also be used in secondary schools and four-year colleges. A collection of sophisticated virtual labs is the core component of the SimBeLT modules. These labs will be designed to enhance the understanding of technical concepts and underlying fundamental principles of these topics, as well as to master certain performance based skills online. SimBeLT software will help educators to meet the National Science Education Standard that "learning science and technology is something that students do, not something that is done to them". A major component of Project SimBeLT is the development of multi-layered technology-oriented virtual labs that realistically mimic workplace-like environments. Dynamic data exchange between simulations will be implemented and links with instant instructional messages and data handling tools will be realized. A second important goal of Project SimBeLT labs is to bridge technical skills and scientific knowledge by enhancing the teaching and learning of specific scientific or engineering subjects. SimBeLT builds upon research and outcomes of interactive teaching strategies and tools developed through prior NSF funding (http://webphysics.nhctc.edu/compact/index.html) (Project SimBeLT is partially supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation DUE-0603277)

Opinions of researchers based in the UK on recruiting subjects from developing countries into randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Newton, Sam K; Appiah-Poku, John

2007-12-01

Explaining technical terms in consent forms prior to seeking informed consent to recruit into trials can be challenging in developing countries, and more so when the studies are randomized controlled trials. This study was carried out to examine the opinions of researchers on ways of dealing with these challenges in developing countries. Recorded in-depth interviews with 12 lecturers and five doctoral students, who had carried out research in developing countries, at a leading school of public health in the United Kingdom. A purposive, snowballing approach was used to identify interviewees. Researchers were divided on the feasibility of explaining technical trials in illiterate populations; the majority of them held the view that local analogies could be used to explain these technical terms. Others were of the opinion that this could not be done since it was too difficult to explain technical trials, such as randomized controlled trials, even to people in developed countries. Researchers acknowledged the difficulty in explaining randomized controlled trials but it was also their perception that this was an important part of the ethics of the work of scientific research involving human subjects. These difficulties notwithstanding, efforts should be made to ensure that subjects have sufficient understanding to consent, taking into account the fact that peculiar situations in developing countries might compound this difficulty.

Cognitive skills training in digital era: A paradigm shift in surgical education using the TaTME model.

PubMed

Knol, Joep; Keller, Deborah S

2018-04-30

Surgical competence is a complex, multifactorial process, requiring ample time and training. Optimal training is based on acquiring knowledge and psychomotor and cognitive skills. Practicing surgical skills is one of the most crucial tasks for both the novice surgeon learning new procedures and surgeons already in practice learning new techniques. Focus is placed on teaching traditional technical skills, but the importance of cognitive skills cannot be underestimated. Cognitive skills allow recognizing environmental cues to improve technical performance including situational awareness, mental readiness, risk assessment, anticipating problems, decision-making, adaptation, and flexibility, and may also accelerate the trainee's understanding of a procedure, formalize the steps being practiced, and reduce the overall training time to become technically proficient. The introduction and implementation of the transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) into practice may be the best demonstration of this new model of teaching and training, including pre-training, course attendance, and post-course guidance on technical and cognitive skills. To date, the TaTME framework has been the ideal model for structured training to ensure safe implementation. Further development of metrics to grade successful learning and assessment of long term outcomes with the new pathway will confirm the success of this training model. Copyright © 2018 Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (Scottish charity number SC005317) and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. All rights reserved.

Support for designing waste sorting systems: A mini review.

PubMed

Rousta, Kamran; Ordoñez, Isabel; Bolton, Kim; Dahlén, Lisa

2017-11-01

This article presents a mini review of research aimed at understanding material recovery from municipal solid waste. It focuses on two areas, waste sorting behaviour and collection systems, so that research on the link between these areas could be identified and evaluated. The main results presented and the methods used in the articles are categorised and appraised. The mini review reveals that most of the work that offered design guidelines for waste management systems was based on optimising technical aspects only. In contrast, most of the work that focused on user involvement did not consider developing the technical aspects of the system, but was limited to studies of user behaviour. The only clear consensus among the articles that link user involvement with the technical system is that convenient waste collection infrastructure is crucial for supporting source separation. This mini review reveals that even though the connection between sorting behaviour and technical infrastructure has been explored and described in some articles, there is still a gap when using this knowledge to design waste sorting systems. Future research in this field would benefit from being multidisciplinary and from using complementary methods, so that holistic solutions for material recirculation can be identified. It would be beneficial to actively involve users when developing sorting infrastructures, to be sure to provide a waste management system that will be properly used by them.

Initial Readability Assessment of Clinical Trial Eligibility Criteria

PubMed Central

Kang, Tian; Elhadad, Noémie; Weng, Chunhua

2015-01-01

Various search engines are available to clinical trial seekers. However, it remains unknown how comprehensible clinical trial eligibility criteria used for recruitment are to a lay audience. This study initially investigated this problem. Readability of eligibility criteria was assessed according to (i) shallow and lexical characteristics through the use of an established, generic readability metric; (ii) syntactic characteristics through natural language processing techniques; and (iii) health terminological characteristics through an automated comparison to technical and lay health texts. We further stratified clinical trials according to various study characteristics (e.g., source country or study type) to understand potential factors influencing readability. Mainly caused by frequent use of technical jargons, a college reading level was found to be necessary to understand eligibility criteria text, a level much higher than the average literacy level of the general American population. The use of technical jargons should be minimized to simplify eligibility criteria text. PMID:26958204

Understanding dental CAD/CAM for restorations - dental milling machines from a mechanical engineering viewpoint. Part A: chairside milling machines.

PubMed

Lebon, Nicolas; Tapie, Laurent; Duret, Francois; Attal, Jean-Pierre

2016-01-01

The dental milling machine is an important device in the dental CAD/CAM chain. Nowadays, dental numerical controlled (NC) milling machines are available for dental surgeries (chairside solution). This article provides a mechanical engineering approach to NC milling machines to help dentists understand the involvement of technology in digital dentistry practice. First, some technical concepts and definitions associated with NC milling machines are described from a mechanical engineering viewpoint. The technical and economic criteria of four chairside dental NC milling machines that are available on the market are then described. The technical criteria are focused on the capacities of the embedded technologies of these milling machines to mill both prosthetic materials and types of shape restorations. The economic criteria are focused on investment costs and interoperability with third-party software. The clinical relevance of the technology is assessed in terms of the accuracy and integrity of the restoration.

Exploring Students' Understanding of Ordinary Differential Equations Using Computer Algebraic System (CAS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maat, Siti Mistima; Zakaria, Effandi

2011-01-01

Ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are one of the important topics in engineering mathematics that lead to the understanding of technical concepts among students. This study was conducted to explore the students' understanding of ODEs when they solve ODE questions using a traditional method as well as a computer algebraic system, particularly…

75 FR 5784 - Guidance on Preparation of Market-Based Rate Filings and Electric Quarterly Reports by Public...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-04

... Preparation of Market-Based Rate Filings and Electric Quarterly Reports by Public Utilities; Notice of Technical Conference January 28, 2010. Take notice that Commission staff will convene a technical conference... final agenda of the technical conference. The March 3, 2010 technical conference will focus on the...

Using qualitative methods to understand non-technological aspects of domestic energy efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambrose, Aimee Rebecca

The overall aim of the collected published works is to investigate how different policy interventions in the field of energy efficiency (including zero carbon homes, low carbon heat networks, and domestic energy efficiency schemes) are experienced and made sense of by a range of key actors. A further aim is to understand these interventions in the context of existing theories within the field of domestic energy efficiency including socio-technical theory and Actor Network Theory. More specifically, this research advances existing knowledge in the following areas: The nature of the socio-technical challenges encountered in the introduction of more energy efficient buildings, and the importance of achieving a balance between socially acceptable and technically optimal environments. (Papers 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8). The value of qualitative research in gaining a more nuanced understanding of our relationship with the home and the implications of this for domestic energy efficiency interventions and the design of low energy buildings (all papers). The influence of tenure as determinant of access to a more energy efficient home and in particular, the stubborn and complex barriers to achieving higher standards of energy performance within the private rented sector. (Papers 1, 2, 3 and 4). The significance of identity, setting and notions of home in the context of domestic energy efficiency interventions. (Papers 1 and 4). As these themes suggest, this PhD is not just concerned with carbon reduction and energy saving as technical objects, but as a way of life. More specifically, it considers the interactions between the two and contends that technical or policy instruments, no matter how sophisticated, cannot succeed if they are not compatible with our ways of life (and ways of doing businesss) or if our ways of life cannot be reasonably adapted to acoomodate them.

Resilience Simulation for Water, Power & Road Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, S. S.; Seager, T. P.; Chester, M.; Eisenberg, D. A.; Sweet, D.; Linkov, I.

2014-12-01

The increasing frequency, scale, and damages associated with recent catastrophic events has called for a shift in focus from evading losses through risk analysis to improving threat preparation, planning, absorption, recovery, and adaptation through resilience. However, neither underlying theory nor analytic tools have kept pace with resilience rhetoric. As a consequence, current approaches to engineering resilience analysis often conflate resilience and robustness or collapse into a deeper commitment to the risk analytic paradigm proven problematic in the first place. This research seeks a generalizable understanding of resilience that is applicable in multiple disciplinary contexts. We adopt a unique investigative perspective by coupling social and technical analysis with human subjects research to discover the adaptive actions, ideas and decisions that contribute to resilience in three socio-technical infrastructure systems: electric power, water, and roadways. Our research integrates physical models representing network objects with examination of the knowledge systems and social interactions revealed by human subjects making decisions in a simulated crisis environment. To ensure a diversity of contexts, we model electric power, water, roadway and knowledge networks for Phoenix AZ and Indianapolis IN. We synthesize this in a new computer-based Resilient Infrastructure Simulation Environment (RISE) to allow individuals, groups (including students) and experts to test different network design configurations and crisis response approaches. By observing simulated failures and best performances, we expect a generalizable understanding of resilience may emerge that yields a measureable understanding of the sensing, anticipating, adapting, and learning processes that are essential to resilient organizations.

Lost in translation: assessing effectiveness of focus group questioning techniques to develop improved translation of terminology used in HIV prevention clinical trials.

PubMed

Mack, Natasha; Ramirez, Catalina B; Friedland, Barbara; Nnko, Soori

2013-01-01

Achieving participant comprehension has proven to be one of the most difficult, practical, and ethical challenges of HIV prevention clinical trials. It becomes even more challenging when local languages do not have equivalent scientific and technical vocabularies, rendering communication of scientific concepts in translated documents extremely difficult. Even when bilingual lexicons are developed, there is no guarantee that participants understand the terminology as translated. We conducted twelve focus groups with women of reproductive age in Mwanza, Tanzania to explore the effectiveness of four questioning techniques for: (1) assessing participants' familiarity with existing technical terms and concepts, (2) generating a list of acceptable technical and non-technical terms, (3) testing our definitions of technical terms, and (4) verifying participants' preferences for terms. Focus groups were transcribed, translated, and qualitatively analyzed. A translation process that uses all four questioning techniques in a step-wise approach is an effective way to establish a baseline understanding of participants' familiarity with research terms, to develop and test translatable definitions, and to identify participants' preferred terminology for international HIV clinical research. This may help to ensure that important concepts are not "lost in translation." The results emphasize the importance of using a variety of techniques depending on the level of participant familiarity with research concepts, the existence of colloquial or technical terms in the target language, and the inherent complexity of the terms.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 34: Users and uses of DOD technical reports: A report from the field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

1993-01-01

The NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project attempts to understand the information environment in which U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists work, the information-seeking behavior of U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists, and the factors that influence the use of scientific and technical information (STI) (Pinelli, Barclay, and Kennedy, 1991). Such an understanding could (1) lead to the development of practical theory, (2) contribute to the design and development of aerospace information systems, and (3) have practical implications for transferring the results of federally funded aerospace research and development (R&D) to the U.S. aerospace community. This paper presents data from two information-seeking behavior studies involving U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists that were undertaken as Phase 1 activities of the NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Responses from three groups of respondents - DoD, other government, and industry - are presented for two sets of selected questions. One set focuses on DoD technical reports: their use and importance, reasons for non-use, the factors affecting their use, the sources used to find out about them and the sources used to physically obtain them, and the quality of DoD technical reports. The second set focuses on information sources used in problem solving: the use of U.S. government technical reports in problem solving and the information sources used to find out about U.S. government technical reports.

Lost in Translation: Assessing Effectiveness of Focus Group Questioning Techniques to Develop Improved Translation of Terminology Used in HIV Prevention Clinical Trials

PubMed Central

Mack, Natasha; Ramirez, Catalina B.; Friedland, Barbara; Nnko, Soori

2013-01-01

Introduction Achieving participant comprehension has proven to be one of the most difficult, practical, and ethical challenges of HIV prevention clinical trials. It becomes even more challenging when local languages do not have equivalent scientific and technical vocabularies, rendering communication of scientific concepts in translated documents extremely difficult. Even when bilingual lexicons are developed, there is no guarantee that participants understand the terminology as translated. Methods We conducted twelve focus groups with women of reproductive age in Mwanza, Tanzania to explore the effectiveness of four questioning techniques for: (1) assessing participants' familiarity with existing technical terms and concepts, (2) generating a list of acceptable technical and non-technical terms, (3) testing our definitions of technical terms, and (4) verifying participants' preferences for terms. Focus groups were transcribed, translated, and qualitatively analyzed. Results and Discussion A translation process that uses all four questioning techniques in a step-wise approach is an effective way to establish a baseline understanding of participants' familiarity with research terms, to develop and test translatable definitions, and to identify participants' preferred terminology for international HIV clinical research. This may help to ensure that important concepts are not “lost in translation.” The results emphasize the importance of using a variety of techniques depending on the level of participant familiarity with research concepts, the existence of colloquial or technical terms in the target language, and the inherent complexity of the terms. PMID:24040075

Emerging Applications of Liquid Crystals Based on Nanotechnology

PubMed Central

Sohn, Jung Inn; Hong, Woong-Ki; Choi, Su Seok; Coles, Harry J.; Welland, Mark E.; Cha, Seung Nam; Kim, Jong Min

2014-01-01

Diverse functionalities of liquid crystals (LCs) offer enormous opportunities for their potential use in advanced mobile and smart displays, as well as novel non-display applications. Here, we present snapshots of the research carried out on emerging applications of LCs ranging from electronics to holography and self-powered systems. In addition, we will show our recent results focused on the development of new LC applications, such as programmable transistors, a transparent and active-type two-dimensional optical array and self-powered display systems based on LCs, and will briefly discuss their novel concepts and basic operating principles. Our research will give insights not only into comprehensively understanding technical and scientific applications of LCs, but also developing new discoveries of other LC-based devices. PMID:28788555

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

Jansen, F.

The use of integrated PET/MRI systems in clinical applications can best benefit from understanding their technological advances and limitations. The currently available clinical PET/MRI systems have their own characteristics. Thorough analyses of existing technical data and evaluation of necessary performance metrics for quality assurances could be conducted to optimize application-specific PET/MRI protocols. This Symposium will focus on technical advances and limitations of clinical PET/MRI systems, and how this exciting imaging modality can be utilized in applications that can benefit from both PET and MRI. Learning Objectives: To understand the technological advances of clinical PET/MRI systems To correctly identify clinical applicationsmore » that can benefit from PET/MRI To understand ongoing work to further improve the current PET/MRI technology Floris Jansen is a GE Healthcare employee.« less

Simulation-based ureteroscopy skills training curriculum with integration of technical and non-technical skills: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Brunckhorst, Oliver; Shahid, Shahab; Aydin, Abdullatif; McIlhenny, Craig; Khan, Shahid; Raza, Syed Johar; Sahai, Arun; Brewin, James; Bello, Fernando; Kneebone, Roger; Khan, Muhammad Shamim; Dasgupta, Prokar; Ahmed, Kamran

2015-09-01

Current training modalities within ureteroscopy have been extensively validated and must now be integrated within a comprehensive curriculum. Additionally, non-technical skills often cause surgical error and little research has been conducted to combine this with technical skills teaching. This study therefore aimed to develop and validate a curriculum for semi-rigid ureteroscopy, integrating both technical and non-technical skills teaching within the programme. Delphi methodology was utilised for curriculum development and content validation, with a randomised trial then conducted (n = 32) for curriculum evaluation. The developed curriculum consisted of four modules; initially developing basic technical skills and subsequently integrating non-technical skills teaching. Sixteen participants underwent the simulation-based curriculum and were subsequently assessed, together with the control cohort (n = 16) within a full immersion environment. Both technical (Time to completion, OSATS and a task specific checklist) and non-technical (NOTSS) outcome measures were recorded with parametric and non-parametric analyses used depending on the distribution of our data as evaluated by a Shapiro-Wilk test. Improvements within the intervention cohort demonstrated educational value across all technical and non-technical parameters recorded, including time to completion (p < 0.01), OSATS scores (p < 0.001), task specific checklist scores (p = 0.011) and NOTSS scores (p < 0.001). Content validity, feasibility and acceptability were all demonstrated through curriculum development and post-study questionnaire results. The current developed curriculum demonstrates that integrating both technical and non-technical skills teaching is both educationally valuable and feasible. Additionally, the curriculum offers a validated simulation-based training modality within ureteroscopy and a framework for the development of other simulation-based programmes.

Helios: Understanding Solar Evolution Through Text Analytics

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

Randazzese, Lucien

This proof-of-concept project focused on developing, testing, and validating a range of bibliometric, text analytic, and machine-learning based methods to explore the evolution of three photovoltaic (PV) technologies: Cadmium Telluride (CdTe), Dye-Sensitized solar cells (DSSC), and Multi-junction solar cells. The analytical approach to the work was inspired by previous work by the same team to measure and predict the scientific prominence of terms and entities within specific research domains. The goal was to create tools that could assist domain-knowledgeable analysts in investigating the history and path of technological developments in general, with a focus on analyzing step-function changes in performance,more » or “breakthroughs,” in particular. The text-analytics platform developed during this project was dubbed Helios. The project relied on computational methods for analyzing large corpora of technical documents. For this project we ingested technical documents from the following sources into Helios: Thomson Scientific Web of Science (papers), the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (patents), the U.S. Department of Energy (technical documents), the U.S. National Science Foundation (project funding summaries), and a hand curated set of full-text documents from Thomson Scientific and other sources.« less

The International Linear Collider Technical Design Report - Volume 3.II: Accelerator Baseline Design

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

Adolphsen, Chris

2013-06-26

The International Linear Collider Technical Design Report (TDR) describes in four volumes the physics case and the design of a 500 GeV centre-of-mass energy linear electron-positron collider based on superconducting radio-frequency technology using Niobium cavities as the accelerating structures. The accelerator can be extended to 1 TeV and also run as a Higgs factory at around 250 GeV and on the Z0 pole. A comprehensive value estimate of the accelerator is give, together with associated uncertainties. It is shown that no significant technical issues remain to be solved. Once a site is selected and the necessary site-dependent engineering is carriedmore » out, construction can begin immediately. The TDR also gives baseline documentation for two high-performance detectors that can share the ILC luminosity by being moved into and out of the beam line in a "push-pull" configuration. These detectors, ILD and SiD, are described in detail. They form the basis for a world-class experimental programme that promises to increase significantly our understanding of the fundamental processes that govern the evolution of the Universe.« less

The International Linear Collider Technical Design Report - Volume 1: Executive Summary

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

Behnke, Ties; Brau, James E.; Foster, Brian

2013-06-26

The International Linear Collider Technical Design Report (TDR) describes in four volumes the physics case and the design of a 500 GeV centre-of-mass energy linear electron-positron collider based on superconducting radio-frequency technology using Niobium cavities as the accelerating structures. The accelerator can be extended to 1 TeV and also run as a Higgs factory at around 250 GeV and on the Z0 pole. A comprehensive value estimate of the accelerator is give, together with associated uncertainties. It is shown that no significant technical issues remain to be solved. Once a site is selected and the necessary site-dependent engineering is carriedmore » out, construction can begin immediately. The TDR also gives baseline documentation for two high-performance detectors that can share the ILC luminosity by being moved into and out of the beam line in a "push-pull" configuration. These detectors, ILD and SiD, are described in detail. They form the basis for a world-class experimental programme that promises to increase significantly our understanding of the fundamental processes that govern the evolution of the Universe.« less

Technical Leadership Development Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-13

the traditional tenets of leadership and management , systems thinking, understanding SOS issues, and thinking and acting holistically. Our research...international element 2.0 Enterprise Leadership and Management UNCLASSIFIED Contract Number: H98230-08-D-0171 DO 002. TO002, RT 004 Report No...mechanisms for leadership of the overall technical effort, for systems engineering, for requirements, management , and for systems integration. o Develop

Return on Postsecondary Education Investment: An Analysis of Professional and Technical Education Degrees in Idaho

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Midgley, Jeri S.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this ex-post facto quantitative study was to evaluate the benefits of professional technical postsecondary education in Idaho. Human capital theory formed the basis of understanding the importance of acquiring education beyond high school, both for the individual and society. Interactions between entry earnings and cost of attending…

Syntactical and Punctuation Errors: An Analysis of Technical Writing of University Students Science College, Taif University, KSA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alamin, Abdulamir; Ahmed, Sawsan

2012-01-01

Analyzing errors committed by second language learners during their first year of study at the University of Taif, can offer insights and knowledge of the learners' difficulties in acquiring technical English communication. With reference to the errors analyzed, the researcher found that the learners' failure to understand basic English grammar…

Teorizando acerca del Conocimiento Productivo para Entender la Educacion Teorico Profesional (Theorizing about Productive Knowledge To Understand Professional Technical Education).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hidalgo, Abelardo Castro; Carrasco, Decler Martinez

2000-01-01

States that, internationally, Professional Technical Education emerges as a method of providing educational solutions for poor sectors of the population. Cites University of Chalmer (Sweden) and University of Bio-Bio (Chile) as institutions transformed into technological universities. Discusses what is productive knowledge and conditions under…

75 FR 51035 - Exelon Generation Company, LLC; Notice of Panel Meeting and Technical Conference Details

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-18

... understand the matters in dispute. The Panel will limit all input that it receives to the specific studies or... constraints, the Panel may, at its discretion, limit the speaking time for each participant. Technical... Castleton Road, Darlington, Maryland. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2010-20459 Filed 8-17-10; 8:45...

On the Hegemony of Technical Rationality and the Importance of Distinctions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varkoy, Oivind

2017-01-01

The point of departure in this article is the hegemony of technical rationality when it comes to the justification of music education. This is considered as an example of uniformity, sameness, and homogeneity, or worse, simplicity and naivety--or even worse, a sweet innocence--regarding understanding and thoughts about life, society, and culture…

Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY): Derived Variables. Technical Report 64

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), 2012

2012-01-01

This technical report describes the 24 derived variables developed for users of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) data. The variables fall into the categories education, employment and social, and help to simplify the complexity of the LSAY data by providing useful indicators for analysis. To help LSAY data users understand and…

Big Data Characterization of Learner Behaviour in a Highly Technical MOOC Engineering Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Douglas, Kerrie A.; Bermel, Peter; Alam, Md Monzurul; Madhavan, Krishna

2016-01-01

MOOCs attract a\tlarge\tnumber of learners with largely unknown diversity in terms of motivation,\tability, and goals. To understand more\tabout learners in highly technical engineering MOOCs,\tthis study investigates patterns of learners' (n = 337) behaviour and performance in the Nanophotonic Modelling MOOC, offered through nanoHUB-U. The authors…

Contextualize Technical Writing Assessment to Better Prepare Students for Workplace Writing: Student-Centered Assessment Instruments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Han

2008-01-01

To teach students how to write for the workplace and other professional contexts, technical writing teachers often assign writing tasks that reflect real-life communication contexts, a teaching approach that is grounded in the field's contextualized understanding of genre. This article argues to fully embrace contextualized literacy and better…

Task Inventory Construction. Evaluation of the Marine Corps Task Analysis Program. Technical Report No. 14.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kishi, Akemi

To aid in the construction of effective task analysis inventories, this technical report discusses: (1) an optimum questionnaire length that adequately covers Marine tasks without unduly fatiguing respondents; (2) procedures for the phrasing of task statements to avoid ambiguities and be understandable to as broad a range of Marines as is…

Technical and Vocational Education and Training and the Labour Market in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenberg, Eli

2006-01-01

The aim of this report is to contribute to a better understanding of the current status of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) for human resources development (HRD) and the labour market in Israel. It describes the role and involvement of the various sectors in HRD and identifies the barriers, challenges, priorities, initiatives…

Exploiting Lexical Ambiguity to Help Students Understand the Meaning of "Random"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaplan, Jennifer J.; Rogness, Neal T.; Fisher, Diane G.

2014-01-01

Words that are part of colloquial English but used differently in a technical domain may possess lexical ambiguity. The use of such words by instructors may inhibit student learning if incorrect connections are made by students between the technical and colloquial meanings. One fundamental word in statistics that has lexical ambiguity for students…

A Circular Model of Thinking Processes as a Basis of Technical Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menger, Julia

2010-01-01

Children often experience the influence of technology around them, but there is little emphasis placed on technology within a scientific education in Grundschule (primary schools) in Germany. One of the reasons for this could be a lack of research projects that ascertain young learners' conceptions of technical issues. So there is no basis for…

Third Progress and Information Report of the Vocational-Technical Education Consortium of States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Connie W.; And Others

This description of major activities and accomplishments of the Vocational-Technical Education Consortium of the States (V-TECS) since the second progress report of May, 1975, is designed to provide the reader with a basic understanding of the processes and procedures used by the consortium in achieving its major goal: The production of catalogs…

Determinants of Entrepreneurial Intentions: Technical-Vocational Education and Training Students in Ethiopia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buli, Bereket Mamo; Yesuf, Wasihun Mohammed

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine factors that could explain the difference in entrepreneurial intention (EI) among technical-vocational education and training (TVET) program students. Centered on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the paper aims to contribute to the understanding of factors that affect EIs of students and offer…

Technical clarity in inter-agency negotiations: Lessons from four hydropower projects

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burkardt, Nina; Lamb, Berton Lee; Taylor, Jonathan G.; Waddle, Terry J.

1995-01-01

We investigated the effect of technical clarity on success in multi-party negotiations in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licensing process. Technical clarity is the shared understanding of dimensions such as the geographic extent of the project, range of flows to be considered, important species and life stages, and variety of water uses considered. The results of four hydropower licensing consultations are reported. Key participants were interviewed to ascertain the level of technical clarity present during the consultations and the degree to which the consultations were successful. Technical clarity appears to be a prerequisite for successful outcomes. Factors that enhance technical clarity include simple project design, new rather than existing projects, precise definition of issues, a sense of urgency to reach agreement, a sense of fairness among participants, and consistency in participation. Negotiators should not neglect the critical pre-negotiation steps of defining technical issues and determining appropriate studies, deciding how to interpret studies, and agreeing on responses to study results.

Aquarius SAC-D Post-Launch Briefing

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-10

Conrado Varotto, CONAE Executive and Technical Director, Buenos Aires, talks during the Aquarius/SAC-D post-launch press conference on Friday, June 10, 2011 at the NASA Resident Office, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The joint U.S./Argentinian Aquarius/Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas (SAC)-D mission, launched earlier on Friday June 10, will map the salinity at the ocean surface, information critical to improving our understanding of two major components of Earth's climate system: the water cycle and ocean circulation. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Aquarius SAC-D Post-Launch Briefing

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-10

Conrado Varotto, CONAE Executive and Technical Director, Buenos Aires, looks on as other panelest speak during the Aquarius/SAC-D post-launch press conference on Friday, June 10, 2011 at the NASA Resident Office, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The joint U.S./Argentinian Aquarius/Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas (SAC)-D mission, launched earlier on Friday June 10, will map the salinity at the ocean surface, information critical to improving our understanding of two major components of Earth's climate system: the water cycle and ocean circulation. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Understanding development and stem cells using single cell-based analyses of gene expression

PubMed Central

Kumar, Pavithra; Tan, Yuqi

2017-01-01

In recent years, genome-wide profiling approaches have begun to uncover the molecular programs that drive developmental processes. In particular, technical advances that enable genome-wide profiling of thousands of individual cells have provided the tantalizing prospect of cataloging cell type diversity and developmental dynamics in a quantitative and comprehensive manner. Here, we review how single-cell RNA sequencing has provided key insights into mammalian developmental and stem cell biology, emphasizing the analytical approaches that are specific to studying gene expression in single cells. PMID:28049689

Statistical analysis of fast hard X-ray bursts by SMM observations and microwave bursts by ground-based observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Chun-Sheng; Jiang, Shu-Ying

1986-01-01

In order to understand the relationship between fast hard X-ray bursts (HXRB) and microwave bursts (MWB), data were used from the following publications: NASA Technical Memorandum 84998; Solar Geological Data (1980 to 1983); monthly report of Solar Radio Emission; and NASA and NSF: Solar Geophysical Data (1980 to 1983). For analyzing individual events, the criterion of the same event for HXRB and MWB is determined by peak time difference. There is a good linear correlation between the physical parameter of HXRB and MWB.

Analysis of Wind Turbine Simulation Models: Assessment of Simplified versus Complete Methodologies: Preprint

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

Honrubia-Escribano, A.; Jimenez-Buendia, F.; Molina-Garcia, A.

This paper presents the current status of simplified wind turbine models used for power system stability analysis. This work is based on the ongoing work being developed in IEC 61400-27. This international standard, for which a technical committee was convened in October 2009, is focused on defining generic (also known as simplified) simulation models for both wind turbines and wind power plants. The results of the paper provide an improved understanding of the usability of generic models to conduct power system simulations.

Intelligent hypertext systems for aerospace engineering applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lo, Ching F.

1989-01-01

This paper is a progress report on the utilization of AI technology for assisting users locating and understanding technical information in manuals used for planning and conducting wind tunnel test. The specific goal is to create an Intelligent Hypertext System (IHS) for wind tunnel testing which combines the computerized manual in the form of hypertext and an advisory system that stores experts' knowledge and experiences. A prototype IHS for conducting transonic wind tunnel testing has been constructed with limited knowledge base. The prototype is being evaluated by potential users.

Mars Rover imaging systems and directional filtering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Paul P.

1989-01-01

Computer literature searches were carried out at Duke University and NASA Langley Research Center. The purpose is to enhance personal knowledge based on the technical problems of pattern recognition and image understanding which must be solved for the Mars Rover and Sample Return Mission. Intensive study effort of a large collection of relevant literature resulted in a compilation of all important documents in one place. Furthermore, the documents are being classified into: Mars Rover; computer vision (theory); imaging systems; pattern recognition methodologies; and other smart techniques (AI, neural networks, fuzzy logic, etc).

Technical Versus Public Spheres: A Feminist Analysis of Women's Rhetoric in the Twilight Sleep Debates of 1914-1916.

PubMed

Johnson, Bethany; Quinlan, Margaret M

2015-01-01

Twilight Sleep (TS) describes the delivery, via an injection, of an amnestic drug cocktail to a parturient woman throughout labor. In order to understand the development of modern-day rhetoric surrounding childbirth methods and procedures, this article explores the debate over TS between the public and technical sphere in New York City between 1914 and 1916 and examines the ways in which this debate altered obstetric health care for middle- and upper-class White women. The public response to this campaign posed a direct challenge to male obstetricians in New York City, many of whom were ill-equipped, both literally and figuratively, to use this procedure. Using a feminist rhetorical criticism, we examined the pro-TS rhetoric of women writers in New York City, the methods they borrowed from the women's movement, and the ensuing dialogue between the public and technical spheres. For this study, we analyzed journal and newspaper articles, a pamphlet, a collection of pro-TS organizational documents, letters to the editor, and books published about TS and the history of birth. Lastly, we analyzed theoretical notions of childbirth in women's health and communication studies. After examining the TS debate, we found that birth practices for middle- and upper-class women in New York City shifted and the obstetric community gained ascendancy over female midwifery. We also found that in certain instances, the rhetoric of pro-TS activists was more technically accurate than the rhetoric of some physicians. Hence the TS debate emerged from an argument over the right to use technical language in the technical and/or the public sphere. Conclusions and implications offered by this historical, feminist analysis question our current understanding of women's health and birthing practices, doctor-patient communication, and patient empowerment and access to technical knowledge.

GAR Global Risk Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maskrey, Andrew; Safaie, Sahar

2015-04-01

Disaster risk management strategies, policies and actions need to be based on evidence of current disaster loss and risk patterns, past trends and future projections, and underlying risk factors. Faced with competing demands for resources, at any level it is only possible to priorities a range of disaster risk management strategies and investments with adequate understanding of realised losses, current and future risk levels and impacts on economic growth and social wellbeing as well as cost and impact of the strategy. The mapping and understanding of the global risk landscape has been greatly enhanced by the latest iteration of the GAR Global Risk Assessment and the objective of this submission is to present the GAR global risk assessment which contributed to Global Assessment Report (GAR) 2015. This initiative which has been led by UNISDR, was conducted by a consortium of technical institutions from around the world and has covered earthquake, cyclone, riverine flood, and tsunami probabilistic risk for all countries of the world. In addition, the risks associated with volcanic ash in the Asia-Pacific region, drought in various countries in sub-Saharan Africa and climate change in a number of countries have been calculated. The presentation will share thee results as well as the experience including the challenges faced in technical elements as well as the process and recommendations for the future of such endeavour.

MacDoctor: The Macintosh diagnoser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lavery, David B.; Brooks, William D.

1990-01-01

When the Macintosh computer was first released, the primary user was a computer hobbyist who typically had a significant technical background and was highly motivated to understand the internal structure and operational intricacies of the computer. In recent years the Macintosh computer has become a widely-accepted general purpose computer which is being used by an ever-increasing non-technical audience. This has lead to a large base of users which has neither the interest nor the background to understand what is happening 'behind the scenes' when the Macintosh is put to use - or what should be happening when something goes wrong. Additionally, the Macintosh itself has evolved from a simple closed design to a complete family of processor platforms and peripherals with a tremendous number of possible configurations. With the increasing popularity of the Macintosh series, software and hardware developers are producing a product for every user's need. As the complexity of configuration possibilities grows, the need for experienced or even expert knowledge is required to diagnose problems. This presents a problem to uneducated or casual users. This problem indicates a new Macintosh consumer need; that is, a diagnostic tool able to determine the problem for the user. As the volume of Macintosh products has increased, this need has also increased.

Analysis of stakeholders networks of infant and young child nutrition programmes in Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

PubMed

Uddin, Shahadat; Mahmood, Hana; Senarath, Upul; Zahiruddin, Quazi; Karn, Sumit; Rasheed, Sabrina; Dibley, Michael

2017-06-13

Effective public policies are needed to support appropriate infant and young child feeding (IYCF) to ensure adequate child growth and development, especially in low and middle income countries. The aim of this study was to: (i) capture stakeholder networks in relation to funding and technical support for IYCF policy across five countries in South Asia (i.e. Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan); and (ii) understand how stakeholder networks differed between countries, and identify common actors and their patterns in network engagement across the region. The Net-Map method, which is an interview-based mapping technique to visualise and capture connections among different stakeholders that collaborate towards achieving a focused goal, has been used to map funding and technical support networks in all study sites. Our study was conducted at the national level in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, as well as in selected states or provinces in India and Pakistan during 2013-2014. We analysed the network data using a social network analysis software (NodeXL). The number of stakeholders identified as providing technical support was higher than the number of stakeholders providing funding support, across all study sites. India (New Delhi site - national level) site had the highest number of influential stakeholders for both funding (43) and technical support (86) activities. Among all nine study sites, India (New Delhi - national level) and Sri Lanka had the highest number of participating government stakeholders (22) in their respective funding networks. Sri Lanka also had the highest number of participating government stakeholders for technical support (34) among all the study sites. Government stakeholders are more engaged in technical support activities compared with their involvement in funding activities. The United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) were highly engaged stakeholders for both funding and technical support activities across all study sites. International stakeholders were highly involved in both the funding and technical support activities related to IYCF practices across these nine study sites. Government stakeholders received more support for funding and technical support activities from other stakeholders compared with the support that they offered. Stakeholders were, in general, more engaged for technical support activities compared with the funding activities.

Physics Laboratory in UEC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takada, Tohru; Nakamura, Jin; Suzuki, Masaru

All the first-year students in the University of Electro-Communications (UEC) take "Basic Physics I", "Basic Physics II" and "Physics Laboratory" as required subjects; Basic Physics I and Basic Physics II are calculus-based physics of mechanics, wave and oscillation, thermal physics and electromagnetics. Physics Laboratory is designed mainly aiming at learning the skill of basic experimental technique and technical writing. Although 95% students have taken physics in the senior high school, they poorly understand it by connecting with experience, and it is difficult to learn Physics Laboratory in the university. For this reason, we introduced two ICT (Information and Communication Technology) systems of Physics Laboratory to support students'learning and staff's teaching. By using quantitative data obtained from the ICT systems, we can easily check understanding of physics contents in students, and can improve physics education.

77 FR 38173 - Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding Between the Food and Drug Administration and Other...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-27

... in the Federal Register of March 23, 2012 (77 FR 16923), a direct final rule making technical changes to update a requirement that many of its written agreements and memoranda of understanding with other...

An evaluation of HACCP implementation status in UK small and medium enterprises in food manufacturing.

PubMed

Fielding, L M; Ellis, L; Beveridge, C; Peters, A C

2005-04-01

To reduce foodborne illnesses, hazard and risk-based quality management systems are essential. Small and medium sized companies (SMEs) tend to have a poor understanding of such systems and limited adoption of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system (HACCP). The requirement for full HACCP implementation by 2006 will place an even greater burden on these businesses. The aim of this project is to assess the current levels of understanding of hazards and risks in SMEs in the manufacturing sector. A questionnaire survey was made of 850 SMEs, including microbusinesses. This determined the industry sector and processes carried out, whether the company operated hazard-based quality management and the knowledge of the technical manager regarding the associated hazards and risks. Follow-up visits to the manufacturing plant observed the processes and the operatives to determine their level of understanding. A benchmarking audit was carried out and each company was rated. The results show that the majority of respondents stated that they operated hazard analysis-based quality management. The ability of the respondents to correctly define a hazard or risk or identify different types of hazard was, however, poor. There was no correlation between business type and audit score. The microbusinesses did, however, perform significantly less well than the larger SMEs.

Leading with Purpose and Passion: Keys to Effective Leadership in Career and Technical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lacroix, Steve L.

2012-01-01

Effective leaders in career and technical education (CTE) are not just visionaries. They are educational leaders who understand the mission clearly, can articulate the vision of the school, and will also do whatever it takes to accomplish and carry out that mission. They know their purpose and the reason for their assignment. These leaders are not…

New York City School Survey 2008-2010: Assessing the Reliability and Validity of a Progress Report Measure. Technical Appendices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nathanson, Lori; Cole, Rachel; Kemple, James J.; Lent, Jessica; McCormick, Meghan; Segeritz, Micha

2013-01-01

The Research Alliance for New York City Schools examined Department of Education (DOE) School Survey data from 2008-2010 to better understand the richness and complexities of the information elicited by the Survey from parents, students, and teachers. This document provides the appendices to the technical report "New York City School Survey…

Curriculum Integration: Helping Career and Technical Education Students Truly Develop College and Career Readiness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Travis; Pearson, Donna; Richardson, George B.

2017-01-01

All students need to learn how to read, write, solve mathematics problems, and understand and apply scientific principles to succeed in college and/or careers. The challenges posed by entry-level career fields are no less daunting than those posed by college-level study. Thus, career and technical education students must learn effective math,…

Project T.E.A.M. (Technical Education Advancement Modules). Introduction to Statistical Process Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Billings, Paul H.

This instructional guide, one of a series developed by the Technical Education Advancement Modules (TEAM) project, is a 6-hour introductory module on statistical process control (SPC), designed to develop competencies in the following skill areas: (1) identification of the three classes of SPC use; (2) understanding a process and how it works; (3)…

Systematizing the Delivery of Local Employment and Training Services. The Job Center Technical Assistance Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin State Dept. of Industry, Labor and Human Relations, Madison.

This technical assistance guide was developed to consolidate a statewide understanding of the effort to systematize the delivery of employment and training programs through the local formation of job centers in Wisconsin, and to provide a compilation, drawn from 20 local models, that explains how the programs are delivered. The guide is organized…

The Impact of Career and Technical Education Programs on At-Risk Secondary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Sabrina E.

2012-01-01

As the number of youth at risk for educational failure has increased, so has the debate over the appropriate nature of career and technical education (CTE) programs for such youth. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding about the manner in which CTE programs within vocational schools affected secondary students at risk for…

Technical & Scientific Reader in English [Temas tecnicos y cientificos en ingles, con ejercicios para aumentar el vocabulario].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirschhorn, Howard H.

This book has been developed for those who wish to increase their understanding of technical and scientific English. It is designed especially for Spanish-speaking students, scientists, and technicians who are preparing to take courses in American schools or under instructors abroad. The 50 reading selections are drawn from a wide variety of…

Developing a Seamless System for Meeting the Needs of Young Children Affected by Alcohol and Other Drugs through Training and Technical Assistance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antoniadis, Anastasia

This paper describes a cross-agency model of training and technical assistance which prepares preschool teachers, therapists, social workers, drug treatment providers, parents, administrators, service coordinators, and bureaucrats to work with and understand children and families affected by alcohol and other drugs. Presented first is a brief…

The CORE Community: Career and Technical Education Teachers' Perceptions of the Common Core State Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stair, Kristin S.; Warner, Wendy J; Hock, Gaea; Conrad, Michelle; Levy, Natalie

2016-01-01

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have been adopted in 43 states within the U.S. However, Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers are often unsure how their programs can successfully integrate CCSS. The purpose of this study was to understand how participants in a CCSS professional development project perceive the CCSS and how they are…

Applied Reading Test--Forms A and B, Interim Manual, and Answer Sheets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Australian Council for Educational Research, Hawthorn.

Designed for use in the selection of apprentices, trainees, technical and trade personnel, and any other persons who need to read and understand text of a technical nature, this Applied Reading Test specimen set contains six passages and 32 items, has a 30-minute time limit, and is presented in a reusable multiple choice test booklet. The specimen…

Understanding Policy Intentions Is Critical for Successful Policy Implementation within the Technical and Vocational Education and Training College's Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sebele, Ntlantla

2015-01-01

Public policy implementation is frequently regarded as problematic globally and reasons for these vary. In particular, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector has been criticized for lack of delivery and most of the criticism is directed towards the non-implementation of government policy. In South Africa managers of TVET…

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 45: A comparison of the information-seeking behaviors of three groups of US aerospace engineers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, John M.; Pinelli, Thomas E.; Barclay, Rebecca O.

1995-01-01

To understand the transfer of scientific and technical information (STI) in aerospace, it is necessary to understand the characteristics and behaviors of those who create and use STI. In this paper, we analyze the similarities and differences in the scientific and technical information-seeking behaviors of three groups of US aerospace engineers and scientists. We describe some of their demographic characteristics and their duties and responsibilities as a method of understanding their STI use patterns. There is considerable diversity among aerospace engineers in their use of STI. In general, engineers engaged in research use more STI than those who are in design/development and manufacturing/production. Research engineers also use different standards to determine the STI sources and products that they will use.

MO-FG-207-03: Maximizing the Utility of Integrated PET/MRI in Clinical Applications

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

Behr, S.

2015-06-15

The use of integrated PET/MRI systems in clinical applications can best benefit from understanding their technological advances and limitations. The currently available clinical PET/MRI systems have their own characteristics. Thorough analyses of existing technical data and evaluation of necessary performance metrics for quality assurances could be conducted to optimize application-specific PET/MRI protocols. This Symposium will focus on technical advances and limitations of clinical PET/MRI systems, and how this exciting imaging modality can be utilized in applications that can benefit from both PET and MRI. Learning Objectives: To understand the technological advances of clinical PET/MRI systems To correctly identify clinical applicationsmore » that can benefit from PET/MRI To understand ongoing work to further improve the current PET/MRI technology Floris Jansen is a GE Healthcare employee.« less

MO-FG-207-00: Technological Advances in PET/MR Imaging

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

NONE

2015-06-15

The use of integrated PET/MRI systems in clinical applications can best benefit from understanding their technological advances and limitations. The currently available clinical PET/MRI systems have their own characteristics. Thorough analyses of existing technical data and evaluation of necessary performance metrics for quality assurances could be conducted to optimize application-specific PET/MRI protocols. This Symposium will focus on technical advances and limitations of clinical PET/MRI systems, and how this exciting imaging modality can be utilized in applications that can benefit from both PET and MRI. Learning Objectives: To understand the technological advances of clinical PET/MRI systems To correctly identify clinical applicationsmore » that can benefit from PET/MRI To understand ongoing work to further improve the current PET/MRI technology Floris Jansen is a GE Healthcare employee.« less

Dealing With Shallow-Water Flow in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ostermeier, R.

2006-05-01

Some of the Shell experience in dealing with the shallow-water flow problem in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM) will be presented. The nature of the problem, including areal extent and over-pressuring mechanisms, will be discussed. Methods for sand prediction and shallow sediment and flow characterization will be reviewed. These include seismic techniques, the use of geo-technical wells, regional trends, and various MWD methods. Some examples of flow incidents with pertinent drilling issues, including well failures and abandonment, will be described. To address the shallow-water flow problem, Shell created a multi-disciplinary team of specialists in geology, geophysics, petrophysics, drilling, and civil engineering. The team developed several methodologies to deal with various aspects of the problem. These include regional trends and data bases, shallow seismic interpretation and sand prediction, well site and casing point selection, geo-technical well design and data interpretation, logging program design and interpretation, cementing design and fluids formulation, methods for remediation and mitigation of lost circulation, and so on. Shell's extensive Deepwater GOM drilling experience has lead to new understanding of the problem. Examples include delineation of trends in shallow water flow occurrence and severity, trends and departures in PP/FG, rock properties pertaining to seismic identification of sands, and so on. New knowledge has also been acquired through the use of geo-technical wells. One example is the observed rapid onset and growth of over-pressures below the mudline. Total trouble costs due to shallow water flow for all GOM operators almost certainly runs into the several hundred million dollars. Though the problem remains a concern, advances in our knowledge and understanding make it a problem that is manageable and not the "show stopper" once feared.

Portal Vein Embolization as an Oncosurgical Strategy Prior to Major Hepatic Resection: Anatomic, Surgical, and Technical Considerations

PubMed Central

Orcutt, Sonia T.; Kobayashi, Katsuhiro; Sultenfuss, Mark; Hailey, Brian S.; Sparks, Anthony; Satpathy, Bighnesh; Anaya, Daniel A.

2016-01-01

Preoperative portal vein embolization (PVE) is used to extend the indications for major hepatic resection, and it has become the standard of care for selected patients with hepatic malignancies treated at major hepatobiliary centers. To date, various techniques with different embolic materials have been used with similar results in the degree of liver hypertrophy. Regardless of the specific strategy used, both surgeons and interventional radiologists must be familiar with each other’s techniques to be able to create the optimal plan for each individual patient. Knowledge of the segmental anatomy of the liver is paramount to fully understand the liver segments that need to be embolized and resected. Understanding the portal vein anatomy and the branching variations, along with the techniques used to transect the portal vein during hepatic resection, is important because these variables can affect the PVE procedure and the eventual surgical resection. Comprehension of the advantages and disadvantages of approaches to the portal venous system and the various embolic materials used for PVE is essential to best tailor the procedures for each patient and to avoid complications. Before PVE, meticulous assessment of the portal vein branching anatomy is performed with cross-sectional imaging, and embolization strategies are developed based on the patient’s anatomy. The PVE procedure consists of several technical steps, and knowledge of these technical tips, potential complications, and how to avoid the complications in each step is of great importance for safe and successful PVE and ultimately successful hepatectomy. Because PVE is used as an adjunct to planned hepatic resection, priority must always be placed on safety, without compromising the integrity of the future liver remnant, and close collaboration between interventional radiologists and hepatobiliary surgeons is essential to achieve successful outcomes. PMID:27014696

Health care multidisciplinary teams: The sociotechnical approach for an integrated system-wide perspective.

PubMed

Marsilio, Marta; Torbica, Aleksandra; Villa, Stefano

The current literature on the enabling conditions of multidisciplinary teams focuses on the singular dimensions of the organizations (i.e., human resources, clinical pathways, objects) without shedding light on to the way in which these organizational factors interact and mutually influence one another. Drawing on a system perspective of organizations, the authors analyze the organizational patterns that promote and support multidisciplinary teams and how they interrelate and interact to enforce the organization work system. The authors develop a modified sociotechnical system (STS) model to understand how the two dimensions of technical (devices/tools, layout/organization of space, core process standardization) and social (organizational structure, management of human resources and operations) can facilitate the implementation of multidisciplinary teams in health care. The study conducts an empirical analysis based on a sample of hospital adopters of transcatheter aortic valve implantation using the revised STS model. The modified STS model applied to the case studies improves our understanding of the critical implementation factors of a multidisciplinary approach and the importance of coordinating radical changes in the technical and the social subsystems of health care organizations. The analysis informs that the multidisciplinary effort is not a sequential process and that the interplay between the two subsystems needs to be managed efficaciously as an integrated organizational whole to deliver the goals set. Hospital managers must place equal focus on the closely interrelated technical and social dimensions by investing in (a) shared layouts and spaces that cross the boundaries of the specialized health care units, (b) standardization of the core processes through the implementation of local clinical pathways, (c) structured knowledge management mechanisms, (d) the creation of clinical directorates, and (e) the design of a planning and budgeting system that integrates the multidisciplinary concept.

Conjugated ionomers for photovoltaic applications: electric field driven charge separation in organic photovoltaics. Final Technical report

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

Lonergan, Mark

Final technical report for Conjugated ionomers for photovoltaic applications, electric field driven charge separation in organic photovoltaics. The central goal of the work we completed was been to understand the photochemical and photovoltaic properties of ionically functionalized conjugated polymers (conjugated ionomers or polyelectrolytes) and energy conversion systems based on them. We primarily studied two classes of conjugated polymer interfaces that we developed based either upon undoped conjugated polymers with an asymmetry in ionic composition (the ionic junction) or doped conjugated polymers with an asymmetry in doping type (the p-n junction). The materials used for these studies have primarily been themore » polyacetylene ionomers. We completed a detailed study of p-n junctions with systematically varying dopant density, photochemical creation of doped junctions, and experimental and theoretical work on charge transport and injection in polyacetylene ionomers. We have also completed related work on the use of conjugated ionomers as interlayers that improve the efficiency or organic photovoltaic systems and studied several important aspects of the chemistry of ionically functionalized semiconductors, including mechanisms of so-called "anion-doping", the formation of charge transfer complexes with oxygen, and the synthesis of new polyfluorene polyelectrolytes. We also worked worked with the Haley group at the University of Oregon on new indenofluorene-based organic acceptors.« less

Lessons Learned during the Development of HumaPen® Memoir™, an Insulin Pen with a Memory Feature

PubMed Central

Breslin, Stuart D.; Ignaut, Debra A.; Boyd, Douglas E.

2010-01-01

Insulin pens are developed to address specific needs of diabetes patients for their pens, such as ease of use, portability, and discreetness. Like many consumer-based products, the development of insulin pens can pose significant challenges to the development team in that they must balance substantial accuracy requirements with aesthetic desires. The HumaPen® Memoir™ team learned valuable lessons throughout the development process that may be worth highlighting. A keen understanding of the unmet needs of the patient population and a skillfully planned product generation map are critical to successful device development. A development team must decide whether to use a Quality Functional Deployment or system engineering-based development plan and, additionally, recognize where proof of concept ends and product development begins to maintain a strict timeline for the project. A proficiency in understanding and managing technical risk is critical to ensure a timely and high-quality product launch to the marketplace. PMID:20513318

Predictive models in urology.

PubMed

Cestari, Andrea

2013-01-01

Predictive modeling is emerging as an important knowledge-based technology in healthcare. The interest in the use of predictive modeling reflects advances on different fronts such as the availability of health information from increasingly complex databases and electronic health records, a better understanding of causal or statistical predictors of health, disease processes and multifactorial models of ill-health and developments in nonlinear computer models using artificial intelligence or neural networks. These new computer-based forms of modeling are increasingly able to establish technical credibility in clinical contexts. The current state of knowledge is still quite young in understanding the likely future direction of how this so-called 'machine intelligence' will evolve and therefore how current relatively sophisticated predictive models will evolve in response to improvements in technology, which is advancing along a wide front. Predictive models in urology are gaining progressive popularity not only for academic and scientific purposes but also into the clinical practice with the introduction of several nomograms dealing with the main fields of onco-urology.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and prognostication in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic injury: a vignette-based study of Canadian specialty physicians.

PubMed

Bell, Emily; Rasmussen, Lisa Anne; Mazer, Barbara; Shevell, Michael; Miller, Steven P; Synnes, Anne; Yager, Jerome Y; Majnemer, Annette; Muhajarine, Nazeem; Chouinard, Isabelle; Racine, Eric

2015-02-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could improve prognostication in neonatal brain injury; however, factors beyond technical or scientific refinement may impact its use and interpretation. We surveyed Canadian neonatologists and pediatric neurologists using general and vignette-based questions about the use of MRI for prognostication in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic injury. There was inter- and intra-vignette variability in prognosis and in ratings about the usefulness of MRI. Severity of predicted outcome correlated with certainty about the outcome. A majority of physicians endorsed using MRI results in discussing prognosis with families, and most suggested that MRI results contribute to end-of-life decisions. Participating neonatologists, when compared to participating pediatric neurologists, had significantly less confidence in the interpretation of MRI by colleagues in neurology and radiology. Further investigation is needed to understand the complexity of MRI and of its application. Potential gaps relative to our understanding of the ethical importance of these findings should be addressed. © The Author(s) 2014.

The Imperial Paediatric Emergency Training Toolkit (IPETT) for use in paediatric emergency training: development and evaluation of feasibility and validity.

PubMed

Lambden, Simon; DeMunter, Claudine; Dowson, Anne; Cooper, Mehrengise; Gautama, Sanjay; Sevdalis, Nick

2013-06-01

To develop and test the feasibility, reliability, and validity of a practical toolkit for the assessment and feedback of skills required to manage paediatric emergencies in critical care settings. The Imperial Paediatric Emergency Training Toolkit (IPETT) was developed based on current evidence-base and expert input. IPETT assesses both technical and non-technical skills. The technical component covers skills in the areas of clinical assessment, airway and breathing, cardiovascular, and drugs. The non-technical component is based on the validated NOTECHS tool and covers communication and interaction, cooperation and team skills, leadership and managerial skills, and decision-making. The reliability (internal consistency), content validity (inter-correlations between different skills) and concurrent validity (correlations between global technical and non-technical scores) of IPETT were prospectively evaluated in 45 simulated paediatric crises carried out in a PICU with anaesthetic and paediatric trainees (N=52). Non-parametric analyses were carried out. Significance was set at P<0.05. Cronbach alpha reliability coefficients were overall acceptable for the technical (alpha range=0.638-0.810) and good for the non-technical (alpha range=0.701-0.899) component of IPETT. The median inter-skill correlation was rho=0.564 and rho=0.549 for the technical and non-technical components, respectively. These indicate good content validity, as the skills were inter-related but not redundant. We also demonstrate a correlation between the global technical and non-technical scores (rho=0.471) - all Ps<0.05 during the assessments. IPETT offers a psychometrically viable and feasible to use tool in the context of paediatric emergencies training. This study shows that assessment of technical and non-technical skills in combination may offer a more clinically relevant model for training in paediatric emergencies. Further validation should aim to demonstrate skill retention over time and skill transfer from simulation-based training to real emergencies. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

The Multi-Sector Sustainability Browser (MSSB): A Tool for Understanding Sustainability

EPA Science Inventory

The MSSB is the first and only decision support tool containing information from scientific literature and technical reports that can be used to develop and implement sustainability initiatives. The MSSB is designed to assist individuals and communities in understanding the impa...

Increasing student confidence in technical and professional skills through project based learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Alice L.

This work focuses on developing undergraduate students' technical and professional skills through a project-based spiral curriculum in the Agricultural & Biological Engineering department at Purdue that can be implemented campus wide. Through this curriculum, Purdue engineers will be prepared for leadership roles in responding to the global technological, economic, and societal challenges of the 21st century by exposure to the relationships between engineering and its impacts on real world needs and challenges. Project-based learning uses projects as the focus of instruction and has shown increased understanding, motivation, and confidence through application of engineering principles to real-world problems. The strength of a spiral curriculum is that it continually revisits basic ideas and themes with increasing complexity and sophistication. The proposed spiral curriculum incorporates the target attributes of the Purdue Engineer of 2020 through project based courses during sophomore, junior, and senior year. These courses will build on concepts taught during first year engineering as well. The Engineer of 2020 (NAE and Purdue) target attributes include strong technical and professional skills to solve societal and technological burdens. A prototype course has been developed, taught, and evaluated during the previous two fall semesters in the sophomore level of the Biological and Food Process Engineering curriculum. The target students met 3 hours a week in a traditional lecture setting plus 2 hours a week in a project based lab setting. The control group met only 3 hours a week in a traditional lecture setting. Peer and self assessment results from student surveys show increased confidence in every area surveyed. Focus groups revealed student reactions to the course. Students enjoyed the course but felt it difficult to handle ambiguity with project work. Future work includes course revisions to the content, assessment, and pedagogy of the prototype class, development of the remaining project courses in the curriculum, and increasing graduate student instruction in the courses to gain teaching and leadership experience.

An Integrated Economics Model for ISRU in Support of a Mars Colony - Initial Status Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shishko, Robert; Fradet, Rene; Saydam, Serkan; Tapia-Cortez, Carlos; Dempster, Andrew G.; Coulton, Jeff

2015-01-01

The aim of this effort is to develop an integrated set of risk-based financial and technical models to evaluate multiple Off-Earth Mining (OEM) scenarios. This quantitative, scenario- and simulation-based tool will help identify combinations of market variables, technical parameters, and policy levers that will enable the expansion of the global economy into the solar system and return economic benefits. Human ventures in space are entering a new phase in which missions formerly driven by government agencies are now being replaced by those led by commercial enterprises - in launch, satellite deployment, resupply of the International Space Station, and space tourism. In the not-too-distant future, commercial opportunities will also include the mining of asteroids, the Moon, and Mars. This investigation will examine the role of OEM in a growing space economy. (In this investigation, the term 'mining' is taken to embrace minerals, ice/water, and other in situ resources.) OEM can be the engine that drives the space economy, so it would be useful to understand what OEM market conditions and technology requirements are needed for that economy to prosper. These specific elements will be studied in the wider context of creating an economy that could ultimately support a sustainable Mars Colony. Such a colony will need in situ resources not only for its own survival, but to prosper and grow, it must create viable business ventures, essentially by fulfilling the demand for in situ resources from and on Mars. This investigation will focus on understanding the role and economic prospect for OEM associated with the Human Colonization of Mars (HCM).

Measurement equivalence: A non-technical primer on categorical multi-group confirmatory factor analysis in school psychology.

PubMed

Pendergast, Laura L; von der Embse, Nathaniel; Kilgus, Stephen P; Eklund, Katie R

2017-02-01

Evidence-based interventions (EBIs) have become a central component of school psychology research and practice, but EBIs are dependent upon the availability and use of evidence-based assessments (EBAs) with diverse student populations. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) is an analytical tool that can be used to examine the validity and measurement equivalence/invariance of scores across diverse groups. The objective of this article is to provide a conceptual and procedural overview of categorical MG-CFA, as well as an illustrated example based on data from the Social and Academic Behavior Risk Screener (SABRS) - a tool designed for use in school-based interventions. This article serves as a non-technical primer on the topic of MG-CFA with ordinal (rating scale) data and does so through the framework of examining equivalence of measures used for EBIs within multi-tiered models - an understudied topic. To go along with the illustrated example, we have provided supplementary files that include sample data, Mplus input code, and an annotated guide for understanding the input code (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2016.11.002). Data needed to reproduce analyses in this article are available as supplemental materials (online only) in the Appendix of this article. Copyright © 2016 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Undergraduate courses for enhancing design ability in naval architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kyu-Yeul; Ku, Namkug; Cha, Ju-Hwan

2013-09-01

Contemporary lectures in undergraduate engineering courses typically focus on teaching major technical knowledge-based theories in a limited time. Therefore, most lectures do not allow the students to gain understanding of how the theories are applied, especially in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering departments. Shipyards require students to acquire practical ship design skills in undergraduate courses. To meet this requirement, two lectures are organized by the authors; namely, "Planning Procedure of Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering" (PNAOE) and "Innovative Ship Design" (ISD). The concept of project-based and collaborative learning is applied in these two lectures. In the PNAOE lecture, sophomores receive instruction in the designing and building of model ships, and the students' work is evaluated in a model ship contest. This curriculum enables students to understand the concepts of ship design and production. In the ISD lecture, seniors learn how to develop their creative ideas about ship design and communicate with members of group. They are encouraged to cooperate with others and understand the ship design process. In the capstone design course, students receive guidance to facilitate understanding of how the knowledge from their sophomore or junior classes, such as fluid mechanics, statics, and dynamics, can be applied to practical ship design. Students are also encouraged to compete in the ship design contest organized by the Society of Naval Architects of Korea. Moreover, the effectiveness of project-based and collaborative learning for enhancing interest in the shipbuilding Industry and understanding the ship design process is demonstrated by citing the PNAOE and ISD lectures as examples.

Mainstream Issues of Education and Public Awareness of Space Activities and Sciences among universities and Scientific Institutes.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Balbir

This paper is an effort to study and analyze several constraints and issues of space technology and education that organizations other than governmental organizations face in awareness program. In recent years, advancements in technologies have made it possible for Volunteer and Technical Communities, non-government organizations, private agencies and academic research institutions to provide increasing support to space education management and emphasis on response efforts. Important cornerstones of this effort and support are the possibility to access and take advantage of satellite imagery as well as the use of other space-based technologies such as telecommunications satellites and global navigation satellite systems included in main curriculum plus the implementation of programs for use of high class sophisticated technologies used by industries to the students and researchers of non-space faring nations. The authors recognize the importance of such new methodologies for education and public Awareness. This paper demonstrates many hurdles universities and scientific institutions face including lack of access in terms of financial and technical resources for better support. A new model for coordinated private sector partnership in response to space sciences and education has been discussed. In depth analysis and techniques need to connect these pioneering communities with the space industry as well as the space governmental agencies, with special emphasis on financial constraints. The paper mandates its role to promote the use of space-based information; its established networks bringing together national institutions responsible for these space based activities, as well as other end users, and space solution experts; and its technical foundation, particularly in the area of information technologies. To help building a tighter cooperation and further understanding among all these communities, paper delivers an intensive report and solutions for future coordination and ease

Segmentation of human brain using structural MRI.

PubMed

Helms, Gunther

2016-04-01

Segmentation of human brain using structural MRI is a key step of processing in imaging neuroscience. The methods have undergone a rapid development in the past two decades and are now widely available. This non-technical review aims at providing an overview and basic understanding of the most common software. Starting with the basis of structural MRI contrast in brain and imaging protocols, the concepts of voxel-based and surface-based segmentation are discussed. Special emphasis is given to the typical contrast features and morphological constraints of cortical and sub-cortical grey matter. In addition to the use for voxel-based morphometry, basic applications in quantitative MRI, cortical thickness estimations, and atrophy measurements as well as assignment of cortical regions and deep brain nuclei are briefly discussed. Finally, some fields for clinical applications are given.

Systems Engineering Awareness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lucero, John

2016-01-01

The presentation will provide an overview of the fundamentals and principles of Systems Engineering (SE). This includes understanding the processes that are used to assist the engineer in a successful design, build and implementation of solutions. The context of this presentation will be to describe the involvement of SE throughout the life-cycle of a project from cradle to grave. Due to the ever growing number of complex technical problems facing our world, a Systems Engineering approach is desirable for many reasons. The interdisciplinary technical structure of current systems, technical processes representing System Design, Technical Management and Product Realization are instrumental in the development and integration of new technologies into mainstream applications. This tutorial will demonstrate the application of SE tools to these types of problems..

Spectroscopic scanning tunneling microscopy insights into Fe-based superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffman, Jennifer E.

2011-12-01

In the first three years since the discovery of Fe-based high Tc superconductors, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy have shed light on three important questions. First, STM has demonstrated the complexity of the pairing symmetry in Fe-based materials. Phase-sensitive quasiparticle interference (QPI) imaging and low temperature spectroscopy have shown that the pairing order parameter varies from nodal to nodeless s± within a single family, FeTe1-xSex. Second, STM has imaged C4 → C2 symmetry breaking in the electronic states of both parent and superconducting materials. As a local probe, STM is in a strong position to understand the interactions between these broken symmetry states and superconductivity. Finally, STM has been used to image the vortex state, giving insights into the technical problem of vortex pinning, and the fundamental problem of the competing states introduced when superconductivity is locally quenched by a magnetic field. Here we give a pedagogical introduction to STM and QPI imaging, discuss the specific challenges associated with extracting bulk properties from the study of surfaces, and report on progress made in understanding Fe-based superconductors using STM techniques.

48 CFR 3419.870 - Acquisition of technical requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... competition to submit written technical proposals. Otherwise, ED holds oral discussions with the participating... participating in a limited technical competition based on the written technical proposals or oral discussions... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Acquisition of technical...

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

Technical skills requirement of Indonesian construction labors to work in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adi, Henny Pratiwi

2017-03-01

Labors skills is an important part of construction projects implementation. Suitability between the skills possessed by labors with the skills needed by user is required to increase employment opportunities. Malaysia is a country that using construction labors from Indonesia. This study aims to get the kind of technical skills required by users of Indonesian constructian labors in Malaysia and also the importance level of technical skills. Data collecting in this research was conducted through interviews and questionnaires on contractors in Malaysia. The next stage was determine the importance level of technical skills in work field of carpenter, bricklayer, plumber and painters. The importance level of technical skills analyzed using the Relative Importance Index (RII). The results showed that mastering the operation of both instruments either manually or electrically is the most importance in the technical skills. Therefore, an understanding of the types of equipment for work field and the manner of operation is need to had by Indonesian construction labors who will work in Malaysia.

Introduction of the 2nd Phase of the Integrated Hydrologic Model Intercomparison Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kollet, Stefan; Maxwell, Reed; Dages, Cecile; Mouche, Emmanuel; Mugler, Claude; Paniconi, Claudio; Park, Young-Jin; Putti, Mario; Shen, Chaopeng; Stisen, Simon; Sudicky, Edward; Sulis, Mauro; Ji, Xinye

2015-04-01

The 2nd Phase of the Integrated Hydrologic Model Intercomparison Project commenced in June 2013 with a workshop at Bonn University funded by the German Science Foundation and US National Science Foundation. Three test cases were defined and compared that are available online at www.hpsc-terrsys.de including a tilted v-catchment case; a case called superslab based on multiple slab-heterogeneities in the hydraulic conductivity along a hillslope; and the Borden site case, based on a published field experiment. The goal of this phase is to further interrogate the coupling of surface-subsurface flow implemented in various integrated hydrologic models; and to understand and quantify the impact of differences in the conceptual and technical implementations on the simulation results, which may constitute an additional source of uncertainty. The focus has been broadened considerably including e.g. saturated and unsaturated subsurface storages, saturated surface area, ponded surface storage in addition to discharge, and pressure/saturation profiles and cross-sections. Here, first results are presented and discussed demonstrating the conceptual and technical challenges in implementing essentially the same governing equations describing highly non-linear moisture redistribution processes and surface-groundwater interactions.

Technical nursing students interacting with family members of hospitalized children.

PubMed

Onishi, Juliana Yukari Takahashi; Ribeiro, Circéa Amália; Silva, Maria Cristina Ferreira Carlos Rodrigues da; Borba, Regina Issuzu Hirooka de

2017-01-01

To understand technical nursing students' meaning of interacting with family members of hospitalized children. Symbolic Interactionism was used as the theoretical framework and Qualitative Content Analysis was the methodological procedure. A total of eight graduates from an institution situated in the city of Osasco, Sao Paulo state, participated in this study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. A total of five representative themes were revealed: Dealing with difficult situations with family members; Perceiving oneself to be unprepared to interact with family members; Family members being a helpful tool; Developing strategies to obtain a good interaction with family members; and Teachers being facilitators of the interaction with family members. To be acquainted with this experience has led to the understanding of the need to include the theme of family care in the curriculum of the Technical Nursing Course. Additionally, the present study contributed to reflections on the importance of such knowledge for this population and to the development of future studies, as this theme has been scarcely explored in the literature.

A Comparison of the Technical Communications Practices of Japanese and U.S. Aerospace Engineers and Scientists

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Holloway, Karen; Sato, Yuko; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

1996-01-01

To understand the diffusion of aerospace knowledge, it is necessary to understand the communications practices and the information-seeking behaviors of those involved in the production, transfer, and use of aerospace knowledge at the individual, organizational, national, and international levels. In this paper, we report selected results from a survey of Japanese and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists that focused on communications practices and information-seeking behaviors in the workplace. Data are presented for the following topics: importance of and time spent communicating information, collaborative writing, need for an undergraduate course in technical communications, use of libraries, the use and importance of electronic (computer) networks, and the use and importance of foreign and domestically produced technical reports. The responses of the survey respondents are placed within the context of the Japanese culture. We assume that differences in Japanese and U.S. cultures influence the communications practices and information-seeking behaviors of Japanese and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists.

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.

National climate assessment technical report on the impacts of climate and land use and land cover change

Treesearch

Thomas Loveland; Rezaul Mahmood; Toral Patel-Weynand; Krista Karstensen; Kari Beckendorf; Norman Bliss; Andrew Carleton

2012-01-01

This technical report responds to the recognition by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) and the National Climate Assessment (NCA) of the importance of understanding how land use and land cover (LULC) affects weather and climate variability and change and how that variability and change affects LULC. Current published, peer-reviewed, scientific literature...

An Ecological Framework for Monitoring Sustainable Management of Wildlife: A New Mexico Furbearer Example.

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-09-01

Understanding use relative to availability is necessary to manage wildlife harvest sustainably. We used ecological zones ( ecozones ) as a framework...ecological classification scheme, reviewed technical literature mapped species distribution among ecozones , assessed harvest, estimated sustainable extraction...other wildlife. Technical literature review of 70 key words and species names identified 534 citations regarding furbearers in ecozones shared by New

Visual Knowledge in Tactical Planning: Preliminary Knowledge Acquisition Phase 1 Technical Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-04-05

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION , COMMUNICATIONS, AND COMPUTER SCIENCES Visual Knowledge in Tactical Planning: Preliminary Knowledge Acquisition Phase I Technical...perceived provides information in multiple modalities and, in fact, we may rely on a non-verbal mode for much of our understanding of the situation...some tasks, almost all the pertinent information is provided via diagrams, maps, znd other illustrations. Visual Knowledge Visual experience forms a

More than Colleagues: Tracing the Experiences of Career and Technical Education Instructors Engaged in Faculty-to-Faculty Mentoring Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Findley, Daniel E.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of faculty-to-faculty mentoring programs on the experiences of both mentors and first-year instructor proteges in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs with an emphasis on practitioner-educators in nursing and in welding-fabrication. The study was undertaken for four reasons: (a)…

Aviation Technician Training I and Task Analyses: Semester II. Field Review Copy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Upchurch, Richard

This guide for aviation technician training begins with a course description, resource information, and a course outline. Tasks/competencies are categorized into 16 concept/duty areas: understanding technical symbols and abbreviations; understanding mathematical terms, symbols, and formulas; computing decimals; computing fractions; computing ratio…

Media Advocacy. Technical Assistance Packet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Join Together, Boston, MA.

Media advocacy is an environmental strategy that can be used to support alcohol and other drug prevention and policy development efforts. It helps shift the focus from understanding public health issues as individual problems to understanding them as social conditions that require collective behavior changes. Successful media advocacy uses the…

The Design and Transfer of Advanced Command and Control (C2) Computer-Based Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-03-31

TECHNICAL REPORT 80-02 QUARTERLY TECHNICAL REPORT: THE DESIGN AND TRANSFER OF ADVANCED COMMAND AND CONTROL (C 2 ) COMPUTER-BASED SYSTEMS ARPA...The Tasks/Objectives and/or Purposes of the overall project are connected with the design , development, demonstration and transfer of advanced...command and control (C2 ) computer-based systems; this report covers work in the computer-based design and transfer areas only. The Technical Problems thus

A Technical Analysis Information Fusion Approach for Stock Price Analysis and Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahmiri, Salim

In this paper, we address the problem of technical analysis information fusion in improving stock market index-level prediction. We present an approach for analyzing stock market price behavior based on different categories of technical analysis metrics and a multiple predictive system. Each category of technical analysis measures is used to characterize stock market price movements. The presented predictive system is based on an ensemble of neural networks (NN) coupled with particle swarm intelligence for parameter optimization where each single neural network is trained with a specific category of technical analysis measures. The experimental evaluation on three international stock market indices and three individual stocks show that the presented ensemble-based technical indicators fusion system significantly improves forecasting accuracy in comparison with single NN. Also, it outperforms the classical neural network trained with index-level lagged values and NN trained with stationary wavelet transform details and approximation coefficients. As a result, technical information fusion in NN ensemble architecture helps improving prediction accuracy.

Main Chamber and Preburner Injector Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santoro, Robert J.; Merkle, Charles L.

1999-01-01

This document reports the experimental and analytical research carried out at the Penn State Propulsion Engineering Research Center in support of NASA's plan to develop advanced technologies for future single stage to orbit (SSTO) propulsion systems. The focus of the work is on understanding specific technical issues related to bi-propellant and tri-propellant thrusters. The experiments concentrate on both cold flow demonstrations and hot-fire uni-element tests to demonstrate concepts that can be incorporated into hardware design and development. The analysis is CFD-based and is intended to support the design and interpretation of the experiments and to extrapolate findings to full-scale designs. The research is divided into five main categories that impact various SSTO development scenarios. The first category focuses on RP-1/gaseous hydrogen (GH2)/gaseous oxygen (GO2) tri-propellant combustion with specific emphasis on understanding the benefits of hydrogen addition to RP-1/oxygen combustion and in developing innovative injector technology. The second category investigates liquid oxygen (LOX)/GH2 combustion at main chamber near stoichiometric conditions to improve understanding of existing LOX/GH2 rocket systems. The third and fourth categories investigate the technical issues related with oxidizer-rich and fuel-rich propulsive concepts, issues that are necessary for developing the full-flow engine cycle. Here, injector technology issues for both LOX/GH2 and LOX/RP-1 propellants are examined. The last category, also related to the full-flow engine cycle, examines injector technology needs for GO2/GH2 propellant combustion at near-stoichiometric conditions for main chamber application.

NASA's Elementary and Secondary Education Program: Review and Critique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quinn, Helen R. (Editor); Schweingruber, Heidi A. (Editor); Feder, Michael A. (Editor)

2008-01-01

The federal role in precollege science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is receiving increasing attention in light of the need to support public understanding of science and to develop a strong scientific and technical workforce in a competitive global economy. Federal science agencies, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), are being looked to as a resource for enhancing precollege STEM education and bringing more young people to scientific and technical careers. For NASA and other federal science agencies, concerns about workforce and public understanding of science also have an immediate local dimension. The agency faces an aerospace workforce skewed toward those close to retirement and job recruitment competition for those with science and engineering degrees. In addition, public support for the agency s missions stems in part from public understanding of the importance of the agency s contributions in science, engineering, and space exploration.

MO-FG-207-01: Technological Advances and Challenges: Experience with the First Integrated Whole-Body PET/MRI

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

Laforest, R.

2015-06-15

The use of integrated PET/MRI systems in clinical applications can best benefit from understanding their technological advances and limitations. The currently available clinical PET/MRI systems have their own characteristics. Thorough analyses of existing technical data and evaluation of necessary performance metrics for quality assurances could be conducted to optimize application-specific PET/MRI protocols. This Symposium will focus on technical advances and limitations of clinical PET/MRI systems, and how this exciting imaging modality can be utilized in applications that can benefit from both PET and MRI. Learning Objectives: To understand the technological advances of clinical PET/MRI systems To correctly identify clinical applicationsmore » that can benefit from PET/MRI To understand ongoing work to further improve the current PET/MRI technology Floris Jansen is a GE Healthcare employee.« less

Membrane Desalination: Where Are We, and What Can We Learn from Fundamentals?

PubMed

Imbrogno, Joseph; Belfort, Georges

2016-06-07

Although thermal desalination technology provides potable water in arid regions (e.g., Israel and the Gulf), its relatively high cost has limited application to less arid regions with large populations (e.g., California). Energy-intensive distillation is currently being replaced with less costly pressure- and electrically driven membrane-based processes. Reverse osmosis (RO) is a preferred membrane technology owing to process and pre- and posttreatment improvements that have significantly reduced energy requirements and cost. Further technical advances will require a deeper understanding of the fundamental science underlying RO. This includes determining the mechanism for water selectivity; elucidating the behavior of molecular water near polar and apolar surfaces, as well as the advantages and limitations of hydrophobic versus hydrophilic pores; learning the rules of selective water transport from nature; and designing synthetic analogs for selective water transport. Molecular dynamics simulations supporting experiments will play an important role in advancing these efforts. Finally, future improvements in RO are limited by inherent technical mass transfer limitations.

Interactive Media and Simulation Tools for Technical Training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gramoll, Kurt

1997-01-01

Over the last several years, integration of multiple media sources into a single information system has been rapidly developing. It has been found that when sound, graphics, text, animations, and simulations are skillfully integrated, the sum of the parts exceeds the individual parts for effective learning. In addition, simulations can be used to design and understand complex engineering processes. With the recent introduction of many high-level authoring, animation, modeling, and rendering programs for personal computers, significant multimedia programs can be developed by practicing engineers, scientists and even managers for both training and education. However, even with these new tools, a considerable amount of time is required to produce an interactive multimedia program. The development of both CD-ROM and Web-based programs are discussed in addition to the use of technically oriented animations. Also examined are various multimedia development tools and how they are used to develop effective engineering education courseware. Demonstrations of actual programs in engineering mechanics are shown.

Technical note: Bayesian calibration of dynamic ruminant nutrition models.

PubMed

Reed, K F; Arhonditsis, G B; France, J; Kebreab, E

2016-08-01

Mechanistic models of ruminant digestion and metabolism have advanced our understanding of the processes underlying ruminant animal physiology. Deterministic modeling practices ignore the inherent variation within and among individual animals and thus have no way to assess how sources of error influence model outputs. We introduce Bayesian calibration of mathematical models to address the need for robust mechanistic modeling tools that can accommodate error analysis by remaining within the bounds of data-based parameter estimation. For the purpose of prediction, the Bayesian approach generates a posterior predictive distribution that represents the current estimate of the value of the response variable, taking into account both the uncertainty about the parameters and model residual variability. Predictions are expressed as probability distributions, thereby conveying significantly more information than point estimates in regard to uncertainty. Our study illustrates some of the technical advantages of Bayesian calibration and discusses the future perspectives in the context of animal nutrition modeling. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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.

Study of a wind energy conversion system in New Hampshire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lockwood, J.; Kraft, G.; Pregent, G.; Smukler, L.

1981-08-01

Concern over conventional energy costs and supplies is currently strong, particularly in New England region where eighty percent of the total energy is oil based; furthermore, forty percent of this region's total energy is OPEC oil. These figures contrast with national averages of forty-seven and thirteen percent, respectively (1). The quest to develop alternative and renewable energy sources indigenous to New England is understandable in light of these figures. The wind is one such source. The study of wind energy can be divided into three basic areas; these are technical, legal-institutional, and financial. The technical area encompasses collection and analysis of wind data, selection and installation of wind turbines and peripheral equipment, and operation and maintenance. The legal-institutional area encompasses the resolution of such issues as land use policies, power contracts, and state and federal regulations. The financial area encompasses the examination of investment opportunities made available by various site-machine combinations and the selling of such opportunities to the investment community.

12 CFR 705.10 - Technical assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Technical assistance. 705.10 Section 705.10... DEVELOPMENT REVOLVING LOAN PROGRAM FOR CREDIT UNIONS § 705.10 Technical assistance. NCUA may provide technical... or NCUA. NCUA will base technical assistance on funds availability, the needs of the participating...

Teaching Technical Students To Be Critical.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, K. E.

Changing conditions in the global market have necessitated that students be taught to adopt new knowledge by understanding it in depth and having it spontaneously available for use in the real world. All students, especially those in science and technology, must learn to construct new meanings and understandings independently by restructuring…

Beyond "What Works": Understanding Teacher Identity as a Practical and Political Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mockler, Nicole

2011-01-01

Drawing on previous research that focused upon the formation and mediation of teacher professional identity, this paper develops a model for conceptualising teacher professional identity. Increasingly, technical-rational understandings of teachers' work and "role" are privileged in policy and public discourse over more nuanced and holistic…

The Application of Peer Teaching in Digital Forensics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Govan, Michelle

2016-01-01

The field of digital forensics requires a multidisciplinary understanding of a range of diverse subjects, but is interdisciplinary (in using principles, techniques and theories from other disciplines) encompassing both computer and forensic science. This requires that practitioners have a deep technical knowledge and understanding, but that they…

Speech Understanding Research. Annual Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Donald E.; And Others

This report is the third in a series of annual reports describing the research performed by Stanford Research Institute to provide the technology that will allow speech understanding systems to be designed and implemented for a variety of different task domains and environmental constraints. The current work is being carried out cooperatively with…

Conceptual Foundations of Risk Theory. Technical Bulletin No. 1731.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiss, Michael D.

Understanding the way farmers respond to risk is a prerequisite for sound agricultural policymaking. Clarifying established agricultural economic theory to describe how individuals make choices among risky alternatives and providing a more precise set of concepts for studying behavior under risk contributes to such an understanding. A…

Case Studies - Creating a Digital Marketspace Presence: Lessons in Extranet Implementation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angeles, Rebecca

2001-01-01

This study seeks a practical understanding of the business, organizational, and technical components of and implementation guidelines needed to effectively deploy extranets. It aims to establish a basic conceptual framework for understanding extranet implementation guidelines. Provides a specific case using VF Playwear, Inc.'s HealthTexbtob.com, a…

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEVELS OF MATURITY AND LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING OF SELECTED CONCEPTS OF THE PARTICLE NATURE OF MATTER. TECHNICAL REPORT NO. 36.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CAREY, RUSSELL L.

INVESTIGATED WERE THE LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING OF SELECTED CONCEPTS CONCERNING THE PARTICLE NATURE OF MATTER AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE STUDENTS' MATURITY AND CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING. THE STUDENTS SAMPLED WERE OF HIGH AND AVERAGE IQ, AND IN GRADES 2-5. ALL GROUPS RECEIVED COMPARABLE INSTRUCTION. USED WERE ALTERNATE RESPONSE TAXONOMY-TYPE…

Estimating the size of key populations at higher risk of HIV infection: a summary of experiences and lessons presented during a technical meeting on size estimation among key populations in Asian countries

PubMed Central

Calleja, Jesus Maria Garcia; Zhao, Jinkou; Reddy, Amala; Seguy, Nicole

2014-01-01

Problem Size estimates of key populations at higher risk of HIV exposure are recognized as critical for understanding the trajectory of the HIV epidemic and planning and monitoring an effective response, especially for countries with concentrated and low epidemics such as those in Asia. Context To help countries estimate population sizes of key populations, global guidelines were updated in 2011 to reflect new technical developments and recent field experiences in applying these methods. Action In September 2013, a meeting of programme managers and experts experienced with population size estimates (PSE) for key populations was held for 13 Asian countries. This article summarizes the key results presented, shares practical lessons learnt and reviews the methodological approaches from implementing PSE in 13 countries. Lessons learnt It is important to build capacity to collect, analyse and use PSE data; establish a technical review group; and implement a transparent, well documented process. Countries should adapt global PSE guidelines and maintain operational definitions that are more relevant and useable for country programmes. Development of methods for non-venue-based key populations requires more investment and collaborative efforts between countries and among partners. PMID:25320676

Rating teams' non-technical skills in the emergency department: A qualitative study of nurses' experience.

PubMed

Porter, Joanne E; Cant, Robyn P; Cooper, Simon J

2018-05-01

Non-technical skills (NTS) teamwork training can enhance clinicians' understanding of roles and improve communication. We evaluated a quality improvement project rating teams' NTS performance to determine the value of formal rating and debriefing processes. In two Australian emergency departments the NTS of resuscitation teams were rated by senior nurses and medical staff. Key measures were leadership, teamwork, and task management using a valid instrument: Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM™). Emergency nurses were asked to attend a focus group from which key themes around the quality improvement process were identified. Main themes were: 'Team composition' (allocation of resuscitation team roles), 'Resuscitation leadership' (including both nursing and medical leadership roles) and 'TEAM™ ratings promote reflective practice' (providing staff a platform to discuss team effectiveness). Objective ratings were seen as enabling staff to provide feedback to other team members. Reflection on practice and debriefing were thought to improve communication, help define roles and responsibilities, and clarify leadership roles. Use of a non-technical skills rating scheme such as TEAM™ after team-based clinical resuscitation events was seen by emergency department nurses as feasible and a useful process for examining and improving multi-disciplinary practice, while improving team performance. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Airborne Forward-Looking Interferometer for the Detection of Terminal-Area Hazards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

West, Leanne; Gimmestad, Gary; Lane, Sarah; Smith, Bill L.; Kireev, Stanislav; Daniels, Taumi S.; Cornman, Larry; Sharman, Bob

2014-01-01

The Forward Looking Interferometer (FLI) program was a multi-year cooperative research effort to investigate the use of imaging radiometers with high spectral resolution, using both modeling/simulation and field experiments, along with sophisticated data analysis techniques that were originally developed for analysis of data from space-based radiometers and hyperspectral imagers. This investigation has advanced the state of knowledge in this technical area, and the FLI program developed a greatly improved understanding of the radiometric signal strength of aviation hazards in a wide range of scenarios, in addition to a much better understanding of the real-world functionality requirements for hazard detection instruments. The project conducted field experiments on three hazards (turbulence, runway conditions, and wake vortices) and analytical studies on several others including volcanic ash, reduced visibility conditions, in flight icing conditions, and volcanic ash.

Setting standards for product selection: allergy prevention.

PubMed

White, I R

1997-01-01

It is axiomatic to state that if products made of natural rubber latex were not used in health care settings then there would be no problems of acquired hypersensitivity from such products. Although synthetic materials are available they do not currently possess the same technical qualities of elasticity and comfort, nor do they deliver the desired degree of protection against biological agents as gloves made out of natural rubber latex. Selection of gloves either for non-sterile procedures or sterile surgical use should be based on this understanding, and gloves with minimal levels of extractable latex proteins should be used.

Understanding development and stem cells using single cell-based analyses of gene expression.

PubMed

Kumar, Pavithra; Tan, Yuqi; Cahan, Patrick

2017-01-01

In recent years, genome-wide profiling approaches have begun to uncover the molecular programs that drive developmental processes. In particular, technical advances that enable genome-wide profiling of thousands of individual cells have provided the tantalizing prospect of cataloging cell type diversity and developmental dynamics in a quantitative and comprehensive manner. Here, we review how single-cell RNA sequencing has provided key insights into mammalian developmental and stem cell biology, emphasizing the analytical approaches that are specific to studying gene expression in single cells. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

The laboratory diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis

PubMed Central

Money, Deborah

2005-01-01

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is an extremely common health problem for women. In addition to the troublesome symptoms often associated with a disruption in the balance of vaginal flora, BV is associated with adverse gynecological and pregnancy outcomes. Although not technically a sexually transmitted infection, BV is a sexually associated condition. Diagnostic tests include real-time clinical/microbiological diagnosis, and the current gold standard, the standardized evaluation of morphotypes on Gram stain analysis. The inappropriate use of vaginal culture can be misleading. Future developments into molecular-based diagnostics will be important to further understand this complex endogenous flora disruption. PMID:18159532

Assimilation of enterprise technology upgrades: a factor-based study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Claybaugh, Craig C.; Ramamurthy, Keshavamurthy; Haseman, William D.

2017-02-01

The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the differences in the propensity of firms to initiate and commit to the assimilation of an enterprise technology upgrade. A research model is proposed that examines the influences that four technological and four organisational factors have on predicting assimilation of a technology upgrade. Results show that firms with a greater propensity to assimilate the new enterprise resource planning (ERP) version have a higher assessment of relative advantage, IS technical competence, and the strategic role of IS relative to those firms with a lower propensity to assimilate a new ERP version.

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.

Research on the Integration of IT Network Technology and TV Production and Broadcasting System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wenqing

2017-12-01

In recent years, based on the development of China’s economy and the progress of science and technology, China’s TV industry has made great progress and provided a new platform for residents to understand the social situation. In this situation, in order to protect the efficiency of the TV system and the steady improvement on quality, technical staff have strengthened the rational use of IT technology, and as a basis to promote the sound of television production system. Based on this, this paper focuses on the connotation of IT network technology, and discusses the integration of the design and TV production system, hoping to realize the sustainable development of China’s TV industry.

Multimodal Microchannel and Nanowell-Based Microfluidic Platforms for Bioimaging

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

Geng, Tao; Smallwood, Chuck R.; Zhu, Ying

2017-03-30

Modern live-cell imaging approaches permit real-time visualization of biological processes. However, limitations for unicellular organism trapping, culturing and long-term imaging can preclude complete understanding of how such microorganisms respond to perturbations in their local environment or linking single-cell variability to whole population dynamics. We have developed microfluidic platforms to overcome prior technical bottlenecks to allow both chemostat and compartmentalized cellular growth conditions using the same device. Additionally, a nanowell-based platform enables a high throughput approach to scale up compartmentalized imaging optimized within the microfluidic device. These channel and nanowell platforms are complementary, and both provide fine control over the localmore » environment as well as the ability to add/replace media components at any experimental time point.« less

Drug Abuse and Drug Abuse Research. The Third Triennial Report to Congress from the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. on Drug Abuse (DHHS/PHS), Rockville, MD.

This report summarizes changes that have occurred in understanding of the health implications of the use and abuse of illegal and legal drugs as a result of research since 1986. It is noted that wherever possible, research findings have been summarized in non-technical language. Some technical material is included because of its basic importance…

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for Naval Medical Treatment Facilities (MTF)

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

education and develop my technical knowledge in the field of Information Technology Management. The skills and understanding I gained from my...place, preventing the need for manipulation. The passes can also be used to locate skiers in case of injuries or for the location of children. RFID...created and backed by the leaders of the industry [24]. Intellectual property, patents, 42 intimate technical knowledge and publicity are all

Final Technical Progress Report: Development of Low-Cost Suspension Heliostat; December 7, 2011 - December 6, 2012

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

Bender, W.

2013-01-01

Final technical progress report of SunShot Incubator Solaflect Energy. The project succeeded in demonstrating that the Solaflect Suspension Heliostat design is viable for large-scale CSP installations. Canting accuracy is acceptable and is continually improving as Solaflect improves its understanding of this design. Cost reduction initiatives were successful, and there are still many opportunities for further development and further cost reduction.

Web-Based Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) Common User Interface Style Guide, Version 2.0

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-07-01

Technical Report WEB-BASED INTERACTIVE ELECTRONIC TECHNICAL MANUAL (IETM) COMMON USER INTERFACE STYLE GUIDE Version 2.0 – July 2003 by L. John Junod ...ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The principal authors of this document were: John Junod – NSWC, Carderock Division, Phil Deuell – AMSEC LLC, Kathleen Moore

Final Report Inspection of Aged/Degraded Containments Program.

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

Naus, Dan J; Ellingwood, B R; Oland, C Barry

2005-09-01

The Inspection of Aged/Degraded Containments Program had primary objectives of (1) understanding the significant factors relating corrosion occurrence, efficacy of inspection, and structural capacity reduction of steel containments and liners of reinforced concrete containments; (2) providing the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) reviewers a means of establishing current structural capacity margins or estimating future residual structural capacity margins for steel containments, and concrete containments as limited by liner integrity; (3) providing recommendations, as appropriate, on information to be requested of licensees for guidance that could be utilized by USNRC reviewers in assessing the seriousness of reported incidences of containmentmore » degradation; and (4) providing technical assistance to the USNRC (as requested) related to concrete technology. Primary program accomplishments have included development of a degradation assessment methodology; reviews of techniques and methods for inspection and repair of containment metallic pressure boundaries; evaluation of high-frequency acoustic imaging, magnetostrictive sensor, electromagnetic acoustic transducer, and multimode guided plate wave technologies for inspection of inaccessible regions of containment metallic pressure boundaries; development of a continuum damage mechanics-based approach for structural deterioration; establishment of a methodology for reliability-based condition assessments of steel containments and liners; and fragility assessments of steel containments with localized corrosion. In addition, data and information assembled under this program has been transferred to the technical community through review meetings and briefings, national and international conference participation, technical committee involvement, and publications of reports and journal articles. Appendix A provides a listing of program reports, papers, and publications; and Appendix B contains a listing of program-related presentations.« less

Quantifying technical skills during open operations using video-based motion analysis.

PubMed

Glarner, Carly E; Hu, Yue-Yung; Chen, Chia-Hsiung; Radwin, Robert G; Zhao, Qianqian; Craven, Mark W; Wiegmann, Douglas A; Pugh, Carla M; Carty, Matthew J; Greenberg, Caprice C

2014-09-01

Objective quantification of technical operative skills in surgery remains poorly defined, although the delivery of and training in these skills is essential to the profession of surgery. Attempts to measure hand kinematics to quantify operative performance primarily have relied on electromagnetic sensors attached to the surgeon's hand or instrument. We sought to determine whether a similar motion analysis could be performed with a marker-less, video-based review, allowing for a scalable approach to performance evaluation. We recorded six reduction mammoplasty operations-a plastic surgery procedure in which the attending and resident surgeons operate in parallel. Segments representative of surgical tasks were identified with Multimedia Video Task Analysis software. Video digital processing was used to extract and analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics of hand movement. Attending plastic surgeons appear to use their nondominant hand more than residents when cutting with the scalpel, suggesting more use of countertraction. While suturing, attendings were more ambidextrous, with smaller differences in movement between their dominant and nondominant hands than residents. Attendings also seem to have more conservation of movement when performing instrument tying than residents, as demonstrated by less nondominant hand displacement. These observations were consistent within procedures and between the different attending plastic surgeons evaluated in this fashion. Video motion analysis can be used to provide objective measurement of technical skills without the need for sensors or markers. Such data could be valuable in better understanding the acquisition and degradation of operative skills, providing enhanced feedback to shorten the learning curve. Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

[Strategy Development for International Cooperation in the Clinical Laboratory Field].

PubMed

Kudo, Yoshiko; Osawa, Susumu

2015-10-01

The strategy of international cooperation in the clinical laboratory field was analyzed to improve the quality of intervention by reviewing documents from international organizations and the Japanese government. Based on the world development agenda, the target of action for health has shifted from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases (NCD). This emphasizes the importance of comprehensive clinical laboratories instead of disease-specific examinations in developing countries. To achieve this goal, the World Health Organization (WHO) has disseminated to the African and Asian regions the Laboratory Quality Management System (LQMS), which is based on the same principles of the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 15189. To execute this strategy, international experts must have competence in project management, analyze information regarding the target country, and develop a strategy for management of the LQMS with an understanding of the technical aspects of laboratory work. However, there is no appropriate pre- and post-educational system of international health for Japanese international workers. Universities and academic organizations should cooperate with the government to establish a system of education for international workers. Objectives of this education system must include: (1) training for the organization and understanding of global health issues, (2) education of the principles regarding comprehensive management of clinical laboratories, and (3) understanding the LQMS which was employed based on WHO's initiative. Achievement of these objectives will help improve the quality of international cooperation in the clinical laboratory field.

Acquisition of Expert/Non-Expert Vocabulary from Reformulations.

PubMed

Antoine, Edwige; Grabar, Natalia

2017-01-01

Technical medical terms are complicated to be correctly understood by non-experts. Vocabulary, associating technical terms with layman expressions, can help in increasing the readability of technical texts and their understanding. The purpose of our work is to build this kind of vocabulary. We propose to exploit the notion of reformulation following two methods: extraction of abbreviations and of reformulations with specific markers. The segments associated thanks to these methods are aligned with medical terminologies. Our results allow to cover over 9,000 medical terms and show precision of extractions between 0.24 and 0.98. The results and analyzed and compared with the existing work.

Orbital debris: A technical assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gleghorn, George; Asay, James; Atkinson, Dale; Flury, Walter; Johnson, Nicholas; Kessler, Donald; Knowles, Stephen; Rex, Dietrich; Toda, Susumu; Veniaminov, Stanislav

1995-01-01

To acquire an unbiased technical assessment of (1) the research needed to better understand the debris environment, (2) the necessity and means of protecting spacecraft against the debris environment, and (3) potential methods of reducing the future debris hazard, NASA asked the National Research Council to form an international committee to examine the orbital debris issue. The committee was asked to draw upon available data and analyses to: characterize the current debris environment, project how this environment might change in the absence of new measures to alleviate debris proliferation, examine ongoing alleviation activities, explore measures to address the problem, and develop recommendations on technical methods to address the problems of debris proliferation.

Validation of column-based chromatography processes for the purification of proteins. Technical report No. 14.

PubMed

2008-01-01

PDA Technical Report No. 14 has been written to provide current best practices, such as application of risk-based decision making, based in sound science to provide a foundation for the validation of column-based chromatography processes and to expand upon information provided in Technical Report No. 42, Process Validation of Protein Manufacturing. The intent of this technical report is to provide an integrated validation life-cycle approach that begins with the use of process development data for the definition of operational parameters as a basis for validation, confirmation, and/or minor adjustment to these parameters at manufacturing scale during production of conformance batches and maintenance of the validated state throughout the product's life cycle.

Ecological Revitalization: Turning Contaminated Properties Into Community Assets

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document provides technical information to assist property managers and other stakeholders better understand, coordinate, and conduct ecological revitalization at contaminated properties during cleanup

Improving care by understanding the way we work: human factors and behavioural science in the context of intensive care

PubMed Central

Sevdalis, Nick; Brett, Stephen J

2009-01-01

Effectiveness and efficiency of care of the critically ill patient are subject to a number of systemic influences, including skills of individual physicians/nurses (technical and non-technical), team-working in the intensive care unit (ICU), and the ICU environment. We first discuss the paper of Fackler and colleagues as a contribution to the systems approach to clinical performance in the context of intensive care. We then highlight features of care delivery that are unique to intensive care and discuss the need for better understanding of human and non-human elements of the system of care of the critically ill patient as a driver for improvement of care delivery. PMID:19439048

The composing process in technical communication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Masse, R. E.

1981-01-01

The theory and application of the composing process in technical communications is addressed. The composing process of engineers, some implications for composing research for the teaching and research of technical communication, and an interpretation of the processes as creative experience are also discussed. Two areas of technical communications summarized concern: the rhetorical features of technical communications, and the theoretical background for a process-based view, a problem-solving approach to technical writing.

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.

AUTOMOTIVE DIESEL MAINTENANCE 2. UNIT I, UNDERSTANDING MECHANICAL CLUTCHES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota State Dept. of Education, St. Paul. Div. of Vocational and Technical Education.

ONE OF A 25-MODULE COURSE DESIGNED TO UPGRADE THE JOB SKILLS AND TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE OF DIESEL MAINENANCE MECHANICS THIS MATERIAL WAS DEVELOPED BY INDUSTRIAL TRAINING AND SUBJECT-MATTER SPECIALISTS AND TESTED IN INDUSTRIAL TRAINING SITUATIONS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS FIRST UNIT IS TO DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF COMPONENTS, OPERATION, AND ADJUSTMENTS…

The School Technology Primer: A Non-Technical Guide to Understanding School Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little Inst. for School Facilities Research, Charlotte, NC.

This booklet is designed to provide educational administrators and planners with an easy guide to understanding the constantly evolving elements of school technology. The booklet presents a comprehensive overview of modern information systems in schools and how they can enhance the students' learning environment. Seven sections address a variety…

Toward Technical Understanding: Part 5. General Hierarchy Applied to Engineering Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haile, J. M.

2000-01-01

Illustrates how the five cognitive levels--somatic, mythic, romantic, philosophic, and ironic--can be used to guide teaching and learning activities appropriate for engineering students. Uses the example of the concept of energy to demonstrate how educators might appeal to each mode of thinking for understanding a particular concept. (Contains 11…

Developing Students' Understanding of Industrially Relevant Economic and Life Cycle Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bode, Claudia J.; Chapman, Clint; Pennybaker, Atherly; Subramaniam, Bala

2017-01-01

Training future leaders to understand life cycle assessment data is critical for effective research, business, and sociopolitical decision-making. However, the technical nature of these life cycle reports often makes them challenging for students and other nonexperts to comprehend. Therefore, we outline here the key takeaways from recent economic…

Attitudes and Motivation of Students in an Introductory Technical Graphics Course: A Meta-Analysis Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ernst, Jeremy V.; Clark, Aaron C.

2012-01-01

Students in introductory engineering graphics courses at North Carolina State University (NCSU) were asked to complete surveys to help educators and administrators understand their attitudes toward learning and their motivation to learn. Analyses of the completed surveys provided the Graphic Communications Program at NCSU with an understanding of…

Understanding Tonal Languages

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-01

UNDERSTANDING TONAL LANGUAGES BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY APRIL 2013 FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE...corporation; or convey any rights or permission to manufacture, use, or sell any patented invention that may relate to them. This report is the...08 and AFRL/CA policy clarification memorandum dated 16 Jan 09. This report is available to the general public, including foreign nationals

A Hidden Portrait by Edgar Degas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thurrowgood, David; Paterson, David; de Jonge, Martin D.; Kirkham, Robin; Thurrowgood, Saul; Howard, Daryl L.

2016-08-01

The preservation and understanding of cultural heritage depends increasingly on in-depth chemical studies. Rapid technological advances are forging connections between scientists and arts communities, enabling revolutionary new techniques for non-invasive technical study of culturally significant, highly prized artworks. We have applied a non-invasive, rapid, high definition X-ray fluorescence (XRF) elemental mapping technique to a French Impressionist painting using a synchrotron radiation source, and show how this technology can advance scholarly art interpretation and preservation. We have obtained detailed technical understanding of a painting which could not be resolved by conventional techniques. Here we show 31.6 megapixel scanning XRF derived elemental maps and report a novel image processing methodology utilising these maps to produce a false colour representation of a “hidden” portrait by Edgar Degas. This work provides a cohesive methodology for both imaging and understanding the chemical composition of artworks, and enables scholarly understandings of cultural heritage, many of which have eluded conventional technologies. We anticipate that the outcome from this work will encourage the reassessment of some of the world’s great art treasures.

The remote sensing data from your UAV probably isn't scientific, but it should be!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKee, Mac

2017-05-01

The application of unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAVs), or "drones", to generate data to support better decisions for agricultural management and farm operations is a relatively new technology that is now beginning to enter the market. This potentially disruptive technology is still in its infancy and must mature in ways that the current market cannot clearly foresee and probably does not fully understand. Major technical and regulatory hurdles must be overcome before the full potential of this remote sensing technology can be realized in agricultural applications. Further, and most importantly, buyers and sellers in today's market must both gain a deeper understanding of the potential that this technology might achieve and the technical challenges that must be met before advances that will bring significant market value will be possible. A lack of understanding of some of the basic concepts of remote sensing can translate into poor decisions regarding the acquisition and deployment of UAVs in agriculture. This paper focuses on some of the details of remote sensing that few growers, and, indeed, few university researchers fully understand.

A Hidden Portrait by Edgar Degas

PubMed Central

Thurrowgood, David; Paterson, David; de Jonge, Martin D.; Kirkham, Robin; Thurrowgood, Saul; Howard, Daryl L.

2016-01-01

The preservation and understanding of cultural heritage depends increasingly on in-depth chemical studies. Rapid technological advances are forging connections between scientists and arts communities, enabling revolutionary new techniques for non-invasive technical study of culturally significant, highly prized artworks. We have applied a non-invasive, rapid, high definition X-ray fluorescence (XRF) elemental mapping technique to a French Impressionist painting using a synchrotron radiation source, and show how this technology can advance scholarly art interpretation and preservation. We have obtained detailed technical understanding of a painting which could not be resolved by conventional techniques. Here we show 31.6 megapixel scanning XRF derived elemental maps and report a novel image processing methodology utilising these maps to produce a false colour representation of a “hidden” portrait by Edgar Degas. This work provides a cohesive methodology for both imaging and understanding the chemical composition of artworks, and enables scholarly understandings of cultural heritage, many of which have eluded conventional technologies. We anticipate that the outcome from this work will encourage the reassessment of some of the world’s great art treasures. PMID:27490856

Need Analysis of Coastal Fisherman empowerment Based on Economics education and Potential Coastal in Minahasa Regency of North Sulawesi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wantah, Edwin; Djatmika, Ery Tri; Witjaksono, Mit; Wahyono, Hari

2018-05-01

This research article aims to describe the need analysis process of coastal fisherman empowerment in North Minahasa Regency of North Sulawesi Province through internalization of economics education and technical training based on potential coastal.This research used descriptive qualitative research design by using survey, field observational interview and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) method. The research subjects were 40 coastal fishermen in North Minahasa Regency spread in two sub-districts, namely Wori Sub-district and Kema Sub-district in North Minahasa Regency, who have capture capacity of 10 gross ton sand below. The results of needs analysis were identified in observation, in-depth interview, and Focus Group Discussion (FGD), which was confirmed by the survey results indicating that 87.5% of the coastal fishermen need knowledge and understanding of characteristics, attitudes and principles to become successful entrepreneurs, which can be implemented in productive business activities on coastal area, while 92.5% of the coastal fishermen require an understanding of creativity and innovation and its implementation, 90% of the coastal fishermen require knowledge of business diversification based on coastal area and marine potentials, 90% of the fishermen stated that they need knowledge and understanding of the process of processed fish products because of the abundant raw materials, 80% of the coastal fishermen said that they need an understanding of the way to establish business partnerships and business networks with other business groups, 90% of the coastal fishermen stated that they need an understanding of the way to form fishermen joint business groups and the way to develop the business group. 92.5% of the coastal fishermen need an understanding of business capital and the way to access business capital, and 85% of the coastal fishermen said that they need to understand money management, the way to plan proper financial allocations, and saving procedures

Workplace Health and Safety across the Vocational/Technical Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryan, Thomas; Hinkley, Carl

This document contains the outcomes of a pilot project to develop materials and methods of integrating occupational health and safety into the curriculum of the technologies at a technical college. Section I is a model of how to integrate health and safety into a vocational-technical curriculum. Based on the Outcomes-Based Guidelines developed by…

Evolving a Regionally-Based Mechanism for the Provision of Technical Knowledge to SMEs: Lessons for Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lean, Jonathan; Tucker, Jonathan

2005-01-01

This paper describes and evaluates a pilot project undertaken in the South West of England to develop a computer-based system for facilitating effective technical knowledge transfer to small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs). It explores the problem of technical knowledge transfer to SMEs, focusing in particular on the policy context. The…

Improving Technical Instruction Using Personality Styles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomal, Daniel R.

2003-01-01

Incorporating personality styles into technical instruction can enhance student learning. Four personality styles based on Jung--intuitor, feeler, thinker, and doer--have implications for individualizing technical instruction. (JOW)

Workers' understanding of chemical risks: electroplating case study

PubMed Central

Sadhra, S; Petts, J; McAlpine, S; Pattison, H; MacRae, S

2002-01-01

Background: There is limited research concerning how small companies in particular, respond to health and safety messages. Aims: To understand individuals' knowledge and beliefs about chemical risks and to compare these with those of experts. Methods: The use of chromic acid in particular, and also other chemicals associated with chrome plating were studied. All chromium plating firms were based in the West Midlands. The methodology involved initial face to face interviews (n = 21) with chromium platers, structured questionnaires (n = 84) to test the prevalence of beliefs identified in the interviews, an expert questionnaire, and a workshop to discuss findings. The responses of platers were compared with those of occupational health and safety experts. Results: Although chromium platers appeared to understand the short term adverse effects of the chemicals to which they are exposed, their understanding of long term, or chronic effects appeared to be incomplete. They had good knowledge of acute effects based primarily on experience. Platers were aware of the hazardous nature of the chemicals with which they work, but did not draw distinction between the terms "hazards" and "risks". They had difficulties articulating the effects of the chemicals and how exposure might occur; although it is inappropriate to equate this with lack of knowledge. A significant minority of platers displayed deficiencies in understanding key technical terms used in Safety Data Sheets. Conclusions: This study provides a method which can be used to gain some understanding of workers' knowledge and beliefs about risks that they are exposed to in the workplace. The study also identifies gaps between the platers' knowledge and beliefs and those of experts. New risk information needs to be designed which addresses the information needs of platers using language that they understand. PMID:12356930

Development of a health information technology-based data system in community-based hospice and palliative care.

PubMed

Abernethy, Amy P; Wheeler, Jane L; Bull, Janet

2011-05-01

Few hospice and palliative care organizations use health information technology (HIT) for data collection and management; the feasibility and utility of a HIT-based approach in this multi-faceted, interdisciplinary context is unclear. To develop a HIT-based data infrastructure that serves multiple hospice and palliative care sites, meeting clinical and administrative needs with data, technical, and analytic support. Through a multi-site academic/community partnership, a data infrastructure was collaboratively developed, pilot-tested at a community-based site, refined, and demonstrated for data collection and preliminary analysis. Additional sites, which participated in system development, became prepared to contribute data to the growing aggregate database. Electronic data collection proved feasible in community-based hospice and palliative care. The project highlighted "success factors" for implementing HIT in this field: engagement of site-based project "champions" to promote the system from within; involvement of stakeholders at all levels of the organization, to promote culture change and buy-in; attention to local needs (e.g., data for quality reporting) and requirements (e.g., affordable cost, efficiency); consideration of practical factors (e.g., potential to interfere with clinical flow); provision of adequate software, technical, analytic, and statistical support; availability of flexible HIT options (e.g., different data-collection platforms); and adoption of a consortium approach in which sites can support one another, learn from each others' experiences, pool data, and benefit from economies of scale. In hospice and palliative care, HIT-based data collection/management has potential to generate better understanding of populations and outcomes, support quality assessment/quality improvement, and prepare sites to participate in research. Copyright © 2011 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Classical Theory of Composition; From Its Origins to the Present: A Historical Survey (University of North Carolina Studies in Comparative Literature, No. 53.)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scaglione, Aldo

The major purpose of this study is the descriptive analysis of a large body of literature, mainly technical, which attempts to explain the structure of sentences and ordering of their elements, on the linguistic and artistic levels. It is hoped that this study helps to document the relevance of technical material for the proper understanding of…

Selected Technical Spin Offs from the Space Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilmore, H. L.

1970-01-01

The report describes some of the problems which the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has encountered in getting people to understand how the general public has profited from the technical discoveries of the space program. Next, it describes NASA's Technology Utilization Program and comments on it. It then describes some of the many spin-offs from the space program. These include examples from management technology, communications, aeronautics, medicine, fabrics highway safety, and weather forecasting.

Space station pressurized laboratory safety guidelines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcgonigal, Les

1990-01-01

Before technical safety guidelines and requirements are established, a common understanding of their origin and importance must be shared between Space Station Program Management, the User Community, and the Safety organizations involved. Safety guidelines and requirements are driven by the nature of the experiments, and the degree of crew interaction. Hazard identification; development of technical safety requirements; operating procedures and constraints; provision of training and education; conduct of reviews and evaluations; and emergency preplanning are briefly discussed.

Career-Technical Education--The Immediate Need for Work-Based Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nee, John G.

1994-01-01

Career-technical education may be informal on-the-job training, organized workplace education, community college or technical institute programs, or apprenticeships, internships, and cooperative agreements. Another alternative is polytechnical education: providing technical and general studies for adults in existing school facilities after school…

Final Assessment of Manual Ultrasonic Examinations Applied to Detect Flaws in Primary System Dissimilar Metal Welds at North Anna Power Station

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

Anderson, Michael T.; Diaz, Aaron A.; Cinson, Anthony D.

2014-03-24

PNNL conducted a technical assessment of the NDE issues and protocols that led to missed detections of several axially oriented flaws in a steam generator primary inlet dissimilar metal weld at North Anna Power Station, Unit 1 (NAPS-1). This particular component design exhibits a significant outside-diameter (OD) taper that is not included as a blind performance demonstration mock-up within the industry’s Performance Demonstration Initiative, administered by EPRI. For this reason, the licensee engaged EPRI to assist in the development of a technical justification to support the basis for a site-specific qualification. The service-induced flaws at NAPS-1 were eventually detected asmore » a result of OD surface machining in preparation for a full structural weld overlay. The machining operation uncovered the existence of two through-wall flaws, based on the observance of primary water leaking from the dissimilar metal weld. A total of five axially oriented flaws were detected in varied locations around the weld circumference. The field volumetric examination that was conducted at NAPS-1 was a non-encoded, real-time manual ultrasonic examination. PNNL conducted both an initial assessment, and subsequently, a more rigorous technical evaluation (reported here), which has identified an array of NDE issues that may have led to the subject missed detections. These evaluations were performed through technical reviews and discussions with NRC staff, EPRI NDE Center personnel, industry and ISI vendor personnel, and ultrasonic transducer manufacturers, and laboratory tests, to better understand the underlying issues at North Anna.« less

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

Turning limited experimental information into 3D models of RNA.

PubMed

Flores, Samuel Coulbourn; Altman, Russ B

2010-09-01

Our understanding of RNA functions in the cell is evolving rapidly. As for proteins, the detailed three-dimensional (3D) structure of RNA is often key to understanding its function. Although crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) can determine the atomic coordinates of some RNA structures, many 3D structures present technical challenges that make these methods difficult to apply. The great flexibility of RNA, its charged backbone, dearth of specific surface features, and propensity for kinetic traps all conspire with its long folding time, to challenge in silico methods for physics-based folding. On the other hand, base-pairing interactions (either in runs to form helices or isolated tertiary contacts) and motifs are often available from relatively low-cost experiments or informatics analyses. We present RNABuilder, a novel code that uses internal coordinate mechanics to satisfy user-specified base pairing and steric forces under chemical constraints. The code recapitulates the topology and characteristic L-shape of tRNA and obtains an accurate noncrystallographic structure of the Tetrahymena ribozyme P4/P6 domain. The algorithm scales nearly linearly with molecule size, opening the door to the modeling of significantly larger structures.

Priority setting for orphan drugs: an international comparison.

PubMed

Rosenberg-Yunger, Zahava R S; Daar, Abdallah S; Thorsteinsdóttir, Halla; Martin, Douglas K

2011-04-01

To describe the process of priority setting for two orphan drugs - Cerezyme and Fabrazyme - in Canada, Australia and Israel, in order to understand and improve the process based on stakeholder perspectives. We conducted qualitative case studies of how three independent drug advisory committees made decisions relating to the funding of Cerezyme and Fabrazyme. Interviews were conducted with 22 informants, including committee members, patient groups and industry representatives. (1) DESCRIPTION: Orphan drugs reimbursement recommendations by expert panels were based on clinical evidence, cost and cost-effectiveness analysis. (2) EVALUATION: Committee members expressed an overall preference for the current drug review process used by their own committee, but were concerned with the fairness of the process particularly for orphan drugs. Other informants suggested the inclusion of other relevant values (e.g. lack of alternative treatments) in order to improve the priority setting process. Some patient groups suggested the use of an alternative funding mechanism for orphan drugs. Priority setting for drugs is not solely a technical process (involving cost-effective analysis, evidence-based medicine, etc.). Understanding the process by which reimbursement decisions are made for orphan drugs may help improve the system for future orphan drugs. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conceptual Design of a Space-Based Multimegawatt MHD Power System, Task 1 Topical Report; Volume 1: Technical Discussion

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-01

system requirements, design guidelines, and interface requirements has been prepared and included as Volume II of this Task 1 topical report. The Volume ...WAESD-TR-88-0002 Conceptual Design Of A Space-Based Multimegawatt MHD Power System ffA«kjjjjjTfc Task 1 Topical Report Volume I: Technical...Space-Based Multimegawatt MHD Power System: Task 1 Topical Report, Volume I: Technical Discussion Personal Author: Dana, RA. Corporate Author Or

A method for building evaluation competency among community-based organizations.

PubMed

Kelly, Cheryl M; LaRose, Jessi; Scharff, Darcell P

2014-05-01

Community-based organizations often lack the capacity (e.g., time, staff, skills) to effectively evaluate programs, policies, and environmental changes. Providing evaluation technical assistance and training can be an effective and feasible way to build individual evaluation competency. The purpose of this article is to present a practical approach and related tools that can be used by evaluators and others (e.g., academic partners, funders) providing assistance to build evaluation skills in community organizations. The approach described was developed in collaboration with local universities and a regional health foundation to provide intensive technical support to 19 community-based organizations awarded funding to implement obesity prevention projects. Technical assistance processes and tools were designed to be tailored to organizations' capacity and needs and can be used as templates by others who provide technical assistance. Evaluators, funders, and academic partners can use lessons learned from this experience to help shape and implement evaluation technical assistance approaches with community-based organizations.

Assessment of the State-of-the-Art of System-Wide Safety and Assurance Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roychoudhury, Indranil; Reveley, Mary S.; Phojanamongkolkij, Nipa; Leone, Karen M.

2017-01-01

Since its initiation, the System-wide Safety Assurance Technologies (SSAT) Project has been focused on developing multidisciplinary tools and techniques that are verified and validated to ensure prevention of loss of property and life in NextGen and enable proactive risk management through predictive methods. To this end, four technical challenges have been listed to help realize the goals of SSAT, namely (i) assurance of flight critical systems, (ii) discovery of precursors to safety incidents, (iii) assuring safe human-systems integration, and (iv) prognostic algorithm design for safety assurance. The objective of this report is to provide an extensive survey of SSAT-related research accomplishments by researchers within and outside NASA to get an understanding of what the state-of-the-art is for technologies enabling each of the four technical challenges. We hope that this report will serve as a good resource for anyone interested in gaining an understanding of the SSAT technical challenges, and also be useful in the future for project planning and resource allocation for related research.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 52: A comparison of the technical communications practices of Japanese and US aerospace engineers and scientists

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Holloway, Karen; Sato, Yuko; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

1995-01-01

To understand the diffusion of aerospace knowledge, it is necessary to understand the communications practices and the information-seeking behaviors of those involved in the production, transfer, and use of aerospace knowledge at the individual, organizational, national, and international levels. In this paper, we report selected results from a survey of Japanese and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists that focused on communications practices and information-seeking behaviors in the workplace. Data are presented for the following topics: importance of and time spent communicating information, collaborative writing, need for an undergraduate course in technical communications, use of libraries, the use and importance of electronic (computer) networks, and the use and importance of foreign and domestically produced technical reports. The responses of the survey respondents are placed within the context of the Japanese culture. We assume that differences in Japanese and U.S. cultures influence the communications practices and information-seeking behaviors of Japanese and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists.

Impact of IQ, computer-gaming skills, general dexterity, and laparoscopic experience on performance with the da Vinci surgical system.

PubMed

Hagen, Monika E; Wagner, Oliver J; Inan, Ihsan; Morel, Philippe

2009-09-01

Due to improved ergonomics and dexterity, robotic surgery is promoted as being easily performed by surgeons with no special skills necessary. We tested this hypothesis by measuring IQ elements, computer gaming skills, general dexterity with chopsticks, and evaluating laparoscopic experience in correlation to performance ability with the da Vinci robot. Thirty-four individuals were tested for robotic dexterity, IQ elements, computer-gaming skills and general dexterity. Eighteen surgically inexperienced and 16 laparoscopically trained surgeons were included. Each individual performed three different tasks with the da Vinci surgical system and their times were recorded. An IQ test (elements: logical thinking, 3D imagination and technical understanding) was completed by each participant. Computer skills were tested with a simple computer game (hand-eye coordination) and general dexterity was evaluated by the ability to use chopsticks. We found no correlation between logical thinking, 3D imagination and robotic skills. Both computer gaming and general dexterity showed a slight but non-significant improvement in performance with the da Vinci robot (p > 0.05). A significant correlation between robotic skills, technical understanding and laparoscopic experience was observed (p < 0.05). The data support the conclusion that there are no significant correlations between robotic performance and logical thinking, 3D understanding, computer gaming skills and general dexterity. A correlation between robotic skills and technical understanding may exist. Laparoscopic experience seems to be the strongest predictor of performance with the da Vinci surgical system. Generally, it appears difficult to determine non-surgical predictors for robotic surgery.

Washtenaw Technical Middle College--High School for the High Tech.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vandenberg, Victoria

1996-01-01

An alternative high school, called a technical middle college, focuses on preparing students for technical careers; it is articulated with Washtenaw Community College. The curriculum integrates applied academics, especially math and science, with work-based learning, giving students technical knowledge and workplace experience. (Author/JOW)

Pioneer women in engineering studies: what can we learn from their experiences?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pardo, P.; Calvet, M. D.; Pons, O.; Martinez, M. C.

2016-11-01

Women's access to higher education in Spain began in the last third of the nineteenth century. However, the full incorporation of women into technical studies did not occur until a century later. This article presents the results of research into the access of the first women to do technical studies in Catalonia (northeast Spain). Data have been collected from 11 technical schools belonging to the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) with the aim of understanding the dynamics of the incorporation of women into these schools between 1851 (foundation of the first engineering school in Catalonia) and 1980. Interviews were conducted with 21 pioneer women who completed their technical studies. Their experiences show how technical schools had to adapt, both physically and culturally, to female students. Finally, the current status of female engineers in Catalonia is compared with the situation in other Western countries. Similarities are found that show the relevance of gender as a social structuring force.

Facilitating 3D Virtual World Learning Environments Creation by Non-Technical End Users through Template-Based Virtual World Instantiation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Chang; Zhong, Ying; Ozercan, Sertac; Zhu, Qing

2013-01-01

This paper presents a template-based solution to overcome technical barriers non-technical computer end users face when developing functional learning environments in three-dimensional virtual worlds (3DVW). "iVirtualWorld," a prototype of a platform-independent 3DVW creation tool that implements the proposed solution, facilitates 3DVW…

Technical Adequacy of Curriculum-Based Measures of Vocabulary Growth for Preschool English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VanTol, Kathleen M.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to design and establish the technical adequacy of curriculum-based measures (CBMs) of vocabulary acquisition for use with preschool children. This study sought to establish the technical adequacy of two tools that can be used for measuring benchmarks of vocabulary acquisition for both native English speakers and for…

Fiberglass Technician Technical Terms. English-Thai Lexicon. Introduction to Fiberglass Technician. Thai Version. Multi-Cultural Competency-Based Vocational/Technical Curricula Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Masako T.

This English-Thai lexicon and program introduction for fiberglass technician is one of eight documents in the Multicultural Competency-Based Vocational/Technical Curricula Series. It is intended for use in postsecondary, adult, and preservice teacher and administrator education. The first two sections provide Thai equivalencies of English…

75 FR 9203 - Guidance on Preparation of Market-Based Rate Filings and Electric Quarterly Reports by Public...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-01

... Preparation of Market-Based Rate Filings and Electric Quarterly Reports by Public Utilities; Supplemental Notice of Technical Conference February 22, 2010. As announced in the ``Notice of Technical Conference'' issued on January 28, 2010, a technical conference will be held on March 3, 2010, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m...

Combination Welding Technical Terms. English-Thai Lexicon. Introduction to Combination Welding. Thai Version. Multi-Cultural Competency-Based Vocational/Technical Curricula Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Masako T.

This English-Thai lexicon and program introduction for combination welding is one of eight documents in the Multicultural Competency-Based Vocational/Technical Curricula Series. It is intended for use in postsecondary, adult, and preservice teacher and administrator education. The first two sections provide Thai equivalencies of English…

Environmental Engineering Curricula assessment in the global world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caporali, Enrica; Catelani, Marcantonio; Manfrida, Giampaolo; Valdiserri, Juna

2014-05-01

Environmental engineers are technicians with specific expertise on the sustainability of human presence in the environment. Among other global dilemmas, to the environmental engineers it is often demanded to be able in developing systematic, innovative solutions in order to simultaneously meet water and energy needs, to build resilience to natural and technological disasters, to more accurately gauge and manage countries' greenhouse gas emissions. The general objectives of the Environmental Engineers are to establish actions of environmental sustainability as well as to verify progress toward global goals or international commitments. The globalization of challenges and problems to be faced, leads, in general, to the globalization of the engineering profession. In particular, since the environmental issues are without boundaries, and many and different are the involved professions and the competences, the environmental engineer must have a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach to adequately answer to the demand of technical innovative knowledge at global scale. The environmental engineers, more and more, are involved in international projects were the effective collaboration requires not only the capacity to communicate in a common technical language, but also the assurance of an adequate and common level of technical competences, knowledge and understanding. The Europe-based EUR ACE system, currently operated by ENAEE - European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education, can represent the proper framework and accreditation system in order to provide a set of measures to assess the quality of engineering degree programmes in Europe and abroad. In the global frame of the knowledge triangle: education-innovation-research, the accreditation and quality assurance of engineering curricula in Europe is discussed with reference to the Environmental engineering curricula, of the 1st and 2nd cycle, based on the European Credit Transfer System and in accordance with the Bologna Process, offered at School of Engineering, University of Firenze. The application of the accreditation model EUR-ACE to the multidisciplinary first cycle degree in Civil, Building and Environmental Engineering and the more specific second cycle degree in Environmental Engineering is discussed. Particularly, the critical issues to guarantee the quality and the status of environmental engineering graduates, in terms of applying knowledge capacities and technical innovative competences are examined. The expected learning outcomes of the quality assessment according the Dublin descriptors or the more engineering focused EUR-ACE skill descriptors, and at local and global scale are analysed. The system for educating engineers in communicating knowledge and understanding, making informed judgments and choices, capacities to lifelong learning is also assessed. The involvement of the professional working world in the definition of goals in skills, of typical expectations of achievements and abilities, and in general in comparing the teaching profile with the actual needs of the technical workforce, is described. With the aim to promote the innovative aspects related with the environmental engineering education, the important role that science and technology could play is also taken into consideration.

Integrating technical and non-technical skills coaching in an acute trauma surgery team training: Is it too much?

PubMed

Alken, Alexander; Luursema, Jan-Maarten; Weenk, Mariska; Yauw, Simon; Fluit, Cornelia; van Goor, Harry

2017-08-25

Research on effective integration of technical and non-technical skills in surgery team training is sparse. In a previous study we found that surgical teachers predominantly coached on technical and hardly on non-technical skills during the Definitive Surgical and Anesthetic Trauma Care (DSATC) integrated acute trauma surgery team training. This study aims to investigate whether the priming of teachers could increase the amount of non-technical skills coaching during such a training. Coaching activities of 12 surgical teachers were recorded on audio and video. Six teachers were primed on non-technical skills coaching prior to the training. Six others received no priming and served as controls. Blind observers reviewed the recordings of 2 training scenario's and scored whether the observed behaviors were directed on technical or non-technical skills. We compared the frequency of the non-technical skills coaching between the primed and the non-primed teachers and analyzed for differences according to the trainees' level of experience. Surgical teachers coached trainees during the highly realistic DSATC integrated acute trauma surgery team training. Trainees performed damage control surgery in operating teams on anesthetized porcine models during 6 training scenario's. Twelve experienced surgical teachers participated in this study. Coaching on non-technical skills was limited to about 5%. The primed teachers did not coach more often on non-technical skills than the non-primed teachers. We found no differences in the frequency of non-technical skills coaching based on the trainees' level of experience. Priming experienced surgical teachers does not increase the coaching on non-technical skills. The current DSATC acute trauma surgery team training seems too complex for integrating training on technical and non-technical skills. Patient care, Practice based learning and improvement. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding Engineers' Responsibilities: A Prerequisite to Designing Engineering Education : Commentary on "Educating Engineers for the Public Good Through International Internships: Evidence from a Case Study at Universitat Politècnica de València".

PubMed

Murphy, Colleen; Gardoni, Paolo

2017-07-18

The development of the curriculum for engineering education (course requirements as well as extra-curricular activities like study abroad and internships) should be based on a comprehensive understanding of engineers' responsibilities. The responsibilities that are constitutive of being an engineer include striving to fulfill the standards of excellence set by technical codes; to improve the idealized models that engineers use to predict, for example, the behavior of alternative designs; and to achieve the internal goods such as safety and sustainability as they are reflected in the design codes. Globalization has implications for these responsibilities and, in turn, for engineering education, by, for example, modifying the collection of possible solutions recognized for existing problems. In addition, international internships can play an important role in fostering the requisite moral imagination of engineering students.

[I-THOU Eternal relationship in the life of caregivers of children with AIDS: study based on Martin Buber philosophy].

PubMed

Schaurich, Diego

2011-01-01

This phenomenological study aimed at understanding, in the light of Martin Buber's philosophy, what is to be a caregiver of children with AIDS. The phenomenological interview guided the meeting with seven caregivers of children with AIDS, selected in a teaching hospital of Porto Alegre-RS, southern of Brazil. The data were interpreted in the light of hermeneutics, emerging the unit of meaning Dialogues 'between' the familiar I and the Eternal THOU. The dialogues take place in the search for answers that allow the understanding of the significance of the impact and challenges they face while living with AIDS. As well, they reveal hope in changes, in the cure and in a vaccine development. We believe that knowing the importance of dialogue in the context of HIV/AIDS epidemic provide the development of a nursing care that brings together the technical-scientific and humanistic aspects.

From STEM to STEAM: Toward a Human-Centered Education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boy, Guy A.

2013-01-01

The 20th century was based on local linear engineering of complicated systems. We made cars, airplanes and chemical plants for example. The 21st century has opened a new basis for holistic non-linear design of complex systems, such as the Internet, air traffic management and nanotechnologies. Complexity, interconnectivity, interaction and communication are major attributes of our evolving society. But, more interestingly, we have started to understand that chaos theories may be more important than reductionism, to better understand and thrive on our planet. Systems need to be investigated and tested as wholes, which requires a cross-disciplinary approach and new conceptual principles and tools. Consequently, schools cannot continue to teach isolated disciplines based on simple reductionism. Science; Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) should be integrated together with the Arts1 to promote creativity together with rationalization, and move to STEAM (with an "A" for Arts). This new concept emphasizes the possibility of longer-term socio-technical futures instead of short-term financial predictions that currently lead to uncontrolled economies. Human-centered design (HCD) can contribute to improving STEAM education technologies, systems and practices. HCD not only provides tools and techniques to build useful and usable things, but also an integrated approach to learning by doing, expressing and critiquing, exploring possible futures, and understanding complex systems.

Simulation-Based Laparoscopic Surgery Crisis Resource Management Training-Predicting Technical and Nontechnical Skills.

PubMed

Goldenberg, Mitchell G; Fok, Kai H; Ordon, Michael; Pace, Kenneth T; Lee, Jason Y

2017-12-19

To develop a unique simulation-based assessment using a laparoscopic inferior vena cava (IVC) injury scenario that allows for the safe assessment of urology resident's technical and nontechnical skills, and investigate the effect of personality traits performance in a surgical crisis. Urology residents from our institution were recruited to participate in a simulation-based training laparoscopic nephrectomy exercise. Residents completed demographic and multidimensional personality questionnaires and were instructed to play the role of staff urologist. A vasovagal response to pneumoperitoneum and an IVC injury event were scripted into the scenario. Technical and nontechnical skills were assessed by expert laparoscopic surgeons using validated tools (task checklist, GOALS, and NOTSS). Ten junior and five senior urology residents participated. Five residents were unable to complete the exercise safely. Senior residents outperformed juniors on technical (checklist score 15.1 vs 9.9, p < 0.01, GOALS score 18.0 vs 13.3, p < 0.01) and nontechnical performance (NOTSS score 13.8 vs 10.1, p = 0.03). Technical performance scores correlated with NOTSS scores (p < 0.01) and pass/fail rating correlated with technical performance (p < 0.01 for both checklist and GOALS), NOTSS score (p = 0.02), and blood loss (p < 0.01). Only the conscientiousness dimension of the big five inventory correlated with technical score (p = 0.03) and pass/fail rating (p = 0.04). Resident level of training and laparoscopic experience correlated with technical performance during a simulation-based laparoscopic IVC injury crisis management scenario, as well as multiple domains of nontechnical performance. Personality traits of our surgical residents are similar and did not predict technical skill. Copyright © 2017 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A comparison of manual anthropometric measurements with Kinect-based scanned measurements in terms of precision and reliability.

PubMed

Bragança, Sara; Arezes, Pedro; Carvalho, Miguel; Ashdown, Susan P; Castellucci, Ignacio; Leão, Celina

2018-01-01

Collecting anthropometric data for real-life applications demands a high degree of precision and reliability. It is important to test new equipment that will be used for data collectionOBJECTIVE:Compare two anthropometric data gathering techniques - manual methods and a Kinect-based 3D body scanner - to understand which of them gives more precise and reliable results. The data was collected using a measuring tape and a Kinect-based 3D body scanner. It was evaluated in terms of precision by considering the regular and relative Technical Error of Measurement and in terms of reliability by using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient, Reliability Coefficient, Standard Error of Measurement and Coefficient of Variation. The results obtained showed that both methods presented better results for reliability than for precision. Both methods showed relatively good results for these two variables, however, manual methods had better results for some body measurements. Despite being considered sufficiently precise and reliable for certain applications (e.g. apparel industry), the 3D scanner tested showed, for almost every anthropometric measurement, a different result than the manual technique. Many companies design their products based on data obtained from 3D scanners, hence, understanding the precision and reliability of the equipment used is essential to obtain feasible results.

Proceedings-1979 third annual practical conference on communication

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

Not Available

1981-04-01

Topics covered at the meeting include: nonacademic writing, writer and editor training in technical publications, readability of technical documents, guide for beginning technical editors, a visual aids data base, newsletter publishing, style guide for a project management organization, word processing, computer graphics, text management for technical documentation, and typographical terminology.

44 CFR 65.15 - List of communities submitting new technical data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... technical data. This section provides a cumulative list of communities where modifications of the base flood elevation determinations have been made because of submission of new scientific or technical data. Due to... submitting new technical data. 65.15 Section 65.15 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY...

Image-based terrain modeling with thematic mapper applied to resolving the limit of Holocene Lake expansion in the Great Salt Lake Desert, Utah, part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merola, John A.

1989-01-01

The LANDSAT Thematic Mapper (TM) scanner records reflected solar energy from the earth's surface in six wavelength regions, or bands, and one band that records emitted energy in the thermal region, giving a total of seven bands. Useful research was extracted about terrain morphometry from remote sensing measurements and this information is used in an image-based terrain model for selected coastal geomorphic features in the Great Salt Lake Desert (GSLD). Technical developments include the incorporation of Aerial Profiling of Terrain System (APTS) data in satellite image analysis, and the production and use of 3-D surface plots of TM reflectance data. Also included in the technical developments is the analysis of the ground control point spatial distribution and its affects on geometric correction, and the terrain mapping procedure; using satellite data in a way that eliminates the need to degrade the data by resampling. The most common approach for terrain mapping with multispectral scanner data includes the techniques of pattern recognition and image classification, as opposed to direct measurement of radiance for identification of terrain features. The research approach in this investigation was based on an understanding of the characteristics of reflected light resulting from the variations in moisture and geometry related to terrain as described by the physical laws of radiative transfer. The image-based terrain model provides quantitative information about the terrain morphometry based on the physical relationship between TM data, the physical character of the GSLD, and the APTS measurements.

Understanding the Role of Academic Language on Conceptual Understanding in an Introductory Materials Science and Engineering Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Jacquelyn

2012-01-01

Students may use the technical engineering terms without knowing what these words mean. This creates a language barrier in engineering that influences student learning. Previous research has been conducted to characterize the difference between colloquial and scientific language. Since this research had not yet been applied explicitly to…

Examining Editor-Author Ethics: Real-World Scenarios from Interviews with Three Journal Editors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amare, Nicole; Manning, Alan

2009-01-01

Those who submit manuscripts to academic journals may benefit from a better understanding of how editors weigh ethics in their interactions with authors. In an attempt to ascertain and to understand editors' ethics, we interviewed 3 current academic journal editors of technical and/or business communication journals. We asked them about the…

Studies Of Vibrations In Gearboxes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choy, Fred K.; Ruan, Yeefeng F.; Tu, Yu K.; Zakrajsek, James J.; Oswald, Fred B.; Coy, John J.; Townsend, Dennis P.

1994-01-01

Three NASA technical memorandums summarize studies of vibrations in gearboxes. Directed toward understanding and reducing gearbox noise caused by coupling of vibrations from meshing gears, through gear shafts and their bearings, to surfaces of gearbox housings. Practical systems in which understanding and reduction of gearbox noise beneficial include helicopter, car, and truck transmissions; stationary geared systems; and gear-driven actuator systems.

Working Words: A User's Guide to Written Communication at Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagston, Jan

Writing a document that is clear and easy to understand is difficult. This resource book is a guide to making written material easier to read, understand, and use. The guide is targeted at those who write work-place documents--industry or TAFE (Technical and Further Education) trainers, managers, supervisors, union representatives or writers of…

75 FR 81843 - Amendments to Regulations Regarding Eligibility for a Medicare Prescription Drug Subsidy

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-29

..., during regular business hours, by arranging with the contact person identified below. FOR FURTHER... interim final rule, we invite your comments on how to make rules easier to understand. For example: [[Page... diagrams? What else could we do to make the rule easier to understand? Does the rule contain technical...

76 FR 54700 - Protecting the Public and Our Personnel to Ensure Operational Effectiveness

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-02

...Rulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov or in person, during regular business hours, by arranging... final rule, we invite your comments on how to make rules easier to understand. For example: Would more... else could we do to make the rule easier to understand? Does the rule contain technical language or...

Risk terminology primer: Basic principles and a glossary for the wildland fire management community

Treesearch

Matthew P. Thompson; Tom Zimmerman; Dan Mindar; Mary Taber

2016-01-01

Risk management is being increasingly promoted as an appropriate method for addressing wildland fire management challenges. However, a lack of a common understanding of risk concepts and terminology is hindering effective application. In response, this General Technical Report provides a set of clear, consistent, understandable, and usable definitions for terms...

Models of Understanding: Historical Constructions of Breast Cancer in Medicine and Public Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petersen, Jennifer

2004-01-01

The era of technical and scientific progress ushered in with the twentieth century brought new medical knowledge such as the Halstead 'radical' mastectomy, which promised a cure for breast cancer. These advances in medical knowledge were premised on an epidemiological model of disease, which shaped the treatment and public understanding of breast…

Cognitive Levels and Approaches Taken by Students Failing Written Examinations in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roegner, Katherine

2013-01-01

A study was conducted at the Technical University Berlin involving students who twice failed the written examination in the first semester course Linear Algebra for Engineers in order to better understand the reasons behind their failure. The study considered student understanding in terms of Bloom's taxonomy and the ways in which students…

Reliability achievement in high technology space systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindstrom, D. L.

1981-01-01

The production of failure-free hardware is discussed. The elements required to achieve such hardware are: technical expertise to design, analyze, and fully understand the design; use of high reliability parts and materials control in the manufacturing process; and testing to understand the system and weed out defects. The durability of the Hughes family of satellites is highlighted.

Speech pathology as the MasterChef: Getting the right ingredients and stirring the pot.

PubMed

Enderby, Pam

2017-06-01

The purpose of this paper is to consider the many influences that have an impact on appropriate speech-language pathology service delivery. The competitive cooking and entertainment television program, MasterChef, is used as an analogy to consider the ingredients, blend and approach required to improve speech-language pathology services. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) enter the profession with the aim of assisting those with communication and swallowing disorders to have a better quality of life. Thus, we should be restless to continue to improve our services in order to achieve the best influence and outcomes by changing our recipes and ingredients. However, having good technical skills as a SLP is not sufficient in ensuring that the services are the best they can be. We have to consider available resources, customers and service users, who it is that judges our services, whether we are as good as we could or should be, what can help us improve our services, what the appetite is for our services, and how we incorporate evidence-based practice. This paper considers the value of understanding and using information on incidence and prevalence, evidence-based practice and outcome measurement. Blending technical, clinical and academic abilities with personal skills will result in an award-winning menu.

Beyond a series of security nets: Applying STAMP & STPA to port security

DOE PAGES

Williams, Adam D.

2015-11-17

Port security is an increasing concern considering the significant role of ports in global commerce and today’s increasingly complex threat environment. Current approaches to port security mirror traditional models of accident causality -- ‘a series of security nets’ based on component reliability and probabilistic assumptions. Traditional port security frameworks result in isolated and inconsistent improvement strategies. Recent work in engineered safety combines the ideas of hierarchy, emergence, control and communication into a new paradigm for understanding port security as an emergent complex system property. The ‘System-Theoretic Accident Model and Process (STAMP)’ is a new model of causality based on systemsmore » and control theory. The associated analysis process -- System Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) -- identifies specific technical or procedural security requirements designed to work in coordination with (and be traceable to) overall port objectives. This process yields port security design specifications that can mitigate (if not eliminate) port security vulnerabilities related to an emphasis on component reliability, lack of coordination between port security stakeholders or economic pressures endemic in the maritime industry. As a result, this article aims to demonstrate how STAMP’s broader view of causality and complexity can better address the dynamic and interactive behaviors of social, organizational and technical components of port security.« less

Recent Advances in Model-Assisted Probability of Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, R. Bruce; Brasche, Lisa J.; Lindgren, Eric; Swindell, Paul; Winfree, William P.

2009-01-01

The increased role played by probability of detection (POD) in structural integrity programs, combined with the significant time and cost associated with the purely empirical determination of POD, provides motivation for alternate means to estimate this important metric of NDE techniques. One approach to make the process of POD estimation more efficient is to complement limited empirical experiments with information from physics-based models of the inspection process or controlled laboratory experiments. The Model-Assisted Probability of Detection (MAPOD) Working Group was formed by the Air Force Research Laboratory, the FAA Technical Center, and NASA to explore these possibilities. Since the 2004 inception of the MAPOD Working Group, 11 meetings have been held in conjunction with major NDE conferences. This paper will review the accomplishments of this group, which includes over 90 members from around the world. Included will be a discussion of strategies developed to combine physics-based and empirical understanding, draft protocols that have been developed to guide application of the strategies, and demonstrations that have been or are being carried out in a number of countries. The talk will conclude with a discussion of future directions, which will include documentation of benefits via case studies, development of formal protocols for engineering practice, as well as a number of specific technical issues.

Beyond a series of security nets: Applying STAMP & STPA to port security

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

Williams, Adam D.

Port security is an increasing concern considering the significant role of ports in global commerce and today’s increasingly complex threat environment. Current approaches to port security mirror traditional models of accident causality -- ‘a series of security nets’ based on component reliability and probabilistic assumptions. Traditional port security frameworks result in isolated and inconsistent improvement strategies. Recent work in engineered safety combines the ideas of hierarchy, emergence, control and communication into a new paradigm for understanding port security as an emergent complex system property. The ‘System-Theoretic Accident Model and Process (STAMP)’ is a new model of causality based on systemsmore » and control theory. The associated analysis process -- System Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) -- identifies specific technical or procedural security requirements designed to work in coordination with (and be traceable to) overall port objectives. This process yields port security design specifications that can mitigate (if not eliminate) port security vulnerabilities related to an emphasis on component reliability, lack of coordination between port security stakeholders or economic pressures endemic in the maritime industry. As a result, this article aims to demonstrate how STAMP’s broader view of causality and complexity can better address the dynamic and interactive behaviors of social, organizational and technical components of port security.« less

Making a Difference in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers and Their Families: The Impacts of Early Head Start. Volumes I-III: Final Technical Report [and] Appendixes [and] Local Contributions to Understanding the Programs and Their Impacts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, John M.; Kisker, Ellen Eliason; Ross, Christine M.; Schochet, Peter Z.; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Paulsell, Diane; Boller, Kimberly; Constantine, Jill; Vogel, Cheri; Fuligni, Alison Sidle; Brady-Smith, Christy

Early Head Start was designed in 1994 as a 2-generation program to enhance children's development and health, strengthen family and community partnerships, and support the staff delivering new services to low-income families with pregnant women, infants, or toddlers. This document contains the final technical report, appendixes, and local…

Improved Understanding of In Situ Chemical Oxidation. Technical Objective I: Contaminant Oxidation Kinetics Contaminant Oxidation Kinetics

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-01

methyl tert butyl ether NAPL non-aqueous phase liquid NOD natural oxidant demand •OH hydroxide radical Ox oxidant O3 ozone PCE...and persulfate; and Technical Objective 2, assess how soil properties (e.g., soil mineralogy , natural carbon content) affect oxidant mobility and...to develop a general description of kobs vs. T because there are many reactions that can contribute to the concentration of the reactive intermediate

Comparative Difficulties with Non-Scientific General Vocabulary and Scientific/Medical Terminology in English as a Second Language (ESL) Medical Students.

PubMed

Heming, Thomas A; Nandagopal, Shobha

2012-11-01

Medical education requires student comprehension of both technical (scientific/medical) and non-technical (general) vocabulary. Our experience with "English as a second language" (ESL) Arab students suggested they often have problems comprehending scientific statements because of weaknesses in their understanding of non-scientific vocabulary. This study aimed to determine whether ESL students have difficulties with general vocabulary that could hinder their understanding of scientific/medical texts. A survey containing English text was given to ESL students in the premedical years of an English-medium medical school in an Arabic country. The survey consisted of sample questions from the Medical College Admission Test (USA). Students were instructed to identify all unknown words in the text. ESL students commenced premedical studies with substantial deficiencies in English vocabulary. Students from English-medium secondary schools had a selective deficiency in scientific/medical terminology which disappeared with time. Students from Arabic-medium secondary schools had equal difficulty with general and scientific/medical vocabulary. Deficiencies in both areas diminished with time but remained even after three years of English-medium higher education. Typically, when teaching technical subjects to ESL students, attention is focused on subject-unique vocabulary and associated modifiers. This study highlights that ESL students also face difficulties with the general vocabulary used to construct statements employing technical words. Such students would benefit from increases in general vocabulary knowledge.

Reminiscing about 15 years of interoperability efforts

DOE PAGES

Van de Sompel, Herbert; Nelson, Michael L.

2015-11-01

Over the past fifteen years, our perspective on tackling information interoperability problems for web-based scholarship has evolved significantly. In this opinion piece, we look back at three efforts that we have been involved in that aptly illustrate this evolution: OAI-PMH, OAI-ORE, and Memento. Understanding that no interoperability specification is neutral, we attempt to characterize the perspectives and technical toolkits that provided the basis for these endeavors. With that regard, we consider repository-centric and web-centric interoperability perspectives, and the use of a Linked Data or a REST/HATEAOS technology stack, respectively. In addition, we lament the lack of interoperability across nodes thatmore » play a role in web-based scholarship, but end on a constructive note with some ideas regarding a possible path forward.« less

15 CFR 911.8 - Technical requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... PROCEDURES CONCERNING USE OF THE NOAA SPACE-BASED DATA COLLECTION SYSTEMS § 911.8 Technical requirements. (a) All platform operators of the NOAA DCS must use a data collection platform radio set whose technical...

15 CFR 911.8 - Technical requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... PROCEDURES CONCERNING USE OF THE NOAA SPACE-BASED DATA COLLECTION SYSTEMS § 911.8 Technical requirements. (a) All platform operators of the NOAA DCS must use a data collection platform radio set whose technical...

15 CFR 911.8 - Technical requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... PROCEDURES CONCERNING USE OF THE NOAA SPACE-BASED DATA COLLECTION SYSTEMS § 911.8 Technical requirements. (a) All platform operators of the NOAA DCS must use a data collection platform radio set whose technical...

15 CFR 911.8 - Technical requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... PROCEDURES CONCERNING USE OF THE NOAA SPACE-BASED DATA COLLECTION SYSTEMS § 911.8 Technical requirements. (a) All platform operators of the NOAA DCS must use a data collection platform radio set whose technical...

15 CFR 911.8 - Technical requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... PROCEDURES CONCERNING USE OF THE NOAA SPACE-BASED DATA COLLECTION SYSTEMS § 911.8 Technical requirements. (a) All platform operators of the NOAA DCS must use a data collection platform radio set whose technical...

Transforming Our Understanding of the X-ray Universe: The Imaging X-ray Polarimeter Explorer (IXPE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weisskopf, Martin C.; Bellazzini, Ronaldo; Costa, Enrico; Matt, Giorgio; Marshall, Herman; ODell, Stephen L.; Pavlov, George; Ramsey, Brian; Romani, Roger

2014-01-01

Accurate X-ray polarimetry can provide unique information on high-energy-astrophysical processes and sources. As there have been no meaningful X-ray polarization measurements of cosmic sources since our pioneering work in the 1970's, the time is ripe to explore this new parameter space in X-ray astronomy. To accomplish this requires a well-calibrated and well understood system that-particularly for an Explorer mission-has technical, cost, and schedule credibility. The system that we shall present satisfies these conditions, being based upon completely calibrated imaging- and polarization-sensitive detectors and proven X-ray-telescope technology.

Ground-water contamination by crude oil: Section B in U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program: Proceedings of the technical meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999: Volume 3 (Part C)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Delin, G.N.; Herkelrath, W.N.; Morganwalp, David W.; Buxton, Herbert T.

1999-01-01

Ground water contamination by crude oil, and other petroleum-based liquids, is a widespread problem. An average of 83 crude-oil spills occurred per year during 1994-96 in the United States, each spilling an average of about 50,000 barrels of crude oil (U.S. Office of Pipeline Safety, electronic commun., 1997). An understanding of the fate of organic contaminants (such as oil and gasoline) in the subsurface is needed to design innovative and cost-effective remedial solutions at contaminated sites.

A strategy for Earth science from space in the 1980s. Part 1: Solid earth and oceans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The report develops a ten-year science strategy for investigating the solid earth and dynamics of world oceans from Earth orbit. The strategy begins from the premise that earth studies have proceeded to the point where further advances in understanding Earth processes must be based on a global perspective and that the U.S. is technically ready to begin a global study approach from Earth orbit. The major areas of study and their fundamental problems are identified. The strategy defines the primary science objectives to be addressed and the essential measurements and precision to achieve them.

Our evolving universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longair, Malcolm S.

Our Evolving Universe is a lucid, non-technical and infectiously enthusiastic introduction to current astronomy and cosmology. Highly illustrated throughout with the latest colour images from the world's most advanced telescopes, it also provides a colourful view of our Universe. Malcolm Longair takes us on a breathtaking tour of the most dramatic recent results astronomers have on the birth of stars, the hunt for black holes and dark matter, on gravitational lensing and the latest tests of the Big Bang. He leads the reader right up to understand the key questions that future research in astronomy and cosmology must answer. A clear and comprehensive glossary of technical terms is also provided. For the general reader, student or professional wishing to understand the key questions today's astronomers and cosmologists are trying to answer, this is an invaluable and inspiring read.

Organizational Alignment Through Information Technology: A Web-Based Approach to Change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heinrichs, W.; Smith, J.

1999-01-01

This paper reports on the effectiveness of web-based internet tools and databases to facilitate integration of technical organizations with interfaces that minimize modification of each technical organization.

Socio-technical issues and challenges in implementing safe patient handovers: insights from ethnographic case studies.

PubMed

Balka, Ellen; Tolar, Marianne; Coates, Shannon; Whitehouse, Sandra

2013-12-01

Ineffective handovers in patient care, including those where information loss occurs between care providers, have been identified as a risk to patient safety. Computerization of health information is often offered as a solution to improve the quality of care handovers and decrease adverse events related to patient safety. The purpose of this paper is to broaden our understanding of clinical handover as a patient safety issue, and to identify socio-technical issues which may come to bear on the success of computer based handover tools. Three in depth ethnographic case studies were undertaken. Field notes were transcribed and analyzed with the aid of qualitative data analysis software. Within case analysis was performed on each case, and subsequently, cross case analyses were performed. We identified five types of socio-technical issues which must be addressed if electronic handover tools are to succeed. The inter-dependencies of these issues are addressed in relation to arenas in which health care work takes place. We suggest that the contextual nature of information, ethical and medico-legal issues arising in relation to information handover, and issues related to data standards and system interoperability must be addressed if computerized health information systems are to achieve improvements in patient safety related to handovers in care. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Entrained-flow gasification at elevated pressure: Volume 1: Final technical report, March 1, 1985-April 30,1987

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

Hedman, P.O.; Smoot, L.D.; Smith, P.J.

1987-10-15

The general purpose of this research program was to develop a basic understanding of the physical and chemical processes in entrained coal gasification and to use the results to improve and evaluate an entrained gasification computer model. The first task included the collection and analysis of in-situ gasifier data at elevated pressures with three coal types (North Dakota lignite, Wyoming subbituminous and Illinois bituminous), the design, construction, and testing of new coal/oxygen/steam injectors with a fourth coal type (Utah bituminous), the collection of supporting turbulent fluid dynamic (LDV) data from cold-flow studies, and the investigation of the feasibility of usingmore » laser-based (CARS) daignostic instruments to make measurements in coal flames. The second task included improvements to the two-dimensional gasifier submodels, tabulation and evaluation of new coal devolatilization and char oxidation data for predictions, fundamental studies of turbulent particle dispersion, the development of improved numerical methods, and validation of the comprehensive model through comparison of predictions with experimental results. The third task was to transfer technical advances to industry and to METC through technical seminars, production of a detailed data book, code placement, and publication of results. Research results for these three tasks are summarized briefly here and presented in detail in the body of the report and in supporting references. 202 refs., 73 figs., 23 tabs.« less

New Mexico Standards Based Assessment (NMSBA) Technical Report: 2006 Spring Administration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griph, Gerald W.

2006-01-01

The purpose of the NMSBA technical report is to provide users and other interested parties with a general overview of and technical characteristics of the 2006 NMSBA. The 2006 technical report contains the following information: (1) Test development; (2) Scoring procedures; (3) Calibration, scaling, and equating procedures; (4) Standard setting;…

A Revision of Technical Mathematics Based on the NCTM Standards. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Near, Barbara

Between 1993 and 1996, Henry Ford Community College (Michigan) worked with business, industry, and technical instructors to revise their Technical Mathematics program in accordance with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards. The purpose of the project was to restructure the technical math curriculum and create a context…

LANDFILL GAS ENERGY UTILIZATION EXPERIENCE: DISCUSSION OF TECHNICAL AND NON-TECHNICAL ISSUES, SOLUTIONS, AND TRENDS

EPA Science Inventory

The report discusses technical and non-technical considerations associated with the development and operation of landfill gas to energy projects. Much of the report is based on interviews and site visits with the major developers and operators of the more than 110 projects in the...

Clearinghouse for Inventories and Emissions Factors

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Emissions inventories, modeling, and monitoring are the basis for understanding, controlling and tracking stationary sources of air pollution. This technical site provides access to tools and data to support those efforts.

Challenges for Planning and Maintaining of Urban Rain Harvesting Systems- the case of Hammarby Sjöstad and Årstafältet in Stockholm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suleiman, Lina

2017-04-01

Planners and policymakers' concern escalates over conventional systems dealing with rains in cities based on domination and control of nature rather than harmony and design with nature. A new spatial planning paradigm is needed to put in place systems which mimic natural water systems and promise multiple values instead of systems consider rain as a source of problem. However, such approach embodies significant planning challenges. Urban rain harvesting systems (URHs) are inherently viewed as 'sociotechnical' systems. As such, planning processes should consider the interdependence of 'social' and 'technical' aspects as essential elements if a transition towards sustainable urban water systems is to be realised. Drawing on a common understanding for what urban rain harvesting systems should deliver in terms of 'functions' and 'added values', a generic planning framework is developed to inform practitioners on how the 'socio' and 'technical' elements should be assimilated in a long-term and integrated planning processes of URHs. Using the developed framework, the paper examines the planning and maintenance processes of urban rain harvesting systems in Årstafältet and Hammarby Sjöstad respectively. Results show that planners lack a common operational understanding on how these systems should be designed holistically in a long term and integrated planning processes creating working gabs or positional conflicts. In practice, urban planners and water engineers look at these systems as either urban design component or water drainage system to deal with technical functions hindering a smooth transition path towards urban rain harvesting systems. The paper concludes on the urgency for reordering roles and relations within a new set-up organisation to incubate these systems in long-term planning and maintenance processes. Key words: 'Sociotechnical' system, Water, Planning, Urban Rain Harvesting systems (URHs), Hammarby Sjostad and Årstafältet

Teaching and assessing procedural skills using simulation: metrics and methodology.

PubMed

Lammers, Richard L; Davenport, Moira; Korley, Frederick; Griswold-Theodorson, Sharon; Fitch, Michael T; Narang, Aneesh T; Evans, Leigh V; Gross, Amy; Rodriguez, Elliot; Dodge, Kelly L; Hamann, Cara J; Robey, Walter C

2008-11-01

Simulation allows educators to develop learner-focused training and outcomes-based assessments. However, the effectiveness and validity of simulation-based training in emergency medicine (EM) requires further investigation. Teaching and testing technical skills require methods and assessment instruments that are somewhat different than those used for cognitive or team skills. Drawing from work published by other medical disciplines as well as educational, behavioral, and human factors research, the authors developed six research themes: measurement of procedural skills; development of performance standards; assessment and validation of training methods, simulator models, and assessment tools; optimization of training methods; transfer of skills learned on simulator models to patients; and prevention of skill decay over time. The article reviews relevant and established educational research methodologies and identifies gaps in our knowledge of how physicians learn procedures. The authors present questions requiring further research that, once answered, will advance understanding of simulation-based procedural training and assessment in EM.

Approach to developing reliable space reactor power systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mondt, Jack F.; Shinbrot, Charles H.

1991-01-01

During Phase II, the Engineering Development Phase, the SP-100 Project has defined and is pursuing a new approach to developing reliable power systems. The approach to developing such a system during the early technology phase is described along with some preliminary examples to help explain the approach. Developing reliable components to meet space reactor power system requirements is based on a top-down systems approach which includes a point design based on a detailed technical specification of a 100-kW power system. The SP-100 system requirements implicitly recognize the challenge of achieving a high system reliability for a ten-year lifetime, while at the same time using technologies that require very significant development efforts. A low-cost method for assessing reliability, based on an understanding of fundamental failure mechanisms and design margins for specific failure mechanisms, is being developed as part of the SP-100 Program.

The astrophysics program at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pellerin, C. J.

1990-01-01

Three broad themes characterize the goals of the Astrophysics Division at NASA. These are obtaining an understanding of the origin and evolution of the universe, the fundamental laws of physics, and the birth and evolutionary cycle of galaxies, stars, planets and life. These goals are pursued through contemporaneous observations across the electromagnetic spectrum with high sensitivity and resolution. The strategy to accomplish these goals is fourfold: the establishment of long term space based observatories implemented through the Great Observatories program; attainment of crucial bridging and supporting measurements visa missions of intermediate and small scope conducted within the Explorer, Spacelab, and Space Station Attached Payload Programs; enhancement of scientific access to results of space based research activities through an integrated data system; and development and maintenance of the scientific/technical base for space astrophysics programs through the research and analysis and suborbital programs. The near term activities supporting the first two objectives are discussed.

Homeroom Activities in a College of Technology Based on the Master Plan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuchida, Kunihiiko; Murata, Hideaki; Yuji, Junichiro

Homeroom (HR) activities have an important role in engineering education at technical colleges. Yatsushiro National College of Technology has made a master plan for them and has been putting the plan into practical use since 2002. This plan is comprehensive and has two main categories, social education and career guidance, both being composed of three sub-categories (e.g., self-understanding and making future plans) . Based on the master plan, each HR teacher makes his own plan for HR activities for his classroom at the beginning of the academic year. We have reached a consensus to share our practice and to improve HR activities for years to come. We also recognize that to carry out HR activities based on a master plan that reflects the school's educational goals is essential in order to train students who are well-prepared, both as engineers and as humans.

The Undergraduate Student Instrument Project (USIP) - building the STEM workforce by providing exciting, multi-disciplinary, student-led suborbital flight projects.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dingwall, B. J.

2015-12-01

NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) recognizes that suborbital carriers play a vital role in training our country's future science and technology leaders. SMD created the Undergraduate Student Instrument Project (USIP) to offer students the opportunity to design, build, and fly instruments on NASA's unique suborbital research platforms. This paper explores the projects, the impact, and the lessons learned of USIP. USIP required undergraduate teams to design, build, and fly a scientific instrument in 18 months or less. Students were required to form collaborative multidisciplinary teams to design, develop and build their instrument. Teams quickly learned that success required skills often overlooked in an academic environment. Teams quickly learned to share technical information in a clear and concise manner that could be understood by other disciplines. The aggressive schedule required team members to hold each other accountable for progress while maintaining team unity. Unanticipated problems and technical issues led students to a deeper understanding of the need for schedule and cost reserves. Students exited the program with a far deeper understanding of project management and team dynamics. Through the process of designing and building an instrument that will enable new research transforms students from textbook learners to developers of new knowledge. The initial USIP project funded 10 undergraduate teams that flew a broad range of scientific instruments on scientific balloons, sounding rockets, commercial rockets and aircraft. Students were required to prepare for and conduct the major reviews that are an integral part of systems development. Each project conducted a Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review and Mission Readiness review for NASA officials and flight platform providers. By preparing and presenting their designs to technical experts, the students developed a deeper understanding of the technical and programmatic project pieces that were necessary for success. A student survey was conducted to assess the impact of USIP. Over 90% of students reported a significant improvement in their technical and project management skills. Perhaps more importantly, 88% of students reported that they have a far better appreciation for the value of multi-disciplinary teams.

Local soil quality assessment of north-central Namibia: integrating farmers' and technical knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prudat, Brice; Bloemertz, Lena; Kuhn, Nikolaus J.

2018-02-01

Soil degradation is a major threat for farmers of semi-arid north-central Namibia. Soil conservation practices can be promoted by the development of soil quality (SQ) evaluation toolboxes that provide ways to evaluate soil degradation. However, such toolboxes must be adapted to local conditions to reach farmers. Based on qualitative (interviews and soil descriptions) and quantitative (laboratory analyses) data, we developed a set of SQ indicators relevant for our study area that integrates farmers' field experiences (FFEs) and technical knowledge. We suggest using participatory mapping to delineate soil units (Oshikwanyama soil units, KwSUs) based on FFEs, which highlight mostly soil properties that integrate long-term productivity and soil hydrological characteristics (i.e. internal SQ). The actual SQ evaluation of a location depends on the KwSU described and is thereafter assessed by field soil texture (i.e. chemical fertility potential) and by soil colour shade (i.e. SOC status). This three-level information aims to reveal SQ improvement potential by comparing, for any location, (a) estimated clay content against median clay content (specific to KwSU) and (b) soil organic status against calculated optimal values (depends on clay content). The combination of farmers' and technical assessment cumulates advantages of both systems of knowledge, namely the integrated long-term knowledge of the farmers and a short- and medium-term SQ status assessment. The toolbox is a suggestion for evaluating SQ and aims to help farmers, rural development planners and researchers from all fields of studies understanding SQ issues in north-central Namibia. This suggested SQ toolbox is adapted to a restricted area of north-central Namibia, but similar tools could be developed in most areas where small-scale agriculture prevails.

Assessment of medical care by elderly people: general satisfaction and physician quality.

PubMed Central

Lee, Y; Kasper, J D

1998-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To identify personal characteristics and factors related to health and patterns of healthcare utilization associated with the elderly people's satisfaction with medical care. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Data from the 1991 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) on 8,859 persons age 65 and over living in the community. STUDY DESIGN: Items reflecting general satisfaction with care and views of physician quality are examined and, based on factor analysis, grouped in dimensions of two (global quality, access) and three (technical skills, interpersonal manner, information-giving), respectively. The relationship of high levels of satisfaction in each dimension to personal characteristics of elderly people, and to measures of access and utilization, is assessed using logistic regression. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: While satisfaction is high, with over 90 percent surveyed expressing some satisfaction, there is substantial variation with less likelihood of high satisfaction among those 80 or older, with less education and income and in poorer health. Longer waiting time at visits and less frequent visits are factors in lower satisfaction as well. A favorable perception of physician quality, especially regarding technical skills, appears to play a significant role in satisfaction with global quality of care. CONCLUSIONS: Studies of patient satisfaction in elderly people are rare. Some factors expected to be related to positive assessment based on earlier studies, were, e.g., better health and shorter waiting time, while others were not, e.g., increasing age. Elderly people appear to place greater importance on physician technical skills, as opposed to interpersonal dimensions, in assessing global quality. These findings suggest the need for a better understanding of how elderly people evaluate care and what they value in interactions with the healthcare system. Images Figure 1 PMID:9460484

Bus Rapid Transit system’s influence on urban development: An inquiry to Boston and Seoul BRT systems’ technical characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prayogi, Lutfi

2018-03-01

This article explores the relation between bus rapid transit (BRT) system and urban development. This article was written through a multi-staged comprehensive literature review. It includes a general overview of widely acknowledged BRT technical characteristics. It explains the approach taken in understanding the relation between BRT system provision and urban development around the system. Findings regarding the influence of Boston Silver Line 4 and 5 and Seoul BRT systems on urban development around the systems are quoted and used as case studies. Investigation on the technical characteristics of Boston SL4/5 and Seoul BRT systems are provided. This article shows that the two BRT systems that influence urban development around the systems have technical characteristics that enable the BRT systems to have high performance. However, while the quoted BRT systems can influence urban development, they have significantly different performance.

Technical Efficiency and Organ Transplant Performance: A Mixed-Method Approach

PubMed Central

de-Pablos-Heredero, Carmen; Fernández-Renedo, Carlos; Medina-Merodio, Jose-Amelio

2015-01-01

Mixed methods research is interesting to understand complex processes. Organ transplants are complex processes in need of improved final performance in times of budgetary restrictions. As the main objective a mixed method approach is used in this article to quantify the technical efficiency and the excellence achieved in organ transplant systems and to prove the influence of organizational structures and internal processes in the observed technical efficiency. The results show that it is possible to implement mechanisms for the measurement of the different components by making use of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The analysis show a positive relationship between the levels related to the Baldrige indicators and the observed technical efficiency in the donation and transplant units of the 11 analyzed hospitals. Therefore it is possible to conclude that high levels in the Baldrige indexes are a necessary condition to reach an increased level of the service offered. PMID:25950653

Technical discussions on Emissions and Atmospheric Modeling (TEAM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frost, G. J.; Henderson, B.; Lefer, B. L.

2017-12-01

A new informal activity, Technical discussions on Emissions and Atmospheric Modeling (TEAM), aims to improve the scientific understanding of emissions and atmospheric processes by leveraging resources through coordination, communication and collaboration between scientists in the Nation's environmental agencies. TEAM seeks to close information gaps that may be limiting emission inventory development and atmospheric modeling and to help identify related research areas that could benefit from additional coordinated efforts. TEAM is designed around webinars and in-person meetings on particular topics that are intended to facilitate active and sustained informal communications between technical staff at different agencies. The first series of TEAM webinars focuses on emissions of nitrogen oxides, a criteria pollutant impacting human and ecosystem health and a key precursor of ozone and particulate matter. Technical staff at Federal agencies with specific interests in emissions and atmospheric modeling are welcome to participate in TEAM.

Radioactivity and the environment: technical approaches to understand the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal plants in radionuclide bioaccumulation

PubMed Central

Davies, Helena S.; Cox, Filipa; Robinson, Clare H.; Pittman, Jon K.

2015-01-01

Phytoaccumulation of radionuclides is of significant interest with regards to monitoring radionuclide build-up in food chains, developing methods for environmental bioremediation and for ecological management. There are many gaps in our understanding of the characteristics and mechanisms of plant radionuclide accumulation, including the importance of symbiotically-associated arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. We first briefly review the evidence that demonstrates the ability of AM fungi to enhance the translocation of 238U into plant root tissues, and how fungal association may prevent further mobilization into shoot tissues. We then focus on approaches that should further advance our knowledge of AM fungi–plant radionuclide accumulation. Current research has mostly used artificial cultivation methods and we consider how more ecologically-relevant analysis might be performed. The use of synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence imaging and absorption spectroscopy techniques to understand the mechanisms of radionuclide transfer from soil to plant via AM fungi is evaluated. Without such further knowledge, the behavior and mobilization of radionuclides cannot be accurately modeled and the potential risks cannot be accurately predicted. PMID:26284096

Radioactivity and the environment: technical approaches to understand the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal plants in radionuclide bioaccumulation.

PubMed

Davies, Helena S; Cox, Filipa; Robinson, Clare H; Pittman, Jon K

2015-01-01

Phytoaccumulation of radionuclides is of significant interest with regards to monitoring radionuclide build-up in food chains, developing methods for environmental bioremediation and for ecological management. There are many gaps in our understanding of the characteristics and mechanisms of plant radionuclide accumulation, including the importance of symbiotically-associated arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. We first briefly review the evidence that demonstrates the ability of AM fungi to enhance the translocation of (238)U into plant root tissues, and how fungal association may prevent further mobilization into shoot tissues. We then focus on approaches that should further advance our knowledge of AM fungi-plant radionuclide accumulation. Current research has mostly used artificial cultivation methods and we consider how more ecologically-relevant analysis might be performed. The use of synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence imaging and absorption spectroscopy techniques to understand the mechanisms of radionuclide transfer from soil to plant via AM fungi is evaluated. Without such further knowledge, the behavior and mobilization of radionuclides cannot be accurately modeled and the potential risks cannot be accurately predicted.

Tool use in left-brain-damaged patients: Difficulties in reasoning but not in estimating the physical properties of objects.

PubMed

Faye, Alexandrine; Jacquin-Courtois, Sophie; Osiurak, François

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study was to deepen our understanding of the cognitive bases of human tool use based on the technical reasoning hypothesis (i.e., the reasoning-based approach). This approach assumes that tool use is supported by the ability to reason about an object's physical properties (e.g., length, weight, strength, etc.) to perform mechanical actions (e.g., lever). In this framework, an important issue is to understand whether left-brain-damaged (LBD) individuals with tool-use deficits are still able to estimate the physical object's properties necessary to use the tool. Eleven LBD patients and 12 control participants performed 3 original experimental tasks: Use-Length (visual evaluation of the length of a stick to bring down a target), Visual-Length (to visually compare objects of different lengths) and Addition-Length (to visually compare added lengths). Participants were also tested on conventional tasks: Familiar Tool Use and Mechanical Problem-Solving (novel tools). LBD patients had more difficulties than controls on both conventional tasks. No significant differences were observed for the 3 experimental tasks. These results extend the reasoning-based approach, stressing that it might not be the representation of length that is impaired in LBD patients, but rather the ability to generate mechanical actions based on physical object properties. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Wind Power Opportunities in St. Thomas, USVI: A Site-Specific Evaluation and Analysis

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

Lantz, E.; Warren, A.; Roberts, J. O.

This NREL technical report utilizes a development framework originated by NREL and known by the acronym SROPTTC to assist the U.S. Virgin Islands in identifying and understanding concrete opportunities for wind power development in the territory. The report covers each of the seven components of the SROPTTC framework: Site, Resource, Off-take, Permitting, Technology, Team, and Capital as they apply to wind power in the USVI and specifically to a site in Bovoni, St. Thomas. The report concludes that Bovoni peninsula is a strong candidate for utility-scale wind generation in the territory. It represents a reasonable compromise in terms of windmore » resource, distance from residences, and developable terrain. Hurricane risk and variable terrain on the peninsula and on potential equipment transport routes add technical and logistical challenges but do not appear to represent insurmountable barriers. In addition, integration of wind power into the St. Thomas power system will present operational challenges, but based on experience in other islanded power systems, there are reasonable solutions for addressing these challenges.« less

Linking environmental risk assessment and communication: An experiment in co-evolving scientific and social knowledge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graffy, E.A.; Booth, N.L.

2008-01-01

Dissemination of information to decision-makers and enhanced methods of public participation are often put forward as antidotes to a perceived disconnect between risk assessment and risk communication in the public domain. However, mechanisms that support both the provision of routine, timely and relevant technical knowledge to the public and meaningful opportunities for public participation in the evaluation and management of risk are few. We argue for the need to re-conceptualise the institutional context in which risk research and communication occur as one in which scientific knowledge and public understanding are co-evolutionary instead of independent or sequential. Here, we report on an experiment to promote coevolution of environmental risk assessment and risk communication through the instrumental use of a web-based platform that dynamically links expert and public discourses through common information sources, linked scenario evaluations, and opportunities for iterative dialogue. On the basis of technical feasibility, research value and public communication capacity, we conclude that there is potential for further refinement of the methodologies presented here. Copyright ?? 2008 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Recommendations of the Spanish Societies of Radiation Oncology (SEOR), Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging (SEMNiM), and Medical Physics (SEFM) on (18)F-FDG PET-CT for radiotherapy treatment planning.

PubMed

Caballero Perea, Begoña; Villegas, Antonio Cabrera; Rodríguez, José Miguel Delgado; Velloso, María José García; Vicente, Ana María García; Cabrerizo, Carlos Huerga; López, Rosa Morera; Romasanta, Luis Alberto Pérez; Beltrán, Moisés Sáez

2012-01-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is a valuable tool for diagnosing and staging malignant lesions. The fusion of PET and computed tomography (CT) yields images that contain both metabolic and morphological information, which, taken together, have improved the diagnostic precision of PET in oncology. The main imaging modality for planning radiotherapy treatment is CT. However, PET-CT is an emerging modality for use in planning treatments because it allows for more accurate treatment volume definition. The use of PET-CT for treatment planning is highly complex, and protocols and standards for its use are still being developed. It seems probable that PET-CT will eventually replace current CT-based planning methods, but this will require a full understanding of the relevant technical aspects of PET-CT planning. The aim of the present document is to review these technical aspects and to provide recommendations for clinical use of this imaging modality in the radiotherapy planning process.

Dan Johnson's impact on hearing research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shotland, Lawrence I.

2003-04-01

Daniel L. Johnson is well known for his many technical contributions to noise research. Throughout a long and distinguished career at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dan published the results of several significant experiments, including his landmark experiments on asymptotic threshold shift and exposure to impulse noise. His work in the area of noise exposure laid much of the groundwork for a greater understanding of the physiologic response to hazardous noise, much of which has since been incorporated in national and international standards. Dan is highly regarded for his tireless work on technical and advisory committees in noise, and most recently, ototoxicity. Throughout his career, Dan has adhered to a self-imposed standard of intellectual honesty and discovery. Dan's most recent endeavor, the development of a personal noise dosimeter designed for self-monitoring by the employee, is characteristic of his creativity and energy. Perhaps less well known are his contributions over the years to the success of his younger colleagues. He has accomplished this in an unselfish and egalitarian manner, oftentimes challenging and even contradicting his own research. The focus of this talk will elaborate on these facets of Dan's professional contributions.

Recommendations of the Spanish Societies of Radiation Oncology (SEOR), Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging (SEMNiM), and Medical Physics (SEFM) on 18F-FDG PET-CT for radiotherapy treatment planning

PubMed Central

Caballero Perea, Begoña; Villegas, Antonio Cabrera; Rodríguez, José Miguel Delgado; Velloso, María José García; Vicente, Ana María García; Cabrerizo, Carlos Huerga; López, Rosa Morera; Romasanta, Luis Alberto Pérez; Beltrán, Moisés Sáez

2012-01-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is a valuable tool for diagnosing and staging malignant lesions. The fusion of PET and computed tomography (CT) yields images that contain both metabolic and morphological information, which, taken together, have improved the diagnostic precision of PET in oncology. The main imaging modality for planning radiotherapy treatment is CT. However, PET-CT is an emerging modality for use in planning treatments because it allows for more accurate treatment volume definition. The use of PET-CT for treatment planning is highly complex, and protocols and standards for its use are still being developed. It seems probable that PET-CT will eventually replace current CT-based planning methods, but this will require a full understanding of the relevant technical aspects of PET-CT planning. The aim of the present document is to review these technical aspects and to provide recommendations for clinical use of this imaging modality in the radiotherapy planning process. PMID:24377032

Architecting the Human Space Flight Program with Systems Modeling Language (SysML)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, Maddalena M.; Fernandez, Michela Munoz; McVittie, Thomas I.; Sindiy, Oleg V.

2012-01-01

The next generation of missions in NASA's Human Space Flight program focuses on the development and deployment of highly complex systems (e.g., Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, Space Launch System, 21st Century Ground System) that will enable astronauts to venture beyond low Earth orbit and explore the moon, near-Earth asteroids, and beyond. Architecting these highly complex system-of-systems requires formal systems engineering techniques for managing the evolution of the technical features in the information exchange domain (e.g., data exchanges, communication networks, ground software) and also, formal correlation of the technical architecture to stakeholders' programmatic concerns (e.g., budget, schedule, risk) and design development (e.g., assumptions, constraints, trades, tracking of unknowns). This paper will describe how the authors have applied System Modeling Language (SysML) to implement model-based systems engineering for managing the description of the End-to-End Information System (EEIS) architecture and associated development activities and ultimately enables stakeholders to understand, reason, and answer questions about the EEIS under design for proposed lunar Exploration Missions 1 and 2 (EM-1 and EM-2).

Gas turbine critical research and advanced technology (CRT) support project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Furman, E. R.; Anderson, D. N.; Gedwill, M. A.; Lowell, C. E.; Schultz, D. F.

1982-01-01

The technical progress to provide a critical technology base for utility gas turbine systems capable of burning coal-derived fuels is summarized. Project tasks include the following: (1) combustion - to investigate the combustion of coal-derived fuels and the conversion of fuel-bound nitrogen to NOx; (2) materials - to understand and prevent the hot corrosion of turbine hot section materials; and (3) system studies - to integrate and guide the technological efforts. Technical accomplishments include: an extension of flame tube combustion testing of propane - Toluene Fuel Mixtures to vary H2 content from 9 to 18 percent by weight and the comparison of results with that predicted from a NASA Lewis General Chemical Kinetics Computer Code; the design and fabrication of combustor sector test section to test current and advanced combustor concepts; Testing of Catalytic combustors with residual and coal-derived liquid fuels; testing of high strength super alloys to evaluate their resistance to potential fuel impurities using doped clean fuels and coal-derived liquids; and the testing and evaluation of thermal barrier coatings and bond coatings on conventional turbine materials.

The quality of hospital-based antenatal care in Istanbul.

PubMed

Turan, Janet Molzan; Bulut, Ayşpen; Nalbant, Hacer; Ortayli, Nuriye; Akalin, A Arzu Koloğlu

2006-03-01

The aim of this study was to gather comprehensive data from three hospitals in Istanbul, Turkey, in order to gain in-depth understanding of the quality of antenatal care in this setting. The Bruce-Jain framework for quality of care was adapted for use in evaluating antenatal care. Methods included examination of hospital records, in-depth interviews, exit questionnaires, and structured observations. The study revealed deficiencies in the quality of antenatal care being delivered at the study hospitals in all six elements of the quality-of-care framework. The technical content of visits varied greatly among the hospitals, and an overuse of technology was accompanied by neglect of some essential components of antenatal care. Although at the private hospital some problems with the technical content of care were identified, client satisfaction was higher there, where the care included good interpersonal relations, information provision, and continuity. Providers at all three hospitals felt constrained by heavy patient loads and a lack of resources. Multifaceted approaches are needed to improve the quality of antenatal care in this setting.

Introduction of Core Based Subjects in the Curriculum of Technical and Vocational Institutions in Ghana: Assessment of Its Effect on Practical Training Sessions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

William, Otu

2015-01-01

Technical education among other things focuses on training the skill manpower needs of the youth in most countries of which Ghana is no exception. This study looks at Ghana Education Service technical and vocational sector reform programme introduced in 2010 with emphasis on the introduction of compulsory core based subjects and its effect on…

Expanded Guidance for NASA Systems Engineering. Volume 2: Crosscutting Topics, Special Topics, and Appendices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hirshorn, Steven R.

2017-01-01

Historically, most successful NASA projects have depended on effectively blending project management, systems engineering, and technical expertise among NASA, contractors, and third parties. Underlying these successes are a variety of agreements (e.g., contract, memorandum of understanding, grant, cooperative agreement) between NASA organizations or between NASA and other Government agencies, Government organizations, companies, universities, research laboratories, and so on. To simplify the discussions, the term "contract" is used to encompass these agreements. This section focuses on the NASA systems engineering activities pertinent to awarding a contract, managing contract performance, and completing a contract. In particular, NASA systems engineering interfaces to the procurement process are covered, since the NASA engineering technical team plays a key role in the development and evaluation of contract documentation. Contractors and third parties perform activities that supplement (or substitute for) the NASA project technical team accomplishment of the NASA common systems engineering technical process activities and requirements outlined in this guide. Since contractors might be involved in any part of the systems engineering life cycle, the NASA project technical team needs to know how to prepare for, allocate or perform, and implement surveillance of technical activities that are allocated to contractors.

NASA Space Environments Technical Discipline Team Space Weather Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minow, J. I.; Nicholas, A. C.; Parker, L. N.; Xapsos, M.; Walker, P. W.; Stauffer, C.

2017-12-01

The Space Environment Technical Discipline Team (TDT) is a technical organization led by NASA's Technical Fellow for Space Environments that supports NASA's Office of the Chief Engineer through the NASA Engineering and Safety Center. The Space Environments TDT conducts independent technical assessments related to the space environment and space weather impacts on spacecraft for NASA programs and provides technical expertise to NASA management and programs where required. This presentation will highlight the status of applied space weather activities within the Space Environment TDT that support development of operational space weather applications and a better understanding of the impacts of space weather on space systems. We will first discuss a tool that has been developed for evaluating space weather launch constraints that are used to protect launch vehicles from hazardous space weather. We then describe an effort to better characterize three-dimensional radiation transport for CubeSat spacecraft and processing of micro-dosimeter data from the International Space Station which the team plans to make available to the space science community. Finally, we will conclude with a quick description of an effort to maintain access to the real-time solar wind data provided by the Advanced Composition Explorer satellite at the Sun-Earth L1 point.

How family carers engage with technical health procedures in the home: a grounded theory study.

PubMed

McDonald, Janet; McKinlay, Eileen; Keeling, Sally; Levack, William

2015-07-06

To explore the experiences of family carers who manage technical health procedures at home and describe their learning process. A qualitative study using grounded theory. New Zealand family carers (21 women, 5 men) who managed technical health procedures such as enteral feeding, peritoneal dialysis, tracheostomy care, a central venous line or urinary catheter. In addition, 15 health professionals involved in teaching carers were interviewed. Semistructured interviews were coded soon after completion and preliminary analysis influenced subsequent interviews. Additional data were compared with existing material and as analysis proceeded, initial codes were grouped into higher order concepts until a core concept was described. Interviewing continued until no new ideas emerged and concepts were well defined. The response of carers to the role of managing technical health procedures in the home is presented in terms of five dispositions: (1) Embracing care, (2) Resisting, (3) Reluctant acceptance, (4) Relinquishing and (5) Being overwhelmed. These dispositions were not static and carers commonly changed between them. Embracing care included cognitive understanding of the purpose and benefits of a procedure; accepting a 'technical' solution; practical management; and an emotional response. Accepting embrace is primarily motivated by perceived benefits for the recipient. It may also be driven by a lack of alternatives. Resisting or reluctant acceptance results from a lack of understanding about the procedure or willingness to manage it. Carers need adequate support to avoid becoming overwhelmed, and there are times when it is appropriate to encourage them to relinquish care for the sake of their own needs. The concept of embracing care encourages health professionals to extend their attention beyond simply the practical aspects of technical procedures to assessing and addressing carers' emotional and behavioural responses to health technology during the training process. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Understanding Your Test Results

MedlinePlus

... consuming. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) MRI is a non-invasive study that uses mag- netic energy, not ... 1. Disease recurrence. 2. Disease that is technically non-secretory (so low level that it cannot be ...

[Text Comprehensibility of Hospital Report Cards].

PubMed

Sander, U; Kolb, B; Christoph, C; Emmert, M

2016-12-01

Objectives: Recently, the number of hospital report cards that compare quality of hospitals and present information from German quality reports has greatly increased. Objectives of this study were to a) identify suitable methods for measuring the readability and comprehensibility of hospital report cards, b) to obtain reliable information on the comprehensibility of texts for laymen, c) to give recommendations for improvements and d) to recommend public health actions. Methods: The readability and comprehensibility of the texts were tested with a) a computer-aided evaluation of formal text characteristics (readability indices Flesch (German formula) and 1. Wiener Sachtextformel formula), b) an expert-based heuristic analysis of readability and comprehensibility of texts (counting technical terms and analysis of text simplicity as well as brevity and conciseness using the Hamburg intelligibility model) and c) a survey of subjects about the comprehensibility of individual technical terms, the assessment of the comprehensibility of the presentations and the subjects' decisions in favour of one of the 5 presented clinics due to the better quality of data. In addition, the correlation between the results of the text analysis with the results from the survey of subjects was tested. Results: The assessment of texts with the computer-aided evaluations showed poor comprehensibility values. The assessment of text simplicity using the Hamburg intelligibility model showed poor comprehensibility values (-0.3). On average, 6.8% of the words used were technical terms. A review of 10 technical terms revealed that in all cases only a minority of respondents (from 4.4% to 39.1%) exactly knew what was meant by each of them. Most subjects (62.4%) also believed that unclear terms worsened their understanding of the information offered. The correlation analysis showed that presentations with a lower frequency of technical terms and better values for the text simplicity were better understood. Conclusion: The determination of the frequency of technical terms and the assessment of text simplicity using the Hamburg intelligibility model were suitable methods to determine the readability and comprehensibility of presentations of quality indicators. The analysis showed predominantly poor comprehensibility values and indicated the need to improve the texts of report cards. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

An introduction to g methods.

PubMed

Naimi, Ashley I; Cole, Stephen R; Kennedy, Edward H

2017-04-01

Robins' generalized methods (g methods) provide consistent estimates of contrasts (e.g. differences, ratios) of potential outcomes under a less restrictive set of identification conditions than do standard regression methods (e.g. linear, logistic, Cox regression). Uptake of g methods by epidemiologists has been hampered by limitations in understanding both conceptual and technical details. We present a simple worked example that illustrates basic concepts, while minimizing technical complications. © The Author 2016; all rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.

Structuring of manual of orientations and technical information for laundries of industries of animal products origin.

PubMed

da Silva, Vania Eugênia; Mafra, Simone Caldas Tavares; Mafra, Cláudio Lísias; de Souza, Amaury Paulo

2012-01-01

This study looked for to lift information regarding laundries inserted in industries of animal products origin, to understand the activities developed in the section and to structure a Manual of Planning and Technical Information for laundries to industries of animal products origin, with the intention of subsidizing the planning, structuring and control of this work place, because norms or regulations that supervise don't exist or aid their managers and workers as for the operation of this work place.

Undertaking qualitative health research in social virtual worlds.

PubMed

McElhinney, Evelyn; Cheater, Francine M; Kidd, Lisa

2014-06-01

This paper discusses the methodological challenges of using the 3D social virtual world Second Life for research and offers some solutions on a range of research issues including research ethics committee approval, gaining consent, recruitment of sample, data collection and engagement with 'in - world culture'. The attraction of social virtual worlds to researchers is their ability to mimic the physical world, as they, are seen as 'places' where people have a feeling of presence (being there) and social presence (being there with others) through the use of a 'customisable' avatar (digital self-representation). Emerging research demonstrating the persuasive nature of avatars on health behaviours through virtual worlds, online games and the 3D web has increased the use of and interest in these areas for delivering health information, advice and support. However, conducting research can be challenging in a 3D world where people are represented as anonymous avatars in an environment unlike any other online media. 25 semi-structured interviews were conducted in Second Life from September 2011-June 2012. Nurses wishing to undertake research in social virtual worlds should spend time in-world to acquire technical skills and gain an understanding of the culture of the world. Our experience of an interview-based study in virtual worlds indicates that researchers require several virtual world technical skills to create innovative tools to recruit, gain consent and collect data and an understanding of in-world culture, language and social norms to increase the chances of successful research. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A New Skin Tensiometer Device: Computational Analyses To Understand Biodynamic Excisional Skin Tension Lines.

PubMed

Paul, Sharad P; Matulich, Justin; Charlton, Nick

2016-07-25

One of the problems in planning cutaneous surgery is that human skin is anisotropic, or directionally dependent. Indeed, skin tension varies between individuals and at different body sites. Many a surgeon has tried to design different devices to measure skin tension to help plan excisional surgery, or to understand wound healing. However, many of the devices have been beset with problems due to many confounding variables - differences in technical ability, material (sutures) used and variability between different users. We describe the development of a new skin tensiometer that overcomes many historical technical issues. A new skin tension measuring device is presented here. It was designed to be less user-dependent, more reliable and usable on different bodily sites. The design and computational optimizations are discussed. Our skin tensiometer has helped understand the differences between incisional and excisional skin lines. Langer, who pioneered the concept of skin tension lines, created incisional lines that differ from lines caused by forces that need to be overcome when large wounds are closed surgically (excisional tension). The use of this innovative device has led to understanding of skin biomechanics and best excisional skin tension (BEST) lines.

A New Skin Tensiometer Device: Computational Analyses To Understand Biodynamic Excisional Skin Tension Lines

PubMed Central

Paul, Sharad P.; Matulich, Justin; Charlton, Nick

2016-01-01

One of the problems in planning cutaneous surgery is that human skin is anisotropic, or directionally dependent. Indeed, skin tension varies between individuals and at different body sites. Many a surgeon has tried to design different devices to measure skin tension to help plan excisional surgery, or to understand wound healing. However, many of the devices have been beset with problems due to many confounding variables - differences in technical ability, material (sutures) used and variability between different users. We describe the development of a new skin tensiometer that overcomes many historical technical issues. A new skin tension measuring device is presented here. It was designed to be less user-dependent, more reliable and usable on different bodily sites. The design and computational optimizations are discussed. Our skin tensiometer has helped understand the differences between incisional and excisional skin lines. Langer, who pioneered the concept of skin tension lines, created incisional lines that differ from lines caused by forces that need to be overcome when large wounds are closed surgically (excisional tension). The use of this innovative device has led to understanding of skin biomechanics and best excisional skin tension (BEST) lines. PMID:27453542

Automated Generation of Technical Documentation and Provenance for Reproducible Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jolly, B.; Medyckyj-Scott, D.; Spiekermann, R.; Ausseil, A. G.

2017-12-01

Data provenance and detailed technical documentation are essential components of high-quality reproducible research, however are often only partially addressed during a research project. Recording and maintaining this information during the course of a project can be a difficult task to get right as it is a time consuming and often boring process for the researchers involved. As a result, provenance records and technical documentation provided alongside research results can be incomplete or may not be completely consistent with the actual processes followed. While providing access to the data and code used by the original researchers goes some way toward enabling reproducibility, this does not count as, or replace, data provenance. Additionally, this can be a poor substitute for good technical documentation and is often more difficult for a third-party to understand - particularly if they do not understand the programming language(s) used. We present and discuss a tool built from the ground up for the production of well-documented and reproducible spatial datasets that are created by applying a series of classification rules to a number of input layers. The internal model of the classification rules required by the tool to process the input data is exploited to also produce technical documentation and provenance records with minimal additional user input. Available provenance records that accompany input datasets are incorporated into those that describe the current process. As a result, each time a new iteration of the analysis is performed the documentation and provenance records are re-generated to provide an accurate description of the exact process followed. The generic nature of this tool, and the lessons learned during its creation, have wider application to other fields where the production of derivative datasets must be done in an open, defensible, and reproducible way.

77 FR 40634 - Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement: Pretrial Technical Assistance for Evidence-Based...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-10

...: Pretrial Technical Assistance for Evidence-Based Decision Making in Local Criminal Justice Systems AGENCY... NIC initiative, Evidence-Based Decision Making (EBDM) in Local Criminal Justice Systems. Work under... individual system planning activities. These change strategies are critical to meeting their system's harm...

Effectiveness of Web-Based Courses on Technical Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lam, Monica

2009-01-01

The author investigated the effectiveness of Web-based courses on technical learning. The regression results show that the delivery format (Web-based or traditional classroom courses) has no significant effect on student performance. However, although gender is a significant predictor in traditional classroom courses, its effect disappears in…

15 CFR 292.3 - Technical tools, techniques, practices, and analyses projects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... assessing outcomes of the activity, and “customer satisfaction” measures of performance. (6) Management.... Target population must be clearly defined. The proposal must demonstrate that it understands the...

NPDES Permit Writers' Manual for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This manual is designed to provide general information on the CWA and NPDES requirements for CAFOs, explain CAFO permitting, and provide technical information to understand options for nutrients management planning.

An Exploration of Alternative Scoring Methods Using Curriculum-Based Measurement in Early Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Abigail A.; Poch, Apryl L.; Lembke, Erica S.

2018-01-01

This manuscript describes two empirical studies of alternative scoring procedures used with curriculum-based measurement in writing (CBM-W). Study 1 explored the technical adequacy of a trait-based rubric in first grade. Study 2 explored the technical adequacy of a trait-based rubric, production-dependent, and production-independent scores in…

Technical Feasibility Assessment of Lunar Base Mission Scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magelssen, Trygve ``Spike''; Sadeh, Eligar

2005-02-01

Investigation of the literature pertaining to lunar base (LB) missions and the technologies required for LB development has revealed an information gap that hinders technical feasibility assessment. This information gap is the absence of technical readiness levels (TRL) (Mankins, 1995) and information pertaining to the criticality of the critical enabling technologies (CETs) that enable mission success. TRL is a means of identifying technical readiness stages of a technology. Criticality is defined as the level of influence the CET has on the mission scenario. The hypothesis of this research study is that technical feasibility is a function of technical readiness and technical readiness is a function of criticality. A newly developed research analysis method is used to identify the technical feasibility of LB mission scenarios. A Delphi is used to ascertain technical readiness levels and CET criticality-to-mission. The research analysis method is applied to the Delphi results to determine the technical feasibility of the LB mission scenarios that include: observatory, science research, lunar settlement, space exploration gateway, space resource utilization, and space tourism. The CETs identified encompasses four major system level technologies of: transportation, life support, structures, and power systems. Results of the technical feasibility assessment show the observatory and science research LB mission scenarios to be more technical ready out of all the scenarios, but all mission scenarios are in very close proximity to each other in regard to criticality and TRL and no one mission scenario stands out as being absolutely more technically ready than any of the other scenarios. What is significant and of value are the Delphi results concerning CET criticality-to-mission and the TRL values evidenced in the Tables that can be used by anyone assessing the technical feasibility of LB missions.