Summary of Utility Studies: Smart Grid Investment Grant Consumer Behavior Study Analysis

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

Cappers, Peter; Todd, Annika; Goldamn, Charles A.

2013-05-01

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) program is working with a subset of the 99 SGIG projects to assess the response of mass market consumers (i.e., residential and small commercial customers) to time-varying electricity prices (referred to herein as time-based rate programs) in conjunction with the deployment of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and associated technologies. The effort provides an opportunity to advance the electric industry’s understanding of consumer behavior. In addition, DOE is attempting to apply a consistent study design and analysis framework for the SGIG Consumer Behavior Studies (CBS). The aim is to collectmore » information across the studies on variables and impacts that have been defined in a consistent manner. This will enable Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL), as DOE’s principal investigator for these Consumer Behavior Studies, to leverage the data from the individual studies and conduct comparative analysis of the impacts of AMI, time-based rate programs and enabling technologies that facilitate customer control, automation and information/feedback on customer energy usage.« less

Cause and effect: the linkage between the health information seeking behavior and the online environment--a review.

PubMed

Bratucu, R; Gheorghe, I R; Purcarea, R M; Gheorghe, C M; Popa Velea, O; Purcarea, V L

2014-09-15

Today, health care consumers are taking more control over their health care problems, investing more time in finding and getting information as well as looking for proper methods in order to investigate more closely the health care information received from their physicians. Unfortunately, in health care consumers' views, the trustworthiness of health authorities and institutions has declined in the last years. So, consumers have found a new solution to their health problems, that is, the Internet. Recently, studies revealed that consumers seeking for health information have more options to look for data in comparison to the methods used a few years ago. Therefore, due to the available technology, consumers have more outlets to search for information. For instance, the Internet is a source that has revolutionized the way consumers seek data due its customized methods of assessing both quantitative and qualitative information which may be achieved with minimal effort and low costs, offering at the same time, several advantages such as making the decision process more efficient.

Measuring the efficacy of advertising communication with neuroscience methods: an experiment performed by Telecom Italia.

PubMed

Grimaldi, Loredana

2012-01-01

Recently, there has been a concentrated effort by companies to better understand the needs and desires of their consumers. Such efforts usually employ different and sophisticated analysis techniques for monitoring the consumers preferences and how such consumers perceive the advertising communication campaign from a specific company.

Tracing global supply chains to air pollution hotspots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moran, Daniel; Kanemoto, Keiichiro

2016-09-01

While high-income countries have made significant strides since the 1970s in improving air quality, air pollution continues to rise in many developing countries and the world as a whole. A significant share of the pollution burden in developing countries can be attributed to production for export to consumers in high-income nations. However, it remains a challenge to quantify individual actors’ share of responsibility for pollution, and to involve parties other than primary emitters in cleanup efforts. Here we present a new spatially explicit modeling approach to link SO2, NO x , and PM10 severe emissions hotspots to final consumers via global supply chains. These maps show developed countries reducing their emissions domestically but driving new pollution hotspots in developing countries. This is also the first time a spatially explicit footprint inventory has been established. Linking consumers and supply chains to emissions hotspots creates opportunities for other parties to participate alongside primary emitters and local regulators in pollution abatement efforts.

Realisation of a joint consumer engagement strategy in the Nepean Blue Mountains region.

PubMed

Blignault, Ilse; Aspinall, Diana; Reay, Lizz; Hyman, Kay

2017-02-15

Ensuring consumer engagement at different levels of the health system - direct care, organisational design and governance and policy - has become a strategic priority. This case study explored, through interviews with six purposively selected 'insiders' and document review, how one Medicare Local (now a Primary Health Network, PHN) and Local Health District worked together with consumers, to establish a common consumer engagement structure and mechanisms to support locally responsive, integrated and consumer-centred services. The two healthcare organisations worked as partners across the health system, sharing ownership and responsibility. Critical success factors included a consumer champion working with other highly motivated consumers concerned with improving the health system, a budget, and ongoing commitment from the Medicare Local or PHN and the Local Health District at executive and board level. Shared boundaries were an enormous advantage. Activities were jointly planned and executed, with consumer participation paramount. Training and mentoring enhanced consumer capacity and confidence. Bringing everyone on board and building on existing structures required time, effort and resources. The initiative produced immediate and lasting benefits, with consumer engagement now embedded in organisational governance and practice.

Optical design for consumer products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Anurag

2014-10-01

Optical engineers often limit their focus on meeting the provided targets on performance and geometry and assume that the specifications are largely non-negotiable. Such approach ignores the value proposition behind the product and the challenges associated with overall product design, manufacturing, business development and legal issues. As a result, the design effort can be expensive, time consuming and can result in product failure. We discuss a product based systems engineering approach that leads to an application specific optical design that is more effective and efficient to implement.

Consumer Products Advertised to Save Energy--Let the Buyer Beware.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-24

AD-AL06 653 GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE WASHINGTON DC HUMAN RESOUR--ETC F/G 5/3 CONSUMER PRODUCTS ADVERTISED TO SAVE ENERGY--LET THE BUYER BEWA-ETC...COMPTROLLER GENERAL’S CONSUMER PRODUCTS ADVERTISED REPORT TO THE CONGRESS TO SAVE ENERGY- - LET THE BUYER BEWARE D IG E ST In efforts to reduce energy costs...Federal and State efforts to protect consumers from inaccurate or misleading claims. GAO noted hundreds of advertisements having ques- tionable

Review and evaluation of models that produce trip tables from ground counts : interim report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-01-01

This research effort was motivated by the desires of planning agencies to seek alternative methods of deriving current or base year Origin-Destination (O-D) trip tables without adopting conventional O-D surveys that are expensive, time consuming and ...

78 FR 24420 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-25

... academics and other interested parties outside of the government. Generally, the National Mortgage Database... project, known as the ``National Mortgage Database,'' which is a joint effort of FHFA and the Consumer... a database of timely and otherwise unavailable residential mortgage market information to be made...

78 FR 39290 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-01

... project, known as the ``National Mortgage Database,'' which is a joint effort of FHFA and the Consumer... a database of timely and otherwise unavailable residential mortgage market information to be made... Mortgage Database. The key purpose of the National Mortgage Database is to make accessible accurate...

Trends in Media Criticism and Accountability in Western Europe: Growing Pressure from Consumers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thurston, Carol M.

This paper examines efforts in Western Europe to monitor and guide the performance of the mass media. The evidence indicates that consumers are increasing their efforts to let the media know their wants and needs; these efforts include complaints to national press councils and action in special-interest groups. Local and federal governments have…

Cause and effect: the linkage between the health information seeking behavior and the online environment- a review

PubMed Central

Bratucu, R; Gheorghe, IR; Purcarea, RM; Gheorghe, CM; Popa Velea, O; Purcarea, VL

2014-01-01

Abstract Today, health care consumers are taking more control over their health care problems, investing more time in finding and getting information as well as looking for proper methods in order to investigate more closely the health care information received from their physicians. Unfortunately, in health care consumers’ views, the trustworthiness of health authorities and institutions has declined in the last years. So, consumers have found a new solution to their health problems, that is, the Internet. Recently, studies revealed that consumers seeking for health information have more options to look for data in comparison to the methods used a few years ago. Therefore, due to the available technology, consumers have more outlets to search for information. For instance, the Internet is a source that has revolutionized the way consumers seek data due its customized methods of assessing both quantitative and qualitative information which may be achieved with minimal effort and low costs, offering at the same time, several advantages such as making the decision process more efficient. PMID:25408746

[Publication of healthcare quality data to citizens--status and perspectives].

PubMed

Utzon, Jan; Kaergaard, Johan

2009-05-11

Public quality reports are intended to stimulate active consumer participation by enabling consumers to make informed choices about their healthcare providers. Despite all efforts, public reporting has been shown not to be effective in stimulating consumers to choose their healthcare provider based on performance information in Denmark and other countries. Numerous barriers are identified. In an effort to move towards an effective public reporting system in Denmark, the present article discusses how quality information can be made accessible and meaningful to wider groups of consumers.

Enriching the Catalog

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tennant, Roy

2004-01-01

After decades of costly and time-consuming effort, nearly all libraries have completed the retrospective conversion of their card catalogs to electronic form. However, bibliographic systems still are really not much more than card catalogs on wheels. Enriched content that Amazon.com takes for granted--such as digitized tables of contents, cover…

[The consumer in the face of change].

PubMed

Rolland, M F; Serville, Y

1976-01-01

The study on consumer behaviour done by the nutrition department of INSERM shows that there are opposing attitudes towards Change. Among the factors unfavorable to change are: reluctance to changing old habits, nostalgia for the past, suspicion towards industrially prepared foods, fear of food pollution, love for the art of good cooking. Among the factors favoring change are: the higher standard of living, the desire to save time, the change in the way of thinking about foods, the evolution of cooking practices, as well as a need for variety and quality. Man looks for change more for his own pleasure than by necessity. They can be positive pleasure such as: -- Sensory values (taste, zest, variety). -- Coenesthesic values (feeling of well-being, euphory). -- Emotional values (means of communication a gift). -- Symbolic values (prestige, personnalization, creativity, distraction). However there are also negative pleasures. That is all factors which decrease the effort or the work load such as: -- Health values (harmlessness, safety, maintaining attention). Practical values related to convenience (time saving, ease of storage). The favorizing these positive or negative pleasures will lead to change. The consumer will accept things which give a maximum of pleasure for the least effort. He will also accept something which by its taste, prestige, convenience and safety contributes to a better life.

Transactive control of fast-acting demand response based on thermostatic loads in real-time retail electricity markets

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

Behboodi, Sahand; Chassin, David P.; Djilali, Ned

Coordinated operation of distributed thermostatic loads such as heat pumps and air conditioners can reduce energy costs and prevents grid congestion, while maintaining room temperatures in the comfort range set by consumers. This paper furthers efforts towards enabling thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs) to participate in real-time retail electricity markets under a transactive control paradigm. An agent-based approach is used to develop an effective and low complexity demand response control scheme for TCLs. The proposed scheme adjusts aggregated thermostatic loads according to real-time grid conditions under both heating and cooling modes. Here, a case study is presented showing the method reducesmore » consumer electricity costs by over 10% compared to uncoordinated operation.« less

Transactive control of fast-acting demand response based on thermostatic loads in real-time retail electricity markets

DOE PAGES

Behboodi, Sahand; Chassin, David P.; Djilali, Ned; ...

2017-07-29

Coordinated operation of distributed thermostatic loads such as heat pumps and air conditioners can reduce energy costs and prevents grid congestion, while maintaining room temperatures in the comfort range set by consumers. This paper furthers efforts towards enabling thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs) to participate in real-time retail electricity markets under a transactive control paradigm. An agent-based approach is used to develop an effective and low complexity demand response control scheme for TCLs. The proposed scheme adjusts aggregated thermostatic loads according to real-time grid conditions under both heating and cooling modes. Here, a case study is presented showing the method reducesmore » consumer electricity costs by over 10% compared to uncoordinated operation.« less

Context-based Strategies for Engaging Consumers with Public Reports about Health Care Providers

PubMed Central

Shaller, Dale; Kanouse, David E.; Schlesinger, Mark

2017-01-01

Efforts to engage consumers in the use of public reports on health care provider performance have met with limited success. Fostering greater engagement will require new approaches that provide consumers with relevant content at the time and in the context they need to make a decision of consequence. To this end, we identify three key factors influencing consumer engagement and show how they manifest in different ways and combinations for four particular choice contexts that appear to offer realistic opportunities for engagement. We analyze how these engagement factors play out differently in each choice context and suggest specific strategies that sponsors of public reports can use in each context. Cross-cutting lessons for report sponsors and policy makers include new media strategies such as a commitment to adaptive web-based reporting, new metrics with richer emotional content, and the use of navigators or advocates to assist consumers with interpreting reports. PMID:23819945

Open-source hardware is a low-cost alternative for scientific instrumentation and research

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Scientific research requires the collection of data in order to study, monitor, analyze, describe, or understand a particular process or event. Data collection efforts are often a compromise: manual measurements can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, resulting in data being collected at a low f...

Transferable Skills for Online Peer Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLuckie, J.; Topping, K. J.

2004-01-01

Efforts to enhance learning through peer interaction in an electronic forum are now commonplace. However, facilitation and moderation of such a forum by academic staff can be of limited effectiveness and very time-consuming. The skills required by peer learners to effectively manage such distributed discourse for themselves have rarely been…

Usability and accessibility in consumer health informatics current trends and future challenges.

PubMed

Goldberg, Larry; Lide, Bettijoyce; Lowry, Svetlana; Massett, Holly A; O'Connell, Trisha; Preece, Jennifer; Quesenbery, Whitney; Shneiderman, Ben

2011-05-01

It is a truism that, for innovative eHealth systems to have true value and impact, they must first and foremost be usable and accessible by clinicians, consumers, and other stakeholders. In this paper, current trends and future challenges in the usability and accessibility of consumer health informatics will be described. Consumer expectations of their healthcare providers and healthcare records in this new era of consumer-directed care will be explored, and innovative visualizations, assistive technologies, and other ways that healthcare information is currently being provided and/or shared will be described. Challenges for ensuring the usability of current and future systems will also be discussed. An innovative model for conducting systematic, timely, user-centered research on consumer-facing websites at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the ongoing efforts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to promote health information technology (HIT) usability standards and evaluation criteria will also be presented. Copyright © 2011 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. All rights reserved.

Rational drug design paradigms: the odyssey for designing better drugs.

PubMed

Kellici, Tahsin; Ntountaniotis, Dimitrios; Vrontaki, Eleni; Liapakis, George; Moutevelis-Minakakis, Panagiota; Kokotos, George; Hadjikakou, Sotiris; Tzakos, Andreas G; Afantitis, Antreas; Melagraki, Georgia; Bryant, Sharon; Langer, Thierry; Di Marzo, Vincenzo; Mavromoustakos, Thomas

2015-01-01

Due to the time and effort requirements for the development of a new drug, and the high attrition rates associated with this developmental process, there is an intense effort by academic and industrial researchers to find novel ways for more effective drug development schemes. The first step in the discovery process of a new drug is the identification of the lead compound. The modern research tendency is to avoid the synthesis of new molecules based on chemical intuition, which is time and cost consuming, and instead to apply in silico rational drug design. This approach reduces the consumables and human personnel involved in the initial steps of the drug design. In this review real examples from our research activity aiming to discover new leads will be given for various dire warnings diseases. There is no recipe to follow for discovering new leads. The strategy to be followed depends on the knowledge of the studied system and the experience of the researchers. The described examples constitute successful and unsuccessful efforts and reflect the reality which medicinal chemists have to face in drug design and development. The drug stability is also discussed in both organic molecules and metallotherapeutics. This is an important issue in drug discovery as drug metabolism in the body can lead to various toxic and undesired molecules.

Linguistic Aspects of Legal Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crandall, JoAnn; Charrow, Veda R.

Efforts to simplify language used in consumer documents come from the consumer movement and a public disillusioned with big business and government. Even before President Carter's 1978 executive order mandating simplification in government regulations, some agencies were revising regulations for clarity. However, these efforts were based on too…

Direct-to-consumer marketing of psychological treatments for anxiety disorders.

PubMed

Gallo, Kaitlin P; Comer, Jonathan S; Barlow, David H

2013-12-01

Progress disseminating and implementing evidence-based psychological treatments (EBPTs) for the anxiety disorders has been gradual. To date, the dominant approach for promoting the uptake of EBPTs in clinical settings has been to target the education and training of mental health providers, with many consumers remaining unaware of the potential benefits of EBPTs for anxiety disorders. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing may be a promising vehicle for increasing EBPT utilization rates in the treatment of anxiety disorders. This paper provides an overview of the rationale and important considerations for applying DTC efforts to promote evidence-based care in the treatment of anxiety disorders, and reviews current DTC efforts in this area, including resources on the Internet and other media and in-person events. We conclude with recommendations for future efforts in the DTC marketing of EBPTs for the anxiety disorders, including the need for increased funding and grassroots efforts to inform consumers about anxiety disorders and their most effective treatments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Why Do So Few Consumers Use Health Care Quality Report Cards? A Framework for Understanding the Limited Consumer Impact of Comparative Quality Information.

PubMed

Bhandari, Neeraj; Scanlon, Dennis P; Shi, Yunfeng; Smith, Rachel A

2018-05-01

Despite growing investment in producing and releasing comparative provider quality information (CQI), consumer use of CQI has remained poor. We offer a framework to interpret and synthesize the existing literature's diverse approaches to explaining the CQI's low appeal for consumers. Our framework cautions CQI stakeholders against forming unrealistic expectations of pervasive consumer use and suggests that they focus their efforts more narrowly on consumers who may find CQI more salient for choosing providers. We review the consumer impact of stakeholder efforts to apply the burgeoning knowledge of consumers' cognitive limitations to the design and dissemination of the new generation of report cards; we conclude that while it is too limited to draw firm conclusions, early evidence suggests consumers are responding to the novel design and dissemination strategies. We find that consumers continue to have difficulty accessing reliable report cards, while the media remains underused in the dissemination of report cards.

RISK ASSESSMENT FOR MANUFACTURED NANOPARTICLES USED IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS (RAMNUC)

EPA Science Inventory

Most recent scientific efforts have focused on examining toxicities of manufactured nano-particles (MNPs) only in source materials. By not evaluating MNPs at the point of exposure, these efforts fail to address the relevant question of whether or not consumer-product-derived M...

Law Enforcement of Consumer Protection for Safe Food Packaging in The Decisions of Criminal Justice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiryani, F.; Herwastoeti; Najih, M.; Haris, A.

2017-04-01

The right to a safe food is a human rights protected by the 1945 Constitution and legislation, including the Health Act, the Consumer Protection Act and Food Act. The law governing the rights and obligations of consumers; rights, obligations and responsibilities of businesses, as well as prohibitions and sanctions for businesses that violate. Food consumers aggrieved can file a non-litigation legal action and / or litigation. Non-litigation legal efforts made through negotiation or mediation or through Consumer Dispute Resolution Body (BPSK). The litigation efforts made by filing a lawsuit for damages to the court and / or reporting the case to the criminal law enforcement. This study specifically examines the enforcement of criminal law in the judgment as a safeguard against food consumers. Sanctions provisions setting a strategic role in an effort to make the protection of consumers of food. Patterns general formulation of the maximum penalty in the third Act is not appropriate because it too gives flexibility for the judge to make a decision as low to the Defendant. Facts on society, business agent has a dominant and strong position compared with consumers of food. These favorable conditions business agent position and vice versa less give legal protection to the Consumer Food. Preferably the pattern formulation penalty of criminal acts in the field of food using a specific minimum and maximum public.

Development of an automated procedure for estimation of the spatial variation of runoff in large river basins

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The use of distributed parameter models to address water resource management problems has increased in recent years. Calibration is necessary to reduce the uncertainties associated with model input parameters. Manual calibration of a distributed parameter model is a very time consuming effort. There...

Widening the Knowledge Acquisition Bottleneck for Constraint-Based Tutors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suraweera, Pramuditha; Mitrovic, Antonija; Martin, Brent

2010-01-01

Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) are effective tools for education. However, developing them is a labour-intensive and time-consuming process. A major share of the effort is devoted to acquiring the domain knowledge that underlies the system's intelligence. The goal of this research is to reduce this knowledge acquisition bottleneck and better…

Identifying Promising Items: The Use of Crowdsourcing in the Development of Assessment Instruments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadler, Philip M.; Sonnert, Gerhard; Coyle, Harold P.; Miller, Kelly A.

2016-01-01

The psychometrically sound development of assessment instruments requires pilot testing of candidate items as a first step in gauging their quality, typically a time-consuming and costly effort. Crowdsourcing offers the opportunity for gathering data much more quickly and inexpensively than from most targeted populations. In a simulation of a…

PLAN-IT: Knowledge-Based Mission Sequencing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biefeld, Eric W.

1987-02-01

Mission sequencing consumes a large amount of time and manpower during a space exploration effort. Plan-It is a knowledge-based approach to assist in mission sequencing. Plan-It uses a combined frame and blackboard architecture. This paper reports on the approach implemented by Plan-It and the current applications of Plan-It for sequencing at NASA.

Consumer Product Data for Exposure Screening, Modeling and Prioritization, and Risk-based Decision Making

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation will provide an overview of the research efforts underway in EPA ORD's Chemicals for Safety and Sustainability research program which relate to providing information to prioritize chemicals in consumer products based on risk. It also describes effort to make dat...

Finite element based electric motor design optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, C. Warren

1993-01-01

The purpose of this effort was to develop a finite element code for the analysis and design of permanent magnet electric motors. These motors would drive electromechanical actuators in advanced rocket engines. The actuators would control fuel valves and thrust vector control systems. Refurbishing the hydraulic systems of the Space Shuttle after each flight is costly and time consuming. Electromechanical actuators could replace hydraulics, improve system reliability, and reduce down time.

Direct-to-consumer marketing of evidence-based psychological interventions: introduction.

PubMed

Santucci, Lauren C; McHugh, R Kathryn; Barlow, David H

2012-06-01

The dissemination and implementation of evidence-based psychological interventions (EBPIs) to service provision settings has been a major challenge. Most efforts to disseminate and implement EBPIs have focused on clinicians and clinical systems as the consumers of these treatments and thus have targeted efforts to these groups. An alternative, complementary approach to achieve more widespread utilization of EBPIs is to disseminate directly to patients themselves. The aim of this special section is to explore several direct-to-consumer (i.e., patient) dissemination and education efforts currently underway. This manuscript highlights the rationale for direct-to-patient dissemination strategies as well as the application of marketing science to dissemination efforts. Achieving greater access to EBPIs will require the use of multiple approaches to overcome the many and varied barriers to successful dissemination and implementation. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Consumer Education: It's a Basic.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

NASSP Curriculum Report, 1980

1980-01-01

The report discusses and defines consumer education for high school students, describes various consumer education school programs, annotates available sources and resources, and notes several issues needing attention. Consumer education is defined as an effort to prepare students for participation in the marketplace by imparting the…

A race against time: can CO-OPs and provider start-ups survive in the health insurance marketplaces?

PubMed

Eggbeer, Bill

2015-12-01

> The Affordable Care Act's state and federal health insurance marketplaces, designed to provide affordable insurance coverage to individuals and small groups, are proving hostile territory to new market entrants. Efforts to inject competition into the marketplaces are being challenged by the wide-scale withdrawal o consumer-operated and oriented plans (CO-OPs). Meanwhile, premiums appear likely to increase for consumers as plans seek to balance medical losses. Flaws in the "Three R's" (reinsurance, risk corridors, and risk-adjustment) program are viewed as a threat to the survival of CO-OPs and start-ups.

Consumer decision making in the individual health insurance market.

PubMed

Marquis, M Susan; Buntin, Melinda Beeuwkes; Escarce, José J; Kapur, Kanika; Louis, Thomas A; Yegian, Jill M

2006-01-01

This paper summarizes the results from a study of consumer decision making in California's individual health insurance market. We conclude that price subsidies will have only modest effects on participation and that efforts to reduce nonprice barriers might be just as effective. We also find that there is substantial pooling in the individual market and that it increases over time because people who become sick can continue coverage without new underwriting. Finally, we show that people prefer more-generous benefits and that it is difficult to induce people in poor health to enroll in high-deductible health plans.

[Trends in the utilization of food additives].

PubMed

Szűcs, Viktória; Bánáti, Diána

2013-11-17

The frequent media reports on food additives weakened consumers' trust in food producers and food control authorities as well. Furthermore, consumers' uncertainty is also raised by the fact that they obtain their information from inadequate, mistrustful sources and, therefore, consumers might avoid the consumption of certain foodstuffs. While food producers may react by replacing artificial components by natural ones, they try to emphasize the favourable characteristics of their products. The authors describe the main trends and efforts related to food additives. On the basis of the overview it can be concluded that - besides taking into consideration consumers' needs - product development and research directions are promising. Food producers' efforts may help to restore consumer confidence and trust and they may help them to have informed choice.

Nondestructive Evaluation Technology Working Group Report (IDA/OSD R&M (Institute for Defense Analyses/Office of the Secretary of Defense Reliability and Maintainability Study).

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-08-01

evaluating surface residual stresses in ferromagnetic materials, but until recently has - been considered too time consuming for production application. Fast...generic residual stress , X-ray, image processing, neutron processing, neutron radiography, vibrothermography, nuclear magnetic resonance 20. ABSTRACT...studied, this technology study effort would not have been possible within the time and resources available. P-3 i La

Recruiting a Diverse Group of Middle School Girls into the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elder, John P.; Shuler, LaVerne; Moe, Stacey G.; Grieser, Mira; Pratt, Charlotte; Cameron, Sandra; Hingle, Melanie; Pickrel, Julie L.; Saksvig, Brit I.; Schachter, Kenneth; Greer, Susan; Bothwell, Elizabeth K. Guth

2008-01-01

Background: School-based study recruitment efforts are both time consuming and challenging. This paper highlights the recruitment strategies employed by the national, multisite Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls (TAAG), a study designed to measure the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce the decline of physical activity levels among…

Automatic Domain Adaptation of Word Sense Disambiguation Based on Sublanguage Semantic Schemata Applied to Clinical Narrative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patterson, Olga

2012-01-01

Domain adaptation of natural language processing systems is challenging because it requires human expertise. While manual effort is effective in creating a high quality knowledge base, it is expensive and time consuming. Clinical text adds another layer of complexity to the task due to privacy and confidentiality restrictions that hinder the…

The Polygonal Model: A Simple Representation of Biomolecules as a Tool for Teaching Metabolism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonafe, Carlos Francisco Sampaio; Bispo, Jose Ailton Conceição; de Jesus, Marcelo Bispo

2018-01-01

Metabolism involves numerous reactions and organic compounds that the student must master to understand adequately the processes involved. Part of biochemical learning should include some knowledge of the structure of biomolecules, although the acquisition of such knowledge can be time-consuming and may require significant effort from the student.…

Platform-Independent Authoring and Production of Rapid E-Learning Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutbrod, Martin; Werner, Christian; Fischer, Stefan

2006-01-01

One of today's major problems in the field of e-learning is that the creation of high-quality content is still rather time consuming and expensive. In the past, many efforts have been made to produce educational content on the fly, but the results were mainly static blocks of recorded lecture lacking sophisticated navigation facilities. Facing…

Validity of electronic diet recording nutrient estimates compared to dietitian analysis of diet records: A randomized controlled trial

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Dietary intake assessment with diet records (DR) is a standard research and practice tool in nutrition. Manual entry and analysis of DR is time-consuming and expensive. New electronic tools for diet entry by clients and research participants may reduce the cost and effort of nutrient int...

Automated Vision Test Development and Validation

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-01

Deputy Chief, Aerosp Med Consultation Div Chair, Aerospace Medicine Department This report is published in the interest of...produce software for desktop displays; and to evaluate features such as user interfaces, threshold algorithms, validity of results, and screening...cost of performing full threshold testing on over 30% of normal subjects, which is quite time consuming. This effort was accomplished using desktop

Understanding and building wilderness management partnerships with indigenous peoples and communities

Treesearch

Gregory F. Hansen

2011-01-01

Learning about, understanding, and working with native cultures can be rewarding as well as enlightening. Such endeavors can also be time consuming, difficult, and even frustrating in certain instances. However, if coordinated carefully and managed properly, at the end of the day such efforts can ultimately result in innumerable benefits to native communities, land...

Marketing Career Speed Networking: A Classroom Event to Foster Career Awareness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buff, Cheryl L.; O'Connor, Suzanne

2012-01-01

This paper describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a marketing career speed networking event held during class time in two sections of the consumer behavior class. The event was coordinated through a partnering effort with marketing faculty and the college's Career Center. A total of 57 students participated in the event, providing…

Do We Really Need Another Meeting? Lessons from the Los Angeles County Elder Abuse Forensic Center

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Navarro, Adria E.; Wilber, Kathleen H.; Yonashiro, Jeanine; Homeier, Diana C.

2010-01-01

Purpose: Elder abuse cases are often time consuming and complex, requiring interagency cooperation from a diverse array of professionals. Although multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) offer a potentially powerful approach to synergizing the efforts of different providers, there has been little research on elder abuse MDTs in general or elder abuse…

Consumer Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornacchia, Harold J.

Consumer health refers to the potential or actual impact upon the consumer, individually or collectively, of any substances, devices, services, or systems that are offered for the supposed purpose of protecting, preserving, or restoring physical or mental health. This book is an effort to help the consumer to choose intelligently in spending for…

Exploring the Identity-Theft Prevention Efforts of Consumers in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Jacquelyne L.

2011-01-01

Identity theft is quite expensive and devastating for victims; unfortunately, it is also a rapidly growing crime. Much of the prior research on identity theft has focused on legislative efforts that may prevent the crime. However, limited research exists on what consumers perceive as identity prevention and the measures they take to prevent…

Providing consumer health information through institutional collaboration.

PubMed Central

Humphries, A W; Kochi, J K

1994-01-01

In the past several years, The Claude Moore Health Sciences Library of the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center (HSC) has noted a growing demand for consumer health information. However, because the primary role of the library is to provide information services to health professionals at the HSC, questions have been raised as to the amount of time, energy, and money that should be expended to provide health care information to consumers. The library staff, because it can provide special expertise regarding the availability and utilization of consumer health materials, has felt the responsibility to participate in HSC initiatives that reach a broad audience. Library efforts in that regard include assisting with inventory and management of patient education materials, participating in a community health promotion task force, collaborating with hospital departments in planning a consumer health information center, establishing a consumer health information reference section in the library, and obtaining a grant to offer a networked health information system to local public and community college libraries. Consumers of health information benefit from the enhanced services that result from combining the expertise of health professionals and patient educators with the information management skills of library staff. PMID:8136761

Energy Drink Consumption Practices of Young People in Bahrain

PubMed Central

Nassaif, Maryam M.; Alobed, Ghufran J. J.; Alaam, Noor A. A.; Alderrazi, Abdulla N.; Awdhalla, Muyssar S.; Vaithinathan, Asokan G.

2015-01-01

Background: Energy drink (ED) consumption is becoming increasingly popular among young Bahrainis, who may be unaware of the health risks associated with ED consumption. To date, there have been few publications on the consumption of ED in Bahrain, particularly among adolescents. This study seeks to fill a gap in the literature on energy drink consumption practices of Bahraini adolescents. Methods: Data were collected using a previously established European Food Safety Authority questionnaire. Cross-sectional analyses were conducted on a convenience sample of 262 Bahraini students aged 10 to 18 years. Results: Most participants consumed energy drinks 2 to 3 times per week and consumed two or more cans at a time. Eighty percent of partcipants preferred energy drinks with sugar. Participants in the older age group and higher educational level consumed more ED. The majority (57%) consumed ED at home with friends as part of socialization. Notably, 60% of the parents of the respondents have not consumed energy drinks. Prominent reasons for consumption of energy drinks included: taste (40%), energy (30%), stay awake (13%), augment concentration (4%), and enhance sports performance (6%). Conclusion: Energy drink consumption is a popular socialization activity among adolescents of Bahrain. The potential health risks necessitates the need for novel health promotion strategies and advocacy efforts for healthy hydration practices. PMID:29138721

Energy Drink Consumption Practices of Young People in Bahrain.

PubMed

Nassaif, Maryam M; Alobed, Ghufran J J; Alaam, Noor A A; Alderrazi, Abdulla N; Awdhalla, Muyssar S; Vaithinathan, Asokan G

2015-01-01

Energy drink (ED) consumption is becoming increasingly popular among young Bahrainis, who may be unaware of the health risks associated with ED consumption. To date, there have been few publications on the consumption of ED in Bahrain, particularly among adolescents. This study seeks to fill a gap in the literature on energy drink consumption practices of Bahraini adolescents. Data were collected using a previously established European Food Safety Authority questionnaire. Cross-sectional analyses were conducted on a convenience sample of 262 Bahraini students aged 10 to 18 years. Most participants consumed energy drinks 2 to 3 times per week and consumed two or more cans at a time. Eighty percent of partcipants preferred energy drinks with sugar. Participants in the older age group and higher educational level consumed more ED. The majority (57%) consumed ED at home with friends as part of socialization. Notably, 60% of the parents of the respondents have not consumed energy drinks. Prominent reasons for consumption of energy drinks included: taste (40%), energy (30%), stay awake (13%), augment concentration (4%), and enhance sports performance (6%). Energy drink consumption is a popular socialization activity among adolescents of Bahrain. The potential health risks necessitates the need for novel health promotion strategies and advocacy efforts for healthy hydration practices.

Cloud-based computation for accelerating vegetation mapping and change detection at regional to national scales

Treesearch

Matthew J. Gregory; Zhiqiang Yang; David M. Bell; Warren B. Cohen; Sean Healey; Janet L. Ohmann; Heather M. Roberts

2015-01-01

Mapping vegetation and landscape change at fine spatial scales is needed to inform natural resource and conservation planning, but such maps are expensive and time-consuming to produce. For Landsat-based methodologies, mapping efforts are hampered by the daunting task of manipulating multivariate data for millions to billions of pixels. The advent of cloud-based...

Low Frequency Vibration approach to asess the Performance of wood structural Systems

Treesearch

Xiping Wang; Robert J. Ross; Michael O. Hunt

2004-01-01

The primary means of inspecting buildings and other structures is to evaluate each structure member individually. This is a time consuming process that is expensive, particularly if sheathing or other covering materials must be removed to access the structural members. This paper presents an effort to use a low frequency vibration method for assessing the structural...

Analogy as a Tool for the Acquisition of English Verb Tenses among Low Proficiency L2 Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoke, Soo Kum; Hasan, Nor Haniza

2014-01-01

The teaching of English grammar to second language learners is usually a tedious, stressful and time consuming activity and even after all the effort, students have generally found these lessons boring and confusing. As such, innovative language instructors have been trying different approaches to the teaching of grammar in their classrooms. Using…

Fluorometry as a bacterial source tracking tool in coastal watersheds, Trinidad, CA

Treesearch

Trever Parker; Andrew Stubblefield

2012-01-01

Bacterial counts have long been used as indicators of water pollution that may affect public health. By themselves, bacteria are indicators only and can not be used to identify the source of the pollutant for remediation efforts. Methods of microbial source tracking are generally time consuming, labor intensive and expensive. As an alternative, a fluorometer can be...

Consumer Product Safety Commission. Consumer Education Efforts for Revised Children's Sleepwear Safety Standard.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Health, Education, and Human Services Div.

A study examined the type and extent of consumer education that occurred since the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) amended the 1972 federal safety standards (effective January 1997) to permit marketing of snug-fitting, nonflame-resistant cotton garments as sleepwear. Three voluntary point-of-sale (POS) practices recognized as important…

Advancing Consumer Product Composition and Chemical ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This presentation describes EPA efforts to collect, model, and measure publically available consumer product data for use in exposure assessment. The development of the ORD Chemicals and Products database will be described, as will machine-learning based models for predicting chemical function. Finally, the talk describes new mass spectrometry-based methods for measuring chemicals in formulation and articles. This presentation is an invited talk to the ICCA-LRI workshop "Fit-For-Purpose Exposure Assessments For Risk-Based Decision Making". The talk will share EPA efforts to characterize the components of consumer products for use in exposure assessment with the international exposure science community.

Consumer phase risk assessment for Listeria monocytogenes in deli meats.

PubMed

Yang, Hong; Mokhtari, Amirhossein; Jaykus, Lee-Ann; Morales, Roberta A; Cates, Sheryl C; Cowen, Peter

2006-02-01

The foodborne disease risk associated with the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes has been the subject of recent efforts in quantitative microbial risk assessment. Building upon one of these efforts undertaken jointly by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the purpose of this work was to expand on the consumer phase of the risk assessment to focus on handling practices in the home. One-dimensional Monte Carlo simulation was used to model variability in growth and cross-contamination of L. monocytogenes during food storage and preparation of deli meats. Simulations approximated that 0.3% of the servings were contaminated with >10(4) CFU/g of L. monocytogenes at the time of consumption. The estimated mean risk associated with the consumption of deli meats for the intermediate-age population was approximately 7 deaths per 10(11) servings. Food handling in homes increased the estimated mean mortality by 10(6)-fold. Of all the home food-handling practices modeled, inadequate storage, particularly refrigeration temperatures, provided the greatest contribution to increased risk. The impact of cross-contamination in the home was considerably less. Adherence to USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service recommendations for consumer handling of ready-to-eat foods substantially reduces the risk of listeriosis.

Life History Variation in Invading Applesnails (Pomacea canaliculata) May Pose Ecological Threats to Wetlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marfurt, R. K.; Boland, B. B.; Burks, R. L.

2005-05-01

In native habitats, channeled applesnails (Pomacea canaliculata) graze periphyton. However, casual observations from introduced populations suggest these invaders show variation in feeding ecology, predator response and life history strategies. Attempts to predict this consumer influence on ecosystem function suffer from a lack of basic data. We tested how salinity affected snail mortality. Both adults and hatchlings tolerated salinity levels up to 8 ppt. Adult feeding on lettuce increased significantly at 8 ppt compared to 0 ppt (p = 0.002), while hatchling consumption of algae did not vary (p = 0.284). To see how these consumers responded to predators from the invaded ecosystem, we tested behavioural responses to predatory cues from fish, turtles, crayfish and adult applesnails. Results indicated that fish and crayfish prompted similar predator-avoidance behaviors in hatchlings (p's < 0.05) and that hatchling response changed over time. Consumption rates of juvenile redear sunfish did not vary (x2, p > 0.05) between native (ramshorn) and exotic applesnails, whereas adult fish consumed more applesnails (x2, p < 0.001). Our current efforts focus on examining if predator presence or macrophyte choice alters applesnail feeding rates. Research providing insight into the basic ecology of applesnails can foster management efforts at the ecosystem scale.

Patient satisfaction scores and their relationship to hospital website quality measures.

PubMed

Ford, Eric W; Huerta, Timothy R; Diana, Mark L; Kazley, Abby Swanson; Menachemi, Nir

2013-01-01

Hospitals and health systems are using web-based and social media tools to market themselves to consumers with increasingly sophisticated strategies. These efforts are designed to shape the consumers' expectations, influence their purchase decisions, and build a positive reputation in the marketplace. Little is known about how these web-based marketing efforts are taking form and if they have any relationship to consumers' satisfaction with the services they receive. The purpose of this study is to assess if a relationship exists between the quality of hospitals' public websites and their aggregated patient satisfaction ratings. Based on analyses of 1,952 U.S. hospitals, our results show that website quality is significantly and positively related to patients' overall rating of the hospital and their intention to recommend the facility to others. The potential for web-based information sources to influence consumer behavior has important implications for policymakers, third-party payers, health care providers, and consumers.

Ruby on Rails Issue Tracker

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodriguez, Juan Jared

2014-01-01

The purpose of this report is to detail the tasks accomplished as a NASA NIFS intern for the summer 2014 session. This internship opportunity is to develop an issue tracker Ruby on Rails web application to improve the communication of developmental anomalies between the Support Software Computer Software Configuration Item (CSCI) teams, System Build and Information Architecture. As many may know software development is an arduous, time consuming, collaborative effort. It involves nearly as much work designing, planning, collaborating, discussing, and resolving issues as effort expended in actual development. This internship opportunity was put in place to help alleviate the amount of time spent discussing issues such as bugs, missing tests, new requirements, and usability concerns that arise during development and throughout the life cycle of software applications once in production.

78 FR 29731 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; CPSC National...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-21

... communications efforts to achieve a greater impact on consumer behavior. The CPSC's activities aim to serve a... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION [Docket No. CPSC-2013-0020] Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; CPSC National Awareness Survey AGENCY: Consumer Product...

Toward a Federal Strategy for Protection of the Consumer of Education. Report of the Subcommittee on Educational Consumer Protection.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Education (DHEW), Washington, DC.

In recent years there has been growth not only in the number of students, but also in federal programs that provide student financial support. This document initiates formulation of a federal strategy for consumer protection that works in conjunction with efforts of the states, localities, consumer groups, and other private organizations,…

Strategic questions for consumer-based health communications.

PubMed Central

Sutton, S M; Balch, G I; Lefebvre, R C

1995-01-01

Using the consumer-oriented approach of social and commercial marketers, this article presents a process for crafting messages designed to improve people's health behaviors. The process, termed consumer-based health communications (CHC), transforms scientific recommendations into message strategies that are relevant to the consumer. The core of CHC is consumer research conducted to understand the consumer's reality, and thereby allowing six strategic questions to be answered. The immediate result of the CHC process is a strategy statement--a few pages that lay out who the target consumer is, what action should be taken, what to promise and how to make the promise credible, how and when to reach him or her, and what image to convey. The strategy statement then guides the execution of all communication efforts, be they public relations, mass media, direct marketing, media advocacy, or interpersonal influence. It identifies the most important "levers" for contact with the consumer. Everyone from creative specialists through management and program personnel can use the strategy statement as a touchstone to guide and judge the effectiveness of their efforts. The article provides a step by step illustration of the CHC process using the 5 A Day campaign as an example. PMID:8570827

Strategic questions for consumer-based health communications.

PubMed

Sutton, S M; Balch, G I; Lefebvre, R C

1995-01-01

Using the consumer-oriented approach of social and commercial marketers, this article presents a process for crafting messages designed to improve people's health behaviors. The process, termed consumer-based health communications (CHC), transforms scientific recommendations into message strategies that are relevant to the consumer. The core of CHC is consumer research conducted to understand the consumer's reality, and thereby allowing six strategic questions to be answered. The immediate result of the CHC process is a strategy statement--a few pages that lay out who the target consumer is, what action should be taken, what to promise and how to make the promise credible, how and when to reach him or her, and what image to convey. The strategy statement then guides the execution of all communication efforts, be they public relations, mass media, direct marketing, media advocacy, or interpersonal influence. It identifies the most important "levers" for contact with the consumer. Everyone from creative specialists through management and program personnel can use the strategy statement as a touchstone to guide and judge the effectiveness of their efforts. The article provides a step by step illustration of the CHC process using the 5 A Day campaign as an example.

Energy Education Incentives: Evaluating the Impact of Consumer Energy Kits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirby, Sarah D.; Guin, Autumn; Langham, Laura

2015-01-01

Measuring the energy and environmental impact of residential energy education efforts is difficult. The E-Conservation residential energy management program uses consumer energy kits to document the impact of energy-efficient improvements. The consumer energy kit provides an incentive for individuals attending energy education workshop, helps…

Consumer Understanding of Nutrition Marketing Terms: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haroldson, Amber; Yen, Chih-Lun

2016-01-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the validity of a questionnaire developed to assess adult consumer understanding of nutrition marketing terms and the resulting impact on consumer behavior. Participants (n = 40) completed an electronic questionnaire. Efforts to establish validity and reliability suggest that the questionnaire is a…

Rapid Prototyping and the Human Factors Engineering Process

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-29

8217 without the effort and cost associated with conventional man -in-the-loop simulation. Advocates suggest that rapid prototyping is compatible with...use should be made of man -in-the loop simulation to supplement those analyses, but that such simulation is expensive and time consuming, precluding...conventional man -in-the- loop simulation. Rapid prototyping involves the construction and use of an executable model of a human-machine interface

Processing NASA Earth Science Data on Nebula Cloud

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Aijun; Pham, Long; Kempler, Steven

2012-01-01

Three applications were successfully migrated to Nebula, including S4PM, AIRS L1/L2 algorithms, and Giovanni MAPSS. Nebula has some advantages compared with local machines (e.g. performance, cost, scalability, bundling, etc.). Nebula still faces some challenges (e.g. stability, object storage, networking, etc.). Migrating applications to Nebula is feasible but time consuming. Lessons learned from our Nebula experience will benefit future Cloud Computing efforts at GES DISC.

[Role of Institutional Review Boards for multi-centre studies in national health services research - a cross-sectional study of the effort to obtain secondary ethical approvals for the DACAPO study].

PubMed

Blecha, Sebastian; Thomann-Hackner, Kathrin; Brandstetter, Susanne; Dodoo-Schittko, Frank; Seboek, Philipp; Apfelbacher, Christian; Graf, Bernhard M; Bein, Thomas

2015-09-01

Health services research (HSR) is of fundamental importance for the continuous improvement of preventive, diagnostic or therapeutic measures. The conduct of multi-centre HSR studies requires that ethical approval by Institutional review boards (IRB's) is obtained. We documented the effort, the complexity and the man power necessary to obtain secondary ethical approval for a national HSR in Germany ("Surviving the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome" [DACAPO-study]). Having obtained a primary ethical approval by the IRB of Regensburg University, the time, correspondence, necessity for amendments, corrections, or additional costs by 34 IRB's for 64 participating study centers was documented. The complete obtainment was found to be time consuming and associated with a high workload and man power. A time span of seven month was needed to receive votes from all IRB's. The median time span was 25,5 days (25 %/75 % percentile 13 and 42 days, respectively). Requirements in terms of corrections or amendments were inhomogeneous and frequent changes were necessary. There were additional fees for secondary votes of 4328,40 €. Total costs for the study center Regensburg were 21.193,40 € (2,6 % of the grant volume). Obtaining all ethical approvals for a multi-centre observational HSR study in Germany is complex and time consuming. Various and inhomogeneous formalities may delay the plan and realization of HSR. A Homogenization and simplification of the procedure of ethics votes should be discussed. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Dopamine depletion shifts behavior from activity based reinforcers to more sedentary ones and adenosine receptor antagonism reverses that shift: Relation to ventral striatum DARPP32 phosphorylation patterns.

PubMed

López-Cruz, Laura; San Miguel, Noemí; Carratalá-Ros, Carla; Monferrer, Lidón; Salamone, John D; Correa, Mercè

2018-02-02

The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system plays a critical role in behavioral activation and effort-based decision-making. DA depletion produces anergia (shifts to low effort options) in animals tested on effort-based decision-making tasks. Caffeine, the most consumed stimulant in the world, acts as an adenosine A 1 /A 2A receptor antagonist, and in striatal areas DA D 1 and D 2 receptors are co-localized with adenosine A 1 and A 2A receptors respectively. In the present work, we evaluated the effect of caffeine on anergia induced by the VMAT-2 inhibitor tetrabenazine (TBZ), which depletes DA. Anergia was evaluated in a three-chamber T-maze task in which animals can chose between running on a wheel (RW) vs. sedentary activities such as consuming sucrose or sniffing a neutral odor. TBZ-caffeine interactions in ventral striatum were evaluated using DARPP-32 phosphorylation patterns as an intracellular marker of DA-adenosine receptor interaction. In the T-maze, control mice spent more time running and much less consuming sucrose or sniffing. TBZ (4.0 mg/kg) reduced ventral striatal DA tissue levels as measured by HPLC, and also shifted preferences in the T-maze, reducing selection of the reinforcer that involved vigorous activity (RW), but increasing consumption of a reinforcer that required little effort (sucrose), at doses that had no effect on independent measures of appetite or locomotion in a RW. Caffeine at doses that had no effect on their own reversed the effects of TBZ on T-maze performance, and also suppressed TBZ-induced pDARPP-32(Thr34) expression as measured by western blot, suggesting a role for D 2 -A 2A interactions. These results support the idea that DA depletion produces anergia, but does not affect the primary motivational effects of sucrose. Caffeine, possibly by acting on A 2A receptors in ventral striatum, reversed the DA depletion effects. It is possible that caffeine, like selective adenosine A2A antagonists, could have some therapeutic benefit for treating effort-related symptoms. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Accreditation and Student Consumer Protection. An Occasional Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jung, Steven M.

The role of postsecondary accreditation and its relation to student consumer protection are discussed in this monograph. The importance of this concept is examined in light of increased marketing efforts on the part of higher education institutions. It is emphasized that students are consumers and their rights should be protected. Possible areas…

Everything you always wanted to hear about rate making but were afraid to ask

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

Cady, W.A.

1983-08-04

Rate making is a complicated and time-consuming procedure. That it could benefit from judiciously chosen reforms is beyond question. This article covers several major areas of contention within the regulatory arena, all of which have been the subject of considerable debate in recent years. In an effort to find a compromise position between extremes, the author makes three specific suggestions that, if adopted, could enable parties involved to devote their time and resources to more fundamental questions regarding the regulated utility industries. 3 references.

Design and implementation of Bluetooth beacon in mobile payment system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Tiantian; Ding, Lei

2017-08-01

The current line of payment means, mainly in the following ways, cash payment, credit card payment, WeChat Alipay sweep payment. There are many inconvenience in Cash payment, large amounts of cash inconvenience to carry, count the money to spend time and effort, true and false banknotes difficult to distinguish, ticket settlement easy to go wrong. Credit card payment is relatively time-consuming, and WeChat Alipay sweep payment need to sweep. Therefore, the design of a convenient, fast payment to meet the line to pay the demand is particularly important. Based on the characteristics of BLE Bluetooth wireless communication technology, this paper designs a kind of payment method based on Bluetooth beacon. Through the Bluetooth beacon broadcast consumption, consumers only need to open the relevant APP in the Android client, and you can get Bluetooth via mobile phone Bluetooth the amount of consumption of the standard broadcast, in accordance with the corresponding payment platform to complete the payment process, which pay less time to improve the efficiency of payment.

Consumers or Citizens? Whose Voice Will Healthwatch Represent and Will It Matter? Comment on "Challenges Facing Healthwatch, a New Consumer Champion in England".

PubMed

Wright, Brad

2016-06-22

Efforts to achieve effective and meaningful patient and public involvement (PPI) in healthcare have existed for nearly a century, albeit with limited success. This brief commentary discusses a recent paper by Carter and Martin exploring the "Challenges Facing Healthwatch, a New Consumer Champion in England," and places these challenges in the context of the broader struggle to give a voice to healthcare consumers and citizens. With an overview of what can go right and-perhaps more importantly-what can go wrong, the question remains: will Healthwatch-and other PPI efforts in healthcare-represent the voice of consumers or citizens and will it matter? © 2016 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Titian: Data Provenance Support in Spark

PubMed Central

Interlandi, Matteo; Shah, Kshitij; Tetali, Sai Deep; Gulzar, Muhammad Ali; Yoo, Seunghyun; Kim, Miryung; Millstein, Todd; Condie, Tyson

2015-01-01

Debugging data processing logic in Data-Intensive Scalable Computing (DISC) systems is a difficult and time consuming effort. Today’s DISC systems offer very little tooling for debugging programs, and as a result programmers spend countless hours collecting evidence (e.g., from log files) and performing trial and error debugging. To aid this effort, we built Titian, a library that enables data provenance—tracking data through transformations—in Apache Spark. Data scientists using the Titian Spark extension will be able to quickly identify the input data at the root cause of a potential bug or outlier result. Titian is built directly into the Spark platform and offers data provenance support at interactive speeds—orders-of-magnitude faster than alternative solutions—while minimally impacting Spark job performance; observed overheads for capturing data lineage rarely exceed 30% above the baseline job execution time. PMID:26726305

Using Web 2.0 for health promotion and social marketing efforts: lessons learned from Web 2.0 experts.

PubMed

Dooley, Jennifer Allyson; Jones, Sandra C; Iverson, Don

2014-01-01

Web 2.0 experts working in social marketing participated in qualitative in-depth interviews. The research aimed to document the current state of Web 2.0 practice. Perceived strengths (such as the viral nature of Web 2.0) and weaknesses (such as the time consuming effort it took to learn new Web 2.0 platforms) existed when using Web 2.0 platforms for campaigns. Lessons learned were identified--namely, suggestions for engaging in specific types of content creation strategies (such as plain language and transparent communication practices). Findings present originality and value to practitioners working in social marketing who want to effectively use Web 2.0.

THz and sub-THz (MMW)-over-Fiber Data Links and Radar Technology

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-05

propagation loss in free-space or transmission line, and their inherent straight-line path of propagation affects connections and synchronization between the...effort is to realize photonic-network compatible wireless data link at data rate up to 100 Gbit/s, and to explore a real-time MMW radar imaging system...global village at terabit rate, hopefully wirelessly. Unfortunately, such high-volume data transmission over air consumes radio bandwidth—lots of it

THz and sub THz (MMW)-over-Fiber Data Links and Radar Technology

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-30

propagation loss in free-space or transmission line, and their inherent straight-line path of propagation affects connections and synchronization between the...effort is to realize photonic-network compatible wireless data link at data rate up to 100 Gbit/s, and to explore a real-time MMW radar imaging system...global village at terabit rate, hopefully wirelessly. Unfortunately, such high-volume data transmission over air consumes radio bandwidth—lots of it

MARO - Mass Atrocity Response Operations: A Military Planning Handbook

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-01

while conveying an implied deterrent message to perpetrators. • Current military presence in the region can be reinforced with addi- tional US ...complete HUMINT network is likely to be a time- consuming process, ear- ly efforts may provide useful dividends. • Shows of force can be conducted...climate change, the impact of the information environment on military operations, and the evolving nature of warfare. coL (ret) scott Feil ( Us army) is an

Multi-Family Group Intervention for OEF/OIF Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors and Their Families

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-01

information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden...considerable layer of complexity to recruitment, especially as the PI and study clinicians were based in psychiatry. It has taken many months to develop...coordination or recruitment efforts by psychiatry with the services diagnosing and treating the vets is complex and time-consuming. In New Jersey

A Historical Perspective of Special Operations Forces as an Instrument of Strategy.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

government of Winston Churchill had ascended to power. For the special operations effort, fits and starts toward a more capable organization had occurred...therefore reasonable to conclude that this halting method of agent and organization development though time- consuming , eventually provided a cadre of...Command and General Staff College, Ft. Leavenworth, KS. July 21, 1999. THIS PAGE IS UNCLASSIFIED AD-B 158 452 A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF ’ SPECIAL

How to inject consumerism into your existing health plans.

PubMed

Havlin, Linda J; McAllister, Michael F; Slavney, David H

2003-09-01

Consumerism seeks to create a behavior change on the part of consumers so that they become accountable, knowledgeable and actively engaged in managing their health. It can be used in any existing health plan through targeted plan design changes and consumer education efforts. Employers have many options in addition to consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs).

Coordination of a supply chain with consumer return under vendor-managed consignment inventory and stochastic demand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Zhihui; Chen, Dongyan; Yu, Hui

2016-07-01

In this paper, the problem of the coordination policy is investigated for vendor-managed consignment inventory supply chain subject to consumer return. Here, the market demand is assumed to be affected by promotional effort and consumer return policy. The optimal consignment inventory and the optimal promotional effort level are proposed under the decentralized and centralized decisions. Based on the optimal decision conditions, the markdown allowance-promotional cost-sharing contract is investigated to coordinate the supply chain. Subsequently, the comparison between the two extreme policies shows that full-refund policy dominates the no-return policy when the returning cost and the positive effect of return policy are satisfied certain conditions. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the impacts of consumer return policy on the coordination contract and optimal profit as well as the effectiveness of the proposed supply chain decision.

Healthy eating decisions require efficient dietary self-control in children: A mouse-tracking food decision study.

PubMed

Ha, Oh-Ryeong; Bruce, Amanda S; Pruitt, Stephen W; Cherry, J Bradley C; Smith, T Ryan; Burkart, Dominic; Bruce, Jared M; Lim, Seung-Lark

2016-10-01

Learning how to make healthy eating decisions, (i.e., resisting unhealthy foods and consuming healthy foods), enhances physical development and reduces health risks in children. Although healthy eating decisions are known to be challenging for children, the mechanisms of children's food choice processes are not fully understood. The present study recorded mouse movement trajectories while eighteen children aged 8-13 years were choosing between eating and rejecting foods. Children were inclined to choose to eat rather than to reject foods, and preferred unhealthy foods over healthy foods, implying that rejecting unhealthy foods could be a demanding choice. When children rejected unhealthy foods, mouse trajectories were characterized by large curvature toward an eating choice in the beginning, late decision shifting time toward a rejecting choice, and slowed response times. These results suggested that children exercised greater cognitive efforts with longer decision times to resist unhealthy foods, providing evidence that children require dietary self-control to make healthy eating-decisions by resisting the temptation of unhealthy foods. Developmentally, older children attempted to exercise greater cognitive efforts for consuming healthy foods than younger children, suggesting that development of dietary self-control contributes to healthy eating-decisions. The study also documents that healthy weight children with higher BMIs were more likely to choose to reject healthy foods. Overall, findings have important implications for how children make healthy eating choices and the role of dietary self-control in eating decisions. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Consumers' intention to use health recommendation systems to receive personalized nutrition advice.

PubMed

Wendel, Sonja; Dellaert, Benedict G C; Ronteltap, Amber; van Trijp, Hans C M

2013-04-04

Sophisticated recommendation systems are used more and more in the health sector to assist consumers in healthy decision making. In this study we investigate consumers' evaluation of hypothetical health recommendation systems that provide personalized nutrition advice. We examine consumers' intention to use such a health recommendation system as a function of options related to the underlying system (e.g. the type of company that generates the advice) as well as intermediaries (e.g. general practitioner) that might assist in using the system. We further explore if the effect of both the system and intermediaries on intention to use a health recommendation system are mediated by consumers' perceived effort, privacy risk, usefulness and enjoyment. 204 respondents from a consumer panel in the Netherlands participated. The data were collected by means of a questionnaire. Each respondent evaluated three hypothetical health recommendation systems on validated multi-scale measures of effort, privacy risk, usefulness, enjoyment and intention to use the system. To test the hypothesized relationships we used regression analyses. We find evidence that the options related to the underlying system as well as the intermediaries involved influence consumers' intention to use such a health recommendation system and that these effects are mediated by perceptions of effort, privacy risk, usefulness and enjoyment. Also, we find that consumers value usefulness of a system more and enjoyment less when a general practitioner advices them to use a health recommendation system than if they use it out of their own curiosity. We developed and tested a model of consumers' intention to use a health recommendation system. We found that intermediaries play an important role in how consumers evaluate such a system over and above options of the underlying system that is used to generate the recommendation. Also, health-related information services seem to rely on endorsement by the medical sector. This has considerable implications for the distribution as well as the communication channels of health recommendation systems which may be quite difficult to put into practice outside traditional health service channels.

Explorations in K-12 Education and Public Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limaye, S. S.; Pertzborn, R. A.; Sromovsky, L. A.

1997-07-01

Space exploration remains a topic of immense interest and excitement for children and the general public. A diverse approach has been utilized at the Space Science and Engineering Center to initiate outreach and K-12 education activities. The hands-on experience gained through a working relationships with educators has been useful in understanding the challenges, usefulness and limitations of scientists' involvement in the education process. Our efforts have included school visits, development of lesson plans (KidSat), internet based activities (Planet Exploration Toolkit for Live from Mars, a Passport to Knowledge Project), World Wide Web, Public Lectures, summer teacher enhancement workshops, internships, and substitute teaching in science classes. The feedback and comments from teachers and students has demonstrated the usefulness and need for these efforts. The experience has also demonstrated that a committed effort in outreach is ultimately satisfying although immensely time consuming. Our outreach efforts have been partially supported by a NASA/IDEA grant, Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, NOAA and more recently, the Evjue Foundation (Madison-Wisconsin).

Direct-to-Consumer Marketing: A Complementary Approach to Traditional Dissemination and implementation Efforts for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Interventions.

PubMed

Becker, Sara J

2015-03-01

The overall chasm between those who need treatment for mental health and substance abuse (M/SU) and those who receive effective treatment consists of two, interrelated gaps: the research-to-practice gap and the treatment gap. Prior efforts to disseminate evidence-based practice (EBP) for M/SU have predominantly targeted the research-to-practice gap, by focusing efforts toward treatment providers. This article introduces direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing that targets patients and caregivers as a complementary approach to existing dissemination efforts. Specific issues discussed include: rationale for DTC marketing based on the concept of push versus pull marketing; overview of key stakeholders involved in DTC marketing; and description of the Marketing Mix planning framework. The applicability of these issues to the dissemination of EBP for M/SU is discussed.

Convergence of service, policy, and science toward consumer-driven mental health care.

PubMed

Carroll, Christopher D; Manderscheid, Ronald W; Daniels, Allen S; Compagni, Amelia

2006-12-01

A common theme is emerging in sentinel reports on the United States health care system. Consumer relevance and demands on service systems and practices are influencing how mental health care is delivered and how systems will be shaped in the future. The present report seeks to assemble a confluence of consumer-driven themes from noteworthy reports on the state of the mental health system in the U.S. It also explores innovative efforts, promising practices, collaborative efforts, as well as identification of barriers to consumer-directed care, with possible solutions. The report reviews the relevant public mental health policy and data used in published work. The findings indicate an increasing public and private interest in promoting consumer-driven care, even though historical systems of care predominate, and often create, barriers to wide-spread redesign of a consumer-centered mental health care system. Innovative consumer-driven practices are increasing as quality, choice, and self-determination become integral parts of a redesigned U.S. mental health care system. The use of consumer-driven approaches in mental health is limited at best. These programs challenge industry norms and traditional practices. Limitations include the need for additional and thorough evaluations of effectiveness (cost and clinical) and replicability of consumer-directed programs. Consumer-driven services indicate that mental health consumers are expecting to be more participative in their mental health care. This expectation will influence how traditional mental health services and providers become more consumer-centric and meet the demand. Public and private interest in consumer-driven health care range from creating cost-conscious consumers to individualized control of recovery. The health care sector should seek to invest more resources in the provision of consumer-driven health care programs. The results of this study have implications and are informative for other countries where consumer-directed care is delivered in either the private or public health care systems. More research is needed to obtain further evidence on the use of consumer-driven services and their overall effectiveness.

Quantifying and Disaggregating Consumer Purchasing Behavior for Energy Systems Modeling

EPA Science Inventory

Consumer behaviors such as energy conservation, adoption of more efficient technologies, and fuel switching represent significant potential for greenhouse gas mitigation. Current efforts to model future energy outcomes have tended to use simplified economic assumptions ...

Health care report cards: what about consumers' perspectives?

PubMed

McGee, J; Knutson, D

1994-10-01

Though the report card style is seen by many as a way to create better-informed consumers, very little is actually known about how consumers will respond to health care report cards. Report cards are only one of many factors that influence health care decision making. Much consumer-oriented effort and fine-tuning will be required to make report cards effective. Using the approach called "social marketing" as a framework, specific examples are used to outline some ideas for more intensive pursuit of consumers' perspectives in the design and distribution of report cards.

It is time to wash the linen.

PubMed

Bajaj, Rajiv

2007-01-01

The unethical practice of commissions in private healthcare requires an open debate since it leads to expensive and hazardous healthcare. Doctors are accused of being sales agents and law breakers, private hospitals resemble luxury hotels, the consumer has become fair game whenever he/she has money, and our profession and society are rendered insensitive to human suffering. At the root of this malaise is the unplanned promotion of healthcare as a free market product. This very complex product, which is required in times of stress and vulnerability, has been institutionalized as a business for profiteering in the absence of adequate checks and balances. The product is inherently unsuited for the free market because the consumer cannot be king unless he is empowered to choose wisely. Not enough has been done to address this deficiency. Efforts are required to strengthen non-profit health facilities; to make the consumer wise and minimize her/his exposure to doctored health information. The present unethical practices of our profession are not the fault of doctors or the Medical Council of India, and punitive measures would be inappropriate. We should start with the creation of a government health website which educates the public about modern healthcare, and by regulating advertisement of health products. Since health personnel, officials and news media are directly benefited by the present malpractices, corrective will require consumer participation.

GSFC Ada programming guidelines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roy, Daniel M.; Nelson, Robert W.

1986-01-01

A significant Ada effort has been under way at Goddard for the last two years. To ease the center's transition toward Ada (notably for future space station projects), a cooperative effort of half a dozen companies and NASA personnel was started in 1985 to produce programming standards and guidelines for the Ada language. The great richness of the Ada language and the need of programmers for good style examples makes Ada programming guidelines an important tool to smooth the Ada transition. Because of the natural divergence of technical opinions, the great diversity of our government and private organizations and the novelty of the Ada technology, the creation of an Ada programming guidelines document is a difficult and time consuming task. It is also a vital one. Steps must now be taken to ensure that the guide is refined in an organized but timely manner to reflect the growing level of expertise of the Ada community.

Active Learning of Classification Models with Likert-Scale Feedback.

PubMed

Xue, Yanbing; Hauskrecht, Milos

2017-01-01

Annotation of classification data by humans can be a time-consuming and tedious process. Finding ways of reducing the annotation effort is critical for building the classification models in practice and for applying them to a variety of classification tasks. In this paper, we develop a new active learning framework that combines two strategies to reduce the annotation effort. First, it relies on label uncertainty information obtained from the human in terms of the Likert-scale feedback. Second, it uses active learning to annotate examples with the greatest expected change. We propose a Bayesian approach to calculate the expectation and an incremental SVM solver to reduce the time complexity of the solvers. We show the combination of our active learning strategy and the Likert-scale feedback can learn classification models more rapidly and with a smaller number of labeled instances than methods that rely on either Likert-scale labels or active learning alone.

Active Learning of Classification Models with Likert-Scale Feedback

PubMed Central

Xue, Yanbing; Hauskrecht, Milos

2017-01-01

Annotation of classification data by humans can be a time-consuming and tedious process. Finding ways of reducing the annotation effort is critical for building the classification models in practice and for applying them to a variety of classification tasks. In this paper, we develop a new active learning framework that combines two strategies to reduce the annotation effort. First, it relies on label uncertainty information obtained from the human in terms of the Likert-scale feedback. Second, it uses active learning to annotate examples with the greatest expected change. We propose a Bayesian approach to calculate the expectation and an incremental SVM solver to reduce the time complexity of the solvers. We show the combination of our active learning strategy and the Likert-scale feedback can learn classification models more rapidly and with a smaller number of labeled instances than methods that rely on either Likert-scale labels or active learning alone. PMID:28979827

Nursing homes and the affordable care act: a cease fire in the ongoing struggle over quality reform.

PubMed

Hawes, Catherine; Moudouni, Darcy M; Edwards, Rachel B; Phillips, Charles D

2012-01-01

Most provisions in the Affordable Care Act that affect nursing homes originated in two earlier attempts at reform, both of which failed multiple times in prior Congressional sessions: the Elder Justice Act and the Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act. Both of these earlier efforts focused on improving quality and reducing elder abuse in nursing homes by strengthening oversight and enforcement penalties, expanding staff training, and increasing the information on nursing home quality available to consumers and regulators. Each bill addressed problems that were serious, widespread, and had persisted for years, but each failed to pass on its own. The Affordable Care Act, with its own momentum, became the vehicle for their passage. However, the reasons the bills failed in these earlier efforts suggest implementation challenges now that they have ridden into law on the coattails of the more general effort to reform the health care sector.

A seabird monitoring program for the North Pacific

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hatcher, S.A.; Kaiser, G.W.; Kondratyev, Alexander V.; Byrd, G.V.

1994-01-01

Seabird monitoring is the accumulation of time series data on any aspect of seabird distribution, abundance, demography, or behavior. Typical studies include annual or less frequent measures of numbers or productivity; less commonly, the focus is on marine habitat use, phenology, food habits, or survival. The key requirement is that observations are replicated over time and made with sufficient precision and accuracy to permit the meaningful analysis of variability and trends. Along the Pacific coast of North America, seabird monitoring has consumed substantial amounts of public funding since the early 1970s. The effort has been largely uncoordinated among the many entities involved, including provincial, state, and federal agencies, some private organizations, university faculty, and students. We reaffirm the rationale for monitoring seabirds, review briefly the nature and accomplishments of the existing effort, and suggest actions needed to improve the effectiveness of seabird monitoring in the Pacific. In particular, we propose and describe a comprehensive Seabird Monitoring Database designed specifically to work with observations on seabird population parameters that are replicated over time.

Nanopore Technology: A Simple, Inexpensive, Futuristic Technology for DNA Sequencing.

PubMed

Gupta, P D

2016-10-01

In health care, importance of DNA sequencing has been fully established. Sanger's Capillary Electrophoresis DNA sequencing methodology is time consuming, cumbersome, hence become more expensive. Lately, because of its versatility DNA sequencing became house hold name, and therefore, there is an urgent need of simple, fast, inexpensive, DNA sequencing technology. In the beginning of this century efforts were made, and Nanopore DNA sequencing technology was developed; still it is infancy, nevertheless, it is the futuristic technology.

Establishing Theater Command and Control In a Coalition of Nations: Requirements for U.S. Doctrine

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-05-01

difficult and time consuming to establish effective coalition relations . Given the above, US doctrine for coalition theater C2 must go beyond the...make a disproportionate effort to do so. Related to the shared cultural heritage Is a common religious history. Both nations were predominantly Judeo...Inhibited. 6 The language difference too was substantial. The Korean language, Hangul, Is related to Chinese, but with Its own alphabet, one that bears no

Wing-Alone Aerodynamic Characteristics to High Angles of Attack at Subsonic and Transonic Speeds.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-11-01

support subsystems, the test- ing of these models consumes a disproportionate amount of model construction effort and wind-tunnel testing time compared...constant taper ratio with the exception of the aspect ratio 4, taper ratio 0.5 wing at subsonic speeds; the anomalous behavior of this wing is likely...0000000 ...... 0 0 0i 010... 0.. .......... .. .............. tt.. 4t t * PS4 Oft* .. MM.~0o004.0 s.t~o.4

Use of a Microprocessor to Implement an ADCCP Protocol (Federal Standard 1003).

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-07-01

results of other studies, to evaluate the operational and economic impact of incorporating various options in Federal Standard 1003. The effort...the LSI interface and the microprocessor; the LSI chip deposits bytes in its buffer as the producer, and the MPU reads this data as the consumer...on the interface between the MPU and the LSI protocol chip. This requires two main processes to be running at the same time--transmit and receive. The

Maintenance of the Maxillomandibular Position with Digital Workflow in Oral Rehabilitation: A Technical Note.

PubMed

Li, Zhongjie; Xia, Yingfeng; Chen, Kai; Zhao, Hanchi; Liu, Yang

Prosthodontic oral rehabilitation procedures are time consuming and require efforts to maintain the confirmed maxillomandibular relationship. Several occlusal registrations and impressions are needed, and cross-mounting is performed to transfer the diagnostic wax-up to master working casts. The introduction of a digital workflow protocol reduces steps in the required process, and occlusal registrations with less deformation are used. The outcome is a maintained maxillomandibular position that is accurately and conveniently transferred.

Modeling Regional Seismic Waves from Underground Nuclear Explosion

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-05-15

consider primarily the long-period tangenital motions in this pilot study because less computational effort is involved compared to modeling the P-SV system...error testing can be a time- consuming endeavor but the basic approach has proven effective in previous studies (Vidale et aL, 1985; Helmberger and Vidale...at various depths in a variety of basin models were generated to test the above hypothesis. When the source is situated in the sediments and when the

The convenience food market in Great Britain: convenience food lifestyle (CFL) segments.

PubMed

Buckley, Marie; Cowan, Cathal; McCarthy, Mary

2007-11-01

Convenience foods enable the consumer to save time and effort in food activities, related to shopping, meal preparation and cooking, consumption and post-meal activities. The objective of this paper is to report on the attitudes and reported behaviour of food consumers in Great Britain based on a review of their convenience food lifestyle (CFLs). The paper also reports the development and application of a segmentation technique that can supply information on consumer attitudes towards convenience foods. The convenience food market in Great Britain is examined and the key drivers of growth in this market are highlighted. A survey was applied to a nationally representative sample of 1000 consumers (defined as the persons primarily responsible for food shopping and cooking in the household) in Great Britain in 2002. Segmentation analysis, based on the identification of 20 convenience lifestyle factors, identified four CFL segments of consumers: the 'food connoisseurs' (26%), the 'home meal preparers' (25%), the 'kitchen evaders' (16%) and the 'convenience-seeking grazers' (33%). In particular, the 'kitchen evaders' and the 'convenience-seeking grazers' are identified as convenience-seeking segments. Implications for food producers, in particular, convenience food manufacturers are discussed. The study provides an understanding of the lifestyles of food consumers in Great Britain, and provides food manufacturers with an insight into what motivates individuals to purchase convenience foods.

Suspect Screening Analysis of Chemicals in Consumer Products.

PubMed

Phillips, Katherine A; Yau, Alice; Favela, Kristin A; Isaacs, Kristin K; McEachran, Andrew; Grulke, Christopher; Richard, Ann M; Williams, Antony J; Sobus, Jon R; Thomas, Russell S; Wambaugh, John F

2018-03-06

A two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOF/MS) suspect screening analysis method was used to rapidly characterize chemicals in 100 consumer products-which included formulations (e.g., shampoos, paints), articles (e.g., upholsteries, shower curtains), and foods (cereals)-and therefore supports broader efforts to prioritize chemicals based on potential human health risks. Analyses yielded 4270 unique chemical signatures across the products, with 1602 signatures tentatively identified using the National Institute of Standards and Technology 2008 spectral database. Chemical standards confirmed the presence of 119 compounds. Of the 1602 tentatively identified chemicals, 1404 were not present in a public database of known consumer product chemicals. Reported data and model predictions of chemical functional use were applied to evaluate the tentative chemical identifications. Estimated chemical concentrations were compared to manufacturer-reported values and other measured data. Chemical presence and concentration data can now be used to improve estimates of chemical exposure, and refine estimates of risk posed to human health and the environment.

LASH Ship Pretest Results of the Joint Logistics-Over-the-Shore (LOTS) Test and Evaluation Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-03-07

75-05. 9 0 wU C-7) z C) S.- C)C 40 10 GA’THEFRING CO~l BARGE LIFTING POINT I , I I II I I . . .. .. KI- V~~ PS4 and 5. LCM8 LIFT BEAM IS ENGAGED...design but which could not be delivered in time by the vendor. The attachment of the struts proved to be a time- consuming effort because of too close...actually used in the pretest, the general behavior and characteristics are similar.) C-4 APPENDIX D BREAKBULK CARGO THROUGHPUT OPERATIONS As an adjunct to

Dietary Intake of Children Attending Full-time Child Care: What are they eating away from the Child-Care Center?

PubMed Central

Robson, Shannon M.; Khoury, Jane C.; Kalkwarf, Heidi J.; Copeland, Kristen

2016-01-01

Background The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends children attending full-time child care obtain 1/2 – 2/3 of daily nutrient needs, leaving 1/3-1/2 to be consumed away from the center. While there are guidelines to optimize dietary intake of children attending child care, little is known about what these children consume away from the center. Objective To describe the dietary intake away from the child care center for preschool-aged children relative to the expected 1/3-1/2 proportion of recommended intake, and to examine the relationships between energy intake away from the center with weight status, food group consumption and low-income status. Design Cross-sectional study conducted between November 2009 and January 2011. Participants/Setting Participants (n=339) attended 30 randomly selected, licensed, full-time child-care centers in Hamilton County, Ohio. Main Outcome Measures Child weight status and dietary intake (food/beverages consumed outside the child-care setting from the time of pickup from the center to the child’s bedtime) including energy and servings of fruits, vegetables, milk, 100% juice, sugar sweetened beverages and snack foods. Statistical Analyses Generalized linear mixed models were used to examine independent associations of food group servings and low income status to energy intake; and energy intake to child weight status. Results The mean energy intake consumed away from the center (685 ± 17 kcal) was more than the recommended target range (433–650 kcal). Intake of fruits, vegetables, and milk were less than recommended. Food group servings and overweight/obesity status were positively associated with energy intake while away from the center. Conclusion Preschool children consumed more energy and less fruits, vegetables, and milk outside of child-care center than recommended. Overweight status was associated with children’s dietary intake after leaving the child-care center. It may be beneficial to include parents in obesity prevention efforts targeting children attending child-care centers. PMID:25908440

Increasing the energy conservation awareness using the influential power of a lottery system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayak, Amruta Vijay

This thesis presents an influence maximization-driven approach to promoting energy conservation awareness, with the objective to generate a competitive environment for energy consumption supervision. As consumers are typically reluctant to invest their time and effort in the activities beyond their business, an incentive-based distribution strategy is proposed to encourage consumers to actively take part in energy conservation. The key idea of the thesis lies in leveraging the consumer instincts as a driving factor for spreading positive social influence, via a smart lottery program. In the proposed framework, saving energy automatically increases the consumers' chances of winning the lottery, thereby motivating them to save more, while the smart winner selection will maximize the word-of-mouth effect of the program. The thesis collects and organizes a large body of literature in support of the claim that the spread of awareness in a social network can play a key role in the emergence of energy conscious behavior. It also reports on the findings of a survey conducted to determine the present day consumer perspective toward energy conservation and the level of influence required to motivate them to conserve more energy. Finally, a mathematical model for smart lottery winner selection is presented, and insightful observations are made concerning the properties of optimal solutions to tractable, small problem instances.

Stakeholder interactions and the development of functional foods.

PubMed

McConnon, Aine; Cade, Janet; Pearman, Alan

2002-06-01

This paper investigates the roles of the individual stakeholders involved in the development of functional foods and the implications of their actions for public perception of this new food concept. At a time when consumer awareness of the link between diet and health is strong, a new food concept incorporating of a wide spectrum of foods has captured the imagination of the food industry and consumers alike. Functional foods provide a new category of foods that appear to be offering the public the opportunity to achieve a healthy lifestyle with minimal effort. Public perception may determine whether this new food concept is to become the next successful breakthrough in nutritional science or just another marketing gimmick devised by food manufacturers. The paper also addresses issues that arise directly as a result of the emergence of functional foods, such as appropriate legislation in connection to health claims in order to ensure consumer protection and also the lack of clarity in relation to definitions of what constitutes a functional food. The paper concludes that functional foods can only reach their maximum potential if the food industry, government and health professionals work together to improve communication between themselves and consumers and also to educate consumers, thereby allowing them to make informed decisions about dietary choices.

Consumerism and consumer complexity: implications for university teaching and teaching evaluation.

PubMed

Hall, Wendy A

2013-07-01

A contemporary issue is the effects of a corporate production metaphor and consumerism on university education. Efforts by universities to attract students and teaching strategies aimed at 'adult learners' tend to treat student consumers as a homogeneous group with similar expectations. In this paper, I argue that consumer groups are not uniform. I use Dagevos' theoretical approach to categorize consumers as calculating, traditional, unique, and responsible. Based on the characteristics of consumers occupying these categories, I describe the implications of the varying consumer expectations for teaching. I also consider the implications for evaluation of teaching and call for research taking consumer types into account when evaluating teaching. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attitudes in China about Crops and Foods Developed by Biotechnology

PubMed Central

Liu, Xiaoxia; Cheng, Jie; Zhang, Qingwen; Shelton, Anthony M.

2015-01-01

Transgenic Bt cotton has been planted in China since 1997 and, in 2009, biosafety certificates for the commercial production of Bt rice and phytase corn were issued by the Chinese government. The public attitude in China toward agricultural biotechnology and genetically modified (GM) crops and foods has received considerable attention worldwide. We investigated the attitudes of consumers, Bt cotton farmers and scientists in China regarding GM crops and foods and the factors influencing their attitudes. Data were collected using interview surveys of consumer households, farmer households and scientists. A discrete choice approach was used to elicit the purchase intentions of the respondents. Two separate probit models were developed to examine the effect of various factors on the choices of the respondents. Bt cotton farmers had a very positive attitude because Bt cotton provided them with significant economic benefits. Chinese consumers from developed regions had a higher acceptance and willingness to pay for GM foods than consumers in other regions. The positive attitude toward GM foods by the scientific community will help to promote biotechnology in China in the future. Our survey emphasized that educational efforts made by government officials, the media and scientists can facilitate the acceptance of GM technology in China. Further educational efforts will be critical for influencing consumer attitudes and decisions of government agencies in the future. More effective educational efforts by government agencies and public media concerning the scientific facts and safety of GM foods would enhance the acceptance of GM crops in China. PMID:26418161

Attitudes in China about Crops and Foods Developed by Biotechnology.

PubMed

Han, Fei; Zhou, Dingyang; Liu, Xiaoxia; Cheng, Jie; Zhang, Qingwen; Shelton, Anthony M

2015-01-01

Transgenic Bt cotton has been planted in China since 1997 and, in 2009, biosafety certificates for the commercial production of Bt rice and phytase corn were issued by the Chinese government. The public attitude in China toward agricultural biotechnology and genetically modified (GM) crops and foods has received considerable attention worldwide. We investigated the attitudes of consumers, Bt cotton farmers and scientists in China regarding GM crops and foods and the factors influencing their attitudes. Data were collected using interview surveys of consumer households, farmer households and scientists. A discrete choice approach was used to elicit the purchase intentions of the respondents. Two separate probit models were developed to examine the effect of various factors on the choices of the respondents. Bt cotton farmers had a very positive attitude because Bt cotton provided them with significant economic benefits. Chinese consumers from developed regions had a higher acceptance and willingness to pay for GM foods than consumers in other regions. The positive attitude toward GM foods by the scientific community will help to promote biotechnology in China in the future. Our survey emphasized that educational efforts made by government officials, the media and scientists can facilitate the acceptance of GM technology in China. Further educational efforts will be critical for influencing consumer attitudes and decisions of government agencies in the future. More effective educational efforts by government agencies and public media concerning the scientific facts and safety of GM foods would enhance the acceptance of GM crops in China.

Determining Consumer Preferences for a Cash Option: Arkansas Survey Results

PubMed Central

Simon-Rusinowitz, Lori; Mahoney, Kevin J.; Desmond, Sharon M.; Shoop, Dawn M.; Squillace, Marie R.; Fay, Robert A.

1997-01-01

As long-term care(LTC) expenditures have risen, policymakers have sought ways to control costs while maintaining consumer satisfaction. Concurrently, there is increasing interest within the aging and disability communities in consumer-directed care. The Cash and Counseling Demonstration and Evaluation (CCDE) seeks to increase consumer direction and control costs by offering a cash allowance and information services to persons with disabilities, enabling them to purchase needed assistance. The authors present results from a telephone survey conducted to assess consumer preferences for a cash option in Arkansas and describe how findings from the four-State CCDE can inform consumer information efforts and policymakers. PMID:10345407

Determining consumer preferences for a cash option: Arkansas survey results.

PubMed

Simon-Rusinowitz, L; Mahoney, K J; Desmond, S M; Shoop, D M; Squillace, M R; Fay, R A

1997-01-01

As long-term care (LTC) expenditures have risen, policymakers have sought ways to control costs while maintaining consumer satisfaction. Concurrently, there is increasing interest within the aging and disability communities in consumer-directed care. The Cash and Counseling Demonstration and Evaluation (CCDE) seeks to increase consumer direction and control costs by offering a cash allowance and information services to persons with disabilities, enabling them to purchase needed assistance. The authors present results from a telephone survey conducted to assess consumer preferences for a cash option in Arkansas and describe how findings from the four-State CCDE can inform consumer information efforts and policymakers.

Direct-to-Consumer Marketing: A Complementary Approach to Traditional Dissemination and implementation Efforts for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Interventions

PubMed Central

Becker, Sara J.

2014-01-01

The overall chasm between those who need treatment for mental health and substance abuse (M/SU) and those who receive effective treatment consists of two, interrelated gaps: the research-to-practice gap and the treatment gap. Prior efforts to disseminate evidence-based practice (EBP) for M/SU have predominantly targeted the research-to-practice gap, by focusing efforts toward treatment providers. This article introduces direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing that targets patients and caregivers as a complementary approach to existing dissemination efforts. Specific issues discussed include: rationale for DTC marketing based on the concept of push versus pull marketing; overview of key stakeholders involved in DTC marketing; and description of the Marketing Mix planning framework. The applicability of these issues to the dissemination of EBP for M/SU is discussed. PMID:25937710

Consumers’ intention to use health recommendation systems to receive personalized nutrition advice

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Sophisticated recommendation systems are used more and more in the health sector to assist consumers in healthy decision making. In this study we investigate consumers' evaluation of hypothetical health recommendation systems that provide personalized nutrition advice. We examine consumers' intention to use such a health recommendation system as a function of options related to the underlying system (e.g. the type of company that generates the advice) as well as intermediaries (e.g. general practitioner) that might assist in using the system. We further explore if the effect of both the system and intermediaries on intention to use a health recommendation system are mediated by consumers' perceived effort, privacy risk, usefulness and enjoyment. Methods 204 respondents from a consumer panel in the Netherlands participated. The data were collected by means of a questionnaire. Each respondent evaluated three hypothetical health recommendation systems on validated multi-scale measures of effort, privacy risk, usefulness, enjoyment and intention to use the system. To test the hypothesized relationships we used regression analyses. Results We find evidence that the options related to the underlying system as well as the intermediaries involved influence consumers' intention to use such a health recommendation system and that these effects are mediated by perceptions of effort, privacy risk, usefulness and enjoyment. Also, we find that consumers value usefulness of a system more and enjoyment less when a general practitioner advices them to use a health recommendation system than if they use it out of their own curiosity. Conclusions We developed and tested a model of consumers' intention to use a health recommendation system. We found that intermediaries play an important role in how consumers evaluate such a system over and above options of the underlying system that is used to generate the recommendation. Also, health-related information services seem to rely on endorsement by the medical sector. This has considerable implications for the distribution as well as the communication channels of health recommendation systems which may be quite difficult to put into practice outside traditional health service channels. PMID:23557363

Management Advisory Memorandum on Airline Safety Data for Consumers; Federal Aviation Administration

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-10-28

This is a review of whether the Department of Transportation (DOT) provides adequate comparative information to consumers on the safety record of airlines. This review was undertaken in light of recent concerns over airline safety and DOT's efforts t...

Wasted Food: U.S. Consumers' Reported Awareness, Attitudes, and Behaviors.

PubMed

Neff, Roni A; Spiker, Marie L; Truant, Patricia L

2015-01-01

The U.S. wastes 31 to 40% of its post-harvest food supply, with a substantial portion of this waste occurring at the consumer level. Globally, interventions to address wasted food have proliferated, but efforts are in their infancy in the U.S. To inform these efforts and provide baseline data to track change, we performed a survey of U.S. consumer awareness, attitudes and behaviors related to wasted food. The survey was administered online to members of a nationally representative panel (N=1010), and post-survey weights were applied. The survey found widespread (self-reported) awareness of wasted food as an issue, efforts to reduce it, and knowledge about how to do so, plus moderately frequent performance of waste-reducing behaviors. Three-quarters of respondents said they discard less food than the average American. The leading motivations for waste reduction were saving money and setting an example for children, with environmental concerns ranked last. The most common reasons given for discarding food were concern about foodborne illness and a desire to eat only the freshest food. In some cases there were modest differences based on age, parental status, and income, but no differences were found by race, education, rural/urban residence or other demographic factors. Respondents recommended ways retailers and restaurants could help reduce waste. This is the first nationally representative consumer survey focused on wasted food in the U.S. It provides insight into U.S. consumers' perceptions related to wasted food, and comparisons to existing literature. The findings suggest approaches including recognizing that many consumers perceive themselves as being already-knowledgeable and engaged, framing messages to focus on budgets, and modifying existing messages about food freshness and aesthetics. This research also suggests opportunities to shift retail and restaurant practice, and identifies critical research gaps.

A Representation of Effort in Decision-Making and Motor Control.

PubMed

Shadmehr, Reza; Huang, Helen J; Ahmed, Alaa A

2016-07-25

Given two rewarding stimuli, animals tend to choose the more rewarding (or less effortful) option. However, they also move faster toward that stimulus [1-5]. This suggests that reward and effort not only affect decision-making, they also influence motor control [6, 7]. How does the brain compute the effort requirements of a task? Here, we considered data acquired during walking, reaching, flying, or isometric force production. In analyzing the decision-making and motor-control behaviors of various animals, we considered the possibility that the brain may estimate effort objectively, via the metabolic energy consumed to produce the action. We measured the energetic cost of reaching and found that, like walking, it was convex in time, with a global minimum, implying that there existed a movement speed that minimized effort. However, reward made it worthwhile to be energetically inefficient. Using a framework in which utility of an action depended on reward and energetic cost, both discounted in time, we found that it was possible to account for a body of data in which animals were free to choose how to move (reach slow or fast), as well as what to do (walk or fly, produce force F1 or F2). We suggest that some forms of decision-making and motor control may share a common utility in which the brain represents the effort associated with performing an action objectively via its metabolic energy cost and then, like reward, temporally discounts it as a function of movement duration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design considerations for computationally constrained two-way real-time video communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bivolarski, Lazar M.; Saunders, Steven E.; Ralston, John D.

2009-08-01

Today's video codecs have evolved primarily to meet the requirements of the motion picture and broadcast industries, where high-complexity studio encoding can be utilized to create highly-compressed master copies that are then broadcast one-way for playback using less-expensive, lower-complexity consumer devices for decoding and playback. Related standards activities have largely ignored the computational complexity and bandwidth constraints of wireless or Internet based real-time video communications using devices such as cell phones or webcams. Telecommunications industry efforts to develop and standardize video codecs for applications such as video telephony and video conferencing have not yielded image size, quality, and frame-rate performance that match today's consumer expectations and market requirements for Internet and mobile video services. This paper reviews the constraints and the corresponding video codec requirements imposed by real-time, 2-way mobile video applications. Several promising elements of a new mobile video codec architecture are identified, and more comprehensive computational complexity metrics and video quality metrics are proposed in order to support the design, testing, and standardization of these new mobile video codecs.

Advancing Models and Data for Characterizing Exposures to Chemicals in Consumer Products

EPA Science Inventory

EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) is leading several efforts to develop data and methods for estimating population chemical exposures related to the use of consumer products. New curated chemical, ingredient, and product use information are being collected fro...

FCC press release and consumer/retailer enforcement advisories regarding cell jammers, GPS jammers, and other jamming devices

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-02-09

FCC ENFORCEMENT BUREAU STEPS UP EDUCATION AND ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS AGAINST CELLPHONE AND GPS JAMMING. CONSUMERS BEWARE: It is Unlawful to Use Cell Jammers and Other Equipment : that Blocks, Jams, or Interferes with Authorized Radio Communication...

Drinking and driving and riding with an alcohol impaired driver among United States Air Force recruits.

PubMed

DeBon, Margaret; Vander Weg, Mark W; Sherrill-Mittleman, Deborah; Klesges, Robert C; Talcott, Gerald W

2011-04-01

To identify the prevalence and correlates of binge drinking, driving after drinking, and riding in a vehicle with a driver who had consumed alcohol in US Air Force active duty recruits. A military cohort (N = 31,108; 25.1% female) was analyzed to identify variables associated with binge drinking, drinking and driving, and riding with a driver who had consumed alcohol. Results indicated that 53 percent (including 45% of those under the legal drinking age) reported alcohol use in the month prior to entering basic military training (BMT). Thirty-eight percent of all active duty recruits reported binge drinking (ie, consuming 5 or more drinks on a single occasion) at least one time in the past 30 days. Nearly 1 in 4 (23%) reported 1 to 3 episodes of binge drinking. Three percent of reported alcohol users drove after consuming five or more drinks, and 9 percent rode as a passenger in a vehicle with a driver who had been drinking heavily. Several demographic, behavioral, and attitudinal correlates of risky drinking patterns were identified. Prevention efforts are needed to address the implications of these findings because they influence the health, safety, and military readiness of active duty personnel.

Consumer Involvement in Evaluation and Quality Assurance Efforts: Review of Current Efforts in the Field of Developmental Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashline, Melissa

This review of the professional and programmatic literature in the field of developmental disabilities focuses on ways in which individuals with developmental disabilities and their families are becoming increasingly involved in program evaluation and quality assurance efforts. Three major movements are having an impact on this activity: state and…

Rapid construction of capsid-modified adenoviral vectors through bacteriophage lambda Red recombination.

PubMed

Campos, Samuel K; Barry, Michael A

2004-11-01

There are extensive efforts to develop cell-targeting adenoviral vectors for gene therapy wherein endogenous cell-binding ligands are ablated and exogenous ligands are introduced by genetic means. Although current approaches can genetically manipulate the capsid genes of adenoviral vectors, these approaches can be time-consuming and require multiple steps to produce a modified viral genome. We present here the use of the bacteriophage lambda Red recombination system as a valuable tool for the easy and rapid construction of capsid-modified adenoviral genomes.

Differences among consumer segments with regard to perceptions of comparative effectiveness research.

PubMed

Williams, Sunyna S; Frost, Sloane L

2014-11-01

To examine differences among health-related decision-making consumer segments with regard to knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors pertinent to comparative effectiveness research. Data were collected via an online survey from 603 adults with chronic conditions. Consumer segment was determined using a two-item tool. Active consumers (high skills and motivation) reported the highest levels of engagement in various behaviors. Passive consumers (low skills and motivation) reported the lowest levels of engagement in various behaviors. High-effort consumers (low skills, high motivation) reported more positive attitudes and opinions and more engagement in various behaviors than did complacent consumers (high skills, low motivation). Effective translation and dissemination of comparative effectiveness research will require the development of approaches tailored to consumers with varying levels of skills and motivation.

28 CFR 25.51 - Purpose and authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., protect states and individual and commercial consumers from fraud, reduce the use of stolen vehicles for illicit purposes including fundraising for criminal enterprises, and provide consumer protection from... System (NMVTIS) in accordance with title 49 U.S.C. 30502. The purpose of NMVTIS is to assist in efforts...

Consumerism: The Past is Prologue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrmann, Robert O.

1973-01-01

Without knowledge of past events, controversies, and historical figures we can have little appreciation of the forces that have shaped our history. In the area of consumer protection, this same historical perspective is required. Consumer protection requires a continuing effort, but it must be approached in an orderly fashion. (KP)

Advancing Consumer Product Composition and Chemical Use Information to Facilitate Risk-Based Decision Making

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation describes EPA efforts to collect, model, and measure publically available consumer product data for use in exposure assessment. The development of the ORD Chemicals and Products database will be described, as will machine-learning based models for predicting ch...

Dietary intake of children attending full-time child care: What are they eating away from the child-care center?

PubMed

Robson, Shannon M; Khoury, Jane C; Kalkwarf, Heidi J; Copeland, Kristen

2015-09-01

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends children attending full-time child care obtain one-half to two-thirds of daily nutrient needs during their time at the child-care center, leaving one-third to one-half to be consumed away from the center. Although there are guidelines to optimize dietary intake of children attending child care, little is known about what these children consume away from the center. To describe the dietary intake away from the child-care center for preschool-aged children relative to the expected one-third to one-half proportion of recommended intake, and to examine the relationships between energy intake away from the center with weight status, food group consumption, and low-income status. Cross-sectional study conducted between November 2009 and January 2011. Participants (n=339) attended 30 randomly selected, licensed, full-time child-care centers in Hamilton County, OH. Child weight status and dietary intake (food/beverages consumed outside the child-care setting from the time of pickup from the center to the child's bedtime), including energy and servings of fruits, vegetables, milk, 100% juice, sugar-sweetened beverages, and snack foods. Generalized linear mixed models were used to examine independent associations of food group servings and low-income status to energy intake and energy intake to child weight status. The mean energy intake consumed away from the center (685±17 kcal) was more than the recommended target range (433 to 650 kcal). Intakes of fruits, vegetables, and milk were less than recommended. Food group servings and overweight/obesity status were positively associated with energy intake while away from the center. Preschool-aged children consume more energy and less fruits, vegetables, and milk outside of child-care centers than recommended. Overweight status was associated with children's dietary intake after leaving the child-care center. It may be beneficial to include parents in obesity prevention efforts targeting children attending child-care centers. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Who Uses a Price Transparency Tool? Implications for Increasing Consumer Engagement.

PubMed

Gourevitch, Rebecca A; Desai, Sunita; Hicks, Andrew L; Hatfield, Laura A; Chernew, Michael E; Mehrotra, Ateev

2017-01-01

Despite the recent proliferation of price transparency tools, consumer use and awareness of these tools is low. Better strategies to increase the use of price transparency tools are needed. To inform such efforts, we studied who is most likely to use a price transparency tool. We conducted a cross-sectional study of use of the Truven Treatment Cost Calculator among employees at 2 large companies for the 12 months following the introduction of the tool in 2011-2012. We examined frequency of sign-ons and used multivariate logistic regression to identify which demographic and health care factors were associated with greater use of the tool. Among the 70 408 families offered the tool, 7885 (11%) used it at least once and 854 (1%) used it at least 3 times in the study period. Greater use of the tool was associated with younger age, living in a higher income community, and having a higher deductible. Families with moderate annual out-of-pocket medical spending ($1000-$2779) were also more likely to use the tool. Consistent with prior work, we find use of this price transparency tool is low and not sustained over time. Employers and payers need to pursue strategies to increase interest in and engagement with health care price information, particularly among consumers with higher medical spending.

Filling the Educator Pipeline: Recruiting Male Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Godfrey, Roxie V.; Manis, Kerry T.

2017-01-01

To encourage males to enter the teaching field, specifically in family and consumer sciences (FCS), FCS professionals should participate in recruitment initiatives aimed at males. Administrators, teacher educators, career counselors, and FCS teachers can play a significant role in this comprehensive and systematic effort. This paper adopts the…

Learning from Learners: Family and Consumer Sciences Professionals in International Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keino, Leah C.

2007-01-01

Family and consumer sciences professionals' contribute to the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through work in and support of international efforts. However, limited literature is available on professionals' challenges when working in such settings. In this article, the author offers one professional's insights into working…

Microbial Differences of Eggs from Traditional Cage and free Range Production.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Consumers have become more aware of the agricultural practices utilized in producing foods. Food producers have, in many instances, made efforts to provide consumers with a variety of social choices in the grocery store. As alternative products arrive in retail, there is need to understand the app...

The mental health consumer movement and peer providers in Israel.

PubMed

Moran, G S

2018-04-16

Self-help peer-support groups in Israel emerged in the 1980s and, over time, dynamically interacted and co-developed with the statutory mental health (MH) system. In this editorial, I outline historical milestones of how the evolution of the Israeli mental health system was influenced by the consumer movement. A brief depiction of the consumer movement history. At first, consumers operated outside of the mainstream MH system. Gradually, consumer groups and institutional personnel joined efforts towards community integration and enhancement of quality of life, pushing forward a person-centered recovery orientation. In turn, some administrators and key stakeholders in rehabilitation community services grew to value the impact of knowledge-by-experience in contemporary mental health care. In this context, over the past decade, peer roles were developed in the mental health system, including consumer-providers in community services and peer specialists in inpatient psychiatric hospitals. The insertion of peer roles into the mainstream MH system is far-reaching, including the placement of a peer-project coordinator within the ministry of health. I describe the unique contribution of peers, as experts-by-experience, to mainstream professional knowledge and practice. I also highlight the potential challenges involved when peer models of care are added to traditional medical models of care. The Israeli case demonstrates how the consumer movement can play an active role in MH systems and be acknowledged and recognised as a partner for changing policy, practice and reshaping formal institutions. In addition, they play a vital role in the development of peer-support services.

Consumer understanding, interpretation and perceived levels of personal responsibility in relation to satiety-related claims.

PubMed

Bilman, Els M; Kleef, Ellen van; Mela, David J; Hulshof, Toine; van Trijp, Hans C M

2012-12-01

The aim of this study was to explore (a) whether and how consumers may (over-) interpret satiety claims, and (b) whether and to what extent consumers recognize that personal efforts are required to realize possible satiety-related or weight loss benefits. Following means-end chain theory, we explored for a number of satiety claims the extent of inference-making to higher-level benefits than actually stated in the claim, using internet-based questions and tasks. Respondents (N=1504) in U.K., France, Italy and Germany participated in the study. The majority of these respondents correctly interpret satiety-related claims; i.e. they largely limit their interpretation to what was actually stated. They do not expect a "magic bullet" effect, but understand that personal efforts are required to translate product attributes into potential weight control benefits. Less-restrained eaters were at lower risk for over-interpreting satiety-related claims, whilst respondents with a stronger belief that their weight is something that they can control accept more personal responsibility, and better understand that personal efforts are required to be effective in weight control. Overall, these results indicate there is likely to be a relatively low level of consumer misinterpretation of satiety-related claims on food products. Copyright © 2012 International Life Sciences Institute. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

“A question of balance”: addressing the public health impacts of multinational enterprises in the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

PubMed Central

Yang, Joshua S.; McDaniel, Patricia A.; Malone, Ruth E.

2012-01-01

Background The global community is beginning to address non-communicable diseases, but how to increase the accountability of multinational enterprises (MNEs) for the health impacts of their products and practices remains unclear. We examine the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) efforts to do so through voluntary MNE guidelines. Methods We developed a historical case study of how the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises were developed and revised from 1973–2000 through an analysis of publicly available archived OECD and tobacco industry documents. Results The first edition of the Guidelines was a purely economic instrument. Outside pressures and a desire to ward off more stringent regulatory efforts resulted in the addition over time of guidelines related to the environment, consumer interests, sustainable development, and human rights. Conclusion Despite their voluntary nature, the Guidelines can play a role in efforts to help balance the interests of MNEs and public health by providing a starting point for efforts to create binding provisions addressing MNEs’ contributions to disease burden or disease reduction. PMID:23046298

Computational Issues Associated with Temporally Deforming Geometries Such as Thrust Vectoring Nozzles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boyalakuntla, Kishore; Soni, Bharat K.; Thornburg, Hugh J.; Yu, Robert

1996-01-01

During the past decade, computational simulation of fluid flow around complex configurations has progressed significantly and many notable successes have been reported, however, unsteady time-dependent solutions are not easily obtainable. The present effort involves unsteady time dependent simulation of temporally deforming geometries. Grid generation for a complex configuration can be a time consuming process and temporally varying geometries necessitate the regeneration of such grids for every time step. Traditional grid generation techniques have been tried and demonstrated to be inadequate to such simulations. Non-Uniform Rational B-splines (NURBS) based techniques provide a compact and accurate representation of the geometry. This definition can be coupled with a distribution mesh for a user defined spacing. The present method greatly reduces cpu requirements for time dependent remeshing, facilitating the simulation of more complex unsteady problems. A thrust vectoring nozzle has been chosen to demonstrate the capability as it is of current interest in the aerospace industry for better maneuverability of fighter aircraft in close combat and in post stall regimes. This current effort is the first step towards multidisciplinary design optimization which involves coupling the aerodynamic heat transfer and structural analysis techniques. Applications include simulation of temporally deforming bodies and aeroelastic problems.

[Effectiveness of a new model of telephone derivation shared between primary care and hospital care].

PubMed

Azogil-López, Luis Miguel; Pérez-Lázaro, Juan José; Ávila-Pecci, Patricia; Medrano-Sánchez, Esther María; Coronado-Vázquez, María Valle

2018-04-23

The purpose of this study is to find out whether telephone referral from Primary Health Care to Internal Medicine Consult manages to reduce waiting days as compared to traditional referral. This study also aims to know how acceptable is the telephone referral to general practitioners and their patients. No blind randomized controlled clinical trial. Northern Huelva Health District. 154 patients. Patients referrals from intervention clinicians were sent via telephone consultation, whereas patients referrals from control clinicians were sent by traditional via. Number of days from referral request to Internal Medicine Consult. Number of telephone and traditional referrals. Number of doctors and patients denied. Denial reasons. A statistically significant difference was found between groups, with an average of 27 (21-34) days. Among General Practitioners, 8 of the first 58 total doctors after randomization and, subsequently, 6 of the 20 doctors of the test group refused to engage in the trial because they considered "excessive time and effort consuming". 50% of patients referred by the 14 General Practitioners finally randomized to the intervention group were denied referral by telephone due to patient's complexity. Telephone referral significantly reduces waiting days for Internal Medicine consult. This type of referral did not mean an "excessive time and effort consuming" to General Practitioners and was not all that beneficial to complex patients. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Overweight/obesity is associated with food choices related to rice and beans, colors of salads, and portion size among consumers at a restaurant serving buffet-by-weight in Brazil.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Alline Gouvea Martins; Proença, Rossana Pacheco da Costa; Calvo, Maria Cristina Marino; Fiates, Giovanna Medeiros Rataichesck

2012-10-01

The present study investigated the prevalence of overweight/obesity and its relationship with behavioral and food choice characteristics among consumers at a restaurant serving buffet-by-weight in the city of Florianopolis, southern Brazil, during lunch time. An analytical cross-sectional survey of 675 consumers aged 16-81 years was conducted. The measures included anthropometric, socio-demographic, and behavioral characteristics, as well as portion size and a photographic record of the plate chosen by the consumer. The results indicated a prevalence of overweight/obesity in the sample of 33.8%. Overall, after an adjustment for other variables (sex, age, schooling, marital status, and food choice variables), overweight/obesity was positively associated with not choosing rice and beans (PR=1.11) and larger portion sizes (PR=1.08 for a portion size of 347-462 g and PR=1.16 for a portion size of 463 g or more). Moreover, choosing 1-2 colors of salads showed a positive association when compared with choosing 3 or more colors of salads (PR=1.06). Efforts in helping consumers make healthier food choices when eating out and thereby possibly reduce weight gain should address those aspects along with socio-demographic factors. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Policy reform dilemmas in promoting employment of persons with severe mental illness.

PubMed

Noble, J H

1998-06-01

Recent evaluations by the U.S. General Accounting Office and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of reemployment efforts of the federal-state vocational rehabilitation program found that services offered by state vocational rehabilitation agencies do not produce long-term earnings for clients with emotional or physical disabilities. This paper examines reasons for these poor outcomes and the implications of recent policy reform recommendations. Congress must decide whether to take action at the federal level to upgrade programs affecting persons with severe mental illnesses or to continue to rely on state decision making. The federal-state program largely wastes an estimated $490 million annually on time-limited services to consumers with mental illnesses. Rechanneled into a variety of innovative and more appropriate integrated services models, the money could buy stable annual vocational rehabilitation funding for 62,000 to 90,000 consumers with severe mental illnesses. Larger macrosystem problems involve the dynamics of the labor market that limit job opportunities and the powerful work disincentives for consumers with severe disabilities now inherent in Social Security Disability Insurance, Supplemental Security Income, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Novel handheld x-ray fluorescence spectrometer for routine testing for the presence of lead

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rensing, Noa M.; Tiernan, Timothy C.; Squillante, Michael R.

2011-06-01

RMD is developing a safe, inexpensive, and easy to operate lead detector for retailers and consumers that can reliably detect dangerous levels of lead in toys and other household products. Lead and its compounds have been rated as top chemicals that pose a great threat to human health. However, widespread testing for environmental lead is rarely undertaken until lead poisoning has already been diagnosed. The problem is not due to the accuracy or sensitivity of existing lead detection technology, but rather to the high expense, safety and licensing barriers of available test equipment. An inexpensive and easy to use lead detector would enable the identification of highly contaminated objects and areas and allow for timely and cost effective remediation. The military has similar needs for testing for lead and other heavy elements such as mercury, primarily in the decontamination of former military properties prior to their return to civilian use. RMD's research and development efforts are abased on advanced solid-state detectors combined with recently patented lead detection techniques to develop a consumer oriented lead detector that will be widely available and easy and inexpensive to use. These efforts will result in an instrument that offers: (1) high sensitivity, to identify objects containing dangerous amounts of lead, (2) low cost to encourage widespread testing by consumers and other end users and (3) convenient operation requiring no training or licensing. In contrast, current handheld x-ray fluorescence spectrometers either use a radioactive source requiring licensing and operating training, or use an electronic x-ray source that limits their sensitivity to surface lead.

Quadratic Programming for Allocating Control Effort

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Gurkirpal

2005-01-01

A computer program calculates an optimal allocation of control effort in a system that includes redundant control actuators. The program implements an iterative (but otherwise single-stage) algorithm of the quadratic-programming type. In general, in the quadratic-programming problem, one seeks the values of a set of variables that minimize a quadratic cost function, subject to a set of linear equality and inequality constraints. In this program, the cost function combines control effort (typically quantified in terms of energy or fuel consumed) and control residuals (differences between commanded and sensed values of variables to be controlled). In comparison with prior control-allocation software, this program offers approximately equal accuracy but much greater computational efficiency. In addition, this program offers flexibility, robustness to actuation failures, and a capability for selective enforcement of control requirements. The computational efficiency of this program makes it suitable for such complex, real-time applications as controlling redundant aircraft actuators or redundant spacecraft thrusters. The program is written in the C language for execution in a UNIX operating system.

Consumer Education, Materials for an Elective Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bregman, Henry; And Others

An interdisciplinary course to be offered in grade 12 to serve as a capstone to the efforts of social studies, business education, home economics, health education, and industrial arts, in preparing citizens to be wise consumers, was developed by a team of teacher consultants and curriculum specialists. The materials were tested and revised after…

Consumer Views: Importance of Fuel Economy

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

Singer, Mark

This presentation includes data captured by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to support the U.S. Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) research efforts. The data capture consumer views on the importance of fuel economy amongst other vehicle attributes and views on which alternative fuel types would be the best and worst replacements for gasoline.

Active learning based segmentation of Crohns disease from abdominal MRI.

PubMed

Mahapatra, Dwarikanath; Vos, Franciscus M; Buhmann, Joachim M

2016-05-01

This paper proposes a novel active learning (AL) framework, and combines it with semi supervised learning (SSL) for segmenting Crohns disease (CD) tissues from abdominal magnetic resonance (MR) images. Robust fully supervised learning (FSL) based classifiers require lots of labeled data of different disease severities. Obtaining such data is time consuming and requires considerable expertise. SSL methods use a few labeled samples, and leverage the information from many unlabeled samples to train an accurate classifier. AL queries labels of most informative samples and maximizes gain from the labeling effort. Our primary contribution is in designing a query strategy that combines novel context information with classification uncertainty and feature similarity. Combining SSL and AL gives a robust segmentation method that: (1) optimally uses few labeled samples and many unlabeled samples; and (2) requires lower training time. Experimental results show our method achieves higher segmentation accuracy than FSL methods with fewer samples and reduced training effort. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Minimizing the area required for time constants in integrated circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyons, J. C.

1972-01-01

When a medium- or large-scale integrated circuit is designed, efforts are usually made to avoid the use of resistor-capacitor time constant generators. The capacitor needed for this circuit usually takes up more surface area on the chip than several resistors and transistors. When the use of this network is unavoidable, the designer usually makes an effort to see that the choice of resistor and capacitor combinations is such that a minimum amount of surface area is consumed. The optimum ratio of resistance to capacitance that will result in this minimum area is equal to the ratio of resistance to capacitance which may be obtained from a unit of surface area for the particular process being used. The minimum area required is a function of the square root of the reciprocal of the products of the resistance and capacitance per unit area. This minimum occurs when the area required by the resistor is equal to the area required by the capacitor.

Financial coping strategies of mental health consumers: managing social benefits.

PubMed

Caplan, Mary Ager

2014-05-01

Mental health consumers depend on social benefits in the forms of supplemental security income and social security disability insurance for their livelihood. Although these programs pay meager benefits, little research has been undertaken into how this population makes ends meet. Using a qualitative approach, this study asks what are the financial coping strategies of mental health consumers? Seven approaches were identified: subsidies, cost-effective shopping, budgeting, prioritizing, technology, debt management, and saving money. Results illustrate the resourcefulness of mental health consumers in managing meager social benefits and highlight the need to strengthen community mental health efforts with financial capabilities education.

Reorienting health systems to meet the demand for consumer health solutions.

PubMed

Buckeridge, David L

2014-01-01

There is a clear and pronounced gap between the demand for and access to consumer health solutions. Existing health information systems and broader health system factors such as funding models are reasons for this gap. There are strong arguments from the perspectives of the consumer and population health for closing this gap, but the case from the perspective of the current health system is mixed. Closing the gap will require a concerted effort to reorient health information systems and funding models to support online access by consumers to health information and health services.

A cost-benefit analysis of demand for food.

PubMed Central

Hursh, S R; Raslear, T G; Shurtleff, D; Bauman, R; Simmons, L

1988-01-01

Laboratory studies of consumer demand theory require assumptions regarding the definition of price in the absence of a medium of exchange (money). In this study we test the proposition that the fundamental dimension of price is a cost-benefit ratio expressed as the effort expended per unit of food value consumed. Using rats as subjects, we tested the generality of this "unit price" concept by varying four dimensions of price: fixed-ratio schedule, number of food pellets per fixed-ratio completion, probability of reinforcement, and response lever weight or effort. Two levels of the last three factors were combined in a 2 x 2 x 2 design giving eight groups. Each group was studied under a series of six FR schedules. Using the nominal values of all factors to determine unit price, we found that grams of food consumed plotted as a function of unit price followed a single demand curve. Similarly, total work output (responses x effort) conformed to a single function when plotted in terms of unit price. These observations provided a template for interpreting the effects of biological factors, such as brain lesions or drugs, that might alter the cost-benefit ratio. PMID:3209958

Wasted Food: U.S. Consumers' Reported Awareness, Attitudes, and Behaviors

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

The U.S. wastes 31 to 40% of its post-harvest food supply, with a substantial portion of this waste occurring at the consumer level. Globally, interventions to address wasted food have proliferated, but efforts are in their infancy in the U.S. To inform these efforts and provide baseline data to track change, we performed a survey of U.S. consumer awareness, attitudes and behaviors related to wasted food. The survey was administered online to members of a nationally representative panel (N=1010), and post-survey weights were applied. The survey found widespread (self-reported) awareness of wasted food as an issue, efforts to reduce it, and knowledge about how to do so, plus moderately frequent performance of waste-reducing behaviors. Three-quarters of respondents said they discard less food than the average American. The leading motivations for waste reduction were saving money and setting an example for children, with environmental concerns ranked last. The most common reasons given for discarding food were concern about foodborne illness and a desire to eat only the freshest food. In some cases there were modest differences based on age, parental status, and income, but no differences were found by race, education, rural/urban residence or other demographic factors. Respondents recommended ways retailers and restaurants could help reduce waste. This is the first nationally representative consumer survey focused on wasted food in the U.S. It provides insight into U.S. consumers’ perceptions related to wasted food, and comparisons to existing literature. The findings suggest approaches including recognizing that many consumers perceive themselves as being already-knowledgeable and engaged, framing messages to focus on budgets, and modifying existing messages about food freshness and aesthetics. This research also suggests opportunities to shift retail and restaurant practice, and identifies critical research gaps. PMID:26062025

Co-production and time use. Influence on product evaluation.

PubMed

Heide, Morten; Olsen, Svein Ottar

2011-02-01

This study analyses how time use influences consumers' evaluation of a product and their satisfaction with the co-production activity. It also includes hypotheses about how knowledge and perceived convenience are related to the evaluative constructs. The constructs are checked for reliability and validity, before using structural equation modelling in Lisrel to estimate the relationships between the constructs and their measures. The results showed that time use had a negative influence on perceived convenience and a positive effect on satisfaction with co-production, but did not influence the global evaluation of the product. Satisfaction with co-production and perceived convenience had a positive influence on the global evaluation. Knowledge had a negative influence on time use. Finally, knowledge and perceived convenience had a positive relationship with satisfaction with co-production. In total, seven out of nine hypotheses are supported by the data. The study suggests that time use, perceived convenience, and satisfaction with co-production can be an important variables in the understanding of the evaluative outcome of a co-produced product. The dual role of time use can be positioned as something the consumer wants to minimize for convenient reasons or extended in order to be satisfied with the co-production effort. The paper presents new insights into how co-production and time use influence product evaluation. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ensuring that consumers receive appropriate information from drug ads: what is the FDA's role?

PubMed

Waxman, Henry A

2004-01-01

The promise of direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertisements lies in their potential to educate consumers about medical conditions and the possibility of treatment. But this promise can only be fulfilled if consumers are given clear and accurate information. The responsibility for ensuring that this occurs falls on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Recent congressional investigations have indicated that the agency is failing at this task, as FDA enforcement actions against false and misleading ads have declined precipitously in recent years. Other FDA efforts, such as its recently released guidelines on prescription drugs, do not appear to be helpful, potentially confusing consumers more than helping them.

Associations between parental limits, school vending machine purchases, and soft drink consumption among Kentucky middle school students.

PubMed

Nickelson, Jen; Roseman, Mary G; Forthofer, Melinda S

2010-01-01

To examine associations between parental limits on soft drinks and purchasing soft drinks from school vending machines and consuming soft drinks among middle school students. Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the middle school Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Eight public middle schools in central Kentucky. All sixth- through eighth-grade students in 7 schools and all eighth-grade students in 1 school (n = 4,049). Self-reported parental limits on soft drink intake, school vending machine soft drink purchases, soft drink consumption, and control variables. Chi-square and binary logistic regression analyses. Compared to students with no parental limits on soft drink consumption, students with the strictest limits were less likely to purchase soft drinks from school vending machines and consume soft drinks; conversely, students with minor parental limitations were more likely to consume soft drinks. The odds of consuming soft drinks were nearly 4 times greater when students purchased soft drinks from school vending machines than when they did not. Further research may enhance understanding of the influence of varying degrees of parental limitations. Efforts to reduce children's soft drink consumption may be augmented by policies limiting soft drink purchases in schools. Copyright 2010 Society for Nutrition Education. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Five Years Later: Awareness Of New York City's Calorie Labels Declined, With No Changes In Calories Purchased.

PubMed

Cantor, Jonathan; Torres, Alejandro; Abrams, Courtney; Elbel, Brian

2015-11-01

To follow up on a previous study that examined how the mandated displaying of calorie information on menu boards in fast-food restaurants in New York City influenced consumers' behavior, we analyzed itemized cash register receipts and survey responses from 7,699 consumers at four fast-food chains. Using a difference-in-differences study design, we found that consumers exposed to menu labeling immediately after the mandate took effect in 2008 and at three points in 2013-14 reported seeing and using the information more often than their counterparts at fast-food restaurants without menu labeling. In each successive period of data collection, the percentage of respondents noticing and using the information declined, while remaining above the prelabeling baseline. There were no statistically significant changes over time in levels of calories or other nutrients purchased or in the frequency of visits to fast-food restaurants. Menu labeling at fast-food chain restaurants, which the Affordable Care Act requires to be implemented nationwide in 2016, remains an unproven strategy for improving the nutritional quality of consumer food choices at the population level. Additional policy efforts that go beyond labeling and possibly alter labeling to increase its impact must be considered. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Surgical pathology report in the era of desktop publishing.

PubMed

Pillarisetti, S G

1993-01-01

Since it is believed that "a picture is worth a thousand words," incorporation of computer-generated line art was used as a adjunct to gross description in surgical pathology reporting in selected cases. The lack of an integrated software program was overcome by using commercially available graphic and word processing software. A library of drawings was developed over the last few years. Most time-consuming is the development of templates and the graphic library. With some effort it is possible to integrate graphics of high quality into surgical pathology reports.

Shopping Effort Classification: Implications for Segmenting the College Student Market

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Robert E.; Palmer, John C.; Eidson, Vicky; Griswold, Melissa

2011-01-01

Market segmentation strategies based on levels of consumer shopping effort have long been utilized by marketing professionals. Such strategies can be beneficial in assisting marketers with development of appropriate marketing mix variables for segments. However, these types of strategies have not been assessed by researchers examining segmentation…

A new "loyalty rewards" program in health care customer relationships.

PubMed

Macstravic, Scott

2006-01-01

"Loyalty rewards" in sponsored DM and HRM programs can apply to both providers and consumers. Physicians and hospitals can be paid to "loyally" adhere to payers' guidelines for managing diseases and risks. Many payer and their outsourced vendor programs include significant efforts to create collaborations between payer and provider, rather than relying on unilateral efforts. And growing numbers are rewarding providers for their efforts and results achieved.

Responding rapidly to FDA drug withdrawals: design and application of a new approach for a consumer health website.

PubMed

Embi, Peter J; Acharya, Prasad; McCuistion, Mark; Kishman, Charles P; Haag, Doris; Marine, Stephen

2006-09-06

Information about drug withdrawals may not reach patients in a timely manner, and this could result in adverse events. Increasingly, the public turns to consumer health websites for health information, but such sites may not update their content for days or weeks following important events like Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug withdrawal actions. There is no recognized standard for how quickly consumer health websites should respond to such events, and reports addressing this issue are lacking. The objective of this study was to develop and implement an approach to enhance the efficiency with which a consumer health website (NetWellness.org) responds to FDA drug withdrawal actions. Evaluation of the current approach used by NetWellness staff to update content affected by FDA action revealed a slow process driven by the goal of performing thorough and comprehensive review and editing. To achieve our desired goal of accurately updating affected content within 24 hours of FDA action, we developed a strategy that included rapid updating of affected Web pages with warning boxes and hyperlinks to the information about the withdrawal. With the next FDA withdrawal event, that of valdecoxib (Bextra) on April 7, 2005, we applied this new approach, observed the time and resource requirements, and monitored the rate at which consumers viewed the updated information to gauge its potential impact. Application of the new approach allowed one person to modify the affected Web pages in less than 1 hour and within 18 hours of the FDA announcement. Using the old strategy, response to a similar event, the withdrawal of rofecoxib (Vioxx) 6 months earlier, had taken over 3 weeks and the efforts of several personnel. Updated valdecoxib content received 188 hits within the first month and 4285 hits within 1 year. Rapid updating of a consumer health website's content in response to an FDA drug withdrawal event was easily accomplished by applying the approach described. This allowed consumers to view accurate information regarding the withdrawn drug much sooner than would otherwise have been the case. Given that consumers increasingly turn to websites for their health information, adoption of a rapid response standard for important health events like FDA drug withdrawals should be considered by the consumer health informatics community.

Informational and symbolic content of over-the-counter drug advertising on television.

PubMed

Tsao, J C

1997-01-01

The informational and symbolic content of 150 over-the-counter drug commercials on television are empirically analyzed in this study. Results on the informational content suggest that over-the-counter drug ads tend to focus on the concern of what the drug will do for the consumer, rather than on the reasons why the drug should be ingested. Accordingly, advertising strategy is centered on consumer awareness of the product as the primary goal. Educational commitment, however, did not seem to be blended into the promotional efforts for over-the-counter drugs. Findings on the symbolic content of over-the-counter drug ads reveal that drug images have been distorted. Performance of most drugs has been portrayed to be simple resolutions to relieve the symptom. Moreover, a casual attitude toward drug usage is encouraged in the commercials, while time lapse of drug effects is overlooked.

Future enhancements to 3D printing and real time production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landa, Joseph; Jenkins, Jeffery; Wu, Jerry; Szu, Harold

2014-05-01

The cost and scope of additive printing machines range from several hundred to hundreds of thousands of dollars. For the extra money, one can get improvements in build size, selection of material properties, resolution, and consistency. However, temperature control during build and fusing predicts outcome and protects the IP by large high cost machines. Support material options determine geometries that can be accomplished which drives cost and complexity of printing heads. Historically, 3D printers have been used for design and prototyping efforts. Recent advances and cost reduction sparked new interest in developing printed products and consumables such as NASA who is printing food, printing consumer parts (e.g. cell phone cases, novelty toys), making tools and fixtures in manufacturing, and recursively print a self-similar printer (c.f. makerbot). There is a near term promise of the capability to print on demand products at the home or office... directly from the printer to use.

Consumer Views: Fuel Economy, Plug-in Electric Vehicle Battery Range, and Willingness to Pay for Vehicle Technology

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

Singer, Mark

This presentation includes data captured by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to support the U.S. Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) research efforts. The data capture consumer views on fuel economy, plug-in electric vehicle battery range, and willingness to pay for advanced vehicle technologies.

Providing Choice Making in Employment Programs: The Beginning or End of Self-Determination?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agran, Martin; Krupp, Michael

2011-01-01

Choice making represents the central element of self-determination, and efforts are being made across all service programs to promote choice making for consumers with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Although choice making appears to be a relatively simple response for a consumer to perform (selecting one stimulus over another), it is…

Balancing consumer protection and scientific integrity in the face of uncertainty: the example of gluten-free foods.

PubMed

McCabe, Margaret Sova

2010-01-01

In 2009, gluten-free foods were not only "hot" in the marketplace, several countries, including the United States, continued efforts to define gluten-free and appropriate labeling parameters. The regulatory process illuminates how difficult regulations based on safe scientific thresholds can be for regulators, manufacturers and consumers. This article analyzes the gluten-free regulatory landscape, challenges to defining a safe gluten threshold, and how consumers might need more label information beyond the term "gluten-free." The article includes an overview of international gluten-free regulations, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rulemaking process, and issues for consumers.

Consumer-directed health care: implications for health care organizations and managers.

PubMed

Guo, Kristina L

2010-01-01

This article uses a pyramid model to illustrate the key components of consumer-directed health care. Consumer-directed health care is considered the essential strategy needed to lower health care costs and is valuable for making significant strides in health care reform. Consumer-directed health care presents new challenges and opportunities for all health care stakeholders and their managers. The viability of the health system depends on the success of managers to respond rapidly and with precision to changes in the system; thus, new and modified roles of managers are necessary to successfully sustain consumerism efforts to control costs while maintaining access and quality.

Unresolved tensions in consumer engagement in CER: a US research perspective.

PubMed

Workman, Thomas; Maurer, Maureen; Carman, Kristin

2013-03-01

Efforts to engage patients and consumers in comparative effectiveness research (CER) in the USA are still in the early stages, and the outcomes of these partnerships have yet to be fully understood or realized. Our work assisting federal agencies and national organizations who engage patients and consumers in CER reveal three unresolved tensions around the representation of the patient experience in the research process, the culture of research and capacity to partner with patients and consumers, and the conflict between the methodological approaches to CER and the outcomes of interest to patients and caregivers. Several approaches to address these tensions have emerged, yet resolving these tensions will require addressing many system-level challenges and building an evidence base for consumer engagement in CER.

The Role of IT in Campus Sustainability Efforts. An EDUCAUSE White Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Page, Carie

2009-01-01

As the impact of worldwide carbon emissions comes into sharper focus, college and university sustainability efforts are increasingly turning green, focusing on ways to use resources more efficiently, consume less, and reduce campus carbon footprints. Yet, despite the direct impact of IT on institutional carbon levels and the potential for new…

Missing Links: A Serendipitous Journey into Teaching Styles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Worfel, Paul

This paper documents the journey of a researcher into the teacher effectiveness movement and efforts to find missing links to show the correlations between teacher behavior and student learning. The paper also considers how the forces within education tend to consume embryonic ideas in teacher education, rather than nurture them in an effort to…

Implementing real-time robotic systems using CHIMERA II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, David B.; Schmitz, Donald E.; Khosla, Pradeep K.

1990-01-01

A description is given of the CHIMERA II programming environment and operating system, which was developed for implementing real-time robotic systems. Sensor-based robotic systems contain both general- and special-purpose hardware, and thus the development of applications tends to be a time-consuming task. The CHIMERA II environment is designed to reduce the development time by providing a convenient software interface between the hardware and the user. CHIMERA II supports flexible hardware configurations which are based on one or more VME-backplanes. All communication across multiple processors is transparent to the user through an extensive set of interprocessor communication primitives. CHIMERA II also provides a high-performance real-time kernel which supports both deadline and highest-priority-first scheduling. The flexibility of CHIMERA II allows hierarchical models for robot control, such as NASREM, to be implemented with minimal programming time and effort.

Focus on Senior Citizens: A Report of Funded Projects for 1976 and 1977.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bureau of Occupational and Adult Education (DHEW/OE), Washington, DC. Office of Consumers' Education.

In an effort to promote understanding of the elderly and to provide consumer awareness programs for them, the Office of Consumers' Education funded eight projects in 1976 and two in 1977 which focused on areas such as (1) education of older adults to make intelligent choices among alternative goods and services, (2) training of specialists to work…

Evaluation of Delivery Costs for External Beam Radiation Therapy and Brachytherapy for Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer Using Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing.

PubMed

Bauer-Nilsen, Kristine; Hill, Colin; Trifiletti, Daniel M; Libby, Bruce; Lash, Donna H; Lain, Melody; Christodoulou, Deborah; Hodge, Constance; Showalter, Timothy N

2018-01-01

To evaluate the delivery costs, using time-driven activity-based costing, and reimbursement for definitive radiation therapy for locally advanced cervical cancer. Process maps were created to represent each step of the radiation treatment process and included personnel, equipment, and consumable supplies used to deliver care. Personnel were interviewed to estimate time involved to deliver care. Salary data, equipment purchasing information, and facilities costs were also obtained. We defined the capacity cost rate (CCR) for each resource and then calculated the total cost of patient care according to CCR and time for each resource. Costs were compared with 2016 Medicare reimbursement and relative value units (RVUs). The total cost of radiation therapy for cervical cancer was $12,861.68, with personnel costs constituting 49.8%. Brachytherapy cost $8610.68 (66.9% of total) and consumed 423 minutes of attending radiation oncologist time (80.0% of total). External beam radiation therapy cost $4055.01 (31.5% of total). Personnel costs were higher for brachytherapy than for the sum of simulation and external beam radiation therapy delivery ($4798.73 vs $1404.72). A full radiation therapy course provides radiation oncologists 149.77 RVUs with intensity modulated radiation therapy or 135.90 RVUs with 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, with total reimbursement of $23,321.71 and $16,071.90, respectively. Attending time per RVU is approximately 4-fold higher for brachytherapy (5.68 minutes) than 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (1.63 minutes) or intensity modulated radiation therapy (1.32 minutes). Time-driven activity-based costing was used to calculate the total cost of definitive radiation therapy for cervical cancer, revealing that brachytherapy delivery and personnel resources constituted the majority of costs. However, current reimbursement policy does not reflect the increased attending physician effort and delivery costs of brachytherapy. We hypothesize that the significant discrepancy between treatment costs and physician effort versus reimbursement may be a potential driver of reported national trends toward poor compliance with brachytherapy, and we suggest re-evaluation of payment policies to incentivize quality care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An exploratory analysis of cigarette price premium, market share and consumer loyalty in relation to continued consumption versus cessation in a national US panel

PubMed Central

Lewis, Michael; Wang, Yanwen; Cahn, Zachary; Berg, Carla J

2015-01-01

Introduction Brand equity and consumer loyalty play a role in continued purchasing behaviour; however, this research has largely focused on non-addictive products without counter-marketing tactics. We examined the impact of brand equity (price premium, market share) and consumer loyalty (switching rates) on smoking cessation (discontinued cigarette purchases for 1 year) among smokers in a consumer panel. Methods In Spring 2015, we analysed 1077 cigarette-purchasing households in the Nielsen Homescan Panel. We analysed cessation in relation to brand equity, consumer loyalty, other purchasing behaviours (nicotine intake, frequency), sociodemographics and tobacco control activities (per state-specific data) over a 6-year period (2004–2009) using Cox proportional hazard modelling. Results The sample was 13.28% African-American; the average income was $52 334 (SD=31 445). The average price premium and market share of smokers’ dominant brands were $1.31 (SD=0.49) and 15.41% (SD=19.15), respectively. The mean brand loyalty level was 0.90 (SD=0.17), indicating high loyalty. In our final model, a higher price premium and market share were associated with lower quit rates (p=0.039); however, an interaction effect suggested that greater market share was not associated with lower cessation rates for African-American smokers (p=0.006). Consumer loyalty was not associated with cessation. Other predictors of lower quit rates included a higher nicotine intake (p=0.006) and baseline purchase frequency (p<0.001). Tobacco control factors were not significantly associated. Conclusions Smokers of high-equity cigarette brands are less likely to quit, perhaps due to strong brand–consumer relationships. Thus, continued efforts should aim to regulate tobacco marketing efforts in order to disrupt these relationships to promote cessation. PMID:26534732

Contrafreeloading in grizzly bears: implications for captive foraging enrichment.

PubMed

McGowan, Ragen T S; Robbins, Charles T; Alldredge, J Richard; Newberry, Ruth C

2010-01-01

Although traditional feeding regimens for captive animals were focused on meeting physiological needs to assure good health, more recently emphasis has also been placed on non-nutritive aspects of feeding. The provision of foraging materials to diversify feeding behavior is a common practice in zoos but selective consumption of foraging enrichment items over more balanced "chow" diets could lead to nutrient imbalance. One alternative is to provide balanced diets in a contrafreeloading paradigm. Contrafreeloading occurs when animals choose resources that require effort to exploit when identical resources are freely available. To investigate contrafreeloading and its potential as a theoretical foundation for foraging enrichment, we conducted two experiments with captive grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis). In Experiment 1, bears were presented with five foraging choices simultaneously: apples, apples in ice, salmon, salmon in ice, and plain ice under two levels of food restriction. Two measures of contrafreeloading were considered: weight of earned food consumed and time spent working for earned food. More free than earned food was eaten, with only two bears consuming food extracted from ice, but all bears spent more time manipulating ice containing salmon or apples than plain ice regardless of level of food restriction. In Experiment 2, food-restricted bears were presented with three foraging choices simultaneously: apples, apples inside a box, and an empty box. Although they ate more free than earned food, five bears consumed food from boxes and all spent more time manipulating boxes containing apples than empty boxes. Our findings support the provision of contrafreeloading opportunities as a foraging enrichment strategy for captive wildlife. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Quality assurance of the gene ontology using abstraction networks.

PubMed

Ochs, Christopher; Perl, Yehoshua; Halper, Michael; Geller, James; Lomax, Jane

2016-06-01

The gene ontology (GO) is used extensively in the field of genomics. Like other large and complex ontologies, quality assurance (QA) efforts for GO's content can be laborious and time consuming. Abstraction networks (AbNs) are summarization networks that reveal and highlight high-level structural and hierarchical aggregation patterns in an ontology. They have been shown to successfully support QA work in the context of various ontologies. Two kinds of AbNs, called the area taxonomy and the partial-area taxonomy, are developed for GO hierarchies and derived specifically for the biological process (BP) hierarchy. Within this framework, several QA heuristics, based on the identification of groups of anomalous terms which exhibit certain taxonomy-defined characteristics, are introduced. Such groups are expected to have higher error rates when compared to other terms. Thus, by focusing QA efforts on anomalous terms one would expect to find relatively more erroneous content. By automatically identifying these potential problem areas within an ontology, time and effort will be saved during manual reviews of GO's content. BP is used as a testbed, with samples of three kinds of anomalous BP terms chosen for a taxonomy-based QA review. Additional heuristics for QA are demonstrated. From the results of this QA effort, it is observed that different kinds of inconsistencies in the modeling of GO can be exposed with the use of the proposed heuristics. For comparison, the results of QA work on a sample of terms chosen from GO's general population are presented.

Demographic Predictors of Event-Level Associations between Alcohol Consumption and Sexual Behavior.

PubMed

Wells, Brooke E; Rendina, H Jonathon; Kelly, Brian C; Golub, Sarit A; Parsons, Jeffrey T

2016-02-01

Alcohol consumption is associated with sexual behavior and outcomes, though research indicates a variety of moderating factors, including demographic characteristics. To better target interventions aimed at alcohol-related sexual risk behavior, our analyses simultaneously examine demographic predictors of both day- and event-level associations between alcohol consumption and sexual behavior in a sample of young adults (N = 301) who are sexually active and consume alcohol. Young adults (aged 18-29) recruited using time-space sampling and incentivized snowball sampling completed a survey and a timeline follow-back calendar reporting alcohol consumption and sexual behavior in the past 30 days. On a given day, a greater number of drinks consumed was associated with higher likelihood of sex occurring, particularly for women and single participants. During a given sexual event, number of drinks consumed was not associated with condom use, nor did any demographic predictors predict that association. Findings highlight associations between alcohol and sexual behavior, though not between alcohol and sexual risk behavior, highlighting the need for additional research exploring the complex role of alcohol in sexual risk behavior and the need to develop prevention efforts to minimize the role of alcohol in the initiation of sexual encounters.

A content relevance model for social media health information.

PubMed

Prybutok, Gayle Linda; Koh, Chang; Prybutok, Victor R

2014-04-01

Consumer health informatics includes the development and implementation of Internet-based systems to deliver health risk management information and health intervention applications to the public. The application of consumer health informatics to educational and interventional efforts such as smoking reduction and cessation has garnered attention from both consumers and health researchers in recent years. Scientists believe that smoking avoidance or cessation before the age of 30 years can prevent more than 90% of smoking-related cancers and that individuals who stop smoking fare as well in preventing cancer as those who never start. The goal of this study was to determine factors that were most highly correlated with content relevance for health information provided on the Internet for a study group of 18- to 30-year-old college students. Data analysis showed that the opportunity for convenient entertainment, social interaction, health information-seeking behavior, time spent surfing on the Internet, the importance of available activities on the Internet (particularly e-mail), and perceived site relevance for Internet-based sources of health information were significantly correlated with content relevance for 18- to 30-year-old college students, an educated subset of this population segment.

Characterization of Patient Interest in Provider-Based Consumer Health Information Technology: Survey Study.

PubMed

Featherall, Joseph; Lapin, Brittany; Chaitoff, Alexander; Havele, Sonia A; Thompson, Nicolas; Katzan, Irene

2018-04-19

Consumer health information technology can improve patient engagement in their health care and assist in navigating the complexities of health care delivery. However, the consumer health information technology offerings of health systems are often driven by provider rather than patient perspectives and inadequately address patient needs, thus limiting their adoption by patients. Consideration given to patients as stakeholders in the development of such technologies may improve adoption, efficacy, and consumer health information technology resource allocation. The aims of this paper were to measure patient interest in different health system consumer health information technology apps and determine the influence of patient characteristics on consumer health information technology interest. Patients seen at the Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute were electronically surveyed on their interest in using different consumer health information technology apps. A self-efficacy scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 depression screen, and EuroQol 5 dimensions health-related quality of life scale were also completed by patients. Logistic regression was used to determine the influence of patient characteristics on interest in consumer health information technology in the categories of self-management, education, and communication. The majority of 3852 patient respondents had an interest in all technology categories assessed in the survey. The highest interest was in apps that allow patients to ask questions of providers (3476/3852, 90.24%) and to schedule appointments (3211/3839, 83.64%). Patient interest in consumer health information technology was significantly associated with greater depression symptoms, worse quality of life, greater health self-efficacy, and smartphone ownership (P<.001 for all listed). Patients should be viewed as active stakeholders in consumer health information technology development and their perspectives should consistently guide development efforts. Health systems should consider focusing on consumer health information technologies that assist patients in scheduling appointments and asking questions of providers. Patients with depression should also be considered for targeted consumer health information technology implementation. Health self-efficacy is a valid predictor of consumer health information technology interest and may play a role in the utilization of consumer health information technologies. Health systems, broadly, should put forth greater effort to understand the needs and interests of patients in the consumer health information technology development process. Consumer health information technology design and implementation may be improved by understanding which technologies patients want. ©Joseph Featherall, Brittany Lapin, Alexander Chaitoff, Sonia A Havele, Nicolas Thompson, Irene Katzan. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 19.04.2018.

Reducing the Time and Cost of Testing Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Producing a new aircraft engine currently costs approximately $1 billion, with 3 years of development time for a commercial engine and 10 years for a military engine. The high development time and cost make it extremely difficult to transition advanced technologies for cleaner, quieter, and more efficient new engines. To reduce this time and cost, NASA created a vision for the future where designers would use high-fidelity computer simulations early in the design process in order to resolve critical design issues before building the expensive engine hardware. To accomplish this vision, NASA's Glenn Research Center initiated a collaborative effort with the aerospace industry and academia to develop its Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS), an advanced engineering environment for the analysis and design of aerospace propulsion systems and components. Partners estimate that using NPSS has the potential to dramatically reduce the time, effort, and expense necessary to design and test jet engines by generating sophisticated computer simulations of an aerospace object or system. These simulations will permit an engineer to test various design options without having to conduct costly and time-consuming real-life tests. By accelerating and streamlining the engine system design analysis and test phases, NPSS facilitates bringing the final product to market faster. NASA's NPSS Version (V)1.X effort was a task within the Agency s Computational Aerospace Sciences project of the High Performance Computing and Communication program, which had a mission to accelerate the availability of high-performance computing hardware and software to the U.S. aerospace community for its use in design processes. The technology brings value back to NASA by improving methods of analyzing and testing space transportation components.

Acute personalized habitual caffeine doses improve attention and have selective effects when considering the fractionation of executive functions.

PubMed

Lanini, Juliana; Galduróz, José Carlos Fernandes; Pompéia, Sabine

2016-01-01

Caffeine is widely used, often consumed with food, and improves simple and complex/executive attention under fasting conditions. We investigated whether these cognitive effects are observed when personalized habitual doses of caffeine are ingested by caffeine consumers, whether they are influenced by nutriments and if various executive domains are susceptible to improvement. This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study including 60 young, healthy, rested males randomly assigned to one of four treatments: placebo fasting, caffeine fasting, placebo meal and caffeine meal. Caffeine doses were individualized for each participant based on their self-reported caffeine consumption at the time of testing (morning). The test battery included measures of simple and sustained attention, executive domains (inhibiting, updating, shifting, dual tasking, planning and accessing long-term memory), control measures of subjective alterations, glucose and insulin levels, skin conductance, heart rate and pupil dilation. Regardless of meal intake, acute habitual doses of caffeine decreased fatigue, and improved simple and sustained attention and executive updating. This executive effect was not secondary to the habitual weekly dose consumed, changes in simple and sustained attention, mood, meal ingestion and increases in cognitive effort. We conclude that the morning caffeine "fix" has positive attentional effects and selectively improved executive updating whether or not caffeine is consumed with food. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Proteomics in infectious diseases].

PubMed

Quero, Sara; Párraga-Niño, Noemí; García-Núñez, Marian; Sabrià, Miquel

2016-04-01

Infectious diseases have a high incidence in the population, causing a major impact on global health. In vitro culture of microorganisms is the first technique applied for infection diagnosis which is laborious and time consuming. In recent decades, efforts have been focused on the applicability of "Omics" sciences, highlighting the progress provided by proteomic techniques in the field of infectious diseases. This review describes the management, processing and analysis of biological samples for proteomic research. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

A Strategy for Autogeneration of Space Shuttle Ground Processing Simulation Models for Project Makespan Estimations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Madden, Michael G.; Wyrick, Roberta; O'Neill, Dale E.

2005-01-01

Space Shuttle Processing is a complicated and highly variable project. The planning and scheduling problem, categorized as a Resource Constrained - Stochastic Project Scheduling Problem (RC-SPSP), has a great deal of variability in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) process flow from one flight to the next. Simulation Modeling is a useful tool in estimation of the makespan of the overall process. However, simulation requires a model to be developed, which itself is a labor and time consuming effort. With such a dynamic process, often the model would potentially be out of synchronization with the actual process, limiting the applicability of the simulation answers in solving the actual estimation problem. Integration of TEAMS model enabling software with our existing schedule program software is the basis of our solution. This paper explains the approach used to develop an auto-generated simulation model from planning and schedule efforts and available data.

A Review of Water Reclamation Research in China Urban Landscape Design and Planning Practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gan, Wei; Zeng, Tianran

2018-04-01

With the continuously growing demand for better living environment, more and more attention and efforts have been paid to the improvement of urban landscape. However, the expansion of green area and water features are at the cost of high consumption of water resources, which has become prominent problems in cities that suffer from water shortage. At the same time, with the water shortage and water environment deterioration problems that shared globally, water conservation has become an inevitable choice to achieve sustainable social development. Urban landscape is not simply a consuming body of water resources, but also are of water-saving potential and able to perform the function of water storage. Thus, recycling the limited water resources becomes a challenge for every landscape designer. This paper is intended to overview the existing effort of reclaimed water recycle research in China landscape designing fields, and raise recommendations for future research and development.

Analysis Methods for Progressive Damage of Composite Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rose, Cheryl A.; Davila, Carlos G.; Leone, Frank A.

2013-01-01

This document provides an overview of recent accomplishments and lessons learned in the development of general progressive damage analysis methods for predicting the residual strength and life of composite structures. These developments are described within their State-of-the-Art (SoA) context and the associated technology barriers. The emphasis of the authors is on developing these analysis tools for application at the structural level. Hence, modeling of damage progression is undertaken at the mesoscale, where the plies of a laminate are represented as a homogenous orthotropic continuum. The aim of the present effort is establish the ranges of validity of available models, to identify technology barriers, and to establish the foundations of the future investigation efforts. Such are the necessary steps towards accurate and robust simulations that can replace some of the expensive and time-consuming "building block" tests that are currently required for the design and certification of aerospace structures.

Consumer understanding and use of health claims: the case of functional foods.

PubMed

Annunziata, Azzurra; Mariani, Angela; Vecchio, Riccardo

2014-01-01

As widely acknowledged functional foods (FFs) may contribute to improve human health due to the presence of specific components useful for their protective action against several diseases. However it is essential that consumers are able to comprehend and assess the properties of FFs health claims play a central role in helping consumers to select among food alternatives, beyond providing protection against unsupported or misleading statements about foods properties. At the same time health claims are the main marketing tool that the food industry could use to differentiate FFs from other products. Clearly, massive investments in research and development are necessary to enter the FF market segment, together with the possibility to protect innovation through patents. Current paper aims to examine factors influencing consumer understanding and use of food health claims on FFs, as well as providing several indications for developers, marketers and policy makers. After a brief review of the literature the results of a quantitative survey conducted online on 650 Italian consumers are presented. Results show that consumer use and understanding of health claims on FFs depend on different variables such as socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge and confidence with nutrition information but also wording and variables related specifically to the product. Furthermore, different segments with a diverse degree of use and understanding of health claims have been identified. Therefore, to boost market growth, more efforts are needed by policy makers and marketers to provide better information on nutrition and health aspects of FF using an approach capable to ensure truthful, significant and clear information. Finally some recent patents related to the FFs market with specific regard to components and/or functionality investigated in the current paper are reviewed.

Changing the system by changing the workforce: employing consumers to increase access, cultural diversity, and engagement.

PubMed

Wenz-Gross, Melodie; Irsfeld, Toni DuBrino; Twomey, Tammy; Perez, Ana; Thompson, Judith; Wally, Martha; Colleton, Barbara; Kroell, Christine; McKeown, Steven K; Metz, Peter

2012-06-01

Services to families have traditionally been delivered in a medical model. This presents challenges including workforce shortages, lack of cultural diversity, lack of training in strength-based work, and difficulty in successfully engaging and retaining families in the therapy process. The system of care (SOC) effort has worked to establish formal roles for caregivers in SOC to improve services. This paper provides an example of one community's efforts to change the SOC by expanding the roles available to caregivers in creating systems change. It describes the model developed by Communities of Care (CoC), a SOC in Central Massachusetts, and its evolution over a 10 year period. First person accounts by system partners, caregivers hired into professional roles as well as a family receiving services, demonstrate how hiring caregivers at all levels can change systems and change lives, not only for those being served but for the caregiver/professionals doing the work. It also demonstrates, however, that change at the system level is incremental, takes time, and can be fleeting unless an ongoing effort is made to support and sustain those changes.

The Health and Recovery Peer (HARP) Program: A Peer-Led Intervention to Improve Medical Self-Management for Persons with Serious Mental Illness

PubMed Central

Druss, Benjamin G.; Zhao, Liping; von Esenwein, Silke A.; Bona, Joseph R.; Fricks, Larry; Jenkins-Tucker, Sherry; Sterling, Evelina; DiClemente, Ralph; Lorig, Kate

2010-01-01

Objectives Persons with serious mental illnesses (SMI) have elevated rates of comorbid medical conditions, but may also face challenges in effectively managing those conditions. Methods The study team developed and pilot-tested the Health and Recovery Program (HARP), an adaptation of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) for mental health consumers. A manualized, six-session intervention, delivered by mental health peer leaders, helps participants become more effective managers of their chronic illnesses. A pilot trial randomized 80 consumers with one or more chronic medical illness to either the HARP program or usual care. Results At six month follow-up, participants in the HARP program had a significantly greater improvement in patient activation than those in usual care (7.7% relative improvement vs. 5.7% decline, p=0.03 for group*time interaction), and in rates of having one or more primary care visit (68.4% vs. 51.9% with one or more visit, p=0.046 for group*time interaction). Intervention advantages were observed for physical health related quality of life (HRQOL), physical activity, medication adherence, and, and though not statistically significant, had similar effect sizes as those seen for the CDSMP in general medical populations. Improvements in HRQOL were largest among medically and socially vulnerable subpopulations. Conclusions This peer-led, medical self-management program was feasible and showed promise for improving a range of health outcomes among mental health consumers with chronic medical comorbidities. The HARP intervention may provide a vehicle for the mental health peer workforce to actively engage in efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality among mental health consumers. PMID:20185272

Determinants affecting consumer adoption of contactless credit card: an empirical study.

PubMed

Wang, Yu-Min

2008-12-01

The contactless credit card is one of the most promising technological innovations in the field of electronic payments. It provides consumers with greater control of payments, convenience, and transaction speed. However, contactless credit cards have yet to gain significant rates of adoption in the marketplace. Thus, effort must be made to identify factors affecting consumer adoption of contactless credit cards. Based on the technology acceptance model, innovation diffusion theory, and the relevant literature, seven variables (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, compatibility, perceived risk, trust, consumer involvement, availability of infrastructure) are proposed to help predict consumer adoption of contactless credit cards. Data collected from 312 respondents in Taiwan is tested against the proposed prediction model using the logistic regression approach. The results and implications of our study contribute to an expanded understanding of the factors that affect consumer adoption of contactless credit cards.

Using Pathfinder networks to discover alignment between expert and consumer conceptual knowledge from online vaccine content.

PubMed

Amith, Muhammad; Cunningham, Rachel; Savas, Lara S; Boom, Julie; Schvaneveldt, Roger; Tao, Cui; Cohen, Trevor

2017-10-01

This study demonstrates the use of distributed vector representations and Pathfinder Network Scaling (PFNETS) to represent online vaccine content created by health experts and by laypeople. By analyzing a target audience's conceptualization of a topic, domain experts can develop targeted interventions to improve the basic health knowledge of consumers. The underlying assumption is that the content created by different groups reflects the mental organization of their knowledge. Applying automated text analysis to this content may elucidate differences between the knowledge structures of laypeople (heath consumers) and professionals (health experts). This paper utilizes vaccine information generated by laypeople and health experts to investigate the utility of this approach. We used an established technique from cognitive psychology, Pathfinder Network Scaling to infer the structure of the associational networks between concepts learned from online content using methods of distributional semantics. In doing so, we extend the original application of PFNETS to infer knowledge structures from individual participants, to infer the prevailing knowledge structures within communities of content authors. The resulting graphs reveal opportunities for public health and vaccination education experts to improve communication and intervention efforts directed towards health consumers. Our efforts demonstrate the feasibility of using an automated procedure to examine the manifestation of conceptual models within large bodies of free text, revealing evidence of conflicting understanding of vaccine concepts among health consumers as compared with health experts. Additionally, this study provides insight into the differences between consumer and expert abstraction of domain knowledge, revealing vaccine-related knowledge gaps that suggest opportunities to improve provider-patient communication. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A semi-automatic annotation tool for cooking video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianco, Simone; Ciocca, Gianluigi; Napoletano, Paolo; Schettini, Raimondo; Margherita, Roberto; Marini, Gianluca; Gianforme, Giorgio; Pantaleo, Giuseppe

2013-03-01

In order to create a cooking assistant application to guide the users in the preparation of the dishes relevant to their profile diets and food preferences, it is necessary to accurately annotate the video recipes, identifying and tracking the foods of the cook. These videos present particular annotation challenges such as frequent occlusions, food appearance changes, etc. Manually annotate the videos is a time-consuming, tedious and error-prone task. Fully automatic tools that integrate computer vision algorithms to extract and identify the elements of interest are not error free, and false positive and false negative detections need to be corrected in a post-processing stage. We present an interactive, semi-automatic tool for the annotation of cooking videos that integrates computer vision techniques under the supervision of the user. The annotation accuracy is increased with respect to completely automatic tools and the human effort is reduced with respect to completely manual ones. The performance and usability of the proposed tool are evaluated on the basis of the time and effort required to annotate the same video sequences.

Mobilizing Public Opinion for the Tobacco Industry: The Consumer Tax Alliance and Excise Taxes

PubMed Central

Campbell, Richard; Balbach, Edith D.

2009-01-01

Background Tobacco industry funding was instrumental in creating and financing the Consumer Tax Alliance in 1989 as an ostensibly organization that relied upon extensive media outreach to build opposition to excise taxes as a regressive form of taxation. By obscuring its own role in this effort, the tobacco industry undermined the public’s reasonable expectations for transparency in the policy making process. Aim To examine the formation and activities of the Consumer Tax Alliance as a “hybrid” form of interest group in order to provide tobacco control and public health advocates with a better understanding of unanticipated tobacco industry coalitions and facilitate appropriate counter measures. Methods Document searches through the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library and through Tobacco Documents Online and review of background literature. Results The Tobacco Institute actively sought liberal allies beginning in the mid-1980s in seeking to build public opposition to cigarette excise tax increases by promoting them as a regressive form of taxation. The creation of the Consumer Tax Alliance in 1989 was expressly intended to turn labor and middle class opinion against prospective excise tax increases in federal budget deficit negotiations, without divulging the tobacco industry’s role in its formation. Conclusion It is important to understand the dynamic by which trusted organizations can be induced to alter their agendas in response to funding sources. Advocates need to understand this form of interest group behavior so that they are better able to negotiate the policy arena by diagnosing and exposing this influence where it occurs and, by doing so, be better prepared to take appropriate counter measures. What this paper adds The tobacco industry’s political strategies for utilizing third party efforts to contest cigarette excise tax increases have not been extensively studied. While there has been some attention to industry sponsorship of third parties, the Consumer Tax Alliance represented a “hybrid” form of interest group alliance. Created in the 1990s with tobacco industry funding, the Consumer Tax Alliance included legitimate public interest groups as sponsors, but who did not appear to be actively involved in its operations. The formation and activities of the Consumer Tax Alliance provide an instructive lens for introducing a novel form of third party activity to the tobacco industry’s policy efforts. PMID:18687706

Advanced Combustion Numerics and Modeling - FY18 First Quarter Report

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

Whitesides, R. A.; Killingsworth, N. J.; McNenly, M. J.

This project is focused on early stage research and development of numerical methods and models to improve advanced engine combustion concepts and systems. The current focus is on development of new mathematics and algorithms to reduce the time to solution for advanced combustion engine design using detailed fuel chemistry. The research is prioritized towards the most time-consuming workflow bottlenecks (computer and human) and accuracy gaps that slow ACS program members. Zero-RK, the fast and accurate chemical kinetics solver software developed in this project, is central to the research efforts and continues to be developed to address the current and emergingmore » needs of the engine designers, engine modelers and fuel mechanism developers.« less

Anonymity-preserving Reputation Management System for health sector

PubMed Central

Hamid, Zara; Abdul, Wadood; Ghouzali, Sanaa; Khan, Abid; Malik, Saif Ur Rehman; Shaukat Khan, Mansoor; Nawaz, Sarfraz

2018-01-01

In health sector, trust is considered important because it indirectly influences the quality of health care through patient satisfaction, adherence and the continuity of its relationship with health care professionals and the promotion of accurate and timely diagnoses. One of the important requirements of TRSs in the health sector is rating secrecy, which mandates that the identification information about the service consumer should be kept secret to prevent any privacy violation. Anonymity and trust are two imperative objectives, and no significant explicit efforts have been made to achieve both of them at the same time. In this paper, we present a framework for solving the problem of reconciling trust with anonymity in the health sector. Our solution comprises Anonymous Reputation Management (ARM) protocol and Context-aware Trustworthiness Assessment (CTA) protocol. ARM protocol ensures that only those service consumers who received a service from a specific service provider provide a recommendation score anonymously with in the specified time limit. The CTA protocol computes the reputation of a user as a service provider and as a recommender. To determine the correctness of the proposed ARM protocol, formal modelling and verification are performed using High Level Petri Nets (HLPN) and Z3 Solver. Our simulation results verify the accuracy of the proposed context-aware trust assessment scheme. PMID:29649267

Plain packaging: a logical progression for tobacco control in one of the world's ‘darkest markets’

PubMed Central

Scollo, Michelle; Bayly, Megan; Wakefield, Melanie

2015-01-01

The Australian approach to tobacco control has been a comprehensive one, encompassing mass media campaigns, consumer information, taxation policy, access for smokers to smoking cessation advice and pharmaceutical treatments, protection from exposure to tobacco smoke and regulation of promotion. World-first legislation to standardise the packaging of tobacco was a logical next step to further reduce misleadingly reassuring promotion of a product known for the past 50 years to kill a high proportion of its long-term users. Similarly, refreshed, larger pack warnings which started appearing on packs at the end of 2012 were a logical progression of efforts to ensure that consumers are better informed about the health risks associated with smoking. Regardless of the immediate effects of legislation, further progress will continue to require a comprehensive approach to maintain momentum and ensure that government efforts on one front are not undermined by more vigorous efforts and greater investment by tobacco companies elsewhere. PMID:28407604

Innovation through developing consumers’ community. Part I: Innovation in action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gălăţanu (Avram, E.; Avasilcăi, S.

2015-11-01

Technological changes and need for innovation represents the main concerns for organizational growth and profitability. However the main priority is still about achieving high performance through product development and consumers' engagement activities. As implementation of open innovation applications increased and value co — creation became well known and major process, companies were engaged into value co — innovation activities. From this point of view the need for joint efforts with consumers in product development arose. Thus the primary condition for an organization to be consumer centric is to define clear the vision and mission which reflects the common efforts for co — creation and diffusion of innovation. As Research & Development processes evolved and interest for innovative concepts and products arose, companies started to implement the specific instruments for consumers' attraction and engagement into design and product development. The digitalized innovation became the main source for establishing the direct communication with the consumers. In order to achieve organization growth, profitability and recognition, the companies should be aware of the innovation importance and the need for internal change. From this point of view, there is necessary to assess the organizational structures, to implement new policies and to establish strategic targets. Basically it is justified the need for platform occurrence and development. Based on case study of BMW Group, recognised leader in automotive industry for innovative concepts, there will be analysed main features within organizational context which promotes the innovation implementation. There will be provided the review of the BMW Group experience of innovation activities, main consumers' engagement strategies, the values which promote the consumer — centric product development, new opportunities assessment, major policies and concerns. The foreseen result is to understand how companies are adapting to the technical and innovation changes as the main criteria for future product development and consumers' engagement motivation through the platform — based communication.

Social marketing sexually transmitted disease and HIV prevention: a consumer-centered approach to achieving behaviour change.

PubMed

Lamptey, P R; Price, J E

1998-01-01

This paper proposes that international sexually transmitted disease (STD)/HIV prevention efforts might be enhanced by the application of social marketing principles. It first outlines the conceptual basis of social marketing approaches to health behaviour change generally and then explores key issues and opportunities for using these principles to improve current STD/HIV prevention efforts.

Role of Information in Consumer Selection of Health Plans

PubMed Central

Sainfort, François; Booske, Bridget C.

1996-01-01

Considerable efforts are underway in the public and private sectors to increase the amount of information available to consumers when making health plan choices. The objective of this study was to examine the role of information in consumer health plan decisionmaking. A computer system was developed which provides different plan descriptions with the option of accessing varying types and levels of information. The system tracked the information search processes and recorded the hypothetical plan choices of 202 subjects. Results are reported showing the relationship between information and problem perception, preference structure, choice of plan, and attitude towards the decision. PMID:10165036

Development and field testing of a consumer shared decision-making training program for adults with low literacy.

PubMed

Muscat, Danielle M; Morony, Suzanne; Shepherd, Heather L; Smith, Sian K; Dhillon, Haryana M; Trevena, Lyndal; Hayen, Andrew; Luxford, Karen; Nutbeam, Don; McCaffery, Kirsten

2015-10-01

Given the scarcity of shared decision-making (SDM) interventions for adults with low literacy, we created a SDM training program tailored to this population to be delivered in adult education settings. Formative evaluation during program development included a review of the problem and previous efforts to address it, qualitative interviews with the target population, program planning and field testing. A comprehensive SDM training program was developed incorporating core SDM elements. The program aimed to improve students' understanding of SDM and to provide them with the necessary skills (understanding probabilistic risks and benefits, personal values and preferences) and self-efficacy to use an existing set of questions (the AskShareKnow questions) as a means to engage in SDM during healthcare interactions. There is an ethical imperative to develop SDM interventions for adults with lower literacy. Generic training programs delivered direct-to-consumers in adult education settings offer promise in a national and international environment where too few initiatives exist. Formative evaluation of the program offers practical insights into developing consumer-focused SDM training. The content of the program can be used as a guide for future efforts to engage consumers in SDM. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chronicling long-term predator responses to a shifting forage base in Chesapeake Bay: an energetics approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Overton, Anthony S.; Griffin, Jennifer C.; Margraf, F. Joseph; May, Eric B.; Hartman, Kyle J.

2015-01-01

The population of Striped Bass Morone saxatilis in Chesapeake Bay has increased significantly since the 1980s because of management efforts while the relative abundance of some key prey fish has declined since the 1970s. We examined the trophic interactions and prey consumption patterns of Striped Bass in Chesapeake Bay to determine how Striped Bass have responded to changing prey resources. Seasonal diet, growth, and thermal data were collected from 1955 to 1959, 1990 to 1992, and 1998 to 2001; these data were coupled with a bioenergetics model approach to characterize temporal patterns in prey consumption for Striped Bass. The estimates were compared across each period to build a historical prey consumption profile from 1955 to 2001. Prey consumption dynamics for Striped Bass have changed dramatically between 1955 and 2001. In general, Striped Bass in the early and late 1990s consumed less Atlantic Menhaden Brevoortia tyranus and more Bay Anchovy Anchoa mitchilli than during the 1950s. The largest differences in consumption were observed in the younger age-classes. During 1998–2001, age-1 and age-2 Striped Bass consumed, respectively, 15.5 and 11.9 times less Atlantic Menhaden than during the 1950sand 12.2 and 7.2 less than during 1990–1992. Bay Anchovy were almost absent in the diet of bass age 3 and older during the 1950s but were consumed by the age-3+ group during 1990–1992 and to a greater extent during 1998–2001. Age-3+ Striped Bass during 1998–2001, on average, consumed twice as much Bay Anchovy than during 1990–1992. Blue crab Callinectes sappidus were consumed only by age 2 in the 1950s and 1990–1992 and by ages 2 and older in 1998–2001. Age-2 bass consumed 8.8 more blue crab in 1990–1992 and 7.5 times more in 1998–2001 than during the 1950s. The patterns in the consumption of Atlantic Menhaden coincided with increased consumption of Bay Anchovy and blue crab, possibly as a result of the declines in Atlantic Menhaden relative abundance in Chesapeake Bay. The difference in consumption was also evident in the total energy consumed; age-1 and age-6 Striped Bass consumed 1.6 times more energy in 1955–1959 than during 1998–2001. Our research demonstrates how the elements of Striped Bass feeding, including diet composition, amount of food eaten, and consumption rates, are affected by prey resources.

Training addiction professionals in empirically supported treatments: perspectives from the treatment community.

PubMed

Hartzler, Bryan; Rabun, Carl

2014-01-01

Large-scale dissemination efforts seek to expand opportunities for the addiction treatment community to receive training in empirically supported treatments (ESTs). Prospective consumers of such training are valuable sources of input about content of interest, preferences for how training events are structured, and obstacles that deter receipt of training. In this mixed-method study, data were collected in 64 semistructured individual interviews with personnel during site visits to 16 community opioid treatment programs (OTPs). At each OTP, interviews were completed with the executive director, a clinical supervisor, and 2 direct-service clinicians. Topical interests were analyzed qualitatively in a cultural domain analysis. Likert ratings of training event preferences were analyzed via generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs), and unstructured interviewee comments were analyzed via narrative analysis. Obstacles to training receipt were analyzed qualitatively with both content coding and narrative analysis. Based on topics of reported interest, cultural domain analysis suggests as ESTs of note: Multidimensional Family Therapy, Motivational Enhancement Therapy, Relapse Prevention Therapy, "Seeking Safety," and broad addiction-focused pharmacotherapy. Regarding training event preferences, GLMMs and narrative analysis revealed clear preferences for time-distributed trainings and use of participatory activities (e.g., trainer demonstrations, role plays, small group exercises). Content coding identified cost as the primary obstacle to receipt of EST trainings, followed by lack of time, logistical challenges, and disinterest, and narrative analysis elaborated on contextual issues underlying these obstacles. As primary consumers of EST technologies, the treatment community has valuable input to offer. Dissemination efforts may be enhanced by greater consideration of their preferences for training content and event structure, as well as practical obstacles that challenge their receipt of training.

Males Can Benefit from Sexual Cannibalism Facilitated by Self-Sacrifice.

PubMed

Schwartz, Steven K; Wagner, William E; Hebets, Eileen A

2016-10-24

In a number of species, males are cannibalized by females after mating (reviewed in [1, 2]), and some males actually appear to facilitate their own cannibalism (reviewed in [3]). Such self-sacrifice can evolve if being eaten sufficiently enhances either fertilization success (mating effort) or offspring number or fitness (paternal effort). While there is some support for the mating-effort hypothesis, few studies have found support for paternal effort. We used two experiments to test the paternal-effort hypothesis in the dark fishing spider, Dolomedes tenebrosus. Males of this species provide themselves as a material contribution: they spontaneously die during copulation and are subsequently eaten by females. In support of the paternal-effort predictions, when females were allowed to consume their mating partner, we found large and significant increases in (1) the number, (2) the size, and (3) the survivorship of the offspring. Similar benefits were not seen when females were allowed to consume a cricket in lieu of a male, suggesting that it is the consumption of the male's body per se that is responsible for these fitness benefits. Together, our results suggest that D. tenebrosus males can benefit from self-sacrifice behavior through paternal effort. Such behavior may be particularly likely to evolve when high rates of postcopulatory cannibalism trap males into investing in their first mate instead of investing in acquiring additional matings and/or if strong first-male sperm precedence reduces the benefits of both investing in additional matings and paternity protection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer participation in the planning and delivery of drug treatment services: the current arrangements.

PubMed

Bryant, Joanne; Saxton, Melissa; Madden, Annie; Bath, Nicky; Robinson, Suzanne

2008-03-01

Consumer participation in decision-making about service planning is common in certain health services in Australia but is thought to be largely underdeveloped in drug treatment services. This paper (1) describes the current practices within Australian drug treatment services that aim to include consumers in service planning and provision; and (2) determines how much consumers know about the existing opportunities for involvement. Sixty-four randomly selected service providers (representing 64 separate services) completed interviews about the current arrangements for consumer participation within their services (response rate = 82%). A total of 179 consumers completed interviews assessing their knowledge of the consumer participation activities available at the service they attended. Consumer participation activities were not uncommon in drug treatment services, although the existing activities were concerned largely with providing information to or receiving information from consumers. Activities that included consumers in higher forms of involvement, such as those in which consumers took part in decision-making, were largely uncommon. Consumers had a considerable lack of knowledge about the participation activities available to them, revealing a lack of communication between providers and consumers. While service providers were making efforts to engage consumers in service planning and provision (despite the general lack of State or Commonwealth policy directives and extra funding to do so), these appear ineffectual because of poor communication between providers and consumers. As a starting point, a critical part of any meaningful consumer participation initiative must include systems to ensure that consumers know about available opportunities.

Communicating information about “what not to do” to consumers

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Americans devote more resources to health care than any other developed country, and yet they have worse health outcomes and less access. This creates a perfect set of opportunities for Consumer Reports, a nonprofit consumer advocacy and multimedia organization known for its focus on individual consumers in markets where significant amounts of misinformation is in play. Consumer Reports uses comparisons/ratings based on the best available data to “level” the market playing field. While our early efforts to inform consumers of overuse and underuse in health care were successful, we sensed there were opportunities to have greater impact. Over a 5-year period, with the help of many partners, Consumer Reports learned more about how to communicate “what not to do” to consumers, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of this difficult message. Analysis Consumer Reports began an in-depth examination of the overuse of health services in 2010 with an exploratory review of the cognitive psychology literature. Lessons learned from this review were used in the presentation of subsequent ratings of heart disease and cancer screening tests. Surveys showed surprising gaps in the prevention/screening knowledge of healthy, low-risk Consumer Reports subscribers aged 40 to 60 years. Of these subscribers, 44% reported engaging in heart screening tests that received the lowest ratings from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and from Consumer Reports. At the same time professional societies and the ABIM (American Board of Internal Medicine) Foundation created Choosing Wisely®, a campaign focused on identifying lists of health tests and treatments not to do. Consumer Reports joined the Choosing Wisely campaign as the consumer “translator” and organizer of a network of consumer organizations with access to tens of millions of consumers. Over the past year, Consumer Reports has conducted multiple qualitative evaluations of content related to overuse of health services. Ratings of cancer screening tests were released in 2013 in an article readers reported as one of the most heavily read articles in the magazine’s recent history. Conclusions Telling consumers that more is not better is not a popular or easy message to deliver. The message is most likely to be “sticky” but is best received if it comes from trusted sources (e.g., physicians), focuses on safety when justified, is communicated in plain language, and uses both mass media and individual consumer approaches. Changing the culture of health care in an era of health reform is an essential part of the transformation needed if we are to allocate finite resources fairly in hopefully fair markets while assuring that better quality products and services at lower prices dominate. PMID:24565077

Hidden in plain sight marketing prescription drugs to consumers in the twentieth century.

PubMed

Greene, Jeremy A; Herzberg, David

2010-05-01

Although the public health impact of direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising remains a subject of great controversy, such promotion is typically understood as a recent phenomenon permitted only by changes in federal regulation of print and broadcast advertising over the past two decades. But today's omnipresent ads are only the most recent chapter in a longer history of DTC pharmaceutical promotion (including the ghostwriting of popular articles, organization of public-relations events, and implicit advertising of products to consumers) stretching back over the twentieth century. We use trade literature and archival materials to examine the continuity of efforts to promote prescription drugs to consumers and to better grapple with the public health significance of contemporary pharmaceutical marketing practices.

HIDDEN in PLAIN SIGHT Marketing Prescription Drugs to Consumers in the Twentieth Century

PubMed Central

Herzberg, David

2010-01-01

Although the public health impact of direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising remains a subject of great controversy, such promotion is typically understood as a recent phenomenon permitted only by changes in federal regulation of print and broadcast advertising over the past two decades. But today's omnipresent ads are only the most recent chapter in a longer history of DTC pharmaceutical promotion (including the ghostwriting of popular articles, organization of public-relations events, and implicit advertising of products to consumers) stretching back over the twentieth century. We use trade literature and archival materials to examine the continuity of efforts to promote prescription drugs to consumers and to better grapple with the public health significance of contemporary pharmaceutical marketing practices. PMID:20299640

Food safety issues and training methods for ready-to-eat foods in the grocery industry.

PubMed

Binkley, Margaret; Ghiselli, Richard

2005-10-01

As Americans have become more pressed for time, the use of convenient, simplified meals become a way of life. One aspect of this trend, known as Home Meal Replacement (IIMR), has increased in sales since its inception. Between 1999 and 2001, the average annual expenditure per consumer rose 5.6 pereent, and $958 per person per year was spent in 2002. Along with this growth, food safety risks may have increased. The study reported here examined efforts being undertaken by grocery and convenience stores to control the wholesomeness of INR food items. After a convenience sample of 500 grocery store executives was identified, a 32-item questionnaire was developed and mailed to the executives. The results indicate that the industry has taken food safety seriously with only 10 pereent reporting that they have no food safety training. The executives cited employee turnover as a major concern in food safety today, along with lack of food safety knowledge of the consumer and improper holding temperatures.

Promoting folic acid to Spanish-speaking Hispanic women: evaluating existing campaigns to guide new development.

PubMed

Mackert, Michael; Kahlor, Leeann; Silva, Kristi; Padilla, Yolanda

2010-06-01

Hispanic women are 1.5-3 times as likely as non-Hispanic white women to have a child affected by neural tube defects. This disparity exists in spite of varied interventions designed to address the problem. The purpose of this research was to investigate Hispanic women's knowledge of folic acid, perceptions of existing education campaigns, and provide guidance for future promotion efforts. Three focus groups with Hispanic mothers (N = 18) were conducted to garner insights on these issues. Results suggested that these women understood the benefits of folic acid, did not see major cultural barriers to consuming folic acid-rich foods, and did not perceive insurmountable challenges to consuming a multivitamin with folic acid. For many women, an initial pregnancy served as their initial cue to action, suggesting a need for the continued development of education strategies that communicate the benefits of folic acid supplementation prior to pregnancy. Such strategies may necessitate targeting younger audiences, including teenagers.

Assessing corporate social responsibility in China's sports lottery administration and its influence on consumption behavior.

PubMed

Li, Hai; Zhang, James J; Mao, Luke Lunhua; Min, Sophia D

2012-09-01

The purpose of this study was to identify and examine consumer perception of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in China's sports lottery industry, and the effect of perceived CSR initiatives on sports lottery consumption behavior. Research participants (N = 4,980), selected based on a computer-generated, randomly stratified multistage sampling process, comprised Chinese residents who had purchased sports lottery tickets in the past 12 months. They completed a questionnaire that was derived from a qualitative research process. A factor analysis extracted two factors associated with perceptions of CSR in China's sports lottery administration: Regulatory and Prevention Responsibilities and Product Development Responsibility. Logistic regression analyses revealed that these two factors were influential of consumer behavior (i.e., relative and absolute expenditure, purchasing frequency, and time commitment). This study represents an initial effort to understand the dimensions of perceived CSR associated with Chinese sports lottery. The findings signify the importance of enforcing CSR in sports lottery administration.

The politics and strategy of industry self-regulation: the pharmaceutical industry's principles for ethical direct-to-consumer advertising as a deceptive blocking strategy.

PubMed

Arnold, Denis G; Oakley, James L

2013-06-01

As the pharmaceutical industry lobbies European regulators to permit direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs in the European Union, we found that five leading companies violated industry-developed and -promulgated standards for ethical advertising in the United States. Utilizing multiple data sources and methods, we demonstrate a consistent failure by companies that market erectile dysfunction drugs to comply with the industry's guiding principles for ethical DTCA over a four-year period despite pledges of compliance by company leaders. Noncompliance resulted in children being exposed to sexually themed promotional messages more than 100 billion times. We argue that the guidelines are a coordinated effort by the industry to prevent unwanted federal regulation, and we introduce the concept of a blocking strategy to explain company behavior and to advance theoretical understanding of firms' public affairs strategies. We recommend policy responses to prevent deceptive practices, protect children from adult content, and promote genuine health care education.

Preliminary Study of Perception and Consumer Behaviour Towards Energy Saving for Household Appliances: A Case of Makassar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syam Akil, Yusri; Mangngenre, Saiful; Mawar, Sri; Amar, Kifayah

2018-03-01

Electricity load has tendency to increase over the time. Therefore, efforts to maintain a balance between electricity supply and demand such as increasing energy saving related to the use of home electricity appliances are urgently needed. In general, one of the household appliances which consumes relatively high electricity energy is refrigerator. The purpose of this study is to analyze residential consumers perceptions and their behaviours about electricity energy saving in relation to the usage of household appliances in Makassar, Indonesia particularly for refrigerator. Moreover, typical relationship between perceptions and consumers behaviours is also analyzed by composed two regression models, namely model for usage behaviour (UREFm model) and model for habitual behaviour (HREFm model) by using general perception, specific perception, and external factors as explanation variables. To collect data, a questionnaire was designed for survey which involved 40 respondents as a preliminary study and then statistical tests including regression analysis were applied to analyze usable data. The target of respondent was an owner of a house in Makassar with installed power capacity at least 900 VA. Reliability test shown that all items in the developed questionnaire can be used for main survey as obtained Cronbach’s alpha values were above 0.6. Evaluation for consumers perceptions on energy saving in relation to demographic aspect using mean and Standard Deviation values indicated some significant differences. Other results regarding regression analysis shown that both composed models were well validated and had quite good fitness degree with adjusted R-squared values around 49.31% for UREFm model and 80.90% for HREFm model. Among considered variables, specific perception, and external factors were found have significant influence to the usage and habitual behaviours of consumers as confirmed by their p-values in each model below 0.05. Findings of this research can be used as a reference in developing programs for residential consumers such as electricity energy conservation program.

The price of fast fashion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2018-01-01

The fashion industry has changed rapidly in recent years with the increased prevalence of fast fashion, impacting the environment. Efforts to green this polluting industry require action from businesses and consumers.

Grade pending: lessons for hospital quality reporting from the New York City restaurant sanitation inspection program.

PubMed

Ryan, Andrew M; Detsky, Allan S

2015-02-01

Public quality reporting programs have been widely implemented in hospitals in an effort to improve quality and safety. One such program is Hospital Compare, Medicare's national quality reporting program for US hospitals. The New York City sanitary grade inspection program is a parallel effort for restaurants. The aims of Hospital Compare and the New York City sanitary inspection program are fundamentally similar: to address a common market failure resulting from consumers' lack of information on quality and safety. However, by displaying easily understandable information at the point of service, the New York City sanitary inspection program is better designed to encourage informed consumer decision making. We argue that this program holds important lessons for public quality reporting of US hospitals. © 2014 Society of Hospital Medicine.

Understanding advertising in pet nutrition.

PubMed Central

Brown, R G

1994-01-01

Advertising is part of the effort to attract attention of consumers to products, in this case, pet foods. It is generally benign in its effect, but it can be misleading, although rarely deliberately so. It uses a specialized vocabulary, which must be mastered if one is to understand what is intended. For all of the expense and effort, advertising figures directly in relatively few decisions to purchase. Its main intention is to call our attention to a particular pet food and to give that product an image. If the pet food does not perform in the consumer's hands, then all of the advertising on earth will not be persuasive. On the other hand, if a product performs well, the word-of-mouth will be positive and that mode of advertising is one of the most effective. PMID:8076285

Understanding advertising in pet nutrition.

PubMed

Brown, R G

1994-04-01

Advertising is part of the effort to attract attention of consumers to products, in this case, pet foods. It is generally benign in its effect, but it can be misleading, although rarely deliberately so. It uses a specialized vocabulary, which must be mastered if one is to understand what is intended. For all of the expense and effort, advertising figures directly in relatively few decisions to purchase. Its main intention is to call our attention to a particular pet food and to give that product an image. If the pet food does not perform in the consumer's hands, then all of the advertising on earth will not be persuasive. On the other hand, if a product performs well, the word-of-mouth will be positive and that mode of advertising is one of the most effective.

Can high quality overcome consumer resistance to restricted provider access? Evidence from a health plan choice experiment.

PubMed

Harris, Katherine M

2002-06-01

To investigate the impact of quality information on the willingness of consumers to enroll in health plans that restrict provider access. A survey administered to respondents between the ages of 25 and 64 in the West Los Angeles area with private health insurance. An experimental approach is used to measure the effect of variation in provider network features and information about the quality of network physicians on hypothetical plan choices. Conditional logit models are used to analyze the experimental choice data. Next, choice model parameter estimates are used to simulate the impact of changes in plan features on the market shares of competing health plans and to calculate the quality level required to make consumers indifferent to changes in provider access. The presence of quality information reduced the importance of provider network features in plan choices as hypothesized. However, there were not statistically meaningful differences by type of quality measure (i.e., consumer assessed versus expert assessed). The results imply that large quality differences are required to make consumers indifferent to changes in provider access. The impact of quality on plan choices depended more on the particular measure and less on the type of measure. Quality ratings based on the proportion of survey respondents "extremely satisfied with results of care" had the greatest impact on plan choice while the proportion of network doctors "affiliated with university medical centers" had the least. Other consumer and expert assessed measures had more comparable effects. Overall the results provide empirical evidence that consumers are willing to trade high quality for restrictions on provider access. This willingness to trade implies that relatively small plans that place restrictions on provider access can successfully compete against less restrictive plans when they can demonstrate high quality. However, the results of this study suggest that in many cases, the level of quality required for consumers to accept access restrictions may be so high as to be unattainable. The results provide empirical support for the current focus of decision support efforts on consumer assessed quality measures. At the same time, however, the results suggest that consumers would also value quality measures based on expert assessments. This finding is relevant given the lack of comparative quality information based on expert judgment and research suggesting that consumers have apprehensions about their ability to meaningfully interpret performance-based quality measures.

Towards an automated intelligence product generation capability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Alison M.; Hawes, Timothy W.; Nolan, James J.

2015-05-01

Creating intelligence information products is a time consuming and difficult process for analysts faced with identifying key pieces of information relevant to a complex set of information requirements. Complicating matters, these key pieces of information exist in multiple modalities scattered across data stores, buried in huge volumes of data. This results in the current predicament analysts find themselves; information retrieval and management consumes huge amounts of time that could be better spent performing analysis. The persistent growth in data accumulation rates will only increase the amount of time spent on these tasks without a significant advance in automated solutions for information product generation. We present a product generation tool, Automated PrOduct Generation and Enrichment (APOGEE), which aims to automate the information product creation process in order to shift the bulk of the analysts' effort from data discovery and management to analysis. APOGEE discovers relevant text, imagery, video, and audio for inclusion in information products using semantic and statistical models of unstructured content. APOGEEs mixed-initiative interface, supported by highly responsive backend mechanisms, allows analysts to dynamically control the product generation process ensuring a maximally relevant result. The combination of these capabilities results in significant reductions in the time it takes analysts to produce information products while helping to increase the overall coverage. Through evaluation with a domain expert, APOGEE has been shown the potential to cut down the time for product generation by 20x. The result is a flexible end-to-end system that can be rapidly deployed in new operational settings.

Skin lighteners, Black consumers and Jewish entrepreneurs in South Africa.

PubMed

Thomas, Lynn M

2012-01-01

This article considers the rise and decline of South Africa's lucrative and controversial skin-lighteners market through examination of the business history of the largest manufacturers, Abraham and Solomon Krok, and their evolving personas as millionaires and philanthropists. Such examination reveals how the country's skin-lighteners trade emerged as part of the broader growth of a black consumer market after the Second World War and how elements of that market became the target of anti-apartheid protests in subsequent decades. It also demonstrates how the Kroks' experiences as second-generation Jewish immigrants shaped their involvement in the trade and how, later, their self-identification as Jewish philanthropists informed their efforts to rehabilitate their reputations following South Africa's 1990 ban on all skin lighteners. Such efforts include the building of Johannesburg's highly acclaimed Apartheid Museum, modelled after the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This article explores the profound ironies that some South Africans see in the fact that a museum dedicated to commemorating those who suffered under and, ultimately, triumphed against state racism was financed by a family fortune generated through the sale of skin lighteners to black consumers.

Organic Food Market Segmentation in Lebanon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tleis, Malak; Roma, Rocco; Callieris, Roberta

2015-04-01

Organic farming in Lebanon is not a new concept. It started with the efforts of the private sector more than a decade ago and is still present even with the limited agricultural production. The local market is quite developed in comparison to neighboring countries, depending mainly on imports. Few studies were addressed to organic consumption in Lebanon, were none of them dealt with organic consumers analysis. Therefore, our objectives were to identify the profiles of Lebanese organic consumer and non organic consumer and to propose appropriate marketing strategies for each segment of consumer with the final aim of developing the Lebanese organic market. A survey, based on the use of closed-ended questionnaire, was addressed to 400 consumers in the capital, Beirut, from the end of February till the end of March 2014. Data underwent descriptive analyses, principal component analyses (PCA) and cluster analyses (k-means method) through the statistical software SPSS. Four cluster were obtained based on psychographic characteristics and willingness to pay (WTP) for the principal organic products purchased. "Localists" and "Health conscious" clusters constituted the largest proportion of the selected sample, thus were the most critical to be addressed by specific marketing strategies emphasizing the combination of local and organic food and the healthy properties of organic products. "Rational" and "Irregular" cluster were relatively small groups, addressed by pricing and promotional strategies. This study showed a positive attitude among Lebanese consumer towards organic food, where egoistic motives are prevailing over altruistic motives. High prices of organic commodities and low trust in organic farming, remain a constraint to levitating organic consumption. The combined efforts of the public and the private sector are required to spread the knowledge about positive environmental payback of organic agriculture and for the promotion of locally produced organic goods.

Bed Bug Information Clearinghouse

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Its purpose is to help states, communities, and consumers in efforts to prevent and control bed bug infestations. Currently includes only reviewed material from federal/state/local government agencies, extension services, and universities.

Scientific Cluster Deployment and Recovery - Using puppet to simplify cluster management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendrix, Val; Benjamin, Doug; Yao, Yushu

2012-12-01

Deployment, maintenance and recovery of a scientific cluster, which has complex, specialized services, can be a time consuming task requiring the assistance of Linux system administrators, network engineers as well as domain experts. Universities and small institutions that have a part-time FTE with limited time for and knowledge of the administration of such clusters can be strained by such maintenance tasks. This current work is the result of an effort to maintain a data analysis cluster (DAC) with minimal effort by a local system administrator. The realized benefit is the scientist, who is the local system administrator, is able to focus on the data analysis instead of the intricacies of managing a cluster. Our work provides a cluster deployment and recovery process (CDRP) based on the puppet configuration engine allowing a part-time FTE to easily deploy and recover entire clusters with minimal effort. Puppet is a configuration management system (CMS) used widely in computing centers for the automatic management of resources. Domain experts use Puppet's declarative language to define reusable modules for service configuration and deployment. Our CDRP has three actors: domain experts, a cluster designer and a cluster manager. The domain experts first write the puppet modules for the cluster services. A cluster designer would then define a cluster. This includes the creation of cluster roles, mapping the services to those roles and determining the relationships between the services. Finally, a cluster manager would acquire the resources (machines, networking), enter the cluster input parameters (hostnames, IP addresses) and automatically generate deployment scripts used by puppet to configure it to act as a designated role. In the event of a machine failure, the originally generated deployment scripts along with puppet can be used to easily reconfigure a new machine. The cluster definition produced in our CDRP is an integral part of automating cluster deployment in a cloud environment. Our future cloud efforts will further build on this work.

Latest Sensors and Data Acquisition Development Efforts at KSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perotti, Jose M.

2002-01-01

This viewgraph presentation summarizes the characteristics required on sensors by consumers desiring access to space, a long term plan developed at KSC (Kennedy Space Center) to identify promising technologies for NASA's own future sensor needs, and the characteristics of several smart sensors already developed. Also addressed are the computer hardware and architecture used to operate sensors, and generic testing capabilities. Consumers desire sensors which are lightweight, inexpensive, intelligent, and easy to use.

Antimicrobials Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drosinos, Eleftherios H.; Skandamis, Panagiotis N.; Mataragas, Marios

The use of antimicrobials is a common practice for preservation of foods. Incorporation, in a food recipe, of chemical antimicrobials towards inhibition of spoilage and pathogenic micro-organisms results in the compositional modification of food. This treatment is nowadays undesirable for the consumer, who likes natural products. Scientific community reflecting consumers demand for natural antimicrobials has made efforts to investigate the possibility to use natural antimicrobials such us bacteriocins and essential oils of plant origin to inhibit microbial growth.

Advertising and Sealed Bid Auctions in a Transshipment Game

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-06-01

distributors promote their sales by advertising . While the maximum quantity demanded by each customer is fixed and given, his bids on the various...brands are determined by the advertising and other promotional efforts. The bid response function for each consumer is supposed to be given and known. The...the optimal distribution of the product, and the bids of the consumers . A numerical example is provided and the solution routine is discussed.

Consumers' Interest In Provider Ratings Grows, And Improved Report Cards And Other Steps Could Accelerate Their Use.

PubMed

Findlay, Steven D

2016-04-01

Encouraging patients and consumers to use data and other information in choosing health care providers is an important way to enhance patient engagement and improve the quality of care. The growing use of technology, including smart phones and near-ubiquitous Internet access, provides consumers with easy access to websites that collect and report assessments and ratings of providers, primarily physicians and hospitals. In addition to new technology, recent laws and changes in society and the delivery of care are laying the foundation for greater use by consumers of provider performance report cards. Such use could be accelerated if the shortcomings of current report card efforts were addressed. Recommendations include making online report cards easier to use and more understandable, engaging, substantive, and relevant to consumers' health and medical concerns and choices. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Evaluating the effect of conservation motivations on residential water demand.

PubMed

Maas, Alexander; Goemans, Christopher; Manning, Dale; Kroll, Stephan; Arabi, Mazdak; Rodriguez-McGoffin, Mariana

2017-07-01

Utilities and water suppliers in the southwestern United States have used education and conservation programs over the past two decades in an attempt to ameliorate the pressures of increasing water scarcity. This paper builds on a long history of water demand and environmental psychology literature and attempts to answer a simple question: do households primarily motivated by environmental and social (E&S) considerations consume water differently than households motivated primarily by cost and convenience (C&C)? We find that E&S consumers use less water than C&C consumers on average. We also find that there is no statistical difference between E&S and C&C consumers in their consumption responses to changing prices, temperature, and precipitation. This implies that targeting future conservation efforts to self-reported consumer groups may not improve policy effectiveness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pharmaceutical direct-to-consumer advertising and US Hispanic patient-consumers.

PubMed

Barker, Kristin K; Vasquez Guzman, Cirila Estela

2015-11-01

Hispanic Americans use prescription medications at markedly lower rates than do non-Hispanic whites. At the same time, Hispanics are the largest racial-ethnic minority in the USA. In a recent effort to reach this underdeveloped market, the pharmaceutical industry has begun to create Spanish-language direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) campaigns. The substantive content of these campaigns is being tailored to appeal to the purported cultural values, beliefs and identities of Latino consumers. We compare English-language and Spanish-language television commercials for two prescription medications. We highlight the importance of selling medicine to a medically under-served population as a key marketing element of Latino-targeted DTCA. We define selling medicine as the pharmaceutical industry's explicit promotion of medicine's cultural authority as a means of expanding its markets and profits. We reflect on the prospects of this development in terms of promoting medicalisation in a US subgroup that has heretofore eluded the pharmaceutical industry's marketing influence. Our analysis draws on Nikolas Rose's insights concerning variations in the degree to which certain groups of people are more medically made up than others, by reflecting on the racial and ethnic character of medicalisation in the USA and the role DTCA plays in shaping medicalisation trends. A video abstract of this article can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZabCle9-jHw&feature=youtu.be. © 2015 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.

Population survey of attitudes and beliefs regarding organic, genetically modified, and irradiated foods.

PubMed

Gwira Baumblatt, Jane A; Carpenter, L Rand; Wiedeman, Caleb; Dunn, John R; Schaffner, William; Jones, Timothy F

2017-03-01

Sales of organic foods are increasing due to public demand, while genetically modified (GM) and irradiated foods are often viewed with suspicion. The aim of this research was to examine consumer attitudes toward organic, GM and irradiated foods to direct educational efforts regarding their consumption Methods: A telephone survey of 1838 residents in Tennessee, USA was conducted regarding organic, GM, and irradiated foods. Approximately half of respondents (50.4%) purchased organic food during the previous 6 months ('consumers'). The most common beliefs about organic foods by consumers were higher cost (92%), and fewer pesticides (89%). Consumers were more likely than non-consumers to believe organic food tasted better (prevalence ratio 3.6; 95% confidence interval 3.02-4.23). A minority of respondents were familiar with GM foods (33%) and irradiated foods (22%). Organic food consumption is common in Tennessee, but knowledge about GM and irradiated foods is less common. Consumer health education should emphasize the benefits of these food options, and the safety of GM and irradiated foods.

National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Provides resources for policy-makers, consumers, utilities, and others produced through NAPEE - a private-public initiative to create a sustainable, aggressive national commitment to energy efficiency through a collaborative effort of stakeholders.

Why measure patient satisfaction?

PubMed

Riskind, Patty; Fossey, Leslie; Brill, Kari

2011-01-01

A practice that consistently and continuously measures patient perceptions will be more efficient and effective in its daily operations. With pay-for-performance requirements on the horizon and consumer rating sites already publicizing impressions from physician encounters, a practice needs to know how it is performing through the eyes of the patients. Azalea Orthopedics has used patient feedback to coach its physicians on better patient communication. The Orthopaedic Institute has used patient satisfaction results to reduce wait times and measure the return on investment from its marketing efforts. Patient survey results that are put to work can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of practice operations as well as position the practice for increased profitability.

High-Temperature Optical Window Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roeloffs, Norman; Taranto, Nick

1995-01-01

A high-temperature optical window is essential to the optical diagnostics of high-temperature combustion rigs. Laser Doppler velocimetry, schlieren photography, light sheet visualization, and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy are a few of the tests that require optically clear access to the combustor flow stream. A design was developed for a high-temperature window that could withstand the severe environment of the NASA Lewis 3200 F Lean Premixed Prevaporized (LPP) Flame Tube Test Rig. The development of this design was both time consuming and costly. This report documents the design process and the lessons learned, in an effort to reduce the cost of developing future designs for high-temperature optical windows.

Are pharmaceutical marketing decisions calibrated to communications effects?

PubMed

Cavusgil, Erin; Calantone, Roger

2011-10-01

Marketing managers continually struggle with how to maximize the effects of an integrated marketing communications strategy. The growing number of available communication outlets, as well as highly varying competitive landscapes, adds further complexity to this challenge. This empirical study examines the differential impact within a pharmaceutical market therapeutic category where both "push" and "pull" communication strategies operate on consumers and gatekeepers alike, in an atmosphere of unrelenting product innovation and broad competition. Furthermore, we explore how two contingency variables-(a) the competitive landscape, and (b) the product's length of time on the market-interact with these communication efforts and affect brand and category sales.

Time: a vital resource.

PubMed

Collins, Sandra K; Collins, Kevin S

2004-01-01

Resolving problems with time management requires an understanding of the concept of working smarter rather than harder. Therefore, managing time effectively is a vital responsibility of department managers. When developing a plan for more effectively managing time, it is important to carefully analyze where time is currently being used/lost. Keeping a daily log can be a time consuming effort. However, the log can provide information about ways that time may be saved and how to organize personal schedules to maximize time efficiency. The next step is to develop a strategy to decrease wasted time and create a more cohesive radiology department. The following list of time management strategies provides some suggestions for developing a plan. Get focused. Set goals and priorities. Get organized. Monitor individual motivation factors. Develop memory techniques. In healthcare, success means delivering the highest quality of care by getting organized, meeting deadlines, creating efficient schedules and appropriately budgeting resources. Effective time management focuses on knowing what needs to be done when. The managerial challenge is to shift the emphasis from doing everything all at once to orchestrating the departmental activities in order to maximize the time given in a normal workday.

Genetics-based methods for detection of Salmonella spp. in foods.

PubMed

Mozola, Mark A

2006-01-01

Genetic methods are now at the forefront of foodborne pathogen testing. The sensitivity, specificity, and inclusivity advantages offered by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) probe technology have driven an intense effort in methods development over the past 20 years. DNA probe-based methods for Salmonella spp. and other pathogens have progressed from time-consuming procedures involving the use of radioisotopes to simple, high throughput, automated assays. The analytical sensitivity of nucleic acid amplification technology has facilitated a reduction in analysis time by allowing enriched samples to be tested for previously undetectable quantities of analyte. This article will trace the evolution of the development of genetic methods for detection of Salmonella in foods, review the basic assay formats and their advantages and limitations, and discuss method performance characteristics and considerations for selection of methods.

Productivity increase through implementation of CAD/CAE workstation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bromley, L. K.

1985-01-01

The tracking and communication division computer aided design/computer aided engineering system is now operational. The system is utilized in an effort to automate certain tasks that were previously performed manually. These tasks include detailed test configuration diagrams of systems under certification test in the ESTL, floorplan layouts of future planned laboratory reconfigurations, and other graphical documentation of division activities. The significant time savings achieved with this CAD/CAE system are examined: (1) input of drawings and diagrams; (2) editing of initial drawings; (3) accessibility of the data; and (4) added versatility. It is shown that the Applicon CAD/CAE system, with its ease of input and editing, the accessibility of data, and its added versatility, has made more efficient many of the necessary but often time-consuming tasks associated with engineering design and testing.

Field Scale Testing of RESOLVE at 2010 ISRU Analog Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Captain, Janine E.; Quinn, J. W.; Moss, T. J.; Weis, K. H.

2010-01-01

When mankind returns to the moon, there will be one aspect of the architecture that will totally change how we explore the solar system. For the first time in space exploration, we will take the initial steps towards breaking our reliance on Earth-supplied consumables by extracting resources from planetary bodies. Our first efforts in this area, known as In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), will be directed at extracting some of the abundant oxygen found in the lunar regolith. But the "holy grail" of lunar ISRU will be finding an exploitable source of lunar hydrogen. If we can find a source of hydrogen that can be reasonably extracted from the regolith, it would provide a foundation for true independence from Earth consumables. With in-situ hydrogen and oxygen (and/or water) we can produce many of the major consumables needed to travel to and operate on a sustainable lunar outpost. We would have water to drink, oxygen to breath, and rocket propellants and fuel cell reagents to enable extended access and operations across the moon. NASA initiated development of an experiment package named RESOLVE (Regolith & Environment Science and Oxygen & Lunar Volatile Extraction) that could be flown to the rim or into a permanently shadowed crater to answer the questions surrounding elevated hydrogen at the lunar poles.

Satisfaction With Massachusetts Nursing Home Care Was Generally High during 2005-09, With Some Variability Across Facilities

PubMed Central

Li, Yue; Cai, Xueya; Ye, Zhiqiu; Glance, Laurent G.; Harrington, Charlene; Mukamel, Dana B.

2013-01-01

Since 2005 Massachusetts has publicly reported results from biennial surveys of satisfaction with nursing homes, completed by responsible parties for residents, to promote consumer-centered care. Our analysis of the results from 2005, 2007, and 2009 revealed generally high satisfaction with care, which remained stable over time. On a scale of 1 to 5 (from very dissatisfied to very satisfied), average satisfaction with overall care was 4.22–4.31 and satisfaction that overall residents’ needs were met was 4.09–4.16; 89.9–90.1 percent of respondents would recommend the facility. Satisfaction ratings varied considerably across facilities, with higher scores associated with higher nursing staffing levels, fewer deficiency citations, and nonprofit or government ownership. Scores for six domains of care were, in general, closely associated with satisfaction scores. However, family members seemed less satisfied with the physical and social activities available to residents and with the food and meals served than with such attributes as the physical environment. Our findings suggest that including the consumer's perspective would improve the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ current nursing home reporting efforts, but that refinements may be necessary to detect the impact of consumer reporting on the quality of patient-centered care. PMID:23918486

Satisfaction with Massachusetts nursing home care was generally high during 2005-09, with some variability across facilities.

PubMed

Li, Yue; Cai, Xueya; Ye, Zhiqiu; Glance, Laurent G; Harrington, Charlene; Mukamel, Dana B

2013-08-01

Since 2005 Massachusetts has publicly reported results from biennial surveys of satisfaction with nursing homes, completed by responsible parties for residents, to promote consumer-centered care. Our analysis of the results from 2005, 2007, and 2009 revealed generally high satisfaction with care, which remained stable over time. On a scale of 1 to 5 (from very dissatisfied to very satisfied), average satisfaction with overall care was 4.22-4.31, and satisfaction that overall residents' needs were met was 4.09-4.16. Around 90 percent of respondents would recommend the facility. Satisfaction ratings varied considerably across facilities, with higher scores associated with higher nursing staffing levels, fewer deficiency citations, and nonprofit or government ownership. Scores for six domains of care were, in general, closely associated with satisfaction scores. However, family members seemed less satisfied with the physical and social activities available to residents and with the food and meals served than with such attributes as the physical environment. Our findings suggest that including the consumer's perspective would improve the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' current nursing home reporting efforts. However, refinements may be necessary to detect the impact of consumer reporting on the quality of patient-centered care.

Drug-nutrient interactions in three long-term-care facilities.

PubMed

Lewis, C W; Frongillo, E A; Roe, D A

1995-03-01

To assess the risk of drug-nutrient interactions (DNIs) in three long-term-care facilities. Retrospective audit of charts. Three long-term-care facilities in central New York State. Fifty-three patients selected randomly from each facility. Data were collected from the medical record of each patient for a period of 6 months. A computerized algorithm was used to assess the risk for DNIs. Mean drug use, most frequently consumed drugs, incidence of potential DNIs, and the most commonly observed potential DNIs are reported. In facilities A, B, and C, respectively, patients consumed a mean of 4.86, 4.04, and 5.27 drugs per patient per month and were at risk for a mean of 1.43, 2.69, and 1.43 potential DNIs per patient per month. The most commonly observed potential DNIs were gastrointestinal interactions affecting drug bioavailability and interactions affecting electrolyte status. Patients in long-term-care facilities, who are primarily elderly and chronically ill and who consume multiple medications, are at notable risk for certain DNIs. Efforts need to be made to ensure appropriate pharmacologic and nutrition therapies as well as adequate and timely monitoring of patients in these facilities. Dietitians can play an important role in training other health professionals and in designing policies to prevent DNIs.

SHEDS-HT: An Integrated Probabilistic Exposure Model for ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) researchers are developing a strategy for highthroughput (HT) exposure-based prioritization of chemicals under the ExpoCast program. These novel modeling approaches for evaluating chemicals based on their potential for biologically relevant human exposures will inform toxicity testing and prioritization for chemical risk assessment. Based on probabilistic methods and algorithms developed for The Stochastic Human Exposure and Dose Simulation Model for Multimedia, Multipathway Chemicals (SHEDS-MM), a new mechanistic modeling approach has been developed to accommodate high-throughput (HT) assessment of exposure potential. In this SHEDS-HT model, the residential and dietary modules of SHEDS-MM have been operationally modified to reduce the user burden, input data demands, and run times of the higher-tier model, while maintaining critical features and inputs that influence exposure. The model has been implemented in R; the modeling framework links chemicals to consumer product categories or food groups (and thus exposure scenarios) to predict HT exposures and intake doses. Initially, SHEDS-HT has been applied to 2507 organic chemicals associated with consumer products and agricultural pesticides. These evaluations employ data from recent USEPA efforts to characterize usage (prevalence, frequency, and magnitude), chemical composition, and exposure scenarios for a wide range of consumer products. In modeling indirec

An exploratory analysis of cigarette price premium, market share and consumer loyalty in relation to continued consumption versus cessation in a national US panel.

PubMed

Lewis, Michael; Wang, Yanwen; Cahn, Zachary; Berg, Carla J

2015-11-03

Brand equity and consumer loyalty play a role in continued purchasing behaviour; however, this research has largely focused on non-addictive products without counter-marketing tactics. We examined the impact of brand equity (price premium, market share) and consumer loyalty (switching rates) on smoking cessation (discontinued cigarette purchases for 1 year) among smokers in a consumer panel. In Spring 2015, we analysed 1077 cigarette-purchasing households in the Nielsen Homescan Panel. We analysed cessation in relation to brand equity, consumer loyalty, other purchasing behaviours (nicotine intake, frequency), sociodemographics and tobacco control activities (per state-specific data) over a 6-year period (2004-2009) using Cox proportional hazard modelling. The sample was 13.28% African-American; the average income was $52,334 (SD=31,445). The average price premium and market share of smokers' dominant brands were $1.31 (SD=0.49) and 15.41% (SD=19.15), respectively. The mean brand loyalty level was 0.90 (SD=0.17), indicating high loyalty. In our final model, a higher price premium and market share were associated with lower quit rates (p=0.039); however, an interaction effect suggested that greater market share was not associated with lower cessation rates for African-American smokers (p=0.006). Consumer loyalty was not associated with cessation. Other predictors of lower quit rates included a higher nicotine intake (p=0.006) and baseline purchase frequency (p<0.001). Tobacco control factors were not significantly associated. Smokers of high-equity cigarette brands are less likely to quit, perhaps due to strong brand-consumer relationships. Thus, continued efforts should aim to regulate tobacco marketing efforts in order to disrupt these relationships to promote cessation. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

AB 327 A Look At Renewable Energy in Los Angeles County, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schevker, Marla

AB 327 was passed in the California State Assembly in October of 2013. This affected not only the way that investor-owned utility companies but also consumers who are interested in or have already invested in solar or other electricity efficiency efforts. This project looks at the way that AB 327 affects consumers and power companies, who supported it and who is against it and what consumers are doing to make their homes more environmentally friendly. Please note this project is intended to be viewed on the web and can be seen at: http://marla.schevker.com/marla/USC_Thesis/index.html.

Applying a Consumer Behavior Lens to Salt Reduction Initiatives.

PubMed

Regan, Áine; Kent, Monique Potvin; Raats, Monique M; McConnon, Áine; Wall, Patrick; Dubois, Lise

2017-08-18

Reformulation of food products to reduce salt content has been a central strategy for achieving population level salt reduction. In this paper, we reflect on current reformulation strategies and consider how consumer behavior determines the ultimate success of these strategies. We consider the merits of adopting a 'health by stealth', silent approach to reformulation compared to implementing a communications strategy which draws on labeling initiatives in tandem with reformulation efforts. We end this paper by calling for a multi-actor approach which utilizes co-design, participatory tools to facilitate the involvement of all stakeholders, including, and especially, consumers, in making decisions around how best to achieve population-level salt reduction.

Environmental Economics Research Strategy (2005)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This 2005 Environmental Economics Research Strategy outlines EPA’s research effort to provide the necessary behavioral science foundation for making decisions and designing environmental policies at the least cost to American businesses and consumers.

Where should Momma go? Current nursing home performance measurement strategies and a less ambitious approach.

PubMed

Phillips, Charles D; Hawes, Catherine; Lieberman, Trudy; Koren, Mary Jane

2007-06-25

Nursing home performance measurement systems are practically ubiquitous. The vast majority of these systems aspire to rank order all nursing homes based on quantitative measures of quality. However, the ability of such systems to identify homes differing in quality is hampered by the multidimensional nature of nursing homes and their residents. As a result, the authors doubt the ability of many nursing home performance systems to truly help consumers differentiate among homes providing different levels of quality. We also argue that, for consumers, performance measurement models are better at identifying problem facilities than potentially good homes. In response to these concerns we present a proposal for a less ambitious approach to nursing home performance measurement than previously used. We believe consumers can make better informed choice using a simpler system designed to pinpoint poor-quality nursing homes, rather than one designed to rank hundreds of facilities based on differences in quality-of-care indicators that are of questionable importance. The suggested performance model is based on five principles used in the development of the Consumers Union 2006 Nursing Home Quality Monitor. We can best serve policy-makers and consumers by eschewing nursing home reporting systems that present information about all the facilities in a city, a state, or the nation on a website or in a report. We argue for greater modesty in our efforts and a focus on identifying only the potentially poorest or best homes. In the end, however, it is important to remember that information from any performance measurement website or report is no substitute for multiple visits to a home at different times of the day to personally assess quality.

Is Anyone Paying Attention to Physician Report Cards? The Impact of Increased Availability on Consumers' Awareness and Use of Physician Quality Information.

PubMed

Shi, Yunfeng; Scanlon, Dennis P; Bhandari, Neeraj; Christianson, Jon B

2017-08-01

To determine if the release of health care report cards focused on physician practice quality measures leads to changes in consumers' awareness and use of this information. Data from two rounds of a survey of the chronically ill adult population conducted in 14 regions across the United States, combined with longitudinal information from a public reporting tracking database. Both data were collected as part of the evaluation for Aligning Forces for Quality, a nationwide quality improvement initiative funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Using a longitudinal design and an individual-level fixed effects modeling approach, we estimated the impact of community public reporting efforts, measured by the availability and applicability of physician quality reports, on consumers' awareness and use of physician quality information (PQI). The baseline level of awareness was 12.6 percent in our study sample, drawn from the general population of chronically ill adults. Among those who were not aware of PQI at the baseline, when PQI became available in their communities for the first time, along with quality measures that are applicable to their specific chronic conditions, the likelihood of PQI awareness increased by 3.8 percentage points. For the same group, we also find similar increases in the uses of PQI linked to newly available physician report cards, although the magnitudes are smaller, between 2 and 3 percentage points. Specific contents of physician report cards can be an important factor in consumers' awareness and use of PQI. Policies to improve awareness and use of PQI may consider how to customize quality report cards and target specific groups of consumers in dissemination. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Improving efficiency and safety in external beam radiation therapy treatment delivery using a Kaizen approach.

PubMed

Kapur, Ajay; Adair, Nilda; O'Brien, Mildred; Naparstek, Nikoleta; Cangelosi, Thomas; Zuvic, Petrina; Joseph, Sherin; Meier, Jason; Bloom, Beatrice; Potters, Louis

Modern external beam radiation therapy treatment delivery processes potentially increase the number of tasks to be performed by therapists and thus opportunities for errors, yet the need to treat a large number of patients daily requires a balanced allocation of time per treatment slot. The goal of this work was to streamline the underlying workflow in such time-interval constrained processes to enhance both execution efficiency and active safety surveillance using a Kaizen approach. A Kaizen project was initiated by mapping the workflow within each treatment slot for 3 Varian TrueBeam linear accelerators. More than 90 steps were identified, and average execution times for each were measured. The time-consuming steps were stratified into a 2 × 2 matrix arranged by potential workflow improvement versus the level of corrective effort required. A work plan was created to launch initiatives with high potential for workflow improvement but modest effort to implement. Time spent on safety surveillance and average durations of treatment slots were used to assess corresponding workflow improvements. Three initiatives were implemented to mitigate unnecessary therapist motion, overprocessing of data, and wait time for data transfer defects, respectively. A fourth initiative was implemented to make the division of labor by treating therapists as well as peer review more explicit. The average duration of treatment slots reduced by 6.7% in the 9 months following implementation of the initiatives (P = .001). A reduction of 21% in duration of treatment slots was observed on 1 of the machines (P < .001). Time spent on safety reviews remained the same (20% of the allocated interval), but the peer review component increased. The Kaizen approach has the potential to improve operational efficiency and safety with quick turnaround in radiation therapy practice by addressing non-value-adding steps characteristic of individual department workflows. Higher effort opportunities are identified to guide continual downstream quality improvements. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of the water footprint in the context of green marketing.

PubMed

Symeonidou, Stella; Vagiona, Dimitra

2018-04-03

The environmental degradation, because of various factors, such as climate change, human activities, increase of population globally, etc. have brought on pressures on the fresh water supplies that vary on time and space. Consequently, economic, environmental, and social tools have emerged known as footprints, in an effort to examine and measure the needs and consequences of humanity on the Earth's life support systems and take measures towards sustainable development. Furthermore, the constantly worsening environmental conditions have resulted in the cultivation of a green culture among society stakeholders that brought on terms such as green marketing and green products. This paper deals with the water footprint (WF) concept and an effort is performed, to explore through a literature review, in which ways it can contribute to the sustainable development of water use, in the context of green marketing (GM) strategies. The approach of the analysis is based on the discrimination to the following aspects: international scale, national and subnational scale, farmers, business, and consumers, in order to track the affection of each part in water issues. The main findings of the literature review showed that the aforementioned factors are playing a key role in protecting water recourses, by the way they formulate their water use and they are interrelated and interdependent. WFs can be useful in the context of GM, by providing helpful information about direct and indirect water consumption, to every contributor factor in supply chains, to consumers, governments, and water managers.

Maintenance versus growth: investigating the costs of immune activation among children in lowland Bolivia.

PubMed

McDade, T W; Reyes-García, V; Tanner, S; Huanca, T; Leonard, W R

2008-08-01

Immune function is a central component of maintenance effort, and it provides critical protection against the potentially life threatening effects of pathogens. However, immune defenses are energetically expensive, and the resources they consume are not available to support other activities related to growth and/or reproduction. In our study we use a life history theory framework to investigate tradeoffs between maintenance effort and growth among children in a remote area of Amazonian Bolivia. Baseline concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in 309 2- to 10-year olds as an indicator of immune activation, and height was measured at baseline and three months later. Elevated CRP at baseline predicts smaller gains in height over the subsequent three months, with the costs to growth particularly high for 2- to 4-year olds and for those with low energy reserves (in the form of body fat) at the time of immunostimulation. These results provide evidence for a significant tradeoff between investment in immunity and growth in humans, and highlight an important physiological mechanism through which maintenance effort may have lasting effects on child growth and development. Copyright 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Exploration Medical Capability System Engineering Introduction and Vision

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mindock, J.; Reilly, J.

2017-01-01

Human exploration missions to beyond low Earth orbit destinations such as Mars will require more autonomous capability compared to current low Earth orbit operations. For the medical system, lack of consumable resupply, evacuation opportunities, and real-time ground support are key drivers toward greater autonomy. Recognition of the limited mission and vehicle resources available to carry out exploration missions motivates the Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element's approach to enabling the necessary autonomy. The Element's work must integrate with the overall exploration mission and vehicle design efforts to successfully provide exploration medical capabilities. ExMC is applying systems engineering principles and practices to accomplish its integrative goals. This talk will briefly introduce the discipline of systems engineering and key points in its application to exploration medical capability development. It will elucidate technical medical system needs to be met by the systems engineering work, and the structured and integrative science and engineering approach to satisfying those needs, including the development of shared mental and qualitative models within and external to the human health and performance community. These efforts are underway to ensure relevancy to exploration system maturation and to establish medical system development that is collaborative with vehicle and mission design and engineering efforts.

77 FR 38290 - Agency Information Collection Request. 30-Day Public Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-27

... and education efforts, including the Physical Activity and Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It is... Agreement. Childhood Obesity Prevention Online consumer 921 1 .25 246 communications campaign. surveys, a...

North Dakota wheat transportation knowledge for market enhancement.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-07-01

North Dakota wheat producers are located long distances from major consumer and export markets. Understanding the competitive position of their products is important to focusing efforts for market development and transportation investments. Research ...

Refuge-mediated apparent competition in plant-consumer interactions.

PubMed

Orrock, John L; Holt, Robert D; Baskett, Marissa L

2010-01-01

At the intersection of consumer behaviour and plant competition is the concept of refuge-mediated apparent competition: an indirect interaction whereby plants provide a refuge for a shared consumer, subsequently increasing consumer pressure on another plant species. Here, we use a simple model and empirical examples to develop and illustrate the concept of refuge-mediated apparent competition. We find that the likelihood that an inferior competitor will succeed via refuge-mediated apparent competition is greater when competitors have similar resource requirements and when consumers exhibit a strong response to the refuge and high attack rates on the superior competitor. Refuge-mediated apparent competition may create an emergent Allee effect, such that a species invades only if it is sufficiently abundant to alter consumer impact on resident species. This indirect interaction may help explain unresolved patterns observed in biological invasion, such as the different physical structure of invasive exotic plants, the lag phase, and the failure of restoration efforts. Given the ubiquity of refuge-seeking behaviour by consumers and the ability of consumers to alter the outcome of direct competition among plants, refuge-mediated apparent competition may be an underappreciated mechanism affecting the composition and diversity of plant communities.

Evaluation of neural cochlear structures after noise trauma using x-ray tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richter, Claus-Peter; Liddy, Whitney; Vo, Amanda; Young, Hunter; Stock, Stuart; Xiao, Xianghui; Whitlon, Donna

2014-09-01

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2010 hearing loss affected more than 278 million people worldwide. The loss of hearing and communication has significant consequences on the emotional well-being of each affected individual. The estimated socio-economic impact is about $100 billion in unrealized household income per year. Despite this impact on society, no Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drug intervention is available today that would either protect or reverse the effects of hearing loss. A limiting factor for all efforts to validate drugs for treatment relates to the time consuming animal experiments and subsequent histology. Here, we present an imaging method that is superior to current gold standard methods in flexibility and time for evaluation of histology. Tissue processing times are reduced from weeks to hours. As an example, we show that Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) reduces the effect of noise induced hearing loss.

[Revision of Medical Fee System for Treatment at Nursing Homes - The Influential Consideration of the Introduction of One-Patient-Per-Visit Method on the Welfare of Elderly Patients at Nursing Homes].

PubMed

Kondo, Seiji; Kondo, Yasuko; Fuse, Minako

2016-12-01

The 2014 revision of the medical fee system includes the introduction of a one-patient-per-visit method at nursing homes, which should be followed to avoid a drastic reduction in medical fees. We followed the new method, resulting in much more frequent visits to nursing homes(For example, we visit a facilitythree times per week instead of the previous two times per month). Frequent visits to multiple facilities are time- and effort-consuming on our side as a clinic, but, on the other hand, patients have more opportunities to see a doctor when theyare sick even if theyare not scheduled to do so. In this study, we examined how the new method affects the welfare of elderlypatients at nursing homes.

The application of "integrated marketing communications" to social marketing and health communication: organizational challenges and implications.

PubMed

Nowak, G; Cole, G; Kirby, S; Freimuth, V; Caywood, C

1998-01-01

Influencing consumer behavior is a difficult and often resource-intensive undertaking, with success usually requiring identifying, describing, and understanding target audiences; solid product and/or service positioning relative to competitors; and significant media and communication resources. Integrated marketing communication (IMC) is a new way of organizing and managing persuasive communication tools and functions which involves realigning communications to consider the flow of information from an organization from the viewpoint of end consumers. Although the application of IMC to social marketing remains relatively unexplored, the IMC literature and recent efforts by the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control suggest that integrated communication approaches have much to offer social marketing and health communication efforts. IMC, IMC and social marketing, and implications of IMC for public and private sector social marketing programs are discussed.

Health care consumerism: incentives, behavior change and uncertainties.

PubMed

Domaszewicz, Sander; Havlin, Linda; Connolly, Susan

2010-01-01

Employers affected by the recession's 2009 peak must press for cost containment in 2010, especially in health care benefits. Encouraging employee consumerism--through consumer-directed health plans and other strategies--can be enhanced by incentives, but federal efforts at health care reform add some element of uncertainty to the consumer-directed solution. This article provides some lessons to guide the course of action for employers considering implementing a consumerist approach to improve employee health and control the cost trend.

Parental Self-Feeding Effects on Parental Care Levels and Time Allocation in Palestine Sunbirds

PubMed Central

Markman, Shai

2014-01-01

The trade-off between parents feeding themselves and their young is an important life history problem that can be considered in terms of optimal behavioral strategies. Recent studies on birds have tested how parents allocate the food between themselves and their young. Until now the effect of food consumption by parent birds on their food delivery to their young as well as other parental activities has rarely been studied. I have previously shown that parent Palestine sunbirds (Nectarinia osea) will consume nectar and liquidized arthropods from artificial feeders. However, they will only feed their young with whole arthropods. This provided a unique opportunity to experimentally manipulate the food eaten by parents independent of that fed to their offspring. Here, I hypothesized that parents invest in their current young according to the quality of food that they themselves consume. Breeding pairs with two or three nestlings were provided with feeders containing water (control), sucrose solution (0.75 mol) or liquidized mealworms mixed with sucrose solution (0.75 mol). As food quality in feeders increased (from water up to liquidized mealworms mixed with sucrose solution): 1) Parents (especially females) increased their food delivery of whole arthropod prey to their young. 2) Only males increased their nest guarding effort. Nestling food intake and growth rate increased with increasing food quality of parents and decreasing brood size. These results imply that increasing the nutrient content of foods consumed by parent sunbirds allow them to increase the rate at which other foods are delivered to their young and to increase the time spent on other parental care activities. PMID:25474620

Universal Verification Methodology Based Register Test Automation Flow.

PubMed

Woo, Jae Hun; Cho, Yong Kwan; Park, Sun Kyu

2016-05-01

In today's SoC design, the number of registers has been increased along with complexity of hardware blocks. Register validation is a time-consuming and error-pron task. Therefore, we need an efficient way to perform verification with less effort in shorter time. In this work, we suggest register test automation flow based UVM (Universal Verification Methodology). UVM provides a standard methodology, called a register model, to facilitate stimulus generation and functional checking of registers. However, it is not easy for designers to create register models for their functional blocks or integrate models in test-bench environment because it requires knowledge of SystemVerilog and UVM libraries. For the creation of register models, many commercial tools support a register model generation from register specification described in IP-XACT, but it is time-consuming to describe register specification in IP-XACT format. For easy creation of register model, we propose spreadsheet-based register template which is translated to IP-XACT description, from which register models can be easily generated using commercial tools. On the other hand, we also automate all the steps involved integrating test-bench and generating test-cases, so that designers may use register model without detailed knowledge of UVM or SystemVerilog. This automation flow involves generating and connecting test-bench components (e.g., driver, checker, bus adaptor, etc.) and writing test sequence for each type of register test-case. With the proposed flow, designers can save considerable amount of time to verify functionality of registers.

The geologic relationships of industrial mineral deposits and asbestos in the western united states

USGS Publications Warehouse

VanGosen, B.S.

2009-01-01

In recent years, U.S. regulatory agencies have placed emphasis on identifying and regulating asbestos dust exposures in the mining environment, with a particular focus upon industrial mineral deposits in which asbestos occurs as an accessory mineral. Because asbestos minerals form in specific geologic environments, only certain predictable types of industrial mineral deposits can potentially host asbestos mineralization. By applying a basic knowledge of asbestos geology, the costly and time consuming efforts of asbestos monitoring and analyses can be directed towards those mineral deposit types most likely to contain asbestos mineralogy, while saving efforts on the mineral deposits that are unlikely to contain asbestos. While the vast majority of industrial mineral deposits in the Western United States are asbestos-free, there are several types that can, in some instances, host asbestos mineralization, or be closely associated with it. These industrial mineral deposits include a few types of aggregate, dimension, and decorative stone, and some deposits of chromite-nickel, magnesite, nepheline syenite, olivine, rare earth elements, talc, vermiculite, and wollastonite.

Arsenic geochemistry and human health in South East Asia

PubMed Central

McCarty, Kathleen M.; Hanh, Hoang Thi; Kim, Kyoung-Woong

2011-01-01

Arsenic occurs naturally in many environmental components and enters the human body through several exposure pathways. Natural enrichment of arsenic may result in considerable contamination of soil, water, and air. Arsenic in groundwater can exceed values hundreds of time higher than the concentration recommended for drinking water. Such exposure levels indicate a serious potential health risk to individuals consuming raw groundwater. Human activities that have an impact on the environment may increase the distribution of inorganic arsenic. Abandoned mines are of great concern due to the extremely high arsenic concentrations detected in mine drainage and tailings. Diet, drinking water, air, soil, and occupational exposures are all sources of inorganic arsenic for humans. Interdisciplinary efforts to better characterize the transport of arsenic and reactants that facilitate their release to the environment are important for human health studies. Multi-disciplinary efforts are needed to study diet, infectious disease, genetics, and cultural practices unique to each region to better understand human health risk and to design public health interventions. PMID:21714384

Extreme Urban Stargazing: Outreach in New York City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendall, Jason S.

2013-01-01

There is a fundamental need for the professional community to cultivate and nurture active relationships with amateur organizations. The rewards of such work are highly beneficial to general public education and town-gown relations, but are time-consuming and hard-won. New York City and the surrounding area is both ideally suited and unambiguously ill-suited for astronomy public outreach. I will detail the results of three major outreach efforts in coordination with the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York. I will highlight large public-space observing in the context of the Transit of Venus and star parties at other locations. I will also outline outreach efforts at William Paterson University, where two public nights and a Curiosity EDL event created a clear impact in Northern New Jersey. I will detail methods for encouraging and bringing out amateur observers to events, urban crowd management, publicity issues, and the benefits and pitfalls of social media in the promotion and execution of large-scale and moderate events.

The National Cardiovascular Data Registry Voluntary Public Reporting Program: An Interim Report From the NCDR Public Reporting Advisory Group.

PubMed

Dehmer, Gregory J; Jennings, Jonathan; Madden, Ruth A; Malenka, David J; Masoudi, Frederick A; McKay, Charles R; Ness, Debra L; Rao, Sunil V; Resnic, Frederic S; Ring, Michael E; Rumsfeld, John S; Shelton, Marc E; Simanowith, Michael C; Slattery, Lara E; Weintraub, William S; Lovett, Ann; Normand, Sharon-Lise

2016-01-19

Public reporting of health care data continues to proliferate as consumers and other stakeholders seek information on the quality and outcomes of care. Medicare's Hospital Compare website, the U.S. News & World Report hospital rankings, and several state-level programs are well known. Many rely heavily on administrative data as a surrogate to reflect clinical reality. Clinical data are traditionally more difficult and costly to collect, but more accurately reflect patients' clinical status, thus enhancing the validity of quality metrics. We describe the public reporting effort being launched by the American College of Cardiology and partnering professional organizations using clinical data from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) programs. This hospital-level voluntary effort will initially report process of care measures from the percutaneous coronary intervention (CathPCI) and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) registries of the NCDR. Over time, additional process, outcomes, and composite performance metrics will be reported. Copyright © 2016 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Food irradiation: Public opinion surveys

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

Kerr, S.D.

The Canadian government are discussing the legislation, regulations and practical protocol necessary for the commercialization of food irradiation. Food industry marketing, public relations and media expertise will be needed to successfully introduce this new processing choice to retailers and consumers. Consumer research to date including consumer opinion studies and market trials conducted in the Netherlands, United States, South Africa and Canada will be explored for signposts to successful approaches to the introduction of irradiated foods to retailers and consumers. Research has indicated that the terms used to describe irradiation and information designed to reduce consumer fears will be important marketingmore » tools. Marketers will be challenged to promote old foods, which look the same to consumers, in a new light. Simple like or dislike or intention to buy surveys will not be effective tools. Consumer fears must be identified and effectively handled to support a receptive climate for irradiated food products. A cooperative government, industry, health professional, consumer association and retailer effort will be necessary for the successful introduction of irradiated foods into the marketplace. Grocery Products Manufacturers of Canada is a national trade association of more than 150 major companies engaged in the manufacture of food, non-alcoholic beverages and array of other national-brand consumer items sold through retail outlets.« less

Report: Progress Report on Drinking Water Protection Efforts

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #2005-P-00021, August 22, 2005. EPA and the States in this sample are making progress at helping water systems better reach Congress’ goal of protecting drinking water from its source to the consumer.

Has Student Consumerism Gone Too Far?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pernal, Michael

1977-01-01

Efforts to protect students' consumer rights may encounter difficulty because of the heavy burdens now being placed on colleges and universities. Five ways that the concept of consumerism breaks down the educational setting are discussed. (Editor/LBH)

Simulated tri-trophic networks reveal complex relationships between species diversity and interaction diversity

PubMed Central

Lumpkin, Will; Hurtado, Paul J.; Dyer, Lee A.

2018-01-01

Most of earth’s biodiversity is comprised of interactions among species, yet it is unclear what causes variation in interaction diversity across space and time. We define interaction diversity as the richness and relative abundance of interactions linking species together at scales from localized, measurable webs to entire ecosystems. Large-scale patterns suggest that two basic components of interaction diversity differ substantially and predictably between different ecosystems: overall taxonomic diversity and host specificity of consumers. Understanding how these factors influence interaction diversity, and quantifying the causes and effects of variation in interaction diversity are important goals for community ecology. While previous studies have examined the effects of sampling bias and consumer specialization on determining patterns of ecological networks, these studies were restricted to two trophic levels and did not incorporate realistic variation in species diversity and consumer diet breadth. Here, we developed a food web model to generate tri-trophic ecological networks, and evaluated specific hypotheses about how the diversity of trophic interactions and species diversity are related under different scenarios of species richness, taxonomic abundance, and consumer diet breadth. We investigated the accumulation of species and interactions and found that interactions accumulate more quickly; thus, the accumulation of novel interactions may require less sampling effort than sampling species in order to get reliable estimates of either type of diversity. Mean consumer diet breadth influenced the correlation between species and interaction diversity significantly more than variation in both species richness and taxonomic abundance. However, this effect of diet breadth on interaction diversity is conditional on the number of observed interactions included in the models. The results presented here will help develop realistic predictions of the relationships between consumer diet breadth, interaction diversity, and species diversity within multi-trophic communities, which is critical for the conservation of biodiversity in this period of accelerated global change. PMID:29579077

Simulated tri-trophic networks reveal complex relationships between species diversity and interaction diversity.

PubMed

Pardikes, Nicholas A; Lumpkin, Will; Hurtado, Paul J; Dyer, Lee A

2018-01-01

Most of earth's biodiversity is comprised of interactions among species, yet it is unclear what causes variation in interaction diversity across space and time. We define interaction diversity as the richness and relative abundance of interactions linking species together at scales from localized, measurable webs to entire ecosystems. Large-scale patterns suggest that two basic components of interaction diversity differ substantially and predictably between different ecosystems: overall taxonomic diversity and host specificity of consumers. Understanding how these factors influence interaction diversity, and quantifying the causes and effects of variation in interaction diversity are important goals for community ecology. While previous studies have examined the effects of sampling bias and consumer specialization on determining patterns of ecological networks, these studies were restricted to two trophic levels and did not incorporate realistic variation in species diversity and consumer diet breadth. Here, we developed a food web model to generate tri-trophic ecological networks, and evaluated specific hypotheses about how the diversity of trophic interactions and species diversity are related under different scenarios of species richness, taxonomic abundance, and consumer diet breadth. We investigated the accumulation of species and interactions and found that interactions accumulate more quickly; thus, the accumulation of novel interactions may require less sampling effort than sampling species in order to get reliable estimates of either type of diversity. Mean consumer diet breadth influenced the correlation between species and interaction diversity significantly more than variation in both species richness and taxonomic abundance. However, this effect of diet breadth on interaction diversity is conditional on the number of observed interactions included in the models. The results presented here will help develop realistic predictions of the relationships between consumer diet breadth, interaction diversity, and species diversity within multi-trophic communities, which is critical for the conservation of biodiversity in this period of accelerated global change.

Consumers' environmental and ethical consciousness and the use of the related food products information: The role of perceived consumer effectiveness.

PubMed

Ghvanidze, Sophie; Velikova, Natalia; Dodd, Tim H; Oldewage-Theron, Wilna

2016-12-01

Consumers can be important active contributors to a sustainable society by selecting food choices that are both healthy and produced respecting environmental and socially ethical standards. The current study investigates five consumer behavioural factors - namely, perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE); environmental conscious behaviour; concerns for ethical food production; health conscious lifestyle; and healthy dietary patterns. The key interest of the study lies in exploring the moderating role of PCE - the extent to which the consumer believes that his/her own efforts can make a difference - in these interrelationships. The empirical analysis was conducted through an online survey of food consumers implemented in three markets - the US, the UK and Germany. Findings indicate that for individuals with higher levels of PCE, who are environmental conscious and ethically concerned, information on food labels relating to environmental and social issues represents value by itself. Interestingly, health and nutrition information on food labels was not perceived valuable by consumers with high PCE. The predictive effects of various socio-demographic variables on PCE, consumer environmental and health consciousness are discussed. Cross-cultural differences are also outlined. The results of this research may contribute to the development of environmental policies and communication strategies of the food industry to enhance perceived consumer effectiveness among consumers. Improved PCE, in turn, may catalyze consumers' environmental behaviour and ethical concerns in relation to consumption of food products with environmental and social information. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EUROPE 1992: Catalyst for Change in Defense Acquisition. Report of the DSMC 1989-1990 Military Research Fellows

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

decrease in average consumer prices , to think of Europe 1992 as a starting date or a point of departure for what some have called the largest...overall The European Community’s four consumer prices . executive institutions-- Commission, Parliament, Council of Ministers and Court In 1985, the...of the draft, but also for may want to skim Chapter One and go to the extra effort he put forth to ensure that Chapter Two’s discussion on parallel

Whither tobacco product regulation?

PubMed

McNeill, Ann; Hammond, David; Gartner, Coral

2012-03-01

Despite decades of industry innovation and regulatory efforts, the harmfulness of conventional cigarettes has not changed. There are several pitfalls in this area, including the long time lag before health impacts of product regulatory changes become apparent, the danger of consumers deriving false reassurance of lesser harm in the interim period, the lack of relevant expertise and the lack of an internationally agreed and evidence-based strategic approach. Articles 9 and 10 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control provide the potential for such a global strategy, and knowledge and research has increased significantly over recent years. However, there are huge opportunity costs in implementing product disclosure and regulatory strategies: most national regulators have very limited human and financial resources, which should be focused on other evidence-based tobacco control interventions. We believe therefore that it is now time to abandon the notion of safe or safer cigarettes while moving consumers towards cleaner nicotine products as soon as possible. In parallel to this, we recommend a number of other strategies be implemented including: reducing the appeal of all tobacco products, forbidding new tobacco products or brand variants being marketed without evidence of reduced harm, appeal or addictiveness, and developing a tobacco industry resourced, but industry independent, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control global repository to assist national regulators in understanding and regulating the products on their markets.

Putting the ‘patient’ in patient safety: a qualitative study of consumer experiences

PubMed Central

Rathert, Cheryl; Brandt, Julie; Williams, Eric S.

2011-01-01

Abstract Background  Although patient safety has been studied extensively, little research has directly examined patient and family (consumer) perceptions. Evidence suggests that clinicians define safety differently from consumers, e.g. clinicians focus more on outcomes, whereas consumers may focus more on processes. Consumer perceptions of patient safety are important for several reasons. First, health‐care policy leaders have been encouraging patients and families to take a proactive role in ensuring patient safety; therefore, an understanding of how patients define safety is needed. Second, consumer perceptions of safety could influence outcomes such as trust and satisfaction or compliance with treatment protocols. Finally, consumer perspectives could be an additional lens for viewing complex systems and processes for quality improvement efforts. Objectives  To qualitatively explore acute care consumer perceptions of patient safety. Design and methods  Thirty‐nine individuals with a recent overnight hospital visit participated in one of four group interviews. Analysis followed an interpretive analytical approach. Results  Three basic themes were identified: Communication, staffing issues and medication administration. Consumers associated care process problems, such as delays or lack of information, with safety rather than as service quality problems. Participants agreed that patients need family caregivers as advocates. Conclusions  Consumers seem acutely aware of care processes they believe pose risks to safety. Perceptual measures of patient safety and quality may help to identify areas where there are higher risks of preventable adverse events. PMID:21624026

Crowdsourcing healthcare costs: Opportunities and challenges for patient centered price transparency.

PubMed

Meisel, Zachary F; VonHoltz, Lauren A Houdek; Merchant, Raina M

2016-03-01

Efforts to improve health care price transparency have garnered significant attention from patients, policy makers, and health insurers. In response to increasing consumer demand, state governments, insurance plans, and health care providers are reporting health care prices. However, such data often do not provide consumers with the most salient information: their own actual out-of-pocket cost for medical care. Although untested, crowdsourcing, a mechanism for the public to help answer complex questions, represents a potential solution to the problem of opaque hospital costs. This article explores, the challenges and potential opportunities for crowdsourcing out-of-pocket costs for healthcare consumers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Consumer-driven healthcare marketing: using the web to get up close and personal.

PubMed

Rooney, Keila

2009-01-01

This essay examines the emergence of consumer-driven healthcare marketing, including its operational definition, how it has been used in the past, and how it has evolved. Specifically, marketing practices in other industries are inspected to understand the factors that have contributed to their successes and to determine the relevance of these efforts to healthcare marketing. The advantages of new, technology-enabled marketing opportunities are considered as well, such as stealth ads, blogs, podcasts, and corporate participation in social networks. The implications of the regulation on healthcare websites, along with the work-around strategies used, are analyzed. Lastly, the essay submits recommendations for the healthcare executive when implementing a consumer-driven healthcare marketing plan.

Rhetoric vs. reality: employer views on consumer-driven health care.

PubMed

Trude, Sally; Conwell, Leslie

2004-07-01

Because of rising premiums, employers are investigating new health insurance approaches that maintain workers' broad choice of providers while raising awareness of health care costs through increased patient financial responsibility. Employers' knowledge of new health plan products, including consumer-driven health plans and tiered-provider networks, has grown considerably in recent years, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC) 2002-03 site visit to 12 nationally representative communities. But employers are concerned that consumer-driven health plans would take considerable effort to implement without much cost savings. They also are skeptical that tiered-provider networks can adequately capture both cost and quality information in a way that is understandable to patients.

Applying a Consumer Behavior Lens to Salt Reduction Initiatives

PubMed Central

Potvin Kent, Monique; Raats, Monique M.; McConnon, Áine; Wall, Patrick; Dubois, Lise

2017-01-01

Reformulation of food products to reduce salt content has been a central strategy for achieving population level salt reduction. In this paper, we reflect on current reformulation strategies and consider how consumer behavior determines the ultimate success of these strategies. We consider the merits of adopting a ‘health by stealth’, silent approach to reformulation compared to implementing a communications strategy which draws on labeling initiatives in tandem with reformulation efforts. We end this paper by calling for a multi-actor approach which utilizes co-design, participatory tools to facilitate the involvement of all stakeholders, including, and especially, consumers, in making decisions around how best to achieve population-level salt reduction. PMID:28820449

Performance Characterization and Simulation of Amine-Based Vacuum Swing Adsorption Units for Spacesuit Carbon Dioxide and Humidity Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swickrath, Michael J.; Watts,Carly; Anderson, Molly; McMillin, Summer; Boerman, Craig; Colunga, Aaron; Vogel, Matthew

2011-01-01

Controlling carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) concentrations in the vapor phase of a space suit is critical to ensuring an astronauts safety, comfortability, and capability to perform extra-vehicular activity (EVA) tasks. Historically, this has been accomplished using lithium hydroxide (LiOH) and metal oxides (MetOx). Lithium hydroxide is a consumable material and requires priming with water before it becomes effective at removing carbon dioxide. MetOx is regenerable through a power-intensive thermal cycle but is significantly heavier on a volume basis than LiOH. As an alternative, amine-based vacuum swing beds are under aggressive development for EVA applications which control atmospheric concentrations of both CO2 and H2O through a fully-regenerative process. The current concept, referred to as the rapid cycle amine (RCA), has resulted in numerous laboratory prototypes. Performance of these prototypes have been assessed and documented from experimental and theoretical perspectives. To support developmental efforts, a first principles model has also been established for the vacuum swing adsorption technology. The efforts documented herein summarize performance characterization and simulation results for several variable metabolic profiles subjected to the RCA. Furthermore, a variety of control methods are explored including timed swing cycles, instantaneous CO2 feedback control, and time-averaged CO2 feedback control. A variety of off-nominal tests are also explored including high/low suit temperatures, increasingly high humidity cases, and dynamic pressure cases simulating the suit pre-breathe protocol. Consequently, this work builds on efforts previous efforts to fully bound the performance of the rapid cycle amine under a variety of nominal and off-nominal conditions.

Can High Quality Overcome Consumer Resistance to Restricted Provider Access? Evidence from a Health Plan Choice Experiment

PubMed Central

Harris, Katherine M

2002-01-01

Objective To investigate the impact of quality information on the willingness of consumers to enroll in health plans that restrict provider access. Data Sources and Setting A survey administered to respondents between the ages of 25 and 64 in the West Los Angeles area with private health insurance. Study Design An experimental approach is used to measure the effect of variation in provider network features and information about the quality of network physicians on hypothetical plan choices. Conditional logit models are used to analyze the experimental choice data. Next, choice model parameter estimates are used to simulate the impact of changes in plan features on the market shares of competing health plans and to calculate the quality level required to make consumers indifferent to changes in provider access. Principal Findings The presence of quality information reduced the importance of provider network features in plan choices as hypothesized. However, there were not statistically meaningful differences by type of quality measure (i.e., consumer assessed versus expert assessed). The results imply that large quality differences are required to make consumers indifferent to changes in provider access. The impact of quality on plan choices depended more on the particular measure and less on the type of measure. Quality ratings based on the proportion of survey respondents “extremely satisfied with results of care” had the greatest impact on plan choice while the proportion of network doctors “affiliated with university medical centers” had the least. Other consumer and expert assessed measures had more comparable effects. Conclusions Overall the results provide empirical evidence that consumers are willing to trade high quality for restrictions on provider access. This willingness to trade implies that relatively small plans that place restrictions on provider access can successfully compete against less restrictive plans when they can demonstrate high quality. However, the results of this study suggest that in many cases, the level of quality required for consumers to accept access restrictions may be so high as to be unattainable. The results provide empirical support for the current focus of decision support efforts on consumer assessed quality measures. At the same time, however, the results suggest that consumers would also value quality measures based on expert assessments. This finding is relevant given the lack of comparative quality information based on expert judgment and research suggesting that consumers have apprehensions about their ability to meaningfully interpret performance-based quality measures. PMID:12132595

Online self-expression and experimentation as 'reflectivism': Using text analytics to examine the participatory forum Hello Sunday Morning.

PubMed

Carah, Nicholas; Meurk, Carla; Angus, Daniel

2017-03-01

Hello Sunday Morning is an online health promotion organisation that began in 2009. Hello Sunday Morning asks participants to stop consuming alcohol for a period of time, set a goal and document their progress on a personal blog. Hello Sunday Morning is a unique health intervention for three interrelated reasons: (1) it was generated outside a clinical setting, (2) it uses new media technologies to create structured forms of participation in an iterative and open-ended way and (3) participants generate a written record of their progress along with demographic, behavioural and engagement data. This article presents a text analysis of the blog posts of Hello Sunday Morning participants using the software program Leximancer. Analysis of blogs illustrates how participants' expressions change over time. In the first month, participants tended to set goals, describe their current drinking practices in individual and cultural terms, express hopes and anxieties and report on early efforts to change. After month 1, participants continued to report on efforts to change and associated challenges and reflect on their place as individuals in a drinking culture. In addition to this, participants evaluated their efforts to change and presented their 'findings' and 'theorised' them to provide advice for others. We contextualise this text analysis with respect to Hello Sunday Morning's development of more structured forms of online participation. We offer a critical appraisal of the value of text analytics in the development of online health interventions.

Multimedia systems overview: the big picture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riccomi, Alfred

1993-01-01

The golden opportunities represented by multimedia systems have been recognized by many. The risk and cost involved in developing the products and the markets has led to a bonanza of unlikely consortia of strange bedfellows. The premier promoter of personal computing systems, Apple Computer, has joined forces with the dominant supplier of corporate computing, IBM, to form a multimedia technology joint venture called Kaleida. The consumer electronics world's leading promoter of free trade, Sony, has joined forces with the leader of Europe's protectionist companies, Philips, to create a consumer multimedia standard called CD-I. While still paying lip service to CD-I, Sony and Philips now appear to be going their separate ways. The software world's most profitable/fastest growing firm, Microsoft, has entered into alliances with each and every multimedia competitor to create a mish mash of product classes and defacto standards. The battle for Multimedia Standards is being fought on all fronts: on standards committees, in corporate strategic marketing meetings, within industry associations, in computer retail stores, and on the streets. Early attempts to set proprietary defacto standards were fought back, but the proprietary efforts continue with renewed vigor. Standards committees were, as always, slow to define specifications, but the official standards are now known nd being implemented; ... but the proprietary efforts continue with renewed vigor. Ultimately, the buyers will decide -- like it or not. Success by the efforts to establish proprietary defacto standards could prove to be a boon to the highly creative and inventive U.S. firms, but at the cost of higher prices for consumers and slower market growth. Success by the official standards could bring lower prices for consumers and fast market growth, but force the higher-wage/higher-overhead U.S. firms to compete on a level playing field. As is always the case, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Profile and effects of consumer involvement in fresh meat.

PubMed

Verbeke, Wim; Vackier, Isabelle

2004-05-01

This study investigates the profile and effects of consumer involvement in fresh meat as a product category based on cross-sectional data collected in Belgium. Analyses confirm that involvement in meat is a multidimensional construct including four facets: pleasure value, symbolic value, risk importance and risk probability. Four involvement-based meat consumer segments are identified: straightforward, cautious, indifferent, and concerned. Socio-demographic differences between the segments relate to gender, age and presence of children. The segments differ in terms of extensiveness of the decision-making process, impact and trust in information sources, levels of concern, price consciousness, claimed meat consumption, consumption intention, and preferred place of purchase. The two segments with a strong perception of meat risks constitute two-thirds of the market. They can be typified as cautious meat lovers versus concerned meat consumers. Efforts aiming at consumer reassurance through quality improvement, traceability, labelling or communication may gain effectiveness when targeted specifically to these two segments. Whereas straightforward meat lovers focus mainly on taste as the decisive criterion, indifferent consumers are strongly price oriented.

Trends in US home food preparation and consumption: analysis of national nutrition surveys and time use studies from 1965-1966 to 2007-2008.

PubMed

Smith, Lindsey P; Ng, Shu Wen; Popkin, Barry M

2013-04-11

It has been well-documented that Americans have shifted towards eating out more and cooking at home less. However, little is known about whether these trends have continued into the 21st century, and whether these trends are consistent amongst low-income individuals, who are increasingly the target of public health programs that promote home cooking. The objective of this study is to examine how patterns of home cooking and home food consumption have changed from 1965 to 2008 by socio-demographic groups. This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from 6 nationally representative US dietary surveys and 6 US time-use studies conducted between 1965 and 2008. Subjects are adults aged 19 to 60 years (n= 38,565 for dietary surveys and n=55,424 for time-use surveys). Weighted means of daily energy intake by food source, proportion who cooked, and time spent cooking were analyzed for trends from 1965-1966 to 2007-2008 by gender and income. T-tests were conducted to determine statistical differences over time. The percentage of daily energy consumed from home food sources and time spent in food preparation decreased significantly for all socioeconomic groups between 1965-1966 and 2007-2008 (p ≤ 0.001), with the largest declines occurring between 1965 and 1992. In 2007-2008, foods from the home supply accounted for 65 to 72% of total daily energy, with 54 to 57% reporting cooking activities. The low income group showed the greatest decline in the proportion cooking, but consumed more daily energy from home sources and spent more time cooking than high income individuals in 2007-2008 (p ≤ 0.001). US adults have decreased consumption of foods from the home supply and reduced time spent cooking since 1965, but this trend appears to have leveled off, with no substantial decrease occurring after the mid-1990's. Across socioeconomic groups, people consume the majority of daily energy from the home food supply, yet only slightly more than half spend any time cooking on a given day. Efforts to boost the healthfulness of the US diet should focus on promoting the preparation of healthy foods at home while incorporating limits on time available for cooking.

Trends in US home food preparation and consumption: analysis of national nutrition surveys and time use studies from 1965–1966 to 2007–2008

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background It has been well-documented that Americans have shifted towards eating out more and cooking at home less. However, little is known about whether these trends have continued into the 21st century, and whether these trends are consistent amongst low-income individuals, who are increasingly the target of public health programs that promote home cooking. The objective of this study is to examine how patterns of home cooking and home food consumption have changed from 1965 to 2008 by socio-demographic groups. Methods This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from 6 nationally representative US dietary surveys and 6 US time-use studies conducted between 1965 and 2008. Subjects are adults aged 19 to 60 years (n= 38,565 for dietary surveys and n=55,424 for time-use surveys). Weighted means of daily energy intake by food source, proportion who cooked, and time spent cooking were analyzed for trends from 1965–1966 to 2007–2008 by gender and income. T-tests were conducted to determine statistical differences over time. Results The percentage of daily energy consumed from home food sources and time spent in food preparation decreased significantly for all socioeconomic groups between 1965–1966 and 2007–2008 (p ≤ 0.001), with the largest declines occurring between 1965 and 1992. In 2007–2008, foods from the home supply accounted for 65 to 72% of total daily energy, with 54 to 57% reporting cooking activities. The low income group showed the greatest decline in the proportion cooking, but consumed more daily energy from home sources and spent more time cooking than high income individuals in 2007–2008 (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions US adults have decreased consumption of foods from the home supply and reduced time spent cooking since 1965, but this trend appears to have leveled off, with no substantial decrease occurring after the mid-1990’s. Across socioeconomic groups, people consume the majority of daily energy from the home food supply, yet only slightly more than half spend any time cooking on a given day. Efforts to boost the healthfulness of the US diet should focus on promoting the preparation of healthy foods at home while incorporating limits on time available for cooking. PMID:23577692

ATE accomplishes receiver specification testing with increased speed and throughput

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moser, S. A.

1982-12-01

The use of automatic test equipment (ATE) for receiver specifications testing can result in a 90-95% reduction of test time, with a corresponding reduction of labor costs due both to the reduction of personnel numbers and a simplification of tasks that permits less skilled personnel to be employed. These benefits free high-level technicians for more challenging system management assignments. Accuracy and repeatability also improve with the adoption of ATE, since no possibility of human error can be introduced into the readings that are taken by the system. A massive and expensive software design and development effort is identified as the most difficult aspect of ATE implementation, since programming is both time-consuming and labor intensive. An attempt is therefore made by system manufacturers to conduct an integrated development program for both ATE system hardware and software.

M13 bacteriophage displaying DOPA on surfaces: fabrication of various nanostructured inorganic materials without time-consuming screening processes.

PubMed

Park, Joseph P; Do, Minjae; Jin, Hyo-Eon; Lee, Seung-Wuk; Lee, Haeshin

2014-01-01

M13 bacteriophage (phage) was engineered for the use as a versatile template for preparing various nanostructured materials via genetic engineering coupled to enzymatic chemical conversions. First, we engineered the M13 phage to display TyrGluGluGlu (YEEE) on the pVIII coat protein and then enzymatically converted the Tyr residue to 3,4-dihydroxyl-l-phenylalanine (DOPA). The DOPA-displayed M13 phage could perform two functions: assembly and nucleation. The engineered phage assembles various noble metals, metal oxides, and semiconducting nanoparticles into one-dimensional arrays. Furthermore, the DOPA-displayed phage triggered the nucleation and growth of gold, silver, platinum, bimetallic cobalt-platinum, and bimetallic iron-platinum nanowires. This versatile phage template enables rapid preparation of phage-based prototype devices by eliminating the screening process, thus reducing effort and time.

Competition in the pharmaceutical industry: how do quality differences shape advertising strategies?

PubMed

de Frutos, Maria-Angeles; Ornaghi, Carmine; Siotis, Georges

2013-01-01

We present a Hotelling model of price and advertising competition between prescription drugs that differ in quality/side effects. Promotional effort results in the endogenous formation of two consumer groups: brand loyal and non-brand loyal ones. We show that advertising intensities are strategic substitutes, with the better quality drugs being the ones that are most advertised. This positive association stems from the higher rents that firms can extract from consumers whose brand loyalty is endogenously determined by promotional effort. The model's main results on advertising and pricing strategies are taken to the data. The latter consists of product level data on prices and quantities, product level advertising data, as well as the qualitative information on drug quality contained in the Orange Book compiled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The empirical results provide strong support to the model's predictions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Considering the Future of Pharmaceutical Promotions in Social Media Comment on "Trouble Spots in Online Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Promotion: A Content Analysis of FDA Warning Letters".

PubMed

Carpentier, Francesca Renee Dillman

2016-02-09

This commentary explores the implications of increased social media marketing by drug manufacturers, based on findings in Hyosun Kim's article of the major themes in recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning letters and notices of violation regarding online direct-to-consumer promotions of pharmaceuticals. Kim's rigorous analysis of FDA letters over a 10-year span highlights a relative abundance of regulatory action toward marketer-controlled websites and sponsored advertisements, compared to branded and unbranded social media messaging. However, social media marketing efforts are increasing, as is FDA attention to these efforts. This commentary explores recent developments and continuing challenges in the FDA's attempts to provide guidance and define pharmaceutical company accountability in marketer-controlled and -uncontrolled claims disseminated through social media. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

The role of nutrition labels and advertising claims in altering consumers' evaluation and choice.

PubMed

Bialkova, Svetlana; Sasse, Lena; Fenko, Anna

2016-01-01

Despite policy efforts, consumers' well-informed healthful choice is a challenge. Due to increasing number of benefit claims advertising taste or health front of pack (FOP), consumers face the dilemma to trade taste for health. To understand the mechanisms underlying food evaluation, this study investigates the health-pleasure trade-off and its effect on consumers' choice. 240 EU consumers took part in a taste experiment, after being presented with the product FOP. Half of the products carried a nutrition label FOP, respectively, reduced fat for potato chips, reduced sugar for cereal bars. Further, one third of the products carried health benefit claim, one third taste benefit claim, and one third no additional claim FOP. Attention to information and its effect on experienced taste, health perception and the buying intention were measured. The results show that the message displayed FOP altered consumers evaluation and choice. The effectiveness of the FOP message further depended on consumers' health motivation and the healthfulness perception of carrier products. The outcomes are summarized in a framework of health-pleasure trade-off. Current findings call for the establishment of standards to avoid the use of misleading information FOP. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparing TID simulations using 3-D ray tracing and mirror reflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, X.; Reinisch, B. W.; Sales, G. S.; Paznukhov, V. V.; Galkin, I. A.

2016-04-01

Measuring the time variations of Doppler frequencies and angles of arrival (AoA) of ionospherically reflected HF waves has been proposed as a means of detecting the occurrence of traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs). Simulations are made using ray tracing through the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) electron density model in an effort to reproduce measured signatures. The TID is represented by a wavelike perturbation of the 3-D electron density traveling horizontally in the ionosphere with an amplitude that varies sinusoidally with time. By judiciously selecting the TID parameters the ray tracing simulation reproduces the observed Doppler frequencies and AoAs. Ray tracing in a 3-D realistic ionosphere is, however, excessively time consuming considering the involved homing procedures. It is shown that a carefully selected reflecting corrugated mirror can reproduce the time variations of the AoA and Doppler frequency. The results from the ray tracing through the IRI model ionosphere and the mirror model reflections are compared to assess the applicability of the mirror-reflection model.

Awakening consumer stewardship of health benefits: prevalence and differentiation of new health plan models.

PubMed

Rosenthal, Meredith; Milstein, Arnold

2004-08-01

Despite widespread publicity of consumer-directed health plans, little is known about their prevalence and the extent to which their designs adequately reflect and support consumerism. We examined three types of consumer-directed health plans: health reimbursement accounts (HRAs), premium-tiered, and point-of-care tiered benefit plans. We sought to measure the extent to which these plans had diffused, as well as to provide a critical look at the ways in which these plans support consumerism. Consumerism in this context refers to efforts to enable informed consumer choice and consumers' involvement in managing their health. We also wished to determine whether mainstream health plans-health maintenance organization (HMO), point of service (POS), and preferred provider organization (PPO) models-were being influenced by consumerism. Our study uses national survey data collected by Mercer Human Resource Consulting from 680 national and regional commercial health benefit plans on HMO, PPO, POS, and consumer-directed products. We defined consumer-directed products as health benefit plans that provided (1) consumer incentives to select more economical health care options, including self-care and no care, and (2) information and support to inform such selections. We asked health plans that offered consumer-directed products about 2003 enrollment, basic design features, and the availability of decision support. We also asked mainstream health plans about their activities that supported consumerism (e.g., proactive outreach to inform or influence enrollee behavior, such as self-management or preventive care, reminders sent to patients with identified medical conditions.) We analyzed survey responses for all four product lines in order to identify those plans that offer health reimbursement accounts (HRAs), premium-tiered, or point-of-care tiered models as well as efforts of mainstream health plans to engage informed consumer decision making. The majority of enrollees in consumer-directed health plans are in tiered models (primarily point-of-care tiered networks) rather than HRAs. Tiers are predominantly determined based on both cost and quality criteria. Enrollment in HRAs has grown substantially, in part because of the entry of mainstream managed care plans into the consumer-directed market. Health reimbursement accounts, tiered networks, and traditional managed care plans vary in their capacity to support consumers in managing their health risks and selection of provider and treatment options, with HRAs providing the most and mainstream plans the least. While enrollment in consumer-directed health plans continues to grow steadily, it remains a tiny fraction of all employer-sponsored coverage. Decision support in these plans, a critical link to help consumers make more informed choices, is also still limited. This lack may be of concern in light of the fact that only a minority of such plans report that they monitor claims to protect against underuse. Tiered benefit models appear to be more readily accepted by the market than HRAs. If they are to succeed in optimizing consumers' utility from health benefit spending, careful attention needs to be paid to how well these models inform consumers about the consequences of their selections.

Awakening Consumer Stewardship of Health Benefits: Prevalence and Differentiation of New Health Plan Models

PubMed Central

Rosenthal, Meredith; Milstein, Arnold

2004-01-01

Context Despite widespread publicity of consumer-directed health plans, little is known about their prevalence and the extent to which their designs adequately reflect and support consumerism. Objective We examined three types of consumer-directed health plans: health reimbursement accounts (HRAs), premium-tiered, and point-of-care tiered benefit plans. We sought to measure the extent to which these plans had diffused, as well as to provide a critical look at the ways in which these plans support consumerism. Consumerism in this context refers to efforts to enable informed consumer choice and consumers' involvement in managing their health. We also wished to determine whether mainstream health plans—health maintenance organization (HMO), point of service (POS), and preferred provider organization (PPO) models—were being influenced by consumerism. Data Sources/Study Setting Our study uses national survey data collected by Mercer Human Resource Consulting from 680 national and regional commercial health benefit plans on HMO, PPO, POS, and consumer-directed products. Study Design We defined consumer-directed products as health benefit plans that provided (1) consumer incentives to select more economical health care options, including self-care and no care, and (2) information and support to inform such selections. We asked health plans that offered consumer-directed products about 2003 enrollment, basic design features, and the availability of decision support. We also asked mainstream health plans about their activities that supported consumerism (e.g., proactive outreach to inform or influence enrollee behavior, such as self-management or preventive care, reminders sent to patients with identified medical conditions.) Data Collection/Extraction Methods We analyzed survey responses for all four product lines in order to identify those plans that offer health reimbursement accounts (HRAs), premium-tiered, or point-of-care tiered models as well as efforts of mainstream health plans to engage informed consumer decision making. Principal Findings The majority of enrollees in consumer-directed health plans are in tiered models (primarily point-of-care tiered networks) rather than HRAs. Tiers are predominantly determined based on both cost and quality criteria. Enrollment in HRAs has grown substantially, in part because of the entry of mainstream managed care plans into the consumer-directed market. Health reimbursement accounts, tiered networks, and traditional managed care plans vary in their capacity to support consumers in managing their health risks and selection of provider and treatment options, with HRAs providing the most and mainstream plans the least. Conclusions While enrollment in consumer-directed health plans continues to grow steadily, it remains a tiny fraction of all employer-sponsored coverage. Decision support in these plans, a critical link to help consumers make more informed choices, is also still limited. This lack may be of concern in light of the fact that only a minority of such plans report that they monitor claims to protect against underuse. Tiered benefit models appear to be more readily accepted by the market than HRAs. If they are to succeed in optimizing consumers' utility from health benefit spending, careful attention needs to be paid to how well these models inform consumers about the consequences of their selections. PMID:15230911

Consensus statement: appropriate consumer education and communication programs for weight- loss agents in Asia.

PubMed

Chan, Siew Pheng; Chui, William C; Lo, Kwok Wing; Huang, Kuo-Chin; Leyesa, Normita D; Lin, Wen-Yuan; Mirasol, Roberto C; Robles, Yolanda R; Tey, Beng Hea; Paraidathathu, Thomas

2012-07-01

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity worldwide demands increased efforts in the prevention and management of obesity. This article aims to present consensus statements promoting appropriate consumer education and communication programs for weight-loss agents in Asia. Panel members from various disciplines developed consensus statements based on an expert meeting on the benefits of consumer education and communication programs for over-the-counter weight-loss agents. Key opinion leaders discussed relevant data that served as the basis of the recommendations. Obesity is a growing epidemic in Asia, turning the region into a potential market for weight-loss products and services. Current trends in direct-to-consumer advertising demonstrate the pervasiveness of false representations lacking adequate substantiation. Relevant issues and recommendations were established. Public education on weight management is a shared responsibility; there is a need to raise public awareness of obesity and its health-related consequences. Advertising guidelines should ensure responsible direct-to-consumer advertising of weight-loss agents.

Perspective from the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program.

PubMed

Rich, I M; Andejeski, Y; Alciati, M H; Crawford Bisceglio, I; Breslau, E S; McCall, L; Valadez, A

1998-12-01

The Department of Defense (DOD), Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) was established in 1993. Since its inception, Congress has appropriated more than 878 million dollars for the BCRP, a unique public-private partnership between the DOD, consumer advocacy, and scientific communities which has funded approximately 1,800 breast cancer research grants. Through this partnership, the BCRP designed a model program for consumer involvement in scientific peer review. This paper describes the BCRP's approach to the processes of recruitment, selection, and preparation of consumers for this expanded role. Further, factors critical to program implementation, such as effective program management, ongoing process improvement, strong program leadership, and allocation of resources, that led to the BCRP's success in developing the previously undefined role of breast cancer survivors as members of scientific peer review panels are discussed. The BCRP demonstrates the feasibility and unique contributions of consumers in scientific peer review and provides a critical foundation for future efforts to ensure consumer involvement in scientific research programs.

Involving consumers in product design through collaboration: the case of online role-playing games.

PubMed

Yeh, Shu-Yu

2010-12-01

The release of software attributes to users by software designers for the creation of user-designed forms is regarded as a producer-consumer collaboration, leading consumers to expend significant effort on a specific product. This article identifies such software/product attributes within online role-playing games and then explores how consumers' prior experience affects the evaluation of such attributes. In this article, product attributes comprise customized, content, and interactive externality-sensitive and complementary externality-sensitive attributes, with the value of each attribute being greater for experts than for novices. In Study 1, data were collected and analyzed for the purpose of identifying such features in online role-playing games. The results can also be generalized to convergent products, such as TV games that have been redesigned as online games or mobile games found in Study 2. For the introduction of a convergent product to be successful, our research suggests that the potential market-segment focus should be on knowledgeable consumers who accept such products more readily.

An evaluation of independent consumer assistance centers on problem resolution and user satisfaction: the consumer perspective.

PubMed

Nascimento, Lori Miller; Cousineau, Michael R

2005-04-01

Individuals who wish to receive independent assistance to resolve access to care health problems have limited options. The Health Consumer Alliance (HCA) is an independent, coordinated effort of nine legal services organizations that provide free assistance to low-income health consumers in 10 California counties. The need for the HCA stems from the vast number of health consumers with unanswered questions and unresolved problems relating to access to care issues, among both insured and uninsured populations. However, little is known about the effectiveness of independent consumer assistance centers. This paper examines the effectiveness of a network of independent consumer assistance programs in resolving consumer problems and consumers' level of satisfaction with services received. As the project evaluators, we conducted telephone surveys with 1,291 users of the HCA to assess if this independent program resolved consumer problems, and to measure the level of satisfaction among HCA users. Specifically, we asked questions about the HCA's influence on problem resolution, consumer satisfaction, health insurance status and use of preventive care services. From 1997 to 2001, more than 46,000 consumers contacted the seven health consumer centers (HCCs). According to our sample of respondents, results show that the HCCs are an important resource for low-income Californians trying to access health care. After contacting the HCCs, 62 percent of the participants report that their problems were resolved. In addition, 87 percent of the participants said the HCCs were helpful and 95 percent said they would be likely to contact the HCC again if necessary.

How global brands compete.

PubMed

Holt, Douglas B; Quelch, John A; Taylor, Earl L

2004-09-01

It's time to rethink global branding. More than two decades ago, Harvard Business School professor Theodore Levitt argued that corporations should grow by selling standardized products all over the world. But consumers in most countries had trouble relating to generic products, so executives instead strove for global scale on backstage activities such as production while customizing product features and selling techniques to local tastes. Such "glocal" strategies now rule marketing. Global branding has lost more luster recently because transnational companies have been under siege, with brands like Coca-Cola and Nike becoming lightning rods for antiglobalization protests. The instinctive reaction of most transnational companies has been to try to fly below the radar. But global brands can't escape notice. In fact, most transnational corporations don't realize that because of their power and pervasiveness, people view them differently than they do other firms. In a research project involving 3,300 consumers in 41 countries, the authors found that most people choose one global brand over another because of differences in the brands'global qualities. Ratherthan ignore the global characteristics of their brands, firms must learn to manage those characteristics. That's critical, because future growth for most companies will likely come from foreign markets. Consumers base preferences on three dimensions of global brands--quality (signaled by a company's global stature); the cultural myths that brands author; and firms' efforts to address social problems. The authors also found that it didn't matter to consumers whether the brands they bought were American--a remarkable finding considering that the study was conducted when anti-American sentiment in many nations was on the rise.

Persistent Identifiers for Improved Accessibility for Linked Data Querying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shepherd, A.; Chandler, C. L.; Arko, R. A.; Fils, D.; Jones, M. B.; Krisnadhi, A.; Mecum, B.

2016-12-01

The adoption of linked open data principles within the geosciences has increased the amount of accessible information available on the Web. However, this data is difficult to consume for those who are unfamiliar with Semantic Web technologies such as Web Ontology Language (OWL), Resource Description Framework (RDF) and SPARQL - the RDF query language. Consumers would need to understand the structure of the data and how to efficiently query it. Furthermore, understanding how to query doesn't solve problems of poor precision and recall in search results. For consumers unfamiliar with the data, full-text searches are most accessible, but not ideal as they arrest the advantages of data disambiguation and co-reference resolution efforts. Conversely, URI searches across linked data can deliver improved search results, but knowledge of these exact URIs may remain difficult to obtain. The increased adoption of Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) can lead to improved linked data querying by a wide variety of consumers. Because PIDs resolve to a single entity, they are an excellent data point for disambiguating content. At the same time, PIDs are more accessible and prominent than a single data provider's linked data URI. When present in linked open datasets, PIDs provide balance between the technical and social hurdles of linked data querying as evidenced by the NSF EarthCube GeoLink project. The GeoLink project, funded by NSF's EarthCube initiative, have brought together data repositories include content from field expeditions, laboratory analyses, journal publications, conference presentations, theses/reports, and funding awards that span scientific studies from marine geology to marine ecosystems and biogeochemistry to paleoclimatology.

Philosophical origins of the social rate of discount in cost-benefit analysis.

PubMed

Robinson, J C

1990-01-01

The social rate of discount--that is, the way decision makers today evaluate future consequences of collective activity--raises difficult issues of intergenerational justice. When benefits are discounted at the present rate the United States government requires, serious efforts to promote public health over the long term will fail cost-benefit tests. No consensus exists among theorists to establish fair rates; philosophers support discounting with economic arguments that economists reject, while economists no less paradoxically support the concept using philosophical arguments that philosophers disavow. A new emphasis on the role of consumers' and citizens' time preferences, however, will keep open rather than close debates on the social discount rate.

The development of health care data warehouses to support data mining.

PubMed

Lyman, Jason A; Scully, Kenneth; Harrison, James H

2008-03-01

Clinical data warehouses offer tremendous benefits as a foundation for data mining. By serving as a source for comprehensive clinical and demographic information on large patient populations, they streamline knowledge discovery efforts by providing standard and efficient mechanisms to replace time-consuming and expensive original data collection, organization, and processing. Building effective data warehouses requires knowledge of and attention to key issues in database design, data acquisition and processing, and data access and security. In this article, the authors provide an operational and technical definition of data warehouses, present examples of data mining projects enabled by existing data warehouses, and describe key issues and challenges related to warehouse development and implementation.

Development of an in situ calibration technique for combustible gas detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shumar, J. W.; Wynveen, R. A.; Lance, N., Jr.; Lantz, J. B.

1977-01-01

This paper describes the development of an in situ calibration procedure for combustible gas detectors (CGD). The CGD will be a necessary device for future space vehicles as many subsystems in the Environmental Control/Life Support System utilize or produce hydrogen (H2) gas. Existing calibration techniques are time-consuming and require support equipment such as an environmental chamber and calibration gas supply. The in situ calibration procedure involves utilization of a water vapor electrolysis cell for the automatic in situ generation of a H2/air calibration mixture within the flame arrestor of the CGD. The development effort concluded with the successful demonstration of in situ span calibrations of a CGD.

Initial dynamic load estimates during configuration design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schiff, Daniel

1987-01-01

This analysis includes the structural response to shock and vibration and evaluates the maximum deflections and material stresses and the potential for the occurrence of elastic instability, fatigue and fracture. The required computations are often performed by means of finite element analysis (FEA) computer programs in which the structure is simulated by a finite element model which may contain thousands of elements. The formulation of a finite element model can be time consuming, and substantial additional modeling effort may be necessary if the structure requires significant changes after initial analysis. Rapid methods for obtaining rough estimates of the structural response to shock and vibration are presented for the purpose of providing guidance during the initial mechanical design configuration stage.

Development of Nautical Almanac at Korea Astronomy Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, In-Woo; Shin, Junho

1994-12-01

In Korea Astronomy Observatory, we developed a S/W package to compile the Korean Nautical Almanac. We describe the motivation to develop the S/W and explain the S/W package in general terms. In appendix, we describe the procedure to calculate the polaris table in more detail. When we developed the S/W, we paid much attention to produce accurate data. We also made great effort to automate the compilation of Nautical Almanac as far as possible, since the compilation is time consuming labour extensive. As a result, the S/W we developed turns out to be very accurate and efficient to compile Nautical Almanac. In fact, we could compile a Korean Nautical Almanac in a few days.

Towards an open, collaborative, reusable framework for sharing hands-on bioinformatics training workshops

PubMed Central

Revote, Jerico; Suchecki, Radosław; Tyagi, Sonika; Corley, Susan M.; Shang, Catherine A.; McGrath, Annette

2017-01-01

Abstract There is a clear demand for hands-on bioinformatics training. The development of bioinformatics workshop content is both time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, enabling trainers to develop bioinformatics workshops in a way that facilitates reuse is becoming increasingly important. The most widespread practice for sharing workshop content is through making PDF, PowerPoint and Word documents available online. While this effort is to be commended, such content is usually not so easy to reuse or repurpose and does not capture all the information required for a third party to rerun a workshop. We present an open, collaborative framework for developing and maintaining, reusable and shareable hands-on training workshop content. PMID:26984618

The work and recovery project: changing organizational culture and practice in New York City outpatient services.

PubMed

Pascaris, Alysia; Shields, Leslie Reed; Wolf, Jessica

2008-01-01

Complex and multiple barriers confront out-patient programs in promoting recovery and addressing mental health recipients' work-related goals. This article describes a focused organizational change project utilizing intensive consultation and technical assistance within five New York City outpatient psychiatric services. The project aimed to increase staff exposure to, understanding and use of work-related and recovery-based concepts to promote consumers' recovery and attainment of employment goals. Tailored assessment, curriculum delivery, and identification and implementation of change objectives were useful strategies in promoting change. This change model can serve to assist programs in their efforts to integrate new approaches and to better understand changes among leadership, staff and consumers, and changes in organizational culture and practice required to support a work and recovery-oriented service paradigm. The project experience suggests that adopting and embracing new practices takes time. Varied and incremental steps toward programmatic and operational changes can be significant and can reap authentic sustainable change occurring in the process of learning, experiencing, internalizing and adjusting to new methods of practice.

Health care providers and direct-to-consumer access and advertising of genetic testing in the United States

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Marketing pressures, regulatory policies, clinical guidelines, and consumer demand all affect health care providers' knowledge and use of health-related genetic tests that are sold and/or advertised to consumers. In addition, clinical guidelines, regulatory policies, and educational efforts are needed to promote the informed use of genetic tests that are sold and advertised to consumers and health care providers. A shift in culture regarding the regulation of genetic tests that are sold directly to consumers is suggested: by recent actions taken by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including letters sent to direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing companies stating that their tests meet the definition of medical devices; by public meetings held by the FDA to discuss laboratory developed tests; and by the convening of the Molecular and Clinical Genetics Panel to gather input on scientific issues concerning DTC genetic tests that make medical claims. This review provides a brief overview of DTC advertising and the regulation of pharmaceuticals and genetic tests in the United States. It highlights recent changes in the regulatory culture regarding genetic tests that are sold to consumers, and discusses the impact on health care providers of selling and advertising genetic tests directly to consumers. PMID:22204616

Health care providers and direct-to-consumer access and advertising of genetic testing in the United States.

PubMed

Myers, Melanie F

2011-12-28

Marketing pressures, regulatory policies, clinical guidelines, and consumer demand all affect health care providers' knowledge and use of health-related genetic tests that are sold and/or advertised to consumers. In addition, clinical guidelines, regulatory policies, and educational efforts are needed to promote the informed use of genetic tests that are sold and advertised to consumers and health care providers. A shift in culture regarding the regulation of genetic tests that are sold directly to consumers is suggested: by recent actions taken by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including letters sent to direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing companies stating that their tests meet the definition of medical devices; by public meetings held by the FDA to discuss laboratory developed tests; and by the convening of the Molecular and Clinical Genetics Panel to gather input on scientific issues concerning DTC genetic tests that make medical claims. This review provides a brief overview of DTC advertising and the regulation of pharmaceuticals and genetic tests in the United States. It highlights recent changes in the regulatory culture regarding genetic tests that are sold to consumers, and discusses the impact on health care providers of selling and advertising genetic tests directly to consumers.

Hazard and risk assessment strategies for nanoparticle exposures: how far have we come in the past 10 years?

PubMed Central

Warheit, David B

2018-01-01

Nanotechnology is an emerging, cross-disciplinary technology designed to create and synthesize new materials at the nanoscale (generally defined as a particle size range of ≤10 -9 meters) to generate innovative or altered material properties. The particle properties can be modified to promote different and more flexible applications, resulting in consumer benefits, particularly in medical, cosmetic, and industrial applications. As this applied science matures and flourishes, concerns have arisen regarding potential health effects of exposures to untested materials, as many newly developed products have not been adequately evaluated. Indeed, it is necessary to ensure that societal and commercial advantages are not outweighed by potential human health or environmental disadvantages. Therefore, a variety of international planning activities or research efforts have been proposed or implemented, particularly in the European Union and United States, with the expectation that significant advances will be made in understanding potential hazards related to exposures in the occupational and/or consumer environments. One of the first conclusions reached regarding hazardous effects of nanoparticles stemmed from the findings of early pulmonary toxicology studies, suggesting that lung exposures to ultrafine particles were more toxic than those to larger, fine-sized particles of similar chemistry. This review documents some of the conceptual planning efforts, implementation strategies/activities, and research accomplishments over the past 10 years or so. It also highlights (in this author’s opinion) some shortcomings in the research efforts and accomplishments over the same duration. In general, much progress has been made in developing and implementing environmental, health, and safety research-based protocols for addressing nanosafety issues. However, challenges remain in adequately investigating health effects given 1) many different nanomaterial types, 2) various potential routes of exposure, 3) nanomaterial characterization issues, 4) limitations in research methodologies, such as time-course and dose-response issues, and 5) inadequate in vitro methodologies for in vivo standardized, guideline toxicity testing. PMID:29636906

Hazard and risk assessment strategies for nanoparticle exposures: how far have we come in the past 10 years?

PubMed

Warheit, David B

2018-01-01

Nanotechnology is an emerging, cross-disciplinary technology designed to create and synthesize new materials at the nanoscale (generally defined as a particle size range of ≤10 -9 meters) to generate innovative or altered material properties. The particle properties can be modified to promote different and more flexible applications, resulting in consumer benefits, particularly in medical, cosmetic, and industrial applications. As this applied science matures and flourishes, concerns have arisen regarding potential health effects of exposures to untested materials, as many newly developed products have not been adequately evaluated. Indeed, it is necessary to ensure that societal and commercial advantages are not outweighed by potential human health or environmental disadvantages. Therefore, a variety of international planning activities or research efforts have been proposed or implemented, particularly in the European Union and United States, with the expectation that significant advances will be made in understanding potential hazards related to exposures in the occupational and/or consumer environments. One of the first conclusions reached regarding hazardous effects of nanoparticles stemmed from the findings of early pulmonary toxicology studies, suggesting that lung exposures to ultrafine particles were more toxic than those to larger, fine-sized particles of similar chemistry. This review documents some of the conceptual planning efforts, implementation strategies/activities, and research accomplishments over the past 10 years or so. It also highlights (in this author's opinion) some shortcomings in the research efforts and accomplishments over the same duration. In general, much progress has been made in developing and implementing environmental, health, and safety research-based protocols for addressing nanosafety issues. However, challenges remain in adequately investigating health effects given 1) many different nanomaterial types, 2) various potential routes of exposure, 3) nanomaterial characterization issues, 4) limitations in research methodologies, such as time-course and dose-response issues, and 5) inadequate in vitro methodologies for in vivo standardized, guideline toxicity testing.

Patient Drug Safety Reporting: Diabetes Patients' Perceptions of Drug Safety and How to Improve Reporting of Adverse Events and Product Complaints.

PubMed

Patel, Puja; Spears, David; Eriksen, Betina Østergaard; Lollike, Karsten; Sacco, Michael

2018-03-01

Global health care manufacturer Novo Nordisk commissioned research regarding awareness of drug safety department activities and potential to increase patient feedback. Objectives were to examine patients' knowledge of pharmaceutical manufacturers' responsibilities and efforts regarding drug safety, their perceptions and experiences related to these efforts, and how these factors influence their thoughts and behaviors. Data were collected before and after respondents read a description of a drug safety department and its practices. We conducted quantitative survey research across 608 health care consumers receiving treatment for diabetes in the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, and Italy. This research validated initial, exploratory qualitative research (across 40 comparable consumers from the same countries) which served to guide design of the larger study. Before reading a drug safety department description, 55% of respondents were unaware these departments collect safety information on products and patients. After reading the description, 34% reported the department does more than they expected to ensure drug safety, and 56% reported "more confidence" in the industry as a whole. Further, 66% reported themselves more likely to report an adverse event or product complaint, and 60% reported that they were more likely to contact a drug safety department with questions. The most preferred communication methods were websites/online forums (39%), email (27%), and telephone (25%). Learning about drug safety departments elevates consumers' confidence in manufacturers' safety efforts and establishes potential for patients to engage in increased self-monitoring and reporting. Study results reveal potentially actionable insights for the industry across patient and physician programs and communications.

Impression Management in Survey Responding: Easier for Collectivists or Individualists?

PubMed

Riemer, Hila; Shavitt, Sharon

2011-04-01

Three experiments indicate that when individualists and collectivists engage in impression management on self-reports, they do so through different psychological mechanism s. Collectivists do so through a relatively automatic process. Thus, they can impression manage even when cognitively busy. Individualists impression manage through a more effortful process. Therefore, they can do so only when the situation permits effortful processing. These findings highlight distinct conditions under which social norms may influence consumer self-reports across cultures.

Airline energy conservation options : summary options

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1973-07-27

In late May, 1973 the task of determining and evaluating measures for conserving fuel consumed by the airline industry was undertaken. This task was a part of the larger effort conducted by the Transportation Systems Center to determine measures that...

16 CFR 703.7 - Audits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...' efforts to make consumers aware of the Mechanism's existence as required in § 703.2(d) of this part; (2... part. (For purposes of this subparagraph “analysis” shall include oral or written contact with the... than for purposes of the audit. ...

Compact, Lightweight Adsorber and Sabatier Reactor for CO2 Capture and Reduction for Consumable and Propellant Production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Junaedi, Christian; Hawley, Kyle; Walsh, Dennis; Roychoudhury, Subir; Busby, Stacy A.; Abney, Morgan B.; Perry, Jay L.; Knox, James C.

2012-01-01

The utilization of CO2 to produce (or recycle) life support consumables, such as O2 and H2O, and to generate propellant fuels is an important aspect of NASA's concept for future, long duration planetary exploration. One potential approach is to capture and use CO2 from the Martian atmosphere to generate the consumables and propellant fuels. Precision Combustion, Inc. (PCI), with support from NASA, continues to develop its regenerable adsorber technology for capturing CO2 from gaseous atmospheres (for cabin atmosphere revitalization and in-situ resource utilization applications) and its Sabatier reactor for converting CO2 to methane and water. Both technologies are based on PCI's Microlith(R) substrates and have been demonstrated to reduce size, weight, and power consumption during CO2 capture and methanation process. For adsorber applications, the Microlith substrates offer a unique resistive heating capability that shows potential for short regeneration time and reduced power requirements compared to conventional systems. For the Sabatier applications, the combination of the Microlith substrates and durable catalyst coating permits efficient CO2 methanation that favors high reactant conversion, high selectivity, and durability. Results from performance testing at various operating conditions will be presented. An effort to optimize the Sabatier reactor and to develop a bench-top Sabatier Development Unit (SDU) will be discussed.

Capturing system level activities and impacts of mental health consumer-run organizations.

PubMed

Janzen, Rich; Nelson, Geoffrey; Hausfather, Nadia; Ochocka, Joanna

2007-06-01

Since the 1970s mental health consumer-run organizations have come to offer not only mutual support, but they have also adopted agendas for broader social change. Despite an awareness of the need for system level efforts that create supportive environments for their members, there has been limited research demonstrating how their system level activities can be documented or their impacts evaluated. The purpose of this paper is to feature a method of evaluating systems change activities and impacts. The paper is based on a longitudinal study evaluating four mental health consumer-run organizations in Ontario, Canada. The study tracked system level activities and impacts using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The article begins by describing the development and implementation of these methods. Next it offers a critical analysis of the methods used. It concludes by reflecting on three lessons learned about capturing system level activities and impacts of mental health consumer-run organizations.

Consumer sleep monitors: is there a baby in the bathwater?

PubMed Central

Russo, Kathryn; Goparaju, Balaji; Bianchi, Matt T

2015-01-01

The rapid expansion of consumer sleep devices is outpacing the validation data necessary to assess the potential use of these devices in clinical and research settings. Common sleep monitoring devices utilize a variety of sensors to track movement as well as cardiac and respiratory physiology. The variety of sensors and user-specific factors offer the potential, at least theoretically, for clinically relevant information. We describe the current challenges for interpretation of consumer sleep monitoring data, since the devices are mainly used in non-medical contexts (consumer use) although medically-definable sleep disorders may commonly occur in this setting. A framework for addressing questions of how certain devices might be useful is offered. We suggest that multistage validation efforts are crucially needed, from the level of sensor data and algorithm output, to extrapolations beyond healthy adults and into other populations and real-world environments. PMID:26604847

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

Haghighat, A.; Sjoden, G.E.; Wagner, J.C.

In the past 10 yr, the Penn State Transport Theory Group (PSTTG) has concentrated its efforts on developing accurate and efficient particle transport codes to address increasing needs for efficient and accurate simulation of nuclear systems. The PSTTG's efforts have primarily focused on shielding applications that are generally treated using multigroup, multidimensional, discrete ordinates (S{sub n}) deterministic and/or statistical Monte Carlo methods. The difficulty with the existing public codes is that they require significant (impractical) computation time for simulation of complex three-dimensional (3-D) problems. For the S{sub n} codes, the large memory requirements are handled through the use of scratchmore » files (i.e., read-from and write-to-disk) that significantly increases the necessary execution time. Further, the lack of flexible features and/or utilities for preparing input and processing output makes these codes difficult to use. The Monte Carlo method becomes impractical because variance reduction (VR) methods have to be used, and normally determination of the necessary parameters for the VR methods is very difficult and time consuming for a complex 3-D problem. For the deterministic method, the authors have developed the 3-D parallel PENTRAN (Parallel Environment Neutral-particle TRANsport) code system that, in addition to a parallel 3-D S{sub n} solver, includes pre- and postprocessing utilities. PENTRAN provides for full phase-space decomposition, memory partitioning, and parallel input/output to provide the capability of solving large problems in a relatively short time. Besides having a modular parallel structure, PENTRAN has several unique new formulations and features that are necessary for achieving high parallel performance. For the Monte Carlo method, the major difficulty currently facing most users is the selection of an effective VR method and its associated parameters. For complex problems, generally, this process is very time consuming and may be complicated due to the possibility of biasing the results. In an attempt to eliminate this problem, the authors have developed the A{sup 3}MCNP (automated adjoint accelerated MCNP) code that automatically prepares parameters for source and transport biasing within a weight-window VR approach based on the S{sub n} adjoint function. A{sup 3}MCNP prepares the necessary input files for performing multigroup, 3-D adjoint S{sub n} calculations using TORT.« less

Effort in Multitasking: Local and Global Assessment of Effort.

PubMed

Kiesel, Andrea; Dignath, David

2017-01-01

When performing multiple tasks in succession, self-organization of task order might be superior compared to external-controlled task schedules, because self-organization allows optimizing processing modes and thus reduces switch costs, and it increases commitment to task goals. However, self-organization is an additional executive control process that is not required if task order is externally specified and as such it is considered as time-consuming and effortful. To compare self-organized and externally controlled task scheduling, we suggest assessing global subjective and objectives measures of effort in addition to local performance measures. In our new experimental approach, we combined characteristics of dual tasking settings and task switching settings and compared local and global measures of effort in a condition with free choice of task sequence and a condition with cued task sequence. In a multi-tasking environment, participants chose the task order while the task requirement of the not-yet-performed task remained the same. This task preview allowed participants to work on the previously non-chosen items in parallel and resulted in faster responses and fewer errors in task switch trials than in task repetition trials. The free-choice group profited more from this task preview than the cued group when considering local performance measures. Nevertheless, the free-choice group invested more effort than the cued group when considering global measures. Thus, self-organization in task scheduling seems to be effortful even in conditions in which it is beneficiary for task processing. In a second experiment, we reduced the possibility of task preview for the not-yet-performed tasks in order to hinder efficient self-organization. Here neither local nor global measures revealed substantial differences between the free-choice and a cued task sequence condition. Based on the results of both experiments, we suggest that global assessment of effort in addition to local performance measures might be a useful tool for multitasking research.

Incorporating risk communication into highly pathogenic avian influenza preparedness and response efforts.

PubMed

Voss, Shauna J; Malladi, Sasidhar; Sampedro, Fernando; Snider, Tim; Goldsmith, Timothy; Hueston, William D; Lauer, Dale C; Halvorson, David A

2012-12-01

A highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in the United States will initiate a federal emergency response effort that will consist of disease control and eradication efforts, including quarantine and movement control measures. These movement control measures will not only apply to live animals but also to animal products. However, with current egg industry "just-in-time" production practices, limited storage is available to hold eggs. As a result, stop movement orders can have significant unintended negative consequences, including severe disruptions to the food supply chain. Because stakeholders' perceptions of risk vary, waiting to initiate communication efforts until an HPAI event occurs can hinder disease control efforts, including the willingness of producers to comply with the response, and also can affect consumers' demand for the product. A public-private-academic partnership was formed to assess actual risks involved in the movement of egg industry products during an HPAI event through product specific, proactive risk assessments. The risk analysis process engaged a broad representation of stakeholders and promoted effective risk management and communication strategies before an HPAI outbreak event. This multidisciplinary team used the risk assessments in the development of the United States Department of Agriculture, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Secure Egg Supply Plan, a comprehensive response plan that strives to maintain continuity of business. The collaborative approach that was used demonstrates how a proactive risk communication strategy that involves many different stakeholders can be valuable in the development of a foreign animal disease response plan and build working relationships, trust, and understanding.

Preparing to implement a self-management program for back pain in new york city senior centers: what do prospective consumers think?

PubMed

Townley, Sarah; Papaleontiou, Maria; Amanfo, Leslie; Henderson, Charles R; Pillemer, Karl; Beissner, Katherine; Reid, M C

2010-03-01

Prior to testing the feasibility/potential efficacy of a newly developed self-management pain program for seniors with back pain, this study sought to: 1) determine prospective consumers' prior exposure to self-management pain programs, 2) determine their willingness to participate in the new program, and 3) ascertain perceived barriers/facilitators to program participation. Cross-sectional survey. Six senior centers located in New York City. We enrolled a race/ethnicity stratified (African American, Hispanic, or non-Hispanic White) sample of 90 subjects who were ages 60 years or older and had chronic back pain. While 60% of non-Hispanic Whites reported prior participation in a self-management pain program, fewer Hispanic (23%) and African Americans (20%) participants reported prior participation. Most participants (80%) were strongly willing to participate in the new program. Multivariate analyses revealed that only pain intensity had a trend toward significance (P = 0.07), with higher pain scores associated with greater willingness to participate. Few barriers to participation were identified, however, respondents felt that tailoring the course to best meet the needs of those with physical disabilities, providing flexibility in class timing, and informing individuals about program benefits prior to enrollment could help maximize program reach. No race/ethnicity differences were identified with respect to willingness to participate or program participation barriers. These data support efforts to disseminate self-management pain programs in older populations, particularly minority communities. The recommendations made by participants can help to guide implementation efforts of the newly developed pain program and may help to enhance both their reach and success.

Biosensing Based on Nanoparticles for Food Allergens Detection

PubMed Central

Gómez-Arribas, Lidia Nazaret; Hurtado-Sánchez, María del Carmen

2018-01-01

Food allergy is one of the major health threats for sensitized individuals all over the world and, over the years, the food industry has made significant efforts and investments to offer safe foods for allergic consumers. The analysis of the concentration of food allergen residues in processing equipment, in raw materials or in the final product, provides analytical information that can be used for risk assessment as well as to ensure that food-allergic consumers get accurate and useful information to make their food choices and purchasing decisions. The development of biosensors based on nanomaterials for applications in food analysis is a challenging area of growing interest in the last years. Research in this field requires the combined efforts of experts in very different areas including food chemistry, biotechnology or materials science. However, the outcome of such collaboration can be of significant impact on the food industry as well as for consumer’s safety. These nanobiosensing devices allow the rapid, selective, sensitive, cost-effective and, in some cases, in-field, online and real-time detection of a wide range of compounds, even in complex matrices. Moreover, they can also enable the design of novel allergen detection strategies. Herein we review the main advances in the use of nanoparticles for the development of biosensors and bioassays for allergen detection, in food samples, over the past few years. Research in this area is still in its infancy in comparison, for instance, to the application of nanobiosensors for clinical analysis. However, it will be of interest for the development of new technologies that reduce the gap between laboratory research and industrial applications. PMID:29617319

Sensitivity analysis of dynamic biological systems with time-delays.

PubMed

Wu, Wu Hsiung; Wang, Feng Sheng; Chang, Maw Shang

2010-10-15

Mathematical modeling has been applied to the study and analysis of complex biological systems for a long time. Some processes in biological systems, such as the gene expression and feedback control in signal transduction networks, involve a time delay. These systems are represented as delay differential equation (DDE) models. Numerical sensitivity analysis of a DDE model by the direct method requires the solutions of model and sensitivity equations with time-delays. The major effort is the computation of Jacobian matrix when computing the solution of sensitivity equations. The computation of partial derivatives of complex equations either by the analytic method or by symbolic manipulation is time consuming, inconvenient, and prone to introduce human errors. To address this problem, an automatic approach to obtain the derivatives of complex functions efficiently and accurately is necessary. We have proposed an efficient algorithm with an adaptive step size control to compute the solution and dynamic sensitivities of biological systems described by ordinal differential equations (ODEs). The adaptive direct-decoupled algorithm is extended to solve the solution and dynamic sensitivities of time-delay systems describing by DDEs. To save the human effort and avoid the human errors in the computation of partial derivatives, an automatic differentiation technique is embedded in the extended algorithm to evaluate the Jacobian matrix. The extended algorithm is implemented and applied to two realistic models with time-delays: the cardiovascular control system and the TNF-α signal transduction network. The results show that the extended algorithm is a good tool for dynamic sensitivity analysis on DDE models with less user intervention. By comparing with direct-coupled methods in theory, the extended algorithm is efficient, accurate, and easy to use for end users without programming background to do dynamic sensitivity analysis on complex biological systems with time-delays.

Tobacco industry consumer research on smokeless tobacco users and product development.

PubMed

Mejia, Adrienne B; Ling, Pamela M

2010-01-01

Since 2006, RJ Reynolds (RJR) and Philip Morris have both introduced new smokeless "snus" tobacco products. We analyzed previously secret tobacco industry documents describing the history of RJR and Philip Morris's consumer research, smokeless product development, and marketing strategies. We found that RJR had invested in smokeless research, development, and marketing since 1968. RJR first targeted low-income males through sampling and sponsorship at fishing, rodeo, and baseball events, and through advertising portraying the user as "hard working." In the early 1990s, Philip Morris and RJR hoped to attract more urban, female smokeless users. The current "snus" campaigns appear to appeal to these targeted consumers and smokers in smoke-free environments. These efforts may expand the tobacco market and undermine smoking cessation.

Cardiovascular health promotion and consumers with mental illness in Australia.

PubMed

Happell, Brenda; Platania-Phung, Chris

2015-04-01

People with serious mental illness (SMI) have increased risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death, yet research on nurse-provided health promotion in mental health services remains under-developed. This paper informs efforts to improve the nursing role in physical health of consumers with SMI by establishing what nurse perceptions and background influence their care. Members of the Australian College of Mental Health Nursing were invited to participate in an online survey on their views on physical health care in mental health services. Survey questions included: (a) nurse-consumer collaboration in preventative care and (b) sub-sections of the Robson and Haddad Physical Health Attitude Scale to measure nurse perceived barriers to encouraging lifestyle change of consumers with SMI and frequency of nurse physical healthcare practices. Structural equation modelling was applied to investigate antecedents to physical health care, as well as relationships between antecedents. A national sample of 643 nurses reported regular engagement in health promotion (e.g. advice on diet). There was statistical support for a model depicting perceived consumer-nurse collaboration as a dual-determinant of nurse perceived barriers and self-reported health promotion to consumers with SMI. Perceived barriers to consumer lifestyle change did not predict health promotion. The effects of nurse-consumer collaboration were significant, but small. Perceived consumer-nurse collaboration in preventative care may positively influence the amount of health promotion by nurses in mental health. Perceived barriers to consumer adherence with a healthy lifestyle did not have an impact on nurse-delivered health promotion.

Rubus fruit myths vs. reality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This factsheet corrects several popular media inaccuracies about Rubus fruit. Supplying the public with scientific facts is part of our continued efforts to assist consumers in making sound health conscious decisions. This project was partially funded by a Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant fr...

BROMINATED FLAME RETARDANTS: CAUSE FOR CONCERN?

EPA Science Inventory

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) have routinely been added to consumer products for several decades in a successful effort to reduce fire-related injury and property damage. Recently, concern for this emerging class of chemicals has risen due to the occurrence of several class...

77 FR 18793 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-28

... customary compensation for their participation. For the quantitative research, the Bureau plans to contract with a consumer research firm to formulate a quantitative testing plan, recruit respondents, as well as... soliciting comments concerning the information collection efforts relating to Quantitative Testing of...

Timing of the calcium intake and effect of calcium deficiency on behaviour and egg laying in captive great tits, Parus major.

PubMed

Graveland, J; Berends, A E

1997-01-01

The calcium demand of egg-laying birds is much higher than in other vertebrates during reproduction. We showed elsewhere that a low level of calcium availability can greatly affect the eggshell quality and reproduction of free-living passerines. However, there are few data on calcium demand and calcium intake in relation to egg laying and behaviour and egg-laying performance under conditions of calcium shortage in nondomesticated birds. We examined these aspects in an experiment with captive great tits, Parus major, on a diet deficient in calcium, with or without snail shells as an additional calcium source. More than 90% of the calcium intake for egg production took place during the egg-laying period. Females ingested about 1.7 times as much calcium as they deposited in eggshells. Removing the snail shells after the first egg resulted in eggshell defects and interruptions of laying after 1-3 d. Females without snail shells doubled their searching effort and started to burrow in the soil and to eat sand, small stones, and their own eggs. Most calcium was consumed in the evening, probably to supplement the calcium available from the medullary bone with an additional calcium source in the gut during eggshell formation. The results demonstrated that eggshell formation requires accurate timing of the calcium intake and that obtaining sufficient calcium is time-consuming, even in calcium-rich environments. These factors pertaining to calcium intake greatly affect the ability of birds to collect sufficient calcium for eggshell formation in calcium-poor areas.

Assistive technology pricing in Australia: is it efficient and equitable?

PubMed

Summers, Michael P; Verikios, George

2018-02-01

Objective To examine available systematically collected evidence regarding prices for assistive technology (AT; e.g. disability aids and equipment) in Australia with other comparable countries. Issues of appropriate AT pricing are coming to the fore as a consequence of efforts to move to consumer-centric purchasing decisions with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and also in the recent aged care reforms. Methods We identified and present three sets of AT price comparisons. Two comparisons were based solely on the lowest prices advertised on the internet, and one comparison examined recommended retail prices. Variables essential to ensuring accurate comparisons, as well as significant supply-chain issues were also examined and considered in the analyses. Results The first internet-only price comparison found that overall AT prices were 38% higher in Australia compared to other countries, but did not factor in shipping and other related costs that are essential to include given that most AT is imported. The second internet-only price comparison found that overall Australian prices were 24% lower when shipping and related costs were included. The recommended retail price comparisons found that Australian prices were between 14% and 27% lower. Prices for internet-only retailers (those with no bricks-and-mortar presence) are consistently lower for all products than those sold by retailers with actual shop-fronts. Further, there is no evidence of suppliers earning supranormal profits in Australia. Conclusions The results indicate that AT prices in Australia are efficient and equitable, with no significant indicators of market failure which would require government intervention. Efforts to reduce prices through the excessive use of large-scale government procurement programs are likely to reduce diversity and innovation in AT and raise AT prices over time. Open markets and competition with centralised tracking of purchases and providers to minimise possible over-servicing/over-charging align well with the original intention of the NDIS, and are likely to yield the best outcomes for consumers at the lowest costs. What is known about the topic? Government-funded programs are used extensively to purchase AT because it is a primary enabler for people of all ages with disabilities. Perceptions of unreasonably high prices for AT in Australia are resulting in the widespread adoption of bulk purchasing and related strategies by governments. What does this paper add? Carefully undertaken systematic price comparisons between Australia and comparable Organization For Economic Cooperation and Development countries indicate that, on average, Australian prices are lower than elsewhere when delivery to Australia is taken into account. It was also found that prices at brick-and-mortar shops, with all the services they provide to ensure the appropriateness of the products provided to meet the consumers' needs and goals, are substantially higher than Internet purchases in which the consumer bears all the risks and responsibilities for outcomes. What are the implications? Overuse of government bulk purchasing and similar arrangements will lead to less diversity in the available AT products, related services and retail outlets, resulting in less choice for consumers and higher risks of poor outcomes through less focus on matching consumers with the 'right' products for their needs and goals, and ultimately higher AT prices over time as competition is reduced to a few major suppliers.

Multimedia architectures: from desktop systems to portable appliances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhaskaran, Vasudev; Konstantinides, Konstantinos; Natarajan, Balas R.

1997-01-01

Future desktop and portable computing systems will have as their core an integrated multimedia system. Such a system will seamlessly combine digital video, digital audio, computer animation, text, and graphics. Furthermore, such a system will allow for mixed-media creation, dissemination, and interactive access in real time. Multimedia architectures that need to support these functions have traditionally required special display and processing units for the different media types. This approach tends to be expensive and is inefficient in its use of silicon. Furthermore, such media-specific processing units are unable to cope with the fluid nature of the multimedia market wherein the needs and standards are changing and system manufacturers may demand a single component media engine across a range of products. This constraint has led to a shift towards providing a single-component multimedia specific computing engine that can be integrated easily within desktop systems, tethered consumer appliances, or portable appliances. In this paper, we review some of the recent architectural efforts in developing integrated media systems. We primarily focus on two efforts, namely the evolution of multimedia-capable general purpose processors and a more recent effort in developing single component mixed media co-processors. Design considerations that could facilitate the migration of these technologies to a portable integrated media system also are presented.

A review of delivery systems in cosmetics.

PubMed

Hougeir, Firas G; Kircik, Leon

2012-01-01

Physicians and patients have come to expect that our prescription topicals not only be efficacious but also minimally irritating and cosmetically pleasing. Much research and development effort are being spent to identify new vehicles to achieve these goals. Consumers are also demanding nonprescription products that give them noticeable results. The cosmeceutical industry, which accounts for multibillion dollars a year in sells, is on the forefront of the research. We reviewed the literature to identify and discuss some of those delivery systems used in consumer health products. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Shopping list development and use of advertisements' pre-store food-buying practices within different socio-economic status areas in South Africa.

PubMed

Duffett, Rodney Graeme; Foster, Crystal

2017-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether there is a difference in the development of shopping lists and use of advertisements as pre-store food-buying practices in terms of planned shopping by South African consumers who dwell in different socio-economic status (SES) areas. The paper also considers the influence of shopper and socio-demographic characteristics on pre-store food-buying practices in a developing country. A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey 1 200 consumers in retail stores in low, middle and high SES areas in South Africa. A generalised linear model was employed for the statistical analysis of pre-store food-buying practices within the SES area groups in a developing country. South African consumers that reside in high SES area displayed the largest of shopping list development, while consumers who dwell in low SES areas showed the highest incidence of advertisement usage. Several shopper and socio-demographic characteristics were also found to have an influence on pre-store food-buying practices in different SES areas in South Africa. A qualitative approach would offer a deeper understanding of consumers' pre-store food shopping predispositions as opposed to the quantitative approach, which was adopted for this study. A longitudinal design would also provide a more extensive representation of pre-store food shopping practices over a longer time frame than cross-sectional research. The survey was conducted on Saturdays, whereas consumers who shop during the week may have different shopping and socio-demographic characteristics. Astute food brands, marketers and grocery stores could use the findings of this study to assist with their marketing efforts that they direct at consumers in different SES areas in South Africa and other developing countries. The findings of this study may assist consumers in developing countries, especially those who reside in low SES areas, with food-buying strategies to reduce food costs, make wiser purchase decisions and reduce shopping. No study (to the best of the researchers' knowledge) has considered shopping list development and use of advertisements' pre-store food-buying practices in different SES areas in a developing country. Furthermore, there is a dearth of research analysing shopper and socio-demographic characteristics in relation to pre-store food-buying practices among different SES areas in developing and developed countries.

10 CFR Appendix Y to Subpart B of... - Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Battery Chargers

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... power (i.e., watts) consumed as the time series integral of the power consumed over a 1-hour test period...) consumed as the time series integral of the power consumed over a 1-hour test period, divided by the period...-maintenance mode and standby mode over time periods defined in the test procedure. b. Active mode is the...

10 CFR Appendix Y to Subpart B of... - Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Battery Chargers

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... power (i.e., watts) consumed as the time series integral of the power consumed over a 1-hour test period...) consumed as the time series integral of the power consumed over a 1-hour test period, divided by the period...-maintenance mode and standby mode over time periods defined in the test procedure. b. Active mode is the...

Impression Management in Survey Responding: Easier for Collectivists or Individualists?

PubMed Central

Riemer, Hila; Shavitt, Sharon

2012-01-01

Three experiments indicate that when individualists and collectivists engage in impression management on self-reports, they do so through different psychological mechanism s. Collectivists do so through a relatively automatic process. Thus, they can impression manage even when cognitively busy. Individualists impression manage through a more effortful process. Therefore, they can do so only when the situation permits effortful processing. These findings highlight distinct conditions under which social norms may influence consumer self-reports across cultures. PMID:23175618

Best Practices in Supplier Relationship Management and Their Early Implementation in the Air Force Materiel Command

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

information-sharing and through systematic efforts to develop the supplier. These efforts can be direct involvement activities, such as kaizen events,24 24...Womack and Jones (1996) define kaizen as “Continuous, incremental improvement of an activity to create more value with less muda. Also called point... kaizen and process kaizen .” They define muda as “any activity that consumes resources but creates no value,” i.e., waste. Figure 2.2 Krause and

Development of a Time-Intensity Evaluation System for Consumers: Measuring Bitterness and Retronasal Aroma of Coffee Beverages in 106 Untrained Panelists.

PubMed

Gotow, Naomi; Moritani, Ami; Hayakawa, Yoshinobu; Akutagawa, Akihito; Hashimoto, Hiroshi; Kobayakawa, Tatsu

2015-06-01

In order to develop products that are acceptable to consumers, it is necessary to incorporate consumers' intentions into products' characteristics. Therefore, investigation of consumers' perceptions of the taste or smell of common beverages provides information that should be useful in predicting market responses. In this study, we sought to develop a time-intensity evaluation system for consumer panels. Using our system, we performed time-intensity evaluation of flavor attributes (bitterness and retronasal aroma) that consumers perceived after swallowing a coffee beverage. Additionally, we developed quantitative evaluation methods for determining whether consumer panelists can properly perform time-intensity evaluation. In every trial, we fitted an exponential function to measured intensity data for bitterness and retronasal aroma. The correlation coefficients between measured time-intensity data and the fitted exponential curves were greater than 0.8 in about 90% of trials, indicating that we had successfully developed a time-intensity system for use with consumer panelists, even after just a single training trial using a nontrained consumer. We classified participants into two groups based on their consumption of canned coffee beverages. Significant difference was observed in only AUC of sensory modality (bitterness compared with retronasal aroma) among conventional TI parameters using two-way ANOVA. However, three-way ANOVA including a time course revealed significant difference between bitterness and retronasal aroma in the high-consumption group. Moreover, the high-consumption group more easily discriminated between bitterness and retronasal aroma than the low-consumption group. This finding implied that manufacturers should select consumer panelists who are suitable for their concepts of new products. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

Surfacing the deep data of taxonomy

PubMed Central

Page, Roderic D. M.

2016-01-01

Abstract Taxonomic databases are perpetuating approaches to citing literature that may have been appropriate before the Internet, often being little more than digitised 5 × 3 index cards. Typically the original taxonomic literature is either not cited, or is represented in the form of a (typically abbreviated) text string. Hence much of the “deep data” of taxonomy, such as the original descriptions, revisions, and nomenclatural actions are largely hidden from all but the most resourceful users. At the same time there are burgeoning efforts to digitise the scientific literature, and much of this newly available content has been assigned globally unique identifiers such as Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), which are also the identifier of choice for most modern publications. This represents an opportunity for taxonomic databases to engage with digitisation efforts. Mapping the taxonomic literature on to globally unique identifiers can be time consuming, but need be done only once. Furthermore, if we reuse existing identifiers, rather than mint our own, we can start to build the links between the diverse data that are needed to support the kinds of inference which biodiversity informatics aspires to support. Until this practice becomes widespread, the taxonomic literature will remain balkanized, and much of the knowledge that it contains will linger in obscurity. PMID:26877663

Improving Flight Software Module Validation Efforts : a Modular, Extendable Testbed Software Framework

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lange, R. Connor

2012-01-01

Ever since Explorer-1, the United States' first Earth satellite, was developed and launched in 1958, JPL has developed many more spacecraft, including landers and orbiters. While these spacecraft vary greatly in their missions, capabilities,and destination, they all have something in common. All of the components of these spacecraft had to be comprehensively tested. While thorough testing is important to mitigate risk, it is also a very expensive and time consuming process. Thankfully,since virtually all of the software testing procedures for SMAP are computer controlled, these procedures can be automated. Most people testing SMAP flight software (FSW) would only need to write tests that exercise specific requirements and then check the filtered results to verify everything occurred as planned. This gives developers the ability to automatically launch tests on the testbed, distill the resulting logs into only the important information, generate validation documentation, and then deliver the documentation to management. With many of the steps in FSW testing automated, developers can use their limited time more effectively and can validate SMAP FSW modules quicker and test them more rigorously. As a result of the various benefits of automating much of the testing process, management is considering this automated tools use in future FSW validation efforts.

Lessons learned while building a trauma-informed public behavioral health system in the City of Philadelphia

PubMed Central

Beidas, Rinad S.; Adams, Danielle R.; Kratz, Hilary E.; Jackson, Kamilah; Berkowitz, Steven; Zinny, Arturo; Cliggitt, Lauren Pilar; DeWitt, Kathryn L.; Skriner, Laura; Evans, Arthur

2016-01-01

Exposure to traumatic experiences among youth is a serious public health concern. A trauma-informed public behavioral health system that emphasizes core principles such as understanding trauma, promoting safety, supporting consumer autonomy, sharing power, and ensuring cultural competence, is needed to support traumatized youth and the providers who work with them. This article describes a case study of the creation and evaluation of a trauma-informed publicly funded behavioral health system for children and adolescents in the City of Philadelphia (the Philadelphia Alliance for Child Trauma Services; PACTS) using the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) as a guiding framework. We describe our evaluation of this effort with an emphasis on implementation determinants and outcomes. Implementation determinants include inner context factors, specifically therapist knowledge and attitudes (N = 114) towards evidence-based practices. Implementation outcomes include information on rate of PTSD diagnoses in agencies over time, number of youth receiving TF-CBT over time, and penetration (i.e., number of youth receiving TF-CBT divided by the number of youth screening positive on trauma screening). We describe lessons learned from our experiences building a trauma-informed public behavioral health system in the hopes that this case study can guide other similar efforts. PMID:27501466

Comparative analysis of techniques for evaluating the effectiveness of aircraft computing systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hitt, E. F.; Bridgman, M. S.; Robinson, A. C.

1981-01-01

Performability analysis is a technique developed for evaluating the effectiveness of fault-tolerant computing systems in multiphase missions. Performability was evaluated for its accuracy, practical usefulness, and relative cost. The evaluation was performed by applying performability and the fault tree method to a set of sample problems ranging from simple to moderately complex. The problems involved as many as five outcomes, two to five mission phases, permanent faults, and some functional dependencies. Transient faults and software errors were not considered. A different analyst was responsible for each technique. Significantly more time and effort were required to learn performability analysis than the fault tree method. Performability is inherently as accurate as fault tree analysis. For the sample problems, fault trees were more practical and less time consuming to apply, while performability required less ingenuity and was more checkable. Performability offers some advantages for evaluating very complex problems.

MEMS- and LC-adaptive optics at the Naval Research Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Restaino, S. R.; Wilcox, C. C.; Martinez, T.; Andrews, J. R.; Santiago, F.; Payne, D. M.

2012-06-01

Adaptive Optics (AO) is an ensemble of techniques that aims at the remedial of the deleterious effects that the Earth's turbulent atmosphere induces on both imagery and signal gathering in real time. It has been over four decades since the first AO system was developed and tested. During this time important technological advances have changed profoundly the way that we think and develop AO systems. The use of Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) devices and Liquid Crystal Devices (LCD) has revolutionized these technologies making possible to go from very expensive, very large and power consuming systems to very compact and inexpensive systems. These changes have rendered AO systems useful and applicable in other fields ranging from medical imaging to industry. In this paper we will review the research efforts at the Naval research Laboratory (NRL) to develop AO systems based on both MEMs and LCD in order to produce more compact and light weight AO systems.

Optical computed tomography in PRESAGE® three-dimensional dosimetry: Challenges and prospective.

PubMed

Khezerloo, Davood; Nedaie, Hassan Ali; Farhood, Bagher; Zirak, Alireza; Takavar, Abbas; Banaee, Nooshin; Ahmadalidokht, Isa; Kron, Tomas

2017-01-01

With the advent of new complex but precise radiotherapy techniques, the demands for an accurate, feasible three-dimensional (3D) dosimetry system have been increased. A 3D dosimeter system generally should not only have accurate and precise results but should also feasible, inexpensive, and time consuming. Recently, one of the new candidates for 3D dosimetry is optical computed tomography (CT) with a radiochromic dosimeter such as PRESAGE®. Several generations of optical CT have been developed since the 90s. At the same time, a large attempt has been also done to introduce the robust dosimeters that compatible with optical CT scanners. In 2004, PRESAGE® dosimeter as a new radiochromic solid plastic dosimeters was introduced. In this decade, a large number of efforts have been carried out to enhance optical scanning methods. This article attempts to review and reflect on the results of these investigations.

Employment of CB models for non-linear dynamic analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, M. R. M.; Deloo, P.; Fournier-Sicre, A.

1990-01-01

The non-linear dynamic analysis of large structures is always very time, effort and CPU consuming. Whenever possible the reduction of the size of the mathematical model involved is of main importance to speed up the computational procedures. Such reduction can be performed for the part of the structure which perform linearly. Most of the time, the classical Guyan reduction process is used. For non-linear dynamic process where the non-linearity is present at interfaces between different structures, Craig-Bampton models can provide a very rich information, and allow easy selection of the relevant modes with respect to the phenomenon driving the non-linearity. The paper presents the employment of Craig-Bampton models combined with Newmark direct integration for solving non-linear friction problems appearing at the interface between the Hubble Space Telescope and its solar arrays during in-orbit maneuvers. Theory, implementation in the FEM code ASKA, and practical results are shown.

Energy conservation in ad hoc multimedia networks using traffic-shaping mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandra, Surendar

2003-12-01

In this work, we explore network traffic shaping mechanisms that deliver packets at pre-determined intervals; allowing the network interface to transition to a lower power consuming sleep state. We focus our efforts on commodity devices, IEEE 802.11b ad hoc mode and popular streaming formats. We argue that factors such as the lack of scheduling clock phase synchronization among the participants and scheduling delays introduced by back ground tasks affect the potential energy savings. Increasing the periodic transmission delays to transmit data infrequently can offset some of these effects at the expense of flooding the wireless channel for longer periods of time; potentially increasing the time to acquire the channel for non-multimedia traffic. Buffering mechanisms built into media browsers can mitigate the effects of these added delays from being mis-interpreted as network congestion. We show that practical implementations of such traffic shaping mechanisms can offer significant energy savings.

12 CFR Supplement I to Part 213 - Official Staff Commentary to Regulation M

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... primary use. 2. Period of time. To be a consumer lease, the initial term of the lease must be more than... lease (unless terminable without penalty at any time by the consumer) under which the consumer: i... time of consummation. The threshold amount in effect during a particular time period is the amount...

12 CFR Supplement I to Part 213 - Official Staff Commentary to Regulation M

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... primary use. 2. Period of time. To be a consumer lease, the initial term of the lease must be more than... lease (unless terminable without penalty at any time by the consumer) under which the consumer: i... time of consummation. The threshold amount in effect during a particular time period is the amount...

12 CFR Supplement I to Part 213 - Official Staff Commentary to Regulation M

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... primary use. 2. Period of time. To be a consumer lease, the initial term of the lease must be more than... lease (unless terminable without penalty at any time by the consumer) under which the consumer: i... time of consummation. The threshold amount in effect during a particular time period is the amount...

Job stress and job satisfaction: home care workers in a consumer-directed model of care.

PubMed

Delp, Linda; Wallace, Steven P; Geiger-Brown, Jeanne; Muntaner, Carles

2010-08-01

To investigate determinants of job satisfaction among home care workers in a consumer-directed model. Analysis of data collected from telephone interviews with 1,614 Los Angeles home care workers on the state payroll in 2003. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the odds of job satisfaction using job stress model domains of demands, control, and support. Abuse from consumers, unpaid overtime hours, and caring for more than one consumer as well as work-health demands predict less satisfaction. Some physical and emotional demands of the dyadic care relationship are unexpectedly associated with greater job satisfaction. Social support and control, indicated by job security and union involvement, have a direct positive effect on job satisfaction. Policies that enhance the relational component of care may improve workers' ability to transform the demands of their job into dignified and satisfying labor. Adequate benefits and sufficient authorized hours of care can minimize the stress of unpaid overtime work, caring for multiple consumers, job insecurity, and the financial constraints to seeking health care. Results have implications for the structure of consumer-directed models of care and efforts to retain long-term care workers.

Eliciting consumer preferences for health plans.

PubMed

Booske, B C; Sainfort, F; Hundt, A S

1999-10-01

To examine (1) what people say is important to them in choosing a health plan; (2) the effect, if any, that giving health plan information has on what people say is important to them; and (3) the effect of preference elicitation methods on what people say is important. A random sample of 201 Wisconsin state employees who participated in a health plan choice experiment during the 1995 open enrollment period. We designed a computer system to guide subjects through the review of information about health plan options. The system began by eliciting the stated preferences of the subjects before they viewed the information, at time 0. Subjects were given an opportunity to revise their preference structures first after viewing summary information about four health plans (time 1) and then after viewing more extensive, detailed information about the same options (time 2). At time 2, these individuals were also asked to rate the relative importance of a predefined list of health plan features presented to them. Data were collected on the number of attributes listed at each point in time and the importance weightings assigned to each attribute. In addition, each item on the attribute list was content analyzed. The provision of information changes the preference structures of individuals. Costs (price) and coverage dominated the attributes cited both before and after looking at health plan information. When presented with information on costs, quality, and how plans work, many of these relatively well educated consumers revised their preference structures; yet coverage and costs remained the primary cited attributes. Although efforts to provide health plan information should continue, decisions on the information to provide and on making it available are not enough. Individuals need help in understanding, processing, and using the information to construct their preferences and make better decisions.

Effects of consumer-oriented health information technologies in diabetes management over time: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Tao, Da; Wang, Tieyan; Wang, Tieshan; Liu, Shuang; Qu, Xingda

2017-09-01

To reveal the effects of consumer-oriented health information technologies (CHITs) on patient outcomes in diabetes management over time through systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched 5 electronic databases (from database inception to July 2016) for studies that reported on randomized controlled trials examining the effects of CHITs on glycemic control and other patient outcomes in diabetes management. Data were analyzed using either meta-analysis or a narrative synthesis approach. Eighty randomized controlled trial studies, representing 87 individual trials, were identified and included for analysis. Overall, the meta-analysis showed that the use of CHITs resulted in significant improvement in glycemic control compared to usual care (standardized mean difference = -0.31%, 95% confidence interval -0.38 to -0.23, P  < .001) in patients with diabetes. Specifically, improvement in glycemic control was significant at intervention durations of 3, 6, 8, 9, 12, 15, 30, and 60 months, while no significant differences were found at other time points reported. The narrative synthesis provided mixed effects of CHITs on other clinical, psychosocial, behavioral, and knowledge outcomes. The use of CHITs appears to be more effective than usual care in improving glycemic control for patients with diabetes. However, their effectiveness did not remain consistent over time and in other patient outcomes. Further efforts are required to examine long-term effects of CHITs and to explore factors that can moderate the effects over time. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

PBDE FLAME RETARDANTS: TOXICOLOGY, HEALTH EFFECTS, AND RISK ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants have been routinely added to consumer products for several decades in a successful effort to reduce fire-related injury and property damage. Global production of PBDEs has reached 67,000 metric tons per year. Recently concer...

Assistive Technologies, Feature Issue.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wobschall, Rachel, Ed.; Lakin, Charlie, Ed.

1995-01-01

This feature issue of a newsletter on community integration of individuals with developmental disabilities considers the role of assistive technologies. It describes efforts to utilize consumer direction, public policy, creativity, energy, and professional know-how in the pursuit of technology-based opportunities to enhance community inclusion,…

Management characteristics of grassfed beef operations in the northeast

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Much information is being circulated on resource use, environmental impact, and overall sustainability of beef, but finding scientifically sound information is difficult. In an effort to address consumer concerns, a comprehensive analysis is being conducted across the beef industry. As a significant...

An initial assessment of freight bottlenecks on highways.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-10-01

This white paper is an initial effort to identify and quantify, on a national basis, highway bottlenecks that delay trucks and increase costs to businesses and consumers. The paper is the first to look specifically at the impacts and costs of highway...

The Valley without Birds.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breslin, Patrick

1988-01-01

Describes cooperative campaign by central Chilean farmers to reduce use of dangerous chemicals. Describes cooperative's rural extension program targeting misuse of pesticides. Describes concern of chemical danger to local and foreign consumers. Cooperative's effort described as balancing short-term economic gains with long-term health and…

New market opportunities for rice grains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Breeding efforts for rice have been focusing on increasing yield and improving quality (milling yield and grain quality), while maintaining cooked rice sensory properties to meet consumer preferences. These breeding targets will no doubt continue as the main foci for the rice industry. However, the ...

Improve the Efficiency of the Service Process as a Result of the Muda Ideology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenc, Augustyn; Przyłuski, Krzysztof

2018-06-01

The aim of the paper was to improve service processes carried out by Knorr-Bremse Systemy Kolejowe Polska sp. z o.o. Particularly, emphasise unnecessary movements and physical efforts of employees. The indirect goal was to find a solution in the simplest possible way using the Muda ideology. In order to improve the service process at the beginning was executed the process mapping for the devices to be repaired, ie. brake callipers, electro-hydraulic units and auxiliary release units. The processes were assessed and shown as Pareto-Lorenz analysis. In order to determine the most time consuming process. Based on the obtained results use of a column crane with articulated arm was proposed to facilitate the transfer of heavy components between areas. The final step was to assess the effectiveness of the proposed solution in terms of time saving. From the company perspective results of the analysis are important. The proposed solution not only reduces total service time but also contributes to crew's work comfort.

The Unlock Project: a Python-based framework for practical brain-computer interface communication "app" development.

PubMed

Brumberg, Jonathan S; Lorenz, Sean D; Galbraith, Byron V; Guenther, Frank H

2012-01-01

In this paper we present a framework for reducing the development time needed for creating applications for use in non-invasive brain-computer interfaces (BCI). Our framework is primarily focused on facilitating rapid software "app" development akin to current efforts in consumer portable computing (e.g. smart phones and tablets). This is accomplished by handling intermodule communication without direct user or developer implementation, instead relying on a core subsystem for communication of standard, internal data formats. We also provide a library of hardware interfaces for common mobile EEG platforms for immediate use in BCI applications. A use-case example is described in which a user with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis participated in an electroencephalography-based BCI protocol developed using the proposed framework. We show that our software environment is capable of running in real-time with updates occurring 50-60 times per second with limited computational overhead (5 ms system lag) while providing accurate data acquisition and signal analysis.

12 CFR Supplement I to Part 1005 - Official Interpretations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... used to capture the Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) encoding to initiate a one-time automated clearinghouse (ACH) debit. For example, if a consumer authorizes a one-time ACH debit from the consumer's... involved at the time of the transaction, if the consumer's asset account is subsequently debited for the...

12 CFR Supplement I to Part 1005 - Official Interpretations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... used to capture the Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) encoding to initiate a one-time automated clearinghouse (ACH) debit. For example, if a consumer authorizes a one-time ACH debit from the consumer's... involved at the time of the transaction, if the consumer's asset account is subsequently debited for the...

12 CFR 205.3 - Coverage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... to initiate a one-time electronic fund transfer from a consumer's account. The consumer must...-time electronic fund transfer (in providing a check to a merchant or other payee for the MICR encoding... information for the transfer shall also provide a notice to the consumer at the same time it provides the...

12 CFR 1005.3 - Coverage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...-time electronic fund transfer from a consumer's account. The consumer must authorize the transfer. (ii... one-time electronic fund transfer (in providing a check to a merchant or other payee for the MICR... transfer. A consumer authorizes a one-time electronic fund transfer from his or her account to pay the fee...

12 CFR 205.3 - Coverage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... to initiate a one-time electronic fund transfer from a consumer's account. The consumer must...-time electronic fund transfer (in providing a check to a merchant or other payee for the MICR encoding... information for the transfer shall also provide a notice to the consumer at the same time it provides the...

12 CFR 205.3 - Coverage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... to initiate a one-time electronic fund transfer from a consumer's account. The consumer must...-time electronic fund transfer (in providing a check to a merchant or other payee for the MICR encoding... information for the transfer shall also provide a notice to the consumer at the same time it provides the...

Eating patterns and energy and nutrient intakes of US women.

PubMed

Haines, P S; Hungerford, D W; Popkin, B M; Guilkey, D K

1992-06-01

A longitudinal multivariate analysis was used to determine whether differences in energy and nutrient intakes were present for women classified into different eating patterns. Ten multidimensional eating patterns were created based on the proportion of energy consumed at home and at seven away-from-home locations. Data were from 1,120 women aged 19 through 50 years who were surveyed up to six times over a 1-year period as part of the 1985 Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals, US Department of Agriculture. Data from 5,993 days were analyzed. To examine differences in energy and nutrient intakes, longitudinal multivariate analyses were used to control for eating pattern and factors such as demographics, season, and day of week. Younger women in the Fast Food eating pattern consumed the greatest intakes of energy, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Well-educated, higher-income women in the Restaurant pattern consumed diets with the highest overall fat density. Nutrient densities for dietary fiber, calcium, vitamin C, and folacin were particularly low in away-from-home eating patterns. In contrast, moderately educated, middle-aged and middle-income women in the Home Mixed eating pattern (70% at home, 30% away from home) consumed the most healthful diets. We conclude that knowledge of demographics such as income and education is not enough to target dietary interventions. Rather, educational efforts must consider both demographics and the location of away-from-home eating. This will allow development of behavioral change strategies that consider food choices dictated by the eating environment as well as personal knowledge and attitude factors related to adoption of healthful food choices.

The influence of physical and social contexts of eating on lunch-time food intake among southern Ontario, Canada, middle school students.

PubMed

Woodruff, Sarah J; Hanning, Rhona M; McGoldrick, Kathryn

2010-09-01

Among students, little is known about the physical and social context of eating lunch. The objective of this study was to determine if food intake (including the type of food and beverages and portion sizes) was associated with specific aspects of the physical and social lunch environment (location, with whom lunch was consumed, who prepared the food, and where the food was originally purchased). A total of 1236 participants (males = 659, females = 566) in grades 6 (n = 359), 7 (n = 409), and 8 (n = 463) from southern Ontario, Canada, completed the Food Behavior Questionnaire during the 2005-2006 academic year. A total of 8159 foods and 2200 beverages were consumed during the lunch meal, which contributed to 552 kcal (SD = 429) or 30% (SD = 16) of total daily energy intake (kcal/day). Higher amounts of energy, meats and alternatives, other foods, fried foods, and pizza were consumed when participants ate in between places or at a restaurant/fast food outlet (compared with at home or school, p < 0.05) and/or when prepared by friends or others (compared with themselves or family members, p < 0.05). A large number of participants (46%) reported consuming sugar-sweetened beverages during lunch, despite a school board-level policy restricting the sales of "junk food," which appears to be brought from home. Our findings support schools in policy efforts that restrict fast food access (by leaving school grounds, preventing fast food companies from coming onto school grounds, or restricting sugar-sweetened beverage sales in vending machines) and that eating in between places should be discouraged.

Exploring relationships between hospital patient safety culture and Consumer Reports safety scores.

PubMed

Smith, Scott Alan; Yount, Naomi; Sorra, Joann

2017-02-16

A number of private and public companies calculate and publish proprietary hospital patient safety scores based on publicly available quality measures initially reported by the U.S. federal government. This study examines whether patient safety culture perceptions of U.S. hospital staff in a large national survey are related to publicly reported patient safety ratings of hospitals. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (Hospital SOPS) assesses provider and staff perceptions of hospital patient safety culture. Consumer Reports (CR), a U.S. based non-profit organization, calculates and shares with its subscribers a Hospital Safety Score calculated annually from patient experience survey data and outcomes data gathered from federal databases. Linking data collected during similar time periods, we analyzed relationships between staff perceptions of patient safety culture composites and the CR Hospital Safety Score and its five components using multiple multivariate linear regressions. We analyzed data from 164 hospitals, with patient safety culture survey responses from 140,316 providers and staff, with an average of 856 completed surveys per hospital and an average response rate per hospital of 56%. Higher overall Hospital SOPS composite average scores were significantly associated with higher overall CR Hospital Safety Scores (β = 0.24, p < 0.05). For 10 of the 12 Hospital SOPS composites, higher patient safety culture scores were associated with higher CR patient experience scores on communication about medications and discharge. This study found a relationship between hospital staff perceptions of patient safety culture and the Consumer Reports Hospital Safety Score, which is a composite of patient experience and outcomes data from federal databases. As hospital managers allocate resources to improve patient safety culture within their organizations, their efforts may also indirectly improve consumer-focused, publicly reported hospital rating scores like the Consumer Reports Hospital Safety Score.

Food safety hazards associated with consumption of raw milk.

PubMed

Oliver, Stephen P; Boor, Kathryn J; Murphy, Steven C; Murinda, Shelton E

2009-09-01

An increasing number of people are consuming raw unpasteurized milk. Enhanced nutritional qualities, taste, and health benefits have all been advocated as reasons for increased interest in raw milk consumption. However, science-based data to substantiate these claims are limited. People continue to consume raw milk even though numerous epidemiological studies have shown clearly that raw milk can be contaminated by a variety of pathogens, some of which are associated with human illness and disease. Several documented milkborne disease outbreaks occurred from 2000-2008 and were traced back to consumption of raw unpasteurized milk. Numerous people were found to have infections, some were hospitalized, and a few died. In the majority of these outbreaks, the organism associated with the milkborne outbreak was isolated from the implicated product(s) or from subsequent products made at the suspected dairy or source. In contrast, fewer milkborne disease outbreaks were associated with consumption of pasteurized milk during this same time period. Twenty nine states allow the sale of raw milk by some means. Direct purchase, cow-share or leasing programs, and the sale of raw milk as pet food have been used as means for consumers to obtain raw milk. Where raw milk is offered for sale, strategies to reduce risks associated with raw milk and products made from raw milk are needed. Developing uniform regulations including microbial standards for raw milk to be sold for human consumption, labeling of raw milk, improving sanitation during milking, and enhancing and targeting educational efforts are potential approaches to this issue. Development of pre- and postharvest control measures to effectively reduce contamination is critical to the control of pathogens in raw milk. One sure way to prevent raw milk-associated foodborne illness is for consumers to refrain from drinking raw milk and from consuming dairy products manufactured using raw milk.

Development of Sensors for Aerospace Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Medelius, Pedro

2005-01-01

Advances in technology have led to the availability of smaller and more accurate sensors. Computer power to process large amounts of data is no longer the prevailing issue; thus multiple and redundant sensors can be used to obtain more accurate and comprehensive measurements in a space vehicle. The successful integration and commercialization of micro- and nanotechnology for aerospace applications require that a close and interactive relationship be developed between the technology provider and the end user early in the project. Close coordination between the developers and the end users is critical since qualification for flight is time-consuming and expensive. The successful integration of micro- and nanotechnology into space vehicles requires a coordinated effort throughout the design, development, installation, and integration processes

Assessment of patient support surfaces: principle, practice and limitations.

PubMed

Rithalia, S

2005-01-01

Pressure ulcers cause great pain and suffering to patients as well as unnecessary strain on nursing staff. Their treatment is both costly and time consuming. Every effort therefore should be directed towards their prevention. Understanding of the aetiology of pressure ulcers is still incomplete and assessment of devices aimed at prevention is difficult. Over the years, numerous parameters, including interface pressure and transcutaneous blood gas measurements, have been used to evaluate mattresses and cushions. However, the quality of the data gathered is variable and its clinical interpretation remains unsatisfactory. It could be said that the science of evaluation of support surfaces is still at a formative stage, as clinical validation of many of the approaches has yet to be carried out.

Electrochemical Biosensors for Rapid Detection of Foodborne Salmonella: A Critical Overview

PubMed Central

Cinti, Stefano; Volpe, Giulia; Piermarini, Silvia; Delibato, Elisabetta; Palleschi, Giuseppe

2017-01-01

Salmonella has represented the most common and primary cause of food poisoning in many countries for at least over 100 years. Its detection is still primarily based on traditional microbiological culture methods which are labor-intensive, extremely time consuming, and not suitable for testing a large number of samples. Accordingly, great efforts to develop rapid, sensitive and specific methods, easy to use, and suitable for multi-sample analysis, have been made and continue. Biosensor-based technology has all the potentialities to meet these requirements. In this paper, we review the features of the electrochemical immunosensors, genosensors, aptasensors and phagosensors developed in the last five years for Salmonella detection, focusing on the critical aspects of their application in food analysis. PMID:28820458

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

Makarov, Yuri V.; Du, Pengwei; Etingov, Pavel V.

This planning reference book is a document reflecting a Western Electricity Coordination Council (WECC) effort to put together multiple sources of information and provide a clear, systemic, comprehensive outline of the problems, both existing and anticipated; their impacts on the system; currently used and proposed solutions by the industry and research community; planning practices; new technologies, equipment, and standards; and expected future trends. This living (periodically updated) document could help WECC and other practicing engineers, especially the younger generation of engineers joining the workforce, to get familiar with a large variety of information related to the integration of variable resourcesmore » into the WECC system, bypassing in part the need for time-consuming information gathering and learning processes from more experienced engineers or from the literature.« less

Workshop on multifactor aging mechanisms and models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agarwal, V. K.

1992-10-01

There have been considerable efforts to understand the aging and failure mechanisms of insulation in electrical systems. However, progress has been slow because of the complex nature of the subject particularly when dealing with multiple stresses e.g. electrical, thermal, mechanical, radiation, humidity and other environmental factors. When an insulating material is exposed to just one stress factor e.g. electric field, one must devise test(s) which are not only economically efficient and practical but which take into account the nature of electric field (ac, dc and pulsed), duration and level or field strength, and field configurations. Any additional stress factor(s) make the matrix of measurements and the understanding of resulting degradation processes more complex, time consuming and expensive.

Mushrooms—Biologically Distinct and Nutritionally Unique

PubMed Central

Feeney, Mary Jo; Miller, Amy Myrdal; Roupas, Peter

2014-01-01

Mushrooms are fungi, biologically distinct from plant- and animal-derived foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, protein [meat, fish, poultry, legumes, nuts, and seeds]) that comprise the US Department of Agriculture food patterns operationalized by consumer-focused MyPlate messages. Although mushrooms provide nutrients found in these food groups, they also have a unique nutrient profile. Classified into food grouping systems by their use as a vegetable, mushrooms’ increasing use in main entrées in plant-based diets is growing, supporting consumers’ efforts to follow dietary guidance recommendations. Mushrooms’ nutrient and culinary characteristics suggest it may be time to reevaluate food groupings and health benefits in the context of 3 separate food kingdoms: plants/botany, animals/zoology, and fungi/mycology. PMID:25435595

Attitudes and beliefs on the establishment of a national food safety authority in Cyprus. A population-based survey.

PubMed

Hadjigeorgiou, Andreas; Talias, Michael A; Soteriades, Elpidoforos S; Philalithis, Anastasios; Psaroulaki, Anna; Gikas, Achilleas; Tselentis, Yiannis

2014-04-01

Cyprus does not have a National Food Safety Authority (NFSA), but a multi-level, fragmented system with responsibilities divided among different ministries and governmental agencies, frequently impeding efforts to effectively manage food risks by duplication and overlapping of responsibilities. A population-based survey was carried out to determine the beliefs and attitudes of interested parties concerning the establishment of a NFSA in Cyprus. Information was collected using a random stratified sampling design and a structured questionnaire. A total of 868 questionnaires were collected (704 from regular consumers, 154 from food businesses' representatives, and 10 from public services' directors or acting head officers). About 11% of food businesses' representatives and 45% of consumers reported that they did not know which public authorities are responsible for food control. Moreover, 2 out of 10 (17%) of responders from public agencies, 70% from food businesses and 91% from consumers, although not aware of ongoing efforts to establish a food safety authority in Cyprus (currently under consideration), were supportive of the idea [8 out of 10 (83%) of responders from public services, 93% from food businesses, and 89% of consumers]. Finally, 7 out of 10 (67%) from the public agencies and 84% of representatives from food businesses agreed with the separation of risk assessment from risk management activities. Public opinion in Cyprus as well as public agencies and food businesses' representatives support the establishment of a single independent national food safety authority in Cyprus based on the European paradigm including the division of risk activities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preventing the premature death of relationship marketing.

PubMed

Fournier, S; Dobscha, S; Mick, D G

1998-01-01

Relationship marketing is in vogue. And why not? The new, increasingly efficient ways that companies have of understanding and responding to customers' needs and preferences seemingly allow them to build more meaningful connections with consumers than ever before. These connections promise to benefit the bottom line by reducing costs and increasing revenue. Unfortunately, a close look suggests that the relationships between companies and customers are troubled ones, at best. Companies may delight in learning more about their customers and in being able to provide features and services to please every possible palate. But customers delight in neither. In fact, customer satisfaction rates in the United States are at an all-time low, while complaints, boycotts, and other expressions of consumer discontent are on the rise. This mounting wave of unhappiness has yet to reach the bottom line. Sooner or later, however, corporate performance will suffer unless relationship marketing becomes what it is supposed to be--the epitome of customer orientation. Ironically, the very things that marketers are doing to build relationships with customers are often the things that are destroying those relationships. Relationship marketing is powerful in theory but troubled in practice. To prevent its premature death, marketers need to take the time to figure out how and why they are undermining their own best efforts, as well as how they can get things back on track.

Association between reported screening and counseling about energy drinks and energy drink intake among U.S. adolescents.

PubMed

Kumar, Gayathri Suresh; Park, Sohyun; Onufrak, Stephen

2014-02-01

Possible adverse health consequences of excessive energy drink (ED) consumption have led to recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics discouraging ED intake by youth. However, limited information on ED counseling by health care providers exists. Data was obtained from the 2011 YouthStyles Survey administered to youth aged 12-17 (n=815). The outcome variable was ED consumption (none vs. ≥1 time/week) and exposure variables were screening and counseling about ED (if doctor/nurse asked about ED consumption and if doctor/nurse recommended against ED consumption). Approximately 8.5% of youth consumed energy drinks weekly, 11.5% reported being asked by their doctor/nurse about frequency of ED consumption, and 11.1% were advised by their doctor/nurse against ED intake. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds for drinking ED ≥1 time/week was significantly higher in youth who were asked how often they drank ED by their doctor/nurse (odds ratio=2.46) vs. those who were not asked. About 1 in 9 youth reported receiving counseling discouraging ED consumption from their doctor/nurse, and a greater proportion of youth who were screened about ED also reported ED consumption. Efforts by health care providers to educate youth about potential harms of consuming ED are needed. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Policy insights from the nutritional food market transformation model: the case of obesity prevention.

PubMed

Struben, Jeroen; Chan, Derek; Dubé, Laurette

2014-12-01

This paper presents a system dynamics policy model of nutritional food market transformation, tracing over-time interactions between the nutritional quality of supply, consumer food choice, population health, and governmental policy. Applied to the Canadian context and with body mass index as the primary outcome, we examine policy portfolios for obesity prevention, including (1) industry self-regulation efforts, (2) health- and nutrition-sensitive governmental policy, and (3) efforts to foster health- and nutrition-sensitive innovation. This work provides novel theoretical and practical insights on drivers of nutritional market transformations, highlighting the importance of integrative policy portfolios to simultaneously shift food demand and supply for successful and self-sustaining nutrition and health sensitivity. We discuss model extensions for deeper and more comprehensive linkages of nutritional food market transformation with supply, demand, and policy in agrifood and health/health care. These aim toward system design and policy that can proactively, and with greater impact, scale, and resilience, address single as well as double malnutrition in varying country settings. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

Clinical informatics in undergraduate teaching of health informatics.

PubMed

Pantazi, Stefan V; Pantazi, Felicia; Daly, Karen

2011-01-01

We are reporting on a recent experience with Health Informatics (HI) teaching at undergraduate degree level to an audience of HI and Pharmacy students. The important insight is that effective teaching of clinical informatics must involve highly interactive, applied components in addition to the traditional theoretical material. This is in agreement with general literature underlining the importance of simulations and role playing in teaching and is well supported by our student evaluation results. However, the viability and sustainability of such approaches to teaching hinges on significant course preparation efforts. These efforts consist of time-consuming investigations of informatics technologies, applications and systems followed by the implementation of workable solutions to a wide range of technical problems. In effect, this approach to course development is an involved process that relies on a special form of applied research whose technical complexity could explain the dearth of published reports on similar approaches in HI education. Despite its difficulties, we argue that this approach can be used to set a baseline for clinical informatics training at undergraduate level and that its implications for HI education in Canada are of importance.

Scrap metals industry perspective on radioactive materials.

PubMed

Turner, Ray

2006-11-01

With more than 80 reported/confirmed accidental melts worldwide since 1983 and still counting, potential contamination by radioactive materials remains as a major concern among recycled scrap and steel companies. Some of these events were catastrophic and have cost the industry millions of dollars in business and, at the same time, resulted in declining consumer confidence. It is also known that more events with confirmed radioactive contamination have occurred that involve mining of old steel slag and skull dumps. Consequently, the steel industry has since undergone massive changes that incurred unprecedented expenses through the installation of radiation monitoring systems in hopes of preventing another accidental melt. Despite such extraordinary efforts, accidental melts continue to occur and plague the industry. One recent reported/confirmed event occurred in the Republic of China in 2004, causing the usual lengthy shutdown for expensive decontamination efforts before the steel mill could resume operations. With this perspective in mind, the metal industry has a long-standing opposition to the release of radioactive materials of any kind to commerce for fear of contamination and the potential consequences.

The VMAT-2 Inhibitor Tetrabenazine Affects Effort-Related Decision Making in a Progressive Ratio/Chow Feeding Choice Task: Reversal with Antidepressant Drugs

PubMed Central

Randall, Patrick A.; Lee, Christie A.; Nunes, Eric J.; Yohn, Samantha E.; Nowak, Victoria; Khan, Bilal; Shah, Priya; Pandit, Saagar; Vemuri, V. Kiran; Makriyannis, Alex; Baqi, Younis; Müller, Christa E.; Correa, Merce; Salamone, John D.

2014-01-01

Behavioral activation is a fundamental feature of motivation, and organisms frequently make effort-related decisions based upon evaluations of reinforcement value and response costs. Furthermore, people with major depression and other disorders often show anergia, psychomotor retardation, fatigue, and alterations in effort-related decision making. Tasks measuring effort-based decision making can be used as animal models of the motivational symptoms of depression, and the present studies characterized the effort-related effects of the vesicular monoamine transport (VMAT-2) inhibitor tetrabenazine. Tetrabenazine induces depressive symptoms in humans, and also preferentially depletes dopamine (DA). Rats were assessed using a concurrent progressive ratio (PROG)/chow feeding task, in which they can either lever press on a PROG schedule for preferred high-carbohydrate food, or approach and consume a less-preferred lab chow that is freely available in the chamber. Previous work has shown that the DA antagonist haloperidol reduced PROG work output on this task, but did not reduce chow intake, effects that differed substantially from those of reinforcer devaluation or appetite suppressant drugs. The present work demonstrated that tetrabenazine produced an effort-related shift in responding on the PROG/chow procedure, reducing lever presses, highest ratio achieved and time spent responding, but not reducing chow intake. Similar effects were produced by administration of the subtype selective DA antagonists ecopipam (D1) and eticlopride (D2), but not by the cannabinoid CB1 receptor neutral antagonist and putative appetite suppressant AM 4413, which suppressed both lever pressing and chow intake. The adenosine A2A antagonist MSX-3, the antidepressant and catecholamine uptake inhibitor bupropion, and the MAO-B inhibitor deprenyl, all reversed the impairments induced by tetrabenazine. This work demonstrates the potential utility of the PROG/chow procedure as a rodent model of the effort-related deficits observed in depressed patients. PMID:24937131

The VMAT-2 inhibitor tetrabenazine affects effort-related decision making in a progressive ratio/chow feeding choice task: reversal with antidepressant drugs.

PubMed

Randall, Patrick A; Lee, Christie A; Nunes, Eric J; Yohn, Samantha E; Nowak, Victoria; Khan, Bilal; Shah, Priya; Pandit, Saagar; Vemuri, V Kiran; Makriyannis, Alex; Baqi, Younis; Müller, Christa E; Correa, Merce; Salamone, John D

2014-01-01

Behavioral activation is a fundamental feature of motivation, and organisms frequently make effort-related decisions based upon evaluations of reinforcement value and response costs. Furthermore, people with major depression and other disorders often show anergia, psychomotor retardation, fatigue, and alterations in effort-related decision making. Tasks measuring effort-based decision making can be used as animal models of the motivational symptoms of depression, and the present studies characterized the effort-related effects of the vesicular monoamine transport (VMAT-2) inhibitor tetrabenazine. Tetrabenazine induces depressive symptoms in humans, and also preferentially depletes dopamine (DA). Rats were assessed using a concurrent progressive ratio (PROG)/chow feeding task, in which they can either lever press on a PROG schedule for preferred high-carbohydrate food, or approach and consume a less-preferred lab chow that is freely available in the chamber. Previous work has shown that the DA antagonist haloperidol reduced PROG work output on this task, but did not reduce chow intake, effects that differed substantially from those of reinforcer devaluation or appetite suppressant drugs. The present work demonstrated that tetrabenazine produced an effort-related shift in responding on the PROG/chow procedure, reducing lever presses, highest ratio achieved and time spent responding, but not reducing chow intake. Similar effects were produced by administration of the subtype selective DA antagonists ecopipam (D1) and eticlopride (D2), but not by the cannabinoid CB1 receptor neutral antagonist and putative appetite suppressant AM 4413, which suppressed both lever pressing and chow intake. The adenosine A2A antagonist MSX-3, the antidepressant and catecholamine uptake inhibitor bupropion, and the MAO-B inhibitor deprenyl, all reversed the impairments induced by tetrabenazine. This work demonstrates the potential utility of the PROG/chow procedure as a rodent model of the effort-related deficits observed in depressed patients.

Tobacco Industry Consumer Research on Smokeless Tobacco Users and Product Development

PubMed Central

Mejia, Adrienne B.

2010-01-01

Since 2006, RJ Reynolds (RJR) and Philip Morris have both introduced new smokeless “snus” tobacco products. We analyzed previously secret tobacco industry documents describing the history of RJR and Philip Morris's consumer research, smokeless product development, and marketing strategies. We found that RJR had invested in smokeless research, development, and marketing since 1968. RJR first targeted low-income males through sampling and sponsorship at fishing, rodeo, and baseball events, and through advertising portraying the user as “hard working.” In the early 1990s, Philip Morris and RJR hoped to attract more urban, female smokeless users. The current “snus” campaigns appear to appeal to these targeted consumers and smokers in smoke-free environments. These efforts may expand the tobacco market and undermine smoking cessation. PMID:19910355

Two-thirds of foods consumed on myplate contain SoFAS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Public health efforts focus upon improving diet quality to prevent chronic disease. MyPlate, which represents the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, encourages limiting the consumption of solid fats (SoF) and added sugars (AS). We examined nationally representative consumption data t...

Optimal Dynamic Advertising Strategy Under Age-Specific Market Segmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krastev, Vladimir

2011-12-01

We consider the model proposed by Faggian and Grosset for determining the advertising efforts and goodwill in the long run of a company under age segmentation of consumers. Reducing this model to optimal control sub problems we find the optimal advertising strategy and goodwill.

Maine's Employability Skills Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMahon, John M.; Wolffe, Karen E.; Wolfe, Judy; Brooker, Carrie

2013-01-01

This Practice Report describes the development and implementation of the "Maine Employability Skills Program," a model employment program developed by the Maine Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI). The program was designed to support the efforts of the chronically unemployed or underemployed. These consumers were either…

Advertising in the Schools. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aidman, Amy

This digest reviews the recent history of advertising to children, spotlights controversial marketing efforts, and examines the nature of commercial messages directed toward children in public schools. Because of the increase in children's spending power in recent decades, advertisers have closely targeted children as consumers. Advertising…

Speak Up: Help Prevent Errors in Your Care: Behavioral Health Care

MedlinePlus

... TM Help Prevent Errors in Your Care Behavioral Health Care To prevent health care errors, patients are urged to... SpeakUP TM Service ... individuals should be involved in their own behavioral health care. These efforts to increase consumer awareness and involvement ...

Costa Rican High Education, Its Universities and Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro, Silvia P.

2010-01-01

Multiple efforts have been undertaken around the world to describe and categorize universities and systems of higher education, in the understanding that knowledge about these institutions can inform interventions which can improve educational quality and efficiency, while helping consumers--students, parents, employers, and governments--make…

Continuous Space Estimation: Increasing WiFi-Based Indoor Localization Resolution without Increasing the Site-Survey Effort.

PubMed

Hernández, Noelia; Ocaña, Manuel; Alonso, Jose M; Kim, Euntai

2017-01-13

Although much research has taken place in WiFi indoor localization systems, their accuracy can still be improved. When designing this kind of system, fingerprint-based methods are a common choice. The problem with fingerprint-based methods comes with the need of site surveying the environment, which is effort consuming. In this work, we propose an approach, based on support vector regression, to estimate the received signal strength at non-site-surveyed positions of the environment. Experiments, performed in a real environment, show that the proposed method could be used to improve the resolution of fingerprint-based indoor WiFi localization systems without increasing the site survey effort.

Continuous Space Estimation: Increasing WiFi-Based Indoor Localization Resolution without Increasing the Site-Survey Effort †

PubMed Central

Hernández, Noelia; Ocaña, Manuel; Alonso, Jose M.; Kim, Euntai

2017-01-01

Although much research has taken place in WiFi indoor localization systems, their accuracy can still be improved. When designing this kind of system, fingerprint-based methods are a common choice. The problem with fingerprint-based methods comes with the need of site surveying the environment, which is effort consuming. In this work, we propose an approach, based on support vector regression, to estimate the received signal strength at non-site-surveyed positions of the environment. Experiments, performed in a real environment, show that the proposed method could be used to improve the resolution of fingerprint-based indoor WiFi localization systems without increasing the site survey effort. PMID:28098773

Publicly disclosed information about the quality of health care: response of the US public

PubMed Central

Schneider, E; Lieberman, T

2001-01-01

Public disclosure of information about the quality of health plans, hospitals, and doctors continues to be controversial. The US experience of the past decade suggests that sophisticated quality measures and reporting systems that disclose information on quality have improved the process and outcomes of care in limited ways in some settings, but these efforts have not led to the "consumer choice" market envisaged. Important reasons for this failure include limited salience of objective measures to consumers, the complexity of the task of interpretation, and insufficient use of quality results by organised purchasers and insurers to inform contracting and pricing decisions. Nevertheless, public disclosure may motivate quality managers and providers to undertake changes that improve the delivery of care. Efforts to measure and report information about quality should remain public, but may be most effective if they are targeted to the needs of institutional and individual providers of care. Key Words: public disclosure; quality of health care; quality improvement PMID:11389318

Age-0 Shovelnose Sturgeon prey consumption in the Lower Missouri River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gosch, N.J.C.; Miller, M.L.; Gemeinhardt, T.R.; Starks, Trevor A.; Civiello, A.P.; Long, James M.; Bonneau, J.L.

2016-01-01

A lack of nutritious food during the first year of life is a hypothesized factor that may limit survival of endangered pallid sturgeonScaphirhynchus albus in the lower Missouri River (LMOR). Unfortunately, information for age-0 pallid sturgeon diets remains limited, but diet analyses for age-0 Scaphirhynchus spp. (sturgeon hereafter) have occurred. Little information, however, exists on age-0 sturgeon diets in the LMOR; thus, our primary objective was to document age-0 sturgeon diets in this system. We examined guts contents from 30 individuals, which were genetically identified as shovelnose sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus, and three stomachs were empty. The remaining age-0 shovelnose sturgeon consumed chironomid larvae almost exclusively (>98% of prey items consumed). Our results were similar to studies conducted in other systems, and it appears unlikely that a lack of nutritious food was a major factor affecting the individuals captured during this study. This effort provides important information to help guide ongoing adaptive management efforts in the LMOR.

Radiation exposure of the US population from consumer products and miscellaneous sources

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

Not Available

1987-12-30

The primary goal of the effort that resulted in this report was to update the earlier report issued by the NCRP on this subject (NCRP, 1977). In so doing, the Council has identified additional consumer products that can be sources of ionizing radiation, and has deleted coverage of some products that are either no longer available or whose use has essentially been discontinued. For each source category, a major effort has been made to provide data on the number of products currently in use, the rate at which such usage is changing, and the range of typical dose equivalents beingmore » received from that source by the general public. To the extent possible, an attempt has been made to provide information to assist in making decisions on whether a given application might better be replaced by some other method of accomplishing the same task without involving radiation exposure to the population. 162 refs., 2 figs., 23 tabs.« less

Postreinforcement Pause in Grocery Shopping: Comparing Interpurchase Times across Products and Consumers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliveira-Castro, Jorge M.; James, Victoria K.; Foxall, Gordon R.

2007-01-01

Purchase probability as a function of interpurchase time was examined through comparison of findings from laboratory experiments on reinforcement schedules and from marketing investigations of consumers' interpurchase time. Panel data, based on a sample of 80 consumers who purchased nine supermarket food products during 16 weeks, were used. For…

Carbon Management In the Post-Cap-and-Trade Carbon Economy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeGroff, F. A.

2013-12-01

This abstract outlines an economic model that integrates carbon externalities seamlessly into the national and international economies. The model incorporates a broad carbon metric used to value all carbon in the biosphere, as well as all transnational commerce. The model minimizes the cost associated with carbon management, and allows for the variation in carbon avidity between jurisdictions. When implemented over time, the model reduces the deadweight loss while minimizing social cost, thus maximizing the marginal social benefit commonly associated with Pigouvian taxes. Once implemented, the model provides a comprehensive economic construct for governments, industry and consumers to efficiently weigh the cost of carbon, and effectively participate in helping to reduce their direct and indirect use of carbon, while allowing individual jurisdictions to decide their own carbon value, without the need for explicit, express agreement of all countries. The model uses no credits, requires no caps, and matches climate changing behavior to costs. The steps to implement the model for a particular jurisdiction are: 1) Define the Carbon Metric to value changes in Carbon Quality. 2) Apply the Carbon Metric to assess the Carbon Toll a) for all changes in Carbon Quality and b) for imports and exports. This economic model has 3 clear advantages. 1) The carbon pricing and cost scheme use existing and generally accepted accounting methodologies to ensure the veracity and verifiability of carbon management efforts with minimal effort and expense using standard auditing protocols. Implementing this economic model will not require any special training, tools, or systems for any entity to achieve their minimum carbon target goals within their jurisdictional framework. 2) Given the spectrum of carbon affinities worldwide, the model recognizes and provides for flexible carbon pricing regimes, but does not penalize domestic carbon-consuming producers subject to imports from exporters in lower carbon-pricing jurisdictions. Thus, the economic model avoids a key shortcoming of cap-and-trade carbon pricing, and eliminates any incentive to inefficiently shift carbon consumption to jurisdictions with lower carbon tolls. 3) The economic model is a comprehensive, efficient and effective strategy that allows for the implementation of a carbon-pricing structure without the complete, explicit agreement of carbon consumers worldwide.

Food insecurity and alcohol use among pregnant women at alcohol-serving establishments in South Africa.

PubMed

Eaton, Lisa A; Pitpitan, Eileen V; Kalichman, Seth C; Sikkema, Kathleen J; Skinner, Donald; Watt, Melissa H; Pieterse, Desiree; Cain, Demetria N

2014-06-01

South Africa has the highest rate of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in the world. While efforts have been made to curb the high rate of FAS, little is known about situational factors that may contribute to alcohol use during pregnancy. In the current paper, we focus on the role of food insecurity and its relationship to alcohol use among pregnant women. Women completed computer-assisted interviews. Generalized linear modeling was used in all analyses. Women attending alcohol-serving establishments in a township in Cape Town, South Africa were recruited for the study. Five hundred sixty women were sampled and 95 women reported being pregnant. High levels of alcohol use were reported among pregnant women: 65 % of women consumed alcohol at least every month and 29 % consumed alcohol as often as two to three times per week. Thirty-four percent of the women reported having six or more drinks per occasion on at least a weekly basis. The majority (87 %) of pregnant women reported experiencing some form of food insecurity (e.g., food unavailable, eating less) in the past month. Alcohol use was significantly associated with food insecurity, even when controlling for relevant demographic variables. Intervention with pregnant women who consume alcohol is urgently needed. Future research should focus on understanding the intersection of food insecurity and alcohol, and how the experience of food insecurity may contribute to greater rates of alcohol use and abuse among pregnant women.

Do coverage mandates affect direct-to-consumer advertising for pharmaceuticals? Evidence from parity laws.

PubMed

Nathenson, Robert; Richards, Michael R

2018-01-29

Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) for prescription drugs is a relatively unique feature of the US health care system and a source of tens of billions of dollars in annual spending. It has also garnered the attention of researchers and policymakers interested in its implications for firm and consumer behavior. However, few economic studies have explored the DTCA response to public policies, especially those mandating coverage of these products. We use detailed advertising expenditure data to assess if pharmaceutical firms increase their marketing efforts after the implementation of relevant state and federal health insurance laws. We focus on mental health parity statutes and related drug therapies-a potentially ripe setting for inducing stronger consumer demand. We find no clear indication that firms expect greater value from DTCA after these regulatory changes. DTCA appears driven by other considerations (e.g., product debut); however, it remains a possibility that firms respond to these laws through other, unobserved channels (e.g., provider detailing).

Sensory properties, consumer liking and choice determinants of Lucanian dry cured sausages.

PubMed

Braghieri, Ada; Piazzolla, Nicoletta; Carlucci, Angela; Bragaglio, Andrea; Napolitano, Fabio

2016-01-01

Based on a food choice questionnaire we identified as the most influential aspects affecting consumer choice of Lucanian dry cured sausages: taste, animal health and addition of preservatives. Therefore, as a second step we conducted a study to assess the effect of preservative addition on sausage sensory properties and consumer liking, with a particular emphasis on taste. The addition of preservatives did not change the perception of taste attributes by an experienced panel, whereas differences were detected in terms of odor, texture and color attributes. However, consumers did not express a preference for a particular product in terms of overall liking, taste/flavor liking and texture liking, whereas appearance liking was higher for sausages containing preservatives. Since sausage taste was unaffected by the addition of preservative, in order to prevent the potentially detrimental effect of a label indicating their presence, producers should make an effort to obtain high quality Lucanian dry cured sausages without using them. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

12 CFR Supplement I to Part 213 - Official Staff Commentary to Regulation M

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... primary use. 2. Period of time. To be a consumer lease, the initial term of the lease must be more than... lease (unless terminable without penalty at any time by the consumer) under which the consumer: i... the lease contract, so long as all disclosures are given at the same time. Alternatively, all...

12 CFR Supplement I to Part 213 - Official Staff Commentary to Regulation M

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... primary use. 2. Period of time. To be a consumer lease, the initial term of the lease must be more than... lease (unless terminable without penalty at any time by the consumer) under which the consumer: i... the lease contract, so long as all disclosures are given at the same time. Alternatively, all...

Time trends and patterns of reported egg consumption in the U.S. by sociodemographic characteristics

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Objectives: To 1) describe time trends of the percentage of individuals in the U.S that consume eggs, 2) describe time trends of the daily amount of eggs consumed per day, and 3) examine differences in the amount of eggs consumed per day; overall and by gender, age, income, education, race-ethnicit...

Magnitude of genotype x environment interactions affecting tomato fruit quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

There is a growing interest by consumers to purchase fresh tomato with improved quality traits including lycopene, total soluble solids (TSS), vitamin C and titratable acid (TA) content. Therefore, there are considerable efforts by tomato breeders to improve tomato for these traits. However, suitabl...

Determination of fluorotelomer alcohols in selected consumer products and preliminary investigation of their fate in the indoor environment

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established an ongoing effort to identify the major perfluorocarboxylic acid (PFCA) sources in nonoccupational indoor environments and characterize their transport and fate. This study determined the concentrations of perfluorote...

76 FR 46809 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-03

... CHIPRA demonstration states' efforts affected outcomes related to knowledge and behavior change in targeted providers and/or consumers of health care. This study is being conducted by AHRQ through its..., stakeholder satisfaction with their project involvement, and contextual factors. (4) Health Care Provider...

Consumer-centric approach a key to Internet marketing.

PubMed

2000-09-01

Targeting your organization's marketing and outreach efforts is critical to competing effectively, especially when it comes to your web site. One company claims that its 15-question profiling instrument can help health care providers vary their marketing strategy to make sure they're reaching the right groups.

Omnichannel Customer Behavior: Key Drivers of Technology Acceptance and Use and Their Effects on Purchase Intention

PubMed Central

Juaneda-Ayensa, Emma; Mosquera, Ana; Sierra Murillo, Yolanda

2016-01-01

The advance of the Internet and new technologies over the last decade has transformed the retailing panorama. More and more channels are emerging, causing consumers to change their habits and shopping behavior. An omnichannel strategy is a form of retailing that, by enabling real interaction, allows customers to shop across channels anywhere and at any time, thereby providing them with a unique, complete, and seamless shopping experience that breaks down the barriers between channels. This paper aims to identify the factors that influence omnichannel consumers' behavior through their acceptance of and intention to use new technologies during the shopping process. To this end, an original model was developed to explain omnichannel shopping behavior based on the variables used in the UTAUT2 model and two additional factors: personal innovativeness and perceived security. The model was tested with a sample of 628 Spanish customers of the store Zara who had used at least two channels during their most recent shopping journey. The results indicate that the key determinants of purchase intention in an omnichannel context are, in order of importance: personal innovativeness, effort expectancy, and performance expectancy. The theoretical and managerial implications are discussed. PMID:27516749

The dark side of marketing seemingly "Light" cigarettes: successful images and failed fact

PubMed Central

Pollay, R; Dewhirst, T

2002-01-01

Methods: Analysis of trade sources and internal US tobacco company documents now available on various web sites created by corporations, litigation, or public health bodies. Results: When introducing low yield products, cigarette manufacturers were concerned about maintaining products with acceptable taste/flavour and feared consumers might become weaned from smoking. Several tactics were employed by cigarette manufacturers, leading consumers to perceive filtered and low machine yield brands as safer relative to other brands. Tactics include using cosmetic (that is, ineffective) filters, loosening filters over time, using medicinal menthol, using high tech imagery, using virtuous brand names and descriptors, adding a virtuous variant to a brand's product line, and generating misleading data on tar and nicotine yields. Conclusions: Advertisements of filtered and low tar cigarettes were intended to reassure smokers concerned about the health risks of smoking, and to present the respective products as an alternative to quitting. Promotional efforts were successful in getting smokers to adopt filtered and low yield cigarette brands. Corporate documents demonstrate that cigarette manufacturers recognised the inherent deceptiveness of cigarette brands described as "Light"or "Ultra-Light" because of low machine measured yields. PMID:11893811

Omnichannel Customer Behavior: Key Drivers of Technology Acceptance and Use and Their Effects on Purchase Intention.

PubMed

Juaneda-Ayensa, Emma; Mosquera, Ana; Sierra Murillo, Yolanda

2016-01-01

The advance of the Internet and new technologies over the last decade has transformed the retailing panorama. More and more channels are emerging, causing consumers to change their habits and shopping behavior. An omnichannel strategy is a form of retailing that, by enabling real interaction, allows customers to shop across channels anywhere and at any time, thereby providing them with a unique, complete, and seamless shopping experience that breaks down the barriers between channels. This paper aims to identify the factors that influence omnichannel consumers' behavior through their acceptance of and intention to use new technologies during the shopping process. To this end, an original model was developed to explain omnichannel shopping behavior based on the variables used in the UTAUT2 model and two additional factors: personal innovativeness and perceived security. The model was tested with a sample of 628 Spanish customers of the store Zara who had used at least two channels during their most recent shopping journey. The results indicate that the key determinants of purchase intention in an omnichannel context are, in order of importance: personal innovativeness, effort expectancy, and performance expectancy. The theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Contributing to marine pollution by washing your face: microplastics in facial cleansers.

PubMed

Fendall, Lisa S; Sewell, Mary A

2009-08-01

Plastics pollution in the ocean is an area of growing concern, with research efforts focusing on both the macroplastic (>5mm) and microplastic (<5mm) fractions. In the 1990 s it was recognized that a minor source of microplastic pollution was derived from liquid hand-cleansers that would have been rarely used by the average consumer. In 2009, however, the average consumer is likely to be using microplastic-containing products on a daily basis, as the majority of facial cleansers now contain polyethylene microplastics which are not captured by wastewater plants and will enter the oceans. Four microplastic-containing facial cleansers available in New Zealand supermarkets were used to quantify the size of the polythelene fragments. Three-quarters of the brands had a modal size of <100 microns and could be immediately ingested by planktonic organisms at the base of the food chain. Over time the microplastics will be subject to UV-degradation and absorb hydrophobic materials such as PCBs, making them smaller and more toxic in the long-term. Marine scientists need to educate the public to the dangers of using products that pose an immediate and long-term threat to the health of the oceans and the food we eat.

The dark side of marketing seemingly "Light" cigarettes: successful images and failed fact.

PubMed

Pollay, R W; Dewhirst, T

2002-03-01

To understand the development, intent, and consequences of US tobacco industry advertising for low machine yield cigarettes. Analysis of trade sources and internal US tobacco company documents now available on various web sites created by corporations, litigation, or public health bodies. When introducing low yield products, cigarette manufacturers were concerned about maintaining products with acceptable taste/flavour and feared consumers might become weaned from smoking. Several tactics were employed by cigarette manufacturers, leading consumers to perceive filtered and low machine yield brands as safer relative to other brands. Tactics include using cosmetic (that is, ineffective) filters, loosening filters over time, using medicinal menthol, using high tech imagery, using virtuous brand names and descriptors, adding a virtuous variant to a brand's product line, and generating misleading data on tar and nicotine yields. Advertisements of filtered and low tar cigarettes were intended to reassure smokers concerned about the health risks of smoking, and to present the respective products as an alternative to quitting. Promotional efforts were successful in getting smokers to adopt filtered and low yield cigarette brands. Corporate documents demonstrate that cigarette manufacturers recognised the inherent deceptiveness of cigarette brands described as "Light"or "Ultra-Light" because of low machine measured yields.

Administrative Information Systems Plan for FY89

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

Not Available

1988-11-01

The Administrative Information Systems (AIS) Plan was developed to prioritize, track, and control the cost of AIS activities. This annually published plan, in conjunction with quarterly status reports, measures projected AIS activities and progress. The AIS Plan and quarterly reporting are administered jointly by the Director of Computing and an Organization 30 director. Priority development projects are clearly defined and closely managed efforts that consume significant resources. Directorate supplementals describe other AIS activity within each directorate, which may include: production support; technical support; development activity; and other AIS effort.

Health Games: A Key Component for the Evolution of Wellness Programs.

PubMed

Lenihan, David

2012-06-01

Healthcare cost growth has been a major concern for both governments and employers. Considerable efforts have been made to "bend the trend" or find ways to control costs. At the highest levels, this has been the move from indemnity care models to managed care and then to consumer-directed health models using Healthcare Reimbursement Accounts and Healthcare Spending Accounts in plan designs. Accompanying this move in plan design has been an effort to get the consumer/patient/employee more engaged and responsible for his or her health expenditures, health decision-making, and activities. Consumers have gone through the phases of health being doctor-centric (indemnity care model), to health plan-centric (managed care models), to consumer-centric (consumer-directed health models). There is currently a need to incorporate wellness into the equation. Simply put, wellness is intended to keep people out of the health system by reducing the risk factors that would put them into the system in the first place. This includes things like smoking cessation, exercise, weight management, nutrition, and other factors over which individuals have a significant level of control over, as well as condition management such as medication adherence, and condition monitoring (such as glucose monitoring for diabetics). Wellness will become increasingly more common for major buyers, initially large self-funded employers and then health plans that will offer it as a part of their overall Plan Design and Administration services. Wellness initiatives will also be offered by Federal and State governments and will include programs for the elderly and at-risk populations as well as for the general population. The measure of success of wellness programs to actually "bend the trend" will be engagement. How large a piece of the population can be captured and retained will be the critical metric for success…and metrics require real data and will be used by the entire healthcare value-chain to measure efficacy and efficiency of "wellness spending."

A longitudinal model of the dynamics between HMOs' consumer-friendliness and preventive health care utilization.

PubMed

Xiao, Qian; Savage, Grant T; Zhuang, Weiling

2014-01-01

This study aims at replicating and extending Xiao and Savage's (2008) research to understand the multidimensional aspect of HMOs distinguished by HMOs' consumer-friendliness, and their relationship to consumers' preventive care utilization. This study develops a dynamic model to consider both concurrent and time lagging effects of HMOs' consumer-friendliness. Our data analysis discloses similar relationship patterns as revealed by Xiao and Savage. Additionally, our findings reveal the time-series changes of the influence of HMOs' consumer-friendliness that either the effects of early experienced HMOs' consumer-friendliness wear out totally or HMOs' consumer-friendly characteristics on the concurrent term contain most of the explanatory power.

Multi-year mapping of irrigated croplands over the US High Plains Aquifer using satellite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deines, J.; Kendall, A. D.; Hyndman, D. W.

2016-12-01

Irrigated agriculture is the largest consumer of freshwater globally. Effective water management is crucial to support ongoing agricultural intensification to meet increasing demand for food, fuel, and fiber production. Knowledge of where and when irrigation occurs is critical for effective management and hydrological modeling, yet data on patterns of irrigation through time are surprisingly rare. Existing regional datasets in the United States tend to be either aspatial county-level estimates or static, single-year remotely sensed products with relatively low spatial resolution ( 250 m or coarser). Spatially explicit, dynamic maps are needed to understand water use trends, create accurate hydrological models, and inform forecasts of future water availability under projected climate change. In the High Plains Aquifer (HPA), repeat mapping efforts in 2002 and 2007 indicated only 60% of irrigated lands were static between these periods. To better understand annual irrigation dynamics, we used remote sensing to produce annual maps of irrigated cropland across the HPA region from a data fusion of Landsat satellites, annual time series of vegetation indices, and ancillary data such as precipitation, soil properties, and terrain slope. We performed machine learning classification using Google Earth Engine, allowing efficient image processing over a large region for multiple years. We then analyzed maps for water use trends and found that although total irrigated area has increased only slightly, there was substantial variability in the spatial pattern of irrigated lands over time. This dataset will support efforts towards groundwater sustainability by providing consistent, spatially explicit tracking of irrigation dynamics over time.

Readability of consumer health information on the internet: a comparison of U.S. government-funded and commercially funded websites.

PubMed

Risoldi Cochrane, Zara; Gregory, Philip; Wilson, Amy

2012-01-01

The Internet has become an extremely prevalent means of communicating health information to consumers. Guidelines for selecting reliable health information websites give preference to U.S. government sites over commercially funded sites. However, these websites are not useful to consumers unless they are able to read and understand them. The authors' objective was to compare the readability of Internet health information intended for consumers found on U.S. government-funded websites versus that found on commercially funded websites. Consumer health websites were identified through a systematic Internet search. Webpages for 10 common health topics were extracted from each website. Readability of webpages was determined by 3 validated measures: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level, and SMOG Formula. Mean readability of government-funded and commercially funded websites was compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Commercially funded websites were significantly more difficult to read as measured by Flesch Reading Ease (49.7 vs. 55.6 for government-funded sites, p = .002) and Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level (10.1 vs. 9.3, p = .012). There was no significant difference according to SMOG Formula (12.8 vs. 13.2, p = .150). The overall readability of Internet health information intended for consumers was poor. Efforts should be made to ensure that health information communicated via the Internet is easy for consumers to read and understand.

Consumers' views on generic medicines: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Hassali, Mohamed A A; Shafie, Asrul A; Jamshed, Shazia; Ibrahim, Mohamed I M; Awaisu, Ahmed

2009-04-01

To review the literature on consumers' knowledge, attitudes and opinions of the use of generic medicines. A narrative review of studies conducted from 1970 to 2008 on consumers perceptions and views towards generic medicines was performed. An extensive literature search was undertaken using indexing services available at the authors' institution library. The following keywords were used for the search: brand, generic, multisource, medications, medicines, drugs, pharmaceuticals and consumers, customers, and patients. Electronic databases searched were Medline, Inside Web, ISI Web of Knowledge, Science Direct, Springer Link, JSTOR, Proquest, Ebsco Host and Google Scholar. These electronic databases were searched for full text papers published in English from 1970 to October 2008. Twenty studies were identified. Eleven were from the USA, four were from Europe, two were from Canada and one each was from Australia, Brazil and Malaysia. In general, consumers showed mixed reactions towards the use of generic medicines. This was evident from the divergence of views observed by country development level, consumers' socioeconomic characteristics, drug product characteristics, pharmaceutical reimbursement system, policy environment, contact with health care professionals, past experience with medications, and knowledge of the seriousness of a medical condition. Patient confidence and knowledge pertaining to generic medicines use have increased over the past four decades, especially in developed countries. Mass educational efforts, financial incentives, and greater communication among patients and health care professionals were seen as major drivers to the uptake of generic medicines among consumers.

16 CFR 433.3 - Exemption of sellers taking or receiving open end consumer credit contracts before November 1...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... make loans, from time to time, directly from the creditor or indirectly by use of a credit card, check... open end consumer credit contracts before November 1, 1977 from requirements of § 433.2(a). 433.3... CONSUMERS' CLAIMS AND DEFENSES § 433.3 Exemption of sellers taking or receiving open end consumer credit...

77 FR 38305 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Announcement of Office of Management and Budget...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-27

...; ``Real Time'' Surveys of Consumers' Knowledge, Perceptions and Reported Behavior Concerning Foodborne...' Surveys of Consumers' Knowledge, Perceptions and Reported Behavior Concerning Foodborne Illness Outbreaks... ```Real Time' Surveys of Consumers' Knowledge, Perceptions and Reported Behavior Concerning Foodborne...

Recent Self-Reported Cannabis Use Is Associated With the Biometrics of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol.

PubMed

Smith, Matthew J; Alden, Eva C; Herrold, Amy A; Roberts, Andrea; Stern, Dan; Jones, Joseph; Barnes, Allan; O'Connor, Kailyn P; Huestis, Marilyn A; Breiter, Hans C

2018-05-01

Research typically characterizes cannabis use by self-report of cannabis intake frequency. In an effort to better understand relationships between measures of cannabis use, we evaluated if Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and metabolite concentrations (biometrics) were associated with a calibrated timeline followback (TLFB) assessment of cannabis use. Participants were 35 young adult male cannabis users who completed a calibrated TLFB measure of cannabis use over the past 30 days, including time of last use. The calibration required participants handling four plastic bags of a cannabis substitute (0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 3.5 grams) to quantify cannabis consumed. Participants provided blood and urine samples for analysis of THC and metabolites, at two independent laboratories. Participants abstained from cannabis use on the day of sample collection. We tested Pearson correlations between the calibrated TLFB measures and cannabis biometrics. Strong correlations were seen between urine and blood biometrics (all r > .73, all p < .001). TLFB measures of times of use and grams of cannabis consumed were significantly related to each biometric, including urine 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH) and blood THC, 11-hydroxy-THC (11-OH-THC), THCCOOH, THCCOOH-glucuronide (times of use: r > .48-.61, all p < .05; grams: r > .40-.49, all p < .05). This study extends prior work to show TLFB methods significantly relate to an extended array of cannabis biometrics. The calibration of cannabis intake in grams was associated with each biometric, although the simple TLFB measure of times of use produced the strongest relationships with all five biometrics. These findings suggest that combined self-report and biometric data together convey the complexity of cannabis use, but allow that either the use of calibrated TLFB measures or biometrics may be sufficient for assessment of cannabis use in research.

Sampling Methods for Detection and Monitoring of the Asian Citrus Psyllid (Hemiptera: Psyllidae).

PubMed

Monzo, C; Arevalo, H A; Jones, M M; Vanaclocha, P; Croxton, S D; Qureshi, J A; Stansly, P A

2015-06-01

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama is a key pest of citrus due to its role as vector of citrus greening disease or "huanglongbing." ACP monitoring is considered an indispensable tool for management of vector and disease. In the present study, datasets collected between 2009 and 2013 from 245 citrus blocks were used to evaluate precision, sensitivity for detection, and efficiency of five sampling methods. The number of samples needed to reach a 0.25 standard error-mean ratio was estimated using Taylor's power law and used to compare precision among sampling methods. Comparison of detection sensitivity and time expenditure (cost) between stem-tap and other sampling methodologies conducted consecutively at the same location were also assessed. Stem-tap sampling was the most efficient sampling method when ACP densities were moderate to high and served as the basis for comparison with all other methods. Protocols that grouped trees near randomly selected locations across the block were more efficient than sampling trees at random across the block. Sweep net sampling was similar to stem-taps in number of captures per sampled unit, but less precise at any ACP density. Yellow sticky traps were 14 times more sensitive than stem-taps but much more time consuming and thus less efficient except at very low population densities. Visual sampling was efficient for detecting and monitoring ACP at low densities. Suction sampling was time consuming and taxing but the most sensitive of all methods for detection of sparse populations. This information can be used to optimize ACP monitoring efforts. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Accelerated Monte Carlo Simulation on the Chemical Stage in Water Radiolysis using GPU

PubMed Central

Tian, Zhen; Jiang, Steve B.; Jia, Xun

2018-01-01

The accurate simulation of water radiolysis is an important step to understand the mechanisms of radiobiology and quantitatively test some hypotheses regarding radiobiological effects. However, the simulation of water radiolysis is highly time consuming, taking hours or even days to be completed by a conventional CPU processor. This time limitation hinders cell-level simulations for a number of research studies. We recently initiated efforts to develop gMicroMC, a GPU-based fast microscopic MC simulation package for water radiolysis. The first step of this project focused on accelerating the simulation of the chemical stage, the most time consuming stage in the entire water radiolysis process. A GPU-friendly parallelization strategy was designed to address the highly correlated many-body simulation problem caused by the mutual competitive chemical reactions between the radiolytic molecules. Two cases were tested, using a 750 keV electron and a 5 MeV proton incident in pure water, respectively. The time-dependent yields of all the radiolytic species during the chemical stage were used to evaluate the accuracy of the simulation. The relative differences between our simulation and the Geant4-DNA simulation were on average 5.3% and 4.4% for the two cases. Our package, executed on an Nvidia Titan black GPU card, successfully completed the chemical stage simulation of the two cases within 599.2 s and 489.0 s. As compared with Geant4-DNA that was executed on an Intel i7-5500U CPU processor and needed 28.6 h and 26.8 h for the two cases using a single CPU core, our package achieved a speed-up factor of 171.1-197.2. PMID:28323637

Accelerated Monte Carlo simulation on the chemical stage in water radiolysis using GPU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Zhen; Jiang, Steve B.; Jia, Xun

2017-04-01

The accurate simulation of water radiolysis is an important step to understand the mechanisms of radiobiology and quantitatively test some hypotheses regarding radiobiological effects. However, the simulation of water radiolysis is highly time consuming, taking hours or even days to be completed by a conventional CPU processor. This time limitation hinders cell-level simulations for a number of research studies. We recently initiated efforts to develop gMicroMC, a GPU-based fast microscopic MC simulation package for water radiolysis. The first step of this project focused on accelerating the simulation of the chemical stage, the most time consuming stage in the entire water radiolysis process. A GPU-friendly parallelization strategy was designed to address the highly correlated many-body simulation problem caused by the mutual competitive chemical reactions between the radiolytic molecules. Two cases were tested, using a 750 keV electron and a 5 MeV proton incident in pure water, respectively. The time-dependent yields of all the radiolytic species during the chemical stage were used to evaluate the accuracy of the simulation. The relative differences between our simulation and the Geant4-DNA simulation were on average 5.3% and 4.4% for the two cases. Our package, executed on an Nvidia Titan black GPU card, successfully completed the chemical stage simulation of the two cases within 599.2 s and 489.0 s. As compared with Geant4-DNA that was executed on an Intel i7-5500U CPU processor and needed 28.6 h and 26.8 h for the two cases using a single CPU core, our package achieved a speed-up factor of 171.1-197.2.

Accelerated Monte Carlo simulation on the chemical stage in water radiolysis using GPU.

PubMed

Tian, Zhen; Jiang, Steve B; Jia, Xun

2017-04-21

The accurate simulation of water radiolysis is an important step to understand the mechanisms of radiobiology and quantitatively test some hypotheses regarding radiobiological effects. However, the simulation of water radiolysis is highly time consuming, taking hours or even days to be completed by a conventional CPU processor. This time limitation hinders cell-level simulations for a number of research studies. We recently initiated efforts to develop gMicroMC, a GPU-based fast microscopic MC simulation package for water radiolysis. The first step of this project focused on accelerating the simulation of the chemical stage, the most time consuming stage in the entire water radiolysis process. A GPU-friendly parallelization strategy was designed to address the highly correlated many-body simulation problem caused by the mutual competitive chemical reactions between the radiolytic molecules. Two cases were tested, using a 750 keV electron and a 5 MeV proton incident in pure water, respectively. The time-dependent yields of all the radiolytic species during the chemical stage were used to evaluate the accuracy of the simulation. The relative differences between our simulation and the Geant4-DNA simulation were on average 5.3% and 4.4% for the two cases. Our package, executed on an Nvidia Titan black GPU card, successfully completed the chemical stage simulation of the two cases within 599.2 s and 489.0 s. As compared with Geant4-DNA that was executed on an Intel i7-5500U CPU processor and needed 28.6 h and 26.8 h for the two cases using a single CPU core, our package achieved a speed-up factor of 171.1-197.2.

An Analysis of MSFC Public Affairs Television and Target Audiences with Suggestions for Future Growth and Directions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smeyak, Gerald P.

1996-01-01

Because of profound changes in government and the space program, this may be an ideal time to evaluate MSFC's Public Affairs television efforts. The changes are continued downsizing of government programs; reduction in research and development; changes in the space program from periodic manned launches to a full-time presence in space with Space Station; and greater emphasis on science and communicating science information. At the same time that NASA is undergoing change, the media and society are also undergoing substantial upheaval. Twenty-five years ago, the three main over-the-air television networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) had a 93 share of the television audience. We now have four popular over-the-air networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) who maintain a 52 percent share of the television audience. Technological development, competition, and changing consumer tastes have created specialized media and audiences. This media fragmentation is part of a normal maturation cycle of use or adoption. While phases in the cycle vary in length due to many factors, the cycle has been consistent and reflects patterns of adoption. The cycle is: (1) Elite Media usage, (2) Popular or Mass Media usage, and (3) Specialized Media usage. Another factor that affects the media development and adoption cycle is the creation of new and competing mass and personal mediums. While television remains the dominant and most popular mass medium, it is declining and we see (via cable television) specialized networks catering to small audience segments. Because of changing technology and consumer behavior, we may not see a dominant mass media like television again.

Comparison of physicochemical characteristics and consumer perception of rice samples with different countries of origin and prices.

PubMed

Jang, Eun-Hee; Lim, Seung-Taik; Kim, Sang Sook

2012-06-01

Rice is the only food item which is not liberalized in Korea. To prepare for future liberalization of the rice market in Korea, the physicochemical characteristics and consumer perception of four domestic rice samples were compared with those of 11 foreign rice samples. Additionally, the influences of country of origin (CO) and price on purchase intent (PI) and willingness to pay (WTP) were investigated. Consumer acceptance of rice samples from Japan was generally higher than that of rice samples from other countries. In an informed test, PI was affected by price and CO, while WTP was affected mostly by price. The PI decreased with the price provided while the WTP increased. In a blind test, consumers evaluated PI and WTP according to sensory liking. The PI was higher in the informed test than in the blind test in all domestic samples. Generally, consumer acceptance was highly correlated with fat acidity (r = - 0.76), protein content (r = - 0.72), and b value (r = - 0.64) of the rice samples. Further efforts to increase the quality of rice are recommended for survival in the global market after liberalization of rice, even though consumers showed loyalty for PI of domestic samples. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Job Stress and Job Satisfaction: Home Care Workers in a Consumer-Directed Model of Care

PubMed Central

Delp, Linda; Wallace, Steven P; Geiger-Brown, Jeanne; Muntaner, Carles

2010-01-01

Objective To investigate determinants of job satisfaction among home care workers in a consumer-directed model. Data Sources/Setting Analysis of data collected from telephone interviews with 1,614 Los Angeles home care workers on the state payroll in 2003. Data Collection and Analysis Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the odds of job satisfaction using job stress model domains of demands, control, and support. Principal Findings Abuse from consumers, unpaid overtime hours, and caring for more than one consumer as well as work-health demands predict less satisfaction. Some physical and emotional demands of the dyadic care relationship are unexpectedly associated with greater job satisfaction. Social support and control, indicated by job security and union involvement, have a direct positive effect on job satisfaction. Conclusions Policies that enhance the relational component of care may improve workers' ability to transform the demands of their job into dignified and satisfying labor. Adequate benefits and sufficient authorized hours of care can minimize the stress of unpaid overtime work, caring for multiple consumers, job insecurity, and the financial constraints to seeking health care. Results have implications for the structure of consumer-directed models of care and efforts to retain long-term care workers. PMID:20403063

Energy Drink Use Linked to High-sugar Beverage Intake and BMI among Teens.

PubMed

Williams, Ronald D; Housman, Jeff M; Odum, Mary; Rivera, Alissa E

2017-05-01

We assessed the relationship of energy drink, high-sugar, and low-sugar beverage consumption. Mann-Whitney U, Cohen's d and effect sizes were used to examine data from 1737 adolescents in the United States who participated in the 2014 FLASHE Study. Secondary analysis examined consumption of energy drinks, high- and low-sugar beverages, and adolescents' BMIs. Among adolescents, 13.7% (N = 239) reported past 7-day energy drink consumption. Participants who did not consume energy drinks in the past 7 days were more likely to consume low-sugar beverages of water (p < .001) and milk (p = .046). Consumption of energy drinks was positively related to sweetened fruit drinks (p < .001), pure fruit juice (p = .008), soda (p < .001), and sports drinks (p < .001). Energy drink consumers also reported higher mean BMI (p = .004). Adolescents who consume energy drinks during the past 7 days are more likely to also consume other high-sugar beverages. Whereas those who report no past 7-day use of energy drinks consume higher rates of low- or no-sugar beverages. Health education and prevention efforts to reduce adolescent energy drink consumption may lead to reductions in other high-sugar beverage intake and have a positive impact on obesity rates among adolescents.

Permanent tooth loss and sugar-sweetened beverage intake in U.S. young adults.

PubMed

Kim, Sunkyung; Park, Sohyun; Lin, Mei

2017-03-01

In young adults, sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake is associated with dental caries, which in turn is a major contributor to tooth loss. The independent role of SSB intake on tooth loss, however, has not been well-described. This cross-sectional study examined associations between tooth loss and SSB intake among U.S. young adults. The outcome was number of permanent teeth lost because of dental caries or periodontal disease (0, 1-5, ≥6 teeth). Data from the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were used. The 22,526 adults aged 18-39 years completed the Sugar Drink Module. The exposure variable was daily frequency of SSB intake. We used multinomial logistic regression to examine the adjusted associations between tooth loss and daily SSB consumption (0, >0 to <1, 1-2, >2 times/day). Approximately, 26% of young adults reported losing at least one permanent tooth. Tooth loss was positively associated with SSB intake frequency; the odds of losing 1-5 teeth were higher among adults drinking SSBs >0-<1 times/day (OR = 1.44, 95%CI = 1.16-1.79), 1-2 times/day (OR = 1.58, 95%CI = 1.25-1.99), and >2 times/day (OR = 1.97, 95%CI = 1.51-2.58) than non-SSB consumers. The odds of losing ≥6 teeth were higher among adults drinking SSBs 1-2 times/day (OR = 2.20, 95%CI = 1.15-4.22) and >2 times/day (OR = 2.81, 95%CI = 1.37-5.76) than non-SSB consumers. Frequency of SSB consumption was positively associated with tooth loss among young adults even when the average SSB intake was less than one time per day. This study suggests that efforts to reduce SSB intake among young adults may help to decrease the risk of tooth loss. © 2016 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Low-calorie- and calorie-sweetened beverages: diet quality, food intake, and purchase patterns of US household consumers.

PubMed

Piernas, Carmen; Mendez, Michelle A; Ng, Shu Wen; Gordon-Larsen, Penny; Popkin, Barry M

2014-03-01

Few studies have investigated the diet quality of consumers of low-calorie-sweetened (LCS) and calorie-sweetened (CS) beverages. The objective was to examine the dietary quality and adherence to dietary purchasing and consumption patterns of beverage consumers from 2000 to 2010. We analyzed purchases for 140,352 households from the Homescan longitudinal data set 2000-2010 and dietary intake from NHANES 2003-2010 (n = 34,393). We defined mutually exclusive consumer profiles as main exposures: LCS beverages, CS beverages, LCS & CS beverages, and non/low consumers. As main outcomes, we explored dietary quality by using total energy and macronutrients (kcal/d). We performed factor analyses and applied factor scores to derive dietary patterns as secondary outcomes. Using multivariable linear (NHANES) and random-effects (Homescan) models, we investigated the associations between beverage profiles and dietary patterns. We found "prudent" and "breakfast" patterns in Homescan and NHANES, "ready-to-eat meals/fast-food" and "prudent/snacks/LCS desserts" patterns in Homescan, and "protein/potatoes" and "CS desserts/sweeteners" patterns in NHANES. In both data sets, compared with non/low consumers, both CS- and LCS-beverage consumers had a significantly higher total energy from foods, higher energy from total and SFAs, and lower probability of adherence to prudent and breakfast patterns. In Homescan, LCS-beverage consumers had a higher probability of adherence to 2 distinct patterns: a prudent/snacks/LCS dessert pattern and a ready-to-eat meals/fast-food purchasing pattern. Our findings suggest that overall dietary quality is lower in LCS-, CS-, and LCS & CS-beverage consumers relative to non/low consumers. Our study highlights the importance of targeting foods that are linked with sweetened beverages (either LCS or CS) in intervention and policy efforts that aim to improve nutrition in the United States.

EV Everywhere Grand Challenge Road to Success

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

None, None

2014-01-31

Initial progress report for EV Everywhere. The report highlights the significant cost reduction in batteries in 2014, which will enable increased PEV affordability for consumers. Also, the efforts on increasing the convenience of PEVs through the Workplace Charging Challenge, which called on U.S. employers to help develop the nation's charging infrastructure.

Deceptive Business Practices: State Regulations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rohrer, Daniel Morgan

Although much has been done at the federal level to control deceptive advertising practices, many states have no criminal laws designed to regulate advertising, and several states recently repealed such laws. This paper examines states' efforts to balance the advertiser's freedom of speech with the consumer's need for information about products by…

Prediction of Composition and Emission Characteristics of Articles in Support of Exposure Assessment

EPA Science Inventory

The risk to humans from chemicals in consumer products is dependent on both hazard and exposure. The prediction and quantification of near-field (i.e., indoor) chemical exposure from household articles such as furniture and building materials is an ongoing effort. As opposed to (...

45 CFR 1388.5 - Program criteria-preparation of personnel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES PROGRAM THE UNIVERSITY AFFILIATED PROGRAMS § 1388.5 Program criteria—preparation of... influence University curricula to prepare personnel who, in their future career in a broad range of social... dissemination efforts. In addition, the curriculum must prepare trainees to be consumers of research as it...

45 CFR 1388.5 - Program criteria-preparation of personnel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES PROGRAM THE UNIVERSITY AFFILIATED PROGRAMS § 1388.5 Program criteria—preparation of... influence University curricula to prepare personnel who, in their future career in a broad range of social... dissemination efforts. In addition, the curriculum must prepare trainees to be consumers of research as it...

Integrated marketing.

PubMed

2006-01-01

St. John Health consists of nine hospitals throughout southern Michigan. Recently, in an attempt to brand the system as the state's premiere place for medical services, the system launched 'Real Medicine', a campaign that brands all nine hospitals together. Using print, radio, and television spots, the effort also integrates direct mail collateral and brochures to reach consumers.

The Publishing Culture and the Literary Culture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solotaroff, Ted

1984-01-01

Argues that traditional bridges between the literary culture and publishing culture have increasingly weakened in past decade. The publishing culture has become like that of big business, marked by effort to standardize product, distribution, and consumer, and the advent of bookstore chains has put into practice the mass-merchandising system.…

Proactive Recruitment Strategies at CSUS Increase FCS Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malroutu, Y. Lakshmi; Tripp, Paula J.

2008-01-01

The profile and needs of today's undergraduate students have changed, and family and consumer sciences (FCS) departments will benefit from taking a proactive approach to adjust their recruitment strategies to meet those needs. California State University, Sacramento, implemented successful efforts in the areas of virtual contact, direct contact,…

Partitioning Default Effects: Why People Choose Not to Choose

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dinner, Isaac; Johnson, Eric J.; Goldstein, Daniel G.; Liu, Kaiya

2011-01-01

Default options exert an influence in areas as varied as retirement program design, organ donation policy, and consumer choice. Past research has offered potential reasons why no-action defaults matter: (a) effort, (b) implied endorsement, and (c) reference dependence. The first two of these explanations have been experimentally demonstrated, but…

Tools to Support Expository Video Capture and Access

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Scott; Cooper, Matthew; Adcock, John; Branham, Stacy

2014-01-01

Video tends to be imbalanced as a medium. Typically, content creators invest enormous effort creating work that is then watched passively. However, learning tasks require that users not only consume video but also engage, interact with, and repurpose content. Furthermore, to promote learning across domains where content creators are not…

Education for Business in Iowa: Curriculum and Reference Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iowa State Dept. of Public Instruction, Des Moines.

In recognition of the need to strengthen schools' efforts in developing students' awareness of the technological, consumer, occupational, recreational, and cultural aspects of business, this guide was compiled to provide information assisting those who design and implement curricula relating to business. The first division consists of statements…

Financial Literacy in Ontario: Neoliberalism, Pierre Bourdieu and the Citizen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arthur, Chris

2011-01-01

Utilizing concepts from Pierre Bourdieu I argue that the implementation of financial literacy education in Ontario public schools will, if uncontested, support a neoliberal consumer habitus (subjectivity) at the expense of the critical citizen. This internalization of the neoliberal ethos assists state efforts to shift responsibility for…

Using Data to Advance Learning Outcomes in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VanDerHeyden, Amanda; Harvey, Mark

2013-01-01

This article describes the emergence and influence of evidence-based practice and data-based decision making in educational systems. Increasingly, educators and consumers want to know that resources allocated to educational efforts yield strong effects for all learners. This trend is reflected by the widespread influence of evidence-based practice…

78 FR 77679 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Re...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-24

... providers through qualitative research methods such as focus groups, in-depth interviews, and/or qualitative... qualitative research methods will also contribute to the FDIC's understanding of how consumers, including... collection method based on the objectives of each qualitative research effort. It is likely that each...

Practical Considerations in Evaluating Patient/Consumer Health Education Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Nancy H.

This report contains brief descriptions of seven evaluative efforts and outcomes of health education programs, some considerations of problems encountered in evaluating the programs, and detailed descriptions of two case studies: (1) a process evaluation of preoperative teaching and (2) a retrospective study of visiting nurse association use by…

Drug Advertising and the FDA.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levesque, Cynthia

With increases in consumer focused advertising for prescription drugs, the Federal Drug Administration has renewed efforts to protect the public from false advertising. In 1982, it charged that the press kits Eli Lilly and Company distributed to reporters on its new antiarthritis drug, Oraflex, misrepresented the product. It recommended that Lilly…

Motivating Game-Based Learning Efforts in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moylan, Gina; Burgess, Ann W.; Figley, Charles; Bernstein, Michael

2015-01-01

Though there is considerable research to support using Game-Based Learning (GBL) in higher education, its implementation is lagging behind K-12 education by an order of magnitude. By considering the current state of GBL from leadership, primary consumer, academic and technical perspectives, the authors frame the main issues involved with…

Sports Education Facing Globalizing Capitalism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gur-Ze'ev, Ilan

2005-01-01

From its very beginning sports activity became--already within the framework of the modern nation-building project, establishing national ethos, and constituting effective colonization of the Other--a central element of the effort of the modern system to create, represent, and consume the modern body and soul and to create the healthy-conquering…

One size does not fit all: how the tobacco industry has altered cigarette design to target consumer groups with specific psychological and psychosocial needs.

PubMed

Cook, Benjamin Lê; Wayne, Geoffrey Ferris; Keithly, Lois; Connolly, Gregory

2003-11-01

To identify whether the tobacco industry has targeted cigarette product design towards individuals with varying psychological/psychosocial needs. Internal industry documents were identified through searches of an online archival document research tool database using relevancy criteria of consumer segmentation and needs assessment. The industry segmented consumer markets based on psychological needs (stress relief, behavioral arousal, performance enhancement, obesity reduction) and psychosocial needs (social acceptance, personal image). Associations between these segments and smoking behaviors, brand and design preferences were used to create cigarette brands targeting individuals with these needs. Cigarette brands created to address the psychological/psychosocial needs of smokers may increase the likelihood of smoking initiation and addiction. Awareness of targeted product development will improve smoking cessation and prevention efforts.

Technology That's Ready and Able to Inspect Those Cables

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

Attempting to locate a malfunctioning wire in a complex bundle of wires or in a cable that is concealed behind a wall is as difficult as trying to find a needle in a haystack. The result of such an effort can also be costly, time-consuming, and frustrating, whether it is the tedious process of examining cable connections for the Space Shuttle or troubleshooting a cable television hookup. Furthermore, other maintenance restrictions can compound the effort required to locate and repair a particular wiring problem. For example, on the Space Shuttle, once a repair is completed, all systems that have a wire passing through any of the connectors that were disconnected during troubleshooting are affected and, therefore, must undergo retesting, an arduous task that is completely unrelated to the original problem. In an effort to streamline wire inspection and maintenance, two contractors supporting NASA's Kennedy Space Center invented the Standing Wave Reflectometer (SWR) in 1999. In doing so, they leveraged technology that was first developed to detect problems that could lead to aircraft accidents, such as the one that resulted in the catastrophic failure of TWA flight 800 in 1996. The SWR performs a non-intrusive inspection that verifies the condition of electrical power and signal-distribution systems inside the Space Shuttle orbiters. Such testing reduces processing delays and ensures safe operation of these systems.

Consumer confidence in the safety of food and newspaper coverage of food safety issues: a longitudinal perspective.

PubMed

de Jonge, Janneke; Van Trijp, Hans; Renes, Reint Jan; Frewer, Lynn J

2010-01-01

This study develops a longitudinal perspective on consumer confidence in the safety of food to explore if, how, and why consumer confidence changes over time. In the first study, a theory-based monitoring instrument for consumer confidence in the safety of food was developed and validated. The monitoring instrument assesses consumer confidence together with its determinants. Model and measurement invariance were validated rigorously before developments in consumer confidence in the safety of food and its determinants were investigated over time. The results from the longitudinal analysis show that across four waves of annual data collection (2003-2006), the framework was stable and that the relative importance of the determinants of confidence was, generally, constant over time. Some changes were observed regarding the mean ratings on the latent constructs. The second study explored how newspaper coverage of food safety related issues affects consumer confidence in the safety of food through subjective consumer recall of food safety incidents. The results show that the newspaper coverage on food safety issues is positively associated with consumer recall of food safety incidents, both in terms of intensity and recency of media coverage.

Characterizing and reaching high-risk drinkers using audience segmentation.

PubMed

Moss, Howard B; Kirby, Susan D; Donodeo, Fred

2009-08-01

Market or audience segmentation is widely used in social marketing efforts to help planners identify segments of a population to target for tailored program interventions. Market-based segments are typically defined by behaviors, attitudes, knowledge, opinions, or lifestyles. They are more helpful to health communication and marketing planning than epidemiologically defined groups because market-based segments are similar in respect to how they behave or might react to marketing and communication efforts. However, market segmentation has rarely been used in alcohol research. As an illustration of its utility, we employed commercial data that describes the sociodemographic characteristics of high-risk drinkers as an audience segment, including where they tend to live, lifestyles, interests, consumer behaviors, alcohol consumption behaviors, other health-related behaviors, and cultural values. Such information can be extremely valuable in targeting and planning public health campaigns, targeted mailings, prevention interventions, and research efforts. We described the results of a segmentation analysis of those individuals who self-reported to consume 5 or more drinks per drinking episode at least twice in the last 30 days. The study used the proprietary PRIZM (Claritas, Inc., San Diego, CA) audience segmentation database merged with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) database. The top 10 of the 66 PRIZM audience segments for this risky drinking pattern are described. For five of these segments we provided additional in-depth details about consumer behavior and the estimates of the market areas where these risky drinkers resided. The top 10 audience segments (PRIZM clusters) most likely to engage in high-risk drinking are described. The cluster with the highest concentration of binge-drinking behavior is referred to as the "Cyber Millenials." This cluster is characterized as "the nation's tech-savvy singles and couples living in fashionable neighborhoods on the urban fringe." Almost 65% of Cyber Millenials households are found in the Pacific and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. Additional consumer behaviors of the Cyber Millenials and other segments are also described. Audience segmentation can assist in identifying and describing target audience segments, as well as identifying places where segments congregate on- or offline. This information can be helpful for recruiting subjects for alcohol prevention research as well as planning health promotion campaigns. Through commercial data about high-risk drinkers as "consumers," planners can develop interventions that have heightened salience in terms of opportunities, perceptions, and motivations, and have better media channel identification.

Characterizing and Reaching High-Risk Drinkers Using Audience Segmentation

PubMed Central

Moss, Howard B.; Kirby, Susan D.; Donodeo, Fred

2010-01-01

Background Market or audience segmentation is widely used in social marketing efforts to help planners identify segments of a population to target for tailored program interventions. Market-based segments are typically defined by behaviors, attitudes, knowledge, opinions, or lifestyles. They are more helpful to health communication and marketing planning than epidemiologically-defined groups because market-based segments are similar in respect to how they behave or might react to marketing and communication efforts. However, market segmentation has rarely been used in alcohol research. As an illustration of its utility, we employed commercial data that describes the sociodemographic characteristics of high-risk drinkers as an audience segment; where they tend to live, lifestyles, interests, consumer behaviors, alcohol consumption behaviors, other health-related behaviors, and cultural values. Such information can be extremely valuable in targeting and planning public health campaigns, targeted mailings, prevention interventions and research efforts. Methods We describe the results of a segmentation analysis of those individuals who self-report consuming five or more drinks per drinking episode at least twice in the last 30-days. The study used the proprietary PRIZM™ audience segmentation database merged with Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) database. The top ten of the 66 PRIZM™ audience segments for this risky drinking pattern are described. For five of these segments we provide additional in-depth details about consumer behavior and the estimates of the market areas where these risky drinkers reside. Results The top ten audience segments (PRIZM clusters) most likely to engage in high-risk drinking are described. The cluster with the highest concentration of binge drinking behavior is referred to as the “Cyber Millenials.” This cluster is characterized as “the nation's tech-savvy singles and couples living in fashionable neighborhoods on the urban fringe. Almost 65% of Cyber Millenials households are found in the Pacific and Middle Atlantic regions of the U.S. Additional consumer behaviors of the Cyber Millenials and other segments are also described. Conclusions Audience segmentation can assist in identifying and describing target audience segments, as well as identifying places where segments congregate on- or offline. This information can be helpful for recruiting subjects for alcohol prevention research, as well as planning health promotion campaigns. Through commercial data about high-risk drinkers as “consumers,” planners can develop interventions that have heightened salience in terms of opportunities, perceptions, and motivations, and have better media channel identification. PMID:19413650

Forecasting of indirect consumables for a Job Shop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shakeel, M.; Khan, S.; Khan, W. A.

2016-08-01

A job shop has an arrangement where similar machines (Direct consumables) are grouped together and use indirect consumables to produce a product. The indirect consumables include hack saw blades, emery paper, painting brush etc. The job shop is serving various orders at a particular time for the optimal operation of job shop. Forecasting is required to predict the demand of direct and indirect consumables in a job shop. Forecasting is also needed to manage lead time, optimize inventory cost and stock outs. The objective of this research is to obtain the forecast for indirect consumables. The paper shows how job shop can manage their indirect consumables more accurately by establishing a new technique of forecasting. This results in profitable use of job shop by multiple users.

Efforts to Support Consumer Enrollment Decisions Using Total Cost Estimators: Lessons from the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplaces.

PubMed

Giovannelli, Justin; Curran, Emily

2017-02-01

Issue: Policymakers have sought to improve the shopping experience on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces by offering decision support tools that help consumers better understand and compare their health plan options. Cost estimators are one such tool. They are designed to provide consumers a personalized estimate of the total cost--premium, minus subsidy, plus cost-sharing--of their coverage options. Cost estimators were available in most states by the start of the fourth open enrollment period. Goal: To understand the experiences of marketplaces that offer a total cost estimator and the interests and concerns of policymakers from states that are not using them. Methods: Structured interviews with marketplace officials, consumer enrollment assisters, technology vendors, and subject matter experts; analysis of the total cost estimators available on the marketplaces as of October 2016. Key findings and conclusions: Informants strongly supported marketplace adoption of a total cost estimator. Marketplaces that offer an estimator faced a range of design choices and varied significantly in their approaches to resolving them. Interviews suggested a clear need for additional consumer testing and data analysis of tool usage and for sustained outreach to enrollment assisters to encourage greater use of the estimators.

What Is Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing?

MedlinePlus

... consumer genetic testing? What is direct-to-consumer genetic testing? Most of the time, genetic testing is ... testing. For more information about direct-to-consumer genetic testing: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ...

Vision technology/algorithms for space robotics applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krishen, Kumar; Defigueiredo, Rui J. P.

1987-01-01

The thrust of automation and robotics for space applications has been proposed for increased productivity, improved reliability, increased flexibility, higher safety, and for the performance of automating time-consuming tasks, increasing productivity/performance of crew-accomplished tasks, and performing tasks beyond the capability of the crew. This paper provides a review of efforts currently in progress in the area of robotic vision. Both systems and algorithms are discussed. The evolution of future vision/sensing is projected to include the fusion of multisensors ranging from microwave to optical with multimode capability to include position, attitude, recognition, and motion parameters. The key feature of the overall system design will be small size and weight, fast signal processing, robust algorithms, and accurate parameter determination. These aspects of vision/sensing are also discussed.

Simulation reduction using the Taguchi method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mistree, Farrokh; Lautenschlager, Ume; Erikstad, Stein Owe; Allen, Janet K.

1993-01-01

A large amount of engineering effort is consumed in conducting experiments to obtain information needed for making design decisions. Efficiency in generating such information is the key to meeting market windows, keeping development and manufacturing costs low, and having high-quality products. The principal focus of this project is to develop and implement applications of Taguchi's quality engineering techniques. In particular, we show how these techniques are applied to reduce the number of experiments for trajectory simulation of the LifeSat space vehicle. Orthogonal arrays are used to study many parameters simultaneously with a minimum of time and resources. Taguchi's signal to noise ratio is being employed to measure quality. A compromise Decision Support Problem and Robust Design are applied to demonstrate how quality is designed into a product in the early stages of designing.

Materials and applications of bioresorbable electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Xian

2018-01-01

Bioresorbable electronics is a new type of electronics technology that can potentially lead to biodegradable and dissolvable electronic devices to replace current built-to-last circuits predominantly used in implantable devices and consumer electronics. Such devices dissolve in an aqueous environment in time periods from seconds to months, and generate biological safe products. This paper reviews materials, fabrication techniques, and applications of bioresorbable electronics, and aims to inspire more revolutionary bioresorbable systems that can generate broader social and economic impact. Existing challenges and potential solutions in developing bioresorbable electronics have also been presented to arouse more joint research efforts in this field to build systematic technology framework. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61604108) and the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin (No. 16JCYBJC40600).

Model of Fluidized Bed Containing Reacting Solids and Gases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bellan, Josette; Lathouwers, Danny

2003-01-01

A mathematical model has been developed for describing the thermofluid dynamics of a dense, chemically reacting mixture of solid particles and gases. As used here, "dense" signifies having a large volume fraction of particles, as for example in a bubbling fluidized bed. The model is intended especially for application to fluidized beds that contain mixtures of carrier gases, biomass undergoing pyrolysis, and sand. So far, the design of fluidized beds and other gas/solid industrial processing equipment has been based on empirical correlations derived from laboratory- and pilot-scale units. The present mathematical model is a product of continuing efforts to develop a computational capability for optimizing the designs of fluidized beds and related equipment on the basis of first principles. Such a capability could eliminate the need for expensive, time-consuming predesign testing.

Recruiting a Diverse Group of Middle School Girls Into the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls

PubMed Central

Elder, John P.; Shuler, LaVerne; Moe, Stacey G.; Grieser, Mira; Pratt, Charlotte; Cameron, Sandra; Hingle, Melanie; Pickrel, Julie L.; Saksvig, Brit I.; Schachter, Kenneth; Greer, Susan; Bothwell, Elizabeth K. Guth

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND School-based study recruitment efforts are both time consuming and challenging. This paper highlights the recruitment strategies employed by the national, multisite Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls (TAAG), a study designed to measure the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce the decline of physical activity levels among middle school—aged girls. TAAG provided a unique opportunity to recruit large cohorts of randomly sampled girls within 36 diverse middle schools across the United States. METHODS Key elements of the formative planning, coordination, and design of TAAG’s recruitment efforts included flexibility, tailoring, and the use of incentives. Various barriers, including a natural disaster, political tension, and district regulations, were encountered throughout the recruitment process, but coordinated strategies and frequent communication between the 6 TAAG sites were helpful in tailoring the recruitment process at the 36 intervention and control schools. RESULTS Progressively refined recruitment strategies and specific attention to the target audience of middle school girls resulted in overall study recruitment rates of 80%, 85%, and 89%, for the baseline, posttest, and follow-up period, respectively. DISCUSSION The steady increase in recruitment rates over time is attributed to an emphasis on successful strategies and a willingness to modify less successful methods. Open and consistent communication, an increasingly coordinated recruitment strategy, interactive recruitment presentations, and participant incentives resulted in an effective recruitment campaign. PMID:18808471

Does a time constraint modify results from rating-based conjoint analysis? Case study with orange/pomegranate juice bottles.

PubMed

Reis, Felipe; Machín, Leandro; Rosenthal, Amauri; Deliza, Rosires; Ares, Gastón

2016-12-01

People do not usually process all the available information on packages for making their food choices and rely on heuristics for making their decisions, particularly when having limited time. However, in most consumer studies encourage participants to invest a lot of time for making their choices. Therefore, imposing a time-constraint in consumer studies may increase their ecological validity. In this context, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the influence of a time-constraint on consumer evaluation of pomegranate/orange juice bottles using rating-based conjoint task. A consumer study with 100 participants was carried out, in which they had to evaluate 16 pomegranate/orange fruit juice bottles, differing in bottle design, front-of-pack nutritional information, nutrition claim and processing claim, and to rate their intention to purchase. Half of the participants evaluated the bottle images without time constraint and the other half had a time-constraint of 3s for evaluating each image. Eye-movements were recorded during the evaluation. Results showed that time-constraint when evaluating intention to purchase did not largely modify the way in which consumers visually processed bottle images. Regardless of the experimental condition (with or without time constraint), they tended to evaluate the same product characteristics and to give them the same relative importance. However, a trend towards a more superficial evaluation of the bottles that skipped complex information was observed. Regarding the influence of product characteristics on consumer intention to purchase, bottle design was the variable with the largest relative importance in both conditions, overriding the influence of nutritional or processing characteristics, which stresses the importance of graphic design in shaping consumer perception. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated reticle inspection data analysis for wafer fabs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Summers, Derek; Chen, Gong; Reese, Bryan; Hutchinson, Trent; Liesching, Marcus; Ying, Hai; Dover, Russell

2008-10-01

To minimize potential wafer yield loss due to mask defects, most wafer fabs implement some form of reticle inspection system to monitor photomask quality in high-volume wafer manufacturing environments. Traditionally, experienced operators review reticle defects found by an inspection tool and then manually classify each defect as 'pass, warn, or fail' based on its size and location. However, in the event reticle defects are suspected of causing repeating wafer defects on a completed wafer, potential defects on all associated reticles must be manually searched on a layer-by-layer basis in an effort to identify the reticle responsible for the wafer yield loss. This 'problem reticle' search process is a very tedious and time-consuming task and may cause extended manufacturing line-down situations. Often times, Process Engineers and other team members need to manually investigate several reticle inspection reports to determine if yield loss can be tied to a specific layer. Because of the very nature of this detailed work, calculation errors may occur resulting in an incorrect root cause analysis effort. These delays waste valuable resources that could be spent working on other more productive activities. This paper examines an automated software solution for converting KLA-Tencor reticle inspection defect maps into a format compatible with KLA-Tencor's Klarity DefecTM data analysis database. The objective is to use the graphical charting capabilities of Klarity Defect to reveal a clearer understanding of defect trends for individual reticle layers or entire mask sets. Automated analysis features include reticle defect count trend analysis and potentially stacking reticle defect maps for signature analysis against wafer inspection defect data. Other possible benefits include optimizing reticle inspection sample plans in an effort to support "lean manufacturing" initiatives for wafer fabs.

Automated reticle inspection data analysis for wafer fabs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Summers, Derek; Chen, Gong; Reese, Bryan; Hutchinson, Trent; Liesching, Marcus; Ying, Hai; Dover, Russell

2009-04-01

To minimize potential wafer yield loss due to mask defects, most wafer fabs implement some form of reticle inspection system to monitor photomask quality in high-volume wafer manufacturing environments. Traditionally, experienced operators review reticle defects found by an inspection tool and then manually classify each defect as 'pass, warn, or fail' based on its size and location. However, in the event reticle defects are suspected of causing repeating wafer defects on a completed wafer, potential defects on all associated reticles must be manually searched on a layer-by-layer basis in an effort to identify the reticle responsible for the wafer yield loss. This 'problem reticle' search process is a very tedious and time-consuming task and may cause extended manufacturing line-down situations. Often times, Process Engineers and other team members need to manually investigate several reticle inspection reports to determine if yield loss can be tied to a specific layer. Because of the very nature of this detailed work, calculation errors may occur resulting in an incorrect root cause analysis effort. These delays waste valuable resources that could be spent working on other more productive activities. This paper examines an automated software solution for converting KLA-Tencor reticle inspection defect maps into a format compatible with KLA-Tencor's Klarity Defect(R) data analysis database. The objective is to use the graphical charting capabilities of Klarity Defect to reveal a clearer understanding of defect trends for individual reticle layers or entire mask sets. Automated analysis features include reticle defect count trend analysis and potentially stacking reticle defect maps for signature analysis against wafer inspection defect data. Other possible benefits include optimizing reticle inspection sample plans in an effort to support "lean manufacturing" initiatives for wafer fabs.

Automated reticle inspection data analysis for wafer fabs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Summers, Derek; Chen, Gong; Reese, Bryan; Hutchinson, Trent; Liesching, Marcus; Ying, Hai; Dover, Russell

2009-03-01

To minimize potential wafer yield loss due to mask defects, most wafer fabs implement some form of reticle inspection system to monitor photomask quality in high-volume wafer manufacturing environments. Traditionally, experienced operators review reticle defects found by an inspection tool and then manually classify each defect as 'pass, warn, or fail' based on its size and location. However, in the event reticle defects are suspected of causing repeating wafer defects on a completed wafer, potential defects on all associated reticles must be manually searched on a layer-by-layer basis in an effort to identify the reticle responsible for the wafer yield loss. This 'problem reticle' search process is a very tedious and time-consuming task and may cause extended manufacturing line-down situations. Often times, Process Engineers and other team members need to manually investigate several reticle inspection reports to determine if yield loss can be tied to a specific layer. Because of the very nature of this detailed work, calculation errors may occur resulting in an incorrect root cause analysis effort. These delays waste valuable resources that could be spent working on other more productive activities. This paper examines an automated software solution for converting KLA-Tencor reticle inspection defect maps into a format compatible with KLA-Tencor's Klarity DefectTM data analysis database. The objective is to use the graphical charting capabilities of Klarity Defect to reveal a clearer understanding of defect trends for individual reticle layers or entire mask sets. Automated analysis features include reticle defect count trend analysis and potentially stacking reticle defect maps for signature analysis against wafer inspection defect data. Other possible benefits include optimizing reticle inspection sample plans in an effort to support "lean manufacturing" initiatives for wafer fabs.

Anticipatory Consumer Socialization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Roy L.; Moschis, George P.

Anticipatory consumer socialization is the learning of consumer roles and perceptions, which will be assumed at a later time, such as those that children acquire before they become adult consumers. A survey of 784 adolescents was conducted in a southern state to examine the anticipatory consumer socialization effects of such factors as the mass…

New Approach For Prediction Groundwater Depletion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moustafa, Mahmoud

2017-01-01

Current approaches to quantify groundwater depletion involve water balance and satellite gravity. However, the water balance technique includes uncertain estimation of parameters such as evapotranspiration and runoff. The satellite method consumes time and effort. The work reported in this paper proposes using failure theory in a novel way to predict groundwater saturated thickness depletion. An important issue in the failure theory proposed is to determine the failure point (depletion case). The proposed technique uses depth of water as the net result of recharge/discharge processes in the aquifer to calculate remaining saturated thickness resulting from the applied pumping rates in an area to evaluate the groundwater depletion. Two parameters, the Weibull function and Bayes analysis were used to model and analyze collected data from 1962 to 2009. The proposed methodology was tested in a nonrenewable aquifer, with no recharge. Consequently, the continuous decline in water depth has been the main criterion used to estimate the depletion. The value of the proposed approach is to predict the probable effect of the current applied pumping rates on the saturated thickness based on the remaining saturated thickness data. The limitation of the suggested approach is that it assumes the applied management practices are constant during the prediction period. The study predicted that after 300 years there would be an 80% probability of the saturated aquifer which would be expected to be depleted. Lifetime or failure theory can give a simple alternative way to predict the remaining saturated thickness depletion with no time-consuming processes such as the sophisticated software required.

Soda consumption and hospital admissions among Californian adults with asthma.

PubMed

Cisneros, Ricardo; Gonzalez, Mariaelena; Brown, Paul; Schweizer, Don

2017-05-01

Asthma prevalence has been increasing consistently since 1995 in California. Recent studies have found that consuming soda and sugar-containing drinks may pose a risk for asthma. Research that examines the relationship between soda intake and asthma among adult asthmatics is limited. This study investigated the relationship between sugar-sweetened soda consumption and asthma hospitalization among adult asthmatics in California. This cross-sectional study was based on the 2011-2012 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data and included 3,784 adults who were diagnosed with asthma by a doctor and who currently reported either that they still had asthma, or that they had suffered from an asthma attack in the last 12 months. The analysis was survey weighted. The exposure variable was soda intake measured as the number of times soda was consumed in the last week. The health outcome measure was overnight hospital admission due to asthma. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between soda consumption and overnight hospital admission after adjusting for age, education, sex, race/ethnicity, weight status, smoking status, and self-rated health. Adults with asthma who drank soda three or more times per week reported higher odds of overnight hospitalization (adjusted odds ratio = 2.77, 95% CI: 1.51-5.10, p = 0.001). Our findings suggest that efforts designed to limit soda consumption would benefit asthma suffers by reducing hospital admissions. This, however, needs further research to confirm a direct causal association.

An investigation of used electronics return flows: a data-driven approach to capture and predict consumers storage and utilization behavior.

PubMed

Sabbaghi, Mostafa; Esmaeilian, Behzad; Raihanian Mashhadi, Ardeshir; Behdad, Sara; Cade, Willie

2015-02-01

Consumers often have a tendency to store their used, old or un-functional electronics for a period of time before they discard them and return them back to the waste stream. This behavior increases the obsolescence rate of used still-functional products leading to lower profitability that could be resulted out of End-of-Use (EOU) treatments such as reuse, upgrade, and refurbishment. These types of behaviors are influenced by several product and consumer-related factors such as consumers' traits and lifestyles, technology evolution, product design features, product market value, and pro-environmental stimuli. Better understanding of different groups of consumers, their utilization and storage behavior and the connection of these behaviors with product design features helps Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and recycling and recovery industry to better overcome the challenges resulting from the undesirable storage of used products. This paper aims at providing insightful statistical analysis of Electronic Waste (e-waste) dynamic nature by studying the effects of design characteristics, brand and consumer type on the electronics usage time and end of use time-in-storage. A database consisting of 10,063 Hard Disk Drives (HDD) of used personal computers returned back to a remanufacturing facility located in Chicago, IL, USA during 2011-2013 has been selected as the base for this study. The results show that commercial consumers have stored computers more than household consumers regardless of brand and capacity factors. Moreover, a heterogeneous storage behavior is observed for different brands of HDDs regardless of capacity and consumer type factors. Finally, the storage behavior trends are projected for short-time forecasting and the storage times are precisely predicted by applying machine learning methods. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding consumers' preferences and decision to enrol in community-based health insurance in rural West Africa.

PubMed

De Allegri, Manuela; Sanon, Mamadou; Bridges, John; Sauerborn, Rainer

2006-03-01

This paper presents a qualitative investigation of consumers' preferences regarding the single elements of a community-based health insurance (CBI) scheme recently implemented in a rural region in west Africa. The aim is to provide adequate policy-guidance to decision makers in low and middle income countries by producing an in-depth understanding of how consumers' preferences may affect decision to participate in such schemes. Although it has long been suggested that feeble levels of participation may very well be an expression of consumers' dissatisfaction with scheme design, little systematic efforts have so far been channelled towards supporting such argument with empirical evidence. Consumers' preferences were explored through means of 32 individual interviews with household heads. Analysis used the method of constant comparison and was conducted by two independent researchers. Data from 10 focus group discussions provided an additional valuable source of triangulation. Findings suggest that decision to enrol is closely linked to whether the single elements of the scheme match consumers' needs and expectations. In particular, consumers justified decision to join or not to join the insurance scheme in relation to their preference for the unit of enrolment, the premium level and the payment modalities, the benefit package, the health service provider network and the CBI managerial structure. The discussion of the findings focuses on how understanding consumers' preferences and incorporating them in the design of a CBI scheme may result in increased participation rates, ensuring that poor populations gain better access to health services and enjoy greater protection against the cost of illness.

"The Dose Makes the Poison": Informing Consumers About the Scientific Risk Assessment of Food Additives.

PubMed

Bearth, Angela; Cousin, Marie-Eve; Siegrist, Michael

2016-01-01

Intensive risk assessment is required before the approval of food additives. During this process, based on the toxicological principle of "the dose makes the poison,ˮ maximum usage doses are assessed. However, most consumers are not aware of these efforts to ensure the safety of food additives and are therefore sceptical, even though food additives bring certain benefits to consumers. This study investigated the effect of a short video, which explains the scientific risk assessment and regulation of food additives, on consumers' perceptions and acceptance of food additives. The primary goal of this study was to inform consumers and enable them to construct their own risk-benefit assessment and make informed decisions about food additives. The secondary goal was to investigate whether people have different perceptions of food additives of artificial (i.e., aspartame) or natural origin (i.e., steviolglycoside). To attain these research goals, an online experiment was conducted on 185 Swiss consumers. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group, which was shown a video about the scientific risk assessment of food additives, or the control group, which was shown a video about a topic irrelevant to the study. After watching the video, the respondents knew significantly more, expressed more positive thoughts and feelings, had less risk perception, and more acceptance than prior to watching the video. Thus, it appears that informing consumers about complex food safety topics, such as the scientific risk assessment of food additives, is possible, and using a carefully developed information video is a successful strategy for informing consumers. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

Traditional and online consumers in China: a preliminary study of their personality traits and decision-making styles.

PubMed

Zhu, Junpeng; Xu, You; Huang, Jingyi; Yeow, Changdar; Wang, Wei

2012-12-01

Population of online consumers increases rapidly, but the decision-making styles of online consumers and psychiatric denominators such as the personality correlates remain unclear. In 196 traditional, and 196 age-, education- and gender-matched online consumers, we have tested the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ) and the Consumer Style Inventory (CSI). After exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, we have defined a five-factor model CSI with 24 items. Online consumers scored lower on ZKPQ Neuroticism-Anxiety and higher on Aggression-Hostility than traditional ones did, and scored higher on CSI Novelty-fashion consciousness and Brand consciousness, and lower on Time consciousness than the traditional consumers did. ZKPQ Neuroticism-Anxiety was positively correlated with CSI Confused by overchoice in both groups, Sociability was positively correlated with Novelty-fashion consciousness and negatively with Time consciousness in traditional group, and Impulsive Sensation Seeking was positively correlated with Novelty-fashion consciousness and Time consciousness in online group. Our study suggests that, regarding the decision-making styles, online consumers display curiosity that lacks security and need other ways to improve their social lives. It also calls further designs to address the contributions of other psychiatric features to the particular decision-making styles in online consumers.

Consumer-perceived quality in 'traditional' food chains: the case of the Greek meat supply chain.

PubMed

Krystallis, Athanassios; Chryssochoidis, George; Scholderer, Joachim

2007-01-01

Recent food scares have increased consumer concern about meat safety. However, the Greek 'traditional' meat supply chain from producers to local butchers does not seem to realise the pressing consumer demand for certified meat quality. Or is it that, in such food chains, this demand is not so pressing yet? The present paper seeks to answer this question based on a survey conducted in the Athens area, involving a sample of 268 participants responsible for food purchasing decisions. The survey mainly aims to develop an integrated model of factors that affect consumer-perceived meat quality and to develop the profile of different consumer segments in relation to these perceptions. The substantial findings of the survey include the fact that, despite their enormous per capita consumption, the majority of consumers are not particularly involved in the meat-purchasing process. Rather they attach importance to visual intrinsic quality cues evaluated in a pre-purchasing context. In this respect, intrinsic quality cues are assigned a role similar to that of quality certification; coupled with the choice of traditional channels and the resulting personal relation with the butcher, they can be understood as efforts to decrease risk of the purchasing decision. Moreover, consumers with such behaviour seem to relate domestic country of origin of meat mostly with perceptions of general safety. Finally, a small, but promising trend with substantial marketing implications of frequent purchases of chicken and pork at supermarkets should not be ignored.

State mental health policy: Maryland's shared leadership approach to mental health transformation: partnerships that work.

PubMed

Semansky, Rafael M

2012-07-01

In 2005, Maryland received a mental health transformation grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Maryland's transformation efforts have differed from those in other grantee states and have evolved into a shared leadership approach that harnesses the power of leaders from all sectors of the community. This column describes Maryland's reform efforts, focusing in particular on the development of the position of a peer employment specialist to improve placement of consumers in employment. This shared leadership approach has the potential to enhance long-term sustainability of reform initiatives and uses fewer state resources.

Decolonising drugs in Asia: the case of cocaine in colonial India

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Abstract This article examines a drugs trade in Asia that has been largely forgotten by historians and policy-makers, that in cocaine. It will briefly trace some of the contours of this commerce and the efforts to control it. It will also assess how successful these efforts were. The article is designed to contribute fresh perspectives on recent controversies in the historiography of drugs in Asia to argue that the agendas and agency of consumers are central to understanding why markets have formed there for psychoactive substances in the modern period. PMID:29503986

Skin care for men and its marketing.

PubMed

Schlessinger, Joel

2007-01-01

Male patients may be the forgotten consumer when it comes to cosmetics. There are many procedures that are marketed to men and can be successful, including laser hair removal, liposuction, Botox and fillers. With appropriate marketing efforts, the introduction and integration of a male-oriented cosmetic product branch within a practice can be effectively established. Methods of marketing include in-house efforts as well as media placements that allow male and female ads to be essentially co-promoted and potentially solitary ads aimed toward cosmetic sales. Various product types and problem-related cosmetic information is given in this article.

Politics of Monitoring and Evaluation: Lessons from the AIDS Epidemic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Lay, Paul; Manda, Valerie

2004-01-01

Conventional monitoring and evaluation (M&E) textbooks rarely address the various political influences exerted on M&E of public health programs. Policymakers are often the largest consumers of M&E information; indeed, the genesis of many public health program evaluation efforts is a need to inform public policy. People define "political…

Learning in Retirement Peer Instructors: In over Their Heads or Swimming Comfortably?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erickson, Diane

2009-01-01

The lengthening span of retirement, combined with projections of a growing aging population, has made the retirement population an increasingly important consumer group in education (Van der Kamp & Scheeren, 1997). In the 1960s, educational programming efforts for seniors were grounded in assumptions of decline. These assumptions, and a life…

Training FCS Educators to Incorporate Extension Curricula in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holland, Jacqueline M.; Coleman, LaTasha

2017-01-01

The health and well-being of adolescents continue to be in jeopardy due to a lack of proper nutrition combined with a sedentary lifestyle. A collaborative effort between two Maryland entities, Prince Georges County Family and Consumer Sciences Department and the University of Maryland Expanded Food and Nutrition Program, involved a…

49 CFR 1018.21 - Telephone inquiries and investigations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... one or more written demands, the Board shall make reasonable efforts by telephone to determine the... employment if the debtor cannot be contacted by phone or the debtor does not respond to written demands by the Board for payment of claims. (c) The Board under 15 U.S.C. 1681(f) may obtain consumer credit...