THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT APPROACHES AND REVITALIZATION TOOLS-ELECTRONIC (SMARTE): 2006-2010

EPA Science Inventory

SMARTe is being developed to give stakeholders information resources, analytical tools, communication strategies, and a decision analysis approach to be able to make better decisions regarding future uses of property. The development of the communication tools and decision analys...

Management Matters: The Library Media Specialist's Management Toolbox

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pappas, Marjorie L.

2004-01-01

Library media specialists need tools to help them manage the school library media program. The Internet includes a vast array of tools that a library media specialist might find useful. The websites and electronic resources included in this article are only a representative sample and future columns may explore additional tools. All the tools are…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiskel, Timothy C.

1991-01-01

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

Canute Rules the Waves?: Hope for E-Library Tools Facing the Challenge of the "Google Generation"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myhill, Martin

2007-01-01

Purpose: To consider the findings of a recent e-resources survey at the University of Exeter Library in the context of the dominance of web search engines in academia, balanced by the development of e-library tools such as the library OPAC, OpenURL resolvers, metasearch engines, LDAP and proxy servers, and electronic resource management modules.…

Examining Researcher Needs and Barriers for using Electronic Health Data for Translational Research

PubMed Central

Stephens, Kari A.; Lee, E. Sally; Estiri, Hossein; Jung, Hyunggu

2015-01-01

To achieve the Learning Health Care System, we must harness electronic health data (EHD) by providing effective tools for researchers to access data efficiently. EHD is proliferating and researchers are relying on these data to pioneer discovery. Tools must be user-centric to ensure their utility. To this end, we conducted a qualitative study to assess researcher needs and barriers to using EHD. Researchers expressed the need to be confident about the data and have easy access, a clear process for exploration and access, and adequate resources, while barriers included difficulties in finding datasets, usability of the data, cumbersome processes, and lack of resources. These needs and barriers can inform the design process for innovating tools to increase utility of EHD. Understanding researcher needs is key to building effective user-centered EHD tools to support translational research. PMID:26306262

Impact and User Satisfaction of a Clinical Information Portal Embedded in an Electronic Health Record

PubMed Central

Tannery, Nancy H; Epstein, Barbara A; Wessel, Charles B; Yarger, Frances; LaDue, John; Klem, Mary Lou

2011-01-01

In 2008, a clinical information tool was developed and embedded in the electronic health record system of an academic medical center. In 2009, the initial information tool, Clinical-e, was superseded by a portal called Clinical Focus, with a single search box enabling a federated search of selected online information resources. To measure the usefulness and impact of Clinical Focus, a survey was used to gather feedback about users' experience with this clinical resource. The survey determined what type of clinicians were using this tool and assessed user satisfaction and perceived impact on patient care decision making. Initial survey results suggest the majority of respondents found Clinical Focus easy to navigate, the content easy to read, and the retrieved information relevant and complete. The majority would recommend Clinical Focus to their colleagues. Results indicate that this tool is a promising area for future development. PMID:22016670

Electronic tools for infectious diseases and microbiology

PubMed Central

Burdette, Steven D

2007-01-01

Electronic tools for infectious diseases and medical microbiology have the ability to change the way the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases are approached. Medical information today has the ability to be dynamic, keeping up with the latest research or clinical issues, instead of being static and years behind, as many textbooks are. The ability to rapidly disseminate information around the world opens up the possibility of communicating with people thousands of miles away to quickly and efficiently learn about emerging infections. Electronic tools have expanded beyond the desktop computer and the Internet, and now include personal digital assistants and other portable devices such as cellular phones. These pocket-sized devices have the ability to provide access to clinical information at the point of care. New electronic tools include e-mail listservs, electronic drug databases and search engines that allow focused clinical questions. The goal of the present article is to provide an overview of how electronic tools can impact infectious diseases and microbiology, while providing links and resources to allow users to maximize their efficiency in accessing this information. Links to the mentioned Web sites and programs are provided along with other useful electronic tools. PMID:18978984

Virtual Resources Centers and Their Role in Small Rural Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freitas, Candido Varela de; Silva, Antonio Pedro da

Virtual resources centers have been considered a pedagogical tool since the increasing development of electronic means allowed for the storage of huge amounts of information and its easy retrieval. Bearing in mind the need for enhancing the appearance of those centers, a discipline of "Management of Resources Centers" was included in a…

Accessibility and Integrity of Networked Information Collections. Background Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Clifford A.

This paper considers questions related to the integrity and accessibility of new electronic information resources. It begins with a review of recent developments in networked information resources and the tools to identify, navigate, and use such resources. An overview is then given of the issues involved in access and integrity questions. Links…

Instruments of scientific visual representation in atomic databases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazakov, V. V.; Kazakov, V. G.; Meshkov, O. I.

2017-10-01

Graphic tools of spectral data representation provided by operating information systems on atomic spectroscopy—ASD NIST, VAMDC, SPECTR-W3, and Electronic Structure of Atoms—for the support of scientific-research and human-resource development are presented. Such tools of visual representation of scientific data as those of the spectrogram and Grotrian diagram plotting are considered. The possibility of comparative analysis of the experimentally obtained spectra and reference spectra of atomic systems formed according to the database of a resource is described. The access techniques to the mentioned graphic tools are presented.

Web Usage Mining Analysis of Federated Search Tools for Egyptian Scholars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohamed, Khaled A.; Hassan, Ahmed

2008-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the behaviour of the Egyptian scholars while accessing electronic resources through two federated search tools. The main purpose of this article is to provide guidance for federated search tool technicians and support teams about user issues, including the need for training. Design/methodology/approach: Log…

The Advent of Portals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Mary E.

2002-01-01

Explains portals as tools that gather a variety of electronic information resources, including local library resources, into a single Web page. Highlights include cross-database searching; integration with university portals and course management software; the ARL (Association of Research Libraries) Scholars Portal Initiative; and selected vendors…

Academic health sciences library Website navigation: an analysis of forty-one Websites and their navigation tools.

PubMed

Brower, Stewart M

2004-10-01

The analysis included forty-one academic health sciences library (HSL) Websites as captured in the first two weeks of January 2001. Home pages and persistent navigational tools (PNTs) were analyzed for layout, technology, and links, and other general site metrics were taken. Websites were selected based on rank in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, with regional and resource libraries given preference on the basis that these libraries are recognized as leaders in their regions and would be the most reasonable source of standards for best practice. A three-page evaluation tool was developed based on previous similar studies. All forty-one sites were evaluated in four specific areas: library general information, Website aids and tools, library services, and electronic resources. Metrics taken for electronic resources included orientation of bibliographic databases alphabetically by title or by subject area and with links to specifically named databases. Based on the results, a formula for determining obligatory links was developed, listing items that should appear on all academic HSL Web home pages and PNTs. These obligatory links demonstrate a series of best practices that may be followed in the design and construction of academic HSL Websites.

Access, interest, and attitudes toward electronic communication for health care among patients in the medical safety net.

PubMed

Schickedanz, Adam; Huang, David; Lopez, Andrea; Cheung, Edna; Lyles, C R; Bodenheimer, Tom; Sarkar, Urmimala

2013-07-01

Electronic and internet-based tools for patient-provider communication are becoming the standard of care, but disparities exist in their adoption among patients. The reasons for these disparities are unclear, and few studies have looked at the potential communication technologies have to benefit vulnerable patient populations. To characterize access to, interest in, and attitudes toward internet-based communication in an ethnically, economically, and linguistically diverse group of patients from a large urban safety net clinic network. Observational, cross-sectional study Adult patients (≥ 18 years) in six resource-limited community clinics in the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) MAIN MEASURES: Current email use, interest in communicating electronically with health care professionals, barriers to and facilitators of electronic health-related communication, and demographic data-all self-reported via survey. Sixty percent of patients used email, 71 % were interested in using electronic communication with health care providers, and 19 % reported currently using email informally with these providers for health care. Those already using any email were more likely to express interest in using it for health matters. Most patients agreed electronic communication would improve clinic efficiency and overall communication with clinicians. A significant majority of safety net patients currently use email, text messaging, and the internet, and they expressed an interest in using these tools for electronic communication with their medical providers. This interest is currently unmet within safety net clinics that do not offer a patient portal or secure messaging. Tools such as email encounters and electronic patient portals should be implemented and supported to a greater extent in resource-poor settings, but this will require tailoring these tools to patients' language, literacy level, and experience with communication technology.

Delivering Electronic Resources with Web OPACs and Other Web-based Tools: Needs of Reference Librarians.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bordeianu, Sever; Carter, Christina E.; Dennis, Nancy K.

2000-01-01

Describes Web-based online public access catalogs (Web OPACs) and other Web-based tools as gateway methods for providing access to library collections. Addresses solutions for overcoming barriers to information, such as through the implementation of proxy servers and other authentication tools for remote users. (Contains 18 references.)…

Promoting Awareness of Key Resources for Evidence-Informed Decision-making in Public Health: An Evaluation of a Webinar Series about Knowledge Translation Methods and Tools

PubMed Central

Yost, Jennifer; Mackintosh, Jeannie; Read, Kristin; Dobbins, Maureen

2016-01-01

The National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (NCCMT) has developed several resources to support evidence-informed decision-making – the process of distilling and disseminating best available evidence from research, context, and experience – and knowledge translation, applying best evidence in practice. One such resource, the Registry of Methods and Tools, is a free online database of 195 methods and tools to support knowledge translation. Building on the identification of webinars as a strategy to improve the dissemination of information, NCCMT launched the Spotlight on Knowledge Translation Methods and Tools webinar series in 2012 to promote awareness and use of the Registry. To inform continued implementation of this webinar series, NCCMT conducted an evaluation of the series’ potential to improve awareness and use of the methods/tools within the Registry, as well as identify areas for improvement and “what worked.” For this evaluation, the following data were analyzed: electronic follow-up surveys administered immediately following each webinar; an additional electronic survey administered 6 months after two webinars; and Google Analytics for each webinar. As of November 2015, there have been 22 webinars conducted, reaching 2048 people in multiple sectors across Canada and around the world. Evaluation results indicate that the webinars increase awareness about the Registry and stimulate use of the methods/tools. Although webinar attendees were significantly less likely to have used the methods/tools 6 months after webinars, this may be attributed to the lack of an identified opportunity in their work to use the method/tool. Despite technological challenges and requests for further examples of how the methods/tools have been used, there is overwhelming positive feedback that the format, presenters, content, and interaction across webinars “worked.” This evaluation supports that webinars are a valuable strategy for increasing awareness and stimulating use of resources for evidence-informed decision-making and knowledge translation in public health practice. PMID:27148518

Browsing the Virtual Stacks: Making Electronic Reference Tools More Visible to Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Elizabeth

2008-01-01

Electronic reference resources are expanding traditional print reference collections far beyond the walls of the library building. While the library literature has seen a debate rage about the various merits and pitfalls of electronic reference sources, no one disputes they are here to stay. As more of the library content becomes available through…

E-Nursing: electronic nursing resources on your desktop.

PubMed

Kendall, Sandra; Massaralla, Susan; Hynes-Gay, Patricia; Vincent, Leslie

2003-01-01

E-Nursing represents an innovative approach to nursing education that has the potential to support professional practice throughout the institution. This paper details the benefits, design and promotion of an electronic nursing resource collection. How to divide responsibility, cost and expertise in such a project is also discussed. Preliminary usage statistics validate E-Nursing as a point-of-care education tool for nurses at Mount Sinai Hospital. A planned approach to implementation has been an effective means of introducing E-Nursing in an institution that previously relied on traditional hard-copy resources housed in the hospital's library.

The Electronic Librarian: Inching Towards the Revolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cuesta, Emerita M.

2005-01-01

Electronic resources are transforming the way librarians work. New technological skills have been added to the librarian's tool kit. Some libraries have undertaken large-scale organizational reconfigurations to meet the challenges of the digital environment. Yet libraries still rely on traditional functions such as acquisitions, cataloging, and…

Principled Libraries: Finding Stability in Changing Times.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawford, Walt

2000-01-01

Discusses the transition that libraries are currently experiencing between physical resources and electronic access. Topics include technology as tools rather than solutions; media and technology; desktop publishing; electronic books; Web commerce; instant books, or books printed on demand; new types of media; and serving the users. (LRW)

Air Emissions Inventories

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This site provides access to emissions data, regulations and guidance, electronic system access, resources and tools to support trends analysis, regional, and local scale air quality modeling, regulatory impact assessments.

Towards linking patients and clinical information: detecting UMLS concepts in e-mail.

PubMed

Brennan, Patricia Flatley; Aronson, Alan R

2003-01-01

The purpose of this project is to explore the feasibility of detecting terms within the electronic messages of patients that could be used to effectively search electronic knowledge resources and bring health information resources into the hands of patients. Our team is exploring the application of the natural language processing (NLP) tools built within the Lister Hill Center at the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to the challenge of detecting relevant concepts from the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) within the free text of lay people's electronic messages (e-mail). We obtained a sample of electronic messages sent by patients participating in a randomized field evaluation of an internet-based home care support service to the project nurse, and we subjected elements of these messages to a series of analyses using several vocabularies from the UMLS Metathesaurus and the selected NLP tools. The nursing vocabularies provide an excellent starting point for this exercise because their domain encompasses patient's responses to health challenges. In successive runs we augmented six nursing vocabularies (NANDA Nursing Diagnosis, Nursing Interventions Classification, Nursing Outcomes Classification, Home Health Classification, Omaha System, and the Patient Care Data Set) with selected sets of clinical terminologies (International Classification of Primary Care; International Classification of Primary Care- American English; Micromedex DRUGDEX; National Drug Data File; Thesaurus of Psychological Terms; WHO Adverse Drug Reaction Terminology) and then additionally with either Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) or SNOMED International terms. The best performance was obtained when the nursing vocabularies were complemented with selected clinical terminologies. These findings have implications not only for facilitating lay people's access to electronic knowledge resources but may also be of assistance in developing new tools to aid in linking free text (e.g., clinical notes) to lexically complex knowledge resources such as those emerging from the Human Genome Project.

Web Development Simplified

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becker, Bernd W.

2010-01-01

The author has discussed the Multimedia Educational Resource for Teaching and Online Learning site, MERLOT, in a recent Electronic Roundup column. In this article, he discusses an entirely new Web page development tool that MERLOT has added for its members. The new tool is called the MERLOT Content Builder and is directly integrated into the…

The Electronic Portfolio Boom: What's It All About?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Batson, Trent

2002-01-01

Discusses the use of electronic portfolios in higher education. Highlights include availability of the Web and databases; the growth of vendors in this area; benefits to students, faculty, and administrators, including statistics for accreditation; data storage; data security; certification issues; and a list of ePortfolio tools and resources.…

Academic health sciences library Website navigation: an analysis of forty-one Websites and their navigation tools

PubMed Central

Brower, Stewart M.

2004-01-01

Background: The analysis included forty-one academic health sciences library (HSL) Websites as captured in the first two weeks of January 2001. Home pages and persistent navigational tools (PNTs) were analyzed for layout, technology, and links, and other general site metrics were taken. Methods: Websites were selected based on rank in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, with regional and resource libraries given preference on the basis that these libraries are recognized as leaders in their regions and would be the most reasonable source of standards for best practice. A three-page evaluation tool was developed based on previous similar studies. All forty-one sites were evaluated in four specific areas: library general information, Website aids and tools, library services, and electronic resources. Metrics taken for electronic resources included orientation of bibliographic databases alphabetically by title or by subject area and with links to specifically named databases. Results: Based on the results, a formula for determining obligatory links was developed, listing items that should appear on all academic HSL Web home pages and PNTs. Conclusions: These obligatory links demonstrate a series of best practices that may be followed in the design and construction of academic HSL Websites. PMID:15494756

A systematic review of portable electronic technology for health education in resource-limited settings.

PubMed

McHenry, Megan S; Fischer, Lydia J; Chun, Yeona; Vreeman, Rachel C

2017-08-01

The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review of the literature of how portable electronic technologies with offline functionality are perceived and used to provide health education in resource-limited settings. Three reviewers evaluated articles and performed a bibliography search to identify studies describing health education delivered by portable electronic device with offline functionality in low- or middle-income countries. Data extracted included: study population; study design and type of analysis; type of technology used; method of use; setting of technology use; impact on caregivers, patients, or overall health outcomes; and reported limitations. Searches yielded 5514 unique titles. Out of 75 critically reviewed full-text articles, 10 met inclusion criteria. Study locations included Botswana, Peru, Kenya, Thailand, Nigeria, India, Ghana, and Tanzania. Topics addressed included: development of healthcare worker training modules, clinical decision support tools, patient education tools, perceptions and usability of portable electronic technology, and comparisons of technologies and/or mobile applications. Studies primarily looked at the assessment of developed educational modules on trainee health knowledge, perceptions and usability of technology, and comparisons of technologies. Overall, studies reported positive results for portable electronic device-based health education, frequently reporting increased provider/patient knowledge, improved patient outcomes in both quality of care and management, increased provider comfort level with technology, and an environment characterized by increased levels of technology-based, informal learning situations. Negative assessments included high investment costs, lack of technical support, and fear of device theft. While the research is limited, portable electronic educational resources present promising avenues to increase access to effective health education in resource-limited settings, contingent on the development of culturally adapted and functional materials to be used on such devices.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-comparative effectiveness research infrastructure investments: emerging data resources, tools and publications.

PubMed

Segal, Courtney; Holve, Erin

2014-11-01

The Recovery Act provided a substantial, one-time investment in data infrastructure for comparative effectiveness research (CER). A review of the publications, data, and tools developed as a result of this support has informed understanding of the level of effort undertaken by these projects. Structured search queries, as well as outreach efforts, were conducted to identify and review resources from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 CER projects building electronic clinical data infrastructure. The findings from this study provide a spectrum of productivity across a range of topics and settings. A total of 451 manuscripts published in 192 journals, and 141 data resources and tools were identified and address gaps in evidence on priority populations, conditions, and the infrastructure needed to support CER.

The Primary Care Electronic Library (PCEL) five years on: open source evaluation of usage.

PubMed

Robinson, Judas; de Lusignan, Simon; Kostkova, Patty

2005-01-01

The Primary Care Electronic Library (PCEL) is a collection of indexed and abstracted internet resources. PCEL contains a directory of quality-assured internet material with associated search facilities. PCEL has been indexed, using metadata and established taxonomies. Site development requires an understanding of usage; this paper reports the use of open source tools to evaluate usage. This evaluation was conducted during a six-month period of development of PCEL. To use open source to evaluate changes in usage of an electronic library. We defined data we needed for analysis; this included: page requests, visits, unique visitors, page requests per visit, geographical location of users, NHS users, chronological information about users and resources used. During the evaluation period, page requests increased from 3500 to 10,000; visits from 1250 to 2300; and unique visitors from 750 to 1500. Up to 83% of users come from the UK, 15% were NHS users. The page requests of NHS users are slowly increasing but not as fast as requests by other users in the UK. PCEL is primarily used Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday is the busiest day with use lessening through the week. NHS users had a different list of top ten resources accessed than non-NHS users, with only four resources appearing in both. Open source tools provide useful data which can be used to evaluate online resources. Improving the functionality of PCEL has been associated with increased use.

Essential Skills and Knowledge for Troubleshooting E-Resources Access Issues in a Web-Scale Discovery Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Sunshine; Traill, Stacie

2017-01-01

Electronic resource access troubleshooting is familiar work in most libraries. The added complexity introduced when a library implements a web-scale discovery service, however, creates a strong need for well-organized, rigorous training to enable troubleshooting staff to provide the best service possible. This article outlines strategies, tools,…

Targeting and Structuring Information Resource Use: A Path toward Informed Clinical Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mangrulkar, Rajesh S.

2004-01-01

A core skill for all physicians to master is that of information manager. Despite a rapidly expanding set of electronic and print-based information resources, clinicians continue to answer their clinical queries predominantly through informal or formal consultation. Even as new tools are brought to market, the majority of them present information…

Maximizing Academic Library Collections: Measuring Changes in Use Patterns Owing to EBSCO Discovery Service

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calvert, Kristin

2015-01-01

Despite the prevalence of academic libraries adopting web-scale discovery tools, few studies have quantified their effect on the use of library collections. This study measures the impact that EBSCO Discovery Service has had on use of library resources through circulation statistics, use of electronic resources, and interlibrary loan requests.…

Developing a Web-Based Mechanism for Assessing Teacher Science Content Knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byers, Al; Koba, Susan; Sherman, Greg; Scheppke, Joan; Bolus, Roger

2011-04-01

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) recently launched a comprehensive electronic professional development (e-PD) online portal, the NSTA Learning Center. This support site for educators currently includes over 6,000 e-PD resources and opportunities available on-demand, as well as various tools designed to help educators maximize the effectiveness of using NSTA resources. One tool, the PD Indexer, helps teachers identify their own areas of content strengths and weaknesses by selecting content-specific assessments. Individual NSTA resources are recommended based on assessment outcomes. This paper presents a detailed description of the procedures employed by NSTA to develop valid and reliable PD Indexer content-specific multiple-choice assessment items.

Educational Technology: A Review of the Integration, Resources, and Effectiveness of Technology in K-12 Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delgado, Adolph J.; Wardlow, Liane; McKnight, Katherine; O'Malley, Kimberly

2015-01-01

There is no questioning that the way people live, interact, communicate, and conduct business is undergoing a profound, rapid change. This change is often referred to as the "digital revolution," which is the advancement of technology from analog, electronic and mechanical tools to the digital tools available today. Moreover, technology…

Organization Made Easy! Tools for Today's Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buck, Frank

2010-01-01

Meet the ever-growing organizational demands of today's changing world with the variety of tools, digital and otherwise, available to you as a teacher. In this book, organization guru Frank Buck shows you how to take expert advantage of the specific electronic and paper-based resources that will help you manage your time and stay on course as a…

SMARTE: RESTORING THE ENVIRONMENT, REVITALIZING COMMUNITIES - NOV. 15, 2006 - ELECTRONIC TOOLS AND RESOURCES SESSION

EPA Science Inventory

SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools -electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields Cleanup and...

Radiology education 2.0--on the cusp of change: part 2. eBooks; file sharing and synchronization tools; websites/teaching files; reference management tools and note taking applications.

PubMed

Bhargava, Puneet; Dhand, Sabeen; Lackey, Amanda E; Pandey, Tarun; Moshiri, Mariam; Jambhekar, Kedar

2013-03-01

Increasing use of smartphones and handheld computers is accompanied by a rapid growth in the other related industries. Electronic books have revolutionized the centuries-old conventional books and magazines markets and have simplified publishing by reducing the cost and processing time required to create and distribute any given book. We are now able to read, review, store, and share various types of documents via several electronic tools, many of which are available free of charge. Additionally, this electronic revolution has resulted in an explosion of readily available Internet-based educational resources for the residents and has paved the path for educators to reach out to a larger and more diverse student population. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Internet Technology in Electronic Commerce

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhanys, A. B.; Tursinbaeva, A. F.

2018-05-01

Informatization is an active process of acquiring information as a valuable resource for development using Informatics tools in order to dramatically increase the intellectual level of civilization on this basis – humanistic reconstruction of the whole human life.

Historic Election and New Tech Tools Yield Promising Vistas for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manzo, Kathleen Kennedy

2008-01-01

This article describes how some teachers such as Gamal Sherif are turning to electronic resources to capture students' interest in the election. Sherif, who teaches history and science at the Science Leadership Academy, a public school in Philadelphia, said "the technology is fun and helpful, but it's also a tool one can use to get a better…

Formation of readiness for future physics teachers by using interactive learning tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulikova, N. U.; Danilchuk, E. V.; Zhidkova, A. V.

2017-01-01

In this article we give the reviewing of approaches to the preparedness of future physics teachers for the usage of interactive means of education as an important part of their professional activity. We discuss the key concepts such as interactivity, an interactive dialogue, and interactive means of education. The conception of interactive means of education as a tool of teachers' professional activity, which provides a way for the students to intensify their learning in class by using interactive tools and electronic educational resources, is validated. Furthermore, it is proved that interactive means of education allow the students to intensify their learning in the course of an interactive dialogue by means of organization different types of feedback in electronic educational resources (the program behavior depending on a user actions in the form of comments, prompts, elements of arrangement of objects, etc, the control and correction of students' actions by the program, providing with recommendations for further learning, carrying out constant access to reference information, etc), involving in different types of educational activity (modeling, investigation, etc), self-selection of time, speed, content of learning, complexity and priority of the usage of educational information on the screen, etc. By training students - future teachers of physics authors consider technological aspects, methodical features and examples of creation of these resources for physics lesson.

Let Me Show You How It’s Done! Desktop Sharing for Distance Learning from the D. Samuel Gottesman Library

PubMed Central

Glassman, Nancy R.; Habousha, Racheline G.; Minuti, Aurelia; Schwartz, Rachel; Sorensen, Karen

2009-01-01

Due to the proliferation of electronic resources, fewer users visit the library. Traditional classroom instruction and in-person consultations are no longer sufficient in assisting library users. Librarians are constantly seeking new ways to interact with patrons and facilitate efficient use of electronic resources. This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a project in which desktop-sharing software was used to reach out to users at remote locations. Various ways of using this tool are described, and challenges and implications for future expansion are discussed. PMID:20183031

Resources for Radiation Test Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

O'Bryan, Martha V.; Casey, Megan C.; Lauenstein, Jean-Marie; LaBel, Ken

2016-01-01

The performance of electronic devices in a space radiation environment is often limited by susceptibility to single-event effects (SEE), total ionizing dose (TID), and displacement damage (DD). Interpreting the results of SEE, TID, and DD testing of complex devices is quite difficult given the rapidly changing nature of both technology and the related radiation issues. Radiation testing is performed to establish the sensitivities of candidate spacecraft electronics to single-event upset (SEU), single-event latchup (SEL), single-event gate rupture (SEGR), single-event burnout (SEB), single-event transients (SETs), TID, and DD effects. Knowing where to search for these test results is a valuable resource for the aerospace engineer or spacecraft design engineer. This poster is intended to be a resource tool for finding radiation test data.

Free and Innovative Teaching Resources for STEM Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, W. J.; McWhirter, J.; Dirks, D.

2014-12-01

The Unidata Program Center has implemented a teaching resource facility that allows educators to create, access, and share collections of resource material related to atmospheric, oceanic, and other earth system phenomena. While the facility can manage almost any type of electronic resource, it is designed with scientific data and products, teaching tools such as lesson plans and guided exercises, and tools for displaying data in mind. In addition to being very easy for educators and students to access, the facility makes it simple for other educators and scientists to contribute content related to their own areas of expertise to the collection. This allows existing teaching resources to grow in depth and breadth over time, enhancing their relevance and providing insights from multiple disciplines. Based on the open-source RAMADDA content/data management framework, the teaching resource facility provides a variety of built-in services to analyze and display data, as well as support for Unidata's rich 3D client, the Interactive Data Viewer (IDV).

Authentic Assessment Tool for the Measurement of Students' Understanding of the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wuttisela, Karntarat

2017-01-01

There are various types of instructional media related to Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) but there is a lack of diversity of resources devoted to assessment. This research presents an assessment and comparison of students' understanding of VSEPR theory before and after tuition involving the use of the foam molecule model (FMM) and…

Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator (EEBC) was developed to assist organizations in estimating the environmental benefits of greening their purchase, use and disposal of electronics.The EEBC estimates the environmental and economic benefits of: Purchasing Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)-registered products; Enabling power management features on computers and monitors above default percentages; Extending the life of equipment beyond baseline values; Reusing computers, monitors and cell phones; and Recycling computers, monitors, cell phones and loads of mixed electronic products.The EEBC may be downloaded as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.See https://www.federalelectronicschallenge.net/resources/bencalc.htm for more details.

Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information

PubMed Central

Wheeler, David L.; Barrett, Tanya; Benson, Dennis A.; Bryant, Stephen H.; Canese, Kathi; Chetvernin, Vyacheslav; Church, Deanna M.; DiCuccio, Michael; Edgar, Ron; Federhen, Scott; Geer, Lewis Y.; Helmberg, Wolfgang; Kapustin, Yuri; Kenton, David L.; Khovayko, Oleg; Lipman, David J.; Madden, Thomas L.; Maglott, Donna R.; Ostell, James; Pruitt, Kim D.; Schuler, Gregory D.; Schriml, Lynn M.; Sequeira, Edwin; Sherry, Stephen T.; Sirotkin, Karl; Souvorov, Alexandre; Starchenko, Grigory; Suzek, Tugba O.; Tatusov, Roman; Tatusova, Tatiana A.; Wagner, Lukas; Yaschenko, Eugene

2006-01-01

In addition to maintaining the GenBank(R) nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides analysis and retrieval resources for the data in GenBank and other biological data made available through NCBI's Web site. NCBI resources include Entrez, the Entrez Programming Utilities, MyNCBI, PubMed, PubMed Central, Entrez Gene, the NCBI Taxonomy Browser, BLAST, BLAST Link (BLink), Electronic PCR, OrfFinder, Spidey, Splign, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, ProtEST, dbMHC, dbSNP, Cancer Chromosomes, Entrez Genomes and related tools, the Map Viewer, Model Maker, Evidence Viewer, Clusters of Orthologous Groups, Retroviral Genotyping Tools, HIV-1, Human Protein Interaction Database, SAGEmap, Gene Expression Omnibus, Entrez Probe, GENSAT, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals, the Molecular Modeling Database, the Conserved Domain Database, the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases. Augmenting many of the Web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized datasets. All of the resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at: . PMID:16381840

Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology

PubMed Central

Wheeler, David L.; Church, Deanna M.; Federhen, Scott; Lash, Alex E.; Madden, Thomas L.; Pontius, Joan U.; Schuler, Gregory D.; Schriml, Lynn M.; Sequeira, Edwin; Tatusova, Tatiana A.; Wagner, Lukas

2003-01-01

In addition to maintaining the GenBank(R) nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides data analysis and retrieval resources for the data in GenBank and other biological data made available through NCBI's Web site. NCBI resources include Entrez, PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC), LocusLink, the NCBITaxonomy Browser, BLAST, BLAST Link (BLink), Electronic PCR (e-PCR), Open Reading Frame (ORF) Finder, References Sequence (RefSeq), UniGene, HomoloGene, ProtEST, Database of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (dbSNP), Human/Mouse Homology Map, Cancer Chromosome Aberration Project (CCAP), Entrez Genomes and related tools, the Map Viewer, Model Maker (MM), Evidence Viewer (EV), Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs) database, Retroviral Genotyping Tools, SAGEmap, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB), the Conserved Domain Database (CDD), and the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool (CDART). Augmenting many of the Web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. All of the resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. PMID:12519941

Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

PubMed

Wheeler, David L; Barrett, Tanya; Benson, Dennis A; Bryant, Stephen H; Canese, Kathi; Chetvernin, Vyacheslav; Church, Deanna M; DiCuccio, Michael; Edgar, Ron; Federhen, Scott; Geer, Lewis Y; Kapustin, Yuri; Khovayko, Oleg; Landsman, David; Lipman, David J; Madden, Thomas L; Maglott, Donna R; Ostell, James; Miller, Vadim; Pruitt, Kim D; Schuler, Gregory D; Sequeira, Edwin; Sherry, Steven T; Sirotkin, Karl; Souvorov, Alexandre; Starchenko, Grigory; Tatusov, Roman L; Tatusova, Tatiana A; Wagner, Lukas; Yaschenko, Eugene

2007-01-01

In addition to maintaining the GenBank nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides analysis and retrieval resources for the data in GenBank and other biological data made available through NCBI's Web site. NCBI resources include Entrez, the Entrez Programming Utilities, My NCBI, PubMed, PubMed Central, Entrez Gene, the NCBI Taxonomy Browser, BLAST, BLAST Link(BLink), Electronic PCR, OrfFinder, Spidey, Splign, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, ProtEST, dbMHC, dbSNP, Cancer Chromosomes, Entrez Genome, Genome Project and related tools, the Trace and Assembly Archives, the Map Viewer, Model Maker, Evidence Viewer, Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs), Viral Genotyping Tools, Influenza Viral Resources, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Entrez Probe, GENSAT, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB), the Conserved Domain Database (CDD), the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool (CDART) and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases. Augmenting many of the Web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. These resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

Capturing district nursing through a knowledge-based electronic caseload analysis tool (eCAT).

PubMed

Kane, Kay

2014-03-01

The Electronic Caseload Analysis Tool (eCAT) is a knowledge-based software tool to assist the caseload analysis process. The tool provides a wide range of graphical reports, along with an integrated clinical advisor, to assist district nurses, team leaders, operational and strategic managers with caseload analysis by describing, comparing and benchmarking district nursing practice in the context of population need, staff resources, and service structure. District nurses and clinical lead nurses in Northern Ireland developed the tool, along with academic colleagues from the University of Ulster, working in partnership with a leading software company. The aim was to use the eCAT tool to identify the nursing need of local populations, along with the variances in district nursing practice, and match the workforce accordingly. This article reviews the literature, describes the eCAT solution and discusses the impact of eCAT on nursing practice, staff allocation, service delivery and workforce planning, using fictitious exemplars and a post-implementation evaluation from the trusts.

Online use statistics.

PubMed

Tannery, Nancy Hrinya; Silverman, Deborah L; Epstein, Barbara A

2002-01-01

Online use statistics can provide libraries with a tool to be used when developing an online collection of resources. Statistics can provide information on overall use of a collection, individual print and electronic journal use, and collection use by specific user populations. They can also be used to determine the number of user licenses to purchase. This paper focuses on the issue of use statistics made available for one collection of online resources.

Resource conservation approached with an appropriate collection and upgrade-remanufacturing for used electronic products.

PubMed

Zlamparet, Gabriel I; Tan, Quanyin; Stevels, A B; Li, Jinhui

2018-03-01

This comparative research represents an example for a better conservation of resources by reducing the amount of waste (kg) and providing it more value under the umbrella of remanufacturing. The three discussed cases will expose three issues already addressed separately in the literature. The generation of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) interacts with the environmental depletion. In this article, we gave the examples of addressed issues under the concept of remanufacturing. Online collection opportunity eliminating classical collection, a business to business (B2B) implementation for remanufactured servers and medical devices. The material reuse (recycling), component sustainability, reuse (part harvesting), product reuse (after repair/remanufacturing) indicates the recovery potential using remanufacturing tool for a better conservation of resources adding more value to the products. Our findings can provide an overview of new system organization for the general collection, market potential and the technological advantages using remanufacturing instead of recycling of WEEE or used electrical and electronic equipment. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Quantum tomography of near-unitary processes in high-dimensional quantum systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lysne, Nathan; Sosa Martinez, Hector; Jessen, Poul; Baldwin, Charles; Kalev, Amir; Deutsch, Ivan

2016-05-01

Quantum Tomography (QT) is often considered the ideal tool for experimental debugging of quantum devices, capable of delivering complete information about quantum states (QST) or processes (QPT). In practice, the protocols used for QT are resource intensive and scale poorly with system size. In this situation, a well behaved model system with access to large state spaces (qudits) can serve as a useful platform for examining the tradeoffs between resource cost and accuracy inherent in QT. In past years we have developed one such experimental testbed, consisting of the electron-nuclear spins in the electronic ground state of individual Cs atoms. Our available toolkit includes high fidelity state preparation, complete unitary control, arbitrary orthogonal measurements, and accurate and efficient QST in Hilbert space dimensions up to d = 16. Using these tools, we have recently completed a comprehensive study of QPT in 4, 7 and 16 dimensions. Our results show that QPT of near-unitary processes is quite feasible if one chooses optimal input states and efficient QST on the outputs. We further show that for unitary processes in high dimensional spaces, one can use informationally incomplete QPT to achieve high-fidelity process reconstruction (90% in d = 16) with greatly reduced resource requirements.

Keeping Up with the Internet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dealy, Jacqueline

1994-01-01

Offers instructions and resources for Internet novices wanting to access Internet services. Instructions are offered for connecting to 13 education listservs, 9 electronic journals and newsletters, 3 education databases, 7 Telnet gopher sites, Veronica and Archie search tools, and File Transfer Protocol (FTP). (Contains 16 references.) (SLW)

Technology in HRD.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1998

This document contains four papers from a symposium on technology in human resource development (HRD). "COBRA, an Electronic Performance Support System for the Analysis of Jobs and Tasks" (Theo J. Bastiaens) is described as an integrated computerized environment that provides tools, information, advice, and training to help employees do…

Signal connection for a downhole tool string

DOEpatents

Hall, David R.; Hall, Jr., H. Tracy; Pixton, David S.; Bradford, Kline; Fox, Joe; Briscoe, Michael

2006-08-29

A signal transmission connection for a tool string used in exploration and production of natural resources, namely: oil, gas, and geothermal energy resources. The connection comprises first and second annular elements deployed in cooperative association with each other. The respective elements comprise inductive transducers that are capable of two-way signal transmission between each other, with downhole components of the tool string, and with ground-level equipment. The respective inductive transducers comprise one or more conductive loops housed within ferrite troughs, or within ferrite trough segments. When energized, the conductive loops produce a magnetic field suitable for transmitting the signal. The second element may be rotational in drilling applications. The respective elements may be fitted with electronic equipment to aid and manipulate the transmission of the signal. The first element may also be in communication with the World Wide Web.

Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

PubMed

Sayers, Eric W; Barrett, Tanya; Benson, Dennis A; Bryant, Stephen H; Canese, Kathi; Chetvernin, Vyacheslav; Church, Deanna M; DiCuccio, Michael; Edgar, Ron; Federhen, Scott; Feolo, Michael; Geer, Lewis Y; Helmberg, Wolfgang; Kapustin, Yuri; Landsman, David; Lipman, David J; Madden, Thomas L; Maglott, Donna R; Miller, Vadim; Mizrachi, Ilene; Ostell, James; Pruitt, Kim D; Schuler, Gregory D; Sequeira, Edwin; Sherry, Stephen T; Shumway, Martin; Sirotkin, Karl; Souvorov, Alexandre; Starchenko, Grigory; Tatusova, Tatiana A; Wagner, Lukas; Yaschenko, Eugene; Ye, Jian

2009-01-01

In addition to maintaining the GenBank nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides analysis and retrieval resources for the data in GenBank and other biological data made available through the NCBI web site. NCBI resources include Entrez, the Entrez Programming Utilities, MyNCBI, PubMed, PubMed Central, Entrez Gene, the NCBI Taxonomy Browser, BLAST, BLAST Link (BLink), Electronic PCR, OrfFinder, Spidey, Splign, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, ProtEST, dbMHC, dbSNP, Cancer Chromosomes, Entrez Genomes and related tools, the Map Viewer, Model Maker, Evidence Viewer, Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs), Retroviral Genotyping Tools, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Entrez Probe, GENSAT, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB), the Conserved Domain Database (CDD), the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool (CDART) and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases. Augmenting many of the web applications is custom implementation of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. All of the resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

Disassembly factories for electrical and electronic products to recover resources in product and material cycles.

PubMed

Basdere, Bahadir; Seliger, Guenther

2003-12-01

Cycle economy as a paradigm for industry in the 21st century depends on the economical and ecological treatment of limited resources. The objective is to achieve more use with fewer resources to increase the use-productivity of these resources. The European Union, aware of the adverse environmental impacts associated with electrical and electronic consumer goods in particular, has passed legislation regulating their appropriate end-of-life treatment. Adaptation processes, including essential disassembly and re-assembly operations, contribute significantly toward the economical fulfillment of these new legal requirements. Typically, the disassembly of used products is characterized by a high rate of manual operations, wide variety of product types, and unknown product properties. To cope with such demands, life cycle units or product accompanying information systems, are being developed and used for acquiring data about a specific product throughout its life cycle to aid in determining the level of product deterioration. Modular disassembly processes and tools have been developed and realized to enable the handling of multiple productvariants. They are being implemented in prototypical hybrid disassembly systemsfor large- and small-size electrical and electronic consumer goods.

Supporting geoscience with graphical-user-interface Internet tools for the Macintosh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robin, Bernard

1995-07-01

This paper describes a suite of Macintosh graphical-user-interface (GUI) software programs that can be used in conjunction with the Internet to support geoscience education. These software programs allow science educators to access and retrieve a large body of resources from an increasing number of network sites, taking advantage of the intuitive, simple-to-use Macintosh operating system. With these tools, educators easily can locate, download, and exchange not only text files but also sound resources, video movie clips, and software application files from their desktop computers. Another major advantage of these software tools is that they are available at no cost and may be distributed freely. The following GUI software tools are described including examples of how they can be used in an educational setting: ∗ Eudora—an e-mail program ∗ NewsWatcher—a newsreader ∗ TurboGopher—a Gopher program ∗ Fetch—a software application for easy File Transfer Protocol (FTP) ∗ NCSA Mosaic—a worldwide hypertext browsing program. An explosive growth of online archives currently is underway as new electronic sites are being added continuously to the Internet. Many of these resources may be of interest to science educators who learn they can share not only ASCII text files, but also graphic image files, sound resources, QuickTime movie clips, and hypermedia projects with colleagues from locations around the world. These powerful, yet simple to learn GUI software tools are providing a revolution in how knowledge can be accessed, retrieved, and shared.

Social Bookmarking in Academic Libraries: Trends and Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redden, Carla S.

2010-01-01

This paper presents an exploration of the potential utilization of social bookmarking web sites by academic libraries. These web sites, which allow users and organizations to create accounts for bookmarking online content, provide academic libraries tools to collaborate and network, organize and share electronic resources and teach information…

Teaching With the Internet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herron, Terri L.

1998-01-01

Discusses ways to use the Internet as a pedagogical tool in higher education, with illustrations from techniques and resources used in a graduate course in accounting information systems. Examples include use of an online textbook, an Internet-based project, electronic mail, a class Web page, and Internet searching to find course-related…

The People Unite: Learning Meaningful Civics Online

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pitts, Annette Boyd; Dziuban, Charles; Cornett, Jeffrey W.

2011-01-01

Throughout the world, today's students are being characterized as digital natives, the "net generation." This twenty-first-century student cohort is adept at multi-tasking and at using a variety of tools and resources including electronic search engines, blogs, wikis, visual images, videos, gaming platforms, and social networking.…

The Internet: A Selective Annotated Bibliography of Print Material.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giguere, Marlene

1993-01-01

Describes 38 introductory print materials the novice may consult before using the Internet, including guides and directories to resources; general information about the Internet; materials about Internet applications such as electronic mail, remote login, and file transfer; and information about Internet tools such as Archie, Gopher, and WAIS…

An Online Knowledge Resource and Questionnaires as a Continuing Pharmacy Education Tool to Document Reflective Learning

PubMed Central

Budzinski, Jason W.; Pluye, Pierre; Grad, Roland M.; Repchinsky, Carol; Jovaisas, Barbara; Johnson-Lafleur, Janique

2012-01-01

Objective. To assess the use of an electronic knowledge resource to document continuing education activities and reveal educational needs of practicing pharmacists. Methods. Over a 38-week period, 67 e-mails were sent to 6,500 Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) members. Each e-mail contained a link to an e-Therapeutics+ Highlight, a factual excerpt of selected content from an online drug and therapeutic knowledge resource. Participants were then prompted to complete a pop-up questionnaire. Results. Members completed 4,140 questionnaires. Participants attributed the information they learned in the Highlights to practice improvements (50.4%), learning (57.0%), and motivation to learn more (57.4%). Conclusions. Reading Highlight excerpts and completing Web-based questionnaires is an effective method of continuing education that could be easily documented and tracked, making it an effective tool for use with e-portfolios. PMID:22761523

An online knowledge resource and questionnaires as a continuing pharmacy education tool to document reflective learning.

PubMed

Budzinski, Jason W; Farrell, Barbara; Pluye, Pierre; Grad, Roland M; Repchinsky, Carol; Jovaisas, Barbara; Johnson-Lafleur, Janique

2012-06-18

To assess the use of an electronic knowledge resource to document continuing education activities and reveal educational needs of practicing pharmacists. Over a 38-week period, 67 e-mails were sent to 6,500 Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) members. Each e-mail contained a link to an e-Therapeutics+ Highlight, a factual excerpt of selected content from an online drug and therapeutic knowledge resource. Participants were then prompted to complete a pop-up questionnaire. Members completed 4,140 questionnaires. Participants attributed the information they learned in the Highlights to practice improvements (50.4%), learning (57.0%), and motivation to learn more (57.4%). Reading Highlight excerpts and completing Web-based questionnaires is an effective method of continuing education that could be easily documented and tracked, making it an effective tool for use with e-portfolios.

Mobile technology in radiology resident education.

PubMed

Korbage, Aiham C; Bedi, Harprit S

2012-06-01

The authors hypothesized that ownership of a mobile electronic device would result in more time spent learning radiology. Current trends in radiology residents' studying habits, their use of electronic and printed radiology learning resources, and how much of the funds allotted to them are being used toward printed vs electronic education tools were assessed in this study. A survey study was conducted among radiology residents across the United States from June 13 to July 5, 2011. Program directors listed in the Association of Program Directors in Radiology e-mail list server received an e-mail asking for residents to participate in an online survey. The questionnaire consisted of 12 questions and assessed the type of institution, the levels of training of the respondents, and book funds allocated to residents. It also assessed the residents' study habits, access to portable devices, and use of printed and electronic radiology resources. Radiology residents are adopters of new technologies, with 74% owning smart phones and 37% owning tablet devices. Respondents spend nearly an equal amount of time learning radiology from printed textbooks as they do from electronic resources. Eighty-one percent of respondents believe that they would spend more time learning radiology if provided with tablet devices. There is considerable use of online and electronic resources and mobile devices among the current generation of radiology residents. Benefits, such as more study time, may be obtained by radiology programs that incorporate tablet devices into the education of their residents. Copyright © 2012 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MITHRA 1.0: A full-wave simulation tool for free electron lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fallahi, Arya; Yahaghi, Alireza; Kärtner, Franz X.

2018-07-01

Free Electron Lasers (FELs) are a solution for providing intense, coherent and bright radiation in the hard X-ray regime. Due to the low wall-plug efficiency of FEL facilities, it is crucial and additionally very useful to develop complete and accurate simulation tools for better optimizing a FEL interaction. The highly sophisticated dynamics involved in a FEL process was the main obstacle hindering the development of general simulation tools for this problem. We present a numerical algorithm based on finite difference time domain/Particle in cell (FDTD/PIC) in a Lorentz boosted coordinate system which is able to fulfill a full-wave simulation of a FEL process. The developed software offers a suitable tool for the analysis of FEL interactions without considering any of the usual approximations. A coordinate transformation to bunch rest frame makes the very different length scales of bunch size, optical wavelengths and the undulator period transform to values with the same order. Consequently, FDTD/PIC simulations in conjunction with efficient parallelization techniques make the full-wave simulation feasible using the available computational resources. Several examples of free electron lasers are analyzed using the developed software, the results are benchmarked based on standard FEL codes and discussed in detail.

Development approach to an enterprise-wide medication reconciliation tool in a free-standing pediatric hospital with commercial best-of-breed systems.

PubMed

Yu, Feliciano B; Leising, Scott; Turner, Scott

2007-10-11

Medication reconciliation is essential to providing a safer patient environment during transitions of care in the clinical setting. Current solutions include a mixed-bag of paper and electronic processes. Best-of-breed health information systems architecture poses a specific challenge to organizations that have limited software development resources. Using readily available service-oriented technology, a prototype for an integrated medication reconciliation tool is developed for use in an academic pediatric hospital with commercial systems.

Mining semantic networks of bioinformatics e-resources from the literature

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background There have been a number of recent efforts (e.g. BioCatalogue, BioMoby) to systematically catalogue bioinformatics tools, services and datasets. These efforts rely on manual curation, making it difficult to cope with the huge influx of various electronic resources that have been provided by the bioinformatics community. We present a text mining approach that utilises the literature to automatically extract descriptions and semantically profile bioinformatics resources to make them available for resource discovery and exploration through semantic networks that contain related resources. Results The method identifies the mentions of resources in the literature and assigns a set of co-occurring terminological entities (descriptors) to represent them. We have processed 2,691 full-text bioinformatics articles and extracted profiles of 12,452 resources containing associated descriptors with binary and tf*idf weights. Since such representations are typically sparse (on average 13.77 features per resource), we used lexical kernel metrics to identify semantically related resources via descriptor smoothing. Resources are then clustered or linked into semantic networks, providing the users (bioinformaticians, curators and service/tool crawlers) with a possibility to explore algorithms, tools, services and datasets based on their relatedness. Manual exploration of links between a set of 18 well-known bioinformatics resources suggests that the method was able to identify and group semantically related entities. Conclusions The results have shown that the method can reconstruct interesting functional links between resources (e.g. linking data types and algorithms), in particular when tf*idf-like weights are used for profiling. This demonstrates the potential of combining literature mining and simple lexical kernel methods to model relatedness between resource descriptors in particular when there are few features, thus potentially improving the resource description, discovery and exploration process. The resource profiles are available at http://gnode1.mib.man.ac.uk/bioinf/semnets.html PMID:21388573

RTDS-Based Design and Simulation of Distributed P-Q Power Resources in Smart Grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Zachariah David

In this Thesis, we propose to utilize a battery system together with its power electronics interfaces and bidirectional charger as a distributed P-Q resource in power distribution networks. First, we present an optimization-based approach to operate such distributed P-Q resources based on the characteristics of the battery and charger system as well as the features and needs of the power distribution network. Then, we use the RTDS Simulator, which is an industry-standard simulation tool of power systems, to develop two RTDS-based design approaches. The first design is based on an ideal four-quadrant distributed P-Q power resource. The second design is based on a detailed four-quadrant distributed P-Q power resource that is developed using power electronics components. The hardware and power electronics circuitry as well as the control units are explained for the second design. After that, given the two-RTDS designs, we conducted extensive RTDS simulations to assess the performance of the designed distributed P-Q Power Resource in an IEEE 13 bus test system. We observed that the proposed design can noticeably improve the operational performance of the power distribution grid in at least four key aspects: reducing power loss, active power peak load shaving at substation, reactive power peak load shaving at substation, and voltage regulation. We examine these performance measures across three design cases: Case 1: There is no P-Q Power Resource available on the power distribution network. Case 2: The installed P-Q Power Resource only supports active power, i.e., it only utilizes its battery component. Case 3: The installed P-Q Power Resource supports both active and reactive power, i.e., it utilizes both its battery component and its power electronics charger component. In the end, we present insightful interpretations on the simulation results and suggest some future works.

HyperCard K-12: Classroom Computer Learning Special Supplement Sponsored by Apple Computer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Classroom Computer Learning, 1989

1989-01-01

Follows the development of hypertext which is the electronic movement of large amounts of text. Probes the use of the Macintosh HyperCard and its applications in education. Notes programs are stackable in the computer. Provides tool, resource, and stack directory along with tips for using HyperCard. (MVL)

Academic Honesty through Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lecher, Mark

2005-01-01

Over the past two decades, technology use has increased in the classroom. What started out as a single computer in a classroom has evolved into a laptop or handheld for every student, with a wireless connection to the Internet and other network resources. Cell phones, PDAs, and other electronic tools have opened up new horizons for utilizing…

Managing Citations with Cost-Free Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ovadia, Steven

2011-01-01

As faculty members receive more access to more electronic collections, they are forced to deal with the issue of bibliographic management. Historically, dealing with print material has been relatively simple: The only way to manage something being cited from a print resource was to hold the physical object (or a copy of the original) and create a…

A Pretty Good Paper about Pretty Good Privacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCollum, Roy

With today's growth in the use of electronic information systems for e-mail, data development and research, and the relative ease of access to such resources, protecting one's data and correspondence has become a great concern. "Pretty Good Privacy" (PGP), an encryption program developed by Phil Zimmermann, may be the software tool that…

Developing a Web-Based Mechanism for Assessing Teacher Science Content Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byers, Al; Koba, Susan; Sherman, Greg; Scheppke, Joan; Bolus, Roger

2011-01-01

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) recently launched a comprehensive electronic professional development (e-PD) online portal, the NSTA Learning Center. This support site for educators currently includes over 6,000 e-PD resources and opportunities available on-demand, as well as various tools designed to help educators maximize the…

HyperText MARCup: A Conceptualization for Encoding, De-Constructing, Searching, Retrieving, and Using Traditional Knowledge Tools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wall, C. Edward; And Others

1995-01-01

Discusses the integration of Standard General Markup Language, Hypertext Markup Language, and MARC format to parse classified analytical bibliographies. Use of the resulting electronic knowledge constructs in local library systems as maps of a specified subset of resources is discussed, and an example is included. (LRW)

Converting Inhouse Subject Card Files to Electronic Keyword Files.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Culmer, Carita M.

The library at Phoenix College developed the Controversial Issues Files (CIF), a "home made" card file containing references pertinent to specific ongoing assignments. Although the CIF had proven itself to be an excellent resource tool for beginning researchers, it was cumbersome to maintain in the card format, and was limited to very…

Music Teacher Perceptions of a Model of Technology Training and Support in Virginia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welch, Lee Arthur

2013-01-01

A plethora of technology resources currently exists for the music classroom of the twenty-first century, including digital audio and video, music software, electronic instruments, Web 2.0 tools and more. Research shows a strong need for professional development for teachers to properly implement and integrate instructional technology resources…

Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

PubMed

Sayers, Eric W; Barrett, Tanya; Benson, Dennis A; Bolton, Evan; Bryant, Stephen H; Canese, Kathi; Chetvernin, Vyacheslav; Church, Deanna M; DiCuccio, Michael; Federhen, Scott; Feolo, Michael; Fingerman, Ian M; Geer, Lewis Y; Helmberg, Wolfgang; Kapustin, Yuri; Landsman, David; Lipman, David J; Lu, Zhiyong; Madden, Thomas L; Madej, Tom; Maglott, Donna R; Marchler-Bauer, Aron; Miller, Vadim; Mizrachi, Ilene; Ostell, James; Panchenko, Anna; Phan, Lon; Pruitt, Kim D; Schuler, Gregory D; Sequeira, Edwin; Sherry, Stephen T; Shumway, Martin; Sirotkin, Karl; Slotta, Douglas; Souvorov, Alexandre; Starchenko, Grigory; Tatusova, Tatiana A; Wagner, Lukas; Wang, Yanli; Wilbur, W John; Yaschenko, Eugene; Ye, Jian

2011-01-01

In addition to maintaining the GenBank® nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides analysis and retrieval resources for the data in GenBank and other biological data made available through the NCBI Web site. NCBI resources include Entrez, the Entrez Programming Utilities, MyNCBI, PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC), Entrez Gene, the NCBI Taxonomy Browser, BLAST, BLAST Link (BLink), Primer-BLAST, COBALT, Electronic PCR, OrfFinder, Splign, ProSplign, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, ProtEST, dbMHC, dbSNP, dbVar, Epigenomics, Cancer Chromosomes, Entrez Genomes and related tools, the Map Viewer, Model Maker, Evidence Viewer, Trace Archive, Sequence Read Archive, Retroviral Genotyping Tools, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Entrez Probe, GENSAT, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB), the Conserved Domain Database (CDD), the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool (CDART), IBIS, Biosystems, Peptidome, OMSSA, Protein Clusters and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases. Augmenting many of the Web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. All of these resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

The Journal of Earth System Science Education: Peer Review for Digital Earth and Digital Library Content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, D.; Ruzek, M.; Weatherley, J.

2001-05-01

The Journal of Earth System Science Education is a new interdisciplinary electronic journal aiming to foster the study of the Earth as a system and promote the development and exchange of interdisciplinary learning resources for formal and informal education. JESSE will serve educators and students by publishing and providing ready electronic access to Earth system and global change science learning resources for the classroom and will provide authors and creators with professional recognition through publication in a peer reviewed journal. JESSE resources foster a world perspective by emphasizing interdisciplinary studies and bridging disciplines in the context of the Earth system. The Journal will publish a wide ranging variety of electronic content, with minimal constraints on format, targeting undergraduate educators and students as the principal readership, expanding to a middle and high school audience as the journal matures. JESSE aims for rapid review and turn-around of resources to be published, with a goal of 12 weeks from submission to publication for resources requiring few changes. Initial publication will be on a quarterly basis until a flow of resource submissions is established to warrant continuous electronic publication. JESSE employs an open peer review process in which authors and reviewers discuss directly the acceptability of a resource for publication using a software tool called the Digital Document Discourse Environment. Reviewer comments and attribution will be available with the resource upon acceptance for publication. JESSE will also implement a moderated peer commentary capability where readers can comment on the use of a resource or make suggestions. In the development phase, JESSE will also conduct a parallel anonymous review of content to validate and ensure credibility of the open review approach. Copyright of materials submitted remains with the author, granting JESSE the non-exclusive right to maintain a copy of the resource published on the JESSE web server, ensuring long term access to the resource as reviewed. JESSE is collaborating with the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) as a federated partner. Initial release is planned for Summer, 2001.

Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information

PubMed Central

Wheeler, David L.; Barrett, Tanya; Benson, Dennis A.; Bryant, Stephen H.; Canese, Kathi; Chetvernin, Vyacheslav; Church, Deanna M.; DiCuccio, Michael; Edgar, Ron; Federhen, Scott; Feolo, Michael; Geer, Lewis Y.; Helmberg, Wolfgang; Kapustin, Yuri; Khovayko, Oleg; Landsman, David; Lipman, David J.; Madden, Thomas L.; Maglott, Donna R.; Miller, Vadim; Ostell, James; Pruitt, Kim D.; Schuler, Gregory D.; Shumway, Martin; Sequeira, Edwin; Sherry, Steven T.; Sirotkin, Karl; Souvorov, Alexandre; Starchenko, Grigory; Tatusov, Roman L.; Tatusova, Tatiana A.; Wagner, Lukas; Yaschenko, Eugene

2008-01-01

In addition to maintaining the GenBank(R) nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides analysis and retrieval resources for the data in GenBank and other biological data available through NCBI's web site. NCBI resources include Entrez, the Entrez Programming Utilities, My NCBI, PubMed, PubMed Central, Entrez Gene, the NCBI Taxonomy Browser, BLAST, BLAST Link, Electronic PCR, OrfFinder, Spidey, Splign, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, ProtEST, dbMHC, dbSNP, Cancer Chromosomes, Entrez Genome, Genome Project and related tools, the Trace, Assembly, and Short Read Archives, the Map Viewer, Model Maker, Evidence Viewer, Clusters of Orthologous Groups, Influenza Viral Resources, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database, Gene Expression Omnibus, Entrez Probe, GENSAT, Database of Genotype and Phenotype, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals, the Molecular Modeling Database, the Conserved Domain Database, the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases. Augmenting the web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. These resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. PMID:18045790

Effect of Virtual Analytical Chemistry Laboratory on Enhancing Student Research Skills and Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bortnik, Boris; Stozhko, Natalia; Pervukhina, Irina; Tchernysheva, Albina; Belysheva, Galina

2017-01-01

This article aims to determine the effect of a virtual chemistry laboratory on university student achievement. The article describes a model of a laboratory course that includes a virtual component. This virtual component is viewed as a tool of student pre-lab autonomous learning. It presents electronic resources designed for a virtual laboratory…

Taming the Electronic Frontier: A Distance Education Course for Department of Defense Dependents School Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bordeaux, Amy V.; Sprague, Debra; Pullen, J. Mark; Sterling, Donna R.

1998-01-01

George Mason University provides online courses for educators. One course encourages teachers to master the Internet as a tool and resource for classroom instruction. This paper describes course configuration and development based on feedback from teachers in Department of Defense Dependents Schools in Germany. Pilot course results indicate that…

Use of a Wiki-Based Software to Manage Research Group Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Ting; Vezenov, Dmitri V.; Simboli, Brian

2014-01-01

This paper discusses use of the wiki software Confluence to organize research group activities and lab resources. Confluence can serve as an electronic lab notebook (ELN), as well as an information management and collaboration tool. The article provides a case study in how researchers can use wiki software in "home-grown" fashion to…

System-on-Chip Data Processing and Data Handling Spaceflight Electronics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kleyner, I.; Katz, R.; Tiggeler, H.

1999-01-01

This paper presents a methodology and a tool set which implements automated generation of moderate-size blocks of customized intellectual property (IP), thus effectively reusing prior work and minimizing the labor intensive, error-prone parts of the design process. Customization of components allows for optimization for smaller area and lower power consumption, which is an important factor given the limitations of resources available in radiation-hardened devices. The effects of variations in HDL coding style on the efficiency of synthesized code for various commercial synthesis tools are also discussed.

Problems related to the integration of fault tolerant aircraft electronic systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bannister, J. A.; Adlakha, V.; Triyedi, K.; Alspaugh, T. A., Jr.

1982-01-01

Problems related to the design of the hardware for an integrated aircraft electronic system are considered. Taxonomies of concurrent systems are reviewed and a new taxonomy is proposed. An informal methodology intended to identify feasible regions of the taxonomic design space is described. Specific tools are recommended for use in the methodology. Based on the methodology, a preliminary strawman integrated fault tolerant aircraft electronic system is proposed. Next, problems related to the programming and control of inegrated aircraft electronic systems are discussed. Issues of system resource management, including the scheduling and allocation of real time periodic tasks in a multiprocessor environment, are treated in detail. The role of software design in integrated fault tolerant aircraft electronic systems is discussed. Conclusions and recommendations for further work are included.

Teaching residents screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) skills for alcohol use: Using chart-stimulated recall to assess curricular impact.

PubMed

Wamsley, Maria A; Steiger, Scott; Julian, Katherine A; Gleason, Nathaniel; O'Sullivan, Patricia S; Guy, Michelle; Satterfield, Jason M

2016-01-01

Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) improves identification and intervention for patients at risk for developing an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Residency curriculum is designed to teach SBIRT skills, but resources are needed to promote skill implementation. The electronic health record (EHR) can facilitate implementation through integration of decision-support tools. The authors developed electronic tools to facilitate documentation of alcohol assessment and brief intervention and to reinforce skills from an SBIRT curriculum. This prospective cohort study assessed primary care internal medicine residents' use of SBIRT skills and EHR tools in practice using chart-stimulated recall (CSR). Postgraduate year 2 and 3 residents received a 5-hour SBIRT curriculum with skills practice and instruction on SBIRT electronic tools. Participants were then given a list of their patients seen in a 1-year period who were drinking at/above the recommended limit. Trainees selected 3 patients to review with a faculty member in a CSR. Faculty used a 24-item chart checklist to assess application of SBIRT skills and electronic tool use and met with residents to complete a CSR interview. CSR interview notes were analyzed qualitatively to understand application of SBIRT skills and EHR tool use. Eighteen of 20 residents participated in the CSR, and 5 faculty reviewed 46 patient charts. Residents documented alcohol use (84.2% of charts) and assessment of quantity/frequency of use (71.0%) but were less likely to document assessment for an AUD (34%), an appropriate plan (50.0%), or follow-up (55%). Few residents used EHR tools. Residents reported barriers in addressing alcohol use, including lack of knowledge, patient barriers, and time constraints. More intensive training in SBIRT with opportunities for practice and feedback may be necessary for residents to consistently apply SBIRT skills in practice. EHR tools need to be better integrated into the clinic workflow in order to be useful.

Electronic publishing and information handling: Plenty of roses, but also some thorns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heck, André

The current dramatic evolution in information technology is bringing major modifications in the way scientists communicate. The concept of 'electronic publishing' is too restrictive and has often different, sometimes conflicting, interpretations. It is giving way to the broader notion of 'electronic information handling' encompassing the diverse types of information, the different media, as well as the various communication methodologies and technologies. New problems and challenges result also from this new information culture, especially on legal, ethical, and educational grounds. The procedures for validating 'published material' and for evaluating scientific activities will have to be adjusted too. 'Fluid' information is becoming an omnipresent reality. Electronic publishing cannot be conceived without link to knowledge bases and information resources, nor without intelligent information retrieval tools.

Global application of disorders of sex development-related electronic resources: e-learning, e-consultation and e-information sharing.

PubMed

Muscarella, Miriam; Kranenburg-van Koppen, Laura; Grijpink-van den Biggelaar, Kalinka; Drop, Stenvert L S

2014-01-01

The past 20 years have seen proliferation of electronic (e) resources that promote improved understanding of disorders of sex development (DSD): e-learning for physicians and trainees, e-consultation between clinicians, and e-information for families and affected individuals. Recent e-learning advances have emerged from the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology's online learning portal for current physicians and trainees. Developed with attention to developing clinical competencies incorporating learning theory, and presenting material that represents international best practice, this e-learning portal offers advances in training, making information more accessible for clinicians and trainees. Multiple levels of instruction, authentic case examples, collaborative forums for physicians and trainees, individualized feedback and user-friendly tools represent advances in trainee and physician learning that can take place in any location. e-consultation is an emerging tool that aims to connect physicians with specialists experienced in DSD care. Although it faces logistical challenges, e-consultation carries the potential to improve DSD care, especially in remote areas with limited access to DSD specialists. e-information for families and patients of all ages is widely accessible online, often with focus on DSD biology, medical care, and psychological and social support. e-information tools aid self-management and support of those affected by DSD. Efforts to improve these resources should aim to map information to individual users, incorporate optimally clear nomenclature, and continue as a 'shared enterprise' of clinicians, affected individuals, families and researchers. Improving the quality of DSD-related e-learning and e-information and developing e-consultation carries the potential to transform DSD care and support for patients, families and physicians worldwide. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The Evolution of Discovery Systems in Academic Libraries: A Case Study at the University of Houston Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guajardo, Richard; Brett, Kelsey; Young, Frederick

2017-01-01

For the past several years academic libraries have been adopting discovery systems to provide a search experience that reflects user expectations and improves access to electronic resources. University of Houston Libraries has kept pace with this evolving trend by pursuing various discovery options; these include an open-source tool, a federated…

Google It!: Urban Community College Students' Use of the Internet to Obtain Self-Care and Personal Health Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rennis, Lesley; McNamara, Gloria; Seidel, Erica; Shneyderman, Yuliya

2015-01-01

Background: As electronic resources increasingly play a major role in consumer health, eHealth literacy has emerged as a valuable tool to improve and enhance health knowledge and behavior. Yet for some populations, access to health information alone does not lead to better health practices or outcomes. Low income populations increasingly rely on…

A first evaluation of a pedagogical network for medical students at the University Hospital of Rennes.

PubMed

Fresnel, A; Jarno, P; Burgun, A; Delamarre, D; Denier, P; Cleret, M; Courtin, C; Seka, L P; Pouliquen, B; Cléran, L; Riou, C; Leduff, F; Lesaux, H; Duvauferrier, R; Le Beux, P

1998-01-01

A pedagogical network has been developed at University Hospital of Rennes from 1996. The challenge is to give medical information and informatics tools to all medical students in the clinical wards of the University Hospital. At first, nine wards were connected to the medical school server which is linked to the Internet. Client software electronic mail and WWW Netscape on Macintosh computers. Sever software is set up on Unix SUN providing a local homepage with selected pedagogical resources. These documents are stored in a DBMS database ORACLE and queries can be provided by specialty, authors or disease. The students can access a set of interactive teaching programs or electronic textbooks and can explore the Internet through the library information system and search engines. The teachers can send URL and indexation of pedagogical documents and can produce clinical cases: the database updating will be done by the users. This experience of using Web tools generated enthusiasm when we first introduced it to students. The evaluation shows that if the students can use this training early on, they will adapt the resources of the Internet to their own needs.

The use of quality benchmarking in assessing web resources for the dermatology virtual branch library of the National electronic Library for Health (NeLH).

PubMed

Kamel Boulos, M N; Roudsari, A V; Gordon, C; Muir Gray, J A

2001-01-01

In 1998, the U.K. National Health Service Information for Health Strategy proposed the implementation of a National electronic Library for Health to provide clinicians, healthcare managers and planners, patients and the public with easy, round the clock access to high quality, up-to-date electronic information on health and healthcare. The Virtual Branch Libraries are among the most important components of the National electronic Library for Health. They aim at creating online knowledge based communities, each concerned with some specific clinical and other health-related topics. This study is about the envisaged Dermatology Virtual Branch Libraries of the National electronic Library for Health. It aims at selecting suitable dermatology Web resources for inclusion in the forthcoming Virtual Branch Libraries after establishing preliminary quality benchmarking rules for this task. Psoriasis, being a common dermatological condition, has been chosen as a starting point. Because quality is a principal concern of the National electronic Library for Health, the study includes a review of the major quality benchmarking systems available today for assessing health-related Web sites. The methodology of developing a quality benchmarking system has been also reviewed. Aided by metasearch Web tools, candidate resources were hand-selected in light of the reviewed benchmarking systems and specific criteria set by the authors. Over 90 professional and patient-oriented Web resources on psoriasis and dermatology in general are suggested for inclusion in the forthcoming Dermatology Virtual Branch Libraries. The idea of an all-in knowledge-hallmarking instrument for the National electronic Library for Health is also proposed based on the reviewed quality benchmarking systems. Skilled, methodical, organized human reviewing, selection and filtering based on well-defined quality appraisal criteria seems likely to be the key ingredient in the envisaged National electronic Library for Health service. Furthermore, by promoting the application of agreed quality guidelines and codes of ethics by all health information providers and not just within the National electronic Library for Health, the overall quality of the Web will improve with time and the Web will ultimately become a reliable and integral part of the care space.

Literature review: Use of commercial films as a teaching resource for health sciences students.

PubMed

Díaz Membrives, Montserrat; Icart Isern, M Teresa; López Matheu, M Carmen

2016-01-01

Analyze some of the characteristics of the publications focused on commercial cinema as a learning tool for university students engaged in health sciences degrees. The review was based on the search of information in three electronic databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL and ERIC. 54 papers were selected and analyzed. Cinema is a commonly used resource; however there is still a lack of studies demonstrating its usefulness and validity. This review is limited on its analysis by the fact that a large number of experiences are described as having a loose design. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The UCSC genome browser: what every molecular biologist should know.

PubMed

Mangan, Mary E; Williams, Jennifer M; Kuhn, Robert M; Lathe, Warren C

2009-10-01

Electronic data resources can enable molecular biologists to query and display many useful features that make benchwork more efficient and drive new discoveries. The UCSC Genome Browser provides a wealth of data and tools that advance one's understanding of genomic context for many species, enable detailed understanding of data, and provide the ability to interrogate regions of interest. Researchers can also supplement the standard display with their own data to query and share with others. Effective use of these resources has become crucial to biological research today, and this unit describes some practical applications of the UCSC Genome Browser.

Ergonomics in the electronic library.

PubMed Central

Thibodeau, P L; Melamut, S J

1995-01-01

New technologies are changing the face of information services and how those services are delivered. Libraries spend a great deal of time planning the hardware and software implementations of electronic information services, but the human factors are often overlooked. Computers and electronic tools have changed the nature of many librarians' daily work, creating new problems, including stress, fatigue, and cumulative trauma disorders. Ergonomic issues need to be considered when designing or redesigning facilities for electronic resources and services. Libraries can prevent some of the common problems that appear in the digital workplace by paying attention to basic ergonomic issues when designing workstations and work areas. Proper monitor placement, lighting, workstation setup, and seating prevent many of the common occupational problems associated with computers. Staff training will further reduce the likelihood of ergonomic problems in the electronic workplace. PMID:7581189

Electronic Risk Assessment System as an Appropriate Tool for the Prevention of Cancer: a Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Javan Amoli, Amir Hossein; Maserat, Elham; Safdari, Reza; Zali, Mohammad Reza

2015-01-01

Decision making modalities for screening for many cancer conditions and different stages have become increasingly complex. Computer-based risk assessment systems facilitate scheduling and decision making and support the delivery of cancer screening services. The aim of this article was to survey electronic risk assessment system as an appropriate tool for the prevention of cancer. A qualitative design was used involving 21 face-to-face interviews. Interviewing involved asking questions and getting answers from exclusive managers of cancer screening. Of the participants 6 were female and 15 were male, and ages ranged from 32 to 78 years. The study was based on a grounded theory approach and the tool was a semi- structured interview. Researchers studied 5 dimensions, comprising electronic guideline standards of colorectal cancer screening, work flow of clinical and genetic activities, pathways of colorectal cancer screening and functionality of computer based guidelines and barriers. Electronic guideline standards of colorectal cancer screening were described in the s3 categories of content standard, telecommunications and technical standards and nomenclature and classification standards. According to the participations' views, workflow and genetic pathways of colorectal cancer screening were identified. The study demonstrated an effective role of computer-guided consultation for screening management. Electronic based systems facilitate real-time decision making during a clinical interaction. Electronic pathways have been applied for clinical and genetic decision support, workflow management, update recommendation and resource estimates. A suitable technical and clinical infrastructure is an integral part of clinical practice guidline of screening. As a conclusion, it is recommended to consider the necessity of architecture assessment and also integration standards.

Do surveys with paper and electronic devices differ in quality and cost? Experience from the Rufiji Health and demographic surveillance system in Tanzania.

PubMed

Mukasa, Oscar; Mushi, Hildegalda P; Maire, Nicolas; Ross, Amanda; de Savigny, Don

2017-01-01

Data entry at the point of collection using mobile electronic devices may make data-handling processes more efficient and cost-effective, but there is little literature to document and quantify gains, especially for longitudinal surveillance systems. To examine the potential of mobile electronic devices compared with paper-based tools in health data collection. Using data from 961 households from the Rufiji Household and Demographic Survey in Tanzania, the quality and costs of data collected on paper forms and electronic devices were compared. We also documented, using qualitative approaches, field workers, whom we called 'enumerators', and households' members on the use of both methods. Existing administrative records were combined with logistics expenditure measured directly from comparison households to approximate annual costs per 1,000 households surveyed. Errors were detected in 17% (166) of households for the paper records and 2% (15) for the electronic records (p < 0.001). There were differences in the types of errors (p = 0.03). Of the errors occurring, a higher proportion were due to accuracy in paper surveys (79%, 95% CI: 72%, 86%) compared with electronic surveys (58%, 95% CI: 29%, 87%). Errors in electronic surveys were more likely to be related to completeness (32%, 95% CI 12%, 56%) than in paper surveys (11%, 95% CI: 7%, 17%).The median duration of the interviews ('enumeration'), per household was 9.4 minutes (90% central range 6.4, 12.2) for paper and 8.3 (6.1, 12.0) for electronic surveys (p = 0.001). Surveys using electronic tools, compared with paper-based tools, were less costly by 28% for recurrent and 19% for total costs. Although there were technical problems with electronic devices, there was good acceptance of both methods by enumerators and members of the community. Our findings support the use of mobile electronic devices for large-scale longitudinal surveys in resource-limited settings.

THE CELL CENTERED DATABASE PROJECT: AN UPDATE ON BUILDING COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR MANAGING AND SHARING 3D IMAGING DATA

PubMed Central

Martone, Maryann E.; Tran, Joshua; Wong, Willy W.; Sargis, Joy; Fong, Lisa; Larson, Stephen; Lamont, Stephan P.; Gupta, Amarnath; Ellisman, Mark H.

2008-01-01

Databases have become integral parts of data management, dissemination and mining in biology. At the Second Annual Conference on Electron Tomography, held in Amsterdam in 2001, we proposed that electron tomography data should be shared in a manner analogous to structural data at the protein and sequence scales. At that time, we outlined our progress in creating a database to bring together cell level imaging data across scales, The Cell Centered Database (CCDB). The CCDB was formally launched in 2002 as an on-line repository of high-resolution 3D light and electron microscopic reconstructions of cells and subcellular structures. It contains 2D, 3D and 4D structural and protein distribution information from confocal, multiphoton and electron microscopy, including correlated light and electron microscopy. Many of the data sets are derived from electron tomography of cells and tissues. In the five years since its debut, we have moved the CCDB from a prototype to a stable resource and expanded the scope of the project to include data management and knowledge engineering. Here we provide an update on the CCDB and how it is used by the scientific community. We also describe our work in developing additional knowledge tools, e.g., ontologies, for annotation and query of electron microscopic data. PMID:18054501

Pedagogical Utilization and Assessment of the Statistic Online Computational Resource in Introductory Probability and Statistics Courses.

PubMed

Dinov, Ivo D; Sanchez, Juana; Christou, Nicolas

2008-01-01

Technology-based instruction represents a new recent pedagogical paradigm that is rooted in the realization that new generations are much more comfortable with, and excited about, new technologies. The rapid technological advancement over the past decade has fueled an enormous demand for the integration of modern networking, informational and computational tools with classical pedagogical instruments. Consequently, teaching with technology typically involves utilizing a variety of IT and multimedia resources for online learning, course management, electronic course materials, and novel tools of communication, engagement, experimental, critical thinking and assessment.The NSF-funded Statistics Online Computational Resource (SOCR) provides a number of interactive tools for enhancing instruction in various undergraduate and graduate courses in probability and statistics. These resources include online instructional materials, statistical calculators, interactive graphical user interfaces, computational and simulation applets, tools for data analysis and visualization. The tools provided as part of SOCR include conceptual simulations and statistical computing interfaces, which are designed to bridge between the introductory and the more advanced computational and applied probability and statistics courses. In this manuscript, we describe our designs for utilizing SOCR technology in instruction in a recent study. In addition, present the results of the effectiveness of using SOCR tools at two different course intensity levels on three outcome measures: exam scores, student satisfaction and choice of technology to complete assignments. Learning styles assessment was completed at baseline. We have used three very different designs for three different undergraduate classes. Each course included a treatment group, using the SOCR resources, and a control group, using classical instruction techniques. Our findings include marginal effects of the SOCR treatment per individual classes; however, pooling the results across all courses and sections, SOCR effects on the treatment groups were exceptionally robust and significant. Coupling these findings with a clear decrease in the variance of the quantitative examination measures in the treatment groups indicates that employing technology, like SOCR, in a sound pedagogical and scientific manner enhances overall the students' understanding and suggests better long-term knowledge retention.

Pedagogical Utilization and Assessment of the Statistic Online Computational Resource in Introductory Probability and Statistics Courses

PubMed Central

Dinov, Ivo D.; Sanchez, Juana; Christou, Nicolas

2009-01-01

Technology-based instruction represents a new recent pedagogical paradigm that is rooted in the realization that new generations are much more comfortable with, and excited about, new technologies. The rapid technological advancement over the past decade has fueled an enormous demand for the integration of modern networking, informational and computational tools with classical pedagogical instruments. Consequently, teaching with technology typically involves utilizing a variety of IT and multimedia resources for online learning, course management, electronic course materials, and novel tools of communication, engagement, experimental, critical thinking and assessment. The NSF-funded Statistics Online Computational Resource (SOCR) provides a number of interactive tools for enhancing instruction in various undergraduate and graduate courses in probability and statistics. These resources include online instructional materials, statistical calculators, interactive graphical user interfaces, computational and simulation applets, tools for data analysis and visualization. The tools provided as part of SOCR include conceptual simulations and statistical computing interfaces, which are designed to bridge between the introductory and the more advanced computational and applied probability and statistics courses. In this manuscript, we describe our designs for utilizing SOCR technology in instruction in a recent study. In addition, present the results of the effectiveness of using SOCR tools at two different course intensity levels on three outcome measures: exam scores, student satisfaction and choice of technology to complete assignments. Learning styles assessment was completed at baseline. We have used three very different designs for three different undergraduate classes. Each course included a treatment group, using the SOCR resources, and a control group, using classical instruction techniques. Our findings include marginal effects of the SOCR treatment per individual classes; however, pooling the results across all courses and sections, SOCR effects on the treatment groups were exceptionally robust and significant. Coupling these findings with a clear decrease in the variance of the quantitative examination measures in the treatment groups indicates that employing technology, like SOCR, in a sound pedagogical and scientific manner enhances overall the students’ understanding and suggests better long-term knowledge retention. PMID:19750185

[Resources of information in the field of bioethics in Italy: survey of the present state and perspectives].

PubMed

Della Seta, Maurella; Sellitri, Cinzia

2004-01-01

The research project "Collection and dissemination of bioethical information through an integrated electronic system", started in 2001 by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), had among its objectives, the realization of an integrated system for data collection and exchange of documents related to bioethics. The system should act as a reference tool for those research activities impacting on citizens' health and welfare. This paper aims at presenting some initiatives, developed in the project framework, in order to establish an Italian documentation network, among which: a) exchange of ISS publications with Italian institutions active in this field; b) survey through a questionnaire aimed at assessing Italian informative resources, state-of-the-art and holdings of documentation centres and ethical committees; c) Italian Internet resources analysis. The results of the survey, together with the analysis of web sites, show that at present in Italy there are many interesting initiatives for collecting and spreading of documentation in the bioethical fields, but there is an urgent need for an integration of such resources. Ethical committees generally speaking need a larger availability of documents, while there are good potentialities for the establishment of an electronic network for document retrieval and delivery.

21st Century Literacies in Teacher Education: Investigating Multimodal Texts in the Context of an Online Graduate-Level Literacy and Technology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karchmer-Klein, Rachel; Shinas, Valerie Harlow

2012-01-01

This study investigated the modes, semiotic resources, and intersemiotic relationships present in the design of multimodal electronic texts. The participants comprised 10 women and 2 men, who were enrolled in a graduate-level course focused on multimodality and who used a virtual poster tool to respond to a classroom assignment. Content analysis…

Mineral resource of the month: cobalt

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shedd, Kim B.

2009-01-01

Cobalt is a metal used in numerous commercial, industrial and military applications. On a global basis, the leading use of cobalt is in rechargeable lithium-ion, nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride battery electrodes. Cobalt use has grown rapidly since the early 1990s, with the development of new battery technologies and an increase in demand for portable electronics such as cell phones, laptop computers and cordless power tools.

All We Do Is Chat Chat: Social Networking for the Electronic Resources Librarian

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emery, Jill

2008-01-01

Social networking tools have been getting quite a bit of press in libraryland for the past couple of years. It is considered to be one of the key aspects of a library joining what is referred to as the Library 2.0 movement. In this context, social networking is seen as a library service or library outreach mechanism that utilizes popular social…

High-performance scientific computing in the cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jorissen, Kevin; Vila, Fernando; Rehr, John

2011-03-01

Cloud computing has the potential to open up high-performance computational science to a much broader class of researchers, owing to its ability to provide on-demand, virtualized computational resources. However, before such approaches can become commonplace, user-friendly tools must be developed that hide the unfamiliar cloud environment and streamline the management of cloud resources for many scientific applications. We have recently shown that high-performance cloud computing is feasible for parallelized x-ray spectroscopy calculations. We now present benchmark results for a wider selection of scientific applications focusing on electronic structure and spectroscopic simulation software in condensed matter physics. These applications are driven by an improved portable interface that can manage virtual clusters and run various applications in the cloud. We also describe a next generation of cluster tools, aimed at improved performance and a more robust cluster deployment. Supported by NSF grant OCI-1048052.

Iterative user centered design for development of a patient-centered fall prevention toolkit.

PubMed

Katsulis, Zachary; Ergai, Awatef; Leung, Wai Yin; Schenkel, Laura; Rai, Amisha; Adelman, Jason; Benneyan, James; Bates, David W; Dykes, Patricia C

2016-09-01

Due to the large number of falls that occur in hospital settings, inpatient fall prevention is a topic of great interest to patients and health care providers. The use of electronic decision support that tailors fall prevention strategy to patient-specific risk factors, known as Fall T.I.P.S (Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety), has proven to be an effective approach for decreasing hospital falls. A paper version of the Fall T.I.P.S toolkit was developed primarily for hospitals that do not have the resources to implement the electronic solution; however, more work is needed to optimize the effectiveness of the paper version of this tool. We examined the use of human factors techniques in the redesign of the existing paper fall prevention tool with the goal of increasing ease of use and decreasing inpatient falls. The inclusion of patients and clinical staff in the redesign of the existing tool was done to increase adoption of the tool and fall prevention best practices. The redesigned paper Fall T.I.P.S toolkit showcased a built in clinical decision support system and increased ease of use over the existing version. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

cryoem-cloud-tools: A software platform to deploy and manage cryo-EM jobs in the cloud.

PubMed

Cianfrocco, Michael A; Lahiri, Indrajit; DiMaio, Frank; Leschziner, Andres E

2018-06-01

Access to streamlined computational resources remains a significant bottleneck for new users of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). To address this, we have developed tools that will submit cryo-EM analysis routines and atomic model building jobs directly to Amazon Web Services (AWS) from a local computer or laptop. These new software tools ("cryoem-cloud-tools") have incorporated optimal data movement, security, and cost-saving strategies, giving novice users access to complex cryo-EM data processing pipelines. Integrating these tools into the RELION processing pipeline and graphical user interface we determined a 2.2 Å structure of ß-galactosidase in ∼55 hours on AWS. We implemented a similar strategy to submit Rosetta atomic model building and refinement to AWS. These software tools dramatically reduce the barrier for entry of new users to cloud computing for cryo-EM and are freely available at cryoem-tools.cloud. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

How Confounder Strength Can Affect Allocation of Resources in Electronic Health Records.

PubMed

Lynch, Kristine E; Whitcomb, Brian W; DuVall, Scott L

2018-01-01

When electronic health record (EHR) data are used, multiple approaches may be available for measuring the same variable, introducing potentially confounding factors. While additional information may be gleaned and residual confounding reduced through resource-intensive assessment methods such as natural language processing (NLP), whether the added benefits offset the added cost of the additional resources is not straightforward. We evaluated the implications of misclassification of a confounder when using EHRs. Using a combination of simulations and real data surrounding hospital readmission, we considered smoking as a potential confounder. We compared ICD-9 diagnostic code assignment, which is an easily available measure but has the possibility of substantial misclassification of smoking status, with NLP, a method of determining smoking status that more expensive and time-consuming than ICD-9 code assignment but has less potential for misclassification. Classification of smoking status with NLP consistently produced less residual confounding than the use of ICD-9 codes; however, when minimal confounding was present, differences between the approaches were small. When considerable confounding is present, investing in a superior measurement tool becomes advantageous.

Ethical considerations in the conduct of electronic surveillance research.

PubMed

Bharucha, Ashok J; London, Alex John; Barnard, David; Wactlar, Howard; Dew, Mary Amanda; Reynolds, Charles F

2006-01-01

The extant clinical literature indicates profound problems in the assessment, monitoring, and documentation of care in long-term care facilities. The lack of adequate resources to accommodate higher staff-to-resident ratios adds additional urgency to the goal of identifying more cost-effective mechanisms to provide care oversight. The ever expanding array of electronic monitoring technologies in the clinical research arena demands a conceptual and pragmatic framework for the resolution of ethical tensions inherent in the use of such innovative tools. CareMedia is a project that explores the utility of video, audio and sensor technologies as a continuous real-time assessment and outcomes measurement tool. In this paper, the authors describe the seminal ethical challenges encountered during the implementation phase of this project, namely privacy and confidentiality protection, and the strategies employed to resolve the ethical tensions by applying principles of the interest theory of rights.

The Pocket Psychiatrist: Tools to enhance psychiatry education in family medicine.

PubMed

Bass, Deanna; Brandenburg, Dana; Danner, Christine

2015-01-01

Primary care is the setting where the majority of patients seek assistance for their mental health problems. To assist family medicine residents in providing effective care to patients for mental health problems during residency and after graduation, it is essential they receive training in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of common mental health conditions. While there is some limited education time with a psychiatrist in our department, residents need tools and resources that provide education during their continuity clinics even when the psychiatrist is not available. Information on two tools that were developed is provided. These tools include teaching residents a brief method for conducting a psychiatric interview as well as a means to access evidence-based information on diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions through templates available within our electronic medical record. © The Author(s) 2015.

Continuous wave superconducting radio frequency electron linac for nuclear physics research

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

Reece, Charles E.

CEBAF, the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility, has been actively serving the nuclear physics research community as a unique forefront international resource since 1995. This cw electron linear accelerator (linac) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) has continued to evolve as a precision tool for discerning the structure and dynamics within nuclei. Superconducting rf (SRF) technology has been the essential foundation for CEBAF, first as a 4 GeV machine, then 6 GeV, and currently capable of 12 GeV. Lastly, we review the development, implementation, and performance of SRF systems for CEBAF from itsmore » early beginnings to the commissioning of the 12 GeV era.« less

Visualization of CDA laboratory reports and long term trends as a possible EHR application for patients and physicians.

PubMed

Obenaus, Manuel; Burgsteiner, Harald

2014-01-01

To increase the patient's acceptance of electronic health records and understanding for their laboratory findings a web application was developed which presents all parameters and possible deviations of standard values in a clear way and visualizes the time based trend of all recorded parameters graphically. Documents corresponding to the Clinical document architecture (CDA) R2 laboratory reports standard and a rapid prototyping framework called Groovy on Grails were used. This work shows, that it is possible to create a useful, standards based tool for patients and physicians with comparatively few resources - an application that could be in similar form a part of an electronic Health Record (EHR) system like the Austrian electronic Health Record (ELGA).

Continuous wave superconducting radio frequency electron linac for nuclear physics research

DOE PAGES

Reece, Charles E.

2016-12-28

CEBAF, the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility, has been actively serving the nuclear physics research community as a unique forefront international resource since 1995. This cw electron linear accelerator (linac) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) has continued to evolve as a precision tool for discerning the structure and dynamics within nuclei. Superconducting rf (SRF) technology has been the essential foundation for CEBAF, first as a 4 GeV machine, then 6 GeV, and currently capable of 12 GeV. Lastly, we review the development, implementation, and performance of SRF systems for CEBAF from itsmore » early beginnings to the commissioning of the 12 GeV era.« less

Cooperative business management strategies for the U.S. integrated textile complex

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

Washington, K.E.

1995-12-31

The mission of the American Textile (AMTEX{trademark}) Partnership is to engage the unique technical resources of the Department of Energy National Laboratories to work with the US Integrated Textile Complex (US ITC) and research universities to develop and deploy technologies that will increase the competitiveness of the US ITC. The objectives of the Demand Activated Manufacturing Architecture (DAMA) project of AMTEX are: (1) to determine strategic business structure changes for the US ITC; (2) to establish a textile industry electronic marketplace, (3) to provide methods for US ITC education ad implementation of an electronic marketplace. The Enterprise Modeling and Simulationmore » Task of DAMA is focusing on the first DAMA goal as described in another paper of this conference. The Cooperative Business Management (CBM) Task of DAMA is developing computer-based tools that will render system-wide information accessible for improved decision making. Three CBM strategies and the associated computer tools being developed to support their implementation are described in this paper. This effort is addressing the second DAMA goal to establish a textile industry electronic marketplace in concert with the Connectivity and Infrastructure Task of DAMA. As the CBM tools mature, they will be commercialized through the DAMA Education, Outreach and Commercialization Task of DAMA to achieve the third and final DAMA goal.« less

Trialling an electronic decision aid for policy developers to support ageing well.

PubMed

Cummings, Elizabeth; Ellis, Leonie; Tin, Eh Eh; Boyer, Kim; Orpin, Peter

2015-01-01

The complex process of developing policies and planning services requires the compilation and collation of evidence from multiple sources. With the increasing numbers of people living longer there will be a high demand for a wide range of aged care services to support people in ageing well. The premise of ageing well is based on providing an ageing population with quality care and resources that support their ongoing needs. These include affordable healthcare, end of life care improvement, mental health services improvement, care and support improvement for people with dementia, and support for healthy ageing. The National Health and Medical Research Council funded a research project to develop a policy tool to provide a framework to assist policy makers and service planners in the area of ageing well in rural and regional Australia. It was identified that development of an electronic version of the policy tool could be useful resulting in a small pilot development being undertaken and tested with policy makers and service planners. This paper describes the development and trialling of a tablet based application used to assess the acceptability of computerised forms for participants actively involved in policy development. It reports on the policy developer's experience of the electronic tool to support ageing well policy making based on evidence.

Evaluating a computer aid for assessing stomach symptoms (ECASS): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Moore, Helen J; Nixon, Catherine; Tariq, Anisah; Emery, Jon; Hamilton, Willie; Hoare, Zoë; Kershenbaum, Anne; Neal, Richard D; Ukoumunne, Obioha C; Usher-Smith, Juliet; Walter, Fiona M; Whyte, Sophie; Rubin, Greg

2016-04-04

For most cancers, only a minority of patients have symptoms meeting the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance for urgent referral. For gastro-oesophageal cancers, the 'alarm' symptoms of dysphagia and weight loss are reported by only 32 and 8 % of patients, respectively, and their presence correlates with advanced-stage disease. Electronic clinical decision-support tools that integrate with clinical computer systems have been developed for general practice, although uncertainty remains concerning their effectiveness. The objectives of this trial are to optimise the intervention and establish the acceptability of both the intervention and randomisation, confirm the suitability and selection of outcome measures, finalise the design for the phase III definitive trial, and obtain preliminary estimates of the intervention effect. This is a two-arm, multi-centre, cluster-randomised, controlled phase II trial design, which will extend over a 16-month period, across 60 general practices within the North East and North Cumbria and the Eastern Local Clinical Research Network areas. Practices will be randomised to receive either the intervention (the electronic clinical decision-support tool) or to act as a control (usual care). From these practices, we will recruit 3000 adults who meet the trial eligibility criteria and present to their GP with symptoms suggestive of gastro-oesophageal cancer. The main measures are the process data, which include the practitioner outcomes, service outcomes, diagnostic intervals, health economic outcomes, and patient outcomes. One-on-one interviews in a sub-sample of 30 patient-GP dyads will be undertaken to understand the impact of the use or non-use of the electronic clinical decision-support tool in the consultation. A further 10-15 GPs will be interviewed to identify and gain an understanding of the facilitators and constraints influencing implementation of the electronic clinical decision-support tool in practice. We aim to generate new knowledge on the process measures regarding the use of electronic clinical decision-support tools in primary care in general and to inform a subsequent definitive phase III trial. Preliminary data on the impact of the support tool on resource utilisation and health care costs will also be collected. ISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN12595588 .

iTools: a framework for classification, categorization and integration of computational biology resources.

PubMed

Dinov, Ivo D; Rubin, Daniel; Lorensen, William; Dugan, Jonathan; Ma, Jeff; Murphy, Shawn; Kirschner, Beth; Bug, William; Sherman, Michael; Floratos, Aris; Kennedy, David; Jagadish, H V; Schmidt, Jeanette; Athey, Brian; Califano, Andrea; Musen, Mark; Altman, Russ; Kikinis, Ron; Kohane, Isaac; Delp, Scott; Parker, D Stott; Toga, Arthur W

2008-05-28

The advancement of the computational biology field hinges on progress in three fundamental directions--the development of new computational algorithms, the availability of informatics resource management infrastructures and the capability of tools to interoperate and synergize. There is an explosion in algorithms and tools for computational biology, which makes it difficult for biologists to find, compare and integrate such resources. We describe a new infrastructure, iTools, for managing the query, traversal and comparison of diverse computational biology resources. Specifically, iTools stores information about three types of resources--data, software tools and web-services. The iTools design, implementation and resource meta-data content reflect the broad research, computational, applied and scientific expertise available at the seven National Centers for Biomedical Computing. iTools provides a system for classification, categorization and integration of different computational biology resources across space-and-time scales, biomedical problems, computational infrastructures and mathematical foundations. A large number of resources are already iTools-accessible to the community and this infrastructure is rapidly growing. iTools includes human and machine interfaces to its resource meta-data repository. Investigators or computer programs may utilize these interfaces to search, compare, expand, revise and mine meta-data descriptions of existent computational biology resources. We propose two ways to browse and display the iTools dynamic collection of resources. The first one is based on an ontology of computational biology resources, and the second one is derived from hyperbolic projections of manifolds or complex structures onto planar discs. iTools is an open source project both in terms of the source code development as well as its meta-data content. iTools employs a decentralized, portable, scalable and lightweight framework for long-term resource management. We demonstrate several applications of iTools as a framework for integrated bioinformatics. iTools and the complete details about its specifications, usage and interfaces are available at the iTools web page http://iTools.ccb.ucla.edu.

The Ethics of Rationing of Critical Care Services: Should Technology Assessment Play a Role?

PubMed Central

Bloomfield, Eric L.

2009-01-01

The costs of health care continue to increase rapidly and steeply in the United States. One area of great expense is that of intensive care units (ICUs). The causes of inflation have not been addressed effectively. ICU resources could become stretched such that they may no longer be available. This paper discusses some of the ethics and concerns behind decision making when providing ICU services in the United States. In particular, the use of electronic records with decision making tools, risk-analysis methods, and documentation of patient wishes for extraordinary care may help with better utilization of resources in the future. PMID:20798878

The UCSC Genome Browser: What Every Molecular Biologist Should Know

PubMed Central

Mangan, Mary E.; Williams, Jennifer M.; Kuhn, Robert M.; Lathe, Warren C.

2016-01-01

Electronic data resources can enable molecular biologists to query and display many useful features that make benchwork more efficient and drive new discoveries. The UCSC Genome Browser provides a wealth of data and tools that advance one’s understanding of genomic context for many species, enable detailed understanding of data, and provide the ability to interrogate regions of interest. Researchers can also supplement the standard display with their own data to query and share with others. Effective use of these resources has become crucial to biological research today, and this unit describes some practical applications of the UCSC Genome Browser. PMID:19816931

Managing research and surveillance projects in real-time with a novel open-source eManagement tool designed for under-resourced countries.

PubMed

Steiner, Andreas; Hella, Jerry; Grüninger, Servan; Mhalu, Grace; Mhimbira, Francis; Cercamondi, Colin I; Doulla, Basra; Maire, Nicolas; Fenner, Lukas

2016-09-01

A software tool is developed to facilitate data entry and to monitor research projects in under-resourced countries in real-time. The eManagement tool "odk_planner" is written in the scripting languages PHP and Python. The odk_planner is lightweight and uses minimal internet resources. It was designed to be used with the open source software Open Data Kit (ODK). The users can easily configure odk_planner to meet their needs, and the online interface displays data collected from ODK forms in a graphically informative way. The odk_planner also allows users to upload pictures and laboratory results and sends text messages automatically. User-defined access rights protect data and privacy. We present examples from four field applications in Tanzania successfully using the eManagement tool: 1) clinical trial; 2) longitudinal Tuberculosis (TB) Cohort Study with a complex visit schedule, where it was used to graphically display missing case report forms, upload digitalized X-rays, and send text message reminders to patients; 3) intervention study to improve TB case detection, carried out at pharmacies: a tablet-based electronic referral system monitored referred patients, and sent automated messages to remind pharmacy clients to visit a TB Clinic; and 4) TB retreatment case monitoring designed to improve drug resistance surveillance: clinicians at four public TB clinics and lab technicians at the TB reference laboratory used a smartphone-based application that tracked sputum samples, and collected clinical and laboratory data. The user friendly, open source odk_planner is a simple, but multi-functional, Web-based eManagement tool with add-ons that helps researchers conduct studies in under-resourced countries. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

iTools: A Framework for Classification, Categorization and Integration of Computational Biology Resources

PubMed Central

Dinov, Ivo D.; Rubin, Daniel; Lorensen, William; Dugan, Jonathan; Ma, Jeff; Murphy, Shawn; Kirschner, Beth; Bug, William; Sherman, Michael; Floratos, Aris; Kennedy, David; Jagadish, H. V.; Schmidt, Jeanette; Athey, Brian; Califano, Andrea; Musen, Mark; Altman, Russ; Kikinis, Ron; Kohane, Isaac; Delp, Scott; Parker, D. Stott; Toga, Arthur W.

2008-01-01

The advancement of the computational biology field hinges on progress in three fundamental directions – the development of new computational algorithms, the availability of informatics resource management infrastructures and the capability of tools to interoperate and synergize. There is an explosion in algorithms and tools for computational biology, which makes it difficult for biologists to find, compare and integrate such resources. We describe a new infrastructure, iTools, for managing the query, traversal and comparison of diverse computational biology resources. Specifically, iTools stores information about three types of resources–data, software tools and web-services. The iTools design, implementation and resource meta - data content reflect the broad research, computational, applied and scientific expertise available at the seven National Centers for Biomedical Computing. iTools provides a system for classification, categorization and integration of different computational biology resources across space-and-time scales, biomedical problems, computational infrastructures and mathematical foundations. A large number of resources are already iTools-accessible to the community and this infrastructure is rapidly growing. iTools includes human and machine interfaces to its resource meta-data repository. Investigators or computer programs may utilize these interfaces to search, compare, expand, revise and mine meta-data descriptions of existent computational biology resources. We propose two ways to browse and display the iTools dynamic collection of resources. The first one is based on an ontology of computational biology resources, and the second one is derived from hyperbolic projections of manifolds or complex structures onto planar discs. iTools is an open source project both in terms of the source code development as well as its meta-data content. iTools employs a decentralized, portable, scalable and lightweight framework for long-term resource management. We demonstrate several applications of iTools as a framework for integrated bioinformatics. iTools and the complete details about its specifications, usage and interfaces are available at the iTools web page http://iTools.ccb.ucla.edu. PMID:18509477

Practical choices for infobutton customization: experience from four sites.

PubMed

Cimino, James J; Overby, Casey L; Devine, Emily B; Hulse, Nathan C; Jing, Xia; Maviglia, Saverio M; Del Fiol, Guilherme

2013-01-01

Context-aware links between electronic health records (EHRs) and online knowledge resources, commonly called "infobuttons" are being used increasingly as part of EHR "meaningful use" requirements. While an HL7 standard exists for specifying how the links should be constructed, there is no guidance on what links to construct. Collectively, the authors manage four infobutton systems that serve 16 institutions. The purpose of this paper is to publish our experience with linking various resources and specifying particular criteria that can be used by infobutton managers to select resources that are most relevant for a given situation. This experience can be used directly by those wishing to customize their own EHRs, for example by using the OpenInfobutton infobutton manager and its configuration tool, the Librarian Infobutton Tailoring Environment.

Infrastructures for Distributed Computing: the case of BESIII

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pellegrino, J.

2018-05-01

The BESIII is an electron-positron collision experiment hosted at BEPCII in Beijing and aimed to investigate Tau-Charm physics. Now BESIII has been running for several years and gathered more than 1PB raw data. In order to analyze these data and perform massive Monte Carlo simulations, a large amount of computing and storage resources is needed. The distributed computing system is based up on DIRAC and it is in production since 2012. It integrates computing and storage resources from different institutes and a variety of resource types such as cluster, grid, cloud or volunteer computing. About 15 sites from BESIII Collaboration from all over the world joined this distributed computing infrastructure, giving a significant contribution to the IHEP computing facility. Nowadays cloud computing is playing a key role in the HEP computing field, due to its scalability and elasticity. Cloud infrastructures take advantages of several tools, such as VMDirac, to manage virtual machines through cloud managers according to the job requirements. With the virtually unlimited resources from commercial clouds, the computing capacity could scale accordingly in order to deal with any burst demands. General computing models have been discussed in the talk and are addressed herewith, with particular focus on the BESIII infrastructure. Moreover new computing tools and upcoming infrastructures will be addressed.

The Use of Quality Benchmarking in Assessing Web Resources for the Dermatology Virtual Branch Library of the National electronic Library for Health (NeLH)

PubMed Central

Roudsari, AV; Gordon, C; Gray, JA Muir

2001-01-01

Background In 1998, the U.K. National Health Service Information for Health Strategy proposed the implementation of a National electronic Library for Health to provide clinicians, healthcare managers and planners, patients and the public with easy, round the clock access to high quality, up-to-date electronic information on health and healthcare. The Virtual Branch Libraries are among the most important components of the National electronic Library for Health . They aim at creating online knowledge based communities, each concerned with some specific clinical and other health-related topics. Objectives This study is about the envisaged Dermatology Virtual Branch Libraries of the National electronic Library for Health . It aims at selecting suitable dermatology Web resources for inclusion in the forthcoming Virtual Branch Libraries after establishing preliminary quality benchmarking rules for this task. Psoriasis, being a common dermatological condition, has been chosen as a starting point. Methods Because quality is a principal concern of the National electronic Library for Health, the study includes a review of the major quality benchmarking systems available today for assessing health-related Web sites. The methodology of developing a quality benchmarking system has been also reviewed. Aided by metasearch Web tools, candidate resources were hand-selected in light of the reviewed benchmarking systems and specific criteria set by the authors. Results Over 90 professional and patient-oriented Web resources on psoriasis and dermatology in general are suggested for inclusion in the forthcoming Dermatology Virtual Branch Libraries. The idea of an all-in knowledge-hallmarking instrument for the National electronic Library for Health is also proposed based on the reviewed quality benchmarking systems. Conclusions Skilled, methodical, organized human reviewing, selection and filtering based on well-defined quality appraisal criteria seems likely to be the key ingredient in the envisaged National electronic Library for Health service. Furthermore, by promoting the application of agreed quality guidelines and codes of ethics by all health information providers and not just within the National electronic Library for Health, the overall quality of the Web will improve with time and the Web will ultimately become a reliable and integral part of the care space. PMID:11720947

Open-source point-of-care electronic medical records for use in resource-limited settings: systematic review and questionnaire surveys

PubMed Central

Bru, Juan; Berger, Christopher A

2012-01-01

Background Point-of-care electronic medical records (EMRs) are a key tool to manage chronic illness. Several EMRs have been developed for use in treating HIV and tuberculosis, but their applicability to primary care, technical requirements and clinical functionalities are largely unknown. Objectives This study aimed to address the needs of clinicians from resource-limited settings without reliable internet access who are considering adopting an open-source EMR. Study eligibility criteria Open-source point-of-care EMRs suitable for use in areas without reliable internet access. Study appraisal and synthesis methods The authors conducted a comprehensive search of all open-source EMRs suitable for sites without reliable internet access. The authors surveyed clinician users and technical implementers from a single site and technical developers of each software product. The authors evaluated availability, cost and technical requirements. Results The hardware and software for all six systems is easily available, but they vary considerably in proprietary components, installation requirements and customisability. Limitations This study relied solely on self-report from informants who developed and who actively use the included products. Conclusions and implications of key findings Clinical functionalities vary greatly among the systems, and none of the systems yet meet minimum requirements for effective implementation in a primary care resource-limited setting. The safe prescribing of medications is a particular concern with current tools. The dearth of fully functional EMR systems indicates a need for a greater emphasis by global funding agencies to move beyond disease-specific EMR systems and develop a universal open-source health informatics platform. PMID:22763661

NREL: Renewable Resource Data Center - Biomass Resource Models and Tools

Science.gov Websites

Models and Tools The Renewable Resource Data Center (RReDC) features the following biomass models Models & Tools Publications Related Links Geothermal Resource Information Solar Resource Information

Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information: 2002 update

PubMed Central

Wheeler, David L.; Church, Deanna M.; Lash, Alex E.; Leipe, Detlef D.; Madden, Thomas L.; Pontius, Joan U.; Schuler, Gregory D.; Schriml, Lynn M.; Tatusova, Tatiana A.; Wagner, Lukas; Rapp, Barbara A.

2002-01-01

In addition to maintaining the GenBank nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides data analysis and retrieval resources that operate on the data in GenBank and a variety of other biological data made available through NCBI’s web site. NCBI data retrieval resources include Entrez, PubMed, LocusLink and the Taxonomy Browser. Data analysis resources include BLAST, Electronic PCR, OrfFinder, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, Database of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (dbSNP), Human Genome Sequencing, Human MapViewer, Human¡VMouse Homology Map, Cancer Chromosome Aberration Project (CCAP), Entrez Genomes, Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs) database, Retroviral Genotyping Tools, SAGEmap, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB) and the Conserved Domain Database (CDD). Augmenting many of the web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. All of the resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. PMID:11752242

Integrating Diabetes Guidelines into a Telehealth Screening Tool.

PubMed

Gervera, Kelly; Graves, Barbara Ann

2015-01-01

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and contributes to long-term complications that are costly to healthcare systems. Twenty-five percent of all veterans in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) have diabetes. The purpose of this article is to describe the development and implementation of a quality improvement project to embed an evidence-based diabetes screening tool, based on Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense diabetes clinical practice guidelines, into the VHA electronic medical record. The objectives of the screening tool were threefold: to promote evidence-based care, to standardize care coordination, and to promote self-management and proper utilization of resources. Record reviews were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the screening tool. Results showed an 88 percent increase in the assessment of annual exams and/or labs, a 16.5 percent increase in disease management assessment and offering of services, and a 50 percent increase in goal-setting activity.

Developing Electronic Health Record (EHR) Strategies Related to Health Center Patients' Social Determinants of Health.

PubMed

Gold, Rachel; Cottrell, Erika; Bunce, Arwen; Middendorf, Mary; Hollombe, Celine; Cowburn, Stuart; Mahr, Peter; Melgar, Gerardo

2017-01-01

"Social determinants of heath" (SDHs) are nonclinical factors that profoundly affect health. Helping community health centers (CHCs) document patients' SDH data in electronic health records (EHRs) could yield substantial health benefits, but little has been reported about CHCs' development of EHR-based tools for SDH data collection and presentation. We worked with 27 diverse CHC stakeholders to develop strategies for optimizing SDH data collection and presentation in their EHR, and approaches for integrating SDH data collection and the use of those data (eg, through referrals to community resources) into CHC workflows. We iteratively developed a set of EHR-based SDH data collection, summary, and referral tools for CHCs. We describe considerations that arose while developing the tools and present some preliminary lessons learned. Standardizing SDH data collection and presentation in EHRs could lead to improved patient and population health outcomes in CHCs and other care settings. We know of no previous reports of processes used to develop similar tools. This article provides an example of 1 such process. Lessons from our process may be useful to health care organizations interested in using EHRs to collect and act on SDH data. Research is needed to empirically test the generalizability of these lessons. © Copyright 2017 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

A Delphi study assessing the utility of quality improvement tools and resources in Australian primary care.

PubMed

Upham, Susan J; Janamian, Tina; Crossland, Lisa; Jackson, Claire L

2016-04-18

To determine the relevance and utility of online tools and resources to support organisational performance development in primary care and to complement the Primary Care Practice Improvement Tool (PC-PIT). A purposively recruited Expert Advisory Panel of 12 end users used a modified Delphi technique to evaluate 53 tools and resources identified through a previously conducted systematic review. The panel comprised six practice managers and six general practitioners who had participated in the PC-PIT pilot study in 2013-2014. Tools and resources were reviewed in three rounds using a standard pre-tested assessment form. Recommendations, scores and reasons for recommending or rejecting each tool or resource were analysed to determine the final suite of tools and resources. The evaluation was conducted from November 2014 to August 2015. Recommended tools and resources scored highly (mean score, 16/20) in Rounds 1 and 2 of review (n = 25). These tools and resources were perceived to be easily used, useful to the practice and supportive of the PC-PIT. Rejected resources scored considerably lower (mean score, 5/20) and were noted to have limitations such as having no value to the practice and poor utility (n = 6). A final review (Round 3) of 28 resources resulted in a suite of 21 to support the elements of the PC-PIT. This suite of tools and resources offers one approach to supporting the quality improvement initiatives currently in development in primary care reform.

Quality tools and resources to support organisational improvement integral to high-quality primary care: a systematic review of published and grey literature.

PubMed

Janamian, Tina; Upham, Susan J; Crossland, Lisa; Jackson, Claire L

2016-04-18

To conduct a systematic review of the literature to identify existing online primary care quality improvement tools and resources to support organisational improvement related to the seven elements in the Primary Care Practice Improvement Tool (PC-PIT), with the identified tools and resources to progress to a Delphi study for further assessment of relevance and utility. Systematic review of the international published and grey literature. CINAHL, Embase and PubMed databases were searched in March 2014 for articles published between January 2004 and December 2013. GreyNet International and other relevant websites and repositories were also searched in March-April 2014 for documents dated between 1992 and 2012. All citations were imported into a bibliographic database. Published and unpublished tools and resources were included in the review if they were in English, related to primary care quality improvement and addressed any of the seven PC-PIT elements of a high-performing practice. Tools and resources that met the eligibility criteria were then evaluated for their accessibility, relevance, utility and comprehensiveness using a four-criteria appraisal framework. We used a data extraction template to systematically extract information from eligible tools and resources. A content analysis approach was used to explore the tools and resources and collate relevant information: name of the tool or resource, year and country of development, author, name of the organisation that provided access and its URL, accessibility information or problems, overview of each tool or resource and the quality improvement element(s) it addresses. If available, a copy of the tool or resource was downloaded into the bibliographic database, along with supporting evidence (published or unpublished) on its use in primary care. This systematic review identified 53 tools and resources that can potentially be provided as part of a suite of tools and resources to support primary care practices in improving the quality of their practice, to achieve improved health outcomes.

Learning from connectomics on the fly.

PubMed

Schlegel, Philipp; Costa, Marta; Jefferis, Gregory Sxe

2017-12-01

Parallels between invertebrates and vertebrates in nervous system development, organisation and circuits are powerful reasons to use insects to study the mechanistic basis of behaviour. The last few years have seen the generation in Drosophila melanogaster of very large light microscopy data sets, genetic driver lines and tools to report or manipulate neural activity. These resources in conjunction with computational tools are enabling large scale characterisation of neuronal types and their functional properties. These are complemented by 3D electron microscopy, providing synaptic resolution data. A whole brain connectome of the fly larva is approaching completion based on manual reconstruction of electron-microscopy data. An adult whole brain dataset is already publicly available and focussed reconstruction is under way, but its 40× greater volume would require ∼500-5000 person-years of manual labour. Nevertheless rapid technical improvements in imaging and especially automated segmentation will likely deliver a complete adult connectome in the next 5 years. To enhance our understanding of the circuit basis of behaviour, light and electron microscopy outputs must be integrated with functional and physiological information into comprehensive databases. We review presently available data, tools and opportunities in Drosophila. We then consider the limits and potential of future progress and how this may impact neuroscience in rich model systems provided by larger insects and vertebrates. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Daylighting simulation: methods, algorithms, and resources

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

Carroll, William L.

This document presents work conducted as part of Subtask C, ''Daylighting Design Tools'', Subgroup C2, ''New Daylight Algorithms'', of the IEA SHC Task 21 and the ECBCS Program Annex 29 ''Daylight in Buildings''. The search for and collection of daylighting analysis methods and algorithms led to two important observations. First, there is a wide range of needs for different types of methods to produce a complete analysis tool. These include: Geometry; Light modeling; Characterization of the natural illumination resource; Materials and components properties, representations; and Usability issues (interfaces, interoperability, representation of analysis results, etc). Second, very advantageously, there have beenmore » rapid advances in many basic methods in these areas, due to other forces. They are in part driven by: The commercial computer graphics community (commerce, entertainment); The lighting industry; Architectural rendering and visualization for projects; and Academia: Course materials, research. This has led to a very rich set of information resources that have direct applicability to the small daylighting analysis community. Furthermore, much of this information is in fact available online. Because much of the information about methods and algorithms is now online, an innovative reporting strategy was used: the core formats are electronic, and used to produce a printed form only secondarily. The electronic forms include both online WWW pages and a downloadable .PDF file with the same appearance and content. Both electronic forms include live primary and indirect links to actual information sources on the WWW. In most cases, little additional commentary is provided regarding the information links or citations that are provided. This in turn allows the report to be very concise. The links are expected speak for themselves. The report consists of only about 10+ pages, with about 100+ primary links, but with potentially thousands of indirect links. For purposes of the printed version, a list of the links is explicitly provided. This document exists in HTML form at the URL address: http://eande.lbl.gov/Task21/dlalgorithms.html. An equivalent downloadable PDF version, also with live links, at the URL address: http://eande.lbl.gov/Task21/dlalgorithms.pdf. A printed report can be derived directly from either of the electronic versions by simply printing either of them. In addition to the live links in the electronic forms, all report forms, electronic and paper, also have explicitly listed link addresses so that they can be followed up or referenced manually.« less

Effectiveness of a Technology-Based Intervention to Teach Evidence-Based Practice: The EBR Tool.

PubMed

Long, JoAnn D; Gannaway, Paula; Ford, Cindy; Doumit, Rita; Zeeni, Nadine; Sukkarieh-Haraty, Ola; Milane, Aline; Byers, Beverly; Harrison, LaNell; Hatch, Daniel; Brown, Justin; Proper, Sharlan; White, Patricia; Song, Huaxin

2016-02-01

As the world becomes increasingly digital, advances in technology have changed how students access evidence-based information. Research suggests that students overestimate their ability to locate quality online research and lack the skills needed to evaluate the scientific literature. Clinical nurses report relying on personal experience to answer clinical questions rather than searching evidence-based sources. To address the problem, a web-based, evidence-based research (EBR) tool that is usable from a computer, smartphone, or iPad was developed and tested. The purpose of the EBR tool is to guide students through the basic steps needed to locate and critically appraise the online scientific literature while linking users to quality electronic resources to support evidence-based practice (EBP). Testing of the tool took place in a mixed-method, quasi-experimental, and two-population randomized controlled trial (RCT) design in a U.S. and Middle East university. A statistically significant improvement in overall research skills was supported in the quasi-experimental nursing student group and RCT nutrition student group using the EBR tool. A statistically significant proportional difference was supported in the RCT nutrition and PharmD intervention groups in participants' ability to distinguish the credibility of online source materials compared with controls. The majority of participants could correctly apply PICOTS to a case study when using the tool. The data from this preliminary study suggests that the EBR tool enhanced student overall research skills and selected EBP skills while generating data for assessment of learning outcomes. The EBR tool places evidence-based resources at the fingertips of users by addressing some of the most commonly cited barriers to research utilization while exposing users to information and online literacy standards of practice, meeting a growing need within nursing curricula. © 2016 Sigma Theta Tau International.

The Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Resource and Tool ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a relatively new and rapidly emerging field in the U.S. An inventory of available HIA resources and tools was conducted, with a primary focus on resources developed in the U.S. The resources and tools available to HIA practitioners in the conduct of their work were identified through multiple methods and compiled into a comprehensive list. The compilation includes tools and resources related to the HIA process itself and those that can be used to collect and analyze data, establish a baseline profile, assess potential health impacts, and establish benchmarks and indicators for monitoring and evaluation. These resources include literature and evidence bases, data and statistics, guidelines, benchmarks, decision and economic analysis tools, scientific models, methods, frameworks, indices, mapping, and various data collection tools. Understanding the data, tools, models, methods, and other resources available to perform HIAs will help to advance the HIA community of practice in the U.S., improve the quality and rigor of assessments upon which stakeholder and policy decisions are based, and potentially improve the overall effectiveness of HIA to promote healthy and sustainable communities. The Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Resource and Tool Compilation is a comprehensive list of resources and tools that can be utilized by HIA practitioners with all levels of HIA experience to guide them throughout the HIA process. The HIA Resource

Electronic Health Record Tools to Care for At-Risk Older Drivers: A Quality Improvement Project.

PubMed

Casey, Colleen M; Salinas, Katherine; Eckstrom, Elizabeth

2015-06-01

Evaluating driving safety of older adults is an important health topic, but primary care providers (PCP) face multiple barriers in addressing this issue. The study's objectives were to develop an electronic health record (EHR)-based Driving Clinical Support Tool, train PCPs to perform driving assessments utilizing the tool, and systematize documentation of assessment and management of driving safety issues via the tool. The intervention included development of an evidence-based Driving Clinical Support Tool within the EHR, followed by training of internal medicine providers in the tool's content and use. Pre- and postintervention provider surveys and chart review of driving-related patient visits were conducted. Surveys included self-report of preparedness and knowledge to evaluate at-risk older drivers and were analyzed using paired t-test. A chart review of driving-related office visits compared documentation pre- and postintervention including: completeness of appropriate focused history and exam, identification of deficits, patient education, and reporting to appropriate authorities when indicated. Data from 86 providers were analyzed. Pre- and postintervention surveys showed significantly increased self-assessed preparedness (p < .001) and increased driving-related knowledge (p < .001). Postintervention charts showed improved documentation of correct cognitive testing, more referrals/consults, increased patient education about community resources, and appropriate regulatory reporting when deficits were identified. Focused training and an EHR-based clinical support tool improved provider self-reported preparedness and knowledge of how to evaluate at-risk older drivers. The tool improved documentation of driving-related issues and led to improved access to interdisciplinary care coordination. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Gerontological Society of America 2015.

Measurement tools of resource use and quality of life in clinical trials for dementia or cognitive impairment interventions: protocol for a scoping review.

PubMed

Yang, Fan; Dawes, Piers; Leroi, Iracema; Gannon, Brenda

2017-01-26

Dementia and cognitive impairment could severely impact patients' life and bring heavy burden to patients, caregivers and societies. Some interventions are suggested for the older patients with these conditions to help them live well, but economic evaluation is needed to assess the cost-effectiveness of these interventions. Trial-based economic evaluation is an ideal method; however, little is known about the tools used to collect data of resource use and quality of life alongside the trials. Therefore, the aim of this review is to identify and describe the resource use and quality of life instruments in clinical trials of interventions for older patients with dementia or cognitive impairment. We will perform a search in main electronic databases (Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Databases of Systematic Reviews, Web of Science and Scopus) using the key terms or their synonyms: older, dementia, cognitive impairment, cost, quality of life, intervention and tools. After removing duplicates, two independent reviewers will screen each entry for eligibility, initially by title and abstract, then by full-text. A hand search of the references of included articles and general search, e.g. Google Scholar, will also be conducted to identify potential relevant studies. All disagreements will be resolved by discussion or consultation with a third reviewer if necessary. Data analysis will be completed and reported in a narrative review. This review will identify the instruments used in clinical trials to collect resource use and quality of life data for dementia or cognitive impairment interventions. This will help to guide the study design of future trial-based economic evaluation of these interventions. PROSPERO CRD42016038495.

Towards an unsupervised device for the diagnosis of childhood pneumonia in low resource settings: automatic segmentation of respiratory sounds.

PubMed

Sola, J; Braun, F; Muntane, E; Verjus, C; Bertschi, M; Hugon, F; Manzano, S; Benissa, M; Gervaix, A

2016-08-01

Pneumonia remains the worldwide leading cause of children mortality under the age of five, with every year 1.4 million deaths. Unfortunately, in low resource settings, very limited diagnostic support aids are provided to point-of-care practitioners. Current UNICEF/WHO case management algorithm relies on the use of a chronometer to manually count breath rates on pediatric patients: there is thus a major need for more sophisticated tools to diagnose pneumonia that increase sensitivity and specificity of breath-rate-based algorithms. These tools should be low cost, and adapted to practitioners with limited training. In this work, a novel concept of unsupervised tool for the diagnosis of childhood pneumonia is presented. The concept relies on the automated analysis of respiratory sounds as recorded by a point-of-care electronic stethoscope. By identifying the presence of auscultation sounds at different chest locations, this diagnostic tool is intended to estimate a pneumonia likelihood score. After presenting the overall architecture of an algorithm to estimate pneumonia scores, the importance of a robust unsupervised method to identify inspiratory and expiratory phases of a respiratory cycle is highlighted. Based on data from an on-going study involving pediatric pneumonia patients, a first algorithm to segment respiratory sounds is suggested. The unsupervised algorithm relies on a Mel-frequency filter bank, a two-step Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) description of data, and a final Hidden Markov Model (HMM) interpretation of inspiratory-expiratory sequences. Finally, illustrative results on first recruited patients are provided. The presented algorithm opens the doors to a new family of unsupervised respiratory sound analyzers that could improve future versions of case management algorithms for the diagnosis of pneumonia in low-resources settings.

Integrated Management and Visualization of Electronic Tag Data with Tagbase

PubMed Central

Lam, Chi Hin; Tsontos, Vardis M.

2011-01-01

Electronic tags have been used widely for more than a decade in studies of diverse marine species. However, despite significant investment in tagging programs and hardware, data management aspects have received insufficient attention, leaving researchers without a comprehensive toolset to manage their data easily. The growing volume of these data holdings, the large diversity of tag types and data formats, and the general lack of data management resources are not only complicating integration and synthesis of electronic tagging data in support of resource management applications but potentially threatening the integrity and longer-term access to these valuable datasets. To address this critical gap, Tagbase has been developed as a well-rounded, yet accessible data management solution for electronic tagging applications. It is based on a unified relational model that accommodates a suite of manufacturer tag data formats in addition to deployment metadata and reprocessed geopositions. Tagbase includes an integrated set of tools for importing tag datasets into the system effortlessly, and provides reporting utilities to interactively view standard outputs in graphical and tabular form. Data from the system can also be easily exported or dynamically coupled to GIS and other analysis packages. Tagbase is scalable and has been ported to a range of database management systems to support the needs of the tagging community, from individual investigators to large scale tagging programs. Tagbase represents a mature initiative with users at several institutions involved in marine electronic tagging research. PMID:21750734

Effects of Electronic Information Resources Skills Training for Lecturers on Pedagogical Practices and Research Productivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhukuvhani, Crispen; Chiparausha, Blessing; Zuvalinyenga, Dorcas

2012-01-01

Lecturers use various electronic resources at different frequencies. The university library's information literacy skills workshops and seminars are the main sources of knowledge of accessing electronic resources. The use of electronic resources can be said to have positively affected lecturers' pedagogical practices and their work in general. The…

From Tedious to Timely: Screencasting to Troubleshoot Electronic Resource Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartnett, Eric; Thompson, Carole

2010-01-01

The shift from traditional print materials to electronic resources, in conjunction with the rise in the number of distance education programs, has left many electronic resource librarians scrambling to keep up with the resulting inundation of electronic resource problems. When it comes to diagnosing these problems, words do not always convey all…

Electronic Resources and Mission Creep: Reorganizing the Library for the Twenty-First Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stachokas, George

2009-01-01

The position of electronic resources librarian was created to serve as a specialist in the negotiation of license agreements for electronic resources, but mission creep has added more functions to the routine work of electronic resources such as cataloging, gathering information for collection development, and technical support. As electronic…

[Pediatric surgery 2.0].

PubMed

Mesa-Gutiérrez, J C; Bardají, C; Brun, N; Núñez, B; Sánchez, B; Sanvicente, B; Obiols, P; Rigol, S

2012-04-01

New tools from the web are a complete breakthrough in management of information. The aim of this paper is to present different resources in a friendly way, with apps and examples in the different phases of the knowledge management for the paediatric surgeon: search, filter, reception, classification, sharing, collaborative work and publication. We are assisting to a real revolution on how to manage knowledge and information. The main charateristics are: immediateness, social component, growing interaction, and easiness. Every physician has clinical questions and the Internet gives us more and more resources to make searchs easier. Along with them we need electronic resources to filter information of quality and to make easier transfer of knowledge to clinical practice. Cloud computing is on continuous development and makes possible sharing information with differents users and computers. The main feature of the apps from the Intenet is the social component, that makes possible interaction, sharing and collaborative work.

Scaling-up health information systems to improve HIV treatment: An assessment of initial patient monitoring systems in Mozambique.

PubMed

Hochgesang, Mindy; Zamudio-Haas, Sophia; Moran, Lissa; Nhampossa, Leopoldo; Packel, Laura; Leslie, Hannah; Richards, Janise; Shade, Starley B

2017-01-01

The rapid scale-up of HIV care and treatment in resource-limited countries requires concurrent, rapid development of health information systems to support quality service delivery. Mozambique, a country with an 11.5% prevalence of HIV, has developed nation-wide patient monitoring systems (PMS) with standardized reporting tools, utilized by all HIV treatment providers in paper or electronic form. Evaluation of the initial implementation of PMS can inform and strengthen future development as the country moves towards a harmonized, sustainable health information system. This assessment was conducted in order to 1) characterize data collection and reporting processes and PMS resources available and 2) provide evidence-based recommendations for harmonization and sustainability of PMS. This baseline assessment of PMS was conducted with eight non-governmental organizations that supported the Ministry of Health to provide 90% of HIV care and treatment in Mozambique. The study team conducted structured and semi-structured surveys at 18 health facilities located in all 11 provinces. Seventy-nine staff were interviewed. Deductive a priori analytic categories guided analysis. Health facilities have implemented paper and electronic monitoring systems with varying success. Where in use, robust electronic PMS facilitate facility-level reporting of required indicators; improve ability to identify patients lost to follow-up; and support facility and patient management. Challenges to implementation of monitoring systems include a lack of national guidelines and norms for patient level HIS, variable system implementation and functionality, and limited human and infrastructure resources to maximize system functionality and information use. This initial assessment supports the need for national guidelines to harmonize, expand, and strengthen HIV-related health information systems. Recommendations may benefit other countries with similar epidemiologic and resource-constrained environments seeking to improve PMS implementation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Singapore National Medical Image Resource Centre (SN.MIRC): a world wide web resource for radiology education.

PubMed

Yang, Guo-Liang; Lim, C C Tchoyoson

2006-08-01

Radiology education is heavily dependent on visual images, and case-based teaching files comprising medical images can be an important tool for teaching diagnostic radiology. Currently, hardcopy film is being rapidly replaced by digital radiological images in teaching hospitals, and an electronic teaching file (ETF) library would be desirable. Furthermore, a repository of ETFs deployed on the World Wide Web has the potential for e-learning applications to benefit a larger community of learners. In this paper, we describe a Singapore National Medical Image Resource Centre (SN.MIRC) that can serve as a World Wide Web resource for teaching diagnostic radiology. On SN.MIRC, ETFs can be created using a variety of mechanisms including file upload and online form-filling, and users can search for cases using the Medical Image Resource Center (MIRC) query schema developed by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The system can be improved with future enhancements, including multimedia interactive teaching files and distance learning for continuing professional development. However, significant challenges exist when exploring the potential of using the World Wide Web for radiology education.

Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information

PubMed Central

Wheeler, David L.; Church, Deanna M.; Lash, Alex E.; Leipe, Detlef D.; Madden, Thomas L.; Pontius, Joan U.; Schuler, Gregory D.; Schriml, Lynn M.; Tatusova, Tatiana A.; Wagner, Lukas; Rapp, Barbara A.

2001-01-01

In addition to maintaining the GenBank® nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides data analysis and retrieval resources that operate on the data in GenBank and a variety of other biological data made available through NCBI’s Web site. NCBI data retrieval resources include Entrez, PubMed, LocusLink and the Taxonomy Browser. Data analysis resources include BLAST, Electronic PCR, OrfFinder, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, Database of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (dbSNP), Human Genome Sequencing, Human MapViewer, GeneMap’99, Human–Mouse Homology Map, Cancer Chromosome Aberration Project (CCAP), Entrez Genomes, Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs) database, Retroviral Genotyping Tools, Cancer Genome Anatomy Project (CGAP), SAGEmap, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Online Mendelian Inheri­tance in Man (OMIM), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB) and the Conserved Domain Database (CDD). Augmenting many of the Web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. All of the resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. PMID:11125038

40 CFR 51.354 - Adequate tools and resources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Adequate tools and resources. 51.354... Requirements § 51.354 Adequate tools and resources. (a) Administrative resources. The program shall maintain... assurance, data analysis and reporting, and the holding of hearings and adjudication of cases. A portion of...

40 CFR 51.354 - Adequate tools and resources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Adequate tools and resources. 51.354... Requirements § 51.354 Adequate tools and resources. (a) Administrative resources. The program shall maintain... assurance, data analysis and reporting, and the holding of hearings and adjudication of cases. A portion of...

40 CFR 51.354 - Adequate tools and resources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Adequate tools and resources. 51.354... Requirements § 51.354 Adequate tools and resources. (a) Administrative resources. The program shall maintain... assurance, data analysis and reporting, and the holding of hearings and adjudication of cases. A portion of...

40 CFR 51.354 - Adequate tools and resources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Adequate tools and resources. 51.354... Requirements § 51.354 Adequate tools and resources. (a) Administrative resources. The program shall maintain... assurance, data analysis and reporting, and the holding of hearings and adjudication of cases. A portion of...

[Information resources in medicine: present and future trends].

PubMed

Campos-Asensio, C

2010-12-01

We are immersed in a new paradigm for scientific information access that, in the future, will be only be available and transmitted in electronic format. The concept of using internet as information storage has changed, with emphasis on its interactivity and possibility to share contents. The Web 2.0 has revolutionized the way of internet is understood, promoting the participation of those who access it, collaborating in its construction per se through intuitive and easy-to-use tools. Medicine 2.0 means supposes the participation of the user in the design, selection and evaluation of the contents. The future of access to information is through Medicine 2.0 services. The aim of this paper is to review the tools and instruments available for health care professionals to access scientific information, with special emphasis on web 2.0 tools. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Physically Based Virtual Surgery Planning and Simulation Tools for Personal Health Care Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dogan, Firat; Atilgan, Yasemin

The virtual surgery planning and simulation tools have gained a great deal of importance in the last decade in a consequence of increasing capacities at the information technology level. The modern hardware architectures, large scale database systems, grid based computer networks, agile development processes, better 3D visualization and all the other strong aspects of the information technology brings necessary instruments into almost every desk. The last decade’s special software and sophisticated super computer environments are now serving to individual needs inside “tiny smart boxes” for reasonable prices. However, resistance to learning new computerized environments, insufficient training and all the other old habits prevents effective utilization of IT resources by the specialists of the health sector. In this paper, all the aspects of the former and current developments in surgery planning and simulation related tools are presented, future directions and expectations are investigated for better electronic health care systems.

FT3D: three-dimensional Fourier analysis on small Unix workstations for electron microscopy and tomographic studies.

PubMed

Lanzavecchia, S; Bellon, P L; Tosoni, L

1993-12-01

FT3D is a self-contained package of tools for three-dimensional Fourier analysis, written in the C language for Unix workstations. It can evaluate direct transforms of three-dimensional real functions, inverse transforms, auto- and cross-correlations and spectra. The library has been developed to support three-dimensional reconstructions of biological structures from projections obtained in the electron microscope. This paper discusses some features of the library, which has been implemented in such a way as to profit from the resources of modern workstations. A table of elapsed times for jobs of different dimensions with different RAM buffers is reported for the particular hardware used in the authors' laboratory.

Advanced medical imaging protocol workflow-a flexible electronic solution to optimize process efficiency, care quality and patient safety in the National VA Enterprise.

PubMed

Medverd, Jonathan R; Cross, Nathan M; Font, Frank; Casertano, Andrew

2013-08-01

Radiologists routinely make decisions with only limited information when assigning protocol instructions for the performance of advanced medical imaging examinations. Opportunity exists to simultaneously improve the safety, quality and efficiency of this workflow through the application of an electronic solution leveraging health system resources to provide concise, tailored information and decision support in real-time. Such a system has been developed using an open source, open standards design for use within the Veterans Health Administration. The Radiology Protocol Tool Recorder (RAPTOR) project identified key process attributes as well as inherent weaknesses of paper processes and electronic emulators of paper processes to guide the development of its optimized electronic solution. The design provides a kernel that can be expanded to create an integrated radiology environment. RAPTOR has implications relevant to the greater health care community, and serves as a case model for modernization of legacy government health information systems.

NREL: Renewable Resource Data Center - Geothermal Resource Models and Tools

Science.gov Websites

allow users to determine locations that are favorable to geothermal energy development. List of software Models and Tools The Renewable Resource Data Center (RReDC) features the following geothermal models and tools. Geothermal Prospector The Geothermal Prospector tool provides the information needed to

Secondary Use of Patients’ Electronic Records (SUPER): An Approach for Meeting Specific Data Needs of Clinical and Translational Researchers

PubMed Central

Sholle, Evan T.; Kabariti, Joseph; Johnson, Stephen B.; Leonard, John P.; Pathak, Jyotishman; Varughese, Vinay I.; Cole, Curtis L.; Campion, Thomas R.

2017-01-01

Academic medical centers commonly approach secondary use of electronic health record (EHR) data by implementing centralized clinical data warehouses (CDWs). However, CDWs require extensive resources to model data dimensions and harmonize clinical terminology, which can hinder effective support of the specific and varied data needs of investigators. We hypothesized that an approach that aggregates raw data from source systems, ignores initial modeling typical of CDWs, and transforms raw data for specific research purposes would meet investigator needs. The approach has successfully enabled multiple tools that provide utility to the institutional research enterprise. To our knowledge, this is the first complete description of a methodology for electronic patient data acquisition and provisioning that ignores data harmonization at the time of initial storage in favor of downstream transformation to address specific research questions and applications. PMID:29854228

Resource Disambiguator for the Web: Extracting Biomedical Resources and Their Citations from the Scientific Literature.

PubMed

Ozyurt, Ibrahim Burak; Grethe, Jeffrey S; Martone, Maryann E; Bandrowski, Anita E

2016-01-01

The NIF Registry developed and maintained by the Neuroscience Information Framework is a cooperative project aimed at cataloging research resources, e.g., software tools, databases and tissue banks, funded largely by governments and available as tools to research scientists. Although originally conceived for neuroscience, the NIF Registry has over the years broadened in the scope to include research resources of general relevance to biomedical research. The current number of research resources listed by the Registry numbers over 13K. The broadening in scope to biomedical science led us to re-christen the NIF Registry platform as SciCrunch. The NIF/SciCrunch Registry has been cataloging the resource landscape since 2006; as such, it serves as a valuable dataset for tracking the breadth, fate and utilization of these resources. Our experience shows research resources like databases are dynamic objects, that can change location and scope over time. Although each record is entered manually and human-curated, the current size of the registry requires tools that can aid in curation efforts to keep content up to date, including when and where such resources are used. To address this challenge, we have developed an open source tool suite, collectively termed RDW: Resource Disambiguator for the (Web). RDW is designed to help in the upkeep and curation of the registry as well as in enhancing the content of the registry by automated extraction of resource candidates from the literature. The RDW toolkit includes a URL extractor from papers, resource candidate screen, resource URL change tracker, resource content change tracker. Curators access these tools via a web based user interface. Several strategies are used to optimize these tools, including supervised and unsupervised learning algorithms as well as statistical text analysis. The complete tool suite is used to enhance and maintain the resource registry as well as track the usage of individual resources through an innovative literature citation index honed for research resources. Here we present an overview of the Registry and show how the RDW tools are used in curation and usage tracking.

Resource Disambiguator for the Web: Extracting Biomedical Resources and Their Citations from the Scientific Literature

PubMed Central

Ozyurt, Ibrahim Burak; Grethe, Jeffrey S.; Martone, Maryann E.; Bandrowski, Anita E.

2016-01-01

The NIF Registry developed and maintained by the Neuroscience Information Framework is a cooperative project aimed at cataloging research resources, e.g., software tools, databases and tissue banks, funded largely by governments and available as tools to research scientists. Although originally conceived for neuroscience, the NIF Registry has over the years broadened in the scope to include research resources of general relevance to biomedical research. The current number of research resources listed by the Registry numbers over 13K. The broadening in scope to biomedical science led us to re-christen the NIF Registry platform as SciCrunch. The NIF/SciCrunch Registry has been cataloging the resource landscape since 2006; as such, it serves as a valuable dataset for tracking the breadth, fate and utilization of these resources. Our experience shows research resources like databases are dynamic objects, that can change location and scope over time. Although each record is entered manually and human-curated, the current size of the registry requires tools that can aid in curation efforts to keep content up to date, including when and where such resources are used. To address this challenge, we have developed an open source tool suite, collectively termed RDW: Resource Disambiguator for the (Web). RDW is designed to help in the upkeep and curation of the registry as well as in enhancing the content of the registry by automated extraction of resource candidates from the literature. The RDW toolkit includes a URL extractor from papers, resource candidate screen, resource URL change tracker, resource content change tracker. Curators access these tools via a web based user interface. Several strategies are used to optimize these tools, including supervised and unsupervised learning algorithms as well as statistical text analysis. The complete tool suite is used to enhance and maintain the resource registry as well as track the usage of individual resources through an innovative literature citation index honed for research resources. Here we present an overview of the Registry and show how the RDW tools are used in curation and usage tracking. PMID:26730820

Excited-State Spin Manipulation and Intrinsic Nuclear Spin Memory using Single Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers in Diamond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuchs, Gregory

2011-03-01

Nitrogen vacancy (NV) center spins in diamond have emerged as a promising solid-state system for quantum information processing and precision metrology at room temperature. Understanding and developing the built-in resources of this defect center for quantum logic and memory is critical to achieving these goals. In the first case, we use nanosecond duration microwave manipulation to study the electronic spin of single NV centers in their orbital excited-state (ES). We demonstrate ES Rabi oscillations and use multi-pulse resonant control to differentiate between phonon-induced dephasing, orbital relaxation, and coherent electron-nuclear interactions. A second resource, the nuclear spin of the intrinsic nitrogen atom, may be an ideal candidate for a quantum memory due to both the long coherence of nuclear spins and their deterministic presence. We investigate coherent swaps between the NV center electronic spin state and the nuclear spin state of nitrogen using Landau-Zener transitions performed outside the asymptotic regime. The swap gates are generated using lithographically fabricated waveguides that form a high-bandwidth, two-axis vector magnet on the diamond substrate. These experiments provide tools for coherently manipulating and storing quantum information in a scalable solid-state system at room temperature. We gratefully acknowledge support from AFOSR, ARO, and DARPA.

Project-Based Learning as a Vehicle for Teaching Science at the University Level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courtney, A. R.; Wade, P.

2012-12-01

In a typical science course learning is teacher directed. Students are presented with knowledge and concepts via textbooks and lecture and then given the opportunity to apply them. Project-based learning (PBL) creates a context and reason to learn information and concepts. In PBL, learning is student directed and teacher facilitated. Students take ownership of their learning by finding, evaluating and synthesizing information from a variety of resources and via interaction between each other. In PBL, the project is central rather than peripheral to the curriculum. It is not just an activity that provides examples, additional practice or applications of the course content, but rather, the vehicle through which major concepts are discovered. The PBL process requires students to do revision and reflection encouraging them to think about what and how they are learning. PBL projects also allow students to develop important life-work skills such as collaboration, communication and critical thinking within the discipline. We have employed PBL in both Liberal Arts courses for non-science majors and upper division courses for science students. Three examples will be discussed. The first will be the production of video documentaries in a non-science major course; the second, a student generated electronic textbook in a 300-level energy course for science students; and lastly, a student designed analysis project in a chemistry major capstone laboratory course. The product in each of these examples was used to deliver knowledge to others in the class as well as members of the public providing motivation for students to do high-quality work. In our examples, student documentaries are publicly screened as part of a university-wide Academic Excellence Showcase; the student generated electronic textbook is available for public use on the internet; and the results of the student designed analysis were communicated to the real-world clients via letters and reports. We will discuss various technology tools employed in these projects such as the internet, wikis for collaborative writing, bookmarking management tools for sharing literature resources, photo sharing sites, and electronic literature searching tools. Also described will be assessment methods to gauge how the projects affected student learning.

MyDiabetesMyWay: An Evolving National Data Driven Diabetes Self-Management Platform.

PubMed

Wake, Deborah J; He, Jinzhang; Czesak, Anna Maria; Mughal, Fezan; Cunningham, Scott G

2016-09-01

MyDiabetesMyWay (MDMW) is an award-wining national electronic personal health record and self-management platform for diabetes patients in Scotland. This platform links multiple national institutional and patient-recorded data sources to provide a unique resource for patient care and self-management. This review considers the current evidence for online interventions in diabetes and discusses these in the context of current and ongoing developments for MDMW. Evaluation of MDMW through patient reported outcomes demonstrates a positive impact on self-management. User feedback has highlighted barriers to uptake and has guided platform evolution from an education resource website to an electronic personal health record now encompassing remote monitoring, communication tools and personalized education links. Challenges in delivering digital interventions for long-term conditions include integration of data between institutional and personal recorded sources to perform big data analytics and facilitating technology use in those with disabilities, low digital literacy, low socioeconomic status and in minority groups. The potential for technology supported health improvement is great, but awareness and adoption by health workers and patients remains a significant barrier. © 2016 Diabetes Technology Society.

MyDiabetesMyWay

PubMed Central

Wake, Deborah J.; He, Jinzhang; Czesak, Anna Maria; Mughal, Fezan; Cunningham, Scott G.

2016-01-01

MyDiabetesMyWay (MDMW) is an award-wining national electronic personal health record and self-management platform for diabetes patients in Scotland. This platform links multiple national institutional and patient-recorded data sources to provide a unique resource for patient care and self-management. This review considers the current evidence for online interventions in diabetes and discusses these in the context of current and ongoing developments for MDMW. Evaluation of MDMW through patient reported outcomes demonstrates a positive impact on self-management. User feedback has highlighted barriers to uptake and has guided platform evolution from an education resource website to an electronic personal health record now encompassing remote monitoring, communication tools and personalized education links. Challenges in delivering digital interventions for long-term conditions include integration of data between institutional and personal recorded sources to perform big data analytics and facilitating technology use in those with disabilities, low digital literacy, low socioeconomic status and in minority groups. The potential for technology supported health improvement is great, but awareness and adoption by health workers and patients remains a significant barrier. PMID:27162192

Application of Delphi-AHP methods to select the priorities of WEEE for recycling in a waste management decision-making tool.

PubMed

Kim, Mincheol; Jang, Yong-Chul; Lee, Seunguk

2013-10-15

The management of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) or electronic waste (e-waste) has become a major issue of concern for solid waste communities due to the large volumes of waste being generated from the consumption of modern electrical and electronic products. In 2003, Korea introduced the extended producer responsibility (EPR) system to reduce the amount of electronic products to be disposed and to promote resource recovery from WEEE. The EPR currently regulates a total of 10 electrical and electronic products. This paper presents the results of the application of the Delphi method and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) modeling to the WEEE management tool in the policy-making process. Specifically, this paper focuses on the application of the Delphi-AHP technique to determine the WEEE priority to be included in the EPR system. Appropriate evaluation criteria were derived using the Delphi method to assess the potential selection and priority among electrical and electronic products that will be regulated by the EPR system. Quantitative weightings from the AHP model were calculated to identify the priorities of electrical and electronic products to be potentially regulated. After applying all the criteria using the AHP model, the results indicate that the top 10 target recycling products for the expansion of the WEEE list were found to be vacuum cleaners, electric fans, rice cookers, large freezers, microwave ovens, water purifiers, air purifiers, humidifiers, dryers, and telephones in order from the first to last. The proposed Delphi-AHP method can offer a more efficient means of selecting WEEE than subjective assessment methods that are often based on professional judgment or limited available data. By providing WEEE items to be regulated, the proposed Delphi-AHP method can eliminate uncertainty and subjective assessment and enable WEEE management policy-makers to identify the priority of potential WEEE. More generally, the work performed in this study is an example of how Delphi-AHP modeling can be used as a decision-making process tool in WEEE management. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Resource and Tool Compilation: A Comprehensive Toolkit for New and Experienced HIA Practitioners in the U.S.

EPA Science Inventory

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a relatively new and rapidly emerging field in the U.S. An inventory of available HIA resources and tools was conducted, with a primary focus on resources developed in the U.S. The resources and tools available to HIA practitioners in the conduct...

Systematic review of the empirical investigation of resources to support decision-making regarding BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic testing in women with breast cancer.

PubMed

Grimmett, Chloe; Pickett, Karen; Shepherd, Jonathan; Welch, Karen; Recio-Saucedo, Alejandra; Streit, Elke; Seers, Helen; Armstrong, Anne; Cutress, Ramsey I; Evans, D Gareth; Copson, Ellen; Meiser, Bettina; Eccles, Diana; Foster, Claire

2018-05-01

Identify existing resources developed and/or evaluated empirically in the published literature designed to support women with breast cancer making decisions regarding genetic testing for BRCA1/2 mutations. Systematic review of seven electronic databases. Studies were included if they described or evaluated resources that were designed to support women with breast cancer in making a decision to have genetic counselling or testing for familial breast cancer. Outcome and process evaluations, using any type of study design, as well as articles reporting the development of decision aids, were eligible for inclusion. Total of 9 publications, describing 6 resources were identified. Resources were effective at increasing knowledge or understanding of hereditary breast cancer. Satisfaction with resources was high. There was no evidence that any resource increased distress, worry or decisional conflict. Few resources included active functionalities for example, values-based exercises, to support decision-making. Tailored resources supporting decision-making may be helpful and valued by patients and increase knowledge of hereditary breast cancer, without causing additional distress. Clinicians should provide supportive written information to patients where it is available. However, there is a need for robustly developed decision tools to support decision-making around genetic testing in women with breast cancer. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interactive Radiology teaching file system: the development of a MIRC-compliant and user-centered e-learning resource.

PubMed

dos-Santos, M; Fujino, A

2012-01-01

Radiology teaching usually employs a systematic and comprehensive set of medical images and related information. Databases with representative radiological images and documents are highly desirable and widely used in Radiology teaching programs. Currently, computer-based teaching file systems are widely used in Medicine and Radiology teaching as an educational resource. This work addresses a user-centered radiology electronic teaching file system as an instance of MIRC compliant medical image database. Such as a digital library, the clinical cases are available to access by using a web browser. The system has offered great opportunities to some Radiology residents interact with experts. This has been done by applying user-centered techniques and creating usage context-based tools in order to make available an interactive system.

NREL: Renewable Resource Data Center - Biomass Resource Information

Science.gov Websites

Biomass Resource Information Photo of corn stover biomass resource Corn stover The Renewable Resource Data Center (RReDC) offers a collection of data and tools to assist with biomass resource research . Learn more about RReDC's biomass resource: Data Models and tools Publications Related links Biomass

Electronic Resource Management and Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abrams, Kimberly R.

2015-01-01

We have now reached a tipping point at which electronic resources comprise more than half of academic library budgets. Because of the increasing work associated with the ever-increasing number of e-resources, there is a trend to distribute work throughout the library even in the presence of an electronic resources department. In 2013, the author…

Site Remediation Technology InfoBase: A Guide to Federal Programs, Information Resources, and Publications on Contaminated Site Cleanup Technologies. First Edition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

Table of Contents: Federal Cleanup Programs; Federal Site Remediation Technology Development Assistance Programs; Federal Site Remediation Technology Development Electronic Data Bases; Federal Electronic Resources for Site Remediation Technology Information; Other Electronic Resources for Site Remediation Technology Information; Other Electronic Resources for Site Remediation Technology Information; Selected Bibliography: Federal Publication on Alternative and Innovative Site Remediation; and Appendix: Technology Program Contacts.

Identifying Cost-Effective Water Resources Management Strategies: Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool (WMOST)

EPA Science Inventory

The Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool (WMOST) is a public-domain software application designed to aid decision makers with integrated water resources management. The tool allows water resource managers and planners to screen a wide-range of management practices for c...

Do GPs use electronic mental health resources? - a qualitative study.

PubMed

Austin, David; Pier, Ciaran; Mitchell, Joanna; Schattner, Peter; Wade, Victoria; Pierce, David; Klein, Britt

2006-05-01

The Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care (BOMHC) initiative encourages general practitioners to use electronic mental health resources (EMHRs) during consultation with patients requiring psychological assistance. However, there is little data on GPs' acceptance and use of EMHRs. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 27 GPs to determine their attitude toward EMHRs, and their use during consultation with patients. Few GPs reported frequently using EMHRs in consultation. Identified barriers to use included lack of familiarity with information technology, and insufficient knowledge of available resources. Identified advantages of electronic resources included high patient acceptance, time efficiency, and improved quality of information. General practitioners recognise several advantages of utilising electronic resources for managing patients with mental illness. However, GPs are not sufficiently familiar with electronic resources to use them effectively. This could be overcome by education.

Prospero - A tool for organizing Internet resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neuman, B. C.

1992-01-01

This article describes Prospero, a distributed file system based on the Virtual System Model. Prospero provides tools to help users organize Internet resources. These tools allow users to construct customized views of available resources, while taking advantage of the structure imposed by others. Prospero provides a framework that can tie together various indexing services producing the fabric on which resource discovery techniques can be applied.

Finding research information on the web: how to make the most of Google and other free search tools.

PubMed

Blakeman, Karen

2013-01-01

The Internet and the World Wide Web has had a major impact on the accessibility of research information. The move towards open access and development of institutional repositories has resulted in increasing amounts of information being made available free of charge. Many of these resources are not included in conventional subscription databases and Google is not always the best way to ensure that one is picking up all relevant material on a topic. This article will look at how Google's search engine works, how to use Google more effectively for identifying research information, alternatives to Google and will review some of the specialist tools that have evolved to cope with the diverse forms of information that now exist in electronic form.

Making sense of the electronic resource marketplace: trends in health-related electronic resources.

PubMed Central

Blansit, B D; Connor, E

1999-01-01

Changes in the practice of medicine and technological developments offer librarians unprecedented opportunities to select and organize electronic resources, use the Web to deliver content throughout the organization, and improve knowledge at the point of need. The confusing array of available products, access routes, and pricing plans makes it difficult to anticipate the needs of users, identify the top resources, budget effectively, make sound collection management decisions, and organize the resources effectively and seamlessly. The electronic resource marketplace requires much vigilance, considerable patience, and continuous evaluation. There are several strategies that librarians can employ to stay ahead of the electronic resource curve, including taking advantage of free trials from publishers; marketing free trials and involving users in evaluating new products; watching and testing products marketed to the clientele; agreeing to beta test new products and services; working with aggregators or republishers; joining vendor advisory boards; benchmarking institutional resources against five to eight competitors; and forming or joining a consortium for group negotiating and purchasing. This article provides a brief snapshot of leading biomedical resources; showcases several libraries that have excelled in identifying, acquiring, and organizing electronic resources; and discusses strategies and trends of potential interest to biomedical librarians, especially those working in hospital settings. PMID:10427421

Making sense of the electronic resource marketplace: trends in health-related electronic resources.

PubMed

Blansit, B D; Connor, E

1999-07-01

Changes in the practice of medicine and technological developments offer librarians unprecedented opportunities to select and organize electronic resources, use the Web to deliver content throughout the organization, and improve knowledge at the point of need. The confusing array of available products, access routes, and pricing plans makes it difficult to anticipate the needs of users, identify the top resources, budget effectively, make sound collection management decisions, and organize the resources effectively and seamlessly. The electronic resource marketplace requires much vigilance, considerable patience, and continuous evaluation. There are several strategies that librarians can employ to stay ahead of the electronic resource curve, including taking advantage of free trials from publishers; marketing free trials and involving users in evaluating new products; watching and testing products marketed to the clientele; agreeing to beta test new products and services; working with aggregators or republishers; joining vendor advisory boards; benchmarking institutional resources against five to eight competitors; and forming or joining a consortium for group negotiating and purchasing. This article provides a brief snapshot of leading biomedical resources; showcases several libraries that have excelled in identifying, acquiring, and organizing electronic resources; and discusses strategies and trends of potential interest to biomedical librarians, especially those working in hospital settings.

Medical faculties educational network: multidimensional quality assessment.

PubMed

Komenda, Martin; Schwarz, Daniel; Feberová, Jitka; Stípek, Stanislav; Mihál, Vladimír; Dušek, Ladislav

2012-12-01

Today, World Wide Web technology provides many opportunities in the disclosure of electronic learning and teaching content. The MEFANET project (MEdical FAculties NETwork) has initiated international, effective and open cooperation among all Czech and Slovak medical faculties in the medical education fields. This paper introduces the original MEFANET educational web portal platform. Its main aim is to present the unique collaborative environment, which combines the sharing of electronic educational resources with the use tools for their quality evaluation. It is in fact a complex e-publishing system, which consists of ten standalone portal instances and one central gateway. The fundamental principles of the developed system and used technologies are reported here, as well as procedures of a new multidimensional quality assessment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

An electronic infrastructure for research and treatment of the thalassemias and other hemoglobinopathies: the Euro-mediterranean ITHANET project.

PubMed

Lederer, Carsten W; Basak, A Nazli; Aydinok, Yesim; Christou, Soteroula; El-Beshlawy, Amal; Eleftheriou, Androulla; Fattoum, Slaheddine; Felice, Alex E; Fibach, Eitan; Galanello, Renzo; Gambari, Roberto; Gavrila, Lucian; Giordano, Piero C; Grosveld, Frank; Hassapopoulou, Helen; Hladka, Eva; Kanavakis, Emmanuel; Locatelli, Franco; Old, John; Patrinos, George P; Romeo, Giovanni; Taher, Ali; Traeger-Synodinos, Joanne; Vassiliou, Panayiotis; Villegas, Ana; Voskaridou, Ersi; Wajcman, Henri; Zafeiropoulos, Anastasios; Kleanthous, Marina

2009-01-01

Hemoglobin (Hb) disorders are common, potentially lethal monogenic diseases, posing a global health challenge. With worldwide migration and intermixing of carriers, demanding flexible health planning and patient care, hemoglobinopathies may serve as a paradigm for the use of electronic infrastructure tools in the collection of data, the dissemination of knowledge, the harmonization of treatment, and the coordination of research and preventive programs. ITHANET, a network covering thalassemias and other hemoglobinopathies, comprises 26 organizations from 16 countries, including non-European countries of origin for these diseases (Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Tunisia and Turkey). Using electronic infrastructure tools, ITHANET aims to strengthen cross-border communication and data transfer, cooperative research and treatment of thalassemia, and to improve support and information of those affected by hemoglobinopathies. Moreover, the consortium has established the ITHANET Portal, a novel web-based instrument for the dissemination of information on hemoglobinopathies to researchers, clinicians and patients. The ITHANET Portal is a growing public resource, providing forums for discussion and research coordination, and giving access to courses and databases organized by ITHANET partners. Already a popular repository for diagnostic protocols and news related to hemoglobinopathies, the ITHANET Portal also provides a searchable, extendable database of thalassemia mutations and associated background information. The experience of ITHANET is exemplary for a consortium bringing together disparate organizations from heterogeneous partner countries to face a common health challenge. The ITHANET Portal as a web-based tool born out of this experience amends some of the problems encountered and facilitates education and international exchange of data and expertise for hemoglobinopathies.

Analysis of Human Resources Management Strategy in China Electronic Commerce Enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Fang

The paper discussed electronic-commerce's influence on enterprise human resources management, proposed and proved the human resources management strategy which electronic commerce enterprise should adopt from recruitment strategy to training strategy, keeping talent strategy and other ways.

The Digital Divide and Health Disparities in China: Evidence From a National Survey and Policy Implications

PubMed Central

Fang, Ya; Shi, Leiyu

2017-01-01

Background The digital divide persists despite broad accessibility of mobile tools. The relationship between the digital divide and health disparities reflects social status in terms of access to resources and health outcomes; however, data on this relationship are limited from developing countries such as China. Objective The aim of this study was to examine the current rates of access to mobile tools (Internet use and mobile phone ownership) among older Chinese individuals (aged ≥45 years), the predictors of access at individual and community levels, and the relationship between access to mobile tools and health outcomes. Methods We drew cross-sectional data from a national representative survey, the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which focused on the older population (aged ≥45 years). We used two-level mixed logistic regression models, controlling for unobserved heterogeneity at the community and individual levels for data analysis. In addition to individual-level socioeconomic status (SES), we included community-level resources such as neighborhood amenities, health care facilities, and community organizations. Health outcomes were measured by self-reported health and absence of disability based on validated scales. Results Among the 18,215 participants, 6.51% had used the Internet in the past month, and 83% owned a mobile phone. In the multivariate models, Internet use was strongly associated with SES, rural or urban residence, neighborhood amenities, community resources, and geographic region. Mobile phone ownership was strongly associated with SES and rural/urban residence but not so much with neighborhood amenities and community resources. Internet use was a significant predictor of self-reported health status, and mobile phone ownership was significantly associated with having disability even after controlling for potential confounders at the individual and community levels. Conclusions This study is one of the first to examine digital divide and its relationship with health disparities in China. The data showed a significant digital divide in China, especially in the older population. Internet access is still limited to people with higher SES; however, the mobile phone has been adopted by the general population. The digital divide is associated with not only individual SES but also community resources. Future electronic health (eHealth) programs need to consider the accessibility of mobile tools and develop culturally appropriate programs for various social groups. PMID:28893724

Evaluating the State of Water Management in the Rio Grande/Bravo Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz Partida, Jose Pablo; Sandoval-Solis, Samuel; Diaz Gomez, Romina

2017-04-01

Water resource modeling tools have been developed for many different regions and sub-basins of the Rio Grande/Bravo (RGB). Each of these tools has specific objectives, whether it is to explore drought mitigation alternatives, conflict resolution, climate change evaluation, tradeoff and economic synergies, water allocation, reservoir operations, or collaborative planning. However, there has not been an effort to integrate different available tools, or to link models developed for specific reaches into a more holistic watershed decision-support tool. This project outlines promising next steps to meet long-term goals of improved decision support tools and modeling. We identify, describe, and synthesize water resources management practices in the RGB basin and available water resources models and decision support tools that represent the RGB and the distribution of water for human and environmental uses. The extent body of water resources modeling is examined from a perspective of environmental water needs and water resources management and thereby allows subsequent prioritization of future research and monitoring needs for the development of river system modeling tools. This work communicates the state of the RGB science to diverse stakeholders, researchers, and decision-makers. The products of this project represent a planning tool to support an integrated water resources management framework to maximize economic and social welfare without compromising vital ecosystems.

Implementing CORAL: An Electronic Resource Management System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitfield, Sharon

2011-01-01

A 2010 electronic resource management survey conducted by Maria Collins of North Carolina State University and Jill E. Grogg of University of Alabama Libraries found that the top six electronic resources management priorities included workflow management, communications management, license management, statistics management, administrative…

Bridging the Gap between HL7 CDA and HL7 FHIR: A JSON Based Mapping.

PubMed

Rinner, Christoph; Duftschmid, Georg

2016-01-01

The Austrian electronic health record (EHR) system ELGA went live in December 2016. It is a document oriented EHR system and is based on the HL7 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA). The HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) is a relatively new standard that combines the advantages of HL7 messages and CDA Documents. In order to offer easier access to information stored in ELGA we present a method based on adapted FHIR resources to map CDA documents to FHIR resources. A proof-of-concept tool using Java, the open-source FHIR framework HAPI-FHIR and publicly available FHIR servers was created to evaluate the presented mapping. In contrast to other approaches the close resemblance of the mapping file to the FHIR specification allows existing FHIR infrastructure to be reused. In order to reduce information overload and facilitate the access to CDA documents, FHIR could offer a standardized way to query CDA data on a fine granular base in Austria.

The UCSC Genome Browser: What Every Molecular Biologist Should Know

PubMed Central

Mangan, Mary E.; Williams, Jennifer M.; Kuhn, Robert M.; Lathe, Warren C.

2014-01-01

Electronic data resources can enable molecular biologists to quickly get information from around the world that a decade ago would have been buried in papers scattered throughout the library. The ability to access, query, and display these data make benchwork much more efficient and drive new discoveries. Increasingly, mastery of software resources and corresponding data repositories is required to fully explore the volume of data generated in biomedical and agricultural research, because only small amounts of data are actually found in traditional publications. The UCSC Genome Browser provides a wealth of data and tools that advance understanding of genomic context for many species, enable detailed analysis of data, and provide the ability to interrogate regions of interest across disparate data sets from a wide variety of sources. Researchers can also supplement the standard display with their own data to query and share this with others. Effective use of these resources has become crucial to biological research today, and this unit describes some practical applications of the UCSC Genome Browser. PMID:24984850

Prototype of a Standards-Based EHR and Genetic Test Reporting Tool Coupled with HL7-Compliant Infobuttons

PubMed Central

Crump, Jacob K.; Del Fiol, Guilherme; Williams, Marc S.; Freimuth, Robert R.

2018-01-01

Integration of genetic information is becoming increasingly important in clinical practice. However, genetic information is often ambiguous and difficult to understand, and clinicians have reported low-self-efficacy in integrating genetics into their care routine. The Health Level Seven (HL7) Infobutton standard helps to integrate online knowledge resources within Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and is required for EHR certification in the US. We implemented a prototype of a standards-based genetic reporting application coupled with infobuttons leveraging the Infobutton and Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) Standards. Infobutton capabilities were provided by Open Infobutton, an open source package compliant with the HL7 Infobutton Standard. The resulting prototype demonstrates how standards-based reporting of genetic results, coupled with curated knowledge resources, can provide dynamic access to clinical knowledge on demand at the point of care. The proposed functionality can be enabled within any EHR system that has been certified through the US Meaningful Use program.

Hybrid Platforms, Tools, and Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linder, Kathryn E.; Bruenjes, Linda S.; Smith, Sarah A.

2017-01-01

This chapter discusses common tools and resources for building a hybrid course in a higher education setting and provides recommendations for best practices in Learning Management Systems and Open Educational Resources.

Electronic Library: A TERI Experiment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kar, Debal C.; Deb, Subrata; Kumar, Satish

2003-01-01

Discusses the development of Electronic Library at TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi). Highlights include: hardware and software used; the digital library/Virtual Electronic Library; directory of Internet journals; virtual reference resources; electronic collection/Physical Electronic Library; downloaded online full-length…

Developing user-friendly habitat suitability tools from regional stream fish survey data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zorn, T.G.; Seelbach, P.; Wiley, M.J.

2011-01-01

We developed user-friendly fish habitat suitability tools (plots) for fishery managers in Michigan; these tools are based on driving habitat variables and fish population estimates for several hundred stream sites throughout the state. We generated contour plots to show patterns in fish biomass for over 60 common species (and for 120 species grouped at the family level) in relation to axes of catchment area and low-flow yield (90% exceedance flow divided by catchment area) and also in relation to axes of mean and weekly range of July temperatures. The plots showed distinct patterns in fish habitat suitability at each level of biological organization studied and were useful for quantitatively comparing river sites. We demonstrate how these plots can be used to support stream management, and we provide examples pertaining to resource assessment, trout stocking, angling regulations, chemical reclamation of marginal trout streams, indicator species, instream flow protection, and habitat restoration. These straightforward and effective tools are electronically available so that managers can easily access and incorporate them into decision protocols and presentations.

NREL: Renewable Resource Data Center - Solar Resource Models and Tools

Science.gov Websites

Solar Resource Models and Tools The Renewable Resource Data Center (RReDC) features the following -supplied hourly average measured global horizontal data. NSRDB Data Viewer Visualize, explore, and download solar resource data from the National Solar Radiation Database. PVWatts® Calculator PVWattsÂ

Assessing organizational capacity for achieving meaningful use of electronic health records.

PubMed

Shea, Christopher M; Malone, Robb; Weinberger, Morris; Reiter, Kristin L; Thornhill, Jonathan; Lord, Jennifer; Nguyen, Nicholas G; Weiner, Bryan J

2014-01-01

Health care institutions are scrambling to manage the complex organizational change required for achieving meaningful use (MU) of electronic health records (EHR). Assessing baseline organizational capacity for the change can be a useful step toward effective planning and resource allocation. The aim of this article is to describe an adaptable method and tool for assessing organizational capacity for achieving MU of EHR. Data on organizational capacity (people, processes, and technology resources) and barriers are presented from outpatient clinics within one integrated health care delivery system; thus, the focus is on MU requirements for eligible professionals, not eligible hospitals. We conducted 109 interviews with representatives from 46 outpatient clinics. Most clinics had core elements of the people domain of capacity in place. However, the process domain was problematic for many clinics, specifically, capturing problem lists as structured data and having standard processes for maintaining the problem list in the EHR. Also, nearly half of all clinics did not have methods for tracking compliance with their existing processes. Finally, most clinics maintained clinical information in multiple systems, not just the EHR. The most common perceived barriers to MU for eligible professionals included EHR functionality, changes to workflows, increased workload, and resistance to change. Organizational capacity assessments provide a broad institutional perspective and an in-depth clinic-level perspective useful for making resource decisions and tailoring strategies to support the MU change effort for eligible professionals.

The Digital Library for Earth System Education: A Progress Report from the DLESE Program Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marlino, M. R.; Sumner, T. R.; Kelly, K. K.; Wright, M.

2002-12-01

DLESE is a community-owned and governed digital library offering easy access to high quality electronic resources about the Earth system at all educational levels. Currently in its third year of development and operation, DLESE resources are designed to support systemic educational reform, and include web-based teaching resources, tools, and services for the inclusion of data in classroom activities, as well as a "virtual community center" that supports community goals and growth. "Community-owned" and "community-governed" embody the singularity of DLESE through its unique participatory approach to both library building and governance. DLESE is guided by policy development vested in the DLESE Steering Committee, and informed by Standing Committees centered on Collections, Services, Technology, and Users, and community working groups covering a wide variety of interest areas. This presentation highlights both current and projected status of the library and opportunities for community engagement. It is specifically structured to engage community members in the design of the next version of the library release. The current Version 1.0 of the library consists of a web-accessible graphical user interface connected to a database of catalogued educational resources (approximately 3000); a metadata framework enabling resource characterization; a cataloging tool allowing community cataloging and indexing of materials; a search and discovery system allowing browsing based on topic, grade level, and resource type, and permitting keyword and controlled vocabulary-based searches; and a portal website supporting library use, community action, and DLESE partnerships. Future stages of library development will focus on enhanced community collaborative support; development of controlled vocabularies; collections building and community review systems; resource discovery integrating the National Science Education Standards and geography standards; Earth system science vocabulary; georeferenced discovery; and ultimately, AAAS Benchmarks. DLESE is being designed from the outset to support resource discovery across a diverse, federated network of holdings and collections, including the Alexandria Digital Library Earth Prototype (ADL/ADEPT), NASA education collections, the DLESE reviewed collection, and other community-held resources that have been cataloged and indexed as part of the overall DLESE collections.

Development of Electronic Resources across Networks in Thailand.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ratchatavorn, Phandao

2002-01-01

Discusses the development of electronic resources across library networks in Thailand to meet user needs, particularly electronic journals. Topics include concerns about journal access; limited budgets for library acquisitions of journals; and sharing resources through a centralized database system that allows Web access to journals via Internet…

Electronic Resource Management 2.0: Using Web 2.0 Technologies as Cost-Effective Alternatives to an Electronic Resource Management System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Adam

2008-01-01

Designed to assist with the management of e-resources, electronic resource management (ERM) systems are time- and fund-consuming to purchase and maintain. Questions of system compatibility, data population, and workflow design/redesign can be difficult to answer; sometimes those answers are not what we'd prefer to hear. The two primary functions…

Data analysis of the benefits of an electronic registry of information in a neonatal intensive care unit in Greece.

PubMed

Skouroliakou, Maria; Soloupis, George; Gounaris, Antonis; Charitou, Antonia; Papasarantopoulos, Petros; Markantonis, Sophia L; Golna, Christina; Souliotis, Kyriakos

2008-07-28

This study assesses the results of implementation of a software program that allows for input of admission/discharge summary data (including cost) in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Greece, based on the establishment of a baseline statistical database for infants treated in a NICU and the statistical analysis of epidemiological and resource utilization data thus collected. A software tool was designed, developed, and implemented between April 2004 and March 2005 in the NICU of the LITO private maternity hospital in Athens, Greece, to allow for the first time for step-by-step collection and management of summary treatment data. Data collected over this period were subsequently analyzed using defined indicators as a basis to extract results related to treatment options, treatment duration, and relative resource utilization. Data for 499 babies were entered in the tool and processed. Information on medical costs (e.g., mean total cost +/- SD of treatment was euro310.44 +/- 249.17 and euro6704.27 +/- 4079.53 for babies weighing more than 2500 g and 1000-1500 g respectively), incidence of complications or disease (e.g., 4.3 percent and 14.3 percent of study babies weighing 1,000 to 1,500 g suffered from cerebral bleeding [grade I] and bronchopulmonary dysplasia, respectively, while overall 6.0 percent had microbial infections), and medical statistics (e.g., perinatal mortality was 6.8 percent) was obtained in a quick and robust manner. The software tool allowed for collection and analysis of data traditionally maintained in paper medical records in the NICU with greater ease and accuracy. Data codification and analysis led to significant findings at the epidemiological, medical resource utilization, and respective hospital cost levels that allowed comparisons with literature findings for the first time in Greece. The tool thus contributed to a clearer understanding of treatment practices in the NICU and set the baseline for the assessment of the impact of future interventions at the policy or hospital level.

Interactive Electronic Decision Trees for the Integrated Primary Care Management of Febrile Children in Low Resource Settings - Review of existing tools.

PubMed

Keitel, Kristina; D'Acremont, Valérie

2018-04-20

The lack of effective, integrated diagnostic tools pose a major challenge to the primary care management of febrile childhood illnesses. These limitations are especially evident in low-resource settings and are often inappropriately compensated by antimicrobial over-prescription. Interactive electronic decision trees (IEDTs) have the potential to close these gaps: guiding antibiotic use and better identifying serious disease. This narrative review summarizes existing IEDTs, to provide an overview of their degree of validation, as well as to identify gaps in current knowledge and prospects for future innovation. Structured literature review in PubMed and Embase complemented by google search and contact with developers. Six integrated IEDTs were identified: three (eIMCI, REC, and Bangladesh digital IMCI) based on Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI); four (SL eCCM, MEDSINC, e-iCCM, and D-Tree eCCM) on Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM); two (ALMANACH, MSFeCARE) with a modified IMCI content; and one (ePOCT) that integrates novel content with biomarker testing. The types of publications and evaluation studies varied greatly: the content and evidence-base was published for two (ALMANACH and ePOCT), ALMANACH and ePOCT were validated in efficacy studies. Other types of evaluations, such as compliance, acceptability were available for D-Tree eCCM, eIMCI, ALMANACH. Several evaluations are still ongoing. Future prospects include conducting effectiveness and impact studies using data gathered through larger studies to adapt the medical content to local epidemiology, improving the software and sensors, and Assessing factors that influence compliance and scale-up. IEDTs are valuable tools that have the potential to improve management of febrile children in primary care and increase the rational use of diagnostics and antimicrobials. Next steps in the evidence pathway should be larger effectiveness and impact studies (including cost analysis) and continuous integration of clinically useful diagnostic and treatment innovations. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Students' Use of Electronic Support Tools in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawford, Lindy; Higgins, Kristina N.; Huscroft-D'Angelo, Jacqueline N.; Hall, Lindsay

2016-01-01

This study investigated students' use of electronic support tools within a computer-based mathematics program. Electronic support tools are tools, such as hyperlinks or calculators, available within many computer-based instructional programs. A convenience sample of 73 students in grades 4-6 was selected to participate in the study. Students…

Exploring the Potential of Predictive Analytics and Big Data in Emergency Care.

PubMed

Janke, Alexander T; Overbeek, Daniel L; Kocher, Keith E; Levy, Phillip D

2016-02-01

Clinical research often focuses on resource-intensive causal inference, whereas the potential of predictive analytics with constantly increasing big data sources remains largely unexplored. Basic prediction, divorced from causal inference, is much easier with big data. Emergency care may benefit from this simpler application of big data. Historically, predictive analytics have played an important role in emergency care as simple heuristics for risk stratification. These tools generally follow a standard approach: parsimonious criteria, easy computability, and independent validation with distinct populations. Simplicity in a prediction tool is valuable, but technological advances make it no longer a necessity. Emergency care could benefit from clinical predictions built using data science tools with abundant potential input variables available in electronic medical records. Patients' risks could be stratified more precisely with large pools of data and lower resource requirements for comparing each clinical encounter to those that came before it, benefiting clinical decisionmaking and health systems operations. The largest value of predictive analytics comes early in the clinical encounter, in which diagnostic and prognostic uncertainty are high and resource-committing decisions need to be made. We propose an agenda for widening the application of predictive analytics in emergency care. Throughout, we express cautious optimism because there are myriad challenges related to database infrastructure, practitioner uptake, and patient acceptance. The quality of routinely compiled clinical data will remain an important limitation. Complementing big data sources with prospective data may be necessary if predictive analytics are to achieve their full potential to improve care quality in the emergency department. Copyright © 2015 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mentorship programs for faculty development in academic general pediatric divisions.

PubMed

Takagishi, Jennifer; Dabrow, Sharon

2011-01-01

Introduction. Mentoring relationships have been shown to support academicians in areas of research, work/life balance, and promotion. Methods. General pediatric division chiefs accessed an electronic survey asking about mentorship relationships, their ability to create a mentorship program, and resources needed. Results. Dyadic mentorship programs were available at 53% of divisions. Peer mentorship programs were available at 27% of divisions. Overall, 84% of chiefs believed that dyadic mentorship would benefit their faculty. 91% of chiefs believed that peer mentorship would benefit their faculty. Chiefs were interested in starting peer (57%) or dyadic (55%) mentorship programs. Few divisions had a peer mentorship program available, whereas 24% already had a dyadic program. 43% of chiefs felt that they had the tools to start a program. Many tools are needed to create a program. Discussion. General pediatric division chiefs acknowledge the benefits of mentoring relationships, and some have programs in place. Many need tools to create them. Pediatric societies could facilitate this critical area of professional development.

Water Resources Risks and the Climate Resilience Toolkit: Tools, Case Studies, and Partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Read, E. K.; Blodgett, D. L.; Booth, N.

2014-12-01

The Water Resources Risk topic of the Climate Resilience Toolkit (CRT) is designed to provide decision support, technical, and educational resources to communities, water resource managers, policy analysts, and water utilities working to increase the resilience of water resources to climate change. We highlight the partnerships (between federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private partners), tools (e.g., downscaled climate products, historical and real-time water data, and decision support) and success stories that are informing the CRT Water Resources Risks Theme content, and identify remaining needs in available resources for building resilience of water resources to climate change. The following questions will frame the content of the Water Resources Risk CRT: How are human and natural components of the hydrologic cycle changing? How can communities and water managers plan for uncertain future conditions? How will changing water resources impact food production, energy resources, ecosystems, and human health? What water resources data are of high value to society and are they easily accessible? Input on existing tools, resources, or potential partnerships that could be used to further develop content and fill gaps in the Water Resources CRT is welcome. We also invite ideas for water resources 'innovation challenges', in which technology developers work to create tools to that enhance the capacity of communities and managers to increase resilience of water resources at the local and regional scales.

Shaping the Electronic Library--The UW-Madison Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dean, Charles W., Ed.; Frazier, Ken; Pope, Nolan F.; Gorman, Peter C.; Dentinger, Sue; Boston, Jeanne; Phillips, Hugh; Daggett, Steven C.; Lundquist, Mitch; McClung, Mark; Riley, Curran; Allan, Craig; Waugh, David

1998-01-01

This special theme section describes the University of Wisconsin-Madison's experience building its Electronic Library. Highlights include integrating resources and services; the administrative framework; the public electronic library, including electronic publishing capability and access to World Wide Web-based and other electronic resources;…

ChooseMyPlate.gov

MedlinePlus

... Resources for Students Resources for Adults Resources for Professionals Multi-Language Check Out Our Online Tools EATING ON A BUDGET MYPLATE TIP SHEETS MYPLATE QUIZZES SUPERTRACKER WHAT'S COOKING Check Out Our Online Tools Eating on a ...

Building and Managing Electronic Resources in Digital Era in India with Special Reference to IUCAA and NIV, Pune: A Comparative Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahu, H. K.; Singh, S. N.

2015-04-01

This paper discusses and presents a comparative case study of two libraries in Pune, India, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics and Information Centre and Library of National Institute of Virology (Indian Council of Medical Research). It compares how both libraries have managed their e-resource collections, including acquisitions, subscriptions, and consortia arrangements, while also developing a collection of their own resources, including pre-prints and publications, video lectures, and other materials in an institutional repository. This study illustrates how difficult it is to manage electronic resources in a developing country like India, even though electronic resources are used more than print resources. Electronic resource management can be daunting, but with a systematic approach, various problems can be solved, and use of the materials will be enhanced.

Infrastructure of electronic information management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Twitchell, G.D.

2004-01-01

The information technology infrastructure of an organization, whether it is a private, non-profit, federal, or academic institution, is key to delivering timely and high-quality products and services to its customers and stakeholders. With the evolution of the Internet and the World Wide Web, resources that were once "centralized" in nature are now distributed across the organization in various locations and often remote regions of the country. This presents tremendous challenges to the information technology managers, users, and CEOs of large world-wide corporations who wish to exchange information or get access to resources in today's global marketplace. Several tools and technologies have been developed over recent years that play critical roles in ensuring that the proper information infrastructure exists within the organization to facilitate this global information marketplace Such tools and technologies as JAVA, Proxy Servers, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), multi-platform database management solutions, high-speed telecommunication technologies (ATM, ISDN, etc.), mass storage devices, and firewall technologies most often determine the organization's success through effective and efficient information infrastructure practices. This session will address several of these technologies and provide options related to those that may exist and can be readily applied within Eastern Europe. ?? 2004 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved.

Mouse Phenome Database

PubMed Central

Grubb, Stephen C.; Maddatu, Terry P.; Bult, Carol J.; Bogue, Molly A.

2009-01-01

The Mouse Phenome Database (MPD; http://www.jax.org/phenome) is an open source, web-based repository of phenotypic and genotypic data on commonly used and genetically diverse inbred strains of mice and their derivatives. MPD is also a facility for query, analysis and in silico hypothesis testing. Currently MPD contains about 1400 phenotypic measurements contributed by research teams worldwide, including phenotypes relevant to human health such as cancer susceptibility, aging, obesity, susceptibility to infectious diseases, atherosclerosis, blood disorders and neurosensory disorders. Electronic access to centralized strain data enables investigators to select optimal strains for many systems-based research applications, including physiological studies, drug and toxicology testing, modeling disease processes and complex trait analysis. The ability to select strains for specific research applications by accessing existing phenotype data can bypass the need to (re)characterize strains, precluding major investments of time and resources. This functionality, in turn, accelerates research and leverages existing community resources. Since our last NAR reporting in 2007, MPD has added more community-contributed data covering more phenotypic domains and implemented several new tools and features, including a new interactive Tool Demo available through the MPD homepage (quick link: http://phenome.jax.org/phenome/trytools). PMID:18987003

Launching GUPPI: the Green Bank Ultimate Pulsar Processing Instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DuPlain, Ron; Ransom, Scott; Demorest, Paul; Brandt, Patrick; Ford, John; Shelton, Amy L.

2008-08-01

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is launching the Green Bank Ultimate Pulsar Processing Instrument (GUPPI), a prototype flexible digital signal processor designed for pulsar observations with the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT). GUPPI uses field programmable gate array (FPGA) hardware and design tools developed by the Center for Astronomy Signal Processing and Electronics Research (CASPER) at the University of California, Berkeley. The NRAO has been concurrently developing GUPPI software and hardware using minimal software resources. The software handles instrument monitor and control, data acquisition, and hardware interfacing. GUPPI is currently an expert-only spectrometer, but supports future integration with the full GBT production system. The NRAO was able to take advantage of the unique flexibility of the CASPER FPGA hardware platform, develop hardware and software in parallel, and build a suite of software tools for monitoring, controlling, and acquiring data with a new instrument over a short timeline of just a few months. The NRAO interacts regularly with CASPER and its users, and GUPPI stands as an example of what reconfigurable computing and open-source development can do for radio astronomy. GUPPI is modular for portability, and the NRAO provides the results of development as an open-source resource.

A national facility for biological cryo-electron microscopy

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

Saibil, Helen R., E-mail: h.saibil@mail.cryst.bbk.ac.uk; Grünewald, Kay; Stuart, David I.

2015-01-01

This review provides a brief update on the use of cryo-electron microscopy for integrated structural biology, along with an overview of the plans for the UK national facility for electron microscopy being built at the Diamond synchrotron. Three-dimensional electron microscopy is an enormously powerful tool for structural biologists. It is now able to provide an understanding of the molecular machinery of cells, disease processes and the actions of pathogenic organisms from atomic detail through to the cellular context. However, cutting-edge research in this field requires very substantial resources for equipment, infrastructure and expertise. Here, a brief overview is provided ofmore » the plans for a UK national three-dimensional electron-microscopy facility for integrated structural biology to enable internationally leading research on the machinery of life. State-of-the-art equipment operated with expert support will be provided, optimized for both atomic-level single-particle analysis of purified macromolecules and complexes and for tomography of cell sections. The access to and organization of the facility will be modelled on the highly successful macromolecular crystallography (MX) synchrotron beamlines, and will be embedded at the Diamond Light Source, facilitating the development of user-friendly workflows providing near-real-time experimental feedback.« less

Using Arden Syntax to Identify Registry-Eligible Very Low Birth Weight Neonates from the Electronic Health Record

PubMed Central

Sarkar, Indra Neil; Chen, Elizabeth S.; Rosenau, Paul T.; Storer, Matthew B.; Anderson, Beth; Horbar, Jeffrey D.

2014-01-01

Condition-specific registries are essential resources for supporting epidemiological, quality improvement, and clinical trial studies. The identification of potentially eligible patients for a given registry often involves a manual process or use of ad hoc software tools. With the increased availability of electronic health data, such as within Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, there is potential to develop healthcare standards based approaches for interacting with these data. Arden Syntax, which has traditionally been used to represent medical knowledge for clinical decision support, is one such standard that may be adapted for the purpose of registry eligibility determination. In this feasibility study, Arden Syntax was explored for its ability to represent eligibility criteria for a registry of very low birth weight neonates. The promising performance (100% recall; 97% precision) of the Arden Syntax approach at a single institution suggests that a standards-based methodology could be used to robustly identify registry-eligible patients from EHRs. PMID:25954412

A national facility for biological cryo-electron microscopy

PubMed Central

Saibil, Helen R.; Grünewald, Kay; Stuart, David I.

2015-01-01

Three-dimensional electron microscopy is an enormously powerful tool for structural biologists. It is now able to provide an understanding of the molecular machinery of cells, disease processes and the actions of pathogenic organisms from atomic detail through to the cellular context. However, cutting-edge research in this field requires very substantial resources for equipment, infrastructure and expertise. Here, a brief overview is provided of the plans for a UK national three-dimensional electron-microscopy facility for integrated structural biology to enable internationally leading research on the machinery of life. State-of-the-art equipment operated with expert support will be provided, optimized for both atomic-level single-particle analysis of purified macromolecules and complexes and for tomography of cell sections. The access to and organization of the facility will be modelled on the highly successful macromolecular crystallography (MX) synchrotron beamlines, and will be embedded at the Diamond Light Source, facilitating the development of user-friendly workflows providing near-real-time experimental feedback. PMID:25615867

Patient communication tools to enhance ART adherence counseling in low and high resource settings.

PubMed

Finocchario-Kessler, Sarah; Catley, Delwyn; Thomson, Domonique; Bradley-Ewing, Andrea; Berkley-Patton, Jannette; Goggin, Kathy

2012-10-01

Few articles have examined specific counseling tools used to increase antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. We present communication tools used in the context of Project MOTIV8, a randomized clinical trial. We developed, piloted, and evaluated pictorial images to communicate the importance of consistent dose timing and the concept of drug resistance. Electronic drug monitoring (EDM) review was also used to provide visual feedback and facilitate problem solving discussions. Adherence knowledge of all participants (n=204) was assessed at baseline and 48 weeks. Participant satisfaction with counseling was also assessed. Adherence knowledge did not differ at baseline, however, at 48 weeks, intervention participants demonstrated significantly increased knowledge compared to controls F(1, 172)=10.76, p=0.001 (12.4% increase among intervention participants and 1.8% decrease among controls). Counselors reported that the tools were well-received, and 80% of participants felt the counseling helped them adhere to their medications. Counseling tools were both positively received and effective in increasing ART adherence knowledge among a diverse population. While developed for research, these counseling tools can be implemented into clinical practice to help patients; particularly those with lower levels of education or limited abstract thinking skills to understand medical concepts related to ART adherence. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

NREL: Renewable Resource Data Center Home Page

Science.gov Websites

energy resource data, maps, and tools. Biomass, geothermal, solar, and wind resource data for locations advantage of renewable energy technologies, but some technologies are better suited for particular areas renewable energy planning and siting. RReDC provides detailed resource information through tools, reports

Electronic Documentation Support Tools and Text Duplication in the Electronic Medical Record

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wrenn, Jesse

2010-01-01

In order to ease the burden of electronic note entry on physicians, electronic documentation support tools have been developed to assist in note authoring. There is little evidence of the effects of these tools on attributes of clinical documentation, including document quality. Furthermore, the resultant abundance of duplicated text and…

Developing Humanities Collections in the Digital Age: Exploring Humanities Faculty Engagement with Electronic and Print Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kachaluba, Sarah Buck; Brady, Jessica Evans; Critten, Jessica

2014-01-01

This article is based on quantitative and qualitative research examining humanities scholars' understandings of the advantages and disadvantages of print versus electronic information resources. It explores how humanities' faculty members at Florida State University (FSU) use print and electronic resources, as well as how they perceive these…

Using a Decision Grid Process to Build Consensus in Electronic Resources Cancellation Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foudy, Gerri; McManus, Alesia

2005-01-01

Many libraries are expending an increasing part of their collections budgets on electronic resources. At the same time many libraries, especially those which are state funded, face diminishing budgets and high rates of inflation for serials subscriptions in all formats, including electronic resources. Therefore, many libraries need to develop ways…

Review and Comparison of Electronic Patient-Facing Family Health History Tools.

PubMed

Welch, Brandon M; Wiley, Kevin; Pflieger, Lance; Achiangia, Rosaline; Baker, Karen; Hughes-Halbert, Chanita; Morrison, Heath; Schiffman, Joshua; Doerr, Megan

2018-04-01

Family health history (FHx) is one of the most important pieces of information available to help genetic counselors and other clinicians identify risk and prevent disease. Unfortunately, the collection of FHx from patients is often too time consuming to be done during a clinical visit. Fortunately, there are many electronic FHx tools designed to help patients gather and organize their own FHx information prior to a clinic visit. We conducted a review and analysis of electronic FHx tools to better understand what tools are available, to compare and contrast to each other, to highlight features of various tools, and to provide a foundation for future evaluation and comparisons across FHx tools. Through our analysis, we included and abstracted 17 patient-facing electronic FHx tools and explored these tools around four axes: organization information, family history collection and display, clinical data collected, and clinical workflow integration. We found a large number of differences among FHx tools, with no two the same. This paper provides a useful review for health care providers, researchers, and patient advocates interested in understanding the differences among the available patient-facing electronic FHx tools.

30 CFR 57.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 57.12033 Section 57.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Surface and Underground § 57.12033 Hand-held electric tools. Hand-held electric tools shall not be...

30 CFR 57.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 57.12033 Section 57.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Surface and Underground § 57.12033 Hand-held electric tools. Hand-held electric tools shall not be...

30 CFR 57.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 57.12033 Section 57.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Surface and Underground § 57.12033 Hand-held electric tools. Hand-held electric tools shall not be...

30 CFR 57.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 57.12033 Section 57.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Surface and Underground § 57.12033 Hand-held electric tools. Hand-held electric tools shall not be...

30 CFR 57.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 57.12033 Section 57.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Surface and Underground § 57.12033 Hand-held electric tools. Hand-held electric tools shall not be...

A content analysis of the consumer-facing online information about My Health Record: Implications for increasing knowledge and awareness to facilitate uptake and use.

PubMed

Walsh, Louisa; Hill, Sophie; Allan, Meredith; Balandin, Susan; Georgiou, Andrew; Higgins, Isabel; Kraal, Ben; McCarthy, Shaun; Hemsley, Bronwyn

2017-01-01

Low health literacy, low levels of positive belief and privacy and security concerns have been identified as a significant barrier to personal electronic health record uptake and use. An important tool for overcoming these barriers is the consumer-facing information which accompanies the system. My Health Record (MyHR) is the Australian national e-health record system, for which a large suite of online resources exists to facilitate consumer registration and use. This study uses a number of different measures of health resource quality to assess the MyHR online consumer-facing information and identify any gaps or areas for improvement. To analyse the quality and content of the online consumer-facing resources which support the uptake and use of MyHR. Australian information resources aimed at healthcare consumers about the MyHR were included in this study. A comprehensive search using Internet search engines was conducted to locate all online consumer-facing resources about MyHR from both government and non-government sources. Readability (measured by Flesch-Kincaid grade level), year of publication/review, publishing organisation type, presentation style, linked websites, target audience, and themes were identified as important measures of health information quality, and these were recorded and reported on for each resource. Eighty resources met the inclusion criteria. The mean Flesch-Kincaid grade level was 11.8. Most resources were created by Australian government sources ( n = 55), and the most common target audience was the general public ( n = 65). Registration ( n = 51), privacy/security ( n = 49), and benefits of use ( n = 46) were the most common resource themes. The authors identified a number of gaps and areas for improvement in the provision of consumer-facing information about MyHR. Readability is too high for the general Australian population, and there are few translated resources, which means that the information provided does not cater to people with low literacy levels, communication disability, and/or difficulties in understanding written English. The target audiences for resources do not reflect priority groups that were identified during the MyHR development processes. There are also gaps in information provision about how consumers can use MyHR as a tool to meaningfully engage with health professionals and services to support their own person-centred care.

Smart dual-mode fluorescent gold nanoparticle agents.

PubMed

Kang, Kyung A; Wang, Jianting

2014-01-01

Fluorophore-mediated, molecular sensing is one of the most popular and important technique in biomedical studies. As in any sensing technique, the two most important factors in this sensing are the sensitivity and specificity. Since the fluorescence of a fluorophore is emitted in the process of fluorophore electrons returning from their excited to ground state, a tool that can locally manipulate the electron state can be useful to maximize the sensitivity and specificity. A good tool candidate for this purpose is nanosized metal particles that can form an electromagnetic (EM) field at a sufficiently strong level, upon receiving a particular wavelength that fits the excitation wavelength of the fluorophore to be used. There are several metal nanoparticle types that can generate a sufficiently strong EM field for this purpose. Nevertheless, for the biomedical studies, which require minimal toxicity, gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are known to be the most suitable. In this article, various methods for fluorescence alteration using GNPs, which can be beneficially utilized for biomarker-specific, highly sensitive molecular sensing and imaging, are discussed. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A resource from 3D electron microscopy of hippocampal neuropil for user training and tool development

PubMed Central

Harris, Kristen M.; Spacek, Josef; Bell, Maria Elizabeth; Parker, Patrick H.; Lindsey, Laurence F.; Baden, Alexander D.; Vogelstein, Joshua T.; Burns, Randal

2015-01-01

Resurgent interest in synaptic circuitry and plasticity has emphasized the importance of 3D reconstruction from serial section electron microscopy (3DEM). Three volumes of hippocampal CA1 neuropil from adult rat were imaged at X-Y resolution of ~2 nm on serial sections of ~50–60 nm thickness. These are the first densely reconstructed hippocampal volumes. All axons, dendrites, glia, and synapses were reconstructed in a cube (~10 μm3) surrounding a large dendritic spine, a cylinder (~43 μm3) surrounding an oblique dendritic segment (3.4 μm long), and a parallelepiped (~178 μm3) surrounding an apical dendritic segment (4.9 μm long). The data provide standards for identifying ultrastructural objects in 3DEM, realistic reconstructions for modeling biophysical properties of synaptic transmission, and a test bed for enhancing reconstruction tools. Representative synapses are quantified from varying section planes, and microtubules, polyribosomes, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and endosomes are identified and reconstructed in a subset of dendrites. The original images, traces, and Reconstruct software and files are freely available and visualized at the Open Connectome Project (Data Citation 1). PMID:26347348

Complex adaptive systems: a tool for interpreting responses and behaviours.

PubMed

Ellis, Beverley

2011-01-01

Quality improvement is a priority for health services worldwide. There are many barriers to implementing change at the locality level and misinterpreting responses and behaviours can effectively block change. Electronic health records will influence the means by which knowledge and information are generated and sustained among those operating quality improvement programmes. To explain how complex adaptive system (CAS) theory provides a useful tool and new insight into the responses and behaviours that relate to quality improvement programmes in primary care enabled by informatics. Case studies in two English localities who participated in the implementation and development of quality improvement programmes. The research strategy included purposefully sampled case studies, conducted within a social constructionist ontological perspective. Responses and behaviours of quality improvement programmes in the two localities include both positive and negative influences associated with a networked model of governance. Pressures of time, resources and workload are common issues, along with the need for education and training about capturing, coding, recording and sharing information held within electronic health records to support various information requirements. Primary care informatics enables information symmetry among those operating quality improvement programmes by making some aspects of care explicit, allowing consensus about quality improvement priorities and implementable solutions.

Optimization of infobutton design and Implementation: A systematic review.

PubMed

Teixeira, Miguel; Cook, David A; Heale, Bret S E; Del Fiol, Guilherme

2017-10-01

Infobuttons are clinical decision tools embedded in the electronic health record that attempt to link clinical data with context sensitive knowledge resources. We systematically reviewed technical approaches that contribute to improved infobutton design, implementation and functionality. We searched databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library database from inception to March 1, 2016 for studies describing the use of infobuttons. We selected full review comparative studies, usability studies, and qualitative studies examining infobutton design and implementation. We abstracted usability measures such as user satisfaction, impact, and efficiency, as well as prediction accuracy of infobutton content retrieval algorithms and infobutton adoption/interoperability. We found 82 original research studies on infobuttons. Twelve studies met criteria for detailed abstraction. These studies investigated infobutton interoperability (1 study); tools to help tailor infobutton functionality (1 study); interventions to improve user experience (7 studies); and interventions to improve content retrieval by improving prediction of relevant knowledge resources and information needs (3 studies). In-depth interviews with implementers showed the Health Level Seven (HL7) Infobutton standard to be simple and easy to implement. A usability study demonstrated the feasibility of a tool to help medical librarians tailor infobutton functionality. User experience studies showed that access to resources with which users are familiar increased user satisfaction ratings; and that links to specific subsections of drug monographs increased information seeking efficiency. However, none of the user experience improvements led to increased usage uptake. Recommender systems based on machine learning algorithms outperformed hand-crafted rules in the prediction of relevant resources and clinicians' information needs in a laboratory setting, but no studies were found using these techniques in clinical settings. Improved content indexing in one study led to improved content retrieval across three health care organizations. Best practice technical approaches to ensure optimal infobutton functionality, design and implementation remain understudied. The HL7 Infobutton standard has supported wide adoption of infobutton functionality among clinical information systems and knowledge resources. Limited evidence supports infobutton enhancements such as links to specific subtopics, configuration of optimal resources for specific tasks and users, and improved indexing and content coverage. Further research is needed to investigate user experience improvements to increase infobutton use and effectiveness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development and implementation of an electronic library tour for the NASA Langley Technical Library. M.S. Thesis, North Carolina Univ., Jul. 1994

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinker, Nancy A.

1994-01-01

The role of librarians today is drastically influenced by the changing nature of information and library services. The museum-like libraries of yesterday are a thing of the past: today's libraries are bustling with life, activity, and the sounds of new technologies. Libraries are replacing their paper card catalogs with state-of-the-art online systems, which provide faster and more comprehensive search capabilities. Even the resources themselves are changing. New formats for information, such as CD-ROM's, are becoming popular for all types of publications, from bibliographic tools to encyclopedias to electronic journals, even replacing print materials completely in some cases. Today it is almost impossible to walk into a library and find the information you need without coming into contact with at least one computer system. Librarians are not only struggling to keep up with the technological advancements of the day, but they are becoming information intermediaries: they must teach library users how to use all of the new systems and electronic resources. Not surprisingly, bibliographic instruction itself has taken on a new look and feel in these electronically advanced libraries. Many libraries are experimenting with the development of expert systems and other computer aided instruction interfaces for teaching patrons how to use the library and its resources. One popular type of interface in library instruction programs is hypertext, which utilizes 'stacks' or linked pages of information. Hypertext stacks can incorporate color graphics along with text to provide a more interesting interface and entice users into trying out the system. Another advantage of hypertext is that it is generally easy to use, even for those unfamiliar with computers. As such, it lends itself well to application in libraries, which often serve a broad range of clientele. This paper will discuss the design, development, and implementation of a hypertext library tour in a special library setting. The library featured in the electronic library tour is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Technical Library at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

Promoting Early Brain and Child Development: Perceived Barriers and the Utilization of Resources to Address Them.

PubMed

Garner, Andrew S; Storfer-Isser, Amy; Szilagyi, Moira; Stein, Ruth E K; Green, Cori M; Kerker, Bonnie D; O'Connor, Karen G; Hoagwood, Kimberly E; McCue Horwitz, Sarah

Efforts to promote early brain and child development (EBCD) include initiatives to support healthy parent-child relationships, tools to identify family social-emotional risk factors, and referrals to community programs to address family risk factors. We sought to examine if pediatricians perceive barriers to implementing these activities, and if they utilize resources to address those barriers. Data were analyzed from 304 nontrainee pediatricians who practice general pediatrics and completed a 2013 American Academy of Pediatrics Periodic Survey. Sample weights were used to decrease nonresponse bias. Bivariate comparisons and multivariable regression analyses were conducted. At least half of the pediatricians agreed that barriers to promoting EBCD include: a lack of tools to promote healthy parent-child relationships, a lack of tools to assess the family environment for social-emotional risk factors, and a lack of local resources to address family risks. Endorsing a lack of tools to assess the family environment as a barrier was associated with using fewer screening tools and community resources. Endorsing a lack of local resources as a barrier was associated with using fewer community resources and fewer initiatives to promote parent-child relationships. Interest in pediatric mental health was associated with using more initiatives to promote healthy parent-child relationships, screening tools, and community resources. Although the majority of pediatricians perceive barriers to promoting EBCD, few are routinely using available resources to address these barriers. Addressing pediatricians' perceived barriers and encouraging interest in pediatric mental health may increase resource utilization and enhance efforts to promote EBCD. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Pocket Guide (CONUS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

Cognitive Rehab Driving Following TBI Patient Education Clinical Tools and Resources Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public... Rehab Driving Following TBI Patient Education Clinical Tools and Resources 2 3 TBI Basics VA/DoD CPG Management of Headaches Management of Other...Symptoms ICD-9 Coding Cognitive Rehab Driving Following TBI Patient Education Clinical Tools and Resources TBI BASICS 4 5 TBI BASICS dod definition

E-waste management and resources recovery in France.

PubMed

Vadoudi, Kiyan; Kim, Junbeum; Laratte, Bertrand; Lee, Seung-Jin; Troussier, Nadège

2015-10-01

There are various issues of concern regarding electronic waste management, such as the toxicity of hazardous materials and the collection, recycling and recovery of useful resources. To understand the fate of electronic waste after collection and recycling, a products and materials flow analysis should be performed. This is a critical need, as material resources are becoming increasingly scarce and recycling may be able to provide secondary sources for new materials in the future. In this study, we investigate electronic waste systems, specifically the resource recovery or recycling aspects, as well as mapping electronic waste flows based on collection data in France. Approximately 1,588,453 t of new electrical and electronic equipment were sold in the French market in 2010. Of this amount, 430,000 t of electronic waste were collected, with the remaining 1,128,444 t remaining in stock. Furthermore, the total recycled amounts were 354,106 t and 11,396 t, respectively. The main electronic waste materials were ferrous metals (37%), plastic (22%), aluminium (12%), copper (11%) and glass (7%). This study will contribute to developing sustainable electronic waste and resource recycling systems in France. © The Author(s) 2015.

Disability Rights, Gender, and Development: A Resource Tool for Action. Full Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Silva de Alwis, Rangita

2008-01-01

This resource tool builds a normative framework to examine the intersections of disability rights and gender in the human rights based approach to development. Through case studies, good practices and analyses the research tool makes recommendations and illustrates effective tools for the implementation of gender and disability sensitive laws,…

18 CFR 390.1 - Electronic registration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Electronic registration. 390.1 Section 390.1 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY PROCEDURAL RULES ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION § 390.1 Electronic registration. Any person who...

18 CFR 390.1 - Electronic registration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Electronic registration. 390.1 Section 390.1 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY PROCEDURAL RULES ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION § 390.1 Electronic registration. Any person who...

18 CFR 390.1 - Electronic registration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Electronic registration. 390.1 Section 390.1 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY PROCEDURAL RULES ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION § 390.1 Electronic registration. Any person who...

18 CFR 390.1 - Electronic registration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Electronic registration. 390.1 Section 390.1 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY PROCEDURAL RULES ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION § 390.1 Electronic registration. Any person who...

18 CFR 390.1 - Electronic registration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Electronic registration. 390.1 Section 390.1 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY PROCEDURAL RULES ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION § 390.1 Electronic registration. Any person who...

The Relevancy of Graduate Curriculum to Human Resource Professionals' Electronic Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoell, Robert C.; Henry, Gordon O.

2003-01-01

Electronic communications of human resource professionals and the content of 23 university human resource management courses were categorized using the Human Resource Certification Institute's body of knowledge. Differences between proportion of topics discussed and topics covered in curricula suggest some topics are over- or undertaught.…

Integration of Traditional and E-Learning Methods to Improve Learning Outcomes for Dental Students in Histopathology.

PubMed

Ariana, Armin; Amin, Moein; Pakneshan, Sahar; Dolan-Evans, Elliot; Lam, Alfred K

2016-09-01

Dental students require a basic ability to explain and apply general principles of pathology to systemic, dental, and oral pathology. Although there have been recent advances in electronic and online resources, the academic effectiveness of using self-directed e-learning tools in pathology courses for dental students is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine if blended learning combining e-learning with traditional learning methods of lectures and tutorials would improve students' scores and satisfaction over those who experienced traditional learning alone. Two consecutive cohorts of Bachelor of Dentistry and Oral Health students taking the general pathology course at Griffith University in Australia were compared. The control cohort experienced traditional methods only, while members of the study cohort were also offered self-directed learning materials including online resources and online microscopy classes. Final assessments for the course were used to compare the differences in effectiveness of the intervention, and students' satisfaction with the teaching format was evaluated using questionnaires. On the final course assessments, students in the study cohort had significantly higher scores than students in the control cohort (p<0.01). Analysis of questionnaire results showed improved student satisfaction with the course in the study cohort. These findings suggest that the use of e-learning tools such as virtual microscopy and interactive online resources for delivering pathology instruction can be an effective supplement for developing dental students' competence, confidence, and satisfaction.

Clinic Workflow Simulations using Secondary EHR Data

PubMed Central

Hribar, Michelle R.; Biermann, David; Read-Brown, Sarah; Reznick, Leah; Lombardi, Lorinna; Parikh, Mansi; Chamberlain, Winston; Yackel, Thomas R.; Chiang, Michael F.

2016-01-01

Clinicians today face increased patient loads, decreased reimbursements and potential negative productivity impacts of using electronic health records (EHR), but have little guidance on how to improve clinic efficiency. Discrete event simulation models are powerful tools for evaluating clinical workflow and improving efficiency, particularly when they are built from secondary EHR timing data. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that these simulation models can be used for resource allocation decision making as well as for evaluating novel scheduling strategies in outpatient ophthalmology clinics. Key findings from this study are that: 1) secondary use of EHR timestamp data in simulation models represents clinic workflow, 2) simulations provide insight into the best allocation of resources in a clinic, 3) simulations provide critical information for schedule creation and decision making by clinic managers, and 4) simulation models built from EHR data are potentially generalizable. PMID:28269861

Assessing the health information needs of unaffiliated health professionals and using training on openly available search tools and resources to provide solutions to their information access challenges and barriers.

PubMed

Matsoukas, Konstantina

2014-01-01

This article will describe a year-long (2010-11) joint project between Columbia University Medical Center's Health Sciences Library and the Institute for Family Health (IFH), a network of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) serving disadvantaged populations in New York State. This National Institutes of Health-funded pilot project aimed to (a) determine the medical literature and training needs of IFH personnel, (b) develop generic licensing agreements with publishers that would enable a health sciences library to provide access to electronic resources for FQHC personnel, and (c) develop reference/education services for IFH personnel. How the reference and education aims were met will be described and discussed here as the lessons learned from this project may be useful to librarians considering doing instructional outreach to unaffiliated health professionals working at FQHCs nationwide.

Locating grey literature on communication disorders.

PubMed

Shpilko, Inna

2005-01-01

This article provides an overview of selected Web-based resources containing grey literature in the area of communication disorders. It is geared to practitioners, researchers, students, and consumers seeking reliable, freely available scientific information. Grey (or gray) literature has been defined as "that which is produced on all levels of government, academics, business, and industry in print and electronic formats, but which is not controlled by commercial publishers."1 This paper reviews various general reference sources potentially containing grey literature on communication disorders. This review includes identification of the methods specialists in this field use to obtain this valuable, yet often overlooked, literature. Access points and search tools for identifying grey literature on communication disorders are recommended. Commercial databases containing grey literature are not included. Conclusions presented in this article are considered complementary to traditionally published information resources on communication disorders, such as scholarly journals, online databases, etc.

Availability, Level of Use and Constraints to Use of Electronic Resources by Law Lecturers in Public Universities in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amusa, Oyintola Isiaka; Atinmo, Morayo

2016-01-01

(Purpose) This study surveyed the level of availability, use and constraints to use of electronic resources among law lecturers in Nigeria. (Methodology) Five hundred and fifty-two law lecturers were surveyed and four hundred and forty-two responded. (Results) Data analysis revealed that the level of availability of electronic resources for the…

Effective Knowledge Development in Secondary Schools Educational Level in Contemporary Information Age: Assessment of Availability of Electronic Information Resources in Nigerian School Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bello, Stephen Adeyemi; Ojo, Funmilayo Roseline; Ocheje, Charles Bala

2015-01-01

Relevant electronic information resources in contemporary information age are necessity to buttress teaching and learning for effective knowledge development in educational institutions. The purpose of the study is to know the state of availability of electronic information resources in government owned secondary school libraries in Ijumu Local…

Open Source GIS based integrated watershed management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrne, J. M.; Lindsay, J.; Berg, A. A.

2013-12-01

Optimal land and water management to address future and current resource stresses and allocation challenges requires the development of state-of-the-art geomatics and hydrological modelling tools. Future hydrological modelling tools should be of high resolution, process based with real-time capability to assess changing resource issues critical to short, medium and long-term enviromental management. The objective here is to merge two renowned, well published resource modeling programs to create an source toolbox for integrated land and water management applications. This work will facilitate a much increased efficiency in land and water resource security, management and planning. Following an 'open-source' philosophy, the tools will be computer platform independent with source code freely available, maximizing knowledge transfer and the global value of the proposed research. The envisioned set of water resource management tools will be housed within 'Whitebox Geospatial Analysis Tools'. Whitebox, is an open-source geographical information system (GIS) developed by Dr. John Lindsay at the University of Guelph. The emphasis of the Whitebox project has been to develop a user-friendly interface for advanced spatial analysis in environmental applications. The plugin architecture of the software is ideal for the tight-integration of spatially distributed models and spatial analysis algorithms such as those contained within the GENESYS suite. Open-source development extends knowledge and technology transfer to a broad range of end-users and builds Canadian capability to address complex resource management problems with better tools and expertise for managers in Canada and around the world. GENESYS (Generate Earth Systems Science input) is an innovative, efficient, high-resolution hydro- and agro-meteorological model for complex terrain watersheds developed under the direction of Dr. James Byrne. GENESYS is an outstanding research and applications tool to address challenging resource management issues in industry, government and nongovernmental agencies. Current research and analysis tools were developed to manage meteorological, climatological, and land and water resource data efficiently at high resolution in space and time. The deliverable for this work is a Whitebox-GENESYS open-source resource management capacity with routines for GIS based watershed management including water in agriculture and food production. We are adding urban water management routines through GENESYS in 2013-15 with an engineering PhD candidate. Both Whitebox-GAT and GENESYS are already well-established tools. The proposed research will combine these products to create an open-source geomatics based water resource management tool that is revolutionary in both capacity and availability to a wide array of Canadian and global users

Patient characteristics associated with venous thromboembolic events: a cohort study using pooled electronic health record data

PubMed Central

Foster, Wendy; Gilder, Jason; Love, Thomas E; Jain, Anil K

2012-01-01

Objective To demonstrate the potential of de-identified clinical data from multiple healthcare systems using different electronic health records (EHR) to be efficiently used for very large retrospective cohort studies. Materials and methods Data of 959 030 patients, pooled from multiple different healthcare systems with distinct EHR, were obtained. Data were standardized and normalized using common ontologies, searchable through a HIPAA-compliant, patient de-identified web application (Explore; Explorys Inc). Patients were 26 years or older seen in multiple healthcare systems from 1999 to 2011 with data from EHR. Results Comparing obese, tall subjects with normal body mass index, short subjects, the venous thromboembolic events (VTE) OR was 1.83 (95% CI 1.76 to 1.91) for women and 1.21 (1.10 to 1.32) for men. Weight had more effect then height on VTE. Compared with Caucasian, Hispanic/Latino subjects had a much lower risk of VTE (female OR 0.47, 0.41 to 0.55; male OR 0.24, 0.20 to 0.28) and African-Americans a substantially higher risk (female OR 1.83, 1.76 to 1.91; male OR 1.58, 1.50 to 1.66). This 13-year retrospective study of almost one million patients was performed over approximately 125 h in 11 weeks, part time by the five authors. Discussion As research informatics tools develop and more clinical data become available in EHR, it is important to study and understand unique opportunities for clinical research informatics to transform the scale and resources needed to perform certain types of clinical research. Conclusions With the right clinical research informatics tools and EHR data, some types of very large cohort studies can be completed with minimal resources. PMID:22759621

Health-care decision-making processes in Latin America: problems and prospects for the use of economic evaluation.

PubMed

Iglesias, Cynthia P; Drummond, Michael F; Rovira, Joan

2005-01-01

The use of economic evaluation studies (EE) in the decision-making process within the health-care system of nine Latin American (LA) and three European countries was investigated. The aim was to identify the opportunities, obstacles, and changes needed to facilitate the introduction of EE as a formal tool in health-care decision-making processes in LA. A comparative study was conducted based on existing literature and information provided through a questionnaire applied to decision makers in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Portugal Spain, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Systematic electronic searches of HEED, NHS EED, and LILACS were conducted to identify published economic evaluation studies in LA from 1982 onward. There is relatively little evidence of the conduct and use of EE within the health care systems in LA. Electronic searches retrieved 554 records; however, only 93 were EE. In the nine LA participating countries, broad allocation of health-care resources is primarily based on political criteria, historical records, geographical areas, and specific groups of patients and diseases. Public-health provision and inclusion of services in health-insurance package are responsibilities of the Ministry of Health. Decisions regarding the purchase of medicines are primarily made through public tenders, and mainly based on differences in clinical efficacy and the price of health technologies of interest. To expedite the process of incorporating EE as a formal tool to inform decision-making processes within the health-care systems in LA countries, two main conditions need to be fulfilled. First, adequate resources and skills need to be available to conduct EE of good quality. Second, decision-making procedures need to be modified to accommodate "evidence-based" approaches such as EE.

Use of traditional versus electronic medical-information resources by residents and interns.

PubMed

Phua, Jason; Lim, T K

2007-05-01

Little is known about the information-seeking behaviour of junior doctors, with regard to their use of traditional versus electronic sources of information. To evaluate the amount of time junior doctors spent using various medical-information resources and how useful they perceived these resources to be. A questionnaire study of all residents and interns in a tertiary teaching hospital in July and August 2004. In total, 134 doctors returned the completed questionnaires (response rate 79.8%). They spent the most time using traditional resources like teaching sessions and print textbooks, rating them as most useful. However, electronic resources like MEDLINE, UpToDate, and online review articles also ranked highly. Original research articles were less popular. Residents and interns prefer traditional sources of medical information. Meanwhile, though some electronic resources are rated highly, more work is required to remove the barriers to evidence-based medicine.

Drivers for precision livestock technology adoption: A study of factors associated with adoption of electronic identification technology by commercial sheep farmers in England and Wales

PubMed Central

Hopkins, Thomas; Gurney, Emma; Shortall, Orla; Lovatt, Fiona; Davies, Peers; Williamson, George; Kaler, Jasmeet

2018-01-01

The UK is the largest lamb meat producer in Europe. However, the low profitability of sheep farming sector suggests production efficiency could be improved. Although the use of technologies such as Electronic Identification (EID) tools could allow a better use of flock resources, anecdotal evidence suggests they are not widely used. The aim of this study was to assess uptake of EID technology, and explore drivers and barriers of adoption of related tools among English and Welsh farmers. Farm beliefs and management practices associated with adoption of this technology were investigated. A total of 2000 questionnaires were sent, with a response rate of 22%. Among the respondents, 87 had adopted EID tools for recording flock information, 97 intended to adopt it in the future, and 222 neither had adopted it, neither intended to adopt it. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multivariable logistic regression modelling were used to identify farmer beliefs and management practices significantly associated with adoption of EID technology. EFA identified three factors expressing farmer’s beliefs–external pressure and negative feelings, usefulness and practicality. Our results suggest farmer’s beliefs play a significant role in technology uptake. Non-adopters were more likely than adopters to believe that ‘government pressurise farmers to adopt technology’. In contrast, adopters were significantly more likely than non-adopters to see EID as practical and useful (p≤0.05). Farmers with higher information technologies literacy and intending to intensify production in the future were significantly more likely to adopt EID technology (p≤0.05). Importantly, flocks managed with EID tools had significantly lower farmer- reported flock lameness levels (p≤0.05). These findings bring insights on the dynamics of adoption of EID tools. Communicating evidence of the positive effects EID tools on flock performance and strengthening farmer’s capability in use of technology are likely to enhance the uptake of this technology in sheep farms. PMID:29293617

PREVAIL-EPL alpha tool electron optics subsystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfeiffer, Hans C.; Dhaliwal, Rajinder S.; Golladay, Steven D.; Doran, Samuel K.; Gordon, Michael S.; Kendall, Rodney A.; Lieberman, Jon E.; Pinckney, David J.; Quickle, Robert J.; Robinson, Christopher F.; Rockrohr, James D.; Stickel, Werner; Tressler, Eileen V.

2001-08-01

The IBM/Nikon alliance is continuing pursuit of an EPL stepper alpha tool based on the PREVAIL technology. This paper provides a status report of the alliance activity with particular focus on the Electron Optical Subsystem developed at IBM. We have previously reported on design features of the PREVAIL alpha system. The new state-of-the-art e-beam lithography concepts have since been reduced to practice and turned into functional building blocks of a production level lithography tool. The electron optical alpha tool subsystem has been designed, build, assembled and tested at IBM's Semiconductor Research and Development Center (SRDC) in East Fishkill, New York. After demonstrating subsystem functionality, the electron optical column and all associated control electronics hardware and software have been shipped during January 2001 to Nikon's facility in Kumagaya, Japan, for integration into the Nikon commercial e-beam stepper alpha tool. Early pre-shipment results obtained with this electron optical subsystem are presented.

The Digital Divide and Health Disparities in China: Evidence From a National Survey and Policy Implications.

PubMed

Hong, Y Alicia; Zhou, Zi; Fang, Ya; Shi, Leiyu

2017-09-11

The digital divide persists despite broad accessibility of mobile tools. The relationship between the digital divide and health disparities reflects social status in terms of access to resources and health outcomes; however, data on this relationship are limited from developing countries such as China. The aim of this study was to examine the current rates of access to mobile tools (Internet use and mobile phone ownership) among older Chinese individuals (aged ≥45 years), the predictors of access at individual and community levels, and the relationship between access to mobile tools and health outcomes. We drew cross-sectional data from a national representative survey, the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which focused on the older population (aged ≥45 years). We used two-level mixed logistic regression models, controlling for unobserved heterogeneity at the community and individual levels for data analysis. In addition to individual-level socioeconomic status (SES), we included community-level resources such as neighborhood amenities, health care facilities, and community organizations. Health outcomes were measured by self-reported health and absence of disability based on validated scales. Among the 18,215 participants, 6.51% had used the Internet in the past month, and 83% owned a mobile phone. In the multivariate models, Internet use was strongly associated with SES, rural or urban residence, neighborhood amenities, community resources, and geographic region. Mobile phone ownership was strongly associated with SES and rural/urban residence but not so much with neighborhood amenities and community resources. Internet use was a significant predictor of self-reported health status, and mobile phone ownership was significantly associated with having disability even after controlling for potential confounders at the individual and community levels. This study is one of the first to examine digital divide and its relationship with health disparities in China. The data showed a significant digital divide in China, especially in the older population. Internet access is still limited to people with higher SES; however, the mobile phone has been adopted by the general population. The digital divide is associated with not only individual SES but also community resources. Future electronic health (eHealth) programs need to consider the accessibility of mobile tools and develop culturally appropriate programs for various social groups. ©Y Alicia Hong, Zi Zhou, Ya Fang, Leiyu Shi. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 11.09.2017.

47 CFR 73.9007 - Robustness requirements for covered demodulator products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... RADIO SERVICES RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES Digital Broadcast Television Redistribution Control § 73.9007...-available tools or equipment also means specialized electronic tools or software tools that are widely... requirements set forth in this subpart. Such specialized electronic tools or software tools includes, but is...

Computing at h1 - Experience and Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eckerlin, G.; Gerhards, R.; Kleinwort, C.; KrÜNer-Marquis, U.; Egli, S.; Niebergall, F.

The H1 experiment has now been successfully operating at the electron proton collider HERA at DESY for three years. During this time the computing environment has gradually shifted from a mainframe oriented environment to the distributed server/client Unix world. This transition is now almost complete. Computing needs are largely determined by the present amount of 1.5 TB of reconstructed data per year (1994), corresponding to 1.2 × 107 accepted events. All data are centrally available at DESY. In addition to data analysis, which is done in all collaborating institutes, most of the centrally organized Monte Carlo production is performed outside of DESY. New software tools to cope with offline computing needs include CENTIPEDE, a tool for the use of distributed batch and interactive resources for Monte Carlo production, and H1 UNIX, a software package for automatic updates of H1 software on all UNIX platforms.

PDBe: Protein Data Bank in Europe

PubMed Central

Gutmanas, Aleksandras; Alhroub, Younes; Battle, Gary M.; Berrisford, John M.; Bochet, Estelle; Conroy, Matthew J.; Dana, Jose M.; Fernandez Montecelo, Manuel A.; van Ginkel, Glen; Gore, Swanand P.; Haslam, Pauline; Hatherley, Rowan; Hendrickx, Pieter M.S.; Hirshberg, Miriam; Lagerstedt, Ingvar; Mir, Saqib; Mukhopadhyay, Abhik; Oldfield, Thomas J.; Patwardhan, Ardan; Rinaldi, Luana; Sahni, Gaurav; Sanz-García, Eduardo; Sen, Sanchayita; Slowley, Robert A.; Velankar, Sameer; Wainwright, Michael E.; Kleywegt, Gerard J.

2014-01-01

The Protein Data Bank in Europe (pdbe.org) is a founding member of the Worldwide PDB consortium (wwPDB; wwpdb.org) and as such is actively engaged in the deposition, annotation, remediation and dissemination of macromolecular structure data through the single global archive for such data, the PDB. Similarly, PDBe is a member of the EMDataBank organisation (emdatabank.org), which manages the EMDB archive for electron microscopy data. PDBe also develops tools that help the biomedical science community to make effective use of the data in the PDB and EMDB for their research. Here we describe new or improved services, including updated SIFTS mappings to other bioinformatics resources, a new browser for the PDB archive based on Gene Ontology (GO) annotation, updates to the analysis of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-derived structures, redesigned search and browse interfaces, and new or updated visualisation and validation tools for EMDB entries. PMID:24288376

You Have "How Many" Spreadsheets? Rethinking Electronic Resource Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rux, Erika; Borchert, Theresa

2010-01-01

As libraries face a veritable explosion of electronic resources and as the interconnectedness of print and online resources becomes increasingly complicated, many librarians are challenged to find efficient and cost-friendly ways to manage these resources. In this article, the authors describe how a team of people from various library departments…

Using mobile electronic devices to deliver educational resources in developing countries.

PubMed

Mazal, Jonathan Robert; Ludwig, Rebecca

2015-01-01

Developing countries have far fewer trained radiography professionals than developed countries, which exacerbates the limited access to imaging services. The lack of trained radiographers reflects, in part, limited availability of radiographer-specific educational resources. Historically, organizations that provided such resources in the developing world faced challenges related to the limited stock of current materials as well as expenses associated with shipping and delivery. Four mobile electronic devices (MEDs) were loaded with educational content (e-books, PDFs, and digital applications) spanning major radiography topics. The MEDs were distributed to 4 imaging departments in Ghana, India, Nepal, and Nigeria based on evidence of need for radiography-specific resources, as revealed by survey responses. A cost comparison of postal delivery vs digital delivery of educational content was performed. The effectiveness of delivering additional content via Wi-Fi transmission also was evaluated. Feedback was solicited on users' experience with the MEDs as a delivery tool for educational content. An initial average per e-book expense of $30.05, which included the cost of the device, was calculated for the MED delivery method compared with $15.56 for postal delivery of printed materials. The cost of the MED delivery method was reduced to an average of $10.05 for subsequent e-book deliveries. Additional content was successfully delivered via Wi-Fi transmission to all recipients during the 3-month follow-up period. Overall user feedback on the experience was positive, and ideas for enhancing the MED-based method were identified. Using MEDs to deliver radiography-specific educational content appears to be more cost effective than postal delivery of printed materials on a long-term basis. MEDs are more efficient for providing updates to educational materials. Customization of content to department needs, and using projector devices could enhance the usefulness of MEDs for radiographer training.

Silicon photonics cloud (SiCloud)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeVore, Peter T. S.; Jiang, Yunshan; Lynch, Michael; Miyatake, Taira; Carmona, Christopher; Chan, Andrew C.; Muniam, Kuhan; Jalali, Bahram

2015-02-01

We present SiCloud (Silicon Photonics Cloud), the first free, instructional web-based research and education tool for silicon photonics. SiCloud's vision is to provide a host of instructional and research web-based tools. Such interactive learning tools enhance traditional teaching methods by extending access to a very large audience, resulting in very high impact. Interactive tools engage the brain in a way different from merely reading, and so enhance and reinforce the learning experience. Understanding silicon photonics is challenging as the topic involves a wide range of disciplines, including material science, semiconductor physics, electronics and waveguide optics. This web-based calculator is an interactive analysis tool for optical properties of silicon and related material (SiO2, Si3N4, Al2O3, etc.). It is designed to be a one stop resource for students, researchers and design engineers. The first and most basic aspect of Silicon Photonics is the Material Parameters, which provides the foundation for the Device, Sub-System and System levels. SiCloud includes the common dielectrics and semiconductors for waveguide core, cladding, and photodetection, as well as metals for electrical contacts. SiCloud is a work in progress and its capability is being expanded. SiCloud is being developed at UCLA with funding from the National Science Foundation's Center for Integrated Access Networks (CIAN) Engineering Research Center.

Website creation and resource management: developing collaborative strategies for asynchronous interaction with library users.

PubMed

Hopkins, Mark E; Summers-Ables, Joy E; Clifton, Shari C; Coffman, Michael A

2011-06-01

To make electronic resources available to library users while effectively harnessing intellectual capital within the library, ultimately fostering the library's use of technology to interact asynchronously with its patrons (users). The methods used in the project included: (1) developing a new library website to facilitate the creation, management, accessibility, maintenance and dissemination of library resources; and (2) establishing ownership by those who participated in the project, while creating effective work allocation strategies through the implementation of a content management system that allowed the library to manage cost, complexity and interoperability. Preliminary results indicate that contributors to the system benefit from an increased understanding of the library's resources and add content valuable to library patrons. These strategies have helped promote the manageable creation and maintenance of electronic content in accomplishing the library's goal of interacting with its patrons. Establishment of a contributive system for adding to the library's electronic resources and electronic content has been successful. Further work will look at improving asynchronous interaction, particularly highlighting accessibility of electronic content and resources. © 2010 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2010 Health Libraries Group.

A resource of vectors and ES cells for targeted deletion of microRNAs in mice

PubMed Central

Prosser, Haydn M.; Koike-Yusa, Hiroko; Cooper, James D.; Law, Frances C.; Bradley, Allan

2011-01-01

The 21-23 nucleotide single-stranded RNAs classified as microRNAs (miRNA) perform fundamental roles in a wide range of cellular and developmental processes. miRNAs regulate protein expression through sequence-specific base pairing with target messenger RNAs (mRNA) reducing both their stability and the process of protein translation1, 2. At least 30% of protein coding genes appear to be conserved targets for miRNAs1. In contrast to the protein coding genes3, 4, no public resource of miRNA mouse mutant alleles exists. We have generated a library of highly germ-line transmissible C57BL/6N mouse mutant embryonic stem (ES) cells with targeted deletions for the majority of miRNA genes currently annotated within the miRBase registry5. These alleles have been designed to be highly adaptable research tools that can be efficiently altered to create reporter, conditional and other allelic variants. This ES cell resource can be searched electronically and is available from ES cell repositories for distribution to the scientific community6. PMID:21822254

The UCSC Genome Browser: What Every Molecular Biologist Should Know.

PubMed

Mangan, Mary E; Williams, Jennifer M; Kuhn, Robert M; Lathe, Warren C

2014-07-01

Electronic data resources can enable molecular biologists to quickly get information from around the world that a decade ago would have been buried in papers scattered throughout the library. The ability to access, query, and display these data makes benchwork much more efficient and drives new discoveries. Increasingly, mastery of software resources and corresponding data repositories is required to fully explore the volume of data generated in biomedical and agricultural research, because only small amounts of data are actually found in traditional publications. The UCSC Genome Browser provides a wealth of data and tools that advance understanding of genomic context for many species, enable detailed analysis of data, and provide the ability to interrogate regions of interest across disparate data sets from a wide variety of sources. Researchers can also supplement the standard display with their own data to query and share this with others. Effective use of these resources has become crucial to biological research today, and this unit describes some practical applications of the UCSC Genome Browser. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Open-Source Electronic Health Record Systems for Low-Resource Settings: Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Zolfo, Maria; Diro, Ermias

2017-01-01

Background Despite the great impact of information and communication technologies on clinical practice and on the quality of health services, this trend has been almost exclusive to developed countries, whereas countries with poor resources suffer from many economic and social issues that have hindered the real benefits of electronic health (eHealth) tools. As a component of eHealth systems, electronic health records (EHRs) play a fundamental role in patient management and effective medical care services. Thus, the adoption of EHRs in regions with a lack of infrastructure, untrained staff, and ill-equipped health care providers is an important task. However, the main barrier to adopting EHR software in low- and middle-income countries is the cost of its purchase and maintenance, which highlights the open-source approach as a good solution for these underserved areas. Objective The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of open-source EHR systems based on the requirements and limitations of low-resource settings. Methods First, we reviewed existing literature on the comparison of available open-source solutions. In close collaboration with the University of Gondar Hospital, Ethiopia, we identified common limitations in poor resource environments and also the main requirements that EHRs should support. Then, we extensively evaluated the current open-source EHR solutions, discussing their strengths and weaknesses, and their appropriateness to fulfill a predefined set of features relevant for low-resource settings. Results The evaluation methodology allowed assessment of several key aspects of available solutions that are as follows: (1) integrated applications, (2) configurable reports, (3) custom reports, (4) custom forms, (5) interoperability, (6) coding systems, (7) authentication methods, (8) patient portal, (9) access control model, (10) cryptographic features, (11) flexible data model, (12) offline support, (13) native client, (14) Web client,(15) other clients, (16) code-based language, (17) development activity, (18) modularity, (19) user interface, (20) community support, and (21) customization. The quality of each feature is discussed for each of the evaluated solutions and a final comparison is presented. Conclusions There is a clear demand for open-source, reliable, and flexible EHR systems in low-resource settings. In this study, we have evaluated and compared five open-source EHR systems following a multidimensional methodology that can provide informed recommendations to other implementers, developers, and health care professionals. We hope that the results of this comparison can guide decision making when needing to adopt, install, and maintain an open-source EHR solution in low-resource settings. PMID:29133283

Engineering a mobile health tool for resource-poor settings to assess and manage cardiovascular disease risk: SMARThealth study.

PubMed

Raghu, Arvind; Praveen, Devarsetty; Peiris, David; Tarassenko, Lionel; Clifford, Gari

2015-04-29

The incidence of chronic diseases in low- and middle-income countries is rapidly increasing both in urban and rural regions. A major challenge for health systems globally is to develop innovative solutions for the prevention and control of these diseases. This paper discusses the development and pilot testing of SMARTHealth, a mobile-based, point-of-care Clinical Decision Support (CDS) tool to assess and manage cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in resource-constrained settings. Through pilot testing, the preliminary acceptability, utility, and efficiency of the CDS tool was obtained. The CDS tool was part of an mHealth system comprising a mobile application that consisted of an evidence-based risk prediction and management algorithm, and a server-side electronic medical record system. Through an agile development process and user-centred design approach, key features of the mobile application that fitted the requirements of the end users and environment were obtained. A comprehensive analytics framework facilitated a data-driven approach to investigate four areas, namely, system efficiency, end-user variability, manual data entry errors, and usefulness of point-of-care management recommendations to the healthcare worker. A four-point Likert scale was used at the end of every risk assessment to gauge ease-of-use of the system. The system was field-tested with eleven village healthcare workers and three Primary Health Centre doctors, who screened a total of 292 adults aged 40 years and above. 34% of participants screened by health workers were identified by the CDS tool to be high CVD risk and referred to a doctor. In-depth analysis of user interactions found the CDS tool feasible for use and easily integrable into the workflow of healthcare workers. Following completion of the pilot, further technical enhancements were implemented to improve uptake of the mHealth platform. It will then be evaluated for effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in a cluster randomized controlled trial involving 54 southern Indian villages and over 16000 individuals at high CVD risk. An evidence-based CVD risk prediction and management tool was used to develop an mHealth platform in rural India for CVD screening and management with proper engagement of health care providers and local communities. With over a third of screened participants being high risk, there is a need to demonstrate the clinical impact of the mHealth platform so that it could contribute to improved CVD detection in high risk low resource settings.

Evaluating the impact and costs of deploying an electronic medical record system to support TB treatment in Peru

PubMed Central

Fraser, Hamish SF; Blaya, Joaquin; Choi, Sharon S; Bonilla, Cesar; Jazayeri, Darius

2006-01-01

The PIH-EMR is a Web based electronic medical record that has been in operation for over four years in Peru supporting the treatment of drug resistant TB. We describe here the types of evaluations that have been performed on the EMR to assess its impact on patient care, reporting, logistics and observational research. Formal studies have been performed on components for drug order entry, drug requirements prediction tools and the use of PDAs to collect bacteriology data. In addition less formal data on the use of the EMR for reporting and research are reviewed. Experience and insights from porting the PIH-EMR to the Philippines, and modifying it to support HIV treatment in Haiti and Rwanda are discussed. We propose that additional data of this sort is valuable in assessing medical information systems especially in resource poor areas. PMID:17238344

Evaluating the impact and costs of deploying an electronic medical record system to support TB treatment in Peru.

PubMed

Fraser, Hamish S F; Blaya, Joaquin; Choi, Sharon S; Bonilla, Cesar; Jazayeri, Darius

2006-01-01

The PIH-EMR is a Web based electronic medical record that has been in operation for over four years in Peru supporting the treatment of drug resistant TB. We describe here the types of evaluations that have been performed on the EMR to assess its impact on patient care, reporting, logistics and observational research. Formal studies have been performed on components for drug order entry, drug requirements prediction tools and the use of PDAs to collect bacteriology data. In addition less formal data on the use of the EMR for reporting and research are reviewed. Experience and insights from porting the PIH-EMR to the Philippines, and modifying it to support HIV treatment in Haiti and Rwanda are discussed. We propose that additional data of this sort is valuable in assessing medical information systems especially in resource poor areas.

Tools for Analyzing Computing Resource Management Strategies and Algorithms for SDR Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marojevic, Vuk; Gomez-Miguelez, Ismael; Gelonch, Antoni

2012-09-01

Software defined radio (SDR) clouds centralize the computing resources of base stations. The computing resource pool is shared between radio operators and dynamically loads and unloads digital signal processing chains for providing wireless communications services on demand. Each new user session request particularly requires the allocation of computing resources for executing the corresponding SDR transceivers. The huge amount of computing resources of SDR cloud data centers and the numerous session requests at certain hours of a day require an efficient computing resource management. We propose a hierarchical approach, where the data center is divided in clusters that are managed in a distributed way. This paper presents a set of computing resource management tools for analyzing computing resource management strategies and algorithms for SDR clouds. We use the tools for evaluating a different strategies and algorithms. The results show that more sophisticated algorithms can achieve higher resource occupations and that a tradeoff exists between cluster size and algorithm complexity.

Gaining perspective on the water-energy nexus at the community scale.

PubMed

Perrone, Debra; Murphy, Jennifer; Hornberger, George M

2011-05-15

Water and energy resources are interrelated but their influence on each other is rarely considered. To quantify the water and energy portfolios associated with a community's water-energy nexus (WEN) and the influence of geographic location on resources, we present the WEN tool. The WEN tool quantifies a community's transport (consumed for or lost before delivery) and nexus (energy for water and water for energy) resources so communities can assess their resource flows. In addition, to provide insight into the full range of impacts of water and energy resource acquisition and to frame the influence of geography on resources, we coin the term "urban resource islands". The concept of urban resource islands provides a framework for considering the implication of geography on a community's water and energy resource acquisition and use. The WEN tool and the concept of resource islands can promote communities to think about their hidden resources and integrate such concepts into their sustainability trade-off analyses and policy decisions. In this paper, we use Tucson, Arizona, United States as a case study.

eLearning resources to supplement postgraduate neurosurgery training.

PubMed

Stienen, Martin N; Schaller, Karl; Cock, Hannah; Lisnic, Vitalie; Regli, Luca; Thomson, Simon

2017-02-01

In an increasingly complex and competitive professional environment, improving methods to educate neurosurgical residents is key to ensure high-quality patient care. Electronic (e)Learning resources promise interactive knowledge acquisition. We set out to give a comprehensive overview on available eLearning resources that aim to improve postgraduate neurosurgical training and review the available literature. A MEDLINE query was performed, using the search term "electronic AND learning AND neurosurgery". Only peer-reviewed English-language articles on the use of any means of eLearning to improve theoretical knowledge in postgraduate neurosurgical training were included. Reference lists were crosschecked for further relevant articles. Captured parameters were the year, country of origin, method of eLearning reported, and type of article, as well as its conclusion. eLearning resources were additionally searched for using Google. Of n = 301 identified articles by the MEDLINE search, n = 43 articles were analysed in detail. Applying defined criteria, n = 28 articles were excluded and n = 15 included. Most articles were generated within this decade, with groups from the USA, the UK and India having a leadership role. The majority of articles reviewed existing eLearning resources, others reported on the concept, development and use of generated eLearning resources. There was no article that scientifically assessed the effectiveness of eLearning resources (against traditional learning methods) in terms of efficacy or costs. Only one article reported on satisfaction rates with an eLearning tool. All authors of articles dealing with eLearning and the use of new media in neurosurgery uniformly agreed on its great potential and increasing future use, but most also highlighted some weaknesses and possible dangers. This review found only a few articles dealing with the modern aspects of eLearning as an adjunct to postgraduate neurosurgery training. Comprehensive eLearning platforms offering didactic modules with clear learning objectives are rare. Two decades after the rise of eLearning in neurosurgery, some promising solutions are readily available, but the potential of eLearning has not yet been sufficiently exploited.

Degradation of metallic materials studied by correlative tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burnett, T. L.; Holroyd, N. J. H.; Lewandowski, J. J.; Ogurreck, M.; Rau, C.; Kelley, R.; Pickering, E. J.; Daly, M.; Sherry, A. H.; Pawar, S.; Slater, T. J. A.; Withers, P. J.

2017-07-01

There are a huge array of characterization techniques available today and increasingly powerful computing resources allowing for the effective analysis and modelling of large datasets. However, each experimental and modelling tool only spans limited time and length scales. Correlative tomography can be thought of as the extension of correlative microscopy into three dimensions connecting different techniques, each providing different types of information, or covering different time or length scales. Here the focus is on the linking of time lapse X-ray computed tomography (CT) and serial section electron tomography using the focussed ion beam (FIB)-scanning electron microscope to study the degradation of metals. Correlative tomography can provide new levels of detail by delivering a multiscale 3D picture of key regions of interest. Specifically, the Xe+ Plasma FIB is used as an enabling tool for large-volume high-resolution serial sectioning of materials, and also as a tool for preparation of microscale test samples and samples for nanoscale X-ray CT imaging. The exemplars presented illustrate general aspects relating to correlative workflows, as well as to the time-lapse characterisation of metal microstructures during various failure mechanisms, including ductile fracture of steel and the corrosion of aluminium and magnesium alloys. Correlative tomography is already providing significant insights into materials behaviour, linking together information from different instruments across different scales. Multiscale and multifaceted work flows will become increasingly routine, providing a feed into multiscale materials models as well as illuminating other areas, particularly where hierarchical structures are of interest.

Electronic Systems for Spacecraft Vehicles: Required EDA Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bachnak, Rafic

1999-01-01

The continuous increase in complexity of electronic systems is making the design and manufacturing of such systems more challenging than ever before. As a result, designers are finding it impossible to design efficient systems without the use of sophisticated Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools. These tools offer integrated simulation of the electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing functions and lead to a correct by design methodology. This report identifies the EDA tools that would be needed to design, analyze, simulate, and evaluate electronic systems for spacecraft vehicles. In addition, the report presents recommendations to enhance the current JSC electronic design capabilities. This includes cost information and a discussion as to the impact, both positive and negative, of implementing the recommendations.

How many research nurses for how many clinical trials in an oncology setting? Definition of the Nursing Time Required by Clinical Trial-Assessment Tool (NTRCT-AT).

PubMed

Milani, Alessandra; Mazzocco, Ketti; Stucchi, Sara; Magon, Giorgio; Pravettoni, Gabriella; Passoni, Claudia; Ciccarelli, Chiara; Tonali, Alessandra; Profeta, Teresa; Saiani, Luisa

2017-02-01

Few resources are available to quantify clinical trial-associated workload, needed to guide staffing and budgetary planning. The aim of the study is to describe a tool to measure clinical trials nurses' workload expressed in time spent to complete core activities. Clinical trials nurses drew up a list of nursing core activities, integrating results from literature searches with personal experience. The final 30 core activities were timed for each research nurse by an outside observer during daily practice in May and June 2014. Average times spent by nurses for each activity were calculated. The "Nursing Time Required by Clinical Trial-Assessment Tool" was created as an electronic sheet that combines the average times per specified activities and mathematic functions to return the total estimated time required by a research nurse for each specific trial. The tool was tested retrospectively on 141 clinical trials. The increasing complexity of clinical research requires structured approaches to determine workforce requirements. This study provides a tool to describe the activities of a clinical trials nurse and to estimate the associated time required to deliver individual trials. The application of the proposed tool in clinical research practice could provide a consistent structure for clinical trials nursing workload estimation internationally. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

The Michigan Electronic Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidsen, Susanna L.

1997-01-01

Describes the Michigan Electronic Library (MEL), the largest evaluated and organized Web-based library of Internet resources, that was designed to provide a library of electronic information resources selected by librarians. MEL's partnership is explained, the collection is described, and future developments are considered. (LRW)

Evaluation of a simple method for the automatic assignment of MeSH descriptors to health resources in a French online catalogue.

PubMed

Névéol, Aurélie; Pereira, Suzanne; Kerdelhué, Gaetan; Dahamna, Badisse; Joubert, Michel; Darmoni, Stéfan J

2007-01-01

The growing number of resources to be indexed in the catalogue of online health resources in French (CISMeF) calls for curating strategies involving automatic indexing tools while maintaining the catalogue's high indexing quality standards. To develop a simple automatic tool that retrieves MeSH descriptors from documents titles. In parallel to research on advanced indexing methods, a bag-of-words tool was developed for timely inclusion in CISMeF's maintenance system. An evaluation was carried out on a corpus of 99 documents. The indexing sets retrieved by the automatic tool were compared to manual indexing based on the title and on the full text of resources. 58% of the major main headings were retrieved by the bag-of-words algorithm and the precision on main heading retrieval was 69%. Bag-of-words indexing has effectively been used on selected resources to be included in CISMeF since August 2006. Meanwhile, on going work aims at improving the current version of the tool.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TOOLS FOR URBAN WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION: PROCEEDINGS, CHICAGO, IL, FEBRUARY 7-10, 2000

EPA Science Inventory

A wide array of effective water quality management and protection tools have been developed for urban environments, but implementation is hindered by a shortage of technology transfer opportunities. This National Conference on Tools for Urban Water Resource Management and Protec...

Blended Teaching & Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pape, Liz

2010-01-01

Blended learning is using online tools to communicate, collaborate and publish, to extend the school day or year and to develop the 21st-century skills students need. With blended learning, teachers can use online tools and resources as part of their daily classroom instruction. Using many of the online tools and resources students already are…

30 CFR 57.9261 - Transporting tools and materials on locomotives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Transporting tools and materials on locomotives. 57.9261 Section 57.9261 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR... MINES Loading, Hauling, and Dumping Transportation of Persons and Materials § 57.9261 Transporting tools...

30 CFR 57.9261 - Transporting tools and materials on locomotives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Transporting tools and materials on locomotives. 57.9261 Section 57.9261 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR... MINES Loading, Hauling, and Dumping Transportation of Persons and Materials § 57.9261 Transporting tools...

Distance education through the Internet: the GNA-VSNS biocomputing course.

PubMed

de la Vega, F M; Giegerich, R; Fuellen, G

1996-01-01

A prototype course on biocomputing was delivered via international computer networks in early summer 1995. The course lasted 11 weeks, and was offered free of charge. It was organized by the BioComputing Division of the Virtual School of Natural Sciences, which is a member school of the Globewide Network Academy. It brought together 34 students and 7 instructors from all over the world, and covered the basics of sequence analysis. Five authors from Germany and USA prepared a hypertext book which was discussed in weekly study sessions that took place in a virtual classroom at the BioMOO electronic conferencing system. The course aimed at students with backgrounds in molecular biology, biomedicine or computer science, complementing and extending their skills with an interdisciplinary curriculum. Special emphasis was placed on the use of Internet resources, and the development of new teaching tools. The hypertext book includes direct links to sequence analysis and databank search services on the Internet. A tool for the interactive visualization of unit-cost pairwise sequence alignment was developed for the course. All course material will stay accessible at the World Wide Web address (Uniform Resource Locator) http://+www.techfak.uni-bielefeld.de/bcd/welcome .html. This paper describes the aims and organization of the course, and gives a preliminary account of this novel experience in distance education.

Lunar e-Library: A Research Tool Focused on the Lunar Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McMahan, Tracy A.; Shea, Charlotte A.; Finckenor, Miria; Ferguson, Dale

2007-01-01

As NASA plans and implements the Vision for Space Exploration, managers, engineers, and scientists need lunar environment information that is readily available and easily accessed. For this effort, lunar environment data was compiled from a variety of missions from Apollo to more recent remote sensing missions, such as Clementine. This valuable information comes not only in the form of measurements and images but also from the observations of astronauts who have visited the Moon and people who have designed spacecraft for lunar missions. To provide a research tool that makes the voluminous lunar data more accessible, the Space Environments and Effects (SEE) Program, managed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, AL, organized the data into a DVD knowledgebase: the Lunar e-Library. This searchable collection of 1100 electronic (.PDF) documents and abstracts makes it easy to find critical technical data and lessons learned from past lunar missions and exploration studies. The SEE Program began distributing the Lunar e-Library DVD in 2006. This paper describes the Lunar e-Library development process (including a description of the databases and resources used to acquire the documents) and the contents of the DVD product, demonstrates its usefulness with focused searches, and provides information on how to obtain this free resource.

Screening and counseling for childhood obesity: results from a national survey.

PubMed

Sesselberg, Tracy S; Klein, Jonathan D; O'Connor, Karen G; Johnson, Mark S

2010-01-01

To examine family physicians' beliefs and practices about using body mass index (BMI) percentiles to screen for childhood overweight and obesity. Surveys about management of childhood overweight were mailed to 1800 American Academy of Family Physician members in 2006. 729 surveys were returned; 445 were eligible. Most (71%) members were familiar with BMI guidelines; 41% were familiar with American Academy of Family Physician recommendations about overweight. Most (78%) had tools available to calculate BMI; fewer have enough time for overweight screening (55%), and only 45% reported computing BMI percentile at most or every well visit for children older than 2. Having an electronic health record increased BMI screening rates. Family physicians felt prepared to discuss weight, but only 43% believed their counseling was effective and many (55%) lack community or referral services. Most (72%) wanted simple diet and exercise recommendations for patients. Reimbursement for weight-related services is insufficient: 86% say that patients cannot pay for services not covered by insurance. Factor analysis identified clinician self-efficacy, resources, and reimbursement as factors related to calculating BMI percentiles. BMI is underutilized by family physicians. Most believe they should try to prevent overweight and have tools to use BMI, but clinicians have few resources available for treatment, have low self-efficacy, and report inadequate reimbursement.

Prototype Development of a Tradespace Analysis Tool for Spaceflight Medical Resources.

PubMed

Antonsen, Erik L; Mulcahy, Robert A; Rubin, David; Blue, Rebecca S; Canga, Michael A; Shah, Ronak

2018-02-01

The provision of medical care in exploration-class spaceflight is limited by mass, volume, and power constraints, as well as limitations of available skillsets of crewmembers. A quantitative means of exploring the risks and benefits of inclusion or exclusion of onboard medical capabilities may help to inform the development of an appropriate medical system. A pilot project was designed to demonstrate the utility of an early tradespace analysis tool for identifying high-priority resources geared toward properly equipping an exploration mission medical system. Physician subject matter experts identified resources, tools, and skillsets required, as well as associated criticality scores of the same, to meet terrestrial, U.S.-specific ideal medical solutions for conditions concerning for exploration-class spaceflight. A database of diagnostic and treatment actions and resources was created based on this input and weighed against the probabilities of mission-specific medical events to help identify common and critical elements needed in a future exploration medical capability. Analysis of repository data demonstrates the utility of a quantitative method of comparing various medical resources and skillsets for future missions. Directed database queries can provide detailed comparative estimates concerning likelihood of resource utilization within a given mission and the weighted utility of tangible and intangible resources. This prototype tool demonstrates one quantitative approach to the complex needs and limitations of an exploration medical system. While this early version identified areas for refinement in future version development, more robust analysis tools may help to inform the development of a comprehensive medical system for future exploration missions.Antonsen EL, Mulcahy RA, Rubin D, Blue RS, Canga MA, Shah R. Prototype development of a tradespace analysis tool for spaceflight medical resources. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(2):108-114.

[Medical big data and precision medicine: prospects of epidemiology].

PubMed

Song, J; Hu, Y H

2016-08-10

Since the development of high-throughput technology, electronic medical record system and big data technology, the value of medical data has caused more attention. On the other hand, the proposal of Precision Medicine Initiative opens up the prospect for medical big data. As a Tool-related Discipline, Epidemiology is, focusing on exploitation the resources of existing big data and promoting the integration of translational research and knowledge to completely unlocking the "black box" of exposure-disease continuum. It also tries to accelerating the realization of the ultimate goal on precision medicine. The overall purpose, however is to translate the evidence from scientific research to improve the health of the people.

IQARIS : a tool for the intelligent querying, analysis, and retrieval from information systems.

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

Hummel, J. R.; Silver, R. B.

Information glut is one of the primary characteristics of the electronic age. Managing such large volumes of information (e.g., keeping track of the types, where they are, their relationships, who controls them, etc.) can be done efficiently with an intelligent, user-oriented information management system. The purpose of this paper is to describe a concept for managing information resources based on an intelligent information technology system developed by the Argonne National Laboratory for managing digital libraries. The Argonne system, Intelligent Query (IQ), enables users to query digital libraries and view the holdings that match the query from different perspectives.

Development of a resource modelling tool to support decision makers in pandemic influenza preparedness: The AsiaFluCap Simulator.

PubMed

Stein, Mart Lambertus; Rudge, James W; Coker, Richard; van der Weijden, Charlie; Krumkamp, Ralf; Hanvoravongchai, Piya; Chavez, Irwin; Putthasri, Weerasak; Phommasack, Bounlay; Adisasmito, Wiku; Touch, Sok; Sat, Le Minh; Hsu, Yu-Chen; Kretzschmar, Mirjam; Timen, Aura

2012-10-12

Health care planning for pandemic influenza is a challenging task which requires predictive models by which the impact of different response strategies can be evaluated. However, current preparedness plans and simulations exercises, as well as freely available simulation models previously made for policy makers, do not explicitly address the availability of health care resources or determine the impact of shortages on public health. Nevertheless, the feasibility of health systems to implement response measures or interventions described in plans and trained in exercises depends on the available resource capacity. As part of the AsiaFluCap project, we developed a comprehensive and flexible resource modelling tool to support public health officials in understanding and preparing for surges in resource demand during future pandemics. The AsiaFluCap Simulator is a combination of a resource model containing 28 health care resources and an epidemiological model. The tool was built in MS Excel© and contains a user-friendly interface which allows users to select mild or severe pandemic scenarios, change resource parameters and run simulations for one or multiple regions. Besides epidemiological estimations, the simulator provides indications on resource gaps or surpluses, and the impact of shortages on public health for each selected region. It allows for a comparative analysis of the effects of resource availability and consequences of different strategies of resource use, which can provide guidance on resource prioritising and/or mobilisation. Simulation results are displayed in various tables and graphs, and can also be easily exported to GIS software to create maps for geographical analysis of the distribution of resources. The AsiaFluCap Simulator is freely available software (http://www.cdprg.org) which can be used by policy makers, policy advisors, donors and other stakeholders involved in preparedness for providing evidence based and illustrative information on health care resource capacities during future pandemics. The tool can inform both preparedness plans and simulation exercises and can help increase the general understanding of dynamics in resource capacities during a pandemic. The combination of a mathematical model with multiple resources and the linkage to GIS for creating maps makes the tool unique compared to other available software.

Support and Dissemination of Teacher-Authored Lesson Plans: a Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) and Geological Society of America (GSA) Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devaul, H.; Pandya, R. E.; McLelland, C. V.

2003-12-01

The Digital Library for Earth System Education (www.dlese.org) and the Geological Society of America (www.geosociety.org) are working together to publish and disseminate teacher-authored Earth science lesson plans. DLESE is a community-based effort involving teachers, students, and scientists working together to create a library of educational resources and services to support Earth system science education. DLESE offers free access to electronic resources including lesson plans, maps, images, data sets, visualizations, and assessment activities. A number of thematic collections have recently been accessioned, which has substantially increased library holdings. Working in concert with GSA, a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences, small-scale resource creators such as classroom teachers without access to a web server can also share educational resources of their own design. Following a two-step process, lesson plans are submitted to the GSA website, reviewed and posted to the K-12 resource area: http://www.geosociety.org/educate/resources.htm. These resources are also submitted to the DLESE Community Collection using a simple cataloging tool. In this way resources are available to other teachers via the GSA website as well as via the DLESE collection. GSA provides a template for lesson plan developers which assists in providing the necessary information to help users find and understand the intent of the activity when searching in DLESE. This initial effort can serve as a prototype for important services allowing individual community members to contribute their work to DLESE with little technical overhead.

CEBS: a comprehensive annotated database of toxicological data

PubMed Central

Lea, Isabel A.; Gong, Hui; Paleja, Anand; Rashid, Asif; Fostel, Jennifer

2017-01-01

The Chemical Effects in Biological Systems database (CEBS) is a comprehensive and unique toxicology resource that compiles individual and summary animal data from the National Toxicology Program (NTP) testing program and other depositors into a single electronic repository. CEBS has undergone significant updates in recent years and currently contains over 11 000 test articles (exposure agents) and over 8000 studies including all available NTP carcinogenicity, short-term toxicity and genetic toxicity studies. Study data provided to CEBS are manually curated, accessioned and subject to quality assurance review prior to release to ensure high quality. The CEBS database has two main components: data collection and data delivery. To accommodate the breadth of data produced by NTP, the CEBS data collection component is an integrated relational design that allows the flexibility to capture any type of electronic data (to date). The data delivery component of the database comprises a series of dedicated user interface tables containing pre-processed data that support each component of the user interface. The user interface has been updated to include a series of nine Guided Search tools that allow access to NTP summary and conclusion data and larger non-NTP datasets. The CEBS database can be accessed online at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/databases/cebs/. PMID:27899660

Planning your pregnancy

MedlinePlus

... Participate & Support Make a donation Giving opportunities Our corporate partners In Your Area Tools & Resources Careers Events ... Participate & Support Make a donation Giving opportunities Our corporate partners In Your Area Tools & Resources Careers Events ...

Developing enterprise tools and capacities for large-scale natural resource monitoring: A visioning workshop

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bayer, Jennifer M.; Weltzin, Jake F.; Scully, Rebecca A.

2017-01-01

Objectives of the workshop were: 1) identify resources that support natural resource monitoring programs working across the data life cycle; 2) prioritize desired capacities and tools to facilitate monitoring design and implementation; 3) identify standards and best practices that improve discovery, accessibility, and interoperability of data across programs and jurisdictions; and 4) contribute to an emerging community of practice focused on natural resource monitoring.

Usability Testing of a National Substance Use Screening Tool Embedded in Electronic Health Records.

PubMed

Press, Anne; DeStio, Catherine; McCullagh, Lauren; Kapoor, Sandeep; Morley, Jeanne; Conigliaro, Joseph

2016-07-08

Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is currently being implemented into health systems nationally via paper and electronic methods. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the integration of an electronic SBIRT tool into an existing paper-based SBIRT clinical workflow in a patient-centered medical home. Usability testing was conducted in an academic ambulatory clinic. Two rounds of usability testing were done with medical office assistants (MOAs) using a paper and electronic version of the SBIRT tool, with two and four participants, respectively. Qualitative and quantitative data was analyzed to determine the impact of both tools on clinical workflow. A second round of usability testing was done with the revised electronic version and compared with the first version. Personal workflow barriers cited in the first round of testing were that the electronic health record (EHR) tool was disruptive to patient's visits. In Round 2 of testing, MOAs reported favoring the electronic version due to improved layout and the inclusion of an alert system embedded in the EHR. For example, using the system usability scale (SUS), MOAs reported a grade "1" for the statement, "I would like to use this system frequently" during the first round of testing but a "5" during the second round of analysis. The importance of testing usability of various mediums of tools used in health care screening is highlighted by the findings of this study. In the first round of testing, the electronic tool was reported as less user friendly, being difficult to navigate, and time consuming. Many issues faced in the first generation of the tool were improved in the second generation after usability was evaluated. This study demonstrates how usability testing of an electronic SBRIT tool can help to identify challenges that can impact clinical workflow. However, a limitation of this study was the small sample size of MOAs that participated. The results may have been biased to Northwell Health workers' perceptions of the SBIRT tool and their specific clinical workflow.

Demonstrating DREAM: A Digital Resource Exchange about Music

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Upitis, Rena; Boese, Karen; Abrami, Philip C.

2015-01-01

The Digital Resource Exchange About Music (DREAM) is an online tool for exchanging information about digital learning tools for music education. DREAM was designed by our team to encourage music teachers to learn about digital resources related to learning to play a musical instrument, both in classroom and independent music studio settings. In…

Common Core State Standards: Implementation Tools and Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council of Chief State School Officers, 2013

2013-01-01

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO or the Council) developed this list of free tools and resources to support state education agencies, districts, and educators during the process of implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). This document primarily lists resources developed by CCSSO and other leading organizations and is…

Research Tools, Tips, and Resources for Financial Aid Administrators. Monograph, A NASFAA Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohning, David D.; Redd, Kenneth E.; Simmons, Barry W., Sr.

This monograph provides research tools, tips, and resources to financial aid administrators who need to undertake research tasks. It answers: What is research? How can financial aid administrators get started on research projects? What resources are available to help answer research questions quickly and accurately? How can research efforts assist…

Three dimensional electron microscopy and in silico tools for macromolecular structure determination

PubMed Central

Borkotoky, Subhomoi; Meena, Chetan Kumar; Khan, Mohammad Wahab; Murali, Ayaluru

2013-01-01

Recently, structural biology witnessed a major tool - electron microscopy - in solving the structures of macromolecules in addition to the conventional techniques, X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Three dimensional transmission electron microscopy (3DTEM) is one of the most sophisticated techniques for structure determination of molecular machines. Known to give the 3-dimensional structures in its native form with literally no upper limit on size of the macromolecule, this tool does not need the crystallization of the protein. Combining the 3DTEM data with in silico tools, one can have better refined structure of a desired complex. In this review we are discussing about the recent advancements in three dimensional electron microscopy and tools associated with it. PMID:27092033

ERM Ideas and Innovations: Digital Repository Management as ERM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinkas, María M.; Lin, Na

2014-01-01

This article describes the application of electronic resources management (ERM) to digital repository management at the Health Sciences and Human Services Library at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The authors discuss electronic resources management techniques, through the application of "Techniques for Electronic Management,"…

18 CFR 367.3940 - Account 394, Tools, shop and garage equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Account 394, Tools, shop and garage equipment. 367.3940 Section 367.3940 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL... NATURAL GAS ACT Service Company Property Chart of Accounts § 367.3940 Account 394, Tools, shop and garage...

18 CFR 367.3940 - Account 394, Tools, shop and garage equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Account 394, Tools, shop and garage equipment. 367.3940 Section 367.3940 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL... NATURAL GAS ACT Service Company Property Chart of Accounts § 367.3940 Account 394, Tools, shop and garage...

18 CFR 367.3940 - Account 394, Tools, shop and garage equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Account 394, Tools, shop and garage equipment. 367.3940 Section 367.3940 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL... NATURAL GAS ACT Service Company Property Chart of Accounts § 367.3940 Account 394, Tools, shop and garage...

18 CFR 367.3940 - Account 394, Tools, shop and garage equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Account 394, Tools, shop and garage equipment. 367.3940 Section 367.3940 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL... NATURAL GAS ACT Service Company Property Chart of Accounts § 367.3940 Account 394, Tools, shop and garage...

Blended Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pape, Liz

2010-01-01

"Blended learning" is using online tools to communicate, collaborate, and publish, to extend the school day or year and to develop the 21st-century skills students need. With blended learning, teachers can use online tools and resources as part of their daily classroom instruction. Using many of the online tools and resources students already are…

Aligning Web-Based Tools to the Research Process Cycle: A Resource for Collaborative Research Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Price, Geoffrey P.; Wright, Vivian H.

2012-01-01

Using John Creswell's Research Process Cycle as a framework, this article describes various web-based collaborative technologies useful for enhancing the organization and efficiency of educational research. Visualization tools (Cacoo) assist researchers in identifying a research problem. Resource storage tools (Delicious, Mendeley, EasyBib)…

30 CFR 56.7050 - Tool and drill steel racks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Tool and drill steel racks. 56.7050 Section 56.7050 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Jet Piercing Drilling § 56.7050 Tool and drill steel racks. Receptacles or racks shall be provided for...

An Investigation of Tool Mediation in the Research Activity of Eighth-Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Nancy L.

2016-01-01

Technology and a variety of resources play an important role in students' educational lives. Vygotsky's (1987) theory of tool mediation suggests that cultural tools, such as computer software influence individuals' thinking and action. However, it is not completely understood how technology and other resources influence student action. Middle…

Managing Tradeoffs in the Electronic Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagner, A. Ben

2003-01-01

Provides an overview of the development of electronic resources over the past three decades, discussing key features, disadvantages, and benefits of traditional online databases and CD-ROM and Web-based resources. Considers the decision to shift collections and resources toward purely digital formats, ownership of content, licensing, and user…

Causes and Triggers

MedlinePlus

... Seborrheic Dermatitis in Children Treatment For Children Eczema & Child Development Tools for School Living Well Resources Eczema and ... Seborrheic Dermatitis in Children Treatment For Children Eczema & Child Development Tools for School Living Well Resources Eczema and ...

Treatment of Amino Acid Metabolism Disorders

MedlinePlus

... unit (NICU) Birth defects & other health conditions Loss & grief Tools & Resources Frequently asked health questions Calculating your ... unit (NICU) Birth defects & other health conditions Loss & grief Tools & Resources Frequently asked health questions Calculating your ...

Green Power Partner Resources

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA Green Power Partners can access tools and resources to help promote their green power commitments. Partners use these tools to communicate the benefits of their green power use to their customers, stakeholders, and the general public.

The Internet School of Medicine: use of electronic resources by medical trainees and the reliability of those resources.

PubMed

Egle, Jonathan P; Smeenge, David M; Kassem, Kamal M; Mittal, Vijay K

2015-01-01

Electronic sources of medical information are plentiful, and numerous studies have demonstrated the use of the Internet by patients and the variable reliability of these sources. Studies have investigated neither the use of web-based resources by residents, nor the reliability of the information available on these websites. A web-based survey was distributed to surgical residents in Michigan and third- and fourth-year medical students at an American allopathic and osteopathic medical school and a Caribbean allopathic school regarding their preferred sources of medical information in various situations. A set of 254 queries simulating those faced by medical trainees on rounds, on a written examination, or during patient care was developed. The top 5 electronic resources cited by the trainees were evaluated for their ability to answer these questions accurately, using standard textbooks as the point of reference. The respondents reported a wide variety of overall preferred resources. Most of the 73 responding medical trainees favored textbooks or board review books for prolonged studying, but electronic resources are frequently used for quick studying, clinical decision-making questions, and medication queries. The most commonly used electronic resources were UpToDate, Google, Medscape, Wikipedia, and Epocrates. UpToDate and Epocrates had the highest percentage of correct answers (47%) and Wikipedia had the lowest (26%). Epocrates also had the highest percentage of wrong answers (30%), whereas Google had the lowest percentage (18%). All resources had a significant number of questions that they were unable to answer. Though hardcopy books have not been completely replaced by electronic resources, more than half of medical students and nearly half of residents prefer web-based sources of information. For quick questions and studying, both groups prefer Internet sources. However, the most commonly used electronic resources fail to answer clinical queries more than half of the time and have an alarmingly high rate of inaccurate information. Copyright © 2014 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NASA Remote Sensing Observations for Water Resource and Infrastructure Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granger, S. L.; Armstrong, L.; Farr, T.; Geller, G.; Heath, E.; Hyon, J.; Lavoie, S.; McDonald, K.; Realmuto, V.; Stough, T.; Szana, K.

2008-12-01

Decision support tools employed by water resource and infrastructure managers often utilize data products obtained from local sources or national/regional databases of historic surveys and observations. Incorporation of data from these sources can be laborious and time consuming as new products must be identified, cleaned and archived for each new study site. Adding remote sensing observations to the list of sources holds promise for a timely, consistent, global product to aid decision support at regional and global scales by providing global observations of geophysical parameters including soil moisture, precipitation, atmospheric temperature, derived evapotranspiration, and snow extent needed for hydrologic models and decision support tools. However, issues such as spatial and temporal resolution arise when attempting to integrate remote sensing observations into existing decision support tools. We are working to overcome these and other challenges through partnerships with water resource managers, tool developers and other stakeholders. We are developing a new data processing framework, enabled by a core GIS server, to seamlessly pull together observations from disparate sources for synthesis into information products and visualizations useful to the water resources community. A case study approach is being taken to develop the system by working closely with water infrastructure and resource managers to integrate remote observations into infrastructure, hydrologic and water resource decision tools. We present the results of a case study utilizing observations from the PALS aircraft instrument as a proxy for NASA's upcoming Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission and an existing commercial decision support tool.

JSC earth resources data analysis capabilities available to EOD revision B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

A list and summary description of all Johnson Space Center electronic laboratory and photographic laboratory capabilities available to earth resources division personnel for processing earth resources data are provided. The electronic capabilities pertain to those facilities and systems that use electronic and/or photographic products as output. The photographic capabilities pertain to equipment that uses photographic images as input and electronic and/or table summarizes processing steps. A general hardware description is presented for each of the data processing systems, and the titles of computer programs are used to identify the capabilities and data flow.

30 CFR 1210.54 - Must I submit this royalty report electronically?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Must I submit this royalty report electronically? 1210.54 Section 1210.54 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Natural Resources Revenue FORMS AND REPORTS Royalty Reports-Oil, Gas, and...

OERL: A Tool For Geoscience Education Evaluators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zalles, D. R.

2002-12-01

The Online Evaluation Resource Library (OERL) is a Web-based set of resources for improving the evaluation of projects funded by the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) of the National Science Foundation (NSF). OERL provides prospective project developers and evaluators with material that they can use to design, conduct, document, and review evaluations. OERL helps evaluators tackle the challenges of seeing if a project is meeting its implementation and outcome-related goals. Within OERL is a collection of exemplary plans, instruments, and reports from evaluations of EHR-funded projects in the geosciences and in other areas of science and mathematics. In addition, OERL contains criteria about good evaluation practices, professional development modules about evaluation design and questionnaire development, a dictionary of key evaluation terms, and links to evaluation standards. Scenarios illustrate how the resources can be used or adapted. Currently housed in OERL are 137 instruments, and full or excerpted versions of 38 plans and 60 reports. 143 science and math projects have contributed to the collection so far. OERL's search tool permits the launching of precise searches based on key attributes of resources such as their subject area and the name of the sponsoring university or research institute. OERL's goals are to 1) meet the needs for continuous professional development of evaluators and principal investigators, 2) complement traditional vehicles of learning about evaluation, 3) utilize the affordances of current technologies (e.g., Web-based digital libraries, relational databases, and electronic performance support systems) for improving evaluation practice, 4) provide anytime/anyplace access to update-able resources that support evaluators' needs, and 5) provide a forum by which professionals can interact on evaluation issues and practices. Geoscientists can search the collection of resources from geoscience education projects that have been funded by NSF to carry out curriculum development, teacher education, faculty development, and increased access, retention, and preparation of under-represented student populations in science. Over the next two years, additional plans, instruments, and reports from other projects will be added to the OERL collection. Also to be added are more professional development modules and online coaches for constructing key evaluation documents. The presentation overviews the structure of OERL, describes some of the geoscience projects in the collection, and provides some examples of how its resources can be used and adapted for other geoscience education evaluations.

An exploration of Bureau of Reclamation approaches for managing conflict over diverging science

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burkardt, Nina; Ruell, Emily; Clark, Douglas

2008-01-01

As a major institutional agent supplying Western water resources, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) provides important leadership, technical, and financial resources in water management, serving as the West's "water broker" (Bowersox 2000; Pisani 2003). In recent years, growing numbers of constituencies using water and the over-allocation of water resources have contributed to conflict over the resource in the American West (National Research Council 2004). Although the conflicts arise from many sources, one common theme is that Reclamation managers often must make decisions about water use and allocation when scientific studies provide uncertain or competing recommendations. We conducted a preliminary study of Reclamation water managers and water scientists to try to understand the approaches or techniques they use or consider useful for dealing with scientific conflicts over water allocation and how these compare to techniques found in the relevant literature. We report the results of (1) an electronic survey of Reclamation senior managers and (2) a panel discussion amongst Reclamation senior managers as to the current institutional capabilities for managing diverging scientific findings in water dispute resolution processes. We conclude with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the different tools and techniques managers reported in the survey and in the panel discussion.

More than Just Tools and Toys: Teaching Innovation. Footnotes. Volume 13, Number 10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Husick, Lawrence A.

2008-01-01

When individuals and populations of organisms face resource scarcity, they respond in various ways: by substituting other resources, by expanding or changing geographic range, or by finding ways to compete more successfully for the resources. Humans have also responded to scarcity through innovation: inventing new ideas and tools with which to…

Integrated tools for natural resources inventories in the 21st century

Treesearch

M. Hansen; T. Burk

2000-01-01

Includes 96 papers presented at the conference Integrated Tools for Natural Resources Inventories in the 21st Century, August 16-20, 1998, in Boise, Idaho, USA. This conference drew several hundred forest inventory and related professionals from multiple organizational levels and over 30 foreign countries. Topics covered include those related to natural resource...

U-Compare: share and compare text mining tools with UIMA.

PubMed

Kano, Yoshinobu; Baumgartner, William A; McCrohon, Luke; Ananiadou, Sophia; Cohen, K Bretonnel; Hunter, Lawrence; Tsujii, Jun'ichi

2009-08-01

Due to the increasing number of text mining resources (tools and corpora) available to biologists, interoperability issues between these resources are becoming significant obstacles to using them effectively. UIMA, the Unstructured Information Management Architecture, is an open framework designed to aid in the construction of more interoperable tools. U-Compare is built on top of the UIMA framework, and provides both a concrete framework for out-of-the-box text mining and a sophisticated evaluation platform allowing users to run specific tools on any target text, generating both detailed statistics and instance-based visualizations of outputs. U-Compare is a joint project, providing the world's largest, and still growing, collection of UIMA-compatible resources. These resources, originally developed by different groups for a variety of domains, include many famous tools and corpora. U-Compare can be launched straight from the web, without needing to be manually installed. All U-Compare components are provided ready-to-use and can be combined easily via a drag-and-drop interface without any programming. External UIMA components can also simply be mixed with U-Compare components, without distinguishing between locally and remotely deployed resources. http://u-compare.org/

Geospatial Technology Applications and Infrastructure in the Biological Resources Division

USGS Publications Warehouse

D'Erchia, Frank; Getter, James; D'Erchia, Terry D.; Root, Ralph; Stitt, Susan; White, Barbara

1998-01-01

Executive Summary -- Automated spatial processing technology such as geographic information systems (GIS), telemetry, and satellite-based remote sensing are some of the more recent developments in the long history of geographic inquiry. For millennia, humankind has endeavored to map the Earth's surface and identify spatial relationships. But the precision with which we can locate geographic features has increased exponentially with satellite positioning systems. Remote sensing, GIS, thematic mapping, telemetry, and satellite positioning systems such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) are tools that greatly enhance the quality and rapidity of analysis of biological resources. These technologies allow researchers, planners, and managers to more quickly and accurately determine appropriate strategies and actions. Researchers and managers can view information from new and varying perspectives using GIS and remote sensing, and GPS receivers allow the researcher or manager to identify the exact location of interest. These geospatial technologies support the mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Biological Resources Division (BRD) and the Strategic Science Plan (BRD 1996) by providing a cost-effective and efficient method for collection, analysis, and display of information. The BRD mission is 'to work with others to provide the scientific understanding and technologies needed to support the sound management and conservation of our Nation's biological resources.' A major responsibility of the BRD is to develop and employ advanced technologies needed to synthesize, analyze, and disseminate biological and ecological information. As the Strategic Science Plan (BRD 1996) states, 'fulfilling this mission depends on effectively balancing the immediate need for information to guide management of biological resources with the need for technical assistance and long-range, strategic information to understand and predict emerging patterns and trends in ecological systems.' Information sharing plays a key role in nearly everything BRD does. The Strategic Science Plan discusses the need to (1) develop tools and standards for information transfer, (2) disseminate information, and (3) facilitate effective use of information. This effort centers around the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) and the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), components of the National Information Infrastructure. The NBII and NSDI are distributed electronic networks of biological and geographical data and information, as well as tools to help users around the world easily find and retrieve the biological and geographical data and information they need. The BRD is responsible for developing scientifically and statistically reliable methods and protocols to assess the status and trends of the Nation's biological resources. Scientists also conduct important inventory and monitoring studies to maintain baseline information on these same resources. Research on those species for which the Department of the Interior (DOI) has trust responsibilities (including endangered species and migratory species) involves laboratory and field studies of individual animals and the environments in which they live. Researchboth tactical and strategicis conducted at the BRD's 17 science centers and 81 field stations, 54 Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units in 40 states, and at 11 former Cooperative Park Study Units. Studies encompass fish, birds, mammals, and plants, as well as their ecosystems and the surrounding landscape. Biological Resources Division researchers use a variety of scientific tools in their endeavors to understand the causes of biological and ecological trends. Research results are used by managers to predict environmental changes and to help them take appropriate measures to manage resources effectively. The BRD Geospatial Technology Program facilitates the collection, analysis, and dissemination of data and informat

Electronic Reference Works and Library Budgeting Dilemma

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawal, Ibironke O.

2007-01-01

The number of electronic resources has climbed up steadily in recent times. Some of these e-resources are reference sources, mostly in Science, Technology and Medicine (STM), which publishers convert to electronic for obvious reasons. The library budgets for materials usually have two main lines, budget for one time purchase (monographs) and…

Electronic Information Resources in Undergraduate Education: An Exploratory Study of Opportunities for Student Learning and Independence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDowell, Liz

2002-01-01

This qualitative interview-based study examines lecturer perspectives on the roles of electronic information resources in undergraduate education. Highlights include electronic academic libraries; changes toward more constructivist approaches to learning; information quality on the Web; plagiarism; information use; information literacy; and…

Lessons learned developing a diagnostic tool for HIV-associated dementia feasible to implement in resource-limited settings: pilot testing in Kenya.

PubMed

Kwasa, Judith; Cettomai, Deanna; Lwanya, Edwin; Osiemo, Dennis; Oyaro, Patrick; Birbeck, Gretchen L; Price, Richard W; Bukusi, Elizabeth A; Cohen, Craig R; Meyer, Ana-Claire L

2012-01-01

To conduct a preliminary evaluation of the utility and reliability of a diagnostic tool for HIV-associated dementia (HAD) for use by primary health care workers (HCW) which would be feasible to implement in resource-limited settings. In resource-limited settings, HAD is an indication for anti-retroviral therapy regardless of CD4 T-cell count. Anti-retroviral therapy, the treatment for HAD, is now increasingly available in resource-limited settings. Nonetheless, HAD remains under-diagnosed likely because of limited clinical expertise and availability of diagnostic tests. Thus, a simple diagnostic tool which is practical to implement in resource-limited settings is an urgent need. A convenience sample of 30 HIV-infected outpatients was enrolled in Western Kenya. We assessed the sensitivity and specificity of a diagnostic tool for HAD as administered by a primary HCW. This was compared to an expert clinical assessment which included examination by a physician, neuropsychological testing, and in selected cases, brain imaging. Agreement between HCW and an expert examiner on certain tool components was measured using Kappa statistic. The sample was 57% male, mean age was 38.6 years, mean CD4 T-cell count was 323 cells/µL, and 54% had less than a secondary school education. Six (20%) of the subjects were diagnosed with HAD by expert clinical assessment. The diagnostic tool was 63% sensitive and 67% specific for HAD. Agreement between HCW and expert examiners was poor for many individual items of the diagnostic tool (K = .03-.65). This diagnostic tool had moderate sensitivity and specificity for HAD. However, reliability was poor, suggesting that substantial training and formal evaluations of training adequacy will be critical to enable HCW to reliably administer a brief diagnostic tool for HAD.

Unstable Angina

MedlinePlus

... Women This content was last reviewed July 2015. Heart Attack • Home • About Heart Attacks Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) ... Recovery FAQs • Heart Attack Tools & Resources • Support Network Heart Attack Tools & Resources My Cardiac Coach What Is a ...

Acute Coronary Syndrome

MedlinePlus

... angina? This content was last reviewed July 2015. Heart Attack • Home • About Heart Attacks Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) ... Recovery FAQs • Heart Attack Tools & Resources • Support Network Heart Attack Tools & Resources My Cardiac Coach What Is a ...

American Medical Society for Sports Medicine

MedlinePlus

... Research Grants Virtual Journal Club Resources Research Awards Research Survey Requests ADVOCACY ADVOCACY Practice Tools Issue Briefs State ... Research Grants Virtual Journal Club Resources Research Awards Research Survey Requests Advocacy Advocacy Practice Tools Issue Briefs State ...

Ralstonia eutropha H16 in progress: Applications beside PHAs and establishment as production platform by advanced genetic tools.

PubMed

Raberg, Matthias; Volodina, Elena; Lin, Kaichien; Steinbüchel, Alexander

2018-06-01

Ralstonia eutropha strain H16 is a Gram-negative non-pathogenic betaproteobacterium ubiquitously found in soils and has been the subject of intensive research for more than 50 years. Due to its remarkable metabolically versatility, it utilizes a broad range of renewable heterotrophic resources. The substrate utilization range can be further extended by metabolic engineering as genetic tools are available. It has become the best studied "Knallgas" bacterium capable of chemolithoautotrophic growth with hydrogen as the electron donor and carbon dioxide as the carbon source. It also serves as a model organism to study the metabolism of poly(β-hydroxybutyrate), a polyester which is accumulated within the cells for storage of both carbon and energy. Thermoplastic and biodegradable properties of this polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) have attracted much biotechnical interest as a replacement for fossil resource-based plastics. The first applications of R. eutropha aimed at chemolithoautotrophic production of single cell protein (SCP) for food and feed and the synthesis of various PHAs. The complete annotated genome is available allowing systematic biology approaches together with data provided by available omics studies. Besides PHAs, novel biopolymers of 2-hydroxyalkanoates and polythioesters or cyanophycin as well as chemicals such as alcohols, alkanes, alkenes, and further interesting value added chemicals significantly recently extended the range of products synthesized by R. eutropha. High cell density cultivations can be performed without too much effort and the available repertoire of genetic tools is rapidly growing. Altogether, this qualifies R. eutropha strain H16 to become a production platform strain for a large spectrum of products.

I've got 99 problems but a phone ain't one: Electronic and mobile health in low and middle income countries.

PubMed

Kumar, Pratap; Paton, Chris; Kirigia, Doris

2016-10-01

Mobile technology is very prevalent in Kenya-mobile phone penetration is at 88% and mobile data subscriptions form 99% of all internet subscriptions. While there is great potential for such ubiquitous technology to revolutionise access and quality of healthcare in low-resource settings, there have been few successes at scale. Implementations of electronic health (e-Health) and mobile health (m-Health) technologies in countries like Kenya are yet to tackle human resource constraints or the political, ethical and financial considerations of such technologies. We outline recent innovations that could improve access and quality while considering the costs of healthcare. One is an attempt to create a scalable clinical decision support system by engaging a global network of specialist doctors and reversing some of the damaging effects of medical brain drain. The other efficiently extracts digital information from paper-based records using low-cost and locally produced tools such as rubber stamps to improve adherence to clinical practice guidelines. By bringing down the costs of remote consultations and clinical audit, respectively, these projects offer the potential for clinics in resource-limited settings to deliver high-quality care. This paper makes a case for continued and increased investment in social enterprises that bridge academia, public and private sectors to deliver sustainable and scalable e-Health and m-Health solutions. 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/

Tools for Using Citizen Science in Environmental, Agricultural, and Natural Resources Extension Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stofer, Kathryn A.

2017-01-01

Citizen science is quickly becoming a valuable tool in the Extension professional's tool kit. This is the case whether you are a 4-H agent looking to involve youth in agriscience and agriculture-related science, technology, engineering, and math experiential learning activities or an agriculture and natural resources agent seeking to help…

A State for Excellence: New Jersey Boosts Learning Power with Online Video Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duff, Victoria; Sauer, Wendy; Gleason, Sonia Caus

2011-01-01

The New Jersey Department of Education supports all districts with a tool kit of valuable resources for planning and creating collaborative learning structures that focus on getting results for all students. This tool kit was the basis for the creation of Learning Forward's "Becoming a Learning School" (2009). The tool kit helps…

A Research Writing Tool: Designing an Online Resource for Supervisors and Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Economou, Dorothy; James, Bronwyn

2017-01-01

This paper presents and discusses the key findings of a needs analysis, and its impact on the design for an innovative online Research Writing Tool, which aims to facilitate higher degree research writing development in medically related fields. Unlike other resources which target students only, this tool aims to support both supervisors and…

Enhancing Leadership Quality. TQ Source Tips & Tools: Emerging Strategies to Enhance Educator Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, 2008

2008-01-01

Teaching Quality (TQ) Source Tips & Tools: Emerging Strategies to Enhance Educator Quality is an online resource developed by the TQ Center. It is designed to help education practitioners tap into strategies and resources they can use to enhance educator quality. This publication is based on the TQ Source Tips & Tools topic area "Enhancing…

Managing complex research datasets using electronic tools: A meta-analysis exemplar

PubMed Central

Brown, Sharon A.; Martin, Ellen E.; Garcia, Theresa J.; Winter, Mary A.; García, Alexandra A.; Brown, Adama; Cuevas, Heather E.; Sumlin, Lisa L.

2013-01-01

Meta-analyses of broad scope and complexity require investigators to organize many study documents and manage communication among several research staff. Commercially available electronic tools, e.g., EndNote, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Blackboard, Excel, and IBM SPSS Statistics (SPSS), are useful for organizing and tracking the meta-analytic process, as well as enhancing communication among research team members. The purpose of this paper is to describe the electronic processes we designed, using commercially available software, for an extensive quantitative model-testing meta-analysis we are conducting. Specific electronic tools improved the efficiency of (a) locating and screening studies, (b) screening and organizing studies and other project documents, (c) extracting data from primary studies, (d) checking data accuracy and analyses, and (e) communication among team members. The major limitation in designing and implementing a fully electronic system for meta-analysis was the requisite upfront time to: decide on which electronic tools to use, determine how these tools would be employed, develop clear guidelines for their use, and train members of the research team. The electronic process described here has been useful in streamlining the process of conducting this complex meta-analysis and enhancing communication and sharing documents among research team members. PMID:23681256

Managing complex research datasets using electronic tools: a meta-analysis exemplar.

PubMed

Brown, Sharon A; Martin, Ellen E; Garcia, Theresa J; Winter, Mary A; García, Alexandra A; Brown, Adama; Cuevas, Heather E; Sumlin, Lisa L

2013-06-01

Meta-analyses of broad scope and complexity require investigators to organize many study documents and manage communication among several research staff. Commercially available electronic tools, for example, EndNote, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Blackboard, Excel, and IBM SPSS Statistics (SPSS), are useful for organizing and tracking the meta-analytic process as well as enhancing communication among research team members. The purpose of this article is to describe the electronic processes designed, using commercially available software, for an extensive, quantitative model-testing meta-analysis. Specific electronic tools improved the efficiency of (a) locating and screening studies, (b) screening and organizing studies and other project documents, (c) extracting data from primary studies, (d) checking data accuracy and analyses, and (e) communication among team members. The major limitation in designing and implementing a fully electronic system for meta-analysis was the requisite upfront time to decide on which electronic tools to use, determine how these tools would be used, develop clear guidelines for their use, and train members of the research team. The electronic process described here has been useful in streamlining the process of conducting this complex meta-analysis and enhancing communication and sharing documents among research team members.

Electronic tools to support medication reconciliation: a systematic review.

PubMed

Marien, Sophie; Krug, Bruno; Spinewine, Anne

2017-01-01

Medication reconciliation (MedRec) is essential for reducing patient harm caused by medication discrepancies across care transitions. Electronic support has been described as a promising approach to moving MedRec forward. We systematically reviewed the evidence about electronic tools that support MedRec, by (a) identifying tools; (b) summarizing their characteristics with regard to context, tool, implementation, and evaluation; and (c) summarizing key messages for successful development and implementation. We searched PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library, and identified additional reports from reference lists, reviews, and patent databases. Reports were included if the electronic tool supported medication history taking and the identification and resolution of medication discrepancies. Two researchers independently selected studies, evaluated the quality of reporting, and extracted data. Eighteen reports relative to 11 tools were included. There were eight quality improvement projects, five observational effectiveness studies, three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or RCT protocols (ie, descriptions of RCTs in progress), and two patents. All tools were developed in academic environments in North America. Most used electronic data from multiple sources and partially implemented functionalities considered to be important. Relevant information on functionalities and implementation features was frequently missing. Evaluations mainly focused on usability, adherence, and user satisfaction. One RCT evaluated the effect on potential adverse drug events. Successful implementation of electronic tools to support MedRec requires favorable context, properly designed tools, and attention to implementation features. Future research is needed to evaluate the effect of these tools on the quality and safety of healthcare. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Retrospective return on investment analysis of an electronic treatment adherence device piloted in the Northern Cape Province.

PubMed

Broomhead, Sean; Mars, Maurice

2012-01-01

The return on investment (ROI) for utilizing the SIMpill electronic treatment adherence solution as an adjunct to directly observed treatment short-course (DOTS) is assessed using data from a 2005 pilot of the SIMpill solution among new smear-positive tuberculosis (TB) patients in the Northern Cape Province. The value of this cost minimization analysis (CMA), for use by public health planners in low-resource settings as a precursor to more rigorous assessment, is discussed. The retrospective analysis compares the costs and health outcomes of the DOTS-SIMpill cohort with DOTS-only controls. Hypothetical 5-year cash flows are generated and discounted to estimate net present values (NPVs). Comparison between the DOTS-SIMpill pilot cohort and DOTS-only supported controls, for a hypothetical implementation of 1,000 devices, over 5 years, demonstrates positive ROI for the DOTS-SIMpill cohort based on improved health outcomes and reduced average cost per patient. The net stream is shown to be positive from the first year. Discounted NPV is ZAR 3,255,256 (US$ 493,221) for a cohort that would have started mid 2005 and ZAR 3,747,636 (US$ 487,339) starting mid 2010. This is an ROI of 23% over the 5-year period. The addition of electronic treatment adherence support technology can help to improve TB outcomes and lower average cost per patient by reducing treatment failure and the associated higher cost and burden on limited resources. CMA is an appropriate initial analysis for health planners to highlight options that may justify more sophisticated methods such as cost effectiveness analysis or full cost benefit analysis where a preferred option is immediately revealed. CMA is proposed as a tool for use by public health planners in low-resource settings to evaluate the ROI of treatment adherence technology postpilot and prior to implementation.

Increasing response rates to lifestyle surveys: a pragmatic evidence review.

PubMed

McCluskey, S; Topping, A E

2011-03-01

Lifestyle surveys are often a key component of a local Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), undertaken to inform public health planning. They are usually administered to a large number of people in order to provide a comprehensive profile of population health. However, declining response rates coupled with the under-representation of certain population groups in lifestyle survey data has led to doubts concerning the reliability of findings. In order to inform the design of their own lifestyle survey, NHS Calderdale commissioned an evidence-based review of the methodological literature relating to the administration of lifestyle surveys, with the specific aim of identifying practical and resource-efficient strategies shown to be effective for maximizing whole-population response rates. A pragmatic review of the published literature was undertaken, specifically to explore the most practical and resource-efficient ways to maximize lifestyle survey response rates to the most commonly used methods (postal surveys, face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews and electronic surveys). Electronic databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, DARE, EMBASE and PsychINFO were searched. Empirical evidence published in the last 10 years was identified and citation tracking performed on all retrieved articles. An internet search for 'grey literature' was also conducted. The postal questionnaire remains an important lifestyle survey tool, but reported response rates have decreased rapidly in recent years. Interviews and telephone surveys are recommended in order to supplement data from postal questionnaires and increase response rates in some population groups, but costs may be prohibitive. Electronic surveys are a cheaper alternative, but the empirical evidence on effectiveness is inconclusive. Careful planning and tailoring of survey design to the characteristics of target populations can increase response rates and representativeness of lifestyle survey data. The results of this pragmatic review could provide a valuable resource for those involved in the design and administration of lifestyle surveys.

Opening a Can of wERMS: Texas A&M University's Experiences in Implementing Two Electronic Resource Management Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartnett, Eric; Price, Apryl; Smith, Jane; Barrett, Michael

2010-01-01

Over the past few years, Texas A&M University (TAMU) has searched for a way to administer its electronic subscriptions as well as the electronic subscriptions shared among the TAMU System. In this article, we address our attempts to implement an effective electronic resource management system (ERMS), both for subscriptions on the main campus…

Implementing electronic handover: interventions to improve efficiency, safety and sustainability.

PubMed

Alhamid, Sharifah Munirah; Lee, Desmond Xue-Yuan; Wong, Hei Man; Chuah, Matthew Bingfeng; Wong, Yu Jun; Narasimhalu, Kaavya; Tan, Thuan Tong; Low, Su Ying

2016-10-01

Effective handovers are critical for patient care and safety. Electronic handover tools are increasingly used today to provide an effective and standardized platform for information exchange. The implementation of an electronic handover system in tertiary hospitals can be a major challenge. Previous efforts in implementing an electronic handover tool failed due to poor compliance and buy-in from end-users. A new electronic handover tool was developed and incorporated into the existing electronic medical records (EMRs) for medical patients in Singapore General Hospital (SGH). There was poor compliance by on-call doctors in acknowledging electronic handovers, and lack of adherence to safety rules, raising concerns about the safety and efficiency of the electronic handover tool. Urgent measures were needed to ensure its safe and sustained use. A quality improvement group comprising stakeholders, including end-users, developed multi-faceted interventions using rapid PDSA (P-Plan, D-Do, S-Study, A-Act ) cycles to address these issues. Innovative solutions using media and online software provided cost-efficient measures to improve compliance. The percentage of unacknowledged handovers per day was used as the main outcome measure throughout all PDSA cycles. Doctors were also assessed for improvement in their knowledge of safety rules and their perception of the electronic handover tool. An electronic handover tool complementing daily clinical practice can be successfully implemented using solutions devised through close collaboration with end-users supported by the senior leadership. A combined 'bottom-up' and 'top-down' approach with regular process evaluations is crucial for its long-term sustainability. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A patient and public involvement (PPI) toolkit for meaningful and flexible involvement in clinical trials - a work in progress.

PubMed

Bagley, Heather J; Short, Hannah; Harman, Nicola L; Hickey, Helen R; Gamble, Carrol L; Woolfall, Kerry; Young, Bridget; Williamson, Paula R

2016-01-01

Funders of research are increasingly requiring researchers to involve patients and the public in their research. Patient and public involvement (PPI) in research can potentially help researchers make sure that the design of their research is relevant, that it is participant friendly and ethically sound. Using and sharing PPI resources can benefit those involved in undertaking PPI, but existing PPI resources are not used consistently and this can lead to duplication of effort. This paper describes how we are developing a toolkit to support clinical trials teams in a clinical trials unit. The toolkit will provide a key 'off the shelf' resource to support trial teams with limited resources, in undertaking PPI. Key activities in further developing and maintaining the toolkit are to: ● listen to the views and experience of both research teams and patient and public contributors who use the tools; ● modify the tools based on our experience of using them; ● identify the need for future tools; ● update the toolkit based on any newly identified resources that come to light; ● raise awareness of the toolkit and ● work in collaboration with others to either develop or test out PPI resources in order to reduce duplication of work in PPI. Background Patient and public involvement (PPI) in research is increasingly a funder requirement due to the potential benefits in the design of relevant, participant friendly, ethically sound research. The use and sharing of resources can benefit PPI, but available resources are not consistently used leading to duplication of effort. This paper describes a developing toolkit to support clinical trials teams to undertake effective and meaningful PPI. Methods The first phase in developing the toolkit was to describe which PPI activities should be considered in the pathway of a clinical trial and at what stage these activities should take place. This pathway was informed through review of the type and timing of PPI activities within trials coordinated by the Clinical Trials Research Centre and previously described areas of potential PPI impact in trials. In the second phase, key websites around PPI and identification of resources opportunistically, e.g. in conversation with other trialists or social media, were used to identify resources. Tools were developed where gaps existed. Results A flowchart was developed describing PPI activities that should be considered in the clinical trial pathway and the point at which these activities should happen. Three toolkit domains were identified: planning PPI; supporting PPI; recording and evaluating PPI. Four main activities and corresponding tools were identified under the planning for PPI: developing a plan; identifying patient and public contributors; allocating appropriate costs; and managing expectations. In supporting PPI, tools were developed to review participant information sheets. These tools, which require a summary of potential trial participant characteristics and circumstances help to clarify requirements and expectations of PPI review. For recording and evaluating PPI, the planned PPI interventions should be monitored in terms of impact, and a tool to monitor public contributor experience is in development. Conclusions This toolkit provides a developing 'off the shelf' resource to support trial teams with limited resources in undertaking PPI. Key activities in further developing and maintaining the toolkit are to: listen to the views and experience of both research teams and public contributors using the tools, to identify the need for future tools, to modify tools based on experience of their use; to update the toolkit based on any newly identified resources that come to light; to raise awareness of the toolkit and to work in collaboration with others to both develop and test out PPI resources in order to reduce duplication of work in PPI.

Development of a resource modelling tool to support decision makers in pandemic influenza preparedness: The AsiaFluCap Simulator

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Health care planning for pandemic influenza is a challenging task which requires predictive models by which the impact of different response strategies can be evaluated. However, current preparedness plans and simulations exercises, as well as freely available simulation models previously made for policy makers, do not explicitly address the availability of health care resources or determine the impact of shortages on public health. Nevertheless, the feasibility of health systems to implement response measures or interventions described in plans and trained in exercises depends on the available resource capacity. As part of the AsiaFluCap project, we developed a comprehensive and flexible resource modelling tool to support public health officials in understanding and preparing for surges in resource demand during future pandemics. Results The AsiaFluCap Simulator is a combination of a resource model containing 28 health care resources and an epidemiological model. The tool was built in MS Excel© and contains a user-friendly interface which allows users to select mild or severe pandemic scenarios, change resource parameters and run simulations for one or multiple regions. Besides epidemiological estimations, the simulator provides indications on resource gaps or surpluses, and the impact of shortages on public health for each selected region. It allows for a comparative analysis of the effects of resource availability and consequences of different strategies of resource use, which can provide guidance on resource prioritising and/or mobilisation. Simulation results are displayed in various tables and graphs, and can also be easily exported to GIS software to create maps for geographical analysis of the distribution of resources. Conclusions The AsiaFluCap Simulator is freely available software (http://www.cdprg.org) which can be used by policy makers, policy advisors, donors and other stakeholders involved in preparedness for providing evidence based and illustrative information on health care resource capacities during future pandemics. The tool can inform both preparedness plans and simulation exercises and can help increase the general understanding of dynamics in resource capacities during a pandemic. The combination of a mathematical model with multiple resources and the linkage to GIS for creating maps makes the tool unique compared to other available software. PMID:23061807

BioUSeR: a semantic-based tool for retrieving Life Science web resources driven by text-rich user requirements

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Open metadata registries are a fundamental tool for researchers in the Life Sciences trying to locate resources. While most current registries assume that resources are annotated with well-structured metadata, evidence shows that most of the resource annotations simply consists of informal free text. This reality must be taken into account in order to develop effective techniques for resource discovery in Life Sciences. Results BioUSeR is a semantic-based tool aimed at retrieving Life Sciences resources described in free text. The retrieval process is driven by the user requirements, which consist of a target task and a set of facets of interest, both expressed in free text. BioUSeR is able to effectively exploit the available textual descriptions to find relevant resources by using semantic-aware techniques. Conclusions BioUSeR overcomes the limitations of the current registries thanks to: (i) rich specification of user information needs, (ii) use of semantics to manage textual descriptions, (iii) retrieval and ranking of resources based on user requirements. PMID:23635042

An Evaluation of Electronic Product Design Education Using Hypermedia-Resourced Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Page, Tom; Thorsteinsson, Gisli

2006-01-01

The work outlined here provides a comprehensive report and formative observations of the development and implementation of hypermedia resources for learning and teaching used in conjunction with a managed learning environment (MLE). These resources are used to enhance teaching and learning of an electronics module in product design at final year…

Impact of Knowledge Resources Linked to an Electronic Health Record on Frequency of Unnecessary Tests and Treatments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, Kenneth; Grad, Roland; Pluye, Pierre; Nowacki, Amy; Hickner, John

2012-01-01

Introduction: Electronic knowledge resources have the potential to rapidly provide answers to clinicians' questions. We sought to determine clinicians' reasons for searching these resources, the rate of finding relevant information, and the perceived clinical impact of the information they retrieved. Methods: We asked general internists, family…

E-Resources Management: How We Positioned Our Organization to Implement an Electronic Resources Management System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Marilyn; Sanders, Susan

2009-01-01

The Information Services Division (ISD) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) positioned itself to successfully implement an electronic resources management system. This article highlights the ISD's unique ability to "team" across the organization to realize a common goal, develop leadership qualities in support of…

Resource Assessment and Tools

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Various resource assessment strategies and tools are needed to ensure bioenergy feedstock materials are produced, harvested, and transported in a sustainable manner. This presentation highlights research accomplishments by the USDA-ARS Renewable Energy Assessment Project (REAP) team along with our u...

Information literacy as the foundation for evidence-based practice in graduate nursing education: a curriculum-integrated approach.

PubMed

Jacobs, Susan Kaplan; Rosenfeld, Peri; Haber, Judith

2003-01-01

As part of a system-wide initiative to advance evidence-based practice among clinicians, graduate students, and educators, the New York University Division of Nursing embarked on a curricular initiative to integrate components of information literacy in all core courses of the master's program. Increasing competency in information literacy is the foundation for evidence-based practice and provides nursing professionals with the skills to be literate consumers of information in an electronic environment. Competency in information literacy includes an understanding of the architecture of information and the scholarly process; the ability to navigate among a variety of print and electronic tools to effectively access, search, and critically evaluate appropriate resources; synthesize accumulated information into an existing body of knowledge; communicate research results clearly and effectively; and appreciate the social issues and ethical concerns related to the provision, dissemination, and sharing of information. In collaboration with the New York University Division of Libraries' Health Sciences Librarian, instructional modules in information literacy relevant to each of the 5 core nursing master's courses were developed, complemented by a Web-based tutorial: http://library.nyu.edu/research/health/tutorial. The Web site is multifaceted, with fundamentals for the beginner, as well as more complex content for the advanced user. Course assignments were designed to promote specific competencies in information literacy and strategies for evaluating the strength of the evidence found. A survey of information literacy competencies, which assessed students' knowledge, misconceptions, and use of electronic information resources, was administered when students entered the program and at 1-year intervals thereafter.

Social and Emotional Learning: A Resource Guide and New Approach to Measurement in ExpandED Schools. A TASC Resource Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ExpandED Schools, 2014

2014-01-01

This guide is a list of tools that can be used in continued implementation of strong programming powered by Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies. This curated resource pulls from across the landscape of policy, research and practice, with a description of each tool gathered directly from its website.

NASA Parts Selection List (NPSL) WWW Site http://nepp.nasa.gov/npsl

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brusse, Jay

2000-01-01

The NASA Parts Selection List (NPSL) is an on-line resource for electronic parts selection tailored for use by spaceflight projects. The NPSL provides a list of commonly used electronic parts that have a history of satisfactory use in spaceflight applications. The objective of this www site is to provide NASA projects, contractors, university experimenters, et al with an easy to use resource that provides a baseline of electronic parts from which designers are encouraged to select. The NPSL is an ongoing resource produced by Code 562 in support of the NASA HQ funded NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program. The NPSL is produced as an electronic format deliverable made available via the referenced www site administered by Code 562. The NPSL does not provide information pertaining to patented or proprietary information. All of the information contained in the NPSL is available through various other public domain resources such as US Military procurement specifications for electronic parts, NASA GSFC's Preferred Parts List (PPL-21), and NASA's Standard Parts List (MIL-STD975).

Scoping review of resources for integrating evidence-based supported employment into spinal cord injury rehabilitation.

PubMed

Cotner, Bridget A; Ottomanelli, Lisa; Keleher, Virginia; Dirk, Lynn

2018-02-27

Individual placement and support (IPS), an evidence-based supported employment (SE) program, has helped Veterans with spinal cord injury (SCI) receiving care in the Veterans Health Administration to obtain work. To facilitate integration of IPS into SCI rehabilitation, resources are needed. A scoping review was conducted to identify tools and resources suitable for providers of SCI care. Applying a modified version of Arksey and O'Malley's framework, a scoping review of literature on SE tools or resources was conducted. The original review focused on resources published between 2002 and 2015 and available in English. Prior to publication an updated review through 2017 was conducted. From 1822 tools and resources identified in the initial review, 24 met criteria for inclusion and were evaluated by an advisory panel of experts, who selected 16 tools that addressed five topics: IPS in SCI (n = 2) orientation to SCI (n = 3); IPS SE (n = 7), job accommodations (n = 2), and benefits planning (n = 2). The updated review yielded no tools or resources that met inclusion criteria. Despite few resources to guide implementation of IPS in SCI, 16 essential resources were identified that, combined into a toolkit, may facilitate translation of IPS in SCI from research to clinical care. Implications for rehabilitation The toolkit consists of 16 essential resources and is currently available online to all persons involved in spinal cord injury rehabilitation to educate them about this effective means of assisting persons with spinal cord injury to find employment and to facilitate translation of individual placement and support in spinal cord injury from research to clinical care. While expert-informed, the toolkit is being field tested with both clinical and vocational providers to facilitate the adoption of individual placement and support by spinal cord injury rehabilitation programs. The revised version will be made available online.

User's Guide to the Water-Analysis Screening Tool (WAST): A Tool for Assessing Available Water Resources in Relation to Aquatic-Resource Uses

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuckey, Marla H.; Kiesler, James L.

2008-01-01

A water-analysis screening tool (WAST) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, to provide an initial screening of areas in the state where potential problems may exist related to the availability of water resources to meet current and future water-use demands. The tool compares water-use information to an initial screening criteria of the 7-day, 10-year low-flow statistic (7Q10) resulting in a screening indicator for influences of net withdrawals (withdrawals minus discharges) on aquatic-resource uses. This report is intended to serve as a guide for using the screening tool. The WAST can display general basin characteristics, water-use information, and screening-indicator information for over 10,000 watersheds in the state. The tool includes 12 primary functions that allow the user to display watershed information, edit water-use and water-supply information, observe effects downstream from edited water-use information, reset edited values to baseline, load new water-use information, save and retrieve scenarios, and save output as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

The Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Resource and Tool Compilation

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The compilation includes tools and resources related to the HIA process and can be used to collect and analyze data, establish a baseline profile, assess potential health impacts, and establish benchmarks and indicators for monitoring and evaluation.

Mediagraphy: Print and Nonprint Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Educational Media and Technology Yearbook, 1998

1998-01-01

Lists educational media-related journals, books, ERIC documents, journal articles, and nonprint resources classified by Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Electronic Performance Support Systems; Computer-Assisted Instruction; Distance Education; Educational Research; Educational Technology; Electronic Publishing; Information Science and…

Dietitians' perceptions of communicating with preadolescent, overweight children in the consultation setting: the potential for e-resources.

PubMed

Raaff, C; Glazebrook, C; Wharrad, H

2015-06-01

There are calls to enhance existing child weight management interventions and to develop new treatment approaches. The potential for interactive electronic resources (e-resources) to support child-dietitian communication has yet to be explored. Towards developing such a tool, the present study aimed to understand dietetic attitudes and approaches to communicating with preadolescent overweight children in individual consultations to support behaviour change. A purposive sample of 18 dietitians, providing weight management advice to overweight 7-11-year-old children, took part in the study. Individual semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted. Data were transcribed and then analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Content analysis was used to interpret dietetic attitude towards e-resources. Six overarching themes were identified describing dietitians' views: the complexity of treating childhood obesity, the strategic balance of dietetic communication focus between child and parent, the child's capacity to communicate affecting their contribution, dietetic approaches to verbal child communication and the features of resources that can support them, as well as dietetic expectations for resources. Independent inter-rater agreement for the themes was 76.9% and 73.1%, respectively. The majority of dietitians (n = 13) supported the concept of introducing an interactive multimedia e-resource into child weight management consultations. Most dietitians sought to engage the preadolescent child in the consultation, using dietetic visual aids to complement verbal strategies and to serve as scaffolding for the conversation. There is scope for interactive e-resources to enhance communication, provided that they are flexibly tailored to meet the needs of the dietitian and the overweight child. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Electronic immunization data collection systems: application of an evaluation framework.

PubMed

Heidebrecht, Christine L; Kwong, Jeffrey C; Finkelstein, Michael; Quan, Sherman D; Pereira, Jennifer A; Quach, Susan; Deeks, Shelley L

2014-01-14

Evaluating the features and performance of health information systems can serve to strengthen the systems themselves as well as to guide other organizations in the process of designing and implementing surveillance tools. We adapted an evaluation framework in order to assess electronic immunization data collection systems, and applied it in two Ontario public health units. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Guidelines for Evaluating Public Health Surveillance Systems are broad in nature and serve as an organizational tool to guide the development of comprehensive evaluation materials. Based on these Guidelines, and informed by other evaluation resources and input from stakeholders in the public health community, we applied an evaluation framework to two examples of immunization data collection and examined several system attributes: simplicity, flexibility, data quality, timeliness, and acceptability. Data collection approaches included key informant interviews, logic and completeness assessments, client surveys, and on-site observations. Both evaluated systems allow high-quality immunization data to be collected, analyzed, and applied in a rapid fashion. However, neither system is currently able to link to other providers' immunization data or provincial data sources, limiting the comprehensiveness of coverage assessments. We recommended that both organizations explore possibilities for external data linkage and collaborate with other jurisdictions to promote a provincial immunization repository or data sharing platform. Electronic systems such as the ones described in this paper allow immunization data to be collected, analyzed, and applied in a rapid fashion, and represent the infostructure required to establish a population-based immunization registry, critical for comprehensively assessing vaccine coverage.

Open-Source Electronic Health Record Systems for Low-Resource Settings: Systematic Review.

PubMed

Syzdykova, Assel; Malta, André; Zolfo, Maria; Diro, Ermias; Oliveira, José Luis

2017-11-13

Despite the great impact of information and communication technologies on clinical practice and on the quality of health services, this trend has been almost exclusive to developed countries, whereas countries with poor resources suffer from many economic and social issues that have hindered the real benefits of electronic health (eHealth) tools. As a component of eHealth systems, electronic health records (EHRs) play a fundamental role in patient management and effective medical care services. Thus, the adoption of EHRs in regions with a lack of infrastructure, untrained staff, and ill-equipped health care providers is an important task. However, the main barrier to adopting EHR software in low- and middle-income countries is the cost of its purchase and maintenance, which highlights the open-source approach as a good solution for these underserved areas. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of open-source EHR systems based on the requirements and limitations of low-resource settings. First, we reviewed existing literature on the comparison of available open-source solutions. In close collaboration with the University of Gondar Hospital, Ethiopia, we identified common limitations in poor resource environments and also the main requirements that EHRs should support. Then, we extensively evaluated the current open-source EHR solutions, discussing their strengths and weaknesses, and their appropriateness to fulfill a predefined set of features relevant for low-resource settings. The evaluation methodology allowed assessment of several key aspects of available solutions that are as follows: (1) integrated applications, (2) configurable reports, (3) custom reports, (4) custom forms, (5) interoperability, (6) coding systems, (7) authentication methods, (8) patient portal, (9) access control model, (10) cryptographic features, (11) flexible data model, (12) offline support, (13) native client, (14) Web client,(15) other clients, (16) code-based language, (17) development activity, (18) modularity, (19) user interface, (20) community support, and (21) customization. The quality of each feature is discussed for each of the evaluated solutions and a final comparison is presented. There is a clear demand for open-source, reliable, and flexible EHR systems in low-resource settings. In this study, we have evaluated and compared five open-source EHR systems following a multidimensional methodology that can provide informed recommendations to other implementers, developers, and health care professionals. We hope that the results of this comparison can guide decision making when needing to adopt, install, and maintain an open-source EHR solution in low-resource settings. ©Assel Syzdykova, André Malta, Maria Zolfo, Ermias Diro, José Luis Oliveira. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 13.11.2017.

Dealing with an information overload of health science data: structured utilisation of libraries, distributed knowledge in databases and Web content.

PubMed

Hoelzer, Simon; Schweiger, Ralf K; Rieger, Joerg; Meyer, Michael

2006-01-01

The organizational structures of web contents and electronic information resources must adapt to the demands of a growing volume of information and user requirements. Otherwise the information society will be threatened by disinformation. The biomedical sciences are especially vulnerable in this regard, since they are strongly oriented toward text-based knowledge sources. Here sustainable improvement can only be achieved by using a comprehensive, integrated approach that not only includes data management but also specifically incorporates the editorial processes, including structuring information sources and publication. The technical resources needed to effectively master these tasks are already available in the form of the data standards and tools of the Semantic Web. They include Rich Site Summaries (RSS), which have become an established means of distributing and syndicating conventional news messages and blogs. They can also provide access to the contents of the previously mentioned information sources, which are conventionally classified as 'deep web' content.

Best practices for fungal germplasm repositories and perspectives on their implementation.

PubMed

Wiest, Aric; Schnittker, Robert; Plamann, Mike; McCluskey, Kevin

2012-02-01

In over 50 years, the Fungal Genetics Stock Center has grown to become a world-recognized biological resource center. Along with this growth comes the development and implementation of myriad practices for the management and curation of a diverse collection of filamentous fungi, yeast, and molecular genetic tools for working with the fungi. These practices include techniques for the testing, manipulation, and preservation of individual fungal isolates as well as for processing of thousands of isolates in parallel. In addition to providing accurate record keeping, an electronic managements system allows the observation of trends in strain distribution and in sample characteristics. Because many ex situ fungal germplasm repositories around the world share similar objectives, best-practice guidelines have been developed by a number of organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development or the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories. These best-practice guidelines provide a framework for the successful operation of collections and promote the development and interactions of biological resource centers around the world.

Development of a point-of-care HIV/AIDS medication dosing support system using the Android mobile platform.

PubMed

Sadasivam, Rajani S; Gathibandhe, Vaibhav; Tanik, Murat M; Willig, James H

2012-06-01

Medication dosing errors can greatly reduce HIV treatment effectiveness as incorrect dosing leads to drug resistance and non-adherence. In order to dose correctly, HIV therapy providers must balance several patient characteristics such as renal functions and weight. In developing countries and other resource-limited settings, dosing errors are more likely because treatment is provided by mid-level providers with only basic training in HIV therapy. These providers also typically lack electronic tools informing medical decisions. Widespread adoption of mobile phones in developing nations offers an opportunity to implement a point-of-care system to help providers reduce dosing errors. We discuss the development of the mHIV-Dr system prototype using the new Android mobile platform. mHIV-Dr is being designed to provide dosing recommendations for front-line providers in developing countries. We also discuss the additional challenges in the implementation of the mHIV-Dr system in a resource limited setting.

Designing and examining e-waste recycling process: methodology and case studies.

PubMed

Li, Jinhui; He, Xin; Zeng, Xianlai

2017-03-01

Increasing concerns on resource depletion and environmental pollution have largely obliged electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) should be tackled in an environmentally sound manner. Recycling process development is regarded as the most effective and fundamental to solve the e-waste problem. Based on global achievements related to e-waste recycling in the past 15 years, we first propose a theory to design an e-waste recycling process, including measuring e-waste recyclability and selection of recycling process. And we summarize the indicators and tools in terms of resource dimension, environmental dimension, and economic dimension, to examine the e-waste recycling process. Using the sophisticated experience and adequate information of e-waste management, spent lithium-ion batteries and waste printed circuit boards are chosen as case studies to implement and verify the proposed method. All the potential theory and obtained results in this work can contribute to future e-waste management toward best available techniques and best environmental practices.

SPANR planning and scheduling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freund, Richard F.; Braun, Tracy D.; Kussow, Matthew; Godfrey, Michael; Koyama, Terry

2001-07-01

SPANR (Schedule, Plan, Assess Networked Resources) is (i) a pre-run, off-line planning and (ii) a runtime, just-in-time scheduling mechanism. It is designed to support primarily commercial applications in that it optimizes throughput rather than individual jobs (unless they have highest priority). Thus it is a tool for a commercial production manager to maximize total work. First the SPANR Planner is presented showing the ability to do predictive 'what-if' planning. It can answer such questions as, (i) what is the overall effect of acquiring new hardware or (ii) what would be the effect of a different scheduler. The ability of the SPANR Planner to formulate in advance tree-trimming strategies is useful in several commercial applications, such as electronic design or pharmaceutical simulations. The SPANR Planner is demonstrated using a variety of benchmarks. The SPANR Runtime Scheduler (RS) is briefly presented. The SPANR RS can provide benefit for several commercial applications, such as airframe design and financial applications. Finally a design is shown whereby SPANR can provide scheduling advice to most resource management systems.

The past, present and future of HIV, AIDS and resource allocation

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background How should HIV and AIDS resources be allocated to achieve the greatest possible impact? This paper begins with a theoretical discussion of this issue, describing the key elements of an "evidence-based allocation strategy". While it is noted that the quality of epidemiological and economic data remains inadequate to define such an optimal strategy, there do exist tools and research which can lead countries in a way that they can make allocation decisions. Furthermore, there are clear indications that most countries are not allocating their HIV and AIDS resources in a way which is likely to achieve the greatest possible impact. For example, it is noted that neighboring countries, even when they have a similar prevalence of HIV, nonetheless often allocate their resources in radically different ways. These differing allocation patterns appear to be attributable to a number of different issues, including a lack of data, contradictory results in existing data, a need for overemphasizing a multisectoral response, a lack of political will, a general inefficiency in the use of resources when they do get allocated, poor planning and a lack of control over the way resources get allocated. Methods There are a number of tools currently available which can improve the resource-allocation process. Tools such as the Resource Needs Model (RNM) can provide policymakers with a clearer idea of resource requirements, whereas other tools such as Goals and the Allocation by Cost-Effectiveness (ABCE) models can provide countries with a clearer vision of how they might reallocate funds. Results Examples from nine different countries provide information about how policymakers are trying to make their resource-allocation strategies more "evidence based". By identifying the challenges and successes of these nine countries in making more informed allocation decisions, it is hoped that future resource-allocation decisions for all countries can be improved. Conclusion We discuss the future of resource allocation, noting the types of additional data which will be required and the improvements in existing tools which could be made. PMID:19922688

AUTOPLAN: A PC-based automated mission planning tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paterra, Frank C.; Allen, Marc S.; Lawrence, George F.

1987-01-01

A PC-based automated mission and resource planning tool, AUTOPLAN, is described, with application to small-scale planning and scheduling systems in the Space Station program. The input is a proposed mission profile, including mission duration, number of allowable slip periods, and requirement profiles for one or more resources as a function of time. A corresponding availability profile is also entered for each resource over the whole time interval under study. AUTOPLAN determines all integrated schedules which do not require more than the available resources.

Mycobacterial biomaterials and resources for researchers.

PubMed

Hazbón, Manzour Hernando; Rigouts, Leen; Schito, Marco; Ezewudo, Matthew; Kudo, Takuji; Itoh, Takashi; Ohkuma, Moriya; Kiss, Katalin; Wu, Linhuan; Ma, Juncai; Hamada, Moriyuki; Strong, Michael; Salfinger, Max; Daley, Charles L; Nick, Jerry A; Lee, Jung-Sook; Rastogi, Nalin; Couvin, David; Hurtado-Ortiz, Raquel; Bizet, Chantal; Suresh, Anita; Rodwell, Timothy; Albertini, Audrey; Lacourciere, Karen A; Deheer-Graham, Ana; Alexander, Sarah; Russell, Julie E; Bradford, Rebecca; Riojas, Marco A

2018-06-01

There are many resources available to mycobacterial researchers, including culture collections around the world that distribute biomaterials to the general scientific community, genomic and clinical databases, and powerful bioinformatics tools. However, many of these resources may be unknown to the research community. This review article aims to summarize and publicize many of these resources, thus strengthening the quality and reproducibility of mycobacterial research by providing the scientific community access to authenticated and quality-controlled biomaterials and a wealth of information, analytical tools and research opportunities.

Development of expert systems for analyzing electronic documents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abeer Yassin, Al-Azzawi; Shidlovskiy, S.; Jamal, A. A.

2018-05-01

The paper analyses a Database Management System (DBMS). Expert systems, Databases, and database technology have become an essential component of everyday life in the modern society. As databases are widely used in every organization with a computer system, data resource control and data management are very important [1]. DBMS is the most significant tool developed to serve multiple users in a database environment consisting of programs that enable users to create and maintain a database. This paper focuses on development of a database management system for General Directorate for education of Diyala in Iraq (GDED) using Clips, java Net-beans and Alfresco and system components, which were previously developed in Tomsk State University at the Faculty of Innovative Technology.

Programs to optimize adherence in glaucoma.

PubMed

Kowing, Dianne; Messer, Dawn; Slagle, Scott; Wasik, Alyon

2010-07-01

This study was designed to raise awareness of the materials, devices, and Internet resources available to improve adherence to use of medications for the treatment of glaucoma and to review new devices under development. A review of current indexed literature and Internet resources was conducted. A variety of educational brochures, pamphlets, and fact sheets promoting adherence to ocular hypotensive medications are available through multiple organizations and are easily accessed and ordered on the Internet. Video and Web-based patient educational tools have been designed to support patient adherence to glaucoma management plans and promote open dialogue between patients and providers. Reminder and recall systems that integrate with office software can be sent to cell phones as well as e-mails and personal digital assistant (PDAs), alerting patients to upcoming appointments and reminding them to instill their drops. Bottle devices with dosing support (timers with audible and visual signals and dispensing aids) and electronic monitoring have been shown to promote adherence. New products currently under development to improve the delivery of medications include nanoparticles, punctal plugs, and contact lenses that release glaucoma medications. Many educational materials, services, Internet resources, and devices are available to optometrists to encourage patient adherence to glaucoma treatment and management. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Video Killed the Radio Star: Language Students' Use of Electronic Resources-Reading or Viewing?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiliçkaya, Ferit

2016-01-01

The current study aimed to investigate language students' use of print and electronic resources for their research papers required in research techniques class, focusing on which reading strategies they used while reading these resources. The participants of the study were 90 sophomore students enrolled in the research techniques class offered at…

Managing Selection for Electronic Resources: Kent State University Develops a New System to Automate Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Downey, Kay

2012-01-01

Kent State University has developed a centralized system that manages the communication and work related to the review and selection of commercially available electronic resources. It is an automated system that tracks the review process, provides selectors with price and trial information, and compiles reviewers' feedback about the resource. It…

Developing tools and resources for the biomedical domain of the Greek language.

PubMed

Vagelatos, Aristides; Mantzari, Elena; Pantazara, Mavina; Tsalidis, Christos; Kalamara, Chryssoula

2011-06-01

This paper presents the design and implementation of terminological and specialized textual resources that were produced in the framework of the Greek research project "IATROLEXI". The aim of the project was to create the critical infrastructure for the Greek language, i.e. linguistic resources and tools for use in high level Natural Language Processing (NLP) applications in the domain of biomedicine. The project was built upon existing resources developed by the project partners and further enhanced within its framework, i.e. a Greek morphological lexicon of about 100,000 words, and language processing tools such as a lemmatiser and a morphosyntactic tagger. Christos Tsalidis, Additionally, it developed new assets, such as a specialized corpus of biomedical texts and an ontology of medical terminology.

TRUST: TDRSS Resource User Support Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sparn, Thomas P.; Gablehouse, R. Daniel

1991-01-01

TRUST-TDRSS (Tracking Data and Relay Satellite System) Resource User Support Tool is presented in the form of the viewgraphs. The following subject areas are covered: TRUST development cycle; the TRUST system; scheduling window; ODM/GCMR window; TRUST architecture; surpass; and summary.

A tool kit for evaluating electronic flight bags

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-09-01

Over the past few years, the Volpe Center has developed a set of five tools that can be used to evaluate Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) from a human factors perspective. The goal of these tools is to help streamline and standardize EFB human factors a...

U-Compare: share and compare text mining tools with UIMA

PubMed Central

Kano, Yoshinobu; Baumgartner, William A.; McCrohon, Luke; Ananiadou, Sophia; Cohen, K. Bretonnel; Hunter, Lawrence; Tsujii, Jun'ichi

2009-01-01

Summary: Due to the increasing number of text mining resources (tools and corpora) available to biologists, interoperability issues between these resources are becoming significant obstacles to using them effectively. UIMA, the Unstructured Information Management Architecture, is an open framework designed to aid in the construction of more interoperable tools. U-Compare is built on top of the UIMA framework, and provides both a concrete framework for out-of-the-box text mining and a sophisticated evaluation platform allowing users to run specific tools on any target text, generating both detailed statistics and instance-based visualizations of outputs. U-Compare is a joint project, providing the world's largest, and still growing, collection of UIMA-compatible resources. These resources, originally developed by different groups for a variety of domains, include many famous tools and corpora. U-Compare can be launched straight from the web, without needing to be manually installed. All U-Compare components are provided ready-to-use and can be combined easily via a drag-and-drop interface without any programming. External UIMA components can also simply be mixed with U-Compare components, without distinguishing between locally and remotely deployed resources. Availability: http://u-compare.org/ Contact: kano@is.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp PMID:19414535

Fungal genome resources at NCBI.

PubMed

Robbertse, B; Tatusova, T

2011-09-01

The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is well known for the nucleotide sequence archive, GenBank and sequence analysis tool BLAST. However, NCBI integrates many types of biomolecular data from variety of sources and makes it available to the scientific community as interactive web resources as well as organized releases of bulk data. These tools are available to explore and compare fungal genomes. Searching all databases with Fungi [organism] at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ is the quickest way to find resources of interest with fungal entries. Some tools though are resources specific and can be indirectly accessed from a particular database in the Entrez system. These include graphical viewers and comparative analysis tools such as TaxPlot, TaxMap and UniGene DDD (found via UniGene Homepage). Gene and BioProject pages also serve as portals to external data such as community annotation websites, BioGrid and UniProt. There are many different ways of accessing genomic data at NCBI. Depending on the focus and goal of research projects or the level of interest, a user would select a particular route for accessing genomic databases and resources. This review article describes methods of accessing fungal genome data and provides examples that illustrate the use of analysis tools.

Ecological and social correlates of chimpanzee tool use.

PubMed

Sanz, Crickette M; Morgan, David B

2013-11-19

The emergence of technology has been suggested to coincide with scarcity of staple resources that led to innovations in the form of tool-assisted strategies to diversify or augment typical diets. We examined seasonal patterns of several types of tool use exhibited by a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) population residing in central Africa, to determine whether their technical skills provided access to fallback resources when preferred food items were scarce. Chimpanzees in the Goualougo Triangle exhibit a diverse repertoire of tool behaviours, many of which are exhibited throughout the year. Further, they have developed specific tool sets to overcome the issues of accessibility to particular food items. Our conclusion is that these chimpanzees use a sophisticated tool technology to cope with seasonal changes in relative food abundance and gain access to high-quality foods. Subgroup sizes were smaller in tool using contexts than other foraging contexts, suggesting that the size of the social group may not be as important in promoting complex tool traditions as the frequency and type of social interactions. Further, reports from other populations and species showed that tool use may occur more often in response to ecological opportunities and relative profitability of foraging techniques than scarcity of resources.

Ecological and social correlates of chimpanzee tool use

PubMed Central

Sanz, Crickette M.; Morgan, David B.

2013-01-01

The emergence of technology has been suggested to coincide with scarcity of staple resources that led to innovations in the form of tool-assisted strategies to diversify or augment typical diets. We examined seasonal patterns of several types of tool use exhibited by a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) population residing in central Africa, to determine whether their technical skills provided access to fallback resources when preferred food items were scarce. Chimpanzees in the Goualougo Triangle exhibit a diverse repertoire of tool behaviours, many of which are exhibited throughout the year. Further, they have developed specific tool sets to overcome the issues of accessibility to particular food items. Our conclusion is that these chimpanzees use a sophisticated tool technology to cope with seasonal changes in relative food abundance and gain access to high-quality foods. Subgroup sizes were smaller in tool using contexts than other foraging contexts, suggesting that the size of the social group may not be as important in promoting complex tool traditions as the frequency and type of social interactions. Further, reports from other populations and species showed that tool use may occur more often in response to ecological opportunities and relative profitability of foraging techniques than scarcity of resources. PMID:24101626

Connecting Print and Electronic Titles: An Integrated Approach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolfe, Judith; Konecky, Joan Latta; Boden, Dana W. R.

2011-01-01

Libraries make heavy investments in electronic resources, with many of these resources reflecting title changes, bundled subsets, or content changes of formerly print material. These changes can distance the electronic format from its print origins, creating discovery and access issues. A task force was formed to explore the enhancement of catalog…

Library Instruction in the Electronic Library: The University of Arizona's Electronic Library Education Centers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glogoff, Stuart

1995-01-01

Discusses two Electronic Library Education Centers (ELECs) created at the University of Arizona to improve library instruction in the use of online resources. Examines costs of developing ELECs; technical changes experienced; and benefits to users and librarians. A sidebar by Abbie J. Basile identifies Internet resources for planning and/or…

The personal health record: consumers banking on their health.

PubMed

Ball, Marion J; Costin, Melinda Y; Lehmann, Christoph

2008-01-01

With personal health records (PHRs) acting much like ATM cards, increasingly wired consumers can "bank on health", accessing their own personal health information and a wide array of services. Consumer-owned, the PHR is dependent upon the existence of the legal electronic medical record (EMR) and interoperability. Working PHRs are in place in Veterans Health Administration, private health care institutions, and in the commercial sector. By allowing consumers to become involved in their own care, the PHR creates new roles and relationships. New tools change the clinician's workflow and thought flow, and pose new challenges for consumers. Key components of the PHR include the EMR and regional health information organizations (RHIOs); key strategies focus on human factors in successful project management. Online resources provided by the National Library of Medicine and Health On the Net help address consumer needs for information that is reliable and understandable. The growth of self-management tools adds to the challenge and the promise of PHRs for clinicians and consumers alike.

Update on Smoking Cessation: E-Cigarettes, Emerging Tobacco Products Trends, and New Technology-Based Interventions.

PubMed

Das, Smita; Tonelli, Makenzie; Ziedonis, Douglas

2016-05-01

Tobacco use disorders (TUDs) continue to be overly represented in patients treated in mental health and addiction treatment settings. It is the most common substance use disorder (SUD) and the leading cause of health disparities and increased morbidity/mortality amongst individuals with a psychiatric disorder. There are seven Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medications and excellent evidence-based psychosocial treatment interventions to use in TUD treatment. In the past few years, access to and use of other tobacco or nicotine emerging products are on the rise, including the highly publicized electronic cigarette (e-cigarette). There has also been a proliferation of technology-based interventions to support standard TUD treatment, including mobile apps and web-based interventions. These tools are easily accessed 24/7 to support outpatient treatment. This update will review the emerging products and counter-measure intervention technologies, including how clinicians can integrate these tools and other community-based resources into their practice.

A large synthetic peptide and phosphopeptide reference library for mass spectrometry-based proteomics.

PubMed

Marx, Harald; Lemeer, Simone; Schliep, Jan Erik; Matheron, Lucrece; Mohammed, Shabaz; Cox, Jürgen; Mann, Matthias; Heck, Albert J R; Kuster, Bernhard

2013-06-01

We present a peptide library and data resource of >100,000 synthetic, unmodified peptides and their phosphorylated counterparts with known sequences and phosphorylation sites. Analysis of the library by mass spectrometry yielded a data set that we used to evaluate the merits of different search engines (Mascot and Andromeda) and fragmentation methods (beam-type collision-induced dissociation (HCD) and electron transfer dissociation (ETD)) for peptide identification. We also compared the sensitivities and accuracies of phosphorylation-site localization tools (Mascot Delta Score, PTM score and phosphoRS), and we characterized the chromatographic behavior of peptides in the library. We found that HCD identified more peptides and phosphopeptides than did ETD, that phosphopeptides generally eluted later from reversed-phase columns and were easier to identify than unmodified peptides and that current computational tools for proteomics can still be substantially improved. These peptides and spectra will facilitate the development, evaluation and improvement of experimental and computational proteomic strategies, such as separation techniques and the prediction of retention times and fragmentation patterns.

Data and Tools | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Data and Tools Data and Tools NREL develops data sets, maps, models, and tools for the analysis of , models, and tools in the alphabetical listing. Popular Resources PVWatts Calculator Geospatial Data

An Evolving Ecosystem for Natural Language Processing in Department of Veterans Affairs.

PubMed

Garvin, Jennifer H; Kalsy, Megha; Brandt, Cynthia; Luther, Stephen L; Divita, Guy; Coronado, Gregory; Redd, Doug; Christensen, Carrie; Hill, Brent; Kelly, Natalie; Treitler, Qing Zeng

2017-02-01

In an ideal clinical Natural Language Processing (NLP) ecosystem, researchers and developers would be able to collaborate with others, undertake validation of NLP systems, components, and related resources, and disseminate them. We captured requirements and formative evaluation data from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Clinical NLP Ecosystem stakeholders using semi-structured interviews and meeting discussions. We developed a coding rubric to code interviews. We assessed inter-coder reliability using percent agreement and the kappa statistic. We undertook 15 interviews and held two workshop discussions. The main areas of requirements related to; design and functionality, resources, and information. Stakeholders also confirmed the vision of the second generation of the Ecosystem and recommendations included; adding mechanisms to better understand terms, measuring collaboration to demonstrate value, and datasets/tools to navigate spelling errors with consumer language, among others. Stakeholders also recommended capability to: communicate with developers working on the next version of the VA electronic health record (VistA Evolution), provide a mechanism to automatically monitor download of tools and to automatically provide a summary of the downloads to Ecosystem contributors and funders. After three rounds of coding and discussion, we determined the percent agreement of two coders to be 97.2% and the kappa to be 0.7851. The vision of the VA Clinical NLP Ecosystem met stakeholder needs. Interviews and discussion provided key requirements that inform the design of the VA Clinical NLP Ecosystem.

Library use and information-seeking behavior of veterinary medical students revisited in the electronic environment.

PubMed

Pelzer, N L; Wiese, W H; Leysen, J M

1998-07-01

Veterinary medical students at Iowa State University were surveyed in January of 1997 to determine their general use of the Veterinary Medical Library and how they sought information in an electronic environment. Comparisons were made between this study and one conducted a decade ago to determine the effect of the growth in electronic resources on student library use and information-seeking behavior. The basic patterns of student activities in the library, resources used to find current information, and resources anticipated for future education needs remained unchanged. The 1997 students used the library most frequently for photocopying, office supplies, and studying coursework; they preferred textbooks and handouts as sources of current information. However, when these students went beyond textbooks and handouts to seek current information, a major shift was seen from the use of print indexes and abstracts in 1987 towards the use of computerized indexes and other electronic resources in 1997. Almost 60% of the students reported using the Internet for locating current information. Overall use of electronic materials was highest among a group of students receiving the problem-based learning method of instruction. Most of the students surveyed in 1997 indicated that electronic resources would have some degree of importance to them for future education needs. The electronic environment has provided new opportunities for information professionals to help prepare future veterinarians, some of whom will be practicing in remote geographical locations, to access the wealth of information and services available on the Internet and Web.

NREL: Renewable Resource Data Center - Biomass Resource Related Links

Science.gov Websites

Biomass Resource Related Links Comprehensive biomass resource information is also available from . Printable Version RReDC Home Biomass Resource Information Biomass Data Models & Tools Publications Related Links Geothermal Resource Information Solar Resource Information Wind Resource Information Did you

Assessing the role of learning devices and geovisualisation tools for collective action in natural resource management: Experiences from Vietnam.

PubMed

Castella, Jean-Christophe

2009-02-01

In northern Vietnam uplands the successive policy reforms that accompanied agricultural decollectivisation triggered very rapid changes in land use in the 1990s. From a centralized system of natural resource management, a multitude of individual strategies emerged which contributed to new production interactions among farming households, changes in landscape structures, and conflicting strategies among local stakeholders. Within this context of agrarian transition, learning devices can help local communities to collectively design their own course of action towards sustainable natural resource management. This paper presents a collaborative approach combining a number of participatory methods and geovisualisation tools (e.g., spatially explicit multi-agent models and role-playing games) with the shared goal to analyse and represent the interactions between: (i) decision-making processes by individual farmers based on the resource profiles of their farms; (ii) the institutions which regulate resource access and usage; and (iii) the biophysical and socioeconomic environment. This methodological pathway is illustrated by a case study in Bac Kan Province where it successfully led to a communication platform on natural resource management. In a context of rapid socioeconomic changes, learning devices and geovisualisation tools helped embed the participatory approach within a process of community development. The combination of different tools, each with its own advantages and constraints, proved highly relevant for supporting collective natural resource management.

Integrating Information Technologies Into Large Organizations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gottlich, Gretchen; Meyer, John M.; Nelson, Michael L.; Bianco, David J.

1997-01-01

NASA Langley Research Center's product is aerospace research information. To this end, Langley uses information technology tools in three distinct ways. First, information technology tools are used in the production of information via computation, analysis, data collection and reduction. Second, information technology tools assist in streamlining business processes, particularly those that are primarily communication based. By applying these information tools to administrative activities, Langley spends fewer resources on managing itself and can allocate more resources for research. Third, Langley uses information technology tools to disseminate its aerospace research information, resulting in faster turn around time from the laboratory to the end-customer.

Verification of EPA's ''Preliminary Remediation Goals for radionuclides'' (PRG) electronic calculator

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

Jannik, Tim; Stagich, Brooke

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requested an external, independent verification study of their updated “Preliminary Remediation Goals for Radionuclides” (PRG) electronic calculator. The calculator provides PRGs for radionuclides that are used as a screening tool at Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) sites. These risk-based PRGs establish concentration limits under specific exposure scenarios. The purpose of this verification study is to determine that the calculator has no inherit numerical problems with obtaining solutions as well as to ensure that the equations are programmed correctly. There are 167 equations used inmore » the calculator. To verify the calculator, all equations for each of seven receptor types (resident, construction worker, outdoor and indoor worker, recreator, farmer, and composite worker) were hand calculated using the default parameters. The same four radionuclides (Am-241, Co-60, H-3, and Pu-238) were used for each calculation for consistency throughout.« less

Molecular dynamics-based refinement and validation for sub-5 Å cryo-electron microscopy maps.

PubMed

Singharoy, Abhishek; Teo, Ivan; McGreevy, Ryan; Stone, John E; Zhao, Jianhua; Schulten, Klaus

2016-07-07

Two structure determination methods, based on the molecular dynamics flexible fitting (MDFF) paradigm, are presented that resolve sub-5 Å cryo-electron microscopy (EM) maps with either single structures or ensembles of such structures. The methods, denoted cascade MDFF and resolution exchange MDFF, sequentially re-refine a search model against a series of maps of progressively higher resolutions, which ends with the original experimental resolution. Application of sequential re-refinement enables MDFF to achieve a radius of convergence of ~25 Å demonstrated with the accurate modeling of β-galactosidase and TRPV1 proteins at 3.2 Å and 3.4 Å resolution, respectively. The MDFF refinements uniquely offer map-model validation and B-factor determination criteria based on the inherent dynamics of the macromolecules studied, captured by means of local root mean square fluctuations. The MDFF tools described are available to researchers through an easy-to-use and cost-effective cloud computing resource on Amazon Web Services.

EAST: Developing an Electronic Assessment and Storage Tool.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Katherine I.; Fernandez, Eugenia; Milionis, Tracey M.; Williamson, David M.

2002-01-01

Describes the purpose, development, analysis, prototyping, and features of the Electronic Assessment and Storage Tool (EAST). The Web-based system aids curriculum assessment at Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis through the ability to easily store artifacts in electronic form, support…

USGS Mineral Resources Program--Supporting Stewardship of America's Natural Resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kropschot, Susan J.

2006-01-01

The USGS Mineral Resources Program continues a tradition of Federal leadership in the science of mineral resources that extends back before the beginning of the bureau. The need for information on metallic mineral resources helped lead to the creation of the USGS in 1879. In response to the need to assess large areas of Federal lands in the 20th century, Program scientists developed, tested, and refined tools to support managers making land-use decisions on Federal lands. The refinement of the tools and techniques that have established the USGS as a leader in the world in our ability to conduct mineral resource assessments extends into the 21st century.

Simulation Activity in Otolaryngology Residencies.

PubMed

Deutsch, Ellen S; Wiet, Gregory J; Seidman, Michael; Hussey, Heather M; Malekzadeh, Sonya; Fried, Marvin P

2015-08-01

Simulation has become a valuable tool in medical education, and several specialties accept or require simulation as a resource for resident training or assessment as well as for board certification or maintenance of certification. This study investigates current simulation resources and activities in US otolaryngology residency programs and examines interest in advancing simulation training and assessment within the specialty. Web-based survey. US otolaryngology residency training programs. An electronic web-based survey was disseminated to all US otolaryngology program directors to determine their respective institutional and departmental simulation resources, existing simulation activities, and interest in further simulation initiatives. Descriptive results are reported. Responses were received from 43 of 104 (43%) residency programs. Simulation capabilities and resources are available in most respondents' institutions (78.6% report onsite resources; 73.8% report availability of models, manikins, and devices). Most respondents (61%) report limited simulation activity within otolaryngology. Areas of simulation are broad, addressing technical and nontechnical skills related to clinical training (94%). Simulation is infrequently used for research, credentialing, or systems improvement. The majority of respondents (83.8%) expressed interest in participating in multicenter trials of simulation initiatives. Most respondents from otolaryngology residency programs have incorporated some simulation into their curriculum. Interest among program directors to participate in future multicenter trials appears high. Future research efforts in this area should aim to determine optimal simulators and simulation activities for training and assessment as well as how to best incorporate simulation into otolaryngology residency training programs. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2015.

Women's use of online resources and acceptance of e-mental health tools during the perinatal period.

PubMed

Fonseca, Ana; Gorayeb, Ricardo; Canavarro, Maria Cristina

2016-10-01

The women's professional help-seeking rate for perinatal depression is low, despite the prevalent and disabling nature of this condition. Therefore, new approaches should be implemented to increase women's access and utilization of treatment resources, namely e-mental health tools. This study aimed to characterize women's current pattern of use of online resources for mental heal issues and women's acceptance of e-mental health tools during the perinatal period, and to investigate its main determinants. This study used an online cross-sectional survey that was completed by 546 women during the perinatal period. 31.3% had prior knowledge of websites targeting mental health illness. Women presenting an actual need for help (i.e., a positive screen for depression) reported greater use of online resources and greater engagement in e-health behaviors related to mental health (d=0.46-0.61), and being more accepting of e-mental health tools, particularly of informative websites. Women's perceptions concerning the e-mental tools were found to predict their intentions to use them. The results seem to globally support Portuguese women's acceptance of e-mental health tools. To improve the level of acceptance, women should be involved as stakeholders in the development of new e-mental health tools and provided with specific information before their utilization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sankofa pediatric HIV disclosure intervention cyber data management: building capacity in a resource-limited setting and ensuring data quality

PubMed Central

Catlin, Ann Christine; Fernando, Sumudinie; Gamage, Ruwan; Renner, Lorna; Antwi, Sampson; Tettey, Jonas Kusah; Amisah, Kofi Aikins; Kyriakides, Tassos; Cong, Xiangyu; Reynolds, Nancy R.; Paintsil, Elijah

2015-01-01

Prevalence of pediatric HIV disclosure is low in resource-limited settings. Innovative, culturally sensitive, and patient-centered disclosure approaches are needed. Conducting such studies in resource-limited settings is not trivial considering the challenges of capturing, cleaning, and storing clinical research data. To overcome some of these challenges, the Sankofa pediatric disclosure intervention adopted an interactive cyber infrastructure for data capture and analysis. The Sankofa Project database system is built on the HUBzero cyber infrastructure (https://hubzero.org), an open source software platform. The hub database components support: (1) data management – the “databases” component creates, configures, and manages database access, backup, repositories, applications, and access control; (2) data collection – the “forms” component is used to build customized web case report forms that incorporate common data elements and include tailored form submit processing to handle error checking, data validation, and data linkage as the data are stored to the database; and (3) data exploration – the “dataviewer” component provides powerful methods for users to view, search, sort, navigate, explore, map, graph, visualize, aggregate, drill-down, compute, and export data from the database. The Sankofa cyber data management tool supports a user-friendly, secure, and systematic collection of all data. We have screened more than 400 child–caregiver dyads and enrolled nearly 300 dyads, with tens of thousands of data elements. The dataviews have successfully supported all data exploration and analysis needs of the Sankofa Project. Moreover, the ability of the sites to query and view data summaries has proven to be an incentive for collecting complete and accurate data. The data system has all the desirable attributes of an electronic data capture tool. It also provides an added advantage of building data management capacity in resource-limited settings due to its innovative data query and summary views and availability of real-time support by the data management team. PMID:26616131

Sankofa pediatric HIV disclosure intervention cyber data management: building capacity in a resource-limited setting and ensuring data quality.

PubMed

Catlin, Ann Christine; Fernando, Sumudinie; Gamage, Ruwan; Renner, Lorna; Antwi, Sampson; Tettey, Jonas Kusah; Amisah, Kofi Aikins; Kyriakides, Tassos; Cong, Xiangyu; Reynolds, Nancy R; Paintsil, Elijah

2015-01-01

Prevalence of pediatric HIV disclosure is low in resource-limited settings. Innovative, culturally sensitive, and patient-centered disclosure approaches are needed. Conducting such studies in resource-limited settings is not trivial considering the challenges of capturing, cleaning, and storing clinical research data. To overcome some of these challenges, the Sankofa pediatric disclosure intervention adopted an interactive cyber infrastructure for data capture and analysis. The Sankofa Project database system is built on the HUBzero cyber infrastructure ( https://hubzero.org ), an open source software platform. The hub database components support: (1) data management - the "databases" component creates, configures, and manages database access, backup, repositories, applications, and access control; (2) data collection - the "forms" component is used to build customized web case report forms that incorporate common data elements and include tailored form submit processing to handle error checking, data validation, and data linkage as the data are stored to the database; and (3) data exploration - the "dataviewer" component provides powerful methods for users to view, search, sort, navigate, explore, map, graph, visualize, aggregate, drill-down, compute, and export data from the database. The Sankofa cyber data management tool supports a user-friendly, secure, and systematic collection of all data. We have screened more than 400 child-caregiver dyads and enrolled nearly 300 dyads, with tens of thousands of data elements. The dataviews have successfully supported all data exploration and analysis needs of the Sankofa Project. Moreover, the ability of the sites to query and view data summaries has proven to be an incentive for collecting complete and accurate data. The data system has all the desirable attributes of an electronic data capture tool. It also provides an added advantage of building data management capacity in resource-limited settings due to its innovative data query and summary views and availability of real-time support by the data management team.

The production of audiovisual teaching tools in minimally invasive surgery.

PubMed

Tolerton, Sarah K; Hugh, Thomas J; Cosman, Peter H

2012-01-01

Audiovisual learning resources have become valuable adjuncts to formal teaching in surgical training. This report discusses the process and challenges of preparing an audiovisual teaching tool for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The relative value in surgical education and training, for both the creator and viewer are addressed. This audiovisual teaching resource was prepared as part of the Master of Surgery program at the University of Sydney, Australia. The different methods of video production used to create operative teaching tools are discussed. Collating and editing material for an audiovisual teaching resource can be a time-consuming and technically challenging process. However, quality learning resources can now be produced even with limited prior video editing experience. With minimal cost and suitable guidance to ensure clinically relevant content, most surgeons should be able to produce short, high-quality education videos of both open and minimally invasive surgery. Despite the challenges faced during production of audiovisual teaching tools, these resources are now relatively easy to produce using readily available software. These resources are particularly attractive to surgical trainees when real time operative footage is used. They serve as valuable adjuncts to formal teaching, particularly in the setting of minimally invasive surgery. Copyright © 2012 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tools and data services registry: a community effort to document bioinformatics resources

PubMed Central

Ison, Jon; Rapacki, Kristoffer; Ménager, Hervé; Kalaš, Matúš; Rydza, Emil; Chmura, Piotr; Anthon, Christian; Beard, Niall; Berka, Karel; Bolser, Dan; Booth, Tim; Bretaudeau, Anthony; Brezovsky, Jan; Casadio, Rita; Cesareni, Gianni; Coppens, Frederik; Cornell, Michael; Cuccuru, Gianmauro; Davidsen, Kristian; Vedova, Gianluca Della; Dogan, Tunca; Doppelt-Azeroual, Olivia; Emery, Laura; Gasteiger, Elisabeth; Gatter, Thomas; Goldberg, Tatyana; Grosjean, Marie; Grüning, Björn; Helmer-Citterich, Manuela; Ienasescu, Hans; Ioannidis, Vassilios; Jespersen, Martin Closter; Jimenez, Rafael; Juty, Nick; Juvan, Peter; Koch, Maximilian; Laibe, Camille; Li, Jing-Woei; Licata, Luana; Mareuil, Fabien; Mičetić, Ivan; Friborg, Rune Møllegaard; Moretti, Sebastien; Morris, Chris; Möller, Steffen; Nenadic, Aleksandra; Peterson, Hedi; Profiti, Giuseppe; Rice, Peter; Romano, Paolo; Roncaglia, Paola; Saidi, Rabie; Schafferhans, Andrea; Schwämmle, Veit; Smith, Callum; Sperotto, Maria Maddalena; Stockinger, Heinz; Vařeková, Radka Svobodová; Tosatto, Silvio C.E.; de la Torre, Victor; Uva, Paolo; Via, Allegra; Yachdav, Guy; Zambelli, Federico; Vriend, Gert; Rost, Burkhard; Parkinson, Helen; Løngreen, Peter; Brunak, Søren

2016-01-01

Life sciences are yielding huge data sets that underpin scientific discoveries fundamental to improvement in human health, agriculture and the environment. In support of these discoveries, a plethora of databases and tools are deployed, in technically complex and diverse implementations, across a spectrum of scientific disciplines. The corpus of documentation of these resources is fragmented across the Web, with much redundancy, and has lacked a common standard of information. The outcome is that scientists must often struggle to find, understand, compare and use the best resources for the task at hand. Here we present a community-driven curation effort, supported by ELIXIR—the European infrastructure for biological information—that aspires to a comprehensive and consistent registry of information about bioinformatics resources. The sustainable upkeep of this Tools and Data Services Registry is assured by a curation effort driven by and tailored to local needs, and shared amongst a network of engaged partners. As of November 2015, the registry includes 1785 resources, with depositions from 126 individual registrations including 52 institutional providers and 74 individuals. With community support, the registry can become a standard for dissemination of information about bioinformatics resources: we welcome everyone to join us in this common endeavour. The registry is freely available at https://bio.tools. PMID:26538599

Realizing what's essential: a case study on integrating electronic journal management into a print-centric technical services department.

PubMed

Dollar, Daniel M; Gallagher, John; Glover, Janis; Marone, Regina Kenny; Crooker, Cynthia

2007-04-01

To support migration from print to electronic resources, the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library at Yale University reorganized its Technical Services Department to focus on managing electronic resources. The library hired consultants to help plan the changes and to present recommendations for integrating electronic resource management into every position. The library task force decided to focus initial efforts on the periodical collection. To free staff time to devote to electronic journals, most of the print subscriptions were switched to online only and new workflows were developed for e-journals. Staff learned new responsibilities such as activating e-journals, maintaining accurate holdings information in the online public access catalog and e-journals database ("electronic shelf reading"), updating the link resolver knowledgebase, and troubleshooting. All of the serials team members now spend significant amounts of time managing e-journals. The serials staff now spends its time managing the materials most important to the library's clientele (e-journals and databases). The team's proactive approach to maintenance work and rapid response to reported problems should improve patrons' experiences using e-journals. The library is taking advantage of new technologies such as an electronic resource management system, and library workflows and procedures will continue to evolve as technology changes.

Realizing what's essential: a case study on integrating electronic journal management into a print-centric technicalservices department

PubMed Central

Dollar, Daniel M.; Gallagher, John; Glover, Janis; Marone, Regina Kenny; Crooker, Cynthia

2007-01-01

Objective: To support migration from print to electronic resources, the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library at Yale University reorganized its Technical Services Department to focus on managing electronic resources. Methods: The library hired consultants to help plan the changes and to present recommendations for integrating electronic resource management into every position. The library task force decided to focus initial efforts on the periodical collection. To free staff time to devote to electronic journals, most of the print subscriptions were switched to online only and new workflows were developed for e-journals. Results: Staff learned new responsibilities such as activating e-journals, maintaining accurate holdings information in the online public access catalog and e-journals database (“electronic shelf reading”), updating the link resolver knowledgebase, and troubleshooting. All of the serials team members now spend significant amounts of time managing e-journals. Conclusions: The serials staff now spends its time managing the materials most important to the library's clientele (e-journals and databases). The team's proactive approach to maintenance work and rapid response to reported problems should improve patrons' experiences using e-journals. The library is taking advantage of new technologies such as an electronic resource management system, and library workflows and procedures will continue to evolve as technology changes. PMID:17443247

Electronic Conferencing Tools for Student Apprenticeship and Perspective Taking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonk, Curtis Jay; And Others

1996-01-01

Discusses three electronic conferencing tools that apprentice novice learners and encourage them to interact and grapple with alternative perspectives. Technical details of each tool are described, along with 1 instance where all 3 technologies were united, resulting in a highly interactive conversation shared by over 30 people at 4 different…

Simulation Tools for Power Electronics Courses Based on Java Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canesin, Carlos A.; Goncalves, Flavio A. S.; Sampaio, Leonardo P.

2010-01-01

This paper presents interactive power electronics educational tools. These interactive tools make use of the benefits of Java language to provide a dynamic and interactive approach to simulating steady-state ideal rectifiers (uncontrolled and controlled; single-phase and three-phase). Additionally, this paper discusses the development and use of…

Report Central: quality reporting tool in an electronic health record.

PubMed

Jung, Eunice; Li, Qi; Mangalampalli, Anil; Greim, Julie; Eskin, Michael S; Housman, Dan; Isikoff, Jeremy; Abend, Aaron H; Middleton, Blackford; Einbinder, Jonathan S

2006-01-01

Quality reporting tools, integrated with ambulatory electronic health records, can help clinicians and administrators understand performance, manage populations, and improve quality. Report Central is a secure web report delivery tool built on Crystal Reports XItrade mark and ASP.NET technologies. Pilot evaluation of Report Central indicates that clinicians prefer a quality reporting tool that is integrated with our home-grown EHR to support clinical workflow.

Herramientas y tecnicas para corregir composiciones electronicamente (Tools and Techniques for Correcting Compositions Electronically).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larsen, Mark D.

2001-01-01

Although most teachers use word processors and electronic mail on a daily basis, they still depend on paper and pencil for correcting their students' compositions. This article suggests some tools and techniques for submitting, editing, and returning written work electronically. (BD) (Author/VWL)

Electronic self-monitoring of mood using IT platforms in adult patients with bipolar disorder: A systematic review of the validity and evidence.

PubMed

Faurholt-Jepsen, Maria; Munkholm, Klaus; Frost, Mads; Bardram, Jakob E; Kessing, Lars Vedel

2016-01-15

Various paper-based mood charting instruments are used in the monitoring of symptoms in bipolar disorder. During recent years an increasing number of electronic self-monitoring tools have been developed. The objectives of this systematic review were 1) to evaluate the validity of electronic self-monitoring tools as a method of evaluating mood compared to clinical rating scales for depression and mania and 2) to investigate the effect of electronic self-monitoring tools on clinically relevant outcomes in bipolar disorder. A systematic review of the scientific literature, reported according to the Preferred Reporting items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines was conducted. MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and The Cochrane Library were searched and supplemented by hand search of reference lists. Databases were searched for 1) studies on electronic self-monitoring tools in patients with bipolar disorder reporting on validity of electronically self-reported mood ratings compared to clinical rating scales for depression and mania and 2) randomized controlled trials (RCT) evaluating electronic mood self-monitoring tools in patients with bipolar disorder. A total of 13 published articles were included. Seven articles were RCTs and six were longitudinal studies. Electronic self-monitoring of mood was considered valid compared to clinical rating scales for depression in six out of six studies, and in two out of seven studies compared to clinical rating scales for mania. The included RCTs primarily investigated the effect of heterogeneous electronically delivered interventions; none of the RCTs investigated the sole effect of electronic mood self-monitoring tools. Methodological issues with risk of bias at different levels limited the evidence in the majority of studies. Electronic self-monitoring of mood in depression appears to be a valid measure of mood in contrast to self-monitoring of mood in mania. There are yet few studies on the effect of electronic self-monitoring of mood in bipolar disorder. The evidence of electronic self-monitoring is limited by methodological issues and by a lack of RCTs. Although the idea of electronic self-monitoring of mood seems appealing, studies using rigorous methodology investigating the beneficial as well as possible harmful effects of electronic self-monitoring are needed.

Selection of Electronic Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weathers, Barbara

1998-01-01

Discusses the impact of electronic resources on collection development; selection of CD-ROMs, (platform, speed, video and sound, networking capability, installation and maintenance); selection of laser disks; and Internet evaluation (accuracy of content, authority, objectivity, currency, technical characteristics). Lists Web sites for evaluating…

GPAW - massively parallel electronic structure calculations with Python-based software.

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

Enkovaara, J.; Romero, N.; Shende, S.

2011-01-01

Electronic structure calculations are a widely used tool in materials science and large consumer of supercomputing resources. Traditionally, the software packages for these kind of simulations have been implemented in compiled languages, where Fortran in its different versions has been the most popular choice. While dynamic, interpreted languages, such as Python, can increase the effciency of programmer, they cannot compete directly with the raw performance of compiled languages. However, by using an interpreted language together with a compiled language, it is possible to have most of the productivity enhancing features together with a good numerical performance. We have used thismore » approach in implementing an electronic structure simulation software GPAW using the combination of Python and C programming languages. While the chosen approach works well in standard workstations and Unix environments, massively parallel supercomputing systems can present some challenges in porting, debugging and profiling the software. In this paper we describe some details of the implementation and discuss the advantages and challenges of the combined Python/C approach. We show that despite the challenges it is possible to obtain good numerical performance and good parallel scalability with Python based software.« less

Economic outcomes of a dental electronic patient record.

PubMed

Langabeer, James R; Walji, Muhammad F; Taylor, David; Valenza, John A

2008-10-01

The implementation of an electronic patient record (EPR) in many sectors of health care has been suggested to have positive relationships with both quality of care and improved pedagogy, although evaluation of actual results has been somewhat disillusioning. Evidence-based dentistry clearly suggests the need for tools and systems to improve care, and an EPR is a critical tool that has been widely proposed in recent years. In dental schools, EPR systems are increasingly being adopted, despite obstacles such as high costs, time constraints necessary for process workflow change, and overall project complexity. The increasing movement towards cost-effectiveness analyses in health and medicine suggests that the EPR should generally cover expenses, or produce total benefits greater than its combined costs, to ensure that resources are being utilized efficiently. To test the underlying economics of an EPR, we utilized a pre-post research design with a probability-based economic simulation model to analyze changes in performance and costs in one dental school. Our findings suggest that the economics are positive, but only when student fees are treated as an incremental revenue source. In addition, other performance indicators appeared to have significant changes, although most were not comprehensively measured pre-implementation, making it difficult to truly understand the performance differential-such pre-measurement of expected benefits is a key lesson learned. This article also provides recommendations for dental clinics and universities that are about to embark on this endeavor.

An Excel tool for deriving key photosynthetic parameters from combined gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence: theory and practice.

PubMed

Bellasio, Chandra; Beerling, David J; Griffiths, Howard

2016-06-01

Combined photosynthetic gas exchange and modulated fluorometres are widely used to evaluate physiological characteristics associated with phenotypic and genotypic variation, whether in response to genetic manipulation or resource limitation in natural vegetation or crops. After describing relatively simple experimental procedures, we present the theoretical background to the derivation of photosynthetic parameters, and provide a freely available Excel-based fitting tool (EFT) that will be of use to specialists and non-specialists alike. We use data acquired in concurrent variable fluorescence-gas exchange experiments, where A/Ci and light-response curves have been measured under ambient and low oxygen. From these data, the EFT derives light respiration, initial PSII (photosystem II) photochemical yield, initial quantum yield for CO2 fixation, fraction of incident light harvested by PSII, initial quantum yield for electron transport, electron transport rate, rate of photorespiration, stomatal limitation, Rubisco (ribulose 1·5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) rate of carboxylation and oxygenation, Rubisco specificity factor, mesophyll conductance to CO2 diffusion, light and CO2 compensation point, Rubisco apparent Michaelis-Menten constant, and Rubisco CO2 -saturated carboxylation rate. As an example, a complete analysis of gas exchange data on tobacco plants is provided. We also discuss potential measurement problems and pitfalls, and suggest how such empirical data could subsequently be used to parameterize predictive photosynthetic models. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A computer-based medical record system and personal digital assistants to assess and follow patients with respiratory tract infections visiting a rural Kenyan health centre.

PubMed

Diero, Lameck; Rotich, Joseph K; Bii, John; Mamlin, Burke W; Einterz, Robert M; Kalamai, Irene Z; Tierney, William M

2006-04-10

Clinical research can be facilitated by the use of informatics tools. We used an existing electronic medical record (EMR) system and personal data assistants (PDAs) to assess the characteristics and outcomes of patients with acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs) visiting a Kenyan rural health center. We modified the existing EMR to include details on patients with ARIs. The EMR database was then used to identify patients with ARIs who were prospectively followed up by a research assistant who rode a bicycle to patients' homes and entered data into a PDA. A total of 2986 clinic visits for 2009 adult patients with respiratory infections were registered in the database between August 2002 and January 2005; 433 patients were selected for outcome assessments. These patients were followed up in the villages and assessed at 7 and 30 days later. Complete follow-up data were obtained on 381 patients (88%) and merged with data from the enrollment visit's electronic medical records and subsequent health center visits to assess duration of illness and complications. Symptoms improved at 7 and 30 days, but a substantial minority of patients had persistent symptoms. Eleven percent of patients sought additional care for their respiratory infection. EMRs and PDA are useful tools for performing prospective clinical research in resource constrained developing countries.

ePORT, NASA's Computer Database Program for System Safety Risk Management Oversight (Electronic Project Online Risk Tool)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Paul W.

2008-01-01

ePORT (electronic Project Online Risk Tool) provides a systematic approach to using an electronic database program to manage a program/project risk management processes. This presentation will briefly cover the standard risk management procedures, then thoroughly cover NASA's Risk Management tool called ePORT. This electronic Project Online Risk Tool (ePORT) is a web-based risk management program that provides a common framework to capture and manage risks, independent of a programs/projects size and budget. It is used to thoroughly cover the risk management paradigm providing standardized evaluation criterion for common management reporting, ePORT improves Product Line, Center and Corporate Management insight, simplifies program/project manager reporting, and maintains an archive of data for historical reference.

Optima Nutrition: an allocative efficiency tool to reduce childhood stunting by better targeting of nutrition-related interventions.

PubMed

Pearson, Ruth; Killedar, Madhura; Petravic, Janka; Kakietek, Jakub J; Scott, Nick; Grantham, Kelsey L; Stuart, Robyn M; Kedziora, David J; Kerr, Cliff C; Skordis-Worrall, Jolene; Shekar, Meera; Wilson, David P

2018-03-20

Child stunting due to chronic malnutrition is a major problem in low- and middle-income countries due, in part, to inadequate nutrition-related practices and insufficient access to services. Limited budgets for nutritional interventions mean that available resources must be targeted in the most cost-effective manner to have the greatest impact. Quantitative tools can help guide budget allocation decisions. The Optima approach is an established framework to conduct resource allocation optimization analyses. We applied this approach to develop a new tool, 'Optima Nutrition', for conducting allocative efficiency analyses that address childhood stunting. At the core of the Optima approach is an epidemiological model for assessing the burden of disease; we use an adapted version of the Lives Saved Tool (LiST). Six nutritional interventions have been included in the first release of the tool: antenatal micronutrient supplementation, balanced energy-protein supplementation, exclusive breastfeeding promotion, promotion of improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, public provision of complementary foods, and vitamin A supplementation. To demonstrate the use of this tool, we applied it to evaluate the optimal allocation of resources in 7 districts in Bangladesh, using both publicly available data (such as through DHS) and data from a complementary costing study. Optima Nutrition can be used to estimate how to target resources to improve nutrition outcomes. Specifically, for the Bangladesh example, despite only limited nutrition-related funding available (an estimated $0.75 per person in need per year), even without any extra resources, better targeting of investments in nutrition programming could increase the cumulative number of children living without stunting by 1.3 million (an extra 5%) by 2030 compared to the current resource allocation. To minimize stunting, priority interventions should include promotion of improved IYCF practices as well as vitamin A supplementation. Once these programs are adequately funded, the public provision of complementary foods should be funded as the next priority. Programmatic efforts should give greatest emphasis to the regions of Dhaka and Chittagong, which have the greatest number of stunted children. A resource optimization tool can provide important guidance for targeting nutrition investments to achieve greater impact.

An online spatial database of Australian Indigenous Biocultural Knowledge for contemporary natural and cultural resource management.

PubMed

Pert, Petina L; Ens, Emilie J; Locke, John; Clarke, Philip A; Packer, Joanne M; Turpin, Gerry

2015-11-15

With growing international calls for the enhanced involvement of Indigenous peoples and their biocultural knowledge in managing conservation and the sustainable use of physical environment, it is timely to review the available literature and develop cross-cultural approaches to the management of biocultural resources. Online spatial databases are becoming common tools for educating land managers about Indigenous Biocultural Knowledge (IBK), specifically to raise a broad awareness of issues, identify knowledge gaps and opportunities, and to promote collaboration. Here we describe a novel approach to the application of internet and spatial analysis tools that provide an overview of publically available documented Australian IBK (AIBK) and outline the processes used to develop the online resource. By funding an AIBK working group, the Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS) provided a unique opportunity to bring together cross-cultural, cross-disciplinary and trans-organizational contributors who developed these resources. Without such an intentionally collaborative process, this unique tool would not have been developed. The tool developed through this process is derived from a spatial and temporal literature review, case studies and a compilation of methods, as well as other relevant AIBK papers. The online resource illustrates the depth and breadth of documented IBK and identifies opportunities for further work, partnerships and investment for the benefit of not only Indigenous Australians, but all Australians. The database currently includes links to over 1500 publically available IBK documents, of which 568 are geo-referenced and were mapped. It is anticipated that as awareness of the online resource grows, more documents will be provided through the website to build the database. It is envisaged that this will become a well-used tool, integral to future natural and cultural resource management and maintenance. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Martian Resource Locations - Identification and Optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chamitoff, G.; James, G.; Barker, D.; Dershowitz, A.

2002-01-01

Many physical constituents of the Martian environment can be considered as possible material resources. The identification and utilization of these in-situ Martian natural resources is the key to enabling cost- effective long-duration missions and permanent human settlements on Mars. Also, access to local resources provides an essential safety net for the initial missions. The incident solar radiation, atmosphere, regolith, subsurface materials, polar deposits, and frozen volatiles represent planetary resources that can provide breathable air, water, energy, organic growth media, and building materials. Hence, the characterization and localization of these resources can be viewed as a component of the process of landing/outpost site selection. The locations of early permanent settlements will likely be near the imported and in-situ resources of the initial outposts. Therefore, the initial site selections can have significant long- term ramifications. Although the current information on the location, extent, purity, and ease of extraction of the in-situ resources is limited; this knowledge improves with each electronic bit of information returned from the planet. This paper presents a powerful software tool for the combined organization and analysis of Martian data from all sources. This program, called PROMT (Planetary Resource Optimization and Mapping Tool), is designed to provide a wide range of analysis and display functions that can be applied to raw data or photo- imagery. Thresholds, contours, custom algorithms, and graphical editing are some of the various methods that the user can use to process data. Individual maps can then be created to identify surface regions on Mars that meet specific criteria. For example, regions with possible subsurface ice can be identified and shown graphically by combining and analyzing various gamma ray and neutron emission data sets. Other examples might include regions with high atmospheric pressure, steep slopes, evidence of geothermal activity, surface albedo variations in a certain spectral range, similar average temperatures, surface flow features, high gravitational anomalies, etc. Surface maps can similarly be created to highlight regions of interest based on virtually any mathematical or remote sensing criteria. These maps can then be combined into composite maps for the purpose of collocating resources, surface features, and other scientific qualities of interest. Finally, PROMT has the capability to optimize the selection of potential landing/outpost sites based on a weighted combination of selected intermediate maps and data sets. This is done by searching the Martian surface for the point that maximizes accessibility to collocated features within a given radius. The use of this tool for analyzing data, generating maps, and collocating features is demonstrated using data from the Mariner, Viking, Hubble, Mars Global Surveyor, and the Odyssey spacecraft. The process of site selection is demonstrated through the combination of analyses performed to identify local resources for producing breathable air, water, and energy. However, any number of site selection objectives could be studied using PROMT. Some examples might be the search for life, water on Mars, geological features, weather observation, survivability of a human base, and so on. In this paper, a mission design objective of outpost self-sufficiency based on the accessibility of useful local materials is presented. Future studies can address a broad range of overall mission design objectives and can incorporate additional planetary data sets as they become available. These studies can be used to drive technology developments, mission planning, analog simulations, as well as precursor missions.

Use of poisons information resources and satisfaction with electronic products by Victorian emergency department staff.

PubMed

Luke, Stephen; Fountain, John S; Reith, David M; Braitberg, George; Cruickshank, Jaycen

2014-10-01

ED staff use a range of poisons information resources of varying type and quality. The present study aims to identify those resources utilised in the state of Victoria, Australia, and assess opinion of the most used electronic products. A previously validated self-administered survey was conducted in 15 EDs, with 10 questionnaires sent to each. The survey was then repeated following the provision of a 4-month period of access to Toxinz™, an Internet poisons information product novel to the region. The study was conducted from December 2010 to August 2011. There were 117 (78%) and 48 (32%) responses received from the first and second surveys, respectively, a 55% overall response rate. No statistically significant differences in professional group, numbers of poisoned patients seen or resource type accessed were identified between studies. The electronic resource most used in the first survey was Poisindex® (48.68%) and Toxinz™ (64.1%) in the second. There were statistically significant (P < 0.01) improvements in satisfaction in 26 of 42 questions between surveys, and no decrements. Although the majority of responders possessed mobile devices, less than half used them for poisons information but would do so if a reputable product was available. The order of poisons information sources most utilised was: consultation with a colleague, in-house protocols and electronic resources. There was a significant difference in satisfaction with electronic poisons information resources and a movement away from existing sources when choice was provided. Interest in increased use of mobile solutions was identified. © 2014 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

The Theory, Development, and Implementation of an e-Intervention to Prevent Excessive Gestational Weight Gain: e-Moms Roc

PubMed Central

Uesugi, Keriann H.; Niederdeppe, Jeff; Gay, Geri K.; Olson, Christine M.

2014-01-01

Abstract Background: Gaining more weight during pregnancy than is recommended by the Institute of Medicine is prevalent and contributes to the development of obesity in women. This article describes the development and use of e-Moms of Rochester (e-Moms Roc), an electronic intervention (e-intervention), to address this health issue in a socioeconomically diverse sample of pregnant women. Materials and Methods: Formative research in the form of intercept interviews, in-depth interviews, and focus groups was conducted to inform the design of the e-intervention. The Web site continuously tracked each participant's use of e-intervention features. Results: An e-intervention, including Web site and mobile phone components, was developed and implemented in a randomized control trial. Formative research informed the design. Participants in all arms accessed blogs, local resources, articles, frequently asked questions, and events. Participants in the intervention arms also accessed the weight gain tracker and diet and physical activity goal-setting tools. Overall, 80% of women logged into the Web site and used a tool or feature at least twice. Among those in the intervention arm, 70% used the weight gain tracker, but only 40% used the diet and physical activity goal-setting tools. Conclusions: To maximize and sustain potential usage of e-Moms Roc over time, the e-intervention included customized reminders, tailored content, and community features such as blogs and resources. Usage was comparable to those in other weight studies with young adults and higher than reported in a published study with pregnant women. This e-intervention specifically designed for pregnant women was used by the majority of women. PMID:25354350

Dynamo: a flexible, user-friendly development tool for subtomogram averaging of cryo-EM data in high-performance computing environments.

PubMed

Castaño-Díez, Daniel; Kudryashev, Mikhail; Arheit, Marcel; Stahlberg, Henning

2012-05-01

Dynamo is a new software package for subtomogram averaging of cryo Electron Tomography (cryo-ET) data with three main goals: first, Dynamo allows user-transparent adaptation to a variety of high-performance computing platforms such as GPUs or CPU clusters. Second, Dynamo implements user-friendliness through GUI interfaces and scripting resources. Third, Dynamo offers user-flexibility through a plugin API. Besides the alignment and averaging procedures, Dynamo includes native tools for visualization and analysis of results and data, as well as support for third party visualization software, such as Chimera UCSF or EMAN2. As a demonstration of these functionalities, we studied bacterial flagellar motors and showed automatically detected classes with absent and present C-rings. Subtomogram averaging is a common task in current cryo-ET pipelines, which requires extensive computational resources and follows a well-established workflow. However, due to the data diversity, many existing packages offer slight variations of the same algorithm to improve results. One of the main purposes behind Dynamo is to provide explicit tools to allow the user the insertion of custom designed procedures - or plugins - to replace or complement the native algorithms in the different steps of the processing pipeline for subtomogram averaging without the burden of handling parallelization. Custom scripts that implement new approaches devised by the user are integrated into the Dynamo data management system, so that they can be controlled by the GUI or the scripting capacities. Dynamo executables do not require licenses for third party commercial software. Sources, executables and documentation are freely distributed on http://www.dynamo-em.org. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Energy, ecology and the distribution of microbial life.

PubMed

Macalady, Jennifer L; Hamilton, Trinity L; Grettenberger, Christen L; Jones, Daniel S; Tsao, Leah E; Burgos, William D

2013-07-19

Mechanisms that govern the coexistence of multiple biological species have been studied intensively by ecologists since the turn of the nineteenth century. Microbial ecologists in the meantime have faced many fundamental challenges, such as the lack of an ecologically coherent species definition, lack of adequate methods for evaluating population sizes and community composition in nature, and enormous taxonomic and functional diversity. The accessibility of powerful, culture-independent molecular microbiology methods offers an opportunity to close the gap between microbial science and the main stream of ecological theory, with the promise of new insights and tools needed to meet the grand challenges humans face as planetary engineers and galactic explorers. We focus specifically on resources related to energy metabolism because of their direct links to elemental cycling in the Earth's history, engineering applications and astrobiology. To what extent does the availability of energy resources structure microbial communities in nature? Our recent work on sulfur- and iron-oxidizing autotrophs suggests that apparently subtle variations in the concentration ratios of external electron donors and acceptors select for different microbial populations. We show that quantitative knowledge of microbial energy niches (population-specific patterns of energy resource use) can be used to predict variations in the abundance of specific taxa in microbial communities. Furthermore, we propose that resource ratio theory applied to micro-organisms will provide a useful framework for identifying how environmental communities are organized in space and time.

Energy, ecology and the distribution of microbial life

PubMed Central

Macalady, Jennifer L.; Hamilton, Trinity L.; Grettenberger, Christen L.; Jones, Daniel S.; Tsao, Leah E.; Burgos, William D.

2013-01-01

Mechanisms that govern the coexistence of multiple biological species have been studied intensively by ecologists since the turn of the nineteenth century. Microbial ecologists in the meantime have faced many fundamental challenges, such as the lack of an ecologically coherent species definition, lack of adequate methods for evaluating population sizes and community composition in nature, and enormous taxonomic and functional diversity. The accessibility of powerful, culture-independent molecular microbiology methods offers an opportunity to close the gap between microbial science and the main stream of ecological theory, with the promise of new insights and tools needed to meet the grand challenges humans face as planetary engineers and galactic explorers. We focus specifically on resources related to energy metabolism because of their direct links to elemental cycling in the Earth's history, engineering applications and astrobiology. To what extent does the availability of energy resources structure microbial communities in nature? Our recent work on sulfur- and iron-oxidizing autotrophs suggests that apparently subtle variations in the concentration ratios of external electron donors and acceptors select for different microbial populations. We show that quantitative knowledge of microbial energy niches (population-specific patterns of energy resource use) can be used to predict variations in the abundance of specific taxa in microbial communities. Furthermore, we propose that resource ratio theory applied to micro-organisms will provide a useful framework for identifying how environmental communities are organized in space and time. PMID:23754819

Requirement analysis to promote small-sized E-waste collection from consumers.

PubMed

Mishima, Kuniko; Nishimura, Hidekazu

2016-02-01

The collection and recycling of small-sized waste electrical and electronic equipment is an emerging problem, since these products contain certain amounts of critical metals and rare earths. Even if the amount is not large, having a few supply routes for such recycled resources could be a good strategy to be competitive in a world of finite resources. The small-sized e-waste sometimes contains personal information, therefore, consumers are often reluctant to put them into recycling bins. In order to promote the recycling of E-waste, collection of used products from the consumer becomes important. Effective methods involving incentives for consumers might be necessary. Without such methods, it will be difficult to achieve the critical amounts necessary for an efficient recycling system. This article focused on used mobile phones among information appliances as the first case study, since it contains relatively large amounts of valuable metals compared with other small-sized waste electrical and electronic equipment and there are a large number of products existing in the market. The article carried out surveys to determine what kind of recycled material collection services are preferred by consumers. The results clarify that incentive or reward money alone is not a driving force for recycling behaviour. The article discusses the types of effective services required to promote recycling behaviour. The article concludes that securing information, transferring data and providing proper information about resources and environment can be an effective tool to encourage a recycling behaviour strategy to promote recycling, plus the potential discount service on purchasing new products associated with the return of recycled mobile phones. © The Author(s) 2015.

Benchmarking information needs and use in the Tennessee public health community*

PubMed Central

Lee, Patricia; Giuse, Nunzia B.; Sathe, Nila A.

2003-01-01

Objective: The objective is to provide insight to understanding public health officials' needs and promote access to data repositories and communication tools. Methods: Survey questions were identified by a focus group with members drawn from the fields of librarianship, public health, and informatics. The resulting comprehensive information needs survey, organized in five distinct broad categories, was distributed to 775 Tennessee public health workers from ninety-five counties in 1999 as part of the National Library of Medicine–funded Partners in Information Access contract. Results: The assessment pooled responses from 571 public health workers (73% return rate) representing seventy-two of ninety-five counties (53.4% urban and 46.6% rural) about their information-seeking behaviors, frequency of resources used, computer skills, and level of Internet access. Sixty-four percent of urban and 43% of rural respondents had email access at work and more than 50% of both urban and rural respondents had email at home (N = 289). Approximately 70% of urban and 78% of rural public health officials never or seldom used or needed the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Website. Frequency data pooled from eleven job categories representing a subgroup of 232 health care professionals showed 72% never or seldom used or needed MEDLINE. Electronic resources used daily or weekly were email, Internet search engines, internal databases and mailing lists, and the Tennessee Department of Health Website. Conclusions: While, due to the small sample size, data cannot be generalized to the larger population, a clear trend of significant barriers to computer and Internet access can be identified across the public health community. This contributes to an overall limited use of existing electronic resources that inhibits evidence-based practice. PMID:12883562

Development of a web-based toolkit to support improvement of care coordination in primary care.

PubMed

Ganz, David A; Barnard, Jenny M; Smith, Nina Z Y; Miake-Lye, Isomi M; Delevan, Deborah M; Simon, Alissa; Rose, Danielle E; Stockdale, Susan E; Chang, Evelyn T; Noël, Polly H; Finley, Erin P; Lee, Martin L; Zulman, Donna M; Cordasco, Kristina M; Rubenstein, Lisa V

2018-05-23

Promising practices for the coordination of chronic care exist, but how to select and share these practices to support quality improvement within a healthcare system is uncertain. This study describes an approach for selecting high-quality tools for an online care coordination toolkit to be used in Veterans Health Administration (VA) primary care practices. We evaluated tools in three steps: (1) an initial screening to identify tools relevant to care coordination in VA primary care, (2) a two-clinician expert review process assessing tool characteristics (e.g. frequency of problem addressed, linkage to patients' experience of care, effect on practice workflow, and sustainability with existing resources) and assigning each tool a summary rating, and (3) semi-structured interviews with VA patients and frontline clinicians and staff. Of 300 potentially relevant tools identified by searching online resources, 65, 38, and 18 remained after steps one, two and three, respectively. The 18 tools cover five topics: managing referrals to specialty care, medication management, patient after-visit summary, patient activation materials, agenda setting, patient pre-visit packet, and provider contact information for patients. The final toolkit provides access to the 18 tools, as well as detailed information about tools' expected benefits, and resources required for tool implementation. Future care coordination efforts can benefit from systematically reviewing available tools to identify those that are high quality and relevant.

A Study on Developing Evaluation Criteria for Electronic Resources in Evaluation Indicators of Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noh, Younghee

2010-01-01

This study aimed to improve the current state of electronic resource evaluation in libraries. While the use of Web DB, e-book, e-journal, and other e-resources such as CD-ROM, DVD, and micro materials is increasing in libraries, their use is not comprehensively factored into the general evaluation of libraries and may diminish the reliability of…

Space resources. Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckay, Mary Fae (Editor); Mckay, David S. (Editor); Duke, Michael B. (Editor)

1992-01-01

Space resources must be used to support life on the Moon and in the exploration of Mars. Just as the pioneers applied the tools they brought with them to resources they found along the way rather than trying to haul all their needs over a long supply line, so too must space travelers apply their high technology tools to local resources. This overview describes the findings of a study on the use of space resources in the development of future space activities and defines the necessary research and development that must precede the practical utilization of these resources. Space resources considered included lunar soil, oxygen derived from lunar soil, material retrieved from near-Earth asteroids, abundant sunlight, low gravity, and high vacuum. The study participants analyzed the direct use of these resources, the potential demand for products from them, the techniques for retrieving and processing space resources, the necessary infrastructure, and the economic tradeoffs.

Online Analysis of Wind and Solar Part I: Ramping Tool

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

Etingov, Pavel V.; Ma, Jian; Makarov, Yuri V.

2012-01-31

To facilitate wider penetration of renewable resources without compromising system reliability concerns arising from the lack of predictability of intermittent renewable resources, a tool for use by California Independent System Operator (CAISO) power grid operators was developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in conjunction with CAISO with funding from California Energy Commission. This tool predicts and displays additional capacity and ramping requirements caused by uncertainties in forecasts of loads and renewable generation. The tool is currently operational in the CAISO operations center. This is one of two final reports on the project.

Information Power Grid (IPG) Tutorial 2003

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyers, George

2003-01-01

For NASA and the general community today Grid middleware: a) provides tools to access/use data sources (databases, instruments, ...); b) provides tools to access computing (unique and generic); c) Is an enabler of large scale collaboration. Dynamically responding to needs is a key selling point of a grid. Independent resources can be joined as appropriate to solve a problem. Provide tools to enable the building of a frameworks for application. Provide value added service to the NASA user base for utilizing resources on the grid in new and more efficient ways. Provides tools for development of Frameworks.

Tablet computers in support of rural and frontier clinical practice.

PubMed

Anderson, Chad; Henner, Terry; Burkey, Jake

2013-11-01

Healthcare organizations are increasingly faced with an environment in which they must implement health information systems to achieve higher standards for efficiency and quality of care while at the same time being asked to provide needed services with fewer resources. This is particularly challenging for rural health systems where access to resources is often more limited. This study investigates the potential value of iPad tablets for enhancing health services delivery by primary care physicians in rural Nevada. Five physicians from rural Nevada were selected to receive iPads and funding for apps that would enhance their medical practices. Following a year of use, data was gathered on each physician's actual use and perceived value of the iPads. A case study approach was taken using both an online survey and semi-structured phone interviews to collect case data. Use and perceived usefulness of the iPad was mixed but generally positive with some physicians utilizing it much more than others. The iPads were primarily used by the physicians to access medical information through online resources (e.g. Epocrates and UpToDate) for reference and diagnostic purposes, although they were also used for some interaction with patients. All felt that resources available through the iPad were limited and that better applications would improve the usefulness of the iPad, particularly in regard to graphical and video content suitable to sharing with patients. Physicians in this study felt that the iPad could fill a need between smartphones and desktops, which were their primary technology tools prior to receiving the iPad, but that useful medical applications and resources are currently limited for the iPad. In particular, better graphical and video content would improve the usefulness of the iPad as a tool for patient interactions. Apps that store content locally would serve to mitigate inconsistent internet access that is still common in rural settings, increasing the usefulness of the iPad in that context. Tablets like the iPad also have potential for use in accessing the electronic medical record systems that are increasingly being implemented in rural hospitals and healthcare facilities. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thinking Broadly: Financing Strategies for Youth Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deich, Sharon G.; Hayes, Cheryl D.

2007-01-01

This publication is part of a series of tools and resources on financing and sustaining youth programming. These tools and resources are intended to help policymakers, program developers, and community leaders develop innovative strategies for implementing, financing, and sustaining effective programs and policies. This strategy brief presents a…

A Resource Guide Identifying Technology Tools for Schools. Appendix

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Christine; Jones, Rachel

2009-01-01

SETDA and NASTID's "Technology Tools for Schools Resource Guide" provides definitions of key technology components and relevant examples, where appropriate as a glossary for educators. The guide also presents essential implementation and infrastructure considerations that decision makers should think about when implementing technology in schools.…

Electronic Commerce Resource Centers. An Industry--University Partnership.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gulledge, Thomas R.; Sommer, Rainer; Tarimcilar, M. Murat

1999-01-01

Electronic Commerce Resource Centers focus on transferring emerging technologies to small businesses through university/industry partnerships. Successful implementation hinges on a strategic operating plan, creation of measurable value for customers, investment in customer-targeted training, and measurement of performance outputs. (SK)

Developing a 300C Analog Tool for EGS

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

Normann, Randy

2015-03-23

This paper covers the development of a 300°C geothermal well monitoring tool for supporting future EGS (enhanced geothermal systems) power production. This is the first of 3 tools planed. This is an analog tool designed for monitoring well pressure and temperature. There is discussion on 3 different circuit topologies and the development of the supporting surface electronics and software. There is information on testing electronic circuits and component. One of the major components is the cable used to connect the analog tool to the surface.

NREL: Renewable Resource Data Center - Solar Resource Publications

Science.gov Websites

Publications The following links provide useful information about solar resource tools and data resources, solar data, or solar technology". Resource Assessment and Forecasting Group Publications By | 1985 | 1984 | 1983 | 1982 | 1981 | 1980 Miscellaneous Printable Version RReDC Home Biomass Resource

The Comprehensive Evaluation of Electronic Learning Tools and Educational Software (CEELTES)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karolcík, Štefan; Cipková, Elena; Hrušecký, Roman; Veselský, Milan

2015-01-01

Despite the fact that digital technologies are more and more used in the learning and education process, there is still lack of professional evaluation tools capable of assessing the quality of used digital teaching aids in a comprehensive and objective manner. Construction of the Comprehensive Evaluation of Electronic Learning Tools and…

Report Central: Quality Reporting Tool in an Electronic Health Record

PubMed Central

Jung, Eunice; Li, Qi; Mangalampalli, Anil; Greim, Julie; Eskin, Michael S.; Housman, Dan; Isikoff, Jeremy; Abend, Aaron H.; Middleton, Blackford; Einbinder, Jonathan S.

2006-01-01

Quality reporting tools, integrated with ambulatory electronic health records, can help clinicians and administrators understand performance, manage populations, and improve quality. Report Central is a secure web report delivery tool built on Crystal Reports XI™ and ASP.NET technologies. Pilot evaluation of Report Central indicates that clinicians prefer a quality reporting tool that is integrated with our home-grown EHR to support clinical workflow. PMID:17238590

Building an Electronic Handover Tool for Physicians Using a Collaborative Approach between Clinicians and the Development Team.

PubMed

Guilbeault, Peggy; Momtahan, Kathryn; Hudson, Jordan

2015-01-01

In an effort by The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) to become one of the top 10% performers in patient safety and quality of care, the hospital embarked on improving the communication process during handover between physicians by building an electronic handover tool. It is expected that this tool will decrease information loss during handover. The Information Systems (IS) department engaged a workgroup of physicians to become involved in defining requirements to build an electronic handover tool that suited their clinical handover needs. This group became ultimately responsible for defining the graphical user interface (GUI) and all functionality related to the tool. Prior to the pilot, the Information Systems team will run a usability testing session to ensure the application is user friendly and has met the goals and objectives of the workgroup. As a result, The Ottawa Hospital has developed a fully integrated electronic handover tool built on the Clinical Mobile Application (CMA) which allows clinicians to enter patient problems, notes and tasks available to all physicians to facilitate the handover process.

Electronic Design Automation: Integrating the Design and Manufacturing Functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bachnak, Rafic; Salkowski, Charles

1997-01-01

As the complexity of electronic systems grows, the traditional design practice, a sequential process, is replaced by concurrent design methodologies. A major advantage of concurrent design is that the feedback from software and manufacturing engineers can be easily incorporated into the design. The implementation of concurrent engineering methodologies is greatly facilitated by employing the latest Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools. These tools offer integrated simulation of the electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing functions and support virtual prototyping, rapid prototyping, and hardware-software co-design. This report presents recommendations for enhancing the electronic design and manufacturing capabilities and procedures at JSC based on a concurrent design methodology that employs EDA tools.

The use of analytical surface tools in the fundamental study of wear. [atomic nature of wear

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buckley, D. H.

1977-01-01

Various techniques and surface tools available for the study of the atomic nature of the wear of materials are reviewed These include chemical etching, x-ray diffraction, electron diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, Auger emission spectroscopy analysis, electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, field ion microscopy, and the atom probe. Properties of the surface and wear surface regions which affect wear, such as surface energy, crystal structure, crystallographic orientation, mode of dislocation behavior, and cohesive binding, are discussed. A number of mechanisms involved in the generation of wear particles are identified with the aid of the aforementioned tools.

Managing and Communicating Operational Workflow: Designing and Implementing an Electronic Outpatient Whiteboard.

PubMed

Steitz, Bryan D; Weinberg, Stuart T; Danciu, Ioana; Unertl, Kim M

2016-01-01

Healthcare team members in emergency department contexts have used electronic whiteboard solutions to help manage operational workflow for many years. Ambulatory clinic settings have highly complex operational workflow, but are still limited in electronic assistance to communicate and coordinate work activities. To describe and discuss the design, implementation, use, and ongoing evolution of a coordination and collaboration tool supporting ambulatory clinic operational workflow at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). The outpatient whiteboard tool was initially designed to support healthcare work related to an electronic chemotherapy order-entry application. After a highly successful initial implementation in an oncology context, a high demand emerged across the organization for the outpatient whiteboard implementation. Over the past 10 years, developers have followed an iterative user-centered design process to evolve the tool. The electronic outpatient whiteboard system supports 194 separate whiteboards and is accessed by over 2800 distinct users on a typical day. Clinics can configure their whiteboards to support unique workflow elements. Since initial release, features such as immunization clinical decision support have been integrated into the system, based on requests from end users. The success of the electronic outpatient whiteboard demonstrates the usefulness of an operational workflow tool within the ambulatory clinic setting. Operational workflow tools can play a significant role in supporting coordination, collaboration, and teamwork in ambulatory healthcare settings.

40 CFR 60.2235 - In what form can I submit my reports?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... opacity data, electronically to EPA's Central Data Exchange (CDX) by using the Electronic Reporting Tool (ERT) (see http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ert/ert tool.html/) or other compatible electronic spreadsheet... Recordkeeping and Reporting § 60.2235 In what form can I submit my reports? Submit initial, annual, and...

40 CFR 60.2235 - In what form can I submit my reports?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... opacity data, electronically to EPA's Central Data Exchange (CDX) by using the Electronic Reporting Tool (ERT) (see http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ert/ert tool.html/) or other compatible electronic spreadsheet... Recordkeeping and Reporting § 60.2235 In what form can I submit my reports? Submit initial, annual, and...

Tools & Resources | Efficient Windows Collaborative

Science.gov Websites

Selection Tool Mobile App Window Selection Tool Mobile App Use the Window Selection Tool Mobile App for new Window Selection Tool Mobile App. LBNL's RESFEN RESFEN RESFEN is used for calculating the heating and

CE: Original Research: Exploring How Nursing Schools Handle Student Errors and Near Misses.

PubMed

Disch, Joanne; Barnsteiner, Jane; Connor, Susan; Brogren, Fabiana

2017-10-01

: Background: Little attention has been paid to how nursing students learn about quality and safety, and to the tools and policies that guide nursing schools in helping students respond to errors and near misses. This study sought to determine whether prelicensure nursing programs have a policy for reporting and following up on student clinical errors and near misses, a tool for such reporting, a tool or process (or both) for identifying trends, strategies for follow-up with students after errors and near misses, and strategies for follow-up with clinical agencies and individual faculty members. A national electronic survey of 1,667 schools of nursing with a prelicensure registered nursing program was conducted. Data from 494 responding schools (30%) were analyzed. Of the responding schools, 245 (50%) reported having no policy for managing students following a clinical error or near miss, and 272 (55%) reported having no tool for reporting student errors or near misses. Significant work is needed if the principles of a fair and just culture are to shape the response to nursing student errors and near misses. For nursing schools, some essential first steps are to understand the tools and policies a school has in place; the school's philosophy regarding errors and near misses; the resources needed to establish a fair and just culture; and how faculty can work together to create learning environments that eliminate or minimize the negative consequences of errors and near misses for patients, students, and faculty.

Nursing leadership succession planning in Veterans Health Administration: creating a useful database.

PubMed

Weiss, Lizabeth M; Drake, Audrey

2007-01-01

An electronic database was developed for succession planning and placement of nursing leaders interested and ready, willing, and able to accept an assignment in a nursing leadership position. The tool is a 1-page form used to identify candidates for nursing leadership assignments. This tool has been deployed nationally, with access to the database restricted to nurse executives at every Veterans Health Administration facility for the purpose of entering the names of developed nurse leaders ready for a leadership assignment. The tool is easily accessed through the Veterans Health Administration Office of Nursing Service, and by limiting access to the nurse executive group, ensures candidates identified are qualified. Demographic information included on the survey tool includes the candidate's demographic information and other certifications/credentials. This completed information form is entered into a database from which a report can be generated, resulting in a listing of potential candidates to contact to supplement a local or Veterans Integrated Service Network wide position announcement. The data forms can be sorted by positions, areas of clinical or functional experience, training programs completed, and geographic preference. The forms can be edited or updated and/or added or deleted in the system as the need is identified. This tool allows facilities with limited internal candidates to have a resource with Department of Veterans Affairs prepared staff in which to seek additional candidates. It also provides a way for interested candidates to be considered for positions outside of their local geographic area.

Creating Dedicated Local and State Revenue Sources for Youth Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, Rachel H.; Deich, Sharon G.; Langford, Barbara Hanson

2007-01-01

This publication is part of a series of tools and resources on financing and sustaining youth programming. These tools and resources are intended to assist policy makers, program developers and community leaders in developing innovative strategies for implementing, financing and sustaining effective programs and policies. This brief highlights six…

A Guide to Successful Public Private Partnerships for Youth Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Relave, Nanette; Deich, Sharon

2007-01-01

This publication is part of a series of tools and resources on financing and sustaining youth programming. These tools and resources are intended to help policymakers, program developers, and community leaders develop innovative strategies for implementing, financing, and sustaining effective programs and policies. This guide provides practical…

30 CFR 56.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 56.12033 Section 56.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Electricity § 56...

30 CFR 56.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 56.12033 Section 56.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Electricity § 56...

30 CFR 56.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 56.12033 Section 56.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Electricity § 56...

30 CFR 56.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 56.12033 Section 56.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Electricity § 56...

30 CFR 56.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 56.12033 Section 56.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Electricity § 56...

Comments on Work-Study as an Academic Tool: A Selection from Resource Materials Provided to the Joint Committee on Education Appropriations of the Iowa General Assembly

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greiner, Keith

2007-01-01

This is a one-page summary of work-study assistance as an academic tool for college and university students. The summary includes references to on-line resource documents that provide additional details.

Availability of EPA Tools and Resources to Increase Awareness of the Cardiovascular Health Effects of Air Pollution

EPA Science Inventory

On November 14, 2017 Dr. Wayne Cascio, Acting Director will present a webinar titled, “Availability of EPA Tools and Resources to Increase Awareness of the Cardiovascular Health Effects of Air Pollution” to HHS’ Million Hearts Federal Partner’s Monthly Cal...

Barriers to Technology Use in Large and Small School Districts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francom, Gregory M.

2016-01-01

Barriers to effective technology integration come in several different categories, including access to technology tools and resources, technology training and support, administrative support, time to plan and prepare for technology integration, and beliefs about the importance and usefulness of technology tools and resources. This study used…

34 CFR 361.48 - Scope of vocational rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) Vocational and other training services, including personal and vocational adjustment training, books, tools... accordance with the definition of that term in § 361.5(b)(42). (p) Occupational licenses, tools, equipment..., develop business plans, and otherwise provide resources, to the extent those resources are authorized to...

Martian resource locations: Identification and optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chamitoff, Gregory; James, George; Barker, Donald; Dershowitz, Adam

2005-04-01

The identification and utilization of in situ Martian natural resources is the key to enable cost-effective long-duration missions and permanent human settlements on Mars. This paper presents a powerful software tool for analyzing Martian data from all sources, and for optimizing mission site selection based on resource collocation. This program, called Planetary Resource Optimization and Mapping Tool (PROMT), provides a wide range of analysis and display functions that can be applied to raw data or imagery. Thresholds, contours, custom algorithms, and graphical editing are some of the various methods that can be used to process data. Output maps can be created to identify surface regions on Mars that meet any specific criteria. The use of this tool for analyzing data, generating maps, and collocating features is demonstrated using data from the Mars Global Surveyor and the Odyssey spacecraft. The overall mission design objective is to maximize a combination of scientific return and self-sufficiency based on utilization of local materials. Landing site optimization involves maximizing accessibility to collocated science and resource features within a given mission radius. Mission types are categorized according to duration, energy resources, and in situ resource utilization. Preliminary optimization results are shown for a number of mission scenarios.

Electronic health record tools' support of nurses' clinical judgment and team communication.

PubMed

Kossman, Susan P; Bonney, Leigh Ann; Kim, Myoung Jin

2013-11-01

Nurses need to quickly process information to form clinical judgments, communicate with the healthcare team, and guide optimal patient care. Electronic health records not only offer potential for enhanced care but also introduce unintended consequences through changes in workflow, clinical judgment, and communication. We investigated nurses' use of improvised (self-made) and electronic health record-generated cognitive artifacts on clinical judgment and team communication. Tanner's Clinical Judgment Model provided a framework and basis for questions in an online survey and focus group interviews. Findings indicated that (1) nurses rated self-made work lists and medication administration records highest for both clinical judgment and communication, (2) tools aided different dimensions of clinical judgment, and (3) interdisciplinary tools enhance team communication. Implications are that electronic health record tool redesign could better support nursing work.

Evaluating the value of a web-based natural medicine clinical decision tool at an academic medical center

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Consumer use of herbal and natural products (H/NP) is increasing, yet physicians are often unprepared to provide guidance due to lack of educational training. This knowledge deficit may place consumers at risk of clinical complications. We wished to evaluate the impact that a natural medicine clinical decision tool has on faculty attitudes, practice experiences, and needs with respect to H/NP. Methods All physicians and clinical staff (nurse practitioners, physicians assistants) (n = 532) in departments of Pediatrics, Family and Community Medicine, and Internal Medicine at our medical center were invited to complete 2 electronic surveys. The first survey was completed immediately before access to a H/NP clinical-decision tool was obtained; the second survey was completed the following year. Results Responses were obtained from 89 of 532 practitioners (16.7%) on the first survey and 87 of 535 (16.3%) clinicians on the second survey. Attitudes towards H/NP varied with gender, age, time in practice, and training. At baseline, before having an evidence-based resource available, nearly half the respondents indicated that they rarely or never ask about H/NP when taking a patient medication history. The majority of these respondents (81%) indicated that they would like to learn more about H/NP, but 72% admitted difficulty finding evidence-based information. After implementing the H/NP tool, 63% of database-user respondents indicated that they now ask patients about H/NP when taking a drug history. Compared to results from the baseline survey, respondents who used the database indicated that the tool significantly increased their ability to find reliable H/NP information (P < 0.0001), boosted their knowledge of H/NP (p < 0.0001), and increased their confidence in providing accurate H/NP answers to patients and colleagues (P < 0.0001). Conclusions Our results demonstrate healthcare provider knowledge and confidence with H/NP can be improved without costly and time-consuming formal H/NP curricula. Yet, it will be challenging to make providers aware of such resources. PMID:22011398

Enterprise Reference Library

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bickham, Grandin; Saile, Lynn; Havelka, Jacque; Fitts, Mary

2011-01-01

Introduction: Johnson Space Center (JSC) offers two extensive libraries that contain journals, research literature and electronic resources. Searching capabilities are available to those individuals residing onsite or through a librarian s search. Many individuals have rich collections of references, but no mechanisms to share reference libraries across researchers, projects, or directorates exist. Likewise, information regarding which references are provided to which individuals is not available, resulting in duplicate requests, redundant labor costs and associated copying fees. In addition, this tends to limit collaboration between colleagues and promotes the establishment of individual, unshared silos of information The Integrated Medical Model (IMM) team has utilized a centralized reference management tool during the development, test, and operational phases of this project. The Enterprise Reference Library project expands the capabilities developed for IMM to address the above issues and enhance collaboration across JSC. Method: After significant market analysis for a multi-user reference management tool, no available commercial tool was found to meet this need, so a software program was built around a commercial tool, Reference Manager 12 by The Thomson Corporation. A use case approach guided the requirements development phase. The premise of the design is that individuals use their own reference management software and export to SharePoint when their library is incorporated into the Enterprise Reference Library. This results in a searchable user-specific library application. An accompanying share folder will warehouse the electronic full-text articles, which allows the global user community to access full -text articles. Discussion: An enterprise reference library solution can provide a multidisciplinary collection of full text articles. This approach improves efficiency in obtaining and storing reference material while greatly reducing labor, purchasing and duplication costs. Most importantly, increasing collaboration across research groups provides unprecedented access to information relevant to NASA s mission. Conclusion: This project is an expansion and cost-effective leveraging of the existing JSC centralized library. Adding key word and author search capabilities and an alert function for notifications about new articles, based on users profiles, represent examples of future enhancements.

Gamification and Multimedia for Medical Education: A Landscape Review.

PubMed

McCoy, Lise; Lewis, Joy H; Dalton, David

2016-01-01

Medical education is rapidly evolving. Students enter medical school with a high level of technological literacy and an expectation for instructional variety in the curriculum. In response, many medical schools now incorporate technology-enhanced active learning and multimedia education applications. Education games, medical mobile applications, and virtual patient simulations are together termed gamified training platforms. To review available literature for the benefits of using gamified training platforms for medical education (both preclinical and clinical) and training. Also, to identify platforms suitable for these purposes with links to multimedia content. Peer-reviewed literature, commercially published media, and grey literature were searched to compile an archive of recently published scientific evaluations of gamified training platforms for medical education. Specific educational games, mobile applications, and virtual simulations useful for preclinical and clinical training were identified and categorized. Available evidence was summarized as it related to potential educational advantages of the identified platforms for medical education. Overall, improved learning outcomes have been demonstrated with virtual patient simulations. Games have the potential to promote learning, increase engagement, allow for real-word application, and enhance collaboration. They can also provide opportunities for risk-free clinical decision making, distance training, learning analytics, and swift feedback. A total of 5 electronic games and 4 mobile applications were identified for preclinical training, and 5 electronic games, 10 mobile applications, and 12 virtual patient simulation tools were identified for clinical training. Nine additional gamified, virtual environment training tools not commercially available were also identified. Many published studies suggest possible benefits from using gamified media in medical curriculum. This is a rapidly growing field. More research is required to rigorously evaluate the specific educational benefits of these interventions. This archive of hyperlinked tools can be used as a resource for all levels of medical trainees, providers, and educators.

PROCESS DOCUMENTATION: A MODEL FOR KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN ORGANIZATIONS.

PubMed

Haddadpoor, Asefeh; Taheri, Behjat; Nasri, Mehran; Heydari, Kamal; Bahrami, Gholamreza

2015-10-01

Continuous and interconnected processes are a chain of activities that turn the inputs of an organization to its outputs and help achieve partial and overall goals of the organization. These activates are carried out by two types of knowledge in the organization called explicit and implicit knowledge. Among these, implicit knowledge is the knowledge that controls a major part of the activities of an organization, controls these activities internally and will not be transferred to the process owners unless they are present during the organization's work. Therefore the goal of this study is identification of implicit knowledge and its integration with explicit knowledge in order to improve human resources management, physical resource management, information resource management, training of new employees and other activities of Isfahan University of Medical Science. The project for documentation of activities in department of health of Isfahan University of Medical Science was carried out in several stages. First the main processes and related sub processes were identified and categorized with the help of planning expert. The categorization was carried out from smaller processes to larger ones. In this stage the experts of each process wrote down all their daily activities and organized them into general categories based on logical and physical relations between different activities. Then each activity was assigned a specific code. The computer software was designed after understanding the different parts of the processes, including main and sup processes, and categorization, which will be explained in the following sections. The findings of this study showed that documentation of activities can help expose implicit knowledge because all of inputs and outputs of a process along with the length, location, tools and different stages of the process, exchanged information, storage location of the information and information flow can be identified using proper documentation. A documentation program can create a complete identifier for every process of an organization and also acts as the main tool for establishment of information technology as the basis of the organization and helps achieve the goal of having electronic and information technology based organizations. In other words documentation is the starting step in creating an organizational architecture. Afterwards, in order to reach the desired goal of documentation, computer software containing all tools, methods, instructions and guidelines and implicit knowledge of the organization was designed. This software links all relevant knowledge to the main text of the documentation and identification of a process and provides the users with electronic versions of all documentations and helps use the explicit and implicit knowledge of the organization to facilitate the reengineering of the processes in the organization.

Galileo Teacher Training Program - GTTP Days

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heenatigala, T.; Doran, R.

2012-09-01

Despite the vast availability of teaching resources on the internet, finding a quality and user-friendly materials is a challenge. Many teachers are not trained with proper computing skills to search for the right materials. With years of expertise training teachers globally, Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP) [1] recognize the need of having a go-to place for teachers to access resources. To fill this need GTTP developed - GTTP Days - a program creating resource guides for planetary, lunar and solar fields. Avoiding the imbalance in science resources between the developed and undeveloped world, GTTP Days is available both online and offline as a printable version. Each resource guide covers areas such as scientific knowledge, exploration, observation, photography, art & culture and web tools. The lesson plans of each guide include hands-on activities, web tools, software tools, and activities for people with disabilities [2]. Each activity indicate the concepts used, the skills required and age level which guides the teachers and educators to select the correct content suitable for local curriculum.

Privacy Awareness: A Means to Solve the Privacy Paradox?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pötzsch, Stefanie

People are limited in their resources, i.e. they have limited memory capabilities, cannot pay attention to too many things at the same time, and forget much information after a while; computers do not suffer from these limitations. Thus, revealing personal data in electronic communication environments and being completely unaware of the impact of privacy might cause a lot of privacy issues later. Even if people are privacy aware in general, the so-called privacy paradox shows that they do not behave according to their stated attitudes. This paper discusses explanations for the existing dichotomy between the intentions of people towards disclosure of personal data and their behaviour. We present requirements on tools for privacy-awareness support in order to counteract the privacy paradox.

Textbooks on tap: using electronic books housed in handheld devices in nursing clinical courses.

PubMed

Williams, Margaret G; Dittmer, Arlis

2009-01-01

Changing technology is creating new ways to approach nursing education and practice. Beginning in 2003, using a quasi-experimental design, this project introduced personal digital assistants (PDAs) as a clinical tool to five experimental and control groups of students and faculty. The handheld device, or PDA, was loaded with e-books for clinical practice. Differences in learning styles and preferences emerged during the different phases of the study. Students were quickly able to master the technology and use the device effectively, reporting that they liked the concise nature of the information obtained. No students expressed dissatisfaction or regret at being in the experimental group. Results and implications for clinical practice, education, and library resources are discussed.

Free and simple GIS as appropriate for health mapping in a low resource setting: a case study in eastern Indonesia.

PubMed

Fisher, Rohan P; Myers, Bronwyn A

2011-02-25

Despite the demonstrated utility of GIS for health applications, there are perceived problems in low resource settings: GIS software can be expensive and complex; input data are often of low quality. This study aimed to test the appropriateness of new, inexpensive and simple GIS tools in poorly resourced areas of a developing country. GIS applications were trialled in pilot studies based on mapping of health resources and health indicators at the clinic and district level in the predominantly rural province of Nusa Tenggara Timur in eastern Indonesia. The pilot applications were (i) rapid field collection of health infrastructure data using a GPS enabled PDA, (ii) mapping health indicator data using open source GIS software, and (iii) service availability mapping using a free modelling tool. Through contextualised training, district and clinic staff acquired skills in spatial analysis and visualisation and, six months after the pilot studies, they were using these skills for advocacy in the planning process, to inform the allocation of some health resources, and to evaluate some public health initiatives. We demonstrated that GIS can be a useful and inexpensive tool for the decentralisation of health data analysis to low resource settings through the use of free and simple software, locally relevant training materials and by providing data collection tools to ensure data reliability.

Free and simple GIS as appropriate for health mapping in a low resource setting: a case study in eastern Indonesia

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Despite the demonstrated utility of GIS for health applications, there are perceived problems in low resource settings: GIS software can be expensive and complex; input data are often of low quality. This study aimed to test the appropriateness of new, inexpensive and simple GIS tools in poorly resourced areas of a developing country. GIS applications were trialled in pilot studies based on mapping of health resources and health indicators at the clinic and district level in the predominantly rural province of Nusa Tenggara Timur in eastern Indonesia. The pilot applications were (i) rapid field collection of health infrastructure data using a GPS enabled PDA, (ii) mapping health indicator data using open source GIS software, and (iii) service availability mapping using a free modelling tool. Results Through contextualised training, district and clinic staff acquired skills in spatial analysis and visualisation and, six months after the pilot studies, they were using these skills for advocacy in the planning process, to inform the allocation of some health resources, and to evaluate some public health initiatives. Conclusions We demonstrated that GIS can be a useful and inexpensive tool for the decentralisation of health data analysis to low resource settings through the use of free and simple software, locally relevant training materials and by providing data collection tools to ensure data reliability. PMID:21352553

Evaluation of a novel electronic genetic screening and clinical decision support tool in prenatal clinical settings.

PubMed

Edelman, Emily A; Lin, Bruce K; Doksum, Teresa; Drohan, Brian; Edelson, Vaughn; Dolan, Siobhan M; Hughes, Kevin; O'Leary, James; Vasquez, Lisa; Copeland, Sara; Galvin, Shelley L; DeGroat, Nicole; Pardanani, Setul; Gregory Feero, W; Adams, Claire; Jones, Renee; Scott, Joan

2014-07-01

"The Pregnancy and Health Profile" (PHP) is a free prenatal genetic screening and clinical decision support (CDS) software tool for prenatal providers. PHP collects family health history (FHH) during intake and provides point-of-care risk assessment for providers and education for patients. This pilot study evaluated patient and provider responses to PHP and effects of using PHP in practice. PHP was implemented in four clinics. Surveys assessed provider confidence and knowledge and patient and provider satisfaction with PHP. Data on the implementation process were obtained through semi-structured interviews with administrators. Quantitative survey data were analyzed using Chi square test, Fisher's exact test, paired t tests, and multivariate logistic regression. Open-ended survey questions and interviews were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. Of the 83% (513/618) of patients that provided feedback, 97% felt PHP was easy to use and 98% easy to understand. Thirty percent (21/71) of participating physicians completed both pre- and post-implementation feedback surveys [13 obstetricians (OBs) and 8 family medicine physicians (FPs)]. Confidence in managing genetic risks significantly improved for OBs on 2/6 measures (p values ≤0.001) but not for FPs. Physician knowledge did not significantly change. Providers reported value in added patient engagement and reported mixed feedback about the CDS report. We identified key steps, resources, and staff support required to implement PHP in a clinical setting. To our knowledge, this study is the first to report on the integration of patient-completed, electronically captured and CDS-enabled FHH software into primary prenatal practice. PHP is acceptable to patients and providers. Key to successful implementation in the future will be customization options and interoperability with electronic health records.

Databases and Web Tools for Cancer Genomics Study

PubMed Central

Yang, Yadong; Dong, Xunong; Xie, Bingbing; Ding, Nan; Chen, Juan; Li, Yongjun; Zhang, Qian; Qu, Hongzhu; Fang, Xiangdong

2015-01-01

Publicly-accessible resources have promoted the advance of scientific discovery. The era of genomics and big data has brought the need for collaboration and data sharing in order to make effective use of this new knowledge. Here, we describe the web resources for cancer genomics research and rate them on the basis of the diversity of cancer types, sample size, omics data comprehensiveness, and user experience. The resources reviewed include data repository and analysis tools; and we hope such introduction will promote the awareness and facilitate the usage of these resources in the cancer research community. PMID:25707591

Updates in metabolomics tools and resources: 2014-2015.

PubMed

Misra, Biswapriya B; van der Hooft, Justin J J

2016-01-01

Data processing and interpretation represent the most challenging and time-consuming steps in high-throughput metabolomic experiments, regardless of the analytical platforms (MS or NMR spectroscopy based) used for data acquisition. Improved machinery in metabolomics generates increasingly complex datasets that create the need for more and better processing and analysis software and in silico approaches to understand the resulting data. However, a comprehensive source of information describing the utility of the most recently developed and released metabolomics resources--in the form of tools, software, and databases--is currently lacking. Thus, here we provide an overview of freely-available, and open-source, tools, algorithms, and frameworks to make both upcoming and established metabolomics researchers aware of the recent developments in an attempt to advance and facilitate data processing workflows in their metabolomics research. The major topics include tools and researches for data processing, data annotation, and data visualization in MS and NMR-based metabolomics. Most in this review described tools are dedicated to untargeted metabolomics workflows; however, some more specialist tools are described as well. All tools and resources described including their analytical and computational platform dependencies are summarized in an overview Table. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Revolution or Revelation? Acquisitions for the Digital Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Kathleen; Larson, Betsy

2006-01-01

Libraries are responding to customer preferences for electronic research materials through the acquisition and management of these products. Electronic resources have significantly different characteristics than print resources when it comes to technical services management. This paper addresses aspects of a corporate research library's evaluation…

The Scoring of Matching Questions Tests: A Closer Look

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jancarík, Antonín; Kostelecká, Yvona

2015-01-01

Electronic testing has become a regular part of online courses. Most learning management systems offer a wide range of tools that can be used in electronic tests. With respect to time demands, the most efficient tools are those that allow automatic assessment. The presented paper focuses on one of these tools: matching questions in which one…

A Training Tool and Methodology to Allow Concurrent Multidisciplinary Experimental Projects in Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maseda, F. J.; Martija, I.; Martija, I.

2012-01-01

This paper describes a novel Electrical Machine and Power Electronic Training Tool (EM&PE[subscript TT]), a methodology for using it, and associated experimental educational activities. The training tool is implemented by recreating a whole power electronics system, divided into modular blocks. This process is similar to that applied when…

Overview of Self-Management Resources Used by Canadian Chronic Kidney Disease Clinics: A National Survey.

PubMed

Donald, Maoliosa; Gil, Sarah; Kahlon, Bhavneet; Beanlands, Heather; Straus, Sharon; Herrington, Gwen; Manns, Braden; Hemmelgarn, Brenda R

2018-01-01

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) clinics across Canada provide tailored care for patients with CKD with an aim to slow progression and prevent complications. These clinics provide CKD self-management resources; however, there is limited information about what resources are being used by clinics. We undertook a survey of CKD clinics across Canada to identify self-management resources for adults aged 18 years and over with CKD categories 1 to 5 and not requiring dialysis or transplant. To identify and collate self-management resources (eg, strategies, tools, educational materials) used by CKD clinics across Canada for adults with CKD (categories 1 to 5, not requiring kidney replacement therapy). Self-administered, semistructured electronic survey. Canadian CKD clinics with previously identified contact information. We contacted 57 CKD English-speaking clinics and invited them to complete an online survey. The survey was available from October 2016 to January 2017 and consisted of 17 questions regarding the use and attributes of self-management resources including topic, delivery format, provider, target population, where the intervention was provided, and resource languages. Forty-four clinics (77%) completed the survey. The most common topic was modality education provided in print format, by nurses. The most frequently used resource was the Kidney Foundation of Canada (KFOC) Living With Kidney Disease manual. We also identified that the majority of resources were available in English, targeting both patients and caregivers in the outpatient setting. Our survey included Canadian adult CKD clinics, which may not be generalizability to other settings, such as care of people with CKD in primary care. Adult CKD clinics across Canada provide some similar resources, but also provide many different self-management resources. Even though some of the same resources were used by multiple clinics, the way they were provided them (ie, provider, location, delivery format) varied by the individual clinics. Knowledge of self-management resources currently provided in CKD clinics, along with synthesis of the literature and patient preferred self-management strategies, will inform the design and development of a novel self-management intervention that is patient-centric and adheres to the principles of self-management.

Reliability-Based Electronics Shielding Design Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, J. W.; O'Neill, P. J.; Zang, T. A.; Pandolf, J. E.; Tripathi, R. K.; Koontz, Steven L.; Boeder, P.; Reddell, B.; Pankop, C.

2007-01-01

Shielding design on large human-rated systems allows minimization of radiation impact on electronic systems. Shielding design tools require adequate methods for evaluation of design layouts, guiding qualification testing, and adequate follow-up on final design evaluation.

Energy Management Challenges and Opportunities with Increased Intermittent Renewable Generation on the California Electrical Grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eichman, Joshua David

Renewable resources including wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, hydroelectric, wave and tidal, represent an opportunity for environmentally preferred generation of electricity that also increases energy security and independence. California is very proactive in encouraging the implementation of renewable energy in part through legislation like Assembly Bill 32 and the development and execution of Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS); however renewable technologies are not without challenges. All renewable resources have some resource limitations, be that from location, capacity, cost or availability. Technologies like wind and solar are intermittent in nature but represent one of the most abundant resources for generating renewable electricity. If RPS goals are to be achieved high levels of intermittent renewables must be considered. This work explores the effects of high penetration of renewables on a grid system, with respect to resource availability and identifies the key challenges from the perspective of the grid to introducing these resources. The HiGRID tool was developed for this analysis because no other tool could explore grid operation, while maintaining system reliability, with a diverse set of renewable resources and a wide array of complementary technologies including: energy efficiency, demand response, energy storage technologies and electric transportation. This tool resolves the hourly operation of conventional generation resources (nuclear, coal, geothermal, natural gas and hydro). The resulting behavior from introducing additional renewable resources and the lifetime costs for each technology is analyzed.

Toward improved simulation of river operations through integration with a hydrologic model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morway, Eric D.; Niswonger, Richard G.; Triana, Enrique

2016-01-01

Advanced modeling tools are needed for informed water resources planning and management. Two classes of modeling tools are often used to this end–(1) distributed-parameter hydrologic models for quantifying supply and (2) river-operation models for sorting out demands under rule-based systems such as the prior-appropriation doctrine. Within each of these two broad classes of models, there are many software tools that excel at simulating the processes specific to each discipline, but have historically over-simplified, or at worse completely neglected, aspects of the other. As a result, water managers reliant on river-operation models for administering water resources need improved tools for representing spatially and temporally varying groundwater resources in conjunctive-use systems. A new tool is described that improves the representation of groundwater/surface-water (GW-SW) interaction within a river-operations modeling context and, in so doing, advances evaluation of system-wide hydrologic consequences of new or altered management regimes.

Challenge of Engaging All Students via Self-Paced Interactive Electronic Learning Tutorials for Introductory Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeVore, Seth; Marshman, Emily; Singh, Chandralekha

2017-01-01

As research-based, self-paced electronic learning tools become increasingly available, a critical issue educators encounter is implementing strategies to ensure that all students engage with them as intended. Here, we first discuss the effectiveness of electronic learning tutorials as self-paced learning tools in large enrollment brick and mortar…

The Role of Electronic Pocket Dictionaries as an English Learning Tool among Chinese Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jian, Hua-Li; Sandnes, Frode Eika; Law, Kris M. Y.; Huang, Yo-Ping; Huang, Yueh-Min

2009-01-01

This study addressed the role of electronic pocket dictionaries as a language learning tool among university students in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The target groups included engineering and humanities students at both undergraduate and graduate level. Speed of reference was found to be the main motivator for using an electronic pocket dictionary.…

Management Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

Manugistics, Inc. (formerly AVYX, Inc.) has introduced a new programming language for IBM and IBM compatible computers called TREES-pls. It is a resource management tool originating from the space shuttle, that can be used in such applications as scheduling, resource allocation project control, information management, and artificial intelligence. Manugistics, Inc. was looking for a flexible tool that can be applied to many problems with minimal adaptation. Among the non-government markets are aerospace, other manufacturing, transportation, health care, food and beverage and professional services.

[Internet and videogame addiction: a review].

PubMed

Abreu, Cristiano Nabuco de; Karam, Rafael Gomes; Góes, Dora Sampaio; Spritzer, Daniel Tornaim

2008-06-01

With the introduction of the new technologies to our daily lives, the Internet and electronic games have become widely and unrestrictedly used tools and one of the major global phenomena in the last decade. Several investigations have attested the benefits from such resources; however, their healthy, adaptive use progressively gave place to their abuse and the lack of control, which have severely impacted on the daily life of millions of users. The objective of this study was to systematically review the articles looking into Internet and electronic games addiction in the general population. We intend, therefore, to evaluate the progression of these concepts in the course of the last decade, as well as contributing to better understand this condition and its comorbidities. A systematic literature review was conducted by means of MedLine, Lilacs, SciELO, and Cochrane using the following terms as a parameter: "Internet addiction", "pathological internet use", "internet abuse", "videogame" , "computer games" and "electronic games". The electronic search was done up to December 2007. Studies conducted in distinct countries still indicate very different prevalence rates; this is probably due to the absence of consensus and the use of diverse names, which brings about the adoption of distinct diagnostic criteria. Many patients reporting abusive use and dependence show significant consequences to their professional, academic (school), social and family lives. Further investigations are needed to determine whether this abusive Internet and electronic game use should be understood as one of the newest psychiatric classifications of the 21st century or just substrates of other disorders.

NREL: Renewable Resource Data Center - Solar Resource Information

Science.gov Websites

Solar Resource Information The Renewable Resource Data Center (RReDC) offers a collection of data and tools to assist with solar resource research. Learn more about RReDC's solar resource: Data Models siting. In addition, RReDC offers a solar resource glossary, unit conversion information, and an

Water Resource Adaptation Program

EPA Science Inventory

The Water Resource Adaptation Program (WRAP) contributes to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (U.S. EPA) efforts to provide water resource managers and decision makers with the tools needed to adapt water resources to demographic and economic development, and future clim...

Provider Opinions and Experiences Regarding Development of a Social Support Assessment to Inform Hospital Discharge: The Going Home Toolkit.

PubMed

Wallace, Andrea; Papke, Todd; Davisson, Erica; Spooner, Kara; Gassman, Laura

Despite over three decades of research linking social support and optimal health outcomes, social support is not systematically assessed or addressed during clinical care. This study sought input from health care providers to inform the design of an intervention intended to facilitate assessment of social support in a way that could aid in anticipatory planning during the process of hospital discharge. Using a purposive sampling strategy, data were collected from providers in two acute care settings serving rural patients, one academic and one community based. Opinions about what an assessment of social support would seek to accomplish, what is currently done and by whom, and the preferred format for delivery were elicited during a series of individual and group interviews. During phase two, feasibility was assessed with three inpatient nurses over 3 clinical days. Field notes were analyzed throughout the project using rapid data analysis techniques. Health care providers endorsed the creation of an assessment and stated that target users would include all members of the discharge team (e.g., clinical nurses, case managers, discharge coordinators, hospitalists, and specialty care). They identified the need for a patient-family resource (vs. a traditional provider-facing assessment). Participants stated that, although both the information collected and the interview process would meet a need to increase patient engagement in inpatient settings, competing clinical demands would require a tool that was easily completed by patients and family and seen as directly informing clinical activities. To this end, although focusing on the eventual development of an electronic tool seemed valuable, a hard-copy resource was considered more feasible for patient use at the present time. The preliminary test of the resulting hard-copy "Going Home Toolkit" demonstrated potential feasibility and usefulness during clinical practice. There is need for not only assessing patients' supportive networks during discharge planning, but to do so in a way that would facilitate directed communication between, and engagement with, team members, patients, and families. Especially in light of new legislation focusing on involvement of caregivers, a tool such as the "Going Home Toolkit" may facilitate important conversations about, and planning around, patients' supportive resources at home.

Teaching Talented Writers with Web 2.0 Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olthouse, Jill M.; Miller, Myriah Tasker

2012-01-01

This article is a review of 12 online writing resources and contains suggestions about how such resources might be used in a differentiated classroom with talented writers. Youth with writing talent are defined by distinguishing characteristics and the authors discuss how those characteristics can be supported and enhanced using Web 2.0 tools.…

Mining Hidden Gems Beneath the Surface: A Look At the Invisible Web.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Randal D.; Repman, Judi

2002-01-01

Describes resources for researchers called the Invisible Web that are hidden from the usual search engines and other tools and contrasts them with those resources available on the surface Web. Identifies specialized search tools, databases, and strategies that can be used to locate credible in-depth information. (Author/LRW)

Finding Funding: A Guide to Federal Sources for Youth Programs. Finding Funding Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobbins-Harper, Dionne; Bhat, Soumya

2007-01-01

This publication is part of a series of tools and resources on financing and sustaining youth programming. These tools and resources are intended to help policymakers, program developers, and community leaders develop innovative strategies for implementing, financing, and sustaining effective programs and policies. This guide outlines strategies…

Resources for Topics in Nursing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riordan, Dale B.

This guide is intended to help the user become familiar with a selected group of reference tools and resources which are useful in nursing education and practice. It is important for students to use the correct medical or scientific terminology, understand the scope of a topic, and then utilize the tools necessary to research subjects of interest.…

Personalised Search Tool for Teachers--PoSTech!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seyedarabi, Faezeh; Peterson, Don; Keenoy, Kevin

2005-01-01

One of the ways in which teachers tend to "personalise" to the needs of their students is by complementing their teaching materials with online resources. However, the current online resources are designed in such a way that only allows teachers to customise their search and not personalise. Therefore, a Personalised Search Tool for…

RoboResource Technology Learning Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keck, Tom, Comp.; Frye, Ellen, Ed.

Preparing students to be successful in a rapidly changing world means showing them how to use the tools of technology and how to integrate those tools into all areas of learning. This booklet is divided into three sections: Design Activities, Experiments, and Resources. The design activities ask students to collaborate on design projects. In these…

MEAT: An Authoring Tool for Generating Adaptable Learning Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuo, Yen-Hung; Huang, Yueh-Min

2009-01-01

Mobile learning (m-learning) is a new trend in the e-learning field. The learning services in m-learning environments are supported by fundamental functions, especially the content and assessment services, which need an authoring tool to rapidly generate adaptable learning resources. To fulfill the imperious demand, this study proposes an…

Comprehensive data resources and analytical tools for pathological association of aminoacyl tRNA synthetases with cancer

PubMed Central

Lee, Ji-Hyun; You, Sungyong; Hyeon, Do Young; Kang, Byeongsoo; Kim, Hyerim; Park, Kyoung Mii; Han, Byungwoo; Hwang, Daehee; Kim, Sunghoon

2015-01-01

Mammalian cells have cytoplasmic and mitochondrial aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) that catalyze aminoacylation of tRNAs during protein synthesis. Despite their housekeeping functions in protein synthesis, recently, ARSs and ARS-interacting multifunctional proteins (AIMPs) have been shown to play important roles in disease pathogenesis through their interactions with disease-related molecules. However, there are lacks of data resources and analytical tools that can be used to examine disease associations of ARS/AIMPs. Here, we developed an Integrated Database for ARSs (IDA), a resource database including cancer genomic/proteomic and interaction data of ARS/AIMPs. IDA includes mRNA expression, somatic mutation, copy number variation and phosphorylation data of ARS/AIMPs and their interacting proteins in various cancers. IDA further includes an array of analytical tools for exploration of disease association of ARS/AIMPs, identification of disease-associated ARS/AIMP interactors and reconstruction of ARS-dependent disease-perturbed network models. Therefore, IDA provides both comprehensive data resources and analytical tools for understanding potential roles of ARS/AIMPs in cancers. Database URL: http://ida.biocon.re.kr/, http://ars.biocon.re.kr/ PMID:25824651

Tool Time: Gender and Students' Use of Tools, Control, and Authority.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, M. Gail; Brader-Araje, Laura; Carboni, Lisa Wilson; Carter, Glenda; Rua, Melissa J.; Banilower, Eric; Hatch, Holly

2000-01-01

Observes 16 students from five elementary science classes to examine how students use tools when constructing new knowledge during science instruction, how control of tools is actualized from pedagogical perspectives, how language and tool accessibility intersect, how gender intersects with tool use, and how competition for resources impacts…

Use of Mobile Devices to Access Resources Among Health Professions Students: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Mi, Misa; Wu, Wendy; Qiu, Maylene; Zhang, Yingting; Wu, Lin; Li, Jie

2016-01-01

This systematic review examines types of mobile devices used by health professions students, kinds of resources and tools accessed via mobile devices, and reasons for using the devices to access the resources and tools. The review included 20 studies selected from articles published in English between January 2010 and April 2015, retrieved from PubMed and other sources. Data extracted included participants, study designs, mobile devices used, mobile resources/apps accessed, outcome measures, and advantages of and barriers to using mobile devices. The review indicates significant variability across the studies in terms of research methods, types of mobile programs implemented, resources accessed, and outcomes. There were beneficial effects of using mobile devices to access resources as well as conspicuous challenges or barriers in using mobile devices.